Once again, one of my works is going to be displayed at the GSIS as I join notable artists in an exhibit. I am experimenting a new form, this time giving my impressions of our Yanagawa River cruise in Fukuoka, Japan. I am attaching my work and a little poetry that should go with it. I will attach it at the back of the painting.
turo ni tito
Twenty years of teaching must sure amount to something. A new friend in cyberspace suggested I ought to have a journal by now. I agree.
Wednesday, November 06, 2024
One day on a River
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
The Senate and PRRD
The recent appearance of former PRRD before the senate gave me some personal insights. Remember. These are my personal insights.
First of all, once again, he has shown the
lack of proper breeding and no sense of decorum. I wonder what kind of
household he had growing up and what kind of family he had reared. He constantly cursed and even with extreme
pride. Never mind. We have always known
the kind of man he is. Let us just say his
conflicting pronouncements gave me a headache.
To paraphrase the main theme of his
statements, he said, sounding noble to his minions by the way they clapped and
cheered, “I shall be held liable for all the killings. Do not blame it on the
cops… If I am given another chance, I shall do these again.” Was he true to his words? I have reason to
believe that the former President’s pronouncements are not really that gallant.
These pronouncements may even be ignoble. When confronted by Sen Risa Hontiveros if his commitment
extended to those innocent civilians who died from the police, his response can
be attributed to either, he did not understand the question fully or that he
thinks he has something up his sleeves.
He waivered saying something like “walang maniniwalang abugado dyan.” So, he believes, just like Roque, that his
smugness is coming from a technical standpoint.
Me lusot, ika nga. The Bill of Rights guarantee that no person shall be
a witness against himself. Therefore,
his words cannot be used against him.
These have to be proven which might take a long time maybe until his death and then he shall go scot free. Also, he is a septuagenarian, a mitigating circumstance
in the Revised Penal Code of the country.
What that means is that he cannot suffer the full extent of the law.
On a deeper level, cops who
followed his directives should be held responsible and cannot claim they were
just following orders. A subordinate
should ONLY follow lawful orders. To
kill an accused without the benefit of a fair trial is wrong in any country, in
any jurisdiction, unless it is a dictatorial form of government, perhaps. Duterte knows this, as a matter of fact, he
said no PMAer would have followed had he categorically said that. However, there are a lot of footages that see
him explicitly or impliedly mentioning this directive. This can even be felt
with his pronouncements before the Senate. He probably thinks because he was the
President, he was giving a lawful order because, in his way of thinking, that
is his way. Well, is he correct? The death penalty is no longer being meted
out to even heinous crimes by our laws. So,
even if any criminal who will be found guilty in a court of law, cannot be given the death penalty. Duterte’s
claim clearly is in violation of the principle of “innocence unless proven
guilty.” A principle lost on all his believers. Even more problematic is his admission
having told the police to plant evidence just to pin down a suspect. According
to him, that was his way when he was still a prosecutor. How horrible it will be for a parent if
his/her child is suspected and planted evidence and be killed just so he will have
no more “problems” with criminal elements. Such was the case when out of
nowhere, the government would have a list of addicts and pushers and be
accosted and killed as in the famous “tokhang” series. Imagine if you had a quarrel with a neighbor
or a Barangay captain and they included your child to that list? What a nightmare that would have been,
right? True enough, it happened many
times before. Imagine, no right to a fair trial. Duterte’s kind of justice. Kill
and get rid of these criminals. Futhermore,
there are evidences now that point out that big time criminals are not touched
because they are being favored. But that has yet to be proven.
Sunday, September 22, 2024
In Aid of Legislation
The country has been witness to very interesting events in congress today. Thanks to the introduction of the internet, youtube and other platforms, one of the functions of government, the legislature and its inquisitive nature to investigate in aid of legislation, and how the players perform such function is now open to every citizen who has the mind to watch and observe how these things work and the trimmings that go with it. Sometimes, though, I find myself in a quandary whether such opportunity is good or bad for the country. For one, many observers can be misled and come to misguided conclusions simply because somewhere along the way, something has been lost, like the real purpose for why such a thing is happening.
For starters, I find it odd that congressmen and senators
would, instead of ferreting the truth out of their resource speakers by
trapping them and inadvertently admitting their participation with illegal
activities, just like Luistro or Gutierrez and/or the other young congressmen
who are probably lawyers, these lawmen would use intimidation like they would a
stubborn child, which actually, does not hold water, after a long while. We would always hear a congressman threaten a
witness by citing him or her in contempt, sometimes for more than one until
said witness is banished till kingdom come.
What they fail to take into consideration is that it becomes too
ordinary it is no longer a threat. A
child who has been admonished for an offense, will likely be immune to a
punishment that has been given repeatedly over time until such punishment does
not serve its purpose anymore.
What perplexes me more is that when a witness has already
given an answer, they would pounce on the witness if such an answer did not
conform to what they expected. It is
common knowledge that the onus probandi or burden of proof lies on an
accuser. If they think the witness is
lying, it is their duty to prove that such pronouncement is a lie but
nevertheless, they should take the answer as it has been given at face value. For
after all, they always claim that they have the records that belie a testimony
given. Remember that the proceeding is just
in aid of legislation, hence, the committee is not a court of law and as such, the
main proponents should neither be accusatory nor give a verdict in nature and
should be thankful for their resource people for making themselves available and
be of assistance to the task at hand, make laws that are logical and sound. Instead, what the public sees is a game of intimidation
to the point of bullying their witnesse, shouting and rebuking their testimonies.One must remember that these witnesses are not to
be considered as criminals and have yet to be proven as such in a court of
law. There was one senator who was heard
to say, “Napipiikon na ko sayo!” like as
if he was talking to an errant child. Had
I been the witness, I would have said, “that is your prerogative, your honor, but
I have given you my response!” Another
senator that gets into my nerve is a newly elected senator who even before interrogating
Guo, uttered, in all arrogance, “humanda ka at pihadong papawisan ka ng husto
sa mga itatanong ko!” Was that even a proper utterance from a certain person
who shall be addressed as “Your Honor? Said senator is known to have a show that
actually condemns before it hears which, of course, is contrary to the
presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
I also heard another senator a
while back, saying to Guo, “You have to prove to us that you are innocent!” A
very wrong notion, if you ask me for the simple reason that again, the burden
of proof lies on an accuser. I have been
a one-time debate coach and I have always been telling my team that the negative
does not have any responsibility to prove its case for the burden of proof
always lie on the affirmative and that the negative’s responsibility is just to
negate unless the affirmative has either proven their case or the negative is
on the attack. She, as a lawmaker should
have known better, shouldn’t she?
Sayang lang, I can see that Cassandra Ong, notwithstanding
her pronouncements that she has only reached, and not even finished Grade 6,
can communicate in English rather well, as in her testimony, she was just the
interpreter of the Chinese as they neither speak Tagalog nor English, the
medium of instruction in the country. And yet, she can, in the words of
Congressman Abante, drive circles around their heads. It seems that these people have rehearsed what
they are going to say until a verdict of reasonable doubt has been established
and they are acquitted. At a very young age, she owns fifty-eight
percent of a company that has earned billions which is very unlikely. It is apparent to me that she is a mere dummy
and is being used by these POGO operators to gain advantage out of our laws which
hopefully will be corrected by the proceedings in aid of legislation. I got
that assumption just listening to her testimonies and yes, they need not have
to cite her in contempt. I wonder what kind of law should come out of
these. Just the same, I am still hopeful
that the Filipinos’ real interest shall be served.
Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Of Shameless and Alzheimer's
When I get to discover what I feel is a good movie, or in this case, a Netflix series, I cannot stop watching until I have finished the whole thing. My latest is a series called Shameless. I am now on its eleventh episode of the eighth season. Three more to go. Anyway, it is about a dysfunctional family at the south side of Chicago, said to be known for its disreputable location where poverty stricken families, homeless, addicts, and drug pushers thrive. The Gallagher family, due to a neglectful father, is supposedly headed by the eldest daughter, Fiona, played by Emmy Rossum, who had to single handedly raise her siblings since she was herself a toddler because the father, Frank, (William H. Macey), is a no good addict, alcoholic who is always wasted. The mother, Monica, was herself an addict and a bipolar who came and went always abandoning her family. The children, naturally, had to live using cunning ways to get by. They grew up to be thieves and con artists just to survive and a dog eats dog world.
The family
had a trusted husband and wife neighbors who owned a bar named Kev, an almost naïve
but honest man who loves his wife, V, an African American. They are joined in
by a Russian hooker who forced her way to their lives until she ended up owning
the bar because of her intelligence. The
series has introduced interesting characters all throughout the entire show and
I am really enticed to watch it in between work.
Anyway,
the father, Frank, is just no ignorant fool.
In spite of his addiction and alcoholism, there lies a man who has
developed his own philosophy in life. In
one of the episodes, he blurted out his thoughts on Alzheimer’s which I have
been thinking about since I have seen my mother being afflicted with the
disease. Frank said, “Alzheimer is an
evolutionary advantage that we’ve developed so we won’t have to be aware of the
depth of misery we face in our dotage!”
I have
always thought along those lines.
Alzheimer’s to me is a coping mechanism.
It is something that numbs away our pain having to see how we deteriorate
and not be a part of a society who does not give a damn on destitute and old folks
while they are trying to survive in a world that only cares for those who can
live independently and better yet, comfortably.
Friday, April 12, 2024
Third Time Around
My friends know that I went under the knife twice last year - nephrology in July where they took out my cancer riddled right kidney and a complete thyroidectomy last November. While I am not complaining, my wallet is. I thought that I have already completed my health issues by then and I will never have to see the operating room again with all the hassles from blood donation, securing clearances and finally, not being able to pee while stabilizing in the recovery room. Let me illustrate:
Blood donation - upon learning that my urologist, Dr. Joel Aldana, required blood just in case I may need it, my sons and a brother-in-law were quick to donate blood to St. Luke's at BGC where I was supposed to have my surgery. However, that surgery was postponed because i could not complete my clearances. The blood donation had to be wasted, well, on me anyway. When it was time for my surgery, there still was no blood as my donors can no longer donate as it was still to soon from their previous donation. My son, Mickey, rescued the day when he bought the needed blood, thanks to his organization, the JCI who had contacts with the Red cross a day before surgery.
Securing clearances - During my very first operation, I have to secure clearances from a cardiologist, a nephrologist, gastro, endo and ENT. It would have been a simple one until my chest xray showed that there is a deviation on my right chest as a result of my growing thyroid. As I had to undergo another CT scan with contrast, a clearance from my nephrologist was needed which proved to have given me the hardest time. When I was about to see her for a clearance, I was told that she was attending a convention the whole week. I was delayed for a week.
The week I was supposed to see my nephro, she had changed location to far away Alabang. I tried contacting her thru teleconsult but I am really not comfortable doing that. I had to go to another nephro who gave me my needed clearance.
Peeing- it has always been my problem eversince - I cannot pee on a bedpan. I have to be standing and alone. I realized this problem when I had my first operation, a partial thyroidectomy in 1986. They wouldn't let me stand and go to the toilet in spite of my insistence that I am no longer groggy. After several hours, and too much prodding, a male nurse accompanied me to the toilet. When I reached the toilet, I got the bottle of IV from him and asked him to step out. Only then was I able to pee. This happened again during the thyroidectomy in November. I was so frustrated they would not return me to my room unless I peed. I told them of my dilemma and even bargained to sign a waiver, just let me go. They enclosed my bed with standing covers and allowed me to stand and yet, no dice. Finally, they succumbed and returned me to my room where my wife was patiently waiting.
Enough of my woes.
Last December, I noticed that my left abdomen was bulging. Alarmed, I contacted a surgeon, the daughter of a very close friend. She asked if I had an incision on my tummy when I had my nephrectomy. I had one because while they did a laparoscopy on me, they had to make an incision to take out the kidney. She told me that sometimes, it could result into a bulging and advised me to see my urologist who did the operation. Having known that, I googled reasons why an abdomen would bulge after a surgery. Turns out to be hernia.
I went to my urologist as I was due to see him in January, anyway. He looked at the bulge and saw that it was not due to the incision thus ruling out incisional hernia. He asked me to lie down and felt my abdomen and suspected it to be an abdominal hernia. He recommended a surgeon, Dr. Dante Ang.
So, today, I. together with my wife, am due to go to the Philippine General Hospital for the third time for admittance. I shall undergo another surgery tomorrow. I hope everything is in order.
A little prayer for me will go a long way. Thank you all.
PS.
This post yielded about 387 reactions and 286 comments in response to my request for prayers. I feel so loved at this point
Monday, July 10, 2023
My Kidneys
Eversince I retired in 2018, I had been seeing two different kinds of doctors for the past two years as a result of my being diabetic for more than twenty years – an endocrinologist, Dr. Lu, who takes care of my endocrine disorders which is the primary doctor who takes care of my diabetes and my thyroid seventy five percent of which has already been removed in 2003. The other doctor, Dr. Guiang, is a nephrologist, who takes care of my kidney as they started weakening since the beginning of the 21st century.
My HMO, which is a carry-over of my employment at DLSZ, was due to expire in sometime in May, 2023 as I am to turn 65 years old in September. Our contract says it can only be extended till that age. When I told my doctors about this, they agreed that I might as well take advantage of it and to run all possible tests before it expired. Following the suggestion, I had an ultrasound of my upper and lower abdomen and my thyroid not knowing these would start a battery of tests that will give me quite a scare and my first brush with the Big C.
The tests yielded that my thyroid is acting up again. The result said that it has formed calcification which means that the risk of malignancy is quite high. I was advised to undergo a Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy but even then, I have decided that I will just have to undergo another surgery and have my thyroid completely removed. I thought that would have been the end of my worries not knowing that it has only just begun. The ultrasound of my abdomen turned out that I have developed complex cysts in both of my kidneys. I immediately reported this to my nephrologist who advised me to have a CT scan. I had the CT Scan at the Medical City and it yielded that what I have at the left was Bosniak Type 1 which is okay and that they just have to monitor it annually. The right kidney was the problematic one because what I had was Bosniak Type 4 which has at least a 90% risk of being malignant. I was advised by my doctor to see a Urologist immediately to address this. As some sort of appeasement, my nephrologist, showing me several diagrams, said that normally these cysts are taken out partially and that if taken away, will be the end of it. Emboldened by this possibility, I immediately went to the Urologist to have these checked - but he was not available. I was only able to see him after two weeks.
My meeting with the Urologist was not pleasant. Without any pause or introduction, he said flatly that the tumor was at the center of the kidney and the only possible way is to take the kidney out in its entirety. What really bothered me was his statement that this might mean I will have to start undergoing dialysis, something I have dreaded from the time I was told that my kidneys were weakening several years earlier. My head began to spin and I saw my world crumbling down. I immediately told my nephrologist of this development and seeing how worried I have become, she gave me the assurance that dialysis was not automatic. The kidney function should at least be at 15% before one has to go on dialysis. Mine was at least at 48%. Much later, I would have an imaging of the function of both kidneys and it showed that the right, which was to be taken away, was at 52% while the remaining one was at 48%. It was just my luck that it would be the better one that has to be taken out but it is what is.
It was at this time that I sought to have a second opinion. I went to another Urologist, this time at the Medical City, Dr. Joel Aldana. Now, upon seeing the position of the cyst, he said he was going to discuss it with his anesthesiologist and see the possibility of an ablation, a surgical procedure that partially burn off the cancer from the source. That gave me a glitter of hope. He asked me to return a week after he had discussed my case with his team. The following week, I went to see him again and this time he said that neither ablation nor partial surgery is possible due to the location of the cysts. The kidney really has to be taken out. He said that we can have the procedure done at St. Luke’s, BGC. Asking him for an
estimate of how much the procedure would cost, he said aroung Php500,000. When he saw the price blew my mind, he offered that my second option was the Philippine General Hospital where he said it will be almost half of the price. I discussed this with my wife and both of us not knowing how it will be at the PGH, it being a government hospital and all, decided to have my surgery done at St. Luke’s for after all, the retirement pay I got from my previous employer is still intact. My doctor got a schedule for me to have the procedure done on April 25, 2023. Seeing that it was only two weeks before, he ordered me to see a cardiologist for clearance. I did and after having a battery of tests, it turned out that there is a deviation on my right lung due to my thyroid which is acting up again.
I was referred to a pulmonologist who ordered that I have a CT scan of my chest, among others. Before I could do that, I had to secure a clearance from my nephrologist to have it done since the procedure would require a contrast, a dye that would show the organ to be scrutinized . I went to Dr. Guiang only to be told that she won’t be available for the whole week as she was attending a convention of nephrologists. That meant I would not find any from anywhere as they were all in that convention. To find one was like looking for a needle in a haystack. We had to cancel my scheduled surgery until I have obtained the necessary clearance that it would be okay that the anesthesia tube won’t stand in the way. After a week, I was able to get the needed clearance from my doctor so I immediately went to St. Luke’s for the CT scan. The contrast, which is some sort of a dye that would make the target organ be visible is not pleasant. I knew it would cause me itchiness albeit not being allergic to it. Just the same, I had the CT scan and after a week got the result that it won’t be a problem. I was advised to see an ENT for clearance. I went to one who said it will be okay as he sees it would not be a problem – and yet, he added to be sure, to have someone insert an instrument down my throat to see the opening! Since he categorically said in his clearance that he saw no obstacle as to why it would cause a problem from his professional point of view, I showed it to my urologist. True enough, he wanted to be sure and have an ENT view the interior of my throat. I went to another ENT, who, put an instrument down my nose all the way down to my throat. I was given the go signal. Armed with a clearance from the ENT, I went back to the cardio to get my clearance from her. However, realizing that my tests show that I have a slightly fatty liver, she asked me to get another clearance from a Gastro. I did as told although I knew that in order for a fatty liver to be considered high, the number should be at least three times the upper limit. Mine was not even double. Anyway, I got the clearance and went back to the cardio who finally released her own clearance.
It was at this time that I decided to have my surgery done at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) as my HMO has, by this time, expired. I was contacted by my Uro’s secretary who told me that my schedule will be on July 3 and that I should go there two weeks before to get a reservation. That gave me plenty of time to go to Calatagan, Batangas and do the school’s graduation stage. This gave me some money plus the painting commissioned by its Principal, my good friend, Henry Magahis was my income for the month.
One morning, I received an email from DLSZ asking me if I wanted to renew my HMO. I thought they may have made a mistake forgetting that I cannot renew anymore. I read the email carefully and surprised that the school had decided to extend the benefit for five more years. I will continue enjoying the benefit till I turn seventy. Great!!! It just might turn out that I won’t be paying anything for this operation with it being done at the PGH. All that delay might have proven to be a blessing after all.
Although I had to pay for a higher premium, I immediately went to the bank to pay for the renewal of my Health Insurance. Everything seemed to be falling in the right place. So, on July 19, two weeks before my confinement, I went to the PGH with my wife to reserve for a room. As instructed, I had to be confined a day before the operation. Unfortunately, I was told there was no room available on that day.
On July 1, we were taken to the hospital by my son, Mizel. We were met there by Dennis Lopez, the nephew of my eldest sister by marriage. He worked at the hospital and promised assistance with whatever we would need. I was admitted around 11 am, three hours after we checked in. I was taken to room 708, which was surprisingly big. I would have gotten a much smaller room for a higher price had I gone to either St. Luke’s or the Medical City. It was immaculately clean. The only misgiving I had was I waited for lunch, only to be told that it has been delivered already. An apologetic nurse offered to help me order food from outside.
Soon, doctors were coming to the room to do their routine interviews. Then, one of them asked me about the blood donation. It then dawned on me that I had forgotten about the order to have someone donate blood, just in case I needed it. My two sons could no longer donate blood as they have already done o together with Mizel’s brother in law, Jeartley. This was recent which disqualified them to be donors, until three months have elapsed.
My son, Mizel, to the rescue again. He is an active member of the JCI and one of their programs is helping out with the Red Cross. He asked around and found there was of my blood type at the Port Area branch of the organization. He made arrangements to pick two units the following day. That settled, I had nothing to worry about anymore.
I woke up the following day and since I was the first patient to undergo surgery at the time, I was picked up from my room at around 5 am. I patiently waited while they were all busy preparing the operating room. I noticed a beautiful woman helping to prepare the room. When I got to see her name plate, it turned out she was part of the anesthesiologists. Everybody was busy preparing the sterilized room, machines being prepared while I remained lain on my bed. One by one, the doctors arrived. I was rolled in the operating room and soon, Dr. Aldana who was to perform the operation greeted me. It was at this time that I was assured that everything would go well. I was asked to lie on one side, hold my feet together in some sort of fetus position as I was being told by the beautiful young woman that they were putting me to sleep. As expected, I was roused from my deep slumber at the recovery room after I was told I was under for four hours. It was all over and I never felt a thing. It was there when I saw the beautiful young doctor again looking at the records. She approached me and muttered that they are taking me back to my room. It was there that I gathered enough courage to talk to her. “Miss, there is something I want to get off my chest.” Without batting an eye, I told her, “You are very beautiful!” She smiled and said something I could no longer remember. I was wheeled back to my room after what seemed to be about less than an hour.
Two days after the operation and I was given the go home order. This is quite fast and I am on my way to a fast recovery. There are a lot of people I have to thank for making this event of my life pass like a breeze. My expression of gratitude will never be enough but all I can do is give my sincerest appreciation to the doctors who performed the operation, anesthesiologists, resident doctors, the medical staff, the nurses, orderlies of PGH who made sure that I was comfortable and safe. I would like to thank my friend, Dr. Emer Faraon, for giving a shoutout to my Urologist, Dr. Joel Aldana, my former student, Dr. Raphy Arada who endorsed me to his resident friends, Dr. MKristoff Delos Reyes, Dr. Nats DelCarmen, my nephew, Dr. Manny Glorioso, Dr. Pau Gonzaga and Dr. ED Ecle for patiently explaining and helping me understand what I was going through from the discovery of my ailment till my operation. I give special thanks to my former student, Cong. Bryan Revilla and his people at the Agimat Party list for offering financial assistance, my eldest sister, Rosalinda Delos Santos Lopez and her in-laws especially Dennis Lopez and Andrew Lopez Cacnio for their invaluable assistance during my stay at the hospital, her son Renato Jun Lopez, my children who gave me their full support, especially Mizel for driving us to and from the hospital and acquiring the blood from the Red Cross, my friends, Raymond and wife Angie Cadlum, my very close friends, Ollie and wife Catherine V. Marcelo, my former principal, Alfred Sagum who took time out to come visit me, Aura Gonzales-Trinidad for the fruits she sent my way. I would like to thank the more than 450 virtual and personal friends here and abroad, who liked, hearted or gave out virtual hugs and/or commented on my post right after my surgery – my prayer warriors from the very start. Lastly, I thank my wife for staying with me all throughout the entire procedure.
Wednesday, February 08, 2023
I am back!!!
After four years of retirement, I am back in the classroom! Well, not as a regular teacher but just a lecturer or should I say a workshop facilitator, for the Arts and Design program of EnzoTech Senior High School in Calatagan, Batangas. It is so nice to be back and teaching young minds and helping them hone their craft. The good thing about it is that I am only teaching twelve Grade 11 students. That is the current number of students in their Arts and Design strand. Hopefully, I can help the program in attracting more students next year. I used to handle at least thirty-nine students and so it is very relaxing! The best thing about it is that these students are scholars of the Zobel Foundation so not only is their interest in the arts solid, they have to keep their scholarship and so seeing their very good outputs make it very fulfilling!
I owe this wonderful experience to my good friend, Henry Magahis, a former colleague at De La Salle Zobel who is now the Principal of the school and Director of the Zobel Foundation. I have known him since he was a fresh graduate and a new teacher at DLSZ.. I have witnessed his growth as a teacher and as an administrator. His ascent to the proverbial “corporate ladder” was almost put on hold when he had a mild stroke last year. I am so relieved that he has regained his health and is definitely back on his feet and doing a very good job at his current position. I see a very bright future ahead of him. Not only does he have what it takes to be at the helm, he seem to have unlock the formula of a good manager, but even more so, as an excellent educator. I am truly lucky to have known him throughout the years!