BLESSINGS IN MY LIFE AS A SINGLE PARENT

After the funeral rites at our parish church in Cataggaman, while I was following the casket carrying the remains of Pilar to the cemetery, I found myself walking arm to arm with my eight surviving children. It then dawned on me that now I was a Single Parent. How to continue sustaining the needs of my children, materially as well as spiritually, was now my sole responsibility. I thank God that my children, each of them, were blessings to me.

Mary Josephine (Jojo), the eldest of them, found support from my sister-in-law, Miss Natividad C. Eufemio, for her studies at the Araneta University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agri-Business. Driven by a desire to help people, especially the poor, she opted to engage in Sustainable Agriculture and thus goes now from farm to farm showing people how to use organic fertilizers in their fields. She has remained single up to now and is helping financially the family of Willy, her brother. She has a spirituality of her own, based on strong convictions which she manifests in her way of life.

Mary Therese (Tet), the second born, is a bright girl. She finished a Bachelor’s Course in Accounting at St. Paul College of Tuguegarao and passed the CPA exams. She got married to Engr. Bienvenido de la Cerna. They had six children: Calvin Kay, Caitlin Mae, Cardijn Jan, Charles Nico, Carl Bien Louie, and Charibet Tria, (4 boys and 2 girls). Lately she gave birth to a seventh child, Jesus Emmanuel. I see in her, through her letters, a strong desire to turn a new leaf. Right now she is employed on a probationary basis as an accountant in a company at Cabuyao, Laguna. Through Tet, God is giving me the opportunity to manifest His grace of understanding and forgiveness.

Mary Rose, the third born, is a diligent girl. She earned a degree of Bachelor in Business Administration, Major in Accounting from St. Paul College of Tuguegarao. After graduation she found employment at Miescor through the recommendation of her uncle, Mr. Napoleon C. Eufemio. Married to Mr. Rodel Arranz, a CPA, she is blessed with three children: Roselle Gale, John Voltaire and Michelle Angelica (2 girls and 1 boy). She is a dutiful housewife and a very caring mother. Now and then, she sends me love notes through cellphone. She never fails to greet me on my birthdays and during the Christmas season. She is, indeed, a loving daughter, and I thank God for blessing me with her.

Mary Anne (Annie), the fourth born, is a very intelligent girl. She received a Scholarship Award from the Knights of Columbus Foundation of the Philippines and enrolled at St. Louis University in Baguio City. There she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry. For quite a time she was connected with a semi-government firm engaged in producing fertilizers. Now she is a consultant of some Chemical companies. Married to Engr. Ramon de la Peña, she is blessed with three boys: Raemon Alvin, Ryan Arvin and Ron Aldin. She resides with her family at a subdivision in Imus, Cavite. She is a dutiful housewife. With loving care, she caters to the needs of her husband, who has been afflicted with a kidney trouble and is still undergoing some medication after his kidney transplant. To her children, she is a disciplinarian who tends with tender loving care. She consistently sends me love notes and greetings not only on my birthday. I see in Anne, a woman who is dedicated to her profession and with foresight for the welfare of her family. I thank God for blessing me with a very responsible daughter in the person of Anne.

William (Willy), the fifth child, but the first son, is endowed with a special talent for mechanics and electronics. He finished a two-year course in Electronics at a school in Cabanatuan City where he was offered a scholarship. However, upon graduation instead of engaging in the trade of electronics, he ventured into salesmanship as a medical representative. Later on he married Rica Arguelles and begot eight children: Filipinesca (Happi), Ansherina (Hanni), Iamca (Holli), Wrilchad (Hirro), Williard (Hobbi), Miracle (Hevven), Duncan (Hex), and Fairlyn (Hershey). Unfornately, due to some conjugal problems, he is now living separately from his wife. He has taken all his children with him to live at Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. To sustain his family, he is at present dependent on subsidies coming from his brother, Tom, his auntie, Marissa (Luz), his uncle Luging, from his sisters and also from us, his parents. Through Willy, God has also given me the opportunity to extend His grace of forgiveness and understanding.

Mary Margaret (Margie), the sixth child, is gifted with an independent mind and a strong will power. She also obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting at St. Paul College of Tuguegarao. With the recommendation of her uncle, Mr. Napoleon Eufemio, she landed on a job as secretary in a Japanese firm. She was given a one-year stint to serve at the mother company in Japan. Returning to the Philippines, she was employed as a private secretary to a Madonna. Through the help of Marissa, her auntie, she obtained an immigrant visa to Canada. There, she met Mr. Jessie Basilio who became her husband. She is blessed with three girls: Jissele, Jinnette, and Jilliene. She is now a Canadian citizen together with her husband. There was a time when due to a family feud she separated from her husband. After realizing, however, the need of her children for a father’s love, she decided to be reconciled with her husband. They are now enjoying a happy family life. Margie is also responsive to the needs of others, especially to Willy’s family. Now and then, I receive letters and greetings from her, especially through the internet. With Margie, God gave me an example of a forgiving person.

Mary Gemma (Gemma), the seventh child, is a very amiable daughter. She is soft spoken but very attentive to the needs of others. She finished a Bachelor’s course in Psychology at St. Paul College of Tuguegarao. After some months of employment at the Cagayan Provincial Hospital as a secretary, she opted to go to Manila and find employment there. She landed on a job in the Personnel Department of a certain manufacturing company. There she met Mr. Reggie Layug who asked for her hand in marriage. They are blessed with two boys: John Kenneth, and John Kevin. Gemma is a very loving and responsible wife. To maintain the family unity, they decided to immigrate as a family to Dubai, where Reggie is gainfully employed. Now and then I also receive love notes and greetings from her. Athough not earning anything, being a plain housewife, she has managed to share some of her savings for the financial needs of Willy’s family. Through Gemma, God has given me an example of a person who shares not out of the abundance of what she has but out of a very limited treasure, no matter how small it may be.

Thomas (Tom), the eighth child, but the second son, was born a very healthy and handsome baby. In a baby contest at Urdaneta, Pangasinan, where we migrated after his birth, he won the second prize. Being the youngest when my wife (Pilar) died, he became the recipient of much care and concern from me and his elder sisters and brother. After finishing High School at St. Louis College of Tuguegarao, he opted to enter the seminary to become a priest. Life in the seminary, however, seemed not to be according to his expectations. And so, he left the seminary. Since at the time he left, enrollment in schools were already closed, my sister Marissa offered to take him to Canada and there enrolled him in Computer Programming. After finishing the course, he landed on a job in the Bank of Montreal. Here he developed his skills in the field of computerization and was thereby given technical positions. Recently he was offered the position of a Production Analyst, which means promotion and higher pay. Tom has a winning personality. He has developed friendships with a lot of people, especially among the Cagayanos in Canada. Time and again, he has extended his helping hand to people in need. In a very big way, he has shared much of his treasure to subsidize Willy’s family. Up to now, this subsidy is being sent to Willy every month without expecting anything in return. I cannot but praise him for his unselfish generosity.

Tom got married to Ellie Magnaye, a Filipina Canadian. They are blessed with three children, two girls and one boy: Elissa Marie, Elaine Marie, and Timothy. I together with Ofel, my wife, had the privilege of living with them for about three months, when through the generosity of Marissa, my sister, we were given a visa to be a tourist to Canada in 1999. The reason for the release of our visa was the wedding of Margie and Jessie. Being with them during that short period of time was, indeed, a joy and a learning experience for Ofel and me.

I am, indeed, proud to have a son like Tom, who is very conscientious in his duties as a husband and father, and who really goes out of his way to extend his helping hand to whoever is in need.


Teilhard, the ninth child, and third son, was barely one year and a half old when he succumbed to a heavy cold that prevented him from breathing. He was simply chocked to death. I gave the name “Teilhard” to him, because it was during his conception that a friend, Rev. Fr. Antonio Portabes, gave me a book “The Phenomenon of Man” written by a famous great thinker, a Jesuit priest and a paleontologist, Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. This book, in a way, helped to enlighten me, as I was going through a “crisis of faith”. I thank God for giving me Teilhard, a very lovely baby, for through him, God providentially gave me the grace to look deeper into the mystery of man and creation as a whole. It was also during his lifetime that I wrote an article, entitled: “Is Christianity a Religion of Love or a Religion of Money?” This article gained publication in a national magazine, The Free Press, and in some local newspapers, like the Cagayan Star.