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| so happy winning a pair of slippers during See Christmas Party |
Dad was born (September 10, 1944) 3 years after the first World War broke when Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese which cause Com. Gen. Yamamoto to say that he feared they have awaken the sleeping giant - America. By 1942, Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan was bombed by the American government using Albert Einstein's bomb formula E = MC2. The two cities were left desolate and until now, no signs of plant would live. When the American pilot saw the devastation of the bomb he released, he was filled with empathy and sorrow. Millions have died which led him to commit suicide. When dad was a baby, his mother ran through the coconut field because Japanese planes were flying low...it's good they didn't fire or else, they could have died.
After the nation's contention, Philippines was freed from the hands of the Japanese cruelty thru the help of USA. By June 12, the inauguration of Independence Day marked history.
Born at Tanjay, Negros Oriental, a remote, peaceful and green place, dad grew up to be a good-looking boy with his elder brother William. They were both fair-skinned and handsome ~ being born in Chinese & Visaya parents. As a nature of young boys, both of them became buddies wherever they went and whatever they did. Their mom, Ama never failed to prepare them malunggay with monggo ginataan and fried galunggong. That was the main food of the provident families before. Now in the 20th century, malunggay leaves have been made into vitamin capsules exported to other countries, believed to be a miracle capsule. Three stems of it exported to US would cost $5. This could be my dad's secret to health.
Their peers loved them and were always proud of them. They were very friendly, sociable and intelligent. At elementary, dad excelled in academics. He was a math wiz kid. He was even the school's representative in diverse academic competition. He topped 2nd in the entire Math region quiz bee. The school was very proud of him. The children at their school would follow him wherever he went like a superstar...
He and uncle William were the teacher's pet but they never took advantage of that. As they both grew up to be young lads, many girls would fancy them. Dad had several girlfriends before mom came to his life. They were pretty girls too.
He topped 1 at Science Club inter division in Negros Oriental Exam in high school. He loved playing basketball and enjoyed it during the summer league games. He was also into street boxing. They carried their gloves and set up some boxing in the streets. One of the kids he fought with was knocked-out.
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| dad and his brother William |
Right after high school, he stopped 2 years before college. Life was hard in their province. Their family had a grocery, hardware and gasoline business but didn't flourish ~ few population and few profit generation. He studied in Siliman University but had to stop because the family moved to Cotabato City. There he continued studying at University of Mindanao where he finished a 2-yr Radio Technician course and was awarded Best Technician because he was the first to assemble a radio and make it play. During that time, my mom was already pregnant of me and she actually pin pointed to my dad the need for resistor change to make the radio work...so it was with my mom's help...and me in her tummy.
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| our family 2013 |
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| See boys |
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| See Clan way back at Cotabato City 1983 with Angkong Benjamin and Ama Dominga |
He began working as a chef of Solid Snack house then promoted to be a manager. He also managed La Hacienda Restaurant. He had some soldier friends ate there. They called him boss. My mom said, they have gone swimming one time with dad's friends where they bought a stuffed (taxidermy) sea turquoise was given to me on my first birthday. Unfortunately, his vices were here and there. These businesses were bankrupt. Mom struggled very hard to keep us alive. She fought for our rights to financial assistance. So much after many many chapters of stormy winds and nimbus clouds above, we made it. Mom kept the faith. Until now, she's doing her best for all of us...
In Cotabato City, his dad, Angkong's work was weighing copra (dried coconut) in the copra division of Mindanao Rice Mills.
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