When I recovered from a near-death situation caused by an overdose of potassium, many of my friends and acquaintances opined that I still have unfinished business to fulfill on Earth.
Considering my limitations brought out by my age that is drawing near the twilight zone, my limited talent, and the energy level of a senior citizen to do a task of importance, I zeroed in on my birthplace, my Beloved Catanduanes, to search for and bring to completion the assignments/missions which are reasons of my second life.
Why Catanduanes? A natural human tendency to return to one’s roots, his family, relatives, classmates, friends and loved ones. Maybe to answer one’s curiosity on how they are now, especially your crushes. Do they still look as you remember them now and then?
Why Catanduanes? I also remember the words of former Governor and former Commissioner Leandro Verceles Sr. of the Bureau of Immigration: “I came to Catanduanes not to seek for employment but to serve my fellow Catandunganons.”
I was ahead by several years when the late Gov. Verceles came to the Bureau of Immigration as I was at the airport as immigration officer.
Raffy Buendia, my talented classmate in high school from Cabugao, Bato, made me remember the words of Gov. Verceles when I told him, “Classmate Raffy, we are not yet finished with ourselves and neither with Catanduanes.”
He answered back with that laconic statement of Gov. Verceles, during our auspicious encounter today 8:15am, May 20, in front of his hideaway multi-purpose farm in Bigaa.
Pardon me dear readers, for straying far from what I intended to write, the ‘Chronicle of CatSU Eco-Garden.’ I let loose freely my memory to wander on any direction it wanted. Afraid that if I restraint my mind, it may stop completely giving me information on my past.
Let us continue what I started last Wednesday, recounting the Chronicle of Catsu Eco-Garden.
Eleven months ago, at a meeting in Mamangal beach, this story started in the presence of our invited guest, then newly elected President Doc Patrick Alain Azanza of CatSU.
It was a sunny, breezy morning when I presided in a meeting of a soon-to-be-named cause-oriented group, requesting friends and members present to introduce themselves.
One by one they presented themselves in plain, simple words for the purpose of familiarity and getting to know better one another.
When preacher Macario Jun Arcilla’s turn came, after declaring interesting things about himself, he did mention also that he is the son of the composer of “Catanduanes Beloved.”
Doc Patrick Alain Azanza made a rejoinder that “we need to have the lyrics of the song adorning the trees inside the campus of CatSU.” Little did we know that events will conspire to make this side comment become a reality.
Weeks past, one afternoon while walking at Sto. Domingo St. in Buyo, Virac, I chanced upon my “inaanak” Hernan Gianan, who talked about his experience while attending the practical presentation of a recently donated machine for wood engraving. I was all ears for him for something was awakened in my brain. When I left Hernan, a seed of hope was planted in my heart: the realization that adorning the trees at CatSU with the lyrics of “Catanduanes Beloved” is not an impossible dream.