BBakawan's Silver Voyage: The 25th Post

"Lord renew my mind, as your will unfolds in my life. In living everyday, by the power of Your love."

Today's the day.

It's time to retire the blog, Biyaheng Bakawan. The inspiration and decision came today, Sunday, a day after my one year, seventh monthsary in Thailand. It was a lovely church service, the Gospel was about love. Jesus is telling his disciples, "Remain in me, and I shall remain in you. Let your love be in me, so your joy may be complete." On top of that, the young Thai priest's homily included an impromptu rendition of The Beatles's "I Will". Of course, it was a Filipino choir that mass, so we had a mini-concert in between the Gospel and the Creed.

The serenity and serendipity of today's service, and the consolation I received about my state of mind, allowed me to say, "Ok, BB Chronicles, it's time to sail home." I know, and I feel, that my mangrove journey has reached its peak; it has arrived at its destination.

I won't stop chasing mangroves, nor will I stop writing or learning about them. It's just that 'Biyaheng Bakawan' carried so much baggage from my old journey that the vessel needs to retire. I won't scuttle this ship just yet, but I am anchoring it at the dock--for the meantime. It'll be there to be visited, to be looked back on, and to be reminisced about.

Mangroves have certainly been the centerpiece of my life journey until now. The mangrove quest brought me places I've never seen, allowed me to meet people I never thought I'd see, and enabled me to go beyond recognized limits. The greatest gift that the dream of chasing mangroves brought, is the joy that Christ promised: incarnate in my love and life-partner, husband Philippe. If not for this bakawan dream, I wouldn't have gone to New Zealand to study (I wouldn't have met him); I wouldn't have gone to Asia to work (he wouldn't have followed and proposed); and I wouldn't have dared to dream again (us charting a new life together). Ah yes, my life is like a propagule--the tides bring me to fertile ground and let me germinate in good soil.

So my BB followers, many thanks for following this journey. 25 posts is silver for me, and that is a good number. I'll let you know when the next journey begins. I stand at the edge of the mangrove forest, looking out into the sea. What's next you say? Find out with me. The adventure continues!  

(This last blog entry is dedicated to my EnviScience batchmates, Ateneo BSES 2001: rachel, len, nin, joyce, rica, drey, and noe. My fellow travellers back at the Manila Observatory, back when we were young, and restless, and full of dreams. We still are, by the way, blazing our own trails, wherever we are...)

The Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band syndrome

I logged on tonight with the sole purpose of shutting down Biyaheng Bakawan.

Yes, you read that right. I aimed to shut down this blog. Driven by desolation and misery because of events culminating in this crappy day, I said, "Enough!" No more writing about my mangrove journey; it's too painful to write about something I like, when one feels that the noble dream of journeying through Bakawans has been shat on and spat at by ogres who have nothing to do but erode the confidence of the young. So I resolved to stop writing before those ogres turn my ideals into dregs.

Yet, on the way to this blog, I chanced upon several hits on the word "morvenna". For faithful readers of the BB Chronicles, Morvenna is part of this blog's address, and also part of my name--kind of like, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, or Jorge Luis Borges, or Ursula K. Le Guin. I've always been proud of my name, this name Morvenna, in particular, because no one in my waking universe has the same unique nominal combination as mine. Growing up and until now, my name is my Identity.

Imagine my amusement when Google the omniscient yielded at least a hundred results for Morvenna, the top 3 of which include this blog, Morvenna.com [an online portfolio of a graphic arts freelance consultant from Leeds whose name is Morven Anne (how original can you get)]--and Morvenna the Mermaid! That won it. Not only is that last site about tattoos and witchcraft, it's about a mermaid that grants wishes! And apparently, it's a real tour package offered in Cornwall, in a place called Newquay. Aha. So my mer-namesake is not some made up queer character conjured up by our LGBT friends.

Morvenna the Mermaid, according to Cornish legend, is an enchanting sea-woman and has the ability to grant wishes. Great. So not only is my name associated with a queer sea enchantress, my name connotes an underwater genie as well. Eureka. Now I know how I beguiled my husband into marrying me.

So, after being amused and adequately distracted, I decided to keep this blog. I also decided that what I went through this evening is something akin to The Beatles' Sgt Peppers phase: a decision to change the name to see if the music will still be the same, and if there will still be a following. Hmmm. In my case, I wanted to shut down this blog because I didn't want to write anything anymore about mangroves while I am in this reality at the moment. Because I am desolate at the moment, I wanted to change the mood, the theme, and yes, even the title of this blog. I wanted to start anew.

And yet, here I am, still typing away. Maybe, maybe, I will eventually shut down this blog and start a fresh one (with some flashy title like: "I, Biyahera" or "The Misadventures of Mrs Jmae Thuaud"). All I know is, I think I want to retire Biyaheng Bakawan when I am neither desolate nor jubilant. Wait for it, dear readers. We'll see where the tide washes me ashore...

(On the occasion of the end of the 2nd World War in France, and the end of my personal war with local ogres who spit on noble dreams...)

Understanding Environmental Education in Aotearoa New Zealand

I am so happy to share an article from the University of Waikato about environmental education in Aotearoa.

A good read, everyone.

Kia Ora, dear authors!

Understanding Student Learning in Environmental Education in Aotearoa New Zealand

Chris Eames and Miles Barker (2011)
Australian Journal of Environmental Education, , Volume 27, Issue 01 , January 2011 pp 186-191
http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0814062600000173 

 

 

Surprise, surprise

TODAY I received a United Colors of Benetton luggage in the mail. It is immaculately white, and light as a feather. Of course, the handles and the wheels are in the standard UCB green, yellow, red, and blue. Beholding it was the highlight of my day.

How it arrived was a complete mystery. A huge box was deposited at my office desk, while I stepped out to speak with one of my line managers. The huge box was stamped "From Standard Chartered Bank", and had my name on it. Wow, I never received anything from a bank before. At first glance, I thought it was an electric fan (groan! not another one), but then our HR officer came in and said, "Oh! You got a luggage too. The bank gives that to a lucky account holder." Nice; it pays to regularly manage one's finances.

So I was giddy the whole day for getting a mystery gift, and on top of that, I surprised myself that my work productivity was an at all time high. I completed the draft, outline, and content for our programme newsletter, and doing that I revisited my skills as a campus journalist, as an editor in chief, and as an undercover after-hours writer. Needless to say, today turned out to be a good day.

At 6pm, when I had my fill of the day's work, I turned to my mystery box to see what was inside. I was expecting to see a hideous black cloth luggage with clumsy wheels and the bank's insignia splattered on the front. Lo and behold, it was a solid hard case lightweight luggage--and a UCB one at that! Huhaaa.

Many thanks, Papa God, for giving me unexpected gifts at times when I need it most.

Pour Cheri. Tu me manques beaucoup. 

Getting there

I am living my master's thesis. Every day of my life in the organization I work with is a battle in discourse analysis.

It's true what thesis advisers say: "Your thesis defines you." And why not? A thesis is one person's story, told from her perspective, from her point of view. It is the centerpiece of her one-act play, the key note of her life-speech. Aye, had I known, I should have chosen fashion and cosmetology as mine.

I've had mangroves as the centerpiece of both my BSc and MSocSci theses. And both times, I've never regretted the choices I made. I've always been the happy mangrove storyteller. Yet, I recognize how difficult it is to tell my story when there are others whose sole joy is to dispute the stories they hear. They keep saying mine is too happy. Ah, now I know how Cicero or Borges must have felt.

Anyway, my story is unfolding as I speak. I said it once and I say it again: different agenda influence and form the interaction of different groups, especially towards mangroves and their management. I see that too well now, and the next thing I need to do is begin a new chapter, and work my story around the various plots that unfold.

Happy Valentines Day.

In Memoriam: Fernando P. Hofileña, M.D. (December 26, 1919 – January 10, 2012)

In my Freshman year at the Ateneo, Doc Hof was one of the most memorable TnT (Talks and Tours) stops during Orsem `97. He spoke about war heroes, martyrs, and Ateneo greats who were immortalized in the memorial plaque erected on Sacred Heart Hill. I became a TnT soon after that, and Doc Hof was still a favorite stop while showing new Ateneo freshmen around campus. The Church of the Gesu was constructed on the Hill in the mid-2000s, so I'm not sure if Orsems after 2000 still included the stop with a spiel from Doc Hof. Years later, in 2009, when I visited the Ateneo in between doing my master's thesis in New Zealand, I saw Doc Hof walking along Kostka hall, looking at the bulletin boards of the OAA (Office of Admission and Aid). I had to stop and say hi. "Dr. Hofileña, I am Jana Esteban, BSES 2001, and I will always remember you for that wonderful Orsem talk you gave on the Sacred Heart Hill." And Doc Hof, who endearingly smiled, said, "What a pleasant surprise! I'm just glad to know someone listened to this old man's stories!" And we spent the next 10 minutes along the Kostka corridor reminiscing of Ateneo's days in the past. I told him when I was a freshman, we were known to be part of the 'College of Arts and Sciences', but when I graduated, we were suddenty 'Loyola Schools, School of Science and Engineering'. Doc Hof said something close to "Ah yes, things change, but normally for the better, don't you agree?" 

After a few more pleasantries, we thanked each other for our time, and Doc Hof's parting words were really endearing: "Thank you for sharing your time with hoi-polois like me." And he shuffled away towards Edsa walk while I continued Kostka extension to head for the Rizal Library.


Doc Hof, thank you for sharing your time with a hoi-poloi like me. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam!

 
Fernando P. Hofileña, M.D.  (December 26, 1919 – January 10, 2012)
Fernando “Doc” or "Nanding" Hofileña, M.D., Ateneo alumnus HS '37, AA Pre-Med '39, academician, administrator, pediatrician, child psychologist, writer and Lux-in-Domino awardee, passed away on Tuesday, 10 January 2012, at the age of 92.
His remains are at the Rolling Hills Memorial Chapel, 27 Lacson St., Bacolod City, until 16 January 2012, Monday. Interment will be on 16 January after a 9:00 AM Mass at the Rolling Hills Memorial Park Chapel. 

FERNANDO P. HOFILEÑA, M.D.
Lux-in-Domino Awardee
15 July 2008
Henry Lee Irwin Theatre, Ateneo de Manila University

Students who have entered the hallow halls of the Ateneo leave with a seed planted in their hearts that contains the possibility of service, generosity and greatness, all for the greater glory of God. St. lgnatius of Loyola recognized that for the seeds to grow into a generous heart, they must be nurtured by God's grace. There are those who have answered the call to serve so completely that their spirits become pillars of light that shine upon the rest of humanity and make us know that God truly is present in our lives. Today, we honor such a man - a man who has embraced service again and again with courage and trust in God's love. This man is Dr. Fernando P. Hofileña.
Dr. Hofileña was born in Bacolod City on December 26, 1919 to Atty. Roque Hofileña and Angeles Puentevella. He was an exemplary student at the Ateneo de Manila, finishing High School in 1937 with First Honors and graduating from his Associate in Arts - Pre Med, summa cum laude in 1939. He pursued his medical degree at the College of Medicine of the University of Sto. Tomas. His studies were interrupted in his third year of medical school when the war broke out in 1941. He set aside his stethoscope and books to fill his politician father's shoes and became acting mayor of Free Silay when his father was incapacitated by a venomous insect bite. He was only 22 years old. When the war was over he finished medical school and in 1952 was given a Fulbright grant to specialize in Pediatrics and Child Psychiatry in New York, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Upon his return he shared his expertise in a multitude of ways. Besides opening a private practice, he taught mental hygiene in infants and children in the graduate schools of the Ateneo, UST and La Salle. He also began a child guidance clinic in the outpatient department of the UST hospital. He gladly accepted the offer of the Principal of La Salle Grade School, to begin a consultancy in Child Development in the La Salle Grade School. He wrote the chapter on child psychiatry in the textbook of Pediatrics by Fe del Mundo and wrote a column, "A Page for the Young at Heart" in the Manila Bulletin. ln the 1980s he shared his knowledge and recounted his experiences in his practice in schools, and in various symposia and seminars in and outside Metro Manila through his own weekly column "Child Care" in the Times Journal. At this time he was also a lecturer at Miriam College.
One of his most significant accomplishments is his contribution to the field of special education in the Philippines. Fresh from his studies abroad, he chose to serve as pediatrician and clinic head of the special child study center, the first school for special children in the Philippines. Ten years later, the Center developed into the St. Joseph of Cupertino School for Retarded Children, the initial project of the country's first Foundation for Retarded Children. lt is now known as the Cupertino Center for Special Children.
Dr. Hofileña's accounts of the Cupertino School emphasized the generous spirit of his fellow pioneers and the interactions between Cupertinians and Ateneans in arts and crafts. His writings brought attention to the inspired partnership between faculty members and students as they began programs such as music therapy, theatre therapy and therapeutic sports. He also defined a modern concept of volunteerism, set down a profile of the Filipino down syndrome, and developed the first curriculum for trainable retardates, providing researchers, doctors and the general public a window into the world of special education.
Dr. Hofileña also explored his artistic self. He also took an interest in the cultural growth of medical and nursing students. With the intention of enriching their educational experiences, he wrote and directed four full-length plays about the lives of nurses and doctors. These plays are Vignettes from the Medical World, The Best Words, Curse or Blessing, and Carry the White Lamp. 
His delight in performing in plays and operettas as a child in Silay grew into a passion for dramatics and oratory as a student of Ateneo and UST and motivated him to be involved with the publications of the Ateneo Children's Theatre, Dulaang Sibol and Tanghalang Ateneo. His love affair with the Ateneo Glee Club began in the 1950s when he lent his tenor voice to their ensemble. ln 1978, he accepted their invitation to become their moderator. His presence and support moved the Ateneo Chamber Singers, a choir formed by alumni members of the Ateneo Glee Club, to ask him to be their moderator as well. His love for the arts, commitment to excellence, and faith in the Lord have inspired the members of these groups to be generous themselves.
His artistic spirit constantly finds new ways of expressing itself as when, at the turn of the millennium, he rediscovered his poet's pen when he saw the exhibit of paintings by a former patient of his, Joven lgnacio.
Dr. Hofileña took on another role that chronicled the spirit of Atenean service. As part of the Atenean Heroes Memorial Committee, he brought honor not only to Ateneo war heroes but also brought to light those Ateneans whose individual acts of courage are not officially recognized by the nation. ln his 9th year as Chairman of the committee, he had 127 Ateneans recognized for their valor and enshrined in the memorial launched by Fr. Pacifico Ortiz, SJ in 1969. He was finally given due recognition in 2005 at a pre-lndependence Day program hosted by the Ateneo called Sa Piling ng Mga Bayani (Heroes in our Midst) for his courageous leadership and embodiment of lgnatian ideals in World War ll. When he heard that Japanese forces occupied Negros, he returned to his hometown to join his parents and twelve siblings in the resistance movement. 
Now in his twilight years, he is still a Eucharistic Minister at the Sta. Maria della Strada parish and continues to find new ways to serve others and continue Cod's work. He is the founder of the Lector's Guild at the della Strada parish and has volunteered to train the lectors of the Our Lady of Pentecost parish.
Dr. Hofileña wrote that although he left Ateneo after graduation, Ateneo never left him. lndeed, the Ateneo is fortunate that no matter what path he takes, he always makes his way back to her halls and classrooms. Many Ateneans recognize him as the dignified elderly gentleman whom they see walking around the campus and up and down Katipunan. lf that is all they will ever know about Dr. Hofileña, it is enough. For his very presence is enough testimony to his ideals.
To quote Dr. Hofileña himself, “Nothing is better now than expressing in all sincerity our gratitude, which is never sufficient."
For his inspired leadership and immense contribution to the fields of Pediatrics, Child Psychiatry and Special Education in the Philippines; for his pioneering spirit in creating medical, educational and spiritual programs and institutions; for his dedication to holistic education by inspiring his students to employ all their talents for the greater glory of God; for shining his light on the acts of heroism and contribution of his fellowman; for constantly answering the call to serve with a resounding 'yes'; and for embodying the lgnatian spirit of ‘magis’ in the twenty-first century, the Ateneo de Manila University proudly confers on her son, Dr. Fernando P. Hofileña its Lux-in-Domino Award.

Lux-in-Domino Award 

The Lux-in-Domino Award is a special recognition of an extraordinary individual who has incarnated in life, and perhaps even in death, in an exemplary manner, the noblest ideals of the Ateneo de Manila University.  Recipients of the award are chosen exclusively from the ranks of alumni or alumnae of the Ateneo de Manila University.
The title of the Award is taken from the motto of the Ateneo which appears both in the old and new seals.  Taken from St. Paul (Ephesians 5:8), the phrase Lux-in-Domino, "light in the Lord", traces an ideal and sketches a way of life which the Ateneo holds up to her sons and daughters as their path of Christian discipleship.  These words illuminate the purposes and aims of the University which point that the Ateneo is FILIPINO, CATHOLIC, and JESUIT: 

FILIPINO, in that she seeks service to the nation and the objectives of genuine national development. 

CATHOLIC, in that her fundamental charter is the Gospel of Jesus and the beatitudes; that her guidelines are those of the teaching of the Catholic Church.  In the contemporary perspective, those guidelines focus on service to the Faith which today includes the Promotion of Justice as a constitutive dimension of the task of evangelization. 

JESUIT, in that she seeks to live the Filipino and Catholic marks in the spirit of the magis (the "ever more"): to seek the ever more generous, the ever more "totally given" service; nothing held back, in the spirit of the Ignatian prayer,
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to seek for rest,
to labour and ask for no reward . . .
To be "light in the Lord", in all fullness may demand a following of Christ even to the offering of one's life. 

RESPONSE OF DR. FERNANDO P. HOFILEÑA
LUX-IN-DOMINO AWARD CITATION

Thank you, Fr. Nebres, members of the Board of Trustees and Mr. Capistrano. 

I am in my twilight years but on this occasion I can see the sunrise. 

The honor I am receiving today is so great that if I were much younger, I would feel a surge of joy and pride, and I would be euphoric for a long time, but as I’m an Octogenarian I can only say soberly that I feel a mix of contentment, fulfillment and gratitude.
Recalling the title of the Homecoming concert of the Ateneo College Glee Club, the harbinger of the Ateneo Chamber Singers, after the group won a string of 1st Prizes, including the Grand Prix in the European competition in 2001, I now pray to the creator “Non Nobis Domine” – meaning: Not to us, Lord, but to Your name, give the glory. I cannot claim the honor they’re giving, it’s Yours.
I cannot thank You enough, Lord for having gifted me with the talents and other qualities that enabled me to become an Atenean with a passion for excellence in academics and the arts, an ideal stated in The Ratio studiorum as Sapientia, Eloquentia et humanitas. 

I am also grateful to my alma mater for the holistic education and the effort to inflame my heart with The Ateneo spirit. We old alumni have always carried this spirit in our private lives. It has morphed into what some of us call “spirit of dedication to a cause”. Not a few have sacrificed their lives for it. I believe this can explain why we tell people that though we have left the Ateneo, the Ateneo has never left us. 

It is this spirit intertwined with love of God, devotion to Mother Mary, obedience to St. Ignatius, love of country and fellowman instilled in us by our Jesuit mentors that can explain why 34 Ateneo ROTC cadets defied the order to disband all cadets in the country early in the Pacific War and volunteered to fight in Bataan; and why my brother Cris, also an Atenean, and I led our family in escaping from the Japanese at high noon and trudged for hours until we reached the mountains of Negros and joined the Resistance Movement. It was there that I had to carry out the duties of the Mayor of Silay because my father was incapacitated by the bite of a venomous insect. 

Unknown to many is the fact that my desire to serve the Ateneo community has been strengthened by the beauty of nature, the God-given beauty I’ve always loved, the beauty that has made the Ateneo campus in Loyola Heights a paradise, a home away from home. 

I will always treasure the awards I receive from my alma mater: summa cum laude in 1939; Irwin award from the Ateneo Children’s Theater two decades ago; and now the Lux-in-Domino, the greatest of all.

* * *

FERNANDO P. HOFILEÑA, M.D.
Ateneo de Manila HS ’37, AA ’39

Walking in the Hero’s Footsteps
By Joel Navarro

From the book “To Give and Not to Count the Cost”

“What is a hero without love for mankind.” – Doris Lessing, 2007 Nobel Prize for Literature 

We celebrate the sacrifice of many overseas Filipino workers who risk spousal estrangement and dysfunctional family dynamics in order to provide for their struggling families.  We are particularly drawn to these ordinary women and men who do extraordinary feats in the name of love.  What profoundly humbles me is when I meet extraordinary individuals who choose to divest themselves of recognition and become true servants to minister in such invisible yet incarnate ways.  Their acts of heroism are hardly ever noticed by the ordinariness of duty and routine that cloak these acts.  We who glimpse these kindnesses are touched and transformed. 

When I assumed the mantle of leadership of the Ateneo College Glee Club in June 1979, I was immediately introduced to Dr. Fernando Hofileña, the choir’s moderator.  We struck up a good conversation.  He knew I had just begun a second college degree at UP after a self-interrupted career as a mathematics instructor at the Ateneo.  He knew I spent some years in Bacolod which became second home to my family.  As people in Negros Occidental are wont to do, he would ask if I knew a Gamboa, a Jalandoni, a Lacson, as Ledesma, a Lopez, or a Montelibano.  Being a transplanted Manileño who really had no pedigree, I could only answer that I knew some of them but was not related to any of them.  I was nonetheless treated like Ilonggo royalty with his usual charm, kind grace, and elegant demeanor.  I’ve always been fascinated with this penchant for genealogies and associations as hyper-typical of our intricate social networking which saves the day for Filipinos when our politics and social services fail.  Doc, as we in the glee club fondly called him, was a happy reminder that our connectedness was our salvation as a people. 

Doc was always the hero to the glee club batches that I directed.  Home after a day’s work at Cupertino, he would often walk to the Loyola Heights campus to hear us rehearse.  He was always ready with his encouragement, his gracious smile, and steady prayer.  My first years with the glee club were rather tumultuous, given the combination of strong personalities within the choir, my authoritarian demeanor then, the relentless drive to chart musical history, and the existential desire to make meaning out of the meaninglessness that was martial law.  He would say the glee club was his therapy.  In my view, his presence gave thera-peutic balance and ease to an otherwise tense rehearsal.  His selfless love for the choir was a counterweight to our selfish ambitions.  His undiminished loyalty to our music making anchored our belief in ourselves and in our missioin of excellence in music and faith. 

Always generous with his praise and encouragement, Doc was a dependable friend and guide,  I would often be incredulous at his gracious speeches to the choir after what I thought was a concert of disastrous renditions.  He often saw the big picture while I sweated and nitpicked on the minutiae.  Surely the devil was in the details, but Doc saw the angel in the broader brushstrokes. 

During my years with the glee club, I had many days of unuttered self-doubt and self-loathing, often wondering if I was the right person for the job.  He could hear those thoughts clearly.  Surely my knitted brow and vacant gaze gave them away.  Yet, he never mentioned a word of criticism.  As a listener, he completely trusted that things would be resolved by an Unseen Hand, certain that people like me who ranted about our misfortunes would eventually find our way back. 

Doc was also hero to many.  He gave selflessly in his work with children who had learning challenges, and in his work with patients who had psychological disorders.  He loved the Ateneo basketball teams and often watched them practice at the Loyola gym.  He gave his support to the choir at Barangka, the plays of Dulaang Sibol, and just about everything Atenean. 

When he became the recipient of Ateneo’s Lux-in-Domino Award in 2008, many of us in the glee club were in awe to learn for the first time about his stellar accomplishments as a student, artist, academician, administrator, pediatrician, child psychologist, writer, and lay worker.  He never spoke about them.  He was, by all accounts, an exceptional human being who chose a life of service so that others may learn the goodness of God.  Doc embodied the spirit of giving beyond measure simply because he loved unconditionally. 

Conductors can be overrated, this one included.  We try to lead by example only because we have examples whose footsteps we merely follow.  Dr. Fernando Hofileña was one such exemplar.  We are who we are only because of the people who shape us – students, colleagues, associates, administrators, parents, and family members who mirror our frail humanity but who remind us of our godly inheritance and heavenly citizenship. 

Dr. Fernando Hofileña’s moderating influence, loyal love, and generosity of spirit will always be remembered as selfless acts of heroism to many he served.  He will be ninety years old on December 26, 2009.  More than a third of his life has been spent in a love affair with the glee club.  Many of us have walked behind this hero’s footsteps and have become better children of the Light.  May this honor crown his ninetieth year with a hero’s laurels and a trumpet sound of praise from a grateful chorus who are learning to serve others just as he has served us in fullest measure.