Clarion201411a

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Saint Ignatius Village, Quezon City, Philippines

Issue 3____________ _____________________ ___ November 2014_ lthough the title of this write-up was

awkwardly adapted from the title of that

1970s U.S. television police drama where

the “Streets of San Francisco” were

depicted as busy and sometimes chaotic, this is not

the case for our neighborhood. When somebody

describes the atmosphere in the streets of a certain

area, they may also be pertaining to the people who

live there. One can discern that our streets here in

the village are quiet and serene. But the numerous

cars that are parked along the sides can mean that

there is much activity taking place inside the

households.

Ofcourse, our

streets weren’t

always like this. I

grew up in this

village watching the

streets and came to

realize that they

have given us a

chronicle of our

community. When

our family moved to

the village

sometime in the

mid-sixties, there was barely a soul lurking in the

streets. It was like the streets were extensions to the

vast empty lots. It was a time for familiarity and

adjustment not only for the newcomers, but for

those that have already settled. But only a few years

later, more residents sprawled. The streets became

a meeting place between neighbors and children

would invite other children to go out and play. The

residents have finally became socially aware of each

other thanks to the emergence of SIVHA, the village

association then. The devout Catholics have even

organized Sunday Masses on a street, at the dead-

end corner of Paris Street and First Street.

During the seventies, recurrent potholes lead to

perennial repair of our roads. We sometimes have to

apply the cement that fills the holes ourselves. We

also did regular white washing of gutters and even

clear the weeds in our sidewalks. Indeed it was a

time when the villagers have become responsible of

their surroundings.

It was also during this time that several people

became conscious of their health. They started

running, jogging or simply walking for exercise. We

had families taking

their regular stroll.

And why not? Our

hilly streets are so

conducive to these

kinds of activities.

Long before the

Christ the King

Parish was

established in 1979,

the streets were also

a venue for religious

activites. Our leaders organized processions and

Easter salubongs which were well-attended.

Yes, the history of our streets can give us an account

of the growing spirit in Saint Ig. However, nothing

still beats stories from our villagers who have been

around the neigborhood for a long period of time.

Once again, as a tribute of SIVA’s 50th Anniversary,

we are featuring four articles in this issue written by

these residents about what has life been like in their

streets.

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SAINT IGNATIUS VILLAGE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION 50TH YEAR GOLDEN SIVA FIESTA 2014 DONATIONS

Fiesta Financial Report

OR # DATE NAME ADDRESS FIESTA DONATION BINGO SALES

808 11-Jun CAMILLE BANAL 8-B RIVIERA 2,000.00

810 11-Jun GERARD CALDERON 6 RIVIERA 5,000.00

812 13-Jun GENEROSE ANTEOJO 26 FORDHAM 500

815 13-Jun JOAQUIN ENRIQUEZ 28 FOURTH 1,000.00

819 16-Jun LEONILA SEÑA 29 RIVERDALE 2,000.00

825 17-Jun GUY & LINDA SANTOS 9 ASTORIA 1,000.00

826 17-Jun JOCELYN MACATANGAY 19-A FORDHAM 1,500.00


828 17-Jun CLARO AZAÑA 34 FORDHAM 300

830 17-Jun ERNESTO YAP 34 RIVERDALE 500

831 17-Jun ANTONIO CANON 23 THIRD 1,000.00

833 18-Jun NOEL HORNILLA 45 FORDHAM 500

840 18-Jun GERALD SY 2 FOURTH 1,000.00

841 18-Jun PEDRO TAN 71 FORDHAM 200

844 19-Jun JACINTO MANTARING 63 FORDHAM 500

846 19-Jun REX DRILON II 11 FIRST 1,000.00

847 19-Jun LULAY DELA CRUZ 10 HARVARD 500

848 19-Jun RONNIE NOLASCO 8 HARVARD 1,000.00

849 20-Jun BENITO CUSTODIO 5 THIRD 500

850 20-Jun MT. CARMEL RURAL BANK INC. LIPA CITY 5,000.00

851 20-Jun FRANCIS & ELVIE MARIANO 6-A RIVIERA 500

852 21-Jun ANGELITO IMPERIO 17 THIRD 1,500.00

854 23-Jun ABRAHAM ESPINOSA 27 RIVERDALE 500

855 23-Jun GERRY ESPINOSA 25-B RIVERDALE 500

858 23-Jun RAMON MAZA JR. 7 THIRD 250

862 24-Jun FIRST FRIENDS & FIRST SMILES 146 KATIPUNAN 300

863 24-Jun LOURDES ESPINOSA 36 FORDHAM 500

864 24-Jun LOURDES ESPINOSA 36 FORDHAM 1,500.00

865 24-Jun SETSUKO REYES 1 KEW GARDEN 500

866 25-Jun SIMEON FAMILY 15-B SECOND 500

871 25-Jun FRANCISCO TRAJANO 4 WOODSIDE 2,000.00

873 25-Jun RAMON LUGTU 18 SECOND 1,000.00

874 25-Jun MR. & MRS. CHONG 75 FORDHAM 10,000.00

875 25-Jun BDO-ST. IGNATIUS 1,000.00

876 25-Jun J. ARGEL ASTUDILLO 8 THIRD 1,000.00

877 25-Jun LILIAN RAMOS-YEO 21 HARVARD 500


884 27-Jun MR. & MRS. SANTOS 1-A PARIS 500

885 27-Jun MITOS CAPISTRANO 19 HARVARD 1,000.00

886 27-Jun GLOBETECH SCIENCE FOUNDATION 5,000.00

887 27-Jun RONALD CELESTIAL 300

889 28-Jun SOLING YEE 11 FORDHAM 1,000.00

893 30-Jun SATRAP CONSTRUCTION COR., INC. 2,500.00

894 30-Jun PARTAS TRANSPORTATION CUBAO 2,500.00

895 1-Jul ROBERT MONTELIBANO 3 FOURTH 2,000.00

897 1-Jul AUSTIN TORRES 3 JAMAICA 1,000.00

899 1-Jul LAWRENCE ARROYO 30 FIRST 1,000.00

906 3-Jul NODA-CATALDO FAMILY 16 FOURTH 1,000.00

908 3-Jul ROWENA REBOLLIDO 12 THIRD 1,000.00

914 4-Jul MENAGE SALON 18,000.00

915 4-Jul VICENTE CAMPOS 52 FORDHAM 1,000.00

918 4-Jul ESTRELLA REODICA 7 HARVARD 500

919 4-Jul NORA ALEJANDRO 500

920 4-Jul PNB-ST. IGNATIUS 500

921 5-Jul NGO FAMILY 10-A KEW 500

922 5-Jul TETRA SALES & SERVICES, INC. 6,000.00

925 7-Jul ROBERT KAUFMAN 500

927 7-Jul ATTY. & MRS. J.E.J. GREGORIO 14 HARVARD 2,500.00

930 7-Jul ROLLY & MARIEVIC ANONUEVO 24 FIRST 1,500.00

931 8-Jul RICARDO OCTAVIANO 10 FOURTH 300

933 8-Jul MARGARITA VILLARANTE 5,000.00

935 8-Jul REAL SOUND 18,000.00

936 8-Jul GRACE DE LEON & PAMELA MADARIETA 2A WOODSIDE 1,000.00

937 9-Jul LUNINGNING PELAYO 18 FORDHAM 1,000.00

938 9-Jul NORMA CHICO 5 FIRST 500

941 9-Jul FRANCISCO ESQUIVEL 15 RIVIERA 500

942 9-Jul GAUDENCIO RAYO 40 FIRST 500

943 9-Jul SHAW AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES INC. 6,000.00

947 10-Jul EVELYN SUMBILLO 4,000.00

948 10-Jul MICHAEL & CHERRY ONG 44-A FORDHAM 5,000.00

951 10-Jul WALLY & MALU DE LEON 7 KEW GARDEN 2,000.00

952 10-Jul ANDREA CARLOS 500

953 10-Jul LYDEN MATTHEW REYES 16 HARVARD 1,000.00

956 11-Jul MR. & MRS. MARAÑA 5 RIVIERA 1,500.00

958 11-Jul RENE NOLASCO 8 HARVARD 500

959 11-Jul EDGARDO NOLASCO 25 FORDHAM 500

968 11-Jul VINI LUCIANO 7 RIVIERA 3,000.00

972 11-Jul DEL CELESTIAL 500

974 11-Jul SOCORRO CORONADO 500

975 11-Jul JAY & VICTORIA SISON 46 FIRST 5,000.00

950 10-Jul TINY PREFECTO 300

954 11-Jul MARIA ANDREA MENDIGO 12 SECOND 1,500.00

955 11-Jul CAROL MARAÑA 5 RIVIERA 1,500.00

957 11-Jul JORGE BANAL SR. 21 FIRST 1,500.00

960 11-Jul JOCELYN MACATANGAY 4,400.00

961 11-Jul EDWIN TANSINGCO 1,500.00

962 11-Jul BRANDON BULAHAN 1,500.00

963 11-Jul VALENTIN HEMEDES 400

964 11-Jul RODOLFO YUMANG 1,500.00



971 11-Jul SANDRA CO 200

973 11-Jul MALUZ LEJANO 200


977 12-Jul ALMA BALDEO 100

979 12-Jul TINY PREFECTO 1,000.00


984 12-Jul EDNA GUEVARA 1,000.00

990 14-Jul MICHELLE SOLLER 1,500.00


996 15-Jul CAROL MARAÑA 1,500.00

1001 17-Jul RAISSA ROSALES 9,300.00



1005 17-Jul RUSSEL NEGRETE 300

1006 17-Jul GUY SANTOS 100

1008 17-Jul EVELYN SUMBILLO 800


980 12-Jul JOSE MUNDO 7 RIVERDALE 1,000.00

982 12-Jul JOSE MARI RELUCIO 1,000.00

983 12-Jul SECURITY BANK- ST. IGNATIUS 3,500.00

985 12-Jul JUDGE LETTY SABLAN 500

986 12-Jul REMEDIOS KABIGTING 3 WOODSIDE 500

988 12-Jul HON. HERBERT BAUTISTA 2,000.00

989 14-Jul CARMEN FERNANDEZ 7 WOODSIDE 500

993 15-Jul LUIS ABLAZA, JR. 5,000.00

994 15-Jul VICENTE CUSTODIO 44 FIRST 500

998 17-Jul RIC TOBIAS 200

999 17-Jul ED TOBIAS 300

1000 17-Jul ELIZABETH TAGLE 2,000.00

1004 17-Jul HANS AND ALMA YEH 10 RIVERDALE 2,000.00

1007 17-Jul MIO CHONGSON 5,000.00

1009 18-Jul ATTY. & MRS. BAUTISTA 14 KEW GARDEN 1,000.00

1010 19-Jul CARMEN RIVERA 1 FORDHAM 500

1011 19-Jul FELIX CRUZ 1 SECOND 500

1014 21-Jul OSCAR GUEVARA 6 PARIS 500


1016 22-Jul WILLIE CALIMON 8 FOURTH 500

1017 22-Jul ED & MALUZ LEJANO 10 FIRST 500

1018 22-Jul BIOTECH ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES PHILS., INC, 2,500.00

1020 22-Jul CHERRY SANTOS 3-A ASTORIA 300

1021 22-Jul JOY SCHALLENBERG 9 RIVIERA 500

1022 23-Jul MARILYN ALBELDA 129 KATIPUNAN 1,000.00

1023 23-Jul HARRY/EDEN SOLLER 11 RIVIERA 2,000.00

1026 24-Jul EDEN ALMIREZ 22 FORDHAM 500

1028 25-Jul EDWIN YEE 2 FORDHAM 4,200.00

1029 26-Jul WILLIE HERNANDEZ 154 KATIPUNAN 1,000.00

1030 26-Jul HARRY PASIMIO 1 ASTORIA 1,000.00

1031 26-Jul COL. ARIEL QUERUBIN 17 FORDHAM 1,000.00

1039 31-Jul AGNES DELA CRUZ 10 HARVARD 3,700.00

1040 31-Jul BOBBY & MARGIE SAN JUAN 15 FIRST 1,000.00

1041 1-Aug UNITED GRAPHICS EXPRESSION CORPORATION 10,000.00


1043 4-Aug AYALA LAND PREMIER 3,000.00

1046 6-Aug LUZ CORPUS 22 SECOND 1,000.00

1047 6-Aug BRANDON BULAHAN 50 FORDHAM 1,800.00

1051 9-Aug ARNOLD TAN 16 FORDHAM 1,500.00

1057 22-Aug ORLANDO ZORILLA 7 JAMAICA 2,500.00

1061 23-Aug CHINA BANKING CORPORATION 121 KATIPUNAN 5,000.00

209,650.00 72600

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FIESTA 2014 DONATIONS (continued)























































































































































209,650.00 72600


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209,650.00 72600

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SAINT IGNATIUS VILLAGE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION

50TH YEAR GOLDEN SIVA FIESTA FINANCIAL REPORT

(as of August 31, 2014)

INCOME INCOME FROM BINGO

BINGO CARD SALES 72,600.00 INCOME FROM SOLICITATION

TOTAL FIESTA SOLICITATION 209,650.00

TOTAL INCOME 282,250.00

EXPENSES TOTAL FUN RUN 6,126.50 TOTAL PRO-HEALTH, FREE CLINIC 2,524.00 TOTAL BINGO 37,613.00 TOTAL BREAKFAST 35,200.00 TOTAL FELLOWSHIP 224,054.90 TOTAL NOVENA 23,230.00 TOTAL COMMUNAL 30,300.00 TOTAL YOUTH NIGHT 154,407.25

TOTAL EXPENSES 513,455.65

INCOME (LOSS) OVER EXPENSES (231,205.65) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

























































































































































209,650.00 72600

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How The Eighties Made Me Prouder of St. Ig By Jay Espinosa

Before I tell how the eighties made me prouder of St.

Ig, allow me to backtrack a bit to the time I first came

in this village.

It was January 1, 1967 – the first day of a new year

when my family moved to a house at the corner of

Fordham and Harvard streets in St. Ignatius Village.

It was an exciting day for us as we finally had a place

we could call our own. We used to rent an apartment

in Kamias District in Quezon City. The house was

originally occupied by its first owner, Atty. Ed Lejano

who transferred to First

Street after my parents

purchased his house

which looked new.

And for my three

younger siblings and

me, the house also

meant a new

environment.

St. Ignatius though

looked like a wilderness

with very few houses and

tall grasses. But we

managed to survive and

eventually learned to enjoy the village as more

residents came in and amenities were developed.

My mother Tessie became one of the prominent

ladies in the village for being active in religious and

social activities. Dr. Luis Cinco who handled the

Liturgical Services asked me to serve as an acolyte

during the Sunday morning mass at the chapel that

is now the Barangay Hall. I used to be an acolyte in

Ateneo, too. I also got involved in a youth

organization headed by Enrico Supangco, son of Jose

Supangco, 1971-1972 SIVHA President. My mother

was the SIVHA Secretary or Treasurer then. But

because there weren’t many youth then, our small

youth organization would arrange simple get-

togethers.

I remember in 1973, some rowdy youth from Blue

Ridge had a brawl with some youth from St. Ignatius

at our basketball court. This brought about the

closure of the basketball court by then SIVHA

President Amading Astudillo. Though I never played

basketball there, I was with those young ones who

requested for its re-opening.

In 1986, during the first coup d’état, better known as

the EDSA Revolution, I developed an unexplainable

appreciation for the village. Almost every Filipino

who rallied behind

Cory Aquino was

in EDSA,

barricading the

tanks and pro-

Marcos soldiers

from entering

Camp

Aguinaldo,

where Enrile

and

Honasan

took refuge

after bolting from the

Marcos camp. I suddenly remembered

my former officemates and friends in the Public

Information Service, Ministry of National Defence

which was located in Camp Aguinaldo.

Earlier that day, my family and I were awakened by

the smell of tear gas which erupted along Santolan

Road. The wind blew the smell to our home that we

woke up, feeling panicky about its ill effect on our

health. Despite that, my thoughts were on my

friends who must be holed up in the office. I felt the

irresistible urge to go out and visit them.

So I walked from home to Camp Aguinaldo, calm and

confident that nothing dangerous would happen.

Anniversary Features

(Continued on Page 7)

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The action was in EDSA and the few people I saw

walking along my path were all on their way to EDSA.

I finally reached the

National Defence

office in Camp

Aguinaldo only to find

it empty. I saw a

soldier who informed

me that Enrile and

Honasan had

transferred to Camp

Crame and that the

people I was looking

for might have moved there, too. So my curiosity

pushed me to walk farther and cross EDSA until I

reached Camp Crame. But the friends and

officemates I came for weren’t there except for one,

which somehow gladdened me. After our small

conversation, I bade goodbye and left.

I crossed EDSA and passed by the multitude of

people who seemed more happy than tense. Yellow

ribbons, shirts and caps coloured the whole place.

There were vendors everywhere. Nuns were praying

the rosary with images of Mama Mary facing the

tanks while the soldiers on top the tanks happily

received food and drinks from women in yellow.

There were children, too. It looked more like a fiesta

than a revolution.

As I walked back home, unmindful of the miles I had

taken, I felt happy inside that I was walking home to

a village that was near a historical site – EDSA, where

the first EDSA Revolution was. I got home with a

smile, feeling prouder of my village!

JAY J. ESPINOSA


How The Eighties Made Me…

(Continued from Page 6)

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Living in Astoria By Guy Santos

In the mid-70s, I decided to move my family from

Sampaloc, Manila to St. Ignatius Village to avoid the

traffic in España Street and its above knee-high flood

whenever it stormed. I passed by España Street on

my way to and from work in Quezon City.

One day after work, I thought of dropping by the

Village. There was a caretaker occupying my lot

when I needed to construct my house in 1974. I

asked my old neighbor from Manila, a contractor, to

build my house in the village and the perimeter wall.

I also requested him to involve the caretaker in the

construction so he could have the money to find a

place of his own. But after the house was built, he

just moved to the empty lot at my back. The house

was completed in 1974, but, my family transferred in

January 1975 for good fortune. My wife Linda

believed in starting the year with a new home.

Our house in Astoria is situated on the sleepy corner

of the village. The village was ideally located for me

because it was nearer my place of work (PAEC) in

Commonwealth Avenue.

Libis Elementary School was just a walking distance

from our house and Roosevelt College, where I sent

my kids for their grade school, was only a few

minutes away.

During Sundays, we would hear mass in Greenhills

then, we would go to Unimart. My son Darwin had

friends outside the perimeter wall at the dead end of

Riverdale while my daughter Lana had friends along

Riverdale and across our house (the Gana’s). Biking

was popular among the teens in the village and

according to Darwin, Edwin Tansingco, our present

Barangay Chairman, was one of the best bikers

during their time. They can really make the bikes fly

and do all sorts of acrobatic things. I heard Edwin still

bikes around the village.

Astoria in the seventies was generally peaceful and

quiet although there were occasional police raids at

the back of the Astoria perimeter wall which was

partly open. There were “squatters” at the outskirts

of the village near Libis. Since the entrance gate of

our house is located on the unpaved muddy dead

end side of Riverdale and corner of Astoria Street, I

had to cement the road leading to my gate. But the

wide cemented road became the improvised

basketball court of some guys in the village, waking

us up in the early mornings or late evenings.

There was also this open two-meter wide and two-

meter deep creek or canal along the very steep and

inclined Astoria Street outside our wall. Some

visitors’ vehicles lost their breaks and came crashing

down the vacant lot on the dead end of Astoria or

fell over the creek.

Once an Ateneo school bus fell on the creek and

injured two kids. I rushed them to the nearby Quirino

Hospital, then known as Labor Hospital.

Mr. Guy Santos pointing to where the wide and deep

creek was along Astoria Street before it became

cemented and covered with red bricks. The creek

turned into a virtual waterfall after a heavy

downpour, dragging along boulder- sized rocks and



MR. GUY SANTOS POINTING TO WHERE THE WIDE AND DEEP CREEK WAS

ALONG ASTORIA STREET BEFORE IT BECAME CEMENTED AND COVERED

WITH RED BRICKS.

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My Home Away From Home By Edwin San Pedro

My elder brother Rico was the first in our family to

build a house in St. Ignatius Village. He moved in

Astoria Street with his wife after their wedding in

1990. I usually stayed with them over the weekends

so I could clean my lot next to their house. The lot

was bought by my father (Tomas F. San Pedro)

sometime in the late fifties or early sixties because

our family friends: the late Dr. Luis Cinco (Fourth

Street), Mr. Gabriel Santos (Astoria Street), and the

late Col and Mrs. Camagay (Kew Garden) also bought

their own lots in St. Ignatius. The deed was

transferred to us after my brother and I graduated

from college in 1989. It was our father’s graduation

gift to us.

I finally decided to have my own house built in

October 1998. By December of the same year, the

house was finished with the help of my Church

mates Andrew Tayag (Architect) & Chona Salvahan

(Civil Engineer). I celebrated my birthday (Dec. 2) &

advance Christmas with the latter, the labourers,

and our pastor friend who officiated the dedication

of the house. I moved in right away over the

weekend.

After just a few days, I felt like going back to my

original home. The village was so still and quiet I

could even hear the ticking of a clock. For someone

who grew up in busy and bustling Sampaloc

(Manila), I found the silence in the village

discomforting. I was used to the sound of noisy,

walking neighbors, tricycles and jeepneys passing by.

And most of all, to the presence of my family talking

and laughing. I was all alone when I first moved in St.

Ig and I felt terribly homesick. So I decided to lock

the house and go back to my parents’ house in

Manila. I was able to get over my homesickness and

loneliness in St. Ig after staying for a month.

I kept myself busy doing scale models of mini planes

and dioramas of soldiers. I found a friend in Arvin

Tapia, a co-villager who shared the same hobby.

Sometimes, I would invite my cousins to stay over for

their exam reviews. Through the years, I have

learned to adapt to the quiet and peaceful

atmosphere of St. Ig. It is not just my home away

from my original home but that which I joyfully share

now with my wife Annabelle and four year old son

Jason.

I have learned to live with different neighbours and

even to the changes around like the construction of

the C-5 flyover. I don’t get bothered by the sound of

vehicles passing by the C-5 flyover. However, the

pollution these passing vehicles bring to our

neighbourhood, and to us living very near the C-5

flyover concerns me most.

Having lots of trees in the village is something I value

because the roads all around us are polluted daily

due to the traffic flow from both north and south

bound vehicles. I hope air pollution caused by

vehicles is something our government will act on so

village like ours can be protected from its health

hazards.


ANNABELLE, JASON AND EDWIN SAN PEDRO

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St. Ig: Forever My Home By Jose Mari Goco

I was 20 when we moved to SIV in May, 1979. With

no parents, guardians, or even older maids to keep

us company, I was already the oldest in my small

household of five siblings, the youngest of whom

was only nine years old. It was only natural that my

main concern then was security, which the village

provided very little of. Security force at that time

wasn’t tight so some “squatters” or thievish

strangers could freely roam around causing petty

stealing that included even our hanging laundry.

There were plenty of undeveloped lots utilized as

dumpsites. Water service was almost non-existent

and the meager we received would come only after

12 midnight. The village then wasn’t exactly an ideal

place for a young brood of five. Because all of us

attended school, we would leave our house

unattended for long periods. Only the kindness of

our old neighbors in Riverdale Street: the Floreses,

Rectos, and Thomases, and the presence of our dogs

kept our home safe. Yet, to this day I am ever so

grateful that SIV has always been a very hospitable

place to live in.

The 1986 Edsa Revolution and the subsequent coup

attempts brought out the true character of the

residents of SIV. Setting aside opposing political

affiliations, villagers united and worked together to

protect their Barangay which, at that time, was

under threat of being swallowed by these

tumultuous events.

My siblings have all since migrated to the U.S. I did,

too for a time. But I decided to go back to SIV, opting

to settle down here for good. I have built my nest in

the village, having started my own family in the

eighties. Now, I share my home with my wife of 26

years, Lourdes, with whom I have 4 boys and 1 girl.

They are Jack (25), Bino (21), Ambo (19), Maggie

(18), and Tacio (15).

In my 35 years in this village, I have seen the place

evolved from a mere cluster of houses whose major

selling point is its prime location, to one exclusive

and progressive subdivision. It has a more reliable

security force, a receptive Barangay, and an active

Homeowners’ Association that is the SIVA. The water

supply problem is now a thing of the past, and

garbage collection is consistently regular though for

some time it became a serious concern due to

improper disposal of garbage. The fact that SIV is not

a part of the Marikina fault line, coupled with all the

above-mentioned amenities, makes ownership of a

property here a real investment. It is not surprising

then why even the few vacant lots in the village have

their own owners now.

SIV used to be the “poorest” and the least known

among the five or six exclusive subdivisions in this

part of the city. But its location and its size, or lack of

it, make it a very ideal place to enjoy urban living. I

hold office at the Robinson’s Galleria Mall; my eldest

son is with Union Bank in Meralco Avenue; and all

my other children study at the Ateneo de Manila. We

wouldn’t want to live anywhere else but in St.

Ignatius Village where our home will forever be!


LOURDES AND JOEY GOCO

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See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil

By

Marivi R. Octaviano

Was feasting my eyes in a local crafts store

when three cute wooden monkeys bearing

placards that say “See No Evil”, “Hear No

Evil” and “Speak No Evil” amusingly caught my

curiosity. What do monkeys know about evil? Oh

yes, they are said to be the wisest of mammals.

But can they differentiate what’s evil and what’s

not? And what does evil mean? Is evil that which

drives you to sin because what you see, hear and

speak of can hurt somebody else as well as your

own self?

What does it mean to see no evil - to not look at

anything immoral or to not

look at the immorality of

things? Does that mean

being blind even to the

things that cause one to be

wrong, or to ignore the

sins and “ugliness” in the

world?

What about to hear no evil –

does it mean shutting your

ears from gossip or green jokes, or from stories

of immoral men, or from lies that are passed on

as truths? Does it also mean being deaf to cries

of unfairness or injustice that breed more evils

around us?

And to speak no evil - is that to shut your lips

from spreading false rumors or to just be silent

because your words can endanger you and your

position, and subject you to criticisms, branding

and alienation?

Being blind, deaf and mute on certain things that

may be considered or misconstrued as “evil” can

put you in a safer position, but leaves you with

no conviction because you cannot release your

own thoughts, much less the truths you know

about certain issues or people. Being silent can

keep you distant from troubles and intrigues but

not for long, nor all the time.

Silence can be bliss when you just want to listen

to the voice of your inner soul … when your ears

refuse to hear your own voice that has become

hoarse from too much ejection of words. Silence

can be knowledge when you let your eyes do the

research or your ears the receptacle of wisdom

and information that come from the

voices that teach or share, or even

from those who cry out and

complain, or simply thank the

Lord for the littlest thing.

But for how long can you

hold your peace and put

your soul to rest when your

own conscience is

prompting you to clear up

some issues as cloudy as the sky? Will

you forever be a prisoner of your own thoughts

and be tyrannized by your own fear of what

others have to say about your opinion or the fact

that you have to state?

Even if you shut your lips, people will always

have something to say. And they will continue

I

Insight


Page | 12

wagging their tongues … just for the pleasure of

it.

It is that cowardice and self-preservation that

prevent us from fighting the wrong and evil

things around us. We often see, hear and even

speak of in our ordinary conversations the

immoral, illegal, criminal, unethical, dishonest,

and erroneous acts in our midst. But have we, as

true Christians, taken the courage to make a

stand and help solve these problems directly?

Or, is it our own guilt of the same transgressions

that cause our inaction?

God has given us eyes to see with, ears to listen

with, and tongue to speak with. We have to use

them well, especially in times we need to.

And in moments we have to shield them from

things that cause us to sin, then that is when

seeing no evil, hearing no evil, and speaking no

evil should apply. Otherwise, we will see, hear

and speak more evils if we continue to be blind,

deaf, and mute about their existence.

We have to use our eyes, lips and tongue in

fighting the evils that try to destroy us … that

threaten even our moral courage to stand for

what is right! We are not monkeys; we are

humans, even if science says we’ve descended

from them. We have souls that can learn to pray

and correct the wrong while mammals cannot try

even if we teach them how. That should be enough

encouragement.

Fear not! Take a stand and be a man – for God, for

the rest of mankind, for goodness sake!

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Living in Astoria (Continued from Page 8)

made the dead end of Astoria a small lake. The rocks

had to be removed or the fast running waters would

eventually erode the foundation of our perimeter

wall the next time it rained hard. The creek waters

was not polluted nor smelly but carried small fishes

of the canal and was so shallow (two feet deep) that

I was constantly plugging the seepages in the

perimeter wall at the back of the house. So it was a

great relief when Mon (Lugtu), our Barangay Captain

then, proposed to cover the creek with concrete

culverts when he built the St. Ignatius Villas near us.

Things have changed since then. The dead end of

Riverdale Street was concreted; the informal settlers

outside the village were finally relocated; and the

Libis Bridge was constructed. The steepness of

Astoria Street was minimized with its widening,

making it much safer now for vehicles. Access in and

out of the village for us in became easier, too with

the new Gate 3 or Astoria Gate. Thanks to our

previous Barangay Chairman Mrs. Baby Banal and

her Kagawads. This transformed our sleepy corner

into a busy hub. The Chapel in Camp Atienza and the

Libis Talipapa became more accessible, too, for

villagers who need to do instant marketing.

A fire hydrant at the corner of Astoria and Riverdale

near us also assures us now of water in case of fire.

A deep well was also built at the Astoria dead end to

supplement MWSS waters when needed and will

also come handy in the event of a catastrophic

movement along the Marikina West Valley Fault.

This fault line happens to be only a stone’s throw

away from Riverdale Street.

I have loved and enjoyed my little dead-end corner

in Astoria. We have raised our children here. And

now, we share this joy with our grandchildren, too.

Insight

See No Evil… (Continued from Page 11)

Page | 13

Do's and Don'ts in Regifting

By Lilian Ramos-Yeo

Regifting according to Wikipedia is the act of taking

a gift that has been received and giving it to

somebody else, sometimes in the guise of a new gift.

It is an act I think a huge percentage of the female

population is guilty of. And the word, popularized

by Jerry Seinfeld, is already a verb in the Webster

dictionary attesting to its popularity. More and

more studies are showing that regifting is already

becoming socially acceptable that even etiquette

expert Emily Post approve of it in some

circumstances.

Whew that was a long explanation to justify what I

am going to reveal -

I am guilty of regifting! With head bowed, I reason

out that I would rather give it to someone who I think

would appreciate it rather than let it stay in my

cabinet. The operating word there is that the regift

should be appreciated by the new receiver of the

gift. I remember an episode I think in Going Bananas

(oh my giving away my age - ok toddler pa ako noon)

where there was a vase that was regifted several

times between friends and finally ended up back up

again with the original giver. It was hilarious!

Here are the do's and don'ts.

Do's:

1. Carefully open gifts you receive.

Hehe begin with the end in mind.

Be sure to remove the tapes carefully so you don't

tear any of the packaging. My rule, once box is even

slightly teeny weenily torn I don't re-gift it anymore.

Of course telling kids to be careful when opening

gifts to kids is close to impossible and I let them be.

It takes away the fun of opening gifts. But now that

they are a bit older, I let them in on the secret

already.

2. Write name of giver on a post-it note and tack it

on the gift.

My memory is impeccably bad so I have to put a

post-it to remind me from whom it came from. The

horror if I give it back to giver!!!!

3. Regift only gifts that would be appreciated.

If you think it would end up as regifts too or it would

just end up in their storage then don't give it.

4. Warn your kids not to comment if they see their

gift regifted.

This actually happened to me. During gift opening

my then toddler unwraps all her gifts and she clearly

has some favorites and others that she puts aside.

Those put aside gifts I mentally note - for regift. I

regifted one to my friend's daughter. In our

Christmas party with family, kids decided to open

one gift each. My friend's daughter opened our gift

and my daughter exclaimed "That's mine!" Earth

swallow me now moment!!!! Silence, crickets and a

burst of laughter! Whew doon ko nasukat ang aming

friendship haha:-)

5. Re-wrap the gifts.

Lifestyle


Page | 14

Do's and Don'ts in Regifting (Continued from Page 13)

Hello pati ba naman wrapper:-) Re-wrap it:-)

Don'ts:

1. Don't penny-pinch and be brave to say "This gift

stops here."

This requires a bit of a challenge especially for

"kuripot" (stingy) people like me. But there are really

some gifts that just won't match any of the

people in your gift list. Accept it and bravely give it

to charity.

2. Don't give a regift to the same circle of friends of

the giver.

Imagine the shame when your friends see each other

and they discover that their gift has been regifted.

Though regifting is becoming socially acceptable it is

still a secret people want to keep.

3. Never give free promotional items.

I am guilty of this! I have tens of Cathay Pacific

toiletry cases from airlines and they are branded

ones like Crabtree and Evelyn, Agnes B, Murad even

Shanghai Tang pajama sets. I am so tempted to give

them away but the name of Cathay Pacific is safely

tucked inside. Ok the rule said never but hehe all the

guards in our village received Agnes B toiletry cases.

4. Don't give tested lipstick, perfume or food!!!!

The bloody red lipstick that is obviously not your

color but you wanted to try and smeared on your lips

- sorry just give it to a friend and announce that you

tried it on but you can't pass it on as brand new.

5. Don't give a gift that has aged or discolored

already or some of the cologne has evaporated

already because it took you so long to decide:-)

Intricate stationary that is just too pretty to use you

never actually used it!:-) Pass it on to a friend but

like the previous, you obviously can't pass it on as

brand new.

6. Don't regift an item that has been slightly used.

Only regift brand new gifts.

Self-explanatory.

In the end, the spirit of generosity and making

people happy with your gifts should reign so that

each gift opened will bring a smile to the receiver.

Also, take into consideration the feelings of the

giver.

P.S. To my friends who gave and will give me gifts,

know that each gift you give is very much

appreciated, regardless if it is kept or regifted. Ok

mahirap i-explain but you guys know what I mean, I

hope:-)

And to my friends I will give gifts to, know that only

a small percentage of the gifts I give are regifts haha!

And if in case you happen to receive that small

percentage (you will never know haha:-)) know that

it was carefully chosen and given to you because in

my heart I know you would appreciate it:-)Do you

occasionally regift? Please tell me I'm not the only

mom in the Philippines who does this. Please!

Lifestyle

The Clarion

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief Brandon Bulahan

Associate Editor Marivi Octaviano

Layout Artist Brandon Bulahan

Writers Lilian Ramos-Yeo Jorge Banal

Staff Rhea Evangelista Russel Negrete

Publisher St. Ignatius Village Association Board

Email [email protected]

Email us your thoughts or reactions. We’d love to hear from you.

Page | 15

YOUNG ONCE By Jorge L. Banal, SIVISA President

The more than six million “Young Once” of our

beloved Philippines and all concerned Filipinos

welcomed and expressed heartfelt gratitude on the

timely passage of Republic Act No. 10645, a

consolidation of Senate Bill No. 712 and House Bill

No. 4593, which was finally passed on September 22

and September 24, 2014, respectively. Approved by

House Speaker Feliciano R. Belmonte, Jr. and Senate

President Franklin M. Drillon, President Benigno S.

Aquino III signed the bill into law on November 5,

2014.

This Act takes effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in the Official Gazette or in, at least, two

(2) newspapers of general circulation.

And so that the good news will reach more

households, especially the Senior Citizens, PTV4

highlighted RA 10645 in its SPECIAL FORUM on

November 19, 2014, 8-9 p.m. (which was replayed

on November 22, Sat., 2-3 p.m. at Channel 4), with

guests representing the Department of Health, USEC

Teodoro J. Herbosa; Philhealth, Senior Manager Rey

Balena; the Senior Citizens, Lourdes Matubis, a

prominent socio-civic leader from Parañaque; and

the Federation of Senior Citizens Associations of the

Philippines, this SIVISA president who also heads

FSCAP, both of NCR and QC Chapter, and its

immediate past national president.

For the better information of our Villagers, below is

a “question and answer” reprint on RA 10645:

Q&A sa RA 10645: Awtomatikong benepisyo ng

PhilHealth sa mga Senior Citizens

Posted on November 14, 2014

Nitong ika-5 ng Nobyembre 2014, pinirmahan ni

Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III ang Republic Act No.

10645, na nag-amyenda sa Republic Act No. 7432,

upang magbigay ng higit na kalinga sa mga

nakatatandang Filipino. Magkakabisa ito 15 araw

matapos mailathala ang batas sa diyaryo o sa

Official Gazette (print).

Ano ang Republic Act (RA) 10645? Ang RA 10645 o

ay batas na ginagawang awtomatikong miyembro

ng PhilHealth ang lahat ng Filipino pagtungtong nila

ng edad na 60. Matatamasa ng lahat ng senior

citizens ang lahat benepisyong pangkalusugan ng

PhilHealth.

Kailangan ba ng mga Senior Citizen na kumuha ng

ID mula sa PhilHealth? Hindi. Ayon mismo kay Sen.

Ralph Recto, “Magpakita lang sila ng ID bilang

patunay na sila’y senior citizen at matatanggap na

nila mula sa ospital ang karampatang benepisyong

laan sa mga miyembro ng PhilHealth.”

Ngayon lang ba nagkabatas para sa segurong

pangkalusugan ng mga Senior Citizen? Hindi. Noon

pang 1992, ipinasa na ang Republic Act 7432 o Senior

Citizens Act. Inamyemdahan ito at ipinasa ang

Republic Act 9994 o Expanded Senior Citizens Act of

2010. At ngayong 2014, muli itong inamyemdahan

at higit na pinalawak ang saklaw ng naunang batas.

Ano ang pinagkaiba ng RA 9994 sa RA 10645?

Nakasaad sa RA 9994 na ang mabibigyan lamang ng

awtomatikong benepisyo ng PhilHealth ay mga i

ndigent o mahihirap na Filipino. Ito ang mga

Filipinong walang sapat na kita upang magbigay ng

Vintage Perspective

PTV SPECIAL FORUM HOSTS PRINCESS HABIBAH SARIP AND KIRBY KRISTOBAL

(BOTH SEATED) WITH RESOURCE SPEAKERS MS. LOURDES MATUBIS AND

JORGE BANAL, SR. ON NOVEMBER 19, 2014, PTV-4, ON THE TOPIC OF RA

10645.


Page | 16

kontribusyon at maging miyembro ng PhilHealth.

Inalis ito sa RA 10645 at ginawang awtomatiko ang

benepisyo sa LAHAT ng senior citizens, indigent man

o hindi.

Ayon kay Sen. Recto, sa oras na hipan nila ang

kandila sa kanilang ika-60 kaarawan, hanggang sa

huli nilang hininga, miyembro silang lahat ng

PhilHealth.

Gaano pa karaming Senior Citizen ang hindi sakop

ng PhilHealth? May 2.16 milyon pang senior citizen

ang hindi nakaenrol sa PhilHealth sa kasalukuyan.

Mayroong 3.94 milyong naka-enrol na, at may

kabuuang 6.1 milyong senior citizen sa bansa.

Saan kukunin ng pamahalaan ang pondo para sa

programang ito? Kukunin ang pondo mula sa

National Health Insurance Fund ng PhilHealth, na

kita mula sa RA 10351 o Sin Tax Reform Act of 2012.

Ilang mga Filipino ang nakikinabang sa PhilHealth

sa kasalukuyan? Noong Disyembre 2013, mayroong

31.27 na nakarehistrong miyembro, at 45.63

milyong dependent. Ngayong 2014, punterya ng

PhilHealth na masakop ng segurong pangkalusugan

ang higit 90% ng mga Filipino.

A significant event in our St. Ignatius Village is the

annual election of the men and women who are

ready, willing and able to roll-up their sleeves and

find time, and “make time”, to serve and work for

the general welfare of our cozy and lovely barangay

and its residents. At times, serving the village as

members of the Board of Directors could be an

unrewarding job as unreasonable and highly

negative commentaries could be quite divisive!

Constructive criticisms, however, especially with

healthy and workable recommendations and

solutions to issues and problems are most welcome.

We are happy to note that ours is a working and

fairly united St. Ignatius Village Associations as we

are blessed with a supportive Barangay Council as

SIVA’s able partner in service.

It is on this positive note that we encourage all

concerned residents to stand up and be counted! Let

us join hearts and help make our St. Ignatius Village

a better place to live in!

Vintage Perspective

YOUNG ONCE (Continued on Page 16)

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