dmainman d:)

This is for the sick, the desperate, the problematic, and the like. We are not alone. He is with us.

 

 

The Wait

 

April 3, 2009, we were all waiting for the result of the Bar Examinations. Kuya Marty was hoping his name would be included in the list of the successful examinees. He, together with Papa, Mama and his girlfriend, Manang Mija, was in Manila during that time. We were in Ilocos. We did nothing but sit in front of the television from 4 PM to 8 PM. The long wait was killing us. And then my cell phone rang. It was Mama calling. My heart started beating faster. And then I accepted the call. Mama spoke first,

 

“Nakapasa ni manong yo!” (Your brother made it!)

 

I dropped the phone right away and started jumping and shouting repeatedly,

 

“Abogado ni Kuya Marty’n! Abogado ni Kuya Marty’n! Abogado ni Kuya Marty’n!” (Kuya Marty is now a lawyer!)

 

 

The Celebration

 

Kuya Chinkoy, Bolet, Ogie, Popop and I rushed outside to deliver the good news to Lolo, Lola and Tita Venice who are living 10 meters away from our house. Tita Venice hugged me in joy. And then I started crying. It was tears of joy. We were all shouting, hugging and crying along the street at past 8 PM when most of the folks were already in bed. But no one could stop us that time. As if we won the jackpot prize in Lotto. But it was more than that. Deep inside I was thanking God. This was His plan.

 

The celebration continued. Relatives and friends went to our house to savour the moment. We thought of decorating the house to surprise Kuya Marty, or should I say Atty. Marty, who was to arrive the following day. We made a banner out of coupon bond and creep paper, posted messages on the wall and filled the house with balloons. We all stayed there until midnight, and then we called it a day. We all slept with a smile on our faces.

 

The following morning, when Mama texted me that they are already near, we waited along the street just in front of our house to welcome our new lawyer warmly. When we saw the car where Kuya Marty was riding we were again jumping in joy. And then Kuya went out from the car – there goes the new lawyer! – we rushed near him and hugged him tightly! And we all greeted him,

 

“Congrats attorney!”

 

It was a day to remember.

 

This set the tone on how we are going to spend summer since our summer vacation celebration was dependent upon whether or not Kuya will pass or not. He passed. A grand thanksgiving party was then set right away. Kuya wanted the whole family to have a trip abroad. Papa could not say no. This would have been one of the best summer vacations in our lives.

 

 

Then it Rained

 

It was a bright sun shiny summer, suddenly, it rained. We did not expect that.

 

While in Ilocos, Kuya Marty felt minor pains in his body, specifically, in his kidney region. But he was not feeling weak as he can drive the car to Vigan, he can walk a distance, and he can even play table tennis with us. He even beat me once. But the pain persisted and so he went to a hospital in Vigan to have a check up. They said it was a kidney stone. Days after, the pain increased and according to Kuya, the intensity of the pain reached 8, 10 being the highest. And so, he, Kuya Chinkoy, Ogie and Manang Mija went to Manila to have a second check up. Kuya Marty was not able to help Kuya Chinkoy drive the car.

 

Kuya Marty was checked up at Medical City Hospital . Back in Ilocos, life remained normal. We were hoping that Kuya Marty’s pain be remedied at Medical City and he would go home thereafter. We were not that worried yet.

 

 

And it Poured

 

The result was out. The doctors in Medical City found out a 10cm slid mass inside Kuya Marty’s body. It was so huge that it was bumping his ureter which explains why kuya was experiencing pain in his left part of his body. They also found an inflammation in his large intestine (diverticulitis) which explains why he is also suffering pain in his right part of his body. It was supposed to be a simple day when Kuya Marty would just be checked up in a hospital. It turned out to be a sorrowful day where it was found out that Kuya was suffering not just a simple illness but two serious illnesses. And so he was confined in the hospital.

 

We actually have not celebrated well Kuya Marty’s success in the Bar Examinations. We were still in a state of euphoria when all these things happened. It happened so fast that it left us asking ourselves if this was really happening. Unfortunately, it was.

 

Papa and Mama were obliged to go to Manila , leaving their works and appointments behind. At the time of their arrival in the hospital, Kuya Marty had three punctures. Everytime another puncture was performed, Papa cannot stand to look on. He goes out of the room and cry. Papa was so emotional he almost cried a river. He and Mama always texted us,

 

“Pray hard for your Kuya, anak.”

 

It was very difficult for them to see Kuya suffer.

 

 

I Turned to God

 

April 18, 2008, Papa’s birthday. We were in a beach reasort in Batangas. We had so much fun. Exactly the same day this year, obviously it was Papa’s birthday, but there was no reason to celebrate. We have to symphatize with Kuya Marty. I texted Papa,

 

“Pa, it looks like you have to celebrate your birthday in the hospital. It’s okay Pa, Kuya Marty needs you more.” Happy birthday. God bless us all.”

 

And he replied,

 

“Thanks anak. You are all very good children of mine. I’m in tears right now. Pray hard for your Kuya.”

 

It was then the first time I cried hard. I prayed to God,

 

“Lord, I know these are only trials. So please, help us deal with it. Give us the strength and courage to withstand all these, especially to Kuya Marty. Prayer is all we can do right now. Please listen to all our prayers.”

 

 

The Procedures

 

Back in the hospital the doctor suggested that Kuya Marty should undergo catheter and stent procedures to decrease his creatinin level preparing him for another procedure (MRI with contrast) that will give the doctors clearer picture of the solid mass inside his body and its relation with his organs. Kuya Chinkoy, a medical student, was protesting as these are very painful procedures. Picture it – a tube would be inserted in the hole of Kuya Marty’s genital until the inserted tube reaches his ureter. Nevertheless, it ensued.

 

Prior to such painful procedures, Kuya Marty must not eat anything, even a soup, for five days. Yes, five days. I knew that Kuya suffered a lot for these procedures. My knees weaken everytime I think about this.

 

After these procedures, Kuya Marty became weaker as the tube was still inserted in his genital. This made Manang Mija, Mama and Papa cried as they saw Kuya Marty suffered so much right before their eyes.

 

 

My Turn

 

Pa, Ma, Kuya Chinkoy and Ogie returned to Ilocos. Then it was my turn to look for Kuya Marty in the hospital. As I entered his room I saw him lying on bed. He looked weak. I went near him and kiss his forehead. I started crying. I said,

 

“Kuya, we were all worried in Ilocos. We did not have peace of mind. Be strong. We are all praying for you.”

 

I stayed there for the day. We were waiting for the next procedure of the doctors when all of a sudden the tube was removed voluntarily. But Kuya Marty’s creatinin level remained high and so the MRI with contrast did not ensue. And so I began asking myself, “Were those procedures really necessary?” Nevertheless, Kuya’s strength was getting back. Thank God the tube was removed.

 

 

Doctors: “Surgical Operation”

 

The next procedure planned by the doctors was the surgical operation already for them to remove the solid mass once and for all. This, then, would not allow Kuya Marty to attend the Oath Taking as his surgical wound would still be fresh when that day falls disabling him to make physical exertions. Kuya did not want to miss the Oath Taking. Who would want to miss a once-in-a-lifetime experience? But he did not have any choice. My girlfriend Kat and I went to the Supreme Court to ask for the procedure on how to petition for a special Oath Taking.

 

According to the doctors, an MRI procedure is necessary before Kuya could be operated. An MRI with contrast cannot be availed of as his creatinin level remained high, but the one without contrast can be. The problem is, an MRI test costs 56 thousand pesos. If it was not necessary we would pass this one out. But it was. Thanks to Manang Mija and family, they were there to help. In these hours of darkness, we still feel so blessed for there are still people out there to give support whole heartedly. In behalf of our family, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. God rewards people like you.

 

Prior to the MRI, Kuya’s head doctor, whom we waited for several days because he had a conference and/or a summer vacation abroad, briefed us on what to expect with the MRI result. He said this procedure would determine if there is really a solid mass inside and if there really is, we must hope that it is not attached with the aorta, the largest vessel in our body which is directly connected to the heart.

 

The doctor finished briefing us and went out of the room. Kuya Marty, then, told us that we should pray that the MRI would not detect any solid mass, but if it would, we should pray that it is not attached with the aorta. He was very anxious about this. He was crying. It was this moment when I solicited prayers in the internet. There were comforting messages sent to me. One of those says,

 

“Faith can move mountains.”

 

Kat posted a comment on my multiply site which says,

 

“God will not give challenges we cannot overcome.”

 

For those who prayed for Kuya, I extend my warmest gratitude to you all.

 

 

The MRI Result

 

And then the MRI result was out. It was Nino, Manang Mija’s cousin and a nurse, and I who went to see the result. We read it. I did not understand it completely but I can infer from it that there was really a solid mass inside Kuya’s body and it was actually that big – 10 centimeters. After Nino finished reading, I asked him for his explanation of the result. He said it is true that there is a solid mass, and the same is attached with the aorta, and the doctor’s three impressions of Kuya’s illness are suggestive of a cancer. He added he did not want to explain these to Kuya as he was afraid to do so. I did not know what to do. I just enetered the room without planning what to say. Kuya Marty began asking me about the result. I was speechless for a while as I was doing my best not to cry in front of him. And then I just said that the result was just an impression. It was not final yet. And then I went outside. I can no longer hold on. I cried my emotions out loud outside Kuya’s room. I cannot believe that there is a possibility that Kuya is suffering from a cancer.

 

I was not supposed to tell this sad news to Papa and Mama who were travelling from Ilocos to Manila with the rest of the family and it was Papa who was driving the car. This would definitely disturb their concentration. But I did tell them. We were all crying while talking on the phone. We realized that we needed to pray harder. They stopped by at Our Lady of Manaoag. We needed her intercession.

 

That was the 23^rd of April. The following day the whole family arrived. It was a dramatic scene once again. It was Kuya Marty’s surgery day. Kuya told us he was ready to be operated.

 

 

God Works in Mysterious Ways

 

Hours before Kuya’s operation, Kuya’s head doctor went to our room and told us that the operation would be postponed for two reasons: one is, since the solid mass is attached with the aorta a cardiovascular doctor is needed in the operation scene, another reason is, the head doctor’s preferred cardiovascular doctor is abroad for a convention and/or a vacation and he will only report in the hospital on the 2^nd of May. This brought us a good news and a bad news. The good news is, Kuya was permitted by the doctors to go home while waiting for the cardiovascular doctor, allowing him to attend the Oath Taking. The bad news is, Kuya’s wait for his operation was once again postponed and so was his suffering. Nevertheless, we thought of its bright side – that God did not want Kuya to undergo operation just yet for He wanted Kuya to attend the Oath Taking, a sign that God wants Kuya to live long as a lawyer.

 

And so we checked out from the hospital. It was Kuya’s first taste of fresh air in weeks. We passed by at the Christ The King Church and offered a little prayer.

 

We all agreed that Kuya would stay at Manang Mija’s house for comfort purposes and the whole family would just visit time and time again. It was good to see Kuya out from the hospital. But his pain remained a big concern.

 

 

The Making of a Lawyer

 

Since Kuya can already attend the Oath Taking we have to go to the Supreme Court to inform them that he will no longer petition for a special Oath Taking and instead have his clearance. We all accompanied Kuya but the Supreme Court allowed only one companion to go with him throughout the clearance process. I volunteered myself to be Kuya’s companion. We arrived there at lunch time. It was supposed to be a 20-30 minute process but officials arrived late and so new lawyers who came to have their clearance were stockpiled. There was a long line. We were at the middle of the line, perhaps 30^th from the start. The place was hot. And then Kuya Marty’s body was already hurting. I knew then that he cannot stand on to wait for our turn. And so I have to talk to the secretary of the Supreme Court to request for a special treatment for Kuya. After explaining it, they understood Kuya’s situation and so they worked on Kuya’s clearance way earlier than our original turn. But the process still took an hour to be completed. It was longer than we expected. Kuya was hurting a lot. We saw it on the way he sweat. Nevertheless, Kuya was, then, cleared to attend the Oath Taking.

 

April 28, 2009, Kuya attended the Oath Taking at PICC. His schedule for the signing of the Roll of Attorneys was set the following day. We accompanied him in the signing. His last stroke of his signature on the book of the Roll of Attorneys made him a full-fledge lawyer. Amidst these trials, we still had a reason to celebrate. God is good.

 

 

Kuya’s Source of Strength

 

After that, the whole family left for Ilocos and we requested Manang Mija to look for Kuya Marty while we are away. On our trip home we stopped at Our Lady of Manaoag to offer a prayer, but it was already closed. The guards won’t open the Church for us. But we still prayed outside near the window where sights of Our Lady can be seen.

 

Days after, Kuya Marty started texting us. He said he misses us especially Popop, our bunso. And so, Popop, Kuya Chinkoy and I went back to Manila . When Kuya Marty saw Popop after days of missing him he embraced him tightly and kissed him. We were in tears. We realized that we should always be at Kuya Marty’s side. Aside from Manang Mija, we were also his source of strength. Papa and the rest of the family went back to Manila thereafter.

 

 

The Dream

 

On their arrival, Kuya told us that he had a dream. In his dream, he was chased by fraternity men, but Kuya won’t allow them to catch him. He did all he can to come back to us. Then suddenly, gunshots and even cannons were fired at us. But it was Kuya who told us to dodge it. Fortunately, no one was hurt. That was his dream. When Papa heard this he said the dream was a good sign that Kuya would overcome this trial. This was God’s way of communicating to us, we should just keep on praying, added Papa.

 

 

The Healing Mass

 

A day before Kuya Marty’s readmission in the hospital for his surgical operation, we attended the healing mass conducted by the famous healing priest, Fr. Suarez, at Claret Church. In attendance were hundreds of sick believers. Among those who went there, Kuya Marty was one of those whom Fr. Suarez prayed over a longer time and even smiled at Kuya Marty. God must be pleased with our efforts. God is good all the time.

 

 

Doctors: “Biopsy”

 

And then Kuya Marty was readmitted in the hospital. The cardiovascular doctor needed for Kuya Marty’s surgey has arrived already. We were all preparing ourselves for the surgery until we heard the plan of the doctor. According to him, they will postpone the surgery and suggests that Kuya Marty be biopsied first. There were mixed reactions from us. Personally, I was confused with the doctor’s suggestion. Prior to this one, all the doctors were suggesting a surgical operation ruling out biopsy as this was not necessary. We even waited for almost a week for the cardiovascular doctor for the surgery but only to find out that Kuya will not be operated yet. I am a bit angered by the idea that the result of the biopsy would take 3-5 working days to be out. This means Kuya’s agony will be prolonged yet again. Why did they not undertake biopsy before we checked out from the hospital so that when we returned the result will already be out? Instead, we waited for almost a week idly, get back to the hospital, undergo biopsy, and wait for almost a week again. Does that make sense? I don’t think so. But Manang Mija said we should just trust the doctors. Papa told us that let things happen, all of these are part of God’s grand plan.

 

And then Kuya Marty underwent biopsy. Since its result will only be available 3-5 working days thereafter, we checked out again from the hospital.

 

While we were waiting for the result, there was another sign from God as claimed by Papa. According to him, after he prayed at St. Jude Church he stopped by at the Church in San Beda. He went in front to pray. He was all alone. He was praying fervently while his eyes were glued to Sto. Nino. Suddenly, he saw Sto. Nino’s head glows for several seconds. He trembled in fear but he continued praying. After that he went outside the Church. He was still shaking. But he was praising God.

 

 

The Biopsy Result

 

After 3 days, Kuya Chinkoy and I went to the Medical City to check if the result was already out. On the way, we were praying that Kuya’s tumor would turn out to be benign. When we arrived at the hospital, they told us that the result was out. Then we got the result. The first words that I saw were the words ‘MALIGNANT ROUND CELL TUMOR.’ I continued reading and hoping that that was not the diagnosis. Both of us did not say a word yet. After a couple of minutes, I have finished reading the result. There was no mention of the word benign. And then I asked Kuya Chinkoy if it was really malignant. Kuya Chinkoy answered in the affirmative.

 

Kuya Marty started calling on my cell phone. I first thought of what to say. And then I answered the phone. I read the results but I intentionally skipped those sentences where malignancy can be inferred. But eventually, Kuya Marty discovered that his tumor was malignant. Kuya Marty’s anxiousness increased. But we were all there to comfort him. We knew God was with us. We kept on praying harder.

 

 

“Ask And You Shall Receive”

 

The day after we knew the biopsy result, we went to Kuya’s doctor for inquiry about its consequences. The doctor referred us to an oncologist (cancer doctor). The following day, we met the said doctor.

 

The first thing he did was to read Kuya’s results in all the tests he underwent. After reading it, he then explained that Kuya’s tumor could be a germ cell tumor or a lymphoproliferative disorder. This carried a bad news and a good news. The bad news is, both are cancer. Yes, Kuya Marty has a cancer. The good news is, both are treatable. Another thing is, surgical operation could be ruled out. When we heard that, we had a big sigh of relief. We were also very happy at the same time. Happy because we were very afraid with the idea that Kuya’s tumor was not treatable and the idea that Kuya will undergo surgery. But the oncologist has said it – it could be treated and surgery could be ruled out.

 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, God is good all the time! He listens to our prayers. He is with us in this battle. Praise the Lord!

 

It is the immunohistochemistry test that would determine whether Kuya’s cancer is a germ cell tumor (testicular cancer) or a lymphoproliferative disorder. We were praying it would turn out to be a germ cell tumor as this kind of cancer has a 96% cure rate. Famous cyclist Lance Armstrong and NBA player Nene are two of the successful patients who were diagnosed with this kind of cancer.

 

Recently, we got the result of the said test. Our prayers were once again answered. Kuya’s tumor is a germ cell tumor seminoma. The treatment for this kind of tumor is a daily radiology and a once every three weeks chemo therapy for the 10cm tumor to shrink. And if Kuya’s body will respond well to these treatments, surgical operation will no longer be needed.

 

And so, join us in praying that Kuya’s body would respond well with these treatments, that he would withstand the side effects of chemo therapy, and that God will shower him the strength, the courage, the blessing and the guidance that he will be needing throughout his healing process. God will listen to our prayers. In God’s time, Kuya will be back to normal life once again. Let’s have faith.

 

In behalf of Kuya Marty and the rest of the family, I thank all those people who had prayed, is praying and will pray for the fast recovery of Kuya Marty, to Manang Mija and relatives for being there and giving a helping hand all the time, to Tito Monching for all the advices you have given, it turned out to be correct, and to all the doctors, nurses and staff at Medical City – your reward will come from God.

 

And for the One who made all these things possible, we thank You. We’ll glorify You for the rest of our lives.

 

 

 

P.S.

May 26, 2009 is scheduled for Kuya’s first chemo therapy.

 

The story remains the same:

Terrorists kidnap innocent people and then make their demands, usually on pulling out the military force, otherwise, their hostages will be beheaded.

The Government responds by saying that when dealing with terrorists you certainly have to show your strong hand. If you agree to their demands, there will be no end to such kidnappings.

 

Then you will hear these lines from the pitiful hostages:

“We could not understand why the government was risking our lives.”

“If you are here, you would know what’s happening to us. If you are afraid to come here, what about us?”

“We appreciate the expressions of help and prayers but actions are different from mere words.”

 

… and endless cries.

 

This is a story taken from the homily of Bishop Ongtioco last Sunday at the Holy Family Church.

 

 

There was a reporter who is an atheist. He was assigned to cover a remote place where relief goods are given. A number of people waited in line to receive their own relief goods. Among the people who formed a line was a six year old boy. Every time he was nearing to receive his own, he is pushed out from the line by older people which prompted him to go to the end of the line and to wait again. This happened several times. And so he was the last one to receive relief goods. Unfortunately, what was, then, left for him was a banana. Nevertheless, he received it with a smile and thanked the person who gave it to him. He then rushed to a spot where two children were seated, one was five and the other was three. They are his younger siblings. He broke the banana in half and gave one half to his younger sibling and the other to the youngest. Oblivious of his surroundings, as he was being watched by the reporter all those times, he licked the banana peel left in his hands just to satisfy his hunger. The atheist reporter broke in tears and said, “I saw the face of God.”

 

  

Moral Lesson:

 

It is us who introduce God to others.

 

Think about it. So, what are you going to do now?

by: Oliver P. Cachapero, Jr.

Like any other law student, I and my classmates settled on a drinking spree after our final examinations. We promised to ourselves not to talk about the very difficult examinations for it will only ruin the night. And the plan went well. And so, we started emptying the bottles of beers and vodkas. Almost everyone then was drunk except for me for I really hate the taste of alcohols. While drunk, all then started to talk about things they would not usually talk about with much honesty when they are not under the influence of alcohol. The topic – what would we want to be after becoming lawyers, that simple yet very stimulating. Well, there are some issues I need to clear out before I go on with my story. First, we are not sure if we will really become lawyers. It is a tough profession and it is tougher to become one. Second, the philosophies and the ideologies that will be narrated later, which perhaps some of them you will find insulting, are not taught by our dear school. Now, I can proceed with the story. I just hope some of my classmates would not be able to read this because I am sure they would know that they were the ones I am talking about. Pasensya na mga pare.

It started with, “Pare, ano ba gusto mong gawin ‘pag abogado ka na?” Well, everyone waited for his turn to answer this intriguing question. One voluntarily began the answering saying he would want to be in the academe and would imitate the style of teaching of his favourite law professors. Such a noble answer. Our country needs people whose line of thinking is similar to that of my classmate. But it is really easier said than done. Another, without hesitation, bragged that he would want to work as legal counsel in institutions where money is not a problem. I found his answer lacking with something. Maybe because he prioritized money first than service. Then I took my turn in answering the question. I humbly said that I want to change our country. Being a lawyer is in a good position to effect change. A change that would affect not just a province but the whole nation. After hearing my answer which they did not expect at all, everyone started to rebut it. My seatmate rebutted it with a sinister smile, my other seatmate made his with an utter silence, another classmate rebutted it with a couple of questions, “How would you do that if you are just no one? You need power and fame to materialize that dream. How then would you get hold of those two?” But I threw back a question to him, “Do we really need power and fame to effect change in our country?” One classmate intervened and addressed his remark to me, “Pare, maging praktikal ka.” I thought for a while what he meant when he said that, but he nevertheless explained his confusing remark which was to my surprise. He said that to be practical in this country, one has to conform to the norm. The norm for him is that power can only be acquired when one does things which I consider dirty, and fame when one successfully done those things. It has long been observed in this country that to acquire power, one must team up with another who is already in power, to accept easy-money, to possess guns and goons, to instil fear amongst peoples, to tolerate violations of law, and to do other more things which should not really be done. Doing these, one is also crowned with fame. These are the ways one can acquire power and fame here in country. This is the norm which my classmate is talking about. These are the things I consider dirty. But this is really the norm here in country. How sad.

At one point, I thought my classmate was right. Oh so right. But on a second thought, he was wrong. Oh so wrong. Contradicting? Let me explain. He is right when he said that it was the norm. But he was wrong when he said that to be practical, one must do those things. The meaning of the word ‘practical’ seems to be corrupted already. Well, it has been the product of the political evolution here in our country. Many believe that to be practical is to really be like that. Some even think worse. But it should not be. We should not tolerate this erring perception. We should fix it now. So what must a practical person do? Go back to the basics. Be good at all times, be fair to everyone, and let the rule of law govern the people. Sounds cliché already? How about corrupting again the word ‘practical’? But this time, for the better. Say, to be practical is to have a line of thinking which is to effect change in our country, a change that would not just affect a certain place but the whole nation, where money is no important, and power and fame are not necessary. Sounds better? It sure does.

And so I say to you, “Pare, maging praktikal ka!”

I don’t know what this show is all about. I don’t know why it is already in its 3^rd or 4^th season. I don’t even know why Filipinos watch this show. All I know is that this show’s title is absolutely erroneous.

Pinoy Big Brother as they call the show. They must be kidding us all.

Pinoy??? I can’t see anything Pinoy about this show. So Western. Big Brother??? Should it be more correct to call it “Big BOTHER”?

I already criticized this show before, and now I’m doing it again because I watched channel 2 (which I rarely do) and I saw this very sad occurrence. Since the contestants are deprived of their liberty for 100 consecutive days, they can’t do anything they usually do, and they can’t even do what they must do for their family, for their country and for God.

Well, I’ll keep this short because I know there will be a lot of critics on this commentary.

Let’s get straight to my point. I despise how they conduct their Sunday masses and simbang gabi. I see there’s something very wrong. And I feel very sad for Ms. Yayo who was a prisoner of Big Brother and so was not on the side of her mother on her dying moments. Very sad…so so sad.

And what’s the point of watching the lives of these people for 100 days? It won’t help us uplift our lives. Not a bit. Nagiging chismoso’t chismosa lang tayo because I consider it a nationwide pamboboso everytime people watch it.

Tsk tsk tsk. This is how the Filipino mind has become? So sad.

by Oliver P. Cachapero

************************************

Quinito Henson said it would be Detroit and Dallas in the Finals. Others said it would be a repeat for Miami. My youngest brother bragged it would be Phoenix all the way. And I was hoping Denver, now with “The Answer”, would make it to the Promised Land. We are all dead wrong! Ladies and gents, the 2007 NBA Finals is all set, and it’s Cleveland, who is hungry for a title, and San Antonio, who is looking for redemption. Nobody saw this match up coming… until now.

The Road To The Finals

The Cavaliers began their campaign against the Arenas and Butler-less Wizards, but LeBron and company struggled to humiliate the undermanned Wizards. Next up was the Nets. The Cavs had a chance to close out the series in game five at home but LeBron shy away from shooting the ball to the dismay of the crowd. Nevertheless, Cavs’ bright spot came in their series with the Pistons where LBJ amazed the whole world when he erupted in game five for 48 points, while rookie Gibson proved his worth when he carried the Cavs to its first NBA Finals stint in game six when he scorched the net for 31 points.

The Spurs, on the other hand, began their quest for their fourth title against the Nuggets. Nuggets drew first blood but the Spurs took the next four games ending the series in five. Next up was the heavily favored Suns. The Suns had a good look of eliminating the Spurs because they have the home court advantage, but the Spurs did what they do best – play it dirty. Horry knocked out Nash in the dying seconds of game four that resulted in the suspension of Stoudemire and Diaw. Unfair as it may look but it still took effect, and this paved way for Suns’ unfortunate early exit. Well, Spurs’ dirtiness will always be remembered, it will go down in history. Next up was the high-spirited Jazz. But the Spurs continued to roll and they gave the young Jazz their playoffs lessons and eliminated them in five, giving the Spurs another shot on the Larry O’brien trophy.

The Finals

From thirty teams now it’s down to two, yet the drama gets bigger and better. The casts of the greatest show on Earth are already set, and yes they are the beasts in the East and the bests in the West. Leading the way for the Spurs is three-time Finals MVP Tim Duncan. He captured three titles in seven years and went three out of three in the Finals. Knicks, Nets and Pistons know how tough to beat the Spurs team in a championship series. Head coach Poppovich has been there and done that. Veteran player Horry expertly knows what it takes to win a title. Defensive specialist Bowen will play it dirty as always. Parker consistently contributes big time, well, he’s getting married next month with beautiful Eva Longoria… that explains why. Ginobili is used to big games and he is a winner in each of those big games he played. And all the other Spurs know what their roles are and fit perfectly with the team’s system. Spurs is a wrecking machine team. Beating them in a series comes once in a blue moon. Experience, heart of a champion, and Tim Duncan, one of the greatest, if not the greatest, power forwards of all time are the factors that the Spurs team boast. Put these all together, Cleveland is in serious trouble! Majority insists that the question is not “who will win the series”, the question is “how soon will the Spurs beat the Cavaliers”.

The city of Cleveland has not won a major title in sports since the ‘60s, but when the Cavaliers drafted LeBron James as their first overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft, they believed that that drought will end sooner than they expected it. Cleveland is damn right because they are just four wins away from savoring a championship trophy… finally! LeBron is born great. What makes him different with Kobe, T-mac, Carter and others is that he is a team player. In fact, he does not need to score fifty to carry his team to the finals. He just needs to handle the ball, run the offense and everything will just follow through. That’s what LeBron James is all about. His greatness comes within, his greatness even amazes the greats – the likes of Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan. But there are a lot of questions that keep echoing back. “Is LeBron ready for the big games such as the Finals?” “Can ha carry his team even when the greatest obastacle, the Spurs that is, stands in his way?” I would say yes, LeBron is a bona fide superstar but he still needs to step up his game to win his first title. He needs to be a monster as he can be. He needs to take charge. He needs to impose his will. That means he should avoid the 4 of 16 field goal games and the zero-point first half performances. He needs to be the king, as people call him, so that every Spur will bow down to him. But let’s not forget that kings are powerless without their warriors and so the likes of Varejao, Gibson, Pavlovic, Gooden, Snow and the other Cavaliers need to complement LeBron’s greatness. Well, better if Gibson could impose his will beyond the arc – this kid is a killer long range shooter.

For Cleveland, experience does not assure a team’s victory in a championship. It is determination, heart and will that win a championship. And the team that has those will surely bring home the most coveted title in the basketball world!

Well, you’ve read a lot. You better love this game.

It’s elections once again!

Oh common, what’s so exciting about it? It’s the same old story – traditional politicians hoping for their nth term, family members of these politicians hoping to build a dynasty, actors and actresses hoping to be casts of the movie entitled ‘politics,’ cheating here cheating there, violence here violence there, immorality everywhere!

I bet you’re tired of watching and hearing this same old story. I’m tired of it. Everyone is tired of it. But hey! We can change that story, right? By doing something that we never tried before, and it isn’t hard. The only thing we have to do is to vote for the right candidate and guard election frauds.

You and me, let’s make a brand new story, a story that will go down to the next generations.

And mind you, this one is my contribution to that aspiration – a sharing of my opinions about the senatorial candidates. I hope it would help…

Bolante’s fertilizer scam, Hello Garci scandal, Jose Pidal, Esperon, Palparan, EO 464, and the list goes on. Had enough of these? Then don’t vote for senators who will advance Gloria’s interests, Team Unity that is… except for some.

No to ASO (Angara, Sotto and Oreta) who had the guts to join Gloria just to have a political party.

No to Kiram who was just included in the line-up just to rake in votes from the Muslim community. No to Magsaysay, a big-time gambler. No to Montano, who was just paid to be a crowd-drawer.

No to Pichay, an arrogant opportunist. No to Recto, a perceived Gloria loyalist. No to Zubiri, who brags his laws. Hey, we have a lot of laws here in our country already, many even are not implemented. And what are his laws? It doesn’t even help us. Is that what they call ‘papogi?’

How about Arroyo, a maverick who guards and counsels the senate, I think we need senators like him, albeit he’s on the wrong side. Nevertheless, put him on your ballot.

Had enough of Lito Lapid? Then vote bright minds like Defensor, although he’s on the wrong side again, and Pimentel, a bar top-notcher. How about voting for fresh minds like Aquino? We can try. Imagine these minds in the senate, what a luxury.

And during this Gloria regime, we don’t even need law-makers, we just need brave souls to guard our country from Gloria’s dirty games. We need fiscalizers. Remember Ninoy Aquino during the Marcos regime? That’s what we need. Then vote for Escudero and Cayetano.

How about tested leaders who would advance people’s welfare and would guard the country against corruption? Then pick Villar, Lacson, Legarda and Coseteng.

And if you’re looking for diversity and principle, you can include Roco and/or some of the candidates from the Kapatiran party.

And no, we don’t need trapos again. Not even one. No to Pangilinan and Osmena. And definitely no to coup plotters. No to Trillanes and Honasan.

I hope my opinions would help somehow.

What a wonderful Philippines if we would elect the right persons in the right positions. Let’s keep on waiting, waiting on the world to change.

Thanks for reading.

*Opinions came solely from the writer. Reactions, comments and suggestions are very much welcomed. Email the writer at ocachaperojr@yahoo.com

#10 – IVERSON WORE A DENVER NUGGETS UNIFORM

My favorite NBA player Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers was traded to my favorite team the Denver Nuggets. I couldn’t ask for more!

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#9 – OWNED AND DROVE A NEW CAR

Papa bought a new 1.3 Honda City for us… since then, we conquered the road.

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#8 – BEGAN WORKING ON MY THESIS

Had a 1.75 grade on my thesis 1 class, and now working on the content of my thesis. Salomague Port, documented!

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#7 – TOOK UP THE U.P. LAW APTITUDE EXAMINATION

Waiting, wishing, hoping, praying, but not expecting to pass it. But the fact that I finally took it, it deserves a slot on this list.

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#6 – WELCOMED 2007 WITH A BANG!

Although my parents’ room was nearly eaten by fire before the new year, there is still no better way of welcoming New Year’s eve with a bang, and guess what? We did welcome 2007 with a bang!

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#5 – SHARED SO MUCH LOVE THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON

Never mind how many gifts I received this Christmas season, what’s important was that I did share so much love – the best preparation for His coming.

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#4 – GAINED MORE TRUE FRIENDS

Likas that is…

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#3 – FINALLY FOUND HER

My princess, my angel, my love – Ma. Kathryn Ann Manalo.

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#2 – ANOTHER WONDERFUL YEAR SPENT WITH MY FAMILY

The good times and the bad times, every minute is worth treasuring.

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#1 – BECAME CLOSER TO GOD

And this is what my heart and my soul are longing for.

– by the analyst, Oliver P. Cachapero

The long wait is over. Time once again for a full season of jamming, dishing, sinking, swatting, and not to forget the drama and the thrash talking… ballers, the 2006-’07 NBA season is now showing!!

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The Beasts in the East

ChicagoBulls – the post-MJ Chicago Bulls ball club took six years to get into playoffs once again… will eight years be enough to make them recapture the crown? Oh yes it is possible! They got a couple of valuable players in Ben Wallace and PJ Brown as well as a couple of valuable rookies in Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Shefalosa – and what’s intriguing was that they beat the defending champions the Miami Heat in this season’s opener by whooping 42 points! It’s a sign. But still, the team’s fate rests on the effectiveness of Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon.

Cleveland Cavaliers – they went far last season. Upsetting the first seeded Detroit Pistons was on hand during the post-season but they blew it. Yet, it was still a laudable effort for the Cavs. Good news for the team, LeBron James is one year more mature and Larry Hughes is in perfect condition, it’s bad news for the other teams.

Indiana Pacers – this team is the team to beat in the East if and only if the players will focus solely on playing basketball. Players from this ball club are known for their notorious attitude and injury-plagued condition, what remains unknown is that this team, with their new additions, can banner the Eastern Conference in the Finals.

Miami Heat – never mind the 42-point loss during their season opener, in fact, the team had been there and done that. They were beaten by the Dallas Mavericks by 30 plus points during last year’s regular season and the Heat responded furiously, their momentum was scorching, which propelled them to the NBA crown. Bad news for the other 29 teams, the Heat is demoralized this early.

Other threatening teams – Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets and Washington Wizards

Team to look down – Detroit Pistons

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The Bests in the West

Denver Nuggets – the team is badly in need of a shooting guard, thank the gods from the Rocky Mountains, J.R Smith is in and knows how to shoot the trey! Plus, Carmelo Anthony is in his best condition, hoping that Nene, Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby are, too. George Karl will try to run the team all the way to the promised land.

Dallas Mavericks – their season opener loss to the San Antonio Spurs on their home floor is a warning – they can be beaten in spite of their glittering roster. But still, Dallas might land on the finals once again.

Phoenix Suns – Their time is now! Amare Stoudemire is playing, Kurt Thomas is healthy, Steve Nash can still orchestrate plays excellently, Shawn Marion is still effective, and others contribute big time… it’s now or never for the boys from the Valley of Suns.

San Antonio Spurs – In terms of experience and solidness, they are still on the top of the list. Are they aging? Yes, they are… but still becoming better and better. Dallas is their biggest obstacle yet they are Dallas’ biggest obstacle. This is where the drama is.

Other threatening teams – New Orleans Hornets, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers

Teams to look down – Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings

I love this game!

28 years of Bedan drought has been ended at NCAA season 82!

what’s the feeling? what we, Bedans, are feeling right now must be heaven!

anyway, congrats to the PCU Dolphins, they fought valiantly… but season 82 is really the Red Lion’s time… it’s not arrogance, it’s destiny!

a hard-fought win… a start of a dynasty!

Congrats to the 2006 NCAA Champions - the San Beda Red Lions!

…for San Beda, our country, and God!!!