my autobiography

HE ENGLISH PLAYWRIGHT

William Shakespeare (April 26,

1564 – April 23, 1616), in Act IV,

scene 3, line 80 of his play All’s Well That

Ends Well, wrote, “The web of our life is

of a mingled yarn, good and ill

together.” This gnome from the Bard of

Avon depicts the kind of man’s life in this

mundane world.

In the figurative sense, this earthly

life has both positive and negative sides.

C’est-à-dire, it is, by all means, fraught with

unpredictable changes or variations. There

are times of rejoicing; there are times of

lamentation. There are times of

contentment; there are times of worries.

Both light and trying times are experienced

by anyone else. Hence, in the poem This

Life Is All Chequer’d With Pleasures and

‘IN THE WORLD’S BROAD FIELD OF BATTLE, IN THE BIVOUAC OF LIFE’: The rangy but feisty Joey as a swashbuckling gentleman with a sherlockian wit and immutable persistence to life’s seemingly quisquous odds, with myriad tribulations and insidious temptations as the inimical tormentors and irksome blackguards, but no less than the Lord God Almighty as his tutelary fidus Achates and impregnable deliverer

A Personalized Autobiography

J O E Y F . V A L D R I Z

Woes, the Irish poet Thomas Moore (May 28, 1779 – February 25, 1852) wrote: “This life is

all chequer‟d with pleasures and woes, / That chase one another like waves of the

deep — / Each brightly or darkly, as onward it flows, / Reflecting our eyes, as they

sparkle or weep.” By the same token, the Filipino writer Gregorio A. Estonanto wrote in his

poem Testament To The Living, thus: “Into the warp of joy the angels weave / Each

measured woof of sorrow for each man.”

One time, life seems to be a rainy night—a torrid time. But the following day, one can

see how comforting and pleasurable the milieu is! In the translation of L. Crammer–Byug to

the poem of Tu Fu (712–770), a great poet of the T’ang Period of China (618–906), entitled The

Little Rain, it is eloquently written: “Last night cloud-shadows gloomed / the path that

winds to my abode, / And the torches of the river boats / like angry meteors

glowed. / Today fresh colors break the soil, and / butterflies take wing / Down

broidered lawns all bright with / pearls in the garden of the king.”

The fact that this life is marked by inherent unpredictability and characterized with

variations or changes must not come nor to be viewed as a new thing. That this life is rife with

consistent inconsistencies and certain uncertainties is what every individual should savvy.

„Docendo disco, scribendo cogito‟

Sure enough, each person has his or her own story of life containing a wealth of

memories, webs of coincidences and chances, and the wildness of sadness and happiness. One

has vivid experiences to share about vigorous struggles with shifting circumstances—how a

stalwart and unflappable individual keeps his or her sangfroid stable and his or her bulldog

tenacity aflame in the midst of wretched imbroglio.

“Tenet insanabile multos scribendi cacoethes,” (―The incurable desire for

writing affects many‖) says a line in the Satires (a collection of satirical poems) by the Roman

poet Juvenal or Decimus Junius Juvenalis (A.D. 55 to 60 – circa 127). Sans doute, the author of

this autobiographical account was one of those affected by such ―immedicable itch‖.

Consequently, he was immensely actuated to write, which in this case, the veridical chronicle of

his life.

The account of his life contains experiences that show how his self-efficacy and

equanimity and his faith to his Ultimate Maker have ineluctably been tested by the ups and

downs, bumps and bruises, and twist and turns of living in this vale of tumult.

And to make it more interesting and facund, the narrative was interspersed with stirring



passages from the sacred scriptures of Christians—the Bible, and with movingly expressive

quotations from renowned sages of yore, bien vu writers, and celebrated personalities in the

world.

In writing his personalized autobiography, the author concurred with what the

American writer Ray Douglas Bradbury (born August 22, 1920) had said: “And what, you

ask, does writing teach us? First and foremost, it reminds us that we are alive and

that it is a gift and a privilege, not a right.”

Also, the American writer and Nobel Prize laureate William Cuthbert Faulkner

(September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) forcibly said, “Read, read, read. Read everything —

trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who

works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You‟ll absorb it. Then write.

If it‟s good, you‟ll find out. If it‟s not, throw it out of the window.”

To these apprehensible words expressing the necessity of reading this writer has

subscribed to in order to write an aureate and sententious account of his modest life.

Weltanschauung

“Vita brevis, vita incerta!” (―Life is short, life is uncertain‖). Howbeit, living it by

anyone else is something challenging. Damn well, tout le monde comes to a pretty pass so long

as he or she is on earthly pilgrimage. Trials and tribulations are inevitable in this

vicissitudinous life.

Quotidian struggles in life could feature a barrage of deterrent pains, intimidating

heartaches, and plaguy hardships as well as irresistible and flamboyant temptations. The

blizzard of complex problems fidgeting people, playing havoc with their plans and dreams, and

more often than not putting these individuals at sixes and sevens have to be unraveled with

unremitting forbearance.

It can be a reason why an individual with a gloomy and distrustful view of life, when he

or she finds himself or herself on the brink of ticklish situation or under the duress of

circumstances, or once confronted with gloom and doom scenarios, tends to ask similar

questions from that of soliloquy in William Shakespeare’s famous play Hamlet: “To be, or

not to be, that is the question: / Whether „tis Nobler in the mind to suffer / The

Slings and Arrows of outrageous Fortune, / Or to take Arms against a Sea of

troubles” (1623 First Folio text) and that of poem O Me! O Life! indited by the American poet

Walter Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892): “The question, O me! so sad,



recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?”

Tout de même, no matter how hard life may be, if one has a inexpugnable purpose to

live and believe, he or she can buck and shellac the blitzkrieg of seemingly insuperable odds

and continue his or her present—albeit temporary journey in this troubled world. “He who

has a why to live for can bear almost any how,” Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October

15, 1844 – August 25, 1900), a 19th–century German philosopher and classical philologist, once

asseverated.

It is, therefore, of paramount importance that one desires not to shrink in his or her

determination to accomplish his or her defined purpose in life, like what is expressed in these

words found in Book 1 of the Roman epic Aeneid written by Virgil or Publius Vergilius Maro

(70-19 BC): “Incepto ne desistam” (―May I not shrink from my purpose!‖).

Most importantly, if one puts God Almighty at the center of his or her life, that is to say,

the person has an unwavering trust and an undivided loyalty to his Creator, triumph over

grating adversities will be a definite certainty and a foregone conclusion. Says Stephen

Richards Covey (born October 24, 1932) in his best-selling book, The Seven Habits of Highly

Effective People: “Whatever is at the center of our life will be the source of our

security, guidance, wisdom, and power.”

To the autobiographer, this is the kind of life we have on earth — a life that is plated with

different degrees and kinds of pain. Advantageously, bearing the pricks of pain uncovers a real

value as what can be extracted from lines of poem 806 of the American poet Emily Elizabeth

Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886), thus: “A Plated Life — diversified / With

Gold and Silver Pain / To prove the presence of the Ore / In Particles.” Ergo, we

need to endure everything that comes along our way. Be Strong, a short poem by the noted

19th–century American writer Maltbie Davenport Babcock (August 3, 1858 – May 18, 1901),

has the following to say about being strong in the face of seemingly disheartening and

ostensibly insurmountable odds: “Be strong! / We are not here to play, to dream, to

drift, / We have hard work to do, and loads to lift. / Shun not the struggle; face it.

„Tis God‟s gift. / Be strong! / Say not the days are evil, — Who‟s to blame? / And

fold not the hands and acquiesce, — O shame! / Stand up, speak out, and bravely,

in God‟s name. / Be strong! / It matters not how deep entrenched the wrong, /

How hard the battle goes, the day, how long. / Faint not, fight on! Tomorrow

comes the song.”



In the midst of life’s myriad complexities and in the face of come hell or high water, the

author remains to be a person of toughness. “When the going gets tough, the tough gets

going,” so goes an adage. He just accepts that in every scabrous problem, trial, or hardship

there is a real solution, ease, or consolation. He learned from the tolerable adversities that had

come his way, and he was thankful for they have molded him and enhanced his idiosyncrasy to

become a better person.

Summing it up, life is not all beer and skittles. It is not a bed of roses; thorns are also a

part of it and should be accepted just as we accept the beautiful side of life. Hence, the writer

decidedly considers that a circumstance, whether good or bad, is an inherent aspect of living.

As a Latin phrase says, “Sic vita est” (―Thus is life‖). Moreover, passing through difficult

circumstances, one’s character will certainly be refined, as reflected in another Latin phrase,

“Ignis aurum probat” (―Fire tests gold‖).

And of course, if the author firmly believes that if he succeeds in overcoming these

ineludible difficulties, “… [a] guerdon [will] be gained.” All of these will not be possibly

accomplished without the help and compassion of the living God, the Source of his earthly life.

To be granted with such mercy, the writer learned to “[h]umble [himself] … under the

mighty hand of God so that at the proper time [God] may exalt [him], casting all

[his] anxieties on [God], because [God] cares for [him]” (I Peter 5:7, English

Standard Version).

„As the saffron robe of dawn spread over all the earth‟

“In the deep sequestered stream the lotus grows, / Blooming fresh and fair

in the morning sun / Its glowing petals hide the clear autumn water, / And its

thick leaves spread like blue smoke.” These are the first four lines of the poem The Lotus

written by the Chinese poet Li Bai (701-762) and translated by Shigeyoshi Obata (1888–1971).

The lotus represents another human being born into this world—somebody who would later

take hold of life’s Pantagruelian opportunities and potential success.

On the 29th day of February 1988, Monday, at 4:00 A.M., ere “… the morn in russet

mantle clad / Walks o‟er the dew of yon high eastward hill”, in Casilagan, one of the

41 barangay (smallest political unit in the Philippines and roughly equivalent to a village)

comprising the 14,110-acre town of San Juan in the province of La Union, a frabjous event

came about—the second child and second son of Mr. Jaime Fontanilla Valdriz and Mrs.

Josephine Manongdo Fontanilla–Valdriz first saw the light! The bouncing baby boy was yclept



Joey.

The hale and hearty infant was indeed another fruit of the blessed marital relationship

of his parents who had solemnly exchanged their vows of love to each other in the sight of God

Almighty during their holy matrimony on May 18, 1984 at a house of worship of Iglesia Ni

Cristo (Church Of Christ) then located in Ili Norte, San Juan, La Union. The said solemn

hymeneal ceremony was officiated by Brother Jose M. Macaraeg, the minister then who was

overseeing the Division (now called Ecclesiastical District) of Cagayan.

Jaime, the father of Joey, was born on April 17, 1956, and Josephine, his mother, was

born on December 12, 1957. Joey has two siblings, one boy and one girl. The eldest child is

named Jaymar, born on March 22, 1985, while the youngest child and the only girl is named

Jenelyn, born on February 14, 1990.

First witness of acceptance and care

“These have known the tingling freshness / Of the coming forth from God; /

The sweetness of mother‟s breast / The ringing sinewiness of growth, / The feel of

the loved one‟s cheek, the song / Of April suns and showers...” These lines comprised

the first stanza of the poem entitled Youth written by Maximo D. Ramos, an illustrious Filipino

writer. The given lines pompously describe the sweet phase of life called ―babyhood‖.

Joey obviously received constant attention and gentle affection from his dashing parents

and relatives. The parental love he received then during his inchoate babyhood was all the

more emphasized when his parents dedicated him to the service of the Lord Almighty in the

Iglesia Ni Cristo as a manifestation of their utmost concern on his spiritual welfare. His loving

parents dedicated him in a worship service of their local congregation through the laying of

hands of Brother Felipe M. Aguilar, a minister of the gospel, who officiated the said solemn

occasion.

This child dedication being practiced in the Iglesia Ni Cristo has a biblical mooring. The

writer of the second Gospel in the New Testament narrates: “Jesus saw what happened.

He did not like his followers telling the children not to come. So he said to them,

„Let the little children come to me. Don‟t stop them, because God‟s kingdom

belongs to people who are like these little children. The truth is, you must accept

God‟s kingdom like a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.‟ Then

Jesus held the children in his arms. He laid his hands on them and blessed them”

(Mark 10:14-16, Easy-to-Read Version).



Raised in Christian discipline and instruction

“Home is where one starts from,” said Thomas Stearns Eliot (September 26, 1888

– January 4, 1965), an important 20th–century poet in the English language. In sooth, any

loving parents always have their child’s well-being at heart.

As to an example, Joey was reared by his parents promptly and properly for him to

become a God-fearing, meek and responsible individual someday. Cognizant of the adverse

consequences of pampering a child, and that a prank would lead to another prank or even

worse if uncorrected, his parents did not hesitate to discipline him for his misdeeds during his

growing-up days. His parents did not condone even his petty mischief. Any crack spotted on

the callow Joey’s façade was promptly sealed. His parents reposed upon this ad rem biblical

precept: “He who withholds his rod hates his child, but he who loves him gives him

discipline” (Proverbs 13:24, Lexham English Bible).

Inasmuch as Joey was born in a family on the breadline, he was not reared upon the

dainty lap of ease. He was weaned on living a simple life. More significantly, the parents,

despite being sharecroppers living a hardscrabble life, do not forget to follow this biblical

instruction, thus: “Parents, don‟t be hard on your children. Raise them properly.

Teach them and instruct them about the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4, The International

Student Bible for Catholics). His parents are not remiss in emphasizing in their teaching the

immense value of having fear to the Lord God and keeping His statutes and His

commandments. As a child growing up in a home that upholds godly virtues, Joey was trained

in the instructions of the Lord—sedulously instilling him love of God and inculcating the

commandments of God into his mind and heart.

In fulfilling their holy obligation of molding their children to spiritual maturity, his

parents hang on to the incontrovertible truth that young Christians who are deeply rooted in

God’s instructions will emerge strong and will constantly triumph in the battle against

worldliness. Joey’s parents know as well how veracious the words of the wise Solomon when he

said, “Train up a child in the way he should go, And even when he is old, he will

not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, The 1917 Jewish Publication Society of America Version

of the Tanakh).

The parents, doing everything for their children, hope to be blessed by God with a family

like that of being sung by the Psalmist, thus: “How joyful are those who fear the Lord—

all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and



prosperous you will be! Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing

within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit

around your table. That is the Lord‟s blessing for those who fear him” (Psalm 128:1-

4, New Living Translation). Also, they hope to live like a family enjoying the kind of life

mentioned by Job, God’s righteous servant in the Old Testament, thus: “Put away evil and

wrong from your home. Then face the world again, firm and courageous. Then all

your troubles will fade from your memory, like floods that are past and

remembered no more. Your life will be brighter than sunshine at noon, and life's

darkest hours will shine like the dawn. You will live secure and full of hope; God

will protect you and give you rest” (Job 11:14-28, Good News Translation).

Childhood days in reminiscence

If there is a side of one’s multilateral life marked off with delight of great magnitude

coupled with innocuous and instinctively tolerated naughtiness, it is one’s childhood days.

Remembering the former times, Joey was once a moppet of bliss and insouciant attitude.

Bien entendu, the blatant quintessence of childhood days despite its inconspicuous

brevity is playing—playing with other children in the neighborhood and playing alone with

one’s toys at home. With playing, the innocent child has learned simple things.

The extent of learning during this phase of life is patently elucidated in The Educated

Child: A Parents Guide From Preschool Through Eighth Grade authored by William John

Bennett (born July 31, 1943), quondam US Secretary of Education, thus: “Play is the

business of childhood. Just as lion cubs romp and play at stalking one another to

build the skills they‟ll need for survival, childhood play is how human beings

ready themselves for the adult world. It‟s the way children gather rudimentary

knowledge about things such as colors and numbers. It gives practice in a host of

skills that adults take for granted—abilities as basic as running or heeding

instructions.”

At home and in school, the chickabiddy would sometime engage with some exuberant

friends in playing local games he liked, such as teks (texted game cards), paway (a game using

slippers), patintero (literally means ―try to cross my line without letting me touch or catch

you‖), Jack ‘n’ Poy (a local version of rock-paper-scissors), Chinese Garter, luksong tinik

(―jumping over thorns‖), luksong baka (―jumping over the cow‖), langit-lupa (―heaven and

earth‖), kinnirit (―hide and seek‖), kalkalapaw or bahay-bahayan (a role-playing game where



children act as members of an imaginary family), pinnuyot (a game of blowing on one piece of

rubber band on the floor with the objective of having it overlap that of the opponent’s), lawa–

lawa (spider) fights, patay-patayan (―Killer Eye‖), and many other laro ng lahi (traditional

Filipino games).

During the transition period from his late childhood to early adolescence, Joey

unwittingly acquired apathy towards mingling with neighborhood peers. The fledgling then of

reticence and introversion preferred staying at home brooding in solitude by day. Nonetheless,

the farouche child became acquainted with reading materials that satiate his inquisitiveness.

He also loved to draw and do a simple gardening. Anent his love for the latter, he was gladsome

to learn later that he had a green thumb.

Only later did the jejune and cerebrotonic child gradually learn to enjoy the company of

bosom peers after experiencing more of the intricacies and realities of life—an overture of the

outside world that whetted him. It was just comme il faut for him to contend with the

incredible odds so as to manumit himself from the gyves of self-absorption and social

ineptitude. The byword that runs, “The world is a book, and he who stays at home

reads only one page” rings clear.

Joie de vivre

Raised in a place where fragrant peacefulness dwells, Joey learned to appreciate the

austere yet halcyon farm life. It is there that ―… his roots run deep, anchored firmly to the rich

brown earth that provides city dwellers with food and material comfort‖. Though it is a place

away from sophistication, materialism, and glamour which city life can only offer, he is chuffed

to have a home near the rustic rolling farmlands ―… where man is closer to nature and God and

his fellowmen, where life is simple but more meaningful and people are more sincere, where

human values are more important than the glitter of gold, where human associations and

friendships endure more than mere fleeting delights and fancies and fair-weather friends‖.

“Where is the place where one can find refuge, / Through wooden hills and

verdant rolling fields?” are the first two opening lines of La Union Hymn, the canorous

anthem of the Province of La Union composed by Primitivo L. Acosta. The said lines only

describe the simple rustic life which Joey is living. On the verdant rolling fields, there are a lot

of things Joey has been enjoying since his childhood days. First, the breezy call of incense-

breathing morn and the clean crisp air; the cock’s ―shrill clarion‖ purposely trying to awaken

the people. Second, raising of animals like chickens, goats, cows, and carabao (water buffalo).



Third, eating foods like corn on the cob, singkamas (Mexican turnip), peanuts, cassava,

camote (sweet potatoes), and fruits, such as mango, guava, grapefruit, guyabano (soursop),

santol (cotton fruit), sineguelas (Spanish plum), duhat (black palm), aratiles (kerson fruit),

and kamatsile (monkeypod) during summer. Fourth, staying indoors during rainy seasons

since roads become viscid with mud. Fifth, anticipating for the harvest time whenever golden

grains of palay (rice) are already hanging heavily on the slender rice stalks. And lastly, looking

at and walking along the spacious fields during the harvest time which are like smaragdine

carpets flecked with gold. Such are some pleasant bucolic scenes that show Joey living a

country life of arcadian contentment!

„Youth‟s the season made for joys‟

“Youth is the grey imperceptible dawn that precipitates morning, the wet

foggy mountain sides and misty hilltops, the sparkling dew on the grass, the wild

untrimmed vegetation of life, its carefree undergrowth.” This enthralling line is lifted

from the grandiloquent essay of Ibrahim Jubaira, a prolific Muslim Filipino writer, entitled

What is Youth?. Metaphorically, the period of life called ―youth‖ is being described here.

William Shakespeare, on the other hand, called the juvenescent time, which is usually

marked with callowness, enthusiasm, idealism, innocence, and indiscretion, as ―salad days‖.

This is from a line in Act I, Scene V of his tragedy Antony and Cleopatra (1606): “...My salad

days, / When I was green in judgment, cold in blood...”

Quite so! Having passed through this verdurous phase of life, Joey knew the foudroyant

feelings of a youth. Such kenspeckle feelings include being restless, wild, froward, and

malapert, yet, still ―green in judgment‖. Manifestly, some pococurante and temerarious young

people spend their time wantonly in some sort of frivolities—sowing their wild oats!

Customarily, the vivacious days of one’s youth is a time characterized by trying,

learning, or exploring the different vices of this Mephistophelian world. As to how one

unwittingly requires the baneful vices that lead to gross indulgence and noxious addiction, an

excerpt of the poem by the 18th–century English poet Alexander Pope (May 21, 1688 – May 30,

1744) entitled An Essay on Man: Epistle II, thus: “Vice is a monster of so frightful mien

/ As to be hated needs but to be seen; / Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, /

We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

Tout au contraire, Joey lives up to this colorful description of youth given by the

American poet Samuel Ullman (April 13, 1840 – March 21, 1924): “Youth is not a time of



life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple

knees; it is a matter of the will, quality of the imagination, vigor of the emotions;

it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.” Accordingly, Joey believes that one’s days

of being a stripling must be spent with utmost soberness.

“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right

thing because it is right…” said William Clement Stone (May 4, 1902 – September 3,

2002). These words of the said American businessman are just some of the

eellogofusciouhipoppokunurious ways which Joey believes in how to deal with or fight against

malefic vices and petty desires, and ward off the awful acquisition of them. Also, Joey thinks of

Verfremdung from places conducive to saturnalias and self-abandonment. As to what he

learned in the church where he belongs, he keeps in mind this apostolic admonition: “Living

as we do in broad daylight, let us conduct ourselves becomingly, not indulging in

revelry and drunkenness, nor in lust and debauchery, nor in quarrelling and

jealousy” (Romans 13:13, Weymouth New Testament).

Moreover, Joey maintains an image of a punctilious and amicable young bloke. Yes, he

is a shaveling who puts a premium on amity and who can be counted on to join in works for the

good of an unfeigned friendly relationship.

However, in his choice of friends and companions, he strictly follows a definite policy of

argus-eyed awareness. The well-turned counsel of the learned Apostle Paul (circa AD 5 – circa

AD 67) found in his first epistle to the Christians in Corinth is followed, thus: “Do not be so

deceived and misled! Evil companionships (communion, associations) corrupt

and deprave good manners and morals and character” (I Corinthians 15:33,

Amplified Bible).

Thus, if Joey has friends who influence him to do wrong, he just refuses them. To

safeguard his faith and relationship to God, Joey shows gemütlichkeit which particularly

fondles people oozing with sheer rectitude. He veers away from company that depraves good

character. He staves off and floccinaucinihilipilificates joining peers who feel a sense of

invincibility and whose obsessive predilection is seeking ephemeral sublunary pleasures. The

more aloof and contemptuous he is to indiscriminate assimilation of the scrofulous aspects of

today’s culture of youth.

Staggeringly adamant he is in mortifying his bodily desires to be able to lead a life of

moral excellence—a life that is antipodal to moral decadence. In his passion for companionship



and friendship, he inexorably strives for righteousness and to be able in the company of God-

fearing people, that he may live a life filled with faith, love and peace.

In subduing the corporeal desires within as early as this stage of life, Joey barely applied

to himself the essence of this African aphorism, thus: “If you refuse to be made straight

when you are green, you will not be made straight when you are dry.”

The time of youth is a bowl of cherries. It is replete with pleasurable excitement as

depicted in the poem In the Morning of Life by Thomas Moore: “In the morning of life,

when its cares are unknown, / And its pleasures in all their lustre begin / When

we live in a bright-beaming world of our own, / And the light that surrounds us is

all from within.” And there was an exhortation—“Let‟s be gay while we may / Drink

and sport yet today; / Let‟s be gay / while we may, / Beauty‟s a flow‟r despis‟d in

decay” from Air XXII of the ballad opera The Beggar's Opera (1728) penned by the English

poet John Gay (June 30, 1685 – December 4, 1732). However, the time of being a youth ought

to be spent through moderation and bienséance.

Après tout, this zestful period of life will come into pass. As an excerpt of the poem The

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam translated by English poet Edward FitzGerald (March 31, 1809 –

June 14, 1883) states: “Alas, that Spring should vanish with the Rose! / That Youth‟s

sweet-scented Manuscript should close! / The Nightingale that in the Branches

sang, / Ah, whence, and whither flown again, who knows!”

Investment in knowledge

“Wisdom is the most important thing; so get wisdom [The beginning of

wisdom is: Get/Acquire wisdom]. If it costs everything you have [Above all your

acquisitions], get [acquire] understanding” (Proverbs 4:7, Expanded Bible) was what

Solomon, son of David and king of Israel proverbial for his wisdom, averred. True to this

biblical apothegm, many Christian parents today strive to send their children to good schools,

even if it entails accepting double or multiple jobs.

Verily, Joey’s parents are much convinced with the veracity of this quotation that

tenders apposite and evocative verbal images: “Knowledge is a comfortable and

necessary retreat and shelter for us in an advanced age; and if we do not plant it

while young, it will give us no shade when we grow old” (Lord Chesterfield). Likewise,

they agreed to what the Lebanese–American poet Kahlil Gibran (January 6, 1883 – April 10,

1931) has said: “A man‟s merit lies in his knowledge and in his deeds, not in his



color, faith, or descent. For remember, my friend, the son of a shepherd who

possesses knowledge is of greater worth to a nation that the heir to a throne, if he

be ignorant. Knowledge is your true patent of nobility, no matter who your father

or what your race may be.”

Indubitably, good education can help ensure a better future for their children. And any

loving father or mother is willing to make good sacrifices for the welfare of their much-loved

children.

Clearly then, Joey’s parents whose main livelihood is on husbandry fagged in order to

ably promote and buttress their child’s intellectual development through sending him to school

to receive good education. Uncompromising devotion and spirit of sacrifice were so

magnificently displayed by his parents to realize their dreams for their second man-child.

“First your parents, they give you your life, but then they try to give you their life”,

said the American transgressional fiction novelist Charles Michael Palahniuk (born February

21, 1962). From this unyielding spirit of his parents whom Joey has drawn inspiration to do

well in his schooling.

Joey learned the basic ABCs of formal education in Lubing Elementary School in

Lubing, San Juan, La Union. He first attended kindergarten classes from June 1994 to March

1995. During their closing program on the 27th day of March 1995, the budding nipper was

ramsasspatorious or agog to receive his three awards—―Most Behaved‖, ―Best in Pre-Writing‖,

and ―Best in Pre-Numeracy‖. For the next six consecutive school years, the promising

youngling attended the grade school. He graduated as ―First Honors‖ on the 29th day of March

2001.

To continue his basic education, he enrolled at the High School Department of Central

Ilocandia College of Science and Technology (now known as CICOSAT Colleges) in Lingsat,

City of San Fernando, La Union. After four academic years had passed, he completed his

secondary education with flying colors. Having been declared as the valedictorian of their class,

Joey led the 82-member class of 2005 in their graduation rites during the school’s 5th

Commencement Exercises on April 2, 2005.

Honorificabilitudinitatibus

A consistent honor student in elementary and high school Joey was. From being second

and fourth honors in Grades I and II respectively, Joey exerted his optimum capacity to clutch

and retain on his hands the First Honors award from Grades III up to VI. After achieving the



Third Honors at the finis of his freshman year, he grappled to elevate his academic standing for

the succeeding school years. Through unqualified determination, he outdid himself in

curricular and co-curricular activities. He successfully copped the first distinction during his

sophomore year and kept a tight rein on it up to his senior year in the secondary level of formal

education.

Assertively, Joey considers the precision of this jeu d’esprit from the American author

Hilary Hinton Ziglar (born November 6, 1926), thus: “It‟s your aptitude, not just your

attitude that determines your ultimate altitude.” Through his scholastic

accomplishments, Joey observed from his operose parents the simple ways by which he has

tickled them pink.

College life: a kaleidoscope of triumphs, expectations met, frustrations, and

solace

Usually a flummoxing and anxiety-riddled experience is choosing the right and suitable

degree to pursue in the tertiary level. It’s a delicate process to take for the reason that a variety

of considerations have to reckon with. “Decide not rashly. The decision made can never

be recalled”, thus, American poet and educator Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27,

1807 – March 24, 1882) squarely said.

It has been Joey’s ambition since he was still young to teach school someday. Thus, this

invariable and elemental passion was something to brood on or pore over in the making of

decision. With a lot of circumspection, he made a gutsy decision to take up an education course

in college. The untrammeled passion was needed to be slaked for that matter! Indeed, one

needs to know which side of his bread is buttered. The French mathematician Blaise Pascal

(June 19, 1623 – August 19, 1662) shared, “Clarity of mind means clarity of passion too;

This is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what it

loves.”

Thus, after taking the matter under advisement, he enrolled Bachelor of Science in

Industrial Education (BSIE), a four-year academic course offered by the College of Technical

Education (CTED) of the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University – Mid-La Union

Campus (DMMMSU–MLUC) in Catbangen, City of San Fernando, La Union.

Although Mathematics as an academic subject has been his veritable weakness since his

grade school, Joey took with good grace the gauntlet of majoring in Mathematics for

Technology. Robert G. Allen (born May 20, 1948), a Canadian-American businessman, once



remarked, “Fear begins to melt away when you begin to take action on a goal you

really want.” But, Joey was taliter qualiter solicitous to enter the labyrinth of university life.

On the 14th day of June 2005, he started attending his collegiate classes. Generally, it

took him eight (8) semesters and two (2) summers to complete the 204 units prescribed for his

baccalaureate. Throughout the four years of pursuing his bachelor’s degree, he had received

three (3) Academic Achievement Awards in recognition of ―his diligence in studies,

steadfastness, active classroom participation, attentiveness on the task required on him to

accomplish, and quality academic performance‖.

At the concluding part of his collegiate studies in the university, he got a high overall

rating that partially qualified him to become an honor graduate (Cum Laude). Nevertheless, a

single flaw seen in his scholastic records stultified or vitiated the preponderance of his average

rating.

Albeit he obtained a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 1.63, Joey received a final rating of

2.75 (percentage equivalent of 77–79) in Math 103b (descriptively entitled Solid Geometry),

one of the major subjects he took during the summer classes of 2007. Vis-à-vis the luculent

rule of DMMMSU on scholastic standing, Joey’s grade on the said subject blighted his

scholastic records.

According to Hoyle, a student of the University who has obtained a grade lower than

2.50 (percentage equivalent of 80–82) in any course prescribed in the curriculum [including

Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) or Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) and

Physical Education (PE)] is automatically disqualified to graduate with honors irrespective of

how high the GPA attained.

An irreversible failure was made, so to speak. A somber reality had well-nigh besieged

the ephebe, and a swat of dolor unmasked his façade of optimism shrouding his being a

milquetoast. In his naked depth reposed an unspoken pain!

As Joey precluded himself from sucking into the maelstrom of dejection, he really

struggled to seize the strength to obviate the ineffable obsession and extricate himself from the

implacable stupefaction. Indeed, Joey went back to the drawing board realizing the gist of

these lines in The Gondoliers (―The King of Barataria‖), a Savoy Opera, with libretto by W. S.

Gilbert: “Life‟s a pudding full of plums; / Care‟s a canker that benumbs. /

Wherefore waste our elocution / On impossible solution? Life‟s a pleasant

institution, / Let us take it as it comes.” Also solacing to Joey at that drab time were



these lines in the poem As You Go Through Life by the American poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox

(November 5, 1850 – October 30, 1919): “The world will never adjust itself / To suit

your whims to the letter. / Some things must go wrong your whole life long, / And

the sooner you know it the better.”

His life in the undergraduate studies, though some time it turned topsy-turvy, was

unmistakably challenging and ameliorative to his character. He learned to pluck up his

intestinal fortitude amidst fettering circumstances. He learned to endure inauspicious

situations like stringent financial conditions and times of unspeakable chagrin. He learned to

keep a stiff upper lip behind undesirable predicaments. He learned to keep his pecker up abaft

the pressures and overbearing deadlines in completing the bulky requirements in the enrolled

subjects.

True enough, if one will only see the bright side of things in the midst of challenging

times, happiness can still be felt. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third series

among the seven fantasy novels entitled Harry Potter written by British author J. K. Rowling,

the venerable wizard character Albus Dumbledore has said, “Happiness can be found,

even in the darkest times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” As proven,

the formidable rigors of learning played in testing his morale. In addition, facing the music

played colossal role in doing himself justice.

Truly grateful Joey was to his adept and gung ho college professors whose ―iron hands

enclosed in velvet gloves handed him massive blocks of lifelong stock of knowledge‖. Also,

gratified Joey was when his amadelphous friends whose exorbitant buoyancy and felicific

company touched, vivified, and pepped up his life as a college student. During this special

segment of his scholastic life, he was thankful to his hai-fellow-well-met tovariches whom he

had considered “… the charming gardeners who make [his] [soul] blossom”

borrowing the picturesque words of the French novelist Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel

Proust (July 10, 1871 – November 18, 1922).

Joey had that euphoric joy by the time his tertiary education finally consummated,

despite his being an honor graduate manqué, during the 28th University Commencement

Exercises on March 18, 2009. But at this point of time, it was just a ―commencement‖ or a

―beginning‖ of another journey of applying what he has acquired and learned in the higher

education institution. This was what Edward A. Malloy (born May 3, 1941), a ci-devant

president of the University of Notre Dame, has said, “A college degree is not a sign that



one is a finished product but an indication a person is prepared for life.”

Vocation and profession

Before taking up a course in education for college, Joey was once relatively flattered with

how the American businessman Lido Anthony Iacocca (born October 15, 1924) delineated

teachers, thus: “In a completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers

and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing

civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor

and the highest responsibility anyone could have.”

Having said that, Marcus Tullius Cicero (January 3, 106 BCE – December 7, 43 BCE), a

statesman of Ancient Rome and generally considered the greatest Latin prose stylist, avowed,

“What nobler employment, or more valuable to the state, than that of the man

who instructs the rising generation.” Also, Harriet Martineau (June 12, 1802 – June 27,

1876), an English social theorist, rhetorically asked, “What office is there which involves

more responsibility, which requires more qualifications, and which ought,

therefore, to be more honorable than teaching?”

These emphatic assertions unequivocally speak of the nobility of teaching profession.

The fact that to be a teacher is great propelled Joey to finish an academic degree in teaching.

The prestige inherent to the profession was something he dreamt of possessing someday.

However, discerning and inoculating oneself with teaching as a redoubtable and

Herculean duty from the commencement of one’s training in the pre-service education field

cannot be overemphasized. It behooves every teacher to possess selfless concern and unceasing

devotion to fulfill efficiently and effectively the professional responsibility incumbent upon

him.

Teaching is deep down not a cushy job. It is, de facto, a complex and tough work. In that

work, one’s creativity, patience, persistence, and ability to handle individual differences would

be put into test. Be it as it may, a teacher may experience self-fulfillment therein. These things

were what Joey pondered on, imbibed, and experienced briefly throughout his years in pre-

service education.

Learning and mooting how strenuous and titanic the work of an educator became more

evident on the second semester of academic year 2008-2009 when he, together with other

student teachers, was sent off for out-campus practice teaching. Joey spent the most significant

period of his professional preparation at La Union National High School in Catbangen, City of



San Fernando, La Union from December 2, 2008 to February 27, 2009. He handled the

Geometry subject of the two sophomore sections of the Special Science Classes, videlicet II-

Aristotle (34 students) and II-Darwin (36 students). His cooperating teacher was Mr. Felix B.

Galano, then a Teacher III of the said public secondary school.

For all that, Joey has that unmitigated anticipation or noble rage to validate in the near

future and vicariously experience the essence of teaching magnified by Dr. Josette Talamera –

Biyo, the first Asian teacher to win the Intel Excellence in Teaching Award during the 2002

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair at Louisville, Kentucky, thus: “Teaching

may not be a lucrative profession. It cannot guarantee financial security. It even

means investing your personal time, money, and other resources. Sometimes,

teaching means heartaches, disappointments, and pain. But opening the minds of

children and touching their hearts, give me joy and contentment which money

could not buy. These are moments I teach for. These are moments I live for.”

Joey looks forward to experiencing what real satisfaction is according to the American

author David Gaub McCullough (born July 7, 1933) and the American entrepreneur and Apple,

Inc. co-founder Steven Paul Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011). The former had this to

say: “Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.” The latter, on

the other hand, forthrightly quoted: “I am convinced that the only thing that kept me

going was that I loved what I did. You‟ve got to find what you love. Your work is

going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do

what you believe is great work. And the only we to do great work is to love what

you do. If you haven‟t found it yet, keep looking. Don‟t settle. Stay hungry. Stay

foolish.”

„C‟est la vie!‟

Along with four of his classmates in college, he was employed as a classroom teacher at

San Lorenzo Science School in Poro, City of San Fernando, La Union two months after his

graduation. In the interim, he attended review classes in Saint Louis College in Lingsat, City of

San Fernando during the weekends started on July 14, 2009 in preparation to the Licensure

Examination for Teachers (LET).

On the 3rd day of August 2009, barely 41 days of carrying out his teaching job, he

crossed the Rubicon when he tendered his resignation after he succumbed to the relentless

pressure of work within that learning institution. He continued discharging his obligations



there until the 20th day of August.

The verifiable statement of American author Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817 – May

6, 1862) that goes, “If a man loses pace with his companions, perhaps it is because

he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however

measured, or far away” is befittingly applied to this unfavorable experience.

In the face of this undesirable happening, Joey was still motivated to continue seeking

for the fulfillment of his dream of becoming a successful teaching professional. He accedes

with the prolific American inventor Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18,

1931) in saying, “I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is

another step forward.” Similarly, Johanna Mansfield Sullivan Macy (April 14, 1866 –

October 20, 1936), better known as Anne Sullivan and for being the instructor and lifelong

companion of Helen Keller, deposed, “Keep on beginning and failing. Each time you

fail, start all over again, and you will grow stronger until you have accomplished a

purpose—not the one you began with perhaps, but one you‟ll be glad to

remember.”

The time he had malapropos relinquished from his work, he rammed his mind into

riveting on painstaking preparation to the final hurdle for prospective professional teachers.

Entrusting everything to the Divine Providence, Joey conducted devotional prayers to

present his cri de coeur to God—to allow him to pass the board examination. Joey finally took

the LET on the 4th day of October 2009 at the main campus of Baguio City National High

School in Baguio City.

Everything‟s coming up roses

After six weeks of waiting with bated breath, the result of the LET was finally released

on November 15, 2009 by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). Needless to say, he

was a bundle of nerves that critical day!

Notwithstanding the fact that the result has embroiled many if not all into befuddlement

or bamboozlement in view of the fact that majority flunked which placed them in a slump, the

edgy chap was so exhilarated that his palpable efforts did not go awry. What a bright blaze of

gladness kindled by unexpected spark! At last, Joey was able to disenthrall himself from the

yoke of worrisomeness. He was so thankful to the Lord God for granting his fervid entreaties to

Him.

Obtaining a general weighted average rating of 81.20%, he was one of the 10,792



secondary teachers out of 38,339 examinees (a national passing rate of 28.15%) who

successfully passed the LET. He got the following ratings in the three (3) areas of the

examination: 84% (General Education); 83% (Professional Education); and 78% (Field of

Specialization).

He had applied for professional registration before he attended the 16th Oath Taking

Ceremony of Professional Teachers on December 9, 2009 at the University of the Cordilleras

in Baguio City. At this momentous part of his life, the words of Bruce Frederick Joseph

Springsteen (born September 23, 1949), an American singer, is tout à fait remembering: “A

time comes when you need to stop waiting for the man you want to become and

start being the man you want to be.”

After half a decade had passed, Joey took the Career Service Examination Paper-and-

Pencil Test (CSE-PPT) – Professional Level, a general ability test designed to measure an

individual’s preparedness to enter government service. He took the said career service

examination on October 26, 2014 in Saint Louis College, Lingsat, City of San Fernando, La

Union.

On December 9, 2014, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) released the results. Joey was

so blessed that another fervent supplication of him had been answered — to pass the career

service professional examination. He was able to receive his Certificate of Eligibility on

February 10, 2015 in DMMMSU–MLUC, City of San Fernando, La Union. As stated in his

certificate, he obtained a general average of 84.91% with the following ratings on the

competency areas of the test: 90.03% (Verbal); 87.88% (Analytical); 77.38% (Numerical); and

83.19% (General Information).

With these successes reaped and all the triumph that are yet to be achieved, Joey

exclaims: “Now glory be to God who by his mighty power at work within us is able

to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely

beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (Ephesians 3:20, Living

Bible).

Carrying the blazing flambeau of education

The eminent scientist who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone,

Alexander Graham Bell (March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922), predicated: “The achievement of

one goal should be the starting point of another.”

Thus, Joey had to start looking for a teaching berth from which he could bring his



erudition and training to bear. He was fortunate to find a substitute teaching job at the Lord of

Zion Divine School in Sitio Paratong, Poblacion, Bacnotan, La Union.

He began to serve as a substitute teacher there on October 14, 2010 and ended on

November 30, 2010. Prior to the opening of school year 2011–2012, he leaped at the

opportunity to render there service again but that time as a probationary teacher. During the

school year 2012–2013, he was designated as the High School Coordinator aside from being a

Second Year High School class adviser. The succeeding year in the school calendar saw him to

become the Assistant Principal of the High School Department at the same time handling the

Grade 7 as his advisory class. Joey worked in his elements at the said school as a member of its

faculty until March 28, 2015.

The couleur de rose bachelor applied for a Teacher I position before the start of school

year 2015-2016. He submitted his application to the Department of Education (DepEd)

through two Schools Division Offices (SDOs): (1) the Schools Division of La Union, and (2) the

Schools Division of San Fernando City.

With God’s favor, Joey was notified by the latter division on the 1st day of June 2015 to

report for duty after he emerged successful in the final ranking of applicants. Obtaining an

overall score of 77.40 points, he made it to the Registry of Qualified Applicants (RQA) – the

official list of applicants who obtained an overall score of seventy points and above based on

the criteria set and as a result of the evaluation and selection processes. In point of fact, he

ranked first in the list for teachers majoring in mathematics applying to public secondary

schools.

Joey was blessed to acquire a Teacher I position at San Fernando South Central

Integrated School in Tanqui, City of San Fernando, La Union. He served as a Local School

Board (LSB) Teacher from June 1 to July 26. On the 27th day of July 2015, he signed his papers

for a permanent position.

Meanwhile, Joey was able to receive the result of his Teacher I application in the

Schools Division of La Union on August 17, 2015. Amongst 32 teacher-applicants majoring in

Mathematics, he ranked first in the RQA gaining an overall score of 79.40 points. Late result it

was; yet, this copacetic tiding was something that boosted his morale as a teacher.

At this time when Joey is still young in the profession, he au sérieux thinks of and waits

for further tasks to pursue, greater responsibilities to take, and more challenging roles to

assume; hence, he says sans equivocation, “I am still learning” borrowing the line of the



Italian Renaissance sculptor and painter Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (March

6, 1475 – February 18, 1564).

As he continues to fulfill his métier con amore, he couldn’t agree more to this line from

Desiderata (Latin of ―desired things‖), a 1927 prose poem by American writer Max Ehrmann

(September 26, 1872 – September 9, 1945), thus: “Keep interested in your career,

however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.”

In continuing to serve as a teacher, Joey always bears in mind these thoughts of import

from Haim G. Ginott (1922–1973), a clinical psychologist and the author of the book Teacher

and Child: “I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive

element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood

that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or

joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate

or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a

crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If

we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought

to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.”

Updating competencies through continuous learning

“Who dares to teach must never cease to learn,” said the American librarian and

museum director John Cotton Dana (August 19, 1856 – July 21, 1929).

To enhance more and continue his professional growth and development as a teacher,

Joey started studying in the graduate level in November 2013. He enrolled Master of Arts in

Technological Education (MATE) majoring in Mathematics at the College of Graduate Studies

of DMMMSU–MLUC in Catbangen, City of San Fernando, La Union.

To finish the said master’s degree, Joey has to earn 12 units for core subjects, 18 units

for major subjects, 9 units for cognate/elective subjects, and 6 units for thesis writing. Subjects,

though without credits, have to be taken also since they are institutional requirements for

graduation include (1) ―Seminar on Thesis Writing‖, and (2) ―Information Technology

Management System‖.

Joey started attending his classes in the graduate studies on the 9th day of November

2013. That was the second semester for school year 2013-2014.

Discumgalligumfricated



Joey, of his own accord, accepted the invitation of CICOSAT Colleges – Basic Education

Department to be the guest of honor and speaker during the school’s 14th Joint Graduation

Exercises on March 21, 2014. He was gobsmacked or flabbergasted on why he was chosen on

account of the fact that he had even no material possessions to gasconade nor has he made

sterling and enormous accomplishments in the teaching profession to be accorded with such

honor.

Perchance, a good definition of success was seen on him beyond material

considerations—it was his discovery of his own vocation, the dedication of his life to touching

others’ lives, and his belief in the majesty of real professional service that made him qualified

to be ―successful‖.

The American media proprietor and talk show host Oprah Winfrey (born January 29,

1954) once shared this thought: “I‟ve come to believe that each of us has a personal

calling that‟s as unique as a fingerprint — and that the best way to succeed is to

discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of

service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.”

Cup of tea

Joey can be described as a studious person. He is fond of delving into subject matters

that he has a penchant for, such as mathematics, communication arts, history, and religion.

“Abeunt studia in mores” (―Studies develop into habits‖), said the prose writer

Francis Bacon. Hence, studying has become a habit of Joey. He has a predilection to reading

materials written of dinkum educational worth; for, he believes in the dictum from the Irish

writer Sir Richard Steele (March 12, 1672 – September 1, 1729) that says, “Reading is to the

mind what exercise is to the body”. On top of them, Joey loves most to read Pasugo:

God’s Message, the monthly magazine of the Iglesia Ni Cristo.

To augment his knowledge about the manifold things under the sun, and to be able to

keep abreast of the essentials of this age gushing with information and dizzying possibilities

what with man’s knowledge, Joey frequently surf the Internet.

As a mensch tinctured with cordiality, he also finds himself in the coterie of million

netizens. He is an avid user of social networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,

and LinkedIn. He also maintains active accounts in Gmail, Slideshare, and Youtube.

As well, Joey loves watching TV. In terms of television programs, he has an affinity for

newscast, telenovelas, interactive game shows, talent competitions, drama anthologies, and



investigative reports and uncompromising documentaries. He also watches

supercalifragilisticexpialidocious movies with gusto particularly those with themes on family

relationships and those which feature true-to-life stories of people with sterling qualities and

daring courage in defiance of challenging circumstances.

Lastly, using the short messaging technology or tout court text messaging in cellular

phones is up his alley. He is inordinately fond of using it for many purposes such as to compare

notes with his staunch comrades and professional colleagues, to maintain communication with

relatives, and to exchange witty jokes and nugacious ideas with bonhomous friends.

Indeed, Joey has to learn a lot of things to cope with this era of nouveau technology!

Unfaltering faith and unflinching devotion

Joey is a proud and active member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ), an

international Christian church that originated in the Philippines. He is currently listed in the

Local Congregation of San Juan in the Ecclesiastical District of La Union. With his present age

and marital status, Joey belongs to KADIWA (acronym for Kabataang May Diwang Wagas

[Youth with a Noble Intent]), a Christian Family Organization (CFO) in the Church intended

for unmarried brethren aged 18 and above.

In his childhood days, Joey was trained and guided to attend the Pagsamba ng

Kabataan (PNK) or Children’s Worship Service (CWS) regularly. Such worship services,

usually held during Sundays, are for young worshipers in the Church, aged four to twelve,

where they are taught with the words of God using question-and-answer method.

At the age of 12, he was taught with the fundamental doctrines upheld by the Church Of

Christ. He started to receive instruction in biblical doctrines through their locale’s resident

evangelical worker that time, Brother Jose Raquedan Jr. After the said evangelical worker had

been sent to another locale assignment, Joey continued to be indoctrinated by Brother Ananias

Tuquiero, the succeeding resident minister of their local congregation.

After completing the doctrinal lessons and the six-month probation, Joey eventually

received the holy baptism on that serene and cloudy morning of October 28, 2000 in the house

of worship of San Fernando City Local Congregation in Sevilla Norte, City of San Fernando, La

Union. The worship service for the said baptism was officiated by Brother Jeremias D.

Mendoza, Jr., then the assistant supervising minister of La Union Ecclesiastical District.

After à peu près 13 years, he responded to a call to hold an office in the Finance

Department of their local congregation. Subsequently, he took his oath on the 11th day of



August 2013 in their house of worship. Their resident minister that time, Brother Renato

Estrada Sr., administered the oath.

As to one of his favorite biblical verses, he would cite the truism spelled out by the

Apostle Paul in his letter to the Christians in Rome: “… [W]e know that to those who love

God, who are called according to his plan, everything that happens fits into a

pattern for good” (Romans 8:28, J.B. Phillips New Testament).

„On the qui vive‟

As a true servant of God who lives in a modern society battered by a whole gamut of

crises, nay, marked with moral and spiritual decline, Joey ought to attune himself to the will of

God through remaining vigilant and cautiously discerning against the evil threats and subtle

schemes of this secular world.

In sojourning in this world characterized by less religious orientation, emphasis on

pleasures and material possession, and realistic view of reality, life, and morals, Joey ever

keeps in mind what Apostle Paul, out of his prudent forethought, intelligibly enunciated in his

letter to the Colossians: “See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and

deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles

of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8, New International Version). Thus,

Joey judiciously strives to ascertain in his ambient the potential vehicles of what is termed

―hollow and deceptive philosophy‖—also rendered as ―worthless deceit of human wisdom‖

(Today’s English Version), ―intellectualism or high-sounding nonsense‖ (The New Testament

in Modern English), and ―secondhand, empty, rational philosophy based on the principles of

this world‖ (Jerusalem Bible)—and to know how these vehicles operate in promoting

philosophies and thoughts of men that counters Christian values. In so doing, deception will be

confronted immediately.

Evil must be repelled might and main to ensure living a life that befits a true Christian.

To this end, in waging a war against evil Joey makes sure that “… [a]ll of the godly man‟s

arsenal — weapons of defense, and weapons of attack — have been [his]” (II

Corinthians 6:7, Living Bible). Such weapons and their uses are eloquently articulated in

Ephesians 6:11-17: “Put on all the armor that God supplies. In this way you can take

a stand against the devil‟s strategies. This is not a wrestling match against a

human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who

govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the



heavenly world. For this reason, take up all the armor that God supplies. Then

you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all

obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground. So then, take your stand! Fasten

truth around your waist like a belt. Put on God‟s approval as your breastplate. Put

on your shoes so that you are ready to spread the Good News that gives peace. In

addition to all these, take the Christian faith as your shield. With it you can put

out all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Also take salvation as your helmet and

the word of God as the sword that the Spirit supplies” (Names of God Bible).

Spiritual refining process

How grateful he is to be a part of the fold where he has been given the “… priceless

privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus [his] Lord [and of

growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequaled] …”

(Philippians 3:8, Amplified Bible)! Joey earnestly implores the Heavenly Father to constantly

bless him that he may able to patiently endure the inescapable afflictions of this life, steadfastly

observe God’s tenets and commandments in their entirety, and actively remain in his sacred

calling and election until the end.

How ineludibly rugged this life is! Difficulties of otherwise avoidable dimensions

continue to unfold and beleaguer man as long as he lives. Job, God’s servant of old, punctuated

this timeless truth in no uncertain terms: “For man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly

upwards” (Job 5:7, Darby Translation). Furthermore, since all things are in a constant state

of flux, the dismal situation of this radically secular world will continue to exacerbate.

Withal, Joey holds on to the well-set conviction like those of God’s faithful servants

during the prophetic era. First, the Prophet Jeremiah eloquently wrote, thus: “Remember

my impoverished and homeless condition, which is a bitter poison. I continually

think about this, and I am depressed. But this I call to mind; therefore I have

hope: The LORD‟s loyal kindness never ceases; his compassions never end. They

are fresh every morning; your faithfulness is abundant! „My portion is the Lord,‟ I

have said to myself, so I will put my hope in him” (Lamentations 3:19-24, New English

Translation). Another author of a book in the Jewish canon of Scripture, Hosea, the Hebrew

prophet ventilated this unswerving conviction: “Let us acknowledge the LORD. Let us

press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, The LORD will appear. He

will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain that waters the earth” (Hosea 6:3,



New Heart English Bible). Lastly, Habakkuk, another prophet in the Hebrew Bible, explicitly

stated: “Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though

the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut

off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I

will exult in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my

feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights” (Habakkuk 3:17-

19, New Revised Standard Version).

To Joey, the pricks of pain and hardship are worth bearing since he was able to con from

the Holy Writ the reasons why a servant of God may experience wretchedness as he is still

journeying in this episodic world. The first epistle of Apostle Peter contains this apodictic

conclusion: “In this you rejoice, even if now it is necessary for a short time to be

made sorrowful by various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith (which is

more precious than gold that perishes), having been tested by fire, may be found

to your praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (I Peter 1:6-7,

Mounce Reverse–Interlinear New Testament).

What is more, James the Apostle, provided these hortatory or rallying words: “Don‟t

run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you

will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom

under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience

brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross

the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing” (James 1:2-4, The Voice).

Towards the most coveted prize

Through God’s unflagging graces and abiding guidance, Joey looks forward to reach

spiritual maturity and win the race of faith set before him. And one God’s command he learned

to put into practice is the renewal of life. He bears in his mind how crucial it is as far as

salvation of his soul is concerned: “But the good man—what a different story! For the

good man—the blameless, the upright, the man of peace—he has a wonderful

future ahead of him. For him there is a happy ending” (Psalms 37:37, Living Bible).

Thus, Joey continues to journey in this parlous world with a brave mettle, and “[he]

keep[s] trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called [him]

through Christ to the life above” (Philippians 3:14, New Century Version). With the

ultimate hope in his mind to be deemed worthy of receiving the crown of righteousness come



the final day of reckoning, Joey continues “[living] in a way that is worthy of the people

God has chosen to be [H]is own” (Ephesians 4:1, Contemporary English Version) and

“[fighting] the good fight for the faith; [taking] hold of eternal life that [he] [was]

called to …” (I Timothy 6:12, Holman Christian Standard Bible).