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                               A Tribute To Grandpa

Far from my Family who celebrated the Death anniversary of my grandpa the late Gregorio M. Quilaman I have my own way of meditating the life of a hero that God gave  us. august 5th of the year 1989 when he joined our creator at the age of 74 (I have to confirm this later since am confused if this is right) and month of august my sis Jocy is celebrating her birth on the 2nd and my aunt Emy on the 15th and this days the family are upset since lolo is on the hospital and then he died on the 5th and on the 15th it was his funeral day.

Up to this days I can still asses and say that no amount of words can compensate the tribute, thanks and appreciation to my lolo for all the things he has done to me to us, but the only thing I can say is to hide in my heart all the teachings and values he gave and use it to serve  my family and fellowmen.

Being the eldest grandchild I just want to share unforgettable memories that we shared as far as I remember.

We were in Upi Ctabato when I met him he was a farmer then and we go with him when he was attending his huge vegetable farm, I saw him also managing the palay farm (ricefield) and we have fun eating lunch and snack in the middle of the ricefield specially if it is harvest time.  Late 1960’s when they went back to Luzon and we followed early 70’s due to civil war in Upi. My Father was with us but due to unknown issues until now he left us gone back to mindanao and my mother tried her luck working abroad since she knows that tho how hard life is lolo gorio can take care of us of course with my lola teresa and my mother’s ultimate goal is to send us all in school.

Lolo Gorio was so an ever patient to us I have learned from his stories that he was a Valedictorian when he graduated from high school @ Kalinga Academy an insttitution managed by the American Missionaries @ Lubuagan, Kalinga Apayao. He was a Municipal Secretary of Sison then an appointed Vice Mayor of the town before the family left to try their luck in Mindanao. He was highly respectable man in all the places he goes. There was a time before that he don’t attend the Church for unknown reasons I remember Jerry maybe 4 years old before that when everybody goes to Church he don’t want to go with us he prefered to go with lolo in the garden but there was a time that he started going Jerry goes with him and I just saw His dedication in serving such he served as Chairman of the Church Council and at the same time a Sunday school teacher. In the Community he served as a Secretary in his own right doing some public documents or affidavit or any papers that the community needed free of charge. he was really aservant of all tho he was poor as a rat when it comes to material things but sooo rich in other aspects of life. He has lots of friends he was so witty and a brain he knows current events and political issues In the afternoon or early morning he goes for a walk in the stores nearby meet with old barangay folks and they have to exchange ideas on political issues and he was so happy with it this happened on the last few years of his life.

I remember that he was a man of few words but when he talks specially that you did something not pleasing he will just say a words and you will be embarassed and felt very sorry he got a way of saying  it he don’t use a rod to discipline imagine he got 13 siblings but the 11th sibling died in an accident when uncle bimbim was 12 years old but they were able to raise them accordingly. he always tell that whoever needs a rescue from his children there they are to be of help.

Lolo Gorio, this is my way of celebrating your 18th death anniversary away from the family but as long as I live I will tell your story too that will bring a lesson to those who are in need a lesson that the schools can’t give us but it will serve as a lesson anytime anywhere no matter what you are not with us physically but I thank you for all the great deeds shown to us through action and in words.

You are always alive in my heart. I love you and always will.

July 26th 10:00 a.m. Canada Eastern time celebrating our 21st year of Anniversary of marriage.
for 3 years that my love/husband/hubby whatever is not with me due to some circumstances in life
but just thank God for all the communictaion gadgets that keep us connected with the daily life activiities
it is not easy to be apart since I believe that marriage is companionship but distance is not a hindrance
for us to know how we are lucky to have each other that life will bring us through.

After 21 years we have all the unexpected blessings in life we are just happy and commiting everything to God in 21 years we have lots of uncounted Blessings having three kids that bind us more.

21 years ago @ this time we exchange our vows in UCCP Agoo and looking back to it the Rev. Nemesio Frigillana and Rev. Romeo C. de Castro who officiated the celebration joined our creator we owe a lot from them our Godparents who stand and our guide when we are starting as couple giving everything they could Elders Juan Rulla and Elisa Florendo was gone this four brave men and women have gone but still they remained inour hearts and mind they are continuing their role in our lives through their teachings and love shared to us and we treasured them up to this days. To mr. and mrs. mariano orencia, mrs. adelina de castro, mrs. ester villanueva, dr. david villanueva,mrs. josephne torio, engr. trifon barroga, engr. alupay thank you for walking with us guiding and loving us included us to be your son and daughter.

21 years ago my loving sis Jocy stands as the maid of honor my brother jerry stands as our best man our secondary sponsors eden, ester, annie, benny, jade (passed away few years back), our flower girls adelisa, gay anne, leah ring,and bible bearers grejon, arlan, vergel you are all part of our lives.

to elean and raffy more than a sister and a brother to us they are our best friends we have lots of experiences in life for the past 21 years in times of calmness joy happiness trials darkside of our lives
you did not abandoned us we are still in tact and just happy that our kids have that friendship that binds them through. thanks God for you are a great gift to us.

to our parents mauro and agripina itay and mamang (who passed away last yea)r our mamang estela tho she was not with us on the the day of our celebration she has the way of showing her love and concern to us. to our father who left us when we were young we don’t know what happened but I still believe that there is a Purpose of everything that is happening according to GOD’s WILL and plan we owe you a lot and you have a special part in our hearts we love and thank you. My Grandparents Lolo Gorio and Lola Teresa you are superhero you are alwyas with us so with lola Romana you are a part of me and nobody can take that away from me.

to my aunt Florence and uncle Ramon thank you so much for being so brave stand as my loving Parents on this special day , my uncle Ramon where ever you are at the moment we missed and love you I don’t know what had happened but still am praying for your success no matter what.

21 years past we thank you all the Church as a whole particualarly the Agoo and Artacho UCCP our relatives who joined us in the celebration you are all a part of our life as man and wife.

21 years as husband of wife tons of experiences both good and not tons of misunderstanding in our daily tasks we had been together physically for 18 years celebrating this day but now celebrating this day for the 3rd year that we are apart yet our love for each other is growing more each day and hopefully through God’s Blessing and guidance we can celebrate together with our family couple of years from now.

Praying that God give us more patience and endurance and enjoying our mission He gave us give us a longer life so we can still do the tasks and responsibilities to our kids family and those who are in need.
It is myg earnest TRUST to God that He is the designer of our life with my husband and doing the best for us.

GOD is good to me he holds my hand and let me stand!

This is one of the famous Sunday School song that is being taught to the kids and I  see to it that I have shared it to every single kid that came in to the class, its just a sentence that is being sung as a round song.

Isn’t it just a  sentence song? but through the years of my life I still enjoyed singing it. When turmoil seems to hold full sway and be the ruler of the day, I’ll open up my heart and find that God is good to me for Prayer does not make God see things as we see them, it helps us see things as God sees them.

"If we hold on together" is the theme of Quilaman clan and as far as I know this was started  in the early 80’s when our Lolo Gorio we fondly called, is encouraging us to sing in the church for any occassion and later on for January 1st of every year as we are celebrating our Lola Ganda Teresa’s birthday  and all their Children from the different places are coming home just to join such occassion bringing with them some gifts and foods as their share for the celebration Grandpa is inviting the Pastor and some of the church members …I remember Gre jon "Joni" (now in the US)  and Lea (now in Dubai)  as our soloists for the song since they have a high pitched voices as the original ones who sang their part so well but when Grejon left the country lea tried to do her part for a year or two and after that solo parts are being sung by all the grandchildren.

August 5 of 1989 when our Lolo passed away and it was a total wreck that comes to the family we are so weak but our Lola Teresa show us on how to become strong I visited him at Rosario Hospital on the 4th of August he was in the bed and in comma according to the Doctor, my grandma did not leave him she told me that he is just waiting for somebody to visit him I talked to him and told him how I loved him then he stretched his hand and say my name my lola was amazed and called the doctor he opened his eyes we have a whispered prayers then I left the hospital…the following day my mother sent Daisy Fernandez to fetch me but I confronted Daisy telling her that am not going to go with you unless you will tell me the reason Is lolo gone? she did  not answer but I knew it already in the bus I told her that I am ready now Disyang no problem and she was happy how strong I was to accept such reality but when I got home and seen the body nobody can stop me crying the loudest cry of anguish in my  life.

The following January we have celebrated Lola’s birthday we did the same things but still a part of us is not complete if we hold on together was being sung again by the grandchildren and children of the QUILAMAN CLAN and that year going abroad was the trend due to scarcity of job employment Year 1990 to 1995 almost half of the Quilaman’s siblings went to Macau and Korea with some of the grandchildren but prior to that there are those who migrated to US and went Saudi Arabia and added to our pain is the disappearance of one of our uncle who went to Middle east  up to the present, and am asking God if what is the message of that disapearance he got 3 kids when he left he loved his wife and his kids how come he disappeared just like that but I salute my cousins they are nurses now except for the youngest who is a nursing student too.

That Birthday Celebration on the 1st of January my Lola’s special day all the Children and  Grandchildren decided to make it as the QUILAMAN’s Clan Annual Reunion and for the past years If We hold On Together is still there as part of the Celebration Children and In laws, Grandchildren and Children In laws, Great grand Children are celebrating and hopefully great great grandchild will be there joining the celebration by the year 2008  the first day of the year.

Modern IT for us in USA Macau Korea  and Canada still become a part of the celebration last January 1st while they are singing IF WE HOLD ON TOGETHER am listening to the phone teary eyed but the joy that my grandma is still there  the  reason for us to be inspired, gave me the reason to be strong and of good courage to face realities in life.

Our Family is not perfect lots of feud in any circumstances yet everything is perfect when each is sharing to lift the burden of every indidvidual…the legacy  that our Lolo taught and leave us…

IF WE HOLD ON TOGETHER I KNOW AND THE CLAN KNOWS THAT OUR DREAMS WILL NEVER DIE….

QUILAMAN CLAN HOLD ON TO THE END!!!

March the 13th, it was a great day since winter time and matthew has no school in

the afternoon it was a week march break and so we went for a walk along Blind Line, going to Children’s Park along College Ave. doing a lot of climbimg in the ladder of that huge playground its good that snow was on the ground only lots of fun with couple of kids there, then we went to the playground near St. Andrew Catholic School (where he attended her JK and SK) we just stayed for 10 minutes then we walked again towards Broadway the main Road of Orangeville we get inside Tim Hortons just have a seat good nobody was occupying tables in there then we continue walking since the weather is good and sun shines so bright we went to Pharma plus Drugstore just looking some displays and staff are so busy arranging their display items so we went out again and I did not notice that we were out for hour and a half Iasked matthew if he wants to go home now and he said NO so I just let him decide where to go he went to the direction of Princess Elizabeth Public School (his present school) and he run towards the playground he was so amazing in the directions now, then he went to the other playground again in the vccinity of the same school but it was on the other side of the school I just follow him, then I told him that we need to go it was 4:00 pm and so he run towards the Mt. Murray mountain and in going their we were stocked after a dozen of step our shoes was wet and I did not realize that the snow we are stepping are so soft and when I saw matthew he can’t lift his feet anymore and when we try to go back from where we came from the more that we could no longer move so I lift matthew up took his boots and throw it on the place where I saw the soil maybe 2 dozens  steps more before we can reach the place, same thing I did I just throw my shoes and oh our feet are frozen already I began to panick when another step was like a hole I could no longer move but Matthew was laughing and telling me GO so I prayed hard and move on little by little as soon as we reach the Amelia road I removed our socks since it was frozen  I was so exhausted and thirsty we sat there for 10 minutes and began to walk towards home carrying our wet boots and shoes walking from amelia to college ave. bear footed and put on our wet shoes when we reach the Elm ave. I don’t know if anybody saw us …..Oh its a big lesson on my part I know that the place was so familiar with us since we"ve been playing in that area last spring summer and fall …I came to realize winter is different the worse is that nobody was their if in case we got stocked… AGAIN I REMEMBER THE VERSE IN THE BIBLE…"IF GOD IS WITH US WHO CAN BE AGAINST US", am sure that i could not forget this simple experience that we had with matthew and the lesson that gives to me the 13th of march tuesday 2007, and it was our  MAMANG’s 64th Birthday!!!