‘Indeed, six decades and counting and so many people — many of whom, if not for space constraints, deserve to be mentioned — who have mattered.’
I HAVE described Sept. 25 as a bittersweet day for me ever since my father died in his sleep on that day six years ago as I was celebrating my 54th birthday. The funny thing is, since 1993 he had been complaining that when my mother died on his birthday (March 18th) he could no longer bear to celebrate it or find it a joyous occasion. Then he does it to me.
That’s why since 2016 I’ve tried to escape celebrating my own birthday because he was right — you couldn’t be too happy receiving warm felicitations on the same day that you lost a loved one.
But, of course, you could and should still be grateful.
And I am — not only for my father and mother and the type of love, care, and affection they showered on me (and my brothers) and the principle that the best legacy they could leave behind is a good education (well, in part because they couldn’t leave much of anything else ha-ha); but for countless others who have been part of my six decades, some of whom I wish to name today to let them publicly know how important they have been to me and my life’s journey.
Other than my two brothers and kin, I need to start with my UP classmates and friends, from nursery school to law school. My UP High ‘79 batch, in particular, is a major influence, and within that batch there’s the “Gang of Four” (Judge Amifaith Fider-Reyes, Atty. Rodrigo Libunao and Dr. Nancy Poblador-Romanelli). My UP APSM friends, especially Atty. Ariel Magno, Atty. Gaby Concepcion, Atty. Jaime Fortes and Atty. Rowel Barba, among others, are also friends for life, and, of course, my UP Law classmates from 88-B plus, Atty. Marlon Cruz, Justice Usec Raul Vasquez and Atty. Napoleon Poblador, my editor in chief in the Philippine Collegian.
Edgardo J. Angara. too, Dean Louie Beltran and doubtless UP deans and professors.
Professionally, I owe a lot to my first boss, the late Renato L. Cayetano, assemblyman for Taguig-Pateros-Muntinlupa and later senator, plus his children, Senators Alan and Pia and former Mayor Lino and businessman Rene Carl; my 1994 SBMA boss, chairman Dick Gordon, later on senator and now PRC chairman, and his family, too; then, of, course to the late Enrique Zobel and his family of whom I’ve written lots.
At Coca-Cola, I was enriched by dealing with talented people within the business unit and our bottling partner and our agencies. The late Chinky Alcedo, Miggie Isla, the late Rene Adad and Bobby Manzano, Baby Aurelio, Tricia Icasiano, Cindy Lim and Walter Panganiban of Public Affairs. And the big bosses here and in Atlanta, including Robert Harland, now Bacolod-based.
Then there was the PBA team and coaches Binky Favis, Kenneth Duremdes and Bo Perasol and their staff. Lester Pascua and Cris Nieto as well.
I also remember fondly Roberto Bacsal and my DWWW family. And, of course, the late Jake Macasaet and Pocholo Romualdez, who gave me space in this paper.
Which brings me to my Nickel Asia family. It’s so appropriate that during the year I turned into a senior citizen, NAC President and CEO Dennis Zamora elevated me to the rank of Senior Vice President. The additional duty of overseeing the NAC journey to sustainability is a mission I welcome as it gives me a new purpose in life. I’ve said before that when my father passed away in 2016, I considered most of my life’s work done — I have had to do the tough job of calling my brothers abroad to tell them (first in 1993) that our mother had died, then in 2016 that our father had died — and the last one was indeed the last one, which meant my main mission in life of taking care of my elders was accomplished. But the NAC sustainability journey, tough as it is, is like wind in my sails and I have our Board and our management team to thank for this reason to wake up every day. Even on stormy days.
What I have intentionally avoided doing here is to thank the loves of my life (plural?). They know who they’ve been and we have all accepted why things couldn’t be why we thought at one time or another they would be. Mainly, I’ve been the weak link. And so just as I will just have to accept that my father ended up dying on the day I was born, I have long learned to accept that love dies in a certain way but lives on in other ways as well. They, too, remain part of the wind in my sails.
Indeed, six decades and counting and so many people — many of whom, if not for space constraints, deserve to be mentioned — who have mattered.
I have been blessed indeed.
