Celebrating our 36th wedding anniversary
Today we celebrate our thirty-sixth anniversary. To be married in 1978 and to remain still married after thirty-six years may not be a big deal to crow about to many of our readers out there. But to me and my wife, Emma, it is a precious Christmas gift from the Lord Himself, who stayed in the center of our married life for many years, both the good ones and the not-so-good. We have today five children, two of whom have just gotten married, and one more to get hitched next year, are all professionals and working well, plus a bonus, one amazing grandson who brings untold joys to the entire family.
The credo and guiding philosophy that I have chosen since I got married is: There is no success in career or business or profession that can make up for failure in the family. A man or a woman who fails in the family may find it very hard to convince people that he could be a good leader of any corporation, government agency or high public office. If he cannot even lead his wife or children, how can he lead his subordinates to pursue a common purpose or business goal. I reject the proposition that one's personal and family life should be distinct and separate from his official life. A person is one integral being, who cannot live two different personalities like Jeckyll and Hyde.
It was a very different world and milieu in 1978. There was no cellphone, no e-mail, no laptop, and no internet. Traffic was not as horrendous as today. Prices were very low and wages as well. The minimum wage was only six pesos, and for a dollar, you could have four and later six pesos only. Soft drinks were for ten centavos a bottle and for ten centavos, you could take a tartanilla ride from Colon to Sambag along Urgello Street. I was already a Presidential appointee in 1977, having been appointed by President Marcos as Labor Arbiter, with a salary that is equal to a day's salary of the Arbiters today. But I was happy and contented.
I married a nurse from Nueva Ecija and so, I had to spend for the boat fare of all my bride's relatives, more than thirty of them. Three priests solemnized our nuptial, led by my cousin Monsignor Rolando Abad Jimenez (now parish priest of Barili) and Father Daddy Silva. One of my groomsmen was my student, now mayor Michael L Rama. My ninongs were then Cebu Governor Eduardo "Ediegul" Gullas, then Cebu City Mayor Dodong Solon and former Governor Emilio " Kikoy" Remotigue. One of my ring bearers was a small handsome boy, who is now a lawyer and Ronda Vice Mayor John B. Ungab. Rudy Golez who was my classmate and later became Assistant City Prosecutor, was one of my secondary sponsors.
Our married life was not all beds of roses. I struggled very hard and provided my children all the best education that I could not afford for myself when I was young. They are all graduates of La Salle, Ateneo, UP, UST, Assumption and went to International Schools for their basic education. I was only a school janitor in SWU and a University scholar in UV and a court interpreter, but I did my best and remained faithful as a husband and as a father. Today, as I have spent for dinner with all my children, their spouses and friends, I thank the Lord that I worked very hard, but put God in the center of our family. Christmas is always meaningful to me. It means nothing else but family and love. These are what really matter most to me and to my family.
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