Nahihilo pa akong umalis from our place going to Ateneo this early afternoon. I felt the need to take a nap pero I needed to reply to some emails I received and signed 10 christmas cards na ipapadala overseas.

While sitting on this concrete bench, natatawa ako dito sa mag-syota just seven meters away from me. Umiiyak si lalaki while halata ring nangingiyak si babae; magkadikit pa ang mga balakang. Sa isip ko lang, wala kayang maliligaw dito sa aking kinauupuan para tumabi? Lol! It’s been five years na wala akong special someone and the thing is, I can’t have one or to have one anymore. I vowed for it, hopefully for life. Nasulyapan kong tinuka ni lalaki si babae. Naks! Nahalata ko ang aking sarili na binabantayan ko na pala sila na kaninang-kanina lang, nag-aaway pa sila, sa palagay ko lang. Di ko napigilang ngumiti sa aking nasaksihan at doon ko na-recall ang mga kwentong teenager ni Potpot. Nasabi ko sa sarili ko, “Di bale, di nyo rin alam na masaya ako sa buhay mayroon ako” Ngumiti na lang ako at nagpasalamat.

Last night, I slept late already preparing the printed materials I photocopied. Every set contained a copy of Pope’s encyclical letters and decalogues for inter religious dialogue, and some documents produced after so many dialogues happened in the apst years. Sorry for me that I’ve not spent enough time reading them but for sure, those who will be given will read those documents.

It was not my first time to attend such activities. When I was in Mindanao, I joined as member of the Secretariat during the IRD initiated by the Association of Major Superiors in the Philippines, with the speaker, a Redemptorist Brother, Carl Gaspar, for me, a famous missionary in Mindanao where he lived most of his life. He came from Luzon area. That was two years ago, but memorable since it was joined by different groups of people, from Lumad to Moslem participants from Central Mindanao and Zamboanga, even those from basilan and Jolo. I can still remember that every individual’s biases creates the gap in every dialogue. The hesitance depends on the experiences of the participants yet, it was a very good opportunity to be reconciled, not only with every race and religion but with self… Self that created such fear for dialogue, might be failed or might be misunderstood.

Early this morning, I left the house at 15 past five and had my breakfast at Jolibee Cubao. I was little bit dizzy and confused of the place: street people still sleeping… I was challenged with the indifferences I saw from the faces of bystanders; I was one of them… Riding a bus going to MOA, I once again scanned my map book just to be sure that I will not be lost on the way since I have to be there at exactly seven o’oclock. Fortunately, sharp seven, I arrived at the Catholic Church near MOA. Being the Bursar (treasurer) of the JSF (Junior-Seminarian Forum in Metro Manila and nearby Province) I started collecting the participants contribution for stipend and for other expenses. There were 33 participants, 17 were sister-nuns. After an hour, we left the meeting place for Maharlika Village, Taguig.

Maharlika village is where most of the Moslem live and they have a big mosque, Blue Mosque. That was the first palce we visited and I really admired their hospitality. I felt the atmosphere inviting me to feel at home, which indeed, i felt at home as if Im in Mindanao again, particularly in Jolo. An Imam invited us to come in and there, the magnifecient structure was amazing. A Moslem scholar met us and presented their religion and had an open forum afterwards. Peaceful and fulfulling activity. The Imam was a very open and bright scholar, moderate and not fundamentalist. I met one of the peopel there who happend to be a Tausug, and I was happy to speak in Tausug language again. After that, we went straight to Pasig, and while on the way, I asked the driver to stop since I have to buy our additioanl food at Jolibee. There, nadapa nga ako. Nakakahiya sa mga nakakita, Lol! Tinawanan ako ng madreng kasama ko sa pamimili.

The afternoon session was the processing and reintegration of our experiences. I shared also about our one of the schools in the South that we have a mosque, though its a Catholic school, and even in Jolo, we cut the time short every Friday to let them attend their D’waa. Then we concluded with thanskgiving eucharist.

Umuwi ako ng maaga, pero napadpad sa Shangrila para magliwaliw ng kunti kasama ang iba pang mga religious. Eskapo ng kunti kumbaga kaya ginabi pa rin ng uwi sa bahay…