Dear Sister Flory - Part II

Dear Sister Flory,

You did not make it to the witness stand as I have prayed hard for. I thought God must have other plans. And I am happy to be proven right.

I hope that Cristina Corona’s gesture last Friday, no matter how self-serving, will somehow be the start of healing in your family. Somehow, we found affinity in the discord among your kin. We saw our country’s own problems in a microcosm in your struggle for truth and justice. Isn’t that our biggest problem in moving forward is ourselves? Not only do we have the talangka mentality of pulling down those who are able to move up ahead of us, but we also have the nasty habit of getting ahead of others at all cost, even at the expense of innocent people.

I know you have not ceased praying. You surrendered to the will of God a long time ago, but you did not surrender your hopes and dreams for justice to be rendered. Forgiveness and reconciliation based on truth and justice. No one would have said it any better than someone who has gone through the gauntlet for more than thirty years. You persevered, knowing in your heart that God will not forsake you and your family.

We may have surrendered EDSA a long time ago, but we have not surrendered our aspirations for a country that is free from the debilitating scourge of corruption and self-aggrandizing governance. People who think the silence of the majority is a sign of apathy were wrong. Just when they thought they can get away with anything and everything, they did not see what was coming to them. Out of nowhere you came, bearing the torch of truth and decency, inviting us to come out of the dark and follow the righteous path.

Thank you, Sister Flory for speaking up at a time when we seemed to have lost our voices. Thank you for hoping and trusting in the wisdom of God when we have become cynical that change is still possible. Thank you for showing us that forgiveness is possible even when truth and justice are not negotiable. Thank you for proving that truth will stand on its own while lies and deceit will do nothing but expose the real character of those who hide behind them.

We may have won the war today, but the real battle has just begun. There is still so much that needs to be done to put our country back in the path of recovery. The arrest of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the resignation of Merceditas Gutierrez and the impeachment of Renato Corona are little victories that must inspire us to what we can achieve as a people united in our struggle for a just and progressive society.

Seeing you standing up for what is right even in the twilight of your life, I find comfort in knowing that miracles do happen to those who believe in them. You taught us to believe in miracles, and God delivered. Please continue to pray for our country, we shall do the same for you and your family.

God be with you always. God be with us in this difficult but necessary struggle for a better country. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

Den

Happy Mothers Day!

You will always be remembered, Nanay...

Pateros Red Eggs Go Chic

It was a pleasant surprise to find our Itlog na Pula, or Itlog na Maalat on the news today. And in a big way,

The local business community has been abuzz lately about the lavish dinners that will be simultaneously hosted by nine prominent families of the country for the visiting dignitaries attending the ADB meeting in Manila from May 2 to 5. And what has our little red egg got to do with it? It will figure in at least three of the nine sumptuous food spreads ever to grace Filipino tables in a long time.

The menu for the feast at Taipan George Ty of Metrobank specifically list Pateros Salted Duck Egg as part of the ensemble of regional specialties that will bring VIP guests to a veritable food trip around the Philippines in one evening.

Doris Magsaysay-Ho's sit-down dinner will feature an organic salad of fresh pako leaves with itlog na maalat from Pateros with Palawan honey dressing. It will be a PPP (Pako, Pateros Red`Egg and Palawan Honey) fit for a light banter on another PPP (Private and Public Sector Partnership) that will surely be a topic on the table.

Sandy Prieto-Romualdez of the Philippine Daily Inquirer will host a Filipino Barrio Fiesta in her home, complete with a Bahay Kubo for a dessert bar. And what would be a Filipino dessert without freshly cooked Bibingkang Galapong topped by Itlog na Maalat? Foreign guests will go home with memories of steaming creamy rice cakes with the contrasting but delectable combination of butter, grated coconut and salted eggs.

Hopefully, our Itlog na Maalat will find its way to the other six dinner spreads tonight. Too bad they did not consider serving the more famous delicacy of Pateros - the Balut. It would have been a most unforgettable evening for our foreign guests had they done so.