inner foodie

Today is Mom's birthday and I had promised to get her a copy of Flowers, White House Style that I found on sale in Ali Mall. When I returned to the bookstore, however, I couldn't find it anymore- it had already been bought by someone else.

I'd like to think that since Mom's birthday falls on Pentecost this year, the Spirit of Invention guided me to find an even better book: Memories of Philippine Kitchens by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, proprietors of Cendrillon restaurant in Manhattan. Blog reviews may be found here and here. When Mom quietly leafed through the book immediately after I gave it to her this morning, I knew I had given a perfect gift. Even Inang, who is in her eighties, seemed to appreciate the book's presentation of dishes she has cooked for us through the years.

As for me, I found that even kutsinta tastes better after just a quick read of Memories, which is part cookbook, part history. The images by Neal Oshima and essays by Besa and Chef Dorotan made me appreciate the hands that create even the humblest of Filipino food and the often hidden artistry behind their creation.

walk gently into the night

In this short Life
That only lasts an hour
How much- how little- is
Within our power
-Emily Dickenson

She trod softly on the earth.

I hear these words when I think of Raquel Naval, my very first associate who succumbed to cancer last April 30. Raquel managed the Gomburza secretariat from 2003 to 2005. In 2006, after Fr. Robert Reyes left for China to begin his sabbatical, I asked Raquel for assistance in media work for Alyansa Tigil Mina and the CBCP. Later, when we needed a researcher for Dr. Custodio's biography, I again tapped Raquel: since she had finished chemotherapy for breast cancer, I knew the story of one of the country's first medical oncologists would have special meaning for her. This year, when she found out that the cancer had spread, she chose to try an alternative treatment for her cancer, instead of undergoing chemotherapy a second time, even if she qualified for free sessions under an experimental drug program in St. Luke's. She was grateful for whatever sum I could give her, which was almost always in return for small tasks she did for me in her house: I wanted her to feel like an active co-worker, instead of a passive beneficiary, as long as she still had strength and I think she appreciated that. In one of our last meetings in her brother's house in UP, I was blessed with the chance to express my appreciation for her friendship.

Fr. Robert, who knows Raquel more than I do, wrote a short piece in memory of her which I'm sharing here.

Thanks to Himig Heswita for the song in the podcast.

choices

I'm taking a holiday this morning to choose who I'm voting for. I find PDI's tools for voters, especially the podcasts of candidates, helpful- I just wish someone had already tabulated their stand on various issues to make the comparison easier.

To make my search easier, I'm zeroing in on the issue of human rights, particularly due process and equal protection to women, gays and minorities, which I find important. I'm surprised by the results: I'm still adding and dropping candidates based on their level of commitment to these.

The Seminarians' Network (SemNet), an association of 25 major Catholic seminaries in the country is accepting and posting reports on election-related incidents sent through SMS. Text your reports of any election irregularities to:

09167050281 (Globe) or
09286685292 (Smart).

You may also send reports to ABS-CBN: text ireport, name, address, complaint or report and send to 2366. You may send email to

mms@abs-cbn.com or
ireport@abs-cbn.com.

seer's son

I went with Ric and JP to Baler, Aurora for the first time a couple of days ago to interview and shoot sabutan weaver Baby Valenzuela, one of Citibank's Microentrepreneurs of the Year 2006. Baler is the perfect place to have a farm: the rice fields are flanked by the forested Sierra mountains on one side and the Pacific on the other. There's a balance among the elements that uplifts the spirit.

On the way to Baler, I saw posters of the district's congressman, my law classmate and tukayo Sonny. I first saw his picture on a desktop calendar in the UP Department of History when I was still an undergrad. Little did I know at the time that I would be entering law school with him. One evening after graduation, we took a break from bar review. I accompanied Sonny to Megamall to appreciate art that was for sale in galleries on the fourth floor. Neither of us bought anything that night, but I learned a new way to relax and enjoy my time without spending a lot. This is how I choose to remember him.

Kaban ng Tuwa

I'm preparing for tomorrow's trip with Dona and Ning to Cabanatuan City. Tito Doc says that Cabanatuan comes from the phrase, "Kaban ng Tuwa"; this is also the name of the newsletter of its Diocese, the maiden issue of which Big Dipper helped produce in time for Easter earlier this month.

Tito Doc, the eldest among my uncles and aunts, is a cardiologist who is based in the city. He's a great storyteller: the story of how he built the best hotel there is here. Incidentally, there was a storytelling workshop in CIC last week- it was part of the National Book Development Board's Booklatan ng Bayan, of which Voltaire Veneracion & Associates was a co-sponsor.

During the summer before 4th grade, I became fascinated by a microscope in the laboratory of the hospital where Tito Doc served as medical director. Tatay told me that if I made it to the top 5 students of my class, he would buy me a microscope. I must have studied hard because, despite some learning challenges, my grade point average leaped from outside the top 10 into the magic 5: Tatay, probably surprised, ended up buying a new TV instead of the microscope, but by then I had already learned to enjoy being an honor student.

Tito Doc has a huge heart that overflows with love- I must have caught a lot of it because I never seem to run out of supply to give! Two secrets to happiness I verified from his Kaban are, first, that the best antidote to fear is appreciation and, second, that in any unbalanced relationship- that is, in most or all relationships- the person who loves more is the luckier one.

Thanks to CIC Chorale for the song "Heal the World" in the podcast.

spirituality and business

Migs Amper, the brother of the editor of OK! magazine, sent me an email message after my article, How to Live Forever, came out in this month's issue of High Life. He asked for a copy of the sidebar on how to set-up a foundation.

This was a difficult assignment because I believe that evanescence is a part of life- that it is, in fact, part of what makes life beautiful. A line from a poem that struck me in high school English class is sic transit gloria mundi. "This too shall pass" is a motto from Vicky Herrera which has often helped me. In any case, the result of my research was an article on the different ways through which private individuals and organizations can do good.

Migs, here is the draft of the sidebar, Remember Me; you may get the April 2007 issue of the magazine from BusinessWorld.

A foundation is an NGO established to address a deep social need and may be any of the following types: 1. corporate; 2. family; 3. memorial; 4. independent; 5. fundraising; or 6. social development.

The Association of Foundations, the country’s first heterogeneous federation of foundations in the Philippines, produced a manual for starting foundations, Building Foundations (2003).

Founders convene themselves or selected individuals into a Board of Trustees, who will set the policies of the organization. The trustees elect among themselves the officers: the president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and auditor.

An executive director (ED) or his/ her equivalent, appointed by the Board, oversees day-to-day activities. The ED is assisted by an administrative staff, which is usually comprised of an administrative officer, cashier, bookkeeper and messenger, and project-based staff.

To give it focus, a foundation formulates a vision, a mission, and goals. A vision expresses how the world will be different because of the foundation’s work. A mission provides direction and communicates the foundation’s identity and purpose. Goals or objectives are measurable targets which plans and activities seek to achieve.

The Gerry Roxas Foundation, for example, envisions “Leaders of Change.” Its mission statement is: “GRF, in partnership with community leaders, initiates and sustains positive change in communities through strategies that build capacities in leadership and support innovative approaches to development.”

A foundation may raise funds through grants, gifts and earned income. To learn more about successful methods of fund raising, get Mayan G. Quebral’s The Fund Raiser’s Guide to Fund Raising (Venture for Fund Raising, 2002).

Oman Q. Jiao, ED of AF, enumerates the steps for securing permits and certifications. He says, “First, look for the appropriate name- you can do this through the Securities and Exchange Commission website. Set-up a capital fund in the bank account of the organization: P1 million if you want to use the word “Foundation” in your name and, if not, P100,000 is enough. Then, go to SEC to file the articles of incorporation and by-laws.”

Every year, the SEC requires registered foundations to submit a General Information Sheet, an Audited Financial Statement, and a Statement of Funds Application.

A foundation also needs to secure a business permit from the local government and register with the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Donations to special NGOs called donee institutions are tax-deductable and exempt from the donor’s tax, as provided by the National Internal Revenue Code. To see if your foundation can qualify as a donee institution, visit the website of the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC) at www.pcnc.com.ph.

guimaras

I had the chance to test my Nike ACG shoes this summer when I paddled an indigenous banca around this secret cove. It's interesting to see how the use of different parts of one's body induces different kinds of thoughts. Moving my legs while running brings me thoughts of work or adrenaline-pumping competition. In contrast, using my arms to slowly maneuver the boat towards mangroves and limestone formations made me meditative: I became attentive to the slicing paddle, the chorusing waves, the wilding wind, and the mango-yellowing sky.

Two Ilonggo expressions I drank during my Visayan sojourn were: "Adlaw natin 'ini" and "Nagahigugma ako sa imo." The first tastes like a melony mouthful of "This day is ours," while the second has the syrupy rum warmth of "I've fallen in love with you."