Author:
Eunice Runes-Lewton
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Date Posted: 00:29:44 03/14/03 Fri
In reply to:
Aie
's message, "Manang Puring's 70th Birthday Celebration" on 07:35:25 03/08/03 Sat
>Hi everyone!
>
>Agurayak pay koma iti reactions iti naudi nga sinurat
>ko sakbay nga agsuratak manen, ngem awan met la ti
>mauray kon. Pangngaasiyo man met ta uray one liners
>laeng tapno ammok no adda pay agbasbasa.
>
>I just got back from the Ramos Farm in Natividad for
>Manang Puring's 70th birthday celebration. Guess
>who's in town? BOY T. !!!! What a pleasant surpise
>for all of us. Saan nga mabigbig nga dagus daguiti
>dadduma ta idi imbagak nga adda ni Boy, ti
>birbirokenda "nakuttong nga haggard looking" of his
>'70's signature look. He's here with Lina and Manong
>Fred with their spouses to attend their school grand
>homecoming. Isu ti nag-greet representing Manang
>Puring's former students. Mayat met!
>
>Adda kamin sa amin nga local core group ng Dugong CYF.
> Dumating si Peps all the way from Macarang, Atilinda
>from Baguio, Mark and Pros from Nueva Ecija, Emy from
>Villasis, etc. Siempre nandoon si Sam & Ike Y.
>Saanko mainaganan amin but it sure was a BIG reunion
>of sorts.
>
>We got to sing "Pass it on" (kasama si Boy T.,
>siempre, and Manongs Vic, Ped, Eugene, etc.) after ako
>nagsalita, as part of the Mr. and Mrs. Pedro Ramos
>Campground launching (Part II of the Program). Part I
>was a Thanksgiving Service. Part III was the Birthday
>Program. Ganda ng Choir ng San Nicolas at lahat ng
>nag-offer ng songs, kasama si Minan R.
>
>Noong Part I, umulan ng malakas so we had to transfer
>sa main house from the lawn. Hindi lang showers but
>downpour of blessing. Yong launching, sa lawn na
>ulit...with a beautiful sunset. Dondon and Dainty
>ably presided over the birthday program with a
>backdrop of beautiful Travelers' (?) palms, and
>overhead, the stars came out one by one. There were
>some 350 guests (Manang Puring's high school
>classmates, co-teachers, co-retirees, church
>leaders/members, dugong CYF, family, etc.) Manang
>Puring looked stunning in a red native dress.
>
>I spoke for the Dugong CYF. Kopyahin ko dito para
>kahit papaano, parang nandoon na rin kayo. Dondon
>asked me to talk about my memories of Manong Bernie
>and Manang Puring. The middle part, I read during
>the launching, and the rest during the greetings
>portion of the birthday program. No bigat, i-send ko
>diay launching message ni Manong Ped ta i-encode ko
>pay.
>
>Steve, was it you who was trying to call through my
>cellphone? I have not been able to receive calls nor
>text messages for the past week ta addaak ditoy
>Umingan. Awan ti Globe signal. Idi ag-ring diay
>Natividad, siakon ti mapan agsao. Sorry, missed it.
>I'll be in Umingan for another week ta adda
>palpalpasek nga Management Manual. So please use the
>e-mail or this site. I check my mail every night.
>Would love to 'hear' from anyone of you.
>
>Cheers!
>
>----------
>Manang Puring’s 70th Birthday Celebration
>
>
>A meaningful International Women’s Day to everyone. I
>know there could only be one reason why we are all
>here today. We all love Manang Puring For us Dugong
>CYF, that goes back a long way. A long way, indeed.
> So please allow me to read lest I get carried away.
>
>I was there when Manong Bernie made known his undying
>love to Manang Puring. Aha…. eavesdropping? Sorry
>to disappoint you but I was barely in my teens
>then…pure and innocent. A whole camp knew! A whole
>camp cheered!
>
>It all happened among coconut trees, under a canopy of
>stars, where the river meets the sea in Parian,
>Calumbaya, La Union, in the late sixties. Now tell
>me, Dandan, how could you have done it better with
>Dainty? Nothing beats that, huh?
>
>Why do I remember quite well? Not the exact date,
>maybe, but the occasion. It was my very first
>camp…and I think the very first High School Camp
>organized by the then Division of Youth Work of the
>UCCP that Manang Puring headed. I remember that
>Manang Puring prevailed on my parents for me to
>attend the camp ….and I wasn’t yet of CYF age! Yes,
>Manang Puring, my own life-faith journey was "defined"
>by my going to that particular camp. I went to the
>camp all by my young lonesome self and I made it!
>What a rite of passage! That may be another story
>but I happen to believe that "Nothing happens by
>chance".
>
>Not the many camps that have come and gone since then.
> I know that my little story is no longer unique. It
>has multiplied a hundredfold, may be more, with as
>many variations for sure. The youth of our days have
>gone our separate ways, flown to different lands,
>known other worlds, built other relationships, raised
>families…. but one thing has remained constant…..the
>longing to come home to yet another Camp. No longer
>for ourselves… but for the young ones….to experience
>their very own "moments in time".
>
>Many more camps will come and go, but in my books,
>there will be one other camp that will stand above all
>the rest. The place….a schoolhouse just a stone’s
>throw away from our Tabita Hideaway in Cacabogaoan.
>Again I forget the date but not the circumstances. It
>must have been the mid seventies.
>
>No trees, no sea, no river, no starlit night but a
>raging storm and 4 concrete walls of an unfinished
>school room to keep us dry and safe. The unexpected
>storm took its toll on everyone…the back breaking
>day-long task of transporting camp gear from the
>outdoor site to the safer schoolrooms, the shepherding
> of the rest of the campers through the community
>exposure, the feeding of hungry and tired campers…..
>The hour was late, every camper was tired. But the
>core group had to meet. Emotions were running high.
>The tension was electric. We were treading on unknown
>grounds. Separated from the heated discussions only
>by a row of maletas, Manang Puring was putting Dandan
>to sleep. Manong Bernie, probably getting worried
>where the discussion was going, whispered to Manang
>Puring, "Agap-apadan, you better do something, aganawa
>ka." Manang Puring, ever sweetly, said, "Baybay-am
>ida, kaya da dayta." (This exchange we learned about
>much later from Manong Bernie.) Long before dawn and
>long before the storm abated, we were singing, hugging
>and laughing. A make or break moment and we made it!
> Rite of passage for a group of young people. Manang
>Puring knew and trusted us enough to allow us to seize
>the moment. By the way, that core group still stands
>strong to this day, though in different places. But
>we have grown and still growing and the original core
>group now spans several generations of Dugong CYF.
>
>Manang Puring and Manong Bernie brought Dandan to his
>first Camp when he was barely 2 months old. Someone
>has yet to break that record! Grandpa Arnel, try
>again next camp. Little did they know that they
>started a tradition. You are never too old nor too
>young, nor married or single to be part of a camp!
>It’s not the age, folks, it’s the SPIRIT!
>
>If Daisy were around today, I am sure she would like
>to be in my place. She always said I am much too
>serious. Allow me to borrow her words from what I
>call her Opus "My Hideaway". I could never have been
>more serious myself, could I? (Quote) " I still
>remember the romance in the eyes of Manang Puring and
>Pastor Bernie as we sang "Oh, how we danced" as we
>honored them during their wedding anniversary."
>(Unquote) Everytime we get together, wherever,
>whenever is a celebration.
>
>Yes, Manong Bernie and Manang Puring often came to
>our first Hideaway whenever they were in Manila, and
>always to celebrate LIFE with us. Today we are in
>another Hideaway, thanks to Manong Vic and Nel. In
>this place, the Dugong CYF Foundation was born. And
>to be here to celebrate with Manang Puring 70 years of
>a fruitful life unselfishly shared with generations of
>CYF’ers.…it sure is a BIG one.
>
>Our anchors truly run deep. And they touch base with
>kindred spirits. Even those who have gone ahead have
>left enough trails to make us feel their presence
>still. There are youth camps and family camps
>everywhere, but there is nothing like a Central Luzon
>Camp as far as I am concerned. Every Dugong CYF can
>attest to that.
>
>What started out as one love affair intertwined with
>so many young lives. I guess all love affairs of the
>one kind that comes from the Author of life, have one
>thing in common. They are blessings to others.
>
>Manang Puring, (and Manong Bernie if you are
>eavesdropping right now), you have shared with us your
>gifts of life and we want to pass on to others our
>own.
>
>And so, Manang Puring, like it or not, you are the
>Honorary Chairperson of the Dugong CYF Foundation,
>Inc. Now you know…. it’s not because of seniority.
>Your smile, love, prayers, and ministry of
>presence……….they keep us going. Happy Birthday.
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