Happy birthday to Yanyan

Please join me in greeting a happy birthday to my granddaughter Arianne “Yanyan” Jaden Palmes-Baisas.

She turns eight years old today, Nov. 23. Arriane is the little princess of the family. Since she was six years old she loves watching and following the Doc McStuffins show.

Just like Doc McStuffins my granddaughter shows kindness and is polite to everybody.  Her badge is a smile pasted on her face and she wears it everyday.

She is the pride and dream of her Papaw Ed and Mama Jang. Yanyan is the best friend of her nanay Aunt Honey (Hani ba lo) they text each other every day and check on each other, she at Pueblo and her nanay (mother) at Tagoloan town, Misamis Oriental.

She is also the closest friend of her Kuya Sam (Christian Palmes Mejorada) and Ate Tetin (Tating Palmes) . 

She  wants to be a nurse when she grows up and she is living her dreams. Even now she's taking care of those not feeling okay and often times checks on her Uncle Owen.

Happiest birthday Arianne and I wish you all the best in life. Love Lola./Susan Palmes-Dennis

A family dispute in Tagoloan

A file photo of me with then governor Vicente Emano

by Susan Naelga Palmes-Dennis

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina---I ended the previous article on my Tagoloan series with the opposition to the rule of then Tagoloan mayor Vicente “Donkoy” Emano who later became governor of the province of Misamis Oriental and then mayor of Cagayan de Oro City.

This is the fourth of the series of stories about the politicians from my hometown of Tagoloan who later became big names in the province of Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro.

I have to correct myself by saying it was not Congressman Victorico “Concoy”  Chavez who was the first to oppose Donkoy Emano. It was Emano's uncle, the late Gilberto “Berty” Emano, the younger brother of his father.

Berty was barangay chairman of Poblacion when Emano was Tagoloan mayor in the early part of the 1980s. It was the talk of the town then- people taking sides between the nephew and the uncle. 

I could not recall now the reason why they became unconnected. What I do remember was that it was ugly and intense, with cases being filed in court and nasty allegations of all kinds.  

It broke the Emanos in the eyes of the public. If the reason was political I am not sure.  It was also around this time that another Tagoloanon came into the political scene who is also related to the incumbent official. 

Then Atty. Victorico ”Concoy” Lim-Chavez, a lawyer who made a a good law practice in Manila won as the congressman of Misamis Oriental's second district.

The late congressman who is best remembered for having helped many Tagoloanons in the 80s to work in the Middle East would always be remembered for having made a difference to the many lives in Tagoloan. 

Chavez did not run under the Emano group when he sought re-election. By winning sans support from Emano in the 90s, Chavez sort of became the head of the opposition in the province. 

It was assumed that Chavez  fielded and helped opposition candidates. Chavez  supported the candidacy of Mario Emano as mayoral candidate of Tagoloan against the late Paulino “Oloy” Emano. 

Mario Emano, who was at that time full of energy and buoyed by support from his father Berty ran twice against Oloy and lost. It was an Emano versus Emano fight to the delight of the people of Tagoloan and the province. 

Just like the fallout between the nephew and uncle, it was unclear to the public why Chavez and Emano, former allies, had a falling out. 

It was a change of events in 2002 when Mario Emano run unopposed as barangay chairman of Poblacion and his victory improved his relations with Oloy. 

It was believed Mario won in Poblacion with less opposition from Oloy. It was also the second time for Oloy to become mayor in 2000 after he finished his three terms in the 90s. 

The story would not be complete without mentioning this political family feud. There were other opposition figures to Donkoy Emano like the late vice mayor  Ignacio “Totong” Factura and Norris Babiera, a close aide of Donkoy Emano who later became the vice governor of the province. 

These two people contributed a lot to democracy in that part of the country and they brought a balance to the political landscape in Tagoloan town in the years to come. 

There is still a lot to tell about Donkoy Emano but I'll resume next time with his rise to the gubernatorial post of Misamis Oriental. 

Then Cagayan de Oro City mayor Vicente Emano being interviewed

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines and is now employed  in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.
Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.
You can also connect with her through her email susanap.dennis@yahoo.com as well as her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)

Emano and how I started in media

Me at extreme right with Cagayan de Oro media veterans

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

THIS article you're reading is the third in a series of stories I am writing about the politicians in my hometown of Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental in northern Mindanao, Philippines and how they shaped the province and Misamis Oriental's capital city of Cagayan de Oro.

I start by picking up where I left off, namely then Tagoloan mayor Vicente “Donkoy” Emano. 

The next meeting I had with him was when he became the governor of Misamis Oriental. At that time I just made a jump from a career in the judiciary to the fourth estate. 

Please bear with me as I tell this story which includes a side trip to my personal life because it is intertwined with the politicians I covered then.

In 1993 I resigned from the 6th Municipal Circuit Court and answered a “wanted reporter ad” from Gold Star Daily. I did not hesitate in handing my application and was accepted by the Editor in Chief Herbie Gomez.

That was when I started building a name for myself with all my reports from the city and regional courts making it as banner, front page stories thanks in large part to my connections in the courts. 

The name of Susan Palmes as reporter was slowly but surely gaining traction and notice in local media and political circles that a lot of politicians wanted me to interview them, thinking they will land in the front pages.

But to be honest I knew those politicians since most of them were my former professors and teachers then. 

I hung out at the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) then headed by the late regional director Gabino Ben Labial, who then informed me that dxCC Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) is in need of reporters.

Weeks before I applied at RMN I was a volunteer reporter at dxCO also where I started loving broadcast media. The thrill of your voice being aired live was thrilling.  

Anyway at the time of my interview with the late dxCC manager Abacu “Bobby” Mundo, then Misamis Oriental governor Vicente Emano was at the premises of DXCC for reasons I don’t know. 

I wasn't even finished with the interview when I overheard Emano speaking in a loud voice “hire her she is good.”  I worked at RMN as a reporter for only a few weeks and a month after I was promoted to anchor a 5 to 8 am public affairs program from Mondays to Fridays.

In between my reportorial and anchoring work I would be attending press conferences like those called by Governor Emano's office. 

Whenever I attend the press con Emano would always mention me and give much attention  to questions I would ask. It was at first a complement and confidence build-up.

I was elated because never did I think that I would be rubbing elbows or talking to the former mayor of Tagoloan who was now a governor. I must be honest I was proud of Governor Emano since he came from my hometown and I knew their family as being illustrious and elite in Tagoloan. 

Governor Donkoy was an elementary classmate of my maternal uncle the late Dorico Ejem Espellarga, the younger brother of my Nanay (mother). 

Uncle Dorico would tell me later in life that classmate Donkoy was “pilyo” and “kolokoy” at the Tagoloan Central School. Whatever he means by that I don’t know.

But later when Donkoy was already Cagayan de Oro City mayor, my uncle said he went to City Hall and asked help from Emano since he lived in Macanhan, Carmen at the time and sure enough, the mayor helped him. 

That's one side of Mayor Donkoy--he would help friends, classmates and supporters. 

I forgot to mention that during the time, Governor Emano and the late  congressman Victorico “Concoy” Chavez of Misamis Oriental's second district were already political enemies despite being relatives.

My own paternal family especially the Naelgas in Mojon and Sta.Ana were divided in whom to support. 

Most stayed with Donkoy at a time when Congressman Chavez supported the opposition in Tagoloan where I ran as kagawad (councilwoman). My own relatives in Mojon didn't vote for me or maybe only a few. 

I'll talk next time about the political culture and landscape in Tagoloan and Misamis Oriental when Emano was then governor and the emerging opposition was headed by his own relative, the late congressman Victorico “Concoy” Chavez.

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed as a sub-teacher and a part-time teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.
Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.
You can also connect with her through her email susanap.dennis@yahoo.com as well as her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)

Nostalgia for the St. Augustine fiesta

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

SINCE it is the feast of St. Augustine, patron saint of my beloved city of Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, I have to take a break from those news stories that make a lot of people worried and upset. 

I am talking about the reports on the violence on the streets, corruption and the heavy drama on Sen. Leila De Lima and President Rodrigo Duterte which makes the Kardashian reality show pale in comparison.

But the president has a job to do at all costs so Filipinos should just let him do his job and we keep him in our prayers that he would do good in accordance with legal and divine law. 

There are occasions in my adoptive country that would make me wax nostalgic such as Christmas, All Souls Day and yes, the annual fiesta of Cagayan de Oro.

I miss it terribly and I recall with fondness the good times and the food, oh my heart would just melt away.  Even now and then across the ocean I can smell the lechon-humba (pinasiko) and adobo. Of course there is the torta and cakes. I miss going to church also. 

Throughout my adult life I attended Mass at St. Augustine Cathedral at 11 am where it would be concelebrated by all the priests at the archdiocese with the bishop as the main celebrant. 

The church would be a scene of candles, the smell of the incense and people all dressed in their Sunday’s best with priests in white vestment adding solemnity to the occasion.

Anyway I asked some Kagayanons who are now here in the US on what they missed about the fiesta in Cagayan de Oro. Trust me, they may be far away but their thoughts are filled with the celebration of the St. Augustine fiesta in Cagayan de Oro. 

One of them, Juralyn Jongco Gallardo Hall, used to live in barangay 17 but is now based in Charlotte. She wished there were many Kagay-anons in North Carolina. 

When I asked her what she felt about the St. Augustine fiesta she has this to say: “Tsada unta mag fiesta sad ta (It would be good if we have a fiesta).” 

Hall said she's game for a “potluck fiesta” just to have a semblance of a fiesta celebration so it can ease the pangs of homesickeness at this time of the year. 

Hall said she would never forget August 28 every year because it happens to be the birthday of her mother. She recalled the parade and going to houses of her friends then the karaoke at Barangay 17. “Those were the old old good days,” she said.

Another Kagay-anon is Rosie Hagan who lived in barangay Kauswagan, Cagayan de Oro and is now based in Kernersville, North Carolina.  Rosie  is an Olape before she got married.  She said she really missed the parade during fiestas. 

“I was a participant in the parade as a student of Bulua National High School. Mingaw noon ko dah (I really missed it),” she said. 

Fellow Kagay-anon Miraflor Fuentes-Taylor, who's also from barangay 17 and a friend of Hall that's now based in Zephyrhills, Florida likewise missed the parade.

As a graduate of Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School in 1994, she remembered the drum and bugle competition fondly. I am encourage to write about the St. Augustine fiesta not only to recall happy times but to re-establish in my own small way my ties with friends and family in the City of Golden Friendship who may now be celebrating the fiesta as this piece sees print.

From many of us here across the ocean, we greet everyone a Happy Fiesta Cagayan de Oro and Viva Señor San Agustin!

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed as a sub-teacher and a part-time teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.
Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.
You can also connect with her through her email susanap.dennis@yahoo.com as well as her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)

Introducing Donkoy Emano

Then Tagoloan mayor Vicente Emano (center) Photo by Jong Cass

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

The first part of the series concerning Tagoloan town that was published a few days ago ended with me mentioning about former Tagoloan mayor and future Misamis Oriental governor and Cagayan de Oro City mayor Vicente “Donkoy” Emano.

Tagoloanons were proud of Donkoy Emano and how he went quite far in his political career. In Tagoloan town alone when he was governor I think anyone in the opposition was considered an outcast.

He was considered a demi-god and what he says was correct. His counsel and advice were sought after, even those that involve family affairs. People crowd him- there is no doubt he is charismatic that time.

When he was Tagoloan mayor those accused of rape or domestic violence were presented to him first before the court. The police would bring the accused before his office and there was was talk among the people there that he has this “whip.”

I don’t know if it was true as it came from conversations of the people working above and below or in the second floor of his office at the municipal hall down to the first floor and out of the old municipal building.

The victim's family would be given aid like rice and noodles or cash and would be smiling when they went out from the office. Justice was equated with talking to Donkoy- what was promised I don’t know.

But as soon as the accused would appear in court for arraignment, many would plea guilty. Maybe the accused were already told about what plea to enter in court at the mayor's office.
This “whipping” was the talk of the town but many would attest to the truthfulness of the reports because they would hear cries emanating from the mayor's office in the afternoon.

There were also stories that after their courtesy call, those accused of crimes would leave the mayor's office with their faces colored pink and purple.

They said these people have been given the taste of the “little donkoy”, a whip that's supposedly used to hit horses and cattle in farms. At least that's how I remember the story from a surviving “bakero (cowboy)” who lived to talk the tales of the rich and landed Emano clain in Tagoloan town.

It was during this time that crime in Tagoloan town and even those under the Phividec area declined. Criminals would either disappear would just disappear or migrate to other towns and cities very far from Tagoloan.

Parents especially mothers would report the bad behavior of their sons and daughters to the mayor's office. Now I would think that the children were more afraid of mayor Emano than their parents. But it brought good results.

I was in Mississauga, Canada last year and I visited a distant relative and neighbor named Tirso Dagus. Tirso is the son of Benjamin Dagus and Gingging Valdehuesa who admitted to me that his life before was one of “alsa baso (lift glass).”

He recounted that his group was high on drinks that day at the plaza when mayor Donkoy was there and the mayor saw him and asked his name. To cut the story short, Donkoy advised him to be good and start a new life rather than haul him to his office for a whipping since he knew Tirso's father personally.

Tirso is now based in Canada and is making good in his choices in life. But there were also those who were unhappy with how mayor Emano deals with situations and would insist that their son was not guilty or innocent of the crime charged.

But very few would complain and if they do they would be the lone voice in the wilderness. For the aggrieved and the offenders it was a case of “who can report first to the mayor's office.”

I told you already that mayor Donkoy was surrounded with bodyguards. I can remember the Manto brothers, the Marianos also, Pastor Abejuela, Norris Babiera (who later became vice-governor of Misamis Oriental and became his own man after he severed his ties with the Emanos.)

Just a detour—former vice-governor Babiera is also in this story. The media people who's always in Emano's entourage would report on the goings on at the second floor of the town hall to anyone who cared to listen.

I was still working with the 6th Municipal Court at the time but I had a glance of media people who I would join years later. I forgot to mention the names of the late Gomer Bagondol and Rudy Ladao.

Mayor Emano organized a walking group among municipal employees and the national government employees once every week that would start at 4 am from the Municipal Hall to barangay Sta.Ana.

Me and the other court staff would join them. That was my first up-close encounter with the mayor and he would crack jokes with us especially with Aaron Valmores who was a court interpreter from Balingasag town.

Emano is playful when in the mood and if one is lucky to be one of his favorites, he would usually threw anything at you--money, cigarettes or just anything so one is advised to always be on guard.

The Municipio or Municipal Hall would be crowded when the mayor is around. People would line up to see him for personal, business or other reasons. It is “mingaw” or deserted when he is in Manila or elsewhere since his staff would also be out someplace.

How his folksy attitude would manifest in his political career in the province and in Cagayan de Oro City I would discuss in the next article.

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed as a sub-teacher and a part-time teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.
Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.

You can also connect with her through her email susanap.dennis@yahoo.com as well as her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)

Tagoloan's politicos come into their own

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

(Note: This is hopefully the start of a series of articles that I will write on local politics. Photos by Jong Casino Photography)

IN the course of my media work that started in late 1993 I met most of the politicians in Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental. 

For purposes of this personal treatise I would like to confine myself to the officials from my hometown of Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.  It's interesting that a number of these “politicos” in Cagayan de Oro City--the capital of Misamis Oriental--came from Tagoloan town.

In the course of this writing you will be surprised that there are politicos who were known to me in the course of other works in my past life or their names are familiar because I knew them in school or they were told to me by my parents or other relatives. 

I asked a town mate named Exequiel Casin who also happens to be the brother of my classmate Emmanuel  to help me in writing about these politicos who either brought honor or shame to Tagoloan. 

But it depends on the reader or those familiar with these political figures to decide if they were good or bad. I did not bother Gerva Tagapulot-Celeredad as we have other projects to do in the future that involves Tagoloan.

So without further ado, here are the politicians in my hometown of Tagoloan: 

1) Arturo Casino. When I was maybe six years old I heard my grandpa Engge Quilang Naelga and my father talking to a person whose features I could not ascertain. 

They were talking big and the only word I can remember was “para sa kabag-ohan” (for change) and the word “mayor.”

When that visitor was gone, my mother (Nanay) and Lola (Grandma) Doring and me tagging along out of curiousity joined the men and they talked about the visitor.  I heard Grandpa said it was Arturo Casino. 

When I was already at Central School I would have a chance meeting with Casino who later  became mayor of our town and he would always be present during commencement exercises.

Since I am an honor student I got a chance to shake his hands every year. Casino was tall with dark hair and spoke clearly. He was not tired shaking hands with the graduates and honor pupils. 

Later when I was already working with the provincial development staff (PDS) of the province during the time of Governor Concordio Diel and until the time of Vice Governor Rosauro Dongallo (because I think Diel was appointed to a national position) I had the chance to meet with Mayor Arturo Casino as he was introduced to me by Engr. Modesto Babaylan (Provincial Development Coordinator) who told Casino that I was from Tagoloan town. 

He asked me who my parents were and I introduced my parents as well as my Grandpa. His memory was good as he at that time remembered my Lolo (Grandpa) Ingge. 

We always bumped into each other during meetings of municipal mayors in the province.  Arturo Casino was a lawyer. He was to me a good speaker and would always stand out among the giants of the province that time. 

Since I was the information officer I would see to it that I would do news about Tagoloan and Mayor Casino. I was proud of him. 

I was still at the PDS when he passed away and I mourned his untimely death. If death did not claim him early I'm sure he could have been one of the best leaders we have in the province.  

If he did not die he could have been the governor of the province since he was well liked by other mayors. 

2. Arteo Arting Valdehueza. I did not meet Valdehueza in the course of his political career.  I met him after he lost the elections to then mayor Vicente Emano in the early part of the 80s as I was already employed at the 6th Municipal Circuit of Tagoloan-Villanueva, Misamis Oriental under the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

I knew Atty. Valdehuesa because I knew him to be the classmate of my late Tita (Aunt) Julia Naelga-Laluna who was their class valedictorian in elementary school. 

Tita Julie Lalu as we called her is the eldest among my father's sisters and brothers.  I have no idea what kind of mayor Valdehueza was since I was not yet back to Tagoloan that time. 

Mayor Arting was the vice-mayor  and assumed as mayor after Mayor Casino's death. 

I can only tell how good he was as a judge from the way he handles the court and the people involved in the court proceedings everyday. Since he knew the parties involved (or the parents of the parties unless any of the party are new to Tagoloan (dayo/visitors) then he would buy peace by exploring the possibilities of amicable settlement. 

It was all like a political exercise. If my memory serves me right, after he lost to Vicente” Dongkoy” Emano in the early 80s, Emano helped Judge “Arting” get the position as Municipal Circuit Judge after it was vacated when Judge Antonio A Orcullo was appointed to City Court. 

Helping Judge Arting get the judgeship of Tagoloan Villnueva was a good strategy to prevent Arteo from running again and solidifying support from the clans and families in my town. 

I kept on thinking about that recently and I think it was the first action that would make Dongkoy a great politician in the province. The move also looked good among the old guards and families in Tagoloan. 

The appointment of Judge Valdehuesa solidified Tagoloan. It was meant to silence the minority which was assumed to be represented by Valdehuesa. 

Judge Arteo embraced his judgeship and never entertained again the idea of running and stayed with the judiciary until his retirement. 

I noticed that he was still interested in Tagoloan town affairs and would give his opinion every now and then with staff after hearing cases in court. 

This is true when his younger brother, the late Nong Pablito, would tell him about the latest developments in the town and discussed the moves undertaken by Dongkoy. 

It was at this time while working at the court located on a separate building from the Municipal Court that I noticed how busy the municipal hall was at the time. 

Mayor Dongkoy would arrive late in the morning or early afternoon except Monday morning when it was the flag raising ceremony. 

Emano was surrounded with bodyguards and supporters including media that time. I recognized Radio Mindanao Network's Bill Henson, Ernie Coloma and the late Bingo Alcordo. There were others too but I could not place them in my memory card already.  
  
3. Vicente “Dongkoy”Emano. Of course before  he became mayor of Cagayan de Oro, he was the governor of Misamis Oriental.

Tagoloanons were proud of Dongkoy Emano and he was considered a demi-god. Even I was proud of him- he was the first governor from Tagoloan. 

But the umbilical cord of Dongkoy's political career was in Tagoloan when he became the town’s mayor.   Mayor Emano then was known to me as Mayor Dongkoy while I worked with Judge Arteo in the 6th Municipal Circuit Court of Tagoloan-Viilanueva, Misamis Oriental. 

The court was under the Supreme Court but Mayor Emano would always expand his jurisdiction over the national employees.
   
(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed as a sub-teacher and a part-time teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.
Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.
You can also connect with her through her email susanap.dennis@yahoo.com as well as her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)

Ronnie's road to recovery

Me and Ronnie at the Huntersville Health and Rehab Center

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

The Huntersville Health and Rehabilitation Center must have taken good care of my husband Ronnie that he didn't want to come home anymore.

At least that's the impression I got on my husband days before he was scheduled for discharge after 20 days of confinement at the center located at 13835 Boren Street, Huntersville in North Carolina, 28078.

At least it was good to know he was in better condition than before his admission, when he was quite emotional that he would shed a tear for the past three days presumably out of the physical pain he felt. 

Ronnie was admitted to the center's emergency ward after being discharged at the Novant Hospital. I called 911 when I could not get him up after he fell from the bed. 

Ronnie with Hannah at the facility's entrance

Actually he has this condition called neuropathy that is progressing since the onset. 

What used to be an annual condition is now happening every month and he has this feeling of weakness in which he couldn't move or swing his legs no matter how anyone helps him. 

The night before on July 26 he had high fever--the thermometer wasn't working but I was sure he had a fever because the wet wash cloth I placed atop his forehead would dry up minutes after I placed it on him.

Anyway I rushed him to the Novant Health Hospital where he was confined due to acute neuropathy resulting to general weakness. Doctors there also discovered that he had a sepsis infection or blood poisoning which by itself is fatal. 

After being discharged there, he was admitted to the Huntersville Health and Rehabilitation Center that was just a walking distance from most commercial establishments such as McDonalds, Starbucks, CVS and the Novant Hospital. 

The center just opened this summer and I can smell the paint. Ronnie was confined at room 106, the first room to the left going to the exit.  Room 106 was across the rows of new condos which make the skyline when you look it up lying on your bed. 

Room 106 at the center was his room for 20 days right after he was discharged from the Novant Health Hospital where he was confined for a week due to acute neuropathy resulting to general weakness. 

Ronnie with Janet Hixson

The first afternoon he was at Huntersville Health and Rehabilitation Center (HMRC) was a Saturday on July 30. 

I think the staff at Novant Hospital didn't make a good impression on Ronnie since the staff there were busy with their schedules.

Knowing Ronnie to be an extra social person, I think he expected the staff to be more welcoming but I can only guess that the center's staff are still adjusting to working there. 

Room 106 was spacious and fresh from the looks and smell. Paint was on my nose. The TV mounted on the wall was excellent. Furniture suited the patient's need. The center looked like a hotel for the disabled.

The bathroom which was also large was accessible to people with disabilities (PWDs) and had handle bars and knobs that can be easily used by the patients.

It is a family friendly center, spacious enough to accommodate family and friends. I stayed at the center with Ronnie most of the time and slept there though there was no extra bed.

We were able to provide our own which really makes it conducive to holistic healing as the patients were not separated from family members.  

Ronnie started his physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) which consists of exercises for the upper and lower extremities at the center's Mobility Garden on Monday, Aug. 1.

Ronnie told me that he was tired after the first time he did it. The Mobility Garden is said to be one of the latest advances in rehabilitation therapy.

The center's website explained and I quote it directly “by simulating the everyday situations you'll encounter when you're back at home (such as sand, grass, inclines, and uneven surfaces) our Mobility Garden insures that you'll be 100 percent ready to resume your everyday activities safely and independently. There are even plant beds, putting greens, and more to make sure you're ready for your favorite activities, too. It's the only one of its kind in the area.”

Ronnie likes this kind of exercise since he can stop at any time so long as he did it for an hour. 

Ronnie with his therapist

His army buddy Jim Duhon kept him company through the phone and he told me that the therapist should understand that Ronnie was slowly engaging in physical exercise because he hasn't been moving much for the last 20 years.

At first it was hard for Ronnie, but he later enjoyed it and it helped that he had beautiful therapists to keep him company. 

There is a media center with books, magazines and did I mention that his room is spacious enough to accommodate a large number of visitors.
  
The reception center is flowing with coffee and cold lemonade. During his confinement, Ronnie's day starts with breakfast at the cafeteria at 7:30 am and it helps that he can socialize with other patients too. 

After eating, the nurse would give them their medicines and most of them would check on their emails, read magazines or mostly stay at the reception room and play online games. 

By the way the nurses would check on the patient's vitals including their weight before breakfast. Before breakfast at least Ronnie starts the day with his bath and fresh towels are provided. 

Then at 9:30 am, Ronnie would start with his physical therapy. If his condition allowed it he can do PT for two hours. That's 40 hours of exercise for 20 days at the center and that's perhaps the longest time he got exercise in his life.

After this the patients would return to their rooms and either take a nap or watch TV or call friends. 

In Ronnie's case he would take a nap and call family members and friends like Jim Duhon, Viktor Diopala and JS Reid who would also call him back.  

The menu is made available to the patients who can choose their meals for the next day. “The food was excellent, ” Ronnie said. 

Ronnie with his dietician

An example of a patient's dinner is the “herbed pork loin, honey glazed meatballs, paprika rice, buttered corn and turnips green, dinner roll or melon in season. 

They can also be served hot roast beef sandwich, baked chicken, mashed potatoes, garlic herb gnocchi, green peas, seasoned squash or for dessert assorted cookies or the fruit of the day. 

Each meal ticket would have the corresponding carbohydrate/protein/mineral intake like 0-25 percent, 26-50 percent, 51-75 percent, 76-100 percent- whatever that means, what I do know is that the dietician did job well. 

And what I knew it is a meal portion is in accordance with the standard of weight loss depending on a patient's body weight and health issues.    

What I did observe is that the center's team was professional and dedicated to each patient's needs. Their goal I think is to give the highest quality care and service to the patient.

We went home at 7 am on August 18, with Ronnie attaining his recovery goal of improved balance, increased strength and increased physical independence.

I could not blame Ronnie if he didn't want to come home. At the rehab center he was exercising, eating the right food without preparing it and best of all, he socialized with a community of patients and the beautiful medical staff and nurses—beautiful people inside and out can also be panacea for the physically ill and the emotionally ailing--who cared for him. 

The Hunstersville Health and Rehabilitation Center is a place close to home. Ronnie and I had a good experience with them and on his behalf, I thank them for taking good care of my husband. 

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines who worked as a nanny and is now employed as a sub-teacher and a part-time teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas.
Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis.
You can also connect with her through her email susanap.dennis@yahoo.com as well as her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)

My daughter GG finds Filipino friends in England

My daughter GG (center, long haired) with Maita Cabunoc Mann during a Christmas party in Telford

by Susan Palmes-Dennis

Charlotte, North Carolina--I told my daughter Maria Regina who now lives in Newport,Shropshire,Uk to seek out Filipinos in her area so she can maintain her mother tongue and build new friendships.

I gave that advice to her last year when she was still unpacking her bags and boxes and settling into her home. 

Every time we chat at Skype, Facetime or at Facebook I would ask how many Pinoys she made friends with and she would tell me none so far. Yet she saw or noticed some Pinoys or what she thought were Filipinos in the mall, parks or even in the church. 

I was worried because I remembered six years ago when I was new here in North Carolina and I sought out Filipinos or Pinoys who live within my neighborhood. I felt isolated then, but not lonely of course because my husband Ronnie and his family provided me company.

But being Filipino born, you long to seek out fellow Filipinos and I finally found them at St. Mark Catholic Church and the rest is history. It was only a few months later that I found out there are many Filipinos in the Charlotte area. 

I don’t want my youngest daughter feeling that isolation. I know Simon and his family are providing GG the best company to alleviate whatever pangs of loneliness she must have felt.

There is just something in meeting these Pinoys and when you do find them that feeling of familiarity sets in and you sense a kinship that was missing when you first set off in a foreign country. 

GG told me she was okay and it doesn't matter if she still hasn't found some Filipinos then. By the way she is strong and can stand up for herself but she was on a mission that I sent her out to do and that is to find a Filipino community in her area.

She kept looking and one day she sent me a message asking if I knew of the Cabunoc family in Tagoloan town, Misamis Oriental. Having grown in Tagoloan, I replied yes. 

Then she messaged me again, telling me that she met Maita Cabunoc Mann. She said she met Maita at the supermarket while she was with her husband Simon Boddison, who pointed out a Filipino looking woman to her. 

GG then smiled at Maita and she smiled back, then they greeted each other and pretty soon, they engaged in casual conversation. When Maita mentioned that she was from Tagoloan, GG was pleasantly surprised and they shook hands, starting a friendship right there and then.

I talked to Maita at Facebook and I learned that she is the granddaughter of Nang Kiki Emata Cabunoc.  Maita grew up and lived in Butuan City, Caraga Region but her maternal grandparents are from my hometown of Tagoloan and I knew them all.

In fact I think they are distant relatives on my father's side, the Ematas, with her grandmother “Nang Kiki” and my mother side being the Cabunocs.

I could not trace my mother's roots anymore she being in heaven, God bless her soul. But I knew Maita's grandparents and her mother Aida Cabunoc who is two years older than me. 

I was first year at St. Mary’s High School and I knew Aida was in third year.  Aida Cabunoc was a classmate of Cherie Pacheco Nairn who is now based in the US,

Don Sergio Yap, the father of Atty. Yoyoc Yap who's running for mayor of Tagoloan town, lawyer Oscar Musni who is running for a City Council seat in Cagayan de Oro City, Lourdes Ramayan-Casino, Boy Casino, Yolando “Bobot” Casino, Aaron Neri, the barangay chairman of Macasanding, Cagayan de Oro  City and many others I can mention.

Maita’s mother Aida sported shoulder length hair and is a morena or brown-skinned. Her school uniform was wrinkle-free, like the uniforms worn by soldiers. 

Yes, I remember those days at Tagoloan Elementary School and St. Mary's High so clearly as if they only happened yesterday. I remember Aida's siblings and it was indeed a rare feat for GG to find a town mate from Tagoloan in England. 

I remember Nang Kiki, Maita's grandmother who is famous for her rice cake or “puto” that she peddles in school. The “puto” she sold was so white and fragrant, covered in fresh banana leaves. 

I can picture Nang Kiki with her little basket filled with puto covered with fresh banana leaves in order to protect them from the dust. The banana leaves made the puto so fragrant. 

Our snacks or merienda in those days consisted of puto, maruya (fried banana fritters), banana cue (sweet fried banana) and siakoy (donut fritter).  Maita also told me that she and her family visited Tagoloan during fiesta time and All Souls Day on Nov. 2. 

Maita is a nurse by profession and was working in Saudi Arabia. “I love cooking, love roaming around Telford with my bike, see the beauty of nature here which some people don’t notice,” Maita said. She loves listening to the songs of Adele.

GG (extreme right) with Filipino friends in Telford

She traveled a lot in Saudi Arabia and noticed that Filipinos there are very friendly. 

While she talked and as I wrote this piece, I was reminded about this ancient Chinese belief that every person is connected to everyone they will ever meet and to anyone that will ever be important to them, by invisible threads. 

This belief states that the threads may stretch or tangle, but they will never break. I was instantly captivated, not only by the paradox but the sheer truth of that Chinese saying. It could be true. 

I do believe that every person we meet in our life and the people whose lives bump into ours, get entangled with the threads of our lives and somehow become part of our own existence. 

As we age, with each passing year, the threads grow tighter, bringing us closer to the people whose lives are destined to intertwine with ours in some way.

Now I am contented that GG has a friend there in Telford who came from a place where our grandmothers and grandfathers are related and are friends to a new  generation. 

The third generation met in a far place away from Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, away from the Philippines. Strange yet wonderful indeed how the people we met early in our life could somehow find a way to connect to us again.

(Susan Palmes-Dennis is a veteran journalist from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao in the Philippines and is now employed as teacher assistant in one of the school systems in the Carolinas. 

Read her blogs on susanpalmesstraightfrom the Carolinas.com and at http://www.blogher.com/myprofile/spdennis54. These and other articles also appear at http://www.sunstar.com.ph/author/2582/susan-palmes-dennis. You can also connect with her through her email susanap.dennis@yahoo.com as well as her Pinterest account at http://www.pinterest.com/pin/41025046580074350/) and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Straight-from-the-Carolinas-/494156950678063)