Stories

If you happen to be one of those who "are still holding on to your integrity", I just want to encourage you and tell you of a very rich man I've come to know through the years.

In his time he owned more land than the Ayalas, had he been Chinese, he would have qualified as an original Taipan. He was understandably loved by those who worked for him.

But then one day his fortunes changed. Rebel forces came to loot his farms and killed his helpers in much the same fashion as the Abu Sayyaf did. In the same summer wildfire like those in Indonesia and Australia hit his pasture lands.

In spite of such misfortune, his family kept a positive attitude and carried on but no optimism could have prepared him when he lost all his children in a freak storm that caused the roof to fall on all of the children.

It was too much for the guy and soon enough the loss and subsequent stress resulted in a really depressing case of skin asthma that made him look like he had leprosy.

Some people expected him to end everything at the end of a rope. Others asked him what bad deed he do to deserve such Karma? His own wife had just about had enough of the whole deal was so bitter she encouraged him to take it out on God.

He refused.

Instead of rant and rave about his sudden misfortune, "He fell to the ground in worship". What he told his wife is an often quoted statement that cancer patients and victims of misfortune use as a reminder: "Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?"

After all was said and done, the man eventually recovered and got twice what he lost. He had a second set of children… he died old and full of years.

His name was Job.

I recently discovered that there are modern day Jobs, although they may not look anything like him. We regularly hear and read about the honest janitors, guards, and drivers around the airport, but we don’t hear much about the bigger people who gave up bigger things.

We specially find it hard to believe their good deeds because of all the politics and propaganda that comes with the territory. A case in point is the true story of the multi-million peso kiss.

According to my sources at the confessional, a former Sr. deputy chief of staff in the Arroyo administration named Renato found himself invited to dinner by a company that won in a bidding for a government contract. The winning bidders had won fair and square but the company rep was apparently advised to show their appreciation to the powers that be.

Renato was even given a brown bag for take home which was discreetly placed by his foot. However the bag seemed unusually large and embarrassed him.

Out of curiosity Renato opened the bag and was surprised to find out that the brown bag was not full of Peking duck and lechon. Instead he found crisp thousand peso bills amounting to a million. For a split second the take home bag looked mighty tasty.

His wife noticed the look of alarm and inquired what the matter was? Upon learning, the wife told Renato to return the bag and the couple simply said: Thanks but no thanks.

Upon reaching home the wife of Renato gave him what she calls a million peso kiss. What followed was not an "indecent proposal".

The choices we make in life are by themselves a blessing because there are others who literally don’t have the choice.

Just because we make the right choices does not also make our situation right.

Back when Senator Richard Gordon was just a mere mortal we called "Flash Gordon" running SBMA, a major investor in Subic was so impressed with the professionalism and hassle-free process.

After hitting it big in the complex, the major investor sent one of his lieutenants to express his appreciation …. a whopping P35 million gift. "Consider it dividends for good performance."

The lieutenant coursed the offer through a guy named Inky. Given his name, Inky could have used squid tactics, made a deal for himself or worked out a cut. Instead he went straight to Flash Gordon and informed him about the "dividends".

I can’t confidently nominate Flash Gordon for sainthood in spite of his Jesuit training, but in this case Flash Gordon earned a few stripes. He flatly declined and instructed "Inky" to diplomatically educate the investor on the Subic culture of volunteerism and integrity.

Flash Gordon moved on to become the Honorable Richard Gordon. Inky on the other hand was fired from SBMA. Someone wanted his job, used the power of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and kicked him out of SBMA.

For one year, Inky went without work. He now works for a firm whose integrity reflects his, and whose appreciation for its employees is well known. Inky now works for SGV.

* * *

There is life after politics and government. The question is will it be a heaven we deserved or Hell we prepared?

Some people at the Clark Development Corporation are apparently creating a Hell that will eventually burn them. To date I’ve received several complaints about how the new CDC management are trying to wipe their tables clean of contracts, Memos of Agreements and Memos of Understanding.

The impression is that the CDC bosses are more inclined to "Chinese" investors, Big Boys and Taipans. An American group that spent so much money hiring business consultants, lawyers, ground staff and putting together several business plans suddenly find themselves being given the cold shoulder.

A small flight school recently went public with its beef with the CDC bosses who want to bully him out of the air school business. The question is whose name is now being used in vain? Is someone in Malacañang really preparing Clark as her future sanctuary? Or is some smart lackey just taking advantage?

In the last 3 years, it would do well for PGMA to put a tight watch on people bent on taking advantage at her expense. Like a candidate previously accused of "rape" and now expects PGMA’s endorsement in the coming election.