Survivor's tale of woe and change

Salvador “Badoy” Maristela Gerona was born in Ticao, Masbate. His life was simple, life in the barrio of Togoron was a Jurassic Park, there being no television — in the first place, there was no electricity — no industrial activity, no trade and commerce, “just simple living,” says Badoy.

“But I was a dreamer especially when I was a teenager,” says Badoy, “and often asked myself what was the meaning of life, what must I do to achieve my goals, my ambition, my dreams and aspirations?”

At a young age, he philosophically divided his life into three stages, each consisting of 25 years. The first was the learning stage — “doing my best to learn and acquire the knowledge that I could accommodate in my craving mind, developing skills as a tool for living and armed with knowledge to be at the top of the line as a civil engineer.” He finished civil engineering at Mapua Institute of Technology, Class ’63, in Manila. The desire for professional advancement brought him to foreign countries in Asia, Australia and Europe as engineering consultant and prospective contractor.

The second stage, to be realized in the next 25 years, went into earning “a decent living, programming myself to ‘graduate’ from poverty.” He settled down in Iligan City, and established a construction business which would be one of the largest in Mindanao. Gerona Enterprises would also be engaged in shipping, heavy equipment leasing, resort and eco-park development.

But Badoy’s greatest treasure is his lifetime partner, Chiquithelma Bersales of Misamis Occidental, “for she is my better half in the true sense of the word.” They have four children, three boys and one girl. All of them are working with the Gerona Enterprises, either as project managers or project engineers. “All of us in the family must have suffered the fangs of poverty when I started my business from a meager loan from my brother.”

Badoy then devoted a lot of time to community development, and conceptualized the Better Iligan Movement. It consists of professionals from the academe, civic organizations, bankers, civil society, Muslims, Lumads and Christians into socio-economic, environment, culture, livelihood infrastructure, health and sanitation clustered into groups. “The idea is on how one can contribute severally or collectively to make a better place to live in with one’s God-given talents and abilities.”

He also organized the Iligan Multi-Culture Center Inc. (IMCCI), composed of Muslims, Christians and Lumads, with the main goal of having “peaceful co-existence among people of diverse cultures and beliefs. Our idea is to have unity in diversity to have progress among the tribes of Iligan. I realized that it is only when we form intimate friendships with them, not just by casual encounters, that they can truly glimpse our character as a people.”

“To balance my life — that is, between work, family and community — I hold that leading a committed life requires more than just commitment or emotional intensity in loving our Creator. I need to develop the ability to channel my energy to focus wholeheartedly into something that would please my God.”

Badoy, who will turn 71 on April 15, has entered the third stage of his philosophical life, which he calls “philanthropic” stage, that is, from 50 to 75 years of age. He had thought of retiring, “but retirement is when you no longer work for money but when your money works for you.” He devotes time to helping others with the resources he accumulated during his earning stage. One of the projects he developed was the construction of a 250-person capacity multi-purpose building intended for social functions, a health clinic, training and classrooms for out-of-school youths, including trainers’ training for heavy equipment operators.

And then, on Dec. 17, 2011, Sendong struck Iligan and Cagayan de Oro cities, affecting 69,696 families, 384,431 people, and 1,495 casualties. “It was the worst natural calamity in the world in year 2011,” says Badoy. “The traumatic experience I have had in facing a death situation had become the turning point in my life — a paradigm shift in my philosophy of living. In retrospect, Sendong awakened my concept of personal freedom and happiness that had always been available unknowingly. I had programmed to live a philosophical life in stages. Truly, I would never have found the answer to my search about the meaning of life, if not for Sendong. After Sendong, I learned the secrets of living.” Badoy realized he must be “a catalyst for change.”

Badoy and Chiquithelma were in bed when their son Bong woke them up, and had everyone in the household and neighborhood run to the company office building on the national highway, half a kilometer away from their house. There would be 196 people on the rooftop, trapped at that critical moment the ravaging flood water swept everything in its path. “I looked at death face to face as imminent,” said Badoy. A whole house floated along the highway, past the office building, and shouts could be heard — “TABAANG!” (Help!) Badoy in reflection, says, “I felt paralyzed. For the first time in my 45 years as engineer-contractor building bridges, dams, wharves, roads and almost all kinds of infrastructure in our country, I felt helpless. Worse, my youngest son Jopet, the registered nurse, asked me, ‘Dad, what must we do?’ Apparently he wanted to be comforted, relying on my experience and capability as a ‘jack of all trades,’ an experienced engineer. I said, ‘There’s nothing we can do.’

“I could hear everyone murmuring prayers. Meanwhile the flood current was getting stronger, rising so fast, and the rain continued pouring like from a bucket. Our building could be gone in seconds. Sounds of sighing voices in the surrounding areas enveloped the darkness. These images continue to haunt me even at this time.”

“My son asked me the same question, and this time, I said, ‘Let’s trust our Creator. What a unique feeling of relief rushed through me, as I entrusted my life, my family, to God. But you have to believe what you prayed for. And if you are going to have other people trust and rely on you, you must feel first you can trust your God.”

Then the rain stopped. “Everyone was so thankful and teary-eyed with the joy of a new life. They congratulated one another especially us. Actually, we were just living up to our name as “GERO NA, SALVADOR PA.”

“I had anticipated that everything we worked for all these years, my heavy equipment units, cars, properties, would be lost, and whatever is left, will be a bonus. This kind of mindset prepared me to see the great devastation with only a dry smile.” He surveyed the devastated landscape as he walked through the debris amid the stench of decaying bodies. The BIR had reported P58,538.507.92 worth of physical losses. Twenty-two heavy equipment were buried in the mud, and washed away along with the Mandulog river’s sand and gravel quarry operations. The Geronas reported to the BIR losses of P58 million. But not one of their heavy equipment unit was carried away by flood waters.

Badoy is now one of the proponents of an advocacy group called Iligan Disaster and Rehabilitating Coordinating Center, which collaborates with the local government in addressing the immediate needs, through medium and long-range programs, to alleviate the sufferings of Sendong flood victims.

Badoy is happy in his realization of being a catalyst for change.

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