FINALLY MY TRIP TO THE UNITED STATES

I did not expect that we would get approved for a tourist Visa since we did not have any money nor property to present in the interview. But I did not also expect that we would be denied. It was a fifty-fifty thing. Bro. Robert Cavaness, the man behind in sending Bro. Willhoite to the Philippines sent us a letter of invitation and some amount to be spent in our trip. However, we did not use the letter of Bro. Cavaness in the interview but the letter of Bro. Howell from California. There were four of us in the interview, me, Venus, her sister Florida, and Rey, Florida's son. We were only equipped with ambition to go to the United States. This was our first interview. We brought our church pictures and a bank account that had an amount of sixteen pesos. We were banking on Bro. Howell's letter that he would be shouldering all of our expenses. We prayed and prayed, even when we were lined up for the interview. I could see the tensions on the faces of the people who were lined up with us. Florida was telling Daday to catch her when she would pass out if the consul approved us a Visa. We had the joy in our hearts that at long last we were finally in the US Embassy to apply for the Visa to come to the United States. This was just a dream in the past, a desire in our hearts, which we constantly spoke about even by way of preaching and in the overnight testimonial service. Tracy Coloma, one of our young people, had chided us that even if we would sell everything that we had it would not be enough to get us to America.

As we were seated, we were watching those that were approved and those that were disapproved. We were also very keen about which consul approved easier. We saw people's faces getting sour and this told us that they had been disapproved. And we see exuberant faces as well which showed that they got a Visa. Finally, it was our turn. The consul, a young white man, in his late twenties, asked: "Who is the leader here?" I answered that it was me. I handed all our passports and he asked why we wanted to visit the United States? "What is your purpose to go to the United States?" I answered, "We are invited to preach there." He looked at the pictures and he noticed that the people in the pictures were raising their hands. "Why do you pray so very enthusiastically?" Venus answered: "Because God really answers prayers." She asked the consul, "Do you want that we will pray for you? What is your name?" The consul said that God knew his name. Then he looked to our bank account. He saw there was only sixteen pesos in it. "So, you mean to tell me that you give all your money to the church that is why you do not have any money?" We all chorused, "Yes." He gathered all our passports and then he said, "Okay you come back this afternoon for your passports." He gave us the green stubs, which meant that we had been granted the Visa. Florida motioned to Daday with so much joy and said, "You catch me, I am fainting."

The next step was for us to look for the money. We originally planned to go all together but we did not have the funds to do it. It was decided that I would go first, and then I would raise the money there, and then send money back home for Venus. Florida and Rey's fare would be shouldered by Charlo Almeda their brother, who at this time was a lawyer in Jersey City, New Jersey. To get the money for my fare we had to borrow from a woman who was a friend of Venus whom she hadn't seen for a long time. We made our van as a collateral. I called Bro. Cavaness that we got the Visa and all of them in the AMF governing body were delighted. My port of entry was Los Angeles. Bro. Howell of Hollister was going to pick me up.

I flew Japan Airlines for my first time ever to fly out of the Philippines. Many of our church members saw me off in the airport, and of course, with all of my now four children. Juven Lee, the fourth child was born on November 23, 1981. And Venus at this time was due for our fifth child Damariz, who would be born in New York. I had to make sure that I had all of my papers with me when I got inside the airport. It was a very momentous event. I finally was going to do the impossible, that is to go to America. But because of my being a leader for a long time, this trip was not giving me any fear. I was excited in fact that I could finally fulfill the chapter in my life that was destined to happen. When the giant plane took off with me in it I knew then that my life was going to change forever. Among all the pastors of my peers I was the first one to come to the United States. I was very confident in me that God was going to be with me according to all the promises that He made to me while I was still in the Bible School. I had peace in my heart when the jumbo jet took off. The Holy Spirit assured me that all would be well.

I had only $70 in my pocket when I landed Los Angeles. I was not asked with many questions at the port of entry, all I showed to the immigration officer was the letter from Bro. Howell. I was given six months to stay. When I collected all my suitcases from the baggage claim I went outside and waited for Bro. Howell. He was not there. I waited and waited and finally I called his house. I spoke to somebody who told me that Bro. Howell went to Texas and that he did not have any idea that I was arriving. I was at a loss what to do. I took a cab and asked to be taken to a cheap hotel. I paid the cab and the hotel and I got $33 left with me. From the hotel I called Bro. Cavaness and asked if he could pick me up. Bro. Cavaness lived in Alabama and I did not have any idea that Alabama was very far. He just laughed. But he said, "Don't worry, I will send somebody for you." In a little while the phone in my room rang and Bro. Fletcher was on the other line. He introduced himself to me and said that Bro. Cavaness called him and that he would come early in the morning to pick me up. I thought, what would I do if no one will come and get me?

In the morning, around eight o'clock, Bro. Fletcher came knocked on my door. He knew about what was going on in the Philippines and had heard about my work. He was a part of the AMF. He took me to eat and took me to his house to rest. When I asked him that I wanted to use the comfort room he could not understand what I asked for. He did not know that a comfort room is a toilet in the Philippines. But I did not know I should have said restroom instead of comfort room. Bro. Fletcher thought that I was talking about a bedroom. I rested in a real nice room in their house and that evening we went to his church service and I preached. I brought many tapes of my recording and I was able to sell many of them. That evening he gave me an offering of $300. All of a sudden I had money. From $70 dollars the Lord gave me an increase. Then on the next night Bro. Fletcher took me to preach at Bro. Davis, one of the largest church in San Bernardino. Bro. Davis also gave me an offering of $500. Then on the next day, which was a Sunday, Bro. Fletcher took me to another church. By four days after I arrived I received $2200 in offering. I was so blessed and amused. And I sent in that week the money that Venus needed to follow me with Florida and Rey Mones.

COMING TO AMERICA

The Caloocan church was the place of my true personal development and maturity. This was now the longest stopping ground for me and my family and I gained here the honor, dignity, and respect as a man of God. With Eddie Wheeler's coming, the AMF was torn apart, but he got the most part because he had the money to lure the pastors. Cesar de la Crus, Pol Aguinaldo, were with me to fight Wheeler in court, to get an injunction against him. He manipulated some paperworks and got some pastors to testify for him. I had the lousiest lawyer, and we were a neophyte in court matters. In short, we lost the case. Wheeler succeeded to get the Pasay property and the rest of the 17 churches and he was also getting his hands on the property of Caloocan. I communicated with the leadership in the United States about what was going on and they were not happy with Eddie Wheeler. Hanchey and Willhoite were upset about the whole thing, and they were all on my side. The chairman of the AMF in the US was for the nationals to continue the leadership. But Wheeler had some friends who were also members of the US board. There was bitter division in the US. I was very angry. I thought of getting an Armalite gun to blow up Eddie Wheeler.

But the church in Caloocan continued to do great. As a young pastor I was on fire and full of ambition. I'd listen to the DZAS radio, a Christian radio station, and I admired Efren Pallorina, Romy Dinglas, Malu Javier, Proceso Marcelo, among others, and the president of Far East Broadcasting, Rev. Fred Magbanua. I also wanted to be famous as Greg Tingson, considered as the Billy Graham of the Philippines, and the brothers: Mike and Paul Lacanilao. This time Engineer Dimi Moldez, officer of Meralco, Manila's largest electric company, got converted to my church. He had the connections and some funds. He shouldered the expenses for my second album, "One Day," a song that I composed. We recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in Makati. My first album, "Now Is The Time To Prepare," went well as distributed by Praise, Inc. My connection with other ministries and other churches enlarged because of my albums. Radio stations played my songs and churches sang my songs in their worship time. We recorded my first album in the DZAS studios without any experience. Ruben Pagcanlungan, the guitarist of the recently released Charismatic recording of Gloria Sevilla at that time, helped me. I had the Jesus Miracle Crusade choir of Pastor Wilde Almeda as my back-up. We were so new to this that Roger Padrinao, the DZAS engineer, called us greenhorns. Whatever he said didn't matter. We played and we did what we knew. We had recorded nine songs already and lacked one more song. I sat down while my crew listened to what we did and I composed the song, "What A Day That Will Be." I completed it in fifteen minutes and we practiced it and we recorded it and we completed ten songs in the album. When everything was finished I brought the master copy to Praise, Inc. Johnny Sy, the owner was amazed. "This is the best recording that came out of the DZAS studio," he said. We all praised God for that, especially Venus who was in fasting while we were in the process of recording. The second album, "One Day," was also distributed by Praise. My name began to get circulated.

Seeing what happened in my life from today's vantage point I can pinpoint many things that would prove that God had been there all along programming me into what I needed to become. God sees the end from the beginning and details of His plans are simply the necessary ingredients that have to happen in order to bring about the desired end. I can feel God on the daily basis now because I have known how He had worked throughout the events all taking place in my life and through the years. People talk about a set up when a situation is arranged in order to see something happen to a person or to a program in the near or far future. This truly what took place in my life: God had set me up.

In the very beginning God gave my life back to my mother when I was dying when I was just a very little baby because she promised that she would dedicate me to the ministry. Then, at age eight, I got exposed into the ministry, as a young altar worker. Then I got entangled into the streets as a blacksheep of the family. Then I got taken out from the streets by diverting me into the Bible School. Then Willhoite came. Then I hit the nail with my first sending me out of the house to be talked into going to Manila by Lourdes Depino. Then, in Manila, I got married to Venus, and I became a right hand man to Bro. Willhoite. Then at only twenty-two years old I supervised seventy-two pastors. And then I got to come back to Manila again and then take over the Caloocan church. And then Wheeler came to divide us, which made the leadership in the United States recognized my leadership. And then I recorded two albums.

I came into the Manila scene when I was seventeen turning eighteen. I would be twelve years old in Manila and going thirty years in age when I would get the chance to go to the United States. In June 24 of 1983, God allowed me to set foot in the United States, on my birthday. I arrived June 23 in the evening and spent my night in a run-down hotel in Los Angeles and the very next day, which was my birthday, Rev. Darnell Fletcher of Fontana, California, knocked on my door and introduced himself to me. He got me out from the hotel and took me to a restaurant at lunch time and I told him that it was my birthday. I did not know at that time how the waiters do it in America when someone among the customers is having a birthday, but when they were informed about my birthday all of them came to our table and brought a cake with a candle and they sang me a happy birthday song. I officially turned 30 years old that day. Looking to it now, the hand of God had always been in my life to set me up on an international ministry when at 30 years old, just like the age when Jesus Christ started his ministry formally, he brought me to America. My life was never boring. There was never a boring moment in my system. And even at this time that I am writing my story, God is truly present in my life, setting me up to fulfill His plans for my life, which I believe I am just beginning to see part of its entirety.

THE CALOOCAN CHURCH

Coming back to Manila in the early part of 1975 was restarting to build again. Nothing came out of the businesses that I left behind. And there was no way that I could get back the church in Pasay. For the time being we lived with the Hanchey's in White Plains, Quezon City and commuted to teach the third batch of Bible School in Caloocan church. Not too long after this we found a house in St. Anthony's Subdivision in Cainta, Rizal and we got financial support from Bro. Hanchey. The house was up and down, newly built, and the subdivision was for the middle class.We started evangelizing the neighborhood and planned to put up a church in the area. I felt like displaced in leardership since I belonged to the Mindanao work rather than in Manila. Bro. Hanchey supervised the churches using Pastor Pol Aguinaldo, Cesar de la Cruz as the leaders. With me going around to the churches now, acting as an evangelist, the pastors around slowly adjusted to the fact that I was again getting up into the leadership position. That was especially true on Bro. Hanchey's insinuation. Later on the Caloocan church had a situation which necessitated for a new pastor to take over. And it did not take long Bro. Hanchey let us take over the said church. So, from a nice house in St. Anthony we moved to a small room located upstairs of the Caloocan church. The area where the church was located was infested with drug pushers, theives, and killers. I was putting my family in danger by moving to this church. Yet, I wanted to have a church to pastor so we moved to live in the church building.

There was but nine people that attended the church. But because of the Bible School students who lived also in the church building the church services had more people. The first thing I did was gather the older children in the immediate surrounding of the church to teach them how to sing. I formed a singing group and I let these kids participate. These young teenagers were obliged to attend the services. I laid my hands on them to pray them through in God. The strategy worked, I got them into the church and they all became church workers. Some of them even became pastors later on.

I formally started pastoring the Caloocan church in 1976, I was now 23 years old at this time. Additionally, I had the Bible School in my care which helped me built the church by using them to evangelize and invite new people. My spiritualitybecame very high because I was motivated to grow the church so that I could have the biggest church in the area. Venus and I prayed at dawn every morning and we fasted. Soon after people became glued to our dedication, the members who lived nearby joined our very early morning prayers. Our services became very high-powered events. One night I demonstrated in my preaching that the images that the Catholics do worship were helpless and I broke them in the middle of my preaching. These images, such as the holy family (Joseph, Mary, and Jesus), were revered highly by the Catholic adherents. The baptized members were edified by this act but some of the visitors where very unhappy. One of the most notorious killers in the area saw what I was doing and he sent a notice around that he would kill me for breaking the images. Sis. Lourdes Sitchon, one of the members, warned me for it. I only shrugged my shoulders yet I became watchful. Then, one early morning, I could hear people from the back of the church talking in hysterical voices. Sensing an emergency situation, I went out to investigate. I found out that a man's head had been found in the ditch just beside the church building and the police came to take it away. "Turing did it," Sis. Lourdes informed us. Turing was the man who made the threat that he was going to kill me for breaking the idols.

One Sunday night, I was already preaching, Turing came inside the church. He sat in the vacant seat on the rear. People turned around to see who came in and then silence fell on all of them. Sis. Lourdes motioned in her hands to quietly get my attention letting me know that it was Turing who came in. I knew. I had been speaking to him on occasions about the Lord, not knowing who he was. Undaunted but concern I continued to preach. Turing listened to my salvation message. Then Turing got up and walked toward the front. I thought to myself that he was carrying a gun to shoot me. But he knelt down on the altar to pray. The people screamed to worship God when they saw this. I laid hands on Turing to pray for him. He accepted the Lord Jesus Christ and surrendered his life to God. Not long after this, the police arrested him and he was convicted for murder and was sent to the national penitentiary.

By now, the church was running packed with people. Notable miracles were happening like the lame and cancer cases getting healed. We conducted evangelistic crusade outside of the church on a vacant property. We invited Pastor Celedonio Ompad to preach for us. The group called "The Singing Beryls" became our guest. And it was in one of the nights of the crusade that a neighbor by the name of Bing Ocampo came to the Lord. He came to the crusade because he got attracted to one of the girls of The Singing Beryls but that was just a way by the Holy Spirit to lead him to the gospel. Eventually, Bing came to the Bible School to study in the ministry and today he is pastoring his church in Los Angeles, California.

Caloocan church became the "church of all churches" in terms of revivals and miracles. At this time I took time to finish my fourth year high school. I was still young at 23, so through the encouragement of Venus I enrolled in Sanciangco High School in Malabon. Sanciangco was part of the Arrellano University. Later on, one of my teachers, Angelina Gonzales, came to our service. We converted her and baptized her. I graduated from Sanciangco and then by the following year I enrolled for my bachelor's degree in business at the Philippine Christian College, now, Philippine Christian University. As before, I was rolling in enthusiasm. I had been successful in about everything that I had put my heart into. Amidst of my successes, a situation had arisen which had to do with the AMF organization, in which I was now the main leader. Bro. Hanchey had already went back to the United States and we wanted the US to turn the work in the Philippines to the hands of the nationals. That did not happen because they sent a replacement in the person of Eddie Wheeler. We were capable of governing ourselves and so Eddie Wheeler's arrival was not as welcome as Bro. Hanchey. He was a cunning man, a genius in getting his own way prosper, and he took the AMF away from us and from the AMF in the United States. I did not just allow him to do his thing without a fight. I went to court and sued him.

AT 22, SUPERVISING 72 PASTORS

Not only that I was going to be leaving tons of businesses and opportunities, I most hated the fact that we lost the church in Progreso, Pasay, to Pastor Pol Aguinaldo. I had nothing against Pol, he was my treasurer in the organization, but what was painful was the fact that we considered the church and the building our very own, since it was a monument to our independence. Plus, we worked very hard for it, putting people in it on our own endeavors. I would leave behind the promoting of the movie, "The Cross And The Switchblade," the Subic Bay housing contract, and my helping Wilde Almeda to put up his church in Novaliches. Also, I would now lose money from my supplying electrical materials through a Chinese businessman who trusted me and eventually became my friend. That business was picking up well.

We arrived Cagayan de Oro, in Mindanao, in August of 1975. Venus was due for our third child in the following month. My cousin, Ester, sister of Mario Ayudtud, let us stay with them while we look for our own place. Then Chic, Anna Marie, our second daughter, fell ill to broncho pneumonia. Up to this time we never used any medicine; we only rebuked all illnesses and diseases that came on us in the name of Jesus Christ. Chin was barely three, and Chic over a year old, and Venus was giving birth to Lemuel, who we nicknamed Jones. Looking back to it now, I do not know how I managed all that happened. Venus was over a week old having Jones and Chic was black and blue having a week-old high fever. She was dying and we were not taking her to the hospital. Taking her to the doctor was tantamount to betraying our faith in God. Ester, my cousin, was just observing us. Seeing Chic's labored breathing she said, "I do not understand the kind of God you're believing in. You have been praying and praying and this child is still dying. If you will not take her to the hospital, I will call the police on you." We rushed Chic to the hospital from where just a few days ago Venus delivered Jones. Right away a bottle of dextrose was hooked up to Chic. "My wife just gave birth to our son, and things were just out of control," I reasoned with the doctors. For the very first time in many days Chic's labored breathing calmed down. Her frail body relaxed and went to the original color. Venus, stronger now, came to visit Chic. "She is going to be alright," she said. But something very bad happened that night. I watched Chic having a difficulty to breath. She was red all over. I became very afraid, especially when two children just near to where I was sitting just died moments ago. The nurses became frantic upon seeing Chic. I was holding her, screaming, praying, calling the doctors. They had included an antibiotic in the dextrose which Chic's body was allergic to. The doctors gave her anti-allergy. She calmed down yet death was still on her face. Her eyes had been un-opened for days now, her lips black and parched. Venus came early in the morning and I told her what happened. She rubbed Chic's hair and gently planted a kiss on her forehead. "She is gonna be okay," she said. "The Lord just told me in prayer this morning that He did not bring us here to take away anyone of us. He brought us here to increase us." In three days time Chic got well enough and we took her home.

In a month's time, things settled down. We took a big house in Kimaya, Jasaan where we would be staying for the many months to follow. Meanwhile, in Manila we learned that the Willhoite family was called to go back to the States. They would be replaced by Bro. and Sis. Charles Hanchey. Obviously, Bro. Willhoite had been laboring so hard in the Philippines that he went to a nervous breakdown.

This time I already familiarized with the places where the AMF churches were located. I conducted meetings of pastors in the designated regions. Many of them, who were up in their sixties, thought I was too young to be their leader. I was only 22 years of age, and really boyish in looks. When I spoke, however, they all listened up and heeded my directions. Especially when they saw the money that I was going to give to each of them as their monthly salary. I was the boss on the account of the money. And I was a pretty darn good preacher too. When Venus had the chance to travel with me, along with my children, they only had admiration of her and my family. Venus, who was fair and strikingly attractive, appeared like an American lady to them. Almost all of them that did not know us thought that she was from the United States.

When Bro. Hanchey finally visited Mindanao, we were nine months into our stay. I gathered everyone at the VIP Hotel in Cagayan de Oro. Bro. Hanchey was a heavy set white man with face much rounder than Bro. Willhoite, yet smaller, and much slicker. Hanchey was a salesman when he talked; if he lived in New York he could easily sell the Brooklyn bridge. What a preacher! I haven't heard anyone quite like him. "I want you to come back to Manila," he told me in private. I don't think you are a man for this kind of people." He believed that Willhoite had it wrong when he sent us to Mindanao. "We'll take you to the United States when we go back," he jestingly added.

Our stay in Cagayan de Oro was a time for me to get close to my mother and father. They moved near to our place and so they got a chance to know the three children. My mother and father loved my children, and my children also equally returned the love. My father was overjoyed to see us. My mother endlessly glibbed with Daday, the nickname of Venus, and untiringly told her my story as a child. "We never thought that Boy would ever change," she told Venus. "But when he was born and he almost died I lifted him up to God and told God that if He would just heal him that I would give him to the ministry." She looked up to the sky and said: "And He heard my prayer. Here you are now."

It was not only my mother and father who were very happy and proud. My two brothers who were rising in the ranks of the Assembly of God organization, Pastor Fred and Pastor Ramon, were ecstatic with gladness. They bragged and bragged about me as being their only brother who has gone to Manila and would be going to America soon. They also sang the songs I wrote, "Now is the time to prepare," "I know that someday," and "I'm stranger here." They made the songs famous and even church choirs in many places sang them." God had brought me back to Mindanao for a purpose, to show His power to change a life, and to further teach us about what ministry was really like.

Nearly a year that we stayed in Mindanao, we were again on the ship going back to Manila. This time, Mama Almeda, Venus' mother, who came down from Manila to stay with us for a while, along with Princess and Marilyn, her sisters, and also Sis. Celia, a classmate in the Bible School, were all with us in the ship going back to Manila. That night, in the ship, before going to sleep, I muttered to myself: "Here I come again, Manila!"

WORKING ON INDEPENDENCE

Jack Langham, Willhoite's substitute, prepared me for independence unbeknownst to Bro. Willhoite and made me decide to choose a small church. "We could build a big church where I will be the pastor, which means that we will no longer build small churches in the provinces. Or, I will build you a small church and you will be the pastor and build other small churches in the provinces." This was the decision Bro. Willhoite wanted me and Venus to decide on. The huge church was really the route to go, because then we would be able to have many people as all the money from the Stateside support will all be put in it. Why choose the small when you can be big. Eventually, as the assistant pastor, there was a big chance that I would eventually become the pastor later on. We opted for the small church with our independence and so Bro. Willhoite purchased a property on Progreso Street in Harrison, Pasay City and erected a small church for us. Then seventeen other churches were also erected after that once of which was in Caloocan City. The small church buildings were constructed simultaneously in Pangasinan, in Mindanao, in Batangas, and in Mindoro. I had the more expensive church building since I had the most members. We moved in to the building in March of 1974 where we held the first international conference of AMF with guest coming from the United States, REv. B Spell, and Rev. Robert Cavaness, Jr. We also had guest from India, Rev. Morar. The Mindanao pastors came and the pastors from Pangasinan headed by Pastor Ben Tayao also came. The place was packed with people and the guest from America were mightily impressed abut the good work Bro. and Sis. Willhoite did.

I was no longer getting a salary from the organization at this time because I was already on my own although I still belonged to the organization. As a matter of fact I was now the head pastor over all. I was twenty one years old at the time. Anna Marie, pet name, Chic, was born March 1, 1974 and so I had to find a way to make money to support my growing family. AT this time, aside from the church work, I went into construction and supplied construction materials. The United Pentecostal Church at that time, another uge organization of the oneness movement, was constructing a big church in Makati and I supplied their electrical requirements as well as constructed their pews. I also went into selling cars, and did successfully well. Incidentally, I had gone to the Philippine Bible Society store on United Nations Avenue to look for tagalog Bibles and, upon knowing that I was a pastor Rev. Joel Vista, the General Secretary gave me twenty Bibles for free. He also wanted me to work for them in promoting the new movie, "The Cross And The Switchblade" of David Wilkerson. So, just turning twenty-one years old I already had two children, a construction business, and a job with PBS as a movie promotions person. Moreover, Tony Chua, a Chinese who attended my church brought a contract to do 160 houses in Subic Bay for the American servicemen, and I signed contract with a Marikina Subdivision developer by the name of Palisoc Construction, along with the Y Engineering, to do the houses. Meanwhile, I was led to Mr. Ding Pasaylon, the man responsible in promoting the movie, "King Kong", and he agreed to work with me to promote "The Cross And The Switchblade." Ding Pasaylon was also currently the Executive Vice President of the Makati Golf And Country Club and he donated one certificate to me worth P25,000 pesos. We also scheduled a Bible Study in his office and after the Bible Study he would give me a big offering. Furthermore, I became responsible in directing the new batch of Bible School students where the classroom was in Caloocan. I had gotten many students from Mindanao for this batch, including Eldie Balabat, who is still pastoring a church in Mindoro. At twenty-one I was super busy. My father-in-law assisted me in the construction especially the Subic Bay project. Another thing, Wilde Almeda had started a ministry in Novaliches, Quezon City of which I was also responsible in helping. I carried some pews to be used in his crusade and then I preached there. I was in a blaze.

While things were really looking good for me, Bro. Willhoite came to our house one afternoon and broke the news, another news, to my my wife and I. The pstsors in Mindanao needed supervision since the United States people have alloted some monetary support for them and therefore I had to be the person who should go there to oversee all of them.

Again, we were challenged. We were told that we will be given the financial support that we would need and were assured that we would be taken cared off. Willhoite wanted our decision right away. And who would take over the church? Pol Aguinaldo will succeed us. And I said, "No way." Yet, we had to be obedient to our leaders. "We'd have to pray about this," we told Bro. Willhoite.

MASSIVE CHANGES

In the period of two years, I transformed from a drunk and street brawler to pastor with radio three daily radio programs and married and in Manila, the largest city. I can imagine myself as the bullet on an archaic stone thrower which went off and hurled me from Sicpao to Manila. My looks had drastically changed to a white shirt and tie attire. Venus and I lived in a three bedroom and two baths house alongside a big building that was our church auditorium within a walled compound. We also had the white bus that we picked up people with for church service which we could also use whenever we needed. We had no expenses whatsoever except that we bought our own food with the salary that Bro. Willhoite paid. I was only two months into my eighteen years of age. Because of ample spaces Venus family, mother, father two sisters came to live with us. It suited well for us because soon after Sheilla, our first born daughter, came to the world. They were a big help. Later, the family of Wilde, Venus oldest brother, also came to live with us in the second floor of the church auditorium. This caught the Willhoites in a shock. From two people, we grew to over a dozen people overnight. Bro. Willhoite was a good man, and he submitted to the change.

The Apostolic Minister Fellowship, the church organization that Bro. Willhoite established in the Philippines, sponsored by the AMF USA. put up another batch of Bible School students in March or 1972 in the church auditorium. My wife and I were the teachers. At nineteen I was the Bible School director with students who some of them were even in their fifties. At this time, the organization grew to many churches and 22 pastors. I supervised thirteen churches that were adjacent to Manila. We had twenty eight students, who were absolutely fed by Bro. Willhoite; their clothes and personals were also subsidized. Pastors Cesar de la Cruz, Domingo de Asis, Paul Aguinaldo, who today are still in the ministry came out from this batch. Bro. Willhoite was the official church pastor and I was the assistant. In reality, however, I was the pastor and Bro. Willhoite was my assistant. It was in this church that Pastor Wilde Almeda, now a pastor of millions of followers known as the Jesus Miracle Crusade, was a church sweeper.

Venus and I got married September 10, 1971 and Sheilla the firstborn was born on August 3, 1972. Chin became very special not only in that she was the first born but due to the fact that Venus almost died during the delivery and after the delivery. She was breach and the labor took a very long time. After a week Venus had acquired German measles. Had she been infected in her pregnancy Chin, Sheilla's pet name, could have been born blind. Venus was in convulsion from a very high fever. I did not know that it was German measles. She was in convulsion for two hours when we told Sis. Willhoite about it. Venus was counting one...two...three..., which mean that she was on the verge of death. Sis. Willhoite bathed her with ice and the fever subsided. She then was taken in an ambulance to the hospital and the doctor declared that she could have died had Sis. Willhoite not come.

The organization grew rapidly and at this time we had acquired over thirty pastors in the Cagayan de Oro area and still growing. We sponsored meetings in the hotel in Iligan and in Cagayan, all with free food to the visiting pastors. We organized them and put a salaried presbyter over them. Bro. Willhoite traveled all of Mindanao with me as a very handy interpreter. We took a bus from Cagayan de Oro to Gatub, retracing my childhood days. We visited the Bartolabas who were noted for their anting-anting or talisman.We went back to Sicpao wherein there was the war between government soldiers and the rebel Muslims. We ducked for cover when heard machine guns ratatat around the house where we stayed at three o'clock in the morning. On day time, we walked on knee-deep mud, the villagers upon seeing Bro. Willhoite would approach him and kiss his hand. We also traveled to the Siargao Island in Surigao. The boat powered by gasoline motor caught fire in the middle of the ocean. Willhoite aimed to jump to the sea when I jumped into the motor and put off the fire. Several plastic containers above us were filled with gasoline and the fire tried to reach them. Willhoite told me afterwards, "You are an angel."

Back in Manila, we traveled to Baguio city and held a crusade there, at the Burnham Park. Then we came down to Urdaneta, Pangasinan to hold another crusade. Sis. Willhoite played the accordion, Mark Willhoite the guitar, and Darla rendered a song. The Ilocanos were very amused at the sight of two oversized Americans with two beautiful young children. "Nasiyaat," they exclaimed. Each place we went to and held a crusade we put up a church behind.

Bro. Willhoite, over fatigued requested the church in the United States to give him a furlough. Late in 1973 the family left to go back to the United States. Bro. and Sis Langham replaced them. It was Bro. Langham that taught me some invaluable lesson to become a man of the world. He taught me independence. There were moments that I could not contain my anger with them, but now in retrospect I had become a better man because of the lessons Bro. Langham enforced for me to learn. I was past twenty years old at the time. He stopped my salary as pastor of the church. I was mad. "Bro. Willhoite would never do this," I told him. "Willhoite is no longer in charge, I am," he told me firmly. To subsidize my family I went into business by making figurines and sell them in Baclaran. I also bought lady's purses in Binangonan, Rizal, and in Angono and sold them to the ladies working in bars and nightclubs. Every Wednesday I sold my chicken figurines in Baclaran. Sis. Titay Cabintoy, my church member sold naptalina alongside me. I screamed, "Alkansiya, alkansiya," pointing to my chicken figurine while telling people to buy my chicken money coin bank, and Sis. Titay screamed her "Naptalina, naptalina." She sold something that warded off roaches at home.

Time passed very quicly and Bro. Willhoite came back. Was I glad to see them! I was very happy. His gift for me was a brandnew Thompson Chain Bible, a long time dream. And he also bought a Torana car to replace their aging Land Rover. After a week of their arrival and things settled down he called me and my wife into a subdued meeting. I felt something not good. His face was sober and he said, "You guys have to make a decision. I want you to be independent." Venus and I looked at each other, and words skipped our lips; we did not know what to say.

BECOMING WILLHOITE'S RIGHT HAND

From the prayer meeting Bro. Willhoite took us to his house. The ride took so long because we stopped in two places. I saw tall buildings when we passed by Ayala Avenue in Makati and we went inside the South Super Market in Magallanes. This place was heaven as compared to Lugait which was hell. People had pushcarts with wheels while picking up anything from what seemed to me an endless lines of meat and canned goods. I got introduced to a toilet paper for the first time when I helped Bro. Willhoite picked up what he wanted to buy. It was also my first time to know about hamburger and mayonaise. Back where I was from we only cooked fish, boiled chicken, and "ginamos". When we were done inside the super market we loaded everything into the Land Rover. We kept saying between the four of us, "Haskang gwapoha diay ang ilang mercado dinhi," which meant: "Such a beautiful market they got it here." We could not contain ourselves wondering the moderness of the place we were in.

The Land Rover was stopped by two guards in a checkpoint. The sign said "Marcelo Green Village." The guards saluted Bro. Willhoite and we rolled on. I understood from Bro. Willhoite that where he lived was in a village in Paranaque and the guards had to check everyone who came in. We pulled into the driveway while a woman in uniform swung it open. "Good evening sir!" the woman greeted Bro. Willhoite. He said, "Good evening!"

We unloaded ourselves leaving our things behind as instructed. Tonight we would spend the night here at Bro. Willhoite's house. The two children of the Willhoites, John Mark and Darla, came out to greet us. Mark had freckled face and Darla was skinny with long face. Then Sis. Willhoite greeted us. She was a heavy set woman with hair on top of her head that resembled like layered pancakes. She knew who I was by the tape recorded voice that Bro. Willhoite had them to listen to. "Juanito," Sis. Willhoite talked, with a voice that sounded scared, "you have a very wonderful voice." I smiled. We were shown our beds, which was also my first time to see a cushion bed, and then we were fed with hamburgers. That night I disliked the fact that there was no rice. I felt like I was hungry all night long.

The next morning Bro. Willhoite herded us into the jeep to bring us to the Bible School. When we got to the apartment building, I saw Venus in the kitchen cooking. I saw there was rice in the big container. I wondered why our cook was such a beautiful woman. It turned out that Venus was just assigned to cook that day; she was in reality a full time student. There were students seated scattered in the arranged folding chairs, and Bro. Willhoite called the rest of the students from the dormitory upstairs. All seated up, Willhoite introduced us to them. They shook our hands and, for the very first time, Tagalog language replaced the Visayan. I had no time to notice any one of them because I tuned my ears to the invitation to come to eat in the dining room. "Kain na, kain na," Venus called. Acting up as timid I went to the kitchen, occupied a chair and looked to the mountain of rice filed up on a huge plate. Was I glad? Yes, indeed. After saying grace Idug in my spoon like I had not eaten for a year. After a while all my food in my plate was gone. The others were still half-way on their food; I was done, and full.

It did not take long for me to master the tagalog language which was now the language that I had to be used to in Manila and I became the favorite student preacher because I knew how to crack jokes in between my sermons. I became a friend to all and learned to play the accordion. I sang, I played the guitar, I made people laugh when I spoke, and now I also played the accordion. Venus was always close by me and I taught her how to play the accordion and the guitar. But her singing voice was hopeless, I should say. But she was the most beautiful female student in the whole class and all the boys liked her.

The following days and weeks were pretty much exciting for a boy who was born from an uncivilized place called Sicpao. After the school we would go out to knock on doors and to witness to people. We were sent two by two and we looked like office workers on a white shirt and a tie. We also went to many house services. And I got to sing my songs and play my guitar or showed my talent in the accordion.

When Bro. Willhoite had purchased a toyota minibus we were all exuberant; we had been informed about the plan of going out to the provinces on our own bus. The color of the bus was white and absolutely brandnew. Along with the bus was a complete set of musical instruments and sound system. I became the bass player. Joey Guevarra, who used to play in nightclubs, now our classmate, became the combo leader and he taught me how to play the bass. We practiced the songs "The King And I," and, "I Thank God." It was my first time to hold a bass guitar as well as the electric guitar. Back when I went around to sing with Estela in our duet we only had a microphone and we sang a capella. There was no night in our crusade anywhere that I did not get to sing a special number. With the minibus our crusades took us to Pangasinan, to Calamba, Laguna, and even to the Sierra Madre Mountains to preach to the Dumagat tribes. Venus was Bro. Willhoite's interpreter, then later I became the interpreter. We put up many churches as a result of our crusades and in time we started a radio program in Cebu, in Cagayan de Oro, and in Iligan City. In less than six months that I had been away from Lugait, now, every morning, my mother and father, and my brothers and sisters, including those that had been my friends and enemies when I ran the streets of Lugait, heard my voice on the radio. My mother turned up the volume of her radio every morning so that the neighbors could hear the sound of my voice. And in time, because of the letters that we received from people who listened to our broadcast, we came down to Mindanao, particularly in the Cagayan and Iligan area. For the very first time, still seventeen years old, I flew in an airplane. Life drastically changed for me that Venus and I decided to get married in September of 1971, which suited Bro. Willhoite's wishes, and at age 18, I became the pastor of the central church of the Apostolic Ministers Fellowship in Manila. I was now officially the right hand man of Bro. John Willhoite. In less than a year, the prophecy about myself that I told my father before I left Mindanao happened. But surprise of all surprises, no one was surprised about it. They all seemed to know that it was going to happen to me.

MANILA, HERE I COME

The ship Sulpicio Lines stopped in Iloilo, its regular route, to drop and pick up passengers and to load or unload cargoes. The ticket master gave an order that I was to be watched. He commanded that I must be put in a locked room in the ship. While Nanding, Andresa, and Norma were free to go out of the ship, I was in a stockade, with huge padlocks outside my door. People who saw me thought I was a criminal. Some found out the reason and said that the ship was terrible. I was numbed and emotionless, and I did not care. When my father and I dynamited-fish, the police apprehended us but we were not brought to jail. Now, I was on my way to Bible College in a stockade. Norma, the younger sister of Andresa taunted me, "Hala, dili na gyud ka makagawas dinha," (Look, you cannot get out of there.) I laughed, "Hahahahaha!"

When the ship sailed again I was released. The man who opened the door slapped me by the back and said, "Hey, you are free!" He laughed. I understood the whole thing that there was no malice in my locking me in. I went back to my cot and went to sleep. I woke up because the ship was being rocked by big waves. We ran across strong wind and the ship encountered huge waves. I took to the side of the ship to see. It was all dark, it was a morning dawn. I could only see the whiteness of the waves as they slammed agains the hard side of the ship. I reminisced the nights I floated alone on the sea while fishing. My eyes tried to pierce the darkness and saw nothing. I went back to sleep.

We arrived in Manila at seven in the morning. When I woke up Manila bay was everywhere. Nanding up to me, "You know, because you are very smart, the American missionary might bring you to America," he said. I said nothing. I thought of my mother and father. I thought of my Bible School that I left behind. "They did not even know that I was leaving," I muttered to myself.

The ship docked and the same man that locked me in Iloilo came and got me. He again locked me in the same room. Wordlessly, he went to his motions and then left. I agreed and calmly sat down. Two hours passed yet no one came to redeem me. I was beginning to get hungry, and as a young person I was a very big eater. Andresa handed bibingka and coffee. "Don't worry," she said, "Willhoite should be here anytime now." I nodded.

Noon time came, still there was no Willhoite. Perhaps, he did not receive the RCPI. Worry began to mark our faces. Should I be shipped back? Then the man assigned to keep me a prisoner unlocked the door. He motioned that I follow him. Clanking sounds of metals mixed with indistinguishable human voices filled my ears. Under my arms was my suitcase. I had no shoes, I was only on slippers. My maong pants was very tight, and my shirt unbuttoned on the upper part. Still I was not afraid, nor even concerned. I was only anxious. The man, in his late thirties, guided me going down. Andresa was watching me from the ground. Nanding was gone. He went to fetch Bro. Willhoite on a taxi. I was led into a shade then locked again inside some steel bars that resembled like a prisonhouse. Everyone now could see me, unlike the other room. All eyes gaped on me and their mouth went into a murmur. And afternoon came, and there was no Willhoite. And now I became uncomfortable. I began wondering if God had punished me for going to a oneness Bible College. I wanted to cry to call my mother. And then I became very hungry.

Bro. Willhoite came finally at seven in the evening and redeemed me. My price was thirty-nine pesos. Wordlessly I voiced out my complaints. My face showed anger. Willhoite led us to a parked red Land Rover. He explained that no RCPI came. He apologized to us and especially to me. I wanted to speak that all I cared was some food. I had not eaten the whole day. But somehow no words came out of my mouth.

"We'll eat later," he spoke, as if he heard me. Willhoite was heavy-set having a long and narrow chin that was deeply planted in his round face. He had a balding head with blue eyes that laughed silently. "Bro. Juanito, I had let the students hear your singing," he turned to me. "All of them know that you are coming." I spoke only to myself, "I am hungry."

The land rover ran like a very fast red snake that zigzagged the many wide roads as Willhoite passed other slow moving vehicles. I had not seen so many cars and so many people in my life. People crossed the road endlessly, and police were everywhere. Christmas just passed a couple of weeks ago and late shoppers were everywhere. This was January of 1970 and political unrest could be felt anywhere.

At long last we arrived at our destination, the compound of a former millionaire whose name was Atty Jose Montilla. He invited that the students of Willhoite come to his cottage prayer meeting. The service immediately started when we got in. People got up to shake our hands. Timidly I gingerly sat in a corner by the round post, hiding myself from everybody's eyes. A guitar laid on the side of a chair nearby and I reached for it. I tuned it up and then a young attractive lady took the front and led the singing. Her name was Venus Almeda. She was slender, pitite and fair-skinned. She sang "Chirst is the answer." My accompaniment followed her voice and my hunger left me.

BIBLE SCHOOL, HERE I COME

The Living Word Bible Seminary was housed in a large compound of three average sized houses that occupied about an area of a football field stretching from the main road in Dalipuga down to the beach. The middle house served as the pastoral, and the building beside the beach was the school. The house by the road served as the dormitory. The entire facility was donated by Ador Yanez to the Living Word church organization headed by Pastor Pagalan. Adoracion Yanez was the daughter of one of the richest men in the area who got newly converted to the born again movement. To feel good, she donated the whole thing to the work of the Lord. Pastor Nestor Lagdamen, a short man in his early thirties, who was very intellectual, was the head administrator and Pastor Ruby Alatraca was the school principal. The school had some forty students coming from all direction in Mindanao and some from the Visayas. I became a very much welcome addition because my two brothers, Fred and Ramon, where doing very wonderfully in the ministry as pastors of the Assembly of God organization. And they knew of the Ayudtud family as a very big family. Sister Alatraca, Pastor Ruby's wife, was all smiles interviewing me. "I think that you will do very good here," she said. I was only sixteen at that time but was towering big in size as compared to the other people and was mature in my thinking.

In a few days I familiarized myself with the new lifestyle but I still smoked. We started the school day with a program where a student would practice-preach and then to be criticized or commented on. When it was time for my turn I did get many comments, some good and some bad. We laughed at our shortcomings and imperfections and were easy to forgive those who hit us sort of "below the belt" comments. I began interested on Bible characters and became sharp in remembering the location of verses. I memorized the thirty-nine books of the old testament and the twenty-seven books in the new testament. And I was faster than anyone in my class when it came to memorizing scriptures.

I became very prayerful and conscious of the presence of God. I gradually lessened my smoking specially after one of the lady students saw me smoking and preached about it in her practice-preaching time. I retaliated and brought her down to humility by itemizing all of her bad attitudes. Anyway, this was one of the games played in the school and there was no harm done. I became very enthused in evangelism that I would go out alone in Dalipuga proper to distribute tracts. I even took Rudy Macabenta with me to Iligan to preach around the cockpit arena using a megaphone. I pointed at the people telling them that they all were headed down to hell and that they remedy was for them to believe in the gospel. I preached about Sodom and Gomorrah with a shrill voice, sending some people to cover their ears. I was on fire and unstoppable.

December came and we went around Christmas caroling to raise money for our school. I was of course the guitarist. I led the singing although I was not the choir director. We were twelve people, nine girls and three boys, and we went around Dalipuga and up and down all places. Then we went to Matabang where we found trouble. Pastor Lagdamen was with us along with his wife when rocks began raining on us. "Hey!" we all screamed while taking cover. "Boy!" a voice filled the air, "come out and we will kill you!" The young man who shouted was one of those that Jose and I beat before. He saw I was in the group and desired revenge. I saw in the distance that they were many in number. I suddenly ran to the light from an electric post undaunted. "Come!" I shouted back. Pastor Lagdamen was screaming and showing his badge as a police officer. The group stopped at a distance. I recognized some of them. But they were determined to hurt me and they moved in. Suddenly, Tonieto, my cousin who lived in the area stood in between. "Don't touch Boy!" he said. "Over my dead body!" Tonieto was the so-called maton, the toughie, in that place. And no one dared to cross him. I then saw the group backed out. Tonieto came up to me and proudly spoke to my caroling group that I was his favorite cousin.

In August of 1969 I was given a church to pastor in upper Dalipuga because the church became vacant on the account of the pastor leaving for another assignment. I had preached in this church as a preacher-student and the people liked me. I was only sixteen at the time and they had me as a temporary pastor. Also in the school I began to substitute teach. I was getting better in my English because English was my favorite subject during high school days. I did not finish fourth year and was not able to graduate high school but my English was better than some of the college kids. I was very good in reading and Pastor Lagdamen informed me that the following year the school management would appoint me as a regular teacher. That was a very fast kind of promotion.

I would be one year in the school in the coming November when Rev. John Willhoite, a oneness missionary visited our school. Along with Pastor Domingo Guzmana he was given a tour of the class. Willhoite was in Mindanao to recruit students for his Bible School in Manila. We learned that he was a oneness and not a trinitarian and we were taught that the doctrine was of the devil. Yet, what I could not understand was when Pastor Alatrace taught us about how to debate with the Jehovah's witnesses that we had to use the stand of the oneness. I remembered him saying: "The oneness doctrine is a very strong doctrine, although it is a wrong doctrine." Now Willhoite was talking to us. Then he got out a tape recorder from his bag and asked me to sing. It had been known that I was a real good singer and he wanted to record my voice. I got my guitar and sang, "I'm longing for that glorious day when all the saints will come..." That was my very first time to see a tape recorder. And, of course, my very first time to hear a recorded voice of my singing. The crowd around me clapped and Willhoite said that it was very good. I was exhilirated and in utter disbelief. "After all, this devil is doing good to record my voice," I said to myself wordlessly.

Emotionally I was doing well. I did not drink nor smoke. My father and mother were very pleased about my transformation. But we did not have any money. We were now dependent on some people that were renting one of our rooms in the house. The man was an engineer at Floro Cement with a wife that was absolutely beautiful. But he got killed. Someone shot him and killed him on the spot. It was a very sad time for the wife. She packed up and went back to Manila.

Time to go back to school on a Monday. I prepared everything, but I had to bring some rice and must buy some canned goods. I was happy in my spirit when I asked my mother for some money. "Boy," she answered sadly, "we do not have anything." I spoke "What" loudly and in desperation I hit the wall with my fist. I did not see the nail on the wall that was used to hang clothes. The nail went inside my fist. When I pulled my fist away blood squirte all over. My eyes got big and I became very scared. I found a white used T-shirt and I wrapped it around my bleeding hand. Suddenly, the T-shirt was all blood. I ran down to the guava tree and chewed some leaves and applied them on my wound. I murmured unintelligible words. I cursed the moment. I must have said, "What a hell, or, what a life." Nothing mattered now, I was angry and I was not going back to Bible School. I was beside myself when I passed the house of Lourdes Depino. Lourdes called me, "Boy, it's good to see you!" she was all smiles. "Andresa and Nanding are leaving tomorrow to Manila, to go to Bro. Willhoite's school there, why don't you go with them?" I said, "Yeah, I will go." I did not know why I said yes. I only know one thing now, I said yes out of desperation.

I informed my mother and father that I would be going with Andresa to Manila. "Manila?" my mom was aghast. "Manila! No way," she said. "Do you know where Manila is? Do you realize how far that is? We would die if you go." I told my father about it. I told him that we did not have any money where we were at and that it would be my chance to do better there. I mentioned to my father about the American by the name of Rev. Willhoite. "I'd become the right hand man of Bro. Willhoite," I said to my dad. "Then I will go to America."

My mom cried and cried that night. She did not want to lose me. My dad agreed with me. I packed my wrapless suitcase and all of my earthly belongings fit inside it. I did not have any money. Mama borrowed ten pesos from a neighbor. I trusted the words of Andresa, "Don't worry Brother Boy. Willhoite will take care of everything." I did not have a ticket to board the ship. Nanding and Andresa, with her sister Norma, had the tickets. Andresa sent a telegram to Willhoite through RCPI that I was coming and that he should meet us with money for my fare because I would be riging the boat "paga-destino," a spanish word for "pay at arrival."

Sunday night came. It was time for me to leave Lugait to a real big city called Manila. I was only anxious but not fearful. I assuage my mother's feeling by assuring her that I would be back soon. This was the first time for the four of us to board a big ship and to go to Manila. I had nothing except ten pesos and my belongings inside the wooden suitcase. When we boarded the ship the man did not want me to get in. Nanding said that I had to come along, and that an American will pay for my fare once we get to Manila. The ticket master came to see me. Andresa showed her confidence that we were God's workers and that it is important for God that I go to Manila. "Do you want him to sing?" she told the ticket master. "He is a very good singer." Finally, the ticket master said yes. After a while the ship was untied from the pier and its huge horn sounded off, "POOOOFFFF!" We stepped on the side of the boat to look at Iligan City. As we progressed off deeper to the ocean, Iligan City loomed bigger and bigger but fainter and fainter.

WAS THIS GOD'S WAY? Contd

With little money I was being paid in my job, about 27 pesos a week, I became emboldened to do my own thing like inviting some friends to a drinking spree. I took pride of the fact that I was earning now. Beer was 45 centavos a bottle and a square tanduay was 1.50. When we got into singing it showed that we were already under the influence, and the more we drank the more we sang. This had become a regular rendevouz every time I got paid that trouble became a part of the occasion. A guest of one of the locals joined us and he liked to sing. We got drunk and the more he showed his talent. This annoyed Fred Augusto and he picked up a beer bottle and hit the guy's head with it. He went reeling down unconscious and a free for all fight ensued. I got hit by I did not know who did it and I started picking up chairs and used it to hit everybody in my way. People around were screaming and Tata, known to be a gang leader inside the national prison who was newly released came to pick up the young man who was still groggy. His head gaped of a big cut and blood clotting around to stop the bleeding. "Here's a towel," someone from the stairs inside the house threw the towel to Tata and he carried the man out. News spread like wildfire that I was involved in a rumble. My mother looked for me but I could not be found. I sneaked into my room while my mother was still in the street and I went to sleep. The next morning the Lugait police came and arrested Fred Augusto along with three other people. I was not included.

When school opened I managed to enroll in fourth year. Eng-eng gave me money and said that he would continue to support my schooling. "I will do this until I get married," he said to my family, "and then I will stop." With the way that I was carrying myself now in relation to my befriending the troublemakers, school became vague. I no longer was enthusiastic as before about excelling in my classes. At fifteen running sixteen, I began courting the girls that I liked. I had Dadi and Demi. Dadi became my girlfriend and I was also pursuing Demi. Dadi went to a college in Iligan, and Dimi was just home, she dropped out of school. There was also another girl, Lyn, who came from Cebu to work as a waitress, that I was eyeing on. Lyn was easy because she lived in our house temporarily until she could find another place. Demi was beautiful and I really like her. Alit was her brother and I would visit her using as an alibi that I was looking for Alit. I was slipping away from school, my interest was gone, and, probably because I lost hope about finishing it since Eng-eng was engaged to get married to Gigeng. And I was still hanging out with Jose and urged me to be more daring and to hurt the tagalog workers in the plant because they appeared arrogant to him. There were times we ran after people because we liked to just hit them, for no reason whatsoever. A young man on a bicycle passed by beside us while were walking at around eight at night honking his horn and Jose told him to quiet down. "Who are you?" the young man disdainfully answered. Jose ran after him to hurt him but he managed to slip away and we saw which house he entered in. Jose went inside the house, dragged the young man out, and we beat him up in the street. Jose had lots of enemies. At any moment, when his enemies spotted him, he could be attacked. And when I was with him I'd get in a rumble too. Jose could tell me to beat a man and I would do it. My cousin who owned a store did not want me around. I could pick up someone in the crowd and go to him and beat him up. We go to Iligan in a group just to look for a rumble with the Muslims. I prepared two daggers and a chain around my waist for an occasion like this. Thankfully enough, I did skip the police.

Finally, I quit school. I continued to work in the quarry and my mother and father became involved in the Pentecostal church again pastored by Pastor Codilla, a lawyer by profession. There in the church my name was first in the hit list for prayer request. They had invited the pastor to the house to talk about what they had to do to tame me. Apparently I was a goner. They prayed and here I was and I walked in between of them. My mother mumbled, "bastos," which meant, ill-mannered. I did attend their chapel service one Sunday afternoon and sat in the back. I was only observing but the leader of the service urge me to say something. Shocked, I refused. I got scared to say something. "Here, up here, on the front, brother Boy," the leader said. "No," I told myself. But the ladder took my by the hand and pulled me to the front. I frozed and no words would come out of my mouth, even though I tried to speak. I'd never forget that day as long as I live. I went out from there straight to see Demi, which was a ten minute walk. My heart raced in me with intense feeling that I would now visit Demi. But she was not home. Eddie, her older brother, informed me that there was a new girl in the other house and challenged my guts to go and introduce myself. "Oh, Boy, she is so beautiful," Eddie said. I started to go inside the house but Delfin, a suitor of Demi, walloped me with his fist. I was quick enough to see it and he hit me but not as much. I took to the road and he followed me. We fought. We exchanged hits. I was quicker since I was trained to be a boxer. I managed to subdue him. When people saw that Delfin was terribly hurt I was stopped by Eddie. My brother Rogelio came and saw how I fought and he lauded me for that. Delfin had his face all swollen up and had to be taken to the doctor. I did not have any cut in my face. My mother learned about what happened and she again cried.

I still continued to help my dad in fishing, and sometime I would go alone and he wasn't feeling well. I would go deep sea with a huge net at night to float for hours with a very bright petromax. The rather mild waves rocked me back and forth splashing quite silently against the side of my boat. Flying fishes unintentionally flew inside the boad and I would pick one up, pulled the head out, then wash the body in the sea water, and then eat it. My net got filled with "tamban" fish and I go home with some ample catch. How my life drastically changed. Back in Gatub I ran the trees that my father felled to catch the birds at the end. Here, now, I became a part of the vast ocean. Sicpao, where I was born, was totally remote from the ocean and from civilization. Right now, I had transformed into a wild person, learning how to fight and now called as a troublemaker.

As a man of the sea, I turned extremely dark, and my already curly hair became much more even blacker. Hanging out with the policemen of Lugait when I was not with Jose, becoming their singer in their affairs and events, I gained a good deal of popularity. Wherever I go, people knew who I was. I was the family's balckship, especially so that two of my brothers now, Alfredo and Ramon, were well-known pastors of the Assembly of God. Andresa was one Christian young lady that knew of my brother pastors and desired in her heart to get to speak with me about God. But I was not that easy to talk to about God. I refused to go to church and no one could make me. Andresa was newly married to Nanding Balili and her birthday was coming up. She came up to me when she saw me fetching water from the artesian well and invited me to come to her birthday party. She urged me to bring my guitar and asked me if I could give a song. And I did. That Saturday afternoon in November of 1968 I found myself sitting on a pew attending a church service. Andresa enrolled in a Bible School in Dalipuga, that is a place before Kiwalan, and she invited her co-student to speak in her birthday service. His name was Rudy Macabenta. Rudy was half blind. He stuttered and stumbled in his words. He was preaching from John 3:16. I was embarrased for him. My stomach literally churned listening at him. I had no admiration of him whatsoever; I only had disdain. "How dare he speak, when he doesn't know how to speak at all! I said to myself. After the service, I went to Andresa and told her that if I were the one who would go to school, I'd never mumble and stumble in my words, and that I would never disappoint my hearers. "Why don't you enroll and join us?" Andresa said. "Anyway, you are not in school. You can come with me on Monday."

That Monday I found myself enrolled in the Bible School. My guitar was still with me.

WAS THIS GOD'S WAY?

The following school year hurriedly arrived and I enrolled at Sacred Heart High School in Kiwalan, in Iligan City. I was now on my third year high school. Kiwalan was fifteen minutes away from Salimbal and the fare was ten centavos one way. Eng-eng, being still single and working in Cagayan de Oro in construction was the one who shouldered my entrance fee, books, and miscellaneous, and he would also pay for my monthly tuition of ten pesos. Sacred Heart was also a Catholic school like St. Joseph. My father and mother had no money, their tobacco lost capital and my father became sick so he stopped his salt making industry. He bought a net and he resorted into fishing. Merlyn and Baby were still in the elementary and Titing totally quit school and could not be persuaded to go back. I was the biggest expense in the household.

I was a natural leader and in Sacred Heart I got immediately noticed by the principal and was given the whole military training, which was an integral subject in the school, to be the batallion commander. Why it was given to a third year student when there were fourth year students who were also capable was beyond me. It must have been because I was tall and looked sturdy. I also had a presence that could not be pushed around. Even in the Catholic mass I was given some responsibility by the priest. Miss Navarro, our teacher in religion recommended me. I sensed that she had a liking on me and she was impressed that I knew the Bible very well. I was animating in her class and took the lead in discussion. She loved to walk with me after school and I initiated to walk her home many times. My classmate Emmanuel was the closest to me among my new friends because he also liked to drink. When we got to school drunk, Miss Navarro sent Emmanuel out but she kept me. I was her favorite, and I believed that I was the favorite by all of my teachers. I was doing well in all of my subjects and I even took my entire battallion to a contest in Iligan on a borrowed sword. As the top commander, I had to be good in executing a sword.

Months passed very quickly, we found ourselves moving again to another location but still around the Lugait area, closer to Floro Cement. At this time construction of the plant went full speed and around the vicinity little stores in order to cater to the Manila people and other contractors multiplied innumerably. What was once a quiet town, Lugait got transformed like a miracle. And even Iligan City, which was thirty minutes away by car also became busier. I finished my third year satisfactorily and bragged to Eng-eng, who was my benefactor all along, that he should be proud of me. And he was. But he broke the bad news. He was contemplating to get married soon and this mean that he could no longer pay for my schooling. My whole family, especially my dad, was saddened at the news. Of course, he had to get married. We were happy that he was getting married, but the joy was overshadowed with sorrow over my not being able to get into fourth year.

With school on vacation, and the prospect of making it back was doubtful, I became a sea-hand to my dad. Back in Gatub I was a farmhand. Here now, a sea-hand. I learned how to drive a banca now, while in the beginning, aside from being afraid of the sea, my driving of the banca tossed the boat into the deep and I remember Eng-eng had to shout at me: "Rowe on your left, rowe on your right." I also learned now how to bait the hooks, and how to light up the "petromax." By the way, a banca is a small boat, and a petromax is a kerosene powered lamp. My dad and I prepare the boat and the net around four in the afternoon, and he taught me how to arrange the net that in so doing it would just easily fall into the water accordingly with how it was placed inside the boat. We then haul the small boat, which was a two seater, into the water, dragging it along the sand until it hit the part of the water where it was deep enough for us to ride in. I had practiced how to mount the boat without tipping it on its side, least it capsizes. My dad was the pilot and I was the net thrower. The length of the net was about two hundred feet and we would leave it until around nine o'clock. We would know that it was our net down in the bottom of the sea by the bamboo bouy which had bore specific markings. Otherwise, without the bouy, we would lose the net and may not find it at all. When nine o'clock came we picked up the bamboo bouy and pull the rope which tied to the net and began hauling the net into the empty space inside the boat. Fish tangled in the net surfaces up as the net was being put into the boat. Variety of fish was caught, small and big, and even squids. I learned to untangle the fish and put them into the designated places. After a while, we head back to the beach where people waited for our catch. On one night, which varied, we could make about thirty pesos. On moonless nights, our catch was better.

I proved to be a good son to my father and mother. I was a consistent help to the house. And I also at fourteen years of age found a job with one of the sub-contractors in Floro Cement doing steel bending. It was easy to bend the steel bars, even if they were size nine. I also learned to install the bended steel bars, following the architects plan. I became a fast tier, using tiny wires to connet the bars fo each other as indicated in the plan. My dad and mom were proud of me.

With little money from the job

NO LONGER A POSSIBLE DREAM

It was the first week of April of 1966 that I began living in Lugait, particularly in Salimbal, and in Matabang. I would live here until November of 1969. My father built a house very close to the boundary line of Iligan City and Lugait on the Lanao del Norte side beside the beach and a small creek. The wall of the house leaned on a huge tree that had large branches which produced a very wide share in the afternoon. Some coconut trees were on the right hand side ovelooking the blue ocean and anyone climbing these trees could see Iligan City from on top. There was on the side of the house the salt factory, a huge galvanized tin sheet formed rectangularly placed on top of a cemented makeshift, of which underneath it was a big hollow space. The firewood went into the hollow space, and when ignited, the fire heats up the sea water inside the tin sheet to a constant boil. It would take somewhat around ten filling of sea water to produce once small sack of salt. It would take three days to constantly boil the sea water before the salt appears- we get the sea water into a simmer, adjusting the fire into merely burning coals and the salt miraculously comes up to the surface ot the sea water, which at this time the water only occupies one third of the container's capacity, and when the salt thickened it sinks down to join the rest of the particles that are all resting on the floor of the tin sheet. Aside from the salt industry, my father made his own dynamites which he used to catch fish.

On the bus, on my first trip to go to Lugait, I speculated where I should stop. I was told I should not go beyond the Floro Cement plant, with a sign Floro Cement. I was also told that I should be able to see the sign, "Costa Brave Beach Resot." When I saw the sign I motioned to the conductor to stop the bus. I collected my now torn wooden suitcase and put it under-arm while my eyes surveyed the surrounding. "Ah, this must be Boy!" people in the stores spoke to one another loudly. "Oh, he is so big and tall," their voices chorused, as if I was a celebrity and they were all my fans and they were all there waitint for me just so they can get my autograph. All of a sudden I could hear someone calling, "Manang Lucena, Manang Lucena! Your son is here!" I saw my mother coming out from between shacks and ran toward me. She embraced me and kissed me. And then she cried. People from everywhere were lined on the side of the highway and watched me with mouth agape. My mother had advertized my coming to them. With tears in her eyes, she monologued, "This is Boy my son, this is Boy my son, this is Boy my son." I could hear many voices commented softly, "He's very good looking. He resembles his father in looks."

Floro Cement was still in construction, it was the largest cement manufacturing plant in Southern Philippines, and people from Manila, engineers, carpenters, and mere laborers moved to Salimbal to work on the plant. The huge property which is now being buldozed by innumerable buldozers and haulers was owned by the family of my father. When my father was in his teens, and Bonifacio, his older brother, was in the early twenties, they agreed to sell the land. Buses were a very lucrative business immediately after the war and they were mesmerized to own several yellow buses and named them their own invented name. They started with two buses with my father as the driver. Very young and very inexperienced, he wrecked the bus sending some people to the dispensary. To tell the story short, the brothers lost their business and lost their money. They also lost the land. Now, whenever we pass by the ongoing construction and seeing the behemoth equipments, my mother dreamily sighs: "Your father used to own these lands." I aksed, "You mean, Mama, that we could have been very rich now?" She declares: "Yes. More than rich."

I had no school at this time and having many relatives here on my mother side, and some of my father's side, I ventured around with Jose my cousin and also with Alit, my neighbor. We would go to Lugait proper to watch boxing. I then picked up a friend here and there and would get invited to take few sips of tanduay. Tanduay was a local whiskey. I also tried "tuba," a wine extracted from the coconut sticky juice. Jose was notoriously, and sly. He fought with everyone and got the scars in his face to prove his nefarious character. Young people who saw him walking around quieted. Their conversation abruptly changed into a murmur. Alit, on the other hand, was good-looking, curly haired, and tall with spanish eyes. Girls were attracted to him left and right.The only thing was, Alit drank very heavily. And then he would get into trouble when this happened. Alit was sixteen, Jose was twenty-two. I was thirteen, going fourteen. The let me drink some more. They allowed me to smoke more.

It was dark and time to go home and I became drunk. I vomited. I staggered. Jose, too, was drunk. We took a jeepney to go home. It was not a good idea to walk. In the jeepney I simply lost it. I became unconscious. The driver, knowing who I was, stopped to drop me off. But I would not budge. He fetched my father to get me out of the jeepney. My father carried me in his arms and was in disbelief. Putting me to bed, his tears fell. My father was not a type of a man who would cry. People died around him, including his very own children, but he would not cry. When he saw me in that situation, he wept hard. His dreams has quit on him. His desire to make me a professional was now an impossible dream.

INTO DRINKING AND SMOKING

My father decided to move again. There was nothing to worry about a difficulty of moving since there was nothing to be left behind. This time the move will be in Lugait, the last town of Misamis Oriental on the way to Iligan City. Iligan City was only thirty minutes away. But, because of my school, which at this time, I was on my last leg in my second year high, I had to stay behind. My mother asked Igmidio Salvador to let me stay with them, which means that I could be a runner to do errands and do house chores.

I had done this before, so my feeling about the whole thing was easy and also because I determined in myself to finish high school. Among all the Ayudtud siblings, the highest grade that was attained was Grade six. I made it to high school, so that meant a lot to the family. And to be in school was perfect for me, since I did not have any extra physical strength to do construction jobs like Virgilio and Rogelio. Thankfully enough, Igmidio's family received me in their home. My mom had to let me understand and that this thing was happening just because they wanted me to be the professional in the family. The day my father and mother left to move to Lugait I was already in the house of Uncle Igmidio, whom I address as Tiyo. My mom put twelve pesos in my hand.

At school I became friends to many, but Ruben Galagnara from Molugan became my best. Also, Ofelia Tan, the daughter of the richest man in town, was in my class and I can get anything from her. She was the smartest, the fairest, tall, and acceptably pretty. She had the books, all the books, and if there was a coming test, I'd sneaked out to her and gingerly ask if I could borrow her book or her notes. I did not have any book, let alone having only one single notebook, wherein all my subjects were crammed in. I did not have the money. What I had was my brain. Ruben Galagnara bicycled to got to school and I rode with him in going back home. Ofelia was a Catholic and very religious, I tended to come with her to church and learned with her how to do the Catholic religion. And observing the altar boys, I picked up what to do in assisting the priest and it did not take long that I volunteered to become one of them. The mass was done in Latin and I learned everything.

I only had two white shirts and two black pants. We had to be in uniformed always, otherwise, we would get fined with fifty centavos. I washed my uniform and polished the floors of the house everyday. The Salvadors treated me as a family and there was nothing very much to do because they had maids. They let me do what I wanted to do and let me ride with the men in the trucks who collected copra from small dealers around the surrounding barrios and communities. I enjoyed the company of the full grown men because they treated me somewhat special being the nephew of their boss. But there were also some younger men who smoked and drank. They taught me how to drive the truck and also invited me to the dances. It was not hard to learn to smoke and although they were very hesitant to give me alcohol I did taste little tanduay. I laughed with them and teased with them. I became very amused when they discussed about courting girls and they would teased me calling me sissy because I did not have one.

My daily routine now was go to school, polish the floor, go to the Catholic church, and hang out with the men and go to the dances. Because I was tall for my age, I passed for 17 years old. I learned to dance and I smoked and drank. School was good and everyone made peace with me. No one dared to cross my path because I was very well connected. At school I had my cousin Mario, who was literally huge and dark. He was strictly disciplinarian. Then I had Eleuterio Bahian, my cousin on my mother side, who was a fighter and a real mean looking guy, my protector. And then I had the men of my Tiyo Igmidio. I felt like I was secure and could do anything.

My drinking became known in the house and I was reprimanded by my Tiya, the wife of Igmidio. "Boy, I hate to tell you this but we are very unhappy with your going out with our men," her voice showed real concern. "We may have to send you home."

When the school year was over I packed up my little belongings and for the very time I headed down to Lugait. That would be my last time in Tambaling 1 and my last time with the young men that taught me toughness and the vices. And also my last time to see my St. Joseph High School class. I boarded a mini bus with my small wooden suitcase wrapped with plastic used for table cloth and the conductor put it on the top of the bus among other luggages. I could feel the air splashing in my face again. I wondered in m mind what's going to be next. Suddenly I heard a big crushing sound that hit the road. It seemed like one of the cargoes atop the bus fell down. The conductor blew his whistle to signal for the driver to stop. The bus went to a sudden halt which created a screetching sound. The conductor picked up the luggage and I saw that it was mine, all torn up, with the wrapping gone, exposing the bare plywood, and I knew that inside the box were all my earthly possessions.

BEGINNING AGAIN IN THE NEW WORLD

Tagnipa, which was currently being changed to El Salvador at this time, was far more modern than Gatub or Kumalarang. The town was ran by the Salvadors and thickly populated by the Ayudtuds, though the spelling of the name was Ayudtod. My father's mother's last name was Salvador and my relatives were everywhere in the place. Cagayan de Oro was one of the largest cities in Mindano, if not the largest, and it is only 45 minutes away. Where we would be living was in Tambaling 1 and it was even more close to Cagayan. From Cagayan de Oro to Iligan City were densely populated towns of Opol, Molugan, El Salvador (Tagnipa), Alubijid, Laguindingan, Initao, Naawan, Manticao, and then Lugait. Next to Lugait was Iligan City. I was thrown into a modern surrounding and wasn't sure what was going to happen with me. Especially with the sea around, it's a place that was totally far different than Gatub.

My beginning days would be spent with my mother taking me around to get introduced to the relatives, and first stop was at Igmidio Salvador's house and business center. Igmidio was a town first councilor, and everything with him was big. He was physically tall and wide, and his house was really oversized. He was simply one of the richest man in El Salvador. His warehouse was able to hold about 12 trucks, and his main business was copra. He had around twenty men that worked for him who drove his trucks and deliver the copra to Cagayan de Oro. He was my father's first cousin. My mother introduced me as Boy and bragged that I was going to be the professional one in the family. I smiled bashfully without saying a word. Igmidio, who I addressed as Uncle, was just nodding his head. His wife was more jovial.

My mother saw to it that I would first get registered for school, since it was now only August and so I still would be in the first year in high school here as a transfer. There was only one private high school in El Salvador, the St. Joseph High, and my cousin, Mario Ayudtud, who was the son of my father's older Brother, Bonifacio, was a teacher. We wasted no time to go to the registrar and when my mother mentioned about Mario being my cousin, I got accepted. Father Pacquing, an Italian priest was the director of the school, he personally accepted me.

In the days to follow, before I would begin school, I familiarized my self with the new surroundings. My father and mother decided to go ahead and stay at the house near the beach in order to make salt out of the sea water and sell the salt in the market place of El Salvador. They had to get a spot in the market place. All around, as far as my eyes could see, were coconut trees, and then the vast ocean. Not too far from the house was a swamp and I saw people caught crabs. It did not take long to learn what there was to do for me. I would gather the coconuts that fell on the ground and sell them, and catch crabs in the swamp for food. I also learned quickly how to go into the sea to catch fish and sea shells when the sea was in low tide. Then, I had to help my father gather firewood for his salt making. I did take responsibility to take care of my younger siblings and saw to it that they got protected from the snakes around and from getting drowned in the sea. I was the oldest among four children left at home in the care of my mother and father.

The first day that I set foot in St. Joseph High School was the beginning of my change of direction. The world is open for me to explore, as the open sea which seems to taunt me to go ahead and swim into the horizon. I was no longer the young Juanito, uninformed, naive, and careless. I interacted in the class and created an impression to my classmates that I was intelligent. My teacher in-charge was Miss Mabanta and accepted me with all of her arms as a new comer. Being a cousin of Mario Ayudtud, the fourth Year dean and the commandant of the Philippine Military Training, pulled me into the crowd of the Who's Who.

The following days in school were about an exposure of my keeness in Math. Our Math teacher explained a solution to algebra problem and I recognized her erroneous formula. I spoke in a rather loud voice, "Miss Lopez, your explanation is not right!" Miss Lopez could not believe I challenged her. She asked me to come to the board and explain the correct solution. I wrote the numbers and did a different formula and my classmates were blown away. Miss Lopez conceded that she was wrong. And since that time news spread around that I was a gifted young man in Math. So, when an election for the officers of the school organ took place during my second year, I was voted as the great Mathematician and I won the auditor office. Although, I only had one notebook and I crammed in it all my subjects, when the final exam took place I hit the top three places. I was good in focus and borrowed the notes from my classmates and delivered perfect scores in the examination. Needless to say, my cousin Mario took pride in me. He elevated to become top commander of the military training, though I was only in my second year in High School.

ANOTHER WORLD OPENED

My father lost Sicpao property for non-payment of taxes amounting to P1,700, all twelve hectares, filled with coconuts, bananas, mangoes, and abaca. He knew that this was coming and so he started moving his family to another place, which was in Mahayag. In order to get something for the land, rather than the government taking it, he had the Baron family, who was the family of Estela who was my partner in duet in my primary school days, to take over the land for P600. From this money he put in some amount to buy on installment the property in Gatub owned by Cita and Basilio Dulugin, which was about five hectares in size. But later on, even the Gatub land was not being paid because my father was aiming to move away from Zamboanga del Sur to go back to Misamis Oriental. Before the move, my father took his family to Iligan City, in Lanao del Norte, to visit some of his well to do relatives. One of them was a Chinese. Iligan City was the center of trade and education at that time because of the Steel Mills there and the production of electricity created by the Maria Cristina Falls.

I was already ten years old when I first met the city life, where the toilet was inside the house which was non-existent in Sicpao nor in Gatub. Up to this time I was doing my toilet outside in the bushes. It was also only at this time that I saw a faucet and water flowing out of it. I was raised where water was carried from the well to the house. In Iligan, there was water built in the kitchen. It was a big surprise for me to see a faucet, and a bigger surprise for me when I asked to use the toilet and I was pointed to a small room with nothing there. One of the children in the house had to demonstrate to me how to use this toilet, which I still did not know how to use it even after I got shown how to. When I flushed it I became very afraid by the sound of the gurgling water. We spent the night in the house without a gas lamp. And when the lights were turned off it worried me how to have a light just in case I needed it. I had not known about electricity to this moment. All the time, I was very quiet. I just nodded or shook my head to answer some questions when I was personally asked. I was relieved when we left Iligan and took a bus to go to Tagnipa, in Misamis Oriental. Tagnipa was where my father was born. This was my first time to see the origin of the Ayudtud family, and my dad had not been back here for a very long time since he left the place in 1949.

In Tagnipa, we went to a house by the seashore, which was a real dump, the floor was sand on the beach. The whole house was built out of dried coconut leaves. There was a bamboo bed in the middle, and a stove of dried mud on the side. I thought, however, that this was more comfortable than the sophisticated house in Iligan. I could live here. But I could never adjust to live in the house in Iligan City.

This was also my very time to see an ocean. All my ten years of existence in the world it never dawned on me that a sea existed. I only knew about rivers, about horses and carabaos, about mango trees and chikens. But not an ocean. When I went to play on the beach there were small crabs running back and forth and they hid in their holes. It was my very first time to touch sea water, and my first time to see what an ocean wave looked like. It was also my very first time to see a boat afloat on the sea. Such a very new sight to me.

Since birth I only knew Sicpao and Mahayag. Then, we moved to Gatub. Then while in Gatub I was taken to Iligan City and to Misamis Oriental. My world became bigger. And my mind was forced to understand my surroundings. My father said that we would leave Gatub to move back to Tagnipa. The land in Gatub was being taken back by the Dulugins for non-payment, and it was time to move away.

The year 1965 was the year I had to say goodbye to Gatub. I was twelve years old. I've lived here and went to school in Kumalarang for almost seven years. All my memories will stay with me but will forever be a part of Gatub. My childhood will always stay here. And my awakening was a door that swung open to usher me into a new world.

We took the Bukidnon bus from Gatub to take us all the way to Tagnipa on a nine hour ride. This was my second long trip. We left at four in the morning and we found the bus filled with poeple with most of them fast asleep. After securing all our family belongings on the compartment underneath the passengers seats, the bus began to roll away. It's familiar sound made me remember the days in Sicpao when Titing and I would reenact the scene of driver and conductor. The misty air whisked past me when the bus picked up speed, causing my eyes to tear. Today, we will again pass by Dumalinao, then Pagadian, then Aurora, then Tangub, and on and on all the way to Iligan City. Today, I will again hear the holler of the vendors as they would scream their wares to invite people to buy. And today, Gatub will be a thing of the past, and to never be revisited again.