2007...

Here’s wishing that 2007 would also be a year of
memories and lessons for all of us…

2006 was extraordinary. It was my 6th year of stay in Bohol. Five years of which I spent teaching at a local university and my first year of service at the city government.

2006 saw me as an ‘alternative’ lawyer. ‘Alternative’ in the sense that I can’t appear in court as a trial lawyer. I did try to counsel some people in their legal problems. It was a tug-of-war between theory and practice. I saw myself more as a coach so eager to see the end result of the problem. (Yeah, I still have the enthusiasm for the profession.. Ha! ha!)

2006 was a time for creating spaces and offering venues. The organized high school reunion for my batch proved to be a success. A concrete support system and open communication link was rekindled. My batch seemingly can’t just get enough of it. We hold regular dinners or nights-out together.

The year saw grief and shock as we witnessed the arbitrary killings of human rights activists. Some of them were my friends and people whom I greatly respect. They were icons of involvement and commitment for the people. I wasn’t able to do so much at a larger scale… I felt inutile but it is a personal commitment to do something as a tribute to those who sowed the seeds of hope and involvement.

I wasn’t able to really fortify the civil rights network of Bohol. People still have an aberration towards organized groups. We did have so many attempts. The Charter Change issue allowed me to work with many groups and people. Still, it did not really materialize as expected.

Towards the end of the year, I did much traveling. I was in Kolkata, India, Hongkong, Bangkok and Singapore. Locally, I also revisited Mindanao after four years. It was an opportunity to see old friends and renew ties. I felt blessed to witness life changing moments among some of my friends (Tak’s and Faith’s wedding for one). It was very inspiring and rewarding.

It gave me the courage to finally ask permission from my boss for a resignation. The concrete plan for my leaving is not yet definite but anytime soon, I will be a statistic as a jobless person.

I managed to develop a support network of friends. The space here would not be enough to mention all of you but I really treasure you for bearing with me in all my rant and rave moments.

All these and a lot more, I look forward for a more meaningful and challenging 2007.