by: Norberto Betita
During our high school days fraternities are not so much a popular trend among students. However, they usually formed groups among friends closest to each other. I remember, I have been with the Searchers---a group of diligent, studious, popular and good boys of our class [I should not have been one of them.] However, I did not seem to remember a group of three composed of a comic, a brilliant and a reserved young men, who called their group the JEACAL’S---acronym for Jaime, Epifanio, Alberto and their family names Cruz, Almeda and Labordo. SNNHS 69’er JAIME DELA CRUZ was the comic of the JEACAL’s.
He was kind of a spoiled brat being the only child of the Chief Electrician of the Surigao Electric System, the then only source of power in the Municipality of Surigao. There was not so much skilled electrician in Surigao during those times. Hence, his father had gotten the good job of being in-charge of the large generator that provided light to the entire town during the night only. They also lived just at the back of the Power House end to end with the Surigao High School property boundary. A leap to the interlink fence was already school area. He admitted that he was at first hesitant to enrol thinking that it would be very difficult for him as he did not have any friends. But with his parent’s insistence, he finally enrolled. He realized then that high school was no bad at all, especially as he met new friends. He was among the group of the smallest boys in our class, together with Epifanio and Alberto. They became close and so the three organized themselves into a group they labelled with an acronym JEACAL’s. He admitted that he loved to be with his partners in the group because they are intelligent and studious, while he is kind of a young boy who had so many stories to tell and would not keep his mouth shut, and did not have much time to study or just one boy who did not want to study at all. He said, “I liked Epifanio because he was very respectful to my parents, but most importantly because he was very generous during examinations. I do not study, so I have to cheat and Epifanio and Alberto would share their answers to me.” He was so good at copying that he could get the answer at a glance. He was a copy master. That helped him to maintain a seat in the special class. Jokingly, he would say that it was a special talent he was gifted during those times.
He was kind of a spoiled brat being the only child of the Chief Electrician of the Surigao Electric System, the then only source of power in the Municipality of Surigao. There was not so much skilled electrician in Surigao during those times. Hence, his father had gotten the good job of being in-charge of the large generator that provided light to the entire town during the night only. They also lived just at the back of the Power House end to end with the Surigao High School property boundary. A leap to the interlink fence was already school area. He admitted that he was at first hesitant to enrol thinking that it would be very difficult for him as he did not have any friends. But with his parent’s insistence, he finally enrolled. He realized then that high school was no bad at all, especially as he met new friends. He was among the group of the smallest boys in our class, together with Epifanio and Alberto. They became close and so the three organized themselves into a group they labelled with an acronym JEACAL’s. He admitted that he loved to be with his partners in the group because they are intelligent and studious, while he is kind of a young boy who had so many stories to tell and would not keep his mouth shut, and did not have much time to study or just one boy who did not want to study at all. He said, “I liked Epifanio because he was very respectful to my parents, but most importantly because he was very generous during examinations. I do not study, so I have to cheat and Epifanio and Alberto would share their answers to me.” He was so good at copying that he could get the answer at a glance. He was a copy master. That helped him to maintain a seat in the special class. Jokingly, he would say that it was a special talent he was gifted during those times.
He sadly confessed and acknowledged that he should have done better during high school if only he studied harder. Perhaps he must have thought of being like Thomas Edison, whom we studied in our science class and who was considered a dullard at school, but eventually invented the incandescent light bulb and so lighted the whole world. He probably reserved his intelligence quotient (IQ) and his intellectual energies for future utilization.
He was a good looking and attractive young man. He was also well-dressed, his parents being able to afford good shirts for him. But he is not attractive to girls. His comics and gags at times irritated young women. However, his humorous attribute is one that keeps him young at heart. Until now, he even makes a comic about his life.
After high school graduation, he studied Liberal Arts at the North Eastern Mindanao Colleges (NEMCO). It was a course that was popular for those planning to be a lawyer. However, it was never in his dream to study law, but he just wanted to improve his English language ability for employment purposes and for any other further plans after college. But before he finished college, his heart was fascinated and charmed by a beauty which waved and flagged down from the golden hills of Tugonan, Mabini, Surigao City. Hands were eventually clasped on the altar of matrimony, when Jaime and Luvimida Tumogbong took their marital vows in 1973. The simple beauty that hails from the mountain community popular for its gold panning livelihood filled his heart with love overflowing as to be worthy of an expensive wedding feast. He had just concluded his third year in college. He should have asked his parents to continue supporting him for another year, but he realized he needed to face his responsibility. He might have heard the echo of the words of Paul, “But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy 5:8). He dropped college and tried to find a job at the Marinduque Mining & Industrial Corporation-Surigao Nickel Project (MMIC-SNP) where I also worked as Security Guard. He was assigned at the Instrumentation Department. He eventually resigned and and joined the pioneering staff of the Surigao del Norte Electric Cooperative (SURNECO) in 1978. He resigned in 1986 as a supervisor to apply for work abroad.
His work experiences at the MMIC-SNP which was known to be the biggest nickel refinery in the world during that period and at SURNECO, gave weight to his resume as he applied for work abroad. He was eventually employed by the Arabian American Company (ARAMCO), operating in Saudi Arabia. While in such employment he was trained in Bio-Med Technology by the medical equipment suppliers of ARAMCO, which included Siemens and other American Medical Companies. His English proficiency earned during his three years of liberal arts education qualified him for the training. He worked in Saudi Arabia for a period of 15 years, after which he resigned and stayed full-time in the Philippines with his family. He applied for work at the Provincial Health Office using his Bio-Med Technology experience as his complementary qualification. He was employed and has since worked for 13 years in the government meeting the civil service requirement of 15 years continued service at age sixty five, God willing, to qualify for a lifetime pension comes 2017.
He was a good looking and attractive young man. He was also well-dressed, his parents being able to afford good shirts for him. But he is not attractive to girls. His comics and gags at times irritated young women. However, his humorous attribute is one that keeps him young at heart. Until now, he even makes a comic about his life.
After high school graduation, he studied Liberal Arts at the North Eastern Mindanao Colleges (NEMCO). It was a course that was popular for those planning to be a lawyer. However, it was never in his dream to study law, but he just wanted to improve his English language ability for employment purposes and for any other further plans after college. But before he finished college, his heart was fascinated and charmed by a beauty which waved and flagged down from the golden hills of Tugonan, Mabini, Surigao City. Hands were eventually clasped on the altar of matrimony, when Jaime and Luvimida Tumogbong took their marital vows in 1973. The simple beauty that hails from the mountain community popular for its gold panning livelihood filled his heart with love overflowing as to be worthy of an expensive wedding feast. He had just concluded his third year in college. He should have asked his parents to continue supporting him for another year, but he realized he needed to face his responsibility. He might have heard the echo of the words of Paul, “But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy 5:8). He dropped college and tried to find a job at the Marinduque Mining & Industrial Corporation-Surigao Nickel Project (MMIC-SNP) where I also worked as Security Guard. He was assigned at the Instrumentation Department. He eventually resigned and and joined the pioneering staff of the Surigao del Norte Electric Cooperative (SURNECO) in 1978. He resigned in 1986 as a supervisor to apply for work abroad.
He is now the head of Engineering Maintenance of the Surigao Provincial Hospital---in-charge of all medical equipment not only for the Provincial Hospital, but all other hospitals in the province of Surigao del Norte funded by the local government. His two children are now grown. His son Michael earned a computer engineering degree and is now securely employed in the government. His daughter Jeddalyn graduated with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. He now has three grandchildren---two in college and one in high school. His granddaughter graduated salutatorian from SNNHS, which he proudly enunciates as, “having inherited his grandfather’s brilliance.” As he reflects on those wasted intellectual development opportunities in high school, he thought he should have achieved more.
Should he be given the chance to have an audience with youth in high school, he would advise them that they should be very serious in their studies and not be like him. As according to Plato, “The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life.”
As he now ponders on the individual journey of the members of their high school group, he contemplated that should he not been a cheat during high school and instead studied harder, the comic of the JEACAL’s might have also been a lawyer like the brilliant Epifanio Almeda, who retired as Vice President of UCPB and is now a practicing lawyer and Philanthropist. He was sorry for the silent and unspoken Alberto Labordo who entered the military and was reported to be a casualty. He felt very happy to have visited the office of Epifanio at Bacoor, Cavite and the superior and exclusive treatment accorded him as to postpone all other official appointments. His friend always remembers him as the comic of the JEACAL’s. Yes, I too remember him as a man who always has a gag to share to instigate laughter, a talent not many is gifted.
As he now ponders on the individual journey of the members of their high school group, he contemplated that should he not been a cheat during high school and instead studied harder, the comic of the JEACAL’s might have also been a lawyer like the brilliant Epifanio Almeda, who retired as Vice President of UCPB and is now a practicing lawyer and Philanthropist. He was sorry for the silent and unspoken Alberto Labordo who entered the military and was reported to be a casualty. He felt very happy to have visited the office of Epifanio at Bacoor, Cavite and the superior and exclusive treatment accorded him as to postpone all other official appointments. His friend always remembers him as the comic of the JEACAL’s. Yes, I too remember him as a man who always has a gag to share to instigate laughter, a talent not many is gifted.
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