I do not know if it was her eyes.
Or the gentle interlude of her lonely love songs.
But I loved her the first time I ever saw her -

The time keeper's daughter. The Engineer of SOrts.
The beautiful princess of the moon.

I have searched far and wide for my princess
Like the old kings of Bethlehem -
Charting the stars and planets. Deciphering -
even the sacred manuscripts of Enheduanna

Hoping to discover the reason for this silly EnChanTmeNt

I cannot forget my princess of the moon
Try as I may
Like a last song syndrome -
Or a bad case of Tooth Decay

And I even with Disease and Danger -
I will still brave the cold whims of fate just to be with her

For she is my past, my present
and my ever changing dream

I may never understand why I feel this way
for her - the last princess of the moon
Unlike her sisters Luna and Selene,
or my other demented addictions -

All I know is that I will never love anyone more than I loved her.

The government has ordered preneed firm Prudentialife Plans to suspend payment on all claims but continue payments for some terminated plans as it awaits action from the Insurance Commission (IC) on its proposal for relief and rehabilitation.

At the same time, Philippine Prudential Life Insurance Corp. was quick to clarify that it is not the company that is in financial trouble.

- From INQUIRER

In a way it is correct in that it is the pre - need company that is in trouble.

But are they kidding me?

Since Last September 2010, the company has already been stripped by the Securities and Exchange Commission and was not allowed to sell new plans. And with this action, we have to ask who is at fault here?

Is it the plan holder for not knowing? Is it the Portfolio Managers who are too irresponsible in playing with other people's retirement account. Or the Company for their lack of Management Knowledge?

Its everybody's fault. The 2010 disclosure should have already been a warning sign for the plan holders to bail out. The SEC should likewise identify these portfolio managers, their credentials and investment strategies. Where did they invest the retirement and educational account of these policy holders?

The CEO should likewise be held liable for this sheer disregard of peoples money. Mismanagement cannot be tolerated.

Herein lies the dilemma as I firmly believe that we should not be fast in blaming the government. In fact we should help the government in pursuing these cases. There should be Administrative and Criminal Complaints filed to those responsible. A wake up call to the SEC if we want to be globally competitive. We ought to purge the ranks of the Philippine Capital Markets.

For it is only through constant vigilance that we can make our Capital Market worthy of investing.

I find it odd that there was no write up with regards to the conservatorship and corporate rehabilitation of Prudential Life.

Being a licensed Insurance agent, I know that this is a sign of horrible things to come. Conservatorship is short for a mismanaged portfolio.

Who are the portfolio managers?

Let's wait and find out.

The First lesson we learned from Anatomy back in Medical School was to respect the dead. Dr. Decano would tell us not to flunk his examinations, however hard it was, as a way of thanking the cadavers for donating their bodies to science, so that we can at least help the living.

It is ironic that we were suppose to learn our humanity from dead.

I expected the same from our leaders. Then again in the face of this senseless tragedy, our Mayor decided to dump the cadavers in a garbage pit. Apparently, he was thinking of Infectious Diseases. Apparently, he was not aware, that infectious diseases are mostly parasites, feeding on host cells and DYING when the host Dies. Apparently, he was not aware that viruses are crystalline structures when seen outside its host cell. Apparently he was not aware that it is the living who transmit the disease and not the dead. Apparently he did not consider the mass option burial that the Mayor of Iligan City espoused. Apparently.

Apparently, I do not want to be like them.
That is why I organize medical missions without political, religious and social underpinnings. Don't get me wrong because I do have my share of trysts and machinations. I have hurt people and have been hurt by people. But in the face of all these disenchantment, I'd like to be in the side of those who heal rather than those who destroy.

I would like to be in the side of those who seek understanding rather than those bounded by fear.

I would like to be in the company of people who believe that human dignity is worth more than gold, religious fanaticism or the wealth of nations.

In behalf of the victims of Tibasak, Macasandig, my thanks to the donors and countless volunteers who have in time and again gave their souls and humanity so that the rest of us can have a chance at life.

This is my ode to the volunteers, to Tibasak, to my childhood place who has given me so much of my life and asked only that I remember her.