(For this issue, I yield this space for the eulogy of Mr. Odon S. Bandiola delivered during the Memorial Services for William "Billy" R. Arguelles. Billy, the Aklan Press Club, Inc. Treasurer, died on July 28 and interned on August 6).
Masakit man batyagon nga madueaan it amigo nga haeos adlaw adlaw hay naging kaibahan ag nagaestorya it mga personal ag pangpamilya nga mga bagay, katuwang sa mga bueohaton ag mga hilikuton it media sa probinsiya it Akean sa sobra eon nga tatlong dag-on nga nagtaealiwan, kapin pa nga ra anang pagpanaw hay gulpihan, owa gid it patimaan samtang kami naga iliba pa.
The day before that fateful day of Thursday, July 28 when my friend and media colleague, Billy left us, he was in my office the whole morning of Wednesday, July 27, a regular session day of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. As he was used to, he just entered my office, oftentimes unnoticed, sat on the rattan sofa by my table and started scanning the pages of the national broadsheets and local tabloids.
As soon as I noticed his presence, the usual exchange of dialogues between us followed with me asking him, "Gaalin ka eoman iya?" and with him quickly answering me, "Si Sir mat a ngara, syempre nahidlaw man kimo."
By that time, we had still lots of assignments to accomplish as on the following Friday, July 29, was the holding of the 10th Induction Ceremony of the Aklan Press Club of which he should have been installed Treasurer. Days and weeks before that, we were in the thick of the preparations with him doing messengerial and collection works assigned to him by APCI President, Megs Lunn. That were aside from the usual and normal preparations we are doing for our weekly Kapihan sa Aklan held every Saturday morning.
On that same day of Wednesday, after office hours, in the afternoon, we were again together with our colleagues in the Aklan Press Club for the final pre-induction meeting presided by Megs. Thereafter, we proceeded to our hangout to release stress and pressures. That night, there was never an indication that one among us will be leaving the group for good as Rolly, Recto, Edwin, Jethro, Ely, and I, altogether, exchanged each other pleasant and unpleasant jokes and filled the air with endless laughter.
No one ever thought that was our last with Billy alive. As I and Ely were driving back to Kalibo from a wedding ceremony and reception in Caticlan by noontime of Thursday, text messages started pouring in about Billy’s confinement and critical condition, only to see him again and for the last time alive, fighting for his dear life, gasping for breath at the St. Gab ICU until he was gone, gone forever.
On a personal note, he is a great loss to me, as a very caring friend, a cooperative and helpful media colleague.
Billy and I, with the help of Edwin, Rolly, Recto, Jethro and several other colleagues made sure that the Kapihan sa Aklan exists up to this day. Billy has resolved to himself that Kapihan sa Aklan stays alive, and it is alive up to now. To me Billy is the Kapihan sa Aklan, and Billy is the Kapihan. He did not write, but Billy was the man behind the many young penwielders in the Aklan media. He did not broadcast but Billy was the man behind the microphones and the TV cameras.
Billy, I would say, was every mediaman’s man in Aklan, knew no boundaries of various media organizations, a unifying factor, knew every mediamen’s weaknesses and strengths within his group and went out of his way to help those in need of help.
In the many national media summits hosted by Aklan and organized by Nong Johnny’s PAPI and supported by Dr. Botoy’s Aklan Press Club then, Billy was the real workhorse doing the coordination and networking.
But Odon and Billy are considered by many in my office and from many in the ranks of the media as the inseparable duo.
Gaangkas sa anang mataas nga motorsiklo, o kat owa pa masamad ro 4 wheels ko andang pamilya, pirming pasahero ko anang saeakyan.
Abong saeamat Billy: Sa pag drive kakon kon may namaninoyang kasae ag bunyag; sa paghatod it mga bueak sa mga namatyan bisan siing parte sa Aklan; sa pag drive kakon kun may akong mga speaking engagements; ag sa pag drive kakon sa akong personal ag pinamilyang paeanawon. Abo gid nga saeamat, hay pirme, imo pa ro saeakyan, gasolina imo man.
Abong saeamat Billy sa pagpakalma kakon kun kita mo ro akong akig ag gapugong kakon kun magtaeum ra akong dila. Abong saeamat sa paghatod kakon pirme ag indi pag aywanan kon indi makasueod it baeay. Saeamat sa pagtawag mo kakon nga "Sir" bisan siin ag sa tanang oras bisan kita eang daywa ro gaatubang.
There could be no goodbyes between us, my friend, wherever you are, you are always here.
Samtang naga pakipag ambit ako ag akong pamilya sa kasubo ni Lyn, sa anang mga ungang si JB, Merrel, Sean, Dust, Kepo ag Jas, sa anang mga igmanghod nga sanday Bobby, Manolo, Lilith ag Ethyl ag mga ginikanan nga sanday Sir Bernie ag Mam Herminia, ako eon lang Billy ro gapangayo kanda it pasensiya sa imong sungkoe kakon pirme nga gakueang eon ro imong oras o tiyempo sa imong pamilya bangud ko atong mga hilimuon sa media ag sa imong pag iba iba kamong mga mediamen.
Rest in peace, Billy. You know we would never forget you. /MP
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