By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
The other week, we published a story on the achievements as a health professional of our very own Dr. Penny A. Domogo. The country took notice so she received a national award from the DOH, specifically the Bayani ng Kalusugan award. Not because she is a kailian and a relative that I am trumpeting her but because her achievements for the community and for her profession really takes my breath away.
Those like her who, by going out of her way, gave a lot of her time, effort and creativity for the common good or to reach out to the needy are the really great. It is not those who have a string of college degrees after their names but only worked to thicken their wallets or those of the already affluent. It is not those who, by virtue of luck (who gave that luck anyway?) found themselves on a higher ground economically, or professionally, or in terms of political power, but never went out of their way to “serve the people” or to do humanitarian projects or activities. It is not those who came from penury but as soon as they extricated themselves from the muck—by any means— immediately forgot where they came from and just went on to enrich or empower themselves without any regard to the less fortunate.
And so I was disappointed by an article we published months ago by someone who was obviously proud of the Saint Vincent High School in Bontoc, Mountain Province. He wrote that the guest of honor during the last commencement exercises of the school would be one of the country’s top lawyers. He was a graduate of the school from elementary to high school and was always at the top.
By virtue of his intelligence, which nobody doubts, he earned a scholarship to the UP College of Business Administration in Diliman, Quezon City then he went to the College of Law in the same campus of the same university and he, as expected, ended up doing well there also. He landed in the law firm of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, the PECABAR (with the initials of the other partners), and was (and still is) the head of its litigation department.
He is Atty. Joseph Sagandoy (who listed his hometown as Santa, Ilocos Sur. Great, really great.
By the way, a Cordilleran used to head the same department of that law firm who was also an alumnus of the UP College of Law. He is Atty. Denis Habawel who was the former governor of Ifugao, having lost to Gov. Pedro Mayam-o this last election.
But I digress, so back to the article on Atty. Sagandoy. Saint Vincent School is a Catholic school and I was quite surprised by the article because the writer focused on Atty. Sagandoy’s worldly achievements and did not at all mention his humanitarian and spiritual successes or contributions to society. I am sure he has many and we will be very glad to publish them here if we are supplied with these. What about the less fortunate he helped? I am sure he had helped many but no one was mentioned in the article. How about the pro bono (for free) court cases he had handled? Am sure there were many and it would make our day if we are given the chance to print these. He might also be in business with a strong humanitarian or social service dimension.
Why because we will trumpet these to all and sundry to deliver the point on what really makes anybody great. It is what he did or does for humanity and for his own spirituality, not how much wealth or prestige or power he accumulates if these are not used for humanitarian purposes.
The point cannot be overemphasized especially for us who, like Atty. Sagandoy reached where we are because of the privilege of having been educated in the country’s public schools. Except for high school, I spent all my school days in public campuses. So I don’t feel honored when people say I am a lawyer, but I feel good when I hear that an article here sent a corrupt official’s blood pressure to high heavens or when we publish a call for help by somebody pinned in a hospital bed due to a serious ailment. I also feel good when we publish about the humanitarian work of others or their good work or projects worth emulating. These make me feel good because I am giving back in my very small way for the education I got courtesy of the government, and for how lucky I am that I am still alive, etc., etc., etc. Yes, we should have a sense of gratitude no matter our situation.
This is a challenge to all those who benefitted from public schools. What are we doing for humanity?
Likewise, I experienced a tinge of disappointment on the article on Aunt Lina’s ecotourist farm on the front page of this issue? It was good and what she is doing is really great. While the farm is in itself a humanitarian project (am sure she could make a lot of money in Europe but she opted for the farm) but the writers just did not focus on other things she might be doing for the community or for the less fortunate there. Am sure she has a lot of other “social service” ventures and she might even have scholars in her beloved village.
Please let us know.**
