J. R.

By: Bro. Geminiano V. Galarosa, Jr.
Dagohoy Lodge No 84
(HM- LL 185, JS 169 and RP 147)

His son was born a harelip, but this fact was not the start of the story.

Sometime last November, the jack of all trades that the missus hired to fix the leaking roof of our house reported for work obviously in tears. We knew that his wife was already about to deliver their third baby and therefore silently wondered whatever happened to her or the still-unborn child.

Upon prodding by the missus, “Yuki”, that was the sobriquet that I gave him in replacement to “Yukyuk,” the peculiar-sounding nickname that he is otherwise called, admitted that his wife Paz, has just delivered their third baby but that to his consternation was born a harelip. His enthusiasm at having a third sibling who was born with an abnormality suddenly caved in, for he could not help but wonder out aloud at his misfortunes. Himself a son born out of wedlock and marrying a girl who also had a child before he married her, he naturally felt that his Maker was being unfair to him.

The missus tried to console him and realizing that she was not effective, cajoled me to pitch in and help. True enough, his feelings were at its lowest ebb. Obviously a handsome and fine young man, he barely completed elementary education, is now aged thirty, is rumored that he has at one time indulged in drugs, but through it all has bravely weathered life’s misfortunes believing that he can still overturn life’s troubles for the good. In addition to carpentry, he can also do masonry, install tiles both at the kitchen and bathroom, paint the walls and do various odd jobs at remodeling our residence that made him the indispensable jack of all trades of the ruler of the house. And I learned he is also a good cook hired during fiestas during the month of May which is a common sight in this rustic and bucolic island!

But this recent misfortune to him was incomprehensible. His two other children, a boy and a girl now aged seven and five, respectively, at the start would not even approach their brother and would call him “bungi”, the local translation for the word harelip.

I felt it was indeed now a job for tact and effective counseling. Patiently telling him that having a physical defect does not necessarily mean the end of the world for him and his family, I cited as example former Senator Ernesto “Boy” Herrera, a native Boholano also was born with a handicap who rose to become senator; and sensing that he was becoming receptive, also mentioned the internationally acclaimed “Max” Soliven, the publisher of Philippine Star, a widely circulated newspaper in the land. His face somehow brightened when I finally assured him that he should not worry so much for we will do our utmost to have his harelip son operated on to help minimize, if not completely cure his son’s inborn abnormality.

During our visit to the metropolis last Christmas, one of our more important tasks was to contact Sis. Perla Evasco of the Manila Bodies at the Scottish Rite Temple for help. She assured us not to worry as solution to the problem can be arranged at St. Martin the Porres Hospital upon our endorsement. All that was needed was a bio-data of the family and pictures of the would-be patient to support the medical request.

Upon our return to our hometown last January we learned that a similar operation can also be done at the Ramiro Community Hospital at Tagbilaran City upon sponsorship of Christian Service International, a charitable religious organization, and thus assured Yuki that help for his son is now on the way. We were told that Dr.Ronald Ramiro, son of the hospital’s owners, close kin of VW Rosauro “Boy” Rosales of New Jersey and husband of Dr. Jane Ramiro, the missus’ physician, will personally perform the operation. Yuki can only nod silently. We opted for this alternative as having the child operated on at the big city will entail so much expenses and hassle as transportation and lodging costs will definitely be prohibitive which the poor parents and ourselves can shoulder.

On February 9, or a day after this writer attended the stated meeting of Dagohoy Lodge No. 84, me and the missus finally talked to Steve Yoder of the said religious organization who prepared the required form for sponsorship. We also talked to Darin Goertzen over the phone and thus were able to finalize the needed support. Until finally, last February 18, the missus accompanied the patient and his mother to Tagbilaran City and there Dr. Ramiro performed the first of the two-phase harelip-repair at the Ramiro Community Hospital leaving the aging lion behind at Guidulman town.

The lion could only muse silently: “that young lad may not turn out as handsome as his father but should be near similar as the medical doctors can possibly do their level best in service to humanity!”