Bert Cacayan’s journey

WITH time, genuine friendship only grows stronger.

It’s a bond that never fades, even when you’re apart. You can pick up right where you left off, as if no time has passed at all.

Genuine friendship is a source of comfort and strength, providing a shoulder to lean on during difficult times and a partner to share joyous moments with during good times.

“The Government can impose upon him such terms as it pleases. If he is not satisfied with the terms imposed, he should decline to accept them, but, if for the purpose of securing possession of the arms he does agree to such conditions, he must fulfill them.”

With that ruling, the highest court said in the Philippines, gun ownership is a privilege, not a right.

Thus, the authority of the government to prescribe rules on gun possession.

Legal gun possession has taken a roller coaster ride.

When the Chief of Constabulary (now Chief, PNP) was lenient on gun ownership (like Major Gen. Ramon Montano), the number of licenses issued shot up; but when the Chief was opposed to an armed citizenry (Maj. Gen. Renato de Villa and Director General Panfilo Lacson are examples), the number of issued licenses crash-dived.

Gun owners grin and bear the ups and downs of policies and just plod on in “legalizing” their gun possession when “good times” come.

Under the old law, Act 2711 issued during the term of Governor General Francis Burton Harrison (1913-1921), all guns by “fiction of law” were owned by the State.

Thus, the possessor or licensee was merely “borrowing” the weapon from the government and the weapon could be confiscated anytime for any reason.

That old law also instituted various penalties on illegal gun possession.

To secure an LTOPF, an individual must take a drug test, pass a neuropsychiatric examination and have a National Police clearance (National Bureau of Investigation before the PNP established its own clearance system).

(Editor’s Note: A neuropsychological evaluation is a test to measure how well a person’s brain is working. The abilities tested include reading, language usage, attention, learning, processing speed, reasoning, remembering, problem-solving, mood and personality and more.)

The requirements have been reduced to three, a far cry from the five to eight requirements during the Aquino administration.

To assist gun owners, the National Police established a one-stop shop near the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue gate of Camp Crame in Quezon City.

Requirements are completed in half a day.

There is a spacious classroom type section where police personnel assist gun owners not familiar with the PNP FEO website that must be used when dealing with the agency.

Despite the leniency crafted under the law, more than 400,000 gun owners are still delinquent and their 500,000 or so guns are considered “loose firearms.” get to know their rights in case of irregular incidence.

(NP spent 10 years or so of his career as a newspaperman covering the Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police and later the Philippine National Police.

He was the first president of the PNP Press Corps.)

It’s a rare and precious gift that should be cherished and held close to the heart.

Ultimately, genuine friendship is a priceless treasure.

It’s a bond that should be nurtured and cared for, and for those who find it, the rewards are endless and the memories last a lifetime.

In the following chapters of the book So Much Goodness – Stories and Thoughts in My Life Journey, Bert Cacayan narrates the stories of friends in the past he met and consider heroes who graced his life and bestowed hope and inspiration through selfless sacrifice and good example. There is Fr. Marcel Loiselle who, together with companions, was lost in the sea in 1969, after leaving in a motorized boat from Davao. The story is about not losing hope even in the darkest moments of life.

Cacayan also tells stories about the remarkable people he encountered and the experiences working for Terre Des Hommes Germany, a non-governmental organization operating in South East Asia. These also enriched and made him to become a better person.

The author also recounts his encounters with other remarkable personages including the church people from the Missionaries of the Assumption. There is Fr. Gervais Turgeon, a professor in philosophy. A great philosophy professor who taught philosophy, not only as an academic pursuit but also as a way of life.

Then we have Francis Morales, dubbed as the revolutionary, who joined the resistance movement to seek justice and serve the poor.

Aside from stories about his career experiences, the book also narrates some parables that teach valuable lessons about life.

Fely Soledad devoted her life as an educator.

She was fun, dedicated, and a motivating factor to her students, including the author who was one of her students during his college years.

Ed Caharian was a fearless student leader, and a celebrated crisis manager in his seminary years. He too had a profound impact on the author’s life.

In other pieces, the author also eulogizes other friends.

A few chapters are devoted to his good relations and the good thoughts of his parents and family.

Aside from career or personal relations, the author also delves into other aspects of life such as his travels or business.

While some restrictions are often found in promo tickets, even regular ticket holders found themselves victims of circumstances.

Know if the ticket is bookable, reroutable, refundable, the ticket’s expiry or validity, seats available, travel period, and other conditions.

Before the pandemic, passengers were considered not late or “no-show” if they arrived in the check-in area at least an hour before boarding or estimated time of departure.

A passenger who was considered “late” may be denied check-in, but he or she should be directed to a rebooking counter.

In many cases, a passenger has rights to compensation, which is not necessarily in monetary form but in other privileges like a free one-way ticket, accommodation, or meals, in case of off-loading or flight cancelation. Passengers may also refund the value of the fare, including taxes and surcharges, or rebook their tickets without surcharges if a flight is canceled even if it was not the fault of the airlines like in cases of typhoons or security reasons.

There are many other cases where the passengers’ rights should be at the fore.

The bottom line is passengers should not bear the brunt of suffering when airlines commit mistakes.

By dedicating our lives to serving others, we can make a positive impact on the world and contribute to a more compassionate and just society. The book is an essential read for anyone seeking to make a positive impact in the world. Whether you are a business leader, teacher, parent, or individual, the book offers valuable insights and inspiration for cultivating a heart full of goodness and becoming an inspiration to others.

The book So Much Goodness teaches that every one of us undergoes a unique set of struggles, yet if we continue on with goodness of heart, we can a mover for positive change in the life of a person or a community.

It says that we can draw goodness in every person we encounter in our everyday life.

The book is not an autobiography.

But as a whole, reading the book gives us a pretty good idea and impression of the author’s thoughts, feelings, sometimes inclinations, and oftentimes intentions about many things and situations in life.

As a whole, the book gives us more or less the impression of how edifying and rewarding life could be for one, like the author, who bravely plods along the sometimes rocky, at other times smooth paths of life, with the goodness of heart and best of intentions.

Living a life in service to others is also rooted in the concept of interconnectedness.

This philosophical idea holds that we are all interconnected and that our actions have a ripple effect on the world around us.

By living a life dedicated to serving others, we can make a positive impact on the world and contribute to the greater good.

Living a life in service to others is not always easy. It requires selflessness, sacrifice, and a willingness to put the needs of others before our own desires. But it is also one of the most rewarding and fulfilling ways to live.

I recommend this book to those who may want to positively influence others and on how to spread goodness through service and love.

On a personal note, Bert and before him Karl Gaspar (whose latest book I also reviewed in this column), as lay leaders of the Catholic Church in Mindanao, as executive directors of the Mindanao Sulo Pastoral Conference, were my North Stars in the 1980s.

The one thing I wanted to be in the 1980s was to be like them.

That did not happen as God had different plans for me, as it did for Brother Karl, now a Redemptorist confrere, and Bert who became active in international and regional sustainable development issues.

It is my hope I will still be able to engage with them in the future.

Surely, this younger Mindanaoan brother of theirs will learn from their accumulated wisdom.

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