Last Wednesday, I flew into Manila to attend a lunch meeting with my partners for 
Eye Pad. We will be opening Eye Pad vision clinic, a hip and modern optical clinic geared towards the young and young at heart, at The Walk, formerly known as The Village, located at the I.T. Park, Lahug Cebu. We were having lunch at the Quezon City Club when a man got up from the next table. As he walked by, I recognized the man to be TV host Oscar “Oca” Orbos of Mare and Pare fame. As he walked by me, old memories flashed thru my mind.
Some time ago, when I was still studying Political Science at the University of the Philippines in Cebu, I had a chance to work with Oca. He was then the Executive Secretary of President Corazon Aquino, this after a successful stint as transportation secretary and congressman. I was then the Visayas Vice Chairman of the Presidential Council for Youth Affairs and he was my boss. I remember meeting him a couple of times and then he resigned. We ended up reporting to the new Executive Secretary Franklin Drilon.
What made him stand out in my mind was meeting him again a couple of months later. He was then in a reflective mood, barnstorming the country, feeling the pulse on whether or not to make a run for the Presidency. I was asked to help firm up the youth and I readily threw in my support. I have never really had occasion to talk to him when suddenly, during dinner one time, he suddenly turned to me and said, “ you know Chris, all my life I have wanted to reach the top of the mountain. I have been up there and now I am back at the valley,” he continued, “ but let me tell you this, I have been to the top and am now at the bottom, there is nothing up there and nothing down here if you don’t have it in here….” He finished, pointing at his heart. After which he turned around and resumed eating.
It’s funny that the next time I have a conversation with him is more than 15 years later, beside a dinner table again. I got up and went after him, I asked him if he remembered me, and added his mountain and valley anecdote to help him out. His eyes sparkled, and he chuckled. I think he remembered the anecdote but not me. A few minutes later, he again shocked me like before when he thrust a folded piece of napkin in my hand. He said, “call me or send me a text.” I glanced at the napkin and written on it, was his personal mobile phone number and his name.
Albert Einstein once said, “Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” Our society today has a very materialistic view of success. It actually tries to tag a materialistic value to it. Shouldn’t we define success by how much value we contribute to others and to society? We may never know if Oca would have been a good or even a great president, but we do know that thru his endless debates with “mare” , pare Oca is contributing value to us as a people and a society.
Wikipedia, today’s online version of our humble encyclopedia had this to say about the TV public affairs show, Debate with Mare and Pare: “ The program has been awarded by the Philippine Movie Press Club as best public affairs program and best talk show by the Catholic Mass Media Awards. Debate is the first of its kind in the country, combining information and entertainment in discussing various issues. The hosts act as moderators of the debate.”
“Debate pioneered the use of highly computerized televoting system, wherein televiewers cast their votes on the featured issue. These include SMS, internet voting, and telephone voting. From 1998 to 2000, pagers were used when SMS were not yet in the market. The program is confrontational, bold, fiery, spontaneous, and highly opinionated. Not only that, it has become a venue for people to reach out and even confront Philippine officials. It has also become an important tool in policy making decision of Philippine leaders.”
Yes Pare Oca, your words then are just as true now, in whatever we do, we have to be sure that whatever we do, we are doing it from the heart. Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.
For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me atstirspecialist@gmail.com , or visit http://www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com/ .
Eye Pad. We will be opening Eye Pad vision clinic, a hip and modern optical clinic geared towards the young and young at heart, at The Walk, formerly known as The Village, located at the I.T. Park, Lahug Cebu. We were having lunch at the Quezon City Club when a man got up from the next table. As he walked by, I recognized the man to be TV host Oscar “Oca” Orbos of Mare and Pare fame. As he walked by me, old memories flashed thru my mind.Some time ago, when I was still studying Political Science at the University of the Philippines in Cebu, I had a chance to work with Oca. He was then the Executive Secretary of President Corazon Aquino, this after a successful stint as transportation secretary and congressman. I was then the Visayas Vice Chairman of the Presidential Council for Youth Affairs and he was my boss. I remember meeting him a couple of times and then he resigned. We ended up reporting to the new Executive Secretary Franklin Drilon.
What made him stand out in my mind was meeting him again a couple of months later. He was then in a reflective mood, barnstorming the country, feeling the pulse on whether or not to make a run for the Presidency. I was asked to help firm up the youth and I readily threw in my support. I have never really had occasion to talk to him when suddenly, during dinner one time, he suddenly turned to me and said, “ you know Chris, all my life I have wanted to reach the top of the mountain. I have been up there and now I am back at the valley,” he continued, “ but let me tell you this, I have been to the top and am now at the bottom, there is nothing up there and nothing down here if you don’t have it in here….” He finished, pointing at his heart. After which he turned around and resumed eating.
It’s funny that the next time I have a conversation with him is more than 15 years later, beside a dinner table again. I got up and went after him, I asked him if he remembered me, and added his mountain and valley anecdote to help him out. His eyes sparkled, and he chuckled. I think he remembered the anecdote but not me. A few minutes later, he again shocked me like before when he thrust a folded piece of napkin in my hand. He said, “call me or send me a text.” I glanced at the napkin and written on it, was his personal mobile phone number and his name.
Albert Einstein once said, “Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.” Our society today has a very materialistic view of success. It actually tries to tag a materialistic value to it. Shouldn’t we define success by how much value we contribute to others and to society? We may never know if Oca would have been a good or even a great president, but we do know that thru his endless debates with “mare” , pare Oca is contributing value to us as a people and a society.
Wikipedia, today’s online version of our humble encyclopedia had this to say about the TV public affairs show, Debate with Mare and Pare: “ The program has been awarded by the Philippine Movie Press Club as best public affairs program and best talk show by the Catholic Mass Media Awards. Debate is the first of its kind in the country, combining information and entertainment in discussing various issues. The hosts act as moderators of the debate.”“Debate pioneered the use of highly computerized televoting system, wherein televiewers cast their votes on the featured issue. These include SMS, internet voting, and telephone voting. From 1998 to 2000, pagers were used when SMS were not yet in the market. The program is confrontational, bold, fiery, spontaneous, and highly opinionated. Not only that, it has become a venue for people to reach out and even confront Philippine officials. It has also become an important tool in policy making decision of Philippine leaders.”
Yes Pare Oca, your words then are just as true now, in whatever we do, we have to be sure that whatever we do, we are doing it from the heart. Let’s follow the examples of these ordinary individuals as they strive to make a difference. Each week, lets all get together and share knowledge, stories, experiences, information, all for the sole purpose of getting One Step Up.
For comments, suggestions or stories that you want to share, email me atstirspecialist@gmail.com , or visit http://www.stirspecialist.blogspot.com/ .
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