I was greeted by the grim news that Lola Sol, as we fondly call the former chief of the Department of Education Culture and Sports (now Dep Ed) then at Bulanao, passed away. Her husband had just gone to be with the Lord last January and to suddenly realize that she too had been called at the city gates of the New Jerusalem above seems impossible and unexpected. I came to know my lola personally during my kinder and elementary days because my mother who was employed as a clerk at DECS tried to visit her as often as her time permits. I knew more of her compassionate heart every time she has become the nearest kin and refuge of my mother during times of distress.

My mama, would always cuddle us all and bring us to her residence every time they had embittered arguments as husband and wife. Lola Sol never tried to dissuade her but always became a mediator and a source of strength for such embittered souls. During her tenure as the Division chief, I found that every time I joined the poster contests in those days, I believe that she gave me a better than earned points when she was appointed as judge during those usual tour of duties to bring population education to the elementary kids. I won most of the time and I am indebted to her for those academic merits in the elementary days for winning at the division level of poster making contests. Fate had always been kinder to me, though not by means of a better childhood clothing or a luxury driven household; I had relatives who were truly helpful. Somehow, my lola whenever she has time to visit us also hand us with those handsome bills of Apolinario Mabini, Manuel L. Quezon or Manuel Roxas.

When she retired from public service, I rarely saw her except that I noted later that she self-published her books e.g. the pioneering book—Kalinga-Apayao Folklores and Legends and sometime later, Kalinga Practices of Courtship and Marriage where I found my inspiration to later on self-publish my books on Christian discipleship through what she did with these books. I found nowadays that to obtain copies of her books, I might need to make announcements on a broadsheet because of the rarity of the copies. I last had a meaningful conversation to both of them, Mr and Dr. Reyes, free from worries and free from anything that could distract them when I visited them unknowingly and without intention during the birthday celebration of Mr. Reyes. Somewhat I felt that I was disturbing their intimacy together as they were just alone in their house.

Nevertheless they welcomed me, now seemingly a stranger because I passed by them very rarely since stepping in High School and going to College. I visited them because I had a feeling, that somewhat I might not see them for a long time again for we had just a one year furlough for my wife to finish her doctoral thesis in the Philippines. I interviewed both, asking questions such as whether Mr. Reyes felt smaller in his eyes that his wife had accomplished much more and he seems to be only in the background, his answer, surprised me.

He said frankly that she allowed her to pursue her own interest because he trusted her; he doesn’t need to strangle his wife and prevent her from pursuing her own career of choice. For him, it was not the question of whether she becomes greater than him, he saw it as love service to his beloved wife. I also went there at that time because I wanted to get some information about the works of pioneering missionaries in Kalinga-Apayao, quite very much interested to find about how these missionaries tamed the fierce Kalingas and sacrificed so much for what seems to be of so little value as a mere mountainous enclave.

But I found out that these missionaries did so because to them, one native is worth the value of all the world, in fact, Jesus died for one such native and His blood was enough to ransom them from darkness and to bring them to light. I asked them about writing a book about the culture of the Kalingas because it seems that for more than two decades now, there is no worthy book of study that could showcase this turn about of the Kalingas from darkness to light. It is to my personal belief that only books which have relevance to what is truth and the manifestation of this truth in the lives of people will be the ones that will not get burned when Jesus comes and reigns over all the earth.

My mind is focus to that which is eternal and that which can exist not just for millenniums but to eternity. Eternity should be our motivation if we want to remain long on this earth and if we want to reign with Jesus as co-heirs together. Without this motivation, I doubt if someone can accomplish that much for one single lifetime. It was without hesitation that they said I should and even suggested that I should try to write more on secular topics. That one last suggestion is the one I disagreed with them.
I asked Mr. Reyes if he was also ready to die, but I heard no direct answer. I think he did since that question was first ask.

Everyone should prepare to meet their God because the time on earth is not for fun and playing but more so to prepare the soul and be ready to meet the perfect One. If I were to sum up that 30 minute meeting, I think it was the most meaningful conversation we had since being born and meeting them on this side. There was no doubt that she felt fulfilled, four children who had also excelled and did their courses well, relatives who got their degrees and works because of her influence and grandchildren who too are doing just as well.

For one, my lola is not the teacher she is in classrooms or in the office, she was like a helper and friend for those in need. That I think alone is a great epithet to her but to her accomplishments, let us not reduce what she was, for indeed she was the foremost educator of Kalinga-Apayao and the first Kalinga to get an Ed. D. Even the presidency of the fledling Kalinga Community College was first offered to her but she declined in favor of Mr. Alejandrino. She had her own personal reasons and I think it was to fulfill her passion, to spend more time to her Lord’s service. To her, I salute and let all those under the earth, and those in the earth and those in the heavens ring their chimes and bells for a saint has gone to be with her Lord, her final delight and where rest, joy and melody continues to beckon her.

Truly for someone to have touch thousands of lives, it could only be because she believed that her Lord can work through her and do through her His will for the best of the land. She was indeed a burning light whose torch we were willing to sit under and be illuminated to follow the right path. May her memories live in us and may we do even greater works than she did, having clung to her Lord from the first to the last of her breath.

Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ?
He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

He will spend his days in prosperity,
and his descendants will inherit the land.

The LORD confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them. Psalm 25: 12-14 (NIV)