The final weeks in our community will forever be an indelible memory of the ups and downs of our 4-year affair with our community. These memories will be records that will occupy a special place in each of our hearts. As our time dwindle to days, to weeks, to hours and to seconds, the memories of a simple lifestyle, the mountainous landscapes, the glorious cerulean sea, will linger in our memories with fresh emotions. As we bid farewell, it marks as a day of excitement as we proceed to our respective way of life.
As excitement grows, a tinge of melancholy follows. Is saying goodbye an occasion to celebrate? As things come full circle, the attachment that was fostered through the years, in our not so humble opinion, can never be broken. Let’s just say that one’s goodbye is an affectionate way of saying “we will miss you dearly and remember you fondly.”
In the brief months we spent here the past 4 years, it dawned with the thoughts of community projects, cooking duties, chores and presentations. But as the sun sets to welcome the dawn of departure, each of us will have different kinds of thoughts and burdens. The familiar site of playful bickering, laughter and food trips will only be reminisced while catching up over samgyup or milk teas. That is the beauty of life – to meet, to love and then to depart.
Over the 4 recent years, we met amazing, dedicated and generous people who we’ve grown to care deeply. Operating during a pandemic, the same people showed compassion and dedication in spite of the rigorous demands of our projects. The BHWs we fondly called our “Ates” made our stay more comfortable than we can ask for. They stood true to being the ones we can always call for assistance without asking anything in return.
We can only hope that the contributions we made, pioneered and attempted to sustain, can last as long as it could. The brief stay we had in the last 4 years shaped each one of us in becoming men and women for others. To embody cura personalis and MAGIS, these exemplify the spirit of true Ateneans. As we stand at the pinnacle of this triumphant end, let it be known that whatever we did was but a small blot in our community’s canvass. No matter how far we’ve come, no matter how many projects we pioneered, none of those matters. All that matters is the willingness to believe that something, no matter how minute, is better than nothing and that something made all the difference in one person’s life. In the same way, it made us realize that those who have the least have the most for us to learn from. These evidently told us the truth – that oftentimes the world is unkind, that life is indeed unfair, but to see life’s significance amidst these repercussions, makes us realize that life is worth fighting for.
As we take one last bow, once again, this is the barangay kneeling before Dona Josefa to the north, sheltered by cozy Nipaan to the south, worships Santo Rosario to the East and bathed by the sun’s rays from the Sea of Sulu to its west, this has been Barangay Motibot. Pro Deo Et Patria: in the service of God and Country.
ANDREI P. SAN LUIS
LEVEL IV, ADZU-SOM
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