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Batas Mauricio .

TWO years after my father, Mr. Melanio Pauco Mauricio Sr. of Ramos, Tarlac, passed on to the great beyond, I continue to be firm in my belief that he was a man who lived with the grace and guidance of God. I personally witnessed many proofs of this grace and guidance of God for my father, but I request our readers here to allow me to dwell on just a few of them today.

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First, Daddy lost his mother, Mrs. Restituta Melegrito Pauco Mauricio, early on in his life, while he was only five years old. In his recollections shared with me and my siblings in times past, Daddy complained that because of his very tender age when his mother passed away, he could not even remember how she looked.

As a result, Daddy grew up under the tutelage of his own father, my grandfather Mr. Juan Dizon Mauricio. On account of economic difficulties, however, Daddy managed to complete only his elementary education, and his secondary education. After high school, my father no longer pursued a college degree, and instead joined a cousin of his in endless wanderings.

Those wanderings notwithstanding, Daddy learned how to skilfully use typewriters — the forerunners of the current personal computers when it comes to composing communications or other documents — and a little of stenography. This came largely an an influence of his older brother, Atty. Walfred “Fred” Mauricio. Uncle Fred convinced Daddy to learn typing and steno-taking, which he did, enabling him to find employment because of these skills.

It was at this point that my father came to know of a young lass who was then steeped in studying at the Philippine Normal College at Taft Avenue, Manila, by the name of Salvacion Haber Lazo, of San Ildefonso-Sta. Lucia-Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Unknown to the young lady, who would become my Mommy, Daddy had become infatuated with her right away when they were both passengers of a JD Bus (JD buses were highly popular then, plying the route Taft Avenue-Quirino 2-2, Quezon City).

One day, Daddy asked a friend of his from our town in Ramos to join him in riding in the JD bus where my mother was again a passenger. The two of them sat directly behind her, and talked in Ilocano about Mommy. To the surprise of Daddy and his friend, Mommy suddenly blurted out, also in Ilocano, the following: “So you are also Ilocanos. How dare you to be talking about another Ilocano.” That started their colorful courtship and, of course, our own lineage.

After Daddy and Mommy got married and we, their four sons (me, Philip, Leny and the late Ariel), made our appearance, Daddy found himself involved in politics after winning as a councilor in our town. He subsequently was drafted into the Liberal Party in the province, which then was headed by a young Rep. Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr.

Because of his natural skill in public speaking — Cong. Peping and his fellow councilors used to call Daddy an orator — my father became a regular speaker in sorties of the congressman. Not long after, Peping learned that my father wasn’t able to pursue a college education. That prompted him to direct my father to study at the Cojuangco-owned Dr. Nicanor Reyes Memorial Colleges in Paniqui to get a college degree. Daddy was subsequently given a degree in education, by the grace of God and by the intercession of Cong. Peping.

Daddy turned that degree into a passport to land other government jobs, which he used, in tandem with Mommy, to enable us (including the youngest in our brood, Marisa, who also became a lawyer) to pursue our own college education. Indeed, all of these came from God’s blessings, guidance and protection for my father while he was still alive. Yes, we can only say now, thank God in the Name of Jesus. But there are more to this, actually!

 

E-mail: batasmauricio@yahoo.com

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