THE METAMORPHOSIS (January 25 2014 column)
By
ERNIE D. DELFIN
SERENDIPITY: A DREAM, A RETREAT AND ROTARY
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:21
Soquel, Northern Calif. Being away for almost a week, accentuated by a
revitalizing 3 days Retreat in this Poor St. Clare’s Retreat situated inside a forest
in the Santa Cruz mountains was indeed another week that my wife and I truly
enjoyed like the many annual retreats we have done. Hopefully, we continue
to do the same at least annually, the rest of our lives. Psychologically, perhaps,
many toxins of life are removed and blown into the wilderness that made our
spirits energized and made the body seemed lighter as the accumulated life’s
baggage or stress are tossed away. A short vacation like this, without much
concern to earn more money to be comfortable, is a great luxury as it is priceless
for me. Surrounded by centuries old pine trees and their natural beauty, one can
be drowned by the majesty of the forest environment where there are no TV,
nor internet or WIFI connections nor cell phone signals for us retreatants. It was a
weird feeling for a while but one can adjust to the environment fast enough, to
recognize that that’s how life used to be in the not so distant past. It was a great
investment of time and money just to have relaxing days that nourished the body,
It’s circumstances, places and times like these when we meet Miss
“Serendipity” to discover learn, to enjoy, recognizing the beauty of simplicity
lost imprisoned in God’s natural environment and being grateful for what we
are blessed with. In a unique vacation like this, I was able to do what my heart
desires, between the few conferences and scheduled dining for us retreatants. I
was inspired to write more things in my journal and also read a couple of books
that I have been wanting to read since last Thanksgiving. “Heaven is for Real”
by Todd Burro and “The Biology of Beliefs” by Bruce H. Lipton, PH D are a good
read and are highly recommended. This week, I just added another book in my
“ Bucket List” to buy: a new book that I browsed in the Retreat Center about
Pope Francis, our new Pope, a true Servant Leader showing the way by action
how the church must treat and care for the poor and the unwanted in our
society, thus giving the world renewed hope for a better world.
* * * *
As our Retreat priest, Rev. Bruce Lamb, OFM eloquently discussed in one
of the lively talks, our life on this earth is indeed a journey. But to live a life with
meaning, it has to have a purpose, and must be anchored into something that is
solid as a rock, that is eternal, which does not change with the economy nor
the climate. Many of us call that anchor as God, Lord, Saviour or the Great Spirit.
Embracing that philosophy, one is subliminally forced to look into the mirror and
reflect what is truly important, as whispered by that feeble but powerful voice
within each of us, that we Catholics call the Holy Spirit. It can be called by any
other name like your conscience, or the Supreme Being or whatever name one
After many hours of reflection, it dawned on me that I am still alive with
the Grace of God to become His instrument to do what He wants me to do while
on this earth. Indeed, it is serendipity to be in places like this and having met so
many people discussing and sharing our respective dreams or projects that we
would like to accomplish before we die. The more I ponder about these dreams,
the more I am convinced that they can be a reality through the convergence
of forces or alliances between businesses, people and institutions that believe
in the same dreams. To make it easier we already have a 108 year old Rotary
International that has already a proven network of over 1.25 million people in
over 200 countries who are committed to contributing their talents, treasures
time to make this world a better place, and that’s where our Global Kalinga e-
Rotary Club (“kalinga” in Filipino meaning “to give tender care”) can be the portal
or bridge to make it happen.
For instance, during the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend, last January
, our two-year-old Global Kalinga e-Rotary Club (that has now a diverse
membership like the United Nations) hosted a special dinner reception for our
District Governor-Elect from Quezon City, Samuel P. Pagdilao, Jr. (who is also
a member of the Philippine House of Representatives) after the conclusion of
their mandatory DGE training in the Rotary International Assembly in San Diego,
who eloquently shared with us Rotarians that included his DGE Classmates Elsa
Gillham (LA District 5280) and Jim Paddock (OC District 5320) and PP Rene
Fruto and PE Tita de Guzman (Riverside-Las Vegas District 5300) “State of the
Philippines and Rotary Districts” especially after the devastation caused by this
most cruel woman (Typhoon) Yolanda. He shared many inspiring stories how
thousands of people are sharing and working hard to help out, in their individual
capacities, or through their companies, organizations or foreign governments.
He also posed a challenge for us to keep on sharing a part of our time, talents and
treasure to help rebuild the many destroyed infrastructures, especially school
buildings and livelihood industries. DGE Sammy also shared a Confucian story
that the incoming RI president Gary Hwang from Taiwan told the 537 incoming
District Governors from about 200 countries around the world that “If we want
to be happy for an hour, take a nap; if we want to be happy for a day, go fishing;
if we want to be happy for a year, inherit a good fortune (if you are that lucky!),
but if we want to be happy forever, share and do service to others!” That is the
Rotary way, empowering people and changing them forever.
In my brief presidential remarks about the history of our young GK e-
Rotary Club that I founded almost 3 years ago and its projects, I shared what we
have started going back to the basics: A B C (cube) : Alliances with Businesses,
Community leaders, Churches and Colleges for the Common Good. We have
now concrete examples of businesspeople, like Rick Aguiluz of Healthy Coffee
USA and Eddie Ferrer of EC Ferrer Customs Brokers, Inc., financially supporting
our noble causes like the building of Gawad Kalinga houses in GK villages around
the Philippines, providing a decent housing for the homeless to regain their
human dignity (to be followed by livelihood, nutrition and education projects
to empower them). As we are also part and parcel of our churches, our friends
there are also supportive of some of our projects, like adopting an orphanage in
Tijuana-Rosarito Mexico and contributing money and necessary school supplies
As far as the involvement of Colleges, we are now in the process of forming
the OC-LA River Community Rotary Club and I have “charged” two energetic
new members of our E-Rotary Club to co-chair, Cassandra Hepburn (a Hollywood
actress) and Lino Caringal Jr. (a PMA alumnus and a community leader in Orange
County). This Rotaract Club composed of 18-30 year old young adults will support
our advocacies while training them to becoming leaders to continue what
Rotarians do in our local and international communities. I have no doubt that
these New Generation Rotaractors will significantly contribute and make our
GK e-Rotary Club LIGHT UP ROTARY!
Last but not the least, I also shared that I have a dream of utilizing the vast
pool of knowledge, business expertise, talents and real life experiences of the
hundreds of thousands of Filipino American seniors (and their friends in America),
out of 3,000,000 Fil-Ams to go back to the Philippines and share their acquired
expertise and talents that they have accumulated during their working years. My
dream is to be able to have a “Secretariat” an NGO that is being registered to
accumulate thousands of resumes of people who would like to be a part of this
Philippine Justice & Peace Corps (PJPC) to be matched with the real needs of a
Philippine school, university or strategically linked with an appropriate business
or institution to share these volunteers’ talents or expertise from America to the
home country (Philippines) This is patterned after President John F. Kennedy’s
Peace Corps, composed of young Americans to “do something for their country
and the world, and not just asking what their country can do for them”. The
only big difference is that JFK’s Peace Corps was made up of mostly passionate
younger people whereas our envisioned volunteers of the PJP Corps are mostly
retired professionals and businesspeople who are able and willing to give back
and contribute something concrete with their countrymen especially the youth,
before they pass away into eternity.
Like the American SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives, these active
Fil-Ams that will populate this conceived Fil-Am initiated “PEACE CORPS”
need not to be paid their true market value as they will be compensated
with an unquantifiable emotional and spiritual rewards with a public token
of appreciation or recognition and/or probably a minimal stipend from the
government or the institution where they are teaching or mentoring their
students. Ideally, perhaps an act of Congress creating or recognizing the
existence of this Philippine Justice & Peace Corps to make it an institution
that will have its own budget and administration, like the U.S. Peace Corps, to
last beyond the lifetime of us, volunteers. Paging our Rotarian friends in the
Philippines who share in this grand vision for our Filipino youth!
After this last week’s Spiritual Retreat, I now believe that this dream of
mine can be a reality with the enthusiastic and broad support of many people
who expressed their “LIKES” when I shared this idea in the recent past. With
earnest prayers coupled with the endorsement and support of our Incoming
District 3780 Governor, the Honorable Sammy P. Pagdilao, Jr. and dozens of
Rotary Clubs in the Philippines and in the USA, this dream of another variation
of the Peace Corps and SCORE can be a reality and may be piloted during the RY
2014-15. To walk the talk, I am able and willing to be one of the few dozens
Filipino Americans who will give several weeks or months a year, to pilot this
ambitious project, and to improve it along the way in the years to come.
Any feedbacks and constructive comments from readers, especially from
my fellow Rotarians are most welcome? Have a great February, the month of
HEARTS and all lovers in the world! Happy Valentines!
------- 3 0 -----
Email this Rotarian-dreamer: ernie.gkerc@gmail.com or ernie.delfin@gmail.com
By
ERNIE D. DELFIN
SERENDIPITY: A DREAM, A RETREAT AND ROTARY
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:21
Soquel, Northern Calif. Being away for almost a week, accentuated by a
revitalizing 3 days Retreat in this Poor St. Clare’s Retreat situated inside a forest
in the Santa Cruz mountains was indeed another week that my wife and I truly
enjoyed like the many annual retreats we have done. Hopefully, we continue
to do the same at least annually, the rest of our lives. Psychologically, perhaps,
many toxins of life are removed and blown into the wilderness that made our
spirits energized and made the body seemed lighter as the accumulated life’s
baggage or stress are tossed away. A short vacation like this, without much
concern to earn more money to be comfortable, is a great luxury as it is priceless
for me. Surrounded by centuries old pine trees and their natural beauty, one can
be drowned by the majesty of the forest environment where there are no TV,
nor internet or WIFI connections nor cell phone signals for us retreatants. It was a
weird feeling for a while but one can adjust to the environment fast enough, to
recognize that that’s how life used to be in the not so distant past. It was a great
investment of time and money just to have relaxing days that nourished the body,
It’s circumstances, places and times like these when we meet Miss
“Serendipity” to discover learn, to enjoy, recognizing the beauty of simplicity
lost imprisoned in God’s natural environment and being grateful for what we
are blessed with. In a unique vacation like this, I was able to do what my heart
desires, between the few conferences and scheduled dining for us retreatants. I
was inspired to write more things in my journal and also read a couple of books
that I have been wanting to read since last Thanksgiving. “Heaven is for Real”
by Todd Burro and “The Biology of Beliefs” by Bruce H. Lipton, PH D are a good
read and are highly recommended. This week, I just added another book in my
“ Bucket List” to buy: a new book that I browsed in the Retreat Center about
Pope Francis, our new Pope, a true Servant Leader showing the way by action
how the church must treat and care for the poor and the unwanted in our
society, thus giving the world renewed hope for a better world.
* * * *
As our Retreat priest, Rev. Bruce Lamb, OFM eloquently discussed in one
of the lively talks, our life on this earth is indeed a journey. But to live a life with
meaning, it has to have a purpose, and must be anchored into something that is
solid as a rock, that is eternal, which does not change with the economy nor
the climate. Many of us call that anchor as God, Lord, Saviour or the Great Spirit.
Embracing that philosophy, one is subliminally forced to look into the mirror and
reflect what is truly important, as whispered by that feeble but powerful voice
within each of us, that we Catholics call the Holy Spirit. It can be called by any
other name like your conscience, or the Supreme Being or whatever name one
After many hours of reflection, it dawned on me that I am still alive with
the Grace of God to become His instrument to do what He wants me to do while
on this earth. Indeed, it is serendipity to be in places like this and having met so
many people discussing and sharing our respective dreams or projects that we
would like to accomplish before we die. The more I ponder about these dreams,
the more I am convinced that they can be a reality through the convergence
of forces or alliances between businesses, people and institutions that believe
in the same dreams. To make it easier we already have a 108 year old Rotary
International that has already a proven network of over 1.25 million people in
over 200 countries who are committed to contributing their talents, treasures
time to make this world a better place, and that’s where our Global Kalinga e-
Rotary Club (“kalinga” in Filipino meaning “to give tender care”) can be the portal
or bridge to make it happen.
For instance, during the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend, last January
, our two-year-old Global Kalinga e-Rotary Club (that has now a diverse
membership like the United Nations) hosted a special dinner reception for our
District Governor-Elect from Quezon City, Samuel P. Pagdilao, Jr. (who is also
a member of the Philippine House of Representatives) after the conclusion of
their mandatory DGE training in the Rotary International Assembly in San Diego,
who eloquently shared with us Rotarians that included his DGE Classmates Elsa
Gillham (LA District 5280) and Jim Paddock (OC District 5320) and PP Rene
Fruto and PE Tita de Guzman (Riverside-Las Vegas District 5300) “State of the
Philippines and Rotary Districts” especially after the devastation caused by this
most cruel woman (Typhoon) Yolanda. He shared many inspiring stories how
thousands of people are sharing and working hard to help out, in their individual
capacities, or through their companies, organizations or foreign governments.
He also posed a challenge for us to keep on sharing a part of our time, talents and
treasure to help rebuild the many destroyed infrastructures, especially school
buildings and livelihood industries. DGE Sammy also shared a Confucian story
that the incoming RI president Gary Hwang from Taiwan told the 537 incoming
District Governors from about 200 countries around the world that “If we want
to be happy for an hour, take a nap; if we want to be happy for a day, go fishing;
if we want to be happy for a year, inherit a good fortune (if you are that lucky!),
but if we want to be happy forever, share and do service to others!” That is the
Rotary way, empowering people and changing them forever.
In my brief presidential remarks about the history of our young GK e-
Rotary Club that I founded almost 3 years ago and its projects, I shared what we
have started going back to the basics: A B C (cube) : Alliances with Businesses,
Community leaders, Churches and Colleges for the Common Good. We have
now concrete examples of businesspeople, like Rick Aguiluz of Healthy Coffee
USA and Eddie Ferrer of EC Ferrer Customs Brokers, Inc., financially supporting
our noble causes like the building of Gawad Kalinga houses in GK villages around
the Philippines, providing a decent housing for the homeless to regain their
human dignity (to be followed by livelihood, nutrition and education projects
to empower them). As we are also part and parcel of our churches, our friends
there are also supportive of some of our projects, like adopting an orphanage in
Tijuana-Rosarito Mexico and contributing money and necessary school supplies
As far as the involvement of Colleges, we are now in the process of forming
the OC-LA River Community Rotary Club and I have “charged” two energetic
new members of our E-Rotary Club to co-chair, Cassandra Hepburn (a Hollywood
actress) and Lino Caringal Jr. (a PMA alumnus and a community leader in Orange
County). This Rotaract Club composed of 18-30 year old young adults will support
our advocacies while training them to becoming leaders to continue what
Rotarians do in our local and international communities. I have no doubt that
these New Generation Rotaractors will significantly contribute and make our
GK e-Rotary Club LIGHT UP ROTARY!
Last but not the least, I also shared that I have a dream of utilizing the vast
pool of knowledge, business expertise, talents and real life experiences of the
hundreds of thousands of Filipino American seniors (and their friends in America),
out of 3,000,000 Fil-Ams to go back to the Philippines and share their acquired
expertise and talents that they have accumulated during their working years. My
dream is to be able to have a “Secretariat” an NGO that is being registered to
accumulate thousands of resumes of people who would like to be a part of this
Philippine Justice & Peace Corps (PJPC) to be matched with the real needs of a
Philippine school, university or strategically linked with an appropriate business
or institution to share these volunteers’ talents or expertise from America to the
home country (Philippines) This is patterned after President John F. Kennedy’s
Peace Corps, composed of young Americans to “do something for their country
and the world, and not just asking what their country can do for them”. The
only big difference is that JFK’s Peace Corps was made up of mostly passionate
younger people whereas our envisioned volunteers of the PJP Corps are mostly
retired professionals and businesspeople who are able and willing to give back
and contribute something concrete with their countrymen especially the youth,
before they pass away into eternity.
Like the American SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives, these active
Fil-Ams that will populate this conceived Fil-Am initiated “PEACE CORPS”
need not to be paid their true market value as they will be compensated
with an unquantifiable emotional and spiritual rewards with a public token
of appreciation or recognition and/or probably a minimal stipend from the
government or the institution where they are teaching or mentoring their
students. Ideally, perhaps an act of Congress creating or recognizing the
existence of this Philippine Justice & Peace Corps to make it an institution
that will have its own budget and administration, like the U.S. Peace Corps, to
last beyond the lifetime of us, volunteers. Paging our Rotarian friends in the
Philippines who share in this grand vision for our Filipino youth!
After this last week’s Spiritual Retreat, I now believe that this dream of
mine can be a reality with the enthusiastic and broad support of many people
who expressed their “LIKES” when I shared this idea in the recent past. With
earnest prayers coupled with the endorsement and support of our Incoming
District 3780 Governor, the Honorable Sammy P. Pagdilao, Jr. and dozens of
Rotary Clubs in the Philippines and in the USA, this dream of another variation
of the Peace Corps and SCORE can be a reality and may be piloted during the RY
2014-15. To walk the talk, I am able and willing to be one of the few dozens
Filipino Americans who will give several weeks or months a year, to pilot this
ambitious project, and to improve it along the way in the years to come.
Any feedbacks and constructive comments from readers, especially from
my fellow Rotarians are most welcome? Have a great February, the month of
HEARTS and all lovers in the world! Happy Valentines!
------- 3 0 -----
Email this Rotarian-dreamer: ernie.gkerc@gmail.com or ernie.delfin@gmail.com
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