THE FAMILY THAT STAYS TOGETHER

THE FAMILY THAT STAYS TOGETHER

Birthday is the most significant day in the life of a person.  It is the day you come out of this world from your mother's womb crying as if you know already as a newborn baby that life is full of problems and challenges.

I was born May 24, 1963 at the Valentina "Ma'am Valen" Demeterio Maternity House in Maasin, Southern Leyte.  It was a Friday, considered an unlucky day by many because it was the day Jesus Christ died, but for me I always regarded it as a fortunate day.  Workers, especially those in the government, usually feel happy during Friday since it's the last day of work.  Thus the expression "Thank God it's Friday."

My birthstone is emerald which symbolizes "love and success."  I have lots of achievements in my life and I'm grateful to God.  True love begets triumph.

Parents mold their children according to what they want them to be.  But it has to undergo several challenges and sacrifices.  Without them, we children are nothing in this world.

My father is Marcelo Mercado Samaco and my mother is Esperanza Mañago Labatos-Samaco.  My full name is Marcelo Maloney Labatos Samaco. Papa is from Maasin while Mama is from Ormoc City. 

Papa was the sixth of seven children of Elias Sibi Samaco of Gawisan and Visitacion Matondo Mercado of Tunga-tunga all of Maasin.  While Mama was the youngest of five children of Gregorio Labatos of Merida and Candelaria Gomez Mañago of Ormoc all of Leyte.

According to Wikipedia, the name “Maloney” is said to be derived from a surname of Irish origin and is from the old Irish family name “Ua Maol Dhómhnaigh.” Their family motto is “In Domino Et Non In Arcu Sperabo” which is translated as “In God and not in my bow I will hope.”

The surname "Samaco" originated from the root word "Maco," which is of Hebrew origin but is the popular Hungarian version of "Manuel," meaning "God is with us."

My first name and family name "Maloney Samaco" has a total of 13 letters which I also considered as lucky.  Thus I have nothing to fear since both my first name and family name have religious connotations.

My father was a businessman and tailor who owned Marcel de Manille, the top tailoring shop in Maasin that time.  My mother is a civil engineer and was the first lady district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Eastern Visayas.

Papa's business slogan goes this way:  " Go with the winners. Marcel de Manille.  A flair for sartorial elegance.  Gives you the look of a winner."  His shop promoted winning as part of its marketing strategy.  His customers came from all over Southern Leyte,  some parts of Leyte and other neighboring provinces.

Marcel comes from his name Marcelo.  Manille because he learned his trade in Manila under the very popular RM Manlapat Tailor and Haberdashery.

Mama came to Maasin to work in the newly established Bureau of Public Works of the new Southern Leyte province.  Papa met her and they got married in September 29, 1962.

Mama taught as part time instructor of Saint Joseph College Civil Engineering Department.  They produced the pioneer licensed civil engineers educated in the province.  From the same mentoring, several professional builders followed later including myself.

Papa died on May 18, 1994 at the age of 60 due to liver cancer, though he would not drink liquor but dud smoke.  He also suffered from diabetes.  All of Papa's brothers and sisters had diabetes with different complications.  It came at a time when all of us siblings were finished with our college education and passed the board examinations.  I was a municipal councilor of Maasin at that time and he still saw me got elected for the first time.

We were three siblings bearing the names of our parents with my sister Esperanza Mabel and brother Marcelo Michael nicknamed Milko.  "Marcelo" is taken from the Latin "Marcellus" meaning "Hammer."  It has the tenor of being a "worker and builder."  While the meaning of "Esperanza" in Spanish is "Hope."  Its overtone is "aspiration, plan and design."  The meaning of the two names has a close relation to each other.

The three of us siblings are all registered civil engineers. I am the eldest with Mabel second and Milko third.  We all completed our civil engineering courses at Saint Joseph College in Maasin.  Milko placed 11th in the November 1990 CE Board Exams.

I am married to Maria Chona Cano Maraon.  She is the daughter of Antonio Justiniani Maraon and Luz Gloria Cano all of Ichon, Macrohon, Southern Leyte.  Tatay who worked at the DPWH was also the driver of Speaker Nicanor Yñiguez whenever he was in Southern Leyte.  

The name Chona means "cheerful and friendly" which she truly is.  We were wedded at the Saint Joseph College Extension Chapel by Father Norbert Hessling, a German priest, on June 18, 1988.  Our reception was held at the Drawing Room which served as the social hall of the Engineering Department of the SJC Extension Chapel.  I was then a full-time civil engineering instructor of the school.

We are blessed with three sons.  Mallory, the eldest was born on December 22, 1988 while the second and third were twins Marton and Marlon who were born on March 6, 1992.  It is a coincidence of my zodiac sign "Gemini" the twins.  All of them were delivered at the Southern Leyte Integrated Provincial Health Office (Southern Leyte Provincial Hospital). 

The name Mallory is thought to be derived from a French word which means “beautiful.” It rhymes of course with my name Maloney.  His nickname is Macho after Maloney and Chona.  "Macho" refers to  a person who tends to display masculine characteristics, such as "domineering, fierceness, and bravado," according to Wiktionary.

The name Marton was derived from Marcelo and Antonio, Chona’s father, while Marlon was from Marcelo Maloney.   The meaning of Marton is "dedicated to Mars" while that of Marlon is "little hawk."

Mars is a red planet named after the Roman god of war.  While in ancient Egypt, the hawk is the symbol of the head of god Horus, the guardian of the pharaoh.

A son is considered to bring luck to the family in some countries, especially among the Chinese. Among the ancient Mayans and Romans, twin brothers are considered to bring more luck.  We were married in the Year of the Dragon on the date with four 8’s and Mallory was born on the same year.  Number 8 is always considered a lucky number.

Though I sometimes believed on these things which brought fortune, but I primarily consider performing acts of our religious obligations as Roman Catholics as the main reason for all the blessings we received in our family.  Good luck is grace and blessing showered on us through prayers.

I was educated in Saint Joseph College, a Catholic-run institution in Maasin from Kindergarten up to graduate school.  I graduated second honorable mention in the elementary.  But in the high school graduation, I was not among the honor students which were all female.  High school was the time when we male classmates started to indulge in vices.    

I finished the course Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering cum laude in 1984 and the Master in Business Administration in 1998.  I also earned units in Master of Science in Management Engineering at the University of San Jose Recoletos in Cebu City before I shifted to MBA.  I already passed the comprehensive examination in Doctor of Education at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation.  

Chona graduated Bachelor of Science in Commerce at the University of the Visayas.  We met at the Department of Public Works and Highways where we worked together in 1983.  We became lovers on April 27, 1983 after a short courtship and the relationship lasted for five years before we got married. She is the niece of Clarita Maraon-Abiera who is married to my uncle Alberto Abiera.  She stayed in their residence while working at the office when we were still sweehearts. 

There was a time when she worked as a contractual employee at a rubber plant in Bayugan, Agusan del Sur for several months. I was still studying my civil engineering course in my fifth year that time.  There were no cellular phones in the 1980's and long distance through landline telephone was very rare. Our mode of communication was only through letters and telegrams.

But fate favored our relationship that Chona was able to come back to Maasin and worked again at the DPWH.  Our relationship blossomed once again we were really meant for each other.

Chona later became a permanent employee at the Bureau of Internal Revenue.  She worked as a collection agent and she was detailed at Sogod. Then there was a time when she was assigned in Ormoc City.  That was right after we got married.  We even had our honeymoon at the Don Felipe Hotel in Ormoc at that time.

She was later transferred to Southern Leyte where she assumed as collection agent in Bontoc and Tomas Oppus.  After giving birth to our twins she was appointed as administrative officer where she worked permanently at the revenue district office in Maasin.

My three sons were educated in Maasin City. Mallory finished Bachelor of Science in Nursing at The College of Maasin on 2010.  Marton was schooled at the same college taking the same course where he graduated in 2013. Marlon studied Veterinary Medicine at Visayas State University but only for one semester because he was homesick.  He transferred to Saint Joseph College and took up Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.  He graduated from his course on 2014.

I made it a point to let my sons patronize the colleges in Maasin to show an example that our schools have good quality education capable of competing nationwide.  Many of our people kept asking us why our sons were enrolled only in Maasin schools where we could afford to let them study in Cebu City.  We have competent courses in the city that could be at par with those in the big cities.

My three sons trained for the sport of swimming.  It was Mallory who joined the Maasin City Sports Council swimming team when he was in the third year.  He learned his basics at the Cebu City Sportd Center.  Marton followed and Marlon joined later when they were in grade six.  In the First Maasin City Division Meet, Mallory won seven gold medals.  He would later brag himself of doing a Mark Spitz (1972 Munich Olympic seven gold medalist in swimming) in the city level.

But in the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) hosted by Maasin City in 2005, it was Marton who took the gold medal in 200-m freestyle elementary boys.  Mallory only got the bronze in 200-m individual medley.  

Both of them were brought to the Palarong Pambansa 2005 in Iloilo City.  But Mallory got injured when he slipped and broke his wrist and was not able to swim.

In the EVRAA 2006, hosted by Ormoc City, Mallory finally won the gold medal in 100-m freestyle.  The race is the fastest among all the events in swimming.  The twins were still in the first year secondary that time so they were not so successful in their events.  Mallory was brought to the Palarong Pambansa 2006 at Naga City. 

In the EVRAA 2007, hosted by Baybay, Leyte, both Marton and Marlon won medals.  They were second year secondary students that time.  But they were not able to win the gold so they were not able to go with the Palarong Pambansa 2007 at Koronadal City, South Cotabato.

In the EVRAA 2008, hosted by Catarman, Northern Samar, Marlon and Marton won the gold in the 200-m freestyle relay.  They were third year secondary students that time.  Marlon also won the silver in the 400-m freestyle so he qualified for the Palarong Pambansa 2008 at Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. 

In the EVRAA 2009, hosted by Tacloban City, both were not so successful for they had faltered in their practices and won silver and bronze medals only. Both were in their senior year in high school.  They were not able to join the Palarong Pambansa 2009 at Tacloban City. 

They put up a good showing in the national level contests because of the high standards of competition.  Nevertheless it was an unforgettable experience for them having reached the Palarong Pambansa and swam with the best of the country.  They were also able to race in the Visayas Inter-School Swimming Association in Dumanjug, Cebu and the Milo Olympics Visayas tournaments at the Cebu City Sports Center.

My sons are all boy scouts.  They started joining scouting when they were in the Kab Scouts and together underwent advancement training when they became boy scouts.  Their advancements were done at the City Forest Park, at Congressman Mercado’s Tree Park at Bogo, at Camijares Island at Mahayahay, at Hermie Guirit’s Farm at Dongon, and at our own Farmhouse at Manhilo.  

Mallory first joined the 12th National Jamboree at Palo, Leyte in 2001.  The three of them later joined the 2nd National Scout Venture at Sorsogon City in 2002, the 12th Eastern Visayas Regional Jamborette at Cebu in 2004, the 13th National Jamboree at Mt. Makiling in 2004, the 3rd National Scout Venture at Cebu in 2005, the 2nd BIMP-EAGA Urban Jamboree at Davao City in 2006, and the 14th National Diamond Jamboree at Mt. Makiling in 2011. 

During the Scout Venture in Sorsogon City, Marton and Marlon joined the 24-hour survival for sea scouts at an island going there traversing the breast-deep seawater.  They had to fish for their food.  Mallory joined the jungle exploration for land scouts.

 I accompanied them to these scouting activities.  These bonded us together especially sleeping outdoors and joining other scouts in the camps.

They also passed the survival for Eagle Scouts advancement at Camp Danao, Maasin City Forest Park for 24 hours.  They were supplied rice in a can and they have to eat and cook searching for chicken as food.  This was the last phase of their advancement.

The three of them were awarded as the first Eagle Scouts of Southern Leyte Council on October 2007 together with Karl Pete Carayo and Jefferson Dances.    

I finished my BSP woodbadge training in May 2009 at the Maasin City Forest Park.  Chona also underwent woodbadge training at the City Forest Park on April 2012.  This makes us one scouting family. 

Scouting and sports inculcated discipline in the family.  They would be afraid to be absent in their classes. They stayed away from smoking, alcoholism and illegal drugs.

We considered going to church together as an important task to keep the family intact.  We as parents always urged the three of them to tag along with us during Sundays and holy days of obligations.  Usually sons won't accompany their parents anymore as they reach adolescent and adulthood.  But we see to it that they would come along with us to parties and religious activities.

There were times when we participated fun runs together like that of Talisay City and in Maasin City.  I had a Facebook album entitled "The Family That Runs Together Stays Together."

We traveled together to Manila, Boracay Island, Bantayan Island, Palawan, Baguio, Northern and Central Luzon and other prominent places in the country.

We celebrated our Silver (25th) Wedding Anniversary with a renewal of marital vows at the Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Cathedral on June 18, 2013. The main celebrant was Msgr. Antonio Gaviola assisted by Msgr. Oscar Cadayona, Rev. Fr. Lito Narit, Rev. Fr. Samuel Papa, Rev. Fr. Johnrey Sibi and Rev. Fr. Amiel Vallinas.  

There were 45 pairs of principal witnesses.  Our three sons were the groomsmen.  The reception was held at the Maasin City Gym attended by city employees, barangay captains, friends and relatives.