Wedding Message (Godfather’s Speech)

First and foremost Thank you Van & Mai for letting me and my wife Thel be part of  your big day. 

( Allow me to read my notes) 

On this joyous occasion, we are all honored to witness the merging of two beautiful souls who were united into one. 

Today says it all! The presence of the couple’s families and close friends who travelled near and far; went all the way out of their schedules to celebrate with them today, has added so much love to their wedded bliss. 

Marriage is a gift – an amazing blessing from above- yet it is NOT always a bed of roses. It is NOT easy. Let me rephrase — a STRONG marriage is NOT easy. 

In every relationship, there are good and bad times. It is NOT always perfect and conflict free. It is NOT a stroll down easy road. It is more like a bumpy drive, through traits and weaknesses. It is difficult because, it is the bonding together of two limited and imperfect human beings. You are humans and you are both flawed. Remember you are an imperfect couple and should learn to enjoy your differences.  Yet if you keep believing in each other there will be plenty of perfect moments in your togetherness. 

And the good news is - God intends every marriage to work- He designed it to succeed, so don't take anything less than that.  But a satisfactory and healthy marriage is not something that just happens. Every couple has to make an effort  to do their respective roles as husband and wife. 

I want to emphasize that in marriage the little things are the BIG things. It is standing together facing the world. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of love and joy. It is at NO time taking the other for granted; It is NOT looking for perfection in each other. And specially to Van, courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through the years.

Most of all, put God in the center of your marriage. Ask for grace to live with each other in peace and harmony; bear with one another's weaknesses and grow from each other’s strengths. Let your love keep burning like unquenchable fire and the God of Love shall permanently establish your home and family.

Lastly, on behalf of all the Godparents present here today, we offer our wisdom and guidance whenever you need it. Through the ups and downs of life, remember that we are here to support and guide you.

May you be committed to your wedding vows and learn to co-exist with each other.
And through life’s sunshine and challenges in marriage, may God’s grace always be with you Van & Mia

Cheers and Congratulations!

MARAMI TAYONG MATUTUTUNAN SA ELEKSYON SA INDONESIA – 06.18.1999

 MARAMI TAYONG MATUTUTUNAN SA ELEKSYON SA INDONESIA – 06.18.1999

ni: Terence Mordeno Grana

(Noong panahong iyon, Chief ako ng Indexing and Monitoring Group, Bills and Index Service, House of Representatives Secretariat, Constitution Hills, Quezon City.)

Sa paanyaya ni Pangulong B.J. Habibie ng Indonesia, nagpadala ang pamahalaan ng Pilipinas ng isang delegasyong binubuo ng 108 volunteers mula sa National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), sa pangunguna ni Chairman Jose Concepcion bilang mission chief at Gen. Thelmo Cunanan bilang deputy chief of mission, upang magsilbing international observers sa kanilang halalan noong ika-7 ng Hunyo, 1999.

Mapalad ako’t napabilang sa delegasyong iyon — saksi sa kauna-unahang malayang halalan ng mga Indonesian matapos ang 44 na taong pagkakaantala ng tunay na demokratikong eleksyon.

Pagdating namin sa Jakarta noong ika-3 ng Hunyo, habang papunta pa lang kami sa hotel mula sa Sukarno-Hatta International Airport, bumungad na agad sa amin ang dagsa ng mga taong nakapula, nagra-rally sa kalsada — mula bata hanggang matanda. Iyon pala ang araw ng kampanya ng PDI-Perjuangan, partido ni Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Ramdam na ramdam mo ang diwa ng kanilang pagkakaisa — parang EDSA People Power ang vibes, may sayawan, may awitan ng kanilang himno ng buong sigasig — pero disiplinado. Kinabukasan, ang Golkar naman (ang partido ng administrasyon) ang may rally, pero hindi kasing-ingay o kasing-kulay ng PDI.

Ang kapansin-pansin sa kanila: matapos ang kampanya, parang walang nangyaring rally — malinis ang lansangan, walang kalat, walang posters sa pader o tulay. Sinikap nilang linisin agad ang mga ito bago pa man sumapit ang takdang oras ng pagtatapos ng kampanya. Yan ang dapat tularan ng atin.

Dalawang araw bago ang botohan, na-deploy na kami sa kanya-kanyang assignment. Napabilang ako sa 23 na ipinadala sa East Java. Mula Jakarta, sumakay kami ng domestic flight na tumagal ng isa’t kalahating oras papuntang Surabaya, ang kabisera ng probinsya. Apat kami — isang pari, isang dean ng unibersidad, isang negosyante, at ako — na naitalaga sa lungsod ng Jember, na apat na oras ang biyahe sa lupa mula Surabaya. Doon, inatasan akong i-monitor ang 12 kecamatan (parang bayan sa atin).

Kasama ko sa team ang isang Indonesian driver, isang interpreter, at isang election monitoring officer mula sa Forum Rektor — katumbas ng NAMFREL sa kanila. Binigyan kami ng high-tech na handheld communication gadget para sa regular naming pag-uulat.

Ipinakilala kami sa hepe ng pulisya sa Jember. Maayos ang pagtanggap sa amin at agad na nag-alok ng dalawang police escort bawat isa, pero magalang naming tinanggihan — kanya-kanya kaming dahilan.

Sa araw ng botohan, nasa kampo lang ang military, habang ang mga pulis ay tahimik na nakaantabay sa mga presinto para mapanatili ang kaayusan.

Maayos ang naging daloy ng botohan — eksaktong alas-siete nagsimula, hindi 6:59, hindi 7:01. Nagbukas ang proseso sa pamamagitan ng 45 minutong panalangin ng KPPS (katumbas ng BEI sa atin), humihiling sa tulong ng Allah para sa mapayapang halalan, kasunod ang panunumpa ng KPPS at ng mga kinatawan ng mga partido na tinatawag nilang “saksi”.

Sa bawat pagkakataon, tig-25 lang ang pinapayagang pumasok sa loob ng TPS (polling station), habang ang iba’y nakapila sa labas, tinatawag isa-isa gamit ang bullhorn. Bago makaboto, kailangang tiyakin ng botante na nasa listahan ang kanyang pangalan na naka-post sa labas ng TPS.

Sa pagboto, pipili ang botante ng simbolo ng partido sa balota gamit ang anim na pulgadang pako. Pagkatapos, isinasawsaw ang daliri sa bote ng indelible ink — hindi lang tinutuluan sa kuko tulad sa atin. Sila mismo ang umamin na ang ideyang ito ay hiniram nila sa atin.

Sa bilangan naman, bandang alas-dos ng hapon, binabasa at ipinapakita ng KPPS ang boto sa bawat balota sa mga saksi, na siyang nagtatala ng mga boto. Pitong saksi ang lumalagda sa dokumentong naglalaman ng opisyal na bilang ng boto.

Ang balota nila, kahoy lang — simpleng plywood — pero malaki, kaya hindi basta basta mananakaw. Sa atin, metal, pero kung saan-saan napupunta.

At eto pa — sa lahat ng international observers na naroon, gaya ng mga Amerikano, Australiano, Europeo, at Hapones — masasabi kong kami lang, kaming mga Filipino mula sa NAMFREL, ang tunay na tinanggap nang may init at sinseridad ng mga Indonesian. Doon pa lang, panalo na tayo.

—

Noong Panahon Natin

 Noong Panahon Natin

Isang Pagbabalik-Tanaw sa Simpling Pamumuhay ng Nakaraan

Noong panahon natin, payak ang buhay ngunit puno ng saya. Habang naglalaro at nagbibisikleta, hindi uso ang helmet—hindi dahil sa kapabayaan, kundi dahil sa tiwala at kaligtasang tila likas sa ating paligid. Pagkatapos ng eskwela, tayo’y kusang gumagawa ng ating takdang-aralin, at pagkatapos ay tumatakbo sa mga damuhan upang maglaro hanggang sa huling liwanag ng araw.

Ang ating mga kalaro ay hindi “online” o virtual, kundi mga tunay na kaibigan na nakakahalubilo natin araw-araw. Kapag nauuhaw, walang arte—umiinom tayo sa poso, sa gripo, o sa mga talon. Hindi natin pinili ang bottled water, sapagkat ang kalikasan ang nagsilbing bukal ng ating sigla.

Wala tayong takot na makihati sa baso o pinggan ng kaibigan. Hindi rin tayo nagkakasakit, sapagkat malusog ang ating pangangatawan, kahit wala tayong iniinom na food supplements. Tinapay at pasta araw-araw? Walang problema. Ni hindi tayo tumaba. Palagi tayong nakayapak, ngunit hindi nagkakasugat. May tibay at likas na sigla ang ating katawan.

Ginagawa natin ang sarili nating laruan mula sa kahoy, tansan, goma, at kung anu-ano pa. At kahit walang mamahaling gamit, napuno ng saya at imahinasyon ang ating pagkabata. Hindi mayaman ang ating mga magulang, ngunit sagana tayo sa pagmamahal. Hindi man tayo binusog ng luho, pinuno naman nila ang ating puso ng pag-aaruga.

Wala tayong cellphone, laptop, o video games. Hindi natin kailangan ang internet upang makipag-usap o makipaglaro. Sapagkat ang pagkakaibigan noon ay totoo—may halakhak, may pisikal na presensya, may damdaming hindi kayang ipadama ng kahit anong gadget.

Madali tayong makabisita sa mga kaibigan, kahit walang imbitasyon. At kapag oras ng kainan, masaya tayong nakikisalo sa hapag ng kanilang pamilya. Malapit lang ang ating mga kamag-anak—madaling puntahan, madaling mayakap, madaling makasama.

Maaaring itim at puti ang ating mga lumang larawan, ngunit ang mga alaala roon ay siksik sa kulay, damdamin, at saysay.

Tayo ay isang henerasyong natatangi—ang huling nakinig sa ating mga magulang, at ang unang napilitang makinig sa ating mga anak. Tayo ang tulay ng dalawang magkaibang panahon—ang mundo ng kahapon na puno ng pagdamay at paggalang, at ang mundo ng ngayon na mabilis, moderno, at madalas ay malayo sa damdamin.

Ngunit sa kabila ng lahat, dala pa rin natin ang alaala ng panahong simple lang ang buhay, ngunit tunay ang saya.

⸻

WE HAVE A LOT TO LEARN FROM THE INDONESIAN ELECTIONS - 06.18.1999

WE HAVE A LOT TO LEARN FROM THE INDONESIAN ELECTIONS - 06.18.1999

by: Terence Mordeno Grana *

UPON invitation of Indonesian President B.J. Habibie, the Philippine government sent a 108-member delegation composed of National Citizens’ Movement for Free Election (NAMFREL) voluteers, headed by mission chief Chairman Jose Concepcion and deputy chief of mission Gen. Thelmo Cunanan, to observe the general elections held on June 7, 1999.

This writer was lucky to be among the volunteers sent to cover the first ever free electoral exercise of the Indonesians after 44 years since their last democratic elections were conducted.

At our arrival on June 3, while enroute to our hotel from the Sukarno-Hatta International airport in Jakarta, we already witnessed the throng of red-clad rallyists almost from all ages swarming the city streets. Eventually, we learned that it was the designated day for the PDI-Perjuangan (the party of Megawati Sukarnoputri) to hold its party rally prior to the voting day.

We saw party loyalists dancing on the streets and chanting their party hymn with gusto, a la EDSA people power revolution, demonstrating their full support to the party cause, but with discipline.

Consequently, Golkar (the administration party) held also their rally the next day, but it was not as festive as the PDI’s. Take note that that day, Friday, was the last day of the campaign period.

The good thing about their political campaigns is that, immediately after the campaign period ended, you can see no trace of any garbage on the streets and campaign posters pasted anymore on the walls, streets and bridges because party members immediately cleaned-up before the campaign period expired - this is one lesson that we Filipinos have to learn from the Indonesians.

Two days prior to the elections, we were deployed to our respective areas of assignment and I was among the 23 sent to East Java. We took the one-hour-and-a-half domestic flight from Jakarta to Surabaya, the capital city of the province. Four of us, a priest, a university dean, a businessman and myself, were assigned to a small city called Jember - a four-hour smooth land trip from Surabaya, and I was specifically tasked to cover 12 kecamatans (their version of towns).

With me in a team was an Indonesian driver, an interpreter and an election monitoring officer (EMO) from Forum Rektor, their local counterpart of our NAMFREL. I was issued a sophisticated communications equipment, a hi-tech handy phone to be used for my periodic reporting.

We were introduced to the city chief of police of Jember who was very accommodating and quick in offering us 2 personal police security each but we politely refused for our own individual reasons.

During the voting day, the military personnel were confined in their barracks but there were police present in the polling places to maintain peace and order in the areas.

I can say that the conduct of their elections was orderly because the proceedings really promptly started at seven o’clock in the morning of June 7, not 6:59 nor 7:01, and it all commenced with 45 minutes of prayer by the KPPS (their counterpart of our board of election inspectors (BEI’s)), asking Allah to intercede for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the elections, and the oath-taking of the KPPS and the party representatives which they call “saksi”.

At a given time, only 25 qualified voters were allowed inside the polling place to wait for the turn to cast their votes, which will be “replinished” at a time, and their names were called through a bullhorn. Before a voter could be allowed inside, he or she has to make certain that his/her name is in the list which was posted outside the TPS (polling place).

After a voter has already completed to cast his/her vote by punching the symbol of the party of his/her choice on the ballot with a six-inch nail, application of the indelible ink is now done by dipping his/her finger into the bottle of the ink, not just applied only on the nail cuticles. By the way, the Indonesians acknowledged that they adopted the idea of using the indelible ink from the Filipinos.

During the counting of votes at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the KPPS read and showed to the saksi the vote on the ballot and in turn, the saksi record each figure. Seven members of the saksi signed the document recording the results of the election.

Come to think of it, our ballot boxes are made of metal material while theirs is just made of ordinary plywood but it could not be snatched because its size is very big.

Of the International observers like Americans, Australians, Europeans and Japanese, I could say that only we, the Filipino NAMFREL International observers were treated warmly and sincerely by the Indonesians than our other International counterparts.
_________________

* Mr. Grana is the Chief, Indexing and Monitoring Group, Bills and Index Service, House of Representatives Secretariat, Constitution Hills, Quezon City

Essay Format

 My Indonesian Elections Experience Essay Format

We Have a Lot to Learn from the Indonesian Elections

By Terence Mordeno Grana

June 18, 1999 — Observation Mission, Indonesia

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Arrival in Jakarta – A Nation on the Brink of Change

Chapter 3: Clean Campaign Culture – A Lesson in Civic Discipline

Chapter 4: Deployment to East Java – Immersion in Local Democracy

Chapter 5: Election Day – Order, Prayer, and Precision

Chapter 6: The Counting Ritual – Transparency in Every Tally

Chapter 7: A Warm Welcome – How Indonesians Embraced the Filipino Observers

Chapter 8: Reflections – The Value of Participatory Democracy

Chapter 9: The Role of Observers – Guardians of the Electoral Process

Chapter 10: The Indonesian Electoral System – A Study in Simplicity and Efficiency

Chapter 11: Lessons for the Philippines – What We Can Learn from Indonesia

Chapter 12: The Impact of Free Elections on a Nation's Development

Chapter 13: The Role of International Observers – A Vital Check on Fairness

Chapter 14: A Comparison of Campaign Styles – The Influence of Culture and History

Chapter 15: Election Day – A Test of Democracy’s Resilience

Chapter 16: The Vote Count – Transparency in Action

Chapter 17: Lessons in Civic Discipline and Clean Elections

Chapter 18: The Plywood Ballot Box – Simplicity with Integrity

Chapter 19: A Warm Welcome – The Filipino Observer Experience

Chapter 20: Reflections at the Airport – A Farewell Full of Meaning

Chapter 21: What We Bring Home – Lessons for the Philippines

Chapter 22: Building Bridges – Democracy as a Shared Experience

Chapter 23: The Role of Civil Society – Guardians of the Electoral Spirit

Chapter 24: Reflections in the Mirror – Democracy, Discipline, and the Filipino Identity

Chapter 25: A Personal Democracy – Lessons That Transcend Borders

WE HAVE A LOT TO LEARN FROM INDONESIAN ELECTIONS Chapter 1: Introduction

WE HAVE A LOT TO LEARN FROM INDONESIAN ELECTIONS

Chapter 1: Introduction 

It was in the summer of 1999 when I found myself part of something truly historic—an international electoral observation mission in a neighboring country standing on the threshold of democratic renewal. Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous nation and Southeast Asia’s largest democracy, was preparing for its first free general elections in over four decades. After years under Suharto’s authoritarian regime, the Indonesian people were finally reclaiming their right to vote. It was a moment pregnant with political possibility, not just for Indonesia, but for democratic advocates across the region.

The Philippines, having had its own democratic struggles and triumphs—most notably the People Power Revolution of 1986—was invited to witness this democratic reawakening. At the behest of Indonesian President B.J. Habibie, our government sent a 108-member delegation from the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL). This was not merely an official gesture of regional solidarity. It was a heartfelt contribution of experience, empathy, and vigilance from one democracy to another. The delegation was headed by NAMFREL Chairman Jose Concepcion, with retired General Thelmo Cunanan as deputy chief of mission. I was one of the volunteers honored to be included.

For someone like me, whose professional life had been steeped in the intricacies of legislation and public policy in the Philippine House of Representatives, the opportunity to observe another nation’s electoral process up close was both humbling and illuminating. It meant stepping beyond the walls of the Batasan complex and into the heart of an unfolding democratic experiment. Though my expertise was legislative work, I understood that democracy did not end with the crafting of laws. It began—always—with the consent of the governed, expressed through the ballot.

This mission was a chance not just to observe, but to learn. It was also a chance to reflect: on what Indonesia was gaining, what we in the Philippines may have lost, and what we might still recover. And as I would soon discover, the lessons were many—and deeply resonant.