Recovery Tips

Death of Ted Failon’s Wife: Suicide?

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Thursday, April 16, 2009Thursday, May 21, 2009
24 Comments

(Update May 21- Trina Etong committed suicide–NBI )

It was just a matter of time yet the news of Ted Failon’s Wife death came as a shock. Trinidad Arteche Etong or Trina , died tonight at 8:50 PM. She died of cranial injury but was it due to homicide or suicide? Her daughter thinks that her mom tried to commit suicide. To lose a loved one to death is painful, to lose a loved one to suicide is also disorienting.

If it is suicide, it is a particularly cruel form of death for the surviving family and friends. Questions like : How could she have been so full of despair that she felt that death was preferable to life? Additionally, the family has to cope with the police, an inquest, and possibly the media, as well as the ever-present and unanswerable question ““Why?”. Suicide is a complicated loss.

My Magic Shawls And Letting Go

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Tuesday, April 14, 2009Friday, December 16, 2016
11 Comments

My husband stared at the couch by the bay window and sighs “look at what the cats did!@!*! The damage to the leather is getting worse everyday.”

We have three lovable furry felines in our household and they give me so much comfort when the house is empty. I cuddled my pet kitty to my chest and stroked her smooth white fur as I tried to think of something.

I held his hand “Missy gives me joy. Don’t worry, my shawl will hide the worn leather.”

He continues to rant because he can’t help seeing the frayed couch day in and day out. Oh well, I think it is an excuse to re-upholster the couch, as I continue to think of solutions.

Then he wandered off to the living room and pointed out the base of the lounge in tatters.

Seeing my husband’s exasperated look, I comfort him once again “My shawl will hide all that. Don’t worry. I have lots of shawl”. My wide collection of pretty shawls from China, Divisoria, India and Pakistan came in handy. I picked an olive-green shawl and demonstrated the look of the couch and the lounge chair as it hid the torn and ragged leather. My husband nods.

Perfect!

The Bloggers Credentials & Credibility in Filipino Voices

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Sunday, April 12, 2009Tuesday, April 14, 2009
18 Comments

When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.
Wayne Dyer

My husband is not a very patient man whenever I ask questions concerning politics. He always tells me to read the news report or the Opinion Columns. Sipping coffee and feasting on my heaviest meal of the day is never complete without reading a newspaper. Another daily routine is reading Filipino Voices (FV) usually during lunch or dinner time. You can say, that newspapers are my breakfast fare while Filipino Voices, my dessert.

I like to enrich myself with varied opinions when it comes to the current events, politics and national issues that are not normally found in the newspaper. The thing is Filipino Voices are composed of bloggers from all walks of life. When I first read the entries of the FV bloggers, it never entered my mind to check on their credentials. I simply read their blog entries and if I have something to contribute, I comment. If I had nothing to contribute, I just move on to the next entry and so on and so forth.
Read More »The Bloggers Credentials & Credibility in Filipino Voices

It’s Been 40 days since the Death of Amiel Alcantara

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Sunday, April 05, 2009Sunday, April 05, 2009
4 Comments

Dying is a wild night and a new road.
~Emily Dickinson

Remember Amiel Alcantara? Well, it has been 40 days since his sudden death?

One of the things so astonishing and costly about losing a loved one is that, while the sun continues to rise and set, newspapers continue to be delivered, traffic lights till change from red to green and back again,our whole life is turned around, turned upside down.

And life does go on but we can still continue to remember our loved ones on special days through candle lighting, rituals, customs, simple rites or ceremonies. Today, on the 40th day since his death, a marker was blessed on the spot where Amiel was struck by a van.

The marker reads:

The Ateneo de Manila Grade School Members
MASTER JULIAN CARLO MIGUEL “AMIEL” ALCANTARA
who was called to the Lord on February 24, 2009.
We Thank him for the gift that he had been to all of us,
for teaching us to love, and cherish life, and
for bringing us all together as a community in prayer ,
with a renewed promise to nurture and care for each other,
as we journey for persons for others.
Blessed on the 40th day of his entrance to glory

April 5, 2009
Palm Sunday

Beheaded But Always Remembered

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Thursday, April 02, 2009Thursday, April 02, 2009
5 Comments

Breaking News: Mary Jean Lacaba, the Filipina Red Cross Worker Freed.

I don’t feel the same outrage towards the Chip Tsao slur compared to the possibility that the Red Cross workers could get beheaded. Everyday as I watch the news, I feel helpless as threats to their lives escalate. Breaking news is that Mary Jean Lacaba, Filipina Red Cross worker has been released after more than 70 days in captivity. She was found near Indanan town and is now being transported to a trauma treatment center in Jolo. Swiss Andreas Notter and Italian Eugenio Vagni continue to be held hostage by the Al Qaeda linked terrorist organization. The threat to the remaining two Red Cross Workers remains.

Francis Magalona Succumbs to Cancer

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Friday, March 06, 2009Saturday, March 07, 2009
31 Comments

Photo Credits to Francis Magalona’s Multiply Site

Francis Magalona Succumbs to Cancer at the age of 44 at the Medical City Hospital after a 7 month battle with AML (Acute Myelogenous Leukemia with Mixed Lineage) or MLL. Francis died due to multiple organ failure ““secondary to severe sepsis and secondary to pneumonia,” according to a doctor who was not authorized to talk to media.

Rest in Peace, Francis. I somehow know the battle with leukemia as I witnessed my brother’s struggle with leukemia for three years.

The Grief of The Invisible Class

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Wednesday, March 04, 2009Wednesday, March 04, 2009
16 Comments

A paragraph in Manolo ‘s entry on The Long View Insecurity and The Invisible Class caught my eye:

And meanwhile, there continue the biting criticisms. Blogger Caffeinesparks puts it this way, reacting to the outpouring of sympathy and shock over the death of Amiel Alcantara, the child accidentally run over in Ateneo de Manila: ““in the shanties along Pasig river, a kid playing falls into the waterÃ¢â‚¬â€drowned. Dead; a street urchin playing on the island along the road, runs after a kitten, gets run overÃ¢â‚¬â€dead; babies die because their mothers live too far from health care centers or can only afford a manghihilot; 10 mothers dead a dayÃ¢â‚¬â€due to childbirth.” These are the grim and unnoticed statisticsÃ¢â‚¬â€so plentiful as to be unfeltÃ¢â‚¬â€of what she calls the Invisible Class.

Why is it a biting criticism? If the blogger had access to the mortality statistics, why not write about it instead of criticizing the sympathy showered over Amiel Alcantara’s death? And perhaps, take it from there?

Pepe Alcantara, Amiel Alcantara’s Dad Delivers 4 Messages

by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado
Saturday, February 28, 2009Sunday, March 08, 2009
29 Comments

My husband refused to listen to me the night I first learned of Amiel Alcantara’s death. As I narrated the sordid details on how Amiel Alcantara died, Butch clamped his ears, “Stop it, I don’t want to hear anymore. It is just too much” All he knows is that Amiel got ran over by a van inside the Ateneo campus. He couldn’t take in the violent nature of Amiel’s death. (Edit March 8: My husband wrote A Grief Beyond Words) .So, when I visited the wake of Amiel Alcantara on February 25, I was all alone. No worries, I was there to offer comfort that a grief support group such as The Compassionate Friends is around if they needed it one day. Good thing Cathy was around too. I kept staring at Pepe Alcantara. He looked familiar to me but I couldn’t place his face. That night, I told Butch that I met the father, Pepe Alcantara. The name rang a bell to Butch but it was only the following day that we got confirmation in the papers that he is the same Pepe Alcantara he knew back then in his UP student days. Pepe was the UP Student Council President in the early 80’s with Lean Alejandro as his vice. Pepe and Butch belonged to the same student organization in the UP student days. Surely now, Butch will want to see Pepe.