Four months after finishing my college studies, I was able to find work in a government office as a casual clerk. I was only 20 years old then, way back in 1982, and little did I realized that after 30 years, I would be the regional head of our office, as I was designated the Officer-in-Charge.

Then, four years later, after I started working, I was able to discover a precious treasure, a lifetime gift from God: the way of life of the Focolare. The teachings of Chiara Lubich and the spirituality of unity have guided me all these years in my relationship with my officemates and co-workers, and in making important decisions in my career.

I remember one time, I was then assigned to a provincial office and was already the next in rank to the position of our immediate superior, when that position became vacant due to the retirement of the superior. Since I was next in rank, I decided to apply for the said position. But then I learned that our Regional Director was supporting another interested candidate who was already the Provincial Head in another province but was interested in the vacant item since it was closer to his hometown.

One day, this Provincial Head who was interested in the position visited me in my office, telling me point blank that I should not apply for the vacant position since I would not be able to cope with the demands of the position, since our provincial office was the biggest provincial office in the region, and besides, according to this personnel, I was a “pusong mamon”(a soft-hearted person) who could not handle the various characters and personalities that I would be facing. Deep inside, I was insulted and embarrassed by his words, but the evangelical life of unity prevailed in me. I just kept silent and listened to him. At a certain point, I wanted to answer him back and reason out, but then I realized that it would be useless arguing with him for he was somewhat under the influence of alcohol. I saw in him another person I had to love, a particular face of Christ Forsaken on the cross. Forgetting myself in front of this person, I even accompanied him outside the office and assisted him in getting a ride home. I did this because I did not want to ruin our good relationship just because of my ambitions and plans for the future. A thought of Chiara Lubich in the Word of Life came to me in her commentary on living the Gospel: “Our hearts must be transformed if we are to acquire new attitudes and establish genuine and just relationships.”

A few weeks later, I received my appointment as the head of the provincial office and was so thankful to God that I had been able to maintain my good relationship with my officemate. Otherwise, it would have been very difficult for me to approach him again had I got even with him in that encounter.

There was also another episode at work when our Regional Director, issued a memorandum designating me as the official driver of the office. At first, I was surprised to have been given this other assignment. My superior in the provincial office told me not to accept the designation for it seemed like a demotion, since I was already the assistant to my head. With humility, I set aside my ego to be able to love the neighbor as Christ teaches in the Gospel, so I accepted the designation.   

At the end of each day, what mattered to me was to be able to be of service to the office and my officemates. This gave me true happiness. I would usually fetch visitors from the airport, and for personnel who would travel to Manila, and the official travel of our regional head to other provinces, I would also be the one to bring them to the airport. I tried to believe in the words of the Gospel: “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Lk 14:11). Unexpectedly, this new designation did not last long, since, after a few months, I was relieved of my being the official driver as another person was designated.

Just recently, a month before the mandatory retirement of our Provincial Head, I recommended to the central office a ranking personnel who would replace the said Provincial Head. But then a few weeks after I sent the recommendation letter, I was called by my superior in the head office asking me if I knew of the anonymous letter that was circulated in the central office regarding the personnel that I had recommended. According to my superior, the allegations and accusations contained in the anonymous letter were directed at the personnel I had recommended and were so serious as to also indirectly affect me as the head of the provincial office in the region. After our conversation with my direct supervisor, what immediately occurred to me was to find out who could have done this, and to instantly conduct an investigation to find out who this person was, and use my power and authority to punish him. At the same time, I was sad that it happened at this time when we were in the middle of a pandemic.