Our story in the Philippines

A story of selfless love for the Philippines

2012-03-06T06:09:00.000-08:00

Help! Is there no way out?

2012-03-04T22:36:00.004-08:00

Today is day number 769 since we were forced from our home and lives in the Philippines by extortionists collaborating with local justice employees. We have desperately tried to get attention of someone who can help us with our perplexing situation but have been met with a brick wall of silence. It is as if the whole thing has been covered up and we are cast out as collateral damage. We balked the corrupt system of forced settlements and required payments to prosecutors and have paid a terrible price for it.

In brief, we were targeted by an extortion ring who went to the province impersonating to be employees of the commission on human rights. They went there to recruit willing people who would participate in an extortion scheme that uses a loop hole in the Philippine law. This law requires that if certain allegations are made, the accused must wait in jail while local prosecutors investigate the claims. No evidence is needed to do this. The scam is once the person(s) is in a position to be incarcerated they ask the accused if they want to pay a settlement to have them drop the charges. Under Philippine law this is legal. Unbelievable but true.

In our case to assure that we could not get out of it, they collaborated with local justice employees to withhold our evidence which was our counter-affidavit contesting the fabricated claims. They arranged that it would be withheld so as to give the prosecutor as a reason to file charges being "the allegations were uncontested". And she did exactly that. Yet, the prosecutor had knowledge of our defense with proof of it's delivery to her office right in front of her. She still collaborated thinking we would pay. A couple with a very expensive property and 1 year old daughter could not refuse to pay a simple settlement demand instead of go to jail. Right? WRONG!

On the very day the prosecutor filed information's (charges), the extortion ring through an attorney contacted us telling us they would drop the charges if we paid them a "settlement" of $125,000. We refused and here we are 769 days later. Still unable to return to our home in the Philippines and suffered unimaginable hardship. Our human rights to due process completely trampled on in the Philippines.

Do the following clips from our Petition for Review concern anyone? This is reality at the local level Philippine justice system. Corrupt to the core in the Tarlac Prosectors Office!

This action by the prosecutors secretary in refusing our counter-affidavit was arranged by the people who fabricated the case against my wife and I. That was our only means to defend ourselves. By doing this the prosecutor could say that the allegations against us were uncontested. Once in that position she filed for charges in the courts which left us in a position to pay up a demanded settlement of $125,000 or get locked up in jail while the case was investigated which usually takes years. This is the game there. To put foreigners with limited rights in positions to pay to get out knowing that no foreigner would ever want to be locked up in a Philippine jail.

We left the country before this case was filed because those who instigated this case had tried an extortion scheme in immigration prior. When that failed they had threated our lives so we left the country to protect our kids. Without their knowledge of our departure they filed the current case you see above. They used a loophole in the law that is a pay up or get locked up scam. This has become a cottage industry against well to do foreigners in the Philippines. Seen only as easy targets for quick payoffs hidden under the guise as "settlements". Yet the foreigners never offer to make settlement, rather the parties filing the cases offer to the foreigner if they pay a settlement they will drop the charges. I wonder how many other foreigners have been set up like us in the past two years since we left the Philippines. An evil game that causes untold hardship on lives.

A copy of the post office delivery receipt of our counter affidavit to the Tarlac Prosecutor.

The sad fact is the prosecutor knew of the existence of our counter-affidavit even though she used as her reason to file charges that she never received it. She had a copy of the post office receipt attached to the case documents proving it was delivered to her office. And the case was sent back to her for review of which she knew our attorney would have filed the motion for reconsideration. Why would we file for a reconsideration and not present any defense. There is even no proof that this prosecutor ever met in person the complainant. Or any proof she even conducted an investigation. The fact is this corrupt prosecutor was in on this scheme too. Most likely those who mastermind the fabricated case offered her a cut of the $125,000 settlement demand.

This reckless activity in the Tarlac Prosecutors office has caused us more pain and inconvenience than we can ever explain. How are they going to give us back these two years of our lives? Who is going to pay the financial and emotional damages? This cannot just be swept under the carpet. We are human beings with real lives. We lived in a wonderful place. And were forced from it by people who are just laughing in our faces now. Feeling above the law. Mayabong to the core!

We were targeted for extortion because of this investment. It showed we could pay.

This is what this scheme has done. Where we live now.

Pics of our beautiful pools in the Philippines.

2012-03-02T19:09:00.002-08:00

It is getting really hot and muggy now where we are. We are literally dreaming of the pools we had in the Philippines. I took personal pride in keeping them as pristine as possible. Enjoy the pics friends.

This is our 35 meter lap pool. Awesome exercise pool

We had decorative plants all around with bahay kubo's to relax in

The main mansion house terrace had an incredible view overlooking the pool

There were Hawaiian palms surrounding the pool

Our guest house had it's own private pool

It was very private and an quaint


It was a real treat to let guests use this pool. They loved it.

That was then and this is now ...

God knows!

Our story in the Philippines Part 1 Super HD version.wmv

2012-03-01T19:17:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous pictures from our property in the Philippines

2012-02-29T16:54:00.002-08:00

The most beautiful of our property is of course my wife Chona. She is saying WELCOME EVERYONE!

One morning while walking in the back of our farm I took this pic of our horses

A pic of our butterfly bridge across the blue lagoon

Our gazebo over the koi pond in the Japanese garden. The gym is in the background

An aerial shot of the developed portion from the Cesna I rented in Dec. 2007

Truly breathtaking moments out there every day. Our horses in front of the butterfly bridge

Born with a heart shaped mark on his nose. Our baby colt strolling on the property

A pic of our swing near the blue lagoon. We used to love to sit together on it

Bogonvalglia in the glorious morning light in the Japanese garden

The bridge leading into the Japanese garden in morning light

The reflection of our temple style gym on the koi pond

The bahay kubo near the big swimming pool. We loved to sit in there.

Dear Readers,

I have to stop here as the emotional pain of missing this beauty is overtaking me now. The place we lived was so incredibly gorgeous. We worked hard to develop it and truly enjoyed it while we were there. We are trying to pick up the pieces now in our lives and find meaning in what happened to us there in the Philippines. God knows ...

I will post more at another time.

Thanks for visiting.

Our new reality makes us appreciate even more what we had. God knows ...

Why are we not in the USA?

2012-02-27T16:47:00.002-08:00

This has to be the number one question we get and one point that sparks curiosity in our readers.

Forgiven Ministries" David, As one American that has lived there for few years. I just wonder why you don't pack up family and bring them back to USA?"

From a Blogger "The fact that he said he is staying in hotels and still spending $$$ to maintain his properties give me a funny feeling about his true concerns. looking at the $$$ he throws around, he is probably capable of working on getting him and his family the hell outa here and back to wherever he came from. if his position on this mess it to be believed, then the decision to work on getting himself and his family back to his homeland looks like a no-brainer to me. sorry to be negative but this whole blog rubs me the wrong way."

Very valid questions indeed. Why would we choose to live as nomads and not go back to the comfort and safety of our own home in America? The simple direct answer is "we can't".

As I stated in the previous blog post the extortionists who fabricated a case against my wife and I knew exactly what they were doing. In order to increase their chances of success they included my wife in the false accusations. Because of this not only was I involved in a case, my wife was too and that automatically gave her a bad record.

One of the requirements in order for my wife to get a U.S. spouse visa or even a tourist visa is an NBI clearance. Because of the bogus case she cannot get one. So that left us in a position that she cannot go with me and the kids to America. And I cannot leave her to wander from country to country in Asia alone either. So we are stuck, literally stuck and have been that way for over two years now. This has been very difficult for us considering we are in this position on a fabricated case in which our human right to due process was denied for the purpose to put us in a position to pay up or get locked up.

We have made many efforts to get special circumstance consideration but according to the U.S. State Department there is nothing on their books that covers our situation. Unfortunately it is a system that is so full of red tape and rules that rare cases like ours fall through the cracks. I assure you the U.S. Ambassador is fully aware of what we are going through.

Let there be no mistake. We were left with one choice and one choice only. Either pay the "Settlement" demanded by the extortionists or get locked up while those who collaborated with them decide on the amount of time it will take to investigate the allegations. Let me remind those who are visiting for the first time that we are in this position because of a loophole in a Philippine law that allows people to make certain specific claims and even without evidence, on a mere accusation the accused must be locked up while the claims are investigated. This has inspired a whole industry of extortion there. Please refer to the prior blog post "our life in extortion hell" for more details.

We sure wish we could be in America now. God knows how much.

Pray for us friends, this situation has been very difficult and is getting more difficult. Especially financially.

Our life in extortion hell

2012-02-25T17:12:00.004-08:00

A caption from our interview "our life in extortion hell"

I have received a lot of feedback on this blog since I started it last August. We have many followers now who are truly interested in our story in the Philippines. I get comments from people how much they love the blog yet they feel something is missing, especially in the details of what happened that resulted in us being forced from the Philippines.

It is important I explain to the readers here that since the inception of this blog I have not had the liberty to put it all out there in plain sight. There are huge risks for me to do that and with consequences such as being separated from our kids or even death to us or our family. It's that bad! We have no family here who can watch our kids for us if we suddenly went missing. We have no church family down the road either. We are on our own and have been for two years now.

The people who orchestrated this extortion scheme against my wife and I knew exactly what they were doing. Their goal was to put us in a position that we could not refuse to pay the extortion demand placed upon us. The scheme is plain and simple. Pay up or get locked up. It is only by the Grace of God that our enemies made a mistake that tipped us off to their motives allowing us to get out of the Philippines back in January 2010.

We have paid a terrible and exacting price for balking the corrupt system there. By not paying their demands we have had to give up our lives in the Philippines and trade them for a life as nomads going from country to country throughout Asia for 761 days now. All the while we try to find justice in this.

We had to leave our family, friends and church behind with no income source at all watching the value of our investment in the Philippines plummet. We have borrowed from my parents just to pay legal expenses, try to maintain our property and survive as nomads. At times we ended up in some of the poorest places in the world. It has been extremely difficult. And the whole time we have had to do everything to avoid being put in that position the extortionists want us in and that was pay what their demand or be locked up.

It is with relative ease they put us in this position. The Philippines judicial system is strange in that way. A private party can file a complaint and withdraw it at any time. In this case the private party used a proxy of whom they had no relationship at all. They used targeted claims that do not allow bail and carry maximum sentences of life in prison. Apparently as in our case no evidence is required to do this. There are no questions asked, certain corrupt prosecutors simply accept these cases knowing that no foreigner would ever want to stay in jail while they take their time to investigate the claims. That could take a year or longer. This opened up a huge market for extortion there, one that has become a cottage industry of which we are suffering under now.

People from the West, especially in America have a hard time to grasp this. They think we can just go to the prosecutors office present our defense and be done with it. It does not work that way in a corrupt system like in the Philippines. As in our case, if they want to put you in a position in which you have no choice at all they will do that. Even if it means denying human rights. The greed is that deep.

An example of this is when we found out there was a case against us, we had naturally filed a counter-affidavit contesting the false accusations against us. We were very confident in our defense as it showed that the case that was leveled against us had already been filed and legally dismissed a year earlier in the exact same office. This did not matter. It was arranged that we never got that chance when on the day our counter-affidavit was delivered to the secretary of the prosecutor it was refused by her. She sent it back to the delivery clerk and it never made it to the prosecutor. That move right there sealed our fate in that office. We were completely denied the right to defend ourselves.

So here we were out of the country, very confident that our counter-affidavit would inform the prosecutor the case had already been filed and dismissed a year earlier and it was withheld from her. In other words it was arranged that we would be in a position to be unable to defend ourselves. A set up and a sham. A trampling of our human right to due process.

The result was even though the prosecutor had a copy of the delivery receipt of our counter-affidavit which proved she had knowledge of it's existence, she filed charges against me and my wife stating the case was uncontested because no counter-affidavit was received! Yet she knew we filed twice for motions for reconsideration of her decision. Why would we do that and not have a counter affidavit?

The truth is we were set up by the people filing the case who were collaborating with people in that prosecutors office. For the sole purpose to extort money from us. The proof is on the exact day the charges were filed they demanded we pay them $125,000 to drop the case. If they were interested in justice what were they doing demanding we pay a settlement? We did not offer it. Can you see what is going on here? We had no chance at all. And because of this our lives have been turned upside down for over two years now with immense suffering to our family in every which way.

So we want you to see, it is not that we are trying to act weird or be devious in not telling where we are or giving exact details of things. We cannot risk harming our new born son and 3 year old daughter. In other words we have no chance at all there in that corrupt judicial system and we need to be very careful now. Even our own attorney's have told us that "payoffs are a deeply embedded part of the system" there and that there is no way out. They simply told us that is the way justice is done there. Is that justice? This is hard to digest to be honest. I guess coming from a country where one can get true due process makes it all that much harder to accept. It's a real nightmare to be honest. Our only choice was to reward criminals and support a corrupt system or get locked up. What kind of choice is that?

We cannot accept this. We feel so strongly, we feel it is a sin to encourage a system that is keeping millions of people down already there. Even this huge price we have paid now in 761 days of hardship we still refuse meet the demands they have placed on us. Dollar wise it would have been much cheaper to pay the $125,000 extortion demand to drop the case. But this is not about money. This is about what is right. That is why we have gone into debt to the point of $253,000 now still refusing to payoff a corrupt system.

The fact of the matter is our human right to due process was trampled on in the Philippines. We balked the system by refusing to pay and now we have paid an unspeakable price for it. That in itself is a travesty.

One day all the details of what happened to us will come out. We have been trying to get this information directly to the President of the Philippines in hopes of receiving his intervention. We are not wanting to go to the media for many reasons including it would kill any chance we have of selling our property for a decent price in the Philippines as well as ruin our private lives forever there. But as my parents retirement savings dwindles and we face more and more hardships going from country to country there may come a day and soon that we will no longer have any more choice than to reveal this in public.

Again, I apologize to those of you who are confused by the missing pieces here. We are doing our best to survive this very difficult situation. We pray for help and soon.

Sincerely,

The Graham Family

Whoever you are in Syria

2012-02-24T12:11:00.003-08:00

My daughter woke up screaming again this morning at 2am. after another nightmare. I could not go back to sleep so once we got her settled I decided to turn on the computer and check the blog. I spend a lot of time monitoring the blog as I am very interested to see where all the people come from who are viewing my posts. There is a "stats" page that lets me see the individual countries where the hits are coming from.

As I scanned the list one country in particular struck me deeply...

Philippines

United States

Canada

Sweden

United Kingdom

Syria

Romania

United Arab Emirates

Mozambique

Qatar

Spain

Italy

Germany

As I consider my last blog post that speaks about some of the misery my family is going through having been victimized by extortionists, I was taken back by the views from someone in this one country of Syria. Daily I turn on the T.V. and see Syria in the news, a country that is by all rights already in a civil war. Images of terrible violence all over and human suffering on a scale that is hard to understand.

Whoever you are in Syria, my prayers are with you. And thank you for reminding me that our situation is not all that bad. We care. I try to imagine who you are. An OFW perhaps? A nurse? Or an Govt. employee? I guess the only thing that really matters is that this connection is made.
The next time I feel sorry for my self and my family I will remember you and pray for you.

There are others too whom view our blog from precarious circumstances. Like Simonette in Bulgaria who has been in the worst snowstorm in a century there. All I can say is we appreciate you following us even in your own hardship.

And to all of you around the world who visit this blog, thank you for your silent support.

Most Sincerely,

David & Chona Graham

The river of uncertainty

2012-02-22T16:11:00.004-08:00

Taken on February 17th, 2012

This picture of my daughter in front of a dirty canal says a lot about the dilemma we are facing now. This canal is full of garbage and human waste; a very disgusting and putrid sight indeed. This canal is only two blocks from the place we have been renting. The smell of it engulfs our rented room almost nightly unless we get a rare westward breeze.

We often need to go past this canal to get to other places in this very poor part of the world. We realize the difference between this being a beautiful clear stream of water or it's current polluted condition lay in the hands of those who care for it. It reminds us often of where we used to live.

The canal near our home in the Philippines

We had a canal going through the center of our property in the Philippines. A quiet and tranquil stream of water that flowed ever so softly. It was neither dirty nor smelled badly. We used to have picnics next to it. We cared for this canal fishing out even the smallest piece of garbage from it. It was our pride and joy of the property. A major part of our lives.

The canal we live by now represents the unfairness of our current circumstances. Our daughter once had her own beautiful canal and it was taken from her by greedy people who would not stop at anything to take it from her. The picture above of my daughter makes me both sad and angry. To realize where we had been and what we face now in life seems to spell out the word injustice in a big way. Yet there are many truths we can find in looking at this dirty canal where we live now. It represents so much of what we have been through in the past two years.

This canal is two blocks from where we stay now in 2012

Even with feelings of despair I realize this canal can be cleaned up. It can be respected and cared for. It can be returned to something beautiful. Those who are in charge, those whom they govern can be taught to care for it turning it from being a sign of poverty to a sign of progress and hope. This is true with our circumstances. Our dirty dilemma can be influenced greatly by those who govern over the Philippines. And those whom have the power to clean our canal can do it for the sake of the whole country, for the pride of the Philippines. Giving the Philippines a good face once again.

We never give up hope, even having been unfairly cast into this destitute life we are in now. The reason is our "canal" can always be cleaned up and restored to it's original beauty. The way it was meant to be.

Help us President Aquino. Clean the dirty canals and bring hope to all peoples. Our prayers are with you.

More pictures below

The East West Birthday Dilemma

2012-02-18T03:07:00.000-08:00

Today being my Birthday I thought I would write about a funny experience I had in the past.

A few years ago I was in Cebu for my 40th Birthday and had been staying with a friend at that time. I remember being excited for my birthday. I had told my friends about my Birthday and let them know I was looking forward to a great celebration. That was my hint to them that I was expecting them to throw me a huge party.

The morning of my Birthday arrived and my friend reminded me it was my birthday. But there was no talk of any plan for a party of anything. My friend seemed really upbeat and in a festive mood but I had not noticed any trips to the store to get supplies or any preparation for the party I was expecting. Still my friend was giving every hint in the world a celebration was coming.

The day went on and by the afternoon my friend had started to get a sour face. I was wondering what was going on? Why were they not getting ready to give me the best party of my life? I too started to get sour and my attitude started to get bad. I could not believe on my birthday that they would do nothing for me. In America when someone has a birthday, especially a 40th Birthday your friends would get together and throw you a wild bash. I was getting really confused wondering why in the Philippines no one appreciated another persons Birthday??

The night arrived and by that time my friend had started to downright treat me badly. We were not even talking to each other. I could not believe the coldness of my friends not throwing a party for me on my very special 40th Birthday. But they were looking at me as if they were angry to me. What? This kind of treatment was unheard of where I came from on a Birthday! Bed time rolled around and the attitude of my friend was cold as Ice. I was down right depressed as I closed my eyes realizing my 40th Birthday came and went without any party or celebration. Likewise my friend seemed to be downright depressed too. It perplexed me, I could not understand it at all?

It wasn't until years later I learned why my 40th Birthday was a disaster. I found out that in the Philippines the Birthday Celebrant is expected to be the one to throw the party for all of his friends. Completely opposite of that in America where the Birthday Celebrant expects all his friends to throw the party. So that 40th Birthday ended in a disaster for both my friends and I. A total culture misunderstanding!

Today I laugh about my past experience of the "nightmare 40th Birthday in Cebu" as I understand Filipino culture much better. I think many foreigners have experienced this for their first Birthday's in the Philippines and I imagine many Filipino's in America have appeared exceedingly generous on their own Birthday's offering to pay for everything!

Isn't life great with a little bit of understanding. Got to love it!!

By they way, for my Birthday today I was able to "escape" the responsibility to throw a party as our family changed countries again today. I had everything I could ever ask for today and that is my loving family with me. That makes it a wonderful Birthday no matter what the circumstances.

I did get a cake though last night. Some friends of ours who are very poor showed up at our hotel room with a cake and some homemade sticky rice! It was so touching. The love and sincerity was so beautiful. They really sacrificed to buy that cake. That would have been three days wages they used to buy it. I am a blessed man when I really think about it. Thank you Lord! You are so good to me!

Meeting the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines

2012-02-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

Last night as I lay in bed with tears coming down my cheeks I realized the deep sacrifices my parents have made to help my wife and I during this experience with extortion in the Philippines. Even at their age of 82 and 83 they have worked day in and day out over the past two years to find a solution to our precarious dilemma.

Dad with Amb. Harry Thomas Jr.

This past Saturday they were invited to a dinner for the U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, Harry Thomas Jr. This was held at the Intromuro's Restaurant in South San Francisco. There they were able to meet many interesting and influential FilAms during the 5 hour special event. They said Ambassador Thomas gave a wonderful warm speech on his experiences in the Philippines and he praised the current administration on their efforts to tackle corruption. It was nice to see my parents feeling uplifted after the evening event. It had been a boost they had needed for a long time. I think their hearts have grown together with mine for the love of the Filipino people over the years.

Mom having a nice chat with Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr.

Mom and Dad had nothing but good things to say about the people who attended that event. They were encouraged and impressed with the Filipino Community who have in their hearts set on making a good future for all Filipino's. I would have loved to have been there with them. It sounded like a very positive experience.

Both my wife and I are so very touched at the strength and power of the people who are behind us during this time. They truly give us lift under our wings. We thank God for them truly. And especially to my parents who are the most loving and generous any person could ever ask for. They set the highest standard being the best examples in our lives.

Being married to a Filipina is great - Part 2

2012-02-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

A pic of us on our honeymoon going to the underground river

Working hard together for our future

Greeting my mom when she arrived in the Philippines

On the road in remote Southern Palawan

A family fishing trip in a tropical paradise

This is part two of "Being married to a Filipina is Great". I was quite surprised at the warm response we got from the first post on this. It quickly moved to be one of the most popular blog posts we have. I guess many of us are just "helpless romantics" lol

Is it really great?

Being married to a Filipina is truly great. I mean that. I am not promoting some ebook making a profit from that statement or running a FilAm dating site. I am just being honest that in my experience of getting to know the women culture of the Philippines I have found amazing ingredients that make them some of the most beautiful, well balanced and lovable women in the world. Here are a few things I discovered.

The culture of industriousness and productivity (Masipag)

These women are incredibly productive if you really look at them well. When many western husbands marry a Filipina they will wonder why in the world is she up sweeping the house with one arm behind her back at very early hours of the morning. What is all this for? And why does it have to be in the morning? This is instinctive to the Filipina's industrious nature. In the Philippines they call it "masipag". This means "productive" or "industrious". It is not just in sweeping but in everything she does. She does it with zest and power.

My wife is amazing how many balls she can juggle at one time. She can be cooking, cleaning, taking care of me and our children all at the same time. And with no frown, no complaints. It is her cultural instinct to be masipag. A wonderful trait that most Filipina's have. Even at this moment she is at the kitchen sink in front of me, but a second ago she was nursing our son and folding clothes. It takes all my power just to focus on typing this blog, heaven forbid if I had to do two things at once!

This masipag nature of the Filipina is a result of how they are raised. Their mothers in particular teach them how to work hard and be productive. This is second nature to the Filipina. And they love it. It gives them meaning to be able to be busy. What a wonderful trait to have in a partner.

Focus on the family

There is nothing more important to a Filipina than her family. This is the center of her heart and cultural universe. If I was going to list my wife's priorities as I see them they would be.
God, family, family, family, family and family! This is not joke. I have been totally blown away by the love and commitment I see in my wife for our family. Every word or deed she does seems to support our family unit. I love my family in the states so much, but I had never known the depth of love that one could have for their family until I saw it in action with my wife. How many OFW's (overseas Filipino workers) have I met who give their entire paychecks to support their families to the fourth generation. Incredible for a westerner to see!

The way I see her teach our daughter to love and respect me as her father and how I see her guide her about how important nannie and grandpa are. This is a new level of family appreciation for me. She is prepping them to have the mindset to take care of us when we are older. And they will do the same to their children. This is wonderful, truly truly wonderful. I never knew about it.

This close bond and affection is not limited to our immediate family but to her brothers, cousins, nieces and nephews. They all have priority and importance in her life. Now a Filipino reading this will say "of course for it is as natural as the blood in our veins to do this". But for a westerner who is new at it, it can actually be a bit overwhelming. Who me, get close to my cousin? No way! Or who me, work hard to support my parents? No way! lol

Hindi mapapantayan ng anumang ginto at salapi ang pagbubuklod-buklod at pagmamahalan ng pamilya, PAMILYA parin ang mahalaga.
Basically this says that nothing comes before the love for family. This is a great trait of the Filipina.

God is in everything and I mean EVERYTHING!

When I first met my wife who was working as a sales lady in a store, I never realized how important her faith was to her until I observed her for several months. The first hint I got was that in every single text I received from her, I mean 100% of them, she had a quote of God's word in it. Then when I found out she was also texting God's word to nearly 200 people a day, including the current President, then I knew how important her faith was. Good thing I took her to a Don Moen concert on our first date. lol

This is a trait I have seen in the majority of Filipina's and one to be understood by the western man who may not have been exposed to that much faith. God is not some abstract character or a once a year Easter visit but He is a daily importance to the Filipina. If you glance at any Filipina dating site or "I'm looking for a husband" publication the number one and first thing they list of what they are looking for in a man is "God fearing". For those of you new to this word, it does not mean she is looking for a man running around scared of God. She is basically saying she desires a man who is of good moral character, kind, loving and one who together with her will believe in God.

We can thank the Malay's, Chinese, American's and Spaniards for the Filipina

These cultures contributed the most to the cultural "cocktail" that makes up today's Filipina. If we look at it closely we can see very distinct traits that come from each of these cultures. And through many generations of influence this mix has made one of the most loving, industrious and socially adaptable women on the planet. Of course I am referring to my wife!

Next week will be our wedding anniversary and I have a lot of reason to be happy about it. My wife continues to amaze me as I get to know her more each year. We are currently going through what most would describe as "hell" but the incredible thing is we are growing closer and not farther apart because of it. I am discovering more each day that passes by and I can truly say...

Being married to a Filipina is great!

Our most recent pic taken on Christmas Day 2011

President Aquino, my wife is your friend!

2012-02-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

I would rather not get into it too deep here other than we have been trying to get hold of the President of the Philippines for some time now because we need his help concerning some problems we been having with extortionists. My wife knew him when he was a Senator in Tarlac and was a frequent customer at the gun store where she worked. She has even been personally to his home (with others) in Tarlac.

My wife at Sir Noy's house one night along with other co-workers

Sir Noy at the gun store where my wife worked in Tarlac

Your Excellency, please make contact with us as soon as possible at jdgclg2@comcast.net. Thank you.

Our incredible blue lagoon

2012-01-31T04:58:00.000-08:00

The pilots who fly into Clark International Airport know well when I mention the strange "blue dot" in Tarlac Province. That blue dot is our true blue lagoon.

Actually the lagoon was not that color originally, it was a muddy brown color. In fact the first year I had the property I never did my magic and turned the lake blue. It was in December 2007 when I decided to rent a plane and take some aerial photos of our property that I came up with the idea on how to change the lake from brown to blue. In all honesty that first time I kind of over did it and make it a little too bright, but it was a fun experience.

A lot of people ask me how did I change the color of approx 8 million gallons of water? It all started in a drinking glass. As I paced around our property in 2007 I was thinking what could I do to upgrade the looks from the sky? How could I change the appearance? As I sat in the Japanese garden and looked at the lake I was thinking how nice it would look if the water was crystal clear like the sea.

So I got to thinking and realized that the color of water is manipulated all the time in what we drink. Like blue Gatorade for example. I wondered what would happen if I took that muddy water and mixed food coloring in with it? So I took a glass and filled it up and headed to the house. We had a small bottle of food coloring in the kitchen. I put a few drops in and brought it out to the sun. I was astonished! It turned turquoise! So from there I got a 5 gallon white bucket and mixed that and again it turned blue. One other thing I noticed was once I put the color in the sediment particles fell to the bottom when it was exposed to the sun. I got really excited when I saw that.

But there was one problem! I had no idea what kind of effect it would have on the environment. I decided before I color my lake blue I would test it on some tilapia and dalag which were our main fish. I had an old hundred gallon fish tank and filled it up and mixed the blue in. Then I caught about 10 "volunteers" from the lake and put them in. I studied them for almost two weeks. Not only did they do well, it appeared they were growing faster because they could see the food easier in the improved clearer water! I was getting excited. After that I hit the internet and did some research where I found it was non toxic to the fish or environment. Of course not, we can drink it!

It took me a while to find a source for it. I went personally to the factory where they made the coloring and bought 75 kilo's of it in powder form. The manager asked me what it was for and I told him to color my lake. He just laughed at me. I guess he did not believe me! It was not so cheap, it cost nearly $300 for that amount but I wanted to try it for the aerial shots. It was worth it.

After I got back to the farm I loaded the 75 kilo's in the banca boat and headed out to the center of the lake. I used a plastic scoop and spread it in various areas. The funny thing is I did not realize I was painting myself blue! When it is not diluted in water if the power hits your skin you turn blue! After coloring the lake I looked like a blue man from neptune! It was so funny. Sorry I don't have a pic. Hopefully I can find one. Anyway, after 24 hours the lake looked gorgeous so I decided to go to Clark and rent the plane to photograph the property from the air.

I could see the lake from almost 10 miles away. It was a distinct blue dot in the middle of Luzon. And what a land reference for Pilots. I took a couple hundred photos of the property and flew for about two hours. Then returned to Clark. What an experience! I really thank God for giving me creative ideas in my life. I had many of them in business which helped me excel.

Lot's or friends enjoyed our unique blue lagoon


This was the second time I colored it. I like this color better. More ocean blue

I got so excited I even colored my parents fountain in California

Mom learns to shoot at 76 years old!

2012-01-27T23:41:00.000-08:00

In the previous blog post I wrote about my mothers visit to Cebu in 2004 and how she was nearly part of a shootout. She was literally seconds away from being in the middle of people firing high powered weapons and shotguns at each other over a hold up in a mall.

Mom at 76 years old learns to shoot in Cebu. Bulls eye!

I had a bodyguard at time and he offered to teach my mom how to shoot his gun. I guess her experience there inspired her to learn how to shoot. I was amazed. I never knew she would be interested in something like that. Even more amazed that her very first shot at 10 meters she got a bulls eye! Way to go Mom!

During the course of her three weeks there in Cebu she had the experience to shoot a few times. What a sight to see a 76 year old woman with a handgun! And she was serious about it. No weak scared granny there. She was as confident as a soldier and as precise as a marksman!

Mom in Bohol at Panglao Beach

I am very proud to have the mom I have. She is truthfully a wonderful woman. I would think most tourists would be scared and not wanting to go out of their hotel after an experience like my mom had with the holdup. But not my mom. She used that experience to inspire her to learn to shoot a gun.
I imagine this could make a whole new kind of tourism in the Philippines. Weapons Tourism! LOL

It's more fun in the Philippines!

How can I tell dad my mom got shot in Cebu!

2012-01-25T22:21:00.000-08:00

When I think of the many experiences for me and my family in the Philippines I have to chuckle when I read the new tourism campaign slogan
"It's more fun in the Philippines". In my Mom's case back in December of 2004 when she visited me in Cebu she had more fun being close to a crime scene! lol Thank God for his protection!

My mom had just arrived on a connecting flight from Manila and I had picked her up at the Mactan Airport in Lapu Lapu. We checked her into a hotel near the Rain Tree mall at Fuente Osmena' and then headed to Rain Tree mall where I showed her around. This is a small two story strip mall with a huge tree in the center. A nice shady place. At that time I had a bodyguard who was my right hand man in Cebu and he was with us that day. After a BBQ lunch at the mall we headed up stairs to the office where I showed my mom around the various units I was interested in renting. I had a meeting so we decided to send my mom and bodyguard down stairs to go to the Robinson Mall across the street.

It was only moments after my mom and bodyguard left that I heard a distinct loud popping sound outside. One bang and a serious of other "bang" "bang" "bang". At first I was oblivious to what was happening because I was in shock. I had hit the floor and crawled under a desk instinctively and then I realized it was gun fire just out side the door. I thought to my self "Oh my God, my mom just left seconds earlier!". I crawled on the floor over to the curtains where I closed them so no one could see in the office. Then I dialed desperately my bodyguards number. The thoughts kept racing as I analyzed the situation. I thought carefully what kind of "bang" did I hear. It was too deep to be like my bodyguard's handgun. I thought to my self it must have been a 357 magnum or AK47. Whatever it was, it was loud and strong. It echoed in the hallways and shook the windows. I keep trying to call my bodyguard over and over and still no answer. I was getting panicked. I had no firearm yet my mother could be just outside wounded. All kinds of thoughts raced through my mind including "how can I tell dad mom got shot in Cebu!" I kept peaking through the window and about 5 minutes had passed since the shooting. I could see other security guards walking around. I determined if they were walking around the bad guys were either neutralized or ran away. So I went out the door to look for my mom. I was so worried. "she is 76 years old" I thought to myself. I prayed so hard at that moment for mom's safety. I pleaded with the Lord for her life.

I had great confidence in my bodyguard's ability to fire back if he had the chance and I know he would take a bullet for my mom. He was like that. A great person. But the thoughts kept racing what if they were ambushed and he had no time to fire back? I kept trying his phone. After about 15 minutes he answered it and was oblivious to what occurred. Apparently they had entered the mall across the street at the exact same time the shooting occurred at my location. And he told me because of the crowds in the mall he could not hear my desperate calls.

When I explained to him what happened he left my mom at the mall where she was safe and came over to investigate the situation. Apparently a group of bandits held up a money changer downstairs and had an exchange of fire with a security guard. Something like 9 shots were fired. No one got injured or killed. Apparently the bad guys got away with a load of money.

My mom is amazing. She took it all with a grain of salt. She never appeared shaken or wanting to leave. She walked around with us examining the bullet holes in the cement walls and columns. It was kind of adventurous to her. So I guess there is some truth to ...

"It's more fun in the Philippines".
What a way to welcome my mom to Cebu!

A PERSONAL NOTE FOR THE SAKE OF TOURISM

Obviously what happened during my mom's visit to Cebu was a rare instance. I had spent off and on over 10 years in the Philippines and that was the only time to experience such an incident. The Philippines like any place can be dangerous if you are not well informed. But generally it is safe for tourists and visitors who want to go there and enjoy a country of warm and friendly people. I guess my mom has such luck. Even when she went to Israel in the late 60's a war started during her trip! On a trip to Nepal a revolution started too. LOL I wonder if PNOY will blacklist her so she can't come back and bring bad luck! LOL

Here is a news article on the incident.

CEBU CITY Six robbers, including a woman, hit a foreign-exchange shop at busy Raintree Mall in Fuente Osmena here yesterday morning, divesting the establishment of more than P200,000 in cash.
It was the second time that a moneychanger was robbed near the Fuente police station in less than one week.
The robbers, armed with high-powered firearms, disarmed three of the four security guards manning the mall area, while the female robber, with a male companion, announced the robbery in the Ace Investment office at past 9 a.m. yesterday.
The other robber acted as lookouts.
Fuente police station Chief Noel Gillamac said the robbery took place in less than five minutes as the other robbers waited outside with their getaway motorcycles.
The robbers destroyed the wires of the shops alarm system before they fled.
One security guard, however, managed to fire at the fleeing robbers using his service shotgun, but the robbers quickly fired back at him, prompting the guard to immediately seek cover.
No one was hurt in the exchange of gunfires but stray bullets hit two parked vehicles.
A policeman detailed at the Regional Intelligence Office also responded to the commotion when he heard a burst of gunfires as while was inside a shoe-repair shop.
"I tried to block the road and identified myself as a policeman but the robbers immediately fired at me so I shot back," said the policeman, who did not want to be identified. He was not hurt though.
Another policeman fired at the fleeing robbers, but the robbers fired back, prompting him to take cover.

Philanthropy is awesome in the Philippines!

2012-01-22T04:22:00.000-08:00

Tim Tebow is a great example for us all

I wanted to make a story about my experiences of donating to the Philippines. Not so much to bring attention or credit to my self but to try and communicate the incredible joy one can experience in helping others. It is one of the most empowering things a human can do.

First of all, it never matters really how much you give. What matters is your heart in giving (widow's mite). Some people give huge amounts to charity like the several billion dollars donated by Bill Gates through his foundation and others give in small ways that will never be known by anyone. But one thing in common the two have and that is they both contribute positively to improving the world we live in.

My first experience with charity was when I was sent to the Philippines for military training back in 1983. I spend a couple of weeks at Clark Air Base. On my very first day there I had befriended a local family who's smiles and hospitality captivated me. In other words I immediately fell in love with the people and culture of the Philippines. Something that has not left me even after 25 years +. This family did not have a car and the father had to walk about 5 miles to his job on the base everyday. So my first donation in the Philippines was my bicycle I had brought with me from my base in Japan. The father used it for many years to get back and forth to work. I was so happy to have seen that same bicycle back in 2006. They never sold it, rusty as it was they kept it as a way to remember me.

My friends lives were devastated by the eruption

That family and I had written each other over the years and through the terrible Mt.Pinatubo tragedy. They lost most everything since their business was dependent on the military people and after the eruption the base was closed down. This was hard for me because I really cared for them. I tried my best to send them what I could out of my modest military salary.

Over 10 years had passed as life took me out of the military and back to America and to other places. Still my love for the Philippines remained. I never forgot the people or culture. During that period I had come up with a business idea that was promising to be a big hit. The first two years I really didn't make any money and then in 1997 things started to turn around. As I realized the huge blessing that befell me and I wanted to do something to bring meaning to my success. I decided to return to the Philippines in 1998 and give my entire first bonus to the same family I had met 15 years earlier. I really felt bad for them and a little guilty that I had not been able to help them during the Pinitubo eruption.
That was the start of a journey of giving that has brought
me incredible joy and adventure to my life.

This joy of giving helped me to reach higher heights in business giving me energy for my efforts to help the poor in the Philippines. With every business trip and transaction I thought of ways I could help people. It was my passion and purpose. I believe God blessed me for that because my business really grew by leaps and bounds during that time of my life. The more I helped the poor the more my business grew.

Getting ready for another day on QVC live TV shopping channel

I remember one time standing on a live T.V. set at the QVC Home Shopping Channel back in 2004. It was just seconds before my live sale of my product would be reaching 90 millions homes via cable. I remember distinctly my thought at that time. I was thinking how many people I could help if I was successful that day. There was a lot on my shoulders. I had to borrow significant sums to afford the inventory for the sale of over 1 million of my space saving storage bags in one day. Failure would have meant going out of business and success would have meant being able to help many Filipino's.

Thank God he saw my heart that day and the sales ended up in a huge success. So many of my bags were sold that day. Not only did we sell out, we had to take back orders for the additional demand. The total was something like 1,012,000 bags sold in 24 hours. I had not special schooling or training to learn how to do that. It was so far beyond my ability yet it turned out incredibly! Again, I equate the success to a higher purpose for my life which was fulfilled through giving in the Philippines.

June was a special time of the year for my company because that was the end of our fiscal year and that meant bonus time. I literally lived to give my bonus away in the Philippines each year. Not just give it to some foundation. But physically take it over and do things to help. This led me to many places where I could meet and donate to so many wonderful people. The life lessons learned in donating were priceless, something I could never learn in any school, church or youtube video. Deep spiritual lessons of what it means to love unconditionally.

Tim Tebow knows the joy of giving in the Philippines

Anyone can give from their hearts. It doesn't need to be $3 million dollars or even $100 dollars. All you need is a willing heart and a dream. The rest will fall into place as life unfolds. I have met many others who are doing the same for the Philippines. People who are quietly contributing to a better future through donations big and small. And every one of them are experiencing a joy and energy that can only come through unconditional giving. A modern day hero of mine is doing exactly that right now. Tim Tebow the Quarterback of the Denver Bronco's is using his heart for the Philippines to empower him to greater success in Football.
Go Tim Go!

You never lose when you help others from your heart. Just don't expect anything back so there is no heart to be broken. When you give of your time or your money just let it go in good faith that like seeds it will one day produce fruits for a better world. Take joy as you watch lives that you touched improve and in turn they touch others lives. There is no better feeling than to know you were there for someone when they needed you most being an instrument of God's love for the world.

A journey in photos

Some of the best years of my life were the times that I was able to help others in the Philippines.
May no credit or praise go to myself for these things. I did not plan myself to be born. I did not put my own heart in me which resulted in these things. I simply obeyed my calling. God used me as an instrument to help specific people in the Philippines at a perfect time in history according to His will. I pray that others will receive their calling and help alleviate poverty in the Philippines and elsewhere in the world. It is awesome. I don't plan on stopping.

If you were touched by this story. Thank HIM. HE is the reason for all of it.

Irresistible Filipino desserts for Foreigners

2012-01-20T19:18:00.000-08:00

Once you try this you will be hooked for life. It's name HaloX2

Coming from a country where desserts are so commercialized I was at first taken back when introduced to desserts in the Philippines. I had some kind of barrier in my mind that if it did not come in a nicely printed package it must be of a lower grade. Boy was I wrong!

I discovered some wonderful addictive sweets during my time in the Philippines. Most likely responsible for a few kilo's of insulation around my waist! These scrumptious local creations are cheap, safe to eat and irresistible!

There is so much more than only taste that makes a food good. The atmosphere you eat it in also plays an important role in how it tastes to you. I have very distinct memories that accompany my experience of eating sweets in the Philippines. I am getting hungry just writing this! Here are some of my favorite irresistible desserts in the Philippines.

Lecheflan

LECHEFLAN

The first time I saw Lecheflan I thought I was being served the Italian dessert called "Cream Brulei". I was in a restaurant in the city of Tagaytay and had seen the picture on the menu. It was the only thing I was familar with. The carmalized looking dessert just sounded perfect for my mood as I looked out over the spectacular view of the Taal Vocano.

When the smiling waitress brought me the Lecheflan I could not wait to dig in and try it out. I was expecting a hardened carmalized top like Cream Brulei but much to my surprise when I had sliced through it was soft. This is a melt in your mouth kind of dessert. And the portion is never enough that's for sure.

Lecheflan gives me memories of eating in Restaurants in the Philippines

The most affordable dessert is called Ice Buko

ICED BUKO

This is probably one of the more simpler delicacies in the Philippines that is affordable by most everyone. Sold in most small Sari Sari stores throughout the Philippines it usually costs no more than 5 pesos for a small bag of this frozen coconut splendor. Ice buko is a mix of condensed sweetened milk with shavings of white coconut inside. It is frozen typically in small poly bags and is quick and easy to eat. A perfect sweet treat on a hot day. A favorite amongst Filipino children of all ages and foreigners like my self who cannot say no!

Iced Buko gives me memories of children standing in front of sari sari stores in the Philippines

Picture from filipinofoodrecipies.blogspot.com Yummy!

HALO HALO

My first experience eating Halo Halo was in a Chow King restaurant in Cebu City. I had actually seen it many times but I was not used to purple color ice cream so I had always passed on the opportunity. It was a blazing hot day in the summer of 2001 when I had gone to Cebu to help with a donation for a young girl from Samar. There I had taken her relatives out to Chow King to eat. I was literally sweating as I stood there and looked at the lighted picture of Halo Halo. The ice in the picture drew me into it. What could be better in a hot country than ice I thought? So I ordered Halo Halo for everyone.

For the westerner who might be used to traditional toppings like chocolate, caramel, strawberry Halo Halo might seem a bit bizarre are first. With things like coconut string, sweet beans, jack fruit and something called Ube it can be a bit overwhelming. But all it takes is one bite of this Halo Halo on a hot day and there is no turning back. The best thing about Halo Halo is that as you are eating it, it is constantly melting and mixing itself into an exotic blend to the point that you are literally drinking the last part of it. Don't pass this one up!

When I think of Halo Halo, I think of Chow King in the Philipines

I can't wait to eat this one again. It's too good!

BANANAQUE

No matter where I traveled in the Philippines this was available from the cities to the most remote mountain villages. I never realized how boring I used to eat my banana's until I discovered Bananaque. The first time I tried it I was sitting on my bulldozer nearly at the top of the second highest mountain in Cebu. I was helping to fix a landslide and was taking a much needed break. A lady came walking by and had a homemade woven basket with her. Inside there were banana leaves and on top of those were some odd shape tan colored "things". I had no idea what it was. Each piece had a stick through it. I thought maybe it was some kind of exotic meat at first. Then she picked one up and handed it to me. She said "Saging?" "Bananaque?". I knew the word saging meant Banana so I gladly accepted it. Wow! This is a Banana that is BBQ'd over a charcoal fire then marinated with margarine and brown sugar. Sometimes it's deep fried in cooking oil too. What a taste! I personally have never been able to eat only one and usually consume 3 or 4 of them at a time. It's readily available everywhere in the Philippines.

Bananaque brings back memories of being in remote places in the Philippines.

With every experience of eating sweets in the Philippines it brings back fond memories where I was at the time of the first bite. It is interesting to me as a foreigner who was quite rigid in my thinking concerning sweets, how I have changed so much to truly like something that looked strange at first.

There are many more sweets I had there like Buko Salad, Macapuno candies, Suman and Bibinka that I miss very much. My wife does her best to make these things for me when she finds the ingredients but truly it has been a long time. Subsequently the size of my waist has decreased too. LOL

Hope you are not too hungry! Kain Tayo! Kaon na ta!

Life's most important moments

2012-01-19T18:33:00.000-08:00

These are the moments I understand what is most important in life

What is truly important to us? What should be important to us? How can we know what is important to us?

These are legitimate questions I think everyone has from time to time. In the modern world we tend to be so busy making a living that we forget about what we are living for. But there are certain moments that bring us the answers. Those moments when we say to ourselves "this is what it's about". These special moments define our reason for living, for trying and for dreaming.

I have had many experiences and moments in my life but there are special moments that I would say impact me more than others. These moments are the kind of things I would be thinking about one day when it is my time to leave this world. There is much to be said about that. If we truly take a moment to think about what we want to remember when it is our time graduate from this life, what is it that we would want to remember? Keep that in mind as you go about your day. Use it as as your guiding bar in your actions and decisions. Ask yourself what really matters to you and then give your heart to that.

Pagkiksama in the Philippines. Important moments.

I appreciate what I learned growing up from my experience in Church. I was taught about temporary things that will pass away and I was taught about eternal things that will never pass away. This knowledge is like gold to me. It continually guides me in my actions and decisions in life. Making the most out of each day and savoring that which is eternal is a win win situation.

When I see people today amassing great things for themselves and sacrificing that which is eternal I feel badly that in the end those people will be so empty inside. All we have to do is talk to any dying person. Ask them what was important in their lives. Not one would tell you their material things were important. But their relationships, their contributions to help others, their ideas and dreams where the most important to them.

What a moment!

At this moment my current trying circumstances remind me what is most important in my life. I had once been doing fairly well economically and met some unjust circumstances that dealt us a severe economic blow. Though it's hard in a material sense, those things I lost really were not what was most important in my life. I have with me what is most important in my life. That is my relationship with my heavenly Father and my loving family. Money comes and money goes but love stays no matter what.

I want to encourage the readers here who may be at a time in their lives where they are searching for deeper meaning. If you are caught up in the rat race or feeling burned out from your pursuits, take a step back and ask yourself what is most important to you. Surely something will come to mind. Then use that to power you to greater heights in life as you savor and live for what's most important to you.

How I know she really loves me

2012-01-13T18:22:00.000-08:00

When my wife and I first met in the store she was working in Tarlac in 2007 she had made it clear to me that she was only interested in one thing. That was to have a man love her for who she is and to grow together in the Lord. My wife is a very simple person and not worldly at all.

The first time I brought my wife out to the property I was very curious as to what her reaction would be. I had never told her that I had spent over a million dollars developing the place. She had no idea what she would be seeing other than a place I referred to as "the farm".

This is the place we call the "farm" located in Tarlac Province

After picking her up and going out to lunch I had driven her to "the farm" along with her friend Jaz. When we entered the front gate I was expecting to hear some kind of "oh wow" from her. I was astonished that she did not say anything regarding the enormity of the property. She simply smiled and showed her sincere interest to me rather than the material surroundings. That was a first sign of who she was as a person.

With many visits to the "farm" she had never once mentioned how lucky she was to have a man with such a place. Her attitude never changed from day one. No sign of a person who had won the lottery and anything like that. She never once made me feel like a walking ATM machine. She stayed as grounded as ever. I knew I had a very special woman on my hands and felt I must be careful with her so as not to loose her.

My wife made it clear from the beginning of our relationship that there was nothing more important to her than her relationship with God. In fact, for the first 4 months she talked about nothing else than the Lord. With every text there was a Bible verse. With every conversation there was talk of Jesus or work for Him. The material things she saw simply were not important to her. Something at that time we had no idea she would be brought the ultimate test of her heart. For all of those materially things would be maliciously taken from her.

Our first flowers for each other were healthy asparagus! lol

My wife's focus in our relationship from the start and even to this day has been for my well being. She is more concerned where I am in my relationship with God than in any material thing I could bring her. She spends a great deal of time making sure I eat the right things, take my vitamin's and get enough exercise. She encourages me in these things. She makes it a priority to teach our daughter and now our new son the importance of family. It is so clear what is important to her.

I am quite humbled to realize more and more who I have on my hands here with me. She is truly priceless and is God's love and grace given to be my partner and helper in this life. Is she perfect? Of course not, but I can tell the readers here she is the closest to perfect I have ever seen in my life. I mean that.

An actual photo of where my wife started her life

Imagine, my wife who was born into this world in the most humble circumstances lost her mother to cancer at age 1 and then was raised by a very strict father who was barely able to support her and her brothers feeding them root crops for the 1st ten years of her life. Then at age 10 she was raised by a guardian. My wife became somewhat of a servant to others not of her choice. She then attained a college diploma and entered the working world as a teacher. Then she bravely went to Manila with no family or friends to find work for the sole purpose to support her nieces and nephews who were not even her blood relatives. Then she got a job in a retail store where we met, after which she was presented with being the rightful owner of a gorgeous property inherited through our marriage. She started her married life there being blessed with our first child. She had a stable life with a place she could call home. A gorgeous place. Then we were targeted by an extortion ring who's greed had no ends forcing us from our home and livelihood to live as nomads outside the Philippines. The now President of the Philippines whom my wife knew personally has seemed to ignore my wife's pleas for help. Everything she had which brought normalcy to life was stripped from my her. From a 15 hectare paradise to living in hotel rooms having to go from country to country now for two years. It was all turned upside down and taken from her forced from it literally by death threats.

Christmas day 2011

I want all of you reading this to know something. With tears in my eyes I write this. You know what? Even with all of this which has happened to my wife she has not changed one bit. After having all her material possessions taken from her and going from living comfortably to very uncomfortably she can still smile. Through these unimaginable circumstances her love for me and our family has only grown stronger. This is how I know she really loves me. Where could I ever find someone like her?

This love of hers has radically changed me as a person. I have learned from her what is truly important in life and now I embrace my own family more. All because of my wife and her commitment to God and to our marriage. I really understand now how God uses people to touch our hearts and how we can do the same for others if we only try.

I don't know what the outcome will be if we will ever get those material things back. But one thing for sure, that love which I trust explicitly will always be there. It is not governed by those things which one day will pass away. This will empower me to be there for my family in whatever the future will bring.

Funny things in the Philippines

2012-01-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

Here is a collection of things that had made me "bust a gut" over the years in the Philippines.

TUBIG SIR? In Filipino the word Tubig means water

The first time I went to the Philippines in 1983 I had this funny experience in a restaurant/eatery outside of Clark Airbase.

WAITRESS: Tubig Sir?

ME: Huh? What did you Say?

WAITRESS: Tubig Sir, you want Tubig?

ME: Hey I'm not too big. Look at me I'm not fat.

WAITRESS: hi hi hi, I mean water, you want water Sir?

BAWAL UMIHI DITO! - Do Not Urinate Here!

The first time I saw my street kid friend named Jun Jun I was driving by as he was taking a pee on a sign that said "Bawal Umihi Dito" or "Do Not Urinate Here". I laughed so hard I almost crashed my car!

THE MORE THE MERRIER

I spent the night with a rural farm family once in Mindanao inside of their bahay kubo (Nipa Hut). There were a total of 4 adults and about 10 kids inside of the kubo. We all had to lay sideways on floor in order to fit all inside. All night every time one person turned, everyone had to turn and it was like a wave all night long. No sleep that night! I remember wondering how in the world can these farm families make so many kids in conditions like that! I guess that is their secret! lol

FAT FOREIGNER RIDES IN A JEEPNEY

It is quite a sight to see a foreigner bigger than the back door of a jeep squeezed inside of a Jeep. The Jeepney's were built for the average local size person and big foreigners draw the strangest looks as they try to squeeze into jeeps and tricycles. When you look at them you can tell they are suffering as their heads are bent sideways trying to avoid hitting the roof and they are sweating profusely from trying to squeeze through the door.

HEY JOE GIVE ME MY MONEY

One time in Davao I was walking down the street near the durian monument park and a little girl came up to me with the most serious look. She held out her hand and said...
" Hey Joe, give me my money! "

SOSU vs. SOSO

( fresh water shells vs. boobs)

No joke! How many times have I went to the market and had ladies who were breast feeding their babies offering me Susu. The problem was the only word I knew like that was Soso which means boobs. I thought is was strange that so many ladies would be offering me their boobs at the local market! lol Translated it sounded like this . Boobs Sir? You want Boobs Sir? You want my boobs Sir?

I will be adding to this blog post periodically and will re-post with new funny things I discovered in the Philippines. It's a fun and funny place!

The Carabao and the Kano

2012-01-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

A pic of me and my carabao named "Armalite" preparing the rice field

As I walked behind him with the metal hararow in one hand and the guide rope in the other he kept looking back at me after every two steps or so. At first he didn't want to make it obvious that he was staring at me so he pretended to just be swooshing flies away with his big wet nose. But he could not keep his eyes off of my white skin that seemed to defy the law of reason as he knew it. Who was this new man he thought?

My Carabow was named "Armalite" and it was his first time to have a foreigner at the helm. I know he was confused for several reasons. One, he had never seen or heard of a man with money drive one of his kind, and two there was just something wrong with the color of the person driving him. Not to mention the size and weight of that person was larger than any he had drive him prior. The only other time he had seen a pinkish color creature was when he had passed by the pig pen.

The farm tractor gave me far more problems than Armalite and cost much more

We were doing something they called hararaow which is kind of like tilling the mud. It actually was a first for the two of us because up until that day I had always used a small farm tractor when we prepared the rice fields. It had always been an interesting scene in our rice paddies in our farm. One half being done with modern means and the other done by carabow and hard sweaty work.To be honest I enjoyed far more driving Armalite than I did a small Iseki farm tractor. And the maintenance costs were far cheaper with Armalite.

After we got to know each other we became a good team

"Armalite" and I had given a good 8 hours of work that day making up nearly two hectares of rice paddies. At first in the morning he was so distracted by looking back at me while he was walking forward that it was slow going. At times he would just stop and stare as to say "who is this driving me?". I learned a lot about Armalite that day. I did not realize that I needed to connect with him in order to get him to do his best. I thought if I made the right sounds and pulled the rope hanging from his nose that he would go faster and faster. Boy was I wrong. It had nothing to do about that. He would only go faster when he felt like it and if he liked me. So that day was not about me getting him to do what I wanted him to do, rather is was him getting me to do what he wanted me to do.

I am amazed at my confidence that day with Armalite. Here I was driving a 500kg creature that at anytime could kill me and I was treating him more or less like a pet. One quick turn of his head in anger and with those sharp horns my life could have been ended. Fortunately Armalite liked me and had a respect in knowing I was his rightful owner. So we had the relationship straight from the get go.

"Armalite" was far more patient that I realized that day. For I was informed that I was actually overheating him in my enthusiasm to get the job done. Now I understand he needs time in the mud pool for every one hour he worked. I was pushing him for two hours at a time. No wonder he kept looking back at me so strangely. I guess he felt entertained to have a foreigner driving him and he exerted extra patience that day.

They laughed at me all day seeing the Puti man planting rice

From that day on we became friends. I would visit him often in the back of our farm where he was tethered with a long rope. I remember buying him the best quality rope money could by as a Christmas present one year. He was also my confidant. I would talk to him about my problems and he would always give me that look with his big eyes as if to say " I understand".

At the moment I am far from Armalite and I hope to see him again one day. I have declined to sell him so that one day I can see him again. God bless my Carabow Mr. Armalite.

Being married to a Filipina is great - Part 1

2012-01-04T03:56:00.000-08:00

The best day of our lives

Inside the Tabun caves in Palawan

Honeymooning at the underground river in Palawan

Getting our wedding rings in San Fernando SM

A regular staple on Sunday's after church. Bee Happy Jolibee

In a Fil-Am marriage the term "East meets West" definitely comes into play. I have gone through an amazing transition as I adapted from being the "Hey Joe Kano" to a foreigner who not only appreciates the Filipino culture but actually credits it with transforming my life in a wonderful way.

Togetherness is a serious way of life

As I look back on the many years of experiences I have had in the Philippines there are a few things that seem to be universal when it comes to relationships between Westerners and Filipina's. One of those things is the immersion of the Westerner into a family oriented culture. This "pagkikisama" togetherness culture of the Filipino is something that most Westerners are just not used to. Most Westerners including myself at first will feel like their personal privacy has been invaded as they learn the art of togetherness in the Philippines. Having people run in and out of the house is as normal as brushing your teeth there. Going to do things in a group is also more the norm than the exception. Even in our own bed we have both our kids there with us. No cribs, no extra room for our daughter, just togetherness. I would not have it any other way now. But honestly took some getting used to it.

It's not about me, it's about my family

There are many reasons for the difference. The most basic is how we are raised. In the West, especially in America the wild wild West spirit of independence comes into play. We are taught from the very earliest stages of our life that to be strong is to be independent. In the Philippines it is quite the opposite. To be strong you become one with your family and find strength in interdependence. This difference is seen by the foreigner when he tries to figure out why his honey is constantly in contact with her family or needs to be around people. I have learned a wonderful and valuable lesson as I have come to understand how we gain strength in interdependence. I love it now!

Hot oil protection

Fried food again? Ha ha ha .... as a foreigner I was amazed at how much my wife used to fry foods when we first got married. I was wondering if "Sunog" was par for the course when it came to cooking meat. Little did I realize that my wife was actually saving me by cooking in that way. It never dawned on me that the meats from the local market that are not refrigerated would pose a serious threat to my well being. Little did I know that if they were not cooked in a way that would end the existence of any harmful thing then it would pose a serious risk to my health. Thus I no longer question why things are fried. Rather I am just grateful she loves me enough to protect me. Ano pagkain natin ngayon? Frito ulit? ha ha ha ... meaning, what are we eating now? Fried again?

Note: My wife who is standing here beside me as I write this wants me to put on record that she also does her best to serve me non fried foods and as much western cuisine as possible. That is true and she truly loves me enough to do her best to make me happy. Whew, I think I just dodged a slap on the head!

Why it takes hours and hours to wash clothes

I was amazed the first time I saw my wife washing clothes. First of all I never knew a person could even break a sweat washing clothes. I had come from a push button instant wash culture. I don't think any young lady in America even knows how to wash clothes by hand. I thought it was an injustice to allow my wife to wash clothes by hand when we could afford a machine but she took so much pride in our clothes being cleaned she refused my offer. She would not have it any other way. Having clean clothes that are properly washed are a super priority for her. And I am a direct beneficiary too. It is a fact that hand washed clothes are cleaner and last much longer than machine washed clothes. The only issue is it takes hours and hours to do a family's laundry. Oh well, I'll go for the clean over instant any day.It will be interesting how we will manage this kind of washing once we are back in the fast paced life in America. I will write you all about it if and when that day comes.

Being married to a Filipina is a wonderful experience which has given my life many new interesting adventures in culture. There is a balance that most Filipina's hold in having been born into the unique culture of the Philippines where East meets West in so many ways. I heard that in the U.S. the lowest divorce rate of any mix marriage class is between Filipina's and their Western husbands. That in itself speaks for the strength of intercultural marriages between Filipina's and Westerners.

I will write more on my experiences of being married to a Filipina. She is priceless!

A pic taken at Langoggan Beach

Forced from the Philippines

2012-01-03T19:44:00.000-08:00

The month of January is the two year anniversary of our leaving the Philippines most likely never to return there again. The very face of corruption left us with little choice other than to flee for our lives.

A quote from our attorney on January 3rd, 2010.

" For God sakes David you need to get out of here, they are setting you up"

I miss my family, friends and many kind and wonderful people there. I pray that justice will be done and we can return and get our lives back as soon as possible.

Walang Iwanan my dear friends.

The exotic foods I've eaten in the Philippines

2012-01-01T01:38:00.000-08:00

Over the years and many travels I had the opportunity to partake in various exotic dishes in the Philippines some of which I did not even know what it was at the time of consumption. Here are a few of them.

Salagubang (Beetles)

I was still in the Military and on temporary duty in the Philippines back in 1985 when I paid a visit to some friends living in a nipa house in Tarlac province. They were rice farmers. Since it was night and the lights were off I was unable to see too well. They were in a joyful mood and were eating fresh peanuts and drinking. The grandmother came in the room and put a plate in front of my face and asked if I wanted to try. I had no idea what it was. It smelled like popcorn. But it was darker. So I thought maybe she was just serving me burnt popcorn. It was really dark as all they had was an oil lamp. We were all sitting on the bamboo floor. I picked up a piece and tried it. It was crunchy but tasted like popcorn. So I continued to eat more and more. Then someone came in with a flashlight and shined it on the plate. I was shocked to see I was eating fried grasshoppers! The farmers pick them off the rice when working the fields. Since that time I have never passed up an occasion to eat these little bugs. They really are good!

Bayawak ( Monitor Lizzard )

My brother in law used to cook sometimes for me and my wife. One time he showed up with a plate that had a meat that looked just like chicken. I thought it looked okay other than it had a very strange bone structure. Since it was deep fried I decided to dig in and enjoy this strange looking chicken. After a few bits and a comment from me on how delicious my laughing brother in law informed me it was a Bayawak! In fact everyone was laughing at me as they waited anxiously for my reaction. It really tasted just like chicken. It was delicious. Though at this time it is illegal to catch them like in the past.

Aso Askal ( Native Dog)

Currently it is illegal to eat dog in the Philippines but in the past it was legal to do so. My experience in eating dog was once again a surprise. It was offered to me together with a plate of rice and was heavily marinated with soy sauce. I was told it was beef but became suspicious when those accompanying me started to laugh before I started. The meat did look a bit stringy to me. Actually my taste of Aso was only a quick tiny bite. I had made them tell me what it was before I began. I probably would not ask for this dish again. I have heard that people still eat dogs in the Philippines but is getting more and more rare. Poor little Askals!

Kobra ( Cobra snake )

We had many cobra's on our property in Tarlac. It would not be uncommon to see many of them at one time Thankfully I was never bitten by one nor anyone I knew but they are definitely a favorite delicacy of the locals. Quite tasty too. I would say it tastes more like Chicken than anything else. The main part is just not thinking too much about what you are eating. Eating in a group helps as a good conversation will get your mind off of what you are consuming. I would have it again if offered to me.

Tuba ( Coconut elixir )

This is actually a drink and not a food. It is very common to see people in the provinces collecting this Tuba in the morning hours when it is still sweet. The coconut pilots claim the trees with a bamboo tube over their shoulders and then they change it with another tube that had been collecting the Tuba for the previous days. Tuba is collected inside the fronds of the coconut branches. At first I thought it came from the coconut itself and was really surprised to find out it was found inside the branches of the tree itself. When consumed straight from the tree it is much like juice, sweet and easy to go down. As the hours pass it ferments and turns to alcohol and eventually it turns to vinegar. This is why it is common to see people in the provinces partying it up with Tuba in the afternoons and evenings. I really like Tuba. I liked it so much I did some investigation on how to export it. The problem is it is not possible to preserve it without significantly changing the flavor. If someone could figure that one out they have a great business on their hands.

Fish eyeballs

For several Asian ethnic groups this is normal fanfare whenever a fish is consumed. But where I come from it is even hard to find a fish in the store that still has a head on it! Well, how do I describe a fish eyeball? Take a small marble and coat it with tasteless Jello and then maybe you have something like that in a fish eyeball. Most of my friends in the province in the Philippines would consume the eyes whenever they had fish. It was just part of the meal. So no big deal there but definitely exotic for my pallet.

The experience of eating new foods has really broadened my horizons during my time in the Philippines. Some of that which I consider exotic is just normal everyday cuisine for many people there. I saw lot's of other things consumed that I would need to get mentally prepared before I tried it like Green frog's legs, squirril, certain animal parts of goats ( the male part) and various bugs.

One thing for sure it's a good experience to try new and exciting cuisine! Bon Appetite!

How the Philippines changed me

2011-12-27T00:41:00.000-08:00

A good percentage of this blog is pointing to acts of kindness I had done to help poor Filipino's but the reality is I had received far more blessings from you. These blessings cannot be purchased with money. These are riches that come through the unique culture you have.

It is really an incredible love story I have with you. I brought you my material blessings, good heart and energy to help you with your poverty and in turn you taught me that far more important than material riches are the love of God, Family and friends.

The more I think about it, the more I realize how blessed I was to be able to spend so much time with you. I discovered things in your poorness that I had never known before. Things that are pretty much absent from the fast paced culture I came from.

I tried my best to fix your problems using the proceeds from my work. The help I had brought you as far as dollars is concerned cannot compare the the wealth you already have in a culture of family and deep faith. I hope all of you reading this can truly see how rich you are. To be one in heart and value each other as members of a family is far more precious than owning a Mercedes and a nice house. You cannot buy with money what you have.

I saw this especially when I was donating in public hospitals. Families who would sacrifice to the fourth generation to be there for a suffering loved one. The love I saw with second cousins treating distant uncles and aunties with the utmost respect touched the deepest part of my heart.

Loving each other through the hardest of times

I had no idea how important our family was until I learned from you dear Filipino's about it. And you are right. There is nothing more important on this earth besides our relationship with God than our own family. I was so confused about my own family until you healed me with your culture. Now I have the best relationships, the deepest affection and strongest commitment. Before it was all about how much money I could make and what kind of fame I could achieve in the eyes of others.

You gave me so much dear Filipino's. I love you so much for that. I am truly humbled by the opportunity I had to serve you. For never did I realize that your people and country were going to give me the greatest gift that money cannot buy. That is the knowledge of the importance of our own families. The material world and going for the American dream stole that from me for many years. I was lost in a fog of thinking that material gain could provide me contentment. I was wrong. Loving my wife and daughter makes me happy. Loving my mom and dad and being there for them makes me happy. Appreciating people and accepting them for who they are now makes me happy.

Me and my wonderful nephew Joshua

I just want to tell you dear Filipino friends that whatever makes you smile in adversity, never lose that part of your culture. Whatever makes you sacrifice for your family, never lose that. Whatever inspires you to have faith, hold on to that and never let it go.

You are a powerful people, more powerful than most of you realize. This power is far greater than the things that keep you down. If you could see it as I do as an outsider whom you have touched, you would see that you are living in one of the richest cultures in the world. The riches you hold are rooted in love and there is nothing more powerful in the universe than Love.

"God is love"

Thank you for changing my life dear Filipino's!

Our first years of marriage

2011-12-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

The best experience that I ever had in the Philippines and still ongoing is my wife. Marrying her has trumped everything prior I thought was a good experience. What an amazing story my wife''s life is. She really started out in a very challenging way. Very very poor. So poor in fact that she had to eat root crops to survive as a child. Yet her life through an amazing unfolding of events that educated and strengthened her led to our paths crossing in 2007.

We had an amazing wedding and honeymoon on the Island of Palawan in February 2008. I even made sure I did it in the traditional way by asking her guardian (mom) for her hand in marriage together with my parents present whom we had brought over from the States for the occasion. My wife and my parents soon became as close as soul mates as a long time need of my wife was fulfilled in her union with my parents. It was very beautiful to see.

After Palawan we settled into our home in Tarlac where we learned to face the challenges of managing such a big property together. Frankly I was grateful for the extra hand as I had found it quite task to do it by my self. She added that extra breath that was needed to help me have the creativity to make the finishing touches on our property. My wife wanted to make the most of her new opportunity by sharing our property with others, especially church groups who were looking for a place to hold retreats and seminars. For the first two years of our marriage we were quite focused on helping the local community and various groups of people who enjoyed the property together with us.

Our baby daughter joined us at the end of 2008 and added that special dimension to our relationship that is hard to describe by words. My wife Chona is a wonderful mother and committed very much to teach our daughter what is most important in life. Because of that commitment our daughter is excelling in all aspects of her life. It's beautiful to see.

The first years of marriage were not without their challenges. We had various employee issues to deal with as well as financial struggles too. Not only were my wife and I adjusting to each other but our workers and the community as a whole was getting to know us as a couple. This is why we tried to open up our lives as much as possible to interact with people.

One particular reality we had to deal with was that the "Santa Claus" part of me needed to be curtailed once I had become a family man. For those of you reading who do not know me prior to my marriage not only was I generous I was so over the top I was considered "insanely generous" and ultimate Santa. A friend and neighbors dream. I used to give out money and gifts like candy. It was my passion and my joy at that time of my life. But getting married suddenly changed my priorities and though I continued to be very generous it was not the same any longer. This caused some people to become resentful of my wife, even jealous of her having an influence on my life that turned down the Santa spigot.

By the summer of 2009 the jealousy of my wife got to the point that we became concerned about our own personal security and began to take steps to protect ourselves. This inspired us to be firm on our commitment to sell our property too. This situation made us reach out to others whom we sought help as we became more desperate in concern.

Even with the security concerns my wife and I really enjoyed our life together to the max. We traveled quite a bit making several trips back to Palawan and places like Baguio and Subic Bay. Her two brothers were living with us helping us out there so that allowed us to have the freedom to travel. We appreciated their hard work and they appreciated the opportunity to have a steady job.

I am so grateful for the woman God brought into my life. No doubt we were custom designed for each other. Life has never been better on a personal level since I met her.

Building our dream home in the Philippines

2011-12-16T18:01:00.000-08:00

In my experiences of donating in the Philippines I had come to love the culture and people so much that in 2006 I decided to make my dream home there. I found a gorgeous property in Tarlac province that had it's own creek and several thousand mahogany trees. A spectacular property.

An aerial pic of our paradise taken in December 2007

My original intention had always been to develop a nice place as an investment and later on sell it. When I first bought the property there was not much there. Just a couple of buildings and some run down development. It was definitely a challenge to put it all together. Fortunately I was able to be there most of the time and could really make decisions on the spot.

Workers planting blue grass near the big pool

It took a lot of hard work on the part of everyone involved. The project was a Godsend for the local community as we were able to employ during the project over 300 people and most of them really appreciated the opportunity and additional income. And they did a great job too. It is amazing to see the talents that people have when you give them the opportunity to be creative.


The early stages of the mansion house

It took nearly two years to complete the property and the opportunity to develop it brought many rewarding experiences to me and my wife. Filipino's are amazing in their creativity when given the chance they really excel in all aspects of a project. It was amazing to see how they improvised and made their work as efficient as possible.

Here I am planting rice in the farm portion of the property

I was told more than once that I did not fit the mold of expectation for a person who could afford such a property. I have never been the lazy type or one who thinks that I am too high to get my hands dirty. So during the course o the project I was right in there working side by side with the workers. It was a good experience for me too. And a good workout! I personally feel that the higher you get in life, the more you must humble yourself to stay grounded. That's why I am like that. Even Jesus said "the greatest will be the servant of all". I learned much during the course of the project. After all it was my very first development. My dad was a developer and we both figured he passed it on to me in the genes. It turned out remarkably well.

Our gorgeous 35 meter pool

Here are some more pics. Enjoy.
With swimming as my favorite form of exercise I could not resist to make the gorgeous 35 meter lap pool. It is surrounded by gardens and kubo's. This was the place where I would do my morning laps before hitting the gym in the Japanese garden.

I never really used it as much as I should of but we estimated over 5000 people have had a chance to swim in this pool since it was first constructed.
Both my wife and I loved to share our home with others.

The main mansion house on the property

Here is a pic of our 7 bedroom mansion house. I decided after it was constructed that I wanted to keep it brand new for the future buyer so we did not stay in this house. Instead we stayed in a quaint 1 room guest house on the property.

This big house has the most incredible sunset views from the large terrace as a back drop to the 35m pool. There is also a nice balcony on the back side that overlooks the blue lagoon. It took almost a year to construct this house.

A picture of our gym located in the Japanese garden

This unique building located in the Japanese style garden is our gym. I wanted to make it go with the motif so I had the roof corners made like a temple style. In the front is a koi pond.

The inside of the gym is wall to wall glass and even the ceiling is glass. I wanted to see the pain on my face when doing sit ups! It's very cool in there because it is located under the big mahogany trees.

I had always dreamed the maybe I could have Manny Pacquio work out there. I even bought a punching bag just in case I got the occasion to meet him.

Nice walking path along the creek

One of the best things about the property is all the room to walk around and enjoy the sights and sounds. Since most of the outside properties are rice fields the birds come to take refuge in our trees inside. At times the sounds of chirping are so loud it is incredible. Especially in the evening,

This walking path has several park benches to sit down and admire the beauty of the creek and blue lagoon. There is also large areas of blue grass to run and play on. Our dogs love it there!

Many people ask me how did I develop such a beautiful property. I simply told them I prayed about it. Truthfully I really had no experience in it. But I have a heart and creative mind. That coupled with faith in divine wisdom led to the creation of our property.

Original color of the lake with view of butterfly bridge

NOW TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. HOW DID I TURN THE COLOR OF MY LAKE FROM THIS ....
TO THIS???

Beautiful turquoise after coloring the lake

First let me tell you why I decided to turn my lake from a ugly muddy brown color into a beautiful turquoise.

I was planning to do some marketing photos for the property and planned to rent an air plane so I could get some aerial shots. In thinking out of the box I asked my self how could I make the place look more attractive from the air?

I had remembered how food coloring was used in drinks to make them more attractive. So I went to the store and bought a small bottle of it for experimenting. After mixing the muddy water with it I was astonished. It came out turquoise! So the next challenge was to see where I could get my hands on some serious quantity of food coloring to do my 3 hectare lake. I was worried about our fish in the lake so I had taken a few tilapia out and put them in a fish tank with the food coloring. Not only did they not die, they became more aggressive to eat because they could see the food easier in the colored water! After coloring the lake all of our fish increase in size faster. No change in taste.

It took 75 kilos of blue food coloring to get the lake that color. And it stayed blue for 7 months until the rains overflowed the lake and washed it away. We still color it on special occasions usually after December when the rainy season is over.

We had an amazing increase in air traffic over our property after coloring the lake. We were told that it had spread in the circles of pilots and they were coming from all over to take a look at it. It was even said that they could see the blue lake from 10 miles away at 5000 feet. I believe it. When I flew over it was visible from very far away.

As much as we are fond of this property our heart desire is to move back to the States to be with my parents. Therefore we have made this property available. If you or someone are interested to speak to us about it please leave a comment with your contact info below. Thanks.

Many of you have requested more pics of our property. Here are some more. Enjoy!

My love of swimming inspired me to make this 35 meter lap pool

This was our favorite place on the property. Our guest house. We lived there.

The guest house was our favorite building on the property. We loved it so much we lived there instead of the mansion house. This one is super private and has it's own pool with gorgeous views of the back pasture area.

The terrace of the guest house had spectacular views of the lake and horse pasture

This is the view from the terrace of the guest house. It sits under the shade of the many mahogany trees that surrounds it. And yes the wine was good! Beyond the blue lagoon is a horse pasture where we spent many hours watching the horses run. For sure this terrace was my favorite place on the property.

This is a view from the Japanese garden. Our gardeners are very talented to maintain our property well. Not one detail was overlooked.

Isn't it amazing what 75 kilos of blue food coloring can do to a brown mud color lake!

There are so many beautiful walkways to stroll around under the mahogany trees. This one leads to the butterfly bridge and then up to our mahogany forest guest house.

This is the cool shaded side of the big mansion house. We used to love to lay on the soft blue grass and play with our daughter and dogs there.

When I rented the plane to take these aerial photos it was not too hard to find our property. I could see from like 10 miles away with that incredible blue lagoon. It became quite an attraction to other pilots too. Many came to fly over it and enjoy this blue dot in the middle of central luzon.

We miss this place a lot. If any of you are interested in this place please contact us at jdgclg2@comcast.net

Our honeymoon with a home run - updated!

2011-12-12T02:11:00.000-08:00

After a wedding that was flawless complete with a gorgeous garden reception we set out on our one week honeymoon in Palawan. After enduring a bumpy 6 hour van ride from southern Palawan we arrived in the Capital city of Puerto Princessa where we checked into the Liberty Pension House. What was so funny was that the rumor had spread that we went to a place called Amanpulo which is a 5 star $700 a night resort in the Cuyo Islands. When in fact we stayed at a simple Pension House for $40 a night! Though we probably could have afforded a few nights in Amanpulo the ritzy glitzy lifestyle was just not our bag. We wanted a simple honeymoon.

The Underground River

Our first adventure was a trip up north to visit the Underground River. We took along my wife's nephew and his friend with us. We got kind of a late start so by the time we arrived there it was already 4pm and the last boat leaving for the Underground River was at 4:30. The waves were unusually high that day and we had a great ride from the pier out to the entrance enjoying the rolling 10 foot swells. We did not have a care in the world. It was total bliss and every minute was fun!

Just inside the entrance

The actual Underground River itself was awesome. I understand it is the longest navigated river in the world at 8.2 kilometers long. We were especially fortunate that day because of it being late and the high waves there were no other boats touring the cave while we were there. That gave an incredible serenity to the point that we could hear the swoosh of the bats wings as they flew around us. Each person gets their own spot light so you can illuminate what you think is interesting. Another fun thing we did was to all turn off our lights and spend a few moments in pitch black darkness. What thrill!

We had not booked any accommodations near the Underground River so we headed back to Puerto Princessa that night. It made for a fairly long day but when you are on the wings of love those minor details go unnoticed.

Our honeymoon home run

The staff at the Liberty Pension House were great and treated us like family. We stayed in room 302. I took note of that room number to memory because we are pretty sure the greatest miracle in our lives happened there. Yes, not only were we blessed with an amazing wedding, only days after we were blessed with someone else who flew into our lives ... Our baby daughter Jeminah was conceived and she joined us in October of that year. There are no words that could describe the completeness she has added to our family!

It was super fun!

With only two days left we decided to visit the Tabun Caves. This is the home of the 80,000 year old remains of the Tabun Man who was the earliest recorded person to reach the Philippines when Palawan was connected to what is now Borneo Malaysia. We had fun, so much fun as depicted in this pic. The places we stayed in were modest and some were downright old but that did not matter. We loved every moment of our honeymoon and it left us with such good memories.

UPDATE DECEMBER 2011

As time goes by quickly life has moved on for us and our love for each other grows deeper each day as we face life's challenges together. My wife and children have added new dimensions to my life that no money could ever buy. The richness of the culture where my wife comes from is radiant in our family life.

This past November 19th we were blessed with a baby boy and our family is growing. I am amazed how fast time goes by as I reflect on our honeymoon with a home run. I guess I could call the current chapter " exile with a home run" lol He is particularity special because all of my cousins are female and that means that baby Jared is the only one who could carry on our family name.

Jared David joined us on Nov. 19th. What a blessing!

God gave me the most wonderful woman in the world!

Loving the Philippines with all my heart

2011-12-09T21:46:00.001-08:00

LOVING THE PHILIPPINES WITH ALL MY HEART

My business started to really take off in 1998 and early on I had searched for the deeper meaning to my success. I knew that not having experience or even the proper education in that which I was having success meant I was really blessed and for a higher purpose. I wanted to give back to others as a conduit of God's love. Since I had already had experience in helping poor Filipino's when I was a serviceman I decided I would share my blessings with the Philippines.

Upon receiving my first bonus in 1998 I flew to the Philippines to give it to a family who were devastated by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption. I did this as kind of an offering to the Lord for the incredible idea he had given me in my business. And as life is fair, my business started to go through the roof and continued nearly vertical for many years to come. So every year I would take my bonus and head to the Philippines to give in some way. Below are a few of the ways I showed Filipino's how much I loved them.

The great wall project in the mountains of Cebu

I loved you so much ...

When I discovered a landslide in the mountains in Cebu that closed a critical road to a barangay, I bought a bulldozer, dump truck and bucket loader so I could clear the slide and make a giant retaining wall so it would never happen again.

Making a culvert/ bridge in a dangerous location

I loved you so much ...

When a Barangay Captain told me that a mother and two children were killed when they tried to cross a gully with no bridge I got my friends together and we worked hard to make a culvert so that the people in the remote barangay had a bridge to cross.

Making cemented roads in rural areas

I loved you so much ...

That when your road was too dangerous to travel on I gave you a beautifully cemented road. Before you were sliding and crashing and many people got injured. Now you are traveling on a first class road and all kinds of delivery trucks and even taxi's can make it to your place now. I thank you for the experience and opportunity to improve your lives so much. God bless you truly.

Mila was so brave during the year long treatment

I loved you so much ...

That when I found you on a remote island and saw you had been walking on a broken leg for 7 years I brought you to the best orthopedic surgeon in the Philippines to have your leg fixed. I stayed with you and your family for a year to make sure you were treated good. I am so proud of your brave heart!

Against all odds we fought together and you made it!

I loved you so much ...

When your street friends told me you were hit by a car and left to die in a hospital parking lot, I came to help you. We fought together for 45 days and nights in JBL Hospital and even though the doctor told me you were going to die, I never gave up on you. And we made it! We walked out of that hospital together.

You really deserved this house my dear friend

I loved you so much ...

When I saw your good heart and struggles to be able to feed your family. And when I saw your house falling apart. I was moved deeply in my heart to make you a house. A beautiful house in the mountains. I am proud that you are a man who fears God and has no vices. You deserved it!

Teaching a family of Alan how to use the Ambo bag

I loved you so much ...

When I saw them bring you into ICU and the doctors were too busy to teach your family how to use the Ambo Bag I came to teach your brother and sister how to care for you. I am so proud of the fact that even though you were in a coma, you responded to me when I gave you a paint brush. You my painter friend started to recover from the moment I handed you that brush.

Street kids enjoying our pool

I loved you so much ...

When the world rejected you and labeled you as "street kids" and they told you that is where you belong I opened my home and pool for you to have the time of your lives. To be able to feel what it was like not to be poor anymore. Your laughter and smiles I will never forget. You are winners, all of you!

Keeping an eye on a patient after open heart surgery

I loved you so much ...

When your uncle came to me and told me you were dying I felt so sorry for you I decided to pay for your open heart surgery so you could have a second chance in life. I will never forget how hard I prayed for you while you were being operated on. You amazed me, you had no fear.

Baguio Ondoy victims could actually smile in adversity

I loved you so much ...

When I saw on the news your suffering in Rosario Pasig after typhoon Ondoy (ketsana) I went to Macro wholesale and bought a whole van full of food and sundries to give to you the day after it happened. I am so touched to see you could smile even though you lost everything. Only you my dear Filipino friends can do this. I love you so much!

One of the dormitories for the deaf school in Palawan

I loved you so much ...

My deaf friends in Palawan that I shipped my truck from Luzon and went there to join missionaries from Hand's and Feet Ministries to build you two dormitories for your deaf school in Aborlan.
I was touched by your hearts and the sign language you taught me.

Donating a first aid/nutrition kit to a native family

I loved you so much ...

So many of you living in rural places suffer from the lack of basic first aid not being available. So I decided to make up home medical kits and give to families so that minor problems would not turn into major ones as so often happens there.

The beginning of the house for my Ayta friend

I loved you so much ...

My dear Ayta friends when I discovered you were living in a tiny house with your 10 kids I built you a new house and made sure all the children there got the medical help they needed.

Mom at the ground breaking of the highest basketball court

I loved you so much ...

I made you a class A Basketball court.
My mom came over for the ground breaking of your basketball court that is the highest cemented basketball court in the Philippines. Thanks for teaching me how to play wearing slippers.

Local people employed in the making of our dream home

I loved you so much ...

My dear neighbors that when I built my dream home in the Philippines I made sure 300 + of you were employed at sometime during the project. I know you needed the work so much.

Getting a load of drums to make community garbage cans

I loved you so much ...

To make you feel better about your living conditions I made a giant barangay renovation day. Painting, cleaning, cutting and gave you 40 custom garbage cans so you had a trash collection system.

Getting experience at rice planting in central Luzon

I loved you so much ...

I wanted you to know I was not too proud to watch you break your backs planting our rice. So I got out there made you laugh at my slowness and we planted those fields together. I really know how you feel now. Ouch on the legs!

It was an honor to be able to share my blessings with you dear Filipino's. I truly love you.

Below are a few more pics I would like to share with you.

Humility before honor

Our p-loader was donated for various community projects

My wife helped these children in need in Palawan

I donated a couple of these signs for the deaf school in Palawan

These kids got a free medical check up and de-wormed

Dodong's wife needed emergency c-section surgery in Cebu

Sending a medical team to go check on a remote village

A PARTIAL LIST OF DONATIONS FROM MY HEART FOR FILIPINO'S

1. MONATARY DONATION TO VOLCANO VICTIMS

2. DONATION OF ARTIFICIAL LEG FOR POOR GIRL

3. DONATION OF RURAL HEALTH CENTER

4. DONATION OF OPERATION TO SAMAR CHILD

5. MEDICAL DONATIONS AT VINCENTE SOTTO HOSPITAL

6. DONATION OF JOLIBEE MEALS TO MORE THAN 400 STREET CHILDREN IN PASAY

7. DONATION OF ARTIFICIAL LEG TO ACCIDENT VICTIM IN CEBU

8. DONATION OF A PIGGERY IN SOUTHERN LEYTE

9. DONATION OF A NEW MOTORCYCLE

10. DONATION OF EMERGENCY CESARIAN SECTION FOR STREET PERSON

11. DONATION OF INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FARMERS IN RURAL CEBU

12. DONATION OF TUITION FEES FOR NURSING SCHOOL STUDENT

13. DONATION OF NEW HOUSE FOR POOR AYTA FAMILY IN ANGELES

14. DONATION OF EMERGENCY TREATMENT FOR AYTA WOMAN

15. DONATION OF KIDNEY OPERATION FOR A STRANGER

16. DONATION OF BUSINESS LOANS FOR FRIENDS

17. DONATION OF COMPUTER TO

18. DONATION TO KIDS WITH LEUKEMIA

19. DONATION OF BRIDGE

20. DONATION FOR A STREET KID HIT BY A CAR

21. DONATION OF TRANSPORTATION FOR BARANGAY RESIDENTS

22. DONATION OF FIREWORKS SHOW FOR BARANGAY

23. DONATION OF BASKETBALL TEAM UNIFORMS

24. DONATION OF TUBERCULOSIS MEDICINES AND TREATMENT

25. DONATION OF HEARING AID

26. DONATION OF CHECK UP AND TREATMENT FOR HEART PATIENT

27. DONATION OF BARANGAY LOGOS, STICKERS, BANNERS ETC

28. DONATION OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR 300+ STUDENTS

29. DONATION OF BARANGAY MAKEOVER

30. DONATION OF OPEN HEART SURGERY

31. DONATION OF REPAINTING A BARANGAY CHAPEL

32. DONATED MOTORCYCLE TO FORMER EMPLOYEE

33. DONATION OF BRAND NEW HONDA XR 200

34. DONATION OF USE OF PERSONAL PRIVATE POOL FOR POOR FAMILIES

35. DONATION OF 100 BIBLES TO BARANGAY CHAPEL

36. DONATION TO BARAGAY RESIDENT FOR LEG OPERATION

36. DONATION OF OPEN HOUSE AT OUR RESIDENCE

37. DONATION OF VAN BUSINESS TO CEBU BARANGAY CAPTAIN

38. DONATION OF USE OF PRIVATE RESIDENCE FOR CHURCH GROUPS

39. DONATION FOR THE ABORLAN DEAF SCHOOL IN PALAWAN

40. DONATION TO GOSPEL HALL CHURCH IN PALAWAN

41. DONATION TO FOUNDATION FOR BADJAO STREET CHILDREN

42. DONATION OF TRUCK FOR WATER PURIFICATION DELIVERIES

43. DONATION TO CANCER PATIENT LIEZEL ANGELES

44. DONATION OF MEDICAL KIT TO RURAL FAMILY

45. DONATION OF FUNERALS

46. DONATION TO BAGYO ONDOY VICTIMS

47. UNDOCUMENTED CASH DONATIONS

A video of one of the cemented road donations made in rural Cebu

A testimony from an Ayta Friend in Sampang Batu Pampanga

FINAL WORDS CONCERNING RELEASE OF THIS INFORMATION

I am reluctant to even release this information because I have always believed as the Bible says that we should not let our right hand know what our left is doing. But after unprecedented attacks on me and my wife I found little choice other than to defend the good I have done in the Philippines. I do not boast about my donations neither will I ever. But the truth is the truth and it is my sincere desire that this truth about my loving and giving character towards Filipino’s will be made known and ultimately set us free from the evil accusations that have caused my family and closest friends unimaginable suffering.

To those who make it their heart desire to make the truth known, may the Lord be with you and bless you a million fold for your efforts on our behalf.

Most Sincerely,

David Graham

Competed this day of February 2^nd, 2010 in exile in S.E. Asia

More to come later. God bless you

My early years as an entreprenuer

2011-12-08T02:29:00.000-08:00

Setting up in the TV studio for another big sales day on live T.V. shopping

Taking a simple idea and making it "shrink"

In 1995 I came up with an idea that ended up turning into something good for me. I invented a product that helped save space in home storage. This product went on to sell millions of pieces in over 60 countries around the world.

United States Patent US6202849

Where did I get the idea?

In the early 1980's when I was serving in the military stationed in Japan I had seen a Japanese friend of mine take a sheet of plastic and her home iron and make a giant pouch out of it. She heat sealed the sides and slipped her giant futon into it and then sealed it up leaving a small space for her vacuum hose. Then she flipped a switch and within seconds the giant futon was reduced down to a small pancake size. She then sealed the hole with the iron and put the drastically reduced futon into a small closet. A place that would have been impossible to store it minutes earlier. That was the seed that never left my mind.

I was going through closets doing some cleaning in 1995 and was frustrated at the lack of space I had. It was at that time that I remembered what my friend in Japan had done years earlier. I realized that if someone could make those bags more user friendly that most everyone in the world could use them. I went to work researching plastic bags for two years getting different samples and things.


Working on another idea in Japan with Mr. Tanaka in 2005

I happened to make contact with a man in Japan named Mr. Tanaka who is brilliant with plastics. He has over 200 patents relating to plastic packaging. Mr. Tanaka and I came up with a design for a bag that could be mass produced, re-usable and marketed in many places. I made many trips to Japan in that time as well as other places in the world to research my new and exciting idea.

In 1997 I launched my first product on TV in Florida at the Home Shopping Network. There I stood for my very first time in front of the TV cameras on a live shopping program. After only 10 minutes we had sold 21,000 bags and it became a big hit on TV shopping. That success continued in various places around the world and I found myself going on TV in Japan, Canada, Australia, England, Italy and Germany. I racked up some serious airline miles during that time of my life. It was an incredible business high.

My father was my financial partner in our private company and for years a larger company had been romancing us to buy us out and in 2006 we finally decided to let go of our company. My dad was getting older and I wanted to spend more time doing charitable work helping others. We were not mega rich but we did fairly well considering where we started. The company sold and I headed to the Philippines to work full-time on my philanthropy.

More pics from the TV studio


Making the last finishing touches before the live sale on QVC


Everything on the left is in my bags on the right. Now that is space saving!


Out front of the worlds largest TV Shopping Network QVC with Mom.	The channel reaches 200 million homes worldwide

A video animation of one of my products called the CUBE (Stack-N-Vac)

An introduction to our story

2011-11-28T19:59:00.000-08:00

Our story in the Philippines is quite extraordinary as it covers a whole spectrum of amazing experiences that make up our lives.

My first experience in the Philippines came when I was sent there for two weeks of training while serving in the military during the early 1980's. I soon came to love the warm hospitality of the people there that really planted a seed in my heart which caused me to return years later as a successful businessman. I became passionate about trying to make a difference in the lives of the poor there to the point I had donated years of my life and most of my life's savings.

My love for the Philippines and Filipino people grew to the point that after I sold my company in 2006 I decided to move there and build a dream home. I had longed searched for the woman whom God had made for me and in 2007 I found her in a most unlikely place ...

We got married in early 2008 and were blessed later that year with our wonderful baby daughter. We set out together to make a difference in the lives of people this time as a team. As is normal in life we were met with numerous challenges that really put us to the test.

At the moment we are out of the Philippines after being set up by a group of extortionists in 2010 of which we are seeking justice in a system riddled with corruption. Through death threats, exile and now poorness our story continues.

We invite you to follow us as we tell our story in the Philippines. May you be blessed and encouraged by it.

God bless you our readers!

David & Chona Graham

A plea from a father for the President

2011-11-16T17:45:00.000-08:00

H.E. Benigno Aquino III

President of the Republic

Our son David Graham and his wife, Chona Alegre Graham, are the victims of an elaborate extortion scheme that has involved bringing false charges against them in the courts of Tarlac. By what appears to be corrupt activity at the local judicial level, with the malicious withholding of their counter affidavit in the prosecutors office. Even with no evidence charges were filed by the prosecutor.

Due to the possibility of imprisonment and verbal death threats, they have been forced to leave the Philippines and their property.

Their PETITION FOR REVIEW to the Department of Justice has thus far not been acted upon for approximately two years. Their PETITION so clearly proves the absurdity and falseness of the charges that we cannot understand why the case wasn't thrown out immediately.

David has been a wonderful friend of the Philippines and has literally spent millions in helping the poor and impoverished people there. He is now without means of support , other than borrowed money. He is trying to keep his family, including a three year old daughter and a soon to be born son, safe in other Asian countries.

He and Chona need your help to right the injustice that has befallen them. A good man's life and that of his outstanding wife needs to be restored.

If you can offer any hope to them please contact us at JDGCLG2@COMCAST.NET. Also a great amount of information on David's life and good works can be found on his blog "Loving the Challenge".

We would be grateful for your help. We are in our eighties and this travesty of justice weighs heavily on us.

James D. Graham

Catherine L. Graham

To all reading this please forward this letter to the Secretary of Justice Leila DeLima at: soj@doj.gov.ph or to the Office of the President.

Bulldozing for Jesus

2011-11-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

No road means no school
This picture sums it up better than anything I could say. This little boy who lives in the mountains did not go to school because his family would not eat if he did not carry those banana's 5-7 kilometers to the main road everyday. The reason he had to carry them that far was because the trail going to his remote place could not facilitate trucks. There was no accessible road. After purchasing the equipment and making roads to his place he no longer had to carry those baskets. Instead trucks come and pick up not only one basket but 20 and 30 at a time. He can now go to school and his family has the opportunity to see a brighter economic future. This was the reason I decided to buy the equipment.

I had a very rare opportunity in my life and that was to be able to fulfill a childhood fantasy. I was definitely a sandbox kid when I was young. I used to spend hours and hours playing with my construction toys. At the time I was very serious about it. When I built a road in the sandbox I made a good road.

I am so humbled to understand that God took pleasure in my dreams as a child and actually gave me the opportunity to experience them in real. In my donation efforts in the Philippines I bought several pieces of heavy equipment to accomplish various projects. These purchases were not for a business effort where I used the equipment for profit and then donated them for charity on the side. I actually purchased and maintained this equipment to use directly in donations. These were instruments.

At the time I used to call it "bulldozing for Jesus" and I was serious about every project. These heavy equipments were used as an expression of love. I had a relationship with each one. We were a team to improve lives in the Philippines.

The 'D4' Caterpillar

She was delivered to me at the top of a mountain in Cebu on a rainy day back in 2006. I remember how excited I was and how frightened I was knowing that I had no idea even how to start or stop her. It would be one thing if I was on flatland but I was on a mountain top with steep drop offs all around. That in itself was an encouragement to learn fast.

Me and the D4 soon became best friends and I spent many hours a day on her making roads, clearing slides helping people to make flat areas to build their houses. Let me tell you it was fun and I mean real fun! I took to bulldozing like a fish to water. I could not get enough of it. Thank goodness I was able to afford the fuel and maintenance costs!

My wife enjoying a lesson on the D4

After a couple of years in Cebu I sent the D4 to Luzon to use on my projects there. The day I picked her up at the port in Manila she had arrived on a ship called MV Princess of the Stars. That ship actually sank in a tragic sea accident a few years later. Anyway, when I had boarded the ship to retrieve the D4 the man in charge asked me where is your driver and I told him it was me. He gave me the most surprised look when I started the bulldozer and drove it off the ship and onto a very small truck. It was a cherished moment!

I eventually sold the D4 in 2008 to a construction company in Baguio. I remember almost crying as I drove her onto the truck to be taken away for ever. I thanked God for the great times and challenges we had experienced together. Somehow I think that bulldozer is still being used for good someplace.

It took pressing the brake pedal with two feet to get it to turn

The Bucket Loader

The next piece of equipment was the Mitsubishi track bucket loader. As I found the large landslides nearly impossible to clear with the D4 I needed something to scoop and load my dump truck with. I found the bucket loader at a hardware dealer where I was buying cement and things. The owner gave me a fair price and it needed a bit of work. But after a month or so it was running in fine condition and it had working brakes "sometimes".

This was also very fun to drive. My favorite move was to scoop into the side of the mountain and let the sliding soil self load the bucket. The challenge of course was to see how much could get in each scoop. It was kind of a game but nonetheless productive too. It was just the right size for the narrow mountain roads. I eventually donated it to the barangay captain of the area who wanted to start a coal business.

The Mini Dump Truck

I have to hand it to Izuzu, they sure make some wonderful stuff. With all the cementing jobs and need to haul backfill materials I found it necessary to buy a dump truck. But due to the narrow mountain roads I needed a mini size. I found one that not only dumped from the back but also from the sides. It was perfect for our needs. I could not count how many hundreds if not thousands of times we used the dump truck. It came in handy also to help people who were moving their personal belongings. I used this truck for around 3 years.
I sold this dump truck to a man who was working with me on the projects. He appreciated the special price I gave him.

The Backhoe Excavator
I would say without a doubt that one of the greatest inventions of machinery in modern times has got to be the backhoe. What an amazing piece of equipment. I bought my backhoe in Luzon after I had discovered that the former owner of my property had not reported to me 345 large dump truck loads of garbage that was buried on the property. I bought the backhoe because of the environmental concerns for the place I was going to live.

The backhoe was used for much good. Not only to clean up illegally dumped garbage but also to make fishponds. I think the best use of it was when I let a very poor neighbor train on it so he could be qualified to be a professional operator. This benefited his family greatly. He had no education and could only do labor jobs prior. But after using the backhoe he was able to get good decent paying jobs and I think he even applied to work in Saudi Arabia.

My dad had fun driving the loader during a visit in 2008

The Luzon Bucket Loader

Since I had purchased a rural property I found it necessary to buy another bucket loader for the farm operations. It was used not only on my property but very much to help the local barangay in many ways. This was also used to train various men giving them enhanced employment opportunities. One memorable use was when a cancer patient I was helping had complained of pain from all the illegal self made speed humps on the barangay road I went out and removed them so she could go to her appointments and not suffer.

The D7 "mistake"

At one point my ambition was outgrowing my reasoning and made a pretty big mistake. I was so much into driving the equipment that I wanted to go bigger and bigger. So I started shopping for the big toys. I found a very nicely painted D7 Caterpillar in a Subic Bay second hand dealer. I had even flown my former mechanic from Cebu to look at it. But due to the strict rules of the dealer the mechanic was limited on how far he could dig for problems. To make a long story short I purchased what was told to me as being a second hand Japan model only to find out after the fact it was 4th hand. The outside was original but the thing was so chopped that it never did work right, and after a year of big mechanical expenses I threw in the towel and sold it for half the price I paid for it. A $50,000 Ouch on the wallet! Live and learn!

I am grateful for the opportunity I had to do the "Bulldozing for Jesus" and fulfill some childhood fantasies. The bottom line is many peoples lives were improved by making roads, clearing slides and giving training to people in desperate need of opportunity. It was a rare opportunity for me provided by God to bless others and have some fun in the process. Thank you Lord for that chapter in my life!

Allan the painter

2011-10-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

Allan just after he arrived in ICU at JBL Hospital

I only have this one picture of Allan the painter. This picture was taken by a person I had asked to hold my camera while I taught the family of Allan how to use the Ambo Bag to ventilate him.

Allan arrived in the ICU of JBL Hospital after a terrible motorcycle accident which left him critically wounded and in a coma. It was a very busy day there in JBL and when they brought Allan in the ICU after surgery the nurses did not have the time to teach the family how to manually ventilate Allan. This is not to insult the nurses there. You have got to experience a public hospital in the Philippines to understand. Chaos is a light term! When I noticed Allan's brother struggling with the Ambo Bag I went over to their bed side to teach him about observing the chest and stomach.

The experience with Allan was very special. As the family tried to cope with the involuntary twitching that comes with the brain injury they were so worried he may never come out of the coma. I told them that Allan could hear them and he just could not speak at that time. I believe the Lord gave me wisdom at that time. I had asked them what he did for a living and they told me he was a painter. I had an idea to buy a paint brush so I went to the hardware and got one. When I returned I said to Allan, Allan I need you to paint my house. Then I put the brush in his hand. As soon as I did that he started to make brushing strokes. The family was amazed. Me too. Then I said to Allan, don't forget the corners and his strokes became circular just as you would do in the corner. This encouraged his family very much and they had a renewed faith that Allan would get better. I gave the family some money to help with the mounting bills and I never saw them again. I pray that Allan had a full recovery. Somehow I think he did!

In the Philippines the family must rent a ventilator machine if they want to have their patient on life support otherwise they must manually ventilate the patient 24/7. In the case of Allan there were simply no more machines available for rent. He had to be manually ventilated for a few days before the family was able to rent one. I have seen families face this situation many times and my self and others have pitched in to relieve at times.

One of the saddest things I ever saw in a public hospital was a poor mother who had given birth prematurely and after she had given birth she had to be the one to ventilate her baby. She had no family, no one to help. I was taking care of Mila at that time and every time I passed the window of the ward where she was I saw her ventilating her baby with an Ambo Bag. As the days passed I wondered why this mother had looked so tired and she was turning white like she was in shock. Little did I know at that time that she was the one who had given birth to that baby and never got to rest. I passed by that window many times and never did I see someone help her. She was getting more and more weak. She actually stayed awake 24/7 desperately trying to save her baby for 4 days. No sleep and no food from what I heard. And no one helped her! Then on the 4th night she passed out and the baby died. I found out the true story after the fact. If I had known she had no helper I would have hired one for her. This was a tragic but true story.

If any person reading this blog wants to help people on the front lines of poverty, go to any public hospital and offer a hand. It is an unforgettable experience and a real dose of reality too.

Jun Jun's Story

2011-10-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

My street kid friend Jun Jun

Jun Jun was a street kid I met who I hired to wash my truck everyday when I was eating breakfast at my favorite restaurant. He came from a family of like 14 kids and was forced to survive on the street. I learned so much about street kids from Jun Jun.

The very first time I ever saw Jun Jun was when he was taking a pee on a sign that said "bawal umihi dito" translated " do not urinate here". That gave me a good laugh. That moment described the rebel character of Jun Jun. Street kids do not trust people easily. They get so used and abused that it takes a long time to earn their trust. But once they trust you, they consider you a friend for life. But you better never break that trust! I had lots of interesting moments with Jun Jun. He was addicted to Rugby (carpet glue) when I first met him. He sniffed it so he would not feel hungry. That is why I get angry at people when they judge street kids that use Rugby. They are only trying to not feel the pain of being unwanted and being hungry. Anyway, by offering Jun Jun the job to wash my car he was able to stop the Rugby and have enough money to buy three meals a day and get some clothes. Yes, I overpaid him on purpose. Jun Jun was 16-17 years old at this time.

One morning when I went to breakfast I did not see Jun Jun who usually waited for me at my parking space. Only a few moments later some other street children ran up to me and told me Jun Jun was hit by a car and laying in the parking lot of a hospital dying. I rushed over to the hospital and found Jun Jun laying in the parking lot in terrible pain. There were no people helping him. I ran inside the emergency room and yelled for help. I told them I would pay for everything. It was then and there that they came out to help him. I want the readers here to know the truth. The emergency room staff knew Jun Jun was in the parking lot but because he was a street kid and had no way to pay and was dirty, no one helped him. This hospital was considered semi-private. It was ONLY when they saw me ( his sponsor ) that they came out to help him. Before me he was treated like an animal and after he was treated like royalty. Go figure!

They did the usual examination and the doctor told me he was too seriously wounded to be treated there and that he needed to be brought to the provincial hospital. By that time my faithful bodyguard had arrived and we hired an ambulance and rushed him to the larger provincial hospital called JBL.

Jun Jun after surgery in the post op

When we got there Jun Jun was near death. The doctor said if Jun Jun could not urinate they could not operate on him. I begged Jun Jun to drink water and said over and over to him to pee, pee just like you did on that wall with the sign "bawal umihi dito". Jun Jun laughed when I said that! Some urine came out when he was laughing this gave the clearance for him to receive life saving surgery.

The doctor told me that most likely Jun Jun would die from his injuries. I refused to accept that and starred Jun Jun in the eyes and reminded him how hard headed he was and that he can make it.

They operated on Jun Jun for 6 hours. He had a crushed liver and other internal damage. It was bad. I waited right outside the operating room door and when they brought Jun Jun to the recovery room I stayed there with him along with Romeo. He remained in the recovery room much longer than most other patients because he was so critical. I think he was there for 5 days before they moved him to the ICU.

Jun Jun about 20 days after surgery inside the ICU

For the readers from developed countries you need to know that what is called an ICU in a provincial hospital is not what you might imagine. You need to add a few cats and dogs running in and out of the room. Dead people laying in their beds for hours uncovered. No privacy curtains and people crying and dying in front of each other 24/7. This is where Jun Jun and I spent many days and nights. Jun Jun had no family, he had no person who could take care of him. At that time I was building my new house but I dropped that project so I could stay with Jun Jun. He needed help and if I did not help him he would have died for sure.

It was completely self service there in the ICU. Jun Jun had a trach tube to breath from the rented ventilator machine. The patients watchers had to be the ones to operate the suction machine to clear the phlegm and most of the bandage changing is done by the watchers too. There were just too few nurses and way too many patients. This was the reality at that time.

The conditions were practically indescribable. For example, I went to sleep at Jun Jun's bedside and woke up to find a line of ants all around his breathing hole! I am not putting down the doctors and nurses who worked there. They are wonderful. In fact, I would hand pick them to serve me if ever I needed a good medical team. The issue is poverty and an overwhelmed system.

It was a long and tough recovery for Jun Jun. It was a daily battle but he got stronger each day. He began to understand the joy of giving. Jun Jun on occasion would ask me to help others in the ICU like the grenade attack victim in the bed next to him. These were wonderful selfless acts of love in his own way he was expressing to others suffering. The Lord used me to help many people there. It was a grand opportunity to show his love.

Jun Jun was eventually moved to a regular ward room where he spent about a week and then his day of freedom arrived. Jun Jun was a changed man. His hardened heart was now soft and he had a new zest for life. We had arrived at the hospital together in an Ambulance and 45 days later we walked out of there together. With faith, love and prayer Jun Jun had overcome all odds to survive.

That experience changed me too. I think I learned more from Jun Jun than he did from me. What courage and faith he has. And I am convinced if he did not have such a tough life on the streets that prepared him for this fight, he would have never made it.

I had seen Jun Jun a few times since that experience. He's had his ups and downs but I believe he was a changed young man forever. I will always remember the opportunity to help my street kid friend Jun Jun.

Mila's story

2011-10-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

Look at her leg! Bent at the shin!

This is a story so dear to my heart it is hard to write it without tears coming to my eyes.

Mila was a little girl I met way back in 2001 when I was visiting the family of my friend. She lived on a very remote island in one of the poorest provinces in the Philippines. Samar. It was a lazy hot afternoon when I was eating lunch that Mila can stumbling in the native house where we were. When I first saw her she had a huge smile on her face. It was quite dark inside the native house but her leg had caught my eye. There was something very wrong with it. Instead of the leg bending at the knee it was bending at the shin and it was the shin that was touching the ground when she walked and not her foot.

I had inquired to the family what happened to her leg and they told me that when Mila was two years old she had fallen out of her raised bahay kubo and broke her leg terribly. When I asked why did she not see a doctor I was even more saddened. I was told that Mila's mom had abandon her and her father was killed at sea as a fisherman. So Mila was left to just go from one aunt to another and basically had no family. Mila never received treatment for her leg. She had to endure the pain of a broken leg and then manage to walk on it for nearly 7 years!

I remember not being able to sleep well when I had returned to the States after meeting Mila. How could this innocent human be forced to continue this kind of life when I had the ability to help? It bothered me for several months until I made the decision to help her.

It was because of Mila that I had made my first trip to Cebu. I went there to arrange for her to have her leg operated on by Dr. Migi Morales who at that time was a renown orthopedic surgeon. I found out about him by a referral from another surgeon who had operated on my knee in Manila earlier that year.

Painful moments on the road to recovery

It took quite a bit of logistics to get five members of her relatives and her to Cebu, rent an apartment for them and also hired a caretaker. Her medical situation was very complicated. It required two very painful operations and a technique called "Ilizorof" therapy to actually break and lengthen her leg. She had wear a cumbersome device on her leg for almost a year after the operation.

I don't know how she did it. I am so proud of her. She never complained and was so grateful for my help. She had a wonderful spirit and a unique character. She won the hearts of whomever she met. Definitely a gifted child.

I gave her the best I could. What a brave little girl!

The experience with Mila in the Hospital in Cebu led to many more opportunities to help people in desperate need there. It was such a wonderful feeling to be able to live my life knowing the meaning to the success God gave me in my business ventures. It was an incredible time in my life. The more I gave to help the poor, the more I was blessed when I went back to the States to do business. This happened year after year for many years. It got to a point where I had pre-planned how I would give away my yearly bonus before I even got it! God is really good!

Years later after my friend got married to a German gentlemen she arranged a meeting with Mila and myself in Manila. It was a great moment because my mother was visiting and was able to meet Mila too. I think there will always be a special bond between me and Mila because of our experience together. I think it would make a great movie one day.

Even now I still pray for her and wonder how she is doing. Somehow with that very special character I am sure she will be successful in whatever she does in life. Mila is a born winner!

The road

2011-10-25T05:06:00.000-07:00

This project was definitely a ''road less traveled'' because it was so dangerous. The first time I traveled down this road I was on the back of a motorcycle. We had come around the corner and headed down hill and with the clay and rocks it soon became apparent that we would be crashing in the very near future. The particular stretch of road shown in this post was notorious for crashes. It was steep, slippery and had steep drop offs.

When I decided to make a cementing project on this portion there were already several projects going on in other places. Mostly retaining walls and drainage culverts. I think maybe one of the donated houses was under construction at that time too. In other words the projects were full blast at that time.

The road was made in 2006

When it came time to make this portion of the road I was offered two options by the masons. One was to save money and make the road without steel bars and the other was to make a thick road using the re-enforced bars. There was no second thought. I wanted those people to have the best and be blessed for generations to come. So we made the road to standard. I remember one time in Samar I was traveling and there were so many places where the cemented road was cracked and had holes in it. I wondered why that was? And soon I learned why. The money that was in the budget for the steel bars was used for the personal gain of the local mayors house and so they made a road with no steel bars in it. I remembered that very fact when I had made the decision to use steel bars in the road in Cebu. Would I be like that mayor and give the people a poor road or would I give them what they deserved?
A video made in January 2011

I realize it is difficult for some people to understand my intentions in projects such as that road. Why would I be out in a remote place doing things like that unsupported by any organization. By the worlds view it does not make much sense. But if you could see it through God's eyes, it makes all the sense in the world. I was blessed beyond my wildest dreams ( not Bill Gates level ) and instead of spending it on my self I wanted to give back to people who would never have a chance to see that kind of blessing. I wanted to make a way for them to have hope that their lives could and would improve. And the metaphor of the beautiful road was God making a road to their hearts to set them free. This is why I did it.

The bridge

2011-10-25T01:25:00.000-07:00

It is so sad to see tragic accidents that could have been prevented if the people had the means. In 2007 I had learned of heart wrenching story in the mountains of Cebu. There was a lady and her two children who had gone into the abandon mining area to collect scrap metal to sell. They had to cross various places where there were gullies (washouts) in order to come and go from their Barangay. One day as they were on their way home a heavy downpour occurred while they were crossing a low area. It was there they were met by a wall of water in a flashflood that swept all of them to their deaths.

I was between projects having just completed a basketball court so I asked the barangay captain if it would be alright if we made a culvert to make bridge for the people to use. I did not ever want that to happen again. Enthusiastically he said "yes" and soon we were mobilizing materials for the bridge project.

I went to Cebu city to canvas the biggest culverts I could find. Five feet were the largest available. So with the use of my Nissan Frontier and our mini dump truck we were able to haul all the pipes we needed in just two loads. The project needs required that I had at least 12 people working there. This provided much needed income for people who rely on vegetables and fruit sales for their financial sustenance. It gave some young men the first opportunity to work with a cement mixer and in general the people felt happy to be able to have a new experience.

The project was quite fun. For me doing my "bulldozing for Jesus" thing made me so happy. It was a challenge too. It took around a week to ten days to complete the much needed bridge.

As we had lacked materials enjoyed by construction companies like booms and cranes so we had to improvise at every turn. This is another wonderful thing about Filipino's I had discovered. How they can improvise and make a way to do something when there was no apparent way. I learned a lot there too.

One time when I was making a road near a spring I got my bulldozer stuck so deep in the mud that it could no longer move. It was buried all the way to the drivers seat. I had tried everything I knew to get it out. And after about 4 hours I had given up. It was then that I saw the wonderful ingenuity of my friends. I had offered four of them P1000 ($20) each if they could get the bulldozer out. I went to eat some lunch and was gone only a half hour and when I returned to my amazement there was my bulldozer out of the mud and already washed! If I remember correctly I had doubled their reward being so happy to see my baby in good condition.

As I reflect on the bridge project I am truly grateful for the experience. It was inspiring to see the communal effort involved. Though I have never seen the people from that area since the last day I do believe they are grateful and their lives have been improved by this bridge.

More Photos

Lining up the pipes in the center of the gully

I was able to fulfill my childhood dreams of driving there

My friend Scott and I discussing the final cementing details

At the end we had cemented both ends like a funnel

A heartfelt testimony from a good friend

2011-09-03T05:57:00.000-07:00

Testimony of Scott Redlich

It’s a pleasure to be able to write some facts as to the character and kindness of a very, very special friend, David Graham. I have always been in wonder of him, ever since we met about nine years ago – in wonder of his heart, and how he has been able to balance a very strong spirituality with the material world. I can finally say now with sincerity, he indeed has been an inspiring and great friend and strong influence in my personal spiritual growth as well as big strength in my own survival here in the Philippines as an American, as well as with my marriage. Hopefully the following will convey such and back it up with facts.

We met by chance approximately nine years ago in CdO, both swimming for exercise at a local hotel pool. “Hey, nice swimming goggles!” he said. We immediately engaged in smiling conversation. It didn’t take long for me to realize the sincerity and generosity of David’s heart. He only briefly had met me and learned a little of my life locally, and simply offered the possibility of business relationship by letting me know that he was very blessed financially from hard and creative work, and that he had ‘investment money’ available. I did not react to that fact until much later in our relationship, but in the mean time, David made it very clear that because of his blessing, he was always willing and wanting to share.

And during our relationship, although at the time we both had to occasionally leave the Philippines to work in the States, we kept in contact by email when abroad, and cell phone when not. He lived in Cebu at that time, and I visited him there a few times in the early years, where I witnessed in person some of David’s generosity with the people of Cebu. He would literally sometimes meet strangers and give them cash gifts as though it was a daily and expected occurrence for him. He would always pay for meals and even for hotel accommodations upon my visits (if I’d let him). We enjoyed each other’s company a lot. He didn’t boast about his philanthropy at all, and at that time I had no idea of the magnitude of his donations not only in Cebu, but in the Philippines in general.

My financial struggle living in a foreign country reared its ugly head in around 2004 and I happened to reveal it to David. He was back and forth to the States, but to my amazement, suddenly he sent approximately $2,000 to me through Western Union, with a note to the effect, “I know you’re hurting right now, brother, maybe this will help. Just pay me back when you can.” What a tremendous lift that was, and what timing! David was continuing to follow his heart and in the process teaching me all about giving and loving.

It so happened that the Internet Café business my wife and I opened a few years before was struggling to ‘upgrade’ equipment enough to compete with the newer offerings, and it was going down quickly. Before we were completely submerged, David, who was living in Cebu, became aware of my situation in CdO and sent over Almerino to access my situation with the business. At the time David was also helping others in Cebu apparently with similar businesses, and through that assessment, David loaned me cash and equipment to help us upgrade our café and stay in business.

I noticed that in his generosity, he tried to keep the integrity for the people receiving by inspiring an attitude of productivity – so that the people could, when possible, learn to help themselves and not be dependent on hand-outs. That was the only stipulation or condition I ever noticed in his giving, and it was a healthy attitude. He also appreciated very much those who demonstrated integrity.

I recall though at one point being concerned for David’s well-being after observing him perhaps over-doing it, and giving so much so visibly. It crossed my mind that not all the people he was donating money to were as appreciative or respectful as David may have thought or felt. There were times that it seemed he put himself in potentially dangerous locations with people who might have ulterior motives from greed or bad ethics on the streets. Apparently nothing happened in that regard and David felt safe enough and truly loved giving to the people in person as such. Maybe he felt God’s protection. I remember thinking, isn’t there another way to give other than always in person? But David truly enjoyed the philanthropy, and didn’t boast or let ego interfere in his unconditional motivation to give.

I recall his mentioning circa 2006 his “business venture” with a friend near Angeles in car rental. I laughed to myself in a way, visualizing that David’s “business venture” was more likely really a donation to the other guy and his family, and any ‘loan’ aspect was not very strict with payments. David simply loved helping everyone.

David making a new road into the mountains in Cebu

It was then that my situation really fell financially after the birth of our baby. I was torn with the reality of having to leave my family indefinitely to go back again to the States to work. David knew how much I dreaded having to leave my new child. It didn’t take him long for him to surprise me again before 2007. He literally ‘created’ a job offer for me. It involved ‘managing’ his Cebu/Loay project of continuing to build roads and secure the existing roads way up at the top of the mountain above Camp 7. He really made a super-generous offer! His dedication to the people of that area was unbelievable. Heavy equipment vehicles, hundreds of truckloads of sand and gravel, cement, barangay donations, countless trips to hardware stores for supplies, building a church at the very top, finding ways to improve the people’s lives there was the commitment he had made and he generously gave me a contract to work with him there for one year at a super great salary which included a rental house with all the amenities in Talisay at the base of that mountain for my family. We took him up on that offer and it basically allowed me to continue to stay with my beloved family. Unbelievable grace. It was there that the spiritual lessons for me through David increased my faith in the Lord!

At that time, David’s “bodyguard” and friend, Romeo, was someone I befriended as well as we worked together in Cebu, was a kind and loving soul too. I felt more comfortable knowing Romeo was often by David’s side. Still, David often cruised around alone while giving donations, and I was a bit concerned.

One of the many houses donated by David

It was during that year that I truly learned more deeply about what David was about as a friend, as a good person. The Loay project was a teacher for all of us involved. One highlight that I will never forget was the day that suddenly, inside the mountaintop church he had donated, we all secretly met with a family (squatter) who David had something to tell. As the mother, father and like 4 children sat quietly and well-behaved, David revealed his plan and donation to them. He had observed them as they participated previously in the projects on the mountain and he felt moved to reward them. They were so naïve, yet so wonderfully surprised with it all. They had no idea that David had been moved spiritually to choose them to have an enormous amount of cash to buy and build their own house! As he gave them the first allotment, they humbly were suppressing their amazement as though it was a dream. The secrecy of the meeting was to avoid other locals from witnessing the exchange and becoming jealous. David knew of that possibility and wanted no harm to come to them from others, including their own relatives! It was a beautiful moment to hear David remind them not to thank him, but to thank Him (God), as this is where the money comes from and it is all God’s anyway. I was moved to uncontrollable tears – just the intensity of the unconditional love and appreciation, and the lack of ego involved by the giver and the receivers! Personally, I grew tremendously from that moment spiritually, and began to really see where David was coming from in his service.

Loay contained many opportunities for David’s demonstration of his loving, giving and generous character over the time we had together there. From the volunteer “ambulance” services he would use his truck for the people “of the mountain” in emergency needs, to the incredible amount of donations and involvement David demonstrated with the Barangay there (especially at Fiesta time donating to churches in the area, Fiesta festivities and even donating so much even in firework celebration for the people to experience; many of them for the first time in their lives). Even the donations he made for Barangay facilities with roadwork and structures as well, including helping with getting permits.

Scott supervising the placement of the culverts with David

I recall David helping Camp 7’s barangay captain Tolino Largo continuously, including lending him money for transportation vehicle businesses. I don’t know the amount, but I know it easily reached the 2 million peso mark. We participated in David’s idea to do some preventative maintenance down in the bottom of the mining area where some people had lost their lives during flooding by constructing culvert drainage and overpass. It was a nice community effort, but of course David paid everyone to participate. Perhaps his generous influence was affecting a contagious cooperation for that community to help each other as well as help themselves?

A road cementing project

The amount of donations to the Loay Project of roads, etc must have been staggering. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if David had donated an astronomical amount.

We could not drive very far without being delayed because David wanted to give to people along the way. Little houses along the road going up to Loay were donated by him, too numerous to remember on my part. It was just unbelievable. And that must have just been the ‘tip of the iceberg’…

Unfortunately, some of the people of Loay were not gracious or appreciative in the end. Greed and selfishness on their part took over, and we had to pull out of the area project because of their aggressiveness which involved threats at the nine-month mark of my managerial duties earmarked for one year. I was grateful though. It had enabled me to work and still be with my family, provide for them and return to CdO with a little savings. Most of all, I learned through David what true giving and Discipleship with the Lord is about. It paved the way for me personally preparing to become a true Christian for the first time in over 55 years.

The making of his 35m lap pool in Luzon

After David’s relocation to Luzon, I was able to visit him a few times more and see the work he was doing on a beautiful property. Again, employing so many and giving so much in the process of that development. I wondered how long David could continually donate as he had. He refused to allow me to pay for anything during my visits, as usual.

Always spending time contributing, I know he participated in assisting many there, particularly with hospitals and medicine donations, special operations unfortunate people needed, and even basically saving lives! I can attest to those although I was not present necessarily, I still recall so many times by chance that David was actually texting or talking to me from his cell while serving others. Donating prosthetics, surgeries and medicine was a regular occupation for him. I would almost have to make an appointment to communicate with him because of his busy-ness in projects related to giving. He would always refer to the Badjao children and their needs – many of which he has helped.

Sharing their property for community events

Even the function of his personal property/estate was used continually for donating and serving. Church services on Sundays and inviting the local community to festive occasions was ongoing. Programs for the poor children like being able to use the swimming pool, et cetera was commonplace. Being so transparent and “in-person” with his philanthropy was David’s nature. He loved the people and loved helping. Never had we dreamed that his reward for such unconditional love would be punishment. Punishment in the form of extortion, threat to his and his family’s well-being and life, poverty and exile. All these horrible results from greed and selfishness on the part of jealous and conniving individuals who will stop at nothing to attempt to get what they want. The societal integrity in the Philippines needs an overhaul! Perhaps God has a higher plan for David, and giving of his time and wealth was not the ultimate plan. Still, it’s a confusing lesson to try and grasp. But David’s faith, although tested to the maximum, beyond what most ordinary men could fathom, still persists.

One day, and soon hopefully, David’s reputation will be repaired and put back in order. Justice should and will be served. God has not and never will abandon my friend. I have missed his in-person friendship and have suffered with him this last year or two in particular. Rarely does a man have the opportunity to have a friend, a spiritual friend, like David Graham.

Scott and David in 2006