There are times in the performance of my farm drills at geannhomegarden that I can see my dear friends in a flashback, most of whom are my colleagues & mentors at work. Before I embrace farm living with my spouse, the 33 fruitful years of my responsible employment experience local & abroad with prestigious organizations, have brought back colourful reflection of unfailing relationship with my friends. I’m happy that I’ve live a life blessed with parents who brought me up in the traditional Filipino family perception (in the ’50s & 60s) that gave me the key to gain harmonious relationship with people during my employment.

My friend-mentors are Messrs. John Ellen, Gerhard Goldman (Bechtel Corp.), Atty. Tomas Bagatsing (PR Marinduque Mining & Ind. Corp.), Engr. Alex Ojeda (San Miguel Corp.), Travis Barnes, Dave Spaulding, Frank Morrison, Christopher Baylis, Del Williamson (Moran/Brown Olds SA Ltd.), David Ruel (Wallace Brightside), David Sturrock (Ballast Nedam), Frank Lund, Ahmed Bazuhair, Ageel Al-Shammary, Talal Al-Koud, Wael Al-Akki (Olayan Group & OFC).

My friend-colleagues are Danny Leonardo, Eliazar Dailisan, Boyet Lopez, Rey Andal, Jeffrey Tan, Salima Mohammad, Irene Wat, Serene Goh, Irene Low, Ahmed Al-Qahtani, Antonio Roxas, Nestor Rivero, Greg Romero, Joseph Stephen, Dalzak Khan, T. Haris, Salah Ghaleb Ismail, Khalid Al Awawdah, Salma Basafar, Noora Al Toraiki, Sherin Al Salim, Zac Kunju, Mohammad Ismayil, Bernardo Calupas, Rene Panlican, Edgar Ibanez, Mamayil Panicker.


They are some of my friends from different places yet I feel we’re all the same in heart and spirit. We’re from different colour, language, culture, faith & homeland yet we can express ourselves as if we originated from one solid tree of many branches. I have to admit that through my employment journey friends added joy to my daily activities and lessen my homesickness. (Ecclesiastes 4:9 “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour”). A life without friends makes my vacation from work lonely and hard to bear. They’re with me to double out my joy & divide my woes.

In retrospect of my friends, thank you for being my joy, confidant, counsellor and now, flowers at geannhomegarden. To my mom Nanay Lina & my wife Mary Ann, both my queens & ever-caring best friends, an endless thank you very much for your genuine sanity, love & sacrifices (Proverbs 31:28 “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her”).