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BY HERBERT VEGO
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An inspirational success story
HE HAS blazed a rare trail in the insurance industry – from plain underwriter to regional manager of Insular Life. He did so well – as in turning moribund branches into moneymakers – that he could have zoomed further up the corporate ladder had he not opted to retire at age 52 in 2001 so that he and wife Mariquit could join his son Junjun, a computer engineer, in New York City.
While there, Rolando Y. Dy Buco – Bando to friends – fought boredom by writing two books – By His Touch and By His Ways.
Both books had been printed. Copies are still available.
By His Ways is a compilation of eight chapters, each with five Bible-based personal reflections “to serve the purpose of delivering its message by the wisdom learned through experience and not on the basis of church doctrines.” It is non-sectarian, what with Rev. Gerardo G. Nable (a Baptist pastor) and Fr. Renato C. Cuadras (a Catholic priest) penning its foreword and back-cover text, respectively.
By His Touch, on the other hand, tackles the question, “Is this all there is to life?”
In the introduction to the book, Dy Buco confesses, “The trappings of success and my intense focus on material pursuits did not erase the deep loneliness I felt upon looking closely at myself and evaluating my identity.”
By His Touch (published by Hyena Press of Los Altos, California) is divided into three parts consisting of the ordeal and miraculous recovery of his daughter Melody from “communicating hydrocephalus”; his own professional ordeal as insurance man; and his “divinely-inspired reflections and poetry.”
I reviewed the books in this column years ago. This time, let me focus on the author’s struggle to surmount obstacles, starting from the day he married Mariquit in San Jose, Antique in 1973 at ages 24 and 23, respectively. An AB-Political Science graduate of the University of San Agustin, he was then a struggling insurance underwriter in Iloilo City; she, a government employee.
After bringing into the world five children – Rolando Jr., Roland Lester, Credence, Melody, and Claudine Marie – Mariquit flew to New York for a more gainful employment while Bando relocated to Roxas City to assume supervisory position at Insular Life.
The promotion enabled him to obtain a loan with which to buy a house in Iloilo City, a car and other trappings of wealth.
Meanwhile, after working for only 11 months in New York City, Mariquit returned home and borrowed money to invest in foreign exchange and jewelry.
But a good intention does not always lead to good result. It was a bitter misfortune for the better half that her two business ventures failed, sinking the couple in a million-peso debt.
In despair, the husband bought three shares of sweepstakes tickets. He had never before won, but this time he hit a minor prize of P2,400. No matter how small, it delivered the message that God was just around the corner.
Unexpectedly, his sister Zenaida offered to buy their house for P860,000 to save Mariquit from a criminal case charging her with violation of Batas Pambansa 22 over her bounced post-dated checks.
A philanthropist friend, the late Hilda “Nena” Dioso Ong, also came unexpectedly, lending the couple more money to pay their balance to the money lender.
From then on, successive promotions in the insurance company have enabled Bando to regain the money that he and Mariquit had lost.
When finally in the year 2001 he reached the position of regional head for North Mindanao, he opted for optional retirement at age 52.
Today, the Dy Buco couple has all the time to visit their children, all of whom are well-entrenched in various professions here and abroad. (hvego31@gmail.com/PN)
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