Eulogy for Sister P. H. Roque

Title

Creator

Cruz, Jose I.

Language

English

Year

1966

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

A Tribute to a Mother. . . fa Stefan ^oqcce, WB JOSE I. CRUZ, PM Isabela Lodge No. 60 The Spanish people, ever grateful to their mothers, with reverence proclaim: “La inaiio que mece la euna cs la mono que gobierna el tnundo.” Translated into English it means — the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. The woman may not have a direct hand in the ruling of the world, but hers is the hand that guides, for good or evil, the destiny of the men who rule the world. When Sister Roque was alive, she played her part as a mother very nobly in the moulding of the character of her children. Having been orphaned at an early age, she was not able to finish even the elementary grades. She got married on reaching the majority age to another orphan, then a minor employee in the Bureau of Lands, W. Bro. Rufino S. Roque, Sr. In the turbulent seas of matrimony, Sister Roque was deprived of careful guidance of a loving mother, having lost her mother early, like her husband who also lost his father at the time when he needed most his loving care and protection. The young couple started their married life on a shoestring so to say, for they had to content themselves with the meager salary of a minor employee of a government bureau. And the magnitude of the problem became very serious when they were blessed with a greater number of children than they thought at the time they could educate and bring up as well as they would desire. So from the beginning Sister Roque learned to husband and manage the family resources in a manner which only very few women could excel. When I learned for the first time that with the earnings of her husband she was able to bring up properly and send to college all her living children, nine of them, out of the twelve with which the family was blessed, the picture of another noble woman who was blessed with almost the same number of children as the Roques, came to my mind. I made a comparison of the accomplishments of this noble woman, Dona Teodora Alonzo y Quintos with her eleven children, one of whom became the pride of the Malay race, and Sister Roque and her 12 children. Of the eleven Rizal children I cannot now recall who else besides Jose, got their college degrees. The Rizals belonged to the richest families in Calamba at the time their children started going to school. The Rizal children were enrolled in the best colleges at the time, but were they able to finish their courses? The Roques on the other hand were able to send all their 9 living children to the best colleges and universities available today. Two of the Roque boys finished medicine, two finished engineering, two teaching, one pharmacy, one certified public accountant, now taking his master’s degree, one finished Bachelor of Science in Zoology. The younger physician in the family was at the other side of the Turn to next p«0« April 1966 15 Pacific when Sister Roque breathed her last. But all her children, together with their life partners are around her now to pay their last respect to a departing mother. Sister Roque had been ailing for the last ten years, suffering from hypertension and diabetes. Like Doha Teodora who lost her sight three times, and three times restored to her again by her own son, Sister Roque had the consolation and pride of having her own oldest son, Bro. Rufino Roque, Jr. take care of her and helped her to live ten years longer with the aid of proper medical care and the blessings of the Supreme Physician above. Like Dr. Rizal who went abroad to learn under the best specialists, the younger physician in the Roque family, Bro. Angel H. Roque, also went abroad to learn what could be done to help prolong his mother’s life. But unfortunately, Bro. Angel lost the race with--Death when his loving mother lost her life before he could do something for her. Sister Roque, like Doha Teodora. was a strict disciplinarian who knew how to bring up her children properly. so that the common saying that in a ncstful of eggs there is bound to be some spoiled ones, docs not apply in the Roque family. There is no bad egg or black sheep among the Roque children. Thanks to the firm hand of a loving mother, and the loving guidance of an indulgent father and provident husband, who was able to raise his family from obscurity to the level of the most opulent in the whole province. Sister Roque, now at the hour of parting this I can say: Our country has been enriched because you lived, our country suffers a great loss — because you died! May our Lord bless and accept you in the Land of the Blessed. A Pampanga Lodge No. 4S, F. & A. M. held a public installation of its elected and appointed officers for 1966 at the Masonic Temple in San Fernando, Pampanga, in the afternoon of January 8, 1966, with VWB Marcelino P. Dysangco, Junior Grand Lecturer, as Installing Officer and WB Conrado P. Ongbueco, as Master of Ceremonies. Installed were: Epitacio Pagtalunan, Worshipful Master, Alejandro M. Diwa, Senior Warden, Horacio S. Mendoza, Junior Warden, Alejandro M. Barin, PM. Treasurer, Venancio G. Reyes, PM, Secretary, Santiago T. Razon, PM, Chaplain, Marcelo Cervantes, Marshal, Nestor V. Tungul, Senior Deacon, Edilberto K. Lacson, Junior Deacon, Amado L. Sadsad, Auditor. Ruben P. Sanios, Almoner, Nicanor P. Palomares, Senior Steward, Bcnedicto Cunanan, PM, Organist, and Salvador G. Dabu, PM, Tyler. The invocation was given by Bishop Roberto Songco of the Philippine Methodist Church. WB Isaac S. Puno, Jr. PM of Hiram Lodge No. 88 was guest speaker. WB Isaac I. Puno, Sr., Grand Lodge Inspector, gave the closing remarks. Members of the San Fernando Central Church Choir furnished musical renditions. Among those present were, WB and Mrs. Juan C. Nabong, Jr., Master of Hiram Lodge No. 88, Mrs. Isaac S. Puno. Jr. and families of the brethren. A 16 The Cabletow

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