Bank on it

IFIND myself for the past couple of months now and since the month of May, frequent ing the market, almost every day. I would walk there too. For I happen to work there.

From my walks I would meet friends and folk along the way. Different routes I would take an a certain day. The further the better. Every time Juan will ask where am I headed to, the market I say. A wonder in their eyes, I say that I work there. No Juan believes me.

Time was before the earthquake of 1990, I did my OJT in a bank. BPI atop Session Road. There I licked stamps and placed them in an envelop for some Juan. I wouldn't know if that made me want to start a career in Banking.

Time too was when dad started one in Tuding, in Itogon some 40 years ago. The Rural Bank of Itogon. Today my Sis Tin Tin takes charge of it and made it what it is today. Just recently they involved themselves in serving the community in this trying time from a landslide in the area.

Another one not far from the Itogon bank in years but far in distance is the Rural Bank of Sagada. Dad too did start it. Today my Bro JB chairs it, he has for some time now. A reason for me and my daughters to every year head there for some rest and recreation and small town interaction, immersion and respite away from the city. I too was part in making realization, the only accredited, international ATM in Sagada which we partnered with the Department of Tourism, Development Bank of the Philippines and Rural Bank of Sagada to service foreigners and tourists alike. The Chairman of DBP is my godfather in my wedding, former Philippine Senator, Foreign Secretary and Executive Secretary, Alberto Romulo.

Mom at some time did help out too with running the bank. Plan for her was to have established with a friend Liza, a bank in Boracay. Plan was for me to take part in it. In fact I already conceptualized it to have been called, Banco Panay. I even had a tag line for it, "Panay ang Banco natin dito", or some Ilonggo version close to it.