02/06/2026
Happy Birthday, Sir Al! ๐ซถ๐ฅณ
A simple โHappy Birthdayโ would hardly do justice to a life and career that have touched so many. And so, as you celebrate your 65th birthday and retirement, here is what we wish to tell you:
"๐ฆ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป."
This will be a little brave but weโre not holding it in, because you are the one who taught us to be brave. ๐ฅ
Sir Al, you taught us that leadership is not about being liked. It is about making decisions that others are unwilling to make and accepting the consequences that come with them. Many saw the strictness and questioned you, but not everyone saw the burden you carried.
โจ You were a mover of people and a mobilizer of ideas, yet you were never one to seek the spotlight. You saw actors and talents where others saw none, where others saw only hopeless cases. You welcomed even the broken, believing there was always something greater within them than their struggles and limitations. More often than not, you refused to believe in limits โ pushing for thirty years older that they could still be youth and serve the youth; that when thereโs a lack of budget, we can always pursue national grants; that itโs not impossible to bring national stages to the rural communities of Capiz; and that one could immerse himself in a place he was not even born into and come to understand its cultural wealth deeply. And for that, no one can ever contest the love you have for Capiz, nor the depth with which you have come to know it inside and out.
You worked mostly behind the scenes, building connections, inspiring action, pushing people who wouldnโt even jump or take a leap, and bringing visions to life while others stood at the forefront. But the thing is, no matter how much you choose to remain behind the curtain, great work will always reveal the hands and the mind that made it possible.
But if there is one thing we admire most, Sir Al, it is this: you accepted misunderstanding and withstood criticism, even when it meant standing alone, because you knew that preserving culture, strengthening tourism, safeguarding heritage, and promoting the arts required more than applause - it required commitment. And that kind of commitment is not for everybody. It belongs only to those willing to carry a cause greater than themselves. It belongs to those who have the courage to be disliked, and the resolve to continue even when their ideas are dismissed.
You had the courage to be disliked, and the courage to face the unknown, because you believed that protecting the people's identity and heritage was a cause far greater than personal recognition. You worked intentionally and tirelessly because you possessed the foresight to see that the spirit of the greater Capisnon community must endure for generations to come.
Sir Al, Nong Al, Maal, Boss, Tatay Al, to be a mentee under you was challenging, because you yourself were a challenge. Yet it was only after those difficult moments, the trials, the banter, and even the occasional disagreements, that we came to understand one of the greatest lessons you taught us: that ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. And we loved that about you - that you never pampered us from difficulty. You believed that the very conditions that challenged us were the same conditions that would forge us, preparing us to become the safeguards our people would one day need when it counts the most.
It was you who reminded us that we are not working for youโฆthat we are working for the people. And because of that, we cannot afford not to work. Believe us, Sir Al, we are reminded of that every single day.
And now we see that you did not say those words simply because they were true. You said them because they have always been a part of who you are. It has always been innate to your being that when we choose to lead, the goal is never ourselves - the goal is always to serve the people, and serve God by serving the people.
And in the end, when time has given everyone the clarity that the present often denies, when they finally have something to celebrate and something to be proud of before the world - they will understand that all that was done, and all that was said, were necessary. They will see that many of the things they now cherish were built upon decisions that required courage, and that ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ผ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ.
We have nothingโฆbut love and immense gratitude. THANK YOU, SIR AL! โค๏ธ For your mentorship, and for the many ways you helped us beyond the boundaries of work, we have even more reasons to be grateful to you. Thank you for seeing us as more than just employees....for recognizing our vulnerabilities, understanding our struggles, and supporting us when we needed it.
Happy Birthday ๐คฉ๐ฅณ๐, and may this well-earned retirement give you the freedom to pursue the dreams, passions, and joys that have long waited for your time and attention. And of course, do more of the things your heart desires. Because wellโฆwe know you wonโt just sit down. ๐๐๐
Love,
Your PTCAO family.
