By Lizzie Radam Lazo
The best thing God created is rest, so said Anna, a little girl in the book Mr. God, this is Anna, a story about “a very special friendship between God and Anna.”
Anna is described as a precocious little girl whose faith that “God is in my middle”—referring to her belief that God is part of everybody and everybody is part of God—influenced those around her in many ways.
Fr. Hans Magdurulang, in his homily at the Mass for the first death anniversary of Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua, echoed this vibrant faith. “On his first death anniversary, we celebrate his homecoming. This is the best gift of God to Amba and the rest of us, our homecoming and return to the Father.” Cabangon Chua is called by associates and employees as Amba or ALC.
Father Magdurulang found it remarkable that the first death anniversary of the former ambassador to Lao PDR happened during the season of Lent. “The Lenten season is not just about tradition, it has a beautiful reason, which is for us to prepare and look forward to our homecoming at least once a year.”
“We are in this world, but we are not for this world,” he added, assuring that with Lent, humanity is given a chance to prepare, “for blessed are they who follow the ways of the Lord”.
Magdurulang, who had worked with the ambassador in the Catholic Mass Media Awards that the latter headed as president and chairman, said he remembered him best as “a simple man, simple in his faith, in his devotion to the Black Nazarene”. He even said good-bye to the world on a Friday, the day devoted to the venerated image, on March 11, 2016.
“Remember the example of Amba, who lived not just to enjoy life but make his life a life for others, too. Amba is God’s one great blessing to us, and may his example of life, love and sharing be an inspiration to us,” Magdurulang said.
A crowd of almost 200 filled the showroom of Gencars, the automotive dealership of the ALC Group of Companies, named after his initials that he founded. Present were family members, led by his widow, Bienvenida A. Cabangon, his sons J. Wilfredo A. Cabangon, chairman of the board of Fortune Medicare; D. Edgard A. Cabangon, president and CEO of Gencars and chairman and CEO of Eternal Gardens; D. Edward A. Cabangon, president of ALC Realty; J. Antonio A. Cabangon Jr., chairman of Fortune General Insurance Corp.; D. Arnold A. Cabangon, president of Fortune Life; and Cecile A. Cabangon, president of Clayton Learning Center.
Besides Gencars, a dealer for many years of Isuzu vehicles, the group is composed of over 20 companies engaged in a variety of businesses—financial and banking services, memorial parks, pre-need products, media—including print, broadcast and television—property development and many others.
The ambassador would have celebrated his 82nd birthday five months after his passing, or on August 30, 2016. Instead of a birthday celebration that year, however, mementoes from his full and productive life were gathered and put on display in the ALC Memorabilia Hall on the fourth floor of Dominga Bldg. III on Chino Roces corner de la Rosa Streets, his main headquarters during his working life.
The Memorabilia Hall has been extended to accommodate more reminders of his achievements. The blessing of the expanded mini-museum highlighted the celebration of his life, with the Mass concelebrated by Fathers Magdurulang, Rufino C. Sescon Jr., Rey Adalid and Raymond Acuña.
Designed by artist Ross Capili, the ALC Memorabilia Hall gives visitors a glimpse of the full and colorful life of the ambassador by showcasing some of his personal belongings and favorite things.
Among the items displayed during the soft opening last year were his favorite blue jacket, which he would often wear to work, as well as the black boots on which he briskly strode to his office from the numerous meetings he attended.
There was, as well, a replica of the shoeshine box that he had used as a young boy to help his mother Dominga earn a living for their survival.
The extended gallery now has six cabinets showcasing additional ALC souvenirs. There were the golf clubs that he used (for exercise, he had a regular day for golfing, one of his leisure activities). There were the different trophies and plaques conferred on him for his various extraordinary achievements.
There were even copies of the comic books featuring superheroes that he loved to read in his younger days, like Tarzan of the Apes, Phantom the Ghost Who Walks and Conan. With these comic books were a few vinyl records of songs like “Kalesa” by Sylvia La Torre, giving guests a hint of his taste in music.
Besides the memorabilia, other interesting features of the museum are the mural painting depicting the highlights in the life of Ambassador Cabangon Chua, and his bust sculpture, which are both the works of Capili.
The pleased and happy faces of Mrs. Cabangon and other family members and guests as they viewed the exhibits showed that the Ambassador ALC Memorabilia Hall is a fitting celebration and memorial to the life of a great man whose works made a big difference in the lives of so many people. It reminds everyone not only of the ambassador’s achievements in life and in his career, but also of his passion to serve his countrymen.
Image credits: Photos by Alysa Salen and Ivee L. Johnson