I met Barry in a meeting with LGU officials and ATI Northern Mindanao representatives yesterday in Balo-i, Lanao del Norte. He is good-looking, chinky eyed, fair-skinned and had a goatee. He is silent and shy at first, just listening to the proceedings of the meeting. But when he opens his mouth, he is so charismatic that you will get hooked and try not to blink your eye, wanting more of his sharings. Even Doc Lito. My Boss was unable to contain his excitement that he claps his hands more that once, and said, “kini..! naa na tay resource person for Values (This is it.

He combs his still damp hair. Unsatisfied with his looks, he poured additional gel to his palm and applied from front to back. He combed again. Better now. He heard his wife, humming their favourite Maranao song while preparing the table for breakfast. He smells the aroma of a freshly roasted native coffee being brewed. His stomach growled. He buttoned his shirt and walked to the table. He smiled.

He gambled to crane his neck, turn it to the right, taking in every detail of his surroundings, exposing his head. His peripheral vision caught a movement from his left. Just as he swung his M16, he felt a sharp jab in his left rib. Before it registered to his brain what happened, he saw blood flowing from a gaping wound. He tried to move but he can’t. Just as his enemy came closer to finish him off, he shouted and woke up. With sweat in his forehead, he grabbed a glass of water and gulped.

I saw Mang Tino, with his wife Elvira and their 4 kids, stepping out happily from Jollibee. It's been their routine to drop at this food chain after attending church service every Thursday and Sunday. I can depict from their eyes the contentment they have. Carling, in his middle age, is on his way to his new multi cab. In it are his new purchases of seeds, fertilizers and other farm inputs, in preparation for next cropping season. I also noticed a new bicycle on top of the farm inputs. I'm sure, this is a surprise present to his only son Koykoy.

As dawn breaks, amidst the pounding rain, my Boss (fondly called Doc Lit) and I stepped in the waiting van that will take us to the lair of the 4 rebel commanders who have returned to the folds of law: Kumander Ismael, Kumander Benjie, Kumander Saidumar and Kumander Limbona. We are going there to assess their farms which ATI is funding as a Learning site for organic production of rice and vegetables. As if by coincidence, we never informed our wives of our destination for the place is known as a “no man's land”.