There’s an old Philippine folk song I learned during my Boy Scouting days back in the 60s which says, “Don’t you go, don’t you go to far Zamboanga, where you may forget your darling far away.” But that’s exactly what I did this past weekend.

I flew to Zamboanga on a stormy day and what did I get? Turbulence up in the sky along the way. What a “joy ride” it was haha! A little child kept crying for background music as well. Poor little kid.

Surprisingly, it was not raining when we touched down at the Zamboanga International Airport after about an hour and 20 minutes or so. In some parts of the tarmac though, there’s an indication that it did rain before we touched down.

The very first thing I did when the plane taxied to the terminal was to look for the air traffic control tower as I usually did in my previous visits to Zamboanga. It brought back memories as I looked through the plane’s window.

I used to go there, beside the tower every time I was in Zamboanga. Or should I say, my dear friend Nilo would always bring me there — right there in his office right beside the tower. He used to work at the Flight Service Station of the Air Transportation Office (ATO) at the Zamboanga International Airport. He worked there for many years before he went to the US where he died a year or so ago. He was also our senior pastor back then for our local congregation in the city — the reason for my once-a-year visit to him and our local church in the city.

As a pastor, he was well-loved by the people he served. He was a loving dad to his children and a loving grandpa to his grandkids. And of course, a loving husband to his loving wife.

I also remember that he started a Day Care Center in Barangay Labuan, Zamboanga City called “Little Friends Learning Center.” Pastor Nilo invited me as a guest speaker at one time during their church anniversary and graduation ceremonies at Barangay Labuan. It was reported to me that currently, the school now has two groups of pupils: Little Friends A with 44 children and Little Friends B with 60 children. The school has grown big and has been serving the local community for a good number of years now. Thanks to Pastor Nilo and his family, the pastoral team and the local congregation behind this ministry to the community.

The last thing I did also before I left Zamboanga was to take a photo again of that air traffic control tower. It reminded me of my dear friend Nilo who dearly loved God, his family and the people he served with dedication. That tower also reminds me of another dear friend, Macky who also worked there but is now retired. We met again and we had a great reunion with family and friends! I felt like I was part of their family. I felt loved and appreciated in Zamboanga!

The love they have shown me made me feel like Zamboanga is not really that far away anymore. Although I don’t have a granddaughter of my own, but I guess I now have one — an “adopted granddaughter” — who loves me because she remembers her grandpa Nilo whenever she sees me. She’s the first grand child of Pastor Nilo. She was just a little girl (about 3 or 4 years old) whom Pastor Nilo and I enjoyed playing with back then whenever I visited them in Zamboanga. She is now a teenager.

Zamboanga is no longer too far away really. The old folk song, “Don’t you go to far Zamboanga” is really a thing of the past. Times have changed. It’s just an hour and a half or so away by plane.

I arrived in Manila safely despite the turbulence (once again!) due to a typhoon passing through up north. It was kind of a nostalgic trip going back to “far away” Zamboanga and meeting old time friends including my dear old friend Geoffrey in Ipil — but that’s another story for me to tell the next time I feel like writing.

For more photos of my visit to Zamboanga, please visit this link and this link. I also visited Ipil and here are photos at this link.