My Autobiography: David Balleza K(C)atague: The 9th Day: Clebration of Life: Macrine(a) Nieva Jambalos Katague

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

The 9th Day: Clebration of Life: Macrine(a) Nieva Jambalos Katague

At our 50th Wedding Anniversary, CDM, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines, 2007

On August 10, 2020, my wife and partner for over 63 years passed peacefully in her sleep after several years of illness. She was a devoted spouse, loving mother and adoring grand mother, accomplished visiting trilengual nurse as well as a community leader. She had a passion for home health and public health nursing during her younger years in California and Maryland. Macrine had a Bachelors Degree in Commerce (UST), AA in Nursing, Contra Costa College, Richmond, California, a Bachelors Degree in Nursing and a Certificate in Public Health, Holy Name College, Oakland, California. She was involved in Home Health as a Visiting Nurse and later as Quality Assurance Manager. She retired early to enjoy our life as Snow Birds-spending half of the year in our retirement home at Chateau Du Mer, Boac(CDM), Marinduque, Philippines. For our Love Story read:

https://letterpile.com/memoirs/our-love-story-our-coming-55th-wedding-anniversary

She has touched numerous lives with her involvement and leadership in several medical and dental missions to the province of her birth( Marinduque) in the Philippines as well as her active participation and leadership with the Filipino-American Associations in Stanislaus County( Modesto. CA), in Contra Costa County ( Pinole, Ca) and most of all with the Filipino-American Association of the Washington DC and Tri-State Area (Virginia and Maryland). For our medical mission activities read:

https://hubpages.com/politics/medical-mission-of-love-to-marinduque

It is customary in the Catholic Philippines to celebrate the 9th Day and 40th Day anniversaries after Death. This custom is based on the pre-colonial folk belief that the soul of the departed enters the spirit world on the ninth day following death. This is followed by another celebration ( Masses and Rosaries) on the fortieth day after death to acknowledge the waksi, or death anniversary, when the soul is believed to end its earthly wandering and ascend to the afterlife.

So today on the 9th day after my wife's death ( Macrine Nieva Jambalos Katague), I am posting a few condolences ( 18 out of more than 700 messages) both from Ditas, Dinah and my FB pages. I have omitted the names for privacy reasons.

Again I am thanking ALL of you for your cards, e-mails, telephone and FB messages of sympathy and condolences. Special thanks and lasting gratitude to those who donated to MI, Inc in honor of Macrine's memory.

Macrine busy in the Pharmacy Section during one of MI, Inc Medical Mission to Marinduque, Philippines

1. We regret to announce the passing today(8/10/20) of a very dear past president of Marinduque International Inc., Macrine Jambalos Katague, beloved wife of David B Katague, mother of four (4) children, Dodie, Dinah, David III and Ditas and grandma of 6 grandchildren. Our deepest sympathy and prayers to the Jambalos and Katague families.🙏🙏🙏. Macrine was past president of Marinduque International Inc. (MII) and spearheaded the first Mission of Love in Marinduque under the sponsorship of MII. She and David were staunch supporters of Marinduque International, Inc. Their beach resort , Chateau de Mer, in Amoingon, was venue for many events during the past medical missions when they retired there. However, due to Macrine’s illness, they returned to Fair Oaks, California, where they have remained . Macrine will be remembered for her leadership, her compassion and generosity of her time to help - her kababayans, friends, extended families, etc. She’ll be missed.

2. Dear David, I am so sorry to hear that Macrine has passed. May she rest in peace. I know it has not been an easy time in the last few years. I am glad that we met before she got ill, and really appreciated the connection that she established. It was wonderful to visit your place in Marinduque with my family and Mother. Sending you love and prayers.

Macrine and I enjoying the visits of Macrine's Relatives at Chateau Du Mer

3. My condolences to you Tito Dave and the rest of the family. Manang Macrine is a beautiful person inside and outside. I will always remember her for her endearing personality, her readiness to help others in need and devotion to the MI Inc projects. Rest in peace with the Lord Manang Macrine!

4. So sorry to hear the sad news. We were neighbors for a while in Silver Spring.
Macrine has been active as a community leader. She made a difference.
Eternal rest grant to a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, O' Lord.

5. Our deepest condolences and prayers, Dave, and family on the passing of dearest Macrine. She is now in peace with the Lord with no more pain and suffering and enjoying paradise . She is now reunited with her sister, Sister Guia and other siblings who preceded her. She’ll be welcomed by our past MII co-founders and past presidents, Doctors Rodolfo L Jao and Hector Sulit , who she worked with during the first Mission of Love in Marinduque which Macrine spearheaded as President of Marinduque International, Inc. Thank you for choosing Marinduque International Inc. (MII) as recipient of donations in her memory. Our deepest sympathy to Jambalos and Katague families

6. My heartfelt sympathy for the loss of your life partner and friend, Primo David B Katague. You are my senior primo, but my two older sisters are your contemporaries, I believe. I was in high school I think when I heard your name mentioned over the dining table. It was about your doctoral thesis at a US university. First time I heard the word chromatography. Later I married a chemist and it became a household word as as did research using that tool too. I praise God for the full life He has given you, primo David.

Macrine and I with Olga Quiazon ( RIP) her First Cousin During an MI, Inc Meeting in Marinduque discussing medical mission activities

7. Our sincerest SYMPATHIES & deepest CONDOLENCES to all her loved ones left behind in extreme sadness, most particularly to brod., David. R.I.P., Lady Macrine, who bought for me 6 bottles of San Miguel beer, together with Ogie de la Santa, during the reunion of the Marinduque International, Inc. in San Francisco, California, U.S.A., on August 11, 1999, upon knowing that I do not drink any kind of hard liquor. That incident prompted Dr. Rudy Labay JAO to crack a joke, by saying that there was some kind of favoritism in said gathering. When U.P. Professor David Barredo KATAGUE and Macrine tied their knot of matrimony on May 8 ,1957, Rudy JAO and I were there in attendance, together with Zeny (Baby) Marquez (now Jamilla) & Lulu SARMIENTO (now RODRIGUEZ). GOD bless, everyone.

Private Tour of the Bellarocca Resort and Spa ( Buenavista, Marinduque) with Anne Miles Jalac and Aquilina Rivas, 2011

8. Good bye Tita Macrine. You will always be remembered with fondness. I won't hear your hearty laugh anymore but the memory of your tasty brewed coffee whenever we visited you will still be there when Tito Dave comes for a visit in Cawit. Fly high my friend coz you had a very fulfilled life, and when you come back for another cycle, I am sure it will be a another good life coz you sowed good seeds and you shall reap the rewards in another life. Tito Dave, grieve not for her death coz she is in God:s loving hands. Rather, thank God for 63 years of togetherness. Move on and in God's grace everything will be ok. Take care and stay safe.

9. I am so sorry for your loss. Your wife has the face of an angel May God lay his loving hands on you and your family during this most difficult time. Please know we are praying for a healing heart.

10. Our heartfelt condolences,Tito Dave. She will be remembered with fondest and most loving memories for Christmases, family bondings, and laughter during Marinduque medical missions and more. Hugs to everyone there. May Tita Macrine's soul rest in peace.

Our Wedding Day-May 8, 1957, Boac Marinduque, Philippines

From Ditas FB Page: (Five messages out of 200)

Today is a sad day. My mom passed away peacefully at home. As many of you know she fought the brave fight with Parkinson’s. My Dad and brother David III have been caring for her in Fair Oaks. She taught me (as many Filipino moms and Titas do) how to be tough and to rise against adversity. She introduced me to Corazon Aquino- the powerful strong widow of Benigno Aquino who was assasinated by Marcos - who went on to become the first female President of the Philippines. She pushed me to be so much more than I ever thought I could be and to overcome many challenges. Carenna said goodbye yesterday- and we both asked her to look for Nick up in heaven.

11. Ditas, you were blessed with a beautiful and wise mother for the greater part of your adult life. She planted seeds not only in her children but in her grandchildren. I will hold you and your father up in prayer during this time of sorrow. I can’t help but smile to know that she was married for 63 years, and to see your reflection in this beautiful picture of her. God is good.

12. Oh honey, I'm so very sorry for your loss. I can still picture her in the kitchen making lumpia for us that winter break when you took us home and she welcomed and fed us. And I'm forever grateful she and your dad gave me a place to stay while I searched for a job and apartment in DC, though I still cringe to think how she must have shrieked to you on the phone when she came home to a hundred dollar-plus dial-up bill because this dumb girl didn't know the nearest city. She was powerful, full of grace, created an amazing family and leaves a living legacy in you, Carenna, and your family. My deepest condolences to you all.

13. Ditas- I’m so sorry to hear this. I remember meeting your mom - she had a wonderful spirit and clearly was a supportive and empowering mother to you. Nothing can ever replace our moms. Sending hugs and deepest condolences as you navigate this loss❤️

14. So sorry to hear, Ditas. Your family is in my thoughts - I know how often you spoke of her and her relationship with Carenna. She is now at peace. Let us know if you need anything.

15. I’m so sorry Ditas. She raised an amazing daughter. She must have been a force.

Some of the Jambalos and Katague Clan Members-Celebrating Macrine's 80th Birthday, Fair Oaks, California, 2016

From Dinah's Face Book Page ( Three Messages out of 90)

Today my mom passed and joined the league of my personal angels. Thank you mom for all the love and lesson. You taught me to be the badass woman that l am today. I love you and miss you always!

16. Dinah, I'm sorry for your loss and I remember your mom fondly. I wish heartfelt condolences to you and your family.

17. Dinah, So sorry. So many great childhood and beyond memories of you and your family in Modesto.

18. I’m so sorry, Dinah. Your mother is so beautiful, just like you! Sending prayers for peace and comfort for you and your family.

https://www.facebook.com/ditas/videos/10157692912246270/

Above video of the slide show with Carenna singing Halleluia live in memory of her Lola

Meanwhile enjoy these two pieces- Macrine's Favorites: Romance by Rubenstein and Spanish Romance (Guitar)

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Highlights of My Professional Career

In my more than 40 years of professional career, I have experienced both working rank and file, as well as supervising the work of subordinates. I have worked in four private firms and the Federal Government, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where I retired. I enjoyed the challenges and difficulties of both types of job situations. This is the highlights of my work experience story.

My first job after completing my doctorate degree was a Chemist for Chemagro Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri. It was a subsidiary of Bayer Corporation, a German conglomerate. I worked for the analytical chemistry department comprised of about fifty people; half that number was either chemists or biologists. My specific task was to develop analytical methods for the detection of pesticide residues in plant and animal tissues. I worked on my own, similar to six other bench chemists, and we all reported to the same supervisor.

The firm sponsored my visa conversion from a student to a permanent resident, and I was able to legally work and reside in the United States with my family. The company generously took care of its employees. At the end of each successful year, everyone received a 13th month salary bonus. The employees and their families celebrated wonderful annual Christmas parties in a downtown Kansas City hotel, with dancing and free drinks for the whole night.

Inasmuch as I enjoyed and loved working for Chemagro for five years, I found a new job which offered a substantially higher pay. Due to my exemplary work performance, my supervisor preferred and lobbied for me to stay with the company. I had to turn him down because they could not match the package presented by my new employer. It was also a chance for me and my family to move and live in the US west coast, where the mild winter climate is bearable compared to the Midwest.

My next job was at the agricultural research division of Shell Development Company in Modesto, California. I was a Research Chemist, and again I worked individually, same as five other chemists who all reported to a supervisor. My specific duty was similar to my previous job. I worked for them for five years, until the company decided to get out of the pesticide business. They closed their research facility affecting the jobs of more than 200 employees.

My third industrial job was with the agricultural research division of Stauffer chemical company, located in Richmond, California. I was a Senior Research Chemist doing the same project as my two previous jobs. I worked for twelve continuous years for the company, with outstanding annual job performance. I became a Principal Research Chemist, the highest attainable non-supervisory position.

One day in 1986, my supervisor informed me that my job had been eliminated, and I had one day to vacate the facility. It was the most dreadful lay off experience in my life. I felt anger, sadness and humiliation to be dismissed from work with one day notice, after all the years of hard work invested for the company. This was an unforgettable incident and was the gloomiest point in my professional career.
The company terminated sixty research employees, who were upset of the bad news.

One of the chemists was distressed and expressed his outrageous anger by threatening the company and its workers. He told his supervisor of his intention to bomb and burn down the laboratory. He was immediately escorted by the security staff out of the building and into his car. He was informed to leave behind his personal belongings; they will be mailed to his residence. He was warned never to show up again near the company premises or risk getting arrested.

My supervisor was kind and allowed me to take my time to pack up my belongings. It took me two days to clear up my workplace, after toiling for a long period in the same jobsite. We were provided clerical help and office space, in preparation to look for another job, such as updating our resumes, and using the computer and copy machine. We were given six weeks of separation pay plus benefits.

Fortunately, with the help of a friend who is a Church parishioner, I found another job thirty days after leaving Stauffer chemical company. He hired me as a senior research chemist and as a group leader with two technicians to supervise. It was in the same field as my expertise in my previous three jobs spanning the last twenty one years. My new employer was Chevron Chemical Company, and which was located in the same area as my former employer.

This job gave me the introduction and basic knowledge of managing the work of subordinates. I worked for Chevron Company for four and a half years. The company decided to consolidate their research facilities in Texas, and lay off all its research employees. This time I had enough distress and agony from working, and eventually getting laid off from several private companies. To avoid going through any more miserable layoffs, I made a vow that I would never again work for a private company.

In my work experiences, there were noticeable and unavoidable jobsite occurrences. One can never miss the office romantic relationships between co-workers, both illicit and permitted. Though it was frowned upon, there was a boss and staff relationship, which was used as a ploy to get ahead in the company. Some relationships had chemistry, no pun intended, but some never worked out. Oftentimes, there was a sense of distrust among bench chemists for some workers who unjustly obtained preferred work assignments.

Some employees resorted to bribing superiors to get special privileges, such as being able to attend choice conferences and meetings in exciting venues or locations. Likewise, politics was always present at the worksites. It was during an era when various forms of harassment, equal opportunity and discrimination laws were not yet enforced in the workplace. Occasionally, an unexpected chemical explosion happens in a laboratory setting, where luckily no one got seriously hurt.

In the three private companies I worked for, I was able to publish scientific journals for some of the research studies and analytical methods which I developed for the respective companies of Chemagro, Shell Development and Stauffer.

After deciding and making a vow to avoid working in the private sector, I made my new goal which was either to work for the state of California, or the Federal government in Washington, D.C. Four months after I lost my job in Chevron, I was lucky and joyful to be hired by the Food and Drug Administration as a review chemist in the fall of 1990.

In 1994 I was promoted as an Expert Research Chemist with a GS-14 rating. My expertise was on Anti-malarial and Anti-parasitic drug products. In 1997, I was again deservingly promoted to Chemistry team leader, supervising the work of six Chemistry reviewers including five with doctorate degrees.

As team leader, I was responsible for prioritizing, assigning, and assuring the technical accuracy of all chemistry, manufacturing and control issues for all new drug applications submitted to the Division of Anti-Infective Drug Products, Center of New Drugs.

It was part of my responsibility to give advice, instruct and promote high morale and teamwork in my group. My work in the FDA is confidential, until the drug patent on the products I worked on has expired. There are manufacturing supplements that I have approved that are now open for the public in the Internet.

In 1998, I won the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Award. The citation reads, “For outstanding accomplishments in fostering the objectives of the EEO Program by hiring minorities and encouraging their professional growth while providing excellent leadership.” I have received numerous certificates of appreciation, awards in leadership and communications, commendation for teamwork and excellence in the accomplishment of the FDA mission. I have also received several letters of appreciation from private industry for my review work.

There are many good things working as rank and file while enjoying doing one’s job individually. It is a humbling, satisfying and productive experience, if one can work in harmony with one’s immediate supervisor. Working individually develops one’s skills in goal setting and scheduling. But in general, the financial rewards are less than a person who has supervisory responsibilities.

Managing the work of others has its challenges. Moreover, it develops one’s skill in handling and developing people, and the compensation rewards and benefits are better. Due to additional duties, responsibilities and leadership, supervisory work can be more stressful than working as a subordinate. However, supervisory jobs give one more personal growth and satisfaction, based on my personal experience. My work in FDA as a team leader managing the work of six scientists had been the happiest and rewarding work experience in my career in Chemistry. You might also like:

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

The 9th Day: Clebration of Life: Macrine(a) Nieva Jambalos Katague

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