My Autobiography: David Balleza K(C)atague: December 2025

Monday, December 1, 2025

The Hirahara Family Dinner Here at THD

Last Sunday, November 30, 2025, Brian Hirahara and Family hosted a catered Dinner & Drinks from Havana Restaurant, a popular Cuban restaurant in Walnut Creek. https://www.havanarestaurant.net/.

We have Seafood Paella, Chicken Adobo, Plantain, Empanaditas, Salad and Churros and Creamy chocolate mouse for desserts. Mojitos and Lemonade were the choice of beverage. Before the Dinner, Brian presented the latest developments in downtown Walnut Creek. Since pictures speak louder than words here are some photos Ditas and I took during the dinner.

Brian and Me

My Plate-No dessert for Me

Thank you for the Dinner and Drinks, Brain. If you ever want to run for Mayor, I will vote for you. Brian, is the son of Carle, one of my bridge friends here at THD.

Meanwhile, here are five of the top news stories today (December 1, 2025):

📰 Top Headlines for December 1, 2025

Nasry Asfura leads in Honduras election, backed by Donald Trump

Asfura, the conservative candidate backed by Trump, has taken a slim lead in Honduras’s presidential race — a development likely to draw international attention. Reuters

Federal Reserve could face internal dissent in upcoming meetings — market watchers alert

Analysts expect a series of dissenting votes within the Fed in future meetings, which could introduce risks for markets and complicate upcoming monetary policy decisions. Reuters

Ukraine — fresh strikes and shifting dynamics raise stakes as peace talks advance

Kyiv was struck by renewed Russian attacks overnight, resulting in civilian casualties. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts continue, with negotiators pushing for a durable peace even as tensions remain high. Al Jazeera+1

Average 30-year mortgage rates in the U.S. fall to ~6.144% — small reprieve for prospective homebuyers

The drop in mortgage rates may ease pressure on U.S. homebuyers, though rates remain historically elevated compared with pre-2022 norms. The Economic Times

New analysis warns nearly 12% of U.S. jobs — ~20 million — could be replaced by AI automation

A report released today suggests that automation driven by AI could displace tens of millions of American jobs, echoing concerns about a potential jobs crisis on the scale of historical economic downturns. 247wallst.com

A Personal Reflection As I Approach My 91st Birthday

Macrine (RIP) and I: Photo Taken in 1982, Pinole, California, USA

In the next 21 days, I will be 91 years young. Here is a reflective summary of the highlights from my seventeen-chapter autobiography, celebrating my journey as I approach my 91st birthday this coming December 20.

A Life Rich in Memories

As I near my 91st birthday, I look back not with a ledger of riches or worldly possessions, but with gratitude for a life filled with memories, accomplishments, and meaningful relationships. My journey has been shaped by family, education, career, service, and community—a story that bridges continents and decades.

Roots in Wartime Philippines

My childhood began in the 1940s, amid the Japanese-American War in the Philippines. My father served as a Dental Officer for guerrilla forces, and early friendships with American soldiers ignited my interest in the United States, though I never dreamed I would one day live there.

Academic Pursuits and Achievements

School life brought milestones: graduating with honors in grade school and as valedictorian in high school, all despite the challenge of bullying in my early years. University years at UP Iloilo and UP Diliman were marked by scholarships, academic rigor, and a chemistry degree, narrowly missing Cum Laude honors, but gaining experiences that shaped my future.

Graduate Study and Early Career in America

Graduate school at the University of Illinois in Chicago proved to be one of the hardest yet most formative periods of my life. It was there I experienced snow for the first time, balanced the responsibilities of raising a young family, and ultimately earned a doctorate in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in 1964.

Professional Impact and Leadership

For twenty years, I worked as a chemist in three private firms before joining the US Food and Drug Administration. My tenure at the FDA was a capstone, serving as the first Filipino-American Chemistry team leader in the Center for New Drugs, and receiving multiple professional awards that I still cherish.

Family, Community, and Giving Back

Sixty-three years of marriage to Macrine💚 have been filled with partnership and shared commitment to service. Together, we contributed to Filipino-American communities across the US, from Washington, D.C. to California and spearheaded humanitarian projects such as the Marinduque International medical missions, which have touched countless lives since 1996.

The True Wealth of Life

My life’s wealth does not reside in gold, pesos, or dollars, but in the love, friendships, and service that have defined these nine decades. These memories and relationships are the real treasures I celebrate as I mark another birthday, thankful for every chapter and every person who has been a part of my story.

Let this reflection inspire not just those who know me, but anyone who reads these words: the richest lives are those spent in service, community, and lifelong learning. Thank you for sharing in my journey.

If you’d like to journey with me through the seventeen chapters of my autobiography, you can find them here: My Life Story – 17 Chapters http://davidbkatague.blogspot.com

Meanwhile

Here are photos ( Courtesy of Jenny Shively) at Yesterday THD Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. We had Christmas music, pastry and cookies as well as champagne or Apple Cider. It was hosted by our capable and energetic new Activity Coordinator Elane Johnson.

In these photos, I was trying to lead a Sing-Along to Uplift the Christmas Spirit and Mood of the Event. Not in the photo, is me and Elane dancing to the tune of Feliz Navidad.

Finally, here are the 🌍 Top Five News of the Day
Russian airstrike on Kyiv
Russia launched a deadly aerial strike against the Ukrainian capital overnight. The attack killed at least one person, injured dozens, and damaged residential buildings in Kyiv. ABC News
Anti‑corruption protests in Manila
Large-scale anti-corruption protests kicked off today in Metro Manila and other areas, as part of broader public outcry. Philstar+1
Cyclone Ditwah storm and its aftermath
A powerful storm named Ditwah brought heavy rain across parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry (and earlier impacted Sri Lanka), causing widespread flooding, damage, and humanitarian concerns. www.ndtv.com+1
Venezuela suspending deportation flights after US warning
Tensions escalated between the U.S. and Venezuela after the U.S.—per reports — closed Venezuelan airspace to certain flights. In response, Venezuela suspended all deportation flights in defiance. The Guardian+1
Request for pardon by Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister submitted an official request for a presidential pardon from the country’s president — a major development amid ongoing political and judicial turmoil. Yeshiva World News+1

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: