Piniga

“Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this small matter, take charge of ten cities.” Luke 19:17

My mother used to say she used up all the gifts God gave her. “Piniga niya.” She squeezed every bit of talent God gave her and used it. I can say the same for Robert, my brother. God gave him an enormous talent and he used it to help others, to inspire others, to build them up, to share love and light. 

Before, he used to have these desires to be a great artist, making paintings that would hang in museums, but then he sort of accepted his gift was different, he made people happy, delighted with his drawings and illustrations. We saw this beautiful world God gave us through his eyes. Like when even I followed him drawing during his pandemic online workshops. I thought to myself, I can follow his drawings, and make cute dogs, cats and owls, by imitating, but putting together those simple lines to draw those whimsical characters! That was genius! He could draw any animal without a reference, without a pencil sketch, I’d seen him do it many times! The murals you see on our papemelroti walls, he did it without any draft or pattern. 

I remember when we went boating in Halong Bay, Vietnam, and one of the things that affected Robert during that ride was the old woman paddling the boat. She was so old already, and she did that backbreaking work every day. He wanted to do something for her and he used what was in his hands. He always had a pen and paper. And he sketched her. At the end of the boat ride, he gave the sketch to her, and we all remember the old woman’s smile. Beatific! Her wrinkled face lighted up with her big toothless smile! And Robert did that many times. He had a wonderful habit of surprising strangers with his delightful drawings. People at a restaurant, sampaguita vendors, kids at a party, people he met in his travels, etc. So many have been recipients of his largesse. 

He was so generous with his talents. Many times without asking for anything in return. He would make logos for friends starting businesses, he painted the murals in the Angat Buhay Museum even when he was so weak already. He had to call on hidden resources to climb scaffoldings to do it. “Piniga niya”, even his strength. 

I asked him to make designs for labels for a poor man trying to make a living out of selling polvoron and sweets. He did not discriminate. He had so many friends among the rich, the famous and among the poor and forgotten. He loved going to the ‘laylayan’, to the cemetery, the squatter areas, and encourage  the kids to draw and make crafts. Any time I asked if he could do a workshop for poor children, he never said no. He loved to mentor, and he was always kind, never stingy. 

His generosity with his talents and resources was just so overwhelming! It would take a long time to enumerate. And even when he sometimes got disheartened by corporate people who were unfair or government entities that did not pay him, he just moved on and continued to do his best at any project, big or small. 

If we can say at the end of our life, “Piniga ko lahat ng binigay ng Panginoon sa akin”, (I used up all God gave me) I think God would say at the end of our life, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30