Bong Salazar served as Driver—and much more—at, and for, CFSI in Mindanao continuously from 2004. He turned 49 years old in March 2018. Married with four children, he was oft-times the proverbial glue that held many of us and many things together.
It was my great privilege to sit in the passenger seat with Bong at the wheel, for trips from the office to field sites, from one duty station
to another, and between the office and the airport. The number of trips taken together, the many meetings around the same table, and the number of hours shared in service of others would be as difficult to count as the grains of sand along the shore of the largest sea.
Whatever the destination or the time it took to complete the journey—be it quick or long—Bong would seize the opportunity to ask about me as well as colleagues and loved ones, brief on security issues, provide updates on operations, ask questions in support of implementation efforts or staff welfare, recount experiences, offer suggestions, and share his point of view about a range of issues, some familiar to me and some of which I had to confess my complete ignorance.
Me a native English speaker, he not, me with a small voice, his bigger, we sometimes struggled to fully grasp what the other was trying to convey. And sometimes, I am ashamed to admit, I was so into my own self I failed to make enough room in my mind and heart for the self that sat beside me. Yet somehow, Bong understood or, perhaps, simply forgave me for my selfishness.
One of the many things I liked—truly admired—about Bong is that he never failed to see, as well as seize, the opportunity. He did not need to be asked to take action. He initiated. He did not allow his humble roots, shyness, or differences in authority levels to prevent him from speaking. He did not make excuses, take the path of least resistance, or lay the responsibility elsewhere. Instead, he recognized opportunities before him and he made the most of them. Most importantly, virtually every opportunity seized was for the benefit of others—not for personal gain.
This morning, the Opportunity that is above all others, seized our brother Bong. All too suddenly, he is no longer in our midst. Our hearts ache, the tears flow. We will miss him terribly.
Yet, Bong remains with us. More precisely, the impact of this hard-working, ever thoughtful, highly reliable, wonderful colleague.
We can see Bong in the well-maintained vehicles, including older ones he magically kept running and others he helped bring back to life.
We can see Bong in the infrastructure that looks better, is sturdier, and will last longer because he cared enough to point out poor workmanship, termites and other threats, lack of attention, and complacency.
We can see Bong in CFSI policies, processes, and workflows that are more astute, just, effective, and efficient because he took the initiative to ask questions, challenge conventional thinking, demand a better way, or simply show us how things should be done.
We can see Bong in the people who know of CFSI because he spoke of CFSI, the people who work with CFSI because he encouraged them to apply, the people who survived threats to life or well-being because Bong protected them from harm and listened when they needed someone to hear, and the people who grew stronger and smarter because of the wisdom graciously shared and the example set by Bong.
Let us not be slow to be like Bong. Instead, let’s be quick to seize every opportunity to make a difference for good. In so doing, we will honor and forever remember our esteemed colleague, dear friend, and beloved brother, Bong.
Steven Muncy
Executive Director
06 November 2018