What's behind number S E V E N ?

Does Christ’s number is SEVEN (07)? Come to think of it… “Bakit mas pinili ni Papa God na kunin ang dalawang promising actors of their generation while sleeping?” – para hindi na nila maramdaman ang sakit ng pagpanaw. Kung meron man, iyon ay dahil nakikita nila mula sa itaas ang pagtangis ng mga naiwang nagmamahal sa kanila. At doo’y hindi sila tuluyang nagiging tunay na maligaya, at hindi makatawid sa kabila pa nila buhay.

March 29, 2002, Good Friday, when a charming known actor because of his be-dimpled smile, didn’t wake up, Ricardo Carlos Castro-Yan, or simply known as Rico Yan. He was twenty-SEVEN. He was sleeping, and the cause of his death was cardiac arrest due to acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis (bangungot).

Good Friday – hindi ba’t this is the day when Christ was nailed and died? But before this, He suffered in the hands of the one he trusts. At hindi ba’t bago lisanin ni Rico ang mundo ng mga buhay, he also endured the heartache because of the loss of the love of his girl, Claudine Barretto? We may not know it. Hindi naman kasi na-publicize ang hiwalayang ito. Pero base narin sa mga kwento sa huling gabi ni Rico sa Dos Palmas Resort in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan…

Thursday night before the accident happened, Rico was at the piano bar at the resort singing a love song he dedicated to “the woman who’s now out of my life.”

He crooned Jamie Rivera’s hit “Falling for You” for his ex-girlfriend Claudine Barretto, with whom he broke up early this month after a four-year relationship. He also sang David Pomeranz’s “Got to Believe in Magic,” the theme of the actor’s recent movie of the same title opposite Barretto.

At nung mga panahong ‘ding iyon, pwede namang hindi matapat sa Good Friday ang pagkawala niya. Maaaring Maundy Thursday palang ay wala na siyang hininga. Dahil wala naman siyang kasama sa kwarto di’ba? Pero mas pinili ni Papa God na sa araw ng pagkamatay Niya malaman ng iba.

April 17, 2002, Palm Sunday, when a young actor that was recently recognized as “Dido”, and through his great potential in acting, took his last two breaths, Antonello Joseph Sarte-Perez, or as we all identified as, AJ Perez. He was eighteen, and very promising.

Palm Sunday – bakit sa araw na ito naitapat? Hindi ba’t sa araw na ito’y simula na ng pagpapahirap sa ating Ama? Kagustuhan kaya Niyang talaga na bawiin na ang Kanyang anak upang hindi na maranasan ang paghihirap? Kung nabubuhay lang ngayon si AJ, ano kaya talagang pagdaraanan at mararamdaman niya sa kamay ng mapanghusgang mga mata ng iba? He’s still an actor… at makakatanggap ng mga puna (masasakit man o papuri).

Tulog din siya nang mangyari ang aksidente…

They (together with his father, Gerry Perez, and other four companions) were on their way home from a Kapamilya Caravan in Dagupan when the driver of the ABS-CBN service van (kung saan sila nakasakay) tried to overtake a trailer truck. But unfortunately, the van collided with a Partas provincial passenger bus along McArthur Highway in Barangay San Julian, Paniqui, Tarlac.

He was declared dead on arrival at the Rayos-Valentin Hospital in Moncada, Tarlac at 12:10 am. Initial reports said that the cause of his death is "multiple head injuries". The autopsy, however, revealed that his broken ribs pierced his heart and lungs thus causing his death.

at sa mga oras na iyon, pinalagpas ni Papa God ang petsa, (12:10 am) at itinapat sa diumano’y paboritong numero ng binata: April SEVENteen. Sadyang mabilis lang ba talaga ang mga pangyayari at ang oras? Kung kaya natapat sa numero niya.

Aksidente lang ba? O sadyang planado na ang lahat?

Same school (La Salle Greenhills, Mandaluyong City), and same smile (attractive and sweet). So dear to their friends (in and out of the show business) and fans; so gentle lovable as a son. A young actor, a good man… parehong natutulog before the tragic news happened. And the same week of dying, Holy week. Both were at the prime of molding their big names in the industry.

“In their journey of life, na-fulfill na kayang talaga nila ang kani-kanilang mission… to be happy?” dahil ang sabi naman ng karamihan, ang purpose natin sa buhay ay maging masaya. As I was thinking this thing, naitanong ko ito sa isang kaibigan, and she answered, “Like what our teacher in religion said, ‘We are living not for ourselves, but for the others.’”

Then I realized… “YES! THEY FULFILLED THEIR MISSION. They brought joy, hope, and views of a brighter tomorrow. THEY MADE US HAPPY.”

Huli man at maaaring hindi na nila marinig, alam kong ramdam at makapagpapaligaya parin… “Para sa inyong dalawa, kuya Rico at kuya AJ, Maraming Salamat! Dahil sa maikling panahong nailagi ninyo rito sa mundo ng mga buhay, pinili ninyong ibahagi sa amin at maging parte rin kami sa natira niyong mga alaala. Nagbigay saya ang kilos at galaw niyo sa araw-araw at alam naming buong puso niyong inalay ang hangad naming kaligayahan. Hanggang sa muli, mga IDOL! Kayo’y isang tunay na anghel. Magkasama na kayo ngayon. Muli, Maraming Salamat, at Mahal na mahal namin kayo.”

“We are living not for ourselves, but for the others’ happiness.”