Diko....The Car Enthusiast!

Being the second-born, and later the middle-born, child is not easy.... but Diko pulled it all too well.... largely because, i think, of his individualism and independence! Diko was born to Mommy and Daddy on February 19, 1955 and maybe, because they're not sure if they'll be blessed with another son, they named him after Daddy.... thus, becoming Pablo A. L., Jr. or Jun for short.

Since Diko and i were only 1 yr and 10 months apart in age, our elementary and high school studies were closely intertwined.... we both went to the same schools and we had the same set of neighborhood friends. This brought us closer to each other than he with Kuya or I with Kuya.

Diko first attended the nursery school at our parish church, which is just walking distance from our home. Supposedly, I was to be left alone at home when Kuya and Diko went to school.... and so, initially, i went along when our older cousin brought Diko to school. Later, I would be left to join Diko's class as the class' "saling-pusa". But because, even at 4 years old, I can keep up with the class, i was eventually made a regular member.

After nursery school, Diko was accepted to Grade 1 while i went on to kindergarten at St. Mary's College in Quezon City. Next, we attended the Toro Hills Elementary School, also in Quezon City, as Grade 2 & Grade 1 students, respectively.... then the Children's Village of the National Coordinating Center for the Study and Development of Filipino Children and Youth (NCCSDFCY) where Diko spent Grades 3 & 4....and i, Grades 2 thru 4. Since NCCSDFCY offered nursery to Grade 4 classes only, when Diko went on to Grade 5, he entered the Notre Dame of Manila in Caloocan City.... for the first time in our young lives, we attended different schools. Diko went on to finish his elementary and high school studies at Notre Dame of Manila, where i also finished mine a year apart from him.

For college, Diko attended the University of Sto. Tomas, where he obtained his Bachelors of Arts degree in Advertising Arts. It was while at UST that Diko met and befriended his classmate, a young lass from San Pedro, Laguna.... by the name of Ms. Nenette Callanta. Later, being both members of the same school organizations and sharing lots of time in organizational activities, Diko proposed to and married Ate Nette in 1983. This time, i was able to attend their wedding because in early January of that year, i came home from my studies in Minnesota, USA. By July 1983, Diko and Ate Nette was blessed with their one and only child.... and Mommy & Daddy's first grandchild ....Gian Paulo Callanta Limcumpao.... Gino for short. (Incidentally, i was the one who suggested the name Gian Paulo.... I told them succeeding names of their offsprings could be Gian Franco and Gian Carlo!)

Immediately after obtaining his college degree, Diko joined Daddy for a while at the National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC). Sometime in 1986, Diko and Ate Nette decided at the spur of the moment to apply for a US visa. They showed up at the US Embassy in Manila for an interview carrying nothing with them except their passports and Gino. Apparently, the American consul who interviewed them was amused by Gino's antics, she gave them their US visas right there and then!

In 1987, Diko and family left Manila for the US and there they've lived ever since. Presently, Diko works for a Mercedes Benz dealer in California while Ate Nette works for a private organization that caters to taking care of the elderly. Gino, on the other hand, works for a big supermarket chain in the US.

As the youngest in the family for a long time, i was the "baby" even to both Kuya and Diko. As such, when Kuya and Diko fought while we were children, i didn't take sides.... i let them work their differences without interfering. As children, Diko and i played cowboys & indians, hide and go seek, mahjong, etc. with kids from our neighborhood street. It was later, as young adults, that we, the three boys, went our separate ways for the first time.... Kuya went on assignment to Kobe, Japan.... i went to the US for my studies.... Diko was left behind at home to be with Mommy & Daddy.... and Mabelle!!! This is the reason why among us, it was Diko who became closer to Mabelle as she was growing up in Quezon City.

This closeness to Mabelle extended up to the time that Diko was still courting Ate Nette. Mabelle became their constant companion and they became sort of the "parent figures" for Mabelle. Until now, this relationship exists because among the family, they're the only ones living in the US.... Diko, Ate Nette and Gino in California.... Mabelle and her family in Pennsylvania.

As "Pabling, Jr." Diko had his share of living up to that name. He has a way of befriending girls.... even being phone pals with girls who called our phone number randomly hoping to be a phone pal to any boy who would answer the phone! Even when Diko was sick with hepatitis and confined for a month in the hospital, he befriended a fellow patient and gave her hope of being cured and experiencing the joys of being alive. After classes in high school at Notre Dame, i'd go straight to the hospital to be with Diko and i'd find them in the hospital balcony talking and laughing. She left the hospital ahead of Diko but they continued their friendship for a while.

One thing that Diko loves are cars. Even though we didn't have our own car he took up auto electrical training at NMYC. When we finally had our first family car in 1978, a GM Opel Gemini, Diko took ownership of taking care of it and drove the family around. From knowing nothing about driving, he became such a "good" driver that we called him the "Evel Knievel" of the family. One of his stunts was fetching me from school at UP Diliman. At first i didn't want to get in to the car.... because i knew he was just starting to learn to drive and he didn't have a license yet.... but the gesture was so sweet, i had to ride with him! We got home alright....except that i hope the man who was reading by the roadside whose newspaper Diko sideswept was okay!!! Another of his stunts was driving me from home to my first day of taking the national licensure examinations in a record 7 minutes! ....normally, it would've taken 30 minutes.... good thing i studied well and my brain wasn't left in the wind - i ended up being No. 4 among the Top Ten topnotchers of that exams!!!

Up until now, Diko is into cars. Ask him anything about any brand and model of cars and chances are he'd be able to talk about it endlessly for hours.... don't ask him though about mercedez benz cars.... unless you want to be stuck talking with him for days!!!

That's my Diko.... and i wouldn't have any other Diko in the world!!!