People : Diwa C. Guinigundo-Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor

BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo

Last night I was watching television and switching channels when I accidentally pressed  the remote control to Channel 11, the show on the channel was 700 Club. Sometimes, I would watch this Christian-oriented show for spiritual inspiration and enlightenment. Last night a segment of the show discussed about healing and why God allows bad things to happen to good people. In the testimonial portion, they featured a man who had a car accident which shattered one of his legs, and had some miraculous healing that changed his life. Before the accident happened, a pastor laid his hand  on the man's perfectly healthy leg for healing, making the man wonder  why? That leg was  the one shattered later in the accident.

While the man was giving his testimony, his name was flashed on the screen : Diwa C.  Guinigundo, BSP Deputy Governor. A high government official giving a testimony on 700 Club? This caught my interest and  continued watching. This was a breath of fresh air after watching the last day of  The CJ impeachment drama. The face of the guest was not familiar to me but the name was.  I was trying to recall where I heard or read the name before. I thought maybe it was in some business section of some newspaper since he is the BSP deputy governor. What bothered me was, I was  sure he held this government position only recently or only a few years, but I was also sure I had heard and read the name a long long time ago, before he rose in rank in the government service. You will never forget the name, it's  a very unique and a very "pinoy" name. 

Finally, I remembered. I read the name in a calling card given to me by the BSP Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo himself. 

Flashback :  Twenty years ago, sometime  in 1993, I was working in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I was at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and just arrived from my vacation in Manila. It was early evening and while waiting for my ride going  KL city center ( the airport is quite far from the city ) another Filipino was also waiting nearby. I remember the Pinoy was wearing something more formal than what I was wearing. Since we are both Filipino, we had a conversation while waiting for our rides. I learned that we came on the same flight from Manila. I introduced myself and told him where I was working. I remember he said he was working at the Asian or ASEAN Central Bank and gave me his card. That was where I read that name : "Diwa C. Guinigundo". The name got stuck in my mind. The name is unusual and unique that is why I never forgot it. 

When my car arrived and was about to board, I asked him if he was going to KL city center and if he wanted a ride. He said he was staying at KL Hilton, which is outside KL but is along the way going to KL city center. So I offered him a ride,  and dropped him off at the KL Hilton. Never saw him again after that accidental meeting at the KL airport, not until I saw him again on the 700 Club last night. 

Just to make sure that he really was that person I met in Malaysia, and that he had been there by any chance, I googled his name and ASEAN Central Bank. His profile appeared and  one entry showed the information that he was the Head of Research at the SEACEN Centre in Kuala Lumpur in 1992-1994. He had his stint in Kuala Lumpur on the same years I was working there. No doubt it was BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo the person I met and offered a ride  20 years ago in Malaysia.

I wonder if he would remember me If I meet him again? Or at least my name. No, I don't think so, I guess my name is too generic for him to remember then. 

My only consolation about remembering his name is that at least I have proven that my memory is still working good; and I'm very glad to know that there is one good man working in our government by the name of Diwa C. Guinigundo. A name I never forgot.

Related Link :

http://business.inquirer.net/21353/philippine-central-bank’s-top-gun