Welcome to Fraternal Conversations

In our pursuit to get-to-know each other well in community and in a way develop deeper knowledge of one another, FC: Fraternal Conversations is introduced as a venue where everyone can get an opportunity to know personal information about our confreres here in the community. FC: Fraternal Conversations is an experimental endeavor that would contribute in the SATMI blog interviews of confreres who are willing to share their stories and disclose data about themselves. Hopefully, these interviews would give the community the opportunity to know each other, especially the freshmen, those who rarely share and talk about personal information and those we hardly have the venue for fraternal sharing.






Wednesday, June 30, 2010

FC with Jun Macasaet, C.Ss.R.









 The first ever recorded fraternal conversation was done a few hours after Benigno Aquino III took oath as the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines. For FC’s maiden issue, Jun- a sophomore student was the one placed on the hot seat. This was timely because Jun Macasaet is the Caput of the student community who made history as the first caput to have a formal inaugural last Sunday, June 29, 2010.






Born on August 16, 1979, Rufino Mea Macasaet Jr. is the fourth child, in a brood of eight. His parents:  Rufino(+) and Laurea (+)  Macasaet raised them in  Pulan, Lipa City, Batangas. He spent his childhood education in FAB Nursery School and Pulan Elementary School. He finished his secondary education at De La Salle-Lipa and Graduate studies from the University of Santo Tomas. After graduation he worked as an instructor in SSCR de Cavite and also had a work experience as Finance Manager of PIL Summer Program.






Jun is a man of many names. At home he is Jun, JR and Bunso. While his friends fondly call him Jun Jun, Vince and Macky, in the seminary he is known as Jun, JM or Vince. Jun sees himself as a simple person and loves to be remembered as a brother who is always available for everybody. His hobbies include reading, jogging, cooking, writing, surfing the net, watching TV, eating and trekking. He also says that if given the chance he would love to try bungee jumping and visit Batanes someday. 

FC: Good afternoon Jun! You have the honor to be the first to sit on FC’s hot seat.







Jun:(laughs) Yes, I do not have the choice but it’s alright.

FC: Let us enjoy this conversation and have fun.







Jun: (laughs) of course!

FC: Ok, let’s start…The first set of questions are from the Proust Questionnaire:




Based on the Proust Questionnaire
















Your favorite virtue:  Simplicity







Your favorite quality in man:  Simplicity







Your favorite quality in a woman: Simplicity







Your favorite occupation: Teacher







Your chief characteristic: Adventurous 







Your idea of happiness: Simple Meals







Your idea of misery: Death







Your favorite color: Blue







Your favorite flower: Rose







If not yourself, who would you be:  John, the Beloved Disciple







Where would you like to live: Lipa City







Your favorite poet/s: Emily Dickinson







Your favorite composer/s: Ryan Cayabyab







Your favorite painter/s: Vincent Van Gogh







Your favorite heroes now:  Efren Florida







Your favorite heroine in real life:  Mother Teresa







Your favorite heroes in fiction:  AstroBoy







Your favorite food and drink:  Pasta and wine







Your favorite names: Cedrick, Jun,Vince







Your favorite TV Show: Scrubs







Your favorite Sports: Soccer







Your favorite Movie: Love so Divine 







Your favorite Book: Percy Jackson







Your pet peeve: Plastic (Pretentious) 







What characters in history do you dislike most:  Nero







What is your present state of mind: Calm  







For what fault have you the most tolerance: Inefficiency







Your favorite motto: Big things come from small beginnings





FC: What was one of your greatest experiences?




Jun: hhmmmnn… (thinks) Maybe my profession, graduation, mission.

FC: What is common in all these experiences?




Jun: I feel there is affirmation of myself.. of what I can do. I consider it a great experience if I am     affirmed.

FC: What was one of your worst?




Jun: The Death of my parents.

FC: How old were you when your parents passed away?




Jun: I was 12 when my mother died and I was 26 when my father died.
FC: What do you consider as your most memorable experience here in Davao?




Jun: Hala! (laughs) Seems everyday!.. (laughs) Memorable? Maybe the Holy Week of this Year because during the Way of the Cross I experienced walking for 4 hrs.

FC: What is your greatest fear?




Jun: That I could do nothing.. (pause) or that I am useless

FC: What do you consider as the greatest challenge you have ever conquered?




Jun: The challenge of becoming a leader 

FC: What makes you smile? 




Jun: The thought that every day is an opportunity for growth and that there will always be a new moment to live by… (laughs out loud)

FC: When was the last time you had a good laugh?




Jun: Last summer during my home vacation. It gave me the opportunity to visit some friends.

FC: When was the last time you felt you were a true-blooded Redemptorist?




Jun: Everyday! I feel like a true-blooded Redemptorist Hmmmnnn (thinks) maybe when I was a postulant and was working in the missions.

FC: How do you cope with stress?




Jun: I jog, sleep and eat a lot (laughs)

FC: In your profile you made mention that you love to cook, what do you cook?




Jun: I usually bake cake and make pasta. But I love to prepare Filipino dish, especially Chicken pork Adobo

FC: Have you tried baking here for the community?




Jun: Not yet… (laughs)

FC: Do you intend to bake in the future?




Jun: (laughs) Actually I intended to cook but I do not have the time. Maybe in the future. 










FC: In cooking, you said you love to bake cake and prepare pasta, but what is your specialty?




Jun: for pasta, the three-layered cheese pasta and leche flan

FC: You also made mention that you love to write, what do you write?




Jun: I write essays, sometimes poems 

FC: What is the general theme of your writings, let’s say your poems?




Jun: All about Life, Perseverance and Journey

FC: Have you ever tried publishing your writings or sharing your poems with someone?




Jun: Not yet (laughs) and I do not have plans!

FC: You made mention that you love to have a vacation in Batanes, what’s in Batanes?




Jun: The place itself- the environment. I have already heard a lot of stories that Batanes is a wonderful place that’s why I love to go and visit the place. 

FC: And what about Bungee Jumping? Why do you want to try it?




Jun: the thrill of it! (laughs)

FC: And what about the danger?




Jun: I do not think it’s dangerous! I wanted to try new things.

FC: From your answer from the Proust Questionnaire, you said you love the movie LOVE is Divine. What is    the movie all about?




Jun: it is a Korean Film that tells a story about a seminarian falling in love. I love it because it tells of a story of how a seminarian can be so human.

FC: How have you been since you assumed the role of being Caput?




Jun: In a way stress but so far I am coping well.










FC: Do you consider that what happened to you, the “collapsed” is part of this so called stress that you are experiencing?




Jun: hhmmmnnn… not really… It was maybe because I was thinking much of my family and my body was so haggard. And maybe because I was still adjusting to my new role as Caput. Being a Caput is a         tough challenge so far.

FC: If given the chance to articulate how the student community would be able to support you, what would you tell them?




Jun: hmmnn… I hope that the community would be more understanding of me, that they would be more open and also available. 

FC: What do you foresee would be major difficulty for you this semester?




Jun: My being a Caput. Because of the role it entails. My personality never really wants to be at the center of the lime light. I usually want to be working at the backstage. If it is a play, I would love to take a supporting role rather than the lead roles. But, maybe this is a new role so I have to do my best.

FC: How do you want to be remembered as a Caput?




Jun: .. as a brother who has always been there

FC: Is there anything else that you would like to disclose about yourself that I haven’t asked?




Jun: I’d like to let the community know that I am the person who is not too serious at times, I could always be a joker. Although I have tendencies to be more comfortable to close friends, but, I hope to          be comfortable with everybody so I could be transparent as I could be. The way people see in me, is the way I am. People always get the wrong impression that I am snob.  But the reason for it is, I           am just sometimes too shy to greet people. 

FC: The part of this conversations is what I call TOUGH TEN Questions.. I would mention a word or phrase and you are expected to describe it in ONE WORD.

YOURSELF: Simple







YOUR BEST FRIEND: Faithful







YOUR COMMITTEE: Warm







YOUR COMMUNITY: Amazing







YOUR PRAYER LIFE: Mysterious







YOUR FREE MONDAY: Solitude







YOUR STUDIES: Tough







YOUR LIFE IN SATMI: Difficult







YOUR FAVORITE SATMI PROFESSOR: Wonderful







YOUR RECTOR: Challenging
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