Man can neither be judged by merely based on his failures nor through the vast wealth accumulated but by the macadamized roads he traveled from where his journey commenced. The same way when we try to fathom the disheartening pain every time we fall: the barometer for evaluation shouldn’t be based on the intensity of injury but in our driven initiative to stand and resume the journey.
The inevitable perils and enormous challenges encountered along the way sometimes lead us astray but still we manage to find the right path for not all that wander are actually lost…we’re just taken in a spin by our own fate.
One’s life-threatening struggle and deprived freedom from vicious bondage can be an enlightening motivation for others while long kept debility could instantaneously revolt and audaciously find means to a forceful deliverance.
Richard “Chad” Baluran, a proud holder of a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Therapy from Liceo de Cagayan (1994), candidly shared his tear-jerking plight in the hands of opportunistic human traffickers that serendipitously altered his career path and ultimately, his life .
The youngest among the 6 children of Margino (an insurance manager) and Eustaquia (a sari-sari store operator) of Cagayan de Oro City, Chad was recruited for an overseas employment while he was just about to take his licensure exam.
At 20 (born July 12, 1973) and aggressive to land a job with an H1-B visa, Chad was left with no other option despite parental rejection. Having been sweet-talked and gently persuaded, the young adventurer set foot in Florida on July 1995 with attractive fringe benefits: an apartment (where he lived together with other recruits) and a brand new car for easy commute to assigned healthcare facilities.
Being an enthusiastic first time driver, it was uncomplicated for Chad to familiarize himself with maneuvering his way around Tampa driving his Nissan Sentra.
But mishaps come about when one least expected it. On his way to work one sunny August morning, a miscalculated move resulted to an on the spot accident where his car flipped eight times before it landed on its roof. But miracle of miracles, Chad cheated death and escaped unscathed: no scratch, no SCI (Spinal Cord Injury), no need for hospitalization and just sternly shocked.
Left with mental trauma and surviving in erratic paycheck schedules, Chad thought his three-month stint under his recruiter wasn’t worth it. After having mustered enough courage, he drove off, abandoned the car, and phoned a colleague for help.
With his innately hardworking trait and compassionate attitude, it only took a while for Chad to find a new job…this time an employment agency that assured him of sponsoring his visa. He was assigned in a Harlem hospital and was provided with a sleeping quarter in a residential house in Jamaica, Queens.
Armed with a keen presence of mind, he consulted a lawyer when things turned out to be no different from his first employer…unstable job, uncertain future, and anomalous contract.
Later in 1997 he was hired by a prestigious placement agency that munificently sponsored his visa within five years. That spirit-lifting privilege more than gave him mental stability and contentment.
But still, a confident leap was all he needed to start his new career plan.
In 2001, strappingly backed by his efficient working experience and dedicated service, he was directly employed with permanence as a PT Supervisor in an established medical facility. That phase of his life more than induced his enthusiasm to work and ignited his zest for survival. For him, the truest essence of success is to benefit from the bliss and contentment it brings… after tempestuous and seemingly endless trials.
Amid his thriving professional career lies something that gives him an equally gratifying sentiment —singing and performing…an innately dormant talent that just manifested lately.
“My musical inclination was fueled when I was 6 after an uncle gifted me with a ukulele. At home ‘The Sound of Music’ tracks became household tunes. Then a high school teacher volunteered to teach me how to play the piano…and since my fingers and voice took over every single moment that I was free from books,” Chad amusingly recounted.
“Even when I actually had enough savings, it was a Yamaha Clarinova that filled-up my rented room that made me opt to just retire in a sleeping bag. Unknown to many, singing was never scared out of my wits…it’s consistently been within me,” he added.
Back in 2004, his long kept obsession was publicly bared when he was invited to perform in Ma-Yi Theater after talent scouts heard him sing in various private parties. With nobody to accompany him, a friend eagerly recommended a guitarist while another referred a drummer who were both in the same field like him…and that made them a triumvirate of performing Physical Therapists.
The trio became an instant hit. After more than a few similarly well-received appearances and fully attended gigs, the foreseeable fate of the singing PTs needed some kind of branding while new members (who were, coincidentally, PTs, too) had ardently joined.
It was easy for the group to coin a moniker with instant recall. Since they were all Visayans, they collectively agreed on “Pachada,” a Kagay-anon term that connotes nice or good… a fitting name for the uncontested brotherhood of alternative rockers.
The Pachada Band is essentially a stress reliever for every PT member after a hard day’s work. Composed of Tyron Medalla as the lead guitarist, Stephen “Teban” Quijote on bass guitar (Henry Caylan was the original bassist before he relocated in Indiana), Donny Alonzo on drums, and Chad as its frontman, Pachada Band is prevalently known as an alternative rock band.
Already fortified with more than a hundred songs in its playlist, the group has performed in almost every entertainment venue and eatery in the east coast, having been featured in QPTV (Queens Public Television) under Empyre Media Productions, and with a regular gig at Wicked Willy’s, a college bar in Greenwich Village. The singing and performing Physical Therapists had also opened for Kitchie Nadal, Mig Ayesa, Pork Chop, The Hotdogs, and other named celebrity entertainers.
Chad’s musical ingenuity has literally made up for what he’s short of. Hearing him effectually nailing top chart ditties by U2, Pearl Jam, Tears For Fears, Stone Temple Pilot, Duran Duran, The Beatles, and other rock bands could indubitably mistake him for owning the songs while injecting his own vocal style and Pachada’s infectious instrumentation.
“Playing is merely our passion. We feel great after a well-applauded performance. If we don’t have our professional day jobs and just depend on the band for survival, we could have been disbanded even before we took off and earned a name,” Chad quipped with a shrug.
“Our time became restricted after we have our own families. We try to limit our gigs to just weekends or at least twice a month…so we have more quality time to spend home.”
“The band is promising…no doubt. But we still dream of coming out with an album of our original compositions.” he spoke in a whispery tone. “We’re keeping our fingers crossed that it will be sooner than expected.”
In private Chad enjoys fatherhood to the hilt. He took Catherine Superable, also a Physical Therapist, for his wife after an inevitable encounter in a common friend’s wedding where he was a groomsman and she, a bride’s maid. Although they already knew each other back in Cagayan De Oro, it was only during their fortuitous reunion that his heart beat differently for Cathy. They exchanged “I Do’s” in Cagayan De Oro City in 2004 after being civilly married a year earlier. Their blissful union was blessed with two kids: Chadrine (7) and Callia Hope (4).
Having both completed their Doctorate in Physical Therapy even before raising a family, Chad is currently affiliated with Lighthouse Guild (since 2005), a geriatric facility that specializes in cases with visual impairment, diabetes, and obesity while Cathy works as a PT with the Board of Education in the Chelsea area.
Aside from music and drawing, Chad, together with Cathy, is an active member of NYRR (New York Road Runners) and had completed the NYC Marathon five times.
His being a movie aficionado brought him to the fore: as an extra under the Actors Reps of New York with a minimal talent fee of a hundred dollars per shooting day. But it wasn’t all about the money…the exceptional experience and technical knowlegeability about filmmaking more than compensated the rigors and time-consuming aspects of film shooting.
The jolts, turns, and twists in life are composite elements of an eventful joyride. Regardless the destination, just buckle up and enjoy the ride…for soon enough the topsy-turvy rollercoaster ride is already over before you even realized it.
For Pachada Band’s main sites: Facebook.com/pachadaband, youtube/pachada band, and videos @vimeo.com. Follow them @ twitter.com/pachada or on instagram/pachadaband.
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