We laid Fr. Jaime Bulatao to rest this morning - the man who founded the Ateneo Department of Psychology and co-founded the Psychological Association of the Philippines. Both institutions that he helped build are flourishing and going strong.
Beyond the legacy of institution building, was his work. Fr. Bulatao introduced group dynamics in the Philippines that became the springboard for Industrial Organizational psychology in the country. He advocated the importance of understanding of the Filipino psyche, undertook studies and published seminal work on Filipino culture.
But like Jesuits are known to do, Fr. Bu contested boundaries. Even as Western Psychology focused on empiricism and strove to predict and measure, Fr. Bu later on focused on consciousness, hypnosis, ESP, clairvoyance, and telepathy.
Fr. Bu was a man of paradoxes. He had no problems combining faith and the paranormal, science with religion. He was ravenous, life-long learner. He was already quite senior when he introduced the use of statistical software in teaching quantitative methods. After he was bedridden in JR, he was learning to speak Japanese and he said he wanted to learn how to draw.
Throughout the wake, visitors would regale us with tales of his powers of sight and healing. It was a gift I experienced personally. When I joined the department as a faculty member, I asked Fr. Bu if I could attend his Hypnosis class. Although some students were able to perform hypnosis and do astral travel, I never got the hang of it. Fr. Bu would chide me – “UP ka kasi, you think too much.”
But even the cynic that I was did come to believe his gifts. One afternoon walking back to the department, he told me “I know you are going through something now. But it will pass.” I could only stare at him, because it was true I was struggling with something that no one knew about. When he became bedridden and I’d visit him, he would say things about me that there was no way he could have heard from others. It was spooky and comforting to know words were not necessary with him.
Despite my failure to learn paranormal abilities, Fr. Bu taught me in other ways. He would tell me stories about the early years of the department and the PAP. Once, he told me it would be my turn and I just laughed at him. When I was asked to serve first PAP and then the department, it was his words I heard in my head.
He was a teacher at heart. When he was to sick to teach, he would get wistful – speaking longingly about getting back to the classroom. Although students would describe him as terror, harsh, galit sa late, nag-wawalk out pag di nabababasa ang studyante, they would also describe him as loving, caring, unconditional, brilliant and inspiring.
With his passing, we may have lost Fr. Bu’s gifts of sight, healing and intelligence. But we will always have the legacy of his work, the institutions he built, generations of psychologists, and people who have been touched by Fr Jaime Bulatao in different ways.
From him, I learned to be open to what only the heart can see, to love and give back to discipline you care about, and to never stop growing. For that I will always be grateful. Mahal kita Fr. Bu at maraming salamat!
Beyond the legacy of institution building, was his work. Fr. Bulatao introduced group dynamics in the Philippines that became the springboard for Industrial Organizational psychology in the country. He advocated the importance of understanding of the Filipino psyche, undertook studies and published seminal work on Filipino culture.
But like Jesuits are known to do, Fr. Bu contested boundaries. Even as Western Psychology focused on empiricism and strove to predict and measure, Fr. Bu later on focused on consciousness, hypnosis, ESP, clairvoyance, and telepathy.
Fr. Bu was a man of paradoxes. He had no problems combining faith and the paranormal, science with religion. He was ravenous, life-long learner. He was already quite senior when he introduced the use of statistical software in teaching quantitative methods. After he was bedridden in JR, he was learning to speak Japanese and he said he wanted to learn how to draw.
Throughout the wake, visitors would regale us with tales of his powers of sight and healing. It was a gift I experienced personally. When I joined the department as a faculty member, I asked Fr. Bu if I could attend his Hypnosis class. Although some students were able to perform hypnosis and do astral travel, I never got the hang of it. Fr. Bu would chide me – “UP ka kasi, you think too much.”
But even the cynic that I was did come to believe his gifts. One afternoon walking back to the department, he told me “I know you are going through something now. But it will pass.” I could only stare at him, because it was true I was struggling with something that no one knew about. When he became bedridden and I’d visit him, he would say things about me that there was no way he could have heard from others. It was spooky and comforting to know words were not necessary with him.
Despite my failure to learn paranormal abilities, Fr. Bu taught me in other ways. He would tell me stories about the early years of the department and the PAP. Once, he told me it would be my turn and I just laughed at him. When I was asked to serve first PAP and then the department, it was his words I heard in my head.
He was a teacher at heart. When he was to sick to teach, he would get wistful – speaking longingly about getting back to the classroom. Although students would describe him as terror, harsh, galit sa late, nag-wawalk out pag di nabababasa ang studyante, they would also describe him as loving, caring, unconditional, brilliant and inspiring.
With his passing, we may have lost Fr. Bu’s gifts of sight, healing and intelligence. But we will always have the legacy of his work, the institutions he built, generations of psychologists, and people who have been touched by Fr Jaime Bulatao in different ways.
From him, I learned to be open to what only the heart can see, to love and give back to discipline you care about, and to never stop growing. For that I will always be grateful. Mahal kita Fr. Bu at maraming salamat!