A father’s greatest achievement is seeing his children live the lives they have always aspired to, a testament to a job well done.

Dominador Bulan Jr. served as a police officer in Pontevedra, Roxas City, while his wife, Jocelyn, worked as a nurse.

Unlike the stern and authoritarian image often associated with police fathers, Dominador was kind and easygoing, allowing his children to pursue the vocations they truly wanted.

“Back then, many fathers wanted their children, especially the eldest, to follow in their footsteps. If the father was a police officer, the son, particularly if he was a junior, was also expected to become one. But my father was different,” Dom Joseph, Dominador’s eldest son, said.

Dom has always admired his father for his selflessness. Rather than imposing his own dreams on his children, Dominador gave them the freedom to chase their own.

“He raised us as a single parent after my mother passed away in 2009, without asking for anything in return. He was the epitome of selflessness. Even in his old age, he continues to guide us and watch over us, even offering to drive for us,” he said in an e-mail interview.

“It is a blessing and a privilege to have him as a father. I always look up to him as a model of humble, quiet service. I am blessed to have a father like him, whom I can look up to as I begin my priestly journey,” Bulan added.

Asked what he could tell his father to help him become the best version of himself, Dom said it’s his forever gratefulness.

“Thank you, Pa. I love you very much. Thank you for everything. Although I may never be able to repay the love and care you have shown my siblings and me, I will strive to share that same love and care with the people I will serve as a priest,” he said.

Indeed, Dom has chosen a different path. He now serves the Lord with all his heart and embraces Catholicism fully by becoming a priest, a life of service and sacrifice.

Floating in heaven

Father Dom said that during his ordination just this year, he looked at his father, who was very happy and proud.

“I was just very happy that he got to witness this moment, and I was filled with gratitude because he allowed me to pursue this vocation, even at great sacrifice from his end as a single parent,” he said.