He carried it

It has been more than 4 months since my last post. Because my job in Mindanao is a wrapping up assignment of the JFPR project which started in 2003, it was too busy that it didn’t give me a chance to create posts. Tita (she doesn’t want me to call her boss because we are in a development project) and I worked even in Saturdays and Sunday afternoons.

September 8 – I stepped out the plane at Davao Int'l Airport asking my self “what am I doing here?” The project didn’t give me proper orientation and briefing on what the nature of the job is, who’s who and what’s what. I didn’t know the facts behind the project at all. I was a blank sheet. It seemed driving in an unlighted highway in the night without headlight. I got no local vertical – no direction.

I only got acquainted with the project during the first workshop at Harbor Lights Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City. There, by God’s grace, I was given light of what I was doing there.

There have been vast challenges, struggles, boredom and tears along the way.

1. The job is multi-tasking. You got to print documents while sleeping and communicate with coordinators while eating. During workshops and writeshops, you need to take the minutes and encode while facilitating the LCD projector and while taking pictures. Finish your documentation while downloading reports sent to your email.

It was exactly rendering technical assistance ‘no matter what’.

2. We didn’t have to miss a week for a consultation and writeshop to eight (8) LGU sites since we were given short time to finish the needed requirements. We were only having land trips using the office’s service vehicles and travel goes through several hours. Though, I love to travel, you can’t deny you’d go weary upon arrival. But you can’t just relax in the hotel since you can’t neglect the preparations for tomorrow’s events. So you’d really stay up late with toothpicks on your eyes.

3. It was my first time in the job and there are still a bunch of things I really do not know about it. Well, yeah, it naturally happens with a novice and I now know how it feels.

For a couple of times, I experienced Tita’s reprimands and scolds. There was early one morning thinking it was a good day, while I was enjoying the music from the laptop, when I was eating a delicious food. It was as if one sack of rice dumped over me and shoulders sulked.

Negative thoughts came into my nutshell but I didn’t give up. I just listened and later knew she was right. All her words were. She knew.

4. It’s Mindanao so we were traveling from place to place, passing through Muslim communities and areas, in the midst of the battle against the 2 opposing groups. We were traveling in the face of terrorism.

If you heard about Kidapawan City bombing just this November, 2007, we were shopping in that mall 2 days before the main gate was bombed. And before we went to Cotabato City, a carenderia was bombed.

God spared us.

5. Hitting two birds with one stone was not a joke. I engaged in graphic designing sideline for a company via email so I got to budget my time between my work as technical assistant and as an amateur graphic designer. It was hard, but it was all worth it. I have adjusted and now I am enjoying it.

It was tough as I recollect.

But evidently, God was there standing beside us, walking behind us and leading us.

I surpassed my first set of challenges in my first ever professional engagement – and HE was there.

God carried it.

God carries it also

It's the last day of being home.

I woke up around 8 in the morning this day and just before doing anything else, I prayed and checked my phone (I usually place it beside my bed.) if there's any message.

I got this:

"He is always to be found in the thickest part of the battle. The heaviest end of the cross lies ever on His shoulders. If He bids us to carry a burden, He carries it also. If there is anything that is gracious, generous and tender, so lavish and supernatural in love, you will always find it in Him." - C.H. Spurgeon

It's from 'textmate'.

Mulling over my trip to Davao tonight for a contractual job until December 15, the message became a pressure-relieving reminder that whatever odd I will be needing to surpass, He is there for me for guidance, protection and strength.

I say thanks so much to the one who sent it. I consider her life, per se, as an inspiration.

This will be the very first time that I'll be away from home for more than a month. I thank God for this opportunity for me to learn to stand alone and depend on myself.

The work. After the recently concluded fieldwork in Iloilo National High School (Thankfully the processing and interpretation of data is finally done.), God gave me another opportunity to be involved in a study to help our fellow-Filipinos in Mindanao. This is a Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction Project through the Asian Development Bank. Apparently, this focuses on alleviating the socioeconomic and psychosocial status of poor women market vendors in Mindanao. The output of this work will be the bases of formulating steps in order to uplift the status of the market vendors on the areas of concentration.

On the other hand, this is my chance to help my own family here in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental.

I express my utmost gratitude to my cousins, Pastor Paul and his wife Nang Nyl and also Tita Cora - Pastor Paul's mother - for fervently recommending me to obtain this work.

I now know the answer why God made me face vast challenges and odds during the 16 years of formal education from kindergarten to college.

Hiatus. I don't know if I can visit you guys as often as I was doing for the past days. For now, I don't know the system and process of the work. Hopefully, I can still have time to mingle with you.

May God take the wheel as I travel and may He fill me up with
wisdom to tackle the obstacles.

If He bids me to carry a burden, He carries it also.

Textmate

The advent of text messaging here in the Philippines definitely had an enormous impact on my personal life.

I was really engrossed to text messaging and had several textmates in a row back in high school. Bad thing is, I didn't have my own phone that time and I was only borrowing from Nanay. Obviously, I was often scolded when she discovers i used more than 50 pesos of her load for petty conversations with anybody anonymous. That was really stupid!

Not until year 2000 when somebody introduced me to a girl who is from the Panay Island. Her personality reflected on the way she replies, on what messages she shares, on how she gives advices, on how she explains things in the Biblical perspective and how she gives reminders. Yes, through that I knew who she is. She's God-fearing. Smart. Diligent. Prayerful. Optimistic. Loving. Thoughtful. You name it!

She was worth every peso and every minute I spend with her through text until I already had my own phone. She has been there sharing her insights on life, love, optimism and Christ-centeredness. She taught me priceless lessons - though I am a year older than her. Gradually, she helped me unfold the realities in my life. She inspired me to pray even more stronger and more often and she encouraged me for several times whenever I'm down. She silently made me recognize my immaturity. We shared laughs, we shared sadness, we shared prayers.

Everything was through text.

But God was so wise to provide us a way to meet. And I was able to know her even better, meet her friends, meet her classmates, meet the church where she's part of and also meet her family.

As I reminisce, I can't imagine those times that I was able to attend my 'textmate's' graduation day in high school where she graduated Valedictorian of her class with other cool academic awards. I also attended her thanksgiving party Sunday after her grad day. I also attended her debut and all I can say was 'awesome'.

Imagine I was across a vast sea but still managed to attend few of the most important events in my 'textmate's' life. Do you think I'm in love? Yes, I am. But waiting must still be the game.

Now we are texting for nearly 6 years.

Turn off the 'textmateship'. We're good friends now and if you would ask me who among my friends who had a great impact on my life? She's one of them. (Here's another one.)

When God molds and opens opportunities

When I graduated March 25, 2007, I didn't have anything in mind but to review for the Licensure Examination for Teachers. I thought, I can better start with any job that comes along the way if I'm already a professional license carrier. There's a greater chance of getting hired to any institution, higher compensation and greater opportunities for promotion, privileges and other advantages.

But that plan was twisted when God showered me with good breaks. I already had my application form that time and the only thing left to do is to pay for the 2-month weekends review in my Alma Mater when Kuya Aldwin sent me an e-mail telling me to be his partner for supervising an adolescent reproductive health research project in Region VI. He told me about the benefits and the advantages of indulging in this activity and the things I needed to do. Besides, it's research and it means new learning, new experiences, new adventure -and that's priceless.

So, I kept my application form and prepared for the activity.

Leaving for Iloilo, I left my application letter and credentials at our Municipal Trial Court in Cities. I was applying as an office clerk. Yes, just an office clerk. But mulling over the fact that it is a national office, funded by the Supreme Court, there are fringe benefits.

It was an opportunity God opened through a mentor who has been there for me ever since we knew each other in college. That was my very first job application and I didn't imagine myself having endorsements from the President of my school, from a retired Chief Parole and Probation officer III and the President of the Philippines.

Still, those were through the unselfish efforts of one dynamic mentor - well not just in academics but also in politics, life and love. I owe her a lot.

Unfortunately, the Supreme Court didn't declare the position vacant yet so my application in the office is chilled for a while.

Later, it was already August 3, 2007 - Friday - my grandmother died and I was a 90-kilometer trip away from home, still on research. I didn't have any other option but to pursue the researchers to do everything by themselves and to just update me for problems and questions. I badly needed to go home.

God was great! He moved the heart and hands of the researchers and everything went cool.

About grandma's death, though its a sad time for our family, we saw it as another opportunity. An opportunity to help other loved ones and the community around us to see the true meaning of life. Help them know the God of provision and promotion and help them change their outlook on death.

Now, it's 2 weeks after the funeral. No doubt, everything changed here at home after the burial of my grandma. But, she left us with a business. Because of how we "celebrated" her promotion to a better place of setting up a tarp wrapped with photos of blissful memories with her family, using balloons and ribbons and of making a colorful program prints filled with songs and laughter, people came and proposed transactions!

Now we have partners from few institutions for designs, lay-outs and prints. God's so cool isn't it?

While we were yet starting with this graphic designing business and while looking forward for the board exam, my cousin from Laguna, who is a Pastor's wife, called me up one morning and told me about another research project. Now its focused on the socioeconomic and psychosocial status of market vendors below poverty line in Mindanao. My function is to facilitate the workshops and document the proceedings, and make a report. This will start sometime in September.

This is a complimentary project under the Mindanao Basic Urban Services Sector Project (MBUSSP) of DILG with Asian Development Bank as its donor. Considering the job, I can already help my mother and my brother spend for the education of my my younger brother in the Technological University of the Philippines - Visayas taking up Electronics and Communications Engineering and my younger sister who is a special science class high school student.

What do I do now? Shall I hit 2 birds with one stone? Or shall I say 3 birds. By October we will have a Adolescent Reproductive Health Advocacy National Convention in Cebu City for another set of projects for the coming year.

Indeed, When God opens opportunities, you'd go dizzy choosing where to land and I will always be thankful to God and for how He molded me in the 16 years of formal education through the utmost support, love and sacrifice of my parents and of the inspiration of friends, relatives and church family. Worth were all the sacrifices in college. I graduated with honors and it brought me to being an awardee as an outstanding youth of our city (April 13, 2007) apart from my extra-curricular activities and services. My mother was also awarded as outstanding mother of the city. Thanks to the Kababaihang Rizalista Incorporada Kapisanang Pandaigdig, Inc. for such an award. It was then my first chance to be published on Visayan Daily Star. -lol-

Now, the only requirement for me to discern what to choose and what to pursue is through praying for wisdom - practical discernment. As James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

And with all these, I praise the name of the Lord, express my deepest gratitude to my late father and my ever-protective mother and I humble myself.

On photos: [just click on it for a better view] Top The author receiving his diploma.
Bottommost (left to right) Eddie Yap (grandfather), Marisses Tampo (mother), Noel Yap (uncle), the author

LET day: there's nothing wrong with failing

The Board Examination is done and finally, I'm out of the pressure.

It was tough, honestly. Especially, I wasn't able to review formally and seriously. I only read few notes the night before doom's day. I used my remaining cell phone load balance to ask for prayers once again from my relatives and from church family.

I was really desperate for their intercession that night because I was a bit losing hope and my heart's pounding fast with the pressure.

But thankfully, God provided me with a loving community who encouraged me to climb the mountain and surpass the shadow of fear.

Hear are few of the text messages I received:

"Whatever mountain stands in your path, whatever obstacle blocks your way, whatever difficulty immobilizes you, the prayer of faith can remove it! Praying for you. God bless!"
- cindy

"I'm praying for you, ta."
-tita ging

"Ok manong. I'll pray for you gid."
-sarah joy

"Kung ari ka lang di, himuan ta gid ka banner!"
(I'll make you a banner if you're here!)
-cindy


These are only few of the messages.

It made me cry inside my room realizing how I am blessed with these people. I thought, If my insufficiency in reviewing my lessons can't pass this exam, their ways of uplifting my heart and for their inspiration can. Well, apart from those who prayed for me in the blogosphere.

Through this, I fortified my strong belief in investing my life in people who are God-fearing and promising.

Thank you so much.

LET day. I am an hour travel from my examination venue so I rode a PUB at 4:30 in the morning. The bus was having very few passengers but then decided to depart knowing about the exam.

Later on the trip, 2 of my batch rode the bus and there the chattering started. Until few moments passed and our bus was loaded with examinees from different places and many of them are my classmates. "Hi's", laughs and smiles filled the ride until we arrived at the venue.

It was cool that we had good laughs before taking the mind-stirring 6-hour examination.

Thanks to the jesters!

On set. I can't remember anything on the process of the testing except for those entries that confused me a lot. Especially when it comes to philosophies and the philosophers. Besides that, I really had difficulty over those test items that I haven't encountered when I was yet schooling.

Funny "ini mini may ni mo" was popular that day except for situational questions which needed practical discernment.

Finally. Headache was the aftermath. I felt the back part of my brain was screwed up that when I got home, I immediately dozed off. -whew-

Acceptance. I am expecting the unexpected regarding the results of the examination. I mean failing. I know now that it will be easy for me to look at results on the mainstream press even though my name may not be there.

After all, there's nothing wrong with failing. Anyway, the board exam is still there scheduled every year.

If you think

I got this set of pictures from my brother's email inbox when he requested me to open it. And to compliment those who blogged about contentment, let me share this with you.

"Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want; it is the realization of how much you already have."

I got this quote from Jackie.

If you think you are unhappy, look at them.

If you think your job is tough, how about him?

If you think your salary is low, how about this kid's?

If you think you don't have many friends, ask yourself if you have one sincere friend.

You think study is a burden? How about her?

When you feel like giving up, think of this man.

If you think you suffer in life, do you suffer as much as he does?

If you complain about your transport system, how about them?

If your society is unfair to you, look at her.

Think positively and count your blessings. You have many things and aspects in your life to be grateful for.

Now if you think life is unfair, think of these people.

Join efforts to care for those in need

The battle in 3 days.

The Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) is coming up fast and I can already feel the pressure - the squeezing I once experienced when I was yet filing for the Board. I never had felt of needing much prayers from my friends than now. Every time I'm OL, I'm in the community and in the church, I can't stop my self from asking for prayers from friends and my church family and from anyone across the globe.

Gratefully, I was talking a while with my cousin from Laguna and she told that their church prayed for me. My teachers from our school also told that they'll do the same. Also my own church family and our sending churches. Not to forget, my blogging friends also left a word here that they'll also include me in their prayers.

These really gave me a lift so I really really thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

Indeed, we need others in this world full of shadows of grief, anxiety and pressure. "No man is an island" as we often reiterate it.

I came across a statement from Morrie from a the book "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom. He said that in the beginning of life, when we were infants, we need others to survive and at the end of life, when we are already near death, we need others to survive." But there's one secret he was using and maybe it was the reason why his life has been so inspiring for many people in the world right now. In between birth and death, he always 'needed' others. He invested in human family. He invested in people. He built his own community filled with the people he loves and who love him as well.

And with this upcoming exam? I tie up (or fortify the ties) with the people around me for my sources of encouragement, hope, courage and strength.

I hope and pray that everything will just go smoothly on Sunday. This will be a test of faith.

The battle is the Lord's!

Banged head

Few days left and it will the Licensure Examination for Teachers and I still haven't reviewed.

Right after graduation, I was really eager to review for the board exam - that'll be on the 26th of this month - so I could pass at the first take. But because of unexpected incidents last summer and as the new school year started, I accepted job opportunities along the way - like the recently concluded fieldwork. It was due to my excitement to earn as soon as possible.

In my previous post, I told you about the stuffs I made as tribute for my grandmother who's already history. After the burial, visitors came to ask me how much would it cost if I'd make some creatives (invitations, programs, tarp designing, cards and the like) for them. So, I thought, it would be a start of a small desktop publishing business for me and my family. We grabbed the opportunity to earn even just a little. It's already a big help for us anyway. But it came a prob for my review because we have pending orders. Besides, for now I'm the only one here at home who knows Photoshop.

It's somehow banging my head these days.

My outlook on Death and a Tribute for Lola

Death for our Christian family is a celebration - a celebration of life in eternity - and not mourning.

Well, yes, there were always be tears human as we are who were beautifully created with emotions. But we believe, God sees the meaning of each tear that we shed. Deep in it are the joys and thankfulness that once again another member of our family has been promoted to live in eternity face to face with the Lord in a place where there is no sadness, no pain, no grief, no violence, no selfishness but all pure sharing, happiness and love.

As tribute for my Lola who sacrificed a lot for her children and for all her grandchildren and great grandchildren, I made this photo montage with a colorful background signifying our assurance and bliss that Lola is now enjoying the most beautiful place with her long lost loved ones. I printed this in 7 by 3 feet tarpaulin and posted it in one of our walls here at home (Can't provide some pictures of the events here for now because I didn't have available cam. I'll still wait for my cousin to mail the pictures since he's already in Laguna now. I'll let you see the interment , which happened yesterday, 081107, and other photos then.)

To make a change in our culture's way of making programs for burial services, my family and I conceptualized the prints to make it more jovial, make it more colorful and more uplifting to make our guests and visitors change their outlook about death. We filled it with songs of praises and comfort on solos from my cousins, group singing of my uncles and aunties and choirs of the whole family. Partly musical, partly hilarious, partly sad.

It's printed in a 2.5 by 6 inches paper layout. The first page is on parchment with the "an appointment with the Lord" text, second page (the program) on specialty board and scented with my Lola's Avon powder and the last page (thank you note) is on specialty paper and tied it with a purple ribbon so it would look like a bookmark.

(Just click on the images for a better look.)

Yes, through that we can change the people's outlook on death. Apparently, most homo sapiens are scared of talking about that event but hey, it will come. No advancement in technology and medicine can ever avoid the cold touch of death.

My grandmother, who is a missionary and Lola's in-law, always reiterates the fact that most percentage of our life is waiting. We wait until we grow up, wait until you can finish your studies, wait until you find somebody to love and then to get married. You wait until your first, second, third and last child, wait until they grow up and you to grow older. And suddenly, wait until somebody will gonna wipe your own ass and wait until death.

That gives me the reason to enjoy the process while I am young. Knowing that we can't bring our diplomas, certificates and awards in heaven, I enjoy the process through wrapping my life with interaction and affection. This is because there is only one thing that you can bring up with you - your character.

-sigh- I'll miss Lola as how I miss my father.

Who says religion can't be funny?

See you in the morning Lola

-whew-

Finally! I'm done with the do-this-survey-or-i'll-damn-you thing during the past week. It has been a "calvary" and a "pressure cooker" activity that I got to exhaust every minute and every second when I was there in the field.

I mean, it wasn't my project coordinator who was pressuring me or the whole research team but it was just the thought that I don't want to compromise my accepted activity and my accepted tasks and responsibilities.

By the way, how's everyone? I really want to thank you for visiting me by and by. The sparing of your time to click on my blog is really lifting my spirit. I didn't imagine my blog to deserve visits and comments like what I've received even though I wasn't here for several days. So, thank you thank you and thank you to those who visited, commented, left a word, gave updates on their blogs, gave suggestions, left farts and flooded my shoutbox. ;) j/k

Friday, August 3, 2007

Upon arriving home with great hopes that I can give my grandmother (the one I'm nursing at home) a good smile because I'm carrying her requested 'biscocho' from the Iloilo's Biscocho House, I was stunned with this site in our sala.

My grandmother died early morning that Friday and pandemonium sulked in my heart.

I've been praying to God to extend my grandma's life so I can still have the opportunity to bring back what she has sacrificed for us since the time we (my siblings and I) were born. Her sacrifices on taking good care of our baby lives years back, the sacrifice of waking up early each morning to cook our breakfast when we were schooling, her sacrifices when we were sick, her sacrifices when we wanted some snacks, her sacrifices to give us joy, compassion and love.

I will miss every moment I spent with lola. I will miss her smile, her laughs, her talks about her experiences, her talks about her travels and jaunts when she was young, I will miss the times when she was stealing some time to clean up my scalp with ticks and louses.

Anyway, I believe she has already the greatest joy up there in heaven with the Lord cooking for her friends and family with her golden cooking utensils and titanium wares. Serving food with her diamond plates and cups. Offering her delicious menus with sincerity, thoughtfulness and love.

I will miss you lola. I love you so much. See you in the morning.

Tweaks before a blog leave (again!?)

*What do you think about my new header? If it's kind of stupid, please let me know ha?

Please beware: narcissism rules in this post. ha3 Just please bear with me. Sometimes, it's healthy to be proud of your own self. diba noh? diba? diba? (please tell me if I really am narcissistic or some kinda demanding here. hihi)

Obviously, I have several tweaks and changes in my blog in a matter of 2 days. Well, this is a sort of preparation for another scheduled blog leave and that'll be about 8 hours from now (my clock ticks 8PM).

Previously it was because we had a basic research training and now, it's going to be the fieldwork (We'll be having interview sessions with teen-agers from an area about their knowledge, attitudes and practices when it comes to sex and reproductive health) and I am assigned at Iloilo National High School in Iloilo City, Province of Iloilo (parang tongue twister ah). It's about an hour travel from our place, La Carlota City, to the Bacolod City pier and an hour cruise from the Negros island. I think I'll be staying there for about 2 days or more (hopefully not more than 2). Thanks to tita for providing me a bed space in their house so, I'll not be spending much for lodging.

I hope you guys won't leave my blog hanging on a dead tree on a deserted island of skulls and rotten flesh. My archive is wide open for your clicks and comments while I can't create new posts. ha3 ;)

Hey, I hope you'll add me in your Technorati Favorites. It has been a month since I became a member of that community/directory but it was just yesterday (?) or the other day that I embeded the link button. But EWAY (imitating Andianka's way of writing ANYWAY), i'm hoping that you'll click on this link and fave me. (ha3 I'm getting more shameless than ever!).

I also customized my feed button to make it more apparent. It's kind chaotic if I look at it. ha3 But eway, I'll just tweak it later. Like my posts? Why don't you subscribe to my feeds? ahihi (wala kang hiya quincy!)

I was also invited to join a new forum called Pinoy Blogger. Why don't you try it?

If you happen to scroll down a little more in my blog, you'll see my technorati authority stats and I was surprised when my technorati authority went abruptly high. It was 37 last week and now I have 58. Thank you so much to those who visits often. Maraming salamat talaga.

Have you heard or seen the 2k bloggers' site? I'm so happy that naka abot pa ko sa final slots nila. If you visit the site, you'll see the photo montage. Can you see me there? I attached the same photo as what you can see in my profile photo here in my blog. I'm one of those who were blessed for the last few free spots. ha3



I also joined the Good Blogs community, the You Comment I Reply and U Comment I follow movements. I joined them since I am really a sucker for comments because it surely feels good to know that your visitors are commenting on your posts. It makes me feel the interaction, the coversation and the affection with each blogger friends. That is why if you have noticed, I am threading my comment pages to further discuss things all about the post. Besides, it is really encouraging.

I hope you'll join the movements.

I'll end this with hopes that you'll be still be visiting despite my absence. (remember the archives. LOL)

Happy blogging everyone!

*People! People! People!

Are you special?

Remember: It took a Man to suffer extreme pain and death to pay for your sins. That is how special you are.

Human Experiment: Coke + Mentos = ???

This article with photos in sequence was sent to me through an e-mail. It told me that there was a little boy died in Brazil after eating MENTOS and drinking COCA-COLA (or PEPSI) together. One year before the same accident happened, another boy died in the same country.

The photos are taken during an experiment done by mixing Coca-Cola (or Coka-Cola Light) with MENTOS .

Check out what happens.





Maybe I need to know the facts behind this.

I posted this since I myself is eating Mentos (POLO's) and I also drink Coke. Fortunately, I swallowed these in seperate dates.

Here's a human experiment, by the way:




This may be truly dangerous or just deception. But it's better to be careful with your self eating MENTOS (POLO's) and drinking COCA-COLA or PEPSI together.

Will you repost this?

*Did you meet my first crush?

Remembering Dick and Rick Hoyt

Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts, USA. TOGETHER, they competed just about continuously in marathon races. And if they’re not in a marathon they are in a triathlon — that disheartening, almost superhuman, combination of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming.

TOGETHER they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,770 miles across America.

It’s a remarkable record of exertion considering that Rick can't walk nor talk.

For the past several years Dick, who is 65, has pushed and pulled his son across the country and over hundreds of finish lines. When Dick runs, Rick is in a wheelchair that Dick is pushing. When Dick cycles, Rick is in the seat-pod from his wheelchair, attached to the front of the bike. When Dick swims, Rick is in a small but heavy, firmly stabilized boat being pulled by Dick. TOGETHER, Dick is the body and Rick is the heart.

It has been a story of exclusion when Rick was born in 1962. He was then 8 months old when the doctors told Dick to put Rick away because he'd be a vegetable all his life, that sort of thing.

But Dick is a true father. He disagreed with what the doctor told them to do, sent Rick back home and raised him just like any normal child.

Dick and Rick Hoyt inspired many people accross the planet including Presidents and many elites.

TOGETHER, let us remember their plight. Let us remember that TOGETHER we CAN if only we will make up our hearts and minds. Let us remember one great LOVE a father has given to a SON.

So far, this is the only youtube video that made me cry for several times. I know I was not the first one cry over this and I believe that I am not the last.

*My father's 6th Death Anniversary

Reviving the Nation

My late father's younger brother, Engr. John Erisima Tampo, was speaker during my secondary education Alma Mater's 60th Graduation Exercises last April 4, 2007.

Tito John, as I call him, is currently the Project Manager of Southeast Asia Food Inc. (SAFI) He finished his studies in secondary and tertiary level as a State Scholar of our city.

Now living in La Paz, Iloilo City, Tito has a loving wife, Tita Inday and has 2 sons and a daughter (obviously my cousins) John, Fredeliz Irene Rowena and Cid Henry Erickson. (I'm so blessed to have them part of my family.)

Tito talked on ways on Reviving the Nation through simple steps.

Here's what he told the 2007 graduates of Doña Hortencia Salas Benedicto National High School, the home of Luiji John Karlo M. Suarez, the Organization Awards Winner of the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance, Lemelson Foundation Award during the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held at Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA on May 13-19, 2007.

Reading this somehow filled up my ignorance on many issues that are currently pandemoniac in our Filipino nation.

I personally thank Tito for these words.

This may take a few minutes of your time but I tell you, it's worth it.

REVIVING THE NATION

The Vision

Where do we go from here? Where must the Philippines be ten, fifteen years from now?
We must be afraid to dream of a country which is free of poverty by the year 2020.
We have to make a decision to solve this problem in our generation.
This translates to two million Filipino getting out of the poverty trap every year.
Can this be done? Yes, this can be done. Is there hope? Yes there is. How do we do this?

My dear graduates, parents, teachers, education officials, local government executives, fellow alumni, fellow students, classmates and friends may I humbly offer a simple step by step strategy.

First, we must put our selves in order and change the world's perception of the Filipino.

To do this, we must change our value system. We need to have a value-driven educational system anchored on love of God, country, and fellowmen.

We must reform the elector process and ensure that only men and women of impeccable integrity will be in the commission on Elections. Men and women who know how to count and cannot be bought. Who have only the present and future welfare of the Filipinos in their hearts and nothing else.

We must educate the electorate so that politicians can no longer fool us.

We must eliminate graft and corruption in government. From the President of the Philippines to the lower clerk. From Malacañang to the Barangay Hall. We need an honest government.

Our government must do what is right and good for the people without expecting to be bribed and without extorting money from the citizens. We have paid you enough with our hard earned taxes. We need not pay you anything extra anymore.

We need to abolish the pork barrel for congressman and senators. Their job is to craft laws, to see that these implemented, and where weakness and problem exist, to strengthen these laws. It is not there job to build waiting sheds, foot walks, roads, schoolhouses, and buy medicines. We have the DPWH, DepED, DSWD, and the DOH to do all these. We do not need a duplication of these functions.

Public office is public trust, according to Henry Ford I.

We need to change first.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "What lies behind us, and what lies ahead of us, are small things compared to what lies within us."

We need to build our character first. We must put our selves in order.

Second, we must put our house in order and attract investments.

We need to clean our backyard.

We need to clean our communities, roads, drainage system and public place and keep them clean.

We need to minimize waste, segregate them, do our best to recycle, and dispose of our garbage properly.

We need to clean our rivers and seas and stop dumping garbage on them.

We need to stop denuding our forests and start planting trees instead.

We need to clean and protect our mangroves and coral reefs.

We need to stop crime, drug addiction and trafficking, urban blight.

We need to invest in social as well as physical infrastructure.

We need to abolish the pork barrel for congressman and senators. It is not there job to build waiting sheds, foot walks, roads, schoolhouses, and buy medicines.

We need to effectively address the needs of the orphans, homeless, the aged, and the disabled.

We need to separate the weak from the able-bodied.

We must take care of the weak and the sickly but we must provide the able-bodied with fresh opportunities for a productive life.

We need to invest in power, transportation, and communication infrastructure.

We need more power generation transmission capacity in order to bring down the cost of power in country.

We need to improve the quality of the roads, bridges, seaport and airports.

We need to balance the national budget. We can do this if we can stop graft and corruption, maximize revenue collection, and exercise prudence in spending.

If we do all these, increase foreign direct investment and tourism, both on a sustainable bases, will nit, far from behind. With added investment, employment will increase and morale will improve. These will lead to better productivity, which leads to better profit, which lead to higher government revenues, and therefore increase level for infrastructure. And the economy will get better and better.

Last but not the least, we must put our tools in order.

Our tools are our knowledge and competence. Our Agriculture. Our Industry. Our Services.

In this third strategic step, we need an educational system that can improve science and mathematics instruction.

Education is one of the powerful social invention against poverty. Innovative educational program instill in the student the power to hope and the desire to make a difference by using gifts to benefit others. To benefit the community and nation.

"Walang sinuman and nabubuhay, para sa sarili lamang,
Walang sinuman and namamatay, para sa sarili lamang;
Tayong lahat ay may pananagutan sa isa't isa.
Tayong lahat ay tinipon ng Diyos, na kapiling N'ya."

We need to focus more on science, engineering and technology that convert the knowledge and competence of our workforce from the basic to the more advance know how and skill this nation needs in order to add more and more value to our resources, products and services.

We need to produce more brilliant scientists and engineers. By sharpening our skills, we can produce more rice, more corn, more sugar from our declining agriculture lands and globally competitive costs.

By sharpening our know how, we can run our industries more efficiently and productivity, producing products and world-class quality we can export. Products we can label, "Proudly Made in the Philippines."

By technology and innovation, we can improve the competitiveness of our services sector. In the global market, it is only through productivity, quality value, and innovation that we can compete.

This would mean better profit in industry, which will result to higher government revenues, further resulting to better infrastructure, and further improving the investment attractiveness of the nation.

The Challenge

Dear graduates, whatever field it will be you want to pursue, I challenge you to pursue it the you can by working as hard as you can, always cognizant of the fact that your nation needs us. The challenge I gave you and everybody listing tonight is a long and difficult process.

"The woods are sleepy, dark and deep.
But I have a promise to keep.
And miles to go before I sleep.
And miles to go before I sleep."

But we need to start the process of putting our selves in order, putting our house in order, and putting our tools in order. And we need to start NOW.

For ourselves, our families, and our nation and in the process, glorify GOD.

Our nation needs a leader with a vision for a better quality of life for Filipinos. A leader with the courage to do whatever it takes no matter what the cost to his prison. The competence to discern good from bad, right from wrong.

The character to stay the course no matter the threats, the obstacles, the risk.

"A nation without heroes is a sad nation, a nation without a leader is a sadder nation."

If we do not have the leadership now, just looking at this batch of graduates of 2007 tells me we will have the leadership in the near future.

Therefore dear graduates, dream to make a difference. For he is not the man who does not improve his part of the world.

Some of you might want to become doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, architects, dentists, lawyer and accountants.

Do not just dream of becoming a doctor or a nurse. Dream of inspiring and giving hope to the sick and the hopeless.

Do not just dream of becoming an accountant. Dream of bringing wealth to this nation.

Do not just dream of becoming an architect. Dream of beautifying our country.

Do not just dream of becoming a dentist. Dream of bringing close-up smile and colgate smile. Dream of bringing about dental health.

Do not just dream of becoming a lawyer. Dream of fighting for what is right. Dream of standing up for justice and equality.

Do not just dream of becoming an engineer. Dream of improving the way people work, travel, communicate, and live. Dream of making this world a better place to live in.

Do not just dream of becoming a teacher. Dream of transforming lives.^

An insane, freaky and paranoid college student

I got this from the friendster bulletin Gracy posted.

It's a sort of an expose. Please read.

Anak,

Naipadala ko na ang 50 thousand pesos na tuition fee mo, pinagbili na namin ang mga kalabaw natin.

Ang mahal pla ng kursong DOTA, wala na din pla tayong baboy naibenta na din para dun sa sinsabi mo na project nyo na NOKIA N75, ang mahal naman ng project na yun.

Kasama din ang 7 thousand dun para sa field trip nyo sa MALL OF ASIA, anak malayo ba yun? Mag ingat ka sa pagbibiyahe mo, isasanla pala namin ang palayan natin para mabili mo na ang iyong instrumentong I-POD na kinakailangan mo sa laboratory nyo.

Anak komportable ka ba jan sa boarding house mo? san ba kamu yan...? sa VICTORIA COURT - maganda ba jan? di ba mainit jan? Anak kamusta na pala yung group project nyo na SANMIG LIGHT? Napailaw nyo na ba? mataas ba nakuha nyo na grado dun?

Anak sana bago pa maubos ang lahat ng ari-arian natin ay maka gradweyt kana, walong taon ba talaga ang kurso mo sa SECRETARIAL?, sana pag gradweyt mo makakuha ka ng trabaho kaagad kagaya ng manager ng kumpanya para mabawi natin ang mga ari-arian natin sa sanglaan.

Ay sya nga pala anak diba sabi mo sa JOLLIBEE / MAK DONALD ka palagi kumakain? Ok ba naman sayo ang mga ulam dyan? baka hindi masarap kawawa ka naman. Eh yung school bus nyo na TAXI sabihin mo sa driver mag ingat sya sa pag da-drive.

Anak hanggang dito nalang at sa susunod ay ipapadala ko sayo ang pera na pambili mo ng ALTIS na gagamitin mo sa VACANT SUBJECT mo.

Ang nagmamahal


Itay at Inang

P.S. Anak mag aral ka ng mabuti.

quinkoy tawops posts his top 10

It was just last week when Karlo of Pinoy Blogero told me about Ms. Janette Toral's Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs in 2007 writing project. I didn't have the nerve of interest at first but when I saw that many bloggers had posted their own picks, I gained the push to show my readers who influenced me greatly in my one and half-month time blogging mulling over the reality that we need to influence more bloggers to produce sensible, healthy and substantial write-ups.

By the way, July 28, 2007 will be the deadline of submission of nominations. You have your list? Send it ASAP.

Here are my top 10 picks.

Karlo of Pinoy Blogero
Gracy of Melodies of Life
Fion of Nuninuninuu..
Andrea of Wait, who said that?
Allen of Silkenhut's World
Pilgrim of OFW Lyf
Chief of Unwind
Jowell of The Blue Addictions
Jackie of True Essence of a Princess' Life
Dunno of Pinoy ProBlogger

These bloggers and their blogs had a good impact on me in some kind or another. I hope somebody from this list will be selected.

*I had some changes in my previous list since some of my picks are not qualified or they started blogging before August 2006 so I beg to apologize for my ignorance and stupidity, specifically to:

Mark Aethen of Athen-ism
Frances Paula of Small World Big Possibilities
Ariel of Another Journey
Makoy of Memoirs of a Certified Blogger

But that would serve as a thought that I loved your blogs so I really thank you so much.

Again, I'm sorry.

*For the second time, I apologize.

Sarah of Ramblings of a Princess
Joiz of Joiz, the angel's lair
Nicely of Nice and Smiling Girl

I can't seem to discover when you started blogging. Good thing for those who have apparent archives.

I had a hard time changing the blogs on my list since it's some kind of tedious choosing the blogs who really influenced me or those who have etched a thought in my mind that I come to remember every now and then.

Anyway, there you have it. Hoping it could pass.

*To Janet Toral, kindly evaluate again.

SONA and SELF

Thanks so much to gmanews.tv for providing a whole video coverage of yesterday's State of the Nation Address of Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Republic of the Philippines.

First, I would like to congratulate my friend Luiji John Suarez, organizational awardee, during the International Intel Science Fair held at Mexico. I felt proud seeing him standing with a wide smile, bowing to the national audience - applauded - as he was being commended by the President on her SONA. We knew each other at a Local Youth Development Assembly last November, 2006.

Hearing/reading about the apparent achievements of PGMA's administration from economy, education, empowerment, electricity, medicine, public safety, security and tourism and a lot more made me admire her courage, diligence and passion to serve the country well and right than being stunned of fame and power despite the baloney bickerings, petty scuffles and unintelligent pursuits of many critics and fault-finders.

We will always go down to the bottom line of everything which is imperfection. Our country (and every country) is being governed by human beings with built-in imperfections thus there will always be imperfections in the systems, the strategies and the means of making our 7,100 plus islas to progress and to rise from the mire of poverty. But those natural imperfections can be surpassed with the followers' excellence and perfection in their line of work, excellence and perfection in their relationships and excellence and perfection in governing their own lives and most especially their own selves.

I believe, the progress of one country always begins from the progress of one's self.

That is not a culture of apathy, but a culture of reaching forward for the sake of the family, the community and the nation and knowing where to land.

I hope everybody begins everything with their own selves. An Anglican Bishop often reminds me with his sayings:

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world;
As I grew older and wise I realized the world would not change.
And I decided to shorten my sights somewhat and change only my country. But it too seemed immovable.
As I entered my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I sought to change only, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.
And now, here I lie on my death bed and realized (perhaps for the first time) that if only I'd changed myself first, then by example I may have influenced my family and with their encouragement and support I may have bettered my country, and who knows I may have changed the world.

The change in yourself may just be small simple thing. But as what Alex Lacson told us, let us believe in the power of little things, of little thoughts because these thoughts or ideas can produce actions and these actions can become habbits, these habbits can become our way of life, our culture and these ways of life can become our destiny as a people, as a nation.

I'm sure everyone of us wants to make change in our country. Shall we start it in our selves?

Everything seems screwed up!

Have you been bungled by lots of responsibilities and can't cope up with everything and you just start screaming within yourself angry, pissed and screwed up not with the people around you but with every situation that hampers you to finish a thing and dumps you on your darn baloney sulky mood that delays or even stops your interest and willingness to get things done as soon as possible?

Just like this:

1. You just came from a training thus, you're tired and wanted to sleep but when you do so and you're at the middle of your dream, your mother wakes you up while your younger sister shouts at you that somebody is looking or calling for you outside the house. What happens? You're disrupted and messed up because of the abrupt shift of the atmosphere from fantasy to reality and going dizzy while hanging over from the insufficient sleeep, you run to the house's main door to face your visitor and later did you know that you're just wearing a boxer shorts without a top.

2. Your brother requested you to encode the TGS of a fast food store on MS Excel since he can't do it himself because of his busy and pressured schedules at work. But since your computer is near the room of your grandmother where her door is slightly opened so you can hear her call whenever she needs you (she has pleurisy and he can hardly voice out what she needs) and that the light you use passes through her room and she can't sleep under that condition, you got to kill your light and struggle to see the data on the TGS form through dim light.

3. You got to use the computer since you have to send an e-mail to a coordinator of your project that you need some financial and intellectual support. However, your younger sister has her assignments to be passed the next morning and you don't have any amount on your pocket to rent from Internet cafes.

4. You are trying to focus on a certain write up without any disruptions but your uncle living beside your house loves to turn the volume louder with his 50s to 70s type of music and even sings along with it plus the television sounds you can't turn off because everyone's watching plus the mosquitos that bite your feet and legs plus the frequent call of your grandma to get her a cup of water or requests for some milk and some biscuit or bread.

5. And when you finished your work on the TGS, your write ups for the publication and blog, your mother's requests and your sisters summary of an editorial, you'd want to dose off seeing the time ticks 1am in the morning but when you turn your freaking head on the kitchen, your eyes go wide discovering the dishes weren't washed yet.

Do these seem mess you up? - whew -

I am not angry nor pissed with the people who made these things happen because they're also human beings - my family is group of homo sapiens with built-in imperfections. What spoils me so much are the situations.

One thing I realized? God gives the toughest test!

I hope, I can overcome these things as part of my daily responsbility here in our house and with my family.

Still, all things work for a purpose.

'Biyahe tayo,' take risks and enjoy priceless rewards

Hi everyone. Thank you so much for visiting my blog for the past 2 days. On my way home, I was so excited to see if how was everything here. Though, I didn't have more comments on my latest posts. reading my messages on shoutboxes made me feel even better so I really thank you so much.

As what I've told you in my previous post, I'll be having a training and I just came back from the 2-day training from Iloilo to Bacolod City and it has been a venturous experience for me. Why? It was my very first time to do almost all the jaunts and activities I did and I really thank God for that opportunity.

To think that I coordinated for the event (with support from my fellow y-konek members most especially Jake Mae Valencia of West Negros College and Ramel Jacolbe of Riverside College), I thank God for the chance once again to be pressured, squeezed and harnessed for a good cause, a good advocacy and a very scary do-that-or-I'll-kick-your-ass instances during the preparations and when facilitating everything in the venue and while the training is on progress.

But despite all the risks and mind-stirring challenges, the treasurable moments of accomplisment wrapped everything with joy and fulfillment. Indeed, taking risks to ascertain unknown things for you are all worth it and it surely felt so cool when everytime I discovered something new, I whisper to myself:

"Now I know what"
"Now I know why"
"Now I know how"

I knew it felt complete and it pushes me to want to undergo brand new challenges again.

With heartfelt thanks, everything went good from fetching our trainer, Aldwin Joseph Empaces (Kuya Aldwin as we fondly call him), at the New Iloilo Airport to our training and up to accompanying him to Cebu Pacific Airlines at Bacolod City just this morning.

What wears us down the most in life aren't the chances we take but the chances we don't take, the dreams we put aside, the adventures we push away.

I personally thank Kuya Aldwin for everything. As I accompany him for 2 days from breakfast to supper and from one place to another, I really learned so much. Lessons from his life - life as a lover, life as a responsible member of the family, life as a teacher, life as an environmentalist and his life as a researcher.

Kuya, if you happen to read this, thank you so much. I would thank many people from the bottom of my heart but to you and also to the staff of the SOARGroup of USC, my heart is bottomless.

On my ride home from Bacolod City just this morning, I saw myself sitting in the PUB, leaning on the window glass and looking at the busy highway as trees, fields, the people, the seas, the sky seemed smiling to a beautiful day, my heart pounding, pondering over the 2 days of various precious experiences, learnings, friendship and realizations...I felt new. I felt so good. I felt different that I came on asking myself, "Is this me? Am I still Quincy?" and just dim my eye with that salty liquid again, grateful to what God did to my existence in just a short time.

One epiphany is the greatest tragedy a person would ever do in his life is not to brace for his supreme effort to get what he purposefully needs and wants.

Indeed, Kuya Aldwin's text message for me was true, "What wears us down the most in life aren't the chances we take but the chances we don't take, the dreams we put aside, the adventures we push away. So whatever it is you're wanting in life, go for it! And always remember that no matter what, trust your heart."

*^*

Enough with the sentiments, I would like to give you a glimpse of what we are doing right now.

As partner of the Sociology and Anthropology Research Group (SOARGroup) of University of San Carlos with support from the Internaional Planned Parenthood Foundation of America, the Y-Konek (an youth organization that advocates for adolescent reproductive health) will conduct a survey on the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of ARH issues. The study will cover randomly selected adolescents from first year to third year high school students. This is to establish the baseline data to assist us in developing an information, education and communications program for adolescents.

In view of the activity, we underwent what I was telling you, a training on basic research.

This activity aims to analyze differences in KAP by age, sex and marital status. Besides, it also aims to identify and analyze the determinants of the risky RH behavior and so we could later recommend effective strategies on youth RH campaigns and service delivery.

The kick off of the field work will be sometime this week and if it does happen, I need to go back to Iloilo City to give other Y-konek members a back-up because there are only few young active people who will serve there.

I hope and pray for God's provisions and sustaining grace as I do this tasks in Iloilo at the same time check the researchers in Bacolod City.

I didn't imagine myself that I will be having this kind of responsibility. Indeed, if opportunity comes, you stop it from giving you everything. And with that, I again thank God for honing me back in my 14 years of schooling and for giving me priviledges to have control over small things. Now, he's given me control over somehow big things.

To God be the glory.

A tribute to friends before graduation

I wrote this before I graduated from college. This is a tribute to my batch as we left the portals of our alma mater even though things between us didn't seem to rhyme 2 weeks before the graduation.

Minsan madarama mo kay bigat ng problema
Minsan mahihirapan ka at masasabing “di ko makakaya”

It is November 22, 2027 and it will be my Alma Mater’s 60th Founding Anniversary.

I am waiting for my flight home to the Philippines from Krabi City, South Thailand. I will be attending our Alumni Homecoming.

It was a connecting flight from Thailand to Hongkong to the Philippines.

I was naïve and was not really engrossed to going out of the country. But there I am teaching the kids in Prakhun Language School, a school established by a Filipino Pastor to teach English while integrating the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am sitting inside the boarding lounge while surfing the World Wide Web in my laptop computer set up with Macintosh operating system and with a wireless internet connection. I am checking on LCCC’s website. Later did I know that the website is built thru the efforts of Albert Carbajusa, now a Radio Productions Supervisor of 101.5 FM Bacolod. He was once addicted to going on internet cafés when I taught him how. The website is linked with abs-cbninteractive.com and is having sponsors from different prestigious companies. I now remember that Albert is a very good solicitor during our college years. Amazingly, the proceeds go directly to the city college’s Metrobank account and were used to build the first skyscraper in La Carlota City.

I checked on the graduates tab on the page and noticed the “staff box” hyperlink. There I see Roselyn Dorado, the chairman of the formation and networking committee of lacarlotacitycollege.net. Her staffers are researchers Mike Pabalate, Racel Esparagoza, Jinnah Grace Tamagos and Anna Liza Ortega. They are considered the researchers of researchers in the year 2017. They create links with other schools round the world to much better enhance the quality of education of our Alma Mater. They are also the people who track the current statuses of our batch mates.

Going back to the homepage, I am opening the internet radio, linked to My Only Radio 101.5 FM Bacolod. Just on time, I hear DJ’s Nicolas Roca and his partner Richard Canja inviting LCCC’s alumni to attend the homecoming on November 27, 2027.

In a while, somebody called up on air, it was Sprite Manangkil, asking if the homecoming is KKB (Kanya kanyang baon) or not. Sprite then is already one of the leading internship uniform designers round the Philippines.

Thrilled with my friends’ achievements and endeavours after 20 long years, it is inspiring me to search for the rest of the gang.

As I was skimming the web pages, there is this acoustic band in the advertisement page that caught my attention. I was shocked when I realized Julesis Abraham is already leading an acoustic band with Raffie Salazar as their soloist. Girls and gays scream to the max at their gigs. Besides, they have Cindy Cagayanan, Vinecar Cobilla and Juvy dela Cruz as their back up. Not back-up singers, but back-up dancers.

Then I proved my friends right. There are not just good in teaching, they are also superb on entertainment.

I clicked on the graduates tab of the website then opened the 40th batch link. There is a list of the graduates with their profiles and their current jobs and indulgences at the left side.

Unfortunately, the plane arrives at 10:30, so I got to turn off the computer and board the flight.

I was seated on E7. I was stunned when I saw Merly Roquero and Glaisa Geniebla on seats near front. Good thing, nobody seats beside them so I transferred for awhile to have somebody to talk to. There I learned that these two were working as teacher-volunteers in a remote area in South Thailand. But it is just temporary since they will be finishing their doctor’s degree in the Philippines and apply in their Alma Mater.

On the way, we keep a steady stream of conversation generously sprinkled with animated ejaculations and spontaneous peals of laughter. There is a series of do-you-remember stories about old jokes, parties, common friends and classmates. Before long, it is common knowledge that the Artist of the Year is Jien Omar Mendoza who is presently having his arts exhibited at Shangrila Hotel in Cebu City and gained distinction of his uniqueness. And he is now one of the master teachers in art in the school founded by Drs. Anthony Espanilla, Ryan Canja, Zyrus Leones and Belle Mar Layson, the officers of the Association of Aspiring Artists of the Philippines. Glaisa suggests that they’d better convince the four founders to give a part of their proceeds to Drs. Ysann Gel Genovis, Juliet Baliguat and Donna Mae Tubianosa who are rumoured to be the three missionary educators in Africa who have refused to reveal their identities.

Tumingin ka lang sa langit
Baka sakaling may masumpungan

Continuing the conversation, even though these friends are not with us now, we are feeling proud that they sacrifice a lot for their missions. I added that we also must be proud of Japhet Bermillo, Cyrel Belbar, Ma. Christina Toledo, Jay Hernaez, Sheryl Seligbon, Lenny Villasis, Syrose Rebuca, Ana Mae Pillado, April Joy Despi, Jennicer Sedayon, Daisy Ann Ojano, Celestine Joy Pedrosa and Ariel Gerolani for completing their requirements for the doctorate degrees in Hongkong.

Jenry Gico on the other hand, says Merly, was praised as he established the Literary and Arts Initiative Center with his romantic poems and paintings while having the proceeds donated to the Sakadas of Negros Occidental.

Glaisa, shares that he happened to know that Esther Hope Magbanua, Rosamy Occilada, Liezl Cabasag, May Rosh Arguelles, Sheila Mae Chavez, Shane Ann Tangile, Lorelyn Oroceo, Jeanalyn Larios, Frederick Quillain, Donniver Canja and Renjie Abellita at Dubai’s 7star hotel. He learned about that thru an e-mail from Aisa Joy Angeles, married to somebody rich and having a comfy life at his rest house in Tagaytay. Aisa said, they re having they’re having their international teachers’ convention there.

We’re now landing in Hongkong Int’l airport so have to go back to my seat.

I remember that I have a new issue of Times Magazine in my bag. I skim and saw this text in formal font styles with a bright red background with transparency and opacity fading to white. It is something from Ronnel Busayong, a young president of a private elementary in Wisconsin, USA, featured because of his pure friendship among his subordinates. But there is still a text on Times New Roman font at the bottom. He published his proposal for the girl he loved since college. I don’t know if I am sure if that’s the girl but it is something like “Liz”.

I missed something from the frontpage so I got back. I read the title of Ronnel’s article “Ron’s Friendship and Romance.” To my surprise, the one who interviewed and wrote about him is Mary Grace Ortega, now a staff writer of the internationally distributed magazine, Times.

The rest of the English Literature experts are being dispersed to the different vast regions of the world to write stories for the magazine.

Back to the air, we arrive at NAIA by 5:00 oclock in the afternoon. Bidding good bye to my friends because they all have to go somewhere, I told them about the homecoming and they were willing to cut their schedules.

I decided to stay at a hotel for the night. Inside, I see a poster telling there is a show at ballroom 2 of the hotel, tickets pegged at 200 pesos. I have nothing to do so I see watching the best option..

Just on time, I hear people applaud, and whistle. I am at daze when I see the performers had their production number, it is Precil Necesito, Florebee Corsino, Glaisa Geniebla, Vivian Decrepito, Rey Pacheco, Christopher Teodorico, Randy Cueva, Jetmar Arzaga, Jay-R Miraflor, Arian Almarie, Alex Naragdao, Reynaldo Obelidon and Oroncio Ulbida, Mary Jane and Naarah Michelle having the best of the best Literary musical performances with fight scenes. They are elite performers during the evening but master teachers during daylight.

The shows done, got to book for a flight to Bacolod on November 27, eat and sleep.

November 27, arriving at Bacolod, around 5 in the afternoon, I decided to get a taxi home to La Carlota City.

I went directly to the school and at the vast gate of my Alma Mater with large format photo streamers featuring the college’s 60th founding anniversary, I witnessed Isha Lasco’s crush became man enough to propose marriage at the busy renovated covered walk of La Carlota City College. It was romantic welcoming for me.

Every witness congratulated the two and Isha chose not to attend the alumni homecoming and told our folks that she will be preparing for her marriage.

Di kaya ako’y tawagin
Malalaman mong kahit kailan

I went straight to the publication office to grab a copy of the College Voice, the headline struck my eyes when I see Dr. J-O-Y Solomon’s name. She is now finishing her studies on integrating global quality training and discipline in the Education Course curriculum.

Then moving further to friendship hall where we will be having our first homecoming session, I was astonished upon seeing the vast hall. It is extended, walled with glass, fully air-conditioned with built-in LCD Projector and laptop and brand new sound system. It can already sit a thousand.

Coming in, I see batch 40 and welcoming us, is Dr. Bernadette Balani, now the President of the Alumni Association and the pioneering President of the La Carlota Metropolitan. As I go on my way to a vacant seat with the guffaw and hum of voices in my ears, I can’t help but think and feel amused at our being young again, at the sense of play and adventure that has engulfed us with youthful intensity upon seeing each other after good many years. There I learned that most of us are now doctors and masters of our chosen fields.

November 27, 2027, a clear and starry sky with cold breeze of the coming December is a perfect setting for a festive night. Sleek and flashy cars line the parking grounds in front of the JPRC. In the soft dim adoring light that illuminate the school park, a banner warmly greets all – WELCOME CLASS 2007!!!

The friendship hall is aquiver with life. Subdued lights, the décor – flowers balloons, buntings, -- give the room a mystic atmosphere inducing sentimental memories. The lilting music, the carefree laughter, the happy faces and sparkling eyes – everything that is reminiscent of our last college years is there. As I look into the smiling faces, eyes brimming with unbounded joy, I find myself as though by magic transformation, looking into the beaming faces of more than a hundred school youths of 20 years ago, as with high hopes and aspirations they raise to their lips the eternal song of friendship.

Hawak kamay
Di kita iiwan sa paglakbay
Dito sa mundong walang katiyakan
Hawak kamay
Di kita bibitawan sa paglalakbay
Sa mundo ng kawalan.