Day 186: City Life

It will be more than eight years now that I'd been living the promdi (provincial) life. Being born and raised in Manila/Quezon City for most of my life, it is still a puzzle to me (and to most people who know me) how I was able to appreciate and love the simple life. Knowing and seeing it is one thing but living it is entirely a different matter altogether. 

I was known as "lakwatsa" and "porma" girl in my younger days. The Greenhills Shopping Center was my hangout place and I remember needing to be updated with the latest fashion trend. That was one effect of growing up in a private all-girls school. I had this lopsided view about life and belongingness. I grew up believing I had to be "in" to feel that I fit in. I guess that was the reason why I never felt real happy during elementary and high school days. I was always measuring myself against my richer and well-placed classmates that I forgot that the most important thing was developing my own being and individuality. 

I was fortunate to learn this once I entered the country's state university where my classmates came from all walks of life and from all over the country. It was where kikay met jologs and sossy hobnobbed with geeky and it was sooooo okay. For the first time in my life, I felt that I belonged in this crazy world. 

I guess it was this awesome, mind-blowing and culture-shaking experience that made me  go for the unusual things in life - choosing to start a career right smack in Manila's pier area, deciding to move to Cebu for independence and finally settling for a laid back life in Northern Mindanao.

Shunning away from the busy city life has probably added several years to my life expectancy because of less stress, no pollution and a no-excess lifestyle. The lure of the bright lights only come once in a blue moon and is easily fixed through a brief vacation in the city. Looking at how well my children are - carefree, simple and happy, I know that hubby and I must be doing something right and have made the best decision we could ever make for the family - the rustic provincial living. 

Day 184: Miracles and Renewal

REBIRTH...RENEWAL...RECONCILIATION...Our very first Christian experience was the baptism we received as infants. At the time, our parents and godparents stood as "witnesses" for us. As we grew older in our walk of faith, we experience many challenges and reach numerous crossroads and in many instances, we lose touch with what it truly means and takes to be a Christian. Sometimes we get lost in the hustle and bustle of life or get lured by false contentment given by material things. 


Hubby and I were blessed by God to have been given an opportunity to renew ourselves with Him through the loving support of our BCBP community. Like doubting Thomas, we needed to see to believe and when we did, God's promise of eternal life became true and alive. Through our Baptism in the Holy Spirit, we were able to receive gifts of outrageous proportions. We were unworthy and yet the Lord poured out His bountiful blessings into us. 


It is life-changing...and it is indeed a true rebirth into God's loving arms. Praise Him now and forever!!!

Day 167: A New School Year

After nearly 3 months of summer vacation, Jarred is back in school and ready to face the challenges as a Grade I student. He's bound to discover many changes in this new school year. For one, short pants are no longer part of his regular uniform as he's required to wear long pants already. Secondly, his daily school schedule has shifted from half to whole day. He has to wake up early in the morning and prepare for a full day which starts at 7:30 am and ends at 5:00 pm. Another big change is the introduction of a couple of new subjects like Computer and Sibika. When he was in preschool, he only had two teachers, one who taught subjects under the English Department and another who taught the subjects in Chinese. This time around, he's going to have a different teacher coming into the classroom for each of his subjects.

On this first day, it was noticeable that a few of his former classmates weren't around as they've transferred to other schools but there were about 5 new students in class that Jarred easily befriended.

I'm sure he's looking forward to another year of learning, challenges and fun at BFCS.

Day 138: Waiting for Daylight

In life, there are many surprises - some will sweep us off our feet and others may shock or even disappoint us. I'm the type of person who abhors getting rocked or being jolted out of my comfort zone. I absolutely hate it and it takes me a while before I can fully adapt and accept changes in my life. Suffice to say, I'm for those types of surprises that excite and bring happiness (hey, I'm only human...with human frailties).

As I look upon the horizon, I can see part-darkness and part-light...with yesterday's sorrows and failures behind me, I can only see today's uncertainty...and yet, there is a radiance that peeks in to tell me that tomorrow is another day and that I should embrace it with newfound hope and joy.

Day 120: The TRANSFORMERS have my vote

In ten days, the Philippines will choose its national and local leaders in an election that is said to be unprecedented since this will be the first automated elections in our country's history.  All camps are giving that final push to their campaigns to make their respective candidates known, felt and heard.

As I've mentioned in my earlier blog post, this is the first time in almost twenty years that I've been active and cared about any Philippine elections. It was a case of "once bitten, twice shy" for me. As a young adult, I looked forward to the very first opportunity I had to exercise this right and was really very excited to do it.  However, when subsequent elections didn't bring about competitive choices and some of them wreaked of being rigged, I just lost hope. 

I believe it is motherhood that has led me to be proactive once more about the future of this country.  I have three young children whose future hangs in the balance. As their parent, I have the obligation to make the right choice towards progress of this nation. I don't really care for me anymore, I doubt if I'd still be able to see the Philippines great again in my lifetime but I care about my children and theirs so they may be the ones to enjoy the fruits of my choice. I've been quite vocal about who my choices are for the two top positions in the country.

Having worked in Human Resources, I know the rudiments of job application and hiring. If you distance yourself and really just think about it, the elections is just a nationwide job application exercise. A bunch of people trying to get into a limited number of job slots, right? These are the processes in job hiring and what I think are their equivalent in modern day election process:

1. Job Application/Job Fair = Filing of COC's

2. Testing (Verbal/Non-verbal, Personality/Psych) = don't you think there should be?

3. Preliminary Interview = Forums

4. Comprehensive Interview = Debates

The applicant advances to the next level only if his qualifications and performance deem him fit to do so. A government position is really just that - a job position and Filipinos play the part of HR during elections. If you owned a company and you were hiring to fill in critical and vital positions, would you choose applicants who are merely popular, rich, "well-connected",  or religious/morally-upright? Or would you choose based on credentials, personality, past performance and the ability to blend into your organization? When certain candidates begin to refuse psych tests and turns down invitations for debates, you've got to know that those are 'red flags'. What have they got to hide? In my line of experience, those who got the job were those who really had something to show in terms of ability, talent, personality, leadership and passion.

So when I used the same method dictated by HR practices, I came up with my own choices for the top positions of this country - RICHARD GORDON and BAYANI FERNANDO. Both have proven track records in terms of holding executive positions, have stellar background/foundation (RJG in Law and BF in Engineering), have shown their unique personalities that get the job done, have exhibited passion in whatever endeavor they undergo and can truly be called leaders of our time. They've faced every forum and stood at every debate, standing behind their plans and programs for the country. No other tandem is as ready, prepared and able to put into action their words as these two. Whatever the rest are still promising to do, RJG and BF have already done and can duplicate for the rest of the Philippines. In my mind and in my heart I believe that. Choosing DICK GORDON and BAYANI FERNANDO is a choice I can be proud to tell my children, a choice that I know can change their future.

There are still many who are puzzled and undecided. Spend the remaining days before election time to scrutinize all those who are running. Maybe the best way is to get hold of that side-by-side comparison of achievements and platforms, cover the names and faces and just look at what each one has got to show. Then pray for discernment. Only then will you get your answer.