My Four Bundles of Joy

Junior is now a 2nd year high school student in Mater Carmeli School in Novaliches, Quezon City. While he still struggles with several of his academic subjects, Junior is a gifted guitar player and has very much improved his basketball skills. Junior has often used his God-given talents for His greater glory, leading worship, helping out during CFC/KFC activities and teaching other kids to play the guitar.

Sonny Boy is presently in 5th grade, also in Mater Carmeli like his older brother. He is the family’s unofficial heckler and agent provocateur. His mischief is only eclipsed by his depth of emotions and concern for his siblings, something we would like to see more often. If he focuses his mind to it, his potential for academic excellence and career success are endless!

Joshua is a miracle baby! When many thought he was an ectopic fetus or blighted ovum and wasn’t simply going to survive, by God’s grace he didn’t only come out alive but alive and kicking. It‘s by no means an accident that his second name is Joshua which means “Jesus saves”, because He does! In his good behavior, Joshua could be the cutest and most adorable kid in the planet. In his worst mood, his hyperactivity packs up a wallop, both literally and figuratively! Despite lingering in his “terrible three” year old stage (he’ll be four by September), Joshua has steadily been showing moments of brilliance and concern for others.

Baby Faith’s entry to the Mendoza family was a dream come true! After three boys, even I had to stop at four kids, regardless! My insistence, Odette’s difficult pregnancy (due to gestational diabetes which she also had with Joshua) and the wait was all worth it! Faith’s existence is a living testament to God’s faithfulness to His people!

Ferddie Who?

I was born and named Fernando Marcelino Mendoza on September 1967 in Quezon City, Philippines, the eldest of four siblings. My family lived in Quezon City in a place called San Francisco del Monte where I spent the first 20+ years of my life. I had my primary education at St. Mary’s College, secondary education at Angelicum School and college education at the De La Salle University (DLSU) in Manila. After finishing a Liberal Arts degree, majoring in Political Science (minor in Philosophy) in 1987, I took my post-graduate studies at the University of the Philippines obtaining a masteral degree in Public Administration in just two years (I was granted a College Scholarship by my 2nd year) at the youthful age of 21. In 1988, we moved to Project 8 (still in Quezon City).

I married in 1991. Odette, my wife was a long time resident of Project 8 and schoolmate in DLSU but it was only during our years as junior faculty members in our respective academic departments at DLSU that we met and really got to know each other. Junior, our eldest child was born in 1992. After staying roughly a year in my parents’ home, we moved to Fairview. There, we rented a room in a house at Ruby St. in East Fairview for around 3 months. After that, we rented a small house at the back of a main house at Mustang St. in West Fairview. In 1995, Francis Isaiah my second son was born. Finally, we bought our own house in 2000 at Daffodils St., also in West Fairview. Unto this home, Francis Joshua was added in 2002. My wife gave birth to our only princess, Ma. Fatima or Faith in 2005.

I am currently a Graft Investigation Officer of the Research and Special Studies Bureau (RSSB) in the Office of the Ombudsman. Formerly a full-time Instructor of the Political Science Department of De La Salle, I later became Assistant Professorial Lecturer in the same university and also taught various social science subjects at the Philippine Normal University and Quezon City campus of AMA Computer College.

In 1990, I was chosen to represent the National Capital Region as a Congressional Fellow in the House of Representatives. I briefly served as a Supervising Legislative Staff Officer in the House and was later appointed Executive Director and Secretary-General of the Filipino Drug Association, a national pharmaceutical industry association. On contractual basis, I also served as research and technical consultant to a number of offices that included the Congressional Research and Training Service (CRTS), the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the National Youth Commission (NYC).

Promoted to Graft Investigation Officer II in 2002, I was blessed by the Lord to have also been chosen that same year by the Office of the Ombudsman as one of its Outstanding Employees, in recognition of my exemplary performance for the year 2001. This distinctive award was again conferred on me last 2005, this time, in acknowledgment of my performance for the year 2004.

At present, I am concurrently designated as one of the four (4) Project Officers in the Project Task Force (PTF) of the European Commission - Office of the Ombudsman Corruption Prevention Project under the OMB’s Project Management Office (PMO).

My family (Christmas 2005) Odette with Baby Faith, Junior, Joshua and Sonny Boy

Visiting a Gawad Kalinga (GK) site in Negros Occidental in August 2003

With Bishop Antonio Tobias of the Diocese of Novaliches (2004)

My Couples for Christ (CFC) Unit Household (2005)

Giving out pastoral formation talks (2006)

Spending time with Joshua

Just hanging out with my Faith

The Project Task Force PTF office with Mimi Ilustre, Jin Miranda and Henrik Lindholt, our MIS Consultant from Denmark

The PTF staff at the OMB ground floor office