Ferddie's World

1st CFC-GK Quezon City Household Christmas Party at Casa Meloto

2011-12-20T13:17:00.001+08:00

Two Monday evenings ago (December 12) my community household held its first Christmas party as a CFC-GK, Q.C. household. Sadly, unlike in the previous years my wife Odette couldn’t be there with us because she wasn’t feeling well and had to come home earlier from her office due to her condition. Still, the attendance of those present during this Christmas gathering was a strong testament to the resolve and dedication of those who remained faithful to what we believed as the genuine CFC mission and work with the poor through Gawad Kalinga (GK).

Potluck food abound

Now for the third straight year, the household’s Christmas party had been held at the Meloto residence in New Capitol Estates (NCE) II. As a term of endearment, we came to refer to it as “Casa Meloto”.

Like last year, Odette and I were assigned to bring vegetable salad. Like before, I we tried to bring in a good variety of food “adjuncts” to the leafy salad to give our brethren more variety and richness of choice for their individual salad preparations.

We all had our assignments and “specialties”. For example, Bro. Willy Bagsarsa is known for his specially crafted and all-time favorite “tuna kinilaw” (raw fish immersed in spicy vinegar). Bro. Gerry Santos utilized his cooking skills for a big warm pot of “shabu-shabu” which he mixed on-site bringing along several condiments to also allow the individual to choose how spicy he or she may want her soup to taste.

“Chef” Bro. Gerry Santos prepares the much awaited shabu- shabu

Brethren prepare for the thanksgiving prayer led by host Bro. Tony Meloto

Exchange gifts are properly labeled by Sis. Thelma Grana as Bros. Willy Bagsarsa and Omin del Castillo looked on

A variety of colorful fruits

Eating time!

Green and fruity salad, chicken, spicy shabu-shabu soup and kinilaw na tanigue (raw fish marinated in vinegar) were my favorites that night

Sisters Celes Naguiat and Lyn Meloto are all smiles

Everyone was quite “busy” with their gastronomic choices

The wives prepare for their yearly gift “grabbing”…este…“giving” tradition

While the men engage in a healthy colloquy

The game begins!

After the opening of gifts, what soon followed was a hilarious protracted series of gifts changing hands

Since my wife was absent, I had to play on our behalf. I didn’t exactly know all the game mechanics but enough to know that it was a wacky game that never seems to end! Just when you think you choose a gift you like, someone in the next round of drawing cards gets it again from you.

When the smoke cleared, I got a nice blue long-sleeved dress shirt, a set of salt and pepper shakers and a environmentally friendly plastic storage box (which was one of the gifts Lovey and I actually bought).

Bro. Steve Kruger led the closing prayer

As the gathering drew to a close, we again thanked God for all the blessings we had received individually and as a group. Despite the trials and difficulties we had to endure this year in relation with the establishment of CFC-GK, Q.C., this year was a test of strength of character and commitment to a cause to genuinely serve God by serving the poor.

We move forward to 2012 with renewed hope and resolve to continue the mission and vision of CFC-GK!

Merry Christmas everyone!

A prayer for Teachers (in celebration of World Teachers’ Day 2011)

2011-10-05T11:31:00.000+08:00

October 5 is World Teachers' Day!

Everyone has at least one who comes to mind. A person, who made you think about life, made you laugh…or even made you cry. Someone who made an impression on you, someone you looked up to…someone you wanted to be like when you grow up. You remember a teacher who never gave up on you…even when you felt everyone did.

People say that teaching is the noblest of professions. Others say “those who cannot, teach.” Either way, teachers for better or for worse, mold and shape the hearts and minds of every generation. Often their ideas and actions serve as the best example of what they preach. Thus with teachers apply the same adage often ascribed to fictional “superheroes” – “with great power comes great responsibility”.

I should know, because I taught as one for several years in one college and two universities. At present, I continue to teach in a non-formal way, often when I give talks on pastoral formation or some related stuff. As a parent, you always wear a hat of a teacher to your children. In this sense, my children are my most important students.

As fitting tribute to all the dedicated and loving teachers around the world, I offer this prayer for teachers that one of my kids brought home from school. There is no mention of the author’s name on the mimeographed piece of paper. I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could recognize the author of this beautiful prayer for proper recognition. I truly believe he or she would have wanted to share it with the most number of people in the world.

To all the teachers of the world, may you be guided, protected and blessed by the greatest of all teachers, the Lord Christ Jesus!

A Prayer For Teachers

Giver of All Wisdom and Greatest of all Teachers,

Look upon our teachers with love.

Grant them the resolve

To nurture our eager minds.

And to never give up on us who fall behind

Bless their hearts.

For they rejoice when we fail.

Endow them with gentle patience

For the path of learning is never easy.

Kindle a spirit of passion in them

It is the flame that ignites the love of learning in us.

Help them see the potential in each student

Their belief in us means much more than the grade we make.

Instill in them a commitment to keep on learning

It shows us to not fear new knowledge and experiences.

Inspire them to touch the future

They influence how big a dream we dream for ourselves.

Bless our teachers who have come before

For their work endures to this day.

Let the light of Your example shine upon all teachers.

To build up with their words,

To love with their mind, and

To share with their heart.

Amen.

100 Years of La Sallian Education in the Philippines

2011-06-25T13:07:00.003+08:00

“Hail, hail, alma mater

Hail to De La Salle…”

I couldn’t keep those words from constantly ringing in my head these last few days.

That’s because last June 16, the whole La Sallian community in the Philippines celebrated its 100th year anniversary in the country. There was at least one pre-anniversary celebration I learned of, but the biggest and grandest one was surely the one held that day at De La Salle University itself at Taft Avenue, Manila.

I decided not to go that Thursday evening despite invitations, telling myself it wasn’t practical to go as it was too far away, and that it was rainy these past few days and that if I was caught in the all evening revelry, I would have surely been late for the important focus group discussion (FGD) I was going to conduct the following day at the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines on Patent and Trademark Registration relative to a series of Anti-Red Tape Assessment studies our Bureau was undertaking at the Office of the Ombudsman.

A few days after, here I am trying not to regret not being there with my wife, a momentous moment in the academic institution of our late youth. Instead, as personal penance, I gather my energies in blogging a post about De La Salle University in honor of its centennial celebration. After all, La Salle had a dramatic impact on my life. I probably wouldn’t be where I am right now if not for my La Sallian education.

As an undergrad student and later as a college instructor, I saw the good, the bad and even the ugly side of its much acclaimed educational system.

A large part of my beliefs and outlook on life were shaped while I was there. I’ll even go to the extent of saying I found most of my true loves while when I was in La Salle.

Love for the sport

I have always been absorbed with the martial arts even when I was a young child. I grew up trying to imitate Bruce Lee with my blue plastic nunchaku. Then there were the samurai and ninja movies. Then in the mid 80’s came the Karate Kid series. But it was the prodding of an Introduction to Sociology (INTROSO) instructor that formally brought me to the world of Karate-do, particularly in the “way of the empty hand” established by the founder of modern Japanese karate, Gichin Funakoshi and popularized by his son and countless students worldwide – Shotokan through the De La Salle Karate Society (DLSKS) under the auspices of our numerous sensei (instructors) from the Association for the Advancement of Karate-do (AAK). Having played and won on several occasions for my school was definitely a major milestone in my La Sallian experience.

Love of my country

I always thought I was patriotic but ironically it was in an ‘elitist’ school like La Salle that my nationalistic consciousness was awakened and where I got involved in militant student activism. It was in La Salle that I discovered the ‘isms’ of Philippine politics – Imperialism, Feudalism and Bureaucrat Capitalism, immersing myself in leftist ideologies and advancing ‘revolutionary’ changes in society. Later, socio-political realities gave me a better hindsight on things. After the EDSA I uprising, the subsequent alienation of the political left from the masses, the fall of so-called “communist” parties worldwide, and the overriding sentiment of the people towards peaceful electoral means for change significantly altered my radical world view. Now, I continue to be nationalistic, democratic and socialist in my world view minus the sloganeering and the romanticism often associated with the political left. . But all those changes in my later years at school stirred me into channeling my energies to what would be another passion in my life – education.

Love for education

Early on I thought I was going to be an architect, a businessman, then an economist or a historian. Before entering college in 1984, I even considered computer science (it was the fad then plus the perceived high pay). After realizing the numerous math subjects, I settled for a B & E course on Applied Economics. As fate would have it, I felt disenchanted with the thought of being an economist in a capitalistic economy I was much averse to, taking liberal arts subjects before the end of my freshman year, in preparation for my decision to shift, acceding to my natural love for the social sciences and taking up Political Science as my course major, minor in Philosophy. There I academically grew, enough to be later considered as a part time lecturer and subsequently as a full- time instructor in our department.

Work in the academe required higher studies. This in turn led to my equally significant and productive stay at the graduate school of UP- College of Public Administration as College Scholar (CS), Master in Public Administration (MPA) degree holder at the age of 19 and some doctoral units thereafter.

As an educator, I felt the strong camaraderie among my fellow faculty members, the respect and adulation of good and impressionistic students, the scorn of several students I failed, and the ire and lack of support of certain administrative officials due to my convictions and fight for academic freedom. By and large, I loved teaching in DLSU. At the end of the day, it really boils down as to whether as an educator, I felt I was able to impart some knowledge, some learning or some experience that would make my students in the process better persons in our society. If I got that feeling or affirmation, then I know I earned my pay…and I earned my job and title as a teacher.

Love of my life

My wife and I both took our undergrad courses in this academic institution way back in the 1980s. Odette, one year my senior was a double Liberal Arts degree holder (AB Psychology and Behavioral Science) while I was a Political Science major. She was quite active with her student organization (BEST) while I was active (being an activist) with COSSA – a Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP) affiliate and the Political Science Society (POLSCI).

Her family was one of the first residents of the GSIS Village in Project 8. We transferred to GSIS Village only in 1988 but I had no recollection of seeing her in the subdivision.

Strangely, we only met when we were already both teachers in our respective departments. It was due to our involvement in handling ORIENT classes for junior DLSU students that got to know each other. We quickly became good friends. In time, that friendship blossomed into true love and the rest they say was history.

I could go on and on with anecdotes, real life experiences, tales that would make you laugh, incidents that would make you cry or angry, tales that would inspire you…and give all of us hope.

I guess I’ve learned to accept my La Sallian experience the way we accept the other areas of our lives – accepting its wholeness, its totality. All with the good, the bad and the ugly. But with the hope that the good it emanates, is what I, along with other products of its educational system should promote, what we should pass on to the next generation of true blooded La Sallites.

I have this uncanny feeling that my involvement with my alma mater has not yet reached its final chapter. Until then and onwards…

“…we’ll fight to keep your glory bright,

And never shall we fail

Hail to thee, our alma mater,

Hail, hail, hail”!

Choosing Life, Rejecting The Reproductive Health Bill!

2011-06-15T16:10:00.001+08:00

I am posting this month the Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) dated January 30, 2011 on the grave issue of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill. For so many Congresses of the Philippine Legislature, proponents have sought to have this controversial bill passed through the House Committee on Health. This 15^th Congress, it has reared its ugly head again. But this time around, showing its true colors in the Committee where many long suspected it now manifests its real purpose and objectives, the House Committee on Population.

The Pastoral Letter to my mind has been so far the most comprehensive, concise and incisive response to the claims and misinformation that proponents of the RH bill have been spreading on a massive scale. It was high time for the Catholic Church hierarchy in the country to go on a more pro-active mode in addressing the issue and informing the faithful about our religious and moral stand on this matter.

I call on every Catholic Christian, particularly those who are Filipino to read, study, disseminate, discuss and pray on the contents of this pastoral letter. Invoking the Holy Spirit, may He guide you into action to defend the traditional family and life in all its various stages.

I also urge our Christian brothers and sisters in other denominations to choose life, to protect it and unite with us in this advocacy.

May God bless the Philippines!

(A Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines)

Our Filipino Brothers and Sisters:

The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights (Art. II, Section 11). The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception (Art. II, Section 12).

Background
We begin by citing the Philippine Constitution. We do so because we intend to write you on the basis of the fundamental ideals and aspirations of the Filipino people and not on the basis of specifically Catholic religious teachings.

We are at a crossroads as a nation. Before us are several versions of a proposed bill, the Reproductive Health bill or sanitized as a Responsible Parenthood bill. This proposed bill in all its versions calls us to make a moral choice: to choose life or to choose death.

At the outset we thank the government for affording us an opportunity to express our views in friendly dialogue. Sadly our dialogue has simply revealed how far apart our respective positions are. Therefore, instead of building false hopes, we wish at the present time to draw up clearly what we object to and what we stand for.

Moral Choices at the Crossroads — at EDSA I and Now

Twenty five years ago in 1986 we Catholic Bishops made a prophetic moral judgment on political leadership. With this prophetic declaration we believe that we somehow significantly helped open the door for EDSA I and a window of political integrity.

Today we come to a new national crossroads and we now have to make a similar moral choice. Our President rallied the country with the election cry, “Kung walang corrupt walang mahirap.” As religious leaders we believe that there is a greater form of corruption, namely, moral corruption which is really the root of all corruption. On the present issue, it would be morally corrupt to disregard the moral implications of the RH bill.

This is our unanimous collective moral judgment: We strongly reject the RH bill.

Commonly Shared Human and Cultural Values – Two Fundamental Principles

Far from being simply a Catholic issue, the RH bill is a major attack on authentic human values and on Filipino cultural values regarding human life that all of us have cherished since time immemorial.

Simply stated the RH Bill does not respect moral sense that is central to Filipino cultures. It is the product of the spirit of this world, a secularist, materialistic spirit that considers morality as a set of teachings from which one can choose, according to the spirit of the age. Some it accepts, others it does not accept. Unfortunately, we see the subtle spread of this post-modern spirit in our own Filipino society.

Our position stands firmly on two of the core principles commonly shared by all who believe in God:

(1) Human life is the most sacred physical gift with which God, the author of life, endows a human being. Placing artificial obstacles to prevent human life from being formed and being born most certainly contradicts this fundamental truth of human life. In the light of the widespread influence of the post-modern spirit in our world, we consider this position as nothing less than prophetic. As religious leaders we must proclaim this truth fearlessly in season and out of season.

(2) It is parents, cooperating with God, who bring children into the world. It is also they who have the primary inalienable right and responsibility to nurture them, care for them, and educate them that they might grow as mature persons according to the will of the Creator.

What We Specifically Object to in the RH Bill

Advocates contend that the RH bill promotes reproductive health. The RH Bill certainly does not. It does not protect the health of the sacred human life that is being formed or born. The very name “contraceptive” already reveals the anti-life nature of the means that the RH bill promotes. These artificial means are fatal to human life, either preventing it from fruition or actually destroying it. Moreover, scientists have known for a long time that contraceptives may cause cancer. Contraceptives are hazardous to a woman’s health.

Advocates also say that the RH bill will reduce abortion rates. But many scientific analysts themselves wonder why prevalent contraceptive use sometimes raises the abortion rate. In truth, contraceptives provide a false sense of security that takes away the inhibition to sexual activity. Scientists have noted numerous cases of contraceptive failure. Abortion is resorted to, an act that all religious traditions would judge as sinful. “Safe sex” to diminish abortion rate is false propaganda.

Advocates moreover say that the RH bill will prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. This goes against the grain of many available scientific data. In some countries where condom use is prevalent, HIV/ AIDS continues to spread. Condoms provide a false security that strongly entices individuals towards increased sexual activity, increasing likewise the incidence of HIV/AIDS. “Safe sex” to prevent HIV /AIDS is false propaganda.

Advocates also assert that the RH Bill empowers women with ownership of their own bodies. This is in line with the post-modern spirit declaring that women have power over their own bodies without the dictation of any religion. How misguided this so-called “new truth” is! For, indeed, as created by God our bodies are given to us to keep and nourish. We are stewards of our own bodies and we must follow God’s will on this matter according to an informed and right conscience. Such a conscience must certainly be enlightened and guided by religious and moral teachings provided by various religious and cultural traditions regarding the fundamental dignity and worth of human life.

Advocates also say that the RH bill is necessary to stop overpopulation and to escape from poverty. Our own government statistical office has concluded that there is no overpopulation in the Philippines but only the over-concentration of population in a number of urban centers. Despite other findings to the contrary, we must also consider the findings of a significant group of renowned economic scholars, including economic Nobel laureates, who have found no direct correlation between population and poverty. In fact, many Filipino scholars have concluded that population is not the cause of our poverty. The causes of our poverty are: flawed philosophies of development, misguided economic policies, greed, corruption, social inequities, lack of access to education, poor economic and social services, poor infrastructures, etc. World organizations estimate that in our country more than P400 billion pesos are lost yearly to corruption. The conclusion is unavoidable: for our country to escape from poverty, we have to address the real causes of poverty and not population.

In the light of the above, we express our clear objections:

1. We object to the non-consideration of moral principles, the bedrock of law, in legislative discussions of bills that are intended for the good of individuals and for the common good.

2. We are against the anti-life, anti-natal and contraceptive mentality that is reflected in media and in some proposed legislative bills.

3. We object strongly to efforts at railroading the passage of the RH bill.

4. We denounce the over-all trajectory of the RH bill towards population control.

5. We denounce the use of public funds for contraceptives and sterilization.

6. We condemn compulsory sex education that would effectively let parents abdicate their primary role of educating their own children, especially in an area of life – sexuality – which is a sacred gift of God.

What We Stand For

On this matter of proposed RH bills, these are our firm convictions:

1. We are deeply concerned about the plight of the many poor, especially of suffering women, who are struggling for a better life and who must seek it outside of our country, or have recourse to a livelihood less than decent.

2. We are pro-life. We must defend human life from the moment of conception or fertilization up to its natural end.

3. We believe in the responsible and natural regulation of births through Natural Family Planning for which character building is necessary which involves sacrifice, discipline and respect for the dignity of the spouse.

4. We believe that we are only stewards of our own bodies. Responsibility over our own bodies must follow the will of God who speaks to us through conscience.

5. We hold that on the choices related to the RH bill, conscience must not only be informed but most of all rightly guided through the teachings of one’s faith.

6. We believe in the freedom of religion and the right of conscientious objection in matters that are contrary to one’s faith. The sanctions and penalties embodied in the proposed RH bill are one more reason for us to denounce it.

Our Calls

As religious leaders we have deeply and prayerfully reflected on this burning issue. We have unanimously made the moral judgment – to reject the RH agenda and to choose life.

1. We call for a fundamental transformation of our attitudes and behavior towards all human life especially the most defenseless, namely, human life being formed or being conceived. The cheapness with which many seem to consider human life is a great bane to our religious-oriented nation.

2. We call upon our legislators to consider the RH bill in the light of the God-given dignity and worth of human life and, therefore, to shelve it completely as contrary to our ideals and aspirations as a people. We thank our legislators who have filed bills to defend human life from the moment of conception and call upon all other legislators to join their ranks.

3. We thank the great multitude of lay people all over the country, and particularly the dedicated groups who made their presence felt in the halls of Congress, to defend and promote our position. We call upon other lay people and adherents of other religions to join the advocacy to defend and promote our commonly shared ideals and aspirations.

4. We call on our government to address effectively the real causes of poverty such as corruption, lack of social and economic services, lack of access to education and the benefits of development, social inequities.

5. We call for the establishment of more hospitals and clinics in the rural areas, the deployment of more health personnel to provide more access to health services, the building of more schools, the provision of more aid to the poor for education, and the building of more and better infrastructures necessary for development.

6. We echo the challenge we prophetically uttered 25 years ago at EDSA I and call upon all people of good will who share our conviction: “…let us pray together, reason together, decide together, act together, always to the end that the truth prevail” over the many threats to human life and to our shared human and cultural values.

We commend our efforts against the RH bill (or the Responsible Parenthood bill – its new name) to the blessing of our almighty and loving God, from whom all life comes and for whom it is destined.

For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

+NEREO P. ODCHIMAR, D.D.
Bishop of Tandag
President, CBCP
January 30, 2011

MRI Blues

2011-05-31T16:49:00.010+08:00

Got pain?

For the last two months or so, I have been experiencing increasingly excruciating pain and numbness on my left arm, shoulder and back. Especially this month, there were daily occasions when I couldn’t even do any work with the computer. A few moments with my left hand on the keyboards and a piercing pain strikes my upper left extremities. For countless nights, I couldn’t sleep at all as it would be very painful after a minute or so just laying on my back in bed. I had to always move. The least pain I would feel sleeping face down which in a way relieved the “pressure” on my left shoulder and back.

I finally saw an orthopedic doctor at Capitol Medical Center (CMC) last May 17 with my wife accompanying me. It was a short consultation. The doctor’s diagnosis – cervical spondylosis.

Spondylosis is a medical condition signifying degenerative osteoarthritis of the joints between the centra of the spinal vertebrae and/or neural foraminae. In extreme cases, it may cause pressure on nerve roots with ensuing sensory and/or motor disturbances, such as pain, paresthesia, or muscle weakness in the limbs.

According to Wikipedia:

“When the space between two adjacent vertebrae narrows, compression of a nerve root emerging from the spinal cord may result in radiculopathy (sensory and motor disturbances, such as severe pain in the neck, shoulder, arm, back, and/or leg, accompanied by muscle weakness). Less commonly, direct pressure on the spinal cord (typically in the cervical spine) may result in myelopathy, characterized by global weakness, gait dysfunction, loss of balance, and loss of bowel and/or bladder control. The patient may experience a phenomenon of shocks (paresthesia) in hands and legs because of nerve compression and lack of blood flow. If vertebrae of the neck are involved it is labelled cervical spondylosis. Lower back spondylosis is labeled lumbar spondylosis.”

The doctor told me to have an MRI test which he believes is better than taking a regular X-ray test.

An MRI test. I’ve heard about it and have seen it on movies. But this is one test I haven’t taken.

By definition MRI refers to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, a noninvasive method to create detailed pictures of the various parts of the body.

Unlike x-rays and computed tomographic (CT) scans, which use radiation, MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves. I read somewhere that he magnetic field produced by an MRI is about 10 thousand times greater than the earth's. That’s a powerful set of magnets!

The magnetic field causes hydrogen atoms in the body to align in a certain way (identical to how the needle on a compass moves when you hold it near a magnet). When radio waves are sent toward the lined-up hydrogen atoms, they bounce back, and a computer records the signal. Different kinds of tissues emit back different signals.

There are two general types of MRI machines, the open and closed versions. A closed machine is smaller, has a narrow tube and is said to produce better images than the open type. An open MRI machine on the other hand, is open on three sides, making it more comfortable for the patient. However, the images are limited and are not as good since the magnets do not circle the whole body.

Open MRI machine

Not surprisingly, undergoing an MRI test entails a lot more money than having a regular X-ray test. Capitol Medical Center’s fee of 8,000 pesos for the MRI test I needed seemed to have already worked wonders in my body. I kept on telling my wife that my back has miraculously healed upon hearing the test fee!

Of course the pain didn’t go away. Sooner or later, I knew I had to get it to understand what was happening. It was a good thing that the hospital had a substantial discount for government employees due to their arrangement with GSIS. On the day I had my MRI test (May 27), I only paid 4,570 pesos. If there are medical findings, I could reimburse that amount with my office’s medical welfare fund.

The hospital had the open type MRI machine which I suppose lessened my chances of experiencing claustrophobia. But my MRI test wasn’t the longest 35 minutes of life because of fear of tight spaces. It was primarily because of the pain. I couldn’t move my body even if there was actually considerable space to move because that would ruin the image and we will have to do everything all over again.

A minute or so into the procedure, I was already experiencing piercing pain on my left back and shoulder coupled with widespread numbness over my left arm simply by lying down on my back. I tried to focus my mind on finishing the test, to bear the pain and to finish the test. I prayed a lot. At some point I thought I had already asked the intercession of all the saints in heaven and yet the test continued. It was the LONGEST 35 minutes of my life! I just thank God I was able to finish the test.

I got the results earlier today from Capitol Medical Center. Among the findings were:

· Alignment of my spine was normal

· The heights of the vertebral bodies and the intervertebral disks were well maintained

· The cervicomedullary junction and the spinal cord are normal

· There is no intraspinal or paraspinal mass lesion

I’m no medical doctor but all that pretty much sounds positive. However, there were other “impressions”:

Assymetric disk bulge, C5-C6, causing right-sided foraminal stenosis

Assymetric disk bulge, C6-C7, causing left-sided foraminal stenosis.

It is said that so-called cervical (neck) injuries usually result in full or partial tetraplegia (Quadriplegia). According to the Wikipedia article on spinal cord injury, one’s bodily functions retained, depending on the specific location and severity of trauma:

Injuries at the C-1/C-2 levels will often result in loss of breathing, necessitating mechanical ventilators or phrenic nerve pacing.
C3 vertebrae and above: Typically results in loss of diaphragm function, necessitating the use of a ventilator for breathing.
C4 : Results in significant loss of function at the biceps and shoulders.
C5 : Results in potential loss of function at the shoulders and biceps, and complete loss of function at the wrists and hands.
C6 : Results in limited wrist control, and complete loss of hand function.
C7 and T1 : Results in lack of dexterity in the hands and fingers, but allows for limited use of arms.

It is not only severe trauma that could cause spondylosis. Even simple reasons such as bad posture and other sources of what is termed as “repetitive strain injury” such as driving, traveling and working in front of computers without ergonomic care could also result in spondylosis. In my case, that seems to be the likely suspect.

I don’t know when I will visit the doctor again to show my MRI results. But I expect at the very least, a series of physical therapy sessions coming my way in the near future. One thing is for sure. I’m extra careful with my spine nowadays. I’m extra cautious that I don’t lose my footing on slippery tracks. No back breaking tasks for me unless truly necessary.

As far as the bad posture in front of the computer…now that’s something I still have to work out on.

Got my 1st pair of Reading Glasses!

2011-05-20T16:48:00.013+08:00

Last weekend, I bought my first pair of prescription glasses from the Ideal Vision branch inside SM Fairview. It was actually reading glasses for my slightly deteriorating eyesight. I have been delaying this purchase for the last year or so for what seems to be inevitable as one grows older. Years of staying up late, reading against the light and not eating enough carrots I guess have finally caught up with me. I’m sure my diabetic condition has a lot to do with it too.

So with the eyeglass prescription I got from my ophthalmologist last January of this year, I sought remedy for my blurring vision.

At the eyeglass shop, the optometrist made me underwent basically the same procedures my ophthalmologist made me go through every visit. They used the phoropter to determine which lenses were best. Even as a kid, I always liked to have my visual acuity tested through Hermann Snellen’s classic letter chart. According to the Dictionary of Visual Science, visual acuity is the “acuteness or clearness of vision which is dependent on the sharpness of the retinal focus within the eye and the sensitivity of the interpretative faculty of the brain.”

According to Wikipedia:

In the term "20/20 vision", the numerator refers to the distance in feet between the subject and the chart. The denominator indicates the size of the letters, specifically it denotes the separation at which the lines that make up those letters would be separated by a visual angle of 1 arc minute, which for the lowest line that is read by an eye with no refractive error (or the errors corrected) is usually 20 feet. The metric equivalent is 6/6 vision where the distance is 6 metres. This means that at 20 feet or 6 metres, a typical human eye, able to separate 1 arc minute, can resolve lines with a spacing of about 1.75mm. 20/20 or 6/6 vision can be considered nominal performance for human distance vision; 20/40 or 6/12 vision can be considered half that acuity for distance vision and 20/10 or 6/3 vision would be twice normal acuity. ^[2] The 20/x number does not directly relate to the eyeglass prescription required to correct vision, because it does not specify the nature of the problem corrected by the lens, only the resulting performance. Instead an eye exam seeks to find the prescription that will provide at least 20/20 or 6/6 vision.^{[citation needed]}

If I remember it right, the good thing was I still had 20/20 vision. But my view of the chart became much sharper and better defined as a different set of lens were applied to my eyes.

This experience with corrective lenses widely broadened my knowledge with eye vision.

For instance, I realized that the prescription order consisted of all the specifications necessary to make the lens. Prescriptions generally include the power specifications of each lens (for each eye). Lenses come in positive (plus) and negative (minus) powers. Since a positive power lens will magnify an object and a negative power lens will minify it, it is very possible to tell whether a lens is positive or negative by simply looking through them.

Each power specification includes a spherical correction measured in so-called diopters. Convergent powers are positive (e.g., +4.00 D) and condense light to correct for farsightedness or to allow a person to read more comfortably. My eye doctor prescribed at the spherical column of my prescription + 1.50 for both my left (OS – Latin: oculus sinister) and my right (OD – Latin: oculus dexter) eyes. Divergent powers are negative (e.g., −3.75 D) and spread out light to correct for nearsightedness. If neither convergence nor divergence is required in the prescription, "plano" is used to denote a refractive power of zero.

In the late 90’s, I bought a pair of glasses with plano lenses. I just requested that it be UV coated because aside from its trendy look I used it while working in front of the computer. Long term exposure to UV-A radiation could damage the retina while massive exposure to UV-B radiation is said to increase the likelihood of cataracts.

For my reading glasses, my eye doctor prescribed clear, single vision lenses made of plastic material. I’m not sure so sure whether the lenses I got were plastic or glass but they were definitely clear and single vision. Single vision lenses have the same optical focal point or correction over the entire area of the lens. Other lens types include bi-focal, trifocal, progressive, adjustable focus or aspheric.

Another new thing I learned was the meaning of the acronym PD that you would probably see in an eyeglass prescription. PD stands for Pupillary Distance, sometimes also known as Interpupillary Distance (IPD). Basically it is the distance between pupils expressed in millimeters. It is often measured by the use of a pupilometer or by a classic ruler. PD measurements are said to be important in all spectacle dispensing. But I’m wondering why my previous PD was measured at 68 while in my latest prescription it was measured at 67. Does it actually change through the years?

At any rate, I’m now reaping the advantages of superb eyesight wearing my reading glasses when going through those fine print texts. Of course, I don’t wear it when I’m not reading anything close by as the lens was not meant for farther distances say more than a foot away from my eyes.

There is just one other procedure my eye doctor wants me to undergo due to my diabetes – a fluorescein angiogram. But that’s a topic for another post.

For now, I’m just thankful to God for my clearer eyesight!

Manifesto in Support of CFC-GK (Quezon City)

2011-05-10T00:13:00.001+08:00

MANIFESTO IN SUPPORT OF CFC-GK (Quezon City)

To keep our spiritual essentials on a defined path and set the tone in support of CFC-GK, we state hereunder our perspective, beliefs and intentions:

We deeply value and acknowledge the pivotal role the Couples for Christ (CFC) has played in influencing our spiritual life: most importantly, as the avenue for personal and family renewal; and as the channel for God's work including Gawad Kalinga (GK) that led us to where we are now in our spiritual journey.

We retain our CFC identity. We do not intend to establish another community. We keep our covenant with God and continue to seek heightened spiritual involvement to deepen our faith, nurture hope and fulfill our purpose in CFC.

We are consistent with his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI's World Peace Message that religious freedom is the path to peace because this allows us to direct our personal and social life to God in whose light the identity, meaning and purpose of the person are fully understood. We aim to achieve authentic and vital human development.

We see Christian Faith in the light of the God who has a human face bearing in mind that each person remains unique and unrepeatable. We consistently seek Holy Spirit discernment in building up a social community in the spirit of respect for the common good.

We respond with boldness the call to choose a course of action that will restore us back to vibrant service in the CFC community. We choose Gawad Kalinga as our response to God's call to work with and for the poor in our journey of faith in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We embrace the values and ideals of GK. We firmly believe that GK through community and nation building is integral to missionary activities of the Catholic Church. Ultimately, it will fulfill the role of a powerful catalyst for innovative evangelization and world peace.

We strive to become “doers of the Word not hearers only” because “by works faith was made perfect”. We remain to shepherd the flock that God has entrusted to us being faithful to the truth and justice of the Gospel. We persevere to serve the least and last of our brethren.

We reject deliberate attempts to undermine GK's noble works by the distortion of truth and dissemination of inaccurate information aimed to discredit the prime movers of GK.

We trust that if our posture is contrary to the teachings of Jesus, then one should discard this manifesto completely! But if one finds that we are taking our stand upon the Holy Scripture, then let no fear keep him from threading with us the path of faith and obedience to the Word of God, in order that God's people here on earth be of one mind – one heart and that we in faith experience what He Himself has said, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom”.

We enjoin everyone, mindful of his personal convictions, who subscribes to the preceding statements to make a significant decision and strongly support the CFC-GK movement.

Lastly, we the undersigned come together in an expression of solidarity and reiterate to espouse the aspiration of CFC-GK. United in our belief in Jesus Christ our Lord of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church we uphold the unity of faith, love, hope and heroism in the pursuit of peace and holiness. Together, we stand behind this declaration in prayer and promise to combine forces and resources as we commit ourselves to participate in God's mission through CFC-GK.

We in CFC-GK, Q.C. continue to gather signatures and support for the movement with this concise manifesto so that brethren and critics alike would be truly informed of our position, beliefs and intentions.

May God bless us all!

Happy 5th year Anniversary, Ferddie’s World!

2011-04-26T15:10:00.004+08:00

“Hi everyone! This is my first entry to a web journal that I hope will lead to more wonderful things ahead! I humbly thank God for my life, my family…for everything He has so graciously given me! Now is the time to share it…”

Five years ago, I set out to do what no family member has done so far…to boldly go where no Mendoza kin has gone before…the blogosphere in the infinite confines of Internet space.

The World Wide Web for many of the younger generations has become the final frontier for exploration and discovery.

Cited above was my very first entry in Ferddie’s World, my first ever blogsite.

Five years and four blogsites (still up and running!) after, my enthusiasm for blogging has neither dissipated nor reduced to a simple act of self indulgence. The struggle though continues for me to find the ways and means and the time to write and deliver my posts as timely as possible.

After all, one of the greatest sources of my personal fulfillment in blogging are the times when people (both those you know and those you don’t but read your articles) express their appreciation and/or convey their feelings that they were blessed by what you wrote. Truly, a great part in the joy of writing is in being understood and well-regarded. More importantly, I made it my humble mission to spread the good news of Christ Jesus through blogging, through the Internet.

Certainly, a person need not be always technical or doctrinal in spreading God’s love. Often, everyday stories from ordinary people like me give wondrous testament to His majesty, and love for His most beloved of creations.

Here’s to the next five years of my blogging milieu…Ferddie’s World!

God bless everyone!

Faith graduates from Prep School with Honors!

2011-04-12T16:44:00.018+08:00

Faith and her batch mates prepare to march

My only daughter Faith’s graduation from preparatory schooling in Mater Carmeli School (MCS) – Novaliches last April 5, 2011 was extra special.

I mean it’s not every school year that you get the honor of walking across the school stage with your wife several times to give your daughter a medal or a ribbon for scholastic performance.

Last year, Faith as a kindergarten pupil was awarded an Academic Excellence medal as one of the brightest students of her batch. She was also awarded a Merit Ribbon for being judged “Best in Dance” among the prep pupils in her section, Kinder - Thriftiness.

This school year she bested herself by further improving her overall grades to be conferred a Medal for Outstanding Prep Pupils (9th Honors) and placing finalist to a number of Quiz Bee competitions held through the academic year.

The graduation ceremonies commence

The souvenir program declared that the graduation theme was “Carmelians: Partners towards Transformational Society, An Answer to Societal Change.”

Actually, I thought that theme was too deep even for a post grad student like me much less for a bunch of six year olds but I suppose you can never really go too young in inculcating our youth with values like patriotism and molding them to become agents of positive social change.

It was a wonderful warm weathered afternoon to graduate from prep school

The prep graduates walk on to their seats

The program started with an opening prayer which came in the form of singing a song by Fatima Soriano entitled “Believe Like a Child”. Ironically, Faith (whom we gave the formal name Maria Fatima) acted as conductress and led the assembly in singing the National Anthem.

My family is joined by Faith’s cousin Julia, Lola Charing and Sonny Boy’s special friend and MCS schoolmate Hannah

First time to go up the stage with Faith: Awarding of Medal for Outstanding Pupils
(9^th Honors)

Second time to up the stage with Faith: Awarding of Quiz Bee Winners

(Science – 3^rd Place)

The students sing their graduation theme song: “One Dream” by Lee Ann Womack

Our bright young graduate is warmly greeted by Cousin Julia….

...then joined by the other women in our lives

Group picture

The Mendoza family is proud of its youngest member

Just a thought… None of her older siblings will ever get the chance to be conferred a Loyalty Award by Mater Carmeli School. This is simply because of their strict definition that a loyalty awardee should be a student that studied there from kinder all the way up to fourth year high school. All her brothers started at MCS from prep. Only Faith started at MCS from Kinder.

But I do often tell Faith that only if she gets accepted in a school like Philippine Science High School or UP Integrated School should she consider transferring to another school. Otherwise, I personally would want to see her continue her studies at MCS. For all its shortcomings (what school doesn’t have at least one?) I have never regretted bringing our children to Mater Carmeli.

Faith is also congratulated by her nanny Ate Maymay and her sister along with her classroom adviser in Prep- Politeness, Teacher Marilyn O. Luteria

Dinner celebration at the new Hap Chan Restaurant along Pearl Drive in East Fairview, Quezon City

From the school, we celebrated Faith’s achievements at a new dining place called Pearl Drive not too far from our residence in West Fairview. There we went to this new branch of the locally popular Chinese restaurant – Hap Chan.

Sumptuous Chinese meal for this special occasion

Up close: Hap Chan’s delicious Yang Chow Fried Rice and Chicken

Congratulations, Faith…job well done!

We are all proud of Faith and what she has already achieved in her very young and clearly promising life.

I pray to God that she may have the grace to continue walking across this path of excellence not only in the field of her academics but also in the other equally important facets of her youthful existence.

Hurrah, Faith…and carry on!

Tree Planting at Mater Carmeli School, Novaliches!

2011-04-07T16:43:00.017+08:00

March 31 marked the Pre-Elem Parent-Teachers’ Association last major activity for this school year 2010-2011. It was a tree planting activity for the kids in the Pre-Elementary Department. Dengue cases have continued to rise in the country and many parents like me and my wife Odette were understandably concerned about this persistent health danger.

As a response to this menacing health threat, officers of the PTA and the school administration agreed to have this tree planting activity along with the children of known mosquito repelling plants at the pre-school grounds.

Actually, the plants chosen were not really “trees”. One is a shrub called Malvarosa and the other a bush called Lemongrass.

Malvarosa (Scientific name: Pelargonium graveolens)

A small branching hairy shrub, Malvarosa plants are also known by its other name, Rose geranium (English) most probably due to their fragrantly rose-scented leaves.

Cultivated primarily for its aromatic, medicinal and ornamental uses, its flowers and leaves are considered edible, the latter used as condiment, tea or used as flavoring in deserts, jellies and even vinegar. A remedy for cough and stomach aches, it is also used to stop bleeding, wound healing and for its antibacterial properties.

Lemongrass (Scientific name: Cymbopogon citratus)

Native to the Philippines, Lemongrass (‘tanglad’ in Tagalog) is a bush or may be described as a tall perennial grass. A related species, citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon winterianus) is similar to lemongrass but grows to 2 meters and has red base stems. Like Malvarosa plants, lemongrass is also used as an insect repellent and air freshener. Similarly, lemongrass plants have multiple uses in the kitchen. It is served as tea or included in fish soups and is often used as an ingredient in preparing Thai curry paste.

My wife Odette and Teacher Rosel Jimenez distribute the plants to the Prep students

The students including my daughter Faith start to transfer the plants to garden pots

Teacher Marilyn Luteria (Faith’s classroom adviser wearing a red orange shirt) help the kids replant

Placing garden soil on the replanted Malvarosa

Fragrantly scented mosquito repellents are now in place

Faith carefully waters the Malvarosa shrub

After the planting activity, Faith and the other students go back to the classroom

for graduation ceremonies practice

View of the blue sky and trees while lying on the Pre-Elem playground slide

All’s well and ends well.

The kinder students will have their own tree planting activity in the afternoon. Hopefully all the plants will be well maintained by the students, teachers and non-teaching staff so that the benefits of having these plants will go beyond this batch of pre-elementary students. It is hoped that these activities will also spur the participation of the elementary and high school departments so that everybody can contribute in the fight against dengue, making Mater Carmeli School-Novaliches a better and safer place to learn and grow in, during those early formative years.

Who's afraid of the post "Extreme Supermoon" 2011?

2011-03-24T16:41:00.022+08:00

Many people have recently been talking about the super moon and how it was suppose to wreak havoc by triggering unnatural disasters around the globe.

I didn’t get to really observe the moon last March 19 (or March 20 for that matter). But one evening last weekend, I did see the moon quite magnificently clear, considering it has been cloudy for the past few days over the Philippine skies.

Remembering this beautiful scene, I stayed up last March 21 to take some pictures and catch a glimpse of the so-called ‘supermoon’ at least near its great closeness to the earth.

What is a supermoon? I learned the term was coined by a “certified professional astrologer”, Richard Noelle based in Arizona, USA in an article he wrote over 30 years ago.

Noelle describes a ‘supermoon’ as:

“…a new or full moon which occurs with the Moon at or near (within 90% of) its closest approach to Earth in a given orbit. In short, Earth, Moon and Sun are all in a line, with Moon in its nearest approach to Earth. At any new or full moon, Earth and Moon and Sun are all in a line: Earth is in the middle in the full moon alignment, while the new moon happens with Moon in the middle. This coming together in an alignment is technically termed a syzygy. Sometimes - from a few times to a half-dozen times in a given year - these alignments also happen when the Moon is in its perigee, or closest approach to Earth. Astronomers call this very special alignment a perigee-syzygy. I call it a SuperMoon – which is a whole lot easier on the tongue.” (His latest print article on the subject appeared in the October-November 2007 issue of the Mountain Astrologer)

Apparently, some media reports have it completely wrong when they say that the last supermoon occurred some 18 years ago. On the contrary, there are (on the average) around 4 to 6 supermoon occurrences in a year. The March 19, 2011 is the closest supermoon of the year (2^nd supermoon this year) but not by any means neither the first one in 18 years nor the first extreme supermoon during the same period. According to Noelle, the previous extreme supermoon happened only last January 30, 2010.

Still, the supposed connection of the Moon with both oceanic and crustal tides has in turn led to assertions that the supermoon phenomenon may be correlated with amplified risk of events such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Nonetheless, the so-called evidence of such association is widely viewed to be unpersuasive.

According to Noelle, he believes that within three days before and three days after a supermoon, the Earth is more exposed to natural disasters such as extreme coastal tides, severe storms, volcanic eruptions and strong earthquakes.

He further states that Supermoon solar eclipses tend to have “a wider sphere of impact” stretching about a week before and after the exact syzygy. If that is the case, it then tends to imply a causal relationship with powerful natural disasters such as the Tōhoku earthquake of 2011 and the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004.

Some Dates to Ponder: Causation or Coincidence?

Hurricane and tidal surge that struck Galveston, Texas (September 8, 1900)

Supermoon (September 8, 1900)

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 7.3 Richter scale earthquake (October 6, 1948 – within three days of a supermoon, allowing for time zones)

Mount Pinatubo eruption (June 16, 1991 – within three days of a supermoon)

Supermoon (Dec. 31, 2009)

Haiti 7.0 Richter scale earthquake (Jan. 12, 2010)

Extreme Supermoon (Jan. 30, 2010)

Christchurch earthquake (Feb. 22, 2011)

Supermoon (Feb. 22, 2011)

Hawke’s Bay earthquake (Feb. 3, 1931)

Supermoon (Feb. 3, 1931)

For this March supermoon Noelle predicted "a surge in extreme tides along the coasts, a rash of moderate-to-severe seismic activity (including Richter 5+ earthquakes, tsunami and volcanic eruptions), and most especially in this case a dramatic spike in powerful storms with heavy precipitation, damaging winds and extreme electrical activity. Floods are a big part of the picture in this case, although some of these will be dry electrical storms that spark fast-spreading wildfires."

By God’s grace, the only “major disaster” my family experienced that weekend was when our electric stove conked out that Sunday forcing me to immediately buy a new one. I didn’t hear of any major natural catastrophe anywhere in the world, days after the 19^th or the 20^th. Noelle though mentioned lately of wildfires in Colorado last March 22 after the occurrence of storms in the area.

Some studies (which include articles from the Berkeley Seismological laboratory and the U.S. Geological Survey) have reportedly seen a weak correlation between lunar activity and shallow, very low intensity earthquakes. On the other hand, no evidence has been gathered to establish any correlation with major earthquakes. [It has been cited that the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami (2011) is the only earthquake of 8.0 magnitude or greater to have occurred within 2 weeks of the 14 extreme supermoons from 1900 to the present date]

Already regretful of missing to observe the supermoon of March 19/20. I promised myself to take some time and document my early post-supermoon observation.

For more than an hour, I gazed at the moon between the final minutes of the 20^th to the early hours of the 21^st. Quite literally, it was a pain in the neck! There I was at our home’s driveway, trying to take decent pictures of the moon with my humble 10 mega pixel digital camera which hid behind a large mass of cumulus clouds. I thought I would never get a good picture of the moon but as the first minutes of the 21^st came to pass, the moon eventually came out and gave me some spectacular shots to share in this blog.

I took this picture of the supermoon at exactly the start of the midnight hour (12:00 am) of March 21

Overcast skies continued to cover the supermoon (picture taken at 12:01 am)

The moon starts to show some of its brightness

I call this one – triple supermoon

The moon begins to go out of the clouds

Spectacular display of moonlight amidst a field of cotton-like clouds

‘Supernova’ moon

The post supermoon using different camera settings

The red moon

Cloudless bright supermoon

Bright red supermoon rising

‘Dancing’ supermoon

‘Chicken head’ supermoon

So was there a real super threat or just super hype?

Supermoons are here to stay. For their aesthetic brilliance, I wish they do stay the way they are. No more, no less. Let’s hope future scientific studies will finally and convincingly put to rest the fantastic claims of ramblers and soothsayers alike and let the plain truth prevail.

27th Sampung Daliri, Atbp.

2011-03-08T16:45:00.002+08:00

After hearing Mass two Sundays ago with Sonny and the family’s helper Maymay, I proceeded to Manila. I ate dinner at Kentucky Fried Chicken - Harrison Plaza before going to the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the usual venue for University of Sto. Tomas Conservatory of Music’s Sampung Mga Daliri, Atbp.

Curiously, the 27^th version of this annual showcase of UST’s musical talents happened on the 27^th of February.

Unlike last year, Odette my wife wasn’t able to come with me to support our eldest son’s participation in the event who sang with the Chorus classes for the second time now as she wasn’t feeling well today.

Like last year, I barely made it to the singing of the national anthem and the concert’s first number, as latecomers were requested not to enter (Ludwig Beethoven’s “Egmont Overture”) while the performers where still playing.

I guess this year’s performance was extra special. As the program went on, it was obvious that the university’s Quadricentennial celebration had played a great influence to the underlying theme for this year’s version, drumming up a deep sense of history, nationalism and school pride.

In this regard, a flurry of traditional melodies flooded our senses with interpretations of “Lulay” by A Molina and Pandangguhan by R. Umali coupled later in the evening with a beautiful Kundiman medley comprised of patriotic songs “Sa Mahal Kong Bayan”, “Ang Aking Bayan”, “Lupang Hinirang” and “Kay Tamis ng Buhay” as conducted by Herminigildo Ranera.

More importantly, a special feature was made on Gerry de Leon’s “Ako’y Isang Tomasino” and a rendition of the original version of the UST Hymn composed by Julio Esteban-Anguita, (the Conservatory’s first Director) came as the concert’s glorious finale.

Interspersed all throughout the program were timeless melodies from operatic, classical, and Broadway favorites. I was quite impressed with the unorthodox performance of 10 young alumni pianists for their take on the grunge band Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (Contagion). I went on a “graduation” mood listening to the march and dance from G. Verdi’s “Aida”. Earlier, my imagination ran creatively, trying to visualize the animal characters paraded in Saint Saens’ “Carnival of Animals”.

Personally, I thought this year’s concert did not top last year’s grandeur and rich variety of performances. But then again, very few performances to my mind could top a Les Miserables finale. Understandably, each year’s performance will be a harder act to follow. In a sense, Sampung Daliri has made it more and more difficult to outdo itself as the years go by.

Still, it was a wonderful celebration of music, a brief but reinvigorating respite from the hustle and bustle of our regular urban grind. As these musical celebrations do not come as often as we want them, I’m curious what lies ahead for next year’s version.

After 25 years: My memories of the EDSA 1 Revolution

2011-02-25T11:09:00.004+08:00

I was there.

After twenty five years, my memory of EDSA has been quite hazy, but not in the same selective amnesia that certain generals have been experiencing concerning anomalous transactions that have transpired less than ten years ago. I describe my recollection of the EDSA 1 revolution as a personal anthology of bits and pieces of places, faces and events from the 22^nd to the 25^th of that fateful month in our country’s history.

I remember being recalled by the school authorities in De La Salle University (DLSU) from our house to house campaign in the 5^th District of Manila for civil disobedience and work stoppage on a specific date later during the month. They urged us to heed the call of then Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin to go to EDSA and protect the failed coup plotters from the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) led by former Colonel Gringo Honasan and Dept. of National Defense (DND) Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile. Then AFP General Fidel Ramos had also decided to join the said group in opposing President Ferdinand Marcos.

I was hesitant to go to EDSA because I didn’t want to help these people who were for years have been associated with the Marcos regime. Now that the dictator’s grasp on power had substantially declined, they were jumping ship. Worse, they had attempted to take power for themselves.

But when I saw the religious and lay people who had arrived there before us, I thought of their safety from the military personnel who were sent by the government to crush the rebellion. There was strength in numbers, and the military I thought would not dare fire on the human barricade lest they wanted an all out civil war. My presence in EDSA was a personal risk I had to take for the country.

I was there.

Scared and a little confused as to how I got in front of the massive military vehicles often described by media men as tanks when it actually looked like armored amphibious personnel carriers. Still, it looked menacing enough that when one shouted that no one among us shall leave until the military withdrew, I feared it was my final ending. The idea of being crushed under a tank wasn’t a pleasing thought at all!

Thankfully, the Marines with their war vehicles left that late afternoon, surely overwhelmed with the ever increasing number of people pouring into EDSA. “War is over!” one Marine soldier shouted as he walked near me towards the direction of Fort Bonifacio. They did return to barracks that night only to return the next day and to be again met with an ever increasing sea of human barricade. People were later tear gassed only to come back with more supporters.

I was there.

At the start, La Sallites converged near Gate Four (4) of Camp Aguinaldo, mixed in with a cross section of Philippine socio-economic classes. EDSA had that effect on people. There was generally no discrimination as people saw other Filipinos as they were, as Filipinos.

Those were dangerous times. Had Marcos agreed to AFP Chief General Fabian Ver’s recommendation to send some fighter planes and bomb the insurgents as well as the civilians, hundreds if not thousands would have lost their lives at EDSA including mine.

Sensing danger, my parents particularly my father refused to allow me to return to EDSA. Being a parent now myself, I knew they were just concerned for my safety, but I was obstinate. We got into a heated argument and my father even threatened to disown me telling me not to come back if I left but I was determined to go back to EDSA. My mother who had a calming effect on us assured me not to worry about my father and his declarations, to just be careful and to come back home.

As the days quickly passed, the dangerous atmosphere turned into a festive one as more and more from the military defected with civilians filling the former Highway 54 as far as the eye can see from the middle of Camps Crame and Aguinaldo. A festive atmosphere, indeed. I can even remember one night walking all the way up to the Cubao area and from an elevated area of EDSA seeing for the first time naked women dancing above the tables of their drinking customers at a local bar called Alibangbang. The country was in a state of deep crisis but it was business as usual for these establishments.

By the evening of the 25^th, it was all over. Marcos and his family had been carted away by his former allies in the United States government on exile to Hawaii. The DLSU contingent had been further moved along Ortigas Ave. near the corner area with N. Domingo St. That is where we heard of Marcos flight to the US. A number of us decided to go that very night to Malacanang Palace, the seat of Marcos’ rule for twenty years. We hitched from one vehicle to another, from one place to another until we reached San Miguel in Manila. I had to climb a steel grilled wall to enter the Palace premises. The sight we saw was both a source of joy and disappointment. The liberation of Malacanang Palace was a jubilant sight to see. Unfortunately, many people who stormed the place were in a looting mood, itching to get anything as a souvenir I suppose from the Marcos spoils. You see people bringing out paintings, bed mattresses, machine gun ammunitions magazine, and tons of paper documents that could have further shed light on many concerns. It took some concerned people to make at least some of the looters realize that these things were not for the taking but rather belonged to the Filipino people.

Which brings me to the question, after 25 years from EDSA 1, what has happened?

Many people describe the EDSA event as a miraculous defining moment for the Filipino people. Miraculous in the sense that it could have easily turned into a bloody and ugly conflict but it did not. Defining because it showed the whole world what the nation could achieve with unity of purpose. However, have we really utilized for the common good the gains of EDSA? Or have the future generations forgotten them altogether succumbing to the false promises of progress and development under a reestablished system of oligarchic rule and plutocracy in government. Every Filipino has to answer the abovementioned question himself deep in his heart as we are all party to EDSA’s glorious fulfillment or utmost failure.

If there were two things that I learned from EDSA it is that one, constant vigilance of the people is truly the sacrifice we have to accept for our freedom. We have to learn from history otherwise, the following generations of Filipinos shall be almost bound to repeat each and every mistake of our forefathers. Secondly, the genuine and unwavering work of nation-building ultimately comes from a deep sense of spirituality. Our faith comes into fullness in life through concrete action. Love of God is expressed in love of country and of the poor. Only with true concern for our fellowmen’s welfare shall the aspirations made in EDSA find lasting fruition.

As I remember EDSA today, I constantly remind myself of these learnings. By remembering them well and living my life accordingly, I believe I honor God and those who have sacrificed much so we can enjoy the life and freedoms we Filipinos have now.

Quotable Quotes for a 20th Wedding Anniversary

2011-01-25T13:27:00.009+08:00

DO WE REMEMBER?

A woman awakes during the night to find that her
husband was not in their bed.

She puts on her dressing gown and goes downstairs to
look for him.

She finds him sitting at the kitchen table with a
hot cup of coffee in front of him. He appears to be
in deep thought, just staring at the wall.

She watches as he wipes a tear from his eye and
takes a sip of his coffee.

'What's the matter, dear?' she whispers as she steps
into the room, 'Why are you down here at this time
of night?'

The husband looks up from his coffee, 'I am just
remembering when we first met 20 years ago and
started dating. You were only 16. Do you remember
back then?' he says solemnly.

The wife is touched to tears thinking that her
husband is so caring, so sensitive.

'Yes, I do' she replies.

The husband pauses. The words were not coming
easily.

'Do you remember when your father caught us in the
back seat of my car?'

'Yes, I remember!' said the wife, lowering herself into a chair beside him.

The husband continues. 'Do you remember when he
shoved the shotgun in my face and said, 'Either you
marry my daughter, or I will send you to jail for 20
years?'

'I remember that too' she replies softly.

He wipes another tear from his cheek and says...

'I would have been released today.'

Entitled “Do men remember anniversaries?” this funny story was forwarded to me roughly two years ago. I saw it again in my computer as I looked for good material in my computer and various sites in the internet for my own 20^th wedding anniversary which will be tomorrow, Jan. 26.

Levity aside, wedding anniversaries are excellent occasions for married couples to celebrate their love for one another and remember why they tied the knot in the first place!

The tradition to celebrate wedding anniversaries, particularly the silver (25^th) and golden (50^th) are said to have been traced to medieval Germanic Europe where silver and gold wreaths were given to the wives by their husbands, friends or neighbors in recognition of their long and harmonious relationship. During those times, these anniversaries were known respectively as silver wedding-day and golden wedding-day. In time, symbols in the said Germanic tradition expanded and had certain materials assigned to various stages of married life. In principle, commonly used household items were the assigned gifts to aid the young couple. In later years, luxurious gifts were given as the couple was expected to have obtained the things they would normally require in their daily lives.

In 1937, the American National Retail Jewellery Association came up with a more comprehensive list of symbolic materials for all the traditional wedding anniversaries for each year up to the 15^th anniversary and then for every fifth year after that until the 60^th anniversary. Still, the gifts may slightly vary from one country to another but the major anniversaries seem to have more or less the same gifts. For instance, many countries generally assign the following gifts to these major occasions: 5th Wooden, 10th Tin, 15th Crystal, 20th China, 25th Silver, 30th Pearl, 40th Ruby, 50th Golden, 60th Diamond.

Diamond is well known to be associated with the 75^th anniversary but in the United Kingdom it was also used for the 60^th anniversary after Queen Victoria’s 60 years reign was described as her ‘Diamond Jubilee’.

The traditional gift for a 20^th wedding anniversary was china. The modern assigned gift for the same occasion was changed to platinum.

There is also a list of flower gifts assigned to important wedding anniversaries. For the 20^th anniversary they assigned the flower Aster.

So what quotable quotes about wedding anniversaries did I see in the internet? A lot.

It goes without saying that each passing day and year for a married couple is or should be special but would probably differ in importance and meaning for every couple. Having said that, most quotations may actually be applicable not only for a given number of years together as a married couple. In addition wedding anniversary quotations can be funny, serious, tender or spicy. Often short but concise, it should warm up people with its wit and subtlety.

Take the case of the quotation attributed to Robert Bridges - “Unto us all, our days are love’s anniversaries. Each one in turn hath ripened something of happiness.”

Another is attributed to Beverly Nichols. He was quoted in saying something like “between prose and poetry, the first chapter in marriage is with the latter.” The rest is presumably with the former!

An anonymous person is said to have uttered “Love may be blind but marriage is a real eye-opener!”

From Ogden Nash - “To keep your marriage brimming, with love in the loving cup, whenever you’re wrong, admit it; whenever you’re right, shut up!”

Interestingly, an old Chinese proverb popularly used for anniversaries teaches us a similar bit of wisdom as, “married couples who love each other tell each other a thousand things without talking.”

Perfect for a silver wedding anniversary are Mark Twain’s famous words about marriage: “Love seems the swiftest, but the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century.”

Consequently, Paul Sweeney summarizes everything in this quote: “A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year.”

Let me end with one of my personal favorites, a commonly used poignant quotation from Mignon McLaughlin, “A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.”

As I ask for your prayers for my marriage, may the good Lord also bless your own marriages with peace, prosperity and happiness!

"Hot Girl Shreds On Guitar"

2011-01-14T13:08:00.005+08:00

I told myself I should write something explosive to start the New Year, 2011.

A couple of weeks ago, by some act of serendipity, I had the chance to view a video of this young girl exceptionally playing the electric guitar.

Entitled “Hot Girl Shreds on Guitar”, the video on MSN featured the musical talent of Juliette Valduriez, playing her guitar rendition of ‘Lost Paradise’ (extended solo version).

Her performance blew my mind!

One viewer commented, “Now this is every musicians dream girl! She's got some real talent.” That she has…that she has.

But don’t take my word for it, check out Juliette at the below mentioned video.

Amazing, right?

Later I came across other cover performances by this fair rock maiden eventually discovering she has an account with YouTube named “JulietteVmusic’s Channel where you could see and hear her other cover performances on the net.

There I learned that Juliette is a 23-year old girl from Paris, France. She joined the YouTube community just April of last year but has obviously been gaining a large fan base since then.

I’m almost a hundred percent sure we’ll hear of bigger things to come Juliette’s way. I pray that she remains modest in her new found and growing musical success.

I end this post with another one of her earlier performances on the net. Enjoy!

A Post-Christmas Winter Adventure at Winter Funland

2011-01-07T16:43:00.010+08:00

It was a post-Christmas winter adventure.

The New Year had just started, the Christmas vacation had gone quite quickly and we were still yearning for another “major, major” fun activity at least before the resumption of work and classes.

Christmas lights along Roxas Boulevard still brightly lights the evening

That activity was one experience I had been planning for some time. To feel cool wintry weather complete with snow and all, without leaving the country! That’s what one of Star City’s famous attractions, “Winter Funland” claims to give its patrons.

Nearing Star City - home of the Winter Funland

I don’t know what those globes are - but they’re definitely not snow!

Not surprisingly, the entertainment center located at the reclamation area near Roxas Blvd. was still filled with people that weekend even in the evening, surely with the same intent of maximizing their remaining vacation time with loved ones.

A cowboy mime artist at work entertains the people

Long queues were everywhere along the area for rides and other attractions. The line for Winter Funland was very long. Longer than any other line I reckon. Long enough for us to even buy and eat some merienda while waiting in line for the winter area attraction.

Long queues everywhere

As we came near the entrance, we were given plastic bags for our electronic gadgets, protection I believe for the cold temperature and the moistness that might occur. Each of us was given a jacket before we entered the funland area. I think it was a good one hour before we got inside but it was all worth it!

Picture taking is not allowed inside the funland so I could fully explain the “fun” we all experienced inside. First of all, it was really darn cold! Chilly enough to put mist in our breaths and numbness to our hands and faces.

The freezing temperature enabled us to make snowballs from the ice you could shovel at one area. Maybe not enough for a snowman but you could have a decent snowball fight inside.

There were two designated areas where you could have your picture taken. One was beside an igloo and the other was a park scene with a wooden bench. We had our family pictures taken at both areas as our only visual memento inside this winter wonderland.

The main draw inside was of course the ice sled area! One climbs up a stairway leading to an elevated portion where you slide down the ice riding on some sort of an inflated rubber sled. It was a short ride but fast enough to give you a few thrills. I couldn’t fully control my descent as the sled tends to turn as you go down. If you’re not careful, you might just get a nasty bump here and there.

The kids obviously loved the ride despite the numerous people and icy temperature. I think we stayed for around thirty to forty five minutes inside before going out.

Small world - Relatives from my mother’s side were also there at Star City

Later that night inside the Star City premises, we met Tito Manoling along with some other relatives from my mother’s side of the family as we came out from Tropical Hut Restaurant where we had our dinner.

We didn’t go for any other rides but rather concentrated in scouring the tiangge section looking for interesting stuff to buy. That evening, the boys’ toy gun collection just got bigger and Faith also had a new toy to play with.

It is interesting to observe that most of the long lines had disappeared near the midnight hour. Mental note: If we wanted to try the Winter Funland attraction again, (or some other attractions) this was the best time to do so!

We’ll be back!

At this point of our lives, we do not have the resources to go to a country as a family to experience Christmas winter. But Winter Funland surely gave us a sufficing glimpse of things that are yet to come! In the meantime, from the looks of it, it was a fun ‘winter’ adventure bound to be repeated in the near future.

Prayers and assistance for Aira de la Cruz and Chino Nebrao

2010-10-14T15:00:00.002+08:00

I first knew about Aira de la Cruz reading through old newspapers two weekends ago and coming across this human interest story in the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) dated September 24 about an 11-year old who had been confined at the Santo Tomas Hospital since June 20 of this year due to stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Lymphomas are varieties of cancer derived from a type of white blood cells called lymphocytes. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) are a varied group of blood cancers that include any kind of lymphoma except those that are diagnosed as Hodgkin’s lymphomas. NHLs also differ in terms of severity from inactive to very aggressive.

The more I read through the article, the more I felt that God had really guided me to see her story and do whatever I could for this child. Mary Jane de la Cruz, Aira’s mother and single parent told the Inquirer that if Aira doesn’t show signs of improvement from her chemotherapy sessions (a session costs 30,000 pesos), her doctors advised that she would have to undergo radiotherapy as well. She admitted she doesn’t know how expensive the treatment would be, but added nevertheless, that she “was determined to try everything to save her daughter’s life.”

As a parent myself to four kids and father to our only daughter Faith, I can really relate to Mary Jane’s resolve. I’m so thankful to God that despite the relatively minor illnesses my children had gone through in their young life, we have not experienced any serious illness of this magnitude.

Initially, I had planned of simply and quietly giving my own personal financial donation for Aira. Later, due to her increasing hospitalization expenses I realized I would be of better help to also share her story with the most number of people. That meant talking to my officemates about her plight, my CFC brothers and sisters and of course readers of my personal blogs to join me in helping this beloved child of God. Secondly, and I believe more importantly, I ask for your fervent prayers.

Last October 6, as I accompanied Junior to UST to pay the balance for his college tuition this 1^st semester, we looked for Aira at the UST Hospital. We found her at the pediatric ward, Rm. 322 (Bed E) at the second floor of the Clinical Division building. Her grandmother, also named Mary was there watching over her. Lola Mary broke down to tears as I introduced myself. I felt her deep anguish over her granddaughter’s condition but also her heartfelt gratitude at the financial assistance I gave and was able to solicit from officemates at the Research and Special Studies Bureau. She asked my name which I hesitantly wrote down. Lola Mary said she asked my name to offer pray on my behalf. A gesture I very much appreciated. At some point I shook the hand of frail Aira. She shook my hand but also gently placed it on her forehead. For Filipinos that was a sign of reverence and gratitude. My heart melted away at this heartrending and humbling sight. I had asked Lola Mary to tell her daughter who is seeking help from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to look for an officemate working at our Resident Ombudsman office at the PCSO who could facilitate her request for assistance. As I bade them goodbye, I told Aira to get well. She nodded her head, both lola and her apo waving goodbye and thanking me for my efforts. I thanked them as well for their warmth and prayers.

I couldn’t help but cry as I left the ward. My heart bleeds and at times couldn’t help but wonder how these kinds of suffering could befall such sweet and innocent children such as Aira. But then we can only trust in the Lord’s wisdom and perfect plan.

I didn’t know if Junior understood what I was exactly going through. But if I was to see my kids grow up to be kind and compassionate people through my example, then I would be very happy to know that at least in this aspect, I was able to be a good father to them.

Aira’s unpaid hospital bills have reached up to P300,000 (roughly around $7,000). This amount is expected to rise as her therapy sessions continue. If you also feel that God is drawing you to this child to help, please do not hesitate to share your blessings. PDI’s article listed Mary Jane’s cell number at 0921-9991762. Donations may be deposited through her Metrobank account (Account No. 152-3152404833).

Similarly I ask for your prayers and financial assistance for Chino Nebrao. As of this time, Baby Chino, the third child of CFC missionaries Clark and Cynthia Nebrao, would be nearing or just may have celebrated his first year of delicate existence. He suffers from an unusual heart problem, what doctors categorize as severe mitral regurgitation with mild stenosis. To a lay man it meant he had a defective heart valve, a condition that couldn’t be treated with medication and the survival rate only at 5%. At this point, it also meant that he would have to undergo surgery at the soonest possible time.

The open heart surgery along with the hospitalization and medication expenses is expected to reach the amount of 2 million pesos (an estimated $45,000). Friends and family of Chino’s parents have already come together to ask around 2,000 generous souls to give at least P1,000 ($20) to raise the needed amount. In addition, everyone believes that your passionate prayers shall work wonders for Baby Chino.

Kindly deposit your donations to:

Cynthia Marie Adalla-Nebrao

Account Number: 3106523407

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)

EDSA-Greenhills branch

Let us ask our God of healing and miracles, our God who knows no boundaries, and to whom nothing is impossible, to pour down his blessings and grace upon these special innocent children.

I also pray for all the kind-hearted souls who would share their blessings and prayers for the complete healing and recovery of Aira and Chino. May the almighty God bless you and your respective families!

MCS Pre-elementary parents join hands in clean-up drive

2010-09-17T16:18:00.006+08:00

Dengue cases in the country have been on the rise. Many parents have expressed concern over the safety of their children at school as the mosquitoes responsible for spreading this deadly disease especially among children have apparently proliferated practically all over the country with many documented dengue cases found here in Quezon City.

Lovey as Pre-Elem PTA President had proposed that the pre-elem parents be actively involved in the cleanliness of the school surroundings. She had suggested that there be a day where parents could help cleanup the nearby premises to the school to further reduce the number of dengue-carrying mosquitoes and other disease causing insects and waste materials found in the vicinity.

That day found fruition last September 11, when one Saturday morning, a good number of Pre-elem parents bonded together cleaning the side streets of Mater Carmeli School.

Pre-Elem parents warmly support the clean-up drive

Potential sources of dengue fever were removed

Parents and children worked well in cleaning the nearby surroundings

Me in a “street sweeper” look

Almost done…

Tired but happy parents pose for a series of group pictures

Job well done guys!

Still full of energy, parents continued to clean the school premises

Since a considerable number of parents along with some kids participated in the cleanup campaign, it didn’t take long for us to get the job done.

In fact, some of the parents still had the energy to sweep and bag the dead leaves inside the school campus.

Merienda time!

After the snack break, Odette and some parents stayed on, this time to prepare for the Pre-elementary level’s Family Day on Sept. 19! Such dedication and vigor! I am inspired by such concern and spirit of volunteerism!

Lovey holds a meeting with the parents for the upcoming Family Day

Again, I commend my wife and the parents who came and gave their invaluable support to this noble cause for cleanliness and good health! My hat’s off to all of you!

Meinl Day: Drum Clinic 2010 with Benny Greb

2010-07-22T14:25:00.004+08:00

Meinl Day @ Miriam College

Junior and I arrived late by an hour or so at the auditorium of Miriam College last July 10. We just came from McDonald’s Philcoa where we were supposed to have met a lot earlier but I think he got caught in traffic coming from his Saturday class in the University of Sto. Tomas. I was quite exhausted already from this morning’s heat and traveling to and from Concepcion, Tarlac where CFC brod Omin del Castillo and I attended a post birthday celebration of Sis. Lyn Meloto (wife of Gawad Kalinga founder and CFC Brother Tony Meloto) at a local GK site.

We arrived during the lively and very instructive open forum

I really didn’t expect much, thinking I would just be spending the time to rest. I didn’t know the guy Meinl brought in to lead the drum clinic. But Junior raved about this drummer’s remarkable talent and really looked forward in attending this clinic.

You know what? Junior was right. This guy is a heck of a drum player! Giving more time to a very lively open forum, he was wittingly very entertaining to an inquisitive crowd.

For those like me who knew more about comedian Benny Hill than Benny Greb, I did a little research on the guy on the internet. Like what he said during the open forum, he started playing the drums at a very early age, at age six then took lessons at the age of 12. Born on June 13, 1980 in Augsburg, Germany, he later took on a diverse variety of music playing rock, jazz, funk, new wave, reggae and even classical music with a number of other accomplished musicians.

Obviously a strong endorser of Meinl cymbals and percussion instruments, he has in fact developed a number of hi-hats and other types of cymbals for that German brand. Greb also promotes Sonor drums, Remo drum heads and Pro-Mark drum sticks (which Junior also likes!).

The participants spill out from the auditorium

Lyric, a local chain of music stores carry the Meinl brand

After the drum clinic, it was good that we were able to get a head start outside the auditorium to queue for Greb’s signature.

Junior gets to have Greb sign a number of Meinl product paraphernalia

Rare photos of two prolific drummers

Of course Junior was overjoyed about the whole event. Me? I’m happy to have learned more about drumming’s technical side – that it’s just not simply hitting the drums and cymbals with your sticks. It is both an art and a science.

One statement that Benny Greb said about drummers continues to ring in my head. He said something like, “We’re lucky bastards…we’re allowed to do this (play the drums)!”

I simply have to agree. Even music enthusiasts with a low threshold for the drums’ relative loudness (to some, bordering on noise) would well appreciate the creative beauty of Greb’s music.

2007 video from a 2005 album of the same title

To know more about Benny Greb and his brand of music, check out his official website @ http://www.bennygreb.de/

Celebrating Sis. Lyn Meloto’s birthday @ GK Concepcion, Tarlac

2010-07-22T10:19:00.016+08:00

Celebrating life at GK Concepcion (Tarlac)

Bro. Omin del Castillo and I attended a post-birthday celebration for Sis. Lyn Meloto held at GK Amalia Village in Concepcion, Tarlac last July 10.

The trip to Tarlac gave me another opportunity to meet new friends across the country, some acquaintances even coming from other countries.

The occasion also introduced me to Gawad Kalinga’s Bayan-anihan (BA). GK’s food sufficiency program, BA is a multi-sectoral partnership between Gawad Kalinga, the Department of Agriculture (DA), various local government units (LGUs), Association of Colleges of Agriculture, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like Couple for Christ (CFC).

Globe Telecom, one of the country’s leaders in telecommunications has been a strong partner in the implementation of GK programs including Bayan-anihan. Working together with community residents they have set up one in GK Amalia, putting up since 2008, no less than 35 Bayan-anihan farms nationwide.

When we arrived at GK Amalia, a fairly good sized GK village of around 150 families, we were warmly met by their Kapitbahayan leaders and CFC brethren who were with Bro. Tony Meloto, Sis. Lyn’s husband and GK founder.

GK friends from France introduce themselves

There were several French nationals at the GK site during the festivities. They readily joined the games and danced to the delight of the village residents. Eena Meloto informed me that they were students who came to the Philippines to learn more about Gawad Kalinga.

The GK site was bubbling with children

The site’s plaza ‘fountain’

The celebrant is joined by me, GK Amalia Project Director and CFC Bro. Arnold Capati, Shawn Raydo UCLA – Public Health Grad student and CFC couple Bro. Nonoy and Sis. Malou Zapanta

The French enjoyably danced and played in the parlor games during the program

Sis. Lyn joins the GK partners from Globe Telecom in a dance

PD Bro. Arnold talked about the fruits of GK in their community

Mabuhay ladies perform a traditional dance….

…then asks the French guests to dance as well

Bro. Tony Meloto, Gawad Kalinga Chairman, spoke to the people

French guy does a handstand

Lunch time!

For a seafood and pasta lover like me, the food was divine

GK advocate and former Dept. of Agriculture Secretary Sito Lorenzo and his family arrived

Globe brought the delicious catered food from the famous restaurant Antonio’s

Photo ops with the Meloto and Lorenzo couples

Belated happy birthday, Sis. Lyn! The weather was extremely humid but the equally warm smiles and hospitality of our GK partners made it a lot more bearable. Our trip to Tarlac was definitely well worth it!

You can call me…the new FG!

2010-07-21T15:40:00.000+08:00

Move over, Mike Arroyo….there’s a new FG in town!

No, not as the First Gentleman of the presidential family in Malacanang, but in many ways equally challenging as the husband of Mater Carmeli School’s new Pre-Elementary Department’s Parent-Teacher Association (MCS Pre-Elem. PTA)!!

It all started with our attendance during the General Assembly of the parents of children in the Pre-Elem Dept. It didn’t impress upon me that aside from the usual parents orientation, presentation of the schedule of activities for the school year and explanation of the grading system, that the assembly would include the election of PTA officers. Even when the election for homeroom officers for the Yellow started, it never really occurred to me that we would even be considered.

Then it happened, one of the parents beside me asked whether I would agree to be nominated as homeroom president. I politely declined knowing well that with my present responsibilities, I would simply be spreading myself too thinly. Odette, my wife on the other hand, who time and again had expressed concern over several school related issues, was perfect for the post. She was nominated and subsequently voted unanimously as Yellow room President. As a sign of my unwavering support, I jokingly said to the parents that I most willingly oblige to be the new First Gentleman!

But more was to come. After the homeroom elections, the election for the overall Pre-Elem PTA officers came next. Overall officers were to come from the ranks of the various homeroom officers so everyone was asked to introduce themselves to the teachers and parents. As fate would have it, she also won as overall Pre-Elem President. As they say, the rest is history.

My wife Odette in a case of serendipity gets elected as MCS Pre-Elem PTA President

On the morning of July 7, Odette and the other elected parents took their oath as Pre-Elem PTA officers during the celebration of the Holy Mass along with the Pre-Elementary students. Faith was just very happy to see both of us, her parents present during this event.

Oath taking of Pre-Elem PTA officers

Pre-Elem PTA officers are blessed by the Mass celebrant

Kinder and Prep children offer flowers at the altar

Pre-Elem PTA President Odette M. gave an inspirational message

Kids actively respond

Distribution of brown scapulars

Faith waits for her turn…

…and eventually receives her brown scapular

At the foot of the Cross

Proud parents of Maria Fatima

Last July 11 (Sunday) the school held a counterpart MCS PTA General Assembly for both the Elementary and High School levels. This was to be followed by a meeting of the Council of the elected PTA Presidents from all levels. Among themselves will they chose their own set of over-all officers for the PTA. Faith and I went ahead to SM Fairview as my wife had to attend this council meeting.

On July 25 (Sunday) the MCS-PTA Officers will have their Recollection and Formal Induction as overall PTA Officers.

Evidently, my wife will have her hands full with all the planned activities the PTA has in mind this current school year. The Pre-Elem is scheduled to organize the school year’s first major activity, its annual Family Day. But knowing my wife well, I know she will be able to deliver…and deliver well!

Congratulations, Lovey!

I’m proud to be the new First Gentleman!