I came from our chapter household meeting last night. Bro Eric confirmed that he will be leaving the chapter to serve in ANCOP as COO. From the time that they became our leader, my wife and I would worry the day when he and sis Carina would leave our group to do another service for the community.
Today's gospel is taken from Luke 5:1-11. In his homily, Fr Larry Faraon described fishing as a boring activity. "If you've tried it", he said, "it can be boring and frustrating. It takes a lot of your time waiting and waiting until you get a bite off your hook. Sometimes you go home empty handed or get to catch only one or two fishes after spending the whole day."
"If you are familiar with the game of soccer, we also see contests end up sometimes in a draw, or 1-0 or 2-1 or 1-all after a long time. It takes patience and perseverance to score a goal and when somebody does, everybody gets ecstatic! You see the players and the crowd in jubilation. It is a magical moment! It is the same with fishing. You also get very happy and excited when you finally catch your fish!"
So imagine what the disciples - expert fishermen - felt when after a long day, they followed Jesus' command to lower the nets again. And when they caught a large amount of fish to the point of breaking the net, imagine the surge of emotions that the disciples felt! You could imagine how they acknowledged Jesus - a carpenter - as the expert in fishing! So when He said to them that from then on, they will be fishers of men, they left everything and followed him.
While I read the gospel today, flashback of memories with bro Eric came back to me - how he taught us to evangelize and how he practiced his evangelization with other people and his flock.
Most of our participants then and members now is probably bro Eric's or sis Carina's recruit. Their gentle and thoughtful relationship to each and every one of us has this couple very much endeared to us all. And their leadership style will forever instill in many of us to have faith in our great God and to be faithful in the little things.
Like fishermen, they now move on to other fishing spots. Their move to ANCOP will greatly benefit and touch more people. To bro Eric and sis Carina, we will forever cherish how lovingly you took care of our chapter and us individually. You will forever be a part of our WB3A and Ancop St Joseph Sunriseville family. Cheers!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
St Joseph Sunriseville Sibol School Recognition Day 2010
Bro Marvin called me last Monday if I can give a welcoming 
remarks to our Sibol school's moving up and recognition day on Thursday. My mind is struggling if I should go to work that day but my heart tells me to accept the invitation.
This is one of the many projects that we were able to continue despite the lack of manpower after some of the caretakers left in 2007. My wife & I, together with bro Marvin and sis Roan, tried to put up the school with the assistance of teacher Amy Bartolome of GK Tatalon and teacher Sarah, our first Sibol teacher.
Amidst some misunderstandings with some parents and other complexities that arise from our first school year 2008-2009, the school was able to teach some 15 or so kids and they had their recognition day at the more established Sibol schools in Tatalon.
Now, a year after, it is truly an honor for me to address the parents, students and guests with the welcoming remarks. Like the word 'Sibol', our school is still in its infancy and is just starting to sprout. I am proud of the kapitbahayan that is now showing signs of maturity. I salute the parents that are now stepping up to assist in the programs of the school. Today March 18, is truly a day that the Lord has made and chosen for our Recognition Day. Too bad, Suzette was not able to join me as she had some other prior commitments. She would have loved to see those kids, prim and proper in their white angelic outfits.
The guests includes bro Boyet and sis Lyn Hipolito, the current CYD (Child & Youth Development) Sector Heads and sis Amy Bartolome, together with the teachers of GK Tatalon Sibol school. They have to reschedule their own recognition day in the afternoon because they want to support our first independent recognition day.
We are proud of Roel and April, then SAGIP kids now SIGA members, who did very well in assisting our children in the school. They are but volunteers, always there helping the kids learn the basics of reading, writing and counting. They were not able to enroll this school year but hopefully, with the help of Ancop, they can be scholars in TUP this coming school year. They truly represent our modern day youth heroes.
Of course, we can never thank teacher Ping enough for what she has done for our school. Who would have thought that after a year, the kids can learn to write their names, memorize the alphabet, sing the national anthem, recite the Panatang Makabayan, and pray with their hearts out to Jesus - much to the delight of their families. Later on she would tell me that the kids got the medals from written exams and that these serves as proof that the kids were able to achieve the awards and recognitions they were rewarded.
Not many of you know but while she is busy serving the kids, she also has to assist her sister in her chemo therapy every week. No problem or worries in her own family can shake her away from being with our children. Even the little allowance that we give her from our sponsors, she gives back to the school - every centavo of it. And oh yes, did I mention that she and her husband don't have jobs right now? Wow! talk about love and service.
"God will provide!" - this is what teacher Ping said to me with conviction while she was riding with me when I volunteered to drop her off at the hospital for her sister's weekly chemo therapy right after the recognition day. In my mind, I
couldn't measure her faith and dedication. I can only say a prayer to God for her heart's desires to be blessed. God has really blessed our site and our school with good people.
And yes, the parents too! I am happy for the parents and the members of our Kapitbahayan, especially the officers who have stepped up as well in making the members believe once again in the programs of Gawad Kalinga and most importantly in believing in themselves.
God bless GK!
remarks to our Sibol school's moving up and recognition day on Thursday. My mind is struggling if I should go to work that day but my heart tells me to accept the invitation.This is one of the many projects that we were able to continue despite the lack of manpower after some of the caretakers left in 2007. My wife & I, together with bro Marvin and sis Roan, tried to put up the school with the assistance of teacher Amy Bartolome of GK Tatalon and teacher Sarah, our first Sibol teacher.
Amidst some misunderstandings with some parents and other complexities that arise from our first school year 2008-2009, the school was able to teach some 15 or so kids and they had their recognition day at the more established Sibol schools in Tatalon.
Now, a year after, it is truly an honor for me to address the parents, students and guests with the welcoming remarks. Like the word 'Sibol', our school is still in its infancy and is just starting to sprout. I am proud of the kapitbahayan that is now showing signs of maturity. I salute the parents that are now stepping up to assist in the programs of the school. Today March 18, is truly a day that the Lord has made and chosen for our Recognition Day. Too bad, Suzette was not able to join me as she had some other prior commitments. She would have loved to see those kids, prim and proper in their white angelic outfits.
The guests includes bro Boyet and sis Lyn Hipolito, the current CYD (Child & Youth Development) Sector Heads and sis Amy Bartolome, together with the teachers of GK Tatalon Sibol school. They have to reschedule their own recognition day in the afternoon because they want to support our first independent recognition day.We are proud of Roel and April, then SAGIP kids now SIGA members, who did very well in assisting our children in the school. They are but volunteers, always there helping the kids learn the basics of reading, writing and counting. They were not able to enroll this school year but hopefully, with the help of Ancop, they can be scholars in TUP this coming school year. They truly represent our modern day youth heroes.
Of course, we can never thank teacher Ping enough for what she has done for our school. Who would have thought that after a year, the kids can learn to write their names, memorize the alphabet, sing the national anthem, recite the Panatang Makabayan, and pray with their hearts out to Jesus - much to the delight of their families. Later on she would tell me that the kids got the medals from written exams and that these serves as proof that the kids were able to achieve the awards and recognitions they were rewarded. Not many of you know but while she is busy serving the kids, she also has to assist her sister in her chemo therapy every week. No problem or worries in her own family can shake her away from being with our children. Even the little allowance that we give her from our sponsors, she gives back to the school - every centavo of it. And oh yes, did I mention that she and her husband don't have jobs right now? Wow! talk about love and service.
"God will provide!" - this is what teacher Ping said to me with conviction while she was riding with me when I volunteered to drop her off at the hospital for her sister's weekly chemo therapy right after the recognition day. In my mind, I
couldn't measure her faith and dedication. I can only say a prayer to God for her heart's desires to be blessed. God has really blessed our site and our school with good people.And yes, the parents too! I am happy for the parents and the members of our Kapitbahayan, especially the officers who have stepped up as well in making the members believe once again in the programs of Gawad Kalinga and most importantly in believing in themselves.
God bless GK!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Thank you God for our Tita Cory
For the past few days, I've been thinking of how to best describe our former President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino. I am sure many are putting up their own blogs about her. Fr Catalino Arevalo SJ in his homily for tita Cory sums it all up: "Blessed are the pure for they shall see God".
I was shedding tears as I listen to the mass. Purity in heart and spirit! Somehow you know a person of integrity when you see one. Thank you God for showing your power through a humble and ordinary person like her. Thank you God for the gift of tita Cory.
Friday, July 17, 2009
one stormy CLP friday
July 17, Friday:
5:00 am - classes in NCR suspended due to storm Isang
7:30 am - miss Friday mass with my wife due to strong rains, I decided to leave early for work
8:20 am - arrived in office. Flooded street in Dimasalang, Andalucia and Tomas Mapua streets
8:30 am- sent mass text msg to my CLP service team, exhorting them to pray for better weather later in the day
9:15 am - my wife texted me that government offices in NCR are suspended. Rains drizzling. Will we still go ahead with our CLP?
9:30 am - busy preparing for our deliveries. worried about board orders for ATC as the streets going to the warehouse where we purchased the boards are flooded and the item is critical to our customer's need that day
11:20 am - our delivery pickup stalled in Quiapo. called our friend mechanic, sent my van to replace the pickup for the delivery schedules to proceed. Rains just started to pour again
11:45 am - delivery van that picked up items for ATC just left the warehouse
12:30 pm - photocopied our CLP participants handouts
3:00 pm - under time from office. surveyed Dimasalang - flooded but passable, Laonglaan - no flood. Traffic generally light. Rains still pouring non-stop
3:30 pm - arrived home, somebody parked from across our the front of our gate. had a hard time parking.
3:40 pm - a participant called to ask if the CLP will push through. I told him I will call him back
3:45 pm - ATC called, citing problems with assembly of our items delivered. I arranged with the office to work back on it tomorrow. ATC agreed
3:50 pm - participant called back again. I told him to wait for my return call.
4:00 pm - consulted bro Eric about the situation and the CLP. he gave inputs but I will be the one to decide.
4:15 pm - called the participant to inform them that we will push through with the CLP. I leave it to them to decide whether or not they will attend as they are from Payatas, Fairview.
4:25 pm - Suzette arrived and said traffic in Quezon ave is light. Car still parked in front of our gate. Grrrrr!
4:45 pm - borrowed water jug from my mom and went to buy purified water for our CLP
5:00 pm - got back from the water station but our jug's spout is dripping. Went again to my mom's place to borrow another jug. I asked my aunt, who's knees are hurting and have a hard time to walk if she know the telephone number of the water station. I remembered I left my umbrella there. After I learned it was secure, I plan to get it back immediately. My tita requested if I can buy her bread along the way.
5:10 pm - went back to the water station to get the umbrella, then bought bread for my aunt. Rains are pouring as I was buying bread.
5:35 pm - arrived back home. went to look for the owner of car in front of our gate. introduced myself and explained the situation nicely. he moved the car, i then proceeded to my tita, gave the bread, went up the second floor to get some thing at my sister's room. I saw the floor wet and the roof leaking. I proceeded to get a pail and ask for rags from my aunt.
5:45 pm - opened the computer to print some attendance form for the CLP. my family is preparing for early dinner.
6:00 pm - drove my daughter Isay to the Cruzadas for their YFC gathering.
6:20 pm - got back home and started dinner. my family already finished eating when I arrive.
As I sat and eat alone, I notice the quietness of my surroundings. The rains has stopped!
6:30 pm - final food and materials check preparation. So far, so good - drizzles only. But deep down, I'm very worried we will have only very few participants
7:00 pm - proceeded to NSOLL. in my mind, am praying, it's up to you Lord. I tried to be faithful in the little things you asked of me.
7:10 pm - arrived at the Seraphic hall. bro Marvin, the Delos Reyes and Ricafrentes (from CFC Central) are there. a new HOLD participant is there to register ahead of us.
7:40 pm - my service team is not yet complete. bro Arnel (speaker) just arrived. First couple participant also arrived - the one who texted me earlier.
Then the Lord gave us a lot of surprises that evening.
5:00 am - classes in NCR suspended due to storm Isang
7:30 am - miss Friday mass with my wife due to strong rains, I decided to leave early for work
8:20 am - arrived in office. Flooded street in Dimasalang, Andalucia and Tomas Mapua streets
8:30 am- sent mass text msg to my CLP service team, exhorting them to pray for better weather later in the day
9:15 am - my wife texted me that government offices in NCR are suspended. Rains drizzling. Will we still go ahead with our CLP?
9:30 am - busy preparing for our deliveries. worried about board orders for ATC as the streets going to the warehouse where we purchased the boards are flooded and the item is critical to our customer's need that day
11:20 am - our delivery pickup stalled in Quiapo. called our friend mechanic, sent my van to replace the pickup for the delivery schedules to proceed. Rains just started to pour again
11:45 am - delivery van that picked up items for ATC just left the warehouse
12:30 pm - photocopied our CLP participants handouts
3:00 pm - under time from office. surveyed Dimasalang - flooded but passable, Laonglaan - no flood. Traffic generally light. Rains still pouring non-stop
3:30 pm - arrived home, somebody parked from across our the front of our gate. had a hard time parking.
3:40 pm - a participant called to ask if the CLP will push through. I told him I will call him back
3:45 pm - ATC called, citing problems with assembly of our items delivered. I arranged with the office to work back on it tomorrow. ATC agreed
3:50 pm - participant called back again. I told him to wait for my return call.
4:00 pm - consulted bro Eric about the situation and the CLP. he gave inputs but I will be the one to decide.
4:15 pm - called the participant to inform them that we will push through with the CLP. I leave it to them to decide whether or not they will attend as they are from Payatas, Fairview.
4:25 pm - Suzette arrived and said traffic in Quezon ave is light. Car still parked in front of our gate. Grrrrr!
4:45 pm - borrowed water jug from my mom and went to buy purified water for our CLP
5:00 pm - got back from the water station but our jug's spout is dripping. Went again to my mom's place to borrow another jug. I asked my aunt, who's knees are hurting and have a hard time to walk if she know the telephone number of the water station. I remembered I left my umbrella there. After I learned it was secure, I plan to get it back immediately. My tita requested if I can buy her bread along the way.
5:10 pm - went back to the water station to get the umbrella, then bought bread for my aunt. Rains are pouring as I was buying bread.
5:35 pm - arrived back home. went to look for the owner of car in front of our gate. introduced myself and explained the situation nicely. he moved the car, i then proceeded to my tita, gave the bread, went up the second floor to get some thing at my sister's room. I saw the floor wet and the roof leaking. I proceeded to get a pail and ask for rags from my aunt.
5:45 pm - opened the computer to print some attendance form for the CLP. my family is preparing for early dinner.
6:00 pm - drove my daughter Isay to the Cruzadas for their YFC gathering.
6:20 pm - got back home and started dinner. my family already finished eating when I arrive.
As I sat and eat alone, I notice the quietness of my surroundings. The rains has stopped!
6:30 pm - final food and materials check preparation. So far, so good - drizzles only. But deep down, I'm very worried we will have only very few participants
7:00 pm - proceeded to NSOLL. in my mind, am praying, it's up to you Lord. I tried to be faithful in the little things you asked of me.
7:10 pm - arrived at the Seraphic hall. bro Marvin, the Delos Reyes and Ricafrentes (from CFC Central) are there. a new HOLD participant is there to register ahead of us.
7:40 pm - my service team is not yet complete. bro Arnel (speaker) just arrived. First couple participant also arrived - the one who texted me earlier.
Then the Lord gave us a lot of surprises that evening.
- bro Let and sis Talavera came to help in our music ministry.
- bro Nards and sis Ellen Reyes (originial household of Joe Yam) was there to sing with us too.
- we are glad bro Ogie and sis Candee were there too after a long while
- YFC was there to assist in child care
- a total of 16 couple and 6 HOLD participants came that day. The room was filled from all ends.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Doubting Thomas
Yesterday, was the feast of St. Thomas. He's known as the apostle who wants to see first, to believe. And when Jesus came to visit their group, he saw and touched the wounds at the side and hands of our Lord and proclaimed, "My Lord, and my God!". (Jn 20:24-29)
July 3 is a blessed day for me and my wife. We started the day going to mass after the kids were sent to school. The homily was given by one of our favorite Capuchin priest, Fr. Tonet. He said that while we see Thomas as the one who doubted, perhaps there's another side of him why he wanted to see the Lord first before believing. Deep inside of him, he has this 'expectant faith'. He is claiming that he wants to see the Lord who is risen and so he was given that extraordinary chance of even touching His wounds.
This day also marks the start of our annual Christian Life Program at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. Our group, Couples for Christ, has been ironing it out for the past three months and just a week before, I was appointed as the new team leader (talk about surprises!). We are scheduled to do two CLPs this year and I was supposed to handle the second. Though I have reservations doing a second one because of our limited manpower, I can only agree to the work that God has given us.
I went home early from the office to be able to prepare for our event. Around 3:30 pm I went to the church to check first on the venue. Mang Jerry, the caretaker, cannot be found. Two guards assisted me to look for him but still no mang Jerry, and our venue is closed (padlocked is more like it). Oh well, the guard promised to remind him of our schedule when they see him and I went on my way home.
A terrible traffic jam occured at the stretch of Quezon ave and Araneta after a truck had an accident. My wife, who is now on her way to pick up our children texted me for help. She's already stuck for more than an hour and was worried she can only pick up our son over at Tomas Morato but not our daughters at Examiner street, which is just a short distance across Quezon ave. So off I went to pick the girls via Delmonte which is now also at a crawling pace but I had to pass by the church first to see if mang Jerry got my message. The guard welcomed me and said that everything is already set. Whew!
I was lucky to get through to the girls but going back is something else. Traffic is now a big mess and covered even the secondary roads. I panicked as I saw the time on my watch reads 6:30pm. My wife, who by this time already got Jiego, is still stuck on now E. Rodriguez avenue after ditching the route where she came from. I even had to detour to Baler instead of my route earlier when traffic then was tolerable. We texted our brothers and sisters about our situation in hopes of getting them to come early and be aware of the traffic jam. I was home 7:25 just a few minutes later than my wife.
Moving on to our CLP, Suzette and I arrived 10 minutes before the schedule but the place is already being filled with participants! I was overwhelmed! God never ceases to amaze me. The hall hasn't seen this number of participants in ages! In the past, the ratio of service team to participants is around 4:1, now it's the other way around. We even ran out of info sheets!
As I started the opening remarks, I remembered the day's gospel. I remembered how I doubted but at the same time, had this expectant faith that God will bless us with participants. I am humbled and overwhelmed as he called on all these people from all over to attend this gathering. Truly, "My Lord and My God!".
Indeed, it was a Spirit-filled affair. Fr. Monching Atanacio, our parish priest, welcomed our guests much to their delight and our speaker and member of the CFC board of elders, bro. Mon De Leon gave everybody a wonderful orientation night. Bro Larry and sis Rory also willingly gave their personal testimony on why the CLP can be a tool to enhance love and relationships. God truly gives and it pours!
This morning I read the gospel with God's message: "pour new wine into new wineskins" (Mt.9:14-17). Now the work begins. All praise be to God!
July 3 is a blessed day for me and my wife. We started the day going to mass after the kids were sent to school. The homily was given by one of our favorite Capuchin priest, Fr. Tonet. He said that while we see Thomas as the one who doubted, perhaps there's another side of him why he wanted to see the Lord first before believing. Deep inside of him, he has this 'expectant faith'. He is claiming that he wants to see the Lord who is risen and so he was given that extraordinary chance of even touching His wounds.
This day also marks the start of our annual Christian Life Program at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. Our group, Couples for Christ, has been ironing it out for the past three months and just a week before, I was appointed as the new team leader (talk about surprises!). We are scheduled to do two CLPs this year and I was supposed to handle the second. Though I have reservations doing a second one because of our limited manpower, I can only agree to the work that God has given us.
I went home early from the office to be able to prepare for our event. Around 3:30 pm I went to the church to check first on the venue. Mang Jerry, the caretaker, cannot be found. Two guards assisted me to look for him but still no mang Jerry, and our venue is closed (padlocked is more like it). Oh well, the guard promised to remind him of our schedule when they see him and I went on my way home.
A terrible traffic jam occured at the stretch of Quezon ave and Araneta after a truck had an accident. My wife, who is now on her way to pick up our children texted me for help. She's already stuck for more than an hour and was worried she can only pick up our son over at Tomas Morato but not our daughters at Examiner street, which is just a short distance across Quezon ave. So off I went to pick the girls via Delmonte which is now also at a crawling pace but I had to pass by the church first to see if mang Jerry got my message. The guard welcomed me and said that everything is already set. Whew!
I was lucky to get through to the girls but going back is something else. Traffic is now a big mess and covered even the secondary roads. I panicked as I saw the time on my watch reads 6:30pm. My wife, who by this time already got Jiego, is still stuck on now E. Rodriguez avenue after ditching the route where she came from. I even had to detour to Baler instead of my route earlier when traffic then was tolerable. We texted our brothers and sisters about our situation in hopes of getting them to come early and be aware of the traffic jam. I was home 7:25 just a few minutes later than my wife.
Moving on to our CLP, Suzette and I arrived 10 minutes before the schedule but the place is already being filled with participants! I was overwhelmed! God never ceases to amaze me. The hall hasn't seen this number of participants in ages! In the past, the ratio of service team to participants is around 4:1, now it's the other way around. We even ran out of info sheets!
As I started the opening remarks, I remembered the day's gospel. I remembered how I doubted but at the same time, had this expectant faith that God will bless us with participants. I am humbled and overwhelmed as he called on all these people from all over to attend this gathering. Truly, "My Lord and My God!".
Indeed, it was a Spirit-filled affair. Fr. Monching Atanacio, our parish priest, welcomed our guests much to their delight and our speaker and member of the CFC board of elders, bro. Mon De Leon gave everybody a wonderful orientation night. Bro Larry and sis Rory also willingly gave their personal testimony on why the CLP can be a tool to enhance love and relationships. God truly gives and it pours!
This morning I read the gospel with God's message: "pour new wine into new wineskins" (Mt.9:14-17). Now the work begins. All praise be to God!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Blessings and Bohol
A lot of people we know have already been to Bohol. We have always dreamed of going but a trip for 7 people in a family calls for serious financial planning. So for me and my family, it was something we looked forward to since March when we finally had our plane tickets booked. Since it would be the first time for our youngest Pio to take the plane, he would unceasingly ask us when we will be riding the airplane - my mistake for exciting him early.
Blessing no. 1 - enter low air fare promo again from Cebu Pacific. Thanks to sis Roan for alerting us one evening last March about this. Suzette and the kids kept on calling me in the office to confirm on the dates when we can book our flight. They were all excited to book online and got a bargain fare for 7 pax for 10K. That's a really sweet deal!
Blessing no. 2 - thanks to my sister Weng for some reward money that she sent to my kids for performing well in school. Now we have more funds for whatever expenses we will incur for the trip. Salamat ninang Weng, mwah! Wish you and your kids could have joined us.
Blessing no. 3 - as usual, my wife and I try to book an adventure and not a trip so off we go to the
internet to see how we can go about it. Thank you Angelbert tours especially owners Bert and Lilette Gacera for being such a big help to us. We just told them of all the places we would like to see within 2 days and soon enough, we got a packed itinerary that we all were so excited to take! They even helped us book a good place to stay at Dumaluan II Resort for a fraction of the price you may incur at Bohol Beach Club which shares the same beach front (Blessing no.4!) here in Panglao. Oh that picturesque scenery, calm waters and powdery fine white sand were simply majestic.
Blessing no. 5 - my camera (which broke down from our Bataan trip) came out of the repair
shop three days before we left. Right in time! I've uploaded all the good pictures for our friends to see and for my family to remember this wonderful trip. I feel naked going on a trip without my camera.
Blessing no. 6 - we would have enjoyed this trip alone as a family but having friends to join us - the Bayot and Embuscado families means triple the fun! There were 21 of us renting 3 vans for this short two days escapade just before school starts (literally! - school officially start two days after we arrived back home). Everybody is always on time for our scheduled itineraries even if it meant waking up at 430am for the next 2 days. We had the best exchange of pleasant conversation and just loads of laughter, making this extra memorable.
Blessing no. 7 - the day before our trip, my family went to my in-laws in Paranaque so that we can sleep there and come from there for our very early morning trip. It took us four hours to travel via Roxas boulevard because of the heavy rains and some flooding along the way. Suzette was worried that we will not enjoy Bohol because of the weather but God gave us a warm and super sunny weather at the heart of Visayas to enjoy every bit of time that we were in Bohol. To think people back in Manila were texting us to ask how the weather is because apparently there were heavy rains and floods in Manila that caused schools to be suspended. Whew!
Blessing no. 8 - Even while the weather is good in Bohol, we were worried that we won't ge
t to see the dolphins near Balicasag island because of the roughing waves. Some of those who went dolphin watching the day before were not so lucky as WE ARE!!! Yes, we were lucky to spot them, jumping in and out of the water in this so called dolphin pedestrian lane en route to Balicasag island. We also enjoyed snorkeling at the fish and coral sanctuary of Balicasag. Kids and adults alike, with their first-time encounter with schools of fishes surrounding them, really had a wonderful experience here. Yey!
Blessing no. 9 - We were happy to be able to visit the famous coral stone churches of Baclayon, Loboc and Albur built during the Spanish times. Another church, the Daouis church, is known for the spring that flows from the ground near the center of the altar. The water from here is said to be miraculous. Many people bring empty bottles and have it filled with the water. Because of the unorderly manner the way the tourists that day were asking for the water, my wife asked the crowd if they can all line up properly and to wait for their turn. But no one seemed to want to do so. Suddenly, the caretaker declared that the well has dried up. Almost in a sobbing tone, he said that this has never happened before and he can only shake his head in disbelief saying that we all need to pray because Mama Mary may have been disappointed with the unruly crowd. Did the Our Lady of the Assumption (the patroness of the church) closed down the well because the people no longer showed respect in requesting for her miraculous water? We felt really bad especially Suzette who could not believe that Mama Mary would deny her of getting some for her family. She was hoping to have a share of that miracle. Maybe next time...
The next day when we took our Ocean adventure tour another sad incident occurred Oh wow! Suzette just lost an earring! It just feels terrible not knowing where to look for it since we have done so much that morning already. We rode a boat, gone from one island to the next, took a banca to the fish sanctuary where we snorkeled, had a long walk to the back of Balicasag island where we ate our lunch, and done a little shopping from islanders who were selling trinkets of bracelets, necklaces and shell decors. Plus the earring is a treasured possession as it was given to her by her mom. The last time she knew she had it on was before our snorkeling trip. This is not how vacations are suppose to end. Our dearest friend Rose would comfort her kumare saying that maybe it can still be found, and insisted that we leave our contact numbers with the boatmen in the event that they find it. Suzette felt hopeless and helpless but left our numbers without really believeing that it can be found again. Oh well...
Blessing no. 10 - as we were getting our bags from the Terminal 3 carousel upon landing in Manila, we were surprised by a text messa
ge from one of the boatmen that the earring has been found! It was found somewhere on the beach in the island of Balicasag under a tree. One of the boat guides saw something glittering on the sand and lo and behold, it was the missing earring! Suzette said it was most probably Mama Mary's answer to her wanting a share in her miracle. Thank you Mama Mary!
Surely there are more than ten miracles and blessings that happened to us in this trip. From the magical place that is Bohol and from the people that were more than a blessing to us, I've only recorded a few.
We all experience many blessings and miracles everyday. Do you see your blessings around you?
(See our Bohol photo album)
Blessing no. 1 - enter low air fare promo again from Cebu Pacific. Thanks to sis Roan for alerting us one evening last March about this. Suzette and the kids kept on calling me in the office to confirm on the dates when we can book our flight. They were all excited to book online and got a bargain fare for 7 pax for 10K. That's a really sweet deal!
Blessing no. 2 - thanks to my sister Weng for some reward money that she sent to my kids for performing well in school. Now we have more funds for whatever expenses we will incur for the trip. Salamat ninang Weng, mwah! Wish you and your kids could have joined us.
Blessing no. 3 - as usual, my wife and I try to book an adventure and not a trip so off we go to the
internet to see how we can go about it. Thank you Angelbert tours especially owners Bert and Lilette Gacera for being such a big help to us. We just told them of all the places we would like to see within 2 days and soon enough, we got a packed itinerary that we all were so excited to take! They even helped us book a good place to stay at Dumaluan II Resort for a fraction of the price you may incur at Bohol Beach Club which shares the same beach front (Blessing no.4!) here in Panglao. Oh that picturesque scenery, calm waters and powdery fine white sand were simply majestic.Blessing no. 5 - my camera (which broke down from our Bataan trip) came out of the repair
shop three days before we left. Right in time! I've uploaded all the good pictures for our friends to see and for my family to remember this wonderful trip. I feel naked going on a trip without my camera.Blessing no. 6 - we would have enjoyed this trip alone as a family but having friends to join us - the Bayot and Embuscado families means triple the fun! There were 21 of us renting 3 vans for this short two days escapade just before school starts (literally! - school officially start two days after we arrived back home). Everybody is always on time for our scheduled itineraries even if it meant waking up at 430am for the next 2 days. We had the best exchange of pleasant conversation and just loads of laughter, making this extra memorable.
Blessing no. 7 - the day before our trip, my family went to my in-laws in Paranaque so that we can sleep there and come from there for our very early morning trip. It took us four hours to travel via Roxas boulevard because of the heavy rains and some flooding along the way. Suzette was worried that we will not enjoy Bohol because of the weather but God gave us a warm and super sunny weather at the heart of Visayas to enjoy every bit of time that we were in Bohol. To think people back in Manila were texting us to ask how the weather is because apparently there were heavy rains and floods in Manila that caused schools to be suspended. Whew!
Blessing no. 8 - Even while the weather is good in Bohol, we were worried that we won't ge
t to see the dolphins near Balicasag island because of the roughing waves. Some of those who went dolphin watching the day before were not so lucky as WE ARE!!! Yes, we were lucky to spot them, jumping in and out of the water in this so called dolphin pedestrian lane en route to Balicasag island. We also enjoyed snorkeling at the fish and coral sanctuary of Balicasag. Kids and adults alike, with their first-time encounter with schools of fishes surrounding them, really had a wonderful experience here. Yey!Blessing no. 9 - We were happy to be able to visit the famous coral stone churches of Baclayon, Loboc and Albur built during the Spanish times. Another church, the Daouis church, is known for the spring that flows from the ground near the center of the altar. The water from here is said to be miraculous. Many people bring empty bottles and have it filled with the water. Because of the unorderly manner the way the tourists that day were asking for the water, my wife asked the crowd if they can all line up properly and to wait for their turn. But no one seemed to want to do so. Suddenly, the caretaker declared that the well has dried up. Almost in a sobbing tone, he said that this has never happened before and he can only shake his head in disbelief saying that we all need to pray because Mama Mary may have been disappointed with the unruly crowd. Did the Our Lady of the Assumption (the patroness of the church) closed down the well because the people no longer showed respect in requesting for her miraculous water? We felt really bad especially Suzette who could not believe that Mama Mary would deny her of getting some for her family. She was hoping to have a share of that miracle. Maybe next time...
The next day when we took our Ocean adventure tour another sad incident occurred Oh wow! Suzette just lost an earring! It just feels terrible not knowing where to look for it since we have done so much that morning already. We rode a boat, gone from one island to the next, took a banca to the fish sanctuary where we snorkeled, had a long walk to the back of Balicasag island where we ate our lunch, and done a little shopping from islanders who were selling trinkets of bracelets, necklaces and shell decors. Plus the earring is a treasured possession as it was given to her by her mom. The last time she knew she had it on was before our snorkeling trip. This is not how vacations are suppose to end. Our dearest friend Rose would comfort her kumare saying that maybe it can still be found, and insisted that we leave our contact numbers with the boatmen in the event that they find it. Suzette felt hopeless and helpless but left our numbers without really believeing that it can be found again. Oh well...
Blessing no. 10 - as we were getting our bags from the Terminal 3 carousel upon landing in Manila, we were surprised by a text messa
ge from one of the boatmen that the earring has been found! It was found somewhere on the beach in the island of Balicasag under a tree. One of the boat guides saw something glittering on the sand and lo and behold, it was the missing earring! Suzette said it was most probably Mama Mary's answer to her wanting a share in her miracle. Thank you Mama Mary!Surely there are more than ten miracles and blessings that happened to us in this trip. From the magical place that is Bohol and from the people that were more than a blessing to us, I've only recorded a few.
We all experience many blessings and miracles everyday. Do you see your blessings around you?
(See our Bohol photo album)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Make out of town trips a learning adventure - Bataan, Pampanga 2009
This summer, we were invited by our school co-parent Vic and Dina Reyes, not Sotto, to join them for an outing at the beach. Their eldest daughter Sea and our daughter Dang are best friends in school. Our destination: Montemar Beach Resort in Bagac, Bataan.
The road going there is smooth and paved. Most noticeable is the cleanliness of the towns in Bataan that we passed by. Almost every after barangay or so, we see groups of people cleaning the road for any trash or heaps of dry leaves that scatters on the ground. It is indeed a very pleasant sight and journey.
Along the road, we see markers of the Death March that happened after the the fall of Bataan. Remember General Douglas Mac Arthur's "I Shall Return" story? Well, he did not say it here but this is where it all started. And you can all see it at the Mt. Samat war memorial erected by then President Ferdinand Marcos. It happened to be along the way to Montemar and so I thought to bring my family there to see this piece of history. So up we go Mt. Samat amidst the rainfall that met us as we were on our drive up to the site. Atop the mountain, a gigantic cross welcomes you with the wide spread of its arms. We were taking pictures infront of the cross when we accidentally discovered that can actually go up the top of it. A small elevator awaits anybody who would like to climb up as a guide operates it for us. A few seconds later, we were hundreds of feet higher than Mt. Samat and walking inside the cross' arms as we enjoy the cool breeze and the magnificent view. The sight is amazing. It was raining hard that day, and we got so excited to have had the oppotunity to experience fog on an April summer day. This explains why some of our pics are a little cloudy. Too bad I can't get a picture of the cross atop Mt. Samat from the highway when we went down as clouds and fog hamper the view from below. The story of how the gallant Filipinos and American soldiers tried to defend this place from the invading Japanese forces can also be recalled in the museum as the entire story has been written so eloquently on the walls of the memorial center.
The abnormally stormy weather left us with not much to do at Montemar. We could not swim in the beach as the lifeguards advised against it due to the strong undercurrent that comes with the unruly weather. We can only enjoy the waters from the shore line. Good thing that the resort has a lovely pool so the kids did have a blast swimming with their friends.
The morning we left for Bataan, we had our breakfast at McDonald's and got a free newspaper. It was as if the lifestyle section was written on the perfect time that we will be travelling thru Pampanga en route to Bataan. In it was a review of Kapampangan restaurants ( http://archive.inquirer.net/view.php?db=1&story_id=200851 ). Since we will be passing thru Pampanga on our way back home, Suzette suggested that we can include in our itinerary trying some of these restos for a food trip. This will be another educational trip for us plus have our bellies filled. We left Montemar about 11 am the next day so that we can be in Pampanga by lunch time. After saying our thanking and bidding our farewell to the Reyeses, we proceeded towards Clark in Pampanga. We used the newly built SCTEX and I told my kids how the engineers carved the sides (or center) of some hills and mountains to build this new expressway.
We did see a lot of the restos that were in the newspaper and after several rounds, we decided to try out Everybody's Cafe. Inside, I was bribing the kids with a hundred peso bill to whoever will try out the Kapampangan's specialty fried frog's legs and kamaru (crickets) but they all respectfully declined their now annoying dad. Jiego opted to get the tocino instead next to the kamaru but my conscience dictates that I should reveal to him that it was actually tapang kalabaw "carabao meat". Anyway after seeing their now disappointed faces, we instead ordered the resto's specialty morcon, shrimp with kamias, adobong pusit, and Pampanga's version of the palabok. It was a very tasty and filling feast for all indeed and the trip was well worth it.
For dessert, Suzette bought halo-halo from Corazon's which is also near Coolspot, and the now famous in Manila, Razon's - all popular for their own versions of the halo-halo. We also tried Susie's which sells a wide array of delicious native delicacies. You should see the queue of people waiting for their turn to buy something. Being first-timers there, Suzette and I were overwhelmed on the different delights that you can buy that we forgot to buy the tibuk-tibok (made with Carabao's milk) which is what makes Susie's famous as well.
The road going there is smooth and paved. Most noticeable is the cleanliness of the towns in Bataan that we passed by. Almost every after barangay or so, we see groups of people cleaning the road for any trash or heaps of dry leaves that scatters on the ground. It is indeed a very pleasant sight and journey.
Along the road, we see markers of the Death March that happened after the the fall of Bataan. Remember General Douglas Mac Arthur's "I Shall Return" story? Well, he did not say it here but this is where it all started. And you can all see it at the Mt. Samat war memorial erected by then President Ferdinand Marcos. It happened to be along the way to Montemar and so I thought to bring my family there to see this piece of history. So up we go Mt. Samat amidst the rainfall that met us as we were on our drive up to the site. Atop the mountain, a gigantic cross welcomes you with the wide spread of its arms. We were taking pictures infront of the cross when we accidentally discovered that can actually go up the top of it. A small elevator awaits anybody who would like to climb up as a guide operates it for us. A few seconds later, we were hundreds of feet higher than Mt. Samat and walking inside the cross' arms as we enjoy the cool breeze and the magnificent view. The sight is amazing. It was raining hard that day, and we got so excited to have had the oppotunity to experience fog on an April summer day. This explains why some of our pics are a little cloudy. Too bad I can't get a picture of the cross atop Mt. Samat from the highway when we went down as clouds and fog hamper the view from below. The story of how the gallant Filipinos and American soldiers tried to defend this place from the invading Japanese forces can also be recalled in the museum as the entire story has been written so eloquently on the walls of the memorial center.
The abnormally stormy weather left us with not much to do at Montemar. We could not swim in the beach as the lifeguards advised against it due to the strong undercurrent that comes with the unruly weather. We can only enjoy the waters from the shore line. Good thing that the resort has a lovely pool so the kids did have a blast swimming with their friends.
The morning we left for Bataan, we had our breakfast at McDonald's and got a free newspaper. It was as if the lifestyle section was written on the perfect time that we will be travelling thru Pampanga en route to Bataan. In it was a review of Kapampangan restaurants ( http://archive.inquirer.net/view.php?db=1&story_id=200851 ). Since we will be passing thru Pampanga on our way back home, Suzette suggested that we can include in our itinerary trying some of these restos for a food trip. This will be another educational trip for us plus have our bellies filled. We left Montemar about 11 am the next day so that we can be in Pampanga by lunch time. After saying our thanking and bidding our farewell to the Reyeses, we proceeded towards Clark in Pampanga. We used the newly built SCTEX and I told my kids how the engineers carved the sides (or center) of some hills and mountains to build this new expressway.
We did see a lot of the restos that were in the newspaper and after several rounds, we decided to try out Everybody's Cafe. Inside, I was bribing the kids with a hundred peso bill to whoever will try out the Kapampangan's specialty fried frog's legs and kamaru (crickets) but they all respectfully declined their now annoying dad. Jiego opted to get the tocino instead next to the kamaru but my conscience dictates that I should reveal to him that it was actually tapang kalabaw "carabao meat". Anyway after seeing their now disappointed faces, we instead ordered the resto's specialty morcon, shrimp with kamias, adobong pusit, and Pampanga's version of the palabok. It was a very tasty and filling feast for all indeed and the trip was well worth it.
For dessert, Suzette bought halo-halo from Corazon's which is also near Coolspot, and the now famous in Manila, Razon's - all popular for their own versions of the halo-halo. We also tried Susie's which sells a wide array of delicious native delicacies. You should see the queue of people waiting for their turn to buy something. Being first-timers there, Suzette and I were overwhelmed on the different delights that you can buy that we forgot to buy the tibuk-tibok (made with Carabao's milk) which is what makes Susie's famous as well.
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