Christmas In Full Swing

IT'S ELEVEN DAYS before Christmas. I don’t know what happened but I didn’t even realize it until Korina Sanchez said so at the end of tonight’s TV Patrol over ABS-CBN.

        My daughter Ghiselle and I have started buying gifts but we continue to make lists. We have yet to set up our angel-shaped lights and decorate the four walls of our apartment with paper poinsettias and Christmas ribbons.

        But as if to make up for this, the entire metropolis – including my neighborhood – is all spruced up with bright lights, giant Christmas trees and life-sized mangers depicting the birth of Christ. 

         Continuing with the signs of the season, my social life has come alive with a heavy schedule of parties with friends, former colleagues and, of course, family.

        My LSS (last song syndrome) is make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is you ... The ASAP Rocks  performers sang the song in the show’s opening number two Sundays ago; and it was the same song (Mariah Carey’s version) used by the House of Dance performers in the finale of Halu-Halong Indak, USTHS Batch 71’s fund-raising dance concert held last Saturday at the Irwin Theater of the Ateneo in Quezon City for the benefit of Cottolengo Filipino.

        Bazaars and tiangges have mushroomed all over the place in a seeming delineation of a commercialized season.

        To aptly illustrate the message of Christmas, on the other hand, we witness generosity at its best with fastfood chains and other establishments spearheading gift-giving activities.


MARCUS, the second to the youngest
 member of my family
donates his toys to Jollibee.
With him is his Uncle Abe.

       Christmas is indeed in full swing. Despite celebrity couples breaking up, Oplan Put the Little Girl to Sleep, and other depressing developments in a Filipino life, hope and excitement and, yes love, pervade the air.

        Let me now share a couple of reminders to make sure our Yuletide celebration is going to be calm and bright.

Embrace Everything Christmas. Let us be thankful there is Christmas and focus on why we celebrate it. Stop worrying about the expenses and the credit card charges later on. Besides, there is no need to splurge.

        In my family, gift-giving is a big thing but it is not always about the gifts that we receive. It is more like having that exhilarating feeling of anticipation as our names are called to receive our gifts and unwrap what’s in them. Each year, we are just so happy to be together and having a great party – with our favorite food and drinks and a crazy program of fun and games. We actually give out small cash as prizes for the games we play but the happiness we experience is priceless.

One Solitary Life. Surely you already know the real reason of the season but to get into the spirit, we are reprinting this familiar piece – an adaptation from a sermon by James Allan Francis in the 1920s – and reflect on the Birthday Boy – 

Here is a man, who was

born of Jewish parents, the child

of a peasant woman.

He never wrote a book, he

never held an office,

he never gained a home.

He never went to college.

He never set foot inside

the big city. He never

traveled two hundred miles from

the place where he was born.

He never did any of the things

that usually accompany greatness.

He had no credentials but himself.

While still a young man, the tide

of popular opinion turned against

him. His friends ran away, one

of them denied him. He was nailed

to a cross between two thieves.

His executioners gambled for

the only piece of property he had

on earth – his coat.

When he was dead, he was taken down

and buried in a borrowed grave

through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen wide centuries have

come and gone, and he is

the centerpiece of the human race

and the leader of the column

of progress. I am not far

within the mark when I say

that all armies that ever marched

and all navies that ever sailed

have not affected the life of man

upon the earth as powerful as that

One Solitary Life.

Count Your Blessings. This is a one-liner that we hear too often but it is important to count one’s blessings. When we do count them, be meticulous and do not leave anything out. Aside from loved ones and the things you treasure, count your lousy job, the sunshine following the rain, even arriving in your place of destination after a bus ride with the man behind the wheel driving dangerously.

Mode of Gratitude. Upon acknowledging God's blessings, get into a gratitude mode. Be thankful for each day that you breathe, see, touch, smell and hear and that you can move and think and feel. Most of all – and here's another worn-out but still true one-liner – thank the God Almighty for sending His Only Son to redeem the world.

From Gratitude to Generosity. Translate your gratitude and participate in the true essence of Christmas by practicing generosity. Get involved, give back, pay it forward ... however you call it, do it this Christmas and onwards.

        At St. Peter Parish (Commonwealth Avenue, QC), where I hear mass, they feed poor families within the community and give toys to the children on Christmas day. Parishioners and other concerned citizens donate cash as well as toys and other gift items to give these families a feeling of Christmas. You can check out for similar activities in your parish or other charitable institutions. In this time and age, doing charity work has been made easy for everyone.

        Away from home, I am proud to announce that my daughter Pee Ann and her special friend Alex are doing their share of charity. They will start baking cupcakes tomorrow to be donated to Santa Anonymous in the town of Banff in Canada, where both are currently based. They have recently set up their own bake shop called Frosted Crumbs. (More about this in a later post.)

Breathe and Enjoy. In between the days of Christmas, take some time to catch your breath or simply exhale leisurely. Schedule a silent night in between the heavy partying and shopping. Get a spa or a massage after a wrapping session with family.

        More importantly, enjoy the scenery and the warm atmosphere that only happens in this time of year. Marvel at the bright lights, the pots of poinsettias, your smiling loved ones, most specially the kids who wish “Christmas won’t be late.”

Get Lost in the Magic. On Christmas day itself, get into the beauty and the fun and the magic of the big event. As for me, I will pig out, get into alcoholic high, dance, sing, laugh out loud, and give everybody a hug.

        Of course, my family and I will attend the Midnight Mass to start off our cool Yule. Mom will be terribly missed – our first Christmas without her – but I’m sure she would want us to continue celebrating life and the amazing connection we have with one another.

Take on the Virtue of Giving. Finally, do not let the spirit of Christmas end on Christmas day. Keep the spirit alive and establish in yourself the virtue of giving now and always.

        It's better to give than to receive is actually a beautiful adage. But so as not to sound cliche-ish, contemplate on Kahlil Gibran's words: You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

        Let me also quote Kris Aquino who once said, Regret not what you have given but what you have held back. Now, of course, she must have said this in the name of love, but it becomes generic in the art of giving.

        Well, Merry Christmas everyone ... and to the rest of the world, Happy Holidays!

26 March 2007
FOREVER FRIENDS
"friends we will be now and forever …"

these are lyrics from an old sharon cuneta song and i could very well be singing it, too for i am blessed with forever friends.

friends who have been with me since childhood -- like bong, junie, gil, joyce, edna ... they were there through the proverbial thick and thin, through stirring relationships and heartbreaks, through lack and plenty, through time and space ...

friends with whom i can be the real me warts and all ... who know me inside out and even at my worst, i am loved ...

friends with whom i can have real conversations and communicate, not just talk.

i remember us as teenagers, walking down country road towards the beach, talking about anything and everything -- from the meaning of life (according to teenagers) to the wonders of the opposite sex ...

we've had more of such talks as we grew older. and while we've become a bit smarter over the years, our conversations remain candid and straight from the heart.

some of these childhood friends are now based abroad and one became a priest but we continue to keep in touch.

in college, after college and in pursuing a career, more friends were gained ... some fair-weather friends, some drinking buddies, some real pals.

friends from f. jacinto group -- notably tisoy boys bertie, jomag, junjun, and raffy  and, of course nickie, and later on bob; then came doris, dory, lani, marla, marsha, mela, milen, nelson, roanne, weng, actually the list is endless because we were a "one big family" -- are drinking buddies and real pals all rolled into one. the tisoy boys, nickie and i and a bit later, milen, had a real solid friendship and it went on even outside the four walls of the FJ group ... we went on vacations together, we celebrated important events together, we were simply so close and like family that even our kids felt they were related to each other ...

i miss them terribly after we went our separate professional ways when FJ group went pffft ...

well, everything changes, they say, but i guess when it comes to friends, some things remain the same.

the beauty of it all is i've been meeting new friends these past years. and the bonus is they are all so young. they make me experience once more the interesting process of "getting to know you" and indulging in exciting things new friends share and discover.

all this tells me that "there are no perfect strangers, just perfect friends you have not met."

these strangers i'm talking about are my call center friends and my colleagues at MOD magazine. believe me, they're crazy like me ... maybe that's why we get along despite the age difference.

my call center friends are a carefree bunch of kids. they're very responsible though. some of them are helping out
with family expenses, some ardently preparing for an unknown future.

we've bonded over midnight coffee and sunrise beer and irate customers in between. and in such a short span of time, we've developed -- as call center lingo goes -- a diehard friendship and we continue to nurture it despite separation. in fact, just last night, we got together for melan's birthday.

my MOD buddies, on the other hand, cannot be described in one word like carefree ... for they are a lot of other things --

they could be outrageous but devoted to their craft. they're funny and warm and sincere and big- hearted. we joke a lot, we laugh a lot ... and according to the Koran, blessed is he who makes his companions laugh ...  that makes us truly blessed.

and, oh yes, we eat a lot!

apart from my daughters, the MOD squad makes me feel young again and lets me be me -- boisterous, vivacious, always young at heart.

wow all those adjectives! (i wonder how our editor, Ms. Chay, will edit that) ...

they tease me no end and tell me i'm their favorite among the MOD writers (and i'm sure they say this to all the other writers just so we submit our articles early or at least beat the deadline) ... they have a song for me, they matchmake me with the old writers and photographers ... they drive me crazy even if i'm already one.

i'm not really sure if they love me already but i'm certain i found a friend in all of them. as that quote from robert louis stevenson goes -- "no man is useless while he has a friend."

The Ultimate Heartbreak

IN OCTOBER last year, it was Piolo Pascual who admitted to the world that he and KC Concepcion are already in a relationship.

Yesterday in ABS-CBN’s The BUZZ, it was KC Concepcion’s turn to face the same world to admit that the controversial-from-the-start relationship is over.

And oh, how she cried. I would too if the guy you are breaking up with is the ultimate heartthrob. No doubt, Piolo broke KC’s heart big time.

Despite the promise of a big revelation, KC tended to beat around the bush and, for the most part, revealed things we already know. That as early as when she was only 18 years old, Piolo was already trying to pursue her.

She continued to be vague in her confession, saying “may hinahanap ako na napaka-basic lang na hinahanap ng isang babae sa isang boyfriend,” then to further bring us to cluelessness, she adds, “ayoko nang pumunta sa details pero ayokong siraan siya.”

She admitted being tanga and tanggap lang nang tanggap, and that she gave Piolo all the chances he wanted – until the eighth time when she realized it should stop. She revealed that “mas naintindihan kop o kung ano ang pagmamahal.”

She also said helplessly, “ang galing-galing niyang magpa-kilig.” Of course, we know that, too.

KC affirmed that “Piolo knows exactly why we broke up.” But that’s all she’s admitting and this seems evasive because the world would like to know what Piolo knows.

 When KC left for abroad early last month, she was seen on TV Patrol being interviewed declaring that she needs some time to breathe and, in the process, find herself again.

To put more color and perhaps invite intrigue into what she has already said, she answers “hindi ko alam” when asked if Piolo knows about the trip or if he is the reason for her “going away.”

When she came back, in The Buzz, she rattled off activities she did while she was away. She attended a charity ball hosted by former US president Bill Clinton; performed at the opening ceremonies of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Palembang, Indonesia; and did a US concert tour with Piolo and Yeng Constantino. The last event she talked about so matter-of-factly.

Looks like when she said she badly needed to get away, she actually had a couple of commitments to fulfil.  

With regards to Piolo, he utters one-liners when quizzed about the real score of their relationship. Again on TV Patrol, I heard him say, “Sa amin na lang `yun” when queried. And, in another interview, he gave out a general “we’re good,” when asked then quickly added that he is excited to be performing in the US again.

        And then there’s this thing about John Lloyd Cruz and Shaina Magdayao. There are too many sides to the story. I saw that interview with Lloydie when he said that his relationship with Shaina is already “boring.” Of course, he made it sound like it was a joke but I think that was the start of the end. As my friend Ana says, “jokes are half meant.”

Soon enough, Lloydie declares, “I’d rather na tumahimik muna ako until sana ay maayos o mabigyan ng closure kung anuman.” That sounded to me like the end is near. If you want to fix a relationship, a closure is not an option.

But why am I digressing …  

Well, it just sets me thinking that words seem to be poor communication tools when it comes to feelings. Or maybe, these celebrities are so used to saying things based on scripts that when it’s time for them to talk about their feelings they are at a loss for words.

Wait, let me rephrase that. They are not really at a loss for words. In fact, they use too many words until whatever they are saying gets lost in translation. My mom once asked me if it was deliberate for them to cloud the issue or to make something out of a non-issue.

Just recently, my managing editor at MOD chided me for my gullibility when it comes to showbiz news, saying after covering them for years, I already should be able to discern the truth from publicity stunt.

Another thing that comes to mind which is quite refreshing is the reality that just like you and me, the megastar’s daughter can get her heart broken or the ultimate heartthrob does not mean he’s the ultimate boyfriend. And that while a lot of girls out there would do anything to be in Shaina’s shoes, it’s no guarantee that most wanted boyfriend Lloydie won’t make you cry.

Okay, I’m sorry for getting carried away …

Going back to the topic of this post, I feel for KC – whether you believe it or not. It’s not easy to have your heart broken, torn to pieces, mangled every which way. And it’s difficult to walk away from the man you love. “He was my first showbiz relationship and it was really serious and ngayon lang ako nakapagdasal ng ganito ka-sobra,” she says in between tears.

So what really happened and why? Did KC enlighten us?

Based on her words, what happened was a case of “Taken ka nga, for granted naman” (remember Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s one-liner?).

For whatever reason Piolo didn’t come up to KC’s expectations – no matter how basic she said that was – KC was obviously taken for granted, not treated the way she should have been or the way she expected to be. Sometimes, trouble begins when we try to teach our loved ones how they should love us. But, of course, we are speculating …

Finally, KC is right in saying that trust is very important in a relationship. And when Tito Boy asked her for one wish, she blurts out, “sana makahanap talaga ako ng true love,” then breaks into laughter.

‘Atta girl! Her heart may be broken but she remains hopeful that she will find her one true love.

Well, that’s entertainment for you. The show must always go on – broken heart and all.

Of Pick-Up Lines & The RH Bill

THE DEBATES continue. The arguments have become free-for-all with every member of Philippine society giving his/her  stand. The talks are endless that sometimes the real issues are sidetracked, clouded or even given political color. In most cases, the discussions, or reflections if you may, seem to center on S-E-X.

    We are talking about the much-awaited Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, currently pending in the Senate.

    But I am enjoying this democratic exchange. Whether pro or anti, the views and opinions are all very interesting; the reasons and rationalizations, provocative if not intriguing. Everything about it – including Manny Pacquiao becoming the poster boy against the bill – is one intriguing show altogether.

    Last Friday, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, a staunch supporter of the bill, spoke before college students of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa. To get their undivided attention, she spiced up her speech with pick-up lines to drive home her point.

    Some of these pick-up lines include –

“Ang pag-ibig ay parang ketchup. Matamis kaya maraming nakiki-sawsaw.”

    “Ano ba ang height mo at paano ka nagkasya sa puso ko?”

    “Paano mo nasabi'ng bobo ako eh ikaw lang naman ang laman ng utak ko?”

    “Ngayo'ng break na tayo, para ako'ng traffic sa EDSA, I cannot move on.”

    And there's more –

    “Taken ka nga, for granted naman.”

    “Straw ka ba? Sipsip ka eh, plastic pa.”

    When the students' laughter and applause died down, the feisty senator managed to go straight to the point. She says, “sex will come, too, preferrably married sex, pero kung hindi mo na talaga mapigilan, puwede ba mag-condom ka na lang?”

    In aid of coming up with an article for MOD regarding the laws on women, I interviewed some women legislators and learned even more enlightening impressions and points of view.

    Aliah Dimaporo, congresswoman of the second district of Lanao del Norte, declares: “You cannot legislate morality.” She then goes on to say that the greatest power a woman can have is knowledge of her own body. "If she does have an education of her own body, she will be able to know how to control herself,” she adds.

    BH Herrera-Dy of the Bagong Henerasyon Party List says she's all for informed choices; while Mitos Magsaysay, representative of Zambales, asserts that the RH Bill is not an abortion bill.

    In a publication by EnGendeRights, Inc., a legal NGO aimed at advancing women's rights in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, author Atty. Claire Padilla, executive director, cited some of the reasons why we need the RH Bill.

    “To prevent unintended pregnancies; maternal deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth; and infant mortality,” she writes. “To help individuals and couples choose freely and responsibly when to have children and to free women's bodies from being held hostage by politics and fundamentalism.”

    Atty. Padilla likewise stressed an immediate response to the clamor of the Philippine population who want the RH Bill passed into law.

     The RH Bill is a consolidation of related bills filed by co-authors, Representatives Janette Garin, Edcel Lagman, Luzviminda Ilagan, Kaka Bag-ao and Walden Bello.

   

    Meanwhile, the country had its symbolic seven-billionth baby last October 31^st and her name is Danica. Her birth was covered by media with officials from the United Nations as the baby’s first well-wishers. 

One of the UN representatives was quoted on television news saying, “This is not about counting people. It is about making people count.”

    May the RH Bill be treated the same way. Not as a tool for population control but as an instrument for the population to take control of their quality of life.

Catching Up With Juday

15 October 2011

THE PICTURE of one-year old Lucho graces the cover of Yes! magazine. The first son of Ryan Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos is, indeed, on his way to being a celebrity, if he isn’t already.And without him knowing it.

A couple of months ago, we caught up with Judy Ann Santos during an intimate press conference hosted by Johnson & Johnson Philippines for her then new endorsement of Johnson’s Baby Milk Bath at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. Shewas wearing a turquoise blue wrap-around dress, accentuating her now slim figure. She was her bubbly self, gushing about the joys of motherhood and revealing with enthusiasm just how fun and amazing and overwhelming it is to be a mom.

Photos by ROB CARINO

The use of such adjectives alone truly prove just how happy Judy Ann is in her newest and most favorite role ever: Mother.

“Now that I’m already a mom, I find it hard to leave the house and spend time away from my loved ones,” she quips. “I never thought that I had this side of me who wants to just stay home and become a mother.”

Juday, as she is endearly called, made these interesting revelations during the said press conference.

“One thing I have realized about being a mom is you don’t get tired,” she continues. “Not because you’re not allowed to get tired but because for some reason, you seem to have packed a lot of energy just by knowing that you have kids to take care of, that you have your husband to take care of.”

Currently, Juday is seen hosting Junior Master Chef aired Saturdays at ABS-CBN’s Channel 2. Of course, you see her every now and then on TV and on print as she and her family endorse various products aside from Johnson’s Baby Milk Bath.

She is definitely back in harness in between breathing, marriage and motherhood. Projects in store for her include a movie teamup with husband Ryan in an entry to the Metro Manila Film Festival; and with dance prince Coco Martin early next year.

Now, check out the following as Juday shares her current life –

Cooking Mama.“Before I started Junior Master Chef, I went back to Culinaryschool to do my internship. At that time, I needed to do something for myself. I didn’t finish formal education but completing my culinary studies is really an achievement for me. Prior to this, I had set aside my career for six months and enrolled in a culinary school. I said to myself then that if I don’t do this now, I won’t be able to do it anymore. Now, I am confident when it comes to food and cooking and I love the feeling that people actually come up to me and ask me about it and not about crying, not about acting. It used to be that when people asked me, ‘Juday how do you this?’ I’d go ‘wait a minute,we google it.’ But now the information comes out from me naturallyand with this learning, I am able to show people that there are other things I can do aside from acting.

Kids Update. “Yohan is now in in Grade I and she already asks a lot of questions but she’s a good kid and she listens when you explain to her why she should or should not do this or that. I do the tutoring but I told Ryan, he will have to take over after Grade I because her lessons are becoming harder. I teach her proper hygiene and Ryan takes care of the activities she does after school like sports and video games. She has also learned swimming on her own. Ryan just guided her and now she can do lapses already. Hindi namanyungprofessional swimming na may kung anomangstrokes naginagawabut she stays afloat. And Lucho is really amazing and he’s hyper already and smiles a lot. Some of our friends told us to baby-proof the house but we bought him a helmet instead and he likes it. Most of the time, I find myself smiling when I look at my kids and sometimes, I just can’t believe it.Both Yohanand Lucho like cars, maybe because their dad is into racing. And when Ryan has a race, we’re all there full force as his support team.”

Memorable Moments.“Lucho’s first time to stand up is a memorable milestone for me. But my favorite milestone is when he dances. Whatever he’s doing, when his dad sings, he dances. Of course, the traditional stuff like close-open,mgakuyakuy, we love it when he does them.The first timeRyan and I saw Luchostand up, maluha-luha kame. And he also has this habit when I come home from taping, even when he’s sleeping, he’d wake up, come up to me and we’d sleep together namagkayakap. Parangsinasabiniyang‘matagalkangnawalasaarawna ‘to ditokamuna.’“

Bonding Time.“Bonding time is bath time. Yohan and Luchoboth love making bubbles and they love playing with their milk soap and with water. They are very comfortable while taking a bath. I enjoy bath time simplybecause it gives me my zen. I love hearing the music of their laughter, even their shrieks, and I feel like a kid again playing with them.”

Life With Ryan. “Ryan is very supportive in my new role as mom, especially when I just gave birth. We had to bring home a nurse from the hospital because at that time, Luchowas on dextrox. So we had this radio monitor installed and every time Lucho would cry even in the middle of the night, Ryan would wake up and stay with us. He makes his presence felt and he is such an effective support system. It’s really overwhelming. During our talks, Ryan and I would say how lucky we are that companies have trusted us to promote their brands. We’re always thankful for the blessings.”

New Learnings.“I have learned that when you’re a mother, you are faced with decisions that will have a huge bearing on our family and children. When choosing brands for my kids, I’m very careful because both my kids have very sensitive skin. I think it’s really important that you have to try the product first, and to actually ask your pediatrician if it’s safe. But for me, I tried and tested Johnson’s Baby Milk Bath long before I became a mom and there’s no need to consult my pediatricianabout it because I knowit’s clinically proven with 100% pure milk protein and it’s hypoallergenic.”

Mom Must-Do.“Three things I must do as a mother? First, I want to be the one to prepare Lucho’s meals for the day, which should be vegetables and fruits or a combination. I make sure that when I am away at work, he is fed properly. Second, with regards to Yohan, it’s important that I talk to her at night, ask her what she likes to bring to school the following day. And during the moments that we’re together, we talk about her school stuff and other activities. I also make it a point that she gets the right nutrients from the food she’s eating. I make sure shedrinks fresh orange juice or fresh vegetable juice everydayto give herenergy while in school. Third, I must bring them to church. It should be all of us going to church together. If there are timeswhen Ryan can’t be with us because of work, it should still be me who brings them. I am the one who teaches them to pray before we eat or even before I give Lucho a bath, I teach him to make the sign of the cross. These are things that I should be the only one doing it for them. I don’t want to have that guilt factor later, saying dapatakogumawanyan, eh.”

Having Fun For A Cause

19 October 2011

OVER DINNER recently with my high school batchmates, Sonny [president, USTHS Batch 71 Alumni Association] was saying that we have been helping out Cottolengo Filipino for almost two years now.

This got me thinking, wow, has it been that long? Because when I look back to what we have been doing here in the association, I can only remember having fun.

We play bingo to raise funds for them but it’s the laughter and the camaraderie that come to mind.

We find time from our busy professional lives to visit the kids in Montalban, Rizal, where Cottolengo Filipino is located, and all I remember are the kids’ smiles, so poignant and sincere; and their warm gibberish, which my heart has learned to understand over time. Definitely, I donot mind the long trip going there or the early morning wakeup that goes with it.

                      Photo by RANDY ORDONEZ      

But let me tell you about Cottolengo Filipino. This is a home of deprived, abandoned and orphaned children with special needs. Quite a mouthful, but this means that these kids are not your usual street-smart children you see begging around, who despite lack of bath, are physically complete. They are not also those kids you would easily want to adopt on Christmas day. These are physically challenged kids whose special needs include medicines, hospitalization, physical therapy and special education.

Cottolengo Filipino is a non-government organization run by the congregation of the Sons of Divine Providence Congregation. Its sole purpose is to provide a home – and the possibility of rehabilitation – for the most poor, abandoned, surrendered and neglected children with physical and mental disabilities. And when we met them a couple of years back, they were really in need of financial assistance.

Looking back, I have come along way from that person two years ago, who felt uneasy looking at the pictures of the kids in an album passed around by Mina, a trustee of the Cottolengo Filipino Board, who introduced us to the NGO. I remember getting a little bit anxious in anticipation of our first visit.

Today, I am more comfortable around these kids and I am happy that our alumni association has chosen them to be one of our advocacies. I would like to believe that we have contributed a great deal to their daily needs. But, more than the monetary, we have developed a beautiful friendship with them.

It has been very inspiring to know the people behindCottolengo Filipino. Of course, there’s Fr. Julio, who is always smiling and mild-mannered, most especially to the kids, even if to tell them that they have had enough juice.

                   Photo by RANDY ORDONEZ

There’s Jo Ann, who is part of the staff and, judging from her smile, she likes what she does and is very proud of the progress – no matter how slow – the kids are making. You would think she could have chosen another job outside these four walls but no, she is happy with it and shares interesting anecdotes about the kids.

And there’s the rest of the staff, some of them volunteers, who provide a sense of family to the kids. They cooktheir meals and feed them, take care of them and the kids look up to them as parents because when any of the staff tell some kid to settle or sit down, he does.

And aside from Mina, there’s Benz and Girlie, her fellow trustees in the Cottolengo Filipino Board, who share their time and resources.

Aside fromCottolengo Filipino, USTHS Batch 71 Alumni Association has other projects, including GawadKalingain Lucena City and, of course, our alma mater, the UST High School.

One night several years ago and for want of something to do, I decided to join my batchmatesin Sangkalan, a bar and restaurant owned by Hanee, a fellow batchmate, and reconnect with them. Well, I didn’t just feel some semblance of high schoollife all over again. I would say that since that reconnection, doing things for a cause has never been more fun.

SHAMELESS PLUG

7 November 2011

My Christmas Alphabet

CIS FOR COLD mornings that usher in the Yuletide season.It is, of course, for Christ and the celebration of his birth. Itlikewise signifies caring and compassion; as well as counting one’s blessings. It is also forchildren, specifically the children of Cottolengo Filipino, the home of physically challenged kids, still and definitely God’s children.

H is for theholiday spirit and the hearty meals and the hectic party schedules. It is also for the House of Dance,  a renowned member of the Conseil International de la Danse, the official international umbrella organization of UNESCO for all forms of dance.  It is also for Halu-HalongIndak, adance concert which they will topbill, and a fund-raising event of the USTHS Batch 71 Alumni Association for our physically challenged friends at Cottolengo Filipino. It will be held on December 10^th at the Irwin Theater of the Ateneo De Manila University in Quezon City. Show will start sharply at 7pm. Clickwww.houseofdance.phfor more details.

R is for remembering what is important not only in this Season of Seasons but in everyday life. Remember that sometimes your presence is more important than presents. Remember that no matter how bad your situation is or how sad you are feeling, someone, somewhere has it worse.

I is for the inspiration from two remarkable women on the essence of giving: “It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving,” by Mother Teresa; and “I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver,” by Maya Angelou.Itis also for the intangibles like peace on earth and goodwill to men.

S is for staying focused on the reason for the celebration – the baby Jesus. It is for spreading joy not just this season but the whole year round. It is also for the smiles we give to friends and loved ones and to total strangers as well – all in the spirit of the season. Itisfor starting a tradition of sharing and not forgetting our own spirituality in the midst of the holiday rush. It also goes for our respective souls and praying that they will be in harmony with God’s plan.

Tis for the tried and true when it comes to giving cheer this Christmas. This means being thoughtfulnot just to loved ones but for the less fortunate.

M is for “making lists, buying special gifts,” as that line from a song goes.It is also for making newmemories; and making this year’s Christmas memorable by putting gift-giving to the next level. You can share your blessings to children you do not personally know but definitely need your care and attention.

A is for the Almighty who gave His Only Son to redeem the world, the ultimate gift this Christmas. As that one-liner aptly imparts, “He did not put His gift in a silver box or red and green paper. God laid His gift on a manger.”

S is for Santa Claus and everything that this huggable man signifies – generosity, big-heartedness, and goodness. May we have the heart of Santa Claus for the kids of Cottolengo Filipino this Christmas. One way is to watch the dance concert; tickets costs Php150 each. Another is to be a donor or sponsor by giving more. Cash and non-cash donations are very much welcome. For tickets and donations,please contact Lydia at +639178364855 or at lydiamalvar@gmail.com. Or you may deposit cash donations to USTHS Batch 71 Alumni Association, Inc., Metrobank with Savings Account Number: 705-3-70505212-4.

The First Post

MY INTENTION was to introduce this blog properly with a grand article – at the risk of making a big deal out of it. For the longest time, I’ve been planning on this but it was not happening.

It’s not that I needed extra inspiration to start it off. It was the posting that was problematic. And while I kept putting it off till the next day, I continued writing and the articles remained either ink on paper or bytes on my iPad.

As it turns out, this blog gets off the ground with posts of my published works through the kindness of my friend Ana. These articles will actually create a section to be called Portfolio.

From this day on, my thoughts, opinions and my take on everyday stuff – be it entertainment, politics or even the arts and everything else mundane – will find its home in a section called My Daily Take.

Currents will compose life’s comings and goings, whatever that may mean.Actually, I just like the word and I like the sound of it. Currrrr-rents.There’s an aura to the word that oozes with the present, the here and now, the new, the up-to-date, up-to-the-minute. It also feels like movement, flow, outpouring. This will actually be my everyday posts.

In Private will be journal entries I may want to share; while Past Page will be more journal entrieswith some written in old notebooks which have to be retired after Ondoy, and now find their permanent space here.

Starting today, everything I’ve written – and will be writing – will now be posted in those sections or categories. Sadly, I continue to be at the mercy of somebody to post my blogs. Thanks to my daughter Ghiselle and her friend Bea for their help.My daughter Pee Ann says she wants to enhance the blogsite’sdesign when she finds the time. Ana continues to baby sit me on this, sending me links to assist me.

But not to worry, I will get the hang of it.

This blog has no particular purpose. Well, there may be reasons too profound and at the same time too petty. For one, I love to write and I enjoy being read.

I don’t want to sound cliché-ish but maybe another reason would be to touch the lives of others – a different kind of others. I’m not sure if online readers are different from magazine readers.

Lastly, somebody once said that while in this world, we should plant a tree, bear a child, and write a blog or something.

I have been planting trees since I could remember. But there’s one ceremonious tree-planting activity I joined and this was at the Tierra Maria Estates in Lipa City during a media tour a couple of years back.

I have borne not only one child but two lovely, loving and lovable daughters.

And now, I am writing a blog …

I know it’s actually write a book? But, whatever ...