28 Rules for Fathers of Sons

1. Love his Mother. He will learn to love like you love, and hate like you hate. So choose love for both of you. Devote yourself to it. Love with your whole heart and express that love each and every day. Then, someday down the road, you will see the way he loves his own wife, and know that you played a part in that. 2. Let him drive. Every child remembers the first time they drove on daddy’s lap. For that one moment, he will believe that he is just. like. you. 3. Teach him to be picky. Especially when it comes to women and burgers. Teach him to never settle. 4. Take him to a ball game. There is something about sharing a day of hot dogs, sunshine and baseball with your father. 5. Love with Bravery. Boys have this preconceived notion that they have to be tough. When he is young, he will express his love fully and innocently. As he grows, he will hide his feelings and wipe off kisses. Teach him to be a man who rubs them in instead. It takes courage for a man to show love: teach him to be courageous. 6. Talk about sex. Sometimes, boys need to know that all men are created equal. 7. Teach him to be a man’s man. Show him how to be brave and tough around the guys. Then, remind him on the ride home that it is okay to cry. 8. Share secrets together. Communicate. Talk. Talk about anything. Let him tell you about girls, friends, school. Listen. Ask questions. Share dreams, hopes, concerns. He is not only your son, you are not only his father. Be his friend too. 9. Teach him manners. Because sometimes you have to be his father, not just his friend. The world is a happier place when made up of polite words and smiles. 10. Teach him when to stand-up and when to walk away. He should know that he doesn’t have to throw punches to prove he is right. He may not always be right. Make sure he knows how to demand respect- he is worthy of it. It does not mean he has to fight back with fists or words, because sometimes you say more with silence. 11. Teach him to choose his battles. Make sure he knows which battles are worth fighting- like for family or his favorite baseball team. Remind him that people can be mean and nasty because of jealousy, or other personal reasons. Help him to understand when to shut his mouth and walk-away. Teach him to be the bigger better person. 12. Let him dance in tighty whiteys. Dance alongside him in yours. Teach him that there are moments when it is okay to be absolutely ridiculous. 13. Share music. Introduce him to the classics and learn the words to the not-so-classics. Create a rock band with wooden instruments, share your earphones, and blast Pink Floyd in the car. Create a soundtrack to your lives together. 14. Let him win. Sometimes he needs to know that big things are possible. 15. Teach him about family. Let him know family is always worth fighting for. Family is always worth standing up for. At the end of the day, he has you to fall back on, and pray to God that you will have him. 16. Father him. Being a father—to him—is undoubtedly one of your greatest accomplishments. Share with him the joys of fatherhood, so one day he will want to be a father too. Remind him over and over again with words and kisses that no one will ever love him like you love him. 17. Listen to him now. If you don’t listen to the little things now, he won’t share the big things later. 18. Let him try on your shoes. Even if they are old and smelly. Let him slip his little feet in and watch him as he hopes like hell that someday he can fill them. He will fill them. 19. Give him bear hugs. The kind that squeezes his insides and make him giggle. The kind of hug only a daddy can give. 20. Give him baths. Because Mom can’t do everything damnit. 21. Teach him how to pee standing up. Let him pee outside- such is the joy of being a man. Mom cannot teach this talent, so someone has to. 22. Know the answers. He will assume you do. If you don’t know them, pretend you do and look them up later. 23. Toss him around. Because little boys love seeing the strength of their father. Throw him up in the air, so that he knows you will always be there to catch him on his way down. 24. Ask his mother. He will come to you with questions that he won’t always want to ask his mother, about girls and about love. Ask her anyway, she will know the answers. 25. Love him like you would love a daughter. Little girls are not the only ones who need hugs and kisses. Love is the color yellow of emotions. It is both happy and gender neutral. 26. Grow a big belly. Because every child should get the chance to rest their head on the absolute softest pillow ever. Daddy’s belly is the best place to land. 27. Don’t say, do. American inventor Charles F. Kettering once said, “every father should remember that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice.” Be a good one. 28. Be his hero. You are anyway. To him, you have the strength of Batman, the speed of Spiderman and the brain of Ironman. Don’t disappointment. Prove to him that Daddy’s are the biggest heroes of all. Only Daddy’s can save the day. After all, good fathers make good sons. Sarah D. ~Diapers & Daisies

Noche Buena 2012

Shall we?

Multa Pacis 003

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let us down, probably will. You'll have your heart broken and you'll break others' hearts. You'll fight with your best friend or maybe even fall in love with them, and you'll cry because time is flying by. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, forgive freely, and love like you've never been hurt. Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances. you just have to live life to the fullest, tell someone what they mean to you and tell someone off, speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someone's hand, comfort a friend, fall asleep watching the sun come up, stay up late, be a flirt, and smile until your face hurts. Don't be afraid to take chances or fall in love and most of all, live in the moment because every second you spend angry or upset is a second of happiness you can never get back. - Anonymous -

Edsa People Power @ 25

Huwag natin kalimutan kung ano ang ipanaglaban nila at kung papaano sila nakipag laban. 
God bless the Philippines and the Filipino people.

Pasig's Pride: Dimasalang Bakery

Finally, an article about Pasig's famous Dimasalang bakery



Have a bite of ‘hindi ko akalain’ - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

The Movers

People (other than family) who in one way inspired and taught me valuable lessons in life that I still carry till now. 

1. The fab 5 – the finest and undeniably the best friends I had. We’ve known eachother since fetuses days. These lifelong friends taught me the real meaning of through thick and thin. 

2. Fr. Medardo “Ardie” Ong – the best priest I knew. He’s got a great sense of humor with an undiminished character. I became religious because of you. 

3. Mama Tess and Papa Badong – my 2nd mother and father. I will always be thankful for giving me a second home and family. 

4. Pong – the highschool bud. The immeasurable, unconditional and mostly fun-filled friendship we had will always be treasured. See you in heaven! 

5. The Greenies – the rest of the elementary and highschool buds. School and after school life will never be the same without you guys. Animo! 

6. Gab & Jong – childhood playmates at Lola’s house. Childhood vacations became adventure-filled because of you. I can never forget the afternoon trips at the nearby rice fields catching shrimps, fishes, spiders. 

7. William, Richard and Ton-ton – childhood playmates at Tita Zeny’s house. Weekend vacations meant playing tex, laste, goma, etc., climbing trees and roofs and going to “neverland” minus tinkerbell. 

8. Smashing Pumpings – the college kada. Despite academic hardships learning math, science and other god-knows-how-hellish-it-can-be-when-math-and-science-joined-forces subjects, became a little less scary and worth taking. The Nasugbu and Balayan Batangas trip, the Angat, Bulacan and Guagua, Pampanga trip, weekend parties, overnights, et. al = priceless. 

9. Ate Yeye – the Sunday school teacher. It was in her school that I first showcased my acting prowess. Bible reading became uber cool. 

10. The Dentro peeps – our neighborhood. We survived numerous brownouts back in the late 80s, the 1990 earthquake, the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption ashes and recently Ondoy. We’re still here.

A letter from a teenage Filipino to the WHOLE WORLD

August 23, 2010

"A letter from a teenage Filipino to the WHOLE WORLD”

As you are reading this letter, I bet that you have seen/heard about what happened earlier in our country.

Tourists were hostages of a policeman here, Rolando Mendoza. After a few hours of the horrible crime, some of the victims were dead including the hostage-taker.

I wrote this letter not just to apologize but also to let everyone know that we Filipinos are not all like Mendoza. We are loving and good-hearted people.

For so many years, our country has been standing tall and surpassing every dilemma; be it small or big. Years ago (back when I wasn’t born yet), you have watched us fight for what we think is right. We fought for the democracy of our nation.. The EDSA revolution. But that’s just one out of many.

Second. We Filipinos have been serving other countries for our families and we treat you as our own as well. With all due respect, I thank you all for giving us the trust through the years. For helping us to become what we are now.

The Philippines is more than just a group of islands. We are a nation of strong and remarkable people. A country of beauty and love known to be hospitable and well-valued. I humbly apologize for what happened tonight. No one in this world would want something like that to happen for life should be valued.

I politely ask the attention of the world. Please do not judge and mistreat us just because of what happened tonight. I have been searching the net and found terrible things. Hong Kong advices to avoid travels here, China and HK bans Filipinos and that Philippines is the worst place to go.

I can’t blame you for what you have decided but I hope that you could understand. Our country is now in a sea of problems. And I know for sure that we helped you in a way or another. Let peace and understanding reign this time.

I know that this letter will just be trash but I wish that you would understand. On behalf of the Philippine population.. WE ARE SORRY.

As a song puts it…

And I believe that in my life I will see an end to hopelessness, giving-up and suffering. And we all stand together this one time then no one will get left behind. Stand up for life. STAND UP FOR LOVE

Sincerely yours,

Reigno Jose Dilao

Catbalogan City, Samar

(End of Letter)

Source

Life's Beautiful Truths

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.....Indeed!

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone......Amen!

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.....Agree!

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.....Galing ba to sa mommy ko?

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.....Uhmmmm?

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.....Uhmmm, again?

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it......do we have the right?

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile....two thumbs up!

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.....my son might dismiss me as a drama king!

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.....well said!

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful....brain included?

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger....except for (insert word)....which makes me weak(er)!

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.....yebah!

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special....Aw!

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow...

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.....I always am!

24. The most important sex organ is the brain....*apir!*

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.....cheers!

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

27 Always choose life....say more?

28. Forgive everyone everything.....but don't forget and learn from it!

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change....it will, its up to us!

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does....Hahaha!

33. Believe in miracles.....I do!

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.....Hooray!

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood....I'm making sure my son's having one, right now!

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved....very classic!

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.....be right back, I'll just go out!

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need....ok din to envy but on a positive note.

42. The best is yet to come.....I'm pinning my hope in here!

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift....and a blessing!


credit: http://thecoffeehouse-angel.blogspot.com

Holiday Round Up (part 2)

Day two ng aming Ilocos adventure. We went to Vigan to visit some relatives. We left at around 5 in the morning para mabilis ang byahe. It took us more than one hour to reach Vigan pero ayus lang dahil saya ng road trip. We passed by Santa Maria and visited their famous Baroque church, the La Asuncion de la Ñuestra Señora Church which is sited on the crest of a solitary hill. Truly a magnificent and world class church worth keeping.

Arrived at Vigan past 7. Breakfast prepared by one of my dad’s cousins. Syempre the authentic Vigan Longganisa, Bagnet and the Ilocano Dinuguan. Thanks Tita Leng. My great grand parent’s ancestral house is still there, beautiful and magnificent as ever. Its one of the reasons why I am proud of my Ilocano blood. Feeling ko kasi naging part ako ng nakaraan ng Vigan though it really didn’t happen that way. Medyo eerie parin yung bahay dahil sa naglalakihang mga photos ng mga ancestors ko pero so far wala pa naman akong nararamdamang kakaiba. Knowing that our ancestral house is well taken care of, malamang panatag na rin ang loob ng mga namayapa kong mga ninuno kaya wala naman ghost sightings or paramdam.

Able to meet a lot of relatives again. Its really nice to rekindle family ties and talk about the good old days. Hindi ko man natandaan lahat ng pangalan ng mga pinsan ko to the nth level, I will still be proud to be one of their relatives and one of their own.

Sa dami ng kamag anak, inabot na kami ng lunch. Syempre, Ilocano recipes at its best and finest – Papaitan, Igado, Dinakdakan and Pinakbet.

We spent the rest of the afternoon touring the Vigan proper. Crisologo, San Pablo and Burgos Museums and the Syquia Mansion. We also visited the St. Paul Cathedral or the Vigan Cathedral, Arsobispado Nueva Segovia and the famous Calle Crisologo.

Merienda syempre sa Empanadaan lang. Vigan’s empanada and okay are still my favorites. Authentic Vigan taste lalo na pag sinawsaw sa sukang Ilocano with ilocano sibuyas. Yummy!

Laging nagsusumbong si Cairo sa akin kasi every store na pasukan ng mga mommy ko may binibili sila. We ended up with tons of pasalubong.

We have to go back to Tagudin after dinner kasi may sayawan daw at babang luksa ng kapatid ng tita ko kinabukasan.

Day Three, we went to Tagudin market. Since Sunday, market day nila. Daming pwede bilhin from veggies to dried fishes to meats and traditional Ilocano kakanin like tupig and bibingka. We also toured the church and its vicinity since katabi lang naman ng palengke. Andun pa rin yung sundial na until now ginagamit pa rin. Interesting way of life. Basta there’s something unique talaga sa pamumuhay ng mga nasa province. I’m not sure kung makakatagal ako ng ganun but few days of stay there a year ay sapat na para obserbahan at ma appreciate ang bucolic and surreal life nila.

We headed straight to Bangar, La Union. Bibili kami ng mga kumot, punda at kung ano ano pang pwedeng magawa sa Ilocano weaving. Its good to know na buhay pa ang ganung industry despite the modernization.Yung mga gadgets kasi nilang ginagamit ay yung sinauna pa rin and they still make those pieces the traditional way.Great!

Non-stop lutuan pag uwi namin. We have to feed a whole barangay. Babang luksa nga kaya may salu-salo. My tita prepared Menudo, Pansit, Dinuguan, Chicken Pastel, Kilawin and Beef Kaldereta. Nakakatuwa kasi ang daming tao. Parang fiesta. Halos lahat ng tao puntahan. Sarap kumakain kasama nila. Even my dad didn’t miss that part.

Nanghuli kami (sila pala) ng isda, crablets at hipon sa ilog nearby nung hapon. Game si daddy, naki lublob, naki hila ng lambat at naki huli ng laman-ilog. Crispy crablet and ginataang hipon ang ulam namin nung gabi. Mom served as the photographer, Leroy, Belle, Cairo and I ay naligo sa ilog at sa dagat. Nag balsa din kami. I took some pictures of the Farola lighthouse (I’ll post it some other time).Weee!

After dinner balik Vigan kami. Dami pa kasing hindi napupuntahan at mga kamag anak na hindi na me meet. Pagod pero ayus lang. Minsan lang kasi mangyari at magkaron ng ganung opportunity.

Last day, 4th day. Pagkatapos pumunta ng cemetery to visit dead relatives and ancestors pumunta kami sa Baluarte, owned by Chavit Singson. Malaki yung place pero hindi pa ayos lahat. May mga constructions pa rin, siguro in two years time, maayos na yun. Syempre naaliw si Cairo at ang mommy ko dahil animal lovers sila.

After that pinuntahan din naming yung ibang mga dapat bisitahin sa Vigan. Mira Hills, Damili Village, Pagburnayan (Mom bought few pieces of jars and pots), the Kankanen makers at Brgy. San Jose (sarap kakanins) and the equally famous Simbaan a Bassit (bassit is Ilocano word of small. We also went to the nearby town, Bantay and went to the Bantay church.

Bags packed by 10 PM and we headed home to Manila. Great trip!

Ewan ko pero kahit yearly ako nagpupunta ng Ilocos (minsan twice a year), hindi pa rin nagbabago yung tingin ko sa province. Mangha at gandang ganda pa rin ako sa lugar na yon. Hindi man ganun ka progresibo yung buhay, ma a appreciate mo par in dahil sa ka simplihan. Masarap na paminsan-minsan ay bumabalik ako sa lugar kung saan ay mga tradisyonal na gawain pa rin na patuloy na ginawa at pinapasa sa mga nakababatang henerasyon.

Masarap kasi fresh air, malapit sa dagat, tahimik, masarap mag muni-muni at mag balik tanaw sa nakaraan. Eto yung lugar na kahit less than 5 hours lang yung tulog mo ay hindi mo mararamdamang puyat ka kasi kakaiba yung surroundings, parang kawalan mo pag nagising ka ng tanghali kasi ma mi miss mo yung sunrise habang naglalakad sa baybayin ng dagat. Yung makita mo yung mga alon, yung maliliit na crabs na gumagawa ng bahay sa buhangin, yung makita mo yung mga tao na tulong tulong sa paghatak ng lambat ng mga mangingisda at makita mo yung biyaya ng dagat.

Kakaiba.


Last part tomorrow.

I-Witness' "Isang paid, Isang Tuka"

Napanood ko yung latest episode ng I-witness entitled “Isang Paid, Isang Tuka”, reported by Jay Taruc.

Kwento ng isang pamilya na umaasa lang sa pagkuha ng lamang dagat na tinatawag na “paid”. Nakaka awa yung bata kasi ramdam at alam nya yung bigat ng problema ng pamilya nila. Sobrang dishearting to see a child crying dahil sa pagka awa sa magulang nya and na forced cya to stop schooling and work so she could help her family.

Instead na naglalaro cya, nagtitinda cya nung laman dagat, masakit pa nun, nakakatanggap pa cya ng mga tukso sa ibang kapwa bata. I found courage in her nung sinabi nya na pinapabayaan na lang niya yung mga nanunukso sa kanila.Yung pag endure ng hirap at panunukso para kumita ng pera is so noble.

The family wanted to go back to Arayat, Pampanga kung saan talaga sila nakatira. They moved barely 4 months ago sa Bataan para magbakasakali. Para humanap ng mas mabuting pamumuhay. Nakikitira lang sila dun sa kapatid ni misis. Walang nakitang trabaho kaya nauwi sila sa pagkuha ng paid sa kalapit dagat para kahit papano ay kumita at hind imaging pabigat.

Dahil nga walang perang pamasahe pabalik ng Pampanga, I-witness helped them go back. They wanted to go back to pampanga since life is easier there and they wouldn’t have to be pabigat to anybody.Akala ko mas magandang bumalik nga sila sa Pampanga.

Nakatira sila sa bundok.Nanlumo ako when I saw their house. Sobrang dilapidated, parang bahay-bahayang gawa lang ng mga bata. Walang ding-ding, walang sahig, isang maliit na dampa lang na ni ulan hindi sila kayang ipagsanggalang.Kailangan pa nilang makitulog sa ibang bahay kapag umuulan.

Yung panganay nilang anak ay medyo blessed. Sa lola nila sya nakatira at nakakapag aral cya. Bukod tanging cya lang ang nakakapag aral sa mga anak ng mag asawa. Sabi nga ng nanay nung bata, ayaw na ayaw pumunta nung panganay na anak dun sa bundok dahil sa sitwasyon nila. Syempre nga naman, mas mahirap ang buhay sa bundok and I guess natatakot cyan a once na pumunta cya dun andun yung possibility na hindi na cya makabalik sa lola nya at mahinto din sa pag aaral and be forced as well do work at an early age.

Napa isip ako, sobrang simple lang ng gusto nilang buhay, unlike us na sobrang naimpluwensiyahan na ng makabagong pamumuhay. All they want is a home and food to eat. Simple things to survive.Ang bigat din ng pakiramdam kasi alam ko yung sitwasyon nila pero wala akong magawa.

Life is really unfair, but then I cannot question God for the kind of life we all have because I know there’s a purpose for that. I can only pray that someday, somehow, the sun will shine fairly to them, I hope.

Cheers to Nanay Socorro!

Laking National Bookstore ako. One of my cousins work for NBS kaya nakakapag basa ako ng books ng libre. I thank Nanay for allowing us book lovers to enjoy what we like most-reading, at no cost. And did I say Powerbooks is awesome? Thanks Nanay, the world is a better place because of people like you! May the young generation continue to read and learn...
___________________________________________________________________

Socorro Ramos: Nanay, Super Tindera, and everyone’s minister of education

EMOTIONAL WEATHER REPORT

By Jessica Zafra Monday, September 22, 2008


Everybody calls her Nanay. Educators, writers, leaders of industry, the employees, suppliers, and clients of National Book Store, the readers of this paper, in which her column appears every week, and several generations of schoolchildren — the “laking-National” (raised on National). In seven decades of business, Socorro Cancio Ramos, founder and general manager of National Book Store, has won many awards and titles, but “Nanay” (Mother) is the one she likes best. In our matriarchal Filipino society it’s a term of endearment; in the highly competitive business environment it’s an honorific, or even an expression of surrender (Nanay!). It just fits.

At the NBS head office, I only have to say “Nanay” and I am immediately ushered into a small conference room lined with bookshelves. One of the managers asks me what I’d like to drink. It’s a large, bustling office with stacks of books everywhere, but it lacks the air of formal efficiency that most corporate headquarters aspire to. This one has a friendly, homey feel, kind of like a faculty lounge at a grade school: you half-expect small children to come running down the hallways. Books are crammed willy-nilly into the shelves — classics, best sellers, coloring books, art books, coffee-table books.

Five minutes later, Nanay slowly walks into the room with her arm in a sling. “Andito na pala siya, bakit hindi ako tinawag?” (Why didn’t someone call me earlier?) she gently admonishes her staff. Her granddaughter Trina Alindogan hands her a cup of hydrite — Nanay’s stomach has been acting up all day. Most people with a broken arm and a bum stomach would probably take the day off. Here we have a demonstration of one not-so-secret secret of her success: Nothing can stop her from going to work.

“It happened during the typhoon,” she sighs. “I was inspecting the warehouse when I slipped and fell.” Her arm was broken in two places. Doctors said they could surgically repair the bone, but it would take a maximum of two hours to operate, and require nine screws in her arm. She declined; she has better things to do, and the arm will heal in time. For now she signs documents with her other hand. “Pakialamera kasi!” (That’s what happens to busybodies!) she laughs. “Habit na, eh. Pag hindi ko nakita ang bodega, para akong nawawala.” (When I don’t visit the warehouse, I feel lost.)

She nods at her assistant, who presents me with three books the size of coffee tables: a thesaurus, a 2008 almanac, and a Bible Atlas. I am silently skipping with glee. “Ano ba yan?” She indicates the Bible Atlas. “Hindi ko maintindihan, tiningnan ko lang yung pictures.” (I don’t understand it; I only looked at the pictures.) Either Nanay is psychic or somebody did her research, because how could she know that at age 10, my hobbies were reading the Old Testament for accounts of wars and apocalypses, and memorizing the capitals of countries?
Which brings us to another of Nanay’s winning secrets: She makes you feel important. She’s down-to-earth and genuinely curious about people and their interests. And anyone who assumes from her ingenuous air that she’s a softie is in for a tough time. Socorro Ramos is legendary for her skills as a negotiator; she has made captains of industry squeal like little girls. Let’s not forget that the woman built National Book Store from scratch, beginning just before World War II. Today National is the undisputed market leader, with 103 branches all over the country.

Put it another way: There were other bookstores while I was growing up, but today National is the one left standing. By default, we are all “laking-National.” A former competitor, Lory Tan of Bookmark, notes: “Mrs. Ramos is a master of loss-leader pricing, and knew that if you have the scale, you should use it in every way possible — whether it meant obtaining better discounts from publishing houses, more favorable terms of payment, or pricing down (even at a loss) to neutralize competition and eventually gain market dominance for a new book line.”

Or, as Nanay herself puts it: “Magaling lang akong tumawad.” (I’m just good at haggling.) Incidentally, she has been to every one of their 103 branches. Recently she visited the newest store in Marikina, and spoke to the manager about displaying books on tables to make them more appetizing.

I ask her if she’d ever imagined that the five-square-meter stall she opened in Escolta in 1939 would become this retail giant. She shakes her head. “Mapaaral ko lang ang mga anak ko, at kumain kami ng tatlong beses isang araw, tama na. Noong Japanese time, mabuhay ka lang, okay na.” (It was enough that I could send my children to school and we could have three meals a day. During the war, it was enough to just survive.)
Two years after she opened her little bookshop, World War II broke out in the Pacific and the Japanese invaded the Philippines. All books had to be submitted to Japanese censors, who cut out any mention of America. All their stocks were mutilated. “What will we sell?”

Socorro asked her husband, Jose. The answer: Anything and everything the customers needed. They sold candy, school supplies, cigarettes. She found a maker of tsinelas (rubber slippers), bought six pairs, discovered that the Japanese wanted tsinelas, and was soon selling hundreds of pairs. National Book Store might very well have been National Tsinelas.

She found a supplier of Easterbrook fountain pens and went from door to door in the Japanese bazaars to sell them. She got yelled at a couple of times and burst into tears, but eventually made a sale. “Tell me what you need,” she told her client. He ordered 3,000 reams of typewriting paper for the Japanese military. “Hindi ako nagpahalatang di ko kaya!” (I didn’t let on that I couldn’t handle the order!) she gleefully recalls. Somehow, in the middle of a war and all its restrictions, she found the 3,000 reams of paper. Gas was strictly rationed, so she delivered the stock by karetela (horse-drawn cart).

So we have another cornerstone of Nanay’s business philosophy: Find out exactly what your customers need, and sell it to them. Know your market inside and out. Do your research.

In 1944, the young businesswoman gave birth prematurely to her twin sons, Alfredo and Benjamin. Socorro and Jose were riding home in a karetela when the horse backed up into a creek. The other passengers jumped out, but the pregnant Socorro couldn’t. Jose held on to her, letting go of the basket of “Mickey Mouse” money (hyper-inflated Japanese Occupation currency) they had earned that day. Fortunately neither of them was hurt, and the basket of money was recovered from under the horse’s belly. Soon afterwards Socorro went into labor and was taken to the Philippine General Hospital. “The hospital was full, but they found room for me in the eclampsia room,” Nanay remembers.

The twins, born at seven months, weighed 3.2 pounds each and their chances of survival were slight. She breastfed them and they gradually achieved normal weight. “We had six chickens that we raised in our window box, and the eggs that they laid fed the boys,” Nanay says.

When the Liberation began, she kept a bag of emergency supplies ready in case they had to evacuate. The bag contained baby clothes, a mosquito net, some expired antibiotics, and three cans of expired baby formula.
Just before the Americans returned to the Philippines, one of her clients unloaded an entire warehouse of whiskey. “I knew that when the Americans arrived, they would want whiskey,” she says. She couldn’t afford her client’s asking price, but he didn’t want to lose his stocks to looters. So Nanay ended up with a whole lot of whiskey, which she stored in her mother’s house. During the Liberation, Escolta was destroyed by bombs and fire. Her little bookshop and its stocks were razed to the ground, but her mother’s house was safe.

Jose and Socorro sold the whiskey in a barong-barong (shack) on the corner of Soler and Avenida. The merchandise was laid out on a ping-pong table that also served as a door every night. The American soldiers paid in dollars.That whiskey kept the Ramoses’ business going until the couple could rebuild their bookstore.
The Nanay book of business says: Be alert to opportunity, and grab it.

After the war, National Book Store reopened in a small rented space in Avenue Theatre. In Super Salesgirl, Nick Joaquin’s short biography of Socorro Ramos, he writes that “National opened in time for the first postwar school year: one of the few places in ruined Manila where you could get textbooks, notebooks, pad paper, pencils, and so forth.”

“Then Typhoon Gene struck in 1948, ripped off the roof of our store, and ruined all our stocks,” Nanay says. “We were back to zero.” The Ramoses had to start all over again. Their stratagem for dealing with adversity: Work harder. They slept just three hours a day, and spent all their waking hours at the store.
Nanay’s business rulebook says: Don’t let anything get you down. Work, work, work.

In 1955 they acquired a prime piece of property on Soler Street, the future site of their nine-story building. The bookstore was doing well, thanks to Nanay’s brilliant idea: they started producing greeting cards and postcards with Philippine views. By then, their youngest child, Cecilia, had been born and the twins were enrolled at the Ateneo. “As I tutored my boys, they would often correct my pronunciation and were eventually teaching me many things I did not know. So I felt we were all attending the Ateneo together,” Nanay said when she accepted her honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from the Ateneo de Manila in 2006.
National Book Store expanded steadily from the 1970s onwards. We all know the rest — who doesn’t have that red-and-white plastic bag in the house? (Incidentally, National now encourages shoppers to carry their reusable cloth bags instead of plastic.)

“Mrs. Ramos is the perfect entrepreneur — hands-on, steadily focused on the business, always alert for opportunities, unfailingly sensitive to market needs,” writes banker, former Minister of Education, and former chair of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, Jaime Laya. “She is conservative, opting for slow and steady expansion financed by earnings reinvestment. This allowed her to manage the company personally while her children were growing up. As soon as the children were able to play a greater role, then National began opening more branches, adding to its product line.”

Nanay’s achievements as an entrepreneur have been recognized by institutions such as the Ateneo and SGV & Co, which named her Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005. The award is “bestowed to an individual that best embodies entrepreneurial spirit, financial performance, strategic direction, community/global impact, innovation, and personal integrity/influence.” The honorary degree was given by the Ateneo “in recognition of her outstanding contribution to building literacy among the Filipinos and her total commitment to helping make education affordable, especially to those who have little in life.”

“I was born to a poor family and only completed high school,” Nanay said in her brief acceptance speech. “Unable to attend college, I only had one dream in my life, an impossible dream, to finish school and get my degree.” Although she succeeded in business without the benefit of a college degree, she always stresses the importance of education. “I want Filipinos to remember that National Book Store has always been there and will always be there to provide them books and supplies at low prices,” she told Laya. “I understand their plight and know how difficult it can be because once upon a time, I was in their shoes. Books are sources of wisdom, knowledge and truth and should be priced so that persons with average and below-average income s can afford to buy.

“Gusto kong makasilbi sa mga estudyante (I want to serve the students),” she says. She remembers attending Soler Elementary School, then Arellano High School, with no baon, no money for snacks or school supplies. To save up for notebooks, she would work in a factory every summer, where she earned 50 centavos a day. “At the time, a kilo of pork cost 45 centavos, so you could actually feed a small family on that.” There isn’t a smidgen of bitterness or regret when she talks about the difficult times she and her husband (he died in 1992) went through — the scrimping, saving, and hard labor. On the contrary, she looks back with fondness on those tough times.

“The advantage of starting small,” she declares, “is that you know all the problems that can arise. You can deal with them one by one.”

I suspect that she looks forward to facing the little day-to-day crises and solving them. Beneath the child-like curiosity and sense of wonder is a steely businesswoman, a tough negotiator, a survivor. Nanay has worked every day of her life since she was five. You think she’ll let up just because the going is great?

Philippine All Stars Wins Gold in 2008 World Hip Hop Championships

Philippine All Stars bested more than 1,000 dancers from 33 countries by winning the title in the 2008 World Hip-Hop Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada Sunday, August 3, 2008.

Three judges gave the Philippine All Stars an aggregate score of 8.94. A large part of the score (5.35) was earned by way of the group’s infusion of artistic steps in their choreography.

And to that, competition judge and multi-Gramy awardee MC Hammer said: “The Filipino artists…they continue to evolve in a global basis. They take art and dance seriously.I am very proud of the level that the Philippines over all have developed into.”

Judge Shane Sparks of the hit tv show So You Think You Can Dance also had high praises for the group.

Source: Starmometer.com

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNRR9rdIcag (semi-final round)

Leave of Absence

Wala ako sa mood mag sulat lately(yes naka leave pa rin ang utak ko) dahil sa tambak na trabaho (oo busy talaga ako ngayon without any pretension). Pero I still managed to do some googling sa internet to ease the pressure tsaka yung inis dahil sa mga data na hindi ko alam kung paano ko makukumpleto to present a decent report come 2nd week of August.

Anyway, I saved some of the nice and funny lines and quotes I got from some “suking” websites.

Btw, UP made some series of back to back topping sa iba’t ibang board exams. Congrats UP fellows! UP really, really rocks! Anywhere and everywhere!

Eto na po:

Life is like pag-ihi sa pader, there's no turning back.

The more wisdom you obtain, the more you shut your mouth. This is because the more that you learn, the more you realize that there are even more things that you do not know. The true mark of an idiot is a loudmouth; the true mark of a wise man is humility.

Kapatid ng sinungaling ang magnanakaw. Ergo, GMA's marriage to Mike Arroyo is null and void ab initio.

If everyone does his best, and Jamby Madrigal stops being a senator, yayaman ang bansa natin.

The measure of a man is how many doors he has opened to other people, especially to those he doesn't know.

As a lover you should be like glucose.... simple but sweet.

Hindi ako naniniwala sa tagapaglikha, pero naniniwala ako sa mangagawa.

Atheist ako, pero pag nasa bahay, nagro rosary kami ng Nanay ko, eh kung magalit sa kin yun.

Raging hormones sizzle like... fat.

That is the way it is with a wound. The wound begins to close in on itself, to protect what is hurting so much. And once it is closed, you no longer see what is underneath, what started the pain.

Try everything once except incest.

Hoy girls, wag kayong kukuha ng boyfriend dito sa UP. Pare-parehas tayong mahirap dito. Kumuha kayo ng mayaman. 80% of the child's intelligence comes from the Mother naman eh. Kayo guys, wag kayo kukuha ng bobong babae. Kahit matalino kayo, magiging bobo anak niyo.

Domestication of the human male is one of the greatest achievement of the human race.

You are the best bad influence EVER.

Masarap magmahal kapag ang minamahal mo ay masarap.

Ang init init sa room na to ngayon! nagkaron pa ng aircon hindi naman lumalamig! and it's not even my presence that's causing the heat!

"hijo san ka ba nangga-galing?"
"quiapo po."
"quiapo lang pala eh. ako nga sa impyerno pa galing."

Ladies, don't marry somebody from Las Pinas because they have bamboo organs!!

Q: What's the similarity between tofu and a vibrator?
A: They're both meat substitutes.

If you can read this - Thank a teacher.

Catherine Loria is Grand Winner in the 2008 World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA)

The Philippines is on top of the world of performing arts for the third time! Our very own Catherine Loria was declared Grand Champion Performer of the World in the recently concluded “Talent Olympics” in Hollywood.

13-year-old Catherine Loria, from Tiaong, Quezon Province, was proclaimed Grand Champion Performer of the World, a major feat which was won by Jed Madela in 2005 and Aria Clemente in 2007. She sang Yolanda Adam’s version of “I Believe I Can Fly” at the finals. She bested fellow junior contestants Tippy dos Santos and Rachel Razon, junior vocalists also from the Philippines, Courtney Mary Janssen from New Zealand, and Oleksandr Chernenko from Ukraine.

On the other hand, Andrew Clarke from Jamaica was proclaimed Grand Champion Performer of the World in the senior edition beating our very own Marielle Corpuz.

More than 40 countries participated in the annual event which is patterned after the Olympics.
The national directors for Team Philippines this year are Carlo Orosa and Oliver Oliveros.

Source: Starmometer.com
Photo Credits: Oliver Oliveros via PEP
Video Link: Catherine Loria - When You Believe - WCOPA 2008

Young Blood - Quiapo Vendors

YoungbloodQuiapo vendors
By Consuelo Maria G. Lucero

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 01:19:00 07/03/2008

The day after “Ka Bel” died, my father sent me an email urging me to go to the wake for the party-list representative. He said Crispin Beltran was once his boss and one whom he deeply respected, and he felt it was his filial obligation to offer flowers and prayers at his wake. But since he was away in Maastricht, the Netherlands, on a scholarship, he asked me to go his place.

I’m no leftist; I’m not even politically inclined, as some of my schoolmates have probably noted. So when I put on my denim pants and rubber shoes to go to Manila’s Quiapo district to buy some flowers, I thought that I was merely doing what my father had asked me to do: to offer flowers and prayers for a dead man.

When I got to Quiapo, I searched the flower vendors at the side of the church, trying to imagine what colors my father would have wanted. I stopped at a nondescript stall with green, maroon and pink flowers, not just the usual yellow and white. The vendor told the white or yellow mums would cost P100, but if I picked assorted colors it would cost me P150.

I tried to bargain, and she brought down the price of the latter to P140.

I asked if the funeral wreath came with ribbons. “Extra P20 kung may ribbon,” she said.
I did not bother to haggle anymore. Then I handed her a piece of paper on which I had copied the epitaph my father wrote: “Pagpugay sa dakilang anak ng uring manggagawa, Ka Bel; Ang buhay at alaala mo’y titis ng pag-asa sa pakikibaka ng uri. — Kas. George.”

The vendor was shocked by the long message. I figured that she was used to writing only “Condolence and sympathy” on the ribbon. But she talked so loud that the other vendors came over.

“Santissima! Kay Ka Bel mo ba ibibigay?” a vendor of Lego-like toys asked.
I nodded and smiled.

“Diyos ko, Mare, huwag mo na singilin!” she told the flower vendor. “Kay Ka Bel naman pala eh. Kapatid natin iyon sa pakikibaka.”

They called their friends, who were selling trinkets worth P10 or less. One of them offered to do the writing, declaring his handwriting was the best. Others shared their opinions about Ka Bel. Some told the flower vendor to add more flowers on the wreath.

“Nakakasama kasi namin sa rally si Ka Bel,” the friendly toy vendor explained.
“Oo, at wala siyang paki kahit mga mahihirap kami,” the man with the nice handwriting chimed in.

Some asked me if I was going alone, or if I was with a leftist group. I politely told them that I was going on behalf of my school organization.

When they asked me what school I attended, someone said, “Mabuting may mga matatalino pa ring sumusuporta sa mga mahihirap.” I did have the courage to tell them I was no leftist.

Finally they finished the wreath, beautifully done. The flower vendor told me that with all the additions, the wreath was now worth more than P200, but she was giving it to me for free as her own offering for Ka Bel. A vendor of plastic bags gave me a big red-and-white plastic free of charge. And while I was preparing to leave, a cigarette vendor came with a small bouquet of white mums and asked me to bring them to their champion. Then they all bade me a cheery goodbye, while asking me to extend their condolences to Ka Bel’s family. I rode the jeepney to Taft Avenue with a heart that was never more deeply touched.

Had my father been here, he would have gone every day to the wake. He would have go to Ka Bel’s funeral, marching with his buddies in the labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno, sharing pictures and stories of Ka Bel and the KMU. He probably would not have thought of asking me to go with him, knowing that I am not interested in rallies and leftist organizations.

But maybe it was a good thing that he was away and had to ask me to do this. I never would have come so close to the poor and neither would have known how deeply they felt about Ka Bel, their “brother in the struggle” against poverty.

Consuelo Maria G. Lucero, 17, is a third-year Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature student at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

Keeping the Pinoy Spirit Alive, Always!

Laman ng balita si Pacman kagabi with his recent win and history made. I was never a boxing fan but I always look forward sa lahat ng laban ng mga pinoy boxers.

I was watching TV Patrol Linggo last night, and again medyo naluha ako. Saan? Well, sa response ng mga pinoy sa pagkakapanalo ni Pacman.

Natuwa ako with matching luha sa pinakita ng mga Pinoy. Despite what is happening sa bansa natin with the recent tragedy and the never ending price hikes, Pinoys are still proud to be Pinoy. Na sa kabila ng pahirap na pahirap na pamumuhay ng mga Pinoy, mayroon paring puwang sa puso natin ang pagiging Pilipino. Na sa kabila ng mga problema, may baon paring ngiti na mula sa puso ng isang Juan Dela Cruz. Iba talaga ang Pinoy, bilib na bilib ako! Mga taong may simpleng pangarap sa buhay na hinahaluan ng sipag, tiyaga, determinasyon at pananalig sa Maykapal at pinatitibay ng mga pagsubok at dagok sa buhay. Dahil dito, taas noo at ipinagmamalaki ko na ako ay may lahing kayumanggi. Pilipino sa lahat ng panahon at pagkakataon!

Sa pinakita nating pagkakaisa sa pagkapanalo ni Pacman, naway ipakita natin parati. Ito marahil ang kailangan natin tungo sa pag papaunlad ng buhay! Sana.

Gaya nga ng slogan ng ABS-CBN – WALANG IWANAN SA BAYAN NI JUAN! Yey!

Imagine a world without Filipinos

Got this from a local Arab newspaper. Filipinos will be always be the best worker anywhere, indeed!

Proud to be Filipino!

Imagine a world without Filipinos

Abdullah Al-Maghlooth Al-Watan, almaghlooth@alwatan.com.sa

Muhammad Al-Maghrabi became handicapped and shut down his flower and gifts shop business in Jeddah after his Filipino workers insisted on leaving and returning home. He says: “When they left, I felt as if I had lost my arms. I was so sad that I lost my appetite.”

Al-Maghrabi then flew to Manila to look for two other Filipino workers to replace the ones who had left. Previously, he had tried workers of different nationalities but they did not impress him. “There is no comparison between Filipinos and others,” he says. Whenever I see Filipinos working in the Kingdom, I wonder what our life would be without them.

Saudi Arabia has the largest number of Filipino workers — 1,019,577 — outside the Philippines. In 2006 alone, the Kingdom recruited more than 223,000 workers from the Philippines and their numbers are still increasing. Filipinos not only play an important and effective role in the Kingdom, they also perform different jobs in countries across the world, including working as sailors. They are known for their professionalism and the quality of their work.

Nobody here can think of a life without Filipinos, who make up around 20 percent of the world’s seafarers. There are 1.2 million Filipino sailors.

So if Filipinos decided one day to stop working or go on strike for any reason, who would transport oil, food and heavy equipment across the world? We can only imagine the disaster that would happen.

What makes Filipinos unique is their ability to speak very good English and the technical training they receive in the early stages of their education. There are several specialized training institutes in the Philippines, including those specializing in engineering and road maintenance. This training background makes them highly competent in these vital areas.

When speaking about the Philippines, we should not forget Filipino nurses. They are some 23 percent of the world’s total number of nurses. The Philippines is home to over 190 accredited nursing colleges and institutes, from which some 9,000 nurses graduate each year. Many of them work abroad in countries such as the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Singapore.

Cathy Ann, a 35-year-old Filipino nurse who has been working in the Kingdom for the last five years and before that in Singapore, said she does not feel homesick abroad because “I am surrounded by my compatriots everywhere.” Ann thinks that early training allows Filipinos to excel in nursing and other vocations. She started learning this profession at the age of four as her aunt, a nurse, used to take her to hospital and ask her to watch the work. “She used to kiss me whenever I learned a new thing. At the age of 11, I could do a lot. I began doing things like measuring my grandfather’s blood pressure and giving my mother her insulin injections,” she said.

This type of early education system is lacking in the Kingdom. Many of our children reach the university stage without learning anything except boredom.

The Philippines, which you can barely see on the map, is a very effective country thanks to its people. It has the ability to influence the entire world economy.

We should pay respect to Filipino workers, not only by employing them but also by learning from their valuable experiences.

We should learn and educate our children on how to operate and maintain ships and oil tankers, as well as planning and nursing and how to achieve perfection in our work. This is a must so that we do not become like Muhammad Al-Maghrabi who lost his interest and appetite when Filipino workers left his flower shop.

We have to remember that we are very much dependent on the Filipinos around us. We could die a slow death if they chose to leave us.

Father's Day Special

Here is an essay/story worth reading and digging. I got this as a forwarded mail from a dear friend. It says that this is an essay contest winner. I tried to find out the real author of this essay to give credit to him but I couldn’t. Anyway, whoever wrote this, thanks. This made me appreaciate my father better and the people who love me as well. And it made me appreciate as well my being a father to my young. Happy father’s day to my dear father, to all other fathers out there and to me! Listen well.


1980 ako ipinanganak. Tatlong taon bago pinatay si Ninoy Aquino at anim na taon bago ang EDSA uprising. Taon ding ito nang nagkaroon ng malaking krisis sa langis ang buong mundo. P24.00 ang palitan ng dolyar sa piso at 48 milyon na ang populasyon ng Pilipinas. Ito rin ang taong unang pumunta ng Middle East ang tatay ko para magtrabaho.

Isang karpintero ang Tatay. Isang skilled worker. Malaki angpangangailangan ng bansang pupuntahan ni Tatay sa mga katulad niya. Sabi ng Nanay mahirap daw ang buhay noong mga panahong iyon. Inabot na raw ang bansa ng economic depression na galing sa Europa at Amerika. Kaya minabuti ng Tatay na mag-abroad. Anupa't dalawa ang pinag-aaral niya at may bago na naman siyang bibig na pakakainin.


Parating pinapaalala sa amin ng Nanay na "nagtiis kaming magkahiwalay ng tatay ninyo para magkaroon tayo ng maginhawang buhay." Palibhasa'y parehas galing sa hirap, kaya siguro ganoon na lamang ang pananaw nila. Uuwi kada dalawang taon, tapos aalis na ulit pagkalipas ng dalawang buwan. Ganyan ang pattern ng buhay ng tatay ko.


Pumutok ang giyera sa Middle East noong 1989. Doon ko unang narinig ang mga salitang Operation:Desert Storm at Third Anti-Christ. Nandoon din si Tatay. Isang beses lamang siya nakatawag sa loob ng tatlong taon niyang pagkaka-stranded sa bansang iyon. Mabuti naman daw ang lagay niya. May tirahan naman daw sila at husto sa lahat ng pangangailangan. Hindi naman daw sila gagalawin sa giyera sabi ng embahada ng Pilipinas dahil hindi naman daw sila kasali sa awayan ng dalawang bansa at ng pakialamerong Amerika. Iyon naman pala eh, bakit ka pa rin nandyan?! Na-imagine ko na lang tuloy ang Tatay na parang isa sa mga sibilyan na dumadaan habang nakikipagbarilan ako sa larong Operation:Wolf sa SM City. Nang mahawi ang mga usok ng giyera umuwi na ang Tatay. Wala pang isang taon ay nakita ko na naman ang aking sarili na nakasakay sa arkiladong dyip para ihatid ang Tatay sa Airport papuntang Middle East . Ikaw ba naman ang magkaroon ng pinag-aaral na nurse, isang seminarista at tatlo pa sa elementarya. Kailangang kumayod, kailangang kumita.

Kung tutuusin maraming na-miss ang Tatay sa buhay naming magkakapatid, lalo na sa akin. Wala siya nang una akong magtalumpati sa entablado. Wala din siya nang grumadweyt ako ng elementarya at hayskul. Wala siya nang una akong nakipagsuntukan sa kaklase ko nang inasar ako nito habang binibigay ko ang libreng plastic na singsing na galing sa cheese curls sa kaklase kong babae. Wala din siya para turuan akong magbasketbol tulad ng ginagawa ng mga kapitbahay ko sa kanilang anak. Wala rin siya para panoorin si Kuya na contestant sa Student Canteen at ako naman para sabitan niya ng medalya para sa mga math competition na sinalihan ko. Wala siya nang dumating ako
sa punto ng aking buhay, na siya ring kinakatakutan ng lahat ng katulad kong nagbibinata--ang magpatuli. Wala rin siya para turuan akong maglanggas. Wala siya nang kauna-unahang lumabas ang pangalan ko sa dyaryong pang-estudyante bilang isang editor. Ipinagtabi ko siya ng mga kopya para maipagmalaki sa kanyang pagdating. Wala siya nang una akong tumikim ng alak dahil binasted ako ng dinidigahan kong babae. Wala rin siya nang sumubok akong manigarilyo at itapon ito pagkatapos ng dalawang hithit pa lang. Wala siya, wala siya parati.

Napansin ko na lamang na mas naiibuhos naming magkakapatid ang oras namin sa labas ng bahay at sa eskwelahan. Ang Ate ay kagawad ng Sangguniang Kabataan, ang Kuya naman ay matagal nang kinuha ng seminaryo, ang dalawa kong kapatid ay may mga sarili nang kina-career at ako naman ay natutuon sa aking pagsusulat.

Dumating ang isa sa pinakamasayang araw ng buhay ko, ang pagdating ng Tatay at sabihing ito na ang huli niyang uwi dahil hindi na siya babalik ulit sa abroad.

Makalipas ang ilang buwan, trinangkaso ang Tatay. Sabi ng doktor ay overfatigue lang daw at kailangan niyang magpahinga. Pagkaraan nang ilang buwan, na-diagnose na may tumubong tumor sa utak ng Tatay at malignant na ito. Minsan naitanong sa akin ng uncle kong doktor kung nauntog ba ang Tatay o nabagsakan ng mabigat na bagay sa ulo. Nahihiyang ngiti, kamot sa ulo at isang "hindi ko po alam" lang ang naisagot ko.

Kung gaano kabilis na nadiskubre ang tumor niya sa utak ay ganun din kabilis na binawi sa amin ng Diyos ang Tatay. Habang pinagmamasdan ko ang Tatay habang mapayapa itong nakahimlay noong burol niya, nahihirapang tumulo ang luha ko. Kung tutuusin, hindi ko kilala ang taong ito. Siya ang tatay ko. Kalahati ng pagkatao ko ay galing sa kanya. Pero kung tatanungin mo ako kung anong gusto niyang timpla ng kape, kung allergic ba siya sa hipon na paborito ko, kung San Miguel o Purefoods ba ang team niya sa PBA--isang malaking EWAN lang ang maisasagot ko sa iyo. Noong bata pa ako, nasa abroad ang Tatay. Kapag nandito naman siya para magbakasyon, mas malaking oras ang nagugol niya sa pag-aasikaso ng mga papeles niya para sa susunod niyang pag-alis. Nang tumigil na siya sa pagtatrabaho, ako naman ang abala sa mga reports, periodical examinations at mga research works. Nang nasa ospital na siya, kahit makipagkuwentuhan ay mahirap nang gawin dahil halos hindi na siya maintindihang magsalita dulot ng chemotherapy.

Matagal nang patay ang Tatay. Minsan nabalitaan kong dumating na ang seaman na tatay ng boss ko, pilit ko siyang pinauuwi nang maaga. Minsan ding buong kawilihan kong pinagmamasdan ang isang kaibigan ko na nagmamadali dahil baka masaraduhan na siya ng grocery. Kailangan niyang makabili ng ingredients ng spaghetti dahil 'yun daw ang bilin ng tatay niyang na-stroke. Minsan rin nang makainuman ko ang matalik kong kaibigan habang binubuhos niya sa akin ang sama ng loob niya sa pagbabalik ng tatay niya na malupit sa kanila nang mahabang panahon at ipinagpalit sila sa ibang babae. Sa tingin ko lang, "Buti ka pa nga may Tatay pa." Syempre hindi ko sinabi iyon sa kanya. Baka mamaya tanungin pa niya ako kung kanino ako kampi, kami pa ang mag-away. Minsan din sinamahan ko ang kababata ko nang dinalhan niya ng pansit ang tatay niya sa City Jail. Hindi naman sila nagtatanong kung bakit ako ganun. Wala naman silang alam kay Tatay.

Maraming pagkakataon na nanghihinayang ako dahil masyadong maaga ang paghihiwalay namin ng Tatay. Gusto kong sisihin ang Pilipinas dahil napakahirap ng buhay dito. Sa Amerika ba may tatay na nangingibang-bansa para makapagtrabaho lang? Naisip ko tuloy na sumama na lang sa mga nagpipiket na mga migrante dahil alam ko tulad ko rin sila. Kadalasan rin sinisisi ko si Saddam Hussein at ang Gulf War dahil kinuha nila ang tatlong taon sa buhay ng Tatay. Sayang ang tatlong taong iyon. Nakalaro ko man lang sana ang Tatay ng basketbol o di kaya'y naturuan niya akong mag-bike. (Beinte anyos na ko nang matuto mag-bike).

Isa sa mga klase ko sa writing ang nagpasulat sa amin ng kahit ano tungkol sa aming mga tatay, samahan pa ng larawan kung maaari. Bigla tuloy akong nalito. Hindi ko alam kung anong tungkol sa Tatay ang isusulat ko.

Ikuwento ko kaya na isang Overseas Contract Worker si Tatay. Isang bagong bayani. Nag-aambag ng malaki sa ekonomiya ng Pilipinas. Sabihin ko kayang may larawan ng tatay kong may suot na hard hat na dilaw, construction boots at may hawak na drill at kasama niyang nakangiti ang mga kapwa niyang Pilipino with matching background na disyerto. O kaya ang larawan nilang magkakababayan habang pinagdiriwang nila ang New Year at nag-iiyakan dahil tinutugtog and Lupang Hinirang. Ang drama no?

Kuwento ko kaya na isang survivor ng Gulf War ang Tatay. Na natutulog siya at ipinaghehele ng mga Patriot at Scud Missiles. Pakita ko kaya ang mga remembrance ng Tatay na mga dull na landmines. Adventure naman ang dating nito.

Kuwento ko kaya kung paano hindi nagpabaya ang Tatay sa pagbibigay ng pangangailangan namin. Hindi kami sumasala sa pagkain, may magagandang damit, maayos na tirahan at nakakapag-aral. Siya ay naging isang good provider. Siguro isang malalim na buntong hiningang "Haaaaaay!" ang ibibigay sa akin ng mga kaklase ko.

O di kaya'y dalhin ko ang picture ni Tatay habang kini-chemotherapy siya. Ikwento ko din kaya na naging mabilis ang lahat ng mga pangyayari. Na inoperahan siya sa loob ng walong oras at binutasan ang ulo niya. Na nakalabas pa siya ng ospital. Pagkatapos ng isang linggo, agad siyang namatay. Tragic naman ang approach ko nito.

Gayahin ko kaya ang kuwento sa telebisyon na tipong galit na galit sa mundo ang anak dahil hindi ito nabigyan ng sapat na atensyon dahil inuna ng kanilang tatay ang pinansyal nilang pangangailangan. Teka, hindi naman totoo yon eh! Napaka-unfair naman 'nun kay Tatay.

Ikuwento ko na lang kaya ang isa sa mga magagandang alaala namin kay Tatay. Apat na taon ako noon. Malinaw na malinaw pa sa alaala ko ang pangyayari. Kadarating lamang ng Tatay pagkaraan ng dalawang taon. Nagkaroon ng simpleng party sa bahay. Kainuman niya ang mga kumpare niya nang tumayo siya at binuhat ako mula sa kuna ko habang pinaglalaruan ko ang bagong matchbox na pasalubong niya sa akin. Inutusan niya ako na ikuha siya ng beer sa refrigerator. Pagkakuha ko ng beer ay kinandong niya ako at buong
pagmamalaki na ibinida sa mga kumpare niya na natanggap na raw ako sa lokal na Day Care Center dahil abot na ng kanang kamay ko ang aking kaliwang tenga kahit idaan pa sa ibabaw ng ulo ko at matatas na ako magsalita at madali raw akong matuto. Matagal din akong nanatili sa pagkakandong niya. Mistula siyang bagong dating na hari na suot-suot ang kanyang korona. Ako ang kanyang korona.


Kapag naaalala ko ito, napapawi ang lahat ng panghihinayang ko sa mga taong kailangan niyang magtrabaho at mawala sa piling namin. Mga panahong kasama ng mga tatay nila ang mga anak nila. Ito na lang ang isusulat ko. Bago ang lahat, pupunasahan ko muna ang mga luha ko at ang patulo ko ng sipon. Baka mapatakan pa ang keyboard ng computer at ang hawak kong picture. Picture ng isang paslit na may hawak na bote ng beer habang kandong ng tatay na kitang-kita ang kasiyahan sa mukha.

Surviving Midlife

I guess this will be a good piece to read since most of us will be experiencing this sooner or later.

************

Surviving midlife
HUMMING IN MY UNIVERSE By Jim Paredes
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Maybe I’m a man

Maybe I’m a lonely man

Who’s in the middle of something

That he doesn’t really understand.

— Maybe I’m Amazed

by Paul McCartney

Everywhere I go, I seem to bump into people who suspect their mid-life crisis has begun, or feel they are smack in the midst of a full-blown one. Being in my mid-50s, it is not surprising that a lot of my friends are into mid-life crisis. But what surprises me is that many people I know in their late 20s or early 30s are already showing signs of its onset.

A brief search of Google says that mid-life usually begins “at age 40, give or take 20 years.” So, in effect, most adults you and I know are probably in this phase of life to varying degrees.

Carl Jung was one of the first to identify this phase and call it what it is. Regardless of whether midlife crisis is triggered by personal tragedy — like the death of someone close or some catastrophic events — Jung says that in every case, midlife occurs in five phases:

1) Accommodation, where we live life according to the expectations of others. This happens early and is the context in which mid-life sets in.

2) Separation, the phase when we wake up to find that our lives have largely been about accommodating others’ expectations, and begin the process of rejecting the “accommodated self.”

3) Liminality, a period of doubt and uncertainty where we live aimlessly, seemingly without purpose.

4) Reintegration, when we begin to deeply answer the question of who we are and become comfortable with the new identity that emerges.

Okay, this is as far as I will quote from books and stuff. From hereon, I will be talking about my own mid-lifing experience, which I still am probably going through. Here are a few things I noticed when I felt the onset of my midlife crisis some 20 years ago.

• The term “midlife crisis” is inaccurate. The turmoil and events that proceed after it begins suggest that the word “crises” is more apt because one goes through definitely not just one, but many episodes of the same themes which play out a lot. If it’s not one thing, like worrying about who I really am and my purpose in this life, it’s another, like questioning my beliefs and membership and loyalties to certain institutions. Or it may be beating myself up about my perceived lack of something to show in terms of achievement at certain points in my life, or (strangely enough) not caring one bit about it at other times.

• There is the onset of boredom which is not what we usually feel when we have nothing to do, but a deep gnawing ennui that leads not to questioning but to depression. It is puzzling when all of a sudden you find yourself outgrowing certain activities, and even certain friends. Almost overnight, you feel a change in yourself in relation to the world you operate in. Somehow, what used to satisfy no longer does. Like a teenager, you find a big part of you does not fit in.

• The screw tightens even more. I found myself questioning the very basic things I took for granted — my capabilities, tastes, opinions, vows, faith and motivations. In a profound way, I was turning my world upside down with questions to find out what was on top and what lay under it. In the process, I stumbled on some of the many masks and roles I did not know I was wearing. I continue to discover others. And as I unmasked myself, I discovered that the world was unmasked as well. There is a John Mayer song I like because it sums up a big “aha” moment I had years back:

I wanna run through the halls of my high school

I wanna scream at the top of my lungs

I just found out there’s no such thing as the real world

Just a lie you’ve got to rise above.

• There is the painful realization that most of what seemed true earlier in your life is quickly nearing its expiration date. And yet, it is so painful to part with these beliefs, even though you know you must in order to be make space for the new truths that are unraveling. Discerning what to throw away and what to keep is a daunting order and takes a lot of courage and reflection.

Imagine that your house is on fire and you have a few short moments to run in and pick up your valuable stuff. What stuff do you actually pick out? Unless you are consciously aware of what you need to do, you may unthinkingly rush in and pick up your high school Playboy magazine collection in place of a family heirloom.

• There is a flurry of activities that one engages in that seem in retrospect all about the vain attempt to hold on to the power of fading youth. My sister-in-law calls her 40-ish husband’s new BMW “the midlife crisis car”! Many men and women go through physical makeovers — the tummy tuck, lipo, implants, nose jobs, sexual enhancement drugs, etc. The few times I tried to stop dyeing my hair, I got annoyed at having to repeatedly explain why my whole head of hair was suddenly white. So I resumed the dyeing. Sometimes I stop just to defy the world. I worry less now about my receding hairline but I admit to taking Chinese herbal drugs to slow it down.

• When we let go of attitudes, beliefs and ways that don’t work, there appear newer ones that take their place. This will happen repeatedly until we find the right ones that apply to this new stage in our lives. We are like a house in renovation except that the dust has not settled and so we are not sure what we really look like inside. But be assured that there is a lot of activity happening there.

We can also compare ourselves to snakes in the sense that we must shed off old skin periodically to continue living in a supple, energetic new body. I noticed that when Sangliggonaposila, a noontime show I was involved with 10 years ago, came to an end, my life was thrown into turmoil. My usual income stream dried up big-time and I felt washed out.

But in place of the frenetic triviality I was engaged in for a living, I discovered silence, which in turn led me to more introspection and reflection. I also discovered many hidden talents and interests I did not know I had as I began to practice Zen, write books, articles, blogs, got into teaching, designing and facilitating workshops, photography, diving and taking long walks.

I felt a personal renaissance, an immense growth spurt which continues to this day. I can definitely say my life is being powered by my second wind.

• Lastly, I am more forgiving of myself now. I find myself in a better place regarding my accommodation with personal faults and weaknesses. Whereas before, I would beat myself up over perceived failures and character flaws, I am now less severe and am even accepting of my imperfections. I also notice that I have become less judgmental of other people.

Which is not to imply that I am in a blissfully peaceful place at all times. I have a long way to go before I master jumping over the wide fault lines on the terrain of midlife.

Life continues to pull the rug from under my feet in varying intensities but years of practice has helped me cope better. Sure, doubts and cynicism continue to plague me and I still play the people-pleaser role on occasion. But I am learning to say it’s okay when I am not 1at my best and express my opinions more spontaneously than merely saying what is expected of me out of political correctness.

To paraphrase Joseph Campbell, I am beginning to enjoy and appreciate the pleasure and privilege of being my true self, warts and all.

Robina Gokongwei-Pe's Speech at the UPSE Recognition Day - 2008

How I survived kidnapping from UP & six economic theories
By Robina Gokongwei-Pe UP School of Economics

Thank you very much, Prof. Dante Canlas, for your wonderful, wonderful introduction.

Dean Emmanuel de Dios — Dean de Dios was my professor of international trade way back in 1981, and it is not only because he gave me a grade of 1.5 that I agreed to be your guest speaker for today. It is hard for me to remember all my teachers in college, but Dean de Dios was someone I remembered very well, because I couldn’t imagine how one so young could be so brilliant. He was personally chosen by UP President Emerlinda Roman to be one of the speakers at the UP Centennial Lecture Series. He will speak on “Secular Morality and the University” on May 7 (plugging, plugging).

By the way, President Roman says that noted filmmaker Behn Cervantes keeps reminding everyone that it’s pronounced “centennial” with a short “e,” and not “centeeeennial.”

Former Dean Raul Fabella — it’s unfortunate that I missed Dean Fabella in college. I think he was in the US when I was a student.

College Secretary Oggie Arcenas — Di ko rin inabutan si Prof. Arcenas, but then he must’ve been still in high school when I was at UPSE. When I saw him, I came to the conclusion that UPSE college secretaries are all boyish-looking because the college secretary during my time, Prof. Cayetano Paderanga, who incidentally taught me Econ 101, had the same features. (During my time, there were two cutie pies — Professsors Vito Inoferio and Cayetano Panderanga.)

Professor Dante Canlas, who taught me Econ 181. He was the only professor man enough to give me a grade of “1” even if I didn’t take his midterm exams. I will tell you about that later.

Professor Solita Monsod — the irrepressible Winnie Monsod with her sexy legs, miniskirt, booming voice, cigarette and iced tea in tow. Prof. Monsod taught us Econ 11 and Econ 101, and she explained everything so clearly it made economics less scary than I thought it would be. One morning during a class in the auditorium, she said, “Hey, who’s been spreading the news that this glass I’m carrying every day to class contains scotch? Of course I don’t bring scotch to class. It’s iced tea!”

Professor Manny Esguerra — Sayang, di ko naging teacher si Prof. Esguerra.

Professor Benjie Sandoval of the College of Business Administration — Benjie is executive director and my barkada at the UP Centennial Commission.

Tita Eden Bautista, former administrative officer at SE 101, who gave me my honorable dismissal in 1981 when I unexpectedly left UP in my senior year. If I need someone to remember where I placed all my things, it has to be Tita Eden. In fact, she is right now holding my handbag for me.

Joaquin Teotico, president of the UPSE Alumni Association; academic personnel, administration personnel, parents and graduates: Good afternoon.

I’m very happy to be back in the university that I never graduated from but wish I had. I am simply one lucky bitch to be speaking on your recognition day. Thank you to the UPSE Student Council, led by Sarah Adan and Jances Parado, for inviting me. In their letter, Sarah and Jances asked me to share my experiences and insights into being an instrument of meaningful change in society. And if could please bring in the concept of economics as an instrument of change and progress.

I gave Dean de Dios a call and said, “Dean, it’s a wonderful topic but I don’t know what I’m supposed to say,” and he told me, “Let’s have lunch with the students and talk about it.”

And so I did, and I met Sarah, Jances, and other student reps Mario Garcia, Nica Maloles and Jelain Reyes, plus Dean Fabella, Professors Arcenas, Monsod and Jack Teotico. I asked the students what they would really, really be interested in. They asked “Can you talk about what’s in store for us after economics?” The faculty said, “How about entrepreneurship?” or “How about matching economic theories with reality?”

And so I decided to put everything together, as chop suey as it may sound. Let me start with economic theories or concepts or terminology, whatever is the right way of calling them.

The first theory is the ubiquitous law of supply and demand. The reason I failed to graduate from UP was that I was kidnapped on the way to school in September 1981, and guess what, right on the day I was supposed to take Prof. Canlas’ exams.

Contrary to the 2000 movie Ping Lacson, Supercop, I was not jogging on the grounds of UP wearing a midriff when I got kidnapped. In the first place I didn’t have the body then to wear that outfit and never will. By the way, the actress who played me in the movie was Angel Locsin, and I hope you didn’t invite me to make this speech because you thought I looked like her. (Of course, deep inside, I wish I did.)

By the way, yes, it was then Lt. Col. and now Senator Ping Lacson who rescued me after seven days in captivity. He literally kicked and broke down the door, just like you see in the movies.

At that time, 1981, the kidnappers demanded P7 million in ransom money. Nowadays, any Tom, Dick and Harry would kidnap you for as low as P300,000. And that’s the law of supply and demand. The price has gone down to P300,000 because there are so many unorganized criminal gangs who are willing to take anything, and the victims are more willing to give since it’s not worth your life trying to haggle if it’s only P300,000.

You must be wondering whether the kidnappers were caught. Which brings me to the second theory: the theory of competitive advantage.

The mastermind was the son of a judge from Cebu. The judge from the lower court found him guilty, but when the case came up to the Supreme Court, the justices acquitted him. It’s only in the Philippines where you see the mastermind of a kidnapping gang get acquitted, and I wonder whether it has to do with his being the son of another judge. That is what you call competitive advantage.

The third theory is cost-benefit analysis. In 1989, we acquired the venerable national daily Manila Times from the Roces family. Sometime in 1998, my editors, who incidentally came from UP, wrote a headline that annoyed then President Joseph Estrada.

The story was about how the government was unwittingly led to sign an anomalous contract with IMPSA, a foreign group. Take note, this was in 1998, so if you’re thinking that this is ZTE, this is not ZTE.

Anyway, I didn’t even know what the story was all about, as my policy was to leave the editors to do their job while I handled the business side. I ended up getting sued by the president of the country, and for several nights, I thought hard about the future of the paper. As an economist would say, “Do a cost-benefit analysis.” The benefit was that it was a well-respected paper with a well-respected staff. However, the cost was that I was sure to die early, thinking about getting sued day in and day out. I didn’t want the staff to deal with a boss suffering from a nervous breakdown, and I didn’t want the readers to think that we were now forced to change the newspaper’s ideals to avoid any more lawsuits, so with a heavy heart, we sold the paper.

Running a well-respected paper was part of my efforts at being an instrument of meaningful change in society. So much for the effort. I figured, hay naku, magtitindera na lang ako.

Anyway, five years after, the government ended up suing that same foreign group, IMPSA, for leading them to sign that anomalous contract. By that time, I was already leading a less-turbulent life managing our retail group, and I left my sister Lisa to continue with publishing. She was smarter than me. She put up the highly successful Summit Publishing, which includes some staples such as Cosmopolitan and FHM. This is where I can say that when it comes to sex, the demand is always greater than the supply.

The fourth concept is about monopolies and oligopolies. A UP alumnus recently branded our family as oligarchs in the airline industry. In my economics textbook, an oligopoly happens when only a few players dominate the industry and set the price of goods unreasonably high. I do not know how we can be oligarchs if we give opportunities for people to travel more often by providing one-peso fares. Setting the price of goods with one-peso fares? Maybe he wants us to lower it to 50 centavos.

Let me go on to the fifth and sixth concepts, which I believe are the most important because they have to do with what you are going to do after graduation. Specifically, what you think you can do after obtaining an economics degree. In truth, you can do anything you want.

In fact, I asked the student reps over lunch why they majored in economics, and they said it was because they had the impression that you can do anything with an economics degree, and I told them they were right.

In fact, I wonder who among you were like me and decided to major in economics because you wanted something close to business but not take up business administration, and you thought that economics and BA were almost the same. It turns out that they’re related in some ways, but in most ways they’re totally different, and it’s a good thing I didn’t major in BA: I barely passed accounting.

My dad didn’t force me to take up BA after I graduated in high school in 1978 because he said that I would learn business anyway when I entered business, so I should go learn something else. If I had the choice, I would’ve gone into anthropology or veterinary medicine, but then it was uso among the Chinoys at that time that you either majored in pre-med because you were going to be a doctor, or in business because you were going to work in a bank. It seemed that Chinoys were headed to only two professions at that time.

I was the typical Chinoy who just followed where everyone went.

Anyway, back to my fifth and sixth theories — the theory of opportunity costs and the law of diminishing marginal returns. I know that when you start looking for a job, you will do two things — you will compare what each company is offering you, and you will compare your pay with your batchmates. Taking the first job offer that comes your way implies an opportunity cost of losing the chance of making more money. You wouldn’t want to lose that opportunity to make more money, would you?

Six months into the job, either one of two things can happen, or the two may happen at the same time. Either you will be thinking about whether this is the job you really want and you will keep on meditating about it to the consternation of your boss, or another company will try to poach you by offering better pay and benefits, or both.

Now take note that you belong to Generation Y, which the latest issue of The McKinsey Quarterly describes as people “born after 1980 — whose outlook has been shaped by, among other things, the Internet, information overload, and overzealous parents. HR professionals say these workers demand more flexibility, meaningful jobs, professional freedom, higher rewards, and a better work life-life balance than older employees do.

“People in this group see their professional careers as a series of two- to three-year chapters and will readily switch jobs.”

Emphasis on “readily switch jobs.”

So on to theory No. 6, the law of diminishing marginal returns. Being a member of Gen Y, you may have the habit of moving from one job to another, always grabbing the one that will pay more. You have the right not to miss out on these opportunity costs, but take note that if, by the time you’re 30, you show this three-page résumé listing that you had 12 jobs in eight years, you can be sure that you will experience firsthand the law of diminishing marginal returns. On your 13th job interview, you will be worth what your rate was when you were 22. No employer will dare hire you, because he thinks you will just run off again after six months.

Assuming (which, by the way, is an economist’s favorite word) that you decided to become an entrepreneur instead of seeking employment, then bravo, you made the right decision.

Entrepreneurship is a topic that Dean de Dios wanted me to talk about, but I told him that I wasn’t an entrepreneur. I am only managing one of my father’s businesses and using company money, not my money. But Dean said that, in any case, he knows more people who have spent all their fathers’ wealth and run the business into the ground much faster than it took me to build my father’s business. So, thank you for your kind words, Dean.

I am not an entrepreneur — it is my dad who’s an entrepreneur — but let me say something about it. I think the reason few people go into entrepreneurship especially when they come from top-tier schools like UP is that when they want to open their own taho cart, for example, people around them would tease them and say, “Ano ka ba, galing kang UP, magtataho ka lang!”

My answer to that is “E ano?” At least you have something you can call your very own.

You are not beholden to anyone but yourself, and yet you bring joy to society because you give people a product that they like. After all, big businesses started by being small once. Big business didn’t start out big: there’s no such thing.

Let me give you, though, one tip about running a business, and one more economic theory to go with it.

It’s about the theory of market competition. There’s such a thing as fair competitors, and there’s such a thing as desperate competitors. Both are troublesome, but you know fair competition is part of free enterprise. As for desperate competitors, you worry if this country is retrograding.

You were not born yet when the story of my kakambal na ahas who was half-woman, half-snake came out when we opened our second Robinsons Department Store branch in Cebu in 1985. My kakambal was supposed to be the source of our wealth as she laid golden eggs. She was supposed to be hiding under the floor of the fitting rooms, and every time a beautiful woman would enter, the floor would open and she would land right inside the mouth of my kakambal na ahas.

I have no idea who started this incredible story, but I have to tell you that some people believed it and even started staring at my legs to see if there were any signs of snakeskin. A few people still ask me about it, and I have to tell them na naging handbag na ho sa Robinsons Department Store.

Thank goodness there was no Internet yet at that time, or you would start receiving photos of me with a snake’s body and my kakambal na snake with a woman’s legs.

How do you deal with these dirty tricks? Nothing, just keep quiet and let the story fade away. Or better still, make a joke out of it.

And that is what you are going to face on a regular basis once you step out of school.

Someone will be out to kill your product, out to get your job, out to grab your boyfriend.

And if you’re an unlucky bitch, maybe all at the same time! But in the end, you will come out a stronger person, and better still, end up with a much better boyfriend.

Thank you and congratulations!