Sagada

After several months of waiting and weeks of worrying, the Sagada trip finally came and so easily went by. But with lots of good events, activities and wonderful people coupled with nice photographs, this trip will definitely be remembered forever.

The trip began with a 12-hour land trip from Manila to Sagada. It was very tiring especially since the trip was at night but it didn't stop anyone from getting out and take pictures at the highest point of the road we journeyed. Towards dawn, we were able to see the sunrise from the car and wonderful scenery greeted us.



We arrived in Sagada around 10 in the morning and we were ushered to Gecko, where we spent the nights during the vacation. The first destination was Lumiang Cave, a burial place for the natives.



Coffins of different sizes can be seen at the mouth of the cave. The next cave we visited was far bigger, the Sumaguing Cave. Beautiful formations can be seen inside with underground water and moderately easy to slightly difficult terrain makes this cave truly a haven for spelunkers.



The cave tour lasted for almost four hours and every single person in our group was wet and exhausted but every minute inside the cave was definitely worth it.

We woke up early the next day in order to catch the sunrise over at Kiltepan Valley. Unfortunately it seemed that the sun was hiding from us but nevertheless the view from the valley was breathtaking.



Next in the itinerary was a 1-hour trek to Bomod-ok falls. It was a strenuous feat going through steep paths under the scorching heat of the sun but the scenic view more than made up for it.




Finally, after what seemed like forever we could already hear the refreshing splash of water against the rocks. And as we approached the waterfalls, you wouldn't see even a hint of regret from anyone because the place was simply beautiful.

win even in defeat

It's so amazing how our emotions can switch from high to low, from being ecstatic to being sad or from having a sudden surge of confidence to a heartbreaking sense of defeat. If we were machines, we would have deteriorated at a very early age. Luckily as humans, we have freewill and thus have the capability to dictate the outcome of any situation. We can still follow the fate of the machines and crumble under extreme wear and tear or we can rise up from every unlucky situation and come out stronger in every battle we go through whether it is a win or not. The choice is always ours so we have to make the best out of it.

the small lady

During the motor cab ride on the way to the office, there was one other passenger who was so small I think she's just about 4 feet tall. I could imagine a lot of things she could not do because of her height and the teasing and bullying she must have gone through because of this. But she definitely was able to survive it all cos she seemed just fine. What a fighter she must be. I think unconsciously she had inspired me to push through and find good in every situation because after all everyone goes through rough times every now and then.. :)

A road to discovery

For the longest time, I felt that my life has been dull, monotonous and it seems that I have failed in everything I did and failed everyone as well. Everyday I would see how my life is no different from yesterday and couple of days and weeks before. Instead of progressing, it's like physically, emotionally, psychologically and even spiritually I felt I was on the brink of a decline, a steep one.

One day I thought that maybe I was seeing my life the wrong way. I don't know if its the right word to say but I am so focused in seeing the big picture expecting a total transformation of my life and have totally forgot about the little things that really are the ones that define who we are.

So I'll be keeping a daily account of the little things that goes on in my life, maybe then I will be able to regain my self respect and discover a life that's one to be proud of.

Si Ondoy

Now that the nation is faced with a devastating calamity I am happy to see people help each other and for the first time not asking for something in return. And this leads me to ask a silly question, can this be the beginning of the change we have waited for so long in our country?

First of all I'd like to point out that the government was caught so unprepared that all they could do was watch and listen because there was no way that they can help the people calling and begging for rescue..or was there really no way for them to reach those people? Then why were there private individuals able to surmount the risks and overcome nature's hostility just to save a friend when the government deemed rescue impossible?

Maybe they were telling the truth because apparently these private individuals had motorized boats where as the government had freaking rubber boats that had to be paddled to move. How in the world can the rescuers be of help with such equipments?

So it ticks me to think that the government is partly to blame in this catastrophe. First and foremost, there is a calamity fund that's being allotted for every place each year. But they only use it for relief operation and when no calamity hits an area for the year the money is divided among the government officials who knows about it. So instead of using the money to educate people on emergency situations or buy equipments to help in rescue operations, they add the money to their annual bonuses..crap..

I could go on forever about what the government could have done so the effects could have been not as disastrous but I guess that's just a waste of time. I do hope though that this disaster would be an eye-opener for people to learn to speak up when they think they are disadvantaged or deprived by the government. Or better yet we need to care more about ourselves and our countrymen..Just because we are able to buy the things that we need doesn't mean we could simply close our eyes and ears to the injustices being done by people around us. We need to care and that is exactly what was shown by the people during those hours of distress.

We showed that we can do so much with little aid from the government as long as we individuals would be willing to do our part. So we should take this experience by heart and know that the government is there to assist us, they chose to serve us but more importantly they are paid for that responsibility and if they fail us we have every reason to stand up to them. It is time that we get what is rightfully ours and save our nation..

How do we choose the best leader?

Some would say we should choose the most intelligent of the bunch. Others would like the most famous to lead the country and some would prefer to have a religious leader. So what really are the qualifications of a good leader?

When I was a kid I always thought that the most intelligent person in the class is automatically the leader. If you get good grades and if you go to the best school then by virtue of being more knowledgeable academically you are the leader. What happens then if the that person does not know a thing or two about the streets because all he does is study?

Maybe a good leader is exemplified by someone who can boss people around. Definitely a lot of things will be achieved and everyone will be involved in certain activities. But then the leader might abuse his power and use his position for personal gains.

Or maybe the best leader is the person who is also the best follower. Still the best for the position might be that someone who knows the Gospel too well. Or what about the most popular person, he just could be the right leader.

I guess our choice depends on what is important and relevant for us. So can we ensure that our choice is the best option? No, there is really no way of knowing..

August Rush

This movie is a contemporary fairytale about a musically gifted orphan who hears music everywhere. Whether it’s the wind in the grass or the roar of a subway, the sounds of the world are a symphony to his ears, and he was described as a musical prodigy. He was born from a family of musicians, his mother was a celebrated cellist and his dad was an Irish lead singer of a band.

Finally! Graduate na... =)

March 20, 2009 is one of the most significant days of my life for on this day my sister got her college diploma. I'm so happy because she was able to finish her college degree without a failing grade and I'm so proud of her..I know she has not been so good, what with all the vices but despite all the craziness and peer pressure she was able to make us realize that sending her to school was really worth it.

Ma and Pa along with 2 of my bros arrived last Thursday but only my mother was awake at the time I arrived home from work. We talked literally for hours catching up on so many things about our family and just about anything. Then graduation day was a Friday where we all went to USC cultural center to witness the graduation rites. Afterwards we had dinner and prepared for the celebration the following day.

We celebrated the graduation party in El Salvador and it was a blast. Everybody enjoyed especially the kids. My diet was totally forgotten for it was a joy eating along with my family and all other people dear to our hearts. We went home tired and with heavy stomachs. =) The celebration did not end there though because we proceeded to Gimik and sang our hearts out. The joy reflected on the faces of every person in the room makes me forget all the hard days and just be thankful to a lot of people.

First, to my sister for all her efforts and will to graduate on time and for being so understanding especially during difficult times, thank you so much and again I'm so proud of you. Second, I want to thank my parents for continuously supporting us in all of our endeavors and for never giving up on us and last but not the least to those people who have supported me through and through despite some bad decisions I've made, you know who you are. I cannot thank you enough and I wish you all the best...

hapit na..

The inevitable has come. Effects of the global recession are slowly creeping into our lives. Yesterday it was announced in the company I work for that a certain number of employees will have to be fired. I choose the word fired because it caught some people unprepared causing anxiety which was translated to hateful words about the company, about a number of individuals and to life in general. It has been announced in the early part of the 1^st quarter that reduction of the number of employees was to be expected because of the steep decline of the company’s income so the fixed cost had to be decreased as well. This unprecedented collapse of business is not exclusive to the company I work for but is in fact happening to almost every other company in the whole world.

The changes that were slowly implemented and the warnings that have been continuously given were not enough to wake people up from their deep slumber and not even to peek out of the shell they engulfed themselves in. People refused to acknowledge the possibility of great loss and some simply did not care at all.

Thereby when news about the lay off finally was released, they were surprised but in the same were not for all along they have known yet they totally discounted the obvious. A paradox that made people re-evaluate how they spent the last couple of weeks and wait in vain until next week when the people who’d go will be named.

Pgtaitok sa utok!!

Saying goodbye to a phase of ones life is always a bittersweet experience. Its always hard to say the final goodbye to people that mattered in one way or another. We will often go back and reminisce the happy moments, sad experiences even the nasty occurrences will be something to think about. Each of the persons we meet regardless of the circumstance is there for a reason. There is nothing random in this world. Everything ought to tell us a lesson, a valuable one but its up to us to unravel the mystery that is to determine the purpose of such a meeting.

But there's no reason not to move on. Our ultimate purpose in this world is to learn as much as we can and use these knowledge for the welfare of everyone who coexists with us. This is not limited to individuals instead this includes every single thing that surrounds us. We should embrace everything that is given to us and all that comes our way. For definitely this is another opportunity, a better chance at that to do something worthwhile.

At the abyss of every phase, we are obliged to make a decision, a dilemma that we have to surpass. Knowing our goals and being definite about what we want is the key to making the best resolution. Hence saying goodbye is both the end of something good and a beginning of something even better...