#laagnitantong

June was a quiet month—idle, jobless, and cash-strapped. I never imagined that just one month of waiting could feel so long. I spent my days sending out CVs, chasing leads, and hoping something would click. Strangely enough, I wasn’t worried. I had peace in the pause. My initial plan was to head home to Surigao and immerse myself in writing. I dreamed of finishing my personal biography and polishing a few incomplete pieces—anything under the sun, really. I longed for solitude, somewhere remote and serene. Maybe a farm resort or a beachside retreat in Dinagat or Siargao, close to my roots. I even envisioned starting a fiction novel about Popo Takyu, my grandfather, whose “superpowers” I hoped to uncover through interviews with my aunties, uncles, and older cousins. But as always, God had other plans. Before July arrived, I was offered a spot in the next phase of the Strengthening of the Financial Management System in the Department of Education Project. It was a continuation of Phase 2,...

As promised that once the family car in the metro I will tour the family around, so Tagaytay was first in line, considering that one, it's adjacent to Metro Manila, two, it's Sunday and the city's places of worship run aplenty, three, ther e's plenty of tourist points, and last but definitely not the least, the climate is colder.  Our journey started with attending a Holy Eucharist at the Pink Sisters, then ala-picnic-breakfast at People's Park. Attending a Sunday Mass is free, it only cost us P20.00 for the parking space inside the church's vicinity. The picnicking however cost P50.00 entrance fee per head (free for children aging 4yo and below) plus P35.00 parking fee and P100.00 table charge. Fun rides here have separate charges at one's choice, but the viewing of the Taal Volcano and the lake is totally free. Followed by a visit to the Puzzle Museum and a lunch of "bulalo" at...

I intend to do staycation in June 2014 following my 11-month project with AARC (Ireland) providing technical assistance to DepEd in implementing public financial management reforms. It turned out to be a 7-day vacation however, since my parents were insistent in starting the journey, which is landtrip from our place in Surigao to Manila, driving our Toyota Innova. Two times we boarded the Roll on - Roll off boat, one in Lipata (Surigao)-Benit (Southern Leyte) and another in Allen (Northern Samar)-Matnog (Sorsogon) Montenegro Liner, one of the Roll On - Roll Off (RORO) boats crossing the straits of Norther Samar and Sorsogon That was sunset when we passed San Juanico Bridge New tourist spot within Cagsawa Ruins It was when we passed some municipalities in Albay when the beautiful Mayon Volcano showed herself to Papa Tantong and Mama Dulcing We  (Papa, Mama, Celoy our alternate driver, and Tiyo Mauro, my father's bro) made a sidetrip to Cagsawa Church Rui...