#laagnitantong

Miguel Ramirez, our technical expert from Guatemala, is interested in Philippine beaches. We promised to give him one on his next visit. As promised by my BTMS Portal Team, Alma,  Andrew, Wendy and myself,  we booked a trip to Boracay Island upon confirmation of his next arrival to the Philippines. To celebrate our minor success with project website,  now that the BTMS Portal is ready for public viewing, that Friday afternoon of January 14, Miguel,  Alma,  Wendy,  and myself convened at NAIA Terminal 4. Andrew regretted. Although we experienced delay in our flight departure, we still looked forward to our fun days in one of the best islands in the world - Boracay.  We reached the white sanded paradise via Kalibo Airport around midnight. We stayed at a budget hostel-resort for 3 nights and ate at food places where credit card is not acceptable but pure cash. So Miguel still  has to withdraw from ATM first, and so Alma took ...

Dream Come True: A Kiddie Party with Hello Kitty Theme I was born so deprived of good life. As recounted by Mama Dulcing, my father was jobless when I was growing up. Both my parents would have to farm rootcrops and even the oldest taro root they have to sell in order to buy milk for me. Every turn of years, I also turn a year older. I always know my birthday every 9th of January. But most often than not it passed without jubilation. Seldom did I surprise my family realizing that it's my birthday. And in order not to embarrass me, my mother would then buy some bread and soda to celebrate my natal day. Recognizing our inability to blow a party every January 9, I swore to myself that when I am able and can afford I would have to sponsor a birthday bash. So when I turned 22, and was already earning as a college instructor, I held a party at our parents house. My last birthday there before I transferred to Manila was celebrated with roasted pig and seafoods. That was my last ...

It’s a “wish granted!” for our family when the Tacloban children agreed to spend Christmas holidays with us here in Manila. En and I thought about bringing our nephews and nieces together this Christmas in the metro and celebrate Christmas and New Year with us, with their Lola most importantly. En floated the idea to our elder brother, Bobby, the kids’ father, who also agreed to pay for their plane fare.  The four of them, Keith, Ayssa, Kim and Paula, flew in from Tacloban on 22 December. They joined our baby WanWan and instantly formed a flock. Kuya Entoy, the eldest of them all, the only son of our eldest brother, Danny, could not make it this time because he had plenty of stuff to attend to, now that he’s a practicing lawyer and got a son of his own. So he stayed in Mindanao with his mother and his little son.  Initially, the tow little ones, Kim aged 12 and Paula aged 7 declined my invitation because they fear flying. I told them that in such case they ...