#ALDubEBTamangPanahon The Right Time Has Come

October 24, 2015 is the big, big day for the AlDub fans that Lola Nidora declared as the "tamang panahon", the right and perfect time.  Aldub has been trending worldwide in Twitter world for quite some months now.  If you happen to be not one of the followers of this phenomenal Filipino love team, you might wonder what is all the buzz about.  

The love team started from the Philippines' longest running television variety show Eat Bulaga in one of its segments titled "Kalye-serye" only last July 2015.  It is a combination of a reality TV and game show series (serye) that is set on the street (Kalye) in Metro Manila and nearby provinces everyday (except Sunday).  The kalyeserye was born from an original Eat Bulaga segment "Juan for All" that gives out big prize money to selected individual.  The main characters of this kalyeserye are Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza aka Yaya Dub.  Alden is a rising Filipino actor while Maine is an internet sensation with her YouTube dubsmash antics.  The other interesting characters of this series are the three "Lola" (grandmothers) named Nidora, Tidora and  Tinidora played by the show's versatile hosts Wally Bayola, Paolo Ballesteros and Jose Manalo. You read that right, these three are male actors portraying the role of old women, they are so good at their disguise that you will surely separate their real character from the roles they are playing.  What is prominent in this kalyeserye are the lessons and values which are reflective of Filipino culture in olden times.  Lessons and values which revolve on building relationships, proper way of courting a lady and so much more including waiting for that perfect moment thus the byline "tamang panahon".   

Although we have seen a lot of reality tv shows here and abroad, what makes this segment unique is its street-scene role playing seasoned with a comedy-like Cinderella-type plot.  This is what makes the 'Aldub Nation' (yes, they earned that title for being such hardcore followers of AlDub) all glued to their tv screens to find out if there will be a happy ever after or the way they describe it a 'forever' love or friendship (?) between the two not only in a split screen romance but also in real life. Something that remains to be seen and all the more sends everyone into romantic euphoria. :-)  

A Grand Reunion With a Worthy Cause

This event happened about five months ago. I actually never thought of publishing it here but the writer side of me dictates that I should be sharing this story to the people who made our reunion possible especially our friends who are based abroad, supported our cause but missed the event. Although I already shared all our homecoming photos, a song goes, "a picture paints a thousand words..." but sometimes pictures cannot convey the real story that happened thus the need for written words.  To all who missed the event, I hope this gives you an idea on what happened on 3rd December 2011 and to everyone who were there, let us relive the good memories we made.  

1      Event Setup:

 

As early as 1:00 PM, three hours before the opening of the event, committee members were already at the school to coordinate the catering arrangement as well as to setup the venue. The committee ensured to properly put up the registration booth, stage, photo booth, equipment to be used for the presentation and the overall look of the venue.  

2      Registration and Preliminary Activities

The registration booth was manned by Joan, Cathy, Roselle, Aimee, Rose and Rajah.  Even before the 4:00 PM registration, members already came to register for the event.  A registration fee of P500.00 was paid that includes the souvenir t-shirt, the food, raffle prizes and for other expenses.  A total of 96 members attended the homecoming event.

While waiting for other guests and members to arrive, video presentations created by different sections and compiled by Joey and Armie were played.  There was also a video presentation comprising of photos taken from the monthly meetings since May 2011 up to the motorcade of November 30, 2011. 

3      Opening Remarks and Invocation

President Joey officially opened the event at around 6:00 PM.  He welcomed and thanked the batch for all the support provided with special mention of all who provided generous donations for the success of the grand reunion. The prayer was led by Rose. 

4      Narration of Previous Meetings and Presentation of Batch per section

William served as the host for the night. He recounted how the idea of the grand reunion was conceptualized by Mheng through social network (Facebook, Email, etc).  He also mentioned what transpired from the monthly meetings and how the “grand reunion with a cause” developed.    After that, he called the attendees per section. Each section’s class picture was scanned by Armie from the old Year Book and compiled into video presentation that was flashed onscreen as members of each section posed for photographs.  Gab took photos of each section that were called on stage.   

Photo credit: Gab Pascual

Photo credit: Gab Pascual

Photo credit: Josephine Doroja

5      Presentation of Committee Members

A video made by Armie, a compilation of before and after pictures of all committee members was presented.  The “before” pictures were also scanned from the Year Book while the “after” pictures were taken from Facebook photos.   

Photo credit: Gab Pascual

   

6      Intermission Number - Zumba with Josephine

Josephine, who flew all the way from the U.S. to attend the event showed her prowess in dancing.  She asked everyone to participate with her Zumba number.  Almost everyone danced the Zumba to the tune of Black-eyed Peas’ “Bebot” song.  

Zumba with Josephine...you can visit her site at http://www.josephinedoroja.com

7      Raffle and Dinner

After the Zumba dance, prizes were raffled off to lucky batch members. Raffle prizes were donated by committee members and some were bought from cash donations. A buffet-style dinner was served.  Aside from the catered meals, there were also batch/committee members like Reggie and Roy who brought in food for this event.

  8      Special Citations

After the dinner, an awarding for special citation was held:

1.    Homecoming King and Queen - Mancel &

This award was given to real-life high school sweethearts who are happily married,  still together and their marriage still going stronger.  

2.    Best of Friends Award -Emely & Co.

This award was given to high school buddies with strong bond of friendship until this time.  

3.    Awesome Dancer award - Josephine

This award was given to the ultimate dancing queen of the batch who is currently gaining success in dancing.  

 4.    Youngest Looking Female - Bev

5.    Youngest Looking Male - Reggie

This award was given to the person who looks twenty years younger than his/her age.  Someone who maintained the youthfulness in his/her looks despite the years that gone by.  

6.    Most Artistic Nolascian - Bobeth

This award was given to the person who conceptualized the design of the event’s logo and t-shirt designs.

7.    Most Resourceful Nolascian - Roselle & Waldo

This award was given to the person who provided most time, effort and searched for all resources used for the event.

A certificate signed by Mr. President and gifts were provided.

9      2^nd Part Raffle and Speed Dating with Dhang

Prizes were again raffled off on the second part of the event.  A special cash prize of P500 was given for the early-bird award. 

Dang, who was supposedly the host for the night apologized that she came late for the event.  She observed that members were clustered only among their section or known friends. She came up with an idea of speed dating where she requested everyone to line up into two circles and find a partner. Ten seconds each was given to get to know each other and after the allotted time, the inner circle was requested to move to their right to change partners and another ten seconds to get to know a piece of information about the person.  The activity proved to be fun and enlightening that more acquaintances were formed that night. 

10  Special Cash Donation for the School

During the event, letters were received by the Committee coming from the school heads (English Department, Administration Department and the Principal itself requesting for cash donations that shall be used for their upcoming events such as Teachers’ Christmas Party, English Department event and Teacher’s Day event.  A total cash donation amounting to P8,200.00 <<3K teachers day, 1K English Dept and 4K+>> was provided by the batch.

11  Turn Over and Acceptance of Donation for the School

A formal turn-over of the batch's pledge was held. William first presented the sound system and the DVD Player. The sound system was bought from donations of the alumni while the Sony DVD player was provided by Ronnie.  William read the contents of the Deed of Donation that was signed by the Batch President and the school’s Principal.   Mrs. Libao and Mrs. Reyes also signed on the document as witnesses.  The signing of the deed signified the formal turn over and acceptance of donations. 

 

The Principal expressed her gratitude to the alumni for the sound system and DVD player donation. Mrs. Libao and Ms. Alincastre also gave a simple speech and thanked the batch.

12  Gift-giving Ceremony

To extend the spirit of “homecoming with a cause”, the committee with the support and approval of all who attended the event, decided to provide gifts to the less-fortunate members of the batch.  Cash and grocery items were provided.  The school’s janitorial and security staffs who provided support during the event were also given cash and grocery items.

After the gift-giving, Dang requested Josephine for another round of Zumba number since she missed the first dance presentation. 

 13  Announcement

President Joey informed the batch of the succeeding activities such as

1.    January 2012 Meeting for the Audit Report

2.    Election of Officers (for the 2nd Homecoming event that shall be held after five years).  The election shall be held online.  He encouraged everyone to participate in the online election.

3.    Souvenir shirts that shall be provided to generous sponsors and those who were not able to get their shirts during the event.

4.    Tentative April reunion that shall be organized especially for those abroad who were not able to attend the December grand reunion. 

14  Closing and Photo Ops 

Ms. Libao was requested to lead the singing of the school hymn.  The event ended at around 10:15 p.m.  

Photo credit: Josephine Doroja

The homecoming proved to be a successful and worthy event through the help and generosity of all the members who believed in the magic of friendship and the value of unity.  

Special Notes from a Short Visit at Daddy’s House

My visit in dad’s hometown provided me a chance to reminisce the moments I’ve enjoyed as a child and also had me thinking of my somewhat severing bond with nature. Yes, severing bond with nature in alarmingly awkward condition because I feel that I already grown accustomed to city life. I am now used to all the wild sounds around me brought on by modernization replacing the sound of birds or roosters, I feel comfortable looking at the view from my window of galvanized roofs, towering building facades and hanging cables rather than magnificent mountains and hanging branches of tall trees, I am very much adapted to passing through walkways festooned with piles of garbage instead of green grass and flowering plants. Then it occurred to me, my kids are already missing out the chance to swim through the river where I used to bathe because the river is now full of silt from animal waste and household garbage. They have lost the opportunity to be delighted as trees transform come nighttime and become lighted with thousands of fireflies in the same way it captivated me and my siblings. I guess fireflies now seem to shy away from humans as we were not able to see even one of them or they could have been totally gone as their habitat had already been destroyed apparently because of uncontrolled logging activities. Most kids today fail to experience chasing colorful butterflies along the meadows and might never have the chance to witness firsthand at how these creatures come to life, and other countless happy moments with nature.

I remember my grandmother used to tell me that during her time Manila abound with fruit-bearing trees and how they enjoyed picking fruits and flowers for free. During my time, the city is no longer like that, you need to travel some kilometers away to benefit from nature’s bounty. I feel fortunate to have experienced there at my father’s place the joy of planting and picking fruits from someone else's yard without being accused of stealing since neighbors gladly gave away their produce rather than being left rotten. Now, you need to travel miles away from the city or to search far-flung island to enjoy nature in finest form. Kids in the city can only see fruits or its packaged dried variety inside the market or grocery store, their idea on how they were grown and produced were mostly learned from books or from the internet. Most of these fruits were mass produced inside plantation where you need to ask the owner’s permission to see them up close or else setting even one foot inside the perimeter would be reason for you to be nabbed for trespassing.

About a year ago, I noticed how engrossed my 12 year old son playing a game over the internet where he was able to raise animals, till the land, reap what he sow, sell what he reap until he was able to acquire another land to cultivate. I was even more surprised when I heard friends excitedly talk about their farmlands, a virtual farmland that is. How they spend several hours each day attending to their crops to prevent them to wither. Just imagine spending more than an hour in a given day virtually getting something done without much real gain. I remember asking my son lightheartedly if he was able to harvest enough for our dinner or earned that much to pay for our electric bill That is all saddening because the first hand experience of the natural world I used to enjoy as a child is bit by bit being replaced with a digital world my kids and the rest of the world is now addicted to, a digital world far from realism. While in the middle of these thoughts, I heard a call from my father then handed me a plant for me to bring back home in the city. This, I said to myself, is something to remind me that it is not yet too late to introduce my kids to environmental consciousness and to renew my bond with nature.

~ written in Dec. 2009~

Happy Mothers Day Mommy

It’s mother's day again, i was thinking how to celebrate it with you. An answer came from my email's inbox, it was from Nuffnang about Johnson & Johnson’s “Baby your Mom” contest.  Why not? I haven't done that before as it never really crossed my mind.  You see even if I am already a mother myself, you are still positioned in my heart and mind in the same high pedestal where I put you some years ago.  The one who gave more than a world's worth just for us, your children. That is how I see you then and that's how I look up to you until now.  But wait, I was late for the contest as it is past their deadline of May 7 before midnight so I guess I will just borrow their idea. :-P

Those thoughts of treating you like a baby brought back happy memories of my childhood. Do you still remember how my face lit up at the sight of you whenever you arrive from work? I know you were aware how i looked forward to each dinner time as you always see to it that we were all together at the table and that's when we find time to share enriching conversation about our day's experience.  Did you feel the comfort I felt with each kiss and hug that you bestowed me?  Did you see the smile on my face whenever you make things possible that I thought impossible? Our weekly stroll in the then famed downtown of Avenida Rizal or our leisure getaway to the park or fine dining at a restaurant that I wished it was always weekend just to have more time with you somehow did the trick to make up for all the lost time we were supposed to spend together. The surprise gifts and sumptuous meal you prepared to make each occasions we shared truly memorable.  Yes, those simple gestures and priceless moments summarized everything on how I enjoyed my life with you as your precious little baby. 

Now it is time for me to return all those privileges to you. I know that years have taken the vigor and vitality in you, your hands and feet might be trembling now or your vision might have diminished a little. You might have forgotten some of our precious moments together so I intend to be your hands, feet and eyes to relive those moments with you.  I know how you appreciate each day that I fetch you in the same manner that you brought happiness to me on rare occasion that you find time off from work to fetch me or accompany me in school.  But I think I need to match your interest in going to the mall each time you feel like it and not let you hang around solo in the same way you accompanied me in all those leisure walks that we had when I was little.  So I promise to put an extra effort and time for that. And wait, we shouldn't miss a dinner together in a fine-dining restaurant although I know you wouldn't agree with this because you still look after me not to spend money so lavishly. But don't worry mom, you have taught me well.  And besides, it is just alright to spend for someone as precious as you are. I know how you missed us so dearly, though you have accepted the fact that time will come when it would be just you and dad together after we all got married.  I shall make you feel those moments of togetherness as similar as how we get together on a weekend only this time it gets happier with all your grandchildren.

And I shall not forget to thank you for all the years that you shared with me, with my siblings, with dad and also for sharing the love with my husband and my children.  I love you Mom and Happy Mother’s Day!

Miscellany of Unforgettable Days

It’s past halfway of October, just as fast as how time flies is also how quickly various circumstances came to pass. Sometimes it’s just hard to let go of those feelings especially the happy ones. If only I can save them just exactly how each event happened that I may be able to relive them at an instance I wish to. It’s a good thing that I can note down the account of those days so that I may be reminded then laugh or cry about them…



October 4: Met a few new people from two of our field offices during a brief presentation of our application program. This will surely be a busy month of new and exciting job-related activities. I just hope not much of a headache but more of the good things that will add up to my erstwhile experience.



October 8: Just finished reading the book Wealth within your Reach by Francisco Colayco. This book was recommended to me by my friend Joy and it was really an informative book which I also suggest for you guys to read. Guess I’ve become too serious with the odds and ends of my financial status that’s why I finished reading this book in just one sitting. Whew, now I learned a better equation to financial freedom and that is: INCOME – SAVINGS = EXPENSES and not the way we used to do it which is INCOME – EXPENSES = SAVINGS. That means whatever income that you generate, put aside a portion of it first as savings (simply put it as paying yourself first for all the hard work you have done) then whatever that is left of it you have to stretch for your expenses (just one of those things that you will learn from this book). I lend this book to my younger sis and she’s very much delighted of the things she learned from it.



October 12: Felt so sad after hearing a depressing disclosure from a good friend. I just wonder why life has to be upsetting sometimes, why we or the people we hold dear have to go through such an agony. I easily break to tears when I see people close to me start to cry like I also feel the pain that they are going through. This time I became more wary about my family’s health after learning or hearing about people I know or someone they know going through a difficult phase. Inevitable concerns like health, in addition to finances just have to be in the list of priorities as one grows old, now I affirmed this to be true.



October 17: Not much of a good day for me. I’ve just seen the result of the First Time Mobile Film Makers Contest that I joined into and of the fifteen finalists that were selected, I was not among those.\(^o^)/ Obviously, it was not really meant for me, so I’ll just charge it to experience, there are still countless of other things which are worth trying and joining anyway. But it doesn’t mean that I will stop this mobile filming stuff. This is so much fun than I imagined so I will still take videos or photos of anything that will capture my fancy. I am happy for those who were selected and of the fifteen finalists five of them were from the Philippines. So guys, let’s wish these five Filipinos the best and may one of them bring home the grand prize.



October 18: According to Alexander Graham Bell, “when one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us”. I take heed on not looking at the closed door for too long and true enough I was able to see other doors of opportunity that opened for me. On this day I have confirmed the result of the promo board’s decision regarding the one I wrote about in my previous post. I am very happy of the positive outcome and this gives me a different feeling of high after feeling down yesterday. Also on this day I met more friendly people on the job and I am really gratified on seeing them pleased at using our application program. Our group felt elated for the warm welcome and for their cooperation, how nice it is seeing them wait for their turn and excited to have their pictures taken =) and uploaded on their profiles. Also on this day I met Mang Ed, the official photographer in one of our field offices (he’s the one who took the pictures of the employees). I and my friend Virna had a brief chat with him where he gave us tips on how to take pictures the professional way. He even offered to train us on how to do it. I should have learned of these things before I joined in the FTMF Contest. I may not be so lucky to be selected as finalist but I felt like I also win for meeting a good person like him who is willing to share with us his knowledge about photography. It is this simple act of kindness that really makes my day worthwhile.



October 20: Had a threesome lunch date with a very dear friend, just a way to thank her for the valuable advices, for all the appeals that we asked her that she never turned down, and for being with us in realizing our dreams.



These are only the bits and pieces of the good and bad memories of the days that went by.