Blog Your Bleesings: Cemetery of Negativism

There is an interesting cemetery located at Camp John Hay in Baguio City. It is called Pet Cemetery, Lost cemetery or Cemetery of Negativism. However, no actual animals are buried there. Rather, negative thoughts or the "greatest negativisms of all times" were buried. It was in the early 1980s, when base commander John Hightower enjoined all camp employees to think of the negative thoughts and attitudes that impeded their productivity at work, and symbolically buried them all there.







If we try to create our own cemetery of negativism, is our backyard enough to fit every negative thoughts that cross our mind?

Blog Your Bleesings: Panagbenga celebration

If you haven't experienced the "Panagbenga Festival" of Baguio, you are missing a lot. Panagbenga is a kankanaey term which means "a season of blooming." It is also known as the Baguio Flower Festival, some kind of a tribute to the beautiful flowers the city is famous for.

But for me, Panagbenga celebration brings a different memory. For two years, during the street dancing and float parade "days" of the celebration, we would wake up as early as 3 am in order to be at the store as early as 4 am. This is torture for us since the third week of February is considered the coldest in Baguio. We have to open early and be able to cook enough food before the bulk of customers, usually tourists, would come in. I, together with the assistant managers and the crew would be on our feet from early morning till late in the afternoon. I witnessed how the crew persevered and how the managers supported the team members. It was a picture of team work and hard work.

Just like the flowers of Panagbenga, my team blooms during this period. They are blooming in the spirit of team work and hardwork.

I miss my team. I miss being "in action". But I have chosen to be just an observer now. A proud observer of how the flowers and the people bloom.

Blog Your Blessings Sunday: Burnay

"Burnay" or Jar


Burnay Making


Andrea witnessed the process of Burnay making


Burnay making in Vigan was introduced by Chinese immigrants. Burnay maybe used for storing drinking water, salt, basi wine, tagapulot (brown sugar), and Ilocano's favorite bagoong.

The educational tour of Andrea's school at the Heritage City of Vigan gave us the opportunity to have a deeper appreciation of these jars. They are no longer just jars, instead, it signifies skills and hard work.

Please help us pray

My childhood friend's partner is included in the list of missing crew of MV Hofeng when it sank wednesday morning. Please help us pray that he will be rescued soon. Our spirits are down due to unconfirmed stories that he was slightly drunk the night before and the hang over could have slowed down his reflexes. We are still hoping for the best but it won't hurt if an extra soul prays for his safety.

MANILA, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Philippine authorities are searching for 11 sailors missing after their cargo ship sank in stormy weather off the northern coast, an official said on Thursday.

A spokesman for the coast guard said eight people had been plucked from choppy waters off Batanes island near Taiwan a few hours after the ship, which was carrying steel from China, sank on Wednesday.

"I spoke with the pilots helping our search and rescue ships in the area and they were having difficulty because of near zero visibility due to bad weather," Lieutenant Armand Balilo said, adding they were not giving up the search.

The ship, m/v Hofeng No. 7, was on its way to Malaysia and carrying 19 crew from the Philippines when huge waves, strong winds and rain caused it to list and sink.

"The rescued seamen were brought to Taiwan for medical treatment," Balilo said. (Reporting by Manny Mogato, editing by Carmel Crimmins)

Sa Araw ng Pasko ( On Christmas Day)

Andrea's class performed this during the Family Day celebration of her school last December 19. They lip synched and danced to this tune. after the second stanza, the kids went down the stage, looked for the parents and led us back the stage. It was a touching moment for me. Right before the song ended, they handed us a long stemmed rose. My eyes were filled with tears already. The lyrics touched my heart. I have heard the song many times, and it never failed to bring tears to my eyes. But hearing it this time is far more different with dad away from us this christmas.

The song is written in "Filipino", the official language used in the Philippines. It touches the hearts of Overseas Filipino Workers who are celebrating christmas away from home. The song talks about how Christmas celebration in the Philippines is uncomparable, how the celebration would be different if they are home, if the family is complete. The song also wishes the OFW's a Merry Christmas whatever part of the world they are.

To all the OFW's MERRY CHRISTMAS

All Star Cast
Sa Araw Ng Pasko

'di ba't kay ganda sa atin ng pasko
Naiiba ang pagdiriwang dito
Pasko sa ati'y hahanap-hanapin mo
Walang katulad dito ang pasko


Refrain
Lagi mo na maiisip na sila'y nandito sana
At sa noche buena ay magkakasama


Chorus
Ang pasko ay kay saya kung kayo'y kapiling na
Sana pagsapit ng pasko, kayo'y naririto
Kahit pa malayo ka, kahit nasaan ka pa
Maligayang bati para sa inyo sa araw ng pasko


Sa ibang bansa'y 'di mo makikita
Ang ngiti sa labi ng bawat isa
Alam naming hindi n'yo nais malayo
Paskong pinoy pa rin sa ating puso


Dito'y mayro'ng caroling at may simbang gabi
At naglalakihan pa ang christmas tree, ang christmas tree

Christmas in our HOME

December they say is the happiest time of the year for Filipinos. Relatives from around the globe come home to the Philippines to celebrate Christmas. Family reunions, high school reunions, college reunions and other kind of reunions happen during christmas time. People are more friendly, more forgiving during this time too.

Once the "ber" months start, christmas songs will be heard over the radio. Christmas lights and lanterns in every Filipino home will entice you with thir ryhtmic burst of colors. Christmas trees of all kinds and sizes will be put up.

I for one, have set up our christmas tree as early as October. Usually, some would wait until All Saints day is through. But I would like to enjoy the christmas athmosphere longer, so I started early. Setting up the tree was quite sentimental for us. Andrea and I decorated the tree but our mind would drift from time to time to dad. For six years, the three of us celebrated the holidays together. This year is totally different. dad won't be able to join us because he is working abroad. But the thought that there are millions of Filipino families who will be celebrating with one member away from them, is quite comforting. I salute these families who have endured incomplete christmas celebration for years. But I take my hats off to the OFW's (Overseas Filipino Workers) working in all parts of the world, their predicament is more difficult because they have no family to celebrate with them physically.

The Department of Tourism made a commercial with a tag line "Come home this Christmas". Home referring to the Philippines. But this is not limited to the OFW's, this is an open invitation to ALL. I wish every one could come to their "home" this christmas.

Merry Christmas to all!