Sad News

Former President Corazon "Cory" Aquino was diagnosed to have a colon cancer. Her family, represented by Senator Noynoy Aquino and talk show host Kris Aquino informed the Filipino people yesterday that their mother was diagnosed with colon cancer. President Aquino is a well known political leader. She is also known for her strong faith in God.

I admire the former President so much. Her life is full of challenges but she always get through the trials. Her husband was a political detainee during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. For an ordinary woman, what she went through during her husband's detention is difficult to surpass, but she is different. Aided by her strong faith in God, Cory Aquino survived this trial in her life. Her faith and strength was again tested when her husband, the well known former Senator Ninoy Aquino was assasinated when he braved to come home to his beloved Philippines. She has been a picture of a strong wife and mother. Then she became President of the Philippines in 1986, after the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown by people power or "EDSA l". Even during her term, her leadership was tested by two coup attempts, all of which she emerged victorious in the end. But I guess, the greatest test of her strength and faith in God is during this time, her battle with colon cancer. But according to her family, her faith in God was not shaken.

The former President is really a picture of strength. She has proven her strength as a wife, a mother, a political leader and as a child of God.But I guess, it wouldn't hurt her and her family, if we pray for her fast recovery.

I humbly ask those who would stumble upon this blog to offer a silent prayer for President Cory Aquino's fast recovery. She is a pillar of strength in my eyes and to the eyes of millions of Filipino people who look up to her.

Incidentally, this is her first day of chemotherapy

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

Desperate Housewives "insult" on Philippine Medical Schools

On school days, I usually would wake up at 6 am to prepare the things my daughter would need for school. A cup of coffee plus the latest news on ABS CBN Umagang Kay Ganda morning show is what wakes up my senses. Yesterday was quite different, it was not a cup of coffee that gave me the adrenalin rush, it was about the news on an episode of Desperate Housewives where Teri Hatcher made a remark on Philippine Med Schools.

"Can I check those diplomas again? Because I would just like to make sure that they are not from some med school in the Philippines." —Susan Mayer - Teri Hatcher's character

It may be "just a stupid script", we may be overreacting, but reality is, there are approximately 115 million viewers whose impression of Philippine Medical Schools would be affected. Like it or not, if we hear something like this, a teeny tiny doubt
would cross our mind, even for just a second on the qaulity of Filipino medical professionals.

For someone whose husband is a nurse, whose relatives and friends are in the medical profession working in the US, I feel quite insulted. The people I know did not just buy their diploma, they worked hard for it. To insinuate that the Philippine Medical schools are inferior as compared to US standards is unfair. Statistics would show that there are growing number of Filipino nurses and doctors who are working in the US. Not only because there is a shortage of nurses but because these professionals are also world class. The Filipino nurses and doctors were not just hired out of need but they passed the requirements needed for them to work there legally.

Filipinos are not perfect, neither is Teri Hatcher, or the writers of Deperate Housewives, nor it's producers, not even the US President. No one is perfect. But to step on someone in order to make a point is quite unacceptable, even a not so perfct person would know this.

Deal or No deal?

“Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to”
George Seaton

A young actress named Maja Salvador was the contestant on tonights episode of deal or no deal at abs cbn channel 2. Since the start of the game, the offer kept on increasing because she was able to choose the lower amounts. Until what was left was five pesos and three million. The bankers offer was 800,000. It is already a huge amount. So it was no wonder why she cried while contemplating whether to deal or not to deal. Then she explained that she asked for a sign. If someone in blue will come inside her dressing room, three million would be in briefcase number 5,but if someone is in orange, the jackpot would be in briefcase number 3. It's as if fate and faith was testing her tonight. Because the two briefcase left was numbers 3 and 5. She chose number 5 for her briefcase because of the sign she asked. She was torn between her faith and the people she could help with the offer. What if her briefcase doesn't have the 3M? What if it does? Her heart told her to go for it, but her mind chose to accept the offer. Her briefcase contains 3 million pesos.

Faith.

We have often asked God for help, for some divine intervention, but when we are given the sign, we fail to notice it, and sometimes, we are just too stubborn to accept that it is actually God's way of answering our prayers.

Again, faith.

More often than not, we recognize God's sign, but instead of following it, believing in it, we chose not to. Because we are afraid that God will disappoint us. Rather, we are afraid to discover that our faith failed us.

You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.”
Mary Manin Morrissey

stay in love

"After years of mistakes and pain and problems, real love is two people standing together, choosing to be together, despite all that has gone wrong." by shonda rhimes on http://www.greyswriters.com/.

While browsing the POEA forum on Overseas Employment Social issues, particularly the thread Family Abandonment: Your Opinion", I can't help but think about this particular phrase.

A lot have been arguing that it is loneliness that drives them to engage in extra marital affairs, some blames it on the way the family here in the Philippines spends the hard earned money sent to them. Either way, both are faulty and at the same time, not.

A lot could be attributed on how a particular marriage ends. But one common denominator that I could think of is the lack of commitment. When you are committed to loving that person "for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, 'til death do you part", and mean it, it would not be too difficult to withstand any storm that may struck the marriage. No matter how difficult life seems to be, or how far the distance between you and your loved ones is, the relationship will always work. It is just a matter of choosing, deciding, committing to stay together, to stay married and to stay in love.

Isn't that being idealistic? I am. But I have had my share of bad times too. But amidst all the problems we had, we stayed together and we stayed in love with each other.

Family Abandonment: Your Opinion?

My opinion? Commit.

If all of those who posted a reply on that thread will choose, decide and commit, the statistics would change.

And they would make a difference.