Congratulations

Fredo and Baby Gabriel's daughter , Abigail passed the recent Bar examination. Only 22% passed the exam.

Para sa mga OFW - by Pat Sto. Tomas

Chairman, Development Bank of the Philippines

Noong bata pa ako, marami akong pangarap. Noong ako ay Grade 1 sa Oriental Mindoro, sabi ko sana magkaroon kami nang radio. Nagkarooon kami ng radio noong Grade 6 na ako.

Sumunod kong pinangarap ay ang magkaroon ng TV. Natupad din ito makaraan ang apat na taon..

Noong kolehiyo na ako pangarap ko naman na sana makapunta sa Baguio. Natupad rin ito noong ako ay 3rd year na. Totoong palaging mas malayo ang pangarap sa tunay na buhay.

Pero ano ang silbi ng buhay kung wala kang pangarap. Mas simple na ang ang mga pangarap ko ngayon. Kalusugan para sa aking pamilya. Tahimik na bayan. Kabuhayan para sa nakararami. At ang pagkakataong makatulong sa katuparan ng pangarap ng iba. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit uumpisahan ko ang kolum na ito sa Internet.

Sa akin, ang tunay na superstar ay ang OFW. Mabigat ang mag- abroad lalo na kung ito ang unang pagkakataon na mangibangbayan. Paano kung masakay ka sa maling eroplano? Paano kung mawala ang pera mo at di mo makita ang iyong employer? Paano kung magkasakit ka at kinailangan mong umuwi?

Marami at masalimuot ang mga tanong at kaba ng mga OFW. Sana makatulong kami na masagot ang ilan sa mga ito at mabawasan ang pagaalala ng mga taong dumadaan sa isang bagong kabanata sa kanilang buhay.

Sa panahong inilagi ko bilang administrator ng POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Authority), bilang secretary of labor at chairman ng Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, marami na rin akong nakalap na impormasyon na maaring makatulong sa ating mga OFWs. Hangad kong gamiitin ang kaalamang ito para mapaalwan ang buhay ng ating mga superstar sa kanilang kinaroroonan. Kung di ko man ito alam, madali rin naman akong makapaghahanap ng mga taong makakasagot sa inyong mga tanong o suliranin.

Alam ba ninyo na kung di kayo binayaran ng sueldo ayon sa inyong kontrata, mahahabol ninyo ang kabuoan nito kapag bumalik na kayo sa Pilipinas?

Alam ba ninyo na kung dumaan kayo sa prosesong legal, maaari kayong umutang ng hanggang P40,000 upang may magastos ang inyong pamilya hanggang di pa kayo nakakapagremit?

Alam ba ninyong covered kayo ng OWWA insurance hanggang dalawang buwan ng pagkabalik ninyo sa Pilipinas? In other words, kung maaksidente kayo sa panahong iyon, may makukuha kayo o ang inyong mga kaanak?

Alam ba ninyong hanggang P200,000 ay maari kayong umutang sa inyong pagbabalik upang makapagumpisa ng isang negosyo sa Pilipinas?

Alam ba ninyong may scholarships na maaring aplayan ang mga taong ibig mag nurse o seaman sa iba’t ibang school sa Pilipinas lalo na yong anak ng mga OFW?

Maraming mga bagay at benepisyo ang available sa mga OFW tungkol sa pabahay, pautang, scholarship, health coverage, pension at iba pa. Mag email lang kayo sa newsbreak at sasagutin naming kayo sa kolum na ito.

Samantala, alam ba ninyo na noong 1990s, dalawang beses akong nag OFW? Bagamat United Nations ako nagrtrabaho, tumigil ako sa Gambia, Africa nang isang buwan at halos anim na buwan sa Vietnam. Alam ko ang matulog sa gabi na balot sa lungkot. At magbilang ng araw ng pag uwi sa Pilipinas. Kaya sulat na.

Alam kong alam ninyo, naghihintay kami.

Hinango sa : ABS-CBN NEWS ONLINE, Marso 22, 2008.

EASTER GREETINGS ACROSS THE MILES

JRI ORION BATCH 63:

May the beauty and blessing of Easter be with you all.

“This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Have a joyous and blessed Easter with your loved ones.

Happy Easter, Batchmates,

Annie & Eddie

SA AKING PAGTANDA

Sa aking pagtanda, unawain mo sana ako at pagpasensiyahan.

Kapag dala ng kalabuan ng mata ay nakabasag ako ng pinggan
o nakatapon ng sabaw sa hapag kainan,
huwag mo sana akong kagagalitan.
Maramdamin ang isang matanda.
Nagse-self-pity ako sa tuwing sinisigawan mo ako.

Kapag mahina na ang tenga ko at hindi ko maintindihan
ang sinasabi mo, huwag mo naman sana akong sabihan
ng "binge!" paki-ulit nalang ang
sinabi mo o pakisulat nalang.
Pasensya ka na, anak. Matanda na talaga ako.

Kapag mahina na ang tuhod ko, pagtiyagaan mo sana akong
tulungang tumayo, katulad ng pag-aalalay ko sa iyo
noong nag-aaral ka pa lamang lumakad.

Pagpasensyahan mo sana ako kung ako man ay
nagiging makulit at paulit-ulit na parang sirang plaka.
Basta pakinggan mo nalang ako.
Huwag mo sana akong pagtatawa! nan opagsasawaang pakinggan.

Natatandaan mo anak noong bata ka pa?
kapag gusto mo ng lobo, paulit-ulit mo 'yong sasabihin,
maghapon kang mangungulit hangga't
hindi mo nakukuha ang gusto mo.
Pinagtyagaan ko ang kakulitan mo.

Pagpasensyahan mo na rin sana ang aking amoy.
Amoy matanda, amoy lupa.
Huwag mo sana akong piliting maligo.
Mahina na ang katawan ko.
Madaling magkasakit kapag nalamigan,
huwag mo sana akong pandirihan.

Natatandaan mo noong bata ka pa?
pinatyagaan kitang habulin sa ilalim ng kama
kapag ayaw mong maligo.

Pagpasensyahan mo sana kung madalas,
ako'y masungit, dala na marahil ito ng katandaan.
Pagtanda mo, maiintindihan mo rin.

Kapag may konti kang panahon,
magkwentuhan naman tayo, kahit sandali lang.
Inip na ako sa bahay, maghapong nag-iisa.
Walang kausap.

Alam kong busy ka sa trabaho,
subalit nais kong malaman mo na sabik
na sabik na akong makakwentuhan ka,
kahit! alam k o ng hindi ka interesado sa mga kwento ko.

Natatandaan mo anak, noong bata ka pa?
Pinagtyagaan kong pakinggan at intindihin
ang pautal-utal mong kwento tungkol sa iyong laruan

At kapag dumating ang sandali na ako'y magkakasakit
at maratay sa banig ng karamdaman,
huwag mo sana akong pagsawaang alagaan.

Pagpasensyahan mo na sana kung ako
man ay maihi o madumi sa higaan,
pagtyagaan mo sana akong alagaan sa mga
huling sandali ng aking buhay.
Tutal hindi na naman ako magtatagal.

Kapag dumating ang sandali ng aking pagpanaw,
hawakan mo sana ang aking kamay
at bigyan mo ako ng lakas ng loob
na harapin ang kamatayan.

At huwag kang mag-alala,
kapag kaharap ko na ang Diyos na lumikha,
ibubulong ko sa kanya na pagpalain ka sana ...
dahil naging mapagmahal ka sa iyong ama't ina...

Why Exercise ? 20 Reasons

By Michael Stefano
eDiets Contributor

With all we now know about the benefits of exercise, it's hard to believe more people don't work out. It's the closest thing yet to the fountain of youth, and truly the only way to change the appearance, shape and strength of your body.

In addition, the health benefits associated with an intelligently orchestrated strength, flexibility and cardiovascular training program can add quality years to your life.

Everyone exercises for different reasons. But no matter your initial motivation,you still get all the benefits. Below is a list of 20 reasons why you should work out. If you can find even one benefit on this list, you'll have enough reason to begin an exercise program and take steps to take care of yourself.

Regular exercise can...

* Help you lose weight, especially fat

* Improve your physical appearance

* Increase your level of muscular strength and endurance

* Maintain your resting metabolic rate to prevent weight gain

* Increase your stamina and ability to do continuous work

* Improve fitness levels, or your body's ability to use oxygen

* Provide protection against injury

* Improve your balance and coordination

* Increase bone mineral density to prevent osteoporosis

* Lower resting heart rate and blood pressure

* Lower Body Mass Index (BMI) -- your fat-to-height ratio

* Reduce triglycerides, bad cholesterol (LDL), raises good cholesterol (HDL)

* Enhance sexual desire and performance

* Reduce heart disease risk and stroke

* Reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer

* Increase insulin sensitivity -- prevents Type 2 diabetes

* Reduce your level of anxiety and help you manage stress

* Improve function of the immune system

* Improve your self-esteem and restore confidence

* Help you sleep better, relax and improve mood

MARCH BIRTHDAY CELEBRANTS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR BATHMATES BIRTHDAY CELEBRANTS.

DOMINGO LIMA - MARCH 2

LUZ TORRES SAUL - MARCH 16

LUCILA MENDOZA SABINO - MARCH 21

FOR ALL THOSE OF OUR BATCHMATES WHOSE BIRTHDAY FALLS IN MARCH BUT NOT IN OUR LIST HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOO TO ALL OF YOU. MAY YOU FEEL JOY, PEACE AND LOVE IN YOUR HEART AND HAVE MORE BIRTHDAYS TO COME WITH GOOD HEALTH OF MIND AND BODY.

Lucky 13 Steps to Heart Health

By keeping your heart healthy, you can spend even more time with the special people in your life. If you pay attention to what you eat, you can actually reduce or slow down the chance of developing heart disease.

Healthy food choices can reduce the major risk factors for heart disease: high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and excess body weight.

The good news about cardiovascular disease is most of it can be prevented. Heredity does play a role and you may have a higher incidence of developing heart disease, but many of the lifestyle behaviors you choose can decrease your risk of this disease. Your genes can't be altered, but your behaviors can change. The important thing is to understand that taking care of your heart can make a lifesaving difference, not only for yourself, but for your family. There are many simple behavior choices that can really make a difference in your life.

Below are some heart-healthy tips to help reduce your risk -- you are probably already doing many of them and not even aware of them. Educate yourself and apply what you learn.

1. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables -- try five or more servings a day.

2. Eat a variety of grain products and complex carbohydrate foods. Focus on whole grains and legumes.

3. Choose low-fat and fat-free dairy products every day (two to three servings).

4. Eat a variety of protein foods. Don't just include one protein type; balance your intake of lean protein sources such as fish, skinless poultry and lean meats. Include fish varieties that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel, trout and sardines. Vegetable protein sources count, too.

5. Limit foods high in saturated fat and trans fat and/or cholesterol -- mostly found in products such as full-fat milk, fatty meats, tropical oils, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, desserts, sweets and many packaged foods. If you use added fat, choose monounsaturated fats -- such as olive oil and canola oil. By eliminating high saturated fat foods, you are also cutting down on cholesterol as well (cholesterol and saturated fats can be found in several of the same food items).

6. Eat plenty of fiber foods daily. Just to name a few, try bran, oatmeal, legumes, fruits and vegetables.

7. Manage your weight. You don't need to be the perfect size "_" (you can fill in that goal number), but by reaching and maintaining your best weight, it will help. Obesity is a major factor contributing to heart disease.

8. Feed your body regularly. If you skip meals, you are more likely to overeat. By eating more frequently throughout the day, your blood-sugar levels are controlled better; you speed up your metabolism and regulate your cholesterol levels.

9. Reduce salt intake. Put the salt shaker away. Try to keep your total sodium intake below 2,400 milligrams a day. A low-salt meal plan can help control your blood pressure.

10. Exercise. The more movement the better. Exercise helps to improve blood flow, strengthen the heart muscle, reduce blood pressure and raise your good cholesterol (HDL).

11. Keep hydrated. Drink at least eight glasses a day. Water is the best hydration fluid. Don't forget, caffeine can actually dehydrate you.

12. Stop smoking and limit alcohol intake.

13. Enjoy life and be happy!

Whether you start with Step 1 or Step 2, each one you take will move you farther down the road to a healthier heart.



( From an article of Pamela Ofstein ,Dietician and eDiets Staff )

Very interesting indeed!

I had to let go my very efficient helper, “Tina”, so that she can attend to her six children - 4 in grade school, 1 toddler and a baby.(actually, 7 kids, for she has a love child, who is not living with her now).
Though I need her services very badly, I think her children need her more. Told her to seek employment near her place, so she can be with the kids everyday, after work.

The day after Tina left, my friend and I started the hunt for a suitable replacement. After several stops, asking for leads on possible applicants, we came across a very young girl with a 2-year old lovechild. According to her, poverty drove her to stop schooling and to work as a helper in Manila at the age of 15. She met a young man from another province when she was 17 and gave birth to her love child before she turned 19. That man turned his back on her when he found out that she was pregnant.
A broken-hearted girl, already an unwed mother, and she’s not even 21 yet! If those statistics amazes you, wait for the next ones about this young girl’s mother!

Her mother, let’s call her,”Paula” is very charming and has a very sunny disposition. Paula narrated to us her life/love story. She had her first period at the age of 12, and eloped at the age of 13, with a truck helper 4 years her senior. She gave birth at the age of 15, and now in her late thirties, she already has seven grown-up children and three apos(grandchildren). She said that she never regretted getting married at the tender age of 13. She and her husband lived independently from day one of their marriage!

I am now trying to recall what I was all-gaga about when I was at that age. Paul Anka? Crushes/FL? The Twist? Limbo Rock? Hula-Hoop? Artistas, like Susan Roces and Amalia Fuentes, dresses, shoes(not necessarily in that order),etc, Definitely, marriage was not even in my vocabulary then!

How about you? What were your thoughts and interests when you were 13? It would be very interesting, indeed, to know.


An old blog from: http://www.titajo.com

Leadership and Discipline

My family is not lumad (native-born) to this town of Isabel, Leyte. We were uprooted from Orion, Bataan some 25 years ago, when my husband was “pirated” by a giant fertilizer plant situated in the Leyte Industrial Development Estate here.

So many exciting changes are taking place in the town now, mainly due to the leadership and discipline of the newly-elected mayor, Hon. Gen. Saturnino Medina, Jr.(Ret.) He has been in the service for barely 7 months, but his accomplishments to date, could put to shame a not-so committed public official of 7 years.

During the turn-over ceremonies with the former mayor, it was so touching that leaders of the different religious denominations were present to offer their prayers. The leaders of the Roman Catholic church, the Iglesia ni Kristo, the Protestant church, the Seventh Day Adventist, the Baptists, the Brother Muslims- each said beautiful prayers of reconciliation, cooperation and hopes for a better Isabel. God must have heard their prayers, for truly, the town is now a place that every Isabelanon could be proud of.

The first notable change is the cleanliness everywhere you go, especially in the public places, like the municipal hall, the plaza, the Freedom Center, the public market, the shoreline, the bus terminal, the public restrooms, and on the streets all over the town. Beautification is also taking place in every corner. Standing proudly at the entrance to the poblacion, is a well-landscaped area, where the name of the town in gold-plated metal is announced in the off-white wall behind a water fountain. Just recently opened to the public is the Isabel Baywalk, where people of all ages and walk-of-life, converge for relaxation and a view of the beautiful sunset in the bay. There is so much improvement in the town hall, which is now very clean, orderly, well-ventilated and very functional. With fewer employees, efficiency and discipline is very evident in the different departments. Mayor Medina had a Taxpayers’ Lounge constructed in a space between the rows of offices frequently visited by taxpayers. It is fully air-conditioned, with very comfortable seats and a cable tv. The plaza has been re-landscaped into a very serene Japanese garden. Two gazebos were constructed on either side, where positive values are inscribed. Strategically located are seats where people can while the time away, while listening to well-chosen music and watching the gustling water from the giant fountain. The Freedom Center (a covered multi-purpose structure for social events and basketball games, constructed by the former mayor, Hon. Jun Fuentes) is now surrounded by bleachers to accommodate more people during such events. During the last Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Barrera fight, people were admitted free to watch it via live telecast on giant screens. It was so thoughtful of him to have done that.

Driving through the town’s streets is a breeze now, because vehicles never park on either side anymore. With the absence of parked vehicles, it seems like the thoroughfares were widened overnight.

One feels safer going to the poblacion, at any time of the day, with the very noticeable police visibility anywhere you go.

The once dilapidated, unsightly barbecue stalls are all gone. Recently inaugurated were the concrete ones that house the “barbekyuhan” in a section of the market complex along the bay.
The “litsong manok” porta-stores, painted uniformly in golden yellow, are now located near the barbecue stalls. Even the popcorn and junk food “tiendas” near the plaza, now sport a uniform structure in the same golden yellow color.

Under construction at present is a new transportation terminal. Once it’s finished, the old terminal will be renovated into a Children’s Fun Center. Street lighting from end-to-end of the town’s boundaries, as well as in the town proper, is on-going. This is in connection with his fiery fight against drugs, crime, gambling and all forms of vices. He believes that the best deterrent to all these is a well-lit community. Next in his agenda is the construction of a hospital. Mr. Jose C. Alvarez of PHILPHOS, who is the mayor’s good friend, has recently donated a hectare of land for this purpose. To bring the government closer to the people, Mayor Medina and heads of the different departments bring the basic services to far-flung barangays where they conduct monthly medical missions and outreach programs, complete with doctors, dentists, midwives and entertainers.

Negotiations are now on-going with a commercial bank, for the establishment of a branch in this industrial town. This is a long-overdue dream of the thousands of employees of the companies, as well as of the businessmen here. At present, people either bank with the rural bank here or go to the city of Ormoc for banking needs.

Foremost in all his accomplishments is the pride and discipline that he has instilled in the hearts of the Isabelanons. He has made the town into a place that we can all be proud of. Because of that pride, everyone wants to maintain its beauty and cleanliness. Seeing garbage, even cigarette butts, is a thing of the past. People have learned to use the garbage binswhich are strategically located all over the town. Even the market vendors, keep on cleaning their stalls, so the market, even the wet market, is so clean. It’s a common knowledge that the good mayor is a stickler for cleanliness and orderliness, so everyone has become conscious of keeping the town clean. AFTER ALL, IT’S A LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE.

In recognition of his feat, the LIDE LADIES CLUB, an Isabel NGO, has awarded the mayor for his exemplary performance on his first 100 days in office.

I wrote this article to show my appreciation for the mayor’s dedication in making this first-class town, truly first class, and to encourage all public officials to exert as much effort in their respective communities. How I wish that a concerted action be done by every elected official and by every citizen, to make the Philippines as progressive as it should be. I believe in the innate goodness and ability of every Filipino. If this feat can be done in the town of Isabel, IT CAN BE DONE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY!

Our hats off to HON. MAYOR SATURNINO MEDINA, JR! May your tribe increase!

An old blog from: http://www.titajo.com

More Mini - Reunion Photos

The Singers and the Dancers

Wanna join the " Late Bloomers " ?

Mini-Reunion at Lucing and Eslao's Farm

Batchmates,we wish you were with us !