confusion

These past days were days of confusion, doubts, fears... It was the 20th anniversary of EDSA 1 and rallies, demonstrations and protests reigned the frontpages and in the newsrooms. People don't exactly know what to do, whom to believe and whom to trust. State of Emergency was declared and many were arrested even without warrant. In all these events, I was with AtSCA. Friday, the new EB prayed the rosary before the delibs for the country. By 7pm, we attended the EDSA Mass at gate 2.5 at the Ateneo. After, we continued the delibs. Saturday, we continued praying and had a delibs marathon from 1pm- 4am. Next day Sunday, we attended the Prayer Vigil at gate 2.5 and listened to the short speeches of Fr. Ben Nebres, S.J. and Fr. Danny Huang, S.J. Monday was declared a no class day. We attended a mass at the gate 2.5 for our country. This weekend was all about our country. I attended masses, prayer vigils and forums regarding the social issues concerning our country including us citizens.
I support the stand of the Society of Jesus and the Ateneo as well to continue praying and discerning about the issues. I believe that we should not support military-initiated strategies that seek the civilian's support. This is totally different from EDSA 1 where it was a civilian-initiated move that was supported by the military. Now, it is the opposite. We should not allow military to rule us. I also support the stand of the CBCP to continue searching for the truth. Let us also focus on our desires for reforms in our country, specifically, reforms in the military and in the government
I mentioned that the past days were days of confusion, doubts and fears, but I also believe that the past days were also days of prayer, hope and inspiration. Despite all these news, many people still prayed to God and I'm sure many still haven't loss hope for our Motherland. It is good to see that even some youth (espcially Atscans) still joined the masses and prayer vigils. I personally haven't loss hope for the country. With God, I believe and pray that the Philippines will still stand strong and that truth will win the battle.
God bless our country!

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delibs delibs

Last Monday morning- Feb. 20, 2006- was the AtSCA EB Elections, by afternoon may bagong EB na for next year. Then nagkaroon kami ng Passover Prayer Ceremony and offical anouncement of winners. And I am now officially EB for next school year together with pj, di-ang, lee-ann, hannah, doryll, ros, caloy, bianca, jo at gerald. Eleven lang kami... happy naman ako na almost all na na vote ko ay part ng EB. Ngayon pa lang na feel ko na ang pagiging EB. The next day we had delibs the whole night until 3:30am. Ang fun lang kasi after, we were walking along the Ateneo road hawak hawak ang bawat isa towards the gate at around 4am... even yung mga dormers and jaypee sumama hatid sa amin mga katipunan people. The next day delibs na naman til 2:30am. Ngayon pa lang nararamdaman ko na ang pagiging EB, pero inaasahan ko na ito. For me, being an EB of AtSCA is a blessing. Yes, it is very tiring, but it is also where you can serve not just your members but God as well. Sana lang magampanan ko ng tama ang pagiging EB. As of now, 9 more positions to go (EB positions)..

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Love week

The week of love (valentine week) was just so weird. Kakaiba talaga! Sabi ko nga noong nag prayer kami last friday na up and down yung week kasi maraming nangyaring not the usual lng.Syempre, included na doon yung feb 14 night. We had a singles night with doryll, dea, nina, marie, gerald, gino, che, ria sa eastwood. Nag movie etc. It was a sad night for many of us thinking na ang mga mahal sa buhay ay may ka date na iba.... Anyway, nag pa meat shop pa kami ni doryll and ger around 2:30 am, pero hindi kami nag drink ha! For the first time in my life, I stayed up late just talking kay doryll sa house niya til 6am. I had the same experience with nescy just the week before pero hanggang 5:30 am lang kami noon. The next day, nag cubao at night adventure kami with dea, jaypee and marie. We were supposed to watch Close to You pero puno na. So nagpa Ali Mall pa kami and this was around 10pm na. We were suppose to go sa Clownz pa nga pero naka slippers ako so we talk na lang sa Coffee Beans hanggang 4am and ate at mcdo for breakfast. I arrived home 7:30am. I cut my whole day classes. Of course, we also had our Meeting de Avance then SOA concert. Last Friday we went sa Eastwood with doryll, ros and barwin. Wala lang nag videoke lang kami till closing hours and waited for nina. We ate din at McCafe. The Saturday came, feeling ko nag Atsca Day ako. From 7:30 am till 9pm, I was with Atsca doing Atsca work- from going to the area, facilitating pep, to our delibs... kapoy gd pero sadya!

Basta marami pang ibang nangyari, medyo weird lang for me yung week. In addition to I officially just attended 5 classes for the whole week. The good thing about all these is that it ended well. Many issues were resolved kahit papaano and I am slowly pondering on my love life (corny). Basta yun na yun...

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the bilibid experience

Kahapon, nag exposure trip kami sa New Bilibid Prison sa Muntinlupa. At hindi lang kung saan saan lang, sa may Maximum Security Compound pa kami- yun yung kulungan para sa mga taong may 20 taon pataas na sentensya. Noong una, akala ko magulo at marumi at maingay yung Bilibid. Kung ano ang nakikita ko sa pelikula, eh yun yung pinaniwalaan ko. Hindi pala, mali lahat na aking naiisip. Ang Maximum Security Compound ng Bilibid ay parang isang barangay o komunidad, may mga basketball courts, ospital, parke, market, tindahan at siyempre mga simbahan ng iba't ibang relihiyon. Nakakatuwang isipin na medyo malaya sila kumpara sa mga naiisip ng mga tao. Kasi doon 6am-6pm pwede silang maglakad at gawin ang kahit ano basta nasa loob lang sila ng compound. At yung mga tao doon ay mababait. Habang naglalakad kami at nag-uusap sa kanila, hindi namin maisip na sila ay mga rapist, mamamatay tao, drug lords, holdapper at iba pa. Siyempre, hindi maiiwasan ang konting kaba, lalo na kung iisipin ay kahit isang pulis ay wala kaming kasama sa pag pasok at pag-iikot. Isa ito sa mga trips ko na nagmulat sa akin sa katotohanan ng isang kulungan. Mukha namang ok ang buhay nila sa loob, pero hindi ko ninanais na mapabilang sa 12,000 bilanggo na doon ay naghihintay ng muling paglaya.

Nais ko rin ibahagi na ako ay sobrang na antok noong trip na iyon. Kasi naman, hindi talaga ako natulog noong gabi. Nanood kami ng American Pie 4 sa bahay ni doryll, kasama sila nescy, jr at ate ka. Noong 3am naman ay biglang nag "IC" kami ni nescy at nag-usap tungkol sa buhay, atsca, acads at syempre love. Hindi namin namalayan ng 5:30 am na pala. So uwi muna kami, ligo then Xavier Hall na by 6:30am. Tapos pa Bilibid na. Antok at pagod ang naghari sa akin sa araw na yun. Nakita ko rin pala yung mag sikat na taga Bilibid na sina Cong. Jalosjos at Mayor Sanchez. Ang laki ng "kulungan' ni congressman, may orchids garden pa, tila yata parang bahay bakasyonan lang.

Meron pala akong na kausap na inmate. Chris pangalan niya at 23 years old na siya. Isa siya holdapper at magnanakaw sa Cubao noon. Ngayon, isa na siyang nagbabalik Panginoon. Sakristan siya sa misa at tumutulong sa mga gawaing pang simbahan sa Bilibid. 6 years na rin siyang nakakulong. Hindi ko inaasahan na marami akong matutunan sa kanya. Marami siya tinuro sa akin tungkol sa buhay at sa Diyos. Nais na talaga niyang magbago at sabi ka niya, kung pwede naman ngayon magbago, bakit hindi. Oras ang pinakamahalaga sa kanya. Kung pwede namang sabihing 'I LOVE YOU' sa ating mga magulang, bakit hindi. Hindi daw naman natin alam ang mangyayari sa kinabukasan. Yun yung ilan lamang sa mga sinabi niya. Alam ko na ito noon pa, pero habang nagsasalita siya tila narinig ko lang yun sa unang pagkakataon. Iba lang ang dating sa akin. Sa dinami ba naman ng tao sa mundo, siya pa, isang bilanggo, isang dating criminal ang magtuturo sa akin sa buhay at mag papaalala sa kabanalan at pag-ibig ng Diyos. Hinahanga ko siya, sana lahat ng inmates tulad niya.

Yun muna para sa ngayon. Sana lahat sila ay makalaya na at syempre sana magbago na sila at mapalapit sa Diyos tulad ni Chris. At sana rin huwag silang husgahan ng tao pag laya nila.

*nina at ros, aking mga cell leaders, 99% Filipino na ito... hehehe

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what's next?

After Induction, what's next?
It's been a long time since I last wrote a blog here. And ang daming mga happennings na ang nangyari ever since. The first week of February was week of emotions- sadness, fear, joy and a feeling of love. Of course, the most important event was our Induction Day last Feb. 5, 2006. I just wished na nandoon family members ko and loved ones, pero di talaga kaya. It was both a depressing and inspiring day- how ironic nga ng day na yun. The headlines of all newspapers that day were all about the Stampede Tragedy sa Ultra, plus the one pa about ria and doryll. It was just not perfect day to fully be happy. But on the other hand, it was inspiring to see 15 people took their vow of love and service to God. Despite all these tragedies, at least may 15 na tao na magtataya pa rin. The tragedies, perhaps is a sign of the things to come as inducted members na marami talagang problema na darating... maraming temptations... at maraming sacrifices na kailangang gawin. I pray na sana tayong mga 15 newly inducted members ay magtulungan para na rin sa ating sarili at lalo na para sa Diyos. Ang tanong ngayon for us: what's next? It would be a difficult future for us. All our acts and words now and should be according to what God wants us to do. Mahirap , hindi natin alam kung saan tayo dadalhin ng Panginoon. Dasal at pananalig lang...

Maiba naman, after Induction nag pa RED BOX kami sa greenbelt Masaya talaga!!! (o diba preferential option for the poor) hehehe. Pero honestly, it was really nice even if we had to pay P600++ each. Basta maraming nangyari !!! after, nina ger barwin ros doryll jekki went all around The Fort and Rockwell to look for a 'hang out place'. We ended up at Gloria Jeans sa may Glorietta. We talked and had fun until 5am!!! Nina hatid us all (thanks nina). Then nag pa 7-11 kami ni Doryll for about 15 mins and went home na.

on a side note, last saturday i was invited sa PLDT Student Camp Launch sa Megamall. Happy naman ako kasi they said only the top 10 per course ang chosen few. Anyway, Ros and I were late (but i arrived earlier, hehehe). It was ok naman, but then during the games portion, ros archie caloy and i escaped and shop shop! At least we were still given free food! After, we all went to Ateneo for the Induction Rites. One more thing, last Friday was the last day for labor trials. I didn't really teach na. All we did was conversed in English and played games. It was a nice afternoon. The students gave us letters and we all had the usual picture taking portion.

that's it for now... what's next?

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