From U.P. and Back Again

I have always wanted to give back to my Alma Mater, the University of the Philippines Manila, the institution that imbibed in me academic excellence, freedom coupled with responsibility, and spirit of service. My batch mates and I actually made a pact to go back to U.P. after some years of practicing the professions we want to have in the corporate world, in order to pursue the noble path of teaching.

Our professors surely played a big role in this dream of ours to become professors in any U.P. unit in the future. I remember several teachers of ours relate how grateful they were with the education they were receiving while they were still young students. And how much they also aspired to return the favor to the state university by re-entering it for a Teaching Post.

Now that I am freer, schedule-wise, I am set to study again as I take the master's program in Development Communication this academic year here at U.P. Cebu through the U.P. Open University (UPOU). Much as I wanted to get a scholarship, the limited number of slots available posed as a big hurdle for me not to be granted one. Now I know I must work doubly hard to make sure that I have enough monetary support to pursue graduate studies. Special thanks to my godmother, Lyn, and to my uncle, Al, who both agreed to send over some student loan just so I could go ahead with the enrollment this first semester. I am hopeful that this master's program I will be taking will pave the way to re-enter the university as a future educator.

It felt good visiting the U.P. Cebu campus the other day and meeting the local coordinator of UPOU at the College of Arts and Sciences building. It felt good being in familiar terrain once again --- seeing the Oblation, the U.P. seal, the org nooks and 'tambayans', the 'traditional' classrooms, and comfort rooms --- all with that familiar U.P. trademark i.e. vintage.

Cebu Pilgrim Site: Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Since the month of May is dedicated to Our Blessed Mother, we have been going out for pilgrimages to her shrines to pray for the Church, the Pope, Bishop Javier Echevarria, our Prelate, and for all our personal intentions. I had the chance to visit a nearby shrine  recently, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, a 15 to 20-minute walk from our study center. The chapel is part of Asilo de la Milagrosa, a charitable institution run by the Daughters of Charity (DC) of St. Vincent de Paul here in Lahug, Cebu.

I must say I am fortunate to find this shrine so near because I am an alumna of a school run by the DCs in Manila, Sta. Isabel College (SIC). Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal has been an important part of my childhood since our big quadrangle at SIC, which has a towering statue of her, is named after this title of Our Lady. I remember playing 'piko' and 'patintero' with my classmates in the quadrangle under her gaze till late afternoon when our parents come to fetch us. I'd like to mention here, too, that last year, in our annual seminar at Latag Study Camp in Batangas, the same title of Our Lady was the one our group reported for our Mariology class. I still keep a copy of our powerpoint presentation, thanks to my group mates Tina A. and Tita O.

When I visited Asilo, I was glad to meet Sr. Teresa, a nun who knows our former music teacher and children's choir moderator at SIC, Sr. Martha who obviously became a DC herself. I was happy to get the contact details of Sr. Martha, or Ms. Gamolo as we used to call her. We are hoping to see each other in my next trip to Manila. 'Ms. Gamolo' was the one who discovered that I have an ear for music, and an aptitude to learn one of the lower voices in our children's choir i.e. the so-called 'alto' or soprano 2. I am grateful to Sr. Martha, one of my mentors who taught me to aspire for the higher and nobler things in life.

It is my wish that there be more people, lay and religious alike, whose 'struggles' to live a life of virtue, pave the way for many people to discover the path God has designed for them to tread in this life, always with the help of Our Lady.

Mountain View Nature's Park: Try the Rope Course That Will Change You!

It was another excursion day for us last May 5, Sunday, and this time we went to a nearby tourist spot here in Cebu, Mountain View Nature's Park, located in Busay town, just 25 minutes away from Cebu City proper. That day, some of us planned to try the Rope Course being offered in the Holiday Fun adventure site which is near the Christmas Park.

We arrived there at around 10 am and headed straight to the counter of the Rope Course. There were seven of us in this excursion, but only four of us signed up for the adventure course. We paid a minimum of P150 for this attraction, signed a waiver form and geared up! We were given a helmet each and were strapped safely to the cable that will lead us through all the different ropes in the adventure course. Of course we had a photo op before we said GO! There was no turning back!

On the Feast of Our Lady of Montserrat: Summer Outreach in Carbon, Cebu

This coming first Saturday of May, we will be on our third weekend of mural painting and outreach work in Brgy. Ermita's daycare center and its Sangguniang Kabataan office, here in Cebu City's Carbon district. According to the locals, Carbon, where Cebu's biggest wet market is situated, is known as a notorious place where brigands i.e. snatchers, slashers, etc. are said to reside. All of us from Banilad Study Center's group of student and young professional volunteers have always been reminded to keep careful watch over our belongings and to make sure that we do not wear any jewelry when we walk further inside the narrow and winding streets and alleys, heading towards the seacoast, literally under an area of the long bridge of the South Road Properties (SRP) owned by SM Prime Holdings, which is where our beneficiaries live. But so far, all we are receiving from the barangay residents here are nothing but kind attention and gratitude for our presence.