Yellow Boat of Hope so no child is left behind

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What does education mean to most of us in the cities? When my kids were then going to school, it meant yelling at them at 5:00 AM to wake up so they wouldn’t be late for their school bus when it arrives at 6:00 AM. Sometimes, I would drive them to school especially during exam days. Those days seemed stressful to me just because I wake up so early in the morning. I have had it easy, I guess. For most children, it means getting up and commuting through jeepneys or tricycles. Sometimes, it meant walking to school.

But for some determined children in Isla Mababoy, Brgy. Guinhadap, Monreal, Masbate, it means getting up and wearing swimwear just to get to their class. These kids are determined to get an education because it is their only ticket out of poverty.

It is a tough swim for the kids from Isla Mababoy. It’s a 300-meter swim (around 20-30 minutes) from the island of Mababoy to the main island of Guinhadap.

Watch this video:

Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation

I have been aware of Jay Jaboneta’s Yellow boat project since April 2011. His story of seeing kids swim to school in Zamboanga and doing something to help them touched me.

It started with a Facebook wall post and soon help poured in. Yes it was a life-changing facebook wall post. In less than a year, many schoolchildren have stopped swimming to school and help did not stop there because the project gives assistance to their families and community.

The boat’s name is Bagong Pag-asa” (New Hope), to signal a new beginning for the kids in recognition of their determination to obtain an education no matter the hardship.

The Philippine Funds for Little Kids NOW known as the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation have since provided these communities in Masbate and Zamboanga, yellow school boats . It does not stop there. The Foundation has since moved on to helping support them through provision of other school supplies, medical/dental missions to their communities, scholarships and even through livelihood programs.

The Yellow boat for kids

Thanks to Eton International School and Jacqueline Marzan Tolentino for donating one yellow boat in behalf of my name (@momblogger in twitter) . When Eton International School invited me to deliver a talk on “Parenting in the new digital age” for their 8th Leadership Awards in March, I chose the donation of a Yellow boat for the Masbate Funds for Little Kids. It is our own small way of creating more opportunities so that no child is left behind in our country.

Let me share this quote from Jay Jaboneta which reflects what they are doing:

““The great thing a little lamp can do which the big sun cannot do is to give light at night. It shows no one is superior by size but by purpose. If we cannot do great things, we can do small things in a great way. Little things make a big difference to God.”

I am such a firm believer in being part of the solution, even small steps like that facebook wall post that changed the lives of 200 kids in Zamboanga.

We are all part of the solution.

YOU are part of the solution.

If you are interested to help, visit Facebook pages of Masbate Funds for Little Kids (Isla Mababoy, Brgy. Guinhadap, Monreal, Masbate) and ZamSur Funds for Little Kids (Lakewood, Zamboanga del Sur) or Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation.

Monetary donations

Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation, Inc.
Banco de Oro – Mayor Jaldon Branch Zamboanga City
S/A no. 3170134579
BDO Swift Code BNORPHMM

For in kind donations, you can send it to Zamboanga City, where is headquartered through:

Dr. Anton Mari H. Lim, DVM
Unit 4, Dian Hap, Bldg F, Nuñez St., Zamboanga City 7000
T. N. (062) 991 0226

For any inquiries, please email Jay Jaboneta at jay@yellowboat.org!

Remembering dad on Father’s day

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If my dad can only see me now, I bet he’d be proud of me. I bet he’d beam that wide smile , nod his head brimming with love. Whenever something special happens in my life, I call daddy out … “daddy look at what I am doing”. I often see this vision of my dad smiling over and over again.

I miss him so. Though he may not be here, I know he lives inside my heart and my memory bank. I carry my maiden name in honor of my dad’s memory . Much of who I am today is because of my dad. He taught me resiliency and hard work by living it. He passed on his wisdom, knowledge, love, and passion through words and action. When I saw my dad so busy attending to his various charitable work and the honors received from it, I often wondered if I could even be half of that.

I lost my mom when I was in college but dad took the role of a doting mother by visiting us often in Manila. He was never too busy for us. Always there for us.

Even until today…

Dad, your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever.

“Grow old with me! The best is yet to be.”

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The spiritual eyesight improves as the physical eyesight declines.” – Plato

To be 55 years old, my face is now marked with lines of life, put there by love and laughter, suffering and tears. There goes my vision. Certain muscles and joints ache. Things sag out of place but yeah, I don’t mind what other people think of me now not even my husband.

With age comes some wisdom and acquisition of knowledge and skills that I thought I was never capable of. It is wonderful feeling to be 55 years old.

Bucket list? i don’t really have one. I love what I do now. My children are done with college and on their way to financial independence. I found a new normal by being connected to people through ” blogging, social media engagement and socio-political advocacy . To borrow the words of my friend Jane aka @philippinebeat on twitter, it “connected me to people of all walks of life — from ordinary netizens to advocates to politicians to celebrities, some of whom I now call real friends. ”

A good friend told me today that she could never be into politics. I know social media is just a drop in the bucket in the massive media arena. But if I can plant a seed for change, why not?

Social media is a venue to engage with our leaders, and fellow citizens to provide reforms or push an idea for positive change. I find fulfillment in being part of this change. The best part about being in social media is age is not a factor. It is the respectful exchange of ideas that matter the most. I know I may be opinionated and passionate at times …but you know, I agree to disagree.

With collective minds and shared visions, I know social media will continue to spread our message forming the viral wave pushing all the way to the long-tail shores.

Starting saturday, I will co-host a radio show and will talk of social media news rundown of the week. I won’t share the station yet because I have to see if I am any good in it.

Today, I will celebrate the lessons from the past, the future of social media and the love and warmth of friends and family. I will continue to enjoy the beauty of others and their connection to me. I will celebrate all that is in my life and all that is good.

““Grow old with me! The best is yet to be.” Robert Browning

Sex, How Often?

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I happened to stumble across this article, how often should you have sex? and find it too sensational. What does one expect in an Oprah show anyway?

According to Dr. Oz, how often should you have sex?

A) Once a week
B) Twice a week
C) 10 times a month
D) 200 times a year or more

The correct answer is D.

D) 200 times a year or more

“If you have more than 200 orgasms a year, you can reduce your physiologic age by six years,” Dr. Oz says. He bases the number on a study done at Duke University that surveyed people on the amount and quality of sex they had. “They looked at what happened to folks that are having a lot of intercourse over time, and the fact is, it correlated.”

Based on the recommendation by this bogus-looking doctor, the frequency should be around 200 times a year. That would be an average of 4 times a week. He contradicts his own question by saying that 200 orgasms can make you look younger. Orgasms does not equate number of times one has sex. Women are known to have multiple-orgasms. Anyway, I’m interested to see this Duke University study. As a researcher, I’d like to know the age group ,marital status and general health condition.

It’s not the sex frequency that can reduce physiologic age by so and so years. Healthy people with an active lifestyle are inclined to have more sex and hence physiologically “younger looking”. Unhealthy, lethargic or out-of-shape people are basically less attractive and will generally have less tendency towards sex and less desire to have it. It is very likely that persons who naturally want to have more sex are probably healthier in the first place. Looking younger is all about living a healthy lifestyle and attitude and maintaining a monagomous relationship. I agree that “having sex with someone that you care for deeply is one of the ways we achieve that Zen experience that we all crave as human beings,” and that “It’s really a spiritual event for folks when they’re with someone they love and they can consummate it with sexual activity … seems to offer some survival benefit.”

Then again, I believe that “someone that you care deeply” is that one love you want to spend the rest of your lives with .

Photo: “girls, girls, girls..” by , c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved

Timothy Bradley defeated Manny Pacquiao via split decision

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Timothy Bradley defeated Emmanuel ““Manny” Pacquiao via split decision to take Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight title at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas earlier today.

In a stunning upset, the judges scored 113-115, 115-113, 113-115 in favor of Bradley, who remains undefeated.
Updated: Pacquiao loses to Bradley via split decision

A postfight analysis showed that Pacquiao landed 253 punches out of 751 thrown (34 percent). Bradley landed 159 punches out of 839 thrown (19 percent).

Pacquiao connected with 190 power punches, whereas Bradley landed 108.

Bradley himself seemed unsure of his victory.

“I have to go back to the tape and see if I won the fight,” Bradley said after the announcement.

Pacquiao’s last loss was in 2005 to Erik Morales.

Fight commentary

Bradley started aggressive and took the first round, putting Pacquiao off balance. Pacquiao soon found his range with multiple jabs and started landing his left by the second round, punctuating it with a flurry by the end of the fourth to get Bradley on the ropes. By the fifth round, Pacquiao started pulling away, his punches hitting with more weight and precision compared to Bradley’s. The Filipino champion managed to brush off Bradley’s shots while Bradley struggled to take the Pacman’s heavy hits. Pacquiao was able to finish strong each round.

Bradley wasn’t afraid to exchange blows but he got the worse of the exchanges as Pacquiao’s power overwhelmed him. Seven rounds in, Pacquiao has managed to come out on top on each flurry. Bradley put Pacquiao on the ropes again in the eighth, landing an uppercut.

In the ninth round, Bradley was still waging through with jabs but they were not as snappy as they were was in the beginning. His short uppercuts did find their way to Pacquiao’s body. Manny landed a hard left again in the last exchange, staggering Bradley.

In the tenth, Bradley mixed it up with rights to the body then a straight left, switching stances momentarily. Pacquiao slowed down momentarily, and Bradley landed a right at the end of another exchange as the round finished.

The eleventh round was highlighted by a one-two counter inside by Bradley, who was still jabbing, bringing the fight to Pacquiao. Pacquiao still landed power shots with his left. Commentators noted that Bradley needed a miracle KO punch to win entering the final round.

In the final round, Bradley began with a combination of three jabs and landed a hard hook to Pacquiao’s body, trying to keep his distance in the last. Bradley appeared content with getting out of the match on his feet, dictating the distance.

via Pacquiao loses to Bradley via split decision

Source of photo: Manny Pacquiao (left) goes on the attack against Timothy Bradley during their fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night (AFP/File, Joe Klamar)

A YEAR AGO on MAY 8, 2011


Source: New York Times

Today being Mother’s day, my husband decided to watch the live fight at home using livestreaming. He didn’t want me to be home alone on Mother’s day especially since the kids are away from home. Sad to say, our internet connection was so bad that the fight kept missing important scenes like when Mosley got knocked down. He didn’t miss much since the fight was boring anyway.

Even New York Times said so:

As Pacquiao and Shane Mosley tapped gloves, made small talk and generally engaged in a glorified sparring session, the crowd, once rowdy, once standing, once into it, simply booed.

When it ended, Pacquiao (53-3-2), the winner by unanimous decision, hung his head in victory. He did not look happy. Neither did the crowd.

A trending topic in Twitter was Jinkee Pacquiao, wife of Manny. She certainly bloomed. Thanks to Belo ?


I think it is her estimated 7 million pesos earrings that is causing the trending in Twitter.

I can’t blame her for keeping herself beautiful. It’s good for take care of oneself, especially as mother to her four children and wife to Manny. Mommy Dionisia, his mother must be proud of her son’s victory and that his son did not sustain injuries.

So that’s how we spent our lunch today. It was certainly sweet of my husband to stay home just to be with me.

So how did others react to Pacman’s win?

When Kids Hear Their Parents having Sex

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parents having sex

Parents, are you sure your kids don’t hear you when you are having sex?

I came across my daughter’s forum a 12 years ago on “have you heard your parents having sex” and their thoughts on their parents having sex.

We learn a lot from our children. It never occurred to me that our kids think we have no sex life. Just because we have reached our 40’s doesn’t mean sex life is over. I found their candid answers quite helpful and amusing. Remember, these are teens’ opinions from all over the world.

The forum question was:

I have never heard my parents have sex, and I’m pretty sure they don’t anymore. What about the rest of you? Do you ever hear them?

The replies from my daughter’s online friends who were then in their teens:

1. No. hehe. But I think it’s sweet that parents still have that passion and affection for each other.

2. I think it’s horrid enough hearing them talk about it…

3. i don’t really want to imagine parents having sex. but i hope that when i reach their stage, i would still have sex. it sucks to have no sex life.

4. Oh Lordy… I have walked in on my dad and my mom…a few years later.. I walked in on my dad and my stepmom..and I’ve heard them many, many… MANY times. There should be a law or something..

5. I’ve heard them before, really shouldn’t sleep in the bedroom right beside theirs…

6. lol. well, i would be glad that they still have sex. it’s so good they’re so loving. but i really don’t want to think about it.

7. as their kids, there are some things we just don’t need to know! and it just seems perfectly fine when we do it, no?

8. we have double standards when it comes to sex.

9.Never heard them.
Never walked in on them.
Never want to.

I’d like to thank the people who made our walls as thick as they can be for having never experienced such a horrific thing. And I knew my parents were having sex because there’s a 12 year gap between me & my next sibling!

10. I walked in on my mom and dad…and I saw more than any child should. I have walked in on my mom and step-dad as well. Funny thing is…I’ve only walked in when they were making babies in the living room. I still have the scars. Oh, and I’ve heard them a few times to. So yeah, I know my parents are still “active”.

11. i hope i’ll still be living a life full of passion and romance at that age. i wouldn’t want to be all dried up like some grandmas.

12. No, my mother and father aren’t very affectionate. And my mother sleeps with my younger brother rather than my father. sheesh. I don’t want to witness the act, but they could at least treat each other like they’re actually a couple, no?

13. i don’t think my parents do it anymore either. but one time when i was younger, i swore i caught them one saturday morning because i just busted into their room to go sleep next to them.. but i think i’m blocking that memory into some dream i had or something, haha.

14. I used to hear them .. when I was little. Not anymore. On a popular radio station called K92.. well.. popular over here… They had a special called, “Grandparents Do IT To” it was halarious.

15. I ‘ve heard it. No big deal. Frankly I’m more disturbed when I don’t hear anything. My parents aren’t aliens and I like to be constantly reassured of that fact.

16. Yes I have it was embarrassing they obviously didn’t know I was home. It was horrible my mom was talking really dirty.

17. I’ve heard my dad and my stepmother but never my mom and stepfather. I was going downstairs in the middle of the night to get a magazine I had left and I over heard them and I just scurried upstairs before anything more happened that I didn’t want to see or hear. I laughed to myself though thinking… dad still has it going on… good for him! LOL

Besides, there will be pleny of payback when I bring my girlfriend/wife home for the holidays some time in the future.

18. Nope, never heard my parents doing it…. They probably do it when I’m not around.

Now it’s my turn to say my piece on this. First of all, I don’t think my kids have ever heard us having sex. Reply number 18 is more like it. Hehe. Second, the only encounter close to sex was when one of my daughters overheard her dad say to me “it’s been awhile since we ****” (that four letter word verb…shocking) . My daughter was on her way to my room at that time. I forgot my reply to my husband but I hope I wasn’t talking dirty. Not knowing she overheard her dad, I wondered why she pushed the door and tugged my hand , “Let’s now go to the salon”. Then at the salon, “mom it’s really traumatic to hear dad asking you to have sex”.

I just had to laugh “at least we are still loving to each other. Don’t you like that?”

My daughter pouted “it’s very disturbing. Sex is for young people”

I smiled “Sex is a loving expression for couples, young and old. Especially married couples. Just learn to be cautious when you approach the door to our room”

As a young child, I often wondered why my parents required us to knock at their door. Now I realized that they also had an active sex life.

Yes children (as I know I have young readers), your parents still have an active sex life. How active? It depends, of course. Just because we are reaching 40 or 50 does not exempt us from having a healthy sex life. And the older one gets the better it becomes.

I know “ewww.” *nods*

What have I learned from their replies?

1. Parents, it’s fine to espouse sex education to our kids, if you’re comfortable with the topic.

2. Sex education doesn’t mean talking about our sex life to them.

3. It’s alright to show affection to our spouse . At least our kids know we are loving to each other.

4. It’s not okay for our kids to hear us having sex. We have to learn to lock our doors or ensure thicker walls to our rooms, and other privacy measures as some kids can get shocked.

Photo via 10000besides.com

Shell FuelSave Mommy Savings Challenge

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Video: Thee mommy bloggers savings challenge held last May 16 at the Fort.

sign up and register at the Target One Million website: www.shell.com.ph/targetonemillion

I still recall my first car in 1980. It was a second hand red Mitsubishi Galant 1600 that my father sent over from Cebu to Manila . During those days, there was a fuel crisis. As a struggling employee, I needed to follow fuel saving tips. Some of the tips I learned about driving habits was: Drive smoothly ; Use higher gears and avoid over revving ; Conserve momentum and keep your distance ; Avoid excess idling ; Avoid high speeds ; Use air conditioning sparingly and keep windows closed.

I was pretty excited when Shell invited mom bloggers to participate in the Shell Fuel Save Mommy Savings challenge last May 16. Shell explained other tips to save on fuel such as vehicle maintenance and using the right fuel and lubricant. Fuel economy can be improved through a combination of good driving habits and using the right fuel. When combined with the Shell FuelSave Tips, Shell fuels with Fuel Economy Formula (such as Shell FuelSave) can help reduce consumption and fuel costs by helping you get more out of every tank.

Another fuel saving tip is planning the journey. As moms, we know this all too well. We are school buses to our kids. Shopping or grocery needs are mostly done by mothers. The Mommy Savings Challenge piqued my curiosity. Our task : Each team is tasked to prepare for a birthday party good for 10 kids aged 8 years old. Oh no, the last birthday party I did was over 18 years ago. The last party I did was Lauren’s debut party. I was in Team D together with Carrine Emata.

Each team drove a frugal 1.6L A/T Ford Fiesta Sport Hatchback known for its fuel efficiency. Ford recommends a fuel with 93 RON such as Shell FuelSave Unleaded for the Fiesta.

It is important to plan the journey because the winner will be judged on value for money (25%), creativity (25%) , fuel economy (40%) and time (10%). Our shopping list included : party favors and materials for the games decorations, food and birthday cake for a budget of 3,000 pesos. The items must be bought from three pre-identified areas : Bonifacio High Street, Rockwell and Greenbelt. The teams decided where each item will be bought as long as all three locations are covered. I misinterpreted the last instruction. I thought we had to buy all items in all three locations.

Carrine drove the car while I navigated the road and planned our birthday party. I kept calling my 26 year old daughter on what kind of party to hold. We decided on BFF party all in pink and purple. We also planned on the shortest route possible and places to buy affordable party items. With 3,000 pesos, it could be quite a challenge to buy in high end shopping areas. We bought the birthday cake at Fortune bakeshop at Greenbelt 1 for less than 500 pesos. In National Bookstore in Greenbelt 1, we bought games, and some party favors. For food, it was Jollibee while we bought party supplies at the Powerplant Rustans’ supermarket. For our last stop, I told Carrine to wait for me while I bought a game prize at fully booked. I think we spent 2,800 pesos for a birthday party of 10 kids.

Too bad, our Team D was the last to arrive. Yes, we thought we should buy our stuff in all three shopping areas. Oh well, I presented our party theme, “BFF forever”, a sit-down birthday party where the games are all done on the table. Our birthday party theme is pretty in pink and purple. I jokingly said ” This is the 8th birthday party of my menopausal baby” which drew laughs from the audience.

Chats and Cooky came in third.

Michelle and Rowena came in second.

And the young mom bloggers are the winner. Well that’s okay. For our effort, I got a full tank as our consolation prize.

Our team got the shortest route but not necessarily fuel efficient since we traversed traffic areas.

Lessons learned from the “Shell FuelSave Mommy Savings Challenge” is planning the journey:

Plan trips carefully and avoid the rush hour – Cutting down on the time spent in the car is the easiest way to conserve fuel. To reduce driving time, combine all your short trips and errands into a single journey. Plus, if you can travel outside of peak times, you’ll spend less time stuck in traffic and consume less fuel as a result.

Avoid carrying excess weight – You may be surprised, but every extra pound or kilogram matters and affects your fuel efficiency. So keep your boot and back seat clear of unnecessary items that just add weight to your vehicle (e.g. golf clubs).

Take the roof rack off – If you’re not using your roof rack then remove it. They affect the aerodynamic efficiency of your vehicle and create drag, reducing fuel economy.

Shell launched the Target One Million, a Shell FuelSave campaign to help one million motorists across the globe learn how to save fuel. Please sign up and Target One Million website at www.shell.com.ph/targetonemillion.

More tips:

Source: nimrodel.net via Noemi on Pinterest

Grief gives back

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It has been a while. In my dreams, I wept that it woke me up still in tears. I forgot my dream now but I remember Luijoe, my beloved son was in it. Then it occurred to me, today is his 12th Angel year. It has been 12 long years. Imagine, I lived through those years. When my grief was so fresh, the wound was so deep , my heart so broken , I felt I fell into the deepest virtual pit in my mind.

It took me nearly five years before I emerged from that deep dark, cold pit . But now, when something triggers the memory of my son enough to make me cry, I find it comforting. It tells me that time is a measureless dimension in which my son and I are always part of each other.

Indeed, death took away my beloved son. That’s all there is to it. But grief gives back. Looking back at the past 12 years , I was not simply eroded by pain. I became more attuned to my emotions.. more aware, more compassionate, and more able to help others.

Grief is powerful alchemy. It plunges us into sorrow and forces us to face the finiteness of life, the mightiness of death, and the meaning of our existence on this earth. It does more than enable us to change; it demands it.

The way we change is up to you, and it is possible to be forever bowed by grief. But it is also possible to be enlarged, to find new direction, and to allow the memory of the beloved person we have lost to live on within us, not as a monument to misery but as a source of strength, love, and inspiration. By acting on our grief, we can eventually find ourselves a place of peace and purposefulness.

It is my belief that all grievers, no matter how intense their pain, no matter how rough the terrain across which they must travel…can eventually find that place within their hearts.

Today, I am very much aware Luijoe lives in my heart

Our souls entwined

communicating everyday.

Everything I had with Luijoe when he was alive still lives in me. He lives in every word and action I do for the rest of my life.

Celebrating love , life and experience at the Lady Gaga Born This Way Ball

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““It’s not about the music, but about being yourself!” – Lady Gaga

Celebrating love, life and experience in the midst of protest against Lady Gaga concert.

“Tonight is all about togetherness. In our differences, we are all the same.”- Lady Gaga

I half-expected her to show up in a semi-naked attire or something but more than 50 percent of the time , she was in a long dress or short skirt. In fact, I spotted two attires that were Filipiniana-inspired because of the sleeves. This Filipiana in yellow color makes her want to be one with the Filipinos.

The most controversial among her songs is “Judas” but she explained it this way.

““Judas is a metaphor and an analogy about forgiveness and betrayal, and things that haunt you in your life, and how I believe that it’s the darkness in your life that ultimately shines and illuminates the greater light that you have upon you.”

I read the lyrics and they are indeed provocative but you have to read it deeper to understand the metaphors. I don’t believe it is anti-Christian. Here are some photos I took last night with some of her quotable quotes:

“Some people say I stand for things that are bad, the truth is, I want the best for every single one of you” -Lady Gaga

Jane and I carpooled together and arrived at SM Arena at about 7:00 PM. Strangely there was no traffic on the way there . No hassle at all.

I actually expected the worst from Lady Gaga considering how the protesters trashed her but she was fun, entertaining that I even danced, and jumped around. I can also see the expression in her face as she sang the songs with slower tempo.

The set reminds me of a Cathedral-Palace with Crosses all around.

Before she sang Judas she called out “I am not an alien. I am not a woman. I am not a man. I am not a creature of your government, Manila”

Mother Monster says, “I want the best for you. I love all of you guys!

Singing and playing the piano in a motorbike with the Philippine flag at the back is the most provocative of all.

Spreading her legs brought cheers from the crowd. I didn’t hear any lewd remarks.

Then @ladygaga asks “I hope you guys are having fun tonight.” *crowd cheers* “But if you’re not, I don’t give a fuck.” *even louder cheers*

Listening to “Judas” didn’t turn me to a demon as much as Listening to “Ave Maria” will make me a saint.


“You guys taught me to never give up on myself.” Lady Gaga chimes in as she begins Marry the Night.

So what was that fuss all about? I never had so much fun in a concert that would make me dance along with the music. For the first time in my life, I didn’t suffer ear problems or my heart beating like crazy because of the loud amplifier .

Lady Gaga is an artist and music is her way of expressing it. What seems anti-Christian is not what Christians think it is. I admit it is provocative and full of metaphors. If you are a parent of young kids or teens, it is important to discuss the metaphors Lady Gaga use (or similar artists) and the music lyrics. As @jingdalagan , a Twitter follower told me ” any person has a sense of right and wrong, even children – it’s just that if they don’t understand something, you need to be there to explain things to them. and as parents, we need to explain to them the things they see, Lady Gaga included.”

It is a fact that there are some who have problems with their faith. Each of us protest something be it the Lady Gaga concert, some religious doctrines, the government or our family . She admits she is a rebel and and it shows in her music. It is how you use that protest for something good. As Adolfo Mortera , a facebook friend adds ” The anti-Lady Gaga sentiment to me is a fad, for people who ride on causes they know little about. I like best what writer Ben Lumbera said, that Lady Gaga songs are her own cultural belief which she should be allowed to express freely. If one doesn’t like her and her songs, then don’t listen to it.”

She sheds tears as she played the piano . “You guys taught me to never give up on myself.”

Find ways to celebrate your life, love and experience.

Here are some reactions of the crowd. They had as much fun as I had

Bullying in Philippine Schools

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Updated May 17 , 2012– I recently appeared on Talkback with Tina Palma on Bullying. This is my updated post on Bullying in Philippine Schools and added the latest Department of Education policy on bullying.

This is a guest post by my daughter, Lauren. I’ve always wanted to tackle the topic of bullying for a long time now since I was so problematic about it during Lauren’s early years at school. The harrowing effects of bullying are best illustrated by the victim. In this case, Lauren tells her story.


Photo Credit: kidsgoals.com

I attended a private, all-girl schools from elementary up until high school and I can tell you – those were far from the best years of my life. I don’t know if it’s really in my nature to be shy and socially awkward or if my experiences in school turned me into that kind of person. One thing I do know is that a lot of the insecurities I have about myself is rooted in the fact that I got bullied a lot during my early elementary school years.

I can never forget my first bully. Her name is Kathleen and her family owned the school bus service I rode to school and back during my elementary years. We were both in grade one and for some strange reason, she took an instant dislike to me. I have no idea why – I’ve always been a quiet sort of kid who always stood out of other people’s way and I can’t remember doing or saying anything that would make her hate me. But hate me she did. She never beat me up or anything – oh no, girls are way more subtle and cruel than that. She had her own circle of friends and was somehow able to convince them to hate me as well, Going to school every morning and coming home in the late afternoon was a ritual I always dreaded. I got stuck in the worst seat, never got snacks passed my way, and pretty much had to beg the other girls to let me join their games whenever we’d get stuck in traffic.

There were many others after Kathleen – the girls who made fun of me for spending my lunch hours reading in the library, the girls who decided that I had a crush on this other girl and humiliated me about it every chance they got, even a teacher who spent an entire homeroom period picking on me because I got bored one day and felt like passing a survey in class asking if anyone else hates math as much as I do. I’m pretty sure there was more but I must have buried those memories in my subconscious somewhere. I do know that my grades went down drastically, I took to daydreaming and paying little or no attention in class, and wrote my mom a lot of notes about the “terrable days” I would have in school.


One of the many notes Lauren would write me from school.

Things didn’t get any better for me when I attended high school. I moved to a different school and made the mistake of speaking to my new classmates in English on the first day. For that reason, or whatever other reason, they decided I was weird and I spent the next four years trying and failing to fit in.

I know that my experiences as a bully victim don’t sound particularly traumatizing, but you don’t have to get beat up in the playground to develop emotional scars that stay with you for the rest of your life – especially when the damage is psychological, which is what female bullying is about. Think about it. You’re a little kid, and all you really want is to make friends with the kids you go to school with everyday. Then you find out that not only do your schoolmates reject your attempts at friendship – they also make fun of the most trivial things about you, like the way you speak. You start to wonder if maybe there’s something seriously wrong with you because nobody can seem to like you for the way you are. You start hating yourself and constantly doubting your abilities, and you find it difficult to open up to people and form deep friendships with anyone.

The sad part is that guidance counselors, teachers, and even some parents don’t think much of bullying. They pass it off as play, or maybe an early life lesson: the world can be a terrible place filled with people who will treat you with undeserved cruelty. I do understand that kids have to grow up and learn that hard lesson someday, but I think anyone under the age of ten is too young to deal with that much reality. At that age, it’s important for children to learn to accept or at least respect people for exactly who they are instead of making fun of their differences. What kind of lesson will be passed on to them if their elders shrug off bullying as something totally normal?

Notes from the Mother

No parent wants to see their child get hurt. But according to a recent US study, 77% of students are being bullied mentally, verbally, or physically by their peers. Filipino children are equally exposed to bullying, and are even more at risk since Filipino parents often mistake bullying as a painful, yet necessary, rite of passage. Children who are either bullied or bullies themselves—are suffering from deep emotional scars. Aside from being withdrawn and depressed, victimized children are more likely to drop out of school, take up vices, and get into fights.

Thank goodness, Lauren didn’t drop out of school. The effect on her was mediocre academic performance. I could see the drastic drop starting third grade till I pulled her out of that school in Grade 6. Though intelligent, she was not motivated enough to score high in her tests until she attended college. Only then did Lauren blossom, away from the ravages of shallow high school classmates and their bullying antics.

During her elementary years, I was helpless against the bullying that victimized my sweet and gentle daughter in her School. I talked to the school’s guidance counselor and all she could tell me is that “Lauren had to learn to live with these bullies”. Moving schools was an option but where? Anti-bullying campaign in Philippine Schools was not yet in place in the mid-nineties and even today.

Good news to parents. Be aware . There is now a Department of Education policy to protect children from bullying. A Child Protection Committee (CPC) will be established in all private and public elementary and secondary schools. The committee will be composed of school officials, teachers, parents, students, and a community representative.

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