Chasing Daylight

Going home with a basket of treats. That's Aidan Diaz in the picture - son of my boss, Anton. He was among the many kids who visited us for a small trick or treat celebrations at the office.

Toothbrushes from Ate Micey! These kids got zero candies from Michelle, but they got something that they could use after eating all those candies given by other people.

"Hello security? There's a zombie here." Lester has yet a phonecall to finish, but the kids are all excited seeing those bunch of candies beside his laptop.

Forgetting all the reports and proposals. Jillian and Anj forgot work for a while when they got busy talking, sharing, and playing with the kids. What a halloween escape.


Honestly, i was also very happy at the sight of these kids in the office. Ffor the past years, I've always been in my hometown in Quezon to celebrate the halloween with my loved ones. Now, I planned to go home to be with them again and to rest - work really has been tough lately. But I cancelled on the last minute. Work simply won't let me go home yet. but these kids made me realize that there's a lot more to enjoy than work.

To Aidan and the rest of the other kids, happy halloween and thanks for visiting! Enjoy your treats!

Labels: Celebrations, Procter and Gamble

From participant to speaker. A long time ago, I used to be a participant on seminars like this. Now, years after, I'm being challenged to share my learnings to the new generation. Bring it on.


Alongside the students and some faculty, respected people from the Dep. Ed. Private Schools Services of Manila graced the event. Present were Mr. Ponciano A. Menguito, the assistant superintendent and Mr. Efren Dieta (who used to be my scout master way back in my high school days). Mrs. Ofelia Mampusti and Mr. Juanito De Vivar, presidents of APSSAM and MAPESA respectively, were also there.

Students from the different private schools of Manila traveled their ways to Paco Catholic School. Some of the schools that participated were St. Joseph School, Holy Child, Philippine Academy of Sakya, Phil. Christian Day, Malate Catholic School, St. Pius X Parochial School, Paco Catholic School, St. Jude Catholic School, Philippine Tiongse Academy, Bethel, etc. There were more, I just can't seem to remember all of them. All in all, there were around 80 participants (from approximately 20 schools).

It's really a privilege for me to be talking to these generation of leaders. Young as they are, their eyes are already gleaming with intelligence and enthusiasm, and are quite excited to show the world what they got. They enjoy getting in touch with their selves, meeting new people, learning new ideas and engaging into activities. their values are also commendable, which were highlighted during one of our workshop activities. I hope and pray that these values and enthusiasm may stick with them and remain pure through their years. I know, it is in young people like them that we could rely the hopes of our communities and our country.

Welcome remarks. Mr Juanito De Vivar, serving both as MAPESA president and principal of Paco Catholic School - Grade School Department, welcomes the students, participants, and guests to the APSSAM-MAPESA Leadership Training 2006.

Listening exercises. Students are going through an exercise in listening - one important skill when they do mentoring. I told them each of us has two ears and one mouth; therefore we must listen twice as much as we talk.

Youth synergy. It's very fascinating how these students manage to work and talk well with each other given the fact that it was their first time to meet the guys from other schools.

One is too small a number to achieve greatness. The students will then go back to their respective schools carrying with them the learnings that they got and is looking forward to sharing them with their schoolmates. Shown above are the students from Malate Catholic School.

With the leaders of tomorrow. I don't know if I'll see these kids again; but they will always be in my prayers - for future's and for our country's sake.


* APSSAM stands for Association of Private Secondary School Administrators of Manila
* MAPESA stands for Manila Association of Private Elementary School Administrators

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Labels: Ministry

Labinlimang Hangad. Hangad turns 15! Let us join them in their anniversary concert tomorrow!


Let us join them as they celebrate and give thanks for 15 years of blessings in their anniversary concert, "Labinlimang Hangad", at 7:30 pm (following the 6 pm anticipated mass) on October 21, 2006, at the Greenbelt Chapel in Ayala Center, Makati City.

They will be performing some of their most loved songs from over the years, as well as some new ones including tracks from their soon-to-be-released yuletide offering, A Wish For Christmas. Admission is free, so bring your family and friends!

For more information, visit their site or e-mail them through mail@hangad.com.

See you there!

Labels: Events

The Olay Ambassadors! These five beauties have joined together again to grace the launch of the Olay Skin Discovery Weekend. (l-r) Dermatologist Pie Calayan, Entrepreneur Ines Delgado, Journalist Daphne Oseña-Paez, Beauty Queen Miriam Quiambao, and Theater Actress Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo.


A stylish ribbon cutting ceremony formally launched the event last Friday, October 13. The five Olay Ambassadors graced the event, so are the executives from Procter & Gamble, SM, and Watson's. There were a lot of media and press personnel too. Truly, Olay is already the talk of the town.

Overall, the whole event was a success. A lot of people came marching to SM Makati, both men and women alike, intending to get up close and personal with their skin. I was there almost whole day Friday and our intended 8 pm closing just can't be possible - a lot of people would like to get their consultations there and then that we closed by 10 pm. Issa and I was there again saturday, Issa would like to try herself with the dermatologist (she's done with the B.I.S. from weeks ago). However, she have to pass because there were still 11 people waiting in line. Ü

I'm sure a lot of people enjoyed the Olay Skin Discovery Weekend, and so did we. Thank you for all the people and all my friends who came to the event. Congratulations to all who won fashion capital trips. I think Micey's friend won a Hongkong trip - cheers to you!

Here are some pictures from the Olay Skin Discovery Weekend:

Ready to launch. To formally open the Olay Skin Discovery Weekend, representatives from P&G and Watson's together with the Olay Ambassadors did the ribbon-cutting tradition.

Stage is set. After the celebrities and media have left, people started to congest the Olay Skin Discovery weekend area. Come one, come all!

And my skin age is? A lot of people are waiting for their turn at the Beauty Imaging System. That guy is surely excited to see his results.

One on one. The lady in green is getting her share of diagnosis and advices from one of the Olay Dermatologists.

The Olay Skin Discovery Weekend. Again, kudos to the men and women of Olay Philippines for making this possible. Ü


For those who would like to get their skin analysis through the beauty imaging system, just drop by SM Makati. The B.I.S. is waiting for you at the Olay Counter at the ground level of the SM Department Store. Let me know of your results! Ü

Labels: Events, Procter and Gamble

Beautifying the other time of the day. I know, Manila Bay has been known for its magnificent sunsets. But one must notice likewise, that Manila Bay offers fantastic sunrises too.


I really love jogging at baywalk during Sunday mornings. It brings back a lot of childhood memories, 'cause ever since I was a child my dad and my mom would always bring me here for an early jog. We still do everytime we could get the time when Dad's around, though it's not as often as we used to. Manila Bay is a great place for families, friends, and couples. Kudos to Manila mayor Lito Atienza for renovating the Baywalk shoreline a couple of years ago and preventing its extinction. Baywalk is also one of the few spots in the metro where you could go for a run with minimal pollution - sea breeze still make a difference.

I arrived yesterday at Baywalk around 05.15 AM. I usually start at the P. Faura point, where I warm myself up with a couple of static exercises and then jog all the way up to the CCP Complex. Typically, it is a must for me that I mustn't stop until I reach CCP; however yesterday morning I did one short stop halfway my route. I got exhausted - I haven't done this for months. When I reached CCP, I rested a bit, and then made ten laps along the CCP Facade. Sipped some coffee at figaro, walked my way to the Manila Film Center, and jogged my way back to Roxas Boulevard corner Pedro Gil. I did some occasional stopovers to cover some pictures.

For those who would want to spend some weekend mornings at Baywalk/CCP complex, here are ten things you could do to make the most of the experience:

1. Check in at a nearby hotel. This goes for those people who have some money to spare. Pamper yourself at any nearby hotel during the weekend. This will also save you the trouble of waking so early as 4 or 5 AM during your "jog morning". Shown above is the Traders' Hotel (center) - I checked in here when I got my first paycheck last January 2006. It's managed by Shangri-la and their Club Traders rooms will surely beat your expectations.

2. Start jogging at P. Faura. It's the farthest point of Baywalk to the north. Jog all the way south to CCP to burn a whole shoreline's length of calories. (or you could do a CCP to P. Faura route, depends on where you're coming from)

3. Do laps at the CCP facade. The driveway is pretty steep, and that means more challenging runs and more fats burning. Yes, it's open for joggers during mornings. Ü

4. Rent a bike and pedal away. There are lots of rent-a-bike's inside the CCP complex. This is advisable for those with kids. Also for Lance Armstrong fanatics.

5. Get a buco. For a cheap amount, you can get yourself a good buco (coconut). Drink the juice, eat the white fruit. Cleans your body way better than techron. Ü

6. Ride a calesa. If you don't know how to make it to Chinatown, then Baywalk is an alternative to experiencing old Manila. These calesas can be found in front of the Liwasang Rajah Sulayman, near the Aristocrat restaurant.

7. Do your aerobics. Choose from different aerobics/aerodance groups found at the CCP complex and put your groove on! To the left, to the right! Raise your hands in the air, and kick!

8. Engage in a racket sport. Choose from badminton or tennis. And don't worry about forgetting your rackets at home - there are also a lot of rent-a-racket's inside the complex. Only setback: it's asphalt everywhere. Forget about those dive saves.

9. Watch the dragon boat races. Dragon boat racing is a sport that is slowly blooming in the Philippines. Races are held every Sunday morning. Aside from the mostly company-sponsored teams, collegiates are starting to join the dragon boat bandwagon. De la salle, Santo Tomas, and the University of the Philippines already have established their teams and participate in these races.

10. Attend the mass. These are for Catholics and Non-catholics alike; everyone is very much welcome to the holy sacrifice of the mass. Shown above is the Malate church, just a block away from Baywalk. Nothing beats a Sunday morning started by participating in the Holy Eucharist. Ü


So next sunday, bring your family and friends to Baywalk and allow yourself for some surprises. if you can add up a number 11 on my list, let me know! Ü

Labels: Discover Philippines, Travel

The asian secret of Rustan's. I never knew that a fine restaurant can be found right inside Rustan's Department Store.

East cafe is a Japanese restaurant situated at the third level of Rustan's makati. Anna chose this place; this is her favorite venue for lunch meetings and sometimes, even for plain lunch. True enough, it was an ideal place for fine dining and quiet talk. think of it as saisaki minus the eat-all-you-can feature and the noise of binge-eating people. Who needs the eat-all-you-can feature when they can serve you just the exact amount of food you need at fair prices. And their fruit shakes? They taste magnificent.

I have to commend the people of East Cafe too. At first you might think the restaurant is over-staffed but how about at least one person always ready to attend to any of your concerns? Their service is truly Japanese - quick, polite, and readily available.

Ebi Tempura. My ever-favorite Japanese main course. One serving contains six pieces of shrimps in tasty breading. Yum.

Steamed fish. I could forget my meat-loaded diet through East Cafe's awesome seafood menu. Ü

Labels: Dining

The Olay Skin Discovery Weekend. This is one event you surely wouldn't want to miss.


Discover your skin's real age and health from Cctober 13-15, 2006 (Friday to Sunday) at the SM Makati Department Store.

Get free dermatologist consultations, free skin analysis through the Olay Beauty Imaging System, and free gifts with a minimum purchase.

Still thinking about it? Think no more because you can get a chance to win a trip to one of the three fashion capitals where Olay is the number one moisturizer - London, New York, or Hongkong! Winners every day, every hour, on the hour!

So what are you waiting for? Troop over to the olay discovery weekend and discover where skin amazement begins...

Let me know should you have questions about the Olay Beauty Imaging System and/or the Olay Skin Discovery Weekend. I'll be more than willing to keep you up-to-date.

See you all at SM Makati this weekend! Love the skin you're in. Don't miss it.

Labels: Events, Procter and Gamble

Sleeping Esmeralda. She must have gotten tired from our trip from the store back to our house. Rest well, little one. Welcome to your new home.

Sleeping Gaston. Gaston, lazily sleeping at their toy wheel. He'll be surprised when he wakes up; there's company! :)


Bioresearch, my source for all my hamster needs, is located at the ground level of Glorietta 2, near Goldcrest. They have several branches all over the metro. Check them out for pets and logistics - they have it all from dogs to birds to hamsters to fishes, etc.

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Labels: Lifestyle

Iñigo Jose officially becomes part of God's family. Angels are surely singing in joy and praise as he now partakes in the threefold mission of Christ.

Earlier today, I vowed to be the secondary parent of yet another addition to God's family - Iñigo Jose. Iñigo is Kuya Aldrin's (my mentor) and Ate Ruby's newborn son. And for the third time in ten months, I was in Kawilihan, Pasig City.

This morning, Mom and I fetched Ate Gina near La Salle and off we went to Kuya Aldrin's place in Pasig. Mom and Ate G chose to stay in their house as we went to the church for the rites. Kuya aldrin is now an official pañero of mine; so is Kuya Ennan.

Brix was also there, and was the official photographer for Iñigo. Brix is also celebrating his 21st birthday today.

Ninong Ryx and Tito Brix. Happy birthday to my fellow topbrass cofacilitator and best bud, Mr. Bryan Aquino!

The Holy Family. Kuya Aldrin and Ate Ruby are obviously very happy as Iñigo joins the faith.

Labels: Celebrations