The Suit

Before I left my former company, Ate Kae gave me a parting gift: her beautiful two-piece beige suit. Tucked inside was a note—simple, but deeply meaningful. She told me to wear it when I achieve my dreams.

She shared that she had once reserved it for a special occasion of her own, but chose to pass it on instead. Perhaps she saw how determined I was to keep growing, to keep going. Or maybe she believed I could give that suit the stage it had long been waiting for.

Over time, I’ve worn the pieces separately, on a few occasions. But never together—until recently. Somehow, it never felt like the right moment. Like Ate Kae, I, too, wanted to save it for something significant: a milestone, a ceremony, a recognition that quietly says, "you’ve made it."

But life doesn’t always unfold in clear milestones. More often, I’ve found myself in between—closing chapters, stepping into new ones, constantly in motion.

These days though, I find myself dressed less in structured pieces and more in movement—sportswear, dancewear, heck even swimwear—answering the sound of the music or the call of the sea, testing not just my strength, but my ability to stay in flow in every sense of the word.

Because the truth is, many of us—especially women—are holding multiple roles all at once. Daughter. Lifelong learner. Caregiver. Entrepreneur. Leader. Each role drops into our lives like coins into a piggy bank, quietly shaping how we measure our worth.

Then there’s the other side of the coin: friend, woman, lover, partner, wife, mother, matriarch. Identities we carry, nurture, and sometimes struggle to balance.

And just when we begin to find our footing, life intervenes. People come and go. Health shifts. Hearts break. Systems change. Crises unfold. Loss arrives unannounced. Even death reminds us—nothing is guaranteed.

Life is fleeting. The roles we hold so tightly today may one day fall away just as quickly as they came.

So I wonder: will there come a time when I no longer wear a suit like this? When it no longer fits—not just my body, but the life I’ve chosen? After all, our bodies change. Our paths evolve. What once symbolized arrival may later feel like something we’ve outgrown.

And maybe that’s the point.

Fulfillment isn’t always found in waiting for the “right” moment. Sometimes, it lives in choosing—again and again—the paths that resonate most deeply with who we are now, and having the courage and commitment to see them through.

Whatever future we shape, may it bring us happiness, peace, and purpose. May it leave the world gentler than we found it.

So wear the suit. Re-imagine how it should look. Or begin again.

But whatever you do—let yourself shine.

Challenge the status quo. Break the barriers placed before you.

Bet on yourself.

Our nature as women—both tender and powerful—is not something to diminish or give away. It is ours to claim, to honor, and to carry forward.

And that, in itself, is more than enough.

#March #InternationalWomenMonth #EndofSTA #LessonstoLive

Fun beneath the (hidden) sun

After the Sagada, Manila and Baguio trip (which I will probably post a more extensive article later on), I took another leave from work to join fellow formators for some bonding time. I wasn’t suppose to join the office outing but because I’m one of those people who appeared to be free at the moment, I went with another colleague despite of all the work I was suppose to catch up. As it turns out, the party-but-sometimes-introvert girl me actually had fun. The food was great, the place was large and spacious, with the interior design of the halls and sleeping quarters beautifully decorated with wooden furniture and interesting ornaments. The pool and the gardens were wide enough to swim in and explore respectively. 

"Dakula na?"

My Kokology books also proved to be useful in this place, as the girls bonded with each other in discovering the hidden meanings of choices that reveal our deepest and perhaps naughtiest secrets. The conversations vary from the cheesiest love story to human sexuality and further studies. Tempting indeed. =)

Fun! Fun! Fun! Now back to work!

When you seek inspiration, look to Japan

Since stress is on its way again with all the leadership and skills development workshops we have to conduct this March and May, I have been dying to put something in my table to pleasantly distract me or anyone coming up in my desk. Who would be happy to see all the files stacked one after another? So, giving the office and my little space some "feminine touch," I bought this:

Cherry blossoms. Kawaii! =)

I guess has become quite common in malls to see this branching out of bags or window displays, but as I am evidently a fan of anything Japanese, our office gets this little cherry treatment. Maybe I'll buys some green stalks and natural-looking orchids next time. Don't want to make real plants suffer from neglect. 

Year-End Highlights

COUNTDOWN TO 2011. In an orderly fashion, here are some highlights for the year 201. No bitterness or sadness; just a lot of BIG surprises. 0_o

JANUARY

The much-needed peace came to me in 2009, so for 2010, I prayed for balance – which I incidentally read in the book/movie eat pray love months later. Another resolve for that year was to restore things that were lost. That included the bubbly, wacko and ambitious me. No point wallowing in self-pity when one's got a lot of other things to live for, right?

January 22 – I don't keep track of famous people I meet but still, meeting CNN Hero Efren Penaflorida is pretty cool. With him was also the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Chief Byron Garcia who posted the popular viral video of the dancing Cebu Inmates online. Just like when I stared (more like drooled) at Chris Tiu from afar last year when he came to AdNU, I was at loss for words to initiate even small talk with these people.

FEBRUARY

February 20 – the beginning of a series of celebration to mark the 70^th Foundation of Ateneo de Naga University was marked by a concert with performances from the Ateneo University Band, University Choir and a foreign violinist.

MARCH

The first A-WILL on Missioning-Visioning. Fairly easier to conduct than the usual A-WILL which usually required the student leaders to stay overnight but gruesome preparations were still needed. Topics included were creating/realigning the mission, vision, goals and objectives of the organization and managing and evaluating activities. A lot of people may not fully appreciate needs such as an articulated mission-vision, but having these can give the members a sense of order and purpose; a foundation for conceptualizing activities and measuring whether the org is accomplishing anything it was intended for.

Of course, in order to harness these skills one needs to practice, practice, practice. Makes me proud of being orderly and critical when it comes to details…at least, for most of the time. >=)

March 9 – Mariano Reis Baesa (+)

APRIL

April 5-9 – Five-day Silent Individually-directed Retreat @ Sacred Heart Novitiate, Quezon City. Hit the play button for the song No Sound but the Wind by Editors here…

April 13-17 FSSO GGA: Culion, Palawan! If last year's group growth activity offered us the chance to go snorkeling for corals in the islands of Caramoan, the formation offices now headed southwest of the country to the place once called the "Land of the Living Dead". Formerly the Leprosy Center of the Philippines since the Spanish Period, this place is now a promising [eco] tourist destination, if you don't mind traveling first on land, air and water. 

Places to stay: Isla Culion Hotel Maya

Sights to See:

View from Kayangan Lake

Crib in the Leprosarium Museum

• 17^th century church where a Jesuit beloved to the locals is buried inside
• Loyola College of Culion
• The Leprosarium Museum of Culion built in the early 1900s
• San Ignacio Farm
•  Pulang Lup
• Agila Hike
• Kayangan Lake
• Twin Peak
•  and many more!

MAY

May 10 – the First Automated Election in the Philippines wherein Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III won.  

May 18-23 – Summer A-WILL: Beyond Borders.

(A four-day workshop-seminar BUT NOW WITH a two-day immersion in the community)

With my first boss leaving, the vacated position split into two and two new bosses appointed to the directorship, this was an even greater challenge than last year's Summer A-WILL (back then, I had less than a month to prepare since I took the job in mid-April and the seminar-workshop was scheduled on the latter half of May). But by some luck and with staff and students willing enough to extend their time and efforts to become community workers for at least two days, the seminar-workshop was a success.

A memory of this activity I shall never forget: crossing a dark watermelon field at night with some student volunteers and barangay officials just to make sure the student leaders scattered all over a barangay in Calabanga were fine in their foster homes. Don't tell mom I did that. ;)

JUNE

June 5 – Soundtrek: The Platinum Edition! Tapped the student organizations to conduct their Income Generating Projects while the music played and the crowd swayed. No head banging and no Foundation Anniversary Ball for our office, though. =p

June 19 – Tree planting at the Forest of Hope @ Pacol, Naga City. Out of the five seedlings I planted, who will survive?

June 30 – Inauguration of P-Noy.

JULY

July 19 – SONA Conversations with Live Viewing of P-Noy's SONA. Maybe a coffee-table discussion after the talk to keep the audience in their seats next time? More interesting and interactive but I wonder if it would work…

July 23 – National Voluntary Blood Services Program – Bicol Medical Center Blood Program Network: Zonal Recognition and Fellowship Night at Starmark Royale

Three things I've learned so far: 1) Invest in formal attire 2) Do not bring a jacket 3) Condition yourself bring only a purse and survive with what fits in it.

July 31 – 200 bleed and become Dugong Atenista Blood Donors!

AUGUST

August 13 – Dugong Atenista Processing Session: Tribute to Blood Donors. It is always a challenge to attract people to come to an event, more so when we are talking about getting shy students to talk to strangers and in crowds about their feelings, thoughts and insights. What else can we do? Rename the activity, emphasize the needs and benefits of donating blood and invite regular blood donors from the student body, faculty, staff and administration to share their personal experiences and reflections.

August 30-31 – yPeace at Hyatt Hotel, Manila

Sponsored by the Public Office Section of the US Embassy, yPeace or YouthAID gathers youth leaders from different institutions, government and non-government organizations to talk about religious pluralism and create civic action interfaith programs in their respective communities.

Side Trips: AdMU, MOA

SEPTEMBER

Bicol celebrates its 300 Years of Devotion to Ina (Our Lady of Penafrancia)

September 11 – the most beautiful voices are heard again as the Philippine Madrigal Singers return to serenades us once more…

September 9-10 BACS: Dolot ki Ina 2010 in AdNU.

OCTOBER

September 30-October 1 – Enneagram Retreat. Dos-Siete!

October 26-28 – Characteristics of Jesuit Education (with Sir Rosendo Badilla, Gregorio Abonal and Fr. Alberto Alejo, S.J. as our speakers)

NOVEMBER

November 6-7 – OSA GGA: Calaguas Island, Camarines Norte.

Riding a smaller boat compared to the ones we rode in Palawan and Caramoan actually makes a huge difference in experiencing the force of the waves. Challenges include testing our survival skills in tent making, cooking corned beef in an hour, literary eating sand in sandwich, and posing like the castaways of "Lost."

I think I'll never get tired of going to the beach. The wide horizon beyond tells you what a wide world it is.

November 30 – 227 Blood Donors for Dugong Atenista!

DECEMBER

December 16-17 – Teacher-Counselor Training 2.

Needs to get a hang of Solution-focused therapy/approach to cure me from my obsolete in-depth study counseling technique.

Partey-Partey!

December 19 – AdNU Institutional Christmas Party: El Ultimo with Primo @ The Tent, Avenue Square

December 15 – OSA Christmas Party @ Bob Marlin

December 28

·         Psychology Batch 2009 Get together @ Molino

·         Peer Counselors Reunion @ Music Box

I'm pretty sure I missed a lot of important events that ought to be included in the list, but over-all 2010 was very enriching in experience. Will I be as productive and happy for 2011? These things often make me very apprehensive of the future but I've got to remind myself to remain in the present. There has to be a way. If I found out otherwise, well, at least I know how to pray. Fingers crossed!

Some photos courtesy of Atty. Jo Cabiles (Culion, Palawan) and Fr. Ritche Elot (Calaguas OSA Group Picture).