My Bestfriend: A Repost

3:20:00 PM ivannejuare 0 Comments

Last night I saw this post on Facebook. I promised myself I won't post anything this week but I just felt the urge to post this. I don't know if it's true. But I like to believe it really did happened. It's kinda touching and inspiring.


Somewhere in Milaor, Camarines Sur, there lived a fourth grader boy who would follow this route to school everyday: He has to cross the rugged plains and cross the dangerous highway where vehicles are recklessly driving to and from.


Once past this highway, the boy would take a short cut, passing by the Church every morning just to say Hi to God, and faithfully say his, "Magandang umaga po" in Bicol dialect. He was faithfully being watched by a Priest who was happy to find innocence so uplifting in the morning,


"Kamusta, Andoy? Papasok ka na?"


"Opo padre ... "he would flash his innocent grin, the priest would be touched. He was so concerned that one day he talked to Andoy.


"From school...", he advised "Do not cross the highway, you can pass through the Church and I can accompany you to the other side of the road...that way I can see that you are home safe...."


"Thank you father ... "


"Why don't you go home ... why do you stay in this church right after school?"


"I just want to say 'Hi' to my friend, God," and the priest would leave the boy to spend time beside the altar, talking to himself, but the priest was hiding behind the altar to listen to what this boy has to say to his heavenly FATHER.


"You know my math exam was pretty bad today, but I did not cheat although my seatmate is bullying me for notes... I ate one cracker and drank my water, Itay had a bad season and all I can eat is this cracker. Thank you for this.! I saw a poor kitten who was hungry and I know how he feels so I gave my last cracker to him...funny but I am not that hungry.


Look, this is my last pair of slippers ...I may have to walk barefoot next week, you see this is about to be broken... but it is okay....at least I am still going to school.... Some say we will have a hard season this month, some of my classmates have already stopped going to school .... please help them get to school again, please God?


Oh, you know, Inay hit me again, it is painful, but I know this pain will pass away, at least I still have a mother.... God, you want to see my bruises? I know you can heal them.... Here... here and .... oh ...blood ....I guess you knew about this one huh? Please don't be mad at Inay, she is just tired and she worries for the food in our table and my schooling that is why she hits us....



Oh, I think I am in love ... there's this pretty girl in my class, her name is Anita ... do you think she will like me? Anyway, at least I know you will always like me, I don't have to be anybody just to please you, you are my very best friend! Hey your birthday is two days from now!!! Aren't you excited? I am! Wait till you see, I have a gift for you . but it is a surprise! I hope you will like it! Oooops, I have to go ..." then he stood up and calls out, "Padre, padre, I am finished talking to my friend,youcan accompany me to the other side of the road now"


This routine happens everyday. Andoy never fails. Father Agaton shares this every Sunday to the people in his church because he has not seen a very pure faith and trust in God, a very positive look at negative situations.


One Christmas day, Father Agaton was sick so he could not make it in the Church, he was sent to the hospital. The Church was left to 4 manangs who would chant the rosary in 1000 miles per hour, would not smile and would always find fault in what you do, they were also very well versed in cursing if you irritate them! They were kneeling, saying their kilometric rosary when Andoy, coming from his Christmas party,playfully dashed in.


"Hello God! I ......"


"P----!! (a curse) bata ka!! Alam mo nang may nagdadasal!! Alis!!"

Poor Andoy was so terrified, "Where's Father Agaton? He is supposed to help me cross the street ... and to be able to cross the street I will have to pass by the back door of this church .not only that, I have to greet Jesus. It is His birthday, I have a gift right here....

" Just as he was about to get the gift out of his shirt, the manang pulled his shirt and threw him out of the church. "Susmaryosep!!! (does the sign of the cross fervently) Alis kang bata ka, kung hindi matatamaan ka!!!


So the boy had no choice but to cross the dangerous side of the road in front of the church. He crossed. A fast moving bus came in. There was a blind curve. The boy was protecting his gift inside his shirt, so he was not looking. There was so little time. Andoy died on the spot. A lot of people crowded the poor boy, the body of a lifeless young boy ...


Suddenly, out of nowhere a tall man in a pure white shirt and pants, a face so mild and gentle, but with eyes full of tears... He came and carried the boy in His arms. He was crying. Curious bystanders nudged the man in white, and asked,


"Excuse me sir, are you related to this child?


Do you know this child?"


The man in white, His face mourning and in agony, looked up and answered,


"He was my best friend . " was all he said. He took the badly wrapped gift in the bloody chest of the lifeless boy, and placed it near His heart. He stood up and carried the boy away and they both disappeared in sight. The crowd was curious.


On Christmas Eve, Father Agaton learned of the shocking news. He visited the house, and wanted to verify about the man in white. He consulted the parents of Andoy.


"How did you know that your son died?"


"A man in white brought him here." sobbed the mother. "What did he say?"


The father answered, "He did not say anything. He was mourning. We do not know him and yet he was very lonely about our son's death, as if he knew our son very well. But there was something peaceful and unexplainable about him.


He gave me my son, and then he smiled peacefully. He brushed my son's hair away from his face and kissed him on his forehead, then he whispered something..."


"What did he say?"


"He said to my boy..." the father began, "Thank you for the gift .... I will see you soon ... you will be with me..." and the father of the boy continued, "and you know for a while, it felt so wonderful ... I cried, but I do not know why....all I know is I cried tears of joy .... I could not explain it, Father, but when that man left, something peaceful came over me, I felt a deep sense of love inside ... I could not explain the joy in my heart, I knew my boy is in heaven now but...tell me, Father, who is this man that my son talks to everyday in your church, you should know because you are always there ... except at the time of his death ......"Father Agaton suddenly felt the tears welling in his eyes, with trembling knees, he murmured, " ... He was talking to no one ....but .. GOD...."



If you love this story, please. share this on to your friends. So you can touch others too.


Overcoming Stereotyping

10:28:00 PM ivannejuare 0 Comments

My name is Khan and I'm not a terrorist.

When we see Muslims, what's the first thing that comes to our mind? Tell me that I'm wrong when I say that most people would say they're a bunch of terrorist, war-loving people. In the Philippines alone, people would say that Muslims are war-freak, given the situation in Mindanao, which most of the population is made up of Muslims. 




This was what the movie My Name is Khan is all about. It shows us how they were treated after the famous 9/11 bombing attack of the Twin Towers. It tells us how they had been affected because of stereotyping. It tells us basically of racial discrimination. The movie is about Rizvan Khan, a muslim who have an asperger's syndrome, a kind of autism. The movie revolves on his journey to meet the president and tell him that "My name is Khan and I'm not a terrorist" which he sort of promised to do. It was right after his wife's breakdown when their son, Sameer died because he was taken to be Muslim by those American kids because his last name was Khan. The movie's setting was part in India but most is in US. Along his journey, he touched many lives and when he got imprisoned, he became more popular and inspired a lot of people, particularly the Muslims to fight for themselves.

The movie was nice. You get to think deeply of what's really happening in the society. You get to ponder on a lot of things. It will make you think that if an autistic person can think that way and go the extramile, why not we? 

"There are only two kinds of people: the good ones and the bad ones. There is no other difference." This is what Khan's mother taught him. I guess she's right. Generally, that should have been the distinction. But society had different views. It divided people into race, religion, culture and whatever difference we could think of. Regardless of their color, religion, language, community, what really matters is that we know what is good and evil. Which means to say, that we should be open to communicating, interacting and accepting other people, all sorts of people.

Another issue that caught my attention is stereotyping. When I say I'm from UP, people would think of me as an activist and an atheist, which is not true. Iskolars ng Bayan are stereotyped to be boastful and love rallies, which does not apply to all. For Muslims, the first impression is they are terrorist, and they should be ignored. This stereotyping isn't really nice. Each person is different from one another. They got their own set of personality,attitude, hobbies, likes and dislikes, and beliefs, even if they are from the same religion, sex, race, culture and country. That means to say that we should get to know the person first before judging them.

There were some parts of the movies which are dumb and funny, but perhaps it was like that to make it more dramatic or something. I was hoping that the movie would have ended in a different note. Anyways, all in all, the movie is really something to watch and worth the time.

Blind Massage

9:50:00 PM ivannejuare 0 Comments

Today I experienced my first ever massage. Donna and I went to this Blind Massage Center in Robinson's Iloilo. It was just half body and good for 30 minutes since that was all I could afford. Dianne also went with us but declined to have a massage. I've been feeling this terrible pain in my back since I was in high school. And just last night my roommates blurted out their body pains. It was actually Donna who initiated the plan.

The experience? Its nice and relaxing. Those blind persons are just terrific. I love the way they massaged my back. I somehow felt my nerves starting to relax. It was so relaxing that I would have fallen asleep if I wanted to, besides I just love the feeling of someone touching my head, or just simply combing my hair. Whatever liquid thingy they were using also smells good. Haha.

What made the experience special was perhaps, the fact that they are blind. They aren't the usual ordinary persons. They are considered disable or handicapped. But through it all, they made a living. They are better than those able, normal persons who sit around their house doing nothing and not looking for jobs and waiting for some miracle to have something to eat. Those blind persons are just inspiring. They tell us that if they can survive in this game called life, then why not us,normal, able, healthy persons?

End of the Reign

9:58:00 PM ivannejuare 0 Comments

What would you feel when you lost a title? What would you feel when you've lost a titlle you've defended for so long?

I can't exactly contemplate what I felt when the news reached me. I felt angry, lonely, defeated.  That title. That damn title. 

When I was in highschool, and even in my elementary, nothing was more exciting than taking that qualifying quiz for the Metrobank MTAP Math Challenge. It started when I was in my 4th Grade. I really don't have any interest in math until then. In fact, I was just average. Then our math teacher asked the class to vote who would have the last spot for the competition. Turn out, my classmates favored me. And from then on, I started loving those complicated problems and mind cracking numbers. When I stepped into high school, my love grew even more. Thanks to my great and favorite teacher, JVP. But the climax wasn't until my 3rd and 4th year when I had to represent the school in the division. Perhaps, keeping the records was the greatest pressure I had in high school. For more than 5 years, OLGA had dominated the MTAP division: from individual and team eliminations to final team challenge. WE ALWAYS have the TOP SPOT. In the regionals, we are consistent in the 4th place. 

When asked who the prior year's champion was,people would often say, "OLGA eh, sino pa bi?" I find it funny when my batchmates-slash-competitors from other schools would say, "Oi. Pagapapirdi man bi kamo." Since Grade 4, my partner for the team finals was our class valedictorian, not until my 4th year. I know what people were thinking. I knew that at the back of their minds they have dounts of me and my friend Rizel's ability of defending the title. We almost lost in the division, almost won in the regionals, but nonetheless, we safeguarded the school and the prior batches' legacy.

Even when I entered college, I always see to it that I'm updated about the issue. When i read in the school paper, I just can't bring myself to absorb the lines. I reread it a few more times and finally got to digest it. Yes, they won. But it's not exactly what the school wanted, or at the least, what I wanted to hear or read. They ranked 2nd, not bad, but the school's no longer the defending champion. The legacy will forever be ended.

It may seem like not a big issue to most, but for those who have been part of the legacy, who successfully defended the title and labored hard to safeguard it, it's all a different issue. But what can we do? The damage has been done. All has ended. The reign has ended. 
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