A Promise [2 Chronicles 16:9]

Your sigh is able to move the heart of God.

Your whisper can incline His ear to you.

Your prayer can stay His hand, and

Your faith can move His arm.

Don't think that God sits on high taking no account of you.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth,

to show Himself strong on behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him.

--C.Spurgeon

"Angie" [reposted from FB Notes, 09 February 2011]

Known as “Angie” to his friends, Angelo Tomas Reyes completed his secondary education as the class valedictorian, and in 1966, he was among the top ten graduates of the prestigious Philippine Military Academy. After which, he acquired two master' degrees-  Masters in Business Administration from the Asian Institute of Management in 1973 and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1991. He also took up International Defense Management Course in Monterey, California in 1983.

In 1987, he graduated No. 1 in Trust Operations Management Course conducted by the Trust Institutes Foundation of the Philippines at the Ateneo Business School which eventually earned him a scholarship to the Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. He served the Philippine government for several years, mainly under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He served as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Phils., Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Interior & Local Govt, Secretary of Environment & Natural Resources, and Secretary of Energy Dept., until he was allegedly involved into one of the biggest corruption scandals in AFP.

He was about to stand in a Senate probe on February 08, 2011, when on that same day he died from a gunshot wound to the chest in an apparent suicide.

Whether or not he died with honor [or horror] does not exempt his comrades and family from the scandal. His wife would also be summoned to a legislative inquiry on the latter’s attachment to such a multi-million dollar corruption outrage.

Upon hearing the breaking news, I was for a moment wordless, for it is unlikely for a high ranking military officer with aforementioned credentials, to get his own life pending a controversy. After all the “war” he has been through, he just ended up expired, only in this Congressional combat. Even Japanese people who were known to be committing “Harakiri”, no longer consider suicide as the “art of death” but cowardice.

Indeed, whenever we put our trust to “man”, to “a man”, or to “ the man” who, like us are all temporal, limited, carnal, vulnerable, imperfect, and incomplete, we would always end up losers and helpless. It was evident that Angelo puts his trust only to man and not to God, his creator. If it were not, then he should have faced the battle with true courage. The real battle is not of the flesh, but of the spirit. The more he tries to redeem his own dignity and build up his own defenses through his own ways and his own efforts, the more he gets burned out, tired and weary. Purely human efforts impede God’s grace and thereby, suppress the Holy Spirit’s power which is supposed to be upon us, because we are God’s masterpiece and creation after His own image. God’s “amazing grace” is never realized in our lives whenever our heart is filled with all those “man-made graces.”  I can't help but ask now...

“What profits a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his soul?”

"Guro at Kape" [reposted from FB Notes 25 Oct 2010]

Tuwing umaga, para kanino ka bumabangon?

Para sa pamilya? para sa di mo kakilala?

Para sa mga bata? para sa mga isip-bata?

Ang mahalaga

Di ka lang basta gumigising

Dahil sa bawat pagbangon

Para mo na din tinulungan 

Ang bansa na umahon.

Ikaw...para kanino ka bumabangon?                                      

- modified Nescafe Ad

(The teacher in the photo is my mother-in-law.)

(Mukhang) Malungkot na Aso

LP 150: Alagang Hayop

Nakatira s'ya sa isang malungkot na isla na madalang puntahan kaya naman ng nakita n'ya kami marahil natuwa s'ya sunod s'ya ng sunod sa amin kahit saan kami maglakad - Blue Beagle ang tawag ko sa kanya kasi kahit masaya s'yang sumusunod sa amin malungkot pa rin ang mukha n'ya - kasi nga beagle s'ya. Di gaya ng ibang aso na kasabay ng pagkawag ng buntot ay waring tumatayo din ang mga tenga, ang beagle na isang uri ng hound dog ay (mukhang) palaging malungkot.

(Lahok para sa Litratong Pinoy)

Just enough for the day

"Give us this day our daily bread."

For this Mangyan boy, a roll is enough to call it a day. For him, he's holding a precious piece which he calls a 'blessing'. He pinches a tiny portion trying to share it with me. And he did give it to me!

I took this shot in a Mangyan school in Baco Oriental Mindoro, an adopted school of AdTrek Mountaineering Club. (Godbless AdTrek! ) I understand why God blesses some and challenges the others- each is an answered prayer. For whenever we receive, we become grateful to the giver - that we tend to also 'give' (even a portion of it) to demonstrate our appreciation... to the goodness of the giver.

Jesus Christ, the Giver of Life.

Boracay of the North

Pagudpud is located north of the Philippines. Because of its white sand beaches, it was called the Boracay of the North- medyo coarse lang ito unlike Bora's na talagang very fine. If you're from Cavite, it will take you a round travel of approximately 1600kms. Beaches are superbly clean - hindi malumot, sobrang lamig ang tubig anytime of the day - maybe because of its being part of the China sea. Few kms upnorth is Patapat Ilocos - the "meeting place" of fresh and salt waters. Few more kms then you will reach region 2, Aparri Cagayan- known for its long, huge rivers.
Binhi: Mama, kaya pala Pagudpud, kasi pagud na ako tsaka pudpud na an
p'wet ko , kasi an layooo!!

higher perspective

"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.....
....They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isa.40:30-31)

Mt Pico de Loro

Three white flowers at Pico de Loro... at Pico.. hindi 'from Pico' kasi hindi ko pinitas.












Mushroom... sorry not edible.












Wow! Kite-flying in the mountain.

Mt Gulugod Baboy climb

The following shots are from Mt Gulugod Baboy in Anilao, Batangas. The climb was part of GCF Mountaineers plan to affiliate with Unified Cavite Mountaineers Inc.

BANTAY, the Mountain dog. One of my favorite shots, I called him Bantay - kasi binabantayan nya mga tira tira namin.

BATANGAS BEEF in silhouette!

Mountain people, lovers of the sun.

Olan, trying to 'squeeze' the sun.

Gulugod summit.

Undas layas

Naglakwatsa ang buong pamilya nitong Undas, sinagasa ang signal number4 sa Nueva Vizcaya. Di alintana ang nagbagsakang puno sa daan, wala kaming pakialam!!

Kuha ito sa Santiago Memorial Park, Santiago Isabela... huhuhu! in memory of my loving father-in-law. Question: What is the capital punishment for the offense commited as bigamy? Answer: two father-in-laws.. peace tayo!

Kuha naman ito sa likod ng bahay ni lola... este bahay ni manong Freddie pala ( Dibul, Saguday Quirino Province). D'yan lang naman ang hometown ng aking esposo...hmm.. Dibul - pangalan pa lang native na ang dating.

Overlooking Sta Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, coffee break muna kami ng driver ko. O ha! Driver-sweet lover...

This is Mt Nagbukel. The name is from Ilocano term "bukel" which means bilog, circle, round , or spherical wahtever you may call the shape. Malapit yan sa town ng driver-sweet lover ko, pangarap ko yan akyatin pero walang gustong mag guide sa akin... madami daw kasing mumu dyan.