25 Days Before the Examination!

Whew... 25 more days...

What is in store for me on the 5th of April. I wasn't prepared but I was obliged to take the examination due to certain policy. Do I have a choice? Nah.

Things have changed for the past few weeks. I haven't opened my reviewer for the reason that I was assigned too many tasks. I was given two erroneous private school science books to read and to validate findings given by previous evaluators. At first I declined coz I could foresee the hard times coming ahead but I was not given a chance to be heard. The good thing was a 5-day leave before the examination day was granted. I hope I will be able to maximize the time...

Very Tough Week

I planned to focus on my review for the board examination last week but things seemed to be not favoring me. The workloads at the office were so huge and I didn't have the chance to read during breaks. Myriad media issues about our office, DepEd-IMCS, were published (some were true but most were not -> blatantly exaggerated or malicious).

I think DepEd is a place where most people are stoned and crucified, so all staff must be careful and responsible on what they are doing.

Ok. Back to my review... I used the same technique of reading while sitting inside the bus but because it was a long ride going to my house I tend to sleep and when I wake up it's already near my residence. I need to change my style to succeed.

Bloopers...Onli in the Pilipins.

The Making of a Teacher

I will use this blog to share my experiences on my quest to be a professional teacher. I am not really prepared to take the LET this April but I have to as to compliance to the new rule set by PRC(?). I will update you every week about my struggle. I know it's not easy but it's not impossible.

First thing first, I couldn't take a leave of absence to attend a special review since we are having too much workloads (especially now that the media is watching over our organization.) Second, I am not financially stable this time (too bad).

My schedule goes this way:
1) Early in the morning I read my reviewer inside the bus (this would be about 1 1/2 hour);
2) Go to work at full 8 hours but had to stay longer if asked by my superior;
3) Another 1 1/2 hour reading inside the bus in going home (I routinely pick place with nice lighting)
4) As I arrive, I open my PC to answer some e-mails and make research on some topics.
5) When I'm tired reading I rest by playing chess against international opponents online then go back to reading.
6) Sleeps at 1:00 a.m.

I hope I can make it... please pray for me.

Corporate Lessons

Corporate lesson 1:

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is
finishing up her
shower, when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly
wraps herself in
a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the
door, there stands
Bob, the next-door neighbour.
Before she says a word, Bob says, "I'll give you
$800 to drop that towel"
After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her
towel and stands naked
in front of Bob. After a few seconds, Bob hands her
$800 dollars and leaves.
The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back
upstairs.

When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks,
"Who was that?"
"It was Bob the next door neighbour," she replies.
"Great!" the husband
says, "did he say anything about the $800 he owes
me?"

Moral of the story:

If you share critical information pertaining to
credit and risk with your
shareholders in time, you may be in a position to
prevent avoidable
exposure.


Corporate Lesson 2:

A priest offered a lift to a Nun. She got in and
crossed her legs, forcing
her gown to reveal stretch of leg. The priest
nearly had an accident. After
controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up
her leg.

The nun said, "Father, remember Psalm 129?"

The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he
let his hand slide up
her leg again. The nun once again said, "Father,
remember Psalm 129?"
The priest apologized "Sorry sister but the flesh is
weak."

Arriving at the convent, the nun went on her way.
On his arrival at the
church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It
said, "Go forth and
seek, further up, you will find glory."

Moral of the story:
If you are not well informed in your job, you might
miss a great opportunity.


Corporate Lesson 3:

A Sales Rep, an Administration Clerk, and the
Manager are walking to lunch
when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and
a Genie comes out.

The Genie says, "I'll give each of you just one
wish."

"Me first! Me first!" says the Admin. Clerk.
"I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat,
without a care in the world."

Poof! She's gone.

"Me next! Me next!" says the Sales Rep. "I want to
be in Hawaii, relaxing on the
beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply
of Pina Coladas and the
love of my life."

Poof! He's gone.

"OK, you're up next," the Genie says to the Manager.
The Manager says, "I want those two back in the
office after lunch."

Moral of the story:

Always let your boss have the first say.


Corporate Lesson 4:

A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day.
A rabbit asked him,
"Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day
long?".

The crow answered: "Sure, why not." So, the rabbit
sat on the ground
below the crow, and rested. A fox jumped on the
rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story:

To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very high up.


Corporate Lesson 5:

A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love
to be able to get to
the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, but I
haven't got the energy."
"Well, why don't you nibble on my droppings?"
replied the bull. "They're
packed with nutrients."

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that
it gave him enough
strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.

The next day, after eating some more dung, he
reached the second branch.
Finally after a fourth night, there he was proudly
perched at the top of the tree.

Soon a farmer, who spotted him, shot the turkey out
of the tree.

Moral of the story:
Bullshìt might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

- Anonymous

Palawan Here I Come

Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center: Crocodile Farm




Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm


Rancho Sta. Maria



Underground River





By the Bay - Sabang

Watch!

Watch your thoughts, they become words
Watch your words, they become actions
Watch your actions, they become habits
Watch your habits, they become character
Watch your character, they become your destiny.

- author unknown

Laws of Happiness and Successs

* Count your blessings
* Proclaim your rarity
* Go another mile
* Use wisely your power of choice
* Do all things with love

You are the greatest miracle in the world!

- author unknown

Forgettable Past

As the year 2009 commences I just couldn't ignore the forgettable past I experienced that almost put myself and my family in peril.

My wife gave birth to our firstborn years ago and after being discharge, my son was readmitted at the hospital's NICU for 22 days due to weak lungs only to croak, the house I bought on installment basis was foreclosed, my wife was robbed of her jewelries by her own relative, the car I bought was reportedly a stolen one, and in the late 2006 to early 2007, I had to stay again in the hospital to watch over my newborn son (he was detected with G6PD). All these had monetary strains. These situations brought me into a seemingly inexorable financial crisis. I was helpless, with no one to turn to, but the Lord and nothing to offer Him but my debts.

Luckily, my family was able to withstood these onslaughts through divine intervention.

Espero que estos problemas no se repetirán.

It's Final, I'm Out

Whew, the title seems to be confusing. It leads to nowhere. I'm out on what?

Just like what happened to my application for a position at IAS.

I been hearing news (or should I say gossip) from 6 reliable [now - not dependable] persons even before the release of the results. I was even contacted by one of the candidates, so I thought, it just validates the claim of the 6 others I mentioned above. I'm so ecstatic and has never told this extreme joy to anyone except to my wife and my best friend at the office.

Days and months have passed and I heard different versions of the story (I do not know from which camp this tale came from) that I was not in the list of candidates accepted for the position. I have been bothered as to why these news leaked even without the official results coming from the personnel division. It seems that everybody knew except myself.

Until this time, no official list of successful candidates were posted on the bulletin boards at DepEd though some were advised to have their clearances issued before tranferring to the new IAS office.

Chess Team Tournament at DepEd

Whew! It's been a long time since I last tip my keyboards to write a blog about my experiences for the month. I have been very busy lately due to myriad tasks assigned to me. I had to focus more on my work to avoid muddling up of documents. The days and weeks have been monotonous and routinary, no diversion, whatsoever. Luckily, I was invited to play chess by my organization. It's kinda team tournament organized by DepEd and Innotech. It was a four-game battle of wits against other DepEd units (NCR, Q.C., Calabarzon, and DepEd-CO.) I had a good start - winning all my first three games against worthy opponents only to be stalled to a draw by my adversary on the last round. I'm kind of disappointed because I wasn't able to deliver a full point for my team. 'Sad to note that my game ended in a draw due to opposite bishops ending. I went out to a nearby building after my game to visit my friends and also to ease the tension I experienced during the game and returned to the tournament venue only to witness my colleagues beaten by their foes in succession. Our team scored a dismal 0.5 against 3.5 of DepEd Q.C. Had my teammates scored 2 more wins we would be the champion. We were all fighting for a gold medal award on each board but ended up losing. I shared the medal on Board 2, though. Yes, you are right. I was the only one who scored for my team.

Parable of the Pig and the Cow

The pig was unpopular while the cow was beloved. This puzzled the pig.

PIG: "People speak warmly of your gentle nature and your sorrowful eyes. They think you're generous because each day you give them milk and cream, but what about me? I give them everything I have. I give bacon, ham, etc. I give my all."

The cow replied:

COW: "It's not really what you give when you're dead. It's about what you give while your still alive."

- author unknown

Tokashiki Island Experience

Tokashiki Island: My Slice of Paradise in Okinawa

When I first hopped on the ferry from Naha, I didn’t know Tokashiki Island was about to steal my heart. The ride itself was a treat—turquoise waves, salty breezes, and the kind of blue sky that makes you forget about your phone.

Stepping off the boat felt like entering a postcard. Quiet roads, lush hills, and the warm smiles of the locals instantly made me feel at home. My first stop? Aharen Beach—pure white sand and water so clear I could spot fish from the shore. Snorkeling here was unreal. I swam alongside colorful corals, schools of tiny fish, and even a sea turtle or two.

In the afternoon, I hiked to one of the island’s viewpoints. From up there, I saw an endless horizon of blues blending into each other—sea, sky, and everything in between. It was the kind of view that makes you pause and just breathe.

As the sun began to set, the beach transformed. The sky turned gold and pink, waves whispered against the shore, and by nightfall, the stars came out in full force. No neon signs, no traffic—just me, the sand, and the universe.

Tokashiki Island isn’t just a destination; it’s an escape. I went for a day, but I came back with a lifetime memory.