Amazing Workshop Activity

I attended the Curriculum Contextualization Policy Finalization on June 13-14, 2018 at SEDA Vertis Hotel, Quezon City.  The Finalization was attended by technical staff from the Curriculum and Instruction of the Department of Education - Bureau of Curriculum Development, Bureau of Learning Delivery, Bureau of Education Assessment, and of course, the Bureau of Learning Resources were I belong.

I have been very serious during the training and I hardly gave my prepared jokes.  During the closing ceremony, the focal person gave an activity with a twist.  We, the participants, were asked to write comments to each other using a color-coded cartolina.  Each color meant something but I forgot to jot down the meaning of each. I just got these cut-outs after 3 months and I am so happy to see these comments.

The activity was so nice and I suggest it to anyone to do it in your future workshop. 

Thank you for reading guys.

Be Cool in Bikol

Hello, friends!

I’ve been feeling incredibly thankful these past few months—I’ve had a series of unexpected and unplanned travels to Cebu, Dipolog, and most recently, Albay!

Today, I’d love to share with you the beautiful places I visited in Bikolandia. 🌧️ Yes, the weather was rainy—but the journey? Totally worth it.

Armed with my ever-reliable Samsung Galaxy A7 Android camera (trusty travel companion!), I may have had limited time to explore Albay, but I brought home unlimited memories and snapshots that I’ll be sharing with you here.

So sit back, scroll on, and enjoy the photos! 📸✨

#BikolandiaChronicles #AlbayAdventures #RainOrShineWanderer #SamsungShoots

🌋 Mt. Mayon — A Dream Fulfilled

Mt. Mayon is a classic stratovolcano, famous for its perfect cone shape—often hailed as the most beautifully symmetrical volcano in the world. Its majestic form was sculpted over time by layers of lava flows, pyroclastic surges, and natural erosion.

I never expected that I would finally see her in person—and not just anywhere, but right from the Legazpi Airport! 😲✈️

Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of seeing Mt. Mayon with my own eyes. And just like that, the moment arrived—quietly, powerfully, and beautifully.

Truly amazing.

Sometimes, life surprises you with the things you thought you'd only admire from books and postcards. 📸❤️
/>

🏛️ The Cagsawa Ruins — History, Beauty, and a Few Camera Tricks

The Cagsawa Ruins are what remain of a 16th-century Franciscan church that has withstood time, tragedy, and nature’s fury. Originally built in 1587 in the town of Cagsawa, the church was burned down by Dutch pirates in 1636, rebuilt in 1724 by Fr. Francisco Blanco, and then tragically buried—along with much of the town—during Mayon Volcano’s devastating eruption on February 1, 1814.

Fast forward to today:

I finally had the chance to visit this historic site—thanks to two lovely ladies from our workshop (you’ll see them in the photos... can you spot them? 😉).

I was absolutely dumbfounded by the scenery. The haunting beauty of the ruins against the backdrop of Mt. Mayon was like stepping into a painting.

While there, friendly locals offered to take our pictures (yes, for a small fee)—and we said yes. And wow... I was shocked by the results! The photos were amazing—filled with perspective tricks, perfect framing, and creativity that I didn’t expect.

ere’s the funny part:

I help manage illustrators workshops in public schools, and yet there I was, mind blown by basic photo illusions I had never tried. 😅

Lesson learned: never underestimate the talent of local guides—and never stop learning, even when it comes to touristy camera tricks!

Cagraray Eco Park

I was mesmerized by the beauty of Cagraray Eco Energy Park which was an hour away from Casa Lorenzo Hotel where I stayed.  Thanks to DepEd Illustrator from Albay Mr. Antonio Basilla who took his time from a busy day just to bring me there.  Well, I will not do the talking and will just let my photos speak for them.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures, ladies, and gentlemen, these are the three places to visit in Legazpi, Albay.

A Bitter Pill to Swallow!

During the penultimate round of the MILO Tournament (Prep 1) at Starmall Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong, Philippines, Isaiah Joaquine Asi (my son) was playing black pieces and got this position (see board).  I was so excited for I can view a mate in 1 on move 22. ..Qg2+#.  I was praying that he will see it. The pressure was on since if he wins he will have the opportunity to fight for board 1 and the championship.  IM Torqueza and several NU Champion players were there watching, I left the venue as I can see a winning game all the way.

After 5 minutes I went back to the hall only to see my son crying. Not only that he didn't see the move, he likewise got checkmated.  He almost quit the tournament after that if not for the motivation I made that things like that happened.  I told him to be careful next time.  BTW, he got the bronze medal after winning his last round game.

The rest of the moves were as follows: 23. .. Re1+, 24. Ke1 Rg8,  25. Na3 Qb2, 26. Rd1 Qa3?, 27. Rd8+#

(Credit: Diagram was taken from Chessbase)

Batanes Escapade!

Batanes: An Unexpected Journey to the North

Hello everyone!
A few weeks ago, I went on an unplanned but unforgettable trip.
My superior had a conflict of schedule and tasked me to fly to DepEd Division of Batanes to orient Grade 2 teachers on contextualization. As the focal person for Grade 2 learning resources, I gladly accepted the responsibility and immediately booked a flight to Basco, Batanes. Yey, my first time there!

But as with all great journeys, this one wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.

My flight was scheduled at 6:45 a.m. from Clark International Airport—a loooong way from my place in Binondo, Manila. So, I had to travel all the way to Pampanga a day before. Compared to the NAIA terminals, Clark is smaller, with limited space and seating. There were benches, sure—but definitely not enough for the surge of international and local travelers. I ended up not getting any sleep that night.

At exactly 4:00 a.m., passengers started forming queues. I quickly headed to the PAL counter for check-in to avoid the long line of tourists. I later learned that Clark starts its operations at 4:00 a.m.—good to know. After checking in and paying the terminal fee, the rest went by smoothly.

This was my first trip to Batanes, and I was absolutely thrilled! Colleagues who’ve been there shared glowing stories about the breathtaking views and peaceful vibe of the province. So naturally, I told myself: “Once the orientation is done, I’ll use every free minute to explore this dream destination.” But the question was... with whom?

Luckily, Dr. Romel Costales, a Regional Supervisor from DepEd Region 2, had the same idea in mind—to go around and see the places we’ve only heard about in stories.

On Day 2, we set off for Sabtang Island, our first destination. At dawn, we headed to the port to catch a boat going there. While waiting, we had the chance to visit the famous Honesty Store, just a few steps from the pier.

I was truly amazed.

The store had no staff—just shelves of items, a price list, and a payment box. Transactions went on entirely on trust. What struck me most were the words written on the table:

"This store is too little for dishonest people."

Simple. Profound. Powerful.

I hate to cut this short, but urgent tasks are calling. Don’t worry—I’ll be sharing photos so you can catch a glimpse of the journey.

Thanks for reading, and until my next travel tale.

Sometimes, the best trips are the ones we never planned.
#BatanesJourney #WorkAndWander #DepEdTravels #UnexpectedButUnforgettable

2017 Capacity Building for the Disaster Management Group of DepEd Employees

I learned a lot from the Disaster Preparedness and Search and Rescue Workshop spearheaded by the DepEd DRRMs Office for DepEd employees.   We, participants, learned to save lives in such a short time, carried victims to safe places,  met new sets of rescuers along the way, and gained wisdom from experienced officers from Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

It was hard and difficult days but all the participants did their share - area cordoning, hailing, cribbing, and shoring.  The participants were very serious in doing their tasks at hand.

What struck me most was the parting words given by one of our trainers, "I know that you learned a lot from us. Hopefully, these newly-earned skills  MAY NOT BE PUT TO USE IN YOUR LIFETIME!"

2016 Metrobank Outstanding Teachers

Hi everyone.

In case you are not yet aware of who the 2016 Outstanding Teachers are, well, here they are.  I am so glad that one of the teachers came from Naujan, Oriental Mindoro - my hometown.

Congratulation to all the winners.  Thank you Metrobank Foundation.

(Photo credit: Manuelito Santos - Department of Education)

The elementary competition winners are: Winona Diola of De La Salle Santiago Zobel School (Muntinlupa City); Rujealyn Cancino of Lingayen I Central School (Lingayen, Pangasinan); Josephine Chonie Obsenares of Butuan City SPED Center (Butuan City, Agusan del Norte); and Arnol Rosales of Francisco Melgar Memorial School (Naujan, Oriental Mindoro). 

For the secondary competition, the winners are: Dr. Roy Basa of Negros Occidental High School (Bacolod City, Negros Occidental); Nelson Agoyaoy of University of the East Elementary and High School Department (Caloocan City); Ma. Regaele Olarte of Muntinlupa National High School-Main (Muntinlupa City); and Dr. Katherine Faith Bustos of Nueva Vizcaya General Comprehensive High School (Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya).

(Photo credit: Manuelito Santos - Department of Education)