Revisiting Paco Park

During the Spanish period, this park was once a cemetery for the aristocrats. Within its walls is a Catholic church dedicated to St. Pancratius.

It was converted into a national park during Diosdado Macapagal's administration. And through the efforts of Imelda Marcos when Ferdinand Marcos was the president, it was one of the chosen venues for cultural events.

We went there one Saturday morning before breakfast. As soon as we get in, it seems that we were taken back through time.  We walked through the pavement and stood amazed by its quaint wonders.

We had fun taking pictures.  Since the place has a romantic ambiance, we requested 2  of our colleagues to pose as lovers for us.  And to our delight, it looks very pleasing and we can't just stop from taking shots in different angles.

A visit to Old Manila

Together with my colleagues, we once again visited Intramuros, walk the old pathway, and be drawn by the ruins.

Before we started that memorable walk, we had to fill our empty stomach to give a boost to our declining energy. We just got out from our night shift and we might not make it unless we eat. We had breakfast near Manila Yacht club where also take a good pictures of our sole model with the harbor as the background.






Though the summer heat was intense that day, and we were sweating profusely, we had fun in taking pictures of whatever that caught our fancy. Well, of course our model/tourist guide make it all fantastic





For the nth time, we got fascinated with the old spanish buildings and the ruins.






We visited the Baluarte de San Diego.






Our session ended near Manila Cathedral where we parted our ways. Most have gone straight home, but for the four of us we decided to eat halo-halo at Chowking.

Adult life

During my younger years, I was so excited to get to adulthood. I was yearning for my independence. I’ve been wishing for my own place where I could arrange things the way I like it. I own my time – I can go out anytime I want, and come back very late. I eventually got what I wished for. It was exciting; I got my blood pulsing hard in my veins of anticipation of what is going to happen next. But later on, the fun and excitement declined. Right now, I am facing the fear of the unknown. I realized that adulthood is difficult. You can be happy at times, but it isn’t always like that. Just the mere thought of your responsibilities and the future can sometimes wipe the smile off your face.

I’ve been single for years; and I might be single for life. As of now, it is doing me good. There are so many things that I would like to do on my own. And there is still one thing that I want to do – travel in solo. I’ve always been a self-reliant person. Since a kid, my parents let me do things alone. I stayed with my aunt during my kindergarten years, and I even rented my own room during elementary. It is not surprising that I would grow up yearning for the same kind of life because I was brought up that way.

My single-hood seems to bother some people. But I am okay with it actually. And I don’t know why they worry so much. Some friends even tried pairing me up with someone. What’s pissing me really is when some would ask me why and looked at me like I am the most pitiful person in this whole wide world. Everybody doesn’t have to end the same way; everybody isn’t going to marry. I am not saying that I don’t want to marry, of course I’ve been praying for a life-time partner too. Somehow, I want to have someone who is going to love me not for what I am right now but who is going to be my long-term companion and who is going to hold my hands despite of my wrinkled skin and weak knees. And I do believe he is going to show-up when the time is perfect – that I would say would be God’s time. That time is not now.

Then I have my job. I really don’t want to say much about it but it is getting stressful everyday. Enough said! What is happiness with stress – None! But of course, it is my only source of income. How could I ever give up when I keep on thinking about my brother, liabilities and my bills. Gosh! How could I get out of the rat race!

Now that my father is gone, he silently left me with the responsibility to oversee my siblings. I may not be that effective but I am not irresponsible. As an eldest, I should be concern of the welfare of the family. My mother is old and I know that I should see her often but distance and money are my biggest obstacles. She and my 2 younger siblings are living in Misamis Oriental. Thanks to telecommunication technology, I don't have to write a letter and send it via snail mail and wait impatiently for the response. It is just recently that we kind of revive our relationship as a family considering a more than 10 years of absence. My parents got separated when were young but that is another story that I wanted to write next time.

The future is the outcome of my current decisions and actions. I have to do something very soon. Right now, it seems like I am watching things happen in my life. And I get lost while looking at the entire picture.

I get terribly sick. I’ve been in and out of the hospital a lot lately. I heard my body and my mind screaming halt. It is really getting tiring but I don’t have a room to be depressed. Everyday have been a conscious effort to have a dose of happiness despite of the challenges and pains of the adult life.

Dinner at AFC

Before Kentucky Fried Chicken had its place in Angeles City, AFC (Angeles Fried Chicken) was already known to serve Angeleños the tastiest chicken with very delicious gravy.

Last Sunday, we were again arguing where to eat dinner. And as an eldest of the group, I decided to take them to AFC. I miss that cozy ambiance.

The restaurant is located near Marlim Mansion. When you enter the establishment, you will first notice the covered patio. You can see the street from the inside because the walls were of glass windows. Another door will lead you to the dimly lighted main dining area. The waiters are all wearing their red uniform that perfectly match the tables clothed with checkered red.

We sat near the aquarium which is the coldest part of the restaurant.

We ordered 2 pieces of chicken, a big serving of AFC rice and a pitcher of Iced tea. I could barely finish my 2nd piece of chicken. It was a very satisfying meal yet we only paid less than P600.

Learning to unlearn

I am disgusted by the thought that I would be spending my lifetime as a corporate slave. I couldn’t bear the thought that I will get old living from paycheck to paycheck, setting aside just few pesos to save for my rainy days or worst is to save for my own funeral.

I thought about my father who died after merely couple months when he got diagnosed with cancer. His company didn’t provide him health insurance. Good thing that he was qualified to be my dependent in our company’s health card or else I wouldn’t have known where to get all the money to pay his hospitalization, medicine, among other expenses.

My father didn’t leave us with heirloom for us to live a comfortable life. He left us with a piece of land though and a great memory as a father and friend.

I love my father. I felt bad that he spent his entire life working hard to give us education and provide us with all our needs. And looking back, I thought that he really didn’t have a lot of chance to enjoy.

After he died, I was all broke. The situation put me in huge debt which I’ve been paying until this time.

All the liabilities hurt me so badly. This makes me realize that if I am to become a parent, I would like to make sure that I would leave a decent amount for my bereaved family, perhaps a decent amount to keep them going and to cover including my funeral expenses.

Whether I like it or not, the future will come. Whatever decisions or actions I will make at the present time will definitely create an impact in my future.

Right now, I obviously got money issues. I am a slave to my job because that is the only source of my income. I was hoping that instead of letting money control me, I should be in control of money and my life. Would that ever be possible? I am not losing my hope. I would slowly and willingly entangled myself to the wrong ideas about money, and start to learn on how to make money work for me rather than the other way around.

God's Simple Plan of Salvation

Not so long time ago, I adhered to the belief that I have to do good so God would find me righteous in His eyes. But I was also confounded on the question on how many good deeds I have to do so I would enter His Kingdom. Does God follow a certain ratio or percentage on the good deeds that I have to do versus the sins that I commit? It is impossible that I wouldn’t sin. It almost impossible not to tell a lie – a white lie is still a lie. What if I die right there and then, does that belief assured me on where I go after this life. Later on in my life, I met a friend who shared the bible to me. Indeed the bible is the only testimony of the living God. I never thought that all the questions would be answered by a single book – a book that had gone through an almost endless bloody bath and battles to make it available to us all.

My friend asked me if I was saved (saved from eternal damnation or hell). He asked if I was sure if I will go to heaven when I die. That is the same question that I’ve been asking myself for a long time. The religions out there offered me their religion but they never offered me the salvation. So what am I supposed to do?

It became clear to me that whatever good things I do doesn’t count for my salvation. “…We are all as unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags…”(Isaiah 63:6) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Therefore, salvation is from God and not from myself.

Let me share what I learned that you may have your salvation too.

The bible gives us the plan of how to be born again which means to be saved. How? First, is to realize that you are a sinner. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 6:23) As a sinner, you are condemned to death including eternal separation from God in Hell. “For the wages [payment] of sin is death.”(Roman 3:23).

We only die once, and right after our death is our judgment whether we go to heaven or hell. “…it is appointment unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrew 9:27)

But God loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sins and die in your place. “He hath made Him [Jesus, who knew no sin] to be sin for us…that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (II Corinthians 5:21)

Jesus had to shed His blood and die. “…Without shedding of blood is no remission [pardon]” (Hebrews 9:22)

Although we cannot understand how, God said my sins and your sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. He became our substitute. It is true. God cannot lie.

“God… commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). This repentance is a change of mind that agrees with God that you are a sinner, and also agrees with what Jesus did for us on the Cross.

In Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas: “…‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved ...’ ”

Simply believe on Him as the one who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures that the believer can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as Savior.

“But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).
Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe, nor can, but shall be saved.
Surely, you realize you are a sinner. Right now, wherever you are, repenting, lift your heart to God in prayer.

In Luke 18:13, the sinner prayed: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Just pray: “Oh God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my substitute when He died on the Cross. I believe He shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for me. I now receive Him as my Savior. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of Your merciful grace. Amen.”

Just take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. All of it!

God’s simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe on Jesus Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and His gift of eternal salvation by faith.

You say, “Surely, it cannot be that simple.” Yes, that simple! It is scriptural. It is God’s plan. My friend, believe on Jesus and receive Him as Savior today.
If His plan is not perfectly clear, read this tract over and over, without laying it down, until you understand it. Your soul is worth more than all the world.
“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

Be sure you are saved. If you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all. Please! Let God save you this very moment.

God’s power will save you, keep you saved, and enable you to live a victorious Christian life. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Do not trust your feelings. They change. Stand on God’s promises. They never change. After you are saved, there are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth:
• Pray -- you talk to God.
• Read your Bible -- God talks to you.
• Witness -- you talk for God.

You should be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ as a public testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a Bible-believing church without delay. “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord . . . .” (2 Timothy 1:8)

“Whosoever therefore shall confess [testify of] Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).

(excerpt from http://www.godssimpleplan.org/gsps-english.html)

5 years and counting

Some people are innately talkative and amiable. They could be a promising sales people. But for a person like me who seems to be born with a natural timidness which I never seems to outgrow, the sales job didn't came easy.

Working at night was also very challenging at first. Changing my body clock was very difficult. During my first few months, I sometimes missed going to work because I failed to wake up. That was really embarrassing but things like that happens. A lot of my colleagues experienced the same too.

I actually thought that I wouldn't last. But amazingly, I've already spent 5 years in the company and still counting.

We had a dinner last time to recognize some people who have done tremendous sales job and those who have spent their years with the company.