CDO-Camiguin-Bukidnon-Iligan 2015

Hello there. Nicole here and it's good to be in the zone for blogging again. This one should be posted months ago, but I just had the time recently to post this one. I considered this trip the highlight of my 2015 travel plans.

Last January 2015, my office friends invited me to join them in an out of town trip since Cebu Pacific had a seat sale by that time, and I decided to join ('coz it will be my first flight. Hehe). After minutes of deliberation, we decided to visit Cagayan de Oro and its nearby provinces on the second week of November. Yunyce (an officemate and close friend of mine) was the one who came up with our travel plan. Compared to other CDO tour packages, theirs are comparatively cheaper.

We were divided into two batches (since we can't all be on leave at the same time on office). Batch one is comprised of 4 persons and left for CDO on November 12, while batch 2 is composed of 7. and left on November 14. Since I'm part of batch 2, I will only be sharing pictures of us from the batch.

First plane ride was awesome. Hahaha. Sorry if I had to include this one. Well I found my first plane ride epic because we were actually paged in Terminal 3 for being late from boarding time (flight schedule was tight by that time due to APEC). Our light went smoothly and fortunately, I didn't experienced any jetlag. I just had the airplane ears that really bugged me that time.

We arrived at Laguindingan Airport around 12 in the afternoon and was picked up by the batch 1 peeps. After checking to Rich Manor, we head to an afternoon adrenaline rush on CDO river rapids. Before the actual rafting activity, sumptuous lunch was organized by Red Rafts. We had a buffet of buttered shrimp and fried chicken which I actually enjoyed because I love shrimp dishes. Several burps and we head for our first rafting experience. We took advanced rafting and it was such an awesome experience! Our rafting guides are loaded with jokes to keep us laughing despite the tension on every rapids. Falling from the raft is normal. Just make sure you follow your guides' instructions and you'll be good to finish this activity :)

Rafting pictures and video :)

After getting back to the manor, we had dinner at Boy Zugba which is just a few walks away, I must day it's a thumbs up for the food. Yunyce and I decided to shared on a sisig meal by that time because the serving is too much if we ordered one for each other. I recommend that you dine at the main area of the establishment. We dined on the reserved area and I'm sure I just saw some relatives of Roscuro from The Tales of Despereaux movie, which can really ruin your appetite.

Day 2 of CCBI tour started early, as early as 3 in the morning. Our van driver picked us from the manor to Port of Balingoan and we boarded the first trip of ferry to Camiguin. Since this is my first ferry experience, I made sure I'll have some pictures to commerate this experience.

We arrived on Port of Benoni in Guinisiliban, Camiguin already in broad daylight. See our arrival video below. :D

To keep us full for the rest of our day in Camiguin, we had a buffet brunch at Checkpoint Food Palace. It was owned by a foreigner and he was really hands on attending to us. Thumbs for their bacon and soup.

First stop in Camiguin is what the people call their 'gem', the White Island. Before riding a boat, we were advised to rent a snorkeling gear and a life jacket since the tour includes snorkeling in a marine sanctuary near the island. White Island is just 15 minutes boat ride from the Camiguin mainland and waves are not those you should be afraid of. Several minutes on the boat and you'll notice that the water will turn from deep to sky blue, signaling that we are near the island.

And so we arrived at the island! The scorching sun didn't stopped us from wandering around and capturing any scenery or pose that we wanted to do.

Pictures on White Island
(credits to Raf Atienza and his 39" GoPole for the last pic)

After several minutes, our boatman asked us for snorkeling in an area several meters away from the island. I was in awe with its sky blue waters. The reef formations were nice to see but I found the activity tiring since the waves by that time were strong that I found it hard to help myself go back up our boat.

Some snorkeling pictures

After the White Island, we explored Camiguin by land and we first headed to the Sunken Cemetery Cross. The entrance to the cemetery is free, but if you want to cross from the shore to the Cross, you have to swim your way using the rope seen in the picture below (and that is not for free anymore). Nice souvenirs can be found here like ref magnets, and you can find volunteer photographers that can teach you some poses fit for view. Just give them something to compensate for their effort (my friends gave 20 pesos per person, I think).

Sunken Cemetery Cross 

Next, we visited the Catarman Old Church Ruins, which were what's left of the iconic church after the volcanic catastrophe in the island. In here, I found and bought lanzones which costs 20 pesos per kilo. YOU READ THAT WRITE. IT'S FREAKING 20 PESOS PER KILO. This is the point in the trip where I wished I should have bought a bigger luggage capacity in Cebu Pac.

Old Church Ruins

We next headed to Soda pool in Catarman, which is famous for it's sweet, potable water. The deepest part of the pool is 7 feet deep and since I already forgot my nine-month swimming skills when I'm still in my mother's womb, I just lingered in the side of the pool. Also, it's fresh water so no need to worry if you want to open your eyes underwater.

CCBI peeps at Soda Pool

Since our ferry schedule leaves around 4:30 in the afternoon, we decided to have one last stop which is Tuasan Falls in Brgy Maiinit, Catarman. On our way to the falls, we passed by this mini-store that sells 'Kiping', or potato flakes topped with generous amount of sweet caramelized coconut sauce. My friends enjoyed it, and my glutinous self had four of these, I think.

Kiping monsters >:D

Few walks from the store is the majestic view of Tuasan Falls. First thing I did was I dipped my feet in the crystal clear water and believe me, it's so cold despite the heat of the afternoon sun. We didn't linger much near the falls since some residents told us that several debris like rocks sometimes fall along with the water, which is pretty dangerous.

Some pictures on Tuasan falls
(credits again to Raf Atienza for the last picture)

Day 3 of our tour is for some adrenaline rush activities in Dahilayan Forest Park, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. I will upload the videos here so you can see how every activity that I have tried works.

Dahilayan's zipline course (which is Asia's first longest zipline) is consists of three parts, for which the first is the most exciting of the three. From the park, you have to ride an L300 van to the first zipline part's load area. I found myself nervous for the first part of the run (I'm afraid that my hands or my GoPro will hit nearby branches), but enjoyed the rest of it since I was witnessing the top view of the park. So far the best zipline I have experienced in my life! I included a short video of my zipline experience below :)

Zipline pictures and video

Next is SkyJump which is basically just jumping from a 60 feet high tower. Well this one's not an easy one (I can still feel the fear that I have experienced on this one while typing this part) because you have to face the fear of standing on the jump area while cold wind brushes to your skin (and I'm a 'lamigin' person) and you have a trampoline which is 60 feet away from you. Another thrill on this one, after facing the fear to stand and jump from the jump area, is that it's your very own self falling freely for 30 feet without feeling any safety gears, which should save you from falling to your death (WHICH IS TRULY AN AMAZING ADRENALINE EXPERIENCE!!). The next 30 feet would make you feel that God above has heard your prayers to bring you home (Les Miserables feels). I just found myself lying on the trampoline since the fear and the excitement made my knees weak. Watch my SkyJump video below :)

Dahilayan Forest Park's Sky Jump

If you're a first timer in Dahilayan, I recommend you to try their Drop Zone which is their flagship activity as of the time. Drop Zone will suspend you to a height of 120 feet then will make you experience pendulum swing until you come to a full stop. This is what made me enjoy Dahilayan. It's the first time in my life that I fell vertically with my head falling first (which again IS SO FREAKING AWESOME!!!) Here's a video of me and Yunyce on our tandem DropZone experience.

Dahilayan Forest Park's Drop Zone

We had lunch at Del Monte Clubhouse at Bukidnon which is famous for their beef steak, and we feasted on a warm and delicious bulalo dinner at Sattae Grill back at Cagayan de Oro.

Day 4 of our tour is around Iligan City, Lanao del Norte. Since it will be the last day of the trip, we dropped by on Vjandep for pasalubong, which is famous for their pastel products. First stop on Iligan is the famous entry on Sibika books, the Maria Cristina Falls. An entrance fee is needed since the area was owned by an electric company. Maria Cristina Falls is a natural power source so expect that you will not be able to swim your way near it ('cause the current is strong). Might as well enjoy the view of the majestic falls instead.

Next stop is Tinago Falls which is just a few minutes away from Maria Cristina. A parking fee will be necessary here and a guide fee per head, which includes a want-to-sawa rent of life vest. You will realize why it is called Tinago (means "hidden" in Tagalog) when you start traversing a long set of stairs down to the falls. Might as well come here with just light loads because it will be a huge effort to bring those up when you leave the place. Well, the scenery is worth the effort. Just take a look.

We spent most of our time here - cliff jumping all over, paddling around the falls, etc. Take a look at the preview of what awaits you here at Tinago Falls.

Next (and last stop) is Mimbalot Falls. This one has an adjacent mini-resort. Unlike Tinago Falls, you can't swim around this one. Also, the land area above the falls is already residential which diminishes the natural view of the scenery. you can have a better comfort room experience in Mimbalot compared to Tinago Falls. Just make sure you have someone around to wait for you while you are doing your thing since the restrooms are not that well exclusive (no ceiling and easy-to-barge doors). 

If you love peanuts, you can drop by at Cheding's Peanut Store and a variety of peanuts delicacies awaits you. A friendly tip: if you're looking for a ref magnet of Iligan, you find one here. :)

Due to APEC, our flight was moved to a later time so we had to stay the rest of the hours on the airport. Around 12 midnight, the night view of Manila welcomed us back to reality.

To sum up everything that I spent, here's a rough breakdown:

Activity	Amount (PHP)
Pre-Tour Expenses
Airfare	800
Tour fee	5531
Day 1: Cagayan de Oro
Lunch buffet by Red Rafts	200
Tip to Kuya Guide on rafting	50
Dinner at Boy Zugba	113
Day 2: Camiguin
Breakfast buffet at Checkpoint Food Place	150
Rent for snorkeling set	180
Candle at Camiguin Church Ruins	3
Entrance to Soda Pool	30
Dinner at Centrio	139
Day 3: Bukidnon
Breakfast at Chowking	106
Dahilayan Additional Fee	400
Dahilayan pictures	250
Lunch at Del Monte Clubhouse	225
Dinner at Sattae Grill	98
Day 4: Iligan
Pasalubong from Vjandep	701
Breakfast at Jollibee	80
Ma. Cristina Falls entrance	35
Tinago Falls entrance	50
Tinago Falls parking fee	20
Tinago Falls guide fee	50
Mimbalot Falls entrance fee	50
Lunch at Mang Inasal	109
Pasalubong at Chedeng's House of Peanuts	155
Dinner at Laguindingan Airport	50
Laguindingan Airport Fee	200
Total:	9775

If you're not the 'ma-pasalubong' type of traveler, you'll surely spend a smaller amount than the above. Since it's my first time in CCBI, I think it's not bad to do things that I want to experience and buy things that I want to have. Well, I must say, this CCBI trip made me feel that travelling cannot just make you escape reality, it makes you more motivated to face reality - the reality that working hard can get you to more places that are as good or even better than these.

This is your wanderlust Nicole. Till my next adventure. :)

Alpine Team Conquered Taal Volcano

Hi. It's been a while since I last posted here in my blog due to several reasons (work, bibliophily, travels, etc.) and now I felt like creating a new post. Well, I don't know if I still have my feature writing skills when I was in HS but I'll still give it a try. This is another travel-related post and I think the last time I posted one was when my Humanities II class went to Baguio.

Last October 10, my team in my current company travelled to Talisay, Batangas to trek the Taal Volcano. Well, the trip was made possible due to a teammate's request/curiosity to see the volcano's crater (Dante, if you'll be able to read this, thanks to you :D). This is also the first time I will be using my GoPro Hero 4 Silver Edition so pardon my pictures.

Group Picture (while we're still in a good condition..)

(credits to Dante Lopez for this picture)

We arrived at Calinisan Beach Resort in Laurel, Batangas around 10 in the morning. We chose this resort because of all those beside Taal Lake, they offer the cheapest boat ride (2000 for a boat that can load 10 persons) and they appear closest to the island (via GMaps).

After resting and changing to our trekking gears, we boarded on a boat and was set to arrive on the island after 30 mins. We were 14 by that time, and we use one boat only for the trip (I don't know if that's nice because we saved another 2000 to rent another boat or that's a bit dangerous since we're somehow overloaded. :D)

Alpine Team 

(credits to Kelvin Chan for the last two photos)

We arrived on the island around 11:30 in the morning, and Mr. Golden Sun is on his peak of brightness. I found myself unprepared since I didn't wear long sleeves and leg-length leggings to completely protect my skin from any tan lines, so please. Protect your skin. Wear sleeves and leggings. We had two local guides for the activity, one leading the trail and one sweeper. Some locals started offering us horse rides but since we still take pride in our skills, we continue trekking without them.

On the early part of the trail, you will be encountering a sandy land part. Again, I found myself unprepared because I chose to wear sandals (because they will consume less space in my bagpack) and the sand, scorching because of  sun exposure, kept on being stuck between my sandals and my feet which made me really uncomfortable. Please wear rubbershoes. One of our teammates already decided to take a horse ride while taking this part of the trail. After reaching the end of the sandy part, you will be able to see the view of the mainland and the Taal Lake.

And so the trek continues. The next part of the trail is the common grassy part. I recommend you pay attention while taking this part of the trail because I think this is a common path for those who trek and for those who took horse rides. A lot of horse dumps are in the trail so better not be in daze. You will also be encountering a gazebo in which the guides call the half-trail mark to the view deck of Taal. You can have access to water but it is not for consumption. I used some to relieve my head from the heat. The bottled water that I have brought is also empty, so bring extra money if ever you need to buy a drink (or rent a horse).

The trail continues to a part I hate the most, STAIRS.You can see the stairs from the half-trail gazebo and by that you can already tell how hard it is to climb them up. I was fine taking the steps at first, but suddenly felt dizzy halfway the stairs. Good thing a teammate provided me some sweets and I found my strength again. Maybe I was hungry by that time since it's already around 1 PM and I haven't eaten lunch. Bring sweets or light snacks to keep you charged while trekking. Another teammate of mine decided to take a horse ride since he also felt dizzy while climbing up. The other guides are recommending me to take a horse ride. I asked them if the view deck is still far from our current position and they said yes. Unfortunately, I insisted to get one because of my full-of-pride and competitive self. What I had in my mind by that time is that one horse ride could be my budget for one brand new paperback novel, so I should not take a horse ride. Forgive me.

I think it's a good thing that I didn't take the horse ride while climbing the stairs because minutes later, we already arrived to the view deck of Taal Volcano.

Some view deck pictures :)

We were lucky on the day of our hike because we were offered to go to the actual crater. According to our guides, Taal Volcano is at ease on that day. I have friend who trekked the volcano a week earlier and said that they were only allowed to reach the view deck and was prohibited to go to the crater since the volcano is on an alert level. They also experience gases/smokes coming out from some parts of the trail and they were told that those were dangerous. Point of advice: Consult some guides first regarding the volcano activity before taking the trek.

And since Taal is on a good mood that day, after taking a rest on the view deck, we started trekking again to Taal's crater. The trail to the crater is very steep so don't forget to keep your distance from each other. This is a downhill trail so reaching the crater is easy. Several minutes of trekking and we reached the crater! From the pictures below, you can notice that the water is a bit yellowy. This is due to the old boat docked in the shore that spreads rust in the water. Nevertheless, I found the view very nice and calming. Who would expect that from this scenic view came molten rocks and poisonous gases that killed 5000-6000 people years ago?

After savoring ourselves with the view of the crater, we started to trek back to the view deck. I found this part really torturing for my legs since this is a continuous assault. Remember not to be a bibo kid and always take some break or you'll end up passing out. Several minutes later we reached the view deck and started trailing back to the community area. I found it very rewarding to finish the trail without using a horse. Hurrah!

To relax ourselves from the very tiring trek, we have a two-hour swim in Calinisan Beach Resort after having a very late lunch. Tip: we can't order any meal here for a vegetarian (so he ended up eating hard boiled eggs :( ).

So that sums up our team's outing on Laurel, Batangas. I hope you learned some things in here if ever you are planning to take a tour on Taal Volcano. Thanks for reading :)

Ang Pagsablay at Pagtoga :))

(credits to Zone 5 for these photos. 

I hope I could still claim the frame and the hard copies)

After 4 years of studying hard, finally. I managed to graduate from UP. Looking back when I was in first year that I was still adapting to a new environment, when I was a sophomore I was always busy with machine problems and papers, when I was in third year cramming in health information systems, and up until recently as a fourth year whose time was spent on Special Problem (SP)-related activities.

I may not have graduated with honors, like I used to when I was in elementary and high school, but for me graduating on time was already enough, and what made me happy was that my parents understood the reason why. Someone asked me, "Anong feeling ng grumaduate ka ngayon ng wala kang medal?" I just answered her, "Meron akong medal ng honor and excellence. DI MO LANG NAKIKITA" :))

Here are some glimpses nung SUMABLAY at NAG-TOGA ako. :))

(credits to the owners of the following pictures..)

I will always keep these memories. <3

Acknowledgement Page

This is the actual acknowledgment portion of my final special problem document. Forgive me for those who helped me a lot that I forgot to mention in here. So, here it goes.. :)


Kung hindi naiba ang ihip ng hangin, dapat PolSci candidate for graduation na ako ngayon. No MPs, no time complexities and automata, and of course, no individual SP. But thanks to the scholarship that gave me the opportunity to be in the ComSci curriculum that I get to experience these things. Naiisip ko rin na kung hindi ako sa UP nag-aral, ano na kaya ako ngayon? But I can’t imagine
myself into any course or into any university anymore. Now, I’ll be the first from my family to graduate on UP. Finally, SASABLAY NA AKO!!

Sobrang daming gusto kong pasalamatan and I’ll try to squeeze them in dito. First and for most, super duper thank you kay Lord kasi He’s the one behind all of these. Salamat po sa wisdom, guidance and blessings na binibigay nyo sa akin everyday. I will sing forever of Your love, oh Lord.

Thank you to the members of the CryptDB users mailing list for helping me fix my bugs and installation problems. The developers are very responsive whenever I consult my application errors especially Mr. Aaron Burrow and Ms. Raluca Ada Popa. I pray for CryptDB’s improvements towards complete MySQL functionalities, to the developer’s success on MIT and IBM, and more power to all of you.

Nagpapasalamat din ako sa lahat ng tao behind DOST-SEI Scholarship for giving me the opportunity to study in UP na Php62.50 lang ang tuition ko. Nung lumabas po yung results ng DOST scholars at wala yung pangalan ko, kala ko po nawalan na ako ng opportunity, but then ang swerte ko po dahil isa po ako sa mga kinuha nyo additional scholars. Ipagpatuloy nyo lang po yung scholarship
program nyo dahil ang dami nyo po talagang natutulungan.

Syempre to my adviser, Sir Chua! Kahit po sobrang nakakapressure at parang nawalan po ako ng social network freedom, worth it naman po. Feeling ko po hindi naman po ako mappush na tapusin lahat on time if walang pong weekly consultations. Salamat po Sir kasi sakin nyo unang itinanong if gusto kong igrab tong topic na ito. Kahit sobrang nahirapan po ako sa pag-iinstall nung first sem,
tinulungan nyo po ako. Super thank you po talaga.

Sa mga kaclose ko sa ’09, Kuya Althom, Kuya Simon and Kuya Zach, thank you sa lahat ng advices, teachings and motivations. Sa lahat ng naging profs ko, salamat po sa lahat ng lessons and guidance para maipasa ko lahat ng subjects ko. Kudos.

Para sa mga pinakamamahal kong blockmates and batchmates Ate Hainah, Ate Mitch, Sherwin Skittles, Troyie, Rizza, Tay Jayvee, Nay Zee, Stepdad Kim, Master Jaye, Jerson, Jayrell Tuman, Pat Igit, Gee, Lejun, Joser, EJ, Aly, Sarah, Gera, Markbo, Kuya Gelo, salamat kasi ginawa nyong makulay ang bawat araw na pumapasok ako sa UPM. Salamat sa lahat ng kalokohan at katatawanan na naexperience ko kasama kayo.

To my best buddies Maris, Jezra and Liezl, Super thank you mga teh. Lagi kong ikkeep yung memories ng bawat pagtutulungan natin sa bawat MP, homework, pagrereview for exams pati sa kwentuhan tungkol sa personal lives natin, interests at problema. Para kay K-pop buddy Maris, salamat sa bawat maligayang kwentuhan natin at sa pag-influence mo sa akin na maging Shawol. Para kay LRT Buddy Jezra, super thank you dahil lagi mo akong minomotivate na kakayanin
kong matapos ’tong SP na ito on time. Para kay SP Buddy Liezls, salamat dahil ikaw yung lagi kong nakakasama sa SP, mula consultations hanggang defense. Congrats sa atin mga teh!

To my Bangko Sentral family thank you din po. Thank you Sir Erwin, Ma’am Heidi, Sir Bernie, and Ma’am Pia para sa pagtitiyaga sa akin sa buong internship ko. I look forward on working with you someday. Sa mga co-interns ko - Nj, Bryan, Diane, Sarah, Aaron, Claudine, and of course Jomar - salamat sa araw-araw na bonding natin. Dahil sa inyo, naenjoy ko talaga ang OJT ko. Salamat din dahil kahit na di na tayo nagkakausap-usap, andyan parin kayo para imotivate at icheer
ako na sabay-sabay din tayong gagraduate.

To Kuya Joel, Ate Myrna, Ate Nora, Ate Jeff, Ate Karen, Ate Shena, Ate Bige, Ate Arriane, Marco, Alia, Miah, Chay and the rest of the VDF Grand Choir, salamat sa prayers and motivations. To Ate Shena, super thank you sa pagbili ng HP laptop ko para makabili ako ng bago para sa SP na ’to. More success for you. To Father Rhody Cruz and Fr. Joey Cruz for those teachings and
prayers for my success, thank you.

Of course sa mga relatives ko. Kila Tita Millet, Tita Fellan, Tito Bhot and Uncle Toto na nagpatira sa akin sa mga bahay nila simula first year to third year, salamat po talaga. Sa mga pinsan ko sa C5 - Ate Kris, Moy, Jeyzel and Jaztine, salamat kasi sobrang bait nyo sa akin nung dun pa ako sa inyo nagsstay. Kila Lola Mely na nag-aasikaso sakin kapag wala nakong time na gumawa ng ibang
gawaing bahay dahil sobrang busy sa acads. Kila Tito Rheymond, Tito Alfred and Tito Joel na willing akong sunduin sa Pulong Buhangin, sa FVR, or sa Area E kapag wala si Daddy, salamat po. Kay Tito Paul and Rap-rap sa pagsama sa akin at pagiging bodyguards ko kailangang kong bumili ng laptop para sa SP. To Inang Elicia sa laging pagmmotivate sa akin at sa pagtitiwala sa kakayahan ko. To my Tita Louie and Tita Zeny and my cousins here in Bulacan - Asay, Lalay, Kit and Jocelle sa pagpapasaya sa akin everytime na sobrang stressed nako. To Sir Oscar, Ma’am Myra and Mohrelle Dizon, salamat po sa lahat ng tulong nyo sa pamilya namin. To my younger brother, Aldrin, na laging nagsasabi na kakayanin kong tapusin lahat ng projects, exams at SP, thank you. Salamat din sa pagiging Counter Strike, Battle Realms at DotA buddy ko.

To Daddy and Mommy, sobrang swerte ko kasi ako yung naging anak nyo. To Daddy, thank you kasi kahit ang higpit mo sa akin kahit noong bata pa ako, narealize ko na para rin pala yun sa ikabubuti ko. Di ka nagkulang ng pangaral sakin. Salamat sa araw-araw na pagsundo sa akin kasama si Mommy kahit 12 na ng hatinggabi ako susunduin, sa paghatid sa akin sa sakayan ng bus kahit malayo, maski sa araw-araw mong pagtatrabaho para masuportahan yung expenses ng pamilya natin. Wala akong masabi. Ikaw parin talaga ang role model ko. Para kay Mommy, salamat kasi super supportive mo talaga. Sa bawat contests nung elementary at high school ako, lagi kang nandyan para suportahan ako. Salamat kasi ikaw yung nag-asikaso lahat ng requirements ko for UPCAT at DOST scholarship exam at kasama rin kita nung mga araw na nag-take ako ng exams doon. Salamat din Mommy sa bawat paggising mo ng madaling araw para ipagtimpla ako ng cof-
fee at gisingin ako dahil hindi pa ako nakakapagreview or hindi pa ako gumagawa ng SP. Salamat sa bawat pagprepare ng breakfast at mainit na tubig sa akin kapag maaga ang class dahil konti lang yung itinulog ko. Salamat sa bawat paulit-ulit nyong pagtawag sa cellphone ko habang nasa byahe ako kasi baka nakatulog na ako sa bus at lumampas na naman ako ng bababaan ko. Salamat sa pagdamay nyo sa akin nung time na ayaw nang gumana ng CryptDB dahil nabago ko yung
configuration. MOMMY, DADDY, PARA SA INYO LAHAT NG ITO. LOVE NA LOVE KO PO KAYO. Kung dati kayo ang tumutulong sa akin, this time ako naman po ang tutulong sa inyo.

Lastly, para sa dalawa kong gwapong Lolo - Lolo Bernardo and Lolo Ruben, salamat po sa lahat ng mga naging pangaral nyo sa akin. Alam ko na kung nandito pa kayo, you’ll also be proud of me. I know that you’re in a better place right now and lagi lang kayong nasa tabi ko. Miss ko na po kayo.
Kapag naaalala ko bawat hirap ng byahe, pagod, puyat, at pag-iyak na naexperience ko, naiisip ko na ang dami ko narin palang nasakripisyo para dito. 

Bawat ups and downs na naranasan ko ngayong college life made me a stronger person than I was before. Kahit na mahirap at feeling ko di ko na kaya, I am glad to have people around me who are willing to lift me up to continue facing each day with a smile. 

Jaytee once said that success is measured by the depth of one’s happiness, gained from his achievements and the height of his contributions to humanity. It’s now time for me to give back to my family, to the university and to my country.

Now, another chapter of my life unfolds. Excited indeed!

How I Spent 2 months Of My life As An Intern

Hello. Just got home from my dad's companion's party and I enjoyed it because I had the chance to sing with the band. They asked me to join and jam with them some other time when I'm free. Well, I'd love to.

Well, I'm finally free from my internship program today! I finished 300 hours of duty in the company where I applied my skills that I obtained in the last three years of college, and that is The Central Bank of the Philippines which is commonly known as "Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)". I just want to write all the things that I experienced in the whole internship duration.

Before the internship period started, I was pretty worried where to be intern. A certain company in Ayala who promised a sure slot for me as an intern had a personnel problem that's why the slot is cancelled. Another company along EDSA which first planned to get interns as testers changed its mind and decided to call off the need for interns. Good thing, BSP contacted me through my resume that I passed to them on our campus' jobfair.

I started April 16 and was assigned to the IT department of the institution (I will no longer detail the company's structure because it's somehow confidential). In there I met some of the outgoing interns of the department. One of them is Kuya Kevin who appeared to be a famous guy over social networking sites because of an inspiring photo of him. Another one is Kuya Jelome, who is a good-looking guy but somehow lousy but funny to hang out with, and of course, the one I hanged out the most, Ate Joann. She is lively, fascinating to talk with and she is the one who guided me and my other co-interns the most in some policies and experiences that previous interns followed and remembered.

If there are outgoing interns, there are new ones. First to mention is Aaron and Diane. They started 2 days after I started reporting. They are in the same room as mine though the two of them are together in one development group and I was separated. We bonded together during lunch as Diane accompanies Aaron and I in the cafeteria after she ate with her Mom.

Next who arrived is Claudine. She's also from UP but from a different system, Los Banos, that's why I'm pressured. At first I thought maybe I will be compared to her especially when she finishes the assigned tasks immediately while I spend a lot time to accomplish it. But after I talked to her casually, I realized that I'm just pressuring myself. She's nice, really. :)

Next is line is Jomar. He started almost a week after my start day so let's say I'm one lesson ahead. He was assigned on the same group as I and we had the same supervisor. Well, I really wonder why but he is really fond of bullying me. Also, he deserve the early bird award for being most of the time the first one to log on the daily time record.

Some other new interns came namely Sarah, Bryan, NJ and "The Three Weirdos (Bernard, Daniel and I forgot the name of the other one)" because that's how Bryan addresses them. Well, Jomar appears to be having some hard time with the three weirdos because of that CR incident with Daniel. *GROSS*

Sometimes we went to the COOP (it's like a mini grocery) in the morning after we logged in to buy some food that we will consume until lunchtime. Recently, Jomar, Diane and I discovered a coffee vending machine in the 7th floor and a beverage vending machine in the Dept of Finance building. We also set out for Harrison Plaza, a mall in front of BSP, to print deliverables, to eat lunch, or  to spend time to avoid boredom. I really had fun with them. They made my circle of friends wider. We may have different personalities but when someone opens a topic, at least two persons will talk and share.

Internship will not be completed if there is an intern but there is no one who supervises him/her. That's when a supervisor come in place. I was assigned to Sir Erwin, who is a UP grad of Computer Engineering. He's good in Java and well-informed in JasperReports. He doesn't distant himself from his interns. He has this approachable aura that if you have a questions, feel free to ask me. But Sir Erwin, as much as possible, will not teach you how to accomplish the code. Search how to do it on Google then if you still can't do it, that's when the time he will help, because he believes that in real work, you higher ups will not teach you anything. You just have to learn and practice them on your own. Some other staffs that I know are Ma'am Heidi and Sir Bernie from the same development group. There was a time when one high-positioned employee will retire, the department prepared a special number based on Camp Rock. It's a good thing to see my supervisors and other staffs dance while wearing black rock outfits.

Before I left my workspace earlier, I looked at it around and saw many things that reminded me of my experiences in there - the contact number of the SITD ID Division for my most awaited Non-BSP ID, Sir Erwin's mineral water bottle that he left when he was checking my progress on Java servlets, scratch papers that I use to compute Aaron's total working hours, and the extra mouse that I use when I carry my laptop for database purposes. I found it hard to leave the desk and computer that I always use for two months already.

I really had fun in BSP and surprisingly, I found it to be my dream workplace someday. All I have to do now is to focus on the present so that I will be better for the future - someone suitable to work in the company who manufactures and regulates Philippine currency. :)

Well, it's time for SP(Special Problems) since it's a requirement for completion of my course. Must focus on it starting today. Till next time :)

To the Proudest Tatang Of All

Well, it’s been a while since I posted here, so maybe there is a reason why I posted this article. Actually, I have been keeping this thing for almost a week now. This is a sad story so I may not be good in conveying my grief and sorrow over this matter.

My grandfather Ruben, Mom’s “Tatang” (father), passed away last Wednesday, May 8, 2013. He died because of cardiac arrest. Today is his funeral service and my eyes are still aching after shedding all the tears that I can still shed.

His real name is Servillano Sampang Dela Cruz, or more commonly known as “Ka Ruben” because that’s how he was addressed by our neighbors and relatives. He was a farmer and it is really visible in his appearance. Well, he is industrious because he managed to make three out of his six children – three girls and three boys, finish their studies by just farming alone despite of hardships in life. One of them is my Tita Luisa, who suffered from polio when she is small. My mom’s cousins told me that when my Tita Luisa is attending her classes, my Lolo Ruben always carry her to and from school each and every day.

Well, I did not cry because of his kindness in my uncles and aunts, but with how he spent his life with me as his first grandchild. (I started crying again). It started May 8 in the morning. It was Wednesday so I have to leave 5:30 in the morning to enter to the office where I’m on duty as an intern. When I’m with my father riding in our motorcycle on our way to the terminal, I saw him beside the street. I smiled at him, but since our motorcycle passed swiftly, I did not even have the chance to see what his reaction is.

My day in the office started and ended normally so I logged out early. What surprised me is that travel time from office to the bus terminal is really short (because normally I’m stuck in the traffic) and an airconditioned bus is not that loaded with passengers when I arrived at the terminal (normally it would take me one hour to fall in line and wait for an airconditioned bus to arrive).  I was really happy that time because I will arrive in our house early. I even managed to sleep in the bus. One more kilometre left on where I will drop off, I was surprised because my dad is calling me using his Sun Cellular number eventhough I am using a Touch Mobile number so somehow I had an idea that this is something important. When I picked up my phone, he first asked my location and I told him that I’m almost in my drop off place. Then his tone changed followed by a phrase that I made sense that something really went wrong, “Nak, huwag kang mabibigla ha. Patay na ang tatang. (Child, do not be shocked. Your grandfather passed away already.)” Then I was suddenly speechless. In the morning he was standing firmly, without any previous disease he may suffer for, then he was dead by the night? When I got home, a jeepney is waiting for me. There loaded are my uncles and aunts, my mom and dad, my brother and cousins and my grandmother. All of them are teary-eyed except for my grandma who was bursting in tears. We all headed to the funeral service first to get an ambulance then went to the hospital to fetch his cadaver.

According to the doctors, he died of heat stroke due to severe heat that day. What broke my heart the most is seeing his body before he is going to be embalmed. I started calling him. I called his name again again. I called him thrice already. No answer. He’s no longer answering. My aunt Luisa kept waking him up, but he didn’t. My grandma burst in tears again.  He’s gone, yet I want to say a lot of things to him.

His funeral wake lasted for five days and that is how I witnessed how people loved my “Tatang”. Some people came that even my uncles and aunts do not even recognize at all. They all said that my grandfather was really a happy person because he always tells jokes to those people. Also, my grandfather is good in “pakikisama (social adaptation)”, that’s why many people knew him. He was always a simple guy. He’s just fine with t-shirt and shorts. He just dresses up when there is an occasion.

But I am something that my brother and cousins are not to him – I am his favorite grandchild. I started noticing it when I was in high school. Whenever he saw my brother and my cousins, he always tell them to stop what they are doing and instead do this particular thing, but when it comes to me, he always compliments what I’m doing, even I’m playing in the computer he thought that I was studying. He was always proud of me. He tells my achievement and what he calls as “my bright future” to our relatives. When he is having coffee in the morning, he always tells me jokes and inspirational stories that he picked up from the television. We even watch Face-to-face when I do not have classes during weekdays. I always wanted him to share meals with us because sometimes he dines late when grandma went to sell goods in the market.

I want him to be present in my graduation day. I want to celebrate with him as I being first in our family to graduate in UP. I wanted to treat him and my grandma and dine in restaurants when I get a stable job someday. I want him to ride in my dream car once I’ll be able to buy it. I want him to meet my future husband and my future kids. I want them to know that I have an amazing “Tatang”.

I know he is in a better and safer place now. He did not suffer from any tests or operation. I think this is a better way for my “Tatang”.  I know someday I’ll be able to meet him again. By this time, I just have to swear that I’ll bear his surname as my middle name longer than the usual and I will do my best to achieve my dreams.

I love you Tatang. We’ll miss you.