Campaign Manager and the Miting de Avance

Angel was chosen as a campaign manager of one of the parties in her class in Grade 1 at St. Scholastica's College: the Party of Students with Good Manners (PSGM).

During the Miting de Avance, she had to introduce their party candidates for Class Leader, Assistant Class Leader and Class Representative. She also presented their party platform as well as introduced their class jingle participated in by the candidates, some of her classmates and her.

Angel's mom and I had to skip office just to watch her first political speech, ha ha ha. Anyway, the miting de avance, which was originally scheduled to start at 9 AM actually began at 9:30. As we had to report to work, we excused ourselves from the miting right after their party's presentation.

We will try to include a short video of the miting de avance once we had downloaded the video from the camera.

Angel is now a Kulasa

Angel finally goes to a big school, St. Scholastica's College (SSC) in Manila. On June 9, 2008, Tuesday, we woke up very early (5 am) to prepare for her fiirst day of school since the school bus service told us that she will be picked up at around 5:45 am. We hurried up to dress her up and serve her breakfast.

At 5:30, we were already in the garden waiting for her school bus only to find out later in the circular issued by SSC that classes for Grade 1 will start on 11 June 2008, Thursday.

So, we told her to change clothes and get back to bed. She was mad at her mom and me because she said she was so embarassed as she had already said goodbye to her cousin that day.

Trip to the Bird's Nest (El Nido, Palawan)

We had planned to go to El Nido ever since we visited Puerto Princesa about 2 years ago. So it was good news when our office announced that we will be going there and that we can take along immediate families (of course at their own expense).

Our office was able to get a round trip fare for around P4,000 each: via Cebu Pacific going to Puerto Princesa and via Superferry returning to Manila. The entire trip would take 6 days which includes the trip via the Superferry that will take more than 24 hours.

boarding our flight to palawan

Kiddie Crew Angel

Angel joined the Kiddie Crew program of McDonald's in Quezon Avenue, Quezon City, which is just across our office. She will be going to the fastfood restaurant for 2 hours each day for one week. She will be joining the fifth batch scheduled for May 5 - 9, 2008.

Unfortunately, we will be in Palawan from April 30 - May 5. So, we made arrangements that she attends the 1st day of the 4th batch, April 28 and the rest of the days after we return from our holidays.

According to the orientation she attended for the program, the kiddie crew will be assigned to different posts like the drive thru counter, receiving area and the counter where they will be taking orders. There is a graduation on the last day but her mother and I won't be able to attend it because I have to attend an official function in Ermita, Manila, while her mom works quite a distance: Pasay City.

Anyway, I will try to ask someone from our office to take Angel to the graduation and take pictures. Will try to post it afterwards.

Viernes Santo

Good Friday, or Viernes Santo, is one of the days which my wife dreads whenever we stay in Pangil, Laguna during Holy Week, which she labels as the "Penitencia" Capital of Laguna owing to the number of men (and sometimes women) performing the rites.

"Penitencia" or penitence is the act of hitting oneself with a "panghampas" consisting of wooden pegs attached to a rope and hitting the bloodied back from side to side.

People try to avoid the penitents walking along the roads not out of fear but to avoid the penitents' blood from staining their clothes and since the odor of the drying blood is not really good.

The ritual is performed apparently as a "panata" or promise for an answered prayer or to atone for one's sins. The Catholic church frowns upon the said ritual. Bishop Iniguez, of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said that devotees should go beyond such practices and adds that what is important is to carry one’s daily cross and face challenges of life in faith and guided by God’s grace. (http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-03-23&sec=4&aid=53459)