Christmas Outreach for the Victims of Sendong

Because of the Tragedy which happened midnight of December 17, 2011, Butter (Barkada name) and CDO-ASSET (Cagayan de Oro Alliance of Students Supporting the Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow) organized an outreach.

BUTTER GOES TO BALULANG December 20, 2011

4:00-6:00

My day started early since I still have to attend Simbang Gabi at Xavier University Chapel. After the mass, I immediately went home to change outfit and prepare some stuffs, then immediately headed to Carmen market to meet Cals and to buy stuffs.

6:00-7:00

At Carmen market, we bought ingredients for the food we plan to cook – we planned to give them cooked food and packed water since those were the immediate needs of the victims.

After buying, we cooked the food at Cala-anan – our place.

8:00-1:30

Slice. Cut. Chop. Cook. Pack. We finished preparing everything around 1:30pm. Eph was also there to help us.

We then headed to Nazareth, where we all should meet with Brogy and Ganz. Along the way we picked up Nhaia to assist us.

2:30-4:00

After preparing everything and loading all our goods, we set off to Balulang.

As we enter Balulang, you can already see how devastating the place was. You can see the river side.

Here are some images I got from the net. 

I wasn’t able to take note which part of Balulang we gave out the foods we prepared. We were able to give out more than 120 units of packed food and almost 200 units of packed water.

We left the clothes we got by the chapel of Balulang, where there were volunteers. We entrusted our clothes to them that it will reach the victims.

It really feels nice to help others, most specially strangers. You don’t know them, they don’t know you. And it really pays the hard work if they appreciated your act.

I got home, very exhausted. I slept and woke up the next day.

The following day, I realized it was a whole day without eating breakfast, lunch and dinner.

CDO-ASSET GOES TO CONSOLACION December 21, 2011

4:00-6:00

Simbang Gabi then went home.

I waited for Ghai’s message since there was no final coordination the previous night.  

9:00-10:00

I had breakfast with Ghai at Tapsi Time, Dvsoria. Went back home to change clothes and get some stuffs, then to Carmen market.

10:00-12:00

Bought more stuffs. Waited for Binz and Romz. Cala-anan. Lunch.

12:30-6:30

Slice. Cut. Chop. Cook. Pack. It was already getting dark so we already lit the candles we had. Good thing my cousin, together with her friend was there to help us.

7:00-8:30

Giving out of goods. We passed by group of victims, lying by the street across Maxi’s – so we stopped to give them food. They even asked for water.

Our second stop was in front UCCP, for the victims staying under the flyover.

We also drove by in Consolacion and under the bridge.

8:45-9:30

Was at Park Café to get some air. Incidentally met some friends – sturya-sturya dayon sa mga stories/experiences.

The experience was very rewarding. The feeling that you were able to help in own simple ways was very fulfilling. I hope somehow the victims had a “little” sense of “merry” Christmas – though I know it wouldn’t be merry after all.

--- until my next post. follow me https://twitter.com/#!/jarugaslag

Proctoring the Nursing Board Exam

It was last December 18-19, 2011 when aspiring Nurses took their Board Exam. I was invited to proctor at SAC Bldg Liceo de Cagayan together with my friends Brogy and Ganz.

Last Wednesday, December 14, 2011 was our schedule for Briefing at PRC. The SOPs were very tedious. Lots of things to remember and lots to fill up. I got “information overload” one the first half of the briefing. The other half, just pretended I understood so we can go out the room and have some air. The briefing lasted for almost an hour. We ended beyond 6pm.

Saturday before the board exams, Bagyong Sendong (Washi) hit CdeO and some board takers were affected by the flashflood. Some of them took the exam, while the others didn’t.

The first day was tiresome. Many blanks to fill up and you have to guide the examinees correctly. Everybody started on together and on time.

8:00am marks the start of the exam up until 10:00am. 2 hours of nothing to do but to stare at the door/window, at the prettiest girl in the room and a lil chitchat with you partner proctor.

What bothered me while proctoring were those examinees that were flooded. Even without uniforms, and other papers (OR, NOA, etc) they came to take the exam. This sight bothered me the whole day.

The schedules were 8:00-10:00, 11:30-1:30 then 2:30-4:30.

We used the break time as eating time – late breakfast at 10, then late lunch at 1:30.

The second day was easy. We just have to check very minimal things (as compared to the first day), then wait for the exam booklets to arrive.

The schedules were 8:00-10:00 and 11:30-1:30 only.

Second day means new room to proctor. Still there were examinees who were victims if the flood.

After the last subject and receiving our pay, we didn’t get out the campus. Instead we greeted some of our nursing friends, had a lil talk, some fist-bumps, high-fives, and picture taking.

Paula B, Me, Brogy, Ganz, Cals, Pao Ang

The experience was great! Examinees (obviously) older than me [us] call me [us] “Sir[s].”

--- until my next post. follow me https://twitter.com/#!/jarugaslag

December 17, 2011 - HELP CDO

I was in Xavier Heights from a Christmas Party. Well it was a candlelight party because there was no electricity and signal. I know I needed to go home but I got anxious of the very heavy rain and strong winds.

Past 2am when the rain slowed down but the electricity is still out (whole city) and so we decided to go home with some of my friends – the other stayed overnight.

As I reached the vicinity of SM, the road was very messy – some trees fell and many twigs scattered all over the road.

Near Pryze Plaza where many ads were posted, now were like torn papers.

2 of my passengers asked me to drop them at XU Campus, and so  decided to take the new bridge. As we were passing, there were a lot of people running all over – I just realized, they were hit by the flood. I wasn’t able to take pictures, but the image is still fresh in my mind. Many vehicles parked by the bridge - ambulances, trucks, motors; many people helping each other. And to my surprise, the flood reached the floor of the bridge (there was this part where it overlapped the bridge).

I wasn't able to pass, so I went back and tried Carmen Bridge. While passing the bridge, you can see the flood, also by the floor of the bridge. 

Dvsoria was so dark that even with my car’s head lights, I can barely see my surroundings. It was also my  first time to see Pabayo St flooded.

2 of my friends (passengers) dropped at XU and 2 more to be dropped at NHA and RER.

Passing through Velez, I could see people all over the street, especially in near DXCC, NMMC and Sabal Hospital were flooded and I thought I couldn’t pass by the flood.

As I reached the Marcos Bridge, I parked went out the van and checked the flood. Crap! People were already on the roof, there was even a man on the other sided shouted “naay bata oh…!!” (“There’s a kid here…!!”) – pointing on the flood. I got back in the van because it was really very teeming – people were everywhere.

In my mind I was thinking I really need to go home and see how’s my family doing. I dropped the other 2 at their place and headed straight back home.

On my way home, I was already on the streets of Kauswagan I saw people standing by the sidelines – People near Kong Hua, Water District, Pasil, soaking wet. They were also hit by the flood.

Thank God our home was not flooded – though a tree fell on our fence and the antenna of our radio got bent.

The images I saw while going home kept flashing back in my head. It really gave me Goosebumps.

Here are some links to check: [1] [2] [3] [4]

Many died; many lost their loved ones and houses. I hope many will also help. Let us help CDO.

--- until my next post. follow me https://twitter.com/#!/jarugaslag

Unexpected Christmas Gift

Today I got a new dog. She’s a half Terrier and half I-forgot. ehehe.

Her name is Chiqui. 

I didn't expect to have a dog this December, I didn't even ask for one. Well, I guess this is what Christmas is about, receiving unexpected gifts. :)

Thank you Auntie Sario. Merry Christmas. 

--- until my next post. follow me https://twitter.com/#!/jarugaslag

Flashback. Pause. Playback.

It was a cold evening. I was doing my cousin’s project. I got bored. I stopped and watched movie instead.

I watched The Smurfs. To be honest I downloaded this video because a friend of mine told me that Niel Patrick Harris or Barney Stinson is part of it – I just like the way he acts.

The movie was “cute.”  Nothing was really bothering until the end of the movie. The couple had a son and they named it BLUE.

What’s bothering? The name of their son was.

the flashback...

I remember way back high school, I had a girlfriend. I gave her a figurine of a baby, colored blue, and to cut the long story short… she named it BLUE.

After the movie, I didn’t mind it. Until a friend of mine told me she read all my poems posted in FB. I checked it and saw that those poems were for my high school sweetheart.

I read the poems and the comments in it. And there goes the playback. 

It's been more than 3 years now...

but...

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Lost

11:48pm -- 12/5/11 -- Monday

My whole life I never lost my sight to what I want in life – and that is to be rich and inspire people. Now, I’m broke. No job. No girlfriend. No absolute future plans.

What do I do nowadays? Wake up in the morning, break some sweat, surf the net, watch tv/dvd, do some household chores, sleep. Well I get to participate on some meeting of my old organizations – which made me realize I am lost.

Yes I get to help the current officers of my past orgs, but then I feel I don’t have enough credibility. I try to keep them inspired, keep them moving, keep them doing what is expected from them. But who am I? I am nobody now.

I want a lot of things, but what am I doing to have them – nothing!

I don’t want to be employed again. I wanna do business but don’t have any capital yet. I wanna go schooling again, but it’ll still be by June 2012 – what to do for the next 6 months?

I can’t remember what happened and why is this happening to me right now. I lost my ideals, my passion, my fuel, my life.

I feel very useless now. I am doing nothing of what I really want. I am earning nothing. I hope to end this self pity, because I am not like this. This is not me.

I hope to find myself soon. Regain my vision in life. Realize my passion. 

--- until my next post. follow me https://twitter.com/#!/jarugaslag