All were years of studying and hospital duty but I can say they were many exciting experiences I had. One of them was when I was assigned to do volunteer work when a killer earthquake struck the country bringing down lots of buildings to the ground. I was assigned in Ruby Tower in downtown Manila. As a student nurse, I didn't know I would be able to withstand the smell of the thousands of decaying bodies but I am proud to say that I did not give up just like my other classmates. When I got home that night, I realized I had to continue delivering the necessary care for the survivors that they extracated from the rubbles.

Another one was when I was assigned also as a student nurse in the Leper Colony in Culion, Palawan. Initially when I was informed that I was to join this group and not the group that was assigned to go Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines, I cried. I tried giving my mentors all the excuses but it fell on deaf ears. After a week of my duty in Culion, with proper precaution, I started enjoying not only the beautiful place but more this group of lepers. After 3 months of stay with them, I felt so fulfilled and sad to leave them behind.

And lastly as a registered young nurse, I was privileged to be called to duty at midnight to take care of the Former Senator Jovito Salonga who was being transferred to the ICU. He had to undergo 7 major surgeries after he was hit by shrapnels from a series of bombings earlier that night in Plaza Miranda when he with several other senators were all gathered on a stage waiting for their turn to deliver their campaign speech. I took care of him for months and when he finally left for home, I felt so honored to have been part of the team that brought him back to normal. Up to this present time, Senator Salonga who is now in his 80's still serves as a consultant/adviser to many politicians.

At that time, taking pictures was not that easy just like nowadays so all I have with me now are unforgettable stories that fill up my memory bank.

This photo shows how the cars in a vacant lot looked after Mt. Pinatubo erupted 17 years ago. I was staying a hundred kilometers away from the volcano so I didn't hear or feel the eruption. All I experienced was darkness at around past 3 in the afternoon but I just thought it was going to rain very hard that afternoon since there was a typhoon somewhere in the north. I did not catch the breaking news on tv because I was doing some household chores. It was later in the evening while I was preparing dinner that I noticed the top of the dinning table to be full of dust. I looked around the living room and all the furnitures had dust all over them. I went out of the house and it was then that I realized that something was wrong because the car, the plants and the grass was all covered with dust. I rushed to the tv to check what was going on and it was there that reports came one after the other about the most violent eruption of the 20th century. I couldn't do anything much since it was very dark so I just closed all the windows of the house to prevent ashes from coming in and when morning came, I was so shocked to see the thick ashfall all over the house and my surroundings. My hubby was out of town at that time so I only had my dad and a nephew clearing the ashfall from the roof to the ground. It took them all day to gather them in a big mound in front of our house.

This place was where all the action took place during World War II.
A few years ago, my family visited Corregidor Island, the last
stronghold of the joint Philippine and American military prior to the
Japanese takeover during the war. One of the historical places
in the island was MALINTA TUNNEL.

Taken during one of my piano recitals. I'm the
cute 6 year old girl on the right-front row.

There were two other things I was doing as a child other than playing and studying. These were attending ballet and piano lessons. Ballet lessons were every Saturday while piano lessons were every Sunday. For piano lessons, I was made to practice at least an hour everyday during school week and two hours everyday during the summer break. During those years, I didn't like playing the piano because it ate up a lot of my playing time but I had no choice. I started studying piano when I was four years old and I performed in many recitals until I reached high school. Because I did not put my heart into it, I did not become a professional pianist. I enjoyed instead playing the guitar which I now regret very much.

All those years I was performing, there were many memorable events but there is one that I find the most memorable. It was during a recital when I was 5 years old. In the middle of my performance, I forgot my piece. I turned my head towards the audience and started scratching my head . Since I could no longer proceed, I stood up and bowed my head and as I was about to exit the stage, I suddenly remembered what keys to hit so I rushed back to the piano to finish my performance. That night, I became the most applauded performer despite the embarassing situation.

A Tribute to a Loving Father

July 5, 1910 - January 7, 2002

Daddy, you were a good man. You worked harder than anyone should have to, in order for us to have all the things we needed, and sometimes the things we only wanted. You had a kind and generous spirit. Your heart stretched wide enough to surround all of your children as well as your grandchildren and great-grandchild, helping us to feel safe and secure, knowing how deeply you loved us. You earned our respect, and gave us your respect in return.

We all knew you were a man of few words, but when you did speak, we listened. We recognized your profound wisdom, and your wonderfully simple approach to life. Family was important to you, and you have passed that value on to all of your children.

Words cannot express how much I miss you! Up to this day, I still feel the pain of your loss even if I know that you are up there looking down over me everyday. As the days go by it gets a little easier but it is days like birthdays and Christmas that challenges me the most.

I wonder if these days will ever get easier. I will always think about you and how much you helped me all the years we had together. I will cherish those times for ever more.

There will always be a very special place in my heart for you. You were the most caring and thoughtful man known to many and will never be forgotten. You made me proud Dad. I miss you everyday.

This is really cute!!

Don't eat chicken sandwiches, no matter what....

A little boy and a little girl attended the same school and became friends. Every day they would sit together to eat their lunch. They discovered that they both brought chicken sandwiches every day! This went on all through the fourth and fifth grades, until one day he noticed that her sandwich wasn't a chicken sandwich.

He said, "Hey, how come you're not eating chicken, don't you like it anymore?" She said "I love it but I have to stop eating it." Why?" he asked.

She said "Oh, my God, it's too late for you! You've already got the neck and the gizzards!!!