Dad's in a better place now

He stayed the same way from the last time I saw him and from the last time we went to the mall together. He was strong and care-free.

One of the meeting de avanses my dad
attended during his last campaign in
2016. This was one his
remaining days alive,
being with our kabaleyans.

The scenario started inside the mall. My mom and I together with my dad were doing our grocery together. As usual, he goes on his own picking various items while I push the grocery cart together with my mom. When mom asked about his whereabouts, I told her that he was buying various tools for his cars. He was wearing his usual shirt and shorts with rubber shoes.

GOING HOME. The second scene when I was driving my mom going home using a motorcyle while my dad decided to drive the van with our groceries. We were stocked in traffic so we decided to go back to dad and ride the van.

STAYING FOR GOOD. The next scene was inside a house I've never seen before. It was like a rest house near the beach. Dad was there. We were convincing him to go home with us. He refused. He said that he has already made his promise to stay in the said house. I told him that he was unfair. I told him he should also take care of his grandchildren the way he took care of my sister's children. He smiled. 

For the first time this year, I dreamt about daddy. He talked to me in that dream.

I woke up sobbing. I never expected that dad will be in my dream, more than a year after his death. 

If there is a message out of this dream that would be his assurance that he is in a better place now. He remains to be in my heart and will always be.

My dad carrying my eldest daughter
 Lyrin during our last Christmas together
 in 2015.

What's up

I received a private message on my Facebook page from a senior Communications student Kerzly yesterday. Kerzly, who is a resident of Barangay Salaan here in Mangaldan asked information about the groundbreaking ceremony of the Public Market facade which happened last Monday. She said that she needed it for her online journalism class. I referred the OIC-Market Supervisor Mr. Bong Rivera to her. 

Kerzly's message echoes a longing for writing to me. This made me miss my college days when we also get to write our blogs entries which made me create this blog. I took elective classes focused on online media under Dr. Data Canlas wherein we created the UP Cyber Nomads. 

As I browse this blog, I noticed that the last entry was posted two years ago. I was planning to create another site but I do not want my previous entries or memories here be deleted and wasted. So, with diligence I pray that I could be able to maintain this blog wherein I could share my stories and journey as a young legislator fuelled by passion and advocacies. 

This photo was taken during the 

Committee Meeting of the Provincial 

Board with some LGU Mangaldan officials 

earlier this year. 

Renascent

Two years ago, I  wrote my last blog entry.

I must admit that I missed blogging- which I consider as an avenue for sharing my thoughts and expressing my emotions on various topics through the art of writing. However, the daily grind of work as a broadcast journalist and family responsibilities as a father should not be a hindrance to me in pursuing my love for writing, So today, I am renewing my vow to write again on this blog site.

Perks of writing.  I believe that one of the perks of writing is that one could harness his abilities to orderly arrange his thoughts and putting it to words. Moreover, one could also enrich his vocabulary by incorporating terminologies new to him and applying those words on sentences that he uses.

Giving birth to ideas. One of my friends who is a writer (who actually published a book on his own) said that writing gives opportunities for new ideas to be conceptualized, or shortly, to be born. I think this is true because one could also challenge a debate on a particular post if a reader finds the article confusing or questionable. That is aside from sharing information to readers on a particular topic or idea.

Moving forward. From this day on, this blog will not just be about thoughts or random rants that I encounter to just express my frustrations but will also be an avenue to inspire people. I will share unique and unforgettable experiences that I encounter while gathering news on the field where I meet people of different background and struggles.

Untold stories. This blog, I hope, will also be an avenue to share inspiring stories that are untold in a one-minuter news story package.

     

Gardening Day

Yesterday dad and mom woke us up to accompany them buy new plants for our mini garden at home. Daddy drove the car, mommy sat on the passenger's seat, and Lyle and I sat on the backseat of Navara. 

We navigated the town of Laoac since daddy does not know the exact location where we were heading. So he had to go down the car and ask some residents. 

Thank God we didn't get lost and found the place after minutes of driving.

Dad and mom immediately searched for plants they preferred. I, too, looked for ornamentals which could be placed inside the house.

It's sad for me not to know the names of the plants we bought. But one plant stocked in my memory. It's the little plant named Dollar or Welcome Plant. I bought three of these plants and placed in our sala.

The pick up was full with ornamentals we bought.

When you get so stressed out, gardening can be a relaxing therapy to destress. Plus, the bonding moment you get to have with your family. I love off-duty Saturdays!

I can't wait for December

I fell in love with the month of December since I was young. I don't know why. Maybe because it's the "happiest month" of the year. Or maybe because a lot of people are happy during the month due to the bonuses they get.

But this year- 2013,  marks my being a father, and it's due in December. Well, Lyle's due is in December, and I'm the excited father-to-be! Hoping for everyone's prayers for us and for our little baby.

The photo shows our little angel's 5th-month ultrasound image. We still cannot determine the sex of the baby since he/she was facing down when the doctor checked him/her.

Being a news reporter

Four months. This is how long I have been in the broadcast industry as a news reporter in ABS-CBN's Regional Network Group Dagupan. I started in May this year and I am enjoying searching for the hottest and latest news and current events in North Central Luzon. Aside from the fact that you witness history unfold as it happens, you also get the chance to meet new people from different walks of life.

My most unforgettable news athering week so far is my night patrol duty. When I was tasked to roam around different polica stations at night for our morning news program, Bagong Umaga Bagong Balita, and of course for TV Patrol.

I believe that being a broadcast journalist is also being a public servant. This is because you mainly serve the people, and that you are obliged to give them news and information that they need. And that you to ensure that the news is balanced, fair, and objective.

"Kasama ang principal, ilang guro, at ilang estudyante ng isa sa mga Eco-friendly

na paaralan sa buong Region One, ang Carael Elementary School." 

Twists in Life

I will be a father this year!

Twists come in life when you are not expecting them. Twist in such a way that when my girlfriend and I were preparing for another phase of our career then all of a sudden we learned that we're going to have a baby. Twist, also, in a way that when we are supposed to prepare our body for our baby then all of a sudden there's the baby in her body.  

I am excited. We are excited. Hoping for more twists in our lives together as father and mother to our baby.

Feelings when you do not blog

It has been a long time- five months to be exact, since the last time I posted here on my blog. Then upon waking up this morning I just realized that I have been so selfish about some of my thoughts because I am not sharing them to anyone such as to the readers of my blog.

There are feelings that a blogger feels when he or she is not blogging, according to my self-centered monitoring scheme. Such feelings include sadness. A blogger feels sad whenever he has an idea that he should have blogged but he didn't. Sadness, due to the fact that he cannot share his ideas to his readers. There is this scenario that when a blogger feels an urge to post something and because he cannot do so he feels exhausted and sad all at the same time. Blogging is like an extension of one's self already and that even a single and short post can put a smile to a blogger's face already.

I don't know if this is also felt by some blogger because as of now this is what I am feeling. Sadness due to inability to blog anymore due to time constraint. Other social media platform such as Facebook and the micro blogging site Twitter serve as a blogger's resort when he or she cannot blog.

What other feelings do you feel when you do not blog? Share it here now.