The Charmed Spirit

Five years after, I still can't. I guess it will always be hard to write about something that's very close to one's heart. With that said, the list below is just a lame attempt to summarize how joining JVP has changed my life.


- I met my batchmates and formed a special kind of bond with them. I will always be grateful for our friendship. Nobody else understands my passion for development work and my "search for meaning" better than they do. After all these years, we still draw strength from one another (bordering on clingy) during challenging times. And we still travel together!

The last time JVP Batch 29 was complete (Bohol, April 2009)

- Being pulled out from the first community I was assigned to has its ups and downs, but I'd like to focus on the good side -- having two different provinces I can consider home away from home, being exposed to two different cultures, and meeting more friends. It was also nice to have experienced different jobs. I was a government employee/youth organizer in Sarangani, and a (home study) teacher in Nueva Ecija.

- It felt like I learned more during my volunteer year than in all my college years combined. I believe the communities I served have done more for me than I for them. They taught me to be patient, accepting, appreciative, and loving, among others. They taught me to value the simple things in life. They sort of broke my idealism, but let's not dwell on that. Haha. Oh, I also learned a new language.

- I got to know myself better. For roughly a year, I was totally independent. Being detached from technology and my fast-paced life back home, I had so much time in my hands to reflect. Processing my thoughts and feelings was a default hobby. It was not an easy year what with all the struggles I encountered, but I had to suck it up and be strong. I doubted myself several times, but I loved myself more -- and eventually the people around me -- at the end of it all.

It's been roughly five years since I've made one of the best life-changing decisions ever -- joining JVP.


Happy 5th anniversary, Batch 29!

I will blog more about this (and go back to blogging in general) after June 1. Promise!

My work entails regularly going on field to conduct trainings, researches, and mentoring, among others. Out of these services that our organization offers, doing research is my favorite. I love going to communities, hearing different stories, witnessing various cultures, and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. I also love practicing my Cebuano when we're in a Cebuano-speaking province, or learning new languages even just a phrase or two when we're not.

My first time in ARMM

My friends and I went to my JVP area, GK Soledad in San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, last weekend. It's been a long time since I last visited them. A lot of things have changed.



Before I left the village four years ago, I remember attending the high school graduation of four SIGA (youth group) girls. Just last month, two of them graduated in college, with one marching as cum laude. Ang galing! The other two, unfortunately, had to quit school due to teen pregnancy. All I could do was shake my head until it hurt when I heard this and other sad updates, which I'd rather not write about.

The kids I used to babysit and play with are no longer kids! Well they still are, but they seemed to grow up so fast. I missed them!



Our main agenda for the day was to discuss the story of Albert and Angelica. Basically we need to raise more funds, mostly for Albert's allowance, and possibly board and lodging, should we decide to move him to the campus dorm. Working as student assistant and traveling to and from school eat up the time and energy he could otherwise spend studying and doing his projects.

We are on the lookout for more sponsors. Please message me if you are interested. We are just waiting for exam results -- course qualifying exam for Albert and YS8 achievement tests for Angelica -- before we take our next steps.

In other news, I'm going to visit Kiamba, Sarangani, my other JVP area, next weekend. Another homecoming!

I fell asleep last night without meaning to. I can't remember how I ended up hitting the sack early, which means I wasn't able to study, so I was a bit disoriented when I woke up.

All I remember was that I almost booked my next solo trip, but I couldn't make up my mind on the dates and destination. So to get it over and done with, the first thing I did this morning was book my flights. I got roundtrip tickets for only PhP1,600++. Quite a steal, huh? Although I still miss the times, three years ago, when I could score roundtrip flights for only PhP600. Para ka lang nag-taxi!

I want to do some serious strategic planning by myself and for myself this coming June, after my exam and in time for my birthday month. Hence, the decision to travel alone.

It wasn't intentional, but I'm going to Panay Island again. My first solo trip was in Iloilo-Guimaras, now it will be in Capiz and Antique (plus a sidetrip to Boracay, if time permits). Those two provinces are yet to be ticked off my province checklist, and luckily, I chanced upon a seat sale.

While blog-hopping and reading sample itineraries, I came across Lakbayan's "How Much of the Philippines Have You Visited?" online quiz. What's cool about this is it automatically generates a Philippine map marking all the places you've traveled. I already answered this before, and I think the grade I got was B. Now I'm a B+!

I am NOT a morning person. Whenever I can, usually on weekends, I sleep through the morning and not wake up until lunch time. And by lunch time, I don't always mean 12 noon. It can be much later. You'd be surprised at how long I could stay in bed.

The problem with my work being flexible is that I am not motivated to go to the office early. I usually start a little before 12 noon, and finish late at night. Often I work until the wee hours of the morning, because for some reason, my productivity always kicks in at ungodly hours.

I realized last night that I have exactly two months before my next CFA exam. If I want to have some serious progress, I need to follow a strict schedule. I would like to try being a morning person -- at least for the next two months. (But if the habit sticks even after that, I won't complain.)

I woke up at 6AM today and I feel good! I cooked breakfast, checked Twitter/Instagram, and now I'm blogging. I want to get my social media fix early in the day and hopefully not allow it to interfere later. I will start work at 9AM and finish by 5PM. Sharp.

This tweet from Cherryl Si, which she sent to me last year when I was reviewing for the first level, has always been in my favorites so I won't forget:

"Getting out of work is a decision! Pack your bags and leave!!! NOW!!!!!!!! :D :D"

I googled 'how to be a morning person' earlier, and I came across a Wikihow article with helpful tips and cute illustrations. My favorite among the list is "put on upbeat music and dance to it a little."

Wooohoooo, let's do this!

Thanks to Chuvaness, I discovered Fab After 40 by Chinie Diaz. It's my new favorite blog, ergo, a blog that I would back-read until its very first entry. I love that she incorporates adorable and humorous doodles in her posts. It inspired me to also doodle my thoughts, especially when words seem not enough -- only problem is I don't know how to draw. What ever happened to the summer art workshops I joined when I was a kid? So maybe I'll just keep my doodles to myself instead of posting them on my blog.

5 levels of burnout by Jesse Lynn Hanley, MD; Artwork by Chinie Diaz

Albert and Angelica are siblings. Albert is older by about five years, but I used to teach them in the same alternative class in Nueva Ecija. It's a home study program leading to a high school diploma* for students who couldn't afford to go to regular schools. I've always had high hopes for both of them because they're both smart and hard-working.

Last year, her mentors thought it best to move Angelica to Manila, to a dorm much closer to her school, so she could finish her home study program faster. When I went to her last Parent-Teacher Conference as her guardian, her teacher told me that Angelica is performing well academically. A couple of weeks ago, Angelica informed me that she moved up another level, proving that studying in Manila has indeed helped her advance faster. Sadly, I received word just now that we might have to move her back to Nueva Ecija. We can no longer afford her dorm fees, and the dorm supervisors could not find a scholarship for her.

On the other hand, Albert is now on his first year of college. He's working as a student assistant in his college's library so his tuition fees are waived. Albert needs PhP150/day allowance (PhP900/week, including Saturday classes) for transportation and food. When I was still his teacher, I would often ask Albert to help me teach the younger kids and he'll patiently oblige. He's currently taking up Education, and I do think he'll make a great teacher, hopefully in the near future.

Angelica and Albert with their younger brother (August 2009)

We're thinking of more sustainable ways to assist them, but for the meantime, I'm resorting to this simple plea for help.  If you would like to support these students' education in any way, kindly contact me privately through my e-mail at hello@charmieness.com. I would be more than happy to give you more details about them.

Thank you so much! :)


*The home study program called Re-entry Education Agenda for the Poor is a community extension service offered by Angelicum College. It helps out-of-school youth and adults finish their basic education for free without attending regular classes.

* * * * *
While I'm on the subject of students who work hard just to finish their studies...

The news of a UP student killing herself because she was forced to take a leave of absence due to inability to pay tuition fees is beyond heartbreaking. I can only imagine the pain she felt when her dream of getting out of poverty through education was taken away from her, thus pushing her to take her own life. It was more saddening when I learned that she begged and cried for help so many times, but was denied by the administration.

Hindi dapat nangyayari ang ganun. Karapatan ng bawat Pilipino ang makapag-aral. Bawat estudyanteng nangagarap at patuloy na nagsusumikap na makapagtapos ay dapat mabigyan ng pagkakataon at karampatang tulong.

May this serve as wake up call for all education stakeholders. Read full report on Rappler here.

"At her 2010 MoMa retrospective Marina performed ‘The Artist Is Present’ as part of the show, where she shared a minute of silence with each stranger who sat in front of her. Ulay arrived without her knowing and this is what happened." (Source)