Hagikhikan 2010

Pasko Na Sinta Ko - Gary Valenciano (Sing-along)

Sambang Umaga at CRL

Tito was coordinator for Dec. 22's Sambang Umaga at the UP Church of the Risen Lord. It was a family affair with him as liturgist, Miriam as pianist, and Powie as flutist for the 5:30 AM service.

UP Manila Chorale @ the Shang

Kara sings Soprano 2

Bunny, after 30 years or so

Dinner with high school classmates at Romulo
Jan. 4, 2010

Welcome, 2010!

Lantern Parade 2009

Dec. 18, 2009
UP Diliman

Christmas is for Kids (2009)

Christmas eve to day after Christmas was fun-filled with good food, good company, and grandkids of Ate Norie and Ate Girlie providing the entertainment.

Portraits of Servant Leaders

Members of the HFP Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Staff
PPC Christmas Party
Dec. 6, 2009

Mano po, Ninang 2008

Truly, the Christmas spirit is brought alive by children. Christmas day & the days after, my numerous inaanak and our grandchildren by niece Jazmin and nephew Johnbee, brightened up our households and renewed our hope for the new year.

Our Christmas Carol

Five years ago, I won first prize for an essay about Christmas family traditions in a contest sponsored by the Phil. Daily Inquirer. Today, amidst all the frenetic pace of activities which characterize the Christmas season for me and my family, I suddenly had the urge to again share the message of what I had written then. Maybe, I needed to be reminded what this season is all about.









“Rudolp the red nose reindeer,
Had a bery shiny nose
Olop, the oder reindeer
Use to lap and call him names…”

The holidays in my childhood used to be signaled by such Christmas carols sung by the neighborhood kids outside our door. Whenever I would hear the first notes, it was as if a light inside me would be switched on. It was a time of anticipation of greater things to come!

But as my world became a little less innocent, I began to hear their off-key strains of song. The musical notes would, in my cynical, imaginative mind, transform into peso signs! Giving spare change to the urchins was becoming a mindless activity. It was something which said “You’re a nuisance and here’s something to get rid of you.” The coins also seemed to say, “Your singing is not worth it!” So kids would just rush through a poorly performed song and after a phrase or two, would break into “Namamasko po!” Night after night you were punished by discordant singing and you got back at them with the measly coins.

Then I became a mother! Suddenly, I wanted to bring back and preserve for my children the traditions I enjoyed as a child. But how could I recover something that seemed to have been lost? How could I bring back the songs sung from the children’s hearts?

Thus began one of our “new” family traditions. The year it was born, instead of spare change, my children and I gave stubs to the neighborhood children who sang at our door. These, they could redeem for gift bags come Christmas Eve. Each caroler could only get one gift bag so any extra stubs they might have earned could be shared with their siblings or friends.

Every year my children, now 20 and 15, help in decorating and packing the bags. When the carolers come, it is their task to give the stubs and explain what they are for. Come Christmas, the gifts are given with reminders about the reasons for celebrating and a request for prayers.

The neighborhood kids seem to like it as they come back year after year. I don’t know, but the singing sounds better too. Could it be the gift bags? Or is it because we go out and listen to their songs when they come by our door? Is Christmas back at our doorsteps?

What You Missed: The View from AS and PHAn

UP Centennial Lantern Parade
Dec. 17, 2008

How I spent my Christmas vacation

Little bits of how we celebrated Christmas in 2007 and how we welcomed 2008

ang galing ni raymun.3gp

Not a very good video but that's Raymun in the blue jacket

Dancing with the carebest guys.3gp

After the Lantern Parade, the Psych students learned a thing or two about dancing from the guys from Carebest. It's not a good video because I just used my phone to record it. But heck, it was too good a moment not to document!

UP Lantern Parade 2007

UP Psych Handog 2007

Christmas decor mania

I couldn't resist the call of making my own Christmas decor. Especially since I could get the raw materials from the source and I know I could replicate if not create more exciting versions of the beautiful decorations in department stores, at maybe half the cost. So upon the suggestion of Mia, I have posted them here for everyone to see.