Children's Gathering for Father Alfeo's Silver Sacerdotal Anniversary

By: Nino A. Calamba, RN



It was an afternoon teeming with kids as the Mary Immaculate Health & Educational Foundation celebrates the 25th Sacerdotal Anniversary of its Spiritual Director, Rev. Fr. Alfeo “Al” G. Botero, DCD, who is now on extended mission in Norway. Father Al was a very hands-on Spiritual Director of the Mary Immaculate Health & Educational Foundation by giving his unconditional guidance and support, spiritual empowerment, and fatherly motivations to its members.

Children from the fisherfolk village of Talomo Beach were invited to a celebration of prayers and thanksgiving for the overflowing blessings and graces bestowed upon Rev. Fr. Alfeo Botero on his grace-filled and persevering twenty-five years in the priestly ministry. Delicious meals were prepared for the children who belonged to families who have less in life by the inspired members of the Mary Immaculate Health & Educational Foundation (MIHEF).

It has been the wish of Father Al to celebrate his 25th Year in Priesthood with the less fortunate children. Despite his absence, his MIHEF Family was able to happily realize his wish. Jubilant members joyfully served each child sumptuous meals and refreshing drinks, which commenced with a thanksgiving prayer ably recited by the children together with MIHEF Founder and President, Professor Espie Chinel Aparis. She said, “it has long been part of the strong thrust of the Mary Immaculate Health & Educational Foundation to be of service for the children especially those who are less fortunate”, which is generously supported and blessed by its Spiritual Director, Father Alfeo. The 6-year-old Mary Immaculate Learning Center in Talomo Beach, providing pre-school education to children in depressed areas, is evident to MIHEF’s undying love for the less fortunate children.

(Published on Mindanao Times today, page 15, April 7, 2011 issue)

30 Ways to Celebrate and Praise God!

1. Say "thank you" more often ... more often than I usually do eversince ... whew!
2. Try harder not to fret.
3. Understand people for their own inequities and imperfections.
4. Be more patient.
5. Pray the Holy Rosary everyday.
6. Dine and laugh with colleagues more.
7. Watch more romantic comedy films.
8. Go back into playing car racing video games ... for adrenaline pump!
9. Bathe a saint bernard dog everyday ... (if my feet's not sick).
10. Feed them every hour! whew!
11. Appreciate plants, flowers and trees around us.
12. Talk to them if I have the chance, too.
13. Watch out for more Bollywood comedy flicks. (after enjoying The 3 Idiots)
14. Always remember to stay humble and simple.
15. Eat more street foods.
16. Dedicate everything I do for my family and loved ones.
17. Keep cleaning my room.
18. Clean the entire house if its dirty.
19. Wash the dishes if left unwashed.
20. Become a strong advocate for the Environment!
21. Listen to classical music!
22. Download more gospel songs.
23. Pray for those who are sick and there's no one to take care of them.
24. Pray for those poor souls in purgatory who have no one praying for them.
25. Ask God and Mama Mary for continuous World Peace and protection of the entire world from natural calamities and disasters.
26. Conserve energy.
27. Avoid being a litterbug.
28. Smile at people.
29. Go to mass every Sunday.
30. Strive to have fun everyday!

The Magic of a HAPPY NEW YOU!

Everyone’s looking for a soap that will help them in the prevention of aging, that will make their skin soft and glowing with whiteness, and most especially giving their skin with enough vitamins and nutrition. The HNY or the “Happy New You” soap being one of the latest 4-in-1 beauty bar proudly made in Mindanao, is exactly what all people from different walks of life have been waiting for.

The HNY or the “Happy New You” anti-aging and whitening soap has an array of amazing ingredients which include sodium lactate that has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial qualities. It help in fighting against yeast and fungi infections, which all of our skin are vulnerable to mainly because we are living in a tropical place. Such ingredient of the HNY beauty bar is said to be effective at inhibiting most spoilage and protects the skin from pathogenic bacteria.

Another one of its components, the liquid papain and proteolytic enzymes, which are obtained from unripe papaya, will surely make the skin glowing in immaculate whiteness. Retin A, which is used to improve and smoothen the texture of the facial skin is evident in HNY anti-aging and whitening soap. It uses natural chemical solution causing the dead skin to slough off and then eventually peel off. It helps smoothen out fine surface wrinkles, and removes superficial blemishes and helps correct skin pigment problems. The well-known salicylic acid, a key ingredient in most skincare products, is present in HNY beauty soap. It aids in treating acne, psoriasis, calluses, corns, keratosis pilaris, and even warts. Most especially, essence oil gives the HNY anti-aging and whitening soap a unique scent, making you feeling and looking fresh all day after a rejuvenating bath with HNY beauty soap.

The best way to use the HNY or the “Happy New You” beauty bar, anti-aging and whitening soap is by leaving it on to your skin for about 2 to 3 minutes before totally rinsing it. And by using it daily, there is no way you can’t have a glowing and lovely looking skin, healthy inside and out day after day.

The HNY or the “Happy New You” beauty bar is available at the Yurie Salon & Spa, fronting the University of Mindanao (UM) Matina Campus, Davao City. It can also be bought at JN Center Mall in the Kidapawan City main office and in North Lane Phoenix, Saguing, Makilala. The HNY Anti-Aging and Whitening Soap is open for exclusive distributorship. It is BFAD approved and has its own legal documents to promote and distribute for the usage of the buying public. Most of all, it is a proudly Mindanao-made beauty product!

So, if you want to stay young, with glowing white skin, start using HNY beauty soap. For more information, you may contact Precious at 303-1159 or 09075596423 (Davao), Cha-Cha at 064-2881439 (Kidapawan), and Jane at 064-2682241 (Makilala). Be young and beautiful inside and out, use HNY anti-aging and whitening soap now!

P.S. Bunch of thanks to Ms. Apple Grace Bernadas and Ms. Yurie Moore!

V-Day Bash with Mr. C, the RCS, and Piolo Pascual

When I learned that the Ryan Cayabyab Singers will be performing with Piolo Pascual for his valentine concert at the Philippine International Convention Center, I hastily texted my cousin Yurie Moore if she will watch the concert courtesy of her younger brother Poppert Bernadas, who is now a senior member of the Ryan Cayabyab Singers. And voila! Instantly she replied with a big yes and invited me to join her in going to Manila. Together with their beloved mother, my aunt Maria Cristina Bernadas, we planned of meeting together at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 considering that we have different flights and choice of airline a day before the said concert.
Alarming stories of minor plane repairs, flight delay, and rebooking of flight schedule haunted their trip to Manila which prompted me to wait for them the entire day inside the mammoth NAIA 3 on February 13. Not to mention the intermittent increase in blood pressures, palpitations, numbness and paleness they suffered from the seemingly tragic coincidences. Waiting for them to arrive the whole day at the NAIA 3 have given me though the chance of bumping into Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera, who were in a hurry that time to leave the airport for their “Party Pilipinas” show. However, alas, from continuous and fervent prayers for safety from our family members, the RCS family and within ourselves, they likewise arrived in Manila safely and blessed. Thanks be to God!
Heading for my cousin’s apartment from the airport was just a matter of leaving our bags and luggages there in order for us to maximize our first day in the capital city again even if its almost night time already. We went first to Trinoma for a pizza and pasta feast at Pizza Vaneto and talked the entire evening about their horrific stories and my own amusing personal moments at the airport full of giggling laughters. We retire the night before Piolo’s concert relaxed and excited for the next day, the Valentine’s Day!
Waking up the next day was teeming with energy for all of us. We planned of hopping from mall to mall as a preparation in watching for the concert at the PICC during the night. But everything was totally changed when Poppert invited us to join him in going to the PICC for their final rehearsal during the afternoon instead. Ofcourse, without batting an eyelash we swiftly adhere to his proposition and prepared our next stop for our V-day celebration in Manila. Luckily, the long stretch of EDSA from Quezon City to Manila proper was not so suffering from heavy traffic at that very moment. We arrived at the PICC alongside Mr. C himself, ahead of schedule. Sir Ryan Cayabyab immediately told us about his joy of seeing us after learning of the bad news Yurie and her mom experienced before their flight to Manila. Even the entire RCS members greeted us with a mention of hearing the frightening yet amusing experience we have had.
Mr. Piolo Pascual arrived at the venue enthusiastically, bringing along with him two tumblers of lukewarm beverages which I believe he should have as a singer. He greeted each and every one of the production team sincerely. Sound checks, lighting tests, blockings and minor script revisions were a showcase to behold during the entire rehearsal. The voices of the Ryan Cayabyab Singers were superbly world-class. They can even sing very well while dancing very well at the same time. Their Motown medley was heart-pumping even during the rehearsal. Piolo Pascual was equally a soothing singer with his unique brand of ballads. He shows professionalism in rehearsing his numbers for his own concert, which goes to show that he is one of the showbiz industry’s asset in this generation.
After their rehearsal, we went to the Mall of Asia to shop a little bit, eat our dinner, and dress up for the concert. Upon returning to the PICC, the first person we looked for was Ms. KC Concepcion, but we couldn’t locate her in the thick audience. However, later in the concert Ms. KC Concepcion was shown on the big screen conveniently seated beside Piolo’s mom. As everyone witnessed on the showbiz news in television, Piolo went down the stage to serenade KC, knelt down before her and offered to her the song “Ikaw Ang Aking Pangarap”. That specific number brought the crowd roaring for cheers. Even male audiences jokingly shouted the famous commercial phrase: “I Love You Piolo!”, which was originally done by Toni Gonzaga for a soda commercial. Piolo then gamely shouted back: “I Love You Too Pare!”, which prompted the audience to a loud laughter.
During the special number of the Ryan Cayabyab Singers with Mr. Piolo Pascual, they sang the OPM hit classic from a remarkable songwriter George Canseco. Before they sang, Piolo did an “ASAP” style interview of the members of RCS. Our very own Poppert Bernadas was the last one to be interviewed and Piolo asked him why he was named so, in which Poppert unknowingly answered: “I don’t know with my mom”. Piolo was so amazed by Poppert’s singing voice and uttered during the interview: “Grabe! Ang tindi ng boses nito!”, ofcourse referring to Poppert Bernadas. Piolo even mentioned to Poppert infront of the audience: “I believe, your family all flew in from Davao?”, and kiddingly added: “Andito ba silang lahat?”, which ushered the crowd to an applause.
One of the most memorable and noteworthy part of the concert was when Piolo did a soliloquy in songs, especially arranged by Mr. C himself. A soliloquy is like a monologue in which the speaker tells a story by talking to oneself, but the one in the concert was entirely unique because it utilizes songs to tell the story, specifically Mr. C arranged the soliloquy with the songs from the Beatles. Piolo’s soliloquy was one of a kind and with the meticulous hands of Mr. C on grand piano, it was a totally splendid presentation. Audiences went into loud applause and cheers everytime Piolo shifted from one Beatle’s song to another, in which every part of the love story was seamlessly interconnected. Amazing!
When the concert ended, KC Concepcion was no longer present. The audience begged for her to come up the stage for the encore, but she weren’t around at all. So, in gratefulness and sincere thanksgiving to all who came for his valentine concert dubbed “Piolo Meets the Maestro Ryan Cayabyab”, he dedicated his last song to all of them, for celebrating their Valentine’s Day with him in his concert, and that included us.

P.S. Thank you very much to Mr. Ryan Cayabyab, Mr. Piolo Pascual, Poppert Bernadas of RCS, the rest of the Ryan Cayabyab Singers, and Ms. Yurie Moore of Nuskin International!

PNOY INAUGURAL EXHIBIT @ THE BLOCK

Manila, Philippines – In preparation for the 25th celebration of the 1986 EDSA Revolution, a series of special events were lined up to present the salient stories which have contributed to the success of EDSA revolution or otherwise. Last February 17, 2011, which is eight days before the 25th anniversary of the peaceful and God-blessed EDSA Revolt, prominent personalities of the Philippine political and social arena gathered at The Block in SM North EDSA for the launching of the book that chronicles the activities which transpired before, during, and after the Inaugural of His Excellency President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III. P-Noy as the son of the mother of Philippine democracy, is an epitome of hope and inspiration for the Filipino people that democracy lives on.
The Inaugural, is a coffee table book chronicling the different important and special events which transpired within the campaign period, election day, inauguration, and celebrations that have helped propelled P-Noy to becoming the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines. P-Noy’s ad campaign during the election about eradicating corruption in the Philippine government system provided strength and the chance to dream again for a better tomorrow among every Filipino. “The Inaugural”, published by Ms. Maria V. Montelibano, has become a compendium of photographs, news articles, essays, columns and opinions, which were contributory to the essence of why the simple son of former President Cory Aquino bravely took the challenge of becoming our new president.
Writers of The Inaugural are the following: Rene Almendras, Lynetter Baldivino, Alexander Bangsoy, Jan T. Co Chua, Herminio “Sonny” Coloma, William M. Esposo, Alex Lacson, Anton Mari H. Lim, Ward Luarca, Jing Magsaysay, Rey Marfil, Antonio Meloto, Jose Ma. L. Montelibano, Maria V. Montelibano, Mae Paner, Jim Paredes, Mercedes “Peachy” Roces Prieto, Conrado de Quiros, Joanne Ray Ramirez, Myrna Reblando, Marian Pastor Roces, Pastor Saycon, Ofelia Sarnar Sy, MD, Cesar Sarino, George Syliangco, Christopher Tio, Wilfrido V. Villacorta, PhD, and Nina Tirol Zialcita. Photo Editors are: Alberto Marquez, Teodoro Aljibe, Erik de Castro, Dennis Sabangan, and Jay Morales. The Publisher is Ms. Maria V. Montelibano.
The Honorable Vice-President Jejomar Binay graced the occasion by cutting the ribbons to formally open the Inaugural Exhibit at The Block. The publisher, Ms. Montelibano explained well the content of the book and how was it formed with the concerted efforts of the country’s world-class photographers and brilliant writers. Ms. Viel Aquino-Dee, in behalf of his brother P-Noy, spoke with simplicity and tackle matters in a straight forward but still in a grounded manner. She warmly extended her gratitude for all the groups and individuals who believed in P-Noy’s continuous quest of fighting corruption in our nation.
Adding sparkle and light spirit during the launching and opening of The Inaugural Exhibit are the wonderful songs and performances of the high caliber Ryan Cayabyan Singers. Mr. C himself was present on grand piano providing fatherly accompaniment to his talented singers. After the short program, the country’s prominent personalities among different fields enjoyed the cocktails and exchanged pleasantries always dreaming for a better and better Philippines, which is now being started by the latest governance of P-Noy and Vice-President Binay.

A STAR SHINES FOR THE CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME

A world-renowned Down Syndrome musician and Ambassador of Goodwill of Down Syndrome International, MR. SUJEET DESAI, recently visited the city and amazed audiences of his musical artistry being able to play more than five musical instruments. During his concert dubbed “A Star Shines Brightly” last January 29, 2011 at the CAP Grand Auditorium, Sujeet Desai, proved to everyone that the perceived barrier between mainstream children and children with Down Syndrome is non-existent at all. He was even able to show to the world that being a “special child” is a gift from God, which comes with great God-given talents.
“A Star Shines Brightly” Concert for a Cause is for the celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the DS Foundation for the Differently-Abled, Inc., an affiliate of Down Syndrome International (DSI) London in United Kingdom. The concert likewise showcased the talented special children of the DS Foundation, who performed Singkil, Modern Dances, Ballet, and Band Music. The concert for a cause is also in coincidence of the Birthday of one of its most accomplished special child founding member, the late Ms. Deanna Sipaco.
As an accomplished professional musician and self-advocate with Down syndrome from New York, USA, Mr. Sujeet Desai plays six musical instruments including the Bb and Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Violin, Piano and Drums, and has just started learning his 7th instrument, the trumphet. In addition, he travels around the world giving solo performances and learning self-advocacy workshops for Down syndrome. During the concert, Sujeet performed the following famous repertoire: Memory from Cats musical, Chrysalis by Gustav Langenus, and many others on Clarinet; Edelweiss from the Sounds of Music, Minuet III by J.S. Bach, Amazing Grace, etc. on Violin; Cannon in C by Johann Pachelbel, Pink Panther, In the Mood, etc. on Piano; and, Jammin’ with Charlie, Music of the Night, Bad Attitude, and Wind Beneath my Wings by Bette Midler on Alto Saxophone.
Sujeet Desai also performed a recital and a duet with Kenny G at the opening ceremony of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Idaho in front of 14,000 people and was interviewed by former Olympic figure skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi. He is set to continue performing and traveling in the coming year with a busy schedule ahead of him for a noble cause, starting with an international performance in Doha, Qatar this coming March.
“A Star Shines Brightly” concert was very special bearing the fact that the performers were children with Down syndrome and those with different needs. Concert Director, Professor Greg Calamba, Jr., a brother and a nephew to differently-abled individuals himself, explained: “There is an extra sting attached to it precisely because special children like them are regarded with slow pace of catching up with normal viccisitudes of our daily life moreso with certain things that spells for precise and specific technicality.” As Sujeet Desai succinctly put it, “I was born with Down Syndrome. Therefore I learn things slowly. I have worked very hard for so many years to learn what I love to do to overcome the limitations of my disability. I would like to be a musician but my mission is more than that. People say that I have been a role model to young children around the world with disabilities, especially those born with Down syndrome either through my web page or music performances and workshops that I do with my mother to share my story. I like to make my presentations especially at conferences like this event more than just an entertainment but educational as well as inspirational. So it can be an upbeat on disability issues and continue to bring hope to individuals with disabilities, their parents, families, educators and services that work with them. My goal is to continue to work to make my Mission Possible!”
The DS Foundation for the Differently-Abled, Inc.’s concert for a cause epitomizes the very light that is needed to enkindle the heart of everyone in appreciating the simple and profound things these special children can afford to do, minding of the fact that theirs is a rarity that displays both the acumen to love without counting the cost and the ability to make ordinary things extraordinary.

THE MYSTERY, GRACE, AND INSPIRATION OF THE BISHOP'S PALACE

Tagbilaran City, Bohol – Shepherding a flock is one of the hardest occupations in the planet for me. Like a Bishop, he shepherds his flock which include his priests and parishioners to the right path and encourages them to preach the good news of salvation to all people. It is not that pastors are perfect. If that is the case, then pastorless churches would be the norm in the society. Most important, it is that God calls on us to honor those who lead us spiritually, particularly “those who labor in preaching and teaching”, as it is stated in 1 Timothy 5:17.
We live in a sophisticated, fast-paced, and complex world, and our expectations for “high performance” shepherds often set the bar at unattainable heights. We may switch focus instead and become high-performance church members who honor our Bishops and Priests with words of encouragement and prayer. A supportive note or a “thank you” in the church’s entrance will go a long way to inspire our Priests and Bishops to serve with joy and efficiency.
Coming to a place where our shepherds stay is both a mysterious and inspiring experience for me. There is that kind of enigmatic glow that tries to awaken my curiosity of how our dear priests and bishops spend their day to day living. As a child, I use to hear my kins talking about convents and so-called bishop’s palaces. When I would try to imagine a bishop palace, it is a picture of grandiosity and elegance in my mind. Like kings and queens, I always thought that a bishop palace is a home of people with royal bloods, of which I was proven wrong. I believe so, a bishop’s home is called a palace because we inherit it from the Spanish era. However, literally most of the bishop’s palaces in the Philippines are manifestations of grandeur and sophistication even up to today. Thanks to our Spanish forefathers who left us with these grand structures we can surely enjoy with.
For one, the Bishop’s Palace in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, always give me a feeling of excitement and awe-inspiring moments everytime I am inside it. For the second time of visiting such place, I can say that its mystery and grace lives on. The mystery lies on the old structures evident in the palace such as grand doors, great windows, chandeliers, and ancient furniture and fixtures. And its grace is the splendid gentleness of the people living in it. From Most Reverend Leonardo Y. Medroso, Bishop of Tagbilaran, to his priests and staff, they are all an epitome of gentleness and grace with the inspiring glow of the Holy Spirit. The Bishop’s Palace in Tagbilaran also serves as priests’ home especially for those sick priests who need care and attention. Sick priests are routinely visited by nurses and caregivers to help them perform their activities for rehabilitation. They are all well taken cared of.
So what would a house of bishops and priests have to do to display the presence of God? Its people would have to live like Him. Dynamics like hospitality, the loving acceptance of all kinds of people, a quickness to service, a tangible love for one another and the people outside, giving them a feeling of being safe and accepted regardless of color or class. A patient tolerance of one another’s weaknesses would be a great way to start a saint-like living in a pastor’s place. Saint Paul said that we should walk in a manner “worthy of the Lord”. And he also said that being worthy means that we will be humble, gentle, bearing with one another in love, eagerly maintaining the unity of the Holy Spirit in the bond of peace.