Circle of Innocence

I am learning photography. I took this shot near my apartment in cebu.

Psychologists and light bulbs

Interesting quote:

Q: How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Just one, but the lightbulb has to want to change.

Metanoia

Here comes my challenge: in my circle of family and friends, I am told that light can be seen at the center. I have been turning my back against the light, thus seeing only my shadow. If I turn towards the light, my shadow is behind me and I can see my circle of family and friends standing with me amd the light is shining on everyone.

Metanoia and Schizoaffective Disorder

You'd recognize something if you have already seen it before. You'd know the place and find some traces if you have been there at some point in time. No matter how hard you try to repress your memory of it, it will still come back to haunt you and it chooses its own time.

In 2001, I was in third year college when a doctor diagnozed me with schizoaffective disorder. My episode lasted for 2 months. I saw shadows moving around. I heard voices that nobody else can hear. And I saw snipers hiding behind coconut trees. Eventually, I jumped off into the waters at the city wharf and walked home barefoot on the concrete road, leaving my identity (wallet, driver's license and school ID) behind me.

It seemed like it was a very long time ago. I have moved on with my life, getting myself as busy as I possibly could. And I successully got rid of medications for 6 years and function normally in the society.

But good people leave lasting impressions. They are the ones who give you inspiration and help you define your own life. Unfortunately for me, they can also become a curse. The people who helped me overcome my illness are the same people who can remind me of those dark and disturbing moments.

I have relapsed, my first in 7 years. But like what Carl G Jung said, I would like to see this episode as a process of reforming the psyche in a form of self healing.

Ex-Claretians Christmas Party at Claret School

Newly ordained classmate Claretian Priests

Me, Peter de Guzman, Fr. Gilbert Quinano CMF, Alvin Macaranas


Me, Peter de Guzman, Fr. Efren Limpo CMF, Fr. Gilbert Quinano CMF, Michael Gonzales

The ordination mass was celebrated at Claret Parish, UP Village, Quezon City. The reception was held at Claret High School.

Ginagmay'ng Kristohanong Katilingban

Wilson


















Maribel doing an interview at New Carmen

Survey Dry Run at Fataldao, Brgy San Jose, General Santos City

This is the second day of the PDMS Survey training. We went to Purok Fataldao in Brgy San Jose to interview homepartners.

This time is different from the previous survey projects we have conducted. Instead of the field interviewers going house to house, the homepartners were all gathered at the local chapel. After their regular meeting with DSWD, the interview started right were they sat.

I just have a feeling that we are starting the project right. We have 10 interviewers and 5 supervisors to monitor them. At the moment a supervisor sees doubtful data, the questionnaire is given back right away to the interviewer and clarify the data.


A new customization is need to the PDMS software as we must accomodate cultural aspect of the survey. We need to think about a strategy in the software to link separate households who have one father, as is common to muslim culture they call "duaya".

This is a day of hardwork for everybody.

Build for Peace in Mindanao

I took a slow boat from Bohol last night at 10.30pm and arrive cebu at 2.30am. I met my long time friend and classmate Jeffrey Real on the boat. He was lucky to have a cot while i just slept on the bench. I rise up sometimes to watch segment of all 3 Blade movies being shown in the entire ship.

I just stayed in the boat until 6.00am. I met Tony Irving at Mactan Airport.

We were met by Mr. Butch Batilong ang Mr. Boyet Macorol in General Santos Airport just in time for lunch.

We start the household survey component of Build for Peace in Mindanao Project on my 29th birthday (today)!

PDMS Orientation in Buala, Solomon Islands

Giving a powerpoint presentation on Poverty Database Monitoring System.

Solomon Islands is 3 hours ahead of Manila.
This is my third day since our dramatic entrance to this country. We are here for a 25 day project that involves an interview of 150 household, of which their profile would be stored on a computer database.
This project has been implemented in the entire province of Bohol, Philippines. Then it was replicated in East Timor for Habitat for Humanity Home Partners. Now, UNDP wants this project replicated in Solomons. Isabel Province is chosen for the pilot phase.
Tony Irving, the lead developer of the Poverty Database and Monitoring Software is finalizing his codes. Fernando Camba who is connected with tne National Economic and Development Authority of the Philippines is presenting DevInfo 5.0 to Zakir Hussain, UNDP Project Consultant in Isabel Province, Solomon Islands.
Maria Paz Espiritu is revising our schedule since we arrived late and will leave earlier than expected. I have just finished a siginificant part of the PDMS Software's Manual.

Transit

I left Timor Leste at 2:00 pm. Emotions were palpable but barely shown. It's better that way. I enjoyed my 3 1/2 month tenure as a database consultant. I arrived here in Singapore airport at 10:30pm. My connecting flight to Manila will be tomorrow at 8:45 am. It's my second time travelling alone abroad, but this is the first time I am on a transit travel alone. I guess I have to hang around for the night, else, i will sleep on the chairs....

Fr. Cyrus Banque, CMF

6:00 pm, after helping Mr. Butch Batilong create a new Blog, I called up Father Cyrus Banque, CMF and confirmed our appointment at 7:00pm.

I arrived 30 mins late. Father Cyrus was waiting for me at the porch in Claret House and talking to a Poliklinik Sister. He gave the Sister a ride home to her convent in Bebunok, near a primary school and I went with them. We then proceeded to Balide Parish to drop a letter and drove straight to Little Padang Restaurant, and Indonesan-owned restaurant along the coastal road in Dili, East Timor.

This is my first meeting with Father Cyrus in person. I saw his picture before, on the internet when he was interviewed by the press about the conflict an Bobonaro, near the Timor Leste-Indonesa border.

We talked about things back at home in the Philippines, and things back at Claret Seminary in Quezon City. I didn't get to meet him during my college days in the seminary at Sanville.

Father Cyrus has been living among the Timorese for eight years. The way Alfonso talks about Father Cyrus shows how much the Timorese love this Filipino Missionary. Alfonso has been working for 5 years with the Claretians but he has been working with Father Cyrus for the past two years only.

He is the director for Justice and Peace Commission, Dili Diocese and has given seminar with the theme Promoting healing in divided communities. He has worked with the peace and reconciliation program established by the United States-based Catholic Relief Services after East Timor’s first democratic elections in 2001.

"The country is under pressure. Do we want justice? Or do we want economic stability? This is a tough dilemma."

- Fr. Cyrus Banque

Father Rick Solomon, also Claretian Missionary who comes from Bohol, did missionary work here until he got sick with malaria and was paralyzed. He is now living with his parents' house in Antequera, Bohol

Household Interviews in Dili, East Timor

After the workshop on household interview in Dili, East Timor, the enumerators proceeded to do actual interview with 2 households..



Pak Orlando da Costa supervising the Enumerators















Natalino Soares supervising the enumerators

In front of our office

President's Palace as Background

Database Workshop in Aileu

Dili as Background

With Alvaro Amaral, Finance Officer of Habitat for Humanity, Timor Leste

Claret House

I was waiting for Mr. Batilong to pick me up this morning and head to the office. I would introduce a desktop to the network and Mr. B atilong would continue writing his proposals.

Mr. Batilong texted me at 11:00 am complaining of stomach pain. Maybe he has eaten too much last night, or he has eaten too little. I will ask him :-)

1:00 pm, I decided to go out and find Claretian Missionary House in East Timor, which I found the address and telephone number on the internet but the number is already not in use and the address is not very specific.

I took a taxi. The driver asked me in Tetun if I want to stop by Leader Supermarket, I thought it is already Bebunok Village, so I said "yes" and I got confused why he asked me if I want him to wait for me.

Then I realized that I am still at Comoro Village. So I walked more than a kilometer, under a very hot sun. Not knowing where to go, I attempted to ask the locals where is Claret House. I know they don't understand English but they still point me to somewhere and pretend to know the place. Maybe they don't want me to know they can't understand English.

I passed by a small Signage that reads "Poliklinik Madre ... ". I told myself, this must be a Catholic nun's convent or monastery because the word "Madre" in tagalog means "nun".

I asked a nun for directions but she just smiled shyly and told me she can't speak English. I told here "Claretian Missionaries ... ? ..... CMET .... ? Fr. Cyrus ....?"

I got her attention when she heard Fr. Cyrus' name. She spoke in Portuguese but I think she means to say she knows Fr. Cyrus.

Another sister gave me a sketch of the direction to Claret House. After walking for another kilometer, I found the place at last.

But Fr. Cyrus is not there. He is just left for Bobonaro yesterday and would be back in Dili on Tuesday. I talked to Fr. Peter, a big man, an Indian Claretian. I introduced myself, and my business. He offered me a drink of water and gave me Fr. Cyrus's cellphone number...

I am very tired today. Last night, we were supposed to arrive at Nang Loida's Eatery, a Filipino style restaurant along Timor's "EDSA".

Yesterday, was the birthday of Sister Fernandez, the wife of the Baptist Pastor in Dili. We were supposed to start the party at 7:00 pm but, Mr. Butch Batilong and I lost any sense of time. I am reformatting the virus-ridden desktop at the office which the main gate to the internet. It has already infected so many systems at the office, including the laptop I am using now.

Mr. Batilong was very high on ideas about the Habitat Research Center to be built in Dili.

We ate our party dinner at 9:00 pm. I was so embarassed because everybody was already in their respective places at the restaurant, the food was ready, but they cannot start until Mr. Batilong and I arrive.

We went home 10:30 pm, I was very exhausted already