of FLOWERS and BLOOMS ( parody of the soul)

flower arrangement, Waterfront Hotel, Mactan

A flower is  no different from music. A bloom, a scent from  a distance and a petal of vibrant hue, make a heart skip with joy. It brightens a day, inspire the lonely, and make someone smile in a heartbeat.

Blooms speak of many emotions. It dig deep to the soul. Just like music does. It could evoke varied feelings both for the appreciated and rejected, for the loved and unloved, the living and the dead.

Every variety has its meaning, every color, a feeling. Flowers are everywhere. It is constant from the first break of life until the last breath of the dead. It is in every occasion, of births, weddings, deaths and in-betweens.

A Magnolia means dignity, a Stargazer for ambition. A Ginger is for the proud, a Hydrangea for perseverance, while the Hyacinth, for the sincere.

A Cosmos is for the peace-seeker. A Delphinium, for the bold. The innocents love a Daisy, while the Freesia's for the spirited.

Hues of yellows are for the hopelessly in love. Purples, for the royals. A bunch of reds, for the passionate, a pure heart, loves the dainty whites.

Carnations are those born on January, Violets for February. Asters for September, Holly and Poinsettia for December.

Simply put, flowers are the truest symbol of life.

Above pictures (weekly flower arrangements @ the office)

In Baguio. Biyahera's turn a-bloomin

'flowers are the music of the ground,

from earth's lips spoken, without sound'

-Edwin Curran

WHEN LIVES DEPEND ON MANGROVES (the USWAG tree-planting project)

design courtesy of Nun Benitez

April 5, Easter Sunday, under the heat of the scorching summer sun, more than 500 townsfolk of San Policarpo town in Eastern Samar bravely sweat out a three-kilometer unity walk for one worthy mission that could save lives of the present and future generation.

The recent brutal and extreme weather disturbances that hit the Philippines served as a wake-up call for a renewed collective effort in reviving  and rehabilitating mangrove plantations and forests along our coastlines.

Mangroves are life savers both for humanity and marine ecosystem It is a perfect breeding grounds for fish and other marine life. It provide timber, charcoal and even a good source of alcohol.

Mangroves are excellent natural buffer and green wall against storm surges and flooding due to rise in sea level and typhoons. Coastal communities with dense mangrove forests both in Eastern Samar and Leyte provinces sustained minimal damage from the fury of Super Typhoon Yolanda and the other disturbances that came after. Properties were saved, many lives were spared.

Sadly, the once lush Mangrove forests all over the country dwindled over time due to salt plants, sedimentation and coastline development.

USWAG SanPoli, a group of San Polihanon's living all over the world and locally, took all these into consideration and thought of planting Mangroves (as one of its main focus} in the coastline of Binogawan, one of San Policarpo's 17 barangays inhabited with more than two thousand locals.

Enjoining the assistance of the local government units through the efforts of Governor Conrado Nicart Jr., San Policarpo Chief Executive Menlo Nicart III, the DENR and fellow San Polihanons, USWAG embarked on the project shortly after the onslaught of Yolanda.

USWAG believed that the endeavour will help educate the people on environmental conservation and coastline protection  with the hope that this is only the beginning of similar undertakings in the future.

Together, the army of  volunteers planted 500 propagules along the Binogawan coastline, now considered as Eastern Samar's fast-rising tourist destination.

It was indeed a wonderful Easter morning. it was a day of environmental awareness where everyone rose to the occasion in the name of unity and community development.

Aptly, USWAG's words to live by.

'United we stand. Together we can!'

 the USWAG SanPoli logo

 community health team. the unity walk frontliners

 mga ka-USWAG taking it all in

the LGU contingent. Mayor Menlo Nicart III at the helm

all smiles amidst the heat  

 waiting for the low tide for the mangrove planting to commence

 guests and kaUSWAG families

turnover of propagules

 the star of the show

last minute tete-a-tete with USWAG lead convenor Claire Ammellino

 pulis, pulis, pati sa tree-planting, mabilis

 bravo! job very well done!

 CENRO forester Gaspar Cabidog, awarded with USWAG's appreciation

 speeches: Eastern Samar Gov. Conrado Nicart Jr (in red). San Policarpo Mayor Menlo Nicart III (in blue. San Policarpo Vice Mayor Aki Moscosa (in white) 

& CENRO forester Gaspar Cabidog (in cap)

the governor and mga kaUSWAG, dancing the

cha-cha-cha. they definitely know how to parteyyy!

my eternal hosting partner, bata Marvin Morallos. from fiestas to greening events

Biyahera. an pinayungan. ohh shoot!

BIYAHERA's turn-a-posin' with the KAUSWAG statement shirt

'we are only as strong as

we are UNITED,

and as weak 

as we are DIVIDED'

-J.K Rowling

photos courtesy of: 

USWAG SanPoli/ Xanti Tejero/ Franklin Robedizo/ LGU San Policarpo

SINGAPORE (more than the merlion and the marina bay sands)

 with Betty Boop (Universal Studios)

A former fishing village, Singapore is now one of the world's commercial hubs and premier tourist destination. The diamond-shaped island country was founded in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles mainly as a trading post. It became a British settlement in 1826 and only became independent from the United Kingdom in 1963.

Two million of the almost 6 million inhabitants in Singapore are foreign born.  Majority of the residents are Chinese. The cost of living in the island is high which comes as no surprise because Singapore has the third highest per capita income in the world.

Singapore  is clean and the people, disciplined. Passenger buses are to die for, comfortable and a haven to weary travellers. The country has attracted a multitude of wealthy investors coming from different parts of the globe that has so far been enjoying the unstoppable economic boom that the island country has to offer.

Singapore is undeniably a must-see place for tourists. The Merlion, the magnificent Marina Bay Sands and the trees glittering with lights at the Gardens by the Bay continue to attract visitors from near and far.

Topping it all is the obligatory visit to the Universal Studios, and other tourist must-see places in Sentosa. A four-day visit is too short to enjoy the country and tens of thousand of pesos converted to Singapore dollars is never enough to splurge on random items at Bugis market and its premiere shopping districts.

The cost of a few days sojourn to Singapore is tantamount to a few years of hard-earned money for ordinary mortals.

The memories, the experience, and the bonding with travel buddies - priceless.

   Singapore at Fifty (Chinese festival of lights)

 The Merlion

 We're kinda lost

 Trees of lights (Gardens by the Bay)

 The tree of Madagascar (Universal Studios)

 With President Barack Obama ( Wax Museum)

 Egypt in  a nutshell ( Universal Studios)

                                      

 First timers (taking it all in)

Biyahera's turn a-restin' and a-waitin'

'For once you have tasted flight,

you will walk the earth 

with your eyes turned skywards,

for there you have been

and there, you will long to return'

-Leonardo da Vinci

COVERING A POPE (things to get by)

A Pope past. A Pope present

( Photo by: www.nbcnews.com)

The Philippine media is at it again. Networks are scrambling for the best position there is in all of Pope Francis' activities from January 15 to 19.

Beat assignments are already in place.14 lucky Filipino journalists are traveling with the Pope from Italy to Sri Lanka and the Philippines. They will accompany the Pope to Rome when he heads back from Manila on Monday to complete their pilgrimage with the leader of the world's 1.2 billion catholic faithful.

Exactly 20 years ago, I was among the more than a hundred reporters, priests and bishops that ZNN Veritas fielded to cover Pope John Paul II's visit and the 1995 World Youth Day. It was six days of not eating well and on time, of leaving home and sleeping at the station's quarters, of putting my kidneys to test, of tears and faith. It was the six day of my life that catapulted me as a broadcast practitioner.

It was hard. Harder than I thought. Alongside Joel Reyes Zobel (now anchor par excellance of DZBB), I got up close and personal with JP II as he alighted from an Al Italia plane, the Pope's official carrier. He breached security when he made his way to the throng of children waiting for him at the tarmac. From there, Veritas pool of reporters covered the Pope's itinerary. 10 meters away from each other, we were stationed everywhere for the blow by blow account of his Manila pilgrimage.

I was accidentally tasked to annotate JP II's high mass at the Luneta Grandstand. The priest assigned to do the task was not able to wade through the sea of people at the Rizal Park. 

Thanks to the preparations made by Radio Veritas. The pool of reporters were aptly informed and trained to cover the event with enough background on religious terms and nuances, and of course of the bits and pieces of information about the Holy Father who is now a saint.

So, for  the first-timers out there who are lucky enough to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime media coverage, here's some points that might help.

-Follow protocols. Don't break any. Only the Pope has the right to do so. He might want to shake the hands of some people in the crowd especially when the Pope sees a child. It's perfectly fine, he is the Pope.

-Don't be deceived by the towering good  looking men in black. They're burly and they are the Swiss guards. A highly-trained elite group tasked to secure the Pope. 

-When blending in with the crowd, blend with the crowd. Don't roll your eyes and act differently. Even if you have a Press I.D, you'd still be subjected by the Swiss guards' scrutiny.

-Do not also be deceived by the not so towering men in barongs. They're the PSG and like any other pilgrim, they'd also be star-strucked (it happens all the time) and possibly take a selfie afterwards.

-If the Pope happens to pass on your way, and you find yourself not able to speak or report on air, don't be alarmed. It is normal. Chances are, you've been under the Pope's charismatic and magical spell.

- If you have chills, your legs wobbling and your hair, raising, don't panic. You're still under the Holy Father's enigmatic spell.

-If you find yourself crying every now and then with no reason at all, it is also normal. You'd cry when you see him. For once in your life as a journalist, show your emotions, cry if you must. Nobody will notice. All will cry, anyway.

-Bring lots of water, food, and a lot of patience. Don't go low on gasoline, hope and faith. But believe me, you might never notice that you're hungry. The Pope is so engrossing, he'd make you forget about yourself.

-There is no assurance of eternal sunshine during a Pope's visit. But hey, enjoy the drizzle, the heat and the elements. You don't cover a Pope every day of your life.

-Know what you are saying. Remember that the mass has two main parts. The Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Speak when there's a dead air. Stop, when the Pope or a mass reader or server is talking. 

-Learn the Pope's garbs and vestments. The skull cap is a 'zucchetto' and the 'hat' is not a 'halo' or a 'headgear'. it is called the Papal Miter. Halos are for angels, headgears are for cyclists.

-The 'tungkod' which Pope Francis rarely use (but was JP II's favorite accessory) is not a tungkod per se', it is the Papal Staff. A replica of a bent Jesus nailed on the cross adorns the topmost part of the staff. A souvenir pendant of the same Jesus on the cross is a very good reminder of your faith and the rare opportunity that you've been with the Holy Father even just from a distance.

-The Holy Father's 'necklace' is not an ordinary one. It is called the Pectoral Cross. It lands directly on his heart which is 'pectus' in Latin. 

-Savor each moment for it is never coming back again. Buy a memento if you must, and by golly, don't lose it. It is a very good conversation piece with your children and grandchildren in the days to come.

-And in case you're wondering why the overhyped security and  Papal visit preparations, don't! The Pope is not only the leader of the Catholic Church. He is at the same time, a head of state. the Vatican is a country within a country. His coming to the Philippines is both a pastoral and a state visit.

So now you're ready. Go, cover the Pope and bite the dust.

After everything, wait and hope for the day that Pope Francis will be ranked as one of heaven's miraculous intercessors. By then, you can take pride in saying 'I've covered a POPE and a SAINT'.

Just like I did.

Saint and Pope John Paul II's Popemobile (1995 Philippine visit)

(Photo by: www. flickr.com) 

 

getting ready for the Papal coverage (ZNN Veritas 846) 

The faithful. In multitude they flocked, chanthing Tutus Tuos & Viva il Papa

(Photo by ntpilgrims.wordpress.com)

The proof . Life & and career-changing experience

Biyahera's turn a-reminiscin'
(20 years ago as a reporter 
for ZNN Veritas 846,
official media carrier of Saint John Paul II's Philippine pilgrimage) 

'I have a sweet tooth 
for song and music.

This is my Polish sin.'

-Saint John Paul II 

'Life is a journey.
when we stop,
things don't go right'

-Pope Francis