Nanay Muring: An Epitome of Volunteerism in Valenzuela

Today I’m sharing a story of an unsung hero whom I had the chance to interview during a recent assignment. She is Nanay Murita “Muring” Paulino, a 65-year old senior citizen who is both a Bantay Estudyante volunteer and a Central Kitchen volunteer.

Nanay Muring in Bantay Estudyante Suit

In Valenzuela, citizens are encouraged to engage in volunteer works to help contribute in making our home city a better place to live in. When I asked Nanay Muring of her timeframe until when does she see herself serving our city, I was moved by her response, “hangga't kaya ko po dahil wala naman po akong sakit” (as long as I can because I am not ill yet).

I could not help myself from gazing at her using a xennial’s lens. Despite her wrinkled skin, hers are magnetic eyes that showed me her big heart. I saw in her a contented woman who has won and lost battles through the years, yet who remained steadfast in nurturing her pure motherly soul. Her voice was filled with love and sincerity as she described her joy in serving the Valenzuelano children. In my mind, I couldn't help myself from thinking that her sun-kissed skin is her natural badge for her unrelenting selfless service. My heart shivered.

If you’re wondering where my admiration is coming from, let me talk briefly about her two volunteer works – Bantay Estudyante and Central Kitchen.

“Bantay Estudyante” is the brainchild of our handsome mayor, Rex Gatchalian [writer swoons]. In Valenzuela, senior citizens are welcomed for employment by the local government despite their age. During school days, volunteers are posted on visible sites during the ‘alpha and omega’ of classes only. They are deployed near the streets of public elementary schools to oversee the safety of the kids from vehicular accidents. They also prevent youngsters from brawling nonsensically over petty things.  

The Central Kitchen is a different activity. Here, volunteer-mothers help in preparing meals for thousands of identified malnourished and undernourished children enrolled in public schools, from kinder to sixth grade.

I have conducted interviews with other kitchen volunteers in the past so I know how tough their sacrifices are. They have to wake up at least 3:00 o’clock in the morning, leave their abode before dawn, start chopping veggies once they arrive at the kitchen, and twerk until all packed lunches are delivered in schools. These, ladies and gentlemen, are the efforts exerted by our mother-volunteers at the kitchen. So kids, I hope you’d really study well and pay it forward someday.

Nanay Muring communicated with me the essence of satisfaction and love – these are two things that many of us fail to achieve despite the credentials we brag on social media, despite the hollow praises we get from people who don’t really care about us.

Nanay, how to be you po? I salute you.

Hinkle, Hinkle, Little Stars: A Tribute to My Generous Uncle and Aunt

Lately, I have noticed that there is gist of truth in what people say that if you’re a giver, you will be blessed abundantly. For Hindus, this is what they call the “positive karma.”

Ever since I decided to be more of a giver than a receiver, my life had become more peaceful. For example, even if at times I feel nervous that I might ran out of budget, funds would just surprisingly surge in – either I will land on a new sideline or I could easily ask someone to extend me a little help. Both of these, I consider blessings from the Lord.

I have an uncle who is very generous. Every time I get the chance to hitch on his car together with my kids, his wife (my aunt) would invite us to eat with them in a fancy restaurant. He is also generous to beggars – even if they are not really trying to get hold of him, he would get some money from his pocket to share it with them. During Sunday masses, while most church goers would only drop 20 pesos at the donation basket being passed around, his would be 500. All the church parking attendants also receive decent monetary reward from him on Sundays. Guess what? I have never seen his family got entangled with financial burdens, considering that he is their sole bread winner.

I haven’t dared to ask him (yet) his motivation or principle why he is like that. But by simply observing him how he treats others in need, I have been inspired to emulate him.

Here are some pics I had when my aunt and uncle treated my daughter, my sister, my niece, and myself at Café La Tea in Malinta:

Our Kiddos' First Giant Pizza Experience

Happy Kid, Happy Tummy

Although right now, I cannot afford to give cash to people in need because I’m only making ends meet, I still consider myself lucky that I am blessed with knowledge and information about the services being offered by the local government of Valenzuela. I get to help clueless people on how to go about processing transactions at the city hall. Furthermore, my writing skills also enabled me to help some folks who sought my writing or editing assistance. By sharing my talent, I gained more friends, and it felt wonderful.

I am writing this not because I want others to revere me. I am only hoping that these trying times that humanity seems so far away, we could somehow learn to show and share compassion for one another.

Let us make ourselves blessings to others. Little by little, altogether, we can help make everybody’s lives worth living. And I think that’s beautiful.

Good Bye Office Bully

Indeed, the Lord never sleeps. The oppressed should never lose hope because God is always there to give comfort to the abused and the weak.

I have never imagined that I will be a victim of office bullying. For the longest time that I have been working as a professional, I have always deemed myself competent and skilled enough to be my every co-workers reliable partner… until barely-there common sense, insecurity, misplaced ‘loyalty,’ office politics, selfishness, and self-righteousness of some of my colleagues were successfully intertwined by the-one-who-must-not-be-named.

Prior to “that creature” leaving, “it” was voraciously ready to rip every piece of me. My long-valued friendships with my co-workers have ended under its watch, my image to some of the big bosses was distorted and badly tarnished, my supposed overtime pay that I intend to use to feed my children was denied, and I was made to appear as a good-for-nothing employee.

The little UP girl in me was crying, “How could this be? I was one of the key drivers of our department. I worked with my heart and soul for honest to goodness public service. I do not deserve this injustice.”

I gathered some courage to air my concern. It wasn’t easy. I cried a bucket of tears and asked good people around to also pray for me. After a couple of days waiting, I reaped a favourable result.

Now here I am, more empowered than ever.

“Karma” is real – whatever it is that you do unto others will ricochet unto you seven folds. Spread good karma.

Forever (A Poem)

April is National Literature Month in the Philippines. For this, I am featuring the poem written by my senior citizen-student, Nanay Flordeliza Edroso, entitled “Forever.”

This poetry compares the present generation’s notion of love as to that of her time. Nanay Flor was born in the generation when men still court the women of their dreams through “harana” – this is suitors’ traditional way of pursuing women by singing love songs for them. 

According to nanay, young lovers these days have negative perception about romantic relationships. They say there is no such thing as “forever” in love. Maybe this is because of the pain they had to deal with their exes, that’s why teenagers already have a preconceived, pessimistic view on love. Nanay repels this notion because contrary to her experience, she was able to find and keep her “forever.”

Nanay Flor is my student in Philippine Literature. She is the famous 70-year old grandmother who finished her secondary level in 2014 at the Valenzuela National High School in Marulas, Valenzuela City. Her inspiring story of “graduating in high school despite old age” captured the interest of the media because it gave a strong message of hope to individuals who consider going back to school, but are afraid of being ridiculed by their younger classmates.

Nanay Flor, a city government scholar, is currently taking Food Service Management at Valenzuela City Polytechnic College.

Find out more about her at: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/tag/flordeliza-edroso

John Mark: Strong and Spirit-Free

     John Mark Domingo, the first and only visually impaired student of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela (PLV), graduated BS Public Administration on April 7 at the PICC.

     Domingo was thankful to former Mayor WIN Gatchalian for the trust and opportunity that he has given him so that he could complete his college education.

     Our young achiever shared that he had been rejected by several private and public colleges because of his condition. Personnel in these schools would tell him reasons such as – they lack program for the blind, they have no available facilities, or their teachers are not ready for students like him. While everybody seemed to turn their backs on him, it was Kuya WIN remained steadfast with his confidence in him.

     Domingo reckons that Kuya WIN personally called the school president of the local university so that he could get accepted in the school hassle-free. That action of Kuya Win marked the realization of his dream – to continue his journey as a college student.

     Since Domingo entered college in 2012 up until 2016, he religiously received financial assistance from the local government. Every semester he receives Php 5,000 from the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

     He believes that Kuya WIN can really deliver his promise of “Free Higher Education” to the entire nation because he himself experienced how Kuya WIN really puts premium on investing in people. He attests Kuya WIN’s capability to open the doors of education to everybody, even to persons with disability (PWD) such as himself.  

John Mark delivers his thank you speech during the birthday celebration of Kuya WIN
at the People's Park Amphitheater

     He deems his achievement as a catalyst to shift the public’s perception on his sector as something “vulnerable” to “full of potentials”. He says the society is beginning to recognize PWD’s worth as differently-abled persons who can also contribute to the nation’s progress.

     Domingo encourages his fellow PWD that they should not falter in their dreams because dreaming is free anyway. He said that while challenges are inevitable, they should just continue to believe that they could make it through. And once they have weathered their storm, they will feel great about themselves.

‘The Value of Women’ According to Bb. Bigatin 2016 Title Holder

Valenzuela City folks love beauty pageants. Perhaps this could be attributed to the rural-like practices of people who live in District 1, who are still very much engaged into Catholic’s ostentatious traditions such as the flores de mayo, fiestas, sagala, sayawan sa calle, and the likes.

In flores de mayo and sagala events, pretty young girls with their handsome escorts are paraded on the streets at night. They are accompanied by their supportive relatives and friends who are proud of their beautiful and voluptuous physical appearance. Over time, the people’s fascination to flores de mayo and sagala gave way to the birth of community beauty pageants, now being joined by young ladies and gents, who perhaps once dreamt of claiming a spot in the limelight business.

Amidst the city being plagued by community runway shows and pageants that further reinforce the notion of commercial beauty – the perception that only those who are skinny or only those with nice make up and poise are pretty – the local government of Valenzuela came up with a beauty pageant intended for plus-size women, the “Binibining Bigatin 2016.”

See related post here: http://missvalenzuela.blogspot.com/2016/03/talent-night-memories.html

This was the first time that horizontally-gifted women ruled the local social media site of Valenzuela. Netizens were supportive of the endeavour which they find both hilarious and meaningful.

The Bb. Bigatin winners were:

Bb. Bigatin 2016 Title Holder:       Miss Joan Calip (Brgy. Maysan)

First Runner-up:             Miss Rea Donna Regondola (WIN Youth Club Pinalagad Chapter)

Second Runner-up:         Miss Leni Gene Dichoso (Brgy. Rincon)

Third Runner-up:             Miss Rodalyn del Rosario (Brgy. Coloong)

Fourth Runner-up:          Miss Rona Tayao (Brgy. Gen. T. de Leon)

During the coronation night, one could read from Miss Calip’s facial expression that she was not expecting to bag the grand title at all. But because of her response during the Q & A portion, she won the nod of approval of the scrutinizing judges.

The question to her in our local vernacular was, “If not beauty and body, what is it in women that men should look for?” She immediately answered, “Value.” She further explained, “Men should find the value of women. They are the lights of the home, the caretakers of the family. Our society will not be essentially complete without the women.”

Bb. Bigatin 2016 Miss Joan Calip & Miss Valenzuela

I couldn’t agree more. While a lot of men would be chasing ladies who seem to be more eye-catchy, they also seem to forget that beauty is only skin-deep and that it also fades as time goes by. Women, who are mothers, have proven their capability to shower love around by simply taking care and protecting their families.

Her message should echo not only to men but to other women also, who are being unhappy in their domestic circumstances. Ladies, know your worth. When you know how to value yourself, you can’t be easily shaken.