Dear you, what’s for a New Year?

Congrats, you’ve achieved this far! You are blessed with another year of a roller coaster ride that is life. But look at the smile that hardly even reaches your eyes. What’s stopping you?12355297_934538156637944_64310660_nI remember reading a book that says, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Do me a favor, make this phrase as your daily reminder now, alongside with your don’t give up mantra.

I know you don’t want that “New Year, new me” chant but I have to remind you of things you, on all accounts, somehow forget when life gets tough.

ON SUCCESS

Whatever you do, do it well. No matter how you lag behind the “success” of other people, remember that you have your own in a more unique way. Don’t give up just because of what someone said. Use that as a motivation to push harder.

ON FAMILY

Remember that your family, above all else, will always have your back, so much when you are on the brink of breaking down and giving up life. You may not have everything you want (okay, let’s not joke around with this one because most of the time you do), but at least you have everything you need.

Treasure all the moments you barely see [and be with] your loved ones because everyone is getting older.

ON LOVE AND RELATIONSHIP

The one you have been praying for, for quite some time actually, is dating the girl who’s feeling the same way for him, so they say. But it’s okay. I know it is sad, but it usually goes away.

God is preparing yours and His plan for who is for you is the best, ayt?

Last year, I told you to try, but you said it is a risk to love. You even asked me, “What if it doesn’t work out?” Baby, what if it does?4ON FRIENDS

Your best friend is getting married next year; the other people are busy with their jobs, while the others are in abroad working their asses off. Do you feel old yet?

Yes, babe, it is true that you only meet temporary people on your twenties but you know who the true ones are, those for keeps. It is not easy to be adult because duuuh responsibilities.

But remind your friends that even though you don’t have much time to spend with them anymore, you will always be there with them, virtually, to listen for their life’s share of mishaps and that you are fighting the battles for and with them.12346623_934538063304620_950897460_nON YOURSELF

There were and are bumps along the road to your dreams, and it’s because of the irrelevant comments of people who don’t even help you get through it. Baby, it’s high time to make yourself a priority. At the end of the day, you are your longest commitment.

Dear you, it’s another year of dream catching and becoming it so go for that law school while consequently finishing the remaining semesters of your master’s degree. Do something today that your future self will thank you for.12366975_937335843024842_1196225173_nTravel more. Do not worry about spending too much money, you just have to work harder, earn more, and save bigger. Go for another solo back packing adventure to a place you are not familiar with, and find your worth on the process.

There is more that life has to offer but never ever forget to pray. It’s the shield that never bugs down.

What’s for a new year? I don’t know but Dear self, let your dreams run free.

Dear Tourists, Please Don’t Make Ilocos Norte your Dumpsite

We can never thank you enough for continually contributing to our tourism development but sorry to burst the bubble: Ilocos Norte is not yours, or anyone’s, to ruin.

Strategically located just 10 to 12-hour drive from Manila, or can also be reached through a 45-minute plane ride, Ilocos Norte easily became a tourist magnet even long before the development and relentless promotions of the province’s array of breathtaking scenery. Our province undeniably homes tourist destinations that most, if not all, want to tick off their bucket lists.

Business establishments uncontrollably sprouted in every town, most of the locals now also earn for a living by selling handmade souvenirs, and local governments improved the roads to the tourist sites for you to have a better traveling experience in every town.

Ilocos Norte effortlessly became an eye-candy for investors, given the hotels and resorts that were hardly even there 10 years ago. Travel agencies also unquestionably promote promos for a weekend trip to Ilocos – making our beloved province known to many even more.

Again, thank you for your contribution to Ilocos Norte’s economic sustainability. You may think that we don’t have the right to rant about what you do to our province but please don’t make Ilocos Norte your dumpsite.

What have you done? How did you do it? Why did you do it? I am not blaming all the tourists, visitors, even locals, though.

What I have been trying to say is, on a personal note, I see colors at the side of the roads near the shore and it should have been a beautiful sight only if the colors that add to the vibrancy of the ocean are not coming from plastics.

Two days ago, I was cringing at the back of the car, absentmindedly talking to myself, asking no one in particular of what happened to the shrubs of the sea. Why are plastics stuck at its branches? Why are plastics freely flying towards the shore? Why are there plastics all over the vicinity?

As if on cue, a tourist shuttle service stopped at the other side of the road and two of its passengers just dumped three plastic bags full of maybe their trash. I nearly wanted to tell the driver to stop so I could personally talk to the ladies but unfortunately, we were in the highway and we were driving too fast.

I did not do anything. I did not have the power to stop them from the destruction they are contributing and it was disappointing. Fine, you can tell me that it’s the locals’ responsibility to clean their area but the places I have been talking about are not residential areas. They are areas in between the shore and the road that are still underdeveloped.

The provincial government in general and the barangay council in particular, never fail to remind you through posters and signs to properly dispose your garbage. There are numbers of stopovers along the way to the northern part of Ilocos and may I, if not we, ask you to please have a little bit of decency to throw your trash at the designated bins.

Please don’t add flames to the fire… or better yet, please don’t tolerate the crooked behavior of other people. Not because others did it, means you can. Dumping garbage along the road is never a good idea; it’s a trend that needs to stop not just only in Ilocos Norte but to other parts of the country, world rather, too.

Please don’t make Ilocos Norte your dumpsite. We are working hard enough to progress for you and we cannot afford for the time of just cleaning the mess people other than those from Ilocos Norte caused.

We don’t need garbage and plastics here. We need your cooperation of maintaining the beauty of our province. We are doing our part for you to have your stories about Ilocos worth sharing. Please do yours. You can start by properly disposing your trash. We’ll forever be grateful for that.

Let us contribute to making Ilocos Norte still clean, green, and beautiful. It is not a dump site, our province is a home.

 

 

22 and Merry ~

Kids, it has always been kids.

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Typhoon Nona greeted me with strong wind and rain as if reminding me that I haven’t had my fair share of annual birthday mishap.

But I didn’t drag myself out of bed; did not for a second think of just moving the gift-giving activity on a later date; and I, surprisingly, did not rant about how bad of a disaster my birthday celebration could be.

I was literally soaking wet from waist down because of braving the rain just to get to Operation Blessing Foundation in Pasig City. And the rain poured gracefully as if it hadn’t fell for a long time.

I thought my companions backed out because the rain wouldn’t stop; but the moment we went out of the house, it miraculously stopped pouring. We reached Pasig in wet clothes and eventually reached our destination in Cavite.

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Kids remind me not to take life too seriously and that there is always something new to learn! ~ Alexandra K

I don’t know but children motivate me to be a better person. Their endless energy, creativity, honesty, and resilience have always been my encouragement to work hard for the rest of the year so I could sponsor a gift-giving and fun-filled day to a one community at a time on my birthday.

This year, it’s not much but hey, I again made children smile!

Knowing that I can make an impact on a child’s life, even just for a day, I pray that somehow, I will be someone he/she will remember in his/her adulthood.

See, their curiosity and excitement never fails to humble me. They really enjoyed playing games.

Indeed life is full of simple pleasures. No matter how cheap the gifts I bought for them, the genuine smile plastered in their faces are priceless.

Of course, I could have not done all the preparations and executions without these blessed, amazing, (and sige na nga) beautiful ladies.

Sisters in Christ who share the same craziness I, without doubt, have.

And of course, to Operation Blessing Foundation for helping me achieve my annual pledge.

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Yas, I’m now 22 and still very merry ~ Thank ya’ll for the birthday wishes! You are all deeply appreciated.

Happy Birthday, self. Keep the faith, don’t give up. Just do whatever you want to do with your life because Jeremiah 29:11 ~