Last Day of the Month of April

Today is the last day of the month and perhaps if I don't have anything to write aside from this, this will probably my last entry for the month of April. And we know tomorrow is the fifth month and close to half way through the year. As I said on my previous blogs, time is really fast and it won't be a surprise that when we reach the "ber" month, once again we will hear some Christmas songs played on the radio. And that is just more than anticipation. More than we know that aging is really part of evolution.

I was in the Department of Foreign Affair this morning in hope that I can get my passport on time as it was said in my slip that renewal of my passport was due today. Unfortunately I was not able to get it. And to cut the story short, there was a delay of some passport release. I just thought something was wrong because I was sent to the Director's Office the moment when the releasing officer checked the status of my passport in the computer. Disappointingly, I left the building empty-handed.

Prior to going to the DFA, I had a glimpse of my photo shot in billboard sign at Edsa, in GMA-7's building, for the docu-film "Landas". That was great to see the photo being displayed as billboard sign and so happy about it.

I'm closing to leaving the country so there's not enough time to do what I had to do. So I am trying to figure out what's being left for me prior to my flight.

For sure it's going to be the start of my international travel blog, hehe..but I hope to travel a lot of cities.

Well this is all for today. :)

Read More

Remembering WCOPA 2009

I had this nostalgia moment about a few years back when I stayed in California for over two months. It was July when WCOPA or World Championship of Performing Arts was held at Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles where more than 30 countries, including the Philippines participated in the said event. It was unexpected that I had to stay in the hotel in support of my brother and his son and daughters as part of the Philippine team competing in WCOPA 2009. So I had to play the part of my brother's public relation officer. Later on, The Young Voices grabbed the Champion in the Jr. Group Division.

I had my hands full from day 1 to day 5 of the competition checking all the stuffs in the hotel to keep updated about the contest including their rehearsals.

After the day when the competition ended, I was busy exchanging messages with GMA-7 correspondents both in Manila and California for the Young Voice's guestings, and T.V. appearances, and also they had a separate guesting in the California-based Filipino radio station.

We went to Hollywood to shoot an appearance on GMA-7 with Edith Montelibano (wife of Jeff Montelibano of Music and Magic) as the station's correspondent in California.

Below are some of the pictures I took for them during and after the competition.

The grab the title Jr. Group Chamption of the World

In Hollywood for their interview and t.v. appearance

after the announcement of winners on stage

Team Philippines headed by National Director Carlo Orosa

Team Philippines after the 5-day competition

With Songwriter/Composer Vehnee Saturno, Bonaventure Los Angeles

Radio guesting in US-based Filipino station in California

Read More

Opening A Channel From The Universe

Signs and synchronicities. That's how the Universe communicate to each and everyone, especially when you open a channel from the Source. And these signs are synchonicities that you will see everywhere become normal and these are just beyond control, that it has a special meaning when it comes. The messages are personalized. Sometimes, doubts and fears arise. Yes this is still normal. What you can perceive, the mind always contradict. But it is the heart that knows the truth within. Sometimes we tend to ignore these signs and forget everything that is feeding us. And this is because of the piece of ego that we have. These signs are our guiding star that the Universe, the Source, God is hearing us. Our prayers, our hopes our dreams, we can always benefit from these signs and syncs.

There are various ways to open a channel from the Universe. Some will pray and meditate, exercise or maybe do some rituals. The Universe will perfectly open the channel when the students are ready. It will just come in various forms. You have to open your eyes to see it, but it's the heart that usually has an eye for it.

Sometimes even when you don't do anything, the Universe will naturally give you some messages. This is a gift. But it may not be for everyone.

Signs and syncs function to know that the Source knows what we need to know, because this is clearly the message we are receiving on each moment.

You just have to be yourself and no need to find it, or observe for it will just come. For these messages that you will receive is very unique and personalized.

Read More

You're So Special and I Love You

I don't know how to write some lines about love. All I know is this feelings keep bugging me all the time. Perhaps it's because everything was magical since I was awaken. And I didn't mean that to happen to me. Very unique kind of love, a special kind of love I have never felt before. That extraordinary kind of love I have for you is what make you special. That soulful love for you empowers me of my whole being. And if you listen to your heart, you know that I love you, and you know that it's me.

You crawl into my dreams, and that every dream I have for you lets me yearn for more and wishing that every night when I am asleep you are always there for me. Yes I live in dreams, I live in fantasy where there was never ending story.

The guides in heaven are telling me that it's you, that I have found you. But my mind keeps arguing against my heart which made me confuse who to believe - my heart or my mind.

But I'm hurting so much because my experience was vague. It might be true for me, but not for you and what hurts me more is my fear being wake up one day, my hopes for you to love me are gone.   Yes I am not expecting anything from you to reciprocate the love I have for you.

But I just wanna let you know that you're special and I love you so much...

Read More

GMA News and Public Affairs presents 'Landas,' an Eleksyon 2013 special

GMA News and Public Affairs, the country’s leading News organization, is proud to present, LANDAS, an election special that tackles three of the most pressing issues relevant today as we gear up for the upcoming elections: hunger, health and education. This program aims to guide voters in order to be discerning of the people they will vote into office come May.

Hosted by multi-awarded broadcast journalist Vicky Morales, LANDAS is a landmark production for GMA combining the documentary and narrative fiction genres. While the documentary portion delivers insightful and eye-opening features the network is recognized for, the fictional film will be reflective and complementary to the issues discussed in the documentary and will star Mike Tan, Joyce Ching, Neil Ryan Sese, Nanding Josef, and Chynna Ortaleza, among other notable actors.

The documentary component of LANDAS takes us to some of the remotest towns in the country where poverty is an everyday reality. 

Armed with dried leaves and potions, a 103-year-old medicine man softly chants his prayers to restore the health of folks who can only repay his kindness with cassavas and bananas. This is a reality for several barangays in the South, where many residents turn to local medicine men to cure them of their illnesses --- from simple skin sores to swelling bellies. The nearest hospital is more than an hour’s walk, and most residents are penniless. 

A baby in another town is given coffee made from burnt rice leftovers to relieve a hungry stomach. An indigenous group relies on volunteers who teach them how to read and write. The country’s economy is said to be growing but it is yet to be felt by the poor majority.  

The fiction component of LANDAS tells the story of “Jay”, played by Mike Tan, who finds himself at a crossroads.  Tasked to silence a Commission on Audit officer (played by China Ortaleza) who threatens to expose corruption involving the Mayor (played by Nanding Josef), it’s up to “Jay” to decide the fate of his town, and in turn, his own future.

In pursuit of cinematographic excellence, LANDAS narrative fiction used high definition Canon EOS C300 Cinema cameras and lenses.

LANDAS: The GMA News and Public Affairs Election Special will air on May 5, 2013 at 10:30 in the evening on GMA Network.

Photo By: John Madrigal

Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/305138/publicaffairs/gma7specials/gma-news-and-public-affairs-presents-landas-an-eleksyon-2013-special

Read More

Hanggang Sa Dulo Ng Walang Hanggan

I love this song so much and I recorded this cover song about a month ago. Popularized by Basil Valdez, it was revived by Gary Valenciano for a soap opera. One of the OPM songs I like most. I featured the photos I shot in Batanes dated November 2011 in this video.

Read More

I Love You

I hope you'd find time to read these few words for you. I want you to know that I LOVE YOU..

Read More

Tres Escalon Falls In Taytay, Rizal

I grew up in Cainta, Rizal and I live in this town up to present and most of my leisure time I go to the nearest mall like Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall. Since then I never had the chance to rusticate the entire Rizal Province, so I seldom visit tourist spots where you can find Daranak Falls in Tanay, Antipolo and the rest I visited recently are Pililia, Cardona, Angono, Binangonan and Morong. I was pretty much of the malls aside from the nearest one either I go to Ortigas Center or Cubao. Yes I spent most of my time in the hustle-bustle city where everyone's busy.

I love to travel and if I do not go to the malls, I usually go out of town and write my experience about it in this blog. But recently I have come up with an idea to spot some tourist destinations or a sort of in the Rizal Province. The start of my journey to take Rizal seriously began in December 2012 and those were parts of my photography scene shots. I started researching some places and just the other day with the help of my friend, he recommended Tres Escalon Falls because I was looking for some places so I can take photos with the model just to give myself a try-out to take some outdoor shots for models.

I decided to visit the place and Tres Escalon Falls is situated in Taytay, Rizal inside the Melendres Village. Taytay is the neighboring town of Cainta and I never thought I gotta find this falls since Taytay is just a few minutes away from where I reside in Cainta. Melendres Village is located on the way to Antipolo from Junction, Ortigas Extension, there are Jeepneys going to Antipolo. Upon reaching Caltex on the left side, Melendres Village is just beside the gasoline station and Tres Escalon is just a few meters away from the gate where you have to go straight ahead until you reach the basketball court on the right side of the road which is the jump off point.

When you go down, there are a few stairs but trails are not established, so some rocks serve as steps going to the falls. When I visited Tres Escalon this afternoon, there not enough water in the stream as this may due to summer season.

Garbage is scattered in the area and maybe it came from the residents within the vicinity.

I hope they could find ways to restore the beauty of Tres Escalon as this serves as a tourist destination in Taytay where locals can be proud of this place.

Read More

Facing Our Fears

Up to this day I am not done yet of reading the book "The Power of Now" that a friend of mine suggested me to read. Maybe it is because I was too much preoccupied with the things I was doing and my mind could no longer process to absorb more information. What I did was, if ever I have some time, I open the pages of this book to read one at a time. And I'm not even half way through yet.

From the beginning of this book it emphasizes the ego and what it can do to men, that every person has to face the "Now" situation rather than being weighed down by the past, or worrying too much about the future. That each situation entails about our own fears. Well, I haven't fully read the book yet, and I know there's a lot more than this to be unleashed as I start to read from pages to pages.

I've been haunted by my own fears and that is being undeniable. Fears that don't escalate me to grow. Maybe a fear to face of what is knowing to face the truth. We all have our own truth that sometimes it's some kinda feel you uncomfortable. I have bunches of them that I am trying to deal with it as I grow spiritually. I can't enumerate them one by one so generally speaking the fears that is surfacing individuals.

Let's put it this way. We are all mirrors and we see ourselves to another body and whatever things that we see either positive or negative reflects back to us. There's no problem with the positive reflection, for it brings the best of us and when we see it to others, what a joy we can feel in our hearts. But what about the negative ones? That could probably surprise you and the effects are the one causing us to be fearful. The fear to face what is the truth behind the curtain is our realization that could be challenging in our part. It surprises you to see yourself as reflection from the people around you. To see yourself in another person is an aspect that lets you to become fearful maybe because of the characters that we have for us to change and that we need to figure out how we can face this reality. 

The fear to face the "Now" is what makes us ought to become lethargic instead of focusing what should be done to face the problem. And that whatever happens in our past and when we think of it weighs us down and our self-esteem becomes low. That being emotional is one of the elements that lingers our own fears. It let's us become passive. This is part of our own ego self that should be tarnished and facing our own fears could let us move forward so we can make way for our own growth that we have learned from our past mistakes.

Read More

Mixed Emotions

I've been quite busy for the past few days because of my photo shoot projects with the film "Landas" produced by GMA-7 Public Affairs and News which is slated to be aired by May 5, 2013 on GMA-7. I had my one hand full in editing but at the same time quite fun as I saw the photo's I've taken during the 2-day shooting scene. I saw the production team how they work and at the end of the day they ended up with a common goal just to make the film beautiful

Anyway I got some photo projects before I leave going to the U.S. which this kind of synchronicity made me think how the Universe work in a mysterious way. I'll just go with the flow and let the Universe takes me to the right direction as I always trust the Source since then. Honestly I had some mixed emotions lingering in both the heart and mind and I just don't know why I always had to feel this way. Sometimes I wonder if this emotion is mine or I'm just feeling someone's emotion. That keeps me hanging that I think of something then I feel sad. I am looking for the answers just to verify what's in my thought, confirm if being emotional was mine or not. I could probably be an empath.

It's hard though to feel this way everyday and I would be more happy to find out where this emotion come from. without any judgement. I'll be happy if there was a sort of confirmation. I would understand more about it, and the feelings I get, should I get the lead source.

Aside from these emotions that I had, often times I had this hot feet or hot flashes. I've been experiencing this one for over a year now since my spiritual awakening occurred. Too hot though and sometimes I get sun burns on my skin.

Mood for today? Of course I'm quite sad, and quite happy.

Read More

At The Scene Location For the Film LANDAS

I was so busy yesterday on the last day of the shooting for the film "LANDAS", a GMA-7 Public Affairs and News election special which is slated to be aired in May 5, 2013. I did the photo shoots for the said film.  The location shoot was held at Ninoy Aquino Park or Wild Life in Quezon City which started as early as 8 in the morning. Then we proceeded to GMA-7 for the last sequence.

Honestly I love the job doing the photo shoots in films like this, although it was exhausting. But never mind being tired as long as the outcome of the shots are good. In the entire shooting period of the film, it was really nice to work with all these crews and the stars as well. I also tried to catch my breath yesterday as the scene was okay to look at with these actors.

The casts include Mike Tan, Chynna Ortaleza, Joyce Ching, Neil Ryan Sese and Gerald Madrid. It's a must see film for election special.

Read More