Delish’s location is perfect for us. Just a few kilometers from where we live. I wouldn’t have known a place so conveniently close with such great food offerings, if it was not for the invite. Thanks, Mrs. Martinez!

We were the earliest to come, so we figured we could do a photo op while waiting. We tend to forget having our pictures taken when the table is sprawled with foods galore.

Ever the root beer junkie that the husband is, he ordered  a Float (P110) and Carrot Shake (P95) for moi. We also got to taste their House Iced Tea (P45) which is superb. I finished the whole glass in one sipping! But I still could not make of what the special flavor is. It is their secret recipe, apparently, that they would not dare divulge.

Crispy Bicol Express Special, P185 and Crab Relleno in Banana Leaves, P98

I’m not sure about you, but I have not seen Bicol Express served in a more interesting manner.  Crab Relleno was a winner. At 98 pesos, an order can fill more than just hunger pangs but will delight taste buds  as it satisfies your crab cravings.

Boneless Crispy Pork Knuckles with Oriental Sauce (good for 2 to 3), P390 and Quesadillas, P175

Crispy Pata, the ever present dish in any Filipino gathering. The plus factor of Delish’s take on Crispy Pata is its being boneless. I love not having to sweat my way through getting to those delectable and flavorful tendons.  The oriental sauce they threw in with the dish is an interesting variation from the usual Crispy Pata dipping sauce. Quesadillas is my runaway favorite.

On the left is is the Spinach and Parmesan Dip with Melba Toast, P145 and on the right is the Crispy Honey-Garlic Chicken, P89

The Spinach and Paremesan Dip with Melba Toast makes for a great starter. The toast is baked perfect that I had to ask one of the owners who they bread supplier is. They don’t have a supplier. The toast is baked fresh from their kitchen! Sweet! That alone tells you that a restaurant only serves the freshest of foods. And the Crispy Honey-Garlic Chicken was heavenly! I love how crunchy the skin is and the flavor you get with every bite.

Baked Oysters with Garlic and Cream Cheese, P225 and Baked Oysters with Spinach, Bacon and Herb, P220

On the left is a platter of Baked Oysters with Garlic and Cream Cheese and Baked Oysters with Spinach, Bacon and Herb. Separately they are served 8 pcs of oysters per plate, per variant. They just served us with a platter with combined variants during the food tasting event.  The baked oysters with cream cheese was good but I loved the one topped with Spinach, Bacon and Herb the best. It is way more flavorful and tasty.

The hubby and moi with fellow foodies Azrael, Jonel Uy and Mrs. Martinez

MWF is Delish Restaurant’s Acoustic Nights. We were serenaded by this balladeer during the event. A perfect hang out place, date night and night cap all rolled into one. I heard they also hold Karaoke nights.

Honey Panna Cotta, P95 and Butterscotch Pavlova (good for 2 to 3), P145

Both dessert pieces were perfect. While I delighted in the Butterscotch Pavlova, the hubby loved Honey Panna Cotta.  The generous serving of Butterscotch Pavlova totally satisfied my sweet tooth cravings. The soft texture of the egg whites similar to that of brazo de mercedes, sprinkled with brittles of sweet caramel and all the works makes for a perfect dinner climax.

If there are three things I will go back to Delish for, it will be Quesadillas, the Crispy Honey-Garlic Chicken and the House Iced Tea. But then again, It will be a waste if I’d go back to just that.  I will probably just order everything I tasted during this event all over again.

four of the owners of Delish

Delish Restaurant
103 Maginhawa St.,
Teacher’s Village,
East Quezon City
355.5241
www.delishcuisine.com

I am thoroughly enjoying reading books that I have, once again, put working out aside, which is not good at all. The heartburn that I still get every night when I lie down on my left should get me to my toes. And the digits too that stare me in the face when I check the scales remind me over again. I know I have no excuse anymore, especially now that I replaced my busted Wii Fit with Wii Fit Plus. I will get to this soon. For one, I really won’t be a good steward if I only take care of the intangibles. Health is still wealth.

It was a case of Victoria Ruvolo who was almost killed by Ryan Cushing, a reckless 19 year old boy from Long Island who deliberately struck a 20 pound frozen turkey on a windshield of her car. This got her into eight hours of surgery and three weeks of recovery. Her face shattered like pottery, stapled together by doctors with titanium plates. Surgeons who have rebuilt her face said the impact might have caused her brain damage. Here are some articles from New York Times just so you will have a grasp of how true this story is: Deal in Turkey-Throwing Case After Victim Calls for Leniency and Pushing Past the Trauma to Forgiveness.

Accompanied by several friends and relatives, Ms. Ruvolo, a 44-year-old office manager, came to court wearing a black pantsuit and a gold cross on a chain for her first face-to-face meeting with Mr. Cushing.

Stopping to speak to her on his way out of the courtroom, Mr. Cushing choked on an apology and began to cry. For an intensely emotional few minutes, Ms. Ruvolo alternately embraced him tightly, stroked his face and patted his back as he sobbed uncontrollably.

Many of the two dozen people in court – prosecutors, court officers and reporters – choked back tears.
“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” Mr. Cushing said over and over again. “I didn’t mean it.” Most of their exchange was whispered, but at one point Ms. Ruvolo’s advice to him was just barely audible.

“It’s O.K., it’s O.K.,” she said. “I just want you to make your life the best it can be.”

I do not know what else to call that but GRACE. I totally found myself choking up as I read through the articles. This is something that has happened in real life and not just one of the pages from Les Miserables. Truth be told, when something grave like this happens to anyone, our default will be to cry out for justice, to give the criminal what he deserves. But Ms. Ruvolo thought otherwise and that must have come from something beyond her.

Dr. Jeremiah penned it perfectly when he said, “Grace is shocking—something like the heavenly converse of a traffic accident. When love is returned for evil, we can’t help stopping to rubberneck. Grace is the delivery of a jewel that nobody ordered, a burst of light in a room where everyone forgot it was dark.”

Dr. David Jeremiah perfectly weaves in the stories of Apostle Paul and John Newton (the former slave driver and the composer of the song “Amazing Grace”) and tells of their respective radical stories of Grace they found in Christ. I love how Dr. Jeremiah defines grace in a manner that it allows the reader to have a better grasp of what it is like and how it is still true even in the present day. For those who know what it is like, Captured by Grace will make them want to grab hold of it once again and who are yet to find it, long for it.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The verse above is what we encourage other married couples to hold on to. It is so easy to get distracted by things around us. More often than not, that one time leads to mistake that your family will have to pay consequence for the rest of your life. In our culture where we see marriages break apart, left and right,  it is easy to just settle on the thought that it is never gonna get better.

While I know my being married to my husband for 9 years will not exactly give us that strong authority to talk about marriage, we firmly believe we have what, or should I say, “Who” it takes to have a marriage that only gets better through the years. This is not because we are great individuals. On the contrary, we are broken individuals bound to be unselfish but choose to have the Lord mend and mold us to the husband and wife He has designed us to be.

Truth be told, when we become overly confident and start to say, “Separation and marriage issues happen to other people but not us,” that is the time we become vulnerable. Let your guard down and you will find yourself fall sooner or later. No one is infallible.

When a spouse starts to be emotionally unfulfilled in a marriage, that is when being vulnerable begins. Vulnerability welcomes affection from others who will make a person feel validated and appreciated. Then the cycle of drifting apart begins. Communication in marriage is something we firmly believe in. As demonstrative as I am with my affection to my husband, I am as well as passionate when it comes to letting him know how I truly feel. No sugar coating. This is one of the ways I guard my marriage from my end.

As we continue to seek God’s wisdom and choose to nurture our marriage, our culture will always have its way to entice us from enjoying a fulfilling married life. The devil works on the basic unit of society double time, if you have not yet noticed.

In the event that you think this post is no longer applicable to you as you let out a “too late” sigh, just be reminded that no relationship is too strained for God not to be able to restore.

My husband and I share the same birth month. He is exactly a year and 15 days older than me and he will soon turn 3-5! Two weeks until then! I’m not sure why I always get more excited about his birthday than mine. Celebrating the day of his birth has always been meaningful to me.

It has been a couple of weeks now since he has started to ask what I wanted for my birthday. I assured him that the Android phone that he recently got me was enough. I even had to nudge him to just read one of my recent posts and get the hint. He won’t hear of it. Truth be told, I have never passed a special occasion in all the years we have been together empty handed. But my wish remains the same. Whether he gives me simple letter, which I honestly prefer or one of those fab Marc Jacobs handbags that I saw online, what I really want is to be able to have a real meaningful date with him as he hands me whatever that is he is going to give me.

The husband shared about Receiving Gifts as one of the Five Love Languages in 2008. I totally agree that “You can give without loving, but you can’t love without giving.” Receiving Gifts is my secondary love language. The first being, Quality Time. I cannot feel emptier than having my husband not spend quality time with me. Indicators will just about envelope the house that it will be so hard not to notice.

As for gifts, I totally appreciate them when they are well thought of.  The level of appreciation I have for gifts that I receive depends on the level of sincerity that comes with it.  I’m picky like that. So you can very well understand why I can get really giddy over letters and not feel as much for an expensive bottle of perfume. **Hint! Hint!**

For husbands whose wives have Receiving Gifts as their primary love language,  there are always ways to not forget. Take the order flowers online monthly service, for instance. It can be convenient and no less romantic.  As for me,  the plan is to surprise the hubby with something that he really likes for his birthday, which is very fast approaching. I haven’t always been the most generous with surprises in all the years we’ve been together. I’m boring like that.  But maybe I could just surprise him with something as we are scheduled to fly to KL on his special day.

But more than any tangible surprise I will hand him that day, my heart’s prayer is that I will continue to be a better wife and help meet.  In our close to 9 years of marriage, I still have my struggling episodes on submission and I’m praying to scratch that altogether towards our Tenth. I guess I just shouted that out to the world! How’s that for having the world to be accountable to?

It is always a delight to get together with mommies and their kids. There is just never a dull moment. This brings me to applaud the event organizer for pulling off a fun launch. I can only imagine the challenge it can be. Here are some of proof snapshots of how fun it was. Kids were given colorful icing goodies to decorate their own cookies and cupcakes. They went busy and had the time of their lives. Seeing them enjoy the activity makes for a lovely quality bonding time with them. Priceless!

Jed registers on the list. We were early birds again.

Jed is getting busy decorating the last of the cupcakes he was given.  He already finished the first cupcake when he learned about the instruction. I tell you, this little kiddo of mine doesn’t waste a second when it comes to tummy tickling goodies.

Photo by AzraelColadilla.com

Bisolvon is giving away P50,000 (tax-free) to the Winner and 8 runners-up are going to receive P8,000 each (tax-free).

But this very agreeable man of mine just recently rebuked me of my health choices – about my now non-existent exercise regimen otherwise known as sedentary lifestyle, that is. This actually made me stop and think as I later agreed with him. Now that he is looking for a Dojo place where he can resume his Aikido program in, I can’t believe I actually asked him if he thinks I can join him. And he got pretty thrilled as he answers as a matter of fact, that there are women who are Aikido black-belters. Yikes! I honestly cannot see myself going on a rolling spree and getting my joints wrestled. I wasn’t too serious when I asked him that and he was taking me on a mini-orientation drill already. Just what did I get myself into!

With my chronic arthritis that attack from time to time since I was a teener, I know he’ll cut me some slack and allow me to just grab a hold of running shorts instead and join him once a week whenever he goes to run in Marikina Sports Park. I have no other choice for now as my Wii Fit CD won’t play on me anymore. I am praying that I’ll finally get down to this and be a better steward of my health.

As a mom, I have always considered myself vigilant especially when it comes to my family’s health. My husband even jokingly labeled me once or twice to be a witch doctor of sorts – for I always come up with a seemingly, self-concocted, non-traditional solution to random health issues.   They take my prescription nonetheless, basically because they always work. In my defense, everything I serve my family, I always make sure I looked into beforehand. From the sweet potato juice that I make to boost the immune system, the lemongrass juice that takes care of colds and respiratory issues, the probiotic kefir shake, the propolis ointment for burns, cuts and skin issues and just recently wheatgrass juice, et. al. And in all fairness, they do wonders to the things I needed taken cared of.

For some reason, I also find myself picking up Halal certified food items from the supermarket whenever I do grocery shopping. It gives me a sense of confidence that I’m not giving my family second rate food stuff specifically because from what I’ve learned, Halal certified products have passed strict dietary guidelines. I just find it neat that consumers like us can now get hold of a list of products that are Halal certified via the internet. We can even get updated on Halal certified food and products in Facebook. Now it is easier to identify products during my replenishing-the-pantry errand days.

We have been considerably healthier since we have started doing these health choices.

This is how our 9 year old non-digital wedding album looks like.  I have been putting off getting the photos scanned because I knew it was not going to be an easy task. I was kidding the hubby, this is what we get for getting married during the stone age.  Well, digital photography coverages for weddings were already available back in 2001 but because of their being so few and scarce, the price was steep.  Digital photos back then weren’t as good as they are now anyway.

No. These pictures aren’t part of the wedding album, with that not so little guy in the photos, it’s not even our honeymoon album.  It’s Our Boracay Getaway 2009 printed via Arts Cow. For how much, you ask? For exactly $7.99 (approx. PhP360). It is what inspired me to tear those rusty pages off our wedding album and get to work and have them scanned.  I have been meaning to get this done for the longest time.  But the dirty job of having to get those pasted pictures off the browned and tarnished pages seemed to me was much of adaunting task.  When I received the above Boracay vacay album last week, I grabbed a hold of our antique looking wedding album and it looked worse than when I last saw it.

The paper and cardboards are not the only ones turning brown.  It has started to eat away the photos therein! There were already scattered purple spots all over. But yeah, nothing that Adobe can’t take care of. So I was off to work on this the whole day. Seriously.

I tried searching through the internet on how I could do this the easiest way possible. There were only a couple of suggestions that I found. But I was not too eager to risk on either one. The first suggestion is to soak the photos in tap water. Since I’m not sure of our tap water’s pH level, I might just ruin the photos altogether if I will do just that. The second suggestion was to put the photos inside the freezer! The same principle, eh? I’m not sure as well of the photo paper used by the photographer who covered our wedding so I figured I’ll do it my way. If you know of a better way to do it, feel free to share and leave a link. I do have a few photos that can make use of some recovering.

This is how I went about the wedding album recovery task. I basically did the same thing for every single page, save for the photo embedded on the album cover. I still haven’t figured out how to butcher that out. Since the cardboards have already aged, they have become brittle and so I made sure I got the edges of the pictures safely off the cardboards before heading on the tearing spree. I also had to make sure that I don’t trim away carelessly because the pictures are pasted back to back. I made a couple, okay, more than a couple of boo-boos in the process. But again, nothing Adobe can’t fix.

I am not much of a scrapbook maker. I have no patience to get into the nitty-gritties of doing the non-digital ones. It takes so much time and that, I have not much of a luxury of.  So here is what I came up with at the end of the day. – Our Wedding Album Photo Book, which I’m still to receive in a week or so. What’s nice about this is I can always have something like this re-printed or play with template and designs, even add some embellishments here and there, now  that I have it uploaded in the Arts Cow gallery. I might even try getting an album done by one of our local photo book maker. They charge a lot pricier than Arts Cow. But when it comes to quality, I think Arts Cow can very well compete.

I also have Canon Philippines to thank for, for playing a major role in having this project done. The photos were scanned using the Canon Pixma MX347 All in One Printer that I got from the Canon Green Nation event held last month. The hubby and I were looking into buying a scanner a couple of months ago, but decided that we’ll put it off.  It’s good that we did. Because what we were looking to buy was just the basic one. Canon Pixma MX347 has WiFi to boot. Look Ma, no wires! A great replacement too for the fax machine that was killed by Ondoy.  Canon made it a lot easier for me to go about  my attempt to this wedding album recovery task.

I read through Kaleidoscope as I would my regular Bible reading through Proverbs. Each chapter is provided with more than just insights about a chapter of Proverbs. The “Bits and Pieces” portion at the end of each chapter makes for great follow up questions and then further reinforced by “Held to the Light” which provides other supporting verses to the particular chapter.

The book can be used as a personal devotion tool and ideal for short Bible study too. I suggest to keep a journal as you go along. It will bless you through and through. As entertaining as it is, it is never shallow. I love how Patsy used random pieces of her life as springboard to such wonderful insights, which all women (even men) can surely relate to. I have yet to put the book aside for next day’s reading without a smile on my face. A smile filled with hope and prayer to be constantly transformed into the person God has designed for me to be.

About the Book:

Acclaimed author and Women of Faith speaker Patsy Clairmont causes womens’ hearts to leap and their hopes to lift in this quirky, straight-to-the point look at the Proverbs.

Understanding the Christian life and the Bible can be a daunting task. But maybe God didn’t mean it to be so hard. In Kaleidoscope of Proverbs, Patsy Clairmont pieces together some powerful messages from God and reveals new facets of beauty, inspiration, and instruction. Written for busy women, Patsy offers brief, powerful chapters that address the key aspects of their lives, hearts, and relationships.

In the Proverbs, God gives us small gems of hope and truth, and in Kaleidoscope of Proverbs, Patsy Clairmont unveils them for readers with her trademark humor and insightful teaching.

About the Author:

Patsy Clairmont’s quick wit and depth of biblical knowledge combine in a powerful pint-size package. She helps you to laugh God’s truths right into your heart. Her mission to provide humor and hope for healing comes from her own struggles. God pulled together the emotionally fragmented pieces of her life, not only to free her but also to serve as a reminder that imperfect, cracked Christians are God’s specialty.

A recovering agoraphobic, Patsy speaks at Women of Faith conferences, addressing tens of thousands of women, and has written more than twenty-four books, including Catching Fireflies, All Cracked Up, and I Grew Up Little. She loves a rainy day, a good book, and a deep cushioned chair. Given a day off, she shops, solves the world’s problems with a friend over lunch, and hugs the stuffing out of her two grandsons, Justin and Noah. Patsy and her husband of forty-seven years, Les, live in Tennessee.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Everything You Do Matters

Who would dream that a boy playing in Iowa cornfields would save the lives of more than two billion people? This is the incredible story of Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug, a simple boy with a desire to feed the hungry – but Borlaug couldn’t have accomplished this without the help of Vice President Henry Wallace, who was influenced by inventor George Washington Carver, who in turn was rescued by farmer Moses Carver.

The Boy Who Changed the World reveals the incredible truth that everything YOU do matters – what you did yesterday, what you do today, and what you will do tomorrow. Every choice you make, good or bad, can make a difference. In this engaging tale, bestselling author Andy Andrews shows children that every action, however big or small, can have a ripple effect around the world.

Last Friday, July 20, 2010, I attended  “Trek Around Europa,” a culminating event of the Linggo de Lingua Europa 3. It was a collaboration of the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University. The marathon activity ala Amazing Race was held at the Manny V. Pangilinan Building inside the Ateneo University campus in Katipunan.

Students from participating schools all over Manila: Ateneo, Miriam College, UP Diliman, De La Salle College of St. Benilde, Instituto Cervantes Manila, et.al. were first given the floor as they were randomly asked why they think it’s important to learn a foreign language. A handful of students gave their take, including a Chinese exchange student who shared her thoughts about the beauty of exploring different cultures through learning a second tongue. Bloggers and language enthusiasts also graced the event.

Foreign ambassadors and culture representatives of European Union who were present gave short talks as each shared their thoughts about their respective country’s culture and history as they encourage the audience to learn a second language.

With the Spanish subject getting scrapped out of the middle school curriculum even before I was able to appreciate it, my exposure was mainly of foreign languages randomly uttered by my folks and some Dora the Explorer videos too (which my son used to love). This event ignited a want in me to learn a second language. French or Spanish, perhaps.

Here are some of the photos from the marathon ala Amazing Race, wherein we were divided into groups where we need to go visit 8 stations representing a country of the European Union and do tasks at the least possible time. It was a lot like the Island Cove Adventure we had last year but leaning towards the academics this time around. We were practically given crash courses on the language of each EU station representated. Nevermind if pulse oximeters would probably register high pulse rate if I had worn one. It was fun, nonetheless!

A shot with my groupmates Erika and Michelle with Gail (Michelle’s friend) and Señora Heidi Aquino, faculty member of Ateneo de Manila University (Spanish professor of Erika, the sole student in the group).

The Punta Europa gameboard. Guess who was the most thrilled when I got home from the Trek Around Europa event – the little guy no less, who is so much into gameboards lately.

Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines
30/F Tower 2, RCBC Plaza, 6819 Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Tel. 859.5100
Website: www.delphl.ec.europa.eu

For the most part, I love the whole concept of Ibayo.  A contemporary take of the more classic Barrio Fiesta as we know it.

Jeff and I enjoying our hearty dinner at Ibayo.

Ibayo transforms from a casual dining atmosphere to a “chillax” place that escalates into an ultimate night-out for family and friends.

Check out the well designed contemporary interior.

Artie of Eventus Kinetix introduces Ibayo owners Tristan & Tyrone Ongpauco with their Tita Monica Asuncion who manages the resto/bistro.

Ibayo Firesticks. My favorite Ibayo appetizer. While some would prefer their mini egg rolls filled with jalapeno and cheese a little more hot, I’d say this one is just right for me. I could eat a whole bunch if there was not anything else left on the table.    There were a handful of other appetizers to try out: Green Mango Salad, Chicharon Bulaklak, Kilawin Tanigue (our favorite which we forgot to order that night), et. al.

Watermelon fruit shake, P105

Ginataang Kuhol

Ibayo White Adobo, P280

This White Adobo is Ibayo’s twist  on Philippine’s most popular dish. Chicken and Pork Adobo made without soy sauce. I didn’t exactly know what to expect as I was about to dig in to this dish.  Suffice it to say, it made it to my list of favorites for the night.  A must try!

Ibayo Crispy Catfish, P199

Deep fried catfish with a twist. Ibayo serves it with their special Barrio Fiesta Bagoong and green mango salad. Yumm!

Kare-kare, P220 (regular) | P350 (family)

A Pinoy favorite! Tender oxtail and tripe stewed in creamy peanut sauce.

Crispy Pata, P480

What’s a trip to Barrio Fiesta without a sampling heap of their famous Crispy Pata? Unheard of, right? An indulgence through and through, I know.  Deep fried pork knuckle at its best.

Bicol Express, P160

Bulalo Steak, 280

Tender beef shank served on a sizzling platter served with buttered veggies and gravy.  When they said tender, they were not kidding. And for its price, it’s really a steal.  The serving is huge enough to feed two.

Putobungbung

Turon ala Mode, P75

Banana fritters  with langka, served with ice cream

Ibayo by Barrio Fiesta is located at Bldg. G Unit 7-8 San Miguel by the Bay Seaside Brgy. 076 SM Bay City, Central Business Park 1-A Pasay City, open from 3pm to 12mn on weekdays and 3pm to 2am on weekends. It is also open for lunch on holidays.

For reservations, you may contact Monica Asuncion at 0906-5002782.

I have always known that green thumb I had none but I was still secretly hoping that I will successfully grow my own supply of wheatgrass.  Besides, I thought, it was just grass. So it should thrive without my having to give it extra care, right? Wrong. My first attempt and I killed the berries. Yes, that soon. But never say die, so I headed on to my second and third attempts.

Day 3 and Day 5

wheatgrass in full bloom

I am thankful enough that I was able to juice thrice, at least. After the third attempt, molds got the better of my wheatgrass trays and I practically just gave up on it out of frustration. Maybe it’s just me and my need to go buy myself a pair of green thumbs.

The juicing is not as hard as it may seem. I just basically just gathered up a bunch of grass, immersed it in water with vinegar and salt (to clean the grass), rinse and dunked it to the blender. Although cheese cloths are what they usually use in the video tutorials I watched over YouTube, I figured that unused and clean cloth diapers (lampin) will do just as well.

This was how my wheatgrass tray looked like after harvest. I was told that it can grow up to three cycles. But the most mine did was twice. They grew mold already after. I’m really not certain if it’s the humidity of Manila that killed my wheatgrass. Allow me just a bit to console myself.

I just poured a cup or two of cold water after the bunch of clean wheatgrass is dunked in the blender and set the power on high for a couple or so minutes. It is fairly easy to do, if only I could have them thrive, then I will really keep at it. But I think it is worth the try. The power food that it is should do more than just opiate detox but should also keep you in tip top shape. For now, I’d probably settle for the wheatgrass supplement. Woe is me who can’t grow grass.

the pulp that remained after the juice was squeezed through the cloth

wheatgrass juice

My son loves it! (he calls it yummy wheatgrass juice) I do too. I have yet to convince the hubby though. Although the taste is undeniably of grass, wheatgrass juice actually tastes sweet.

The great thing is that God, who built us for relationships, did not leave us without any guide on it. There is actually a whole chapter about it found in 1 Corinthians 13. One particular phrase I looked at and used in one of my sermons is found in verse 4, “love is kind” and kindness is simply love in action.

Romans 15:2 says “We should consider the good of our neighbor and build up his character.” Part of being kind is building up somebody, particularly, our spouse’s character. But how do we build up our partner? Below are four things we can give them that will bring out the best in them.

1. Give your spouse a personal challenge

We all know that there is more to life than just living for yourself. There must be a cause, reason, purpose that I’m here than to just take up space. All of us need somebody in our lives who can inspire us to be what we could be. God gave you your husband or wife God wants you to build him or her up. God wants to use us to bring out the best in them, to inspire them to be what He knows they could be.

2. Give your spouse complete confidence

We all need confidence. When somebody believes in you it brings out the best in you. I Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. ” This is talking about the power of affirmation. If we want to be people builders we’ve got to be good at encouragement.

When was the last time you wrote a specific note of encouragement to your parter about a strength that they have?

3. Give your partner honest counsel

There is no progress without learning. There is no learning without feedback. We all need honest feedback. We all need people who will lay it out on the line and be honest with us and give us occasional correction.

Correction is very powerful but dangerous stuff. Correction done the right way can build up your husband or wife. But correction done the wrong way can scar also scar them for life. When you correct somebody it’s very serious. The key to proper correction is this: affirm the person, correct the behavior.

4. Give your partner full credit

Praise the growth and the changes you see in the life of your husband or wife. Romans 12:10 says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Usually we like to share the blame but keep the credit. The mark of maturity is to accept the blame and share the credit.

Practical assignment on how to get started on this: Get alone by yourself, take some time, take out a sheet of paper, and start thinking about your husband or wife. Then stop and pray — “If any man lacks wisdom let him ask of God.” Ask God to help you see the strengths in that person’s life, because we always build on people’s strengths, not on their weaknesses. What do you see are their abilities? In the past, what have you seen that made a difference, or brought out the best in them? What are have they excelled, or succeeded? Write them down. Write their strengths down start communicating them to that person you want to build up.

Imagine the impact that each family could have if we would commit ourselves to being people builders. When we come in contact with our spouse we’re going to try to bring out the best in them, help them to develop to become what God made them to be. Let us commit to become people builders.

President Benigno Aquino III (PNoy) delivered his first SONA toda

President Benigno Aquino III’s (PNoy’s) First State of the Nation Address (SONA) Full Transcript
Session Hall of the House of Representatives
July 26, 2010

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar Binay; Chief Justice Renato Corona; Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada; members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished members of the diplomatic corps; my fellow workers in government;
Mga minamahal kong kababayan:

Sa bawat sandali po ng pamamahala ay nahaharap tayo sa isang sangandaan.
Sa isang banda po ay ang pagpili para sa ikabubuti ng taumbayan. Ang pagtanaw sa interes ng nakakarami; ang pagkapit sa prinsipyo; at ang pagiging tapat sa sinumpaan nating tungkulin bilang lingkod-bayan. Ito po ang tuwid na daan.
Sa kabilang banda ay ang pag-una sa pansariling interes. Ang pagpapaalipin sa pulitikal na konsiderasyon, at pagsasakripisyo ng kapakanan ng taumbayan. Ito po ang baluktot na daan.

GOV’T HAS LONG STRAYED TO THE CROOKED PATH
Matagal pong naligaw ang pamahalaan sa daang baluktot. Araw-araw po, lalong lumilinaw sa akin ang lawak ng problemang ating namana. Damang-dama ko ang bigat ng aking responsibilidad.

Sa unang tatlong linggo ng aming panunungkulan, marami po kaming natuklasan. Nais ko pong ipahayag sa inyo ang iilan lamang sa mga namana nating suliranin at ang ginagawa naming hakbang para lutasin ang mga ito.

RP’S PROBLEMS WIDE-RANGING; TRUE STATE OF THE NATION KEPT SECRET FROM THE PUBLIC
Sulyap lamang po ito; hindi pa ito ang lahat ng problemang haharapin natin. Inilihim at sadyang iniligaw ang sambayanan sa totoong kalagayan ng ating bansa.

PROBLEMA SA BUDGET

Sa unang anim na buwan ng taon, mas malaki ang ginastos ng gobyerno kaysa sa pumasok na kita. Lalong lumaki ang deficit natin, na umakyat na sa 196.7 billion pesos. Sa target na kuleksyon, kinapos tayo ng 23.8 billion pesos; ang tinataya namang gastos, nalagpasan natin ng 45.1 billion pesos.
Ang budget po sa 2010 ay 1.54 trillion pesos.

Nasa isandaang bilyong piso o anim at kalahating porsyento na lang ng kabuuan ang malaya nating magagamit para sa nalalabing anim na buwan ng taong ito.
Halos isang porsyento na lang po ng kabuuang budget ang natitira para sa bawat buwan.
Saan naman po dinala ang pera?

CALAMITY FUND
Naglaan ng dalawang bilyong piso na Calamity Fund bilang paghahanda para sa mga kalamidad na hindi pa nangyayari. Napakaliit na nga po ng pondong ito, ngunit kapapasok pa lang natin sa panahon ng baha at bagyo, 1.4 billion pesos o sitenta porsyento na ang nagastos.
Sa kabuuan ng 108 million pesos para sa lalawigan ng Pampanga, 105 million pesos nito ay napunta sa iisang distrito lamang.

ONE DISTRICT IN PAMPANGA GOT P105M; PANGASINAN ONLY GOT P5M FOR 2008 CALAMITY
Samantala, ang lalawigan ng Pangasinan na sinalanta ng Pepeng ay nakatanggap ng limang milyong piso lamang para sa pinsalang idinulot ng bagyong Cosme, na nangyari noong 2008 pa.

FUNDS FOR PAMPANGA GIVEN ON ELECTION MONTH, 7 MOS. AFTER “ONDOY”, “PEPENG”
Ibinigay po ang pondo ng Pampanga sa buwan ng eleksyon, pitong buwan pagkatapos ng Ondoy at Pepeng. Paano kung bumagyo bukas? Inubos na ang pondo nito para sa bagyong nangyari noong isang taon pa. Pagbabayaran ng kinabukasan ang kasakiman ng nakaraan.

MWSS
Ganyan din po ang nangyari sa pondo ng MWSS. Kamakailan lamang, pumipila ang mga tao para lang makakuha ng tubig. Sa kabila nito, minabuti pa ng liderato ng MWSS na magbigay ng gantimpala sa sarili kahit hindi pa nababayaran ang pensyon ng mga retiradong empleyado.

Noong 2009, ang buong payroll ng MWSS ay 51.4 million pesos. Pero hindi lang naman po ito ang sahod nila; may mga additional allowances at benefits pa sila na aabot sa 160.1 million pesos. Sa madaling sabi, nakatanggap sila ng 211.5 million pesos noong nakaraang taon. Beinte-kuwatro porsyento lang nito ang normal na sahod, at sitenta’y sais porsyento ang dagdag.

Ang karaniwang manggagawa hanggang 13th month pay plus cash gift lang ang nakukuha. Sa MWSS, aabot sa katumbas ng mahigit sa tatlumpung buwan ang sahod kasama na ang lahat ng mga bonuses at allowances na nakuha nila.
Mas matindi po ang natuklasan natin sa pasahod ng kanilang Board of Trustees. Tingnan po natin ang mga allowances na tinatanggap nila:

Umupo ka lang sa Board of Trustees at Board Committee meeting, katorse mil na. Aabot ng nobenta’y otso mil ito kada buwan. May grocery incentive pa sila na otsenta mil kada taon.

Hindi lang iyon: may mid-year bonus, productivity bonus, anniversary bonus, year-end bonus, at Financial Assistance. May Christmas bonus na, may Additional Christmas Package pa. Kada isa sa mga ito, nobenta’y otso mil. Sa suma total po, aabot ang lahat ng dalawa’t kalahating milyong piso kada taon sa bawat miyembro ng Board maliban sa pakotse, technical assistance, at pautang. Uulitin ko po. Lahat ng ito ay ibinibigay nila sa kanilang mga sarili habang hindi pa nababayaran ang mga pensyon ng kanilang mga retirees.

Pati po ang La Mesa Watershed ay hindi nila pinatawad. Para magkaroon ng tamang supply ng tubig, kailangang alagaan ang mga watershed. Sa watershed, puno ang kailangan. Pati po iyon na dapat puno ang nakatayo, tinayuan nila ng bahay para sa matataas na opisyal ng MWSS.

Hindi naman sila agad maaalis sa puwesto dahil kabilang sila sa mga Midnight Appointees ni dating Pangulong Arroyo. Iniimbestigahan na natin ang lahat nang ito. Kung mayroon pa silang kahit kaunting hiya na natitira – sana kusa na lang silang magbitiw sa puwesto.

ROAD USERS’ FUND
Pag-usapan naman po natin ang pondo para sa imprastruktura. Tumukoy ang DPWH ng dalawandaan apatnapu’t anim na priority safety projects na popondohan ng Motor Vehicle Users Charge. Mangangailangan po ito ng budget na 425 million pesos.

Ang pinondohan po, dalawampu’t walong proyekto lang. Kinalimutan po ang dalawandaan at labing walong proyekto at pinalitan ng pitumpung proyekto na wala naman sa plano. Ang hininging 425 million pesos, naging 480 million pesos pa, lumaki lalo dahil sa mga proyektong sa piling-piling mga benepisyaryo lang napunta.

Mga proyekto po itong walang saysay, hindi pinag-aralan at hindi pinaghandaan, kaya parang kabuteng sumusulpot.
Tapos na po ang panahon para dito. Sa administrasyon po natin, walang kota-kota, walang tongpats, ang pera ng taumbayan ay gagastusin para sa taumbayan lamang.

NEGOTIATED CONTRACTS
Meron pa po tayong natuklasan. Limang araw bago matapos ang termino ng nakaraang administrasyon, nagpautos silang maglabas ng 3.5 billion pesos para sa rehabilitasyon ng mga nasalanta nina Ondoy at Pepeng.
Walumpu’t anim na proyekto ang paglalaanan dapat nito na hindi na sana idadaan sa public bidding. Labingsiyam sa mga ito na nagkakahalaga ng 981 million pesos ang muntik nang makalusot. Hindi pa nailalabas ang Special Allotment Release Order ay pirmado na ang mga kontrata.
Buti na lang po ay natuklasan at pinigilan ito ni Secretary Rogelio Singson ng DPWH. Ngayon po ay dadaan na ang kabuuan ng 3.5 billion pesos sa tapat na bidding, at magagamit na ang pondo na ito sa pagbibigay ng lingap sa mga nawalan ng tahanan dahil kina Ondoy at Pepeng.

NAPOCOR
Pag-usapan naman natin ang nangyari sa NAPOCOR. Noong 2001 hanggang 2004, pinilit ng gobyerno ang NAPOCOR na magbenta ng kuryente nang palugi para hindi tumaas ang presyo. Tila ang dahilan: pinaghahandaan na nila ang eleksyon.

Dahil dito, noong 2004, sumagad ang pagkakabaon sa utang ng NAPOCOR. Napilitan ang pambansang gobyerno na sagutin ang dalawandaang bilyong pisong utang nito.
Ang inakala ng taumbayan na natipid nila sa kuryente ay binabayaran din natin mula sa kaban ng bayan. May gastos na tayo sa kuryente, binabayaran pa natin ang dagdag na pagkakautang ng gobyerno.
Kung naging matino ang pag-utang, sana’y nadagdagan ang ating kasiguruhan sa supply ng kuryente. Pero ang desisyon ay ibinatay sa maling pulitika, at hindi sa pangangailangan ng taumbayan. Ang taumbayan, matapos pinagsakripisyo ay lalo pang pinahirapan.

MRT
Ganito rin po ang nangyari sa MRT. Sinubukan na namang bilhin ang ating pagmamahal. Pinilit ang operator na panatilihing mababa ang pamasahe.
Hindi tuloy nagampanan ang garantiyang ibinigay sa operator na mababawi nila ang kanilang puhunan. Dahil dito, inutusan ang Landbank at Development Bank of the Philippines na bilhin ang MRT.
Ang pera ng taumbayan, ipinagpalit sa isang naluluging operasyon.

NFA
Dumako naman po tayo sa pondo ng NFA.
Noong 2004: 117,000 metric tons ang pagkukulang ng supply ng Pilipinas. Ang binili nila, 900,000 metric tons. Kahit ulitin mo pa ng mahigit pitong beses ang pagkukulang, sobra pa rin ang binili nila.
Noong 2007: 589,000 metric tons ang pagkukulang ng supply sa Pilipinas. Ang binili nila, 1.827 million metric tons. Kahit ulitin mo pa ng mahigit tatlong beses ang pagkukulang, sobra na naman ang binili nila.
Ang masakit nito, dahil sobra-sobra ang binibili nila taun-taon, nabubulok lang pala sa mga kamalig ang bigas, kagaya ng nangyari noong 2008.

Hindi po ba krimen ito, na hinahayaan nilang mabulok ang bigas, sa kabila ng apat na milyong Pilipinong hindi kumakain ng tatlong beses sa isang araw?

Ang resulta nito, umabot na sa 171.6 billion pesos ang utang ng NFA noong Mayo ng taong ito.
Ang tinapon na ito, halos puwede na sanang pondohan ang mga sumusunod:
Ang budget ng buong Hudikatura, na 12.7 billion pesos sa taong ito.
Ang Conditional Cash Transfers para sa susunod na taon, na nagkakahalaga ng 29.6 billion pesos.
Ang lahat ng classroom na kailangan ng ating bansa, na nagkakahalaga ng 130 billion pesos.
Kasuklam-suklam ang kalakarang ito. Pera na, naging bato pa.

ZERO BUDGET
Narinig po ninyo kung paano nilustay ang kaban ng bayan. Ang malinaw po sa ngayon: ang anumang pagbabago ay magmumula sa pagsiguro natin na magwawakas na ang pagiging maluho at pagwawaldas.

Kaya nga po mula ngayon: ititigil na natin ang paglulustay sa salapi ng bayan. Tatanggalin natin ang mga proyektong mali.

Ito po ang punto ng tinatawag nating zero-based approach sa ating budget. Ang naging kalakaran po, taun-taon ay inuulit lamang ang budget na puno ng tagas. Dadagdagan lang nang konti, puwede na.
Sa susunod na buwan ay maghahain tayo ng budget na kumikilala nang tama sa mga problema, at magtutuon din ng pansin sa tamang solusyon.

IMMEDIATE STEPS
TAX EVASION
Ilan lang ito sa mga natuklasan nating problema. Heto naman po ang ilang halimbawa ng mga hakbang na ginagawa natin.
Nandiyan po ang kaso ng isang may-ari ng sanglaan. Bumili siya ng sasakyang tinatayang nasa dalawampu’t anim na milyong piso ang halaga.
Kung kaya mong bumili ng Lamborghini, bakit hindi mo kayang magbayad ng buwis?
Nasampahan na po ito ng kaso. Sa pangunguna nina Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares at Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez, bawat linggo po ay may bago tayong kasong isinasampa kontra sa mga smuggler at sa mga hindi nagbabayad ng tamang buwis.

EXTRALEGAL KILLINGS
Natukoy na rin po ang salarin sa mga kaso nina Francisco Baldomero, Jose Daguio at Miguel Belen, tatlo sa anim na insidente ng extralegal killings mula nang umupo tayo.

Singkuwenta porsyento po ng mga insidente ng extralegal killings ang patungo na sa kanilang resolusyon.
Ang natitira pong kalahati ay hindi natin tatantanan ang pag-usig hanggang makamit ang katarungan.

TRUTH COMMISSION
Pananagutin natin ang mga mamamatay-tao. Pananagutin din natin ang mga corrupt sa gobyerno.
Nagsimula nang mabuo ang ating Truth Commission, sa pangunguna ni dating Chief Justice Hilario Davide. Hahanapin natin ang katotohanan sa mga nangyari diumanong katiwalian noong nakaraang siyam na taon.
Sa loob ng linggong ito, pipirmahan ko ang kauna-unahang Executive Order na nagtatalaga sa pagbuo nitong Truth Commission.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
Kung ang sagot sa kawalan ng katarungan ay pananagutan, ang sagot naman sa kakulangan natin sa pondo ay mga makabago at malikhaing paraan para tugunan ang mga pagkatagal-tagal nang problema.

Napakarami po ng ating pangangailangan: mula sa edukasyon, imprastruktura, pangkalusugan, pangangailangan ng militar at kapulisan, at marami pang iba. Hindi kakasya ang pondo para mapunan ang lahat ng ito.
Kahit gaano po kalaki ang kakulangan para mapunan ang mga listahan ng ating pangangailangan, ganado pa rin ako dahil marami nang nagpakita ng panibagong interes at kumpyansa sa Pilipinas.

Ito ang magiging solusyon: mga Public-Private Partnerships. Kahit wala pa pong pirmahang nangyayari dito, masasabi kong maganda ang magiging bunga ng maraming usapin ukol dito.

May mga nagpakita na po ng interes, gustong magtayo ng expressway na mula Maynila, tatahak ng Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, hanggang sa dulo ng Cagayan Valley nang hindi gugugol ang estado kahit na po piso.
Sa larangan ng ating Sandatahang Lakas:

Mayroon po tayong 36,000 nautical miles ng baybayin. Ang mayroon lamang tayo: tatlumpu’t dalawang barko. Itong mga barkong ito, panahon pa ni MacArthur.

May nagmungkahi sa atin, ito ang proposisyon: uupahan po nila ang headquarters ng Navy sa Roxas Boulevard at ang Naval Station sa Fort Bonifacio.

Sagot po nila ang paglipat ng Navy Headquarters sa Camp Aguinaldo. Agaran, bibigyan tayo ng isandaang milyong dolyar. At dagdag pa sa lahat nang iyan, magsusubi pa sila sa atin ng kita mula sa mga negosyong itatayo nila sa uupahan nilang lupa.

Sa madali pong sabi: Makukuha natin ang kailangan natin, hindi tatayo gagastos, kikita pa tayo.
Marami na pong nag-alok at nagmungkahi sa atin, mula lokal hanggang dayuhang negosyante, na magpuno ng iba’t ibang pangangailangan.

Mula sa mga public-private partnerships na ito, lalago ang ating ekonomiya, at bawat Pilipino makikinabang. Napakaraming sektor na matutulungan nito.

Maipapatayo na po ang imprastrukturang kailangan natin para palaguin ang turismo.
Sa agrikultura, makapagtatayo na tayo ng mga grains terminals, refrigeration facilities, maayos na road networks at post-harvest facilities.

Kung maisasaayos natin ang ating food supply chain sa tulong ng pribadong sektor, sa halip na mag-angkat tayo ay maari na sana tayong mangarap na mag-supply sa pandaigdigang merkado.

Kung maitatayo ang minumungkahi sa ating railway system, bababa ang presyo ng bilihin. Mas mura, mas mabilis, mas maginhawa, at makakaiwas pa sa kotong cops at mga kumokotong na rebelde ang mga bumibiyahe.

STREAMLINING PROCESSES
Paalala lang po: una sa ating plataporma ang paglikha ng mga trabaho, at nanggagaling ang trabaho sa paglago ng industriya. Lalago lamang ang industriya kung gagawin nating mas malinis, mas mabilis, at mas maginhawa ang proseso para sa mga gustong magnegosyo.

Pabibilisin natin ang proseso ng mga proyektong sumasailalim sa Build-Operate-Transfer. Sa tulong ng lahat ng sangay ng gobyerno at ng mga mamamayan, pabababain natin sa anim na buwan ang proseso na noon ay inaabot ng taon kung hindi dekada.

May mga hakbang na rin pong sinisimulan ang DTI, sa pamumuno ni Secretary Gregory Domingo:
Ang walang-katapusang pabalik-balik sa proseso ng pagrehistro ng pangalan ng kumpanya, na kada dalaw ay umaabot ng apat hanggang walong oras, ibababa na natin sa labinlimang minuto.

Ang dating listahan ng tatlumpu’t anim na dokumento, ibababa natin sa anim. Ang dating walong pahinang application form, ibababa natin sa isang pahina.

Nananawagan ako sa ating mga LGUs. Habang naghahanap tayo ng paraan para gawing mas mabilis ang pagbubukas ng mga negosyo, pag-aralan din sana nila ang kanilang mga proseso. Kailangan itong gawing mas mabilis, at kailangan itong itugma sa mga sinisumulan nating reporma.

Negosyante, sundalo, rebelde, at karaniwang Pilipino, lahat po makikinabang dito. Basta po hindi dehado ang Pilipino, papasukin po natin lahat iyan. Kailangan na po nating simulan ang pagtutulungan para makamit ito. Huwag nating pahirapan ang isa’t isa.

Parating na po ang panahon na hindi na natin kailangang mamili sa pagitan ng seguridad ng ating mamamayan o sa kinabukasan ng inyong mga anak.

FREEING UP FUNDS
EDUCATION
Oras na maipatupad ang public-private partnerships na ito, mapopondohan ang mga serbisyong panlipunan, alinsunod sa ating plataporma.

Magkakapondo na po para maipatupad ang mga plano natin sa edukasyon.
Mapapalawak natin ang basic education cycle mula sa napakaikling sampung taon tungo sa global standard na labindalawang taon.

Madadagdagan natin ang mga classroom. Mapopondohan natin ang service contracting sa ilalim ng GASTPE.
Pati ang conditional cash transfers, na magbabawas ng pabigat sa bulsa ng mga pamilya, madadagdan na rin ng pondo.

PHILHEALTH
Maipapatupad ang plano natin sa PhilHealth.
Una, tutukuyin natin ang tunay na bilang ng mga nangangailangan nito. Sa ngayon, hindi magkakatugma ang datos. Sabi ng PhilHealth sa isang bibig, walumpu’t pitong porsyento na raw ang merong coverage. Sa kabilang bibig naman, singkuwenta’y tres porsyento naman. Ayon naman sa National Statistics Office, tatlumpu’t walong porsyento ang may coverage.
Ngayon pa lang, kumikilos na si Secretary Dinky Soliman at ang DSWD upang ipatupad ang National Household Targetting System, na magtutukoy sa mga pamilyang higit na nagangailangan ng tulong. Tinatayang siyam na bilyon ang kailangan para mabigyan ng PhilHealth ang limang milyong pinakamaralitang pamilyang Pilipino.

LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Napakaganda po ng hinaharap natin. Kasama na po natin ang pribadong sektor, at kasama na rin natin ang League of Provinces, sa pangunguna nina Governor Alfonso Umali kasama sina Governor L-Ray Villafuerte at Governor Icot Petilla. Handa na pong makipagtulungan para makibahagi sa pagtustos ng mga gastusin. Alam ko rin pong hindi magpapahuli ang League of Cities sa pangunguna ni Mayor Oscar Rodriguez.

Kung ang mga gobyernong lokal ay nakikiramay na sa ating mga adhikain, ang Kongreso namang pinanggalingan ko, siguro naman maasahan ko din.

Nagpakitang-gilas na po ang gabinete sa pagtukoy ng ating mga problema at sa paglulunsad ng mga solusyon sa loob lamang ng tatlong linggo.

Nang bagyo pong Basyang, ang sabi sa atin ng mga may prangkisa sa kuryente, apat na araw na walang kuryente. Dahil sa mabilis na pagkilos ni Secretary Rene Almendras at ng Department of Energy, naibalik ang kuryente sa halos lahat sa loob lamang ng beinte-kwatro oras.

Ito pong sinasabing kakulangan sa tubig sa Metro Manila, kinilusan agad ni Secretary Rogelio Singson at ng DPWH. Hindi na siya naghintay ng utos, kaya nabawasan ang perwisyo.

Nakita na rin natin ang gilas ng mga hinirang nating makatulong sa Gabinete. Makatuwiran naman po sigurong umasa na hindi na sila padadaanin sa butas ng karayom para makumpirma ng Commission on Appointments. Kung mangyayari po ito, marami pa sa mga mahuhusay na Pilipino ang maeengganyong magsilbi sa gobyerno.

Sa lalong madaling panahon po, uupo na tayo sa LEDAC at pag-uusapan ang mga mahahalagang batas na kailangan nating ipasa. Makakaasa kayo na mananatiling bukas ang aking isipan, at ang ating ugnayan ay mananatiling tapat.

Isinusulong po natin ang Fiscal Responsibility Bill, kung saan hindi tayo magpapasa ng batas na mangangailangan ng pondo kung hindi pa natukoy ang panggagalingan nito. May 104.1 billion pesos tayong kailangan para pondohan ang mga batas na naipasa na, ngunit hindi maipatupad.

Kailangan din nating isaayos ang mga insentibong piskal na ibinigay noong nakaraan. Ngayong naghihigpit tayo ng sinturon, kailangang balikan kung alin sa mga ito ang dapat manatili at kung ano ang dapat nang itigil.

Huwag po tayong pumayag na magkaroon ng isa pang NBN-ZTE. Sa lokal man o dayuhan manggagaling ang pondo, dapat dumaan ito sa tamang proseso. Hinihingi ko po ang tulong ninyo upang amiyendahan ang ating Procurement Law.
Ayon po sa Saligang Batas, tungkulin ng estado ang siguruhing walang lamangan sa merkado. Bawal ang monopolya, bawal ang mga cartel na sasakal sa kumpetisyon. Kailangan po natin ng isang Anti-Trust Law na magbibigay-buhay sa mga prinsipyong ito. Ito ang magbibigay ng pagkakataon sa mga Small- at Medium-scale Enterprises na makilahok at tumulong sa paglago ng ating ekonomiya.

Ipasa na po natin ang National Land Use Bill.
Una rin pong naging batas ng Commonwealth ang National Defense Act, na ipinasa noon pang 1935. Kailangan nang palitan ito ng batas na tutugon sa pangangailangan ng pambansang seguridad sa kasalukuyan.

Nakikiusap po akong isulong ang Whistleblower’s Bill upang patuloy nang iwaksi ang kultura ng takot at pananahimik.
Palalakasin pa lalo ang Witness Protection Program. Alalahanin po natin na noong taong 2009 hanggang 2010, may nahatulan sa 95% ng mga kaso kung saan may witness na sumailalim sa programang ito.

Kailangang repasuhin ang ating mga batas. Nanawagan po akong umpisahan na ang rekodipikasyon ng ating mga batas, upang siguruhing magkakatugma sila at hindi salu-salungat.

PEACE PROCESS
Ito pong mga batas na ito ang batayan ng kaayusan, ngunit ang pundasyon ng lahat ng ginagawa natin ay ang prinsipyong wala tayong mararating kung walang kapayapaan at katahimikan.
Dalawa ang hinaharap nating suliranin sa usapin ng kapayapaan: ang situwasyon sa Mindanao, at ang patuloy na pag-aaklas ng CPP-NPA-NDF.

Tungkol sa situwasyon sa Mindanao: Hindi po nagbabago ang ating pananaw. Mararating lamang ang kapayapaan at katahimikan kung mag-uusap ang lahat ng apektado: Moro, Lumad, at Kristiyano. Inatasan na natin si Dean Marvic Leonen na mangasiwa sa ginagawa nating pakikipag-usap sa MILF.

Iiwasan natin ang mga pagkakamaling nangyari sa nakaraang administrasyon, kung saan binulaga na lang ang mga mamamayan ng Mindanao. Hindi tayo puwedeng magbulag-bulagan sa mga dudang may kulay ng pulitika ang proseso, at hindi ang kapakanan ng taumbayan ang tanging interes.

Kinikilala natin ang mga hakbang na ginagawa ng MILF sa pamamagitan ng pagdidisplina sa kanilang hanay. Inaasahan natin na muling magsisimula ang negosasyon pagkatapos ng Ramadan.

Tungkol naman po sa CPP-NPA-NDF: handa na ba kayong maglaan ng kongkretong mungkahi, sa halip na pawang batikos lamang?

Kung kapayapaan din ang hangad ninyo, handa po kami sa malawakang tigil-putukan. Mag-usap tayo.
Mahirap magsimula ang usapan habang mayroon pang amoy ng pulbura sa hangin. Nananawagan ako: huwag po natin hayaang masayang ang napakagandang pagkakataong ito upang magtipon sa ilalim ng iisang adhikain.

Kapayapaan at katahimikan po ang pundasyon ng kaunlaran. Habang nagpapatuloy ang barilan, patuloy din ang pagkakagapos natin sa kahirapan.

PANAWAGAN
Dapat din po nating mabatid: ito ay panahon ng sakripisyo. At ang sakripisyong ito ay magiging puhunan para sa ating kinabukasan. Kaakibat ng ating mga karapatan at kalayaan ay ang tungkulin natin sa kapwa at sa bayan.
Inaasahan ko po ang ating mga kaibigan sa media, lalo na sa radyo at sa print, sa mga nagbablock-time, at sa community newspapers, kayo na po mismo ang magbantay sa inyong hanay.

Mabigyang-buhay sana ang mga batayang prinsipyo ng inyong bokasyon: ang magbigay-linaw sa mahahalagang isyu; ang maging patas at makatotohanan, at ang itaas ang antas ng pampublikong diskurso.

Tungkulin po ng bawat Pilipino na tutukan ang mga pinunong tayo rin naman ang nagluklok sa puwesto. Humakbang mula sa pakikialam tungo sa pakikilahok. Dahil ang nakikialam, walang-hanggan ang reklamo. Ang nakikilahok, nakikibahagi sa solusyon.

Napakatagal na pong namamayani ang pananaw na ang susi sa asenso ay ang intindihin ang sarili kaysa intindihin ang kapwa. Malinaw po sa akin: paano tayo aasenso habang nilalamangan ang kapwa?

Ang hindi nabigyan ng pagkakataong mag-aral, paanong makakakuha ng trabaho? Kung walang trabaho, paanong magiging konsumer? Paanong mag-iimpok sa bangko?

Ngunit kung babaliktarin natin ang pananaw-kung iisipin nating “Dadagdagan ko ang kakayahan ng aking kapwa”-magbubunga po ito, at ang lahat ay magkakaroon ng pagkakataon.

Maganda na po ang nasimulan natin. At mas lalong maganda po ang mararating natin. Ngunit huwag nating kalimutan na mayroong mga nagnanasang hindi tayo magtagumpay. Dahil kapag hindi tayo nagtagumpay, makakabalik na naman sila sa kapangyarihan, at sa pagsasamantala sa taumbayan.

Akin pong paniwala na Diyos at taumbayan ang nagdala sa ating kinalalagyan ngayon. Habang nakatutok tayo sa kapakanan ng ating kapwa, bendisyon at patnubay ay tiyak na maaasahan natin sa Poong Maykapal. At kapag nanalig tayo na ang kasangga natin ay ang Diyos, mayroon ba tayong hindi kakayanin?

Ang mandato nating nakuha sa huling eleksyon ay patunay na umaasa pa rin ang Pilipino sa pagbabago. Iba na talaga ang situwasyon. Puwede na muling mangarap. Tayo nang tumungo sa katuparan ng ating mga pinangarap.
Maraming salamat po.

I love seeing my husband and son bond during bedtime, just before we say our family devotion. Our son loves being read to. Yes, even now that he knows how to read himself. He does read by himself during day time.  But now at 5, he either reads with us or prefers to be read to. A habit he got used to.

This is where my collection of electronics become really handy. Children grow up so fast that we have got to capture moments like this from time to time. My husband was reading through chapters 11 and 12 of Judges. At first, I got really shocked of his chosen book. That book can get gory, especially so that it was about Jephthah’s vow. Yikes! I was relieved that even as attentive as our son is during the Bible story reading, he didn’t ask a lot about it.

The story of Jephthah’s Vow is intense. Even given the fact that there is so much historical difference between our present culture and that of the Old Testament, it’s still something I find too intense. The topic is a very controversial one. But I’m glad that the Bible tells it as it is. It is interesting to note though that Jephthah is included in the Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11:32).

Our son is now familiar with a lot of stories in the Bible. Especially so that our current homeschool program incorporates Bible Reading as one of its subjects. His other subjects are Animal Science, Word Building and Math. You can read more about our homeschool journey via ChristianHomeschooler.info.

One of Europe most diverse and picturesque nations, Spain are a wonderful country to explore. One of the reasons that it is such a varied country is that, over the centuries, Spain has been influenced by several peoples due to its location. Even today, Spain is still working on a national identity, but this is more of an asset than a drawback; homogenizing a culture only limits its offerings. While staying at one of the holiday villas in Spain, you’ll have access to the local cuisine and culture, which can be more exciting and interesting than just going by a guidebook’s recommendations. However, there are some spots that, as a traveler, you’ll want to make sure to visit during your Spanish vacation.

Churches and Cathedrals

Spanish is still largely a Roman Catholic country, and the religion is reflected in its beautiful, historic cathedrals. The Gothic Segovia Cathedral in Segovia and the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia are particularly breathtaking. In Barcelona, Antoni Gaudi’s art and influence abound. His still unfinished Sagrada Família church is vintage Gaudi, with striking stonework and a multitude of towers. When entering these buildings, it’s impossible not to be emotionally moved, and you’ll think of both the unwavering faith and endless physical toil that created these buildings.

Spanish Cuisine

If you enjoy seafood, Spanish cuisine has many traditional dishes that will delight. Paella is a delicious rice-based dish, seasoned with saffron and olive oil, and bursting with seafood, sausage and garlic. If you’re visiting Spain in the summer, you’ll want to sample some gazpacho, a refreshing tomato and vegetable based soup, served chilled. In addition, Spain has a bountiful variety of interesting wines, including Cava – the Spanish version of champagne. Try to get off of the beaten path and sample the local delicacies at smaller, local restaurants, where the ingredients will be fresh and local.

Enjoy live music, good company, and inspiring books at a 20% discount. For RSVP, please call 531.6635 local 308 or email Events@OMFLit.com.