Mogpog and Torrijos, Marinduque

Since I completed my college degree in October 1985 and the board exam would be in September 1986, I worked as a contractual intake worker for Plan International, which had a field office at Calapan, Oriental Mindoro. 

After a short training, we were deployed in Mogpog (February - March 1986) and later in Torrijos (March - April 1986) for a few weeks of interviewing deserving families in the rural areas and looking for children who would qualify as foster children of benefactors from developed countries through the Foster Parents Plan. After the interviews, we wrote case histories for each of the families with the hope that their lives would change for the better with a little help from those who care to reach out to them. 

Photo from www.tourism.gov.ph.

Pagbilao, Quezon

Summer 1984. I was one of the volunteers for the Operation Jabez of Campus Crusade for Christ. OJ was our community outreach program and our group was assigned to Pagbilao, Quezon. Part of our activities was house-to-house evangelism where we shared the Four Spiritual Laws. I was so nervous because it was my first time yet I felt empowered to reach out to those who have no personal relationship with the Lord. 

The highlight of our stay there was the Jesus film showing. Many came to see the movie and received Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. We shared our testimonies and prayed for the spiritual growth of those who were called and chosen. 

Photo from philippines.bayaw.com.

Los Banos, Laguna

Laguna, nang ikaw ay marating ko...
It was my choice to study at UP Los Banos. I never had a moment of doubt when I applied for admission and a scholarship with agricultural engineering as my first priority course.

I was having my vacation in Las Pinas when I received a telegram informing me that I passed the UPCAT and that I had to attend the Summer Bridge Program in UPLB as a grantee of the Agricultural and Rural Development Scholarship (ARDS) Program.

In April 1981, I and my other batchmates in ARDS took Math and English to prepare us for college life. We were the top graduates from different public high schools all over the country. Cream of the crop, they said.

College life was much different. Time for independence yet it demanded self-discipline. A lot of lessons were learned academically but also from fellow scholars, brethren in the Campus Crusade for Christ, brothers, and sisters in the League of Agricultural Engineering Students (NGs), and other classmates and acquaintances.

Never did I regret my decision to study at UPLB.

Photo from k53.pbase.com.

Novaliches

It was still part of Caloocan in December 1980 when I became part of the Oriental Mindoro delegation of Girl Scouts in the Asia-Pacific Encampment. We had to leave Calapan on the 27th of December which was my 16th birthday. Wow, this time it was an international experience. Our group hosted one Singaporean delegate. Seong slept and ate with us for the entire duration of the camp. It was also my first time trying archery in one of the free-for-all activities. Missed the target after so much ado about how to release the arrow. :) 

Photo from members.virtualtourist.com.

Bunot Lake, San Pablo City

San Pablo is the city of seven lakes. I attended a regional youth camp at Bunot Lake Resort in September 1979. Imee Marcos was one of our speakers. At that time, it was still Kabataang Barangay, which is equivalent to the Sangguniang Kabataan at present. During the closing program of our last night in the resort, we were treated to kaings and kaings of lanzones harvested from the resort itself. So sweet! 

Photo from laguna.gov.ph