BATIBOT

pagmulat ng mata,
langit nakatawa
sa batibot,
sa batibot
tayo nang magpunta
tuklasin sa batibot
ang tuwa, ang saya
doon sa batibot
tayo na, tayo na
mga bata sa batibot
maliksi, masigla. (2x)
dali, sundan natin
ang ngiti ng araw
doon sa batibot (2x)
tayo nang magpunta
tuklasin sa batibot
ang tuwa, ang saya
doon sa batibot
tayo na, tayo na
mga bata sa batibot
maliksi, masigla. (2x)

I am pretty much sure that anyone of my age is singing this song in mind while reading it.. Who would forget Batibot? This is a daily routine of any Filipino child, decades ago...It was when there were only five channels to choose from, and every pinoy child is glued to the tv screens around 9am in the morning..

I can still remember when me and my brother would watch for the colorful puppets Pong pagong, Kiko matsing, Manang bola, ate Ningning and Gingging, irma daldal, kapitan basa... we would always wait for the stories of kuya Bodgie and advice of ate Sienna for the kids..Who would forget manang bola and her perlas na bilog huwag tutulog tulog...isdadada isda, Ako ay kapitbahay, kapitbahay nyo laging handang tumulong sa inyo..bangkang papel, alagang alaga namin si puti, telepono telepono kay daling gamitin..

I still have vivid memories of Batibot,especially their uplifting songs which they have instilled in my young thoughts..It talks about simple things which any child of that time could relate. It is about innocence, friendship, and hope. I believe that it played a great role in our generation..Until now, I always sing their songs to my twins and tell stories of the characters.

It was sad to know that the sprout of cable shows from Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, the newer children’s show of local stations and the licensing problems swept Batibot from its regular airing.. I really wish that it will be aired again soon and hoping that it will be in our KAPUSO network, GMA 7.

a happy tip

I Love reading books of Andrew Matthews.Some of his works are: Being Happy, Follow your Heart and Happiness now.It tells about coping through life's difficulties, real instances and how to get over it. Here's some of his tips that is very true and should be applied on our day to day activities:

"YOU GET MORE OF WHAT YOU DWELL UPON" - when you are thankful to God for what you have- for the friends you have, and for the good things you got-you attract more good people and good things.

People who always complain about what they don't have, stay stuck. Complainers attract more things to complain about..

Just be happy with what you have now and more will come to you.. Everytime you say a silent word "thank you" to our Creator you become more peaceful and powerful.

This is a helpful tip especially if we have a bad day. I even post this saying on my signature emails. :)

OUR OUTREACH

outreach

nanang preparing for the repacking

twins helping to prepare the stubs

emon distributing the goods

sack of clothes that we solicited

They came one at a time

packs of goods already loaded

this is ruel and his daughter, husband of our helper years ago

This morning, my husband and I had our own outreach for the people in Northville, Lambakin, Marilao who are greatly affected by the typhoon Ondoy. This is our way of thanking our Creator for blessing us and keeping us safe.. I cannot also ignore the people from our community yearning for help..

Yesterday, we bought some canned goods and noodles at the grocery store nearby. I prepared 100 stubs so that everything will be in order, and emon personally distributed it to the houses of the affected families in the area... I also went to my Tita bubot's house to solicit their old clothes. It was a team activity of our family..My nanang and emon did the repacking of the goods while The twins and manang our helper did the repacking of the clothes..We ended just in time for our dinner..

Everything went well.. The smiles and the salamat po of the people coming are enough fulfillment for our efforts..

kapuso foundation and gma artist center

our team with vice mayor, councilor, and kapuso artists

artist center pips

with councilor shalani and my haggard look,hehehe

crowd

the crowd

truck of relief goods

This is a day worth remembering...thousands of typhoon victims from Polo, Valenzuela.. Artistas, Staff, friends with only one goal..to Help...

My eve of Ondoy's onslaught

It's an ordinary friday for me last September 25, 2009. I did my usual routine of waking up the twins, dressing them up for school and going to the office. I was tasked to go to Makati that day with our admin manager to observe a research for the primetime shows and artists of our network. After office, my friends and I will be going to a surprise birthday treat of our friend angie... We went to Manila Pavillion Hotel to watch Marissa Sanchez' show... Right after, we were really surprised because our next destination is... Manila Yacht Club.. It was a couple's night out, we went out with our husbands and were really excited, for it is the first time that were going to ride a yacht.. Rain is outpouring while we are sailing along Manila Bay going to the yacht.. We had so much fun that night while it is raining, we didn't bother, we didn't even know that there is a typhoon..Right after our ride, we went to Cafe Adriatico to eat lugaw to feed our empty stomach.. then we went home...

I was supposed to post our escapade last Saturday and was excited to upload the pictures of our adventure until Ondoy came..This post should be about the fun and the adventure that we had that time..Now I have to write it on a different note, the incident and the experience had hit me..I together with my friends who are also parents of young children, were to close to become the victims...We were at Manila Bay hours before its onslaught..The roads and the places that we passed hours ago were totally devastated.. I haven't uttered any word except, "thank You, Lord" for sparing me, my husband and my friends..

I cannot clearly describe how i feel until now...God is the only one in control of our lives.. and whatever blessings and any condition that we have been spared, we should acknowledge him..He made a point, and that bacame clear thru this calamity..This is the only way I can think of thanking HIM, to help those who are still left in the dark in my own little way, in whatever manner it may be...

-ba'jo^

knock, knock...

It was already 4am when my husband and i got home from a birthday celebration of our friend.. Since then the rain hasn't stopped..When i woke up i saw the dark clouds and heavy rains outside our window but didnt bother, I just thought that this typhoon will leave anytime soon..I then took our usual afternoon nap with my twins..Emon prepared lugaw for our merienda. While he's cooking, someone came knocking at our door..It was Indang's family, our helper years ago.. with her 4 year old daughter,two nieces,and her neighbor with a 3 year old boy..their clothes soaking wet, bodies chilling and starving for food..They came to ask for help because their house and all their belongings were literally washed out by flood..She told their struggle of how they left their town and save their lives.They went to the barangay and evacuation centers but unfortunately it was already crowded until they thought of coming to us..Raymond immediately served them with lugaw that he cooked, gave them clothes and prepared the bed for them to rest and sleep..We gave the children milk and biscuits..


I had a sudden mix of feelings this time..I was guilty of complaining all day because there was no electricity, i havent charged my laptop to access my facebook,i couldnt play farmville, had a bad network signal of smart, and i haven't had enough sleep..I felt bad because Im whining over these petty things while other families are struggling for their lives, lost all their belongings and clueless how will they start another day..It was then that I realized that I have so many things to be thankful for..I thank God that all of my loved ones and friends are safe.. More than that, there was a feeling of fulfillment for the capacity to help and extend a hand for other people in need..I pray for the victims of this typhoon..These too shall pass..