How Bad I Can Be?

I can still vividly remember when I started working here at DepEd-CO and you might curse me on this story of mine.  But my decision became my choice.

I am still mourning the death of my mother (a retired teacher) and since she is a member of my family and I work at the CO I thought that I was entitled (oh, that entitlement mentality) to ask for some help from employees of DepEd.  It would be a great help also.  

The paperwork has begun and I sent a letter to our welfare unit requesting for alms.  Before the letter, of course, my colleagues in the bureau helped me financially and I am so elated.  Perhaps greediness was all over me at that time for I was asking for more.  Bad me.

So the communication letter started to roll from office to offices and room to rooms.  After 2 to 3 weeks I made a follow-up at the welfare division I was told that I got nothing.  No one helped me.  Ouch.  I still waited for 1 more week for some help but there was no response.

Current time:

I've been receiving emails and getting envelopes from other offices asking for help especially during the pandemic and until this time.  The motto, "It is better to give than to receive." is no longer relevant to me now.  They should help me first back then.  That is my story and now my choice.  

Mga Kapalpakan at Lapses ko Noong Kabataan Ko

Story #2

On one of my vacations (college days) in Mindoro, dumiretso ako sa maliit na tindahan namin sa Barcenaga (my hometown) para makatulong sa Nanay ko.  Ang setting, may maliit kaming tindahan then iyong kalahati naman ay bakery.  Oo may pugon kami (gawaan ng tinapay) pero hindi naman functional kaya umaangkat kami ng mga tinapay sa isa ring malayong kamag-anak sa Dose (KM 12).  To cut the story short, our family has had a bakery but does not bake our own bread.  

Isang araw (hapon na nga e) naubos iyong inangkat na tinapay namin sa Dose and there was a need to buy more bread for stock purposes for the next day and reserba na rin sa current day (surtidos, atbp) basta iyong matitigas na tinapay na isinasawsaw sa kape.  My sister, Ate Margie, rushed to KM 12 to buy goods.

After 30 minutes, I received a message from Ate Margie that she was near the crossing na.  So I immediately went to the designated waiting area to wait for her.  There she was carrying slices of bread in boxes.  After unloading from the PUJ, I carried a box (one by one) from the crossing to our store.  On my 3rd attempt to carry the rest of the boxes,  Nakita ko na umaatras iyong PUJ papunta doon sa boxes namin at napasigaw ako kasi maaatrasan na talaga iyong mga tinapay.  I can vividly remember that I said these words to the driver, "Dapat nag-aaral ka muna mag-drive para hindi ka nakaka-disgrasya."  My sister kept on pulling my hands to stop me from further bickering.  

After 5 minutes, I was able to collect all the goods and successfully placed them in our store.  Ate Margie told me that I should have not done what I did.  Transportation was very difficult at that time and that driver was the only one who helped her!

I felt devastated.  Sorry talaga.

 

It's Joke Time #3

Mga jokes na napulot sa kung saan...

xxxxxxxxx

#1  Dahil sikat na sikat ang mga dancers and performers may scenario ako sa iyo.

Male 1:  Use K-Pop in a sentence

Male 2:  Ano?

Male 1: Ang galing-galing naman ng mga anak mo.  K-Pop the good work.

xxxxxxxxx

#2  

Male 1: Sa kadahilanang matagal ka ng nakatira dito sa National Capital Region may tanong ako sa iyo.  Ano ang mas malaki sa city?

Male 2:  Ano?

Male 1:  E di otso!

xxxxxxxxx

Webinar: Becoming Leaders in Sustainability Education

Hello Friends,

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Michelle Leong (Singapore) and Wang Da (Malaysia) at the SEAMEO Council Conference in Manila on February 7, 2023. They shared important information with me about Making HEADway - Handbook for Educators. I am excited to inform you that they are now offering a new innovation under Making HEADway.

The first offering is Making HEADway Book 6 "Becoming Leaders in Sustainability Education" which is available in e-copies here. The second offering is a launch webinar on August 24-25 from 2:00-4:30 p.m. on Zoom (GMT+8). Please register here.

This latest offering is of great value to teachers as the theme is relevant to current trends and the resources are made by educators. Please feel free to forward this information to your colleagues. 

Best regards.

Surpassed the 2100 Rating at lichess.org

 Dear Friends,

After series of attempts to breach the 2100 ranking at lichess, I finally got what I wanted this morning.  I have been streaming my games every now and then to surpass, this seemingly, insurmountable task in the past only to fail.

I was trying to involve the audience to cheer me up during the games but it didn't help. I got some stars but not my solid performance.  I always blame the poor internet connection for not achieving success and this time I got it and I was so happy.

Though I could say, I came very close to achieving this dream of mine in many times that I played, this time I felt this inner satisfaction and I could say that nothing is impossible.

My constant practice with my teammates at the UNASAF group consisting of top players from the UAAP, NCAA, and carefully selected friends proved to be essential in my victories.  

Here I am now savoring this moment.  Cheers to all chess players!

As a Chess Player, What is Your Real Strength?

 Dear Friends,

I have been playing chess for three decades but I really cannot quantify my strength. With the absence of an over-the-board (OTB) title, I really cannot back up any claim as regards my toughness. Basing on my previous games, I could say that my level must be around 2100 to 2200 rating points.  I have beaten a bunch of strong players in the past ranging from GMs, WGMs, IMs, WIMs, FMs, NMs, CMs, and other highly rated opponents.  If you are not familiar with the abbreviations I made please google it but I'll give you a clue - GM stands for a chess Grand Master and the list goes on and on.  Yes, you are correct. 

During this time of the pandemic, I got accustomed to playing online and there I got my share of victories.  I am proud to say that I never and would ever use an engine to beat my opponents because I play fair and square.  So, if you are a titled player and were able to beat you it was because I did my best.  

Of course, there are ups and downs in playing chess. I remembered playing in a FIDE and NCFP rated event here in Manila and I suffered miserably during the games.  I have been constantly affected by my need to take a pee because of my diabetes and had to go to the comfort room every now and then. But I was afraid my opponent would suspect me of getting assistance from a friend or an engine.  So what I did was to keep that urge of urinating on hold and suffered setbacks along the way.  Though I had winning positions I blew it not only because of the time control but also because of my previous reason. If you see my FIDE rating on a website I could say it was not accurate, at least in my honest opinion, because I can do better than that (applause).

Currently, I am a member of the Mindoro Tamaraws associated with the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) where I play as a homegrown talent. Also, I am an Arena International Master (AIM). 

Should you be asking who the top-rated opponents I have beaten are, I am sharing with you these screenshots from my journey in the online tournaments. I have been searching for the titled players I have beaten but they were not in these lists.  I presume their ratings were not this high our I have beaten them on other chess websites. 

Bullet

 Blitz

Rapid

The data above were from lichess and soon  I will be posting some of my notable games in the future. Again, thank you for your time.  All the best. 

Sad Fate During the PCAP Quarterfinals

 Dear readers,

Our team, Mindoro Tamaraws won a quarterfinals berth at the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines by beating Palawan Queens Gambit team and faced Camarines Chessers earlier this evening.  I was paired with its top 2 players GM Mark Paragua and Ellan Asuela both topnotch players in the Philippines.  I suffered 4 consecutive losses and would you believe it, I lost the black pieces with the same line of opening.  My positions were wrecked already in the opening stage.  I think I have to change my opening repertoire as black.

I visited my teammates' games through chess.com, and I found out that most of them were losing and in  disadvantage positions. Incidentally, our team lost the first match, we were massacred.  

 The second match was equally devastating. After scoring low on blitz games we were then wiped out on rapid games, our team just scored a draw against Ellan Asuela courtesy of AGM Nezil Arj Merilles and lost every game on each board.  Thereby ending our chances in the GM Wesley So Cup in a sad note.  We will now be going home with only sweet memories to keep.  

Thank you teammates, gracias Mindoro Tamaraws.  See you in the next conference.

 

Batch 75: DepEd Vacancy - Central Office

DepEd Central Office: Notice of Vacancy

If you want to join the Department of Education then the deadline is on March 8, 2021.  Apply now!

Mga Kapalpakan at Lapses ko Noong Kabataan Ko

 Hello everyone.  

I will share my kapalpakan stories during my younger years.  Na-realize ko how bad I am and so judgemental.  It was unfortunate that these things happened but it helped me a lot at na-build ang foundation ko as a person.

Story 1:

I played very good basketball during my high school days, in fact, my friends called me Hackett because I scored several points in every game.  But Michael Hackett was not the only player that I idolized.  I am a huge fan of Samboy Lim and Paul Alvarez.  I admired much their acrobatic shots.

One time, naglaro ako sa court sa loob ng Holy Spirit Church sa Barcenaga, Oriental Mindoro and I was playing there with my friends from that locality.  Maraming nanonood, kaya tuwang-tuwa ako na magpakitang gilas sa kanila.  There was a shot I made with so much kaartehan.  The scene was, in a very crucial moment and the score was tied with 11-11 each for a 12-point game.  My team mate took a shot and missed.  I grabbed a strong rebound and then I made a follow-up.  I could have made a shot since I was so near to the ring but due to my kayabangan, instead of making the shot in front of the ring, inilipat ko pa iyong shot ko sa kabila that resulted to a missed shot.

An audience (who happens to be a relative) shouted at me and said, "Ang arte-arte mo kasi.  Laro na nilaro mo pa."  Due to my frustration of not making the shot, sinagot ko siya ng "Pakialam mo!".  BTW, my team lost that game.

I forgot everything about that scene, until 3 years later.  I arrived from my schooling in Manila and I happened to watch a basketball game where I saw my friends and a relative of mine whom I discussed above.  That a relative of mine made a tremendous shot and applauded him with all sincerity.  This time, it was his turn to say, "Pakialam mo!".

Moral of the Story:

What you sow is what you reap.  Natandaan pa pala niya iyong ginawa ko sa kanya 3 years ago at hindi nya nakalimutan.  I am really for doing that 3 years ago.  

Ooooopssss... I have a meeting underway, I will post my kapalpakan later.

My Cats, My Life!

Hi everyone.  I am here to update you on what happened to the cats we saved during the successive strong typhoons here in Manila, Philippines.  Originally, we secured 6 kittens and their mother, right?  Unfortunately, 2 kittens with white and black furs died due to injuries.  I didn't witness the actual crime(?!) but I saw one of them with a broken leg.  I should have not allowed them to go outside for some extra moments and fresh air.  I am so guilty.  I am so sad and woke up a day after that with melancholic despair.  

Anyway, I will be sharing with you some delightful moments that somewhat ease our agony.

 True enough, when the cats become a memory that memory becomes your treasure.  Hail to the cats!

My First Livestreaming on YouTube via Lichess.org

My First Livestream @YouTube

Taking Care of My Team: Action Plans

 "In preparing for a battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." - Dwight Eisenhower

This line of thought has become my guiding principle, especially in this time of the pandemic.  Planning will always be useful in taking care of my team. 

As a community leader, there is a constant need to support the well-being of our people. Today, I will share with you two of my action plans that will help improve the Department of Education (DepEd) employees' productivity.  How can I do that?  Well, allow me to share with you my intended plans after this training on virtual leadership.

1) Clearly Communicate Expectations. At DepEd, planned and deliberate use of communication is necessary to produce enthusiasm and open the support of employees. There is a strong need to establish personnel expectations and hold colleagues accountable for their work promises. 

2) Help Apply New Knowledge. DepEd leaders must apply techno-dexterity skills and provide coaching and mentoring opportunities and apply technical skills to assist staff in accomplishing projects at hand. By this, the support you will get from your colleagues will grow astronomically and will also ensure the development of others. 

There are other items that I can discuss, but the above-mentioned plans will be a good start.

Revising My Virtual Team Meetings

 The Department of Education uses virtual meetings (VMs) in place of face-to-face interactions due to the Covid-19 pandemic and this has become the new normal. The government is able to save financial resources because VMs are quick to arrange, inexpensive, and they bring the most relevant people into the meeting.

However, virtual meetings can be hard to organize and need a different approach than regular meetings.  As such, specific guidelines that are useful must be injected to make a great impact on the quality of your virtual meetings.

I will share three useful guidelines that you can use which are essential and effective during the meeting.

• Launch the meeting.  The moderator sets the norms (turn on the camera, mute the microphone, and focus on the tasks at hand).
• Keep the meeting moving. By just looking at the outline, the timekeeper could take note if the meeting is 10 minutes behind or advanced. This will keep the attendees on track with the discussion.  
• Collaboration doesn't just happen, it's planned.  Use virtual tools to collaborate, this will be engaging to the attendees. A good example would be the use of Jamboard by Google and there are more applications on the internet.  

There you go, ladies and gentlemen.  I hope that these guidelines will help you in the next virtual meetings.

Let me end by sharing this important phrase during this virtual time, "Employees who Zoom or Google Meet together, stay together."

My Current Leadership Challenge

Dr. Margaret Mead, an American cultural anthropologist, stated that "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

The COVID-19 pandemic had somewhat opened a series of roadblocks in the lives of public leaders.  Gone were the days when the Department of Education (DepEd) officials were so active in delivering outputs through balanced workshops and seminars, the usually effective collaboration between and among stakeholders were no longer evident, and the teachers who constantly facilitate learning through classroom tasks had been likewise halted.  

DepEd is in crisis and due to this catastrophe, one of the roadblocks I experienced was the lack of interest in growth and learning. 

With things becoming virtual, our officials must not fall into the trap of the status quo and continuously strive for the best.  Employees must take the time to develop their skills for them not to be left behind.  There is a need to be curious and continue to learn from each other.

The virtual leadership action that supervisors need is co-activating new leaders.  This concept extends to shared leadership, as overseer, we must identify and monitor potential leaders.  Reverse mentoring must also be employed to update not only our colleagues but our superiors.

To achieve virtual leader excellence, there must be trust in our co-workers and one must be willing to share information with them, favorable or not. This will highlight the leadership values and earn team members' trust that the team needs to know and has to know.

As public servants when the going gets tough, we do not merely lead to survive; we lead for all to thrive. 

A Noble Cause from the Rotary Club of Manila

Hi there!

I had the opportunity to be the Rotary Club of Manila's recipient of generosity for people with diabetes at Claro M. Recto High School this morning.  I thought that I will just receive some sets of medicine like Losartan, Metformin, and many others at the back of my mind.  But lo and behold, I got more than what I expected.

 Salute to the transformational presidents of the Rotary Club of Manila for giving more to the unfortunate people of Manila with diabetes. 

Hoping that your group will truly be rewarded.

Attendance to the Lifelong Leadership Congress

Good day friends from everywhere.

I had the opportunity to attend this important event sponsored by the Career Executive Service Board (CESB) this November 2020.  Mind you, it is just the first day of the workshop and I felt that I was overwhelmed by information already.  

First and foremost, I had no intention to attend this important activity for I thought it was only for the Career Service Executive Eligibles and not for the Career Executive Service Written Examination (CESWE) passers like myself.  But the very moment that I received an email from CESB inviting me to go to that event I immediately grabbed that opportunity.

Here I am after answering the Adversity Quotient (AQ) and the  GRIT Gauge Assessments (GRIT Gauge) I felt that I was a renewed man.  AQ discusses one's ability to respond constructively and GRIT Gauge reliably predicts performance, learning, agility, resilience, tenacity, and well-being.

I did poorly on the first exam but recovered fully-well on the second one.  Amazing!

I have been attending various activities of CESB before but this one is giving me great satisfaction.  

I Will Persist Until I Succeed (by Og Mandino)

I was not delivered unto this World in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.

The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner.

I will be likened to the rain drop which washes away the mountain, the ant who devours a tiger, the star which brightens the earth, the slave who builds a pyramid. I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking. I will persist until I succeed.

I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair. I will toil and I will endure.

I will remember, the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good. Each frown I meet only prepares me for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter I will carry in it the seed of tomorrow's good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail often to succeed only once. I will persist until I succeed.

Never will I allow any day to end with a failure. Thus I will plant the seed of tomorrow's success and gain an insurmountable advance over those who cease their labor at a prescribed time. When others cease their struggle, then mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.

Nor will I allow yesterday's success to lull me into today's complacency, for this is the greatest foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life.

So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For I know one of the principles of success - if I persist long enough I will win.

I will persist! I will win!

Credits go to Og Mandino

Encryption 101 for the Bureau of Learning Resources

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

It was in the year 2007, while I was in Okinawa, Japan for training of educators, when I was introduced by my fellow scholar Chubascu  Maximus Diranga from Nauru to the Internet Society, a global organization for technical experts, researchers, educators, and other stakeholders. A community engagement platform that opens a world where everyone can access and help develop a connected, borderless, limitless Internet that creates opportunity and progress for all. He gave me some ideas as to how I would grow personally and professionally once I joined. I did not pay much attention to his stories as I was too busy with my output for the course Application of Multimedia Technology for e-Education (AMT) one of the programs sponsored by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for developing countries like the Philippines. I did not want a minor distraction to my already successful journey as non-teaching personnel of the Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (IMCS) now called the Bureau of Learning Resources (BLR). 

Only after my challenging stint in Okinawa, Japan that I was able to focus on my other extra-curricular activities and community engagement in Manila such as Google Teachers Academy, Internet Society, and many more notable organizations. However, the switch from the old education system to the K to 12 Curriculum proved to be a daunting challenge as I was assigned various tasks in the Department of Education - Central Office (DepEd-CO), i.e., coordination with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, National Commission of Culture and the Arts. I also became the focal person for the illustrators and artists activities nationwide, and the Disaster and Risk Reduction Management of our bureau, and management of Grades 1 and 2 submissions of manuscripts from different bureaus and publishers as well.

Being in-charge in different activities, I am aware that the flow of communication between and among the Department of Education (DepEd) stakeholders is a paramount concern.  Correspondence must reach the recipients with a strong degree of confidentiality and utmost care.

Early this year, Internet Society invited chapter members, who are mid-career professionals to apply for a training course for its 2020 Training program on the following topics: 

𝑎) 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑁𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑠, 𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐺𝑙𝑜𝑏𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 (𝑀𝐴𝑁𝑅𝑆) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑡, 𝑏) 𝑂𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐) 𝐸𝑛𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.

Since I am very interested in Encryption, I immediately selected the course and applied for it.  I knew from the start that this topic will help me and the office where I served to protect data especially communication letters to reach the rightful recipients. Mid-of-March, I got a letter indicating approval for the course I previously selected.

So, I am giving back what I learned from the short period of engagement with the experts of the Internet Society.  Selected participants are required to make an initiative on the topics discussed above.  In this initiative, I will try to share information about Encryption to BLR staff and other readers.  So, hang on as I delve further into the discussion of the importance of Encryption in our office lives. 

𝐄𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟏𝟎𝟏

The information on this paper are mostly culled from the Internet Society website (internetsociety.org) which gave me the inspiration to dig further on the usefulness of encryption. I will try to contextualize them into the BLR language so that it will be understood fully by our employees.  It is hoped that BLR will use encryption in its future undertaking. Please be reminded that my comments here are personal and not the opinion of my organization.

𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝐷𝑎𝑡𝑎, 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓

The Bureau of Learning Resources (BLR) has one of the biggest chunks on the  Department of Education’s budget most of these funds were spent on the procurement of manuscripts through competitive bidding of textbooks and other supplementary learning resources. The private publishers are given full authority to make learning materials that are aligned with the curriculum guide and learning competencies set by the Department of Education for public schools’ consumption. Information like bidding documents, the total number of manuscripts to be printed, the amount of the project, project proposals, and other documents and files must be protected to avoid unscrupulous people to get the necessary information and gain an undue advantage among other stakeholders.  The exchanges of information from the Department of Education and publishers and vice-versa may be compromised.  In my opinion, it is one area that documents must be protected and secured to avoid giving undue advantage to some.  Vital documents must only be accessed by intended recipients the need for encryption is of paramount importance.  At this juncture, I will be sharing with you some basic concepts of encryption and why it will help us in protecting our documents.

𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝐸𝑛𝑐𝑟𝑦𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛?

Encryption is the process of scrambling or enciphering data so it can be read-only by someone with the means to return it to its original state.

Encryption keeps criminals and spies from stealing information.  Although you might not realize it, you rely on encryption every day.  It protects you while you browse the web, shop online, use mobile banking,

or use secure messaging apps.

So, encryption scrambles data, but how?

Modern encryption scrambles data using a secret value or key.  The data can then be decrypted, or made readable, by using the same or a corresponding key.

For data communicated over a network, the key is typically known by both the sender and receiver, while for stored data, only the owner knows the key.

What is end-to-end encryption?

End-to-end encryption is any form of encryption in which only the sender and intended recipient can read the message. The most important aspect of E2E encryption is that no third party, even the party providing the communication service, has knowledge of the encryption keys. 

End-to-end encryption is the most secure form of encryption that you can use. So where possible, always use end-to-end encryption to protect yourself and your data. Please see the E2E flowchart to visualize its importance.

Examples of end-to-end encryption communication services include WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, and Threema.

How else might encryption impact me?

Encryption helps protect your data from being exposed, it also helps you:

Protect your data (documents, files, etc.) from tampering;

Be sure who you are communicating with; and

Sign digital documents.

You don’t even have to use the Internet to feel the benefits of encryption! Encryption has a big impact on the global economy and your daily life.

Companies use encryption to protect their sensitive information, like customer information, trade secrets, and financial records.

Critical infrastructure, like power plants, use encryption to protect their systems and keep your lights running. 

Automated teller machines, or ATMs, use encryption to protect your financial information from criminals. 

If you look closely, many parts of your life rely on the security that encryption brings.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚

Encrypting data could be the new normal that every organization must face.  Whether or not this is necessary in the nature of our work. Only time can tell. What is definite is that change is inevitable, and no information can ever be safe in this fast-paced digital world. Until next time. 

I will try to share other info in my next post.  See you soon.

Helping Cats in Need

 I am not really a cat person, but yesterday was different.  

Amidst the strong wind and heavy rain caused by Typhoon Rolly, I found a mother cat carrying a little kitten using her mouth (back and forth through the hallway near our condo unit) in Binondo, Manila.  She seemed to be in panic mode looking for a safe place due to the scary weather condition. My attention was not really directed to them as I was preparing for a big chess tournament by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines which was a Rapid Open Tournament via Tornelo.   

However, as the wind continued to blow the mighty cat with a kitten repeatedly appeared in front of my door too.  I saw them through the screen and I felt so disturbed.  I hastily opened the door and let them in. BTW, my family was feeding two other bigger kittens (from the same mother) outside the Cluster 3 building so perhaps it was the familiarity that kept us connected.  

But as I wipe the mother cat and the kitten, she went near the door for almost a minute and I wondered why would she leave her kitten?  I open the door and she ran so fast and after 2-3 minutes came back with another kitten.  She did it 3 times until she got all her babies totaling 4 in all.  Whew!  

I am so proud of this mommy's heroic acts of saving her moggy. I took the bigger kittens too to have them reunited.  

I am not sure if I will return them outside the building after the storm since they do not have caretakers, but to tell you frankly.  I am beginning to love them!

Basic Photography Lesson

📸 My First Step into Photography: From Fear to Focus

I still remember that day like it was yesterday. I walked into a photography class without a camera, without skills, and—if I’m honest—without confidence. Holding a DSLR for the first time felt like cradling something fragile, almost sacred.

But that’s the beauty of beginnings: they don’t demand mastery, only courage.

The lesson wasn’t about perfect shots or fancy gear. It was about daring to see the world differently—through light, shadows, and the courage to press the shutter even if you’re not sure what you’re doing. Mistakes became part of the story. Blurry photos were proof that I tried.

That “basic” photography lesson gave me more than technical tips. It taught me that starting is always the hardest part, whether in art, in work, or in life. And once you start, the world looks different—clearer, sharper, more alive.

So if you’ve been waiting to try something new—stop waiting. Pick up that camera, brush, pen, or whatever tool you’ve been afraid of. The first step doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be taken.

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🔔 Your Turn

What was your “first lesson” moment—the time you stepped into something new, afraid but determined? Share it in the comments, or better yet, post a photo that reminds you of that beginning. Let’s celebrate not just the perfect shots, but the courage it takes to start.

Allow me to share with you some of my shots in the broad daylight at the Tropical Beach, Okinawa City, Japan.

Currently, I am assigned as the focal person for the selected and talented illustrators at the Department of Education, Philippines.  What a twist!