2020 started as a promising year. New decade. New plans. New dreams. But COVID-19 came bringing with it an ever-present health threat. Not only that–it also brought with it death, economic losses for countries, a decline in countries’ tourism, an increasing percentage of unemployment, uncertainty for the future, and a challenge to people’s well-being. The…
Meeting the Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretaries
This short narrative that I posted four years ago, about an event that happened the day before, popped up in my social media account recently. I felt I wanted to share it again now because I feel that it is a wonderful part of my (and my batch mates’) Foreign Service Officer (FSO) journey. 2…
Salamat sa mga Kababayan
Dahil sa sitwasyong kinakaharap ng buong mundo ngayon, sa banta sa kalusugan na dulot ng COVID-19, may mga ipinapatupad na mga bagong pamantayan ang mga Pasuguan at Konsulado ng Pilipinas sa iba’t-ibang panig ng mundo. Kasama na rito ang pagpapatupad ng istriktong appointment system para sa mga aplikante na nangangailangan ng serbisyong konsular, pati na…
This ‘n That
It’s another weekend again. Aside from resting, catching up on my recent fave Netflix series Anne with an E, getting in touch with my family and friends, and preparing sumptuous home-cooked meals, I had in mind to write about Dr. Jose P. Rizal, the Philippine national hero, whose 159th birthday Filipinos are commemorating on 19…
Celebrating the 122nd Year of Philippine Independence
On June 12, 2020, we celebrated the 122nd year of Philippine Independence at the Embassy, led by the Philippine Ambassador to France and Monaco. It was different from the previous years’ celebrations for several reasons. Last year’s Philippine Independence Day celebration and Diplomatic Reception was held at the historic Mona Bismarck hotel in Paris. We…
2020 Then and Now
It’s the sixth month of the year. It’s hard to believe that in the same span of time, we’d be ushering a new year again. It seems that 2020 is both the shortest yet the longest year ever. This year altered some common perceptions of work. Now, we know that a lot of work can…
The New Normal, the “Abnormal”, and the “Paranormal”
With the lifting of the lockdown in France on May 11, the new normal became more obvious. Although this term had been commonly mentioned for weeks since the lockdown started, emerging from the safety of one’s home made it tangible. Some “abnormal” events happened in many countries in the world, giving analysts materials to ponder,…
Paris walk after lockdown
After two months, I was able to walk again around my neighborhood last weekend. The feeling was exhilarating. I have been to the same area so many times before, but that time, it felt refreshingly different. The familiar sight of the Eiffel Tower greeted me. The sky looked dull though, or perhaps, the more appropriate…
A Quest (2013)
(I would like to share with you this essay that I wrote in 2013. This was included in the book “Bakit Masayang Tumambay sa UP?” launched in 2013.) “I don’t want to be a dry leaf tossed around by a gust of wind–powerless, directionless.” -From my journal entry dated April 1998 This quote probably explains…
Mother’s Love
It’s been almost two weeks since the world celebrated Mother’s Day. I started writing two sentences that day but work and a range of emotions didn’t allow me to go beyond that, even in the days that followed. The ideas and feelings were present, but the words were elusive. My muse left me as work…
Beyond Routes 