Month: July 2009

A Day with the Running Priest in Hong Kong

How do you spend a day  in Hong Kong with the Running Priest?

Contrary to what many of my friends guessed, there was no running (we’ve done that), no mass, no confession (at least not real confession). But it was still a cardio-packed day filled with spiritual reflection,  thought-provoking conversation and inspiration.

I went to Hong Kong upon the invitation of Fr Robert Reyes,  otherwise known as the Running Priest.  A few weeks ago he was at the Senate and told me about his current work with OFW cancer stricken patients and survivors. He wanted me to meet them and see what we could do to help them.

Buhay Ka members and other OFWs and NGOs
Buhay Ka members and other OFWs and NGOs

I arrived on Sunday afternoon and went straight to the meeting held in the Philippine Consulate. What transpired was an emotional yet extremely inspirational 2 hour dialogue. There are clear gaps in policies and  laws which I am looking into. I will cover this in a separate blog.

The next day, Fr Robert and I agreed, or should I say, connived to show my staff and friends a different side of Hong Kong. I had been  to Lamma Island a few years ago and was excited to go back.. We met at Central station and took a ferry to Lamma. That alone was an adventure because I get seasick very easily. Thankfully, it was a short 25 minute trip and I managed a smile soon as my feet touched land.

We were introduced to island life by the sight of bicycles parked by the pier. This is how people got around in Lamma. No cars, just bicycles and a few miniature vehicles that transport goods. Even their ambulance and fire trucks were miniature versions.

Arriving at Lamma island
Arriving at Lamma island

Fr Robert explained to the group that we would walk to the other side of the island. You could hear  the sound of resistance to Father’s plan but Father simply said, that’s where we are eating, so if you want to eat, you have to walk… end of story.

After passing thru the commercial area,  we found ourselves in the midst of forest cover  walking to the beat of bird sounds. Fr Robert  pointed out the burial sites which seemed to almost blend with the forest. p-and-ace

Our first stop was the Portiuncula Monastery. We met the contemplative sisters, headed by Sister Mary Ann. They served us cold orange juice and told us about the  distance learning program they offer to OFWs.  Sister Mary Ann explained that the objective was to keep the modules as simple and relevant as possible to enable to students to study and comprehend the lessons on their own.009_monastery1

Leslie, an OFW walked me thru the course she was taking.  I was amazed! The topics were very relevant to the lives of the OFWs. One sample test was to make a marketing plan for the sale of pre-paid   cards to other OFWs. 

Our next stop was the taho carinderia. Since the Chinese version of taho is served without sago, I took out my bag of trail mix (nuts and dried fruit) and passed it around to be added as toppings.taho

More walking…. Fr. Robert then announced that we would make a stop to visit  Joey Dyogi, an OFW who has end-stage kidney failure. Although, he no longer works, Joey is still able to avail of subsidized treatment from the Hong Kong government because he was working as a professional and was a permanent resident at the time he got sick. Contrast this with our domestic helpers who lose their benefits once they are no longer employed and who cannot attain permanent residency status despite the number of years of work.

The main path then led to the beach.  After walking in the heat, the urge to jump in the water was almost irresistible. How I wished I had a swimsuit.. I didn’t and neither did anyone else, so we  just took more pictures.

with my staff Atty Karen, Mich, Mike and Peter
with my staff Atty Karen, Mich, Mike and Peter

The next segment of our walk was hilly and hot.  We entertained ourselves with storytelling, jokes and phone calls from people who Fr Robert wanted me to touch base with.hike

Finally, we reached the other side of the island. We sat down for lunch at 4:30 in the afternoon just in time to catch the 5:30 ferry back to the mainland.  ferry

What did we take home from this trip? Because it was led by the Running Priest, our stops were not the usual tourist stops. The people we met  and interacted with along the way had stories that affected us, changed us.I think my staff was inspired to take their fitness to the next level.  We also felt a deeper appreciation of nature walking thru the well-preserved island devoid of vehicles and traffic.  I picked up lessons, I will use to work on legislation and policies for our OFWs.

I plan to go back and take my kids there.  They have been on nature walks, they have climbed Mt. Pulag. But I want them to see Lamma Island where it seems modern living and nature have found a way to co-exist.

 

Good Morning Cebu City Lights

On July 5, 2009, I woke up to the beautiful Cebu City lights. It was 4:15 am. That was my wake-up call to get me to the Milo 21k starting line around 5 am. But I jump ahead of my story.waving1

This is my usually whirlwind 24 hour trip out of Manila. There were two fun things about this trip. One is my daughter Nadine was traveling with me. And two, there was a run the following morning

I had three meetings one after another soon as I arrived in Cebu. I decided my first stop would be a fueling station.. as in deadly delicious calories to satisfy my craving.. aka Leona’s Bake shop.

My friend Jane-jane, owner of Leona’s was kind enough to offer to send over an assortment of goodies to keep me energized for the day but I told her no way! I needed to absorb the good vibes that come out of a bake shop – all that goodness, sweetness and fresh scent of baked bread certainly must stimulate the production of endorphins and the feeling of happiness right?

Yummy sweet loafs at Leona's

So my daughter Nadine and I went there and like kids, well she is one, I’m not, pointed, whispered and stared  at the cakes beckoning at us. To distract me from eating everything on site, I asked for a tour of the facilities which I knew would be an educational experience for both Nadine and me,. We happen to be baking enthusiasts.

I was in apple pie heaven!
I was in apple pie heaven!

After that 20 minute stop-over, we went straight to the hotel. I settled in my daughter with her books and went to my meeting in the lobby. I met with the women of Inner Wheel Club. Our objective was to discuss a joint project between my Pinay in Action and their group for a school tour on violence against women.  There were also students who attended our meeting.with Inner Wheel members and students

I explained to them that I felt it was important  to focus on the youth so they could spot violence early on, avoid it and protect themselves. After some discussion, we agreed that we would try to make this happen soon.

My next meeting was with the representative of 4L in the region. 4L is the organization of women legislators. They are composed of councilors,  board members, vice-mayors, vice-governors and congresswomen. My objective here was to inform them about my project with the local governments and the barangay health workers (BHW), particularly my BHW Health Wellness Summit.

My last meeting for the day was with members of the Cebu Press. I updated them on my legislative work, including the Food and Drug Administration Act which was awaiting the President’s signature, my thoughts on the automation,  women empowerment, reproductive health and other issues of the day.

That ended my official business for the day. 

Next morning started, not bright and early, but dark and early. We were up at 4:15, eating breakfast at 4:30 and out of the hotel before 5 am.

This was my 2nd Milo 21k in Cebu. It’s a huge race and the course takes us thru the city. Not what I would call scenic, as runners really do prefer the country side for a run. But I doubt if there is any countryside in the heart of Cebu city. city2

Being familiar with the course is a plus. I knew there would be no deadly climbs, mostly flats and a few gradual climbs. Thankfully, it was not hot either.top-view

I ran steady. Did not plan on  pushing too hard. This was a training run for me and Ani. We are doing a 70.3 ironman soon and we needed a long run. We were around 11th and 12th place at about 8k. We picked up the pace a bit and by the end of the run, I finished 6th in 2 hours flat. Ani of course, could have done much better, but like I said it was a training run and she just ran at my pace.

 

I need to commend the security that was assigned to me. PO1 Delailah Cayacap Samson was amazing. She is only the 2nd security assigned to me during an out-of-town race that has been able to stick with me.  

group-run1

running-with-peter

The rest of the day was spent relaxing in Shangri-la Mactan with our friends. My daughter Nadine politely asked “can we go to the pool now” over and over while we adults lingered over buffet at Tides. We finally did get to the pool side and stayed there almost ‘til sunset.tides

We were back on the plane 27 hours after we landed, two pounds heavier (courtesy of Leona’s bake shop), but happy (thanks to Leona’s too, productive meetings, a good race and good company).

27 1/2 hours in Cebu. Time well spent.