Dear Mr President,

Today, millions of Filipino’s cast their both in hoping for a better Philippines.

Today will mark another ruler of my beloved country.

I am pretty sure that you are aware of how hype this election was, of how many memes of friendship being cut because one person doesn’t know how to shut up his mouth. I believe this election is different mainly because too many voters were more conscious with their action. They are more aware that changes will only happen if it starts within ourselves.

Mr President, I won’t dilly dally with the things you already know, I want this to be my personal letter to you. You see, I am 25 right now, still single and an optimist pessimist bella right now. In 6 years, I will turn 31, hopefully with my own family, by that time I hope the Philippines is much a discipline nation. A place where I will not be afraid of syndicates possibly doing something wrong with the people around me. A place where I won’t be afraid if my sister will text me that she will go home late, or afraid that a close friend/family will be a victim or user of drugs. I hope that the Philippines will be much okay than what we are right now. I hope for a better Philippines.

I know it is difficult to meet everyone expectation, you will have received thousands of negativities but I hope that you will continue to unite the county and provide better opportunities to our siblings and kids.

Mr President, good luck J

May God guide you in this 6 years of journey.

Respectfully yours,

One hopeful citizen

You might probably think that I am crazy for saying Hi to a year that has changed 2 months ago, and maybe I am.

Someone in the church told me that the real new year starts on your birthday, so here i am.

I went to Quiapo church yesterday for confession, I wanted to start my new year right, and I feel that I badly need to do it to clean my conscience. 

I was on the line when a mother and daughter fall in line after me, we were in an 'English Only' booth so the girl, aged 9 (i asked the mother) told her mother that it will be difficult for her since she needed to speak in English, that is not our mother tongue so I know the feeling. She was telling her mom the possibility of her messing up even if she knows the language,and then her mom told her this:

"Basta para kay God, kakayanin. Ang dali dali mo nga gumawa ng sins, to disobey us and be naughty pero sa pagsasabi ng sins mo  sa english mahirap ka, kung kaya mo gumawa ng sins, kaya mo din magconfess"

(If it for god, its possible. It is easy for you to commit your since, disobeying us and be naughty yet it is difficult for you to speak your sins in Enlish, if you can commit a sin, you can also confess)

When her mom said that, it struck a chord in me, I re-realized again why I find it difficult to set a side a time to confess when it is not so difficult for me to commit a sin. I was standing there 2 people away from the confession room and thinking how great our God us, he speak to me at that moment and opened my heart for the activity that I will do.

The little girl is lucky, her parents know their faith and currently writing it to her habit and I love her mom, even if I don't know her because she is fulfilling her job to our savior.

I told myself that moment that if God will allow me to create my own family, I wanted to have that kind of moment, I wanted my future children to hold my hand and asking guidance on how to properly confess, to watch them taking their chance in confession and smiling after that. But for now, I promise myself to inspire my family and the people around me, that is one of the things I wanted to accomplish this new year :)