10 Things About Me

1. Son of Mindanao, Philippines. Born in South Cotabato. Grew up in Bukidnon and Cagayan de Oro City. Speaks Cebuano as vernacular ("Bisdak"). Of course, I also speak English and Tagalog. See how different they are. 
• Tagalog (by Rizal): "Ang hindi magmahal sa sariling wika, daig pa ang hayop at malansang isda."
• English (literal translation): "He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish."
• Cebuano: "Mas grabe pa sa mananap ug isda nga dubok ang wala gahigugma sa iyang kaugalingong sinultihan"
2. Son of Jesuits and the Religious Sisters of Mercy. Grew up in a parish with a Jesuit as Parish Priest. Fr. Luigi Moggi, SJ, bless his soul, has been a very good parish priest at the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Phillips, Bukidnon. The RSM nuns who run Holy Cross High School have also been a strong influence in my spirituality. My other high school was Xavier University High School, ran by no other than the Jesuits. Got my MBA from Ateneo Graduate School of Business, a business school owned by the Jesuits. All that however did not stop me from being critical about a few Jesuits. 
3. As a kid, I dreamed of becoming a soccer player. I also dreamed of becoming part of the Little League Baseball Team. They didn't pick me. Fate had other plans.
4. As a teen, I dreamed of becoming an Eagle Scout. But when we transferred residence to the city, what met me there was an early induction to Citizens Army Training. Instead of wearing olive green with a scarf, I found myself wearing fatigues and combat boots. Bye bye Eagle Scout.
5. Upon entering college, I wanted to take up Computer Science. But the scholarship I got won't let me. I ended up taking whatever engineering course available in U.P. (Looking back, I should just have aimed for a double degree. Man, I wish I knew better!)
6. During college, I still ended up a computer geek. I learned database programming on my own and took up electives in Pascal programming. As the internet exploded, I became a active in online chats and blogging, a thing that continued til today. Social media paralyzed my blogging, but that's ok. I'll make up for lost time.
7. As a professional I had stints with the government (1995 to 2000). I worked at the Office of the President, specifically at the Presidential Council for Countryside Development (PCCD), as well as at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). During the closing ceremonies of PCCD in 1998, before then President Fidel V. Ramos bowed out of office, I wrote the speech read by Ramos. Proud moment there. (Note: PCCD was later on abolished and absorbed by the National Anti-Poverty Commission, where I stayed for a year before moving to DAR).
8. In the private sector, I spent 3.5 years in an agricultural development consultancy firm, 6 years in a trading company, 5 years in social media work, plus other short-term engagements to make ends meet.
9. I graduated in college from the University of the Philippines Los Banos with a degree of BS Agricultural Engineering. In college, I was a fraternity guy (UP Epsilon Chi Fraternity) where I have been officer twice and had the honor of designing the logo of the Inter-Fraternity Council (they're still using it til today, or so I heard). I was also a member of the UP Society of Agricultural Engineering Students, having been its President before I focused on graduating. While serving as President, I was at the same time, the Chairman of the UP CEAT Student Council. Then I had a 2-year stint as writer of the university school paper, UPLB Perspective, and a one-year stint with the university Track and Field Team, which was the activity that got sacked when I worked part time as computer instructor outside the university to make ends meet. So, yeah, you can say that I had a double degree in college. The other degree was BS Extra Curricular Activities.
10. Saving the best for last: I'm a happy Dad! Yabadabadooo! I met my wife in a network marketing business, which we both discontinued after our wedding. We've been blessed with two kids since, who remind me a lot about who I am almost everyday. We've been happily homeschooling both kids.