..the tagaytay seminar..

..This was one of the most fun seminar I had..

..It started when our President nominated me to attend the Seminar sponsored by the US embassy. Looking at the program, it was for persons aged 25-35. I had a problem. I am days away from being 25. I thought, I'll just be honest about it. So i was quite suprised to receive a letter from the US embassy confirming my attendance..

..Friday. It was the first day of the seminar. Following the program, we would be staying at the embassy first for a video conference with a certain Indian guy who is India's hero when it came to anti-corruption. Before and after the conference, our group, the business and professional organizations, headed by Mr. Addie Suzara, were enjoying each other's company with our experiences and stories. Toix!, yung TIPO natin ha?..

..We left for Tagaytay at around 2pm. We arrived at around 4:30 p.m. I was roomed with Francis from ANC, and she appreciated when i told her ( yes, she is a she), that ANC was my favorite channel. Also Jenny from mahintana foundation, one of PWI's partners. We reaaly did not do much aside from watching "Kubrador ". It was a nice film and im sure the producers had a nice time dealing with us and our new found friends from the media..



..Saturday. I had a nice rest after the long day yesterday. the seminar proper went well. A lot of sharing with other NGOs and a fruitful planning I should say. But the most interesting part was the NIGHT OUT!..From our friends from the US embassy witnessing my debut performance in Taal Vista from Chads, it was one hell of a party!..At Chads more specifically, the band literally gave up the stage for us! And literally, we (the participants) occupied all of the seats in the bar!..It was really fun. I guess what really started the high was the performers during the night, which really hyped up our energies!..

..What was fun there was the realization that organizations from all over the country, CSOs, the media, and even the government can join together and enjoy the thing it enjoys doing. I was thinking, if anti-corruption efforts was something that everybody enjoyed doing, if it was something that would make the people really get up the stage and actually act at performance level so to speak, if anti- corruption was like "celebration" that everybody would yell from the bottom of their lungs, if anti-corruption efforts was as fun as singing "dancing queen", then just imagine what our country would be in the next years..



..Sunday. Everybody, well, the Chads group, woke up late and had breakfast late. But that was ok. The agenda was merely the presentations of the groups. But don't get me wrong. The ideas were briliant and if we could focus on just some of them, i believe we can make a difference..

..Thank you to the following people who made it memorable: My roomates:Francis and Jennifer, My groupmates: Ryan, Ms. Pia, kathy, jules, mae, and Sir Addie (who was a wonderful moderator)..to my new found friends in media: TJ ( i mean who would forget TJ?), wilson, Alwin, and Francis..our friends from the US embassy, Micheal and Bruce, i beg of you do not keep my picture during the jamming session..and of course, and everybody in the Seminar!..Thanks so much!..



..They said there is a follow up activity. So, Chads anyone?..:)