With blogwatch, juanvote, bloggers like Tonyo Cruz and Noemi Dado, I truly have to admire their drive during this election season. I’ve made it known that I support Noynoy Aquino, but I’ve also made it a point to be a positive supporter, and a moderate supporter too. Despite that, I think the future of the Philippines is still uncertain. I do believe we, the people, have it within ourselves to pick ourselves up, and we need not rely on just one position to make or break our nation. There are many in the private and public sectors already making a difference, if we can do so in our own lives, I think we can still move forward, move ahead, and prosper as a nation.

In the past months, I’ve also been able to open a Facebook account. An actual personal account, not tied with Filipino Voices. I’ve never sought the spotlight. What I wrote way back when, and even when I started Filipino Voices, I honestly just wanted to remain anonymous. What has always been important for me is that what I wrote made an impact on my readers.

I, however, decided to just come out in the open, make myself known. And for those who have become my Facebook friends, and even on Filipino Voices, they now know the man behind the writing.

I’ve learned just recently though that there is life beyond work, and beyond politics. Life beyond blogs and beyond tingog.com or Filipino Voices.

It is the most lucky of men that have found their true love. The most blessed of men that have found the woman they know they want to spend the rest of their life with. I have to say, that I am both lucky and blessed.

And as much as I try to keep my blogging and writing on just politics, and rarely will I ever put myself out there. I also know that you are my readers, and this blog is personal. And I am a man much more than politics and social commentary.

I dare say that I have fallen in love, with the most beautiful and gorgeous woman that I have ever met or will ever meet. It is rare that I will get this personal, so please oblige me just this once. As much as I am passionate about the Philippines, I also know that when you are given such a gift that I have, you treasure it, because such gifts come once in a lifetime.

I’d like you all to meet Rochelle of HeaRty’s Haven, the angel in my life. I could not say blessed enough, but I truly am blessed. She is the reason why my step is just a bit lighter, and my smile just a bit wider, and my eyes, they show the happiness that I’ve come to know with her.

I’ll get back to politics and social commentary in the weeks to come. But I just wanted to share, that this political blogger just expanded his scope just a bit more. And I’m just glad to share it with the world.. and of course to you my readers..

I am a Catholic. I am a believer. However dismayed I have become of my Church, I will always have the greatest faith in my Lord Jesus Christ.

It has become unpopular, almost blasphemous to say His great name, but however much I do not wear my religion and faith on my sleeve, because I choose to do so in action, I would like to remind my readers, lest I become a hypocrite, lest I become one of those who cower behind the ridicule, that in the times when it has become unpopular to do so, I stand up in great faith beside Him.

I shall exclaim and proclaim, that I am nothing in this world without Him. I give all the glory to Him.

I have a blessed life, no matter how I cut it, I am blessed.

I have a great family, good friends, I have more than enough to spend for many lifetimes, and yet I have all of this now. There are times that life is just too good to be true, and in all my dreams, I wouldn’t want my life any other way.

Today, I nourish my spirit, renew my vow to welcome in my life any challenges that come my way, and all the while, staying strong because I know in this journey, I am not alone.

I am blessed.

I leave you all, with a song by Chris Tomlin, “How Great is our God”, probably one of the most uplifting and inspiring songs I have yet to hear. It’s a great way to reflect on this Ash Wednesday, to give thanks, while this great and inspiring music plays in the background.

But you know, I feel a deep longing that many Filipinos away from their homeland feel. A dual tugging of hearts, a gratitude to a nation that has given me so much, but great love for the nation that gave birth to me. Christmas is a time of great joy and of great sorrow for me, and I’m okay with this.

Today, I also thank you my dear friends for staying with me here in this corner of the internet. As you know I have been busy with Filipino Voices, such great compassionate individuals over there, patriotic writers, and I have this deep sense of duty to them and to the readers, to make it as successful as it can be. I am thankful that these writers constantly rekindle my love for my country and for my people.

The holidays is an accumulation of emotions, and I welcome these emotions with open arms. Love is the overwhelming emotion for me this Christmas morning, and as Christmas day is just about to wrap up in The Philippines, I on the other hand will start mine. I will relax today, reflect on the blessings that have been given to me, the most important of all will always be my relationships with friends and family.

I reflect a great deal on our fellow Filipinos that have so little this Christmas, the great many Filipinos who live under the umbrella of poverty, a tattered umbrella which we cannot ignore, nor should we ignore. I imagine a great many families who will have had a simple noche buena, whose happiness is anchored not in gifts but because the time they spend — it is with their family.

I reflect on what we should all be thankful for, and if we only knew the great many things we have that so many Filipinos could only wish and hope for, I think the tangible things we focus on like material gifts, don’t seem so tangible after all.

My dear friends, I hope you will have had a great Christmas, no matter if this was just another day for you, the important thing is, is that you experience the love this day symbolizes.

May God Bless us all, The Filipino people, and The Philippine Republic.

Second disclaimer is that these blogs are the ones I enjoy and probably know the writer or writers as well, and as such, is probably a bit biased. But nonetheless, these are my entries, and I hope you do get to read a few.

1. Cebu Bloggers – Well because I am an honorary member, I’m from Cebu, and I really think they (we) are making great strides. This group is one of the most cohesive groups that we have in The Philippine Blogosphere, and I’m very much proud to be part of such an outstanding group of individuals. Mga bisdak, mga gwapo ug gwapa gyud.

2. Patay Gutom – another enjoyable blog, funny, original, and a wonderful set of great bloggers.

3. Letsgosago – I drop by once in a while here, hope you do too.

4. Focal Glass – Great blogger, good friend, a Cebu Blogger, outstanding photographer, and this guy just takes awesome pictures.

5. Adaphobic – Ada, well, she’s nice. A good blog too. Hey, two for the price of one

6. Tunay Na Lalake – Okay, I hope this blog keeps on going, sometimes you just need a respite from all the serious stuff that’s going on, and this blog is just damn funny.

7. Father Blogger – This guy inspires me to be a better person.

8. Dare To Speak Out – Excellent insight on current events, she’s commented on Filipino Voices before, and I’ve always enjoyed her take on things.

9. Writing To Exhale – I’m jumping on the bandwagon here, but this seems to be a very promising blog, go read it!

10. Anthology of Marocharim – Marck’s take on poetry and Fiction. This guy is good. way too good that sometimes he doesn’t know it.

My apologies, I’ll include the rest of the links later when I have more time.

And as a practicing Catholic, the love I have for God will never waiver, I may struggle at times, but that love will always be there. I rarely ever wear my faith on my sleeve, I don’t announce it to the world, but that it is in the simple belief that my faith is not centered in public demonstration, but in how I lead my life, and the conversations I have with The Lord in the solitude of my mornings and evenings.

This anniversary of my birth is quite different this year, because I am celebrating with a sense of greater purpose, where in the past I have concentrated in the road of my career, always gauging the milestones that I have reached… today and these past couple of months, I have come to the realization that I could contribute to a greater good because of what has been provided by technology. My self has taken a backseat, while I sit in amazement at fellow bloggers and writers who continue to put forth the most wonderful of efforts in engaging the issues of the day.

Indeed, I feel that this has been a rebirth of not only democracy as we know it, but on a personal basis, a rebirth of how I define public service.

I may not be in front of the cameras, because honestly, I don’t like the limelight, but I am happy in the fact that I work each and every day toward a greater goal, and it is through Filipino Voices that a greater goal can be achieved. As to that goal, it shall be the embodiment of the exchange of ideas, that may also lead to action, on the different fronts of advocacy. It is in knowing that I am surrounded by willing minds, passionate Filipinos, and those who are willing to trek with me into the unknown.

There are so many individuals that have shaped the way I conduct my life, that have shaped my happiness in my everyday journey, and that stick with me through the ups and downs… and to those individuals, thank you for a life that is as fulfilled as it could possibly be.

My cup runneth over, and I am teary-eyed to even acknowledge my blessings… Here’s a toast, to many more years to come!

I know some of these personally, and many more on a non-personal basis.

We should all ask ourselves this question every day: “am I making the most of what I have been given?”

For me, I come across this question in the forms of intellectual debate and discussions, at functions and in ordinary everyday life. As if the question of human good can be encapsulated in the form of which economic theory we should all be working on?

But, sometimes, complexities does not lend itself the desirability of what most people seek — and that is simplicity.

How can we, as individuals, in our own daily lives, contribute to a better society, irrespective of what economic theory our own government and officials adopt.

The private sector can do as much as the public sector, and the motivation can often be the simple basic good, which I believe is inherent in many of us.

As I grow each day, and as I age each day, I no longer ask myself the good that I can do for myself, but the good that we can do for our society.

And thus, when moving forward with the goal of providing the platform for discussion and debate as seen over at FV, I have come to a basic belief that even though we disagree on many levels as to how to attack a problem, I look to each individual and see the goodness with which that person has conviction.

We are not socialists or capitalists, we should all be humanists connected in fate. The collective fate is the idea I would hope everyone sees our nation in.

Our future lies in the prosperity of our citizens, let us hope that we move collectively in that direction, working towards that end, because sometimes the market of humanity can often move separately, leaving the marginalized to fend for themselves.

The thought of the day is that while we control our own destiny, sometimes we can also determine the destiny of others through the act of good and compassion.

Won’t you stand beside me in this struggle? Meet our challenges? To have said, we did something, will always be enough for me.

To have done nothing, stood still, kept quiet, and lived our lives separate — that would be a shame.

It is now… CITIZEN GEORGE W. BUSH, AND CITIZEN DICK CHENEY

I could hardly contain myself this morning, that any semblance of the flu that I had left probably left me for good. In any case, I’ll try to write a more memorable post for posterity with regards to the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. So, while you wait for that groundbreaking literary work of mine, please do visit filipinovoices.com

But, I can say this, it was one of the best years so far in terms of being a blogger. I finally met a few bloggers which made this whole year even better. I revealed my age, my face, and by mistake, my identity. Well, so much for being anonymous.

The most important thing that has come out of this year, for me at least, is the fact that FilipinoVoices.com was born, out of 9 or so bloggers that started the journey with me, I am proud to say, the list is growing. We are slowly, but surely, getting to the destination, and making a difference as a blogger, I am happy to say, is a reality.

In any case, 2009 is going to be the year, where we up the ante a bit, I am hoping more people will realize that they too have a responsibility of being aware of the issues, because we are either part of the solution, or we are part of the problem.. And apathy is part of the problem.

I leave you all, with warm thanks for keeping me company in this blog, going along on my journey, and for reassuring me, that the goodness in people can extend to this place we call the internet.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!