One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as
the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway;
it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!
*****
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well
is to shake it off and take a step up.
Each of our troubles is a stepping stone…
We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up!
Shake it off and take a step up.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
Free your heart from hatred – Forgive.
Free your mind from worries – most never happen.
Live simply and appreciate what you have.
Give more.
Expect less
NOW …….
Later, the donkey came back and bite the farmer who had tried to bury him.
The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.
Moral Lesson from the Story:
When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you.
So Who Am I Really?
I’m Jan Mckingley Hilado but most of my online buddies call me “Janmck” (pronounced as Jan-Mack). I’m 19 Years young from the beautiful city of Cebu, Philippines, and a 2nd year Nursing Student in Cebu Normal University last March 2008. BUT then.. I chose to chart my own destiny… I QUIT SCHOOL…
A Brief History
Even when I was just in my Elementary and Highschool Days, my Father and Life Mentor, Tony Hilado had already brought me to many Business Conferences and Seminars and lots of Business Opportunity Meeting from different Network Marketing Companies.
My photo above was even taken on a Business Opportunity Meeting of a certain company 
Not only that, my Father also let me read all of his Self-Help, Personal Development, and Business books.Also, I was already selling to other people at a young age. And because of this, managing and owning a Business became one of my Passions in life next to Traveling
When I got to college, it was the time that the BS Nursing course became a craze! So instead of taking up Business courses, I decided to take up Nursing course and just thought that I will just create a Business out of my course. Then..
Sometime In June 2008…
Through the Truly Rich Workshop by Bo Sanchez, my Spiritual Mentor, I was able attend an Internet Marketing Workshop in Manila by Jomar Hilario, my newly found Mentor in Internet Marketing. My dad was supposed to attend the workshop but since he’s not a “techie” guy, he let me attend the workshop.
And since I was already selling physical stuffs on the internet through the use of ebay, I was motivated to attend the workshop to get more ideas. By the end of the workshop, I was amazed at the possibility of how much you can earn and succeed through Internet Marketing, not just by selling Physical stuffs, but also selling, inexhaustible products called, Information Products or by offering Advertisement Spaces on your website. Not only that, I was also astounded at the possibility of how we can market our Physical Business and services to the virtual world.
And because of that, My mind was converted to formulating new ideas for my Internet Marketing business instead of focusing on “treating a patient”. And since I was able to get my Return Of Investment from the workshop in less than 5 months, and make the same amount monthly, passively, I was more motivated to concentrate on this Business. So I told Jomar Hilario that we’ll also organize the same workshop in Cebu with him as the speaker, so other Cebuanos could also join the workshop without having to travel to Manila. And he agreed. Then…
On December 2008…
My Dad told me that on my 18th Birthday on January, he will ask me the BIGGEST DECISION I have to make in my entire 18 years. On..
January 2009…
He asked me If I should continue my Nursing course or Shift to a new course that would fit my skills and personality. And.. I.. was mute..
Then on..
April 2009..
My Dad and I decided to take a vacation to Vietnam and Cambodia as something to “Clear my mind”. After 2 weeks of Fun, Exciting, and “Mind Clearing” vacation in Vietnam and Cambodia, I decided…
TO STOP PURSUING MY NURSING COURSE and maybe shift to another course or worse (better), stop my Formal Education for the moment. So..
Sometime In April 2009 again,
My Dad, Jomar Hilario, and I decided to bring the same Internet Marketing workshop in Cebu and organize it on June 12-13 2009.
My Accomplishments
June 12-13, 2009, 1st Cebu Internet Marketing Workshop
I was able to organize my first event, the Cebu Internet Marketing Workshop. We had “full-house” that time that we even declined some “Walk-In Participants”. It was a great success that we decided to have a take 2!
That 1st event I have organized made way for me to dramatically increase my network. Many people have started contacting me for Joint Ventures Businesses and other stuffs. That’s when I fully decided I stop my formal education for the moment and focus on my Business first.
September 3-4, 2009, 1st Cagayan De Oro Internet Marketing Workshop
I was able to organize my 2nd Internet Marketing Workshop Event, but now, it’s in Cagayan De Oro. It was also a success and even Jomar Hilario said that it was the Best, and smoothest workshop he had done so far.
October 3, 2009, Butuan City Franchise Seminar
I was able to organize a franchise seminar too in Butuan City, with speaker, and my Business Franchise Mentor, Rudolf Kotik.
December 12-13, 2009, 2nd Cebu Internet Marketing Workshop
The responses from our 1st Cebu Internet Marketing Workshop was great that we decided to organize for the 2nd time in Cebu, the workshop. This workshop was filled by people all around the Philippines including Manila, Aklan, and Davao! Another successful workshop and the participants had a great time networking with each other and some of them are doing business together right now.
Jan Mckingley Hilado is a 19-year young Entrepreneur, Internet Marketer and Consultant, Events Organizer and a college nursing student drop-out from the Philippines. You may visit his blog at http://www.janmckhilado.com
I would like to congratulate Lucy Torres-Gomez for winning the congressional race in the fourth disctrict of Leyte. She was my shoolmate in St. Peter’s College of Ormoc.
I never thought she will be invloved in politics. But rest assured that Lucy can handle the job properly because I knew her since high school days.
My family and I in Ormoc supported you.
We are very proud you, Lucy!
Long live Lucy!
God bless Ormoc City, Leyte!
The Story Of Maricel Apatan
I’m going to tell you a true story of a young woman who went through a most gruesome fire. When you read her story, you’ll realize that your trials are absolutely nothing compared to what this young girl went through.
It was September 25, 2000.
Maricel Apatan was an 11-year old girl in Zamboanga.
On that day, this little girl went with her uncle to draw water.
Along the way, four men met them. They were carrying long knives. They told her uncle to face down on the ground. And they hacked him on the neck and killed him.
Maricel was in total shock. Especially that the men were their neighbors. She tried to escape, but the men ran after her.
She cried, “Kuya, ‘wag po, ‘wag n’yo akong tagain! Maawa po kayo sa akin!” (“Don’t kill me! Have mercy on me!”)
But they weren’t listening. With a long knife, a man slashed her on the neck too.
Maricel fell to the ground and lost consciousness.
When she woke up, she saw a lot of blood.
She also saw the feet of the men around her, but she pretended to be dead.
When they walked away, Maricel ran back home.
Her Hands Were Hacked Too
But along the way, she saw that both her hands were falling off. Because the men hacked them too. She cried but she kept running.
Sometimes, she’d faint and fall to the ground. But she’d regain consciousness and run again.
When she was near her home, Maricel called her mother.
Upon seeing her daughter, her mother screamed in terror. She wrapped her bloodied child in a blanket and carried her to the hospital.
Here was the problem: From her house to the highway, it was a 12-kilometer walk.
It took them 4 hours just to reach the highway.
When they arrived in the hospital, the doctors thought Maricel was going to die.
But for 5 hours, they operated on her. It took 25 stitches to stitch together the long knife wound in her neck and back.
Maricel barely survived.
And she lost both of her hands.
Ironically, the next day was Maricel’s birthday.
She was 12 years old.
But alas, tragedy didn’t end there.
Angels To The Rescue
When they went home, they saw their home was gone. It was ransacked and burned down by the goons.
Being very poor, Maricel’s family also didn’t have P50,000 for their hospital bills.
But God sent many angels along the way to help them.
Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, a distant relative, paid for hospital bills and helped them bring the criminals to court.
They were sentenced to prison.
But this, I believe, is the incredible miracle.
Instead of staying down, Maricel kept running.
Instead of cursing God why she had no hands, she now uses her wrists in incredible ways that will boggle your mind.
Maricel was cited as the most industrious, best in computer, and most courteous in the School for Crippled Children.
In 2008, she graduated from a course in Hotel and Restaurant Management. She even received a Gold medal for Arts and Crafts.
Today, at 21 years old, Maricel is studying to be a Chef.
Yes, a Chef without hands.
Nothing can stop this young lady from reaching her dream.
Real Winners Don’t Give Up!
Oh, it was a real gift.
Because last Sunday, I invited Maricel to the Feast.
We saw Maricel in front of us.
And her joy, her smile, her radiance was amazing!
In lovely white Chef’s attire, I asked her to stand in front of the crowd. We cheered wildly.
And then I led her to a table with lots of vegetables on it.
I asked her to make a salad for me.
Using only her wrists, she cut the vegetables and prepared a delicious salad.
I couldn’t help but cry.
I looked around me and saw many were crying too.
Because we were in front of an incredible winner.
Maricel Apatan Slicing a Carrot
Now About Her Younger Brother
We were so blessed by her life story.
And now we have a chance to bless her too.
One of Maricel’s dreams is to send Mario, her younger brother, to college.
But as she is still a student herself, she has no means to do it. She has no money.
We jumped at the opportunity to help Maricel and Mario. Through our Pag-asa ng Pamilya (Hope for the Family) scholarship ministry for the poor youths (one of our ministries here in KerygmaFamily), we’ll be sending Mario to college.
Through your financial support, we will keep on helping Mario for the next 4 years.
Until he finishes a college degree.
In this way, we’ll be giving hope to this family that has experienced so much suffering in their lives.
This month of May, Mario will enroll in a Manila college.
We know that Maricel and Mario will stand on their own and someday bless others too.
Thank you for being there for them!
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
PS. You make this all happen! I can’t do it without your faithful support. To give your monthly Love Offering to KerygmaFamily, please log on at www.KerygmaFamily.com
Joyce Ann Burton a.k.a “blogging beauty queen” began her career as a model at age 14. Although she was young, she was tall enough (5’9″) for the catwalk. It was fashion designer Renee Salud who discovered her after she backed out of a Regal Films offer to become a Regal Baby.
After one year of modeling, attending events and dance classes, Renee Salud sponsored Joyce in her first beauty pageant: Miss Young Philippines 1981 which she won. Four years later, Renee once again sponsored Joyce for her second beauty pageant – Bb. Pilipinas Universe 1985 which she also won.
But life wasn’t easy for Joyce even if she had won the most prestigious beauty title in the land. After she returned from the Miss Universe beauty pageant she left home after a big disagreement with her family.
On her own, with no one to guide her, Joyce’s life went awry. She had a lackluster career in modeling and TV acting and a rollercoaster marriage which couldn’t be repaired even after two beautiful children were born.
In a career shift, Joyce began working in Public Relations for dance clubs – the modeling stints and TV shows were becoming fewer and fewer. But club life proved to be detrimental and Joyce continued her downhill path. Her marriage finally fell through and she was alone with two children.
Thankfully, her family was still behind her – she had patched up with her parents who stood by anxiously watching her make wrong decision after wrong decision in her career and relationships. Although they couldn’t tell her what to do, they always welcomed her with open arms whenever she needed a safe haven to run to.
Things turned around when a DJ named Ron Titular walked into her life. There was something different about this simple guy that made Joyce change.
After a three-year relationship, they started attending a Born-Again church together. Meeting Jesus made the changes in Joyce (and in Ron) permanent. Little by little, Joyce gained direction, a new life, peacefulness and a second chance at a happy family life!
But one thing wasn’t changed: Joyce was still legally married to someone else. After opening up to her Pastors about her history and separation, the church surrounded her with love, prayer and counseling.
Then, something amazing happened: Ron bumped into his best friend in high school. He turned out to be a lawyer who specialized in Family Law. He offered to help get Joyce an annulment and said not to worry about the fee. It was a miracle because at that time, Ron and Joyce were struggling financially. It was a blessing!
After a two year case, Joyce got her annulment and two months later, Ron and Joyce were married. They have now been together for a happy 19 years (9 years as sweethearts and 10 years as a married couple).
Today, Ron (with help from Joyce) manages a Christian media ministry called The Edge Media. You can hear her voice on the radio stream at http://www.TheEdgeRadio.net/edgetvpage/manila
Joyce is also a professional voice talent and does the continuity announcing for the cable TV station 2nd Avenue. Her voice is also heard on Dove and Pond’s commercials as well as on other TV ads, audio-visual presentations, telephone answering services, etc. This former beauty queen can also be seen everyday (M-F) on Newswatch (RPN 9) at 5:30pm dishing out the daily news.
But Joyce Ann Burton’s biggest passion for now is blogging. Her Adventures of a Beauty Queen blog (http://www.AdventuresOfaBeautyQueen.com) gets about 500 views on a bad day.
That figure can go beyond three thousand on an excellent day. Her biggest haul to date is nearly 8 thousand views. Joyce also happens to be the Tuesday blogger for one of the biggest Facebook groups for Filipinos: Definitely Filipino which currently has half a million followers.
While all that work keeps her busy, Joyce ALWAYS has time for her children Wolf and Diandra, who are her pride and joy. Wolf is currently working at a call center in LA while Diandra just graduated from BS Sports Science in UST. Diandra is now working toward a career in acting and is studying Theatre at PETA.
Joyce Burton Titular is the most popular and inspiring blogging beauty queen in the 21st century. You may visit his popular blogs at http://www.AdventuresOfaBeautyQueen.com and http://www.BouncyHunters.theedge.ph
by Michael Dumlao
By just following these simple tips, you can help improve your mind’s ability to think more positively. When you learn how to get negative thoughts out of your mind and replace them with positive thoughts, you open your mind up to allow the Law of attraction to work for you.
1. Have a genuine love for yourself. You cannot expect other people to like you if you do not first love yourself. Take time each day to write down things that you do that you are good at. Let yourself feel good that you have talents and abilities. Tell yourself every day that you are
happy with yourself and that you love yourself.
2. Hang around with positive, happy people. It is much easier to stay positive if you stay away from people who are always negative. If almost everyone in your life is negative, then find new friends. It is well worth your time to go to new places and find new positive friends in order to make it easier for you to stay positive.
3. Remember that not everything always has to go right the first time. Just because sometimes you are on top and sometimes you are on the bottom does not mean you will
always have problems. The problem is temporary and will change. Try to focus on the good times and things that have gone right and blow off anything bad that happens.
4. Learn how to forgive and forget. Many times, you may find yourself holding on to being angry with someone or yourself for mistakes that have been made. Holding onto anger does not help anybody. If you are angry with another person, by staying mad at him or her, you are usually only hurting yourself. Learn how to forgive and get on with your life.
5. Learn to be accepting of yourself. Remember that nobody knows everything and sometimes you may make mistakes. If you make a mistake, then take time to learn how to do it right the next time. Every time you learn something new, it helps build your self-esteem and makes it easier to have a positive attitude.
Take time everyday to smile. Start your day by looking in the mirror and planting a great big smile on your face and saying to yourself good morning, you are a wonderful and special person. You deserve to be happy and have positive thoughts. Say to yourself as you look in the mirror I love you and I believe you are a unique person.
Michael Dumlao – I’m a Pinoy(read the upper part of this blog) wandering the cyber space sharing with you my thoughts. You may visit my blog at http://1pinoyblogger.blogspot.com
This is now the formal start of my financial planning guide lessons. Since in our previous series of steps (for those who are new in my blog please click here and follow each step) we already talked about the necessary steps to take before actually planning your financial life.
You already have a dream life, a financial goal, and now it is time for the “apply lessons-fail-plan again-repeat until successful” part of financial planning.
Now let’s talk about the three most common reasons why many people are poor.
1. Because most people do not really want to be rich.
Yup, you heard me right! We really do not want to be rich. I know many of you would react and say, “I have never heard a person say that he does not want to be rich”. In fact if I ask you right now if you want to be financial free and be wealthy?
The common answer would be – OF COURSE!
Yet, I’ve crossed many people in my life that only say that they want to be rich yet their actions do not walk their talk.
Some even pray to God like this – “Lord make me rich and wealthy but not too much, I do not want to be bad.”
It is this sick idea that when a person is rich, we are far from God’s love. Maybe we have forgotten that many prophets in the old testament like Elijah, King Samuel and David were all very wealthy people yet they were very close to God.
I think many people view it this way because it was shaped by our culture this way. Today more and more media influences people in Sydney (for example) that romanticizing wealth is a sad thing. Many people even baffle the words like “I’d rather be happy than be rich” which is a good example of romanticizing poverty. In my life, I have always seen this as a wrong belief about wealth for whenever I had no money to buy my needs I could not sleep at night.
So I ask myself, how in the world can other people say that being poor makes us happier? Not being able to sleep at night is depressing enough.
Say this to yourself now – “I am rich because I know God loves me and he wants to prosper all the works of my hands, even my money”.
2. Most people are poor because they are Financially Stupid.
Obviously many fail in their financial planning because they do not understand how money really works. They do not even understand the meaning of good debt and bad debt, so they just go around the mall wide sales and squander all their hard earned money to buy liabilities. (In our future financial planning guide lessons, I will go into the details of good debt, bad debt, assets and liabilities)
Much worse, when they do not have enough money to buy what they want, they used their credit cards and incur debt that they cannot pay at the end of their cut off. Hence, once they receive their credit card bill, they can only pay the highlighted box “minimum amount due”, making them pay more and more due to high interest rates that credit cards offer.
Hey I don’t blame you, there are even well known surgeons who can operate your brain but are also financially stupid. Engineers can create skyscrapers and compute all the necessary tensions needed to make these skyscrapers stable yet they too can be financially stupid as well.
Here’s the key if by now you are already aware that you are also financially stupid, then directly learn to change your financial life. Go and burn the lines and ask people, call a financial adviser, read a book about basic good money habits, or better, follow my financial planning guide lessons (they are for FREE by the way) and apply all the lessons you learn here.
The important thing is to take action and commit to change your bad money habits. Focus on your dream life and set goals short term and long term.
3. Many are poor because we do not ride vehicles to wealth.
Have you ever tried comparing your travel time from using different modes of transportation to your office? Like what the difference would be if you walk to your office, ride a bike, ride a cab, use your own car, or ride the train?
Obviously among the transportation mentioned above, the train is the fastest and just like in our financial life we too must ride vehicles.
Most people are so dependent to the government that they are not even walking towards wealth. I’d rather compare walking to saving money in the bank without withdrawing it for at least 25 years.
However, walking alone will not get us to our destination. We must include in our financial planning the real vehicles to wealth like the mutual funds, paper assets, stocks, real estate, the internet, and other businesses.
Riding vehicles to wealth is the only way to attain financial abundance and without these vehicles, wealth will always be far fetched. Imagine if you can use an airplane as your vehicle to wealth. Or a jet plane to ride. Doesn’t that sound exciting? Ride your vehicles now and reaching your financial goal will be alot easier.
To our financial freedom…..
Cheers!
Ryan Jake A. Bere – I am a Entrepreneur. Trained professionally on Face to Face selling. I like talking about investments, real estate, internet marketing, and Sales and Distribution Business.
http://financialplanningguidecebu.blogspot.com
I am Maria Corazon Jurado Rodriguez, 42 years old, born in Catmon, Cebu on June 26, 1967. My family and friends fondly call me “Chona” (a nickname very far from my true name). I am a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering at University of San Carlos Batch 1988.
I have one brother and 4 sisters all of whom were happily married and blessed with children. My father is a retired Mechanical Engineer and my mother is a retired government employee (Comelec clerk). They are now running a foundation school owned by my grandfather (father’s side).
We may have a very simple life but we’re not spared from the intrigues and mediocre of other people which somehow affected me and my siblings up to this day. Nevertheless, it inspires us to strive more and finished our studies with the help of our aunties and uncles who supports us unceasingly especially on money matters. We all have graduated in college.
Our eldest is a Registered Nurse who’s now in Pennsylvania with her husband and son, my brother a Civil Engineer employed in our municipality in Assessors Department (he has 4 children) , our fourth is a Registered nurse who’s now serving as a Guidance Counselor of the school (has 2 children), the 5th one is a Computer Science graduate who’s now in Comelec (with 3 children) and lastly our youngest is a Fine Arts graduate and a Registered Nurse. She has no work as of the moment and has a daughter.
I plunge to marriage (December 10, 2005) at a somewhat late age (38) – a risky situation for a woman to bear a child. But with God’s blessing I had a healthy pregnancy amidst fears of having a special child especially I was diagnosed before of toxic goiter. He blessed us a healthy and normal son at the age of 39. The son who”s now our source of inspiration, our hope and our ultimate fruit of love.
I am employed in a Japanese manufacturing company for almost 21 years – my first and probably my last job. My husband is an Electrical Engineer who works as a seaman.
To live a happy, contented and God-fearing life and to help others in any way I can is my goal in life.
Maria Corazon Rodriguez is an internet entrepreneur who is based in Cebu, Philippines. You may visit her internet marketing blog at http://www.HomeBusinessCebu.com
LIFE at SEA
Chapter 1
May 8, 1955 a boy from a small town called Hilongos, a western seacoast of one of the island of the Philippines called Leyte was born no. 6 of the 12 children of Mr. Jose P. Reoma and Fructousa Marquez both a native of Hilongos. They named him Josetito.
My parents are both elementary school teacher and my father was promoted superintendent before he retired at the age of 65 years old. I have seven brothers and four sisters which makes us a big family. My parents make our names taken from theirs.
Our names from the first born; Jose jr., Fructoucita, Josefino, Joselito, Joseto, Josetito, Joselino, Fuctousa jra., Fructoulina, Fructoulisa, Josenito, and Josenilo. All have finished colleges and both have nice works and already have family of their own. I have finished my elementary at Conception Community School and finished my high school at Hilongos National Vocational High School as a valedictorian.
In my high school days, it was a very hard way. At that time three of my brothers were at the seminary, so we have to tightened our belts to make both ends met. So what I did, I accepted student labor from my school during Saturdays or sometimes Sundays and holidays.
Most of the times I have to attend our small rice field to have more income and to have extra food. Sometimes I have to join bayanihan, a group of farmers working together without pay, only the food are free, one time planting rice to one farm then next to our farm and next to other farm until all each members farm have been planted.
It’s a good system because it will help farmers who can hardly pay for the laborers. I was still very young but I have to do it to help my parents. These made me trying my best to finish my studies as soon as possible to help my parents.
About my love life
It started as poppy love, I fall in love, poppy love, to our class treasurer who was the daughter of our town’s chief of police. We were very close to one another. She was so dominant that she wants what she wants.
One time I was an athlete of archery and I was sent to provincial meet and she was so mad because I didn’t listen to her because she didn’t want me to go but I went with the group anyway. My friends told us that we would not finish our studies because we will soon get married before our graduation but they were wrong because we’ve made it until we finished college still we were in love with each other.
But she didn’t want that I would take up marine engineering. She wants that I will always see her everyday, she was so demanding, one time on our college days she wants me to visit her in her boarding house but I can’t do that because I have to maintain my grades and I was financially hard up on those days. In spite of our always misunderstanding still we’ve made it for more than eight years.
Sad to say we broke up when I went home after my 21 months apprenticeship on an overseas vessel. She was 3 months pregnant when I saw her. She even told me it was my fault. I thank her for doing this things while we’re still unmarried.
After I graduated high school, I went to Cebu City to take my carrier, at first I was trying to take mechanical engineering which was my priority but when we went to CIT – Cebu Institute of Technology – we’ve notice that the tuition was very high and my parents cannot afford unless one or two of my brothers will have to quit their studies. We went to another school but still the same very expensive.
On our way to my brother’s boarding house we have passed by Cebu Central Colleges, now UC – University of Cebu – we happened to see the opening for scholarship for valedictorians, but I have to take entrance exam to be admitted in the school. I was very lucky to pass and I was granted 100% free of tuition.
So I took Marine Engineering and was associate at that time. When the first semester was started it was very hard for me because it was my first time in the big city and I cannot ride a jeepney for a long time because I was seasick. All my friends were laughing at me due I was taking a carrier that was against my well.
They said against my well because few kilometers ride with a car or taxi will make me seasick so much so riding a sea going vessel. I just told them come what may or I will cross the bridge when I get there. My oldest brother was the one giving me my allowance and for the boarding house.
My parents were the one who send us the food and my brother’s allowance. Sometimes I cannot receive allowance from my brother so we have to share what we receive from home. Sometimes we cannot also receive allowance and food from home so we have to walk from our boarding house to school that was 30 minutes to 45 minutes walk. I have to accept drawing jobs from my classmates to have extra money to see a movie once in two months or nothing at all.
In school I have a classmate from Butuan but actually he was from Nasipit. We were good friends. He always received his allowance and he dress great. I was thinking that they were rich. He knows that I was short of everything including my allowance, so, he offer me to help him with his drawing works with the exchange of having a weekend movie with snacks but of coarse paying me for the job so I did accepted it and it made us more closer.
On my second year first semester I did not made it to full scholar because of the pressures mostly financially, the school gave me only 50%. I have to explain it to my parents and to my brother who was helping me.
Both of them understood and told me to try to maintain it until graduation. But in my last semester the school reduced it again to 25% because my grades were going down.
Luckily I made it to the top in my graduation day. I received a gold medal as valedictorian of the graduating class. The next day after our graduation we were in the whole page of the local news, the nautical graduate valedictorian and me.
It was a promised from the shipping lines called, Sweet Lines, that they will accept us as an apprentice on their luxury vessel Cebu – Manila route. We were very happy and thankful for the achievement we received.
Chapter II
I went home for vacation for a month then went back to Cebu to report for apprenticeship. My permit papers did not arrived yet from the Department of Labor in Manila, so I decided to go to Manila to follow-up my papers.
I was so eager to get on board so after reporting from the office I went to the pier were I saw the vessel ready for departure for Manila, without asking permission from my brother, I boarded the vessel with only 20 pesos in my pocket. I met a friend also an apprentice who told me to hide during inspection of the ticket.
My first ride on board a luxury vessel was so exciting even though I was a stowaway. We arrived Manila 18 hours after our departure. It was 0800 hrs. and I was thinking how to go to my uncle’s house which was located at San Andres Bukid.
I was recalling one time when my brother told me how to get to that place. I took a jeep from pier to Divisoria, then a bus to Taft Ave. in which I remembered what my brother said to watch carefully the Luneta Park, then few minutes after passing the big carabao like building to get off from the bus. I took a bus, which was crossing the Taft Ave., which has a signboard of San Andres Bukid.
It was still very clear in my mind that after crossing the railway, I have to disembark and start looking for the 2520-B Perlita street, the house of my uncle. The first house I saw the number was 1925-A so I have to go up and look for the right number. It was already noontime when I saw the number and I was very happy and thankful that I arrived safely to my uncle’s house.
I told them the whole story and told me I have to send a telegram to my brother in Cebu and to my parents in Hilongos for they do not know for sure where I was. My cousins gave me some pants and shirts for I have only one pair on my body when I arrived.
When my uncle know that I was in Manila for my papers, after a few days rest he accompanied me to the office of Department of Labor to follow-up my papers. As soon as I took hold of my papers I went back to Cebu after a few days vacation seeing some beautiful places in Manila. I took the same vessel, the same still stowaway and upon arriving Cebu I reported right away to the office of the Sweet lines Inc. I was assigned to board my first vessel MS Sweet Faith, the fastest of the passenger vessels at that time.
My first Chief Engineer was Chief Dulauta from Bohol. We were eleven apprentice engineers on board and on one cabin only. As I recall I have sleep only twice in that cabin. The first duty was exciting and during mealtime we sometimes eat bare hands and using pot covers. They said cowboy style.
I was assigned the 0800 – 1200, 2000-2400 hrs watch. During watch keeping we usually wear short or only brief, because the engine room was too hot and it make us more comfortable . It was so interesting and was lucky that it was summer time. No storm but southwest monsoon winds and rains made the south China sea very rough especially when we are out of the Manila Bay.
For the first month I have to eat my dinner very late because I have to wait until the ship is covered by Mindoro island. Because of these I have to keep my food ration to be sure I have something to eat. My friends were very right that I will be sea sick always.
Almost all the voyages I was sea sick but because of my determination and my love for engines and the sound of it made me liked the system I’m on. Due to all engineers were from visayan region we usually made the maintenance work in Manila and in Cebu we are free to visit if we want to, to our brothers and to my gf which she was still studying.
The ship was quite old, she was made in 1950 in Germany and to maintain the speed we have to renew the piston or the piston rings most often. Every time in Cebu we have to roll 12 to 15 drums about 3000 liters of lube oil which our consumption for the round trip.
Sometimes we are lucky we can have two trips. She has twin engines so sometime we pull out two pistons one on each engines. We have to finish it for we have scheduled departure to follow. One of the apprentice engineer from south Cebu was a son of a judge.
As I have known the parents didn’t want their son to take marine engineering but the guy wants. One time the parents visited their son and saw that their son was so dirty, the mother started crying. But the son was very determined to proceed, so the parents was not able to convince him to stop.
After a month of working as apprentice with only 30 pesos monthly allowance I was promoted as Cummins generator watcher, ac generators supplying power to air conditioning plant, because only dc power are available on board.
At this point I was increased to 120 pesos monthly in which I was so lucky because most apprentice at that time have no allowance at all. Almost all the time in the port of Manila, we usually have few men helping us with the cleaning and maintenance work and they are all from Bohol or Cebu province, most of the time we worked all night long.
I could still remember one night when we finished our job very early and I was invited by this men to go with them in Caloocan city for a night life. To have experience I accepted there offer and for the first time I was inside a big cabaret house with more than 50 girls inside, dancing and giving some tips after every music. I was back to the ship before midnight because there was still curfew at that time.
That was my first night life. Back to work again, this time we departed Manila with some business men on board including the son of the owner. I wonder why we load so much blocks of ice in the cargo compartment near the engine room.
Then later I know that we have a race run to Cebu with the MV Cebu City, a new ship from Sulpicio lines, also a passenger ship. Plenty passengers made a bit and the owner himself bit millions pesos for this trip. We were scheduled to depart one hour ahead but we have waited mv Cebu City in Manila bay.
When they were on the sight, we made full ahead and there I knew that the ice blocks we load were used to cool down the suction inlets of the main engine turbo charger. We run more than 20 knots at that time and won the race.
We usually made run race with mv Don Juan of Negros Navigation that we usually encountered when we pass Panay Island, one time we passed them and one AB jokingly put mooring line astern teasing Don Juan, but few minutes later we have a break down with one of the turbo charger of the main engine so they passed as and laughing at us and put mooring lines as will.
Since that time I did not have yet seaman’s book, I did ask Chief Eng’r. to have few days vacation but did not grant my request, so I made alibi that my father will buy a hand tractor for our farm and it will be in Manila. So I took the trip back to Manila with my savings and luckily I have my first seaman’s book after a week stay.
Back to ship again and this time I was always seasick due to the southwest monsoon in the China sea. By then I’ve heard that my uncle, a chief engineer, arrived from abroad, together with my radio operator brother, we visited our uncle and talk about the situation. He said I must resign from Sweet Lines Inc. and go to Manila when my uncle will report to the office he was working.
So what I did after tending my resignation paper, I went to Manila and for the main time my uncle did not report yet to office so started to find and applied for overseas employment as an apprentice engineer or as a wiper in some offices. I was lucky and accepted in locally owned shipping lines but trading overseas, but they have to let me work first in one of their vessels on repair in Manila Bay just in front of the Luneta Park.
I reported the next day in ferry station in South harbor to join one of the vessel. When I came on board I found out that we were more or less 200 deck and engine workers, chipping, painting, overhauling the machineries and during meal time we were like prisoners on file with our own utensils, a plate, a pork and a cup. I have made a friend on board a crew member, but I have to sleep in the engine room side, the only vacant place.
After a couple of days work, the engineer requested me to work overtime until 2300hrs or sometimes midnight. They are paying us by the hour. It was a luck because only three of us were allowed to make overtime. After a week I received a cable that I have to go home because very serious was happening with my family.
So I boarded the service boat the following day and when I arrived in my uncles place they were loughing at me due to, I have more dirts libag in my neck, my face and my body. I told them that the accommodation was very poor were I was working. I ask them about the telegram but, they said it was my uncle who did it and he was already in Manila staying in YMCA, I washed myself and went to see my uncle and we reported right away to the agency he was on.
The name of the agency was Philimare, they let me signed right away contract for 14 months as a donkey man. First I really don’t know what was a donkey man, what work to do, but my uncle said I can handle it. I was scheduled the following day for medical. In the afternoon I reported in the office were I worked for a week to get my salary.
I was ask to see the port engineer which was a former chief engineer of sweet faith. He told me not to go home because they will let me join the vessel I was working as an oiler, due the oiler was burn from the boiler and cannot go with the voyage which was scheduled soon. I refused and told him very sorry but I have to go home, so he said as soon as everything will be okay at home I must report right away. I promise him I will. I did not tell him about the contract I’ve just signed.
Four days later we departed to Paris then Le Havre to join my first overseas vessel Mt Globtik Venus, a british born hindu, who owns 16 tanker ships, some are vlcc, and some are less than 100,000 dw tons tanker, I was in 65,000 dw, with 24,000 bhp engine and 1 meter diameter of piston Gotaverken engine. The first time I saw and work with such a huge engine.
Just imagine, an engine same height as the four storey building. The exhaust valve alone is almost two meters in height, the engine design has no push rod but pull rods on both sides of the liner with a cam mounted in the crankshaft and cam roller connected to the pull rods pulling down the exhaust valve as it turns.
We’ve got two auxiliary engines with 1200 kw capacity and one steam turbine generator. We have two Bobcocks and Wilcox watertube boilers and four steam turbine cargo pumps and two steam reciprocating piston stripping pump. The accommodation of this ship were in midship and aft. The Captain and the officers were in the mid ship and the Engineers and ratings are in aft part. We usually use the elevator in going to the engine room. We were 48 crew members at that time.
During those time we have tamulong, the carpenter, lots of Abs, oilers, Donkeyman which is my work and later I know that it is also the fireman or boiler man, 3 of us. We have four lifeboats and several life rafts.
Our home port is Le Havre France and we usually get cargo from Lagos, Nigeria and sometimes in Houston or Galveston, Texas. It took us 13 days to Lagos and 2 to 3 days loading by submarine pipe. During loading we usually go fishing and we caught not less 100 kilos every time we go fishing. Nobody was allowed to go ashore in Lagos.
During discharging in France, some are allowed to go shore leave. During those time we don’t have allotment so we usually send money trough the bank. I was not allowed to go ashore almost all the time due I was in charged in bunkering. We were bunkering almost all the time 2,500 metric tons sometimes 3,000 metric tons.
One time it was summer time we were discharging in Le Verdon, France, a very nice place and very near to the beach. 30% of the crew were allowed to go ashore and I was left because we have discharging operation. I was told by our Chief Engineer to stay but during 1500h coffee break we were, the pumpman and me were in the poop deck and we can see the nice beach and the people and the nice chicks playing in the beach.
We were tempted to go just a couple of minutes or hours and be back again right away. But when we have a couple of beers we forgot that we have to go back to the ship. Very naughty we went back midnight, half drank and we were caught by the Chief Engineer. He was very angry and the wiper which he promote to oiler about a month ago was demoted again to wiper, very sad because his family knows already of the promotion.
I was lucky the Chief Engineer pardon me. On our way back to Lagos, we stop and pulled out piston due we cannot do some maintenance work in port, we are not allowed. It took us 16 hours to finish the job. We arrived Lagos safely and again we go fishing with the same catch more or less 100 kilos of fish.
During topping up of the cargo, the radio malfunction and they overfill us and we have a fountain of cargo higher than the bridge before it was stop. We have pollution but we did not get penalty because it’s there mess. We departed Lagos with full cargo. On our way or almost during the voyage the crew mostly the old ones were gambling with cards, lucky 9 or black jack. At this voyage our chief cook already looses 2000 us dollards which at that time already 5 months work.
By then when they stop playing after midnight the 2nd cook when he stood up some cards feel down from his long sleeve and commented and accused him of cheating. The following day after lunch the chief cook start drinking and was drunk before dinner time.
He went to the 2nd cook’s cabin and started asking why he was cheating but the 2nd cook denied and the started shouting and fighting and the chief cook found a sharp hair cutting scissor which he stub the 2nd cook in the stomach and holding his wound he manage to escape and ran for help in the mid-ship were the deck officers help him.
Since we have still two days to go before Las Palmas, Spain, the Captain call a doctor and a chopper to pick him up. The chief cook was not arrested and still go with the voyage until his contract was finished. Later we know that they were friends again when they were in Manila.
After that incident the Captain order that no more alcohol on board. Then my 14 months contract was finish plus an extension of 7 months that made my first overseas vessel to 21 months on board with 1 dry docking.
Then I took up 4rth engineer license examination and with the help of God I passed the exam. 3 months after vacation with my 4rth engineer license I rejoined the MT Globtik Venus again as Jr. 4rth engineer. Everything was fine and we were sailing smoothly, with machineries overhauled and repaired, but seven months after we were caught by ITF – International Transport Workers Federation due to our very low salary.
Three times we were caught and send us our replacement but we refuse unless they will pay us our back wages. Because of the delayed almost a month now the owner decided to send hired mercenaries and forced to take over of the vessel.
There were 40 armed men who stormed the vessel with ropes in the ship’s side climbing by the rope with hawk and lines like pirates by this time we did resist due somebody told us not to fight because they were killers.
So held us in the mess room and 28 of us were send home with only the salary we received before. The labor attaché in Paris went on board and do nothing to help us. Some of the mercenaries were became friends to us later when they know our situation, they regretted what they did to us.
When the crew of our sister ships knew what the owner did to us, they stop the vessels to acknowledge that they were sympathizing us. When we arrived home we were meet by the press people and they were on our side but the national seaman’s board were very mad to us and we were all black listed to all the shipping agency in Manila except one who help us and promised to hire us.
After three months we received a message from the NBI to report to the office for further investigation and two agents from Scotland yard, UK the same as NBI in the Philippines who handled the case. We were so afraid because we heard that the owner filed a case against us and demurrage charged to us almost half a million us dollars.
But luckily the ITF were paying us from the owner almost the same amount they charged us and was shared between us according to the length of service. We really got hard in having another overseas employment.
One local company called me to join one of their tanker vessel to deliver diesel fuel to two ports of Mindoro and four ports of Palawan including Puerto Princesa and Brooks Point almost at the farthest end of Palawan island. It took us almost two months to finish the voyage, but it was a very memorable compared to my overseas trips.
As I went back to Manila I started again to apply for overseas and very lucky that I was accepted to work with one of the biggest greek company, the Olympic Maritime also one of the biggest in the world. I was working in this company for more than eight years.
Starting from dokimos mikanikos or junior engineer. Here I experienced and learned how to speak, write and read and greek even to count more than thousand, example; one (ena)two(deu)three (trea)four (tersera)five (pente)six (exe)seven (epta)eight (octo)nine (enya)ten (deca)eleven (enteca)twelve (dudeca)twenty (ecose)thirty (trianda)forty (seranda)fifty (penenda)sixty (exenda) one hundred ecatu) one thousand cillades) so on and so forth.
My next overseas ships were MV Olympic Peace, MV Olympic Palm, and MV Olympic Harmony, MV Beduin Brunes, which from junior engineer to second enginner.
All of the above mention ships go around the world. We usually complete a round for three months including loading and discharging of bulk cargo, grains, fertilizer, iron ore even salt. Once we load 40,000 metric tons of rock salt from Caribbean to New York City used only in winter for the roads and highways.
Josetito Reoma is a respected internet entrepreneur who loves to share his expertise on internet marketing. You may visit his blog at http://www.JosetitoReoma.com
I am Engr. Emman Lijesta, and I have been involved in both traditional Multi-Level-Marketing for 5 years, been in the Affiliate Network Marketing since the infancy of the Internet in the Philippines way back 1993 and currently running my a co-owned 24/7 convenience store in our place.
I was an employee before but now I am focusing on my traditional business and online business.
While in the process of creating my blog at http://www.clickbankphilippines.com
I was researching about what companies that will explode during the next Internet boom, which is by 2014. The details are on my eBook which can be dowloaded at
http://mysulitblueprint.4shared.com/
As explained on the eBook, it guided me to PeopleString because this site is part of that companies that will ride the next giant wave. It also explains how to profit from it.
It’s been 2 months that I have been here in PeopleString and so far everything is doing great. As my interest grew, I also created a blog that will help everyone also become successful with PeopleString in the Philippine setting at http://peoplestring.clickbankphilippines.com
Everyone is welcome to use my articles at PeopleString Philippines blog. This is for all of us.
I have high hopes in PeopleString and for all of us. This is a great vehicle towards other forms of investments.
Though, I will tell you that this is not a get rich quick scheme. Much efforts are really needed. But slowly and surely we will be wealthy. Remember time is our best friend like what all investors would say.
Keep on Keeping on Kabayans (KKK)
Regards,
Engr. Emman M. Lijesta
http://www.clickbankphilippines.com
http://peoplestring.clickbankphilippines.com
http://http://mysulitblueprint.4shared.com/
