2nd

It's our 2nd month. Happy 2nd month baby! I'm pretty optimistic that more months will come! haha. Love you! :)

Employed!

In a span of two days, the number of valid IDs that I have jumped from one to four. Aside from my Driver's License, i now have my BIR TIN ID, PhilHealth ID and of course my Professional License! wohooo! aside from that, i also now have my SSS number and my very own LandBank account. I  underwent medical check-ups and filled-up many forms as well.

And all that happened because of one very important thing - i'm EMPLOYED! yohooo! I'll be working with and for the DSWD Field Office V and i'm hoping for simply the best of the things to come with a little bit of extra challenge and opportunities to prove my worth as a person and as a professional. As a tribute to my status as a newly employed as a challenge to myself, i decided to change my twitter bio with words that fit my eagerness, excitement and enthusiasm for my job and my practice of profession. ;))))))

CC goes Coca-Cola

The Creative Circle or CC never fails to amaze me. From a small group of talented social work students of BUCSSP, CC is continuously evolving into something else and into something better. I believe it also continues to break expectations and go beyond the perception of other people. I guess pushing for the formal creation of this group is one of the best things that I did when I was the president of the Human Welfare Advocates way back 2011.

Just today, they qualified for the Grand Finals of the Coca-Cola Regional Dance Showdown (not really sure though of the name of the competition) and is in fact the official representative of Bicol University (and of Albay as well). I believe that they need to step up their dancing skills and push themselves to the limit in order for them to win. I know they can and I know they will try because that's what they have been doing eversince - improving and becoming better.

But I hope that the university and some Albaypeeps will also give them the support they deserve especially moral and physical support on the day of the competition (September 18, 2013 at JMR Coliseum) considering that if the criteria for judging will not be changed, audience impact amounts to a very big 20%. Kaya sana talaga sumuporta ang mga tao.

Of course, my support to them will not be change. 100% pa rin at dadagdagan ko pa ng dasal para sana mas maging effective!

Go CC! Go CC! Go CC! Kaya Yan! Laban Lang! :)

Proud Bueño!

That proud moment when your university - Bicol University College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, is being given recognition by the Professional Regulations Commission and the Board for Social Workers as the Top Performing Social Work School in the Philippines. :)

#2013RegisteredSocialWorkers

Some of the newly registered social workers from Bicol University College of Social Sciences and Philosophy!

#OneProudBueñoHere

The Placers from Bicol University College of Social Sciences and Philosophy together with Professor Tania Lana, Professor Annelyn Mendoza and Board for Social Workers Member Mr. Jesus Far.

Russ, RSW

 Am now a truly Registered Social Worker! Hooray! :)

#iThought

If we fail to get through this today, we'll never succeed in getting through this in the future.

SP Resolution No. 2013-167

One reason why I am proud that I am a Nagueño is because Naga is a haven of responsible and responsive leaders. The resolution passed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod is one of the testament that the City Council really serves as the voice of the Nagueños. Congratulations to all the councilors especially to Councilor Gabby Bordado! #Save651! :)))

photo courtesy of Councilor Gabby Bordado FB.

#Save651

I must admit that during the first time i heard about the project of DPWH about transforming the current two-lane maharlika highway to a four-lane highway, my ears clapped and my heart was filled with joy. Come to think of it, widened highways aside from booming infrastructure are somehow indicators of progress. But when things started sinking into me, i started feeling ambivalent towards it because of the immaterial and irreparable costs that it would give cause to the Nagueños.

After thinking things out, i decided that my conscience will haunt me if i say to the world that i would want things like this to happen. Besides, i really do not like the idea of cutting trees (i remember i once wrote an article about the cutting of trees in BU to paved way for the construction of the gate that is still closed up to now despite being completed some three years ago). Moreso, 651 good old tress will be cut and it's very much, too much. I just don't know but i find it not worth it to cut the trees just to have widened roads if there are alternatives. Alternatives that are not far from reality.

So to sum things up, i am one with the people of the city in saying #Save651.

PS. I am not against the project, i am against the cutting of trees. :)

photo courtesy of #Save651 FB page.

A Fresh Start

After hours of searching, selecting, editing, finalizing and many other processes, I now have my new and enhanced blogsite. By the way, i decided to transform this blog as a photoblog. Soon posts will be posted. :))))

Cheers! :)

I dreamed of reaching the top and i failed. Not only did i dreamed but i also gave my best shot but my efforts were somehow futile. I was disappointed with myself and i have no one and nothing to blame except myself. I was scared about what other people might say. About their expectations that i failed to meet and about what they will be saying. That was my initial reaction.

But now, i'm over it. I accepted things as they were and as they are. Perhaps there's something greater that is waiting to be realized. The horizon is wide and far ranging and instead of flooding myself with disappointment, fear and ill-feelings, there are countless reasons why i need to celebrate what had happened like the fact that BUCSSP remains as the Top Performing School of Social Work in the Philippines and of course, the fact that almost all of my friends (of course including me) passed. 

So sa lahat ng nagturo, gumabay, umagapay, dumamay, tumulong, nagmahal, nagpasaya, nagpangiti, nagbigay ng inspirasyon, naghatid ng motibasyon, umasa, nagdasal, nagpamisa, nagpakain, nagtweet, nagmessage, bumati, nakiramay, nakibahagi at nagpugay sa akin -- SALAMAT at SALAMAT ng marami!

With love na may halong pagmamahal,

Russ Daniel Oliva Baldoza, RSW

#mntXMAS

we conducted our group's Christmas party last December 16 and it was a blast! reminiscing the parties we had since first year, i decided to 'combine' it and presto, the Mababangis Christmas Celebration through the years! MERRY CHRISTMAS MNT!

#12.01

my first post for december and i wish everyone a meaningful month especially that t'is a season to be jolly. falalalalalalalalala.

MERRY CHRISTMAS PIPS! :)

my 2011 Christmas Wishlist

Christmas is fast approaching. it's actually just less than a month before the celebration of the birth of Jesus. personally, isa ang pasko sa mga bagay na pinakahihintay ko. masaya, makulay, kumukutikutitap ang mga ilaw, people on a Christmas rush, Christmas songs, priceless smiles and happiness of the people around, cold air at napakarami pang mga bagay na kahit anong liit ay sapat ng rason para maging maligaya.

at dahil pasko, i deem it timely to produce my 2011 Christmas Wishlist. baka may makabasa at magdecide na i-fulfill kahit isa lang. i'll be presenting it in no particular order or preference basta nasa lista gusto ko! haha. walang kokontra. gawa ka din ng wishlist mo besides hindi masama magwish. also, this includes some unrealistic things pero yun na yun. haha. let's start!

NUMBER ONE: BAG or BACK PACK preferrably

matagal-tagal na rin akong hindi nakaka-experience ng back pack of my own. gusto ko lang matry ulit pero wag lang yung masyadong malaki pero wag din namang masyadong maliit. mas maganda kung kasya ang laptop. haha.

NUMBER TWO: CELLPHONE

my current cellphone which happens to be a china phone is now three years old. way beyond the normal "life expectancy" of a china phone which is one year. mama said she will buy me a new cellphone and i am excited over that fact. however, perhaps it is still unrealistic for the moment given our current financial situation. anyway, gusto ko pa rin. i don't care kung anong brand pero mas feel ko ang nokia or samsung wag lang china phone. :)

NUMBER THREE: HANKY LOTS OF HANKIES

i am a person who is uncomfortable without having a handkerchief with me. i guess my explanation is enough. haha.

NUMBER FOUR: TUMBLER

para mas makatipid na ako ng pera dahil hindi ko na kelangan bumili ng mineral water everday. instead, hihingi na lang ako sa department. haha. :)

NUMBER FIVE: UNDERWEARS

i'm not being scandalous here and i think there is nothing wrong having underwear in my wishlist. eh may mga pangyayaring hindi inaasahan and besides magtotour kami this summer for 11 days at walang labahan. share lang. :)

NUMBER SIX: MALETA

isang maletang kasing laki ng picture on the right would do. haha. pang-adik lang. pero pwede rin naman ang maleta in anticipation for our summer tour as part of the curriculum and for my future travels as well

NUMBER SEVEN: TEEs

gusto ko din ng bagong t-shirts or anything that i could wear. size: medium or large depending on the brand. :)

NUMBER EIGHT: TEAM MANILA WALLET or

ANY KIND OF WALLET


i'm dedicating this item for lekks. haha. anyway, i will also appreciate wallet (not necessarily that of team manila. kay alekks lang yun). pero mas appreciated kung may laman. :p

NUMBER NINE: SAPATOS (vans, toms or kahit rubber shoes)


sapatos, eto ata ang isang bagay na mahirap hanapin para sa akin. marami akong gustong bilihing sapatos noon pa. ang problema, walang kasya sa paa ko. gusto ko ito! sapatos! sapatos! sapatos!

NUMBER TEN: DSLR CAMERA


isa sa mga pangarap ko at isa din sa mga unrealistic things that i included here. haha. share lang. :)

LASTLY,

ANYTHING FROM THE HEART ♥

personally, kino-consider ko ang sarili ko bilang isang taong hindi maarte pagdating sa mga regalo. i mean, anything na magagamit basta binuhusan ng effort, oras at panahon, at anything na galing sa puso ng nagbigay ay maaappreciate ko. hindi ko man maipakita ang appreciation towards sa taong yun dahil hindi ko alam kung paano magrereact eh appreciated ko. Christmas is the time of sharing and gift-giving and i believe it's not the time to demand things from other people. i created this list not to demand from people who is considering giving a gift to me but to give them a clue as to what i prefer. but let me reiterate it again, i appreciate anything from anyone basta galing sa puso. :p

eerie twenty-fourth

today is november 24, 2011, thursday and there seem to be an eerie (at least in my perspective) atmosphere in Bicol University. classes in MP/CAL building are said to be suspended tomorrow, the fences, gates and even buildings are re-painted, light bulbs were replaced with new bulbs, the facade of MP Building was well-lighted at night same with the four pillars of the university - all because of the ISO visit and the visit of President Noynoy Aquino for the Inauguration of the Climate Change Academy of Albay which is located at Bicol University.

well, the eerie thing was because of the unusual cleanliness of the university and the extra-ordinary politeness of some of the rude security guards of the university. naisip ko tuly, sana everyday ISO visit. sana everyday AACUP Accreditation at sana everyday bibisita si PNoy para mas maganda, maayos at mas malinis ang beyubs.

i wonder why this kind of mentality is still being observed by BU up to now. hindi ba pwedeng kahit walang bibisitang VIP o accreditors, maayos ang BU? I wonder...

u-turn slot

after thinking for sometime, i think i announce my retraction of the statements i made about "maturity" and MnT after a short talk with Kuya Bjorn. moreover, i stand by what i said in the entirety of the statements i had made. come to to think of it, masarap din naman sa feeling ang mag-burst out at some point in time. :)

my RANT

kami ang MnT. We're friends since first year college up to now and this is what i am proud and happy of. our growing and strengthening friendship despite our differences is something to be celebrated. well, everything's fine within the group i suppose. there are no internal problems because we value smooth interpersonal relationship which honestly becomes bad at some point. however, we have proved that we can stood with whatever stands in our way. so far, so good!

however, when we talk about external matters, there's a different atmosphere and it's a different subject matter which for me is complicated-but-not-complicated. it's not because a problem with classmates or batchmates but it's more of a problem with how some people with authority bestowed upon them misunderstood and prejudged not only some individual members of the group but the group in general. judgement that unfortunately do not only affect the group but the whole batch as well. anyway, this blogpost is abouy my rant and my rant only. this is me speaking as me and not as a student of social work but as the normal and ordinary me who want to speak my mind. matagal ko na rin gustong magsalita but i choose to keep silent and instead just write a blogpost. buti na lang i am always reminded with the principle na "intindihin mo na lang dahil ikaw ang nakakaintindi" though sometimes i wonder how long shall we understand. 

just last tuesday (if i can remember), two MnT friends have a conversation with a person with authority due to some business in between them. after their conversation, they were asked to share or were given the approval to share whatever she have said during the conversation full of lashing and unfounded generalization and judgement in my own opinion.

"Birds of the same feathers, flock together," "pare-parehas kayong immature," "hindi talaga maganda tumulong lagi" and "kaya nagbago ang blocking para mapaghiwa-hiwalay kayo (referring to the group)" are among the other things that she said. i found it judgmental on her part. maganda din naman na ang pagkakamali ng isa ay kasalanan ng lahat but to label all including those who don't do immature acts is very judgmental on her part. i found it ironic that the people who should be the epitome of professionalism are the ones who are not keen in observing what they have been telling their learners since the start. worse, her message on how helping can be bad is way out of proportions. nakakainis!

sabi niya we're immature, because every time she sees us, we're smiling and laughing our lungs out despite the stressors around which includes mountain high requirements? because where being childish and we're guilty of it but that's our coping mechanism? because we're happy and not in vain or misery? we're branded as immature albeit we can live up to the expectations given to us; albeit we perform extra-jobs or carriages that not all students dare to carry; albeit our active extra-curricular life which somehow can be justified by the positions that MnT members hold, to wit: (includes posts being hold on a concurrent status with other posts)

• 5 are presidents of either the class, college based organization or creative circle
• 2 are vice-presidents of either the class, college based organization or creative circle
• 2 are secretaries of a college based organization
• 3 are treasurers of either a university based organization, college based organization or class
• 1 is an auditor of a university based organization
• 3 are members of the editorial staff of the ally
• 1 is a muse and title-holder
• 5 are facilitators of college based organization

yeah. i know maturity cannot be measured by the number of position one may hold but i think it has a bearing. perhaps the good question is that, what is the maturity that she wanted? ewan. i don't know if i am making a point here. naisip ko pa, it's just the start of the second semester and ganito na. shall we be expecting a hell-semester? anyway, sa pagkakakilala ko sa grupo, hindi kami nagapapapekto ng sobra sa mga ganitong bagay pero we also know how to burst-out just like everybody else. i know that someday, somehow, we'll prove those persons who judged us wrong. sigurado ako!

umpisa ng laban?

MY FIRST "HOMEWORK" FOR THE SECOND SEMESTER!

but not technically though, it's somehow a requirement for an extra-curricular undertaking i had way back July. haha. anyway, good thing i was able to produce a 25 pages reflection/insight paper for my art therapy experience. haha. well, joking aside, 3 pages lang ho. at nilabas ko na ang saloobin ko!

realization 5

One time I got angry with a very dear friend of mine because I thought she hurt me with her actions and that she broke her promise to me. However, I realized that she did not do something wrong because in the first place, there’s no promise to fulfill except that she failed to inform me on her whereabouts one night when she was supposedly homebound. I realized that my sky high expectation which she seldom meet sparked my anger. Marasapang expectation ko to! Bottomline, I should start lowering my expectations to prevent situations like this from happening again.