Farewell...MV Doulos!

MV Doulos is back in Manila!

I don’t exactly remember how I first got the information that MV Doulos was back in the Philippines. But as soon as I read from a travel and photography blog that this might well be the last time the said ship may visit the country, I made plans to ensure that my family doesn’t miss out on such a historic trip.

The following weekend, my wife Odette along with three of our four kids and I went to Manila’s South Harbor port area to go on board a very remarkable sea vessel. Junior was inn Tagaytay in a bonding overnight excursion with co-graduating classmates. Luckily for him, he was with us during our first visit to Doulos sometime after the turn of the millennium.

We arrived early before people were even allowed into the docking area. So we first ate merienda at a Chowking restaurant in Roxas Boulevard. By the time we came back, a long line had already developed. I think this was the usual scenario since it opened its doors on March 6, a day after it arrived back in Manila. Logically this was also to be expected considering that Sunday we were there was the second to the last day left for the general public to visit Doulos.

The long line to the vessel starts here

With Faith and Joshua

Kuya Sonny takes care of younger siblings






The long line moves slowly

What makes the MV Doulos special?

MV Doulos happens to be the world’s oldest active sea-faring passenger ship. Built in 1914 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in the United States, it was first named the SS Medina. Previously an Atlantic freighter, she also served with the US Coast Guard during World War II.

A Panamanian company bought her in 1948, renamed her as the SS Roma and converted her into a passenger ship. In 1952, it was resold to an Italian company that converted it from a steamship to a motor vessel and now christened it as the MV Franca C. After years of carrying passengers between Italy and Argentina, the Franca C was later modified to operate as a cruise liner primarily in the Mediterranean area.

Youth volunteers from various countries from MV Doulos greet the incoming visitors

In 1977, the German charity Gute Bücher für Alle (Good Books for All) bought the Franca C and renamed her MV Doulos. Presently manned by a Christian volunteer crew she visits sea ports around the world as a floating bookshop and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ.

After more than three decades of Christian service to the nations of the world, it is sad to know that the MV Doulos in currently on its last world tour and is scheduled to be de-commissioned next year.

Visitors are charged a minimal entrance fee of 10 pesos but kids
aged below 16 get to go on board for free

A young volunteer poses with Faith and Joshua

I understand that that the volunteers in MV Doulos who come from more than 40 countries do not earn from the ship. Instead, some even pay an amount (around $ 400) to be part of its crew and mission.

Up the stairway...

... and unto the boat!

A peek into the vessel's machinery

For a vessel which was built at the onset of the First World War, it still looked very sea worthy, especially compared to many of our sea vessels in the country which are much, much younger.

The people here came in droves

Whoa! People inside the Doulos looked like packed sardines! All that trapped exhaled carbon dioxide turned the heat up inside the bookshelves area.

A major reason people I believe why many people keep coming aboard the MV Doulos when it visits their country is the cheap prices of their books.

Among the books I bought during this visit was a coffee table book on the movie “The Passion of Christ” which had a cover price of around $ 25 though I only paid 150 pesos which by current exchange rates is roughly only a little less than 3 US dollars!

The hard bound Hardy Boys Volume 1 book I bought was more expensive at 250 pesos. I didn’t mind considering it was a collectible that I couldn’t find in regular bookshops like National Bookstore.

The MV Doulos holds the present record of being the world’s biggest floating library. It is estimated that it typically has around 3,000 to 5,000 books on its bookshelves and another 500,000 in the hold.

My kids look at the numerous children's books

Majority of the books we saw were children’s books, general reference and Christian literature.

But there were other good stuff being sold like CDs, tumblers, and office supplies. I bought Doulos collectible items like 2 plastic cups, a neck cord (ID holder) designed with flags of various countries and a nice looking dark blue cap.

My major frustration – no Doulos mugs were on sale when we were there. I guess the ones I saw on the Internet got sold very fast in the last few days with the ship being on its last visit and all.

By all accounts, this appears to be a normally sized crowd that visits Doulos everyday

My family (only Junior was absent) poses beside Faith's favorite character
- Dora the Explorer!

Too many books...so little time!

After buying some stuff in an elbow to elbow environment, finally some fresh see breeze!

The poster says it all --- MV Doulos is a bookshop which has something for everyone!

Artistic performances and alike are held at the ship's deck

Going around the ship, you see short programs being staged; face paintings for the kids and some book reading. So much to offer. But alas, so little time.

I’m really sad to realize that this is the last time we will be seeing the MV Doulos.

My hope is that another ship shall be commissioned next year to continue the evangelistic tradition started by the MV Doulos.

We start the long way down

Farewell...MV Doulos! You have served your Master well!

So long….farewell MV Doulos!

Your noble decades of service is worthy of your name! *

* (Doulos is the Greek word for ‘servant’)

Inspired Days at the Holy Spirit Mission Service Center

Our Lady of the Missions under a pinkish Tagaytay sky

It was a Tuesday afternoon last March 3 that an advance contingent (that included me) went ahead to Tagaytay City in preparation for a two-day Strategic Planning Workshop for the fledgling Center for Asian Integrity (CAI). The CAI was a consortium between the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB), the University of the Philippines’ National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG), and the Institute for Ethics, Governance and Law (IEGL) in Australia. Through CAI, these consortium partners essential sought to develop and promote relevant collaborative research and training programs and related activities that would boost integrity in both the public and private sectors here in the Philippines and in other countries within the Asia-Pacific region.

By virtue of our positions at the OMB’s Research and Special Studies Bureau (RSSB) and designations to the Center for Integrity and Professional Development (CIPD), I was among those chosen to be part of the Secretariat to provide both technical as well as administrative support to the CAI’s Technical Working Group (TWG).

As fate would have it, we had the Holy Spirit Mission Service Center in Tagaytay as our workshop venue. I think it was the first time for all of us participants to have ever entered and used this facility. And to a large extent, I thought many of us weren’t disappointed with what we experienced there for the next few days.

The Holy Spirit Mission Service Center

The Holy Spirit Mission Service Center is run by women disciples of the Mission Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Spirit (S.Sp.S.), a religious order co-founded by Blessed Maria Helena Stollenwerk, Mother Josepha Hendrina Stemanns and St. Arnold Janssen in 1889. St. Arnold is better known to have founded the Society of the Divine Word (SSVD) for priests and brothers, and the contemplative Holy Spirit Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (SSpSAp), also known as the Pink Sisters, who happen to have a convent adjacent to the Service Center.

With one of the SSpS sisters at the Center’s lobby

Helping build “life-giving communities” here and abroad, in more than 40 countries, where the Triune God is to be “known, loved and experienced as a God of life and love”, the SSpS sisters promote human dignity and just relationships through their different ministries which include the following:

*Education – formal (the College of the Holy Spirit in Manila and the Holy Spirit High School in Quezon City) / informal

*Health care – in hospitals and clinics, through community-based health programs and care for persons with HIV/AIDS

*Socio-pastoral work / community-organizing (Basic Ecclesial Communities)

*Promotion of women and youth

*Retreat-giving / lay leadership formation

*Care for migrants and refugees

*Promotion of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation

House Rules and Orientation during our first evening at the Center

Why call the place a service center? During the orientation, the sister who gave us an orientation explained that it the Center is a service center of one’s self, a repair shop so to speak…of our “sira”…of our brokenness. There, one can be in communion with the Triune God for healing of the heart and of the mind.

Rooms were a bit Spartan-like but very clean and functional

I was so inspired that first evening that I immediately went down to work inside my room trying to craft an appropriate vision and mission for the CAI. The draft vision and mission statements I was able to formulate that night became good springboards during the actual deliberations the following day. In fact, later that day, my group which included Assistant Ombudsman Evelyn Baliton finished our workshop assignments and presentations with relative ease.

My room in the morning

In terms of facilities and accommodations, the Service Center has something for practically all types of seminar requirements.

Opened in May 21, 1981, the 3 and a half hectare Service Center currently has 2 buildings with 3 conteference rooms, 1 chapel and 3 prayer rooms. It also has 2 bahay kubos (nipa huts) in a spacious garden with flowering plants and towering trees.

The main building can accommodate more than 125 people in various types of private rooms and dormitories.

Picturesque garden

The grounds are filled with various flora

The Blessed Sacrament inside one of the Center’s little prayer room

One of the sisters gave me a tour of the Center grounds

There are presently four (4) sisters taking care of the Service Center. Not particularly according to age, they are the following:

Sr. Amor Maria Realubin

Sr. Madeliene Cornelio

Sr. Adelins Documa

Sr. Vilma Puzon

I’d like to say that our two-day workshop would have been a tad more uncomfortable if not for the care and hospitality of these sisters. For one, they fed us very well which is something I couldn’t say for some of those pricey hotels out there. The viands were all tasty and the servings very generous.

Rolling hills nearby are covered with pineapple

At the back of the Chapel

A garden with Stations of the Cross

The color of the sky has changed back to light blue

I took many of the pictures in this post during the second day of the workshop. One of the sisters looked for me the day before to show me a pink-colored sky in the morning, something I didn’t see for myself. While I was taking pictures, I didn’t see any such phenomena until I saw the digital photos much later. As you can see from my pictures, a tint of pink can be seen to cover the clear sunny sky. How this is possible? I have no idea!

Inside the chapel

Before we left for Manila on a Thursday afternoon, many of us bought several souvenir items at the Center including dried pineapple of talleres de nazaret made by socially challenged young women. The sisters were kind enough to give us bottles of holy water to bring home to our families.

On the way back to the metropolis, we passed by the Ilog Maria Honey Bee Farms in Silang, Mahogany Market, and Rowena’s Food Store for some more ‘pasalubong’ (homeward bound treats).

For those who want a quiet but inspired group activity in Tagaytay City like a seminar or small group conference, especially if you are planning to do it on a rather tight budget, you may want to consider this sublime location. You can inquire with the Center @ (046) 413-13-44 or with Sr. Vilma @ (0918) 387-0279.

In the Center’s lobby, a prayer for everyone who enters is written:

“May the Holy Triune God live in our hearts and in the hearts of all people”

I say amen to that! May you be inspired by God as I was…at the Holy Spirit Service Center!

Be inspired at the Holy Spirit Service Center

Krispy Kreme Donuts and Dencio's Sizzling Sisig at the Trinoma

Faith and Joshua at the Krispy Kreme branch at the Trinoma

Last month, my family and I went promenading at the Trinoma. It served as a kind of pre-wedding anniversary celebration for the family. This wasn’t the first time we were to go to this relatively new Ayala-owned mall in Quezon City but it marked some family firsts.

For instance, this was the first time my family really sat down to try donuts from Krispy Kreme store. Located at the mall’s top floor, this rather upscale donut shop offered a considerable variety of delectable donut varieties. You could also choose from a wide of choice of drinks including a full complement of hot and cold coffee beverages.

A family first at the famous donuts store


Making doughnuts since 1937, Krispy Kreme has become quite famous for its signature doughnut, the Original Glazed doughnut. It’s not as sugary as one would expect but hey, I’m diabetic so my taste buds may actually not be working right.

Still, I believe the Original Glazed and the (granulated) Sugar ring cake varieties are the most suitable and worth trying for the calorie conscious doughnut eater.

For those who are willing to gain extra calories for the Krispy Kreme “experience”, you may want to taste my three personal favorites, the New York, Lemon and Blueberry Cheesecake filled doughnut varieties. The fillings of these doughnuts are further enhanced with toppings of cream cheese icing and sprinkles of graham cracker crunch.

A bit pricey compared to other doughnut brands in the market, Krispy Kreme doughnuts may not be considered a regular go to doughnut shop for the average Filipino family. But its value-for-money products would definitely be worth your while for those extra special family occasions and activities.


Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Promenading around the Trinoma Mall

Dinner at Dencio’s

Unfortunately, not all ‘brand’ names are created equal. Some may be marketed as super special when they are quite average at best. Such was the experience I got while dining at the Dencio’s Restaurant at the Trinoma. Sure the place was packed when we got there as its reputation as a great watering hole preceded it. However, the food we ordered tasted really nothing out of the ordinary. It was so unremarkable; I couldn’t even recall some of the food we ordered.

I remember ordering two sets of their ‘famous’ Sisig, a soup based viand, another viand (was it kilawin?), and steamed vegetables with bagoong. The lemonade was similar to the powdered ones you buy at the grocery. The rest is very hazy. All the same, even at my age, you simply don’t forget good food.

My advice, if you’re not the drinking type, and you’re out there with your family: there are many other restaurants you may want to first check out at the Trinoma.


Overall rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Now going back to that value-for-money doughnut.

From my office I went back to the Trinoma branch of Krispy Kreme in the early evening of February 13. Yes, a lucky Friday the 13th to buy my family Valentine donuts!

I bought a dozen of their assorted doughnuts plus six of their special Valentine chocolate heart-shaped donuts (White Choco Curl, Chocolate Curl, Chocolate Sprinkled, Oreo Cookie Heart, Hershey’s Dark Choco and Hershey’s Choco Chip) in a gift tin can for the forthcoming occasion. I loved Krispy Kreme’s merchandise items so I also bought one of their great looking coffee mugs.

Share the Love! Pre-Valentine treat from Krispy Kreme

As one would have expected, it was a pre-Valentine gift that was well received!

A 'week' at the UP - NCPAG

My post grad alma mater – the University of the Philippines – National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG)

It has been quite a while since I last visited my post graduate school alma mater inside the Diliman campus of the University of the Philippines – the National College of Public Administration and Governance or NCPAG. Back in the old days, it used to be simply known as the College of Public Administration or CPA.

As the premier academic institution of Public Administration in the country (and quite possibly in the whole Asian region), it has been around for more than half a century since its establishment as an Institute in UP in 1952.

It may be of interest to blog readers that my batch for the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program way back in school year 1987-88 was the last to hold classes in the UP Manila campus (where the college was originally from) and the historic first batch to be transferred to our new home then – the State Accounting and Audit Center or SAAC building in UP Diliman.

Nearby was the former UP-CPA building (the State Accounting and Audit Center of the Commission on Audit)

Just seeing the College after years of absence always brought tons of memories back to my mind. The opportunity to be there for almost a full week gave me a chance to touch base with many friends and acquaintances still connected with the College.

My office named me as one of its estimated 72 participants which along with 10 participants from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and 2 from the Bureau of Customs (BOC), to attend an executive course entitled “Strategic Planning and Management of an Effective Corruption Prevention Program”.

Inside the NCPAG Assembly Hall

Divided into two batches, my group was scheduled to undertake the course from Jan. 26 to 30 and from February 2 to 4. I actually missed out on the first day as it fell on my wedding anniversary date. Still, the next four working days gave me plenty of time to reconnect with my college.

Isang Iskolar ng Bayan (a College Scholar at UP)

Talking about those tons of memories, I still proudly hold on to several claims of academic novelty with regard to my schooling in UP-NCPAG. For one, I believe I was and still am the youngest MPA degree entrant in the College at the youthful age of 19, fresh my college at De La Salle University. A schoolmate and presently Director of the Center for Policy and Executive Development (CPED), Dr. Joel Mangahas may have a thing or two to say about this assert, but in the meantime I still maintain this assertion. I also believe I am the youngest grad student to have obtained a MPA degree at the age of 21, at a time when the average age of MPA students was around 36 (if I correctly recall the outcome of a exercise in descriptive statistics in our PA 299.1 class). Finally, I believe I may also have been the youngest entrant to the doctoral program (DPA), applying fresh from taking my masteral degree. I still remember the Secretary of the College then, Professor Chit Tapales actually discouraging me from entering the doctoral program. Instead, she advised me to go out into the world and gain some working experience.

There must have been a bit of wisdom in Prof Chit’s advice as the pressures and responsibilities of work and life as a family man eventually made me re-prioritize things in my life. I virtually discontinued my doctoral studies after completing six units from the DPA core subjects. In time, my eligibility for residency ran out.

I remember being inspired by Prof. Alex Brillantes’ personal success of finishing his PhD by the age of 30 in the University of Hawaii. Emulating his academic achievement, I once vowed to finish my DPA by the age of 25…but it wasn’t meant to be. I try not to think about it much but I guess not finishing my DPA remains to be one of my very few frustrations in life.

Rather, I am grateful for so many things during my stint as a graduate student in UP. For one, I was granted a full academic scholarship on my second year of schooling. I recall the days going to the PNB branch near UP COOP to get my book stipend per semester of 500 pesos and monthly stipend of 1,000 pesos. Back then of course those amounts was a huge help to augment my meager earnings teaching part-time at the Political Science Department of DLSU.

Old acquaintances at the College (Miss Au and Dan Saguil, the current College Secretary)

All these structures weren’t there yet during my graduate school days

I’m also grateful to have been privileged to serve in the local Student Council as MPA Representative. As a microcosm of the Philippine political environment, active participation in UP Diliman’s dynamic school politics (e.g. socialized tuition fees, float parades, NatDem or SocDem leadership, UP Workers’ rights and CBA, etc.) fairly gives you a unique and well rounded experience.

With members of the Center for Policy and Executive Development (CPED)

With co-participants from the OMB and one of the Course Speakers, Mr. Chua Cher Yak (5^th person from the left) from the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) of Singapore

With old friend and classmate and now Director of the Local Government Center (LGC) Sammy Ilago

My best memories of NCPAG are those with the people I have had the privilege of calling friends in the College. Classmates like Sammy Ilago (and wife Nida formerly of SGV) who now heads the CLRG (formerly known as the Local Government Center or LGC), Edna Co who currently teaches at the NCPAG, Rey Trias of PNB (a descendant of General Trias, a leader of the Katipunan’s Magdalo faction) or Bella Ilagan whom I believe may still be connected with the Philippine Crop Insurance Commission (PCIC). Sadly, several professors including one of my favorites, Prof. Elena Panganiban had already passed away. Professor Brillantes, our Hawaiian shirt wearing Publica (Public Administration) part-time college professor in De La Salle University, is presently the Dean of NCPAG. Due to our high regard for Dean Alex and his wife Lulu, my wife and I got him to be one of our wedding sponsors (godfather) in 1991.

These friends along with other nameless faces bring to mind countless after class get-togethers at UP hangouts like Trellis Restaurant (where I was introduced to sizzling pork sisig and baby pusit!), weekend lunches at the proletarian Cooperative Canteen (kare-kare with bagoong) or bourgeois CASAA cafeteria, or friendly duckpin bowling or billiard competitions at the Alumni center.

The NCPAG takes on a social cause – Gawad Kalinga (GK)

With the “beauty” of our college library – Ms. Alice

Yup…those were the good ol’ days for me.

This extended visit to my alma mater gave me the chance to greet old friends and relive some of those cherished memories.

While prodded by some to reboot my aborted DPA degree, at this point I think it is highly unlikely that I would. For one, I am currently setting my sights to apply for an office sponsored scholarship to the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) for a Masteral degree in National Security Administration (MNSA). But even that highly rests on the fancies and prerogative of the current leadership.

The halls of UP beckon me...

Regardless, I remain a proud alumnus of this respectable institution. By no small means has my UP-NCPAG experience helped and molded me to become who I am now, and to have achieved what I have done so far. For this reason, to my grad school I am ceaselessly grateful.

Salamat…UP kong mahal!

18th Wedding Anniversary at the Fish & Co. Restaurant

Jan. 26, 2009 (Monday)

I took time off from an ongoing training at UP-Diliman so l could be with my wife for our simple 18th wedding anniversary celebration. Incidentally, today also marked the celebration of the start of the new Chinese New Year, a long standing cultural tradition for many Chinese-Filipinos. This year they categorize as the year of the Ox.

Two of our younger children, Joshua and Faith tagged along for a trip to Trinoma Mall in Quezon City.

Anyway, there was something fishy at the Trinoma. And I wanted to get to the bottom of it.

A certain fancy restaurant had often caught my eye in the past but we never got to try their food or services. This time, I decided to really try out the food they offered. It was a decision I didn’t regret.

There was something fishy alright…but not from the foul smell of rotting aquatic animals but from the mouth-watering aroma of fresh fish and other seafood delights that you will find at the Fish & Co. Restaurant, located at the 4th level of Trinoma.

A bit pricey for my budget conscious stomach, we tried out their basic bestsellers. The meal included New England clam chowder, white rice, “chicken fingers’ for the kids, fish and chips meal and a bottomless drink.

18th wedding anniversary at the Fish & Co.

With their fish and chips named “the best fish and chips in town”, I think they have a good claim to such bragging rights. The servings were generous and the food presentation (seafood is sometimes served in a pan) was much pleasing to the eyes.

The only downside to our whole experience was Joshua’s upset stomach. Too bad the kid couldn’t fully savor the scrumptious taste of our food. To think my kids are slowly but surely developing a particular liking for seafood. In due time, the amount we now order will probably be not enough to match their craving for more seafood!

With more to offer to their customers, like pasta, peri peri prawns, grilled and Cajun salmon, seafood platters, or Crab bathed in black pepper sauce, (or Portuguese chili sauce or garlic sauce)…the list of gastronomic delights goes on!

Fish & Co. currently has three more branches in Metro Manila, one is located at the SM Mall of Asia, another in Shangri-la Mall and another in Greenbelt 3, Makati.

I think I’ll really have to save up for our next visit to Fish & Co. With the two older boys in attendance, I’m sure they will likewise get hooked on the delectable seafood this restaurant offers and definitely ask for more!