TECNO Mobile invites you to C The Best Of You, its upcoming CAMON 17 livestream show on July 16, 2021 at 6 p.m. The event will be bursting with cool local celebrities and personalities eager to help you live your best life.

Hosted by Phaister and Rose Sugatan, there will be segments showcasing guests’ makeup and fashion skills. Never again leave your home second-guessing your makeup and OOTD because these experts will make sure you pick up all the beauty talents you need.

For one, a special warm-up segment at 5 p.m., done in partnership with Vice Cosmetics, will feature Gandolls Gabby and Nicole. Each of them will share tips on how you can achieve a morena glow and a mestiza radiance. Whichever look you prefer, our Gandolls will help you enhance your natural beauty. When you’re done with your look, care of Vice Cosmetics, CAMON 17 can help you take beautiful IG-worthy self-portraits.

The beauty tutorials won’t stop there! For the CAMON Barbie lookbook main event, local celebrities Andrea Brillantes, Donnalyn Bartolome, and Jillian Ward will share their DIY makeup and OOTD tips. They’ll give you a peek into the contents of their go-to bags, too. Won’t it be great that you’ll learn how to create stunning looks while in the comfort of your own home?

Not only that, you’ll also get to watch your favorite celebrities as they play games for their fans to win prizes! Our guests’ quirky side will shine through as they guess K-drama scenes parodied by Raymond Baltazar. Find out if your favorite K-drama is also your idol’s. Say, “Annyeong!” if you share the same taste!

Now, since the live event hopes to help you always see the best in life, your favorite local celebrities will also share some meaningful life tips.

There will be fun games for you, too! Plus, the live online event will have an awesome raffle with more than 100 amazing prizes waiting for you. The prizes will range from cash and beauty set giveaways to new TECNO Mobile CAMON 17 smartphones. All you need to do to join the live raffle is root for your celebrity idol and enjoy the show with your family and friends.

Before the event ends, there will be an announcement of the social media challenge winners.

The New CAMON 17 Series

Here is everything you need to know about TECNO Mobile’s new CAMON 17 Pro and CAMON 17P.

CAMON 17 Pro is equipped with a 48MP Clearest Selfie Camera in front, and a 64MP Ultra-Quad camera at the rear. This smartphone is powered by a Helio G95 processor with a 90Hz screen refresh rate, plus a long-lasting 5000mAh battery which comes with a 33W fast charger. CAMON 17 Pro comes in California dream silver and Malibu blue, and is exclusively available at the TECNO Mobile PH Official Store in Shopee Mall, at P9,990 for the 8BG+128GB model, and P10,990 for the 8GB+256GB variant.

The budget-friendlier CAMON 17P has a 16MP AI Smart Selfie Camera and 64MP Ultra-Clear Quad camera at the rear, runs on a Helio G85 processor, and also has a powerful 5000mAh battery with 18W fast charging. Its high-resolution 6.8” FHD+ 1080P provides a sharper and clearer display. CAMON 17P may be purchased from the TECNO Mobile Concept Store in SM North Edsa Annex Building, and other TECNO Partner Stores. CAMON 17P comes in three colors - Magnet Black, Spruce Green and Frost Silver, and is priced at only P8,490.

Its high-resolution 6.8” FHD+ 1080P provides a sharper and clearer display. CAMON 17P is exclusively available at the TECNO Mobile Concept Store in SM North Edsa Annex Building and other TECNO Partner Stores . CAMON 17P comes in three colors—Magnet Black, Spruce Green and Frost Silver, and is priced at P8,490 only.

To stay updated on the latest news about the CAMON 17 series, as well as exclusive deals and promos from TECNO Mobile, be sure to like and follow TECNO Mobile Philippines. Visit www.tecno-mobile.com/ph to learn more about your favorite smartphones and gadgets.

Who doesn’t love a good budol find? Sometimes, what makes shopping fun and exciting is stumbling upon the best deals while browsing, or discovering new favorites while following the wisdom of the crowd on social media.

To make budol shopping easier than ever, Shopee has rounded up some of the most in-demand, trending items on one page: Shopee Finds! From funky fashion ‘fits to stylish home decor, you can now access popular items across different categories by simply scrolling through Shopee Finds. To check it out, simply type in Shopee Finds on Shopee’s search bar, then click on the #ShopeeFinds banner.

Here are some of the trending items you’ll see on Shopee Finds:

Tiktok Made me Buy It

If you lurk on Tiktok home improvement videos, you’ve definitely met the Deerma Cordless Vacuum. It’s a lightweight wireless gadget that can be assembled into a mite remover and vacuum cleaner. Tweak the settings to choose between resonance beating, ultraviolet light, or large suction.

Find more Tiktok favorites here: https://shopee.ph/m/shopee-finds#tiktok

Team Kahoy Finds

For ardent Team Kahoy advocates on Home Buddies, trade in your alarm clock for this aesthetically pleasing Wooden Digital Alarm Clock. It features a voice control function, clear LED display, three levels of brightness, and most importantly, a loudness of 70-80 dB.

Find more Team Kahoy favorites here: https://shopee.ph/m/shopee-finds#home

Be Selfie-Ready

Level up your mirror selfies with this gorgeous Puff Sleeve Backless Dress. You’ll look right on trend with cute details such as big sleeves and its backless design. This dress is made of soft and comfy polyester.

Find more fashion favorites here: https://shopee.ph/m/shopee-finds#trending

#Brewdol Finds

Coffee aficionados, you’ll definitely love this Torani Sugar-Free Syrup. Brew coffee shop-worthy drinks right at home by mixing in flavors such as vanilla, salted caramel, hazelnut, and almond roca. Best part is, you won’t have to worry about the calories!

Find more #Brewdol favorites here: https://shopee.ph/m/shopee-finds#trending

Become a Fitspiration

Scrolling through fitspiration content on social media? Time to get off your phone and on this Indoor Spinning Bike! This supports up to 230kg and measures 85cm x 45 cm x 110 cm. Use it to stretch your legs after a long day at work, or for a more hardcore workout on weekends.

Find more fitness favorites here: https://shopee.ph/m/shopee-finds#trending

To discover more trending items, visit shopee.ph/m/shopee-finds.

Top up your ShopeePay wallet through your debit card and other convenient channels to enjoy more exclusive deals such as daily free shipping vouchers, 15% cashback, ShopeePay ₱1 Deals, and ₱10 worth of data for only ₱1. You can also get 20% cashback when you Scan to Pay with ShopeePay for your cash-on-delivery (COD) orders with your ShopeeXpress rider.

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

For Filipino families, merienda is a tradition typically enjoyed twice a day, either between breakfast and lunch, and between lunch and dinner. But beyond this, it’s also as good a time as any to catch up and bond over light and easy-to-prepare delicious food.

Add a twist to your family’s usual merienda to make them more fun and exciting. Here are five activities worth a try:

Do the no-phone tower challenge

Distractions can occur during merienda time, so one way to avoid them is by setting aside phones and tablets during merienda. Of course, rules are no fun, so turn it into a challenge instead. Do this by stacking all of your phones at the center of the table. The challenge is this: the first one to get their phone from the tower gets a penalty, like cleaning up after merienda.

Play games

What is merienda without yummy snacks? Use your family’s favorite snacks as part of the games that you could play. Two games come to mind: Build-a-House and Face-the-Cookie.

For Build-a-House, simply challenge everyone to build a house using Magic Creams crackers and Wafrets. Let your family’s creative juices flow in this game. Meanwhile, for Face-the-Cookie, each family member will place a Cream-O or Presto cookie on their forehead and race to move the cookie to their mouth using only their facial muscles.

The winner gets a prize, of course, like a free pass for washing the dishes after dinner.

Make merienda kebabs and sandwiches

If most of your family members have a sweet tooth, this is the perfect surprise you can do for them: dessert kebabs! Kebabs are typically pieces of meat and tomatoes and bell peppers on a skewer. For your merienda time, put Dewberry biscuits in sticks, together with cubed watermelon and apple, or maybe even marshmallows, to keep a perfectly balanced taste.

You could also treat your family to a delightfully sweet clubhouse sandwich. This type of sandwich often includes bread, with either bacon or ham, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise in between. But as desserts, use Jack ‘N Jill’s Quake Overload as the bread and Strawberry or Milky Knots as fillings. Keep them secure using toothpicks to complete the “clubhouse” look.

Try pre-merienda games

One of the common questions during family merienda time is who gets to prepare the food. Instead of pointing fingers, try playing Pinoy childhood games like Jack en Poy (Rock, Paper, Scissors). Ten rounds of Jack en Poy should be enough. The winner can be the one to choose the snacks for merienda, which the loser will have to prepare.

Give “Potluck Day” a chance

Filipino family reunions are often tied to the potluck habit. So for merienda time, think of it as a mini reunion with your loved ones every day, where you gather to eat your favorite snacks, relax, and take a break from work or school at home. This is also your chance to bring to the table your favorite Pinoy snacks, like Jack ‘N Jill Biscuits and Cakes.

Merienda time is like your family’s “glue”. It’s these times spent together when you connect and bond even closer. Give any of these activities a try, or create a unique one yourselves. They don’t have to be complicated.

What matters is that everyone enjoys their favorite snacks with their favorite people, making funny, sweet, and lasting memories, together. Stock up on your family’s Jack N’ Jill Snacktime Favorites – Magic, Cream-O, Presto, Dewberry, Knots, Wafrets, and Quake Overload, available at your nearest supermarket, sari-sari store, and online.

ShopeePay, Shopee’s integrated mobile wallet, now offers users an easier way to pay for their DragonLoans, Home Credit, SkyPay, and Cashalo loans. Shopee aims to provide more convenient and rewarding payment options to its customers through the app, saving them the effort of paying for loans through over-the-counter bank deposits and automated machines.

As more people adopt digital payments for better convenience, it’s expected that a majority of Filipinos will rely on online payment platforms. A survey conducted in December 2020 by global analytics software firm FICO, revealed that 56 percent of Filipino consumers prefer to use digital channels to engage with their bank during financial hardship, while 12 percent used internet banking.

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “With more people shifting to contactless payments, it’s essential to adapt to evolving needs and preferences. We recently launched our Scan & Donate initiative to support various charities. Now, we are proud to partner with DragonLoans, Home Credit, SkyPay, and Cashalo to enable users to pay for their loans in the comfort of their own homes. Shopee will continue to anticipate user needs and aim to make payments as seamless as possible, both online and offline.”

How to pay Loans Bills with ShopeePay (Cashback):

On the Shopee homepage, click “Load & Bills”

Tap the Loans icon and select Biller ( DragonLoans, Home Credit, SkyPay, Cashalo)

Enter account details and claim a 25% cashback voucher. Click “Continue”.

Enter payment details and select ShopeePay as Payment Option

Click “Pay Now”

#ICYMI GLife, your one-tap entry-point to all things online shopping has just added even more merchants you’ll definitely love. Shopping for a meal for the family? A snack to eat? Or even just looking to rock out to some new speakers and tunes, GLife has got you covered, now you don’t need to go through the hassle of constantly switching apps because they have got it conveniently available for us all! Here’s a rundown of this month’s newest merchants that’ll make you want to add-to-cart ASAP.

Top Picks For Your Taste Buds

Whether it’s your cheat day or not, add these delectable options to your mental menu!

Savor the flavors of Southeast Asian delights from Nanyang where you can get your kaya toast and kopi fix or go for heartier options like their curry, laksa, or Hainanese chicken rice meals. If it’s more of a dimsum day for you, enter the Oriental gates of Paradise Dynasty and enjoy fine Chinese dining right in the comforts of your own home.

For more special occasions, relish the nostalgia of childhood classics with Goldilocks or go ahead and treat yourself or your family with comfort food feasts from The Racks Group with special deals from Racks, Tenya, & Rackshack. For a more personal touch, choose to make your own feast and cook up something different with trusted quality ingredients from The Rare Food Shop.

Get your fill of balanced meals with healthy options like Kenny Rogers and Go! Salads, or indulge from time to time with all the good stuff from Wildflour and Bricklane Doughnuts.

Whatever the craving, whatever the mood, and whatever the occasion - you’re bound to find something that makes your taste buds come alive on GLife.

Hobbies & Recreation

Even when it comes to different hobbies and interests, GLife has something for everyone.

Take a break from tech and bond with your family or your closest friends with some fun games from Hobby Corner - your one-stop hobby shop for people of any age. Make the mood extra fun with some good tunes enjoyed through high quality audio from JBL’s speakers, headphones, and sound systems!

If you’re into mobile gaming, why not flex your skills in some competitive casual gaming with Goama Games? Play anywhere by staying connected with a 5G SIM and no expiry data from GOMO! And when it comes to all your different multimedia needs, gadget goals, and dream upgrades, you can trust merchants like Datablitz, Game One PH, and Cherry to have what you need.

Home Essentials & Feel-Good Finds

From home appliances to home improvements and all the everyday essentials in between!

If you ever find yourself needing a break, curl up with a good book from Fully Booked where you can enjoy free shipping for a minimum spend of P799! You can also surprise your friends and spread some joy with something different by getting their favorite celebrity to give them a greeting with FanLove!

For those of you about to attend a period party, make your days feel extra nice knowing you’re switching to better habits that are better for the environment with Nalawoman - your go-to place for eco-friendly period care products at an affordable price where you can also get free shipping for a minimum spend of P500 when you enter the promo code “gcashnayan”.

Aside from giving yourself and the environment some extra TLC, you can keep yourself and your family - including your fur babies - in tip-top shape with vitamins, supplements, and other health essentials for you and your pets from Healthmart and PetMart.

Want to save more on groceries and other good finds? Head on over to Triber! Asia’s social e-commerce platform for community group buying now accessible on GLife with up to 80% off in deals and discounts. You can easily breeze through how it works by going to Triber on GLife and tapping the “how to group buy” button under the FAQs section.

Curate your space with GLife. Invest in upgrades with Xtreme Appliances and explore home living possibilities with premium products from ConcepStore. Organize and declutter with quality home products at affordable prices from OKStore. And add a warm, rustic touch with Domesticity where you’ll find handcrafted pieces combining beauty and function made by a Gawad Kalinga Community in Negros Occidental. Get everything you need to turn your house into a home with GLife.

There’s always something for everyone to enjoy at GLife and if you haven’t checked it out yet, this is your sign to do so! Stay tuned for even more merchants you’ll love made even more exciting with exclusive promos and offers you won’t want to miss. If you don’t have the GCash app yet, you can download it via the App Store or Google Play. Just register your account and enjoy GCash as your new super-life app!

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, rolls out the Vaccination Center Support initiative starting with Makati City, and will also roll it out in other cities in Metro Manila. This initiative is part of Shopee Bayanihan that aims to encourage Filipinos to get vaccinated and provide them with a more comfortable vaccination experience.

Shopee launched its vaccination center support initiative in Makati City last June 28 by providing Makatizens food and health kits from Shopee and its partner brands under Shopee Mall. Shopee also turned over ten units of Symphony Air Coolers to Makati in the presence of Mayor Abigail Binay and Makati City Administrator Atty. Claro Certeza.

The package given to Maktizens and frontliners included snacks from Del Monte, Perfetti Van Melle, Dutchmill Soy, Monde Nissin, and Rebisco; bottled water from Hope in a Bottle; and health kits from Mighty Clean.

According to Martin Yu, Shopee Philippines’ Director, “It is of utmost importance that we get as many Filipinos vaccinated in the soonest possible time and as always, Shopee finds ways to extend assistance where we can. At Shopee, it is our goal to encourage more people to get vaccinated and we are pleased to partner with the Makati City Local Government for providing its citizens with a comfortable vaccination experience. ”

Mayor Abigail Binay said, “We are more than happy to team up with Shopee for the Shopee Bayanihan Vaccination Center Support initiative. As more Filipinos get vaccinated for their protection, we will continue to find ways to serve the people better through partnerships with organizations like Shopee.”

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play. Check out with ShopeePay to enjoy more great deals on Shopee.

Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC)’s latest web series entitled “Cooked with Love,” reveals a heartwarming take on cooking as a shared love language among Filipino families.

Cooked with Love features interwoven stories of three generations of women who show their love for each other through sharing recipes and dining together. Showcasing heart-warming stories of relationships and how cooking with love was made more memorable with AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning. The series feature Tessie, the grandmother; Jenny, the mother; and Therese, the daughter. Viewers can watch the first episode, “Slurp,” and second episode, “Squeeze,” on Ajinomoto’s Cookmunity® Facebook page and Youtube channel. Meanwhile, the last episode, “Sniff,” will premiere this Saturday, July 10.

“Cooking food and sharing mealtimes are powerful in shaping wonderful memories with our loved ones. With Ajinomoto being a part of the Filipino cooking and dining experiences for more than six decades now, we want to help them relive and celebrate those feel-good moments through Cooked With Love,” says Roann Co, APC General Manager of Marketing and Public Relations.

Passing it on

“Slurp” tells the story of Mommy Jenny who shares their Nilagang Baka family recipe with her teenage daughter, Therese. The parallel scenes of two mother-daughter generations making the family recipe ties the episode together well. The cute and kilig first installment captures how love can be passed down from one generation to the next.

Paying it forward

“Squeeze” features the relationship between Therese and her grandmother Tessie. Viewers will see how cooking Arroz Caldo becomes Lola Tessie’s way of saying “I love you, apo.” It shows that cooking traditions persist because of people who care for and love their family.

Putting the pieces together

The concluding episode “Sniff” showcases food as a source of comfort in tough times and more importantly, in dealing with the constant changes life has to bring. It recalls how Tessie comforts her daughter Jenny since she was a child until now that she's a mother who is about to face a life-changing situation. Through it all, the women share their love while cooking and eating their classic Adobo recipe.

With community quarantine protocols urging Filipinos to remain at home, stories of familial love are sure to encourage Filipinos to express their feelings through food. Cooked With Love lives up to APC’s Eat Well, Live Well promise in its pursuit to provide good food, better health, and wonderful dining memories to Filipino families with the help of umami, a nature-based ingredient that brings out the meaty, savory deliciousness, and deepens the flavor of food. For more information, visit www.ajinomoto.com.ph.

CAMON 17, the newest smartphone from TECNO Mobile, is now available in the Philippines. Various events and activities are scheduled in celebration of its release, one of which is a photo exhibit on TECNO Mobile’s Facebook and Instagram , featuring the work of some of the country’s top photographers. Every photo showcased in the exhibit aims to display life’s beauty through the lens of CAMON 17, while also raising awareness on issues and advocacies that matter. Photographers Noel Guevara, Niccolo Cosme, and Andrea Beldua each put CAMON 17’s photo capabilities to the test, experimenting with different features and settings to bring out the best in their subjects.

C the Best of Nature

Through his works, award-winning conservation photographer, Noel Guevara, has been able to raise awareness and push for action towards marine conservation, an advocacy he has been passionate about for many years. To complete his series of images, it was fitting for Noel to take CAMON 17 where he does his best work - Beneath the ocean. On a weekend adventure to Layag, Anilao, Noel tested CAMON 17 for underwater photography, discovering many of its useful features such as mono portrait and HDR.

One of the photos taken by Noel captures a free diver swimming carefully over a patch of coral. “CAMON 17 Pro’s superb 64MP rear camera lets me take underwater shots such as this effortlessly,” shares noel. “With such a high resolution camera, the details in the corals pop out even in murky visibility. It also allows for a lot of latitude in editing, allowing you to correct white balance, and perform image adjustments as you would with a photo taken with a DSLR.”

C the Best of Beauty 

Andrea Beldua is known for her cinematic style, and ability to capture subjects at their peak beauty. Specializing in fashion and beauty photography, she produces images that are both attractive and real. Because she is able to present her subjects at their best, Andrea has been given the opportunity to work with many top celebrities and personalities throughout her career.

Andrea’s photos for the exhibit pay homage to Man Ray, her favorite surrealist photographer, and one of her influences. Her fascination with the female form is evident in each image in her series, which she has aptly titled, Anatomies (A Study). These strong and fierce photographs captured with CAMON 17 Pro, and featuring female subjects, show how truly powerful a woman can be. There is empowerment in the beauty of every woman, and this message comes across clearly in Andrea’s photos. According to Andrea, CAMON 17 Pro’s Magic Pixel and Mono Portrait features contributed greatly to highlighting beauty within every shot.

C the Best of Life

A photographer and creative director by profession, Niccolo Cosme is also a strong advocate of HIV/AIDS awareness in the Philippines, playing a key role in amplifying the country’s HIV response. Through his work as a conceptual photographer, Niccolo is a master at illustrating abstract ideas, and transmitting messages in the form of images.

For the exhibit, Niccolo took his CAMON 17 Pro on a photo walk through Makati and Manila, producing images that take on a human interest angle, and show striking scenes of day-to-day life in the city. The experience also allowed him to interact with wonderful people on the streets as he took their photos.

“This is a photo I took while I was walking towards Mandaluyong bridge which is about a 5 minute walk from my place,” shares Niccolo. “I instantly noticed a man begging on the sidewalk because of his colorful and almost coordinated outfit, I think he looked cool. His name is Arturo, 52, from Laguna. He said his dream is to have his own house so he does not need to beg for money on the streets. He said to me ‘Hindi ako masamang tao, namamalimos lang’ which melted my heart at that very moment. I asked if I could take a photo of him, which he happily agreed to, and asked me if he looked handsome to which I nodded. I showed him his photo and he smiled. I hope things will be better for him.”

The photo was taken during sunset, and while there was still sufficient light available, Niccolo decided to use CAMON 17’s super night feature to capture more light and details. According to Niccolo, this is his current favorite setting.

Selfie For a Cause

Following the online photo exhibit, a selfie advocacy campaign will be launched to encourage the community to get involved by sharing their own selfies for a cause. Anyone can join by simply posting a selfie on social media that features their advocacy. Their photo caption should include a brief description of their advocacy, along with the hashtags #TECNOMobileCares, #CtheBestofYou, and #SelfieAdvocacy. The best photo and caption will be selected by TECNO Mobile representatives, and the winner will receive a CAMON 17 smartphone.

TECNO Mobile is also set to donate smartphones and cash to its partner beneficiaries who are all pillars of the community - Project Malasakit, which is a scholarship project founded by Kara David; and the City of Manila through the Office of Mayor Isko Moreno, and Ina ng Lupang Pangako Parish in Payatas, who both plan to award local heroes during the pandemic for their unwavering service, as well as dedicated and promising students.

By showing support to the community, TECNO Mobile become part of the nation’s journey in rising up from life’s challenges, and learning to see the best in every situation.

The New CAMON 17 Series

Here is everything you need to know about TECNO Mobile’s new CAMON 17P and CAMON 17 Pro.

CAMON 17 Pro is equipped with a 48MP Clearest Selfie Camera in front, and a 64MP Ultra-Quad camera at the rear. This smartphone is powered by a Helio G95 processor with a 90Hz screen refresh rate, plus a long-lasting 5000mAh battery which comes with a 33W fast charger. CAMON 17 Pro comes in California dream silver and Malibu blue, and is exclusively available at the TECNO Mobile PH Official Store in Shopee Mall, at P9,990 for the 8BG+128GB model, and P10,990 for the 8GB+256GB variant.

The budget-friendlier CAMON 17P has a 48MP AI Quad Camera, runs on a Helio G85 processor, and also has a powerful 5000mAh battery with 18W fast charging. Its high-resolution 6.8” FHD+ 1080P provides a sharper and clearer display. CAMON 17P may be purchased from the TECNO Mobile Concept Store in SM North Edsa Annex Building, and other TECNO Partner Stores. CAMON 17P comes in three colors - Magnet Black, Spruce Green and Frost Silver, and is priced at only P8,490.

To stay updated on the latest news about the CAMON 17 series, as well as exclusive deals and promos from TECNO Mobile, be sure to like and follow TECNO Mobile Philippines. Visit www.tecno-mobile.com/ph to learn more about your favorite smartphones and gadgets.

 

How am I now? Am I still okay? Is my personality still intact? It's very hard to explain and to share what I've been through these past few years. I am ready to share this with my readers, (I need to take a very deep breath!) Maybe yes or maybe not? But I need to, for me to see my life as a very beautiful one. I'm always locked on my past that I want to forget. I need to do this, I need to bring it out (oh wait, I need to shout out first so that it will give me the strength to continue to tell my story) go shout! Wahhhhhhh! Yes, I need to write it down so that it will be my opening door to clear my mind.

I have 2 sons, that I need to consider every time I make a decision. But in my situation at that time, I need to decide, for my family's sake. But, how? 

Before this pandemic, I have a rough relationship with my husband. The struggling situation for us as a family. Then I remember the saying at that moment, "Ang pag-aasawa ay hindi parang kaning mainit na kapag sinubo mo at napaso ka eh pwede mo itong iluwa." (Marriage is not like new cook rice that you can spit it because it's hot.) Not at all! It is very hard for me, emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially, I'm lost!

When we decided to get married, we have a job. I told my husband from the beginning that, I will work, I told him that I will not stop working even if we have a baby because we have a lot of dreams to achieve. But things change! I resigned from my first Job (which is by the way going on my 6th year in the company.) because I need to have a baby. After all, it has been two (2) years already that we've been together. I remember when I heard, even though it was brought out as a joke, still it hurts. They said that they're going to bring me back to my family because I couldn't bear a child at that time. That was the reason why I resigned, to get pregnant. It's hard for me to get pregnant because I'm a workaholic. And wish came true, I gave birth to my eldest son. I did sacrifice for my family. 

Another sacrifice that I made for my family was to give up my work again, but this time because of my 2nd child, who was diagnosed with mild ADHD. He needs me, no one will stay as Yaya for my kids because the youngest son is very hyper. That's another big decision I made for my family. I remember one of my bosses said that I could be promoted if I only stayed in the company, but my son needs me. Only a mother can indeed do so many sacrifices, patience, and love for their kids. This is indeed another sacrifice for my family.

It is very hard for us that only one working, it's very hard, though there are some writing gigs and bloggers events, still, it's hard to survive. Until my husband resigned from his work due to health conditions at that time and he needs to help his mother in taking care of his bedridden father. That was really hard! Days, weeks, months passed by, everyday expenses, and even our savings were already used for the daily needs. There are times that we experienced having our bank balance below maintaining, that most of the time were penalized by the bank. "Isang kahig, isang tuka," (literal translation is one scratch, one peck) I don't know what's the more equivalent phrase for this but we were totally at the bottom. No source of income, few writing gigs, and blogging events. Bills piled up, expenses rises and no enough food. I just cried in one corner questioning myself, why is this happening to us? 

We did not come from a rich family, we graduated from college because of a scholarship grant, that's why we know the feeling of living a poor life. We've been here with our parents before, but why my kids need to experience it also. I don't want my kids to experience it. Both our families helped us with our food and bills, but that's not enough, of course, because they have their own family to take care of as well until our electricity was cut off. If you think that it's an MMK story, think again because there's more. I decided that we should have separate lives. Maybe, if we can go with our lives separately and if we are not together we can do something. We applied for a job but still, we can't get a job. Maybe we are not meant to each other, we need to have a different path so that we can achieve better lives. But it's hard to decide because we have 2 sons, but I need to decide because I'm so lost, I don't know what to do. I decided to bring my kids to my parent's house, and stay there a the time being while I look for a job. Little by little, it turned out that we are leaning toward separation. I already had given up! 

Pandemic came! Oops, the decision has changed! That time the only quotable quotes that you can see on social media are...

"You don't need to be rich to survive in this pandemic era, because the enemy is a virus that you can't see. Even if you are the richest person in the world, when you contracted the covid and it's severe, money can't do anything. You need to fight the Covid, you need to be healthy all the time."

"Life is so short" give your best time with your family together. Then suddenly do I need to pursue my decision to live separately from my husband? What will happen to our lives, "bawal lumabas" (we're not allowed to go out), it's hard to go around applying for a job, the economy down. How we will survive in this situation?

"When it rains, it pours," that's what they say! There was so much help or Ayuda that we got. Yes, for how many months we just stayed inside our house together with my husband and my kids, we were able to survive. We survive from the everyday food and other necessities, but the bills, accumulated to almost a 1 year. We can't pay our bills especially the electricity. The good thing about it that the electricity wasn't cut off. (til now, we still have six unpaid months of electricity bills for the year 2020), that's because we don't have work yet. We don't have a fixed income. Few writing gigs, and minimal events through zoom, are still a big help for us like the food and other loots. At the back of my mind, I need to set aside our relationship problem, we need to be strong for our family to survive on this pandemic. 

I don't know if it's a wake-up call or God's way for us to survive with our lost relationship, that's for our kids. Our relationship gets tight because we need to help each other to survive this pandemic.

I am just thinking that maybe we need to be in that situation to make our relationship strong and we need to consider a lot of our kids in every decision. We fight for our lives that's why we need to survive. Because of this, we accept different freelance works such as writing gigs, events, and online stores. I sell anything online just for us to survive. As we do everything just to survive with our daily lives neither of us noticed that our relationship as a couple, is also surviving. 

God works and on perfect timing! We all just need to wait the right time to happen. It will come and you'll get through all the hardships in life. Just hold on and don't give up! Thank God, as I am writing this, we received good news. Hubby got a call and he's now working again. We will have a fixed income again. Thank God! I am also hoping to work as well so that we can help each other and have a happy life again.

We have a lot of dreams and it was stopped because of the problems came to our life. This time, even there's still the pandemic, we hope we can achieve it one at a time. it was a roller coaster life. In one of our conversations, we were actually talking about when can we go and travel again. We don't have many travels, we only have here in the Philippines. We've been to Baguio, Batangas, and Palawan that was when we were still two, but now, our family travel was only in Marinduque. As of now, it may be hard to admit, but we haven't been to Boracay. Hopefully, if things are well okay to travel and it is safe our family can go to Boracay! I was hoping that I can use my #DateWithMyBoys in Boracay! 

It's really nice to dream things, especially if you have gone through a whirling storm in your life. It makes you even stronger and ready to face any problem in life, especially if it is for the family. I always put my family first and it is always one of my big things to consider when making decisions. Also, don't give up, you, we need to survive!

I hope that my untold survival story (especially to my friends who knows me) can give enlightenment, mostly to those people who are experiencing the same thing as mine. And thank you for letting me share this kind of story. I can now exhale, no more worries, no more emotional pain! I have kept it long enough and I hope this can give me peace of mind. 

This story is an entry to ComCo Southeast Asia's "Write to Ignite Blogging Project Season 2: Dear Survivor". The initiative continues to respond to the need of our times, as every story comes a long way during this period of crisis. The initiative aims to pull and collate powerful stories from the Philippine blogging communities to inspire the nation to rise and move forward amidst the difficult situation. The "Write to Ignite Blogging Project" Season 2 is made possible by ComCo Southeast Asia, with Eastern Communications and Jobstreet as co-presenters, and with Air Asia and Xiaomi as major sponsors.