BY THE third week of this month, I will celebrate my first-year anniversary as co-host of Kwentas Klaras, a public affairs radio program over Radio Station DYTR in Tagbilaran City. Yes, it’s in the island province of Bohol, my home province.
In keeping with the pandemic, we are maximizing the use of technology in my radio engagement. I co-host via phone patch! Indeed, the world has collapsed its imaginary borders, and everyone now gets connected via technology. In fact, the pandemic accelerated the optimal use of technology. It is one of the boons of this pandemic!
Fittingly, I want to thank the listeners and viewers of Kwentas Klaras for embracing my participation in the public affairs program. Oh yes, I am a straight shooter and I say my piece with candor (shades of “Divergent”) – you may have noticed this propensity by now, haha! – but I guess you appreciate it, too, given the unending FB friend requests coming my way. Let’s just say we enjoy each other’s company.
Apart from conventional radio broadcast, we are also carried online via FB live. Told you, it’s technology, man.
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The semester is finally ending! Thank God I managed the hectic schedule. You cannot imagine how frenzied it is: weekly essays of varying difficulty haha! But the good thing about going back to school is you get sharpened with newfound knowledge, build friendships with your virtual classmates, and just read, read, and read some more. There’s no stopping the readings. If you don’t read, you have nothing to write, so it’s practically your loss. Remember, it’s a weekly submission. So grudgingly, you need to return to your readings.
Momentarily, I have one remaining Final Exam to take and “Houston, we’re ready to take off!”
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Monday this week, I received a surprise call. It’s from a high school classmate who manages an electric cooperative in Bohol. What’s more delightful is the purpose of the call. They need an editorial consultant for their coffee table book project! I am thrilled!
I have always loved to write and edit. The first coffee table book I worked on – Tuna: At the Heart of General Santos – was for the fishing industry in General Santos City. It was published in September 2018.
Since it was my first-ever coffee table book project, I was extremely excited and ecstatic! When the book finally published, I felt accomplished. So good for the heart.
So, I am excited again! I have started working with Rowena Comaling Ruiz and Shalom Labra – the ladies assigned to oversee the project – this week!
Thank you Bohol I Electric Cooperative, Inc. especially to General Manager Dino Nicolas T. Roxas for engaging my services!
I just love serving my home province. It’s a different kind of high!
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The local government unit of General Santos City has issued executive order No. 21, series of 2021, effectively implementing stricter border controls to curb the rising COVID-19 cases in the city for the whole month of May 2021. We’re back to essential travels only.
Thus, the locals’ exploration of farm and garden (flower) resorts and mountain view restos – this writer included – located in adjacent municipalities must take a backseat temporarily.
I support the move of the city. With this continuing pandemic, a pro-active approach is always the best approach. No argument there!
Here’s hoping that our citizens will continue to push the culture of safety amidst these uncertain times. And here’s hoping, too, that national government’s vaccination program will run fast – extremely fast – so it reaches the greatest number of people at the shortest possible time.
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In a few weeks, I will celebrate another #QuarantineBirthday. It seems like 2020 just passed unnoticed. In fact, it seems like 2020 never passed at all since our confinement limited our movement and activities. Nevertheless, with 2020 passing unnoticed, we still grow older this year, haha! The bane of birthdays huh!
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In succeeding articles, I will revert to ASEAN. I have found it fascinating. The bedrock principles are interesting, so interesting that debates, essays, and papers are written about them by scholars and journalists alike.
I’m glad that I took the course. It’s a tough one but it’s worth all the trouble.
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Writer can be reached at belindabelsales@gmail.com. Twitter @ShilohRuthie./PN
