audrey at the dfa

This morning our family had a little field trip over at the DFA Aseana office in Parañaque to apply for a passport for Audrey. Since I also needed to renew my passport to reflect my married name and updated civil status, I booked a family appointment for us at their online appointment website (www.passport.com.ph) for 7:30am.

We got to DFA before 7 as you are supposed to be there 30 minutes prior to your appointment. Initially we were directed to the Courtesy Lane section, for senior citizens, PWDs, pregnant women, and minors under age 7. However, that service was apparently for the aforementioned people without online appointments. We were told to have our printed online application forms verified by DFA personnel.

Fortunately, not being in the Courtesy Lane did not mean we were not given priority (as applicants with an infant). While we waited for the counters to open at 7:30, my husband photocopied my passport just outside the area. I made the mistake of printing out a scanned copy of just the information page of my passport (I had forgotten my passport when I was photocopying the requirements). If you have the e-Passport, you need both pages—the personal information page, where all your details are written, as well as the adjoining page.

Photocopy BOTH pages.

The kind lady officer directed Audrey and me to sit with the senior citizens. After a few minutes, Audrey woke up, and thank heavens did not make a fuss. At 7:24 (I checked my watch when their boss lady told everyone to open their counters), they started processing the priority applicants, us included. 

After checking our requirements, we then headed to the second floor to pay the fees. They grouped us again with other priority applicants so we were able to finish quickly.

The last step is encoding, where you have your picture taken. Since we were the first batch of appointments for the day, our number was almost immediately called. Most of the counters were open so they were able to serve everyone who was done at the cashier. Audrey had her photo taken first, sitting on top of a box on the chair with me holding her under her arms. This took a lot of arm power on my part since I had to crouch down while holding her up so I won’t be seen by the camera. I also had to grasp her under her shirt so my hands would be hidden. Then, thanks to a combination of the officer’s stapler and Harvey’s “Audrey! Look here! Audrey!”, we were able to snap a pretty good passport picture of our baby. It took several tries, but fortunately Audrey cooperated.

Why yes, I have extra long arms.

If you won’t be availing of the courier service to have your passport delivered, you’re done at this stage. We wanted ours delivered so we spent a few extra minutes paying for the delivery service.

Total time at DFA (including waiting time): 1 hour, 10 minutes.

Total time of the passport renewal and application process for Audrey and me: 40 minutes. Not bad!

P.S. 

Suggestion for DFA:

If you will require a personal appearance of infants for passport application, please have easy access to restrooms with changing tables. Audrey pooped after the first step, and we were told we could change her in the second floor. Once we got there, though, the guard told us the restroom was downstairs and outside. So we had to go back down. Then because there was no changing table, we just laid the baby in between the sinks with a blanket. The space was big enough, but barely. Audrey kept grabbing at the sinks (which were raised) while I changed her.

Our makeshift changing table

On the other hand, thank you for the quick service and clear instructions. Except for the Courtesy Lane/Online Appointment mix up, things went smoothly. All in all a good experience.

Note: Because the taking of video and photo is not allowed inside the DFA, I took the liberty of just sketching our experience. As you can see, I have exceptional skills.

the robredo reputation

(Or, The Robredo Reputation vs the Marcos Millions)

"A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank."

-Proverbs 22:1 (The Message)

I was reminded of this verse today while pondering the highly anticipated vice presidential race between Leni Robredo and Bongbong Marcos. I am very much for Robredo, as are majority of my Facebook friends (at least, those whose opinions I actually value). But I also see pro-Marcos comments on various posts, some level-headed, some...not so much.

It's in this great debate that Proverbs 22:1 rings true. Jesse Robredo left an excellent legacy behind; his reputation of being matino at mahusay was celebrated by the nation--albeit belatedly--and praised by politicians. His family, who have always stayed low-key, were suddenly thrust in the spotlight.

And here we see that a sterling reputation is indeed better than riches. Jesse Robredo's untarnished name, coupled with his and Leni's character and a  fine upbringing of their three daughters, has managed to kindle a spark of empowerment in millions of Filipinos. In the Robredo family we saw how humility is a vital ingredient in power, how a good name is more influential than billions of pesos, and how important one's family is in the shaping of one's character.

For the millions who voted for Leni in the VP race and will not stand for another Marcos in power, the achievements of Ferdinand Marcos the dictator during his 20 years in office pale in comparison to the human rights violations committed in his tenure. The Marcos name became synonymous with torture, extravagance, corruption. The effect of this tarnished name is now felt by the junior Marcos, who has repeatedly refused to acknowledge the human rights violations during martial law. So despite the millions of dollars the Marcos family has in various offshore accounts, it could not buy the good name and integrity that many Filipinos have found in the Robredo family.

If and when Leni Robredo is proclaimed vice president, I am sure that somewhere, Jesse Robredo would be proud of how his family protected and upheld the name he left behind. He would be mighty pleased that Aika, Tricia, and Jillian are living off of the lessons he and Leni imparted to them, rather than living off of big bank accounts.

Happy birthday, Sec. Jesse! May your legacy of good governance and exceptional public service live on through your family and every person whom you have inspired. Dios Mabalos!

As they call you in Naga, Happy Birthday Pogi!

NGO Spotlight on Kaya Natin

Today's NGO is Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership.

This is the group started by the late Sec. Jesse Robredo, former governor Ed Panlilio, and former governor Grace Padaca, together with my husband and me, way back in 2008. KN has served as the support group for like-minded government officials. If you need someone to vent out to because your police chief refuses to arrest the top drug lord in your city, if you need ideas on how to streamline government services in your municipality, if you need support for your proposed bill on transparency, the KN members are all there to help each other out. We also do youth leadership trainings and trainings for public officials, depending on our partner organizations.

The KN Champions of Good Governance

We have over 40 local and national government officials as members, including the presumptive Vice President-elect Leni Robredo, widow of our founder. It's like Alcoholics Anonymous, only we're not alcoholics, and we're not anonymous.

We are addicted though, but to a good thing--good governance.

If you want to be a proactive citizen and be involved in all things governance and politics, by all means sign up as a KN volunteer here. We'd love to have you! 

the trouble with parenting books

When we found out I was pregnant, my husband bought the holy grail of pregnancy books, What to Expect When You're Expecting. It was quite useful for us, and gave me a good sense of, well, what to expect in my pregnancy. I was very fortunate that my gestation went smoothly. Of course, I got the usual annoying pregnancy side effects--nausea and vomiting, hunger, frequent bathroom trips. But for the most part, I didn't get all the other symptoms associated with carrying a human being in your womb. My biggest concern then was the rate of my weight gain, but I had it under control by the third trimester.

Sometime during the fifth month, my husband and I went to the Manila Book Fair, where he bought the sequel to our WTE book: the What to Expect During the First Year. I started reading it when I was in my eighth month.

If you read a parenting book while you are still pregnant, chances are you will feel a mixture of dread and determination. What these books don't tell you is that once you are holding a crying newborn in your arms, in a zombie-like state, you can only think of one thing: "WHAT DID THE BOOK SAY! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO!!!!"

In real life, the baby would be on her right hand. And the left as well. And the book would be nowhere to be found.

Once I started to get into the rhythm of things, and getting used to not sleeping well, I looked forward to Audrey's third month because that's when the book said she'll start to sleep longer stretches at night and would need fewer feedings. I held on to that promise (okay, the book didn't promise, but it's what I expected. It's the title of the book!) whenever Audrey would wake up for the fourth time during the night demanding the boob. A few more weeks, I would think. Just a few more weeks of this.

Fast forward to my daughter's four-month mark, and I can't find the chapter on What To Expect When Your Baby Is Not A Textbook Baby And Still Wakes Up Three to Four Times At Night. I go online, and there are two responses:

"Oh, that sucks! My baby started sleeping through the night as soon as he was born."

"My daughter woke up ten times at night until she was eighteen years old."

Hyperboles (obviously), but you get the point.

I figure I'll just go with the flow and sooner or later, she'll be giving me more than three hours' sleep at a time.

Besides, how can you be mad at someone who wakes up this way?

I've learned not to expect long stretches of sleep from this little one, so that I am pleasantly surprised whenever she gives me a rare three or four hour stretch.

Because #ExpectationsHurt

But then, perhaps I could start reading WTE chapters to Audrey as bedtime stories so she'll know what I expect of her.

the NGO kingdom

Our humble kingdom is housed in two office rooms in our building. Six NGOs share the space and the equipment, which saves us money on overhead expenses. As anyone in the NGO sector knows, saving money on anything is like finding the pot of gold at the end of the nonprofit rainbow.

We each have our own agendas and missions, but it is common for us to share resources with each other. Some of the programs are organized by two or more NGOs in partnership with each other. Since each organization is connected to every other NGO (by mission or by the people involved), this setup works well for us. More than one NGO can hit their targets and achieve their goals with just one program, reducing redundancy and multiplying the impact of the project.

These are the six:

1. Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership (KN) - Good governance, good citizenship

2. Acts of Hope for the Nation (AHON) Foundation - education and literacy

3. Jesse M. Robredo Foundation (JMRF) - continuing Jesse Robredo's legacy of excellence in service

4. Institute for Governance and Strategic Partnerships (IGSP) - bridging local and national governments

5. Keh Family Foundation (KFF) - health and education

6. Excel Center for Educational Leadership (Excel) - education

Hopefully, this medley of nonprofits can provide me with stories for blog posts about the world we operate in. And hopefully, my blog can provide us with some much needed financial support (my ulterior motive).

Over the next several days, I'll be putting the spotlight on each of these six NGOs. Stay tuned.

Cartoon image from http://jefflindauer.com/2011/12/06/tis-the-season/

travelling with baby

This is how we travel with Audrey:

Getting ready for the Apocalypse

This is for a 2-night stay at our place in Pampanga. I read somewhere that you can spot first time parents from the amount of stuff they bring when out and about with baby. You just don't want to get caught outside without a clean diaper. Or wipes. Or baby's favorite toy. Or her sleepsack. Or alcohol. Or lampin. Or her rocker seat. You get the picture.

I'm hoping that this will diminish greatly as she gets older. So many things for such a tiny human.

blog of a nonprofit mama chicken

This first post is dedicated to the introduction of this blog.

Hello, it's me.

As everyone knows, motherhood is an exciting, complicated, rollercoaster ride. Mommy bloggers abound, because moms--especially new moms like me--need an outlet in which to vent out their frustrations when little Emma just. Won't. Stop. Crying.

Rachel knows the feeling.

I'll be adding another mommy blog to this endless list, since one can never read too much about motherhood when one is a mom herself. I should know, I've spent my sleepless nights comparing my motherhood experience with just about every other mom in the online world.

And then the part that not everyone knows, the world of the NGOs. I run an NGO that provides leadership training for public school principals (See our website here). We are housed in an office together with five other NGOs, which makes for a treasure trove of tales in our #NGOkingdom.

This, only much less royal. And fewer assets.

I am eager to share these stories in this blog. Granted, I don't have the best record in the blog keeping department. Pero sige, try lang nang try (Insert hashtag-BlogPaMore).