With God’s grace I start the New Year 2025 with a new story of my life as a minister, a consecrated person, a friend. As we begin this year 2025 perhaps it is better to look forward and beyond. We look forward to a better year, much better than last year.

Join me as I reflect, internalize and continue my journey as your friend, your counselor, your spiritual advisor. The past five decades of my life, I could say that they were colorful. They were colorful because of the challenges that never came to a stop, and I know they never will.

Recently, after our bonding as a community, my brothers in the Secular Oblates of the Holy Family helped me to realize who I am as a human being, as a consecrated person, as a friend, as a Christian. And I came to realize that I have to welcome and face all the challenges that play an important role in shaping my self.

As my formator, Fr. Ryan Boris, says, “Formation is continuing (it never stops at ordination).” And I consider all the people I come into contact with as my formators for they too help me in shaping myself. So you see, our environment and the people around us definitely are factors for who we are now, beginning from our childhood to today.

Being a consecrated person, an active member of the Secular Oblates of the Holy Family, a military reservist, a media personality and above all a responsible member of the Roman Church has been no less than a challenge, and today as you read this article, I stand proud of myself for meeting this challenge.

I did not grow up with my parents; it was my grandmother, her sisters and other relatives who took care of me from childhood. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, pilot, social worker, journalist and a military man altogether. But as I grew older, I realized that life is too short to accomplish everything, and that I should focus on one thing that I was passionate about and would want to spend my life doing.

Throughout the 50 years of my life, I have come across disappointments, rejections, failures several times, but I accepted them, and considered my failures an experience and learned from them. We learn from our mistakes, as many people say, but there are few who have the power to act upon them. Fortunately, I consider myself among those who accept their mistakes and are ready to rectify them.

Now, I am happy as a consecrated person serving God, his people and the Church. I am happy that you are reading my articles as a media personality. I am happy as a military reservist. And, of course, I am happy as a member of the Secular Oblates of the Holy Family. My heartful thanks to our bishop, the Most Reverend Nolly Buco, to our superior Rev. Dr. James Philip Monserate, to my formators Father Archie Domingo, Father Ryan Boris, to my confrere Frater Kim Arnie Frial, to Brother Steve Pabalinas, and to all of you who tirelessly support me in all my endeavors for the greater glory of God and for the good of His Holy Church.