Haring Alabel

 Happy 51st Birthday to Our Beloved Mother Today, September 21, 2025, we celebrate not only your birthday, Mama, but also the story of your strength, sacrifice, and love that has shaped who we are. You are five decades and one year of grace, courage, and resilience. When Papa was still alive, he always told us: “The only inheritance we can give you is education.” Back then, we didn’t fully grasp what he meant. We thought we were already rich enough because we could eat three meals a day. But life proved to us the depth of his wisdom. When Papa passed away in 2018—a year before my college graduation—he never had the chance to see me march in my toga at MSU. Yet, Mama, you carried on for us. You worked singlehandedly, washing clothes for others, borrowing from lenders, and sacrificing your own comfort just to keep us in school. Papa may have left early, but his SSS pension and, most importantly, your unbreakable spirit sustained us through the hardest years. Many doubted we could sur...

 This old photo reminds us that we had a happy family — even in the midst of challenges, we could still smile and live life to the fullest. In this memorable picture with my late husband, Allan Laya, my son Christian Jay Sope Laya, my younger brother Arnold Navarro Sope and his daughter Ferry Diana Sope, together with our close friends, the Maranguit sisters, we shared smiles as if there were no tomorrow in the timeless waters of Ladol, a glorious beach in Alabel full of cherished memories.

 Sa katahimikan ng gabi, bumabalik sa aking alaala ang tinig at halakhak ng aming ama. Subalit higit pa sa alaala, tila may multo akong inaasam—ang pagkakataong muling makapiling siya. Ang aking multo ay hindi ang anino ng takot, kundi ang pangungulila na bumabalot sa aking puso. Sa bawat pagdapo ng hangin, sa bawat kaluskos ng dahon, iniisip kong siya’y muling darating, nakangiti, at yayakapin kami gaya ng dati. Ang aking multo ay ang pagnanais na maibalik ang oras, na maranasan muli ang kanyang gabay, at maramdaman ang init ng kanyang presensya. Ngunit tulad ng lahat ng multo, nananatili lamang ito sa pagitan ng panaginip at pag-asam—hindi mahahawakan, ngunit laging nadarama.

I have come to realize that success is not confined to the shiny symbols of wealth—owning luxury cars, flaunting the latest branded gadgets, or curating picture-perfect travels for social media applause. While these things may signify achievement for some, they are merely fragments of a much bigger picture. They are external validations, fleeting in nature, often mistaken for the true essence of success. For me, real success is rooted in something more profound and enduring—the accumulation of knowledge and wisdom. It is found in the lessons we embrace, the values we uphold, and the growth we experience along life’s journey. Success lives in the classrooms where curiosity is sparked, in the voices of mentors who shape our character, and in the stories shared by elders whose wrinkles are maps of experience. It thrives in the quiet halls of museums where history whispers truths, in the sacred silence of churches where faith deepens, and in the shelves of libraries where ideas transcend t...

August is Altar Servers Month , and I take this opportunity to look back with gratitude on my more than eight years of serving as an altar server at San Isidro Labrador Parish of Alabel, Sarangani Province. When I first started, it was not a common routine for young people like me. I had to make sacrifices, especially waking up early, and I often had to battle with fear and shyness in front of people. Standing at the altar was not easy—I was nervous about making mistakes and unsure if I was worthy to serve. Yet through God’s grace, I gradually learned that serving was not about perfection, but about offering myself fully to the Lord. Over the years, this ministry has shaped me in ways I never imagined. It taught me humility, discipline, and the importance of being present not just physically, but spiritually, during every Mass. It allowed me to experience the liturgy more deeply, to understand the richness of our Catholic faith, and to witness firsthand the beauty of our traditions. Th...

Today, I fully embrace adulthood—not just by age, but by heart, spirit, and understanding. I come from a life of poverty and hardship, where survival was a daily challenge. Yet, despite the struggles, our father taught us to move forward, to dream bigger, and to never lose hope. We found joy in simple things—'law-oy' and ginamos were feasts in our eyes. We didn’t have much, sometimes just one or five pesos for school, and I often skipped recess, choosing instead to train my mind and imagine possibilities beyond our reality. I studied not just what's in the books, but even those topics that no one paid attention to—because I knew knowledge would someday be my way out. Poverty made me shy, made me feel like an outcast, and turned academic success into a far-fetched dream. But today, I realize: despite it all, I have arrived. Not yet at the finish line, but far from where I started. This is adulthood—with scars, wisdom, and unshakable resilience. Christian Jay Laya currently s...