1. 2013 National Campaign. At the start of 2013, I was officially on board as one of the senatorial campaign staff of the now Sen. Bam Aquino. Of course I am handling the Digital and Multimedia Operations and I was extra happy that aside from my own knowledge in social media marketing, I got to practice and actually tried some of the digital tools that can aid me in my job. ^_^ I got to do Facebook promoted posts (yes, we have a budget!), coordinated with Google for the YouTube ads that we ran (we were the only candidate that time who ran a YouTube ad) and of course, the most wanted Radian6. This tool is very expensive but very powerful! And of course, to put cherry on top of everything, Sen. Bam eventually won, landing on the 7th spot and even ranked 1st in terms of social media chatter in ABS–CBN’s Halalan social media tracking.
2. Rock the Vote 2013. This one was epic. We only got to visit Dagupan, Davao, Batangas and Cebu but we did it in that same order (weird order, right? North Luzon, Mindanao, South Luzon then Visayas) and after every concert we need to rush to the airport to catch the earliest flight or if not, wake up really early and make sure we won’t miss our flight to our next destination. We literally live in our suitcases and I really lack sleep that time that in our 4 day road and air trip I only got a total of 12 hours sleep (average of 3 hours sleep per day). I was really trying hard to open my eyes during our last leg in Cebu but I am proud of myself that I made it despite having few migraine attacks. =)
3. New found friendship. During the 90 day campaign, I met lots of really nice people who actually volunteered for Sen. Bam and of course, some of his family members who are really all out in their support. A shout out goes to all the volunteers whom I met on the ground; to Direk Alvi who did an awesome job directing the MTV video with Dingdong, as one of his Asst. Directors, I was very proud how the video turned out; to NicePrint who are very patient and nice to us despite all the urgency that I require, thanks for bearing with us; to Team Bam’s online army who I will forever treasure and for sticking with us until now, you know who you are guys; to Elvin and Simon who gamely assumed the position RTV VJs during Rock the Vote; to Sir Dan for the patience and will to push through with the “Bida Ang Mamamayan” magazine, we really love our output; and to everyone who helped us, I may have not singled out your names but you know who you are…maraming salamat! ^_^ And of course, one of the best friendships I gained during the campaign…Hello Chicklet, Tiff (I first met you during Team Kiko days but let’s admit we got really close during the campaign, well, actually, post-campaign, hahaha) and Norman, John’s greatest nemesis!!! Who would have thought! I’m so glad we clicked because you are so “arte”, so “arte” that I actually asked if you were a stage actor. Hahaha.
5. Farewell, Team Kiko. Saying goodbye to my second family for 4 years is really sad but I know we’ll meet again soon. And like what our COS, RBD, said “When the the flower is in full bloom, you know it’s time to let go.” See you all soon! ^_^
4. Exploration and Learning. As we all know, personal travel is very limited especially during campaign season so I promised myself that I would go anywhere right after the campaign and I’m so glad I did. =)
Baguio. I usually go here after every campaign. Maybe because it’s the best place to de-stress and only few hours away from Manila.
Palm Beach, Laiya, Batangas. What perfect way to cap off Team Bam’s 2013 campaign but to…”let’s go to the beach, each, let’s go get away”
Misibis Bay. Never thought I’d be able to go to this place. Our last hurrah. I miss you guys!
Zamboanga. I’ve been meaning to go back to Mindanao again and this time, I chose Zamboanga. Next time I’ll root for Basilan. =)
Busan and Jeju, South Korea. Thanks to CebPac’s promo, I was able to avail a Php3,100 worth of tickets to Busan (good for 2, roundtrip). Now that’s really really a deal. I’ve finally seen Jeju and was able to relive my Koreanovela days. Hahaha. Kamsahamnida! ^_^
Beijing and Nanning, China. This one is not a planned trip. After my Korean trip I was just informed that I need to go to China for an exchange program between PCYL and CAFIU. I enjoyed this trip so much because I learned a lot about China and gained new friends again. And oh, I finally have my own Filipiniana outfit. The Manton is quite expensive but it’s an investment. Hehehe. =)
5. Officially moved in Laguna. My folks now live in Novaliches so I now moved to Laguna. It’s tiring with all the bus travels but nothing beats going home to your own crib everyday plus the fact that I can design the house the way I want it. Independence at its finest. =)
6. My loft’s blueprint. So my loft is not yet finished but It’s on its way. In fact I already have a design of my future loft. Hopefully this is the beginning. =)
7. Hachi. Yes, Hachi is our new hatchback’s name, it’s a Hyundai Eon. Technically it’s under my name but it’s really not mine, it’s Liz’s. Hahaha. Having Hachi lessens the stress of commuting plus it’s easier to transport stuff from one place to another without having to worry who will carry what. Hachi, by the way, is a short name for Hatchback and coincidentally, Hachi also means “8” in Japan, my favorite number, and it’s the name of the famous Japanese dog as well. =)
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Now let’s recap first my 2013 Blueprint and see if I accomplished anything.
- If ever I get a good job come July 2013, I will again apply for a PAGIBIG house construction loan so I can have my dream loft already. (I became part of Team Bam but did not apply for a housing loan since I Intend to pay my loft’s construction in cash.)
- Get back into sports if budget permits. Maybe boxing or wall climbing again. It’s been 8 years since Liz and I wall climbed. (Liz and I wall climbed last summer during the campaign season but since we moved to Laguna already and well, we’re busy, we stopped.)
- Find more projects to pay for my bills and travels. ^_^ (Actually, I took a leave of absence in my part-time job but planning to be active again soon.
- SAVE. SAVE. SAVE. The future is a little vague so it’s better to save than be sorry. (Hmmm…I want to believe I saved enough since I will now pay the construction of my loft in cash instead of applying for a home improvement loan.)
AND FOR MY 2014 BLUEPRINT
* I will target the first quarter of the year for the construction of my loft.
* I will learn how to drive.
* I will try to advance my loan payment in PAGIBIG to reduce the interest.
* I will try to finish my books that are now covered with dust. =/
* I will SAVE. SAVE. SAVE.
GOODBYE 2013, CHEERS to 2014. Hoping you’ll be good to all of us…
HAPPY YEAR OF THE HORSE!!!
