Family Reunion Leads to Perlas

So, I’m minding my own busy, full, rich life shared between caring for my beloved mother in the last phase of her life’s amazing journey and co-creating a presidential campaign of a lifetime, for our lives, when another seemingly innocent slew of emails begins to proliferate my email inbox.

It is all about the family reunion of the Bandala-Mangubat clan that’s happening this year in July. Like many of these, you can imagine what happens - connecting and reconnecting after many years absent, bringing up old-&-should-be-forgotten childhood memories, endless teasing, and finally, an honoring of our brilliant relatives out there in the world. We’re obviously a very proud clan.

Two of highest mention – so far! - are Chef Jay Cabatingan who won 1st place in another US national cooking competition in Ohio; and newly announced Topnotcher (#1) of the last Philippine Nursing Board Exams, Clarie Morales Bontol (in the photo at left) from Iligan City. So, okay, I’m a proud aunt – even if in truth, I’ve never met either of them.

So, you ask, what’s this got to do with the campaign of a lifetime?! Here’s what. I’m waking up at my now usual 3:30am check on Google Alerts for what’s new in Nick Perlas country and I came upon the lead piece in the Philippine Inquirer.net entitled Nursing exam topnotcher: “No drama, just all hard work" and I’m going, huh?! I mean, great, they’ve written about my niece, but why the link to Nick Perlas?

Check out the final paragraph of the article!


Upon realizing that the Inquirer took interest in her story, she made a special request: to mention that she is “a proud member” of presidential candidate Nicanor Perlas’ Pangmasa party.  

She said she would like to emulate Perlas, an environmentalist who chose to stay on in the country and serve the Filipino people.

Goooo, Clarie! Gooooo Nick! Goooooo Family! Goooooo Philippines!

Here’s the link to the whole beautiful article written about Clarie — not just of her achievement (sweet!) - but of her as a person, which makes me & my family even prouder!

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20100201-250742/Nursing-exam-topnotcher--No-drama-just-all-hard-work

Does God work in mysterious ways, or what?!