IT’S BEEN invariably raining or drizzling since day 1 of January. The ground seems to be wet for days now. The sky is gloomy. The breeze, ah, the breeze is refreshingly cool.
With weather like this, you just want to stay in bed all day long, haha! Since I have a column to write I can do both! Stay in bed and write. It’s perfect!
On January 4th, first Monday of the year no less, I felt privileged to engage over sixty senior police officers in an interactive lecture on communication via an online class. This topic is closest to me.
These police officers are officially enrolled in Public Safety Senior Leadership Course at the Philippine National Police Training Institute-Regional Training Center 12 in Lanton, General Santos City. This is a mandatory course to satisfy one requirement for promotion.
It was satisfying go engage the participants albeit I would have wanted the short speeches delivered in person so I can see them apply the basics in public speaking.
So, you see, there are also limitations imposed by the so-called “new normal” way of teaching. Just the same, I graded their speech delivery individually until everyone has completed. So, we ended the class quite late.
For those who have known me in the police training school, I never end a class without listening to the last speaker. Oh no! I won’t have that. Everyone must speak!
That’s my take on public speaking. Give them the basics then make them speak. That way, they practice what they learn right on the dot.
Today, Friday, I will provide another interactive lecture for another batch on the same subject. Then onwards, two sessions on police media relations for the same batches. Thus, my January is genuinely engaging, and I love it! To more interactive lectures!
For these lectures, I want to thank Ethel Nathalie E. Vidal, the institution’s academic branch chief for the kind invitation. Thank you also to Sheila Marie Planilla Lorenzo, chief, testing and evaluation, for assisting me during the actual online class.
Looking back, my engagement with the institution started officially in August 2010. Wow! That’s over ten years ago! However, as far back as 2000, I have been invited by the school to speak on gender sensitivity and the like. It seems like only yesterday when I spoke in one of their makeshift classrooms with a nipa roof. The institution was young then.
Bringing you back to the present, it’s still drizzling and conducive to revisiting my journey as a woman and gender advocate. I have been treading this path for over twenty years now. I have seen the gains of the movement. It’s refreshing and satisfying to be part of the journey. I look forward to more grounds to break and gains to celebrate!
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It’s funny how at the start of the year, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) announced the increase of members’ monthly contribution only to be directed by the president to halt the same.
In the meantime, we are confused whether to pay or not since there seems to be two different directions confronting us. So, what is it for now PhilHealth? We are waiting for the final say before we pay our contribution for the first quarter of 2021 or for some, the whole of 2021. Make it clear and make it fast please.
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On January 3rd, we commemorated the 9th death anniversary of my mother-in-law Mimi Villalongja Canlas. Mamang was an entrepreneur in her lifetime. She co-managed the family-owned Canlas Furniture with my father-in-law Benjamin Bonifacio Canlas. Then when my father-in-law passed, she took on the responsibility quite naturally.
I saw the many struggles and challenges she faced as a woman entrepreneur including managing her male workers who at times questioned her judgement and authority.
Against the odds, she persevered until the day that the shop had to close.
She was truly kind to me and assisted me in my new life phase as a new mother ages ago.
Thank you, Mang, for being there for me at one station in your lifetime. I appreciate it.
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Writer can be reached at belca.87@gmail.com. Twitter @ShilohRuthie./PN
