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Month: August 2023

Growing in Gratitude

Thinking about gratitude reminds me of a French prover that goes, 

Gratitude is the memory of a heart.

- Jean-Baptiste Massieu
The Lumo Project Scene

Everyone is familiar with the gratitude of the Samaritan who was healed by our Lord along with nine other lepers, and how he came back to our Lord as he threw himself at Jesus’ feet to thank Him (Luke 17:11-19). The Samaritan was the only one who showed gratitude to our Lord, the ultimate source of his healing.

Going back to our present lives, and on a lighter note, we appreciate the invaluable help we senior citizens receive in going through our daily digital transactions. 

On the other end, we are thankful for the lessons teamed from the Covid-19  Pandemic, harsh though they may have been, most especially in the areas of  pandemic preparedness and response.

Young people can express gratitude for so many reasons, too: for their parents’ caring attentiveness, for the fun they have with friends, for the constant support of their families.

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MADZly In Love, MADZly Generous

hen embarking on a fund-raising project, I inevitably ask myself. “Who are the generous people I know who can help me raise funds?” That’s what happened when six Opus Dei women’s centers were tapped by PEPPI to help raise funds for its activities and projects in 2023-2024.

We organized two Valentine concerts of the world-famous Philippine Madrigal Singers last February 18. 2023 at 2:30 in the aftemoon and 7:30 in the evening at the Jose Risal Hall of the Philippine Intemational Convention Center (PICC).


The project motivated the ladies. their families, and their friends to assist in raising the target contribution for PEPPI projects and initiatives.


I was assigned to be one of the five ticket leads and we decided to have a friendly competition to be the first to sell as many tickets as we could.

I reached out to family and friends to reconnect, and I made new friends from different centers, including the wonderful people of PEPPI. For instance, I reached out to a good friend whom I had not seen in ages to ask if she was interested in watching the MADZ, and she instantly replied with. “Five tickets, please!”
We were overwhelmed with the number of generous hearts who helped us through sponsorships, ticket sales. and donations, making it possible for PEPPI and its affiliate foundations to raise over Pl.5 million for its projects.

The entire audience was delighted with both shows. They felt it was “like an evening of harana (romantic serenades)” and said, “The MADZ tugged at our heartstrings!”

Thank u for all the support!

Philippine Madrigal Singers v2
The Philippine Madrigal Singers

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Calling all campers! Summer Girls’ Camps are back

For the first time since the pandemic, two summer camps have been organized for girls hoping for fun, adventure, and learning during the school holidays.

Why send your daughter to camp? The supervised program away from home allows your girls to learn new skills in a safe, nurturing environment and helps them gain greater independence and leadership. It could be a life-changing experience!

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Kapwa Kusina: Spreading Love Through Shared Kitchens

Someone once said, “Every challenge, every adversity, contains within it, the seeds of opportunity and growth.” There is possibly no greater challenge we have collectively gone through than the pandemic of the past two years. And yet, true to that saying, the pandemic and its forced lockdown on us all gave rise to the opportunity for our group of friends in Alabang to brainstorm ways to help those who lost employment or faced financial difficulties. Thus, from the desire for us, our families, and friends to reach out and touch the lives of the less privileged, Kapwa Kusina (Shared Kitchens) was born.

Every month, since its conception in March 2021, Kapwa Kusina has gathered volunteer kusineras (cooks) to each prepare meals for six families, or about 30 people. The organizers provide the ingredients and recipes, and the volunteers cook the meals in their homes. The meals are brought to a central drop-off point and are delivered onward to beneficiary communities. One lady in our group is connected with the Philippine Foodbank Foundation as well as with parishes and groups who can identify beneficiary communities in need.

The response to Kapwa Kusina has been very positive, family members of all ages get involved in cooking and packing the meals—from toddlers to teenagers and grandmothers to helpers. Some alumnae and students from Wood Rose School have also joined us. Some volunteers have shared with us affordable recipes. While other friends have opted to donate cash or ingredients, we have also received corporate donations through The Philippine Foodbank. 

Social media has helped spread the word about our project to more friends near and far. allowing others to share in the passion and joy of helping feed the less privileged. Friends living far from Alabang have birthed their own Kapwa Kusina chapters in Quezon City and Makati City. Thus allowing the love from shared kitchens to reach farther and wider than we had originally imagined.

We aim to cook meals monthly, usually on a feast day. We distribute the meals and  include a prayer card of the Saint of the Day. Since so many families are in need, we try to help a different community every month. Our next Kapwa Kusina event is scheduled on the 13th of May 2023.

So far, we have cooked for 15,000 people in thirty communities. It is incredibly heartwarming to see the smiles on the faces of the beneficiaries as they receive their meals and to read their thank-you messages. At the same time. the volunteers are very grateful for the opportunity to serve and to share their labor of love cooked up in their kitchens. 

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