Month: September 2023

Manila and Cebu welcomed Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz, the Prelate of Opus Dei, on his 3-week apostolic trip to the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia in July-August 2023. He was accompanied in several activities by Rev. Father Julio Dieguez, the Regional Vicar of Opus Dei in the Philippines.

At a get-together on July 29, 2023 hosted by Punlaan School with the PEPPI Board and the directors of other foundations, Msgr. Ocáriz encouraged everyone to take care of the quality of their work and always have a supernatural outlook, reminding the participants that “it is God who will help us if we work well.”

He also said it is important to work in collaboration “with a lot of people, dealing with everyone as children of God within a family, with the spirit of service, and understanding others’ needs.”

He reminded the participants that most of all, “we need to love the Lord and live in fraternity with others as we share our apostolic zeal.”

I was always known as shy. On my first year at camp, when people would ask for my name, I would respond by pointing to my name tag and a quick nod.

Despite starting out as an introvert, from 2015 to 2019, I came to Camp Trailblazer ready to have fun, deepen my faith, and make long-lasting friendships. It was the highlight of every summer.

I shared a cabin each year with kind, mindful, and funny girls. The ates—counselors and senior campers—welcomed us warmly and formed an environment that allowed us to love camp as they did. I looked up most especially to my counselors who took care of us like we were their younger sisters.

Daily Mass and night prayers were gifts I learned to appreciate through camp. I owe it to Trailblazer for teaching me how to incorporate my faith into the fun of each day even now. The sports and team building activities at camp also instilled perseverance and sportsmanship: “Play to win, Learn to lose.”

Many of the people I met in camp, I am still in contact with—some, I can even call my closest friends to this day.

In 2020, on my sixth year at camp, even with the pandemic, we offered online camp. I became a counselor who listened to the stories of my young campers, seeing that camp was bringing them a refreshing sense of joy through the struggle. I realized that the spirit of camp was still very much alive.

To many, Camp Trailblazer helped us grow, learn, and discover ourselves. In those few days, we gained the confidence to grow into women of strength and compassion with genuine, joyful hearts for service.

Undeniably, attending camp every year since Grade 6 was life-changing. That young Therese who could hardly speak to introduce herself years ago became a leader in the high school student council, in socio-civic and church organizations, and even now, in college.