Weema: Healthy lifestyle advocate

Opt for a healthy lifestyle.

“A healthy employee is an efficient employee.” Nurse Weema advocates a healthy lifestyle for all, regardless of rank, status, age, and gender. This is the reason why she initiates programs that encourage a healthy lifestyle. In fact in the workplace, she has initiated the Annual Medical Check-up; sustained information campaign on health trends and tips through lectures by medical specialists and experts on topics like Breast Cancer, Anti-Rabies, Heart Attack, Hypertension, Diabetes, among others; Biggest Loser campaign; Anti-smoking campaign; Vaccination program; and related activities. These are only some of the activities that she has implemented for BOHECO I management and personnel through the years that she has served the electric cooperative.

In tandem with the Human Resource Section, she will implement a comprehensive Wellness Program to encourage a healthy lifestyle among the human resource component of BOHECO I.  

It’s time to get to know Roweema Magna Amila Amodia, the Coop Nurse who started serving BOHECO I on February 9, 2004. The job was an answered prayer to her having resigned from her job in Cebu City two years earlier. Like this writer, she believes that when a job comes along without stress and hassle, it is an answered prayer.

Weema, as she is fondly called by family and friends alike, believes in doing everything from the heart. She maintains an attitude of gratitude. She is grateful for the little things and feels fulfilled when she is able to extend help.

She is married to Arnulfo Estrella Amodia, an OFW. She has three kids: two teenagers and one four-year old. Eldest is Joses Moses “Mojo”,  16 years old; Renzo Miguel “Renz”, 14 years old; and Alessandra Maria “Light”, 4 years old, the baby in the family. As a mom, she dotes to her kids. She pampers them with love, care, and attention, and yet she is a believer in discipline. Her parenting style is “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” Discipline to her is very important because her husband is working away from home.

She is the second daughter of retired Judge Venancio Amila and public servant Romelia Rojas. Her mother passed away on August 1, 2012. She has three other siblings but one just recently passed on. Their youngest brother Marlon is the local chief executive of Tubigon, Bohol.

Born on February 24, several summers ago, in the coastal town of Tubigon, Weema has lived out her profession personally. She is a nurse by profession true, but her profession has become her life vocation. She is truly a total health care provider who appreciates and sincerely renders work from the heart. 

The lady with humble beginnings

She is set to conquer the horizons.

What inspires us motivates us. Meet Maris, a brainy lady who finds inspiration from this quote: “Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with glory.”

Maris is Marissa Go Rebayla Leorna, a Certified Public Accountant serving BOHECO I since April 2008. She married young at 23 to Pedro T. Leorna, Jr. The young couple was blessed with a son named Piolo. Sadly, Piolo passed on in June, 2012 due to complications arising from his multiple congenital defects when he undertook intensive surgical procedures.

She joined the power industry because she found a suitable employment opportunity that enables her to prove, enhance, and challenge her ability and competence, as well as her commitment to work. Indeed, she is in the right industry. For most young and competitive professionals, the evolving and expanding power industry is an alluring challenge.

Maris believes that the most wonderful and valuable virtue she possesses is LOVE. She is convinced that all things are possible when you value love of God, love for family, co-workers, friends, and yourself. She believes that “No other success can compensate for failure in the home.” Indeed, career women must always balance the home and work fronts. It’s a delicate balancing act and task and Maris is determined to meet the challenge.

Maris is a consistent honor student from her elementary years up to her college days. She is an achiever, thanks to her parents Ceferino T. Rebayla and Thelma Go Rebayla who were very supportive of their youngest daughter’s dreams and aspirations. She is the youngest among four children.

Her parents are very simple people who had to work hard to realize their family goals. Her father was a Boholano “viajedor”, a vendor-peddler who commuted to and from several places in Mindanao where he met his wife Thelma Go, Maris’ mother. Her mother is the eldest daughter of Ohhya Go, a Chinese businessman from Mindanao.

Maris comes from humble beginnings. Her father is a high school graduate who presently drives his own jeepney while her mother Thelma is a homemaker.

The family originally hails from Talisayan Misamis Oriental. Back then, they owned a store but a fire razed it when the entire market of Talisayan was burned. To start anew, the family relocated to Bohol.

Like this author, she likes reading books. Her choice cuts include Beauty of the Ashes by Joyce Meyer, Secrets of Success by Sandra Anne Taylor, among others. She likes watching TV shows that entertain, and having great conversations with friends. Her one and only sports is badminton which is also her form of exercise.

Very young at 32, Maris has still a long way to go in the power industry. Personally, she is excited to enlarge her horizons.

Grounded on the Boholano’s old-fashioned values of honesty, trustworthiness, hard work, flexibility, grace under pressure, and deep faith in God, Maris is yet to conquer the wide horizons.

Life at seventeen

Why is it that the young ones (read: teenagers) want to grow up fast while the grown men and women, especially in their forties, would like their lives to begin at forty? Funny but true. 

For the young people, it's like life is a race and they want to be on the front seat of things. However, for the forties, life is no longer a race. Life is a pace. There is rhythm and cadence. Such is the beauty of growth and maturity.

At seventeen, my daughter enjoyed her biggest break so far. She is happy, grateful, and blessed. I am, too. She has desired and prayed for an opportunity to come her way, and God granted it.

Ruthie, your life has just begun. 

All out of love?

Hezekiah Kit Sales Canlas 

(Cause and Effect) 

 “A broken family is one where the parents of the child or children have split up and no longer share a single family unit.” – Answers.com 

For a family to effectively operate, faithful cooperation added with respect, patience, hope, understanding and love to each member should be performed by all members of a family, whether the family is a nucleus type (consisting of parents and children) or an extended (nucleus family with other close relatives in a single family unit) one. 

Unfortunately, today, we can see the visible emergence of broken families in television, radio, newspaper, and in other forms of media. In addition, we can also see some causes or the reasons of family breakups. 

Infidelity has always been a major issue between partners. One of the parents becomes unfaithful and creates sexual relations with a person other than his or her spouse. This disease has always plagued relationships since before, infecting men and women of different standing, ethnicity or race. In the Philippines, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are the most prone to be gripped with infidelity. Distance from loved ones force an OFW to find love and comfort in countries where they work, thus leading most likely to third parties. 

Misunderstanding has contributed its part in breaking the family apart. Ideas, concepts and thoughts do not match between partners, even in the siblings, thus creating rifts in the family’s foundations. Differences are put in the spotlight in every verbal clash. Hateful arguments lead to violent fights, affecting other members of the family, particularly the children, causing mental and emotional stress. 

These common family problems are large contributors to the infamous “family breakup.” The usual scenario: the mother and father separate, properties are equally divided, payments are made, and siblings split up. Negative feelings build up amongst the members of the broken family, like rejection, depression, anger and guilt.