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Being a single mother is like being the sole captain of a ship, navigating the vast and often unpredictable sea of life. I am the one person responsible for charting the course, reading the weather, and ensuring the safety of my precious crew: my son.

It's been 7 years, and at first, it felt like I was sailing in a constant storm, battered by rough waves and completely unsure of my direction. There are unexpected financial struggles and emotional challenges along the way that might threaten to capsize my ship, but I need to move forward. This situation taught me to be strong, recover quickly from the hardships, adapt to change, and keep sailing despite uncertainty. My son became more than a crew - he is my compass and my reason behind every difficult decision and every step I took.

The comeback isn't about recovering what was lost; it's about creating an entire new and better future. It's been a journey of self-discovery, uncovering newfound confidence to shape a life of purpose and joy. More than just surviving a personal crisis, I've realized that I am more than capable of reinventing our life, not just for my son, but for myself as well.

Resilience in the vast ocean of unknown is far from impossible, especially when you know your "why" - who you're doing it all for. So just keep sailing, Teamasian ❤️

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One of the most memorable Superbowl moments for me was back in 2017. I was actually in a Mancomm meeting (Mancomm would know this) and got the devastating news that the New England Patriots, poised to win the superbowl, was trailing behind by 19 points from such a stellar season.

At the 2:15 mark of the 3rd quarter, the Atlanta Falcons were at 28 points vs. the Patriots’ measly 3 points. It would’ve been easy for them to just throw in the towel and kiss the superbowl goodbye. But they didn’t. They looked at that daunting deficit not as an end, but as a challenge. They didn't focus on the mountain they had to climb, but on the next step. They didn't dwell on what had gone wrong, but on what they could still make right.

You could hear their quarterback, Tom Brady, steadily saying: “Come on, Boys. We’re going to play tougher, we’re going to play harder. Tougher, harder, everything. We will do everything.” And they did.

They moved their needle from 3 points to tie the Atlanta Falcons at 28 to reach overtime. That’s 19 points in 7 minutes - they didn't just score, they kept the other team from scoring too.

It wasn't one heroic play, but a series of relentless, disciplined efforts. It was about every player, every coach, every member of that organization believing in the impossible, believing in each other, and refusing to yield. They chipped away, play by play, drive by drive, until that seemingly insurmountable lead began to shrink, then vanish, and finally, they emerged victorious in overtime.

I couldn’t believe it. There were no “hail mary” passes but a lot of creative plays. It was a mix of discipline, laser focus and heart. Heart played a big role.

There are always lessons in a good comeback story:

Resilience: When faced with adversity, do we crumble, or do we rise? True strength isn't about never falling, but about getting back up every single time.

Belief: Even when the odds are stacked against you, believing in your capabilities and your team can unlock extraordinary potential.

Focus on the Next Play: Don't get overwhelmed by the big picture. Break down your challenges into manageable steps. Focus on the task immediately in front of you.

Teamwork: No single person wins the game. It is always always a collective effort, a symphony of coordinated actions, where every individual plays their part. Team work makes the effin’ dream work come true.

We are at the 2 min, 15 sec mark in the 3rd quarter. We’re going to play tougher, we’re going to play harder. Tougher, harder, everything with heart. Because that’s who we are.

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My favorite comeback story is the narrative embodied by James J. Braddock in "Cinderella Man." The film masterfully portrays not just a boxing comeback, but a profound human story of unwavering resilience, integrity, and absolute devotion to family. That pivotal scene where he swallows his pride and goes to Public Relief or asks for money from his former associates, purely for his children's survival and to keep them together, encapsulates the very essence of fighting for something far bigger than oneself. It wasn't about fame or ego; it was about love and responsibility.

Relating this to TeamAsia's current journey and our struggle to fully meet profit targets and win certain pitches: Just as Braddock fought for his family's survival during the darkest days of the Depression, TeamAsia is currently in a phase where we must fight for our collective future, for our people (our TeamAsians), and for the continued legacy of this agency. We may face moments where we need to "lower our pride" – perhaps by aggressively re-evaluating long-standing strategies, making difficult but necessary adjustments in our approach to pitches, or openly seeking new partnerships and revenue streams that might feel uncomfortable but are essential for growth. Like Braddock, we must draw on our deep well of resilience, leverage our collective strengths (our "right manpower"), and be driven by the clear purpose of overcoming current challenges to secure TeamAsia's next level of success and ensure prosperity for everyone who is part of our the agency. This is our moment to embody the spirit of the "Cinderella Man" and deliver our own inspiring comeback.

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I wasn't a huge fan of OPM back then. But a close friend in JHS introduced me to one song that gained popularity, which was IV of Spades' Mundo. The vibe felt so different and it literally rocked my "mundo" that I started to see OPM in a different light. I slowly opened up to other songs with a similar vibe.

I'm also quite behind on news, so when I heard Unique left and the band stopped making music, my little baby OPM heart broke into pieces. I would listen to bangers like "Come Inside of My Heart" and "Bata, Dahan Dahan" and be reminded of this breakup of the century (wow grabe century haha).

And miraculously, after years of waiting, they surprise the world with a comeback! I'm looking forward to this new era in their music and my lil heart is jumping for joy.

Stream Aura by IV of Spades now <3

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This was an event that we handled which I was telling you about during our Townhall earlier. The launch of the 5-yr mothballed Iligan Steel plant under the new Indian owners. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was our guest of honor. We did the impossible in less than a week. Mike took care of inviting and getting the VIPs confirmed, plus flying them to Iligan from Manila in a private plane. I took care of logistics: cleaning up and preparing the steel plant for the high-level launch, welcoming the VIP guests and media, and coordinating with the Indian client. We were a very lean team: Doyit Baquirin, our accounts manager, her husband Ritchie, our creative manager, and one more person. Unfortunately, this was way before Facebook, so I did not have any pictures or posts of the event.

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Rebirth of National Steel Corp.a landmark event

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(Speech delivered by India’s Ispat Group chairman Pramod Mittal during the inauguration of the National Steel Corp. plant in Iligan City on Feb. 3, 2004)
In the history of a nation, there are few rare events which go down as landmarks and people remember them even generations later.
Those present here today are witness to one such sweet testimony — the rebirth of National Steel Corporation.

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6 years after graduating high school, 2 years after getting out of college, my HS classmates just suddenly decided to play a basketball tournament, without any practice just for the heck of it...

Surprisingly, our team made to the finals in 4 weeks of playing. Jusko di ko inasahan un. The thing is, I think the not practicing stuff caught up with us that day. We started H1 with just 15 points while the other team, who we beat during round robin round, was at 45 points already.

During the half time, my classmates are already laughing, joking around that they already got their money's worth of making towards the finals on just one go.

I on the other hand could not think just to lose, a girlfriend back then (ex na si Dona okay Jeff? ) was watching and I was just a measly 2 points and I did not want to end the night that way.

When H2 started, I just went on running whenever I got the ball. Ran the fast break 10 times, 10 times we scored. 20 points back. Of course, they were scoring too, but we pushed hard, for each basket. They suddenly started defending us, even if we are still defending them

Last 15 seconds of H2, the score was tied at 71 all. I was on fumes, and I thought to myself, heck ill just coach. I just told them to quickly score and defend the 3point line. At the inbound, when we were to get the ball, Rainier, our center, got hurt when he landed on another players foot, causing a sprain. 8 seconds left, no one was subbing in, so I said, ef it, ill go. In bound play, Dreb passed the ball inside to Mark, who made a move to the basket, I thought, its done! But he got blocked. Luckily, or fate would have it, it bounced straight to me, which I hoisted up, quickly.

Buckets

Team won the finals.. My only sports merit for the rest of my days