Sunrise Narratives

Foreword
Roast
The 1 st cup
A bit of brekkie
A 2 nd cup
Dedication
The Final Word
The sky is always whispering stories to me,
be it in poetry or prose.
The habits of a man getting into the years
make him sleep early and, consequently, up
early in the morning. This has certainly
rewarded me “balcony” view of covid-era
dawns as I sip my coffee.
All photos shared here were taken in the 2 nd
and 3 rd quarters of 2020. Many of the
pictures are vibrant in red color. Once, I
asked myself: is God angry, and that the
pandemic a punishment?
Who knows…
Indeed, some of the night skies would
certainly cast a canvass of doom and
gloom.
Some mornings, though, I can actually see
God’s majestic hand wielding a paintbrush,
and I am just in awe of His glory. 3-4 sips of
freshly brewed kappa later, I would swear
that the clouds are bursting with zest and
chatter, daring me to race through the day
with it…
Enjoy the sceneries I managed to grab with
my phone camera, and the musings that
played out on my lips.
5:27 AM
Sept. 3, 2020
Michael Angelo

Foreword
Roast
The 1 st cup
A bit of brekkie
A 2 nd cup
Dedication
The Final Word
a sip
wakes up the
prose in my heart.
a cup
wakes up the poetry in my soul.
a refill
wakes up all the
crazy narrators from the skies.
5:55 AM
Sept. 26, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Morning hues
Morning haiku
Path to glorious
Mistified
Morning rush
Fire and ice
Surf’s up
Cafe
Coffee swirls
Carpe diem
Psalm 27:1
My 1st Cup
Satiate the Thirst
One sip.
I awaken to
the creeping burst of colors,
accompanied by the music
of the pigeons and roosters
heralding the hot coffee filling my soul
Another sip.
I am amazed.
I am mesmerized.
I am in awe.
A cup.
My thirst is satisfied,
The day has just started and
I yearn for more.

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Morning hues
Morning haiku
Path to glorious
Mistified
Morning rush
Fire and ice
Surf’s up
Cafe
Coffee swirls
Carpe diem
Psalm 27:1
morning hues
5:22 AM
Sept. 3, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Morning hues
Morning haiku
Path to glorious
Mistified
Morning rush
Fire and ice
Surf’s up
Cafe
Coffee swirls
Carpe diem
Psalm 27:1
Early morning rain
God’s blessing showering us
even in color
morning haiku
5:29 AM
Sept. 20, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Morning hues
Morning haiku
Path to glorious
Mistified
Morning rush
Fire and ice
Surf’s up
Cafe
Coffee swirls
Carpe diem
Psalm 27:1
Path to Glorious
5:27 AM
Sept. 3, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Morning hues
Morning haiku
Path to glorious
Mistified
Morning rush
Fire and ice
Surf’s up
Cafe
Coffee swirls
Carpe diem
Psalm 27:1
6:56 AM
Sept. 22, 2020
ified

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Morning hues
Morning haiku
Path to glorious
Mistified
Morning rush
Fire and ice
Surf’s up
Cafe
Coffee swirls
Carpe diem
Psalm 27:1
the
morning
rush
5:35 AM
Sept. 22, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Morning hues
Morning haiku
Path to glorious
Mistified
Morning rush
Fire and ice
Surf’s up
Cafe
Coffee swirls
Carpe diem
Psalm 27:1
5:35 AM
Sept. 9, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Morning hues
Morning haiku
Path to glorious
Mistified
Morning rush
Fire and ice
Surf’s up
Cafe
Coffee swirls
Carpe diem
Psalm 27:1
6:57 AM
Sept. 20, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Morning hues
Morning haiku
Path to glorious
Mistified
Morning rush
Fire and ice
Surf’s up
Cafe
Coffee swirls
Carpe diem
Psalm 27:1
Coffee is third on my list in the morning. After a
20-minute workout and a short conversation with
the tomato plants on the balcony, the cafe is at the
top of my mind. A shot of espresso made long,
with a bit of cream and a dash of muscovado
makes the prefect wakeup call.
Morning coffee must be strong. It sets my energy
level for the rest of the day. The moment you take
that first whiff of the cocoa aroma, you can feel all
the senses getting revved up, starting from the
nose and cascading through your head and the
rest of your body. Then you take that first sip, and
the energy jolt magically wakens you to the
grandeur of the world around you.
A cup. A mug. At times, in my trusty beaker.
This is truly the morning rush.
If and when coffee is an option in the afternoon, I
enjoy either a cappuccino or a cafe latte, ristretto
style. When I am in a special mood, I will even
indulge in a cafe mocha once in a while.
The mild sweet concoction without losing the rich
aroma of the cuppa, keeps me in balance and
floating through the rest of the day. Coffee keeps
me in a good mood; perhaps one of the reasons
why I am mostly a jovial character (at night, though, I
am a happy person because of happy hour).
“While wine brings out the needed insanity
to make a man be more,
it is coffee that keeps a him
sane and steady in his course”.
Go ahead and quote me on that.
5:43 AM
Sept. 10, 2020
Bonjour! Prenons un cafe!
(Good morning! Let’s have coffee!)

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Morning hues
Morning haiku
Path to glorious
Mistified
Morning rush
Fire and ice
Surf’s up
Cafe
Coffee swirls
Carpe diem
Psalm 27:1
Dawn filled with coffee grounds
morning mists are roasting
Sunrise spilt with coffee stains
morning clouds are brewing
5:50 AM
Sept. 21, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Morning hues
Morning haiku
Path to glorious
Mistified
Morning rush
Fire and ice
Surf’s up
Cafe
Coffee swirls
Carpe diem
Psalm 27:1
5:33 AM
Sept. 9, 2020
Always see the world
not in black and white
Let your day unfurl
in colors of bursting light
Animate, innovate, find a way
To challenges, take the fight!
Carpe Diem, seize the day!
Own the world and make it right!

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Morning hues
Morning haiku
Path to glorious
Mistified
Morning rush
Fire and ice
Surf’s up
Cafe
Coffee swirls
Carpe diem
Psalm 27:1
7:58 AM
Sept. 9, 2020
Always see the world
Psalm
not in black
27:1and white
Let your day unfurl
The in colors Lord of is bursting my light light and salvation
whom shall I fear?

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Open minded
Finding nemo
Eye bags
Blue skies
Three wise men
Nuclear
Passionate kiss
Big picture
Words
Touchen
Fly to amazing
A bite of
Brekkie
Satisfy the Hunger
Second cup is still brewing.
While waiting,
Toast? Pie? Banana?
Choices. Choices. Choices.
I gaze out and the clouds ask me.
Attack the day with purpose?
Take everything in and smile?
Which song will I sing?
Choices. Choices. Choices.
Toast. Pie. Banana.
All of them, then, in that order.
Ready to face the day, I am.
with wit? with wisdom?
Both of them, then, in any order.

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Open minded
Finding nemo
Eye bags
Blue skies
Three wise men
Nuclear
Passionate kiss
Big picture
Words
Touchen
Fly to amazing
Open minded ka ba?
tara, kape tayo
6:54 AM
Sept. 23, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Open minded
Finding nemo
Eye bags
Blue skies
Three wise men
Nuclear
Passionate kiss
Big picture
Word
Touchen
Fly to amazing
Dory: Where are we going?
5:45 AM
Aug. 31, 2020
Nemo: Into the light.

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Open minded
Finding nemo
Eye bags
Blue skies
Three wise men
Nuclear
Passionate kiss
Big picture
Words
Touchen
Fly to amazing
5:38 PM
Sept. 20, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Open minded
Finding nemo
Eye bags
Blue skies
Three wise men
Nuclear
Passionate kiss
Big picture
Words
Touchen
Fly to amazing
Blue Skies
smiling at me
nothing but blue skies
do I see…
Ella Fitzgerald
7:21 AM
Sept. 7, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Open minded
Finding nemo
Eye bags
Blue skies
Three wise men
Nuclear
Passionate kiss
Big picture
Words
Touchen
Fly to amazing
5:35 AM
Sept. 11, 2020
Three wise men

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Open minded
Finding nemo
Eye bags
Blue skies
Three wise men
Nuclear
Passionate kiss
Big picture
Words
Touchen
5:39 PM
Sept. 20, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Open minded
Finding nemo
Eye bags
Blue skies
Three wise men
Nuclear
Passionate kiss
Big picture
Words
Touchen
Fly to amazing
a
moment of
passion
5:45 AM
Sept. 18, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Open minded
Finding nemo
Eye bags
Blue skies
Three wise men
Nuclear
Passionate kiss
Big picture
Words
Touchen
Fly to amazing
Sometimes, everything happening around
us seem to be in one beautiful concert of a
bold brushstroke, just as it appears at the
top of this photo. One solid hue, creating a
captivating canvass of light.
At times, just as the sky is darkened by black
clouds, so are our lives filled with challenges
and heartbreaks.
There will also be times when our lives
seems to have no direction at all, with
things happening in bits and pieces with no
clear harmony or purpose.
Yet, when you behold the big picture,
when you take in all in one big review,
you will realize how beautiful
your life had been.
5:34 AM
Sept. 9, 2020
Cherish the good and the bad.
It makes life worth living.

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Open minded
Finding nemo
Eye bags
Blue skies
Three wise men
Nuclear
Passionate kiss
Big picture
Words
Touchen
Fly to amazing
Nothing like coffee
to brew the
words in your mind
5:42 AM
Sept. 26, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Open minded
Finding nemo
Eye bags
Blue skies
Three wise men
Nuclear
Passionate kiss
Big picture
Words
Touchen
Fly to amazing
I need not look back
to know the holes in our hearts
exploding into the unfathomable
will be filled by tears in my sleep
I need not turn around
to see the miles between our souls
stretching into forever
matched only by the lingering longing
I need not.
Not Anything. Not Everything.
But only your touch
to fill my heart and entwine our dreams
5:31 AM
Sept. 10, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Open minded
Finding nemo
Eye bags
Blue skies
Three wise men
Nuclear
Passionate kiss
Big picture
Words
Touchen
Fly to amazing
Where are we going, dad?
To somewhere amazing!
5:47 AM
Sept. 27, 2020

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Hoy por Manana
Magis
Reminiscence
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Burning Desire
for Service
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
A second cup
Ignite the Passion
I am pumped. I am caffeinergized.
I am Driven.
What drives me?
Thirst for Excellence
Hunger for Perfection
and a
Burning Desire for Service.
The day beckons.
The WORLD beckons.

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Hoy por Manana
Magis
Reminiscence
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Burning Desire
for Service
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
5:48 AM
Sept. 7, 2020
As a child, I was always told to believe in
tomorrow - that it will always be better –
that tomorrow, all our problems will be
gone.
As the song goes, the sun will come out
Tomorrow.
Growing up and I realize that tomorrow
will only be better and our problems will
only be gone IF AND ONLY IF we do
something right Today.
PPF (Past Present Future)
Someday, when I sit back and look at the
sunrises that promise better days, I hope I did
enough on my “Todays” for my “Tomorrows”.
Hoy por mañana

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Hoy por Manana
Magis
Reminiscence
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Burning Desire
for Service
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
At the end of our lives,
we should ask ourselves ,
“Did we make a difference?”
7:21 AM
Sept. 7, 2020
“Yes.”
No other answer is acceptable.

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Hoy por Manana
Magis
Reminiscence
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Burning Desire
for Service
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
5:48-6:01 AM
Sept. 14, 2020
Reminiscence – memories as momentum
Sunrise!
Every few moments, the vibrancy of the day is
revealed; each penciled colored line changing and
dancing on the canvass in the horizon. Sometimes,
a minute or two does not transform the skylines,
then in one moment – you become dazzled by
photonic symphony.
Sunrise!
The show does not wait for you. You blink, or turn
your gaze somewhere else, and you risk missing the
grand moment. In the past few weeks, I have taken
effort (no effort, actually) to catch and capture
these wake up shows. I missed a few, but the ones I
captured – well, they are as good as the smell of
coffee in the morning.
When I look at these photos, I cannot help but
compare my thoughts on my life moments. Events
of life altering significance are like these snapshot
moments of the sunrises I archived in my library.
As I sit here at the balcony this afternoon, the
photos these mornings serve as a backdrop to my
reminiscence.
I was 29
when I became president of
Seaport Holdings Inc. I have
been with the CDL group of
companies for almost 8 years
then. I remember the
moment Carlos de Leon (CDL)
interviewed me 1988. “Do you
know how to write
procedures?” “Yes” I said,
thinking of computer coding
procedures and functions
since I am a graduate of
Computer Engineering. After
all, the position being offered
was System Analyst.
I was hired on the spot.
On my first day, I was
surprised that I was tasked to
document company policies
and procedures. Embedded
into a team of four, we were
given a mandate to complete
the whole company SOP
manual in one month.

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Hoy por Manana
Magis
Reminiscence
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Burning Desire
for Service
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
5:48-6:01 AM
Sept. 14, 2020
With eyes on the finish line, we bugged and bullied
all the departments for interviews and meetings,
constantly challenging existing process and finetuning
them to smithereens. We would then spend
nights in the office documenting the manual, taking
nap shifts in rotation just to make sure the work was
ongoing non-stop.
The day after the Board of Directors ratified the
new SOP Manual of the organization, CDL offered
me a management position. I became a
departmental manager and two years later, an AVP.
A few years after that, they made me president.
That was one great snapshot of a sunrise in my
career.
Do you have any snapshot-worthy sunrises to
share?
I have one more sunrise to share. Come with me
down the memory lane.
I was 39
when I got a call from Toastmaster International
President Jon Greiner. It was almost mid-day on a
beautiful Sunday, as I was strolling along the
baywalk – the sun was out and shining brightly but it
was breezy and chilly that July.
“Hello Michael, I called to let you know that your
District, ended its term ranked #1 in the world.
Congratulations to you as the District Governor, and
to all the toastmasters of District 75!”
That moment, everything around me went into slow
motion. I have been sleepless anticipating THE CALL
for a couple of days already, not knowing if the
Toastmasters of District 75 have achieved enough to
earn the #1 ranking. Three weeks prior, the last
update placed us at #6 out of almost 80 districts. We
knew, though, that we had a fantastic chance of
climbing up to the top as numerous recognitions
and charters were still on their way to the
headquarters.
To get to that moment though, we would have to
start my toastmaster story 12 years prior. In 1993, I
was conscripted, drafted and dragged into the
Toastmaster program when Petrochem (where I
worked) decided to form a corporate club.

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Hoy por Manana
Magis
Reminiscence
Page 1
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Burning Desire
for Service
Page 1
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5:48-6:01 AM
Sept. 14, 2020
AND forced into it I was. It took me 6 months into
my membership before I managed to deliver my
first prepared speech. I had to chug a glass of beer
10 minutes before I delivered that icebreaker
speech. I was hospitalized for overdosing on valium
when I had to deliver my 4 th speech.
Traumatized? Definitely. But not traumatized
enough to quit the program. Speech after speech I
delivered, and at the end of my second year, I
completed my first communication recognition
(CTM). Through the encouragement of other
toastmasters, I even competed and won the district
evaluation speech contest in 4 years time.
It was at that time that the district asked me to give
back. I served as a district officer, and with eyes on
the goal, I served with all I can. Area Governor of
the Year (1998), Division Governor of the Year (1999)
and Toastmaster of the Year (2002) accolades are
great photogenic sunrises in my life and the call
from Jon Greiner caps off a testament on how to
get things done:
To LEAD and SERVE
with Passion and Commitment
There are more sunrises in my life, but these two
moments that I captured gave me the greatest
satisfaction when I reminisce and taught me the
biggest lessons in my life:
Know your goal. Know your mission.
When work overwhelms
and causes sleepless night, it helps to
keep your eyes on the finish line.
Appreciate the beauty of sunrises
in your life.
Use these memory-moments
To fuel your momentum

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Hoy por Manana
Magis
Reminiscence
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Burning Desire
for Service
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
5:48-5:51 AM
Sept. 10, 2020
GKWorX – A Burning Desire for Service (published 2014) (page 1 of 4)
Many occasions, I am asked “Why spend so much time
helping others, when you are already so stressed out with
your work?”
Here is the reason:
Oftentimes, I interact with my co-workers, and see the
youth, our so called “future”, struggling to make a living
from their almost next to minimum salary. I hear stories of
new graduates coming from the provinces, striking out
here in Manila to get a better job. Together with a couple of
friends, they find a place to rent near the office. Three of
them, in a 4 X 4 room. No private toilet but just a makeshift
table, a bed mat on the floor, and a water heater. The water
heater is essential because day in and day out, a meal will
be just a cup of instant noodles. Their earnings would have
been enough, if not for the constant need to send money
back home for Dad’s medicine, for Joselito’s tuition, or for
the house repair after a typhoon’s wrath. Truly, at the end
of so many months at work, many of them would already
have their ATM card pawned to the loan sharks just to
make ends meet. And what do the employees do to
alleviate the situation? They resort to drinking at night to
help them forget their sorrows and get some sleep as the
mosquitoes “fiesta”/ feast on them.
As an employer, am I at fault?
Am I not paying them enough to make their lives more
decent?
Perhaps.
But I also see employees who are receiving double or even
triple that of a minimum wage earner, and yet they are still
in the same situation as above.
Maybe it is not just about money, but a combination of
financial woes and an unguided values system.

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Hoy por Manana
Magis
Reminiscence
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Burning Desire
for Service
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
5:48-5:51 AM
Sept. 10, 2020
GKWorX – A Burning Desire for Service (published 2014) (page 2 of 4)
Next, I look at the President. Yes, the President of the
Philippines, PNoy. The man whose inherited integrity is the
sole reason many of us voted for him a few years ago. The
man who we hoped would have made a difference with his
Tuwid na Daan. The man who said the Filipino is worth
fighting for. Yet, 4 years down the “Matuwid na Daan”, has
there really been any significant moral transformation for
the society? If life has become better, I certainly do not feel
it. Government integrity is still a big question mark in many
minds. I still see the same number of beggars loiter the
streets. The pressure for “FTB (for the boys)” from
government agencies has even risen in the recent years.
Has PNoy failed us?
Perhaps.
Certainly, one man cannot do it all alone. But one man can
do enough to start a bandwagon to goodness. In my
opinion, PNoy certainly tried to start the change to better
governance, but if the rest of the Filipinos just nod in
agreement and do not lift a finger to follow his lead, then
we might just as well scratch our heads and accept the way
things are.
Perhaps, we are the ones who have failed PNoy. Perhaps
we have all failed.

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
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Hoy por Manana
Magis
Reminiscence
Page 1
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Burning Desire
for Service
Page 1
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5:48-5:51 AM
Sept. 10, 2020
GKWorX – A Burning Desire for Service (published 2014) (page 3 of 4)
Lastly, I look at my only son Mikhail. At 9 years old, he is
everything a father would hope for; intelligent, charming
and a bright future ahead of him. And yet, I cringe when I
try to envision just how bright the future will really be
awaiting my son. What would be the exchange rate 15
years from now? Will he be able to live in a safe
community? Will there be ample business or career
opportunities for him?
I think of the devastating typhoons and floods hitting our
country nowadays, and remember an uncle who drowned
during the height of Ondoy’s onslaught, and I sigh. I hear
about the family friend’s uncle who was recently kidnapped
and killed, and tears swell in my eyes.
As a father, have I done enough to build a better future for
my son?
Perhaps.
I do not claim to be a superman capable of fixing
everything to give Mikhail the best future imaginable.
But I cannot wait for the future to fix itself.
Every day I see my co-workers , the desire to do something
concrete for the society we move in burns in my heart. We
need to do our share. I must do my share.
Every day I tune in to the news program, I am emotionally
torn from the comforts of my sofa and thrust into a burning
need to act and make a difference any way I can.
Every night, as I chat with my Mikhail and watch him doze off
next to me, I am consumed by a Burning Desire to make the
future a better place for us and the future generations.

The 1 st Cup
Brekkie Bite
A 2 nd Cup
--- --- --- --- ---
Hoy por Manana
Magis
GKWorX – A Burning Desire for Service (published 2014) (page 3 of 4)
Then Gawad Kalinga came into our lives, and gave me and
my partners a concrete roadmap to quench the burning
desire for service.
Through the new GK GAWA Program, we are immersing
our workforce into the culture, not only of volunteerism,
but also the culture of living right.
Reminiscence
Page 1
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Burning Desire
for Service
Page 1
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Page 4
5:48-5:51 AM
Sept. 10, 2020
Through a “GK Aral” partnership program, we have
initiated and continue to run Microsoft Basics training
classes for GK GAWA members at the GK Bulaklakan
Village. The program has a two-fold mission: In the short
term, it hopes to make more morally-set Filipinos capable
and employable and give them more employment
opportunities; and in the long term it aspires for a business
world will be engulfed with a workforce equipped with
both morals and skills.
So, why am I and TeamWorX spending so much time
helping others?
For our company, and my co-workers, and for my coworkers
families.
For our country, and for everyone in it.
For my son’s future, and for the future of all the people he
will work and live with.
Today, we will finish our GK’s first house. Rest assure,
this will not be the only one.

Foreword
Roast
The 1 st cup
A bit of brekkie
A 2 nd cup
Dedication
The Final Word
No gamut of black clouds can cover the
magnificent light in the sky.
Similarly, no pandemic can deaden the
colors in our life; that is the nature of
humanity – we will always always find the
top half of the glass full, be it with air, water,
or cappuccino.
To us humans, I dedicate this celebration of
our capacity to appreciate colors even when
the dark clouds of covid19 threaten to
extinguish us.
5:32 AM
Sept. 13, 2020

Foreword
Roast
The 1 st cup
A bit of brekkie
A 2 nd cup
Dedication
The Final Word
At the other side of this pandemic,
let us get together
to enjoy a cup of good coffee
to share happy anecdotes to laugh
about
to relish true friendships
At the other side of this pandemic,
let us take time to be grateful
for the blessings showered from
above
for becoming better humans
for being alive
At the other side of this pandemic,
let us be ready
to appreciate the colors in our lives
to face our tomorrows with gusto
to imagine our realities !
My final word ..
…is to wish us all
a better world!

About the
Author
Michael Angelo
Ong Chua
DTM, PDG, CHRP
--- --- ---
A Little
Background
Trivia
Born in Tondo, here in Manila
First child of Bart and Rosalinda
Two siblings he has, Mart and Lisa
Lives with Evelyn and Mikhail Chua
Owns a BS degree in Chemistry
Loves dabbing in alcohols, especially if it’s free
Attempts to bartend using his degree
Tries to show off for all to see
Part of TeamWorX, focuses on managing
doesn’t really use his 2 nd degree in Comp. Engineering
Admin, WebDev, HR and Accounting
His passion is leading, serving and mentoring
True blue Toastmaster, down to his core
A past district speech champion as an evaluator
Served as District Governor back in 2004
District was #1, when he was governor.
Chemist ~ Wine Enthusiast
Toastmaster ~ Speech Champion ~ Poet
Businessman ~ Finance guru ~ HR advocate
Trekkie ~ Optimist - Atenista
Background Trivia
Michael is the son of two literary artists. His father
Bartolome T. Chua (deceased) is a Francisco Balagtas 2009
Awardee for Chinese Poetry. His mother Rosalinda O.
Chua is a renowned Chinese essayist and short story
writer.
Both are well known in Southeast Asia within the Chinese
literary circles.
The GKWorX article was previously published on the
Gawad Kalinga website.
Toastmasters Joanne Nedvěd and Chris Dao-anis helped
to bring this project into fruition.
You may have enjoyed this collection enough
to want to donate:
(Check my fb page for details)
www.facebook.com/cutePDGmike
100% proceeds will go to helping elevating the needy.