ISSN 0115-0839
Forever happy COLEEN PEREZ: Exploring Happiness Outdoors
BLUE Christmas
The 2020 Book COVID-19 in Our Family
LAST DAY Events
CONTENTS November-December 2020
REGULARS
FEATURES
12 16 18 24
Pick Me! Pick Me! Kim Peckham
Maybe it’s not about you True Joy for Couples Give love rather than demand it
Such hope and reality in the lives of these three Blue Christmas: Tips for Dealing with Holiday Sadness When everyone seems happy except me
14
Best Types of Bicycles for Beginners Kara Santos
Pros, cons, prices
28
Coleen Perez: On the Road to Happiness Janet R. Tolete
From valleys to mountain peaks
34 8
The Greatest Treasure
Education Teofilo C. Esguerra, Jr.
Dealing with Home-based Learning
6
Finance
Adlai: Rice Alternative Arlene May G. Corpus
What's in it, how to cook it
Michelle Anne P. Diamante
Healthier Habits, Happier You
Karen Holford
Can You Buy Joy?
10
Joan Marie A. Retuya
22
Mohandas K. Gandhi
32
Grace in the Act Trials as Pure Joy: Our Family's COVID-19 Story Letters From the Heart Dear Friend Hitler Arts &Crafts Lebette Angel M. Baybay
Hot Glue Eiffel Tower
35
Health & Home Staff
38
Jecsoon O. Mariñas
Parenting Portrait Hurrying on the Way Echoes of Life Happy Memories
39
Mamerto M. Guingguing II
40
Julián Melgosa & Michelson Borges
Health & Home Staff
Why “I'd Rather Have Jesus”
Through the Years, Even in Crisis iContact
Happiness That Lasts Michelle Anne P. Diamante
Notes From the Frontlines Elvernice S. Fanged
4
Ellen G. White
Victor M. Parachin
26
3
42
Word for the World Be Happy The Power of Hope Series How to Overcome Traumas Word Play Jecsoon O. Mariñas
Solutions
Coming up… Resilience: The Capacity to Bounce Back • How to Love Your Curls • Home Gardening:
Pechay • Teacher to the Barrio • Unselfish Self-discovery • Milk Tea Addiction • Toxic Guyabano
43 44
Notes From the Frontlines
Book Review
Subscribers Section has taken on an expanded form. Notes From the Frontlines features our loyal readers and our dedicated distributors who are at the forefront of our mission to share “healthy, happy, and holistic living to the glory of God and the blessing of humankind.”
Bienvenido G. Mergal
Last Day Events Health & Home 2020 Index
Through the Years, Even in Crisis
COLUMNS
5
By ELVERNICE S. FANGED
Here and the Hereafter
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Leonardo C. Heyasa, Jr.
Forever Happy
13
Atty. Silvino L. Sumagaysay, Jr.
17
Sheryll Ann M. Castillo
21
Linda L. Varona
31
Miriam R. Estrada
33
Nathanlie M. Baldoza
36
Janet R. Tolete
Consult Your Lawyer DNA Testing Personal Answers On Personality Issues Dear Doctor Lupus and Lifestyle Food for the Family Shaping Kid's Minds Through Food Standpoint Love in the Time of COVID-19 Children’s Corner Bending Light
AWAY IN A MANGER. No crib for a bed, the Savior was born to turn our pain and sorrow into peace and joy instead. Cover photo by Shutterstock/Amanda Carden Photos and illustrations in this issue are from shutterstock.com unless credited otherwise.
Health & Home ︱ 3 ︱November-December 2020
Then when I transferred to La Trinidad in 2013, the task of supplying me with copies of the magazine and other interesting books went to Mrs. Esther Taoey. Even our school subscribes to the magazine through her. Now I’m at the peak of my career as a school principal. I am also a wife and a mother, aside from being the oldest sister among five siblings. With all my various roles, Health & Home has always been my partner in facing life and welcoming the future. Even in the face of the current crisis, I need not be afraid because I know and believe in my heart that, by God’s grace, I can always look at the positive side of life. Now I am starting to pass the legacy of Health & Home to my own daughter. I pray that she, too, will be inspired.
photo courtesy of author
ABOUT THE COVER
ealth & Home has been part of my journey since I was in high school back in 1998. My parents were loyal subscribers. At first I thought it was just like the other volumes displayed on our bookshelf. Little did I know that the magazine would start me on a lifetime habit of reading— first for homework, then for inspiration, and then for advice. With our family’s constant supply of the magazine, it eventually became a hobby for me to read it and internalize what I had read. Articles about life and family, for example, helped mold me into a better member of my community. As days and years passed, my interest in reading Health & Home grew. I even came to anticipate the arrival of the newest issue. As a college student, I encountered social, mental, spiritual, and psychological problems and challenges, but thanks to Health & Home, I was able to handle those struggles. In 2004 when I started working in a private school in Baguio City, I finally had the chance to buy my own copies of the magazine plus other Philippine Publishing House books from Mr. Ronaldo Sibayan.
Elvernice Salda-Fanged, M.A.H.E., is the school principal of Epiphany Christian Academy of La Trinidad in Benguet.
Grace in the Act
By Joan Marie A. Retuya
TRIALS AS PURE JOY: Our Family’s COVID-19 Story
M
ore than a month ago I got a distress call from my brother telling me his wife tested positive of COVID-19. Barely four hours later, he showed up at my home with his three children. He asked if I could, for the moment, take care of them, for he too was feeling bad. He had high fever, asthma, and tonsillitis. I took my nieces in despite my fear of my own family getting infected. I gave them one of our rooms. My brother went to the hospital alone to have himself tested. I checked on my nieces if they had settled in. The 13-year-old eldest was arranging their things then putting the youngest, 9, to bed. The middle child, 12, was in one corner, crying silently. She looked at me with eyes asking for help. I knew she was scared, but I could not even come near her to give her a hug.
Fears creeping That night I hardly slept. I feared of losing my brother. We lost both our parents some years back, and I was not ready to lose another loved one. I also feared for my nieces if they would fall ill. I feared for my own family and for myself. I fought my own morbid thoughts. I read God’s word in Psalm 34:4, which says, “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”1 I prayed so hard that night, asking God to deliver me from all my fears.
Complaints coming
models not subjects of article
The following day I was in high spirits. The rapid test results of my nieces turned out negative. A few minutes later, however, I was told that my brother’s swab test result was positive. The fear got me again. The day after, I was informed that some neighbors were complaining and requesting that my nieces be transferred to an isolation facility or that we all transfer to another place away from our neighborhood. As the pressure to drive us from our neighborhood persisted, I got caught in a cycle of mixed emotions—mainly fear, hurt, disappointment, and anger in high degrees. While trying to find a place for us to stay and asking everyone I knew, I was also crying, shaking, and trying so hard to hold myself
True Joy for Couples By ELLEN G. WHITE In Your presence is fullness of joy.—Psalm 16:11.
L
et each give love rather than exact it. Cultivate that which is noblest in yourselves, and be quick to recognize the good qualities in each other. The consciousness of being appreciated is a wonderful stimulus and satisfaction. Sympathy and respect encourage the striving after excellence, and love itself increases as it stimulates to nobler aims. Neither the husband nor the wife should merge his or her individuality in that of the other. Each has a personal relation to God. Of Him each is to ask, “What is right?” “What is wrong?” “How may I best fulfill life’s purpose?” Let the wealth of your affection flow forth to Him who gave His life for you. Make Christ first and last and best in everything. As your love for Him becomes deeper and stronger, your love for each other will be purified and strengthened. . . . Neither the husband nor the wife should attempt to exercise over the other an arbitrary control. Do not try to compel each other to yield to your wishes. You cannot do this and retain each other’s love. Be kind, patient, and forbearing, considerate, and courteous. By the grace of God you can succeed in making each other happy, as in your marriage vow you promised to do. But remember that happiness will not be found in shutting yourselves up to yourselves, satisfied to
pour out all your affection upon each other. Seize upon every opportunity for contributing to the happiness of those around you. Remember that true joy can be found only in unselfish service. Forbearance and unselfishness mark the words and acts of all who live the new life in Christ. As you seek to live His life, striving to conquer self and selfishness and to minister to the needs of others, you will gain victory after victory. Thus your influence will bless the world. Men and women can reach God’s ideal for them if they will take Christ as their helper. What human wisdom cannot do, His grace will accomplish for those who give themselves to Him in loving trust. His providence can unite hearts in bonds that are of heavenly origin. Love will not be a mere exchange of soft and flattering words. . . . Heart will be bound to heart in the golden bonds of a love that is enduring.
Ellen G. White is the author of more than 130 books. She is the world’s most translated female author, with her works appearing in more than 150 languages. Inspired by God, she exalted Jesus and continually pointed to the Holy Scriptures as the basis for faith. Taken from Homeward Bound, a book for daily devotional reading. Available at Philippine Publishing House. Email marketing@pphsda.com.
Health & Home ︱ 16 ︱November-December 2020
Happiness that Lasts By MICHELLE ANNE P. DIAMANTE
Happiness
noun
1
a: a state of well-being and contentment: JOY b: a pleasurable or satisfying experience —Merriam-Webster Dictionary
W
photos courtesy of interviewees
e may all agree that happiness is a positive emotion, but what is it exactly that makes us happy? And can it last forever? Happiness comes in different forms. To some people, it may be eating a delectable dish, reaching a dream destination, or earning a six-figure salary. To others, it may be finding a life partner, achieving one’s childhood dream, or spending time with loved ones. The list can go on, but apparently, most forms of happiness are fleeting. Food, career, money, people, and even memories—they can all disappear in a snap. If everything in this world were to fade away someday, how can we have happiness that lasts forever? Three happy people share their views on happiness and how they find one that lasts.
Rey P. Cabañero, 55, Pastor and Literature Evangelist
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astor Rey is known by his friends and colleagues as a sanguine— someone who is always positive and calm whatever the situation. When things don’t go according to plan or when encountering unexpected troubles, he remains all smiles, amazing others around him because of his unyielding cheerfulness. For him, it’s natural to be happy because he knows he’s one of the people in the whole world for whom Jesus died. Simply having such a thought is enough to make him glad, and he always feels thankful to God for who he is today. Like the rest of us, Pastor Rey also had times when he became dispirited because of life’s struggles. But what keeps him hopeful and positive is putting his life in God’s hands and relying on His promises. Because he knows God is constantly guiding him, he believes there is a solution to every problem and that there’s always a rainbow after the storm. When bad things happen, Pastor Rey says, “Take it as a trial, test, and temptation, [and respond with] being resilient, regenerated, and responsible.” His secret to staying happy every day is seeing the world as white even though it is tainted with black and looking at the game as winnable despite the obstacles on the track. Health & Home ︱ 18 ︱November-December 2020
COLEEN PEREZ:
H
ost. Actress. Performer. Youtuber. Entrepreneur. Swimmer. Figure skater. Outdoor sports enthusiast. Outreach volunteer. Daughter. Friend. Warrior. As you may have guessed, one word is not enough to capture the vibrant life, the varied interests, and the vivacious spirit of this young woman. Coleen Nicole Borgonia, who is known in show business as Coleen Perez, was gracious enough to grant Health & Home an interview and grace the cover of our 2020 book edition. She shares with us her life’s journey thus far and how she found more joy outdoors.
By JANET R. TOLETE
photo/Vinson Matias
First steps The only child of Romeo and Mary Mayette Borgonia, Coleen grew up in Cainta with everything a young girl can wish for. “I remember going out of town a lot with my parents— traveling to beaches, having staycations at hotels, or a simple day out at Luneta Park,” Coleen related. Her parents, however, made sure that she knew her way around the house. “I wasn’t all spoiled and pampered. I learned how to sweep the floor, wash the dishes, and wipe the sink and kitchen floor,” she recalled. Her fondest memories of home echo those of most children: Sunday movie nights with Dad, school-day breakfasts prepared by Mom, and morning talks with Dad on the way to school. She reminisced how “Papa and I talked about life and he always asked how I was, whether I was feeling good or sad. Even if sometimes I didn’t come clean to talk about bad days, my father assured me of his love and care.” To strengthen her lungs and fight asthma, she dived into
Health & Home ︱ 28 ︱November-December 2020
Children’s Corner By Janet R. Tolete
Q:
Can water bend a straw?
Y
ou may have noticed it, too. Put something straight like a straw, a pencil, or a stick inside a clear glass of water and it will look bent. Lift it up and it will be straight again. What happened? The bending is just a visual illusion. The secret to understanding it is in what science calls refraction.
Change of direction Refraction is the change in direction of a wave, like light and sound, as it passes from one medium to another. If you point a flashlight to a wall at night, the beam of light travels through a straight line. The light waves here travel through one medium: air. But if you point your flashlight to a window, say that of your bedroom, the light has to travel through the air, the glass, and the air again before it gets inside your room. Depending on the glass used for your window, the light that someone, say your sister, sees inside your room may be scattered or bent. Health & Home ︱ 36 ︱November-December 2020
Echoes of Life
By Jecsoon O. Mariñas
Once in a while, life allows us moments we wish would never end, and they become treasured memories we will never forget. In the hearts of the young, they can last a lifetime. Four young people share their most treasured moments.
illustration/Gabriel Tiano
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transferred to another school for the sake of “friends” but they eventually brushed me off like air. All I had were regrets until I met two girls, Riz and Moo. Riz was like a mother who always guided me from straying to the wrong path. She reprimanded me whenever I was lazy and corrected me when I made mistakes. Moo, on the other hand, was very sweet. I will always remember her hugs and playfulness. Moments with true friends like them are the happiest memories I will always treasure in my heart. —Isabel A. Milana, 13, City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan
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hen the COVID-19 pandemic struck, it was then that our family had our happiest moments. We bonded over simple things like doing the laundry, watering the plants, gardening, going to the farm, and playing with our little brother. The best among them, however, was having family worship—singing praises to the Lord and reading His Holy Word. The crisis indeed brought cheers. —Abigail C. Banayos, 10, Lal-lo, Cagayan
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hen Dad gave me my first bike, I couldn’t get enough of it. One evening, during family worship, I sneaked out of the house and rode my bike down a slope. But then, a sharp curve and a high cliff surprised me that I lost control and went downhill fast. Suddenly, a strong force pulled me, stopping me a few inches from the edge. I turned and saw my father, his face grimacing in pain and disappointment. He noticed that I slipped out, ran fast to save me, and lost his big toenail in the process. My Dad may not agree but getting a new bike and getting rescued are my happiest memories. —Marc Jesreel C. Mercader, 15, Manticao, Misamis Oriental
Health & Home ︱ 38 ︱November-December 2020
I
n 2019 I was baptized as a Seventh-day Adventist. That was the happiest moment of my life. At first, when I was in the water, I felt so nervous. But when my turn was over, I felt so happy. I couldn’t explain the feeling. All the fears and the worries were set aside. It was so quiet it felt like there was no one in the world except God and me. —Thesa Lyrene B. Monroid, 11, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
Jecsoon Orbano Mariñas is editorial assistant of Health & Home.
forever The 2020 Book
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