Tuesday, August 20, 2013

"Simpleng Pinay" Lending A Big Hand With Her Simple Ways

Hello, friends and angels! It’s been quite a very long time since my last blog… I really missed blogging BIG TIME! I am so glad to be back and hopefully to write blogs as much as I did in the past (fingers tightly crossed...) At this moment I am more than just proud and excited to bring you another extraordinary Filipino who makes me REALLY proud to be a Filipina. I am honored and so blessed to present to you a very hard working asset oat a high government office, who manages to be extraordinary on the job, but is able to be a good “mother figure” to her most loved friend and baby, “Peso” and at the same time having the heart to lend a helping hand and promote the beauty and excellence of our very own country with the use of her talent in writing.

An article writer contributor at “Animal Scene” – a magazine published by the “Manila Bulletin”,a web content provider at HubPages and a Presidential Management Staff. Ladies and gentlemen, let me present to you a very talented and charming Filipina and a very good friend, MISS MARIA CECILIA ARROGANTE.


Miss Macel during her free time
Miss Macel, as her friends and love ones fondly call her has been featured in “Imbestigador” on 2008, another time in “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho”  on 2010 and has also been invited to be a guest speaker by Hobbes and Lobbes to talk about her article about Dog Photography.

Here’s my little interview with this wonderful Pinay, who has gained so much respect with her enthusiasm for life.

Me: You have so much responsibilities, besides holding a position on a high government office, you manage to blog, take care of your dogs like they are your kids and you even have time to write for Animal Scene, how do you keep with it?

Miss Macel: I am trying to balance everything. If I am at work, it's only work and as much as possible; I don't bring work at home, or extend my time at work but never really bring work at home. I always prioritize if there is too much work to do; I set aside Animal Scene and Hubpages. My job is still my priority because it is my bread and butter and it's the reason why I can provide for my hobbies (blogging and photography) and my dogs. This year, I only had two articles published by Animal Scene, January and April pa yun, when things are gettilng light at work I started with my other articles. Actually I was working with two stories before I left for Singapore, now I need to recall my momentum, medyo tapos na medyo improvement na lang. When it comes to animal scene kasi, I really make it a point that I am confident with the stories and arrangement ng sentences ko, matindi pa rin ang editing sa print eh. I only write for Hubpages naman, whenever I have too much spare time, it depends on my mood especially if I have no stories for Animal Scene in mind. Basta ang rule ko ay prioritization - work first, then Animal Scene, then Hubpages. I won't write for Hubpages until I submit one article for Animal Scene. About my dogs naman before and after my work, it's definitely about them already. I won't go to work without bringing them to walk in the morning and then feed them before I leave. Then when I arrive home in the evening, I make sure that we spend time to stroll again, then feed them then kaunting play then sleep. Saturdays and Sundays is for them also. There are some cases when I need to break the rules that is when one of the dogs is sick, I may take a leave from work... ganun lang kasimple buhay ko, I don't go out that much. I go out of town or out of the country pero madalang yun. But whenever I have to take some time out or leave the country, I make sure someone will take care of my dogs, and it's my rule na 2 to 3 days lang ako pwedeng mawala (laughs) My dog Peso has this attitude of refusing to eat whenever he senses that I will be out for days.

Me: You have blogged so much about myriad things on your site at Hubpages, what are your favorite topics that may somehow help people especially the Filipinos?

Miss Macel: My favorite topic is always about dogs, especially when it comes to Peso's ailment and that is Perineal Hernia. I always make it a point to answer queries kasi it's a rare case for dogs. When Peso was just starting to have it, except for the internet and veterinarian, I had no other source of information. Deep within me I felt like I needed to talk to someone who can talk to me and understand what I am feeling. So I decided to document my dog's ailment so that I can answer queries for dog owners like me, and it worked though there are some who never update me after answering them, there are some who became my friends and we keep updating each other. My next favorite is featuring the restaurants where I dined in. Obviously I love to eat, and I wish that my hubs about resto's may help some people decide where to go. And I love writing about my favorite Korean actress, and I do this for her fans like me… actually some of her fans has already become my friends! (laughs).Then my fourth favorite is featuring places where I have been because I want to promote the best places in our country… although I really don't consider myself nationalistic, I still wish to show to the world the beauty of the Philippines by writing about it, kahit marami nang writers ang gumagawa nito. (laughs)

Me:  What or who inspires you to write?

Miss Macel: My definition of who inspires me to write is like who I like to write about always (laughs) - My dog Peso always inspires me to write. I guess you know that story that my first break in writing was my article about him which was entitled “My Dog Has Perineal Hernia” which was published by Animal Scene in 2008. Then Korean Actress Hajiwon, I like her beauty, parang may pagkapinay, and she's a good actress, family oriented, and still single. Sila yung main inspiration ko for writing, though I am thinking I should thank Someone above as my main inspiration, for HE is the reason why I have this gift, tingin ko this is what He wants me to do but di ko pa nagagamit in ways that he really wanted me to. 
Miss Macel with her adorble dog "Peso"

Me: You seem to be passionate about writing, photography and of course, dogs... tell us anything about them.

Miss Macel: Writing, dogs and photography, are passions that originated since I was very young. I started writing poems in grade school, I already love dogs then. Same thing with photography, I started with 110 sizes of exposure (laughs)... I have lots of pictures with friends and they all thank me now because it made them really smile to see how they looked like during our younger years. I gave the whole album to my friend in Singapore, I told her to repackage it and have it scanned (laughs), I have done my job already so it's their turn.

Me: You have been featured in several television shows, tell us something about them.

Miss Macel: Sa “Imbestigador” on 2008 yata yun, after my dog Peso’s first surgery yun. The topic had nothing to do with his ailment, but more on showing someone who treats her dog very well and those who butchered dogs to sell the meat sa Baguio. The secondnd time I went out on TV last 2010 sa “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” was about Manila Zoo naman yun, they found me through Hubpages where I wrote about Manila Zoo and even posted photos there when I was younger. Di na nakasama si Peso dun kasi parang it was too tasking na, na after Manila Zoo babalik pa to Marikina to shoot Peso. Ok lang... (smiles) The third time I begged off na but instead I recommended my bestfriend's mom, sa ABS CBN naman ito kay “Matanglawin”, again they found me through Hubpages , where I wrote about cremation of the my dog Pissy. Medyo not so comfortable going out on screen (laughs) by the way yung sa Imbestigador, they found me thru my celar.blogspot.com so yung mga TV exposures because of my hubs and blogs ko lang ako natutunton and most of the time iyan yung mga di ko matanggihan because it has something to do with my writing. Because of Animal Scene too, Hobbes and Lobbes invited me to be a guest speaker and talked about my article na Dog Photography kaya I can say that writing did a lot for me- things that I did not expect to do.

Miss Macel's article featured at "Animal Scene" Magazine about Peso.

Miss Madel's article about Manila Zoo was also featured in "Animal Scene" Magazine.

Me: As a successful Filipina, what do you think is the foremost responsibility of each Filipina woman to herself and fellow Filipinos?

Miss Macel: Parang I don't consider myself successful yet... you think I am? Measure din ba ng success ang financial stability? If yes,  in that case I don't think I am successful (laughs). Siguro in a way I am successful though I consider myself still struggling with my present job. I guess I am successful because I am happy with what I am doing. I am happy that I can write and there are people that I really do not know and yet approached me and told me that they have read my articles. Those things are making me feel high and forget my inadequacies in life. To me, it's my responsibility to make my life better and happier always. I should pamper myself always and should take care of my health, eat healthy food and right diet. I am dieting right now. I guess I could help my fellow Filipinos with my own little ways like showing them good example as tohow to be a good dog owner. I wish I could show people how to follow rules but I know I am not perfect and in fact disobey some rules sometimes, pero sa akin lang as long as you are happy and comfortable and you don't hurt or bother anyone, then you are always on a right track.

Me: Lastly, what is your advice for the Filipina women who would love to enjoy life better?

Miss Macel: Always do things that can make you happy, because when you are happy with what you do, you don't get bored waiting for financial advances or incentives. Always focus also in everything you do, in my case I really did well whenever I chose to keep quiet and concentrate in my job whenever I am in my office. And lastly Jen, words of wisdom, don't get a pet just because you are sad, or in case you think a pet can make you happy at least be responsible.

Me:  Thank you so much Miss Macel for spending some time with this interview. I salute you and it is really an honor to have you featured at Ripples of Koi. Thanks for the blessing of knowing you and for the friendship you unselfishly share. See you around!

After that talk with this extraordinary Filipina, I have learned things that I would love to impart with my readers. These are:

  •  With our daily struggle to be responsible with the things and responsibilities that we have to face every day, we really need the courage to keep up and prioritize.
  •  We should never rely on others, even to our pets to give us happiness- because happiness lies within us, and we only realize that when we know how to show how much we love others.
  •  Humility is always a vital ingredient to success. Miss Macel is really a very humble Filipina, some Filipina women who somehow manage to climb a little step towards success act as if they own the world, yet this successful Filipina remains so down to earth despite her achievements.
  • One of the greatest gifts that we can give not only to others but especially to ourselves is the ability to share our talents in ways that we can also lend a hand to the people that get by and spend some time with what we create. Miss Macel’s articles have not made her happier just because it has taken her on the screen, but it has actually made her feel so blessed that her talent in writing have given some vital information to others and even some form of realization that animals need the kind of loving care that some fail to give them.
Now, isn’t Miss Macel an epitome of a Filipina that we all should look upon? Be proud of who you are, make your hobbies be a worthwhile thing that can help others… because simple ways may give big helpful results. Yan ang Pinay!

* Read Miss Macel’s articles at http://maria-cecilia.hubpages.com/
*ALL IMAGES ARE CREDITED TO MISS MACEL ARROGANTE.

2 comments:

  1. Welcome back to blogging manang. As always, you never fail to inspire me:)
    Through this blog I have somehow learned that to be able to do so many things that you love/like is to make priorities in life. I am a person who has lots of hobbies too, but when I became a mom and a wife it seems that all of my time is only dedicated to household chores and stuff. Now I have learned that a Filipina like Ms Macel could do what her heart desires and it helps me to know that it is possible, which means I could do it too.
    Then of course, after doing what you love or like comes joy and happiness that we seek.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for dropping by Khae! You inspire me much more! God bless!

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