waw, nang leny. daghang mabuhay for sharing your blog. i am deeply touched by your words. my family, dr virgilio enriquez, tony de castro, aurora fernandez, dj lapu lapu, sfsu teachers such as the two dans, SFSU’s nursing and SFSU’s public health dept, PACE, PNANC, kidlat tahimik, TNT folks, apu reyna, lolo babe, countless patients, foster kids and their caregivers, social workers, public health nurses and several folks and communities in the bay area, hawai’i and the islands of the philippines and  many more on the sidelines and up front who remain nameless here but not forgotten are a big part of this sariling duwende’s story. i am honored to be a part of this journey. actually i didn’t drop my public health career but due to recent economic situations my position was ‘dropped.’ but this bangka journey is a continuation of public health. it is about healing our ancestral wounds, community building and empowerment via the bangka and the sacred water and mother earth, spirits that guides us. a journey for peace and ang lipay, happiness.