A merry medley

The term bachelor refers to a man who is free to get married and yet chooses to be single. It used to be a stigma causing people to wonder, “What is wrong with this man?” Since our society places so much emphasis on the importance of individuals finding their partner, someone who has not committed himself to making a woman live happily forever after used to seem odd. As values change, our regard for men who choose to stay single has also adjusted. Today, we admire men who dedicate themselves to their work. Today, we realize that there is no truth in making sweeping statements about bachelors. Yes, when they enter a party, they are often introduced as being single and matchmakers thrill to the pleasure of seeing them fall in love.

This Christmas season we bring you replies from some of the bachelors we featured this year:

FRANCIS BARBERO

A memorable place I have traveled to is the Philippines. I did fall in love with the Philippines. It wasn’t just the white beaches of Boracay, something more profound — the rawness of humanity — made it a very honest place, and that meant something to me. I really did fall in love with the Philippines, then I fell out of love with it when I saw the dark side and, now, I am accepting it for what it is.

MARCO DIAZ

The last meal that truly impressed me was freshly cut yellow-fin tuna sashimi from Atimonan, Quezon. I brought the wasabi in my emergency kit. What’s impressive is the size of the fish when they hook it and haul it in. The Pacific side of the Philippines has wonderful seafood! 

CESAR FLORES

I learned how to play as a team from the time I was in high school, playing saxophone in a band. Music is team management; every now and then, one has his moment to shine, like when you do a solo. I was also part of many organizations. When I was in university in Germany, I used to tutor the exchange students who would come from other countries and teach them how to adapt and guide them through the rules and regulations, organize their social activities. It has everything to do with dealing with different personalities.

MOUSSA ABDAYEM

One of my goals this year is to have a lot of friends and interview a lot of people to know what kind of people there are in Philippines because if I want to work here, I want to stay here all my life. I want to follow my work. I went to Egypt, Syria, Dubai, Thailand, but I did not feel the relaxing that I feel here. It is amazing here. You can make friends here. Without friends, I cannot live.

CONRAD ALAMPAY

The site that inspires me is TED.com. TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: technology, entertainment, design. To quote their mission, “We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we’re building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other. This site, launched April 2007, is an ever-evolving work in progress, and you’re an important part of it. Have an idea?”

VIC LUCKY BARRIOS

After being in business, I realized that more than making money, I would rather love what I do. Chasing the money does not give you the satisfaction that self- fulfillment does.

PAULO CANIVEL

What helped me to conquer fear was the time I lost all my support systems. I was transitioning from work to having my own business. I was not employed so I did not have any income. I was cut off from everything I used to rely on. I felt alone trying to figure things out on my own, so I had to keep looking for new sources of information. I went through a year where I had no steady income while I was building the business. To supplement my income, I learned how to do the stock market and it became my primary source of income.