God ‘delivers’

Before I go to my year-end topic, I just want to call out to the MIAA, DOLE, as well as a company called D’Frada regarding the lamentation of baggage porters at the NAIA.

A kindhearted member of the Ortigas family recently discovered “that baggage porters have a quota to handle 100 pieces of baggage a day or they are required to pay the shortfall out of their own pockets – forcing them to work as early as 6 a.m. all the way to 7 p.m.” (instead of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., resulting in a 13-hour shift).

“Shockingly, they receive no overtime pay…the P50 service fee per bag which passengers assume goes to porters apparently does not. If these accounts are accurate, this situation is not only unjust but exploitative. These porters endure this hardship silently, fearing the loss of their livelihood.”

This has been a problem for at least 10 years and has been written about by media. Back then the quota was only 45 bags a day. Under its contract, D’Frada is also supposed to maintain the luggage carts at the NAIA but have not done a good job of it. Clearly, the MIAA is great at drawing up contracts with the private sector and but has been remiss in checking compliance. They should also integrate such requirements instead of chopping up businesses and services.

Last but not the least, may we request Sec. Benny Laguesma to send an investigative team to interview those porters and find out the truth.

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One year ago, Dec. 29, 2023, I hosted the last episode of the show AGENDA on Cignal TV. After a five-and-a-half-year run that was not too bad, considering two of them were during the COVID pandemic that forced Team Agenda and me in particular, to learn all about online broadcasting.

We worked from home with garden spotlights, using an umbrella as a light diffuser, investing thousands of pesos of personal funds languishing, testing and buying cameras and microphones and Apps, ring lights, etc. We even consulted with a TV director on the best set-up for our DIY home studio.

Because in the broadcast industry there is a saying, “Walang Forever,” my wife and I put up a “Don’t Touch” fund when “THE END” came. While doing so, I was reminded that “Savings” has a twin named “Simple Living” and you can’t have one without the other.

When the New Year of 2024 rolled in, I had a “mental conversation” with God. I remember saying, “In the past years, I’ve always asked you to give me this or give me that. I would spell out or write down a wish list. This year, I will not ask, I will wait on you, for what you think is best. I will live out the faith I always talk about and trust where you lead us and give us.”

It was a bold declaration, but I meant it, and that was what my wife and I did. We carried on living frugally but not miserly. We stayed visible publicly and did not retreat in private. And, most importantly, we remained committed to giving our tithes and ARKs or Acts of Random Kindness, which was more organized than random.

I remember one time during church service when I shared with my daughter Hannah that it is truly a privilege to be able to give tithes when you know that you have much less than before. It meant telling people who were counting on you that “supplies last until the well runs dry.” But it also clarified our trust in God.

Soon, I started coming across verses and podcasts talking about God as “Our Father,” a real father who really loves you, and not just a term at the beginning of The Lord’s Prayer. That while we obey his will, we could call him out on his promises, that he’s good for it and that he knows what we need even before we ask him.

That was followed by motivational messages and videos from champion athletes, financial gurus and pastors online, all saying: you got to put in the work more than the next guy. MJ, Kobe, Steve Jobs, etc. they all talked about extra work equals extra credit. Motivational guru Tony Robbins said, “always over deliver” and “give if you want to succeed.”

Not long after, my social media algorithm was punching out stories and lessons of the generosity of both local and international businessmen who keep giving and still keep receiving. CEOs who are so generous but so successful that everything they touch turns into gold. Then came lessons about self-appreciation, recognizing the little that we have in hand, God can multiply.

I was, for all intents and purposes, being “tutored” and molded to have a mindset that was God-centered, based on complete faith and trust, built by hard work and the “extra mile” that Jesus taught his disciples. Last but not least, to have a generous heart that cares for others and thereby acts by blessing others.

We needed to be competent, confident and have the right mindset before being entrusted with much. Yes, in 2024 God delivered more than we could have imagined and asked for! I’m back doing corporate consultancies, conducting training programs, hosting events, as well as media engagements. Yes, God delivers!

Allow me to repost a friend’s message on FB:  “I would like to publicly praise and thank God for the many blessings he has been giving me in private.” Happy New Year!