The 28th year of existence

It was on March 15, 2020, we were at Samal Island, in Kaputian Beach Park. It was actually the day when everyone was thinking of a wonderful celebration, a blast and party. Until the afternoon came, a historic announcement made by the Local Government...

It was my birthday, prior to that date, we were already planning on celebrating my day in Kaputian Beach Park, Samal Island, Dav Nor. Everyone was excited, so do I. I was very excited because I've never been to beach for few months then, other than that, I was excited with the idea that everyone's going to play Beach Volleyball.

My college friends and I were already at the place on March 14, we had our time there overnight, we chatted and enjoyed our moments together as we didn't see each other for how many months due to busyness and each of us has already been doing something for a living. We had liquor and games a bit, we had food and walking along the shore lines in a white sand beach under the heat of sun.

On March 15th, my college friends needed to go home early on the afternoon as they have work on the 16th, (March 16 was a local holiday in Davao), I mean, they still need to go to work even if it's holiday. So, I never asked them to stay, although prior that that, I and my co-workers were already planning to also go to the same beach on my birthday until March 16, after they left, my co-workers were already there, preparing our food for lunch.

This picture here on the side was my college friends' surprise for me, it is a collection of photos of me, a lot of photos the got from my social media account, together with their messages in a colorful sticky notes hanged in a red and green ribbon. I was surprise though, I was expecting of a cake only, but they gave me a "leche flan", something that's unusual for a birthday occasion, but with the token they have prepared, I was touched by their messages and of course, their efforts from making it. The surprise happened before they left the venue and right after my co-workers arrived.

On the afternoon of my exact birthday, we continued celebrating it with my co-workers, we played games such as the larong pinoy and of course, the beach volleyball, no one can ever described how prepared we were to play BV - we had the net and the ball.

We continued enjoying our time together, we set up our tents, tables and chairs, we were about to prepare our food for our dinner, while were also discussing about the COVID-19 issue.

Until the security guard of the resort strongly announced that the beach will be closed for public until further notice, and those who were out from the beach resort cannot go back until 5pm on the day. We were somehow getting anxious and full of uncertainties, we were all thinking about getting locked down on that area, but we still managed to enjoy the remaining time we had, as the good news was, we could still be able to go out on the next day, so our time left of staying there was a historic event, the LGUs announced that the whole Davao Region will be implementing a Community Quarantine, where people are not allowed to go anywhere unless if it's important.

March 16, afternoon, we had to go back to our respective residences, we needed to go back to Davao City.

At night, we still played volleyball, (not in the beach) and my volleyball friends did a surprise cake for me, and that was the last time to be with them coz right now, the pandemic seems to be so aggressive and unending, as we all need to stay at home to control the spreading of virus rapidly.

Well, I am glad that right at this very day, it was already a month ago the last time I had beach with my friends.

This pandemic will end very soon, and the 28 year of my existence was again a historic day of my life, as it was the first day of the Community Quarantine amid COVID-19.

I would like to personally thank everyone who greeted me, who celebrated with me, to my friends, closest friends, family, and to God who really is The only Author of my life. Great things are yet to come and I am always motivated and driven to live this life as happy and blessed as it could be. Those 28 years have passed gave me wonderful life lessons that made me who I am today, the years have made me become a better person compared yesterday.