It’s the most wonderful time of the year! 
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🎁 Photo: Mark Pelobello FB Account
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” –Colossians 3:12-14
Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines, one of the most visited places in the country. With its cool weather, the city is a perfect place to relax and escape from the heat of Metro Manila. The Youth Ministry (PYM) core members of the Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Nuestra Señora de Aranzazu (DSPNSDA) took advantage of the weekend brought by the ASEAN Summit to visit the City of Pines last November 11-13.
Eight years ago the PYM core members first visited Baguio City together with our former coordinator Sr. Blessiline A. Alvero as we planned activities for the ministry. Now, as we visit again the city with a different set of PYM core members, with our present coordinator Lia Andrea S. Salamat, we took the chance to bond with each other and to visit places we haven’t seen together.
We arrived in the city at 7 in the morning, which is too early for the check in of our transient. We decided to visit first Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral (Baguio Cathedral) to gave thanks for our safe arrival and prayed our own intentions. Fortunately, we were able to check in earlier as we expected just as we needed to have some rest and prepare ourselves for the afternoon trip. Our itinerary starts at Mines View Park, The Mansion, ate at Good Taste Restaurant and shopped at night market to sum up our day. On the next day, we continue our trip to visit places we did not see the day before.
We spent our day taking photos of one another or by group and appreciating the tourist spots of Baguio City. Our last day has arrived, we departed early morning to drop by the market and buy some pasalubong and pay a visit at Our Lady of Manaoag to pray for one another and for the safe travel back to our home.
It was a nice experience travelling with your friends in the ministry, you get to know each others more as you visit the same places together. It is not only the places you visit that makes the journey exciting, but what’s behind the journey that makes it fulfilling. Looking forward to having more journey with my siblings in the ministry. Patrick Tolop
Patrick Jay Tolop
Contributor, Youth Ministry - Parish Pastoral Council
Peejay Tolop is currently the Coordinator of the Parish Youth Ministry and now working with Robinsons Land Corporation as a Civil Engineer. In the year 2007, he started his service in Tanghalang Aranzazu as a production staff and later became the 3rd coordinator of the organization.
