Family: Quality Time Is Subjective

Giving a quality time with your own family especially when the nature of your job is 24/7 and you're always away from your family is unattainable. Do you agree?

Gebusion

Spending quality time with your family is subjective as pointed out by one of the invited guests of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in their 2012 National Family Week Celebration which was participated in by the  eight branches of La Carlota Philippines District.

La Carlota saints who joined the entire country in observing the 2012 National Family Week with the international theme, "Ensuring Family-Work Balance"

Belen P. Gebusion, Region VI - Western Visayas Operations Officer of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) impressed every member of her personal testimony on how she was able to maintain a quality time with her family in spite of her 24/7 work load.

"It depends on how you spending quality time with your family. For me, it is subjective," she pointed out.

She generously poured out her experience on how she spent her quality time with her family and how she's able to settle everything for a week while she's away doing her region-wide job as operations officer of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

She delineated it into 4 areas of concern: preparation, communication, time of communication, and participation. She told that everything should be prepared before she left her family for a work. There should be a constant communication with the family member. Time of communication is of essence. Every member should be involved in family affair. Everyone should be given a part to do his share.

"My family is my inspiration," she confidentially shared. "The need of my family is secured and when I go to work, anything that is expected is met."

Kainang Pampamilya

"Kainang Pampamilya" highlighted this one-day wholesome family celebration. Chicken, instead of lechon which is considered the icon of every feast in the country, was prepared by every unit and dispensed to every family as the main viand for their lunch.

What a happy Filipino family as every member gathered together and ate together. I enjoyed eating together with my family, with my daughter, with my son, and with my four grandchildren.

Family Is Important

Bacolod Philippines Mission First Counselor President Avelino N. Santillan shared his message by presenting an object lesson. He used the stone as the most important thing in life, that is, the family, sand to represent everything else which is not important, and the soft drink as well. He gradually put them at a time in a big glass jar and finally poured it with soft drink.

"Do you think with all the stuff inside the big glass jar, the stone has still a place to settle?" he asked.

He concluded that God has designed family in order for us to be strong and our family should be brought to heaven.

Other Speakers

Other invited speakers who also shared their experiences and views on family matters were La Carlota Vice Mayor David Baga, Jr. He told that family is the foundation of our nation. It should have a strong foundation then, he stressed. He had three things to consider in making a family to have a strong foundation like the Church, relationship among the family  members and education.

Congressman Jeffrey P. Ferrer was able to catch up with the program which was about to end when he arrived. Ferrer was a consistent advocate of Family Week celebration of the Church since he's still a city councilor and a city mayor. He gave a brief message on how also he spent quality time with his own family.

The non-members who celebrated with the Church were Julie Uy, OIC of DSWD La Carlota, city councilors: Jimmy Mariño, Karen Aguirre, Amalia Aguirre, Anabelle Bermudo, among others.