I recently had the opportunity to experience the Manila – Ishigaki – Keelung – Manila sailing aboard the Costa Serena for Rotary International District 3820’s 4-in-1 Learning Seminar, and it was such an unforgettable trip that I feel compelled to tell people about the final Philippine route happening March 19–26.
Their final Philippine Route is Manila – Naha – Kaohsiung – Manila, and what makes me really excited (and sad that I won’t be experiencing it) is that it boasts of 15 hours in Naha, and 12 hours in Kaohsiung.
A Floating Italian Resort
The moment you step aboard the Costa Serena, you’d feel that this isn’t just transportation. It’s a destination in itself.
Operated by Costa Cruises, the ship brings a touch of Italian elegance to the sea. The interiors are grand (the ship has just been recently renovated), the atmosphere is lively, and there’s always something happening… from live shows to group activities to themed parties.
What surprised me most was how at home I felt from the moment my husband and I stepped into our sea balcony cabin at Deck 6. Having spent half my life on an island, I’m used to being aboard ships, but being on a ship this massive was a whole new experience. I barely felt the sways, even when I could see the white foam of the big waves.
Food, Food, and More Food
One of the highlights of cruising is the food. And the Costa Serena definitely delivers.
From buffets to full-service dining, there’s a wide variety of cuisines available throughout the day. Whether you want Asian comfort food, Western favorites, desserts, or late-night snacks, you’ll never go hungry.
Dining on the ship quickly becomes part of the daily rhythm. You can have breakfast with an ocean view, afternoon snacks between activities, and elegant dinners that feel like a celebration every night.
The Vesta restaurant was exclusively assigned to Rotarians throughout the duration of the trip, but we also got to experience the breakfast buffet at Ceres, and the one on Deck 9. I binged on fruits and desserts, and while we were offered plated dinners at Ceres, my husband and I opted to just brave the buffets lines at Deck 9. I’m not gonna lie, I’d rather eat food that I see first, than choose meals I can’t even pronounce from a menu. Oh, I did experience one plated dinner, and no, it’s not my jam.
Entertainment Every Night
Evenings onboard are packed with entertainment. On our route, there was a White Party, a Retro Party, a Gold Party, and a Masquerade. Not sure if those themed parties are the same on every route, but those are definitely nights to look forward to.
The theater shows were surprisingly high quality, complete with talented singers, dancers, and elaborate costumes. There were also games, music performances, and interactive events that made the cruise feel festive all throughout the days.
It’s the kind of environment where you can choose your own pace: relax with music and drinks or join the excitement of the nightly shows.
The Best Part: Waking Up in New Destinations
On our route, we stopped at:
Ishigaki
Keelung
Each port offered a completely different cultural experience—from Japanese island charm to Taiwan’s bustling harbor city.
Our stay in Ishigaki was short, and the weather was not good, but I was still able to enjoy our time there, and be amazed at how clean the city was, and how courteous the drivers were. I’d say it’s a city were traffic lights are not needed, as drivers stop at the sign of pedestrians, and yield at intersections.
What came to me as a surprise was how clean Taiwan was. Our day trip to Taipei gave me a glimpse of a place that I would definitely love to visit in a more leisurely manner. We were able to buy some things, and what I appreciated the most was how fast the service was at their duty free counters.
Why the Final Sailing Is Worth It
The upcoming route will visit:
Naha
Kaohsiung
Both are incredible destinations.
Naha offers Okinawan culture, beautiful beaches, and vibrant shopping streets, while Kaohsiung is known for its night markets, temples, and waterfront attractions.
And just like our trip, you’ll get to experience the journey while enjoying everything the Costa Serena offers onboard.
A Rare Opportunity for Philippine Travelers
Cruises departing directly from Manila don’t happen very often, which makes this sailing particularly special.
Instead of flying internationally, travelers can simply board the ship and start their journey immediately.
For families, couples, or groups of friends, it’s a convenient and memorable way to explore multiple countries in one trip.
VATGS Travel
After experiencing the cruise myself, I can honestly say it’s one of the most relaxing and enjoyable ways to travel. The combination of great food, entertainment, ocean views, and exciting destinations makes it a trip unlike any other.
With the final Philippine sailing happening March 19–26, this may be the last chance (for now) to experience the Costa Serena departing from Manila.
If you’ve been thinking about trying a cruise, this might be the perfect opportunity.
And the best part? VATGS Travel is ready to help you experience a worry- and hassle-free travel. They’re my go-to travel gurus, and they do not disappoint.
Back when I was starting in 2006, when I said I worked from home, people thought I was either “just doing side gigs” or “babysitting with a laptop.” And if I mentioned I was a virtual assistant, I usually had to explain what that even meant.
But here we are in 2026, and working from home is not only common—it’s powerful. Especially for moms like me.
Yes, it’s hard.
Yes, it’s messy.
Yes, there are days when client calls clash with housechores and family time, and errands get bumped for deadlines and meetings.
But I’ve come to believe that being a work-at-home mom today isn’t a compromise.
It’s a superpower.
And I call it the WAHM Superpower.
You’re Building a Business Without Leaving Your Babies
There was a time when “success” meant leaving the house, wearing heels, and punching a time card. Today, you can build a six-figure business in your pajamas—with a toddler on your lap and a load of laundry in the machine.
That’s not a downgrade.
That’s freedom.
It means you can pause for a cuddle, take client calls during nap time, and still meet your income goals. It means you don’t have to choose between presence and provision.
You’re Mastering the Art of the Pivot—Daily
No one adapts like a mom.
In the span of a morning, you can reschedule a meeting, reheat your coffee three times, settle a sibling squabble, and still deliver excellent work to a client on the other side of the globe.
That kind of flexibility? That kind of resilience?
Corporate doesn’t teach that. Motherhood does.
And when you learn to channel that strength into your business, you become unstoppable.
You’re Learning (and Earning) on Your Terms
Work-at-home moms are some of the fastest learners I know.
We take courses during nap time. We watch tutorials while folding laundry. We read newsletters while waiting outside the doctor’s office.
We’re not waiting for permission or a perfect time—we’re creating our own growth curve.
And we’re bringing that learning straight into our businesses, day by day.
You’re Raising Humans While Changing the World—One Client at a Time
Let’s not downplay what we do.
When we support small businesses, we help economies grow. When we serve clients with excellence, we build trust and impact. When we show up for our families and our work, we model a new way of living—for our kids and the women watching us.
Being a work-at-home mom isn’t about “doing it all.”
It’s about doing what matters most, with purpose and love.
The World Is Finally Catching Up to What We’ve Always Known
Remote work is no longer a trend—it’s a movement. And as work-at-home moms, we’ve been ahead of the curve.
We’ve known the value of time freedom. We’ve lived the challenge of managing households and meetings. We’ve built brands, businesses, and bank accounts—all from the living room.
So if you’ve ever felt like this life is “less than”…
Let me remind you:
You are a CEO. A caretaker. A visionary. A vessel of strength.
And in 2026, that combo?
That’s a superpower.
And I’m so excited to be coaching and mentoring newbie VAs so they can work with me.
On October 15, I posted on my Facebook wall a reminder to myself that I should write about how I met my husband.
But life got busy, and I never had a moment to sit down and write.
In this age of ChatGPT, I still prefer to write organically. Most especially about my journey, and particularly about my love story.
Mine is such a unique one. I don’t think there is a story quite like ours. So unique that I think I should have a chapter dedicated to it in the book I’m writing, Beyond Virtual Assistance.
Yep! I have a book. And I have started writing already. It might take a few months… a year… maybe more. But it’s happening. And I can’t delay it any longer. I just have to write a paragraph everyday.
So back to our love story.
I have intimated about the uniqueness of our love in a previous post, My Reason for Being: Why I’m Rocking the WAHM Life. <<< Yes, that’s a link, so go ahead and click it so you can read about that, too.
But if you’re too lazy to read a 2,566-word post, here’s an excerpt:
My husband and I started out as buddies. We just sort of hit it off right from the get-go. In a place where we were both strangers, we found ourselves sharing some fondness on topics that were nowhere near the telenovelas people around us were living, sharing music that you wouldn’t find in a karaoke songbook, and spending weekends together just quietly reading side by side, each lost in the world created for us by those who have imaginations richer than ours. Ours was never what romance stories are made of. We’re more on the friendship genre. I’ve lost my faith in romance a long time before I met him. Our friendship was made more precious by the chemistry that was effortlessly there. And I’ve lost count of the number of times we were approached by strangers and were asked if we were siblings.
We were buddies, alright. We were both brought to Ibaan by our respective positions with the then Digital Telecommunications, Phils. I was, at the time, the Assistant Manager for Recovery Management, and he was a Switching Supervisor. I hail from Mindoro, and he’s from Southern Leyte.
But here’s the thing…
He became my boyfriend even before I personally met him.
Now I know you’re hooked, and you want to know more. 🙂
Our story started when I was still the District Credit and Collection In-Charge, and I was assigned in my hometown in Occidental Mindoro. My job was to manage the accounts receivable portfolio of San Jose and Mamburao Exchanges. Part of that management was to prepare the disconnection request for delinquent accounts, and reconnection request once the account is current again. Those requests get submitted to the Switching Department. They then execute the disconnection, and once the account gets settled, they also execute the reconnection.
You know how Filipinos always wait for the last minute to act on a deadline, right?
Digitel subscribers are Filipinos, indeed!
And on that particular month, I think 250 or so of the 1,500 subscribers decided to pay on the last day, so the cashier was late in finishing his collection report. That meant I would also be late in updating the A/R sheet.
At that time, I had the highest collection rating company-wide. And that was due to my timely disconnection schedule. You don’t pay, I disconnect. So they pay, albeit on the very last day.
So staying in the office late was the norm for me, just so I could finish the job.
And because I knew I was going to be late submitting my disconnection request, I had the mind to call the Switching Department and give them a heads up. It was around 7:00 pm.
And the call went like this:
Phone ringing…
Someone answered: Switching.
Me: Hello… Sweetheart, pwede pakihintay ako? Meron akong for disconnection.
Voice: Ano’ng tawag mo sa ‘kin?
Me: Sweetheart, may masama ba don?
Voice: Pang mag boyfriend lang ‘yon.
Me: Walang problema… mula ngayon boyfriend na kita.
See… I’m that person who follows protocol. If someone answers the phone on a switching number, then that person should be a switching personnel, because the switching room is for switching personnel only. No other employees were allowed in there. Well… supposedly.
So when he answered my call on the second ring, I just knew he’s a switch tech, and that he was the person I needed to talk to. Didn’t care what his name was. And in that era of my life, I would call people whose name I don’t know “sweetheart.”
But he would not just roll with that. We haven’t met, no. And I think he took offense. He didn’t like being called sweetheart. But he also did not say that he could not be my boyfriend, so he must have been single, yes?
So, stubborn that I was, when the disconnected subscribers came to the office to pay the following morning, I just had to rile him some more.
Phone ringing…
Someone answered: Switching. (Uh-oh… not his voice!)
Me: Hello… pwede sa boyfriend ko? I have three for reconnection. San Jose.
Voice: Sino ga po ang boyfriend n’yo?
Me: ‘Yong naka-duty kagabi, around 7:00.
Voice: (shouting) Sir Jojo! Girlfriend n’yo daw from Mindoro.
And that was how I learned of his name. He was such a gentleman, he took the call.
And from then on, I would just ask for Jojo whenever I have a business with the Switching Department.
Until an opportunity arose for us to personally meet, in San Jose.
But that is another story for another time.
If you want to know how that first meeting went, just leave me a comment below. 🙂
It’s one thing to visit and be a guest at another Rotary Club meeting here in the Philippines. It’s another to be a guest and a speaker at a Rotary Club in the US.
I’ve attended a meeting of a sister club here in Batangas (hello, Rotary Club of Rosario Batangas!) and also a meeting of the Rotary Club of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro, District 3810. But this is the first time that I’ve been to a meeting in Virginia, the US of A. ?
I met Prescott through a co-worker in the US. At my previous virtual work, we have a Slack channel where we share our volunteer activities, so my co-workers are all aware that I am a Rotarian.
Back in July, my co-worker, Caitlin, met Prescott, a Federal employee and a Rotarian. She mentioned to him that she knows of another Rotarian from the Philippines, me.
Prescott reached out to me via email, and due to the nature of his work, he cannot maintain communications with me. (Think Pentagon + Federal employee + Philippines = cannot communicate.) So he introduced me to another member of his club, Steve.
The Crystal City Pentagon Rotary Club is composed mainly of Federal employees and they are a congenial group. Started on time, ended on time. Very clear agenda, with allotted time for each. I was given 15 minutes to present, and 5 minutes for follow up questions.
I am so looking forward to collaborating with them. But even if nothing comes out of it, I’d still treasure the opportunity that has been handed me.
I also met RID 7610’s DGN, Peter Anderson. Yey!
One thing to look forward to is meeting them in person at the International Convention in Taipei next year.
But no amount of money can really pay for self-respect, and take care of my mental health.
So I walked away even without a back-up plan.
Because I know I have skills, and I have grit.
But most importantly, I have faith.
In myself, and in God.
I’m taking things one day at a time.
We’ve been in this situation before. When I had a newborn, and I was told I have to forget about my career for a while and just focus on taking care of my son. Back then, we were in debt, no savings, and no idea what I would do.
This time around, we are debt-free, and we have savings.
And the cherry on top, I’ve got skills. And I have friends who are rooting for me.
