National Certificate II Renewal, Strolling and Shopping

20 August 2024

I've been staying in my home country for over a month, doing things I want to do. I don't travel to tourist destinations, though, like I did back in Hong Kong. Some things I want to accomplish are renewing my expired certificates and processing other necessary credentials. My NCII expired long ago when I was in Hong Kong. If I want to pursue my career as a healthcare provider, this is just one of those I need to process. When I was available one day, I opted to visit the TESDA city office to renew my NCII. I thought I needed to retake an exam, but to my surprise, I was only asked to submit some requirements, and the processing only took a few hours to claim my new NCII. I brought my sister with me because she knows where the office is. There were many applicants that day, so we spent a few hours in the office.

After claiming my new NCII, we took a short stroll along some familiar places. Memories flashed back to when I passed by these places.

Below is the park where we used to hold our school's cheer dance and merry-making dance practices when I was in college. It is where I developed my feelings toward my first college crush, who was one of the trainers 🙈. The gymnasium hall next to it is where we used to hold company sports events, such as basketball and volleyball competitions when I was working at Coredata Inc., the very first company I worked with. Friendships were also formed in this place. So, I consider this valuable because of the fond memories with my former friends, colleagues, and classmates.

Adjacent to the park is the Leyte Provincial Capitol building, a neoclassical structure evident in its grand and symmetrical design. I remember @livinguktaiwan sharing some photos of the Capitol building she visited, and I was amazed by the interior and architecture of the Capitol. I also wanted to explore the building to see what our Capitol looks like, but I backed out when I spotted some police officers patrolling in the area, lol. We used to play around the area back in college days during free hours and practice times. I believe people were allowed to explore the Capitol back in the day, but I am uncertain if it is open for public viewing now. I just took a souvenir shot with it instead.

The next is the view of the former regional medical center (green-colored building on the left). Super typhoon Yolanda wreaked havoc on the entire city in 2013, and this hospital and its patients were severely affected by the flood. A new building was built in a better location where it won't be affected by flood, with the help of donations from international organizations and local government units. The new hospital, by the way, was opened to the public in 2018. I heard a proposal about converting this former regional hospital into a rehabilitation center. Utilizing the building for rehabilitation would be a good idea because it's genuinely a vast place, and it would be a waste if they abandoned it.

While continuing our stroll, we spotted some vendors selling street foods and buko juice (coconut juice). It's been a long time since I tried Filipino street foods, and I missed them. We bought buko juice because we were quite thirsty from walking and then continued our stroll. Not everyone likes eating street foods because some are quite unhygienic, which is true, but I still try them occasionally, lol.

Afterward, I decided to visit a shopping center to buy some things. Instead of buying things I wanted to buy, I bought this yoga mat that I spotted. I could use it for meditating and exercising. Ever since I returned home, I have wanted to implement a good lifestyle, and exercising is part of it. I especially want to do yoga, as I was inspired by Milly's yoga meditation-related posts.

Our last stop was the SM supermarket, where we bought some daily items needed at home. It's been my habit to stop by a supermarket to purchase necessary things every time I visit the city or town center. Our family is big, and things usually last only a week, lol. I am still disappointed with the inflation rate in my country, but it happens worldwide. So, as much as possible, I don't want to be unemployed for a long time unless I decide to set up a business, which is my mother's plan.

When we returned home, it was already evening. I always prefer riding a small ferry to taking the bus because the trip is shortened to 30 minutes in the water compared to more than an hour on land.

Thanks for your time.

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