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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Timothy J. Libunao is a 32-year old registered Medical Technologist, a father to a 5-year old amiable and smart little boy and a husband to a registered Physical Therapist. He is an accomplished campus journalist, student leader, businessman, salesman and most of all, a loving father and husband, an obedient son, a caring brother, a very loyal and dear friend.


An Editor-in-Chief of his high school and college publications, a student council president for three years in college, a volunteer grade school teacher and a social mobilizer who was able to spearhead various community projects in Quezon City. He led several national organizations including the Quezon City Red Cross Youth Council, College Editors' Guild of the Philippines, Jesuit Volunteers of the Philippines and Philippine Society of Medical Technology Students. His glorious years came when he was elected as a student commissioner of the National Youth Commission under the Office of the President of the Philippines last 2002 and 2003. He worked and was designated as the Chief Medical Technologist of Murphy Diagnostic & Multi-Specialty Center and Hope Medical & Multi-Specialty Center in Quezon City before he entered medical school.

He is the eldest son of Mr. Freddie Mandario Libunao & Mrs. Ma. Sonia Jaleco Jesena of Hughes St., Maasin, Iloilo. He has two siblings: Bryan Paul graduated with a Masters Degree in Integrated Marketing and Communications in the University of Asia and the Pacific and Maria Mikaela who is a second year Medical Technology student of Centro Escolar University.

His wife, Ma. Theresa Acay of Marikina City is a registered Physical Therapist while his son Mikhail Thaddeus is a pre-school pupil of Jesus Christ Saves Global Outreach Christian Academy (JCA) in Quezon City.

He finished his grade school and high school in Ateneo de Iloilo (formerly Santa Maria Catholic School). He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Medical Technology in World Citi Colleges and was awarded as the Most Outstanding Intern of the Year of Philippine Heart Center & World Citi Medical Center. He is presently on his third year Post Graduate course as Doctor of Medicine in Far Eastern University - Dr. Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation where he served as the Treasurer of the Medicine Student Council last 2007 and 2009. He was a former faculty of the KATINKO Wellness Institute Foundation Inc. where he taught Anatomy & Physiology, Massage Economics, Microbiology, Parasitology and Public Hygiene to Massage Therapists. Presently, he is one of the board of directors of Healthville Inc., a wellness company he co-founded with his brother.



Thursday, December 25, 2008

A VERY MEANINGFUL CHRISTMAS EVER

It was Christmas Eve, my niece to my sister-in-law will be spending Christmas with us. Her mom happened to have work that day so we decided to invite her in. That day, my wife and I were very busy choosing gifts for our little boy, Todd and my niece Yana. We were actually looking for cheap but nice gifts because we wanted to buy as much gifts for them and enjoy watching as they open the gifts one by one. Soon after the Christmas rush, we took a very late sumptuous lunch at The Old Spaghetti House in SM Marikina (loved their Taco Pizza a lot). It was already 4PM and we still have to fetch Todd who spent a few days vacation with his Granny who just arrived from abroad. We got home at around 6PM, tired but excited because that was the first time the family will be attending a Christian church service on Christmas Eve. We have been Born Again Christians for eight years now but this year marked our first to attend a Christian service on Christmas Eve. I was so excited... never imagined that it would be the most meaningful Christmas ever!

Nighttime came and it became quite frustrasting initially because I was expecting my brother, who doesn't attend church services with us, to join us that night but unfortunately changed his mind. Furthermore, my dad was in a bad mood so he didn't join us too. Christmas is supposed to be celebrated with the family (ergo, the whole family should've gone to church altogether) but I think they (dad & bro) didn't realize it that night. Nevertheless, the whole family (except for the two, of course) went to church to thank the Lord for sending His Son over to us.

Just like the ordinary church service, singing of praise and worship songs came first. Pastor Eniong sang "Oh Holy Night" with the worship ministry, with me singing along. Little did I know that tears were already flowing down my eyes and I was literally feeling my heart move. I started to tremble as the the song continued. As the song played, more tears flowed down and it was there that I realized how much the song meant, as if I am singing a ballad, a song for my wife while i was still courting her. I have been singing and hearing the song (Oh Holy Night) for years and this was the first time that the song got into my nerves (and senses). I then realized that it was my relationship with God that has gone deeper and upclose, very personal.... that made me feel that way.... that made me cry. "O Holy Night".... as simple as it is... became the most meaningful song for me for the whole year. It became more valuable and meaningful... because for me "Oh Holy Night" was my Grammy song of the year.

My Christmas was actually that simple yet that meaningful, and "Oh Holy Night" made my 2008 Christmas the most meaningful ever. For it was already God who was speaking to me, speaking to me through the Holy Spirit.... and that too was my greatest miracle so far.
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