Not so long ago, while I was serving as Consul General at the Philippine Embassy in Canada, I had the opportunity to visit Davao City, my birthplace and my home to this day.

There are many times when we take for granted what we have. While I do not wish to convey false humility as regards my work, I also wish to say that I feel no sense of self-importance in my title whatsoever. And that is the God-honest truth. Thus, while I was very happy to have crossed paths with a former teacher, I found her exuberant reference to my work slightly amusing.