Eli's House

‘O Tiger-lily,’ said Alice, addressing herself to one that was waving gracefully about in the wind, ‘I wish you could talk!’

‘We can talk,’ said the Tiger-lily: ‘when there’s anybody worth talking to.’

Alice was so astonished that she could not speak for a minute: it quite seemed to take her breath away. At length, as the Tiger-lily only went on waving about, she spoke again, in a timid voice—almost in a whisper. ‘And can all the flowers talk?’

‘As well as you can,’ said the Tiger-lily. ‘And a great deal louder.’

‘It isn’t manners for us to begin, you know,’ said the Rose, ‘and I really was wondering when you’d speak!'

— Excerpts taken from Carroll, Lewis. Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. 1871. Edited by Hugh Haughton, Penguin Books, 2003.
https://www.alice-in-wonderland.net/resources/chapters-script/through-the-looking-glass/chapter-2/

18 and awesome! ❤️🌻

"Sayanga niya noh?" are words that are not new to us when referring to his condition. He is neurodivergent, pero sayang ba jud? We still can't answer this question. But we never regret having him and accepting every part of Kuya Eli, including his condition. Life can be tough and colorful—and we love him all the same.

Water seekers and wanderers most dangerous moments

What began as an ordinary school day in Ishikawa Prefecture turned into one of the most heartbreaking stories of the year.

At around 11:00 a.m. on June 30, 2026, a 10-year-old fifth-grade student at Ishikawa Prefectural Komatsu Special Needs School quietly asked his teacher for permission to use the restroom. No one could have imagined those would be the last moments he would be seen inside his classroom.

When he failed to return, teachers immediately began searching the school grounds before contacting police and his family. Investigators later determined that the boy, who had a mild intellectual disability, had managed to unlock a rear emergency exit and leave the campus unnoticed.

Soon, the mystery deepened.

His indoor school shoes were discovered abandoned near a rice field, while his outdoor shoes remained inside the school. Security camera footage then revealed a child matching his description running along a road toward Junigataki Falls shortly after leaving the school.

With every passing hour, fear spread throughout the community. More than 200 police officers, firefighters, K9 units, drones, helicopters, and local volunteers searched mountains, fields, and nearby waterways. Residents were especially alarmed after reports of a wild bear sighting in the area on the same day, adding another layer of concern to the desperate search.

Exactly 24 hours after the boy disappeared, hope gave way to heartbreak.

At around 11:00 a.m. on July 1, a police dog detected a scent near Junigataki Falls. Moments later, a firefighter spotted the missing child submerged in the basin beneath the waterfall, about 1.5 kilometers from his school. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors could only pronounce him dead.

Authorities reported that the boy had no visible external injuries, and the case is being treated as a non-suspicious accidental drowning.

Although investigators have ruled out foul play, the tragedy has left many grieving and asking how a child was able to leave school unnoticed and travel so far before anyone could stop him. For his family, classmates, teachers, and the entire community, what started as a simple request to use the restroom became an unimaginable loss that no one will ever forget.

REFLECTION

[John 9:1-5] As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There are a lot of times that this question will keep going through our heads, "why we, Lord?" And many times, the worries are insurmountable. We get lost even when we try, as much as we can, to live in faith and by faith. And it is only by faith that we can go through each passing day. During these times, we often ask the Father, "lead me, Lord," so that "the works of God is visible" through Kuya Eli. God bless our ausome families.

Gospel and Word of the Day - 15 March 2026 - Vatican News Read and listen on Vatican News to the readings from Scripture and the Gospel for today 15 March 2026 together with a meditation by the Pope.

2026 na at ang bilis ng panahon! Mula sa pagkabata, ngayon ay nagbibinata o nagdadalaga na ating mga anak na may Autism. Habang lumalaki, dumarami rin ang mga tanong natin: Paano sila magiging independent? Paano sila magkakatrabaho o bubuo ng sariling pamilya?

Huwag mag-alala, hindi niyo kailangang harapin ito nang mag-isa.

Inaanyayahan kayo ng PCMC Section of Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics sa "Level Up: Growing with Autism," isang espesyal na programa para sa mga magulang kung saan pag-uusapan natin ang mga hakbang para sa kanilang kinabukasan.

Sabay-sabay nating i-level up ang kanilang kakayahan! 🚀

🗓 Kailan: January 31, 2026 🕕 Oras: 6:00 PM
📍 Saan: Abangan sa Facebook Live!

Water Seeker

On his swim suit, we went out early to have a dip in the morning sea. Unfortunately, the government-operated resort opens at 8am. We arrived at 6am. A little disappointed and unprepared, we drove to nearby areas to find other water facilities to explore. Unfortunately, we had our mind fixed to the islet. We went back at 8am already feeling the heat of the sun.

Kuya Eli was still calm when we arrived at the islet. He showed no interest to the sea and was very focused in eating his salvaro (cassava crisps). Until mom said, "ligo na ta ya," that was his cue to remove all his clothes and went directly to the bathroom to take a bath. He wasn't interested to the sea because it was hot. The cold water at the bathroom soothes his need -- and so he went for it.

Until Kuya Can

It's our first family hike at Mt. Loay, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur. We woke up at 3:30am to prepare our food and water for the trail. We got to the registration area at around 5am. We did a little briefing with our guide, Kuya Dennis, before we started ascending towards the first station.

We started with little to no expectations. But surely, we will stop when Kuya Eli decides to stop. He walked steadily from the start until the highest point we reached just before Station 2 when we felt that he was really tired. We are already very proud that Kuya Eli and the younger ones made it up to this point -- not bad for first time hikers. We started our descent immediately before the onset of frustration or any kind of anxiety or before he would insist on taking a full rest on the trail.

Kuya was in his best mood and behavior all throughout the hike. He sat to rest, took a lot of water breaks, jumped on big rocks, played with a banana leaf -- still a sensory seeker and the trail provided these needs.

Time for checkup 🏥

🚗🚦🪑
6:00 - Left Digos City at 6am
8:00 - Arrived at SPMC-IPBM, Davao City
1:30 - Initial Interview
2:30 - Final consultation
6:00 - Arrived home

⌚️ Queuing, waiting, and traffic in between.

📌 In all those waiting, Kuya Eli remained relaxed and did not manifest any sign of aggression nor frustration. He is happy. We are all happy.

Waiting is a skill and so is keeping calm and composed. Through the waiting ⏳️, we walked 🚶‍♂️ around the facility for 30 minutes for 4 times, drew on his folder 📂 -- the only thing we can find at the moment, ate 2 🍔 whoppers 😋, drank lots of water 💦, and buko juice 🥥.

By God's grace, our hearts 💓 have calmed and we are healing fast 🩹.

📍Southern Philippines Medical Center-Institute of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine (SPMC-IPBM)

We will walk together
Until we reach a common stride
Until we truly understand each other
Until we know that you know that you mean the world to us
Until our prayers reach your soul
You will never walk alone
May the saving grace sustain us

This Autism Bill could change so many lives 🙏💙

Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Benitez has filed House Bill 3379, a proposed law that aims to support families raising children on the autism spectrum.

If passed, families with a Person on the Spectrum (POS) may receive:
💰 ₱4,000 monthly Autism Support Allowance
🧠 Free developmental assessment for all kids up to age 5
🗣️ Free OT, speech, and behavioral therapy in DOH hospitals
💊 Free medicines for those diagnosed with Level 3 Autism

This bill is designed to help low and middle-income families who struggle to afford therapy, diagnosis, and long-term care.

Share this post if you want this bill to be passed! 💙🙏