One thing I love about the Parish of Miagao is that just before the end of the mass, the

priest gives blessing to

the birthday celebrants for the week or for the day. After the prayer, the Christian community then sings a
Happy birthday song for the celebrants. It is really a happy moment for everyone because life is celebrated and
one can really feel the love and and joy inside the church.

Last January 17, the day of my birthday, I got to experience that moment and it felt really different, special,
and overwhelming. I, who was once one of the churchgoers who used to cheerfully sing "Happy birthday", was
standing together with other celebrants in front of the beautiful altar of Miagao church. On that very moment,
(Image from personalcreations.com)

To the brilliant and hardworking researchers in the Oceanbio and Marinebio lab of UP Visayas
headed by Drs. Willy and Annabelle Campos, thank you for celebrating with me on my birthday. It
was such a great privilege to have a joint birthday celeb with my dear adviser Ma'am Belle. Thank
you for the guidance, camaraderie, and support in my endeavors in my MS Bio journey

It was such a great privilege to have had a joint birthday celebration with the founder of the Marine
Biology Laboratory and my ever-supportive adviser, Dr. Annabelle Campos. Happy birthmonth to both of
us, Ma’am!

Thank you also to the gorgeous and handsome Research Assistants of the Marinebio and Ocean bio lab,
and of course to Ma’am Belle’s partner in life, Dr. Willy Campos, for celebrating with us last January 17.

I celebrated my birthday away from home but I’m blessed to have found a family in the lab. Thank you
everyone for the camaraderie and support, and especially to Ma’am Belle for the guidance and
encouragement in my MS Bio journey and for giving me the opportunity to be part of the Marine biolab.