20 Years of Being a SEDPIp

Twenty years. Two decades. 240 months. 1,040 weeks. 7,300 days.
And in every single one of those days, there was purpose.

It still amazes me how quickly it all passed--and how deeply it stayed.

This isn't a timeline post. I won't enumerate projects completed, positions held, or outputs delivered (pero grabe sa dami 'yun!) What I do want to share are the in-betweens--the moments that never made it to the reports, but made all the difference to me.

I still can't believe it's been 20 years since I became part of SEDPI. I was a wide-eyed fresh grad, lured by the promise of free food and travel. What I found was more than work. It was life, community, calling, and occasionally, chaos (the meaningful kind).

SEDPI became my home. And like any home, it wasn't perfect, but it was where I found meaning, direction, and people I would grow with.

How It All Started

My SEDPI story began with a phone call. "We're starting something," Sir Vince said. "We don't have an office yet. I can only give you minimum wage. Are you interested?" The call came at the right place and at the right time--like the universe aligned.

I said yes. That yes would go on to shape not just my career--but my identity. It was the beginning of something that would change me from the inside out.

That was 2005. The same year Pinoy Big Brother launched and Precious Lara Quigaman won Ms. International.

I said yes to a job with no description. Yes to minimum wage. Yes without knowing that the road ahead would test, stretch, and shape me in ways I never imagined.

The early years weren't easy. We had no resources, no clear structure--no departments at all. In those days, we did everything ourselves. We made do with what we had, and somehow, it was always enough.

We stayed in places with no electricity. We taught in open spaces, taping manila paper to concrete walls. But in those conditions, I also found something rare: a deep sense of conviction. That this was the kind of work that mattered. That this was exactly where I needed to be.

I didn't just take on a role--I found my calling.

I've grown from being a saling-pusa into a leader, a mentor, a mudra. But more than the titles or milestones, what I treasure most are the relationships. The people. The stories.

To SEDPIps--past and present--you are my family. We've weathered storms (literal and figurative), and I wouldn't trade this journey for anything.

To the leaders who mentored me and believed in me--thank you for the trust, the lessons, and the push to grow. You shaped not just my career but the way I see the world.

To our members, clients, and partners--you are the heart of what we do. You reminded me every day why this work matters.

Snapshots of 20 Years

When I tried to make sense of the past two decades, I found myself holding a collection of moments, faces, places, and feelings too big for a single blog post. So I created a little tribute to the journey--a "20 for 20" series.

Here are a few pieces of that story, told in photos, unexpected experiences, and the reasons I'm still here.

📸 20 Photos That Tell My Story

I went through old files to find 20 photos that captured this wild, beautiful, buwis-buhay, and deeply meaningful journey. These aren't curated highlights--they're snapshots that show you what 20 years in SEDPI looked like for me.

1. My SEDPI IDs

2. "Saling-Pusa" in Trainings

3. The OG Team

4. My Map (Before there was Waze)

5. Work from Anywhere

6. Office Work

7. Fieldwork

8. Nigeria

9. Outreach

10. Field Research

11. Financial Literacy Training

12. More Trainings

13. Yolanda Aftermath

14. Stranded at Sea

15. "Semplang"

16. GenSan

17. Ice Cream

18. Team Building

19. SEDPIps

20. Thank-You Cards from Participants

These moments aren't always captured in reports. But they're etched in my memory--and in the kind of person I've become.

🤯 20 Things I Never Expected to Do at Work

I thought I signed up for development work. I didn't expect the wild, humbling, funny, and life-altering experiences that came with it.

1. Meet my "the one" as a training participant
2. Jump from a cliff
3. Ride a horse to the top of a volcano
4. Ride a camel in the desert
5. Take six different modes of transportation in one day
6. Sit in a jeepney being pulled uphill by a bulldozer
7. Get carried (literally) from boat to shore on a man's shoulder
8. Release baby pawikans
9. Swim with butandings
10. Get stranded overnight on the highway during a typhoon
11. Be escorted by soldiers with armalites
12. Fetch water from a poso just to take a bath
13. Woke up to a furious wife banging on our motel door (long story)
14. Sleep on top of a table in a junk shop
15. Swim in a makeshift dam thanks to partner org creativity
16. Beat 6-foot guys in beer drinking
17. Survive a motorcycle collision
18. Facilitate an FGD with 50 people
19. Teach illiterate women about financial literacy
20. Co-facilitate training sessions with my husband

This job said: range. It stretched me. It changed me. It gave me stories for life.

I've learned to pack light, travel smart, and always carry an extension cord. I've felt unsafe, unprepared, and overwhelmed--but never alone.

❤️‍🔥 20 Reasons I'm Still Here

People often ask why I stayed. The truth? I didn't just stay--I grew roots. Here are just some of the reasons why, after all this time, I still call SEDPI home:

1. Because I'm comfortable here
2. Because I get to be me--flaws and all
3. Because we keep evolving
4. Because I've had mentors turned friends turned family
5. Because I still get nervous before every session--and that means I still care
6. Because I believe in what we do
7. Because I get to be idealistic and practical
8. Because the work we do makes a difference
9. Because my work aligns with my values, not just my skills
10. Because I can work day shift, mid-shift, or night shift
11. Because people understand what I meant when I say "'yung kemerut"
12. Because every new staff I welcome reminds me of how I started
13. Because I've witnessed young staff grow into leaders
14. Because we've gone through burnout but still go back
15. Because I get to answer the question "When was the last time you did something for the first time?"
16. Because I'm allowed to question things--and suggest better ways
17. Because there's always something new to learn
18. Because there's still more to do, and I still want to do it
19. Because I've seen lives change--mine included
20. Because I can't imagine doing anything else that feels this right

Some days I doubted myself. Some days I wanted to quit. But even on the hardest days, there was always something--someone--who reminded me why I stayed.

I've learned to rest, not quit. I've been stretched emotionally, mentally, and physically. This work gave me growth, meaning, healing, and pride. I don't do this just para sa bayan--but also para sa sarili ko.

A Life's Work

Twenty years in one organization isn't common anymore. But I didn't just find a workplace--I found my place in the world.

SEDPI became the lens through which I saw what it truly means to live for others. It wasn't just about empowering communities or facilitating trainings. It was about showing up--fully, consistently, wholeheartedly--for people whose stories shaped my own.

Through the years, I've worn many hats--sometimes all at once: Trainer. Researcher. Writer. Mayordoma. Kargador. GRO. Emotional sponge.

There were years of frustration, exhaustion, and even moments of wanting to walk away. There were years I thought I was burning out. But looking back, I realized: I was being refined. I was being prepared for something bigger.

I've been trusted with responsibilities I never imagined I could carry. I've been broken and rebuilt--again and again--with grace.

This work has been equal parts joy and discomfort, laughter and heartbreak. I've been stretched thin but never empty. Because SEDPI, for all its imperfections, gave me a purpose worth waking up for.

This isn't just my job.

It is my training ground.

My life's work.

So, 20 years down...and I'm not done yet.

Still learning. Still working. Still willing.

Because this is not just about staying--it's about choosing to show up again and again.

Once a SEDPIp, always a SEDPIp.

Yun na! Pak!