My Autobiography: David Balleza K(C)atague

Saturday, February 21, 2026

Filipino Nurses Success Stories- Carenna Graduating. Summa Cum Laude

From My Readings on Filipino Nurses All Over the World

Here are some inspiring success stories of Filipino nurses who have made a significant impact globally:

Notable Achievements

Leadership Roles: Manu Pelayo became the Deputy Chairperson of the Board of the Nursing Council of New Zealand, while Edmund Tabay was appointed as the second Filipino Chief Nursing Officer in the National Health Service in the UK.Historic

Elections: Dr. Jose D. Castillo III became the first Filipino president-elect of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) in the US, and Karissa Subedi was elected to the Wagga Wagga City Council in Australia, marking a milestone for Filipino nurses in public service.

Awards and Recognition: Maria Victoria Juan received the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2024, and the Philippine Nurses Association of New York (PNA NY) along with Dr. Leo Jurado were recognized with the 2024 Presidential Award for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas (PAFIOO).

Global Impact

Humanitarian Work: Filipino nurses like Nurse Mary Jean Loreche and Nurse Jaime De Leon have played pivotal roles in global health missions, providing critical care and training in countries affected by disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and conflicts.

Cultural Adaptability: Filipino nurses are sought after worldwide for their ability to adapt to diverse healthcare settings, cultural nuances, and evolving medical practices.

Exceptional Care: They are known for their compassion, empathy, and dedication to patient care, making them valuable assets in healthcare institutions globally

Qualities of Filipino Nurses

Strong Educational Foundation: Filipino nurses receive rigorous training and education, preparing them for the demands of the healthcare industry.

Cultural Sensitivity: They possess excellent communication skills, cultural empathy, and a strong work ethic, allowing them to thrive in multicultural environments.

Resilience and Adaptability: Filipino nurses demonstrate remarkable resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges, making them a valuable asset to healthcare teams worldwide

Filipino nurses have achieved global success through resilience, high-quality care, and leadership in healthcare, with notable stories including trailblazers like

Isabelita Paler, the first Filipino to lead the Virginia State Board of Nursing, and Anastacia Giron-Tupas, who advanced nursing education. Others have overcome immigration challenges and pandemics to secure international positions, earning prestigious accolades like the DAISY Award.

Key Success Stories and Pioneers

Isabelita Paler (USA): Became the first Filipino to preside over the Virginia State Board of Nursing in 1997.
Anastacia Giron-Tupas (USA/Philippines): A pioneer who trained in the U.S. in 1914 and later developed the Philippines' first bachelor of science in nursing program.
Julita Villaruel Sotejo (Philippines): Founded the University of the Philippines College of Nursing and wrote the Code of Ethics for Filipino nurses.
Virginia Radl (Austria): A nurse who overcame language barriers and strict regulations to build a long-term career in Austria after arriving in 1978.
Arlyn Dela Pena Medendorp (USA): A U.S. Army veteran and ICU nurse featured in the documentary "Nurse Unseen" for her contribution to the profession.

International Career Advancements

Overcoming Retrogression: Many, such as Rodfel and McAlvin, overcame years-long waits, visa denials, and professional hurdles to successfully work in the USA and UK, often gaining experience in intermediate countries first.
Clinical Excellence: Nurses like Lauren Milanes transitioned from 14 years in Saudi Arabia to become US Registered Nurses (USRN).
DAISY Award Recipient: A Filipina nurse (unnamed in source) overcame poverty and, with family support, built a career in the U.S., eventually receiving the DAISY Award for compassionate care.

Impact on Global Health

Filipino nurses are recognized for their dedication and compassion, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, where they formed a significant part of the front-line response, as documented in "Nurse Unseen". In the UK, Filipina nurses have been recognized with Chief Nursing Officer awards for their service, while others like Paul Zuzon have transitioned from staff nurses to healthcare business owners

Meanwhile, I am Super Proud of Carenna- my youngest grand daughter accomplishments so far

From Ditas FaceBook Page:
Proud Mom moment - Carenna Katague-Thompson will graduate this May - Summa Cum Laude from The George Washington University - with a Bachelor's of Science from the Elliott School of International Affairs with a double major in Geography and a minor in Geographic Information Systems. And NOW she's been accepted to these graduate schools....which one will she pick?? NYC, Paris, Ann Arbor? or...will she get into the other programs. Stay tuned!

My Photo of the DaY:

A Photo Thank You Note, We sent to all who attended our 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration, 2007, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Playing with ChatGPT Photo Generation Capabilities

Today, I am playing with what ChatGPT can do regarding Photo Generation and Making Copies in various portrait styles from an original photo that I have. Here are the amazing results of my experiment. The above photo is the original- Macrine (RIP) and I attending a party in San Francisco in 1982.

I asked ChatGPT to make copies in six styles (in oil portrait, charcoal/pencil, pop art, renaissance, line art/watercolor wash and legacy/heritage ) as follows:

1. Line Art with WaterColor Wash ( #12)

2. Heritage / Legacy Portrait( #10)

3. Charcoal / Pencil Sketch (#1)

4. Digital Oil (Ultra-Realistic)(#5)

5. Pop Art / Andy Warhol–Inspired (#7)

6. Soft Focus Romantic Portrait-Watercolor(#8)

Here are some popular and meaningful options, ranging from classic to artistic to commemorative that ChatGPT can do:

🎨 Classic & Fine-Art Styles

Charcoal / Pencil Sketch
• Black-and-white or sepia
• Emphasizes facial features and expressions
• Very timeless and elegant
Pastel Drawing (Soft Chalk Look)
• Gentle colors, slightly textured paper feel
• Romantic and warm, great for couples
Impressionist Painting
• Inspired by Monet / Renoir
• Softer edges, visible brush strokes
• Focuses on light, emotion, and atmosphere
Renaissance / Old-Master Style
• Dark, dramatic background
• Rich lighting (Rembrandt-style)
• Museum-quality, very dignified

🖌️ Modern & Expressive Styles

Digital Oil (Ultra-Realistic)
• Looks like a hand-painted oil portrait
• Sharper facial detail than traditional oil
• Ideal for large prints
Loose Artistic Watercolor
• More abstract than the one you just saw
• Paint bleeds, light outlines, airy feel
Pop Art / Andy Warhol–Inspired
• Bold colors, graphic look
• Fun, celebratory, contemporary
Soft Focus Romantic Portrait
• Gentle glow, reduced background detail
• Emphasizes closeness and affection

🕊️ Commemorative & Storytelling Styles

Vintage Sepia Portrait (1930s–1950s)
• Aged photograph feel
• Warm nostalgia, perfect for family history
Heritage / Legacy Portrait
• Neutral background
• Subtle symbolism (light, hands, posture)
• Designed as a “family keepsake” image
Minimalist Portrait
• Clean background
• Focus entirely on faces and hands
• Modern and very tasteful

✨ Creative Variations

Line Art with Watercolor Wash
• Ink outlines with soft color fills
• Elegant and unique
Silhouette with Soft Detail
• Dramatic lighting
• Artistic and symbolic
Do you have a Favorite? Mine is the Line Art with watercolor wash, because the copy make us younger than the original photo as well as the harmony of the pastel colors in the photo.
Lastly, here are some photos of Snow on Mt Diablo, yesterday morning, Feb 18, 2026

Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Spiciest Food- Is Filipino Food Spicy?

Several THD Residents have asked me if Filipino Food is Spicy. My Answer is No, but there are some dishes specifically from the 💚Bicol region that may be considered spicy. So What are the spiciest dish globally? Here's the Answer:

Spiciest Dishes Globally

Determining the spiciest dish globally is subjective, as people have different tolerance levels for spiciness. However, some cuisines stand out for their bold flavors and intense heat.

Spiciest Cuisines:

Thai Cuisine: Thai dishes like Tom Yum soup and Som Tam (papaya salad) are known for their spicy kick, thanks to ingredients like bird's eye chilies.

Sichuan Cuisine: Sichuan dishes like Mapo Tofu and hotpot are famous for their numbing and spicy sensation, caused by Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chilies.

Indian Cuisine: Indian dishes like Vindaloo and curries are known for their bold flavors and heat, thanks to ingredients like red and green chilies, black pepper, and spices.

Korean Cuisine: Korean dishes like Kimchi and spicy stir-fries often feature gochugaru (red pepper flakes) and gochujang (chili paste) for added heat.

Some specific dishes that are notoriously spicy include ¹ ²:

Trinidadian Pepper Roti: A Caribbean flatbread filled with spicy meat or vegetables, often served with a side of hot sauce.

Sri Lankan Pol Sambol: A spicy coconut-based condiment made with chilies, onions, and sometimes Maldive fish.

I have devoured the following Cuisine during My Younger Years:

Korean Kimchi: A traditional side dish made from fermented vegetables, usually cabbage or radishes, seasoned with chili peppers, garlic, and other spices.

Sichuan Mapo Tofu: A spicy Sichuan dish made with tofu, ground meat (usually pork or beef), and a variety of spices and chilies.

The above are just a few examples, and the spiciest dish is ultimately a matter of personal preference. If you're looking to try something new, consider starting with milder dishes and gradually increasing the heat level to find your limit.

The Bicol Express Dish💜 You could regulate the Hotness of this dish by adding less chili peppers but more coconut milk. I love this dish ( medium Hotness)

Meanwhile, here's the AI Overview on Spiciest Filipino Dishes:

While Filipino cuisine is generally known for its sweet, sour, and salty profiles, the 💚

Bicol region
is the exception, famous for its fiery dishes.

The title for the spiciest Filipino dish typically goes to:

Bicol Express (Sinilihan):💜 Often cited as the most popular spicy dish in the Philippines. It is a rich, creamy stew made from pork, coconut milk, and shrimp paste, but its defining feature is the sheer volume of siling labuyo (native bird's eye chili) or siling haba (finger chilies).
Gulay na Lada / Sinilihan: Many locals consider the authentic Bicolano version, Sinilihan, to be even spicier than the standard Bicol Express. It uses a higher ratio of chilies to meat, sometimes appearing more like a chili stew than a pork dish.
Hinalang: Popular in Mindanao, this is a beef or pork soup similar to Nilaga but heavily infused with ginger and a massive amount of chili peppers, designed to be "explosively" hot.
Gising-Gising: A vegetable dish made of chopped winged beans (sigarilyas) or green beans cooked in coconut milk. While it looks mild, it is "spicy by default" and can often surpass Bicol Express in heat depending on the cook.
Laing: Another Bicolano staple consisting of dried taro leaves simmered in coconut milk with shrimp or pork. While it can be mild, traditional versions are packed with enough siling labuyo to provide a slow, intense burn.

Finally, Here's the Scoville Pepper Scale Ranking:

I love the Poblano Peppers for My Chili Relleno Dish

My Reel of the Day: Simple Recipe for Kare-Kare

What is the history of Kare-Kare?

Kare-Kare, a traditional Filipino stew, has a rich and complex history. While its exact origin is debated, several theories attempt to explain how this dish came to be a staple in Filipino cuisine.

Theories on the Origin of Kare-Kare:

Indian Sepoy Theory: One theory suggests that Kare-Kare was influenced by Indian sepoys who settled in the Philippines during the British occupation of Manila. They improvised their own cuisine using local ingredients, resulting in a dish called "kari-kaari" or "kare-kare" over time.

Moro Elite Theory: Another theory proposes that Kare-Kare was a regal dish of the Moro elite in the Philippines, predating Spanish rule. This theory suggests that the Moros, who were influenced by Arab traders, introduced peanuts and other ingredients to the dish.Kapampangan or Tagalog Origin: Some believe that Kare-Kare originated from the Kapampangans in

Pampanga or the Tagalog people in Davao. The Kapampangans claim to have developed the dish from a Moro curry, while the Tagalog people claim to have created their own version after learning about the dish from Moro vendors.

What's the secret to a flavorful kare-kare?

The secret to a flavorful kare-kare lies in the rich and savory peanut sauce, which is typically made with a combination of peanuts or peanut paste, shrimp paste (bagoong), vegetables, and sometimes ground rice or rice flour for thickness. Other essential components include using a good quality beef broth, tender oxtail or pork, and a blend of spices and aromatics like garlic, onions, and ginger. Toasting peanuts and grinding them into a paste can add depth, while fermented shrimp paste provides that umami flavor. Balancing the flavors is key to achieving that authentic kare-kare taste.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/4351267025190874

Highlights of My Professional Career

In my more than 40 years of professional career, I have experienced both working rank and file, as well as supervising the work of subordinates. I have worked in four private firms and the Federal Government, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where I retired. I enjoyed the challenges and difficulties of both types of job situations. This is the highlights of my work experience story.

My first job after completing my doctorate degree was a Chemist for Chemagro Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri. It was a subsidiary of Bayer Corporation, a German conglomerate. I worked for the analytical chemistry department comprised of about fifty people; half that number was either chemists or biologists. My specific task was to develop analytical methods for the detection of pesticide residues in plant and animal tissues. I worked on my own, similar to six other bench chemists, and we all reported to the same supervisor.

The firm sponsored my visa conversion from a student to a permanent resident, and I was able to legally work and reside in the United States with my family. The company generously took care of its employees. At the end of each successful year, everyone received a 13th month salary bonus. The employees and their families celebrated wonderful annual Christmas parties in a downtown Kansas City hotel, with dancing and free drinks for the whole night.

Inasmuch as I enjoyed and loved working for Chemagro for five years, I found a new job which offered a substantially higher pay. Due to my exemplary work performance, my supervisor preferred and lobbied for me to stay with the company. I had to turn him down because they could not match the package presented by my new employer. It was also a chance for me and my family to move and live in the US west coast, where the mild winter climate is bearable compared to the Midwest.

My next job was at the agricultural research division of Shell Development Company in Modesto, California. I was a Research Chemist, and again I worked individually, same as five other chemists who all reported to a supervisor. My specific duty was similar to my previous job. I worked for them for five years, until the company decided to get out of the pesticide business. They closed their research facility affecting the jobs of more than 200 employees.

My third industrial job was with the agricultural research division of Stauffer chemical company, located in Richmond, California. I was a Senior Research Chemist doing the same project as my two previous jobs. I worked for twelve continuous years for the company, with outstanding annual job performance. I became a Principal Research Chemist, the highest attainable non-supervisory position.

One day in 1986, my supervisor informed me that my job had been eliminated, and I had one day to vacate the facility. It was the most dreadful lay off experience in my life. I felt anger, sadness and humiliation to be dismissed from work with one day notice, after all the years of hard work invested for the company. This was an unforgettable incident and was the gloomiest point in my professional career.
The company terminated sixty research employees, who were upset of the bad news.

One of the chemists was distressed and expressed his outrageous anger by threatening the company and its workers. He told his supervisor of his intention to bomb and burn down the laboratory. He was immediately escorted by the security staff out of the building and into his car. He was informed to leave behind his personal belongings; they will be mailed to his residence. He was warned never to show up again near the company premises or risk getting arrested.

My supervisor was kind and allowed me to take my time to pack up my belongings. It took me two days to clear up my workplace, after toiling for a long period in the same jobsite. We were provided clerical help and office space, in preparation to look for another job, such as updating our resumes, and using the computer and copy machine. We were given six weeks of separation pay plus benefits.

Fortunately, with the help of a friend who is a Church parishioner, I found another job thirty days after leaving Stauffer chemical company. He hired me as a senior research chemist and as a group leader with two technicians to supervise. It was in the same field as my expertise in my previous three jobs spanning the last twenty one years. My new employer was Chevron Chemical Company, and which was located in the same area as my former employer.

This job gave me the introduction and basic knowledge of managing the work of subordinates. I worked for Chevron Company for four and a half years. The company decided to consolidate their research facilities in Texas, and lay off all its research employees. This time I had enough distress and agony from working, and eventually getting laid off from several private companies. To avoid going through any more miserable layoffs, I made a vow that I would never again work for a private company.

In my work experiences, there were noticeable and unavoidable jobsite occurrences. One can never miss the office romantic relationships between co-workers, both illicit and permitted. Though it was frowned upon, there was a boss and staff relationship, which was used as a ploy to get ahead in the company. Some relationships had chemistry, no pun intended, but some never worked out. Oftentimes, there was a sense of distrust among bench chemists for some workers who unjustly obtained preferred work assignments.

Some employees resorted to bribing superiors to get special privileges, such as being able to attend choice conferences and meetings in exciting venues or locations. Likewise, politics was always present at the worksites. It was during an era when various forms of harassment, equal opportunity and discrimination laws were not yet enforced in the workplace. Occasionally, an unexpected chemical explosion happens in a laboratory setting, where luckily no one got seriously hurt.

In the three private companies I worked for, I was able to publish scientific journals for some of the research studies and analytical methods which I developed for the respective companies of Chemagro, Shell Development and Stauffer.

After deciding and making a vow to avoid working in the private sector, I made my new goal which was either to work for the state of California, or the Federal government in Washington, D.C. Four months after I lost my job in Chevron, I was lucky and joyful to be hired by the Food and Drug Administration as a review chemist in the fall of 1990.

In 1994 I was promoted as an Expert Research Chemist with a GS-14 rating. My expertise was on Anti-malarial and Anti-parasitic drug products. In 1997, I was again deservingly promoted to Chemistry team leader, supervising the work of six Chemistry reviewers including five with doctorate degrees.

As team leader, I was responsible for prioritizing, assigning, and assuring the technical accuracy of all chemistry, manufacturing and control issues for all new drug applications submitted to the Division of Anti-Infective Drug Products, Center of New Drugs.

It was part of my responsibility to give advice, instruct and promote high morale and teamwork in my group. My work in the FDA is confidential, until the drug patent on the products I worked on has expired. There are manufacturing supplements that I have approved that are now open for the public in the Internet.

In 1998, I won the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Award. The citation reads, “For outstanding accomplishments in fostering the objectives of the EEO Program by hiring minorities and encouraging their professional growth while providing excellent leadership.” I have received numerous certificates of appreciation, awards in leadership and communications, commendation for teamwork and excellence in the accomplishment of the FDA mission. I have also received several letters of appreciation from private industry for my review work.

There are many good things working as rank and file while enjoying doing one’s job individually. It is a humbling, satisfying and productive experience, if one can work in harmony with one’s immediate supervisor. Working individually develops one’s skills in goal setting and scheduling. But in general, the financial rewards are less than a person who has supervisory responsibilities.

Managing the work of others has its challenges. Moreover, it develops one’s skill in handling and developing people, and the compensation rewards and benefits are better. Due to additional duties, responsibilities and leadership, supervisory work can be more stressful than working as a subordinate. However, supervisory jobs give one more personal growth and satisfaction, based on my personal experience. My work in FDA as a team leader managing the work of six scientists had been the happiest and rewarding work experience in my career in Chemistry. You might also like: