Good karma
Who does not believe in karma? This is a concept that is difficult to teach to non-believers until they actually experience it. And we hope they experience the good kind. Bad karma is as it is said – negative and sometimes evil.
I had lunch with one of the most respected women entrepreneurs I know and the word that came to mind as soon as I saw her is KARMA. She never counts, never mentions money in all our conversations and only mentions opportunities and good news. She has been very blessed and has gone places in just a few years because she is a positive being. You actually will not hear any rants from her, but a friendly story-telling with her malambing or soft Bicolana accent.
And I believe she is blessed because of karma.
Bernadette, or Bidi as we call her, is first and foremost a farmer. She hails from Ba-ao, Camarines Sur and has been helping many artisans sew, create and help in her art and clothing enterprise.
She claims she cannot cook (like me) but loves to eat and she does her part in growing vegetables, planting fruit trees and being active as a RAFC (Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Council) chair for Bicol.
She is one who set her sights on acquiring a Jesuit education as a scholar and finished at the Ateneo de Manila. Yes, from faraway Bicol she got what she wanted – to be a scholar and graduate from one of the top universities of the land. After college, she helped her townmates hone their skills in sewing and other artistic pursuits, with herself collaborating with known visual artists and landing exhibits at Manila’s prestigious galleries.
She will soon have a solo exhibit in Fundacion Sansó and continues to sell her wearable art with her signature faces on jackets, bags and now even Filipiniana wear. I am so proud to know someone like her who has evolved over time, not stopping at just an award or accomplishment. She is humble to serve as private sector head in a public office for the benefit of farmers of her region, contributing to agriculture in general and to Bicol in particular.
When I asked her what keeps her going, she simply said she “wants to help her fellow Bicolanas” be sustainable and now to also address climate change. She
