I haven't been posting for a while. I wish to catch up when the holiday starts. But I found this one nice and I would like to share this.
I had a good laugh.
The Reuion
Four friends, who hadn't seen each other in 30 years, reunited at a party. After several drinks, one of the men had to use the rest room.> Those who remained talked about their kids.> > The first guy said, "My son is my pride and joy. He started working at a> successful company at the bottom of the barrel. He studied Economics and> Business Administration and soon began to climb the corporate ladder and> now he's the president of the company. He became so rich that he gave> his best friend a top of the line Mercedes for his birthday."> > The second guy said, "Darn, that's terrific! My son is also my pride and> joy. He started working for a big airline, and then went to flight> school to become a pilot. Eventually he became a partner in the company,> where he owns the majority of its assets. He's so rich that he gave his> best friend a brand new jet for his birthday."> The third man said: "Well, that's terrific! My son studied in the best> universities and became an engineer. Then he started his own> construction company and is now a multimillionaire. He also gave away> something very nice and expensive to his best friend for his birthday: A> 30,000 square foot mansion."> > The three friends congratulated each other just as the fourth returned> from the restroom and asked: "What are all the congratulations for?"> > One of the three said: "We were talking about the pride we feel for the> successes of our sons. What about your son?"> > The fourth man replied: "My son is gay and makes a living dancing as a> stripper at a nightclub."> > The three friends said: "What a shame... what a disappointment.> > The fourth man replied: "No, I'm not ashamed. He's my son and I love> him. And he hasn't done too badly either. His birthday was two weeks> ago, and he received a beautiful 30,000 square foot mansion , a brand> new jet and a top of the line Mercedes from his three boyfriends
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Live within your Means
The storms are hereSaturday, May 2, 2009 President Gordon B. Hinckley highlighted the "portent of stormy weather ahead to which we had better give heed" in an October 1998 general priesthood meeting address.
He called on members to put their homes in order. Now, more than a decade later, the storms are here."The economic clouds that have long threatened the world are now fully upon us," said Elder Robert D. Hales. "The impact of this economic storm on our Heavenly Father's children requires a gospel vision of welfare today more than ever before."Speaking to priesthood and Relief Society leaders in a newly released DVD created by the Church, titled, "Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-Reliance," Elder Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve begins the discussion by sharing "a gospel vision of the priesthood principles of welfare."Priesthood-based welfare principles are both temporal and spiritual, he said. They are eternal, and apply in every circumstance, whether rich or poor."This, then, is the gospel vision of welfare: to put our faith in Jesus Christ into action.
We serve others as the Spirit directs," he said.What, then, he asked, are these principles of welfare? How can we apply them as spiritual and temporal building blocks in our daily lives? The first building block is to live providently. "This means joyfully living within our means and preparing for the ups and downs of life so that we can be ready for the rainy-day emergencies."Provident living means not coveting the things of this world. It means using the resources of the earth wisely and not being wasteful, even in times of plenty. Provident living means avoiding excessive debt and being content with what we have."We live in an age of entitlement," he continued. "Many believe they should have all that others have — right now.
Unable to delay gratification, they go into debt to buy what they cannot afford. The results always affect both their temporal and spiritual welfare."When we go into debt, he said, "We give away some of our precious, priceless agency and place ourselves in self-imposed servitude. We obligate our time, energy and means to repay what we have borrowed — resources that could have been used to help ourselves, our families and others."To pay debts and avoid future debt requires faith in the Savior, Elder Hales said. "It takes great faith to utter those simple words, 'We can't afford it.' It takes faith to trust that life will be better as we sacrifice our wants in order to meet our own and others' needs."I testify," Elder Hales declared, "that happy is the man who lives within his means and is able to save a little for future needs.
As we live providently and increase our gifts and talents, we become more self-reliant. Self-reliance is taking responsibility for our own spiritual and temporal welfare and for those whom Heavenly Father has entrusted to our care. Only when we are self-reliant can we truly emulate the Savior in serving and blessing others."To live self-reliantly raises the question, "How do we obtain Heavenly Father's help so that we have enough for our own needs and also enough to serve others?"Fundamental to the principles of welfare is the payment of tithes and offerings."With the payment of tithes, we also learn to control our desires and appetites for the things of this world, to be honest in our dealings with our fellowmen, and to make sacrifices for others."As our faith grows, so will our desire to keep the commandment to pay fast offerings," Elder Hales said. "Freely giving allows us to follow the pattern of the Savior, who freely gave His life for all mankind."Some of the most important welfare building blocks have to do with preparing for the future.
Three areas of preparation for the future include:Budgeting for the future by making a spending and savings plan, carefully making and keeping a family or personal budget, reviewing the budget in a family council allowing children to learn and practice wise spending habits, and to participate in planning and saving for the future.Education for the future by earning educational degrees or vocational training and finding gainful employment. Work hard to become a valued, essential part of the organization.
For those seeking employment, "This is an opportunity to rely on the Lord, to grow, and to be strengthened. If you are seeking a new job, increase your faith in the Lord's desire and power to bless you." If necessary, change lifestyles, and possibly the place of residence, to live within your means. Above all, express your gratitude in prayer for all that has been given to you.Spiritual preparation for rainy days. This comes by keeping the commandments, praying, reading the scriptures, and relying upon the Holy Ghost. "By our obedience we store up the faith we need to meet the vicissitudes and challenges of life. "Keeping ourselves unspotted from the world — being 'good' in this way — we are able to do good for our brothers and sisters throughout the world, both temporally and spiritually."
He called on members to put their homes in order. Now, more than a decade later, the storms are here."The economic clouds that have long threatened the world are now fully upon us," said Elder Robert D. Hales. "The impact of this economic storm on our Heavenly Father's children requires a gospel vision of welfare today more than ever before."Speaking to priesthood and Relief Society leaders in a newly released DVD created by the Church, titled, "Basic Principles of Welfare and Self-Reliance," Elder Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve begins the discussion by sharing "a gospel vision of the priesthood principles of welfare."Priesthood-based welfare principles are both temporal and spiritual, he said. They are eternal, and apply in every circumstance, whether rich or poor."This, then, is the gospel vision of welfare: to put our faith in Jesus Christ into action.
We serve others as the Spirit directs," he said.What, then, he asked, are these principles of welfare? How can we apply them as spiritual and temporal building blocks in our daily lives? The first building block is to live providently. "This means joyfully living within our means and preparing for the ups and downs of life so that we can be ready for the rainy-day emergencies."Provident living means not coveting the things of this world. It means using the resources of the earth wisely and not being wasteful, even in times of plenty. Provident living means avoiding excessive debt and being content with what we have."We live in an age of entitlement," he continued. "Many believe they should have all that others have — right now.
Unable to delay gratification, they go into debt to buy what they cannot afford. The results always affect both their temporal and spiritual welfare."When we go into debt, he said, "We give away some of our precious, priceless agency and place ourselves in self-imposed servitude. We obligate our time, energy and means to repay what we have borrowed — resources that could have been used to help ourselves, our families and others."To pay debts and avoid future debt requires faith in the Savior, Elder Hales said. "It takes great faith to utter those simple words, 'We can't afford it.' It takes faith to trust that life will be better as we sacrifice our wants in order to meet our own and others' needs."I testify," Elder Hales declared, "that happy is the man who lives within his means and is able to save a little for future needs.
As we live providently and increase our gifts and talents, we become more self-reliant. Self-reliance is taking responsibility for our own spiritual and temporal welfare and for those whom Heavenly Father has entrusted to our care. Only when we are self-reliant can we truly emulate the Savior in serving and blessing others."To live self-reliantly raises the question, "How do we obtain Heavenly Father's help so that we have enough for our own needs and also enough to serve others?"Fundamental to the principles of welfare is the payment of tithes and offerings."With the payment of tithes, we also learn to control our desires and appetites for the things of this world, to be honest in our dealings with our fellowmen, and to make sacrifices for others."As our faith grows, so will our desire to keep the commandment to pay fast offerings," Elder Hales said. "Freely giving allows us to follow the pattern of the Savior, who freely gave His life for all mankind."Some of the most important welfare building blocks have to do with preparing for the future.
Three areas of preparation for the future include:Budgeting for the future by making a spending and savings plan, carefully making and keeping a family or personal budget, reviewing the budget in a family council allowing children to learn and practice wise spending habits, and to participate in planning and saving for the future.Education for the future by earning educational degrees or vocational training and finding gainful employment. Work hard to become a valued, essential part of the organization.
For those seeking employment, "This is an opportunity to rely on the Lord, to grow, and to be strengthened. If you are seeking a new job, increase your faith in the Lord's desire and power to bless you." If necessary, change lifestyles, and possibly the place of residence, to live within your means. Above all, express your gratitude in prayer for all that has been given to you.Spiritual preparation for rainy days. This comes by keeping the commandments, praying, reading the scriptures, and relying upon the Holy Ghost. "By our obedience we store up the faith we need to meet the vicissitudes and challenges of life. "Keeping ourselves unspotted from the world — being 'good' in this way — we are able to do good for our brothers and sisters throughout the world, both temporally and spiritually."
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Boto Mo, I-Patrol mo: Ako ang Simula
ABS-CBN launches Boto Mo, I-Patrol Mo: Ako ang Simula
By Maria A. Ressa, Head, ABS-CBN News & Current Affairs; Managing Director, ANC
Long before any slick ad campaign or Barack Obama, I set out to change my world. My inspiration was Mahatma Gandhi, who simply said: "Be the change you want to see." My world was the Philippines, journalism and ABS-CBN in particular. For a long time, I had a love-hate relationship with the Philippines. I love being Filipino but hated the inefficiency, the lack of standards, the acceptance of mediocrity, our situational ethics, our systems of patronage, and our often unjust justice system. Sometimes, when things don't work, you hate that which you love.While I was living outside the Philippines, that was ok. But I realized I didn't have the right to criticize if I didn't pitch in and help. So I did – ending nearly 18 years with CNN to come home to the Philippines for good in 2005. It wasn't an easy decision, but I knew I wanted to retire here. I was old enough to have real experience but young enough to still believe idealism and hard work can change our world.
Right-click here and select "Save Target As..."to download the mp3 version
I'm not the first to say this – that the big change – the revolution – happens after a series, maybe hundreds, thousands of small changes, are pushed by people like you and me. If we each do our part in our areas of interest, then maybe we can reach what Malcolm Gladwell calls the Tipping Point – when the momentum for change becomes unstoppable. It's the same theory – whether it's in ABS-CBN's newsroom or strengthening democracy in the Philippines. It starts with a vision for the future – how things can be better. Then you spread that idea person to person before we reach the critical mass of the tipping point – and change the entire system. I tested this theory in practice – and I can tell you – at least in the newsroom of ABS-CBN, it works.This idea has powered every move we've made, every program we've created: that change begins with you. That you need to stop standing by the sidelines complaining and start doing something – anything – to change what you don't like. It starts with each of us – moving together in the real hard work of nation-building. We created a newscast called BANDILA, which won the Philippines' first ever Emmy nomination. In 2005, our year end offering was AKO ANG SIMULA – focusing on people who changed their world for the better. Last year, ABS-CBN's Foundation gathered artists together in a music video, BAGONG SIMULA. But our most successful project was in the 2007 elections, when we turned our CITIZEN PATROL to a campaign that won top international awards - BOTO MO, I-PATROL MO. We took the immense power of traditional media – print, tv, radio, cable - and combined it with new media – the Internet and mobile phone technology – to create the first instance globally where a news organization called on citizen journalists to come together to patrol their votes and push for clean elections.The idea for Boto Mo, I-Patrol Mo was simple: get the people to care and to take action. It's people power with new technology! If you see something wrong or something good, tell us about it. If you see someone trying to buy the votes, snap a picture on your cellphone and send it to us. If you see a town mayor using public vehicles for his campaign, shoot video with your cellphone and send it to us. If you see violence, tell us about it, and after a verification process, we will put it to air. Two months into the 4-month campaign, we received reports from the provinces that Boto Mo, I-Patrol Mo helped level the playing field where incumbents were running after we ran a story with the cellphone picture of city resources used for campaigns. So cellphones became effective weapons!The sheer volume of messages we received – about 500 a day leading up to elections and 1 a minute on election day – showed us not only the public's distrust for our institutions and the electoral process, but also more importantly, it highlighted their hunger for change and their own individual battles for integrity. Their fears – because it's dangerous to fight the powers that be – were balanced by their own clamor to make things work. And when we gave them venues to do something about it, they did. After elections, the campaign became BAYAN MO, I-PATROL MO. The responses we received give me tremendous hope.Today, I work in the same historic buildings I entered as a balikbayan in 1986 – excited with the promise of people power. Once the government station under Ferdinand Marcos – a symbol of its repressive rule, it transformed overnight into the people's voice - People's Television 4. A year later, the buildings were returned to the Lopez family, the original owners, one of whom was jailed when the buildings were taken over by the government under martial law. I was here during the coup attempts of the late 80's and during Proclamation 1017 in 2006, when the government stationed an armored personnel carrier outside our gates.Working here reminds me of the cycles of history, the excesses and failures of power, and the role media plays in nation-building. It is also a symbol to me of the failure of Philippine-style democracy, the unfulfilled promises, our mangled institutions and our collective - trampled but indefatigable - craving for something better. As head of news for ABS-CBN, I see the daily search for meaning and hope when I read through the scripts of our newscasts. Reality today gives little cause for optimism: our political system is largely bereft of real meaning because our politicians have changed alliances so often, they seem to have lost track of what they stand for. When symbols lose their meanings and when government after government fails to deliver, we become cynical and apathetic. But we can't stop here! One year before the 2010 elections, stand up and say ENOUGH.It's time to stop complaining, and time to start doing.It's time to stop blaming everyone else, and time to accept responsibility for building our future.It's time to stop accepting the world as it is – corrupt, inefficient, unfair and unjust – and start visualizing the world as it can – and should – be. BOTO MO, I-PATROL MO 2010 is about YOU. Join us and major partners Globe, Bayan, STI, the Philippine Star, Comelec as well as other commercial, trade and academic institutions one year before the critical May 10, 2010 elections as we launch BOTO MO, I-PATROL MO: AKO ANG SIMULA nationwide – in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Register to vote and join the movement in Boto Mo, I-Patrol Mo sites in Manila, Pampanga, Cebu and Davao. Join all our news programs across all our different platforms in radio, TV, cable, Internet and on your cellphones! Let's envision a better world. Join the first presidential debate on ANC with Senators Panfilo Lacson, Francis Escudero, Mar Roxas, Richard Gordon, Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. Watch the Artists' Revolution concert in partnership with YouthVote Philippines and ABS-CBN at the Music Museum: "365 Days to Change … Todo Na `To."Don `t let this chance for change pass you by. Use your power to vote wisely. We have one year to create the world we want. If you've had enough but don't want to be defeated, stand up and say AKO ANG SIMULA.
__._,_.___
By Maria A. Ressa, Head, ABS-CBN News & Current Affairs; Managing Director, ANC
Long before any slick ad campaign or Barack Obama, I set out to change my world. My inspiration was Mahatma Gandhi, who simply said: "Be the change you want to see." My world was the Philippines, journalism and ABS-CBN in particular. For a long time, I had a love-hate relationship with the Philippines. I love being Filipino but hated the inefficiency, the lack of standards, the acceptance of mediocrity, our situational ethics, our systems of patronage, and our often unjust justice system. Sometimes, when things don't work, you hate that which you love.While I was living outside the Philippines, that was ok. But I realized I didn't have the right to criticize if I didn't pitch in and help. So I did – ending nearly 18 years with CNN to come home to the Philippines for good in 2005. It wasn't an easy decision, but I knew I wanted to retire here. I was old enough to have real experience but young enough to still believe idealism and hard work can change our world.
Right-click here and select "Save Target As..."to download the mp3 version
I'm not the first to say this – that the big change – the revolution – happens after a series, maybe hundreds, thousands of small changes, are pushed by people like you and me. If we each do our part in our areas of interest, then maybe we can reach what Malcolm Gladwell calls the Tipping Point – when the momentum for change becomes unstoppable. It's the same theory – whether it's in ABS-CBN's newsroom or strengthening democracy in the Philippines. It starts with a vision for the future – how things can be better. Then you spread that idea person to person before we reach the critical mass of the tipping point – and change the entire system. I tested this theory in practice – and I can tell you – at least in the newsroom of ABS-CBN, it works.This idea has powered every move we've made, every program we've created: that change begins with you. That you need to stop standing by the sidelines complaining and start doing something – anything – to change what you don't like. It starts with each of us – moving together in the real hard work of nation-building. We created a newscast called BANDILA, which won the Philippines' first ever Emmy nomination. In 2005, our year end offering was AKO ANG SIMULA – focusing on people who changed their world for the better. Last year, ABS-CBN's Foundation gathered artists together in a music video, BAGONG SIMULA. But our most successful project was in the 2007 elections, when we turned our CITIZEN PATROL to a campaign that won top international awards - BOTO MO, I-PATROL MO. We took the immense power of traditional media – print, tv, radio, cable - and combined it with new media – the Internet and mobile phone technology – to create the first instance globally where a news organization called on citizen journalists to come together to patrol their votes and push for clean elections.The idea for Boto Mo, I-Patrol Mo was simple: get the people to care and to take action. It's people power with new technology! If you see something wrong or something good, tell us about it. If you see someone trying to buy the votes, snap a picture on your cellphone and send it to us. If you see a town mayor using public vehicles for his campaign, shoot video with your cellphone and send it to us. If you see violence, tell us about it, and after a verification process, we will put it to air. Two months into the 4-month campaign, we received reports from the provinces that Boto Mo, I-Patrol Mo helped level the playing field where incumbents were running after we ran a story with the cellphone picture of city resources used for campaigns. So cellphones became effective weapons!The sheer volume of messages we received – about 500 a day leading up to elections and 1 a minute on election day – showed us not only the public's distrust for our institutions and the electoral process, but also more importantly, it highlighted their hunger for change and their own individual battles for integrity. Their fears – because it's dangerous to fight the powers that be – were balanced by their own clamor to make things work. And when we gave them venues to do something about it, they did. After elections, the campaign became BAYAN MO, I-PATROL MO. The responses we received give me tremendous hope.Today, I work in the same historic buildings I entered as a balikbayan in 1986 – excited with the promise of people power. Once the government station under Ferdinand Marcos – a symbol of its repressive rule, it transformed overnight into the people's voice - People's Television 4. A year later, the buildings were returned to the Lopez family, the original owners, one of whom was jailed when the buildings were taken over by the government under martial law. I was here during the coup attempts of the late 80's and during Proclamation 1017 in 2006, when the government stationed an armored personnel carrier outside our gates.Working here reminds me of the cycles of history, the excesses and failures of power, and the role media plays in nation-building. It is also a symbol to me of the failure of Philippine-style democracy, the unfulfilled promises, our mangled institutions and our collective - trampled but indefatigable - craving for something better. As head of news for ABS-CBN, I see the daily search for meaning and hope when I read through the scripts of our newscasts. Reality today gives little cause for optimism: our political system is largely bereft of real meaning because our politicians have changed alliances so often, they seem to have lost track of what they stand for. When symbols lose their meanings and when government after government fails to deliver, we become cynical and apathetic. But we can't stop here! One year before the 2010 elections, stand up and say ENOUGH.It's time to stop complaining, and time to start doing.It's time to stop blaming everyone else, and time to accept responsibility for building our future.It's time to stop accepting the world as it is – corrupt, inefficient, unfair and unjust – and start visualizing the world as it can – and should – be. BOTO MO, I-PATROL MO 2010 is about YOU. Join us and major partners Globe, Bayan, STI, the Philippine Star, Comelec as well as other commercial, trade and academic institutions one year before the critical May 10, 2010 elections as we launch BOTO MO, I-PATROL MO: AKO ANG SIMULA nationwide – in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Register to vote and join the movement in Boto Mo, I-Patrol Mo sites in Manila, Pampanga, Cebu and Davao. Join all our news programs across all our different platforms in radio, TV, cable, Internet and on your cellphones! Let's envision a better world. Join the first presidential debate on ANC with Senators Panfilo Lacson, Francis Escudero, Mar Roxas, Richard Gordon, Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. Watch the Artists' Revolution concert in partnership with YouthVote Philippines and ABS-CBN at the Music Museum: "365 Days to Change … Todo Na `To."Don `t let this chance for change pass you by. Use your power to vote wisely. We have one year to create the world we want. If you've had enough but don't want to be defeated, stand up and say AKO ANG SIMULA.
__._,_.___
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Why Can't We Act Up together?
Everyday, my inboxes are flodded with emails containing news pertaining to the Philippine politics, the present condition, the discontentments of the people, the worldwide crisis etc, etc.
I also receive regular emails from my connections worldwide, those people who are passionate and cling for a change, for a better Philippines. They come from different walks of life, different political views, different opinions and yet one thing sure is that we all want to see the Philippines in a better perspective.
We all cry for a change and for a better Phlippines. In different discussions, we all want to have new breed of leaders and that we have to dump the “trapos.” There’s no place for them. They have created so much trouble in the Philippines and have looted enough in the government coffers and rich enough to sustain their families, friends and cronies until the end of their life. We all agree and know that.
And yet…despite of all these desires for change, why can’t we manage to act up all together? I think one of the reason is…the “me first" attitude.I have noticed that when we talk of something, like a project. People could be very fast in giving suggestions and will never ever run out of great ideas. But when implementation comes. no matter how simple it could be, when it comes to opening their wallets…that’s where the problem comes. All is double closed to some.
The “me first" attitude… wanting to be in the frontline. Be the first, be the leader and second to none. No one would like to be the followers. Many e-groups are being created. When one is not satisfied and if one does not agree with the e-group he belongs, he/she creates his/her own group and asks the others to join, so you are not suprised if you see the same people in different groups discussing the same thing and they do cross postings.
It’s overwhelming to read some postings. Some are very eloquent. I wonder how much time they spend infront of their pc just to express their opinions, their knowledge, their experiences. It’s amazign to read their postings. You feel intelligent when you read…but after that, you finally end up frustrated because nothing is comprehensive with their high falluting words after all. Excuse me is that simple English? Such a waste of time for me.
As the presidential election is fast approaching. many political opposition parties emerge. Many new faces of politicians are coming into the scene. In the OFWs alone, there are already many aspiring parties emmerging officially or not Some have practicaly the same objectives. Crying for change and better governance. When we ask for creating just one and unite other groups…forming a bigger group. The answer is a polite “no”.
We claim to have 10 million Pinoys in diaspora. This could be a very strong group to represent the Filipinos outside the country and let their voices heard. After all, we are the ones making the Philippines a great contributor for its economy. Twenty six billion dollars remitted yearly makes the economy in full swing. Without the OFWs, Philippine will never exist.
There is about 70-75% of people who are not satisfied with the way the Philippine government is being run. We cry for our discontentments, we cry for the injustices to the poor people. We denounce the corrupt leaders. And people go hungry. And yet nothing is really happening.
The OFWs can be a big and powerful tool to topple the present govermment. If we could only show our solidarity…by simply going to register and vote because we are sure that being abroad, the politicians can’t buy our votes. At this point, out of 1 million voters expected to register for the upcoming election, only 52,000 have registered worldwide! What a shame! Imagine the 10 millions worldwide if they all come out and vote?
And some people claim to be saying “Mahal ko ang Pilipinas” and yet we don’t really mean what we say.
If we really love the Pilipinas then let’s move our butts and do something and get involved. Let’s not content ourselves in our comfort zone, in front of our computer spending time getting in touch with our hundreds of friends in Facebook or in Friendster or contenting ourselves watching TV Patrol or WOWOWIE and yet nothing productive is happening and we have already wasted so much time.
We cry for unity. Unity here and unity there. Conferences, meetings, dialogues are being organized everywhere. Apparently, nothing is concrete being made. People go home with the same thing in mind….my “party first”. Or kami muna.
One of my close friends told me…”Susie, you are so idealistic and so naive. In the Philippines, there is no such thing as clean politics.”
And my question comes again….For God’s sake, for people’s sake, for our love of the country’s sake, why can’t we act up together? In the meantime, while we remain divided. Even though we belong to the majority of oppositions, we will never make it. We will continue to allow the trapos enjoy their great lifestyles, looting the people’s money, continue their-extra judicial killings, continue sending educated and over qualified maids worldwide and be abused, continue sending our hard- earned money to our familes and relatives, continue doing our little projects which is supposed to be the governments duty to provide them and we continue forever complaining up to the rest of our lives.
My challenge is, shall we allow this to happen forever?
This time, why don’t we give it a try and make the difference as we always try to preach and claim?
Susie Barbieri see my bloghttp://larigolotte.blogspot.com/ see my blog:http://laptitemere.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/ see my bloghttp://wfa-ngo.ning.com/profile/SusieBarbieri pls. help my OSYs project in Urdaneta:http://www.ipangasinan.com/myproject/urdaneta_UCLSTC/ pls. support our community livelihood programwww.freewebs.com/urdanetapiglets
Susie Barbieri see my bloghttp://larigolotte.blogspot.com/ see my blog:http://laptitemere.blogs.friendster.com/my_blog/ see my bloghttp://wfa-ngo.ning.com/profile/SusieBarbieri pls. help my OSYs project in Urdaneta:http://www.ipangasinan.com/myproject/urdaneta_UCLSTC/ pls. support our community livelihood programwww.freewebs.com/urdanetapiglets
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Sen. gordon Prefers going to Normandy than Meeting Pinoys in Paris
Few days ago while I was in Cairo, I received an email from a guy in Jeddah announcing the arrival of Senator Gordon here in Paris and if I could meet with him and jokingly said if I could share a drink with him from my husband's wine collection. He even gave me the Senator's roaming celphone number.
Then another email followed from an aid of the Senator asking if I could organize a Pacquaio fight show on tv (although delayed telecast) and invite the Senator to watch with the Pinoy community.
As soon as I arrived yesterday, I tried to arrange the necessary move so that the Senator could watch the show and be with the Pinoy communtiy at the same time. I called the Maharlika Association president in Paris if he could arrange that and he immediately accepted my request. And there should be no problem. What a relief!
I was able to talk on the phone to the Senator after a brief exchange of SMS. He gave me his itinerary and he wouldn't have much time in Paris as his schedule was so full. I told him that it's only Sunday that the Pinoy community will be available to meet with him today. He said that he will be going to Normandy and even asked me if the place is nice. And I said yes. He told me that the embassy is taking him there but he will let me know if something changes.
I thanked him after the conversation and I texted him trying to encourage him not to go to Normandy by to go and meet the Pinoys instead. I told him that it was important for them to meet with him
He responded my text saying he was going to Normandy.
I was a bit disappointed because I would have really wanted him to see and listen to the Pinoys in Paris. They haven't got always a good living condition here as most of them are undocumented. I would really wanted him to talk to them and if he could deliver a ray of hope to these people and inform the Philippine government from a first hand information he gets and how to help these people out.
I know he's got the right to have his own choice but being already in France and has limited time, being a leader who is supposed to represent government, he could have chosen to be with the Pinoys. It could have been a great boost to their morale especially in this time of crisis where no one is sure what the future awaits them.
Anyway, have a great time in Normandy Senator Gordon and enjoy your other meetings in France.
Susie Barbieri
Maharlika Member
Paris, France
Then another email followed from an aid of the Senator asking if I could organize a Pacquaio fight show on tv (although delayed telecast) and invite the Senator to watch with the Pinoy community.
As soon as I arrived yesterday, I tried to arrange the necessary move so that the Senator could watch the show and be with the Pinoy communtiy at the same time. I called the Maharlika Association president in Paris if he could arrange that and he immediately accepted my request. And there should be no problem. What a relief!
I was able to talk on the phone to the Senator after a brief exchange of SMS. He gave me his itinerary and he wouldn't have much time in Paris as his schedule was so full. I told him that it's only Sunday that the Pinoy community will be available to meet with him today. He said that he will be going to Normandy and even asked me if the place is nice. And I said yes. He told me that the embassy is taking him there but he will let me know if something changes.
I thanked him after the conversation and I texted him trying to encourage him not to go to Normandy by to go and meet the Pinoys instead. I told him that it was important for them to meet with him
He responded my text saying he was going to Normandy.
I was a bit disappointed because I would have really wanted him to see and listen to the Pinoys in Paris. They haven't got always a good living condition here as most of them are undocumented. I would really wanted him to talk to them and if he could deliver a ray of hope to these people and inform the Philippine government from a first hand information he gets and how to help these people out.
I know he's got the right to have his own choice but being already in France and has limited time, being a leader who is supposed to represent government, he could have chosen to be with the Pinoys. It could have been a great boost to their morale especially in this time of crisis where no one is sure what the future awaits them.
Anyway, have a great time in Normandy Senator Gordon and enjoy your other meetings in France.
Susie Barbieri
Maharlika Member
Paris, France
Senator Gordon Prefers
Few days ago while I was in Cairo, I received an email from a guy in Jeddah announcing the arrival of Senator Gordon here in Paris and if I could meet with him and jokingly said if I could share a drink with him from my husband's wine collection. He even gave me the Senator's roaming celphone number.
Then another email followed from an aid of the Senator asking if I could organize a Pacquaio fight show on tv (although delayed telecast) and invite the Senator to watch with the Pinoy community.
As soon as I arrived yesterday, I tried to arrange the necessary move so that the Senator could watch the show and be with the Pinoy communtiy at the same time. I called the Maharlika Association president in Paris if he could arrange that and he immediately accepted my request. And there should be no problem. What a relief!
I was able to talk on the phone to the Senator after a brief exchange of SMS. He gave me his itinerary and he wouldn't have much time in Paris as his schedule was so full. I told him that it's only Sunday that the Pinoy community will be available to meet with him today. He said that he will be going to Normandy and even asked me if the place is nice. And I said yes. He told me that the embassy is taking him there but he will let me know if something changes.
I thanked him after the conversation and I texted him trying to encourage him not to go to Normandy by to go and meet the Pinoys instead. I told him that it was inportant for them to meet with him
He responded my text saying he was going to Normandy.
I was a bit disappointed because I would have really wanted him to see and listen to the Pinoys in Paris. They haven't got always a good living condition here as most of them are undocumented. I would really wanted him to talk to them and if he could deliver a ray of hope to these people and inform the Philippine government from a first hand information he gets and how to help these people out.
I know he's got the right to have his own choice but being already in France and has limited time, being a leader who is supposed to represent government, he could have chosen to be with the Pinoys. It could have been a great boost to their morale especially in this time of crisis where no one is sure what the future awaits them.
Thank you Senator Gordon for showing your non-concern to the Pinoys in Paris. We will not forget that.
Have a great time in Normandy and enjoy meeting in France.
Susie Barbieri
Maharlika Member
Paris, France
Then another email followed from an aid of the Senator asking if I could organize a Pacquaio fight show on tv (although delayed telecast) and invite the Senator to watch with the Pinoy community.
As soon as I arrived yesterday, I tried to arrange the necessary move so that the Senator could watch the show and be with the Pinoy communtiy at the same time. I called the Maharlika Association president in Paris if he could arrange that and he immediately accepted my request. And there should be no problem. What a relief!
I was able to talk on the phone to the Senator after a brief exchange of SMS. He gave me his itinerary and he wouldn't have much time in Paris as his schedule was so full. I told him that it's only Sunday that the Pinoy community will be available to meet with him today. He said that he will be going to Normandy and even asked me if the place is nice. And I said yes. He told me that the embassy is taking him there but he will let me know if something changes.
I thanked him after the conversation and I texted him trying to encourage him not to go to Normandy by to go and meet the Pinoys instead. I told him that it was inportant for them to meet with him
He responded my text saying he was going to Normandy.
I was a bit disappointed because I would have really wanted him to see and listen to the Pinoys in Paris. They haven't got always a good living condition here as most of them are undocumented. I would really wanted him to talk to them and if he could deliver a ray of hope to these people and inform the Philippine government from a first hand information he gets and how to help these people out.
I know he's got the right to have his own choice but being already in France and has limited time, being a leader who is supposed to represent government, he could have chosen to be with the Pinoys. It could have been a great boost to their morale especially in this time of crisis where no one is sure what the future awaits them.
Thank you Senator Gordon for showing your non-concern to the Pinoys in Paris. We will not forget that.
Have a great time in Normandy and enjoy meeting in France.
Susie Barbieri
Maharlika Member
Paris, France
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Are We Ready for Change?
« Are we ready for change?
Who is the reform candidate in 2010?
04/08/09
Posted under 2010 Elections, Governance, Reform Leader
By Harvey S. Keh
WHEN the Philippine Daily Inquirer published a story about the leaders of Kaya Natin! discussing with Senator Mar Roxas the possibility of him taking part in a nomination and primary process (to be conducted by a separate group) to help select a common reform candidate for the 2010 national elections, we received various responses from the public. Some reactions were positive saying that they completely support the move to find a common alternative candidate that would champion good governance and ethical leadership in our country. Others were pessimistic saying that it might be too late in the game to actually conduct this process. While others expressed their disappointment saying that Kaya Natin might be mislead to thinking that Senator Roxas is a reform candidate when in actuality he is not.
How then can we determine whether or not a Presidential candidate is actually a real reform and alternative leader that we can entrust our support to?
I have always believed in the saying that great leaders are products of the need of their time. I believe that aside from poverty and the great amount of cynicism that Filipinos feel, the biggest problem is the lack of moral values, ethical fiber and principles of our government leaders. It seems that graft and corruption in our government has become so prevalent that many Filipinos now feel that it is an epidemic that can no longer be eradicated in our society. Sadly, many of us have accepted it as part of our way of life. I don’t think so. Imagine if the billions of pesos that is stolen by our leaders are used to create decent jobs, then I don’t think Filipinos will still be forced to leave their families behind just to earn a decent wage abroad. A reform leader should have a proven track record of moral integrity, upholding the rule of law and fighting against graft and corruption in our country.
A reform leader should also have a proven track record in public service. I agree with my friends and colleagues at the Ateneo de Manila School of Government that good intentions are not enough. A reform leader should be able to also govern effectively thus, s/he is able to deliver basic services to his constituents. It is sad that we have current Presidentiables who continue to look good when speaking in front of the camera but when you look at their track record you would realize that they have actually done nothing to help uplift the plight of the Filipino people. Leaders go beyond lip service to produce concrete outcomes and results.
Thirdly, a reform leader realizes that he is in government to serve and not to be served. Many of our government leaders use their power to gain certain privileges and perks that ordinary Filipinos like us don’t experience. Many of us have seen this while waiting in line at the airport while a so-called “VIP” is whisked away without going through the proper processes. For those of us who drive and are usually stuck in the middle of a traffic jam, we suddenly hear a loud siren coupled with a convoy of vehicles who don’t even respect traffic rules just because their passenger is a government official. We have even heard stories of government leaders using government funds and road projects to benefit their own companies. Now, these same government leaders are spending millions every month posing in TV and Radio commercials trying to get the support of people by showing us that they actually understand our plight. I hope we will be more discerning and no longer be fooled by them.
Fourthly, a reform leader is not beholden to the ruling elite and oligarchs in our country. Sadly, many of our current leaders continue to place the interests of a few rich businessmen above the interests of millions of suffering Filipinos who continue to live with less than P100 a day. This happens since in every election, a candidate would need to spend millions or even billions to have a fighting chance and this becomes an opportunity for the ruling elite to “buy” the support of the candidate in the form of huge campaign contributions. Thus, I have always said that the challenge is for all ordinary Filipinos to chip in their own share of resources no matter how small to help support a real reform and alternative candidate. We already saw it happen in Isabela and Pampanga wherein ordinary people chipped in to help elect Gov. Grace Padaca and Gov. Eddie Panlilio.
Fifth, a reform leader should have a solid track record in helping the poor and powerless in our society. A more recent test of this was the push for the extension and reform of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARPER). Land reform is very critical in solving our current state of poverty given the fact that the agricultural sector is one of the leading industries in our country today. Sadly, despite the fact that our farmers ensure food security for each one of us, they themselves continue to live in poverty due to their lack of ownership of land and adequate support from government. Many of our current Congressmen and Senators are against this since this will go against their own personal interests given that many of them come from landed families.
Finally, a reform leader should be someone that can make every Filipino believe and hope again for a better future. S/he must be someone who can unite and inspire all of us to believe that anything is possible if we all work together to promote good governance in our country. A reform leader is humble enough to admit that s/he is not the savior of the country but rather his or her role is to serve as the captain of the ship that will help move our country to a common vision of prosperity and a better quality of life for every Filipino.
Will 2010 be the year that we will finally be able to elect an inspiring, morally-upright, effective and ethical reform President?
Many people don’t think so but I continue to believe in the greatness and the goodness of the Filipino people whom I know if given the chance will always choose to vote not for the most popular but for the right leader for our country.
Who is the reform candidate in 2010?
04/08/09
Posted under 2010 Elections, Governance, Reform Leader
By Harvey S. Keh
WHEN the Philippine Daily Inquirer published a story about the leaders of Kaya Natin! discussing with Senator Mar Roxas the possibility of him taking part in a nomination and primary process (to be conducted by a separate group) to help select a common reform candidate for the 2010 national elections, we received various responses from the public. Some reactions were positive saying that they completely support the move to find a common alternative candidate that would champion good governance and ethical leadership in our country. Others were pessimistic saying that it might be too late in the game to actually conduct this process. While others expressed their disappointment saying that Kaya Natin might be mislead to thinking that Senator Roxas is a reform candidate when in actuality he is not.
How then can we determine whether or not a Presidential candidate is actually a real reform and alternative leader that we can entrust our support to?
I have always believed in the saying that great leaders are products of the need of their time. I believe that aside from poverty and the great amount of cynicism that Filipinos feel, the biggest problem is the lack of moral values, ethical fiber and principles of our government leaders. It seems that graft and corruption in our government has become so prevalent that many Filipinos now feel that it is an epidemic that can no longer be eradicated in our society. Sadly, many of us have accepted it as part of our way of life. I don’t think so. Imagine if the billions of pesos that is stolen by our leaders are used to create decent jobs, then I don’t think Filipinos will still be forced to leave their families behind just to earn a decent wage abroad. A reform leader should have a proven track record of moral integrity, upholding the rule of law and fighting against graft and corruption in our country.
A reform leader should also have a proven track record in public service. I agree with my friends and colleagues at the Ateneo de Manila School of Government that good intentions are not enough. A reform leader should be able to also govern effectively thus, s/he is able to deliver basic services to his constituents. It is sad that we have current Presidentiables who continue to look good when speaking in front of the camera but when you look at their track record you would realize that they have actually done nothing to help uplift the plight of the Filipino people. Leaders go beyond lip service to produce concrete outcomes and results.
Thirdly, a reform leader realizes that he is in government to serve and not to be served. Many of our government leaders use their power to gain certain privileges and perks that ordinary Filipinos like us don’t experience. Many of us have seen this while waiting in line at the airport while a so-called “VIP” is whisked away without going through the proper processes. For those of us who drive and are usually stuck in the middle of a traffic jam, we suddenly hear a loud siren coupled with a convoy of vehicles who don’t even respect traffic rules just because their passenger is a government official. We have even heard stories of government leaders using government funds and road projects to benefit their own companies. Now, these same government leaders are spending millions every month posing in TV and Radio commercials trying to get the support of people by showing us that they actually understand our plight. I hope we will be more discerning and no longer be fooled by them.
Fourthly, a reform leader is not beholden to the ruling elite and oligarchs in our country. Sadly, many of our current leaders continue to place the interests of a few rich businessmen above the interests of millions of suffering Filipinos who continue to live with less than P100 a day. This happens since in every election, a candidate would need to spend millions or even billions to have a fighting chance and this becomes an opportunity for the ruling elite to “buy” the support of the candidate in the form of huge campaign contributions. Thus, I have always said that the challenge is for all ordinary Filipinos to chip in their own share of resources no matter how small to help support a real reform and alternative candidate. We already saw it happen in Isabela and Pampanga wherein ordinary people chipped in to help elect Gov. Grace Padaca and Gov. Eddie Panlilio.
Fifth, a reform leader should have a solid track record in helping the poor and powerless in our society. A more recent test of this was the push for the extension and reform of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARPER). Land reform is very critical in solving our current state of poverty given the fact that the agricultural sector is one of the leading industries in our country today. Sadly, despite the fact that our farmers ensure food security for each one of us, they themselves continue to live in poverty due to their lack of ownership of land and adequate support from government. Many of our current Congressmen and Senators are against this since this will go against their own personal interests given that many of them come from landed families.
Finally, a reform leader should be someone that can make every Filipino believe and hope again for a better future. S/he must be someone who can unite and inspire all of us to believe that anything is possible if we all work together to promote good governance in our country. A reform leader is humble enough to admit that s/he is not the savior of the country but rather his or her role is to serve as the captain of the ship that will help move our country to a common vision of prosperity and a better quality of life for every Filipino.
Will 2010 be the year that we will finally be able to elect an inspiring, morally-upright, effective and ethical reform President?
Many people don’t think so but I continue to believe in the greatness and the goodness of the Filipino people whom I know if given the chance will always choose to vote not for the most popular but for the right leader for our country.
Nang Matulala si Harvey!
I always like the way governor Grace writes. She is very simple and applies the words that everybody could understand.
Nang Matulala si Harveyni: Gov. Grace Padaca
Abante Tonitehttp://abante-tonite.com/issue/apr0809/opinions_kaya.htm
Si Harvey Keh ay iyong batang propesor sa Ateneo na noong eleksyon ng 2007 ay sumulat tungkol sa pitong kandidato na kung mananalo aniya ay aalis na lang siya sa Pilipinas kahit maiwanan niya ang mga naumpisahan niyang proyekto katulad ng Pathways to Education at Ahon Foundation.***
Mabuti na lang, isa lang sa pito ang nanalo. Nanatili sa bansa si Harvey at siya pa ang naging susi sa paglapit namin nina Among Gov. Eddie Panlilio ng Pampanga at Mayor Jesse Robredo ng Naga City. Isang pagpupulong namin sa Club Filipino noong June 2008 ang nagbunga sa pagkakabuo ng grupong Kaya Natin: A Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership.***
Ang pinaka-layunin ng Kaya Natin ay ibahagi ang karanasan naming tatlo sa napakahirap pero matagumpay naming pinagdaanan bago kami nahalal, ang mga hamon sa gitna ng pamahalaang hitik sa anomalya, at ang napakaraming pagkakataon para sa tiyak na pag-unlad ng Pilipinas kung mapapasakamay lamang sa mararangal na tao ang kapangyarihan ng gobyerno.***
Lagi kong sinasabi saaking mga talumpati, maghalal kasi tayo ng mga karapat-dapat na mayor, gobernador, congressman, sangguniang bayan, barangay kapitan, barangay kagawad. Huwag nating iasa ang ating bansa sa iisang tao lamang, katulad ng Pangulo na kapag pumalpak ay ang hirap-hirap patalsikin. Seryosohin kasi natin kapag may halalan, kung hindi ay anim na taon, tatlong taon tayong magtitiis. Sayang ang panahon, samantalang ang daming pera ng gobyerno na puwedeng ipamahagi sa mga lubhang naghihirap na Pilipino.***
Ang tawag namin kay Harvey, siya ang Boy Abunda ng Kaya Natin. Siya ang nag-aayos ng aming busy schedules, pati iyong kina Governor Teddy Baguilat ng Ifugao at Mayor Sonia Lorenzo ng San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, para makaluwas kami sa Manila o sa iba pang lugar, para magbahagi sa mga Pilipino na hindi lahat ng tao sa gobyerno ay salbahe, na huwag tayong mawawalan ng pag-asa sa bansa. Kaya natin!***
Sobrang hindi totoo ang akala ng iba na ang Kaya Natin ay front lang ng Liberal Party. Iyong iba ngang taga-Liberal naiinis kay Harvey, kasi akala nila siya ang may isip na gawin kaming kandidato ni Among Gov.***Ang totoo niyan, noong parami na nang parami ang nangungulit na kumbinsihin kami nina Among Gov, Mayor Jesse at ako na tumakbo sa national positions, doon ko unang nakitang biglang tumahimik si Harvey.***
Uy, sabi ko sa kanya, ba’t ka tulala? Oo nga, sabi niya. I am not usually dumbfounded. Kasi alam niya, iba na ito sa simpleng ginagawa lamang namin sa Kaya Natin na pagbabahagi tungkol sa good governance and ethical leadership.***Ako, hindi pa ako natutulala noon dahil hindi ko pa lubos maisip ang posibilidad. Wala pang desisyon. Pero si Harvey, alam ko na siya agad ang pupuntiryahin. Alam ko, mahirap ihiwalay ang kanyang papel sa Kaya Natin na hindi isang grupong pampulitika doon sa P3 movement (Panlilio-Padaca sa Pagbabago) na hindi naman siya miyembro.***
Nagpulong kami noong Lunes -- ang Kaya Natin at ilang kasapi ng P3 para magkaliwanangan sa biglang direksyon ng mga pangyayari. Prangka ang mga palitan ng salita. Kung iniisip mo lang ang damdamin mo at hindi ang kapakanan ng ating bansa, magdaramdam ka, masasaktan ka. Pero sabi nga ni Among Gov, there is so much goodwill in this room, kailangan lang ay magkaunawaan tayo.***
Oo nga, kung matindi man ang mga damdamin at salita, iyon ay dahil sa maalab na pagmamahal at pagmamalasakit sa ating bansa. Noong una nga ay may iyakan pa sa harap namin nina Among Gov, Mayor Jesse, Gov. Teddy at Mayor Sonia, dahil bakit palala na lang nang palala ang mga nangyayari sa Pilipinas?***
Si Harvey, hindi naiyak pero natulala. Malaking responsibilidad ito sa bansa. Maraming panlalait ang bubuhos. Maraming hindi tamang akala ang lalabas. Pero kung ang lahat ng ito ay para sa inang bansa, okay lang, kakayanin natin!***
Email: kayanatin@yahoo.com Text: 0919-3533222
Nang Matulala si Harveyni: Gov. Grace Padaca
Abante Tonitehttp://abante-tonite.com/issue/apr0809/opinions_kaya.htm
Si Harvey Keh ay iyong batang propesor sa Ateneo na noong eleksyon ng 2007 ay sumulat tungkol sa pitong kandidato na kung mananalo aniya ay aalis na lang siya sa Pilipinas kahit maiwanan niya ang mga naumpisahan niyang proyekto katulad ng Pathways to Education at Ahon Foundation.***
Mabuti na lang, isa lang sa pito ang nanalo. Nanatili sa bansa si Harvey at siya pa ang naging susi sa paglapit namin nina Among Gov. Eddie Panlilio ng Pampanga at Mayor Jesse Robredo ng Naga City. Isang pagpupulong namin sa Club Filipino noong June 2008 ang nagbunga sa pagkakabuo ng grupong Kaya Natin: A Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership.***
Ang pinaka-layunin ng Kaya Natin ay ibahagi ang karanasan naming tatlo sa napakahirap pero matagumpay naming pinagdaanan bago kami nahalal, ang mga hamon sa gitna ng pamahalaang hitik sa anomalya, at ang napakaraming pagkakataon para sa tiyak na pag-unlad ng Pilipinas kung mapapasakamay lamang sa mararangal na tao ang kapangyarihan ng gobyerno.***
Lagi kong sinasabi saaking mga talumpati, maghalal kasi tayo ng mga karapat-dapat na mayor, gobernador, congressman, sangguniang bayan, barangay kapitan, barangay kagawad. Huwag nating iasa ang ating bansa sa iisang tao lamang, katulad ng Pangulo na kapag pumalpak ay ang hirap-hirap patalsikin. Seryosohin kasi natin kapag may halalan, kung hindi ay anim na taon, tatlong taon tayong magtitiis. Sayang ang panahon, samantalang ang daming pera ng gobyerno na puwedeng ipamahagi sa mga lubhang naghihirap na Pilipino.***
Ang tawag namin kay Harvey, siya ang Boy Abunda ng Kaya Natin. Siya ang nag-aayos ng aming busy schedules, pati iyong kina Governor Teddy Baguilat ng Ifugao at Mayor Sonia Lorenzo ng San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, para makaluwas kami sa Manila o sa iba pang lugar, para magbahagi sa mga Pilipino na hindi lahat ng tao sa gobyerno ay salbahe, na huwag tayong mawawalan ng pag-asa sa bansa. Kaya natin!***
Sobrang hindi totoo ang akala ng iba na ang Kaya Natin ay front lang ng Liberal Party. Iyong iba ngang taga-Liberal naiinis kay Harvey, kasi akala nila siya ang may isip na gawin kaming kandidato ni Among Gov.***Ang totoo niyan, noong parami na nang parami ang nangungulit na kumbinsihin kami nina Among Gov, Mayor Jesse at ako na tumakbo sa national positions, doon ko unang nakitang biglang tumahimik si Harvey.***
Uy, sabi ko sa kanya, ba’t ka tulala? Oo nga, sabi niya. I am not usually dumbfounded. Kasi alam niya, iba na ito sa simpleng ginagawa lamang namin sa Kaya Natin na pagbabahagi tungkol sa good governance and ethical leadership.***Ako, hindi pa ako natutulala noon dahil hindi ko pa lubos maisip ang posibilidad. Wala pang desisyon. Pero si Harvey, alam ko na siya agad ang pupuntiryahin. Alam ko, mahirap ihiwalay ang kanyang papel sa Kaya Natin na hindi isang grupong pampulitika doon sa P3 movement (Panlilio-Padaca sa Pagbabago) na hindi naman siya miyembro.***
Nagpulong kami noong Lunes -- ang Kaya Natin at ilang kasapi ng P3 para magkaliwanangan sa biglang direksyon ng mga pangyayari. Prangka ang mga palitan ng salita. Kung iniisip mo lang ang damdamin mo at hindi ang kapakanan ng ating bansa, magdaramdam ka, masasaktan ka. Pero sabi nga ni Among Gov, there is so much goodwill in this room, kailangan lang ay magkaunawaan tayo.***
Oo nga, kung matindi man ang mga damdamin at salita, iyon ay dahil sa maalab na pagmamahal at pagmamalasakit sa ating bansa. Noong una nga ay may iyakan pa sa harap namin nina Among Gov, Mayor Jesse, Gov. Teddy at Mayor Sonia, dahil bakit palala na lang nang palala ang mga nangyayari sa Pilipinas?***
Si Harvey, hindi naiyak pero natulala. Malaking responsibilidad ito sa bansa. Maraming panlalait ang bubuhos. Maraming hindi tamang akala ang lalabas. Pero kung ang lahat ng ito ay para sa inang bansa, okay lang, kakayanin natin!***
Email: kayanatin@yahoo.com Text: 0919-3533222
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Sad Realities
Dear Folks,
Some of you have responded immediately to my email concerning my niece's son's medical problems. Thank you so much and I really appreciate it.
Your personal experiences have just confirmed how in the Philippines medical care has worsened and I just wonder if there's any way this could be changed.
Not unless, like I always say...let's do something about it. By getting ourselves involved.
Election of new leaders is fast approaching and this is the right time to vote for the new breed of leaders. No trapos please! Never again.
I just picked Manong Fred's comment because there's a story of two doctors who happened to work in Manila and now migrated in the U.S. Their version is very interesting.
And we will learn the other side of the coin. We can't blame them either. It's the system itself to be blamed once and for all, I guess.
Please read below:
Thanks Manong Fred.
Susie
=================================================================
Susie's story of her grandnephew who was almost denied medical care is commonly known in the Philippines. Why did it happen? When you come down to the ultimate bottom line it happened because of the poor economy of the country.
A poor economy can inspire corruption. Stories had been told of extremely poor families selling their daughters into prostitution. Crooked cops extort from jeepney drivers. Jeepney drivers resort to bribing cops so they can get away with traffic violations. Crooked politicians steal one way or another to maintain their power. Ad nauseam...
But what about the medical establishment in the Philippines? Why would it allow Susie's grandnephew to suffer because the poor kid's relatives are poor?
Economics again!
I met a young couple at a wedding recently in Chicago. The wife is a pretty girl in her mid-twenties. She and her husband turned out to be newly arrived doctors doing internship at a Chicago hospital. We came to talking about the anomalous stories about patients not getting proper care because of money - or the lack thereof - in the Philippines.
Here is her side of things. Let's call her Dr. Linda to preserve her privacy.
Before coming to the United States Dr. Linda was already a licensed physician working in an ER unit at a Manila hospital. When a patient is ushered into the ER, she, or any other doctor in charge at the moment, would administer emergency care.
So far so good.
Then non-medical number crunchers of the hospital (social workers, accountants, hospital administrators, etc.) will take over to determine who would pay for the patient who might be a poor sampaguita vendor or a reckless jeepney driver or, well, anybody who cannot afford medical care.
Crisis!
The first few times Dr. Linda and her fellow doctors did not complain when the accountants deducted something from their salaries for "unapproved" care they rendered. Then, henceforth, they had to get permission first before they touch a patient writhing in pain. Doctors, in spite of their Hippocratic Oath, have to live on their salaries, too, and they cannot forever subsidize indigent patients for the sake of hospital profitability.
But wait. The hospital, unless amply supported by the government, cannot maintain its physical plant and equipment, cannot pay its accountants, its nurses, its social workers, its janitors, its sanitation engineers (bedpan attendants) etc. unless there is enough revenue from patients. Hospitals cannot afford to lose doctors by deducting from their salaries for "unauthorized" services they rendered.
This Catch 22 scenario is, here we go again, the result of a very poor economy where people do not earn enough to buy food, shelter AND MEDICAL CARE.
Now you can understand why Dr. Linda and her husband, also a doctor, immigrated to the United States where they can use their hard training in getting people well without some bureaucratic hospital director and his accountant deducting something from their paycheck. In a few years, they can drive Jaguars and not feel guilty because they deserve it.
Who is to blame in the sad state of health care affairs in the Philippines?
Maybe it's the crooks who bleed public coffers dry. Maybe it's the people who resort to bribery to get ahead of the line. Maybe it's the macho boot black who, when told that he should not get married until he has a steady income, says "bahala na" and then proceeds to make a dozen babies in a dozen years.
Maybe it's the population that constantly changes its leaders without changing itself.
So it boils down to the complexity of economic problems where no simple solutions can be hammered out. But to go back to Susie's grandnephew the immediate solution was to scrounge for help from wherever it can be found. Not ideal but, hey, it is not a perfect world. We just know that there are countless Susie's all over. Thank God.
Fred NatividadLivonia, Michigan
Some of you have responded immediately to my email concerning my niece's son's medical problems. Thank you so much and I really appreciate it.
Your personal experiences have just confirmed how in the Philippines medical care has worsened and I just wonder if there's any way this could be changed.
Not unless, like I always say...let's do something about it. By getting ourselves involved.
Election of new leaders is fast approaching and this is the right time to vote for the new breed of leaders. No trapos please! Never again.
I just picked Manong Fred's comment because there's a story of two doctors who happened to work in Manila and now migrated in the U.S. Their version is very interesting.
And we will learn the other side of the coin. We can't blame them either. It's the system itself to be blamed once and for all, I guess.
Please read below:
Thanks Manong Fred.
Susie
=================================================================
Susie's story of her grandnephew who was almost denied medical care is commonly known in the Philippines. Why did it happen? When you come down to the ultimate bottom line it happened because of the poor economy of the country.
A poor economy can inspire corruption. Stories had been told of extremely poor families selling their daughters into prostitution. Crooked cops extort from jeepney drivers. Jeepney drivers resort to bribing cops so they can get away with traffic violations. Crooked politicians steal one way or another to maintain their power. Ad nauseam...
But what about the medical establishment in the Philippines? Why would it allow Susie's grandnephew to suffer because the poor kid's relatives are poor?
Economics again!
I met a young couple at a wedding recently in Chicago. The wife is a pretty girl in her mid-twenties. She and her husband turned out to be newly arrived doctors doing internship at a Chicago hospital. We came to talking about the anomalous stories about patients not getting proper care because of money - or the lack thereof - in the Philippines.
Here is her side of things. Let's call her Dr. Linda to preserve her privacy.
Before coming to the United States Dr. Linda was already a licensed physician working in an ER unit at a Manila hospital. When a patient is ushered into the ER, she, or any other doctor in charge at the moment, would administer emergency care.
So far so good.
Then non-medical number crunchers of the hospital (social workers, accountants, hospital administrators, etc.) will take over to determine who would pay for the patient who might be a poor sampaguita vendor or a reckless jeepney driver or, well, anybody who cannot afford medical care.
Crisis!
The first few times Dr. Linda and her fellow doctors did not complain when the accountants deducted something from their salaries for "unapproved" care they rendered. Then, henceforth, they had to get permission first before they touch a patient writhing in pain. Doctors, in spite of their Hippocratic Oath, have to live on their salaries, too, and they cannot forever subsidize indigent patients for the sake of hospital profitability.
But wait. The hospital, unless amply supported by the government, cannot maintain its physical plant and equipment, cannot pay its accountants, its nurses, its social workers, its janitors, its sanitation engineers (bedpan attendants) etc. unless there is enough revenue from patients. Hospitals cannot afford to lose doctors by deducting from their salaries for "unauthorized" services they rendered.
This Catch 22 scenario is, here we go again, the result of a very poor economy where people do not earn enough to buy food, shelter AND MEDICAL CARE.
Now you can understand why Dr. Linda and her husband, also a doctor, immigrated to the United States where they can use their hard training in getting people well without some bureaucratic hospital director and his accountant deducting something from their paycheck. In a few years, they can drive Jaguars and not feel guilty because they deserve it.
Who is to blame in the sad state of health care affairs in the Philippines?
Maybe it's the crooks who bleed public coffers dry. Maybe it's the people who resort to bribery to get ahead of the line. Maybe it's the macho boot black who, when told that he should not get married until he has a steady income, says "bahala na" and then proceeds to make a dozen babies in a dozen years.
Maybe it's the population that constantly changes its leaders without changing itself.
So it boils down to the complexity of economic problems where no simple solutions can be hammered out. But to go back to Susie's grandnephew the immediate solution was to scrounge for help from wherever it can be found. Not ideal but, hey, it is not a perfect world. We just know that there are countless Susie's all over. Thank God.
Fred NatividadLivonia, Michigan
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Sorry, No Money, No Honey!
Few days ago, my niece's son was rushed to the hospital due to extreme and complicated breathing problem. He was getting blueish. Before, the patient was admitted in this private hospital, my other niece (not not the child's mother) was interviewed and asked if they have the money to pay for the bill. She said that she has got sisters and aunts living abroad who could help. The child was admitted.
The child immediately needed care and medication but the pharmacy refused to provide him because "no money" available. My sister has been informed in Australia and she emailed me about this but before the money arrives, it takes time and the child had to be attended the soonest.
My niece had to cry and beg and almost had to kneel down pleading to grant them medicine so the child could be treated well. But no avail. She was helpless and panicked.
When I learned about this, I had to call my doctor friend who happened to be the attending pediatrician of the child. She told me what was the problem. And advised me to transfer the child to another hospital for further threatment. . The bill was already dramatically escalating and they don't have the unit to treat such case.
I also called a friend of mine who works at the hospital and told her to please make the necessary arrangement so my "apo" will receive treatment and I will be the guarantor to take care of the hospital bill.
The problem was settled. My friend immediately ordered the hospital to provide the medical care needed until the child was transferred to another hospital for further treatment.
Right now, while I write this, baby is still in the other hospital and under observation. I am hoping and praying for his fast recovery.
My friend explained to me that in their private hospital, it is a normal procedure to interview the patient before getting admitted.
First to know, that is if you have the money to pay.
I know this already. But what revolts me is....a hospital is a place to treat people. Meaning, as far as I am concerned, whether you have money or not, you are entitled to get the needed care. Their mission is to save LIFE. Be a private hospital or not!
Doctors are expected to treat people...rich or poor! Their primary concern, their primary mission is to save LIFE!
In the Philippines, this is not the case. If you have money, you have the right to get the best treatment. Because you PAY!
If you are poor like my family, you haven't got the right to get the treatment! Because you are poor or your life is not as important as the RICH ones.
Even though you are already at the hospital. A place to normally "save" lives can let you die...if you don't have the MONEY!
They don't really care. MONEY counts first. Not your life. Who are you anyway? You are poor, so you are nothing!
Is this morally accepted?
Had I not intervened. Had I not begged for consideration. Had I not called friends for help, my "apo" could have not managed to survive...and maybe, who knows....
But I am thankful, he is still alive and hopefully recover soon.
Why I am writing this? Because I want to see the Philippine government change. That the leaders should take care of their citizens' welfare before taking care of themselves and not stealing public coffers to enrich themselves.
It's really about time that people should move their butts and shout that enough is enoug!
Toss the trapos and elect new breed of morally deserved leaders. We are tired seeing them display their ill-gotten wealth!
Let's move and walk the talk. BE INVOLVED for a change whether you are in Pinas or not.
We have this responsiblity to help for a change!
And not to bear this in any difficult circumstances, when people tell you: "SORRY, NO MONEY, NO HONEY!"
The child immediately needed care and medication but the pharmacy refused to provide him because "no money" available. My sister has been informed in Australia and she emailed me about this but before the money arrives, it takes time and the child had to be attended the soonest.
My niece had to cry and beg and almost had to kneel down pleading to grant them medicine so the child could be treated well. But no avail. She was helpless and panicked.
When I learned about this, I had to call my doctor friend who happened to be the attending pediatrician of the child. She told me what was the problem. And advised me to transfer the child to another hospital for further threatment. . The bill was already dramatically escalating and they don't have the unit to treat such case.
I also called a friend of mine who works at the hospital and told her to please make the necessary arrangement so my "apo" will receive treatment and I will be the guarantor to take care of the hospital bill.
The problem was settled. My friend immediately ordered the hospital to provide the medical care needed until the child was transferred to another hospital for further treatment.
Right now, while I write this, baby is still in the other hospital and under observation. I am hoping and praying for his fast recovery.
My friend explained to me that in their private hospital, it is a normal procedure to interview the patient before getting admitted.
First to know, that is if you have the money to pay.
I know this already. But what revolts me is....a hospital is a place to treat people. Meaning, as far as I am concerned, whether you have money or not, you are entitled to get the needed care. Their mission is to save LIFE. Be a private hospital or not!
Doctors are expected to treat people...rich or poor! Their primary concern, their primary mission is to save LIFE!
In the Philippines, this is not the case. If you have money, you have the right to get the best treatment. Because you PAY!
If you are poor like my family, you haven't got the right to get the treatment! Because you are poor or your life is not as important as the RICH ones.
Even though you are already at the hospital. A place to normally "save" lives can let you die...if you don't have the MONEY!
They don't really care. MONEY counts first. Not your life. Who are you anyway? You are poor, so you are nothing!
Is this morally accepted?
Had I not intervened. Had I not begged for consideration. Had I not called friends for help, my "apo" could have not managed to survive...and maybe, who knows....
But I am thankful, he is still alive and hopefully recover soon.
Why I am writing this? Because I want to see the Philippine government change. That the leaders should take care of their citizens' welfare before taking care of themselves and not stealing public coffers to enrich themselves.
It's really about time that people should move their butts and shout that enough is enoug!
Toss the trapos and elect new breed of morally deserved leaders. We are tired seeing them display their ill-gotten wealth!
Let's move and walk the talk. BE INVOLVED for a change whether you are in Pinas or not.
We have this responsiblity to help for a change!
And not to bear this in any difficult circumstances, when people tell you: "SORRY, NO MONEY, NO HONEY!"
Friday, April 3, 2009
Let's Be United
This is really overwhelming seeing all these existing groups and other groups being created with only one objective per se...yearning for change!
What apprehends methough is that, everyone wants to be a leader. Everyone likes to be in the limelight to get recognized or whatever. No one wants to be a follower. That creates more division instead of unity among us. Let's be vigilant.
I am ofren invited to join such group and that group....and somehow, I get tired of it. It's really time consuming and in short, such a waste of time!
I started distancing myself from many groups because I feel that it's all the same banana and they just talk and nothing has been accomplished. They have created a super by laws...written in such a way that not ordinary people could read. I must admit, I could hardly comprehend what was written. I did not even read half of it and I just left it on my bedside table and remained untouch since then. And I got discouraged.
There are many egroups in which I see the same people saying the same thing.
If we cling for a change, then let's learn to simplify and maybe it needs humility and meekness to really accomplish something.
For the meantime, the trapos are enjoying their privilege of being on top while seeing us the opposing groups being divided!
What a shame!
What apprehends methough is that, everyone wants to be a leader. Everyone likes to be in the limelight to get recognized or whatever. No one wants to be a follower. That creates more division instead of unity among us. Let's be vigilant.
I am ofren invited to join such group and that group....and somehow, I get tired of it. It's really time consuming and in short, such a waste of time!
I started distancing myself from many groups because I feel that it's all the same banana and they just talk and nothing has been accomplished. They have created a super by laws...written in such a way that not ordinary people could read. I must admit, I could hardly comprehend what was written. I did not even read half of it and I just left it on my bedside table and remained untouch since then. And I got discouraged.
There are many egroups in which I see the same people saying the same thing.
If we cling for a change, then let's learn to simplify and maybe it needs humility and meekness to really accomplish something.
For the meantime, the trapos are enjoying their privilege of being on top while seeing us the opposing groups being divided!
What a shame!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Boyet Fajardo - What a Shame!
Last March 13, 2009, Filipino Fashion Designer Angelino Boyet Fajardo created a scene, to the shock and horror of shoppers and employees of Duty Free Philippines alike, when a cashier politely asked for his ID after presenting his unsigned credit card . This is a standard operating procedure applicable to all stores to verify ownership of the credit card and prevent fraud.
Suddenly, the designer reportedly got furious and, at the top of his voice, started berating the cashiers and managers of Duty Free Philippines.. He might have thought a celebrated person like he is, with all his accolades and fame, has gone unrecognized by the cashier, a new well-trained casual worker who is carefully doing his job. The designer further shocked bystanders by cursing the people there with words such as leche and p...ina, while angrily expressing surprise why the people there did not recognize him. Store managers and officers were sought to appease the matter, explaining to him that it is all included as a standard operating procedure in credit card payment for the safety, not only for the company but also his own. Ignoring all this, he pulled out his phone and threatened to call on high positioned government officials whom he allegedly knew, like doing a power-play to make these people realize how important he is. He went on saying "Mga leche kayo! Hindi niyo ako kilala? Ako si Boyet Fajardo! At itong p...ina na babaeng ito (pointing to a lady officer) at ang baklang ito (pointing to the cashier) ay walang kwentang mga tao! I want them fired!!!"His yelling and berating went on and on. He cannot calm down and as he appeared to have bloodshot eyes, like that of a drunk person and or under an influence. He threw his passport on the cashier's face and later intentionally stepped on the cashier's foot to say "Ay sorry, di ko sinasadya!" He goes on to say, that only if the cashier kneel down before him and/or allow him to freely slap the cashier's face, may he get satisfied.The ill-fated cashier, with all the onlookers watching, stand down and just simply gave in to probably he thought would end the matter.
Crying in shame he slowly knelt down and apologize (for actually doing his job) before this self proclaimed GOD, perhaps for fear of losing his job. No slapping was made to the cashier's face but the incident landed a harsher and reverberating sound to the faces of the lesser people of this society.
Fortunately, his inhumane acts were caught on CCTV in which a portion was featured in YouTube.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojv_kbsEQHQ&feature=channel_page
With such disrespect, discrimination and humiliation towards a good worker, a less fortunate person and a fellow Filipino...1. We are calling all citizens to stop patronizing Boyet Fajardo's RTW labels such as Substance in SM department stores, Boyet Fajardo and Initials in Landmark and Robinson's department stores.2. We are calling on all malls to pull out or stop distributing his products in your outlets.4. We are calling on the Commission on Human Rights, Department of Labor and Employment and all human rights and labor activists to take appropriate legal actions on this matter.5. We are calling all foreign embassies to deny him of entry to your respective countries.6. We are calling on the Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines to dishonor him of his membership and profession....To give him a lesson and to help us stop him from victimizing the underprivileged over and over and over again.
Contact Information:Boyet FajardoTel: +632 6327120 / +632 6366871Email: info@boyetfajardo.com
Website: www.boyetfajardo.com
We look forward to your support.Thank you.Concerned Filipino Citizen
Winnie C. Mercado
http://petitionspot.com/petitions/boycottboyetfajardo
Suddenly, the designer reportedly got furious and, at the top of his voice, started berating the cashiers and managers of Duty Free Philippines.. He might have thought a celebrated person like he is, with all his accolades and fame, has gone unrecognized by the cashier, a new well-trained casual worker who is carefully doing his job. The designer further shocked bystanders by cursing the people there with words such as leche and p...ina, while angrily expressing surprise why the people there did not recognize him. Store managers and officers were sought to appease the matter, explaining to him that it is all included as a standard operating procedure in credit card payment for the safety, not only for the company but also his own. Ignoring all this, he pulled out his phone and threatened to call on high positioned government officials whom he allegedly knew, like doing a power-play to make these people realize how important he is. He went on saying "Mga leche kayo! Hindi niyo ako kilala? Ako si Boyet Fajardo! At itong p...ina na babaeng ito (pointing to a lady officer) at ang baklang ito (pointing to the cashier) ay walang kwentang mga tao! I want them fired!!!"His yelling and berating went on and on. He cannot calm down and as he appeared to have bloodshot eyes, like that of a drunk person and or under an influence. He threw his passport on the cashier's face and later intentionally stepped on the cashier's foot to say "Ay sorry, di ko sinasadya!" He goes on to say, that only if the cashier kneel down before him and/or allow him to freely slap the cashier's face, may he get satisfied.The ill-fated cashier, with all the onlookers watching, stand down and just simply gave in to probably he thought would end the matter.
Crying in shame he slowly knelt down and apologize (for actually doing his job) before this self proclaimed GOD, perhaps for fear of losing his job. No slapping was made to the cashier's face but the incident landed a harsher and reverberating sound to the faces of the lesser people of this society.
Fortunately, his inhumane acts were caught on CCTV in which a portion was featured in YouTube.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojv_kbsEQHQ&feature=channel_page
With such disrespect, discrimination and humiliation towards a good worker, a less fortunate person and a fellow Filipino...1. We are calling all citizens to stop patronizing Boyet Fajardo's RTW labels such as Substance in SM department stores, Boyet Fajardo and Initials in Landmark and Robinson's department stores.2. We are calling on all malls to pull out or stop distributing his products in your outlets.4. We are calling on the Commission on Human Rights, Department of Labor and Employment and all human rights and labor activists to take appropriate legal actions on this matter.5. We are calling all foreign embassies to deny him of entry to your respective countries.6. We are calling on the Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines to dishonor him of his membership and profession....To give him a lesson and to help us stop him from victimizing the underprivileged over and over and over again.
Contact Information:Boyet FajardoTel: +632 6327120 / +632 6366871Email: info@boyetfajardo.com
Website: www.boyetfajardo.com
We look forward to your support.Thank you.Concerned Filipino Citizen
Winnie C. Mercado
http://petitionspot.com/petitions/boycottboyetfajardo
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Hugs, hugs and more hugs!
This is worth sharing....hugs!
Susie
By Joseph Walker
NATURAL, ORGANIC, 100 PERCENT WHOLESOME HUGGING
According my friend Andrew, there are six basic essentials of life: air, water, food, clothing, shelter and hugging.
Yes, that's right. Hugging. This isn't just Andrew's opinion. He says he has scientific evidence indicating that every human being needs four hugs per day to survive, eight hugs per day to maintain life at a strong emotional level and 12 hugs per day in order to flourish and grow.
I'm not sure which scientists made this discovery or how they conducted their research. I don't know if one standard-length hug can be replaced by two quick squeezes, or if one mondo-super-supreme hug can fulfill your minimum daily hug requirements. I offer this information simply because . . . well, they just might be right, and I wouldn’t want you to miss out on one of life’s most pleasant essentials.
As a hugger or huggee.
Frankly, I'm glad to see that hugging is finally getting its due. I come from a long line of huggers. Mom used to hug away our fears. Dad used to hug away our hurts. My oldest sister Jean used to hug me when it was Mom and Dad who I was afraid wanted to hurt me.
When we were really, really angry with each other, my sister Kathy and I used to hug each other until we couldn't breathe. That's because we knew we'd get in trouble for hitting, but we never got in trouble for hugging. We told Mom we only did it because we loved each other so much, but the truth is, we liked to see who could be the first to make the other's face turn blue.
For most people, however, hugging is less combative. In fact, Andrew's scientists – whoever they may be – insist that hugging is downright healthy. This is probably because, as Andrew says, "hugging is natural, organic, sweet, free of pesticides and preservatives. Hugging contains no artificial ingredients. It's 100 percent wholesome. No calories, no nicotine."
I don't know about that, but I do know that hugging helps. In fact, sometimes it's the only thing that will help. A few years ago I was a lay minister in my church, and I spent a lot of time with a troubled young man in the congregation. He was a good kid with great potential, but he kept using that potential in negative ways. He usually started out with good intentions, then he would make a bad choice or a dumb move, and before you knew it he was hip deep in difficulty.
One night I visited him in jail, and he looked helpless and frightened. His parents were weary of his escapades, and were unwilling to bail him out. His friends had turned against him, and his girlfriend wouldn't talk to him. He was embarrassed, frustrated and completely alone. I wanted to say something to help him feel better, but I couldn't find the words. Silence hung between us like a rain-soaked hammock. And so I did the only thing I could think of to do: I hugged him. At first he just stood there awkwardly and let me hug him. After a few seconds he tried to pull away, but I wouldn't let go. The longer we stood there hugging, the more he relaxed. Then I heard him sniffing. Then his shoulders were shaking. And then he was sobbing uncontrollably in my arms.
I wish I could tell you that this moment changed his life. The fact is, he continued making questionable choices. But it clearly was a turning point in my relationship with him, and in my ability to have influence.
I'm not saying that hugging is a panacea for the world's problems. It won't create peace in the Middle East. It won't put nourishing food in the mouths of starving children. It won't offer protection from a hurricane, a tornado, cancer or the wrath of Simon Cowell. But it won't hurt, either. And it just might give you the courage you need to cope with that other stuff.
Whether you're the hugger or the huggee.
# # #
Susie
By Joseph Walker
NATURAL, ORGANIC, 100 PERCENT WHOLESOME HUGGING
According my friend Andrew, there are six basic essentials of life: air, water, food, clothing, shelter and hugging.
Yes, that's right. Hugging. This isn't just Andrew's opinion. He says he has scientific evidence indicating that every human being needs four hugs per day to survive, eight hugs per day to maintain life at a strong emotional level and 12 hugs per day in order to flourish and grow.
I'm not sure which scientists made this discovery or how they conducted their research. I don't know if one standard-length hug can be replaced by two quick squeezes, or if one mondo-super-supreme hug can fulfill your minimum daily hug requirements. I offer this information simply because . . . well, they just might be right, and I wouldn’t want you to miss out on one of life’s most pleasant essentials.
As a hugger or huggee.
Frankly, I'm glad to see that hugging is finally getting its due. I come from a long line of huggers. Mom used to hug away our fears. Dad used to hug away our hurts. My oldest sister Jean used to hug me when it was Mom and Dad who I was afraid wanted to hurt me.
When we were really, really angry with each other, my sister Kathy and I used to hug each other until we couldn't breathe. That's because we knew we'd get in trouble for hitting, but we never got in trouble for hugging. We told Mom we only did it because we loved each other so much, but the truth is, we liked to see who could be the first to make the other's face turn blue.
For most people, however, hugging is less combative. In fact, Andrew's scientists – whoever they may be – insist that hugging is downright healthy. This is probably because, as Andrew says, "hugging is natural, organic, sweet, free of pesticides and preservatives. Hugging contains no artificial ingredients. It's 100 percent wholesome. No calories, no nicotine."
I don't know about that, but I do know that hugging helps. In fact, sometimes it's the only thing that will help. A few years ago I was a lay minister in my church, and I spent a lot of time with a troubled young man in the congregation. He was a good kid with great potential, but he kept using that potential in negative ways. He usually started out with good intentions, then he would make a bad choice or a dumb move, and before you knew it he was hip deep in difficulty.
One night I visited him in jail, and he looked helpless and frightened. His parents were weary of his escapades, and were unwilling to bail him out. His friends had turned against him, and his girlfriend wouldn't talk to him. He was embarrassed, frustrated and completely alone. I wanted to say something to help him feel better, but I couldn't find the words. Silence hung between us like a rain-soaked hammock. And so I did the only thing I could think of to do: I hugged him. At first he just stood there awkwardly and let me hug him. After a few seconds he tried to pull away, but I wouldn't let go. The longer we stood there hugging, the more he relaxed. Then I heard him sniffing. Then his shoulders were shaking. And then he was sobbing uncontrollably in my arms.
I wish I could tell you that this moment changed his life. The fact is, he continued making questionable choices. But it clearly was a turning point in my relationship with him, and in my ability to have influence.
I'm not saying that hugging is a panacea for the world's problems. It won't create peace in the Middle East. It won't put nourishing food in the mouths of starving children. It won't offer protection from a hurricane, a tornado, cancer or the wrath of Simon Cowell. But it won't hurt, either. And it just might give you the courage you need to cope with that other stuff.
Whether you're the hugger or the huggee.
# # #
"Happy Birthday April"
April's birthday is tomorrow. April 1st. Nope, this is not an April fool's day. Not a joke. It's really her birthday.
I met April thru cyberspace a long long. time ago. We immediately hit it off and we regularly exchange emails since then.
About five years ago, I got the chance to go to New York and we met for the very first time. I remember, we decided to meet at the train station and she told me, "I will be wearing a pink dress and a hat". And there she was, so lovely waiting for me.
April is such a sweet and intelligent woman. Very smart and I always admire her whenever she writes me because she has that perfect English and she never commits any mistake when she writes.
April, my dear sister, I wish you a very happy birthday and hope you enjoy your birthday to the fullest!
I love you and I am so blessed to have a friend like you.
God bless you and hope to see you again soon and in Paris I hope.
Take care,
Susie
Susie
I met April thru cyberspace a long long. time ago. We immediately hit it off and we regularly exchange emails since then.
About five years ago, I got the chance to go to New York and we met for the very first time. I remember, we decided to meet at the train station and she told me, "I will be wearing a pink dress and a hat". And there she was, so lovely waiting for me.
April is such a sweet and intelligent woman. Very smart and I always admire her whenever she writes me because she has that perfect English and she never commits any mistake when she writes.
April, my dear sister, I wish you a very happy birthday and hope you enjoy your birthday to the fullest!
I love you and I am so blessed to have a friend like you.
God bless you and hope to see you again soon and in Paris I hope.
Take care,
Susie
Susie
Sunday, March 29, 2009
"Let's All Get Involved"
Dear Friends,
I would like to share my concern concerning the upcoming Philippine presidential election. I must say that I am not at all politically minded and I really don’t want to get into it but I have come to realize that as a Pinoy living abroad, we also have the responsibility towards our kababayans back home.
We all have our families, friends, acquaintance back home. We also help them in one way or another. It is usually in monetary contribution. We are all concerned about what’s going on in our country.
The people are expressing their distress, their hopelessness, their dismay, their hardships towards the poor goverments mismanagement. Corruption is rampant from high officials to the bottom. It’s about time to change and look for reliable and honest leaders. Let’s take advantage of this opportunity to “educate’ our kababayans back home. That voting is their right and this time, they should not allow trapos to manipulate people anymore. Tell them not to sell their votes. Tell them to choose their own leaders. Leaders who could help them restore the lost democracy. Leaders who could lead them and help them help themselves.
Thank you so so much and let’s try to make the difference in the lives of others. After all, we just can’t stay in our comfotable homes and watch the people and do nothing. Thank you for all your help.
I would like to share my concern concerning the upcoming Philippine presidential election. I must say that I am not at all politically minded and I really don’t want to get into it but I have come to realize that as a Pinoy living abroad, we also have the responsibility towards our kababayans back home.
We all have our families, friends, acquaintance back home. We also help them in one way or another. It is usually in monetary contribution. We are all concerned about what’s going on in our country.
The people are expressing their distress, their hopelessness, their dismay, their hardships towards the poor goverments mismanagement. Corruption is rampant from high officials to the bottom. It’s about time to change and look for reliable and honest leaders. Let’s take advantage of this opportunity to “educate’ our kababayans back home. That voting is their right and this time, they should not allow trapos to manipulate people anymore. Tell them not to sell their votes. Tell them to choose their own leaders. Leaders who could help them restore the lost democracy. Leaders who could lead them and help them help themselves.
Thank you so so much and let’s try to make the difference in the lives of others. After all, we just can’t stay in our comfotable homes and watch the people and do nothing. Thank you for all your help.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
My Sweet Revenge
My Sweet Revenge
Having gone from a very humble beginning is not new to anyone. I have always been honest and clear to people whenever they want to know, be inquisitive or curious about me. I always tell people how life was hard and finding the next meal of the day was such an everyday struggle. I have never been ashamed to tell them that I come from a poor family.
During my childhood years I have regularly experienced embarrassments because we were poor. And a close relative at one point even denied me not being related to the family because of our hand to mouth existence.
I was already working in Manila that time. I told one of my workmates who was assigned in Pangasinan to say hello if ever she encounters my relative. And she said yes of course. When she came back in the office, I was excited asking her if she was able to meet the person to whom I was proud saying that we were closely related. And she said yes but she was sorry to tell me that my relative didn’t know anyone named Susie.
I was nearly in tears upon hearing that. And all I said was, “Of course, she only knows rich people. How could she know me? I am just a poor girl”.
In high school, I have got relatives who have openly snubbed me. They tried to put me down and took every opportunity to step on me. I was trying to look tough and pretended not to be affected and nobody knew that my heart was bleeding and I was in pain. I cried all my heart out and began asking, “Why are they doing these to me?” I just didn’t realize that I was being prepared to become tough in facing other more difficult challenges. I call them blessings now.
I remember this person who tried to console me when I was in the darkest moment of my life. When I thought that it was the end of the world because people around me were being hard on me. And he said, “ Kill them with kindness. That’s the best revenge you could offer.”
I have always been a fighter. I remember one of my grand aunts called me the “fighter” because even when I was not even going to school I was already that exuberant kind of girl and never was intimated by adults.
Years have passed by. I had continually encountered so much difficulties in life. I have experienced frustrations, hunger, deceptions, sorrows and joys as well. And I am thankful for all those ups and downs. I call them again blessings.
I am blessed with a family who is tightly-knit. I am also blessed with a husband who is so loving and a good provider. Without his love and support, I will not be able to do what I am doing now.
Whenever I get the chance to go home in the Philippines, I never forget to say hello to my family and relatives. I am always happy to see and bond with them. And share whatever I have. Time has changed and attitude as well. Painful past has been forgotten and been replaced by more love and forgiveness.
At one point, in one of the family reunions, this very relative of mine who denied knowing me came to me and embraced me saying, “Ading, let’s forgive and forget.” That’s the sweetest words ever heard from her.
All I can say is that, in life we never know what the future has in store for us. Sometimes you can be on top and sometimes, you can be at the bottom.
And no matter what kind of life we get, what kind of people we become, we should never forget to look back where we came from. Let’s practice humility and kindness to others.
In that way, we could proudly say….”this is my life’s sweet revenge”…. Caring and killing others in kindness.
Having gone from a very humble beginning is not new to anyone. I have always been honest and clear to people whenever they want to know, be inquisitive or curious about me. I always tell people how life was hard and finding the next meal of the day was such an everyday struggle. I have never been ashamed to tell them that I come from a poor family.
During my childhood years I have regularly experienced embarrassments because we were poor. And a close relative at one point even denied me not being related to the family because of our hand to mouth existence.
I was already working in Manila that time. I told one of my workmates who was assigned in Pangasinan to say hello if ever she encounters my relative. And she said yes of course. When she came back in the office, I was excited asking her if she was able to meet the person to whom I was proud saying that we were closely related. And she said yes but she was sorry to tell me that my relative didn’t know anyone named Susie.
I was nearly in tears upon hearing that. And all I said was, “Of course, she only knows rich people. How could she know me? I am just a poor girl”.
In high school, I have got relatives who have openly snubbed me. They tried to put me down and took every opportunity to step on me. I was trying to look tough and pretended not to be affected and nobody knew that my heart was bleeding and I was in pain. I cried all my heart out and began asking, “Why are they doing these to me?” I just didn’t realize that I was being prepared to become tough in facing other more difficult challenges. I call them blessings now.
I remember this person who tried to console me when I was in the darkest moment of my life. When I thought that it was the end of the world because people around me were being hard on me. And he said, “ Kill them with kindness. That’s the best revenge you could offer.”
I have always been a fighter. I remember one of my grand aunts called me the “fighter” because even when I was not even going to school I was already that exuberant kind of girl and never was intimated by adults.
Years have passed by. I had continually encountered so much difficulties in life. I have experienced frustrations, hunger, deceptions, sorrows and joys as well. And I am thankful for all those ups and downs. I call them again blessings.
I am blessed with a family who is tightly-knit. I am also blessed with a husband who is so loving and a good provider. Without his love and support, I will not be able to do what I am doing now.
Whenever I get the chance to go home in the Philippines, I never forget to say hello to my family and relatives. I am always happy to see and bond with them. And share whatever I have. Time has changed and attitude as well. Painful past has been forgotten and been replaced by more love and forgiveness.
At one point, in one of the family reunions, this very relative of mine who denied knowing me came to me and embraced me saying, “Ading, let’s forgive and forget.” That’s the sweetest words ever heard from her.
All I can say is that, in life we never know what the future has in store for us. Sometimes you can be on top and sometimes, you can be at the bottom.
And no matter what kind of life we get, what kind of people we become, we should never forget to look back where we came from. Let’s practice humility and kindness to others.
In that way, we could proudly say….”this is my life’s sweet revenge”…. Caring and killing others in kindness.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A Mediter
Le musicien de rue était debout dans l'entrée de la station « Enfant Plaza » du métro de Washington DC. Il a commencé à jouer du violon. C'était un matin froid, en janvier dernier.> Il a joué durant quarante-cinq minutes.
Pour commencer, la chaconne de la 2ème partita de Bach, puis l'Ave Maria de Schubert, du Manuel Ponce, du Massenet et à nouveau, du Bach.> >A cette heure de pointe, vers 8h du matin, quelque mille personnes ont traversé ce couloir, pour la plupart en route vers leur travail.> >>
Après trois minutes, un homme d'âge mûr a remarqué qu'un musicien jouait. Il a ralenti son pas, s'est arrêté quelques secondes puis a démarré en accélérant.> >> Une minute plus tard, le violoniste a reçu son premier dollar : en continuant droit devant, une femme lui a jeté l'argent dans son petit pot.> >>
Peu après, un quidam s'est appuyé sur le mur d'en face pour l'écouter mais il a regardé sa montre et a recommencé à marcher. Il était clairement en retard.> >>Celui qui a marqué le plus d'attention fut un petit garçon qui devait avoir trois ans. Sa mère l'a tiré, pressé mais l'enfant s'est arrêté pour regarder le violoniste. Finalement sa mère l'a secoué et agrippé brutalement afin que l'enfant reprenne le pas. Toutefois, en marchant, il a gardé sa tête tournée vers le musicien.> > >
Cette scène s'est répétée plusieurs fois avec d'autres enfants. Et les parents, sans exception, les ont forcés à bouger.> > Durant les trois quarts d'heure de jeu du musicien, seules sept personnes se sont vraiment arrêtées pour l'écouter un temps. Une vingtaine environ lui a donné de l'argent tout en en continuant leur marche. Il a récolté 32 dollars.> >
Personne ne l'a remarqué quand il a eu fini de jouer. Personne n'a applaudi.>>
Sur plus de mille passants, seule une personne l'a reconnu.> Ce violoniste était Joshua Bell, actuellement un des meilleurs musiciens de la planète. Il a joué dans ce hall les partitions les plus difficiles jamais écrites, avec un Stradivarius valant 3,5 millions de dollars.> >
Deux jours avant de jouer dans le métro, sa prestation future au théâtre de Boston était « sold out » avec des prix avoisinant les 100 dollars la place.> >
C'est une histoire vraie. L'expérience a été organisée par le « Washington Post » dans le cadre d'une enquête sur la perception, les goûts et les priorités d'action des gens.> > Les questions étaient : dans un environnement commun, à une heure inappropriée, pouvons-nous percevoir la beauté ?
Nous arrêtons-nous pour l'apprécier ? Reconnaissons-nous le talent dans un contexte inattendu ?> >Une des possibles conclusions de cette expérience pourrait être : si nous n'avons pas le temps pour nous arrêter et écouter un des meilleurs musiciens au monde, jouant pour nous gratuitement quelques-unes des plus belles partitions jamais composées, avec un violon Stradivarius valant 3,5 millions de dollars, à côté de combien d'autres choses passons-nous ?
A méditer ...
Pour commencer, la chaconne de la 2ème partita de Bach, puis l'Ave Maria de Schubert, du Manuel Ponce, du Massenet et à nouveau, du Bach.> >A cette heure de pointe, vers 8h du matin, quelque mille personnes ont traversé ce couloir, pour la plupart en route vers leur travail.> >>
Après trois minutes, un homme d'âge mûr a remarqué qu'un musicien jouait. Il a ralenti son pas, s'est arrêté quelques secondes puis a démarré en accélérant.> >> Une minute plus tard, le violoniste a reçu son premier dollar : en continuant droit devant, une femme lui a jeté l'argent dans son petit pot.> >>
Peu après, un quidam s'est appuyé sur le mur d'en face pour l'écouter mais il a regardé sa montre et a recommencé à marcher. Il était clairement en retard.> >>Celui qui a marqué le plus d'attention fut un petit garçon qui devait avoir trois ans. Sa mère l'a tiré, pressé mais l'enfant s'est arrêté pour regarder le violoniste. Finalement sa mère l'a secoué et agrippé brutalement afin que l'enfant reprenne le pas. Toutefois, en marchant, il a gardé sa tête tournée vers le musicien.> > >
Cette scène s'est répétée plusieurs fois avec d'autres enfants. Et les parents, sans exception, les ont forcés à bouger.> > Durant les trois quarts d'heure de jeu du musicien, seules sept personnes se sont vraiment arrêtées pour l'écouter un temps. Une vingtaine environ lui a donné de l'argent tout en en continuant leur marche. Il a récolté 32 dollars.> >
Personne ne l'a remarqué quand il a eu fini de jouer. Personne n'a applaudi.>>
Sur plus de mille passants, seule une personne l'a reconnu.> Ce violoniste était Joshua Bell, actuellement un des meilleurs musiciens de la planète. Il a joué dans ce hall les partitions les plus difficiles jamais écrites, avec un Stradivarius valant 3,5 millions de dollars.> >
Deux jours avant de jouer dans le métro, sa prestation future au théâtre de Boston était « sold out » avec des prix avoisinant les 100 dollars la place.> >
C'est une histoire vraie. L'expérience a été organisée par le « Washington Post » dans le cadre d'une enquête sur la perception, les goûts et les priorités d'action des gens.> > Les questions étaient : dans un environnement commun, à une heure inappropriée, pouvons-nous percevoir la beauté ?
Nous arrêtons-nous pour l'apprécier ? Reconnaissons-nous le talent dans un contexte inattendu ?> >Une des possibles conclusions de cette expérience pourrait être : si nous n'avons pas le temps pour nous arrêter et écouter un des meilleurs musiciens au monde, jouant pour nous gratuitement quelques-unes des plus belles partitions jamais composées, avec un violon Stradivarius valant 3,5 millions de dollars, à côté de combien d'autres choses passons-nous ?
A méditer ...
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
My School Chairs and other projects Update
This is overwhelming when I recieve this kind of report from the Philippines concerning the projects that I am seriously involved at the moment.
Please read below the report and the view the attached pictures.
Thank you for all those who have given support and help and hoping that others will do the same.
Thank you.
=================================================================
Ading Susie,
Labit National High Schol has a student population of 362 for SY 2008-2009 and has a percentage increase in enrolment of more or less 20 students per year. It has 8 classrooms, 1 office, clinic and vermicomposter (organic fertilizer production area where biodegradable materials are being decomposed). Student to armchair ratio is 1:4 or there are 89 serviceable armchairs for 362 students.
Todate, the 90 armchairs (P50k donated by Ms. Marlene Millare) are now finished, and BM Uy donated 30 armchairs and 20 monobloc chairs (for the science lab room). All in all there are now 120 new armchairs for 3 classrooms. (See pictures of the project armchairs in the picasa album). The students and teachers were very happy with their new archairs! The teachers are very grateful indeed because this is the first time in their more than 20 years in service that they received new chairs!
There are now 5 out of 8 classrooms with existing shared toilets (1 toilet bowl) constructed by the homeroom PTA through the initiative of the teacher-advisers. Also, the office and the clinic has existing shared toilet (1 toilet bowl). These toilets need about 45 pipes for water sewerage.
One pipe costs P60, that makes around P2,700. We are still canvassing for cost of couplings and faucets. I hope that the 8k allotted for this project is enough. If there's extra fund it's going to be the homeroom PTA project for this school year so they could put up a toilet where 3 classrooms would share eventually share the use.
The barangay council officials led by the barangay capt., together with the Federated Parents, Teachers and Community Association Officials is now doing the construction of the housing (hollow blocks, sand and gravel and steel bars donated by city government of Urdaneta, bags of cement and labor by the barangay council)for the solicited water tank (from Mrs. Matias, England) and the deep well pump with pitcher (donated by Provincial Board Member , 5th District of Pangasinan, Danilo C. Uy) for water sewerage.
As you may know, the school has no potable water for the students to drink too, so that we decided to prioritize this project. Also, the Barangay Council, FPTCA Officers and the technology and liivelihood education teachers of Labit NHS committed themselves to enhance food production in the school and this will be made possible with the availability of water supply for the plants.
Through the "Tulungan sa Purok Alay Repormang Pangkabuhayan Project", the city government gave us vegetable seeds to plant and reproduce. We can teach the children to plant for their consumption.
Ading, from the bottom of my heart, a million thanks to you for helping me to become a bridging leader in my school to make a BIG DIFFERENCE in the lives of the "less fortunate" students and teachers of Labit. With the Barangay Council Officials, FPTCA, teachers, students and other members of the community that YOU and your organization have stimulated to work hand in hand, TOGETHER, we can "Change" and bring Labit to greater heights!
Regards and take care always,
Manang Lea
--- On Wed, 1/28/09, Leawrote:
From: LeaSubject: Invitation to view Lea's Picasa Web Album - Project Armchairs for Labit NHSTo: susie2412@yahoo.comDate: Wednesday, 28 January, 2009, 4:58 AM
You are invited to view Lea's photo album: Project Armchairs for Labit NHS
Project Armchairs for Labit NHS
Jan 27, 2009by Lea
View Album Play slideshow
Message from Lea:
Project Armchairs for Labit NHS, 90 armchairs finished (from the 50k donation of Ms. Marlene Millare solicited by Mrs. Susie Abenojar-Barbieri.
On behalf of the parents, barangay council officials, faculty and students of Labit NHS, A MILLION THANKS!
If you are having problems viewing this email, copy and paste the following into your browser:http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=leacruz78&target=ALBUM&id=5295956841812982225&authkey=5AquITbpBTo&feat=email
To share your photos or receive notification when your friends share photos, get your own free Picasa Web Albums account.
Please read below the report and the view the attached pictures.
Thank you for all those who have given support and help and hoping that others will do the same.
Thank you.
=================================================================
Ading Susie,
Labit National High Schol has a student population of 362 for SY 2008-2009 and has a percentage increase in enrolment of more or less 20 students per year. It has 8 classrooms, 1 office, clinic and vermicomposter (organic fertilizer production area where biodegradable materials are being decomposed). Student to armchair ratio is 1:4 or there are 89 serviceable armchairs for 362 students.
Todate, the 90 armchairs (P50k donated by Ms. Marlene Millare) are now finished, and BM Uy donated 30 armchairs and 20 monobloc chairs (for the science lab room). All in all there are now 120 new armchairs for 3 classrooms. (See pictures of the project armchairs in the picasa album). The students and teachers were very happy with their new archairs! The teachers are very grateful indeed because this is the first time in their more than 20 years in service that they received new chairs!
There are now 5 out of 8 classrooms with existing shared toilets (1 toilet bowl) constructed by the homeroom PTA through the initiative of the teacher-advisers. Also, the office and the clinic has existing shared toilet (1 toilet bowl). These toilets need about 45 pipes for water sewerage.
One pipe costs P60, that makes around P2,700. We are still canvassing for cost of couplings and faucets. I hope that the 8k allotted for this project is enough. If there's extra fund it's going to be the homeroom PTA project for this school year so they could put up a toilet where 3 classrooms would share eventually share the use.
The barangay council officials led by the barangay capt., together with the Federated Parents, Teachers and Community Association Officials is now doing the construction of the housing (hollow blocks, sand and gravel and steel bars donated by city government of Urdaneta, bags of cement and labor by the barangay council)for the solicited water tank (from Mrs. Matias, England) and the deep well pump with pitcher (donated by Provincial Board Member , 5th District of Pangasinan, Danilo C. Uy) for water sewerage.
As you may know, the school has no potable water for the students to drink too, so that we decided to prioritize this project. Also, the Barangay Council, FPTCA Officers and the technology and liivelihood education teachers of Labit NHS committed themselves to enhance food production in the school and this will be made possible with the availability of water supply for the plants.
Through the "Tulungan sa Purok Alay Repormang Pangkabuhayan Project", the city government gave us vegetable seeds to plant and reproduce. We can teach the children to plant for their consumption.
Ading, from the bottom of my heart, a million thanks to you for helping me to become a bridging leader in my school to make a BIG DIFFERENCE in the lives of the "less fortunate" students and teachers of Labit. With the Barangay Council Officials, FPTCA, teachers, students and other members of the community that YOU and your organization have stimulated to work hand in hand, TOGETHER, we can "Change" and bring Labit to greater heights!
Regards and take care always,
Manang Lea
--- On Wed, 1/28/09, Lea
From: Lea
You are invited to view Lea's photo album: Project Armchairs for Labit NHS
Project Armchairs for Labit NHS
Jan 27, 2009by Lea
View Album Play slideshow
Message from Lea:
Project Armchairs for Labit NHS, 90 armchairs finished (from the 50k donation of Ms. Marlene Millare solicited by Mrs. Susie Abenojar-Barbieri.
On behalf of the parents, barangay council officials, faculty and students of Labit NHS, A MILLION THANKS!
If you are having problems viewing this email, copy and paste the following into your browser:http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=leacruz78&target=ALBUM&id=5295956841812982225&authkey=5AquITbpBTo&feat=email
To share your photos or receive notification when your friends share photos, get your own free Picasa Web Albums account.
Friday, January 23, 2009
"When You're Down to Nothing, God is up to Something."
At the end of a forwarded message, there's this written:
"When you're down to nothing, God is up to something."
We tend to ask so many questions when life turns sour. We become self-centered and we think nothing but our own selves and keep asking why. Why such thing happens to me.
I think we just need to open a little more our minds and think about others who are less fortunate than us.
When we got challenges, we consider them as blessings. They are the ones that make us strong.
Have a great rainy day. I still miss the sun but I know the "escargots" must be happy out in the open.
"When you're down to nothing, God is up to something."
We tend to ask so many questions when life turns sour. We become self-centered and we think nothing but our own selves and keep asking why. Why such thing happens to me.
I think we just need to open a little more our minds and think about others who are less fortunate than us.
When we got challenges, we consider them as blessings. They are the ones that make us strong.
Have a great rainy day. I still miss the sun but I know the "escargots" must be happy out in the open.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
January 20th - A Historical Event in the U.S. A
I had to hurry up home so I could watch Barak Obama's Inaugural Speech. This is so important to me to witness this very historical event in the United States where in the first time in history, the American people voted for a black president.
I called my friend April Bradley in New York and we discussed lengthely about this U.S. election and how happy she was to have voted for a black president. April is a Jamaican-American.
While I was browsing my egroups, I came accross the inaugural speech of President Obama and I would like to post in my blog and share it with you.
Here it is and enjoy!
US PRESIDENT OBAMA’S INAUGURAL SPEECH - JANUARY 20, 2009
OBAMA: My fellow citizens:I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood.
Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real.
They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned.
Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.
The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government. Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.
The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good. As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake.
And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more. Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. We are the keepers of this legacy.
Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you. For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.
We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate. Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths.
What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river.
The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: "Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)." America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.Thank you.
God bless you and God bless the United States of America.
I called my friend April Bradley in New York and we discussed lengthely about this U.S. election and how happy she was to have voted for a black president. April is a Jamaican-American.
While I was browsing my egroups, I came accross the inaugural speech of President Obama and I would like to post in my blog and share it with you.
Here it is and enjoy!
US PRESIDENT OBAMA’S INAUGURAL SPEECH - JANUARY 20, 2009
OBAMA: My fellow citizens:I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood.
Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real.
They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned.
Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.
The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage. What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government. Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.
The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good. As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake.
And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more. Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. We are the keepers of this legacy.
Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you. For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.
We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate. Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths.
What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath. So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river.
The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: "Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)." America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.Thank you.
God bless you and God bless the United States of America.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Rain, rain and rain today!
It has been raining actually since Sunday. At first I was happy because I didn't need to go to the car wash. Yesterday, it was okay, the weather wasn't that cold any more. It was at least over 0C°. It is getting better.
This morning, when I got up, even without looking outside from my window, I could feel the raindrops. But as I look at the temperature for today...it's 6C°. Fair enough.
I don't like rain when I am driving. I get stressed up. Good enough I don't work very far. It's manageable. I think of those who work far like my husband who needs to drive at least 42 kilometers everyday to go to work. And when it rains, it's not really that fun.
But thinking the good side of it, it cleans my car...ha!ha! Oh well, it waters the plants and cleans the air. Many could get advantage of it. I can see people who save rainwater now.
So what shall we do? Just take it easy....I need to condition myself that this is beyond my own control. This is nature "speaking" and after all, rain is beneficial to all in good dosage though. No flood please.
Well, I better get going. Rain or shine...but I miss the shiny part...but I always believe, after the rain comes the sunshine.
It's like life, after the challenge, here comes the reward....and I go parallel with the rain and sun as to life's challenge and reward at the end.
Isn't it it good to think that way today? Have a good smiley on a rainy day!
This morning, when I got up, even without looking outside from my window, I could feel the raindrops. But as I look at the temperature for today...it's 6C°. Fair enough.
I don't like rain when I am driving. I get stressed up. Good enough I don't work very far. It's manageable. I think of those who work far like my husband who needs to drive at least 42 kilometers everyday to go to work. And when it rains, it's not really that fun.
But thinking the good side of it, it cleans my car...ha!ha! Oh well, it waters the plants and cleans the air. Many could get advantage of it. I can see people who save rainwater now.
So what shall we do? Just take it easy....I need to condition myself that this is beyond my own control. This is nature "speaking" and after all, rain is beneficial to all in good dosage though. No flood please.
Well, I better get going. Rain or shine...but I miss the shiny part...but I always believe, after the rain comes the sunshine.
It's like life, after the challenge, here comes the reward....and I go parallel with the rain and sun as to life's challenge and reward at the end.
Isn't it it good to think that way today? Have a good smiley on a rainy day!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Susie Barbieri's Projects Update
T-shirts for SALE at 10.00 Euro each.
Profit goes to the Out-of-School Youths fund.
Bryan, Byron and Radcliff - "they have t-shirt printing business". We loaned 1000 pesos to start the activity and they have reimbursed immediately. 
English Books will be used for remedial classes. Given by the Lycee Francais de Seoul
THE SCHOOL CHAIRS PROJECT
They don't only need chairs but "decent toilets."
This is the current school that we are trying to help in providing 300 chairs.
Broken chairs beyond repair.
The learning condition of the students.
The learning condition of the students.
===================================================================
OUT OF SCHOOL YOUTHS PROGRAM 
Cristal Jane - now a working student. Works in the university and taking up computer 
This is Rapunzel who manages a little restaurant after having finished the food processing course.
MICHEAL - ( not in the picture) took up cosmetology - is now employed in a very famous RICKY REYES SALOON in Manila.
CHRISTIAN BARROGA- (took up sewing) now employed in a "Dress Shop" in Urdaneta City.
=====================================================================
Greetings to all,
Two weeks into the New Year, we are settling back into our groove again. You guys must be steadily going through the paces in office and catching up on work after all the party. There's that air of festivity still floating around. And, there's a positive energy, that generally accompanies a season of new beginnings.
I would like to take this opportunity to give thanks to all of you who have contributed in my multiple projects in the Philippines. A lot of things have happened and I would like to give you some updates.
1) THE PATIKUL TOILETS PROJECT - To those who have given me fund for this project, there were some issues that cropped up in that school so I decided not to pursue the project. The high school principal to whom I was directly dealing with has been released from her duty due to some allegations in mishandling public funds. Nobody in that school now would like to take the responsibility in continuing the project. I simply asked them to send me a project profile and the project cost but they were not able to provide me one and I have been asking that for more than 6 months.
YOUR DONATION IS STILL IN MY POSSESSION and I would like to divert this fund in another ongoing project that I have.
2) THE SCHOOL AND HEALTH KITS - The Patikul National High School former principal and her assistant acknowledged by text messaging that they did receive those kits last July and been distributed to the students. And according to them, the recipients
were grateful.
They have promised to send me some pictures thru email and in hard copies but until now, I haven't got any. I will follow it up again.
The soldiers who helped in building the chairs were given some health kits and they did acknowledge as well and they were happy.
Thank you everyone for all your help especially to those friends who made those beautiful cloth bags.
3) THE OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTHS PROGRAM : The initial 9 recipients of the grants-in-aid, 8 of them have already found jobs. There are 4 students who are scheduled to benefit the aid in February. This is in my hometown, Urdaneta City, Philippine. We provide 1.50 US $/day for each recipient and the skill training last at least 3 months. This covers their transportation and lunch allowance.
Anyone of you who might want to pledge or sponsor a child please click on the website below or just email me. Please see the pictures I posted above this message.
I sent some pictures of those initial students who have benefitted from the grants to the webmaster and hope that he will soon include them in the website.
pls. help my OSYs project in Urdaneta:
http://www.ipangasinan.com/myproject/urdaneta_UCLSTC/
4) COMMUNITY LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM (Pig dispersal program) - This is a new project that we have established. please see link below.
pls. support our community livelihood program
www.freewebs.com/urdanetapiglets
As I write this, we have 12 families who benefit from this program. We of course seek generous donors to help us with this. We believe that this is a very good and practical way to help poor families to augment their income and won't always rely from dole outs.
5) THE LABIT NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAIRS PROJECT - (See pictures above) I have visited this school last July. And I have seen the very bad learning condition of the students. Their Principal, Mrs. Sobejana and myself are good friends and we actually work together in the projects mentioned above. She is my coordinator locally. We also work in the literacy program in her school where we provided English books from Seoul (courtesy of the Lycee Francais de Seoul) as their aid for their remedial classes. A lot of high school students could hardly read. And those books were very useful not only for students but also for teachers.
The Labit National High School needs 300 chairs. Each chair costs 600 PhP or about 15.00 US.$. I have committed to provide 150 chairs. (And hopefully we could provide more) To those who have donated money for Patikul Toilets Project - please allow me to use this fund in providing chairs to this school. They don't only need chairs but toilets too. (Please see attached pictures.)
I can work and monitor closely as I know my coordinator personally and we communicate practically everyday.
The construction of chairs will commence pretty soon and it's the community who will do the work. We provide the materials and they provide the labor. It's exactly the same as what they did in Patikul chairs project.
6) T-SHIRTS FOR SALE - The 3 out-of school-youths (picture above) who benefited from the grants-in-aid have a "small t-shirt printing business". I asked them to print some t-shirts for me and I will sell them and the profit goes to the OSYs (out-of-school youths) fund. I sell them for 10.00 Euro each. They are lovely. If you are interested to have one or more, please let me know. Stock is limited. Thank you.
This is all and wishing you all the very best this year 2009. And may you will continue helping me with my advocacy because honestly, thanks to all of your help, I can't do this alone without you.
We are all making a little difference in this world. Seeing someone's face a smile with gratitude is more than enough to say...."it's worth all the trouble".
Again, I end this update with all my sincere gratitude and with prayers.
God bless us all and cheers!
Susie Barbieri
Two weeks into the New Year, we are settling back into our groove again. You guys must be steadily going through the paces in office and catching up on work after all the party. There's that air of festivity still floating around. And, there's a positive energy, that generally accompanies a season of new beginnings.
I would like to take this opportunity to give thanks to all of you who have contributed in my multiple projects in the Philippines. A lot of things have happened and I would like to give you some updates.
1) THE PATIKUL TOILETS PROJECT - To those who have given me fund for this project, there were some issues that cropped up in that school so I decided not to pursue the project. The high school principal to whom I was directly dealing with has been released from her duty due to some allegations in mishandling public funds. Nobody in that school now would like to take the responsibility in continuing the project. I simply asked them to send me a project profile and the project cost but they were not able to provide me one and I have been asking that for more than 6 months.
YOUR DONATION IS STILL IN MY POSSESSION and I would like to divert this fund in another ongoing project that I have.
2) THE SCHOOL AND HEALTH KITS - The Patikul National High School former principal and her assistant acknowledged by text messaging that they did receive those kits last July and been distributed to the students. And according to them, the recipients
were grateful.
They have promised to send me some pictures thru email and in hard copies but until now, I haven't got any. I will follow it up again.
The soldiers who helped in building the chairs were given some health kits and they did acknowledge as well and they were happy.
Thank you everyone for all your help especially to those friends who made those beautiful cloth bags.
3) THE OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTHS PROGRAM : The initial 9 recipients of the grants-in-aid, 8 of them have already found jobs. There are 4 students who are scheduled to benefit the aid in February. This is in my hometown, Urdaneta City, Philippine. We provide 1.50 US $/day for each recipient and the skill training last at least 3 months. This covers their transportation and lunch allowance.
Anyone of you who might want to pledge or sponsor a child please click on the website below or just email me. Please see the pictures I posted above this message.
I sent some pictures of those initial students who have benefitted from the grants to the webmaster and hope that he will soon include them in the website.
pls. help my OSYs project in Urdaneta:
http://www.ipangasinan.com/myproject/urdaneta_UCLSTC/
4) COMMUNITY LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM (Pig dispersal program) - This is a new project that we have established. please see link below.
pls. support our community livelihood program
www.freewebs.com/urdanetapiglets
As I write this, we have 12 families who benefit from this program. We of course seek generous donors to help us with this. We believe that this is a very good and practical way to help poor families to augment their income and won't always rely from dole outs.
5) THE LABIT NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHAIRS PROJECT - (See pictures above) I have visited this school last July. And I have seen the very bad learning condition of the students. Their Principal, Mrs. Sobejana and myself are good friends and we actually work together in the projects mentioned above. She is my coordinator locally. We also work in the literacy program in her school where we provided English books from Seoul (courtesy of the Lycee Francais de Seoul) as their aid for their remedial classes. A lot of high school students could hardly read. And those books were very useful not only for students but also for teachers.
The Labit National High School needs 300 chairs. Each chair costs 600 PhP or about 15.00 US.$. I have committed to provide 150 chairs. (And hopefully we could provide more) To those who have donated money for Patikul Toilets Project - please allow me to use this fund in providing chairs to this school. They don't only need chairs but toilets too. (Please see attached pictures.)
I can work and monitor closely as I know my coordinator personally and we communicate practically everyday.
The construction of chairs will commence pretty soon and it's the community who will do the work. We provide the materials and they provide the labor. It's exactly the same as what they did in Patikul chairs project.
6) T-SHIRTS FOR SALE - The 3 out-of school-youths (picture above) who benefited from the grants-in-aid have a "small t-shirt printing business". I asked them to print some t-shirts for me and I will sell them and the profit goes to the OSYs (out-of-school youths) fund. I sell them for 10.00 Euro each. They are lovely. If you are interested to have one or more, please let me know. Stock is limited. Thank you.
This is all and wishing you all the very best this year 2009. And may you will continue helping me with my advocacy because honestly, thanks to all of your help, I can't do this alone without you.
We are all making a little difference in this world. Seeing someone's face a smile with gratitude is more than enough to say...."it's worth all the trouble".
Again, I end this update with all my sincere gratitude and with prayers.
God bless us all and cheers!
Susie Barbieri
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