Typhoons come and go

These past few days were quite differently spent. For the most part, I was busy with the relief operations for typhoon victims. Something I haven't really done much personally -- being part of the actual relief operations by volunteering myself. In the past, I've only donated. the first time I did this was last year, at GK brookside which was heavily devastated by the rains.

We watched Pay It Forward during the chapter assembly. I chose to stick around until the film ended. It was a perspective check of sorts. I remember seeing this film during my first year in high school for our PALIHAN (my school's version of CWTS, except this was done only once or twice a month). I remember how after seeing it, my consciousness somehow grew. It's not just about paying back the people you owe a certain depth of gratitude to, but also about paying forward, by being a blessing to others. The film struck me a lot, despite having watched it a few times already.

I did a bit of walking too -- having to go to STC and doing the groceries for what seemed to be an impending typhoon. I saw how much garbage we constantly throw out every day. There were mountains upon mountains. And we all throw it back to Mother Nature. And now that we have experienced her wrath, we should realize that we only have one planet to live, so we should take care of it. Typhoons come and go, but we're here to stay a little bit longer, so we have all the time to right our wrong.  :)

--

On a lighter note, the typhoon has done so much for my humor. Made me more... sabaw! (Thanks to watching The Nanny!)

I finally got my Marty's Cracklings

No photos of the actual Marty's Cracklings packs consumed, nonetheless, the writer of this blog has decided to tell the story.

Bear with me. Pepsi Max overload. @_@

I did not go to Balay today because I felt guilty being an alumna of STC and not being able to help there even if it is just near. To add to that, I've received several messages from different batches saying that many Theresians were victims. A lot of them lived in Marikina, Sta. Mesa Heights, Talayan Village, Araneta Subdivision and Frisco -- all of which were hit hard. Among the victims were Teacher Evelyn (my nursery school teacher), which would naturally include the pre-school I attended back when I was a kid and my high school English teacher, Mrs. Billones, who lost practically everything. She was the one who really got me into writing by encouraging me to sign up for the UP Campus Journalism workshop. She was also very nice to me so I felt sad upon hearing that she was a victim .

I spent most of the afternoon identifying which streets/neighborhoods wherein former Theresians lived  and were affected by typhoons with Ms. Rose of the STAA. Can I just say, OMG, there were a lot of lists. After that, I talked to other alumnae --including Mommy Yen from PBB and Mrs. Gaston, the former GSSO moderator, who apparently still remembers me from prep. Hahaha! And that was like 15 years back! :))

After all the planning and delegation, I walked home. I made a stop at Quincy to see if they have stocked up on the Marty's Cracklings Salt and Vinegar variant. Unfortunately, they only have the plain salted one. I left immediately then checked the San Miguel shop, which, by the way, still smelled like floodwater. Thank God they had new stocks of the variant i was looking for at the back of the plain salted stash. I bought two then went home.

While I was walking, I still saw people drying stuff up, doing a whole lot of laundry and cleaning up their homes. Garbage bags are still being brought out. Makes me wonder though -- are we ever going to learn from this experience or are we just going to be concerned up until a certain point then make the same mistakes again?

Well, I am hopeful that we'll learn. But for now, I'll just open a new bag of Marty's cracklings and dispose it properly. I'll see where that takes me.

Coins can get you far.

I love volunteering, more so when there is so much to be done. It's practically the story of my life. I used to donate a lot even back in grade school, even if my classmates find it weird. I remember one instance when we were asked to bring only rice but I brought so much more, and I was reminded by one of my classmates that we were only required to bring rice.

But to me, you shouldn't limit yourself to what was asked of you. If you know that you have been so blessed, ibigay mo yung kaya mo. Kung hindi ka nasalanta, at maraming naapektuhan sa paligid mo, wake up call ni God sayo yun na kahit di ka materially well-off, pero kung physically, kaya mo naman tumulong sa pag-repack ng mga relief goods o gumawa ng makeshift beds para sa evacuees, gawin mo. Wag mo nang hihintayin na mawalan ka pa ng opportunity na tumulong. I believe that one of the best values of Filipinos is bayanihan. More than just helping, it is giving the best of your abilities and melding them into a great effort that can make such a huge difference.

Whatever transpired during these past two days was such a life changing experience. I was able to go to Cubao with coins amounting to around P150 or something. Basta bottomline, dala ko lang puro barya. Ang pera ko lang na di barya ay P20. Kumusta naman yun, diba? Anyway, I believe that God provides, so with faith, I went there. The only contents of my bag - a rosary, my phone, and the coins. I prayed that God will provide, especially because I did not have a decent lunch. Sobrang good luck, but it all turned out for the best. Here are a few snapshots from day 1.

 

Ate Dane and I

Modelling our work :P

Kinarir ang Big

si Regz, may namimiss nga ba? Haha!

Pasa-pasa ng goods.

Me at work

Stolen? Haha.

Regz and Jessa

Stolen kuno?

I was touched by this kid's determination to help. I honor her. Her name is Mariel :)

GOOOOOODS!

There are several relief centers around that are gathering volunteers and donations for the victims. As of today, I've been to three. I plan on going to STC tomorrow. I can say that God is great (kahit puro barya lang ang dala ko, sobrang sulit hehe!) Sobrang galing ni God kasi kahit papaano, pinagsama-sama nya yung mga tao para tumulong sa kapwa nila kahit di nila kilala. Magaling din si God kasi sa panahong ganito, hindi iniinda ng tao kung ano yung katayuan nya sa buhay o kung saan syang grupo nabibilang. Basta Pilipino ka, tutulong ka sa kapwa mo Pilipino. Hollywood celebrities have already done their part. Sana, ikaw din. If you feel that you have been blessed, be a blessing to others as well... kahit time mo lang and effort, okay na yun.:)

God blessed us to be Filipinos so that we can inspire everyone to be heroes and for us to shine in dark moments such as this. Let us show the world that we could rise together and make our nation stronger. This is true people power.

WALANG IWANAN. 

Repost: Ways on How You Can Help Victims of Typhoon Ondoy

 from Pinoy Chuva

Things you may want to donate:
1) Bottled Water
2) Instant Noodles (preferably in bowl packaging like Nissin or Lucky Me)
3) Canned Goods w/ pull tab cover (no can opener available in relief centers)
4) Bread or Biscuits
5) Coffee or Juice
6) Multivitamins (preferably Vitamin C)
7) Medicines (Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, Loperamide)
Blankets
9) Old but wearable clothes
10) Slippers/ Flip flops
11) Some organizations will accept cash donations.

For babies/toddlers
12) Diapers
13) Milk/ Infant Formula

For USA Residents:
Help in the typhoon relief effort by calling ABS-CBN Foundation USA toll-free 1-800-527-2820

For those near ABS-CBN:
Help pack relief goods at Sagip Kapamilya at #13 Examiner St. They are also looking for people willing to go to provinces and distribute the goods.

For those near a La Salle School:
(OPLAN: Sagip Metro) DLSZ (Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa) and LSGH (Greenhills) are now accepting relief goods and looking for volunteers from 8am to 6pm. DLSU- Manila (Taft Avenue) will accept relief goods as early as 8:00 A.M. at South Gate

For those near Ateneo De Manila:
Go To: Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights , Quezon City
Manuel V. Pangilinan Building Center for Student Leadership Lobby
University Dorm Cervini Hall
Hotlines: 09089977166, 09178952792, 4266001 local 5050
Operations: 24-hours operations for the entire week.

For those near a Petron Station or 2Go Branches:
Visit any Petron or 2GO Branches to drop off your donations.

Other Ways You Can Help:
1) Visit a branch of the Philippine National Red Cross and volunteer. You can also send donations using your mobile phone: text RED AMOUNT and send to 2899 (GLOBE/TM) and 4483 (SMART/ TNT). Globe is accepting P300 txt donation.

2) Visit Citizens Disaster Response Center (CDRC)
Go To: 72-A Times St., West Triangle Homes , QC
Hotlines: 9299820, 9299822
Operations: 8 a.m. onwards.

3)Radio Veritas
Go To: Veritas Tower , West Ave. cor EDSA
Look For: Karla Turingan
Hotlines: 9257931 to 39, 0918VERITAS
Operations: 24-hours, tentatively until Tuesday.

4) Victory Fellowship- Fort Bonifacio
Go to: Victory Fellowship, Every Nation Building , across from Market-Market, Fort Bonifacio
Look for: Pastor Bernard Marquez
Hotlines: 813-FORT, 8171212
Operations: Tentatively until 5pm may may extend hours. Entire week until Friday.
Website: www.twitter.com/VictoryFort

5) Tulong Bayan
Go to: Balay Expo Center, EDSA cor. Gen McArthur, Araneta Center or visit WhiteSpace 2314 Pasong Tamo Ext. beside Faith Christian School
Hotline: 0917-5273906
Operations: Come as early as 8:00 a.m.
Open to volunteers/ cash and goods donation

6) World Vision Philippines
Go to: Quezon Avenue (near Delta Theatre)
Open to volunteers/ cash and goods donation

7) Corporate Network for Disaster Response
How to: Donate cash through BPI Ayala-Paseo Branch with account number 0031 0654 02

Luzon Relief
Go to: Renaissance Fitness Center, 2F, Bramante Bldg., Renaissance Towers, Ortigas, Meralco Ave., Pasig City
Hotline: 0929-8713488
Operations: 9am to 7pm Daily
Open to volunteers/goods donation

9) Brainbeam Events
Go to: 2F MB Aguirre Cornerhouse Bldg 15, President Ave. cor Elizalde St. BF Pque. Across old Caltex
Goods donation

To add:

For donations to affected GK sites, you may go to the GK Office at Profriends Bldg, #55 Gen. Tinio Street, Barangay Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City

Residents of Tatalon QC (esp those living in GK) also need your help. You may drop off your donations at the local GK office.

[edit]
Here's a comprehensive site, if you need more information on how to help and to report incidences related to the typhoon. http://sites.google.com/site/ondoymanila/home

WALANG IWANAN! 
[/edit]

For the love of my country. :)

I love the Philippines is a phrase that seems a little too cliché nowadays. Everywhere I turn, I could always see three stars and a sun being donned by so many people -- accessories, shirts, caps, bags... you name it; but when we look around us, we could see vandalized walls, homeless people lying on the streets begging for food, corruption, killings, and bad governance making the headlines of the nation's leading. So are we Filipinos guilty of hypocrisy? I hope not.


When I was a bit younger, I took pride in being a third-generation Chinese immigrant by virtue of my mother. I also loved the idea that my father is of mixed descent. Somehow, I did not pay attention to the fact that I was born and raised as a Filipino. I could not care less about the things going on. I did not realize that somehow, I owe my sense of being to this hallowed land in which God has chosen to place me. I did not think that being a Filipino was a blessing and that no matter what I do, my birth certificate will always say that I am a Filipino.

It was later on in life that I wondered whatever possessed me to think that having a mixed background would be an advantage. It's not as if I'm gonna be able to go to China for free or have unlimited plates of Tapas in Spain. Being a Filipino is an imprint that we could never remove without a scar like a tattoo or draining all your blood and finding someone of the same blood type who is French or Spanish. No matter how much we rely on cosmetic surgery, we could never deny that we were born Filipino.


Much of my pride in being a Filipino lies in the fact that I know my history (maybe not as well as before) and that there are a lot of things that I could be truly proud of. My favorite moment in Philippine history would be the People Power Revolution. I love the fact that it was such a peaceful, bloodless revolution. I love the fact that it has inspired several movements around the world. I love the fact that the Philippines will never be the same since that momentous event in history. I love the fact that whatever the legacy of Edsa was is still engraved in the hearts of every Filipino. But at a certain point, I started doubting the importance of such an event.

Before Cory Aquino died in August, Edsa seemed like a thing of the past -- that people have spat on the sacrifices made by those who lined up. Or maybe those who lined up along Edsa grew tired of the same old politics which caused the revolution in the first place. I am no political expert and I will never claim to be one despite taking my masters in a program of the political science department, but I found that somehow the popularity of Edsa waned maybe because people thought that no matter how many times they rallied against the forces of evil in the government, it doesn't change the fact that corruption exists in the system. They are tired of waiting for the messianic figure who makes promises and breaks them eventually. But just as we thought that hoping for the reversal of our fate started to dwindle, the loss of the symbol of democracy has reawaken the dormant spirit of Edsa in our hearts. We started to believe again. Now that our 'people power saint' has gone to meet her creator, we knew that we could only affect change if we worked together.

As a result, scripts made by playwrights have been torn and history books are being rewritten. We have summoned the scion of the heroes of our democracy to lead us, and in what seems to be an unprecedented feat in the recent history of Philippine politics, a long-time presidentiable gave up his chances at the presidency (or at least delayed it for another six years). I thought, maybe for the first time since 1986, we will have a president by the people, and not just anyone who had his or her eyes on the position for a very long time only to advance his or her own political agenda. Noynoy Aquino may have never thought that after his mother's death, he would be called upon to lead our land. As I see it, the country needs an inspirational leader over an experienced one. Why?

Let me paint you a picture.

Estrada and Arroyo have dashed the hopes of so many people. In my perspective, it caused  a weak sense of national identity. We do not want to be identified as Filipinos simply because those who are in Malacanang broker only their personal interests. Policies are being pushed not only because they're needed but also because it will make them more potent, and in effect, will have positive reviews. They are not selfless at all. Just look at how Malacanang intervenes or reacts to any election-related news. For me, they should not even reserve the right to 1) challenge the opposition because they are not in the running for the presidency anymore and 2) bash the competition because they themselves only have a few (if there are still any) good points left. And besides, with all the wealth they've gathered for themselves vis-a-vis the growing incidence of poverty hounding the country, who wouldn't have such low morale?

That's why my vote is for Noynoy (as president) and Mar (as vice). I do not believe that we need leaders who have such a long list of credentials. I do not want to elect leaders who are only going to steal from the people. Our country needs a morale booster -- an honest leader who can push for policies without having to be recognized too much. We need a humble leader who could reach out to the masses and be the broker of their interest. We need a selfless leader who could fight for our democracy and will not change a constitution that is actually working. Above all, we need a leader who believes in God and will apply his faith in all the things that he will do for this country, just as the La Sallian prayer goes, "I will continue, o my God, to do all my actions for the love of You."

I wouldn't even care about volunteering. I've already started. And yeah, it was fun. Here are the pics from the etonAPOtalaga PiNoy Power concert last Monday, September 21, 2009. :)

yellow ribbons :D

Gomez sisters Kat and Clar. :)

Jenn Lazo was present too. (she's Noynoy's political communications assistant)

Met Bam Aquino too. Starstruck moment, believe me. :)

Aquino grandchildren, Jonty and Jiggy :)

New found friends: Liya, Margaux, Georg and Aaron :)

and to wrap up the night of celebrating freedom and love for the country:



and yes, the song's still stuck on my head up to this day, but in a good way. It's a simple reminder that we should not let anyone seize the freedom that we have achieved and are continuing to achieve as a nation and also to love our country because it is a blessing in itself from God that we could proudly call ourselves Filipinos. Let us dream for our country. Let us dream for a brighter future and put a stake on it. :)