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. 

Marty's Cracklings.

These would have been the packs of Marty's cracklings I would have bought yesterday. But unfortunately, I could not get any.

This particular snack is not too popular here. (and I'm very disappointed. Kirei and Oishi Prawn Crackers are so yesterday). This is the yummiest snack they've ever produced. It's so addictive yet very healthy.

Anyway, back to my point. You see, I was craving for this for a while now because it's been days since I last had them. So I tried walking to Sct. Alcaraz, but there is none. I walked farther, towards Retiro, and oh lordy lordy lordy... the typhoon really destroyed the businesses there. Even McDonalds employees had to eat what was left of the food. (If I were them, I would have given the food away). Almost all businesses were closed. I reached Mercury Drug in Mayon in my search for Marty's, but sadly, there are none. I had to settle for Pic-A. Wasn't too happy about it but I had at least something to munch.

Hay. The typhoon has really devastated us on so many levels.

I just can't wait to go back to Taft so that I can buy one of these again.

Rain rain go away, come again another day (or please don't come back at all)!

Meet the Robinsons

Lyrics | Rob Thomas lyrics - Little Wonders lyrics

"Around here, however,
we don't look backwards for very long.

We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

~Walt Disney

Last night, without anything to do,  I turned to my favorite tv station, Disney Channel, for a good show to watch. As part of their festive fiesta celebration, they showed the Disney Pixar movie "Meet the Robinsons". I appreciate the movie a lot because it has a lot of messages enveloped in it.

Since I have forgotten most of the movie because it has been ages since I last saw it, I watched it. And just as the last time I watched it made me (almost) cry, I still felt the same way. For many reasons, I could relate myself to the story. We've all been through the school of hard knocks and there are at least two ways to deal with our problems, we could either try to escape from it or face it, and if we fail the first time, keep moving forward and pray that God will pick us up because no matter how many times we fall, He will always be there behind us, even if the world abandons us. And once we deal with these burdens, we just let it go and thank God. We move forward to our next adventure, learn from the mistakes we've made and make ourselves better.

We've only got one life to live and it's best for us if we live it to the fullest.

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]

Swimming in the Floodwater

(photo courtesy of Reuters)

This is just one of the many alarming scenes in the Metro as Typhoon Ondoy devastated the city from Friday night to Saturday.

This is the worst recorded incidence of a typhoon in Metro Manila since PAG-ASA started monitoring the weather.

It serves as a wake-up call for us on different levels. First, this is an indication of how much we've abused Mother Nature so much, and we're clearly paying the price for our wrongdoing. Inasmuch as we consume so much products, we should learn how to properly dispose them. We should also be concerned about the worsening climate change in the world. Second, that our government is not so prepared when it comes to emergency response. GMA has used the money for emergency on her foreign trips. Oh  thanks a lot! So much for PARENS PATRIAE! Now, we should be looking at how next year's presidential hopefuls are handling the crisis at hand. Noynoy and Mar's group are already active in packing relief goods and gathering donations and support. I hope to be there tomorrow. Gibo is (at least) doing his job as NDCC chief. The rest? Hmmm. Is Manny Villar doing something? Maybe he is, although others are not really RT-ing anything from his camp so I would not know.This is beginning to be an indicator of their concern for the country, so let us be vigilant with their actions.  I am also concerned about CHED and HEI's response. I think they wait too long too often when it comes to suspending classes. Not that college and grad studies students are indolent, but please, next time have enough foresight. When you know it's gonna rain too hard and will cause floods, at least suspend classes at 6:00AM so that we won't have to go travel and get stuck in a place for several hours! Third, on a personal level, it reminds us how precious our lives are and how we should live it to the fullest and love without conditions.

This typhoon reminded me of horrid experiences. When I worked in Makati last year, I experienced walking in the flood twice and I kind of broke down the second time. Yesterday, I had to walk the floodwaters that were almost waist deep.  Banawe, with the repairs and whatnots was terribly flooded. Oh the poor businesses. Retiro was even worse. I had to descend the taxi and walk the flood.  Wow. It was quite an ordeal and what bothered me was seeing garbage everywhere. My God. I had to take a bath for a very long time when I got home. I'm not feeling well at the moment but I'm glad to be safe. My tita was stuck in Mapua, and she just got home this morning. It has never been so good to be home.

If anything, we Filipinos should stick together. As Julius Babao tweeted, In this hour of darkness let us show the world that this is our shining moment as Filipinos.

Oh and before I close this entry, here are some of the numbers/info I've collated on twitter:

MRT, LRT open for 24 hours for today, for P10 per ticket. http://bit.ly/hy8dd

For people who need assistance: National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Emergency Numbers: 912-5668, 911-1406, 912-2665, 911-5061

NCRPO 8383203 / 8383354 for rubber boat requests

ONDOY HOTLINE 7342118 or 7342120

Sagip Kapamilya 4132667 and 4160387
 

Noy-Mar Volunteers: Balay Expo Center, EDSA cor. Gen McArthur, Araneta Center. Pls. bring relief goods here join us in packing operations!

Donations for Gawad Kalinga may be brought to the Cervini Hall of the Ateneo de Manila University or at the GK Office at  Profriends Bldg., #55 Gen Tinio St. Brgy Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City.

 LSGH has a donation collection center. They need more food / meds and boxes to transport goods. If in the area please go there.

Pls call Tulong Bayan hotlines: 0908-6579998, 0939-3633436, 9137122, 9136254, 9133306 and help with relief for flood victims

We're now opening second room to accom donations at Victory Fort. Pls donate food, H2O, clothes, milk, medicines, and other items!

So to everyone: take care and stay safe :) 

Dear Mrs. President.

I love this song on so many levels. Change Mr. into Mrs. and this song is relevant to the country already. Here are the lyrics. :)

"Dear Mr. President"
( Pinkfeat. Indigo Girls)

Dear Mr. President,
Come take a walk with me.
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me.
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly.

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street?
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep?
What do you feel when you look in the mirror?
Are you proud?

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why?

Dear Mr. President,
Were you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
Are you a lonely boy?
How can you say
No child is left behind?
We're not dumb and we're not blind.
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell.

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away?
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay?
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine.

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry?
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Can you even look me in the eye?

Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing 'bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night?
How do you walk with your head held high?
Dear Mr. President,
You'd never take a walk with me.
Would you?