The Grim Filipino Reality, The Horror of Poverty

October 15, 2008 at 11:59 pm · Filed under an attempt, introspection

Nothing’s funny about poverty. Without sugar-coating, let me share to you my experience of what poverty is.

My Experience

A few years back I’ve been to a province up north. I, together with a group of students, teachers and lay volunteers, spent a whole week with rural-poor families. I was assigned to live with a family in a barrio near Nueva Viscaya. The Sierra Madre mountain range was the only cognizable border between the barrio and the other province.

The barrio is simple. The blocks were not too crowded. We spent afternoons idling around, sharing stories, or just strolling by the community and looking around.

There was electricity, though you have to turn the lights on at twilight. You must be fast before the supply gets sucked-up by other households. There was water. The water distribution system is simple albeit coarse. They’ve just dug a well and let water, pump itself through newly laid-out black and flexible water pipes.

Life there is simple yet the people are happy - contented with what they have.

The Real Deal

Poverty stinks. It is horrible. I’m, right now, lacking of word to express this. Let me, instead, share this Inquirer article of Ms Pat Evangelista. Click here. (I’ll write a follow-up post on this, soon.)

This post is part of Blog Action Day 08 - Poverty

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I won. I’m one…

October 8, 2008 at 9:47 pm · Filed under randomoasis

…of the 68 Nuffnangers whom Nuffnang congratulated last Monday. Because I am a Nuffnang-er.

Here’s the list of my fellow Nuffnangers who were able to beat the deadline and be part of Nuffnang Philippines 68:

Thank you Nuffnang! Congrats too to the 67 bloggers who won just like me.

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NO TO DEATH!

October 7, 2008 at 9:46 pm · Filed under an attempt, deviation, introspection, randomoasis

I just received an update from my 4th Asian Youth Day 2006 Yahoo Groups account. It’s from Bishop Bong Baylon of Masbate.

AYD06 YG Update

I signed the petition.

I signed!

1437 others did the same. Do you have the same stand? Let it be counted. Let our voices be united.

share this to everyone

Click on the image above to read the petition. The link/url redirects to this site by Roy San Buenaventura. Share this to everyone. Spread the word. Feel free to REMIX+ATTRIBUTE+SHARE-ALIKE(CC).

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2009 MHC Calendar [UPDATED]

October 6, 2008 at 10:25 pm · Filed under deviation, photography, randomoasis

Comments poured into my screen moments after I flooded YM about my latest deviation. Thanks for all who gave their feedbacks. Here’s the revised calendar:

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2009 Calendar

October 5, 2008 at 3:06 pm · Filed under deviation, photography, randomoasis

Fr Admin asked me to design a calendar featuring Mary Help of Christians for our fundraising this Christmastide. Here’s what I’ve done:

How’s the color? Does it look like a calendar? Will you buy this? =) Comments please!

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A Million Hectare Forest Starts

October 4, 2008 at 11:31 am · Filed under deviation, introspection, nature, photography

…with a single walk!

Thus, the cliché ‘a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’ still rings true. Environmental awareness campaigns are everywhere. Green is the buzz word nowadays. Malls, companies, governments and organizations pitch in to the global plight of mother nature. Global warming is the issue. The solution: minimize our carbon footprint. But this feat sounds larger than life. Well, actually it is. It’s a world phenomenon. And it needs the whole humanity to act as one to make the solution possible. How do we start?

Walk. =)

In the Philippines, we’ve lost almost all of our lush forests due to logging, forest conversions and mining. Every hour, according to this AVP, 28,542 trees are being felled every hour; thus, we are left with less than a million hectare forest. You think that’s big? Think again. The original forest cover of the Philippines (according to this article) is 27 million hectares, that’s 90% of the Philippine’s total land area. We are left with only a speck of one of the most important resources we have.

But we can do something. We can revive our forests.

Let’s walk!

Get your rubber shoes ready, and bring all your friends! Invite your family, a great day to bond!
Walk for a fun,walk for a cause and walk to restore a million hectares of rainforests!
       “The Million Hectare Walk 2008”

Let’s raise funds to achieve our goal to bring back a million hectares of rainforests by 2020.

The Million Hectare Walk is one of the biggest events of Haribon Foundation. It is a pledge walk, a part of the *ROAD to 2020, wherein we raise funds by getting sponsors such as our friends and family to donate at a starting rate of Php75 for every lap we walk. Our goal for this year is to have more than 500 Walkers and raise half a million pesos! So please support *ROAD to 2020 and walk with us and let’s bring back our natural forests!

Where: Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center                  Quezon Ave. Quezon City.
When: November 16, 2008 6:00am ’til 12:00nn
Registration: Members and Kids (below13): Php 250
                                              Non- Members : Php 300

The campaign for the Million Hectare Walk has already started, if you’d like posters to use and promote in your school, office or organizations please contact us or come- by the office to get posters! Imagine, your simple walk restores our rainforests, your simple walk assures our air for the next generation, your simple walk saves.
Join us! Register Now!

*Rainforestation Organizations and ADvocates (ROAD) to 2020 is nationwide movement that aims to restore one million hectares of our rainforests by year 2020

[from membership{at}haribon.org.ph]