Typhoon Haiyan: Rising From The Rubbles

"Through people I see, Your will in me - 
A kindness seeps through the soul,
By and by"

I am awe-inspired by the people mobilizing to extend their help in different ways to the Philippines after Typhoon Yolanda has struck Visayas. More than five thousand people were killed and tens and thousands of people were rendered homeless by this disaster. Friends back home, volunteer with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to sort out clothes and pack relief goods to be distributed in Visayas.

Levi Azarcon, Yang Bautista and  Erika Pabon after packing relief goods at DSWD NROC Pasay
Photo Credited to Levi Azarcon

Lanekar Uriarte sorting clothes( ^ - ^ )
Photo Credited to Lanekar Uriarte

Here in the first world, we are doing our best as well.  People, regardless of race, are extending help in their own ways.  Many donate material needs such as clothes and canned goods but even those who already donated these donate money as well.  The government announced that monetary donations to registered charities will be matched up.  Which means that, a dollar donated by Canadians to charity will be another dollar donated by the federal government to the Philippines.  Among the charities that are widely endorsed by establishments such as cafes and restaurants are the Canadian Red Cross and World Vision Canada.  Other registered charities can be found in the Department of Foreign Affairs website.  Last November 15, I had a chance to fundraise for the Typhoon Haiyan Relief Program with three (3) magnificent volunteers.

From Left to Right: Muhammed, me and Carlo!  Jodie hasn't come yet

"The funds will not only help my own people in short term but with the long term as well, as they start building their lives from the ruins."

We managed to fundraise three thousand CDN ($3,000.00) just from that day alone!  Starbucks, as I know, have donated three hundred fifty thousand CDN ($350,000.00) already.  I also see some fundraising events on the local community board scheduled even after the match up date is done.  In Youtube, you can see people from different places with their own fundraisers as well. Help is pouring from every corner of the world. I am grateful beyond words because I know how much a dollar can help them, sardonically, more so than the local government usually provides.  And yes, in the midst of the oligarchs' continuous farce, it's great to see that people still have the will to help.  I'm sure that a lot of North Americans were rather turned off when Anderson Cooper started pointing out the faulty ways of the government.  What he said was the naked truth!  It reflects how disorganized our leaders are in their priorities. It reflects how easily the supposed leaders put blame on their own people and not in their own incompetency to conduce swift and rhythmic organization amongst the people.  And most importantly, it reflects exactly what the government has been doing with the public's money the past couple of decades. With the super large budget cuts from different departments - including health and education -  in the past five years, public hospitals are so poorly funded to even function at these times. One can't also expect programs for training individuals in times of disaster.  How ironic, really, since storms happen almost every month.  The only thing people know how to prepare for these calamities is to "go to evacuation centers" - which by the way, are old school buildings and open gyms.  When can the higher ups learn to stop playing the blame game like kids?  When can the public get the help they deserve from their own government?  When is the time that a disaster this big happens that we won't need other nation's help?  That we can stand up, and organize ourselves for once.  Tell me, when?

The world weeps with the Filipinos in this unwanted tragedy. Although storms are never new to the Philippines, the trauma from the mishap always is.  For now, as we wait for the time when corruption finally meets its end, our fellow kin faces this nightmare with their bright smiles and resilient hearts. Stay strong, Philippines!

Edukasyon ko Inang Bayan, kaya mo pa bang tustusan?

Ngayong gabi, nasadlak ako sa kalungkutan ng marinig ko ang pagpapakamatay ng isang labing-anim na taong gulang na estudyante mula sa University of the Philippines - Manila (UP-Manila).  Freshman siya ng dating kolehiyo ni Aiko, parehas na Behavioral Sciences ang kurso.  Pinakita siya sa akin ng kapatid ko sa iilang Facebook pictures na naka-share sa page ng kolehiyo nila. Marahan siyang nagkwento.  Madalas na tumitingin ang kapatid ko ng mga pictures ng underclassmen niya at palaging sumusulyap sa landas na hindi niya tinahak. Natatandaan niya daw na representative si Kristel ng mga freshman sa isang aktibidad ng kolehiyo. Nabanggit niya nga minsan, sa aking paggunita, na madami daw siyang gustong "i-bully" sa mga first years.  Tulad daw ng mga ginawa sa kanila noong isang semestre niyang pag-aral sa UP.  At heto daw, hindi siya makapaniwala na merong nagpakamatay sa kinasasabikan niyang mga underclassmen. Dahil sa kahirapan ng buhay.  "Paano kung nandun ako?", tanong niya sa akin habang nagpipigil ng luha.  Wala akong naisagot.

Si Kristel ay panganay sa limang magkakapatid.  Taxi driver ang trabaho ng ama at simpleng maybahay lamang ang ina.  Isa lamang siya sa maraming kabataan ngayon sa Pilipinas na naghahangad ng edukasyon ngunit nahahadlangan ito ng kahirapan.  Nitong nakaraang dalawang dekada, hindi makakaila na lubhang bumaba ang budget ng gobyerno sa edukasyon sa kabila ng mga pangako nila na pagtutuunan ito ng pansin. Ang unang naalala ko nung dekada nobenta ay ang pag-allocate ng budget sa iba't-ibang sektor ng gobyerno para ilagay sa "pork barrel".   Isa ang kagawaran ng edukasyon sa kinuhanan ng pera upang mapuno ang kaban ng mga kongresista.  At sinong makakalimot sa milyones na tinanggal ng administrasyong Arroyo sa PUP?  Isa yan sa mga ibinato ni PNoy sa nakalipas na administrasyon at kakatwa na isinambalik niya sa pamumuno niya ngayon.  Mas malala pa nga kung ikukumpara dahil isang bilyon mahigit ang tinanggal niya sa edukasyon at kalusugan nitong taong 2010.  Sa dami ng mga kinaltas ng gobyerno, lumipad ang halaga ng edukasyong hirap na ngang abutin ng mahihirap.  

Isa sa mga naunang artikulo na lumabas tungkol sa trahedya mula sa The Manila Collegian

Natatakot ako para sa mga kapwa ko Pilipino, lalong lalo na para sa mga kabataan.  Tila ba unti-unti nilang ginagawang mang mang ang mga sumusunod na henerasyon.  Tumatarik ang tatsulok at ang edukasyon na dapat ay karapatan ng bawat isa ay nagiging pribilehiyo.  Mayayaman na lamang ang nakakatamasa ng disenteng edukasyon at ang mga sadlak sa hirap ay nagkukumahog sa maliliit na silid-aralan.  Nasa awa na tayo ng mga oligarko sapagkat hawak nila ang utak ng kabataan. Nitong nakaraang dekada, meron nang mga artikulo at iilang mga aktibista ang pumuna sa pamamaraan nila.  Natatandaan niyo pa ba ang "Study now, pay later" program noong 90s? Isang mabuting programa na ginagawang paraan ng mga oligarko para maibulsa ang pera ng masa.  Halos isang daang estudyante din ang nabigyan ng umano'y "loan" ang hindi masingil ng Commission of Audit (COA).  Naglaho na parang mga multo. Ha! Tapos sa tuwing may mga problemang darating (tulad ng kay Kristel) ay pinaiikot lamang nila tayo sa mga hintuturo nilang di matigil sa pagturo.  Sinisisi ng gobyerno ang UP-Manila ngunit sila ang tunay na may hawak ng kapangyarihan upang mabago ito.  Madaling magtaas ng tuition ngunit hindi madaling ibaba.  Madaling magsibak ng estudyante kaysa sa gumawa ng paraan upang makatapos sila.  Yupian na nga talaga ang UP kung ganun.

Tila nga malayo-layo pa ang tatahakin natin para maabot ang Pilipinas na ipinaglaban noon ng ating mga ninuno.  Ayokong matulad ang mga Pilipino kay Boxer (ng Animal Farm) na buong buhay nagkayod para sa demokrasyang hindi totoo at namatay ng hindi namulat sa katotohanan. Masipag at matiyaga ang mga Pilipino at di hamak na may potensyal upang harapin ang mundo.  Huwag tayong magbulag-bulagan at magbingi-bingihan sa isyung ito! Edukasyon ang susi sa pag-ahon mula sa kahirapan kaya huwag tayong pumayag na tanggalin ito sa ating mga anak. Sabay sabay nating pasanin ang bigat ng buhay na kinitil ng mga oligarko at ipaglaban ang nararapat.

Imahe ng kasipagan at tiyaga

Sa ngayon, ang pagtustos ko sa dalawang bata mula sa World Vision ang tanging magagawa ko upang makatulong sa sitwasyon.  Maraming tumutulong sa atin mula sa iba't-ibang bansa kaya't tulungan din natin ang isa't-isa.  MERONG PAG-ASA ANG PILIPINAS!  

Isang World Vision sponsored child dati, Order of Lakandula and CNN Hero

 Sana ay makita ko ring magtagumpay sina Clarence at Lyka sa buhay.  Sa ngayon, hahayaan ko muna silang maging bata.

Thank you donorworx and World Vision!

I could still remember the bright orange glint of that tiny World Vision booth at our event, OTzibit 2011, almost three (3) years ago.  The trifold brochure with a little boy really piqued my interest. Pretty soon, I found myself grabbing one from the table.  The kid that looked around 8 years old in the brochure said that he wants to be a driver and nothing else.  I remembered thinking, "Man, an eight year old kid...wants to be just a driver like his dad? The cycle of poverty is trapping a lot of people in its course."  When I was eight years old, I dreamt of becoming EVERYTHING!!!  A doctor, a scientist, a singer, an actress, an astronaut, even becoming president!  My dreams were limitless!  And yet, that little boy in the brochure and perhaps quite a lot of other Filipino kids don't even have the permission to dream high.  How truly sad it is. At that time, I had to reject the idea of sponsoring a kid for fifteen (15) pesos a day because I can't even fend for myself.  

The second time I encountered World Vision was at Metrotown.  I saw this guy stopping a couple of people who were walking by.  I was in one of my "enlightening strolls" that day and I decided to stop by the booth as I loved that familiar warm color.  I, of course, having no job yet, refused the opportunity to sponsor a child.  But, mind you, I had always wanted to.  One autumn morning, World Vision came knocking in my door again. I saw an ad in the newspaper about a hiring as a fundraiser and I applied with much hope.  (Please refer to this post)  Holy guacamole!  I got accepted and by the end of the campaign, I was given the "WHY" award.  It's for new people like me who does a great job in the field. 

Sweet!  I was excited to open this when Kirsten gave it to me

Aaw...such a sweet card

TADA!!!  Free 10 dollars to spend in Starbucks :)

 I am so touched.  I didn't really expect it because it was hard enough to get people to stop in Guildford mall.  My teammates and I were really challenged to work those stops and break those objections to pulp.  Thank you Chris Ghieuw, Korina Manaloto, Odette Pinto, Sam Bones, Katharine Heaster, Melanie Scharfe, Brendan for the amazing fundraising days.  I give my special thanks to Kirsten (TL) and Stephanie (CFM) for picking me as a winner. You are such wonderful people and I wish to work with you guys again.   And of course, I just wanted to say thank you to donorworx for giving this once in a lifetime opportunity to work with World Vision. If you hadn't given me the opportunity, I wouldn't be posting about this.  My words are not enough to express the gratitude I feel.  I deeply wish for summer to come soon!

If I were to die... (Simple Clean Version)

Death is perhaps the most appalling subject I could ever discuss with anyone.   Still, I believe that it is also the most attractive topic I could ever pick to dissert.  Why is death so repulsively beautiful?  That is something I keep wondering myself.   I assume that at one point in time all of you have thought about death  in various ways and yet came down with the same dreadful conclusion - we all die.   It's a sad truth we have to take.  And no matter how indifferent we may seem about the fact, we still do worry and wonder.

Death in plain and simple words - the cessation of all the cells that supports an organism's life force.  How complicated is that?  Six feet under the ground, we'll all be rotting away to join the lifestream once again.  Same as our ancestors that came and lived before us on this bountiful earth.  That is how I thought of death before I turned fourteen.  Easy peasy really.  It's by the book and well supported by science.

All of that changed in an instant...

My bestfriend Melanie Avila died in January 11, 2005.  (If you are a close friend of mine, you probably know about this fact.) I have, in truth, adapted quite healthily in coming into terms about her death. Although, at the other side of the truth, I have not quite forgotten everything about her death.  Adaptation is not forgetting.  It is acceptance.    In a span of seven years, I slowly learned to accept the painful truth - she is gone.  But there never was a day that I wouldn't think about her.  I always do.

Just wanted to share a magnificent artwork about life and death I found on 9gag

When death falls near you or your loved ones, you'll perceive it differently.  At the age of fourteen, I learned about it.  Isn't that a reality check too early?  Heck no!  Think about a 9 year old boy who has seen his mother close to dying two times in a freak accident.  Now that is a wake up call to mortality too early.  That same boy, believe it or not, came up to the World Vision booth and picked a child to sponsor.  In turn for the ordeal, he has developed empathy and compassion at such an early age.  That is something only a person who has met and/or glanced death before their eyes can understand.  

So if I were to die, and die very young, I would like to bring with me memories of happiness.  That in every smile I give, I touch a heart with sincerity.  That in every word I mouth, I bless a soul with kindness.  That in every action I do, I move a person into action.  Life is short, I have learned.  I don't want to waste my time in nonsense.  I don't want to wait in a corner and mutter endless excuses.  I will do, not brood.  If I were to die, and die very young, I would like for my friends to talk not only of good things about me but as well as my faults.  For I am not a god, I am human and err I do.  I am nice to the point of bad but I am not perfect.  I am not a messiah who will save humanity - I am just plain Akemi.  Same as everyone else.  If I were to die,  and die very young, I do not want any awards of any kind.  I have always thought of that as silly.  You can't take that to your grave nor can you proudly say you have earned it.  If I were to die, and die very young, I'd like to apologize to those I have left.  I can imagine how hard it would be for you guys.  Especially for my two little sisters whom I love dearly.

Lastly, if I were to die...I would like to be remembered.  Just that.


And no I don't want to be sent away with words of a love song :)

Do we still sing Paraiso?

It has been two decades since Ryan Cayabyab has written the song, "Paraiso" and today it still stands as controversial as it was when it first came out in the 90's.  As the song continued to ring truth around the world, the people have yet to find and utilize the hope they have long been searching for amidst the trash.  Last year, I had a chance to volunteer for Aspiring Citizens for Community Empowerment (ACCE) for a short while and although the head of the organization told us that Smokey Mountain has changed a lot from what it was before, you can visibly tell that it's still far off from actually improving.  Some houses have been built with concrete but had cardboards inside as mats and a thin blanket for windows and doors. That is for only a little part of the place. If you go further, you will see houses built with thin plywood on top of trash. The supply of water is also scarce - only certain parts have it.  They deliver it via a long hose duct taped together to reach the place.  Guess what the hose travels to?  Yes, garbage. People there get sick from diarrhea and typhoid.  These are all preventable diseases really and yet the Filipinos there get infected and much worse yet, they die.

During the interview with a local household there, the Japanese students and I found out that a family survives with only five hundred pesos (Php 500.00) a week at maximum.  That is around seventy - one pesos (Php 71.00) a day. With the current minimum food requirements attainable at a doubled price of a hundred and seventy-two pesos (Php 172.00), I think it is very apt to say that they barely "eat".   And for that amount, the government expects five members of the family to eat the following meals for a day:

BREAKFAST

An egg plus rice 

Coffee with milk

LUNCH

Mongo with malunggay

Latundan Banana

Rice

MERIENDA

Pandesal

DINNER 

Tulingan fish

Boiled Kangkong

Rice

Then what of those who live of with lesser income?  Must they rely on picked up food from the trash?  Or must they only offer their children noodles and rice for breakfast until dinner?  Must they continue to think that everything with a "Sangkap Pinoy" seal is healthy enough for them to eat everyday?

Supplements are good but not enough to keep people healthy

What's more shocking to me is, the government is actually using this food bundle price to measure the poverty rate.  "It was never our intention na pababain ang poverty incidence.  Siguro dapat lang ma-stress na ginawa lang tong refinement so that we can more accurately identify the poor.", Jessamyn Encarnacion, the Director of Social Statistics Office stated in a news interview with GMA.

Seriously?  They got away with it for almost ten years?

Really?  How low can oligarchs go?  There are so many dimensions to scale poverty and they only choose this?  Saddening.  Truly saddening.  Having worked at public hospitals during my time there as an occupational therapy intern, I met with the sad truth that poor people are getting poorer.   There even used to be a "free" classification for those who can't afford being treated at hospitals but now, there is none because of the millions of pesos cut from health.  On top of that, the government can boldly tell people not to worry as they suck their brains dry from the budget cut on education as well.  The government is raising a generation of people to be dumb enough not to question them with their corrupt ways.  And by being ignorant, we, in turn, are raising them as well!  

The news about food bundle for 2011

Apathy is what keeps us from reaching paraiso.  In twenty years, everything has changed and it had turned for the worse.  I don't mean to put the blame on anyone but in all sense, we make ourselves.  We did it to ourselves - the past generation and the present alike.  Keeping track and just watching isn't making a difference at all.  It just makes you part of the problem too.  And in all honesty,  for the past few months that I've been staying here in Canada, I am saddened by the mindset of those who have fled from the Philippines.  Not that I can blame them though, most of them had really tough lives when you hear them out.   But it's heartbreaking when you hear how they just plan to live off their lives peacefully here because the condition in the Philippines is really bad.  You always hear them talk about how bad it is there, how lucky that you're here and things like, "wala na tayo magagawa".  Coming from the mouth of a fellow Filipino tsk tsk tsk!    Yes, we are the lucky few who did get here!  Yes, we are the Filipinos who have more power than those back home!  Yes, we can do something!  

YES!!!

YES!!!

YES!!!

I'm sick and tired of people who say NO!  If we truly care about the land we were born in, we would look back.  And we will act now!  A later or an "I'll think about it" is a chance for things to turn for the worse.  And although poverty is far off from disappearing, together, we can start the change.  Together, we can make a difference.

Don't let the next decade sing "Paraiso" still.  

For the next generation, let us make a stand today.

Make a difference, change a life

I just got my recent job as a fundraiser for World Vision.  They called me up for a group interview where I have met similar people like me who advocate children's rights.   It was my first group interview and I really didn't know what to do but I guess my intuition as an occupational therapist guided me through it.  I just thought that since this was called a "group" interview, they might look for someone who can blend well with the group.  Not one who outshines others but someone who brings out everyone's potentials.  I most certainly did not expect for them to call me, really.  I mean, the people I've met and worked with during the interview were amazing!  They had incredible conversation skills unlike me who stuttered a lot.  I was really really awkward!  But I thought, heck!  I'll just do my best next time.  And I did get much comfortable answering questions afterwards. At that point, I just wanted them to know me as plain as day so, I was really honest and upfront with my answers.  When I got back home, they had already called to give me the good news.  \\(@^0^@)//

So, all of the fundraisers were called for training on October 31st - Halloween.   We got to meet our own team and the other teams who are stationed to malls in different places in British Columbia.  Hundreds of us were interviewed but only around sixty (60) people were there.  Woah!  That's when I realized the gravity of the competition during the interview.  Talk about delayed reaction.  I don't even know if I can even say it was a "delayed reaction".  It was too far off.  Anyway, I had a lot of fun during the training.  I can proudly say that our team had the coolest name ever!!!

GRINCH BUSTERS

We'll make your heart grow three sizes!

Making a difference one child at a time

Two days into the job and I'm doing good.  Getting as much feedback as I can and trying out all the techniques Team Leader Kirsten has told me.  It was awesome!  I've had great conversations with people and I'm getting more comfortable with doing the "Pitch" although, I still am having a problem with my words.  Dang you Brodmann's Area 44 and 45!  Can't get my words right.  I'm probably going to have to work on reinforcing appropriate responses to train my flexibility in communication.  Getting comfortable with the language one step at a time.  Although, I am getting a lot of feedback from co-fundraisers and random people I've talked to that I don't sound new at all.   I tell them that sometimes when I speak Filipino for a great deal and if I hear Filipino accent, I do catch that pretty fast.  On another note, I don't let it get to my head much and just do my best with every stop I make.  After all, it's not about how good you speak or the money you get from this job.  It's about getting these kids a Christmas to look forward to.  A day when they can readily go to school and not have to pick trash for a living.  Evenings when they can actually sleep with food in their bellies.  It's about changing their lives with just a dollar a day.  It's about acting now to be the difference in this apathetic world.  I may not be ridding the world of poverty today but planting altruistic seeds in people's hearts is already starting a movement.  A movement that perhaps can lead us to a world closer to a dream.

Ate Korina and me at the booth with our little angels \\(@^0^@)//

Team Leader Kirsten with me yey!  Thanks for Chris who took the picture  (@^-^@)

I feel really honored.  Being chosen gave me more confidence.  You'll really never know what will happen if you've never tried.  And you know what? Just believing in yourself accounts to a lot.  Hoping to spread my passion to every people I meet and make them part of the change.  

World Vision Job Opportunity

For Children.  For Change.  For Life.

Today, I saw an advertisement in the newspaper that they had openings for their mall fundraising teams  in World Vision.  I desperately applied even though I had no sales background and technically even fundraising.  I think I sounded a little aggressive in my cover letter but I was willing to give it my all.  If they'd just call me up for an interview, I'll show them how passionate I am.  I have much to say and have much to advocate to fit it all in the cover letter.  This passion cannot be contained in an 8 1/2 x 11 inches of bond paper. I'd have had to take out even the margins and use the back page too! 

Anyway, they had an interesting form to fill in their job page.  They had a question at the end asking what was my motivation.  I answered:

"I came from the Philippines where poverty is widely seen and pitifully...ignored.  From a very young age, I have met parents and children who live just to survive.  Children forced into labor and sadly having dreams hindered by their educational attainment.  I have probably not seen all the hardships in the world but I have seen enough to know that I need to do something.  Right now, as I start a new life here in Canada, I want to do something I know I love - that is helping people."

Too much?  What do you guys think?  Well, I just hope that they do call.  If they don't well...then...I'll just try again!  Ha!  That ain't the last they've heard of me.