iVol Blog Notice: Celebration for Vs in Intramuros!

ivolunteer, celebrating everyday heroes.

To mark this year’s National Volunteer Month and International Volunteer Day, various groups sharing the same vision to promote volunteerism in the Philippines have come together to organize a special celebration: “Discover. Act. Volunteer. A Volunteer Fair to Celebrate Everyday Heroes" at the Intramuros’ Clamshell 2 on Dec 5 (Sunday).

The Volunteer Fair will be open from 11am to 9pm. At least 30 NGO’s spearheading different causes will be on site to recruit interested volunteers. Individuals or groups may sign up for various NGOs and corporate foundations supporting causes such as children and elderly welfare, women's rights, environmental awareness, and urban and rural development among others. Complementing this volunteer-matching affair is a whole-day program: round table discussions on volunteerism, a photo, video and art exhibit, awarding of the essay-writing contest winners and guest performances.

The organizing team of this year’s NVM celebration includes iVolunteer.ph, Phil Business for Social Progress (PBSP), Phil National Volunteer Services Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA), Volunteer Organization Information Coordination and Exchange (VOICE), VSO Bahaginan, CreativeAid, Filipino United Nations Volunteers Association (FUNVA), People Power People Movement and the United Nations Volunteer (UNV).

For more info: email Manuela Longo at manuela.longo@undp.org. See you there!

What I am Thankful for this Thanksgiving...

Source: http://www.webtree.ca/

Looking back at the things that happened to me this year, I realize that I have so much to thank about! A new job, a new apartment, a new puppy, etc! I owe all to God! Mind you I had a tough time adjusting to my new job; I must admit I was at the brink of just quitting! Thank God I stuck with it! What I learned through this experience is that perseverance will be rewarded with results. So, if you are going through tough times, just persevere and things will fall into place eventually. To everyone out there, happy Thanksgiving!

iVol Blog Notice: A Concert for a Cause

ivolunteer.ph, celebrating everyday heroes.

Deanie Lyn on 11/9/2004 2:35:44 PM
Spend a worthwhile night of acoustic music with no less than pro folk icon and alternative singer, Noel Cabangon. His well-mastered repertoire will be composed of original songs covering the values of volunteerism, nation-building, giving & Christmas. VOICE!, a fund raising concert to support VOICE Network's nationwide volunteer exchange programs will be staged on December 11, 7:00 pm. Tickets are at P200, P350 & P500. Contact: tel# 928.8969, cel# 0918.9375075.

Minsan May Isang Puta

AURAS, by Hermes Alegre

Author : Mike Portes-Borromeo

Tingin ng mga bobong kapitbahay ko puta daw ako. Nagpapagamit, binabayaran. Sabi nila ako daw ang pinakamaganda at pinakasikat sa aming lugar noon. Ang bango-bango ko daw, sariwa at makinis. Di ko nga alam kung sumpa ito, dahil dito naletse ang kinabukasan ko. Tara makinig ka muna sa kwento ko, yosi muna tayo.

Alam mo, maraming lumapit sa akin, nagkagusto, naakit. Ang hirap pag lahat sa iyo virgin eh. Tinanggap ko naman silang tao, bakit kayanila ako ginago? Masakit alalahanin, iniisip ko na lang na kase di silataga rito, siguro talagang ganoon. Tatlong malilibog na foreigners ang namyesta sa katawan ko, na-rape daw ako.

Sa tatlong beses akong nagahasa, ang pinakahuli ang di ko makakalimutan. Parang maski di ko ginusto ang mga nangyari, hinahanap-hanap ko siya. Tinulungan nya kasi akong makalimutan yung mga sadistang Hapon at Coño. Kase, ibang-iba ang hagod niya. Umiikot ang mundo ko sa tuwing ginagamit niya ako. Ibang klase siya mag-sorry, lalo pa at kinupkop niya ako at ang mga naging anak ko.

Parating ang dami naming regalo - may chocolates, yosi, ano ka! May datung pa! Nakakabaliw siya, alam kong ginagamit nya lang ako pero pagamit naman ako nang pagamit. Sa kanya namin natutunan mag-inggles, di lang magsulat ha! Magbasa pa! Hanggang ngayon, sa tuwing mabigat ang problema ko, siya ang tinatakbuhan ko. 'Yun nga lang, lahat ng bagay may kapalit. Nung kinasama ko siya, guminhawa buhay namin. Sosyal na sosyal kami.

Ewan ko nga ba, akala ko napapamahal na ako sa kanya. Akala ko tuloy-tuloy na kaligayahan namin, yun pala unti-unti niya akong pinapatay. Putang Ina! Sa dami ng lason na sinaksak niya sa katawan ko, muntik na akong malaspag. Ang daming nagsabi na ang tanga tanga ko. Patalsikin ko na daw. Sa tulong ng mga anak ko, napalayas ko ang animal pero ang hirap magsimula. Masyado na kaming nasanay sa sarap ng buhay na naranasan namin sa kanya. Lubog na lubog pa kami sa utang, kulang ata pati kaluluwa namin para ibayad sa mga inutang namin.

Sinikap naming lahat maging maganda ang buhay namin. Ayun, mga nasa Japan, Hong Kong, Saudi ang mga anak ko. Yung iba nag-US, Europe. 'Yung iba ayaw umalis sa akin. Halos lahat, wala naman silbi, masaya daw sa piling ko, maski amoy usok ako.

Sa dami ng mga anak ko na nagsisikap na tulungan ang kalagayan namin, siya din ang dami ng mga anak ko na namamantala sa kabuhayan at kayaman na itinatabi ko para sa punyetang kinabukasan naming lahat. Dumating ang panahon na di na kami halos makaahon sa hirap ng buhay. Napakahirap dahil nasanay na kami sa ginhawa at sarap.

Ang di ko inaakala ay mismong mga anak ko, ang tuluyang sisira sa akin. Napakasakit tanggapin na malinlang. Akala ko ay makakakita ako ng magiging kasama sa buhay sa mga ahas na ipinakilala ng mga anak ko Hindi pala. Ang tanga ko talaga. Binugaw ako ng sarili kong mga anak kapalit ng kwarta at pansamantalang ginhawa na nais nilang matamasa.

Wala na akong nagawa dahil sa sobrang pagmamahal ko sa aking mga anak. Wala akong ibang yaman kundi ganda ko. Pinagamit ko na lang ng pinagamit ang sarili ko, basta maginhawa lang ang mga anak ko.

Usap-usapan ako ng mga kapitbahay ko. May nanghihinayang, namumuhi at naaawa. Puta na kase ang isang magandang tulad ko.

Alam mo, gusto ko na sanang tumigil sa pagpuputa kaso ang laki talaga ng letseng utang ko eh. Palaki pa ng palaki. Kulang na kulang. Paano na lang ang mga anak ko naiwan sa aking punyetang puder? Baka di na ako balikan o bisitahin ng mga nag-abroad kong mga anak. Hindi na importante kung laspagin man ang ganda ko, madama ko lang ang pagmamahal ng mga anak ko. Malaman nila na gagawin ko ang lahat para sa kanila.

Sa tuwing titingin ako sa salamin, alam ko maganda pa rin ako. Meron pa din ang bilib sa akin. Napapag usapan pa din. Sa tuwing nakikitako ang mukha ko sa salamin, nakikita ko ang mga anak ko. Tutulo na lang ang mga luha ko ng di ko namamalayan. Ang gagaling nga ng mga anak ko, namamayagpag kahit saan sila pumunta. Mahusay sa kahit anong gawin. Tama man o mali. Proud ako sa kanila. Kaso sila, kabaligtaran ang nararamdaman para sa akin.

Sa dami ng mga anak ko, iilan lang ang may malasakit sa akin. May malasakit man, nahihilaw. Ni di nga ako kinikilalang ina. Halos lahatsila galit sa isa't isa. Walang gusto magtulungan, naghihilahan pa. Angdami ko ng pasakit na tiniis pero walang sasakit pa nung sarili kong mga anak ang nagbugaw sa akin. Kinapital ang laspag na ganda ko. Masyado silang nasanay sa sarap ng buhay. Minsan sa pagtingin ko sa salamin, ni hindi ko na nga kilala sarili ko.

Dadating na naman ang pasko, sana maalala naman ako ng mga anak ko. Isang buwan pa, magbabagong taon na. Natatakot ako sa taong darating. Ngayon pa lang usap usapan na ang susunod na pagbubugaw ng ilan sa mga anak ko. Sana may magtanggol naman sa akin, ipaglaban naman nila ako. Gusto kong isigaw: "INA NINYO AKO! MAHALIN NYO NAMAN AKO!"

Sige, dumadrama na ako. Masisira na ang make up ko nito eh. Salamat ha, pinakinggan mo ako.

Ay sorry, di ko nasabi pangalan ko.

Pilipinas nga pala.

-----------------------

This article was published with permission from the author. Thank you so much Mike for letting me publish your artistic call to patriotism. Mabuhay ka!

To know more about the author, Mike Portes-Borromeo visit her site at www.passionoverdrive.8k.com

Tsinoys on Filipino Culture and Economy

Source: http://www.virtualtourist.com/

A thread in Tsinoy.com peeked my interest “RP Economy to Crash in Two years”; Click Here to see the thread in the forum.

One of the responses to the thread is the following:

This is the way of life they've chosen, let them lie in the beds they've made. In the entire history of civilization, there's the "haves" and there's the "not haves". They can't all be "haves". You have to accept it, pinoys are the atsays of the world. They provide cheap labors and they do a good job at it. They are obedient and they are hard workers if you keep an eye on their work. They make good followers but poor leaders. In all honesty, without the pinoys, who would wash my car? Clean up after me? Wash my clothes? Where will I get servants? Most of them are content with their simple lives. We, the Chinese, don't have the right to tell the filipinos how to rule their land. Just sit back and enjoy the benefits.

Here is my response to this post:

Creativeaso you have a very interesting point of view.

Indeed one's culture is the driver of ones stock in life. Truly the culture that pervades in the Philippines is corrupted; the church, academia, business and government are all feeding a corrupt system that serves to keep enriching the very rich and lock out the middle class and the poor for any way out of their station in life.

Unfortunately a lot of Filipinos as well as Tsinoys have grown all too use to the perverse system as they willingly break the laws with impunity, even if their acts are a disservice to the entire nation.

I say the elite Filipinos (Spanish, Kastilaloy, Chinese, Malay, etc.) have driven the entire nation to its corrupt state.

Slowly, the morality of Filipinos (Spanish, Kastilaloy, Chinese, Malay, etc.) has eroded. Why? Because the elite have shown the middle and poor classes that they can act in a corrupt manner and get away with it and that decent hard work is seemingly not worth it. The church and academia have stood idly by and let our morality erode as the elite has control of these institutions.

If we are to blame anyone or anything we should blame the culture.

Who perpetuated the corrupt culture we see today?

Initially the elite perpetuated the corrupted culture, but now it is pervasive in Philippine society.

At some point the Tsinoy community was insulated to some degree of the culture of corruption as they built their own community and took care of one another, but slowly some Tsinoys have partaken of the corrupt culture that is pervasive in the Philippine society.

The perception is most Tsinoys are well off. The fact is, there are those that are well off, but the later generations of Tsinoys are no better than their Filipino counterparts, as many of them would rather work for a call center than work for the family business or have no other alternative.

You call Filipinos atsays of the world; then you are calling yourself an atsay of the world as well. You are part of this perverted culture. You condemn the wrongs that the corrupted system begets at the same time you sit back and enjoy its fruits.

In my book, that is hypocritical.

Get real everyone. The way you do things in a daily basis is the source of all our problems. There is no rule of law to keep everyone in line. I know following the law with such a corrupt government is futile. All we can really control is our lives, live honestly and be simple, be productive and hurt no one. Be an encouragement to your countryman. By the end of the day, if you have done your best for yourself and your country, then you have done your part.

Enough of this finger pointing and bashing of each other and lets act decently to each other, and let us not get corrupted by the culture of corruption. Let us take care of each other.

Gift for Mama

Gift for Mama

This is my surprise gift for my Mother's birthday! Shhhhhhh, my mother visits my blog once in a while!

Anyway, here is the description from the website that I bought the necklace from: "A beautifully crafted sterling silver daisy pendant on a bead necklace will surely captivate the heart of the lady in your life. Bring her daisies of a different form... diverse and elegant."

I hope she likes it!

Indictment of Philippine Academia and Religion

Source: www.mymanila.net/

There is a lack of order within Philippine society that is keeping its people from transcending poverty. I am indicting three Philippine institutions (namely government, academia, organized religion) within our Society for the poverty that our nation is suffering today.

I touched upon this topic in an earlier article I wrote and here is an excerpt from that article, A Different Slant:

Our problem is systemic with one core issue; the populace is enabling the corrupt practices in Philippine society may it be in government, organized religion, academia, etc.. The components of a society such as government, academia, religion, etc. must function with order; this can be done by creating rules and its consistent implementation. In the Philippines today we have the law of the land and religious commandments to give us guidance in implementing order in our society. I don’t think the problem lies in the lack of guidance; rather it’s all about the populace’s lack of compliance and government’s lack of enforcement of the laws of the land. As a result, anarchy has replaced the order that we so need to enact economic progress.

In my earlier article, I directly blamed government for failing to provide order in our society; not only that, government is the biggest violators of the law. At the same time, I stated that organized religion and academia supplied Philippine society with guidance through the dissemination of moral teachings and ethics, which can be effective instruments of social control, that’s if people practice what they learn in church and school.

However, now I am including academia and organized religion among the culprits of our failing society.

Faults of Academia:
Leaders of Academia lack the courage and integrity in providing Filipinos the truth. For example, the UP Study regarding the economic collapse of the Philippines. Why did the authors of this study release it after the presidential elections? I find the timing of the release of the study suspicious. If this study were released before the Presidential elections there would have been no way GMA would have won.

Also what is disturbing is that the recommendations of the paper were conveniently in line with GMA’s proposed tax measures. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe there is an impending economic collapse, but I don’t think taxing Filipino consumers some more is the solution.

So you see, if academia will not speak for the truth and tell it how it is when it matters, how can we ever address the source of our nation’s problems?

Faults of Organized Religion:
The Catholic Church is the poster child for the population boom that is going on in the Philippines. The Catholic Church’s disapproval of the use of artificial birth control methods has effectively influenced the government’s policy. Even now, government turns a blind eye at the exploding 80 plus million population of the Philippines in fear of upsetting the Catholic Church.

It is obvious that the natural birth control method that the Catholic Church is teaching to married couples is not working as an unplanned additions to the families happens more often than not. The Catholic Church has failed to teach young adults (read young couples) to wait until they are married as unwanted pregnancies happen more and more. It is saddening that the Catholic Church has failed to teach its teenage parishioners to abstain from sex as teenage parents abound more than ever. For a country that is so conscious between the separation of church and state, the church has made a hefty impact in terms of government policy over population control issues.

Although I am not saying that the individual is not at fault for his/her lot in life, but it is up to Academe and Organized Religion to provide guidance so to affect social controls that would provide order to society. But what are Filipinos to do when the government is too corrupt to legislate, administer and interpret the law properly and have academic institution and organized religion keeps the people helpless and un-informed?

Meet Peanut: our new doggie!

Peanut

A co-worker of yummy (not my wife's real name) gave us this beautiful chiwawa. The first few days the poor dog could not eat as it was still acclimating to our apartment. A few days later it started eating really well; with that it started doing its business everywhere! The horror!!!!

I guess we will just have to be patient with it and take it to the park often!

Yummy told me not to feed Peanut (not our dog's real name) any human food. One night, I was eating pizza and buffalo wings. Peanut was begging for a buffalo wing, whimpering and staring at me with those cute beady eyes, so I gave in and tossed it a buffalo wing. I said to myself, one buffalo wing should not hurt it. Peanut devoured the wing like a Lion tearing apart a wilder beast in the plains of the Serengeti; I had no idea such primal instincts can be inside that cute little dog, not even 2 pounds. That gave me quite a chuckle.

Then at around 12:30 pm Peanut was throwing up chunks of buffalo wings. *eek* I guess human food is not good for Peanut, who has never eaten human food in its life! So, I learned my lesson; DO NOT FEED THE LITTLE DOG HUMAN FOOD.

Who did this Undecided Fil-Am Vote for?

In the end, I declined to vote for US president. Rather I focused on the initiatives that affected my state such as the state government stem cell research funding (voted no); public funding for children’s hospitals (voted yes), etc.

Since California voted heavily for Kerry, my vote would have not mattered either way. In my book, both of them are suspicious.

At least now, there is no doubt in anyone's mind the legitimacy of the Bush's win in the Presidential polls. This should bring about more unity in America compared to the last four years. Indeed things are looking up for America.

Be a Tagger at My Site!

I just found this wonderful feature at http://www.tag-board.com/. This site provides you with the code for a tag board that enables your visitors to leave messages in your blog! Oh what fun! If you are reading this please do leave me a message in my tag board!

Happy tagging!