My Blog

I was a volunteer
teacher in a public elementary school in Calauit Island when I met Rhoniel .

 

Rhoniel was the
smallest in my Grade 3 class. He was 9 years old at that time but his height
and his weight is that of a 4 year old boy.

 

I was teaching
them how to use the dictionary that whole week for our English class. They’ve
never seen one before so I told them that the book’s name is Webster and
Webster is an old friend of mine.

 

The first
activity we did was practice putting things in alphabetical order. We did that
for the next two days.

 

On the third day,
I let them copy “A Time for Everything” from Ecclesiastes. I underlined some of
the words and divided them into small groups to look for the definitions of
those words.

 

We were using a Filipino-English
dictionary for this because English is
only their third language next to Cuyunon (the local dialect) and Tagalog.

 

When all the
groups finished finding the meanings of the words assigned to them I told them
we are now going to arrange their newly-learned words in alphabetical order.

 

Rhoniel protested
vehemently when I placed ‘kill’ after ‘die’.

 

I was about to
argue with him when I stopped myself and smiled. I kneeled so we can see each
other eye to eye, and I hugged him.

 

I said, “you’re
right Rhoniel. You’ve learned a lot today. That’s true, kill goes before die if we talk about their meanings“.

 

“But when we
recite the alphabet, a b c d e f g h I j k, which one goes first, d or k?”

 

I only taught
Grade 3 for a month because I was assigned to teach the Grade 5 class when it
finally opened on July 3 last year. And that is a whole other story. (One that
will take me forever to tell. ;D)

 

A Time for Everything

There is an appointed
time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.

² A time to give birth, and a time
to die; A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.

³ A time to kill, and a time to
heal; A time to tear down, and a time to build up.

⁴ A time to weep, and a time to
laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance.

⁵ A time to throw stones, and a
time to gather stones; A time to embrace, and a time to shun embracing.

⁶ A time to search, and a time to
give up as lost; A time to keep, and a time to throw away.

⁷ A time to tear apart, and a time
to sew together; A time to be silent, and a time to speak.

⁸ A time to love, and a time to
hate; A time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

 

 

 

Service, awe and wonder: Volunteering in Trinidad
& Tobago

by
Edwin Vicente “Edge” Cinco Bolastig

26 February 2008

As a child, I’ve always wanted a job that would
connect me to the most number of people. I guess it’s the extrovert in
me that prods me to reach out to as many people as I could. Call me a social
animal, or a “Connector” in Malcolm Gladwell’s sense of the word in his seminal
book on social epidemics, “The Tipping Point”, or the inveterate gregarious
character one always meets in the course of her or his daily life…

Growing up in Samar, an impoverished province southeast of the Philippines’ capital Manila, in a
secular school environment where the Jesuit’s motto of being “Man for Others”
is a predominant theme, it started to dawn on me that as a career, there were
two options that would allow me to reach out to the most number of people:
either to become a doctor or to become a priest. And the common thread that
defines and binds these two vocations is SERVICE.

The path I took is quite obvious. Since I also believed in being a well-rounded
person, in raising a family and enjoying whatever else life has to offer, while
doing a good service to our fellowmen, hence my choice of the former over the
latter.

Even before committing myself to a life of volunteerism as a UNV volunteer, I
have, in my own small ways, tried to lead a life of service to other people,
despite the risks and the relatively low compensation, or even gratis et amore.
Attending to as many medical outreach activities, for example, that I could
possibly join as a medical student and as a brother of the Mu Sigma Phi
Fraternity and later on as a health professional, working as a Municipal Health Officer in my
father’s poor, doctor-less hometown right after graduation from Medical School.

Given the relatively small remuneration that one gets as a government
physician/employee despite the long hours spent at work, even spilling
overnight and on weekends at home, everyday is like doing service, for the love
of God and country. Mentally, reward usually comes from knowing that whatever
little bits of policy change in the health sector that I have immersed myself
whole-heartedly, always in collaboration with all other partners in the sector
and beyond. These would hopefully redound to the benefit of the most number of
Filipinos, especially the poor and vulnerable, whom I may not necessarily have
the chance to personally meet or commune with. But at least, deep inside I
know, that in one way or the other, I have touched their lives…

And then the offer to serve

Trinidad and Tobago

as a UNV volunteer came. It was, for me, like
standing at a crossroads once again, choosing between pursuing a budding health policy and planning career back home, the
outcome of which I could more or less predict,  or accept a highly uncertain
job in a completely unknown territory (“Where in the world is Trinidad and
Tobago?”)

But then again, I guess, the sense of adventure, of reaching out to a lot more
people, of exploring and discovering the world and of expanding my horizons as
a health professional and global citizen, in the name of sustainable human
development, got the better of me. But that is not without a hurried but truly
profound process of spiritual discernment that I undertook, together with my
wife, children, other family members and closest friends, who have been very
supportive of this life-changing career shift.

Despite the uncertainty, however, things aren’t as bad as they initially seem
to be.

First of all, Trinidad and Tobago is one tropical paradise that me, my wife, and
some relatives and friends would only daydream of visiting in one of the Caribbean cruises we planned to do when
we would have become old, rich and famous ourselves. So this was like a dream
come true, fast forward, without the huge out-of-pocket expense!

Secondly, and seriously, I
was assigned to do what I love to do best — health policy and planning work –
at the Directorate of Health Policy, Research and Planning at

Trinidad
  and Tobago

’s Ministry of Health. Given my experience back home and my formal
postgraduate training in

London

,
I therefore wouldn’t want to be assigned anywhere else, though I was
psychologically prepared to take on any clinical or field-based tasks that
might have been assigned to me. All of a sudden, I felt like a stranded leatherback
turtle being thrown back to the

Caribbean

waters
where I rightfully belong!

It was very interesting and quite comforting to actually get thrown into
familiar terrain, or waters, I should say. What was more re-assuring was the
thought that since there was no medical doctor who was actually doing policy
work at the Directorate, I would therefore have the chance to actually add
value to the organization, by way of providing a medical perspective into the
health policy development and planning process at the Directorate, and by
extension, in this country.

Thirdly, the people at the Ministry were very warm, hospitable, supportive,
competent and cooperative, making my work more fun and quite engaging. I joined
the Ministry at this time when the Health Sector Reform Programme (HSRP) is in
full swing, with almost all of the activities geared towards achieving the
goals of the HSRP. The UNV Programme partnership with the MOH that involves
almost 100 volunteer doctors from all over the world is, in fact, part of the
reform process: that of strengthening the institutional capability of the MOH
and the health system, in general.

With my work, I provide technical support to the Office of the Minister by preparing briefers and other communications materials
for the Minister’s international meetings and conferences, to the Office of the
Chief Medical Officer by conducting document reviews, analysis of various
health information and preparing presentations, to the Directorate of Health
Policy, Research and Planning (DHPRP) on such areas as health needs
assessment, national health research system development, health policy review
and development system, mental health policy, occupational health and safety,
school health and nutrition, blood banking, and community health care,
among others.

At present, I am engaged in providing support to the Ministry’s effort in
building the capability of the policy, research and planning personnel of the
MOH and that of the Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) — the decentralized and
autonomous units created as part of the health sector reforms to manage the
provision of health services at the hospital, health facility or community
level. With the DHPRP Director’s support and direction, I have developed and am
coordinating an In-House Staff Development Training Programme, a
lecture-discussion type of technical information exchange among the policy,
research and planning officers of the above-mentioned institutions. Although
largely experimental and evolving, it has elicited a positive and encouraging
response from the participants, and has started to generate greater interest in
novel ideas and out-of-the-box thinking, while contributing towards developing
a small “community of practice” in the health policy and planning arena in this
country.

My engagement as a UNV volunteer in this country, albeit still quite limited,
has also given me the opportunity to participate as one of the founding members
of the Health Systems
Action Network (HSAN) which was launched in Toronto, Canada, last year to
champion the cause of health systems strengthening both at the country and
global levels, vis-à-vis the implementation of the Global Health Initiatives (GHIs) such as the Global Alliance for
Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) or the Global
Funds Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), to mention but a few.
These GHIs have largely been influential in defining the health landscape from
the global, regional, national and even down to the local levels, thus there is
a need to complement them with an approach that ensures the strengthening of
health systems to achieve maximal benefit from all the efforts and resources
being provided by these GHIs. 
   
It has therefore struck me in AWE of
how my rather simple idea of being “Man for Others” from my small world in the
eastern corridor of the Philippines, has actually brought me to the
international stage upon which I attempt to contribute, as a UN Volunteer, and
in my own small way, towards the grand human development agenda of the UN as a
global organization.

From a metaphysical point of view, however, the progression of my life from a
small-town boy who is now thrust into the health policy-making of a country
apart from my own, and concerned about what is going on in the global health
arena, is actually coherent and logical, despite the many crossroads and forks
where I needed to discern and decide which road to take. And yes, like what my
favorite poet, Robert Frost, says, I
always ended up taking the road less traveled – changing my life’s course,
and that of my family, completely.

It is my belief however, that once you
do what you love to do best, then you can never go wrong and that all the good
things you do for yourself and for others will surely come back a hundred- or
even a thousand-fold.

And now, therefore I WONDER, in the
midst of all this meandering, where will all these things lead me to? Becoming
a service-oriented UNV has led me to this awe-inspiring personal tale and so I
wonder now, where will this stint bring me and my family to? It has just been a
great one and a half years of my life as a UNV volunteer in

Trinidad and Tobago

, and so far, life has dealt with me very well.
From here, however, where will all these things lead us to, maybe perhaps after
my contract?

Again, I am cast into this sense of awe and wonder about the uncertainty of
life in this world and as a UNV in particular, but what I am very sure about
though, is this – and let me quote the great Robert Frost –

“ Two roads
diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

TAGUBILIN AT HABILIN

Ni Jose F. Lacaba

Mabuhay ka, kaibigan!
Mabuhay ka!
Iyan ang una’t huli kong
Tagubilin at habilin:
Mabuhay ka!

Sa edad kong ito, marami akong maibibigay na payo.
Mayaman ako sa payo.

Maghugas ka ng kamay bago kumain.
Maghugas ka ng kamay pagkatapos kumain.
Pero huwag kang maghuhugas ng kamay para lang makaiwas sa sisi.

Huwag kang maghuhugas ng kamay kung may inaapi
Na kaya mong tulungan.

Paupuin sa bus ang matatanda at ang mga may kalong na sanggol.
Magpasalamat sa nagmamagandang-loob.
Matuto sa karanasan ng matatanda
Pero huwag magpatali sa kaisipang makaluma.

Huwag piliting matulog kung ayaw kang dalawin ng antok.
Huwag pag-aksayahan ng panahon ang walang utang na loob.
Huwag makipagtalo sa bobo at baka ka mapagkamalang bobo.
Huwag bubulong-bulong sa mga panahong kailangang sumigaw.

Huwag kang manalig sa bulung-bulungan.
Huwag kang papatay-patay sa ilalim ng pabitin.
Huwag kang tutulog-tulog sa pansitan.

Umawit ka kung nag-iisa sa banyo.
Umawit ka sa piling ng barkada.
Umawit ka kung nalulungkot.
Umawit ka kung masaya.

Ingat lang.

Huwag kang aawit ng “My Way” sa videoke bar at baka ka mabaril.
Huwag kang magsindi ng sigarilyo sa gasolinahan.
Dahan-dahan sa matatarik na landas.
Dahan-dahan sa malulubak na daan.

Higit sa lahat, inuulit ko:

Mabuhay ka, kaibigan!
Mabuhay ka!
Iyan ang una’t huli kong
Tagubilin at habilin:
Mabuhay ka!

Maraming bagay sa mundo na nakakadismaya.
Mabuhay ka.
Maraming problema ang mundo na wala na yatang lunas.
Mabuhay ka.

Sa hirap ng panahon, sa harap ng kabiguan,
Kung minsan ay gusto mo nang mamatay.
Gusto mong maglaslas ng pulso kung sawi sa pag-ibig.
Gusto mong uminom ng lason kung wala nang makain.
Gusto mong magbigti kung napakabigat ng mga pasanin.
Gusto mong pasabugin ang bungo mo kung maraming gumugulo sa utak.

Huwag kang patatalo. Huwag kang susuko.

Narinig mo ang sinasabi ng awitin:
“Gising at magbangon sa pagkagupiling,
Sa pagkakatulog na lubhang mahimbing.”

Gumising ka kung hinaharana ka ng pag-ibig.
Bumangon ka kung nananawagan ang kapuspalad.

Ang sabi ng iba: “Ang matapang ay walang-takot lumaban.”
Ang sabi ko naman: Ang tunay na matapang ay lumalaban
Kahit natatakot.

Lumaban ka kung inginungodngod ang nguso mo sa putik.
Bumalikwas ka kung tinatapak-tapakan ka.
Buong-tapang mong ipaglaban ang iyong mga prinsipyo
Kahit hindi ka sigurado na agad-agad kang mananalo.

Mabuhay ka, kaibigan!
Mabuhay ka!
Iyan ang una’t huli kong
Tagubilin at habilin:
Mabuhay ka!

 

 

Remembering my Dad

 
Tomorrow is
the feast day of St. John the Baptist. Araw ng
San Juan.

 
In many
places where San Juan is the patron saint, people go
around throwing dipperfuls of water
on each other. It’s a very wet event, albeit
a merry one.

 

 

So, I am
choosing to remember the merry days I had with my father. This is because, I
think, it was primarily my father who filled me with love when I was very young,
and now that love is still overflowing from me and had spilled to various areas
of my life.

 

You see… I
was born in San Juan  – in Erap country.
Erap, also known as former President Joseph Estrada, looks like my dad and just
as charming.

 

 

Fortunately,
my dad, unlike Erap, didn’t share any of his vices. He neither smoked, drank hard liquor (just a
beer or two on very select occasions), or had mistresses left and right. He was
a very dedicated husband and father.

 

[Incidentally,
I was baptized in historic  Pinaglabanan Church,  which may have influenced my
interest in Philippine History and, consequently, my involvement with other
rebellious youth in my college years. But I digress…]

 

 

We lived
in F. Santos St. (located
perpendicular to Gilmore Avenue and just beside Broadway Centrum, home to a lot
of GMA TV shows from the early 80’s and even up to now such as That’s
Entertainment, GMA Supershow, Eat Bulaga and Kuya Germs’ Walang Tulugan! –
nangarap din akong maging artista noon hehehe..) from the time I was born up to
when I turned 6 years old, when my dad had already been working in Saudi Arabia
for a year and our family was finally able to afford to buy our own house.

 

I was
undoubtedly the apple of the eye of my father. I was his favorite, being his unica
hija. Hence, I was a ‘lil spoiled. I almost always got what I want or asked
for.  I adored my dad and he, in turn,
showered me with much love and attention. I felt like a princess and I thought
I was the cutest and smartest girl in the whole world because he made me feel
so.

 

We always
went to Luneta for Sunday picnics when I was around 3-4 years old. My grandma, my mom’s mother, was staying with
us at that time plus 2 other cousins, so each of us (my 2 younger brothers and
I) had someone to look after us when both of my parents were at work.

 

My dad
would borrow the hi-ace van from his boss on weekends and we would spend the
whole day just eating, playing around, running all over the place at the Luneta Park . I remember that my younger
brother, Alan, almost got lost one Sunday and we were all panicky and sick with
worry because it took a couple of hours to find him. Because of that, I became
Dad’s appendage. I always clung to him
whenever we were at the Luneta or at church. I feared getting lost and being
picked up by strangers, never to see my parents again.

 

During
weekdays, he would always make sure that he would bring us pasalubong if he
came home late from work. Jollibee or McDonald’s hamburgers were a favorite, as
well as siopao asado and barbecue.

 

We loved
to eat as a family. And we would always
make it a point to eat out whenever there’s a special occasion like birthdays,
first communions, anniversaries, etc.

 

Fast forward to
today.

 

My dad is
now deceased. He passed away 2 years ago, on
March 6,
2006.

 

And yet,
he continues to be an inspiration to me. Despite many years of not seeing eye
to eye, occasional hurtful exchanges and years of pent up anger and resentment
during my turbulent teenage years, I have learned to forgive him and myself for
all our short-comings.

 

So now, I
am choosing to acknowledge the big contribution he had in my life – and that no matter what had happened, I will always be Daddy’s little girl.

 

Below is
the inspirational speech I delivered
at the graduation ceremonies of the students in the Daycare Center of Calauit
Island, Northern Palawan last March 16.

 

____

 

Magandang
hapon po sa inyong lahat: Chairman Fidel Mondragon, mga opisyal ng Balik
Calauit Movement, G. Aliot Vergara at mga opisyal ng Saragpunta, mga opisyal ng
PTCA, at ng PTA sa pangungunguna ni Gng. Victoria Mued, mga kapwa kong guro, at
sa mga magulang at estudyanteng naririto ngayon.

 

Isang
malaking karangalan po ang maimbitahan upang magbigay ng inspirational speech
sa inyo at maging bahagi ng okasyong ito.

Ngayong hapong
ito, gusto ko pong ipakilala sa inyo ang isa sa mga pina-importanteng tao sa
buhay ko. Isa po siya sa mga dahilan kung bakit pinangarap kong makapagturo
noong akoy’y 5 taong gulang pa lamang. Siya po ang aking ama, si G.
Elpidio M. Ranido.

 

My Dad
had me when he was already 39 years old. Medyo late na po kasi sila nag-asawa –
twenty-seven ang nanay ko, 38 years old naman ang tatay ko noong ikasal
sila. I am their eldest child, panganay
po, at nag-iisang babae sa 3 magkakapatid.

 

Lumaki po
akong daddy’s little girl. Kaya naman nung nagdesisyon ang tatay ko na
magtrabaho sa  Saudi Arabia dahil sa lumalaki na na aming
pamilya, talaga pong ikinalungkot ko iyon ng husto.

 

 

I was 5
years old at that time, 1982. Kinder 1
po ako noon, ka-edad niyo ako – yung mga nasa day care. Noong araw,
bukod sa tumba-lata (tumbang preso) at tubig-tubigan (patintero),
ang paborito kong laro ay titser-titseran. May maliit akong blackboard sa bahay at
kadalasan ang tatay ko ang aking estudyante. Tinuturuan ko siya ng ABC.

 

Grade 4
lang po kasi ang natapos ng tatay ko.  Naabutan po siya ng giyera – World War 2 –
kaya hindi na siya nakapagpatuloy sa pag-aaral. Sa edad na 13 years old, kinailangan niya nang maghanap-buhay dahil sa
napakarami niyang kapatid.

 

Kaya’t
ang pangarap niya para sa aming mga anak niya ay makapag-tapos kaming lahat ng
kolehiyo at magkaroon ng mas magandang kinabukasan. Ayaw niyang maranasan namin ang mga hirap na
dinanas niya, nila ng nanay ko nung lumalaki sila. Both my parents came from
humble backgrounds. Working student po ang nanay ko mula 1^st year HS
hanggang makapagtapos ng kolehiyo.

 

Natupad
naman po iyon. Sa awa ng Diyos, lahat kaming magkakapatid ay nakatapos at
maayos naman ang buhay sa ngayon.

 

Kung
meron pong mahalagang naituro sa akin ang aking aking ama, yun po ay ang
pagiging bukas-palad, matiyaga, at
masakripisyo.

 

Hindi po
birong magtrabaho sa ibang bansa at malayo sa iyong pamilya. Bukod sa dapat mapagtagumpayan mo ang
lungkot, kailangan ding madiskarte ka. Noong nasa Saudi po ang tatay ko, bukod
sa kanyang regular na trabaho bilang driver sa ospital, meron din siyang 4-5
sideline. Nagbebenta siya ng tubig
(hirap din po sila sa tubig doon tulad natin ditto sa Calauit! :D), ng alahas
(maraming ginto doon!), nagdedeliver siya ng door-to-door packages sa mga kapwa
niyang Pinoy OFWs doon, nagwe-waiter sa restaurant (taga-kuha ng order at taga-hugas ng
pinggan), at nagpapa-renta ng betamax tapes! Lahat ng trabahong pwedeng pasukan para lang madagdagan ang maipapadala
niya sa amin, ginawa niya. Wala siyang
pili – basta legal at marangal.

 

Sampung
taon pong nagtrabaho ang tatay ko sa Saudi. Kada-2 taon lamang siya kung umuwi at 1 buwan lang ang bakasyon. Kaya
naman bukod sa mga sulat, nagpapadala din siya ng voice tapes. Cassette pa po ang uso noon, wala pang CD at MP3!

 

Pero
hindi ako nakuntento dito. Natuto akong gumawa ng sarili kong cards para sa
lahat ng okasyon: Birthday, Valentines, Christmas, Father’s Day etc.  Masipag rin akong sumulat sa kanya at
magpapadala ng listahan ng mga hiling kong laruan, damit, sapatos, at tsokolate.

 

Pag
nagrerecord kami ng mommy ko at ng mga kapatid ko ng voice tapos, lagi akong
may kanta o tula na inaalay sa tatay ko kaya naman
talagang nagging paborito niya ako.

 

Kaya’t
kung may pasasalamatan man ako sa aking husay sa pagsusulat iyon ay ang aking
ama. Pangalawa na lang si Tatang Ricky (Lee) na itinututing kong mentor at
ikalawang ama.

 

Dahil sa
tatay ko, na ang palayaw ay Pidyong dito sa Pinas pero “PJ” noong nasa Saudi na,
natuto akong magsulat at na-train kong maigi ang aking sarili na magpahayag ng
aking mga saloobin at damdamin dahil gusto ko, kahit na nasa malayo si Daddy,
hindi niya maramdaman na malayo ang loob namin sa kanya.

 

Two weeks
ago, nagtetext po ako sa may sementeryo nang bigla kong maaalala ang tatay ko.
March 2 yon, Sunday. Apat na araw nalang
kasi, 2^nd death anniversary na niya. Naisip ko tuloy bigla, “proud kaya kaya siya sa akin para sa mga naging
desisyon ko sa buhay ko?”

 

Isa-isa
nanag natutupad ang mga pangarap ko. Isa
na diyan ang pagiging isang guro. Pero marami pa akong pangarap na gusting
abutin. : gusto ko pang makagawa ng pelikula, mag-arala sa ibang bansa,
makapagturo sa may kapansanan tulad ng bulag at pipi/bingi. Gusto kong
makarating sa Africa at maging volunteer para sa UN.

 

Kada
taon, nadadagdagan ang mga pangarap ko kasi natutupad naman yung ibang nasa
listahan. Parang yung mga hiling ko kay daddy noon. Na unti-unti naibibgay niya sa
akin at sa aming magkakapatid.

 

Namiss ko
tuloy si dady. Kasi siya ang pinaka-masugid kong taga-hanga. Kahit kelan hindi
ako nakarinig sa kanya ng masasamang salita, ng pangungutya. Hindi niya ako
pinintasan kahit minsan. Lagi lang
siyang andyan para makinig, magpaalala at sumuporta.

 

Sigurado
ako na natutuwa siya na nandito ako sa Calauit ngayon. Dahil kahit mahirap ang trabaho, ang pagiging
guro, hindi ako sumuko. Dahil dito,
natutunan ko ang mas simple at tahimik na pamumuhay. At higit sa lahat, ang pagsasakripisyo –
kakailanganin ko ito baling araw kung saka-sakaling palarin akong makapag-asaw
at makabuo ng sariling pamilya.

 

Ngayon,
nadiskubre kong kaya ko palang gawin ang mga bagay na sa una ay mahairap at sa
akala ko’y hindi kaiga-igaya. Pero
makakabuti para sa aking kapwa, at sa mga susunod na henerasyon.

 

Bilang
magulang, hindi naman natin maibibigay sa ating mga anak ang isang magandang
bukas. DAHIL SILA ANG GAGAWA NOON PARA SA SARILI NILA. Ang maari lang
natin gawin ay bigyan sila ng maraming pagkakataon para matuto at mapahusay ang
kanilang mga kakayahan at kasanayan, para mapaunlad ang kanilang pagkatao.

 

Dito
pumapasok ang pagiging isang MABUTING
HALIMBAWA.

 

Tungkulin
ng isang magulang, kami din bilang mga guro na tuma-tayong magulang kapag nasa
eskuwelahan ang mga anak niyo, na magpakita ng mabuting halimbawa. Dahil mas
natututunan ng mga bata yung nakikita nila sa ating mga mas nakakatanda sa
kanila, kaysa yung sinasabi at tinuturo natin.

 

Kaya’t sana ay sikapin nating maging INSPIRASYON para sa kanila.

 

Nagyaong
araw na ito ay graduation ng ating mga anak (atin daw o!). Ngaunit hindi lang
ito isang pagtatapos, bagkus, ito rin ay isang SIMULA. Simula ng isang panibagong HAMON. Sa kanila at sa atin. Dahil ang bawat baitiang ay isang hakbang
tungo sa pagkamit ng isang magandang BUKAS.

 

Muli,
isang magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat at pagpupugay sa lahat ng mga
estudyanteng magtatapos ngayong araw na ito.

This IS disturbing…how can our poor AND brilliant brothers and sisters afford to get a UP education when a typical poor Filipino family (the ones I’ve met from remote rural areas) cannot even send their kids to high school? And now enrolling in the state university seems like the equivalent of a  Star - the impossible dream..
by the time i have a kid i won’t even be able to afford pre-school.
I heard a good preschool in our area here in Marikina costs around 50k a year! Whoa!
Times are getting harder these days but then again, I have no reason to complain…
I’m in a very good position to help out in my own little way
and that’s a great place to be in.

UP closed to brightest of poor

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:46:00 06/20/2008

On the third day of classes in the hundredth year of the University of the Philippines
(UP), a freshman from Cotabato province, a Chemistry major at UP in
Diliman, Quezon City, had to drop out. Together with his father, the
brokenhearted young man went to see each of his instructors to have his
subjects invalidated.

While
his Math 17 instructor was deleting his name from the class list, I
could see the poverty, desperation, anger and sense of resignation in
their faces. It was not the disappointment of winning the lottery and
being denied the prize later. The young man is a member of a minority
group in Mindanao. Without any connections and in the absence of any
socialized admission policy, he qualified as a freshman in the College
of Science of UP Diliman, a distinction he earned through intelligence,
pure hard work and perseverance amid poverty. But in a few days, father
and son are going back to Mindanao for good.

The father
explained they could not afford the "socialized" tuition at P600 per
unit for students in Bracket C, families whose annual incomes range
from P135,001 to P500,000 per annum. The father and son expected to be
in Bracket D, families with annual incomes ranging from P80,001 to
P135,000. Students in bracket D pay P300 per unit.

UP
president Emerlinda Roman seems to be disconnected from reality, or she
must be fooling herself by insisting that the new Socialized Tuition
and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP) is fair and proper for an
"iskolar ng bayan" [scholar of the nation]. Her family should try
living on P6,666.75 a month (which when multiplied by 12—the number of
months in a year—equals P80,001, the lower bound of Bracket D incomes).

UP,
no longer conscious of its role in society, chooses to ignore the
long-term impact of offering greater genuine educational opportunities
to the brightest among the poor, who are getting poorer amid the
reported economic gains of the country. Socialized admission and
tuition fee schemes do not lower academic standards. I’ve had countless
students from public schools and far-flung provinces. They come to UP
not as well prepared as their counterparts from the best schools in
Metro Manila. But many later outshine the sometimes overconfident
Manila-raised kids.

After
the new STFAP took effect last year, UP is no longer an option for the
brightest among the poor. I agree with the cab driver whose daughter
qualified for UP Diliman, as narrated in Youngblood (Inquirer, 3/24/08)
by Mariel Kierulf Asiddao, a UP Mass Communication student. The cab
driver insisted it was ESTIFAK and not STFAP.

NOLI N. REYES, professor, Institute of Mathematics, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City

KATORSE
SHORTS OPENS TOMORROW!

Tue
Jun 10, 2008

 

7:07 am

(PDT)

KATORSE SHORTS
will open tomorrow, June 11 at Robinsons Galleria, Indie Sine (Cinema 3) and
will run until June 17. Regular screening times would apply. Tickets are at
P100 (equivalent to one program = 7 short films).

Below is the full line-up:

ANG KAPALARAN NI VIRGIN MARIO (11
mins)
by Ogi Sugatan
Cast: Yul Servo, Forsyth Cordero
Gay lovers, Mario and Jose, experience the most joyful of mysteries.
6th SHORTMOVES International Film Festival,

GERMANY

Jakarta Slingshortfest (2006)
International Short Film Festival Detmold "FilmLichter06"

AMBULANCIA (15 mins)
by Richard Legaspi
Cast: Alan Paule, Nor Domingo

Ambulancia tells of a painful twist in an ambulance driver’s belief that a
dying patient can be saved by running over stray animals on the streets.
In Competition, International Panorama of Film and Video, Patras City Greece
2008
In Competition, NOUSSA International Film Festival, Greece 2008
Winner, Quisumbing Escandor Film Festival, Best Short Narrative 2008
Winner, Grand Prize, Viva-PBO Digitales, Philippines 2008
Official Selection, Asian Film Academy Fellows Night Screening, S. Korea 2007
Official Selection, CineManila International Film Festival 2007

MANYIKA (15 mins)
by John Wong
Cast: Bor Ocampo, Sheenly Vee Gener

Manyika is a tale of talking teddies, an impatient miss, and a misunderstood
lover.

Best Short Film, 2006 Cinemadali Short Film Competition

PUWANG (25 mins)
by Anna Isabelle Matutina
Cast: Elmo Redrico, Roence Santos, Bon Reyes, Lorena Landicho

Puwang is a starkly real look into a family on the verge of falling apart in
the face of impending death.
2007 Official Selection:

Lyon

Asian Film Festival, France
2006 Finalist: Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival
2006 Exhibition Film: Cinemanila International Film Festival

DEAD LETTER (20 mins)
by Grace Orbon
Cast: Gamaliel Nicolas, Edel

del

Llarte

A young man’s journey into the world of writing.

In Competition, 3rd Singapore Short Film Festival 2006

LABABO (17 mins)
by Seymour Barros Sanchez
Cast: Nerissa Icot, Virnie Tolentino, Stephen Patrick Moore

Lababo is the story of a young woman and a crazy woman who both fell in love
with the same American soldier.

Grand Prize, Viva’s PBO Digitales Short Film Competition 2007
In competition, 48th Bilbao Film Festival in Spain 2006
In exhibition, Internal Affairs 1, Jakarta Slingshortfest 2006
In exhibition, 8th Cinemanila International Film Festival 2006
In competition, 8th International Panorama of Independent Film and Video in
Greece

WALONG LINGGO (18 mins)
by Anna Isabelle Matutina
Cast: Jaymee Joaquin, Joey Santos

A young man who sits alone in a cafe every Sunday morning suddenly finds
himself strangely falling in love with a girl he doesn’t know.
*premiere status

http://annaisabelle
.wordpress. com/

 

I feel like I’m Wander Girl... yup, the title of the Summit bestseller written by Tweet Sering.

Yes, I’m 30 but I don’t think like one. I’m stuck at 13 or maybe 16. And yet, somehow, I feel braver and wiser. O cge na nga..older.

Today, it’s been exactly one year since I stepped foot in Calauit Island to begin my volunteer service as a Gurong Pahinungod.  My friends predicted I wouldn’t last long. Some of them were betting that I’d go home in just  3 months. 

Kasi nga naman maarte daw ako. Malamok daw dun. Walang matinong banyo. Walang pizza, walang beer, walang Starbucks, ice cream, Red Ribbon, at walang Wendy’s. 

Well… it turns out that I can thrive without those things after all. Di ko rin inexpect yun. Nagulat din ako sa sarili ko. Kaya ko pala mabuhay sa lugar ng walang kuryente, walang cellphone signal, walang running water. In fact, I even learned how to take a bath with salty water coming from the well which is near the ocean.  Hindi naman pala big deal.

So kaya ko pala mabuhay anywhere.

And realizing this…that indeed I finished the whole 10 months with nary a scratch and here I am- still excited and eager to go back and see where my students will go from here.

Seven (not 4 as reported earlier) passed the Accreditation and Equivalency exam  that will enable them to enroll in  highschool  this week.

Sana sana lahat sila makapag-enroll. And I plan to do everything in my power to make sure that they will. 

I taught them to dream, and now it’s time to make those dreams happen.

Meanwhile, I’m thinking what will I bring home for my foster family - Nanay Maret, Tatay Pimo and the twins. Nakakamiss ang buhay sa aming mansyon. I lived in this house with them for almost a year: 

Namimiss ko tuloy ang kanta ng mga kuliglig..at ang pag-iigib.

Yan pala si Kuya Abeng, isa sa mga farmer scientist ng Calauit. Malawak ang taniman niya ng kasuy at palagi silang nagdadala ng alimango, pitik at banagan (lobster) sa amin pang-ulam.

Haay..those were the days.  Sarap talaga mag-community work.  Kapag naramdaman ng mga tao na mahal mo sila at tunay kang nagmamalasakit para sa kapakanan nila, sobra-sobra ang isusukli sa ‘yo. 

And yet… i know in my heart that even though a part of me will always be left in Palawan, i’m ready for a new adventure.

So, where will my happy feet take me this time???

We’ll see… the best is yet to come.

This calls for a celebration..a partial one at the very least…

Lumabas na po ang partial list ng results ng A&E exam last February and 4 of our students in Calauit Primary School passed the exam.  And I’m waiting for the list to be completed because I’m confident na hindi lang 4 ang papasa.  Ganun ako kabilib sa mga estudyante ko, I have confidence in them kasi I know we really worked hard to prepare for that exam. As early as August (last year) I was already setting their expectations na magha-highschool sila come June (this year).

So, I’m really really glad that my prayers are coming to fruit.  I know this is just the beginning. My commitment to them will not stop here.

I just hope DepEd updates the list soon. I need the COMPLETE list as soon as possible so I can work on my end.

To all my friends who are interested in sending a kid to school, this is your chance of doing your share.

We will definitely need financial assistance for these brilliant and hungry kids to finish what we started…

Update as of June 8, 2008: 

Out of the 21 students who took the A&E exam for the elementary level, 7 of them passed!

And 5 of those 7 are my students! Yahoooo!

Got this from angas ng ungas and it made me laugh out loud…now I know what to do should I decide to kill myself or worse kill someone and make it look like a suicide… hehehe I am nuts these days…

TIPS
PARA SA LIGTAS, MAGINHAWA, AT DI MALILIMUTANG PAMAMAALAM

1. Bago ang lahat, alamin muna ang tamang dahilan sa pagsu-suicide. Kung ang
problema mo lamang ay dahil sa wala kang pera o iniwan kang minamahal mo, hindi
ka dapat magpakatiwakal. Ang mundo ay tambak ng mga tao na pwede mong mahalin
at ang pera ay pwede mong kitain, kaya hindi ka dapat mawalan ng pag-asa. Ang
pagkitil sa sariling buhay ay KARAPATAN LAMANG ng mga taong gumagamit ng
cellphone at nakikipagkwentuhan sa loob ng sinehan.

2. Kung desidido ka na sa gagawin mong pagpapakamatay at sa tingin mo meron
kang tamang dahilan para gawin ito, ang susunod mong hakbang ayang pagpili ng
PARAAN NG PAGPAPAKAMATAY. Ang mga popular naparaan ay ang pagbibigti, pag-inom
ng lason, pagtalon sa riles ng tren, pagbaril sa ulo (o sa puso kung wala ka ng
ulo pero buhay ka pa din) at paglaslas ng pulso. Ang mga jologs naman na paraan
ay ang pagtalon sa EDSA at pagpigil ng hininga. Tandaan, maari kang mabuhay pag
nagkamali ka sa pagsasagawa ng mga nabanggit, kaya pumili lamang ng isa na
HIYANG sa ‘yo. Bukod dyan, marami rin sa mga paraang ito ang MAKALAT at
NAKAKA-PANGIT. Dyahe naman kung pagtitinginan ng mga tao yung mukha mo sa ataul
tapos mukha kang dehydrated na langaw.

3. Sumulat ng suicide note. Ito ang exciting. Dito pwede mong sisihin lahat ng
tao at wala silang magagawa. Sabihin mo na hindi mo gustong tapusin ang buhay
mo kaso lang bad trip silang lahat. Pero wag din kakalimutang humingi ng tawad
sa bandang huli para mas cool pag ginawa ni Carlo J. Caparas ang buhay mo. At
tandaan, IMPORTANTE ANG SUICIDE NOTE para malaman ng mga tao na nagpakamatay ka
nga at hindi na-murder. Sa ganitong paraan, maiiwasan ng PNP ang pagkuha sa
kalye ng kahit sinong tambay bilang suspect.

4. Pumili ng THEME SONG. Banggitin ang iyong special request sa suicide note.
Ipagbilin na pagtugtugin ito sa prusisyon ng iyong libing. IWASAN ang mga kanta
ng Salbakuta. DAPAT MEDYO MELLOW at MEANINGFUL…tulad ng mga kanta ng Sexbomb.

5. Isulat ng MAAYOS ang suicide note. PRINT. Iwasang magbura. Gumamit ng
scented stationary at #1 mongol pencil. Lagdaan. Wag gumamit ng sticker. Ilagay
ang suicide note sa MADALING MAKITA. IDIKIT SA NOO.

6. PLANUHIN ANG ISUSUOT. Tandaan, minsan ka lang mamamatay, kaya dapat
memorable ang get-up. Pumili ng mga telang di umuurong o

makati

sa katawan. Magbaon ng dalawang pares pampalit
pag pinagpawisan ka.

7. Kumuha ng de-kalidad na ataul. Maganda ang kulay puti dahil malamig at
kumportable kahit tag-init. Huwag magtipid. Mas makakamura kung bibili ng cable
ready kesa magpapalit pa balang araw.

8. Pumili ng magandang pwesto sa sementeryo. Ang puntod ng mga taong
ipinanganak sa year of the rat, dragon, rabbit, snake, tiger, chicken, pork, at
beef ay dapat nakaharap sa Fiesta Carnival. Ang mga ipinanganak sa ibang taon
ay dapat i-cremate at gawing foot powder para gumaan ang pasok ng pera.

9. Itaon ang araw ng libing sa unang dalawang linggo ng buwan o di kaya’y
huling dalawang linggo para gumaan ang pasok ng pera.

10.Kung meron ka ng NBI, at police clearance, affidavit of loss, voter’s ID,
promissory note, original copy of birth certificate, at urine sample, pwede mo
ng isagawa ang kalugod-lugod na gawain. Siguraduhin lang na di ka mababalita sa
tabloid katabi ng mga article tungkol sa kabayong tatlo ang ulo, at sirenang
namataan sa

Manila

 

Bay

.

I love these three girls errr.., WOMEN: Parvati, Alexis and Natalie from Survivor Micronesia.

I think all three have qualities that I already have but am afraid to own up to and utilize.

For instance, Parv didn’t apologize for whatever moves she had to make in the course of those 39 days. The game is to OUTWIT, OUTLAST and OUTPLAY, isn’t it?  And she did it FANTABULOUSLY.

That’s why she won the $ 1 million.

And I liked the way Natalie described her on their exit interview. One word that describes this gal is :  engaging (sounds like someone I know…hmmmn.).

Natalie, for her part, came off as the a really scheming bitch and I think all girls have that if they care to admit it. I know I do but I rarely let my fangs show unless it’s really called for.

I do agree with her though, sometimes " I need to be more bitchy in real life."

Alexis, I think is the most endearing of the three. On the Reunion Special she was asked how she’s dealing with life now that the game is over (I can’t remember the exact question) and she said that it’s tough (agreeing with Amanda who admitted that she has Trust issues) and that

"it takes a while for your heart to catch up with your head." … very well said.

Here are their bios:

Parvati Shallow grew up the eldest of three siblings on a commune in  Vero Beach, Florida.

She and her family moved to Atlanta when she was 11 years old.
Shallow put herself through college, attending the University of Georgia where she received her Bachelor
of Arts degree in journalism with minors in French and Italian. While in
college, she was an active member of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and is a
huge Bulldog fan!

A nature lover at heart, Shallow has spent extensive amounts of time camping
and hiking through North America’s state parks including the Tetons and Yellowstone. While in college, she organized
a two-month backpacking trip through Europe where she and two friends visited 13 countries,
sleeping in youth hostels, train stations, on beaches and park benches.
Shallow’s favorites include good sushi, wearing oversized jerseys, karaoke and
cheering on "The Dawgs." She is also training for triathlons with her
mom, Gale.

Shallow has found her niche with the Los Angeles boxing community and began competing
in 2004. She and some fellow boxers have parlayed her passion for the sport
into the creation of a non-profit organization titled "Knockouts for
Girls," a charity that provides scholarships and boxing lessons for
underprivileged girls. The organization recently held their first fundraising
event that included boxing matches and a fashion show. Having been a huge
success, she will be boxing at a second fundraiser in February, 2008.

Shallow currently resides in Los Angeles,California. Her birth date isSeptember
21, 1982.

Natalie Bolton was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She works as a personal trainer
and bartender. She’s also had several odd jobs including a gym floor sweeper
and busboy, and served as a missionary in Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Venezuela,  

Chile,  Hong Kong, and  China. She previously fronted a rock
band in Los Angeles, California. 

Bolton  enjoys traveling, trying new
restaurants and tinkering with her 1972 Cutlass Supreme. She enjoys boxing,
sweating and being with her close friends.

Bolton describes herself as
self-reliant, bitchy and big-hearted. She indicates that, although she seems
guarded, she is in fact a lover and nurturer underneath the surface. In her
spare time she enjoys singing in her band. She believes her extensive world
travel, athleticism, ability to read people and understanding of the human
condition will be skills that will help her on SURVIVOR.

Bolton is currently single and lives in West Hollywood, California

with her three birds, Libre,
Sebastian and Prince. Her birth date is

December 31, 1975

.

 

Alexis Jones
was born and raised in Austin, Texas with four older brothers. She
received her bachelor’s degree in international relations and Spanish and most
recently finished her master’s degree in communications management, both from
the University of  Southern California. While at USC, Jones hosted a
college television show (for three years) called “Doing It for Reel,” where she
interviewed celebrities on the red carpet of movie premieres and press junkets.

Jones is a motivational speaker who works one-on-one with young girls to build
confidence and self-esteem. She just created an empowerment/non-profit
organization for young girls called “I Am That Girl.” While still in school,
she worked at Fox Sports and interned with ESPN (mostly because she is a
self-described “sports junky”). She also founded and reported for a website
that covered the 2005 USC football season.

Her hobbies include hanging out with family and friends, writing (she’s
currently working on an empowerment book for girls titled “Comatose Barbie”)
and watching college football. She describes herself as contagiously energetic,
fiercely competitive and resilient. She has traveled to Costa Rica,Spain,China and Morocco and has hiked 150 miles to the
base of Mt. Everest. She is a member of the Bel Air
Presbyterian Church. Jones enjoys playing volleyball, flag football, soccer and
has just completed a triathlon.

Jones is currently single and resides in Beverly Hills California. Her birth date is

July
6, 1983.