Monthly Archives: December 2011

Volunteerism [ 01 ]

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There is no better exercise for your heart,
Than reaching down and helping to lift someone up.

~ Bernard Meltzer

 

As some of you might know, I have been added to the ever-growing population of the Out Of School Youth Society for almost two semesters now because of the migration processing we underwent. So because of that, I have become an awful, fat bum. I almost have nothing worthwhile to do, so thank God for literature!

A couple of days ago, my sister mentioned to me that she and her friends are planning of going to three different non-profit organizations that cater people of all ages  and offer their time and efforts to help. I don’t know exactly why they decided to it, but I know my sister was as moved as I was during the hype of the calamity in the southern part of the Philippines and she felt bad that she wasn’t able to help. I guess this is some sort of giving back although the people they’re planning to help weren’t the ones who were affected by the raging storm more than two weeks ago.

And then yesterday, all plans were finalized and my sissy and her husband asked me to make their résumés  for them and I did. While I was making them, I thought to myself, I am not doing anything worthwhile here at home and I sleep most hours of the day, so why not join them? Luckily, my sissy said I could so I edited my résumé right away! 😀

By the way, they decided to just go to one institution that cares for the welfare, and serves as the home of orphans, unwanted and abandoned children, as well as the elderly, instead of going to three different ones that caters for almost for the same thing, except that they’re focused on just one group of people, or just one age bracket.

The institution that they have picked is Hospicio de San Jose and it’s located along Ayala Bridge, Quiapo, Manila.

 

I’ve been in this place before because, back in college, I was a part of the organization called Don Angel C. Palanca Peace Program and visiting this place was one of the few things I was able to do with them. It didn’t last for than one afternoon but it was really, really fun. We went there to have an outreach program and brought with us loot bags filled with a lot of goodies, and some food too for the children.

Hospicio de San Jose provides an outreach program and a Christian, social and work oriented formation program. It is committed in assisting the abandoned people to experience quality life with the aim of making them “agents of social transformation“.

Tomorrow will be the start of my volunteerism and expect me to share my journey to you. ♥

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Merry Christmas, bloggers! ♥

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Merry Christmas everyone.
I hope you all will have a safe and happy one. Celebrate the holidays the happiest way possible!

Let’s appreciate the season given to us to spend with our loved ones.
Thank our Creator for all the blessings He has given us.

I AM BLESSED, GRATEFUL AND HAPPY; REGARDLESS.  ♥

Happy Birthday, Jesus.
Thanks for always being there.
Thanks for the GIFT of family and friends.
Thanks for every little thing.
Thanks for accepting me for who I am.
Thanks for showing the feeling of being loved.
Thanks for showing me how wonderful life is, regardless.
Thanks for all the love, care and blessings.
I don’t ask for a material gift. All I ask is a GIFT OF HAPPINESS.
Not just for me, but everyone in the world.  ♥

ONE LAST APPEAL.

The waters in the northern part of Mindanao, Philippines‘ largest island, may have gone away, but the citizens of that area haven’t recovered yet from the trauma and the sorrow the wrath of the tropical storm Sendong (international name Washi) brought them. Many Filipinos are most likely not going to be able to spend Christmas. They lost so many loved ones and see no more hope. BUT WE CAN STILL DO SOMETHING. Let’s all PRAY for their safety & recovery. More ways of helping are indicated here.

Thank you. ♥

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Please help the victims of Tropical Storm Sendong.

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Last Saturday, approximately 1-2am, the flood caused by the Tropical Storm rose too quickly while the victims of Northern Mindano were sleeping.

I don’t know how could I help my fellow countrymen who became victims of the killer storm Sendong (international name Washi) one week before Christmas but to reach out to everyone online who could. I don’t know how many of you will read this but just sharing this post would mean a lot.

26 minutes from now, as updated by NDRRMC Exec. Dir. Ramos, the death toll has already reached 927. Approximately 1400 if you include the numbers of those who are still missing.

Nilson Loplop scans the damage brought about by Tropical Storm Sendong to his family's house in Baranggay Nazareth, Cagayan De Oro City barely a week before Christmas. Flood caused by tropical storm Sendong caught many families unaware as it struck in the middle of the night and destroyed hundreds of houses on its path.

Please help them.
Help me spread the word.

80% of the water pipes in the province of Cagayan de Oro is broken which means they have no clean water to use and drink. They have no food, no shelter and no clothes. Babies, little kids and pregnant women are already getting sick. Funeral homes in the most affected areas already stopped accepting dead bodies since everything has been maximized. Evacuation centers are filled to the brim that public schools in the affected areas became evacuation centers too.

A woman cries after seeing her relative inside a coffin at a funeral house in Cagayan De Oro City on Monday. Hundreds more have yet to know the whereabouts of their loved ones after mammoth floods caused by tropical storm Sendong destroyed houses and separated several families.

At least 19,759 families or 108,130 persons are affected by the calamity according to the National Disaster Risk Response Management Council (NDRRMC).

UNICEF Philippines estimates that 43,000 children are affected by the calamity.

– momblogger

A passing motorist gives a bottle of water to an affected resident of Baranggay Macasandig in Cagayan De Oro City on Monday. Victims of floods appeal for help following a severe shortage in potable water due to tropical storm Sendong's onslaught.

They all need the basics: rice, canned goods, instant noodles, instant coffee, sugar, biscuits (or any dried goods), clothes, blankets, medicines and even portalets.

Here’s how we can all help:

1. In-Kind Donations:

SAGIP KAPAMILYA
ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.
Mother Ignacia cor.Eugenio Lopez St.
Diliman,Quezon City

2. Cash Donations:

Banco De Oro Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 39301-14199
Swift Code: BNORPHMM

Banco De Oro Dollar Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 39300-81622
Swift Code: BNORPHMM

Phillippine National Bank Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 419-539-5000-13
Swift Code: PNBMPHMM

Bank of the Philippine Islands Peso Account
 Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 3051-1127-75
Branch: West Triangle,Quezon City
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

Bank of the Philippine Islands Dollar Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 3054-0270-35
Branch: West Triangle,Quezon City
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

3. Prayers:

Let us never underestimate the power of prayers. Let’s pray for the fast recovery of everyone who was affected by this calamity.

To everyone who has helped and will help the victims of the typhoon, in behalf of the victims, thank you.

More ways of how you and I can help:

Or go on to Twitter and search for the topic Sendong.

Again, thank you.

– Jess.

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What’s In A Name?

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Whenever I’m going to blog about something that involves a little family story, I usually go wordy whenever I introduce to my readers the characters, who are of course my family members.

I just really can’t go along writing just their names. I feel like I am disrespecting them, even if I’m not in any way. So whenever I have to mention them in any of my post, I always have to include who they are specifically, like “my sister Jacqueline”, or I just don’t bother writing their names at all and just write “my sissy”. Sometimes I think it’s stupid to write stuff that way but I don’t like being impolite.

But why does that make me feel impolite?

Maybe I’m just so accustomed with the culture that we have here in the Philippines.

Here, whenever we talk to our older sisters and/or brothers, we have the right and proper words that we use in addressing them. Kinda close to the “mom” and “dad” thing.

ATE (ah-teh) & KUYA (coo-ya) – They mean “older sister” and “older brother” respectively. But the usage of these words don’t just end with that. We also use them whenever we are going to address any female/male older than us, or whenever we have to call the attention of any females/males that we may or may not know, young or old.

I call my older sister Jacqueline “ate” and I call my older brother Mark “kuya” instead of calling them by their names because that is just plain rude.

Respect.
It’s definitely one of the most important things our parents taught us when we were younger. I honestly feel a little shudder whenever I see/hear teens talk to anyone older than them without respect. Because I believe that if you want to be respected in return, then you must pay respect as well.

So there. Whenever I have to talk to or about someone in my family, I always, always have to make sure I use the right words. I’d rather have an ugly, under/over constructed blog post than to make them think I forgot my morals.

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Poem: She Marched On

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Morning rays poured in,
Her eyes opened with a smile.
The Creator blessed her again;
Gift of Life, she’ll treasure ’til end.

Joy amidst  the pain
Sustains whatever remains.
She’s not alone, she knows;
With Him, there could be no Ghost.

As she rose, she looked back;
Reminded of what she turned back against;
She walked forward and looked up;
Praises for Him! She’s far from end!

Then she carried on; thankful,
Almost fearless she is; Hopeful,
Of continuity and growth;
She marched on, gleeful.

Worries are finally behind;
Trials, now she won’t mind.
To march with Him is Brave;
It is she who is Saved.

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Disclaimer: Image is not mine. If yours, kindly message me so I could put you on the credits. Thank you.

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