Pls support CareersForHealth.ph / TEAM AIHO for Project Pagsulong!

Dearest family, friends, colleagues, visitors, and passers-by:

Pls support our social entrepreneurship project called CareersForHealth.ph .

CareersForHealth.ph  is an online portal that aims to be a platform to help match health professionals with great career opportunities match, including work in lower income communities, to help make health human resources more equitably distributed in the Philippines. It is spearheaded by a group of young doctors serving in NGOs, far-flung municipalities, and various government agencies in the Philippines to help enhance the health and well-being of Filipinos.

We are currently a finalist in a national competition called Project Pagsulong, sponsored by PLDT, RFM, the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines Alumni Community, among other partners. Start-up funds will be given to the winning team in the competition proper. 

To sweeten the pot, P100,000 will be awarded to the People’s Choice. Pls help Team AIHO, the team behind CareersForHealth.ph   become the People’s Choice =] Here are the ways  how:

1. Thru the competition website:

Please go to  http://www.projectpagsulong.ph/top-10/careersforhealthph and click VOTE NOW. Currently, you can vote every 12 hours BUT on March 14, you can cast UNLIMITED number of votes from 8AM to 5PM (Manila time / 8pm-5am EST / +8 GMT).

2. Thru Facebook:

Pls LIKE and SHARE the Infographic of Team AIHO – CareersForHealth.ph which you can find here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=441022762643435&set=a.440341886044856.1073741826.326047674140945&type=3&theater.

Pls LIKE and SHARE the : CareersForHealth.ph Infographic within the contest album  until 5pm  of March 14 for them to be counted.

3. Thru Twitter: Please tweet

#SulongNatin #AIHO

from 8AM to 5PM of March 14 to show support for  CareersForHealth.ph

Thank you for taking time to support our cause =]

Team AIHO of CareersForHealth.ph

Worse than the 2004 tsunami: UNICEF's call for help for Pakistan

PAKISTAN NEEDS OUR HELP!

Here is the information-appeal from the UNICEF USA Fund, soliciting support for Pakistan's children affected by the devastating floods of the past weeks:

GENEVA/ISLAMABAD (August 11, 2010) — As the figures continue to rise, UNICEF says that 6 million children have been affected by the floods in Pakistan with some 2.7 million children in need of urgent, lifesaving assistance.

According to UN estimates, a total of 14 million people have been affected by the flood crisis. Hundreds of thousands have received humanitarian aid, but millions more urgently need shelter, food, water, and health care. Flooding could worsen considerably in the coming days, especially in parts of Sindh.

"This is the biggest natural disaster to hit Pakistan and this region in living memory, bigger than the Tsunami or the earthquake, with millions of children and women struggling to survive in dire conditions. It is a race against time as we rush to deliver supplies to affected populations. The waters are still rising and we are bracing for flood waves as rivers overflow and the rains continue," said Martin Mogwanja, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan.

"Shelter is the most urgent need, while food, water, and health care are also critical. Right now we need to save lives and create temporary living conditions for the 1.8 million homeless. It is a massive task and we are not there yet. Once we are, we can begin to think about the longer-term recovery of regions in Pakistan which have suffered widespread devastation," added Mogwanja.

UNICEF is sending in humanitarian supplies for health, nutrition, water and sanitation, child protection, and education.

YOU CAN MAKE YOUR DONATION H E R E .

Healers of the body, heroes of the nation

WHAT: Gawad Kalinga Builders Night - BUILDING A HEALTHY NATION
WHEN: August 4, 2010, Wednesday 6pm
WHERE: Rockwell Tent, Makati City


The monthly gathering of GK partners, friends, and volunteers- the Gawad Kalinga Builders Night- continues this August, with a focus on GK's Community Health Program called Gawad Kalinga Kalusugan.

Get to know GK Kalusugan, its main thrusts, and more importantly, how everyone, especially health professionals, can be part of nation-building. Guest speakers will include GK community health workers, Fr. Rolando Dela Rosa, OP of the University of Santo Tomas, and Sen. Pia Cayetano. Joey Ayala will be the evening's guest artist. Learn how you can participate in improving the lives of GK residents, be inspired to join in this mission to nurture a healthier and happier Philippines.

Regardless of profession, background, or expertise- every Filipino is a healer, every healer is a hero!

I vote for the planet: EARTH HOUR 2010

Switch off your lights for 60 minutes on Saturday, March 27, 2010 from 8.30-9.30pm wherever part of the planet you maybe in in celebration of Earth Hour!


In 2009, the Philippines ranked first among 88 nations in terms of local participation in Earth Hour. Over 10 million Filipinos in 647 cities and municipalities switched off their lights during Earth Hour, saving an estimated 611MWh of electricity – equivalent to a temporary shutdown of a dozen coal-fired power-plants. (from the World Wildlife Fund - Philippines)

Imagine what a billion people the world over can do if we just put our hearts and minds and our acts together!

Whether you believe in climate change or not, switching off your lights- the non-essential ones at least- does make sense:
- it can help lower your own electric bill
- it can help save on the cost of oil and coal that will otherwise be used by power plants to give you electricity to power those lights
- it can help lower greenhouse gas emissions

Here's a video of the flash mob dance we did several week ago to drum up support for Earth Hour 2010-

Chile is in the headlines now but Haiti still needs help!

I received another update from UNICEF USA with regard to their work in Haiti. (I feel so important haha. As if I gave them a million bucks!) UNICEF USA is still there even if the news crews are slowly departing, if they haven't gone already, and the attention has switched to Chile.

According to its President and CEO Carly Stern (in the photo above), their (our!) team has extended the following assistance:

Immunization: 60,000 children have been immunized against diphtheria, rubella, tetanus and whooping cough, and the campaign will continue until an estimated 500,000 children receive vaccines;

Clean Water: Safe drinking water is currently reaching 850,000 people in 300 sites across Port au Prince, Leogane, and Jacmel;

Sanitation: 86,006 hygiene kits have been distributed across the country, enough for 500,000 people;

Education: During times of chaos and crisis, education provides children with a sense of safety and stability. UNICEF has started the distribution of 150 school tents, 390 school-in-a-box kits and 410 recreation kits.

Every dollar goes a long way! Here's how-

$6 can provide three 10-liter collapsible water containers for transporting and storing water.

$60 can provide 20 sheets of tarpaulin, providing simple shelter or ground sheeting for several families.

$200 can provide one recreation kit for 90 children to enjoy physical activity and play in times of emergency or displacement—containing items such as frisbees, jump ropes, footballs, volleyballs, handballs, whistles, a chalkboard and chalk, etc.

As we pray for the people of Chile, let's not forget the Haitians.

Stories of Her-oism (2): The 'woman dressed in sunshine'

She could have just stayed at home and mourned her husband quietly. But she did not.

She could have just let other more seasoned politicians take up the cudgels for fighting for Philippine democracy. But she did not.

She could have just allowed bigger icons to rally the people towards ejecting the Marcos dictatorship. But she did not.

She could have exacted revenge with impunity on those who hurt her family in the darkest years of Martial Law when she became president. But she did not.

She could have just retired after her presidency and let relinquished any and all responsibilities she has towards caring for the Filipino people. But she did not.


We could just stay at home and mourn our country quietly. But we shouldn't.

We could just let the more seasoned politicians take up the cudgels for sustaining Philippine democracy. But we shouldn't.

We could just let the outspoken critics and militant groups single-handedly eject the country's faux leaders. But we shouldn't.

We could just forget about the Philippines and leave, given its helpless, hopeless state, with its leaders acting with impunity, while its citizens forever mired in poverty. But we shouldn't.


We can and should always choose to pray, to hope, to act and be grateful, as Cory Aquino was grateful, that we are born Filipinos.

Never lost, always found (18): Inconceivable... and yet possible

We watched the World Pyro Olympics yesterday at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Despite the rain, thousands came to witness what was touted to be the ultimate face-off of pyrotechnic masters. And the two countries who dueled last night- Germany and China- did not disappoint!



I tried my best to capture the fantastic works of art in the sky with my trusty camera; but for some reason, the pics I got did not quite measure up against how grand the effects were as captured by the naked eye and recorded by my brain.

I just can't help marvel at the wonder of the human body. I remember having the same thoughts as we were working with a cadaver during our Anatomy class in medical school: how the seemingly fragile assortment of fibers and skin and layers can make a person walk, talk, feel... In spite humanity's best efforts, we can only attempt to approximate the power of God made manifest through the workings of the human body.

And so we place our trust not in human frailty but in God's strength, mercy, wisdom, peace, and love. When all else fails, He won't.

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has ever conceived the glorious things He has prepared for those who love Him. (1Cor2:9)

--==+==--

Another example of God's overwhelming grace:

Congratulations to Efren Penaflorida from the province of Cavite in the Philippines! He has been chosen as the CNN Hero of the Year!

Here's to true heroism we can all emulate and be truly proud of!

Heroism in the time of pushcarts and pop music

Heroes need not wield pistols or spears to be dubbed as such. Heroes need not die (needlessly) to underscore the urgency and immensity of the cause they fight for. After all, heroes are more valuable alive than dead =]

Thank your teachers today!

We’ve spent the most time with them during our young lives- whether we liked it or else.

They are our second parents. For some, the only ones they’ve had.

They listen to us- even if we don’t listen to them.

Each artwork we churn out is a masterpiece, each novice essayist is Nobel-worthy.

They would shush us at times but they can’t tolerate us not speaking up.

They’ve made us stand in the corner; they’ve helped us make a stand.

They expanded our imagination. They kept us grounded.

Through lessons in school, we learned there is a greater world outside.

They’ve willingly tethered themselves to the classroom so that we, their students, can soar beyond the possible.

To borrow a line of Isaac Newton- someone I met in one of our Physics classes- if I can see farther, it’s because I’ve stood on the shoulders of giants.

I am eternally grateful to you all.

--==+==--

I really believe that a great future is unfolding for me thanks to the quality education I received. Many Filipino children, though, are at a disadvantage because of the many gaps in the Philippine education system. Hordes of teachers leave the country to seek work opportunities with better compensation. Many teach in schools that are on the verge of toppling over. There are just too many students in a class, sharing too few books, taught by too few teachers, with too few trainings and continuing education activities.

You don't have to be a public university teacher like me to know that the educational system needs a major overhaul of all its parts. The task is daunting but we can start with the one who is most indispensable in the classroom- the teacher. Increase the budget for health so that more teachers can be hired, they can be given more humane compensation, and their minds are sharpened by further schooling.

I echo the call of the UNESCO- investing to have quality teachers now is an investment that will yield dividends of a better future for everyone.

Task Force Noah: Aid needed for the flood victims in Zambales

Posting this appeal for help for the survivors of floods here in the Philippines.

Let's all be a blessing to them. Share your resources. Spread the word.

Thank you!


SLB TASK FORCE NOAH: Bangon Botolan
for the victims of recent flooding in Botolan, Zambales

On September 9, Tropical Depression Maring brought non-stop rains caused massive flooding areas of Zambales and Olongapo, particularly in the municipality of Botolan.

The people of Zambales have lost livelihood and crops, amounting to 9.7 million pesos. And The Zambales Olongapo-Bugallon Road is not passable to all types of vehicles. In the meantime, continuous monitoring, restoration and repair of the scoured approach is on-going.

In line with this we are mobilizing SLB TFNoah : Bangon Botolan

Yes the floods are starting to subside and the families are slowly getting back to their houses. This is precisely when they will need our help, while they are in the process of rebuilding their old homes and livelihood. Your donations and assistance will be of much help to them as they try to regain their homes and farmlands which were lost to the flood.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Donations may be brought to Cervini Dorm, Ateneo De Manila University
(Please also leave a comment or send me an email via my a.k.a. elsalvadordelmundo link on the right to know more about ways of sending your donations.)

Lend your time. Be a volunteer, help packing and transporting the goods.

Nourish them. Donate rice, sardines, noodles, coffee, sugar, noodles, salt

Keep them warm. Supply mats, blankets, mosquito nets, towel, clothes, slippers, toiletries

Provide for them. Direct deposits (cash or check) may be made to:

SIMBAHANG LINGKOD NG BAYAN (Account Name/Payee)
Bank of the Philippine Islands (Loyola-Katipunan Branch)
Peso Checking Account Number
3081-1111-61
Dollar Savings Account Numbe
3084-0420-12

Or channel to:
Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan
Loyola House of Studies
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights 1108, Quezon City

Contact Information:
Landline: +632 426-6101 loc. 3440/3441
Telefax: +632 426-5968
Web: www.slb.ph
Look for: Ms. Love Dorero

For proper acknowledgement:

1. Please fax a copy of the validated deposit slip to SLB through telefax +632 426-5968
2. Kindly indicate contact information: Name, address, email, landline/mobile
3. Those who wish to be anonymous may skip this procedure

We would like to extend our gratitude to our partners in the Ateneo Dorm’s ARSA (Ateneo Resident Students Association) who volunteered to receive the donations and offered their place as a drop-off point. Maraming salamat.

BRO. ISMAEL JOSE CHAN-GONZAGA, S.J.
Executive Director
Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan

UP Manila - Ayala Recyclables Fair / September 29, 2009

This September- Celebrate sanitation! Declare freedom from the tyranny of trash!

WHAT:
UP Manila - Ayala Recyclables Fair

WHEN:
September 29, 2009 from 9am to 3pm

WHERE:
the Philippine General Hospital basketball court Taft Avenue, Manila

The following can be bought, sold, or disposed of:

Used paper and posters, old newspapers at magazines, obsolete books

Plastic bottles, sando bags

Plastic furniture, Tetra Pak cartons

Aluminum cans and tin cans

Used lead acid batteries

Non-working electronic appliances

Betamax, cassette tapes

Old TVs, CPUs, monitors, etc.

Toner and ink cartridges

Tarpaulin streamers, household batteries, Styrofoam, mobile phones, chargers


For inquiries, please get in touch with Anna De Guzman of the UP Biology Majors Society thru anna16_deguzman@yahoo.com.

Good night and thank you, Sen. Ted Kennedy

The world over knows him as the brother of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. Others would peg him as the young politician with a variety of supposed indiscretions. But for me, Sen. Edward Kennedy will always be the one who quite literally crashed the 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma-Ata, in the then-Soviet Socialist Republic of Kazakhstan, attending the conference not as a member of the US delegation but in his personal capacity as a staunch advocate of the universal right to health care.

What follows are excerpts from the Physicians for Human Rights' blog entry recognizing the superhuman efforts of Ted Kennedy in propelling forward the cause of health for all.



The Philippines maybe thousands of miles away but his leadership and inspiration resonate even here in our archipelago, especially among us who are likewise working hard to make health a right enjoyed by all. His contributions to humanity include the following:

* In 1966, Senator Kennedy created a national health center system.

* In 1972, he became Chairman of the Senate Health Subcommittee, enhancing his ability to champion the cause of quality health care for all Americans.

* Another priority for Senator Kennedy was the Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program. This program, popularly known as WIC, offers food, nutrition counseling, and access to health services for low-income women, infants, and children.

* He became a champion of the 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata, which called on the international community, and all health and development workers, to protect and promote the health of all people of the world.

* Senator Kennedy authored the Refugee Act of 1980, which established a comprehensive U.S. policy to provide humanitarian assistance, admission and resettlement to refugees around the world.

* In 1990, Senator Kennedy introduced, along with Senator Hatch, the groundbreaking Ryan White CARE Act, which provided emergency relief to the thirteen cities hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic, and also provided substantial assistance to all states to develop effective and cost-efficient AIDS care programs, aimed particularly at early diagnosis and home care.

* In 1994, as Chairman of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, Senator Kennedy worked closely with President Clinton to expand opportunity for working families. His leadership brought about the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act.

* In 1997, as Chairman of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, Senator Kennedy worked closely with President Clinton to expand opportunity for working families. His leadership brought about the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act.

* In 2006, Senator Kennedy sponsored and helped pass the Family Opportunity Act, which provided states the opportunity to expand Medicaid coverage to children with special needs, allowing low- and middle-income families with disabled children the ability to purchase coverage under the Medicaid program.

* In 2007, he sponsored the Health Care Safety Net Act of 2007.

* So deep was Senator Kennedy’s commitment to the highest attainable standard of
health, that on July 9, 2008, while recovering from brain surgery, he made a surprise trip to Capitol Hill. There he cast a critical vote to secure healthcare coverage for senior citizens.

What attracted me to be more pro-Obama than pro-McCain is the pronouncement of Mr. Obama in their second presidential debate in no uncertain terms that health should be a right for every American. And I'm pretty sure he got a huge amount of inspiration from Ted Kennedy who has been walking the talk, declaring in the 2008 Democratic National Convention the following:

And this is the cause of my life - new hope that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American - north, south, east, west, young, old - will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not a privilege.

Good night and thank you, Mr. Kennedy. Rest assured that the work you have done and the items still in your to-do list will be see some hue of completion, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Stories of Her-oism (1)

They had a choice. They could have chosen not to, but they did. I hope I will, too.

--==+==--

Edith Burgos

Of course I came to the pre-SONA (State of the Nation Address) forum organized in the University because of Jun Lozada (the whistle-blower of the multi-million-dollar bribery scandal with regard to the installation of a national broadband network for the Philippines). As expected, he was a political firebrand admixed with some level of docility when it was his turn to occupy the podium; his stinging remarks did not disappoint.

But who “stole the show” was a 60-something widow, whom I still can’t get out of my mind a month after my brief encounter with her. She recounted her life’s story with equal amounts of wistfulness and unassuming candor, impressing upon her much, much, much younger and sheltered audience the urgency of patriotism and selflessness.

Her name is Edith Burgos, wife of Joe Burgos, and mother of Jonas Burgos. Joe and Edith gained fame- or notoriety depending on whose side you are on- especially during the Philippines’ Martial Law years. Joe published materials through their “mosquito press”- their pesky system through which reading materials were written and distributed to kindred spirits so as to never let “the buzz” for freedom and democracy be quieted. She prided herself as being Joe’s bodyguard, as they surreptitiously spread their underground writings.

However, as is wont to happen, Marcos’s agents swatted their system. They became victims of the infamous ASSO- arrest, search, and seizure order. Their printing facilities were taken, vandalized, and padlocked. Joe and his staff were jailed but they were never truly silenced. They churned out editions of their alternative reading materials a month after their release from prison, culminating in the founding of a new broadsheet Malaya (FREE).

Through it all, Edith was Joe’s partner and ardent supporter. Certainly, I think she equally deserved to receive the honor Joe garnered via his recognition of being one of the century’s 50 World Press Freedom Heroes awarded by the International Press Institute in 2000. She continued to steadily work beside him as he segued into advocacy for farmers via radio, until his demise in 2003.

Edith has drifted quietly off the press’s radar, retiring after years of working in tandem with Joe. That is, until the abduction of their son, Jonas, in 2007, forcibly taken from inside a shopping mall in Metro Manila.

Edith continues to work for the release of her son, from captors that are alleged to be part of the Philippine military. Jonas’s work as farmer and membership in a farmers’ organization probably made him “a person of interest” to government forces, especially since his organization has been labeled as “an enemy of the state.”

When Edith talked about Joe and Jonas, she was not in tears. But she didn’t come off a calloused. What struck me was her matter of fact manner through which she encouraged the rest of us to remain hopeful for the country and to put that hope into action. She challenged us to go to the streets (Tell your parents that even Edith Burgos, a sixty-something year old woman will march on the day of the SONA…) but she also gave us the option to “fight violence with gentleness,” as if reading the mind of those who were less courageous than her. And that includes me.

I remember her best through the words regarding her missing son- if there should be a sacrificial lamb and it has to be Jonas, so be it. It was neither an act of surrender or defeat but an act of defiance- to accept the fate life has dealt her family with, to continue to make the cause of other forced disappearances more pronounced in media by way of talking about her own son’s plight. She is using her grief and longing for her missing son to attract attention to the situation of the desaparecidos and their families and the bigger problem of injustice in the Philippines.

If she can use the worst times in her life to do her share in making the Philippines a better place to live, I should be using the best of my personal resources to match her continued love for the country. If a widow with an abducted child remains committed to improve the lives of her fellow Filipinos, how much more us able-bodied young ones?

Find out more about Edith's search for her son Jonas here.

Good night and thank you, Teacher Man

A decade before the crew of Apollo 11 landed on the moon, he stepped inside a New York classroom for the first time and began an odyssey whose length, breadth, and distance would span thirty years and spawn legions of learned individuals, opening their eyes to the wonders of literature as well as his life in Limerick. He was the quintessential Teacher Man, Frank McCourt, who passed away on July19th, at the age of 78.

I first came to know about Frank McCourt as he unraveled his life in the book Angela’s Ashes and its film version shown in the late 90s. I remember seeing the dank, dreary days of his life in Ireland that made me rethink my then half-wishes to be Irish, thanks to the popularity of Boyzone. But I digress.

His life, as portrayed in the movie, is a study in doggedness. “…(N)ot as glamorous as ambition or charm,” he says about doggedness, “but still the one thing that got me through the days and nights.”

That same doggedness helped him revitalize the minds and hearts of hundreds of students across four high schools, many of whom have been written off as “unteachable,” if not unreachable, as he chronicled in his 2005 book Teacher Man. (I found a hardbound, pristine copy in a second-hand book store in the US at a fraction of its original cost- which made me feel pleased at such a find but at the same time troubled me, given the quality of his thoughts and writing.)

It is an easy read but I didn’t finish it until several months after; teaching got in the way (haha) To anyone who’s read it and is in the same profession as he was, one can’t help but feel that *affinity* to the stories he’s told. About the jocks, damsels, “mouths,” eager-beavers, shy violets, geeks in EVERY class. On the perennial struggle between being the students’ friend to gain their respect or being the personification of monstrosity to gain their respect. That whatever emanates from the teacher’s mouth bears the stamp of being gospel-truth… which can bite the teacher’s behind when s/he contradicts it in the future.

I have not attended his creative writing or English class, but reading Teacher Man has allowed me to sit in his accidental class for teachers in particular and humans in general. He embraced and celebrated his past through stories that highlighted the good and forgave the bad. He was creative, honest, patient- and nurtured these among his ward. He never forgot that inasmuch as he was seated behind the teacher’s table or standing in front of the blackboard, he remained a student, on the constant quest for self-improvement and liberation from self-doubt.

The bell has rung. The class is dismissed. At the end of it all, Mr. McCourt may not have journeyed to the moon but he gave thousands a boost so they can reach their own stars.

UP Manila - Ayala Recyclables Fair: July 21, 2009

Reduce ! Reuse! Recycle!

UP Manila - Ayala Recyclables Fair will be held again on July 21, 2009 from 8am to 3pm at the Philippine General Hospital basketball court, Taft Avenue, Manila.

The following can be bought, sold, or disposed of:

Used paper and posters, old newspapers at magazines, obsolete books

Plastic bottles, sando bags

Plastic furniture, Tetra Pak cartons

Aluminum cans and tin cans

Used lead acid batteries

Non-working electronic appliances

Betamax, cassette tapes

Old TVs, CPUs, monitors, etc.

Toner and ink cartridges

Tarpaulin streamers, household batteries, Styrofoam, mobile phones, chargers

For inquiries, please get in touch with Angeli Guadalupe, email angelgwen24[at]yahoo.com.

Ninoy Aquino: Filipino Martyr and More

For those younger than 25 years old who didn't have the chance to know who Ninoy was and for those more than a quarter of a century old and have forgotten what Ninoy stood for, here's our chance to get to know (again) the man and continue his mission.

Click on the poster below to find out where you can catch I AM NINOY: An Exhibit Commemorating the 25th Anniversary of Benigno S. Aquino Jr's Martyrdom.

TBR16: Of physicians and physicists

Sir, I mean no disrespect but I hated Physics.

I never quite understood what- to me- are abstract concepts like torque and acceleration. The myriad formula and mathematical equations did not help. So it was with a heavy heart that I enrolled for Physics 71 class in that fateful summer of 1999 in UP Diliman. I took it as one of my science electives for my BS Psychology degree but more importantly, it was said to be a requirement for medical school which I planned to begin attending the following year.

Spending summer studying Physics wasn’t really how I envisioned the beginning of my last year in Diliman will be. But looking back now, Physics helped me become not just a good physician but a better Filipino as well.

I enrolled in your Physics class, you a (then?) young professor who acted as adviser of the organization I was a founding member of. I hoped to get through the class with much ease, what with my “connections” with you. As summer weeks spent in school are wont to do, they dragged on, terribly slow. It being a 12nn-2pm class (if I remember correctly) didn’t help one bit. In short, the class was a mega-struggle for me.

Until one day, a group of student activists doing an RTR (room to room) requested permission to speak to our class about the Visiting Forces Agreement or the VFA. It was around this time that much debate was taking place whether or not the Philippines should enter into such an agreement with the United States. The VFA aims to set the guidelines, among other things, for the conduct of members of the US armed forces while stationed in the RP. The recent event surrounding Daniel Smith and Nicole has served as a test case for the VFA. But I digress.

You allowed the ED (educational discussion) to proceed and gave them about 15 minutes of our precious class hours for the discussion of VFA. Afterwards, you shook hands with the students as they left the room and thanked you for the time you gave for the ED. I must admit I was a bit baffled. Not too many teachers would allow an ED in their class, especially during summer class. The schedules are tight: they have to fit a semester’s worth of classroom activities in just four short weeks.

Apparently, one of the ED proponents who visited us was a classmate of yours who, for one reason or another, is still to graduate from the university. You then subtly juxtapose your life with those of the students who just gave us an ED. This juxtaposition remains with me to this day.

You graduated on time, with a degree in Physics, magna cum laude- if I’m not mistaken. You already finished your Masters of Science degree, graduating with the best GWA in his batch of graduate students. At that time of our class, you were already working on your Ph.D. You taught in the UP- for a pittance (I now know this for a fact, sir). While your classmate, is still, well, a student, possibly overstaying his welcome in the university, occupying *space* and squandering university resources invested in him in the process.

As you were teaching in the UP, you shared that you were also helping develop a textbook of basic Physics for Filipino high school students- in the vernacular. You were not brandishing Manila paper signs blotched with red paint but the textbook you were working on was your simple, concrete contribution to Philippine society, helping bring empowerment through science education.

Thanks to you, I came to realize that not all activists are on the streets and not all those on the streets are activists.

I always thought that I was less of a UP student because I can only think of one rally that I joined. It was a rally- just a picket actually, considering that there were just 20 or so of us students who were “encouraged” by our Kas II teacher to participate in the protest in front of Quezon Hall- against the Commonwealth Property Development Plan (CPDP). Let’s just say that UP almost had a mall for a next door neighbor had the CPDP pushed through. I hasten to add that my voice in the protest is but a teensy-weensy bit in the larger community effort to reject the CPDP. ANYWAY…

I always thought that I was less of a UP student because I was not the typical activist, much to my mother’s relief. But your 20 or so minute spiel one summer day almost a decade ago propelled me through medical school, my work in Gawad Kalinga, and my work now in the UP. It boosted my belief that I can practice my own brand of activism and help effect positive change even if I don’t march in the streets and hurl invectives against government, opposing the latter on every occasion.

Inspired in no small terms by you, my erstwhile Physics teacher, I opted to value the investments in me by my parents and the Filipino taxpayer by graduating on time, both in my undergraduate as well as my medical degree. I opt to work with underserved communities even with the prospect of leaving and living abroad. I do on occasion also post on walls Manila papers that contain, rather than angry slogans, lessons on hand washing or hypertension, etc directed to community health workers.

Sir, I sat in your Physics class 9 years ago thinking it will be the worst summer yet. Sir, you have not have succeeded in purging me of my dislike for the subject matter that you teach. Dr. Chris Monterola, I still hate Physics but because of *that* day in your class, I love the Philippines more. I will be always grateful.

Arresting bloggers

The great thing about Entrecard is that it allowed me to see the so-much-bigger blogosphere out there.

It can be a bit overwhelming, the array of blogs. There are myriad blogs on making money online, cooking cakes, looking for homes, caring for pets, writing a book, and bashing your government. The blogosphere is a living, breathing, growing slice of cyberspace that fuels life as much as it is fueled by it.

And the Philippines is not to be left behind. I saw that at least two bloggers- Ms Noemi and Karlo have already whipped up teasers for the 2008 edition of the Philippine Blog Awards. This ought to be a very interesting next few months, as excellent blogs and bloggers come to the fore and the best of the lot receive the coveted trophies (and quite possibly more hits and feed subscribers!).

Despite the small-minded posturing of officials and local media’s protestation (with the backing of foreign journalists and news organizations), the freedom of speech enjoyed by denizens of the Philippine blogosphere is a clear indication that we still have much to be thankful for in our country.

In a stark juxtaposition, there is a Saudi blogger- Fouad Al Farhan- who has been arrested last month by his government for criticisms he posted on his website. This incident pretty much escaped many of us since it happened in the middle of the holiday rush. I myself learned of this incident when I saw Ahmed, the blogger who fills the pages of SaudiJeans.org (one of the handful of non-Filipino blogs I try to read regularly) as he was being interviewed on CNN sometime after Christmas. This post is rather late as well. But I wander off track yet again.

What makes Fouad special is that he was one of the first bloggers in Saudi to write unashamedly about the ills of their society without hiding behind a pseudonym or pen name. He refused to back down despite the harassment he was said to be experiencing online and in the real world. And the fears of many of his friends and supporters materialized two weeks before Christmas when he was taken into government custody and to this day remains therein.



Whatever our motive is for being online and keeping blogs- to make money, teach others how to bake a cake, sell a house, show off our literary skills, or criticize government- I believe that we shouldn’t take such an incident sitting down. Even though there would be some of us would be hard-pressed to find Saudi Arabia on the map, let’s remember what Martin Luther King, Jr said: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Please sign the online petition to free Fouad. If you need more information or updates regarding his case, you can visit SaudiJeans.org and Fouad’s very own blog.

God bless all the possible finalists, winners, and organizers of the 2nd Philippine Blog Awards, God bless Fouad and his family.

Blog on!

Wordsmith and me

I still believe that more than all his works, his most enduring legacy to humanity are his daughters, one in fact I've met earlier on in the College of Medicine and eventually became friends with when we attended the Global Health Course in Finland last August. Yasmin works as a community doctor in a municipality nestled on an island off mainland Quezon. She has, they say, his temperament, no nonsense attitude, and unwavering honesty. They may be working in divergent fields, but they share the same passion and penchant for treading paths uncharted, as a service to Filipinos.

--==+==--

I received a text message from her a week ago, sharing with me the sad news of her father's passing. The message was succinct, in true Yasmin fashion. An oh-my-God escaped from me- knowing all too well how precious Yasmin’s family is to her. With her father’s passing, a Filipino literary giant enters the realm of legend.

--==+==--

One time, we were talking outside the kitchen of our dormitory in Finland. I was telling Yasmin- nagging her even- to write her life as a community physician. Too few stories have emerged detailing the experiences and lessons learned from community development work and public health. She quipped that I sounded like her father, who seemed to always ask her to write. I inquired about her father. She told me he’s also a teacher at the U.P. in the College of Arts and Letters. And then it dawned upon:

Yas, oh-my-God. Tatay mo si Rene Villanueva?!

And as she is wont to do, she replied, Oo. Kilala mo yung tatay ko?

HELLO?! Any kid of our generation should know, nay, pay homage to the-now late great Rene Villanueva. Among the innumerable offsprings of his ingenuity is the well-loved television program Batibot.

I rushed to our other Pinoy classmates in the course to tell them that Rene Villanueva is Yasmin’s father. I was met by blank stares. The name finally rang a bell when I told them that detail about Batibot…

Suffice it to say, I never looked at Yas the same way again. She is Rene Villanueva’s daughter. Whoa. I’m not worthy.

--==+==--

Yas was the one who greeted Johann and I as we entered the Fir Chapel of the Sanctuarium along Araneta Avenue. Yas, Johann, and I plus another MD friend of ours, Lester, went together to the Finnish course. On the table beside the door, surrounding a crucifix and his photo, were a copy of each of dozens and dozens of books he’s written through the years. From that alone, I knew this wake was going to be different.

Yas was talking to a writer- friend of her father, who turned out to be a physician as well. The warm, unassuming guy was Luis P. Gatmaitan, author of numerous children’s books, and, like Rene Villanueva, is a Palanca Hall of Famer himself. He shared with us fascinating quirks and tidbits about Yasmin’s father, many of which she gamely validated, but I still believe should remain private. Dr. Gatmaitan shared his own journey as a physician and published author. After hearing the details, and a lot of his encouraging words, one can’t help but feel empowered to pursue the same track. Paraphrasing him, it’s tantamount to sinning when the talents given a person are not shared and nurtured…

--==+==--

Rene Villanueva, I met at the last day of his wake. We arrived a little over an hour before he was to be cremated. But from the newspaper articles written about him, testimonial from colleagues, stories from friends, the body of work he’s left behind, and the quality family he raised, I know enough for me to say that he really is quite the human being.

His passion for his craft is unassailable. His blog even has an entry right up to the day he was in the hospital, pneumonia notwithstanding.

He was true to his mantra, the one that arguably led him to reach his stature- he just kept on writing.

Gaya ng sinabi ng isang nag-iwan ng mensahe sa iyong blog,
Nawa’y pormal tayong magkita
At magkakilala
Sa langit na nakatawa…

Let Marianette be the last child to take her own life because of poverty

Kids, at least biologically, have been programmed by nature to personify quiet resiliency and a great sense of healing. Be it from a fracture of the forearm or evacuating from their homes due to armed conflict, given the proper support and nurturing, their bodies, minds, and spirits will recover and eventually flourish despite the adverse events.

That is why my heart is broken into a million tiny pieces when I heard over the radio that a 12-year old girl took her own because she has apparently lost all hope of escaping from her poverty-stricken life.

I can’t begin to imagine the depth of the despair she was swimming in. Flailing in. Sinking in.

She must have felt so alone and helpless.

My heart aches on how basic and simple the things that would have given her some semblance of hope were: a new bag, a bicycle, P100 for her school project.

And as I juxtapose my own life to hers, I feel so ashamed of the resources that I’ve wasted, opportunities I’ve squandered, blessings that have been greeted with ungratefulness and scorn.

Books that I’ve bought as whims but have remained unread for years.

Value meal upgrades in fast food restaurants despite not being hungry.

Whining about my job, its meager pay, and the air conditioning in the office that at times approximates Siberia in December.

I am ashamed, heartbroken, frustrated, angry, afraid.

Ashamed of my own excesses.

Heartbroken at the loss of a possible future president.

Frustrated at myself and the system that brewed the despair within and around her.

Afraid- that she won’t be the last.

Let’s pray for her- that she finds her way to God’s heavenly abode where the comfort and joy she did not fully experience on earth will embrace her in the next life.

Let’s pray for all of us- that our grief will eventually be transformed into inspiration for collective action so that Marianette will be the last person ever to take his or her own life because of poverty.

As Martin Luther King once said:
We shall have to repent in this generation, not so much for the evil deeds of the wicked people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.

Rather than just feeling sorry for Marianette and the 11 million Filipinos who are said to be living on less than a dollar a day (and cursing the government’s limited efforts), each one of us ought to be acting to alleviate their plight- now.

I’m reposting the suggestions of the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan for Citizenship by Good Example (CGE). Look around, read the profiles, choose which among the partner organizations you think are worth sharing your time, talent, treasure with.

Citizenship by Good Example (CGE) is a united force spearheaded by the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan that intensifies love of country by championing (1) good citizenship, (2) the spirit of volunteerism and (3) socio-political engagement towards a genuine democracy with a preferential option for the poor.

CGE is releasing a double CD celebrating love for the Philippines through passionate music that feature artists like The Dawn, Cookie Chua, Noel Cabangon and Fr. Rene Oliveros, SJ. Its CD booklet showcases everyday people loving and helping this country and presents volunteer opportunities for many wishing to begin or expand their journey of involvement.

CGE partner organizations are:

Center for Positive Futures – CPF is a high school for deserving, underprivileged children that subscribes to the multiple intelligence teaching approach under a Catholic formation program. Located on five campuses in the Philippines, from Montalban, Rizal to Puerto Pricesa City, Palawan, your financial donation can ease the burden on parents who are otherwise allowed to pay tuition and other expenses in cash, services or in kind. For more details, contact Pinky C. Cupino at +632-298-0284 or +632-998-5095 or email at pcupino@hotmail.com.

Gawad Kalinga – Thousands of volunteers support this alternative solution to the massive problem of poverty in the Philippines. Its core programs revolve around the battle cry to provide land for the landless, home for the homeless, food for the hungry, and light to those in darkness. Support GK by committing at least 4 hours of service every month at any GK village around the country. Contact Gawad Kalinga at (632)726-5892, (632)776-7405 or visit www.gawadkalinga.org

Inigo Corporate Formation Group – These Ignatian Spirituality practitioners spread the spirituality of Ignatius of Loyola to the corporate world by offering formation programs and personal social responsibility modules. Profit, heroic leadership and good corporate citizenship can travel the same path. . Email them at inigo.inc@gmail.com or contact +639228510725 (Aldrie), +639217635086 (Eric), +639278902233 (Ryan)

Pathways To Higher Education – Support this initiative by then Ateneo college sophomores who established a comprehensive program for marginalized public high school students to help them enter and complete college. A financial donation of as little as P500 helps deserving students develop academic and supplementary skills to get them a fighting chance for a better future. Visit www.pathwaysphilippines.org for more details or deposit funds directly to Ateneo de Manila (FAO Pathways) through EPCI Bank (Loyola Heights Branch) Account Number 0280-14650-1.

Rags2Riches - Young professionals merge their business backgrounds with the raw talent of the women of Payatas, a depressed community in Metro Manila, to help generate income for their families through rag production. Help the women of Payatas turn their rags to riches by donating in cash or sewing machines and like items to the established cooperative. Email Rags2Riches at Payatas.Rags2Riches@gmail.com or call +63918-9488850.

Sta. Teresita of Miarayon – Help educate children of the indigenous Talaandig tribe situated between the mountains of Kitanglad and Kalatungan in Bukidon, Northern Mindanao. Your donations of cash or kind, will help provide quality primary education for Talaandig children, help maintain the newly erected, privately funded schoolhouse and develop a curriculum designed and implemented in consultation with the tribe elders. For more details, please call RC Batac at (632)426-6001 loc 3440 or deposit funds directly to the Sta. Teresita of Miarayon, Inc. account at the Bank of the Philippine Islands (Ayala-Paseo Branch), Current Account Number 0031-0702-79.

Working Hands Scholarship Foundation, Inc. – Help finance one-year vocational and technical training scholarships for deserving out-of-school youths from financially-challenged families. Conceptualized by the Young Professionals for Peace (Yuppeace), programs inculcate social responsibility and psycho-spiritual growth programs and are provided at Don Bosco Training Centers in the Philippines. Visit www.workinghands.infosolv.net for more details or contact (632)725-6671, (632)259-6039 or email them at workinghands@infosolv.net.

For more information or if you want to volunteer, you may contact SIMBAHANG LINGKOD NG BAYAN through the following: (02) 426-6101 locals 3440-3441, Telefax: (02) 426-5968, Email: slb@admu.edu.ph, Mobile: 0922-8600752 and 0905-3273999 or visit us at the Loyola House of Studies, Ateneo de Manila University Campus, Loyola Heights, Quezon City.