Angel Locsin is one of the prettiest faces in Philippine TV and cinema. She also has one of the brightest stars – and now I believe that it’s not solely because of her acting ability, but more so for her heart.
Having started her showbiz career with GMA7, I was not a fan of hers – not even when she played Darna. I saw her on the Mano Po movies but still didn’t think much of her. It was on her transfer to ABS, and then her teleserye with Papa Piolo, that got my attention. I followed Lobo, and until now I am bugging the boyfriend to finally complete the DVD collection for me so I can watch all over again. I didn’t watch Only You as closely as I did Lobo, but it was nice to see her there too.
Today, I saw her interview with Boy Abunda on The Buzz. She was asked how the recent calamities have affected her, how it maybe changed her life. She had started an auction site with other celebrities where all proceeds will be directed to efforts to assist survivors of the typhoons that hit us recently. Her answer to the question? She almost switched careers. She genuinely wants to help our country be a better place to live in. She wants to dedicate more time to her advocacies. But she has to work. She has to earn, so she can continue to share. She really seems to be one of the most down-to-earth personalities we have.
This humbled me as I have been humbled so many times this past month.
I had that chance. I was in a world where service was what you were expected to do. I used to say that my life then was already dedicated to charity. There was no need for me to volunteer elsewhere or donate to a different cause because what I had to do for a living, was also for a greater cause. But I left that world thinking that when I earn so much, I will be able to help more. Guess what? I don’t. At least I don’t feel like I do enough.
There is so much more that I can do. So many more ways that I can be more involved.
It’s time I wake up from this long deep sleep and start living again. For myself, and for others.
So what will I do? No grand gestures, no big projects. I’ll take it one small act at a time. My readers will eventually know about it, or not.
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On an entirely different topic (as in super unrelated)… I think our refrigerator needs a new filter or something. Only I don’t know to tell if it is so? Or if it would need a 4396841 or something else. Wait… nah. Our ref’s not a Whirlpool, it’s our new washing machine that comes from that company. Do all refs have filters? How can you tell if it needs replacement? I don’t think ours has ever been replaced…
Over lunch this afternoon, Alfred and I were discussing earning opportunities that did not involve the Internet or any of my blogs.
For the past two to three weeks, one of my colleagues at work has been trying to tell me about an opportunity to make money on the side. Being the skeptic that I am, and having an even more skeptic boyfriend, I didn’t make time to learn more about what we thought was going to be another networking scam. Last week though, I got excited when he mentioned that involved Internet marketing. Those were the key words to get me jumping. So I trooped to their office in Makati and listened intently.
First off, I was impressed at their offices. It’s at the heart of the business district, at a reputable building, had nice furnishings and a wonderful view of distant Manila Bay. When I saw the company logo on the glass doors – it was familiar! I had seen this before, in fact, I had tried to get into this opportunity when I saw it online sometime before. That got me even more interested!
When my office mate’s brother started describing the company and the opportunities it had to offer, I really got interested. This time, I was more interested in the products than the earning potential.
I’m already convinced that I would like to sign up. I can see the benefits of being an associate, whether I treat it as a business or I just continue as a consumer or retail to friends and relatives. I’m not ready to reveal what this is exactly, but it has everything to do with health and wellness. Health is wealth! 🙂
The boyfriend, on the other hand, had a different idea today. We both agreed in the end that it isn’t suitable for us even if his friend at work is already raking in a lot of money from the venture. It’s a micro-lending business but I do not like it one bit because it abuses the vulnerability of other people. Sure, lend them money, but charge 10 percent interest monthly? That’s abusive!
I can’t make myself do anything like this – because I know how it feels to be stifled with paying interest for money you owe. I have credit card debt (not too much though!) and I feel bad about the finance charges on it. I have a cousin and an agent who owe money-lenders like Alfred’s friend. Their ATMs are held hostage until they are fully paid. I don’t want to ever be the cause of that.
On the other hand, I have a cousin who is in the lending business too. And she’s not an evil person. I guess it’s just to each his/her own.
Whatever happens though, wish us luck in our upcoming ventures. Cheers to success! 🙂
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Over lunch in the office a few days ago, we got to talk about Brad Pitt’s Make it Right Project at New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. This came into the picture because we were discussing about presidentiables and how the recent crises with disasters and the lack of services all boil down to a lack in political will. Surely, it’s not just money that allows Brad Pitt to accomplish so much with his projects, there’s the genuine will to help and make a difference too. That’s what’s missing here. There is funding for maintenance of the floodways from the various dams and reservoirs, but were they used properly?
Anyhoo, we said that it would be wonderful if the technology their using to rebuild homes in New Orleans would be brought to the Philippines. That would be amazing if we rebuild homes in Baguio, Pangasinan, Marikina and everywhere else with those green homes. Daryl mentioned that we have similar technology here already, manufactured homes that have green roofs and walls or something like it. I have yet to see one. But that would really be awesome.
In this time of crisis, I have seen and heard so many heartbreaking scenes. But there also emerged much to be inspired and happy about.
There’s the overwhelming response for calls for donations and volunteers in the wake of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng (Ketsana and Parma). I am humbled, because being a victim ourselves, I wasn’t too keen on helping out. So many others were hit harder than my family, surely I could have helped them out too. I didn’t, and that makes me feel bad. Yet, I can somehow live with it. Later today, the boyfriend and I will be heading out to the mall, I’ll be sure to drop by the National Bookstore. I heard that they have school supplies packed specifically to donate to schools/students hit by the typhoon. You only need to purchase them for 20 pesos a pack, and they take care of it for you. I will definitely check it out and purchase a few.
Efren Peñaflorida – CNN Hero – Pilipino!
If you’ve been around Pinoy blogs, you have definitely already read about one of our own being a finalist in this year’s CNN Heroes. Efren Peñaflorida leads a group of young people in making sure that even the impoverished children of his hometown receive basic education. They load their karitons with books, notebooks and other teaching instruments and push them on to various locations where the children can be found. It’s a wonderful idea – if the children can’t go to school, take the learning to them.
This reminds me of a project we had at ECPAT and the YP-ACSEC in 2000 – still what I consider my glory days.
In 2000, with support from UNICEF Manila, we identified five barangays and ran basic education classes for kids whose families could not afford to send them to school. This was pre-school style for kids who were old enough to be in grade school, 2 to 3 times a week. We worked with barangay officials to identify the families and to secure a venue. We prepared our own curriculum (we had two Education majors in our organization then) to make sure we tackled the 4Rs: Reading, wRiting, aRithmetic, and children’s Rights.
Once upon a time my friends in the YP and I had a dream of continuing projects like this, and moving on to other communities. It is sad that we didn’t continue. I can’t say if we still have it in us do something similar or not.
I think that one of the reasons why I no longer do what I used to do is that as an adult, I worked in an NGO that mainly worked on advocacy that was far removed from the children it wanted to make a difference for. You know what I mean? With the YP, we worked directly with child-survivors of commercial sexual exploitation, or with urban poor communities. With Asia ACTs, we worked with other NGOs, and then with LGUs. If I could go back to doing NGO work, I’d seek one that will allow me to do something similar to what we used to do at the YP, kahit thunders na kami ngayon. 🙂
Gone too soon…
There are also recent deaths that have left me sad, but also inspired in the marks they’ve both left behind.
The morning after the great flood, Diane (my kuya’s girlfriend) came out from their room to tell us about a message that came in from Kelly (another friend) – Paul had a heart attack and had died. The news has yet to be confirmed, he said. I shivered with a sudden cold and immediately counted on the fact that it was yet to be confirmed. When my brother came out from the shower – I told him the news, but left out the part where his good friend might already be dead. He read the message himself, and he cursed in disbelief – a normal reaction. The news spread across our compound and everyone was abuzz. We all knew Paul very well, and he knew all of us.
When the news was finally confirmed – no one was still accepting it.
We were fortunate to have so much cleaning to do that our minds were occupied by rebuilding, rather than the great loss he was to his family, friends and community.
A few days later, we were all at the memorial put together by YAM – the community organization that Paul belonged to. I cried. I brought my camera with me, fully intending to be paparazzi but I just couldn’t stand up and stop the tears from flowing at the same time. So I sat there at the back row, biting back tears.
Paul is a funny guy. He always was. When I was in highschool, he spent so much time in our house. He would sleep over, and when he wakes up he’d go home to his mom just a few houses away from ours. I remember asking him to draw a lot for my homework, and such. Sometimes he would cook too.
He also volunteered in the organization my mom used to work in. Then years later, when my moved to work somewhere else he worked there too. When he got married, they asked mom to be ninang. So Paul was definitely a part of the family in many ways. It seemed natural that she was asked to deliver a eulogy during the funeral.
A lot of people talked about how Paul touched their lives. And always, it was his positive outlook and jolly personality that everyone remembers.
I posted photos we had of Paul over on Facebook, I also uploaded two short videos of him playing Blackbird using kuya’s guitar in one of their drinking sessions, exactly a year ago today. That’s the Paul we will always remember – the life of the party, a loyal friend and brother, and loving father, husband, and son.
Tagay Paul, and hug Lola and Auntie Leesah super tight for all of us.
Just last week, I was blog hopping and saw a familiar name mentioned – a certain Alecks Pabico had died from liver cancer. I knew his sister, Ate Tracy from the ECPAT years. We had met Kuya Alecks a few times too. He was also the webmaster behind the IPS Alert! website I linked to above when I mentioned our alternative basic education program. I don’t know if he knew me in particular, distinct from the YP he sure would have heard of. I seriously doubt it. And I didn’t really know him. But I was reading what others were saying about him, and I was again inspired by his passion.
It struck a chord in me, so despite having a falling out with his sister many years ago, I sought her out to send her my condolences. Maybe it’s time the YP thunders meet with her again, and be friends.
So there four different ways that I’ve been inspired lately. I hope that whatever was sparked within me, won’t die down so quickly. God knows I need something meaningful in my life again.
The stinky couches have been taken out, and the cabinets that housed my dad’s toy cars and his and mom’s collectibles from various trips have also been removed. They will never cross over the threshold into this house again. Those are just some bigger pieces of stuff that Ondoy took from us.
Where will the cars be displayed on? What about the little trinkets and what-have-you’s (like Mao’s bust)? They’ve found a new home in three plastic containers. I don’t know if they will ever be displayed again.
It’s been over two weeks since the calamity struck, yet we have not gone back to normal. In fairness, the TV’s been set up. Now atop a smaller TV cabinet – less than half the size of what the original cabinet was (also fell casualty to the flood).
Here’s a preview of how one of the sofas, the ref, and the tables landed when the water receded. Warning: it’s not pretty:
Since Ondoy hit, I have not watched any of the regular shows I used to tune in to. Thank God Tayong Dalawa is already over, haha! I have not seen a single episode of either Lovers in Paris, or the Pinoy Big Brother Double Up.
Even my blogging patterns have not returned to normal. I have a movie to write about, and some thoughts on recent deaths of people I personally knew, as well as how Efren Peñaflorida’s inclusion in the CNN heroes has reminded me of my own past advocacies. In my mind I have written about them. But once I sit here, all I ever have time for is Cafe World in Facebook and reading my friends status updates, checking out their photos and videos.
I haven’t even given serious thought about my strategy for The Biggest Loser – NCO XB Edition. Considering I’m one of the organizers, I can’t be the first to be eliminated! Haha.
We did start going out again though. Yesterday we had to go to the mall to have Alfred’s glasses repaired. It was broken while we were cleaning up outside. He had hung it by the exercise machine, but we were moving it and cleaning in and around it until he forgot about his glasses. So I guess even his Arrow specs were a victim of Ondoy’s wrath too, though indirectly:
They’re okay now, Executive Optical, the store we bought it from fixed it at no cost to us. They didn’t ask for any proof of purchase! This is the third time we’ve taken these specs back for minor repair. That’s wonderful after-care service. 🙂
SM North was on sale so there were LOTS of people there on a Sunday afternoon. First thing I noticed were the kiosks of toys and Halloween costumes. I was tempted to do an early Christmas shopping! It was so frustrating knowing I didn’t have any dispensable cash. 🙁
It was kinda funny though, seeing young boys crying to their moms – probably not having their way about a toy they had wanted purchased right then and there.
Ahh I wonder when I will have a sense of normalcy again? I know that it seems too much for me to complain about this while there are still those staying in evacuation areas around Metro Manila, and there have been so much death and destruction in Northern Luzon. I’m not complaining. Just wondering.
I haven’t even caught up with my Photography class yet. Much less start my new project. 🙁
The Innocent Man was the book that kept me company on my trips to the hospital in the past few weeks (oh and also French Women Don’t Get Fat). Since we don’t have our TV here in the living room in the aftermath of Ondoy, and the PC wasn’t setup yet (like I’ve said before, we’re still not done with the cleanup and our living room is still a mess), I had the chance to sit down and finish Grisham’s first work of non-fiction on Saturday last week.
In the beginning, it was dragging. It’s a lot like reading a legal brief, as I would imagine it (though I wouldn’t really know). But as the story unfolds even further, you would really want to read it through to find out how the truth will eventually come out.
My thoughts? If this injustice can happen in small town America – what of those suffering in the Philippine justice system?
Here, there was no graft and corruption included. Simple incompetence. Or law enforcement’s sheer will to find their scapegoat to get the public off their backs. In the Philippines, you have cops, lawyers and judges on payola (allegedly).
One of the most oft used arguments for the death penalty is its power as a crime deterrent. But how many of those executed in the past really were guilty beyond reasonable doubt? Until the state can guarantee a fair justice system, more so for the poor, then the death penalty will not be effective. Then of course there’s the right to life argument.
The book does not talk about the death penalty though it did give us a glimpse of Ron Williamson’s horrifying experience at The Row and the H Unit. It also shows how dreams are accepted as confessions, and how jail house snitches will say just about anything just to get off their own crimes.
It’s also about prejudice. And how some people on trial are presumed guilty until proven innocent.
The stories of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz, as well as of Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot, should be an example of how law enforcement and the prosecutors ought not to act.
was the book that kept me company on my trips to the hospital in the past few weeks (oh and also French Women Don’t Get Fat). Since we don’t have our TV here in the living room in the aftermath of Ondoy, and the PC wasn’t setup yet (like I’ve said before, we’re still not done with the cleanup and our living room is still a mess), I had the chance to sit down and finish Grisham’s first work of non-fiction on Saturday last week.