Thanking Those Who Shared the Love

The significance of life can be reflected by how much impact we have created to other people.

Before the year ended in 2013, my friends from the Davao Bloggers took the initiative to help raise funds for 100 hygiene packs intended for the victims of the typhoon Yolanda in various places in Visayas. Mid-November, our blogpost rolled out and the response turned out to be overwhelming! Before our target date last December 7, 2013, we reached more than our goal of P100, 000 and even with several donations in kind.

Forgive the selfie but the photo was included in our campaign.
Photo by Ria Jose

Sample hygiene kit that contained  soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, deolotion, shampoo, alcohol, tissue, insect repellant, cotton and sanitary napkin for women. The kit is estimated to supply one week need for each person. 

Kuya Andrew’s place was filled with so many boxes of goods and hygiene products where the volunteers spent an entire evening (until dawn) to repack and write messages of kindness in the hygiene kit. Before the week ended, all 1000 donation packs were distributed to the families in Tacloban and other affected regions.

Boxes turned over to Ateneo de Davao University's Yolanda volunteer group.
Photo grabbed from Chamee Pecson

Volunteers doing the repacking.
Photo from Naprey Almario

More pictures of bloggers and friends doing the repacking. This photo also shows Kezia, (topmost) taking a photo of the skies during dawn as shown in the image below. No sleep, just pure love of volunteerism!

Although it’s more than a hundred days delayed, allow me to dedicate this blogpost to our volunteer team for the Project Hygiene kit (with our project coordinator, Chamee), to our fellow Davao Bloggers who helped spread the word and kept on reposting the campaign to reach many readers and most especially to the many generous donors who shared their kind heart in helping us help the families affected by the devastating typhoon. THANK YOU, DAGHANG SALAMAT, SUKRAN, KAMSAHAMNIDA, ARIGATO GOZAIMASU!

The A Team! Photo grabbed from Madie Sahid's Instagram account.

We believe that all the little things everyone gave made a step closer in helping alleviate the lives of those who are affected. May we also not forget to be grateful for being safe and alive right now and never forget to include in our prayers the lives of all those struggling, those who fight to remain alive, those who protect the weak and those who have passed.

Globe Telecom to Offer Free Facebook Access

Collaboration with Facebook to bring together first-of-its-kind customer experience innovations such as availability in all Facebook mobile platforms, advice of charge notifications, one-click to purchase data plans & data access lending to access links outside Facebook

Setting another unprecedented milestone in Philippine telecommunications, Globe Telecom is giving the telco’s over 36 million subscribers free access to Facebook on mobile phones for an initial period of three (3) months. Globe worked closely with Facebook to enable customer experience innovations for the best free Facebook offer yet.

Available to all Globe Prepaid, Postpaid, and TM subscribers using feature phones and smartphones* and accessing either through the mobile site of Facebook or the Facebook app, users can post, like, comment, chat, add friends, upload photos, share posts, and more on Facebook without the need for Wi-Fi.

Aside from offering Facebook at zero data charges, the collaboration between the two global companies has also paved the way for subscribers to enjoy first-of-its-kind customer experience innovations. 

Working with Silicon Valley-based Facebook engineers, Globe has put together innovations that cover key milestones in the customer experience journey such as availability of access on feature phones and smartphones across all Facebook mobile platforms whether via the Facebook app or Facebook’s mobile site m.facebook.com; no billshock or “nakaw load” as customers will be notified if they will incur data charges once a link that leads out of Facebook is clicked; and one-click registration to the data plan of choice to continue browsing without having to leave the site. Recommended data plans consider a subscriber’s available prepaid balance and/or megabytes (MB) balance of existing data plan. 

Moreover, customers with not enough prepaid load can “loan” a 10MB data plan for only P10 which will be deducted on their succeeding top-up so they can fully explore content outside Facebook, making the experience seamless and worry-free. 

“Once again, Globe has proven that it is the mobile data service provider of choice by industry and technology leaders around the world with this breakthrough partnership with Facebook to give our 36 million subscribers uninterrupted, seamless, and worry-free Free Facebook experience. This is collaboration at its peak, which has resulted in the best and most innovative Free Facebook experience yet,” said Peter Bithos, Senior Advisor for Consumer Business at Globe Telecom. 

Globe is progressively rolling-out availability of the Free Facebook service to cover all its subscribers by October 31, 2013. 

Bithos added, “Over the past months, the engineering, business development and marketing teams at both Globe and Facebook have worked together to plan and design the customer experience from scratch – which includes making the service available across all Facebook mobile platforms, rolling out a system that alerts users once they are about to click a link that will incur them data charges, paving the way for subscribers to easily subscribe to a data plan without having to leave Facebook, and allowing data access lending for subscribers who don’t have enough prepaid load to continue browsing links outside Facebook. This service testifies how Globe is transforming itself beyond just an access carrier. Globe is striving to be a leading digital brand catering to the needs of digital Filipinos who need to be connected to their social circles around the world.” 

"Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected," said Chris Daniels, vice president of partnerships at Facebook. “Globe understands the opportunities giving people access to the Internet brings and we’re thrilled to be working with them to give Globe subscribers access to Facebook without data charges across our apps and mobile website.” 

Starting October 31, 2013, subscribers can dial *143# and select FREE FB to know more about Globe Free Facebook. 

*Except BlackBerry.  Free Facebook will soon be available to Nokia Xpress and Opera Mini users

Tanduay First Five 2013 Concert Night in Davao City

So how was your weekend? 

While other people in the other cities are probably busy partying in clubs or in their own party places, the entire Davao City filled the Tionko Football Field (Agro Football Field) and sang with their favorite First Five Band for the Tanduay First Five 2013 Davao Leg.

The annual series of concert touring around the Philippines is being sponsored by the number one liquor brand in the Philippines, Tanduay, to bring the rock scenes to the major cities. This year's final leg was with Davao City--closing the year 2013 with pure hard rock music and smooth but strong drink that has truly became a household name to every Filipino.

Opening the night was no other than the voice of Yael Yuzon and the Sponge Cola. Of course, First Five night wouldn't be complete without the hard rock songs from Wolfgang, the hyper energy of Jay Contreras and Kamikaze (Tsinelas?!), Chito Miranda and Parokya ni Edgar and also Rico Blanco who was, like last year, in his symbolic attire. Gloc-9 also joined the First Five Bands in giving cheers to the Davao crowd who rocked the night. 

With no further ado, enjoy browsing through the images from the evening taken by no other than my friend, Elaine Magistrado (big thanks, Lai!).

  

Daghang Salamat Tanduay! Next year na pud?!

(Many thanks, Tanduay...Till next year?)

Tanduay First Five 2013 in Davao City

Are you ready for the biggest rock concert in the Philippines?  

If you want a sneak peek on last year's concert, you may check my blog post linked below

TANDUAY ROCKFEST 2012 DAVAO

Closing the Tanduay First Five will be the Davao leg this coming Saturday, December 7, 2013 at the Tionko Football Field (Agro Football Field) along the Quimpo Boulevard. The Five Bands playing this year will include Kamikazee, Wolfgang, Rico Blanco, Parokya ni Edgar and Sponge Cola with special participation of Gloc-9.

Tanduay, the Philippines’ leading producer of liquor , boasts its products for being a true Filipino pride--made by the Filipinos using only the best sugar canes from the Philippines. And what can be the best way to celebrate and enjoy your favorite Tanduay products than to listen and jam with the top rock bands in the Philippines.

So Davao, go and purchase your favorite Tanduay liquor. One 750ml Tanduay 5 years or 750ml Tanduay Light will give you one admission ticket in any participating outlet.

1. Davao Amigo Traders (Gov. Sales Street, Davao City near Sa’Less Diner)

Map Here: http://goo.gl/maps/YDQeH

2. WVP Lopson Inc. (F. Bangoy Street, Davao City near Homitori Dormitory)

Map Here: http://goo.gl/maps/WmhpE

3. Fortuna Supermarket (Marfori Street, Bankerohan, Davao City)

Don’t forget to visit and like Tanduay Rhum’s official Facebook account here and use the hashtag #T5Davao!

Tara, Rakrakan na!

One Year after Typhoon Pablo (Bopha)

Increased support is needed if families are to fully recover from the impact of Typhoon Bopha on their livelihoods, Save the Children says. 

A year after the category 5 typhoon – the highest category for a storm – the children’s aid agency says tens of thousands are still struggling to find work to feed their families. The Typhoon, which struck on 4th of December 2012, affected over six million people and left nearly 2000 dead or missing. 

Rescue efforts during the Typhoon in December 2012
Photo from: LA Times (Ted Aljibe/ AFP/ Getty Images)

The storm caused widespread damage to agriculture, which account for the livelihoods of 80 per cent of the residents in the affected area. The Filipino government’s disaster agency estimates a loss of over US$700 million in agricultural damage, including bananas, coconuts, rice and maize. 

“The job that aid agencies need to fulfil shouldn’t stop at immediate relief,” said Tom Howells, Team Leader for Save the Children’s Bopha Recovery Program. “But many are forced to end their projects as there is little to no funding available for long-term rehabilitation of livelihoods. Our worry is that these families will no longer be able to send their children to school, provide nutritious foods and a protective home environment once aid stops.” 

Save the Children conducted two livelihoods projects in the Bopha-affected areas, unconditional cash grants for vulnerable families and cash-for-work to rehabilitate schools. Roselyn Cabatlao, 34, was one of the program’s beneficiaries in Davao Oriental after her family lost their only source of income – a coconut plantation – in the storm. It will take them at least seven more years to get back on their feet as coconut trees take about eight years to mature.

“I can see there are still many families here that do not have stable income because many of our coconuts have been damaged by the typhoon,” she said. 

Through income generated from Save the Children’s cash-for-work program, Roselyn is now able to buy food, vitamins and condiments for her children. The mother of three was also given the tools and seeds to plant vegetables in their backyard for consumption and income. The vegetables and direct nutrition interventions helped Roselyn’s son, Jericho, to recover from severe acute malnutrition. 

“Families like Roselyn will be left to their own devices once aid agencies leave. We have given them the basic tools to sustain themselves, but it will be years before Roselyn harvests coconuts again and builds a sturdy house for her family,” said Tom Howells. 

Save the Children responded to the needs of affected families in Typhoon Bopha, delivering an integrated package of child protection, education, health and nutrition, water sanitation and hygiene, disaster preparedness in schools, food security and livelihoods in Agusan del Sur, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. Overall, the children’s aid agency has reached about 138,000 people

Project Hygiene Kit for Yolanda Victims

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another” -Charles Dickens

The devastation caused by the typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) has affected not only a few cities and houses in the Philippines but the majority of the Visayas region where the death counts has now reached thousands and number of families affected now millions.

A conscious effort is now being undertaken by the Davao Bloggers Society to join the relief operations by raising a total of P100,000.00 to finance and produce 1,000 hygiene packs for the victims. Each kit costing to PHP100 or USD2.50 will contain toiletries and other essentials good for one week's use by one person. Hygiene kits were chosen to be donated as this is something that is not yet prioritized by many donors.

If you wish to help or join the campaign, you may donate in cash (please seal in envelope) or in kind (preferably hygiene products found in the photo) to:

Mam Bebs Bakery

CVA Building, CM Recto Street, Davao City

(fronting City Triangle, adjacent to Ateneo Claveria Gate)

Mondays- Fridays, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

You may also send via PayPal to merchant@alleba.com

You may share a note of encouragement or positivism in your donation. We will be be more than happy to include that inside the kit.

Pledges for donation may as well be coursed through any member of the Davao Bloggers Society until December 7, 2013. Feel free to contact bloggersforreliefPH@gmail.com or Chamee at (+63) 9324364187 for all your inquiries and questions.

Please also help us disseminate this information to those who are willing to help and contribute. You may share or link this post to your social media accounts with hashtags #bloggersforReliefPH #YolandaPH

Bangon, Pilipinas!

Hopes Post- Yolanda and for My Country Philippines

Note: If you wanted to get in touch with groups or organizations to help, send supplies or donate cash or in kind, please check this link compiled by my blogger friends. If it is not so much, please share this link to your social media handles so that others will also be informed.

YOLANDA PH Donation and Relief Operations Information link here

On the 8^th of November this year, the strongest typhoon recorded in the history of manind (so far) hit the islands in the Visayas region of Philippines. At around six in the morning the same day, I received a notification in my mobile phone from our co-employee based in Tacloban informing us of the heavy downpour of rains in their area but electricity and network coverage was still okay. By the time I get to read her email, all the electrical power lines were cut-off in Tacloban while flying debris from houses and buildings were also being shown in the news clip in the television. I never heard anything from my friend not until yesterday through a short call from a phone that she probably borrowed.

A streak of hope and positivism for my fellow Filipinos. Light shines brightest at the dark.

The internet was also flooded with updates and news about the extent of damage and the many efforts to help reach out to the victims. The sad part is that this flood of information also included stories that make the situation worse.

• People blatantly saying that they were GLAD THAT IT HAPPENED claiming that the VICTIMS DESERVED THE PAIN. It did not end with postings of people who apparently lack the sense of symbiosis but also, to my opinion, “kulang sa pansin” (attention-seeking). They continue to justify that they are entitled to their opinion and they should not be condemned.
• While help is pouring even from our international counterparts, QUESTIONS ON FAIR DISTRIBUTION became a trending topic in the internet.  As the country now also fights one of the biggest expose in corruption of the Pork Barrel, people asks whether the billions of donations from other countries reach the victims or will the culture of corruption reign even at this devastating incident.
• POLITICIANS as well as other NARCISSISTS bragging about their contributions, counting what they donated and using this incident to campaign for elections if not, simply brag.
• HEADLINES OF PEOPLE LOOTING from stores and even from relief operation vehicles clearly describes that the human system is now operating in a survival instinct to feed and protect oneself and their families.
• SECTORS REFUSING TO HELP people not coming from their sect also raised many eyebrows in the social media walls. If this is true or not, the fact the people START TO DIVIDE INSTEAD OF WORKING IN SOLIDARITY is as obvious as the lack of unity killing more people each day.

I would agree that the Filipino spirit is waterproof, storm-proof and that even a super typhoon cannot break it but it many instances, while many are trying their best to help, some cannot really resists to be self-centered, tactless and destructive. I would like to tell myself that perhaps, these people lack self-esteem that they needed to put somebody down just to feel good or catch any attention, even the negative attention, just to feel they exist. I do not like to believe that they lack souls but I also do not choose to be of very sympathetic to these selfish people right now.

I’d like to hope that the donations will be coursed through organizations that are focused to aiding the victims and assure the relief will reach those who needed it most. While I am still trying to convince myself that the current government is trying their best to remove corruption in the system, I’d prefer that other countries would course though their help to reliable organizations that will have no personal gain when helping the victims. While we lack time to debate or argue, others are already moving so let us go with the actions flowing.

Let us also avoid re-affirming these people with publicity (even negative) because it is exactly what they want and rewarding them with attention cookies will only promote them to repetitively do what they do. Collective effort creates an impact. Surely, reposting what they did, even for the purpose of putting them to shame, will not really put them in shame. They will only get that 30-second fame that they wanted. Don’t reward them and see their negative actions disappear in the middle of the generosity and kind-heartedness of other people.

While the news of looting and refusing to help other to protect their own maybe expected, it is still a sad reality to hear and raises an alarm to immediately send in help so that people will not be pushed back to the wall with this choice nor will it marginalize those in the hard-to-reach area. When survival is at stake, we cannot really expect a high rate of selflessness. No parent in their right mind would sacrifice the life of their children just to do the morally-correct act when stealing or refusing to share is the only way to survive.

I may not be in the best position to fully explain the psychology of what happened with my fellow countrymen but my humanness is calling me to be more human than ever. Today, may we choose to help and help without expecting anything in return. May we choose to lift other people up, and shun away from the negative stories that will not help make the lives of the victims better. May we choose to salute those who put their hearts and minds to contribute in helping in with fund and donations drive. May we choose to learn from this tragedy, to be more prepared, to avoid the mistakes that sacrificed many lives and may we choose to remember that we do not forget.

Miss Universe Updates

As you may have already watched in your live streaming, the Miss Universe pageant is currently being held in Moscow, Russia. The first cut included the top 16 candidates where the final slot given to the Social Media candidate. Did any of your favorites got it?

1. Costa Rica
2. Ukraine
3. China
4. Ecuador
5. Great Britain
6.  Indonesia
7. Venezuela
8. Dominican Republic
9. Puerto Rico
10. Spain
11. USA
12. Nicaragua
13. Switzerland
14. India
15. Brazil
16. Philippines (Social Media Candidate)

Should I be surprised by Philippines, being the social media capital of the world, getting the spot for the social media candidate? The telecast continued with some back stage clips and the later, the introduction of judges which included Steven Tyler of Aerosmith who is also one of the performers for the night. 

For those who were following updates in the website of Miss Universe 2013, you may have known that Miss Nicaragua won the Best in National Costume Award together with the other top five contestants  (for this category) that include: Japan, Indonesia, Russia and, Trinidad and Tobago. A short clip was also shown to present the winners during the pre-pageant judging.

Can you imagine walking in this outfit? Bow to Ms. Nicaragua!
Photo courtesy of  missuniverse.com

Did you hear the crowd for Miss Philippines? I can feel the tension even just from watching TV! And now in, the top 10 finalist:

1. Spain
2. Philippines
3. Great Britain
4. India
5. Brazil
6. USA
7. Ukraine
8. Ecuador
9. Venezuela
10. Dominican Republic 

Will the crown remain with USA? Or will other countries snatch it with their beauty and wit as the long gown and the interview portion followed? However, let's reserve the thrill later as we enjoy the series of presentations and av-clips for the evening.

Now, here is the result for the Top 5:

1. Ecuador
2. Brazil
3. Spain
4. Philippines
5. Venezuela

Miss Philippines in her long gown....Not my favorite look for the night though :(
Photo from pinoyrepublic.net

For the first time, the contestants will answer the interview questions immediately after the announcement of the finalist! Here are the Q& A portion of the pageant:

ECUADOR

Q: What would happen to the world if we could no longer use the internet?

A: I believe that computers itself as well as technologies nowadays, has its advantages and disadvantages. And one of the disadvantages is that we are no longer as close together with our families. I would like to use this moment to tell teenagers and everybody that we should use the methodology of computers and internet for....way. It’s never too late to start, let us start right now.

BRAZIL

Q: What is your opinion on places that do not allow women to do things such as travel aboard, vote or drive cars?

A: In my opinion, we as women achieved our independence through time. Unfortunately, nowadays we still have some problems with our independence as women but we need to keep our open minds, because nowadays, we are home-makers, we are out there in the workforce, in my country we have a female president. We are capable of everything. 

SPAIN

Q: What the most significant thing we can do we can help women elect more women to political offices around the world?

A: I believe in order to select a good woman she must possess the good qualities in order to perform a good job. Discipline, ...how to adapt herself, how to respond, her work her performance, and fulfilling her job.

PHILIPPINES

Q: Can be done with the lack of jobs for young people starting their careers around the world?

A: For the people who have lack of jobs, I do believe that we people should invest in education (that is my primary advocacy) because if every one of us is educated and well-aware of what we are doing, we could land into jobs, we could land good careers in the future. So education is a primary source and a ticket for a better future.

VENEZUELA

Q: What is your biggest fear and how do you plan to overcome it?

A: I believe that I might have al lot of fears but nonetheless, this is nothing negative. I believe we should overcome all our fears and this in turn will make us much stronger and thus we can become stronger persons. As soon as we overcome our fears and we are sure of ourselves, we can face any challenges.

AND THE BIG RESULTS!

4th Runner Up: Brazil
3rd Runner Up: Philippines
2nd Runner Up: Ecuador
1st Runner Up: Spain
Miss Universe 2013: Venezuela, Gabriela Isler

The new Queen of the Universe from Venezuela.
Photo: AFP, Alexander Nemenov

Congrats to all the girls! You are all pretty and winners!