Big or Small, We All Can Help!

Have you watched Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho last Saturday? Their first story features people who are affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda. Yung mga tao nagsasabi kung ligtas sila o ilan sa kamag anak nila ang namatay. May isa na nagsabi na namatay yung 2 anak nya tapos ung isa yata nawawala pa. Their story made me cry. I wept with them. I feel their grief. I was silently wiping my tears away while watching that. More than the houses demolished, and fallen trees, and properties destroyed, what's really devastating about this sad catastrophe are the lives lost along the way. :(

After watching that, I felt helpless. Gusto ko tumulong pero pano? Hindi naman ako mayaman pra mgdonate ng malaki. I can't also volunteer since my son is too small to be left without my care. You know, I always tell myself, pag ako yumaman, tutulong ako sa nangangailangan. Pero kailan pa yun kung ngaun nila kailangan ng tulong? At paano kung hindi ako yumaman? Ibig sabihin hindi na rin ako tutulong sa kapwa ko? This made me think. And made me sadder. I know prayers can help too. So that's just what I did even now - PRAY for them. Then while watching 24 Oras last Monday, Mike Enriquez mentioned "Walang tulong na maliit!" Kahit ano, kahit 10 piso lng na donation basta taos sa puso ay pagtulong pa din. I also saw those kids selling lemonade to help Yolanda's victim. It made me realize na ang dami ko pwede gawin para tumulong. At nagsimula ako sa paglilinis ng aming cabinet...

We've already donated my son's clothes and milk bottles at Bethany last September

but I still managed to rummaged few of his clothes.

After cleaning up, we (janice, ina, at eddie-boy) came up with all these usable and good conditioned clothes.

Where to Donate?

We dropped it off at Basilica Minore o sa Malolos Cathedral this afternoon. They accept all sorts of donation - water, canned goods, whatever it is that you can contribute to help. Or you can also go to the nearest LBC. They'll ship it for free:

For monetary donations, you can send it thru Red Cross. Just text the following:

REDAMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4143 (Smart)

Or thru G-Cash
Text DONATEAMOUNT4-digit M-PINREDCROSS to 2882

You can donate the following denominations:
Globe: 5, 25, 100, 300, 500 or 1000
Smart: 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 or 1000

Or you can deposits thru bank accounts. I think GMA Kapuso Foundation really steps up in their relief operations so here is the link on how to deposit money in their account.

It doesn't matter how small or how big your help is as long as you help from the bottom of your heart. I know our donation is not enough. So I'm still thinking of other ways to raise money. Helping them didn't make me feel better. What will make me feel better is that knowing one day, the victims of this super typhoon, will have peace and serenity in their hearts, to stand up again and to continue living. And I pray that the anguish and despair that they feel right now will make them even stronger. I know it won't be easy to rise up from this calamity. But one day, we will all get there.

Life goes on. 

The Root of All Evil

There were two news that happened these past days:

1. The non stop rain brought by Habagat resulting to great flood (again!) and 

2. The pork barrel scam.

The first news makes me sad. But the second one? It makes me angry! It makes me sick to my stomach that there are people who can do that. While those affected by flood are struggling to survive, there they are with their scheming lies. Their greediness is disgusting that I am losing faith in the power of government. At this point I trust no one. Not even the president. It's just too much!

My puso ba sila? Tuwing gabi bago sila matulog, ano ang pakiramdam nila? Knowing that thousand of Filipinos are suffering, dying in hunger, fading away with poverty. I just want to know what do their conscience tells them everytime they embezzle millions of money. Is one million not enough? Two? Hundred? The news said the amount is billion. And if Benhur Luy didn't expose it, they will become trillioners. To them, its just numbers. But to the poorest of poor, that money could have been their life line. Where is their honor? Where is their integrity?

They say money is the root of all evil. But I don't agree with that. Money can help a lot of people. It can build road that connects people. It can give education to every kid. It can build factories and create jobs to million. It can make our quality of living better. Money can be an instrument of helping the people who needs it the most. It's the greed of those in power whose the root of all evil. Abolishing pork barrel may solve the corruption, maybe. But they'll just make another name for it (beef barrel?) and some f*ckin' smart officials will think of other plot to steal money. What must be abolish is their rotten ways. They must be punish! Everyone of them. 

How many corruption has not yet been expose? And how many times would the Filipinos be deceived? Presidents, chief of justice, now senators and congressmen - different scheming but it is always the same old story. They get to be a millionaire while millions are living in misery. What else is new?

Something got to change. The system, their selfish ways, the law, everything! They want war? Then let's give them war! GO People Power!

Bully in all of us

People seems drawn to drama. Or a story of  good vs evil? Or heroes and villains? However we look at it we looove to crucify and make fun of the villain/s in the story. We've seen a lot of them in real life. This time it's about this girl who bully a lady guard. I'm sure you have watched it but if not, turned on your tv, it might be still on local news.

I totally agree she is rude. After all, the lady guard already said she's sorry. Sorry for doing her job of confronting the girl in entering a wrong way? Somebody is being overacting all right. But as much as I want to dwell on that and put hatred things on the girl, I think the third party (tayo yun mga kapatid) on this incident should kept mum about the issue. Let us not do the same mistake the girl did: Bullying someone! It's enough she had her 5 minutes fame in the news field. Wag na nating palakihin by making a Group that hate her, or making photo captions of her, just dont make a big deal out of this. 

I don't like bullying. But the moment I open my mouth and say derogatory words against someone, I am violating that rule. Worse, the comments were publicized. So what say you, who chose to post uncessary and hurtful comments to the girl? Seems like a clear case of double standard. Ok lng pg tayo manlait sa iba pero pg iba ang gumagawa nun, todo lait tayo? 

There's a bully in all of us. But don't let it rule your life. 

Bangon Pilipinas!

I think Maloleño is at their lowest point right now. So many calamities in less than one week. First, was the fire in Malolos Public Market. My family, especially my mother who is a meat vendor there, were all worried that her stall will be burned. We're lucky my mom's place wasn't caught in the fire, but those businesses that were burn to ashes, that was just sad.

Then, came HABAGAT! Tuesday morning, we were watching news how many families were affected by the great flood cause by Southwest monsoon rain. The Filipinos were reminded of Ondoy once again. How it takes away lives and left million of properties destroyed. At that time, we are all praying that the rain would stop for good. We didn't know that the worst is yet to come to my hometown Malolos. One by one, baranggays were submerged in flood and homes were invaded including ours. A first! My  family decided to evacuate to our former house that is on higher ground and it has second floor. PAG-ASA said that the weather would not improve until Thursday so we have to took precautions and left.

ankle deep water inside

but outside the water is above the knee

Our town was all over the news. The officials were baffled as to how these happened to Malolos. Many typhoons, storms, rain came but this is really a first. But whatever the reason is, I am happy that it is over and as I am writing this, floods have subsided and we return to our house this afternoon. And after cleaning our house, it is good as new. ☺

This experience has teach me many lessons. Calamity can struck in any minute in any form. But what inspire me is after all these trials, I know that everything would be alright. I salute those who make an effort to help out and reach their hand to all who needs help. To my fellow Filipinos who are still in the evacuation area or your house is still submerge in flood, hang in there! We are stronger than any calamities put together! The Filipino spirit is waterproof, nothing can beat that! 

Rest in Peace

I just read the news. Dolphy, Philippines' King of Comedy, died at the age of 83. Messages from Facebook and Twitter are pouring and reading them makes me sad too. For the past days, we have been informed of the health condition of Sir Dolphy. We have been hopeful that he will pass this illness and recover totally and we will see him again making jokes and making people happy. But that's life. That's how God wants to take back the life He has bestowed on us. Finally, Sir Dolphy would be free of all the pain and he is now peaceful in the arms of Our Creator.

We're all gonna die. That's a fact. When people close to our hearts die, we feel devastated. I remember when my Lola Paning died, when I saw her in a coffin, tears just fell from my face. She is  my favorite lola and the ones I grew up with since my mom's mother died early. My fondest memory of my Lola Paning is when we sleep over in their house. She would gently combed my hair by her hand until I drifted off to sleep. When I do that "combing of hair" to my son now, I always think of my lola. I wish she could have met my son.

When my Ninang Gay died 2010, I was shattered too. She is like a second mother to me. She looks after us, she cheers us up, she never ran out of things to say. We all love her! Her death caught us all in a surprise because, she went to the doctor for a check-up and the next thing we know she is confined and in a critical condition. Then the news that shocked us all. :( It's been 2 years since she died but when I hang around in their house, I still miss her presence. If she had live long enough to meet my son, I know my son would love her too.

Death is inevitable. I know we always hear this, but we SHOULD really show our love to people we care about before they are gone forever. Don't wait too long. Because we never know if our time is up. Life is short. Live it well!

And so it is decided...

I've been glued to the TV since 2:00 PM. My mother had to miss episodes of her daily dose of afternoon telenobelas. Yes, like many Filipinos, I waited and watched the verdict on the Impeachment Trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. This is historic for us. The first Impeachment trial that push through. The first one was with the former President Joseph Estrada. And all I remember from that was the dramatic climatic decision whether to open or not an envelope. I am not good with history but the next thing I know, people were on EDSA again and then Erap was ousted. But this impeachment is done with great systematic procedures that was lead by the Honorable Judge (I always want to say that :) Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

There are 23 senator judges and it takes 2/3 of the total votes to decide whether CJ Corona will be convicted or acquitted. That means at least 16 senators should have the same vote to decide the fate of the defendant. I really don't have any idea how they will vote. I mean the defense is good! How they have cited some Republic Act laws that somehow justified Corona's excuse in not filing the correct SALN. And the reason why some properties were not included too. Besides, CJ Corona always say that he had done it in good faith and somehow I ask myself  "who are we to judge?". Maybe he was telling the truth for all we know. And when CJ signed a waiver giving consent to open his dollar account, the prosecution didn't cross-examine or even bother to look at it or show it to the public. Hey, I want to see that just for curiosity sake! Sen. Escudero is right when he said that the trial would have been decided earlier if only CJ just signed the waiver from the start then. So, that's how the defense goes. 

On the side of prosecution, there are lots of questions as to how they acquired their evidences. Sen. Defensor-Santiago always question the validity of it like the AMLC report, or the list of bank accounts that according to the prosecution was given by "a small lady." Somehow, the prosecution lacks preparedness and the legal skills that true blue lawyers have. How can you battle out with the likes of Retired Justice Serafin Cuevas? I mean they know the law inside and out. They are prepared, they know the proceedings. But despite the prosecution's lapse, there is that nagging truth about the ill-gotten wealth of the accused. What if it is true? What if he just manipulate all the facts? And the most important question: Can you trust again the highest legistative body if its own CHIEF JUSTICE has suspicions of graft and corruption? 

How would the judges weigh their decisions? My mind says ACQUIT, but my heart says CONVICT! And so the trial would have a 21 GUILTY votes if I am a senator judge because I always follow my heart ♥. You'll never go wrong if you follow what your heart says. And I think that is what the 20 senators did when they voted Guilty. Finally, the case has been decided... 

Hope this will make our country more united and finally let's move forward people!