Students for Typhoon Ondoy

The response of the government for Typhoon Ondoy has been criticized. In a story published in the Inquirer website, Sen. Logarda says, “It’s plain incompetence of the leadership, and government was absent,” said Sen. Loren Legarda. There is a pending bill on “disaster risk management.” Senator Biazon has blamed the NDCC “for the slow passage of the bill in the House of Representatives.”

While there are many criticisms, the response of many Filipinos has been praised here and abroad. There are many continuing untold and unpublished stories around us. And these includes the hundreds of young students who fill campuses, å barangays halls and warehouses around the city where they are packing relief goods for the typhoon victims.

Schools like UST, La Salle, UP and Ateneo have pulled in their students and teachers into their campuses to pack relief goods. These volunteers have given up their holidays to provide hands which have touched the hearts of many.

Officers and staff members of the UST Central Student Council have brought in concerned students for the packing of relief goods, clothes and other items for the typhoon victims. This operation was called “Tara Tomasino, Tulong Tayo.” Maybe, UST can adopt 400 families who are victims of Typhoon Ondoy as part of its 400th year program?

Ateneo de Manila University also opened up its campus to volunteers and victims. Students who need help or know of people who need help and text the name, location, and contact number to (+6329088877166). The school is now an open shelter and accepts refugees. Call (+632917-8952792)

There is an Ateneo DREAM Team established in Sept 2006 to coordinate the efforts of various units within the school toward the relief and rehabilitation of disaster victims. DREAM stands for Disaster Response and Management Team. The Dream Team runs Ateneo Task Force Ondoy, in partnership with the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan.

De La Salle University-Manila is accepting donations and goods. Drop off at the South Gate of DLSU-Manila. DLSU Medical Center is also accepting canned goods, blankets, clothes and water. Drop-off point is at Congressional Avenue, Dasmarinas, Cavite. You can (02) 844-7832 and (046) 416-4531

UP Diliman USC is collecting food, clothing and/or cash. Contact Titus 09178001909, Jose 09273056607 and Tin 09154906106. UP College of Arts and Letters (CAL) is accepting goods and cash. Donation center at CAL/text 0929-6454102

Assumption College is now accepting donations. These can be dropped off at the AC guardhouse inside San Lorenzo Village. St. Pedro Poveda College is accepting relief goods. You can call the Social Action Center 6318756 loc. 121.

All these students continuing presence in the flooded streets and inside their own campuses have made the country proud!

Disaster Preparedness

Nearly one week after Typhoon Ondoy brought havoc and tradegy into thousands of families in and around Metro Manila, specially, in Pasig, Marikina and Cainta, there are still many Filipinos within our midst and own communities who need are help. Photos credits to Reuters.

I got this list below from Lisa Bruan, via a forwarded email. You can see many ways and means on how we can help.

1. Victory Fort is opening its doors to those affected by the typhoon. Call 813-FORT.

2. NoyMar relief Operations: Clare Amador (+639285205508) or Jana Vicente at +639285205499). Drop off for relief donations is at Balay Expo Center across Farmers Market Cubao.

3. Miriam Quiambao drop off points: One Orchard Road Building in Eastwood, or message http://www.twitter.com/miriamq for more details.

4. Philippine Army Gym inside Fort Bonifacio or GHQ Gym in Camp Aguinaldo are now distributing donations for Ondoy Victims.

5. Team Manila stores in Trinoma, Mall of Asia, Jupiter Bel-Air and Rockwell shall be accepting relief goods (Canned Goods, Ready-to-drink Milk,Bottled Water and Clothes) for distribution by Veritas.

6. Caritas Manila Office at Jesus St., Pandacan Manila near Nagtahan Bridge (+632-5639298, +632-5639308)

7. Radio Veritas at Veritas Tower West Ave. Cor EDSA (+632-9257931-40)

8. Aranaz Stores in Rockwell & Greenbelt is accepting donations of any kind for Payatas communities affected by Ondoy

9. Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan Task Force Noah, a disaster response arm of the Jesuits, is accepting donations. Please drop it off sa Ateneo Cervini Dorm.

10. Red Cross Load Donations: Right now the easiest way to make donations from the seat of your chair is via mobile phone load. The Red Cross Rescue and Relief Operations. Text: REDAMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4483 (Smart)

11. Ateneo de Manila University is now accepting donations for the victims of Ondoy. Donations can be dropped at MVP Lobby. For those stranded/those who need help: To all students who need help or know of people who need help. Please text the name, location, and contact number to (+6329088877166). ATENEO, which is now an open shelter, accepts refugees. Call (+632917-8952792)

12. Papemelroti stores in 91 Roces Ave. / Ali Mall Cubao / SM City North EDSA / SM Fairview / SM Megamall / Glorietta 3 in Makati / SM Centerpoint / SM Southmall are accepting relief goods (canned goods / milk / bottled water / clothes – NO CASH pls.)

13. Our Lady of Pentecost Parish (+632-4342397, +632-9290665) per Gabe Mercado, donations are very much welcome. The Parish is located at 12 F. Dela Rosa corner C. Salvador Sts., Loyola Heights, Quezon City.

14. Hillsborough Village Chapel – Water, blankets, shoes, and clothes may be sent to Hillsborough Village Chapel in Muntinlupa City. These will go to families whose houses were washed out in the nearby sitios.


15. Greenhills/Mandaluyong/San Juan Area, if you want to help out with the rescue and relief operations, you can drop off your donations (clothes, food, etc..) at La Salle Greenhills Gate 2 tomorrow or volunteer from 9am to receive, sort, repack the donations.

16. “LUZON RELIEF: Volunteer / Donate / Pray”: Donations can be brought to RENAISSANCE FITNESS CENTER, 2nd Floor, Bramante Building, Renaissance Towers Ortigas, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City starting MONDAY (Sept.28) / 9am – 7pm Contact Person: Warren Habaluyas (+632929-8713488) or email at luzonrelief@gmail.com

17. Katipunan Avenue. Contact Erica Paredes at (+632917-4741930) — they need bread, packed juice, sandwich filling (tuna, chicken, anything) You can help her make them, deliver the sandwiches to her house, or help her distribute! Call for more details.

18. Citizens Disaster Response Center (CDRC): Relief goods for typhoon victims being accepted at 72-A Times St., West Triangle, QC. Tel (+632-9299820/22)

19. Tulong Bayan hotlines for donations and volunteers are (+632908-6579998) Marilyn, (+632939-3633436) Jenn (+632-9137122, +632-9136254 & +632-9133306).


20. AKBAYAN’s taking donations, call 433-69-33/433-68-31 to donate or volunteer.

21. Worldvision Foundation is also accepting donations/volunteers to pack relief goods in QC. For $donations, BPI:USDacct #4254-0050-08

22. Xavier School in San Juan is now accepting donations, please bring to Multipurpose Center (MPC).

23. Move for Chiz is asking for volunteers at Bay Park Tent, along Roxas Blvd., beside Max Restaurant and Diamond Hotel in Manila, or at Gilas Minipark at Unang Hakbang St., Gilas Q.C.

24. Sen. Kiko Pangilinan is accepting donations @ AGS Bldg Annex, 446 EDSA Guadalupe Viejo. Contact Vina Vargas at (+632917-8081247)

25. Operation Rainbow (Zac Faelnar Camara) at Ayala Alabang Village needs Canned Goods, Ready-To-Eat Food, Bottled Water, Ready-To-Drink Milk/ Juice, Clothing, Blankets, contact (+632-4687991)

Please call given contact details and find out how you can help and make your presence felt to thousands of families who need our help and prayers too!

No matter how big or small, every amount of sweat or little piece of used clothes or blanket would bring warmth to many hearts.

Presidential Presence on Letterman

A couple of daya ago, David Letterman pulled off a "casting coup" on late night television when we had President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton on his show, consecutively...one night after another.


Competition on late night TV became tighter as Jay Leno moved into primetime and Conan took over his slot at NBC. Often, Letterman would joke that even his mom watched Conan, but would definitely have watched the Obama episode.

Letterman is one of the longest running late night TV host, since Johnny Carson passed away a few years ago. It was reported that Carson had always wished Letterman take over his show and not Jay Leno. And at 62, he is one of the oldest too and nearly as old as Clinton, who turned 63 last August 19. He is a LEO like me. Hmmmmm.

You can check out this link to watch part of the interview.

Kim Clijsters as a winning mom

She is the first mom to win a major title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1980 at Wimbledon and Margaret Court in 1973.

Yup, at 26, Kim Clijsters achieved it a couple of days ago, with her win over Carolina Wozniacki in New York. The final score was 7-5, 6-3. And Chief and I saw the final minutes of the game as we were in the waiting room of the Heart Station, Makati Medical Center. She was scheduled for a thread mill test that Monday morning.

With her win, she pushed her up the WTA rankings. Now, she is 19th after 2 ½ years of retirement. And she had only played two tournaments after coming out of retirement.

"Little things like that are very special, because you never know how many more of those years you're going to have," Clijsters said.

She gave up the professional circuit a couple of years ago to focus on her family in Belgium. Any active professional player would know that toll that 4 Grand Slam Tournament takes, and not to mention the little tournaments in-between.

She is going home to be with her 18-month-old daughter Jada and husband Brian Lynch. "Obviously in Belgium things are going to be a lot more hectic now again for me when I get back home," Clijsters said a day after winning her second Grand Slam title. "I just want to make sure it doesn't influence Jada too much, that she still has that normal life."

Kim cites the important need to be happy and her presence at home and with her baby is a top priority. "First you need to be happy," Clijsters said. "As a mother now, everything around me needs to be happy before I can go out there and play good tennis and be relaxed on the court. … If all those things fall into place, then the results will follow automatically.

New reports say that the night before the final, Clijsters wasn't watching videotape of Wozniacki. She was watching "Ice Age" with Jada.

Her presence at home serves as an inspiration to many moms, not only tennis moms!

Remembering Lolo Perico and "Tatang"

Today is grandparent’s day! A friend in Facebook reminded me of today’s milestone. Also in Mass earlier at St. John Bosco Church, the priest reminded the parishioners it was “Grandparent’s Day.”

I remember that I spent a few years with my Lolo Perico in his old house in 926 Maria Christina Street, Sampaloc. He used to teach me Spanish and going through his older years, I was taking care of him, even before the word “care-giving” became a buzz word. I would give him a bath, using Palmolive soap, which my Tita Betty would buy for everyone at home. He liked to listen to classical music over DZFE and would notice if I changed the radio to another radio station. We used to watch “Kuwentong Kutsero” aired in the old Channel 7. That show was a popular satire on local politics.

And it was also because of my Lolo Perico that I took my first plane ride. Yup, I was in high school, when we both went to Daet, Camarines Norte. I think I was 13 or 14 years old.

From my mom’s side, I remember Lolo Teroy, more fondly called “Tatang.” We would go and visit him in Angeles City, during Christmas time and town fiestas. He lived alone in his house, but within the Garcia lot in Angeles City. Every Christmas, all of us cousins would fall in line and he would hand out crisp five or ten peso bills. The older cousins would fall in line twice or thrice, thinking that he would not remember.

Wherever both are right now, am grateful for your presence in our lives.

Happy Grandparent’s Day!

Noynoy Aquino's Presence in the presidential race

Today is supposed to be a lucky day. Three 9s.

Senator Noynoy Aquino would surely need more than luck as he announced his intention to seek higher office! I was expecting that he would join the presidential race, as he had vowed to continue the work of his parents!
"I will be there because of the people, I will stay there because of the people and hopefully I will be true to my word to serve the people," says Aquino.

He made his announcement at Club Filipino. This is the same place where history witnessed Tita Cory be sworn in as president after the 1986 EDSA Revolution. I wouldn’t say the late president led the revolution as it was the the thousands in the streets of EDSA during those four days in February who risked life against Ferdinand Marcos.

The young senator, who is one year older than me, will run under the opposition Liberal Party which has been a fierce critic of the present government.

He says, "I want to make democracy work not just for the rich and the well-connected, but for everybody."
Now, will Noynoy’s presence in the political arena be strong enough to bring Filipinos out of their homes and into the public arena? Whether it be in schools or in the streets, Filipinos, specially, the youth need to get involved and make their own presence felt to support the right candidate who will lead by example with good governance! Photos taken with my Canon "Rebel" DSLR during the anti-Con Ass rally held in Makati City last June 2009.

Good luck Noynoy!