E-flowers for Glorietta victims' families

IN AN earlier post, I called for prayer and sobriety. At least there is one who positively responded to this call--that is Señor Eric who posted the prayer of St. Francis in his blog, then followed by Rhodora who posted a very beautiful prayer.

Waiting for a few hours, and when no one heeded my call to show sympathy to the bereaved, I asked 3 of my Flickr groups (Semana Santa Filipinas, Pinoycentric, and Pinoy Kodakero) to post their flower photos as a sign of sympathy to the bereaved. I was surprised with the response. I believe these people are very busy, yet they found the time to post something for the Glorietta victims' families. Many have already responded, and I hope there would be more in the coming hours/days. I never thought it is possible. We usually/ normally send real flowers. But this time, we realize e-flowers will make it possible!

Here are the links to the groups:

Pinoy Kodakero
Pinoycentric (no posters yet)
Semana Santa Filipinas (sorry no link since it is exclusive to group members, so I am posting the links of the members):

rouel-tofe
geto
bekbeklozada
eric celudo
celso capili (private photo)
pauloruiz
bleak 1
bleak 2
kabuki ph
lenareh
lulot ruiz
Never sleep, never die (no link)
jemuel paulino (no link)

By Pinoy Bloggers:
Requiem by Deeper Shade of Blue
E-flower for Glorietta Victims by ApplesH
Flowers for Requiem by Echo
E-flowers for innocent victims of Glorietta Blast by Tom
E-flowers for families....by Nadine

We may not be able to send real flowers to the families. But through the internet, we, photograhy enthusiasts, have shown sympathy in our own little way. The message is clear--we are one with them.

_____________________________
UPDATE AS OF 10-24-07, 8:30pm

This just came in!

Earlier I have called for prayer and sobriety, which was followed up by my call for photographers to post a flower for Glorietta victims and their families.

It was not expected, but fellow blogger Erwin Oliva, who happens to be a PDI writer, too, noticed my blog. Honestly I did not know how I could show these photos of flowers (read: show of sympathy) to the family of the victims. Rhodora, who posted a really nice prayer suggested television. But I guess, that would be self-promoting. Erwin Oliva is a blessing in disguise.

Below is the link to the article he wrote, entitled:
Virtual flowers offered to Glorietta mall blast victims

This is already a great leap from this lowly blogger to get the message accross the country and the entire globe. You are still welcome to share your prayers and keep on posting your flower photos (even if it was taken only with a celfone camera).

God Bless!


Related Post:
A call to Pinoy bloggers for prayer and sobriety
Summary of supporters

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Romblon Chronicles Part 2: Facing fear

IT TOOK ME ONE HOUR to reach the town of Calatrava via a big version of jeepney. The road was in good condition except for some unpaved parts. It was fortunate that the rain the previous night spared me from heat and dust. Actually, it was a fine day, when you could smell the sweet morning breeze, the scent of freshly mowed grass, appreciate the newly plowed rice fields waiting for new seeds to be planted, the people were nice, and most of all, seeing the sun rays peeking through the mountains and trees along the road.

Continue reading

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A call to Pinoy Bloggers for prayer and sobriety

We have all witnessed the Glorietta 2 Tragedy. I wanted to discuss this in my blog and share a piece of my thought and inject my analysis.

However, something prevents me from doing so. It is not just right banking on this issue just so I could write something on my blog. Moreover, I would only be adding confusion to the issue which is still baffling, after all.

What is important for me right now is that rooting for the victims of this inhumane act.


So this blog calls for all Filipinos to blog for prayer and sobriety. Never mind the link. You can cut and paste this one.

Another blogger typing (or cutting and pasting) the Prayer of St Francis will somehow ease the pain and the sorrow for the families of the bereaved and those who were hurt and are still recuperating in their hospital beds.

Let this be a call for national prayer and an action for Pinoy bloggers. Let us forget first pinpointing as to who the culprit is. Let us join the families of those [9] persons who perished, and more than a hundred to help them heal their wounded body and spirit.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Master, grant that I may never seek so much to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love with all my own.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

God Bless!

Note: Pease signify your joining this simple blog action by leaving a message under this post. and ask your readers to do the same when you repost your own blog. Thanks


Please see related posts:

e-flowers for Glorietta victims' families by Inkblots
A call for peace by Señor Enrique
Let peace reign by Rhodora
Let there be peace by ScroochChronicles
May you find peace by Nerdluck
Peace on earth by Aura
In Memoriam by Beachbabe

Please see Summary for the Complete roster of supporters to this cause.


UPDATE AS OF 10-24-07, 8:30pm

This just came in!

Earlier I have called for prayer and sobriety, which was followed up by my call for photographers to post a flower for Glorietta victims and their families.

It was not expected, but fellow blogger Erwin Oliva, who happens to be a PDI writer, too, noticed my blog. Honestly I did not know how I could show these photos of flowers (read: show of sympathy) to the family of the victims. Rhodora, who posted a really nice prayer suggested television. But I guess, that would be self-promoting. Erwin Oliva is a blessing in disguise.

Below is the link to the article he wrote, entitled:
Virtual flowers offered to Glorietta mall blast victims

This is already a great leap from this lowly blogger to get the message accross the country and the entire globe. You are still welcome to share your prayers and keep on posting your flower photos (even if it was taken only with a celfone camera).

God Bless!

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Romblon Chronicles - Part 1: A bitter-sweet rendezvous with RO-RO

Finally, I am able to sit down and write what I have gone through almost two weeks ago. A week after I went to Batanes for a work-related trip which I blogged here, here, here, and here, I went to Romblon last October 4 for a consulting work with the Peace and Equity Foundation.

I was both excited and anxious about my trip to Romblon. Had it not for the consulting fee (lolz!) and the important social mission I have to accomplish (I will blog about it later.), I would not go to Romblon.

First, I was full of apprehension, because it was my first time to take a RO-RO cruise for more than 7 hours, and at the same time I felt excited to see for myself what a RO-RO (Roll On-Roll Off) is all about and why PGMA is boasting and taking pride of the nautical highway. The longest boat ride I had to take was the trip to Lebak, Sultan Kudarat where we had to pass by the Celebes Sea (another fearsome adventure!) from Cotabato City.

Second, I fear the sea. Yes, I love the beach, but not crossing the sea especially at this time of the year when the Southwest monsoon (habagat) is at its peak. More importantly, I have not gotten rid of my fear after I almost drowned in Illana Bay in Pagadian City during one of my official trips 2 years ago--and this boat below almost killed me! The propeller was detached from the boat which caused it to sink. Had it not been for a woman who went out of their house located near the shore, and who saw us waving in distress, I would not have been blogging now. (And good thing we were only at least 1,500 meters away from the shore.)



Cruising for more than 7 hours from Batangas pier to Odiongan, Romblon was just a part of service and commitment ro poverty alleviation. Certainly, it gave me the creeps because we had to sail at night! Then in Pagadian, we only sailed for less than 5 minutes and our boat sank! It was a relief, however, that I had to ride a huge ferry that can carry at most 20 fully-loaded ten-wheeler trucks!

Wow! I thought it was cool, but not until I boarded the ship. Although I trust the crew not to overload, I was still paranoid because these ferries have the tendency to overload. We have witnessed disasters in the past! As the first instinct, immediately after boarding, I had to look for the exits and find out where the life vests are stored. I was just being cautious and preparing for any eventuality. Who knows?

I got a ticket for an "air con" accomodation, which I learned later that it was the section with double-decker beds. However, I did not use it except for one hour at around 1AM when my body could no longer stand the physical strain. Why? The room was emitting odor of human sweat and human heat because apparently, the air conditioning is not enough to cool the entire room. Rather, I stayed on the deck where it is colder. Because there are no seats on the deck, I had to endure more than 7 hours of walking, standing, sitting on railings and on any available flat surface so that I could rest my wobbly and cramped legs. The trip would have been a complete disaster, save for the people I chatted with, and bland instant coffee to keep me awake.

Reflecting on this, the government should look into this matter. The management should ensure the comfort of the passengers, as well. I would not mind cruising for long hours to go places like Romblon--if I were comfortable. Perhaps the ferry management is not aware of the plight of the common people who only rely on this kind of transportation, or perhaps, they simply have become insensitive and callous of the travelling conditions. Because PGMA is lauding their contribution to the transport of produce to and from the provinces, they may have the notion that they are doing perfectly well. Also, no one is complaining.

So here I am ranting that:

1. The customer service is bad; some crew members are even impolite (that I had to force myself to lower my expectations--after all, it is not a plane);
2. The service crew members are nowhere to be found near the passenger area, especially during the wee hours. (What if? Just what if....? There would be no one to guide us all.).
3. The passenger areas are humid and hot.
4. The "bed area" is too cramped, which would be aggravating emergency situations
5. Exit passageways are blocked by passengers' luggage; One exit is even closed, and
6. The comfort rooms are dirty and stinky (This I could not tolerate!)

There may be more but these are the only major observations I noted.

When I arrived in Odiongan at 4:00 AM, I felt so wasted that I immediately checked in the small hotel near the pier and dozed off until 7AM. At 8AM I was again on my way to Calatrava, where another boat ride going to Simara Island was waiting for me!

Not again!

(Watch out for the sequel!)

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Filipino youth, creativity and poverty alleviation

The Peace and Equity Foundation is enjoining the Filipino Youth to be part of its effort on poverty alleviation through a creative writing and photo essay contest with the theme dubbed as "Mga kulay ng kahirapan, hamon ng kinabukasan."

This is in conjunction with the 2007 Social Development Week celebrations in December this year to be held at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City.

As the primer on the contest says:

"The contest aims to create awareness and educate the youth on the country's poverty situation. Through creative writing and photography, the youth are given
the opportunity to express their learning and appreciation of the prevalence of poverty in the country, as described in the National Poverty Map. Their works will then be used to generate more interest in PEF's poverty reduction programs."

Contest Theme:

Poverty in the Philippines comes in many faces: faces of sadness, despair, fear, anxiety and perhaps anger for the pain and suffering that people go through. But through the cooperation of community members and with the active involvement of stakeholders, these dull images could be filled with color and life. As the poverty situation in our country is a story filled with the stark contrasts of colors, we face the challenge of creating new faces of hope, excitement, optimism and determination to fulfill the promise of a better and brighter tomorrow. Hence the theme, "Mga Kulay ng Kahirapan, Hamon ng Kinabukasan"

I would have wanted to join this contest but I am not qualified to participate. The contest is open only to students. If you are, bring out your creative juices and participate.

Please click this LINK for the contest rules.

Note: The publication of the theme and some details of the contest were lifted from the PEF Website, and with express permission from the PEF.

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Niche Blog--My new baby

I have always wanted to have a niche blog on politics and governance in the Philippines. However, there are some things that I have to take into consideration in blogging about politics and governance.

First, I have to be very careful with what I say, unless I want to be embroiled in an uncompromising legal situation. The topics in my new blog may be very ticklish, that is why I have to be more aware of the legal implications of my ideas written in my blog. You know--legal stuff like libel.

Second, I have to be very conversant with what I will blog about politics and governance. So I decided not to limit myself with just politics and governance. I have to be "developmental" so that I could cover topics such as ecology, sustainable development, poverty alleviation, public policy, etc.

Third, I must really devote time and effort for research so that I would be able to speak my mind and be relevant and with a POINT.

Fourth, I must be able to create a separate blog about this. Finally, I have the time, and I was able to make another niche blog. So I am happy to introduce my new niche blog:



This is still at its infancy, so please bear with the few and republished (cross-posted) articles in the meantime. So click this icon banner that will direct you to my new blog:

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