The Worst Natural Disaster Our Country is Facing

I got the following from Lette Teodosio's blog.



Donate and Help us Take Action. Every BOOT helps!

Donate Rubber Boots, Rubber Gloves and Masks!
Archie (0919 2253262)
Haydee (0928 2313193)
Lette R. Teodosio (0915.785.4035)

contact us at cleanupoilspill@gmail.com
you can also donate or pledge through projectsunrise.org
get updated through:
www.inq7.net
greenpeace.org
wwf.org.ph

Sunday, August 27, 2006
update on Guimaras oil spill

Dear Friends,

The Visayan Sea Squadron, currently headed by Atty. Antonio Oposa, along with Senator Cayetano, Congressman Acosta and Congressman Roces recently assessed the damage along Guimaras last August 26, 2006. With heavy hearts and tearful eyes, they watch helplessly as oil slick and sludge slowly ate up what was left of the rich marine life that was carefully protected by Guimaras. Recent reports have confirmed that four coastal towns of Iloilo have already felt the effect of the oil contamination, namely Ajuy, Concepcion, Barotac Nuevo and Dumangas. A few more days and it will reach Eastancia and the northern area of Iloilo, where Panay's fishing port is located. It is this alarming rate that more efforts in prevention of its continuing spread is taken.

As i type, the oil spillage slowly encompasses the areas around Guimaras Island and is now moving up towards the north through Guimaras Strait, damaging Panay and Negros in its wake. Families dependent on their fishing livelihood are robbed of their means of living. Our rich seafood is contaminated, and we are slowly but surely killed with health problems resulting from this terrible environmental disaster. With 2 million liters of oil spillage each day leaking out to destroy what is left of our natural resources along in Guimaras, recent reports say it is the worst natural disaster our country is facing.

We encourage fellow filipinos to help out in the cause of preventing its spillage to reach further waters, and as much as possible, clean up the damage done. We appeal to all filipinos to help out and be more aware of the situation. We appeal to members of Congress, the Senate and other government officials to help us by thoroughly investigating this matter and TAKE ACTION.

Idea!s

Remember that ideals
By Helen Steiner Rice

Remember that ideals
Are like stars up in the sky.
You can never really reach them,
Hanging in heavens high.

But like the mighty mariner
Who sailed the storm-tossed sea,
And used the stars to chart his course
With skill and certainty,
You, too, can chart your course in life
With high ideals and love.

For high ideals are like the stars
That light the sky above.
You can never reach them,
But lift your heart up high
And your life will be as shining
As the stars up in the sky.

Indigenous Youth as Instruments of Peace and Development

Around the world, the youth are connecting—to each other, to their communities, to futures they are empowered to choose. The Make a Connection Project is a collaboration of Nokia’s Community Development Program and the International Youth Foundation. To date, the project has reached 24 countries, changing the lives of over 280,000 youth since the year 2000.

Overseen by Consuelo Foundation here in the Philippines as the Philippine Indigenous Youth Leadership Training Program (PIYLTP), the project is implemented by 13 different organizations in the country for 18 different cultural groups, with a majority of the project sites located in Mindanao. Providing culture-based leadership and life-skills training programs, as well as small start-up funds for livelihood projects, the Make a Connection Project in the Philippines focuses on indigenous youth, recognizing their immense economic and socio-cultural potential.

Through the program, the indigenous youth learn to appreciate their unique culture, and use this awareness of themselves in applying their skills to various positive and productive endeavors. In a study conducted by The Heller School of Management of Brandeis University, ninety-one percent (91%) of the completers of the program have involved themselves in their communities by volunteering for various youth programs, such as the Sangguniang Kabataan, or youth against drugs. The same percentage of completers have also become economically self-reliant, already contributing to household expenditures through the livelihood programs they have learned from and continue up to this day. One hundred percent (100%) of completers say they have re-connected to their indigenous culture, using their own language, and participating in their traditional dances and rituals.

The various gatherings of the different participants of the Make a Connection project have also seen intercultural dialogue and understanding manifest among the different tribes.

All of these are documented in the publication Make a Connection: Nurturing Future Leaders prepared by Consuelo Foundation with the support of Nokia and the International Youth Foundation. The publication chronicles the implementation and results of the Make a Connection Philippine experience, complete with testimonials from the youth themselves. The publication is to be launched today at the Tiara Oriental Hotel in Makati City, in a simple program wherein the indigenous youth, together with representatives from Consuelo Foundation and Nokia will share their learnings.

The photo exhibit designed by Idea!s

Green Two with Melchor, a Higaonon youth.

Pink Five growls into the mic, Yellow Four cheers on and Illac prepares his powerpoint.

Blue Three poses as an indigenous youth.

Idea!ists and Elsa Ravelo, Senior Program Specialist of Consuelo Foundation, and beloved in-charge of the Make a Connection Project in the Philippines.

Newsbean #2

This one's for Red One's benefit. Our funky office now has a funky signage, thanks to Pink Five's wonderfully devious maneuverings and Red One's equally wonderful connection to Gem Signs. Thank you to Kuya Bong.

Yellow Four in the foreground, with Joy, Johnny Lao and Pink Five in the background. Our office was temporarily converted to tattoo shop one Saturday.

Jun's Story

The following is an unedited testimonial of Jun*, a teenager whom as of April 2006 was serving time in the Baguio City Jail. We met him when we visited the jail to document the Juvenile Justice Program of Child and Family Service Philippines. At the time we were there, Jun was like one of the big brothers of the other young inmates. Like any other youth, they were all active and engaging, shy at first, but then eager to express themselves. Like any other youth, their excitement and energy told of lives on the cusp, ready to begin. Like any other youth, they've made mistakes, some more terribly serious than most. But with proper guidance and social support, these kids can begin anew, armed with more grown-up learnings and realizations some of us may never even acquire.

I grew up with my grandparents as my parents got estranged when I was only 5 yrs old. I was made to live with my grandparents as my mom cared for her family.

In my younger years, I did not bother to ask about my dad. I remember when I was 13, grandfather took me to his work at the construction site where I got exposed to construction works and learned fast. Soon I began to earn my own money through working as an errand boy and doing menial jobs at the construction site. Then I got lonely and realized I missed my dad so much so I asked my grandfather about him, that I wanted to see him and find out how he had been since he left us. I easily found him and I was able to meet his new family. My frustration worsened and I got so disappointed at finding him with his own family and that left a feeling of rejection for me. Mom too has her own family. I now realized I belong to no one—not among them. “Where do I belong now?” This question haunted from then on. I began to rebel and started to drink and take drugs. I purposedly ruined my life. The rejection I felt led me to seek refuge from my friends until I joined a fraternity and embraced the activities of gang-life. My happiness was tremendous! It was overwhelming. I felt I belonged so dearly to friends who treated me as their brother and I enjoyed my life. Hence, I forgot I had mom and dad, I left my grandparents’ home and went along with my “brothers” wherever they took me. Going home became a rare event and only when I needed to change my clothes, which happened twice a month. Grandma oftentimes found me drunk and smoking cigarettes, yet she keeps on reminding me how alcohol, cigarettes and my other activities would ruin my life. I defend her and we quarrel as I rebelled more. This went on and on until I figured in an incident that involved me and two of my closest brothers in the fraternity. This has become my life’s turning point and has spelled this change that now has made me turn to God.

One night as my fraternity brothers and I got drank and we were in public park a rowdy group came looking for trouble. Recognizing them, I recalled that we had an encounter before with them. It is their grudge that brought them to where we were. All hell broke loose! Riot! As we were drunk and taken drugs too, we armed ourselves with deadly weapons. I held a knife in my hand as one of our enemies fell to his death. I can’t be responsible for his life! It happened so fast! Our enemies knew who we were so we ran for safety and cover. Hiding for four (4) days proved futile. I was sleepless for all those four nights as well as with my two “brothers”. We talked about giving in ourselves to the authorities. We did and now we are in jail and fighting this cruel and tediously boring court battle.

We suddenly found ourselves attending Christian services and fellowships while in detention. We listen intently to the preaching and absorb the message through Bible scriptures. There was an invitation about accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior and being reborn, we went to the front and cried our hearts out. Then we realized the wrong we have done, as we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.

From then on I have felt so light. My heart’s burden has been eased and my sleepless nights were gone. Praising and worshipping God has become my new way of life. Now I have a deeper understanding of what happened to my life and this happy disposition now. The bitterness and my bickering about the rejection I felt over the years has turned to love for my parents, as I have slowly now accepted my status in life. I know what I want now and how I should go about it. God has taught me all these and as I learned more about Him my love for mom and dad brings me this great longing for them and for my new brothers and sisters. I have come to know God better and keep in mind and heart that He died on the cross to save me from my sins. Having known this made me happier ever!

Chapel works and services become my favorite activity in the jail since I have been leading the praise and worship during our services. My life is complete at having learned to do all these for God. It is so ironic that I have come to know God here in jail. I also know who I am now and why I must go on living despite my loneliness for my family. My life is in God’s hands and my desire to change is what keeps me going on. I have this firm resolve and determination to offer all that I am to God and will do all I can for Him because my life is His. He has given me strength to face a new life and I know that He has forgiven me as I have likewise forgiven my dad. All blame is gone and love prevails in me. My prayers include my parents and all my relatives, the persons I have hurt, and I continuously plead to dear God to grant my prayers for my dad so that he too will come to know God and accept Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior like I did. Now, I realized that the real life starts when we committed our lives to Jesus Christ.

*Jun is not his real name.

Photo Me

Child and Family Service Philippines turns 19 this year. Having served Baguio (a city in the northern part of Luzon) and neighboring areas for almost two decades, CFSPI continues its commitment to children, youth, families and communities. Through caring, healing and teaching (CFSPI's anniversary theme), they have reached out to offer programs such as protective social services, youth leadership and early child development training among others, touching lives and giving hope.

A few months ago, the Idea!ists were engaged to document their programs in preparation for the production of their annual report. With photographers extraordinaire Bernice de Leon and Marc San Valentin, we trooped up north for three days of shutterbugging (and interviewing for me). The result: almost 4 gig of photos and a full IC recorder of interviews.

For an organization that relies on a steady communication stream with several stakeholders, great photographs are incredibly important. A good stock of well-composed, high-resolution photographs in documentation reports and communication materials is absolutely indispensable. Great visuals make compelling cases. They bring personalities, faces and emotion to development work, and literally provide a view of an organization's progress and circumstances. They make the advocacies and social issues real. Photos tell stories in themselves and can relay what words and numbers sometimes cannot.

For children's organizations, there is always the challenge of standing out among the cute sea of faces that drive people to coo and indulge the tugs at their heartstrings to help. Thoughtfully composed images help. I'll post more from that trip in later entries.

Marc and Bernice in action, padding in bare feet while photographing a sleeping baby in the next room. Earlier photo of kid playing with building blocks by Marc San Valentin.

Ah, starting early. Baby boy takes to Bernice's camera.