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We've Moved.

Check out our new blog site: Pangaraps v. 2

Blessing!

We moved. And as every promising new venture should be started, we began with a blessing.

Father Ted came and blessed our new office space and ourselves as well, imparting words of encouragement and of wisdom. With the state of our country, there's no turning back, he said. And as with everything worth fighting for, the work won't be easy. Six months into operations, we've each had our share of toil and turmoil, and expect more challenges to face.

But in the meantime, we celebrate keeping alive and afloat for almost six months, weathering literal storms, a break-in, a maddening mix of personal and professional matters, and the basic struggle for survival. Thank you to our families, our mentors, volunteers and friends for all the encouragement, support and inspiration.

Father Ted praying for us.

Literally ushering in the blessings.

Camille thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate cake.

Friends from school--where all the craziness and dreaming began.


Rhea and friends who graciously dropped by.

How the evening ended--with the Matutina Cleanup Mission and with Bern honing her toilet-repairing-powers while talking to Archie, as the rest of us fiddled with (and got really stressed over) our newfound wireless freedom. Thank you Jin for the patience.

Photos courtesy of Bern. For more photos, hop on over here.

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.