Back in my country, Philippines, poverty is widespread. Even though you see advancement in infrastructure, you can see the face of poverty and hunger in the slums within the city. You can see small children spending the night in the streets, looking in trash bins for left over and throw away foods to satisfy their grumbling stomachs.
For my personal view one of the reasons why amidst the advancement in my country, people in the low level have lost hope to rise up and bring back dignity in their lives. Some of this poverty stricken people are capable of a decent job to bring food in their table. The problem is they don't realize their capacity to be fruitful, as I barrow a line from a the Gawad Kalinga founder, Tony Meloto, "They have lost to dream".
We people who are in good standing and the governments should be able to bring back to this people the dignity to rise up from this poverty and lead these people to be self sufficient and in turn help other people to realize their potential.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Hunger and Poverty in my country
Friday, April 24, 2009
Maia Foundation........... please help us spread God's love
My good friend Rowin Santos and his family is holding a "Tsinelas" (slippers) distribution to less fortunate kids. Below is his email message to me regarding this event.
Would like to ask your help in making this project a reality.....it takes small steps to make our world a better place to live and it starts in each and everyone's kind hearts....
On May 10, 2009, Maia Foundation will organize the distribution of free slippers to the poor children, 7 years old and below, from the Parish of the Holy Spirit. These children, who line up with their parents to avail for the inexpensive NFA rice, can be seen walking and travelling without slippers, a basic necessity for all especially for children who are always unmindful of the paths they are walking on. In one particular barangay school, children entering the campuses are seen without slippers going to classes.
Each pair of rubber slippers cost roughly 20 Php and we aim to distribute 500 pairs.
In this regard, we are knocking at your door for your generous sponsorship of 100 Php or donation of 5 new pairs of slippers.
Financial donors and sponsors may send their contribution to the bank account below:
Matt Ezekiel Santos
Acct# 034-3-03420966-0
Metrobank BF Homes Paranaque Branch
(Please keep you bank receipt for record purposes and send us a short email notice of the transfer for our record-keeping. Thanks)
Have a blessed weekend to all.
God bless.
--
Posted By Rowin and Family to Maia Foundation on 4/23/2009 05:46:00 PM
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Looking at Google SketchUp7
I have recently downloaded Google's SketchUp 7, a free 3D designing software.
I was researching about how to create e-book and and how to create a 3D version of the book(the Virtual cover that is) and my search led me to this free software. Its a very nice software were architects can use to do 3D models of their work.Though it is not comparable to the superiority of Auto CAD one can practice with this one. Its nice to use it at first but as for my experience it never really help me picture out the dream house that I wanted due to my inability to do what architects do. Some work/output samples below taken from the Internet
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Good Friday..................Easter Sunday
I know I am quite late on this but would like to impart some of the understandings that I have between these two important days.
Good Friday is called "Good" because it is the day that our Lord Jesus Christ bought our redemption by His death in the cross. Though most of the theme of this day is sad especially when you relate this day to the movie "The Passion of Christ" we must be thankful to God because on this very day we commemorate His very great love for us. Traditions on this day is the usual Stations of the cross and the Good Friday service. Remember that there is no mass on this day. The afternoon service which usual starts on 3 o'clock pm consist of 3 parts:Liturgy of the Word, Veneration of the cross, and the Holy Communion. The readings will particularly recount Jesus sufferings up to His laying of the tomb. This day is similar to a necrological service;thus we have the Veneration of the Cross.Like a wake we fall in line to say our final good bye to the Corpus Christi. And then the Holy communion is distributed. On this day no sacrament is allowed to be performed except on urgent cases only for Baptism,Penance, and Anointing of the Sick. An exception for the mass is only granted by the Vatican See just like the mass celebrated last Good Friday for the casualties of the the earthquake at Coppito, Italy which killed about 200.
If you can only attend one Sunday mass, the Catholic church teaches us to attend the Easter Sunday mass. It is the most important mass that we attend because we commemorate Christ resurrection. Easter is important because if our Lord did not resurrected then what we believe in today is all falsity. Our faith will be pointless. The service on this day will be started by the blessing of the Easter Fire and the Paschal Candle. Then the usual mass celebration continues but with theme of the importance of the Risen Christ and the symbolism of life like the ringing of the bells while singing the Gloria. Also the blessing of the water is made and together with it either any new member of the Church is baptize to symbolize new life. After that all will be renewing their baptismal vows;that is denying Satan and his works and believing in Christ. Then the priest goes around to sprinkle water on all as if to baptize each member again. On this day we celebrate life.
Thus these two events are important because on these to days we remember the connection of Christ death to His resurrection, that is to die for us to redeem our souls from sin and to rise together with Him to the new life that our God has given us
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Understanding the Holy Thursday rituals
Holy Thursday is the start of the Easter Triduum. On this particular day two events are made by the Catholic Church.
Most of you will be wondering why the early mass are not celebrated on some parishes, that is because the Chrismal Mass is celebrated by the bishop or archbishop of the diocese. In this mass celebration the chrism or holy oil are blessed by the bishop. This chrism or holy oil is only blessed once a year and only the bishop has the power to do so. This are the very same oil use to anoint the sick, the newly ordained priest, newly confirmed Catholics, and other rituals of the church needing such anointing. In this celebration two sacraments are actually remembered. One is the sacrament of the anointing of the sick and the other is the sacrament of ordination.
If married people renew their marriage vows, every priest also renew their vows on this day. It is a commemoration of what they have promised as a priest that they will maintained to be chase, poor, and obedient to what the Catholic Church is teaching. It is a con-celebrated mass and the nice part of it is when all priest extend their hand to consecrate the body and blood of Christ, you can feel the sanctity and presence of the Lord.
On the afternoon we celebrate the Lord's Last supper. This too commemorates one of the sacrament which is the sacrament of the Eucharist. It is in this celebration that we are also reminded of what happened when Jesus was handed to the Pharisees and eventually led to His crucifixion. We commemorate the sacrifice of our own God for us humans. It teaches us the unconditional love of our Lord for us that He has sacrifice Himself for us in the most shameful way of death, that is to be crucified in a cross.
Website for "How to do" questions
I am just browsing the net searching how to increase my blog's view in order to generate adsense CPP when I stunbled to this site. This site www.ehow.com has its member a chance to post queries on how to do things and at the same time post ways or solutions to do such thing. It has this payment program for those who contribute by way of starting a new "how to topic" and putting in ways to do it or also giving or leaving a way or solutions to different posted "how to's".
They pay each contributor via Paypal. They even have this eHow Writers Academy to help you on how to increase your topic topic so that your chances of earnings will be up. It is in a way paid blogging only that topic on this site is ways or solution on how to do things.
I am one of the many guys trying to learn how to earn though the internet...paid blogging was one of the ways and the way to do it is via Google's Adsense. So why not try it yourself specially this times of financial crisis, its not bad to earn money on the sidelines....
Monday, April 6, 2009
Credit report anyone?
The current financial crisis has stricken our lives. The fear of losing one's job has always been lurking around us; who knows we might be the next. Another issue is one's credit report. I am a Filipino currently working here in Guam and its kinda hard to have a line of credit. I did have credit cards back in the Philippines and with that I thought it would be easy for me to get a credit card here in Guam. But to my surprise I was declined due to the fact that i don't have a credit record. The first financial institution and applied with sent me a letter that even though I provided my current Philippine credit card I have no credit card of sort based on their search in Experian.
I waited for quite sometime and wondered if I can apply to where I have a bank account. I did get the card after setting up a collateral account with a 110% deposit corresponding to the credit limit they granted me. I still asked them why was I not given a credit card when I have been a good credit card holder back in the Philippines. The answer was that probably even though I have a Philippine credit card and with an international credit card company the records in the US doesn't show that I had such.
I have been using my Visa card which was issued here in Guam for sometime and just awhile ago tried a free credit rating website freecreditreport.com and as expected I still don't have any credit report.
Question is why do we need to look after our credit report. One thing is, specially this time of belt tightening, we must make sure we have a good credit standing in order for us to avail of loans in the most worst time of need. Along side with the financial crisis cost of living is rising and sources of money are narrowing down.
Anyone who can help me know my credit report?I hope yours is good.....
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Bear market
As everyone is aware, we are in what investors say "Bear Market". It is a stock market situation characterize by a continuous drop in market and investor confidence in the market within a period of at least 2 months and a drop of about at least 20% of the financial market.
What does this thing mean to an ordinary people like you and me? Well as you know now companies are doing cost cutting measures to stay profitable in spite of the great lost brought about by this economic downturn. Back in the Philippines I heard the continuous job cuts and business closures just like that of Fedex who opted to transfer operations to China for cheaper operating cost, cutting working hours and salary reduction plans. Its a most for companies to do such to continually earn investor confidence in them and prevent owners from backing out their investment.
But in spite of the downturn, this period of market slump is also one of the awaited time for investors for every stock is on sale. It is more called "The Buyer's market" due to the fact that every stock in the trading floor is on sale. Its the best time for newcomers to the stock trading game to invest money because their money can afford to buy good stocks. You can visit online stock brokers to help you out in starting your investing experience. You can visit citiseconline.com to try their 7 day trial period. If you have no idea where to start and are afraid that just asking a stock broker will be with a heavy fee try attending free seminars offered by the PSE. You can visit their website pse.com.ph for schedule of free seminar on stock trading.
As they say financial ignorance is costlier so start educating yourself about the stock market and investing(yup I just started learning about these things and i'm now in my late 20's). Start reading the business section of the newspaper like Philippine Daily Inquirer and reading business and financial books like 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich by Bo Sanchez or Think Rich Pinoy by Larry Gamboa or Rich Dad,Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
Gadgets Galore
Finally bought my new laptop after about two years of using my old and handy dandy Neo Laptop. I was canvassing for the past 6 months becuase I know laptops these days easily change and daily updates and upgrades are poppong out.
I was torn between an Acer laptop and a HP laptop. Acer has just been new to my consideratio list. Most of my preferences would be HP due to the fact that my former IT manager when I was till working with Orica Philippines suggest that capability and service wise, HP is the good choice than Toshiba and IBM. And so I shop aroound the limited computer retailers and shops here in Guam for the best price and got a glipse of an Acer with the so good features I wanted. But of course I still inquired about HP but to my dismay what is common to all the shops I inquired is Acer, Toshiba, and Asus.
There was a laptop that currently matches my specifications and it was an Acer unit. It has 3G Ram, 320G HDD, built in webcam, wifi ready, and a wide screen. Looking at the price of about $1,050.00 I quite have some hesitations. So I look at others. One notable one is the Asus brand. They are good units do but downside is price. I know the built of an Asus unit has been regarded as superior than other laptop thus the pricey tag. My mind was torn between these two and I ask the retailer to give me som time to thnin about it.
A week pass and i was ready to buy the Acer but to my surprise it was sold a day before. Being desperate for a laptop unit to aid me in my work...I settled for an Asus laptop for $1,200.00, quite pricey yet I am confident that this thing wont let me down in my work. With its 2G RAM, Core 2 Duo Intel processor, 250G HDD and 15.2" wide screen my work and surfing experiene will be up and running.
You can visit Asus.com for more info on their products.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Picture Happy
With the advent of technology, pictures are easily shared across the wires and across the globe. To the extreme, film can be easily made and shared to the internet. Life is now captured not only in a moment, but every single moment of it.
Looking at my friends profile, I feel kinda envious. I can see their happy faces in the photos that they posted on social networks. Looking into my own profile, it seems that I am all left alone and happiness is drained out of me. Probably I lost the passion to post and to write about the things that I feel. To the point that all is just passing by.
Sometimes I also wonder if the pictures posted are handpick only to show what each and everyone wanted to be seen. Nobody wanted to show one's bad story. Everybody lies. But as I always remember that being happy is one's choice and not the product of circumstances. But we are only human, most of the time we are irrational due to our poor foresight on our sorroundings. Life is a choice but to tell you the truth I myself have hard time choosing to be happy . Everyone is playing the game of life in a plain playing field.
Happiness is one's choice.
