CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA!

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CONTACT US at (02) 920-9063
Email: kangsonza@apc.essc.org.ph/admin@apc.essc.org.ph

I know this a reposting of some sort. But just wanted to remind people of an option for a Christmas present for this year. GIVE a GIFT that GIVES friends!

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Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center (APC), a non-stock, non-profit organization working at the forefront of Culture-Based Curriculum Development in the Philippines would like to give you the opportunity to give something more this Holiday season.

For 250 pesos, you can donate in the name of your friend as your Christmas gift to him/her. Just give us the mailing address of your friend and we’ll take care of telling your friend of this wonderful Christmas present you gave. We’ll be sending him/her a Christmas Postcard identifying you as the giver of such.  The said amount contributes to the supplies needed in the school and further supports the wider work toward culture-based curriculum development in the country.

Running for more than 10 years, in 2004, APC was legally established gaining recognition from the Department of Education as the first formal indigenous people-based education. It is strongly committed toward supporting UNESCO’s mother tongue medium of instruction to improve the quality of education for the marginalized sector and promote cultural diversity. . Furthermore, APC strengthens the implementation of culture-based education in Mindanao by partnering with education institutions to enhance the capacities of educators and education facilitators working with Indigenous children.

 At present, the school it is running up in Sitio Bendum, Bukidnon caters to over 100 students. APC also has about 20 high school and college scholars.

Super Baby Aliq!

Superman is back on earth! This time as a baby superhero. :)

Sssh..Don't tell anyone, it's our secret.

My HANDSOME NEPHEW is the newest superhero in town.

Coca Cola, Kasalo sa Pasko

"Sumasarap ang Pasko, pag Buhay Coke ay Buksan Mo!"

It would have been nicer if I got paid covering the event. But, fine fine, the great lunch at Mandarin was enough and I had fun joining the press launch of the Coke Christmas caravan last Nov.10. I became a fan of Makisig and Zanjoe that day, they are both very nice and very patient showbiz personalities. Walang reklamo, not even making faces, and that's not easy to find in showbiz.

I'm still no expert of my own camera and had difficulty with aperture and opening so some photos might seem overexposed (pasensya na, di pa expert sa digital camera).

A lighter side of life, makahinga naman tayo ng konti sa lahat ng nangyayari sa bansa. .. "Sumasarap ang pasko, pag Buhay Coke ay Buksan Mo." That song has been in my head since Saturday. haay, change song, change song..

Making Sense of Things

I doubt if I can.. make sense out of things I mean. Especially with this recent explosion at the House of Representatives.

One of the severely injured was a former teacher, Mam Luz Ilagan (Gabriela Partylist Representative). She was one of my favorite teachers in college and I have confidence in saying, I was one of her favorites too (things like that you just know). I was worried to have heard her name as one of the people rushed to the nearest hospital after the blast. For awhile I couldn't believe it. It was confirmed that it was indeed her, but with that confirmation was an assurance that she's already in a stable condition. So I texted some friends I knew were also close to her.

On my way to the office, passing by White Plains, the cab I was in and a white camry on its way inside the white plains subdivision almost hit each other. A case of selfishness on the road. If you ask me, the camry had a right of way (nakalabas na nguso nya eh), but the cab driver didn't easily budge. He let him pass, but not without a bit of cursing. He realized the camry wasn't supposed to be on the road as he was coding today.

And so the cab driver started to let out his thoughts.

"Ang yabang ng P_________ ito, coding pa man din! Ito talagang mayayaman, dapat patayin na ang mga yan. Kaya maraming nababaril eh..
Kaya dapat lahat ng tao may baril na eh, tignan natin ang yabang nyang mayayaman na yan. Kung di ko pagbabarilin ang mga yan.
Yang kongreso, dapat talagang pasabugin yang mga hinayupak na yan dyan eh." (At this point, I got quite a bit scared)

"Eh pinasabog na nga po eh, may mga inosente pang nadamay." I answer

"Wala namang ginagawa yang mga nasa gobyerno eh. Kung ako talaga terorista ang pasasabugin ko yang mga gasolinahan! Yang mga negosyante na yan, ang taas taas ng gasolina, yung fare naman di tumataas. Di ba? O kaya yang mga mall ganun."

"Naku, pano naman po yung mga sibilyan, yung mga walang kinalaman. Yung nakikidaan lang sa mall?" I initially decided to just listen but I couldn't help but react. If this person was on the verge of being totally helpless and nearing a point of actually planning to bomb a place, I must say something.

"Ah, hindi pag ano wala ng tao. Gabi! Yang mga nagpapasabog ng mall ng peak hours at ng bus, sira ulo yan. Ang sakin, yang mga negosyante! Yang mga mayayaman, pasabugin yan!
Tignan mo yang Ateneo, yung mga nag-aaral dyan, aminin na natin ha - karamihan dyan anak ng mga kurakot sa gobyerno, ano? Eh ang mahal, mahal ng tuition dyan, sino lang ba makakabayad dyan?"

"Manong, pasok na po kayo sa gate na yan... (Almost at my office already, thank God!) Di naman po lahat manong, may scholarships din naman po sa mga unibersidad. Meron ding ginagapang ng mga magulang na parehong nagtatrabaho."

"Oo, pero iilan lang." I have to admit, he's got a good point. "Sugapa pa nga yang mga yan, ang yayaman na, kaya magbayad ng tuition, sa UP pa nag-aaral pero iba-iba ang kotse sa isang linggo. Di na lang pagbigyan yung mga matatalinong mahihirap."

"Kanan po manong, dyan na lang sa may lobby... Eto po. Ingat po kayo, relax lang po ha."
I actually had nothing better to say. I couldn't think of anything to say that will make him feel better.

So the thoughts running in my head now are:
* How many have become as hopeless and cynical as that cab driver?
* How many of the public perceive the rich as selfish, evil and deserving of death? And what does the rich (the Uber rich) say and do about this?
* If that cab driver gets a gun (or has a gun) how many would he kill? And in the future would he really resort to severe violence just so he can feel some sense of peace and justice?
* Oh my country, my beloved country, what have they (we) done to you? You don't deserve this; your honest, hardworking, simple and good people don't deserve this.

I just can't make sense of things anymore. If only this is just one big bad dream I can easily wake up from, but it's not.