January 21, 2014

#GLOBEProjectWonderful2014: Gift to the Philippines-Discipline and Education

I love my country and I’m proud to be a Filipino. And I have tried my best to be a good, law-abiding and patriotic citizen in my own little and big ways, ever since. I still agree with Andres Bonifacio, one of our national heroes, when he said in his poem Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa: Aling pag-ibig pa ang hihigit kaya... Sa pagkadalisay at pagkadakila, Gaya ng pag-ibig sa Tinubuang lupa? (What love can be purer and greater than love of country? What love? No other love, none.) I’m not a soldier who fights battles, I’m  not a social worker who works for the government and just receives an allowance, nor an activist who fights for a cause. I’m far from being a hero. But that doesn’t hinder  me from helping others, be vigilant and become a responsible member of the community.




I have a lot of things that I can think of if given an opportunity to help out and give something to my country. There are both intangible and tangible things that are in my mind now. But what stands out now are the ideas of Discipline and Education.


If I can give something to the Philippines that is not material, that would be Discipline. I hate to admit it, but we  Filipinos have been known to be a group of people who lacks discipline. It is very evident through some examples like the amount of trash that we generate, the heavy traffic in our streets, the rivers that we have polluted, the floods that we have experienced, the street accidents that we see on the news. Many of our country's problem is brought about by our lack of discipline.




If one person wakes up one morning and decided that "starting today, I will follow rules and the law, I will be a disciplined citizen." And religiously and conscientiously does this everyday for the rest of his life, and other people will see this change and because of this example others will follow suit.





If this will be our mentality, don't you think our country would be a better place to live in? Where:
- people don't throw their trash just anywhere
- drivers follow their lanes
- public utility vehicles stops at points only where it is allowed to drop or pick up passengers
- people cross where it s only allowed to cross the street
- motorists follow the speed limit and are diligent
- people know how to fall in line and don't cut in a line
- we arrive in meetings or gatherings on time
- we don't vandalize


And other thousand more things that we can do to show discipline.



I vouched to be a Filipino with Discipline. I believe that we can be a great and prosperous country if each and everyone of us resolve and consider to be disciplined. We can not remain to be just envious of other countries like Singapore, Malaysia. Hong Kong or Japan, who are now top-class nations because their governments impose strict rules to discipline their inhabitants and the citizens of these said countries know and whole-heartedly follow the rules  not just because it is the rule/law but because they respect their countries. We can be like them, and I hope we can find it in hearts that we are not following rules just because, but as a result for our love for our own native land.


The tangible thing that I want to give to the Philippines is the gift of  Education. I still believe when our national hero Jose P. Rizal when he said that: "Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan..." (The youth is the hope of our country). And how is this so? By empowering the youth through education




I still strongly believe that education is the key for success; yes, there are those who make their lives and the lives of their loved ones easier and comfortable by making a living and succeeding in their fields even though they have not finished school. But that's one in a million. Having proper education will still give someone an edge to survive in this world. One can get a better paying job, thus, one will have greater chances of helping his/her family for a better life.



I am one good example of that, I was able to finish college through the help of my family, especially my grandmother. Through having a good education, I am able to have a well-paying job, enjoy some of life's luxuries and somehow help my family. Education, together with hardwork, I know I will be able to make a great future for myself and my future family. 

With that being said, to answer the question: "If there is one thing you can give to the Philippines, what is that gift?”, I would like #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014 help me by Adopting a Scholar or Donating to REAL LIFE FOUNDATION




Real LIFE Foundation is a christian non-profit, NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) that was incorporated in 2007 with the vision of seeing thousands of marginalized Filipino youth educated, gainfully employed and uplifting their communities. Real LIFE Foundation is accredited in the Philippines by the PCNC (Philippine Council for NGO Certification), the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), and has BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) approved tax-exempt donee status. The goal of Real LIFE Foundation is to transform lives, families & communities through hope and education.

Real LIFE Foundation is one of the organizations that is in line with what I believe in. Like them, I strongly regard that education is the key to a better life.




The foundation does not only help its recipients by paying for their tuition, but they also help equip them in most, if not all, that they will need to finish college and what they'll be needing when they start looking for a job. They hold personality development coaching for the scholars and even tackles on how to dress and present their selves properly during job interviews and when they're already employed. Also, the students’ other miscellaneous expenses will be covered, like books, uniforms, OJT expenses and a daily meal & transportation allowance. Because of that the scholars don’t have to worry if they  will be able to eat or get to school.

The Real Life Foundation’s LIFE Scholarships Program provides high school and university scholarships to poor but deserving students with good academic standing who, if not for the scholarships, would have no chance of obtaining a university degree. Real LIFE Foundation  strives to give their scholars every possible advantage to ensure their future success.

These are the goals of the LIFE Scholarships Program (lifted from Real LIFE Foundation’s website):

CHARACTER, NOT JUST EDUCATION- the goal is not just to produce university graduates, but young men and women of character. In addition to maintaining an honors average, Real LIFE scholars are encouraged to “give back” by serving their families and their communities.

MENTORING, NOT JUST MONITORING - More than just getting good grades, Real LIFE scholars are mentored in “LIFE”: leadership, integrity, faith, and excellence. Moreover, practical skills development gives scholars a competitive edge and equips them for their entry into the working world.

EMPOWERMENT, NOT JUST AID - Aside from financial assistance, the Real LIFE Foundation empowers scholars to stand on their own and rise above their present circumstances. To date, 110 Real LIFE scholars have graduated from university and many of our graduates are already the primary breadwinner in their families.

As I've said awhile back, Real LIFE Foundation does not only focuses on the financial side of putting a student in school but also comprehensively addresses the needs of their scholars that will help them thrive after finishing school. This is done through their LIFE Coaching, which is the character development program of the Real LIFE Foundation and which provides mentoring for their scholars in Leadership, Integrity, Faith, and Excellence.

Here are the information about the LIFE Coaching aspect of the LIFE Scholarships Program as per the organization’s website:




LIFE Coaching is the character development program of the Real LIFE Foundation and which provides mentoring for our scholars in Leadership, Integrity, Faith, and Excellence.

We believe this LIFE Coaching will give our scholars a unique advantage in being able to apply for employment having already had training in areas such as how to be servant leader, how to be a man or woman of integrity, and how to be excellent in everything you do.

In addition to character development, we also provide our scholars with LIFE Skills -- a program to help our scholars develop the practical skills they will need to successfully transition from school to the working world. LIFE Skills includes practical life application training such as:

-Communication skills
-Personality development
-How to manage your time
-How to manage your money
-How to write a resume ; and
-How to conduct a job interview

We see in the news that our country’s economy is grow vigorously, yet, year after year, survey about the literacy rate of Filipinos have been declining. This leaves us scratching our heads, thinking that there’s a disconnect somewhere in there. But instead of blaming our government or shrugging it off, why not in our own little ways, let’s all help to make a difference, let’s encourage one another to be an  upholder of discipline (by starting on ourselves) and advocating education for all.

What about you? If there is one thing you can give to the Philippines, what is that gift? Share it with us and the winning comment from all the participants of #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014   will be granted an iPad Mini 2 to show gratitude to those who expressed their undying love for our mother land!


To know more about Real Life Foundation visit: www.igivetolife.com. Curious on what is #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014 all about? Visit: www.projectwonderful.ph


Thank you all for taking the time to read this blog post! I appreciate it!



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*Some of Texts and images on this blog post are lifted from the Real Life Foundation website.*

13 comments:

  1. Kung may isang bagay akong ireregalo sa Pilipinas, ito ay pagmamahal at pagpapahalaga ng mga Pilipino sa ating bayan. Kung makikita lamang nating lahat ang ganda at ituturing na espesyal sa atin ang bansang ito, iingatan at pangangalagaan natin ang Pilipinas.

    Sa aking palagay dito mag-uugat ang kaunlaran ng ating bayan. Kung nakikita lamang ng mga Pilipino na mahalaga para sa kanila ang Pilipinas, pipiliin nilang dito magtrabaho. Kung sino pa ang magagaling ay sila pa ang nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa. Ngunit hindi tayo ang umuunlad kundi ang mga bansang pinagtatrabahuhan nila. Kapag nangyari na ito, ang Pilipinas lamang ang kanilang pipiliin. Tulong-tulong na pauunlarin ang bayang ito.

    Kung may pagpapahalaga ang mga Pilipino sa Pilipinas, wala sana tayong polusyon ngayon. Katulad ng isang bahay, hindi mo hahayaang madumi ito at hindi mo din ito dudumihan. Hindi ka magtatapon ng kalat sa kung saan. Ituturing mo ang bansang ito bilang iyong tahanan na hindi mo kailanman pababayaan na masira.

    Sa tulong ng Globe, maaari nating bigyan ang bawat tao sa isang komunidad na gumawa ng isang resolusyon (kagaya nang hinding hindi nako kailanman magtatapon ng basura sa maling lugar) para sa bansang ito na personal at espesyal sa kanila. Isang bagay na sa tingin nila, na kahit maliit, ay makatutulong sa ating bayan. Maaaring bawat taon, kapag natupad ito ng mga mamamayan, bigyan sila ng Globe ng gantimpala. Ngunit kung iisipin, hindi ang gantimpala ang mahalaga kundi ang mga maliliit na resolusyon na natupad sa loob ng isang taon.

    Sabi nga ng aking propesor, pahahalagahan mo lang ang isang bagay kapag nakita mo na ang tunay na ganda at espesyal na parte nito sa iyong buhay.

    Maaaring mapangarap ang regalong aking napili pero hindi ito imposible. Magsisimula ito sa ating mga sarili. At sana sa pagdating ng panahon na lahat tayo ay natutunan na ang tunay na halaga ng Pilipinas, hindi pa huli ang lahat.

    -Bernadine B. Bautista
    bernadinebautista25@gmail.com

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  2. If there’s one thing that I can give my dear country that would be …. The gift of Health.

    I want to do a medical mission with the help of Nuffnang Philippines and Globe thru #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014

    Health is wealth. No amount of money, time and effort can ever, ever, bring the best of your health back, once it’s gone.

    In my 6 years of practice as a nurse, I have seen how our healthcare system struggles to provide quality care for our countrymen, may it be in manpower, medicines, or equipments both in the community and hospital.

    I’ve seen people deteriorating day by day because they can’t afford to go to a doctor. I’ve seen patients die because their families didn’t have enough money to buy basic medicines. I’ve also seen families giving up their sick loved ones and literally, waited for their last breathes, since they cannot afford another day for the life support of the deteriorating loved one.

    I am believing that we can do something about this. One of those needy, ailing, indigent patients could be your mom, dad, granparent, relative, dear friend, loved one…

    In short, we are all CONNECTED, one way or another. So it is not just a matter of “about them” and “about us” because it is ABOUT US — ALL OF US.

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  3. My gift to the Philippines is saving our environment! by I will Plant more trees., Walk more, drive less.,Maitain my vehicle, I will Save water, Use CFC-free products, Save energy, I will Recycle and reuse, I will Recycle and reuse, I will Use renewable sources of energy, Save animals., I will Go green when gardening or farming,and Create Awareness! #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014.
    Steve del Castillo
    neo_2_ph@yahoo.com

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  4. Philippines has a lot of beautiful places for different adventures. Extreme activities requires the right facilities in order not to risk the life of both the tourists and the guides. Having the proper tools, Real's rafting adventure will now be put in everyone's to-do list. Rafting in Real is not yet so popular, it still needs a lot of promotions as well as improvements. First thing I noticed, the rafts are improvised, they are not the real one used for whitewater rafting. They use big black "salbabida" (life buoy), combine around 3 to 4 pieces to form a raft that can load 3 passengers plus the 2 guides. They also tie pieces of wood to serve as the seats. The ride along the river is so risky especially when the water pushes so fast where you can slip from your seat and fall out of the raft. Second, there are no paddles. The guides use their hands and feet to control the direction of the raft. One guide sits in front, he kicks on rocks to turn the raft left or right. If the force of the water is too strong, he might loose control and break his leg. The other guide stays at the back, he pushes the raft to help it move with the water. So if I have a chance to wish one thing for the Philippines, I want to give a complete rafting equipment to Real. Let us do our part to make our place a wonderful Philippines.
    #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014
    http://wanderfulsole.blogspot.com/2014/01/globeprojectwonderful2014.html

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  5. After spending a lot of time thinking, I come up with an answer. I would like to give the Philippines the gift of faith. Faith not just in terms of religion but faith in everything they were dealing as nation, and as a country. Faith that everything will soon be alright and will fall into its place. Faith that the government will be less corrupt and more in service. Faith that the church will continue to lead its community to the right path with the values instilled in each and everyone. Faith that will someday, a Filipino will wake up in the midst of silence where there's no war between military groups and rebels. Faith that broken heart caused by family separation will be healed. Faith that everyone will have an access to right education. Faith that in this world full of hate, there's still love that will always prevail. Faith that in every bad things happening around, there's always a reason to find the silver lining. "Faith and action are one. You can't separate them."

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  6. My wish to gift for my beloved country is a gift of Livelihood to those people affected of tyhooon yolanda. Before anything else we can easily recover from that incident if we have something where we can generate money. Money today is the most needed resources, you cannot buy food without it. So instead of giving a certain amount of money to each everyone, why not give each family (if possible) the gift of livelihood,like Giving them seeds for planting fruits, vegetables, for poultry raising, and even materials for fishing. They don't need "short-term-help" they need lifetime solution for them to be able to survive everyday. They need something useful that would benefit not just a single person but for the whole family, and perhaps for the whole community. This wish of mine is quite impossible but with careful research and planning, and monitoring who could benefit this project would be a BIG success. In the long run if all people are productive your advocacy of helping would never be forgotten. Many lives would thank you for this.

    For as long as there are people/organization would willingly make this project happen, nothing is impossible. If everyone of us wholeheartedly extend our help to the needy we can surpass every trials that comes along. #ProudPinay

    analynalonsagay.blogspot.com

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  7. This is a great idea! My gift to the Philippines though is a little different.

    One thing I noticed is that whenever someone posts a picture showing the beauty of our country, Pinoys are quick to say, "Wow ang ganda! Parang wall ka sa Pinas!"

    Why is that?

    Our country is beautiful. I'm not only talking about white sand beaches or amazing waterfalls all over our tourism posters; I'm talking about beauty in the unexpected - a cozy little cafe in an eskinita in Quezon City, or an ukay haven hidden away in Paranaque. Our country is bursting with culture and stories to tell, but when Filipinos look around, they focus on the negative.

    People don't see the food trip opportunities around Katipunan, or the art and culture of The Collective, or the musical playground of Cubao X. How can we expect foreigners to appreciate our country when we can't even do that ourselves? How can we expect to grow as a nation when we lack a very important aspect: love of country?

    With this in mind, the idea I came up with is a website or app that shows the unexpected beauty of our country.

    The purpose of the website/app is simple: Become a tourist in your own city, and fall in love with it. Just like how Parisians love Paris, or New Yorkers love the Big Apple, it's possible for the people of Manila to fall in love with Manila - dirt, pollution, culture and all.

    "MNL 143 - Love This City" - The site or app will thrive on submissions or posts by regular people. Users take photos of both popular and popular places they think people should see and experience. They can post great food finds, events, and other happenings that people rarely see or visit. They can also include a guide to the place! (ex. Newbie's Guide to Divisoria) This gives people a chance to experience the city in a way they've never experienced before. I bet people who've lived in Manila their whole lives have yet to experience the city beyond the typical malls and will appreciate hole-in-the-wall boutiques and surprises. This project will allow Filipinos to appreciate our own, instead of always longing for the beauty of other countries.

    Over time, the website/app can expand by including other cities like Cebu, Davao, etc. This project will do so much more than just supply Filipinos with information that will change the way they look at the country / the city. Instead of seeing Manila as overpopulated and dirty, maybe we can all start appreciating the culture and all the things Manila has to offer.

    When you love someone, you are willing to do anything and make sacrifices to make that person happy. In the same manner, when you love your country, you become more cooperative if it means you'll be contributing to its growth and development. Improving our country can't come from political reforms or mass-feeding projects if we can't even cover the basics. First, we must love our country, and the rest will follow.

    hellotonichi.blogspot.com

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  8. I want to give the gift of light to the Philippines. More specifically the gift of SOLAR POWER. As a victim of the super typhoon Yolanda, wherein we totally had no communication due to power outage for a while and even until now electricity has not been fully restored in many places that were in Yolanda’s path, having backup power coming from SOLAR Energy is truly indispensable. Too much chaos occurs in the dark at night when a lot of people cannot rest easy for fear of thieves and looters. Having light (literally!) in these dark and trying times is what we truly need. But I do also wish for every Filipino household, Yolanda victim or not, to have 100% sustainable hybrid homes and eco-friendly houses that combine rainwater harvesting and clean energy generation (THINK: UNLIMITED WATER SUPPLY & SOLAR POWERED HOUSES!). This way our electric bills and carbon footprints will be largely diminished as well as we can show our love for Mother Earth.

    - Maria Velasquez-Franco of www.bastaigatsikat.com for #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014

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  9. Though I have an extensive explanation of my gift on my own post for #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014, here's another gift I would give to my countrymen if can:

    Helping hands. A million helping hands.

    After Yolanda, I realized that a LOT of people are willing to help. It was my first time to volunteer and repack donations and it was amazingly heartwarming to see strangers talking to each other, hand in hand and helping each other with only one goal for the day. And I want that again, not only during calamities but every single day.
    There are still people out there who needs help, RIGHT NOW. Just look at the street children and displaced people everyday.

    Here's the plan inside my head: An organization where people of ALL ages -- from grandparents to high schoolers, can join and browse for "projects" online, much like browsing for available jobs, where they can volunteer/donate. This organization can build a lot of projects for different kind of things!

    Example:
    San Andres Area: Soup Kitchen -- 2/3/14 @ 7pm.
    Needed: 5 volunteers to cook, 5 volunteers to distribute, 10 Males for crowd control.
    Materials: 4 tables, Bring your own cooking utensils and casserole.

    Poblacion area: Basket Ball Court Rebuilding -- 3/15/14 @ 3pm.
    Needed: 10 Males for rebuilding bleachers, 10 volunteers to repaint
    Materials: 3 Red paints, Nails, Bring your own hammers

    Boni area: Basic Tutoring Class -- 4/20/14 @ 8am - 6pm
    Needed: 20 volunteers to teach, 10 volunteers to make food.
    Materials. Teachers must bring 5 recycled papers and pencils each. Food makers must bring 10 eggs and bread.

    NOW, let me ask you, if this website were real. Wouldn't you click that JOIN button?

    A million helping hands. Think about it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Though I have an extensive explanation of my gift on my own post for #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014, here's another gift I would give to my countrymen if can:

    Helping hands. A million helping hands.

    After Yolanda, I realized that a LOT of people are willing to help. It was my first time to volunteer and repack donations and it was amazingly heartwarming to see strangers talking to each other, hand in hand and helping each other with only one goal for the day. And I want that again, not only during calamities but every single day.
    There are still people out there who needs help, RIGHT NOW. Just look at the street children and displaced people everyday.

    Here's the plan inside my head: An organization where people of ALL ages -- from grandparents to high schoolers, can join and browse for "projects" online, much like browsing for available jobs, where they can volunteer/donate. This organization can build a lot of projects for different kind of things!

    Example:
    San Andres Area: Soup Kitchen -- 2/3/14 @ 7pm.
    Needed: 5 volunteers to cook, 5 volunteers to distribute, 10 Males for crowd control.
    Materials: 4 tables, Bring your own cooking utensils and casserole.

    Poblacion area: Basket Ball Court Rebuilding -- 3/15/14 @ 3pm.
    Needed: 10 Males for rebuilding bleachers, 10 volunteers to repaint
    Materials: 3 Red paints, Nails, Bring your own hammers

    Boni area: Basic Tutoring Class -- 4/20/14 @ 8am - 6pm
    Needed: 20 volunteers to teach, 10 volunteers to make food.
    Materials. Teachers must bring 5 recycled papers and pencils each. Food makers must bring 10 eggs and bread.

    NOW, let me ask you, if this website were real. Wouldn't you click that JOIN button?

    A million helping hands. Think about it. :)


    Here's my own idea for #GLOBEProjectWonderful2014 :
    http://cerrise.tumblr.com/post/72683544534/if-there-is-one-thing-you-can-give-to-the-philippines

    :)

    --Cherry Franco
    franchenn@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. A great leader is my gift for my entire country, a leader who has good gifts and substantial qualities that are innate. For the millions of Filipinos in need of good leaders and hungry of good governance, a Gift of Leadership is primarily what our country needs the soonest. As we enter this newyear, we need to face the future with the gifts of faith, hope, strength, enlightenment, healing, wisdom, and forgiveness. And for that, having a leader armored with a great gift of leadership will gear our country towards a better life, a better future, and a better Philippines. #GlobeProjectWonderful2014 may aid us to provide organizations that will train and prepare to equip our young generation of today with knowledge and skills about nationalism and leadership. Globe’s wonderful projects in a joint collaboration with the Department of Education may lead to the realization of my dream. If children cannot go to school, let us bring school to children. More mobile classrooms (academic and trade) and more and mobile libraries are needed to facilitate accessible education that will surely help in honing more leaders and innovators. I also wish that my gift be turned into reality, but my question is how? How could I gift my country a leader with great qualities? Well, I could never ever be able to do that. But as a public school teacher, I could train and teach our young people to be one. Remember, "Teachers can make and unmake a child." So I thought of one way to help my wish be realized. With the aid of #GlobeProjectWonderful2014, We could distribute a lot of free books to different colleges and universities about effective leadership, good governance, team building, and other books on building a better nation for college students. We could organize groups in all secondary and tertiary schools that will be supervised by Globe people whose mission and vision focus on quality leadership and helping the ones in need. We could also make and distribute big story books about loving our country to preschoolers and primary pupils. With all these, the young Filipino generation will truly be inspired and understood what nationalism is all about.

    My wish would also then be realized by training and leading our nation's future leaders. Hence, I would also love to be an instrument and a leader of #GlobeProjectWonderful in rebuilding schools. A school is an anchor to a strong community that shapes great national leaders. I already signed up at http://www.projectwonderful.ph/ because I want to be a part of Globe's wonderful projects to the Philippines in rebuilding schools where our next responsible frontrunners, innovators, and government leaders will be fashioned.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you all for sharing your answers! :)

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  13. Given the chance to give a gift for the Philippines, I think it would be the "Gift of Light". We are all aware that some families here on the country still don't have access to light, for they don't have the means to pay for electric bills.

    Now, an organization called the "Liter of Light" had the same advocacy - to bring lights to Filipino homes by just using PET bottles, water, bleach, and other materials that improvises the light bulb that we use today. Since most of our activities occur in the morning and in the afternoon, this may not cover the whole day, but can help these families most of the day. Not only this project is attainable, but it is also affordable.

    If Globe and Liter of Light work hand-in-hand, through my wish, I think that the Philippines would be a brighter place with a brighter future.

    ReplyDelete

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