By Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net

“Bili na kayo [Buy now], kamoteng kahoy”, this is the line which Aling Feliza dela Cruz would always yell to encourage passers-by to buy her product.

Dela Cruz, 60, lives alone in Baseco, Manila and sells kamoteng kahoy for a living.

To costumers, eating this crop means satisfying their hunger. But for her, it means survival. Dela Cruz gets her income from selling kamoteng kahoy for her weeklong supply of rice. If she’s lucky and earns extra, she might have something to buy coffee.

Sadly, a small portion of her sales goes to her because her supply of kamoteng kahoy is provided by her neighbor.

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By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

PASIG CITY, Philippines — High school and college students from across the Philippines unfolded at the Mall of Asia bayside a 173.65-meter cloth containing messages of gratitude for teachers.

This is the Philippines attempt to win an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records.

The banner is set to break China’s current record for the longest thank you banner for teachers at 100 meters unfolded at Fuyang Square.

The Philippines also attempts to set the record for the most number of thank you messages addressed to teachers, said Michaela Muñoz, chairperson of the educational leadership and management department of De La Salle University.

DLSU is assigned to submit to the Guinness body the measurement and count the total number of messages written in the sewn cloth banner. At present, the number of messages is estimated to average at 150 to 200 per 10-meter cloth.

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By Izah Morales

A loss of one is a gain of another. When someone dies, not everyone weeps for a few make the dead their living.

Lolo Roque Rafon and Mang Rommel Ocampo are among those few people whom I recently met at the Manila North Cemetery.

Since 1961, Rafon has been a caretaker of the graves of Jose Rizal’s family and the late president of the Philippines Manuel Roxas when the former caretaker got him from the province as replacement. During his first few years, Rafon revealed how scared he was about the idea of living in a cemetery.

“Nakikiusap ako na ‘wag naman akong takutin dahil natatakot ako [I was asking them not to scare me since I scare easily],” said Rafon referring to supposed spirits that he felt. Nonetheless, Rafon had no choice but to stay in the cemetery since he could not leave his job.

“Parang nasiyahan na rin ako ditong magtrabaho kasi nakapirmi na ako dito. Una, di ko rin naman kayang magtrabaho ng mabigat dahil may diperensiya ang katawan ko [I eventually liked working here because this is where I eventually stayed. In the first place, I cannot do hard labor because there’s something wrong with my body],” explained Rafon.

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By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

DO you want to be a millionaire at an early age of 21?

You may raise an eyebrow and say it is not possible but certified public accountant and entrepreneur Joey Magtibay made it possible as he became a self-made millionaire at 21 years.

“It’s very doable. When I started, I was only 18 years old. It took me two-three years to learn how to do business,” said Magtibay.

How did he do it? He began by exploring financial literacy.

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By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

IN textbooks, tribes are often pictured in their twilight years dressed in their native clothing. So when I visited the Tam-Awan Village in Baguio City, I was expecting to see the elders dancing. But instead of the elders, young Igorots dressed in their tribal costume were the ones performing and entertaining the audience.

Most of the members of the Tam-Awan Village Dance Troupe, whose ages range from 13 to 21 years, were cousins, said Ransam Abrod who was one of the dancers.

Yes, these young people spend Saturdays performing for tourists at the Tam-Awan Village instead of going out to a nearby mall, party or play computer games. Not only were they performing but also interacting with the audience as they invited them to dance.

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By Anna Urquiola-Green

WHEN I was invited to write an article about a Filipina’s life in the United Kingdom, I jumped at the opportunity. Mainly because I want to share the experiences I had in this country and quite a lot of these were eye-openers for me.

Moving here three years ago, I learned to adapt quickly especially with the climate. My family and I spent the previous 10 years in the Middle East and from a place where there is only one season — summer, and here in England when they have 4 seasons, it is a total shock to the system. After all, out here one can sometimes experience 4 seasons in one day! I did enjoy shopping for clothes and acquiring a few pairs of boots and not realising that after winter, you have to store the bulky clothes you’ve collected which has taken space in the closet. This is one of the few instances a Filipino’s inborn talent of maximizing the space of a cardboard box when sending pasalubong (presents) back home to the Philippines comes in handy.

Although we Filipinos have English as a second language in the Philippines, here in the UK, I have realized that I still have a lot to learn too, not with the accent but the ordinary words we know. When somebody offers you a fag, it doesn’t mean they’re fixing you up on a same sex blind date, it is an offer for a cigarette! I must have heard this line before I just can’t remember where but it does show that a single word can mean two different things and could land you in hot water.

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By Anna Valmero and Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

MAKATI CITY, Philippines – For 20 years, Consuelo Foundation has offered hope to about 50,000 children and families in the Philippines.

Offering support to non-government and nonprofit organizations, the Consuelo Foundation has been involved in programs for the development and rehabilitation of abused children and spouses, as well as the homeless.

The Consuelo Foundation has about 125 partner organizations both in the Philippines and in Hawaii.

The Consuelo Foundation started a year after Consuelo Zobel Alger’s meeting with Patti Lyons who established Child and Family Service Philippines in 1987. Lyons was foundation president and CEO until 2006.

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Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net

ANTIPOLO City, Philippines — Who would have thought that I would catch the world-renowned Loboc Children’s Choir in Antipolo City instead of Bohol?

The Loboc Children’s Choir is composed of young kids ages 6 to 15 years. Just this October 8, 2008, they went all the way to Assumption College of Antipolo together with the Loboc Youth Ambassador’s Band to render series of song and music for peace. It was a concert for a cause and the proceeds will go to the scholarship and development fund of Loboc Children’s Choir and Loboc Youth Ambassador’s Band.

Before their concert, I spoke with Maestra Alma Taldo, the conductor of the famous children’s choir that was born in 1980. According to her, she never really expected that they will go this far.

Here’s the video interview I conducted:

“We assembled a choir because there was a memorandum from National Musical Competition for Young Artists (NAMCYA ) to organize a choir and so we did for the sake of organizing,” Taldo says. But no one had a clue that they will eventually earn recognitions and invitations from different parts of the world after winning three times in the National Champion Prize in the NAMCYA. The choir won its first NAMCYA in 1993.

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By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

WHEN Philippine politics seems hopeless for some, a few leaders still see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Mayor Sonia Lorenzo of San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo, Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio and Isabela Governor Grace Padaca still believe that good governance and ethical leadership is possible as they advocate the movement, “Kaya Natin.”

“By ourselves, we have demonstrated on our localities that good governance and ethical leadership is possible especially with the support of the constituency,” said Robredo.

Robredo elaborated that leaders cannot do the work alone. The government and the people should work hand in hand. He related that in Naga City, non-government organizations are part of the decision-making. Also, Padaca stressed that no one should be exempted from doing his share.

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By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

“Experience excellence, experience Philippines.”

This is the new tagline of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP). It now aims to get the world to recognize Filipino excellence in outsourcing services and achieve clear strategies to ensure better business environment and wide opportunities in this competitive industry.

BPAP CEO Oscar Sañez said the Philippines has a secret weapon to propel it to the top: excellence.

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