Home is where the sand is

Everyone needs a dose of spontaneity.

After missing the Panagbenga this year, I had to talk myself through the idea of having a replacement trip. I was basking upon the thought of going to a lush island like Caramoan or Camiguin when an opportunity presented itself. The only problem was, it was too tooooooooooo soon.

I was having my lunch break at work when Junica and Eduard texted me saying they were scheduled to go to Anawangin Cove in Zambales that night. They asked me, or rather obliged me to go with them. My heart palpitated with excitement as Anawangin belongs to my To Visit list this year. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, I decided to leave an hour early from work and schlep my way home to pack.

By 12 midnight, we were already riding the bus to San Antonio, Zambales. According to Eduard's research, it will take five hours to get to our destination but he was miserably wrong. We arrived at 3:00am  and it was frickin' nippy! We had to wait for an hour just so we can buy stuff from the wet market which opens around 4:00am. In Anawangin, there are no posh restaurants to eat at, not even electricity so we had to buy everything we need to sustain us for two days. Back to basics is the name of the game. 

By 5:00 am, our 45 minute sojourn in the night sea began. It was breathtaking being embraced by the cold sea breeze. We were welcomed by nothing but darkness, well, also by some flickering lights coming from the other campers. 

We rented two tents which became our humble abode for two days. 

Home is where the sand is.

Neighborhood

We had to rent the tents for Php350.00 each so it wasn't bad at all. Staying overnight, each person needs to pay one hundred pesos. That is probably the cheapest accommodation you can ever find. 

Eduard, Aiz, and JM, all from GX Team 76

There was an LGBT Group named G4M: Gays for Mountains.

The funny thing was, even Anawangin has its own "Upper East Side" where you need to pay an extra fifty pesos just to take pictures and marvel on the beauty of pine trees and mountains. We thought of transferring to the Upper East Side but decided to stay at the Bronx cause its where the party was. 

Sunset in Anawangin was lovely, especially when you witness it with the people you love, CHOS NA CHOS!

Just before we head home, we went to two islands--Capones and Camarro. The lighthouse in Capones is a must-visit landmark overlooking the vast majesty of South China Sea. I can see Vietnam from there, JOKES! 

Capones Island from afar. There you can see the lighthouse already.

Closer photo of the lighthouse.

Finally, was able to dock at Capones Island.

The blueness of the sea is a reminder of how beautiful our world is. 

Built during the Spanish occupation, this parola is a work of art.

 

We only spent about ten minutes in Camarro Island since we were scheduled to return to Pundaquit at 12:00 noon. Bitin ang ten minutes but it was really worth it. 

Enough has been said about the beauty of the place but I should also mention how beautiful the people of Zambales are. They were very helpful and warm. One of the French guys we met had the same observation and even said that he appreciates that there were no hard-sellers in the place, people who will keep on pestering until you buy their goods. The people of Zambales do not take advantage of tourists, locals and foreigners alike.

If ever you decide to visit Anawangin, try looking for the tricycle driver named Arvin, he will help you a lot and make sure that you get the things you need at a low price.

Now who would have thought spending a weekend in a glorious paradise can be as inexpensive as Php1,200?

You are my happy thought, you make me FLY!

I have decided that instead of just writing about my advocacies and things I am deeply passionate about, I might as well write about my personal trips here in the Philippines. I reckon it will be a way to make my blog more 'relatable'.

Now, I am writing about my trip yesterday at the Hot Air Balloon Festival. It was my first time to see the event and I certainly believe it would not be the last.

Anna and I have been planning to go out on a date for a long time but my work schedule just would not allow it. When I texted her last week about her plans on the weekend, she told me that she is going to the Hot Air Balloon Festival at Clark, Pampanga with her brother. She asked me if I can go with her and I said YES! Of course, I wanted to see her so bad and I thought seeing hot air balloons will be fun.

We had to be there really early because we got sponsored for a free flight in one of the balloons. LUCKY US!!! I did not know that I was flying until a few hours before the event. Many thanks to Anna Oposa and her brother who gave me the slot.

Our balloon was that of a German beer and was navigated by a German couple--Frank and Martina. They were really interesting and even told us how they almost ended up divorced. Frank used to be an airline pilot.

Our balloon getting ready to be inflated.

Gulat ka masyado koya!!

Flying on a hot air balloon was scary! All four of us were cramped inside a small wicker basket. I was standing in between two propane tanks and the burner was only a few inches away from my head. Throughout the whole flight, I was praying!!! SERIOUSLY!!

But the sight from above was just too beautiful to ignore so I just shrugged my fears away!

I would've wanted to ride the snowman or the Darth Vader head

Truly breathtaking. Prior to our launch, one of the balloons got slightly burnt.

Anong sabi ng lobo sa kanan sa lobo sa kaliwa? YOU TURN MY WORLD UPSIDE DOWN! CHAKAAAA!!!

It was a cloudy morning but look at this! Im FLYING ON SUNSHINE, WOAAHHH!!

This is my favorite photo! The balloons landing on the field filled with lahar!

Landing was thrilling and super painful! Frank our pilot who was like 300 pounds landed on me! Gosh. I almost died! After a few minutes, our chase crew came and we had breakfast! Yummy! According to Frank and Martina, flying on a hot air balloon was common in Germany and a party after a flyout always happens. 

 

Our chase crew trying to deflate the balloon.

Over all, it was a great day. Great company, great experience flying on a hot air balloon, great view from above.Thank you AO for this fabulous date!

I am looking forward to the Panagbenga Festival on February 25 to 27 and our Mt. Pinatubo trek on March 12.

Karl Molina Loves Loves Loves Anna Oposa

When I was in London last May, I stumbled upon a blog entry on Facebook entitled Anna Oposa Loves Loves Loves UP. It was just incredibly witty and funny. Months later, I had the opportunity to meet the writer and work with her as part of the Philippine youth delegation to COP 16. 

I dedicate this entry to Anna Oposa. In the years to come, I know we will still be laughing at the same things. ADTO NA TA DAI!

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Karl Molina loves Anna Oposa. Of course, he doesn’t mean it in a straight-kind-of-way because it is just so wrong in so many levels. For one, he is probably one of the gayest people on earth. Plus, they call each other Kaps, short for kapatid (brother/sister).

Karl Molina loves how he and Anna Oposa laugh about little things. He is surely chuffed to bits whenever he remembers how the lovely young lass got tickled by the words bollocks and peckish. Everything English fascinates her and everything Australian, EXCITES HER.

Karl Molina thinks Anna Oposa is such a funny poser. She always tells everyone that she is studying Molecular Biology and Biotechnology but always gets the same response: “But you are not smart!” The thing is, ages ago, Karl Molina also told loads of people the same thing, that he is studying MBB in UP just so people will not ask what his course, FLCD, means. Once and for all, its Forensic Laboratory and Crime Detection. PAK!

People think Anna Oposa is stupid, BUT SHE IS NOT. Matter-of-fact, she is probably one of the smartest people he has ever met. Truth is, she is an inspiration for him. She is passion personified. Her incredible love for the environment and vision for the Philippines keep him motivated.

But to be honest, the way she talks does make her sound stupid. The word “like” is like always part of her sentences. Like she cannot fully express what she means if she doesn’t like use like. Like, you know what I mean? To substantiate, she once wrote: “So… How do you, like, stop a jeep? Do you say, like, ‘manong, stop,’ or do you just, like, go down?” Nevertheless, Anna Oposa, is endearing in so many ways.

Karl Molina loves Anna Oposa’s writing. He makes sure that he reads everything she writes. At one point, he almost got fired from his job because of accessing her website during office hours. Her writing is a constant source of knowledge, inspiration, motivation, perspiration and asphyxiation (due to excessive laughing without observing proper breathing).

Quite recently, Karl Molina experienced severe depression because of two things--his professional life went downhill since his volunteering schiz under Global Xchange and the drought in his sex life, the latter having greater implications than the former. But Anna Oposa, put him back on track through her writing. “You bring and give your own meaning to what you do. In this Third World Country, “selling out” is necessary for survival.” See, Anna Oposa, is not stupid after all.

Anna Oposa’s big thighs and huge brazos tell Karl Molina that they will be friends for a long time. A lalalala long A lalalala long long lee long long long time. That is if he discontinues his hobby of taking momentary hiatus in Facebook.

Karl Molina loves Anna Oposa.

He really does.

Be hungry to put an end to hunger

The Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Philippines (FNRI) has recently released the data of a survey which was conducted in 2008 saying that a staggering one-third of Philippine school children between the ages 6 and 12 are stunted due to extreme poverty. 

The survey showed that 33.1% of the sample population of 100,000 students across the country suffered from chronic malnutrition. Figures suggest that there was a slight increase in the number of malnourished children from 2005 but it can be noted that there was a significant decline from a high 44.8% in the 90's. 

Inadequacy in eating healthy food over a long period of time led to a state of malnutrition and stunted growth. According to Eva Goyena, a science research specialist of FNRI, "Being underheight is a result of a long period of inadequate nutrition." 

Early malnutrition can lead to stunted physical growth, reduced energy to learn, higher incidence of illness and occasionally even death.The prevalence of malnutrition is the consequence of a complex group of factors often found in developing countries. The Philippines does not only suffer from lack of food but also suffers from poor intra-familial food distribution.

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In February 2010, I was given the rare opportunity to talk about the state of malnutrition among Filipino children in the Philippines in the inaugural One Young World summit in London, United Kingdom. My speech focused on how adequate nutrition and health care is intricately woven with education.

Initiatives should be set in place by the Philippine government in order to ameliorate the dire situation of health care and nutrition in the country. Four key areas should be given attention in order to deliver a sustainable program which will curb the rates of malnutrition among Filipino children. 

1. Nutrition information and education which will target the increase of knowledge among parents of malnourished children with regard to proper feeding practices. 

2. Health protection should be an integral component in delivering nutrition programs which will introduce medical services to moderately and severely undernourished preschoolers susceptible to infection. 

3. Food assistance that will introduce supplementary feeding programs and promote locally available food commodities. This will ensure that there will be access to quality food products which will aid malnourished children. 

4. Food production should be encouraged. The promotion of backyard and school gardens will increase household consumption of highly nutritious food. 

These are just some things that need to be considered in the fight against malnutrition not only in the Philippines but all over the world. One challenge that remains to be formidable is changing dietary practices since human behavior has been proven to be very difficult to amend. 

The issue of hunger is more than just having an empty stomach, its also an issue of human dignity.

Its One YOU-manity

EDUCATE the world about causes you hold close to your HEART. --The Humanitarian Social Network

Is there anything better than educating the world and its people about things you are passionate about? If there is, I want to have that. But for the time being, nothing compares to acting upon what you believe will effect significant change in places where it is needed.

Tonight, 7:00PM Manila Time, ItsOneHumanity will be launching The Humanitarian Social Network. It is a new social network fully integrated with facebook that aims to connect people and educate one another about causes which they believe are essential in making the world a better place.

This will be the first online community for Humanitarians. 

Dont be left behind. Its like facebook, only BETTER. 

Log on to http://itsonehumanity.org/.

Team Azkals will not stop with just 1Goal

After starting like a house on fire, the Azkals ended up collecting the ashes of their failed campaign to advance to the finals of the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup. But hey, that is no reason to feel bad. They may have been unsuccessful in their attempt to capture the championship title but they have certainly won the hearts of millions of Filipinos. They remained unfazed by many challenges, primarily the sorely lacking support from the government and proved that they can manage to bring glory to the country. Truly, they have fought a gallant fight, making everyone proud.

This is just the start for the Philippine National Football Team and without any shade of doubt, we can expect to see greater things unfold for them. It is my fervent wish, to see them one day, playing against the world's best football teams. 2022 in Qatar perhaps? Not far from reality. Their overflowing passion and unwavering dedication to the sport will bring them there, and probably a little support from the government, eh? 

 _______________________________

It makes me exceedingly grateful to be given the opportunity to work with them this year on one of the things I am incredibly passionate about and that is education. 

Members of the Azkals, together with their coaching staff and their Team Manager Dan Palami, who without a doubt, made things possible for the team in ways unimaginable, graced Global Xchange's 1Goal: Education for All Football Clinic which happened on August 7, 2010 at the University of San Carlos- Montessori Academy, Cebu City. 

The event was attended by more than a hundred out-of-school youths from Cebu City and has been covered by various newspapers and media channels which evidently helped spread awareness about the global campaign for education. 

Global Xchange Team 107: 1Goal Education for All Football Clinic

The Azkals standing and (posing) in solidarity with GX volunteers for 1Goal: Education for All campaign

Chippy Caligdong, all out in teaching this kid during the football clinic

Great header from this kid.

Chippy Caligdong and Patrick Dougherty during the exhibition match between the Azkals and Global Xchange. Fun times!

The man himself, Dan Palami, trying to score a goal for the Azkals

Paolo Pascual from the University of San Carlos, playing for Global Xchange. Phil Younghasband-esque, muy guapo!

And of course, this is a joke. We were lambasted by the Azkals, cant remember the score but it was miles apart.

With the participants, volunteers, and the Philippine National Football Team

"We may have lost the game but Team Pilipinas has gained the respect of many for the truly valiant stand against the footballing giants of the region. This is but the start of the Azkal's journey towards conquering greater challenges. Continue BELIEVING, and let's take that next step together. Go PILIPINAS!"-- Dan Palami, Team Manager, Azkals

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*Photos by JP Maunes

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure (for HIV)

Exactly two weeks after celebrating World AIDS Day, a man has reportedly been cured of HIV infection through Stem Cell transplant. 

Timothy Ray Brown, aka the 'Berlin patient' has suffered from acute myeloid leukaemia which required stem cell treatment after going through a relapse in 2007. Doctors believe that the man has been cured of HIV infection as a result of the treatment, which introduced stem cells which happened to be resistant to HIV infection. The resistance was due to the lack of CCR5 co-receptors in his cells which happens to be the docking station of the virus. The entry of HIV into the CD4 cells requires an interaction with a cellular receptor, in this case, the CCR5.

The absence of CCR5 makes it impossible for the virus to penetrate CD4 cells therefore, inhibiting its mutation and the spread of the virus which will later on suppress the body's immune system.

As of the moment, antiretroviral treatment is available for people infected with HIV and with this report, it is indeed a breakthrough in the medical field considering that stem cells can potentially be a cure for HIV. 

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On a slightly different note, according to the United Nations Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic 2010, new HIV infections are declining. 

In 2009, there were an estimated 2.6 million [2.3 million–2.8 million] people who became newly infected with HIV. Th is is nearly one fifth (19%) fewer than the 3.1 million [2.9 million–3.4 million] people newly infected in 1999, and more than one fi ft h (21%) fewer than the estimated 3.2 million [3.0 million–3.5million] in 1997, the year in which annual new infections peaked.

Matter-of-fact, thirty three countries have reported a staggering 25% in the decline of HIV infections between 2001 and 2009. 

The number of people being infected with HIV is declining steadily over the past decade.

While there is a general trend of decreasing HIV infections in the world, it is quite alarming that the Philippines is exhibiting an opposite trend. Along with Bangladesh and Mongolia in the Asian continent, the country is seeing a continuous increase in the number of HIV incidences involving the younger population. 

My oh my! The Philippines, marked in red, is the only South East Asian country showing an increase in HIV infections.

The fact that the Philippines still remains as a low-prevalence country in terms of recorded HIV infections  should not equate to complacency. Adequate measures to safeguard the general public should be placed in order to curb the number of people getting the virus. Personally, the most efficient tool that the government has at its disposal is the provision of adequate education to its citizens. By being educated, people will have more informed choice.

Here in the Philippines, we have Republic Act No. 8504 or AN ACT OF PROMULGATING POLICIES AND PRESCRIBING MEASURES FOR THE PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF HIV/AIDS IN THE PHILIPPINES, INSTITUTING A NATIONWIDE HIV/AIDS INFORMATION AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, ESTABLISHING A COMPREHENSIVE HIV/AIDS MONITORING SYSTEM, STRENGTHENING THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL AIDS COUNCIL, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 

It is good to know that such law exists in the country, however, while the government recognizes the importance of educating people, they miserably fail to enact what is stipulated in the law, particularly what is being stated in Section 2 of R.A.8504:

  a)    The State shall promote public awareness about the causes. Modes of transmission, consequences, means of prevention and control of HIV/AIDS through a comprehensive nationwide educational and information campaign organized and conducted by the State. Such campaigns shall promote value formation and employ scientifically proven approaches, focus on the family as a basic social unit, and be carried out in all schools and training centers, workplaces, and communities. This program shall involve affected individuals and groups, including people living with HIV/AIDS.

The strong influence of the Catholic church in the Philippines proves to be one of the most formidable barriers to providing a scientifically-based and comprehensive reproductive health education scheme which would effect significantly in the fight against HIV and AIDS in the country.

HIV/AIDS is a threat that warrants an immediate and prompt response not only from the end of the government but also from various stakeholders. In the past couple of years, HIV as a health issue was not given much attention due to the small, even deemed insignificant, number of patients suffering from its infection. But quite recently, we are taken aback with the continuous increase of people getting infected, this is why we need to collectively act as a nation to ensure that appropriate and adequate solutions are executed for the greater good.