Kinablangan, Baganga, Davao OrientalImage by Anj Nacorda of AnjNacorda.com. The following is a Public Service Announcement in behalf of the Aboitiz Group: The Aboitiz Group, led by the Aboitiz Foundation, is now accepting donations for areas in Mindanao that have been badly hit by Pablo. After the damage left by the typhoon, it is estimated that thousands of families in various Mindanao localities to include New Bataan, Compostela Valley, Bukidnon, Iligan, and Davao, and in Visayas, specifically Negros and Dumaguete, are still in need of help. As of today, the Aboitiz Group has given over P5.5 million worth in assistance to an estimated 10,000 families in the said areas, P2 million of which came from the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI), and P1 million from UnionBank of the Philippines. More than half of the total funds have been channeled for relief operations in ComVal, which experienced the most devastation. For the donations that will be raised, the Aboitiz Group will prepare a mix of ready to eat canned goods, water, bread and biscuits, personal effect like towels, blankets, and underwear, as well cooking ware. Even before super typhoon Pablo hit the country in the first days of December, the Aboitiz…
Year: 2012
Social Media for Social Change
"With great power comes great responsibility." - Uncle Ben, Spiderman Social media gives people opprtunities to communicate, learn, and earn. In so many ways, people can create careers, businesses, fame and fortune. With these opportunities are also opportunities to change lives and change societies. In the Arab Spring, social media greatly contributed to the revolutions and rise od democracy in some nations in the Middle East. Social media didn't create change. Rather, it became one of the most effective tools to contribute to change. One doesn't have to wait for a revolution to happen for a citizen to contribute to social change. With social media, a citizen can easily and possibly bring change to society. Social media can give voice to the unheard. It can amplify a message. It can give light to issues which have never been discussed. It can provoke a nation to change in ways they never thought they could. Social media gives most individuals with the opportunity to be an opinion maker, to influence, to be more important than he could ever be. With these opportunities come the opportunity to use social media to create change. Advocacies can become more powerful and can reach a wider…
The Anna I Know
Anna and Ria I first met her over a year ago, when I joined the organization's New Member Orientation. We barely spoke to each other. In a few weeks, we got to know and trust each other. And within months, it seemed like we knew each other for a long time. I owe her a lot of things. Every time I thought I could not do something, she gave me the confidence and trust to accomplish the tasks set before me. Every time I wanted to quit, she was the voice of reason and encouragement. Every time I felt disappointed and angry, she calmed me down and gave me a reason to continue trusting in the good of people. She might not be a perfect person, but the Anna I know never stops trying. She sets out to do things not for fame, glory, and power, but mostly to improve herself, to challenge herself. And all the while, she gives and serves without agenda or hidden motives but to give and serve sincerely. She accepts every challenge with the willingness to learn and improve herself. She carried a chapter with barely ten members and worked hard on it, giving it…
Through The Fire
It's done and over with. I, along with several other hard-working members of the organization have been unceremoniously kicked out. When I joined JCI Davaoena Daba Daba, I had one goal: to challenge myself. And what a challenge it has been. From being a new member to a Deputy member of the Board of the Directors to being appointed as Secretary-General, National Chair, and Area Director. There is so much that can be said about the struggles I have been through as a member. So much intrigue, so much mud-slinging and character assassination has been done to discredit me. I have tried to rise above it all as I stood by my commitment as a JCI Member. I would like to believe that I have performed my duties to the best of my abilities keeping in mind that my goal was to challenge myself. And I don't regret any of it, as I was able to work with and be with some of the best people I could have never met had it not been for JCI. Despite all of the mud thrown at us, we kept our silence, we chose the higher ground. We refused to fight but instead…
My First Time in Bohol
Bohol One of the most popular places in the Philippines is Bohol. It's iconic Chocolate Hills is part of almost every Philippine Tourism campaign. And why not? It is a breath-taking view. I recently had the opportunity to visit Bohol and it was a journey worth taking. From Davao to Bohol Davao to Cebu via Airphil Express There are no direct flights to Bohol yet. But getting there is quite convenient. First, take a flight to Cebu. The flight takes around 45 minutes. Once you reach Cebu, make your way to the Pier. There are several piers, and you can go to either Pier 1 or Pier 4 for the fast crafts or fast ferries. Depending on your budget and schedule, you may take any of those listed here. All fast crafts take around 2 hours to reach Bohol. The ride is quite long but you will barely feel the waves or the length of travel. Take a quick nap or chat with your travel companions. Better yet... enjoy the view. I highly recommended taking the luxurious 1st class seats of Oceanjet because lookie... Oceanjet's First Class Seats Tagbilaran City Bohol is a quaint island province composed of Tagbilaran City…
Being Blonde and Being Bold
Ria Jose as a BlondeHair by Envy Me Salon I have to be honest, I went blonde because I caved in to peer pressure. Lelz! The moment I saw four of my friends go blonde and they didn't look bad at all... I decided I'd go for it and that the Nicki Minaj Concert would be the best alibi for it. I had about one week to think about it but decided that since I had declared I would do it, I had to do it. With my fingers crossed, I went blonde. It wasn't really something I was comfortable about. And until now, I must admit I'm not to confident about it. But I like it. I like how, at 30 years old, I am still able to go beyond my comfort zone and do something outrageous. Not as outrageous as some people would think but for me going blonde is a bold step. Being the vain person that I am, going blonde means sticking out, and not always in a good way. Some people actually tease me that I look darker or that I look weird. It took a while for my daddy absorb that I actually dyed…