Raise the roof

Lots of busy bees at Megatent (30 Meralco Ave.) this week! I'm hoping to drop by soon. Meantime, making use of time to blog, bring water up 29 floors (which is making me macho haha), pack clothes to give away, and of course, work for Baby Mag. Found this in my friend John-D's Facebook post. Might get you even more revved up to lend a hand!

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As of yesterday, Megatent Relief has sent out 45,000 bags of relief goods to distressed areas in Pasig, Rizal, Pateros, and Marikina.

Last night, 800 hundred people volunteered to bring sunshine into our dreary lives and help those in need. These brave men and women are AWESOME!

On Thursday, Oct 1, join them for the RAISE THE ROOF benefit concert (from 1 pm to 9 pm) to raise more funds and donations!

You may send your donations to Megatent, 30 Meralco Avenue, beside Renaissance Towers and in front of Alexandria. It's a relief hub for those in need. We have trucks and ample space to sort any donations. Please join us! My mobile is +639176306154. God bless!

UP Sagip Isko (Repost)

Most urgent needs

Food items: Rice, noodles, canned goods, sugar, iodized salt, cooking oil, monggo beans and portable water

Medicines: Paracetamol, antibiotics, analgesic, oral rehydration salts, multivitamins and medications to treat diarrheal diseases

Non-food items: Bath soaps, face towels, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, plastic mats, blankets, mosquito nets, jerry cans, water containers, water purification tablets, plastic sheetings, and Laundry soap

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(from http://updusc.multiply.com/journal )

1. We are accepting the following donations. You may drop off your contribution(s) at the Church of the Risen Lord, UP Diliman campus.

a. Food: canned goods, noodles, biscuits, bread, rice and potable water
b. Clothing – usable, wearable, clean, and dry clothes (any size), slippers
c. Beddings – blankets, sheets, pillows
d. Toiletries: soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush
e. Medicines: Paracetamol, Mefenamic acid, band aids, iodine, alcohol, Doxycycline, etc.

2. Volunteers are encouraged to join the relief efforts. Please contact 0915-8666968 for more details, or drop by the operations center at Church of the Risen Lord, UP Diliman campus.

a. Communications – with computers/laptops, cellphones, wireless landlines, radios
b. Sorting and packaging
c. Transportation – drivers, big cars, etc

3. For assistance to flooded/missing UP Diliman students, you may send their name, college, location, contact details, and status (flooded, missing, stranded, sick) to any of the following:

a. Cellphone: 0917-8619022
b. Landline: 219-9848
c. E-mail: updusc@gmail.com
d. Facebook: updusc@yahoo.com

You may also fill in the form at this link.

4. Student organizations are highly encouraged to join hands with the USC in making our relief operations more efficient and responsive. Org heads are invited to contact 0917-8114511.

5. UP Sagip Isko is now extending assistance to students who may have been displaced/have no homes to sleep in for the moment as flood waters in certain areas have not yet receded. If you are able and willing to offer your house as a foster home for the short term (this week at least), please fill in the information at this form. UP Sagip Isko will facilitate matching of displaced students.

Thank you.

Please forward/repost this in all your UP egroups/etc. Thanks!

Donations most welcome!

For those who can't be here to help in the Ondoy relief efforts, here are the places where you can give monetary assistance:

Philippine Red Cross

METROBANK Port Area Branch
Peso Acct.: 151-3-041-63122-8
Dollar Acct.: 151-2-151-00218-2
Type of Acct. : SAVINGS
Swift Code: MBTC PH MM

BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS Port Area Branch
Peso Acct.: 4991-0010-99
Type of Account: CURRENT

BANK OF THE PHIL. ISLANDS UN Branch
Dollar Acct.: 8114-0030-94
Type of Account: SAVINGS
Swift Code: BOPI PH MM

ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya

Banco de Oro, Mother Ignacia branch
Acct name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.
Acct no.: 5630020111
Routing code for international cash donations: BNORPHMM ABS-CBN Branch

Corporate Network for Disaster Reponse
Bank account no. 0031 0654 02 BPI Ayala Paseo Branch for cash donations

GMA Kapuso Foundation
Accepts credit card donations here

Ondoy drop off points!

To say that last weekend's floods has displaced a lot of people would be an understatement. Who knew that dreary day had so much rain power packed in its punch? Rivers overflowed and submerged streets, and suddenly it wasn't unusual to hear the words "lagpas tao" to describe rain water + mud and muck.

The worst of it, of course, is waiting for news from relatives and friends--especially those who live where "lagpas tao" was often bestowed. I hope and pray this won't ever happen again, and that the other two storms they're saying are headed this way just somehow disappear flying over the Pacific.

Here's a list of places where you can drop off relief goods for those who have been most badly affected by the floods:

7-11 stores

Shell gas stations

Total gas stations

Petron gas stations

Caltex gas stations

Jollibee branches in Metro Manila

McDonalds branches in Metro Manila

Starbucks branches

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Fitness First gyms except Eastwood branch

Help Your Schools, Universities and Religious Institutions

Assumption College San Lorenzo
Please drop them off at the AC guardhouse.

Ateneo de Manila University
Donations can be dropped at Covered Courts. To all students who need help or know of people who need help. Please text the name, location, and contact number to 0908 887 7166. Ateneo, which is now an open shelter, accepts refugees. Call 0917-8952792

Banilad Church of Christ, Cebu
Building in front of Bright Academy near Sto. Nino Village), Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. Donations drop off.

Caritas Manila Office at Jesus St., Pandacan Manila near Nagtahan Bridge +632-563 9298 +632 563 9308

CCF St Francis Mall
Ortigas is now accepting goods for donation.

CFC Center Ortigas
Now open for donations in cash or kind. Call +632-7270682 to 87 or SMS 0922 254 2819

Colegio San Agustin-Makati in Dasmarinas Village
Accept donations starting tomorrow (09/29) at 7:30 am at the GS Lobby. Donations can also be channeled thru students once they come back on Wednesday.

De La Salle University Manila
The Sagip Metro relief operation will start to accept donation for Ondoy victims starting Monday @ 8:30 am. Please bring goods to the South Gate of DLSU-Manila.

De La Salle Zobel
Accepts donations at Gym 5 near Gate 7 in Molave St.

DLSU Medical Center
Accepts canned goods, blankets, clothes, water. Location is at Congressional Avenue, Dasmarinas, Cavite. Telephone lines are at (02) 844-7832 and (046) 416-4531

Hillsborough Village Chapel
Water, blankets, shoes, and clothes may be sent to Hillsborough Village Chapel in Muntinlupa City.

La Salle Greenhills for Greenhills/Mandaluyong/San Juan Area, Drop off donations at LSGH Gate 2 or volunteer from 9am to receive, sort, repack the donations.

Our Lady of Pentecost Parish
+632 434 2397, +632-9290665 per Gabe Mercado, donations are very much welcome. The Parish is located at 12 F. Dela Rosa corner C. Salvador Sts., Loyola Heights, Quezon City.

Playschool International in Better Living
Open to receive relief goods. Feel free to drop it there for your convenience. No Cash Pls.

Radio Veritas
Veritas Tower West Ave. Cor EDSA +632-9257931 to 40

Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan Task Force Noah
A disaster response arm of the Jesuits, is accepting donations. Please drop it off sa Ateneo Cervini Dorm.

St. James Church
Multi-Purpose Hall – Drop off point

St. Pedro Poveda College
Now accepting relief goods. Call the Social Action Center 6318756 loc. 121

UA & P
Please contact Dae Lee [SEB EVP] @ 09178323533 needs donations and volunteers.

UP Diliman USC
Collecting food, clothing and/or cash. Drop Off Point: Church of Risen Lord 7am Contact Titus at 0917 800 1909, Jose at 0927 305 6607 and Tin at 0915 490 6106

University of Santo Tomas
Tulong Tomasino Donation Drive. Click the link for more updates.

Xavier School San Juan
Please bring to Multipurpose Center (MPC).

Donate (via Commercial Establishments)

Aranaz Stores in Rockwell & Greenbelt
Accepts donations of any kind for Payatas communities affected by Ondoy

Aunt Genie’s Breadhouse in Cebu
1279 Talamban, Cebu City In front of the Talamban Sports Complex

Binalot at Greenbelt 1
Call Tetchie Bundalian at (+632922-8573277)

Bizroute Solutions
Mon – Sat 11PM to 4PM Unit 302 Keppel Bldg. Ayala, Cebu
Call at 416-0495 if you need directions to the drop-off area.
Accepting: Canned Goods, Old Clothes, Blankets, Diapers for babies, Noodles, Rice, Medicine, Soap, Toothpaste, Water Container, Iodized Salt

Brainbeam Events, Inc
2/F MB Aguirre Cornerhs Bldg,15 Pres Ave cor Elizalde Sts, BF Homes Pque across the old Caltex in BF. Will accept relief goods.

Cebu Musicians & Outpost Restobar
SMS or Call 09082368999 or 09322117111.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Branches will be accepting canned goods, water, clothes, blankets, towels, medicine, and emergency supplies (no cash) on behalf of the victims of Typhoon Ondoy starting today until Friday. Your generosity will be much appreciated during this difficult time for our brothers and sisters in need.

Every Nation, FORT
Accepts donations for Red Cross esp. purified water, canned goods, and infant formula. Location @ 32nd St cor University Pkwy across Market Market.

Junior Chamber International Manila
Baypark Tent, Roxas Blvd. will accept goods starting Monday.

Luca
Stores at Rockwell, Shang-rila, Eastwood, or GA towers accept your old clothes & donations (no cash pls).

Manor Superclub, Eastwood City
Accept goods and other emergency items starting Sunday at 10 am.

Ministop IBARRA (Espana cor. Blumentritt, Sampaloc Manila)
Also accepts relief goods, Food (non-perishable goods only) Clothing, Medicines, Beds, Pillows, Blankets, Emergency Supplies to help Typhoon Ondoy victims.

Moonshine
Boutique in Rockwell is also accepting relief good to help Ondoy victims in Marikina and Cainta.

Myron’s Greenbelt

Papemelroti stores
They accept relief goods like canned goods, milk, bottled water, clothes (no cash).
Branches:
91 Roces Ave. | Ali Mall Cubao | SM City North EDSA | SM Fairview | SM Megamall | Glorietta 3 in Makati | SM Centerpoint | SM Southmall

PowerPlant Mall
Accepts donations for ABS-CBN foundation. Dropoff at admin office, P1 level.

R.O.X. Recreational Outdoor eXchange
Accepts donation for relief good for Typhoon Ondoy victims. You can bring it in the store located in B1 building Bonifacio High St., Tel. No. (+632-8564638/39)

Sunburst Fried Chicken, Cebu
Tabunok branch will accept donations from 10am to 9:30pm

Team Manila
Stores in Trinoma, Mall of Asia, Jupiter Bel-Air and Rockwell shall be accepting relief goods (Canned Goods, Ready-to-drink Milk,Bottled Water and Clothes) for distribution by Veritas.

Whitespace 2314 Chino Roces Ave Ext
White Space, 2314 Pasong Tamo Extension beside Makati Hope Christian School. For inquiries call Margarita Fores (710-8804). Activities consist mostly of packing of relief goods.

Red Kimono restaurants
Has branches in Pasig, Pampanga, Quezon City and Taguig City. Will accept canned goods, bottled water, clothing for all ages, basic household items.

More Ways (Private Citizens)

Christian San Jose
CSJ89’s Design For A Cause
Send him a good photograph that depicts Typhoon Ondoy. You’ll make something out of it, a design with a cause. He’ll send the finished design over to Adobe and will be distributed along with the next release of Adobe Creative Suite.
Proceeds go to the Red Cross
View this plurk for more details.

Karen Ang of Bury Me In This Dress
3 Kagandahan corner Kabutihan Streets, Kawilihan Village, Pasig
Call or SMS 0920 9520900
She will forward donated relief goods to Red Cross

Bundukeros (BAC)
Rappel For A Cause for the victims of typhoon Ondoy.
More info here

Donate (Abroad)

Philippine Embassy
Please take note of the guidelines for donations to the Philippines here.

Singapore
As per Jonas Delos Reyes’ plurk:
To those in Singapore, drop off point for Ondoy relief goods is Afreight Cargo, #03-09 Lucky Plaza, Orchard Road. 6235-1011/91117855

There is also donation drive headed by UP Alumni Association Singapore. Contact Joni (97898553), Guen (93694058) or Roman (81393242).

Sydney, Australia
Visit this blog for the details such as drop points.

Toronto
Visit this site on how to donate.

Help (Community)

ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya
Hotline: (02) 413 2667, (02) 416 03-87
Center: No. 13 Examiner St., Quezon City

Akbayan
Call 433-69-33/433-68-31 to donate or volunteer.

Ako Mismo
Visit Ako Mismo page for Typhoon Ondoy here.

Citizens Disaster Response Center (CDRC)
Relief goods for typhoon victims being accepted at 72-A Times St., West Triangle, QC. Tel (+632-9299820/22)
Corporate Network for Disaster Reponse bank account no. 0031 0654 02 BPI Ayala Paseo Branch for cash donations

Department of Social Welfare and Development
Donation drop off points: National Resource Operations Center, Chapel Road, Pasay City (Contact: Mrs. Francon Favian)
Quezon City Area Disaster Resource Operations Monitoring and Info Center (DROMIC) (Contact Rey Martija or Imee Rose Castillo, Tel Nos. 951-7119, 951-2435 or Assistant Secretary Vilma Cabrera Tel No. 0918-934-5625)
San Rafael corner Legarda Streets, Quiapo, Manila (Contact: Dir. Thelsa P. Biolna, Dir. Delia Bauan Tel Nos. 734-8622, 734-8642)

Kabataan Partylist
Drop off donations or volunteer at 118-B Sct. Rallos QC.
SMS or Call 09266677163 or Email kabataanpartylist@gmail.com

Sen. Kiko Pangilinan
is accepting donations @ AGS Bldg Annex, 446 EDSA Guadalupe Viejo. Contact Vina Vargas at (+632917-8081247)

Luzon Relief
Donations can be brought to Renaissance Fitness Center, 2nd Floor, Bramante Building, Renaissance Towers Ortigas, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City starting MONDAY (Sept.28) / 9am – 7pm Contact Person: Warren Habaluyas (+632929-8713488) or email at luzonrelief@gmail.com

Megatent Relief
Megatant, Meralco Ave, Ortigas beside Renaissance: need more volunteers and donations! Very big space! Open 24 hrs til Friday!

Move for Chiz
Asking for volunteers and donations at Bay Park Tent, along Roxas Blvd., beside Max Restaurant and Diamond Hotel in Manila, or at Gilas Minipark at Unang Hakbang St., Gilas Q.C.

NoyMar Relief Operations
Clare Amador (+639285205508) or Jana Vicente at +639285205499).
Drop off for relief donations is at Balay Expo Center across Farmers Market Cubao.

Operation Rainbow (Zac Faelnar Camara)
Ayala Alabang Village needs Canned Goods, Ready-To-Eat Food, Bottled Water, Ready-To-Drink Milk/ Juice, Clothing, Blankets, contact (+632-4687991)

Philippine Army Gym
Inside Fort Bonifacio or GHQ Gym in Camp Aguinaldo are now distributing donations for Ondoy Victims.

Rotary of Paranaque South
is accepting any kind of help/ donations for the victims of Ondoy.
Drop off point is in Seagulls Flight Foundation’s headquarters, Alabang. Call us at 8094847 or 8098776.
We are in 504 Park Trade Center, 1716 Investment Drive Madrigal Business Park Ayala Alabang Muntinlupa City. We’re near Daang Hari and Ayala Alabang Village.

Captain Harding's battle

I heard today they're speeding up debates on the RH Bill, which is supposed to save the country from poverty by cutting away at the population employing what GK Chesterton calls Birth Prevention. They're making a vote tomorrow; I hope they see that enforcing contraceptives on the population is not the answer, but strengthening family values and trashing that over-sexualized media culture that can't get enough of itself.

(Besides, contraceptives are bad for the health; just look at the literature behind every birth-control advertisement published in random women's magazines to see what I mean.)

While the forces clash in congress, here's an excerpt from a Jules Verne adventure to help remind us that, in the end, there's Someone up there who makes many great and good things spring from all our silly human mistakes. Maybe also to remind us that no battle is too big when what you fight for is honest-to-the-bones, good for humanity.

This excerpt is from Verne's little-known novel called The Mysterious Island. In this scene, six castaways under the leadership of Captain Cyrus Harding, an American engineer, prepare for battle against fifty pirates who threaten their colony, Lincoln Island:

The pirates had been alarmed. They knew that Lincoln Island was inhabited. They would land upon it in numbers and well armed. They would respect nothing. Should the settlers fall into their hands, they must expect no mercy!

"Well, we shall know how to die!" said the reporter.
"Let us go in and watch," answered the engineer.
"Have we any chance of escape, captain?" asked the sailor.
"Yes, Pencroft."
"Hum! six against fifty!"
"Yes! six! without counting--"
"Who?" asked Pencroft.
Cyrus did not reply, but pointed upwards.

Unusually, it works

A friend shared this book with me some weeks back and I almost found it in the Manila International Book Fair (almost, because I found its sister called Poetry Speaks to Children in A Different Bookstore). I think rhythm and rhyme (or not rhyme) makes any reading material for kids much more interesting. Not surprisingly, little reader me devoured a lot of poetry too: Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, Laura Richards.... Obviously I liked the funny ones!

Perhaps the hiphop in this book isn't the humorous type, but it intrigues me a lot to see something so mainstream make it in literary circles and the classroom. What an interesting combination! Here's an excerpt from a review by Tarie of Into the Wardrobe:

"For most of my life I had a blind spot when it came to poetry, because nobody, not even a teacher or a librarian, introduced me to good poetry. If I had been introduced to poetry through Hip Hop Speaks to Children as a child, I know I would have been made a poetry lover much earlier in life."

Speaking of getting kids to love poetry, it's not really that hard to do. Poetry sounds really good aloud, and kids feel great having succeeded reading the lines right. One of the most important factors of successfully integrating a love for reading in the child is a high rate of success. Sounds very technical; but I remember that I would have never picked up a book that had too many words in it.

As an ender let me share a poem I read over and over again without ever getting tired. It's not hiphop, though, but it did use a lot of weird words. Now that I read it again, why do I feel like it's shorter than I remember?

Eletelephony
~Laura Richards

Once there was an elephant,
Who tried to use the telephant-
No! No! I mean an elephone
Who tried to use the telephone-
(Dear me! I am not certain quite
That even now I've got it right.)

Howe'er it was, he got his trunk
Entangled in the telephunk;
The more he tried to get it free,
The louder buzzed the telephee-
(I fear I'd better drop the song
Of elephop and telephong!)

Write and write

Quick post, since this is a long and busy week and I can't leave my blog stagnant.

Read this in one of those forewords before. It's Stephen King talking about writing. I still think his writing about writing is better than anything else he's ever written. Or maybe because I haven't read Carrie, or whatever best ever thing he's written. (For the record, I have read The Shining, a short story collection called Everything's Eventual, and The Gunslinger.) Peace, Stephen King, you're still cool.

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I am often given the big smiling handshake at parties (which I avoid attending whenever possible) by someone who then, with an air of gleeful conspiracy, will say, 'You know I've always wanted to write.' I used to try to be polite. These days I reply with the same jubilant excitement: 'You know I've always wanted to be a brain surgeon.' They look puzzled. It doesn't matter. There are a lot of puzzled people lately. If you want to write, you write. The only way to learn to write is by writing.
--Stephen King

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Now, back to work.

'Autopilot'

I sometimes amuse myself by adopting new terms for things; I have renamed my cat countless of times (he answers to most of them), used different words to signify "cramming" to make deadline days sound more, er, colorful, and borrowed other people's new terms when I find them amusing enough (hello, superhero duties).

The latest addition to the word bank is what I call 'autopilot,' that is, the state in which one is so tired that all the movements and tasks are done robotically. Now before you think anyone can actually write on autopilot (quite impossible, actually), let me say that I thought up this term while I was walking to the Ayala MRT station from the bus stop at Paseo-Ayala through the pedestrian-friendly walkway-cum-maze in Makati. I was walking methodically, only half-aware of where I was. I was so tired I just let my feet lead the way. I knew I was so out of it when I actually thought I had already passed Glorietta while I was still in Landmark; I got all the malls jumbled up in my head, but I was still walking the right way.

Autopilot can be a dangerous state, especially when crossing the road (best not to let it happen in Cubao, too). And now that I think about it, it's a state you can't ever be in while at work--what slipshod results you'll have to your name!

That day, I was already in SM Makati when my brain sent a signal to the autopilot that maybe I could drop by the Homeworld to check out the list for a wedding I am attending. I took the detour and looked for the desk; but, I had to ask so many sales people where the desk was. I finally ended up on the other side of the mall where a pair of salesladies at a cashier answered me with a harsh "Ano bang registry yan?" and, after I said "Bridal," told me to go to a small empty desk at the corner of Homeworld and get my list there.

Now, I understand it if there are many different desks for other kinds of registries, but shouldn't there be somebody manning them all? What was I to do, talk to the empty chair? They could clearly see from where they were that the desk was empty. I snapped out of autopilot right then. I thought: maybe there's something about my tiredness that showed; no one was taking me seriously! So, I decided to get the list another day, when I'm more bibo.

When you're on autopilot, people can respond to you rudely because they see (or feel?) you're running low and are obviously not in any mood to get indignant or to complain. It's a kind of indifference that makes you vulnerable to getting shortchanged; sometimes, I think it isn't only an individual state because, collectively, people can be functioning on autopilot too (hello, fellow youth).

One can't afford to be on autopilot--as I said, it's a dangerous state. Sure, people get tired, but won't it do you so much good to stop dwelling on how tired you are and forget yourself for a while? There are so many things to be done that there is no time to be apathetic, indifferent and lukewarm...

How will you change the world if you're a zombie?

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Photo above is a poster of The Mechanical Man, an Italian silent (epic, horror) film, which showed here a few months ago. Interesting how the robot enters a party a la Phantom of the Opera, and nobody notices that he's the killer mechanical man...and then he attacks, as expected. That's an example of collective autopilot. Poor people, they didn't know any better.

Beautiful

I found a copy of Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe in the last Fully Booked sale at 80 off. Of course, I bought it; it was one of my favorite story books back when I was that little squirt who thought Nancy Drew was a ghost hunter.

I liked this book a lot because the pictures looked so different from what I was used to; this is a fairy tale--not a Grimm Brothers', but it had the same elements: a good sister, a wicked sister, magic, adventure...handsome prince--the works! What made it so interesting was the fact that it was different.

Growing up reading western books, I was used to seeing beautiful princesses who had long blonde hair and fair skin, blue eyes and red lips. You can just imagine how a book with the word 'beautiful' in the title and a brown face on the cover would have stuck out like a sore thumb among the many typical illustrated fairy tale books on the shelf to a western-beauty-brainwashed kid like me.

I picked up the story and enjoyed it very much--it was mesmerizing to look at the African images; I especially remember how the beggar boy's ear curled at the tip. The story was about two daughters, both beautiful. One wanted to be queen and the other just wanted to serve her father. One day, the king gave a summons to all the unmarried ladies in the land to come and meet him--he was looking for a wife. On the way to the palace (the sisters did not travel together), there were "tests" and the wicked sister failed them while the good sister passed. It's a story about beauty within: kindness, sincerity, charity.

It's interesting also to note that, having a "realistic" art style, the book is not really the type I would have instantly picked off the shelf--I would prefer to get the ones with the cute cartoon-y illustrations because, by experience, they tend to be funnier. But this book I got intrigued with because, besides it being African, I wanted to see if there was an image in it where the daughters really did look beautiful. (You have to excuse this kid.) They weren't conventionally (biased word) pretty but by the time I finished reading, I agreed that they were beautiful. Perhaps that was why the illustrations were more on the realistic side?


In any case, this is a book about real beauty, overlooking skin color, eye color, nose shape, lip thickness, hair texture and lash length. Nowadays, pop culture insists that beauty has only one face--preferably one that went "under the knife." But even kids would know that isn't true, if you gave them the opportunity to think it over. Because no matter how hard a brainwashing the media gives a person, every one, deep down, knows that what makes a person truly beautiful is the virtues that dwell in the heart.