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Friday, October 30, 2009

Mommy Moments : Precious Gift

mommy moments

In today's Mommy Moments the theme is Precious gifts...

Here's a precious gift... a wonderful blessing to our lives....


Andrea completed us... as a family! She brings so much joy... There is nothing more special when in the middle of the night she will just wake up, give you a kiss and a hug. Those are the most precious moments that can't be bought.

All her smiles, her giggles, her playfulness and her "sassiness"... those are blessings that I won't exchange for any material things....

Termites

When a home is infested with termites, it is really a pain because you will spend quite an amount of money for termite treatment cost. Sometimes, you cannot prevent termite infestation especially if your house is located in a termite prone area. If your house is located in this kind of area, it is necessary to keep an eye out for signs of termites.

Termite infestation is no joke that is why we need to learn the basic on how to get rid of termites. A good website to look at for a complete information regarding termite infestation and how to kill them is killthetermites.com! This website will guide you and explain about termites, what to do when the house is infested with termites and different products that will help treat the infestation. Visit them and I am sure you will learn a lot.

Mobile is Hurricane Prone Area

Remember Hurrican Katrina? When it hit Mississippi, Mobile was also hit and one of the affected areas. There were many houses that were submerged into water. Roads were impassable.

Since Mobile is hurricane prone area, you will noticed that all houses have exterior shutters. They actually look pretty good especially on the historical district. The houses in the historical district dates back to 1800's.

Friday Fill-ins #15

Friday Fill-Ins

And...here we go!

1. It was a dark and stormy night, It feels like all the ghosts are coming out.

2. She ran out of time so I offered to take the books myself.

3. Rushing out, I tripped on the stairs....

4. Passing through the cemetery ...I think I heard a howl! and I wanted to run!

5. Shhhh... careful, the baby is sleeping.

6. Please give me something good to eat! I am starving!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to going home, tomorrow my plans include trick and treat and Sunday, I want to do a lot of laundry!

Summer Clothes

When we decided to come here to Mobile, I know I need to bring summer clothes. Since Mobile is near the ocean it is hotter here compared to where we live. When I packed for clothes that we will wear for a week, I packed shorts, sleeveless, spaghetti strap blouses and some other summer clothes for me. I packed shorts, skirts, sleeveless and summer dresses for Andrea. For Dave, I packed his work clothes and some t-shirts and short jeans.

It feels like summer here in Mobile. In fact, we have to use airconditioner. I can't believe that it is hot this time because last year I remember that it was cold and I remember that I wore knitted sweater last year during Halloween's trick or treat.

Anyway, while we were shopping last night, I saw a girl who was wearing a Sexy tie front crop top. I admit, it looks really good on her. She had many heads turn to her because she just look stunning on her outfit. The way she carries herself wearing that type of crop top is very classy. She was just smokin' hot!

I like looking at women who can wear stylish clothes with confidence. I don't think I can wear a sexy tie front crop top because in the first place, I don't have enough upper body to show off!

Sexy Underwear

I love sexy underwear. Even when I was in the Philippines, I wear those skimpy ones. I feel sexier when I wear sexy underwear. It may sound crazy, but I spend more money on underwear than on pants or dresses. My mother used to tease me why I buy expensive underwear when it is worn underneath. She would say there is no need to buy those unless I will wear it on top of my clothes.

I am very choosy when it comes to my underwear. I don't wear those granny type of panty. I wear a lot of bikinis, lacy panty and of course I love wearing Sexy Thong T-Back Panty especially when I am wearing white pants. For me, when you wear white pants and sexy thong it makes you look hot!
Sexy Thong T-Back Panty

Many would wonder if wearing thongs are comfortable. I can say yes it is! When you get used to wearing thongs, it actually is more comfortable compare to the other styles. If you haven't tried, you need to! Wearing thongs can also spice up your married life. Surprise your hubby with those sexy thongs and I am sure he will be all over you. Thongs are sexy and most husbands find it irresistible. Give it a try tonight and tell me if it works....

Trip is OVER....

Tonight, we will be going home. The trip is over and we are going back to the place we call home. It has been a good get away. We didn't do much but I am glad I was here when Mischa needed somebody to help her out.

I am happy to come home with a lot of seafood and fish. Today, we went to the seafood market to buy some shrimps, fish ( 4 kinds of fish!) and blue crabs. Oh gosh! I can't believe how cheap the fish here (per pound)

It is always nice to get away but I am looking forward to come home too! As we all say, there is no place like home. Our place may be less cozy than the hotel but still our own place is where our heart is!

These are the fish that I got:

White Trout

Bream

Flounder

Mini Skirt

Tomorrow is already Halloween! This is the time of the year where kids and adult alike are looking forward to because they can wear costumes according to their preference. As for me, I am excited because this will be the first time that I will be participating in a Halloween party with my friends. We decided to wear costumes together with our kids and go trick and treating in a high-end subdivision near our place.

For those who are doing a last minute shopping for Halloween costume and doesn't have any idea what to wear, I suggest that a Pleated plaid school girl mini skirt is a style you might want to consider. If you wear this with a high thigh stockings and high heels, I believe that it is very stylish and very trendy. A sexy school girl is part of American tradition for so many years and I am sure that wearing this type of outfit for Halloween will bring back memories of high school years. If you want to feel like a sexy school girl again, you need to wear these sexy plaid mini skirt.

Wearing this mini skirt is perfect to match with a crop top or a sweater depending on the weather. Wear this as a costume for Halloween and unleash the sexy school girl in you.

Pleated plaid school girl mini skirt

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Gold Investment

Gold is the ultimate asset. It is the purest form of money, and the oldest, most durable wealth-preserving asset on the planet. Like all investments and commodities, the price of gold is ultimately driven by supply and demand. The annual demand of gold exceeds more than the production of gold mines. Thus, the value of gold increases. Many investors believe that gold prices will continue to rise and they also believed that you can gain financially if you invest in gold either bullion or coins.

Investment in gold can be done directly through bullion or ownership of gold coins. Many factors determine the value of a gold coin, such as its rarity, age, condition and the number originally minted. Investment in gold bullion is a wise decision because the scarcity of gold always stabilizes its value.

There are many counterfeit gold coins in circulation. Simple determination of weight and volume should be sufficient to determine if the gold is a counterfeit or not. Nonetheless, it is always better to be cautious. If you want to invest in gold, be sure to buy your gold to a reliable source.

The Maiden Heist

THE MAIDEN HEIST gives us the most endearing characters ever to commit grand larceny: three museum security guards who live lives of quiet captivation, each enraptured by a particular work of art.

Roger (Christopher Walken), Charles (Morgan Freeman) and George (William H. Macy) are each so lost in fascination with the particular objet d’art of his affection that although they have been coworkers for decades, they only just meet for the first time when crisis strikes: there’s a new curator in town, and his plan is to change the museum’s collection entirely, threatening to rob each man of his greatest secret passion in life.

However, having found their kindred spirits, the men forge a plan to hold onto the works of art they hold most dear. Though hardly criminal masterminds, their inflamed hearts drive them to plan and execute the most daring art heist ever conceived from the inside – with bumblingly hilarious results!

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If you love art and comedy, this movie is for you. This made me laugh out loud. Fabulous actors doing funny scenes in the most simple way. It just makes you laugh to no end!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Turn Your Computer into a TV

As a stay at home mother, I watch some TV programs that are aired in various TV stations. I watch different TV series but when we travel, I tend to miss some episodes and I don't like it. I am glad that there is livetv4me.com where I can watch live sports, movies, news, music videos and thousands of other programs from the US and around the world!

It is very easy to get connected with livetv4me. There’s no hardware to install and no bulky cables to connect. All you need to do is to pay the ONE TIME payment of $39.95, you can enjoy over 1000 live television channels from around the world whenever you want, wherever you want all from the convenience of your PC or laptop! There will be no monthly fees to maintain and there is no contracts. This is really an awesome way of making your TV-watching experience a lot better.

LiveTV4me is a one-time software download that instantly connects your computer to an almost endless variety of live TV programming choices from around the world. After the download, you can have unlimited access to all the channels you want to watch wherever you are.

Watch Unlimited TV at an Unbeatable Price with LiveTV4Me.

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Dining @ Ed's Seafood Shed


I wanted to dine at a place that we haven't dined yet. I love to check different restaurants. We decided to dine at Ed's Seafood Shed.

When we got the menu, we got disappointed because there were not too many to choose from. And I was hoping that there were crab legs but there were none.

We ordered calamari (as usual) for our appetizer. These are what we had

Dave - FRIED FISH PLATTER Two large boneless, skinless fish fillets – lightly dusted in Ed’s special cornmeal mix. Served with french fries and hushpuppies.

Ben - GRILLED SHRIMP A dozen fresh jumbo gulf shrimp – seasoned with secret spices and garlic butter. Served with french fries and garlic bread.

Mischa - FRIED PETITE SHRIMP PLATTER Half a dozen fresh jumbo gulf shrimp lightly battered in Ed’s special flour mix and fried to a golden brown. Served with hushpuppies and fries.

Mine - GRILLED FISH An 11 oz. fish fillet – seasoned with secret spices and Ed’s special sauce. Served with seasoned rice and garlic bread.

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Despite the less number choices in their menu, they served very good food. The grilled fish that I had was the best compared to all the restaurants that we went to (restaurants that serve fish fillet)

Hong Kong ( A Side Trip)

When we had our vacation in the Philippines last January, we wanted to have a Hong Kong side trip. We wanted to stay a day or two just to explore the famous Hong Kong which is known as the shopping capital. Due to budget constraints we decided to just spend our vacation in the Philippines. We promised ourselves that when we can, we will definitely try to make a side trip to Hong Kong on our next Philippine vacation.

An opportunity was presented to us when I learned about the Accor Hotels 3-Day Super Sale Asia Pacific. There will be one million hotel rooms at amazing rate across Asia Pacific. Rates starting as low as US$30 per night for stays between December 09 to April 10. This is really perfect because we plan to have our Philippine vacation between February and March. With a discounted hotel, I am sure there will be no reason why, we can't afford to have a Hong Kong side trip.

A trip to Thailand, Korea, China, Japan, HK, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Fiji, Indonesia, Taiwan, India, and Bali is now feasible because of the record-low airfares across the Asia Pacific Region. If you are planning to explore the beauty of Asia Pacific you need to take advantage of the 3-day Accor Hotel Super Sale. This sale will run for only 3 days 27 Oct 09 to 29 Oct 09. There are many hotels to choose from namely: Sofitel, Pullman, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Mercure, All Seasons and Ibis. These hotels provide a vast range of affordable options.


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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

TCP: Just Magical!


This week theme of Tuesday Couch Potatoes is about Movies that are just Magical! I have a few favorites of Magical Movies but Lord of the Rings is the First in line... This actually is one of the movies that Dave and I watched together and yes in marathon... Since then we treat ourselves with movie marathons every once in a while.



I am a big fan of The Lord of the Rings. I have seen it many times but if I will be asked if Do I want to see it again... Without hesitation I would gladly say YES.

LOTR made me fall in love of New Zealand. And yes, I dreamed of one day having a house with a circular door like the Hobbit's house.

I don't think I need to say more of this movie because I am sure many of us have seen this one.

The Lord of the Rings film trilogy consists of three live action fantasy epic films: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003) (often abbreviated to LotR for the trilogy, and FotR, TTT, and RotK for the individual films).[1] The trilogy is based on the three-volume book The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. While they follow the book's general storyline, the films also feature some additions to and deviations from the source material.

Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, the three films follow the hobbit Frodo Baggins as he and a Fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, and thus ensure the destruction of its maker, the Dark Lord Sauron. The Fellowship becomes divided and Frodo continues the quest together with his loyal companion Sam and the treacherous Gollum. Meanwhile, the wizard Gandalf and Aragorn, heir in exile to the throne of Gondor, unite and rally the Free Peoples of Middle-earth, who are ultimately victorious in the War of the Ring.

Auto Sales

The tough economic situation we are facing today affects millions of people. Many resorted to filing bankruptcy thus hurting their credit record. Credit record is very important because it is your ticket to your financial freedom. When you have a bad credit record, it is very hard to get loans, to get car financing, renting a place and it is even hard to find a job.

If you are looking for a car and you don't have a good credit record, Drivetime Auto Sales Austin is worth checking. Drive Time focuses on getting people with bad credit into a used auto. Drive Time has a wide selection of used cars that you can be proud to drive. Austin has 5 Drive Time store location and a team of employees that will help you find the car that will fit your lifestyle and your budget.

The process of getting approved at Drive Time is very simple. You just need to visit their website and complete their short online application. After two minutes, you can find out if you have been approved. What are you waiting for? Check if Drive Time Auto Sales and see if you qualify.

Trade Shows in Mobile, Alabama

There is a trade show in the hotel that we are staying. I had some time to check it out and adore different designs of trade show booths. It is amazing how they can come up of this type of booths. The beautiful booths showcases different products. You really can't miss the products the exhibitors are showcasing because they have plenty of banner stands in different retractable versions. It is pretty awesome actually.

On the entrance of the trade show is a table with printed table skirts. It has different brochures in the table where people can get information about the products being displayed by the exhibitors. This trade show is very organized.

I have enjoyed the trade show and I am looking forward to the Gulf States Horticultural Expo, "The premier winter trade show of the South," is a consolidated trade show of the Alabama Nursery & Landscape Association, the Louisiana Nursery & Landscape Association, and the Mississippi Nursery & Landscape Association. The Trade Show will be on Jan. 22-23, 2010 at Arthur R. Outlaw Convention Center - Mobile, Alabama. I am curious to see if they will be using different Pipe and drape as booth dividers for their displays.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Monday Movie Meme: Tricky


Happy Monday everyone! Today's theme for Monday Movie Meme is about movies that has tricky and surprising endings. Visit The Bumbles Blog for this meme and its participants.

Here's my list...

This is a film about five men who are hauled into the New York police station because a crime was committed and they are the usual suspects. They all agree to do a job together for a little revenge. However, little do they know that someone else has the strings and that they are all the puppets--all because each of them crossed the wrong person at the wrong time. After the big job, 27 people are dead, and there are two survivors. But the question is...who's the one controlling everything?
Child psychologist Malcom Crowe is one night visited by an ex-patient named Vincent, angry, enraged. He wounds Crowe, then kills himself. A few months later, Crowe is visited by a 9-year old boy named Cole. He sees dead people who do not know they are dead. Because of this, he is called a freak in school. Crowe, at first thinks he is seeing things, but after spending a lot of time with Cole (much to his wife's dismay), he discovers Cole may be seeing dead people after all

While traveling to Morocco to initiate a food program of his own to help poor kids, the Dutch Martijn is kidnapped by a group of terrorists and his guide Gavin is executed in cold blood in front of him. Along the days, Martijn is tortured by a Muslin man and Aicha and looses four fingers. In the end, the truth about his travel is finally disclosed.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

On Lights...

When I first enter the hotel room that we are gonna stay for the whole week, the first thing that catches my attention is the lights in the wall. It is very pretty and it blends well in the whole atmosphere of the room. It makes me think of buying a new light for our bedroom. The minka item number 6723-355 as shown in the picture below is I think the one that will be perfect for our own bedroom. Its graceful curves and warm colored glass make for great style.

Blogging from Downtown Mobile


We are now in Mobile adoring the view of the downtown as viewed from our room in the 14th floor of Holiday Inn!

Andrea was the best baby while traveling. She didn't cry at all. She was busy looking around and talking. We stop for a couple of times to stretch our legs and after like forever of driving we reached Mobile.

The place that we will be staying for a week is really nice. Well, for the price of the room per night (which I don't want to pay, if I am the one paying..lol) it is worth it.

This will be our home away from home for a week....

Saturday, October 24, 2009

My Brother is Hospitalized

I got a text message with my roaming cellphone last night informing me that my brother Loloy is hospitalized.

Loloy has severe allergy to bread. I don't know what is in the bread that makes him allergic to it. When he has severe allergy, he can't breathe and he will collapse and be unconscious. His face and whole body becomes swollen and sometimes he cannot see.

Despite the many times that he was brought to emergency room because of this allergy, he never learns his lesson... sometimes he still can't stop from eating bread.

Last night he was rushed to the emergency room. When I called, he was already conscious but still on oxygen mask.

When my sister Lita and I chatted earlier, Lita joke that she is gonna buy tons of bread that way if Loloy is ever gonna have severe allergy it is because he has eaten lots of bread not because he ate two pieces of bread. "Kumbaga para sulit ang pagkahospital dapat kumain nalang ng marami!"

Friday, October 23, 2009

Charter on Demand

Ondemand

I am a busy mom. Taking care of a hyper active daughter plus doing all the necessary stuff at home always make my day seems endless. Despite all the hassle and bustle of my daily life, I still manage to have some time to relax and bond with my hubby. One of our favorite bonding moments is watching movies. There are times though that we can't find time to go to the local movie rental place because it is too much hassle to drive far just to rent movies, that is why sometimes, we will just settle for a good TV show.

If you have charter digital, you have On Demand which is FREE of charge. This is a wonderful feature with no additional cost for you! With Charter On Demand, you can watch over 6,000 movies and shows anytime you want. If you happen to miss one episode of your favorite TV show, you can watch it again the day after it was aired on TV. This Charter on Demand is perfect for mothers like me who is often busy. Charter on Demand is just fingertips away. You can learn more at charter.net/ondemand. I am sure you will love this. Well, why not? When it is provided by Charter Digital for FREE!

Anyway, did you know that you can get updates and fun extras on Charter’s Facebook page? Be the first to know about the latest update with Charter. Follow them today.

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Mommy Moments : Tantrums, Tantrums...

mommy moments

When Andrea throws a fit, I will just give her an IGNORE Mode! That's what works well. When she gets mad at something, she would just throw herself in the floor and roll over and cry... I don't know where she learned it as nobody does it at home...

Anyway, of course it is hard to capture those tantrum moments. The best I can show are the pics below. Andrea always gets mad when it is time for bath or swim to be over. Whenever I give her a bath and I will say "It's enough, we are done" she would say NO and of course cry....

She is about to cry here because we told her it is enough...

She is not happy at all! She wants to stay in the water forever

Share your tantrum moments with your kids at Mommy Moments hosted by Mommy Chris of The Mommy Journey.

Build Dreams with Gimmepleez

Gp_full_logo

When I look at Andrea, I am amazed at how time flew by so fast. She is now almost two years old yet it seems like it was only yesterday that I gave birth to her. Sometimes, I wonder if will I ever give her a good future? Will I ever be able to send her to college of her choice? These are questions that I wish I can answer and I hope that when the time comes, I can provide.

Anyway, I am starting to save for Andrea's college education fund. It is better to start saving for college when the kids are still young because it will give us more time to save. I created an account at Gimmepleez for this project. Gimmepleez is a community where dreams become a reality. By creating an account at Gimmepleez you can create a profile, link your savings account and invite your friends to check your profile and donate. Friends and family can donate for Andrea's college education instead of giving her Christmas gifts or Birthday gifts. I think that this idea is more significant and Andrea can use it in the future.

Do you have something you dream about? Become a member of Gimmepleez and build your profile. Tell the community how much you need for your dream to be realized. Invite your friends and family to donate to help you achieve your dream. Gimmepleez is all about making your dreams come true!

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Friday Fill-ins #14

Serendipity


Would anyone be interested in making a Halloween graphic?

And...here we go!

1. The crickets sing, in the middle of the night.

2. I am with you in spirit wherever you are.

3. I want to get far away from the firecrackers ( I am scared of them!).

4. Happy and content; this was a dream.

5. But as for me family is always FIRST.

6. Philippines is where I come from

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to finish packing for our trip to Mobile, tomorrow my plans include eating dinner with Mom and Dan and Sunday, I want to be in the beach in Mobile while watching Andrea enjoying it!

Unique Souvenir

We are thinking of something unique as a souvenir for our family and friends on Andrea's birthday. Do you think a Photo Blanket will be a good idea?

Online Casino

In the State of Alabama, Casinos are not allowed although you can see a couple of casinos in an Indian Reservation. These are federal land that is why it is legal to operate casino. Some of my friends will go to Mississippi if they want to play casino games. They all told me that it is not just about gambling. It is all about having fun. There are a lot of entertainment in a casino and there is great food. For them, playing casino games is for fun as long as you know your limitations.

I was telling them to try online casino that way they don't need to drive across the state just to play games. Mississippi is somewhat a long drive from Alabama that is why I suggest to them to try online casino to spare them from many hours of driving back and forth. Online casino is safe and also enjoyable. There are free tournaments that you can join and you can also learn different games by just a click of the mouse.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Jack and Ate Fe's Visit

Yesterday, Jack and Ate Fe paid us a visit. They were traveling and on their way home to Florida when they decided to spend a night here in Alabama to see us especially Andrea.

At first, Andrea was hesitant to them. It is normal since the last time that she has seen Jack and Ate Fe was early this year. I don't think she recognized them after all this time. After few minutes though Andrea warmed up with them and started showing off her toys and played with them.

It was great to see them both and I am thankful for all their pasalubong. They went to Niagara Falls that is why they brought a souvenir for me from Niagara Falls. They brought a cute hairbrush for Andrea with Andrea's name on it and a bottle of perfume for me.

We did not do nothing special except that we just hang out and eat dinner.

Ate Fe and Andrea

Just hanging out outside China Buffet

Andrea was playing with Jack, she teased him of not giving a kiss

Thoughts on Modern Relationship

Any relationship in which the people involved have different goals and expectations will not be an easy relationship. Making any relationship work requires a dedication of time and effort, and there are never any guarantees. I am no expert when it comes to relationship but one thing is for sure, I am committed to my marriage.

I do not condemn those that are in poly relationship but I don't encourage them either. These type of relationship is a personal choice, if they are happy with it, then be it! As for me, I will stay with where I am, a monogamous relationship with my husband.

Just out of curiosity though, how can a poly relationship succeeds? Will there be no rivalry among them, as who gets more attention? How can you feel safe and secure with the relationship when there is more than one that you are sharing with? These are tough questions to answer.

If you are open to the thought of this modern type of relationship, you might want to read Split-Self. Split-Self is a new serial put out by F.S. Publishing that reinvents the chicklit genre with wit, humor and a slight touch of cynicism. Split-Self is a novel of a romance between three. Not a threesome, not a love triangle, a polyamorous relationship between one girl and two guys.

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Relief Goods (for Typhoon Ketsana Victims)... Where are They?

This post is originally from Ella's Blog...

Please let's help spread the word. Repost this entry in your blogs... Let us hope that by doing this, it may reach to people who has the power to make actions...

div

(This post was last edited Oct 22, 12:30 pm)

Kahapon, tinanong ng Philippine News si DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral:

Editor of Philippine News: Why are the relief goods in DSWD warehouses not moving?

DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral: Wala kasing volunteers.

This short interview was done over the phone. Philippine News wanted to hear her side pero ayaw niyang makipag-usap sa press. After four tries, pinasabi na lang niya ang maikling sagot na ito sa secretary niya - “Walang volunteers”.

I don’t want to accuse her of corruption but at the very least she is showing signs of being totally incompetent. We are in a state of calamity where every second counts. May namamatay araw-araw dahil sa sakit.

In my opinion, these deaths could have been prevented if Secretary Cabral had tried a little harder to do her job.

div
    Deaths from Philippine storms nears 1,000

    “Tropical Storm Ketsana left 420 dead and 37 missing when it flooded 80 percent of Manila on September 26, a disaster the government said affected 4.35 million people.

    Some areas are still flooded three weeks later and 189,000 people remain in evacuation centres,

    Typhoon Parma hit the northern Philippines on October 3 and lingered as a tropical storm for a week, triggering landslides that killed 438 people and leaving 51 missing mostly in mountain communities.

    The government agency said Parma affected 4.16 million people, including more than 32,000 who remain at evacuation centres.”

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During the first week after the storm, lumabas ang “bayanihan spirit” ng mga Pinoy. “Makatulong lang kahi’t konti,” katwiran nila.

kung walang volunteers, ano ‘to, komiks?

From Stella Arnaldo’s blog:

    “At the offices of many civic groups and private organizations, hundreds of people showed up to volunteer in packing relief goods.

    At the Tulong Bayan center at the Expo Centro in Cubao, Most of the volunteers were adolescents as young as 10 years old, along with their kuya or ate in high school and college.

    They came in huge numbers, many of them barkadas, classmates or siblings, dressed just in their tees and shorts, wearing their Havaianas. All were just enthusiastic to do their share!
    Photos by Leah Navarro

    bayanihan
    Even grade school kids pitched in to help!

    tulong
    Youth volunteers repack detergents for distribution

    making beds
    Making beds from carton boxes

div

GMA asked world for donations

Our government begged the world for more donations. Sumagot ang buong mundo sa ating panawagan. In less than three weeks, dumaong ang mga barko, ibinaba mula sa mga cargo planes, i-diniliver ng mga trak at container vans ang sandamakmak na relief goods. Cash donations were in the millions of dollars.

But these donations must be coursed through DSWD

Nagpalabas ng directive ang pangulo. Individuals, private companies and other nations were ENCOURAGED to send their donations to DSWD. I blogged about it here and the video of her announcement here.

This PGMA directive sounded suspicious to me then. Now I know why. Here’s the story.

A group of eight people, your ate Ella included, went to one of DSWD warehouses to help in repacking relief goods. We know they need volunteers pero hindi namin akalaing WALANG TAO TALAGA SA LOOB NG WAREHOUSE!

As in sa isang humongous warehouse (1000++ sq.m) NA PUNONG-PUNO NG RELIEF GOODS HANGGANG BUBONG, ISANG DSWD employee lang at ISANG SECURITY GUARD ang tao!!

Kailangang magpa-register at i-schedule ang volunteering

    1) UNICEF Registration (as a volunteer)

    The warehouse can only take as much as 50 volunteers at a time or per shift. Here you will find that there is a 4-hour shift, and an option for a 6-hour shift for the volunteers to indicate their availability.

What “volunteers”? Nasaan?

Aside from the 8 of us? Nope, there was nobody there. Bakit kailangan ang scheduling? Feeling hindi ba magkamayaw at nagu-unahan ang mga volunteers?

I know somebody who wanted to volunteer many times. She was always bumped off, laging nirere-schedule kasi “there were too many volunteers” daw. At tuwing Sunday lang daw puwede. What the hell is going on here?

Nakatambak ang donations ng UNICEF sa warehouse, local and international

Mga banig na dapat ay nahihigaan ng mga nasalanta. Mga imported camp beds na hindi na yata masisilayan ng mga biktima. Mga kumot na hindi naman nakabalot sa katawan nila. At mga pagkaing hindi sumasayad sa sikmura nila.

The relief goods are not going anywhere

We arrived at about 8 am and left by midafternoon and yes, you guessed it right. Kami pa rin ang tao bukod sa isang DSWD employee sa loob ng warehouse maghapon. Walang ibang dumating.

The relief goods are not moving. By the way things look, they are not going anywhere. Hindi maglalakad mag-isa ang mga donations na ito papunta sa mga evacuation centers.

LET THE PICTURES DO THE TALKING

Note: Pinagbawalan kaming kumuha ng pictures sa loob ng warehouse. I wonder why.

walang tao 2
“Not a creature was moving, not even a mouse.”

walang tao
Parang haunted warehouse ang dating. May multo na yata.

pots and pans
Kahit na daig pa ang tindahan sa Divisoria sa dami ng naka-stack na kaldero

kaldero pa ulit
At walang katapusang kaldero pa ulit

delata 2
Kahit halos natakpan na ang mga bintana sa dami ng mga kahon

coleman
Kahit umabot na hanggang kisame ang stack ng mga kahon

camp pads
(Close up ng Coleman camp beds sa previous photo) Hindi ito kasama sa ni-repack naming goods. Para sa mga “special victims” kaya ito? Ire-repack kaya ang mga “imported” camp pads na ito ever?

banig
Sabagay, may BANIG naman para sa “ordinary victims”. Ito ang kasama sa inimpake namin. Sayang ‘yung imported.

kumot
Ano kaya ang laman nito? Hindi rin pinabuksan. Pang-special victim din kaya ito? (teka, dito nga pala galing ‘yung mga kumot)

jica
Mahiwagang mga kahon from Japan Aid.

japan
(close up ng mahiwagang kahon) Hindi rin ito kasali, of course. Hindi namin alam kung ano ang laman nito. “Imported” are not included, we have concluded.

toys
Marami ito, mga laruang kasinlaki ng tao. Hindi nakunan ng pic kasi nasa tabi ng sikyo.

pork and beans
PORK AND BEANS? Yup, you’d think kasama ito sa relief bag. Pork and beans lang ‘to, puwede na sigurong ipamigay,

close up pork and beans
Naaah! “Imported” pork and beans from Spain po ito. Sorry, hindi pa rin included

Now let’s take a look at what a victim will get from DSWD

sa loob ng kaldero
Look Ma, sampung lata ng sardinas! How generous! Kaldero ang unang ilalagay sa sako. Sabong panglaba (bar soap) at sampung sardinas sa ilalim. Siyam na sabon sa gilid ng kaldero. Local goods lahat syempre.

tuwalya at napkin
Tapos papatungan ng isang tuwalya at isang pack ng sanitary napkin.

kumot
Sisiksikan ng tatlong rolyo ng kumot(?) ang blue water jug tapos ipapatong sa kaldero sa loob ng sako.

sako
Last but not the least, lalagyan ng dalawang banig.

tinatahi
Sabay tatahiin na ang sako. O di ba, parang asong tinapunan ng buto ang mga nasalanta? Eniwey, busog naman sila sa SAMPUNG lata ng Mega sardinas

Do not delay

do not delay

YOU THINK?? WTF is the matter with these people? Mag-iisang buwan na mula nang masalanta ang mga kababayan natin. ISANG BUWAN!! Do you mean “do not delay ang dati nang delayed”?? Shet.

Anong ginagawa ng mga donations na ito sa warehouse?? APAT na warehouse ang nasa loob ng compound na ‘yon! APAT na warehouse na punong-puno ng inaalikabok na relief goods! Relief goods na ayaw yata ibigay sa mga nasalanta. Halatang-halata.

Marami pang pabubulukin

shipment
Wow! May bagong shipment na naman! At the rate DSWD is moving, next year na madi-discover kung ano ang laman ng mga kahong ito.
nutri biscuit
    “The first of two of the largest high-energy food shipments from the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) arrived in the country two days ago for victims of storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng.”

    The biscuits were fortified with essential vitamins and minerals for supplementary feeding to children, pregnant women and the elderly in evacuation camps. Another 100 tons of biscuits will arrive on Oct. 24, in a continuing effort to provide food assistance to flood victims.

Sige, ideretso ‘nyo ulit ‘yan sa DSWD warehouse. Para AMAG naman ang abutin ng biskwit… at sapot ng gagamba.

Conclusion

Sa maghapon namin sa warehouse,nakagawa kami ng 150 sacks of relief goods. 150 bags of relief goods lang ang lumabas sa warehouse na ‘yon that day. At nandoon pa rin sa loob ang mga imported relief goods, safe, sound and packed as the day they arrived.

Nakisakay kami palabas sa isang DSWD delivery van. Gusto sana kaming ihatid ng driver hanggang Makati pero wala raw siyang sobrang gasolina. Ibinaba na lang niya kami sa gitna ng EDSA. Millions of dollars in donations, walang extrang pang-gasolina.

Susulpot din siguro ang laman ng mga mahiwagang kahon at mapapasakamay din ng mga tao…sa ARAW NG ELEKSYON. O mabibili na nila ang mga imported goods na ‘yon sa mga puwesto sa Quiapo at Divisoria.

Suggestions lang po sa DSWD:

  • Alam ‘nyo palang walang mag-volunteer sa inyo, bakit hindi kayo mag-hire ng mga tao? Bayaran ‘nyo ng arawan para mag-repack. Ang daming walang trabaho, makakatulong pa kayo. Hindi naman malaking kabawasan ‘yon sa bilyong pisong donasyon na natanggap ninyo.
  • Isa pa, gaano ba karami ang mga sundalo natin? Hindi ba puwedeng ipagawa sa kanila ‘yan? Baka isang araw lang, tapos na ang problema ‘nyo
  • Bakit hindi ‘nyo ibigay ang trabaho sa mga NGO, churches, private charities, TV stations? I’m sure they are more than willing to help. Time is of the essence. Huwag kayong suwapang. Obvious ba, hindi ‘nyo naman kaya.

    Kung talagang gugustuhin ninyong makarating agad sa mga kawawang biktima ang mga donasyong ‘yon, nagawa ‘nyo na ‘yan. Maraming paraan…kung talagang gusto ‘nyo lang.

    You are the government. You have the power, the resources and the money. You just have to really care.

    div
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