The iPad works perfectly as a tool for deaf children to communicate with each other, learn how to read and write in a more entertaining way; and these gadgets provide a specific skill-set which could prepare them in facing the tough world. However, iPads remain out-of-reach among deaf learners in the Philippines.

In the government-owned Baguio City Special Education (SPED) Center, deaf learners still use the traditional book and blackboard methods every day. These are more often than not, outdated. Lucky are those whose parents can buy updated learning materials and tech products that aid their children in understanding their lessons in school.

While the deaf learners are on summer vacation this April and May 2014, New Media Services would like to invite everyone who has just upgraded or replaced their iPad to donate their old or unutilized units for the benefit of these deaf learners.

The old iPad units will be installed with a list of education applications that can help the deaf learners in their Math and English subjects. We hope to have the first set of iPads released to third graders studying at the Baguio SPED Center as our primary beneficiaries.

In the past years, we already helped with “little miracles” to the Hearing Impaired Sequence of the school by renovating and refurnishing their classrooms, donating computers, sponsoring their Internet connection, providing learning materials- all things that the government could not easily provide as of the moment.

With your help, we can do a whole lot more good! You might think that the old iPad in the corner of your room collecting dust is just a simple gadget; but that old iPad can be a key to fruitful learning sessions that will change the lives of these deaf kids in the Philippines.

To donate, you can send your old iPad units to our Australian headquarters located at 4 Dundass Grove, Botanic Ridge, Victoria, Australia. We will handle the shipping expenses of the units to the Philippines.

You can also support the Hearing Impaired Sequence of Baguio City SPED Center by donating through this link: http://baguiosped.com/donate/donate/home. For questions and suggestions, email us at info@newmediaservices.com.au now.

New Media Services is not just Australia’s leading provider of end user support services and cloud-based messaging platforms. NMS is also the leading advocate of improved deaf education in the Philippines. For years, NMS has consistently supported the Hearing Sequence of Baguio City Special Education (SPED) Center and out-of-school youth in the Philippines. To know more about the charitable activities of NMS, please visit http://newmediaservices.com.au/nmscares or email us at info@newmediaservices.com.au now.

Send cash donation via text messages to Smart and/ or Globe

This year's holiday season will go down as one of the saddest Christmas to many Filipinos especially those living in the provinces that were affected by killer typhoon Sendong.

According to a report from Unicef, almost 200,000 children were affected by the flash flood brought by Sendong.  What's more depressing is the fact that more than a thousand lives were also taken and another thousand people are still reported missing.

I am just proud that I am part of an organization like People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) under the leadership of outgoing President Bong Austero who immediately released funds to help out affected employees of our member companies based in Cagayan De Oro and Iligan City.  It's our own little way of reaching out to them, especially to CDO who adopted us for a week during a PMAP event held in the city last October.

I was also inspired by friends and fellow bloggers based in CDO who has been active in conducting fund-raising activities for our kababayan in spite of the fact that they too are victims of Sendong.  One of them told me that "you'll be moved by the scenes when you are here.  You will feel that you're just lucky that you did not experience what they have gone through and that's my motivation to help them in the possible ways I can"

Yesterday, my family spent lunch at McDonalds in Proj. 4, QC and I consider it one special day not because of the holiday celebration but more on the joy that I felt when we brought something to donate for the victims of Sendong. It was the first time that I actually made extra effort to share something for the needy since I stopped doing a yearly gift-giving activity in 2007, the year I lost my daughter and younger brother in a span of three months.


Prior to that date, I've been organizing activities like feeding programs and donation drive for Christmas using a portion of my 13th month pay since 1997.  But I somewhat lost the excitement and the Christmas spirit when I got hit with a back-to-back personal tragedies.

Typhoon Sendong may have brought sadness to the lives of thousands of people but it's really amazing how hope can do wonders.  Hope touches even the heart of stone, uplift spirit, and unite a nation.  Personally, my heart was broken many times looking at the images of mothers cradling lifeless bodies of their children, people crying out for help and sad faces of children.  But I have to admit, it awaken me to relive a good deed that I should have not ceased doing in the first place.  I have just pushed the "reset" button and will do more action than just writing for this advocacy blog.  

For those who have old clothes, foot wears, bedding, canned goods and other useful things to donate, McDonalds outlets nationwide are accepting donations for the victims of Sendong.  Below are other organizations who have also offered their services and accepts your donations:

Inquirer Relief Drive
1098 Chino Roces Ave.
Cor MAscardo and Yague Sts.
Makati City

GMA Kapuso Foundatrion
2nd Floor GMA Netwrok Bldg.
GMA Drive, Diliman, QC

All LBC outlets nationwide.

For cash donations, you can visit any outlet of 7-Eleven or Cebuana Lhuiller or log on to www.worldvision.org.ph or www.unicef.ph.

The People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) will conduct a gift-giving activity on December for confined patients and their families at the Philippine General Hospital.  All sorts of donations will be accepted.  Please check the details on the flyer on how to be part of this worthwhile activity.

Image taken from www.mybooks24-7.com

A-Book-Saya Group (ABSG), a non-government group dedicated to the task of uplifting the literacy of poor kids in Mindanao is looking for donors of books, new and used.

Couple Armand and Annora Nocum, a Christian and a Muslim respectively, opened the Kristiyano-Islam (Kris) Peace Library-Quezon City which is actually a portion of their house in Barangay Holy Spirit converted as a library.

Thousands of children from their community and nearby places have benefited in this good deed initiated by this couple who has also received donations not only in the Philippines but from foreigners who came to know about their mini library.

Actually, the library in Quezon City is the second book hub they built after the successful project they launched in Mindanao

For more than three years, the two-story Kris Library in Zamboanga has been giving thousands of poor Christian and Muslim kids free use of books and research materials, free basic computer lessons, free use of computers. It also has some 100 scholars. ABSG has likewise given some 6,000 books and magazines to poor kids since 2001.

If you'll have nothing to do this weekend, why not do a general cleaning and you might find some books that have been dust holders for years in your place. Just a little cleaning, these reasding materials will educate minds who would be the future of our country.

Donors may bring their stuff at the Kris Peace Library at No. 9, Doña Isidora Street, Don Antonio Heights, Diliman, Quezon City or at Dean & Kings Legal PR and Communications Marketing firm located at Suite 300, Kimvi Realty & Dev’t Bldg., 1191 Maria Orosa St., Ermita, Manila 100.

Image was taken from greatmesotheliomaguide.com

Families are a necessity of life. Each member of a family whether they realize it or not, is dependent on all of the others for love, support, and a sense of identity. Though some health issues are inevitable, protecting your family from long term health problems is not impossible. Avoiding toxins like asbestos can prevent unnecessary health risks and keep your family solidified and in good health.

Asbestos is a natural mineral used in the manufacturing of houses and buildings and is mostly found in drywall, insulation, appliances, car parts, and tile. Asbestos is also used to build schools, churches, and other publicly used buildings. When the mineral is undamaged and intact, it is relatively harmless. However, if it is disturbed, asbestos fibers are released into the air and can be swallowed or inhaled.

Family members who live or work in asbestos contaminated areas can bring home the poisonous fibers on their clothes, shoes, and hair, spreading the toxins to the rest of the family. Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of a deadly cancer called mesothelioma. Mesothelioma symptoms do not appear for 20-50 years after asbestos is inhaled. Thus, many victims do not know that they have the cancer until it has spread to other organs. Since diagnosis is often delayed and the cancer already spread, treatment is difficult and mesothelioma life expectancy is low.

Recently, countries like Canada are responsible for increasing asbestos export to Asian nations, including the Philippines. The Jeffrey mine in Quebec, Canada is reopening and intends to ship 200,000 tons of the toxic material to various countries over the next 25 years. Though asbestos is banned in Canada, they are still allowed to sell the cheap material to others with full knowledge of its detrimental health effects.

To protect your family from mesothelioma, first be sure that your home or any buildings that you frequent do not contain asbestos. If you suspect asbestos exposure or if you notice symptoms of mesothelioma, see a doctor and request a cancer screening. Nothing is worth your family’s health. Keep them safe; watch for asbestos.

For those who wish to get more information about the current situation of cancer research in our country and would like to support the cause, you may visit the official website of the Philippine Cancer Society.

February is considered as the month of love basically because Valentine's day is celebrated during this month. I just hope that we would celebrate the occasion not just by giving roses, chocolates, flowers and stuff to our loved ones.

Why not do something for a stranger who is in need like Gabrielle C. Zamora, a 9-year old kid suffering from a congenital heart disease called “Tetralogy of Fallot”. Gabrielle has already undergone” five operations”

After 2 years of open heart surgery the problem occurred on the “Trans Annular Patch”. According to the doctors of the Phil. Heart Center an operation needs to be done immediately to prevent another attack that would cause of blood infection going to his brain, heart malfunction and possible cause of his death.

His mother, Gelitie Zamora, is asking from your good heart for any help and assistance you could extend for her child's operation on Feb. 20, 2011. Gabrielle needs Php 320,000.00 for his VSD Device Closure at Philippine Heart Center.

If you are interested to send any assistance, just go to this LINK.

I don't want to be the Grinch this Valentine's day but I bet your sweetheart would appreciate you more if she finds out that the reason why you did not give her flowers or chocolates (which cost like gold during this time) this year, is that you helped a boy who is need of a lot of loving hearts. After all, the very essence of heart's day is the love that connects two people and not the gifts that we give and receive.

Many Filipinos, including yours truly, grew up and have gone used to having lunch time in front of the TV watching Eat Bulaga. That's why I see to it that every Saturday, I will block the 12 nn - 3 pm from any schedule or plan so I can savor my best lunch of the week--- steamed rice with jokes and other TVJ fun stuff and the whole of Dabarkads.

This blog post might be a little late to commend the great effort of the show in informing the public about the beauty and importance of recycling through their Plastic ni Juan project. It's a fact how unpleasant the current situation of waste management in country is. Just remember the Ondoys and Pepengs that came which left thousands homeless and hundreds dead. The damage could have been lessened or avoided if the plastic that has clogged our main sewerage for decades was cleaned up before those disaster struck us.

Enough on crying over spilled milk and let's do our own little way by learning how to segregate garbage that can be recycled from those that are biodegradable. Start by joining hands with Eat Bulaga. If you have an organization or is employed in any company, you can talk and suggest to your officers to support the worthwhile project of country's longest running noontime show. I saw a donation box like the one above in front of the STI campus in Shaw Blvd., Pasig City. (Great job, guys!)

Did you know that all the plastic containers that EB gathers are being recycled as school chairs and are later donated to schools that are in need of new classroom chairs? So that means that you don't just support recycling but you are also helping the public school sector in joining this campaign

For more information, kindly contact Maricel Carampatana though tel. nos. 426-6423 local 224 & 225 or you may also visit the official Eat Bulaga Facebook fanpage.

Indeed, sa Plastic at Basura... May dalang pag-asa!

Our parish priest asked us to be like Manny Pacquaio this Christmas.

I said, "Huh? Get a career in boxing, showbiz or politics?"

Actually, what the priest meant was to practice the the best evah boxer's mantra," It's better to give than to receive."

So if you have old clothes just acting as abode of roaches and mice in your cabinet, why not check for items which you think other people can still wear, wash them and go to the nearest David & Goliath outlet (Bonifacio High Street, Greenbelt 5 or Trinoma).

As an added incentive for your good deed, you'll get Php 200 David & Goliath coupon.

Here's the complete mechanics of this remarkable activity:
1. For every two (2) shirts donated *, get a 200php coupon that can be used when you purchase any regular-priced David & Goliath Tee.
2. Only one coupon can be used for each David & Goliath shirt purchased.
3. The coupon cannot be used in conjunction with other existing promos and/or discounts.
4. The coupon is transferable but not convertible to cash.
5. The coupon is valid until March 31, 2011.
6. You may drop your donations in any David & Goliath store

* any brand as long as they are in decent, wearable condition.
* Donation period is from December 10, 2010 to January 16, 2011.
* This project is for the benefit of the T-SHIRT DRIVE OF ROCK ED PHILIPPINES.

Visit http://www.facebook.com/davidandgoliathphilippines for details.

Per DTI-NCR Permit No. 8055 Series of 2010.

It's been years now that I wanted to participate in a fun run or run for a cause event.  It just that every time I plan of joining one, one reason or another will get on my way and forget the whole plan.

One of my "missions to accomplish" before the 2010 end is to join at least one of the scheduled runs this year.  Via goggle, I was able to find some one event per month along with their advocacy. 

PBA Run for a Cause (July 31 @ MOA) for the beneficiaries: Cancer and Hematology Department. of PCMC- Children sufferring from CANCER.

Run To Read (August 15 @ Bonifacio Global City) was designed to raise funds to build and restore libraries for less fortunate communities in various parts of the Philippines

Race to Save the Barako Tree (September 4 @ The Fort) which  aims to raise funds in support of the farmers who grow and preserve the native Barako Tree which is believed to produce one of the world's finest coffee.

Run for Pasig River (October 10) with various starting points but all events converge at the SM Mall of Asia:

    * 3K: SM Mall of Asia
    * 5K: Luneta Park
    * 10K: Bonifacio Global City
    * 21K: SM Marikina

Now, my running shoes will finally taste its true essence of existence (I hope).