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 These are more often than not, outdated.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.

What do Oprah Winfrey, Rod Stewart and former US President George Bush have in common?

They are all thyroid patients.

About 200 million people in the world have some form of thyroid disease. This is according to www.thyroid.ca, one of the well-known source of information about the disease.

Thyroid disorders for the most part are treatable; however, untreated thyroid disease can produce serious results in other parts of the body. Improved public awareness and understanding of thyroid disorders will enable patients and their families to cope more effectively with the sometimes disturbing course of thyroid illness. In this way individuals will also be better equipped to play a role in alerting their physicians to a suspected thyroid condition that may otherwise be difficult to diagnose in the sometimes slowly developing initial phases.

In the Philippines, a fundraising concert for thyroid patients will be held on July 6, 2013 (8:00 pm) at the Crossroad Center, Mother Ignacia Ave. corner Sct. Reyes St., Quezon City. Juan Night with Jose & Wally. produced by the Philippine Society of Nuclear Medicine (PSNM), features two of the country’s leading comedians, Jose Manalo and Wally Bayola. Joining the popular duo are equally talented stand-up comedians Anton Diva and Ethel Booba.

So if you’re in for a night of laughter and at the same time support the cause, grab your tickets now. You may contact Michael Go of iConceptualizeyourEvents Inc. – 0917-9159406 / 0922-8437628.

The event is sponsored by Mang Inasal, Jackman Plaza, Francis M Clothing Company, Black Beauty, Xight Interactive, RawMatters Café, Traveltime Travel and Tours, WhenInManila.com, Arman Taylo Photography, Oleia , and Gluta White and Firm. For updates, like our page: http://www.facebook.com/PSNM.WTD.

This is JUAN concert you should not miss. Be part of the show and join the Celebration of the World Thyroid Day and help save lives!

I can't bear hearing a baby cry.

It's not that I hate listening to their shrieks but it's because I lost my first child saying goodbye to me with a cry for help as I held on her tiny right hand until her last breath.

The pain still lingers within me. I could have had a 5-year old daughter calling me daddy today asking me to bring her to the mall for a treat... for a new dress... for a cute doll.

But I know she's in a better place now looking over me, her mom and younger brother Charles.

A few weeks ago, a good friend and I had a chat online. It was not the usual friendly bantering when we talk about our projects, upcoming events and stuff. She opened up something personal... something unimaginable that despite in the smiley emoticons in our thread, I know that every word she typed in breaks her heart.

She just don't know how her story crushed my heart, too.

In a nutshell, here's the dilemma that my friend and her family is undergoing right now: Two new family members, 2-month old John Cyrus and 1-month old Kaniel Makeen, are fighting for their lives and both need a liver transplant.   

We all know how much is the cost of such procedure and its maintenance after the operation. And to have two loved ones suffering similar conditions at the same time is such a situation seems unbearable.

But the family is hanging on and vowed to face this battle and needs all the help they can get. They might be emotionally and financially bruised but they still have the fighting spirit and high hopes to overcome such adversary.

For now, sharing their story is the least that I can do. If you wish to help the family, a detailed post and info on how to reach them can be found at Our Priceless Treasures.

Certificate hows users how their $1  is making a difference in Bangladesh.

UNIQLO, a leading global Japanese retail holding company that designs, manufactures and sells clothing under five brands, announces the release of The Value of $1 Android application for smartphones on March 29, the latest initiative in its growing social business program. This initiative extends UNIQLO’s partnership with social business pioneer Grameen by offering smartphone users around the world an opportunity to support educational programs for children in Bangladesh through a single US dollar or equivalent in local currencies.

The Value of $1 project is based on the concept of connecting people around the world through the value of investing one US dollar. By simply purchasing The Value of $1 Android application, smartphone users can directly participate in a social business in a new way. The app supports several languages including English, Japanese, French, Korean and Chinese (simplified and traditional) and will be available to smartphone users around the world for $1 via the Android Market online store.

All the proceeds from the first 10,000* sales of the app will go towards the production of fun learning T-shirts and study booklets designed to promote literacy among children in Bangladesh. Sales of the app will enable Grameen UNIQLO to sell learning sets worth $2 for the equivalent of $1 in local currency. The entire process from manufacturing to marketing will be handled locally and any profits will be reinvested by Grameen UNIQLO into projects designed to contribute to Bangladeshi society through the local production and marketing of clothing.

An App that teaches Bengali language

Smartphone users who register for the project through the app receive an electronic certificate of participation. The certificate will track the progress of the production and marketing process giving participants the opportunity to actually see their $1 investment at work. Users of the app can also download a fun electronic learning aid for Bengali--the official language of Bangladesh.

The pay version of The Value of $1 app is limited to first 10,000 participants. A free version of the app will be available for download after the project ends.  The app costs the equivalent of $1 US. Local currency conversion is calculated based on the exchange rates when sales of the app begin. If the local price after the exchange conversion is below the minimum price permitted on the local Android Market, the app will be priced at the lowest permitted price for that region. For more information about The Value of $1 Android app, please visit: http://www.grameenuniqlo.com

Oh shampoo, day! May libre kang toothpaste! May libre kang toothbrush!

Love it or hate it but 90's babies can't deny the fact that this double meaning song lyrics was just too tempting not to be chanted especially during drinking sessions with friends.

It's from one of the many catchy songs by Grin Department, a band who out of no where conquered the airwaves and walkmans some 20 years ago.  Iskin, Iniwan. Syota ng Bayan, Di ko alam... the list goes on.  Now, I feel like doing a GD marathon.

Now here's the thing, I saw in Facebook a plea from Gege Pascacio, daughter of Bong who was the lead vocal of the band.  Currently, Bong is confined at the Sta. Ana Hospital in Manila due to Chronic Abdominal Decease and needs to go through a surgery anytime soon.

His family is at their lowest nowadays since their house in Sta. Mesa was burned into ashes after a big fire hit their area recently.  They were not able to save anything and are in deep financial problem.

Anyone can help by either donating type AB blood or Php 1,500 for each of the eight (8) blood bags that Bong needs.  I'm pretty sure they need more help than this since after the operation, medications will still be required for Bong.

I hope his friends from the music industry can read this post.  If you think you can help the Pascasio family, you can reach Aling Sylvia, Bong's mother at tel. no. 0946-8837508.

I hope Bong can overcome this trial and will be given another chance to showcase his talent.  I want to hear him sing again this lyrics from his song Barkada:

"...ang kalokohan ay di mawawala
hindi na dapat pinag iisipan pa
lahat tayo ay dapat magsaya!"
 

1. Come up with your own ‘I Will If You Will’ challenge! For example: “I will bike to work everyday instead of taking my car if you will pledge to live green and like the WWF-Philippines page!”

2. Download TEMPLATE 1 and edit it on Photoshop. Type your ‘I Will If You Will’ challenge.

3. Save the file in .JPEG format.

4. Post it on your Facebook page and on the WWF-Philippines Facebook page! Tag your friends and ask them to come up with their own ‘I Will If You Will’ statements too!


1. Download TEMPLATE 2  and open it on Microsoft Powerpoint. You can also download TEMPLATE 3 and open it on Microsoft Paint. Edit and type your own ‘I Will If You Will’ challenge.

2. Save the slide as a .JPEG file.