You Can Share for Ondoy Victims

(Photos: Drop-off center in Fuente Osmeña Circle, motorists drop by to give their donations. The center is being manned by members of Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council)

Drop-Off Points

For donors in Cebu City:

Basilica del Sto. Niño

Gullas Medical Center in Banilad (also to satellite campuses in Pardo, Minglanilla, Toledo City, Mandaue City, Compostela, and Danao City)

The Freeman and Banat News Office

Cebu Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry

CFC Provincial Mission Center in Singson, Guadalupe

Cebu Bionic Builder Supply in Magallanes

Ayala concierge

Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Lahug

Cebu Eastern College

CCDCC Center in Fuente Osmeña

For donors in Cebu South:

Dalaguete Municipal Hall                                           

Naga Municipal Hall                           

Barangay Halls in Lagtang and Linao, Talisay City

For donors in Lapu-Lapu City:

Mactan Cebu International Airport

Tojong Hospital in Lapu-Lapu City

Lapu-Lapu City Hall

For donors in Cebu North:

Danao City Hall

Bogo Municipal Hall

For donors in Mandaue City:

ABS-CBN Complex in Jagobiao

Cebu Home and Builders in AS Fortuna

Mandaue City Hall

P206,600 cash donation for Ondoy victims

(at ABS-CBN Cebu relief center)

The Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council with their drop-off center in Fuente Osmeña was able to collect P114,000 cash donations as of yesterday. The amount was immediately turned over to ABS-CBN Cebu. The in-kind donations were also turned over to the TV Station.


Pier, a Norwegian national, was among the hundreds of donors who came to Fuente Osmeña and donated one sack of rice and some used clothing.


“Why not? If I’m in the same situation with them, I’m sure there will be people who will help me as well. And this is one way of saying thank you to the country that brought me a better life,” said Pier.


Leo Lastimosa, anchor of TV Patrol Central Visayas said that since Sunday, ABS-CBN Cebu had received P92, 600 pesos donations in cash, excluding cash donations directly deposited by donors to the ABS-CBN Foundation bank account.


Mary Ann Uy, News Chief of ABS-CBN said that they were advised that the total amount of P206,600 will be deposited directly to ABS-CBN Foundation.


The station was also able to fill-in two 20-ton container vans which will be shipped to Manila this Wednesday courtesy of Gothong Shipping Lines. The container vans contain water, clothes, and food.


Inmates of Mandaue City Jail also donated part of their food supplies. The inmates helped pack kilos of rice and canned goods. The donations were also turned over to ABS-CBN.


10, 000 US dollars worth of medicines were also donated by Home Reach Foundation from New York.


All donations were given receipts. The relief campaign will continue as long as the victims in Luzon will be needing help.

Assistance for BAGYONG ONDOY victims

(photo from Yahoo Images)

Different sectors in Cebu come together to help the victims of flooding in Metro Manila. Cebu Province will give more than 10 million pesos cash donation while business sector and media outlets offer drop off points for donations.


Governor Gwendolyn Garcia said that she had asked the Department of Social Welfare and Development assessment on the damages to 23 places in Luzon brought about by Typhoon Ondoy.


Garcia said that when the result of assessment will be given to the Capitol, they will immediately release their cash assistance taken from the province’s calamity funds. She said that the province will directly give the financial help to the LGU executives so they will be able to use the amount where it is needed the most.


Garcia said that their financial assistance will be bigger than 10 million pesos released during the typhoon Frank because of the extent of the damage in Luzon. But Garcia assures that they will also consider putting aside an amount for Cebu, in case a calamity will hit the province. Calamity fund is 5 percent of the total annual budget of the province.


Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Samuel Chioson had circulated a memorandum requesting their members to give cash donations or in-kind to the victims of Ondoy.


“Chamber is appealing to its members for any assistance that may be extended to the poor victims of Typhoon Ondoy in Metro Manila and surrounding areas. Material donations such as food items, clothing, medicines, water and other items that would answer for the basic needs of the affected populace will be appreciated. Cash donations shall, likewise, be accepted and accordingly receipted,” the memorandum circular stated.


CCCI had made its office in Cor. Commerce and Industry Streets, North Reclamation Area, Cebu City as drop-off points for donations. They also made their office number 232-1421 to 24 as their hotline numbers for donations to be picked up.


“Check/Cash donations should be made payable to Cebu Chamber of Commerce & Industry. All in-kind donations shall be covered by Acknowledgement Receipts while monetary donations shall be issued a corresponding Official Receipt,” Chionson said.


The Visayan Electric Company is also accepting donations at their offices in SM City Cebu, Talisay City, Talamban, Consolacion, and Lilo-an. They accept non-perishable donations like canned goods, clothes, powdered milk, and uncooked rice.


Aboitiz Group of Companies is also accepting donations and had made all their 2GO outlets in Cebu as drop-off points. 2GO outlets in Dumaguete City, Bacolod City, Cagayan De Oro City, Davao, General Santos, Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran City, and Zamboanga. All the donations will be turn over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.


Gothong Shipping also lent their 20 ft. van to Y101. The radio station has put up a donation area at the parking lot of Gaisano Country Mall. They will accept donations from 7am to 7pm daily. The donations will be shipped for free by 2GO of Aboitiz Transport System.


ABS-CBN Cebu had also made their station in Jagobiao, Mandaue City a drop off point for donations. Nursing students from the University of San Carlos and Tujong Medical School, and members of Guardians volunteered to pack the relief goods.


DSWD starts accepting donations also. Donations can be dropped off in their regional office in MJ Cuenco Avenue. They also have hotlines for those who want their donations to be picked up; 232-9507 and 232-1192.


Grace Yana, specialist for DSWD Emergency Assistance said that they are already preparing their personnel for stress debriefing. She said that aside from donations that they will be organizing, it is expected that their office in Manila will need an extra hand to take care of the victims.


Yana said that their head office relayed that the victims need food, water, blankets, and clothes. Yana asked those who will donate used clothing to choose clothes which are still wearable so the victims can immediately use them.


Department of Health Operations Office is also alert for possible personnel augmentation. Dr. Expedito Medalla said that they can give logistics support to the victims. They are still waiting though for their head office to demand from them. He said that if medicines will be needed, they can allocate medical supplies.

SEarCH Your SELF

Try typing your name in the Ysearch or Google search bar. Be it web or images.
When I did,   I found my past articles in sunstar, cdn, and interactive. I also had my name mentioned in some internet forums when members tagged my published articles. And I found my name in blogs and social networking websites.

I'm having a lazy Sunday. I don't have anything to do except for going to church this evening and writing my stories for tomorrow's newscast. For now, Im in bed thinking if I'm doing any good with my life.

I'm 24, next year I'll be 25.

Let me recall the timeline I made years ago...
I said that when I'm 21, I'll be having my own billboard. (hahaha). Have my dream job which by the time I made this plan I wasn't sure yet what my dream job is.
22, travel outside the country, open a savings account, pay for my brother's school (paying my brother's school is the only thing that I accomplished, I'm still doing it now, and my brother is already in 3rd year college. But Im not supporting him fully, 30 percent perhaps).
23, have my own car, my own house, successful.

Then I stopped. It was useless. Everytime I check the list, I only get disapponted. 99.9 percent of what I imagined life after college would be is impossible.

I learned to go with the flow, wait, and enjoy the present. But there are really times when you think that you should have gotten more than what you have now. But then again, how do you really measure success? Is it with your salary, status in the society, friends you are hanging out with, the place you are staying, the places you are often seen?

I do not have any idea.

Honetly right now, Im taking things slower. As what my Nanay said there is no shortcut if you really want to be successful and happy.

I have learned to find success and happiness in different venues. It's in everytime I find my published articles carried by several websites of concerned orgs. which means that your news articles matter and the details are vital to inflict change. It's in times when I receive thank you text message from my brother after sending him his allowance or tuition fee. It's when I'll be able to buy myself some personal stuff out from my own pocket, no matter how small it is (be it ukay-ukay or second hand gadgets). It's in times when I get a warm hug from my grandmother for being able to come home on weekends. It's when I get a thank you from my boyfriend for being a good girl (hehehe). It's when my bosses say thank you also when I volunteer for a job when someone in the office is absent. It's when my effort in trying to find time for my old friends (especially when in trouble) is appreciated.

My Favorite Tweet... hahaha (all true!)

(I already arranged this for u)

if i say getting his full attention, it means that he offered me a laptop, an ipod with 30 of my favorite songs he downloaded himself...

5 minutes ago from web

plus... a trip to his hometown in Pampanga, a house he will pay monthly, and a second hand car...

3 minutes ago from web

this is all because of some girl who tried to tell the world she still has him. he said he'll prove she's wrong.

2 minutes ago from web

what can I do? love always wins

This is like a teen flick.


Honestly, I do not understand why I have to give him a second chance. Then I realized that if I have the purest love for the person, I can accept him even in his worst.


It is painful when you learn from your friends that your boyfriend is still communicating with his ex. If it was just a hi-hello conversation, I could have just let it pass. But it was a long conversation of pouring his feelings out for her, that "he still cares," "she still has the biggest part of his heart," and "he'll stay forever in love with her."


And guess what? My friends read it all in a blog. She posted the entire conversation. She chose the people on her contact who can read the post, and my friend was one of them. I have the feeling that she intended to have my friend read the post so he can relay the mess to me.


When my friend sent me a copy of the post, I was a little hesitant to read it. His girlfriend who is a close friend of mine texted me earlier about a bad news I am going to get. But I read it anyway. My hands were shaking just seeing the names of the two persons. I read the first part, the middle, the end. I guess I read only 40 percent of the conversation. I could no longer go on, it already broke my heart.


I called him up and asked for his explanation. It took him a few seconds before he remembered the chat I was talking about. I asked him, the last time he checked on her and he said it was last week. When I started asking about the content, he broke into a worried-scared-surprised voice. He was murmuring things I could no longer understand because all I can hear is the echo of my cry, and the fast beat of my very very heavy heart.


I decided to put down the phone and communicate with him through email. We chatted in Gmail and I sent him several short emails.


Here are some of it:


just check your email. i cant speak to you yet. let me feel the pain and accept it willingly. im gonna miss u but this is for the best. i want to keep a little respect for u.


him: Nang please don't let me go. Mawala ko please nang


him: mahal please... don't do thisbut nothing is true in all what i said to her nang...


trial ra ni nato


please...


be strong...


i admit its my mistake of doing it.


him: That was my biggest mistake in my life nang. I admit my mistake. Please give me a chance nang...please


Lets save our relationship.


Lets save our relationship."--- u have said this line several times nong. wala gyud kay konsensya. wala sad syay konsensya for telling the world she still has u... im sorry for intruding into ur love story. it was ur love story all along. I played the cameo role.


I was writing my article for a daily newspaper. He was calling me. I ignored him and put my phone away. I was sobbing. And confused.


Then my initial plan was (this is normally what happens) I have to break up with him. An email of "we have to end this" was for me the end of the two sweet years we had (or the two years of love lies).


It was painful. But I described it as a beautiful pain. It came to me that I loved him genuinely. I would have never felt the pain if I didn’t.


Bestfriends, at least two of them, who knew about what happened comforted me through text messages and e-mails but never suggested what I should do in respond to the situation. They wanted me to decide for myself and said that they will always be there whatever my decision is. But they were so expressive in their anger towards him.


I spent the rest of the night talking to the closest friend of mine. She listened very carefully on my views. I told her why I ended the relationship.


1. I pointed out that posting the conversation in her blog is the least of my concern. I don't care what she does in her blog to get attention. She has the right to express whatever it is that she thinks she has to share to the world. It really depends to the extent of her morals, and most importantly, intellect.


2. As the post showed, it was him who started the conversation and he was the one who injected sensitive issues in their chat. The girl actually tried to refrain from answering his questions on love life and other personal stuff.


3. I remembered telling him the things that will hurt me the most. And what he did was on the top of the list. I even told him he can tell me anything but he forgot to tell me about it when I was with him last weekend.


4. Two important ingredients for relationships to work; trust and respect were definitely violated. If we will continue with our relationship, things will change. I see more petty fights, hallow hugging, and sour kissing. It will be a disaster. It will just ruin the both of us.


5. If he had done it to me once, he'll probably do it again. I don't want to come to the point when all that is left in me for him is hatred. I want to at least offer him friendship. After all, he made me happy for a moment.


My friend agreed. But I know she knows, it will be harder for me to lose him than to accept him back. She asked me to talk to him one last time. She begged and said, he has to end his 23rd birthday with me.


If I was hurt, I knew he was hurt as much as I do. So I swallowed my pride and talked to him on the phone. He was sobbing. I could barely understand the words he was saying.


He kept on saying, “Nang please, ayaw ko’g buwagi. Malooy ka. Let’s start all over again. I did not mean it, it was a mistake.”


I was firm in saying I have made my decision and I do not want to get hurt anymore. But he said, “Tell me, how many times have I hurt you? That I do not deserve to have a second chance? I love you nang. You know that.”


I replied, “If you really loved me, and the feeling was genuine, you would have not done what you just did. You are unfair.”


He said, “Unfair? Isn’t it unfair that in times like this, you could just let me go so fast? We promised to standby each other when we are in our worst. I need you nang. I can’t go on without you.”


I told him of how I could not look at him the way I used to. Or talk to him about the future like I used to. “I can’t love you, the way I had.”


He answered back, “If I have to earn your love again, I don’t care. I can accept any emotional torture coming from you. I just need to have you back. I want you back. Ikaw ra gyuy para nako nang.”


He was in a panicky mood. I can imagine him walking to and fro, banging the walls, and lying on the floor.


I cried harder while we both weighed things out. It was two minutes past 12midnight and it was no longer his birthday. I realized, he just won me back.

Secret No More

I realized it's hard to have a secret blog. Nobody can share thoughts with me. My boyfriend only reads my posts but never cares to put his two cents' worth. Anyways, I'm gonna tweet about this. I'll give out the URL and... hello world!