Charity: soul of the mission

Unless the mission is oriented by charity, that is, unless it springs from a profound act of divine love, it risks being reduced to mere philanthropic and social activity. In fact, God's love for every person constitutes the heart of the experience and proclamation of the Gospel, and those who welcome it in turn become its witnesses. God's love, which gives life to the world, is the love that was given to us in Jesus, the Word of salvation, perfect icon of the Heavenly Father's mercy.

The saving message can be summed up well, therefore, in the words of John the Evangelist: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him" (I Jn 4: 9). It was after his Resurrection that Jesus gave the Apostles the mandate to proclaim the news of this love, and the Apostles, inwardly transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, began to bear witness to the Lord who had died and was risen. Ever since, the Church has continued this same mission, which is an indispensable and ongoing commitment for all believers.

Pope Benedict XVI
Message for the World Mission Day 2006 - Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana

patuloy

During the Social Involvement Summit last year, Bobbie and I chatted with Sir Leland during the break. One thing he said that I kept in my heart was, "Kapag DS ka, 'di pwedeng mahina ang loob mo."

I've written in my blog in the past months that there were times when I felt discouraged to continue being a development worker. I wrote how the realities really affected me, how they were just too much. I was confused and angry and disappointed about the realities that I have seen and have been exposed to. Why did people have to suffer? Why did people have to trample on other people's dignities and lives for their own comforts? Why is there so much inequality? So much injustice? As my theology teacher said two meetings ago, "How could a loving God let these things happen?"

It was such an ugly reality.

Last Wednesday, during our Social Innovations class, we watched an iWitness documentary by Jay Taruc entitled Basurero. It showed the situation of the people who survive their everyday lives by scavenging the garbage of the Cubao commercial area and the landfills of Tondo. It was really disturbing seeing them eat their meals from the scraps they find from the garbage. It was disturbing to see the children exposed to a million health hazards as they go through our garbage dumped in Tondo. It was hard to understand how a father who just lost his son because the child was run over by the garbage truck in the landfill felt sad because his son used to bring home Php300-500 a day.

While watching the documentary I remembered what Sir Land said, "...'di pwedeng mahina ang loob mo." True, I felt like I wanted to cry because those children should be playing, they should be receiving a good education. I thought about their future. What else would they do? Could they ever escape that ugly reality? I felt angry, but I didn't really know who to blame.

Hindi pwedeng mahina ang loob ko. I am a Development Studies major, what was shown in the documentary was just a small part of the huge reality I had to face. I may not know the answers and the solutions for all of these things, but what I know is there is something that can be done. This is what I am working hard for. This is what I am struggling for.

I looked around the classroom and felt new hope. This is just a small part of the huge reality we had to face. Inside that room were hearts filled with courage.

Hindi mahihina ang loob ng mga taong ito.

Karunungan Festival

gusto ko pumunta rito dahil magsasalita si Sir Ben Abadiano (siya ang presidente ng Assisi Dev't Foundation, kung saan ako nag-practicum) magaling siya e! gusto ko marinig. Tapos ayos din yung iba pa nilang line up ng speakers. Pero yun. I'm not available, at mahal ang registration. waah. oh well, kung libre kayo, punta kayo. Promise magaling ito. :)


You are invited to

A Karunungan Festival

a celebration of
Success Stories...
Commitment.. .
Filipino Education...

Venue: Ateneo Grade School Auditorium
Dates: July 7-8, 2007
Registration 8:00 AM on July 7, 8:30 AM on July 8

The celebration will be highlighted by panel discussions and exhibits that showcase successful educational practices such as motivating students to learn, creating indigenous teaching materials, organizing reading circles, transforming a culture of indifference, fun learning strategies, etc.

Speakers include DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus, Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, Cynthia Bautista, Irene de Robles, Cristopher and Victoria Bernido, Feny delos Angeles-Bautista, Edicio dela Torre, Benjamin Abadiano, former Gov. Josefina dela Cruz, among others. The conference will be highlighted by success stories from Ifugao, Agusan del Sur, Masbate, Antique, Payatas, Negros Oriental, Mindoro, and North Cotabato.

Invited to present exhibits include Kiangan Elementary School, Pamulaan IP Schools, Paaralang Mangyan, Ayala Foundation, Synergeia, Civil Society Education Network, OB Montessori, Madrasah Basic Education, etc.

Conference Fees :
Php 1,200 until July 5,
Php 1,500 after July 5.

For inquiries and reservations,
please call 426-5665 (Jomel or Tius) or 4265693 (Joel or Mai)

The Festival is sponsored and organized by the UNESCO National
Commissions, the Ateneo Center for Educational Development and the
Philosophy Department.

-

minsan talagang di ko na ma-gets kung bakit ganon. hay.

love moves

hahaha.

Ito seryoso, galing sa theo reading ko. Ito na ang isa sa mga favorite lines ko ever (hindi verbatim kasi di ko maalala):

Love moves us to committed action.



o diba? :)
connect mo sa entry ko about genuine love.

freedom for and from

Mas naintindihan ko na ngayon kung ano ang ibig sabihin noon (na-encounter ko ito for the first time kay Fr. Dacanay sa Th131) dahil may concrete experience na ako with it. :)

We can be free when we let go of our freedom.




Tsaka na ang kwento kasi di pa na-aannounce.

ang kulit ng sulat ko sa v's ko

Hello DevSoc Member! :)

Thanks for volunteering to help in the recruitment! I really appreciate that you are giving your time to sit here and make sure that our fellow DS majors sign up in our home organization.

Here are some instructions for you:

When a DS Major approaches our booth,
1. Smile! (parang ganto → :D)
2. Give them an APP FORM + COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS (ask them to come back to pass the app form, if di umabot ng Thursday, they can submit it to the DS Dept, 3/f SocSci)
3. Ask them to fill up the E-DATABASE :) (o diba, sosyal)
4. Ask for an APP FEE of P50 (pakilagay sa cute na cash box, then put a tick mark on the tally sheet)
5. Inform the DS Major that our first GA will be on 11 JULY, 430 – 6pm @ TBA
6. Give them candies (mga 5 pcs hehe), and ask them to write on the freedom book. They can write anything (e.g. expectations, comments, messages, rants, raves, etc!)

Ayun! :)

For the shifts, please see the schedule. The contact numbers are also placed there (just so if there are problems, e.g. may class ka na, pero wala pa yung susunod! I-text mo na!)

Reminders:
1. Sound levels (sanctions apply) → During 50 minute interval, noise that can disrupt classes is not allowed. During 10minute interval, noise can be made.
2. Orgs should claim Recweek tally sheets from any COA/Recweek Information Booth.
3. Orgs must clean up at the end of the day (sanction applies) and no equipment should be left.
4. Orgs should surrender the filled up Recweek tally sheets to the COA/Recweek Information Booth from where they got their tally sheets by 5:00pm. The volunteers assigned in these booths should surrender these tally sheets to the Central Info Booth in Colayco Pav.
5. Only a maximum of 2 people can man the booth at a time. Individuals must log in and log out. Please don’t leave the booth unmanned ANYTIME (sanction applies).
6. Volunteers must always wear ID at all times. Volunteers are not allowed to pass on their IDs to other people. They should surrender the ID to COA information booth. (sanction applies)
7. Keep our booth clean all the time. :)


If you have any questions, clarifications, or kung kailagan niyo lang ng text-mate o kausap, contact niyo lang ako sa: 0915-xxxxxxx :) Thanks!


Jaymee Durán
HR Executive

para sa birthday ko

Gusto ko mag-spend time with my friends and family, pero hmm, gusto ko sana hiwa-hiwalay yung mga grupo kasi ewan.. Parang I want to give my attention to each group hehe. Kung sama-sama sa isang party, nahihirapan ako. Haha, at tsaka ayaw ko kasi ng masyadong maraming tao, nahihirapan ako. :) Basta.

Mass of the Holy Spirit

Huling Mass of the Holy Spirit ko kahapon bilang undergrad ng Ateneo, at ang galing kasi pareho ang sinabi Niya sa akin ngayong senior na ako sa sinimbahan kong Mass of the Holy Spirit noong freshman ako. :)

org

Nag-sign up ako sa ESS (dahil nakalimutan ko last year!) at sabi ni ate Mel (R.) sa akin "diba ang dami mo nang org? sasali ka pa?" at sabi ko sa kanya "gusto ko naman ulit maranasan yung maging new member, yung mauuto ng mga EB"

hehe. :)

Ang career ko, may tanong doon na ilista yung mga ibang org at posisyon, eh may linya lang-hindi kasya. Kaya sabi ni ate Mel (R.) isulat ko sa likod. Hehe, kaya sinulat ko nga sa likod, naka-table.

Tapos kumuha na rin ako ng app form sa ACGC, para legal na akong prod staff. :) Yey. This is for Guita! :)

Ang dami ko nang org kaya hindi na ako nag-sign up sa org na may area. :( Balak ko sana ACIL dati, pero yun. Naisip ko nalang na pagkagraduate ko "Area" na ang magiging buhay ko. Basta yun.

Nagkita kami ni (ate) Mel (Y.) kahapon. :) Ang ganda niya! Wala lang, miss ko na siya. May meeting siya with Fr. Ben kaya mga 10 mins lang kami magkasama. Ayun. Magkikita pa naman kami ulit dahil bibigyan niya ako ng mga readings at notes, at tutulungan niya ako sa contacts sa thesis!

Yey, ang incoherent ng entry ko. :-s Anyway, sige gagawa na ako ng Ph104 stuff.

Panalo ang text ni ate Rissa. :)

Th151 Ref paper 1

Detail an experience when you most felt the presence or absence of God. This is an exercise in creative writing (not technical writing) in English or Filipino, and shall be graded as such.

Format. Times New Roman 12 (or any formal font with same printed size), 1" margins all around, 900 to 1000 words, maximum of three (3) pages (letter 8.5" x 11"), double-spaced, MS Word Document.

Deadline. June 28 (Thu) class time for hard copy; 11:59PM for soft copy emailed to .



para lang maalala ko hehe. :) excited na ako magsulat nito.

dissolved

Two of my classes have been dissolved. O diba? Kaya I ended up in Fr. David's and Bro. Ody's classes (Ph104 and Th151 respectively). Ayun.

I'm really hoping that Dr. Clamor would be able to teach next semester. :) Sana ok na siya by then.


Ayun, sige magbabasa na ako ng The Republic. :b