one year after ondoy.
a year after ondoy, what have you learned or realized?
last september 11 (which happens to be another important date in world history) i along with gina sales and pam pagunsan of unicef philippines participated in a special inquirer read along session in liberato damian elementary school in pasig, one of the school heavily affected by typhoon ondoy and the floods last year.
on a non-school day, 25 kids from the fifth and sixth grade gamely went to school to listen to two stories. first was "si carancal laban sa hangin" by rene o. villanueva, read by teachers from sophia school. and second was "si bituin at ang malaking baha" by ma. ceres p. doyo, read by me.
i love storytelling and reading books to kids but this story was a whole different challenge! it was not your regular happy story. it was about the difficult experience of bituin during typhoon ondoy and the floods. i didn't want the kids to feel uncomfortable as i read a story that would bring back sad memories, i just tried to make it as lively and light as possible. i was in awe though because when i asked what their reaction was to the story, they chose to remember the positive things about the tragedy. how they as a family were happy to be back home after, how they helped their friends and neighbors clean up.. its so inspiring to see these kids choose to remember the good things ondoy brought, instead of the bad. that is what these kids learned and realized one year after ondoy!
i would like to personally thank the philippine daily inquirer for inviting unicef to be a part of their read along project. and a big, big, big thank you to mcdonald's for sooo generously providing food for the kids! and kids at heart! haha! they sent over one piece chicken with rice, burger mcdo, and juice. all i was asking for was a discount for us to feed the kids and they went all out and just gave food for the kids! thank you, thank you, thank you mcdonalds!!!! you're the best! :)
15 comments:
I will be a regular stalker from now on! You are one brighter star bianca, keep on shining!
hi bianca..im one of your avid fan here..its so weird that we dont know each other personally & yet i dream about you. its so clear in my mind how the dream was..haha..your really my inspiration..how i wish i can also be like you..i follow you on twitter,blog,facebook..your so great.
hi
I just love your charity events,especially when you blog it.
I admire you more because you're putting your heart into it and you really like doing it.
keep inspiring me and the world :)
hi bianca, I'm Rick Oconer. i have just finished reading your entire blogspot. As in from Sept 2003 till October 2010. :) I just recently found out about your blog and I couldnt help myself but read it and make sure I finish it despite my workload (somehow it was my breather, hehe). I so love your entries. I really look up to you from Y speak days in Channel 2up to PBB (uplate, uber), E-Live and SNN. You to me are one of the few people in the showbiz that I can classify as someone who has beauty, brains, talent, good taste in fashion, good values and care to make a difference in your own little way. I am inspired to engage myself in blog writing (hopefully soon) as well because of you. In fact, your blog is the first ever blog I have read and followed. Continue making a difference. Hats off to you supergirl wannabe!
It's nice of you to visit Pasig City specially the affected area. I'm also one of those affected by Ondoy, i'm from Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City.
I'm just like those kids, I don't take the bad memories away but I look most of the time to the good things that happened, how my family cared for each other during that time, it's a life long memory.
pwedeng tumulong sa advocacy mo, biancs?
Hi bianca!! I am one of the avid readers of your blog! Actually I just creatd my own blog (at last)after a long long time! Thank you for the inspiration =)
After Ondoy, I learned that we must love and take care of Mother Earth one we lose her it would be impossible to live. I realized that there a lots of good hearted people who are ready to help. Ondoy came and ransacked homes both rich and poor people. He destroyed almost everything that we have. I also realized how lucky I am that time. Although I got soaked from the rain and eventually I decided to just go back to our office. Some of my co-workers and I got stranded in our office, wearing same clothes for more than 24 hours we are still lucky. We had a comfortable place to stay and a decent food to eat.
hi bianca. i really love your blog posts. it even encouraged me to continue writing my own blogs. in fact, i am into blogging since last year but i stopped because of my busy schedule but as i read your blogs, it really gives me the courage to share what is on my mind. now, i am into blogging again. many thanks to you! continue inspiring more people! :)
Hi Bianca, this is Hazel from the Gawad Kalinga- Use Less Earth Campaign. Would you be open to discussing a possible involvement? we can send in the details via email (:
blessings,
haze
uselessearthph@gmail.com
uselessearth.tumblr.com
It was nice to know that there are still people or group or organizations na tumutolong pa rin sa kapwa nating mga Pinoy. A modern kind of Bayanihan.
You're still blogging. Impressive! Even with such a hectic sked as a TV personality, I'd say :) Keep it up. And keep up the goodwill flowing :)
hi i like this post.
i'm a bs social work student here in UP Diliman
Hey, seeing that you're a McDo fan, did you know that you can order McDo via your mobile phone? No need to call or place your order on their website. You may want to check it out! - Tet
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