857 Kids wished for free quality education

‘Dear Mr. President’ letters seek free education

By Tarra Quismundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:36:00 09/19/2010

MANILA, Philippines—In their Antipolo City neighborhood, 10-year-old classmates Romeo Guray and Reinamel Lapitan would at times wonder why some of their playmates did not go to school.

“We pity them,” said Lapitan, a fifth grader at Jesus Cabarres Elementary School in the city.

“They don’t go to school. They are not learning anything,” said Guray in Filipino.

That’s why when given the chance to address one request to President Benigno Aquino, the two studentshad the same wish: Free education for all.

“Like her, I am asking for free education because other poor children can’t go to school,” Guray said.

From free education and better facilities to sex education and even
Wi-Fi access, students from around the Philippines scribbled one-line wishes and poems for the President to press for action on the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDG), a list of eight global goals to eradicate poverty and improve the quality of life around the world.

Tagged the “Dear Mr. President” campaign, students in Grades 4 to 6 from some 2,000 public and private elementary schools around the country wrote to Aquino in hopes of pushing for the Philippines’ compliance with the MDGs, especially the goal of achieving universal primary education.

The country is among nations known to be behind in implementing programs aimed at achieving the MDGs by the 2015 deadline. Specific to the education goal, the UN said some 5.2 million Filipinos are not able to go to school while 61 percent of children are not prepared to enter formal school.

The school letter-writing project is part of the “Stand Up, Take Action” campaign that calls for swifter and more decisive state and civil society action on the MDGs ahead of this month’s United Nations Summit in New York.

“We were amazed with the quality of responses from the students. The students sent a variety of compositions, from letters to short stories, poems and essays. Most were familiar with the issues our country is facing,” said Ching Jorge of the Bato Balani Foundation, one of the organizers.

“The entries also showed the faith that they have in our President,” she said.

In a brief program at the Department of Education’s central office in Pasig City on Friday, selected students read out their letters to the President. To reach Aquino, the letters were handed to Education Secretary Armin Luistro.

“Through activities such as these, we are able to bring attention to the kind of quality education our students need. The future of our country relies on our students and it is our responsibility, not just the government, but all of us, to make sure that our students are able to have quality, accessible education,” Jorge said.

Anton Hero Gani, a third-grader from Jaro, Iloilo, called on Aquino to revive hope in every Filipino.

“In my young mind, you are the one who can lead our country and make better things done,” he wrote in a letter read in his behalf during Friday’s rites.

“Please, Mr. President, help our country as we continue life’s journey. Bring hope in every Filipino’s heart that in your governance, goodness will start,” Gani wrote in his 10-line poem.

Besides letters, students from six universities in different parts of the country also wrote messages on separate freedom walls, each a puzzle piece part of an “MDG 2” wall put together during Friday’s program.

Most of the scribbles asked Aquino to address long unresolved problems in the education system, among them a shortage in school facilities and the lack of trained teachers.

Civil society organizations E-net Philippines, Kabataan Kontra Kahirapan, Global Call to Action Against Poverty, TeamAsia, Bato Balani Foundation and the Diwa Learning Systems partnered with DepEd and the UN Millennium Campaign for the activity.

Tomorrow I Can Write (the Happiest Line)

(with apologies to Pablo Neruda)

1. : )

2.

Dakila

Para sa makabayang rebolusyonaryo,

maligayang kaarawan Gat. Andres Bonifacio!

Tick Tack Boom

Tick. I am lost with time. Tack. I don't know what to write so I am just buying time.

Boom. Spare me please.

Tick, tack, boom!

G(r)o(w)ing UP

Last night, I had a golden opportunity to watch a full length movie at home since BFF (starring Sharon Cuneta and Ai-Ai delas Alas) -- an animated movie that is. I was up until past 1am watching UP, a Disney creation released I guess two months ago in the Philippines.

I seldom watch TV or movies at home. I am lucky if I gets home in time for the 7pm news. Don't ask why.

The UP movie caught me up. I liked the silent scenes in the beginning, just interpreting the scenes as you see. Got the message clear -- from adventure to friendship and to growing a family. I was moved by the idea that wanting to grow a family stopped at two. However, I was even more moved to the commitment that the two "adventurers" hold to each other. One's promise is a promise, no matter what. Even if a person grows old.

Searching for the "Paradise Falls" is like searching for one's dreams and aspirations. Experiences, triumphs and failures, learning and relationships are codified in the "Adventure Book." Along the way, there are little and big things that will either make or break one's adventure. The book is the guiding principle of where you are at in terms of reaching for your dreams.

UP is an inspiring movie both for young and old, believers and adventurers, hope seekers and friend keepers. Reaching for what it seems the impossible transcends what others may see as unimaginable. A house transported by balloons to the wilds of South America is a manifestation of one's true love and commitment to a promise. This wild adventure created a wilder adventure, blossoming a deep affection and friendship to others that one barely knew.

No [man] is an island so to speak. A boy, a dog and a bird, no matter what their capacities are, are those "little things" that will matter most in the end.

I felt like crying because of the sentimentality of the movie but ended up feeling good. Knowing that letting go of something will lead up to something fresh -- a relationship that can be nurtured for the better.

Growing up is a fine thing. Sometimes we tend to speed things up because we want to achieve our goals fast. We need to breathe, reflect and move back, and move forward again.

UP amazingly lifted my spirit to believe more.

Thanks UP for giving me a well deserved good night sleep. #

Youth Take Action against Poverty and Climate Change

Poor(er) under climate change: Youth-nity against poverty

In the Philippines, climate change has only been the concern of environmentalists—until recently when the floods that the typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng caused established it as a public concern which demands urgent action.

Matters of consequence

Discussed more than decades ago, climate change has always been overlooked due to the world’s attempts at tackling “matters of consequence.” But upon seeing the consequences of such neglect, most if not all the leaders of the world have acknowledged climate change as an alarming fact and have moved to address it.

Where rapid industrialization and unrelenting overdevelopment were the game, sustainable development is placed—attempting at a better, more advanced way of life with utmost consideration of its environmental impact.

Climate change worsens poverty

While climate change favours none, its effects exacerbate the already difficult life of the poor. The recent floods in the Philippines pulled many Filipinos below the poverty line while making those already poor poorer. One family in Marikina lost a successful grocery store to the flood—with it their comfortable way of living. Meanwhile a family in Tumana, subsisting on the meagre wages of the breadwinners who work as shoemakers now rely on relief goods for survival.

“The recent typhoons brought the country down to its knees, devastated and hopeless, questioning the government’s capacity to respond to the crisis. It was also enraging to know that behind the massive flooding is the government’s alleged neglect on putting the people’s safety first before releasing water from Ipo, Anggat and San Roque Dams,” explained Richard Candano, KKK Vice Chairperson and Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) – Philippines campaigner.

The recent events caused by climate change prod us to take action. While attending to the victims of the floods, we must also tackle the long-term goal of minimizing the effect of climate change on the public, with bias to the fragile state of the poor.

We must call on government to formulate plans of action continuously maintaining public awareness about climate change by incorporating environmental awareness in the educational curriculum, immediately mitigating the impact of climate change on the poor by establishing social safety nets, and ultimately addressing the phenomenon of climate change through sustainable environmental policies.

Youth take action

Cognizant of the role of youth in propagating public awareness on climate change and how it affects poverty, anti-poverty youth group Kabataan Kontra Kahirapan (KKK, Youth Against Poverty) pioneered a photo exhibit depicting poverty and climate change shown at Ramon Magsaysay Cubao High School in Quezon City. A day before the United Nations’ International Day against Poverty, the group also spearheaded a forum about the fight against poverty and the pursuit for climate.

Kabataan Kontra Kahirapan advocates for the attainment of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and is a part of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) - Philippine’s Stand Up Take Action! End Poverty Now! which is a contribution to UN Millennium Campaign’s Stand United, Fight Poverty campaign.

After discussing the role of the young on the mentioned advocacies, more than 3,500 high school students were also sworn to individually contribute to the eradication of poverty and the effects of climate change while collectively urging government to address the same.

Huge banners bearing the messages “Kahirapan Wakasan (End Poverty Now!), Education for All, and Climate Justice!” were dropped from the third floor of the school building to highlight the core advocacies of KKK in the campaign.

Youth take the lead

“We want the world to know that the youth are aware of what is happening and are willing to accept the challenge in improving the lives of many people, especially the poor and the marginalized,” Kabataan Konta Kahirapan National Chairperson Claudine Claridad shared.

“Is this time of worsening crises on poverty and climate change, we call on the current and future governments to shape up its priorities and policies before it’s too late. We urge the government to live up to its promises in putting the welfare of the Filipino people first, responding to climate issues as well,” continued Claridad.

“We enjoin all young Filipinos to take a lead in this crusade: our lifetime commitment to make a world liveable not only for us but for the next generations as well,” Claridad concluded. #

Tulung-tulong para sa mga biktima ni Ondoy

Para sa mga gustong tumulong sa mga nabiktima ng bagyong Ondoy, pakidala ang inyong donasyon sa Kabataan Kontra Kahirapan (KKK) Headquarters sa 55-P Kamias Rd., Quezon City mula bukas hanggang Biyernes (Oktubre 2) ng umaga (9am) para maisama sa Relief Operation sa Marikina City.

Makipag-ugnayan kay Nadja Ginete sa cellphone number 0920-802-0736 o tel. no. 794-1732.

Maraming salamat po!