FamiLIGTAS: Stand Against Gender-Based Violence

Speaking out and speaking your mind these days can get you red tagged, abused, violated, which is such a sad state in the country.

They can either be women, children, the elderly or part of the LGBTQ community, but they all experience supposed violence in one form or another. The problem is, most of these incidents come unreported or never gets surfaced more so during the pandemic. The psycho social, economic and mental state attribute to its worsening, but is should never be a reason or excuse ro why it should happen.

This afternoon, I got to join a press conference hosted by the one and onlyMs. Karen Davila about “FamiLIGTAS” which is a campaign against Gender-Based Violence spearheaded by RTI International, USAID Philippines and supported by government and NGO’s, as to also learn more about the situation in the country. 

Ms. Michelle Lang Alli the Director of US AID Philippines says “Your support against Gender violence requires more. It has affected 2.5 Million people nationwide including women, children, the elderly and LGBTQ sector. The pandemic has affected us all, but there is no excuse for gender based violence. We need to make available our programs for equality, to reduce GBV and its harmful effects socially and the marginalized. Recent surveys 2 in 5 women never sought help from violence, and the PNP has recorded 19.5 incidents per day in the Philippines. By forming new and enriching existing partnerships, we can help change policies, raise the volume with GBV so they can have better options now, to keep our homes and community safe, thank you!”

Lolito Tacardon of POPCOM says “This is an important campaign and it currently, homes are places for perpetrators for violence, in imbalance for the basis of gender, it affects the victim, the children, even in this pandemic. The good news is we can break that, take it out of our culture, save people from oppressive violence. We have a joint statement to support vigilance and protect families from any forms of violence. We harness our website, to encourage our followers about GBV. We recognize the raise in pregnancies of minors, to move institutions and have access to facilities of care. Our strongest weapon is our belief that we can break this cycle of violence, we will provide the platform for every Filipino woman and child, Popcom will support to further empower families.”

Dr. Carolyn of UP adds  “We commit to explain and carry out this campaign effectively. You can call on us anytime, even if we are bashed right now.”

Dana Aduna from Luna’s Collective says “Quarantine data shows Violence against Women and Children have gone down, but this doesn’t mean it is happening. It has been difficult to report crimes since everyone is in isolation. Gender inequality exists, between intimate partners, and inequalities can be related to social class, religion, women can be oppressed, some interlocking forms of violence. Seeking help, it shows 34%  do not seek help or talk to anyone at all. Luna’s Collective wants to be involved to make people talk about psychosocial support, legal, health services and is volunteer powered. Our core belief is that everyone should be comfortable about our bodies, make the community informed and live fully. We understand that gender and power relations should not dictate class and importance in society. We are at our homes with a huge amount of time and if is in a violent setup, we have women come to us, not just first timers, even repeat instances. We remind them it is not their fault, but again this is not an excuse for violence. Similar with men, women or children, even LGBTQ experience it. We need to build a support system in order to stop this.“

Patrizia Garcia adds “GBV happens and so does its effects on mental health. This cause is very close to my heart, we can encourage them to help, our communities.”

Our share of the burden is to support victims of violence, help them get the help they need, and give them access so they won’t experience this at all.  Even at these times, there should not be any instance where GBV Is justified. The state also has a role to protect these rights, which is the right thing to do. Economic, Physical, Psychological, all Gender Based violence should have no place in a progressive society. 

To know more about the cause or if you need help, visit their Facebook page at Familigtas PH as everything is there.

 

Beko Gives Tribute To Modern Day Heroes

The pandemic has displaced so many people, brought upon hunger, sickness to a lot of Filipinos. We've heard of good stories sometimes that we couldn't believe... even at a time when people are suffering, there are a few superheroes that come up and help others... proving that yes, not all heroes wear capes. Heroes do live among us.

Europe's number one appliance maker Beko was supposed to stage a grand launch this year. Instead, they got Beko Pilipinas Corporation to get their products like refrigerators, washing machines and free standing cookers donated to cities across the country and hospitals. From Pasig, to San Juan, Manila, the Philippine General Hospital, San Juan De Dios Medical Center, the Quirino Memorial Medical Center and Delos Santos Medical Center, they all benefited from this together with the #UniTentWeStand campaign of real life Darna, Ms. Angel Locsin. This provided emergency mega quarantine facilities for San Lazaro Hospital, the PICC, Rizal Memorial and the Philippine Arena. 

BPC General Manager Gurhan Final says "These frontliners are our heroes. They deserve the all the convenience as they work with other heroes in the country battling it out with the COVID-19 virus. This is in our core values to encourage everyone to live healthier lives."

Recently, they also launched a #BekoPH Nominate A Hero campaign to seek and recognize these unsung heroes. These are individuals who made, still are, making a difference in the lives of others. #BekoPH teamed up with several popular Facebook groups such as Let's Cook Pare, Pinoy Midnight Snackers and Filipina Homebased Moms. The three communities chose a hero among hundreds who have been nominated.  

In the end, they chose James Velasco of AccessiWheels who volunteers for PWD charities and foundations despite of being a PWD himself, Maria Isabel Gutierrez who's suffering from an auto immune disease but prepares awesome meals for her Barangay folk and medical frontliners, and Juliet Escala who preps food frontliners and donates medical supplies for those who need it. They've proven heroes stand among us and Beko recognizes their efforts, they received prizes from Beko Pilipinas Corporation, rightfully so. 

I hope this inspires more people to do good deeds despite the pandemic. 

Hayden Tee Set To Do Fundraiser for Filipino Performance Artists

Hayden Tee is an acclaimed international performer and recording artist known for his role as roles Ms. Trunchbull in Matilda, he also did an award-winning portrayal of Javert in the Australian, Broadway and Dubai productions of Les Misérables.

He plans doing his share to raise funds for Pinoys who are currently jobless by performing in an online talk show via PalabasTayo.com. This is a partnership with Open House Fundraiser which helps performance artists who lost income from cancelled shows and their regular jobs because of the pandemic.

He says "We are all in this together so when PalabasTayo reached out to me, I easily said “sure”. I am just happy to do what I can, to help out!"

Show will start at 7pm today at the PalabasTayo Facebook Page and Youtube Channel. Make sure you watch it later!

Donate to the cause. Take a bow!

Of TPC, ALIF Causes in the Philippines

We sat down with people from TPC corporation, prolly the same individuals behind ALIF Partylist. I have not seen people mobilized and ecstatic about what they do, saying they have 3Million members that can put them in the league because they say, this is not different from what they are currently doing. Their rags to riches story can be implemented for others and see it as selflessness, this is their intention. They are made up of people from the indigenous sector, they are also dreamers and have already sent one representative in the past.

Agakhan Tomawis says “I know we all have our own responsibilities, our own work, but you have given time for our Father and President. In the 4 months that I have been with you, my life has changed, and I have learned a lot from you. Thank you for the sacrifice, for all the things you’ll be doing in the last 21 days.”

ALIF Partylist is one of the hundreds of hopefuls that will vie for congress seats this coming election. Their current nominees include Lorenzo Rellosa and Agakhan Tumawis.

TPC

Tele Preneur Corporation is a 7 year multi level marketing firm. It has been in existence since August 24, 2012. All the people you see here are investors and leaders, they have lots of life changes, through guidance of executives, we have made their lives better and we hope to have that for everybody else. (I learned they are engaged in one phone load ALL system which they manage on their own)

They added “ALIF started in 2003, formed by former Congressmann Acmad Tomawis including former Senator Edgardo Angara. We believe in helping indigenous people, we are from Marawi City, we want to represent tribes from the region and elsewhere in the country. We have evolved into a more universal concept, for the Maranao, Tausug, Tasaday, Ilongot and other indigenous tribes.”

“We have been re-visiting the indigenous to be part of the law making process but we have not done enough in the past few years. “

Agakhan Tumawis says “63% of indigenous people are from Mindanao. When ALIF came about concentrated on road infrastructure, education, livelihood and projects. In rural areas, there are people who have to cross bridges with their bare hands through barbed wires. We need empathy, what do they do everyday? How do we form healthy solutions? We have to be there, we have had to visit 4 tribes and formulated projects which ALIF and TPC will help with. There have been a lot of laws already, we are into properly implementing it. To put up street lights in remote areas, mostly all in Mindanao. But not to forget the others, we have school building in Benguet, farm to market roads, medical assistance to indigenous people, giving them ambulance and structures to help live their lives better.”

Lorenzo Rellosa adds “Majority of our projects will be concentrated on livelihood, if you get them work and help them put food on their table. We have been doing it for 7 years and doing it in a wider scale is something that we would want to do.”

Their stand on Martial Law

In Mindanao, it has been able to benefit a lot of people in the region. We understand why you asked about it, it happened twice already and it’s been three years in Mindanao. It is a tool, if it is used for good, then it is good. Acbar Tomawis was on ground when the Marawi siege happened and by culture, Maranaos have held arms and people walk with it on streets. With Martial Law, the unscrupulous are scared to do that. Now there are people manning streets, people walk in streets safely, we feel it is benefiting us.

Displacement of Indigenous People

The talk on Ancestral Domain is a talk on commercialization. The parcel of land they live in, the ones they got from their family, they sometimes do not follow rules that they govern with in ethnic groups. ALIF wants to align this, for the Magna Carta for IP’s, to ensure there would be mechanisms for the sector we serve. We have members that are part of tribes, we want to further organize them to better support them.

Party lists represent a multitude of sectors, but they serve everyone. If you’re choosing one this coming elections, make sure it supports your ideals, it supports your beliefs and have proven track record of doing their job as law makers and enablers of existing laws. I am not in any way endorsing them.

Do your research and see what fits you.

The Importance of Prostate Health

GlaxoSmithKline says It’s Fun To Be Wise on BPH

Hi guys! I said that because this is for you. Have you ever checked yourself for any prostate problems? Chances are, you’ve probably passed off when you had your previous Annual Physical Exam because you’re too shy to do it. The deal is, you have to know. In the Philippines, 24% of men from ages 50-59 suffer from BPH or Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. It’s when their prostate increase in size, so they get issues and discomfort in the flow of urine.

You enjoy your usual outdoor activities but with this, you’re surely going to be limited. You’re also going to be officially TITO zoned when this happens. Dr. Jay Javier of GSK’s Medical Affairs for Urology says “GSK’s mission to provide quality medicine points to doing more, we are pioneering the BPH day as 24% Filipino men have it and changes the quality of their life. This advocacy even falls on women so you can tell the men in your lives and help them get checked.”

GSK’s Emerging Market Expert for Urology Ms. Maria Capitan adds “More men should see a doctor to get relief from symptoms, when men get to age 40, the prostate gland grows and tightens the urethra - and eventually makes it difficult for them to urinate, a big discomfort when it becomes severe. The worse case scenario, they won’t be able to urinate at all. A good percentage of them would need surgery, it’s very important to diagnose early not when it starts to give them problems. There are lots of symptoms, you need to be checked for medical history, urinalysis, ipss, dre, psa and an FVC bladder diary (we score and monitor when it gets better or worse upon treatment. Inserting our finger in the rectum and feeling a bulge in that area will give us an idea, these are the things they have to go through in first consultation, we follow up with other treatment options aside from surgery. Lifestyle changes, medical treatment can also be done can significantly improve your symptoms. It can change the course of the disease so you won’t even need surgery in the long run. They can also be combined, otherwise you would need to have non invasive surgery, I hope it gives you an idea what it’s all about.”

For men ages 50 and up, you should get checked for BPH, it isn’t cancer. Frequency, urgency, nocturia, weak stream, intermittency, straining, incomplete emptying, it isn’t a small thing, so see your doctor if you know one of these symptoms.

Thanks to GlaxoSmithKline for reminding us!

KUMAGCOW

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Ogie Alcasid Does "NAKAKALOKAL" for World Vision

Spent the evening at Bo's Coffee in Tomas Morato to participate in the bloggers night for NAKAKALOKAL, a benefit concert of singer and composer par excellance Ogie Alcasid for World Vision and their projects against child exploitation, a very noble cause. 

Jun Godornes the Resource Development Director of World Vision Philippines says "We are doing this again because we believe you are the future. We want you to know how World Vision and this concert has aligned for the kids we are helping. We are commited to a better world for children, for education and their lives. We work alongside partners and donors to provide for communities, helping kids to reach their potential and live their dreams. We also give parents the chance to support their income so they could provide their families, become resilient in future disasters. Thank you to Mr. Ogie Alcasid our World Vision Ambassador."

Ogie Alcasid says "I'm turning 50, this is called Nakakalokal because it's the title of my album done with the ABSCBN Philharmonic Orchestra (already available in record bars and digital stores). The Philippines is known for great singers, and we are a talent pool of great songwriters, this is our way of saying thank you. There is great music being produced here, and we are proud of that. We have been working with World Vision as they celebrate their 60th anniversary. We believe the in the youth, to hopefully start their success with music, thank you to World Vision for giving us an opportunity to help. I have been a witness about how they are as an organization and if there is an opportunity to help, every minute with them, I don't bat an eyelash. We will have a lot of artists working with us as guests in the concert and they all said yes. You will see Angeline Quinto, Basti Artadi, Davey Langit, Erik Santos, Inigo Pascual, Jaya, Kyla, Lara Maigue, Leila Alcasid, Lovi Poe, Men and Music, and Ms. Yeng Constantino. All the proceeds of this concert will go to a fund designed to help in the cause for the prevention of exploitation of children. I hope you help us with the sale of tickets for this show (even though it is selling quite good he adds). I have been part of them for years, it's never been formal in an event until now. We all did it by heart, and I got invited to Zambales and met indigenous people and fell in love with them. They didn't know me, some of them do from the Bonux commercial (and laughed) and it was so heartwarming. They made musical instruments from tree branches and played it with so much gusto and it was entertaining. I had the chance to come back so I sent them some speakers for their sound system. When I arrived, they were ready. It geared me more to partner with them even more (World Vision) after that. I will be singing an all Filipino repertoire and I am singing some new songs, so I am equally excited for that. I also have a new album, I am very proud of it. I am excited to know what God has planned for me."

Richard Supat who is a former sponsored child gave a testimony and said "My sponsors were from around the world and I felt anchored to pursue my goals and dreams. I finished college, I met my sponsors and we didn't even talk, we just met and cried. I graduated with an MBA from La Salle and when we were at school, I told them I was one of the products of the organization. This organization isn't make believe, I have a better place to live in and finished school because of them."

Ogie Alcasid's 50th Birthday concert "NAKALALOKAL" will happen at the Kia Theater on August 25, Friday at 8pm. Tickets are on sale via Ticketnet http://www.ticketnet.com.ph or call 911-5555 or email them at ticketnet@ticketnet.com.ph. You're not just going to watch a nice man do his songs, but help a very worthy cause that helps kids recover from exploitation, which is a sad reality because it still happens. 

Help Mr. Alcasid help the foundation and the kids!

KUMAGCOW

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The Gerald Anderson Foundation

Fresh from his very successful movie "Always be my Maybe" with vixen Arci Muñoz, Gerald Anderson now takes the role of a philantrophist as he puts on his own new training school for super hero pets with "The Gerald Anderson Foundation". The fund will be used to train dogs specifically meant to be for search and rescue operations. This coincided with his birthday last week as his way of giving back to the community. He also seeked the help of his Dad and brother Ken who will mostly facilitate the trainings set in Clark Airbase in Pampanga. 

They are currently training 4 dogs in the facility but the hope is to get this into the grassroots level. We all know calamities have struck the country and the aid of our k9 friends would definitely help in making search and rescue fast if we train dogs in the community. That would enable dog owners and lovers to be a step beyond just being a companion in the household. Now they can be of help when earthquakes, floods or any incident where search and rescue is of utmost importance. 

His celebrity friends like Piolo Pascual, Rayver Cruz and Enchcong Dee also expressed their support for the project and had shown great interest to help the good looking former PBB housemate with his cause. Most of the proceeds of his foundation will go to the food and vitamins so they could have these superheroes in tip top shape. I asked Gerald about how he thinks he became very successful in the film and tv industry and he quipped it is all because of the countless people and fans who have helped him all these years. Here's a very short interview we did during the conference.

If you would like to help Gerald and his family get these dogs shelter and become the super heroes they are destined for, you can help by donating to his cause. Visit their official website www.geraldandersonfoundation.org or email info@geraldandersonfoundation.org or donations@geraldandersonfoundation.org if you need to ask questions about how to help in this cause that Gerald Anderson is heading. You can also call 804 16 14, 09216522826, or 09951589115.

For more information about their cause:

Gerald Anderson Foundation

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://geraldandersonfoundation.org

Alden Richards Visits Habitat for Humanity Community in QC

He's probably the biggest star of our generation and if you think about it, he's too busy these days that time for charity work would probably be less. Alden Richards has just proven that if he wants to, he can do it! We were able to paint some homes here the same time last year and even if he's caught up with tons of endorsements, events and Eat Bulaga Kalyeseryes, Alden made it a point to make time for charity work and visit the community built by thousands of volunteers through Habitat for Humanity Philippines. He's an ambassador for the said foundation and he believes in the cause of building shelter, a community where they could go and thrive with their families.

This time though he wanted to spend a few moments with families inside the Habitat for Humanity community and see how their lives have improved. Aside from that, he wanted to be close with the kids since it's a cause very dear to him, so even with only a few hours he wanted to do an activity with them and teach them valuable lessons about life even at a young age.

Alden woke up for this early as he had to actually go to work 12PM for Eat Bulaga. He's that busy but it looks like he wasn't going to pass this opportunity off because he's done this so many times since becoming Habitat for Humanity Philippines' ambassador a few years ago. I think it's one of the reasons why he's successful now, because he's done so much good and he's just being given good karma.

I'm sure a lot of you would specifically like this photo, my friend just screamed when I posted this because of that signature dimple you all love with Alden.

Here's my promised video interview and excerpts of his visit in the Habitat for Humanity Community yesterday! Enjoy!

Alden Richards for Habitat for Humanity 2016 by kumagcow

Thank you so much to my Habitat for Humanity Philippines family and co-Online Champions for spreading the word about the organizations cause. You too can help by donating your funds, labor or time by visiting their website http://bit.ly/DonateToHabitat. Just ask how you can help!

For more information about their artists:

Official GMA Artist Center

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Visit their official website

http://gmanetwork.com/artistcenter

Bea Binene for Verifit: Admits Breakup with Jake Vargas

We went to the launch of Verifit Slimming Capsule, a supplement that promises toned arms, slimmer waistline, firmer abs and butt. The capsule contains a great amount of L Carnitine, Green Tea Extract and Collagen. Some other products only contain one or two but with the collagen in this mix, you'll have even younger skin.

Their new endorser is Bea Binene. Admittedly she says she has to work on certain parts of her body and with the help of Verifit, it will be easy. The thing doesn't make her "do it" untimely which is what other capsules do. With the inclusion of collagen, her skin will become better, younger looking too. 

Aside from that, just like any diet you should also have time for workout. Verifit also has 500 mg of L Carnitine so you are not really shortchanged. You get your money's worth when you buy it off Mercury Drug. By the way, it's also got something in it that suppresses hunger. If you take something in, you'll only eat less of it so it's going to really help you lose weight.

Unfortunately, on this event, she finally admitted that her relationship with Jake Vargas ended a few months back. She also said something when she was asked when and uttered "Let's just say that I started the year only with my family".

It's a nice day to say things about Verifit but today, it's also a sad day for #JhaBea fans that are hoping still. I wish them well and as with the words of Bea, they're currently enjoying their time off. I hope they would be able to still patch things up some way, some other day. The 2 years and 10 months they've been together isn't a joke. It wasn't a mutual decision also because Bea told the media that "maraming nanggugulo at maraming nagpapagulo" (a lot of things that are complicated and people that are making it complicated). 

Let's leave it at that.

For more information about their products:

Verifit

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Visit their official website

http://rhodesian.en.gongchang.com/

Plan International Philippines and their fight to end Teenage Pregnancy

Carin van der Hor, Plan International's Country Director in the Philippines and Marco Savio, Plan International's Deputy Country Director for Programs.

Alarming. The Philippines is actually leading in teenage pregnancy rates according to a recent survey. Plan International says every hour 576 more babies are born in the Philippines. There is a big correlation between poverty, but the major cause of it is lack of education. Ms. Carin van de Hor of Plan International says even though they are working with local government, and national agencies, it's still not enough and they have to start with something. The National Youth Commission gave them really good numbers that have been put to good use in statistics, then used for other agencies. These teenagers have no access to information and it's time to take action. Aside from that, there should be health reasons why this shouldn't be the case. A 14 year old for example should not undergo birthing yet because their bodies are not ready the child will have growth stunting - and not have life to its full potential. This cycle will keep repeating and if we don't work on the education and awareness of these teens, of which they are part of the demographic. It's a very sad statistic they exclaimed. They work in health, disaster risk reduction and the rest, but they know they had to have a more holistic approach. This is how it's supposed to be addressed.

Marco Savio, Plan International's Deputy Country Director for Programs says "We have education projects and we target areas that are also run by the government and address the reasons why they don't go to school and such. We tailor support to the children and we are doing 15,000 now (just on this project). We are using systems that are already approved by local government. We are helping them to support the children in their areas. There are a lot of problems, in the Philippines, parents know the importance of education and we are working on this. We have never had parents tell us they never want their children to school, like building bridges, pay for transportation, this is where other foundations come in. Right now, we have Dubai Cares here celebrating with us with their CEO. They've funded projects like these and provide for more children in places like Samar, Leyte and others. We measure success by the number of schools completed, the rate and number of graduates, how many of them move on and have highschool or college degrees and other KPI's. "

"We also check their health status, the number of pregnancies, no malnutrition, and the rest. There are different reasons in rural areas, distance and stuff. In the urban areas, the slums, the lack of work, there are a lot of things too. We are working in Mindoro, like with Mangyans, we give them knowledge and give them the ability to have choice. We work with different private organizations and help the government with their own programs. We do that in certain levels. We also work very closely with UN and their other divisions. They don't just fund, they share resources and we put our strengths together. We have stayed here for 53 years and we have a lot of areas that already have seen results. We help them do peer education as well so they can do it on their own. We do a lot of creative work so children go back to school. We support the structure of the community so everyone would be able to benefit. We do this in any given time and move in different areas in the country. We have offices everywhere and we hope to be able to bring these communities to be self sufficient and have all their issues resolved in 10 years or less." adds Ms. Carin van de Hor.

They also held a mini concert in Alabang Town Center that afternoon to bring awareness for the cause.

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Plan International's "Because I'm a Girl" Mini concert featuring Suitcase101 Band and Voces Aurorae Girls Choir. Even if it's raining, they sound heavenly

View on Instagram

I hope they get to help more people. Teenage pregnancy is indeed a big issue and we should start to learn how to tell the young ones how to have a healthier lifestyle, a successful life and a great mind to know when they should have their own offspring. Not when they are kids themselves. Thanks to Kairos Solutions and AnakTV also for helping them to reach that goal.

We also had Ms. Mikee Cojuanco Jaworski and the Ms. Earth Philippines candidates helping to raise awareness for the cause. They also had a short bike event in Marikina earlier that day. Mikee believes that aside from the parents, children should have a community of people who they can look up to, to have the knowledge and wisdom that could empower them to be better people. Education should start from the home and she adds that it should be to a point where girls would be able to decypher for themselves a sound decision, a right decision, one that they formulated themselves. In giving them education, she believes that we will get to have them achieve more. On the teenage pregnancy situation in the Philippines, she feel sad because teenagers are not ready because they haven't lived a full life themselves yet. Children should not suffer hunger later on and suffer consequences which their parents have decided on. The responsibility of bringing up a child is big, you can't learn that as a girl if you're still too young and haven't even played yourself and see the world as it is. That is just selfish. They don't know that yet.

She made a really good point. I hope together, these foundations and Plan International would be able to succeed in their goal of bringing the teenage pregnancy rates down in our country. I hope it's not just a dream.

For more information about their cause:

Plan International Philippines

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.plan-international.org/philippines