"12 Little things Every Filipino Can do to help our Country"

I found a book worth sharing "12 Little Things every Filipino Can Do To Help our Country" - Alexander L. Lacson

1. Follow traffic rules. Follow the law.
2. Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ASK FOR AN OFFICIAL RECEIPT.
3. Don't buy smuggled goods. BUY LOCAL, buy Filipino.
4. When you talk to others, especially foreigners, speak POSITIVELY about us and our country
5. Respect your traffic enforcer, policeman and soldier
6. DO NOT LITTER. Dispose your garbage properly. Segregate, Recycle, Conserve.
7. Support your Church.
8. During elections, do your solemn duty.
9. Pay your employees well.
10. Pay your Taxes.
11. ADOPT A SCHOLAR or a POOR CHILD.
12. BE A GOOD PARENT. Teach your kids to follow the law and love our country

Easier said than done, but the simplest act of goodness can really spell the big difference. Belated Happy Independence Day to all.

farewell AJ

We just have to wait for another season. Yup, just like sway, AJ was "out" friday in the world's most popular reality television show. Another "ethnic mutt" gone. I think the song had a curse though, the jazz lady (sang the same song) also made her exit. Sayang, galing pa naman bosses ni AJ. Yo! Ethnic Mutt! visit PI! O well, life goes on......

diaspora of filipino MDs

this is an email i received from pinoyMD, it is quite long (like most of us, i have a short attention span) but it was really written from the heart. inspiring, touching, very true indeed. missmed97, Congratulations and I'm sure you'll be successful in NZ, dont forget to look back ok? Kudos!

(fyi - pinoyMD is a yahoogroup)


just want to share my story..medyo mahaba pero tyagaan nyo na lang..

i was already applying for nz/australia since 2005. i even paid an
agency a handsome amount just to find the fastest way out of the
country. some said apply lang daw sa internet makakaalis na. yeah
right! may mga kilala ako naka alis na, ako two years na nagaaply
ah...andito pa rin ako!! i was thinking... malas ba akong tao? di na
ba ako mahal ni Lord? ano ba?!

im married with one kid, im the bread winner in the family. im
making enough here but im so sawa na, i want to secure my family's
future and i know it wont be here. i had been a silent member of
pinoyz2nz since last year. some said i should do my EOI first so
that may fallback ako. actually wala na akong fallback, ito lang. so
i lodge my EOI july29 '06, was selected aug2 but the decision didnt
become sucessful coz kulang daw ako ng points after recomputation.
para akong pinagsakluban ng langit at lupa. God, hindi mo na ba ako
talaga mahal? i read here somewhere sa forum about an inspiring
story of a housewife who after many months/years of applying thru
the net got a job offer and was on her way to nz. i said to myself..
ang swerte naman nito. ito lagi ang pinanghahawakan ko na someday...
someday ako naman ang susulat dito at magkukwento.

after the failed EOI, i didnt reapply coz nawalan ako ng morale but
i didnt stop. everyday i just send my cv to companies. walang sawa,
sige lang ng sige. kahit saang site. ano bang mawawala sa akin? eh i
really have nothing to start with, ok lang na mapudpod daliri ko at
magkakalyo sa kaka apply. sometimes i will be sending 50
applications per day therefore 50 negative replies rin dumadating.
nakakadepress na rin syempre, there's a time i will be going home
from the computer shop 12 midnight walking in the dark.. (wala
kaming computer, malayo ang internet shop at wala akong car).. i
havent had dinner and i was crying kasi i spent my last money on the
net for so many hours and wala naman nangyayari. i was into self
pity. mega depressed. what else can i do? i was praying, thats all i
can do... i was asking God to help me, give me strength to go on
kasi.. baka di ko na makaya. everyday ganito ang scenario and i
didnt stop.. i just went on. i was remembering the inspiring story i
read, in one of her lines she said 'isa lang naman ang kailangang
positive reply, ok na'. i held on to that line.. oo nga naman, isa
lang...isa lang.

sept21'06, a mail came saying they got my application last july pero
ngayon lang daw sila nakareply. palitan ng mga mails, send ng
kailangan nilang requirements. i wasnt getting my hopes up kasi ayaw
ko madepressed big time. kailangan ko daw maregister sa medical
council of nz, the MCNZ (btw, im a doctor)etc etc. by nov29 they
sent me a job offer, miracle #1. syempre nataranta naman ako! sabi
ko naku baka ito na ito!! pero it is dependent on my acquisition of
medical registration. sabi nila sila na daw bhala, all i have to do
i wait (i havent heard anybody na binigyan ng medical registration
ng nz kasi may mga exam pa ito at mahirap ma approve)i dont know how
i got it, even my employer was surprised! i got the authorization fr
medical council jan9. miracle #2! so now i can apply na a visa
because this is a requirement. everything is happening so fast!
first things first, medicals muna. im working in a hospital and
made a preliminary xray on myself na normal ako (syempre i have to
be sure) the reading of our radiologist was a "suspicious density on
the upper lobe", another radiologist read it and it is a "granuloma"
daw! nataranta na naman ako! if i have any findings on my medicals
automatic my visa would be jeopardized! God, pls help, if you really
want me to be in nz, you will get me there! kahit na ganito i pushed
thru with medicals, it was released in a sealed envelope after
4days. i was so nervous coz i know may findings ang 1st personal
xray ko, i dont know if the official reading will be negative.
milagro na pag nagkataon. and it was! miracle #3

so i went on with completion of docs, may mga minor balakid like NBI
ko i have to go to carriedo pa coz i have the same name with a court
case pero sige lang, i went with the flow. so finally i submitted my
application for working visa jan22, 45-60 days daw ang waiting time.
naku, pano na im expected in nz by feb12, at marami daw nadedeny sa
working visa. first time i heard from the embassy jan26 confirming
my identity and documents. guess what? the embassy called again
today feb1 !! in just 7days, the visa officer is telling me she is
stamping my visa approved!! miracle #4. i was crying..tears of joy.
until now im crying as im typing this... as in hagulhol, with
matching sipon, grabe. truly after all those hardships, the long
wait, the struggle, the self pity, the desperation, the insanity..
He will never forsake you.

last obstacle, the booking. my flight is not yet confirmed for
feb12. nakakahiya man aminin, wala pa po akong pambili ng tiket,im
praying hard na sana.. sana lang.. may dumating na miracle #5. im
positive it will. i know with His help i firmly believe, He never
fails. diba!

to those who have no JO, EOI stage, waiting for ITA, wala pang
interview, whatever process you are in, wag mawalan ng pag asa. i
know how you feel. i've been there. mas malala pa nga.
always remember, when you think you're already at the very end of
the rope, just tighten that grip, pray ka lang.. pray hard ka lang.
at ika nga, nasa atin pa rin ang gawa.

sa mga tumulong po sa akin, sa mga walang sawang nagbibigay ng lakas
ng loob at payo, mga tips on how to's. you know who you are...
malaki po ang naitulong ng forum na ito upang maibsan ang mga agam
agam, katanungan, fears and doubts. sana dumami pa tayo and continue
to help each other. return the blessing to others. mabuhay tayong
lahat and see you in NZ!

good luck sa atin.
God bless us all!

peso rallies to highest in nearly six years

everyday upon opening my computer, i usually check daily news. usually headline has always been bad news - thats' what usually sells ( i wonder why people love reading bad news - uh man by nature is nossy?) but this time, its exactly the opposite - peso rallies to highest in nearly six years! this is good news. amidst the charter change, calamities, political bickering and price increases atleast there's something light you can read in the paper.

yup 6 years ago, president Joseph ERAP Estrada was still in power, it was a roller coster or should i say "like in the movies" good-will-prevail-leadership-that-did-not-happen era. He was eventually oustered and faced charges (which btw, the court proceedings is progressing at a snail pace - nothin unusual). The exchange rate was around 49. slowly, similar to other SEA currencies, we're gaining against the green buck.

there are always 2 sides of the coin, exporters are complaining since a stronger peso means less income and more competition from other countries. personally, i want our peso to appreciate even further. not drastically, but at a stable pace, so that everyone can adjust.

kudos to our overseas filipino workers who pumps dollars to the country. all your hardwork is helping your families here live a better and more comfortable life. i hope in time, the country can generate more jobs, so that there's no need for most people to go abroad.

i'm realistic to say that in my lifetime i may not be able to see the country in economic glory. the days when we were second to japan (40-50s) in asia was half a century ago. but i pray that as a nation, we unite and keep the spirit of EDSA people power alive - towards nation building. Yes, the Filipino can!

diaspora of filipinos

i was reading the newspaper a week ago and it was reported that around 1.1 million filipinos got a job abroad this year - includes nurses, doctors, seamen, teachers, engineers and domestics. yup, our brains going out of the country to get better paying jobs. most of them will return dollars to the country - our life source. no wonder everywhere you go, you will always see a filipino.

i just came from a despidida party, my batchmate is going to australia early next year to pursue his pediatrics training. our chief resident in pgh will take USMLE early next year. and most of my batchmates in UST medicine are now working in the US as nurses or as MDs. Looking at their friendster pics, chatting at YM and answering their emails at yahoogroups, i think their coping quite well. life may be different in a foreign land, but atleast they are well compensated. The baluts, menudo, bagoong, sinigang may not be available all the time but what the heck, this is the life they chose, an investment for their future as well as their children's.

its nice to see them having reunions and catchin up activities. in a way, its like home away from home. wish you all the goodness life has to offer.

and to jon cu, hey mate! i know you're used to being "down under", i never knew you were a good cook (im still wonderin if you secretely sprinkled hashish/cannabis in your menu, their f*@?#n' great)! show the aussies how a compassionate, dedicated, hard workin filipino (with matchin alar-flaring and cuss) doctor you are. i believe in you.

and uh btw, to all the filipinos in diaspora, dont forget to look back........