Tzu Chi Foundation and Private Companies Pool Resources to Help in Typhoon Odette Efforts

Tsu Chi Foundation Philippines have already done a lot in the past. Master Cheng Yen founded it in 1996 to inspire people, to put compassion into action. They initially had 30 housewives saving 2 cents from their groceries, but now has a seat in the UN. Tsu Chi reached the Philippines in 1994, and now has volunteers in different areas in the country. Tsu Chi and Master Chung Yen has had the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Presidential Award -Kaanib ng Bayan and more. For now they are doing charity efforts, to provide medical assistance, disaster relief, educational program, livelihood and vocational training. They have worked previously in the restoration of a Tacloban Church, Typhoon Yolanda work and response. 

This year, Typhoon Odette Ravaged the country, making 9 landfalls in Visayas and Mindanao, taking out electricity, water supple, and now they're working with people on ground in Cebu, Bohol and Leyte and with the government units so they could help where there are most affected. This involves isolated towns, coastal ones, where thousands of people are in dire need. Children, mothers, people are going out on streets to beg for food, shelter, so they could survive. They now live in tents and makeshift shelters in the same area where the typhoon hit them as well. Cebu, Ormoc and Palo Leyte Volunteers are serving hot meals and water, Manila is also sending help including blankets, water supply, gen sets. Tzu Chi are calling for donations of water, food and funds. They need construction materials, GI sheets, nails, to protect them from the weather. They are also in need of communications, logistics and support. 

Digital Pilipinas convenor and Geiser Maclang Founder Amor Maclang says "Thank you for all those who came this morning, we all were caught off guard with what happened with Typhoon Odette. One of the reasons of why we're asking for your help to support Tsu Chi Foundation. A few years ago, we were invited to Taiwan wherein I had the pleasure of meeting the founder. A lot of our advocacy areas are in Bicol, Leyte, CAR, and Zamboanga. Digital Pilipinas is working with Tsu Chi Foundation to help scale harness technology, help them move money, to bring help where it's needed the most. They are very transparent. We need leader volunteers for education, environment, and work with the CSR arm of Globe, fintech and payments, beyond just making a donation through digital wallets, repurposing donated electrical appliances and sell them to put profits in Tsu Chi and help people. We need help in logistics, the devastation is massive. We will be calling for meetings, to update you of what's happening on ground. You will hear how you can best help in this crisis. We will have January 2 and 3 some rice donations, we need volunteers to arrange that, work together. Thank you to our friends from the private industry who are here, I wish everyone, the rest of our country have a better Christmas."



If you would like to help, donations can be course through these channels:

Yoly Crisanto of Globe CSR says "This is a test for resiliency, and we need to make things better. Communication is key. The challenge is to respond and build things better next time. When Ondoy struck, Marikina valley was under water, we had to build towers higher after that. We need our cell sites to withstand even greater winds than ever before. We build cell sites that can do that, to hopefully invest and pour out more, and there's no donor fatigue in the country. We should never be in this position again, we need to have more resilient measures. We will be there to help, we need to put together our resources, to help coastal communities, to battle the pandemic and climate change. There is a challenge for everyone, and hopefully we can build on our network. The government is very open, the NDRMMC, the LGU's, Siargao, Cebu, Davao, we need to have a concerted efforts, not just work after the Typhoon and say it's done. Let us understand that we need to put new antennas when the roads are blocked, it's hard to work in disaster response. The power lines are down, you can only repair if there is power. That's the reality on ground and it's a concerted effort. We are doing everything we can right now, every single minute counts before, after disaster happens. It's not easy. I'm appealing to everyone to hopefully get back and be connected again after that strong typhoon."

Tsu Chi Foundation has been doing in environmental protection, we have done it in Taiwan. It's something we can replicate in the Philippines, to make sure we don't experience these climate change caused disasters.

Nauman Mustafa of Coins.ph says "I've experienced the Typhoon while I was in the BPO sector at that time. People have come together and there are many companies who want to do this. We decided to put our own business partners to have their proceeds be given to those who need it most. I am a firm believer that we should help others. We are here to support Tsu Chi, we'll ask our partners to also support the foundation in our capacity. We just have to take this challenge an fight with it."

There were tons more from the private sector, it was really nice to see them connecting and trying to help in their way, so please help if you can in your own capacity.

"When the poor cannot come out, the blessed ones should go in and help." -Master Yeng Chen

DANIEL PADILLA for MMFF 2021 Entry "Kun Maupay Man it Panahon" (Whether the Weather is Fine)

This is one of the most awaited films in the Metro Manila Festival this 2021, not just because of its story and cause, but because the one and only Teen King Daniel Padilla is starring in a film. This is called Kun Maupay Man it Panahon (Whether the Weather is Fine). The film has also been seen in 25 festivals outside the country and this time, you have to opportunity to see it in the cinemas this MMFF 2021. This is the handy work of different production companies which includes Cinematografica, PlanC, House on Fire, IwantTFC, Globe Studios, Black Sheep, Quantum Films, CMB Films, AAND Company (based in Singapore), Kawan-Kawan Media (of Indonesia), Wedemann Bros. (of Germany) and Dreamscape. The cast has never seen the movie yet, so they'll be watching it together with you come Christmas Day.

Three stars and the director welcomed us in the virtual presser, Direk Carlo Francisco Manatad, actress Rans Rifol, Ms. Charo Santos Concio, and my favorite boy Daniel Padilla.

Daniel says "Just now, I am very nervous sitting here with Ms. Charo, I am a little intimidated, but being with her during the whole filming process, she's very giving actress, very welcoming. It's a beautiful experience being with her, I always sing when on set just to keep her happy. Her passion is also so good, you can see that when we were making the film. This isn't my first time making a serious film, but this is the first about a real event. I wanted to challenge myself too, and doing this, I had fears doing it because it was the first time I'm working with the Director. Because it was also in Tacloban, I knew I had to do it. We can't really stop natural disasters, but what I want to know is how we would be ready each time it happens. There are people suffering, it again hit a lot of our countrymen. For the film, it's just sad that it happened again, I hope this would be an eye opener for a lot of people. We hope to make them aware especially now. When we were in Colloseo near the Tacloban Airport, when people were there, I felt how they were not acting, the fear was still there, it was hard to see that while shooting this film. Direk talked to them before putting that on camera, we really thanked them after the film, the locals experienced that and it's hard to take in. This is very personal to me, I was afraid to accept this first, but when I knew I wanted to do challenging films. I didn't think about Carlo being a new director, he did good and this film is a different experience especially in making this film.


Ms. Charo says "During breaks, we had Waray rehearsals. When this was offered to me, I was drawn to the story, the character, the script that was sent to me was written in English. They told me I will have the opportunity to work with DJ, I was really looking forward to do that. Working with a new director is a challenge and opportunity, there is something to learn from these young people, and he has worked with previous films too as an Editor, and this is his vision, an affirming one because of his personal experience. I really loved the learning sessions about Waray, reading sessions of the script. We also had coaches on set, when the scrip arrived, you kinda get the hang of the story and how to say it during the filming process. This film mirrors how natures wrath would be a hard battle to win. You can see how people need help, but see how we as Filipinos still get together, do our best to help especially in the Visays region, it's really sad it happened again. I'm glad there are less deaths, and people followed when they were asked to evacuate. When you're beside the beach, you should think twice getting a permanent home. You can see the resilience and spirit of helping each other, I'm happy to see that too. Yes it is empowering because this is based on Carlo's personal experience, and how his family also survived during that time. It's part of nature, we have to be prepared though each time this happens. We hope we can address when people get their homes destroyed, we shouldn't be complacent in just doing that in our community. It's really nice to be out of your comfort zone, you learn their culture, and working with young ones is like this youthful energy, this desire is so good and my character is a woman, a wife, a mother, but her persona might be different, it's a choice, she made that choice and not all would understand it. In the end, it's her journey and it's what she followed."

Rans Rifol says "I hope this film would make people hope, take action, how we could cope with disasters. My character is like anyone, one who dreams, even if they are under a rubble, they don't forget about it."

Director Carlo Manatad says "I was in Manila but almost all my family was in Tacloban, I didn't have a way to contact them, I feared that they all perished because I saw the images in that town. Eventually, I found them, and they were safe, but it was a difficult experience for them. Daniel's range is really huge as an actor, he's done several that made me see him as the perfect fit with this character. I have always mentioned collective healing, one of which I saw with my own eyes in my province, I hope the film calls for hope that there should be change when Yolanda happened, it's sad, but I hope the citizens of the Philippines see what needs to be done. I don't think this is a trend, but this is an advocacy, it's just that things happened again in the country, but films in general have had this particular way of creating things. Ever since we made this, our stars knew that just finishing this film and having it on a film festival was already an achievement. We're just blessed that it is being screened around the world, the award give us confidence that we are doing the right thing. It boosts our morale in what we do, but we didn't expect them to win some awards during the pandemic, I wanted to share the award to everyone but it's just hard. More than anything it's not the film being presented with a political stance, but a more realistic one, of what people experienced during Yolanda. You can feel how the characters fell aimlessly ask where they could go, how they could get help, it's not political stance, it's just the experience. Two extras approached me and thanked why we're making the film, I know regardless, they were there, they were sincere, and the actors knew what this was all about.

Filipinos are hopeful, we are big dreamers, this film will teach you that WE can weather storms, and overcome adversities. Please, do what you can to also help with the efforts on Typhoon Odette. I'm sure Daniel would love to see that. 

 

Make sure you see it on theaters on Christmas Day!

With Globe MyFi, You Can Do It All!

Life seems coming back to normal and yes, bloggers are starting to attend events and press conferences left and right. I've been working remotely on occasion, while it's hard to juggle a laptop, 2 mobile phones and a DSLR camera, I pretty much would depend on data that my postpaid phone would be able to accommodate. My iPhone is pretty ancient and yes, batteries are kinda dismal. So instead of putting it in hot spot mode all day, I needed something that can handle all my devices and save me some headaches when deadlines occur.

 

Meet the new Globe MyFi LTE Advanced, it's a device that can connect up to 12 devices. This only costs Php 1,899 and links to an LTE Advanced network powered by Globe. I took the liberty of powering one up because I needed it for uploading content fast, I've been known to do that right after a movie, press conference or event that I cover. It's actually pretty easy to set this up, and you can customize and secure the network if you need to. 

When you open the box it contains the unit, a sim card pack, the battery, they Type C cable, the Quick Start Guide and the Warranty Certificate. Go and insert the micro sim, take note of the SSID and WIFI KEY at the back side before you insert the battery. You need this information to connect to the device so make sure you do that. There are two buttons on the device, the Wifi Protected Setup button (WPS) and the Power button located on the side. The reset button is inside the device when you open the flap. Turn it on, and wait for the prompt. It will indicate when a signal is available and also count the MB's that you've used. Got one of my phones and connected to the device, I automatically got internet connection because this has Surf4All99 or 9GB of data which you can use for all sites in the first 7 days.

To change the WIFI settings of your device, login to your router via 192.168.8.1 on your browser. Type in the username and password, I used admin for both and got to the interface above. This is the place you'll change your network name and password, if you want to elect a new one, go ahead and do it here. Save the settings and you should get the prompt that it has saved successfully. Then reconnect to your network with the new password you saved. Make sure you remember the router password so you can go back to the page if you want to change settings. If you forget the password, that's what the reset button on the device when you open the flap.

What I love about this device is the battery life. A single full charge could make this device last around 48 hours. Since its got its own battery, you don't need to depend on your mobile phones that drain too fast when its on hot spot mode. This frees up a lot of the power consumption I can use for social media, or other phone functions that I need to cover the whole day. Aside from that, I can share the connection to a few friends who would need it, that's very convenient for work and play.

 I also downloaded the GlobeOne App to register the number and load it up using that. It manages the connection, and it's good that you can buy load and subscribe to promos all in one app. The namesake works, and I'm glad I'd be able to know more about how I spend my data, budget it especially since I already have a postpaid line. The convenience of having Globe MyFi is just insurmountable, I'd be glad to have this as my companion now especially if I'm going out for work. I hope you find that feeling too!

The Globe at Home MyFi LTE costs Php 899.00 while the Globe at Home MyFi LTE Advanced costs Php 1,899.00. For more information about these devices and other Globe products, you may visit their website at https://new.globe.com.ph/prepaid-wifi/myfi-lte. With it, Carry Mo Ang Lahat!

 

 

Abizo OFW App: Peace of Mind for OFW's and Their Families This Christmas

Overseas Filipino Workers have been dubbed as the new heroes. Back in 2020, their remittances have amounted to 9.66 percent of the country's GDP which is worth over 33.2 billion dollars. It's a huge chunk and they deserve good news, so here's the ABIZO OFW app which is backed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency.

As you know, employment abroad doesn't always mean greener pastures, rainbows and butterflies. Your family at home and your government worries for OFW's safety, this app solves a lot of that and give you peace of mind. The ABIZO OFW app provides real time updates of your activities in other countries. Through this app, they look after your welfare, and give you the option to tell them where you are when you arrive in the host country. This mobile app platform is convenient, takes a few steps to register and would ease the mind of your families back home. The app also has a button for emergencies, so in case you encounter any difficulties with your employment, they can go and give you needed help.

This would prove useful especially in the Middle East, the US, Europe, or elsewhere in the world. If you need help from the government, this would be your first line of defense and prevent physical, emotional abuse if it occurs at your place of work.

To make things even better, they have published a few videos in the app that will make you remember Christmas in the Philippines, and how the app would work in real life! They actually have a few of these episodes out including Episode 2: Kamusta Ka Na Ate? It will certainly pull heartstrings, because these are short stories everyone can relate from, especially if you have loved ones abroad who work tirelessly for their family back home.

If you want to see the videos, like the link above and their Facebook page, or subscribe to their YouTube channel at ABIZO OFW. Aside from that, you can download the ABIZO OFW app on Google Play or the App Store. Make sure you do before you leave the country, it's better to be prepared especially if you're going out there to improve the lives of your family.