All-Around Pinay Mama

Ways to Help Victims of Typhoon Yolanda

November 12, 2013

I was so emotional while watching TV Patrol this evening. Eastern Visayas was so devastated by super typhoon, Yolanda. I was speechless. Remnants of broken properties, uprooted trees, destroyed farmlands, and most of all, cadavers were scattered everywhere.

A general shot shows houses destroyed by the strong winds caused by Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban City (Courtesy: Inquirer News)

Victims were starving. They haven't eaten for three days. They were mourning. They were hopeless. More than that, they lost their loved ones. They didn't know how to pick up the pieces.

Residents cover their nose from the smell of dead bodies in Tacloban City on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013 (Courtesy:Inquirer News)

Until now, I am still in state of shock!

I couldn't imagine myself being in their situation. I have two sons, ages eight and two. I find it so hard to see parents look at their children as they starve, being in pain, and die hopelessly in their arms. It is heart breaking.

If only I could ease their hunger and suffering. If only I could go there and do something. They are helpless and hopeless. I empathize with them.

Unfortunately, until now assistance is out of reach. There are people who are forced to do unlawful acts just to survive. But the goverment and other civic organizations are doing their best to extend their assistance. It is also very heartwarming to see other countries offer their help.

For us who are not affected, we have no right to complain nor criticize our authorities who are doing their best to control the situation. We are not there to fix the problem and inhale the stench of death. For politicians, it is not the right time to blame one another. It is the best time for us Filipinos to be united as a nation. We can help in so many ways.

1 DONATE

Sunstar.com.ph released a complete list of how and where to donate:

List of Orgs Accepting Donations for Typhoon Yolanda Victims

I also heard from DZMM Teleradyo this morning that all branches of McDonalds Philippines are accepting donations in kind and they will be the one to bring them to ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya.

2 VOLUNTEER

You may also call the organizations and news media outfits on the link above to know how to volunteer in repacking and distributing of goods. Some organizations may also look for volunteer experts like rescuers, medics, nurses, psychologists, who can help in the medical mission, rescue operations, debriefing of the victims, etc. Sharing updates about how to donate or volunteer through social media may help spread the word to your friends and followers.

3 PRAY

Pope Francis, international celebrities, and people all over the world expressed their love and support to the Philippines through prayer.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) declared a Novena of Prayer and Charity for victims of recent calamities from November 11 to 19, 2013. They will offer their massed and prayers to the dead and grieving families they left behind.

Whenever we pray, let us not forget to pray for them too. Prayer is indeed a powerful tool to ask God's grace to help them keep their faith.

I found this beautiful prayer written by blogger and author of Prayer is Power, Patricia Zimmerman, for the victims of typhoons here in the Philippines.

Let us gather together and Pray for the victims of the typhoons and flooding in the Philippines.

The Holy Spirit is Upon Us as We Pray.

Father, we pray for the victims of the typhoons in the Philippines that you give them comfort in their dealings with their losses and provide them with all their needs. Provide them food, shelter and all their necessities. Give them healing and take away their fears. Give them the courage to face their losses and give them strength to care for their injured loved ones. Heal the hearts of those who lost their loved ones.

Our Lord Christ, Jesus, the Bible says in the book of Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Today, we know that you are in the midst of us as we pray together to bring relief to those who suffer the most from these natural disasters.

Lord Jesus, we pray that you pray to the Father to send the Holy Spirit to comfort those that are suffering from these natural disasters and it shall come to pass as it says in the Holy Scriptures: John 14:16-17, “[16] And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [17] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

Lord Jesus, our Prince of peace, bring peace to the victims and their family and friends. Perform miracles on their behalf that they may find financial aid and all types of relief they need to survive from these natural disasters.

We thank you Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit for hearing our prayers.

If you have no communication with your loved-ones in areas who were affected, click this PARTIAL LIS T of Typhoon Yolanda's survivors released by Inquirer News. You may also click THIS to go to Google Person Finder: Typhoon Yolanda.

We Filipinos are known for our resilience. Only here in the Philippines where people can still smile amidst disasters and calamities. Let us show the world that we can survive this crisis.

An Emergency Appeal from UNICEF Philippines: HELP CHILDREN AFFECTED by SUPER TYPHOON YOLANDA NOW!

November 10, 2013

I would like to share this e-mail that I received today from Tomoo Hozumi, Country Representative-
UNICEF Philippines, stating the organization's need of financial assistance so that they can respond to children affected by super typhoon Yolanda.

Hope that this message can reach hundreds of generous people who are very much willing to help. This is the best and perfect time to extend our helping hand.

Help Children Affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan / Yolanda

Dear SJ,

Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) ravaged the central part of the Philippines on November 8, 2013. It left a storm of destruction in its wake, triggering 12 to 15 feet high storm surges, flooding and landslides and affecting an estimated 4 million people.

Early news reports indicate massive damage to life and property as Yolanda inundated even evacuation centers where hundreds of families took shelter during the storm. Telecommunication lines and electricity are down. Air and sea ports are closed. Media reports have identified food, safe water, medical assistance, and shelter as priority needs.

UNICEF, with humanitarian partners, has deployed assessment teams to support and assist the government in response to this latest disaster.

We are ready with prepositioned supplies to quickly respond to children’s needs in terms of nutrition, water, sanitation & hygiene, education and protection.

Our resources are severely stretched from responding to three emergencies in a row within two months: the armed conflict in Zamboanga on September 9, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol on October 15, and now Super Typhoon Yolanda.

Again, we urgently appeal for your help so that we can respond to those affected by this latest calamity.

Help children affected by Typhoon Yolanda TODAY.

Sincerely,

Tomoo Hozumi
Country Representative
UNICEF Philippines

Help children affected by Typhoon Yolanda

A one-time donation of P 1,500 can help provide 7 families with a month's supply of safe drinking water.

A one-time donation of P 3,300 can help provide 15 people with essential hygiene items such as soap, towels and water pails

A one-time donation of P 5,000 can help provide a child-friendly space for 3 children in an evacuation center

If we raise more money than what is needed for this emergency, funds will be used for future emergencies.

FIND UNICEF PHILIPPINES ON:

www.unicef.ph | contact us | privacy

Teachable Moment: Honesty is the Best Policy

November 10, 2013

Last August 2013, my husband composed an e-mail to CEM (Center for Education Measurement) stating that he was following up the approval of his submitted test items that he made about Grade 3 Science for next year's Achievement Test. His e-mail was immediately acknowledged and he was informed that the test items were approved.

I: "Papa, it's finally done! Congratulations! Did you delete the soft copy?"

Hector: "Yes, Ma! It's done!"

Kuya Ross: "Mama, what is Papa doing? What soft copy did he delete? What is it all about?"

I: "Anak, Papa was invited by CEM to write test items about Grade 3 Science to be taken by students in the Philippines. According to the contract, once those test items were submitted to CEM, Papa should delete both his soft and hard copies and he did it!"

Kuya Ross: "How would they know if Papa really deleted them? They were not looking?"

I: " Anak, we have to be honest. Being honest means you should be true to your words and actions. You have to do the right thing even if nobody or regardless who is looking. The test that Papa made will be taken by you too next year. Papa could have saved a copy for you so that you'd know the answers but he didn't because that was cheating! Cheating is wrong, right? What he did was he kept his promise to CEM and followed the contract."

Kuya Ross: "Oh, I see."

I: " When you see money in your classroom, will you keep it?"

Kuya Ross: "No, Mama. I will give it to my teacher so that she can ask or look for the owner of the money."

I: "Very good! It's the same as what Papa did. It's an act of honesty. When we are honest, Kuya, people will trust us. God will be happy too because we are doing the right thing."

Kuya Ross: "Yes, Mama. I'm so proud of Papa."

I: "We are proud of you too, Kuya. You have to keep it in mind so that when you are already a dad, you'd know how to teach your kids."

Kuya Ross: "Yes, Mama. Thanks!"

The smile on his face showed that he was happy with what his Papa did.

Experience is really the best teacher at the right place and time.

Courtesy: http://www.nadiyahvidsten.com

Our Three Basic Rules for Our Son's School Success

November 08, 2013

I worked as a grade school teacher in an exclusive school for boys for five years before I decided to be a stay-at-home-mom. I've seen students excel and fail. I felt proud when my students excel because it meant that my mode of teaching was effective but my heart broke to see some of my students fail after doing different interventions to help them.

Frankly speaking, I understood more the situation and feelings of my students when my eldest son, Ross, started to attend school.

I realized that school pays an important part in students' development but parents' behavior have a greater impact in their children's behavior towards school.

Our children is the reflection of our behavior and attitude--- the way we treat others, our concept of right and wrong, the consistency of our actions with our words, our ways of dealing with anger, and most importantly, the way we give expectations.

According to Mimi Hudson, Director of Community Programs, Family Services of North Shore, parental expectations affect our children's motivational and self-expectations. Our children succeed if given realistic expectations and they fail when faced with unrealistically high expectations. Their failure is due to pressure, anxiety, and discouragement when they don't live up with their parents' expectations.

In line with this, there were moments when my husband and I talked about how we were raised by our parents. To cut the story short, we realized that we enjoyed school and succeed because our parents guided us well.

To help Ross enjoy school and succeed too, we set three basic school rules for him. We still remind him everyday to follow these rules before sending him off to school. We also ask him to repeat them as we speak so that he would remember them by heart. What is good about him is he never complains and does his best to practice them.

1) BE GOOD

"One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself."---Confucius, Golden Rule

^{We say that..."If you are good to others, they would be good to you. But if you are bad to others, they would be bad to you."}

^We^{always remind him to treat everybody with respect, kindness, gentleness, patience, and courtesy. He must be grateful when people treat him kindly. He has to use "Magic Words" (polite expressions) in talking to his classmates, friends, teachers, and other members of the school community.}

^{We teach him the importance of sharing by offering his food during recess and lunch time or lending his school materials in case one of his classmates forgot to bring his own.}^{It is also nice for him to take an active part in giving his time and resources in outreach programs and activities. When his classmates ask for help, he should be ready to give a helping hand.}

^{He must religiously follow the}^{"Clean As You Go" campaign in school. He should help in keeping his surroundings clean to lessen the load of the staff in keeping the whole school clean and tidy.}

^{In group activities, he must see to it that each of his classmates have a share in the doing work.}

^{He must}^{act like a gentleman too. As early as now, we teach him proper decorum in public and ways of showing high regard to the elderly and women.}

^{2) DO YOUR BEST}

^{"Follow excellence and success will chase you..."---}^{Ranchoddas Chadchad, 3 Idiots}

^{How we say it... "Study not just to memorize and get high grades. Getting high grades is good but going to school should be for the love of learning and understanding.}^{Know what is important and essential. Do your very best in your studies and success would surely come."}

^{We encourage him to study very well to be accomplished in the future. We teach him to know how to explain things in his words and help him study in his own pace.}

^{We don't pressure him to get awards or be included in the honor roll. If he gets one, it would be a great blessing and his hard work would be highly appreciated. If he gets low in his tests or makes mistakes, we always tell him that it's okay as long as he learns something from the experience and do his best next time.}

^{We are very fortunate that Ross is driven when it comes to his studies. His hard work gets positive results and it gives him more inspiration to do his best in everything that he does.}

^{3) ENJOY}

"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your actions."---Dalai Lama XIV

^{How we say it... "Happiness is a choice. It is only you who can make yourself happy. Have fun learning and make friends! Do everything that would make you happy as long as you don't hurt others or break school rules!"}

^{Aside from telling him that his academic performance is his topmost priority, we also let him try different activities like sports, art, music, and other foreign language that he finds engaging and enjoyable. We make sure that these activities would not hinder his focus in academics. We support him all the way to make him a well-rounded person. We let him make his own choice. We are always around to guide him and not to dictate what he should do. We also involve him in decision-making when it comes to his studies. It gives him the sense of responsibility and confidence.}

^{Ross enjoys school so much. He looks forward to it everyday! Every night when I tuck him to bed, he would tell interesting stories about new things he learned from his teacher,}
topics that he talked about with his friends,
his new endeavors, and new books that he read from the library.

Above all these, it is very important that we, parents, practice what we preach. Being role models to our kids is still the best way to teach them just like our parents did.

My Simple and Practical Storage Tips

November 05, 2013

My Basic Clothing Care

November 01, 2013

I am doing the laundry right now and I think of sharing some of my practices on basic clothing care. I got positive feedback on my article Tips on How to Make Laundry Smell Fresh & Clean Rain or Shine! Hope this will also help you moms out there to make doing the laundry hassle-free!

We are all aware that buying good clothes is a big investment. Proper care after purchasing and before, while, and after using them is a must to extend their longevity.

Here are some of my practices on basic clothing care:

The button will stay longer if you dab clear or colorless nail polish at the center of the button to seal the threads.

Lint removers are readily available in the market. In case you don't have your own, you can make one by rolling up a glossy magazine and wrap adhesive tape around it with the sticky side out. Roll it over lint, hair, and thread. You may do it repeatedly until they are removed.

Rub a candle against zipper teeth to keep it working smoothly.

Do not dry clean clothes made of jusi, pina, and silk. Hand wash them with mild soap and water. You might also like reading How To Care For Your Jusi Barong.

When bringing soiled clothes to a dry cleaner, pin a note to each spot explaining what substance it is to call the dry cleaner's attention. Make sure to bring with it the different accessories like belts, scarves, etc. to make sure that the outfit remain the same color.

Soak yellowish white clothes in vinegar for 15 minutes. The acid removes yellowish discoloration. Rinse just before soaping with detergent. You may also do this on your white or light colored canvas shoes but make sure not to expose them in direct sunlight because it can aggravate the yellowish discoloration of your shoes.

Faux leather should be cleaned with mild soap and water applied with a damp cloth. You might also like reading Quick and Effective Way to Clean Leather Using Household Products.

If you are going to use a stain remover, test it first on the hidden part of the clothing to avoid ruining the entire garment.

For stubborn wrinkles on clothes, hang it on a shower rod over the tub or big basin with hot water. The steam will remove the wrinkles.

For wool or velvet clothes with cigarette or tobacco odors, run hot water in the tub or big basin and add vinegar. Hang the clothes on the shower rod and close the bathroom door. The vinegar in the rising steam will remove the odor of smoke.

Always hang clothes zippers and buttons closed on the hangers that fit the clothing. Make sure that sleeves, shoulders, creases, and collars lie flat into place. These will keep clothes in shape.

Store beaded, sequined, embroidered clothes flat to avoid distortion of their shape.

Ties should be gently hand washed with mild soap and water. Please don't wring it after rinsing. Just hang it immediately to avoid distortion of their shape. It saves you time and electricity too because you don't need to iron them.

Soak socks and clothes with stubborn dirt or mud on a detergent solution with baking soda and vinegar for 15 minutes then hand wash until the dirt is removed. Rinse thoroughly.

Ways to Help Victims of Typhoon Yolanda

An Emergency Appeal from UNICEF Philippines: HELP CHILDREN AFFECTED by SUPER TYPHOON YOLANDA NOW!

Teachable Moment: Honesty is the Best Policy

Our Three Basic Rules for Our Son's School Success

My Simple and Practical Storage Tips

My Basic Clothing Care

SJ Valdez

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