Holiday Greetings!!!

Maligayang

Pasko!!!

at

Mapayapang

Bagong Taon!!!

Bananarama and Bangles

Bananarama and Bangles!

Remember these all girls band from the late 80's? For those who are of the same age as I am chances are you do. I just remembered these two bands and thanks to free internet music downloading (guilty as charged of piracy hehehe) I downloaded several of their songs and am now listening to them for several days now.

I feel so gay hehehe.

Nice music, easy listening and definitely brings back memories.

Pump It Up

This is an arcade game similar to Dance Revo of long ago. This has 5 steps/contact areas that if all contact areas light up you have to use whatever you have to touch them all at the same time. You can use your butt, you can use your face, or you can assign a friend to touch a specified arrow everytime it lights up. It's really challenging. It is harder to play than the Dance Revo. Dance Revo is just Toyota Revo, Pump it up is Ford Explorer! The music/sound playlist are interesting. There are many remix songs. There are classical musics like Beethoven's Virus it is presented in techno, much faster, much interesting, much challenging but I still don't like it. Other compositions are from Banya, Yahpp, Crash, T.O, and Tashannie. The one I like best is Chimera by Yahpp. Sayang, my daddy can't go with me to SM to play. I think he can play this game very well it's just like him having spasms and clonus on the dance mat. hehehe.

"Pump It Up, commonly abbreviated as PIU or shortened to just Pump, is a rhythm video game developed by Andamiro, a Korean coin-operated games producer. Players use their feet to step on arrows according to the music." from Wikipedia.

Little Things In Life

Sometimes we think what we have is so little:

little blessings, little word, little salary, little allowance.

But if we'll start to appreciate little things in life, we will find out that we have so much....

So much of friends, so much of love, so much of trust, & so much of JESUS.

God Bless Us!

some things
are just
not meant
to be . . .

Gilligan's Feast

I'm always thankful for good food with good company. The resto should pay me for mentioning their place.

Sayang wala yung ibang kaibigan namin.

Lalake 1: Pare ang tagal na nating magkakilala wala ka pa ring syota, wala ka bang nagugustuhan?

Lalaki 2: Meron. Manhid ka lang !!!

bwahahaha o hihihi?

Lunch with Tatsufumi Yamagata of Institute of Developing Economies

Tatsufumi Yamagata from the Institute of Developing Economies-Japan External Trade Organization came over to do a preliminary interview for a certain project that concerns persons with disabilities (PWDs). The goal of the project is not yet clear to me, anyway, he is coming over again next year with the same agenda.

After the interview was the fun part. During lunch we had an animated light conversation. Lunch was great. The conversation was fun, thanks to our friends who came over to join us.

Sophia and Maegan

Miss Maegan Aguilar representing ANAK Foundation and Miss Sophia Manlapaz, First Lady of Life Haven

Not All Life Haven Members Are Skinheads

Life Haven table occupied by "healthy" food-loving Life Haven boardmembers and visitors. This was during the launching of WITHNEWS and C.A.M.P. (Center for Asian Mission for the Poor) at Max's in Quezon City Circle.

BON APPETIT!!!

Philippine Orthopedic Center and Tahanang Walang Hagdanan

Philippine Orthopedic Center and

Tahanang Walang Hagdanan

seminars, enjoyable learning experiences.

Life Haven IL activities

On April 2007, Life Heaven held an IL orientation seminar in Philippine Orthopedic Center as part of their Psychological Service of the Rehabilitation Department. This opened doors for a possible new program of the hospital for patients about to be discharged.

On May of 2007, Life Haven and SCI Foundation in cooperation with Tahanang Walang Hagdanan, Inc. conducted an IL Peer Counseling Seminar Workshop at Bahay San Leonardo (San Leonardo House) in Jala-jala, Rizal. Tahanang Walang Hagdanan (TWH) is the biggest institution in the Philippines with several Sheltered Workshops and Residential Institutions scattered across the Philippines. TWH is advocating Independent Living and is promoting inclusion and barrier-free country. Fourteen persons with disabilities attended the 3-day seminar workshop.

Life Haven: member of Asia Pacific Network for Independent Living (APNIL)

December of 2006, former trainees of APCD were invited for a Refresher Course of the IL program at APCD in Bangkok, Thailand. APCD and Human Care Association gave recognition to the achievements of Life Haven. During the training, the Asia Pacific Network for Independent Living (APNIL) was established to link all the IL Centers in the Asia-Pacific Region. The president of Life Haven is one of the committee members of APNIL.

International Training Workshop, Bangkok

February of 2006, more Filipinos were invited for another Training of Managerial Personnel of Independent Living Centers and Peer Counselors for Persons with Disabilities at APCD in Bangkok, Thailand. Abner Manlapaz was invited as one of the Assistant Resource Persons for this International Training Workshop. Benjamin Bernandino was one of the participants from the Philippines

August 2005, Peer Counseling Leadership Training, Cebu

August 2005, Peer Counseling Leadership Training was held in Cebu attended by members of SCIF, HACI Cebu, HACI de Oro and Life Haven. Benjamin Bernandino and Nestor Baltazar were among the participants of this Training Workshop

"withnews" Launching

On August 28, 2007 we attended the launching of Withnews (Internet News for the Disabled and the Poor) and Center for Asian Mission for the Poor(C.A.M.P). A Korean religious group is responsible for the running of this internet news organization and mission. It was a simple ceremony, just introductions, short speeches, prayers and readings from the Bible then a sumptous dinner while Ms. Maegan Aguilar (representing the Anak Foundation) serenaded us with the classic song Anak and a couple of other songs. Withnews covered and reported the NDPR week rally activity spearheaded by Life Haven advocating for proper implementation of the Accessibility Law.

Skidrow

I remember you...

Jessica Alba - Invisible Woman, you are better visible than invisible!

You are a 10!

thanks for the rain

after a long dry spell, so dry it is already considered as drought, we give thanks at last it rained.

The downpour was a relief for so many worries. We have now enough water for irrigation, tap supply, electricity generation, and a very refreshing weather.

But always there are two sides to a coin. Areas are flooded. Houses are washed away. Farms and crops were destroyed. And there is the looming threat of diseases spreading in areas affected.

I hope there will be more good than bad results of the rain.

Life Haven Inc.

BRIEF BACKGROUND:

Life Haven Incorporated is an organization duly registered at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on July 7th, 2005. We aim to present Independent Living Concept in a new perspective.

We envision a society where people with disabilities s are independent, self-determined and participates actively in promoting self-development.

It is our mission to lead the establishment of Independent Living centers in the Philippines as its vehicle towards full empowerment, integration and participation in the community.

Our goals are to lead and promote IL philosophy and concept among PWDs and non-PWDs.

1. To equip PWDs with the necessary knowledge and skills to exercise the IL philosophy and concept.

2. To define the criteria of an IL center based on Japan Council on Independent Living Center.

3. To mobilize resources both local and foreign in the establishment of IL centers.

4. To work in partnership with other organizations who share similar aims and objectives.

5. To provide other services that might properly be considered appropriate for the furtherance of the aims and objectives of the organization.

... PWDs ...

The walk-for-a-cause staged last July 19 as part of the celebration of the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation week is a considerable success. It is a non-political march of persons on wheelchair, in crutches, blinds with white walking sticks and guides, other persons with disabilities, and able-bodied supporters sympathetic to the cause of the sector. The march is a challenge in itself, like most of the days in a PWD’s life. Maybe it was just a small number but it definitely showed how big the hearts of the participants are. The distance traveled, the potholes, the ups and down of the road and the peril of meandering in between vehicles remind me of how our lives are.

I thought those in wheelchair are better off but they have to strain harder to propel uphill. The blinds are impressive, with their walking sticks and trusted guides, they pressed on in a steady manner. Those in crutches showed their determination, with sweat trickling down their foreheads they ambled on. And the supporters are with us all the way. And we persevered to get where we want to be.

If the information is correct, the move last July 19 is unprecedented. This is a bolder act of advocacy for the proper implementation of the accessibility law. Honestly, I am not looking forward in doing this again, it’s a real sacrifice for most of us and it will mean that the authorities have failed. But if necessary I will do it again. It makes me feel proud that we are taking initiative and assuming an active role regarding issues concerning us.

This is a trait Independent Living philosophy is instilling to its adherents. We should be self-responsible. Charity is good and is always welcome. But we have to change the perception that our sector is always a charity case. Our sector is no longer just waiting for others to take notice of our plight. We can still think and decide. Who is better equipped to know what our problems are than we who are experiencing them?

All activities in celebration of the NDPR week encompassed different aspects of our lives. The job fair presented new opportunities for livelihood. The showcasing of skills and talents in sports, arts and entertainment promoted public awareness. This also provided inspiration to fellow PWDs’ and able-bodied individuals alike. In all of these, we had fun, an indispensable element to enjoy life.

Not Rene Descartes

I think therefore I am. (Rene Descartes)

I cannot think of anything,

therefore I am not.

x2(875CDf<>/;hyb juik)^

ij

Doesn't make sense, just like life, sometimes.

Secret

What is a secret?

Does everyone have a secret?

Why would anyone keep a secret?

Is secret really useful in preventing underarm wetness?

I have a secret.

I will not tell you.

It will no longer be a secret if I tell somebody.

What's your secret?

THE TRUTH BEHIND THE LIE"S

Most people say and offer good thing's just to make you say yes, other’s are giving some take advantage of those who give. I’m not demanding to get good thing's, the problem is just tell me if sit's a dead end and I'm willing to give up

ashley misses me

When I went out again to check on her, she started eating and finished all her food.

During those days, Ashley always has leftovers.

I didn't go out for days.

I think she misses me.

I have a golden retriever, I call her Ashley.

enlightening day

This is a very enlightening day.

I had several episodes of LBM.

Everything flushed out.

Now I feel very light.

happy friend

I got a new friend about two weeks ago. He has muscular dystrophy affecting all four extremeties. His life is a reflection of economic difficulties. Despite this, he still maintains a positive outlook in life.

Last week, I saw a happy man. For years he has been dragging his self along the floor like a giant snail. And then he got his first wheelchair. He was a beneficiary of a philantropic act. You can see the happiness on his face, the excitement of now having a means to move around. More than the excitement a young boy feels when he gets his first bicycle. His eagerness to wheel around was evident, not minding the small blisters he developed on his palms because of friction. He was such a happy man. He was so happy that it got to me, I felt happy too.

tired

Tired. I attended a three-day workshop on Independent Living. Another new learning experience.

It was fun. Shared experience of living a life of a PWD made it easy to establish good relationship and a serious yet enjoyable atmosphere.

Success? Yes it was.

Now, time for reevaluation and planning.

diary?

I'm new here. This seems ironic. This will be my journal, some sort of a diary. personal notes yet open to anyone who will be interested enough to view this.

It's raining. Makes you feel lazy. Better feel lazy than lonely. What if you cannot feel anything?

This is nice. I don't make sense.