kimremos - Tumblr blog

[kimremos]

St. La Salle as an Inspirational Leader

A true servant of God serves His people.  St. John Baptist de la Salle is the quintessential of faith in action when he abandoned all his earthly wealth and dedicated his life inspiring the youth of France to become active participants in building a Christian community that truly serves. 

He founded Christian communities based on communities of Brother which is open for all and ended an exclusive aristocrat way of teaching and learning. He believed that all men deserves an equal chance for education and he fought to change the stigma that education is a privilege rather than a right. In the current age, the same principle upholds. Being poor is never enough reason to stay out of school. We are lucky to have learning institutions supported by the state and church who accommodate underprivileged but talented and intelligent students.

As a leader, St.La Salle can teach us a lot of things. He once said “Inspire and lead others by encouraging them."  He is a true advocate for change who believed in the capability of each individual to become excellent members of the society. His signature of servant leadership is an interesting way of leading people. Rather than imposing what needs to be done, servant leaders like St. La Salle show how things are done. 

As an aspiring La Sallian business leader, this is a great leadership style that I am trying to learn and master. This is a call out to all people managers out there, let us try this brand of leadership and see if there is any significant result you can observe. In our everyday life as managers, we are faced with multiple opportunities to live up with this kind of leadership. In the industry that I am working right now, we get the work volume report and we distribute the tasks to our members then we take the luxury of waiting for them to complete the assignment with maximum expectation. That’s what a boss does every day. But what a servant leader does is he gets involved and inspire others to be on top of their game by showing them how to do it and not by just telling.

It is convenient for us to do just the oversight expecting great results but if you step back and look at how you manage things like a bureaucrat, you will realize how highly demoralizing and spiritually draining your management style is. Transactional leaders as opposed to servant leaders only look at the goal, so regardless of the means as long as you can deliver the end that I require you’re good with me. No value for integrity and fairness, only results. So try to be more immersed with your team mates and break the boss-staff barrier. Identify yourself as one of them rather than someone above them. 

St. La Salle taught me a very simple but effective tool of leadership- “Serve by serving as an inspiration.”

[kimremos]

[kimremos]

Carenival: A Day of Smiles for the Kids of Gawad Kalinga

This Christmas season, GK Youth QC is holding an event entitled “Carenival” on December 21, 2014 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. It will be held at Ateneo De Manila University, where we expect around 300 – 400 children (age 6-12) from various Gawad Kalinga communities in Quezon City.

Carenival is an annual event of Gawad Kalinga Quezon City volunteers that will give joy this Christmas to the children of Gawad Kalinga. Team Carenival will have a program of performances and game booths for the participants.

Performances will range from exhibitions, magic shows, storytelling, and contests. Game booths will be more than what a typical perya holds. These booths, of around 20 variations, are meant to bring optimum entertainment to the children with minimal resources possible, with a goal that as the children go home to their communities they can setup these on their own and enjoy with one another.

Carenival is a  volunteer driven effort; it is an event prepared and executed by caring and sharing volunteers. Like the previous years, Carenival will connect the Volunteers and the children to the true meaning and spirit of Christmas.

In this light, we cordially invite you, your friends and family to be one of GK Youth Quezon City's partners in mounting this event. Your contribution will greatly help us in achieving this challenging task, inspiring the members of our GK communities, and empowering them in making nation-building a part of their lifestyle.

Call-to-share!!! 

o Sponsor a GK Kid (200 per child) or community

o Gather gifts for the children thru donate-a-gift initiatives

 These gifts may range from educational materials such as art suppplies and appropriate books to toys that the children will enjoy.

o Volunteer to various tasks the event will need such as marshals, secretariat, documenters, game booth facilitators, talented individuals for performances and certain booths, and first aid and security stations.

o Be part of our media group to promote Carenival and support the team in reaching its needs, gathering volunteers, gifts, cash and other in kind donations.

We hope that you can join us in this exciting celebration!

"Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing else in life need to be taken seriously, and that Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive." -- Robert Lynd

Event's details by: Pao Inting (GK QC).

Visit our page at: www.facebook.com/teamGKQC 

For more info, you can contact me at +63 917 8869 949

[kimremos]

Ateneo de Manila University president Jose Ramon T. Villarin apologized on Sunday of the presence of former First Lady Imelda Marcos at an event for the school's scholarship foundation.

Higit sa artikulo, mas nakakapukaw ng diwa ang mga komento. Mga komentong, si Imelda Marcos ang "tunay na modelong Ina ng bayan," "Philippine Revolution of 1986 = Fake Democracy," "BBM2016,,forever MARCOS," "Hindi man aq nabuhay sa kapanhunan nila aq ay saludo sa kanila!" at marami pang iba. Mga kasukob sa kasaysayan, ano'ng nangyari? Saan tayo nagkulang? Bakit ganito ang namamayaning ideolohiya tungkol sa sigwa ng rehimeng Marcos? Wala pa man ako sa mundong ito noong dekada '70, batid ko ang pasakit na dinulot ng batas militar sa taong bayan. Unawa ko ang kaunlaran ng Pilipinas (na paulit ulit pinupunto ng mga komento) relatibo sa mga bansa sa rehiyong Asya noong panahong iyon. Subalit ang kaunlarang ito ay huwad at hiram lamang. Ang lahat ng ito ay mula sa utang panlabas na minakinarya ng administrasyon ni Marcos noon. Ang utang na iya'y karamiha'y kinamkam at ngayo'y turing na kubling yaman ng mga Marcos. Huwag nating kakalimutan na ang utang din na iya'y magpahanggang sa ngayo'y ating pinag-aambagan at pilit binabayaran. Huwag ninyo akong sasabatin na ang mga ipinagawa at pagmamay-ari ng mga Marcos noon kung hindi nasabotahe ng rebolusyon sa EDSA ay nagdulot sana ng ROI na mag-aahon sa atin sa hirap at gaganansya ng sapat na halagang pambayad sa utang panlabas. Hunghang lamang ang maniniwala riyan. Kung wawariing maigi, wala sa kuko ni Imelda Marcos ang luhong nasaksihan natin kay Jean Napoles (ang anak ni Janet Napoles na nagpasiklab sa damdamin ng taong bayan tungkol sa PDAF SCAM). Sa sapatos at alahas pa lamang ng dating unang Ginang, ano ang ROI mo riyan? Sige nga! Ipinangangamba ko ang darating na halalan sa 2016. Parami ng parami ang propaganda pabor sa mga Marcos. Palawak ito ng palawak at palalim ng palalim sa hinuha ng kabataang Pilipino. KABATAAN, nasasa-atin ang susi ng totoong pagbabago. Tayo ang tulay ng kahapon sa darating na bukas. Tayo ang muling mag-aahon sa nalugmok nating bayan. Malaki ang nakaatang sa ating responsibilidad. Kaakibat ng reponsibilidad na ito ay ang ilang paalala. Huwag kang maging TANGA! Magsaliksik ka. Iyong intindihin at gunamgunamin ang mga aral ng dilim ng kahapon. Huwag kang papauto sa mga pagbabalintuna ng kasaysayan. Huwag kang magpapatianod sa mga komento sa peysbuk na "baka uubra ang pag-ahon ng bayan kung muli nating susubukan ang brand ng pamumuno ng mga Marcos." Nawa sa pag-aaral mo, masabi mo sa sarili mo at maibahagi at maipaintindi mo rin sa mga kapwa mo kabataan na hindi tayo lilimot. HINDI NA MULI....

[kimremos]

Daluyong

Di mapirmi ang isip.

Nagliliwaliw sa walang hanggang kalawakan.

Bumubunggo sa mga bagay ng kasalukuyan.

Kumakapit sa mga ala-ala ng nakaraan.

Hiwaga ng kinabukasan, walang tiyak, walang hanggan.

[kimremos]

Productive weekend ba hanap mo? Di pa huli ang lahat! We are targeting atleast 200,000 family food packs for the typhoon victims and we need your help!

800+ volunteers as 1 pm, Nov. 17. VOLUNTEERS, DONORS, ARTISTS/ENTERTAINERS are needed at Gawad Kalinga's command centers at Department of Agrarian Reform's gym (Circle/Elliptical Rd, QC) and FTI's warehouse at Taguig.

[kimremos]

YolandaPh: GAWAD KALINGA IS NOW ACCEPTING DONATIONS IN KIND. Volunteers are encouraged to join us sarting 2 pm today. We are expecting ten thousand food packs for our kababayans who were adversely affected by the supertyphoon in the Visayas region.

For your donations, bring them at our drop off centers, located at FTI Taguig and at DAR Gymnasium, QC. Metro Manila, time to show our brothers and sisters in Visayas that we will not leave them behind!

More details and ways to help: http://gk1world.com/typhoon-Yolanda

You can donate thru:

ONLINE VIA CREDIT CARD: http://bit.ly/1bfWwxw

BANK DEPOSIT

Gawad Kalinga Philippine Peso Current Account # 3101 0977 56 BPI EDSA Greenhills Gawad Kalinga US$ Savings Account # 3104 0162 34 BPI EDSA Greenhills (Swift code: BOPIPHMM)

Thank you, LBC, who will transport the goods for free and DAR and Ayala Land Inc for our Command Centers!

Takits mga bayani! :)

[kimremos]

Let us show the world what true resilience means. No major perturbation will break the spirit of bayanihan. The time calls for more heroes who will stand up for the super typhoon Yolanda victims. Come and join us.

Sa ating muling pagkakapit bisig sa panahon ng unos, sabay-sabay nating tutumbukin ang payapang pangpang. Bangon Visayas! Bangon Pilipinas!

Walang iwanan!

[kimremos]

Oplan Walang Iwanan: Habagat Relief Operation (Laguna)

Ang Oplan Walang Iwanan-Laguna ay pinangungunahan ng UP Gawad Kalinga Los Baños sa pakikipagtulungan ng UPLB-USC at iba pang student organizations sa UP Los Baños. 

Ito ay naglalayong mangalap ng mga donasyon para sa mga pamilyang naapektuhan ng matinding pag-ulan at pagbaha dulot ng habagat na may ibayong lakas bunsod ng tropical storm Maring. 

[kimremos]

What is Ecological Footprint?

Ecological footprint is the measure of human demand relative to the capability of the biosphere. Basically, it lets one know how much of the earth is needed to support his/her lifestyle. It measures the natural/ecological wealth of a nation. I think there will come a time that a nation‟s wealth will not be measured based on its currency reserved but based on its environment “preserved”. As the earth is finite, its resources are also finite, and patterns of human consumption must be carefully examined if they still fall within the range of earths capabilities to meet the populations‟ total demand.

LaTouche said that “We are already consuming 30% more than the world average of what the biosphere can generate (2008)”. This means we needed an extra 30% of the world to satisfy our current needs and wants. This entail rapid depletion of natural resource as we demand more than what the biosphere can regenerate. Resources consumption is more rapid than regeneration. If this cycle persists through the upcoming years, we will need extra numbers of planets to dwell into and extract the resources from to meet our demand.

Today, if everybody was living like the Americans, we would need 6 planets. In 2050, we would need 30 planets (ibid., 2008). To address this imminent peril to our planet, a theory of sustainable degrowth emerged. Research & Degrowth defines this concept as the downscaling of production and consumption to increase human well-being and enhance ecological conditions and equity on the planet. I guess this would be a very difficult and life changing measure for Americans. However, if there is no other way to preserve the ecosystem to ensure availability of resources in the next generations, we might realize and accept that there might really be no other way.

References:

The End of Poverty- Press Notes (2008) Retrieved May12, 2013 fromhttp://www.theendofpoverty.com/press_material.html

Research & Degrowth, Degrowth description Retrieved May12, 2013 from Research & Degrowth

[kimremos]

Trade in a Highly Globalized Market

Free trade ideals are highly beneficial for big industry players who are mostly from the global North. Though they are established to be great contributors in a nation‟s wealth creation, small industry players should also be considered in making trade policies since they comprise most of the population particularly in the global South.

Policy developers should be more cautious in favoring powerful players and corporations who promote economic inequality and injustice. These powerful economic entities function solely for profit maximization without concern to social welfare. They have the capability to grab significant amount of lands from indigent people and take control or worse monopolize access to natural resources. In support to this, “In many regions of the global South, land was first grabbed by pre-colonial rulers in chronic territorial wars with each other, then by colonial governments and increasingly by foreign or domestic corporations (TNI, 2013)”. With regards to natural resources control and monopolization, analysis shows that access to these resources is controlled by big corporations at every stage- from raw material extraction right through to consumption (Corporate Rule, 2010). These economic mechanisms principally promulgated by the global North are devised to economically take controls in the global South.

If WTO insist in implementing neoliberal trade policies which entail free market and sectors privatization with high risk of small players being driven out of the market, big industry players will prevail, and many will suffer from hunger and related catastrophe. Trade policies should be revisited and refocused more on environment preservation and sustainability measures, food safety and recognition of labor standards which uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms rather than absolute trade liberalization. Only through these, we can create economic justice and equality for all the trading nations in this era of globalization.

References:

Corporate control over natural resources: An introduction (2010) Retrieved May 11, 2013 from http://corporate-rule.co.uk/drupal/node/46

The Global Land Grab (Revised 2013) Retrieved May 11, 2013 from http://www.tni.org/primer/global-land-grab

[kimremos]

The Becoming of a Volunteer

We all started as "come and go" volunteers. Intrigued at first about Gawad Kalinga, we started helping in building houses for the poor. We loved the culture of bayanihan and of course the boodle feasts. Our experience turned into a weekend hobby which eventually became a habit and now a way of life.

Slowly and unconsciously, we delved into an archive of true Filipino stories. Not the ones we usually see in traditional media portraying the evils of poverty, helplessness and loss of faith. Instead, they are beautiful fairy tales about love, hope, faith and victory.

G. K. Chesterton once said, 'Fairy tales are more than true. Not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be defeated.The stories we heard along our GK journey as volunteers inspired us that the mighty dragon which equal poverty in real life can actually be defeated.

  Up to now, we remain faithful to our service and our mission to end poverty. We've challenged the impossible and with your help, WE WILL CONQUER IT!

  Photo credits: Rexelle Galvan and Ranna Pintor

[kimremos]

BE INFORMED! Climate Change Commissioner Sering talks about Climate Change Resilience 

 Disaster preparedness requires awareness and resilience requires in depth understanding of the complex environmental problem, development of multifaceted solutions and of course cooperation. The environment is our shared responsibility and each and everyone of us plays a crucial role in protecting it and ensuring that there will be enough for everyone across space and time. Video shown in Rappler.com