Stop Motion-ing

Stop Motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. Using a lot of pictures that looks moving, you could make a video out of it. In my case, I've used a low-definition camera and a little knowledge of stop motion that's why my video turned out like this.

I created a stop motion video for my NSTP video blog. This is my first time to video blog and I know it's fail. haha! I've worked for this for 2 days and I guess it's all worth it. I just thought that some part are too fast that you can't even read the things I wrote in there. This is fun, actually. I enjoyed doing this. It's just that it requires a lot of time and effort. In capturing the pictures and for editing because you wouldn't want your video to be too fast or too slow right? So, yeah. I did everything that I could. I edited  the video at around 2-3am in the middle of night so everything was just okay for me then. But when I watched it again a day after I edited it. I was like "Damn, it's too fast." So, again. Sorry for the edits. I hope would enjoy! TPH

Build, Educate, Inspire

Last February 5, 2012, we had a fieldwork where we conducted PCVA for the community of NTA, Montalban, Rizal. Each of the groups in our section was instructed to give them an activity to help in the development of their area. The activity consigned to us was to instruct the group of people of NTA to draw a map of their community. The group of people assigned to us was not on the same age so that each generation of the community would have a representative in doing the said activity. The activity was given to them in order to help the authority in disseminating assistance when calamity comes. 

The people of NTA were able to be more familiar in their place and were able to identify the possible hazards that may come to them. They were able to identify their neighborhood and was able to identify where PWD and Senior Citizens were located at. Because of what we learned last semester in identifying the hazards in our own community, we were able to share and help in knowing what they need and what are the strengths and weaknesses in their community. We needed to be as gracious as possible because we know that we needed to be friendly to them so that they wouldn’t feel that we are outsiders in their community. They were not hard to be loved. They were really nice and friendly to us. We never felt that they were involuntary in what we asked them to do. In doing the activity, we were able to know every issue that they would want to share. They were able to tell their complaints about the lack in their community. They said that some of the projects in their barangay were never finished because of politics. As much as we were enlightened, I guess they were equally enlightened. Because they were able to realize that in spite of their simple way of living in a province like Montalban, Rizal, they were satisfied and they would just love to stay in their community, they never wished to be in Manila for good because they have been really contented in their neighborhood. 

Last February 12, 2012, we were assigned to make a DRM Seminar with the people of Sitio Galilee in Antipolo, Rizal. Compared to NTA roads to Sitio Galilee were more difficult and their place was remote. We were tasked to teach the mothers of Sitio Galilee things to do when calamity comes. We taught them how to handle injured loved one or neighbor. We showed them what to do in order to help each other when they needed each other. The goal of this fieldwork was to help them to be one when calamity came to them.

The people of Sitio Galilee were able to learn how to carry wounded neighbor when catastrophe appear on their community. They were able to learn how to be ready and to be strong enough to manage what is going to happen when something came up. The mothers of the community were a little quiet. They were not to sociable with us. It seems like they were a little awkward with us because they were not familiar with us. I think that they were enlightened in a way that they had the knowledge now to handle things when something happen.

I Used To Play When I Was Seven.

"I believe the children are the future. Teach them well and let them lead the way". 

- Whitney Houston, The Greatest Love Of All

We all say that children are the future of our world. They are the one who can change and develop the world to make it better. But how can they be the future when their present are messed up? Children nowadays had no chance to enjoy their childhood because of poverty. I want to share something that I recently watched about children and poverty here in the country

Batang Kalabaw was a documentary shown in GMA 7 by Jay Taruc about children who spent their spare time not by playing around like normal children do but by working part time. The setting was in a very rural area in Agusan Del Sur, more like of a remote sitio in a mountain. It was very muddy and the children are walking pass the mud with the length of their legs. Children climb up the mountain in able to earn a little amount of money. When they reach their handlers they wood share in carrying chunks of wood that need to be brought down the mountain to be sold. Carrying woods that are heavier and longer than you might be hard enough for them but the thing that harden it even further is that they need to carry out down the same road they walked through when they climbed it up. To make it worse is that they need to keep their balance and to keep their chunks of wood clean because if not, the woods that they worked hard to bring down the mountain will be considered reject due to the dirt and mud. The worst thing in what they're doing is they just earn P1.50 per board foot which means that they just earn was less than P10.00. I felt really bad while watching the video, thinking that they do not deserve to be treated that way. They should be enjoying their childhood as much as they could. Childhood is not that long to be wasted so it saddens me thinking that these children didn't even thought of playing around and enjoy their life as kids.

1. To be born. To have a name and nationality.

2. To be free. To have a family who will take care of them.

3. To have a good education.

4. To develop their potentials.

5. To have enough food, shelter, a healthy and active body.

6. To be given the opportunity for play and leisure.

7. To be given protection against abuse, danger and violence brought by war 

and conflict.

8. To live in a peaceful community.

9. To be defended and assisted by the government.

10. To be able to express their own views. 

These are some of Children's Rights here in our country. Based on the documentary, the children's rights violated in Agusan Del Sur are the right to have enough food, shelter and a healthy and active body; to be free and to have a family who will take care of them; and to have their potentials. It was clearly seen that kids in Agusan needed to support their own just to keep them alive. And because I'm part of the latest generation and I guess the closest generation to the newest one, I should be able to understand their needs and what they should have. While some kids play their iPads but still whine about little things, there are kids who doesn't even know how to play or didn't have a chance to play. I used to play when I was seven but looking at these kids, I'm wondering if they even enjoy themselves at seven. We should be the one to share what we had to them. They should not be working for themselves, they should have their family that will support their living. I always say this when I'm asked what to do to be able to change. "You need to start it in the man in the mirror". In order to create a difference, in order to be able to inspire others you need to be a good example. I never believe in alms, if you want to help others, you need to be able to teach them to stand on their own feet. It is important to protect their rights because they are the future. Yes it is a cliche but it is true. Don't you think that as a child, and they see their rights violated, isn't possible that they would violated all other rights because they knew that violating it was okay because kids themselves are okay? It is more likely the golden rule. I know I can't promise anything but I will try my best to help in deteriorating the violation against Children's Rights. TPH

Photos from the net

Source:

Bantay Bata

Give Respect, Earn Respect

What is Disability? I have been thinking about this question for a long time since we've got an assignment on this in one of my course. Disability, this word seems simple for most of us but when we try to understand it, there are a lot of things hidden on it. When we hear the word disability, we often isolate this to people who are handicapped or those people who has lost some part of their body or even those who can't use it to move normally just like everybody else. But "disability" may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or even a combination of these things. 

According to our ever dependable source, Wikipedia, the World Health Organization describe disability as an umbrella term covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations. Thus disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives. According to another source, it is the condition of being unable to perform as a consequence of physical or mental unfitness; "reading disability"; "hearing impairment".

People with disability usually are bullied and discriminated. They usually hear a lot of hurtful things about them. People without disability usually address them with bad names that hurt their feelings. For my point and if I'm not mistaken, in a humane way, we should not call them names to even hurt their feelings. They have already disability, we should not complement it with disabling words. They already feel incomplete, do not let look at themselves down. They need respect just like anyone of us. If you want to be respected, give respect. To help us know what are the correct way to address them, I've prepared a couple of words to tell and not to tell when addressing them.

  

Again, RESPECT BEGETS RESPECT. Mind your words. Always, mind your words.

There are an estimated 7.5 million Filipinos with disabilities in 2000 based on the World Health Organization's assumption that 10% of every country's population has some form of disability. In 2004, the Filipinos with disabilities would reach about 8.3 million. The 1990 census of population and housing indicated that there were about 755,000 persons with disabilities, only 1% of the country's population based on the same census.

A national registration conducted by the Department of Health were about 755,000 persons with disabilities, only 1% of the country’s population based on the same census. A national registration conducted by the Department of Health in 1997 showed that there were 469,707 persons with disabilities. This figure was not officially recognized.

Tell you what, people with disability has human rights just like anyone of us, in case you don't know. lol. Kidding aside, people with disability  really has human rights just like us. They have the right to be happy, to laugh, to study, to vote, to enjoy themselves, etc. But because they are more challenged than us, they have their own special rights just to protect them from bad people. Here are some laws implemented for our brothers and sisters who have disability:

RA 7277

An act providing for the rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance of disabled persons and their integration into the mainstream of society and for other purposes.

RA 9442

An act amending republic act no. 7277, otherwise known as the "magna carta for disabled persons, and for other purposes.

BP 344

An act to enhance the mobility of disabled persons byrequiring certain buildings, institutions, establishments andpublic utilities to install facilities and other devices.



RA 6759
An act declaring August 1 of each year as White Cane Safety Day in the Philippines and for other purposes


Proclamation No. 125
Proclaiming the nationwide observance in the Philippines of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled persons, 1993-2002


Civil Service Commission Memo Circular No. 23, s. 1999
Employment of Qualified PWDs



Circular No. 46-95
Accessibility of Courtrooms to Disabled Persons


Memorandum Order No. 59-2004
Authorizing the Court Administrator to Act on and Approve Requests of Lower Courts for the Hiring of Sign Language Interpreters

Inspite of these given laws, people tend to forget to mandate this laws efficiently. I think that there are a lot of the laws are not implemented properly. Just like RA 7277. Sec.  22. Broadcast Media that states that Television stations shall be encouraged to provide a sign-language inset or subtitles in at least one (1) newscast program a day and special programs covering events of national significance. Although some television stations provide sign-languages, the major TV station do not provide it hence, it is not implemented properly. Another laws that is not implemented properly is RA 6759 is an act declaring August 1 of each year as White Cane Safety Day in the Philippines and for other purposes. I thought so because I haven't heard it. Of course, if it was well-implemented, people should have known this day as a special day for people with disability. Another is RA 7277. Sec. 25. Barrier-Free Environment. which states that the State shall ensure the attainment of a barrier-free environment that will enable disabled persons to have access in public and private buildings and establishments and such other places mentioned in Batas Pambansa Bilang 344, otherwise known as the "Accessibility Law" and RA 7277. Sec. 26. Mobility. which states that The state shall promote the mobility of disabled persons. Disabled persons shall be allowed to drive motor vehicles, subject to the rules and regulations issued by the Land Transportation Office pertinent to the nature of their disability and the appropriate adaptations or modifications made on such vehicles. There are still establishments that has barriers and people with disability will have problems in getting in and out of the buildings. When I went to the United States, buildings have a special automatic door just for people with disability where they just have to push a button accessible to them near the door when they get in and out of the building. Also, there are cars that has a built-in ramp so that people with disability can go in and out of the car so that they would not have a problem in transportation. There are also enough ramps for every streets so that they can use the sidewalks if they need to go to some place. Parking spaces in United Stated has enough space for the built-in ramps to be put on. I think it would be better if establishments and cars here in the Philippines have the same features for our fellow citizens that is mobility impaired. Lastly, BP 344. Section 2.  that states that in case of public conveyance, devices such as the prominent display of posters or stickers shall be used to generate public awareness of the rights of the disabled and foster understanding of their special needs. Special bus stops shall be designed for disabled persons. Discriminating against disabled persons in the carriage or transportation of passengers is hereby declared unlawful. People with disability have the right to be informed. That's why government and even private establishments should provide enough devices to help people with disability to be informed of those important things that we need to do.

For me understand more about disability, I've watched video of Aimee Mullins talks about Disability. In the first part of  her talk, she gave a brief definition of Disability according to a dictionary that is disturbing because of the fact that the words describing it are full of discrimination. Not only the synonyms of the word "disabled" but also the antonym are really disturbing because it tells people how incapable or how incomplete the word "disabled" means. She discussed how frustrating, these words are for it to describe a word that harsh. I quote "it's not just about the words, it's what we believe about the people when we name them". She tells that words are so powerful that it affects people with disability. They would look down to themselves because we also did. We might overlook them as person who is limited rather than being a person who is empowered. She discussed that no matter how a thousands of people discriminate you for hat you are and what your not capable of, remember that there still are a millions who can help you make the diversity. Millions of people that can make you feel complete, can make you feel just like what they are.

So why is protecting the human rights of people with disability important? Simple. Because they are human like us. Inspite of their impairments and in spite that they're not complete, they are still just like us. Remember that everyone has an equal rights to live. We are blessed to have a complete set of feet and hands, a working pair of eyes and ears, a complete and working brain and stimuli so what we need to do is to share what we have to them. They don't have hands? Let us be their hands. Don't have feet? Let us carry them to wherever they go. Can't see? Can't hear? Let us be their eyes and ears for them to experience the beauty of the world. God made the Earth for everyone. Even though they lack in some ways, they are still entitled to everything we experience, everything we have. If we can do it, they can do it too, maybe even better. TPH


Sources:

Disability - Wikipedia

Disability - Hyperdictionary

Picture of a Person with Down Syndrome

Picture Beethoven, A Well-known Deaf Musician

Picture of a Blind Man

Picture of a Person with Mobility Impairment

Correct Way of Addressing Person With Disability

Stastistics of PWD
Video of Aimee Mullins' talk

Run The World

Last November, ABS-CBN Foundation with other collaborators organized an event called "Run For Ilog Pasig" which aims the development of the Ilog Pasig. People over 80,000 united to run for a cause. I am not actually a fan of marathon or any running event but as a part of our curriculum in our NSTP, I was able to join the said event and I am very thankful that our course introduced this to us because it is a privilege to be a part of something big like this. So we are all able to finish the race! This is good thing for the health too! lol.

So this is my picture after the race. I look haggard and tired after running (ehem, just walking, ehem) 5km. I wore our NSTP shirt because it is a requirement but to spice it up. I wore a neon pink board shorts from OP to make my outfit shine.

And of course, we finished it! This is a proof! lol

As a part of our activity in NSTP, we are required to answer these questions: 

What have you learned from this activity?

Everything we see in this world is part of God's plan and gift for us and as the only creature that has the gift of knowledge, we are to protect this given gifts for us. This activity shows us that we must not take these things for granted. We may may not able to do big things to stop the damage but if we all do small things to do it, we will be able to not just stop the damage but we will be able to maintain the beauty of our nature.

What can you do to address this environmental issue?

We should let everyone see what this river looked like before we damaged it with our trashes. We should let them see how beautiful it is before this damages came. Restoring it might look really hard but if we let them see the past achievements in restoring the river, we can let them see that it is not impossible to return it back to the original beautiful river it was back then.

How can you educate others or raise awareness about this environmental issue?

As Michael Jackson's song goes,  "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look in yourself and make a change". Everything must start within ourselves and to make the people aware of this environmental issues, we must let the people see what each and everyone of us can do to stop this. We should set a good example for everyone to start and do the right thing and make the change.

TPH