Come and see the dreams of the young artists whose 220 art works were selected by a professional panel of judges among the hundreds of submitted works. The art exhibit will be opened by the Child and Youth Mayor Anne Vang.

We, are proud to announce that the Babaylan Denmark’s illustrator and cartoonist is chosen for two consecutive years to be part of this big exhibit form April 29 to 8th of May 2010 in Copenhagen City Hall and subseqently in the city hall of City Hall of Malmø in Sweden

Prior to the exhibition, a private viewing on Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 17.00-19.00 hr will be held for the artists together with their parents, families and friends.

Among the 200 young artists from around, Copenhagen, Århus, Odense, Esbjerg, Aalborg & Malmø, Muir was lucky to get her chance again to participate in the yearly exhibition.

The artist impression of herself

Muir Jover is the daughter of the current Babaylan Denmark’s Chairperson, Juvy Jover.

For more information, please visit http://www.ungdomsskolen.kk.dk

Paul Darwynn Garilao and Alfonso Orioste, Jr., graduates of De La Salle University – Manila, are expecting to participate with the global leaders, who will convene to discuss climate change in Copenhagen in Denmark from December 7 to 21, 2009.

Dubbed as the biggest convention after Kyoto Protocol, the United Nations Climate Change Conference will iron out platforms to “reduce global warming emissions and ultimately chart a course that avoids the most severe impacts of climate change.”

“Raise Your Voice” campaign is sponsored by CNN, Youtube, and Danish government. The contest encourages individuals to send videos with their views, opinions, and questions about the global event.

The two best video campaigns will win through public voting from November 6 to 30,2009.

Here are steps to vote:

1. Visit www.youtube.com/cop15

2. Click Vote.

3. Search Philippines on the videos per country.

4. Kindly click the “green thumbs up” sign for the entry entitled: “Raise Your Voice by Filipino environmental advocates.”

The video can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8RanL2KMyo

As of this writing, this is only the single entry from the Philippines and South East Asia.

“We are massively campaigning for our video through social networking sites. Based on our initial count, more than 300 users linked the video to their personal Facebook accounts. We also blasted e-mail to more than 8,000 people to ensure they get our message,” Garilao said.

For the offline approach, we tapped schools and environmental organizations to use the video as a campaign drive to fight climate change. In fact, De La Salle University-Manila where we came from is all out support for the video,” Garilao added.

Their video entry was featured by YouTube together with other four contenders from Germany, France, India, and Italy. Click the URL here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD7Wof3Eng0.

In the video entry, the young guys discuss disaster management system and major shift to use alternative energies.

Based on viewpoints from a developed and developing nation, they highlight action plans to reduce carbon emissions by industries and implement preventive measures when natural disasters strike. Garilao and Orioste also discussed that simple steps like conserving water and turning off devices when not in use will help

The participants are passionate about environmental concerns. Garilao, who worked in public relations firm in Manila, is now based in Hawaii. A licensed engineer in Manila, his research on Liquefied Petroleum Gas two stroke engines is focused on alternative energies.

Graduated honorable mention in La Salle, Orioste is now taking his law in San Beda College. Orioste said, “As we have experienced the storms Ondoy (Ketsana) and Pepeng taught us a lot of lessons. This is a wakeup call for the Philippine government to implement laws and programs on environmental management and disaster preparedness.”

Garilao added, “We ask our global leaders to reach out to developing countries like the Philippines in helping us craft an effective communications program to respond to disasters. The two storms that hit our country is a wakeup call for Philippine government and the society. For most of our fellow citizens, it is a traumatic experience so they are expecting the government and communities are alert of the super typhoons that may hit the country in the future.”

If they able to generate a significant number of votes, the Filipino advocates would represent the Philippines and raise environmental concerns with the leaders during the convention. This may also be aired on CNN/Youtube Debates on December 15.

“If we are given the chance to go to Copenhagen, we will return our key learning points to communities and government officials in the Philippines,” Garilao said to encourage everyone to translate their voices into actions against climate change.

I support these young guys effort. Stop complaining and blaiming each other voice out our grievances in proper venue and create awareness. I want to see them in Copenhagen let’s Vote for them.

For those who know me they often ask me why I do voluntary work by being active in my organization, the Babaylan Denmark – The Philippine Women’s Network which is part of the Europe Wide Network of Filipinas. We empowered women not by giving them financial help but by conducting Orientations especially for aupairs who are misused by their host families, or by the selfish au pair agencies/agents or by  being drowned by the cultural madness or cultural shock in their host country. Most of the times we or I through the sites I authored get  queries almost about everything regarding Filipinas in trouble. I devote 30 % of my time to voluntary work which I’m glad my husband understand and support.

But you can not please everyone not even your own countrymen because we are always criticized which sometimes my relatives and friends always ask why I do it when I don’t earn anything from it. Our chairperson J.J. was  once questioned what are her motives in helping girls in troubles and how many people she know in our community and she was really hurt. This was an incident where we help a Filipina who we help when she filed a complain against her agent’s husband who allegedly tried to raped her but we did not forced her we just accompanied and supported her.  But I told her Quantity doesn’t matter but the QUALITY and the INTENTION to help is important. We really get a lot of criticisms with regard to women’s standing up and fighting for their rights and we stand up to principles no matter what kind of social status aupairs, house helps, mail order bride, expats etc. these womens are we still help them and I’m glad to be part of these strong Filipinas.

Personally I experienced kindness a lot of times in my lifetime so I want to pass it on to others who needs it. In my  voluntary work you meet a lot of people who needed help in any way but what I always tell them I don’t expect anything in return because most of the time they forget about it when they attained their goals but they should give it back or pass it on by showing kindness to others who might need it.

I think 1993 is the year that I can’t forget when our apartment was burned down by fire in Manila and we don’t have any  clothes to wear and a place to stay my neighbor let us stay in their apartment while  the other neighbors they gave us clothes. Another one who is a member of religious mission conducted fund raising and gave a enough amount of money to buy necessary appliances we that needed. My employee at that time gave me 10,000 Philippine pesos. These are kindness we received without asking for it. So we did not bother to ask our   relatives for help anymore and they don’t know how serious it was losing your home although it was only a rented apartment but the things we owned, the first appliances I bought and  the most important of all the  memories which includes our pictures and memorabilia were  gone.

When I met my husband the year of 2002 and decided to marry him, Denmark at that was time  was about to imposed a new law for family reunification, a stricter than the present one so we encountered a lot of problem with my staying permit. Then a man from Marriage without border (a Union for Danish married with a foreigner) told us where we can marry with very short waiting period and later he also was present in our wedding and be there to support us. Marriage or any wedding at all should be a beginning of a happy union but  it wasn’t for us, doubts, nervousness was overwhelming because what if they will send me out from the country, what will happen to us? is the question that popped on our head that time. Then all of a sudden a man a lawyer called Wilkins who was also married to a foreigner helped us to sign the application form and I tell you it was thick and with all kind of weird questions. He then photocopied my passport and he himself went to the Immigration Office and submitted it while we waited for him at the Central station with my passport for 4 hours and went straight to Malmö City in Sweden (only 30 mins train ride from CPH) and met the Mayor who welcomed us and told us that in Malmo they welcomes EU/Scandinavian Citizen with foreign partners to live there. So we were relieved to hear that we have a back up plan if ever I can’t get the approval from the Danish immigration but I did so here I am blogging about my life in Denmark. And that man Wilkins did not ask us for any fees but just imagine arguing and waiting for 4 hours out there in the immigration office, he was an angel sent down from heavens.

There’s still a lot that I can’t remember everything but I belive that if you give something good you get back in any other way. The law of karma. So whenever I help by just giving advice, offering our home, giving a decent meal, taking time to accompany to the hospital, in the social service, in the free legal assistance office, to the police, or just an instrument by finding ways where they can get are my way of giving back all the kindness I received from people I didn’t know and who did not ask something in return.

So I can say that kindness can make an impact to an individual. In this time of financial crisis and the recent floodings brought by the typhoons in the Philippines, kindness still prevails in the hearts of mankind no matter what the nationalities but their desire to help is there.

Thank you for the people who showed kindness to me and my family I will pass it on to my child and the people whom I meet. In my biology class I can remember that we are homo sapiens a higher level of animals but I can say that kindness is what separate us from the other animal species because we have a heart that knows no boundaries.

Happy KINDness day.

Today is the 1st Monday of October month is the World’ Habitat Day which was designated by United Nation to be celebrated every year.

According to the United Nations, more than 100 million people in the world today are homeless. Millions more face a severe housing problem living without adequate sanitation, with irregular or no electricity supply and without adequate security.

And this year’s theme is Planning our Urban Future which I think is very timely. I will focus about the Philippines and the urban problems and where I lived in the metropolis Manila or Metro Manila.
As of January 2009 the population is estimated as of July 2008 is 96.2 millions. I spent 17 years of my life in the Metro Manila which is composed of 16 cities and 1 municipality. There a 11 million people living in the metropolis and it is one of the megacities in world.

The government estimates that between 2005 and 2010, the country needs some 3.8 million new homes, with demand concentrated in Southern Tagalog, Metro Manila, and Central Luzon. In Metro Manila, more than 126,000 families live in the slums, particularly on low-lying floodplains, precarious slopes, exposed riverbanks and within highly toxic zones close to highways and railroads, along waterways, near transmission lines, as well as at airports, dumps, markets and other areas that are unfit for settlement.

Floods brought by Typhoon Ketsana in Metro Manila

But as of today the number of skyrocketed because of the recent typhoons that hit the Philippines just in a matter of a week 2 typhoons left thousand homeless and damage livelihood and claimed hundreds of  lives. Just the recent typhoon Ketsana locally know as Ondoy which according to the latest update by NDCC (National Disaster Coordinating council) left 288 dead and some still missing, 797, 404 families were affected. Just in Metro Manila alone there are 145,776 families who were affected and probably lost their homes.  The Habitat for Humanity Philippines is not only building home for the homeless but they actively helping the typhoon victims in Metro Manila where they actively working with Philippine Red Cross in addressing sanitation facilities in the evacuation areas.

I personally like the idea of Habitat for Humanity because as a Filipino where we helping each other is deeply rooted in our culture which we call it it “Bayanihan” or as google translated it to collaboration. Why will I support the habitat because they don’t provide free housing but provide pride and dignity to marginalized sector of the society who can’t afford any decent shelters. By making them a partner they will do the labor by building their own home and other homes of the community thus reducing the cost of the construction.But I think the most important part it they will be taught to be socially responsible that is becoming a part of the community and by paying their mortgages regularly becoming financially responsible thus providing their family with children with comfortable and better future.But in order for them to help break the poverty cycle we need to support and donate to the Habitat for Humanity.

What can we do to World Habitat Day?

ADVOCATE- EDUCATE-DONATE

Advocate- We can actively involve in asking or lobbying to the politicians in your area to prioritize Housing bills. Pass the legislation that would prioritize adequate and affordable housing.
EDUCATE your community with Habitat for Humanity’s World Habitat Day handbook to learn more about the importance of secure tenure and neighborhood revitalization.  Get even more information about the issue of insecure tenure by reading Habitat’s Shelter Report: building a secure future through effective land policies.

Brainstorm ways to get more people involved. Learn from the successes of last year’s campaign, and come up with brand-new ways to celebrate and publicize the important work of Habitat for Link to Habitat for Humanity’s World Habitat Day 2009 resources page on your social media pages, personal web site or blog to spread the word and raise awareness.

DONATE to be a part of making the world a better place and support Habitat’s efforts. Donate online today!

In my motherland, the Philippines I also heard few days ago that there was a fight between the military and the Abu Sayaff group where there were a lot of casualties but when will the conflict will end?. There are always conflict everywhere even here in the little kingdom of Denmark once in while we are shaken by the conflict of the gangs,between the local gang and the gangs of the 2nd generation foreigners and the nationalist hate of the foreigners. There are also the conflicts of some of the Filipino organizations who doesn’t know the real meaning of community service and families who cannot agree with each other.
We can not heal the world but for me let us first look inside our selves and start with finding our inner peace then we will later be at peace with our family and love ones then to the world outside our homes.

I only believe and live from what I learned from my theology class that is  is “To love God and your neighbor”. We should accept and respect the diversity of human beings. But it is easier said than done but for me I will say a little prayer that God bless us and give us the the wisdom to respect each other.

Learn more about the International Peace at their website.

Visit also BloggersUnite for other events or much better join and post an event you cared about.

Peace to all!!!

Child sexual abuse and exploitation is determined by and is a result of demand for sex with children and access to pornographic images of children on the Internet. A significant portion of the demand lies within the Western world. After a successful premiere held last June 2 in Manila, Red Leaves Falling, Stairway’s third animated film about child pornography and child sex trafficking, will make its European debut alongside ”Cracked Mirrors,” a long-running theatre piece that portrays the deep pain and suffering children and young people go through as a result of sexual abuse and sexual exploitataition.

In collaboration with Roedkilde Gymnasium, Stairway Danmark, Kildenothilfe and private sponsors, the Break the Silence Campaign will feature in Denmark, Germany and Belgium. Danish International Development Assistance (Danida) is the main sponsor of the tour.

Cracked Mirror is a monolugue of sexually abused children. It portrays the pain and sufferings of the victims and the effects in their very young lives.

Cracked mirror is a project of Stairway Foundation which is based in the Philippines and was founded by Lars Jorgensen and American Monica Ray. The play is directed by Monica Ray.

Here are the place where you can watched them:

* 12 Sept. Gymnastics School llerup.
Svendborgvej 3, Ollerup, kl. 19:00. Tickets at the entrance. Entrance is free, but the audience will be invited to donate a sum to Stairway.

* 14 Sept. Entre Scenen, Aarhus.
Grønnegade 93 pm. 20:00. Ticket price: £ 110/50/55 Tickets and more info on <a href=”http://www.entrescenen.dk”>www.entrescenen.dk</a>

* 16 Sept. Hørdum Culture Village, Thy
Tårnvej 45, Hørdum pm. 19.30. Tickets at the entrance.

* 17 Sept. Transformer, Aalborg Theater.
Jernbanegade 11 pm. 21:00. Ticket price: 50 kr Tickets and more info on <a href=”http://www.transformatorweb.dk”>www.transformatorweb.dk</a>

* 15 and 18 Sept. Rødkilde Gymnasium, Vejle.
Two public imagined tests in high school, Rødkildevej 42 pm. 19:00. Tickets á 25 kr at the entrance.

* 20 Sept. PH-café in Copenhagen
Specific arrangement of Stairways members and friends, but open to all.
Brunch-at conception. 11:00 – starting at the very idea. 12:00. Tickets at the entrance.
Price DKK 50 incl. brunch but without drinks.

* 22 Sept: “Basement” / Vesterbro Cultural Center, Copenhagen V.
Enghavevej 4 pm. 19.30. Tickets at the entrance or order on 70 222 950.

The tour also includes a series of ‘closed’ performances at the International College in Elsinore, Child &amp; Youth Network in Copenhagen, UUC / Pædagoguddannelsen Hartmannsvej in Hellerup, shipping company J. Lauritzen A / S in Copenhagen and VIA University College / Peter Sabroe Seminary in Aarhus.

Program for the show

* Introduction Project v. Lars Jorgensen, Stairway Foundation Inc.
* Red Leaves Falling. Stairways new animation appears for the first time in Denmark.
Short pause.
* Cracked Mirrors. Monologues about sexual abuse of children.

* Discussion with actors and promoters of Stairway.
Read more about the campaign tour in Denmark is a part of the www.breaking-silence.org

That’s why in the Philippines it is the ultimate dream of every parent to send their children to college because that’s their passport to a better life. It is compulsory to children from 7 to 12 years to go to school which is the elementary level and there are public elementary schools as well as  high schools. Although according to the Statistic in School year 2007-08, there were 12.93 million pupils against 931 thousands in private, the public school is not the ideal place for all because of deteriorating state of the public school buildings due to  the lack of government funds to build more classrooms and provide a good salary for the public teachers. When calamities like typhoons, heavy floods, earthquake etc. these schools are affected. Just in my province where dozen of typhoons visits every year I’m saddened to hear that school children sits and learn without roof over their head. They hold classes under a tree or just inside the ruined classrooms because of no funding from the government.

That’s why most Filipinos prefer to send their children in private schools but that’s another issue because  of the  government’s lack of control to these private institutions it becomes so expensive because of tuition increases every year. This drives 1. 7 millions of Filipinos to seek greener pasture outside the country to be able to afford the send their children to college. Because that’s the only way their children can compete in the job market and they will not suffer the difficulties their parent had experienced.

As of 2008 there are 88,574,614 Filipinos and every year there around 350,00 new graduates every year. Although the Philippines can not provide job for the new graduates but Filipino nurses, doctors, caregivers, domestic helpers  etc. are the no.1 export of the Philippines which in turn keeps the economy afloat.

Now the 3Rs which is the basic foundation of learning is I think is already obsolete.We need to expand a little bit more to acquire skills it doesn’t that one has to acquire a bachelor degree basic skills in different trades like for example in the construction industry. In Denmark you need to be educated as a carpenter before you can worked as a carpenter because you need to know the basics: how to read a plan, knowledge of materials etc., and when you have enough experience then you can be an entrepreneur.

While in Denmark literacy is about 99% and it is compulsory for children from 6-16 to go to public school (primary) and they have the option to continue to go to Secondary education which is a prerequisite to Higher Education. Every citizen has a right to go a higher education free of charge and receive a corresponding stipendium whether you live in your parent house or not. But sometimes I feel sad when the state provide its citizen with free education but the majority chose to work instead than to pursue a degree. There is a labor union 3F slogan that talks about higher education for longer life because unskilled work makes you unhappy and worn out.

September 8 was proclaimed by UNESCO as the International Literacy Day which aims to reminds us that to think about marginalized people who are still illiterate. Some 774 million adults lack minimum literacy skills; one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women; 72.1 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out.

Being literate or educated doesn’t put you on a higher position than the unfortunate ones but rather equip with wisdom and understanding of the problems of inequality. Like the UN Secretary General Ban ki Moon message that ” Literacy is not only about reading and writing- its about respect, opportunity and development”.

Let us remember that even the simple foundation of education the 3 Rs is still important to 774 million people so let us empower them by helping by all means. Support the UNESCO program for eradicating illiteracy.

The  Philippines won the second award for the Confucious Prize for Literacy went to the  Agoo Municipal Literacy  Coordination which their program can be read here. Congratulation.

Was taken during my exam on the 3rd semester. That is the old way of presentation using boards.

Now we are using audio visual which I kind of like it because less stress and paperless (environmentally friendly) just go to the examination room with a usb key or just log in to our common drive. But it’s also takes a lot of time and effort preparing the presentation slides starting from saving the documents an drawings into pdf file or take a screenshot and hyperlink it so when you zoom the document and discuss it further. The problem with the audio visual how you can present all your works into just 20 minutes presentation. And when you are not well verse in English oh la la.

Besides the project we also have to deal with assignments but usually its still group work and below is my attempt to make the Company portfolio of my group I just made a screen shot of all the projects from first semester to the present and I made it in Publisher well at least we got praised by the business teacher.This is only the cover inside is the company’s description and the partners CV/work portfolio.

Right now we are rushing to finish our project both the drawings and the documents and we only have 2 weeks before the finals and It’s not easy working with people who are not serious but somebody in the group should take responsibility failure of one means failure for everybody .That’s the disadvantage of group work.

Daughter: Hello, How are you there?

Father:…?

Daughter: No, I don’t have money. I’m not marrying a rich guy…..

I asked her what was it all about and she told me that her father wa asking money from her because they want to move to Manila from her province and will rent an apartment in Manila. I’m felt sad for her because instead of greeting her Merry Christmas they ask her to send money right away.

My parents send us money for more than 20 years and although we did all finished college and able to buy properties but we if we knew better we could have invested those remittances in worthwhile investment. When I came home for the first time and they know I’m married to a Dane I got a lot offers to  invest in properties and a lot more but I said no. That’s the dilemma of an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker), are always bombarded by financial request from family and relatives and get a lot offers to buy properties and engaged in business without even basic knowledge of running a business.  Sometimes they thought that an OFW has a lot of money and they are just picked up from the streets.

Unmarried Filipinos especially the girls are dutiful daughters who work so hard just to send money to help their families. Sometimes they forget to save for themselves for their future and makes their families depend on them most of the times even when you tell them that’s a hard earned money from cleaning etc. if they are au pairs or house helper their families don’t know how hard it is unless they themselves will become  OFW.

Therefore Babaylan-Denmark is offering this one of a lifetime training on how to mange your finances on 30th of May 2009. This is limited for 30 participants only  so Please Register now.

My father was supposed to be ok and he actually was fine last Sunday, he wash the dishes but they have to perform another operation because they have to clean somethingthere is a swelling in his brain so he was operated for the second time last Monday but this morning he was bleeding so he was operated again. It looks like the doctors made a mistake .

Right now I feel so much pain that I want to join my mother and 2 brothers and sister in Madrid but I can’t do that right now many things is playing in my mind but I told my mother it’s beyond human hands we all need to pray because what I can remember is that all I asked from our Lord He granted all my prayers
For my blogger friends knew about my father

History I will post some pictures of him.

2006 during our visit in Madrid

Our first christmas together as a family after 27 years

My son baptism 2006 in Denmark

december 2008 with my youngest sister

March 2009 My sister and my aunt from DK visited them

At the hospital December 25, 2008

I can say that yes working abroad makes our life better and OFW’s are considered the new heroes by sending money to their families. Those remittances helps the economy of the Philippines but it’s also has consequences.

So if I can’t update this blog you know why.

Please Pray for my father’s recovery and our family to be strong in this time of crisis.

Thank you.