Bayanihan: A Site for Pinoy Volunteers

A great note for all to read it will take just 37 seconds to read this and change your thinking

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.
His bed was next to the room's only window.
The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.
It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.
The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'

Epilogue:
There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.
Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.
If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.

'Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present.'
The origin of this letter is unknown, but it brings good luck to everyone who passes it on.

Do not keep this letter.
Just forward it to your friends to whom you wish blessings

The Manila Times Saturday, July 19, 2008

EDITORIAL

Don’t let Mindanao be Balkanized

On Thursday the government announced that there has been a breakthrough in the effort to resume stalled negotiations for a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The former Armed Forces of the Philipines Chief of Staff, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., who is President Gloria Arroyo’s new Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, told the press that on Wednesday in Kuala Lumpur the government and the MILF had agreed to resume the talks that the MILF had abandoned in December 2007. The talks are always held in Kuala Lumpur because Malaysia has been the host of these negotiations since they began. The Moro separatist rebels suspended the talks because they took exception to the Philippine panel’s version of the agreements reached so far about the thorniest issue of all—“ancestral domain.” What angered the MILF was the phrase “constitutional process” which the Philippine panel used in its draft of the summary of the negotiations. The MILF spokesmen angrily claimed that the Philippine government panel was reneging on an agreement arrived at that the future final agreement would not have to conform to any Philippine law, not even the Constitution. It turned out that the Philippine panel never agreed to violate the Constitution or any laws. What did happen was that the government panel never mentioned the Constitution or adverted to submitting the agreement to our Republic’s “constitutional processes.” The MILF took that silence about the Constitution to mean that the government negotiators had made the positive act of agreeing to ignore the Constitution and “constitutional processes.” We do not know if any of the government negotiators said anything to their MILF counterparts to make the latter believe that the GRP-MILF agreement would not need to go through legal and constitutional processes. But if this were so, the MILF should have seen the whole thing to be futile and impossible. For terms of an agreement that would change the system of our government, the names and territorial boundaries of our provinces and such important things, can only be legally and morally binding if they conform to our existing laws and our Constitution. MILF’s declared objectives One should not be surprised, however, that the MILF, in its negotiations with the Philippine government, proceeds from the premise that agreements made between the two sides need not comply with Philippine laws and the Constitution. For the MILF has always declared its objectives to be that of setting up an independent Bangsamoro state, of separating from the Philippines. The MILF has never accepted the Philippine Republic as a legal entity or the legal sovereign of the so-called “ancestral domain” of the Moros. Rejoice over resumption of talks We should, in any case, rejoice over news that GRP-MILF negotiations will continue and that another meeting is scheduled on July 24 in KL. As Gen. Esperon tells it, the MILF has accepted the government’s offer to create a federal state for the Philippine Muslims, giving the Muslim government of that future state control over the resources of the area but still sharing some of these resources with the Philippine central government. The “Bangsamoro Juridical Entity” will include the present Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which is a constitutionally created Philippine geographical subdivision. Plebiscites in those areas that the MILF wants to include in this expanded ARMM will find out if the majority of the Muslims and Christians now living there agree to be made part of the Bangsamoro federal state. What happens if the voters of a locality refuse to be part of the Bangsamoro, Gen. Esperon did not say. Plebiscites will be held in 712 villages of Lanao del Norte, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga-Sibugay and Palawan. Just to hold the plebiscites, a constitutional amendment is necessary. The expansion of ARMM, the redefinition of the rights of the provinces that will become part of the Bagsamoro federal state, the change in form of government – from a unitary republic to a federal republic – and many other consequences of accommodating the desires of the MILF leaders will all require constitutional amendments. Self-determination chant We hope the MILF leaders have now realized that legal and constitutional processes must be followed and that the sovereignty of the Philippine Republic must be upheld and never be diminished. We hope and pray that the MILF’s leaders understand and accept that they must stop chanting their desire for “self determination”—separation and independence from the Philippine Republic. For if they don’t stop, it can only mean that what they want is war and not the development of Mindanao and the prosperity of the Moro people. Perhaps they want to Balkanize Mindanao. Some foreign powers may find that prospect pleasing and advantageous to their interest. Filipinos must be ready and willing to defend the integrity of our Republic.

http://usapangkalikasan.multiply.com/journal/item/22/Launching_Forum_Environmental_Defense_Program_EnDefense_July_21-23_2008

 

 

Dear Friends,

 

Peace.

The Alternative Law Groups (ALG) is pleased to invite you to attend the Regional Launching Forum of the Environmental Defense Program (EnDefense) on July 21-22, 2008, and the National Launching Forum on the morning of July 23, 2008. Both activities will be held at the Quezon Ballroom B, Sulo Hotel, Quezon City .

 

The Alternative Law Groups (ALG) is a coalition of twenty (20) non-government organizations in the Philippines that adhere to the principles and values of alternative or social development-oriented law practice. These organizations have distinct programs for legal assistance that is primarily concerned with the pursuit of public interest, respect for human rights, and promotion of social justice.

 

EnDefense is a collaborative program of the Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE) and the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation (PTFCF). EnDefense is envisioned as a funding mechanism for litigation and related legal actions that seek to protect the country's forests and natural resourcens. FPE and PTFCF have selected the Alternative Law Groups (ALG) as Administrator of the program.

EnDefense will be launched through a series of regional launching fora that will culminate in a national launching program. The regional launching activities will likewise be venues for consultation on the guidelines for accessing the EnDefense fund and on the priority issues on environmental protection that the program should focus on. Attached to this letter is the program for the regional launching forum.

 

For inquiries, you may contact Ms. Nancy Trani at 4251369 of the Women's Legal Advocacy, Education and Defense Foundation (WOMENLEAD) or Mr. Lito Barrientos of the ALG National Office at 4268569.

 

 We look forward to your participation at the forum.

 

Thank you very much.

 

Very truly yours,

MARLON J. MANUEL

Coordinator
Alternative Law Groups (ALG)

Start:	Aug 3, '08 01:00a
Location:	Quezon City Memorial Circle

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PHILIPPINES

Together with Cycling Advocates (CYCAD), Pugad Lawin Philippines, Inc., Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA),
Quezon City Government-Quezon City Health Office


Bike for Rights 2008:
PadyaKARAPATAN para sa CHINA

August 3, 2008, 6:00 AM, Sunday
Quezon City Memorial Circle


Registration Fee:
P200 – Jersey and snacks
P50 – Snacks only

(Jerseys available on a first come-first served basis)


For inquiries, contact Amnesty International Philippines at
9279856/ 9276008/ 0920-2637305/ section@amnesty.org.ph.
Visit us at 17-B Kasing Kasing St., cor. K-8th, Kamias, Quezon City


For more information on Amnesty International's Beijing Olympics Campaign,
log on to www.amnesty.org.ph.

==================================================================


WHAT WILL THE LEGACY OF THE 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS BE?

When Beijing was chosen to host the Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission said: "A Beijing Games would leave a unique legacy to China and to sports." During the selection process, Chinese authorities repeatedly drew a link between the Olympic Games and human rights and made assurances that the human rights situation in China would improve at the run-up to the event. The IOC has echoed these statements. It has also said that human rights organizations such as Amnesty International have the role to monitor and report on the state of human rights in China before the Olympics. And that if the human rights situation in China was not acted upon to its satisfaction, thus undermining the games, the IOC would step in.

It is increasingly clear that much of the current wave of repression is occurring not in spite of the Olympics, but actually because of the Olympics and despite the promises made by the Chinese authorities, serious human rights violations continue to take place in China. Peaceful human rights activists, and others who have publicly criticized official government policy, have been targeted in the official pre-Olympics 'clean up', in an apparent attempt to portray a 'stable' or 'harmonious' image to the world by August 2008. Individuals who have sent open letters to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) calling for the improvements in China's human rights situation were also reportedly imprisoned. Forcible eviction of thousands of Beijing residents from their homes are occurring in preparation for the game. Also, there are longstanding and continuing human rights abuses: use of the death penalty and abusive forms of administrative detentions; imprisonment, torture and harassment of human rights defenders – including journalists and lawyers, and; internet censorship.

With little more than one month to go before the Beijing Olympics, few substantial reforms have been introduced that will have a significant, positive impact on human rights in China. This is particularly apparent in the plight of individual activists and journalists, who have bravely sought to expose ongoing human rights abuses to the IOC and call on the government to address them. Recent measures taken by the authorities to detain, prosecute and imprison those who raise human rights concerns suggest that, to date, the Olympic Games has failed to act as a catalyst for reform. Unless the Chinese authorities take steps to redress the situation urgently, a positive human rights legacy for the Beijing Olympics looks increasingly beyond reach.

We Filipinos, like most people around the world, have been known to support and watch the Olympic Games with fervor throughout the years. Likewise, the Filipino spirit that strives for justice, freedom and human dignity mirrors that of the Spirit of Olympism. It is, therefore, inherent for Filipinos to use their freedom to act, campaign and demand for the rights of people everywhere. And as the Beijing Games comes to a start, we must also demand for the reforms in China to start. We must act in solidarity with thousands of people all over the world as we pass on messages of hope and for human rights in China.


For more information on Amnesty International's Beijing Olympics Campaign, log on to www.amnesty.org.ph.

[re-posted from the iVolunteer e-group]

Cotabato city is 80% under water for more than a week now. There are already about 20 thousand affected and displaced families.

In this regard, the Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation and the Oblate Media Group is asking financial or relief assistance from our media friends for the flood victims.

The immediate needs are medicine and food supplies.

Any amount from you will be of great help.

Please send your donation to the NDBC - Cotabato City Bank Account

United Coconut Planters Bank - Cotabato City Branch
Account Number: 408 116 884

We are hoping for your positive response.

Thank you very much

JEFFREY MENDEZ
News Writer - NDBC Cotabato City

 

Padyak Para sa Binhi ng Kordi

24 hours of mountain biking for new trees in the Cordillera

November 2008

"Over 24 hours, every kilometer counts… But then what about doing it over Cordillera Kilometers???"

Roughly this would constitute the short discussion that lead to the crazy idea of riding non-stop on mountain bikes over rough Cordillera back roads.  "How far can we go in the span of 24 hours simply by pedaling our way through bumpy, muddy, rocky roads of the Cordillera Central."

Cordillera Kilometers: In the mountains it is not only the terrain that will define your ride –yes there are big rocks and mud but there are also winding roads, endless climbs, and long rocky downhills. And every meter that you go up is a little less Oxygen available to feed your lungs. That is what constitutes Cordillera Kilometers.

To make this more than simply a physical challenge the team; composed of JP Alipio, Ben Muni, and Donni Gonnatice, will be doing this 24 hour challenge for the benefit of the mountains in which they play in. Much of the Cordillera Mountains have in recent years suffered severe deforestation from logging and other human activity that has slowly deteriorated the quality of the forests in the region. Many of these forests are important watersheds and repositories of biological wealth that may be lost to time if the deforestation is not slowed.

In an effort to promote re-growth in already deforested areas the 3 riders will dedicate each kilometer that they will be able to cover in 24 hours towards establishing a seedling fund to plant new seedlings in the many denuded areas of the mountains.

We are encouraging everyone to help in the cause for the Cordillera Forests and would like to invite interested individuals, establishments, companies, and organizations to donate money or seedlings per kilometer that the riders will be able to cover in the span of 24 hours.

SEEDLING PLEDGE MECHANICS: To make your pledge all you have to do is write us an IOU of how much you would like to pledge per kilometer –it can be as low as 1 peso or as high as 1000 pesos you can even pledge seedlings instead of cash e.g. one seedling per kilometer.

At the end of the 24 hour ride this coming November the riders will tally the total distance that the team will be able to cover and that will be multiplied by the pledge that you have promised. You will be sent a notice of how much your total pledge will be so you can officially donate the funds for the seedlings. Donations will be through Bank deposit and Globe G-cash or Seedlings will have to be delivered.

For Bike Shops: Since we will be training for this ride over an extended period of time (from June-November). Bike shops can pledge equipment for the riders to use during training and especially for the ride itself. We will not be needing whole bikes but mainly spare parts as this much training over this terrain tends to destroy even the most expensive of bike parts.

Equipment List for all 3 riders:

1.  6 pairs of Tires: Tire Preference: Size 2.1: Kenda Dread Treads/Nevegals/ Maxxis Ignitor/ WTB Velociraptor / Panaracer Fire XC Pro
2. 8 pairs of V-Brake Pads and 4 pairs of disc brake pads
3. 6 Chains: XT 9 Speed Chains
4. Chain Oil: 3 Bottles
5. 10 Pieces Inner Tubes
6. 3 sets gear cables
7. 3 sets break cables
8. 6 Water bottles
9. 3 pairs Full Finger gloves (medium)
10. 6 pairs of cycling shorts (medium)
11. 3 sets of Shimano hub bearings and Rubber Cup Seals

For Corporate Pledges:

We do not plan to have any logos on the jersey's of the riders besides the logo of the Padyak para sa Binhi ng Kordi in order to focus to make this as the main focus of the ride. But corporate sponsors who will be pledging a minimum of PhP300/Kilometer will have their logos on all the press releases and statements to the media for the Padyak para sa Binhi ng Kordi.

***All pledges (Individuals, Bike Shops, or Corporate) will also be announced and published after the ride is over on a broad variety of news mediums. (Print, Internet, TV, Radio). If you wish to keep your pledges anonymous we will not make your donations public.  

For those interested in making pledges and supporting the ride please send us an email with the completed pledge form at: padyakbinhi@gmail.com. For Corporate pledges please get in touch with us directly through email. Nei Castro of the UP Baguio Mountaineers has volunteered to be the contact person for the pledges and will be handling all the pledges for the Padyak para sa Binhi ng Kordi.

During the ride itself you can track the riders' progress online at http://padyakparasabinhi.multiply.com/  or at select local establishments in Baguio City which will keep an update board of the riders' progress.

Seedling Pledge form:

I ____________________________ would like to pledge __________________ pesos or ___________________ seedlings per kilometer that the 3 riders will be able to cover in 24 hours.

At the end of the 24 hour challenge I promise to honor this pledge for Cordillera Seedlings and help slow the rate of deforestation happening in Cordillera Forests.

Signed:

_____________________________           
Signature over Printed Name
Mobile Number: ____________________________
Email Address: ____________________________________
Website/ Blog if any: _____________________________

 

Start:	Jul 12, '08
End:	Jul 13, '08
Location:	San Juan, Batangas

San Juan, Batangas
July 12-13, 2008

An Open Climb

All are invited to be part of this worthy endeavor.
Reg Fee: P700 inclusive of two-way transpo from manila to jump off,
local and guide fees, and souvenir ID. Part of our reg fee will be
used to buy medicines for our indigenous brothers and sisters during a
two-day medical mission on august.

ITINERARY

Day 1 – JULY 12, 2008 (Saturday)
0430H - Assembly: Jollibee, Philcoa
- Breakfast
- Distribution of IDs.
0500H SHARP! - ETD Philcoa
- Travel
- STOP OVER: CR Break and Buy packed lunch (15 mins)
0900H - ETA San Juan, Batangas
0900H-0930H - Stretching
- Register, get guides
0930H - Start trek
1200H - Lunch on trail at one point.
1300H - Resume trek
1530H - ETA Campsite (Sweeper)
1530H – 1730H - Set camp
- Picture... Picture..
1730H - 1830H - Prepare dinner
1830H - Dinner
1930H - Socials
- Lights Out

Day 2 – July 13, 2008 (Sunday)
0530H - Wake up call
- Prepare breakfast
- Picture… picture…
0630H – 0730H - Breakfast
- Packed lunch
0730H - Break Camp
0830H - Start Descend
1230H - Sweeper ETA Beach!
- Lunch
- Swimming
1500H – 1530H - Prepare to leave
1530H - ETD San Juan, Batanggas
1930H - ETA Manila

Kung gusto mo masama sa headcount, pls txt 0919 8291139 / 0915
6455088. thanks!

Start:	Jul 10, '08 8:00p
Location:	Kampai Bar along Katipunan Ave., cor. Santolan Ave., QC

A Benefit Concert for the Victims of Typhoon Frank
Entrance fee: RELIEF GOODS! (canned food, rice, etc)


Hosted by:
Bidz "Wallace" dela Cruz

Performers:
Candelabra (rock)
Lady High (blues)
Talahib (world music)
Milagros Dancehall Collective (reggae dancehall)
DJ Andy T (electronica)

Event Organizers and Partners:
Yabang Pinoy, Youth Tourism Response - Philippines, Nomad Productions, U.P. Divers

Subject: "A Contaminated World: A Forum on the Aerial Spraying of Pesticides"

 

http://usapangkalikasan.multiply.com/journal/item/9/July_10_Forum_on_Aerial_Spraying_of_Pesticides_UP_Diliman

 You are cordially invited to:

 An STS (Science, Technology and Society) Forum
 10-12 am,  July 10, 2008
 College of Science Auditorium

UP Diliman

Quezon City

 "A Contaminated World: A Forum on the Aerial Spraying of Pesticides"

The long-lasting effects of pesticides in the environment are known to science and this knowledge has informed environmental movements.  This July the Philippine Supreme Court will be taking the case of a local government ordinance to ban the aerial application of pesticides that is being contested by growers of bananas for export.  The forum will discuss the documented effects on people of pesticide application by air, the legal arguments, and the role of scientific evidence.

 Program

 Welcome Remarks:  Dr. Fidel Nemenzo
 Science and Society Program
 College of Science, UP Diliman

 Speakers:
 Lia Esquillo, Interface Development Interventions

 Ms. Cecilia Moran, Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying

 Councilor Leo Avila III
 Chair, Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Davao City

 Dr. Lynn Panganiban
 Head, National Poison Control and Management Center
 UP Manila

 Dr. Perry Ong
 Director, Institute of Biology, College of Science, UP Diliman

Atty. Marvic Leonen
 Dean, College of Law, UP Diliman

 Moderator:  Dr. Maria Mangahas
 Department of Anthropology
 College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, UP Diliman

 

If you know of children with cleft lip (no age limit) or cleft palate (until 12 years old), please send them to Sofitel Hotel.  Pre-registration is on-going.  Please call Carol Tampus at 5515555 at HRD for pre-screening on May 22,  Free surgery sponsored by Caritas and Operation Smile/  Actual operation is on May 28, 29, and 30.  Please pass.

We featured this in the May 2008 issue of News@HOM of Hands On Manila:

*************************************************

B - ayani ay ipinagtatanggol sino man

A - lagaan ang iyong kalikasan

Y - amang kalikasan ay huway pabayaan

A - lagaan ang bigay ng Diyos sa atin

N - ararapat lang na tayo ay makapag-aral

I - pinaglalaban ang karapatan

H - uwag siraibn ang mga bagay na hindi sa atin

A - yusin ang mga laruan ng kapatid natin

N - akaraan ay limutin kung ito ay makasasama sa atin

 

By: Shirley Abel

Hands On Schools-Galing Mo Kid student

PEMBO Elementary School

Start:	May 16, '08
End:	May 18, '08

Kung sobrang bored na kayo this summer, we have the perfect adventure for you! We're having a 3-day build in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. Magtatayo tayo ng isang bahay, matutulog tayo sa GK village at syempre kikilalanin natin yung mga tao dun. Sobrang masaya at kakaibang experience promise. It will be on May 16-18! Just text Marty: 09178512441 if ever gusto niyo sumama! Salamat!

"The Filipino is worth LIVING for"

Start:	May 10, '08 08:00a
Location:	Angat Watershed, Norzagaray, Bulacan

Dear All,

The GREEN Army Philippines Network Foundation, Inc., National Power Corporation and the Philippine Task Force on Climate Change would like to invite you to the launch of its partnership to protect and conserve the degraded natural resources and environment of the Philippines.

We will have a Nursery Establishment / Seedling Propagation Activity this Saturday, May 10, at 8:00 a.m. at the Angat Watershed, Norzagaray, Bulacan. We are targeting to propagate 10,000 narra and lauan seedlings during this day. The seedlings that we will propagate will be planted in the Watershed.

You just have to bring yourself there and we will take care of the rest such as food and implements for planting. Please allot the whole day for this activity.

Angat Watershed is at the southernmost tip of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. It is the major source of water of Metro Manila and outlying provinces. and the Angat Hydroelectric Power Plant. It is also the source of irrigation for the rice fields of Bulacan and Pampanga.

We hope you can join this activity.

Sincerely yours,
Liesl

Liesl C.Lim
Green Army Philippines Network Foundation, Inc.
National Ecology Center, East Avenue,
Brgy. Central, Quezon City
Landline: 3965028, 3965029 Fax. No: 4420410
Website: www.greenarmynetwork.net

Note: Please contact the organizers for your questions. Thanks.

The UP Padyak Project, a bicycling project for the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus which aims to make a concrete contribution to the University on its Centennial celebration initiated members and alumni of the UP Mountaineers. In response to the imminent threat of global warming among many variants of the environmental crisis, this project aims to promote bicycling as means of transportation and lessen dependence on fossil fuel-driven vehicles. It also aims to promote health and fitness in the campus community.

Students will be renting the bicycles for at very affordable rate, which will cover rent of an easy-rider bicycle, training, access to bicycle racks and cable locks per semester.

The dry run of the project will start on April 11, 2008 (Summer 2008) through the help of volunteer bikers. Full implementation of the project is planned for June SY 2008-2009.

These brightly-painted bicycles with step-through frames are designed not for speed by for comfort, safety, visibility and function, not for speed. Utility baskets will be mounted on the handlebars where students can place their belongings.

The UP Padyak Project is privately funded by the members, alumni and friends of the UP Mountaineers.

The UP Padyak Bicycle Rental Scheme
==============================

1. Currently enrolled students in UP Diliman are eligible for membership to the UP Padyak Program provided they pass all the requirements of the Health Checklist

2. Applicants must submit a photocopy of their ID, form 5 (upon completion of UP  registration), and a completed application form and waiver.

3. The rental period is one semester or summer classes starting from the first day of UP registration to the last day of the final exams period. Please verify with the current academic calendar for the exact dates.

4. An introductory rental fee of P500 per semester shall be implemented for 1st Semester school year 2008-2009. The fee is non refundable and will be paid upon acceptance of the bicycle.

5.. Interested students may reserve through www.padyak.org or email padyakbikes@gmail.com. Applicants must indicate their name, student number, college & degree, mobile number and email address.

6. Bicycle use will be limited to a boundary within the UP Diliman Campus. See the bicycle route map attached in the application form. The boundary was designed for the safety of the rider in mind. Using of the Padyak bikes outside the boundary will be strictly prohibited and guarded by the UP Police.

7. Helmets are mandatory. Applicants may bring their own helmet. The Padyak project can assist applicants where they can purchase helmets.

8. Applicants must be competent bicycle riders. Applicants are required to undergo biking skills assessment, attend the training for riding skills, safety and basic maintenance. Continuing members may not attend the training.

9. The bicycles provided are in good running condition. The member shall be responsible for the cost of repairing or replacing flat tires, maintenance of brakes and other minor items. There are three bicycle repair shops inside the campus as indicated on the bicycle route map.

10. All bicycles must be returned after the lease period. SMS any of the following numbers so the Padyak project management can make arrangements of receiving the bicycles and accessories:

1.. 0916 600 1225 c/o Jojo Gutierrez
2.. 0919 944 2160 c/o Peter Sy
3.. 0917 537 2690 c/o Louie Cruz
4.. Or email padyakbikes@gmail.com to arrange a return date and time

The Ateneo Center for Education and Development (ACED) will be holding Brigada Eskwela, an annual program which aims to assist selected public schools in Quezon City for the upcoming National School Maintenance Week. It will be held on May 19 to 23 2008.

The project involves catering to the specific maintenance needs of the school such as cleaning classrooms, re-painting blackboards, and mending furniture and equipments.

You can help in three ways:
1) by volunteering yourself
2) by donating materials such as brooms, rags, floor wax, paint, mural painting designs, flower pots, soil, plants etc
3) by donating any amount [even 20 pesos will do!]

FOR INQUIRIES email brigada_eskwela08@ yahoogroups. com or text 09278323734/ 09278729786.

Start:	May 7, '08 6:00p
Location:	Unit 503 Ferros Building 176 Salcedo Street Makati

PETA Asia-Pacific's monthly Volunteer Night will take place this Wednesday, May 7, at 6 p.m. We'd love to see you there!

Volunteer Night is a great chance to meet up with other activists, but more importantly, we get loads of work done—such as stuffing envelopes with leaflets, writing letters, doing online research, making phone calls, and more. In addition, you'll get to know PETA Asia-Pacific's staff members and get updates on campaign news from the past month. We'll also let you know about upcoming events!

Please join us at around 6 p.m., and bring your friends and family members—anyone and everyone is welcome! It would be wonderful if you could stay for about three hours, but any time that you can spare is appreciated.

Our Volunteer Night last month brought volunteers together to accomplish a variety of tasks: Our dedicated volunteers labeled copies of our magazine, Animal Times, and placed them in envelopes for distribution to local coffee shops, and they also continued preparing our Krocodile Grille mailing—writing letters by hand asking the restaurant chain to immediately surrender the animals that it imprisons to more appropriate homes. Hundreds of letters have now been mailed to Krocodile Grille!

Our office is located at Unit 503, Ferros Building, 176 Salcedo Street, Makati—just a stone's throw away from Makati Med.

Please feel free to e-mail Rochelle at RochelleR@PETAAsiaPacific.com or SMS her on 0920-4974679 if you have any questions about Volunteer Night. You can also contact us at (02) 817-5292 or (02) 818-3668 during office hours.

Thank you for everything that you do for animals. We hope to see you on Wednesday!

Calling the attention of people who love music and are passionate about environmental conservation...


Bandwagon Productions and Haribon Foundation team up to celebrate Earth Month through a series of gigs to raise awareness about our campaign to ROAD to 2020.

Come to our Earth Series Mini Concerts on April 15 (Magnet Cafe, Katipunan), April 22 ( Saguijo Cafe, Makati City) and April 24 (Club Dredd, Eastwood City).

And let's make the world cooler through music!

(All proceeds of the ticket sales will go to Haribon Foundation's conservation initiatives) c”,)

Ticket price is Php 150.00, one bottle of drinks consumable.

Start:	Apr 18, '08 10:30a
End:	Apr 18, '08 2:30p
Location:	Kamayan Restaurant, EDSA

Title: Kamayan Para sa Kalikasan Forum
Date: Friday April 18, 2008
Time: 10:30 am - 2:30 pm

KAMAYAN topic April 18:
Metro Rivers--Clogged Lifelines (Pateros to be 'drowned')
Location: Kamayan EDSA near SEC Ortigas
Notes: Every 3rd Friday of the month from 10:30 am - 2 pm at Kamayan EDSA.
Fully sponsored by Kamayan for venue and food.

Cause of the clogging is not only garbage but also high-tech, high-financed but haphazard mega-projects that want to spare more 'modern' and more affluent Metro Manilans but would callously sacrifice, for instance, the residents of the shrunken town of Pateros, whose river basin has been practically consigned to long-term flooding in murky stagnant water, thanks to the callous government's money-oriented mega-projects and incompetent engineering.

Start:	Apr 22, '08 09:00a
End:	Apr 22, '08 5:00p
Location:	Museo Pambata

By working together, ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things.

Let's be Earth Defenders!

Celebrate Earth Day at the Museo Pambata and join recycling games, planting activities, arts and crafts and storytelling sessions, film showings and a musical concert featuring Cocojam, Tropical Depression and Noel Cabangon. Entrance to the fairgrounds is free.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008 from 9AM to 5PM.

Start:	Apr 20, '08 08:00a
End:	Apr 20, '08 10:00a
Location:	Baguio City

Join the first Green Ride!
a 20km leisurely bicycle ride around Baguio City for a better urban environment!

April 20, Sunday!

Start: 8:00 am Malcolm Square (People's Park)
End: 11:00 am Melvin Jones Park

Baguio City is called the summer capital of the Philippines for its cool climate, undulating terrain and refreshing pine-laden environment. However, with its fast increasing population and
urbanization's costs, Baguio now is a far cry from how it used to be.

Because of motorization and building with concrete, over-all temperature in the city has risen. As the volume of vehicles on the city's streets grow every year, readings of air pollutants in the
city exceed the national guideline values.

The Green Ride aims to address the environmental problems plaguing Baguio City, specifically pollution from motor vehicles. Its organizers, The Daily Cycle Movement, aims to influence public policy and opinion in shifting to environmentally sustainable modes of transportation through an annual fun bicycling event. In celebration of Earth Day, The Green Ride will take any person who can ride a bicycle, from all walks of life, including kids, women and the
elderly, through some of the congested and scenic streets of Baguio at a leisurely pace. Dressed in colorful costumes, the "green riders" hope to enjoin Baguio citizens and the city government to walk, cycle, and invest on public transport.

You don't need to be a citizen of Baguio to join the Green Ride. If you care about this city as you have experienced its cool climate, pine-laden environment and would like to preserve it, join the Green Ride!

About the Ride:
^ Distance and Duration: The 20 kilometer ride will take about 3 hours to complete.
^ Route: Participants will tour some of BaguioÕs scenic as well as congested roads. It will include a joyful ride inside Camp John Hay which will open its gate to cyclists for the Green Ride.
^ Pace and Degree of Difficulty: Baguio's mountain terrain requires for participants to have the skill to handle their bicycles through the city's uphill and downhill roads. In order to encourage people from all walks of life and all ages to be a part of the bicycle caravan, the pace will be relaxed at an average of 7 kph, slowly moving on uphills and speeding up a bit on downhills. The pace will be controlled so that the participants ride in a big group, and all may enjoy the ride.
^ Rests and Stops: The ride will make several stops along the route so that the caravan can regroup. There will be two major stops at Panagbenga Park, and Pacdal Circle.
^ Requirements: All participants must sign the waiver and quit claim in the registration form, wear helmets, and bring water to drink. The Green Ride implements a NO HELMET, NO RIDE POLICY. Participants below 13 years of age must be accompanied by a registered adult
participant.

Build a Festive Ride Atmosphere!
All participants are encouraged to wear costumes or decorate their bicycles with nature themed designs. Prizes will be awarded for best costumes and decorated bikes. Special Prizes will also be given to the Oldest and Youngest riders. Only registered participants who
joined the ride are eligible to win.

Be Counted!
Registration Fee is P150 which includes a Green Ride souvenir event t-shirt. Only the first
100 registrants can claim their shirt on event day. Those who don't make it to the first 100 can claim their shirt at their preferred registration center two weeks after the event.

Registration Centers:
^ Jojit's Bike Shop, Legarda Rd., Baguio City
^ Glow Bike Shop, Km 4 (behind Allied Bank), La Trinidad
^ University of the Philippines Baguio (UP Baguio Mountaineers, Woods, near main gate guard house)
^ Bliss Cafe, Munsayac Inn, Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City.

Deadline for registration at the above locations is on April 18. On-site Registration on April 20 starts at 6:00 a.m. at Malcolm Square (People's Park), at the lower end of Session Road.