Go Kuya Efren!!!

CNN Hero takes 'kariton' classroom to Indonesia

By Czeriza Valencia, The Philippine Star

Posted at 02/01/2012 7:23 AM | Updated as of 02/01/2012 8:42 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The 2009 CNN Hero of the Year and educator Efren Peñaflorida is expanding his kariton (pushcart) classroom project to a slum area in Indonesia.
Peñaflorida gained recognition for starting a pushcart classroom program to educate poor children, especially those who live on the streets.
He will expand the program in March to a depressed area in Jakarta, Indonesia.
“There is a need (to expand) the project to Indonesia. We have a tool and the clientele, so why not take the opportunity,” Peñaflorida said during the recent launching of the A+ campaign of technology firm Hewlett-Packard to encourage reading and writing competence in schools.

Peñaflorida is also rolling out four more units of his pushcart classroom project in Metro Manila and other provinces.
He said he was collaborating with the Department of Education (DepEd) and local government officials of Pasig, Caloocan, and Quezon City for the implementation of the project.
Peñaflorida said the pushcart classrooms are not meant to serve as substitutes of traditional classroom-based learning but as a means of encouraging street children to appreciate learning.
“The target is to encourage street children to love learning and eventually put them back to mainstream education,” he said.
Peñaflorida also favors the addition of two more years to the country’s 10-year basic education system, which the DepEd is implementing through the K+12 program.
“Let’s give it a try because sometimes, if there is change, many are uncomfortable about it. We cannot avoid having other perspectives,” he said.
“I’m looking at the positive side. It can help the students improve their skills and become more competitive. Let’s take a risk,” he added.
The K+12 program provides kindergarten education in public schools and adds two more years to high school.
The program is meant to equip high school graduates with the necessary skills that they could use even if they do not pursue a college degree.
It is also expected to make Filipino professionals more competitive in the overseas job market.
The program was criticized for being ambitious because the education system is still grappling with a huge resource gap, particularly in classrooms.
Peñaflorida, who had spent a lot of time teaching street children, said many of them still struggle with basic learning skills.
“Even with daily skills like buttoning up their clothes, they have difficulty with psychomotor skills. They can’t read. They can’t write. These are the children we encounter,” he said.
 

This is great!

11 Interesting Facts About Warren Buffet

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1. He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
2. He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
3. He still lives in the same small 3 bedroom house in mid-town Omaha, that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.
4. He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.
5. He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world’s largest private jet company.
6. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each yearto the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis.
7. He has given his CEO’s only two rules. Rule number 1: do not lose any of your share holder’s money. Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
8. He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch television.
9. Bill Gates, the world’s richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
10. Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.
11. His advice to young people:
 * Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself.
    * Money doesn’t create man it is the man who created the money.
    * Live your life as simply as you can.
    * Don’t do what others say, listen to them, but then do what you feel is the right thing to do.
    * Don’t buy brand names; instead just wear those things in that make you feel comfortable.
    * Don’t waste your money on unnecessary things; rather spend it on those who are really in need.
    * It’s your life so why allow others to rule our life.

My Affirmations for this day!

I am open to Joy and Tranquility.
I will never forget to celebrate each day of my life.
My power to make solutions and wise decisions are always greater than my challenges. 
Swimming deliriously in my difficulties is illogical, these things will pass, in fact it's all done. I trust my resources. 
God is Unlimited, Almighty and All-powerful. I am in His protection.
I will never run out of things to be grateful for, more positive and exciting things will be delivered to me in perfect timing.
I will continuously encourage myself so that i will become an encourager to others.
I will make a difference. 
I  am thankful for my life God, I love you.


Dark Knight (R.F.)

Snow! Dec. 2011

Dec 2011 Mt. Laguna, California

 The snow is very nice, great day it was.

Dec 2011 Mt. Laguna, California

Perfect amount of snow... should have taken more shots

Love is not dim and dark, it is clear and bright

Nothing beats the feeling of being in Love and knowing that you are sincerely loved. It's the best place to be every single day in this incarnation in the mercy and grace of our creator. We aim for it so much because of the indescribable beauty of it. People have done so much things in the name of Love. Poets have described it in so many ways of their own interpretations through our sense of feeling. Authors have inspired us with their words to define it. Songwriters and singers have made it's melodies in our hearts that gives us warm feeling and goose flesh as it passes through our sense of hearing. Painters have marveled us with the images and colors that communicate the great emotional state through our sense of seeing. Sculptors have inspired us with shapes and forms that depicts the wonderful essence of Love. Heroes from our past have anchored it in their principles that even to the present time never seizes to amaze us. Love is so wonderful it's like having this feeling of being in the presence of God. Love is God and God is Love. The scripture talks about Love all the time, it is the foundation of it all, it is the very core of Jesus Christ teachings.


We all long for it. It is really what we thirst for, but do we really know Love? do we know how to give it? or are we all after in the receiving end of it? Do we obligate or force it and be selfish about it? Should love bind us or free us? Do we know what it takes to have it and be responsible of having it? These questions and more that runs through my mind are so difficult to answer or should I say, it is easy to answer it but so hard to apply it. Does a married person or someone in a relationship automatically knows what love means? Does a single person who have no partner, automatically does not know anything about love? Do people who sins more (and by the way we are all sinners) really does not know what love is for? Or is it also what they long for but they just don't know how to express themselves correctly.


If you agreed that God is love and Love is God. Then let us not  ever say Love is blind, it's a wrong choice of word. Love does not judge is probably what we should be saying. Being blind is a hindrance of not seeing, how could we make a limited and binding infirmity equal to God that is all well-able, powerful, unlimited, forgiving, almighty and unconditionally loving? It is when we allow Love to be stained with our Ego which makes it dark and confusing that is tailored to our selfish ulterior motives. The pureness of Love is beyond our understanding because of our Ego. That is why no one qualifies in God's standard. Thank God for offering his Son to save us, Jesus Christ. Out of our offensive ego towards God, He offers his son so we could still be with Him? For me that is really amazing and I am very appreciative of that privilege. I believe that Love brings us light that gives clarity and truth, not darkness and lies that gives perplexing heavy feeling. Love should make us feel good, safe and secure. :)

Dark Knight (R.F.)

Kapag may kasama, matutong makisama.

by j sasutona, mouth artist

Iba talaga ang pakisamang  pilipino, kilala tayo sa pagiging hospitable. Mataas ang antas natin sa larangan ng pakikisama. Sa pakikipag kaibigan o sa mga handaan, sa Fiesta, sa Birthdays, sa Inuman, tambayan, o kahit ano pang salo-salo meron dyan, the best talaga ang nakagisnan nating kultura. Sa hirap o ginhawa kayang tumawid. Sa katunayan mas sanay nga tayo sa hirap; sa ibang kultura hindi nila maintindihan kapag ang mga pinoy nakakatawa pa sa gitna ng bagyo sa buhay. Sa nabasa kong research non ang pinaka-masayang tao sa mundo hindi sa pinaka-mayaman na bansa kung di sa mahirap na bansa.

Ang ordinaryong mata magtataka kung pano humantong ang resulta sa ganoong pagaaral. Mayaman pero malungkot, mahirap pero masaya? Sa tingin ko nasa pakikisama natin yan sa ating mga sarili. Kapag malakas ang paghusga mo sa sarili mo, malamang ganyan ka rin sa kapwa mo. Sa matuwid na katapatan natin sa sarili malabong kasuklaman natin ang ating kalooban, ganon din sa iba di gano malakas ang paghusga. Pero sa mga nangyayaring pagbabago sa buhay natin, andyan yung magkamali tayo ng desisyon sa buhay, impluwensya ng mga barkada, nandyan din yung mahalo tayo sa ibang kultura dahil sa nakapag ibang bayan.  Sa dahilang makahanap ng mas maliwanag na kinabukasan at mapalawak ang kaalaman o experience, o kahit ano pa mang rason. Nasasaluhan tayo ng ibang pagtingin sa buhay, kung baga ang tubig kapag nalagyan ng kaunting suka nagiiba ang lasa.

Ganon pa man kahit ano pa ang ating palusot, sa atin parin nakasalalay ang desisyon kung anong klaseng pagkatao ang ipaparanas natin sa kapwa. Sa ibang bansa man tayo, o nasa sa sarilng inang bayan, o mismo sa sarili nating mga tahanan, kahit pa sa sarili natin (kapag nagiisa). Palagi tayong mayroong kalayaang pumili ng matuwid na pagkatao. Hindi naman talaga pwedeng ibenta ang excuse natin na “wala akong magawa ganito na ako e” bibilhin mo ba yun? Lahat tayo binigyan ng talino para makapag desisyon ng maayos na pakikitungo sa kapwa. Tamad lang siguro tayong lahat timbangin yun.

Minsan nga ang mga balikbayan kapag nagbakasyon sa Pinas. Ang mga natutunan sundin sa ibang bansa na regulasyon tulad ng halimbawang pagtawid sa tamang lugar ay biglang nakakalimutan. Nakakalungkot don, sa ibang bansa sumusunod sya sa tamang tawiran,  sa sariling bansa hindi. Walang pinagkaiba yan sa mga kasama natin sa ating mga tahanan.  Mas naasikaso natin ang mga taong hindi natin kasama sa bahay kesa sa mga taong kasama natin araw-araw. Nakakapag ayos-ayos nga tayo bilang pakisama sa ibang bahay minsan, pero sa tahanang kinaluluklukan hindi o bihira lang. Napapagbuksan natin ng pinto ang ibang tao at nakakalimutan ang kasama natin. Ganyan din sa sarili natin, ang lakas nating sumita ng pagkakamali ng ibang tao pero pag dating sa ating sarili, perfect, ang tingin natin at walang mali.

Nasaan dun ang katayuan natin sa maayos na pakikisalimuha sa sarili at sa kapwa? Sayang ang kultura na unti unting nanlalabo dahil sa mga palusot natin. Ako rin napapansin ko yan sa sarili ko. Pero anong magagawa ng pagpansin kung hindi ko aakuin. Maliit na bagay lang siguro ito kung ikukumpara natin sa mga problemang pambansa o pang buong mundo. Ngunit ang malaking bagay nagsisimula din yan sa maliit, hindi ba? Ano kaya ang mararating natin kung simulan natin sa ating mga sarili na makisama ng maayos? :)

DarkKnight (R.F.)

Happiness, is there really such a thing?

It seems to me that we all have formulated our definition of being happy in our mind. Living in a big, fine-looking house, a beautiful and sexy girlfriend/ spouse (or a great-looking boyfriend/ spouse in a woman's perspective), having a large paycheck, expensive high performance cars, travels, etc. It is all wonderful and great to have all these things to be honest with you, who wouldn't want these things? Most specially if you got this in picture perfect post it on your photo album or on your facebook account. Capturing all the kodak moments. Would it be interesting if we could come up with a camera that will capture the real emotions of the people in the picture? Because looks can be deceiving.

Yes you can be living in a big beautiful house, but think of the maintenance, monthly mortgage, insurance, debt from the appliances, budgeting, getting worried of being robbed, not to mention it could also be lonely. Yes you can be with a gorgeous, sexy girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse, but think of the possibility of her/him being a pain in the neck, a whiner, because she/he is high maintenance and emotionally scattered. Don't forget the worries from all the guys/girls that will try to snatch her/him from you. Yes you may have large paycheck, but the more you have in life the more you spend so you probably would not even notice it, also the more you have the more you are preoccupied. Yes you've got sick wheels but think of the expensive parts and maintenance that you will be stressing just about. Yes you can go anywhere you want to be but think of the layovers and delays that will ruin it all for you, lost bags, bad weather, over spending on your credit cards, arguments with the person you are with etc.

It is all about the feelings we have that counts. If you are always worried about your 800 thousand dollar house that gives you heavy feeling in preserving it, what good is it in having it? If you are miserable with your beautiful and sexy girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse, what's  the use of being with her/him? If your large paycheck is making you constantly grumble because you do not even have the time for yourself and others, what does it mean? If your high end car is crippling your budget with the monthly payments not to mention the expensive parts, is it really cool? If you travel and all you have when you get back from it are complains, air sick, sea sick, car sick, more debts, is it really worth it? 


Besides, all of the things mentioned above keeps upgrading figuratively and literally so it does not end. You will always find a much better looking and more expensive house. There is always a prettier woman/ good-looking man, our taste changes is what i really mean by that. There is always a high paying job out there. Cars upgrades always. There are always places to go, besides ocean is ocean, a tree is a tree, people are people wherever we go.

To have freedom from worries and miseries are the ways to true happiness. What you feel inside that is registered in your heart and mind right now is what really is important. It is vibrational not situational. You can be in a fine dine restaurant but if you have stomach flu and lost your appetite to eat what is it good for? Sometimes it's the simplest that are really the sweetest. Of course I am a member of this society, and I would be lying to myself and to you if I say let's not aspire for these wonderful things. I am just expressing my thoughts about the things we think will make us happy has a maintenance and problems to be solved that are attached to it.

That's why the question ARE YOU HAPPY? Is quite a tricky one for me. If our happiness is based on situations it comes and goes. It is difficult to answer it YES or NO with a sincere heart. I always thought about it. Rather we should ask ; ARE YOU AT PEACE WITH WHERE YOU ARE? This one is more likely to be answered honestly. Maybe contentment and appreciation with what we have right at this moment is what we are really looking for. Just a thought. :)

DarkKnight (R.F.)

Resolusyon o Nais ( Resolution or Wish )

Sa pagdating ng bagong taon halos lahat tayo ay may kani-kanyang NewYear's Resolution. Sa araw na ito, sa ika labing tatlong araw ng Enero ng taong 2012, marami sa atin ang nagsisimulang tuparin ang mga resolutions. Yung iba naman ay nasa kalagitnaan na ng resolution nila dahil ilang araw nalang ay susuko na, ang iba naman ay matibay na itutuloy kahit ano pa ang mangyari. May mga iba naman na  maluwag sa kalooban nila ang pagtanggap kung matutupad nga nila ang mga resolusyon nila sa taong ito o hindi, sapagkat alam nila na kahit ilang beses sila hindi magtagumpay makakapag simula ulit sa ano mang parte ng buong taon.

Siguro nasa pag tingin lang natin ito sa kung ano man ang nararapat para maitupad natin ang pagbabagong nais nating mangyari sa buhay natin. Una sa lahat kaya nating naplano na magkaron ng goal na baguhin ang mga bagay na nais baguhin, sarili na rin natin ang nagsasabi na nasa tamang panahon na rin kaya nakapag pasya. 

Ang dapat lang natin tandaan sa palagay ko ay malaman natin ang pagkakaiba ng Resolution sa Wish. Ang Resolution may responsibilidad, ang Wish wala. Ang kadalasang definition natin sa wish ay mga bagay na aantayin nating iba ang magaabot para sa atin ng walang pagod. Tulad ng mga bagay na kayang ibigay ni Genie na nasa loob ng lampara. Ang taong may resolution (paglutas or kapasiyahan ) ay lilingon at tutungo sa daan papunta sa kung ano mang pagbabago ang gusto nyang marating. Ang taong meron lamang Wish ( nais ), magaantay lamang at wala ni isang hakbang man lang silang gagawin para lumapit sa kanilang inaasam. 

Iba yung may maliit na pagbabago sa wala. Sa araw-araw nating mannerisms makikita na rin natin ang sasapitin natin sa kinabukasan. Kung mahilig tayong kumain ng sobra, matatamis at maalat, malamang nga na madagdagan ang timbang natin. Sa example na ito mas madaling lagyan ng resolution (paglutas o kapasiyahan) ang pagtungo natin sa hapag-kainan para ang responsibilidad na kailangan ay para lang sa oras na yun, sa pag-upo natin. Moment by moment ika nga, kesa sa napakalaking wish na se-sexy na lang ako balang araw ng walang hakbang na ginagawa.

Kahit na maliit na hakbang sa pagbawas ng kain, pagiwas sa matatamis at maalat. Sa tatlong beses ng pagkain sa isang araw may pagunlad. Isipin na lang natin ang mararating ng isang linggo, sa isang buwan, sa anim na buwan, sa isang taon. Ang maliit na bagay sa isang araw kapag pinagsama sama mo yan sa isang buwan, malaki na rin. Mabilis ang panahon at ang nakakalungkot dun hindi na rin natin pwedeng ibalik. Use it or lose it.


Sa kabilang banda, isipin din natin ang mga positive na mararamdaman natin sa mga pagbabagong mararating natin base sa example natin sa pagkain. Gaganda at gagaaang ang pakiramdam natin hindi ba? tayo din ang makikinabang. Magandang inspiration din ang mga epekto ng mga pagbabagong maisasatupad natin. Something to aim for! Kesa mabigat nating dadalhin ang mga  pagbabago o adjustments patungo sa ating mga goals.

Ang bottom line sa akin persepsyon lang ang New Year's Resolution. Maari tayong magkaron ng resolution sa kahit anong araw ng buong taon. Kahit ilang beses pa sa isang araw. Sa katunayan, opinion ko lang, ang new year's resolution ay maaring maghatid sa atin sa demoralized state at iwanan na lang o talikuran ito. Mas magandang baguhin ang lifestyle kesa sa isang parte lang ng buhay natin ang aayusin. Lahat ito babalik sa katapatan (sincerity) natin sa sarili. :)

DarkKnight (R.F.)

namumuhunan ba tayo sa oras natin o nagaaksaya lang? (tanong na palaging sasagi sa ating kaisipan)

 ORAS

Tanungin mo ang halaga ng Isang Taon para sa isang estudyanteng bumagsak.

Tanungin mo ang halaga ng Isang Buwan para sa isang ina nagsilang ng premature na sanggol.

Tanungin mo ang halaga ng Isang Linggo para sa isang editor na linggu-linggong naglalabas ng lathalain.

Tanungin mo ang halaga ng Isang Oras para sa dalawang taong malayong nagmamahalan.

Tanungin mo ang halaga ng Isang Minuto para sa isang taong naiwanan ng tren.

Tanungin mo ang halaga ng Isang Segundo para sa isang tao na nakaligtas sa aksidente.

Tanungin mo ang halaga ng Isang MiliSegundo para sa isang manlalaro na nanalo ng ginto.

Pahalagahan mo/natin ang bawat oras na lumilipas. Tandaang hindi na mauulit ang mga ito. Maraming oras na akong/tayong sinayang para sa mga bagay na akala natin ay makakapagpasaya sa atin ng totoo. (unknown author)

Welcome

Welcome to my blog! I am a first time blogger. Just opening myself up in learning how to do this. I hope this experimental blog will teach me a lot in my future endeavours, through points of views and comments of my visitors. 

With that said. May 2012 be a great new year to all of us!!! :) That will bring new chance, new beginning, new hope, new path, new perspective of ourselves to the pursuit of happiness. What we should have, could have, would have has passed already. It's all behind us now. 

No more turning back that will only make us feel bad but looking forward for the new things that will make it all exciting. Keep on keeping on and press forward with correct wisdom and knowledge. Have a wonderful Brand New Year!

r.f.