Showing posts with label Inspire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inspire. Show all posts

19 August 2019

RIP: Gina Lopez

Gina Lopez
One of the Filipino philanthropist and environmentalist that this blog admired, Gina Lopez, died on 20 August due to multiple organ failure. She was 65.

Lopez was the long-time chairperson of ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI) and was a former Environment Secretary.

15 August 2019

Pinoy Teacher: "Do not complain. Make a difference"

Pinoy Teacher
It is widely known that public school teachers in the Philippines experience all sorts of hardships including low pay and lack of facilities, which is why this South Cotabato teacher's ingenuity has inspired so many people.

Viral on social media right now is Reynel Calmerin, a Grade 6 English teacher from the Polomolok Central Elementary School 3 who turned an old restroom into a colorful reading corner for his students using mostly just scrap wood.

29 September 2016

RIP To The Best President Filipinos Never Had

RIP Miriam Santiago
Miriam Palma Defensor Santiago died today in her sleep, her husband Narciso "Jun" Santiago confirmed to the media. The native of Iloilo province was 71 years old (15 June 1945 – 29 September 2016) and survived by her husband and eldest son Archie. Her youngest son Alexander died in 2003 after a self-inflicted gun shot.

Santiago was a notable politician for having served in all three branches of the Philippine government – judicial, executive, and legislative. Some of her alma maters include University of the Philippines, University of Michigan, Oxford University, Maryhill School of Theology, University of California, Harvard University, and Cambridge University.

30 May 2016

Milo Is A Fast-Talking Gay That Made Sense

Milo Yiannopoulos
Milo Yiannopoulos is a British journalist and entrepreneur. Yiannopoulos founded The Kernel, an online tabloid magazine about technology, which he sold to Daily Dot Media in 2014. He rose to notability in late 2015 when he began to provide media coverage and commentary surrounding the Gamergate controversy. He is the technology editor for Breitbart.com, a conservative news and opinion website based in the United States.

Yiannopoulos originally intended to write theater criticism, but became interested in technology journalism whilst investigating women in computing for The Daily Telegraph in 2009. He also appeared on Sky News discussing social media, and on BBC Breakfast discussing Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United Kingdom.

28 December 2015

Miss Universe Touching Christmas Message

Pia Wurtzbach
After the controversial Steve Harvey announcement of the wrong winner during the Miss Universe pageant, he made things incredibly awkward not only for eventual runner-up Miss Colombia, but also for the actual winner from the Philippines.

Ariadna Gutierrez and Pia Wurtzbach have been unfairly cast as enemies by some because of Harvey’s unbelievable gaffe, but in a touching message on Facebook, Wurtzbach said that Miss Colombia’s reaction to the controversy revealed "how strong and beautiful you are inside and out."

13 October 2015

Six-Year Old Boy Makes Everyone Smile After Losing Parents

Jaden
It is every kid's worst nightmare and six-year-old Jaden Hayes has lived it - twice. First he lost his dad when he was four and then his mom died unexpectedly in her sleep, according to the report of Steve Hartman of CBS News.

"I tried and I tried and I tried to get her awake - I couldn't," said Jaden.

07 July 2015

Confederate Flag Flies High in NASCAR

Confederate Flag and NASCAR
When you have it, flaunt it. This is what Steven Rebenstorf did when he had numerous Confederate flags flying atop his canopy tent inside Daytona International Speedway.

It's been like that for years. And the 57-year-old Rebenstorf has no plans to take it down — not even if NASCAR decides to ban the embattled flag from its racetracks.

20 April 2015

4Ps Beneficiary Delivered Inspiring Message

DSWD Beneficiary
After he topped his Grade 9 class at Bal-ason National High School, Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental, 15-year old Jachor McCollins Calvo Opaon, a Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiary, cited the big role of the program in his academic success. He also urged his fellow grantees to study hard and not waste the opportunity given by the government, the Department of Social Welfare Department (DSWD) said.

"What we are enjoying now is a gift that must be used properly. Once we waste this gift, there is no way to bring the past back. It is sad to look back on the opportunities wasted and linger on the what-ifs," Jachor emphasized in his message for his fellow beneficiaries during the school recognition ceremony.

07 March 2015

PHL is the Region's Top 'Positive Thinkers'

Positive Thinking Philippines
There is no doubt that Filipinos are resilient people. That resiliency has kept many of them strive hard to rebuild despite getting hit hard from all sides. Hence, it is not surprising that the country ranks the highest in the Asia Pacific region when it comes to thinking positively, says a study.

The Gallup-Healthways Global Well-Being Index for 2013, a study that seeks to measure people’s perceptions of their well-being, claimed Philippines registered a high 32 percent—greater than Asian and global average of 14 percent and 17 percent, respectively.

01 January 2015

Vladimir Putin Ranks 10th Most Admired by Americans

Vladimir Putin
Every year since 1946, research group Gallup has asked Americans to name the living man or woman they most admire.

The top vote-getters for 2014, announced recently, were no surprise: Barack Obama claimed victory in the male category for the seventh straight year, while Hillary Clinton extended her even more impressive run as "most admired woman" for the 17th time in the last 18 years, a record for the survey.

25 October 2014

Palawan Tops The List of Fave Islands

Palawan
Everyone knows that Philippines has about 7,107 islands and most of them could boast of a good diving spot or beach resort. However, among those islands, Palawan cemented its place as the top tourist destination after it was named the world’s top island by readers of CN Traveler magazine with a rating of 88.750.

The island is now home to one of the new seven natural wonders of the world, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River. Palawan's natural wonder is one of the longest underground rivers in the world, traveling five miles through a subterranean cave system. Guided boat tours take visitors down a portion of the waterway, where karsts, natural rock formations created by dissolving limestone, loom in every direction. Gett

16 September 2014

Video of 'Hero' Saving a Hostaged Girl in Surigao

Hostage Taking in Surigao
This country has been rocked by several criminal incidents whose perpetrators are the same people tasked to defend the public: police authorities.

However, what is worse than the police committing the crime themselves is if they are not doing anything at all when the crime is committed in front of their eyes. Also unforgivable, is if they let a civilian do what they are supposed to do and take the risk at the same time, as seen in the video below.

26 August 2014

The Man Who Saved Hundreds of Children, Part 2

(Last of two parts)

Czech Children
When Nicholas Winton decided that he had to do something to help in repatriating children from danger zones before World War 2 breaks out in 1938, he knew that it will not be easy.

After his Prague office was swamped by hundreds of parents who place the future of their children in his hands, Winton contacted the governments of nations he thought could take in the children. Only Sweden and the English government said yes. Great Britain even promised to accept children under the age of 18 as long as he found homes and guarantors who could deposit £50 for each child to pay for their return home.

25 August 2014

The Man Who Saved Hundreds of Children, Part 1

(Part one of two)

Nicholas Winton
Unlike today’s politicians who like to trumpet their achievements for self-promotion, there are several people in the past and present who have strived hard to help others without expecting any kind of reward or recognition. They change a lot of lives for the better and they remain unappreciated, but they don’t mind that because that is how they choose to live. For that alone, we owe these noble individuals a lot.

One of these prominent individuals is Nicholas Winton born as Nicholas Wertheim on 19 May 1909). His story and sacrifice has saved a lot of children during one of the darkest moments in human history.

19 April 2014

Leaders and Artists Mourn the Death of Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Colombian author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is famous for his beguiling stories of love and longing. He brought Latin America to life for millions of readers and put magical realism on the literary map. He died on Maudy Thursday (17 April 2014). He was 87.

A prolific writer who started out as a newspaper reporter, Garcia Marquez's masterpiece was "One Hundred Years of Solitude," a dream-like, dynastic epic that helped him win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982.

06 March 2014

"Tuesday with Morrie" Author Helps Tacloban Schools

Mitch Albom Yolanda Initiative
U.S. author Mitch Albom is not a Filipino, but we might as well be proud of him for spearheading the drive to rebuild 10 libraries in Tacloban, a central Philippine city ravaged by Typhoon Haiyan in November.

National Book Store Foundation, his Philippine partner in the project, said on 25 February 2014 that Albom has pledged to raise US$ 160,000, starting with his own contribution of US$ 10,000 for the libraries.

17 January 2014

More Prepared Than Tacloban City

Central Philippines
Still remember Typhoon Yolanda? Thousand of lives were lost and both the local government units (LGUs) and national government are still at a lost on how to work well with each other after the 1991 devolution of powers.

Ironically, there are less-developed areas or LGUs that appeared more prepared than the badly hit Tacloban City who had to deal with their high-profiled albeit "unskilled in handling disaster" local executive. Areas that are more discipline to handle possible worst-case scenarios include the town of Javier in Leyte; Malapascua Island in Cebu; Albay in Bicol, and Virac in Catanduanes. All recorded no deaths from Typhoon Yolanda, according to NDRRMC data.

15 January 2014

"Osang" Fostanes is X-Factor Israel Winner

Osang Fostanes
Rami Amichai of Reuters reported that Rose Fostanes, a 47-year old Filipina, has emerged as the first season winner of Israeli reality television show. She surprised X-Factor viewers and swept its judges off their feet with soulful renditions of pop songs by the likes of Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera. And she has rocked her way to the live final.

And when everything was put on the line, she leaned on Frank Sinatra's "My Way" to propel her to victory.

07 January 2014

"El Rompe Redes" is One Great Filipino Footballer

El Rompe Redes
From a one line description of his biography, it describes him this way: "For many years after, children from Barcelona would recall that moment and would wish to do the same as the man from the Philippines."

Who is this man?

01 January 2014

Pinoy Cabbie Makes the Country Proud

Gerardo Gamboa
There are several taxi drivers in the country that doesn't mind returning precious things left inside their vehicles. However, one of these drivers working abroad made it known to the world that, despite allegations of corruption in the distribution of relief goods in Typhoon-affected areas, there are still Filipinos that everyone can look up to.

Gerardo Gamboa's act of kindness earned him celebrity status in Las Vegas Valley after the 55-year-old Fil-Am cabbie returned the US$ 300,000 stash of cash left behind by a passenger.