05/1/12

El Nido: An Aerial Tour

CNN cast its eye on the Philippines this week and produced special reports on the country’s politics, business, and culture. One of the areas of focus is the Philippines’ best beaches and El Nido emerged as the most beautiful. I am earnestly vouching for this, having seen El Nido up close when I went there last March for work.

El Nido, to me, is more than just a beach. It is a slice of paradise in Palawan, often referred to as the Philippines’ last ecological frontier. I do not claim to be a resort connoisseur but El Nido tops my list. Boracay pales in comparison. Coron comes close. Panglao is also beautiful, but for now, I’m placing El Nido on a high pedestal.

On a more personal note, the environmental protection of El Nido is also one of the success stories of the organization I work for, WWF-Philippines. Best known for its karst limestone cliffs and turquoise waters, El Nido used to be a WWF project site. In 1999, WWF prepared baseline studies for the development of the General Management Plan for the El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area, now the largest marine protected area in the Philippines.

El Nido is a town in northwest Palawan. The images we often see in postcards are those of the El Nido Resorts — Miniloc Island Resort and Lagen Island Resort. The resorts are co-owned by my boss, WWF-Philippines chair Vince Perez, and Ayala Land, Inc. The WWF contingent was billetted at Lagen, courtesy of my boss. But more of that in the upcoming posts.

We went to El Nido after a three-day WWF Asia Pacific Annual Conference in Puerto Princesa City. Most WWF heads stayed in Puerto Princesa while the rest left for an eco-tour of El Nido. This paradise is a six-hour drive from Puerto Princesa or a 40-minute plane ride via ITI, a sister company of El Nido Resorts. On the photo are heads of WWF International plus chairmen of the board of the following WWF offices: Pakistan, India, Philippines, Australia, Malaysia, and Japan.

WWF International’s top brass: Director General Jim Leape and President Yolanda Kakabadse

ITI helps its passengers protect the environment through the Be Green, Fly Green Program. For every passenger, ITI will plant six trees at the Barangay Villa Libertad watershed.

ITI planes usually head straight to El Nido’s Lio Airport but this time, our pilot decided to give us an aerial tour of El Nido’s 45 islets and islands. My boss said ITI pilots rarely do that.

Go to a bookstore near you and find a postcard of El Nido. Chances are, the images will be of Miniloc Island’s Big and Small Lagoons.

Here’s a closer aerial view of Miniloc Island Resort.

Here’s WWF-Australia Chair Rob Purves.

WWF-Japan Chair Tsunenari Tokugawa likes what he sees. After I took this shot, he brought out his Canon camera and snapped away. I have so much respect for Tokugawa-san, but that’s another story.

We’ve reached the Lio Airport, whose runway spans only one kilometer.

We took a dinghy to our boat, which then took us to the breathtaking Bacuit Bay.

El Nido is so magnificent that the producers of Bourne Legacy opted to shoot the film’s final scenes here instead of Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay. Now, please don’t be mistaken; I don’t want to measure El Nido’s beauty by Hollywood’s standards. My point is that we shouldn’t wait for outsiders to let us appreciate what we have in our own shores. As for me, I will always be proud to say I work for an organization that helped El Nido remain pristine for generations to come.

04/20/12

The last 7 weeks

Go beyond borders. The world is just awesome. I could borrow CNN’s and Discovery Channel’s taglines to describe the last seven weeks. I consider myself blessed and fortunate to have a job that allows me to see the country’s immense biodiversity and to interact with passionate individuals that devote their lives to protecting this fragile beauty. I’ve been growing antsy recently because there are so many stories and images I want to share here. The longer I put up with the backlog, the greater tendency I have in forgetting these memories. But I do not want to forget, so let me settle with sharing some images for now.

(The first and last photos are taken by my boss, Lory Tan)

04/5/12

For the least of these


Break my heart for what breaks Yours

This elderly woman is more frail than she looks in this photo. She is among those who sell candles near the Basilica de Sto. Niño in Cebu, tapping on car windows and sometimes begging for alms instead. I dream of the day that the elderly, abandoned or otherwise, will no longer have to break their backs to earn their keep. This Holy Thursday, this is my prayer and reminder to act.

03/18/12

WWF and ADB officials hold high-level talks

WWF International Director General Jim Leape and heads of WWF’s Asia and the Pacific offices visited the Asian Development Bank headquarters in Manila, Philippines on March 5 for senior-level talks with Bank officials. WWF and ADB have been partners for 10 years.

Jim met with ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda and Vice President Bindu N. Lohani, and later met with the Bank’s Board of Directors and heads of WWF’s Asia-Pacific offices. Among the topics discussed were climate change adaptation, raising funds to invest in clean energy, and Rio+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development taking place in Brazil in June.

How do we sustain the natural resources that sustain us? This was the core of Jim’s intervention for the Eminent Speakers’ Seminar – whose theme this year was “Investing in Nature’s Infrastructure: Opportunities for Green Economy”.

Jim highlighted that true sustainability goes far beyond mere mitigation and efficiency. Rather, it is about recognizing that the Earth has a limited capacity to support the global community and that we should find ways to live within those natural limits. He added that the success of the Asia-Pacific region depends on its capacity to invest in natural capital.

The Eminent Speakers’ Seminar is an initiative led by ADB to discuss emerging issues facing the Bank and in particular its developing member countries.

Throughout their decade-long partnership, WWF and ADB have collaborated on regional environmental sustainability efforts in critical ecosystem complexes – like the Heart of Borneo, Coral Triangle, the Living Himalayas, and the Greater Mekong sub-region.

WWF International Director General Jim Leape pays a courtesy call on ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda.


My bosses: WWF-Philippines Chair Vince Perez, WWF International Director General Jim Leape, WWF-Philipines CEO and Vice Chair Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan, and WWF International Public Partnerships Director Timothy Geer


WWF International Director General Jim Leape keynotes ADB’s Eminent Speakers’ Forum.



A note to my future self,

Stay inspired. “Sustainable development” is too big a phrase. Of the seven billion people around the world, two billion are poor. Real work happens outside the board room.

On the night before March 5, you had to struggle again with the invisible monsters that tell you you couldn’t do it. But you turned to prayer and the book you’ve been reading for seven years. “Fight fear as you would a plague,” it said. I hope you remember that whenever you think you’re not smart or brave enough, go easy on yourself. The best part about this experience is that it is only the beginning. The best is yet to come.

03/1/12

Heidi and Miss Muffet

Once upon a time, I was just Sophia and she, just Joanna.

Joanna and I first met in the school bus on the first day of school in Prep. When we reached the campus, we checked the section boards and found out we were classmates. Back then, we had no clue we would end up as classmates for 13 of our 16 years in St. Scho. When two kids belong to the same section, ride the same school bus, share the same baon, and attend the same clubs, and are inseparable for several years together, they will inevitably become the best of friends.

In grade school,we used to be fond of writing letters to each other. I don’t know if we did that just because writing on stationery using colored pens was the childhood equivalent of heaven. But from what I recall, in those letters, we would thank each other “for the friendship” and end with the typical “friends forever.”

Of course, there were times we went after each other’s throats. She led our classmates into picking on my farmer and landscape drawings posted on the bulletin board. I, in turn, led an “Avoid Joanna!” campaign in our school bus after she got chickenpox. The next thing I know, she was sobbing at the corner. “But I was only a viper-tongued five-year-old then,” I’d tell myself whenever I felt remorseful. But maybe, without me realizing it, the moment I saw her crying, I vowed I would never be mean to her again.

Over the years our names changed. I became Pia, and she, Jowee.

And we know that changing names and labels herald something new. For years, it was just the two of us. But we were growing up, and our circle of friends was expanding. We ended up in different groups of friends (I don’t like the term barkadas) in high school, and even went to different universities in college. Despite this, I can honestly say that the level of affinity I had with her did not change. Yung attachment mo sa first best friend mo, parang first love din yan. It never dies. LOL.

Jowee is loved by many because it’s always a no-frills kind of friendship with her. Walang arte sa katawan. “Ang arte mo!” she’d tell me bluntly when I needed a reality check or when I’m about to cross over to drama queen zone. But make no mistake. Jowee is the kind of friend that peppers you with kind words, you’d realize the world would be a better place if we all did the same.

In a letter I wrote to her in Grade 5, I told her she was the sister I never had. Looking back now, I can say, “Of course she is.” There is a wealth of memories I want to cite to prove this, but let me recount just one: A lifetime ago, Jowee was among those who patiently listened to me for months while I repeated the same teenage love sob story like a broken record. Despite our busy academic lives, I would travel from Katipunan for weekly sleepovers at her house–in Paranaque!–and go back to Katipunan the following morning. This went on for an entire semester. That’s how far I’d go for the kind of refuge I sought from her.

To this day, sleepovers at her house are the default choice when our friends want a get-together. Sometimes all it takes is a simple “Jo, overnight please!” and we’re back to that fail-safe place.

In a span of 20 years (from our Prep days when I wanted to borrow her rollerblades, until today), Jowee has effortlessly opened her heart and home to people she calls her friends. It’s something that’s second nature to her. For that I am eternally grateful. Jowee was my first best friend, and I guess I was hers too. That’s a badge of honor I’ll always carry.

Happy 25th birthday, Joanna! I love you!

02/28/12

Protecting the Irrawaddy Dolphins

The year 2012 is the International Year of Marine Biodiversity. Critical to having healthy marine ecosystems are the dolphins. Sadly, some dolphin populations like those of the Irrawaddy dolphins are fast dwindling.

The Irrawaddy dolphin exists in small isolated populations around Southeast Asia. Some populations are close to extinction, such as those in Malampaya Sound in Palawan, Philippines. The main threats to the Irrawaddy dolphin are habitat loss and fisheries by-catch.

It is estimated that less than 50 Irrawaddy dolphins remain today in the Philippines, indicating that the species is in immediate danger of extinction due to low numbers, limited range, and high mortality. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has actually classified Irrawadddy dolphins as critically endangered.

Responding to this, WWF created the Adoption Program where individuals like you and me can symbolically adopt a WWF Dolphin or Panda. Donations through this program shall help WWF revive its project in Malampaya Sound, the only known habitat of the Irrawaddy dolphins in the Philippines.

A symbolic adoption will enable WWF-Philippines to do the following:

    Conduct information, education, and communications campaigns to raise awareness about the Irrawaddy dolphins and local endangered animals

    Promote the need to protect their habitats

    Augment funds for the training of individuals on species identification and rescue techniques

    Buy rescue kits for Irrawaddy dolphins and other dolphin species in the Philippines that face threats of accidental fishing by-catch

    Sustainably manage the fisheries of Malampaya Sound, thereby effectively managing and protecting the Irrawaddy dolphin population in the area

Two Saturdays ago, WWF-Philippines launched the Adoption Program by holding the 1st WWF Mural Painting Marathon in Glorietta. Funds raised from this event will be funneled to the Adoption Program as well. So glad that the event drew a lot of participants–from kids, to high school students, to a group of tourists from Japan!


Boysen provided cans of Virtuoso Paint, their lead-free, hypoallergenic, and climate-proof paint!


Special thanks to my friends Jill and AR for supporting this event!



The mural painting marathon ended by nightfall and this blurry photo doesn’t even do justice to the sense of fulfillment we had at the end of that day.

The Irrawaddy dolphins will be happy and protected, and that’s all that matters.

(This event is made possible with the help of WWF’s sponsors: Glorietta Mall and the Ayala Center, Drypers Wee Wee Dry Diapers of SCA Hygiene, Big Chill, Tully’s Coffee, 2GO, Virtuoso by Boysen, The Fortnightly, BC Magazine, Spark Magazine, Shutterhedge Eco Bags, Right Click Photobooth, Healthway Medical Philippines, Silverworks, EastWest Bank – Fort Branch, Plato Wraps, and Farmer John Premium Potato Chips.

Big thanks to Brandworx, Inc., the agency that helped us mount this activity.)

Photos by WWF-Philippines, Sophia Dedace, and Jill Avena.

02/26/12

February’s Bright Spot: Cebu

Cebu, like Baguio, is dear to me and is one of those places I find myself returning to. I was swamped with work when I went here earlier this month, but I couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.

Cebu, like any city flocked heavily by tourists, needs no words. What else can I possibly say about this island-province, which finds its name written in every Philippine history book? What else can I say about Cebu, whose name is almost synonymous to Philippine tourism?

Instead, let me talk about Cebu the way it appeals to me, personally. Going to Cebu is like being with an old friend—you’re always at ease and you never grow tired of encountering it. You’re familiar with its cracks and crannies, but you always find something new to discover.

That was the case when I went to this garden view-deck called The Tops, located (well…) on top of Busay Hills, a 30-to-45-minute drive from the city. That was also the case when I tasted what is arguably the best Peking duck and lechon I’ve had in ages. That was the case whenever I found myself in awe by so much beautiful architecture and landscapes even if I’ve seen these churches, old establishments, temples, islands and clear waters many times before.



From foreground to background: Cebu City, Mactan Island, Olango Island and the smaller isles



Goodbye, Cebu!

The beginning of February has been tough and taking a vacation (on weekdays!) seemed unwise. Despite this initial setback, I proceeded with this trip with my family and I’m glad to have made such decision. I, in fact, struck the perfect compromise; it has been wonderful even if I squeezed in work (like a meeting with an ad agency) and frantically answered emails before going to sleep. We expect that these scenarios to not exist in an ideal smooth and fuss-free vacation, but I have no regrets. This trip was as ideal as ideal can get.

(All photos taken by me. The ones with me on it were taken by my father.)

02/14/12

Pilipinas Kong Mahal

This belated Valentine’s post is a story of how a stranger from Russia humbled me and why it is incumbent upon us to love our country.

Anyone who’s been following the chief justice’s impeachment trial may have at one point thought, “Is the Philippines going down to the dogs?” or may have let out armchair analyses like “These lawyers should get their act together!” I no longer have to belabor the sentiment that this country has a long way to go. I wish I can say this is just a hasty generalization, but I have witnessed this first-hand, having covered the political beat for a huge chunk of my young adult life.

But this post is not about ranting about the things we already know. One disaster hits after another and local governments are often caught flat-footed–we already know that. We already know that there are so many things that need real solutions and not band-aid remedies. We already know that so many people are living on less than a dollar a day or are languishing in jail without having a day in court.

I encountered someone my age recently who probably shares the same sentiment (a mix of frustration and hopefulness) I do with the government. She’s not from the Philippines, though. She’s a world away–7,984 kilometers to be exact.

A few weeks ago I received a set of postcards from Rostov City, Russia. Postcrossing is a hobby I picked up from a former colleague in GMA. For the curious, Postcrossing does not display one’s address for the entire world to see. This cancels out any security concern. And in my six months in this circle, I haven’t encountered creepy stalkers yet. Well, at least not yet.

Going back to the postcards from Russia….

I am amazed at how, in less than 100 words, the sender named Nadya gets to be honest about Russia’s ills while explaining why she loves her country at the same time. Get this, in less than 100 words!


In the Philippines, we studied Stalin and Lenin in high school. Through news reports, we learned about the Russian protests following the 2011 elections there. And because our knowledge of Russia is limited to the cerebral level , nothing can hit us more genuinely than reading the straightforward manner by which an ordinary citizen explains why she loves her country. “I love Russia because I was born and grown up there (sic). I’m not sure the type of government matters as much as the leaders’ desire for justice and the general welfare of the people. I can’t say that the current Russia pleases me much (I mean corruption and so on). But the soul of Russia — this I love!” Wow.



It’s funny how a complete stranger can teach us it is incumbent upon us to love our country, be it a giant like Russia or–not to sound like there’s inferiority complex–a developing one like the Philippines. And since cheesy love lines abound this day, I might as well mention this: We cannot love others unless we’ve learned how to love ourselves first. We cannot give something we don’t have. (LOL-ing at myself right now)

That is why I made it a point to promote the Philippines the best way I can in the next batch of postcards I send: through simple and honest words, with a dash of our newest Tourism slogan and logo.

The ones below, I recently mailed to Netherlands, Finland, the US, China, Russia, Germany, and Belarus. I don’t remember if the recipients live in remote areas or in bustling cities. What I do know, however, is that in their corner of the world, they will get a glimpse of our beautiful country.



I like that our new Tourism campaign inspires us to love our own first before going outward. That said, let me share some photos of my trip to Cebu last week, partly for work, mostly for vacation. I’m no stranger to this island, but it’s always good to go back and see its beauty with new eyes.

A 30-minute drive to the highest hill for this lovely view of the city


Cebu, the cradle of Christianity*


…and Philippine history!*


Communing with the locals


Reacquainting myself with the many shades of blue and green


And trying out what for me is the best lechon in the country


Isn’t it amazing how receiving a postcard from Russia can lead to things like a renewed appreciation for the Philippines and a fantastic trip to Cebu? To Nadya from Russia who proclaimed “But the soul of Russia — this I love!” allow me to thank you for making me love the soul of my country even more.

- – -

*History Refresher:
On March 16, 1521, Magellan’s expedition docked on the shores off Homonhon Island in near Samar Island. He and his Spanish companions went to Mactan Island in Cebu a month later, where he was eventually killed by tribesmen led by a local chieftain named Lapu-Lapu.

Before he died, Magellan baptized Lapu-Lapu’s rival, Rajah Humabon, as a Christian. The cross used in the baptism stands erect and is enshrined at a tourist spot named aptly as Magellan’s Cross in Cebu City.

The “Battle of Mactan” where Magellan was killed was supposedly sparked by Lapu-Lapu’s refusal to convert to Christianity.

Source: The paragraphs above were lifted from an article I wrote two years ago.

02/13/12

Looking Out the Window

Don’t we all geek out on the things we’re most fascinated with?

These could be things we claim to be expert on or subjects we know a litany of trivia on. I have friends who geek out on Murakami and Kerouac, airplanes, the Beatles, Bible verses, Marvel comics, to name a few.

I, for my part, am fixated on directors of a few of my favorite films. Forming the list are Woody Allen, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Giuseppe Tornatore, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese and the Coppola father-and-daughter, Francis and Sofia. I do not claim to be a film guru but I guess after studying film for six of my eight semesters in college, I kind of have the right to say I know what I’m talking about. :) Believe me when I say I’ve toiled so many nights writing papers on their films back in college.

Not to be narcissistic–we both share the same name…well, almost–but I feel I have the closest affinity with Sofia Coppola.

Allow me to geek out and share information that probably might only interest a few.

FAST FACT #1: She has a signature shot in the films and advertisements she directed, the most recent of which is the collaboration between Marni and H&M.



FAST FACT #2: The five-year-old Sofia Coppola knew how to sing the Philippine national anthem!

In this home recording taped in January 1977, “[Sofia] Coppola is being interviewed by her father, Oscar winner Francis Ford Coppola, who asks his daughter to talk to her future adult self.” Backgrounder: Sofia was with her father when he was shooting Apocalypse Now in the Philippines.

I prepared a short transcript of that part where the father asks his five-year-old daughter to sing “Lupang Hinirang.”

S: I am Sofia and when I grow up I want to be middle-sized, not thin and not skinny. And I wanna be a teacher or maybe I’m gonna be nurse. And, um, I like being Sofia because there’s a lot of fun things that I know how to do. And my daddy just tickle me with his little nose. (laughs)

F: I wanna tell, Sofia, something. When you are recently… When we were making Apocalypse Now, we were in the Philippines, right? Sofia learned how to do some things. Now I want you do something for me. But first, I want you to sing the Philippine national anthem. Go.

Listen to the recording here:

Ang cute lang! I first learned about this gem of an archive about two years ago. We all know Sofia didn’t grow up to be a middle-sized nurse or teacher. She, however, ended up being one of the most respected female directors and an Academy Award winner like her father.

02/4/12

January Show-and-Tell

1 Gratitude, peace, and contentment at the start of the year | 2 Discovering gastronomic delights | 3 Commitment | 4 Opening more platforms to promote my advocacy | 5 Reconnecting with an old friend | 6 This year’s first adventure | 7 The Makati and Bonifacio Global City Feasts | 8 The wisdom that all things are possible

02/2/12

Countdown: Eight Weeks

Almost two billion people worldwide united last year to support the largest environmental event in history–Earth Hour, an initiative organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

More than 5,250 cities and towns in 135 countries switched off their lights for Earth Hour 2011 alone, sending a powerful message for action on climate change. It also ushered in a new era, with members going Beyond the Hour to commit to lasting action for the planet. Without a doubt, it’s shown how great things can be achieved when people come together for a common cause.

Last year, the Philippines–for the third consecutive time–topped the list of countries with the most number of towns and cities participating in Earth Hour. This 2012, I hope we can make history again and show that Filipinos share the vision to protect our living planet.

Below is the Earth Hour 2012 official video that will definitely inspire you to take part in this global symbol of hope and movement for change.

“It started with an idea,
an idea that became a symbol,
a symbol that became a movement,
a movement that unites our people to protect our planet”

(Check out the Philippines’ Earth Hour celebration last year, at the 0:26 and 2:11 marks)

Mark your calendars: March 31, 2012, 8: 30 PM. Celebrate your action for the planet with the people of world by switching off your lights for an hour, then go beyond the hour.

01/31/12

More to Life

In my previous job, I worked on holidays and Sundays, rarely had full weekends, and felt guilty whenever I took leaves. During my days off, I felt compelled to be connected to the web. Otherwise, the anxiety and fear of missing the breaking news would choke me. You may call this an unhealthy dedication to the job, but this was the working environment I embraced for more than three years. This is in fact the bare minimum and common case for fledgling journalists like me.

There are many things I loved about my former world (took me a long time to move on), but one change that I find most welcome is having real weekends and breaks.

Two weekends ago, I found myself going on a guilt-free impromptu trip to Bacolod City and its nearby towns and cities. Sure, my work load and to-do list still hovered above me. But the sense of responsibility no longer felt like a Punisher waiting to crack its whip on me.

I feel blessed to thrive in an environment that promotes a work-life balance. I had a string of meetings and pitches the morning after my scheduled return flight to Manila, but my three-day trip was extended for about another day due to an aircraft mechanical malfunction. It is, however, a bend in the road I found myself confronting gladly.

It was my first time to set foot on Negros island but the trip wasn’t the sight-seeing type; it was mostly about communing with people and immersing myself the Filipino-Chinese community, who was celebrating its New Year with such pomp I’ve yet to see in Binondo here.

On my first night, I joined the Bacolaodiat festivities along Lacson Street, Bacolod City’s main thoroughfare. “Bacolaodiat” is the combination of “Bacolod” and “Lao Diat,” the Fookien word for celebration.

The following day, I heard Mass in Chinese, checked out Lacson Street, and had New Year’s Eve dinner with the Lopue family.



On my supposedly last day, I went to The Ruins (at high noon, so I grew darker by two shades–true story) in Talisay City and saw for myself why this structure had indeed become Negros Occidental’s emblem.

The Ruins are remnants of a mansion built by sugar baron Mariano Ledesma Lacson for his deceased wife in the 1900s. It was torched down by the USAFFE during World War II, for fear that Japanese troops might use it as their headquarters.



My return trip to Manila on Monday night was moved to Tuesday noon. The silver lining behind this is that I got to try Calea, the top choice (for Negrenses and tourists alike) when it comes to cakes and coffee. Negros Occidental is the country’s sugar capital; it’s only fitting that the best local confectioneries are found here.



And of course, this trip to Bacolod isn’t complete if I didn’t try authentic chicken inasal in Manokan Country. I was told to pick Aida’s from an array of carinderias in Manokan Country. Aida’s chicken inasal isn’t called Bacolod’s best for nothing. Look at that dripping chicken oil. It’s hard to settle for anything less, so goodbye Mang Inasal.



Last January 6, the Tourism Department launched its “More Fun in the Philippines” campaign. Quite an effective one, because it moved me to see more of what our country had to offer so much so that I found myself in Negros even if it seemed ill-timed to go an a spontaneous trip. I agree that we cannot rally people into believing that “it is more fun in the Philippines” when we cannot substantiate what we’re declaring. When I talk about Negros someday, at least I’d know what to say.

After a 17-hour delay and with a meeting I had to rush to, I scrambled to reach Manila–but with a happy and full heart, to say the least.

01/14/12

Green Living in 10 Ways

Ring in 2012 by adopting a lifestyle that is more eco-friendly and sustainable. Follow these tips by WWF national ambassadors Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez themselves!



1) Change your incandescent light bulbs to either CFL or LED. They are a bit pricier but they last longer and use a small fraction of the energy that older bulbs use. Not only do you help the environment, you also slash your electricity bill!

2) Install clear solar-reflective tint on your windows. The tints reflect a large amount of solar energy and heat, which keeps your house cooler and makes your air conditioning work more efficiently.

3) Segregate your trash. This needs to go hand in hand with your neighborhood’s recycling project, so talk to your village or barangay about local waste management. Some recycling centers also pay for recyclable trash, so this is a win-win situation!

4) Use your own mug or glass at the office. Styrofoam coffee cups and disposable plastic glasses take forever to degrade and just take up space in landfills for generations.

5) Reject plastic bags! Always have a reusable shopping bag with you, whether it be in your backpack, car or purse. Plastic bags do immense damage to the environment when not disposed of properly. They clog our waterways, pollute our seas, suffocate our turtles and are just a general nuisance. We all need to use them at some stage, but if we only use a couple each week instead of 20, then that will greatly reduce their effect on the environment.

6) Travel responsibly and sustainably! When going on a vacation, unplug everything at your house and leave only the necessary lights open. You can also print only the first page of your e-ticket to conserve paper.

7) Choose a hotel that is eco-friendly and near your destination and mass transportation stations. Earth-friendly transportation options include walking, biking, and taking public transportation. Less use of cars means less carbon emissions!

8) Re-use your towels and bed sheets instead of having them changed every day. Hotels’ housekeeping units change your sheets everyday unless you request them not to.

9) Steer clear of local delicacies and souvenirs that use endangered flora and fauna.

10) Pack light! Less weight means less fuel needed for planes, trains and automobiles.

(This is an excerpt from the December 2011 issue of PandaMail, the monthly e-newsletter I prepare for WWF’s individual donors. I can vouch that Marc and Rovilson walk the talk and are the perfect go-to guys when it comes to green living!)

01/8/12

Celebrating the In-Betweens

This post is also known as the delayed but mandatory year-end review.

I decided to skip the monthly show-and-tell post, simply because December consisted of parties and get-togethers—which are all meaningful, but really, who reads a summary of Christmas parties?

I also decided to forego a lengthy discussion of how 2011 went for me, as I reserved such kind of reflection on the pages of my journal.

I chose to come up instead with a post celebrating the unacclaimed moments of 2011 that are worth being thankful for. Just because they are ordinary doesn’t mean they are humdrum. Looking closer, the little things in between are what make the banner-worthy (or Twitpic-and-Facebook-status-update-worthy) events count.

Here are my causes for celebration, the God-breathed scenes before and after those extraordinary moments. There’s one image each from January to December.

This is about celebrating the pauses between the momentous highs.

That millisecond you attempt to make the perfect shot, and later realizing that capturing the awkward transitions aren’t so bad after all. It’s okay to be imperfect.

This is about celebrating unhurried bicycle rides in the morning and the mundane, non-earth-shattering decisions you make, such as admitting you like Taylor Swift.

The deep breath you nervously take before lying on the operating table. The sigh of relief after the surgery, realizing we all need to be cracked and broken for light (in this case, healing) to come in.

This is about being happy, just because. All is well. Life is good.

This is about celebrating the things that didn’t make it to the headlines, the people behind the scenes, the sound bites that do not get quoted, the video clips that do not get aired.

This is about honoring the nameless and faceless who devote their lives to making this country better, sans the publicity and the front page images.

This is about celebrating simplicity in abundance.

That beat your heart makes before a life-changing discovery reveals itself before you.

The knowledge you are loved after you say your last goodbye.

This is about reveling in the placid moment before the doors open and the guests arrive.

This is about being thankful for the little blessings that put a spring in your step and paint a smile on your face for no apparent reason.

Thank you, 2011! The good and the bad, the highs and lows, and especially the things in between made you amazing.

12/22/11

The Shepherds & the Christmas Surprise

The death toll has breached 1,000. A thousand more remain missing. With our Mindanaoan brothers and sisters in mind this Christmas, I am reposting this simple essay I posted on Facebook a year ago. Amid the merriment, I remember that we have Christmas because of them and for the different kinds of poverty within ourselves. Just as the Father revealed His surprise to a group of shepherds 2,000 years ago, so will He also reveal the same self-emptying love to the hundreds of families who lost their homes and their loved ones.

The Shepherds
Author Unknown

Have you ever been so excited to surprise a loved one with a gift, that you could hardly wait for the day to come when you would actually give it? Yes, you’ve been tempted to preempt the whole plan but you’ve played out the occasion in your head a thousand times—the thrill, the reaction, the astonishment and tears of joy. You’ve convinced it’s a moment worth waiting for. Still, the secret is eating you up inside, it’s exhiliratingly impossible to keep! So you do the next best thing: you tell your friends.

On the night of the first Christmas, God was about to surprise the world with a gift. It’s the night he has thought of for a long time. It’s the night he gets to give the greatest gift he could ever give. The moment God gives humanity the one thing it so desperately needs: a Savior.

God is excited! And when the thrill of hope can no longer be concealed, he does the next best thing: he lets a few friends in on the secret.

God is about to enter the world and who does God confide in? A most unlikely bunch: a ragtag band of poor shepherds who hung in the lowest rungs of culture’s ladder. They get front row seats to the greatest spectacle the earth has ever known!

All over the world today, people are looking for God. Some visit great cathedrals, journey to holy lands, trek through deserts, or bathe in sacred rivers. Some use a highly systematic approach while others feel their way through. But who God is and what he is up to, we often overlook the one place he said he would be.

The shepherds’ story gives us an insight to the one sure place God can be found: it is with his friends—the poor, the outcast, the needy—those society tend to write off.

Jesus himself so closely associates with this group that he makes no distinction between him and them. “Whatever you did to the least of these, you did for me,” (Matthew 25:40)