With the pandemic progressing, youth groups look for Ideas Positive to hold their hands

With over 1.6 million cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines plus the spiraling need for additional beds in major hospitals in the country, the power of the youth to help curb the spread of infection is vital as proven in the past. In terms of youth engagement towards public health, there is only one name in the house — Ideas Positive.

Ideas Positive, running for over 10 years now, is hailed as the country’s premier youth engagement program that empowers the youth to be leaders in building healthier communities. In support to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, Ideas Positive continuously engages the youth to create local solutions with global impact to high need and high neglect health gaps in their communities.

From solving diarrhea to providing water access to curbing malnutrition and even promote polio vaccination, the program is well-respected because of its legacy and strong base of support not only coming from its over 100 partner communities but also from international and national organizations.

The program also is known for launching the largest gathering of youth leaders for health since 2018 known as the Ideas Positive Youth Forum on Public Health.

Many of its alumni now and even its partners are asking where Ideas Positive is. In this darkest of times, young people need a leader to hold their hands. They are not expecting for another Forum or another set of funding, they are expecting that the flagship program will show its compassionate presence because the real genius of Ideas Positive is not its funding but the message of hope that it provides for the youth.

Personally, I can still remember the time and the feeling how Ideas Positive in 2013 touched my life. The program saved me, and it can still save lives now.

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Youth Forward is PYDN’s new contender?

Earlier I went to Mandaluyong City to observe for eight hours how the Youth Engagement Team prepare for the Youth Forward Launch in Dagupan set on August 11-13, 2021. The day started with the team lead, Jeannie Anne Maguad RMT or popularly known as the “Iron Lady” of youth programming in the Philippines, facilitating the online meeting. She was supported by Engr. Nico Chiong doing the operations briefing. (They failed to print the technical script though). 😊

By the looks of it, they were planning to have activities like: (a) Points of Me, (b) Happiness Journey, a form of mental health support for SK leaders in Dagupan, (c) Focused-group discussions, (d) creation of a formal document to set the youth program agenda, and my favorite part (e) a dinner party – this I admit, I will be watching closely because of the pandemic restrictions.

As a reviewer of youth programs and activities, I can sense the difficulty and the challenge especially on how to maintain the minimum acceptable standard of protection from COVID-19. I am happy that despite the risks, they were able to plan out some controls like:

1. Prior testing before going to Dagupan
2. Testing in Dagupan
3. Double masks and face shields
4. Vitamin boosters for facilitators
5. Disinfectants
6. Full vaccination

This is something that excites me because a lot of youth programs now are being delivered online. I believe that Youth Forward is making a great leap of faith just to deliver something of value. The risks will always be there but I’m sure the benefits outweigh the cons.

There is also a promise if this activity succeeds. This could raise the bar and set standards especially on how NGOs implement their youth programs during pandemic. The virus will always be there, who knows for how long, but youth programs, will be measured by their courage and tenacity to push for something that could make the country better and stronger amidst the limitations.

By the way, I reviewed their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/youthforwardph. The about page says: Youth Forward PH champions responsive youth engagement through a series of targeted face-to-face activity designed for youth leaders that will provide a better understanding on the evolving needs of the youth.

One thought though, the pictures or images used lack diversity or adequate representation. I’m confident they could include this in their future materials because representation is key in moving forward.  

#End

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Mutya PH reviews events and programs about the youth in the Philippines with the goal of holding them accountable to their mission and promises.

We all deserve”Vince Effect” in our flights.

I’m writing this blog post after 4 months of hiatus because for the first time I feel inspired again. And I believe that he is worthy of my effort.

I first met Vince last March 2017, during the time when I flew from one city to another helping youth teams in making their ideas happen for their communities. My first blog about him entitled “The Best of Philippine Airlines” garnered almost 300,000 views. For me it was a success because I was able to help streamline an excellent person worthy of emulation. In fact many of my friends are choosing PAL because they want to experience the “Vince Effect”.

Most of the time, we only post in our social media accounts negative experiences when we travel, especially in relation to our air transportation. The list includes: delays, very hot cabin temperature, frowning flight attendants, cold snacks, etc. and another etc. I am also guilty of this, but I am learning now to appreciate those who are in the frontlines making their every effort to go the extra mile.

For flight attendants, especially under Philippine Airlines, it is expected that they are good looking. Well, 99% of the time they are very good looking. But there are really few who exhibit extraordinary qualities that translate the physical and emotional manifestation of the PAL’s promising brand. Others consider Philippine Airlines as ‘expensive’, ‘elite’, ‘safe’. For me, Philippine Airlines is above all ‘compassionate’. And I think everyone of us deserves compassion even inside an airplane.

Vince is my favorite flight attendant. He is the main reason why I continue in advocating within my circle to always choose Philippine Airlines, because experience matters, compassion matters. With flight attendants like Vince inside the plane, 30,000 feet above sea level, you need someone who treats his work as his life, meaning he enjoys it, he cares for his customers, he is sensitive, he is kind, and respectful and not someone who treats the job cheaply.

The ‘Vince Effect’ I would say is one of the assets of Philippine Airlines, and soon I will be writing to the management that they should start in cultivating this kind of attitude within their culture.

The Vince effect means that every peso I spent for the ticket, the positive effect that I get, I can roughly estimate to at least 500 pesos, and this is amazing for any business!

For the meantime, I will always pray that hopefully in all of my flights, there will be always a Vince. Should you see him in any of your flight, please say thank you, write a blog, or just smile. Excellent service must be acknowledged.

I hear God through the voice of my friends.

2019 tested our limitations. It is a relatively tough year for everyone. As for myself, it is the most agonizing. It was in January that I felt disconnected. I never felt the presence of a Higher Being. I grew apathetic, anxious, and ambivalent about the meaning and purpose of life. My grip with faith weakened.

You are not alone last year praying that 2019 would give us an easy and beautiful year. You are not alone when destiny gave us otherwise. I know you were taken aback when events hit you in an intensity you never felt before. I feel your bleeding heart when your expectations fell short and ended flowing into the drain of misfortunes and disappointments.

2019 also forced us to accept obligations we were never prepared for. It never gave us the honeymoon period to cope and adjust. With desperation and out of control, we hurt those who are close to our hearts, we lied multiple times maybe to protect ourselves, or to preserve our dignity. Our actions despite so pure were misinterpreted and were used to hurt us. We felt we were used, we were raped, and controlled. I too felt all of every day of my life last year.

2019 also tempted us to travel exhaustively with the hope of finding ourselves. We needed to escape. We needed fresh air. We hid ourselves in places where we think were safer. We concealed our true feelings because we are scared people would perceive us fragile. We write verses and melodies for our self, expecting that one day we could sing this for others.

But there is one good thing 2019 has brought us- Necessary pain.

Sometimes we feel pain as a sign of growth and transformation. And pain without love and grace is unbearable. Most of the time, pain is one of the main avenue of the Lord to test us, to reach for us.

As the year approaches its end tonight, I would like to share how He employed the voices of my friends to send His message and to express his presence during the darkest periods of 2019. Most of the times, we failed to appreciate this because we are too occupied of the pointless noise around us. A substantial pause, reflection, and detachment are of great help. Therefore, I went to an island for 10 days to reflect, and I heard the following voices:

Alfred – “Life is surely not kind to you but I do hope that you will still continue to force yourself to finding meaning and strength to carry on not only for the people who love you but also to the people who hate you.”

Jepoy – “Kuys, are we good?”

Jerome – “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9

Rexell – “Prioritize yourself. I believe in you.”

Charibel- “Friendship is far more important than any possessions.”

Hanna Joy- “ Go to church.”

Kevin – “I want you to know that when you need me, I’ll always respond.”

Maia-  “I love you Mutya.”

Carl – Sizzzz, do you want to walk to PC?

Judy – “Mutya, you will survive. Jeallybean will be needing you.”

Jeannie- “You are loved Mutya.”

Pau- “Be mindful Kuya, I will pray for you.”

Mitch- “I am proud of you.”

Borj-  “Our precious gem, salamat.”

Jasper: “You are an inspiration to me, please be strong.”

Adrian: Kuyaaaa Mikeeeeeeee, let’s go to Megamall.

Nico: Babe, huggggsss.

So 2019, if you think I will end this year without honoring God who transfigured through my friends, then you are wrong bitch! Thank you to all my friends who were patient enough to guide me. Forgive me for all of my sins and shortcomings. I will make up to you this coming year.

2020 pasok!

#end

To those who find life difficult

You are not alone; I feel it too. Life is indeed challenging, but it is not impossible to conquer. Sometimes we think that we are in isolation, that everyone is so distant. But the reality is you are not. There is always someone out there thinking of you. Someone is praying for you. Someone is hoping that you will reach your goals.

I know that sometimes you feel useless. You think that you are a waste of this world. Delete that thought because you are breathing means that you have something to contribute to this world. Someone is looking at you as their inspiration, as their leader, as their role model. Believe that inside of you is a gem worthy of emulation. You are a gift.

I can sense that a recent failure had caused you to feel and think that you are not enough. But, one loss or one examination or one failed relationship will not define you as a person. Think, isn’t it that failure is necessary for growth? We learn best from failures than from our successes. From now on, dare to welcome these experiences and convert these into grains of inspiration. Believe me, and your time will come.

If you feel that the wound is still there bleeding, let it bleed. Do not force yourself to heal overnight. But as you suffer and heal, please seek help if you need to. Someone is willing to help you, listen, hug you, and be with you. Do not be afraid to seek help. Help will always be there. Healing takes time and is a part of life, and it will come soon.

Love,

Mutya 

Iron Lady: Even single ladies can launch the largest Forum

The first time I saw Jeannie being furious spitting fire was last Saturday evening. We were taking our dinner when she lambasted remarks about her being single.

While eating a cup of Soya, (since we are on a strict diet) she told me that being single should not be an issue. The Iron Lady was serious so I listened to her. She continued in her homily, “Instead of me being single, they should view this as a compliment, a badge of strength.”

Well, I can relate. Being single should not be viewed as a defect instead, it should be treated as a manifestation of focus and control. Those who are single despite the vast availability of prospects may be persons with deeper reservations and raising this as an issue in any conversation might offend the person.

My head was spinning that time, coming from a difficult Final Community Visits in Maguindanao. But I chose to listen to Jeannie. She said:

“How many single women can launch an extraordinary Forum?”

I told her none, except you my grace.

How many single women can ride a habal-habal to visit a community under Martial Law?

 

Ammmm. None, except you my grace.

Good, she replied.

Then, I realized that maybe it is disrespectful, indeed for someone to make an issue the being “single” of any woman. I would agree that this remark borders to misogyny when we subject a woman to possible construction and prejudice, appearing her desperate to have find someone.

In the end, we may call her the Iron Lady, but Iron has its own melting point. I think she deserves an apology. 

 

Liberate yourselves from pain, use dreams.

My lola is still very clever. At 92, she is the master of symbolism. She gave me a book for my birthday. The title is ‘The Dream’ by Harry Bernstein. This is about a young boy named Harry’s incredible pursuit of his dream that one day they might escape the grinding poverty for the paradise of America.

My lola’s prodigy is my mother. When I was young she told me that pain is necessary for me to grow. For the past 26 years, I have carried this theory that every time I experience tremendous amount of pain, my tendency is to rationalize.

My ruling is to always uphold what my mother had implanted in my mind; that pain is the twin brother of mine. That according to her, life is unfair and people will always inflict pain, and I cannot prevent this from happening. In my mind, where did she get this hasty conclusion? Is this a form of wisdom or did she read the book on Human Nature? Or is it really the reality that the world is inherently cruel?

Living inside the house with an atrocious father for me is the very definition of pain. Not until, that same house of cards over a decade ago, while I was competing for our school quiz bee, where I won the 1st place, fell to the ground– shattered to pieces.  It was an emotional roller coaster of sorts, seeing your family broke apart. For me it was the endgame, when Thanos snapped his fingers where all the values and the aspirations evaporated.

Not until my lola used the power of dreams. According to her dreams are important part of our lives. She painted a picture of me in black robes, like a judge. Now, I understand that she invented this vision for me to make up for all the things I lacked and to give me some hope for a better future. Perhaps, also to envelope me against grief and misery.

Since today is the Philippine Independence Day, I will not delve on how the Philippines acquired independence, but more so, I will try to present how we can liberate ourselves from pain by pointing out three truths. While I do not have the monopoly to experience pain, I think, I have a unique experience worthy of at least, my own simple documentation.

Most of the time we asked ourselves if pain is necessary. Why can’t men live with pure joy and contentment. Our theological beginnings tell us that the world and its accompanying obstacles are tests before we reach the paradise– a place free from pain and suffering. Whether or not we take this as a sugar-coated belief, there are certain universal truths that we humans should consider.

The first step to independence is knowing that we are alive. We experience pain because we need a reminder that we are alive, and in return we learn the value of joy and the beauty of this world. This is always what my best friend Alfred tells me every time I feel depressed. He is not a good counselor but an excellent positivist in his own sphere.

Second, I have realized that silence exacerbates pain. Pain needs to be verbalized, it needs to be expressed. We need to be courageous enough to confront pain head on. Having an understanding circle of friends would help in addressing this. Sometimes, their active listening and their warm presence save the day. In short, liberation needs expression. 

Lastly, dreams are powerful than pain. Whenever pain creeps into the picture, one must immediately go back to his dreams, imagine that this is real, hold it in his hands and like a handful of colorful dust, sprinkle it on the dark canvass of life. While people can hurt us every day, in whatever unimaginable or imaginable ways, we have to acknowledge that pain is inevitable in our daily lives and we have a more powerful tool to combat this.

Some of us will fall, some will rise and defeat this foe, but at the end of the day, pain is always essential and we need to do our best to shape it to support our existence and in furtherance of our individual purpose in life, for liberation.

#Mutya

Mutya: We need a ‘Nico’ in our life

Each of us has our own dream partner. We fantasize of having a date with a specific person belonging to a particular group or profession. I have a lot of friends who want to date a lawyer, a medical doctor, or a software programmer.

For me, engineers have a special place in my heart. It is my little bias when it comes to friendship and relationship.

Earlier, this special interest of mine heightened because of Nico telling stories about his past work as a Civil Engineer. He told me about building foundations, being accurate, and being on point as planned.

Now, it triggers me to write this short article on why I think we need an engineer in our life.

• They are experts in building the foundation. They are aware that for a building or a structure to be effective, it must have a good foundation. Like in relationships, they spend most of their efforts building the foundation.
• They know about switches. They know when to open or to close the lights. When to say ‘no or yes’. They know about electricity, and how to transform negatively charged ions to contagious positivism. We need that in our lives!
• They can fix anything or die trying. Life is not perfect. There is no perfect relationships. Engineers have the necessary patience to make things work.
• They are master of composure. Even bombarded with stress and pressure, they remain gentle and kind. Their sweet smiles and cute dimples lighten the day.
• They know about safety. They will not start any construction or any activity without checking the fire exits or without inquiring for the evacuation plans.
• If they can handle large machine, I’m sure they can handle a human body. 
• They work with a calculated plan. Who doesn’t love someone with a clear sense of direction eh?
• They know when to excavate and drill for the gems and precious stones within us. They are good in assessment and implementation.
• They are smart, no doubt. They make our life easier.
• They are humble, simple. And this is the sexiest aspects of being an engineer.

Well, well, if you find an engineer for Mutya, please don’t forget to tag/refer!

Love you all!

Mutya

Choosing Rivera is choosing integrity

The College of Engineering of Bulacan State University (BULSU COE) is the model template of many engineering schools in the country. It is known for having students who are intelligent, globally- competitive, and morally-upright. Above all, it is well-known because of its integrity.

The question now students must resolve before exercising their rights of suffrage is whether or not the specific candidate possesses unquestionnable integrity in light of various circumstances.

Integrity is the cornerstone of honest governance. It means that the person is doing the right thing even others are not looking.

It also means that he or she looks at the brighter side of things, he or she stands on her principle, unwilling to compromise her personal belief just to accommodate political interest.

When you think of integrity COE deserves, think of Rivera Carla. Despite new in the field, she has the qualities of an excellent leader. She is strong, her words are electrifying, only but fitting to call her now as Governor.

My friends at BULSU COE, please make no mistake, but RIVERA is the leader that COE needs NOW.

Yes, she is new in the field, and because she is new, she has new positive solutions to address the problems and challenges in the college.

COE needs new minds, new perspectives and leadership models molded in honesty, integrity, and passion.

Finally, integrity cannot be measured by pubmats, by posters, by photoshopped images. We cannot edit integrity. The next time you see Rivera, you see integrity. Associate yourself with persons of integrity.

CHOOSE TO DATE A MOUNTAINEER

I met a mountaineer last month , and I was inspired to write again.

A mountaineer will teach you how to persevere.

The mountain could be a challenging new environment. But isn’t it that real life is difficult and complex, not just a piece of cake?

The mountaineer will not easily pull you up; instead, he will teach you that the only way forward is by enduring the pain, the sharp rocks, the insect bites, and the mixture of heat and moisture.

A mountaineer will introduce you to a whole new world

Being on the top with the cottony clouds weaves a magical picture. A mountaineer can usher you to an environment where you can recharge and reflect.

For me, the best gift someone can offer aside from time is an experience filled with peace and tranquility.

A mountaineer knows when to stop and when to proceed

Sometimes we are consumed by our work and our ambitions to the point that we lose the humanity within us. Popular culture pushes us to be fast and not to postpone things, always hit the mark.

But a mountaineer gives you a new perspective. That there is joy in taking a pause, and there is power in knowing when is the right time to proceed. Life is not a race; take it easy. Enjoy the moments.

A mountaineer appreciates simple things

To make a mountaineer happy is easy. He smiles upon seeing dancing trees, hearing the birds chirping, and at the scent of wild orchids hugging the proud trunks of trees.

He is never materialistic.

He draws his glee from nature’s gifts and blessings. He is grateful.

I can enumerate a listing of all the good things why we need to have a mountaineer in our life. Instead, I want to summarize this in one paragraph.

CHOOSE A MOUNTAINEER

He is brave, and he has an appetite for heights. His arms are strong, and he won’t leave you behind. He will usher you to a new world. He will persevere to reach the top. He will not surrender; he will acknowledge the pain and converts it into ropes of optimism. He can wait for the right time, when to rest and when to step forward. He is faithful, determined to make you safe.

#Mutya