People Power People

July 28, 2010

On August 1, 2010, the nation will commemorate the first death anniversary of President Corazon C. Aquino.

To honor her legacy, there will be a memorial Mass at the St. Benilde Gymnasium, La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) in Mandaluyong City, the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF, formerly the Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. Foundation) announced.

The concelebrated Mass, with Bishop Soc Villegas as main presider, will be preceded by a short program, entitled “Her Legacy, Our Promise”, starting at 9:30am. This “people’s tribute” will feature the relaunch of President Cory’s “People Power People”, a program designed to recognize—and mobilize support for—individuals and groups which have been empowering marginalized and disadvantaged Filipinos.

“We want the commemoration of President Cory’s first death anniversary to go beyond the tradition of babang luksa and the celebration of her life as our unique icon of democracy and integrity in governance,” explained Rafael C. Lopa, NCAF executive director. “Now that the spirit of volunteerism is very much alive, we’d like to harness our people’s talents and energy to make a difference among needy sectors of our society.”

Over the years since February 1986, “People Power” has become a much misunderstood—and maligned—concept. “By reviving President Cory’s People Power People program, we’d like to start dispelling those negative notions,” Mr. Lopa said. “What she has bequeathed to us is the realization of the inherent power that dwells within us, coupled with the inspiration and the confidence to wield that power to uplift the quality of life of our less fortunate countrymen.”

“To build on her legacy, we are calling on a wider base of ‘People Power People’ to make concrete commitments—as individuals or as institutions—over the next 100 days and beyond in whatever area they feel they can make a significant contribution,” he added. “As envisioned by President Cory, the ultimate manifestation of People Power is an engaged and dynamic citizenry, willing to take on their share of building the nation and strengthening our democracy.”

The whole idea, he explained, is to get people to stop depending on government to do everything. “There is a lot of talk about the President’s ‘first 100 days’, but we ordinary citizens should also be ready to step up and declare what we are prepared to give or accomplish in our own ‘first 100 days’,” Mr. Lopa said. “Of course, we won’t stop there. There are many volunteers and concerned citizens out there who want to do their share, and we’d like to sustain their enthusiasm and momentum by linking them up with each other and with organized groups.”

To start the ball rolling, NCAF has convened a small group of “seed” organizations which will pledge their commitments on August 1. These include:

One Tama – a group that encourages common folk to do simple, positive, everyday tasks, which when aggregated can have a big impact on the community;

Hapag-Asa Integrated Nutrition Program – a nationwide parish-based volunteer initiative that seeks to solve the malnutrition problem of children in the country through strategic feeding programs;

Dynamic Teen Company – the group started by “CNN Hero” Efren Peñaflorida to provide education to the street dwellers, particularly children who need to earn for their family, using kariton classrooms;

Gawad Kalinga – the community-building program that seeks to provide hope and homes to families who do not have the basic right to shelter;

Sparks for Change – a group that seeks to create a healthy community through various medical missions and health education sessions;

57 75 – a partnership that seeks to reverse the education crisis through focused interventions and school-community action, towards systems-wide performance improvements;

KIDS Foundation – an organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the rights of Filipino children, particularly among the underprivileged, and to safeguarding their basic right to live and enjoy childhood;

Aklat, Gabay, Aruga Tungo sa Pag-angat at Pag-asa (AGAPP) – an initiative to build educational centers in communities that do not have access to knowledge resources for both children and adults;

YES Pinoy Foundation – a group that provides educational assistance and values formation to young people, with a view to building a new generation of globally competitive and compassionate Filipinos.

“The concrete commitments of these and other organizations will be posted and monitored on the “People Power People” website (www.peoplepower.ph),” Mr. Lopa said. “Other individuals and groups are invited to log on and support specific projects of these organizations or to start their own initiatives with specific output commitments and timelines. This is People Power in productive action.”

As part of the August 1 event, the La Sallian community will unveil the historical marker for the St. Benilde Gymnasium, which first gained national prominence as the site of the 1986 National Citizen Movement for Free Election (NAMFREL) Operation Quick Count, which provided the basis for presidential candidate Cory Aquino’s claim of triumph over Ferdinand Marcos during the snap election. Since then, the gymnasium has become a democratic sanctuary of sorts, making it a natural choice as the first venue by which tens of thousands of Filipinos could pay tribute to President Cory after she passed away last year.

Before the formal commemorative ceremonies at LSGH, a horde of cyclists is expected to take part in “Ride for Cory” in honor of the late President. They will ride around the Ortigas-Bonny Serrano-EDSA-Connecticut loop from 6:45am to 8:45am for the benefit of cancer-stricken Filipinos and their loved ones. The event is being spearheaded by the Cory for Carewell Cyclists, a partnership among NCAF’s iamninoy-iamcory Movement, the Cancer Resource and Wellness Community (Carewell), and Rudy Project Philippines.


	One Tama 86,400 seconds. 1,440 minutes. 24 hours. One day. Could we change the face of the nation one day at a time? The One Tama organization strongly believes so. One Tama (One Right) challenges Filipinos to do something right and positive for our country, one small step at a time. We all envision a more progressive Philippines that can compete in the global economy. This is a very general idea, but it remains a constant challenge not just for the government, but for all Filipino citizens. With every new administration, set of laws, and economic concerns, new problems and issues arise. Concretizing our ideal vision for our country is truly a difficult task, given the dynamic nature of society. But Rome wasn’t built in a day. We cannot cover all issues in a blink of an eye. What we could do is to strive to accomplish simple, everyday tasks for the betterment of our communities – from effortless actions such as using the back of used bond paper to save trees, to major endeavors such as volunteering in times of calamities. If taken together, all our individual efforts will amount to a major impact on our nation. Start small, aim big. This is the dictum of the People Power People. Lend One Tama your support today. www.onetama.com Hapag-Asa Integrated Nutrition Program It has long been said that the future of a nation lies in the hands of its children. Children, therefore, must be given the utmost care, especially during their formative years. However, malnutrition prevalence among children in the Philippines has remained alarmingly high in the last 10 years. The lives of about eight million Filipino children, and our country’s future, are at stake. To address this grave concern, the Pondo ng Pinoy Community launched the Hapag-Asa Integrated Nutrition Program. This program seeks to reduce the incidence of grossly inadequate nutrition—and, hence, retarded development—among children between infancy and the age of 12 through various feeding programs. But Hapag-asa is not only geared toward alleviating the problem of malnutrition. The organization’s efforts are also centered on developing the culture of sharing and loving among the Filipino families, as well as improving the capacity of parents to care and provide for basic needs of their children. Nourishment of body, mind and soul is needed to prepare the children to be active citizens of the Philippines. Only through People Power can we prime the youth to one day share in building our great nation. Lend Hapag-Asa your support today. www.hapag-asa.com Dynamic Teen Company A simple kariton holds the key to the Filipino youth’s most priceless treasure – knowledge. The Dynamic Teen Company (DTC) seeks to provide education to the street dwellers, particularly children who need to earn for their family. Volunteers of DTC visit different slum areas, bringing with them kariton classrooms. Unlike other organizations that are centered on education, DTC focuses on the holistic growth of the less fortunate youth. DTC has a variety of programs, ranging from hygiene missions to interactive support groups, aimed at addressing the emotional, physical, and material needs of the children as well. By giving less privileged children the love, attention and education they need, we develop their total character and give them the chance to live a better life that they so rightfully deserve. Let us all come together to empower the leaders of tomorrow. Lend Dynamic Teen Company your support today. www.dynamicteencompany.org Gawad Kalinga Since the family is the most basic unit of society, nation-building must start with establishing ideal conditions for families to prosper. Gawad Kalinga (GK) seeks to develop the core foundations needed to improve the welfare of Filipino families: child & youth development, community-building, environment, food sufficiency, health and infrastructure. GK volunteers are welcome to provide value-based education, free academic tutorials and creative workshops to the youth, as well as to assist in medical missions. GK not only builds houses, but also promotes healthy, environment-friendly and sustainable living by teaching the people how to properly recycle waste and how to plant their own vegetable gardens. The organization’s vision says it all: Gawad Kalinga is building a nation empowered by people with faith and patriotism; a nation made up of caring and sharing communities, dedicated to eradicate poverty and restore human dignity. This is the People Power People way. Lend GK your support today. www.gk1world.com 57-75: Reverse the Education Crisis 75 is widely-known as the scholastic passing grade. However, 57 was recently found to be the national average score of public elementary school students in the National Achievement Test. With the current situation of our public elementary system, the future of our country hangs in the balance. Because of this alarming issue, various private organizations came together to launch the campaign 57-75: Reverse the Education Crisis. The movement employs focused interventions and school-community action to effect system-wide performance improvements. 57-75 advocates helping students stay in school, putting funds and other scarce resources into efficient use, and getting the community to demand quality schooling from education players in order to boost student performance. Education is a vital means by which we can eradicate poverty in our country over the long term. Together, we must make a stand for the future of the Philippines, by guaranteeing the children’s right to proper education. Lend 57-75 your support today. www.57-75.org KIDS Foundation Every man has a right to life, and is therefore entitled to demand provisions to ensure his well-being. However the voices of children, small and innocent as they are, may easily be drowned out especially during times of distress. We, as a community, must strive to preserve and protect the rights of Filipino children and safeguard their basic right to live. The Kabataang Inyong Dapat Suportahan or KIDS Foundation was launched specifically for the children—to uphold not only their legal rights, but more fundamentally, their right to be loved and cared for. The foundation’s programs include feeding programs, health services, donations of school materials, and financial grants for medical aid, all aimed at uplifting the standards of living of disadvantaged youth and encouraging the Filipinos to further support this important movement. The members and volunteers of the KIDS Foundation harness People Power to offer the least sought children a chance to dream of a better future for themselves and their families. Lend them your support today. www.kidsfoundation.org.ph YES Pinoy Foundation Nigerian author Ben Okri once said that we plan our lives according to dreams that came to us in our childhood. It is therefore our task as a community to foster the big dreams of the Filipino youth that they may one day realize their aspirations and provide invaluable contributions to our nation. The YES Pinoy Foundation seeks to provide educational scholarships, school supplies and materials to young people and inculcate the value of helping others realize their dreams and ambitions. Through private sector donations, YES Pinoy also organizes volunteer charity and humanitarian missions. On the whole, the organization aims to build a new generation of globally competitive Filipinos with compassion for the welfare of the fellowman. Youth, education and service. These are the thrusts of the YES Pinoy Foundation—People Power People in every sense. Lend them your support today. AGAPP Project Anyone can obtain accumulated wisdom of generations and nations through books. As a community, we must make certain that this invaluable pool of knowledge is within the reach of children. The Aklat, Gabay at Aruga tungo sa Pag-angat at Pag-asa (AGAPP) Project aims to develop various programs and services, such as the construction of preschool educational centers for underprivileged children. The project also aspires to address other critical factors that may affect the learning of the youth, such as training for teachers and school heads on the integrated early childhood education curriculum. AGAP also attempts to promote and facilitate home-school-community partnerships, as well as alliances among volunteers, organizations and networks to promote early childhood care and development and essential services such as feeding programs. The People Power People behind AGAPP believe that literacy is the gateway to information, and that information, in turn, is the currency of democracy. Let us all work for a better learning environment for the less fortunate youth. Lend AGAPP your support today. Sparks for Change Health is wealth. This is especially true here in our country, where the market is heavily dependent on labor. Since the health of the economy hinges on the health of people, efforts must be made to safeguard the well-being of all Filipinos. Sparks for Change was founded by a group of experienced doctors who wish to promote fitness and health in communities. Through various medical missions and health education sessions, the organization helps citizens to live a healthier life and, thereby, to participate fully in society. People Power People know that cultivating a healthy community will ultimately lead to healthy nation. Lend Sparks for Change your support today. www.sparksforchange.org

A popular American president said it best during his inaugural in 1961: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

The statement encapsulates the challenge that confronts every maturing democracy—particularly one constitutionally armed with a strong executive branch. Over time, the citizenry develops an over-dependence on the powers of the President to solve the country’s ills. This sets up the Chief Executive for failure, as he or she becomes the scapegoat for everything that goes wrong. Conversely, most of the people tend to divorce themselves from their roles and responsibilities as citizens.

In February 1986, Filipinos discovered that they could harness the latent strength within them to change their destiny. Unfortunately, their society’s ills persisted as People Power fell short of its promise for one reason or another.

When President Cory passed away in August 2009, there unfolded a near-mystical resurgence of People Power, which carried over to the 2010 presidential elections. Can the inspiring momentum of volunteers and concerned citizens desiring change be sustained?

Ensuring a positive answer to this question is what animates “Our First 100 Days”. This initiative takes off from the premise that our future will not be determined solely by what the President and his administration can accomplish in their first 100 days and in the next six years. It’s time to ask ourselves: what are we ready to commit in the next 100 days to make a difference in the lives of some of our disadvantaged countrymen? That’s just for starters. The short-term target is only meant to gear us up for our first small victory. We can then move on to more long-term commitments to help build our nation.

To help us determine where best to channel our time, treasure or talent, an initial set of organizations—with initiatives in a wide range of areas—is featured on this page. We urge concerned citizens and volunteers to lend support to any of these groups or to enlarge the menu of options by calling attention to opportunities for engagement with other organizations all over the Philippines.