3 Simple Ways to Help Eradicate Hunger and Poverty in the Philippines

Hunger and poverty have always been partners in our society. The poverty level goes higher every year despite the effort of a few who are willing to learn financial freedom. But since we couldn't solve financial literacy overnight, let's focus on 3 simple ways to help eradicate hunger and poverty in the Philippines.

Pay It Forward

Filipinos are helpful especially to those authentically needy, like children from all over the country who have no source for one of their basic needs, food. The good news is we can help eradicate hunger and poverty by participating in or contributing to “Pay It Forward”.

Pay It Forward is a program which adopts the pay-it-forward attitude. This is the path where sharing begins with you. It is initiated by Al Fabon, who handles Millennium Development Goals monitoring, wherein the goals are set to be achieved by 2015. 

According to Al, Goal 1 and 2 truly made sense to him, which prompted the launching of the Pay It Forward program. His aim, to eradicate malnutrition within the month in Banton, Romblon is one of many.

3 Simple Ways to Pay It Forward:

1. Share your blessings

Donate a VitaMeal Bag and provide a child with one nutritious meal each day for a month. One VitaMeal Bag costs Php1,200.

VitaMeal

2. Give your time

Volunteer by helping to facilitate the program. The initial weigh-in of children and serving of first meal is happening on December 26, 2011 in Banton, Romblon. The program will run until January 25, 2012 where in another weigh-in will be done.

Yes, YOU CAN!

3. Spread the word

If you neither have both finances and time, then spread the news so other people may be informed about this wonderful opportunity to give and to help feed these kids. Like it on Facebook, Tweet it, blog about it, any way you know to let it be known to others. 

Generosity Revolution

Feeding of children will be done by Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) in each barangay. Parents will be provided with Pay It Forward monitoring card which the parents need to present to the BNS each time the beneficiary gets his/her meal. The BNS in return will validate the monitoring card each time he/she provides the meal to the beneficiary. This monitoring card ensures that the program will be taken seriously by the parents. Besides, ending malnutrition is truly a collaborative effort.

All donors will each be assigned with a child. By assigning a donor to each recipient, we keep our accountability to the donors. Should donations exceed 54 bags, the program will rerun the following month after completing the monitoring and evaluation of the first month of program implementation. Banton, Romblon is an island municipality in region IV-B. It is a 5th class municipality with more or less seven thousand populations. Banton is the birthplace of the Father of Philippine Independence.

Sweet Says... Give children the hope for a brighter day by starting with a nutritious meal. Creating a ripple effect through an act of giving will mean the world to them. Not only do we feed them physically, but also emotionally and spiritually. The message will be clear to them that they too deserve to be blessed.


Donate a VitaMeal bag now for these Bantoanon children:
Account Name: Alvaro F. Fabon Jr.
BPI Savings Account Number: 3909-1879-22
BPI Branch: Sta.Mesa


To know more about Pay It Forward, Click HERE!

Pray for the Philippines: A Cry for Help in Pedring's Hostility

When I woke up this morning, there was no electricity and my nephews bombarded me to get up and play. It was actually more of accompanying them and really not the playtime especially with the 3-year-old one who runs to me in a hurry whenever a strong wind banged our neighbor's roof. I just told him to pray so that the aggressive wind would leave us and that the mad rain would stop.

We ate brunch then played different toys from Ben 10, Jollibee collectibles, cars, Lego, squeeze balls, puppets, and more. I made sure to maximize our no-electricity-time by inviting my nephews to be creative and imaginative. Since the 9-year-old one wants to protect his toys from the mighty destroyer younger cousin of his, we opted to create origami of boats and airplanes. We made the boat float from a basin of water and called ourselves captains. We made the planes fly with the strong wind and called ourselves pilot and co-pilot. We blew bubbles over the window, sketched some images on a paper, played target shooting, and yes, more games before we ended up hungry and ready to grab a snack.

by scjody

The power came back just before dinner time. We immediately turned the TV on to the news channel. The stories were just as devastating, from 4 kids dead somewhere in the province, some yet to be found, to a grandmother who got killed by a fallen tree. Billboards, flooded establishments including some prestigious hotels, destructed homes, evacuation of a very big number of families in different areas of Luzon -- these were just some of what happened today because of Super Typhoon Pedring's Signal number 3. 

by wheninmanila.com

Mall of Asia

by Raymond Yap via The Introvert

by Sun Star Manila

I immediately gave Him a short thanksgiving prayer for making us safe throughout the day; that we were still able to enjoy simple pleasures despite the absence of the usual Facebook-ing, PSP games, comfort of air conditioning, ice cold drinks and cable tv channels. We didn't realize that a lot of people were suffering that way while we were starting to get impatient on how long the power will be out. 

Now that the power is back and was able to check on the news, and some tweets, the current 4th Trend in Twitter is #PrayforthePhilippines. Below were some tweets as of 8AM EST / 8pm Manila Time:

@IngridLaPadula  Lets try and keep a positive outlook on all the "problems" we are faced today. Some need more help than we do 

@JeffyChua Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I. - Isaiah 58:9

@JessicaRaeFtw Spare us Lord from the threat of typhoon. We lift our safety unto your loving arms,shield us from destructions. Amen. 

@CodyIsMyDrug I hide my tears and i let my Guitar cry </3 Good night.

@merylkimby So thankful for a healthy food, running water, and electricity for tonight. But I'm praying for those who have none. 

@Samledesma Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to You.-- Psalms 102:1

Sweet Says... Thank you tweeps worldwide for the prayers, lets pray more because it has been announced that tomorrow will be worse. "Dear Lord, help our countrymen survive this catastrophe and may our families and friends be safe tonight and the coming days. Have mercy on us Lord and bless us with a calm weather." 

"Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to You" -- Psalms 102:1