It was as though Mother Nature was seeking to cleanse itself from the filth and grime that its inhabitants had thoughtlessly let accumulate. Typhoons Parma and Ketsana devastated the low lying areas of Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces with rain that turned streets into streams and highways into oceans of trash and muck. One of the hardest hit was Provident Village in Marikina, just down the hill from Ateneo de Manila. Continue reading ‘A Great Flood’
Archive for the 'Action Days' Category
On August 30, 2009, we celebrate the National Heroes Day. It is a time to commemorate all the heroes – known and unknown. For all the national heroes that we know like Andres Bonifacio, Gabriel Silang and Dr. Jose Rizal, there are many more munting bayanis who have inspired us to live our lives better, to constantly do one tama after another, just by their simple acts of courage and selflessness.
Share their stories, because actions speak loudest when shared. Continue reading ‘One Tama August Action: Share a Story, Inspire Many’
The weather was kind, the participants eager, and the Walled City was waiting to be discovered. With Ivan ManDy of Old Manila Walks leading, 40 people walked the streets of Intramuros much like how the myriad of colonizers, traders, and generations of Filipinos must have over the past 400 years or so.
The tour begins in front of the Manila Cathedral, Plaza Roma, Intramuros
It was One Tama’s Action Day: rediscovering this city we call home. It fittingly began at the Plaza Mayor of our Nation’s first capital. From where we stood, we gained insight on what influences drove our first Spanish colonizers. To the north was the center of military might. To the east and west were the centers of regional and national politics. And to the south, the formidable structure of Manila’s oldest Catholic Church.
Continue reading ‘One Tama Action Day: Rediscover Your City’
In partnership with Dialogues@Starbucks, One Tama continued its conversation on changing the country through simple actions last April 16, 2009. The Dialogues@Starbucks featuring One Tama was held at 6 PM in Starbucks 6750, Makati. The assembly was an informal get-together for people to know more about the campaign. At the same time, it was a great opportunity to share and be inspired by personal stories of doing simple yet concrete actions that are right and meeting other people with the same desire for a better country. More than 60 people came, enjoyed the pastries, brought their own mugs and tumblers (that was the One Tama collective action for the day) to enjoy the free coffee and listened in as people shared their own One Tama stories.
Testimonies about Mang Rey, a rose vendor in Makati, and from Ate Girlie, the founder of Kythe, an organization which helps kids stricken with cancer, were inspiring to all who went. The stories of Mang Rey and Ate Girlie prove that, indeed, small actions that are right go a long way.
Toward the end, a simple raffle, One Tama-style was held. Attendees were asked to write a One Tama story that they are proud of on pieces of multi-colored post-its. The post-its were collected and from the pile, the winners were drawn. 5 Starbucks tumblers, courtesy of Dialogues@Starbucks, were given to the lucky winners. But in order to claim the prize, the winners had to share their own One Tama stories to the crowd.
