Last October 27, 2009, Onetama partnered with the Ateneo Blueguards (an Ateneo alumni football team) led by Mr. Eric Ingles to do something to lend a hand. It was also through Mr. Ingles’ generosity that rubber boots and shovels were made available for use of the volunteers. These Blueguards and friends have been going to Provident Village regularly since October 1, bringing any number of people they could muster with boots and shovels in tow to help reclaim the living space that was buried by earth and debris. At 10am in front of the Jesuit Communications Building, volunteers who answered the open invitation of OneTama came in their jeans and shirts with ready hearts and willing hands. The group was an interesting mix of alumni, friends both local and foreign as well as young professionals with a dash of still-in-school teenagers.

Sidewalks merged with the streets and into the surrounding homes, as the volunteers worked side by side city workers and homeowners in the process of unearthing what once was. Oftentimes we were met with stares that seemed to ask, “Why are you here?”

Our actions were our silent reply,”We are here because there is some good that can be done. We are here because in some small way we can help.”

The volunteers fanned out in groups of 5 or more in areas where mud and debris had to be cleared from the sidewalk and homes onto the street for bulldozers to haul away. As with all things worth doing, the shovelling was not easy. It was a surprising shock to the system for these volunteers to dig into the concrete-like consistency of the mud, experience the oppressive noonday heat and to see excavation of Provident Village, after a river ran  through it. 

It was a mere 5 hours of labor. Though this effort may seem like a drop in the bucket, it is our hope that the volunteers take away from this experience the belief and conviction that every little effort, every little drop counts. It is with all our cumulative drops that we can create our own great flood of relief and renewal wherever we stand.

Ganumpaman, sa konteksto ng lumiliit na mundo at ng lumalagong ibayong kalakal, higit pang mahalaga na pagyamanin natin ang kaalaman natin sa wikang Pilipino. Tumitingkad ang pangangailangang maging hiyang tayo sa sariling wika hindi lamang upang mangusap, ngunit dahil ang ating wika ay sisidlan ng ating mga pagpapahalaga, kasaysayan, at kultura—mga bagay-bagay na hindi nahuhuli ng payak na pagsasalin sa ibang wika. Kung tayo’y makikitao sa ibang lahi at kultura, ang ating pagpapakilala sa sarili at sa bayan ay maaayon sa mga ito.

Napaka-ganda ng ating wika. Gumagamit ito ng mga salitang nabuo mula sa diwa ng katotohanang Pilipino. Bilang pagpapahiwatig ng kagandahang ito, at bilang patunay ng halaga na matutunan natin ang wika, pagnilayan natin at himayin ang ilang salitang Pilipino:

Talinhaga. Isang salitang nagmumula sa ugat na “Taling Hiwaga.” Nagpapahiwatig ito ng pagsasama-sama ng mga hiwaga sa pangungusap. Nagpapahiwatig din na ang ibig ipakahulugan ay higit sa natatanging ibig sabihin ng bawat salita.

Hanap-Buhay. Isang salitang sinasalin nang payak upang mangahulugang “trabaho,” ang tunay na kahulugan nito ay tumutukoy sa saysay ng ating bawat galaw. Ang pagkaabala sa Hanap-buhay ay literal na paghahangad at pagsisikap para sa makubuluhang buhay. Ang trabaho, pera, at gawain ay bahagi lamang ng kabuuan na ginagabayan ng paglago, pag-asa at pakikipag kapwa-tao.

Bukas, ang salitang tumutukoy sa susunod na araw. Palitan lamang ang bigkas, nagiging salitang tumutukoy sa kabaliktaran ng pagiging sarado. Nagpapakita ng magandang pananaw ng Pilipino tungkol sa hinaharap, bukas sa pagbabago at pag-asa.

Tahanan, na sinasalin nang payak upang mangahulugang “bahay.” Ngunit higit na mayaman sa simpleng gusali lamang, pinapahiwatig ng Tahanan ang pananaw ng Pilipino sa lugar na ating inuuwian: isang lugar kung saan tayo tumatahan. Kung saan tumitigil ang pag-iyak. Kung saan napapawi ang sakit at paghihirap. At kung saan matatagpuan ang pamilya at kapwang kakalinga.

Pagdiwang. Isang salitang tumutukoy sa pagsasaya. Nagmumula sa ugat na “diwa,” na nagpapahiwatig ng ating kulturang nagbibigay-halaga sa dahilan ng pagsasaya. Isang pagkilala sa ating mga pagpapahalaga, pangarapin, at pagsusumikap bilang bayan.

Ang Wikang Pilipino ay Talinhaga ng ating paghaHanap-Buhay. Ito ang Talinhaga ng ating pagtanaw sa Bukas—ng ating paghahangad sa isang Tahanan. Ito ang pagsasamo ng ating mga paghihirap, pagsusumikap, at pag-asa; ang siyang nakahuhuli at nangungusap sa kabuuan ng ating pagka-Pilipino. Ang Wikang Pilipino ay ang ating Pagdiwang sa ating katauhan; kung wala ito, nawawala rin ang ating kabuluhan bilang lahi at bayan.

Kilalanin natin ang ating sarili. Kilalanin natin ang ating wika.

I was inspired to write this entry by my 2.5 hour (minimum) daily commute to and from the office, an ordeal forced upon me by both reasons mentioned above.

Road Predictability

The first problem, the unpredictability of roads, is beef we will have to take up with the MMDA to some extent. It seems like they deem us appropriate test subjects for their radical solutions; but trial and error is just not well-suited for traffic management.

We all have to be somewhere at specific times, and our ability to meet these commitments hinge on our ability to anticipate the time it takes to get there. Regardless of how long that is—10 minutes or 3 hours—what matters is that we know. We can then adjust our preparations around that estimate. Trial and error defeats that predictability.

Further, traffic exhibits a learning curve to changes in roads and routes. Frequent revisions to traffic schemes confuse drivers, effectively stranding us in the lower strata of that learning curve perpetually.

Don’t get me wrong though, I appreciate the MMDA’s pro-activity and creativity. I commend them for solutions which do work. But U-turn slots, one-way roads, and street names (!!!) just cannot change every 2 months because someone thought it might work. There has to be a science in solving flow problems; a systematic way of choosing the best option among many based on simulations, numbers, and models. I am confident we have the people and technology to do it, we just have to take that first step in applying them to traffic management.

Driver Discretion

It is monumentously more difficult to apply science to solving our traffic problems, however, if drivers continue to exhibit flawed discretion on the road. For as much as drivers rely on road predictability, traffic management relies on sound stakeholder discretion.

As drivers, we are expected to keep our lanes, follow traffic signs, drive at the right speed, and not counter-flow. As commuters, we are expected to load and unload only on designated areas. As pedestrians, we are expected to cross at the appropriate time and place. If we fail any of these, the science of traffic management collapses and the result is inefficiency.

This, then, is the reason behind following traffic rules. Not only does the immediate traffic situation depend on it, so does any hope of applying science to find long-term solutions to our traffic problems. Unless we commit to traffic rules, all the numbers, scenarios, and models go out the window and we leave authorities no choice but to employ crude tactics like trial and error.

The Chicken and The Egg

The problem of which comes first, of course, is an easy trap to fall into. While I posit that responsible drivers are a pre-requisite to the science that will improve traffic management in the future, you can as easily contend that current traffic management leaves you no choice but to break the rules, lest you suffer the inefficiencies of our flawed system.

Let me bring it to an everyday context, as an example. Every morning, I find myself waiting in line for at least 15 minutes to get past a 200 meter stretch of road. Meanwhile, to my left, I see cars zooming by as they counter-flow to avoid the wait. I invariably find myself tempted to do the same, most especially on days when I’m running late for work. It is not my fault, after all, that this specific stretch of road bottle-necks into two lanes before meeting an intersection. If the system cannot create a solution for this wait, why shouldn’t I beat the system and make a solution for myself?

The answer is painfully obvious: because someone has to start helping the system now. And because you understand that, though you may not like how it sounds now, it has become your responsibility to be that someone.

Exercise good discretion when you drive. Tell your friends and family to do the same. Follow traffic rules, though it may cost you a bit of time and patience. Doing so will empower good-willed and competent people (and believe me, they are out there) to make the systemic improvements we’ve all been yearning for.

An old friend asked me an interesting question once: “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”**

Makes you think back for yourself, doesn’t it?

As humans, we put a lot of importance and ceremony in firsts–first day in this world (birthdays), first step, first word, first day in school, first crush, first dance, first kiss, first heartbreak, first job, first paycheck, first born– and the list goes on and on. My guess on the underlying reason for this is our predisposition to be dynamic and ever-growing. We celebrate milestones to see how far we’ve come, and what new frontiers lie ahead.

The best thing about all this, though, is that the firsts don’t ever have to stop coming. Determined by us for the most part, we can choose to keep on trying new things, seeing new places, tasting new food, meeting new people throughout our lives. We can choose to do something new everyday.

On Doing Right

I recall another wise quip from the same friend: “You are what you do repeatedly. Excellence is not an act, it’s a habit”**

We can apply the same school of thought to many things besides excellence. Doing Right, for example. While a single good act is commendable, repeated acts of goodness define character. Elevate it another level, repeated acts of goodness shared with community define a culture.

We must not get caught up in the grandeur of the idea, though. Before we can build character and culture, it is essential to first engage inividual good acts. The importance of individual actions cannot be ignored. We are but reminded that these individual good actions must be undertaken in the context of character and culture formation.

There is a challenge to all of us in this, putting the two together. The challenge is for each of us to make a habit of finding new ways of doing right. To make firsts everyday by discovering new ways of doing good, and integrating these actions to our ways of life. To not tire of constantly asking, what new good thing can I put my self into today? And how can I share it with my community?

There is a challenge to all of us in this, and we call it One Tama.

Find out more about this challenge, visit www.Onetama.com

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** I am sure many of the wise things people say to one another, they picked up from someone else. And that someone else, in turn, picked it up from yet another someone. And though by the time they reach us, we may not know by whom most wisdom was born, I hope it is sufficient to those wise men that they have shared to the world some sense worth telling over and over and over. Nameless they perhaps become, they are immortalized by the wisdom they’ve lent to us.

The quotes above, I am sure, were not originally my friend’s. I wish I can name the real sources, but I cannot. I thank them though for the discourse and insights they’ve catalyzed.

Share their stories, because actions speak loudest when shared. 

From now until August 20, we will be accepting stories about the munting bayanis in your lives. 

• Write a brief testimonial, prepare a slideshow or even make a video.
• There is no limitation to how simple or creative your stories may be.
• Just take some time to share about the people who have been inspirations to you. 

What simple actions have they done to make the Philippines a better place? How have they unknowingly inspired you to constantly do the right thing, and thereby perhaps turning you into a munting bayani for somebody else? 

On August 24, we will be sharing the 10 most inspiring stories with everyone else, through our Website (Onetama.com). As a reward, we will give away 1 Tumbler each for the authors of the chosen stories, courtesy of Starbucks. 

Please email your stories to duyannggiting@yahoo.com. While you are at it, send it to your friends as well. Post in on your blog, Facebook or Multiply. In fact, we would prefer it if you just email us the link to where your testimonial is published. 

By sharing stories of munting bayanis, we make it possible for others to be munting bayanis themselves.

Ironically, some 11 years wiser, grappling with what we consider to be our country’s most current concerns, I find the song the most time-relevant over any other. Perhaps not for its sound, but for its message: “You who have dreams, if you act they will come true. To turn your dreams to a fact, it’s up to you… Start me with ten who are stout-hearted men, And I’ll soon give you ten thousand more.”

These words keep repeating in my mind whenever we get the chance to share One Tama with people who care to listen. Contrary to what most would expect however, I am inspired by these words not because I see myself to be among the ten stout-hearted men. I am inspired because every time I meet people who care; every time I discover their passion for country and countrymen, I feel renewed wanting to be part of the ten thousand more.

This, perhaps, is what One Tama is about. It is not about one good leader. Nor just ten good men. Nor even just ten thousand. It is about Filipinos inspiring fellow Filipinos into nation-building through positive, shared action.

We invite you, therefore, who read this. Start doing One Tama today. Be a man or woman among stout-hearted men and women, and soon, there will be ten thousand more. For, “Hearts can inspire, other hearts with their fire…the strong obey when a strong man shows them the way.”

We also invite you to take part in the One Tama Action for August: Share a Story, Inspire Many. We will be accepting stories about your everyday heroes until 20 August 2009, through duyannggiting@yahoo.com. The 10 most inspiring stories will be published on our web site, and the submitter will be given a token of appreciation care of Starbucks Coffee. By sharing stories of everyday heroism, we make it possible for others to be heroes themselves. Click here for details.

One Tama. Actions speak loudest when shared.

————

STOUT-HEARTED MEN
(Sigmund Romberg / Frank Mandel /
Laurence Schwab / Oscar Hammerstein II)

You who have dreams, if you act they will come true.
To turn your dreams to a fact, it’s up to you.
If you have the soul and the spirit,
Never fear it, you’ll see it thru,
Hearts can inspire, other hearts with their fire,
For the strong obey when a strong man shows them the way.

Give me some men who are stout-hearted men,
Who will fight, for the right they adore,
Start me with ten who are stout-hearted men,
And I’ll soon give you ten thousand more.
Shoulder to shoulder and bolder and bolder,
They grow as they go to the fore.
Then there’s nothing in the world can halt or mar a plan,
When stout-hearted men can stick together man to man.

Give me some men who are stout-hearted men,
Who will fight, for the right they adore,
Start me with ten who are stout-hearted men,
And I’ll soon give you ten thousand more.
Shoulder to shoulder and bolder and bolder,
They grow as they go to the fore.
Then there’s nothing in the world can halt or mar a plan,
When stout-hearted men can stick together man to man.

The world is getting smaller as air travel becomes quicker and cheaper. In fact, it’s come to a point where travel to nearby countries: Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Vietnam cost only a little more than flights to Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Bohol, and Davao. Therefore, by many people’s logic (and sometimes ours, too), it’s easy to say: “Well, if I’m spending just as much anyway, I might as well take a trip to another country rather than just to some Philippine province.”

The key pressumptions of this school of thought, we think, are: 1) There is more to see and do in another country; and 2) The Philippine destinations are just around the corner, and we can always go there next time.

Allow us to try and refute these assumptions by sharing some of our thoughts and research with you.

Is there more to see and do in other countries?

It’s easy to take our “backyard” for granted. We’ve heard things about our country over and over again that we’ve grown desensitized to just how awesome some of these things are. Let me share with you a bit of Philippine Trivia–maybe you know some of them already, but indulge us this one time and try to think of them as if they were new to you.

• The Philippines was colonized by the Spanish, Americans, and Japanese. We actively trade with China and other neighboring countries. There are more than 180 native dialects spoken throughout the nation. There is a myriad of culture and influences throughout the Philippines, which are manifested through rituals, festivals, food, and architecture.
• The Philippines ranks fifth in the world in length of coast lines, with 36,289km. (The top four are Canada, Indonesia, Greenland, and Russia, which are all more than 5 times bigger than the Philippines.) Many of these coastlines are now considered to be among the top beach destiations in the world.
• Of the 500 known coral species in the world, 488 can be found in the Philippines. The Tubbataha reef in Sulu, Mindanao was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a nominee to be among the 7 New Natural Wonders of the World. The Philippine waters is home to all sorts of fish–from the smallest (Pandaka Pygmaea) to the biggest (Butanding). Divers from all over the world come to the Philippines to see some of the planet’s richest aquatic ecosystems at their finest.
• Tourists come to the Philippines to hike, camp, surf, wake-board, and go white-water rafting in the country’s lush mountains, pristine shores, and mighty rivers. Not only are these activities more affordable here, our mountains, oceans, and rivers are also known to be among the best world-wide.
• The Philippines boasts of a 2-time Best Resort in The World award-winner (Amanpulo), the longest accessible underground river (Palawan), the most perfect cone-shaped volcano (Mayon), 2000 year-old mountain-side rice terraces (Banaue), and 1,268 perfectly cone-shaped limestone hills (Bohol), among many other awesome sites which are flocked by local and foreign tourists year-round.

We believe there are more than enough things to see and do in the Philippines for just about anybody. It’s a matter of actually going out there to explore just how awesome this country really is. We know that so many foreigners come to our country every year as visitors. In fact, many of them even end up calling this place their new home. If they find such wonder in the Philippines– the sights, the culture, the people– then maybe we can too.

Will it still be there next time? Probably. But do you miss out by postponing your visit? We believe so.

The Philippines is quickly becoming a world-class tourist destination. More than 3 million foreign tourists vist the country every year, and this number is growing annually. For the first quarter of 2009 alone, foreign tourist arrivals increased by 4.2%. Foreign institutions have also found Filipino tourist destinations appealing to their respective markets. Survivor France and Israel have both been hosted in Caramoan, Palawan. International wakeboarding and surfboarding competitions have been held in Camarines Sur and Siargao, respectively. In some of the more popular destinations, Filipinos often find themselves a minority among the hordes of visiting foreigners. For many of these places, there is no turning back. International tourists have arrived, local economies have adapted, and it’s almost as if the place is no longer just Filipino.

Not that international tourism is bad, of course. After all, our economy depends to a large part on foreigners coming over. Their trips here generate income and development which serve to better our countrymen. But, to some extent, the charm of the secluded natural or cultural wonder is lost. This charm, we think, potently spurns awe, pride and love for country which we could only hope every Filipino experiences.

True, domestic tourism as a whole is on the rise (12.9% in 1Q09). But we continue to hope that the Filipino fervor to know our own country continues to grow, and that Filipino tourists appreciate what our country has to offer with the same awe and inspiration as foreign tourists who see our sights for the first time.

Think of the Philippines as your home. Don’t you want to get to know it for yourself even before visitors come and explore it?

Think of the Philippines as your home. After all, it really is.

Get to know your country. Check out actions 73, 85 and 93!

Most plastic bags today are made of Polyethylene, 80% produced from natural gas, which is a non-renewable resource. What makes this versatile material popular is its relatively cheap production cost. What people fail to consider, however, are the collateral environmental damage and disposal costs associated to plastics.

Here are some general facts and statistics for everyone to consider:

1. Plastics make up about 18% of total global waste by volume, and 7% by weight.
2. World-wide, only about 5.2% of plastic bags are recycled. [I suspect the number for the Philippines is slightly higher, owing to our cultural persistence in re-using plastic bags over and over.] Recycled plastic is melted and fashioned into other usable things, like chairs, bottles, and other practical items. The process of melting used plastic produces potentially toxic waste, however, which poses a threat to our environment. Still, maybe this is better than the other 94.8% which are not recycled at all.
3. The unrecycled plastic eventually find their way to our waste dumps. Most plastics are non-biodegradable, meaning they do not readily decompose in soil like organic materials. Instead, plastics undergo a processe called photo-degradation when exposed to sunlight and other conducive conditions. Photo-degradation takes a very long time–20 years by the most modest estimates, and up to 500 years by others.
4. Even after photo-degradation, non-organic plastic particles mix with soil and may yield unforetold negative effects to surrounding fauna and flora. Plastics were introduced for commercial use beginning 1933 only, and so these effects remain largely unknown at present.

Conservation Proposal

I am not against the use of plastic bags. I have to admit the strengths and advantages of the material. However, I believe we’ve taken plastics for granted by excessive use and irresponsible disposal. Here is my simple proposal:

Don’t use plastic bags when you can manage without it.

• Choose to carry the one or two items you purchase from a convenience store by hand;
• Remember to tell the cashiers and clerks when you don’t need a plastic bag so they’d know not to give you one;
• For planned shopping/ grocery trips, bring reusable bags to carry your purchases;
• Try to carry a portable, reusable bag in your purse or pocket just in case you find a need for it.
• When buying items from several stores, explore ways to combine purchases in as few bags as possible.

How about other alternatives like Paper Bags and Biodegradable Plastic Bags?

Although theoretically more environment-friendly, an overall reduction in the usage of these materials is still recommended. The more we use these materials, the more costs there will be. Paper bags come from trees, which is rapidly becoming a scarce resource. Biodegradable plastic is made of cornstarch and other similar crop food products, which are again a valuable resource to society.

Counting Wins

I keep a small card in my wallet where I scribble a small mark everytime I avoid using a plastic bag. It makes me happy about my effort, and helps me sell the idea to other people too. I was amazed to find that I can save anywhere from 1 to 3 plastic bags daily, and have saved about 50 bags in the past month. Imagine the possibilities: that’s equivalent to 600 bags in a year per person; 6,000 plastic bags annually if only 9 other people joined me.

I realize: it’s not such a trivial effort after all, is it?

Make saving on plastic bags your One Tama Action of the day, too. Add actions 10 and 58 to your list!

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.