A Grain of Rice for the Poor! – Tips and Thoughts

Did you know that there are 925 million(almost a billion) throughout the globe, majority of whom are children in South Asia, particularly China and India? Yes folks, the said data was culled out from the UN’s World Food Program (WFP), a large humanitarian organization whose primary goal is to end world hunger. Cool! (that is how young boys and girls in school would utter if they hear great things).

But of all places worldwide, why China and India? Of course, one may be surprised why on earth there are still millions of hungry people in these countries despite their progress in terms of building major national and agricultural infrastructure. We are likewise cognizant of the fact that these countries are the two powerhouses in information technology, being manufacturers and developers of high-tech hardware and software. Most of all, China is one of the biggest creditors of the United States, a developed and industrialized nation! Yet, there are so many people suffering from hunger and malnutrition in the said countries? Hard-core economists would be able to further elucidate on the subject but there is a simple and logical explanation to this. One could be their dense population and another is the wide disparity between their richest and poorest people, among other things (e.g. beliefs, policies and system of government, etc).

Some people would have thought that most of the suffering and impoverished kids would have come from the poorer countries in Africa, especially when recent harrowing images of dying African kids are being shown on the worldwide web. We can hardly see suffering Chinese children being shown on TV, and in other media and online networks, and even in WFP’s website! Why? This is truly mind-boggling!

According to WFP, there is enough food to feed these people but the access of quality food and the means to deliver the same to the undernourished kids’ table is the big problem. Sure, respective Governments of these affected kids are doing their jobs but definitely it is not sufficient or perhaps it is not a priority.

So, how can each one of us help feed these people? The WFP has designed various ways on how to raise funds and acquire donations from the richer nations and other generous individual donors. But they have also other innovative ways whereby ordinary “unmoneyed” people, either in groups or individuals, can participate and donate grains of rice for the poor worldwide. This is neither a joke nor a scam! It comes from a reputable institution, so it could be real and legit!

My Useful Tips, being an advocate for a good and quality life for everyone, has been attracted to it and decided to join the said WFP’s program which is being managed by the FreeRice team. The scheme is not quite easy as there is a need to invest time and sheer talent (and treasure as well because there is a corresponding value for the time spent) in order to produce a grain of rice. Otherwise, it would be a futile exercise on your part if you don’t have both and the willingness (even on your spare time) to do it!

For more than a month, “My Useful Tips” has already donated more than half a million grains of rice for the hungry in developing countries. Said grains of rice can be gained by answering the questions provided in the website under a wide wide range of categories to select from such as Humanities, English (Grammar and Vocabulary), Mathematics/Algebra, Geography, Science (Anatomy), Chemistry, SAT (Entrance Exams), and other Language Learning (Spanish, French, Italian and German). For every correct answer, there is a corresponding 10 grains of rice which will be remitted to your coffers and eventually donated to the hungry in your name. But it is actually the sponsors and advertisers who pay, in your stead, the corresponding amount for the rice gained/donated.

Half a million grains of rice is not bad at all. It may be “small fry” to some people, but to “My Useful Tips” it’s like catching a “big fish” although it is just starting and learning to walk, a baby step! It has learned to enjoy and love exploring the alleys and byways of freerice web place already, i.e., hopping from one category to another! Hopefully, it would be able to deliver thousands of sacks of rice to the poor when time comes. What is good in this is that responding to the trivia questions does not only allow to share one’s time and donate something for the poor but it also stimulates the mind – a fun way of refreshing what one has learned in school, increasing one’s learning curve and improving his/her/their general knowledge on so many things under the sun! But if you have enough “dough” and don’t have the time, opt to share with them and donate your cash online instead.

Based on My Useful Tips experience, helping solve the world’s greatest problem is worth it!

How about you guys? Why don’t you try, join us, “rice up” and have some fun!

Counting Blessings: A Secret To Happiness!

"Count your blessings" is an old adage we hear oftentimes from people which most of us can relate to regardless of location, ability, gender and socio-economic status. But how frequent do people count their blessings? Always? Once, twice, thrice a day? We really don't have any idea and there is no way we can quantify it, there is no rule of thumb for this! As long as we are happy and contented despite the lack of resources, that should be the very essence of life. The fact that we are willing to share what we have with the less fortunates, even though how scarce our personal finances are, there is more reason for us to count our blessings. That is truly a blessing in itself….a blessing that we are still "able" and "strong" to lend a helping hand to the impoverished, to the old and indisposed, to children who have been deprived of quality education due to lack of school supplies and other educational related necessities, among others.

When we count our blessings, we forget our failures, shortcomings and wrongdoings, and instead we think and show gratefulness for the good things we've done. Somewhere in the process, we do not only bring joy to other people but we experience likewise a certain feeling of personal satisfaction. We also start to give recognition to the people we love and those around us, thus creating a happy family environment.

I would like to share with you an article forwarded to me by a very dear "kin" who in her early "tweens", has already a passion to help those in need. Instead of celebrating an important occasion with someone special and inviting friends to a party or fine dining, she decided to spend it in "style"! Together with her fellow "nightingales" and friends, they went out of their comfort zones and organized a worthy cause which made the sick and the aged and some unfortunate kids happy. It didn't cost them a lot of money to help these people, but the willingness and the heart to do it and a little help from benefactors made the event a reality and success.

Incidentally, the said activity reminded me of our responsibility, every citizen, to help our respective Governments in our own little way to achieve its plans and programs particularly its Development Goals. My kin's group of young urban professionals initiated this activity on their own volition, giving up a little of their time, luxury and treasure to help the poor. Isn't this one humble and quickest way of helping Governments achieve its goals of helping the poorer sectors of society? I commend you guys. Good job! Keep it up!

The blog episode below is a brief article written by one of my closest allies in the family! (Note: Pictures herein are not for reproduction and are exclusively for my useful tips use only)

“Always count your blessings”

by: Kristine Angela S.A.

A famous saying that all of us should live by. By doing so, it will let us know how fortunate we are and how much our God loves us! After counting our blessings, that’s the time we should start to share. Sharing and giving to our less fortunate brothers is another way of thanking God for the abundant blessings He’s given and will be giving us. It doesn’t matter how much amount you can give, as long as you have the heart and sincerity in giving, it matters more than anything else.

In this connection, Mike and I planned for something different to celebrate our anniversary. Even though our relationship (boyfriend-girlfriend) is relatively new, it has grown and matured in our faith in God. Instead of having the usual dating or going out of town, we opted to share our blessings and do a small charity work in a local orphanage and home for the aged. As soon as we finished inquiring and visiting the sites, I started a text brigade to our family, friends and colleagues asking for their help for the said project. As I predicted, most of the people I texted were all supportive and generous enough to help us. And then, one by one people started to pledge for the things they could provide and share. After gathering all the things that we needed for the charity work, I called the orphanage and home for the aged to schedule a date to visit them. And we agreed to do it on May 17, 2012! Yeeeeeyy!!!

Our first stop was at the NAZARETH: Bahay Pag-ibig Home For The Aged. It is located beside the San Pablo Cathedral, San Pablo City, Philippines. The said institution is a non-government organization which accommodates abandoned elders. Presently, they have 17 "lolos " and "lolas" (grandfathers and grandmothers).

The administrator of the home for the aged told us that like any other charitable institutions, donations come only seasonally. So, we thought that it was more practical to give them their personal needs. We gave them diapers, toiletries, medicines, and prepared some snacks for them.

Because Mike and I are both nurses, our friends in the hospital volunteered to go with us and helped us even though the sun was scorching hot that day. Thanks guys!!!! Deeply appreciated..

Our next stop was at the Open Door Christian Orphanage located at Fule Sahagun St., San Pablo, City. It was founded in the year 2000 with the vision to reach out to the orphaned, abandoned, abused and destitute children. They have 27 kids in their protective custody right now.

As for the kids, we prepared school materials for them just in time for the new school year which is soon forthcoming. Notebooks, pencils, crayons, erasers, sharpeners, rulers, are some of the items found in their loot bags. We also gave them some toys, medicines and prepared some snacks for them.

They were all accommodating and we received a warm welcome from them.

All in all, we had a great time doing this small charity work. It is nice to see other people smile because of the little things that you’re giving them. Or they’re just happy, simply because you spend some time to be with them. This project made us realize how blessed we were. For sure, this is not the last time that we’re gonna do this. This is just a great start for us. ‘Till our next project!!!!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow…..

What happened on the 21st of January even off my frustration last December. I was expecting a white christmas celebration but no snowfall came. Last Saturday, however, I woke up with snowfalls gently knocking on my door! It was beautiful to see the roads all covered with fine crystals of snow. Being a snow buff, I went out straightaway to enjoy the snowfalls even if they were starting to fade away. I simply revelled in the winter beauty of the earth and the said snowfalls perfectly made my day!

It's just amazing how nature make us happy! Right guys? What d'ya think?

(photos are not for reproduction. please let myusefultips.com know if you wish to use it. Thanks!)

"…but as long as you love me so, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow"!

The Love For Dancing – Tips and Thoughts

Just like music, dance or dancing is also a form of universal language. It's one way of socializing with other people of every race, nationality, religion or other ethnic groups throughout the world. In dancing, there is a natural expression of joyful feeling that is being drawn out from our inner selves! I'm not sure if you've experienced this but in my case dancing exudes a certain aura of peace, happiness and confidence and it also encourages other people to join in the merry making. It's simply contagious! Dancing makes us fit and happy, and that's the reason why we put a smile on our faces when we start frolicking on the dance floor. As a matter of fact, we are able to overcome our shyness and at the same time forget our problems especially when dancing along with large crowd of people .

Despite the differences in culture and tradition, people can flock together and dance in the same manner as they dance in their own native lands. Basically, everyone is able to seize the spirit and movement of each culture and tradition through dance whether one is a newcomer or already a dance expert or the so-called D.I. or dance instructor.

This blog site previously gave you a glimpse of how line dancing specifically was relevant to a certain community and how the people benefited from it (please go to http://www.myusefultips.com/?cat=12&paged=2 , "The Fun and Fitness of Line Dancing…"). As mentioned before, a dance activity in a certain community could serve as a venue for raising funds to support a certain project.

In this blog, myusefultips would like to share with you how people in various communities were able to express themselves and react to the rhythm, beat and boom of the music through dancing. There was this community gathering and a wedding of a friend I've attended where dancing played a very important role in making the said events memorable. Likewise, the Ay Borongan Association which was earlier featured in the 2011 San Lorenzo celebration in NYC recently concluded its festivities by holding a fiesta celebration at St. Paul's Assumption Church Auditorium in Staten Island, NYC. And yes, that was their first time ever to hold the celebration in NYC area. As expected the solemn religious gathering was followed by merry making with plenty of traditional food and dancing, you name it they have all kinds of dance (e.g. ball room, disco, salsa, rumba, meringue, tango, boogie, soul, chacha or even the vintage limbo rock dance and the native curacha) to the tune of music from 70's to latest craze in town. What a treat from the sponsors, organizers and officers of this event!

Here take a peek of how awesome these people were that even the kids had their share to display their happy feet, so to speak! They merely showed their love for dancing!

Note:

Photos are copyrighted and therefore not for reproduction. Thank you.

A Block Party on Judgment Day! – Fun Tips and Thoughts

In the U.S., block or street parties are normally held either during spring or fall seasons of the year. Block parties are undertaken primarily to give the community of a particular neighborhood a chance to be together and get acquainted of their respective culture and tradition. In NYC, it is observed that in a specific neighborhood for instance, people from all walks of life get together in a non-political event setting and socialize among themselves, an opportunity to gain new friends and raise public's awareness of how diverse the community is.

Our parish community held a block party for its parishioners and friends last week with rides, games, beer garden, food, entertainment and music for all. It was like a mini-international heritage day, as people from all walks of life came, to show case their native food, culture and traditions from their countries of origin. We all know that NYC has amazing community, just like our parish, composed of migrants from all corners of the globe. Everyone was cooperative and excited to prepare for the party and some of them donated food to share and sell them at a discount, proceeds of which accrued to the parish for worthy causes. While the weather during the day was erratic, warm and sunny day in the morning, with scattered rain showers in the late afternoon, overall it was a success. There were some entertainment, a music band, a choir and some folk dances for the crowd to see.

Take a peek of what our parish offered in the party.

It was fortunate that Harold Camping's rapture prophecy which fell on the same day didn't come true. Otherwise, there could have been no party at all! Only God knows when is Judgment Day, right folks? The only judgment which came after the event was that your poor blogger friend didn't win the raffle prize, a brand new IPAD 2, which would have been useful in her blogging activities. (sigh!)

By the way the light dance, according to the audience was superb, classy and exquisite!!! Hooray guys!!!

Utilizing Talents The Right Way – Tips And Thoughts

Each of us is endowed with unique capabilities, gifts and talents. The difference would be on how we unleash and use the said talents. Normally, these talents are innate in us, it comes naturally and since it is a gift that is bestowed on us by God, regardless of our beliefs, we're supposed to hone and give it back to glorify Him and eventually share the same with others through various ways.

Having a good singing voice is one of the many natural attributes given us. By singing, you get to learn to speak to people, be it in small or large crowds, entertain them, gain new friends, admirers or even your own fans if you're in the entertainment business. However, there are other singers, despite of lack of formal education in music, are called to serve God by becoming a composer or arranger of spiritual songs, a preacher thru Gospel songs, a parish musical director, a choir head or simply a member. Talent in singing and other related field in music (e.g. playing musical instruments) are gifts to us which can be applied in church related activities and if we have these, we should be grateful and generous enough to share the same as not everyone is gifted with such a natural treasure. Just like any talent, each one has to develop, sharpen and partake it with everyone to make it more purposeful. As mentioned in myusefultips previous blog on choir organization, singing God's praises in any forum be it in the liturgy or in other spiritual group gatherings, is likened to praying twice especially if you sing the said songs from the heart.

There are only a few of versatile song writers and singers of spiritual songs throughout the world who have been blessed to be able to inspire people, particular the young ones, either to do the same thing as they do or just bring them closer to the Lord .

One example is Mr. Steve Angrisano, an American who has been very dynamic and mobile from the time he was laden with such a responsibility to proclaim God's words through his songs and by singing the same and other liturgical songs. The same is true with Mr. Arnel de Pano (not the other “Arnel” of Journey!), a Filipino who writes and sings for the LORD as well. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Arnel Pineda, also a Filipino. I admire him as well for being such a total performer. For those who doesn't know Arnel Pineda as of yet, the guy is the lead vocalist of the famous American rock band “Journey”.

I was fortunate to attend two separate concerts and witness the performances of Msrrs. Angrisano and de Pano here in NYC and yep, they do possess good vocals . Both of these guys are veteran song writers and articulate as well. They both exude happy and pleasing personalities, reflective of their love for the Lord. Two of the more popular songs of Steve Angrisano which I've heard in church are “Go Make a Difference” and “Sweet Redeemer” (one of my favorites). For Arnel de Pano, he was able to compose and arrange a beautiful song, “Lead Me Lord”, which is popular for some choir groups, and some other equally magnificent pieces.

The photos below may not do justice to their songs but the message they would like to convey to us makes it more substantial. These guys indeed utilized their talents the right way! The real Maestros!

The Essence of Good Friday – Tips and Thoughts

In the interest of the first timers here at www.myusefultips.com, the Good Friday reflection posted last year centered on the roles played by Peter, Judas Iscariot and Pontius Pilate and how their actions relate to and infuence us nowadays. The said blog article made reference to Mell Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ, for description purposes.

For this year, the author shall attempt to discuss the merits of Good Friday observance. Did you know that for Christians, specifically Catholics , fasting and abstinence are officially observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday? As mentioned in my earlier blog, Good Friday is part of the Three Days (Triduum), making it as one of the most holy days in the church calendar, hence, people are required to offer more sacrifices for the love of God.

So, what happened on Good Friday? There was a time a friend of mine who has no religious orientation (because sometimes he's atheist, sometimes he's not!) posed this query, “Why do you call it Good Friday? Of course he knows what's being celebrated on Good Friday, as he's a learned man. He's aware of it and in fact, almost all of us regardless of our beliefs know that it's the day when Jesus was crucified and died on the cross. However, some of us, including my philosophical friend , do not have any idea why is it coined “good”, and not “sad”, “bad” or “Black Friday”, since what happened during that day was truly disappointing and harrowing. This is one thing hard to explain especially for reluctant and skeptics. Honestly, I don't have a clear-cut scientific or theoretical definition of Good Friday, even in some of the authorized books of the Church I've read, I haven't encountered any. However, based on the teachings and learning in school and from the priests' homilies in Church, I came to know and realize that it might have been called “Good Friday” simply because it was the time Jesus mission here on earth was accomplished. His sufferings and death turned out to be the fulfillment of God's promise and love for us, that is to save mankind from the destruction of sin and to prepare us for our journey to eternal life, which is Heaven where God's Kingdom is. And that makes it good, not just good but VERY GOOD! As such, we can even call it the “Great Friday” or how kids put it, "Awesome Friday". The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) specifically states that Jesus death is the unique sacrifice and it was consummated on the cross.

In today's culture, the persecution and the step-by-step suffering of Jesus starting from His Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Scourging and the Crowning with Thorns up to his tragic journey to Mt. Calvary with the heavy wooden cross would mirror the sufferings of men, the abandoned, the distressed, the lowly, those facing human rights abuses, those experiencing all kinds of pain, emotional, psychological and physical pain. We have always been taught and we've learned that God is in the midst of these people, those who are spiritually and materially poor, and therefore, even if they are experiencing sadness in their lives, effectively they're not because God is always there to comfort and rescue them, if they so desire and call on Him. These kinds of spiritual tenets and truths may be beyond human comprehension. Surely these truths are pretty hard to understand particularly if we have all the comforts in life and material possessions which some of us may have acquired it through illegal businesses, through graft and corruption, by persecuting other people and other means of bad practices. We have to be reminded that Jesus on Good Friday stands for the oppressed, the weak , the destitute and the abandoned. He was physically there to help them.

On Good Friday and Holy Saturday, perhaps it would be prudent for us to reflect on the 8 Beatitudes and compare it with what we've done in the past towards our brothers and sisters throughout the world, our neighbors, taking into account our failures, limitations and shortcomings. As mentioned, God is with the poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. God will reward these people at the end of the day. However, some of us would argue, if God is with the oppressed and the like, then why are they in such a miserable state? Exactly, this is the substance of Good Friday. This is what it's all about. Jesus wants us to carry our crosses so we can follow Him. One way of responding to this call is to share what we have to and help other people in need. Oh, this is pretty hard to grasp as it is not easy to give away our treasures, especially if it's hard-earned ….but with God's “paradoxical” promises on the Mount of Olives, there is always hope for all of us, hope that would encourage us to renew our lives, not to give up on ourselves, not to give up on others but most of all not to give up on God.

As we are about to enter the Easter season, myusefultips.com would like to greet you all a Blessed and Happy Easter!

The Logic Behind The Washing Of The Feet – Tips and Thoughts For Maundy Thursday

Today is myusefultips100th blog post! Yeah, big deal and HOORAY for all you guys out there! However, since it falls on Holy Week, no merry making will be held.

Today is also the time wherein the feet of many of our Christian brothers all over the world are being washed by priests and pastors during liturgical rites to commemorate Jesus’ washing of the feet of the 12 Apostles. The Last Supper of Jesus with the Apostles and His revelation that one of them will eventually betray Him likewise happened on this day.

One of the young girls asked me, "Why did Jesus wash the feet of the Apostles?" Unsure of what to say, I candidly told her that the Apostles feet were dirty maybe as they had just traveled on foot and I thought that was the most practical answer I could give her. But then I further explained that even if Jesus was the Apostles' Master, He was a very humble and kindhearted man, and doing such thing was not an issue to Him. During Jesus' time, the servants were tasked to wash the feet of their Masters. However, some of you may be aware that the washing of the feet was portrayed as a form of symbolism, that Jesus would want the Apostles to practice the virtues of charity and humility, a reminder for all of us that we have to be servants of one another. This is precisely the reason why Jesus, after washing the feet of His disciples, said to them: “Do as I have done to you”.

For young kids, to be humble and kind may be an easy thing to do even if it's against their will. As such, humility and charity are non-issues to them at all. Kids ask no questions, they just obey whatever is being told by their parents, their teachers in school, their leaders in the church and in any school related groups or teams and the like. However, for grown ups and adults , it would be another story! There would always be a tinge of doubt, they would always ask questions, they would worry and fret on certain things.

One of the two greatest commandments is to love your neighbor as you love yourself! But how can we love another person if we're not practicing the virtues of humility and charity or vice versa? How can we carry out these virtues if we think of ourselves as superior in all aspects of life (career, wealth, intelligence) or if we're envious of other people's attributes and properties. As I said, when we grow up things get complicated and it takes a lot of sacrifices and love to apply what Jesus wants us to do today.

If only the word “pride” did not exist, charity and humility will reign on earth! Some say pride is the opposite of all the virtues, not just charity and humility. I recall years ago, one of the heads assigned in our circle at the Opus Dei told us that we must not be wise and prudent according to worldly desires. Rather, we must be humble, simple and pure. We should never desire to be above others and that it would be better to be submissive for the love of God.

If only everyone practiced charity and humility in this world, there would be no hunger and less fortunate, there would be no greed and selfishness, there would be no divorce and failed marriages , there would be no wars and conflicts, there would be no VIP's and proud people who think they are much better than everyone else. I felt that the message behind the "washing of the feet" was really meant for the VIPs and the affluent , that for them to be like servants, willing to help and serve other people. Oh well, these matters can be so complex and debatable to many and these are facts and hard realities of life.

Ouch! In certain cases and there are times, especially these modern days, that I have been guilty and have sinned against these virtues. But with God’s mercy and forgiveness, I tried very hard to stand up hoping to do good things just to please God. Various lures and temptations however abound to prevent me from going all the way for God. I must admit even up to this day I am still struggling to be a real good person, to be holy and hopefully to change completely for the better.

A classic example of a person who practiced humility and charity when she was on earth was the Blessed Virgin Mary herself. She entrusted her entire life to God and has completely forgotten her own interests. However, hypocrites like most of us would argue this: but she was Mary, Jesus' mother ..…she was destined to be like that!

Precisely she was chosen as our model to show us a concrete example, for us to follow and be like her. Okay, it is easier said than done…but with the resolve to love God and our neighbors, no doubt we can do it. It only takes a little practice of charity and humility with a touch of love. We believe that God is love and love is powerful. When there's love , we become humble and forgiving, we can bear patiently the faults of others. In so doing, we would be able to face our daily challenges and ultimately we would be able to share it to others, making our world filled with beauty and joy.

P I would like to end this reflection with a short prayer:

Loving God, please forgive us for our shortcomings and limitations. Teach us to be childlike….whose humility and charity has love. Grant us the grace of unselfish and generous service which Mary had …..so that we may follow you till the end. This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord – Amen.

FIRST TIME TO MEET METS WITH ROCKIES – FUN SPORTS TIPS AND THOUGHTS

Last Monday night after completing a certain project, I got the chance to watch a live baseball game at NYC's Citifield Mets Stadium courtesy of some non profit org connections. So, what's the big deal? Nothing really, except that it was a pain in the butt as the New York Mets team lost to the Colorado Rockies after almost 4 hours of being exposed to the chilly weather, sitting, cheering and chanting, “LET'S GO METS, LET'S GO METS……, of course with the boom beat”!

Seriously, the game was fun and exciting, the support and exuberance of the crowd was quite amazing, giving me soothing relief after a long manic Monday. I'm not really a baseball enthusiast in my entire life although I played its simpler version (SOFT BALL) when I was in grade school. Phew, it only shows that I have not had the luxury of time for recreations before. However, the game on that day uncovered my hidden hungriness for sports and paved the way to sympathize with the underdogs!

My observations/analysis on what happened :

1.Changing the "gears", the pitcher so to speak, in midstream may not be a good strategy. It may only affect the momentum of the team

2.Hire/Train a very good pitch

3.Excessive confidence (e.g. aiming to land on another base or for a home run) may turn out to be a blunder

4.Never give up even if the opponent team has good strengths/players to boot

5.Past and present mistakes should serve as hard lessons for next game

Nevertheless, I still wish the NY Mets a successful game next time as I've learned to love the team! Go, Go, Go…..

Below are photos of the newly renovated Mets Stadium before and after the game. Such a gigantic beautiful field…Enjoy!

Fans walk of fame……

Loyalty To One’s Country:A Forgotten Virtue? – Tips and Thoughts

The song “”Bayan Ko” (or “My Country”) describes in so many ways a person’s loyalty to one's country, like that of a person who is in a far-off place facing sacrifices and challenges. For those who are not well versed with the song and therefore couldn't relate with its message, in view of language barrier, it doesn't really matter but for those who may be curious to know what it is all about, the song simply refers to nationalism and loyalty to one's country.

This blog shall not endeavor to dig into the origins of the song, its evolution and how the song was utilized by political leaders, opposition groups and nationalist movements raising clinched fists for certain freedom-related causes because I for one is not privy to all these. Rather, it shall delve on how the meaningful lyrics of the song jibe with a person’s sincerity and faithfulness to help one's country to wake up and help its Government do the right thing for its people.

A friend of mine migrated to the West Coast with full of dreams for her family and loved ones. I recall, when I met her in one of international gatherings several years ago while we were still in our respective home countries, there would be some discourses about the relevance of overseas contract workers and other migrant workers’ remittances to a particular country’s economy. She would also impress to me that there’s no way which could make her leave her homeland and stay in another country, transfer the technical knowledge and render professional services to a foreign government. I’ve known my friend to be more of a nationalistic type of person, as much as possible, she would rather serve her own country first before others. As a matter of fact, even most of her fashion “bling” accessories were handmade of indigenous people. She was loyal to her native land and very supportive of the programs of their Government.

I was surprised to learn that she and her family had transferred to the U.S. via a political asylum basis. Her family belongs to a minority group in their homeland based on my understanding. I don't know what really happened, what made her change her mind, but to make the story short, they made it here in the U.S., despite the entirely new and diverse setting, different people, race and religion. They became successful and enjoyed a better life because of guts, determination and hard work.

While her family are benefiting from the fruits of their labor, not to mention the perks and incentives from her employer and the advantages of being a citizen in an adopted land, she sees to it, all the time, that she’s in constant contact with her colleagues and peers in her home country. In fact, she had subscribed to certain cable TV shows so she could be updated of developments about her home country, particularly on current affairs and economic related matters, apart from global news on the internet and online articles. In times of calamities, she would try her best to donate something and initiate fund raising activities for the victims and affected families, despite of her being preoccupied with so many things. She doesn’t falter to help her country in any way she can, sans recognition, photo ops and klieg lights because she feels that a little aid would make her country rise up again, grow and prosper without setting any conditions, time frame and boundaries.

What my friend unceasingly does could be her way of responding to what it means to be loyal, faithful or should I say patriotic to one’s native land. Being loyal and patriotic don’t specifically mean all the time that one has to be radical, i.e., joining mass protests, toppling inefficient leaders or becoming a soldier to fight for one’s country. It could be simpler than that, just like what my friend is doing. While she could probably be suffering from loyal challenges, i.e., torn between her newly loved country and her dearly native land, the situation, however, does not bother her at all. And this to me is something heroic as my friend views loyalty to one’s country from a different perspective and not just merely from political and economic stand point. Her loyalty comes from the heart, particularly her pure intentions to help. One time she said that in order to be loyal in any given situation, be to your partner, country or anything, one must learn to how to love and embrace the strengths and weaknesses of the other. In this case, she has learned to love more and totally embrace her poverty-stricken country and at the same time contributing something in any way she can for it to thrive.

We have to face the fact that people has the option and the need to roam around to seek for greener pastures. We wander from one place to another to search primarily for much better situation for our family. Leaving one's native land is not bad and does not make a person disloyal at all. Note that we are all mere migrants here on earth. In fact, even the first settlers here in America are migrants, they came from other places mainly for the same reason to look for “food on the table”. What is important however, is that where ever a person is, he or she should show his/her love and respect to the newly adopted country in various ways, such as following rules and regulations (e.g. paying taxes, etc.), develop new friends but at the same time keeping the love for one's old country.

In retrospect, loyalty or being faithful is a virtue. In fact, God said we should be loyal to HIM. Of course, there are ways and means on how to be loyal to one’s country, family, religion, and the like but I shall refrain from elaborating on the other aspects (such as family, religion, etc.) as it would boil down to ethical standards. I intend to steer clear of touching “ethics” per se as it would make this blog messy, a topic which truly could be debatable to some.

Going back to my friend’s case, she genuinely possess the virtue of loyalty to her home country and it is something uncommon nowadays, reflective only of her being good-natured person. She has definitely not forgotten her native land and she always tries her best to help by making herself available to them in times of need and I hope everyone of us, regardless of one's race, should feel and do the same thing as my friend.

The video of the song “Bayan Ko” courtesy of You Tube, as shown below, was beautifully rendered by an amazing foreign-trained choir from Korea. The choir presented a non-Korean song but their version reinforced the intent of both the lyrics and melody of the song which are beyond doubt full of sentiments and meaning that even, I myself, was truly touched by it….(hmnnn, starting to have clouds in my eyes….!)

Magnifico! Bravo! Korean choir, you guys rock!

Enjoy!