My soul wanders…

I just came home today braving the heavy rain brought about by southwest monsoon. It’s really cold today and I’m shivering. Early this morning despite rain and thunder, I did bring my daughter to school. She’s in 3rd Grade already and she turned nine just a few days ago( August 28). Wow! I just can’t believe she grew up so quickly and soon she’ll be a young lady. But for me, she is still a baby.

Looking back three years ago, she was only five years old when I started aspiring to be one of the Voices of the Future correspondents. She was in kinder school at that time building her own castles on air with the wonders of fairy tales while I was building castles of real world for women and children through World Pulse.

The intense feeling of friendship and sisterhood of my dear World Pulse community still warms up my heart up to this very moment. The warmth of each and every woman and man I met during my US tour in 2010 was an ever flowing inspiration. Such journey of a lifetime graces me every day in my very challenging world of activism. .

Nearly two years have passed by and I should be finishing the book I promised to myself, to Jensine and to the World Pulse community. Sad to say – I’m still struggling to make it real but I’m still holding on to it. I know it will not take long. I think I really need a writing coach to keep me going!

Going through these years, I’m still busy flying around like a butterfly responding to the call of social change. I got involved in organizing the General Assembly of indigenous people in October of last year gathering thousands of them. In May of 2011, I did help the transport group staged a two-day transport strike paralyzing the island in protest of the oil price hikes resulting to price roll backs.

In February of this year, I deeply engaged myself on mining issues. I led in organizing the first ever region wide anti- mining conference attended by almost 2, 500 participants only for two weeks preparation and with very limited funds. It was like I’m going crazy!

The pressures and the stress were so high that I couldn’t imagine. But, the strong voice we raised delivered a big blow to the big mining businesses and to the local government units prompting them to suspend multi-national and local mining operations in the island. It was a great success!

Currently, I’m again engaged in another environmental advocacy work campaigning against the dangers of the construction of the mega dam in the heartlands of indigenous peoples. This is one of the biggest dam projects in the country supported by the South Korean government through their million dollar loan package payable in 50-60 years. In fact, this is the biggest South Korean supported project in the world. However, the dam will be constructed along the fault lines and is vulnerable to earth quake and flooding.

I continually raise the voices of underprivileged women and their families. I am helping in the production and anchoring two radio programs every Sunday in two major local radio stations. We talked about human rights issues, good governance, environmental justice, etc. I talked with media people and got TV and radio interviews on my stand about the issues.

But, above all these advocacies I’m taking on, I still keep on writing few pages of my book. I’m already at the middle of it and hopefully my World Pulse family is still willing to support me whenever I’m done with it. Thanks to all of you out there who still believe in me and to those friends of mine who keep on inspiring me to write. I really need to finish this before 2013! I think I really need a writing coach to keep me going!

As a mother, I'm actively involved in the academics of my daughter. It is my daughter who inspired me to share my gift of motherhood to those underprivileged children who needs support in their academic endeavor. Thus, last month, together with some concern mothers in our school and my sister, we put up an after- class tutorial center for kids as a support system for hard-up mothers who needs support for their children’s academic and social enhancement.

I want to touch women and men to be with me in making this world a place for the underprivileged women and children to cherish. I knew I can’t do this alone and I need your support in many simple ways like coaching me in finishing my book, helping me find mentors and sponsors for my dear little ones who have learning disabilities at our children learning center and link me with support groups and networks in my advocacy against the construction of mega dam that will devastate lives and communities not only of the indigenous peoples but for the whole population affected by the dam.

Yes, my soul wanders and will always wanders finding ways to keep going for social change. My amazing experience with World Pulse always reminds me that life is really beautiful and the world, the women and children deserve a better one