Global Xchange UK Phase: First Week

 It has been almost a week since the Philippine delegation left Manila for a 3-month exchange programme in Hounslow, United Kingdom as part of the Global Xchange which aims to involve youths of UK and a developing country in specific volunteer works . The first phase will involve community works in UK followed by another 3-month volunteer works in a community in Cebu, Philippines.

After arriving at the VSO Training Centre in Birmingham, UK, we were warmly welcomed by our UK counterparts who did a welcome song for us. We were so equally excited as they were, it was so overwhelming that we didn’t care much about the jet lag we got from almost 15 hours of travel.

We spent 3 days in Birmingham and enjoyed much of our stay. We had tons of energizers, activities, there was a night of going to the pub, meeting other VSO volunteers and so much of adjusting. Being in UK is completely unbelievable. We have to wear thick coats, jackets, we sleep with socks on our feet, we now spend less time watching TV and try as much as possible to connect to internet. Taking a bath was a serious challenge, as it is always cold in the morning and the heater doesn’t function that right away.

Getting to know who our counterpart’s going to be is the most exciting and wonderful feeling in the first few days of our stay. It was crucial. Just imagine the person’s going to be your partner for the rest of the programme- the moment you wake up in the morning, and the time you get to bed, you’re always gonna be with him. Before we left Birmingham, we have been paired with our British counterparts. The decision made by our Programme supervisors wasn’t easy. They had to consider a lot of factors and I believe that they have made a good one. I am now partnered with Patrick Dougherty. He’s such a cool guy actually. The first time I saw him, I instantly felt that it would be great to be partnered with him since he’s at times quiet and mysterious. I just hope that everything will just go well between us.

At the moment, we are now staying in our respective host homes. I and Patrick, together with Neil and Mark (another Pinoy) live in Smith’s residence in Saxon Road, about 20 minutes from central Hounslow. Karla is our foster mother and I am very happy to have a foster sister named Kiana. They’re half-Jamaican but have lived here in Hounslow for years. Both of them are very wonderful!! And before I forget, they have a two-year old greyhound dog named Imka.

In the following days, we will be paired with another UK counterpart who’s going to be our work partner in the next 3 months. On Monday, we will have our first Global Citizenship Day and hopefully see our placements later that day.

9 Pinoys off to London this April for Global Xchange Programme

       Nine Filipino youths are ready for change. The roster of individuals participating in the next Global Xchange Programme has already been determined. Mark Aethen Agana, South Cotabato; Dionell Chris Batoon, Rizal; Margarita Victoria Caballa, Metro Manila; Joseph Eduard LarañO III, Iloilo; Desiree May Llanos Dee, Metro Manila; April Karnette Maniacup, Pampanga; Karl Benson Molina, Rizal; Christina Lucia Marian Palami, Leyte; and Anthony Ross Zuniga, Rizal—have been chosen from all over the country to represent the Philippines as Team 107 in the next UK/Philippines exchange.

Global Xchange, which is an initiative set up by Volunteer Service Overseas (VSO) in partnership with the British Council and VSO Bahaginan, is a volunteer exchange program which gives young people from the Philippines and UK a chance to work together to develop and share valuable skills to make a practical contribution where it is needed in local communities.

Set to work as a team for three months in London, United Kingdom and another three months in Cebu, Philippines, these youths will live with local families and work with local community organizations to address the pressing issues on disability, secure livelihood, and environment.

Tessie Bugarin, Team 107’s Project Supervisor, will help them adapt to their new environment and learn as much as possible from their experiences.

“I had a hard time choosing the candidates for this batch. Everyone was excellent in his/her field of work. I am confident they will do well in the exchange,” said Bugarin.

Meanwhile, the team is preparing for the soft launch of their campaign The Butterfly Effect Project which aims to mobilize the youth to promote and support volunteering through Global Xchange. This project seeks to advance the knowledge and awareness of the youth, by encouraging them to participate in meaningful activities to serve as a generative force in human resource development committed to the values of volunteerism, social transformation, equity and diversity.

“I am thrilled and excited about the team’s bright ideas. Their energy and vigor make me feel younger. Truly, the youth is an asset to our organization,” Happy Ballesteros-Raagas. Resource Generation of VSO Bahaginan Foundation, Inc., said.

There is barely a week before they take flight to Hounslow, London—their first community. All is excited but at the same time anxious due to the recent volcanic ash cloud from Iceland that moved to UK’s airspace and disrupted its air travel.

But despite all these, the volunteers are still hopeful that everything will be well. The whole country will be with them on their journey.

The Butterfly Effect Project

We often hear how the flap of a butterfly’s wings can influence weather patterns around the world. Striking an allusion between this natural tendency and a metaphor, the butterfly effect is tantamount to the analysis that small changes, if properly situated, can bring about wide-ranging effects.

In a world stricken by poverty and divided by chaos, individual butterflies needs to step up to create an impact. Each butterfly, assigned to a specific task, should work in synergy with other butterflies to elicit an effect.

An analogy of this process could be paired to individual youths aspiring to make a difference in their respective communities. Each youth, tasked for a specific purpose, should integrate oneself to a larger group working for a common goal.

This month of May, 18 young people from the UK and the Philippines will endeavor in this process of social transformation. Under the Global Xchange Programme, the 18 youths will be forming the Team 107 of the Global Xchange Programme (GXP) that is jointly implemented in the Philippines by VSO Bahaginan and the British Council. They will be placed in communities, first in the UK and then in the Philippines, to do volunteer work in the areas of disability, secure livelihood, and environment.

Carrying the brand The Butterfly Effect Project, the team will work for six months to make significant contributions to both UK and the Philippines. As they emanate the value of volunteerism, these individuals will influence change to their counterpart pairs, to their host homes, and to the communities that they will be in. These changes, when put together, would bring about large-scale and lasting effects.

Like butterflies that emerged from the cycle of metamorphosis, nine youths with different backgrounds and upbringing will represent the Philippines. Ready for their counterparts from the UK, each will try to flap one’s wings to make significant contributions to the world.

San Miguel plans RP’s first bullet train project

San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has set its sights on what could probably be its most ambitious and expensive project to date as it spearheads the Philippines’ bid to become the first country in Southeast Asia to build and operate a bullet train.

As planned, the bullet train railway will run the Laoag-Manila-Bicol route. As for the right-of-way acquisitions, Ang said this will be up to the government.

He revealed that they hope to submit their unsolicited proposal to government by the end of the year.

Travel

from Manila to Laoag takes around 12 hours by land. The Philippine National Railways (PNR) has a train service that runs the Manila-Bicol route – the Bicol Express which carries as much as 20,000 passengers daily – although it has not been operational for three years due to heavy damage wrought by typhoons. There are plans to resume operations before President Arroyo’s term ends.

Both the Manila to Laoag and Manila to Bicol lines are also currently accessible by air and there are public buses that ply the two routes.

Running speeds of as fast as 300 kilometers per hour, a bullet train can cut travel time to the far ends of Luzon from Manila significantly. Fares are also expected to be cheaper than plane fares but higher than bus fares.

With SMC’s plan, the Philippines will be pitted against Vietnam in the bid to build Southeast Asia’s first bullet train.

The Vietnam project is estimated to cost $56 million and may choose either the group of Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, or Itochu Corp. and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd, all Japanese companies, for the project. The two groups currently run lines in Japan similar to what would be built in Vietnam. (article by Mary Ann Reyes, philstar.com)

Well, I just hope this project will eventually push through. I am a bit confident since the project will be facilitated mostly by the private company. Im so tired hearing delays and red tape stories on several mothballed government projects in the past that have created so much negative images about the Philippines

Be Part of Earth Hour 2010!

   In 2009 hundreds of millions of people around the world showed their support by turning off their lights for one hour.

Earth Hour 2010 will continue to be a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to stand up, to show leadership and be responsible for our future.

Last year, I was in Pasig city when I witnessed a huge part of the area taking part in this global initiative. I felt so amazed at how Filipinos regard this as an important event. There were even reports that the Philippines became one of the largest participants of Earth Hour 2009. I just wish that this happens twice or maybe thrice a year.

Hopefully, more Filipinos will become even more aware and cooperative in this significant human contribution to our planet. We may only switch one or two bulbs next week, but it’s the commitment we have for a better Earth that matters most.