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The Philippines may be one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, but it has the slowest Internet in the region. Internet has always been a concern of many in the Philippines. In this age of technology, one of the things that probably keeps the Philippines behind is the slow internet speed. As of May 2015, the Philippines’ Broadband Internet Average Speed is 3.63 Mbps, ranking us 176th of 202 countries, in Holland we have 20 Mbps. Our average Mobile Internet Speed, on the other hand, is at 4.43Mbps, ranking us 92nd of 112 countries. The cost per Mbps in the Philippines was also one of the most expensive with an average value of $18.18. To compare, the global average is $5.21.
Out of the 202 countries, the country with the slowest download speed is Equatorial Guinea with 0.93 Mbps. It is not only consumers, but also businesses and even government. Now, I don’t have the actual data but let’s simplify it based on “Opportunity Cost” in terms of time wasted or productivity loss. Consumers, government and businesses don’t want to just surf the internet, but want to use it to access valuable services such as fast email, business critical information and applications. For our government, that could have meant more people filing loans online via SSS.GOV.PH; if we could do our taxes online, imagine those freelancers lining up paying their taxes! The point being much better tax collection and loan revenue! Billions of pesos lost from the Filipino People’s pockets due to just bad internet service, waste of time from even trying to troubleshoot with customer service reps, and just paying for the really expensive internet without getting the money’s worth. On the brighter side with the new elected president, Our government provide free wireless internet in parks, plazas, public libraries, schools, hospitals, train stations, airports, and seaports.

Going abroad either to work or to travel is a good experience, both have a negative and positive impact in live. There so many different and (some personal) reasons especially if you are not born rich and you are the bread winner of the family, depending on a person or family needs, satisfaction why Filipinos and even some poor country choose to work abroad which caused to left their family behind. One of the main reason is having a corrupt government which supposedly that these leaders of the country are helping and supporting their local citizens need and due to self-interest and greed is stopping the development of the country.

Of course there are advantages and disadvantages in going abroad. Advantages in working abroad, there is a higher salary or double income, which can help enough for the monthly bills, health care or paying for the educations of their children and to support other needs. Employment and other job opportunities abroad had bigger chances since Philippines has a bigger populations and not everyone is fit to work in a company or some are underemployed. There is also discrimination in the hiring process private or in government agencies. The salary and benefits offered are too low. Other reasons of working abroad for some, not only about money but it is a personal dream and taking opportunity to travel, experience and learn the culture from different people, especially if you are not born rich and you are the bread winner of the family.
A foreign country enhances the skills and develops the personality of a person to become an open minded and learn live independently.

The downside or disadvantages of working abroad, aside from the distance from the family. Children are longing for a parents touch and a moral support. Without a proper guidance It affects the behavior of a child psychologically or emotionally like for example the kid who were left behind by their both parents they become rebel or turn to become a drug pusher or a child become a victim of abused by their own relatives. With an abused employers, OFW’s can become a victim too.

Many Filipinos have to make actions and to take risks by seeking better opportunities in overseas to secure a better future for their family and loved ones.

Admission Process Bahay Aurora
The child may either neglected, abandoned, indigent, foundling, surrendered or orphaned to be qualified to be admitted in an institution like Bahay Aurora. Bahay Aurora is not processing adoption, so so we were advised not to accept foundling, abandoned, and surrendered cases in adoptable age children. Since these cases should be process for adoption immediately. This is also to avoid transferring a child from one agency to another, to lessened bad effects on them emotionally and psychologically.
Mode of admission should either from local government unit, non-government agency, other non-government organizations through the assessment of the organizations social worker and then they will refer to us. Before the admission to our institution those children should be prepared for admission, referring parties will be doing the requirements such as pre-admission conference involving the parents/ guardians and referring party and the social worker from our agency, referral letter, Social Case Study report of the child, Birth certificate (if available), Medical Records/Medical Certificates, X-ray result, police blotter (if needed), School records (if going to school).
While referring party are preparing these papers the child maybe under their care or staying in an temporary place such as in a neighbor or the local government unit’s MSWD office. It is also a case to case bases. Sometimes when the children are lost or rescued their will be an exemption of emergency admission but this is not advisable for the reason that other referring parties are not doing their job when the child are already in our care. They tend to ignore us when we are requesting compliance to the incomplete requirements. There will be so many reasons for them not to do our request.
Medical check-up is one essential requirement since there were cases of a child having contagious illness. The admission will be on hold until the doctor will allow the child to mingle with other children. It is also to protect the children in our care.
Admission will happen when most of the essential requirements are ready. We are considerate enough to consider those papers that are not applicable at the time to follow after admission, such as school records and birth certificate.
Efforts were done to take all those children from the streets, from abusive families, neglected and indigents but due to not enough social workers/concern citizens to work on these children in need with so many paper works need to be done before a child can be helped become one of the main reasons why some children are still on their unfortunate conditions. Parents who are very selfish to keep their children with them even though they are not looking after them and not providing their needs properly are another reason. There were cases when the parents are harassing the institution to release their children from the agency’s care because they wanted their children back. We don’t have power to control cases like these. Even the government has no control for cases like this here in the Philippines. Another reason for declining admission to Bahay Aurora is that there are too many agencies catering children with the same categories within the region.
Due to our close relation with our partner agencies, Bahay Aurora is lucky enough to have more than 35 children currently in our care and more to come. Some agencies nearby has only few children or worst have to close down with varied reasons and one is because of lack of clients or no admission.

The healthcare system in the Philippines can be considered to be of a good standard, despite the fact that the facilities may not be as impressive as those found in high-end US or European hospitals.
Medical practitioners in the Philippines are graduates from the top universities in the country and most of them have studied in US medical schools. Additionally, there are doctors that have practiced medicine in the US before sharing their expertise in the Philippines. Filipino nurses are also trained by nursing schools that have excellent standards. In fact, a large percentage of Filipino nurses go on to work in the US.
The healthcare system in Philippines is a mixed public-private system.
Public health care is organised in 2 tiers: Primary care is delivered through public health and primary health care centres linked to peripheral barangay health centres (BHCs) or health outposts. Private healthcare services are well-established and growing in Philippines through specialist clinics and private hospitals. The private sector is much larger than the public sector in terms of human, financial and technological resources and caters to 30% of the population. It is structured according to the North American model organised around independent free-standing hospitals, individual medical offices and private clinics, dependent on fee-for-service payments.

Hospitals

Finding the right hospital in the Philippines is not considered too difficult as there are a number of options to choose from. The Philippines has both private and public healthcare institutions as explained above. Most of the government hospitals provide quality healthcare in the same way private hospitals do. Although some people may have misconceptions, most of them are unfounded. The main differences between public and private hospitals are the facilities and technologies offered. Most of the public hospitals would not be equipped to the same standard as the private ones. However, some of the best doctors are serving in the government hospitals. Also, most Filipinos would seek advice from these government hospitals because fees are not charged. Private hospitals are located in key cities throughout the nation and there are also tertiary hospitals that have the latest in medical technologies. However, as you would expect, private hospitals are more expensive. Consultation are free of charge from public hospital, but the medicine depends on the degree of disease usually public hospitals have free generic antibiotics and some Medicine for High Blood, Diabetes, And Cholesterol. But the higher the dose the higher the price of the Medicine. In Private Hospitals the minimum charge of payment may range from 500 to 1000 per check up, not included the laboratories that may range from 500 to 2500 depends on the procedure or medical examination to be taken. In private hospitals the facilities are good and the Doctors are definitely Good same as in Public.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is the executive department of the Philippine Government responsible for the protection of the social welfare rights of Filipinos and to promote social development. They make sure that all private Social Welfare Development Agencies (SWDAs) operating will comply and have registration and license to operate. A SWDA will be given registration with the validity of Certificate of registration for 3 years. Our DSWD registration will enable us the inclusion of our NGO in the DSWD’s Registry of Registered, Licensed and/or Accredited SWDAs. Technical Assistance will be given by the DSWD on programs and services implementation of our agency. Our registration will enable us for the participation in DSWD’s capability building and skills enhancement and other benefits and privileges provided from time to time by DSWD. Short comings? Since they only have three persons working in the technical assistance department where we always transact with, most of the time they were late in the information that was given to us. Since we are registered, we were able to participate in the trainings and capability building that the DSWD is giving. There are times that they were having training for social workers and another for house parents for free. Mostly our social worker were able to attend training /seminar about case management. Jazel, Juvie, Joahnna and Safhe were able to attend different trainings.
Other benefits and privileges from time to time was just like we were be able to be recommended for the raffle of other companies, we were picked in the raffle during mercury drug anniversary celebration years ago, also was given boxes of noodles, sometimes they give food packs if there are disasters.

A child’s experiences in his early life greatly influence his eventual adult development. Studies suggest that 50% or more of a child’s mature intelligence is developed by the time he turns 4. It is no wonder then, that a child’s early years are called his formative years. All parents wish to provide every possible benefit to their child during their early formative years to ensure success in later years.
Every child is different, some of them are good in football( Sports) , some of them may become a model someday, some are good in drawing skills, some are good in arts. the children of Bahay Aurora are God’s Gift from heaven that they must be guided and given the right path in life. they must be love, care, and cherish so they will be may reach their dreams someday.

Op dit moment, mede door de weersomstandigheden, hebben heel veel mensen op de Filippijnen last van zere ogen. Het is dan net of je zand in je ogen hebt en het is enorm lastig en pijnlijk. Je krijgt gezwollen, bloed doorlopen ogen en er is geen medicijn tegen, gewoon uitzieken dus. Met name op ons kindertehuis hebben bijna alle kinderen hier last van. Dit komt onder andere doordat kinderen dingen gemeenschappelijk gebruiken. Het is namelijk een virus infectie die gemakkelijk van de ene naar de andere persoon gaat. Om te voorkomen dat er nog meer kinderen zere ogen krijgen hebben we een voorlichting georganiseerd.
Alhoewel we al regelmatige voorlichting doen (project Melissa Coens) was het toch van belang even de extra nadruk te leggen op de persoonlijke hygiëne. We hebben deze voorlichting georganiseerd op de plek waar de kinderen altijd moeten handen wassen voor het eten. Er is nogmaals sterk benadrukt om zeep te gebruiken en ook om een schone handdoek te gebruiken om af te drogen. Op die manier is er minder kans op infectie. Voorlichting in een groep is altijd leuk dus de kinderen zagen de lol er wel van in en het voordeel is ook dat ze elkaar corrigeren als iemand het niet goed doet.
Zere ogen duren meestal een week. Daarna is het over en komt het weer terug over een jaar tijdens de volgende natte tijd. Nu maar hopen dat er volgend jaar nog beter op de hygiëne wordt gelet.

Last August 6, the Children of Bahay Aurora together with the staff had an educational field trip to the Mind Museum. Departure time 6:00 am, the children got excited and it can see in every face of the children the thrill and excitement that they had before the departure time. They had there breakfast in the bus.  Arriving time at Mind Museum 9:00 am they were given instruction of the things they must do and the things they must not do. They had really a great time in Mind Museum a lots of learning experience all about Science the technology and what really is the word of Science. The outer space, the start of everything, elements of the world and what really includes and compose of the Earth. The smile  and joy in each and every one was brought by Sir Nico and his colleague’s the Mind Museum was only the Introduction the main course is the Football Camp they play in the football field together with Sir Nico’s friends the children got a chance to play the real game. everyone were tired at the end but still very much satisfied with what The Camp provides. we thank Sir Nico for sharing with us the Chance of letting the Children of bahay Aurora Enjoy that wonderful experience