Author: Angelique Smidstra

FIRST IMPRESSION IN BAHAY AURORA

Patricia Marie Llagas-FABKI Social Worker

On my first day here, I was greeted by the staffs of Bahay Aurora, welcomed, offered a cup of coffee, given a brief orientation and complete tour of the facilities before joining my colleagues. There I was given a complete preview of the institution and their values. The first thing I noticed what they lived out their values, even in the onboarding process as opposed to just having a paper hand out and some words on a wall. Additionally, I was able to log in and start work on the first day… and everything worked the e-mail, phone, settings, programs I would need, it was all seamless and efficient.

This institution was not only ready for me to start, they made sure I understood that I was valued, welcomed and a significant part of the organization. I knew my confidence in the company was at a high level and it told me I made the right choice to join this institution.

It was certainly worth the move. The results of these first impressions made me not only glad I had made the move to this institution but made me want to hit the ground running and truly work as hard for Bahay Aurora as they had worked to make me feel welcome.

Bahay Aurora gives me a great impression that I am surely will last. Working in this institution for almost a couple of month and it seems to be good working with a systematic organization like this. Where I am working under restrictive policies but no real pressure within. And it really helps me to be more disciplined young professional.

I am pretty sure that Bahay Aurora Foundation will help me to boost my confidence and enhanced my skills in developing my inner capabilities being a young professional. I will work for the institution’s goals and targets and in return, I expect to grow professionally in my career path with FABKI.

Thank you FABKI for the new learnings, good company and a great atmosphere to work on!

Peter Mark M.Demasu-ay, RSW
Experience in Bahay Aurora.

My one month stay in Bahay Aurora since I started my job as a social worker here last January 2,2108 is very happy, awesome, relaxing, fulfilling, and blessing.
Happy because I have a new job, new perspective, new learning and new people to interact with I am also happy because the place was great and it is located at the province were many scenery and places I can visit during my day off.
I feel awesome because the management and staff are very supportive and approachable especially during my first day. It is awesome because I have learned so many task, knowledge, skills especially about the dealing on PCAR Parenting Capability Assessment, group Activity with the kids and case management it truly develops my profession and it feels good to me.
It is relaxing because my past job experiences were very hectic, polluted, mismanaged but here in Bahay aurora the place is good the job is easy no cramming and easy to handle the staff is good.
Also, for me the stay here at Bahay Aurora is fulfilling and blessing it is a challenging task to help the children but a fulfilling journey to help them, guiding them to be good even though there are times they are naughty.
I thank the lord for the blessing and giving this kind of Job, it helps me to become a good social worker and it will also develop my knowledge and skill towards my profession and looking forward for more years to come.

Josephine Cruz 17 years old, she was admitted 6 years ago, she was from Tanay Rizal. Based from her Story before she was admitted in Bahay Aurora she lives in a community same as Tondo. People living in this area seen to drink alcohol everyday most often to engage trouble like stabbing or using improvised gun to terminate their enemy. Some of them use drugs and make it a living for their survival. She was hearing bad words and cursing someone from their neighbors as their routine, she felt afraid at times she seen this kind of scenario. Having not enough food in the table, sometimes eating twice a day.
She lives in Bahay Aurora for 6 years. She said that she was grateful to be in Bahay Aurora. There are many things to thank and praise according to her. The daily routines of doing the household chores, at first, she really hates washing dishes, but later on she accepts it because she is in the BA. She must follow the rules in BA similar when she was home. The Rules in BA will guide me for my future to be independent. Sometimes she disobeys it but with the Lecture and Guidance with the Houseparent she had no choice but to obey the rules. The food in BA is good unlike when she is in their house. She was eating 3x a day plus Baon . Providing the need like school supplies and clothes, she tells that she was fortunate enough to be in BA.
In school some children look at them as poor with no parents to take care. Some teachers give them food or help them when they have activity in school. She was being bullied by some kids in school and according to her she was help and protected by the kids in Bahay Aurora, they help and look after each other. School is important for her because she wants to be successful in her future.
She remembers when the time that she was having conflicts with the houseparent, She and one of the girls in unit 1 climb the roof, but later they admit that they were wrong, she said that sometimes she was misunderstood. She also told about some Houseparent misunderstood her not letting them to know her more. According to her she was been bullied by the older kids but she learns to retaliate and to get along with them. The bond with the older girls from unit 1 was the happiest part laughter and treating each other like real siblings. That was meaningful to her, she really had a nice time with them.
The sad part of it is when somebody is leaving or transferring to another institution. She said life must go on, she was telling that someday she would help other kids like her in the future. Education will give her success in life. Most of all she would like to thank the Staff for understanding her, Guiding and taking care of her. For the administration, the Board and the Donator’s who help them and making them feel that they are fortunate enough that Bahay Aurora is willing to support and give them direction in life and the determination needed for their success.

Dear donators, I like to introduce myself to all of you, I’m Josie Talavera, I’m 44 years old living in Morong. I have 3 kids.

It is so nice to work in Bahay Aurora because the people are kind. The management is great and we work as a team.

I learned to have a lot of patience in dealing with the different kinds of behavior of the kids in Bahay Aurora. We do not give medication so we experience quite a bit of acting out behavior since most of our kids have traumatic expierences on early age. Some are ADHD and almost all have brain damage to a certain extend due to malnutrition on early age. The proper approach to deal with every child takes time and is complicated , but the more the children trust you as a worker the easier it becomes to reach them and to deal with them. The first year was really quite difficult. I needed to adjust a lot to adapt to the children and to the way we work, it is truly quite professional even though it seems it is such an easy going job. As time passes by I get used to this work and I truly love it by now.  The work became rewarding in a way I never expected, it is all about love.  As a person I learned a lot in Bahay Aurora, about the children, about procedures, about dealing with problems, all very professional. I’m so proud and happy to be a member of this unbelievable great team, we help and support each other. I earned to teach good conduct and moral values to the kids. Our presentations are really helping the kids a lot. I may be a strict person but teaching kids good conduct they need to adjust, it is normal for kids to resist. I feel the kids all respect me for being strict. I can notice they love me as for who I am, you need to consistent, show example and predictable behavior.  I love the kids also, I treat them almost as my family, guiding and instructing them to improve their behavior. Bahay Aurora is a small institution that’s why we know all the kids so well. They feel safe with us, much better than in a big institution where kids are a number.

I appreciate your ongoing support for Bahay Aurora, I salute you all for that.

One of my best friends in the Philippines and longtime costumer Willy Baldonado and his wife Teng visited together with members of the Makati Rotary club Bahay Aurora.
We received generous donations and the group of Willy brought some nice foods and gifts for the kids.

My relation with Willy Baldonado goes back almost 13 years. Willy and his wife Teng are successful business people who started many years ago their company with just a good set of brains and now they run one of the strongest and biggest meat import and meat distribution companies in the Philippines. That is truly quite an achievement.

Willy and Teng are caring people, they understand the needs of the poor and we can notice that these kind hearted people pass on their kindness to their children . Since the time we met Willy and his wife Teng they are donating on a monthly basis a number of boxes with meat or chicken. That is really such a great help! Meat is expensive in the Philippines since it is all imported. Actually we cannot really afford to serve our kids meat. Because of them they will eat meat every week. Once a month we pick up the meat in the cold-store and bring it to Bahay Aurora where we have also a freezer to keep the product frozen till it is used.

This relation is very important to me personally and for Bahay Aurora. The donations are coming from a good heart and nothing in return is expected.
I like to express my deepest respect and gratitude for the support we received from Willy and Teng over the past 13 years and we are also very grateful to the members of the Rotary Makati group. Maraming salamat po !

In both developing and developed countries, hypertension is the leading cause of mortality. It was estimated by World Health Organization (WHO) that more than 1.56 billion people worldwide are expected to have hypertension by 2025, making the disease more alarming to healthcare providers. According to the Department of Health (DOH), about eight out of ten people who had their first stroke are diagnosed with hypertension – responsible for worsening the quality of lives of some 14 million Filipinos. Unhealthy life style such as drinking, smoking, eating foods high in cholesterol, because most Filipino’s are always for survival in everyday life. They tend to go for the food in fast food, or food which are instant or ready to eat, they forgot of the nutrients and contents of what they eat. Mostly go out for celebration as if they were no more tomorrows, enjoy now suffer the consequence later
The DOH also revealed that more than 276 Filipinos die of heart disease on a daily basis and at least one Filipino suffers from stroke every nine minutes. Survivors have a 75 per cent chance of becoming permanently disabled. ‘You can have high blood pressure for many years without symptoms surfacing every now and then—what people don’t know is that the disease comes like a thief in the night,’ . He added, ‘This makes regular monitoring of blood pressure all the more important. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important whether you are already hypertensive or not; the challenge comes recognizing the disease and taking action before it leads to stroke.’

No signs of early symptoms
What makes the numbers worse is that most people diagnosed with the condition have neither signs nor symptoms of the disease until they reach its life-threatening stages. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every five adults with hypertension is unaware of his or her disease, making prevention to deadly consequences such as stroke more difficult than ever. ‘Hypertensive patients may experience frequent headaches, shortness of breath or nosebleeds, but these signs won’t occur until their blood pressure rises to its peak,’ said Nazal. ‘When left untreated, their high blood pressure may cause them serious health problems, including heart attack

DOH Program

Filipinos were encouraged to participate in the Department of Health’s (DOH) initiative to screen the blood pressure (BP) of 1.7 million adults for the whole month of May as part of Hypertension Awareness Month. “Prevention is better than Cure” According to the DOH, hypertension is a leading cause of illness and is a primary contributor to premature death in the country, with 200,000 deaths yearly attributed directly or indirectly to high blood pressure. One in four or five Filipinos, or more than half of the 12 million hypertensive Filipinos are unaware of their condition, with some unsuspecting hypertensive individuals considered “walking time bombs” due to their susceptibility to comorbidities

Changing lifestyle
Uncontrolled high blood pressure may trigger excessive pressure on a person’s artery walls, damaging the blood vessels and the body’s organs. ‘The first step to achieving lifestyle change is to set an appointment with your healthcare provider. If you suspect that you have hypertension, nothing comes more important than having your blood pressure checked to address it immediately. ‘Furthermore, prioritizing lifestyle modifications such as quitting smoking and staying physically active will go a long way in preventing high blood pressure and its complications. ‘Hypertension is both preventable and treatable, only if you follow the right treatment procedures as prescribed by your doctor,’ he said. ‘When you’re at home, it is best to cut down on salt, eat a balanced diet, and avoid harmful use of alcohol. More importantly, taking your medication to curb hypertension will help you minimize it.’ Walking and drinking water 8-10 glass of day. Avoid Fatty and cholesterol food. Consume more on leafy vegetables.

The Philippines has two main seasons, characterized mainly by the amount of rainfall experienced during each one. The dry season runs generally from November to April, while the wet season persists from May to October. Seasons are not always particularly distinct, however, and many parts of the country experience rainfall all year round.

Storms usually enter the country around June and increase in frequency over the course of a few months. Frequency peaks in August and drops as the rainy seasons draw to a close. Nonetheless, many of the country’s deadliest and most destructive storms made landfall late in their respective seasons, in the range of September to November.

The Philippines has long been particularly vulnerable to extreme weather. But in recent years the nation has suffered from even more violent storms like Typhoon Haiyan (Super Typhoon Yolanda). On average, about 20 tropical cyclones enter Philippine waters each year, with eight or nine making landfall. And over the past decade, these tropical storms have struck the nation more often and more severely, scientists believe, because of climate change. In addition, two factors unique to the Philippines—its geography and development—have combined to exacerbate both this threat and its devastating consequences.

Climate change is happening now. Evidences seen support the fact that the change cannot simply be explained by natural variation. The most recent scientific assessments have confirmed that this warming of the climate system since the mid-20th century is most likely to be due to human activities; and thus, is due to the observed increase in greenhouse gas concentrations from human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and land use change. Current warming has increasingly posed quite considerable challenges to man and the environment, and will continue to do so in the future.

This is not an easy problem to fix, but we need to try. The first step is educating citizens both in the Philippines and around the world about what the nation is facing and about the practical clean-energy solutions available that can begin to address the harmful effects of climate change in the Philippines and beyond.

The smoke-belching jeepneys that thickens Manila’s traffic-choked streets around the clock are blamed for clogging the roads, compounding the dismal traffic problem and dirtying the city’s air. Southeast Asian countries are ranked among the most polluted in the world on Verisk Maplecroft’s Air Quality Index, which assesses the atmospheric concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers, known as PM 2.5. Nations including Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam are classified as extreme risk, with the Philippines and Singapore medium risk. The Philippines last year upgraded its fuel standard to Euro IV diesel, a grade containing four times more sulfur than China’s benchmark fuel, while Indonesia plans to apply Euro IV for motor vehicles in 2018.

The most popular public transport in the Philippines is now being targeted for the scrap heap as President Rodrigo Duterte tries to modernize the nation and clean up its air. Duterte, in a recent speech, gave the owners of old jeepneys ‘until the end of the month or until the end of the year’ and threatened them with arrests if they would still ply their routes using old jeepneys

Filipinos modified the Army Jeep, making it artsy by customizing the vehicle with Filipino touches such as chrome horses, banks of colored headlights, radio antennae, paintings of the Virgin Mary and unique artwork inspired by rustic scenes.

The jeepney was often called the “King of the Road” because of their sheer numbers on the city streets or rural roads, but Jeepney drivers are notorious for never following traffic regulations.

Indeed, the jeepney has become the symbol of Filipino creativity, ingenuity and innovativeness, making it one of the most recognizable icons of Filipino pop culture.

According to LTFRB: The January 1 deadline President Rodrigo Duterte gave for the phase out of old jeepney units was simply an ‘expression of urgency’

Every Halloween season,the children of Bahay Aurora were gage in different kinds of Halloween activities like making of creepy arts,lanterns and exciting-thrilling games and challenges.It usually held between 31st of Oct.till Nov.2nd in observance of the departed souls including saints (hallows).

To keep these kids in a bustling day,the staffs prepared activities and games.To fired it up,they started in a Best creepy make-up.The children were grouped into two.They are challenged to create by their own imagination of a creepy character.The mechanics was,they group will pick 2 co-members to have their make up on and to represent their team.The score will be judge by the all staffs by votes.The staffs voted via fb messenger wherein the photos are sent for reference.Louie and Mary Mae represented the group 1 while Daniel and Micah are in Group 2.The second group won in this game.

The thrilling part of the second activity was “straw hunting”.The unit of 1 and 3 were set up into a scary dark building.The pictures of a ghost and other creepy characters were posted on the wall.Big Kids and staffs were also there to look after and to scare them a bit.The mechanics,the leader will enter alone and the other two member will be together will hunt to collect the straws which are placed in different areas inside the unit.They can get a chance of winning if they will get more of it.Some of them backed out some of them still have a courage to continued to finished the game.It ended in a funny and a frightening night of experience which they truly have enjoyed a lot.

The goal of this game is to challenge them and to teach them to face (their struggles) and conquer their fear no matter what happen even in the reality of their life.
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During All Saints’ day in the Philippines everybody visits the graves of love ones and place candles and flowers on the grave and also called the Day of the Dead( Araw ng mga Patay ) involves visiting tombs to clean and repair them ,and make offering food ,flowers or candles, sometimes all relatives and friends are making a fellowships with songs
and greetings to one another.
Though celebration differ from all over the world they all have same features, visited the graves, prayer to the soul and leaving offerings to the dead.
All saints’ day is the Holiday immediately after Halloween was called also (all Hallows day),In some areas where Halloween is celebrated ,it may get less attention than secular Halloween celebrations. In areas with a historically high Catholic population.
All saints day still has a deeply important cultural relevance. All Saints’ Day occurs every November 01,it is a Holiday celebrated by Catholics and some Protestants (Philippine Independent church ) or called Aglipay, which celebrates all those who have entered heaven, though there are many saints that may not be recognized by the Catholic church ,Catholic celebrates focus on those who have been officially canonized only, according to the Scriptures ( Bible ) says those who Accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we are Saints in other word Holy or Santo.
All Saints Day was first recorded in the fourth Century ,around the Feast of Lemurs on 13 of May in celebrating the anniversary of the Martyrs execution but there eventually were too many Catholics Martyrs for each one to have their own separate day, All Saints ‘day celebrating on November first became official in the Seventh Century, when Pope Gregory III founded as repository for the relics of all the Apostles, Confessors, Martyrs and Saints.
in the Ninth Century, the church measured the day as starting sunset ,in accordance with the Florentine Calendar. Although All Saints Day is now considered to occur one day after the Halloween, the two holidays were at that time celebrated on the same day.

Abortion in the Philippines is not legal in the mind of most of the Filipino’s but in some instances if it requires the safety and the health of the mother and child in the womb in great danger there is an exception.. There is a medical term for that excludes it from being not legal. Some women mostly who are not prepared or those who are afraid of responsibilities using abortion as an option to escape from it.
The Child is a God Given Gift from heaven so if a woman got pregnant or plans to engaged with sex she must do it after the wedding. Mostly couple wanting to have a child they were unluckily not given a gift but those who were not asking and not wanting to have those who were given.
Based on research mostly teenager ages from as young as 14 up to 22 makes abortion an option. That’s why they engaged with not knowing it is a mortal sin in the eyes of our God. In the eyes of the people. It is a life that you kill not giving a chance for the fetus to live. Not their chance to but the parents’ choice for them to live. Life is God’s give from above and it is important to accept and give praise to him Almighty God…