Granting wishes December 19, 2006

Spa surprise for mom and dad
Arlene Paredes

Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on December 19, 2006

CLEARLY puzzled and in doubt whether they got the address right, Mr. and Mrs. Petalver walked into the Terra Wellness Spa at Discovery Suites in Ortigas not knowing what to expect. They knew who to look for, but they were clueless why they had to be there. Well, isn’t that what surprises are all about?

Eighteen-year-old Jen Petalver casually asked her parents the previous night to drop by at the Terra Spa, without divulging any more details. When her parents asked, she only said, “Basta.”

“Basta,” in fact, was a touching story that would move Mrs. Petalver to tears.

Terra Spa general manager Nino Sinco and operations manager Angie Castillo welcomed the Petalver couple and explained to them the special treat awaiting them that day. The couple would receive a 90-minute rejuvenating Terra’s Touch (Swedish massage) session in a private couple’s room, courtesy of their daughter — much to their surprise.

Jen read about the wishes being granted by 2bU! to the Rescue, and decided she would make a wish not for herself but for her loving parents who always granted her own wishes, prompting her siblings to tease her as the family’s spoiled brat, or the one who always got special treatment.

In fact, she was going to celebrate her 18th birthday with a traditional debut celebration a day after her parents’ massage. But as the youngest of five children, Jen was ready to disprove that she was a spoiled kid. She asked 2bU!’s help to give her parents some pampering, and got it.

Ireneo Petalver, 52, and his wife Geronima, 53, both work in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as hospital assistants. They lift patients from one hospital bed to another as part of anaesthesia procedures. Mr. Petalver has been in the same job for 25 years, while Mrs. Petalver joined her husband 10 years ago. They were here for vacation, for Jen’s birthday and for the holiday season, all in one blow.

The couple’s jobs obviously require a lot of physical strength. Mrs. Petalver said she had often felt pain and discomfort in her upper back area, while Mr. Petalver often complained of lower back pains. Despite the discomfort, however, it never occurred to the couple to give themselves much-needed treatment since they were just too busy.

At Terra Spa, located at the 4th floor of Discovery Suites, the Petalver couple finally enjoyed being at the receiving end of pampering and caring hands.

“Sarap,” said Mrs. Petalver of the experience. “Atsaka ang galing nila… pati pag-cover sa ’yo, maingat sila.”

“Exciting na, I don’t know. First time kong ma-treat ng ganito,” Mr. Petalver added.

Terra Spa’s masseurs are all licensed physical therapists with certificates from the Department of Health. They also trained with Kathleen Moynihan-Rodrigo of the Spa Association of the Philippines.

The spa also allows their clients freedom to choose not only their treatment, but the music to accompany their stay at the spa. Two catalogues were presented to the Petalver couple: the catalogue for oils and the catalogue for music. Mrs. Petalver personally picked the spiritual iPod for their treatment’s background music.

When asked about what they would like to tell their daughter Jen, Mrs. Petalver said they didn’t expect Jen to pull off a touching surprise like this.

“Hindi namin ini-expect. Kasi sabi ng mga kapatid niya, spoiled siya kasi bunso,” Mrs. Petalver said, teary-eyed.

Before they left, they promised to share the experience with their other children. Now, Jen has redefined “special treatment” for this family. (Inquirer link here. )

Terra Wellness Spa offers body massages, facials, bodyworks, foot massages, and stand-alone treatments (i.e. quantum chakra clearing). Special promo packages are still available for the Holiday season. Located at 4/F, Discovery Suites, 25 ADB Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Call (02) 6382977.

E-mail the author at lhenparedes@gmail.com

Copyright INQUIRER.net. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Halloween! July 21, 2006

How to host a Halloween party for friends
By Arlene Paredes
Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer

IT’S Halloween, and while we continue to remember our loved ones who have passed away, it’s not bad to go with “other traditions” this season. Like Halloween parties.

You can simply invite your friends over to watch horror flicks while eating popcorn, or you can cook up more adventurous (yet safe at home!) Halloween happenings this year.

How about an intimate masquerade party exclusively for your close friends? You can be Sadako. Or Dracula. Or one of the Charmed ones.

Or, you can host a friends-meet-friends Halloween party, where you can meet the other friends of your friends from school, workplace or church. Now is the time to let your circle of friends mingle in one bigger circle and have fun!

2bU! shares with you a few tips on hosting a Halloween party:

Mark your calendar. Set the date on when and where you want your party to be held. Setting a definite date will help your friends to plan ahead, adjust their schedule or ask permission from their parents early on.

Conceptualize. Think of a motif. Ask some friends to help you in the planning stage of your party. Brainstorm. The more ideas you toss around, the more creative you’ll be.

Delegate. Know that you can’t pull off a party alone. You need help from friends, and they’ll gladly help as much as they can. Assign different friends to oversee food and drinks, decor, costume coordination, presentations, games, etc.

Choose food and refreshments. If you have a theme for your party, it will be more fun if you can reconcile your theme with your food and drinks. Ask the help of your friends who are aspiring to be chefs someday. Or, you can check the Internet for recipes that go with Halloween parties.

Involve as many friends as possible in your Halloween program. If you’d like to have a ghost story-sharing session a la “Are You Afraid of the Dark,” make sure to ask everyone for stories. Or ask them to bring the most delicious and unique Halloween meal, drinks or dessert.

List your wanted guests. Make sure you have a clear idea of the number of your guests to avoid running out on food and drinks. If you have big shockers and effects at your door, make sure all your friends are healthy and will not wind up with a heart attack because of utter shock.

Invite in style. Instead of a regular invitation card or a text message, you can try sending an invite using spooky items like a rag doll, a toy spider or anything creepy.

Whatever you do, just have clean fun and stay sober. Enjoy!

Growing Up June 21, 2006

Beyond the reckless and feckless youth
Arlene M. Paredes

Published in the January 20, 2000 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

What does the youth of today have to offer in the future if they continue bumming around at shindigs everywhere?

Right now, we disobey our parents, we cram for exams, we text incessantly, we eat and breathe party, we drown ourselves with booze and smoke. We scream for independence. We want our own style. But tomorrow, the next years, what are we going to do? Running for important political titles? Maintaining large-scale businesses? Creating an all-digital environment?

But are we heading in that direction?

Amid teenage pregnancies, early marriages, drug addiction and violence, our elders may conclude that our future is one of failure. It seems to them that our increasingly growing knowledge of the world is leading to self-destruction. Even our contemporaries look at how we enjoy life so much and think it’s impossible for us to get anywhere.

Is there hope for the Filipino youth? Listen to what they have got to say:

I think we are more modern and exposed to the reality if life. Thus, we are more open-minded and mature in dealing with different matters and handling different situations. – Juneth Nitro, 19, UP Los Baños.

We are more adventurous nowadays. We tend to experiment a lot and this makes us nonconformists. We lack identity and we are easily persuaded by the latest hype. It is not good. – Benjo Bergado, 19, UP Diliman.

We are so liberated. Maraming alam. Curious. – Gretz R. Bautista, 19, Fatima College.

We are so aggressive in many ways and aspects. Ang dami nating gustong I-explore. – Regilyn Dimaculangan, 18, UP Diliman.

I think they are more aggressive, persistent and more interested in wordly matters, not to mention that they no longer observe Filipino values. – Greg Wilson, 24, Cagayan de Oro.

GenXers are a bunch of kids who are all style but no substance. – Emerlito Paredes, 19, La Salle graduate.

Most Filipino youth don’t have respect for the elders anymore. Before we practiced pagmamano. – Al Loyola, 20, Baguio.

The Filipino youth now have lost majority of their values. These GenXers have to be taught a lesson. – Raul Santos, 21, Dumaguete.

The Filipino youth is more aggressive today than ever. They need to control lives is growing every day. – Leonida Paredes, 19, DLSU – Dasmariñas.

We are greatly affected by Western cultures to the point that our own identity seems to be diminishing with each passing generation. It goes the same for the moral values and traditions that our forefathers had passed on to us. – Earl Caymo, 19, UPLB.

Basically, we are more aggressive, not afraid to die, happy go lucky, yet far more advanced with the times. We have a good sense of humor, though! – Curt Peralta, 20, Manila.

Filipino youths are generally self-centered. Nothing matters more than themselves. – Noel Balana, 19.

We are a mix of everything. I believe that most of us do think. I mean really think! There are things inside our mind that we care about. We are concerned not only with our love life and our allowances. We think about politics. We think about the environment. We think about religion or – better – about faith. We don’t want to be bums all the time. We want something and that something depends on each and every one of us. Given a chance, we can show what we really are worth. – Remar Zamora, UP Diliman.

Now, that’s the youth spirit!

Our Time

Some adults would look at us from head to toe, criticize about fashion and complain about our lifestyle, perpetually comparing us to their generation without batting an eyelash. They are firmly suspicious of what we do. They sigh, “Ang mga kabataan nga naman ngayon.”

Are we being unfairly misjudged or is there really something wrong with us?

Beaver Flores, UPLB graduate and a member of the UPLB Development Communicator’s Society explains, “The so-called ‘elders’ of society are too old to understand our travails and mishaps. This is our time. It’s true what the Blue Ice commercial says. The technological advancements that our parents have long dreamed of and have gone to immeasurable depths to attain are the real reasons why we are acting this way. In short, they’ve got a taste of their own medicine.”

He added, “We are too lazy and too proud to admit that we are indeed the future of mankind. Technology has increased our level of materialistic dependence. Values are now a thing of the past. Though it’s cool to live in a liberal society sometimes, there are times when the good old-fashioned values still apply. Nagmamano pa rin ako sa lolo ko.”

Prejudged

Of course, there are cynics who don’t believe that we can make a difference. But then again, maybe there is really a problem, after all. When was the last time you did something significant for others? When was the last time you helped you community? When was the last time you thought about school and did not think about it in a bad light? When was the last time you put your compelling words into effective actions?

Sometimes we get prejudged. Sometimes we don’t really get it. But we are constantly searching, learning and discovering the things we can do to affect the world positively and thus, allow it to turn around progressively. It’s easy enough for some to overlook our efforts. But we can try harder – not just to please adults but to realize our maximum potentials. If we keep on asking ourselves for more, if we keep on trying harder, then we are going to trudge the path to a better world.

The parties may never stop. But that’s because we have endless reasons to celebrate. Our minds. Our views. Our accomplishments. Soon enough, the pessimists will regret ever having doubted us.

Eye Hero September 7, 2005

Heroes in someone else’s eyes
Arlene M. Paredes

Published on September 7, 2005 in the Philippine Daily Inquirer

YOU ARE YOUNG, HEALTHY AND full of dreams for your family and yourself. The sight of your loved ones inspires you to pursue your undertakings and hope for the best in your future. You are studying in a reputable university, trying to make your dreams come true or still trying to figure out what you really want to do with your life. You have a vision for yourself. And you want to see this vision fulfilled. Now, when your mind is focused on living and getting everything you can get out of life, how would you react if an organization were to approach you to consider what you can do after you die? Would you be willing to be a hero and continue to live long after you’re gone?

“Be a hero in someone’s eyes; be a cornea or eye donor.”

For over 10 years now, this is what the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines (EBFP) has been doing—encouraging Filipinos to leave a legacy of sight and bringing a fire of hope to people in need of sight-restoring surgery.

It was the eve of National Heroes’ Day when 2bU! attended “Vision for a Vision” dinner at the Nicotina Garden Pavilion and joined a roomful of modern-day heroes led by Dr. Minguita Padilla, founder and president of EBFP, in celebrating 10 years of restoring sight to those in need of a cornea transplant.

The cornea is the transparent tissue covering our eye and transmitting light to the brain. An accident resulting in eye injury, a disease or some hereditary conditions can damage the cornea and subsequently reduce vision to the point of corneal blindness. EBFP’s mission is to alleviate corneal blindness, one of the top four causes of remediable blindness in the country and in the world.

EBFP, a nonprofit, nongovernment, humanitarian organization, hopes to convince more people to pledge their corneal tissue for the sake of those who are blind. “At any one point there are at least 300 people waiting for corneal tissue in the reservation list of the Eye Bank. Although the four to five months waiting time is very good by world standards, each additional day in darkness is like an eternity for someone ignited with the hope of restored sight. With the help of our generous supporters we hope to cut this waiting time at least in half so that we may help more people, and help them more effectively,” said Dr. Padilla.

EBFP manages and operates the Santa Lucia International Eye Bank of Manila (SLIEB), which is the only internationally accredited, active, state-of-the-art, 24-hour eye-banking facility in the country.

Asking for organ and tissue donation calls for a lot of courage. Fortunately, the founder of EBFP has more than just unwavering courage; she has the firm determination to fulfill the EBFP vision and bring sight back especially to indigent Filipinos. “We were working practically alone, very quietly (in the beginning)… In fact some people said, ‘You’ll never make it,’” shares Dr. Padilla, grateful that financial and technical support eventually reached them and more people have continuously supported the eye bank and the EBFP vision.

A donated cornea and eye tissue is the only chance for many people to restore their eyesight. Topnotch broadcast journalist Che Che Lazaro is one of the many grateful recipients of a cornea transplant. An 18-year-old girl, whom we shall call “Baby Joy,” from Binalonan, Pangasinan, had congenital corneal blindness which slowly affected her since she was 2 months old. She was finally able to regain her eyesight around two yeas ago through the help of EBFP. A member of Cafgu (Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit) slowly lost his vision during a mission in Mindanao in 1993. He regained his eyesight just last year after two successful corneal transplants.

However, thousands of people are still waiting for heroes with generous hearts to donate his or her eyes upon death or the eyes of a family member who had just died. The good news is we can all be eye donors. We can contact EBFP and pledge our cornea tissues now.

Sarah Geronimo, one of the youngest celebrity supporters of EBFP, says she is very happy to be a part of the “Tears of Hope, Tears of Health” campaign of EBFP. The young singing champion muses, “Tickets din po ‘yun sa heaven…”

With all things considered and put in good perspective, wouldn’t you want to be a hero in someone else’s eyes, too?

“Vision for a Vision” was a fundraising dinner attended by the supporters of the “Tears of Hope, Tears of Health” campaign of EBFP and Visine Refresh. The night was a culminating activity for Sight Saving Month, highlighted by an auction of precious items previously owned by celebrity supporters of EBFP, like director Jose Javier Reyes, actress Rica Peralejo, broadcast journalist and cornea recipient Che Che Lazaro, former Bb. Pilipinas Universe Abbygale Arenas-De Leon, top photographer Jun De Leon and makeup expert Juan Sarte.

The Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines is at Suite 246 Makati Medical Center, 2 Amorsolo St., Makati City. Telefax No:. 8935995; cell phone 0917-8935995; E-mail eyebank1@ultimate.info.com.ph (Inquirer link here.)

Important facts about eye donation

MANY BLIND PEOPLE CAN SEE almost perfectly after a corneal transplant. The damaged corneas are replaced with clear tissues supplied by the bank.

Anyone, regardless of age, whether or not you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, or had an eye disease may donate their corneas for transplant.

One may choose to donate their corneal tissue alone or the entire eye. Other parts of the eye may also be used for sight-saving surgeries.

There are no visible signs of the eye or corneal removal. Once removed, they are replaced with an eye cap or prosthetic so that the appearance of the face is maintained.

Corneal or eye donation is not contrary to most church doctrine. Organ donation is not a desecration of the human body. It is supported and approved by the most religious denominations.

Source: The Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines primer

E-mail the author at lhenparedes@gmail.com

Christmas in June July 27, 2005

Merry Christmas in June
Arlene M. Paredes

Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on July 27, 2005

WHO said Christmas can only be celebrated in December? Twelve blessed children had their Christmas in June. And it felt just right.

They were meek and rather bashful on stage, answering questions in at most, three-worded phrases, but what they lacked in words they made up for with the genuine expressions of gratitude and delight in their beautiful little faces as they received their Christmas wishes in June.

Twelve children, aged 4-17 years old, received their Christmas wishes from Make-A-Wish Foundation (MAWF) Philippines during “MAWF Christmas in June” at the SM Megamall Ice Skating Rink in June 29.

Recipients of Christmas wishes were: Wilgein Oraye, 4, with acute lymphocytic leukemia; Bryan Jasper Manila, 7, with brain tumor; Lani Versoza, 11, with brain tumor; Alvin James Castillo, 7, with acute lymphocytic leukemia; Paul Rodriguez, 7, with acute myelogenous leukemia; Brian Edward Hermogeno, 7, with beta thalassemia (blood disorder); Yanna Rose Guevarra, 6, with acute lymphocytic leukemia; Ana Margarita Pangilinan, 17, with acute lymphocytic leukemia; Jayson Tunay, 9, with acute lymphocytic leukemia; Bianca Ericka Valencia, 8, with yolk sac tumor; Samantha Luz, 14, with acute lymphocytic leukemia; and Juan Carlo Ramos, 4, with acute lymphocytic leukemia.

The children are separately confined at the Philippine General Hospital, University of Sto. Tomas Hospital, Philippine Children’s Medical Center and Fe Del Mundo Medical Center.

Three of them wished for a Gameboy SP, another three wished for a television, while the others separately wished for a bike, a remote-controlled car, a cell phone with radio, a cell phone with camera, a discman, and a Spiderman toy.

Their wishes were rather simple, mostly things that they could use every day, things that a regular kid would wish to have. This means my friends and I could sponsor a wish and take part in the wonderful mission of MAWF: “We grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy.”

Astonishing courage

It was a blessing to witness the wish-granting ceremony and see the precious smiles on the little children’s faces. This author felt truly humbled by the astonishing courage the children displayed: though they were all suffering from a serious illness, there was not a clue on their faces that they were ready to give up or stop enjoying life to the fullest.

Despite the discomfort of masks and their ailing bodies, they were radiating with a different kind of energy-the kind that would generate strength and hope in the hearts of those who would care to really look at them. It should not be surprising, though. They are children. If anyone could inspire us at the most trying times in our life, it would be the children, with their unfailing hope and unwavering faith.

Christmas in June was made possible by MAWF Philippines along with MAWF-Canada (represented by Canadian Ambassador Peter Sutherland and Gerard Belanger, head of Canadian International Development Agency), Philippine Daily Inquirer, Toy Kingdom, and individual sponsors, Celine Madamba and Elaine Maralit.

MAWF was founded in 1980 when a little boy named Chris Greicius, who was suffering from leukemia, realized his wish to become a police officer. Since then, MAWF has granted the wishes of over a hundred thousand children with life-threatening medical conditions all over the world.

Here in the Philippines, MAWF first granted a wish in 1999. Christian Lanzar, who had hemophilia since birth, had wished to sing to the world. His wish won Best Wish of the Year International. MAWF made Chris’s wish possible in a grand fashion when it made Christian sing with no less than Regine Velasquez at the Manila Peninsula fountain during the millennium welcome celebration, broadcast all over the world. (Inquirer link here.)

Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Philippines holds office at Suite 303 I-Care Building, 167 Legaspi Corner De La Rosa St., Legaspi Village, Makati City 1229. (Telefax: 840-1553, Website: www.makeawish.org.ph ) Donations are accepted through RCBC Peso Account No: 1-288-36555-1.

SMS no more? March 23, 2005

Textus un-interruptus
Arlene M. Paredes

Published on March 23, 2005 in the Philippine Daily Inquirer

BACK in the late ’90s, I was so addicted to texting that I could have founded Text Addicts Anonymous and been a terrible counselor to those who have yet to live a day without jolting at the sound of their cell phone’s beep.

But four cell phone models later, I am no longer the texting queen. I’ve been named “kuripot” and “dead-ma girl” ever since I stopped replying to “how u?” and “san k?”

But I couldn’t care less. One obsession was gone and my texting thumb has been trained to reply only to SMS that are classified as important and/or urgent. Good-bye, forwarded messages; good-bye, prepaid cards. I was free!

However, when I got the assignment to abstain from using my phone, I just couldn’t do it. I thought all I needed was a night of “conditioning” (I’m not a text addict anymore, but I still text a few close friends who live outside the city), but it turned out, even one whole week was not enough of a “conditioning period” to help me out.

I should’ve set off the abstinence Monday night, but I had to postpone it to Tuesday, and then Wednesday, and before I knew it, it was the deadline date already. Drat!

Anyone would say I should just have turned off my phone. Well, I couldn’t bring myself to do it because I couldn’t fight the thought that the next SMS or call might be very important.

For one, I was actually waiting for a phone call from a potential part-time employer. No, make that three potential part-time employers. All writing jobs. Add to that two editors and one (Japanese) translator.

On top of these, I needed to interview someone for another article and the only way I could contact him was through his mobile phone, as he was always on the go. I figured I’d just let my cell phone on, read the SMS but I won’t reply unless really necessary.

Once again, I forgot that there was something more important than business: relationships. I was late for a meeting, I had to text. One of my best friends said she was sick and she thought my late mother was visiting her, so I had to reply. At least three other friends were in serious need of a shrink, and that shrink would be me so it felt wrong not to text back.

Yes, before I knew it, my planned 2bU! article-”I abstained from using my phone for one week!”-had slowly deleted itself from my mind.

If anything good came out of my attempt to abstain from using my phone, it was the realization (yet again) that my cell phone is more useful than it has ever seemed to me at any time, even if it has no camera, MMS or WAP features.

My good old 3310 is a reliable ally in keeping me close to people and situations that matter to me. Giving it up meant giving up my virtual connection to the world.

I may have been unsuccessful in my attempt to abstain from using my cell phone. But that doesn’t mean I’ll never be able to abstain from anything at all. Next week I’ll try forsaking ice cream. Wait and see. (Inquirer link here.)

E-mail the author at lhenparedes@gmail.com

Copyright INQUIRER.net. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.