SYLFF@ADMU

Cecille Mejia, 7th in the 2007 Bar Exams

2008-03-30T16:23:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to Cecille L. Mejia, SYLLF Fellow, for successfully passing, and ranking 7th out of 1,289 passers in, the 2007 Philippine Bar Examinations. We at SYLFF@ADMU are very proud of you!

Wellness Defined, Wellness Lived

2008-01-06T09:34:00.000+08:00

We at SYLFF@ADMU started the year 2008 right with our first ever wellness activity at Miriam College's Integrated Lifestyle and Wellness (ILAW) Center last January 5 (Saturday). The ILAW Center boasts of a well-equipped gym, dance/yoga room, massage room, videoke room, counselling rooms, and badminton and table tennis areas. ILAW Center is Miriam College's concrete response to promoting work-life balance amongst its employees.

We began the afternoon with the yoga practice led by instructor Jessy Perez. As this was the first time for almost all the participants to do yoga, Jessy led us through the basics of relaxation, focusing on the breath, and simple but rejuvinating asanas (yoga poses). She also explained the benefits of each pose. After the session, the participants articulated the immediate effects of yoga. There's less pain in the hips (where there was pain before the session) and more energy. We realized our challenges in terms of flexibility. We also appreciated how the slowness of yoga grounds and centers us, and can actually be a very spiritual experience, especially when Jessy invited us to put our hands together near the chest and to bow our heads down at the end of the practice.

Jessy gives an introduction to Hatha (Classical) Yoga and the benefits of the practice

SYLFF Fellows executing the "cobra" pose. Wonderful stretch on the entire spine!

The "bow" poses eases dysmenorrhea and massages the abdomen area

Next, we were ushered into the videoke room where Dr. Ronnie Motilla, Director of the ILAW Center, facilitated a workshop entitled "Achieving Holistic Health." Dr. Motilla, or "Sir Mot" as he is fondly called by his students and colleagues alike, began the workshop with an amusing introduction activity (i.e., "I taste like___. I smell like ___.") that had all of us laughing. Sir Mot shared from his extensive clinical and counseling experience. He stressed that intelligence does not guarantee well-being, and he has had intellectually brilliant clients who made poor choices socially and emotionally. He shared helpful coping skills, such as reporting our own feelings and experiences rather than judging other people's motives and actions, and providing venues to release emotional energies. Sir Mot administered a self-assessment of how well we balanced all aspects of holistic health. It was a revealing moment. Most of us realized how much we have neglected physical wellness by not exercising, not eating from all food groups, and by smoking. We also saw how we have failed to prioritize environmental wellness. Sir Mot challenged us to work on these specific areas for the new year.

Sir Mot discussing each aspect of holistic health

SYLFF@ADMU Fellows considering Sir Mot's input

Holistic health is the ability to strike a balance on all aspects of life. Ultimately, wellbeing is a CHOICE.

After Sir Mot's thought-provoking input, the participants were treated to a half-hour massage by ILAW Center's massage therapists Ate Belen and Ate Rose. We were relaxed with dim lights, soothing lavender oil, and smooth instrumental music. We also enjoyed a pajama-party style dinner (that is, pizza, chips, chicken, salad, and pasta) and kuwentuhan.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Miriam College, especially to Dr. Ronnie Motilla and his assistant Ms. Rem, for warmly welcoming and accommodating our group. Thank you too to Ms. Jessy Perez, and our massage therapists Ate Belen and Ate Rose, for making time for us on a Saturday!

Gawad Kalinga's Ambassador in Germany

2008-01-02T13:36:00.000+08:00

SYLFF@ADMU Fellows had the privelege of meeting Dr. Peter Scheid last November 9, 2007 in an informal dinner at Lasa Restaurant at the Podium. Dr. Scheid is affiliated with the SYLFF Institution Ruhr-Universität Bochum, and also serves as a member of the SYLFF Program Advisory Board (SPAB) at The Tokyo Foundation. Dr. Scheid came to the Philippines to learn more about the Gawad Kalinga movement and coordinate ways for interested parties in Germany who want to help and contribute. Aside from learning that Dr. Scheid loves seafood (especially crispy shrimps!), we were enriched by the stories that he shared from the wealth of his experiences, as well as his enthusiasm for the SYLFF network.

Dr. Peter Scheid (L) sharing some stories.

(Left column): Sherilyn, Dr. Scheid, Richie, and Jun; (Right column) Ms. Milet Tendero, Judith, Gigi, and Cecille

3rd General Assembly: Taking Stock and Looking Forward

2007-10-28T23:05:00.000+08:00

We held our 3rd General Assembly last October 27, 2007 (Saturday) at Penang Hill restaurant in Greenhills. It was also our first formal welcome to Judith, the newest addition to the SYLFF@ADMU family. We had an orientation into the history of SYLFF at the Ateneo de Manila University, and a discussion on the different SYLFF programs. We reviewed our budget as well as the immediate upcoming activities of our local association. Any SYLFF@ADMU gathering would not be complete without animated updates on our personal and professional lives.

Seated (L-R): Kate, GJ, Judith, and Gigi; Standing (L-R): Sherilyn, Cecille, Richie, and Pau

Budi Setiawan, UI SYLFF Fellow Visits Manila

2007-08-11T13:26:00.000+08:00

Manila has been experiencing a dry spell... until Budi Setiawan arrived and brought the rains with him. :-) Budi visited Manila to learn about the PhilHealth system as part of his work with ASKES, a Health Insurance Specialist in Indonesia. He was also personally interested in the Gawad Kalinga project. Fortunately, he was able to visit Brookside, a Gawad Kalinga Village managed by Ateneo. We invited him for dinner on a Wednesday, August 8, 2007 but we had to cancel due to heavy rains and floods. That Friday (Budi's last evening in Manila), we met up at Gateway Mall. Budi presented each of us with his work calling card and, to our surprise, a SYLFF calling card (alert: Great Idea!). Budi serves as the General Secretary of the SYLFF Local Assocation of the University of Indonesia. Over dinner, we exchanged stories as long-time friends would. Budi shared his impressions and experiences of SYLFF with us. Budi and Kate will be meeting each other again at the Building a Better Asia Retreat in Beijing this September 2007.

Budi together with Sherilyn, Kate, and Pau at Gateway Mall

SYLFF@ADMU Welcomes Sandra Ezquerra

2007-07-07T19:27:00.000+08:00

Last May 24, 2007, SYLFF@ADMU welcomed Sandra Ezquerra with a dinner at Cafe Adriatico, Gateway Mall. Kate Lacson, Cecille Mejia, Sherilyn Siy, Anna Su, Milet Tendero, and Beth Villamor joined in the merrymaking. This dinner was also in celebration of Cecille's success at moot court in the U.S.

Sandra, a SYLFF Fellow of the University of Oregon in the United States, arrived last April and stayed on campus as a guest fellow researcher under the SYLFF Fellows Mobility Program (FMP). She was the first fellow that the Ateneo received under the FMP. Her PhD research is on the migration of Filipino women. She worked with Ateneo's Department of Sociology & Anthropology.

Congratulations to Our New Lawyers!

2007-05-05T15:36:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to Richie Avigale Ramos and Marie Grace Santos for passing the bar exams! Results were released this April 2007. Congratulations are also in order to Jun, Richie's husband and a friend of SYLFF@ADMU for placing second in the bar. We wish you all the best, and as Ms. Milet Tendero said, "keep the fight for justice, freedom, and peace".

The First Research Colloquium

2007-05-05T15:11:00.000+08:00

Last March 17, 2007 (Saturday), SYLFF Fellows gathered for an afternoon of scholarly exchange in their first research colloquium with the theme: "Expanding Horizons: Research for Philippine Development." We were very honored to have as our special guests Ellen Mashiko, Executive Director of The Tokyo Foundation, and Eriko Ishikawa. SYLFF Fellow from Ruhr University Bochum (Germany) and Ateneo Alumna, Aby Carpio, also graced our event.

SYLFF Fellows Richie Ramos, Sherilyn Siy, and Gigi Santos presented the researches that they conducted for their theses. Richie's research dealt with the issue of raising the Judge's fees, and its implication on the affordability of Justice. Sherilyn tackled the social psychological dimensions of conserving the tawilis, the only freshwater sardine in the whole world that is only found on Taal Lake. Gigi discussed the trade measures under GATT that allows a country to prohibit the entry of goods on the basis of morality.

Stimulating and animated open forums followed each presentation. Ellen Mashiko echoed the sentiments of everyone present that with events such as this, one need not attend classes to continue learning.

We capped a productive day with a dinner hosted by Ellen Mashiko at Le Souffle Restaurant at The Fort.

Ellen Mashiko giving a presentation on the SYLFF Program

Colors of the Filipino Christmas

2007-04-11T20:47:00.000+08:00

What makes the Filipino Christmas so special? We have a notoriously long celebration beginning in September (the only logic being that September is the first of the months that end in 'ber'!), when radio stations play Christmas songs, shops put out their Christmas decors, and Christmas countdown begins! But surely, there must be more to the Filipino Christmas than prolonged excitement. With anthropological curiosity, we at SYLFF@ADMU set out to capture the spirit of the Filipino Christmas as children see it through art.

We wanted to hold an on-the-spot art competition for public school children on the theme "Paskong Pinoy" ( A Filipino Christmas). The state of public school education in the Philippines is dismal – education is allotted an appallingly small portion from the national budget resulting in lack of classrooms, chairs and tables (some schools hold classes in staircases and under mango trees), classrooms in dilapidated conditions, and meager salaries for the overworked teachers. To maximize whatever facilities a school has, they usually hold two batches of classes to accommodate more students: the morning batch begins class as early as 5:45 a.m. and the second batch at 12 noon.

Many of society's underprivileged children study in public schools and we wanted to give them a unique opportunity to let their talents shine. And so on a bright Wednesday morning (November 22, 2006), members of SYLFF@ADMU trooped to Pinyahan Elementary School with art materials. The choice of which public school to hold this activity was not accidental. SYLFF@ADMU's Karen Lacson is a proud graduate of Pinyahan. Going back to the school where she spent happy elementary years lent a richer meaning to the catchphrase "giving back". We witnessed an emotional reunion between Karen and her former teachers. They were very excited and happy to see her again after many years. It was also an inspiring moment for the students of Pinyahan to see a very successful alumna.

For the next two hours, forty of Pinyahan's students from grades 4 to 6 diligently worked on their masterpieces. We were amazed with their work. These students are indeed very talented and brilliant. SYLFF@ADMU members had a difficult time judging and deciding the winners. Several themes emerged from their drawings. The Filipino Christmas is about reunion with family and friends and so most of the drawings featured a lot of people coming together. Singing and going to church are also at the heart of the celebration. GJ Ouano, also a SYLFF Fellow, shared how she was moved by one particular drawing that featured people gathered around two pieces of fish. We usually have rich foods during Christmas but for these children, having a simple meal does not diminish the joy and the color of the season.

Many of society's underprivileged children study in public schools and we wanted to give them a unique opportunity to let their talents shine. And so on a bright Wednesday morning (November 22, 2006), members of SYLFF@ADMU trooped to Pinyahan Elementary School with art materials. The choice of which public school to hold this activity was not accidental. SYLFF@ADMU's Karen Lacson is a proud graduate of Pinyahan. Going back to the school where she spent happy elementary years lent a richer meaning to the catchphrase "giving back". We witnessed an emotional reunion between Karen and her former teachers. They were very excited and happy to see her again after many years. It was also an inspiring moment for the students of Pinyahan to see a very successful alumna.

For the next two hours, forty of Pinyahan's students from grades 4 to 6 diligently worked on their masterpieces. We were amazed with their work. These students are indeed very talented and brilliant. SYLFF@ADMU members had a difficult time judging and deciding the winners. Several themes emerged from their drawings. The Filipino Christmas is about reunion with family and friends and so most of the drawings featured a lot of people coming together. Singing and going to church are also at the heart of the celebration. GJ Ouano, also a SYLFF Fellow, shared how she was moved by one particular drawing that featured people gathered around two pieces of fish. We usually have rich foods during Christmas but for these children, having a simple meal does not diminish the joy and the color of the season.

I was struck by another drawing which featured a huge orange house. Inside the house is a lone woman standing between a Christmas tree and a table laden with food. The solitude leaps at you from the drawing and tugs at your heart. The work was entitled "Pasko Na, Sana'y Kapiling Ka" ( It's Christmastime, Wishing We're Together). This work captured the harsh reality of labor migration in the Philippines. Many Filipino families are separated as one or both parents go abroad to earn a living. The pain of separation cannot be assuaged by the size of the house or the amount of food on the table. I was amazed by the perceptiveness of these young students.

On December 4, 2006, we had a simple awarding ceremony for the winners. SYLFF@ADMU gave cash prizes to the winners. It was a one-of-a-kind early Christmas celebration for SYLFF@ADMU Fellows and for the students of Pinyahan. The art works offered a visual gallery of the Filipino spirit of Christmas – a true feast for the eyes!

p.s. Thanks to Ito for patiently scanning all 40 artworks to digitally preserve them!

SYLFF Fellows Sherilyn Siy, GJ Ouano, Kate Lacson, Gigi Santos, & Pau Gianan

Kate and Pau distributing snacks

A student working on his masterpiece

Awarding ceremonies

1st place: Mga Pilipino sa Araw ng Pasko (Filipinos on Christmas Day) by Cedrick John. C. Cardano

2nd place: Karoling ng mga Batang Pinoy (Filipino Children Caroling) by John Dennis G. Jamolin

3rd Place: Masayang Simbang Gabi (Joyous Midnight Mass) by Angel M. Macabinquil

A happy reunion: Kate with her elementary school teacher

Kate Lacson with her elementary school teachers