#IAmYou - Opening Minds, Opening Hearts, An International Leadership Summit in Inclusive Education

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For the first time, educators, legislators, service providers, support groups/associations, international organizations, disabled people organizations, international and local students and parents gather together at the SMX Convention Center Manila on February 22-24, 2017 to set the cornerstone for building an intentional and proactive community for inclusive education. The theme of this event is I Am You – Opening Minds, Opening Hearts: Putting Values into Action.

Given the broad scope of inclusive education that encompasses people with disabilities, indigenous people, Muslims and other marginalized communities, most of the topics and discussion at this February Summit will focus on people with disabilities. The end goal is to build on this Summit, the beginning of a series of conferences, the greater essence of inclusive education – education for all.

Vice President Leni Robredo will grace the event in providing welcome remarks together with Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely, UNICEF Country Representative Lotta Sylwander and SM Supermalls President Anna Maria Garcia. Senator Bam Aquino and Congressman Alfred Vargas are expected to present the joint bill to serve the people with disabilities worked on by the organizing committee spearheaded by the Fully Abled Nation. They will be joined by Engineer Bien Mateo of SM Cares, Rhodora Palomar-Fresnedi of Unilab Foundation, Carmen Reyes-Zubiaga of the National Council on Disability Affairs and Atty. Adel Tamano to share their programs and messages of inspiration.

Renowned international experts in inclusive education are expected to provide the keynotes at the Summit, namely Professor Tony Booth from the University of Cambridge, celebrated author of the Index for Inclusion (translated into 40 languages), and David Hoff of the Boston based Institute for Community Inclusion.

We also have extraordinary people sharing their overcoming-disability-to succeed success stories - Sarah Jane Dela Rosa, a 22 year old student with cerebral palsy fully included in a regular class; Erick Marco Ramos, the first blind person to qualify for the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program administered by the US Fulbright Commission and currently a faculty member at Philippine Normal University; Dr. Rex Bernardo from the University of Sydney, currently a professor of Mabini Colleges; and Joy Garcia, Chief Executive Officer of Tahanan ng Walang Hagdan. Finally, Mr. Tony Llanes, the blind founder of ATRIEV (Adaptive Technology for the Rehabilitation, Integration and Empowerment of Visually Impaired) will be demonstrating digital resources for the blind.

Schools, both public and private, parents, service providers and support groups will share best practices/perspectives on how inclusion works for their children. They will also be joined by highly respected developmental and behavioral pediatricians namely Dr. Francis Dimalanta and Dr. Stella Manalo and the Harvard graduates from the International Education Policy program.

One of the program highlights will include the showing of the powerfully moving documentary “Yakap”, which follows the lives of three families of children with special needs, produced by Dolores Cheng of the Center of Possibilities. Along with this is the exhibition of #DrawDisability, a global art campaign launched by the United Nations Secretary General’s Global Education First Initiative (GEFI), in partnership with the Global Observatory for Inclusion (GLOBI) and the United Nations Global Education First Initiative Youth Advocacy Group (GEFI-YAG).

The Summit aims to call for a unified response – #YesToInclusion and to spearhead a movement that will advocate for the right of the individual with a disability to be educated along with his/her peers in the regular classroom.

For registrations to the summit and corporate sponsorships, please visit www.theteachersgallery.com,www.iamyouinclusion.net or contact Mai Roble at 0977-8095110 or 0998-554-8522 or 02-352-2675.

About the Organizers: The Summit is co-presented by The Teacher’s Gallery and SMX/SM Cares and is supported in planning by Basic Education Transformation Sector (BEST), the Unilab Project Inclusion, The Asia Foundation/Fully Abled Nation, Best Buddies, Save the Children, ATRIEV, Norfil Foundation, Center for Possibilities Foundation Inc., Leonard Cheshire Disability, CEU Inclusion Program, Reach International, UP College of Education, and the Philippine Association for Teachers Educators (PAFTE).

The main organizer, The Teacher’s Gallery (TTG), is a social enterprise formed out of an advocacy for inclusive education and a drive to empower teachers in their role of nation building. TTG offers transformational educational programs that include Global Study Tours (US, Canada, UK and Southeast Asia) where participants observe several US inclusive classrooms, and engage with their peers. TTG co-founder, Ms. Lilibeth Aristorenas, was inspired to form this organization from the challenges observed at Precious Gem Academy, Another Home to Grow and Creative Learner’s Home, small schools she also co-founded nestled in Fairview, Quezon City, focused on continuously improving their inclusive practice.

The summit is held in partnership with SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility of SM Prime Holdings, Inc., and the SMX Convention Center. SM Cares advocacies include programs on persons with disabilities, senior citizens, children and youth, women and breastfeeding, OFWs (SM Global Pinoy), environment and sustainability and social entrepreneurship. SM Cares’ program on persons with disabilities has instituted key programs to address the needs of PWDs which earned its reputation of being the most PWD-friendly mall in the country.

Autism Society Gets a Virtual Hug from International Community

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For the first time in 17 years, Angels Walk – an annual march to bring awareness of autism in the Philippines – was viewed worldwide via livestream. The international autism community, along with families and supporters, saw a record-breaking number of participants march around the SM Mall of Asia grounds coming from inside the jampacked MOA Arena.

Around 24,000 online registrants expressed their interest to participate in this year’s event, with more on the wait-list trooping straight to the venue. The activity started inside the MOA Arena with entertainment coming from talented performers with autism, with no less than Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez cheering from the audience.

ASEAN Deputy Secretary General HE Dr. AKP Mochtan witnessed the event, along with Hans Sy of SM Prime Holdings, Annie Garcia of SM Supermalls, and other leaders from the public sector. Delegates from Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand were also present.

“We consider this event as one virtual group hug. Once a year, if you have a child with autism, you can come to MOA Arena without fear of judgment,” said Mona Magno-Veluz, president of Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP). “The theme is Philippines A-Ok, which means we want the Philippines to be okay with autism. We want a more inclusive society for autistic people where they get equal opportunities.” 

“This used to be just a gathering of parents with autism. Today, since we have grown by leaps and bounds, we have to be more sophisticated with mounting our event so we can appeal to this wider audience,” Veluz added.

ASP got a big boost from the free use of the venue, with volunteers giving their expertise in production. SM, through its CSR arm SM Cares, has been supporting Angels Walk since 2007.

“We took the challenge that Mr. Hans Sy gave us a few years back, to raise the number of participants for Angels Walk. True to his word, he gave us MOA Arena as a new venue to accommodate the thousands more who wanted to participate,” said Engr. Bien C. Mateo, SM VP for Operations and Director for Program on Disability Affairs. “In 2016, SM Food Retail started training persons with autism in several branches. There is an intention to continue and expand this program this year to more branches nationwide.”

Angels Walk was also held in Davao, Iloilo, Cebu, Tacloban, and other provincial areas. Delegates came to the MOA Arena from different parts of the country and abroad, coming from as far as the US and Canada. ASP is part of the ASEAN Autism Network, and is currently working for accreditation as ASEAN NGO.

One gift, a million blessings

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Eddie and Raquel Bigay carry their first born Ernie.

It was the 90s and Eddie and Raquel Bigay had worked for the life they wanted. The pair successfully built a business in Paranaque after years of selling fish, and they lived with their kids Ernie, May Ann and Lady Lyn.

That is until tragedy struck. Eddie died unexpectedly from a second operation to remove his cirrhosis. But even with his passing, the family man was still able to provide comfort to his grieving family. He left them the gift of starting over, courtesy of a reliable partner, Insular Life." 

Blessed with the gift of life and lucrative business, Raquel confidently shares her story with Insular life. 

A million reasons to hold

“I think he really thought his decision through. Maybe it scared him that we would be alone to fend for ourselves. How will I send the kids to school? How will I look after them? What will I do with hospital bills?” Raquel shared.

She recalls seeing financial advisor Marietta “Ayie” Lantican in their shop and how they talked about death and plans. Raquel knew their finances well, and so she called the financial advisor when the hour came for Eddie.

But nothing would have prepared her for his last gift—one million pesos from Eddie’s Insular Life insurance policy. It was more than enough to pay for the hospital bills and the funeral service, and she didn’t have to give up the life they have built together. 

Widowed at 33, Raquel took charge of the family and the business. “We felt that things were difficult for mama, but for us kids, life continued as it was. I thought mama will transfer me and my sister to a public school or maybe dismiss our tutor back then, but nothing changed. Our quality of life remained,” recalled Ernie.

Death was not going to end what Raquel and Eddie built. Instead, it gave Raquel a chance to explore other opportunities and apply her knack for business. With the insurance proceeds as back -up funds, Raquel with the help of her mother, siblings and her young children dared to continue the fish dealership /retailing. Through the years, she slowly but successfully expanded to other lines of businesses.

Now all grown up, Ernie works with Raquel in growing their businesses, Mary Ann works with China Bank ( IT group) and the youngest, Lady is a software developer with Orbium.

A strong “no” to catastrophe

Ayie only laughs when she recalled how Eddie and Raquel rejected her proposal outright. She told Eddie in jest, “I check the fish you offer me for quality and I buy them if it meets my standard. The two of you haven’t even seen my goods and you refused me outright.”

Eddie’s laughter signaled the start of their friendship and professional bond. For two years, she would help Eddie prepare for whatever life gives him. And good thing he was prepared, for he left his family’s Magandang Buhay intact. 

“I tell people, you can’t control everything. Even simple things like growing old everyday is out of their hands. Life doesn’t see them as a vendor, business owner, or chairman of the board,” said Ayie. This is why Insular Life helps them realize their unspoken dreams, including the ones they hold for their family and even grandchildren.

It has been almost 25 years since Eddie left and 27 years since he took Ayie’s advice. These two women have returned his gift in manifold ways. All family members now have their own policies and are enjoying their Magandang Buhay. Despite receiving the returns from her investments, Raquel still intends to work on her next project: augment her pension earnings, become independent for all her days, and secure an even better Magandang Bukas.

PCOO holds a milestone all media gathering on Social Media

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MANILA, Feb. 21 - The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) will be holding a milestone gathering of the country's influential media, communications, and public relations personalities on Thursday, February 23, at the Bahay ng Alumni, the University of the Philippines - Diliman in Quezon City.

The PCOO-initiated event, dubbed #AllMediaPH, aims to acknowledge the power of social media and present the draft Social Media Policy before various interest groups and industry stakeholders, which include the academe, students, bloggers, mainstream media, and those in the legal profession.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, who will deliver the keynote address, is receptive to the idea of allowing social media practitioners, i.e., bloggers, to cover the Palace's activities.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte earlier granted the request of some bloggers and social media supporters to cover Palace events during their meeting with the Chief Executive in Malacanan.

Andanar acknowledged the role these bloggers played in disseminating information to the public.

"The bloggers come in because there is an evolution of the media and the bloggers always tell me about Article III, Section 4 of the Constitution," Secretary Andanar said, referring to the Bill of Rights on the freedom of speech and of expression.

This same Article, the PCO Chief said, has become his basis to consider giving bloggers media accreditation to cover the Palace's events.

Social media platforms have given their users a similar power of spreading information and forming public opinion, making it imperative for the government to consider social media and its platforms, alongside traditional media channels, in developing its communications strategy and communicating directly with the people.

Nonetheless, Andanar, being a former media personality, is aware of the difference between the mainstream media and the bloggers. "I'm from the media. We are accountable to our editors, accountable to our bosses, and that's the difference. And also the discipline," he said.

Andanar also underscored the fact that since bloggers work independently, they have different sets of standards.

"We're in interesting times wherein we are seeing bloggers with names become bigger than anyone... It's a phenomenon that we have to embrace, at the same time we also have to control," he said, pointing out that social media is a new way of disseminating information.

Hence, it is important, the PCO Chief said, that bloggers must have a personality, not anonymous so that they can be held accountable if they write something libelous.

Andanar is looking forward to talking and consult with resource persons and representatives of various sectors during the event in a bid to come up with a social media framework that is acceptable to all concerned.

Some of the event's important highlights include the presentation of draft Social Media Policy, knowing the stand and opinions of resource persons, and a plenary discussion. (PCOO)

OPPO Philippines sealed its partnership with TV5's Philippines’ Next Top Model

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TV5's Philippines’ Next Top Model officially signs up mobile technology brand OPPO as phone partner. Last February 18, in a gala held at City of Dreams Manila, OPPO announced that they are now the major sponsor of the Philippines’ Next Top Model (PNTM): High Street, the latest incarnation of the model search’s Philippine franchise.

“America’s Next Top model was a worldwide sensation that several countries had their own edition of the internationally renowned television contest. We are proud to be part of this show’s new Philippine edition,” said OPPO Philippines Brand Marketing Manager Stephen Cheng. “Like the brand’s collaboration with the team behind America’s Next Top Model, we hope to be just as successful here in the country.”

“This is also an opportunity for us to show the other side of the OPPO brand which puts prime on fashion and lifestyle,” he added.

The phone for the upcoming PNTM cycle is yet to be revealed, OPPO announced that it will sign up the show’s top three models as online influencers.

OPPO was the official partner of America’s Next Top Model (ANTM) Cycle 22, which aired in 2015. Contestants were given selfie challenges involving the camera features of the OPPO R7 and R7 Plus: Beautify, Double Exposure, and Panorama.

America’s Next Top Model premiered in May 2003. Tyra Banks, the show’s creator and executive producer, served as the head judge for 22 cycles. The model search aired semiannually until 2012, and then annually in 2013, the year British singer and actress Rita Ora replaced Banks as the head judge. 

The Kapatid Network, which aired two seasons of Asia’s Next Top Model, announced auditions in early January this year after acquiring production and airing rights. Former Binibining Pilipinas-World Maggie Wilson will head the panel of judges that will choose the winner among 24 contestants.

Other judges will include celebrity stylist Rain Dagala and Professional Models Association of the Philippines President Raf Kiefer.

#OPPOxPNTM

#OPPOSelfieParty

About OPPO

OPPO is a global electronics and technology service provider that provides customers with the latest and most exquisite electronic devices and mobile Internet service. OPPO delivers customers with the most delightful electronic experience that is full of surprises, through meticulous designs and smart technology. For more information, please visit http://global.oppo.com.