Newsmaker: Stop Tuberculosis (TB) in the Philippines

If your company is looking for a “tax-deductible” medical cause in RP, then contact the Philippine Business for Social Progress to find out how you can help the country’s “Stop TB para sa lahat”, a nationwide program to control the spread of tuberculosis (TB). The project is currently focused on the residents of Barangay Payatas in Quezon City. Payatas has one of Metro Manila’s largest open garbage dumpsites where thousands of scavengers make a living. Needless to say, the unhealthy surroundings in Payatas provide the ideal environment for the spread of many diseases, especially the airborne bacterial disease,TB. People with TB can easily infect others when they cough or sneeze. (Data show that the Philippines has the third-highest incidence of TB in the Western Pacific region and about 30,000 Filipinos die from TB every year.)

To show you how important this cause is, Japan and Italy have thrown in their support. This month, Japan awarded a grant of PHP7.2M to an anti-TB NGO that’s doing work in our country. And two weeks ago, Italy launched a fund-raising project by having  a charity variety show where viewers donated through texting to help 1,500 TB-afflicted children in Payatas. If foreigners are concerned about the spread of this communicable disease in our country, then so should we.  TB is preventable and curable!

If medical assistance is not your thing, there are other notable projects in Payatas that you can join:

• Dutch-based NGO, Students in Free Enterprise, helps women set-up their own home businesses by providing a micro-credit program
• The Vincentian Mission Social Development Foundation works closely with Payatas residents to help them acquire land and build decent houses and have basic infrastructure and livelihood projects
• Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan has the Rags to riches project where women earn money from making and selling floor rugs/mats of different solid colors from retaso or trimmings from garment manufacturers.
• Through Gawad-Kalinga, Ateneo has been building houses  and communities in Payatas Trece.

Quote of the Day: John Stuart Mill

“A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury.” — English philosopher John Stuart Mill, (May 20, 1806 - May 8, 1873), author of 1859’s “On Liberty”

Life is Fun: Social Worker Joke   

How many social workers does it take to change a light bulb?

• “The light bulb doesn’t need changing, it’s the system that needs to change.”
• None. Social workers never change anything.
• None. They empower it to change itself!
• None. The light bulb is not burnt out, it’s just differently lit.
• None. They set up a team to write a paper on coping with darkness.
• Two. One to change the bulb and another to put your kids into care.
• Five. One to screw it in, three to form the support group, and one to help with placement.

The Power of the Word

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you.” —  Psalm 55:22

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About this post:

This is the daily post of Lester Galvez Cavestany entitled Perlas. The information here is presented to you in bite-sized servings so that it’s quick and fun to read. It has four parts: 1) Newsmaker - news and views that matter to you;  2) Quote of the Day has history, quotes and biography tidbits; 3) Life is Fun gives you a healthy dose of medicinal laughter;  4) And lucky last, we have The Power of the Word which can serve as your daily spiritual bread.  

If you enjoyed reading this post, come back to this site every day and be sure to share Perlas with your friends.

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References:  

Image:

http://www.qcpubliclibrary.org/images/payatas1.gif

Life is Fun:

http://www.workjoke.com/projoke32.htm

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