Ka Edong Reflections in Sydney

Masaya sa Pilipinas

Two days before the launch of the tourism campaign,
my brother-in-law told me he visited the Philippines every year when he was a bachelor working in Australia.
He preferred travelling to the Philippines more than US or Europe.

His reason:”Masaya sa Pilipinas, eh.”

And then the launch of the tourism campaign:
www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.com

I just thought: “DOT read my brother’s mind (and thousands other’s minds and feelings)! They hit it right!”

Let’s support this campaign. Many things are indeed more fun in the Philippines!

Big Philippines

I realized today: The Philippines is bigger than it’s geographic borders. The Philippines is it’s people, spread around the world.

Claim it, Philippines!

Barely 36 hours since launch, I therefore declare the tourism campaign #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines … A SUCCESS!
I claim it for the Philippines, a country and people infinitely blessed by our good God!

- Amb. Edwin Ka Edong Soriano
Philippine Ambassador to all he meets

More fun indeed

In a family gathering, I was talking with pamangkins in Sydney, ages 16-19.
Grew up in Australia, with visits to the Philippines.
More than three times from different people, they told me in various ways “It’s more fun in the Philippines”.
Indeed, the campaign slogan is something that resonates with people, unites Filipinos. Sarap maging Pinoy!

New Pinoy Thinking

We attended Sunday service at Hillsong, Australia.
There, we met Nadya, a Filipina who migrated to Australia in the early 1980′s.

She shared the sentiment that “It’s more fun in the Philippines” especially during the holidays, with all the family members in the Philippines, food, festivities. She shared that here in Australia, to have a feel of the Philippine Christmas, they would gather Pinoy family friends and celebrate together. I told her: “There’s a patch of the Philippines here in Australia!“

She described how back then they had a “brotherhood” of Pinoy migrants. But through the years, many more Pinoys came to Australia and she no longer felt the brotherhood. I explained to her that the Pinoy brotherhood is still there,  it’s happening many times more than before, but it’s happening in groups outside her circle.

She commended me, told me: “I like how you think.”

Thank you. I like how I think too :D .

Easy to help

Nadya also encouraged my brother and I to migrate to Australia. She explained that it’s so much easier to help our countrymen when earning in Australian dollars. One pound of sweat in Australia is paid many times more than the same effort in the Philippines.

That was Nadya’s way of helping. And it’s all good. I realized that for many Filipinos living abroad, it’s important for them to help the Philippines … and that one of the easiest ways is to send money back home. I see.

I feel this is why Fil-Ams are such a big fan of Willie Revillame’s show. Because they see right before their very eyes how Willie is able to help people, right there and then. That act, that gesture of giving money to a fellow-Filipino in need — that is an act that many Filipinos abroad want to do. (I don’t agree with how Willie does it, but I do understand why he’s big with Filipinos abroad).

Helping the Philippines abroad

On the other hand, I felt that there are many more ways to help the Filipino. This thought has helped me become more creative:

The Philippines is bigger than it’s geographic borders. The Philippines is it’s people, spread around the world.

For instance, while in the car here in Australia, I heard a Filipino radio program. They were playing a radio drama spoken in Filipino.

I also found Filipino publications for the Filipinos in Australia, published here in Sydney.

I started to think: The people behind this radio program and these publications — they are serving the Philippines. They are serving the Filipinos in Australia, a patch of the Philippines here in Australia.

Buy low, sell high

I’ve also been thinking about what’s affordable in the Philippines that’s valuable in Australia. Buy low, sell high.

Labor is one. For the same amount of work, we earn, say for example, 10 times more in Australia than we earn in the Philippines.

Tourism is another. Australian dollars go a long long way in the Philippines, much more than in Australia.

Oneness once again

I’m utterly delighted when Filipinos are drawn to become one. I feel it when Pacquiao has a bout. I felt it in Cory’s wake. I felt it in the bayanihan of Ondoy and Sendong.

That’s why I’m so excited about our tourism campaign “It’s more fun in the Philippines”.

Finally here is something that brings Filipinos together as one, and with fun!

And it’s bringing us together not based on tragedy (Ondoy, Sendong) or death (Cory’s passing away) or ousting a leader (EDSA revolutions).

This tourism campaign is bringing together Filipinos all around the world with one resounding voice, saying “It’s more fun in the Philippines.”

I love it that we’re all coming together, and with fun!

The Filipino Abroad

OFWs are Filipinos working abroad to earn money to send back home. I feel the OFW segment is highly evolved. There are products, services, programs that cater specifically for the OFW.

But it’s not the same for the Filipino families who reside outside the country. This segment is under-served. We don’t even have a commonly used term to refer to this group. What are they? Overseas Filipino Families (OFF)? Or maybe Overseas Filipino Migrants. How about Filipinos Living Abroad (FLA).

Let’s start with that, can we? Let’s have a name for this group and then we can start serving them better. And we can start empowering them better. Or should I say, we can start empowering us better. ;-)

ka edong
sa Australia 

But apart from this spiritual goal, I want parts of me to give life to others – in a very literal sense.

I speak of organ donation.

Organ Donor Card

Fifteen years ago, I signed up to donate my eyes, my liver, my pancreas, my kidneys and my heart in the event of my death. I still stand by this decision I’ve made during my adolescence. It’s a way of giving a gift of agape, a gift of life even upon my death.

I kept an organ donor card in my wallet since then. That card is always in my wallet. It fell into the waters with me one time I tried to help out stir a fishing boat (see Guro Sa Cuyo). Much of the card had shriveled up through the years, the writing fading away, the edges dilapidated.

Organ Donor Card - The gift of life

I was at a hospital one time, and I asked whether they had an organ donor card that I can use to replace this dilapidated card. They didn’t know where I could get one.

Organ Donor Card
(Keep this card with you at all times in a place where it will be found quickly)

I would like to help someone to live after my death

In the hope that I may help others, I wish to donate after my death my:

• Kidneys
• Eyes
• Liver
• Pancreas
• Heart
• Any needed parts or organs to be used for transplantation

Donor: Edwin S. Soriano
Birthdate: January 11, 1975
Date Signed: Aug 2, 1993
Address & Telephone number: (shown in original card, kept confidential online)
Next of Kin: Antonio D. Soriano

Here’s an idea for proponents of (legal) organ donation among Filipinos.
(This idea Inspired by Triumphs of the Heart, Book II by Chris Benguhe)

With all the Internet technologies available, why not create an online registry for people to sign-up for organ donation.

Upon online verification, give a digital badge to the the donors similar to the organ donor card. This badge can be placed by the donors on their blog the same way I did above.

If you believe in this idea, go ahead and make a similar declaration on your blog.
Link back to me so we could start a little organ donor registry on the net.

Here are a few links about organ donation in the Philippines.

• Organ donation FAQ
• Organ Donation Act
• National Kidney and Transplant Institute
• New AO on human organ donation, transplant to end trafficking -– DOH
• The Philippines and Organ Donation
• Philippines Ban Organ Transplant to Foreigners
• Philippine Bishops urge halt to organ trafficking
  

I’m surprised (half surprised) to find that there’s a bad case of organ trafficking in the Philippines. This article is my contribution to the positive kind of organ donation.

After a purposeful life and upon my death, let this post be a reminder to my family and loved ones that it is my will to give life after my death.

ka edong
part of me, part of you

Help More

As a child, I had the dream of saving my mother from a catastrophe. Specifically, I dreamed of carrying my mother in my arms, rescuing her from a burning house.

Helping other people has been in my heart since childhood.

I am not sure where this value came from. Possibly from being rescued by a carpenter from a dog that bit me in the face when I was 5 years old.

I remember being swiftly carried by the carpenter away from the dog. The carpenter brought me to my loving mother’s arms. My mother rushed me to my father at the hospital who then cleaned my wounded face and sutured my torn eyelid.

In my adulthood, I have translated this dream of saving my mother to “saving the world”, or in a more practical sense, to helping others.

Help others. Very basic, very pure.

I want to help others.
I want to help more.
I want to help more people.
I want to help in more ways.

Be More

From my grand images in my childhood and adolescence, I’ve carried into adulthood much of my ideals of helping others.

But now I am more balanced, acknowledging that to help others, I need to be a better person, to develop myself more. To be more!

This acknowledgement came late (just a few months ago).

Through the years, I have falsely perceived self-development as a selfish desire. This made me limit my self-development even as I KNOW that there is so much that I can grow into, to develop into.

Today, I commit to myself, to the world and to our higher being that I am my best gift to the universe!

To help more, I want to BE more!

What IS being more?

Being more is developing myself to be the best person I can be for the roles I choose in my life.

Being more means being a great son, a great sibling, a great tito/ninong, a great husband, a great father.

Being more means being a great friend, a great colleague, a great student, a great teacher, a great person.

When I Help other people, I become more. Become more whole, become more human, become a part of that person I’ve helped. As I help other people, I become more and leave a positive impact on other people.

What is the best possible life?

I look back into a reflection from my adolescence in college.

My measure of a great life is how, upon my death, people would remember me as a great man.

It may be morbid, but I feel that a person’s contribution to this world is best measured by what he leaves behind upon his death.

What shall I leave when I die?

A wonderful loving wife who always felt my love throughout our lives together and who shall have a great many happy memories to cherish for the rest of her life

Proud parents and siblings rejoicing in how their son/brother has loved them dearly

Great children who have mastered this game called life from a father, a friend, a mentor

Grateful family and friends who will forever carry with them the positive impact I made in their lives

A legacy of life lessons that will benefit other people long after I move on to my next life

What shall I do TODAY to live this purpose in my life?

I start by praising GOD for the wonderful gift he has given me: my life!

I commit myself to learning, reflection and self-development

I commit myself to sharing my life to make a positive impact on people I am blessed to have moments with in this lifetime

Edwin’s Purpose in Life is
To Help More, Thus Be More