Happy 142nd Canada Day to all Canadians!
Are you a pessimistic person? Do you always dwell about the negative situations in your life? How do you conquer the challenges you face in life? Do you always whine and wish you have more or lived a lavish life? Do you value money more than anything in this world? Why? Life is a miracle of its own; but do you know that there are more to this than you think of what life there is?
I think we focused too much on things that we think are more important in our lives. My question is: how do we know that what we do is what most matter? We produce, we consume, and we squander; but most often than not, we forget to be a responsible consumer, or producer. It’s a cycle of activities that are happening everyday.
What do we know about the reality that is happening in our world and do we ever care?
Five thousand people die each day because of dirty water. One billion people have no access to safe drinking water. Nearly one billion people are going hungry. The average temperatures in the last 15 years have been the highest ever recorded. Each year, 13 million hectares of forests disappear. Do we know all about these?
Every week, if not every month, we see new things around; new technology or new inventions. Our lives are adapting more and more to high-tech equipments because we demand for them. Our lives now depend on our creation of technology. It’s unstoppable. We live in a world that is everything fast-paced.
We are living in exceptional times. Scientists know that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic of the evolution of the earth climate. We have no much time and the stakes are high for us and for our children.
We need to change and be informed on what is happening to our environment. Everyone should take part and know how we can contribute to help save our world. Its’ too late to be a pessimist. Don’t say, we don’t care. Evidently, we can still make a difference.
HOME - please click this link and watch this documentary about our lives and our planet. Be informed and become the voice to hear to those who choose to stay inconsiderate.
Our first project initiative, which is to help the children in Bato-Banlas Elementary School, launched on June 8, 2009. Six boxes of school supplies were delivered in the school and 120 pupils benefited from our first fund-raising event earning on April 25, 2009.
Mrs. Alma, School Principal in Bato-Banlas Elementary School, was thrilled to accept the school supplies for the children and expressed her sincerest gratitude to the Maripipian-Canadian team. She acknowledged that everyone in the school received the school supplies that each child will need for the whole school year.
Bato-Banlas Elementary School is our pilot site for this first initiative. We hope that from this point on, we will be able to determine what we need to accomplish prior to making our decision to help the rest of the elementary schools in Maripipi, Biliran, Philippines.
Special thanks to Attorney Pacito Canonoy, Jr. and wife Marlene, Samuel Albelda, Sol Albelda and the rest of the people in Maripipi, who helped put all these together and delivered all the packages to Bato-Banlas Elementary School. Without your valuable time, dedication and efforts, this would have been no near possible to make it to the children before the school year started.
On behalf of MCA team and myself, Thank You All for your Support!
My warmest greetings and felicitations to the people of Barangay Banlas on the celebration of fiesta in honor of Saint Anthony de Padua, on the 12th and 13th of June 2009.
May the fiesta celebration be blessed with unity, festivity, joy and inspiration.
HAPPY FIESTA TO ALL !!
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great”.
-Mark Twain
“Vision is the world’s most desperate need. There are no hopeless situations, only people who think hopelessly.”
Your feelings about the future depend more on what you think than on current circumstances. When you have a vision for tomorrow, the world becomes a better place today.
- Winifred Newman
“A blind man’s world is bounded by the limits of his touch; an ignorant man’s world by the limits of his knowledge; a great man’s world by the limits of his vision.”
There is really one thing standing between you and everything you can be, and that’s your dream. Never be afraid to dream too big. Enlarge your self by doing your vision. You don’t want to look back in twenty years and say, “If only I had dreamed for more….”
- E. Paul Hovey
“The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time”.
Don’t allow the future to intimidate you. Meet each day the best you have.
- Abraham Lincoln
“It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them”.
Fame can look very appealing, but don’t make it your aim. As a goal, it’s hollow and brings no satisfaction. Instead, focus on excellence, and if recognition comes, so be it.
- Mark Twain
“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing”.
Never confuse what others think of you with who you really are. Be humble and authentic in everything you do, and you will never be left chasing the shadows.
- Abraham Lincoln
“Success in life is measured more from the level of peace and happiness you attained yourself within, rather than the level of possessions you surround yourself with”.
Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth or power. Those rewards create almost as many problems as they solve. Our souls are hungry for meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how we live so that our lives matter. It takes most people some time to discover what God created them for. Don’t try to impress; instead impact. Seek influence; not affluence. Don’t try to make just money; make a difference.
-Carina Manansala
The Maripipians 3rd Annual Picnic is fast approaching but we may not be able to conduct the event on its original plan date, which is, Canada Day, on July 1st in Ottawa. The reason is because, due to the date being on the middle of the week, and the campsite being fully booked, we are now planning to postpone the event on a later date that will fall during weekend. We will keep you all posted for the new schedule of the event.
Also, the link on the right side blogroll of this website has the Maripipian Forum link. All Maripipians are encourage to register, should anyone be interested to use the board for expressing thoughts and comments; or should anyone would like to send greetings to our fellow Maripipians. The idea of this forum is for us to continue our communication in case I decide this year not to renew this website, The Maripipians Network. The Maripipians Forum will eventually going to change its name to Maripipians Network in the future, and it will be link to the Maripipian-Canadian Association’s own website. As usual, I will be the webmaster, but just also a reminder, I would welcome anyone who wishes to maintain or moderate the website while I continue to finance it.
The website for Maripipian-Canadian Association is now almost done. I just need to touch base with few more information that I needed and it will be soon fully operational. I apologize for taking so much time and being too slow in developing it. Starting all these websites from scratch, really taught me how to be a little tech-savvy. 
Wohoo!!
A long weekend indeed for all Canadians. May you all have a great weekend while I scrap my brain studying and practicing Calculus and Algebra for my test next week on Thursday.
After over 20 years the last time I sweat trying to solve numerous equations, I now have to face it again and dig deeper into my brain to search my memory on how to process the logic of mathematics. 
I am taking Math test because it is the only academic unit that the college requires from me for my admission to college for Environmental Science studies. My Canadian diploma in business helped me cover the rest of the academic requirements. Thanks goodness!!
Wish me luck people and may you all enjoy your long weekend! BE COOL AND HAVE FUN!!!
Article courtesy of Maria Lucia Matugas Moqueis
Living in Norway
Norway is one of the best country to live and it is also one of the country with a high standard of living. Meaning, the cost of living is high.
The government is formed by combination of party of either opposition or with the government. As of now this country is getting their wealth from the oil that they get from the bottom of the North Sea. Considering this, we still pay large amount of taxes from our work, in which I consider very good plan because as we pay more taxes, the better. That is because it goes to our pension or retirement settlement, and health care that is a very good one. The government also helps those workers that has been affected by the global crisis. People who suffered from massive layoffs or job losses.
This is a very hard time that need serious economic help for those affected by this crisis. Here in Norway, if you lose your job you must register your status to the agency that is responsible for this. From there, you will get all the assistance you need for financial help for a certain period of time, and then undergo an evaluation wether you are qualified to go for some training, or to go to school to help you back on your own feet again.
Living here in Norway is very positive and a good experience for me although it is not so perfect. But, there is no perfect life at all anyways. Norway has been a second home for me and the whole family and been here for almost 24 years of my life and very thankful for that .
(I hope this article will do as I’m not a Writer thanks.)
Thank you so much Maria for this article. It will give other Maripipians an idea of the kind of life people have in Norway. I really appreciate your input to this…(don’t worry, we will both become a writer hopefully soon)
Yesterday was our first fundraising event and it was a success!
I guess, we all know that the ideas of charities nowadays are tough because of the global recession that seems to hit almost everyone. Our original plan, to have the trip to Rama, was postponed because only 27 people were confirmed to come and we needed at least 50 people to fill the entire bus; otherwise, we will need to pay $20 dollars for each empty seat.
Trip to Rama is a common fundraising idea here in Toronto. The Bus Company and Casino Rama will provide you with free bus and lunch buffet provided if you fill-in the entire seats of the bus. The organizer or organization decides the amount that is set to charge each participant. The total amount then goes to the charity.
Having thought that the original plan would not work, we figured that a garage sale would work, since many people prefer a cheaper price of goods nowadays. Having two separate garage sales activities in one day made us earned $250. With my promise to match the amount earned, we now have a total fund of $500. Not bad isn’t it?
Thank you very much to all who participated in our Garage Sale Fundraising Event: Mana Sonia, Mana Juaning, Sheila, Jessica, Rachel, Nanay Sayong, Clarita, Mom, Joven and Abing.
As a big fan of Nature and strong passion for our Environment, here are some tips to remind us of what we can do to take care of our planet. Earth day should never be only today, but everyday.
Please click this interesting link below for more information about the environment.
Project Earth for the Environment
By: ADAM TROMBLY - Founder/Publisher