Harvey Keh's Blog

Meaningful gifts for this Christmas

by: Harvey S. Keh

The Manila Times

LAST weekend, I attended a wedding reception at the Thunderbird Hotel and Resorts in San Fernando, La Union. There, I caught up with Mary Jane Ortega, one of our Kaya Natin! champions and widely acknowledged as one of the country’s best-performing local chief executives during the nine years she spent as mayor of San Fernando. The last time I talked with her was during the May 10, 2010 elections, in which I tried to convince her to support then-Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd and Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd. But Ortega politely declined to do so, saying that, as a Lakas-KAMPI stalwart, she was committed to support former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro despite knowing that it would be tough for him to make it to Malacañang.

The former mayor may continue to be associated with the former ruling party, but what is admirable about her is that, despite being with the opposition, she says that she wants to help ensure that President Aquino will succeed in his job. This is very commendable, since we usually see leaders of different political parties slugging it out and trying to bring each other down. The result? A country so divided that it cannot move forward and solve our nation’s most pressing problems. Ortega said that she continued to pray and wish the President well, since his success would also mean our country’s. We certainly hope that we will have more political leaders like her who go beyond political affiliations for the greater good of our country.

Help young Filipinos get a good education this Christmas

I am sure that many of us are now busy coming up with our own Christmas lists and thinking about what we can give to our family and friends. I hope that you can consider giving some meaningful gifts this Yuletide season, gifts that would not only make your loved ones smile but also make a difference in the lives of other Filipinos.

Pathways to Higher Education-Philippines, a non-profit organization based at the Ateneo de Manila University, is currently selling two main Christmas packages that you may want to consider giving to your family and friends. The first is called Double Blessings (P250 a pack), a set of nutritious brown and red rice cultivated by our hardworking Filipino farmers in Benguet and Ifugao. The second, Two Brews (P280 a pack), offers two kinds of coffee—Benguet and Hazelnut.

Pathways helps academically gifted but financially disadvantaged students from public high schools gain access to quality higher education. If you would like to order and support Pathways, you can get in touch with Donna de Jesus by calling (02) 426-6001 local 4046 or send an e-mail to pathways.donna@gmail.com.

3G: Goodies for Good Governance

For those who prefer sweets, the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership is launching its highly successful 3G: Goodies for Good Governance Brownies and is selling these for P195 a box. I guarantee that these brownies taste really good and I am sure that whoever you will give these to will definitely appreciate it. Proceeds from the sale will help fund the movement’s Caravan of Good Governance, which helps educate more Filipinos in colleges and universities about the importance of good governance and responsible citizenship. The movement has visited more than 100 colleges and universities in the country and through your support, it can continue to bring its message to more schools in the provinces.

Plus, Kaya Natin! also continues to sell Pasyonista shirts that are specifically designed to inspire young Filipinos to get involved in activities that promote nation-building. You can see the shirt designs at http://pasyonista2011.multiply.com. To order the brownies or the shirts, contact Wendell Bal-deras or Krz Lopez at (02) 433-1440 or send an e-mail to knmovement@gmail.com.

Help kids fight cancer

If there is one organization that I look up to, it is the Kythe Foundation. Kythe provides support for children stricken with cancer and other chronic illnesses and their families. This Christmas, they are trying to raise funds to support their wellness programs by selling eco-friendly Kythe Tote Bags and Christmas cards. Each bag and card cost P 200 apiece and this will certainly go a long way in helping these children. To order and support this very noble organization, you can contact Milette Belen by calling (02) 376-3454 or through milette.belen@kythe.org.

I hope you will consider purchasing these meaningful Christmas gifts and help bring hope to more Filipinos all over the country.

Comments are welcome at harveykeh@gmail.com