ICAPP commends Phl elections/The Brave Warrior Kids
The Philippine national elections have been commended by the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) for being “free, clean, and without violence and an exemplar” for Third World countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
The commendation was relayed by the ICAPP bureau’s founding chair, former Speaker Jose de Venecia. The ICAPP represents more than 340 ruling, opposition and independent political parties in Asia.
The bureau includes bureau Co-chair and Secretary General Chung Eui-yong of South Korea; Vice Chair Deputy Prime Minister Sok An of Cambodia, and Special Rapporteur, Pakistan senior Sen. Mushahid Hussain Sayed who represents the 23-man standing committee from Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, West Asia including the Arab world, Australia, New Zealand and the small Pacific island states.
The political leaders says de Venecia endorsed President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s initiative “to put an end to Asia’s longest-running communist insurgency, set a prolonged ceasefire and include Cabinet-level communist representatives in the new government and his call for federalism as an instrument to end the Muslim insurgencies, develop Mindanao and the regions, and decentralize the national government.”
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After just a year of learning to paint with watercolor, 12-year-old Edward ”Jersey” Lipana’s works were exhibited in a solo exhibit titled “Colours of Hope” at the North Greenhills Clubhouse in San Juan City. The pieces were beautiful renditions of flora and fauna, and were easily sold out.
The unbelievable thing was that Jersey was seated in a wheelchair, could not stand or walk, his body shrunk, with only his head that of a normal boy, and his shriveled hands doing the painting. Since he was a baby, Jersey suffers from Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a condition that causes the spinal column to weaken, slowly paralyzing his bodily functions. Part of the proceeds of his art show will be for his medication and medical oxygen tank and go to help victims of spinal muscular atrophy.
Jersey’s public “debut” was made possible by the Brave Warrior Kids, a highly motivated group of young men whose mission is “to inspire, hope and uplift the lives of kids with cancer and rare genetic diseases by providing them with life-improving and life-saving assistance.”
The eight, in their early 40s and former classmates at OB Montessori in Greenhills, had previously engaged themselves in altruistic activities such as feeding street children and conducting outreach programs without fanfare. It was not before one of them, Noel Lopez, called on his peers for help when his two sons were dying due to spinal muscular atrophy in 2006 and 2015. It was then that the group decided to form the Brave Warrior Kids.
Their first project was held last Valentine’s Day when they brought food, toys, sandals and even a magician to Bahay Aruga, a halfway house for pediatric cancer patients. They also donated electric fans, fire extinguishers and smoke detectors.
Their next project was “Colours of Hope.” The Warriors, all bright and good-looking, wore suits, moved swiftly around the social hall and doted over Jersey who almost died last year.
The Brave Warrior Kids temporarily meet to discuss plans for future projects in the home of art gallery owner Elizabeth Tagle in Quezon City. The president is Adrian Ocampo, chief technology officer of Peppermint Tech Inc. Vice is Noel Lopez, a corporate banker. Treasurer is property consultant Andrew Navarro, and secretary is gasoline station dealer Ace Barretto. Art broker Ernest Tagle is Pro and media relations head; RJ Jacinto, digital marketing head is chief executive officer of JCR Foods. Reyman Sy, who is based in Dipolog City, is a BMeg Feeds distributor. Pocholo Razon, operations manager of GAP, comes to Manila all the way from Hong Kong to attend the Brave Warrior Kids meetings.
E Jay Lipana, a garments retailer in Greenhills, said most of his earnings are spent on his son Jersey’s medicines, but he does not mind it, he says. Jersey has never gone to school. He has two normal kids ages 16 and 18. “What’s important is that Jersey lives, while he is able. And he’s obviously happy that his art works are being appreciated.”
Two of Jersey’s works buyers were Sen. Cynthia Villar and Sara Soliven De Guzman, head of Montessori Greenhills.
Fr. Fernando Suarez, the healing priest, gave his blessings at the art show. George Sison of The Angelos provided entertainment numbers.
The Warriors had only two months to prepare for the dinner and art show, but the clubhouse social hall was nearly full with patrons and art lovers. One of the Warriors said, “We would prefer to keep our deeds without publicity, but we heed the biblical injunction ‘not to hide under a bushel, but to let (our) light shine for all to see.’”
For donations, one may call Elizabeth Tagle’s Newsmakers, 091750888858.
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The Quezon City government can boast of its having a protection center for victim-survivors of gender-based violence and abuse. The edifice was inaugurated by Speaker Sonny Belmonte, Mayor Herbert M. Bautista, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, Dr. Josephine Sabando (director of the Quezon City General Hospital) and incoming Sen. Rizza Hontiveros.
Under Vice Mayor Belmonte’s GAD (Gender and Development) program, the center was established in partnership with the city general hospital, police district and social services and development department. The center, said VM Belmonte, was established to address the increasing number of violence against women and children and LGBT cases. It is a multi-disciplinary, one-stop crisis center in observance of RA 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and the Children Act.
With the help of Speaker Sonny Belmonte, the new building has counseling rooms, a medical consultation room, a child-friendly space for child victims, a temporary rest area for the victims and a conference area for group therapy session. Also the new building is powered by solar panels and is situated near the emergency room for easy access to the general hospital where patients may avail of medical services.
Strategically located at the Quezon City General Hospital, the protection center offers medical services, legal consultation, police assistance and counseling services for victim survivors. The center has served 675-clients – 234 children, 437 women and 4 LGBT’s -- who were victims of various types of abuses from physical violence, harassment and sexual abuse.
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