Proud to be Filipino.

Proud to be Filipino.

Oct 15

What a tough few weeks it has been for us, Philippines! The storms Ondoy and Pepeng have certainly ravaged our country, and here we all are, still reeling.

Despite the circumstances, I have also never felt so proud to witness everyone rise up to be a blessing to others. Through the opportunity to be present and available for each other, I witnessed my country take hold of a crisis and come through triumphant. Our people, when banded together, are truly powerful.

There are many stories of love and heroism to tell and I am sure you have many of your own to share. I encourage you to keep telling these stories throughout the years. Many other tragedies will come our way, and we will need to be reminded of what the Filipino is capable of. Thank you for reminding me of the truth about us Filipinos: we are more than heroes; we are conquerors.

Personally, I am also immensely proud of all our musicians who gave their time and talent to keep all our spirits raised throughout this trial. There were many relief efforts and benefit gigs that were organized (and are STILL being organized to this day) that showed us how truly generous, compassionate and excellent our artists truly are. May you all continue to be a blessing!

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October is National Children’s Month!

Did you know that there are special rights afforded to children? A “child” is any individual under the age of 18. In December, 1991 the Convention on the Rights of the Child was held wherein countries such as the United Kingdom and Ireland, among others, agreed to obey and uphold the rights stated in the Convention.

A quick summary of some of these rights are as follows (source: UNICEF Children’s Rights and Responsibilites Leaflet, UK version 2007):

1. All children have the right to life. Governments should ensure that children survive and develop healthily.

2. All children have the right to a legally registered name, and nationality. They also have the right to know and, as far as possible, to be cared for by their parents.

3. Children should not be separated from their parents unless it is for their own good. Children whose parents have separated have the right to stay in contact with both parents, unless this might hurt the child.

4. Children have the right to say what they think should happen, when adults are making decisions that affect them, and to have their opinions taken into account.

5. Children have the right to get and share information, as long as the information is not damanging to them or to others.

6. Children have the right to privacy.

7. Children have the right to reliable information from the mass media. They should be provided with information that they can understand. Media should not promote materials that could harm children.

8. Both parents should share responsibility for bringing up their children, and should always consider what is best for each child.

9. All children and young people have a right to a primary education, which should be free.

10. Education should develop each child’s personality and talents to the full. It should encourage children to respect their parents, and their own and other cultures.

There are a total of about 54 Articles in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Children’s rights are special because in many instances, they cannot provide these rights themselves; their rights have to be provided by and ensured by adults or the government. It is important to note, however, that while children have these rights, there are responsibilities that come with it as well.

In the United Kingdom, some suggestions of these responsibilities are:

Children have the responsibility to respect each other in a humane way.

If they have the right to a clean environment, then they also have a responsibility to do what they can to look after their environment.

If children have a right to be educated, then they have the obligation to learn as much as they can, and where possible, share their knowledge and experience with others.

If all children have a right to a full life, then they should also lend help so the needy, the disadvantaged and the victims of discrimination can also enjoy this right.

If children have a right to freedom of though, conscience and religion, then they also have the obligation to respect other’s thoughts or religious practices.

Source: www.unicef.org.uk/rrsa

Republikha is pleased to be able to celebrate Children’s Month this year with some of the young children of Smokey Mountain. We will be on-site next week to spend some time with them. This is our first time to do a music outreach and we’re looking forward to telling you all about it!