Stories of Hope

10 Popular Father’s Day Sayings

Compiled by Niki Guloy

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There are hundreds of internet quotes that try to capture what a father is. We share a few of them here that remind us how a father’s impact shows not just through an inspirational sentence, but through his actions. His love shines in what he does for the people he calls his sons and daughters. A very happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there.

1. By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong. – Charles Wadsworth

2. Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad. – Anne Geddes

3. A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty.

4. It doesn’t matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was. – Anne Sexton

5. It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father. – Pope John XXIII

6. A father is a banker provided by nature. – French proverb

7. You know, fathers just have a way of putting everything together. – Erika Cosby

8. The greatest gift I ever had came from God: I call him dad!

9. A father carries pictures where his money used to be.

10. Once a father overheard his son pray: “Dear God, make me the kind of man my daddy is.” Later that night, the father prayed: “Dear God, make me the kind of man my son wants me to be.”

#MyMotherSaid: A Mother’s Day Tribute

Moms say memorable things to their kids. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s strange. Often, it’s strict. But pretty much always, it’s in love. This past weekend, we honored the timeless wisdom of moms by featuring some of the best advice our friend’s mothers had to offer. We asked some of our friends for quotable quotes from their mentors and guardians. Here are some of the helpful hints they had to give.

Note: Submissions have been edited for clarity and length.

DARRELL S.

“If you are feeling helpless, help someone.”

BIANCA D.

“Hindi ka lang dapat tutulong ‘pag may sobra ka.”

COSTA T.

“Don’t sleep with your makeup on!”

COSTA T.

“Make sure to have a lot of patience deposited in your ‘Emotion Account’. You’ll need it when you get older.

LAUREN L.
“Crying isn’t always a sign of weakness.”

MIRIAM V.
“When you make a commitment, you must fulfill and deliver. So be careful with your ‘yes’.”

REGINA A.
Kung ano ang sinimulan mo, tapusin mo. And when you feel like giving up, don’t quit. Pray for strength.”

NICOLE L.

“Instead of cursing them, pray blessings over people who have hurt you.”

ISOBEL H. 
“Be prepared! When going on a barkada trip, don’t forget to bring formal wear (you might be invited for a sit-down dinner) and swim wear (even if it’s not on the agenda).”

COTTIE D.R.

“Huwag sumabat sa usapan ng matatanda.”

LIRA T.
“Makipagtalo ka na sa akin, huwag lang sa biyenan mo dahil mas maiintindihan kita!”

NANETTE C.
“Find time to volunteer in a local clinic for indigent people. Share the blessings God has given you.”

MHALYN R.
“Lahat ng sobra ay masama.”

MITZI O.
“Mag-aral ng mabuti para makatapos kayo at magtulungan kayong magkakapatid.”

LAARNI B.
Do no harm, but take no sh*t.

XYZA G.

“Always pray, especially when you find it hard to do so. Just surrender everything to God.”

ANTON V.
“Piliin mo mga kaibigan mo.”

JESIELYN M.
“Huwag na huwag kang mangungutang ng hindi mo kayang bayaran. Masarap ang tulog ng taong hindi nakakaagrabyado.”

DANA J.
“Love yourself.”

NINA G.
“Always be responsible & accountable for your actions, no matter what the outcome.”

VIRGIE R.
Maging open sa kanya tungkol sa lovelife mo. Pati siya kinikilig!

EMERALD A.

“It’s better to be kind than to be right.”

EMERALD A.
It was more warning than advice: “Huwag na huwag kang magsisinungaling dahil bago ako magtanong, alam ko na ang sagot!”

JASPER B.
“You need to be deaf, blind, and very giving when it comes to your in-laws.”

REI T.
“Huwag muna magpapakasal dahil mahal ang dolyar!”

LALAINE M.
“Magtira ka, anak, ng para sa iyo.”

JENG M.
Whenever any of us leave the house without her, she always tells us “Huwag kang tatanga-tanga!”

KRIXIE V.

“No matter where you are, no matter what you do, we’ll always be here supporting you. So go and spread your wings and fly with the one you’re meant to be. We’ll see you on the other side of the world.”

MARC G.
“Smile. It adds years to your life and the lives of those you show your smile to.”

MAAN E.
“Naiakyat na namin kayo ng isang hakbang sa hagdan, nasa inyo na yan kung babalik pa ayo sa unang baitang!”

CYRUS L.
“Look with your eyes, not with your mouth!”

STELLA M.
It wasn’t so much what she told me but what I saw in her: grace & dignity in the worst of times, elegance and generosity in the best of times.

MI K.

“There is greater joy in giving and helping, much greater than in receiving.”

She didn’t really say this, but did so through her actions.

There was a flood in their village, and for the first time, water entered the house knee deep. At that time, my parents had a Japanese house guest, a very good family friend. When the water receeded, they swept the house, moved furniture, etc to get it as neat as possible. Right after that, without sitting down to take a break, she immediately got two huge pots and started cooking arroz caldo.

Their Japanese guest, puzzled, asked why she was cooking so much food. My mom replied that, for the first time, water entered her house: which meant that the houses at the lower areas of the village were definitely in much deeper flood. The residents would most likely take shelter at the church, which is on a higher portion of the village. “They’ll be wet and hungry, so I’m cooking for them.” Our Japanese friend had tears rolling down when he heard her reply.

There is greater joy in giving and helping, much greater than in receiving.

Less Fear, More Hope

Written by Niki Guloy

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2015 Quality Index Overall Scores

RANK COUNTRY SCORE
1 UK 93.9
2 Australia 91.6
3 New Zealand 87.6
….
78 Philippines 15.3
79 Bangladesh 14.1
80 Iraq 12.5

In a 2015 quality of death study, the Philippines was named as the third worst place to die out of 80 countries, next to Iraq and Bangladesh.

Lack of awareness and training in relevant health care – along with insufficient national policy & medical bill subsidies – are some reasons why our country ranks so low.

These are also the reasons why The Ruth Foundation team works hard to improve the Filipino perspective on dying.

The truth is, palliative is not about dying a good death, but living the best life possible until the inevitable comes.

It is about time we talk about death with less fear and more hope.


Why Do You Do What You Do?

Doc Mae visits a patient during the beginning of The Ruth Foundation’s operations in March 2013.

Doc Mae visits a patient during the beginning of The Ruth Foundation’s operations in March 2013.

The following is an edited transcript of the speech given by Dr. Mae Corvera during the January 30, 2017 Awarding of Social Welfare Development Agencies by DSWD NCR. During the ceremony, The Ruth Foundation received its 3-year Registration Certificate and License to Operate alongside other SWDAs.


I am sure most of us here are often asked: “why do you do what you do?” In my case, why palliative and hospice care? Why should we extend help this seemingly minor sector of our population who are in their final chapter of life – yes, dying? (Kahit ‘yung mismong asawa ko, nagtanong: “Anong klaseng doktor ka? Lahat na pasyente mo siguradong mamatay?”) Of course, I had to think through the answers to these questions, and here they are.

Bakit nga ba?… but then again, bakit po hindi?

Bakit po hindi? … when we have nearly 5 million senior citizens to care for in our country?

Bakit po hindi? … when 2/3 of children with cancer in the Philippines are diagnosed at advanced stages, and survival rate for these children is less than 20%?

Bakit po hindi? … when a recent report featured in the STAR newspaper listed the Philippines as one of the worst places to die, next to Iraq and Bangladesh?

MANILA, Philippines – A 2015 Quality of Death study index has listed the Philippines as one of the worst places to die, next to Iraq and Bangladesh. The low ranking of the Philippines in the overall scores of quality of death index was attributed to:

the severe shortage of specialized palliative care professionals,lack of government-led strategy for the development and promotion of national palliative care, andlimited number of government subsidies or programs for individuals accessing palliative care services, and limited public understanding and awareness of palliative care (a service which not only cares for the index patient but for his/her entire family, who comes alongside them during this critical life chapter)

– Source: Philippine Star

And bakit po hindi? … when one hundred percent of the population — including us — is inevitably going to face this closing chapter of life, where we will also need pain and symptom control, compassionate bedside care, and most especially dignity and hope?

And as I segue back into the bigger picture that involves all of us here who have been asked the same question – bakit tayo nagpapakahirap for causes beyond ourselves? – I trust all of us here have the same answer:

Bakit po hindi?

Bakit po hindi … when the moment you step out of your door, there will always be someone in need? When there are still 20 million Filipinos at poverty level? When, at any one time, there are 1.5 billion people in the world starving, and 75 million with no decent shelter?

And bakit po hindi? … when, kung tutuusinthis life is not our own?

Whether we fully embrace it or not, the truth is, we were created for a purpose beyond ourselves. The opportunity to live out that purpose is a gift from the Giver of Life, who makes all things beautiful in His time.

With this, I proceed with what I was really tasked to do, and that is to thank the Department of Social Welfare and Development on behalf of all the organizations here. Thank you for recognizing – and I must also include, guiding – our efforts to reach out to our fellow Filipinos through the licenses that we received this morning.

My mother-in-law, Ruth, was also a social worker. She organized an NGO through which she worked selflessly to advocate for family wellness among numerous communities. I can never attain even half of what our Nanay did in terms of community transformation: and though she is no longer with us, she continues to inspire and encourage many, just as the spirit of this Department does.

I am sure that many would agree that, of all the national offices, yours is the most noble and far reaching. I know it also comes with much sacrifice on your part, because as you carry the tremendous weight of the social burdens of our land, you also bear the equally heart-wrenching emotional burden of each suffering Filipino – whether individual, family, or community – whom you serve as you facilitate hope. If I were to suggest a nickname for your office po, it would be the department of hope. And all of these efforts are sustained by true compassion.

Which brings me to share one of my favorite – and to me, the most accurate – definition of compassion I have learned of, from author and inspirational speaker Joan Halifax:

“First, compassion is comprised of that capacity to see clearly into the nature of suffering. It is that ability to really stand strong and to recognize also that I’m not separate from this suffering.

But that is not enough, because compassion means that we aspire, we actually aspire to transform suffering. And if we’re so blessed, we engage in activities that transform suffering.

But compassion has another component, and that component is really essential. That component is that we cannot be attached to outcome.”

So again, in behalf of all the groups here today, thank you for granting us this license – a gift of opportunity – to carry on in our efforts of compassion. Thank you for encouraging us in our task of “hope giving”, in our respective areas of service, to our nation. In honor of the Giver of life and hope, mabuhay po ang Kagawaran ng Kagalingang Panlipunan at Pagpapaunlad. Pagpalain po ang “Dept. of Hope”.

Thank you and good morning!

Love is a Verb

Written by Niki Guloy

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Every February, we celebrate expressions of love. Young lovers trade flowers and gifts. Husband and wife share special dinners together. The list goes on.

But while we enjoy receiving love this month, let us remember that love is also something to give away.

Love is sharing the chocolates you receive. Love is helping your neighbor cross the street. Love is calling your mother and father to catch up with them.

Love is a choice. Love is putting your child first before your work. Love is giving time to volunteer. Love is making sacrifices.

You cannot sit back and expect the world to serve love to you. Instead, serve the world with love.

How have you loved today?