Typhoon Ondoy

DISASTER EMERGENCY HOTLINES YOU CAN CALL:

These are the hotlines that our citizenry can call for disaster emergency situations, especially urgent rescue and relief needs.

National Disaster Coordinating Committee
911-1406
911-1873
911-1906
911-5061
912-0984
912-2665
912-3046
912-5296
912-5668

Help hotlines:
734-2118
734-2120

Bureau of Fire Protection, National Capital Region
729-5166
410-6254
413-8859
407-1230

Bureau of Fire Protection, Region III (Central Luzon)
Hotline (045) 9634376

Philippine Coast Guard
527-6136

Red Cross
143
911-1876
527-0000

Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
136
896-6000

Taguig emergency hotline
1623

Meralco
16220
631-1111
16211
0917-5592824
0920-9292824

Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. emergency hotlines
for dumptrucks going to flooded areas for rescue of stranded people:
0917 4226800
0917 2414864
0927 6751981

Sen. Dick Gordon (Philippine National Red Cross)
Please send address of stranded friends/family to
09178997898
0938444BOYS

Police Central Hotline 171

NCRPO Hotline
838-32-03
838-33-54

Rizal PDCC
09153767070 and 09278400133

PAGASA
927-1541

Maynilad
1626

Department of Social Welfare and Development

Disaster Relief Operations, monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC), DSWD-NCR - 488-3199 (24hours)
Crisis Intervention Unit (CIU), DSWD-NCR - 733 8635 (24 hours)
Disaster Relief Operations, Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC), DSWD-Central Office - 931 8101 to 05, local 506; 951 7119 (24 hours)

Bureau of Fire Protection, National Capital Region
410-62-54
413-88-59
407-12-30

ABS-CBN Foundation USA toll-free 1-800-527-2820

ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya center: No. 13 Examiner St., QC

Sagip Kapamilya hotlines 413-26-67, 416-03-87

Ondoy response: ABS-CBN hotline 416-36-41.

No classes, all levels, in NCR, Rizal until Tuesday.

Active Fun at SM North Edsa

Last Friday, Dwyn and I were invited by fellow mommy bloggers to join the fun at the newly opened Active Fun at SM North Annex. I immediately said yes to Julie, when she told me about the event a couple of weeks ago. I knew Dwyn would love to play there. When I brought him there last month, 1 hour of playing wasn't just enough.

Dwyn and all the other kids I saw there last Friday really had a blast, I must say. There are so many things that a kid can do at Active Fun and 1 hour isn't really enough to explore and play with everything.

The playground is kid friendly and adult friendly! Why do I say it's adult friendly? All the other playgrounds we've visited, I find it hard to run after my son. Usually, I couldn't follow my son at the second level of the playground because they were designed to accommodate kids only and the adults were left with no choice but to watch them from below. At Active Fun, I was surprised that I could go up and down without much effort. I can run after Dwyn even when he's at the second level already. I wasn't even able to resist the urge to commend Active Fun for that, that I really told Apple Morales, the owner, how much I like their playground coz it can accommodate me. And I didn't even have to strain my back bending too low just to fit in. It was wide and high enough that adults can follow their kids, especially the small ones, go up and down the playground. And one thing I've also noticed, unlike other playgrounds, it's not hard to go up to get to the slides. I've encountered several playgrounds where you really have to exert a lot of effort before you get to the slides. Active Fun is not like that.

You can easily climb this one. Even little kids don't have a hard time climbing these.

Also, Active Fun is not just limited to slides. There are so many areas in the playground that kids would love.

See that big piano there? Kids love to walk over and over it because it plays a tune when you step on it. And see my son i building something out of those big blocks.

This is one of Dwyn's favorite parts of Active Fun. He finds it entertaining and amusing at the same time. You put a soft ball under and it comes popping out at the top. Pretty exciting for kids.

Of course, this slide is always a kid's favorite. Even little kids like Dwyn loves this slide. One thing I like about this slide is even if it's high, when the kid slides, the kid doesn't go down really fast. I don't know what's with the slide, but the kid seems to slow down at the middle. So, I would say it's not an accident prone slide. Dwyn didn't get tired of this slide. I lost track of how many times he played here.

They even have a smaller slide surrounded by a pool of balls.

You can also try shooting. Don't worry the balls are really soft and this game is designed not to hit anybody. It's really safe.

Aside from these, they can also bounce and even play basketball at Active Fun.

As a mom, I give Active Fun a five star rating. I really like the place. It's big enough to accommodate a lot of kids. So even if there are so many kids there, it's still not crowded because there are just so many activities to do there that one kid wouldn't just be confined to one area. I would love to go back there again. Plus, for the mommies and daddies out there, if you want to work out with your kids, bring them at Active Fun and just run after them. I gave up after 1 hour of following my son. I got tired. I felt I was really working out. But my son played for about 4 hours! That's how fun Active Fun is. It's really "Active Fun," the kids become active and they really have fun. But be ready when you go there. If you're kid is the type who likes this kind of playground, I suggest you ready your 300 for an unlimited play time. I tell you with a play area like this 1 hour is not just enough. So better avail the unlimited play time. Kids 3 years old and below can be accommodated by an adult for free.

They also have party packages. So, if you have a kid and you're looking a party venue that your kid and your guests would love, I would suggest that you try Active Fun.

Active Fun is located at the third floor of SM Annex, right next to the parking entrance. For more inquiries, you can contact them at 2159891 or email them at info@activefun.ph. Visit their website too at www.activefun.ph. Apple Morales and her staff are very nice and accommodating, so if you want to know more about Active Fun at SM Annex, feel free to contact them

Okay, I get it I'm fat!

Earlier, we went to a family gathering. Everyone noticed that I gained a lot, not just little, a lot of weight. In short, I really got fat. Some couldn't even stop wondering what happened to me. Some couldn't even resist the urge to ask me how I grew to become so big. I really don't mind that they were laughing at me because of how I look now. To aggravate the situation, they were also shocked to see me sporting a very very very short hair. But know what, it's a wake up call. I really need to start losing weight. I just hope I can condition myself in doing that.

Disaster Haircut

I wanted to cut my hair short. But I had half of mind of going to a salon when Dwyn and I saw one because I wanted a different salon. But my son insisted that I had my haircut that moment. To avoid any squabbles with my son, I obliged. Inside the salon, the hairdresser didn't shampoo my hair but I didn't react. I removed my eyeglasses and my attention was to Dwyn who kept moving around me. Finally, the haircut was finished. I put on my eyeglasses. And to my horror, I felt my hair was brutally murdered! It seemed that they guy didn't know what he was doing. I felt like I had a male's haircut. It was ruthless. This time, I couldn't help but react. I told the hairdresser what he has done to my hair. Why did he cut it that short? I knew I said I wanted a short hair but it didn't mean a short hair like what I have now. It was really a disaster. It's too short for me, my shortest hair by far. Even if I wanted to yell at the guy, it wouldn't grow my hair back. I just left and didn't leave any tip. When I got home, I couldn't help but cry.

Linggo ng Wika

Dwyn had their Linggo ng Wika. I can say that I am really so proud of Dwyn. I was worried he wouldn't dance because he seemed to be just running around. And days before that whenever I would ask him to show me their dance, he would always say it's for the school only. But on the day of their Linggo ng Wika celebration, when the music started, there he was dancing! He even sang Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo with all the other students. I must admit he likes things like these. And he just makes me so so so proud.

What do you do when you're househelp doesn't obey you?

I have a problem with my househelp. She has two teenager daughters also working here in manila as househelps as well. Her two daughters and her cousin took a day off. They went to QC Circle coz apparently there was a disco there. They danced and had fun and didn't go home on the time they promised their bosses. My househelp asked me if she can go to Circle to force her kids to go home. I obliged, being a mother myself, I understand her plight. But this was what I couldn't take. At around 9:30-10pm, she texted me if she can let her daughters and niece sleep in my house. I said I don't mind allowing her kids but I don't know her niece so I'm not allowing her to sleep over. I don't know the person and I'm not the type of person who would just let anybody sleep in our house, someone that the househelp might know. But the point is I don't know that person. I strictly conveyed to her that I'm not allowing her niece to go to my house and sleep here. Guess what? My househelp disobeyed me. I found her niece sleeping in our house when I opened her bedroom. Dwyn wet the bed and his newly pressed clothes were still in the maid's room coz I still haven't arranged them in the cabinet. There I saw that there were four of them sleeping on the bed. If that's not too much, they tried to sneak their way out of our house at 4am! Too bad, I was already awake. I really got mad. And you know what? My househelp said that she's just accepting my anger coz she knows she is wrong but she has already conditioned herself that I would really get mad because she disobeyed me. I got mad because I didn't allow a total stranger to sleep in our house and she disobeyed me. Why are there househelps like her? They have other relatives nearby, so why didn't she bring her niece there?

Fat 101

For the past year, I couldn't control my weight gain. My weight has been constantly going up! And everyone has been telling me I'm fat. Or they are not just used to seeing me as big as I am now. I was very thin when I was young. They would even say how come Dwyn is thin and I'm fat! Aarrrgghh! As much as I wanted to lose weight, I love eating very much. The temptation to eat is so hard to resist!

dwyn and school

Dwyn is always looking forward to go to school. Even on weekends, he would tell me if he can go to school. I have to explain to him everytime that he has no school on saturdays and sundays. I wish he would always like school even when he's a big kid already. Hope he doesn't get tired of school.

Where did my 100 go?

For 2 weeks now, I have been losing P100 in my wallet. I know how much money I have in my wallet. I always count them. It's been happening 2 weeks in a row. And my suspect is our new househelp. But I can't confront her coz I haven't actually caught her in the act from stealing money from my wallet. But she's the only new person in our house, so it follows that she's the one stealing my money, right? Btw, this househelp is different from the insane househelp we had before.

Insane househelp

This is a crazy story. I had a househelp for 3 months, who turned out to be insane.

1. She gets mad everytime I make negative comments about her work, no matter how nice I word and say it to her.
2. She cries, throws things when she's mad.
3. She only wants appreciation, never criticize her work.
4. She said my mom (who's already dead for almost 9 years now) is probably speaking to her.
5. She hears things.
6. Everyone who sees her comments she's insane or looks like it.
7. During an argument with her, she decided to leave our house. I gave her last salary. Three weeks after, she came back assisted by City Hall people. This is the scary part:
I opened our gate, saw several people brought by 2 city hall vans (the only thing missing was a news reporter), and there was our househelp. One city hall staff said they found her about to jump from a billboard at SM North. Another person said she was hurting people just passing by the footbridge. She's starting to look like a beggar, with dirty clothes and no slippers. She was actually begging me to accept her again. If I do that, I would be crazier than her right?