This email landed in my inbox and I have decided to copy-paste its entirety lest I misunderstand some of the important details.

_____________________________________________________________

Japanese university offers scholarships for Filipino students

A renowned international university in Japan is aggressively recruiting Filipino students and beefing up its international student profile. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) will provide qualifying Filipino students scholarships to pursue international degrees on its campus in Beppu, Oita Japan. APU belongs to the esteemed school system of the Ritsumeikan Academy, of which Ritsumeikan University and other primary, junior and senior high schools are integral institutions.

“Among the over 90 nationalities currently enrolled in APU, many Filipinos have successfully and consistently received 100% tuition reduction scholarships,” says David Evans, APU Admissions Counselor.

Representatives from APU will conduct an information session on October 1 at Dusit Thani Hotel between 10 am and 12 pm to meet Filipino students who wish to earn international degrees, and to explain to participants about the school and its programs, admissions policies and procedures, as well as scholarship opportunities. APU alumni and current students will also be there share their University experiences. Registration is free.

APU offers degree programs in International Business and a range of Social Sciences at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Degree programs in the undergraduate are taught using a bilingual system. International students typically enter on an English basis (although students can also enter on a Japanese basis) and for the first year of undergraduate study, they will learn the Japanese language. In short, there is no need to know Japanese to enter APU, students study for their degree in English, but will also learn Japanese once they are there. Proficiency in both languages prepares students to take their courses in either English or Japanese when they reach third and fourth year of studying. Meanwhile, degree programs at the graduate level are taught exclusively in English.

Minimum requirement for qualification to APU undergraduate programs is completion of K-12 education or an International Baccalaureate, or completion of at least second year college courses. For the graduate programs, completion of at least 16 years of education is required.

Currently, there are 25 Filipino students on campus, and 21 have since finished their courses. The enrolment ratio of local to foreign students is 53% Japanese is to 47% international students making the university one of the most international and multicultural campuses in the world.

Information about APU may be accessed through its website at www.apu.ac.jp. For registration inquiries, contact 782-5599 or email sidnro09@apu.ac.jp.

_______________________________________________________

Please help spread this information so that it reaches deserving students. Thank you!

Do you or someone you know deserve to be nominated to be a recipient of the Rizal Awards?

Nobody can replicate what the Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal has done for our country but we can give recognition to people who have made great great leaps and bounds, risked their lives to fight for what is right and just, for the good of the country.

If you have someone in mind who has the distinction of being that and more, then you can nominate him/her to the Rizal Awards, a project of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in celebration of the commemoration of 150 years of Dr. Jose Rizal.

Two categories:

• Individual category where ten Filipinos and three foreigners will be given awards
• Organizational category where ten institutions, societies, or organizations that qualified in the terms stated would be awarded.

Individuals and groups to be nominated should…

• have or had projects supporting the Rizalian concept of love of country and fulfillment of the duties as Filipino citizens
• in their capacities and involvement in various professions, promote, teach and disseminate competence for the benefit of the people they serve in the light of Rizal’s teaching and way of life
• be models of responsible citizenship who have not misused wealth, rank, influence and power

Nominations can be sent to National Historical Commission of the Philippines or NHCP Office or  e-mail them at rizalawards@nhcp.gov.ph on or before March 15, 2012.

CALLING ALL YOUNG PEOPLE WITH POSITIVE IDEAS aimed to promote health and wellness in their community: UNILAB Ideas Positive is inviting you to join their idea-generating contest on social marketing programs that will address, yes,  health and wellness issues.

Unilab Ideas Positive started last year because of the increase in problems affecting communities regarding hygiene and sanitation, nutrition, disease prevention and intervention, as well as environmental care and protection.

Through the Filipino trait of Bayanihan spirit,  that of working together to achieve a common goal, Unilab knows that these problems can be given solution when two or more teams or organizations work together.

Unilab aims to not just provide these youth groups with the venue for them to make themselves heard but to help them turn thier ideas into reality. The youth groups then are able to be more creative in shaping their ideals and sense of social purpose in looking for solutions with the problems they see regarding health and wellness in their communities.

Unilab Ideas Positive Award:

A seed fund worth PhP100,000 will be awarded to the winning team. This award money will be used for the implementation of the social marketing program for the communities they have chosen. The two runner-up groups will be given PhP75,000 for their programs.

Unilab Ideas Positive 2010 winner:

University of Asia and the Pacific’s (UA&P) Team Biggkas was last year’s winner. Their “farm in the city” concept, a hydroponics gardening program aimed to teach housewives in Barangay San Joaquin in Pasig City to have their own sustainable source of vegetables, was chosen. Last April, the moms were able to harvest lettuce and kangkong.

The local government of Pasig City has expressed a desire to replicate the same program in other barangays.

Unilab Ideas Positive includes these provinces for 2011: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan and Rizal.

How to join: continue reading this entry »

I thought I wouldn’t be able to make an entry for this week’s theme: NEAR. Wait, I already did make an entry here.

I have tons of photos using macro mode but since I am a little busy resting (huh?) because the kids are using the desktop computers. I needed to prepare for dinner so I had to stand up to do so and decided I might as well make a post featuring my favorite flower: the sunflower! Yey!

Good thing I was able to take photos of these sunflowers last April because the rains came really early and they were all plucked out.

Photo taken along University Ave in UP Diliman.

30 minutes ago I saw that bunch of lolos and a lola passed by our home. They were all in a jolly mood, some wearing jogging pants, some in walking shorts and the rest of them have caps and jackets. They are having their morning walks. I used to see them when I used to take my morning walks.

Used to.

I don’t know exactly why I stopped. My first excuse was my mobile phone (a Walkman) which has a broken part where the cable for earphones are plugged and music can’t be played. Yes, it IS boring to go out there alone without music.

My running shoes broke during a Zumba session last summer and I still have to get a new pair since I’m using my daughter’s old pair. I’ve not enrolled yet, as of this time.

Now I’m running out of excuses and I still haven’t gone out for these walks.

And I need to get my ‘groove” back.

My two younger children expressed their wanting to join the Unilab 2011 Run United 2 because we took part in the Unilab 2011 Run United 1.

I’m trapped. I MUST go back because I plan to join Unilab’s 2011 Run United 2.

This will also make hubby “inspired” to go running with me again.

I hope the rains won’t ruin these plans.

UPDATE:

2011 Unilab Run United 2 Registration is now open

My youngest daughter would sing the songs from Nestle’s Kasambuhay Habambuhay TVC. It is her LSS so to speak. Here is the Nestle 100 Years Pag-ibig TVC if you haven’t seen it yet:

So when I had the chance to be invited to last night’s (June 8 ) special screening of Nestle’s Kasambuhay Habambuhay Short Film Anthology at PH Nestle’s HQ, I decided to attend the event, dragging my youngest daughter with me who had her initial session at Global Art yesterday. No rains nor high water can make us not come because my Bunso was not going to take “NO” for an answer. It was after all, a chance for her to see what she has been singing about for several days.

Anyway, I’m glad we went. We sure did have a great time as I’ve written earlier in my Teacher Julie FB page.

So there, I think my laughter was one of those that resonated the venue’s walls where we watched the Nestle Kasambuhay Habambuhay Short Film Anthology. I don’t know if it was obvious when my tears were falling but I know, there were some whose heart strings were tugged just like me.

There are 10 shorts films with 10 minutes each featured in Nestle Kasambuhay Habambuhay Short Film Anthology. Please click on the title to be directed to the YouTube trailer:

• The Howl and the Fussyket directed by Chris Martinez (Genre: a family comedy of manners; Brand: Bear Brand Instant Milk which is my mom’s favorite brand of milk for several decades now). 8-year old Aaron (Gerald Pesigan) volunteered to be his grade 2 class’ representative in the coming English Declamation contest. Will he win the contest despite his obvious difficulties interchanging “p” and “f”? How will his mother (Eugene Domingo) and sister (Kiray) help him prep for the competition? This is a story of perseverance, family unity and knowing what triumph is all about. Guaranteed howls of laughter and “awww…” moments.

• Unplugged directed by Raul Jorolan (Genre: a feel-good adventure of discovery; Brand feature: Milo hands down my kids fave chocolate milk drink). Foot ball coach (Marvin Agustin) brought his team of young football players to his grandfather’s (Eddie Garcia) home in the province to bond. But as the grandpa observed, they are all engrossed with their handheld gadgets so he asked them to give it all up and stay unplugged. The boys had so much fun enjoying the outdoors, coming to the realization that by going offline, they are able to reconnect back to (the simple joys) in life: a life unplugged. Note: one of my personal favorites.

• Silup directed by Jun Reyes. Genre: A Gritty Urban Drama. Brand feature: Bear Brand Sterilized Milk. Silup, Pulis spelled backwards, is about a Manila cop (Sid Lucero) who is a third generation policeman. He sees crime, had been shot at which missed. He is strict and tough but at home, he is that caring person who lives with his grandma (Gloria Romero). Be prepared to see what these cops deal with and believe me, some of the scenes are not something you’d probably want to see in real life. continue reading this entry »