I got this this email from I Am Ninoy this afternoon and figured it’s something worth sharing and worth spreading. Everyone, please support “A Trek to Remember” and let’s show love to those kids who hike 12km everyday just to get to school. Let’s help those people who are willing to help themselves. You can help in any way you can — send donations in-cash or in-kind. If you are the adventurous kind and can spare some of your time, it would be better if you would join in the hike and invite your doctor/nurse friends as well to help-out in the medical mission. What follows is the original email. Please get in touch with Ms. Roxanne T. Oquendo for details. Thank you guys.

A Trek to Remember -  May of this year K.I.D.S. trekked as far as Barangay Cambulo, Banaue to visit Cambulo  Elementary School. Everyday, Cambulo students hike 12 kilometers to get to school. Most of their teachers stay in school during weekdays to cut the time and exhaustion from going up and down the mountain, which takes about 4-6 hours. K.I.D.S. went to Cambulo to distribute school supplies, clothes, books, vitamins, jackets, rain boots, shoes and bags.
To continue in making Filipino Children healthy, K.I.D.S. Foundation will be trekking to two (2) barangays; Lubo and Sagpat of Kibungan, Benguet to to bring Medical and Dental services and conduct a Pre-Christmas gift-giving. This event will be on October 24-26, 2008.
In line with this, YOU are invited to take part in fulfilling this Medical and Dental Mission this coming October. You may show your support by way of cash donations to support the expedition and/or in-kind donations (such as vitamins, medicines, medical and dental supplies, school supplies; notebooks, pencils, crayons, paper pads, teaching aid , slippers, rain gears, etc.) for the children and the school that K.I.D.S. will visit. You can also help by joining the trek and inviting your friends, medical practitioners (doctors, nurses and dentists), mountaineers and enthusiasts to join as well. Details about the trek will follow upon confirmation of volunteers.
We need YOU.  You may call Ms. Roxanne T. Oquendo our Programs Manager at 714-39-46 or 0922-854-3733/0922-871-1901 for questions or clarifications.

Four years, four months and thirteen days after I was born — someone died. It would have been any ordinary day. That person would have any ordinary person. He could have lived any ordinary life. He could have died for any ordinary reason.

But no.

August 21, 1983 is no ordinary day. Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino is no ordinary man. He did not live an ordinary life. He did not die for an ordinary reason. And that is precisely why he is a hero. He is our modern-day hero — our modern-day Jose Rizal. Elected youngest Mayor and Vice-Governor at 22 and 27, respectively. Governor 2 years later. And youngest Senator at 34. His life and death inspired a country to revolt in a bloodless way — that brought a perceived infallible dictator regime to its knees and ultimately gain us back our democracy.Can any man of our generation be more extraordinary than that?

He was dubbed as the “greatest President we never had”. And at a time like this, how we wish we could raise him back from the dead and lead us to victory from the turmoil of demoralized politics and unstable economy. How we wish he lived longer to inspire us with his policies and reforms. How I wish he lived longer to occupy the highest seat in the land — the seat he deserved the most. How I wish he lived longer for me to hear his voice at a time when I can digest to the very fiber the words he uttered. How I wish that I was older then so I wouldn’t busy myself playing with toys — so that when I watched the television then or heard the news, I’d find more delight and pleasure from listening to his wise counsel on politics and good governance. But no. I was younger then. So young to even care if we were under Martial Law or if the President was a dictator or if human rights violation was commonplace on a daily basis. So young to realize that during that time, a man walked among us who stood up for something higher than the frivolities of life or of the Filipino’s usual undertakings. So young to realize that within my lifetime, I have the rarest chance of sharing life on earth with a hero.

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