Privacy & Disclosures
Your Privacy
Your privacy is of utmost importance to me and none of the information collected by the statistical tools of free WordPress.com or any other tools that I may use will be sold by me to third parties. Outlined below are some ways that information may be collected.
Disclosure on Log Files, Cookies, Web Beacons and Other Statistical Tools
Free WordPress.com has built-in statistics that show the visitor’s internet protocol ( IP ) addresses when leaving a comment on this blog, the referring/exit pages, number of daily visitors and trends over time, search engine terms used, as well as links clicked. I also employ some third-party tools that provide general information on number of visitors and general locations. IP addresses and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.
Effective 14 October 2009 I have utilized Google Analytics as an additional tool merely to gauge the effectiveness of certain posts and to help me improve future posts. I may employ additional third-party networks in future. Technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and/or to personalize the advertising content that you see.
Disclosure on Blog Advertisements
This disclosure is effective 14 October 2009.
While most of my posts are personal in nature and reflect experiences from my day-to-day life, I could get compensated every so often in various ways.
When I personally experience a product, service or place and decide to blog about the experience, I receive NO COMPENSATION for this as this is an expression of my personal satisfaction or lack of it. In these cases, I may voice positive remarks or otherwise and these comments are solely mine as these are meant for the benefit of my readers who may benefit from such comments.
On any of my blogs which allow Javascript, I may include advertising partners such as Nuffnang, Google AdSense and the like. I have no control as to the nature of the ads that may show up on my blogs as these are controlled by third-party ad networks but to the best of my ability, I will review these whenever I can and take action if something is found objectionable.
I may be asked to test a product or service when I participate in blogger events. While it is in the nature of such events for product samples to be handed out, these are usually for the bloggers concerned to use so we can write credibly about the product. The nature of what I write as a result of the tests are not, in any way, controlled by, dictated by, or influenced by the advertisers or their clients. In cases when survey or clinical results are quoted, I base my post on information from the press kits provided by the advertiser and rely on them to ensure that what they represent is indeed factual, tested and proven true. However, I leave it up to you, my readers, to conduct your own due diligence as well on such claims.
I may accept paid advertorials and product/service information may be lifted and quoted verbatim directly from such material, including pictures where provided by the advertisers. Such advertorials and similarly compensated posts will be indicated as such.
I only endorse products or services that I have actually used and found personally satisfactory. These are personal endorsements and do not carry any compensation. If, in the future, I am asked to endorse a product/service for compensation, I would only do so if I truly believed in the benefit of the product/service. In addition, any posts related to that product/service will carry with it proper identification as a paid endorsement.
Disclosure on Links
As part of my posts, including posts that involve product or service-related posts, I include links to other sites. These links are meant to serve as additional reference for readers but please be aware that I am in no way related to, or have control over, the privacy policies of those sites. Therefore, when you click on the links provided on my posts, be sure you are aware of the privacy policy of the site you are visiting as each site has varying privacy policies.
Comment Moderation
This blog’s comment moderation is activated. As this is my personal blog, and as my goal is to keep it on a positive and wholesome note wherever possible since my family reads it, comments posted will have to be individually approved or disapproved by me. I do not accept libelous or curse language. Readers with differing opinions will be allowed as long as the comment is done in good taste.
Here's to Life! 
Oct 26, 2009 @ 14:34:07
Subject: Stand Up to Climate Change: RUN AGAINST THE ELEMENTS (Ateneo COSA Fun Run 2010)
Dear Blogger,
Ateneo’s Collegiate Society of Advertising (COSA) will be having its first-ever Fun Run on January 24, 2010 (Sunday) at the Ateneo campus grounds called, “RUN AGAINST THE ELEMENTS: Ateneo COSA Fun Run 2010” with our slogan: Stand Up to Climate Change. We have partnered with social entrepreneur, Illac Diaz, who started “Design Against the Elements.” This is an international design competition that responds to the call for social and climate adaptation by building sustainable homes. This was launched to international architects last June 16, 2009 at the Institute of International Education (IIE) at the United Nations Plaza in New York with the support of the IIE, the Philippine Consulate, Gov. Lray Villafuerte, Gawad Kalinga, United Architects of the Philippines and My Shelter Foundation.
We are going beyond the spirit of volunteerism. By choosing Design Against the Elements as the cause for our fun run, we will also be promoting its anthem, “Stand Up”, a collaboration of 50 of the Philippines’ finest artists like Kjwan, Cookie Chua, Karl Roy, Jett Pangan, Noel Cabangon, Barbie Almalbis, Migs Escueta, etc. We are asking for your help in the simultaneous online release of the video we (Ateneo COSA) are creating for the song. This unreleased single will be launched online via a video which will be sent to you on TUESDAY for posting on your blogs. TUESDAY (OCT 27) is the targeted date, so if you would like to help us promote this global campaign and fun run event, please do post this video on your blogs. Below is a forwarded message from Illac Diaz if you would like to know more details about the campaign.
We hope you help us in promoting ACTION against and not just mere AWARENESS regarding climate change. Climate change is here and now—we want to be able to properly handle another calamity like Ondoy next time. Don’t we?
We look forward to hearing from you.
Ally Lim
Project Head
RUN AGAINST THE ELEMENTS (Ateneo COSA Fun Run 2010)
0927-5075426
Dear Blogger
These last month has been an incredible trial for the Philippines and its people. As the floodwater begins to receed, a new challenge will need to be met, which is rebuilding many areas that have been affected by the storm. This crisis may have an opportunity by allowing us to work with you and help you rebuild better. Specially since, the incident is not a singular occurence, but is going to be a pattern of challenges for the coming decades due to the changes in climate and a longer view must be implimanted.
We would like to ask you to help us with a mega-band campaign song to raise awareness on the need to move awareness to climate adaptability in the Philippines over mere carbon reduction as the country is not a significant emitter, but one of the world’s communities most vulnerable; and least able to adapt.
We have united almost 50 of the top icons of music to sing the campaign song to arouse attention not only of the Philippines, but a global audience that we must move to greater awareness and policies for raising awareness to climate adaptability in the Philippines over mere carbon reduction as the country is not a significant emitter, but that we are also one of the world’s communities most vulnerable; and least able to adapt.
Like the Blog Action Day we shall be releasing a video simultaneously over the web that we are editing now. Here is a rough sample http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol2x22rFtBg
We ask you if you could help us with the simltaneous release.
…..
The projected impact of climate change in Philippines is extreme typhoons (top four in the world according to the Global Climate Index). This is due mainly to the high vulnerability of rural areas and very little capacity for adaptation (poverty and lack of awareness of the rising dangers) of the people at risk. These upcoming humanitarian disasters, and climate refugee mass migration, and will lead to a high state of conflict and insecurity for the poor below the poverty line.
This project, Design Against the Elements will focus on the climate displaced communities in Metro Manila, Philippines. Combined with research recently completed by the Manila Observatory on the future challenges of climate in the Naga region ( which is a sample of similar challenges in other areas of the Philippines), it contribute to design and build a redesigned low income community which will be the new blueprint of how people in the vulnerable coastal areas can successfully cope with impacts of climate variability. The knowledge generated from this study will facilitate the development of policies that address these humanitarian challenges.
The main objective of this competition is to contribute to rural adaptability to climate change impacts, in the form of architectural resiliency to strong typhoon winds and heavy rains. Capacity building in the present social networks such as community, non-government, and government organizations involved with these areas will allow a shift into post disaster mitigation to preparing ahead of the storm. The main hypothesis of this project is having a safer structures “ahead of time” will lead to less injury, number of climate refugees, and loss of life and property.
The main partner and benificiary will be Gawad Kalinga who will recieve the winning designs of which the winner of the competition will have 100 houses built with the new design.
This competition will begin in November 2009. We are setting the land and the global partners.
The competition brief ( which is how the architects design the village based on the key points of climate change challenges, data on the site and province, ect) is still being done by the United Architects of the Philippines.Last 2008, it was for building safer schools for shelter (http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2008/05.08/31-designs.html)
It will be from the top marketing using the United Architects of the Philippines writing to all architect associations in the world linked to them BUT the exciting one is the grassroots marketing of the global Gawad Kalinga members asking architects they can reach (inspire) to be involved. We expect 4000 entries.
The song is composed by Joey Ayala and Boogie Romero and is about to be finished by 50 of the top Filipino bands and personalities who are now finishing the “Stand Up” theme song for the campaign.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Illac Angelo Diaz
Executive Director
Global Designer Village Challenge