August 29-September 4 , 2018
OPINYON
•Flannels
Throwback Fashion: Tips and Tricks
by Mae Hyacinth Ludivico
AS a fashion enthusiast, its in our
blood to keep up with the next big
trend. Fashion reflects whowe are
and who we aspire to be.
Fashion has its own
way of coming back. Other
trends from different eras are
back in style.Celebrities and
other Fashion influencers have
borrowed different styles from
the past that gives alot of retro
vibes. They re-create, re-invent,
and experiment with the ongoing
trend. So, here’ssome Throwback
Fashion stuffs for you!
•Stripe shirts and oversized shirts
For those who likes
boyish looks, these kinds of shirts
suits you. Loose types of shirts
will nevergo out of style!
•Croptops
Croptops
are
once
a staple in a fashionista’s
wardrobe. You can pair it
with a highwaistshorts/pants.
•Plaid trousers
High waist or not, this is
perfect for any casual look. You
can simply pair it with a plain
shirt. Youcan strut your own style
with trousers.
The farm that empowers PWDs
BEAMING like the sun, the Sunshine
Farm Philippines, a sunflower garden
in Lalig, Tiaong, Quezon, has become
the people’s solace since it became
open to public on February 18, this
year.
Lined with exquisite sunflowers,
the garden is truly a sight to behold.
Indeed, there is something more to
this garden than meets the eye.
The sunflower garden,
sprawled in all its glory, has become
a symbol of hope to some people
especially to persons with disabilities
(PWDs).
Being in the garden gives
them a feeling of fulfillment and
empowerment, said 57-year-old farm
owner and founder of the Center for
Growing and Giving Foundation,
Rhodora Palomar-Fresnedi.
It’s because the sunflower garden has
become their sanctuary and source of
livelihood, since its employees are all
PWDs.
An accomplished retiree,
Rhodora wishes to give back to the
world the good things that were
showered upon her. She believes
in providing equal opportunities to
PWDs and the farm serves as her way
of putting into action her advocacy
for inclusivity.
“I’ve always supported
PWDs and PWD employment,”
Rhodora
recounted,
narrating
that aside from formerly being in
a profession focusing on global
diversity and inclusion, she always
believes even at a young age, that
everyone no matter what race,
skin color, religion, belief, sexual
orientation or even physical condition
should feel valued.
She said the farm gives a
sense of belongingness to PWDs and
the feeling of making a difference to
the lives of other people, regardless.
“As you grow older you
learn what your personal beliefs are
and what you are advocating, (and)
what changes would you like to see in
the world,” Rhodora articulated.
Rhodora was a teacher,
accountant,
stock
exchange
announcer, and trained in human
resource (HR), business and all. She
said these are coming together to form
what she calls her “synergized self”
which will be her best contribution to
the world.
She and her husband
had lived and worked in different
countries
abroad.
But
being
concerned Filipinos, they find
themselves coming home to the
Philippines, and now they have
established the Sunshine Farm out
of her love for flower arrangement
and her passion to help marginalized
people like the PWDs.
On paving the road for inclusivity
When Rhodora came
back to the Philippines, she had a
conversation with a co-worker who
has a son with Down Syndrome.
She recounted how this co-worker
of her complained about how
difficult it is in this country to have
a developmentally-challenged family
member, making her then want to
migrate abroad.
“We went (back) to build
the Philippines,” Rhodora told her co-
worker, convincing her to help them
build a more inclusive Philippines,
instead of just leaving, so that by
the time her son is 18 there would
be more opportunities for him and
those like him. “That’s how I started
Project Inclusion,” she said.
Due to her multinational
corporate business background,
Rhodora said, she approached the
advocacy in a corporate manner.
She primarily conducted a research,
in partnership with De La Salle
University, to prove her hypothesis
that hiring persons with intellectual
and
developmental
disabilities
(PWIDDs) is good for the person, the
team, and the company.
“Given the right condition,
PWIDDs can have an exceptional
contribution,” she added, citing that
based on studies, when PWIDDs
were employed they tend to improve,
as well as the team and the whole
company.
She stressed, studies have
proven that hiring people like them
develops a better team and better
relationships. Also, through their
presence in a company, managers
learn to give instructions properly
and team work also improves.
Rhodora said that they
themselves have tested this since
their very first employee was a male
person with autism. Utilizing her
HR know-how, Rhodora plotted a
development plan for him.
“First year, tanungin niyo
lang siya ng tanungin para sumagot;
second year, encourage niyo siyang
magtanong; aba noong third and
fourth year (ay) nag-jojoke na,”
Rhodora
narrated,
highlighting
how they have noticed the dramatic
improvements of their pioneering
PWIDD employee and how he has
brought joy and a different ambience
to their team.
(On the first year, we had
to ask and ask for him to answer; on
the second year, encourage him to
ask questions, and by the third year
he was already joking)
“Whatever the result of the
study, we experienced,” she affirmed.
On establishing the Sunshine Farm
One fine day, Rhodora
recalled, a friend living abroad called
her and invited her to a dinner which
was set to meet with a soil and seed
experts. The seed expert showed
her a sunflower field and, with her
fondness of flowers, which serve as
her de-stressors, she was enticed to
plant sunflowers.
She requested these soil
and seed experts to check the piece of
land in Quezon that her family owns
and asked them to send a technician
who would teach her how to grow
sunflowers. The two experts, she
said, probably thought at first that she
was going to do it just for a hobby,
but finally, they took her seriously
when she prompted to plant 4,000
seeds.
“But, I want to employ
PWDs,” she said, coming up with the
literally beautiful idea of sunflower
farming with PWDs as employees.
She started coordinating
with the PWD association in Tiaong
called Samahan ng mga Isinusulong
ang mga Kakayahan ng mga may
Kapansanan (SIKAP), which she
previously helped. It was led by
•Mom Jeans
If you’re kind of a rocker
stylish person like the band 5SOS
and All Time Low, flannels are
theperfect wardrobe for you!
This is a very must have
for every ladies today. Straight of
the ‘90s, the loose type highwaist
pants are perfect for any top. Roll
the ankles for a cool look.
•Ripped Jeans •White shoes
If you aim to look oh
so cool and casual, ripped jeans
seem to be the option to pair with
any topsyou want.
White shoes are an
essential piece of fashion stuff.
You can pair anything with white
shoes.
Whatever trend will
come, fashion is anything you
want to wear for as long
as you arecomfortable with it.
Dressing up nicely will somehow
boost our self-esteem but we
should alwaysthink that we never
do fashion for others, we do it for
ourselves
•Chokers”
Chokers are the new
flower crowns”, said Taylor
Swift. This piece of accesory will
definitelygive you a flawless look
if you’re wearing a low neck line
top.
Ben Villanueva as president, who
also works for the Municipal Social
Welfare and Development Office
(MSWDO).
Ben was the first person
she communicated with to find PWD
farmers who could work in the farm.
Rhodora
was
then
introduced to Edwin, a PWD farmer,
and decided to hire him as their
mainstay farmer. This became an
opportunity for Edwin to earn in a
regular basis and, at the same time,
enrich his knowledge and skills in
farming to which he is passionate of.
The monetary expenses of
starting up their field of sunflower
never bothered her and at that thime
she did not consider making a profit
out of it. “I am thinking (only of)
PWD employment. Let’s just do a
pilot. And then nag-bloom siya… ang
ganda niya!”
(It bloomed and it was beautiful.)
Their
sunflower
field
bloomed in December last year which
displayed a perfect combination of
light and rain, as she described. From
planting only few rows of sunflowers,
they have gradually expanded the
farm, which now covers a bigger and
wider field of the family-owned land.
Rhodora said that they
used to sell the first few blooms to a
point when most of them were gone,
leaving only the side blooms. Then
later, someone suggested for them to
stop selling the flowers and just make
visitors pay for their entrance to the
farm instead.
The first visitors were
their families and friends. They took
photos and selfies with the bed of
sunflowers during a family affair, and
then posted all the photos in social
media, and they went viral.
During the first few months
of this year, Rhodora said, a number
of TV shows visited them almost
every week to feature the Sunshine
Farm, but she refused telling them it
was a private property.
“I kept saying no to media,”
said the owner. But Rhodora obliged
eventually and from that time on the
farm has been featured in televisions
and other multi-media platforms.
The farm started to get
known via social media and the
word of mouth. “They didn’t know
that this side of the Philippines can
grow sunflowers,” Rhodora said,
explaining that it is probably the
reason that people wondered and
have taken interest of their farm.
Even she, back then, did not know
sunflowers could grow in the area,
saying it was only experimental when
she began.
On empowering PWDs
The PWD employees in the
Sunshine Farm found not only a job
that serves as means of livelihood,
but also a family that embraces them
for who they are and for what they are
capable of.
Joy is one of them.
She works as a receptionist who
welcomes the guests in the farm. She
said it makes her feel good and builds
her confidence whenever the visitors
treat them well like greeting them
with respect.
“Unang
una,
may
pinagkakakitaan ka na bukod sa
nalilibang ka pa. Tapos parang
nagkaroon ka ng confidence sa sarili
mo kasi ngayon may ipinagmamalaki
ka nang mayroon ka nang trabaho,
hindi ka na lang taong bahay,” said
Joy when asked how the Sunshine
Farm has helped her.
(First of all, you are earning while
also having fun. It also boosts self-
confidence because now you have a
job and not just a stay-home.)
The same goes with Jen
who is also one of the receptionists
in the farm. With the opportunity
given to her, she was able to help her
husband in providing the needs of
their family.
SIKAP President Ben
shared in an interview, “Ako po iyong
unang kinausap ni Ma’am Rhodora
na may-ari nito para ipaalam sa akin
ang layunin na iyan na pagtulong
sa mga may kapansanan… na ang
lahat ng magiging empleyado dito ay
PWD.”
(I was the one Ma’am
Rhodora talked to first to let me know
what she wanted to do for PWDs,
telling me that all employees here
would be PWDs.)
He said he supports the
advocacy of the farm owner to
elevate and develop the skills and
capabilities of people with disabilities
not only in farming but in all aspects
of development.
Aside from being an
exemplary leader to his fellow
PWDs, Ben is also knowledgeable
in encoding, facilitating, and
organizing events. He has also
served as resource speaker in various
gatherings focusing on community-
based inclusive development.
He is a living proof that
PWDs like him could do more than
what people expect of them. They
only need a proper venue like the
Sunshine Farm where they can
harness their abilities and show how
empowered they have become. (Joy
Gabrido, PIA4A)