51 million Filipinos unable to afford a healthy diet.
The Philippines has the 2nd highest number of people unable to afford a healthy diet in Southeast Asia.
Hi-res version here: ibon.org/population-unable-to-afford-a-healthy-diet/
Meanwhile,
It’s not a river it’s the heartbeat of a continent.
Astronauts aboard the ISS say it's one of the most breathtaking sights on Earth, a shimmering ribbon of water carving through a sea of emerald green. Its massive tributaries look like fingers reaching across the jungle, feeding the largest tropical rainforest on the planet.
The Amazon carries more water than the next seven largest rivers combined, and from orbit, its sheer scale is mind-blowing. It's a lifeline for millions of species, and a powerful reminder of Earth’s natural beauty, resilience, and fragility.
Every twist and curve tells a story of ancient lands, flowing time, and a living ecosystem that connects clouds, trees, wildlife, and people.
The Amazon isn’t just a river. From above, it’s a living symbol of Earth itself, vast, vital, and awe-inspiring.
Finally, An Act of Kindness
When I was 13, I carried a secret shame. My family was so poor that I often went to school with no food. At recess, while my classmates opened their lunches, apples, cookies, sandwiches, I sat pretending I wasn’t hungry. I buried my face in a book, hiding the sound of my empty stomach. Inside, it hurt more than I can explain.
Then one day, a girl noticed. Quietly, without making a fuss, she offered me half her lunch. I was embarrassed, but I accepted. The next day, she did it again. And again. Sometimes it was a roll, sometimes an apple, sometimes a piece of cake her mother baked. To me, it was a miracle. For the first time in a long time, I felt seen.
Then one day, she was gone. Her family moved, and she never came back. Every day at recess, I’d glance at the door, hoping she would walk in and sit beside me with her smile and her sandwich. But she never did.
View now to learn more: https://ifeg.info/.../the-power-of-small-acts-a-lesson.../
Still, I carried her kindness with me. It became part of who I was.
Years passed. I grew up. I thought of her often, but life went on.
Then just yesterday, something happened that froze me in place. My young daughter came home from school and said:
“Dad, can you pack me two snacks tomorrow?”
“Two?” I asked. “You never finish one.”
She looked at me with the seriousness only a child can have:
“It’s for a boy in my class. He didn’t eat today. I gave him half of mine.”
I just stood there, goosebumps rising, time standing still. In her small act, I saw that girl from my childhood. The one who fed me when no one else noticed. Her kindness hadn’t disappeared, it had traveled through me, and now, through my daughter.
I stepped onto the balcony and looked at the sky, my eyes full of tears. All at once, I felt my hunger, my shame, my gratitude, and my joy.
That girl may never remember me. She may not even know the difference she made. But I will never forget her. Because she taught me that even the smallest act of kindness can change a life.
And now, I know: as long as my daughter shares her bread with another child, kindness will live on.
Personal Note: My heart melt and I shed a tear or two after reading this!
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