Team Carnival asks: what can I do to help change the country?

From Team Carnival, here's a sponsored post from Unilab that comes just at the right moment when the new Philippine leaders have been sworn in.

"What can I do to help change the country?" This seems like a really big and heavy question. At the onset, I thought, who am I to change the country? I'm just a regular person who has a day job and a family to think of. I don't have the money to make a big donation to any charity here. I'm not smart enough to teach the street kids at our place. Heck, I don't even have the name that rings a bell and that would make people stop and follow me, even if I plead them to.

So how do I, as an average working middle-class Filipino, make a change?

Simple: by being a citizen who's obedient and concerned about my fellowmen and what happens to my country.

I start with myself: by being honest in everything and not cheat on others. That's from paying the correct amount of money for the goods I buy to filing the correct taxes.

By being an advocate of cleanliness and care for the environment. Throwing candy wrappers and bus tickets in the trash can. Recycling stuff that could be used again.

By following rules and obeying the law. Falling in line while waiting for the FX. Not beating the red light.

By being a good example, especially to my daughter. Share to her the values of altruism, of caring for others, and not being apathetic to the needs of those around her.

By doing simple gestures like saying thank you when a co-passenger hands me the change for my fare or when someone holds the door for me.

I can make a change by doing the little things that matter. Because the little things, when nurtured, can become big.

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I would encourage student bloggers to join Unilab's Ideas Positive. I love this campaign, and I hope the youth will learn a lot of things when they join here.

Here are more details:

Unilab launched Ideas Positive (www.ideaspositive.com), a school-based competition open to all college students in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Bulacan, and Pampanga. Unilab invites student groups to come up with fresh and positive ideas that promote health and wellness in their chosen community/beneficiary.

The groups with the best ideas will have the chance to make this idea a reality. The first placer will receive P100,000 seed money to implement their idea. They will also receive a three-day, two-night group vacation package to Boracay. Second and third placers will get P50,000 seed money, and an iPod Shuffle for each member of the team.

Interested parties must form groups of five to seven members and submit their social marketing ideas, in the form of a sustainable plan, to address the health and wellness concerns of their chosen community. Deadline for submission of entries is on August 16, 2010. You can visit www.ideaspositive.com for more details.