A Dutchman living in Lapu-Lapu City has an antidote to the infamous “20 Reasons Why I Dislike the Philippines” video that went viral in social media a few weeks ago.
It comes at a good time for the city that is celebrating the annual Battle of Mactan Reenactment or Kadaugan Festival in honor of Mactan chieftain Lapu-Lapu on April 27.
Eric Maria Johannes van den Arend, 51, is using his website http://www.lets-share.tv as a platform for beautiful things happening in the upcoming festival.
He said “Lets Share” teams will be filming clips of the festival and uploading it in the website.
Lapu-Lapu City Rep. Arturo Radaza lauded the effort and thanked Arend for sharing his vision of presenting the city as a safe and fun place to visit.
Arend first came to the Philippines in the early 1990s and fell in love with the country and its people.
He recalled that during the times he would go home to the Netherlands he would receive negative feedback about the Philippines.
“But I would show to them the beauty of this country, how conservative and decent most of the Filipinos are and that the place is safe,” Arend said.
In 2009, Arend who owned a software company owner in the Netherlands, decided to hand over the company to his employees on condition that they guarantee him a fixed income for the rest of his life. He decided to live in the Philippines and start a foundation for poor children.
Hundreds of foreigners follow the website, which has sponsored several indigent children or families.
The “Let’s Share” Foundation invites people to share through personal videos and photographs on the website whose address is http://www.let-share.tv. /Fe Marie D. Dumaboc, Correspondent with UP INTERN Caryl Baylon
Cebu Daily News 
Posted on April 12, 2012
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