Acknowledgment

*This is the actual acknowledgment part of the thesis. :)*

While this project is mostly a personal achievement, I would like to take the time to thank those that influenced my life, contributed to the project at some stage and helped me get back on my feet when I thought I would never finish.

Completing this project is nothing short of a miracle. So, I would like to thank our Lord God for being the primary moving force behind this endeavor. He never did give up on me, so I didn’t either.

I would like to thank my family for their love and support. My mom, who was the primary inspiration for this project. She was the reason I wanted to create a project related to public health. My dad who, as I write this, is working hard overseas. Even though he couldn’t attend my graduation, I share this accomplishment with him. My ate and kuya who gives me the occasional nudge and lets me hog the computer when I really need it.

My thanks also to all the teachers I’ve had in my six years of college. Especially to my thesis adviser, Ms. Avegail Carpio. I couldn’t imagine doing my thesis with anyone else. Thank you to my course adviser, Dr. Peter Magboo. Thank you to Mr. Aldrich Co for helping me with the SVG aspect of my project. And to every single professor I’ve had from every department, it’s been an honor learning from you.

Thanks to my friends: Alex, Roan and Marian. Thanks for the constant encouragement and the appreciation. You’ve been like my family these past years and I couldn’t ask for better friends. Thanks to my aiki-friends: Rex, Vince, Pau and Micah for providing support in that part of my life. It was a bit of a challenge to make it work but with your help, I managed to get my black belt and my college degree in the same year. Thanks to my friends at SVCF for the fellowship, the prayers and the tambayan. :)

Thanks to Dr. Troy Gepte and the College of Public Health for some materials and consultation. Thanks to Thelma Paredes and the Manila City Health Office for the interview and information. Thanks to the Manila City Hall for providing the map. Thanks to PhilVolcs and MMDA for wasting my time. Thanks to VALVe for making great games that also waste my time, but in a good way. And lastly, thanks to Jenny Romanchuk, Katie McWilliams and everyone at www.thezombiehunters.com for getting me interested in epidemiology and geomatics.