Mandaluyong High School

CHILDREN

2009-09-06T02:18:00.000-07:00

We thought we are the middle of the cosmos, in fact long before we even gasp our first breath everyone is looking ahead of us. We captured your awareness. When we whimper everyone seems to come dashing. We coo and we chuckle then all of you start smiling. Everyone appreciates us. We are formidable during the time of total vulnerability. We are fussed over, calmed down, provided and every wish is granted. It was a stage of juvenile despotism. But this blissful state is not perpetual and we realized it with amazement. We are expected to learn everything. To walk, talk, tricks, including toilet discipline. As time goes by new demands arise. As we learn one skill we are ask to learn another and more. Then the world begins to be entangled by no-nos. Do'nts resound in the air. What happened to the glorious times when we could do anything we want? When we were constantly adored? Our hands are hit when we stretch them out to touch something forbidden. People frowned or shout at us because we are stubborn. Why? We had this love and adulation then suddenly it was gone and what are left are countless expectations and prohibitions. We need to stop playing because we need to obey. As we grow older, the world becomes scary with no guarantees. We are push onto the juncture of life without having the option to run through the line. The once adoring parents are now fearsome and redoubtable silhouettes after our back. Mom aborted our siblings. Dad becomes irresponsible. We are not even sure how life would supposed to turn out for us. Where have all the fun and bliss gone? The vows of the once indulgent parents? Listen to us. We want to feel significant. We are rejected and suppressed of the universal longing to be heard, to be loved and to be free. To be unbound against poverty,child labor,abuse and ignorance. We thought we are the center of your universe . . . but we are just CHILDREN.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Psalm 127:3

MY CROSS

2009-08-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

Last night I watched Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”. Actually, I have seen the movie many times. Aside from love, hope, faith, and forgiveness this movie shows vividly how Christ carries his cross while being ridiculed, cursed, spat upon and was inflicted physical torments anyone would dare not to imagine. Jesus remained firm until to his ultimate stop for crucifixion. It was only at a later part of my life that I enabled to really understand Jesus Christ cross. It was not just chunks of lumber crossed-nailed together to serve as adornment for
His sufferings on His way up to the hill. The cross stands for trials. We have our own cross to carry in our life, and it is up to us how we will face the reality to take the burden. Carrying our own cross is not a fantasy we can just skip and vanquish; it is sufferings, discomfort, aloneness, miseries that God allowed to happen for a reason. I have encountered so many difficulties and there was a point in my life, I asked God why I have to bear the weight of my cross. I am not as strong as Him. I am not good. I am human. I complained too much. However, when I think how Jesus went through his own ordeal carrying his cross to be executed like a criminal, I felt a prick in my heart, and I realized how fortunate I am. Jesus performs great miracles but He left his being God in one corner to carry his cross as a human, as flesh and bone like me. It could have been easier, less agonizing for Him; instead He writhed and cried out in pain to bear the anguish of his cross to the very end. How could I have been a whiner when it was me who put Him on the cross? It was my sins that put Him there. From here on, I am taught to carry my cross. It is real as Jesus Christ experienced it. God at times put me to the test to make me stronger and find hope amidst the darkness. The cross is a symbol that reminds me that tribulations can be overcome. I know the cross I carry in my life is not heavier than I can bear and along the way as I sustain it on my shoulder my faith is challenged. I may lose my balance and stumble, at times slightly and at times real hard. Even so, each time I fall and do not know if ever I could get up again and God’s face is nowhere to be seen,I will trust under the shadow of His wings.

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trials; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
(James 1:12)

The Necklace’ and other story about honesty

2009-07-30T03:23:00.001-07:00

I happen to read this article from one of the leading broadsheets in the country today and can’t help but share this article to all of you.

There is a short story by Guy De Maupassant titled “The Necklace” which tells the story of a housewife of humble circumstances who’s invited to a grand ball and finds that she has no “suitable” jewelry to wear. A wealthy friend loans her a necklace to wear to the ball, but when the housewife gets home, she finds to her great dismay that she has lost the necklace.

Desperate, the woman and her husband borrow from friends and family and sell or pawn off all their belongings just to raise the money to buy a necklace that could be passed off as the one she borrowed. Then they spend the rest of their lives in penury, working to the bone to re-pay their loans.

Years later, the woman encounters her wealthy friend. Disheartened by the woman’s appearance, the friend inquires what happened. After hearing the story of the necklace, the friend exclaims: “That necklace? My dear, it was paste!”

In his short story, De Maupassant was of course writing not just of the perils of borrowing (and lending) jewelry, but the perils of trying to cover up a thing in the past with the hope of everything will be just fine. Sometimes, it is our line of thinking that goes like “well it’s just a simple thing or perhaps a white lie, anyways, I’ll just compensate it through other things,” could also be similar to what the woman did that instead of telling the truth and be ready to face the consequence, she hid the truth thinking that it would do more good than harm.

In our present society, when dishonesty is beleaguering our moral fiber, it spells the difference of lying for the sake of avoiding somebody to get hurt. Yes, the truth will cause us to hurt others that may sometimes be judged as ‘self-liberation’ confession. But lest we forget that it is the truth that will set you free, and those who was hurt even more when he was denied the right to know the truth.

BE HONEST: Even if others are not…Even if others will not….Even if others cannot. “ He who walks honestly walks securely” Proverbs 10:9

Mahirap talaga ang long distance relationship, pero...

2009-07-30T03:18:00.001-07:00

Mahirap talaga ang long distance relationship pero hindi dapat ito ang maging dahilan para panghinaan tayo ng loob sa pagtulak natin sa ibang bansa para maghanap-buhay. Marahil, marami sa ating mga kababayan ang di sang-ayon sa pagalis ng isang kabiyak para mangibang-bayan, pero sa panahon ngayon, survival of our family has overtaken the underlying risks of going abroad. Isa sa mga tamang paraan to survive a long distance relationship is for both partners to be surrounded by good friends and group of trusted people. Yung mga taong alam mo na may takot sa Diyos at mga tunay na kaibigan.

Kalimitan kasi sa mga failure of marriages (oftentimes caused by infidelity) is when one partner is surrounded or always in the company of opportunistic person. Sa case ng mga babae, kunwari, the male friend is there for her to comfort the woman-friend who was left by her husband for abroad, yung pala, he will just take advantage of the woman’s frailty. Yung iba naman, sa halip na bigyan ng spiritual guidance at moral support ang babae, e niyaya pa sa mga aktibidades na kadalasan napupunta sa di magandang ending. Aba! marami na akong narinig na kwento ng mga amiga na yayain ang kaibigang babae na mag ballroom dancing or mag aerobics kunwari (para di malungkot sa pagalis ni mister sa abroad), e ang siste, naibugaw pa ang pobreng misis ng OFW na ma-inlove sa macho at gwapong D.I. or Gym instructor. Walang masama sa paglilibang pero dapat piliin ang appropriate na paglilibang base sa estado mo sa lipunan. Kung ikaw ay babae na may asawang nasa abroad, di maganda sa mata ninuman (lalo na sa asawa mo) na makita ka sa company bg ibang lalake (kahit na ang relationship ninyo is entirely professional), pero sa dami ng kwentong malungkot, kalimitan, d’yan nagsisimula ang lahat.

Sa mga lalaki naman na naiwan sa Pinas at ang babae ang nasa abroad, choose your barkada wisely. Kasi kadalasan, ang mga masamang barkada ang kadalasan na nagbubuyo sa lalaking naiwan sa Pinas sa mga bisyo gaya ng beerhouse, sugal then later on pamba-babae na, ang resulta broken family. Lalo na si Mister, siyempre, proud sa mga barkada niya, “pARE, pensiyonado ako dito ni Misis, buwan-buwan, may remittance, o ano ano ang gusto ninyong pulutan?” Sana lagi nating tandaan na ang pangingibang bayan ng ating kabiyak ay desisyon ng magasawa kaya kinakailangan na maging responsable tayo sa tungkuling na naiwan sa atin. Hindi komo lalaki tayo ay di natin aalagaan ang ating mga anak. Wag i-asa sa YAYA ang pagpapalaki sa mga anak. Bilang ama, punuaan natin ang responsibilidad na naiwan sa inyo ng inyong mga asawang babae. Wag mahiya na magpalit ng diaper, magpadede ng mga sanggol, di naman nakakabawas ng pagka-lalake ang mga gawaing ito kung ating gagawin diba?

Ang pag-aabroad ay di dapat maging hadlang sa pangarap ninyo na guminhawa ang buhay at wag matakot sa mga risks na kakaharapin ninyo dahil sa long distance family relatiomship. Bagamat may mga unrecoverable losses na kaakibat ng Pinoy migration (gaya ng quality time at di nakagisnan paglaki ng mga bata, or lost of physical intimacy) pero mas maigi na siguro ito kaysa sa makita mong magutom at di makapag aral ang mga anak mo dahil sa kawalan ng oportunidad dahil sa sistema sa atin sa Pinas. Maging matatag lang tayo at palaging buksan ang komunikasyon sa isat-isa at ang pinaka-importante, wag makalimot na tumawag sa Panginoon, di lamang sa panahon ng kagipitan ngunit matuto ring magpasalamat sa oras ng kasaganahan.

Dad, please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself

2009-07-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

Few days after I scolded my 16-year old son via-SKYPE (I’m working overseas away from my family, that’s why) for coming home one night drunk, I had come across a family-related article while browsing the threads of a social networking group. The article enumerated Ten Commandments of a child to his parents and the line that catches my attention was the 7th commandment that says, “Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then, someday, I’ll be prepared to make the kind of decisions life requires me.”

The message permeates into my line of thinking. I tried to weigh things if what I did to my son a few days back will do him harm than good or vice-versa. I looked at the complete picture in the future and weighed possible consequences if this incident (coming home drunk) remains unchecked. But despite of it all, there’s still one question that remains which I believed is the main pivotal issue here--whether denying your children the freedom to make their own decisions concerning things about them is justifiable or not.

One may easily quipped that as a parent, I failed on that premise of the commandment. However, before jumping to the conclusion, let’s paraphrase this commandment with questions so as to qualify whether the action point is justifiable or not. Let’s try to answer these questions:

•When is the appropriate time to give this freedom to the children for them to make decisions?
•Are these mistakes can really make them better equipped to make the kind of decisions that life will require of them in the future?
•What if there are ways to learn life’s lesson without repeating same mistakes, would you still let the children learn it themselves by going through it?
•What if the consequences of such mistake is irreversible, would you still allow this privilege to be practiced?

To answer these questions, let’s see what God has commanded us. It’s true that it is written in the Bible for the elders not to under estimate the young;
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)

But the Lord also had said;

My son, keep your father's and do not forsake your mother's teaching. (Proverbs 6:20)
Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. (Proverbs 1:8)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise. (Ephesians 6:1-2)
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. (Colossians 3:20)

And the verses that said it all are these;

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:5-9)

So my advice to all the youths, heed the advice of your parents and take their counsel learned through years. You parents want nothing but the best and what is good for you. It is not that your parents are undermining your capability to decide but they simply wanted to offer you a free and proven solutions to life’s problem because they have been there once in their lives. Don’t think that your elders are curtailing your freedom to make decisions for yourselves. Yes, your parents wanted you to learn from your mistakes to make you fully prepared to make the decisions someday in your life but what your parents are after is for you to learn the lesson without going through the same pains and sufferings they had experienced because they loved you. And because of that love that they don’t want you to feel the pains that goes with each mistake for whatever pain you will feel, this could be more than double for them. It would be foolish to repeat the same mistake after having been told of it and as King Solomon said, “A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.” (Proverbs 10:1)

To be a President of the Philippines or a Janitor, which one will you choose?

2009-07-13T04:03:00.000-07:00

If ever I will see a Filipino who is in dire need of a job but didn't finish any formal schooling, and would consider any job like janitorial, I will advise him/her to apply or run as a President instead of applying to become a Janitor in Canada, for I know he/she would surely pass the qualifications of being a President of the Republic than that of a Janitor. You don't believed me, right? OK, see it for yourself.

Janitor Qualifications

Experience in commercial cleaning methods and procedures, general repair, and grounds keeping;
Ability to lift heavy equipment (up to 50 lbs);
WHMIS certification;
Effective interpersonal and organizational skills;
Ability to communicate effectively in both the written and oral form;
Willingness to work as part of the school support team.

Source:
http://ls-strait.ednet.ns.ca/srsb/SRSBoard.nsf/0/6ce0714354af746e84256c2b004a952d?OpenDocument

And now, the qualifications to become a Philippine President;

Under Article 7, Section 2 of the Philippine Constitution, in order to serve as President, one must be:
1) at least 40 years of age,
2) a registered voter,
3) able to read and write,
4) a Filipino citizen by birth, and
5) a resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years prior to election.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Philippines

Para sa ito 'TAY

2009-06-11T00:13:00.000-07:00

Para sa aking mahay na TATAY Digo,

‘TAY, 10 days na lang from now, Fathers’ day na. Ilang taon na rin na di kita nababati tuwing sasapit ang araw na ito. Hindi ko rin maintindihan kung bakit ngayon lang ako nagkalakas loob na batiin ka kung kailan pa na malayo ako sa inyo. Siguro dahil sentimental lang ako ngayon dahil malayo ako; di lang sa inyo kundi maging sa aking sariling pamilya. Dito sa abroad, kasama ko rin nakikipagsapalaran ang ibang mga Pinoy para lang sa pamilya nila. Ngayon ko lang siguro naintindihan ng husto ang sakripisyo ng ama, para lang itaguyod ang pamilya, to the extent of sacrificing his own happiness of going out of his ‘comfort zone,’- well becasue of family. Kaya siguro nagkaroon ako ng lakas loob na i-express sa inyo ang dapat na noon ko pa ginawa - ang batiin kayo at pasalamatan sa mga ginawa ninyo sa aming magkakapatid. Naiintindihan ko na kayo ngayon; kasi tatay na rin ako. Talagang totoo ang kasabihang, “It takes one to know one.”

Alam kong malabo na makarating sa iyo o kaya’y mabasa mo ang blog na ito, kasi di ka naman marunong mag-computer at wala naman kayong computer d’yan sa bahay. At kung meron man, e baka bago mo matutunan kung paano buksan ang computer, e di na ito uso. Kung ipapadala ko naman itong sulat ko sa inyo thru ‘registered mail or ordinary mail’, e siguro tapos na ang ‘Fathers’ day, e di pa nakakarating ito sa iyo. Kung makarating man, e siguro bago mo mabasa, tampered na dahil pag nakita ng mga ’garapal’ na postal employees diyan sa atin ang sulat na medyo makapal at lalo na galing pa sa abroad, e sigudong bubuksan para tingnan kung may laman na dolyares at saka tatatakan na lang ng “DAMAGED UPON RECEIPT.” HAY, naku, wala na tayong magagawa dun dahil sigurado, isa rin silang ama na gagawin ang lahat para sa ikabuhay ng sarili nilang pamilya - yun nga lang kahit sa maling paraan. Kaya heto, sa BLOG ko na lang idinaan ang pagbati ko sa inyo dahil gusto kong malaman ng buong mundo na mahal na mahal kita. Bagama’t wala akong pagkakataon na masabi ito sa iyo ng personal dahil malayo ako sa inyo, pero alam ko na malaki ang utang na loob ko sa inyo sa ginawa ninyong paghubog sa pagkatao ko. Kung hindi dahil sa inyong gabay, marahil palaboy ako ngayon at walang direksiyon sa buhay.

‘TAY, gusto kong malaman ninyo na naiintindihan ko na ang ibig sabihin ng bawat palo na dumadapo sa puwit ko noong bata pa ako pag nagkakamali ako. Bagama’t di ko maintindihan ang paliwanag ninyo sa akin noon kung bakit mo ako pinapalo, e siguro dahil na rin sa lakas ng iyak ko, kaya di ko marinig ang paliwanag mo. Naiintihan ko na rin ‘TAY kung bakit lagi kang mahigpit sa akin noon. Akala ko nga eh, talagang gusto mo lang na gawin yun pero naramdaman ko rin na mahal mo ako noon kasi nung malapit na ang graduation ko sa elementary, wala akong sapatos na ‘balat’ na isusuot at nasabi ko sa iyo noon na gusto ko sana ng “HARUTA” na sapatos sa graduation, (eh kasi yung ang uso noong 1980’s). Tuwang-tuwa talaga ako noon ng isang araw pag uwi mo galing sa karera, swerte ka noon at tumama ka sa “winner-take-all” sa Santa Ana, kaya hayun, binigyan mo ako ng 600 pesos at nakabili akong ng ‘HARUTA’, eh di sikat ako sa mga ka-klase ko non!. Pagsampa ko sa stage, bagama’t wala ako sa ‘honor roll’ eh daig ko pa yung ‘Valedictorian namin, kasi siya, simple lang yung sapatos niya eh yung sa akin, yung uso.

SALAMAT ITAY, at salamat sa Diyos at ikaw ang aking naging tatay. Sana humaba pa ang buhay mo at sana magkaroon ako ng pagkakataon na maibalik sa inyo ang pagmamahal ng isang anak sa kanyan ama. Pagbalik ko ng Pilipinas ,’TAY, kahit di Fathers’s day eh, gimik tayo sa labas, kahit anong gimik ang gusto mo ‘Tay, kahit sa beerhouse pa at kung gusto mong mag-table, sagot ko. Ako ng bahala kay nanay, papayag yun, malakas ako dun.

Advance HAPPY FATHERS’ DAY sa inyo ‘Itay’ at nawa’y mabasa mo itong BLOG ko na ito, kung di man dito sa lupa, siguro sa langit. I love you ‘Tay!

Regards,
Gener “Gino” Marcelo

Message of a Father to his Son

2009-06-08T23:39:00.000-07:00

(Note: I found this letter while browsing my CD archive looking for a reference material for the company profile that I was tasked to do. I made this letter sometime February of 2004 as requested by my son’s teacher during the Bosconians out of town retreat somewhere in Batangas. I would like to dedicate this also to all the fathers, who just like me have an unfathomable love for their kids. HAPPY FATHERS’ day to all dads out there. By the way, I had my son’s name ommitted, ayaw kasi nun ng publicity, suplado. lol)

Dear Son,

Hello son! “siguro by now you are wondering what seems life without your father and mother at your side, especially pag yung mga time na kailangan mo kami, kaya lang as in wala kami to help you out…kasi diba madalas mong sabihin na sana wag muna kaming umuwi ng mommy mo sa bahay para you can do whatever you want to do in the house…well, di kita masisisi, kasi nga naman, pag andyan kami, especially your mom, wala ka ng narining sa amin kung hindi, “don’t do this, don’t do that, etc, etc”, at kung anu-ano pang litanya. Well your mom and I just keep on hoping that someday, you will realize that we are doing this because we loved you more than our lives.. Yes son, we do loved you that much kaya we just wanted to teach you the way we think is right and good for you.

Madami kang pangarap noh?… ang dami mong plano . nakakatuwa naman na malaman yan. Kasama ba kami sa mga plano mo? ano? naku di ka agad makasagot… sige okay lang alam ko naman kung ano talaga sagot mo…

You know son, if you still remember one time noong tinanong kita nang pabiro, “anak, pag matanda na ba kami ng mommy mo, ipapasyal mo ba kami sa mga malls gaya ng ginagawa natin ngayun? Would you bother to change my diaper or my pants kapag napaihi ako sa pants because of my old age? Then sabi mo, “Ikukuha ko na lang kayo ng mag-aalaga sa iyo”,

You know son, I was so strucked by your answer, though pabiro lang ang tanong ko but I never expected your answer to be like that. Of course, pag malaki ka na and I’m sure maganda ang work mo because I know you got the ability to succeed in life dahil maabilidad ka, mana ka yata sa akin? (at mag-kamukha pa), kaya lang ang pinagkaiba lang natin siguro, eh yung pagtanaw sa pinang galingan, — saan? Siyempre sa aming mga magulang mo.

Alam mo anak, you can hire as many care givers para mag-alaga sa amin (dahil siguro malaki na ang sweldo mo by that time), pero son, hindi iyun ang kailangan namin ng mommy mo pag dating nang panahon na iyon kung hindi ang kalinga at pagmamahal ng sarili naming anak na bahagi ng aming dugo at buhay. Minsan tuloy natatakot akong tumanda at maging helpless na kami ng mommy mo, kasi baka you won’t bother to take care of us when we grow old.

O wag kang iiyak, di naman kita kinokonsiyensiya, basta ang gusto ko lang sabihin sa’yo na nandito lang kami ng mommy mo; kapag kailangan mo kami…pag hindi ka na busy. totoo yon! walang biro! ayaw mong maniwala?

Ganon ka namin kamahal kasi! Ayaw mo pa ring maniwala? Haaay! Remember this; kahit singit lang kami lagi sa buhay mo, kahit biglaan mo lang na natatawag ang pangalan ko dahil nagulat ka, nasaktan ka, nauntog ka o dahil part ang pangalan ko habang binabasa mo na ang sulat na ito, you will be in my heart always… and forever. Trial after trial isipin mo kasama mo ako na lumalakad, hindi man sa buhangin pero kasama mo pa rin ako dahil nasa puso kita. At sa lahat ng plano mo , kahit hindi mo ako kasama sana madinig namin ng mommy mo na mahal mo rin kami , kahit minsan lang ha? Minsan ako naman ang lambingin mo mo…miss na talaga kita eh…Sa amin ng mommy mo, hindi ka singit lang, ikaw ang bida.”

So paano, hangang dito na lang, me and your mom shall wait your arrival the following day after the retreat at the school, though Feb.25 yun, I’m not sure kung declare na holiday yun, pero, I wont mind kahit regular working day pa yun , I filed already a vacation leave on that day just to be with you once you arrived from retreat.

Sige good night and never forget to pray before you sleep,

Love,
Dad

2009-06-06T00:44:00.000-07:00

Making Marriage Work Even In the Time of Migration

Absence makes the heart grow ponder but sometimes distance in a relationship is emotionally draining and can put stress on a marriage. Having a work that requires being away from my family for a long time poses a challenge to my marriage not to mention, the erosion of physical intimacy which is one of the important elements of marriage. However, intimacy can be more than just physical closeness for its how couple “connects” and be present to each other every day.

Most couples think that being involved sexually is the most intimate part of their marriage. Praying together, however, may be an even deeper form of intimacy. A first step may be praying for each other even if not in one another's presence.

Make Use of the Technology to Fill-in the Gap

Sometimes the distance in a relationship is emotional and can happen while in each other’s presence. Be present to each other today. If possible, connect with each other right now – a glance, a call, an e-mail, a positive thought, a prayer. Communication should be maintained open at any cost. Be more creative when communicating with each other, more than just the usual “HI” and “HELLO” that oftentimes lead to monotonous conversation. Be resourceful and creative. Engage in some unique practices that help the two of you sparks an interactive dialogue even when you are apart for awhile. Engage in an activity that prompts discussion between you and your spouse
.
I had this questionnaire downloaded on the internet that prompted a healthy and lively dialogue between me and my wife. I sent her an e-mail of this questionnaire for her to read in advance and both of us agreed about the time we will go on-line for a chat. During the dialogue, the questionnaire prompted us to check with each other to see how close we are in interpreting others words and moods. In this practice, guessing what your spouse would answer is as not as important as the discussion you have as a result of it.

Try To See a Positive Angle for Every Sorrow

Being away from your loved ones is not that easy and at times can put you in despair. However, do not abandon yourself to sorrow and do not torment yourself with brooding. There’s always a hundred reasons and causes for our sorrow but try to look at it in a positive point of view.

When I was still working in the Philippines, me and my wife enjoyed the opportunity of having a dialogue every we had an opportunity. Both of us like to talk about everything, from family, career, child rearing, politics and even life in general. We enjoy talking to each other and we never had a dull moment even at times that our topic was just rehearsed of our previous dialogue. It was year 2007 when I landed an overseas job in the Middle East. Physically separated and miles apart, I saw the opportunity out of my desperation to discover my passion for writing. Now, I’m having a small but growing numbers of readers who appreciate my articles, mostly related to marriage relationship. But the most important thing of all aside of finding new ways of expressing my appreciation to my wife, we just put our marriage experience in a new pedestal; the World Wide Web.

Cherished and Achieve Common Goal Together

As the saying goes, “Love does not require to look at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.” I may not be physically seeing my wife nowadays but I know we have common path to travel and someday I know we can meet in path for we have our most cherished common goal.

Distance can put stress on a marriage relationship but as long as couple knows how to fill-in the gap to sustain their love in the time of migration, they can never go wrong.

I want to Grow Old with You

2009-05-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

Barely 2 days before my scheduled flight back to Saudi Arabia, we packed our things and I tug along my entire family to an overnight stay in one of the hot spring resorts in Laguna. Had I agreed to the initial plan, it could just be me and my wife but I relinquished the idea for I couldn’t imagine having spent my remaining days in the Philippines without my kids by my side.

We left Manila Saturday morning and arrived at our destination by noon. Just after we checked in, my children wasted no time and immediately headed to the pool for a lazy afternoon soak. The hot water coming from a natural hot spring couldn’t stop my children from wading in the waist-deep kiddy pool. Mindless of the steaming water and the punishing heat of the sun we enjoyed the lazy afternoon, soaking our tired bodies to the pool relieving us from the stress of travel. What I like about the place is its natural tranquility and most of all is the location having been partly hidden thus making us enjoy most of our family bonding in privacy. The guests in the resort were mostly teenage sweethearts and a Chinese couple in their senior years. The couple spent most of their times taking pictures of the sceneries. I can’t help but admire them that despite having been together for a long time and yet still enjoy each other’s company.

Dinner time came and we tried the house specialty of the day; beef in sweet sauce, chicken teriyaki and pasta ala carbonara. We were in the middle of our dinner when we were approached by this elderly couple with the husband politely asking our permission if he can have our picture taken together with his wife. We agreed on his invitation and we all posed with a smile on our face as if we knew each other well. The husband, who can speak decent English and good accent offered to send us the pictures and I didn’t think twice in giving him my e-mail address.

After that dinner, we continued wading in the pool while I lazily rested my body on top of the floater still thinking about this elderly Chinese couple. I imagined me and my wife on our twilight years and still enjoying each other’s company. Isn’t it lovely to see an elderly couple holding hands in reminiscing good old memories of their yesteryears? They almost had it all and I’m sure they had surpassed the days of trials in their married life and proved to be successful in playing good music together.

As for me and my wife, though we still have so many challenging years ahead of our marriage relationship, I pray for us to reach that stage where I still hold your hands even though my hands are shaking due to rheumatism. I pray that we could still be together holding your hands while crossing the street with the flow of traffic in full halt waiting for us to cross the street inch by inch. I pray that we could reach the stage where I will ask who you are and yet holds your hand. I don’t mind holding your hands full of wrinkles, for me, it’s still the hands that take care of me and our children. Really, I don’t mind it at all for all I know is that I want to grow old with you.

FOREST IN THE METROPOLIS

2009-03-19T21:39:00.001-07:00

For those who still do not know of this interesting information, I maybe unpunctual with this news, but as the old axiom goes it is better late the never at all. Last March 1 the family went for an eat al fresco. It was a birthday treat for my youngest daughter Jessreel who actually marked her 2nd natal day on the 24th of February. Bored of monotonous and jammed malls, fast food chains and cinemas I chose to bring the family at the La Mesa Ecopark. When we arrived at the place I thought we would just see the same typical blotch of green plants and open spaces but beyond all these anticipations it was more than foliage as we enter the park proper. It was a seventh heaven full of promises! As we trudge our way to look for a place to set our picnic mat, the park seemed even more persuasive as it paraded its rare varieties of plants, trees insects and animals. Though camping and picnic sites abound around it seemed it runs a spot for us. It was actually Sunday. As luck would have it, after an exhausting walk we were able to see a good picnic site at the amphitheater. My wife and kids wheezed for their breaths as they dropped off into the grass all the stuff and picnic bits and pieces they carried all the way from the main entrance to the amphitheater but even so it was all right since the air is pretty fresher here. I was in command of everything while cuddling Jessreel lol! The amphitheater was a lot cozier reminiscent of the Banawe Rice terraces of the Cordilleras but more distant than the other places so some park goers opt not to have their picnic and camping set up here and we took that opportunity. We laid out our picnic mat under the umbrella of big trees as we shared the foods and drinks I prepared in the evening. My family felt that we were in place where we can get closest to nature while in the city. After the meal my kids kick up their heels around the area while Eva and I just watch them as we relax under the shade of trees sensing the cool soothing breeze. Jesreel, her Ditche (Pau) , Sanse(Days) and me also went to hiking at the butterfly trail and hatchery. Eva and Ate Caca were left at the picnic post for a nap. After the trekking Pau and Days went back to the picnic area while Jessreel and me proceeded to the two hectares flower terraces. This is actually the La Mesa dam wall and at the middle of it is a more than 100 steps stairway leading to the reservoir. I managed to challenge my self mount the stairway while cuddling Jessreel. It was a tiring climb but when we reached the summit I was amazed to see the splendid vastness of blue water of the La Mesa Watershed. It was wonderful! I was fascinated while Jessreel was unaware what we were looking at is actually the primary source of drinking water of about 12 million Metro Manilans. Above the reservoir, partially concealed by swaying tree tops I can see some of the parks attractions below such as the fishing pond, paintball field, super ferry lagoon, swimming pool, orchidarium, fitness center and pavilions, biking, jogging and horse back riding trails and a lot more. Going down the stairway was easier but you have to take extra care or may find yourself bouncing like ball downward. Jessreel was already asleep when we came down from the reservoir and we went back at the picnic post. Eva and the older daughters took their turns to defy the steps of the dam. They posed and took pictures amidst the extravagant flowers of the terrace. . When they went back they were all sweaty, gasping for air as their knees were wobbling. Laughter burst into air. It was past 5 pm when drizzles forced us to pack up and rushed to nearby Narra Pavilion. Caca and Days took more pictures. As we waited the precipitation to stop, I was in deep imagination how in this hurly-burly, all the smog, traffic, crowded streets and slum shanties a forest as its size left remaining in the Metropolis. I thought I will need a dejavu to be able to see again how Manila looks like a century ago. If there is one place that can offer with less preparation and budget the experience and joy of boating or horse back riding of Baguio, or the excitement of swimming pools of Laguna or the adventure of trekking of Mt. Banahaw or picnic bliss in Tagaytay rolled into one - its right here. The La Mesa Ecopark covers 33 hectares, 10 of which are already operational. It rests within the La Mesa Watershed which measures 2,700 hectares and is overlapped by Rizal Province, Caloocan, Marikina, and Quezon City. It is a natural ghetto that pews in the middle of a city.
When the rain stopped we left the park with smiles etched in our faces and a promise in my thought to be back. The family has a lot yet to discover. Check it out!

Greed Not Financial Crisis

2009-03-17T04:11:00.000-07:00

The news I read from the internet reported that unemployment rate in January of 2009 rose by 0.3 percentage point to 7.7 percent in January. Translating these figures into layman’s terms, it means that for the month of January alone, there were 2.8 million unemployed Filipinos. NSO data showed that of 37.1 million Filipinos who applied for a job, only 34.3 million got the jobs.

The country’s jobless rates climbed and this would rise further owing to the fact that there are about 275,000 people who lost their jobs since October last year. This figure is expected to rise with the addition of numbers of fresh graduates this March. Analysts said it would rise further as the country feels the impact of financial crisis.

Job Mismatch is Caused by Obsolete School Curriculum

While there may be plenty of jobs available in the Philippines, job placement agencies claim that job seeker’s skills didn’t matched the required skills for the jobs. This is mainly because the curriculum that the students were getting from formal schoolings doesn’t match with the demand of the jobs that these future graduates will pursue in the future. Take for example the subjects being taught (still) in the colleges and universities. There are still History subjects, Rizal’s Work, Spanish, Panitikan, etc. Well, I’m not saying that they should not be taught to every Filipino student but these subjects should have “proper” place in the school curriculum. Introducing these subjects in the primary and secondary levels are enough but not anymore in college. Instead, CHED should initiate a thorough review of tertiary level curriculum and focus more on subjects which are requisite of specific course and put additional units in on-the-job training or internship. Perhaps, engineering courses instead of the usual 5-year program can be shortened to 4-year courses without sacrificing the knowledge and skills to be learned.

However, there are those who can meet or even excel the skills and experience required by the job but were not accepted anyway because of age factor. While others, gifted with talent (and the age factor on their side) opted to work abroad in exchange of hefty salary. As a result, the Philippines continuously lose its battle on brain-drain while the problem of job mismatch is also increasing exponentially.

Greed Not Financial Crisis

The rising unemployment rate has always been the problem of the Philippines even before the financial global crisis. While it is true that economic crunch contributes to the rising numbers of unemployed and underemployed. However it is the unabated corruption in most government dealings and its agencies that are causing this social problem (unemployment) since the early beginning.

Low income earners and middle class Filipinos who had insured education of their children into various pre need companies, hoping that one day, they could provide better education for their children end up victims of these greedy businessmen who made used of their “intelligence” to dupe unsuspecting or gullible investors. Worse, the government agency, mandated to protect the interest of the general public ends up with some of its official, either conniving or taking part of the share in the “loot bag.” As a result; no formal or proper education means unemployment.

At the end of the day, one need not be a financial wizard or a degree in economics from A.I.M. to understand the cause of Filipino sufferings but a careful analysis and right decision of who you will put to the position to run our country this coming 2010 election.

Gino Marcelo is a regular contributor to E-Zine Articles. You may browse the author's other articles at: http://feeds.ezinearticles.com/expert/Gener_Marcelo.xml

HOW HONEST SHOULD WE BE?

2009-03-13T05:57:00.000-07:00

My grade school classmate Edwin. has his Friendster shoutout like this: “Honesty does not always bring a response of love, but it is absolutely essential to it”This is very true , but how could love be expressed through honesty if we neglect our obligation to spare someone’s feelings? How could honesty express concern if we only think of ourselves? How someone could have the faith if somebody has raw honesty? I have heard a story about a man who admits to his loved one how he had wronged her. The man has been deceiving his wife all his life and decided one day to change his ways. The man seemed sincerely moved about his judgment and began to confess his unfaithfulness. His wife was aghast with his revelation and they started not to speak. A week after revealing to his wife that he has often committed adultery over the years, his wife went under the care of a psychoanalyst at a mental hospital. As a result of this tactless honesty everything about his life collapsed. What can we take from this? Disclosing the truth may be healthy and most often will not harm anyone, but there are times a thoughtless honesty can be very devastating to a relationship. We must always remember that true honesty should not be delayed. It is just like an icicle; once it thaws that is the end of it. It becomes an old sin. Confession of old sins may free the burden of guilty conscience and may bring a self-upright feeling but it is comparable to throwing up on someone. It may make the confessor feels good but it does not do much for the recipient, it hurts to the bone. It is often times like a painkiller that gives a temporary sedation than a solution. Sometimes honesty can be very self-centered thing, some people use honesty as a way to thump people under the outfit of a good person. I believe one should have to confess to God before anyone else and makes recompenses to the hurt party. A person has all the rights to be honest about his belief and intentions but he must not disregard his responsibilities not to offend anyone .It is not reasonable to liberate ones self just to get the load off the chest. Hardly ever ,people would think that lying is the best for any situation but clearly I realized that both telling a lie, and the truth has what it takes of causing harm. I also realized that honesty is not the highest value in the Christian life. It is not the best policy either. People may argue me about this but the highest values for me are love, faith, concern and the best policy is integrity. On my personal interpretation honesty and integrity have key distinctions. Look what is happening to our politics now, everyone seems to have a piece of truth to say because of self interest and greed. This could happen to any sort of situation or relationship. How can honesty be admirable and commendable if we are not willing to gamble harm to ourselves? Sometimes the reason why people want to tell what they know is exactly to loosen their pain and shift onto somebody else or to attain their selfish motives. Integrity saves the feelings of others by counseling our secrets. It is conviction of a true honest man of what is right and wrong. Integrity is an unselfish virtue... There is evidently always a time to keep silent and say nothing. Even Jesus Christ at one point did not say to his 12 disciples the truths that were beyond their comprehensions. Jesus could have answered the truth to all the charges against him but he kept still and to Pilate’s astonishment He just said . . .”no more”
The effort to say the unembellished truth sometimes boomerang and may lead to a rocky path to a weakened or worst scenario - broken relationship. Though I believe that honesty does not glorify sin nor justify it, it is sometimes the cruelest game. You hurt someone as you seem to feel self righteous about at the same time. How honest should we be?

If Only Invectives Could Kill

2009-03-12T01:14:00.000-07:00

Why is that “political harassment” has always been the excuse of anybody (government or non government) accused of either corruption, misused or illegal diversion of funds; public or private? If the accused is a public official, how come one can separate political issue wherein fact his/her assumption of position is by way of election or appointment; both political by nature? If the accused is a private entity, the lame excuse for his evil act is always political harassment. When these devil’s apostles embezzled ordinary people’s hard-earned money, political harassment is definitely not in their agenda but greed. And now that these ordinary people are seeking justice (if justice still exists in this country), they (accused) in all audacity, cried political harassment.

The same goes with their alleged protector or coddler in the government. They seem to be masters in the science of denial. How disgusting to see their faces in the national broadsheet or television professing in high heaven their innocence. “Kung nakakamatay lang ang pagmumura, matagal na siguro akong mamamatay-tao.” (If hurling invective could kill, I was a murderer then)

Gino Marcelo is a regular contributor to E-Zine Articles. You can visit the author's other articles at: http://feeds.ezinearticles.com/expert/Gener_Marcelo.xml

ANO KA NA?

2009-03-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

Hanep ka rin no?

Akala nila talaga businesman ka. Ang dami mong negosyo, Ang bank account mo punong-puno ng atik.

Wala kang problema sa "CODING" sa dami mong magagarang kotse., mga sports car pa. Marami ka ring bahay sa probinsiya sa maynila, sa abroad meron ka rin ata eh.

Ang sasarap ng nilalamun mo!.....GAGO!. Walang patid ang laklak ng mamahaling alak mo..... TARANTADO!

Pinagyayabang mo lahat ng ari-arian sa kabet mo para matukso yung TSIKABEBE mo sa kalibugan mo, TULO PA LAWAY MO GAGO!

Kaya naman pala sunod ka sa layaw eh, yung ginagasta mo eh galing sa NINAKAW MO!..TUSO!

GALING PALA LAHAT NG YAMAN MO SA NAGDARAHOP NA PILIPINO!

NINAKAW MO PA ANG KONTING IPON NG MGA IBANG MAGULANG PARA SA KINABUKASAN NG MGA GUTOM A ANAK NILA!

NINAKAW MO PA ANG ISANG TABLETANG PANGGAMOT NG ISANG MAY SAKIT NA MATANDA! HAYUP KA!

PINAPALAMUN MO SA PAMILYA GALING SA KAWALANGHIYAAN MO!

NILULUSTAY MO ANG PERA NA HINDI MO MAN LANG ISANG PATAK NA PINAGPWISAN!

Ngayon.. ano na? Unag nandidiri sa yo .... ang pamilya mo...Ang anak mo, hiyang hiya sa kahihiyan gawa mo...Heeheheheh iiwanan ka na rin ng kabet mo...MANIAC!

ISA LANG ANG SULUSYON DYAN SA KASWAPANGAN MO.....BANG!

Tired of Having Truculent Teens?

2009-03-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

I was in the construction site when my mobile phone rang. It was my wife on the other line but the signal wasn’t clear so I decided to hang up. When I reached my office, I found her off-line messages in my YM and after few “buzzing”; we were able to chat finally. Her message seems to be in resignation for a fact that she just had witnessed a quarrel between our eldest and youngest sibling. Tired from work and coming from a short errand in a grocery store, the sight of commotion understandably, is not a good way of welcoming a work-tired mother.

I waited for her to cool down and for a while, I listened as she expressed all her torment and anguish about the pressure of raising single-handedly truculent teen and naughty youngster. By the way, lest I forget to tell, I was working overseas while my wife and my kids are in the Philippines. Absentee parenting is a great challenge and requires a lot of painstaking effort to maintain the level of discipline within the family while providing the means to sustain a living.

Parents are often pushed to the threshold of surrender when it comes to child rearing. I was once a living witness during a quarrel between my eldest son and daughter. I was taken aback by the sight of the commotion that almost shook our house. The only thing that preserved my sanity was thinking that in twenty years, my teenage boy and three girls would be having the same with their children. (LOL) What a way to get even, huh? Kidding aside, I am too tired for the terrible two’s (my 2 youngsters) and truculent teens (my eldest son and daughter). And you know what I have discovered as the best way to deal with it?—just let them be. As long as no one is hurting physically and no foul words are used, let your children spill out their emotions and yell out the anger. After all, feeling is neither right or wrong (Marriage Encounter Principle) so why suppress it. At the end of the day, once they are tired of the yelling and yakking, they will surely stop and will cool down naturally. Have you tried to shout continuously for 30 minutes? If not, try to do this simple test if this tip really works.

The best thing to deal with truculent teens is to do nothing. After all, weren’t you be the just like your kids when you were in your teenage years?

Gino Marcelo is a regular contributor to E-Zine Articles. Visit his other articles at:
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Gener_Marcelo

THE PRIVILEGE OF A MIRROR

2009-03-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

In the gloomy and tranquil night when I am unable to slumber, I grasped a mirror and looked myself from it. I closed my eyes, and with clearness stimulated by relaxation my disappointments and faults tend to emerge before me like apparition from the past. I opened up my eyes and even more I find myself mirrored in almost every people I met. With a kind of unreasonable persistence the mirror reflected thoughts and showed it off corner to corner from the screen of my mind. I see the faults I have seen in others are but reflections of my own. Their flaws, shortcomings and weaknesses, to certain extents are mine too. Perchance, some of my failures have not been as unpleasant or as evident as theirs but there were times I acted the way I shouldn’t supposed to. Even though my letdowns seem less deliberate and I am not the same in some degrees or explicit ways for people who have not acted in total integrity and complete morality I am guilty too of my own imperfection. I see myself reflected in a mirror and without speaking confesses the secrets of my soul . . . the truth that I am.

“The mirror will reflects back to the thinker what he thinks into it.”

FrancisM, You’re the Man

2009-03-08T06:59:00.000-07:00

As we all know, FrancisM passed away after his long bout with leukemia and I must say; the news didn’t surprised me. (Not because I know he will die anyway because of cancer but for a fact that dying is a common reality of all the living). At first, I never had any reaction or comment about his passing for I never knew Francis M personally; other than knowing him as an artist, rapper and one of the co-hosts of Eat-Bulaga.

I just had a glimpse of his personal life when by chance I stumbled on his website after reading an online story about him where it did mentioned the link to his multiply.com site. In one of his blog entries dated February 15, 2006, he made a blog post titled: My Valentine Girls and I would like to quote a full length of his entry; “Every year I send flowers to the women in my life. I send it to my wife, to my daughters Unna, Maxene, Saab & Clara. I know it's just one day, but at least for one day, they get flowers from their papa. They get flowers from their suitors, boyfriends and eventually, maybe from their husbands someday, but I will send them flowers forever until the day I die. I love you. I'll never stop loving you.”

This is how I came to know FrancisM as a doting father he was to his kids and a loving husband to his wife, Pia. The fact that the message was written few years back and with him saying; “…but I will send them flowers forever until the day I die” is enough for someone to shed tears especially his family and loved ones.

To FrancisM, YO! You’re really the man.

Disagreement – Learn to Disagree Without Being Disagreeable

2009-03-06T22:17:00.000-08:00

Disagreement is innate in every marriage and thus far; a common cause of dysfunctional marriage. Though marital disagreements at times are an essential part of a healthy relationship, however couples should make a consented effort to keep the “rules of engagement” in effect, lest lose the marriage. Whenever argument arises, always remember this thing: Learn to disagree without being disagreeable.

Agree To Disagree

All married couples disagree at one time or another. Remember this rule for fighting fair: Feelings are neither right nor wrong, they merely are. (Marriage Encounter Principle) Accept your spouse’s feelings even if you don’t share them. Arguing about who’s right usually leads to resentment. "You may be right" is a handy phrase in which the speaker doesn't admit to being wrong, but allows that your spouse has a valid position. Sometimes that's enough to break a deadlock.

Good Argument Is Like Dancing

In an argument, we lead and follow. It’s like a dance in which we have to be sensitive to the signals of the other and balance our own needs with those of our spouse. Are you more of a leader or a follower? A good argument can be a labor of love. Have something sensitive or difficult to talk about with your spouse? Try holding hands and maintaining direct eye contact when you are having a discussion about a disagreement.

Trading “Places”

When you and your spouse disagree about something, try changing places -- figuratively. Take your spouse’s position to see how it feels from another point of view. You don't have to agree, but it helps your spouse to know you understand. It may reduce repeating and shouting. Share your own feelings without bitterness. It takes attentiveness to notice when your spouse is hurting. What looks like anger might be fear or hurt.

The Magic Words

“I guess you were right.” Although marriage is not a competition, still this phrase is one of the sweetest things a spouse can say. It may come after a disagreement in which both partners were sure they were right. It doesn’t fix the mistake but it’s so much better than “I told you so!” Is there something your spouse was “right” about recently?

Lastly, don't argue with anyone today -- even if you're right. And if someone has to win an argument, let it be your spouse. Even if you disagree, don't make your spouse wrong. You don't have to win every argument, lest you lose the marriage.

Living with a rare illnes

2009-02-25T07:31:00.001-08:00

On February 8, 2007, at the age of 37, I was diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy. It’s a rare autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks and damages the peripheral nerves thus causing leg and arm paralysis, excessive weakness and difficulty in breathing. Right now there is no cure. One can only manage the symptoms.

By the time I was diagnosed, I was pretty much paralyzed from my chest down to my feet. My feet felt like lead and my legs like jello. I couldn’t even raise my arms to comb my hair. Breathing was also difficult, like there was a constant weight on my chest. My doctor immediately put me on a 5-day infusion of immuno gamma globulin (IGG). It was meant to tie-up my immune system and stop it from further damaging my peripheral nerves. Then he prescribed me high doses of steroids to help heal my damaged nerves.

Suddenly I went from an active mother of 4 to like a toddler who couldn’t walk. I would crawl, pull myself up and cruise just to get to the bathroom. One time, I fell and passed out during the process. Before I passed out, I thought, “Wow, this is the end of me. All these years, I’ve been working hard to have a good life. None of it matters now.” Then, I said a short prayer and thank The Lord.

Obviously, I did not die that night (unless you’d believe that I’m telling this story from the after life). My husband just told me to stop going to the bathroom on my own and then he got me a walker.

A few weeks after being diagnosed, I was able to walk again without the aid of a walker. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that was just the beginning of my battle.

To date, it’s still a roller coaster ride for me. Every 3 weeks I need to get an infusion of IGG. I get hooked up to an IV for 2 days at 6 hours per day. The medication is harsh on the veins and my nurse is running out of places to poke me. Eventually, I might need to have a permanent port to receive my medication.

Recovering after an infusion is also difficult. It causes nausea, headaches and general weakness. Unfortunately, I don’t really have much choice. If I don’t get my infusion, I won’t be able to walk and worse – I won’t be able to breathe!

I also take steroids which cause a host of other health problems such as diabetes, osteoporosis, liver damage, hallucination, etc.

Amidst all these things, I managed to maintain a positive and cheerful attitude. My doctor noticed that I don’t complain a lot. They’d prick, poke and electroshock me but they don’t hear a thing. Unfortunately, that got me in trouble because I delayed seeking medical attention despite my discomfort.

I view this as a challenge to be hurdled. A reminder to be thankful with what I have before I lose them. I always think about those who do not have access to good healthcare and hope there is something I can do to help. My insurance company pays $11,000 for my medical bills every 3 weeks. I am still able to work although sometimes from home. Had it not been for my job and the good insurance coverage it provides, there’s no way I would be able to get treatment.

In between my infusions, I look and feel just like a regular person. In fact, I thought I was healthy enough that I went back to school last semester and started working on my Ph.D. Unfortunately this semester, I am having so much trouble again health-wise that I decided not to register.

It is a rare illness and I always consider myself a strong person who can weather life’s difficulties. A rare illness and a strong-willed person. The Lord, indeed, works in mysterious ways.

The Novelist in Wartime

2009-02-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

In this powerful speech, the great author explains his controversial decision to accept a literary prize in Israel and why we need to fight the System.

From Salon: The Novelist in Wartime by Haruki Murakami

I have come to Jerusalem today as a novelist, which is to say as a professional spinner of lies.

Of course, novelists are not the only ones who tell lies. Politicians do it, too, as we all know. Diplomats and military men tell their own kinds of lies on occasion, as do used car salesmen, butchers and builders. The lies of novelists differ from others, however, in that no one criticizes the novelist as immoral for telling lies. Indeed, the bigger and better his lies and the more ingeniously he creates them, the more he is likely to be praised by the public and the critics. Why should that be?

My answer would be this: Namely, that by telling skillful lies -- which is to say, by making up fictions that appear to be true -- the novelist can bring a truth out to a new location and shine a new light on it. In most cases, it is virtually impossible to grasp a truth in its original form and depict it accurately. This is why we try to grab its tail by luring the truth from its hiding place, transferring it to a fictional location, and replacing it with a fictional form. In order to accomplish this, however, we first have to clarify where the truth lies within us. This is an important qualification for making up good lies.

Today, however, I have no intention of lying. I will try to be as honest as I can. There are a few days in the year when I do not engage in telling lies, and today happens to be one of them.

A Christian Progressive Happy Birthday to Charles Darwin

2009-02-13T08:35:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, February 12, marked the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin. The naturalistic view of life that Darwin introduced during his time has changed the way we see our world. His controversial theory of evolution through natural selection has survived for 150 years, amidst the constant deluge of attacks from conservative religious groups and theologians, and has become the foundation of the many new biological sciences we know today.

I found this very interesting article on the Washington post yesterday about a christian progressive's view of Charles Darwin. It talks about the clash between Theology and Darwinism. It is a very good article, and well worth reading.

From the Washington Post: A Christian Progressive Happy Birthday to Charles Darwin

In my own work as a Christian progressive, I have found evolutionary biology, and especially the Human Genome Project, a source of rich dialogue between theology and science. As we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, however, the norm for the relationship between religion and science is anything but productive and respectful. Instead, anti-Darwinist views in conservative and even moderate-to-conservative Christianity have been increasing, especially in the last quarter century.

As a Christian, an advocate of human rights, and a person strongly committed to democratic ideals, I believe Darwin's work was of consummate importance for human progress. I further believe that religious progressives need to speak out more directly against a religious campaign against evolutionary biology. We need to say clearly that this targeting of evolution by conservative Christianity is far more political in origin than it is purely theological.

There is no doubt that Darwin's legacy in science has been vast; the theory of natural selection that gave rise to the Darwinian revolution underlies both theory and method in science. The Darwinian upheaval is just this: the origin of species is bottom up, through natural forces, rather than top-down and fixed like conservative Christian theology in particular would contend.

This is where all the trouble arises. The idea that human life is continuous with other creatures and indeed with the whole planet is a profoundly destabilizing idea for religious and political practices of dominance and control. This whole struggle is more about politics than it is about abstract issues like religious faith and secularism. In the 200 years since Charles Darwin's birth, this has changed very little.

TOUCH A HEART . . . CHANGE A LIFE

2009-02-11T23:21:00.000-08:00

I have lain awake for several nights, I stood up and I pulled out a book from the ledge over my bed. It was an old book I have not read yet and I was clueless how it came up there. It has no covering for me to know its title and author. I flicked through each pages wanting to find something worthy of note to read. Then I traversed upon two highlighted words, pselaphao and eido .These are two thought-provoking Greek words which have something to do with touch, sight and feeling. Pselaphao as what the book defined it, means to feel intentionally, handle or touch. It is just like getting hold of and running one's hand all over something just merely to look into for the purpose of learning its parts, make-up and substance. Pselaphao can be compared to people who get along with people for the purpose of only knowing them rather than molding, enlightening, uplifting them or helping them during tough times. Eido on the other hand means to see, but not as in a casual sight. Unlike the first, it goes much further, more to seeing with our minds in order to achieve an abysmal realization and understanding of something. Eido can be likened to those people who reach people to understand and learn them with empathy. It's just like not physically seeing or feeling people, but in a very real denotation reaching out and touching their lives through other ways or medium. Sometimes we tend to figure out something by actually feeling its presence and looking at with it at close range. But can we understand something or somebody without actually seeing them? We can make connections to anybody without necessarily getting too close or feel their presence especially this high technology epoch, we can reach and make connections with people through different channels. What is important is that we are able to know the vital needs of others and encourage and influence them in good faith. People have the universal need to be important, to have someone who thinks well of them. Every last one of us longs for love and attention. To be significant. It is a stark reality that there is a lot of people who feels unforgotten and unloved or think that life is prickly trail so hard to struggle and too intricate to cope up with making them too engrossed with their setbacks and heartaches that they become unmindful and overlook so many of the small paradigms of how great life and love is. But the good thing is there is a lot of people out there too who set their own aspirations, outline their own course, spend time and energy not to only reach out these people but to carry others with them. We can touch lives by insisting not to give hope for those who are in the threshold of their courage and faith or have lost themselves worth, that life is beautiful and love is alive. We can change a life by a mere simple touch of kindness, courtesy and caring words..Life is to live to the fullest and love is not just to be taken but to be given too. These two most important things will goes on and on .Often times it is uncommon to show love, compassion and kindness because it is much easier to concentrate on ourselves and our own little world than to spare a little time of these things for others. Words may be forgotten, deeds may be put into oblivion but people will never forget how you made them feel. It only takes a moment of love, benevolence, and understanding to touch and feel a heart . and see a life change.

Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.Love life and life will love you back. Love people and they will love you back.

HAPPY HEART'S DAY TO ALL!!!

Hospital – The Second Source of TRO?

2009-02-11T02:40:00.000-08:00

Why is it that hospital has always been the famous sanctuary of those personalities allegedly involved in government irregularities when the circumstance requires them to be investigated? Take for example the case of former Agriculture Secretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante, then his alleged “fixer,” Jaime Paule (Fertilizer Scam) and just recently, the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo (WB mess).

While I don’t intend to discredit one’s right for a medical treatment however, the timing and circumstances remain a question that lingers in the mind of the Filipino people who deserved to know the truth and nothing but the truth.

Is it because heaven is demanding them to pay for their sin against the Filipino people or is it because doctors are the next easiest source (second to court) of TRO (Temporary Restraining Order)?

Obama signs SCHIP into Law

2009-02-07T18:44:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday, February 5th, I was overjoyed when I read in the morning paper that President Obama signed the bill reauthorizing the SCHIP into law. SCHIP is the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The law is designed primarily to help children from families that do not currently have health insurance. Uninsured children under the age of 19, whose families earn up to $36,200 a year (for a family of four) are eligible. For the 45 million in the United States that currently do not have health insurance, this is great news indeed. By the way, this SCHIP law had been vetoed by George Bush twice during his administration. I wonder what he was thinking.

I think the signing of this SCHIP reauthorization into law is a great first step towards the ultimate goal: Universal Health Care reform in the United States. Perhaps you are not aware that the United States is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not guarantee access to health care as a right of citizenship. 28 industrialized nations have single payer universal health care systems, while 1 (Germany) has a multipayer universal health care system like President Clinton proposed for the United States. I really wish that Universal Health Care in the United States would become a reality very soon.

Here are President Obama's remarks transcribed, which are really, really good.

Do you agree with Obama on SCHIP?

Marriage – Why Fix If It’s Not Broken

2009-02-05T01:25:00.000-08:00

We value and take good care of things we considered useful and important to us. Things like house, cars or even cellular phones and other techie gadgets are our most valuable possessions that we can’t live our life without. We regularly keep it in good conditions so that they can be of good use to us at any given time. Sometimes, failing to fix it properly or at the very least; before anything goes wrong bring us more harm than good; cost-wise and convenience.It also goes without saying with marriage.

When our group hosted a Marriage Encounter Seminar, the hardest part of it was neither logistics nor coming up with our target participants, but it is getting couples to say “yes” to our invitation. Unavailability, time constraints and work preoccupations were some of the “polite” reasons of them in turning down our invitations. But the sad and lame reason that we got so far was this: “Why the need to attend a marriage enhancement seminar? We don’t have any problem in our marriage? None at all, so why the need?”

Most of our lifetimes were spent in making our self good; physically and mentally. We spent about half of it for our intellectual development needed to sustain our career or perhaps our dreams and ambitions. We devote considerable time as well for our physical conditioning in order to live a life longer so as to enjoy whatever luxuries we possessed. But how much time you’ve spent (if any) maintaining your marriage?

Marriage, like any other priced possessions needs certain “maintenance” in order for it to grow. Love provides nourishment to our marriage that will enable it to grow more into becoming a matured and secured. The “quality and amount” of effort put by both partners in making their relationship work defines the readiness of their relationship to go to the next level. Marriage, like learning is a never-ending cycle of progress. One must not cease in finding new ways in making his or her partner happy. Expression of love doesn’t goes out of style. However, love just re-invents itself to adopt the ever changing ways of how one expressed it.
Without the mutual effort and concern from both partners, a marriage relationship will succumb to its normal “wear and tear” to the passing of times. Definitely, you don’t need to wait for your marriage to be broken before deciding to fix it, unless you wanted to bear the high cost of terminating it.

“Perfecting” an Imperfect Marriage

2009-02-03T04:55:00.000-08:00

A Filipina married to a foreigner based in the Middle East asked me a question in a social networking forum. “Just wandering if perfect marriage does exist? I mean the one that doesn’t have any quarrel or misunderstanding?” She described her relationship as atypical of what marriage relationship that most of us probably knew.

Our definition of “perfect” marriage depends on how we look at our marriage life. Sometimes, we gauged our relationship’s performance by comparing it to such unrealistic “standards” of what perfect marriage should be. Romance we see in movies or probably read in novels is an example of a relationship in its highest form of exaggeration. More often, such illusional relationship is a way of achieving the product’s commercial purpose -- to sell. The more you tried to compare yours to such illusionary relationship, the more you feel resentful of your marriage.
While most of us think that a perfect marriage is the one who is a worry-free relationship, however, we could not even come up with an example of a self-confessed couple, claiming that they have a real fantastic relationship that is worth of everyone’s envy. The truth is, you can’t find any; not even one.

Marriage is similar to cooking. A dish can’t have its distinct taste without its flavorful ingredients, and so does marriage. A marriage relationship with partners having occasional misunderstandings, whether trivial or complicated; or where one partner caused hurt feelings to another is a relationship “perfected” by its imperfections. Lest we forget that these imperfections make our marriage becomes matured and immune to the same marital woes.

There is no secret in perfecting an imperfect marriage but partners who are both ready to do their individual share in their relationship. An effort to reach a decision by making sure that whatever imperfections they might have will just be things of the past. You can never plan your marriage future if either one of you or both are still dwelling in the past.

Ahmed the Dead Terrorist

2009-02-01T20:55:00.000-08:00

I introduce you to Jeff Dunham, the upcoming new stand-up comedian on the scene. He was in the Tonight Show with Jay Leno a few weeks ago. I think he is going be the next big stand-up comedian. I just love his Ahmed the Terrorist act. Watch it. It is just hilarious!

[Warning: The 1st clip (the short version of the act), I would say, is for grown-ups only. If your kids are reading this post with you, you may want to ask them to go away first before you hit the play button. Hahahaha. But the 2nd clip (the long version of the act) is fine.]

This type of hilarious stand-up comedy act is just what I need after a long day in the office. Do you like stand up comedy?

For Marriage to Work – It Only Takes a Forgiving Heart and a Responsible Partner

2009-01-31T03:15:00.000-08:00

Married partners in search of true happiness should steer clear of the idea that marriage is a bed of roses. The truth is; rose has its thorns.

I read a survey report conducted to 72 married couples in which the spouses were an average of 33 years old and had been married for about seven years. Most of the participants (66 percent) were Caucasian, followed by Asian (22 percent), Hispanic (5 percent) and African American (4 percent). The final 3 percent represented “other” nationalities. The participants were asked about marriage relationship, its conflict and common woes. While, money and housework were popular picks, surprisingly, sex and infidelity didn’t come up much as marital issue.

But why is it that extra-marital relation is one of the common causes of a dysfunctional marriage relationship that oftentimes leads to break-up?

Cheating isn’t nice and unfortunately, it isn’t terribly uncommon. It is also the last thing that a wife or a husband wants to believe. Many believed that an ideal love relationship is a union of two equally faithful partners, and that no one must come in between them. It may be right in principle but far from reality.

“Infidelity is a marriage killer,” said one couple-friend of mine. There are so many articles written about marriage infidelity that offer tips, hints or sign on how to detect unfaithful spouse but unfortunately, none seems closer to offer “appropriate” ways of dealing with it. Most advices however focus on a “quick way out” and solution oftentimes veered towards practicality and preservation of one’s self-esteem. Perhaps, the idea of dispensing quick and easy solution appears more practical than the nifty but gritty ways of correcting it.

Quick-fix solution oftentimes ends up “going out-moving to” a new relationship. This quick-fix solution however overlooks the fact of morality and relationship’s sustainability. The truth is; there’s no guarantee that a newly found relationship will not lead you to the same relationship woes that you escaped from. Familiarity breeds contempt and this will not spare even your “brand-new” relationship. No relationship is worth saving unless both partners are ready to do their respective shares in repairing their damaged relationship.

People tend to cheat no matter what their home life is like. Your spouse likewise is not an exception. It is however one’s emotional maturity gained from the pain of having unfaithful partner and the painstaking effort of dispensing forgiveness, or the lack of both, that will pave the way for correcting one’s marital woes or simply to resign from it. And it is forgiveness that will make an unfaithful spouse to work hard on his maturity to commit himself to a pure love relationship until he gain the capacity to share his role in making the relationship work.

Marriage is not immune from trials and difficulties. In fact, these are what make a relationship even stronger. Keeping a record of your spouse’s dark past either will not make a relationship stronger. Openness however serves as an avenue for the unfaithful to understand how painful it is for you every time he cheated on you. Communicate and share with him your pain but never ask him the ever unanswerable question; “Why?” for he can’t give you any clear answer for that. Nagging, likewise will not give positive result for you might just drive him into committing more deceitful things.

Non verbal communication of pain oftentimes, is a powerful and effective way of making your man realized his mistakes. While it is true that you can’t get from a man what you didn’t asked. However, your man understands pain more when it’s spoken through his heart and not to his ears. Getting his heart to share with you the pain oftentimes prepares him to soften that completely leads him to openness and commitment, and this can happen without you asking him. His commitment normally comes after your forgiveness. His sincerest apology must be welcomed with a genuine forgiveness and both must agree to work towards the decision to sustain the relationship. This will pave the way for your man to compensate the forgiveness he had received with utmost responsibility and respect for he wants to re-build the trust he had lost.

Acceptance of mistakes and one's readiness to forgive are virtues of stronger and matured marriage. After all, marriage is a union of two forgiving partners.

Wanting to Have a Successful Love Relationship But Don’t Know How? - Try Not to Fall Out of Love

2009-01-28T05:26:00.000-08:00

It is a human nature to yearn for anything unavailable, the one we cannot fully posses. We crave for things that are beyond our reach and the same goes with love relationship. But the moment we have it the sooner to lose much of its appeal. There seems to be truth to it. Have you observe one’s obsession of having a nice car, best rest house or even best job? Is one’s insatiable yearning for anything more stops the moment they have those in their possession?

Whatever we highly value and try so hard to acquire tends to lose much of its appeal the moment we have it, right? That’s a reality and the same goes particularly in marriage. Many look back to the courtship as the more satisfying phase of their love relationship. But once settled the love flame begins to fade. Are you all nodding your heads in agreement? It’s ok and I don’t blame you for that for I have been there once in my love relationship.

Raising One’s Perceived” Value”

It came to a point during my marriage relationship, that as soon as I was assured that I’m wanted and needed by my wife, I wanted to be courted by her. However, this 360 degrees twist of role boggles my mind, because the more I feel assured of her devotion, the faster I fall out of love. Ok, it could be unfair to quickly condemn other man to be like me for other maybe having a hard time controlling their emotional tides. Perhaps they may be in great misery over their ebbing for affection from their spouses.

On the other hand, the woman cannot be blamed for being sore over her man’s emergent disinterest in her. She may contain her grievance for a while, trying to understand what and who’s causing his husband’s sudden coldness on her. Usually, it’s a common thing to put the blame perhaps at another woman whom her husband might be having an affair with. As she thinks that she will eventually lose him, her yearning for him grow into mad obsession.

I once had a thought that my wife intentionally makes herself “scarce” to me when it comes to sex, perhaps a tactic for raising her perceived value. “He craves for me more when I’m not available,” as I thought she might be thinking. Well, this trick could be effective at one point but is often short-lived and sometimes, can lead to harmful repercussions. Oftentimes this scheme crates false perception for there’s no real intimacy develops between partners for the relationship is laced with lies.

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

It is said that familiarity breeds contempt and so probably does security. During courtship, our affection combines with our fear of losing the other person are the driving forces behind one’s effort to please his beloved. But once the challenge is gone, the attraction begins to decline. The very things we do in courtship may have much to do with our feeling of being in love. Our good regard for the other person is sustained by our efforts in always trying to charm him or her. The sweet nothings, the dinners together, the intimate moments, everything helps turn the initial reaction into deep affection.
When you had exchanged “I do’s,” you committed yourselves to love each other and stay together in marriage. Yet with today’s rising number of broken marriages, it’s obvious that keeping this commitment is really hard to “keep.” That is actually the area where you need to focus—commitment.

How to Stay Committed

Commitment means making yourself aware of the other person, and knowing oneself is an important requirement in a love relationship. There has to be a profound understanding between the partners of their obligations to each other and to the union. If we are to continue loving our mates, we must go on courting them, even after feeling assured of their devotion. Go back to the times when both of you were on the stage of courtship. How do you make her feel loved every time she gets messages on her cellular phone? How do you make him feel cared and loved every time you slipped a small notes in his wallet without him knowing it and by chanced read it while looking for a bill in his wallet?

Couples must continually find new expressions of love and concern for each other and their respect for each other, similar to what they do during courtship. Otherwise, they will risk diminishing their feelings and even their respect for each other. You must enjoy making your partner happy for it is the foundation of a healthy union, when one does to another gratifies both of them.

But if someone may object that if being in a relationship is to be such as that painstaking effort, then better stay out of a relationship. Work hard on your maturity until you gain the capacity to share yourself and your life with another. In the meantime, go hug yourself in the corner, have a beer and spare the world of a possible broken love relationship.

Barack Obama becomes the 44th President of the United States of America

2009-01-25T14:22:00.000-08:00

I was in the office watching the inauguration on television when Barack Obama took his oath of office on January 20th. My feeling was of great joy that the almost impossible thing had happened. I was a big supporter of the Obama candidacy, and now that he became the 44th President of the United States of America, I felt very proud of America electing a man of african american heritage, a man of integrity and good background, and a man with a great vision for America. It gives me great hope that many great changes are going to happen within the next four years of his administration. It was indeed a very special day, not only for America, but for the entire world.

Transcript of Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech

And here's the reaction from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Very funny!!!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Changefest '09 - Obama's Inauguration

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

How do you feel about Barack Obama?

Marriage - Open Both Eyes Before, Close One Eye After

2009-01-25T03:31:00.001-08:00

“Undress yourselves before you get involved and make a commitment to someone for there’s no turning back once you’re there.” These were the words given to all couple-participants when my wife and I had our pre-nuptial seminar given by a parish worker in a local church where our wedding is to be solemnized. The room was filled with laughter when I replied, “I thought undressing comes after the wedding ceremony?”

These words though rhetoric but are as equally important like what an African proverb says, “Before you get married, keep both eyes open, and after you marry, close one eye.”

Before you get involved and make commitment to someone, don’t let lust, desperation, pressure from others make you blind to warning signs. You and your partner have many different expectations, emotional needs, values and dreams. Keep both eyes open and don’t fool yourself that you can change someone during the course of your marriage. Before committing yourself, have some time to observe the person who will become a part of your life. The more you open your eyes to evaluate his/her quality, respect, love and truth, the more easer it will become for you to decide who gets to sit beside you while watching your favorite television program.

Once you decide to commit to someone, over time, their flaws and vulnerabilities will become more obvious. But if you love your partner and want the relationship to grow and evolve to the next level, you’ve got to learn how to close one eye and not let little thing to bother you. These flaws however can turn into your advantage depending on how each one of you compliments the other. Neither of you are perfect, but you can be perfect for each other depending on how one completes the other. Try to look the gap in your hand’s fingers? Do you know what those gap means? Those gaps are meant to be complimented by your partner’s hand.

Marriage is accepting the person as what he/she is and not what you expect him/her to be. Partners are two imperfect but unique individual children of god who have decided to share a life together. And despite these imperfections that were seen by both eyes before marriage, closing one eye after will enables you to see not these imperfections but that someone who shared the altar with you when you said, “I do.”

Filipino – It’s Not Where You Are But Who You Are

2009-01-21T04:35:00.000-08:00

“Public display of emotions (kissing and hugging) is evidently abhorred most especially in the provinces. Less that I realized that this was a big cultural shock for me the first time I stood on a western land. Do our social roles and functions forbid us from exercising the ultimate display of freedom that is the freedom of expression? On the other hand, would it be destructive to the culture that we have grown up with should we adapt to these practices?”

These are some of the questions posted by a Filipina in the forum of a social networking site. I must assume that she is a migrant Filipino living in the Western front. The questions are indeed valid as I see it and I supposed that this identity crisis is common not only to the Filipino migrants but the Filipinos in general.

There is nothing wrong in one’s adapting certain practices of other country especially if the situation calls for it. In fact, it’s expected for a Filipino to show respect to a host county for which he/she is a foreigner by doing what is customary to that country. On the other hand as I put it, only to “certain” practices as long as you’re comfortable of doing it. In doing so, one must draw the line between adapting and imitating. The former is appropriate but the latter is disgusting especially if it is unbefitting. The problem begins when one’s adaptation of foreign practices repulses the culture for which he or she was raised and much more; if such adaptation is highly uncalled for. Perhaps, the question should be rephrased by: “When and when not to adapt?”

One’s willingness to retain certain traits of being a Filipino, weather he’s pure or a mestizo (half-breed) depends on his orientation of the Filipino values, its culture and heritage. One’s adaptation of foreign culture is more prevalent to the Filipino migrant’s off-springs; either these kids were born and raised outside of the Philippines or migrated to other countries after being born in the Philippines. This is because of some Filipino migrants poised indignant of their root as a Filipino. How pathetic it is sometimes seeing a Filipino, that after staying for quite sometimes abroad suddenly lost memories of who and what he is; worst, could not even speak in his native tongue.

As I simply put it, there is nothing wrong in embracing certain practices or norms of other country especially if it’s highly inevitable. However, we should never forget what we are and who we are. One’s toiling in a foreign country albeit for a long time could justify neither one’s selective amnesia nor its twisting tongue, worst; forgetting totally who he was.

The color of your hair and skin could not alter you’re being a Filipino. It’s in our veins and our blood is whimsical and enchanting.

Martin Luther King Day

2009-01-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

Today is Martin Luther King Day in the US. Schools are closed as well as government offices, as the nation celebrates and commemorates Martin Luther King's birthday.

From Democracy Now!: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968

Today is Martin Luther King Day. He was born 80 years ago, on January 15th, 1929. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was just thirty-nine years old.

Tomorrow, more than four decades after Dr. King’s death, Barack Obama will take his oath of office to become the 44th president of the United States and the first African American president in US history. The Reverend Joseph Lowery, a civil rights icon who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr, King, will deliver the benediction at the inauguration ceremony. Obama accepted the Democratic party nomination on the 45th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, arguably his most famous address.

While Dr. King is primarily remembered as a civil rights leader, he also championed the cause of the poor and organized the Poor People"s Campaign to address issues of economic justice. Dr. King was also a fierce critic US foreign policy and the Vietnam War.

Watch Democracy Now! Video here.

Dvořák Anyone?

2009-01-17T10:45:00.000-08:00

"I am a simple Czech musician" - This was how Antonin Dvořák (often pronounced in English as DVOR-zhak) always described himself when asked what he does for a living. To me, he is one of the greatest musician of all time. There is a reason why his music is still played and listened to this day a century after his death. His music is simply beautiful and powerful.

I was introduced to Dvořák's music when I was invited to see a concert in Carnegie Hall in 1997. It was Miklos Perenyi performing with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Miklos Perenyi played Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B Minor that night. When I heard it, I instantly became a Dvořák fan.

I love Dvořák's music so much that even my ringtone is a Dvořák: Slavonic Dance No. 2 in E Minor (watch video below to get an idea of how my ringtone sounds like). Everyone in my office loves my Dvořák ringtone. They say it is very beautiful and unique! They have never heard such a ringtone before. Check it out. Maybe you'll become a Dvořák fan yourself.

Who is your favorite musician?

Dvořák's Slavonic Dance No. 2 in E Minor performed by Itshak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma with Seiji Ozawa conducting.

Dvořák's Cello Concerto in B Minor performed by Yo-Yo Ma with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra with Kurt Masur conducting. (Note: This is only part 1. If you want to watch the rest, please go to Youtube and do a search for this piece.)

Why I had To Leave Mrs. Claus Alone

2009-01-17T06:32:00.000-08:00

“Dad, why do you do what you do? I think that is unkind of you to stay away from your loved ones on this special time of the year. Who’s going to play Santa Claus if you’re not here? Why do you leave me and Mrs. Claus out here in the cold nights of December?”

That could be what’s inside the innocent mind of my 6-year old daughter when I bid her goodbye during the airport sent-off on my way back to Saudi Arabia after a 2-month long vacation in the Philippines.

This time of the year as usual, I have to stay away from my family because of my work. It is really a difficult choice and even thinking about it makes me sad but I have to steel my heart and mind so that I would not be driven in despair for I need to reassure Mrs. Claus and my children back home that everything is going to be fine. I have to reiterate this assurance though words may not be enough to compensate for the warmth and affection they will miss from an absentee father who, otherwise, could have played that stupid guy in red suit who laughs ho-ho-ho. There is a sense of loss in not personally seeing one’s children as they grow up. This loss that usually turns into resentment is often compensated by a steady stream of gift-giving through monthly remittances.

Going back to my daughter’s pained imaginary questions, my answer could be: Don’t be sad. It is not that I’m ungrateful of having you and your mom around; it’s just that I need to stay away for a while so that I can fulfill what you want to be when you grow up and hoping that someday, Daddy will never leave you anymore. And just like Santa, Daddy, also feels lonely leaving Mrs. Claus all alone, but it is a noble thing to do to make little kid’s wishes come true, what more for a sweet angel like you. But don’t you worry my little angel, for Daddy knows where “North Pole” is and I’m keeping a map of it inside my heart so that I will never lost my way back home.

In the meantime, I want you to close your eyes and hold on to this promise of mine and one day when you wake up, you will see me again with Mrs. Claus around my arms laughing ho-ho-ho all the way to mistletoe.

Migration - Its Resentment and Hope

2009-01-14T02:06:00.000-08:00

My wife sent me an e-mail with pictures of my kids last Fathers’ Day. I was surprised to see the picture of my eldest son; a full-grown teenager from the “kid-image” I used to know of him. I almost couldn’t recognize him while riding in a row boat for his looks totally surprised me. The once kid I used to play on is now a tall and good-looking young man at 16. I smiled while I reminisced the moment I had him in my arms back then as a baby.

My eldest daughter’s “metamorphosis” comes as a surprise too. The grade-schooler I used to fetch from school had grown up into a fine young lady. My youngest back then as a toddler who can’t speak comprehensible words but now talks a lot like a parrot. My other daughter, the second to the youngest had her own stage of transformation too; losing her two front teeth.

As common to all parents working abroad, there’s always an unmistakable sense of loss often surfacing as resentment for having been missed how they’re own children grow up. I grope for words to describe the passing of an era which part of my life have been sacrificed. From the moment they were born, I have looked at my children with a wish that I could see them grow into fine human beings every step of the way. I have perhaps exulted in their triumphs, and bled in their pain, more profusely than in my own. I think of them when I visit a nice place, or eat an unusually fine meal. I worry for their safety, and I cannot imagine not being able to recognize them in their mature years. In the age of absentee parenting, the communication of love has taken the form of a steady stream of gift-giving. This however cannot compensate for the erosion of intimacy. How easy to measure the benefits from overseas work but remain doubtful if one can ever quantify what a migrating parent has given up in terms of love or what it is doing to recover it.

But amidst all these adversities, procrastination could not lead one’s hopes and dreams to the place where they desire them. While it is true that lost intimacy can never be recovered but the desire to assure a better future for the family is what keeps the fire burning in the hearts of all absentee parents like me. Life must go on even at times when life is in the lowest of all lows. Don’t ever give up. Constant reassurance to the loved ones left home could somehow compensate the eroded intimacy brought by toiling away from home.

Whatever happens, don’t ever give up your hopes and dreams for your family and yourself for the future comes from what you will think and do today.

Lying Around

2009-01-13T20:27:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking recently about lying. I don't mean I have been thinking of telling a lie. Many of the lies I tell do not need to be thought about very much. "I am fine." "Not at all. I think that color is quite flattering." "Let me pay. My university will reimburse me." "Yes, Dr. Phillips, I floss every day." I mean I have been thinking about what is a lie and is it ever okay to tell one and why, if we think lying is wrong, so many of us are liars.

This thinking is not occasioned by some personal crisis of character, or being faced with a difficult decision to tell the truth. I am a philosopher and have just finished teaching a graduate seminar called "The Truth about Lying." That seemed a cool title last year when I had to propose one for the catalog. It seems to me now, well not quite a lie, but more like false advertising. If I really knew the truth about this difficult subject I would, as they say, be rich.

I wanted to think about this topic because it seemed to me to have a number of features not shared by other moral concepts-- such as murder, cruelty, theft, or promise-breaking. First,while almost all of us would refrain from these acts, most of us lie on a daily basis. (As do doctors-- at least if you think prescribing placebos is lying. In a recent survey 45-58% , depending on how the question was phrased, prescribe them on a regular basis. If it's any consolation, the sugar pill seems to have been replaced by vitamins.) Second, if any of us were to act cruelly when this was pointed out to us we would either deny that was an appropriate description of our action or admit we were cruel and, at least, feel guilt or remorse. Whereas many of us are prepared to defend our lies--indeed, to glory in them sometimes ("Boy, did I have you going! Gotcha.") Third, there seem to be contexts in which not only does the fact that something is a lie not count in any way against what we are doing, but seems to count in favor--poker, spying, lying contests, getting someone to a surprise party, lying to the murderer at the door about where his victim is hiding.

There seem to be very large differences between people as to what they regard as a lie. A , who makes a mistake about the day of the week, says, " Damn. I lied. It's Tuesday not Wednesday." But many people distinguish between being wrong and lying. B, who believes that today is Tuesday ( it is actually Wednesday) says to C, "Today is Wednesday". Some people think that B lied; others that he tried to lie but failed. Some people think that gross exaggeration-- "I haven't eaten for over a year"-- is a lie; others do not. Now most ethical concepts have borderline cases-- is not returning the lost wallet theft? is failing to rescue the drowning child murder?-- but with lying it sometimes seems that the borderline is the whole territory.

Another interesting feature is that some people make a sharp moral distinction between lying and other ways of misleading by what one says. If you ask me what happened to your mail, and I say "Someone stole it from your box"without mentioning that the someone was me, some people will say "Well, at least you didn't lie" as if that somehow makes what I did less serious. The medieval Catholic Church elevated the idea of equivocation-- saying something true but meaning it one way rather than another, as in the Saint found who reported to would-be persecutors "That Saint is not far from here,"-- to Clintonian heights. Many people—myself included—see a difference between lying to someone and failing to tell them something that they have an interest in being told.

Read the entire article by Gerald Dworkin from 3QuarksDaily. It is interesting.

Why I'm (Still) Against Death Penalty?

2009-01-12T04:43:00.000-08:00

We all know that grass and weeds deprived protein that palay rice deserve most and for a farmer to have a bountiful harvest; he has to remove these weeds from the rice fields. Kaingin (field burning) is one way of clearing grass before the planting season, this method seems to be the fastest and easy way of clearing the fields of grass but there's bigger chance that grass will grow back. Another way of ensuring that the grass will not grow back is to ensure that grass are weeded out from its main roots, thus comes the popular problem-solving problem method employ by most learned people—Root Cause Analysis. This is to ensure that the problem is analyzed from its root and not superficially.

Death Penalty is somewhat equivalent to KAINGIN. While the punishment seems like forceful and swift but will not guarantee a long term solution to Coup 'd etat, rape, murder, corruption and other heinous crimes and cancers of our society. You cannot threaten somebody with an empty stomach. A hungry person knows one thing and has a one-track mind; that he will die if will not do something about his hunger.

Killing all these criminals will not eradicate this cancer of our society, UNLESS we deal with the very root cause of the problem. And you know what the root cause of all these problems is? Greed. If all of us can only learn how to moderate the greed that lives within us, no amount of worse punishment can curb these social cancer that enslave people not only in the Philippines but the world in its entirety. Now probably, you will be asking, “Then, how you will solve crimes if you are not in favor of Death penalty?"

In order for the Justice System to work in any country (not only in the Philippines), one should understand the 4 Pillars of Justice System.

Enforcement of Laws

No sacred cow and no one is above the law. Enforcers such as PDEA Major Marcelino are a living example of how enforcers will enforce the rule of law

Prosecution of the Offenders

Incorruptible prosecutors, zero tolerance to bribery. Prosecutors should be selected by an independent body such as JBC (Judicial Bar Council) and not presidential appointees

Judicial System

Did I say "NO TO BRIBERY?" People in the likes of Justice Hilario Divide, Jr. There are still people with integrity like him just waiting for the right moment.

Correction System

A penitentiary system that aims for complete rehabilitation of law offenders. No rich cow and no biased while in jail, NO VIP TREATMENT like what they extended to Claudio Tehankee, Rolito Go, Romeo Jalosjos, Ex-mayor Sanchez and the list goes on and on....and on.....and on

We don’t need DEATH PENALTY to deter crimes and we don’t need MORE LAWS for we have so many laws that are existing, just effective implementation of system is all we need to do. As I have said, we don’t need to reinvent the wheel.

The Race of Our Lives

2009-01-12T04:41:00.000-08:00

If you falter running against men, how can you compete against horses?
Have you experienced being bypassed for a promotion that you long expected? Are you getting lesser pay than the amount of work you’re doing? What other grievances you’re having now that you feel like cursing God in high heaven for letting you in those maladies? Let me tell you a story inspired by a Bible passage.

There was a young man who has been accused and convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. One day, the man saw an opportunity and escaped from his prison cell and became a subject of manhunt. Too tired from running, the young man stopped to rest in the middle of the rice field where an old farmer is working. The farmer upon seeing the tired young man got pity on him. He gave the young man water upon seeing him catching his breath. The farmer made a small hut for the man to shelter against the punishing rays of the sun. After ensuring that the man has a place to rest, the old man went back to his work. The young man, still not contented complained to the farmer how tired he is after that long hours of running. Hearing this, the farmer gave the man a chair to sit so he can rest completely under the hut. But the young man went on complaining that his shirt is wet by sweat. Seeing this, the old man gave the man his extra shirt so that he can change clothes to make him feel comfortable.

Despite all what has been given to him, the young man continues to bark at the old man. The farmer patiently asked the young man, “were you not a subject of manhunt and were accused of a crime you didn’t commit?” “Yes I am,” replied the young man. “Were you tired of running all day long to flee from your pursuers?” “Yes, I am”, said the man. “How long have you been running against these men?” asked the farmer? “Two hours”, replied the young man. “You see, I have been here as early as 4-o’clock in the morning and feeling thirsty as well, yet I didn’t complain when I gave you my last bottle of water to quench your thirst. You ran for two hours while I have been working here for seven hours and pretty tired too, yet I didn’t complain when I made you a shelter against the sun. You complained of discomfort while my whole body is soaked in sweat, yet I didn’t complain giving you my last shirt. I saw you standing for about half an hour while I have been standing here tilling the land for seven straight hours without rest and it didn’t bother me at all to give you my own chair, yet you are still complaining that you are tired running from these men?” said the old man. “By the way” as the old man continues, “while you were busy complaining, I saw a group of men who looks like your pursuers and they overheard your voice and approaching us on this very moment; all in horses.”

We all have our own share of difficulties in life and all are in varying degrees; some are big while others are beyond comprehension. Talking more than doing will bring us to nowhere and oftentimes bring us more harm than good. Letting our diatribes overcome our thoughts will rob us the opportunity to think intelligently needed to plan for our next action. Just like an athlete preparing for a bigger competition, he needs to train his mind and body to absorb the pain and punishment in order to increase the chances of reaching his goal. In the same way when facing life’s biggest obstacle, we are being prepared by God for much bigger odds to come. If we keep on complaining each time we falter and refuse to continue despite the opportunities given, how can we finish the race?

In every race there awaits a finish line and you must finish the race in order reach that line. After all, what God ever wanted from us is not to win the race but to simply finish it for the glory waits in heaven to those who endure the race of our lives.

Lawyer Ethics 101" Stealing Paper is Not Irregular

2009-01-12T04:37:00.000-08:00

“Are they going to sue me for stealing a piece of paper? I did nothing wrong!” This was the reply of a lawyer when asked by a news reporter if it is not unlawful for him to use a government agency’s official letter head for which he is not an employee and worse, prepares a draft release order in behalf of the agency and endorsed for signature and approval by the Department Secretary. This is a blatant mockery of the rule of law for which he is supposed to uphold. His deed is unethical and a direct insult to the Filipino people’s intelligence. One doesn’t need to be a legal luminary to understand what the lawyer did was highly malicious and immoral. That piece of paper can be as valuable as what it is intended to; a decision for the immediate release of drug suspects. And the lawyer’s reason; Christmas is near and everybody in the Department might be busy and he’s just trying to make it easy for the Department Secretary.

I have high respect for lawyers and have lawyer friends too and admittedly, this lawyer put to shame other honest and honorable lawyers and worse, put to shame their once honorable profession. This lawyer unethically maneuvering the lawful process of the Justice Department further worsen the image of our country’s judicial system, domestically and internationally, needless to say, the Philippines as a nation.

If this lawyer thinks that there’s nothing irregular in what he did, then if I can take into possession one of his law firm’s letter heads, I will draft a letter in his behalf authorizing his private doctor to perform castration on him immediately and have “it” donated to a charity patient. If he protests, I love to tell this right on his face: “Are you going to sue me for stealing a piece of paper?”
Lawyers are considered as one of the learned people in the society. They prepare the laws of the land; provide interpretation for its implementation and from there begins a healthy coexistence of people and the law. But what will happen to a nation if those who are supposed to uphold the rule of law are the very same people twisting it?

Why I'm Against Death Penalty?

2009-01-12T04:35:00.000-08:00

http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Gener_Marcelo

In a tense situation where both sides are hurling invectives and accusations against each other, the Philippines is now again entering into another saga of Filipinos favorite past time; the “blaming game.” As the situation flares up, here comes the resurgence of another debatable issue; re-imposition of death penalty. And what makes this game more exciting are the “riders” that goes with the issue. There you can expect opportunist politicians aiming for the 2010 elections joining the fracas, not to solve the problem but to get media exposure. A sure way of getting the people remember them come election time but no thanks to the “TRAPOS” (traditional politicians), we don’t intend to make our headache into tumor.

I’m in full support of the government’s campaign against prohibited drugs, its use, manufacture and distribution but I strongly opposed to the restoration of death penalty that was repealed by the 13th Congress. While it may looks like a strong deterrent to crimes including heinous ones, but this can worsen the case of bribery not only in its implementing agencies but also in the judiciary. Those arrested suspects who have the power and influence may resort “more” to bribery since the penalty if found guilty is graver while those who doesn’t have the right “connection” will definitely be in the losing end. History will tell that even during its imposition in the past, no known personalities and “big fish” got the taste of what is like to be put in the lethal injection chamber but poor people and those victims of unfair trial oftentimes are the ones meted out with the death penalty.

No rule can be more effective unless it is implemented to its fullest without fear and favor. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel to know its purpose. Just implement the existing law, that’s all we need to do.

Who Wants to Cast the First Stone?

2009-01-12T04:33:00.000-08:00

In the Old Testament came the phrase; “An Eye for an Eye, A Tooth for a Tooth” as a form of punishment given during the time of Moses. The Muslims in the same way applies this concept of punishment lest anyone commits an offense against the teachings of Quran. Just recently, a news article from the internet reported that in Iran, three men convicted of adultery were sentenced to death by stoning. This form of punishment is strongly condemned by some Muslim human rights group in that country as the news report said and apparently, a law has been passed banning this inhumane way of punishment.

In Christian countries like the Philippines who proud herself as the only Catholic nation in Asia and yet, why these fellow citizens of mine are so hungry to shed the blood of the outlaws and offenders as if none of them had sinned? Didn't Jesus know that all of us are sinners when He said, "Let those who do not sin cast the first stone?" Jesus being said that didn't contradict the Law of Moses nor advocate for its dissolution. In fact he explained that the Law of Moses was given the way it was because of the stubbornness of the people that time being under the claws of sins. But when Jesus came to redeem us from sin that separates us from the Father, we were no longer under the claws of it, thus He told us all; “Go and sin no more.”

Jesus, in countless parables explains how the Law of Moses is subordinate to the Son as the Son is subordinate to the Father. The coming of Jesus and His way of dying in the cross ends man’s enslavement to sin, thus to die physically only means cessation of man’s physical body and judgment of all of us sinners is reserved to the “Supreme Judge” of all judges. It’s however unfortunate how people from the time of Moses until the present day continuously ignore the message that Jesus had shown us; that no one is righteous, not even one.

How easy for us to say who is right and who had done wrong in a world that is full of self-appointed righteous. But little did we know that no one is righteous among us, not even one. But if you think you are an exception, why don’t you cast the first stone?

Moyers on Middle East Violence

2009-01-10T19:41:00.000-08:00

Bill Moyers reflects on the recent violence in the Middle East. PLEASE NOTE: This essay contains video and images of the Israeli and Palestinian casualties including children - in Gaza as well as the Pulitzer prize-winning photo of the nude Vietnamese girl running from napalm bombing. Some viewers may find the images disturbing, but they are in context and germane to the subject matter. For more: http://www.pbs.org/billmoyers

Here is Something to Think About

2009-01-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

From butterfliesandwheels.com: Is there evidence for that?

Do we need empirical evidence to warrant thinking that telling children that people suffer torment in hell forever is harmful and bad? I don't think so. There are things that we know without evidence. For instance we know that telling people they are stupid or ugly or boring or generally repulsive is bad. We also know that bad news is bad, so we know that it's bad to tell people bad news if it's not true - we know it's bad to tell someone: 'your cat/dog/best friend/mother/child is injured and in terrible pain' if that's not true.

We don't need evidence for that. It's part of how the world is. Imagine telling a child: 'Your cat is caught in a trap, it's crushing her leg in its jaws, she's howling in pain, we can't get her out' when it's not true. There's no way to look at that and think it's good or not too bad or neutral. Even if we knew for a fact that it would do no lasting psychic damage at all (and how would we know that?), it would still be bad. Even temporary mental anguish is bad.

We don't demand research before we refrain from doing things like that. We don't, and don't need to, and shouldn't. We extrapolate - from experience, imagination, sympathy, empathy. We know what that would feel like, and we flinch, and we don't do it to people.

That's how a lot of morality works, at the simplest level. That's why one familiar parental sqawk is 'How would you like it if she did that to you?' It's the most direct way to explain why something is wrong and not permitted. The child being squawked at doesn't get to demand a look at the research before accepting the lesson.

So - adults who tell children there is a hell where some people are tortured forever are doing a bad thing, even if the children do simply ignore the claim, or shrug it off, or deny it. If the children believe it but think it is only other people who are tortured forever and are happy with that thought - that is a very bad thing, because those are some callous children, if not outright sadistic.

The Tree and its Fruit

2009-01-07T23:57:00.000-08:00

A University Professor in his e-mail reacted on a recent article I wrote concerning rich kids who had lost their ways in life and how parents at times consenting to it. His reaction ended with a question: “Would you let your child rot in jail if you have the money?”

I know the good Professor was just trying to challenge the paradigm of parent’s role in order to stir up our discussion. The fact that the Professor is teaching in this University famously known as the oldest learning institution in Asia, if not in the world, I’m sure he is up for something. I sent him a reply and what I told him is this: “A tree is known by the fruit it bears.”

This phrase painted the sad but true scenario in our present society. Gone are the days when parents imposed “curfew” to their children attending social gatherings and how a child could lose this privilege if he fails to abide by this rule. Gone are the days when parents are the first persons that children confide with issues that affect them; dreams and aspirations in life, successes and failures and even affairs of the heart. Nowadays, parent’s roles are relegated to simply a provider. There’s nothing wrong in giving our children nothing but the best, and who doesn’t want to? I grope for words to describe parent’s wishful thinking of giving in to all their children’s pleading. But sometimes, it’s what you gave that put your children where they are; either good or bad situation. But what is worst than seeing a parent doing exactly what a child ought not to do or see? Do you practice what you preach? A good tree bears good fruit and a bad fruit surely comes from a bad tree for no good tree will bear bad fruit.

Going back to the question; if would I let my child rot in jail if I have the money? Well, I will let the money rot in jail instead of my child. And the sure of way of doing that is for him not to do things that will put him in jail, otherwise, how would one learn the lesson if there is no difference in the consequence of doing right and wrong? As what the Lord said; “Resent not your father’s discipline for he treats you as his own in the same way as I treated you all as my sons.”

Who would you like to be? Hitler or FDR?

2009-01-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

Here is a clip of an exchange between Ann Coulter, right-wing pundit, and Al Franken, famous celebrity and commentator (now Senator-Elect from the state of Minnessota beating Republican and now former Senator Norm Coleman) that really made me laugh out loud.

Men Give Love for Sex?

2009-01-06T04:14:00.000-08:00

Are men really such a hopeless romantic? Do love just come out handy for men just to get the in-the flesh deal with women? Take a peek inside our mind so that you can understand the weird but lovable world of men.

It may be true to some extent for there’s just about a hairline difference between love and lust plus the fact that men are perverts. C’mon guys, let’s admit it. We are perverts. We think about sex 24/7 and we daydream about it, a lot of times. Ask your male friends if they keep with them pictures of nude women and I’m sure you will be me amazed on how they had managed to hide these in their PC’s – both still and moving images. We look at pictures of gross stuffs or weird moves that we’d never try in years. And it’s a fact that for a guy who has everything, try to give him the gift of porn and surely, he will never complain about it. Guy’s sexual ‘switch’ can be turned on easily by visual and will give anything so as to get the in-the-flesh deal anytime, but trust me; like animals, men have different sub-species too.

I’m neither a psychologist nor a sexologist but I know what turns me on alright? I can be sexually aroused when I’m visually stimulated and I’m sure that the same goes with other men. There is no other surprise for us than seeing a woman dancing seductively. This sexual tension drives us wild and in that situation, man is under the woman’s sex spell. A visually excited man has a one-track mind. That’s why we don’t notice your so-called flaws when you’re turning us on. But that doesn’t mean that a man will profess his undying love to that woman dancing seductively in her bra just to be in bed with her. Call us nuts but we knew when, where and to whom we will say I love you -- with or without sex. Trust me, men will never say “I love you” if we don’t mean it. We hold on to this endearing phrase so dearly, waiting for the right person and right moment. Most of all, we don’t want to be forced to say it, neither you right? If you do, chances are; we don’t.

On the other hand, there are men that despite how they loved their partner so much, yet don’t verbalize their affection especially when being prodded. It’s not that we’re incapable of romance nor insensitive to a woman’s feelings, we just hate being romantic on cue. Men expressed affection more in action than words, oftentimes through gifts and yes, you guess it right -- sex.

I have come to a few clear conclusions about us men. Here’s a peek into our private minds that surely will help you understand any man in your life.

Staring at other women doesn’t mean that we want to have sex

Sounds good to be true? Well maybe because 9 out of 10 men could not resist looking at other women. We’ve just been momentarily possessed by our visual stimulation in the same way when women stare by a window filled with gorgeous shoes. Do men wanted to have sex with those women right away if given a chance? Maybe yes but not a general conclusion in the same way as women will not surely buy all the shoes they saw on display no matter how gorgeous those pairs are.

Men look for two or more “special” girls

Men by nature are polygamous. Blame it to our biological imperative to “spread the seed.” If a man could live his perfect fantasy life, he would have a wife and a new fling whenever he felt like it. Most men say that they will cheat if there will be zero chance of getting caught. But there are those who don’t. Even if there were no danger of getting caught for they wouldn’t want to mess good thing they enjoy doing with their wives – love and good sex.

While we were inside our mother’s womb, maybe the placenta supplies not only the needed oxygen and food for us to live but also this thing called “ego”. This ego is what makes us think that we’re strong, successful and sexy, and part of that being sexy is being in the company of gorgeous women. Pathetic but true.

Sex, lust, love, either who comes first and who comes last, it doesn’t matter at all for they’re all seems interconnected in one way or another. And one’s own experience cannot be used as universal answer for this question for the verdict differs anyway between men and women. One thing is sure though; that a woman’s answer depends on her own experience with the man of her life, either good or bad, she will be in the best position to judge.

So if you will ask me if love just come out handy to me anytime? Just ask my wife.

The Place Where My Heart Is

2009-01-04T05:34:00.000-08:00

I was browsing the internet and by chance came across a social networking group of mostly Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). The thread which attracted my attention is the forum discussing about worst places to work for it somehow connects the real life Diaspora in me. As I go along with the discussion, I found myself immersed to the thread’s main point; what pushes people like me to leave our country to work despite the imminent danger awaits for us in a far away land?

Despite everyday news headline that tells all kind of abuses and discrimination hounding Filipino workers abroad, seeing hopeful job applicants queuing for a possible job abroad is an ordinary fare in most job placement agencies. There are those who had gone abroad and once fell victims of abuses await their fate that someday, to return again and try their luck anew. Perhaps no amount of danger and setback can prevent Filipino’s resiliency or maybe, it’s their empty stomach that forced them to be braved amidst adversities waiting abroad. While there are those happy and success stories shared by a handful of OFWs who had gone abroad, however unfortunate and sad experiences still painted the overall situation of Filipinos working in foreign soil. Domestic helper getting raped by their employer, unpaid salary, racial discrimination, breached of employment contract and occupational hazards seems like a recurring nightmare that haunts every Filipino desiring for work abroad.

I had the taste of my own medicine being an OFW myself for I used to condemn the pathetic situation in the Philippines on how a growing numbers of Filipinos are migrating abroad creating a vacuum of unfilled skills needed to run our country. Filipino professionals are almost gone owe it to lack of opportunity back home while those still studying are slowly focusing to their choice of job destination—abroad. Can you blame them for desiring a better future? I don’t think so.

I don’t want to sound unpatriotic. My desire of working in my own country remains the same only that the same opportunity remains elusive. Leaving ones family for abroad is a bitter pill to swallow. But as long as there are lives depending on you, hopes and dreams to fulfill, toiling away from home must continue, though remain hopeful that someday, better opportunity is within reach in a place where my heart is – home.

Rich and Poor: Justice is Blind, Totally Blind

2009-01-03T04:36:00.000-08:00

http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Gener_Marcelo

I was totally dismayed when I heard the statement of parent whose son is being held under custody of a government Drug Board for alleged drug trafficking during an interview conducted by a news reporter. The parent who happens to be a media man himself admitted that his son is not a drug addict or pusher but a social user.

I tried to compose my thinking so as not to lose my sanity in understanding the difference between a person addicted to prohibited drugs and that of a social user. This elitist jargon reminds me of an old joke that spells the difference between the rich and poor. The joke goes like this: If you are rich and you have cough, it is called asthma but if you are poor, you have TB (Tuberculosis). If you are rich and have some red spots on your skin, it is called allergy but if you are poor, you have a galis (scabies). Klepto is for a rich brat caught shoplifting but thief if the offender is poor. A rich person uttering the “F” word in a social gathering is considered an expression made out of jest and socially acceptable but hearing the poor saying “Put…ina” (Son of a B…) means only one thing—uneducated and ill-mannered. So going back to my original point, what in heaven’s name is the difference of a social user and an addict? Nothing but what’s inside their wallets.

How many innocents were put behind bars because they were not properly represented or failed to avail the service of a competent lawyer? How about rich brats who are still roaming the street despite the overwhelming evidences against them but failed to put behind bars because of their influence? Worse, case being dismissed due to legal technicalities and ineptitude of some law enforcers?

Justice is blind or maybe-- too blind to see the worsening inequity in the administration of justice between those who can afford it and to those who cannot. Perhaps it’s about time to advice this blind-folded lady to put down her sword and equalizer for a moment to seek the advice of an ophthalmologist.

BATCH '83 2008 ALUMNI REUNION

2009-01-01T23:13:00.000-08:00

SANA MAULIT MULI

2008-12-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

Hello mga kaBATCHada! Napakasaya namin kagabi.Sayang at marami sa inyo ang di nakarating. Its unfair kung di ako magbahagi ng aking naramdaman kagabi maging hanggang ngayon. Napakasaya!Ubod ng saya! Walang katulad. Iba pare at mare. It's a unique, different, and wonderful feeling. Makita ang mga naging bahagi ng buhay pag-aaral sa Mandaluyong High School. Napawi ang pagod namin sa isang taong paghahanda. Grabe pala ang feeling pagRenuion. Nais kong banggitin ang mga kakilala kong nakita ko kagabi matapos ang 25 years may galing pa ng Japan, USA at Mid East. Dumating sina Dante Guarin, Danilo Acielo, Gaudencio Perez, Vivian Yap, Flor Acovera, Rowena Buada, Tess Angeles,
Jacky Dela Cruz (parang di sya tumanda), Nap Inocillas, Redentor Butac, Imelda Salonga. Marami pang iba. Di ko na maalala ang pangalan. Naging masaya at madamdamin di ang naging programa. Nagpasalamat ang mga students sa mga guro na dumalo sa pangunguna ni Ed dela Cruz. Binigyan natin sila ng konti regalo. Si sir Septimo ay nagsalita rin at sinabi nyang pinaka proud sya sa Batch 83! Nagpasalamat din sya sa mga naitulong ng Batch 83 sa ating alma mater. Ang di ko malilimutan at patuloy kong naririnig sa aking pandinig ay ang mga bulong nila na sana maulit muli...kahit yearly o sa 30th year natin. Oo gusto ko rin...sana maulit muli.

Playing God

2008-12-23T00:16:00.000-08:00

Playing God

http://feeds.ezinearticles.com/expert/Gener_Marcelo.xml

For you, brothers, were called to freedom. Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity to gratify your flesh, but through love make it your habit to serve one another- Gal 5:13

Man's quest for Freedom

In the history of mankind, man’s quest for freedom started early as Biblical times when people of Israel led by Moses exiled from Egypt to escape the tyranny of the Pharaoh. Today’s modern civilization, there’s seems to be an over exaggeration of this freedom. Man creates laws to ensure that right for freedom is protected. However, man seems to over exercise this freedom narrowing the boundary between sanity and lunacy. In Thailand, people blocked the street and padlocked an international airport to remove an official perceived to be an extension of the previous exiled leader leaving many foreign tourist and transit passengers stranded inside the airport. In the US, people are protesting on the streets to condemn an Attorney General who wants to overrule the law of same-sex marriage. In Europe, a man legally has changed his gender to female, altogether with his sex organ through surgical means. In China known to have a problem of overpopulation, abortion is tolerated or sometimes legally administered in the hospitals, both government and private.

In the Philippines, lawmakers are pushing the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill to be passed as law providing freedom of choice for women whether to conceived or not conceived. The Church is strongly opposed to the proposed bill as it is against God’s law. The lawmakers argued that the RH Bill still does not support abortion but there lies the problem of unparallel understanding on the basic definition of abortion. On the other hand, some hardliner women organization strongly condemned the position of the Church calling them hypocrites and blind to real plight of the poor. However RH Bill, whether passed or rejected, the sight of unborn fetuses dumped everywhere is just a familiar scenario across the country discovered inside clay pots, in the dumpsite or even inside the Church.

Playing God

There is nothing wrong for the quest to be liberated so as to enjoy freedom. However, mankind exaggerated this freedom that we enjoy. We wanted to be free to do anything that pleases us to the point that pushes us to the limit of right and wrong. We cried when this freedom is suppressed and we become bolder to quench the need to be free. We demand more than what not ought to be for us men but that of God. We terminate life inside a mother’s womb because we wanted to enjoy the freedom of choice as if playing the role of God, deciding who will live and who will not. We defile our neighbor’s bed because we wanted to gratify our lust for flesh, thinking that sex is a privilege rather than as gift from above. We acknowledged and even supported the union of homosexual for the reason that love conquers all. We divorced our spouse to marry another only to have it divorced the next day. We prefer to enjoy living without the sanctity of marriage out of convenience.

We are all really descendants of Adam and Eve. Both deceived by the serpent to eat the forbidden fruit to have the same wisdom as God only to be casted away from the garden. The first humans that crossed the limit of the Creator and His creations.

How long are we going to offend God because of our foolish and sinful ways of enjoying freedom?

Gingerbread house

2008-12-22T05:48:00.000-08:00

Last year, my youngest Isabella, and I started a tradition of making a gingerbread house for Christmas. I’ve never made a gingerbread house before nor did I possess the interest. I was just forced to make one because I entered a gingerbread house contest in the office and that was because there were only very few people who wanted to do it.

Anyway, long story short, Isabella and I ended up making our first gingerbread house last year. Because it was our first time, I thought that we were better off buying a kit. I went to A.C. Moore and bought 3 boxes at $10 each. I thought I’d buy extras in case we mess up. Before going to the store, I also looked online to get some ideas on how to decorate our house and what candies to use.

It was nerve-racking the first time I tried to glue the pieces together. My hands were shaking. As a first-timer, I should have allotted more time to plan and construct my house. However, the procrastinator that I am, I waited until the day before the entry was due. I couldn’t get the right consistency of the frosting. The pieces kept falling apart. My vision to create a majestic Victorian house slowly became bleak. At that point, I just wanted to get something done for submission.

On my second box of the house, I slowly got the hang of it. Finally, I was able to build the house and got ready to decorate it. The decorating was easier and I let Isabella helped. We used red swirly candy creme life saver candies on the roof, air head strips for the doors and windows, and jelly beans and gum drops for decoration. We also made pink frosting and kind of painted the walls pink. I think that the pink frosting made the difference.

We did not win last year but it gave us a feeling of accomplishment. This year, we entered the contest again and we were more confident. I used the left over box from last year but bought new candies. We started way ahead of time – a couple of days before the entry was due. We used cinnamon gum sticks for the roof, golden graham cereal for the walls, twizzler for the door, graham crackers for the porch, a round green mint candy for decor, milk duds as pebbles, ice cream cones with green frosting as Christmas trees, and jelly beans for ornaments. Isabella and I really enjoyed making it this year! Even though we did not win again, we were still thrilled with our creation and we’re looking forward to doing it again in the years to come.

Open Letter to all Filipinos Clamoring for Change

2008-12-22T01:46:00.000-08:00

http://feeds.ezinearticles.com/expert/Gener_Marcelo.xml

To All My Kababayans,

This letter is inspired by the speech made by Washington Sycip delivered during UP’s centennial celebration posted in Inquirer (12/21/08) titled “Questions that Call for Answers”. This article reminds me of an item I wrote in my blog site titled ‘What is the color of your school?’ Mr. Sycip’s questions though rhetoric need to be answered by the same people who run the government, both present and previous administration.

From his speech, Mr. Sycip asked the students why the Philippines despite having been proud as the nation who has a university (UP) much older than Harvard, produced exceptional, talented and creative alumni who has a great sense of idealism where most of them occupying critical position in the government, yet the country’s economy and political situation are a mess. Further, he asked why the Philippines can’t even produce a kind of leader in the likes of Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Mahathir of Malaysia and other prominent leaders who made their respective countries proud. I have four answers for these questions; misplaced loyalty, too much democracy, political preservation and last but not the least – Filipinos have short span of memory.

Misplaced Loyalty

A former US President once told, “Loyalty to my party ends when my loyalty to the people begins.” Can this principle apply to our politicians? Let’s take the case of impeaching a President of the Republic as an example. In order to impeach an incumbent President, it needs at least 2/3 votes from the members of the House of Congress. If the ruling coalition controls majority of the members of the congress, what will happen to the impeachment case? You don’t need to be a legal luminary to answer this rhetorical question. Even those who push for the impeachment case knew from the beginning that it is all about a game of numbers, a political sarsuela. Then why the need to file the case on the first place if such effort will be put down the drain, wasting time and resources? “To exercise my political rights and to discharge my function as a Congressman,” was the replied of the opposition. What an expensive political exercise at the expense of taxpayer’s money.

My suggestions:

1.Abolish the whole House of Congress

No more Congressmen – no more Senators and let the LGU’s take care of their respective constituents. After all the loyalty of these Congressmen is not for the people they are supposed to represent but to those who make their bank account fat. Create one Constitutional Body compose of legal luminaries to be nominated by an independent organization like the JBC for example and be elected by the people. These legal luminaries must be nominated based on their principle, knowledge, integrity and doesn’t own big businesses nor have a relatives in the government.

2.Put into practice the “Reward System.”

Have you noticed how easy to capture outlaws if a reward money is placed on their head? Just the same, public servants can be motivated to work well if they know that there is financial reward for their exceptional work. All elected officials, from the President down to Barangay Tanod should have S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound) objectives that will be evaluated regularly by the people. Once they have met these set of objectives, financial reward must be given. Let’s see if we can reduce if not eradicate corruption and improve public service.

3.Judiciary must be elected not appointed

A Government of the people, for the people and by the people.
People must have the right to chose and elect people in the judiciary rather than political appointments. Candidates for the post shall be nominated by an independent organization like the JBC and the people shall be the one to choose and not the President.

Too much of Democracy

When legal means failed, expect these losers in the political arena to bring the fight to the street bringing with them mostly paid protesters who can do only is to create traffic jam living hapless motorists in desperation. There are those idealist students whose education is being paid not by these politicians but by tax-paying Filipinos that instead of studying in order to be productive citizens someday place more importance in the crusade to fight for political freedom than economic freedom (Later maybe end up either as an asset by big companies abroad or leader of underground movement). Can political democracy assure that there will be job for every Filipino so that there will be no need for the Philippines to 'prostitutes' its OFWs abroad? Can a quest for working democracy alone be able to revolutionize the clamor for an economic growth? Or could it be just all political grandstanding?

My suggestions:

1.There should be a mandatory service for all graduates of colleges and universities whose education is funded by the taxpayer’s money. They should be made to employ first locally for a defined period before they can pursue their career outside of the Philippines. One way of repaying the Filipino people who paid for their education.

2.Instead of wasting your saliva shouting in the street, make a personal diary of those public servants who failed to deliver and not to elect them in case they will run for re-election. Those corrupt officials proven guilty through legal means must be made to pay the amount they embezzled on top of their jail term.

Political Preservation

A true leader is the one who is not afraid to make unpopular but right decision. The one whose self interest is set aside over that of the nation. A leader who has moral ascendancy over his/her constituents, the one who is highly respected by his/her own family. A leader even not a graduate of reputable and prestigious school knows what an ordinary Filipino needs. A leader who doesn't have loyalty to his/her party but to the Filipino people.

big question is; does this person exist? What our country need is a leader who doesn't have to worry about how to pay political debts.

My suggestions:

1.No offense meant but enough with these legal experts as public servants. We already have so many laws and we need no more writers to write more of these laws. What we need is a leader who can implement and maintain the government. More of the doers than thinkers. Instead of lawyers, why not try to consider Engineers, Architects, Educators, Doctors, Scientist? All these professions are known as implementors. All they have to do is to implement what has been scribbled as laws.

2.But please, enough with actors, actresses, comedians and other movie personalities. We have enough of these actors ‘acting’ as politicians in the Senate and comedians successful enough in turning our nation as laughing stuff of the world – Onli in da Pilipins.

Filipinos Have Short Span of Memory

The political arena is no different to a game of ‘patintero’. Have you noticed how political figures changed their faces? The once ruling coalition that after losing or overthrown from power will eventually become the opposition? While those previously in the opposition become the ruling party and now the subject of opposition? Look at the recent rally held in the district of Makati. Have you seen familiar faces there? Look at the personalities behind that movement clamoring for democracy. Isn't it that they were the same individuals who were once the subject of political uprising?

My suggestion:

1.Do away with ‘TRAPOS’. Let’s put them where they are supposed to be – in the dirty kitchen. Enough with lawyers, economists and those pretending to be poor. Our experiences with Marcos, GMA and ERAP will surely remind us of what will be our decisions in the future. Vote INTELLIGENTLY not WISELY. Wise is apt for the people who have an intention to do 1-2-3.

Filipinos are already tired and desperately clamoring for changes for the better. There are those productive Filipinos driven out of the country not by choice but of desperation but are not losing hope that someday, our nation will rise from its long slumber and to be a great nation. To do this, let’s stop procrastinating and wishing but let’s all contribute in our own way to make this nation a great nation again.

Don’t just wish. Let’s all do what we need to do.

The Perseverance We Know Not

2008-12-20T21:20:00.001-08:00

If You Falter Running against Men, How can you compete against Horses?

Have you ever experienced vying for a top position in the company and lost? How about getting a salary increment far from what you expect? Or smaller compare to an officemate with the same function as yours? Have you been accused of something that you didn’t do? Have you been treated indifferently? or have you been wronged by someone and tried protesting this injustice done to you? What other grievances have you experienced in life that you almost cursed the One from above for letting you in such maladies? Let me tell you a story –fictional of course but inspired by passage I read in the Bible.

There was a man who has been wrongly accused and was convicted for a crime he didn’t commit. Protesting the injustice done to him, he fled from his captors, thus becomes a subject of manhunt. The man was too tired of running and upon learning that he had evade his pursuers, he stopped in the middle of a rice field. The farmer who was then in the field tilling his land saw the man and pitied him. He gave the man water upon seeing him catching his breath. The farmer upon realizing that the man need to rest, made a small hut for the man to shelter against the punishing rays of the sun. After seeing that the man has a place to rest, the farmer went back to till his land. The man, still not contented complained to the farmer how tired he was because of the long hours of running, so the farmer gave the man a chair to sit so he can rest inside but still, the man keeps on complaining. Seeing this, the farmer gave the man his shirt so that he can change his clothes soaked in sweat so that he will feel comfortable.

Despite all what has been given to him, the man grew impatient. The farmer asked the man, “Were you not a subject of manhunt and were accused of a crime you didn’t commit?” “Yes I am,” replied the man. Were you tired of running all day long to flee your captors?” “Yes, I am”, said the man. “How long have you been running against these men?” asked the farmer? “Two hours”, replied the man. “You see, I was here in this field since 4-o’clock in the morning until now and I have been doing these everyday for so many years. When you came and is thirsty, I gave you my last bottle of water to drink. You are tired so I made you a shelter for you to rest. You are soaked in sweat and I gave you my own shirt to make you feel comfortable. I saw you standing so I gave you my own chair to sit and yet you are still complaining that you are tired running from these men?” was the farmer’s reply to the man. “By the way”, the farmer continues. “While you are shouting on me, seems like a group of policemen heard your voice and I saw them approaching us on this very moment and they’re riding in horses.”

We all have our own share of difficulties in life in varying degrees. Some are big while others are beyond comprehension. Whatever is the extent of these difficulties, we are not alone and still lucky that we are never put to a situation where the odds are insurmountable. Just like an athlete preparing for a bigger competition, he is often subjected to a kind of training more than what he’s competitor is doing – in order to win. When we are put to test, we are being prepared by God for a much bigger odds coming to our lives. If we faltered and complained each time a small nuisance comes our way, how can we overcome a bigger obstacle to come before eternal salvation? We have to endure suffering as Christ endures His for our salvation. Perseverance is the key to life’s trials.

In every race there awaits the finish line and if you want to get into the finish line, you must complete the race.

178-B I. Lopez Street

2008-12-20T10:29:00.000-08:00

I was born and raised in an apartment unit at 178-B I. Lopez Street, Bgy. New Zaniga, Mandaluyong. I believe it was in the mid-60s when Mother and Father decided to rent there and called it home. My earliest recollections of the house were the shiny wooden floors upstairs and the equally shiny red concrete floors downstairs. I guess when you’re small, you tend to pay attention to the floors because you’re closer to them.

Kuya and Ate were born in 1966 and 1967. I followed suit in 1969. We were not born poor at all. In fact, we had things that many would consider luxuries – television, refrigerator, air conditioner, even an automobile. Our fate abruptly changed when Father abandoned us and took off with another woman. I was 7 then.

To say that we were helpless was an understatement. Though Mother was only 32, she had neither education nor work experience to speak off. For a while we lived on the proceeds made from selling our possessions. One by one, our possessions disappeared. Once they were all gone, we lived on dole outs from family and friends and from doing menial things.

Except for drugs and sex, I sold practically everything I could think of on the street. Suman, biko, nilagang saging, nilagang kamote, sago at gulaman, halo-halo, etc. When times were really hard, we would rummage through our clothing and take them to Eloi’s near San Felipe Neri Church. Many times, we were forced to go to sleep early because there was nothing to eat.

We continued to live at 178-B I. Lopez Street, paying 150 pesos a month. Whenever the rent is due each month, I remember Mother getting sick to her stomach often not knowing where the money is going to come from. Worse, Mr. Cullen who owned the apartment complex decided to raise the rent to 300 pesos. There was nothing we could do but to stop paying. Mr. Cullen threatened us with eviction and took us to court. Fortunately for us, the process took several years courtesy of the slow Philippine judicial system.

For the meantime, they cut-off our water supply and stopped maintaining our unit. Gradually, the house deteriorated and got infested with termites and rats as big as cats. The toilet was clogged all-year long and earthworms invaded the bathroom. To this day, I’d still occasionally wake up in the middle of the night thinking I was back in that pitiful bathroom.

Since we didn’t have running water, we would wake up everyday at 2:00 am to fill our buckets from an illegally tapped pipe. Talk about survival. We just did what we had to do.

If we were suffering inside the house, it was worse outside. For as long as I could remember, we were alienated by our mostly middle-class neighbors. We were the weird kids – thin as sticks with worn-out clothes. Not to mention we didn’t have any toys to share with. In fact, the neighborhood kids eluded us because we tend to stare at their toys. I remember standing for a long time outside a neighbor’s gate because I was promised that I could borrow a bike. No bike came out and I was forced to come home because it was already getting dark.

The situation at school wasn’t any better. In ERES where I went, I couldn’t simply find anybody who could relate to my impoverished life. It seemed like they were eating 3 full meals a day while I often came to school on an empty stomach. That was particularly true when Ms. Molina who owned the nearby sari-sari store wouldn’t let us get food on credit. “Mahaba na ang listahan ninyo,” she would say. Whenever that happened, we would do anything to avoid passing by her store lest she embarrasses us.

I’m not sure how we managed to survive those turbulent years. Aside from selling mundane things, I baby-sat our neighbor’s two young children where I got paid 5 pesos per week. Other than that, everything is a blur.

When I reached 5th grade, Mother, Kuya, Ate and I were able to get work at the handicraft factory owned by Mr. Robert Tobias. The factory is on the far end of I. Lopez Street, near ERES. Together, we made about 150 pesos a week. Work was rough. We were exposed to harsh chemicals necessary to clean seashells. We had to work with large amount of bleach and muriatic acid to get the job done. The dust from polishing the shells can become unbearable too. We never complained though. To us, it was all a blessing.

Despite my work, I graduated from elementary in 1982 with honors. I went to Mandaluyong High School and continued to work at Mr. Tobias’s factory. I was the only one in my ERES VI-1 class who went to MHS. I was very happy at MHS as I connected with people with the same misfortune of being poor. There were very little pretensions.

I managed to graduate as the class valedictorian of 1986 and was the first scholar to be employed by then Mayor Ben Abalos Sr. I went to work during the day and went to school at night. In 1988, the trial court finally evicted us out of that apartment on I. Lopez Street. By then, our family was making enough money to rent a more decent apartment, this time in Bgy. Old Zaniga (for some reasons, we gravitate towards the Zanigas). In 1991, after I graduated from college and got paid better, I promised Mother she will never pay rent again. I bought her a house in Bgy. Plainview where she still presently lives.

Next year I am turning 40 and I plan to spend my birthday in the Philippines. I already asked Ate to take me on a stroll to our old neighborhood. I want to see the house where I was born and raised. The house that bore witness to my pain and suffering but molded me into the person that I am now – 178-B. I. Lopez Street.

Do the youngs make us feel old?

2008-12-01T02:30:00.001-08:00

Some say youth is wasted on the young. Not me. By middle age I was too tired for 1am feedings, the terrible two's and the truculent teens. I remember one too many days when sibling rivalry shook our house. The only thing that preserved my sanity was thinking that in twenty or thirty years my teenage boy and 3 girls would be having the same problems with their children.
If it weren't for the younger generation, think about how many rappers, junk food purveyors and manufacturers of oversized clothes for boys and undersized clothes for girls would go out of business. The younger generation keeps the economy going - or is it their allowance that does it?
Without the younger generation the Guinness Book of World Records would be a much thinner book. Who would stuff themselves into VolksWagen, swallow goldfish and practice the domino theory with thousands of real dominoes? Records are broken by the young, who, coincidentally, also buy the most records.
Colleges help transform the know-it-all stage to know enough to earn a living. Graduate schools help those who want to know more. They also help those who want to stay in the know and not graduate into the real world.

Then there are the children who move back in with their parents because they can't make ends meet. Having seen this happen to friends, maybe parents should help their children meet new ends - like the end of spending more than they earn or the end of working one job when they could work two.

Poor diet, lack of sleep, meager savings - the youth are the only ones who can survive being young. They can burn candles at both ends, but after forty we don't want to hear about candles. We're too busy waxing on about age being just a number. We're also busy complaining about failing memories, but it's the youth who need good memories. If they can't remember their mistakes, how can they learn from them?

No, if it were up to middle-agers to carry on the species, we'd be in trouble. If I knew then what I know now, would I want to try to recapture my youth? No, because what I know now was worth waiting for.

I wish I could

2008-11-16T23:14:00.001-08:00

When trust is doubted; how I wish I could surrender my soul.
Shed the clothes and become my skin,
To see the lights that’s within just to understand its meaning.

When misunderstood; how I wish you walk through the doors of my mind.
Hold the memories close at hand;
To help you understand I guess.

When love isn’t felt; how I wish I could scream it out that loud.
Remember the sacrifice that I have been;
Instead of finding it no meaning.

When hurt; how I wish I have chosen darkness from cold.
Endure blindness in eternity;
Than to see my soul so cold from fear.

When thinking about our future; how I wish I could chose between heaven and hell.
But I will endure hell for tomorrow can tell;
Just for you to be in heaven and well.

I guess it’s time I run far and far away;
From discomfort and pain.
Till pleasures the same just to keep me from trouble.
More than words can say, it’s just my tears in the rain.

Why God allows suffering?

2008-11-11T23:21:00.001-08:00

I was quite emotional these days because of the news that broke out a couple of days ago; Veterans Bank-UP Branch Robbery, ended with 3 people dead. Two security details and a Roving teller were all gunned down in broad daylight. I’m raging furious to know that evil people really exist. Evil beings who don’t want to live fairly but instead resolve to quick way to riches with total disregard to human lives. The Roving teller happens to be the father of my daughter's classmate in St. Scholasticas College. The victim's wife happens to be our co-parent in the current homeroom class under Grade 6 St-Odo. The husband and wife were our co-parents since Prep level up to now. We used to exchange Hi's and hello's every card distribution and school enrollment. My heart bleeds with the victim's wife and daughters, losing a loved one in this festive season where everybody is suppose to be in a merry making mood. But Christmas season or not, losing a love one altogether is very painful and it doesn’t have to experience one to know one. I was once in such situation; a month before Christmas, I almost lost my entire family due to a vehicular accident along Osmena Highway corner of San Andres Street, because of the irresponsible driving attitude of the cargo truck’s driver and that of the PUJ where my wife and three daughters were riding one Sunday afternoon while on their way to hear a mass. That very same instant, maybe was not yet their time to meet their Creator and I consider it more of a Divine intervention more than pure luck. But a week before that accident, on the very same highway, a former Philippine Senator didn’t get exactly the same luck as I got.

God allowing sufferings to some extent could be because of certain reason. Whilst difficult for us mortals to comprehend but only God knows it and I’m sure this is for our own good. While we can chose to live our life totally in pain brought about by the lost of our loved ones, or we could opt to choose of surrendering all our pains to God. Difficult it may seem but no one could share our grief and understand our pains more than Him.God communicates with us in so many ways. More often than not in the course of our lives, we only heed to this call when our life is at the brink or in a near death situation, or if we encounter failures in life or approaching the twilight of our days on earth. That's how God loves us. He never intervenes to our free-will. He just let us do our own thing in our own ways and not Him. Mankind hates to be reminded, we hate rules and we hate restriction of our freedom, we keep on wasting our lives living in the world of sin - an entity that separates us from God. And when everything from this effort fails, that's the only time we will realize to call upon Him, worst, curse and blame Him for the things that happened in life. Calling Him unfair for giving us nothing but unjust things. Oh, humans, when we will finally learn from our setting of wrong priorities – the love of money.

You cannot serve two masters at the same time; you will love one and despise the other. But at the end of the day, it is for this priority we had set while living our life on earth that we will all be judged. And I don’t think your money can buy you a good lawyer to save you when the time comes.

WHAT WOMEN DON'T KNOW WILL NEVER HURT THEM

2008-11-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

This doesn't have to be an obligatory action for husbands who go out like fire when unattended but option to make up for oneself and save a relationship. I believe most women would rather prefer not to know the perfidy of their husbands than to know openly the agonizing truth. Women differ how to handle pain when offended. Some can easily forgive and forget, some can forgive but cant forget and others cannot both at all.So I would rather say this phrase is applicable on case to case basis. Revealing one's infidelity has its own setback. Truth, it can even leave a lasting scar in memory as well as in the heart of the one offended. One wrong just not justify by simply revealing it. It is a stark reality when us husbands cheated our wives and our conscience started to get up against us, we seem to unpack the burden of our guilty conscience by simply divulging our transgressions. Why cannot we keep it all by ourselves? Why us men did not think the consequences of our cheating in the first place? Is this fair for a betrayed wife the fact that she was the one done with injustice yet she ends up suffering all the pain of injustice? Our conscience means more than all the revelations we will make, my point is - if we can lie to betray women why cannot we do the same not to hurt them but instead make a honest, sincere, silent atonement? Sometimes not everything that a man permitted to be told is an upright and heartfelt disclosure of mistakes because infidelity is just addictive. Some of us admit our sin because we fear our reputation more than our conscience and morality. Most often men obstinately regard their betrayal not as an unjustifiable, unpardonable self-centered choice, but rather as understandable mistakes. Once forgiven we are back on our business again. There are some of us who reveal too much, but prove nothing at all. Blessed are the men who have nothing to say and abstain from giving admission of his guilt but rather act in silent repentance. I strongly believe that he who honestly repents . repents no witness nor listener (God is more than enough) A true and honest remorse is just good enough to appease a guilty conscience. It is true that marriage is a relationship between two forgiving partners. Though forgiveness always come in an unbounded supply, but sometimes the pain we inflicted makes it hard to find while the wound of infidelity is still fresh. Women wont forgive unless they have believed. . unless they have understood. Husbands repent and sin no more examine the past, rebuild the present, plan the future. Wives, forgive to forget and pick up every shattered fragments of your life to start a new one. Husbands and wives , kill the sin and love the sinner.

"Repentance for silence is better than repentance for speaking"

I Don't Want To Miss A Thing

2008-10-26T05:13:00.001-07:00

“I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
Watch your smile while you are sleeping
While you're far away and dreaming.

I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure.”

These are some of the lines from a song with the same title and the soundtrack of the movie Armageddon. No, I don’t have the charm of Ben Affleck but perhaps the heart of Bruce Willis; a heart willing to sacrifice for the sake not of Liv Tyler but for the sake of the people I love – my family.

Many times I felt that the spirit of Steven Tyler lives in me while belting the song’s high notes. Often times, tears swell in my eyes; not because of the song’s twisting notes but the song’s deepness in lyrics. Each line permeates my heart as if the lyrics speak for my heart, mind and soul.

My 2 months vacation in the Philippines was a vacation well spent. I put my writing into idle and turned down invitation from former office colleagues. Undivided attention that is; for my family who truly deserved it. So as not to miss a thing, I marked the date of my daughter’s school retreat, blocked all the dates my son will take an entrance exam, make sure that Friday nights are time well spent with my wife while Saturdays and Sundays are strictly for family affairs. I know everyday and time is ticking away. I just want to freeze the time and just stay at that moment for all the rest of time.

About a week before my departure, we strolled in Trinoma and went inside one of the KTV booths. With the song book in her hand, my wife keyed a song number selection in the videoke machine. There after; this song immortalized by Aerosmith, appears on the screen and the rest becomes a memory that I brought with me here in Saudi Arabia.

Truly every moment I spent with them is a moment I treasure for the rest of my life. I just hope that I didn’t miss a thing.

A Place Where Only Bravest Souls Survive

2008-10-25T06:37:00.001-07:00

I’m an OFW based in KSA. I must admit that in this country, being under the Monarchial form of government, laws are harsh and at times prejudicial to some of our hapless ‘kababayans’ especially the DH. But honestly, this is just my opinion, some of the OFW’s who were either sentenced to execution or those who are in jail are those who really violated the law in the Kingdom. Some Filipinos I heard are the ones running wine distilleries, others were caught having illegitimate affair (which is a big NO here in KSA), others are running gambling operations and the most common scenarios here are the homosexuals (though not all) engaged in a homosexual relations with Saudis, and more often than not, ended in a not so happy ending story.

I mean if you are here in KSA or any part of the world, you must ask yourself the first question, “Why am I here?, Am I here to work for the good of my family or to to do otherwise? Am I here to gamble, to womanize or to engage in other detestable acts. If an OFW can answer that question tactfully and without a doubt, then he definetly knows what to do and hot to behave–Goal setting that is.

While there were cases of abuses commited by the OFWs employers especially in the case of our hapless maids. I will generalize it for once and for all, middle east is not a safe HAVEN for filipina domestic helpers and let’s agree on that whether you like it or not.Do not be misled by false hopes that you can be well here. Work as a maid instead in our own country and do not sacrifice your dignity and the honor of your family in exchange of few riyals, dirhams and dinars.

I read an online story about a pretty woman who used to work as a Saleslady in a department store in the Philippines. She applied for a domestic helper in the middle east and when her prospective employer saw her picture from her CV, the employer opted to visit the Philippines to meet her personally. It may seem very intriguing but when the Filipina was there in the employment agency, she was given unsolicited advice by a fellow OFW who happens to be in the same agency to reconsider her plan of going abroad. Fortunately, the filipina heeded the advise and left the place without anymore seeing her employer.

These are just some of the many instances of OFW’s bitting the bullet.However POEA statistics will show otherwise that despite tha alarming cases of unfortunate incidents abroad were most of the OFWs, either being kidnapped by pirates while at sea or being beheaded by the host conutries, still the trend of Filipino migration or those lost souls seeking opportunities outside remains growing. Simply because the situation is much worse in the Philippines. I dont want to sound unpatriotic but the truth is, I love our country as much as I love my family. I used to condemed the pathetic situation of brain drain in the country and blamed Filipino professionals like the nurses, engineers and teachers until I experienced taking my own dosage of medicine. Leaving our country and my family to work abroad is bitter pill to swallow. But what place is worse than a country who can’t even provide a decent opportunity for their very own citizen?, but instead takes pride in admitting to be a country, inafamous for exporting labor abroad whose remittances by the way is the only thing that breaths hope to our ailing economy. Where people in the government still have the audacity to go on a foreign trips guise as ‘observation trips and conventions’ at the expense of taxpayers’ money. Now, can anybody tell me, what place is more pathetic than our very own country?

I love the Philippines and I always will. For now, I will remain hopeful that maybe someday,an opportunity to work in a place where my heart is –my family and my country. But until such opportunity is no where to be found, I will still remain in a a place away from home where only the bravest of all souls survives.

Marriage Is A Relationship Between Two Forgiving Partners

2008-10-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

I had an extra-marital relation 2 years after my marriage. I got married 1992 and I must say that we never had a good marriage foundation since my job in the Philippines then requires me to be abroad often. At that time, my mind set--Im still a bachelor. My attachment to my barkada is more than to my family that eventually leads me to having an affair outside of marriage. This relationship goes on for about 3 months until the turning point of in my life came one early morning, I came home after spending the entire night with the girl. I saw my wife sleeping, then with our first child. That time, I asked myself what is this that Im doing to my family?

The following day, I split off with the girl but getting away from her is not that easy for aside from the fact that we belong to the same company, she never let go off me unless I agree to sire her a child.I was able to manage myself more than the girl manages herself. I hid this secret from my wife for so many years and my concience is bothering me so much to the point that I'm turning the table against my wife, meaning I got easily jealous wherein fact there is nothing to be jealous of (maybe I was afraid of my own ghost).

Year 2002 when I decided to confess to her my sin. We had it in Tagaytay, just the two of us and I let go of my emotional baggage. The confession I made brought her indescribable pain. We cried on each other's shouder and we patched up everything. We kissed and make up and made a vow that I will never hurt her again. That reconciliation in Tagaytay resulted to our 3rd child.

While it is true that what she didnt know will never hurt her but I believed otherwise. The more youre not being truthful is the more you will hurt your partner. However, that revelation had a setback. In some instance, seeing a woman's name in my cellphone's address book or meeting attractive lady officemates of mine made her paranoid. Well it is the price that i have to pay but I can live with it. Sometimes, I just have to crack jokes just to make her feel relax, "Ikaw kasi mag-aasawa ka ng kamukha ni John Lloyd Cruz pagkatapos seselos-selos ka diyan?

Oftentimes it pays to be truthful and make sure that the forgiveness given to you must be compensated with a utmost responsibility and respect, for this would make the relationship more stonger and matured. But convincing your wife to believe that you are already a good boy is another thing, well this could be another story to tell.Marriage is a relationship between two forgiving partners.

Love The One Who Wears Your Ring

2008-10-23T04:18:00.001-07:00

Love the one who wears your ring.

Those words aren’t original with me. They came from a Philippine portal site with one of the discussion threads that bears that title.

More than 16 years ago, my mother was not convinced that Jembie was the best mate for me. She was sincere, but on that matter, she was wrong. Had I listened to her, I would not have married the woman I should have married.

Parents are usually good counselors on most things. But they don’t walk on water, neither me. But your life decisions can be put to test by many circumstances. Whether you will continuously loving the same person you promised to be with the rest of your life, or lose it altogether. A marriage relationship that is on the rock, oftentimes— the love for the offspring is what binds the husband and wife despite all odds. It is for the same reason that we should love our spouse as much as we love our children.

I remember a self-help book on marriage and relationship that I read back in the Philippines saying, “The best way of loving your children is to love their mother”. This phrase had awakened my self realization that leads to my eventual refocusing of my attention to my wife. Admittedly, this mindset helps me focused on the most important thing in my marriage life—‘To love the one who wears my ring’.

Don't Toy Around With Temptation

2008-10-08T03:08:00.000-07:00

A former filipina actress now based in U.S. and owns website intended for OFWs posted a thread in one of the forums that goes with a question, “What is it with having another lover?”

So as not to be judgemental, Im sure there are reasons why we all do what we ought to do, whether right or wrong. In the case of having an affair outside of a legit relationship or other than your significant other, it all boils down on how someone evaluates all viable options available at hand that would justify his course of action. Unfortunately, there are people who fail to do such but instead proceeded of doing it as if “bahala na” mentality (where most Filipinos are known for) then later on regret what he or she has done. On the other hand, there are people who claim that their respective spouses or partner are what pushed them to do such thing, either just to get even or they found something to that other partner which they couldn’t find from their respective spouses.

Among all these, men in general are more susceptible to having an “extra” affair because of this common malady among men such as “wala namang mawawala sa akin pag nambabae ako” - a distorted belief I would say. There are men who even tried to justify, biblically of their having other relationship, that men in biblical times have many wives. King David for one is known to have many wives. He even coveted the wife of one of his soldier, where the latter, he sent to battle with intention to let him (soldier) be killed so that he could have his wife. But look on how God punished King Solomon for his carnal act. There are also men (a self appointed philosopher) who explain the paradox of why men seek more and more relationship other than the present, - that woman was taken from a man’s rib which makes his rib cage incomplete thus, man’s continuous pursuit of finding his missing rib (woman) goes on and on until he finally finds his perfect match — A foolish reasoning, I would say because it is an unfortunate fact that there is no perfect among us, not even one.

But above all these, if we are into a situation such as this, ask God to help you get away from it and once you had managed to get out of it, try to learn from your mistakes. But if you are still in the process of toying an idea to have one, think of it a 100 times before you do it. Think of all possible consequences, your family, hurt feelings, unwanted pregnancy, etc. Just like in old school, we were taught to count up to ten when we are mad, but in this case, count of to 100, or a thousand, or up to zillion or even to eternity. The reason behind this logic is to give us ample time to think until the temptation dies.

Lastly, speaking of temptations, we cannot eliminate temptations (even Jesus was tempted for 40 days and 40 nights) but we can avoid temptations by staying away from it. Avoid things or situations that are closely associated with temptations. If you are head over heels over a guy or gal of your desire, remove all things that would trigger your desire of having an affair with him/her. If the person you desire is still in your mind despite all painstaking ways of avoiding it, my simple but effective formula - PRAYER.

Diary Of A Departing OFW

2008-09-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

Sep. 24 (11:00 am: Manila Time)
Prior to my return to overseas work assignment, I spent the last hours of my stay in the Philippines inside a church in Makati with my wife, Jembie. Initially, we thought of watching a movie but I realized that we need a solemn moment of solitude. The last hours before my flight schedule proved to be the most trying moments of my life as if I really hope that I could freeze the clock from ticking away precious seconds of my life. On my way to the airport, we have to go back to our house to pick up my youngest daughter to go with my wife during the airport send-off. On our way to the airport the rain pours as if God in high heavens is sharing with me the pain of leaving a family behind. The car I was driving of all the times suddenly had a mechanical trouble leaving me no choice but to ask my brother to send the car back home and hailed a taxi instead in the middle of the rain pouring at intermittent intervals.

(1:30 pm: NAIA)
At the airport, I asked my wife to board the taxi waiting at bay and to her hesitation, I reasoned that they have to go before heavy rain pours, not from above but from my eyes. I pretended to be fine even though I was not. As the taxi sped away from my view, thoughts of running after the taxi to bid farewell to my wife and daughter comes to my mind but my legs and feet proved to be powerful than my thoughts. Finally, they’re gone and out of my sight, I was left alone and with a heavy heart, I dragged my feet inside the airport terminal and found my self standing aimlessly in front of an X-ray machine. In that area near the X-ray machine is a sign visible to all incoming passengers telling us of personal effects that are not allowed in all hand-carried and check in luggage. The person manning the X-ray machine ensures that all passengers pass through the metal detector and have to be stripped of metal objects. The X-ray machine scans all bags and luggage that pass though the conveyor but perhaps what the X-ray machine and the metal detector failed to see are the tears in my eyes and my bleeding heart.

(2:10 pm: NAIA)
Inside the terminal, the check in counter at NAIA as expected is chaotic. Passengers come and go and from the piles of passengers queuing to check in their luggage. One can easily discern a passenger on leisure trip, with a face beaming with pride and excitement from the one driven away from his family not by choice but of dire needs whose face is masked by strong determination but with a heart that bleeds inside. At the boarding area, I saw a batch of passengers disembarking from the plane’s aisle with their face beaming with excitement to reunite with their loved ones – exactly the same euphoria I felt on my way back to the Philippines during my 2-month vacation.

(3:45 pm: NAIA)
The PA system announces the boarding call to remind all passengers bound for Abu Dhabi to board the plane. As the ground steward announces the order of boarding by seat number, I remember praying that my seat number’s row be overlooked. As I enter the plane, my heart is pounding and my shoulder becomes heavy not by the weight of my bag but of my emotion. While the plane is on its way to the runway, I wanted to tell the stewardess to ask the pilot to stop the plane to let me out but again, reality reminds me of the need to go.

(11:45 pm: Dammam)
I arrived in Dammam after a connecting flight from Abu Dhabi. After checking out at the immigration counter, I saw my officemates who patiently waited for me until wee hours. We head straight outside the airport terminal only to find our company car towed away by airport’s park and ground employees. We found the car in the impounding area and while my companion is paying the impounding fee, I remained inside the car recalling the events that had passed for the last 24 hours.

(1:45 am: JUBAIL)
We reached our accommodation and head immediately to my room only to find the air-conditioning unit is not functioning. I opened my room’s window and I glanced upon the tall chimneys of petrochemical plants nearby that breaths fire in the sky. The chimney breaths fire like a dragon but the fire couldn’t dry the tears on my pillow. As I glance to the 4 corners of my room, I knew that I’m alone – again. My body is exhausted but my mind keeps on resuscitating the events I had during my short stay with my family back in the Philippines – sleepless in Saudi Arabia. I don’t want to unpacked my suitcase for I was imagining that tomorrow, I will be back to Philippines and to be with my family and to never be separated from them again. But how is that? I quipped. Will I resign from my job? What shall I tell my boss? I have just arrived from a vacation then I will resign? Ok, granting my boss allows me, what’s next? Will it be “And they lived happily ever after” story? I don’t know, I just really don’t know.

(3:00am: JUBAIL)
I still couldn’t sleep so I tried to keep my self busy so as not to give my mind a chance to procrastinate. I cleaned the toilet seat and floors, I cleaned the room, wiped off the dust in my cabinet, on the windows, tables until I come across the files of my family’s pictures and letters from my children and wife. In one of the letters, I saw the Toblerone chocolate given to me by my daughter as her gift before my flight, at that time, I feel like dying.

I know that days before my next vacation are still far but if only God would allow me to make one wish, it would be an opportunity to work in a place where my heart is – my family.

"DREAM AS BIG AS YOU CAN DREAM AND ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE”

2008-08-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

When Mark Andrew Spitz won seven gold medals in swimming and setting word records in each seven events at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympic Games no one ever envisioned it could be equated nor outshone by any Olympian. For nearly four decades, his incredible achievement stood as a benchmark. It was a humongous task for any athlete to break this iconic attainment in the field of sports. On August 17, 2008, Michael Fred Phelps outstripped Spitz's legacy and went for the historic eight gold medals in the Beijing Olympiad. His victories set an Olympic record and seven world records. Phelps also became the first person to win ten gold medals exceeding nine-gold-medal of Olympians Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, Ukrainian gymnast Larysa Latynina, US swimmer Mark Spitz and sprinter Carl Lewis. Phelps 16 medals ranks second in total career Olympic medals, after Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina, who won a total of 18 medals (nine gold) spanning three Olympic Games.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Phelps in his youth was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention- Deficit hyperactivity Disorder) He started swimming at an early age of seven. By the age of 10, his superiority in swimming climaxed his many feats in the sport. At the age of 15, Phelps contended at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, becoming the youngest American male swimmer at an Olympic Games in 68 years. He won six gold medals and two bronze in Athens Olympics. After the Beijing Olympics Phelps momentous feat will go down memory lane forever and what makes him the greatest Olympian of all time? Phelps - known as the Baltimore Bullet worked out hard at an early age and maintained his unbending focus in the pool to realize his dream. He was inspired what Mark Spitz has done 36 years ago. Phelps said "Dream as big as you can dream, and anything is possible". In Beijing, Phelps finally harvested the fruits of his adversities and hopes and ended his enthronement not only to become the best swimmer and Olympian of all time, but the greatest athlete of all time.

"Practice means to perform over and over again in the face of all obstacle, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. It is a means of inviting the perfection desired. Dreams come true if you survive the hardest time"

LAUGH YOUR HEADS OFF

2008-08-17T19:39:00.001-07:00

I am a little bit late about this. Last Thursday my daughters Days and Pau were yelping and giggling in front of the computer while watching a video from YouTube. “ Ano ba yan, ang iingay ninyo!” I screeched. “Pa, tignan mo ito!” said the two. I drew near them and see what stuff was making them crazy. Pau put on the headset above my head. “ Pa, pakinggan mo at panoorin mo iyan ha?!” said Days. When Pau rolled the video we laugh our hearts out as we watch two lip-synching guys do their acts.

I’m talking about Moymoy Palaboy. This two Pinoy lip-synching siblings is the latest YouTube marvel. Lip-synching isn’t new in Youtube, in fact the first time I saw one was several years ago when two Chinese teens made it first, doing a lip synch of Backstreet Boys’ “ I Want It That Way”. But honestly, Moymoy Palaboy do it better and funnier. Using a Sony Ericsson W810i cell phone with a 2-megapixel camera and an HP laptop, the innovative music video act of brothers Ronald and Rofil Obeso debuted on the Internet in 2007 last February. Their first lip-synch video was NSync’s “Dirty Pop “and the following videos were sensational. Their “Wannabe” by the Spicegirls is currently registered at 1.3 million views and their 22 uploaded videos so far have 7.12 million hits all in all! Although the “Wannabe” is the video to beat I find the Lion King’s “In the Jungle” and “Marimar” the funniest. The very simple dramaturgical parody of Moymoy Palaboy has earned them buffs here and around the world. Out of fancy, their hilarious clowning were shot in a stark environs, in the poky living room of their Pasay City apartment, with “Mama Auntie “, their Tita nonchalantly strolling in and out of the picture. Their videos have ordinary and basic allure to the millions of YouTube viewers. These guys are making fun out of themselves to give joy to others and lighten people’s problems. They say they enjoy it too while making it big now. Watch out for more rib-prickling videos of Moymoy Palaboy. But for now let’s just show samples of cool and stimulating revisions of lip-synching spoofs and laugh your heads off!

SACRIFICE OWN HAPPINESS AND SEE IT IN THE END

2008-08-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

I had an unfathomable reflection last night about what Carlo posted in Batchof83 e-group days ago. He has the point when he uttered these words "ang pag isipan na lang nating lahat ay kung papaano natin matutulungan ang mga kabatch natin na walang- wala sa buhay" During the past years some of us has been very occupied getting off the ground for meetings, parties, outings, reunions and the likes but have we thought on what Carlo was trying to hint at? I do not see any wrong giving precious time starting up these concerns because our school somehow benefits from it and give us the chance to re-unify with one another but have we really achieved something out from it? Or we really just want to relish the sweet savor of gaiety and cheer of missing the good old days of our youth? Or kick around our triumphs and showcase our attainments to blow our own trumpets in front of the less successful? Or the zeal to see someone how he/she looks like after 25 years? Or to think that our batch is the best amongst MHS? Have we made endeavors to ferret out and uncover those less known names of Batch '83 and see how they are doing? Or we really did nothing for them and sealed them off to oblivion because we think they cannot be of help? Tama si Carlo, sometimes people act and talk out of duplicity and egocentrism. Last week I have the chance to talk with a female classmate and we talked a lot of things regarding our batch and some of the unattended problems arising from within us. It was open and poignant, I tried to mollify her. I have one important watchword I left her . . "REACH OUT" . . . Try to reach out everyone, because they are all apart of us. If there is one undertaking that will genuinely give us the real significance of accomplishment it is none other than helping our less fortunate batch mates as what Carlo said and making worthy projects for MHS, and all MHS Alumni as a whole. Batch 83 is not MHS, there is a lot of MHSians before us and even a lot more after us. Though first and foremost our trust is on our own peer let us not curb the boundaries of ourselves to our batch alone. REACH OUT and sacrifice our own happiness for the happiness of others and lighten our minds to give us the real sense of peace, joy and fulfillment. You can break a strand of broomstick easily but when you put each strands together it becomes stronger and resilient. Everyone has his own role and responsibility to make this a reality. If Christ died for us, then no sacrifice is too great for each one of us to make for Him. God Bless MHSians!!!!

GOLD . . . HOPEFULLY. . .

2008-08-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

IIf Victoria Manalo Draves and Natalie Coughlin only decided to compete for the Philippines in the 1948 London and 2004 Athens Olympics or if only someone put forward this choice we would have won four Olympic gold medals in both diving and swimming. If only Arianne Cerden~a played bowling as regular event in 1988 in Barcelona or boxer Anthony Villanueva and Mansueto "Onyok Velasco were not pick pocketed of the decisions during the 1964 Tokyo and 1996 Atlanta Olympics, we would have counted our gold harvest to seven. These historical facts will always remain as probabilities for our ardent ambition to win the Olympic gold. Our dreams and hope of winning our first ever Olympic gold medal always turned out into frustrations. Since the Philippines joined the Olympics in 1924, Filipino athletes have only won a total of nine Olympic medals. Seven bronze medals and two silver. It is nearly nine decades our athletes went home empty handed of the sneaky mint. Yesterday, the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the most spectacular, marvelous and extravagant in history unlocked the door for the entire Filipino to renew once again our united visions and optimisms in prayers to wind down the 84 long years of Olympic gold medal drought and defeats. The Philippines has produced some of the finest athletes in the arena of amateur and professional sports but yet has to ascertain our prowess in the Olympics. Jeff Fenech, International Boxing Hall of Famer said "An Olympic medal is the greatest achievement and honor that can be received by an athlete. I would swap any World Title to have won gold in the Olympics" Will our athletes this time bring home the gold? With a bit of luck . . .

SULAT NG ISANG TAGA-SUPER MARKET

2008-08-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

Dear Chuckie,

Kamusta na ang BESTFRIEND ko dyan sa ALASKA? OKEI ba naman ang lagay mo?HOPE that you’re in a FIT AND RIGHT shape upon reading this letter of mine.Please ENSURE na YOU HAVE IT ALL na pinadala kong package sa iyo.

Traffic na naman ditto sa CDO, dahil sa rally ng mga Badinggerzy,eto na ata ang pinaka mahabang traffic sa loob ng isang CENTURY dahil sa sobrang dami ng raliyista para iparating ang kanilang VOICE sa PRESIDENT na kahit di masyadong EXCELLENT ang rating ay natapos din bago mag bukang LIWAYWAY. Anyway LUCKY ME pa rin dahil nakarating ako ng eksaktong 5:55 AM sa work at na REFRESH ako dahil kumpleto na ang grupo ng dumating ako.Hindi rin na late sina DONA ELENA,CLARA OLE, at si MR PETE. Nandun na rin si BONGBONG, GABRIELA at si MR. CLEAN na masyadong CREATIVE dahil marunong magsalita ng ibat-ibang lengguwahe gaya ng OISHI, AJINOMOTO, JAMPONG at NAGARAYA but THOSE DAYS are gone dahil may PRIDE na siya at hindi na uto-uto gaya ng dati, masyado kasing na PAMPERS ni MAMA SITA at ng SISTER nating si MILO ( na laging nagsasabing MAMY PO ‘KO)
At eto pa . . . alam mo bang si MANG TOMAS ay may SECRET pero bumigay na rin? Mahilg din pala sa white MAGNOLIA at TULIPS flower ang Lolo mo na nagpalit na rin ng name sya na ngayon si KA TOM , nakita ko rin nung isang araw na kumakain ng LAURIAT sa CHOWKING kasama ang PAPA ng bayan na si ARIEL syempre LADIES CHOICE kasi kaya ayun di napigilan ni MANG TOMAS na ma ANCHOR sa kanya, at ang chismis may balak pa atang magpunta sa ARGENTINA.

Hay Naku! Marami pang iskandalo ang nagyari dito,kaya ‘wag kang uuwi dito ng walang baong SAFEGUARD at baka pati ikaw bumigay anyway I TRUST you naman eh. Ingat ka na lang diyan and always take CARE.

PS :
Huwag ka na mag-pray kay SAN MIGUEL, SAN REMO at SAN RAPHAEL para humiling na magkaroon ka ng SILVER SWAN at GOLD MEDAL at tiyak na iiyak ka lang dahil kakamkamin na naman iyon ng 7 BARACOS mong mga kapatid na sina GENEROSO , ALFONSO ,NAPOLEON, MAXIMO , CARLO , PEPE at si JOSE. Anyway pag kinapos ka ng pang gastos mo diyan kontakin mo nalng ang mga tiyuhin mo sa BARCELONA na sina DON PEDRO , DON ENRIQUE at si DON LUIS para humingi ng sustento at tiyak naman na hindi ka nila bibiguin.

O papaano hanggang dito na lang muna at kailangan ko nang mag pa-check up kay DR. P yung pinsan ni MR.P sa clinic ni BELO.

Nagmamahal,
APPLE

A Simple Friend vs. Real Friend

2008-07-29T02:15:00.000-07:00

A simple friend identifies himself when he calls.
A real friend doesn't have to.
A simple friend opens a conversation with a full news bulletin on his life.
A real friend says, "What's new with you?"
A simple friend thinks the problems you whine about are recent.
A real friend says, "You've been whining about the same thing for 14 years. Get off your duff and do something about it."
A simple friend has never seen you cry.
A real friend has shoulders soggy from your tears.
A simple friend doesn't know your parents' first names.
A real friend has their phone numbers in his address book.
A simple friend brings a bottle of wine to your party.
A real friend comes early to help you cook and stays late to help you clean.
A simple friend hates it when you call after he has gone to bed.
A real friend asks you why you took so long to call.
A simple friend seeks to talk with you about your problems.
A real friend seeks to help you with your problems.
A simple friend wonders about your romantic history.
A real friend could blackmail you with it.
A simple friend, when visiting, acts like a guest.
A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself.
A simple friend thinks the friendship is over when you have an argument.
A real friend knows that it's not a friendship until after you've had a fight.
A simple friend expects you to always be there for them.
A real friend expects to always be there for you!

CLOSED FOR THE GLORY OF GOD

2008-07-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Last night I was listening in the news while trying to patch up something for tomorrow. Actually it was from the TV I was pinning my ears back for the late night reports because I was too occupied to only manage a peep on the boob tube. One news got my attentiveness. I broke off what I was doing for a moment and took a pew in front of the TV. Wyden King has ultimately closed down the last in the group of 14 of the Philippines largest short time sex motels - the Anito. King who had turned Born Again said the closure was not his but of God's will. King's business which many people thought to have caused despairs for countless marriages, inopportune pregnancies of minors, sanctuary for taboo love affairs have finally ceased venture after many generations. He said he cannot figure out how inexplicably the Lord ways are of letting go of his business. Some people considered King's act as a mere duplicity while most others extolled him for his courage and deed of repentance. Whatever it is the good thing is that . . . it is now closed. King gave up his millions of takings from the Anitos for his new found true God who moved in the most bizarre way for him.

BARKADA

2008-07-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

Barkada! Tropa! Sila ang kadalasang laging nating kasama lalo na sa kasiyahan..minsan mas madalas na mas maraming oras ang pananatili natin sa barkada kaysa sa ating "Pamilya" na halos di na natin nakikita sila; Dahil sa barkada , nauubos ang ating oras, inuman na halos magdamag, tropa na kahit sa gulo kasama natin at halos ipagpalit na natin sa ating trabaho. Sabi nga nila ang trabaho ay nakakasira sa pagsasama ng barkada. Minsan ang barkada ay may maidudulot na mabuti , siyempre lagi silang andyan pag kailangan mo ng tulong pinansyal man o ibang bagay, pero hanggang saan at hanggang kailan sila mananatiling nasa tabi mo? May barkada na iiwan ka sa ere yung tipong ginawa mo nang lahat sinuportahan mo sila at halos ibinuhos mo na ang oras mo sa kanila. Hindi ba masakit pag nanduon na ang sitwasyon na kailangan mo sila pero ni isa sa kanila di ka matulungan? Masarap ang may barkada dahil sila ang bumubuo ng mga oras mo lalo na sa kasiyahan pero sana bigyan natin ng limitasyon ang pakikisama dahil hindi lahat ng oras kaya nila tayong suportahan at sa bandang huli "Pamilya" mo pa rin ang tutulong sayo hanggang sa kahuli huling hininga ng ating buhay..

ANGER VS. UNDERSTANDING

2008-07-23T01:24:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, July 17, I received a message. It was actually a reply to my e-mail and the sender was enraged against me. I was dumbfounded when I read the message and the first thing I did is go over my sent messages to see if I have written something that burst someone's bubble. I did not see anything, the fact that our conversation was not of quarrelsome issue but was rather a seek- help- support tête-à-tête regarding an approaching project. I just thought I was slapdash with my writing and I realized people are different in comprehension and it is a natural feedback for someone to react on something he feels to be wrong. But with all honesty my reply meant not to cause offense to anybody nor do I have any intention to insult or explode somebody's feeling. I always make it a point to keep rather unspoken or not write something to anyone because I am scared that I may utter something I will regret afterward. I believe in the old Chinese proverb that never write a letter when you are angry.

Jesus Christ also got angry when He squeezed out His outburst in the temple. But His anger was more of a "righteous indignation". Although everybody knows that anger is a sin it is an innate behavior of human being to get indignant. We rage at different intensities and anybody can become mad. It's no hard, but to be angry without basis and justifications, that is not within everybody's control. That is not easy. When anger escalates reflect on its aftereffects. It's like grabbing a hot coal with the intent of tossing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned or booting a stone harming your own foot. When I was still in my corporate life, when my daily routine involves the everyday toil of pressures , anxieties and squabbles with workmates and bosses I used to be angry almost everyday. I have learned through bitter experience that sometimes anger should be delayed in almost every possible way and situation to uphold relationship and friendship and let understanding sets in to takes its own course. I thought I was certain I understand what I thought somebody said, but I realized that what I heard is not what essentially what they meant. Sometimes I feel I am so intelligent but every so often I get the wrong end of the stick on what people are saying. I just thought I have the knowledge a lot about something and not really understand it. How many friends have I lost because of anger? How many times I made myself smaller than the things that made me angry? Of course we need sometimes to be angry especially so not to allow evil to be victorious or inequality and brutality to thrive. These things happen because many believe the world is not angry enough. But more than anger love and understanding can take its place to vanquish them and leads everything that hurt us to a better awareness of ourselves. Anyone can find faults, disparage, and attack anybody when he is angry but it takes understanding to take somebody's self control. We do not need power to let go of something. Or entombs anger to our inside and stock pile tensions for later implosion or explosion to offend ourselves or the others. What we really need is to understand. Anger destroys thing. It's an external manifestation of pain, trepidation and disappointment and the termination of struggle for the truth. When someone is angry he talks articulately as if he makes the best oration of his life. Anger makes someone clever but it keeps him poor- poorer in happiness because for every minute we are angry we lose 60 seconds of it. It is the air which puffs out the lamp of the mind, how can you think unmistakably when your knuckles are clamped and your teeth are crushing? Things will indeed seem different to us if we can only say "I am hurt" and opted to keep quiet and calm down and escape many days of sorrow rather getting angry so sudden. Understanding is the first step towards recuperation from anger. It appeases hurt and enraged feelings.

When Jesus blew up with rage that day in the temple. His indignation was up front. He reacted to the situation swiftly, optimistically, and fittingly then went on his business. His anger is right and justifiable. It's not easy to be indignant with the right person, and to the right extent, and at the right time, and for the right intention, and in the right way just as Jesus did.

My bitter experience of anger, tantrums and poor temperament being a moody artist then urged me to explore the beautiful gift of understanding. I still get angry but I have learned to control it; and I still try to yearn not to feel it. Now I do not easily get angry when a person gets mad at me, I always thought I cannot please everybody nor can I make a day in the sun for all. Instead, I never forget what somebody says to me when he is angry. Somehow I will be able to learn from it to become a better person. It made me believe that he who is slow to anger has great understanding. Anger and narrow mindedness are the enemies of it. A person who holds on to hasty mood leaves him less than he had been before while the calmness of the person on whom he wish to expel his ill temper conquers him... Sometimes you become great when a person misunderstood you. The most splendid pleasure is the joy of understanding . . .

ANG CR . . .BOW!

2008-07-20T00:23:00.000-07:00

Share ko lang sa inyo, nabasa ko ito sa isang Filipino Newpaper (THE MIGRANTS) here in Taiwan. Kadalasan mangyari ito sa mga kababayan nating OFW especially Caretaker and Domestic Helper.

CR o comfort room na laging takbuhan ng caretaker kspag siya ay napapagalitan at mag-iiyak na lamang sa loob ng CR. Syempre sa kagustuhang itago ang damdamin sa amo, wala syang magawa kundi magpunta sa CR at duon ibulalas lahat ng kanyang emosyon. Kapag bitin sa pagkain at gustong mabusog ng di alam ng amo ay magdadala ng pagkain sa CR at duon pa-simpleng tsi-chibog. Sa CR din sya pa-simpleng magte-text o tatawag sa pamilya sa pinas. Sa CR din sya sumusulat sa mga kaibigan at pamilya. Ang CR ang tanging saksi sa kanyang mga dinaranas na problema bilang OFW lalo na kapag nakakarating sa kanya ang mga di magandang balita mula sa pamilya sa Pinas. Sa CR din sya nagpapahinga ng konti kapag pagod na pagod na sya sa trabaho at natatakot masita ng amo. Walang sapat na oras sa pagtulog dahil sa pag-aalaga ng matandang masungit, habang naglilinis at naglalaba pa ... ang pamilya sa Pinas sa oras na iyon ay naghihilik na. Mas malungkot ang mga walang day-off at hindi payagang makipag-usap man lang sa kapwa Pilipino na kapit-bahay o katabing condo. Takbuhan din ang CR dahil wala siyang naging kaibigan sa loob ng mahabang panahon na pamamalagi dito sa Taiwan. Kinakausap na rin niya ang sarili sa loob ng CR at kapag galit sa asawa Pinas, sa CR na rin niya ito minumura!! Hindi rin sya nakakapagsimba at ang ginagawa nya ay sa CR na rin sya nagdarasal. Sa CR lang sya nakakahinga ng maayos kahit pa may amoy dito. Ang sabi nga ..... nakakaranas sya ng "comfort" sa CR .. Hay ... Salamat... buti na lang at may CR .... ang CR ... BOW!!!

Di lang siguro dito sa Taiwan nangyayari ang ganito at di lang mga DH at CT ang nakakaranas na maging takbuhan ang CR, tayo mismo sa sarili nating bahay o family ganito din. Naranasan ko na rin na murahin ang biyenan kong hilaw sa CR di kasi ako makapagmura sa loob ng room namin at anduon ang mga kids ko . Medyo napahaba ang post sana di kayo antukin sa pagbabasa.

192 TOPICS FROM DISCUSSION BOARD = 1 BLOG

2008-07-19T22:32:00.000-07:00

Sa isang classroom sa MHS nag-roll call ang teacher . . .

ATTENDANCE!!! What Batch/ Year you belong? Batch ’86? Batch ’94? Batch 91……lift u our hands guyZZZZZZZZZZZ! ATTENDANCE: Batch 1991, magparamdam kayo!!! Cnu d2 and 1^st batch ng manda east high school or mpnag? Kumusta ka na? Ikaw nga . . . . . . . .sabay turo sa pupil na nasa kanyang harapan. Introduce yourself! My Korean name is Lee Hyo Ra, what’s yours? You know I’m a fan of Sir Jessie Landingin! Tanong ng teacher uli: Eh ! kung Hapon ka anong pangalan mo? Anong nangyari nuong birthday mo? Sumagot ang bata:Hehehehehehe! Wala lang! Nagtaasan na naman kasi ang mga basic commodities Sir. Then? Is there still hope for the Philippines? Just answer!!!! Do you believe? What do you think???? Nagtaas ng kamay ang isa, Sir Pa answer po! Eto na po pic ko! Kilala nyo ba ito? Miss YU FHABILLIONSZ? Ano ka ba talaga babae o lalaki?Tanong ng teacher--- ROCKER FROM MHS po Sir! Ok, Lets talk about Politics. . . is Erap guilty or not? Shy lang siguro! Sa bunga nakikita ang puno!sigaw ng mga estudyante. E, Sino nga ba ang banal sa mata ng tao? Tanong uli ni Sir.Those in authority are ultimately responsible to God! Political Friends. Pork Barrel Fund. Ang nagpaparumi sa tao! Sabi ng babaeng pupil. Paano naman tayong mga middle class? Are we barking on the wrong tree? Double standard nga ba? Kayo ang magpasiya! Excuse me po . . . pero high blood na ako! sigaw ng estudyanteng nakaupo sa dulo ng silid aralan. Ok class, Lets send an open letter to Mr. Willie Revillame. . .WOWOWEEEEE!!! Desperate times don’t need desperate but effective measures. We should do RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS. This is A MUST TIME PRAYER. . .Walang anu-ano ay bigla na lang may pumasok na babae sa silid. Sir!!! HELPP!!!!! Help me. . . I don’t know what to do. Sino ka? MHSian ka rin ba? Opo sir estudyante ninyo po ako dati and now I'm a confused mommy! Is prostitution should be legalized? May pagkakaiba po ba yung giving up at letting go?Tanong ng teacher: Have you been tempted? What makes temptation so alluring that some people cant resist? Christmas gift po sir! Balik tanaw lang, Totoo ba sa inyo si Santa? Coincidence sir! Class , Be honest even when others are not!!! Galit na tugon ng guro. For ladies -What reason would make you go for EB with chatmate? For memorable MHS experience sir! Sabi ng mga girls. How would you react? Yahooo! Finally sir! If given a chance to rewind your high school life what will you change and why? Mga produkto at uso nuong bata pa kami sir! Nag-emote ang teacher after hearing this . . .Naalala ko pa . . .My drivers license and the color of my skin, and I still date my ex-girlfriend. Ng gabing ako ay matukso . . .At EVER-GOTESCO job opening nuon. . . .Taimtim kong dasal . . . I am finding a husband . . . foolish thing you did for love ika nga. . .Ayos! sabay-sabay na sigaw ng estudyante. Gusto n'yo ba mai-luv again sir? But class how can you heal a broken heart? What is this thing called love? Is homosexuality wrong? Just asking class . . . Sir sino pong na miss nyong teacher??? ANAK NA LALAKE! Hahahahah! Tawanan ng lahat. I mean bawat bata ay may karapatan. Lalo na ang mga MHS KIDDIE. Message to the children . . . and parents sir?: 3 days na lang b-4 Valentines day! And today is February 9- Its Mandaluyong day Today! Hay… Mandaluyong! Alam n'yo ba class NAKATIKIM NA AKO NG BINTANA NG MANDALUYONG HIGH SCHOOL? Die or die eat! Hihihihihi! Ok class can we paly this one? Lets just play! Answer the riddle? Brain twister? Sabi ng matatanda?Just for mind? Name the presidents? Look alike? Make a match? What’s in the middle? The Ogag game? And lost and found? Just choose . . . Ayyy! No kids pala dito! Anyways we have gig on the 30^th of October and lets have friendster gathering, everyone is invited, my batch, active members of MHS, the teens, the twenties, MHSian e-group, the big three o and don’t forget to watch my 1^st indie film top billed by Philip Salvador. Sir sana magkaroon ng Grand Alumni/Homecoming sa MHS. Pag-uusapan natin yan sabi ng teacher. Maya-maya pa ay biglang may sumigaw . . . Gutom na ako!!!! MHSians share naman kayo ng recipe? Over ang cup ng coffee! OK class break muna tayo. . . .

After one hour nagbalikan na ang mga estudyante . . . . .

Classs hu's active members here? Please pray for Joy Cribelo . . . .Bakit sir??? tanong ng mga estudyante . . .sira na naman ang friendster kasi . So we need an inspirational and God cover letter please read…Ipinabasa sa isang bata “ Dear God a prayer thread: Life begins at 40, How do you know if you are old to be hip?We are not getting older , we are just fading away bwahahahaha! If you have 1 day to live how are you going to spend it? Why we should go home in time? Can you help me interpret my dreams? Amen and sabay-sabay nilang sagot, Ok class, do you know there are female hormones in beer? Did you know these facts? Paano makokontrol ang alak? What will you do? Tumayo ang isa at sumagot: The Lord is my helper I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Sabi ng teacher: How patient are you? And what do you believe is true even though you can not prove it? Class, we have clear and present danger and we have to save the best for last. Any marriage encounter couple here? So what do you think patok na negosyo . . . . any suggestions? Sir chatbox! Sir internet love affair!! Casual thread sir! Joke Box sir yung (A collection of MHSian Jokes) Just put your jokes there and laugh our hearts out! Slum book tayo sir like hs tym! Ok! Ok! We will try all that but class, Bahay MHS . . . kailangan ng renovation, and MHS uniform which is better now or before? Nasaan na nga ba yung fishpond sa MHS? We have to tackle these problems first. Napansin ng teacher na inaantok na ang iba kaya he said: Class tinatamad naba tayo???!!!!(ipahayag ang sagot) I will tel you my story as an OFW . . . it is so much of American dream. Ang dami kong nakitang kakatwa at kakaibang signage duon. I spent several LENT, and these are the things or scene that melt your heart. There, I watched the new frontman of Journey, a Filipino is simply awesome. Another Pinoy making Filipinos proud, Gobyerno lang talaga ang bulok sa atin. Nuon nasa aboroad pa ako I always make a poem dedicated to my father on fathers day, I never forget to greet Happy mother day to all every mothers day and happy birthday MHS Alumni Friendster Group every 13^th of December. I have so many interesting conversation about love in the time of friendster or for all married ones. I always told them what single should do to avoid being alone for the rest of their lives. I have sixth sense . . . . I have horrifying tales and experiences too!! Boredom made me write the following: Midlife Crises, Anyone? a thread intended for matured men and women, Hanapin mo kami, Una kong kwento (gagayahin ko si Jessie), Ala-ala sa mga kanta ng High School, ., Sensitivity: asset or liability? Fight or not, Brod, ikaw ba ang nasusunod sa bahay ninyo? Misis dapat bang pantay ang kapangyarihan ninyo ni Mister? Ako kaya sino ang kamukha ko?Sakyan mo ako babe!!, at What is Capiz Shell? Ok Brod Pete … Basa. Kaya pasalamatan natin ang mga OFW sa kanilang KABAYANIHAN at ito ang tunay na SUKATAN NG KASIYAHAN dahil kung wala ito, what is the meaning of discipline to you and how can you describe the person above you?. Madalas ako umiyak sa CR . . .BOW dahil lagi kung itinatanong sa sarili ko : Buhay na hiram sino ba ang may karapatan? Or is it true that friends last longer than lovers? Or first love does it really die? I am always searching for a HINTS for effective Bible reading.

Tumayo ang isa sa mga estudyante: Bakit Sir Sino at ano ba ang naalala ninyo during your high school life sa MHS? Sumagot ang titser: “ Warning for matured individual only! Ha!ha!ha!ha! Tawanan ang lahat! Sir if you have your life again, what would you have not done? At kung ikaw ay magiging bagay o hayop, ano ka at bakit?

Sasagot pa sana and teacher ng. . . . . , KRINGGGGGG! KRINGGGGGG! KRINGGGGG!!!!! OK class tapos na ang klase. If you have questions about our lessons you can txt me through Globe New unlimited texting. My new cp no.is – 21013-wyd2008. By the way class . . . . . HURRRAY for Joy Cribelo!!!!!! WHY sir??????? Sabay-sabay nilang tanong.Nagtext siya sa akin - GAWA NA DAW ANG FRIENDSTER ULIT! At naipost na daw naya ang 192 TOPICS FROM DISCUSSION BOARD = 1 BLOG sa MHS blogsite!

Class dismiss! Yeheyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Habang papalayo ang guro, pabulong na inulit ang tanong ng pupil: Kung magiging hayop o bagay ako ano ang gusto ko . . . Gusto kong maging Barbie Doll! Sino ang naaala-ala ko during my high school life? Sino pa syempre si FAFA ko!) Nyahayyyyyy!

LIFE IS A RACE . . .

2008-07-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

As life goes harder and harder for most of us, everyone seemed to race in chase of the good life. Some race for the elusive money, material possessions, some for blind pursuit of career success and others for personal fulfillment. Whatever it is money always stood alone as an issue. The way in which we quantify the echelon of our contentment or the norm of living we want to savor shows the race we want to run. We race in pursuit of a good life, for our self and our dear ones. There were instances envy, conceit, and material lust compelled us to race or people tend to compare their lives with their neighbors. They leave their home and bear the agony of solitude counting the days and the nights away from what they called their comfort zone - home. Some wins and most not. The repercussion of running the race, and failing takes a heavy price. When we choose to race the breakage lines soon to come into sight on the path we take and collapsing is not far behind. It's like doing a balance sheet it has two sides and the other side of it is relationship. We may opt not to take the race, and not love this world of materialism and just walk with perseverance, hope and faith because all too frequently and regrettably, in pursuit of a good life most leave a footpath of a wrecked relationship. Uncurl perverted priorities. Guidance, concern and relationship every so often take second place to the material and financial emphasis of so many of us. People with broken relationship chatter with little indignity about their flops in home but in quick-witted contrast are quite self-justifying if they fail in their careers or business undertakings or blow their own trumpet about their material and financial attainment. Success and wealth are sometimes acquired at the expense of closeness with our family. Many believes by working away from home they can furnish more things or lavish their children with gifts to bring happiness to their homes but in real sense it doesn't satisfy and compensate for the real gift of personal association and the empty longing in the abyss of our soul, the longing for home and family - a true place where love grows well, verdant and fragrant. I have seen and watched some people cry their eyes out as they recounted to me their tales of being away from home. Some with personal life blown apart others with families in muddle . . . none of their financial accomplishments are of the slightest help. Others rose from rugs to riches then back to rugs again . . . They were the race's losers. I also respect the fact that the same thing can happen to me as to anyone. I thanked their stories somehow made me think what contentment is all about. Several times I was tempted to take this sort of race, but every time I dare I think of my family, then my will power seemed all to fade. This world is full of hazards how many young lives have gone extremely far wrong without the fatherly guidance at home. I cannot afford to lose even a single second without them. As said, no amount of success can compensates for failure in home. I am by no means neither perfect nor faultless father, in fact I always feel culpable to my family that I can only give as much and only just can offer the life we have now. But I always thought that my daughters and my wife want me to be the chief executive of the house so it can run efficiently and embrace up the family in the most paternal ways. I realized I am the most important man in their life and my children would be able to put up their lives according to what they see in me. Can I show these aspects of a good father even if I am not with them? Perhaps yes but not absolutely. I know a father's physical presence is invaluable to them as it is with other children. It is also priceless to my wife as it is too with other spouses. Problems and trials come in, but the happiness of being together fortifies my spirit and belief with God that I can deal with it. Love makes a family and a family in harmony will prosper in everything. Life is a race . . . we want the best for our family but sometimes the best turns out to be the worst. We make our own choice; the burden to make the wrong choice is tempting and powerful and should not be underrated. We can just walk . . . slowly and patiently through God's help, we shall reach our desired destination safe and successfully or we can choose to sprint but we cannot choose the aftermath. The reason and the consequence kind of our choice labels us.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Hebrew 12:1

A Tribute To A Special Woman I Called --JEMBIE

2008-07-15T01:09:00.000-07:00

A realization of my thoughts Inspired by a forwarded message, revised a bit to make it more personal tribute to all woman and to a special woman I called--JEMBIE.

When God created me in His own likeness, he breathed life into my nostrils.

But you woman, by God’s fashion didn’t breath life into your nostrils for they are too delicate. Instead, He put me into deep sleep so that He could patiently and perfectly fashion you.

I was put into sleep so that I could not interfere with Him in creating you. From my bone that protects my heart, God fashioned you.

God chose the rib, which protects my heart as you are meant to do. Around this one bone, God shaped you. He modeled you and created you perfectly and beautifully.
Your characteristics are as the rib, strong yet delicate and fragile. You protect the most delicate organ in me—my heart.

My heart is the center of my being; my lungs hold the breath of my life. My rib cage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to my heart. You provide support to me as my rib cage supports my body.

You were not taken from my feet, to be under me, nor were you taken from my head, to be above me. You were taken from my side, to stand beside me and be held close to my side.

I represents God’s image, you; His emotions. Together, we represent totality of God. So I was commanded by God to treat you well, to love you and to respect you. For you are fragile, in hurting you, I hurt Him. What I do to you, I do to Him. In crushing you, I only damage my own heart and the heart of the Father.

So, God asked you to support me. In humility, you have shown me the power of emotion He has given you. In gentle quietness, you show your strength. In love, you have shown me that you are the rib that protects my inner self. And that makes me love you more than ever.

I LOVE YOU JEMBIE and I thanked God for giving you to me.

Desperate Times Don't Need Desperate But Effective Measures

2008-07-14T04:37:00.000-07:00

This is a reaction to the news article published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer titled, “Lacson: Pastoral letter vs pro-population planning stupid” (07/14/08).

I agree with Sen. Lacson when he said, “There’s not enough food on the table, many are homeless, and the poor have almost zero opportunity to have access to education,...” He added that “basic social services can otherwise enjoy with an efficient but moral population management program.” However what the Senator missed is the big question, “Why these things happen?”

Poor people are dying of hunger and poverty not because food is not available on the table but because there are no access or means for poor people to have one. The taxes collected by the government that is supposed to fund long term programs on Food, Education, Shelter and Social Services were misappropriated. Instead of giving 500-pesos electricity subsidy and other short term programs, why shouldn’t the government focus really on a more cohesive and long term program? Philippines is an agricultural country, why don’t government sustain this benefit for the advantage of sustaining food security? Efficient tax collection system rather than adding more tax measures. These taxes if appropriated honestly and wisely to education, shelter and basic social services would reduce if not eliminate hunger and poverty among others.

The Senator’s bill pending in the Senate that focus on program to abate our country’s monstrous population growth, no matter how they guise it to appear as ‘Christian method will not get the ‘yes’ of the Catholic Church simply because they don’t have a common principle on the definition of ‘abortion.’ Besides, you don’t treat a person with hypertension by ‘reducing’ his blood.

Filipino people doesn’t need mercy to be given alms and dole. What the Filipino people need is an honest to goodness government that will serve the interest of the people and not their pockets. The problem is, do we have one now?

Barking On The Wrong Tree

2008-07-14T01:10:00.000-07:00

This is a reaction to the news article published in Philippine Daily Inquirer titled, “Anti-life pols must be refused communion” (07/14/08). Lyda Canson (Chair of Gabriela Women’s Party) is barking on the wrong tree when she issued her statement; “Instead of denying them (Catholic politicians) communion, why doesn’t the Catholic Church look for measures to effectively solve the problem?”

The role of the church is to promote moral virtues while finding solutions to economic woes is the responsibility of the State. While I agree with her (Lyda Canson) that moralizing will never be the answer to the problem of abortion but clearly, it is not the stand of the Church to do otherwise – to advocate abortion. The issue of abortion is a non-debatable and non-negotiable issue for the Church. This is why the separation of the Church and State is clearly provided for in our Constitution for there are irreconcilable issues between the two, both moral and social standpoint. How could one explain the putting of a ‘fetus’ in a basket for mass offering? Will the inclusion of this unborn fetus justifies or cleanse the guilt of who ever did this? It goes without saying to these politicians (advocating or pushing “anti-life” bills masked us “Pro-Quality Life” measures) that by going inside the church and by receiving communion that their sins will be washed away.

The sanctity of life must be preserved and life is not for ours to take but Him. If parents are incapable of raising their children, then learn to practice self-discipline and be a responsible parent for once and for all. “If the mind is willing but the flesh is weak” situation results to unwanted pregnancy, why not offer that “life” to other willing couples rather than aborting it? Though may not jive fully in terms of moral principle, but it’s a matter of choosing lesser evil among the devils.

The Church is doing what it is ought to do, shouldn’t government do what it’s mandated to?

The Joy And Pain Of An Absentee Parent

2008-07-13T00:36:00.000-07:00

The article I just read on the internet somewhat retells my story as an OFW, as a father (absentee) and a provider. The article tells about the “adventures” of the OFWs’ children entering into their “bumpier rides” approaching adolescent years and the difficulties and agonies of 20something and 30something parents as they enter the tumultuous phase of child rearing. Though my age doesn’t fall to that age bracket but the story fits my biography.

Me and my wife are very supportive of each other in the performance of our culturally-prescribed roles as provider and home maker, respectively. However, this old roles have melted by the growing needs of our family; both husband and wife have to work to earn a living to support these growing needs. Though my wife stays in the Philippines to work, however, the impact of these changes on our family still has a jarring effect on our children especially to my eldest son who's starting to confront the paradox of the absentee father as I am now. My children are now beginning to miss my living presence as a father – a gap I’m trying to compensate through monthly remittance and "balikbayan" boxes.

These however can't mask the sense of loss now surfacing as resentment of grief that my children painted in their hearts: "My father did not see me grow up." Prof. Randy David put it in one of his columns, "the suffering of OFWs children could probably double on the parent's side" or perhaps triples. I always think of my family when I see a nice place hoping that they could also see what I'm seeing. I would always think of my family when I eat a sumptuous meal and worry too much for their safety and the desire to share with them the pain in time of their failures and to celebrate in time of triumphs. How I wish I could do all these without remising my other duty -- as a provider.

The fulfillment on the part of an absentee parent is to see that their obligation help steer the course and ensure that those left behind have a much better future – a tangible recognition of their toiling away from home. As the good professor nicely put it, "It has been very easy to measure the economic benefits from overseas work. But I doubt if one can ever quantify what the Filipino family has given up in terms of love, or what it is doing to recover it."

The Will to Survive

2008-07-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

BAHAY MHS . . .TULOY PO KAYO!

2008-07-08T21:36:00.001-07:00

Disyembre 13, 2006 – Malamlam ang panahon at medyo malamig, magpapasko na kasi. Iniwan ako ng aking mag-iina , nagpunta sa mall at hindi ako isinama, pinagkaisahan ba?. Kaya eto, nakatunganga . . . walang maisip magawa , patingin-tingin sa bintana at naiinip. Tila tinutuya ng mga butiki sa kisame. Tsk! tsk! tsk! sabi ng mga butiki. Tirisin ko kaya ang mga ito o tiradurin ko? Ang yayabang ng mga butiking ito! Porke hindi ko kayo abot, nang-aasar pa kayo! Mamaos sana kayo sa kakapalatak.... Hay! nakakatamad hindi ako sanay ng ganito. Kailangan lumipas ang araw ng may matapos ako. Magluluto ba ako o maglalaba hanggang wala pa si kumander? O manunuod na lang ng TV? O maglilinis na lang ng bahay? BAHAYYYY?????? Oo bahay! Gagawa ako ng bahay!!! Dali-dali akong umupo sa harap ng computer . . . malalim ang iniisip at nagsimula ng kumilos ang aking mga daliri. Umiikot ang aking mata, parang nawawala sa sarili ...mabilis. . . . tak-tak-tak-ka-tak. . . ala Roman Rapido! Kasing bilis ng aking daliri ang takbo ng aking utak. At maya-maya pa ay natapos din ang bahay. Darannnn! Presto! BAHAY MHS !. . . Ayan tapos na ang bahay. Bahay ginawa sa computer? ?? Oo! Bahay gawa sa computer. Bakit??? Blogsite po ito no? Hindi mo ba nakukuha? Nakita mo bang nagpukpok ako o naglagari? Wala akong sinabi hindi ba? O! ayan tapos na ang MHS blogsite. Para sa inyo ito . . . Tuloy po kayong lahat!

Lunes - Maaga akong nagising aba’y ang dami ng nakaabang na bisita mula sa NCR at sa mga karatig na lalawigan ng Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao. Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! tignan mo nga naman, katatayo ko pa lang Bahay MHS dinudumog na kaagad. Nakakatuwa naman . Biruin mo sa hinaba-haba at tinagal-tagal ng panahon ng di natin pagkikita, ala eh, sa Bahay MHS lang pala muli ko kayo masusumpungan? Tuloy kayo mga kaeskwela! Feel at home at magbasa-basa at marami kayong makikita, malalaman at mapupulot na magagandang bagay diyan. Makikita nyo diyan ang matagal nyo ng hinahanap at nais muling makita. Ang saya-saya! Enjoy sila sa bahay na ito. Tama ang kasabihang “may tenga ang lupa, may pakpak ang balita” kaya kinabukasan . . .

Martes - Nagdatingan ang mga kaeskwela nating from the Land of Milk and Honey, ang dami nila! Susmayosep! Spokining dollar na at mukhang madadatung! May nagmula sa Arlington, Irving, Dallas, Plano, Denton, The Woodland, Houston, Mcallen, Lewisville, mga cowboy ata ang mga ito! Aba’y galing Texas. May taga California na buhat sa San Marcos, Tustin, Pinole, Daly City, Whittier, San Francisco, Pleasant Hill, Fremont, Oxnard, Mountain View, Corona, San Jose na nagdatingan din. Humabol pa ang grupo ng mga taga New York na mula sa Bronx, New Hyde Park, ang mga taga Auburn at Seattle Washington. Punung-puno na ang Bahay MHS at di na makapasok ang iba na naghihintay sa labas. Kaya pinakiusapan ko na lang na bukas na bumalik ang ibang grupo.

Miyerkules - Excited na excited ng makapasok ang grupo mula sa Brolingbrook, Chicago, Evanston, Wheaton, Waekegan Illinois at nakabuntot naman sa kanilang likuraan ang tropa mula sa Hackensack, Neptune, Mt. Laurel, Cherry Hill, Toms River,New Jersey City,New Wark , Manasquan, Seawell New Jersey; Nagtutulukan sila , atat na atat ng makita at mapasok ang Bahay MHS. Nakamasid naman sa labas ang mga kaeskwela natin mula sa Meadville, Pennsylvania; Nang matapos na ang unang grupo bahagyang nagkagitgitan at excited na kasing makapasok ang tropa mula sa Norman,Williamsburg Ohio; at pangkat mula sa Leesburg, Herndon, Reston, Vienna, Fairfax, Virginia ;mukhang magkakamag-anak, iisa kasi hilatsa ng mga mukha. Masaya namang nag-uusap ang grupo mula sa Sterlingheight, Royal Oak, Michigan habang hinihintay na sila’y makapasok. Maya-maya pa ay may humintong mga bus sa tapat ng Bahay MHS . . . panibagong grupo mula sa USA. Nakita ko ang mga kaeskwela natin mula sa Omaha, Nebraska ; Ft. Lauderdale, Sunrise, Tarpon Springs, New Port Richey, Boca Raton, Florida; Sa kabilang mga bus ay nasa loob ang MHS classmates natin na galing sa Indiana, Indianapolis; St. Louis, Independence Missouri; Kansas City, Salina, Kansas ; Framingham, West Springfield, Tyngsboro Massachusets, Greenwich, West Haven, Connecticut; Las Vegas,Sparks, Reno, Nevada; Georgia, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Fayettevile, North Carolina, naka-receive ako ng text na hahabol din ang mga MHSians mula sa West Des Moines, Iowa, Baltimore, Maryland, Washington DC, Sand Springs, Oklahoma, Salt Lake City, Utah, Pineville, Louisiana, Honolulu, Aeia, Pearl City,Hawaii at Saipan.

Huwebes – Yawn!Yawn! Inaatok pa ako dahil sa puyat at pagod sa pagbisita ng ating mga kaeskwela from Tate , natanaw koang isang pulutong papunta sa Bahay MHS. Padating na ang mga Kaeskwela natin mula sa Europe. Sinalubong ko ang pangkat mula sa Slaskie, Katowice, Poland, kasunod nila ay mula sa Zurich, Geneva, Switzerland. Maya-maya ay nagdatingan na rin ang mga grupo mula sa Telemark, Skien,Oslo ,Norway, Rekjavik, Iceland, Malta, Atikki, Athens, Greece, Liverpool, South Hampton, Birmingham, UK, Carrigaline Cork, Ireland ,Wien Vienna, Austria, Copenhagen, Denmark, Marburg, Hassen,Germany, Flevoland, Almere, Netherlands. Mosna Sibiu, Romania, Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain .Madali kong nai-tour ang mga bisita at maaga akong makapagpapahinga para sa susunod ng mga darating.

Biyernes – Nagising ako sa malalakas na busina ng mga sasakyan, andito na pala ang mga bisita. Masaya kong sinalubong ang mga MHSian na mula pa sa Kitchener, North York, Ottawa,Chatam, Barrie , Scarborough Ontario, Vancouver, Coquitlam, Qualicum Beach British Columbia, Airdrie,Calgary Alberta, Montreal ,Quebec, all from Canada. Kasama rin ng grupo ang mga taga Hamilton, Bermuda, New York, Trench Town, Kingston, Jamaica, Cortes San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, Cancun Mexico at Etah, Nordgronland, Greenland. Matapos kong mailibot ang mga bisita sa Bahay MHS, masaya silang nagpaalam sa akin. Ako naman, maagang matutulog at bukas ay siguradong maraming bisita ang nakaschedule.

Sabado - Maaga akong nagising dahil medyo mahaba ang itinulog ko. Natanaw ko ang mga convoy ng sasakyan na papunta kung nasaan ako. Eto na mga MHSian. Dalidali akong naggayak sa sarili upang harapin ang kanilang pagdating. Humahangos ang mga MHSians mula sa The Land Down Under- Queensland Brisbane, New South Wales Sydney, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, present din ang mga taga Auckland, New Zealand. Istanbul , Ankara Turkey, Sidh Karachi, Pakistan, Taipe,Kao-hsiung Taiwan , Hong Kong, Andhra Pradesh, hyderabad, Mumbai,Pune , Maharashtra, India, Gampana Sri Lanka, Kyonggi –do Seoul South Korea, Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Japan, Kyyiv Kiev, Ukraine at Macau. Magkakasabay dumating ang mga MHSians mula sa ASEAN, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, Depok Jawa Barat Indonesia,Wilayah, Persekutan, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Queenstown , Yishun Singapore, Bangkok Thailand. Kinahapunan Dumating naman ang mga kaeskwela mula sa Middle East at Africa buhat sa Tel Aviv, Israel, Wudayah, Dammam Ash Sharqiyah, Makkad Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Ad Dawhah,Doha Qatar, Al Mahabulah Kuwayt, Al Ahlmadi,Kuwait, Deira, Al Satwa Dubai , Abu Dabi ,UAE, Accra, Ghana, Algiers Algeria at Ivory Coast .

Hayyyy. . . ang hirap mag-estima ng mga bisita nakakapagod! Pero anyway, sulit naman dahil alam ko kahit papaano nabigyan ko sila ng kasiyahan kahit man lang sa papamagitan ng blogsite na ito. Oooops ...! before I forget lets thank the following ISP Providers for bringing them here. In random order:

Global Fund For Women, At&t Internet Services, Destiny Inc, Smart Broadband Incorporated, Eastern Telecoms Phils. Inc., Sahara Network Dammam King Saud Street, Comcast Cable Communications Ip Services, Optimum Online (cablevision Systems), Telenor Business Solutions As, Aol Uk, Xl Capital/nac Re, Evans Hotels, Bluewin Is An Lir And Isp In Switzerland, Globe Telecom, Masterfoods Usa, Sbc Internet Services,Comite Gestor Da Internet No Brasil, Bell Nexxia (prod), Riofil Corporation, Fdcservers.net, Multiprotocol Service Provider, Waterloo Region District School Board, Seednet-hsinchudp-s, Prospeed 25 Olympia Woburn Ma, Covad Communications Co, Pacific Internet (australia) Pty Ltd, Geoinc2, Telenor Business Solutions As, Xo Communications, Aem-evertech Philippines Representative, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd – India, Shaw Communications Inc, Verizon Internet Services Inc, City Of Oxnard, Qcyc10k01_mydsllite, Sympatico Hse, Smart Broadband Incorporated, Upc Broadband Operations B.v, Resurrection Health Care, Al Faisaliah Internet Services & Technology, Eastern Telecoms Philippines Inc, Mllc7300i01_consumer, Ctac7300i03_consumer, Ukrainian Mobile Communication,Multiprotocol Service Provider, Comite Gestor Da Internet No Brasil, Ipg, Optimum Online, Bayan Telecommunication/sky Internet, Cj-cablenet, Everemporium, Saudinet Saudi Telecom Company, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd – India, Dsl-pool, Pccw Limited,Asia Netcom Corporation, America Online Inc, Sahara, Riofil Corporation, Starhub Cable Vision Ltd, Covad Communications Co, Rogers Cable CommunicationsInc, Fdcservers.net, SaharaNetworkDammam,KingSaudStreet,Gntiips01_256_consumer, Bellsouth.net Inc, Waterloo Region District School BoardMgoc10k03_mydslpersonal, T-online (adsl), Sbc Internet Services, Amazon.com Inc, 18-4029750_microimaging Sales And Services Inc, Pacific Internet (australia) Pty Ltd, Bluewin Is An Lir And Isp In Switzerland, Phivolcsdostidjr, Tlkm_d2_bb_speedy_boo, Xl Capital/nac Re, ssg-redback CebuFt Lauderdale City Hall Its, Chunghwa Telecom Data Communication Business Group, Digitel Adsl Ip PoolRoad Runner Holdco Llc, 18-4132106_good Samaritan Cyber Cafe, Infocom Technologies IncTt Adsl-alcatel_gay, Japan Nation-wide Network Of Softbank Bb Corp, Yaskawa Electric America Inc Broadband Birm Ubr08smal, Afrinic, City Of Mcallen, Comite Gestor Da Internet No Brasil, Eastern Telecoms Phils. Inc, Instytut Hodowli I Aklimatyzacji Roslin, Worldxchange Communications, Japan Nation-wide Network Of Softbank Bb Corp, Euronet Digital Communications, Eastern Telecoms Phils. Inc, Upc Telekabel, Chunghwa Telecom Data Communication Business Group, Provideralgerian Academic Research Network, Kaohsiung Pingtung Penghu Regional Network, Le-meridien-emirnetAllstream Corp. Corporation Allstream, Japan Nation-wide Network Of Softbank Bb Corp, 18-4145332_jelyn Hijara Lucmayon. Le-meridien-emirnet, Allstream Corp. Corporation AllstreamBayantel Broadband Ras, Cox Communications, Gnet-dial-up-ip-pool.,Destiny Inc, Network_luzon_dsl_ip_poolAl Faisaliah Internet Services & Technology, Fullrate-dk-customers, Teksavvy Solutions Inc, Uth Puerto Cortes, Tt Adsl-ttnet Alc Dynamic_ulus.

Nakakahingal naman ito ang haba! Ang galing ano? Di nyo ba itatanong kung paano ko nalaman? Siguro alam nyo naman kung saan ang lugar nyo at kung alin dito sa mga nabanggit kong mga providers ang binabayaran nyo. Kung opisina yan dont you worry, libre lang yan. Anyway . . . Pwede na siguro ako magpahinga at akoy pagod na pagod na. Bukas Sunday restday ko. Tok! Tok! Tok! Aba may kumakatok pa? Sino ba tong mga bwiset na mga ito ? Kung kailan naman magpapahinga e..... Pagbukas ko ng pinto aba’y ang mga grupo mula sa Everemporium, Laguna, Bohol, Batangas, Pampanga,Cainta,Makati, Manila, Mandaluyong, Le Metropole ,Paris, France, Robinson Supermarket, Law Firm Of Contacto Nievales, Walnut , Alhambra at El Cerrito California, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Mississauga Ontario, Tokyo To Minato Ku Takanawa at Ar Riyad, Riyadh,Wudaya, Saudi Arabia! O ayan ha ang lakas ninyo sa akin! Special mention pa kayo. Tuloy kayo mga schoolmates sa Bahay MHS . . . may meryenda ba kayong dala?

Meron!!!!!! Ang malakas nilang tugon. Naalimpungatan ako at nagising. Nagdatingan na pala si kumander at ang aking mga tsikiting at may pasalubong ngang Jolibee para sa akin! Nakatulog pala ako sa harap ng computer. Salamat Lord at hindi lumipas ang aking araw ng walang nangyari. At nakagawa ako ng magandang blogsite para sa kanila! (tsk! tsk! tsk! oo nga, sabi ng mga butiki)

Be Honest - Even Others Are Not

2008-07-03T04:50:00.000-07:00

The article I read from on-line news prompted me to write this blog. It’s all about how someone’s act of dishonesty causes other’s misery.

A father working in Australia sent a package for his daughter in Cebu as a gift for her graduation. The package contained, among other things, a digital camera. When his family received the box that held the package, they found that it had been forcibly opened, the sealing tape destroyed and everything it contained was gone.

What made me to write this article—was the fact that nothing will surely happen to this incident nor this story did not seem to be getting anywhere with the concern authority. It seems nobody is unduly concerned about the man’s problem.

Who’s at Fault?

Those of us who have had an unhappy and unfortunate experience like this man—I am sure there are many —will probably exclaim, “Why in heaven’s name, if the package contained something valuable, did he send it by post?”

This is not the first time people have lost stuff sent by post. Even ordinary mail that comes from abroad often arrives mangled and torn, resealed with scotch tape and with the notation “Received in this condition” or something like that.

But was it really the man’s fault or is it that people nowadays doesn’t have regards about honesty? After all, isn’t that sending mails and packages to its intended recipients is the job of these postal employees? Not to mangle and tear almost every envelope and packages from abroad and cannibalized its content before reaching its rightful owner?

A Test of Faith and Work

Two weeks ago, my fellow OFW office-mate encountered a minor vehicular accident while going back to our camp. I was immediately called upon to assess the situation. The driver of the other vehicle-- a Pakistani, upon learning that I was about to call a Police for the necessary report begged me not to. It turns out that he (Pakistani driver) doesn’t have a driver’s license and was driving recklessly—a serious traffic violation here in the Kingdom with a penalty of imprisonment plus 20-body lashes, confiscation of the vehicle and a fine. After some negotiations, I gave in to his pleadings and decided not to report the incident to the Police as long as he will shoulder the cost of the damage to our company vehicle.

The True Measure of a Man

We went to the motor shop to have the damage asses by the tinsmith. After a while, the Pakistani handed to me the money as what has been assessed by the tinsmith. The Pakistani driver thanked me for the favor I did to him and we parted ways. Some of my colleagues chided my plan to hand over the full amount to the company’s in-charge of vehicle maintenance and insurance. I was told not to give the full amount but half, since it will just be corrupted anyway by the person. My quick hesitation and persuasion offer no defense to their plan. Indeed, they were serious about it and just to avoid further arguments, I transfer to them the responsibility and conscience over the money and drew the line between friendship over doing what is ought to be right.

“The true measure of a man is what he ought to do when nobody is looking.”

From this quote, one can easily tell a hypocrite from a man who values his honor. The one who values his personal integrity cannot be dissuaded from doing what is truly right. And if you are having “I will do it first before others can do it” kind of thinking, what difference do you have from the person you condemn for wrong-doings?

Aren’t you will just end as one and the same?

GENTLEMANLY DEFEATED

2008-07-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

By nature , and nearly in all instances in the show ground of sports or any other field of battle for prowess, the winning challenger exults and rejoice before the multitude as he keeps an eye on his fallen adversary . More than what Manny Pacquiao demonstrated to the millions of watching around the world to see his notably proclaimed challenge to David Diaz was not only his boxing preeminence as the no. 1 pound for pound fighter of today but his kindness and compassion that is embedded and natural spirit of a true Filipino. As Pacquiao unveiled his warrior instinct that sent Diaz in stupor face down to the canvass, instead of vaulting or summer saulting for celebration, Manny showed the compassionate and helpful edge of a true sportsman when he moved toward and made an effort to help David Diaz get up. Concern was on his face for the fallen Diaz he trounced into flesh. As a matter of regulation , Referee Vic Drakulich warded off Manny’s showing of his spontaneous worry over his fallen rival while the crowd reacted riotously, screeching and applauding as it would seem they saw Diaz end came. According to reports, Pacquiao even asked the referee to halt the fight much earlier when he sensed there was no way Diaz could endure the later rounds. Diaz’s was bleeding profusely with deep cuts on his right eye and a nick on the bridge of the nose, and Pacquiao kept pounding them at will, most likely in anticipation that Diaz would quit, but did not until the 9th round when he was whacked in the mandible by a ferocious left hook, and plummeted kissing the canvass. David Diaz had the perplexed encounter of fighting the fastest man he had ever seen in the ring but experienced being defeated in the most gamely and gentlemanly manner. Dangerous David Diaz tamely capitulated himself to Manny Pacquiao and gave all his respect for his subjugator's humility, sportsmanship and humanity.

ATTAINED!

2008-06-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

When Gabriel Flash Elorde defied fellow Hall of Famer Carlos Ortiz in 1964 and 1966 for his lightweight world title he was stopped both times by the latter in the 14^th round. 40 years has gone by since Elorde missed the mark of outspreading his boxing kingdom , Randy Suico took a crack to become the First Filipino lightweight world champion by challenging unconquered WBA lightweight title holder Juan Diaz. Referee Joe Cortez made his mind up to discontinue the bout after Suico had enough in the 9^th round. In Mandalay Bay, history was unsuccessful to replicate itself when Manny Pacquiao became the First ever Filipino boxer to catch the lightweight title by knocking out Dangerous David Diaz with a blitzkrieg left cross to the jawbone in the 9^th . The bout which many people considered as a “No-Match” fight of Pacquiao against the former Champion Diaz, interspersed added piquancy to his many boxing accolades. Pacquiao unify himself with the lofty and glorious list of quadruple boxing champions of the world in the persons of: Thomas “ The Hitman" Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto " Hands of Stone"Duran, Pernell Whitaker, Oscar "Golden Boy"dela Hoya, Leo Gamez, Roy Jones , Jr. and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. He made a momentous achievement by becoming the first Filipino and Asian Boxer to dominate such feat and recognition. Mabuhay ka Manny!

Keeping Us from Harm’s Way

2008-06-29T01:05:00.000-07:00

When I was a child, I speak, think and reasoned as a child. Now that I have reached the right age, I have relinquished my childish ways. (1 Cor. 13: 11)

This passage reminds me of my son’s diatribe against the way I’m raising him. He told his mother; “Daddy doesn’t love me” during their hearty discourse prompted by a decision of not allowing him to go out one Friday evening. I must admit that my son’s statement pierced my heart so deep that having it all said while I’m thousands of miles away from home trying to earn a living for the family. Certainly, I couldn’t blame him for having such kind of thinking. I once had the same kind of resentment against my father when I was a child. But now, having a family of my own, I realized that I have been unfair to my father whose only concern is to keep me from harm’s way.

I once had a thought that if I can only fast-track the passing of times, perhaps my son could easily discern between chastise and love, of freedom and responsibility and right from wrong. Maybe, this could also be what my father had wished of me back then. However, I believed that one’s maturity is shaped by its gradual understanding of life in general experienced through life in different stages. However, I believed likewise that it’s an elder’s own experiences in life that gives them moral ascendancy in discerning things wisely. It’s perhaps where this saying was taken: “Papunta ka pa lang, pabalik na ako.” (I’m on my way back while you’re still on your way there)

Even we adults sometimes show certain level of immaturity in our ways and thinking as if we failed to take-off completely from our inner childhood. We despised the Lord’s way of discipline. We scorned God when He’s only concern is to keep us from sin that long separates us from Him. We call others hypocrites when all they’re after are offer their unsolicited counsel of years. We always hate to be disciplined and always yearning for freedom and right to live our life; our ways and not His. It is our stubbornness at times that put us in harm’s way.

Lest we forget that God disciplines the one he loves and chastises every child He accepts. We must all endure sufferings for being disciplined for God is treating us all as His children. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you don’t experience discipline, something all sons have shared in, then you are illegitimate and are not sons. Discipline seems painful at time and not joyful. But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness for those trained by it.

The completion of the role of all parents comes when they’re assured of their children’s future; not only here on earth but also in heaven. Securing this future entails lots of sacrifice and patience on the part of parents and often times in exchange of their own happiness. As a parent, I realized one thing; that the sum of my entire being is I’m needed by my family. Happiness comes more from loving than being loved. To love and to be hurt and to love again; in the same way as our Father in heaven had shown us.

Hopes and Dreams Outweigh Fears

2008-06-26T01:02:00.000-07:00

After reading Randy David’s column “Love in the time of migration” (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 6/14/08), I couldn’t help but admit that my life at this point fits into the scenario he painted. In fact, I was watching a delayed telecast of a nightly news program of a TV station in the Philippines when I received two text messages from my wife. I looked at my watch to check the time—it was half past 1 a.m. from where the message came. So, I thought, my wife was still awake.

I texted back with my own message, which I ended with “Good night.” After a few minutes, I got another message from her. She bade me “Good night” in turn, but I could sense some despair in her message.

The following morning, in the office, I sent her and my kids—as my usual way of keeping in touch with them—a message. She replied, and her messages this time clearly exposed her desolation.
I empathize with her. Barely eight months have passed since I left her and our four kids to work here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, tucking in my suitcase a few pictures of them to remind me of our hopes and dreams. It would be my first time to be away from my family that long. Before we decided to take this “big leap” that could make or break our lives, we spent countless hours in prayers, asking for God’s guidance.

Our story is not uncommon. Millions of Filipinos have gone abroad, leaving their country, families and loved ones in pursuit of a better life. The stories of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) don’t necessarily yield to happy endings: philandering husbands, unfaithful wives, errant children longing to feel the warmth of the love of absent parents have become ordinary fare. Yet, these stories are not enough to stop a large number of Filipinos from leaving their families to work abroad.

The lack of opportunities back home is what pushes people like me to leave home for greener pastures; our hopes and dreams of giving our families a better future outweigh our fears of the risks we might have to face in strange lands.

Going back to my wife’s pained text messages, I would always reply to them with words of assurance, though I know that these would never offer enough comfort under our present circumstances. But better that the words are said than allow yourself to wallow in fear.

What you think and what you do is what you will become; that’s life’s predisposition. If we think life has been very cruel to us, it is not so much because such is our destiny but because we have predisposed ourselves to those “cruelties” by our thoughts and actions. Professor David is right: It has been very easy to measure the economic benefits of overseas work. But it is doubtful if one can ever quantify what the Filipino family has given up in terms of love, or what it is doing to recover it.

I just wish though to find ways to recover what I have given up in my pursuit of a decent life for my family. But until I see a better option than going abroad, I’ll just have to keep my hopes and dreams alive.