WOMEN AND COFFEE

Folks, I don't quite understand this. The United Nations has already conducted several world conferences of women since 1975, and yet we hear of a Malaysian company coming up with coffee and labeled with names of women. 

When they advertise on air, the announcers mention that the coffee drinker would never be alone as he would be with a woman. 

What? 

I can't believe this daily objectification of women as coffee escorts to the drinkers. That is really the height of sexism. 

Malaysia should know better than to expose themselves internationally selling their women in coffee mugs. 

The United Nations should put sanctions against countries that objectify women in their products and trading schemes which actually  disseminate degrading ideas about women worldwide. 

WHAT'S HAPPENING IN RADYO NG BAYAN?

Yes, Folks, I sometimes listen to Radyo ng Bayan because there are some issues not covered in other commercial radio stations. 

I usually tune in during the lunchtime news with Weng de la Pena and another host. 

Today, my attention was called by the headlines about certain international news, especially something connected with Trump. 

I waited until the last local news was delivered but there never was any hint that the international news would be read at all, and the station break had come on already. 

Is there some kind of political manipulation going on in Radyo ng Bayan so that they would not want me to be able to hear anything about the international news?

Or did someone tell them that I would listen only after that US news is reported and shut off my radio afterwards?

You see Folks, here in our country there are many hullabaloos going on, not just the kissing scenes between the president and the non-liberated women he deals with. 

Pathetic!

TUNAY NA AKTIBONG PAKIKILAHOK NG MGA ESTUDYANTE

Sawang sawa na akong makakita ng graffitti sa daan -- ibagsak; dag-dag-bawas; ibaba ang presyo ng gasolina. 

Sigurado ako mga kabataan ang nagpipintura, ayon sa pag order ng mga nakatatanda sa kanila. 

Pero ano nga ba ang dapat na trabaho ng estudyante?

MARAMI:

PPara sa tunay na pakikilahok sa edukasyon, dapat narito ang pagtuunan ng pansin ng mga kabataan, lalo na ng LFS or League of Filipino Students. Huwag na tayong magpa-macro-macro ng pagtingin sa mga problema. Isipin na lang natin ang araw-araw na dinaranas ng mga estudyante sa pampublikong eskuwelahan:

1. Mahal ng mga pagkain sa kantina. Sa halip na well-balanced diet sa halagang 65, nagiging 90 hanggang sobra sa isang daan ang nagagasta pangtanghalian. Kaya ang Chuirch of the Risen Lord sa UP ay nagbibigay ng tanghalian sa halagang P10 sa mga estudyanteng taghirap talaga. Paki donate lang mga kababayan ng abot-kaya ninyo para madagdagan ang mga bilang ng estudyanteng kumakain duon;

2. Tubig sa mga palikuran. Nakapunta na ba kayo sa mga eskuwelahang elementarya. Diyos mion, kelangan magtakip kayo ng ilong ninyo ng sanlaksa. Bakit ba, pag tinawag na public toilet ay parating ganyan. Umaalingasaw hanggang langit ang amoy. Saan napupunta yung tubig na dapat dumadaloy doon?

3. Bakit ang daming mga kalye aspaltado,  maayos naman pero sinisemento pa?  Magkano per square meter ang semento? Aba, yung matitipid sa mga struktura na yan, makakabili na ng mga murang meryenda at tanghalian ng mga kabataan. 

4. Ang mga guro: may sapat ba silang audio-visual materials para mapaganda ang pagtuturo at maging epektibo sa pagbabahagi ng mga teorya at iba pang kaisipan sa mga kabataan? Meron ba silang colored paper, felt pens, wytboard, mga DVD or CD na naglalaman ng mga animation o documentaryo na makakadagdag sa kaalaman ng mga bata?

5. Ang mga silid-aklatan, bago ba ang mga aklat o kopong-kopong pa?

6. Ang mga kisame, meron ba itong foil na kisame para lumamig ang kuwarto kapag tag-init?

7. Ang kabataan, may tumutulong ba sa kanilang dalhin ang kanilang mga bag na sampung kilo yata ang laman na pinipilit nilang hilahin sa maghapon. 

8. Kailangan ang libreng medical and dental services. Dapat may mga gamot na alternatibo at pharmaceutical sa eskuwelahan para ang mga bata ay makararanas kapag ng paggagamot ng sakit ng ipin, ulo, tiyan, at iba pa. Hindi na sila kailangan pang umuwi. 

Yan ang galing ng UP, well-contained. Nandiyan lahat, pati klinik, dentista, x-ray, etsetera. Binibigay ang serbisyo sa lahat mula sa elementarya, hanggang sa mga non-academic personnel. 

Sana ang UP ang gawing pamantayan kung ano dapat ang katatayuan ng bawa't eskuwelahan. 

Dapat ay may libreng shuttle service sa school na maghahatid sa mga bata sa kani-kanilang mga tahanan o kaya sa pinakamalapit na lugar sa kanilang barangay. Ang transportasyon ng mga estudyante ay bahagi ng tungkulin ng local government. Huwag nating isiping pang pribado lamang ang bagay na ito. Marami nang iniisip ang mga magulang para idagdag pa ang pagpunta at pag-uwi ng mga bata. 

8. Ang suweldo ng mga guro ay liliit ang halaga kapag tinaasan, kasi ang mga negosyante babawiin ang karagdagang pasuweldo sa mga manggagawa na humihingi rin ng suweldo. Ang dapat diyan, huwag na muna nating bayaran ang mga pagkakautang sa labas na hindi naman tayo ang nakinabang. Pangalawa, burahin sa listahan ng mga batas ang EPIRA law. 

Mga Kababayan ko, kailangan, i-focus natin ang ating paningin sa mga batang nag-aaral sa ngayon. Sila ang mga magiging leader o pinuno ng ating bansa. Paanong mangyayari kung kulang ang kanilang pinag-aralan, o kaya ay puro na lang sa kompyuter ang natututunan nila?

Sabi nga ni Kalihim Leonor Briones, dapat hikayatin nating silang magbasa ng aklat.

At may isa akong hihilingin sa Kalihim, ibalik ang pag-aaral ng musika sa lahat ng antas ng pag-aaral mula sa kinder, hanggang sa kolehiyo. 

Kapag marunong umawit ang isang tao, hindi siya kailangang magmukmok sa problema. Aawitin niya ang kanyang hinagpis, ang hirap, tuwa at ligaya. 

Ang ugat ng educasyon ay mapait subali't ang bunaga nito ay matamis. 
- Aristotle

REAL TALK?

ON DISRESPECTING JOSE CORAZON DE JESUS

What Is the use of a commemoration of the birth anniversary of the  HARI NG BALAGTASAN, and a national hero in music?

Huseng Batute or Jose Corazon de Jesus or JCJ  (born November 22, 1894; died on 26 May 1932) is not as well known as composers as lyricists are hardly recognized by the public.

But he wrote the words for Bayan Ko, our nationalistic song which we sang at rallies, demonstrations and school events. The lyrics likened the country to a beautiful woman coveted by foreigners, captured and then immersed in poverty.

He also likened the country to a bird desirous of freedom to fly

“Pugad ng luha ko’t dalita”

Here Huseng Batute shows that he is not afraid to show his emotions – his crying over the loss of freedom.

Given such sincere and deep feelings over the country’s fate, is it enough that interpreters of his poems just mouthe the words? How about their costumes, should they not show respect and reverence?

Millenials have an abhorrence for the past, and so they are ready to bastardize everything they see.

This dance group that interpreted JCJ’s poem about freedom, came out in all white, and for the women, short shorts. Do you think JCJ would have approved of that?

Of course not. The looks of the Filipino women at that time were completely different from the looks of women today who do not care what they wear – as they could reveal their “alak-alakan” even in the busy streets and inside churches.

No, that is not the way women should interpret JCJ’ s poem.

Conscious interpretation of history should have a basis of integrity. It should honor the views of the person being revered in the event.

Folks I am talking of the celebration of   the birth anniversary of JCJ at the CCP. 

Worse yet, the announcer at the beginning of the program, gave a very long intro to the group praising them and saying how they had received accolades in the past.

That background has no place in an anniversary. Also the length of the introduction is unfair to JCJ who was the star of the show.

As a newspaper person, JCJ had an upclose view of politics all over the world. He was a columnist of Taliba And so, he was deeply in the know about  the local and international developments which could have shaped his political views, given expression in his poems.

His poems and the lyrics of the songs, Pakiusap and Madaling Araw, speak of hurts, love of country hidden as a love for a woman.

It is truly painful living in a country with foreigners governing – white, Caucasian, and armed. For the men, emasculation is very apparent here because, right in our own soil, these foreigners were revered as if they were Gods. Even the women were enamoured by fair-complexioned guys as their colonial mentality even in love affairs have been shaped by the cultural milieu at that time (which could be carried over until today).

JCJ was also a prime mover in the propagation of the balagtasan. 

The first balagtasan took place on April 6, 1924 at the Instituto de Mujeres in Tondo, Manila. The event was held at the Instituto de Mujeres (Women’s Institute) as part of the celebration of Francisco Balagtas' birth anniversary. The two protagonists of the poetic debate were poets José Corazón de Jesús and Florentino Collantes. Balagtasan was derived from duplo. The verbal joust became popular among both the masses, intellectuals and the debutantes. This led to the adaptation of similar literary forms such as the bukanegan by the Ilocanos named after the father of Iloko literature, Pedro Bukaneg. Balagtasan saw a significant decline after the death of de Jesus in 1932 (wikipedia) 

 

Now the CCP program had a balagtasan where the clashing participants wore tee shirts with labels of the foreign country abhorred by JCJ. Didn’t the director see the incongruity here?

Then the word “conio” was mentioned several times. The meaning of “conio” in Spanish is this:

Coño is a common Spanish idiom (which is somewhat vulgar), primarily used in Spain and the Spanish Caribbean. Its actual meaning differs according to use, but in Spain and several Latin American countries it is also used in its literal sense as slang for the female genitalia, the vulva. (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/coño)

Would JCJ have approved such terms and the use of tee shirts in his birth event?

Of course not. And so the event turned out to be a half-baked honoring of Jose Corazon de Jesus.

A word of caution to the new officers of the CCP: a certain faction rules the CCP behind the scenes, controls the funds and their releases.

We should look at a broader view of culture as coming from different parties. No one has the sole authority on nationalism in the arts. In fact, Maoism is the prevalent view among the groups presenting themselves as nationalists, a transplantation of another foreign ideology on Philippine soil.

Cultural activities allow us to shape our identity as Filipino people. At this stage of our life, we should allow everyone to express their own definitions of what it is to be a Filipino.

BTW Mr. Arsenio J. Lizaso, President of the CCP,  was disrespected, as his middle initial was not mentioned at all during the introduction although he had emphasized that it be mentioned. And so Mr. Lizaso had to explain himself that letter J, as de Jesus as he belonged to the family of JCJ.

  

If the President of the CCP could be disrespected how much more the institution itself? And Jose Corazon de Jesus himself? 

Folks, let us stop putting so much importance on people without recognizing their ethical viewpoints. Otherwise our historical consciousness will be bastardized all the time. 

STOP VIOLENCE, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Why are there plenty of deranged people who prefer to hold guns and other arms to kill other people? What drives them to go into such kind of inhuman practices?

Is it not a form of being anti-human? Of trying to forget or having forgotten that one is still a human being?

Is it not a form of loss of faith in humanity? 

Who is the first person from whom an individual learns how to be human being?

Who teaches the children that they exist, that there are other people who exist as they are?

Who teaches them how to be kind and good to other people? Or is this ever taught at all?

Maybe the above are not all covered in the home, that place where warmth and love must exist. 

Maybe there are truly dysfunctional families that do not nurture people to be human and humane. 

So parents rely or the government thinks that by putting problem children in schools would solve the problem. Teachers are expected to be surrogate parents who will provide the necessary teachings, or serve or show examples of how to be a human being -- kind and gentle. 

But how come there are still the mass shootings occurring inside schools as the latest, and everywhere else? According to reports, data, the Texas shooting yesterday is the 101st this year. 

Maybe the American women's movement and which should be led by Hillary and all other Hollywood actresses, AS WELL AS female politicians and spouses of politicians with high political consciousness (high profile women) should lead in this endeavor of stopping violence. We need a concerted effort at this. The school youth have already spoken. Let the women follow suit -- with ecumenical solidarity all throughout the nation. 

The United States looks in need of maternal outlook, maternal feelings, maternal caring.   Let us include the men -- paternal outlook, paternal feelings, paternal caring.  

Those who use guns and kill are both men and women, with the former outnumbering the latter. 

" Between 1982 and February 2018, 2 mass shootings were initiated by female shooters, 94 by male shooters. The mass shooting in San Bernardino on December 2nd 2016 was the only instance in which both a male and female were the shooters." (https://www.statista.com/statistics/476445/mass-shootings-in-the-us-by-shooter-s-gender)

HELP WOMEN, HELP! Let our maternal instincts reverberate around the globe and preserve human lives. 

STOP VIOLENCE, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!


















SOME NOTES ON MASS SHOOTINGS:

What distinguishes mass shootings from other incidences of gun crime—mob violence, racial lynchings, et cetera—is not entirely clear. Most commonly, mass shootings are defined as events in which a lone perpetrator or a small group of perpetrators uses firearms to kill three or more victims. School shootings by contrast have no numerical qualifier; a school shooting is any incidence of gun violence occurring at or in the vicinity of an educational institution.

The full scope of gun violence in the U.S. and abroad is immense. In the U.S. alone there were 346 mass shootings in 2017, or about one per day. Despite attempts by nonprofits like the Gun Violence Archive and by government agencies, it is almost impossible to present every mass shooting. Rather, these are modern shootings that garnered particular attention or had a lasting cultural impact. Find the date, location, and a short description of each incident.

https://www.infoplease.com/us/crime/timeline-worldwide-school-and-mass-shootings

Gun control laws included here are: expanding background checks, closing the “Charleston loophole,” improving record reporting, closing the “terror gap,” banning bump stocks, addressing gun trafficking, closing the “boyfriend loophole,” and creating a “red flags” process. A mass shooting involves four or more people injured or killed in a single event at the same time and location. Mass shooting estimates available after Jan. 13, 2013

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/15/opinion/congress-gun-progress.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=small-thumb&module=opinion-c-col-left-region&region=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region

OVERTURN A PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT?

Is it possible for a Solicitor General to propose to overturn a presidential appointment of the Supreme Court Chief Justice and for that proposal to be approved by a handful of justices? 

So where does power rest now, is it in the president, or the Solicitor General? 

Unfortunately, Folks, the Constitution is very explicit on how to remove a Chief Justice, but will the justices who voted for CJ removal obey that if pressured by the Senate and other sectors of society? 

The way we experience democratic processes now, if they hew closely to how it is defined, will determine our future actions on issues that will have a bearing on our status as a democratic nation.  

PUPPET GOVERNMENT?

It is a very sad period in our world history, that Russians were able to penetrate the electoral system of the United States. That will really go down in history as a pathetic event that had sullied everything American from icons to the White House. 

When will she ever recover from this debacle that has brought divisions in the country in family and political lives?

Pray that it does not happen in our shores, that the Chinese from PRC would invade our country and insure that the official who heads our land would feel beholdened to her.

Folks, did you know that I have met two PRC women, one a beautiful happy even if separated from her husband who works here in an office? The other is a masseuse and she charges a lot for a massage, 1,000. I told her, Dapat libre, but of course she does not understand Pilipino. so she didnt know what i was talking about. 

But did you know that someone had told me, before the Japanese invaded our shores, there had been many Japanese people came to work here, but eventually became soldiers of the Imperial Army?

I wonder if our AFP is deep into espionage of foreigners in our shore. We need to know what is really going on and hope not to be surprised later on that we have a puppet government of PRC.

MGA TANONG TUNGKOL SA BARANGAY ELECTIONS

Natapos din sa wakas ang eleksyon para sa barangay. Parang napakalaking bruhaha ang nangyari sa pagboto ng mga susunod na liderato, pati na sa kabataan. Pero ang tanong: bakit masyadong naka focus ang mga tao sa paghahalal ng susunod na mga pinuno, pero pagkatapos ay hindi na binubusisi kung ano ang ginagawa ng mga lider na nahalal?

Alam ba natin kung ano dapat ang matatanggap natin sa Barangay?

Ang Barangay ay isang sentro ng lingkod bayan sa pinakamaliit na sistemang political subali't napakamakapangyarihan. Sa katunayan, kapag mga eleksyong nasyonal, nililigawan ng mga pulitiko ang mga barangay chair para mahikayat ang mga tao sa kanyang lugar na iboto sila. 

Dito natin makikita na ang Comelec ay hindi nagtagumpay sa pagtataas ng edukasyon ng mga tao tungkol sa mas makahulugang bahagi ng pamamahala ng ating gubyerno. Sila ay nalulubog sa paghahanda sa eleksyon, sa pagtingin sa mga kasalanan o pagkakamaling nagawa sa panahon ng eleksyon pero zero sa pagpapaangat ng kamalayan ng mga tao, lalo na ng kaalaman kung anu-ano ang relasyon nila sa mga pinuno. 

Kadalasan ay parang utang na loob pa natin sa mga nakaluklok ang tayo ay pagsilbihan, sa halip na makita nating ito ay kanilang sinumpaang tungkulin at nararapat lang na tayo ay pagsilbihan. 

Anu-ano ang inaasahan natin sa Barangay?

KAPAYAPAAN

Ang Barangay kapag magulo ay maraming patayan, maraming nag-aaway na mga pamilya, at hindi makapaglakad ng mapayapa ang mga tao sa gabi. 

Ang Barangay ay magulo kapag may nagvi-videoke hanggang alas 11 at mahaba pa rito sa gabi, dahil kaarawan daw ng isang pulis o kamag-anak ng isang opisyal ng barangay. 

Ang Barangay ay magulo kapag ang isang kalye ay isasara dahil lamang sa may pagdiriwang ng kaarawan. 

Ang Barangay ay magulo kapag ang mga traysikel ay mayayabang, namimili ng pasahero, mahal magpabayad, at akala mo sila pa ang dapat yukuran ng mga pasahero. 

Samakatuwid, dapat harapin ng Barangay ang maraming bagay na magbibigay na kapayapaan sa lugar. 

SEGURIDAD

Nung nakatira pa ako sa bahay ng Nanay ko, yung katabing bahay namin ay pinagbili sa isang may-ari ng nagbebenta ng household appliances. Yung construction head nito ay nagbungkal ng lupa, na nagdulot ng "cracks" ng aming bahay sa likod. 

Sa halip na humingi ng kapatawaran, ang yabang pang nagsalita itong "head" na ito at nagsabing "Sige idemanda nyo kami at ipapa-condemn namin ang bahay ninyo," sa harap ng Barangay officers. 

Ano ibig sabihin nito, mayabang siya kasi alam kong naglalagay siya. Nung nagharap kami sa QC Hall, nakita kong may inabot siya sa isang officer ng isang departamento, patago, tinakpan ng envelope. 

Samakatuwid, ang seguridad ay hindi maaasahan kung may mga taong ginagamit ang pera para mang-api ng mga kapitbahay. 

At ano pa ang seguridad? Marami akong maikukuwento sa kung ano ang nangyari sa aking mga gamit, na dahil ako ay lumipat na, ay nagsisilitawan. 

Bakit ganun? Kasi may mga taong ginamit kung sino man ang nagha-harass sa akin, na aking mga kamag-anak upang sirain ang buhay ko sa bahay na iyon para mapapayag akong maipagbili ito,  

Yung aking video camera at isang mataas na itim na maleta ng anak kong namatay ay nawawala. Hanggang ngayon hindi masagot ng 8888 at sabi ay kontakin ko ang Camp Karingal na nung tinawagan ko naman, ang sabi ay nasa Channel 2 raw. May nagsoli raw duon. Pero kung tinatawagan ko naman ay bina-block ang calls ko. May jammer sa paligid namin. 

At ngayong nakalipat na ako ay biglang nawalang isa-isa ang mga pang-haharass sa akin.
Pero may kapitbahay naman sa kabilang building, na kaharap ng building na tinitirhan ko, may mga nakatirang pamilya rin ng pulis, na araw-araw ay nagtatapon ng earbuds, papel ng kendi, at kung anu-ano pa sa aking daraanan. 

Samakatuwid, ang seguridad ko, ang pangangailangan kong magkaroon ng matahimik na pamumuhay ay sinisira ng pamilya na yun. 

Alam kong ginagawa ito sa akin dahil sa ako ay isang kritikal na manunula.  
  
Folks, isang katerba ang nakaantabay kapag ako ay umaalis ng aking unit. Minsan, biglang akong tumakbo upang alamin kung saan nanggagaling yung amoy ng sigarilyo at may nakita akong tumatalilis na lalaki sa loob ng hallway ng building. Samakatuwid, nakapalibot lahat ng mga taong it. 

Ngayon lang ay may lalaking naninigarilyo sa labas ng internet shop na ito at nagbubuga ng usok ng sigarilyo sa loob, at nalalanghap ko dahil nasa tabi ako ng pinto. Nagkamali ako ng napiling upuan . 

So Folks, ang seguridad ay isang napakahirap na tema para pag-usapan talaga para sa isang manunulat na katulad ko. 

Narinig ko nga ang isang Comelec commissioner, sabi, "if you find out that someone cheated in the elections, you should be ready to finish the investigation ang court hearings. You should be ready to die."

Ano, mamamatay siya dahil ang Comelec ay hindi kayang maresolba ang mga pandaraya sa eleksyon? Puwede ba? Ganun na ba kababaw ang maging bayani dito sa ating bayan 
Excuse me, Madame, please check your organization before you require media practitioners to sacrifice their lives for what is really the work of an inept organization as the Comelec. 

Job Security

Minsan nabasa ko sa tarpaulin, nagkaroon pala ng candle-making workshop ang barangay. Pero tapos na. Bakit ganun? Itinaas ang tarpaulin tapos na? Paano yung mga taong kung natuto sana ay nagkaroon ng trabaho?

Anong nais nating sabihin dito? Ang Barangay dapat ay may job center na sisiguraduhing lahat ng tao ay may trabaho at hindi tambay lang. 

Kapag ang tao ay tambay, ang utak ay di gumagana at parating nakafocus sa katawan niya. Pag-uwi ng lalaki sa bahay, kinakama kaagad ang asawa. Ang asawa naman, kung matapos magluto at ibang gawaing bahay, mag to-tong its. Ganun ba? Malusog ba ang barangay na ganyan? 

Hindi siyempre kasi ang utak ay lumiliit, at nawawalan ng malawak na pananaw kung sino siya bilang isang mamamayan hindi lamang sa pamilya, sa barangay kundi hanggang sa malaking lipunan.

Ang job center ay dapat na may listahan ng mga "available jobs" hindi lamang sa loob ng barangay kundi sa ibang lugar din upang mas maraming oportunidad ang makukuha ng mga "constituents," at hindi na sila kailangang mamasahe pa, gumasta sa pananghalian para lamang makapag-aplay sa trabaho. Samakatuwid, dapat may links ang job center na ito sa lahat ng job centers. 

Dapat  ding magkaroon ng mga pagsasanay ang Barangay kung paanong magtatagal sa trabaho ang isang empleyado upang hindi palipat-lipat. Magkaroon din ng mga regular na pagsasanay kung paanong magkaroon ng negosyo hindi minsan sa isang taon lamang. 

Sa aming Barangay, masyadong "polarized" : may mga taong nakahiga sa pera, at mayroon ding isang kahig, isang tuka. Mayroon ding nagkukunwaring mahirap yung pala ay milyonaryo o milyonarya dahil nagpapaupa ng mga kuwarto sa "squatters' areas" kung tawagin. 


PROSPERIDAD 

Ang pagiging malago, o "prosperous" ay hindi lamang sa kapal ng pera sa bulsa. May tinatawag na "prosperous mind." Ano ito? Ang Barangay kung maigi ang pamamalakad ay nakapagbibigay ng pag-asa sa mga "constitutents" para sila ay maging mapanlikha sa paglutas ng mga suliranin sa loob at labas ng kanilang tahanan. 

Ang isang "prosperous mind" din ay pagkakaroon ng kaalaman tungkol sa kung paanong tatanggalin ang isang pinuno ng Barangay kapag hindi kumikilos ng mabuti -- nagpo-protekta ng mga durugista, hinahayaan ang tong-its, marumi ang kapaligiran, etsetera. 

Samakatuwid, dapat siguraduhin ng Comelec at ng Department of Interior and Local Government na ang mga mamamayan ng Barangay ay may armas  na kaalaman upang patalsikin ang isang pinuno kung hindi nito ginagawa ang mga tungkulin, kung nagtatangi {discriminatory} at kung umasta akala mo ay pag-aari niya ang Barangay office -- na hindi man lamang mapahiram ang kompyuter, kahit na ang sulat na isusulat ay para sa Kapitana. 

Yung Prosperidad ay tungkol sa bulsa. Dapat palawakin ng National Economic Devt authority ang big sabihin ng "development" kasama na ang economic development ng mga mapanlikhang taumbayan. 

Anong mga mapanlikhang gawain: gumagawa ng mga kakanin, nagkukumpuni ng mga sirang gamit sa kusina, at iba pang lugar, gumagawa ng mga paintings, sculpture, nagbi-beadworks, etc. 

Samakatuwid, arts and crafts ay dapat papagyamanin sa barangay, at dapat magkaroon ng mga Festival of Handicrafts, o katulad nito kung saan maipagmamalaki ng taumbayan ang kani;amg sariling likhang kamay at dapat na maipagmalaki dahil marangal ito. 

Ang hirap kasi sa ating bansa ay tinutukoy lang parati ay mga imported good, hindi ang sariling likha ng ating mga kababayan. 

Dapat baguhin natin ang ating isipan tungkol sa Prosperidad. 

PANINIWALA SA DIYOS 

Kapag napatimo natin sa taumbayan ang paniniwala sa Diyos, mawawala ang mga gangsters, ang mga armadong grupo, ang mga durugista, at iba pang masasamang elemento sa aitng lipunan. 

Paanong gagawin ito ng Barangay? Magkaroon ng Ecumenical Centers sa bawat Barangay kung saan ang iba't ibang relihyon ay maaaring magmisa rito. Dapat hikayatin natin ang "religious tolerance" -- na tayo ay hindi lamang Kristiyano, Katoliko, Sabadista, Metodista, Muslim, atbp. Na ginagalang natin ang paniniwala ng bawa;t isa.

LIBRENG SAKAY  

Dapat  magpatupad ng libreng sakay ang gubyerno para ang mga "settlers" dito sa Maynila na kapos, ay magkaroon ng byahe minsan sa dalawang taon ang bawa't mamamayan, at  makakauwi sila sa probinsiya nila at makakaramdam ng pagkalinga ng kanilang mga kababayan. Baka gustuhin na rin nilang manirahan duon, pagkatapos kung kayat dapat ay bigyan ng pagkakataon ang lahat na makabalik, o makabisita sa kanilang pinanggalingan. 

Lahat tayo ay naglalakbay dito sa mundo natin. Bigyan natin ng pagkakataon ang lahat na makapaglakbay ng mapayapa, matiwasay at alamin kung ano ang tunay nila talagang gusto sa buhay. 

Ang pagkilala ng iba ay tinatawag na intelihensiya; ang pagkilala ng sarili ay tunay na karunungan. Ang pagsupil ng iba ay kalakasan; ang pagsupil ng sarili ang tunay na kapangyarihan. Lao Tzu

“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”

ON SAVING THE ECONOMY

"Contractualisation refers to the practice of hiring employees who would render their services for a finite amount of time, usually, for a few months only. This is a system that has been practiced and used by many companies, including large corporations."

The issue of Contractualisation is hurting our economy. It is resorted to by many companies due to the benefits they get from it like -- avoiding to give employees and workers their tenure-- after 6 months, an employee is supposed to be made permanent already in the old Labor Code; their not paying the 13th month bonus of every employee, not signing up with SSS and Pag-ibig, etc. 

In other words, what normally should be a nurturing relationship between the management and labor becomes a highly oppressive, prostituting connection that could lead labor to :
physically unhealthy situation: inability to put up a healthy family; accepting any order of management even if unacceptable; inability to dream big; and being sunk into limbo -- whether to give their all to their work or not and if they do, who knows, they could possibly earn the attention of the management who could make them permanent. 

That is the nightmare of our labor force in the country today. 

Now, I don't know why the legislators are dragging their feet in solving this iniquity in the field of employement. They enjoy the perks -- get their salaries every 15th and 30th; have all the benefits; earn the limelight everyday from media; and yet they are very very slow like turtles to act on what is a glaring whiplash on the bodies of our laboring sector. 

Is it a case of too many issues to tackle? Of having other priorities? Or of being bribed into ignoring the issue of Contractualisation so the heydays of the business sector would go on and on?

Actually, if we will examine Contractualisation, it is an issue between the capitalist and the worker. The capitalists own the tools of production, while the worker only has his/her physical and mental (shall we include emotions as well?) body to operate the tools and be paid for it. 


So how do we end the deadlock in the discussions on Contractualisation? How do we save our economy? 

We have to dilute capitalism. And the answer is cooperativism. Capitalism in our country has existed for so long but it has rarely been helpful to the labor force. Instead, it has become an ambitious dream for many people to become capitalists, especially the young people and to use governmental methods of assisting that sector to be scuccessful at the expense of the labor force. 

If the workers or the labor force could be made a partner by the capitalist and be given a share in the stocks of income, then Contractualisation would not be a problem at all. 

Successful people are generous with their wealth, said a thinker.

“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. 
Unsuccessful people are always asking, "What's in it for me?”
― Brian Tracy