Para sa mga batang pinagkaitan ng laya...

Nilikha ka ng kapusukan o pagmamahal,
Nagbungang buhay ay binuhay,
Ngunit nakakubling buhay ang buhay.

Hinabing istorya’t isiniwalat,
Pangsikil sa layang dapat,
Pangtakip sa walang hanggan,
Pangsinop sa katotohanan.

Musmos ma’y dapat lumaya,
Nang matutong magpalaya.
Kahihiyan ipagparaya,
Kapalit ng paglaya.

Nakakalunos na paslit,
Binigyang buhay,
Ngunit ninakawan ng laya
At karapatan.
Marapat pang kitlin,
Kaysa habang buhay bilanguin.

isang pagsilip sa sarili

Dapat nga ba talagang sadyain ang pagkakaibigan? O pwede nga bang sadyain ang pagkakaibigan? Hindi kaya ito magiging simpleng ekspresyon na lang ng “hypocrisy”

Sa aking pananaw ang pagkakaibigan ay arbitrary. Nangyayari ito kahit hindi pagplanuhan. Bahagi siya ng tinatawag na natural instinct ba yun? Mayroong pwersang parang nagdidikta sa swak-ness nang personalidad ng mga indibidwal. Kung wala ang pwersa na yon, pwede kayang pilitin ang sarili?

Marahil sa pagdaan ng panahon, given the chance to lower one’s pride, magtutugma din ang personalidad. Thus, maaring magsimula sa pilitan ang lahat pero dapat tunawin ito ng pagpapakumbaba at malawak na pang-unawa.

(reminder sa aking sarili, para maging mas friendly ako hahah)

What will I do when I get thirty?

I was approaching twenty when I told my Father that I wanted to be married at 35. And until now his reaction to that statement reverberates in my ears. I never expected a violent refusal from Tatay, though I know that he won’t agree with my idea.

Two years later I pegged it to 28. However, I felt so impatient to wait for seven years so I changed it to 26. In mid-2008, in the midst of doldrums I thought it best to be at 29, and so its 29 until this moment.

While waiting for this day to come, I am painting the man that I wish to spend my life with here on earth. Every moment that the thought of getting married comes to mind, I am reviewing my “qualification”.

Simultaneous with this, people around keep nagging me of the absence of the man that fetches me after office, which accompanies me whenever I have to do my grocery and all sorts of alibi that they may think of. I can’t tell them that based on my list, I haven’t found him yet. His face is still hidden in haze.

To be fair with the one I am waiting for, I do my part. I am praying for ‘him’ every time the thought comes in. And I pray for my self also, that I will be prepared to spend my life with him; that I will not resist a bit. At the same time, I am praying about my personal baggage, that I will overcome them or at least learn to manage them. I spend time in value formation and relationship building. I study the do’s and don’ts between man and woman in a relationship. I study gender differences. And I am taking time to visit parenting textbook. I listen to married people as they discuss real life experiences with their partners and how they get through it; all these and many other things that I do in preparation.

And there is the WHAT IF sound at the back of my head…

So what will I do when I get thirty?

Many might think that all my efforts will be wasted soon after thirty. But I think otherwise. It could be that my waiting will not come to pass but my preparation will never be wasted because I never wasted time to begin with. God will never leave me empty-handed. God’s work will never be in vain.

And when I am thirty, I will pass on whatever I learned to people who are also building themselves. It will be another chapter, and I am sure it would be as exciting as the 20s.

30s is a prime spot to train and mentor people in the 20s who are trying to gain their base. A decade of career search and so much trailblazing will be an impetus to lead others. Indeed, life never ends when our personal plans end. God have said it, many are the plans in a man’s heart, but the Lord’s plan shall prevail.

Foundation

The most awaited inaugural speech of US President Barack Obama was just heard. The absence of my access to hear it live left me with youtube.com. Thanks to the prompt response to upload it and thank God for the internet technology.

In the most hailed President’s speech I didn’t find the super-extravagance that some might have expected. The highfalutin words didn’t show up, practically no mesmerizing statement instead it is simply an account about his plans and how he is going to do them.

Taking into account the state of the United States today and the impact of the crisis upon its people, every promise that Pres. Obama will utter would mean so much to them and enough to make them shout. Right now, people in the US and even other nations are hopeful about his leadership; that he will overturn the present political system and in turn would affect many. Countless are leaning upon his leadership.

As he enumerates his plans I can hear shouts of hope as if Pres. Obama is the end of the line. His promises ranges from social security, education, health security, jobs, environmental concerns, energy sufficiency, and many other things contained his list. Well, with the worsening economic condition, I can’t blame them. They really need a messiah that will pull them out of the current crisis.

The Philippines is not an exemption to the hopeful for Pres. Obama as he takes over the presidential seat in the White House.

As predicted 2009 will allow the Philippines to experience the crisis which was initially felt in the US. Many have fret about this predictions. Many are expecting economic downturn.

Although the ability of Obama to reduce the crisis may help us through the globalize nature of economic policies that he might pursue, holding on to his promises alone may leave us losers in the process; because in the end he will prioritize his people. I believe the more pressing concern right now is the way we manage ourselves. Also, it is high time to anchor our security into more certain things than end up dependent on external forces.

senses...

Time ticks continuously, it runs unnoticed. I’ve been sitting here for more than two hours, doodling and babbling, and sometimes I do at the same time. I am currently not at peace but I hope to ease this and move forward.

For almost a week, I have been reviewing the education programs and projects here in our office. Amazingly, there are efforts in fact to arrest the condition of education in the country. On the contrary, during my morning and afternoon walks to and from the office, I find kids on the streets asking for alms, amassing the garbage for food, sleeping anywhere; I practically witness anything but manifestation of poverty: HUNGER.

I am lying in the midst again. While I am prodding myself to work with education programs and projects to respond to the literacy issues of children in this country, those children are out there not minding about their literacy but more focused on their physical longings.

The social issues are complex but intertwined. The psychology of man is even greater than that.

I AM WATCHING YOU DAD...

Marky Cielo

It grieves my heart to welcome this day with the death of a fine young man who fought by standing firm for the cause of the indigenous peoples, the Igorots.

Watching him excel in "Starstruck" I am, at the same time witnessing the pride in the eyes of his folks men while I was in Mt. Province. I can see that they long for this kind of representation.

The experienced discrimination served as his motivation to continue the fight for his people.

I do not know him personally but I enjoyed how much he did it to the top.

In a positive note, we learned our lesson. Discrimination is an issue that we need to conquer. He passed away but he left a legacy for his fellow Igorots.