NEXT BET

ATTENTION: Read the link before reading the article, to contextualize this post. Thanks!

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080422-131998/Crush-causes-of-insurgency-not-rebels

For weeks I have been problematizing the strategies of the government in dealing with the numerous crises that bombard the Philippine archipelago from sun up to sun down.

In the event of succession for PNP chief, the contenders will have their chance to express the plans for Philippine issues that concerns them.

The issue of insurgency in the Philippines is a stagnant subject matter in the archipelago. The desire to put off this movement has caused bloodshed all over the Philippines.

Reading through the statements of Deputy Director General Jesus Verzosa, I sensed some hope for the issue of insurgency. Instead of declaring war against the insurgents, he instead declared a rather hopeful strategy. Rather than bloodshed, he chose to cull the reasons of insurgency. What a statement from an officer, who wanted to pursue understanding than waste ammo in the battlefield, chasing one after the other.

Indeed, this country is tired of wars in the mountains and plains. The nation needs a more rational, real and objective pursuit of dealing with the crises. It’s high time to put a cap on the ammo and trace other paths other than engaging conflicts forever. The life that breathes inside each nation needs much more that the ideology that people are dying for.

I hope that those people sitting in ivory towers will follow the same path. We can never stop insurgency by killing the people who are part of it but we can put of the flames the keep insurgency burning by listening to the people, knowing their needs and their reasons for rebellion. Wars against insurgency will just rise up more insurgents; it will never silence it. thus, we must turn around our approach in dealing with this issue.

TEMPTATION OF DEEP THOUGHTS

takdang sumuong sa misteryo ng katahimikan at pag-iisa

bugso

Bumubulwak ang hangin, kasaliw nito’y himig na nakapanghihilakbot, may hatid rimarim ang bawat pagpatak ng hangin.

redeemed

Sinimulan kong isatitik ang aking isipan nang huminto ang pluma. Nilagyan ko ng diin and pagsulat; padiin nang padiin hanggang sa tumagas ang dugong nagsadula ng aking kasaysayan.

EARLY MORNING THOUGHTS

April 5, 2008. A few hours ago I’m contemplating to write a blog on anything about what I feel, or what I think. I’ve tried opening a word document and doodle around. My mind has a lot to offer but I can’t proceed. I can only give until three sentences and my thoughts will start to swirl around, until I bumped into Ate Kiana’s blog.

It is exactly 12 months past since the last time I held a chalk and played it around my fingers. 12 months had past since I rushed on the grades that I have to submit at the same time my co-teacher was bargaining for me to pass all her advisees.

I miss every single thing about being in a classroom, managing your own class; sharing life and ideas; sharing time and life’s experiences. I miss waking up very early in the morning to prepare for my class and staying up really late to evaluate my classes. I miss my life that revolves around textbooks, exams, lesson plan, notebook and all. I miss my life inside the classroom. I miss those people I have shared my life with.

My eyes are pretty teary. At some point, I thought life was so unfair. I never choose to quit but life made me quit leaving all the passion for teaching behind. At first I can’t reconcile God’s reasons for letting me do something and forego of what I really like. I can’t imagine how I managed to cross that part of my life, leaving behind the life that I want.

Now I am in crossroads again. I can grab a chance to go back to this life that I’ve missed. Now I get to understand God. He wanted me to stand firm on what I really wanted to do. Wherever place I’ll go, I’ll choose that path I chose before. I opt to remain a teacher, to share life with people who have the same thirsty spirit as I am. God in His own mysterious ways wanted me to realize the thing that I really want; giving me a clear and definite direction on my way towards it.

Indeed, God owns the secret things in life and it’s up for Him to reveal them in His desired time. Praise God for making me see this in the bleak point of my life. We may not understand Him at some point, we may get annoyed in His process of teaching us but He will definitely deliver us and teach us upon His sovereign design.

THANKFUL DESPITE OF….

Growing up in our neighborhood was never easy for me. I grew up in a community where most of our neighbors are going abroad to find for greener pastures. Luckily they did; they stumbled upon places of milk and honey.

Materially, their families were able to achieve what they want. Envy of this condition and desperate to provide us with a better life, my mother tried moving her way as well. My father inclined to follow his ideals never approved of that. At that age, I was confused my mother was I think overly submissive to our father missing the opportunity to follow her wants and desires, especially for her. Consequentially, my mother and father have to remain sellers all their life while our neighbors are enjoying life here and abroad, materially.

As the years are passing, the leaves falling from the branches that keep them, slowly our shy community started to expand. I observed house renovations here and there. I could see our neighbors acquiring assets, one thing we were greatly deprived of. I still remember we had a television because my aunt gave us one and that was in 2004, if my memory serves me right.

Because of our economic condition, we were expected to join our parents in the market selling their stuffs. Thus, we lived a secluded life. I, being the eldest and a female, was never given the freedom to spend ample time with my friends and visit the places in our small town.

Now, time has allowed me to process everything. The more than two concluded decades of my life made me realize the privilege we had, as a family. Today, an intact family is offered elusively; one thing we enjoyed. You may be together physically but you priorities in life differ. Or it may happen the other way around. This age showed me that living together in one family may last for only less than a decade because young families starts to break away due to economic demands. Thank God we made more than that.

Fathers or mothers going into far places to earn a living, and wanting to provide for their families needs because they are afraid that the society’s expectation will not be met. The Philippine’s dependence to OFW’s escalates yearly because the country cannot provide enough jobs for them.

The results of this search for green pasture are broken homes and broken lives in the neighborhood. Parents, who took the risk, leaving their kids behind, are trustful of their other half to take over all the responsibilities in the household more importantly tending their children. Unknowingly, when they get back they will be surprised with unwanted pregnancies, drug addicted children, out-of-school youth, unfaithful wife/husband, ailing house; and the worst no savings at all.

Building a family structured in a home will never be an easy task. However, repairing a broken family or broken life is a lot hard work than anything else, especially if you don’t know them anymore. Earning a lot in a faraway land may merit you the opportunity to aid a temporal hunger but the loss earned from leaving may mean a long enduring pain.

LESSONS FROM TEACHER VAL

Teacher Val is a member of our gang. Yes we have a gang but only Mariel knows about it. We meet on Wednesdays in the Evangelista’s mansion. If the gang’s leader is not around which happened to be Manang Precy, we meet elsewhere, in PMA, the other mansion, the joint Paloma-Viaje’s Mansion or else the mansioner/orphanage in Loakan, the Luga’s mansion.

We also see each other on Sundays, to serve our Master and Lover, Jesus Christ. We also meet on Mondays to learn from our co-servant in the Lord, Pastor Erwin and Tita Amy.

I met Val in her peak. She was a positive, learning, maturing, rationalizing and happy-to-be-with gang-mate. Really there are times I get tired of simply listening to her because she everything to say on things and she never gets tired…of talking. I love to tease her though because she knows how to get on with every throw.

Before 2007, ends I went suddenly alienated from Val, I kept it to myself not knowing that I am not alone. The gang is beginning to “gang up” on her, because we “don’t know her anymore.

As gang mates we desire to know whatever she is going through. She had counseling sessions around. I myself even poured out my heart on her because I can’t accept the feeling of not telling her what I actually feel.

We prayed for her at the same time we devoted much time discussing on her condition. Until such time we all got tired and ceased talking/minding about her.

Simultaneously, Val retired from her usual “she”. The merry and talkative Val was missed by everyone. For some time we had a Val who is defensive, moving away and living in silence.

March 23, 2007 I had the chance to be with my gang mate again after two long months of not fellowshipping together. At first, I was hesitant to ask her of anything; honestly I reached the point of becoming uncomfortable whenever I am with her. But, thank God for opening my mouth and letting me speak and listen to her once again. What a wonderful and glorious time it is. i saw that Val that I used to know. The vigor went back; the merry, talkative Val was back. She shared her lessons from the Lord; she narrated how much she struggled during those times that she doesn’t understand what she was going through.

Indeed, there are times that we long to understand people not knowing that these people we want to understand are also themselves don’t understand what they are going through. God really has His way of forcing us to focus upon Him. He will detach us to the point of shoving us away from our earthly treasures simply to put us back in His arms again making us know that He alone is the source of our joy.

In this age, where education and knowledge are both most held God in His mercy and grace puts His hedge of protection upon us not to be swayed from earthly materialism. Instead He will put us into a vacuum where in the final sense we will never doubt His authenticity in our lives. Indeed we can never understand all these things. It is only our sinful nature supported by evil’s doings that blinds us to keep on explaining the unexplained.

The experience of Teacher Val made a warning sign on my part. I don’t need to understand and explain things. I should let God open my mind and heart to understand His works upon all things putting forward in reverence His sovereignty over al things.

Praise God, I had the honor to be the first to embrace Val on her birthday. Also I had the honor to ask forgiveness to her for I have uttered words during her times of trial instead of asking God to open my heart and mind in understanding her.