SYOTA

Nung hayskul ako, nauso ang katagang “syota”. Hindi man malinaw ang etymology ng salitang ito, kumalat din naman agad na ito’y blending ng mga salitang “short time”. Kalaunan, ang mga romantikong Kabitenyong gaya ko ay hindi na ginamit ang salitang “syota” sa tuwing ipapakilala ang nobya sa kaibigan o kamag-anak. Dangan kasi’y di maganda ang implikasyon nito. Para bagang sinasabi mong “short time” lang o panandalian lang ang relasyon mo sa nobya/nobyo mo.

Ganito ko maihahalintulad ang mga hakbangin ng gubyerno upang solusyunan ang mga komplikadong problema ng lipunan. In all fairness sa Aquino administration, malaki naman talaga ang kaibahan nito sa nakaraang Arroyo administration. Hamak na mas mataas ang kumpyansa ng mga tao kay Noynoy kesa sa kurakot na si Gloria. Hamak na may pag-asa naman ngayon kesa nuong panahon ni Gloria na tila gumawa ng kultura ng kakurakutan na tumimo sa kaibuturan ng kaisipan ng bawat Pilipino.
Nakakagulat at nakakatakot isipin na sa murang edad, may ilang mga bata ang natuto ng manlamang sa kani-kanilang kalaro. Nakakagulat at nakakatakot isipin na ang mga magulang nila’y walang pakialam, tanging iniisip ang sikmurang kumakalam. Samantalang totoong pangunahing isyu na mapunanan ang kagutuman ng mga tao, mahalaga rin namang tignan at busisiin ang ilan pang mga mahahalagang salik na nakadadagdag sa tila di-mapagaling na kanser ng lipunan.

Mga salik na HINDI SYOTA.

Cash Transfer Program a.k.a. LIMOS

Enero ng taong 2008 ng simulan ang malawakang Conditional Cash Transfer Program (CCTP) ng gubyerno. Layon nito na makatulong sa mga mahihirap nating kababayan sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng pera sa mga piling pinakamahihirap na pamilya. (Ayon sa DSWD, P500 para sa bawat pamilya kada buwan bilang health and nutrition grant at P300 na education grant sa bawat batang nag-aaral kada buwan ang ilalaan ng gubyerno. Source: http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/ungc/unpan040549.pdf) Wala namang problema dito. Sa katunayan, maganda nga ito at may maramdaman man lang ating mga kababayan na tulong mula sa gubyerno.

Subalit para sa akin, isa itong SYOTA o short time solution. Kung aalisin ang euphemism sa title ng CCTP, ito’y isang “limos” para sa mahihirap nating kababayan; regular na limos. In fairness, inamin naman ng gubyerno na ito’y short term lamang. “The intention of the CCT program is not only to give solution in the short run but also to frame concrete solutions in the long run.” (Positive News Media)

Ang tanong ngayon, makalipas ang tatlong taon, asan na kaya ang “long run concrete solutions”?

Public Transport Assistance Program (PTAP) a.k.a. Pantawid Pasada

Noong lunes naman, May 2, 2011, sinimulan ng Department of Energy (DOE) ang pamimigay ng smart cards na maaaring gamitin ng mga tsuper sa kanilang pagpapakarga ng krudo sa mga piling gasolinahan. Sa ilalim ng programang ito, bibigyan ng gubyerno ang mga jeep at tricycle na may lehitimong prangkisa ng ) P1,050 kada buwan para sa jeep at P150 kada buwan. (NOTE: Mga jeep at tricycle na may prangkisa ang bibigyan at HINDI ang mga tsuper mismo.) Muli, isa itong magandang aksyon na mula sa gubyerno. Subalit tila minamaskarahan nito ang tunay ng isyu na dapat ay pagtuunan ng pansin—ang patuloy na paglobo ng presyo ng petrolyo.

Minsang nakapagchat kami ng bestfriend kong si Alfie. Nasa Dubai sya at lagi n’yang pinagmamalaki na masarap gumala sa Dubai lalo na’t may kotse s’ya. Mura lang daw kase ang gas doon. Syempre naman, pangunahing produkto ng Dubai ang petrolyo.

Dahil dito, di ko maiwasang magtanong, sa ibang bansa kaya kada araw nagbabago ang presyo ng petrolyo?

Ang ugat ng kahirapan

Hindi ako eksperto sa ekonomiya at sosyolohiya. Pero sa tingin ko, kahit ordinaryong mamayan ay maiisip ang mga ugat ng kahirapan. Para sa akin isa lang ang pinaka-ugat ng kahirapan sa Pilipinas: Kamangmangan. Syempre napakarami pang ibang ugat ng problema, pero para sa akin, ang lahat ng ito’y sumanga na lamang mula sa kamangkamangan. At ang pinakamatinding sanga nito ay ang over population.
Sa dinami-dami ng likas na yaman na biyaya sa atin ng Diyos, bakit nga ba mahirap ang Pilipinas?
Para sa akin ang kawalan ng edukasyon ang sanhi ng kahirapan. E teka? Di nga ba’t kahirapan ang dahilan kung bakit hindi makapag-aral ang mga bata?

Mismo.

Pero dahil mahirap, hindi na ba dapat mag-aral? Ito ang pangunahing dapat tugunan ng gubyerno, kung paanong mapapanatiling nag-aaral ang mga Pilipino. Ito naman talaga ang ibig sabihin ni Gat Jose Rizal “Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan”. Pero nakalulungkot na naging cliché na lamang ito. Paano magiging pag-asa ng bayan ang isang kabataan na walang pinag-aralan? Na walang alam gawin kundi ang tumambay? Pag-asa pa nga ba ang mga kabataan? O pabigat?

Sasabihin ng iba, e nag-aral naman ako a? Pero talagang walang makuhang trabaho dito sa Pilipinas. Komplikado ang isyu ng employment. Pero ang isang nakikita kong ugat nito ay ang sanga ng kamangmangan: over population.

Marami namang trabaho sa Pilipinas, pero tila mas marami ang supply ng tao kesa sa demand ng trabahador. Bukod pa rito, maraming mga potensyal na trabahador ang wala namang kaalaman o kakayanan.

Kongklusyon

Komplikadong usapin ang kahirapan at hindi ito kayang masolusyunan sa isang upuan lamang. Subalit ang aking panawagan sa gubyerno: HUWAG SYOTAIN ANG PROBLEMA NG BAYAN. Salamat sa aksyon, salamat sa pagtugon, salamat dahil ginagawa ninyo ang inyong trabaho. Pero hari nawa’y bigyang pansin at tugunan din ninyo ang mga ugat ng problemang Pilipino at mahanapan ng pangmatagalang solusyon.

Paranoia amidst mass hysteria

A 9.0 magnitude killer quake, a monstrous tsunami that engulfed north eastern Japan, and most recently the domino nuclear meltdown in the FukushimaDaiichi nuclear power plant have once again proven a lot of things. Too many that I cannot even rummage my mind and turn them into groups or classifications of some sort.

Last year, I wrote something similar to these realizations in relation to natural disasters. In July, I wrote Basyang’s Bashings to present some of the reflections that I had during and after that storm devastated the metro to the extent of cutting down power for hours (to some areas even days).

Today, as I monitor the progress of this “triple whammy” (term used in PDI) that devastated Japan, I am being reminded of the things that I have learned last year.

Oriental Paintings

Back in college, I got too engrossed with our Humanities subject. I was tasked to report about the History of Painting. I liked my topic so much that I have later on found myself going back to the library, borrowing the same book, and reading as much as I can about paintings. I can’t remember all of the things that I have read, but certain lessons remained. One of them is the message behind “oriental paintings”, i.e. ancient Chinese and Japanese paintings. Most of their paintings present mountains, forests, waves, in short, nature—it’s beauty and its power. In almost all the paintings that I have seen, rarely would you see a human, lest a house. If ever you see one, it would be as small as it could be, juxtaposed with the majestic environment from which it lies.

I was in my sophomore year back then, and for a young student starting to discover the bridge between art and philosophy, I started to learn how Taoism regards humans—a speck of dust compared to the vastness of nature. That is who we are, powerless against nature.
But just this morning, as I talk to God in my morning devotion, he reminded and calmed me. Psalms 46:2-3 says:

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.

Indeed, amidst the paranoia and mass hysteria that this tragedy in Japan brought the world, we should not tremble because despite being powerless against nature, this nature is powerless against God!

Oriental paintings should constantly remind us of the power and magnificence of nature over humans. However, a deeper realization should be: If this is how powerful nature is, how much more is God’s powers? The Lord who created and bestowed power to this nature?

Man’s quest for knowledge: an exercise in futility

Just a few months ago in our regular discussions, I told Kay that I’m starting to understand what Oscar Wilde teaches in “The Importance of Being Earnest”. Back in college, I couldn’t really comprehend his wisdom when he constantly says that humans prioritize the trivialities of life. Last year, Basyang taught me what Wilde tried to illustrate through his play. Today, Japan’s triple whammy reminded me of that lesson: the futility of man’s quest for knowledge, for power.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with researches and technological advancements, but we might as well start realizing why we’re doing (or overdoing) it. Is it really to help advance learning and make living more convenient than before? Or is it because of our quest for supremacy?

Come to think of it, EVERYTHING as in EVERYTHING that man created will eventually be DESTROYED, will eventually be WASTED. Man’s inventions lead to wastes, wastes lead to deaths—toxicity that will eventually suffocate us. But God’s creations last. In death springs life, in destruction comes restoration.

Wilde is correct. We always make treat trivial things with utmost seriousness, to the level of stupidity. We always try to look for improvements, for innovations, for power, without realizing that in this quest, something slowly disintegrates: our ability to become human.
Japan’s nuclear meltdown brought us back to the basics of energy sources. In the midst of the cold and dark night, we rely on fire. In the height of internet disconnection and unstable communication, we turn back to the basics of communication—talk; we should really start talking to God regularly.

Watered

So many episodes in the Bible present water—its ability to provide food, its power to draw anxiety among the hearts of men, its power to clean, among others. How north eastern Japan was swept by the power of water should “water” us with lessons and realizations: that we are powerless against nature, that our quest for power and supremacy through technological advancements is futile.

However, it should also remind us of truths: that Jesus calms the raging storms (Matthew 8:26), that “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness” (Psalms 23:2-3).

Why entertain paranoia when our God is bigger than our problems? Why mind mass hysteria when we are sure that God is on our side?

On Suicide

I pity Angelo Reyes for his untimely and worthless death. For the Japanese, what he has done is probably “patriotic” or “appropriate” since he has tainted his family’s name and the AFP’s credibility. (If we had the same culture, we would have solved our overpopulation issues!) However, as a Christian nation, his death is something pitiful, saddening to the deepest sense of it.

I pity him because had one person who has close relationship to Jesus talked to him, things could’ve been less grotesque.

Of course, my current plight is in no way similar nor close to his, but both of us had the same thought—ending one’s own life to put an end to the problems that surround us. But I am blessed to have a family (biologically and spiritually) who guided me through the difficult times. Of course, I’m not saying that Mr. Reyes doesn’t have a family to talk to, it’s still a personal choice. But as I watch the breaking news about his death, I could not help but think or tell myself, “How I wish I was there to talk to him…”


Committing suicide is an extension of one’s boastfulness. By taking one’s life, one shouts out loud to the Lord saying, “Hey you up there! Since you can’t help me out in solving my problems, I’ll solve them myself! HAHA! When I’m gone, the problems die with me!!!”

Angelo Reyes chose that option. He continued to display his power to overcome things, to solve his own problems.

How I wish that I was there to tell him that he can’t; that taking his own life is a further act of boastfulness right under God’s nose (if he still believes in God).

How I wish that I was there to share God’s words, to encourage him that admitting one’s faults and confessing one’s sins are the first steps towards freedom, towards mending the wounds, towards healing.

How I wish that I was there to tell him that God does not condemn; that even if the law of man would more likely lock him up behind bars, the love of God would give him the freedom that he never had—and will never have.

How I wish that I was there to tell him how God has been working in my life ever so clearly and effectively; that if God gave me the chance to change and start anew, why would He not do it to him?

Fortunately, I chose the other option. I confessed my sins and asked for God’s forgiveness, and with God’s grace, I have been forgiven. The soul-cleansing power of the Blood of the Lamb has washed away all the sins that I have done in the past (yeah, more powerful than Ariel and Tide Ultra COMBINED!), and this reality gave me the power to face my problems and start a new life.

I’ve also asked for forgiveness from those people that I have hurt. I am fully aware that man’s ability to forgive is light-years away from God’s, so I am willing to continue praying for them and wait for the time that they will forgive me.

***

As you read this, you are probably in a certain situation that tests your ability to face and solve your problems. Let me tell you that you can’t solve them on your own. You could find solutions, but the utmost step to solving a problem would be giving it up to the Lord. Pray. He will give you answers; He always does, we just don’t listen.

Probably (I hope not) at some point in your life, you will also start thinking of what Angelo Reyes thought (and did), but let me remind you that it’s futile. It will never be the best option. If you will just let Him handle your problems, you will be amazed at how His hands will move to bring you peace and redemption.

“Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”

Psalms 55:22

The Spirit of Christmas

Every year we often hear people say that Christmas is for kids (Ang pasko ay para sa mga bata…), something I’d like to ponder upon this Christmas season.

Is Christmas really for the kids? If so, why? Let me share my views on this. I’ll answer the question primarily with a NO.

NO. From a capitalist perspective, Christmas is never about the kids. It’s about them, the bigwigs in business and the profit that they will gain out of luring the kids to buy their not-so-good goods and motivating them to have tantrums if their wants are not granted. Nowadays, there are so many things that you can find around the market that weren’t available in shops before, from the most unusual electronic gadget to the most out-of-this-world fashion accessories. Ever wondered why I-pod, I-phone, and I-pad lured you and the other kids to have them? Well, the Apple had a bite, and it’s waiting for you to take the bait.

(N.B. The Bible didn’t mention that the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is an apple. DISCLAIMER: I’m not saying that buying these is equal to being evil. But LONGING for these to the extent of obsession and depression is evil.)

NO. From a political perspective, Christmas is never about the kids. It’s about them, the gansters and mafias seated in leather swivel chairs inside the big House called the government. “‘Tis the season of giving” they say. But should their not-so-angelic faces be plastered all over the “gifts” that they distribute among their constituents (a.k.a. voters)? I wonder how these people stomach sashaying gifts that were bought out of taxpayers’ money.

NO. From an employee’s perspective, Christmas is never about the kids. It’s about the double-pay, the additional compensation that they will get from sacrificing joy in the name of duty. Of course, some employees would really work over time for the sake of their children. But is it worth it? Can money really cover what kids really need? (most especially during Christmas?)

If Christmas is for kids, how do we see kids? How do we understand their NEEDS more than their WANTS?

Wait.

Who are the KIDS in the first place? If we will define kids as naïve, dependent, and trivial, then I am a kid, you are a kid, we are kids!

If we are naïve (as in we don’t understand some of the things that happen in our lives), dependent (as in we can’t live on our own), and trivial (as in we find joy out of the not-so-important things, specially material things) then YES, Christmas is for kids, like us because the real spirit of Christmas is not about the gifts that you give and receive, it’s about the greatest gift, the greatest sacrifice that God has given to us.

Most of the time, we celebrate Christmas only on the basis of Jesus’s birth. We fail to celebrate a much bigger occasion, His death—the ultimate and incomparable example of love, of giving.

Yes. Christmas is for kids like us because it’s a constant reminder that we are kids: Naïve, Dependent, and Trivial; that we are kids who need Jesus in our lives because we cannot do things on our own. We can only be successful in this life if we realize and accept that we need Jesus beside us in all the things that we do.

Have a blessed Chrismas and New year, KIDS!

Daily Battles

For almost 10 years now, I have been living a life back and forth Cavite and Manila, and in all those years I have been blessed with the protection of God against the “evil elements” that lurk around us. However, with what happened to my loved ones this week, I paused for a while to reflect about God’s protection.

Was I really protected or was it just mere “luck”? Why did it happen to my family, aren’t they supposed to be protected too?

What battles do we encounter everyday? Does God really protect us from the enemies? If He does, then why do we still struggle to survive the daily battles that we face?

I cannot answer all these questions now, or I may not be able to answer them clearly, but let me try to share the reflections that God revealed to me through Bible studies and daily devotions.

First, there are different battles that we encounter everyday. Spiritual, emotional, and physical are probably the most general categories of battles that we face. I’ll start with the spiritual, since I think this is the main source of other battles. John Bevere, in his book “Under Cover” discusses that the root cause of all the curses and problems that we encounter is Sin. I won’t discuss them in detail here (1) because I can’t, (2) because it would be better if you will read it for yourself and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you through.

“So are you telling me that the reason for my problems is Sin?”

“Yes.”

“And why are you telling this? Aren’t you a sinner yourself?”

“I am. And that’s one of the biggest daily battle that I face: the battle against SIN. (And that’s why I’m sharing this to you, because most likely, you are in a battle yourself.)”

From spiritual comes emotional. Later, we would worry too much, we would get in love and would be hurt too much; we would get mad and would hate too much; we would lose and would curse, and so on and so forth.

From emotional comes physical. Because our emotions are affected, we tend to express it too much through words and actions. We curse the people we hate at times even hurting them (and ourselves) physically.

Second, God protects us. That’s for sure. But the problem is, we don’t allow Him to protect us. In Matthew 7:7-8, we learn that if we ask it will be given to us, if we seek we will find, and if we knock, the door will be opened for us. God offers an indestructible bunk that would protect us from the enemies, but the problem is we just don’t knock! How will we get in if we prefer to stay outside? How are we going to be protected if we prefer to be in danger?

Third (which is probably the most difficult question to answer), we continue to have struggles because God wants us to learn to depend on Him. The problem with human pride is our claim that we can do things on our own, that we are independent from God. This is exactly what the Devil told Eve when the snake persuaded her to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

“Ok Wait, I never boastfully told God that I can live my own life without him!”

“Yeah, you might have not said it, but in some little ways, we may not be aware that we’ve been doing it.”

Most would argue that since God gave us the intelligence, the ability to rationalize compared to other creatures that He made, we should use it to decide for our own lives. What we miss is the fact that in everything that we do, we should always ASK for God’s plan, SEEK for his answers, and KNOCK for our minds to be opened.


The incidents made me worry about the safety of my family. It made me ask the questions above. But God gave me the peace that I am looking for. Truly, “He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside quiet waters”. (Psalms 23:2)

Most people see these daily battles as curses, but Jesus’s disciples should see them as opportunities to depend to God. We should see these battles as blessings, after all “all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

PRAYERS for JEROME

This afternoon, Kay and I went to Marikina to visit Jerome Barredo, an alumnus of the PNU English department and a former artist of The Torch. We have been wanting to see him since June (the time that we learned about his health condition). However, due to busy schedules, Kay and I didn’t have the time to check on him.

Last Saturday, while praying in church during the Encounter Retreat, Jesus, for some reason, reminded me of Jerome. Clearly, it was the work of the Holy Spirit; it’s kinda odd because we were praying about families and friends during that time and to be honest, we weren’t friends. I just had a connection with him because of Kay. (He was my student though, in Foundations during the 1st semester of SY 2008-2009. He was an irregular student who joined section II-10.)

Because of that reminder, we decided to visit him. My heart was crushed upon seeing him almost paralyzed. He was just lying down in a sofa (which he uses as his bed, I suppose) full of pillows. His upper body was so thin but his stomach is bloated, and he can barely lift his swollen feet. We asked what his disease was, and the family said that the doctors didn’t find anything. (There are really some things that happen to us which cannot be explained by Science.) When we asked if he’s taking any medicines, the sister said he doesn’t want them anymore.

After the little talk, we proceeded with our mission. Kay and I asked for the family’s permission for us to pray for Jerome. We bowed down our heads and laid down our hands on Jerome’s frail body, and we prayed to Jesus. While praying, Jerome fidgeted and tried to move—to no avail. Later on, he was mumbling “…kaya ko to…” because during the prayer, I constantly reminded him to have faith in God and to focus on Him.

After the prayer, I saw a slight glow in his face. He smiled thinly to us and said, “Salamat”.

We can’t really contribute so much regarding the expenses of Jerome’s family, but anyone who trusts Jesus’s healing power can do a lot. I have full faith that He will do something good to Jerome and his family.

I invite everyone to include Jerome Clark Barredo and his family in your prayers. Thank you very much and God bless.

Mending the wounds

Whenever I get wounds, Mama would “spill” alcohol on it. It’s painful, but she tells me (in an angry but loving manner) that it’s the cure because it will prevent infections.

The hostage crisis and the picture of students who posed having the hostaged bus as their background have already wounded the China-Philippines relationship. However, just like the wounds we had, I believe that we will be able to patch things up again and strengthen the centuries-long relationship with the Chinese.

In this blog, I will particularly focus on some practical suggestions on mending the wounds.

1. Admit and Submit- The damage has been done, and we cannot “undone what has been done”. Filipinos should stop pointing fingers. Instead, what we should do is to admit that there were really lapses on the part of government, media, Mendoza’s relatives, and the “usiseros”. At the same time, we have to silently submit to public denouncements by the world—it’s part of the confession, to be condemned. We did something wrong, and even if we argue that this is an isolated case (which I strongly believe, because c’mon, don’t tell me that Philippines isn’t safe; USA wasn’t “safe” too, remember twin towers in 2001?; Spain wasn’t “safe” too, remember the Madrid train bombing in 2004?; India is not “safe” too, remember the Mumbai Attacks in 2008?) we cannot blame them for hating us. I’d like to believe (and I really hope and pray) that this will come to pass. Tolerance, I believe, is the key. It’s not synonymous to cowardice.

2. Recuperate and cooperate- The process of mending the wounds doesn’t stop on the confession level. We have to do proactive moves to “redeem the lost glory”. Specifically, instead of hating the students for the stupidity of their acts, I think it’s more important to move on and cooperate by finally putting a halt on cyber bullying and lambasting; it doesn’t help the situation anyway. Moreover, let me stress out that the majorship of these kids is IRRELEVANT. There are stupid students around us anyway; there are stupid students from both public and private schools anyway—so let’s STOP stressing out that they belong to such and such a department. This is one of the many ways to recuperate and cooperate.

3. Be careful and be tactful- Now that we know how powerfully dangerous the internet can be (just this afternoon, we received an information from PNU Chinese students that the pictures were already published in Chinese newspapers in China) we have to be extra careful on the pictures, videos, and blogs that we upload. At the same time, we should be extra tactful with all the comments, tweets, or statuses that we post. Remember that the world can view your posts, and your posts are subject to acceptance or rejection—or denouncement for that matter. Remember that beyond the computer screens are human beings that have different moral values and cultural traditions. For us, turning the bus into a tourist spot may not mean anything serious, editing the pictures and putting spiderman there may be a joke, but for our Chinese brothers and sisters, this is a direct insult to their fellows who died there.

This morning, I have started to “re-educate” my students with netiquette (network etiquette). I have reminded them to be extra careful with their internet-related activities. Hopefully, they will teach their future students too (who would most probably be in a more “dangerous” cyber world).

I challenge my students, friends, and colleagues to do the same (especially those who commented on the pictures). The condemning part is over. Now, what we have to do is to start teaching.

Instead of spreading the infection, let’s “spill” the alcohol that would cure the wound. Yes, wounds leave scars, but these should be taken positively as reminders: of the wrong that should be avoided, and of the good that should be practiced.