I feel like resurrecting my blog

Part of exploring my new iPad Mini is browsing over some good apps. I chanced upon Blogger. I think I could resurrect my blog.

My Speech as a Parent's Response during my daughter's graduation from high school

This is the text of my speech as a parent's response during the 63rd HS Commencement Exercises at St. Paul College of Bocaue where my daughter Kamille Marie was among the graduating students.

Exactly 28 years ago, I stood in front of my fellow graduating high school students to deliver my Valedictory Address. At that time, medals were rarely given, but I managed to bag 13 medals all in all, including the prestigious Gerry Roxas Leadership Award and President Ferdinand Marcos Medallion for Academic Excellence. I led the entire graduating class as we marched toward the stage. I knew my parents were so proud of me – of the accomplishments and achievements I worked hard for. I saw how their fellow parents approached them to congratulate them after the Commencement Exercises.

To me, it was the sweetest day of my high school life. To me, my high school life were my golden years of feathers in the hat. The medals I reaped represented the so many opportunities where I had discovered and honed my talents and skills, improved myself socially, intellectually, physically, academically, and spiritually. I gave my best when I was in high school. I gave them all to my parents.

Today, I now feel what must have been felt by my own parents when I was graduating from high school. I am now a parent of one of the graduating students, our very dear Kamille Marie, whom I consider one of the precious gifts of God to us – especially when she was born. I literally jumped for joy when I learned that my baby was a girl. Kamille was the newly born when Sue, her mom, suffered from post-eclampsia that almost cost her life.

Today as she is about to graduate from high school, I can’t help but feel proud of our daughter. She gave her best. We never pressured her to do so. My parents never pressured me, too, when I was in high school. My parents, especially my dearest father, simply motivated me to always give my best.

For him, there should never be a dull moment for learning. Every moment counted so much. I never fell asleep in my classes. I might miss the most important lesson of the hour. The library was my home. There was not a single book I’ve seen that I never opened, may they be books for college or for professionals. For me, there was more to what my teachers were teaching us in the formal classroom.

I could say that if others think that the most important lessons in life were learned when they were in kindergarten, I learned them when I was in high school. There is greater consciousness of the choices one makes once in high school. The lessons are more lasting. The relationships are more meaningful. Dreams become more realistic. Ambitions are more tangible. Morals are more concrete. Virtues and values are clearer. Choices become more definitive and predictive of what one becomes. High school life definitely has a great bearing in adult life.

That is why the choice of school for high school education matters. The Vision and Mission of a school matter. The professional competence of teachers matters. It is because our children’s views of the world and of their lives depend on how these have been introduced to them as they were growing up. What they will do to themselves and to the society where they will be would somehow be some reflections of how they had been raised.

Kamille, your Alma Mater, where I happen to be one of the teaching staff, is no ordinary one. It is a home to so many alumni who are now key players of the society. I need not mention names, lest, there may be some that I miss, yet are equally important. Through the years, St. Paul College of Bocaue has maintained its identity as a bastion of quality Catholic, Paulinian Education in this part of the country. Through the years, your Alma Mater has produced hundreds of graduates who are now productive members of the society, making a difference not just in their families but also in the world. Your teachers have prepared you well. They have equipped you not just with knowledge and skills needed to survive in the next ladder of education. They also taught you about our God whose immense love for us is unfathomable, immeasureable, unconditional and ever so pure. They taught you about Jesus and about salvation. To me, that is the most important of all. For what profits a man to gain the whole world but loses his soul!

I am so proud of you, my dear. You are graduating from a school where hard work is emphasized. You are graduating from a school where God is very much the center of life. That alone is the greatest Paulinian legacy that you can carry through thick and thin on the struggles of life. No matter how difficult life may be, God is enough reason to go on. God is enough reason to sail on.

Dear Sisters, my fellow teachers, for 11 years, our daughter has been under your maternal and paternal care. In behalf of my fellow parents, especially my fellow dads, I thank you most sincerely for teaching our children the necessary skills and competencies for them to hurdle a more challenging level of education. I thank you for teaching them about values and morals, discipline and order, perseverance and hard work, consistency and determination, care and responsibility, spirituality and excellence. Parents like me who are so busy with work and responsibilities may, at times, forget our children’s needs, especially at their most confusing moments and teenage adventurism. Thanks to the teachers and Sisters who are more than eyes and ears of parents. Through you, we are able to know our children better. Through you, we discover and hone their strengths, interests, skills, talents, and directions. Through you, we also learn their weaknesses, limitations, failures, flaws, softness, and Achilles’ heels. Together, we have produced them into who they are right before our very eyes – 279 candidates for graduation for having completed satisfactorily all the requirements prescribed by the Department of Education for a diploma in Secondary Education. Thank you so much, dear Sisters and colleagues.

Our dear children, as you are about to graduate from high school, remember, there’s no such thing as success in life. There is only hardwork. Medals, citations, awards don’t make a man. It is the heart and soul that know how to love, to give importance, to give the best, to be compassionate, to be humble that make a man. It is the person who recognizes that God is the ultimate source of all the giftedness in him.

When you would have become professionals yourselves, make a positive difference in the society, especially these days where you have so many professions to choose from. I am reminded of an anecdote where the children were asked what they would like to become when they grow up.

One child said: Paglaki ko gusto ko maging doktor upang gagamutin ko aking kapwa.

Another one quipped: Gusto ko maging engineer. Magpapatayo ako ng mga tulay at mga gusali para sa aking kapwa.

Another one stood up and declared: Ako magiging guro upang turuan ko ang aking kapwa.

Yet another proudly said: Gusto ko maging presidente upang mas maraming kapwa ang aking matutulungan.

On one corner was Juan Tamad. He finally stood up and told everyone: Ako naman, gusto ko maging kapwa.

And so our dear children, be instruments of change for the better. Explore the world, make the right, responsible choices. Be meaningful in your lives. Live for others. Share in the salvific mission of the Church. But come back to your Alma Mater. Attend reunions. Then and only then, perhaps, that you can truly and sincerely say “thank you” to your teachers and the Sisters who have brought you up well.

Good luck and God bless all of you. Congratulations, and thank you St. Paul College of Bocaue!

Earthquake and Tsunami

Barely less than amonth after I have posted my Prelude to 2012 Catastrophe, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit Japan which caused a massive tsunami that practically washed off parts of northeastern Japan, especially Sendai and Fukushima Prefecture.

Unlike with the earthquake and tsunami that hit Phuket in Thailand which came as a surprise, the tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011 happened in broad daylight, to the advantage of TV news crew, they were able to take 'live' coverage as the gigantic wave practically gobbled up everything on its way to the shorelines of Japan. I have seen TV broadcast taken via helicopter still showing the fast gigantic waves about to hit the shores. Some people managed to capture on amateur video the heart-breaking wrath of nature beginning from the shaking earth to the coming of the huge tsunami. It was the golden moments of television broadcasting - live footages of massive destruction, and also of geologists, seismologists, tsunami watchers, and even of the ordinary people who can not help but grab their videocams and digital cameras to document the disaster.

On television, it was as if it was one of the Hollywood movies full of tricks and effects. But it was real. It was as if I was simply watching the hit movie 2012. But it was real. My jaw dropped. Buildings were crushed, transferred, gobbled up. Yatchs, ships, cars, trucks, trains - they were all toys. They simply were debris along the way of the punishing tsunami. Explosions seemed cinematic. More so for the hydrogen explosion at the nuclear power plant that was destroyed by the powerful tsunami.

When nature punishes, it really means business. Get out of the way, or perish.

Are these a prelude to the dreaded '2012' phenomenon?

Just asking.

Prelude to 2012 Catastrophe?

Could it be that the unusual activities of the Earth's crust (series of volcanic eruptions, sporadic earthquakes) that had been going on in the recent months are simply preludes to the much hyped 2012 Mayan prediction of a changed world?

Could it also be that the geomagnetic storms sparked by solar eruptions are also a part of the dramatic preludes to the 2012 prediction? Please check Space weather could wreak havoc in gadget-driven world.

Could it also be that the unusual weather patterns that the world is experiencing now, either caused by global warming or not, are a result of the gradual shifting of the earth's crust in preparation of the dreaded polar shift believed to regularly take place on earth every 26,000 years?

While many skeptics believe that there is no truth to the Mayan prediction about the 'end' of the world in 2012, the signs and symptoms of a dynamic earth are showing up more often.

Many believe that God would never allow the earth to be destroyed again. I also ask, why then has Jesus warned us of some form of destruction which are graphically described in the Bible?

Consider the following: Mark 13:24-25 (cf Matthew 24.29-31; Luke 21.25-28)

v24"In the days after that time of trouble the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, v25the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses.

Let's take a look at Luke 21:11; 25-28

v11There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and plagues everywhere; there will be strange and terrifying things coming from the sky.

v25"There will be strange things happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars. On earth whole countries will be in despair, afraid of the roar of the sea and the raging tides. v26People will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses. v27Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in a cloud with great power and glory. v28When these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because your salvation is near."

So will the skeptics refute also what Jesus himself 'said' about the 'end of days'?

In Mark 13:31, we read

v31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

In fact, from Mark 13:24ff, the entire entry which speaks about unimaginable disasters, gives us a warning:

(Matthew 24.29-31; Luke 21.25-28)


v24"In the days after that time of trouble the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, v25the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses. v26Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in the clouds with great power and glory. v27He will send the angels out to the four corners of the earth to gather God's chosen people from one end of the world to the other.


(Matthew 24.32-35; Luke 21.29-33)

v28"Let the fig tree teach you a lesson. When its branches become green and tender and it starts putting out leaves, you know that summer is near. v29In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the time is near, ready to begin.a v30Remember that all these things will happen before the people now living have all died. v31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

For the non-believers, the above entries could be translated into other ways. The theologians might even have beautiful, philosophical explanations on them. Debates on it might even confuse us more. If Jesus himself warned that his words will never pass away, then his imagery of destruction can not just be an exaggeration to illustrate his point, which the philosophers and theologians are fond of interpreting differently (not in toto).

What about the warnings as allegedly described by the Lady in Portugal to the three children, which had been kept for a long time until before the death of one of the seers, Sr. Lucia?

Will you simply adopt a wait-and-see attitude or give the prophecy the benefit of the doubt and be prepared for any eventuality in 2012? What if the prediction erred? By a year? By 5 years? By 10 years? Or more years, yet will happen just the same? Could we say that the Mayan Prediction was wrong because the destruction did not occur in 2012?

Just asking.

Blogger in Tagalog?

I was surprised on the newest move of Blogger.com to fit to the local language the instructions to sign in for my blog site. Tagalog? Why? Which makes me wonder what up with these sites that always assume as if you don't understand their default language of English.

This holds true also to Google.com which chooses the language of your geographical location based probably on the IP address that you have. It is quite weird and annoying that the assumption is that you would prefer the local language than the default English. There is also this continued effort to translate some sites into the local language of the geographical location of the net surfer.

It is not that I don't like my national language of Filipino. But I am not so comfortable seeing buttons and links in the Filipino language. Take for example Mga tool sa wika in Google. Or Mag-sign out also in Google. Good if the translations are purist. then and only then could I say that it is indeed an authentic translation of the English language to Filipino.  But for as long as they remain Taglish or Engalog, I still prefer the default English language for me to navigate the site.

Forgiveness

I had been following closely the death of former AFP Chief of Staff and Sec. Angelo Reyes. The stern stance of the family immediately after his death towards his detractors and accusers gradually melted into forgiveness.

I almost could feel how the family members felt on Day 1. Anger. Denial. Hatred. Cynicism. Distrust. Grief. Name it. It must have been very painful, indeed. The family was in a state of shock, much like the entire country was also in a state of shock. It was legitimate for the family to feel all these.

But gradually, the family's doors began to open, even to those who may have pushed Reyes to pull the trigger. Gradually, I saw in the family their value system which only God-fearing and God-loving families may have. Reyes is still lying in state, yet, the wife and children already expressed forgiveness to the people whose hands are dripping with Reyes' blood. What a gesture of Christianity and a display of statesmanship!

I guess, Sec. Reyes is smiling at them on how his family is handling his untimely demise.

The outpouring of love and support from all kinds of people to the bereaved family is indeed making them strong. It is helping them cope and heal their wounds. The family has suffered and bruised to black and blue, but in stead of wallowing on their pains, they chose to forgive...

I just hope that in the next days to come, they continue to show a similar stance - meek and humble, forgiving and accepting.

Suicide

Photo courtesy of inquirer.net

The news that former Sec. Angelo Reyes took his own life came as a shocking surprise to me early this morning as I was listening over the radio in my Office. I followed the developments as they unfolded as early as before 8:00 a.m.

I don’t know personally Sec. Reyes but I felt that his death will become a celebrated one and might even trigger some serious and big future events in the country. I was shocked that a former General and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines would succumb to pressure or perhaps depression amid the controversies he was facing vis-à-vis allegations that he received a huge P50M as a send-off gift when he finally retired from the military service.

I say it is unlikely for a strong-willed person like him to easily give up his life, knowing that he was a principled man. I knew him as someone who served in the military in the interest of the Filipino nation – no matter what others think of him as otherwise. For him, his honor and dignity were utmost. Not to mention his beloved family. Whatever were the accusations against him, even up to his last day, to me he was reasonable and statesman even as he was facing one of the most humiliating experiences one could ever imagine. To think that military men are known to be “officers and gentlemen”. If one is accused of something that he is innocent of, it comes as a devastating blow on one’s person. It must have been so painful to Sec. Reyes, especially, if in his heart he knew he was not guilty. But the events took the better of him. He allegedly pulled the trigger that eventually ripped his heart apart and fell on the grave of his mother – known to be very close to his heart.

This brings so many questions left unanswered, which only the Secretary could.

I condole with the family – especially to the children who could still be in a state of shock. I almost feel how the family feels. It is too difficult to lose a loved one, especially in the thickness of a battle.

No, don’t get me wrong. I am not siding anyone on the controversies surrounding the investigations going-on in the Senate. I am a person who does not easily jump to conclusions. I am just shocked that a former General allowed himself to be overcome by accusations not yet proven beyond reasonable doubt. In the guise of “in-aid-of-legislation”, the powerful Senate grills anyone even as one already begins to lose dignity in public because the media is always around to scoop and nose for the latest, juiciest, and sizzling twists and turns of the dramas of real lives. These resource persons become public properties waiting to be devoured by the best predators that can mince the most brutal, harshest, most pungent words that the ear maniacs love to applaud. And there is hardly a way that the victim-resource persons could subject the “honorable” members of the Senate or Congress to grill them also like what they did to them. And everything is done “in aid of legislation.”

Many investigations had been conducted by the Congress and the Senate. I was not able to follow up all of them – as I also have other interests. But may I ask: How many among those hot and high profile investigations really produced the laws much needed by this country for it to become the nation we all dreamt to be? I only have ten fingers. And I hope each finger could represent these legislations which were offshoots of high profile investigations. I would have preferred that serious accusations be tackled in the proper courts so that when those found guilty of graft and corruptions could be convicted right there and then.

The loss of one General Angelo Reyes is a big one. No matter what may have been his alleged involvements in some irregularities, ending his life is not redemptive either because it made us wonder more of the truth.

To Sec. Reyes, Godspeed. You will be missed by so many people whose lives you’ve personally touched. Meanwhile, I pray that your self sacrifice will bear much fruit for this nation. And let history be the judge of who you have been to the Filipino people.

Bohol

A week ago, I had a chance to visit Bohol. I didn't know what to expect and see because it was my first time to be there. When I was in Cebu, I knew that it was just almost a pair of eyes away. I was telling myself, Bohol must be a typical island with just the ordinary places that I have seen in the provinces.

I was wrong.

Bohol is definitely an enchanting place. A special place where you could find people so courteous and friendly and very religious. Being one of the most historic places of the country on the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th Century, the towns are adorned with special church edifices which are famous for their coral bricks. Yes, corals from the rich coral reefs of Bohol way back during the Spanish time. These churches are very unique. In Northern Luzon, one would find churches made of bricks from clay.

I went inside Panglao Church. I could sense its age. But it is a treasure. Even the private school beside it shows its age.

The Panglao Parish Church

The grandeur inside is enhanced by the ceiling.

I also had the chance of visiting the world famous Chocolate Hills. Oh my, to go up the view deck, one has to struggle the 214 steps going up its summit. Our tour guide said it used to be 213 steps only, but to make them more meaningful, the local executives added another step to jive with February 14 as there would be so many lovers going up the summit every Valentine's Day.

The 214 steps leading to the summit of the View Deck

Playing with the Chocolate Hills

At the foot of the View Deck

Of course no one would forget to see the famous small primates of Bohol - the tarsier. Bohol sojourn is not complete without seeing even just one tarsius.



A pose with a tarsius

How I enjoyed lunch at the Loboc River famous for its katamaran floating restaurants! The lunch was delicious. Add to it the live musical performance by local artists as you cruise along the river. Along the way at the river banks are local dancers in their folk costumes to entertain the tourists.



My special ride with the catamaran, a type of floating restaurant at the Loboc River

I walked along the beach at Alona Kew Beach Resort in Panglao Island. People were warm and all smiles. I chanced upon some people simply enjoying a walk like what I did. Two children were practically picking starfishes along the shore. I borrowed one for a souvenir pic. Seafoods were everywhere especially at night. they are served hot broiled! Arrrgghh...! I was not able to relish even jsut a little of them. Nonetheless I captured them on camera!









Back Again

It's been a while that I posted anything here in my blog site. Errr... I guess I also suffered from chronic laziness attacks. Or perhaps I was overtaken by a lot of concerns that I hardly could find time to squeeze by tired grey matter for blogging. And I wish that beginning this time, I could blog again.

I wish....

I guess I am not alone in this sruggle of finding time to regularly update personal blogs like mine. For quite a time, even the more famous bloggers whom I have been following often hibernate during their winter times like what happened to me. When the attack is chronic, my mind doesn't really like to work. I just shelf those thoughts with high hopes that I could retrieve them back like an e-file being stored in my brain cells. But the flesh does not work that way. Unlike with machines, the brain cells wear out everyday. And as the previous information is overwritten by more recent ones, my grey matter finds it difficult to download the previously stored data for future use. Or am I getting older, huh? Hahaha! I hope not yet.

How many of you guys out there have experiences like mine? Short-term memory attacks. Haha! Do I need to take some supplements to avert my memory lapses?

I really wish to be back again. For good. And for my personal historicity. For memories' sake.

People Again

With His Excellency Ricardo Cardinal vidal of Cebu at the historic Manila Hotel

With Fr. Gregorio L. Banaga, Jr., CM of the South Manila Consortium

With Jose Manalo of Eat Bulaga

Chanced upon Sen. Richard Gordon while being interviewed by media

With noted Rizalist and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Ambeth Ocampo

A Preview of the Automated National Philippine Elections

Here's a preview on what is in store for the 2010 National Philippine Elections. Smartmatic-TIM gave a demonstration on how the machine works. Any comment or afterthoughts?

Quick Guide to the Automated Elections @ Yahoo! Video

PDI cites Ella blog entry in its editorial

Ella's blog entry truly deserves all the attention. Even the prestigious Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote an editorial about it.

To be cited as a primary source for an editorial of a respected broadsheet is a double honor. The paper takes you seriously and you have a strong point that deserves support.

That was what the PDI did for Ella's entry Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo? (A special report from a volunteer) .

The editorial reads:

Turtle-paced relief

MANILA, Philippines—On October 21, a blogger named “Ella” posted an entry chronicling her experience as a volunteer at the DSWD warehouse on Church Road, Pasay City. She photographed heaps of relief goods, many of them donations from foreign governments and organizations, and asked why so little seemed to have been done with the supplies. (The blogger never alleged outright theft or mishandling of relief goods, only frustration over how goods didn’t seem to be moving out the door with any speed at all.)

The blogger also asked why imported goods seemed to have been set aside. After all, the last thing we need is a repeat of the Guinsaugon relief efforts, where officials cornered imported relief goods and sent expired domestic relief items to the victims.

Within two days the entry had been read, and passed on to others, by a growing number of people online, and had piqued the interest of the Philippine News in the United States and media here at home.

Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral responded with a statement saying the department was working “around the clock,” and that while the DSWD’s warehouses were, indeed, full, “we have distributed 500,000 food packs and 200,000 clothing packs as well as thousands of sacks of rice, blankets, beddings, and items of personal hygiene in the past almost 4 weeks.”

Cabral says that what is taking place is a “calibrated release” of goods, and her response is worth reproducing at length: “Relief response is not just emergency assistance. There will come a time when we have to do recovery work and rehabilitation work and when that time comes there will not be many volunteers left. There will be large NGOs that we usually work with but mostly it will be the government that will provide relief to these people who are starting to recover and who need to be rehabilitated. We need to keep some resources for them because when that time comes, there will be no more donations coming in, some will be reserved.”

And yet in her official statement, she pursued the line put forward by her secretary—blame it on a lack of volunteers: “Our goods are repacked by volunteers who are there because they want to help. But they are volunteers and report when they have time to help us. Sometimes there are two hundred of them and sometimes there are only a dozen.”

There is something incongruous about the welfare secretary saying government will do the job, as it expects volunteers to peter out, only to then blame its inability to act in a swifter manner, on a lack of volunteers. Public opinion has been—deservedly, we believe—harsh on the DSWD precisely because while the private sector required volunteers to accomplish what is a temporary job, the DSWD has a continuing task and enormous resources at the command of the President. Or, she could have made a public appeal—and indeed did make one, but only after the blogger’s entry started making the rounds.

We understand Secretary Cabral means well. As reported in the papers on Oct. 19, she vowed a “politico-proof” distribution of relief. She told radio station dzBB, “We will not allow politicos to repack UN-donated goods. These will go through us and our personnel will be there while the goods are distributed.”

We bring this up because a “politico-proof” policy is the right thing and ought to have been applied to all relief goods. But she seems to have established one set of behavior for one set of goods, and another set of behavior for another.

The DSWD’s own record of disbursements of relief goods lists the following: disbursements to Secretary Bello on Sept. 27; to Representative Puno (brother of the interior secretary) on Sept. 28; to Representative Ermita-Buhain (daughter of the executive secretary) on Sep. 29 and Oct. 7; to Senator Revilla on Oct. 1; to Representative Crisologo on Oct. 2 and 13; to Rep. Rodrigo Antonino on Oct. 9; to Representative Pizarro on Oct. 10; Representative Abayon on Oct. 11; Representative Arquiza on Oct. 12; and Vice President De Castro on Oct. 3 and 15. In addition, there were at least 15 disbursements to the Malacañang Disaster Operations Center, and three to Camp Aguinaldo.

Far from “politico-proof”!

Ella opened it all. Hail to advocates like Ella.

Blogger exposes alleged DSWD slow-paced distribution of relief goods

Could this be true?

Taking pictures of the 'humongous' undisclosed DSWD warehouse where local and international donations of goods for the victims of the typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng are stored and waiting to be repacked and distributed, a blogger got so enraged by what she has seen and experienced when she served as a volunteer to be one of the repackers and called on her followers to spread the word about it.

Apparently, blogger Ella Rose felt it unthinkable that the DSWD still has all those piles and piles of relief goods which were donated for the victims of the recent typhoons while so many victims are still waiting for additional relief because they were totally devastated. Houses were destroyed. Many were left jobless. Thousands await help in evacuation centers. Those who have nothing hardly even could have three meals a day. More so to buy cooking utensils, at the least. Or perhaps even just a decent mat to sleep on or a towel to dry them up either from sweat or another fresh dash of rain on them. It must have felt so appalling to be faced with stocks upon stocks upon stocks of Pork and Beans, water jugs, cooking pots, sleeping mats, blankets, etc. Not to mention the yet to arrive 100 tons of fortified biscuits from the United Nations World Food Program.

She was enraged some more when allegedly the DSWD reasoned out that there were no enough volunteers to repack them so they could be distributed at the soonest, reasonable time. She reposted some pictures showing volunteers in some other relief centers, even as young as 10 years old, very much willing to extend efforts to help expedite the much needed relief.

As soon as Ella has posted her emotion-laden entry in her blog, her followers and readers immediately posted their disgust and anger on the DSWD. Tirades were thrown at the DSWD. The entry has reached the international community like wild fire.

The DSWD secretary reacted on the controversy. Of course, there are always explanations and reasons. The media was able to catch the hot item. The DSWD banked on the word 'rotting' goods used by the blogger as a defense wall. Goods are released, it said, on calibrated amounts. The Philippine Daily Inquirer ran a story about the defense. Giant TV networks ABS-CBN and GMA 7 also had their share of the item.

One or two weeks from now, it is possible that those goods would no longer be there. They would have been distributed already to the local DSWD offices in areas devastated by the typhoons. Meanwhile, help would continue to arrive, both from local and international donors. The warehouses could be filled up again. The pictures shown by blogger Ella are definitely quite disturbing on first look. It is so easy to accuse the DSWD of being so slow or worse hoarding those goods for whatever reason one can imagine.

But could truth be judged based on pictures alone accompanied with emotionally filled comments or descriptions?

I salute blogger Ella Rose for her exposé. That was truly admirable of her. How many among us could act like her and take a personal stand and become the 'guardian' of truth, justice, and equality? How many among us can speak up genuinely for those who have less in life?

Ella did what she believed was right. She felt that by letting those relief goods be stocked up longer, it is also denying the intended recipients the good intentions of those who responded promptly to help them right away. If indeed they are for distribution, why delay?

The DSWD should explain what they mean by 'calibrated release'.  Does it mean storing some of them for future emergencies or calamities? But the goods were donated for the victims of Ondoy and Pepeng. Perhaps to include Quedan and Ramil. Not for other future calamity victims. Statistics of victims is a public knowledge. Apportioning or allocating these donated goods could be easily done by experts. The DSWD should know by now how much should go to the different regions devastated by the typhoons. I guess all donations must go. No single donation should be left lurking somewhere in any government agency or private entity for that matter. All donations were meant for the victims. And it must be as soon as possible. As soon as they are repacked. Future victims of calamities will have their own share, too once we get there. Meanwhile, the government should always have buffer budget for calamities which it prepares for future use, especially when donors already get burned or fatigued. But it should not come from the donations which the donors gave for a particular intention.

Lessons have to be learned.

Meanwhile, the power of the Internet in disseminating information is not a question anymore. Bloggers like me are free to post practically anything under the sun, whatever pleases us. Bloggers could either make or break people or institutions. Once published in the Internet, one hardly has control anymore. And before one knows it, the damage has been done.

5 missing Chinese students found

Thanks God! The five "missing" Chinese students of St. Paul University Philippines weren't missing after all. They probably left for Manila without even bothering to ask permission from the University officials. Two of them already left for Hong Kong. The other three are yet to leave for Shanghai on Saturday.

The news story follows:

SANTIAGO CITY, Isabela – Police have found the whereabouts of the five Chinese students who were reported missing in Cagayan province.

The Chinese nationals, all exchange students at the Catholic-run Saint Paul’s University in Tuguegarao city, were last seen on October 6 but the school’s international student coordinator reported the incident only after a week.

The “missing" persons were identified by school authorities as Li Sha, Tang Jing, Yu Ming, Zheng Xian Jun and Nang Yuan Yuan.

Probers from the regional police office, however, found out that the students left for Manila on the night of October 6.

Li Sha and Nang Yuan Yuan were discovered to have flown out of the country via a Cebu Pacific flight bound for Hong Kong on Oct. 10.

The remaining three are set to leave the country Saturday night for Shanghai, China.

Four of the “missing" students reportedly sought temporary shelter at the house of a Chinese friend in Mandaluyong while Yu Ming stayed in the Manila house of a close friend from the university.

Cagayan Valley police director Chief Supt. Roberto Damian said it looked like the foreign students suffered from homesickness.

However, he said they will still examine Yu Ming’s classmate, identified only as Stella, if there are other reasons why the Chinese nationals left without going telling school authorities. - GMANews.TV

I felt a little relieved. Thanks God, it was not a case of kidnapping.

5 Chinese Exchange Students Missing

I was surprised and can't believe what I stumbled upon while surfing the net this morning.  GMANews.TV reports that 5 Chinese exchange students of St. Paul University Philippines in Tuguegarao City have been feared missing.

The Chinese nationals were identified as Li Sha, Tang Jing, Yu Ming, Zheng Xian Jun and Nang Yuan Yuan, and were reportedly last seen on Oct. 6.

The entire story was featured by Yahoo! News Philippines. It reads:

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Five Chinese students from a Catholic-run university in northern Philippines have been reported missing, police said. The missing persons were identified by school authorities as Li Sha, Tang Jing, Yu Ming, Zheng Xian Jun and Nang Yuan Yuan are all exchange students enrolled at the Saint Paul’s University in Tuguegarao, the regional and provincial capital city.

Officials from the university identified the students as Li Sha, Tang Jing, Yu Ming, Zheng Xian Jun and Nang Yuan Yuan, who reportedly were last seen on Oct. 6.

Cagayan Valley police director Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian said Dr. Peregrina Battung, the school’s international student coordinator, reported the case only on October 13. Damian said he has sent a team to investigate the matter. Two Chinese visitors at the Cagayan Economic Zone and Freeport (CEZF) in Santa Ana were also reported missing last April 5. The Chinese nationals, identified as Wehon Che, 35, and Chenny Ang Lee, 45 were both guest speakers to an affair at the Sun City Casino inside CEZF. Authorities said the two were first seen at the Eastern Hawaii Casino also inside CEZF but police tracking teams found them in Manila. - GMANews.TV

I hope that this is not a case of kidnapping. And I pray that they would be found soon.

I am a Paulinian. St. Paul lives in me.

May I share with you an oratorical piece that I have written for our 3rd year and 4th year Oration Contest. There is a strong likelihood that those who can relate with it are also Paulinians.

I am a Paulinian. St. Paul lives in me.

To stand for Christ. To witness for Christ. To preach like Christ. To feel like Christ. To see like Christ. To love like Christ. To live like Christ.

These were what Saul of Tarsus, who eventually became St. Paul, the most zealous among the apostles, though he never met Christ physically, did when he was converted by Christ himself on his way to Damascus. And I am a Paulinian, whose name was inspired by the Greatest Writer and Preacher of all the Apostles. I must say, it is indeed an honor to carry his name Paul because I am a Paulinian.

St. Paul urged Christians to be “all to all” – to minister to the “body of Christ” in faith, hope, and love.

I am a Paulinian. My roots could be traced from the farming villages of the old, rustic Levesville-la-Chenard in Beauce, France. Four young girls moved by compassion began works of charity for the poor – taking care of the sick and teaching them to read and write and about Jesus. A young priest, Pe’re Louis Chauvet nurtured these young souls until their congregation grew in number. He endorsed them to the then bishop of Chartres, Most Rev. Paul Godet de Marais who gave them his name and St. Paul as their patron to become the Sisters of St. Paul of Chartres. The rest, they say, is history.

In 1905, the SPC Missionary Sisters reached the Philippine shores in Dumaguete “to guard the faith” and teach the young people of the “Good News of salvation.”

More than a hundred years later, now here I am, standing proudly before all of you – a Paulinian, inheritor of a glorious past whose people were motivated by their love of Christ. We, Paulinians, live by our motto Caritas Christi urget nos! – our Love of Christ impels us.

This makes me different from all the rest. I stand tall and firm in a sea of people who care less because I care more.

I am a Paulinian.

I am formed as Christ-centered, integrated, environment-caring, and community-oriented person. I am a Paulinian who is academically equipped and morally sensitive in the service of my family, the Church, and my country. I am formed to value the finer and nobler things in life, always conscious of the Gospel of Christ. I am formed to respect myself and to recognize the dignity of others. I am taught to make responsible decisions and to use my knowledge and responsibilities to help others. I am a Paulinian molded to integrate my spiritual and moral values, academic, cultural, vocational, and technological knowledge in my life particularly in fulfilling my various responsibilities in my home and in the community where I belong. I am a Paulinian who upholds my identity, appreciates my cultural heritage, and involves myself in issues geared towards community and nation-building.

I am shocked and angered to see people who are elevated into power tasked to manage the affairs of the government, yet they are motivated by greed and lust for more power in order to get more.

I grind my teeth each time that the fundamental rights and dignity of my fellow are trampled upon by those who are callous and ruthless.

I am shaken by people who think only of themselves regardless of what the cost may be.

I grieve in disgust and pain when those who swore to uphold the law and to protect the people are the same people to bend and circumvent the law to be scot-free from crookedness at the expense of the people.

I clench my fist in shame and protest when lawmakers who profess the Christian Catholic faith would push to legalize and promote the use of internationally accepted contraceptives to ensure “a manageable population of healthy, educated and productive citizens”.

I am outraged not merely by the floodwaters brought by cruel typhoons that ravage cities and provinces and claim hundreds of lives as they destroy billions of pesos worth of properties, but also by the lack of sensible urban planning and the late release of excess water from the reservoirs of gigantic dams! A Paulinian is taught to make responsible decisions.

I am enraged by the utter callousness of people who exact high prices amidst crisis, by the indiscriminate dishonesty and red tape in places enshrined with public trust, by the malpractices of certain professionals who are only after their own welfare and caprices, by the crooks in our society who commit crimes left and right without regard to the dignity and lives of their victims.

I am a Paulinian. I hail and praise to high heavens all the genuine but unsung heroes in our midst who give hope and light in the dark alleys of our jungle society.

I commend all those in public service who are imbued with unquestioned dedication worthy of emulation that brings honor and prestige to the public offices they represent.

I salute with pride all those who extend the extra mile to help build lives and give hope to those who have nothing in life.

I rejoice in gladness to see outstretched arms to embrace another and offer comfort and peace.

I commend all those who genuinely care for the environment and the planet we call home.

And I raise to our ever merciful and loving God all those who genuinely recognize His almighty presence even as I pray that those who have forgotten Him will eventually be converted like Saul on their roads to Damascus.

I am a Paulinian. I stand for Christ. I witness for Christ. I preach like Christ. I feel like Christ. I see like Christ. I love like Christ. I live like Christ.

St. Paul taught me so. He made me so.

And I am thankful because I am a Paulinian.

The Great Flood and The Super Typhoon

The recent onslaught of Typhoon Ondoy that caused unimaginable destruction in many parts of Metro Manila and its surrounding Regions brought out the best in the Filipino. Many had been written about the flooding caused by Typhoon Ondoy as the Great Equalizer. Rich and poor alike were not spared from its fury. Perhaps the HAVE-NOTS suffered the most - almost all of their properties damaged and lost may really have been their ONLY treasures in life. But the HAVES may have lost only a fraction of what they really have in life. But just the same, all suffered. My own family was not spared, too.

But as soon as the Ondoy flood was yet about to recede in most areas that it affected, stories of real-life heroes began to emerge. A trial court judge saved more than a hundred people from their dangerous roof-top refuge which only time could tell whether they would also be washed away by the raging floodwaters or not. A man salvaged many people from drowning by risking his own life braving the unpredictable water currents amidst the darkness. This same man saved even the family whom he had odds with. And who could ever forget the ala-fiction dramatic rescue of showbiz star Cristine Reyes by Richard Gutierrez. Cristine had been on the roof of their house which was submerged under water. For over 12 hours, she had been begging for help and rescue but no one arrived until her leading man in their movie Patient X came to the rescue via a borrowed speed boat.

Other prominent stories also flooded the news - couple Ryan Agoncillo and Judy Ann Santos plucked Gladys Reyes and her kids from her fast submerging house.

These are just a few of the hundreds of stories of heroes that Ondoy gave birth.

When local radio and television stations began to describe and show the images of the onslaught, people from all walks of life, affected or not, began pouring in relief goods and cash donations. Moved by the unimaginable sights of people wading in the floodwaters, floating and submerged vehicles being carried away by the strong currents, walls and houses falling apart, people hanging on to dear life by clutching the last twig or rope or electric line as the last defining straw for survival, more and more voluntary donations came in like a flood. The government acted swiftly by deploying all available government assets to help in the rescue, relief, and rehabilitation of the thousands affected. A nationwide state of calamity was declared so that the local governments can act immediately on the 3Rs.

Typhoon Ondoy will definitely be unforgettable.

As if Ondoy was not enough. Super Typhoon Pepeng packing gustiness of over 200 kph threatened the country a week after Ondoy punished Metro Manila and the nearby Regions. Pepeng's fury was received by Northern Luzon especially the Cagayan Valley and the Ilocos Regions. Tuguegarao City turned black and blue. Cagayan gasped for breath. Ilocos Norte suffered the same fate.

Not even relieving the pain caused by Pepeng, Typhoon Quedan passed by going towards the direction of Japan causing Pepeng to return back to Northern Luzon. The Fujiwara effect caused more rains and floodwaters in the area. As if really punishing to the hilt, Pepeng ravaged again the same places as it did the first time around. Another low pressure area could blow Pepeng back to its original course which may be a record-breaking three hits in a row of the same typhoon on the same places in a week's time!

However one may look at it, calamities like these, though unwanted, always bring the best Filipino spirit in us. Bayanihan is alive. As pliant as the bamboo but as strong as the molave, the Filipino weathers all kinds of weather.

Kissing 100 people you never knew

This morning I was in for a surprise. I was surfing Yahoo Philippines for the latest news heads when I got this very interesting odd news about a 27-year old music student and Taiwanese girl who posted on her personal blog that she wanted to kiss 100 people (men) while she is in Paris. This attracted 1.97 million visitors to her blog (www.wretch.cc/blog/angelduck777/24982946), including more than 224,000 on Monday alone. I did not understand the language so I checked on her albums, and my, she's pretty. Her name is Yang Ya-ching.

The news read:

A Taiwanese woman's ambition to kiss 100 men in Paris has become an overnight web sensation after she provided details of the quest on her much-visited blog.

Yang Ya-ching, a 27-year-old music major living in the French capital, has so far notched up 54 smooches, she said on her blog, which features photos of some of the encounters.

Collaborators in her project included a factory worker, a model, an Italian tourist and even a soldier visiting the capital of romance for Bastille Day.

"I came up with the idea three years ago," she said on her blog.

"Three of my four friends who were aware of the plan warned me that I might wind up getting slapped rather than kissed."

Yang, who plans to write a book about her kissing experiences, has attracted 1.97 million visitors to her blog (www.wretch.cc/blog/angelduck777/24982946), including more than 224,000 on Monday alone.

"Aren't you afraid of catching a disease?" one of her followers asked.

"No," she replied. "The more you're afraid of, the less you accomplish."

One thing I realized in blogging is that you have to make a strange, odd, unusual gimmick to ensure sure hits. Like this girl. But she has another interesting plan. She wants to publish a book about her experience in kissing 100 men. That must be another hit in the making.

Unforgettable Moments in Mt. Banahaw

In September of 2007, I had the privilege of scaling the heights of Mt. Banahaw with our 4th Year students for their Outbound Education. I must say it was a once in a lifetime experience. What with the so many legends and stories of mysticism about the mountain.

Mt. Banahaw is located some 170 kilometers from Manila. If I am not mistaken, this is a part of Lucban, Quezon. Legends have it that a certain Agripino Lontok had a vision that the mountain was to become the New Jerusalem. Many believe that there is a certain mysterious energy that the mountain possesses that pilgrims claim they feel renewed and invigorated once they visit the mountain for a spiritual journey. In fact, we were oriented by our guides that many places afoot the mountain have been identified as puwesto, or "holy sites" which should not be desecrated. Allegedly, many religious cults or groups abound around the mountain.The names of these puwestos were given some biblical allusions like Kinabuhayan, Dolores, Santo Kalbaryo, Kweba ng Dios Ama and the famous Jacob’s Well. 

I remember, there was this water fall where the water practically descended from the thick roots of a particular vine. Our students were told that the water coming from the fall allegedly had healing powers. The guides called it Buhok ni Ina.

During Holy Week, pilgrims ascend to the mountain for spiritual reasons. Many would try to reach the crater rim peaks called Durungawan to relieve the passion and death of Jesus Christ. There, three crosses have been strategically planted to recreate the actual crucifixion scene. On Good Friday, however, the summit should be deserted, as the mystics believe that only God the Father may bear witness to His Son’s death.

When we went there, we hiked up the mountain with ample amount of water. We had to make sure our water supply would be able to carry us through. We were led to the cold running water of the creek. Then we scaled the heights 'til we found ourselves at the mouth of a very challenging crevice which the people call a cave. It was an exhilarating experience going through the dephts of the cave.

The greatest challenge was being able to reach the peak of the mountain where a large cross was planted. I think the people called it the Kalbaryo. Whoa! Trekking the heights almost made me give up. Thanks to my students who had always been with me. I especially took care of one of them, my ever sweet Jerrmaine de Jesus. Her father entrusted her to me prior to our trip to Mt. Banahaw.

Perhaps if I were to climb the mountain again, I would prefer it on a Holy Week so that I would really experience the mystical magic of the mountain.

Here were some of the unforgettable moments while we were in Mt. Banahaw.