HIGH CLASS, LOW REWARDS?

The notebook of the future looks
bright, but the future may not be.

Welcome to the future of Philippine education.

Since the turn of the new millennium, the way the Filipino students have been studying has been revolutionized by technological advancements. Computers have taken over typewriters as the main alternative to handwritten reports and papers. Computers have taken over textbooks, manuals, newspapers, and journals as the main source of academic information. Computers have taken over, well, pretty much every aspect of student life in the Philippines. At least in the urbanized areas …

And now, iPads, iPods, iTouch, and pretty much anything that starts with a small I are joining in helping the students access online files, store documents, and relieve stress after long hours of classes and org meetings.

These are only accessories in dealing with school life, though.

Recently, the De La Salle University unveiled the world’s first fully electronic classroom. In partnership with Samsung Electronics and developed by NBN-ZTE scandal whistleblower Jun Lozada, the program features the use of the latest tablet PC technology from the aforementioned company, which includes electronic textbooks and other similar materials used to teach selected Grade 1 to 12 students for the whole school year. The inclusion of other features, such as electronic notebooks and examination sheets, ensure a personalized approach for the students. The teachers will also avail of the system, using a projector to facilitate discussions to the students.

As expected, the project was received with overwhelming praise. I mean, why wouldn’t it? Any new piece of technology is perceived as a good thing.

How convenient it is that a bagful of books, notebooks, pens, and calculators are now packed into one lightweight, virtual personal learning system. On the academic side, it definitely makes a student’s life much simpler by placing all the tools in one kit, making the task of manually organizing papers, files, and thoughts a thing of the past. Sending and printing reports are also eliminated, giving both teachers and students an easier time. On the non-academic side, this should definitely provide relief for the students’ arms and backs, unloading some of the killer stress and providing a boost of confidence for the students to face the challenges of academic life. Less time for manual labor also means more time for improving their skills, working on their hobbies, and socializing with friends, affording the students an opportunity to become more complete people.

Perhaps the other significant effect of this development is the premise of environmental conservation. Supporters of the electronic classroom claim that this reduces the usage of trees, from which quadrillions of sheets of papers are made of. Such effect should lead to the faster restoration of the forests in the Philippines, which has severely dwindled over the past century; this should lead to other events such as more absorption of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the slight restoration of forest wildlife, and more trees available for other industrial and commercial consumption.

All of these benefits look promising, don’t they?

Do not jump on the bandwagon just yet.

Think about it. As history will tell us, the tendency for human beings is that when they get exposed to new technologies, they tend to rely on it too much. Even today, in the urbanized areas, you can always spot a 17-year-old boy playing games on his PSP, an 18-year-old girl hanging around with her iPod, two 19-year-olds competing together in a shooting game through their laptops, and a 20-year-old browsing through 9Gag and Facebook through her Android phone. So if the performance of the youth today is considered lower than what is expected of such a liberated world, imagine what happens when tablet PCs dominate the world of education, as soon as the next century. Students more or less become lazier, more complacent, and more laidback, probably content with the newfound comforts at school. We should remember that school does not only try to pack heaps of information onto the brains of the youth and prepare students for future careers; since the Greeks, its true main aim is to develop and enhance the abilities and the personalities of the young to discover their true dreams and passions. Again, as we look around us, society has not influenced most of the youth (and the rest of the populace) in such a way that the sweeping changes around them seek to enrich their characters, not replace their existing ones.

Speaking of replacing existing norms, it may be true that only La Salle has such environment available as of the moment, although sooner than later, electronic classrooms will begin to take over at least the top schools in the country. And since the top offices in the government are dominated by alumni of such universities and colleges, they will push for such massive expansion of the program, even though the Philippines is clearly WAY behind the rest of the world in its current state of, well, everything from economy to infrastructure. The government tends to show the world more short-term flashes of glory than long-term struggles to development. In short, just like every upgrade the authorities involve themselves into, millions of wasted pesos, thousands of voices screaming for change and justice, hundreds of complaints of graft and corruption, and two whistleblowers will emerge and shake the nation to a level it has never been shaken before.

And the environmental impact? True, fewer trees will be chopped down, but what about the electricity needed to power such classrooms? As of now, and probably for the foreseeable future, renewable sources of energy like solar panels and windmills are still not the dominant (or at least, as significant relative to the dominant) sources, and with the rapid population growth probably not slowing down in the near future (unless some tragic event takes place), the phenomena of excessive global warming and all the unusual natural events taking place around the world and their subsequent consequences, will still take place. And at least papers are biodegradable.

I am not saying that the idea of a fully automated classroom is a terrible idea and should never happen. As observed through history, man will always find new ways to improve the quality of living and aid in survival. As much as the problems possibly arising from the implementation of such program look overwhelming and exaggerated, we cannot deny the convenience and simplicity that tablet PCs can provide for the ever-growing student population of the future.

It is not the right time, though. The country is not ready. And so are the students.

Substance beats style everytime.

MONEY = TIME

Six years from now, we could be
looking at a different image.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

There is no other image that perfectly represents the traffic state of Metro Manila, other than the view seen at the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA). The 23.8-kilometer highway serves as a bridge that connects the northern and southern parts of the metropolis, providing a strategic system of routes and travel for around 2.5 million vehicles passing through it every day. Part of the LRT and MRT lines also traverse the highway to give more efficient transportation for residents of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Despite this, EDSA has always been known for long hours of heavy traffic that leads to congestion and immobility of vehicles. Part of the problem lies with the heavy volume of vehicles in EDSA, especially in rush hours, giving headaches to motorists and sleeping opportunities to tired workers and students. The overall behavior of the drivers, especially a high number of those who drive public utility vehicles such as jeepneys and busses, makes the situation even worse by committing crimes such as illegal swerving, overtaking, and loading and unloading of passengers at the wrong places.

In an effort to solve the problem, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has considered constructing an elevated or tunnelled EDSA. Either way, the 50-billion peso project aims to provide more lanes for travelling, stretching from Roxas Boulevard to Balintawak. Sources say that the project is slated to commence at 2012 and have at least some of the sections finished within 6 years. After the road is finished, a toll system is planned to be implemented to cover for the costs of the project.

Call me Mr. Skeptical, but I am not buying this for one second.

First off, given the current traffic conditions at EDSA and the expected increase in vehicle volume brought by the rapid increase in population, especially in Metro Manila, can you imagine how much it can get worse once the building starts and continues for 6 years? It will take a massive rerouting system to keep headache and high blood pressure medicines from being a necessity for those who travel through EDSA. To make matters worse, air and noise pollution are bound to go up the longer the vehicles stay on the streets, making the everyday traffic situation at EDSA truly hellish in every way.

Second, why should the consumer for the 20^th time pay rates similar to toll fees at NLEX or SLEX? As if the high prices of electricity, water, oil products, taxes, and every other consumer products are not enough. EDSA, as we know it, is a highway constructed by the government to give everybody a safe and fast route to navigate through. Besides, given that the current vehicle volume holds by the time the project is finished, imagine how much the government will earn from toll fees at EDSA alone. If say, the lowest toll fee is at P100, the government will earn P250 million … in just one day! You have to wonder just in what schemes do our honorable authorities plan to use all the money on? Do we want another busted deal like the NBN-ZTE scandal? The government will be repaid anyway with faster and more efficient transport of goods throughout Metro Manila, which always guarantees an increase in service quality and customer satisfaction, leading to a prettier image with foreign and local investors alike, boosting the economy of Metro Manila and, subsequently, the Philippines. There are so many ways with which the authorities can go with it; the toll system simply does not sound right.

Third, even with the low quality of infrastructure in the Philippines, the problem does not lie with the cracked streets or the uneven roads of Metro Manila. Instead of fixing something that is not completely broken in the first place, why not focus on the variable that ultimately determines the image that will be projected from EDSA to the world? Why not use the P50 billion on improving other social services, such as health care and education? Why not use the money on providing better jobs for some of the drivers in EDSA to reduce the number of vehicles in the highway and ease the traffic conditions in the area? Why not use the funding for educating drivers and passengers alike how to properly conduct themselves on the road? Why not use the resources to discipline those masquerading traffic enforcers and present the taxpayers with friendly and honest officers? Why not use these heaps of cash for loads of goodwill from the Filipinos, which may finally allow the Philippines to reach that elusive mountaintop?

Everything starts with doing the right thing. For the government, it begins with realizing that the negatives far outweigh the positives (which aside from a possibly better transport system 6 to 10 years from now, does not really exist), and so they should not push through with the elevated or tunnelled EDSA and use P50 billion for something else. For the ordinary man, it starts with proving to the men they themselves placed in the seats of power that, with being disciplined and law-abiding citizens, their voices of displeasure are truly justified.

What we need is the straight path, not an elevated one.

ONLY HOPE

This does not look as easy as it is.

Aside from the President of the Philippines, perhaps there is no other government agency that receives more criticism than the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAG-ASA. After all, it is the institution responsible for providing flood and typhoon warnings, monitoring the weather and climate conditions around the country, and conducting astronomical and meteorological studies, all of which will no doubt influence the day-to-day activities, operations, and behaviour of every human being living in the Philippines. Because of this huge responsibility and the possible vast consequences of the actions of PAG-ASA, the people expect perfect forecasts by the agency every single time. As a result, the populace may have a valid reason to complain when PAG-ASA predicts the weather wrong every once in a while.

But recently, PAG-ASA has been receiving criticism a lot more than once in a while. Starting with the disaster induced by the typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng all over Luzon in 2009, the agency served as a punching bag for right hooks, left jabs, and 1-2 combinations of complaints from the victims and those who saw the horrors brought by typhoons Basyang in 2010, and Juaning just this month. The onslaught of typhoons has brought cancellations to classes and office work, sometimes in the middle of the day, causing anxiety attacks and severe headaches among parents and guardians alike, worried about the safety of their children at school and, occasionally, their profits at their pockets. The dissatisfaction with its performance took center-stage in August 2010, when President Benigno Aquino III himself voiced his own disapproval of the state of the agency, paving the way to current personnel changes and equipment modernization.

With all the bruises and wounds received by PAG-ASA from verbal assaults of alleged incompetence, is it fair to criticize the agency in such a manner? Is it right to blame PAG-ASA for all the things it gets blamed for by the masses?

Of course, the safe answer for this question will be both YES and NO. YES because it is impossible that for its 28 ½ years of existence, there is no way that PAG-ASA had nothing to do with the failures the people are accusing them of. Still, I believe that PAG-ASA does not deserve to receive so much criticism for its alleged incompetence, specifically in the two particular areas upon which the agency is being blamed on: inability to provide consistently correct weather forecasts and slow dissemination of information concerning matters that may be affected by said predictions.

First of all, PAG-ASA does provide consistently correct weather forecasts. If they were not consistently correct, then the country will be in complete disarray at the moment, wondering whether some god simply tripped and fell so forcefully it wiped out the entire universal order. In fact, you have to be impressed with the ability of these scientists’ ability to give out mostly accurate scientific data, given the dire situation of the agency, which brings me to my next point: despite the popular belief that there is no such thing as an instrumental error, more times than not the forecasts of PAG-ASA are caused by the ineffectiveness and a lack of modernization of their equipment. Well, not until recently.

For years, PAG-ASA has relied on the Public Storm Warning Signals System, where the strength of the winds of a typhoon and its speed are classified into four categories, which are, well, I, II, III, and IV. While more advanced countries basically use the same style of classifying storms, the problem with this system is that it only considers the wind part of the storm; it never indicates any close-enough intensity of the rain part. This is precisely why the disaster of Ondoy and Pepeng took place; it was because the people were not ready for it. However, the modern nations have a Doppler radar, an instrument for indicating the characteristics of rainfall, for that purpose. In the Philippines, the device was not installed into the weather-tracking system until just the end of last year in Baler, Aurora and Baguio. In addition, an automated rain gauge has finally been added in Montalban, Rizal in cooperation with Smart Communications for easier dissemination of information.

Although the modernization of equipment is a welcome addition to PAG-ASA, some issues arise from it. The so-called advancement of the weather forecasting system relative to global standards is just like scoring a point after being down by a huge margin with 15 seconds in the game: came too little, way too late. Oh well, at least it is better than nothing. Besides, we Filipinos are very skilled and are completely capable of finding our way around things. I had the opportunity of seeing a simpler version (maybe it really was the real version, but I am not sure) of the Landslide Early Warning Sensor in a field trip to the University of the Philippines, and I was genuinely impressed by the device. Sometimes, it makes me wonder: if the Philippine government has the time and money to attract foreign investors to the Philippines, why don’t they actively encourage them more to invest on the inventions and devices of our own inventors and manufacturers instead on some business front controlled by crocodiles disguised as honourable gentlemen?

Speaking of honourable gentlemen, PAG-ASA has traditionally received the rage of the populace for their children, friends, or relatives feeling like they’re walking in the rain, claiming that it releases information so slowly that it often causes inconvenience for the Filipinos. While that may apply for the past few years (it is another main point of the President’s criticism), the same cannot be said true for the current situation, as PAG-ASA changed its information dissemination regarding weather forecasts from every 6 hours to every one hour.

So who should the people blame? Of course, it should be the local government units that should shoulder the main bulk of criticism. Yes, aside from the corruption and all that usual beliefs about the activities of our congressmen, mayors, and councillors, the same honourable gentlemen that you chose (or allowed to be chosen by other people) are to blame. No matter how skilled the men and women at PAG-ASA are, the local government units are still the ones who should know what is best for their respective constituencies, given that they are representing these people and, theoretically, should know most of their needs. So if that is the case, then why is it so hard for them to decide whether classes will be suspended or whether to evacuate or not, early enough to avoid inconveniences?

Then again, what else is new in this country? It seems that we just cannot keep up with the rest of the world in terms of just about anything. Our justice system is so slow that it takes at least 8 years to solve a low-profile homicide and murder case. Our economic growth is so slow that it makes you wonder if there is any true growth at all. It seems the only things we are fast at is texting, typing pointless status messages in our Facebook accounts, and running away from our responsibilities and even our own national identity. We tend to accuse somebody or something of something that is sometimes completely out of their control that we imply a tone of arrogance or know-it-all over them. If you think you can do a better job than these men and women, then why don’t you actually do their jobs yourselves and see if you really think you can do a better job than these men and women?

The current situation of PAG-ASA simply shows the complete lack of faith and hope by the Filipinos in their government. It may be true that the problems in our country as deeply rooted and seems impossible to overcome, but since Filipinos are supposed to be strong-spirited and determined to make something out of nothing, then it is best for us to be more fair and critical in terms of our opinions on our surroundings. After all, there is a reason why it is called weather predicting, especially now that the impacts of climate change makes the mood of nature even harder to tell. You can only hope for the best.

Some people deserve better treatment. Those at PAG-ASA are some of them.

       

  

  

INJUSTICE LEAGUE

These honorable people are clapping for
the accomplishments of the President
... or so it seems.

Come July 25, it will be the 385th day of President Benigno Aquino III serving as the employee of his so-called “boss”, which is supposedly the way he looks at all the Filipinos in and out of the country. It also marks the day of his 2nd State of the Nation Address (SONA), which is promised to be full of first-year achievements, agendas, and future programs yet as expected will be a 40-minute speech of exaggerated accomplishments, rants against the opposition, and 30 ovations by the crocodiles disguised as honorable congressmen.

Yes, it seems like the Philippines is still travelling the long and winding road instead of the long and straight one for more than a year now. Change is indeed a long-term and very difficult process. But why is change so difficult to administer in a nation with quite a lot of manpower and resources to do so? 

It all started during the era of Spanish colonization. As much as the Spaniards have influenced our culture, traditions, and behavior, they never introduced the concept of an efficient, centralized government. For one, the Philippines is an archipelago, with the natural boundaries of water and land limiting chances of effective unification of any kind between the pre-colonization Filipinos and, later, the post-1521 Filipinos. Also, in this feudal-like system of government, aside from the kiss-my-ass mentality of the ruling class to their grateful subjects, the supposed head of the Philippine Islands, the governor-general, only acted in a limited capacity as the representative of the King/Queen of Spain, while it really were the friars who were ruling the islands, equipped with the power of their “Lord” (which happens to be themselves) and the strength of their All Mighty Iron Fists. 

With such a weak rule over the archipelago comes a lack of effective administration over the economic trends in the Philippines at the time. As Spain itself is a nation which lacks the resources to support themselves (which is the driving force behind their unintentional discovery of the Philippines), they saw the need to involve themselves in trading and commerce with the Chinese, British, and other nations at the time. This exclusive group of families and/or individuals who gained the opportunity happen to either be Spaniards or mestizos, or at least have significant Spanish blood in them with education from Europe. This allowed them to build their wealth through the accumulation and improvement of their lands and create a constant source of wealth for future generations to come. In other words, these families acquired a strong economic base independent of the state, allowing them to exert unprecedented influence over the state officials and civilians alike without getting their hands dirty in the game of politics. Of course, during the Spanish period these families needed to make a pledge of allegiance with the religious orders to ensure their safety, in exchange for economic stimulus packages for the friars. 

This will continue as the Philippines was transferred from Spain to the United States. If you must know, the United States federal government is decentralized as well, and since pretty much every colonial power models the colony’s form of government is modeled after that of the colonizer, the Philippines will endure a lack of a prominent central leader for a while longer. This time, however, the families I mentioned have built such a strong base of wealth and influence that they have actually monopolized almost every single aspect of living in their respective local areas. As a result, to easily spread their control over the islands, the Americans decided to ally themselves with these future oligarchs. This creates a special relationship that will form the template for years to come: with the backing of the Americans (or in the future, some powerful economic figure), a local economic power will look to enter politics as a means to further protect his/her interests while he/she rewards his/her sponsors with free gifts, usually in money form or loophole-in-law advice. 

As the Philippines gained its independence, this common practice became widespread, with the war-weary people willing to accept anything from any politician to bring the Filipinos back on their feet. Along with the changes in the social, economic, and moral institutions in Philippine society came the changes in the ideologies, laws, and political theories. With the ensuing massive corruption in the early post-war era, the Filipinos became more vigilant of their leaders, actively supporting laws that will ban any no-democratic practice. As a result, a powerful authority figure will usually resort to asking his/her wife/husband, sons, daughters, and any other relatives to take over the operations of his mini-empire until he/she becomes eligible again.

You may ask at this point, just what in the name of love am I talking about? Well, to put things in a simpler perspective, what I just flapped my virtual gums about is basically how a political dynasty is formed in the Philippines. And these dynasties are mostly, if not the sole reason why the Philippines is still stuck in the long and winding road we have been trying to get out of for so long. 

If you have any doubts about my assumption, just think about this: there is a specific clause in the 1987 Constitution that clearly defines just what is legal and what is not. Article II Section 26 of the Constitution states “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law”. So if the highest law of the land explicitly prohibits political dynasties in the Philippines, then how come the country is dominated by them?

The answer is simple. Just look at the current composition of our House of “Representatives”. Whatever these “honorable” congressmen are representing, there is no doubt that there is a strong presence of political families in the lower house. Did you know that at least 114 members, or 39.86% of the lower house are undisputed members of political families? Of course, there are other representatives who are closely identified with political clans or already have sold their souls to these families but are just too shy to admit it to the public. So if half of your representatives (and senators) are representing political families instead of legal political units, how are they going to effectively govern for the public good? And I am certain that all of us are aware of the situation in the local governments, especially around the Muslim Mindanao area. To top all of that, with all due respect to our capable, honest, and respectable leader, our current President is a member of not one, but two of the oldest and most powerful political (and economic) clans in Philippine history.

The bottomline is, well, it is our fault. Every day, we complain about how the Philippines is still stuck in a deep hole without any hope of climbing out of because moles keep on digging deeper to find more gold underground for themselves. Every week, you blame your professor for giving you what you deem as difficult requirements though the truth is, you did not exert enough effort to do better. Every year, we whine about how things are going to be different now that we chose new highly advanced gadgets that look fancy yet in the end, it just does the same thing as your old gadget. 

So come July 25, if you have the time to watch or listen to the SONA of President Aquino, I suggest you do so. After all, despite all the possible non-sense that we may hear on that day, keep in mind that he has been in the office for only 385 days. And the Filipinos trust his leadership, more or less. So do I. The SONA is not just some way to promote yourself like some overhyped pop sensation; it is for us, the common Filipinos, to learn not only the state of our nation, but also what we can do about them in our own ways.

It was never one man’s fault. It has always been the fault of the political families. Just do not forget that we all have a contribution to whatever is happening in the Philippines, no matter how bad, small, or insignificant it looks like. 

Perhaps July 25, 2011 will not be much of a waste of time after all. 

AIN'T NO FREE-FOR-ALL

Choosing who deserves this more than
others requires a more critical process
than the usual.

Should a financially capable student receive a scholarship?

This is a question that should always be the subject of debates. When we think of the term scholarship, we consider it as an award of financial aid for a student to continue his education. Theoretically, a scholarship is ideal to the students whose families have no ability to sustainably finance the stay of their children in their respective colleges and universities. If the child is smart and able, he or she deserves and should receive the scholarship from the school he or she is applying for.

However, this is not often the case, especially in a lot of prestigious colleges and universities around the world. These institutitons typically award the scholarships to students based on merit, which means these students have performed and excelled at their respective primary and secondary schools and the entrance examinations better than the rest of the field. The problem is a significant percentage of these students are rich.

When you think about it, rich kids have more financial resources to develop their skills and improve their abilities than their not-as-rich counterparts. These rich kids will tend to study in more prestigious and advanced schools, which give them more opportunities to enhance their talents, such as using better facilities, materials, and equipment, interacting with fellow students of similar conditions, heading recognized organizations, and participating in more interschool, intercity, and national contests and training camps. Chances are these kids will have better academic and extracurricular records coming from institutions that the colleges and universities will prefer to maintain and boost their prestige. Despite not-as-rich students being more naturally academically gifted, for example, they do not have as much as “experience” and come from schools as prestigious as that of the richer kids, and so more rich kids earn scholarships than poor students.

Now, say a financially capable student vies for an available scholarship during his sophomore year against more deserving ones. This student and his family can manipulate their documents in a way that it gives them a higher chance of their child “earning” the scholarship. For example, they can transfer the deed of their house to a close relative, although obviously they still live in the house they really own. As such, it will not be reflected in the documents that they have their own house. Such a practice is not really banned and maybe a bit extreme, but it resembles just how corruption takes place. And to think the kid could be exposed early to this habit …

I consider the awarding of scholarships in this manner to be unfair and potentially damaging to the well-being of the nation, and maybe the world.

First, such practice slightly contributes to the poor quality of education in the Philippines. It’s pretty much straightforward: fewer opportunities for the poor to study in quality tertiary schools, fewer opportunities for the majority of students to truly learn efficiently, poorer overall performance.

Second, the country may suffer from a smaller field of highly skilled professionals. Again, it is easily understandable: ceteris paribus, less scholarships for poor students, less opportunities for them to excel and specialize in whatever field they choose (since richer kids, if they really want to be good, will be good professionals because they have more financial resources), more people that will leave overseas to serve as servants of foreigners, and therefore fewer professionals in the nation that will actually serve the people of the nation as doctors, lawyers, and ironically, educators.

Third, as a result of the first two effects, the gap between the elite class and the poor class can widen at a rate faster than you can say your prayers in times of trouble. More educated students will most likely succeed with their education and wealth, and their share of influence in the long-term when they become the leaders of the nation will be higher than the current level. Most of the more talented lower-class citizens, however, will most likely remain on low-profile careers that may be both non-contributing to the well-being of the country and the good of their selves due to a lack of connections and influence. More of these people will be misplaced in their jobs, making the lack of people in professions crucial to the development of the country worse, such as teachers, doctors, and engineers. In other words, the current problems in the nation may become even bigger than the situation right now.

You might be thinking, I am just hyper-exaggerating (if such a word exists) the current trend of giving a significant portion of the scholarships to the financially capable kids. None of these effects can possibly happen given the seemingly small, no-big-deal problem in comparison to even bigger problems the Philippines is facing, such as the usual corruption in the government, widespread poverty, and the lack of academic materials and personnel to hone the minds of the future leaders of the state.


These statements may be true and these far-reaching effects may really not be affected at all by the rich-kid-gets-scholarship issue. But keep in mind that these scenarios are very likely to take place, if not already taking place at the moment. It is not bad to remember that being lucky is better than being just better. Remember that a lot of the significant events that took place in history, those that led to the rise of the greats and the establishment of powers happened with its catalysts being at the right place at the right time. For instance, will the current President even be elected had his mother not died just before the campaign began? Had winter not come, would the Soviets have survived Operation Barbarossa? Who knows, maybe the nation’s future great and more capable leaders are actually lurking in the shadows and all they need for their skills to be developed optimally in the top schools in the country is a scholarship.

At the end of the day, it is still up to the colleges and universities as to who will be given the scholarships, whether it is based on merit, financial aid, athletic ability, or any other specific skill or field of interest. But for every school billboard that proclaims the “top 200 freshmen who have performed better than the rest of the field” as automatic scholars, perhaps they should start being more logical and considerate of the current events that take place in the world of education outside their institutions.

Life is unfair. The scholarship selection should not be.

A NOBLE EFFORT, BUT IN VAIN ...

This "special" coverage is not needed
anymore.

How is the “royal wedding” of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton important?


It is NOT important at all, at least to the entire Philippines. Unless you are invited, of course.


I believe that there is no such a thing as a “royal wedding”. The fact that somebody with “royal blood” is being married in these times should not be given such a huge attention by the press. When you think about it, being the King or Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland or his/her subsequent successor these days is only a position of prestige with no power whatsoever. The ruler of the United Kingdom is meant to be the Head of State, or represent what the United Kingdom stands for. As a result, unless they get directly involved in the affairs of the state via the Parliament or diplomacy, they are technically public figures and private citizens for 97% of the time. And a country except the United Kingdom, its current colonies, or former colonies should not care that much about a wedding of a successor to the throne and his girlfriend. Unless you are kissing up to the British to obtain resources from them or desperate for attention to your country so that the global leaders will care about it …


Look, the key words here are “that much”. The royal wedding does deserve recognition. Being the monarch or the successor to the throne of a powerful nation has a lot of prestige and honour, and it is bound to get international attention since the heads of several nations and some of the United Kingdom’s and even the world’s most famous and influential personalities will attend the event. And the style, the glamour, the finesse of the wedding is something that a quarter of the world’s population is guaranteed to lay their eyes and minds on for more than five minutes.


However, I just do not see the reason why the Philippine media is giving this much attention for such a glamorous yet ignorable event, maybe except for the invited guests in the wedding, the rich and the elite people, who I believe are the ones wanting to see this event. Covering the entire event like Pacquiao’s match blow-by-blow seems not only a big waste of time; it also seems to be an inadvertent slap to the face for a country that probably will never be as rich or as powerful as the United Kingdom. An in-your-face insult to the Filipinos who struggle to survive and feed their families.


Bottomline is, I am sure that there are a lot of news items that are more important and beneficial to the Filipinos. Why can’t the media report more on the good things that are happening in the country? Why can’t they report on the new scientific achievements done by Filipinos and even foreigners that may apply to our everyday lives? Why can’t they tell stories of inspiration and admiration?


Who am I kidding? The media only wants to report on things that sell to the public. Money makes the world go round, I get it. But it should never make you sell the very essence of your soul. If you do sell it, what do you have left? What would we have left? A dream that is just as eye-pleasing as the royal wedding but just as impossible to reach.


Invited? No, thank you. A wedding is royal for every couple. This is not that special.

MORE IS LESS AND LESS IS MORE

Money isn't everything ... especially when the
odds are stacked against you.

Do you remember your life ten years ago? You know, the days when life seems less complicated? Premium rice cost just above twenty pesos. A fully dressed chicken is charged at less than 90 pesos. Neither premium gasoline nor diesel reached 20 pesos a litre. Electric and water consumption bills were not much of a headache. And you can watch your favourite movie for only 50 pesos.

Well, those days are a distant memory. All you can hear nowadays are screams of pain and suffering from almost everyone, who has tightened their belts so hard they can barely breathe. The public transportation sector has launched a handful of transport holidays (and hundreds of really non-existent ones) as a protest to the never-ending oil price hikes. The increasing “shortage” of immediately available energy resources has been cited as the reason behind the increase in prices of electric and water consumption. A similar situation, as well as climate change, also applies to the near-skyrocketing of prices of food items. And since those monthly paychecks never fully support a worker’s family, the net result of all of these (and other factors) is that more than 5 million Pilipino families or 25 million Pilipinos, or more than 25% of the population consider themselves poor.

For years, the government has struggled to find a way to at least relief some of our poor countrymen. It has provided subsidies to rice and electricity consumption, among other goods, but this is only a short-term solution. It has tried endless job openings, but most of these jobs are also for a brief period of time. Besides, with a lack of teachers, doctors, and other professionals willing to work in the Philippines, job vacancies are not really hard to fill with the right combination of training and mindset of the worker, which is easier said than done, of course. Right now, it is trying to send as many Pilipinos abroad to insert more money into circulation, which could boost the Philippine economy, but the recent cases of trauma and tragedy suggests that this is not the best solution, either.

If everyone is looking for the best solution, this sounds cheesy but solving this problem starts with us. Really.

It is simple. Control the increase, if not start a slight decrease in population.

Now, before anything else, I would like to explain why a controlled increase in population will ultimately benefit us in the long run. Before humans began “dominating” the planet, almost all of the vital resources in the Earth such as water regenerate in a pace that is around the same as their consumption by the living species at the time. That changed when the human race began taking over. As our endless pursuit of knowledge and improving the quality of life raged on the past few centuries, the rate of consumption became higher than the rate of generation of resources. It doesn’t matter how huge the difference of the two rates is; these small differences will compound over time, and right now, we are almost desperate to find new sources of supplies of energy, food, potable water, and other resources. And because the population is still increasing at a big rate, these possible shortages will become inflated, and everyone will suffer.

With the increase in population and the consumption of resources also comes the increase in the “side effects” of the processes we utilize to fully take advantage of the resources, including the release of alarming amounts of greenhouse gases and unwanted particles into the atmosphere, as well as the fields and the oceans. Consequently, the natural cycles in the world will be disrupted, and now these “side effects” are being observed. You know, climate change.

In short, overpopulation is like a big blue-green drum, continuously supplied with water until the water overflows and the drum leaks or explodes. The more the people, the faster the consumption of goods, the lesser the resources, and the more dangerous the world will be.

But is overpopulation the real problem? Or the allocation of resources?

People have been intensely debating about this since all sorts of trouble began showing up, as early as the Industrial Revolution. The ones who point that the distribution of resources is the issue that needs to be solved argue that there really is no shortage of resources; most of the natural and artificial resources are concentrated on a small percentage of the population. They point out that because they have the comfort of having an abundance or constant supply of said goods, they will have the tendency to be wasteful and unappreciative of the things they have. They will also be indifferent to the plight of others; hence contributing to the inflation rates that everyone wishes to stop. This certain sector of society also has considerable influence on the government, leading to widespread graft and corruption. As proof, these people cite the recent discovery of an abundance of supply of rice in the warehouses of NFA despite the prevailing belief at the time that there was a shortage of rice. Instead, they (usually) propose that the systems of business and government should be made more efficient and that the resources be exploited to the fullest as solutions to the demand of the populace.

While those statements may be true, these people do not see the big picture. First of all, the potential shortages of resources in the near future are no laughing matter. See, the problem with a lot of us is that we only think short-term, never long-term. We tend to act like the grasshopper, not the ant. Take everything for granted. When we lose everything, we finally regret our actions and struggle to survive. While we have the time now, why don’t we start focusing more on finding more efficient ways of living? Current developments such as eco-friendly homes and cars and alternate sources of energy are a good start, but with the power of six billion human minds, I am sure we can develop more ways of living life to the fullest while not compromising the environment. Also, I believe that the Bible (which a majority of the Pilipinos believe) tells us that God gave man the Earth as his dominion to show us not only His love, but also the trust that He gives us, knowing that we can be responsible for taking care of the things He created, such as “the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground” (Genesis 1:26). So by overexploiting our resources due to the intense demand caused by overpopulation, we are certainly disobeying God’s will. Instead of us making the environment adjust to our needs (and we have seen the not-so-good results), can we start adapting more to the environment? Sacrifice is something not everyone is willing to do, but it is something everyone can do.

And how do we do it? Simply by refusing to have a large family … if you are planning to have one.

Of course, this cannot be accomplished without the people fully behind the effort. We need every single one of us to cooperate. And contrary to popular belief, the Church is NOT against population control. In fact, “the Church does not forbid the advocacy of the acceleration or deceleration of our population growth, according to circumstances, provided this is achieved within the parameters of freedom of conscience, the responsible decision of couples, and the principles of sexual and family morality”. Besides, what I believe is the true meaning of pro-life is not just letting a human being live; it also means that the life that every human being will live will be (at least materialistically) less difficult and as a result, probably more (spiritually) fulfilling.

So what is really hindering us from doing such a move? Simple answer: awareness and knowledge of the situation. If we can convince more people to become more responsible parents (or future parents), then the situation within a few years may not be as bad as we think it would be. It could be accomplished through thorough education via means such as information campaigns through various media, more emphasis on the relationship between the demand-supply system and the environment in schools, and support from the family. Again, this will only work if everyone is willing to do their part.

To summarize, how does reducing the increase of population, or reducing the population itself going to solve our problems? Well, here’s how it works:

By reducing the increase in population or reducing the population itself, the demand for all the resources will steadily decrease, which allows the said resources to regenerate faster than their current levels and, probably, back to their pre-Industrial-Revolution rates. The small increments in resources every year will add up and, if continued over time, will give us a comfortable surplus of resources. With more goods, the ratio of these per person will be better theoretically, and more people will be relatively rich. With lesser demand for goods, there will be more surplus of goods, and the prices of commodities will be lower. With lesser demand, we will not exploit our natural resources as much, helping them regenerate faster. The effects of global warming and pollution will be less evident, and slowly but surely, we can help stabilize the weather patterns, if not reverse them back to less hazardous ones. Overall, the world will be a better place than it is now.

Less mouths to feed, less room for greed. Theoretically.

ONE HOUR AT A TIME?

Is one hour for the Earth enough?

When Japan was shaken to its core (literally) by that devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake and wiped out (literally, again) by the resulting tsunami, the entire world was once again reminded of just who is in charge, which happens to be nature. We are all reminded of how important the environment is, and global warming, and climate change, and its effects on our lives, and all those other environment-related things that we tend to forget once we see things we consider as really important (even though they are truly not) …

Maybe this is what the Earth Hour is really for: a one-hour opportunity for the concerned citizens every last Saturday of March to not only send a message to the rest of the world that they support the efforts to protect the environment, but also push for everyone to take all the necessary steps to save Mother Earth.

The Earth Hour seems a good thing. After all, anything related to the preservation, conservation, and restoration of the environment nowadays will generate a lot of publicity and support because obviously, the survival of our species is at stake. An hour without light provided by light bulbs and fluorescent lamps will save the participants 1-2% of their average March/April electric bills. And these days, every single watt of electricity counts. And aside from the new environmental campaigns to be started in celebration of the Earth hour, the celebrities, businessmen, politicians, and other public figures can even use this as a chance to promote themselves and their projects to the audiences and make more dough. Everybody and everything involved wins, right?

NO. The Earth Hour is a bad thing.

The objectives and goals of a majority of the organizers and the participants are good. However, how can you be sure that all of them are really serious about supporting the green cause? Although (as I mentioned) theoretically this is a win-win situation for all sides involved, let us not forget that the main concern of the Earth hour event is for the environment, not personal gain. Any movement will fail if the heart and mind of a lot of its members are not in the game. In such a delicate and complicated issue like environment protection, unity is necessary for the best solution possible to be generated and implemented. With various factors such as commerce, agriculture, and the economy, that would be an understatement.

The one thing that alarms me with the Earth hour, however, is that it seems to lack intensity or strength; it seems compromised. Surely some of the supporters of this event only limit themselves to only one hour in only one day of the year to wholeheartedly save electricity (or at least, usable energy). And they only limit themselves to turning off the lights. This is just like a guy promising to give his girlfriend the world … and he only gives her a hug on their anniversary. Nice thought, but lacking in execution and effort.

Bottomline is, if you really are willing to save electricity, why limit yourself to just your light bulbs and fluorescent and incandescent lamps for only an hour per day per year? Why not bring it to another level and do it for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, every single year from tonight until the end of your time? Why not intentionally save electricity (and some of those hard-to-find dough) by using your television, radio, refrigerator, blender, iron, electric stove, rice cooker, cellphone chargers, and all of those electric gizmos you possess? Why not spend some time with family and friends instead of spending 8 hours of your day in front of the computer or TV, watching shows that won’t do you any good? Why not play sports in public courts near your area instead of playing NBA 2K11? Why not use your own hands to do the laundry instead of relying too much on that washing machine of yours?

If we have the power to step on the moon, annihilate cities with an atomic bomb, and make guys like Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga huge pop/cultural icons (even though they certainly do not deserve it), why cannot we maximize our efforts in helping the planet? We can turn the Earth Hour into a second Earth Day (the International Mother Earth Day is April 22). Even better, we should turn the Earth Hour into a daily habit of Earth Day.

The Earth Hour is a bad thing … but for our first step, it is not that bad.

END OF THE WORLD?

Has 2012 come 21 months and 10 days early?

The Earth-shaking, mind-trembling, life-altering (8.9 to 9.1)-magnitude earthquake that rocked Japan to its core was simply both a demonstration of the truepower of nature and a reminder of just how everything changes ... in 15 minutes or less.

If you saw those videos revealing a massive tsunami sweeping (or wiping out) all those homes and towers 5 miles inland with all sorts of debris created from the things it destroyed along the way ...

If you saw those videos unveiling the explosion of the nuclear power plants, along with an amazing yet frightening view of the bursts of flame, chemicals, and smoke into the air ...

If you saw the images of the poor Japanese adults and children, faces struck with shock, fear, and doubt, bodies showing signs of physical and emotional trauma, wondering if there is still any kind of future for them ...

And that's not all. The power of the earthquake moved Japan by 8 feet and shifted the Earth's axis by a few centimeters. Both measurements do not seem huge to make a difference, but since we are "microspecies" compared to the planet, it sure does. Even the emotistical beings will finally notice the quick passing of days, since the Earth now spins faster. Weather patterns will also slowly but surely deviate from its current state. It could lead to Antarctica facing the Sun more directly than usual, which could lead to a quicker melting of polar ice caps already trigerred by global warming. It could lead to the winds blowing in a different direction, affecting the templates of seasons, two or four.

The lesson we can learn from this is that anything can happen in the bink of an eye.

For now, all we can do is pray and hope for the best.

I still have faith that 2013 is still waiting for us ...

THE TRUE POWER OF THE PEOPLE

What does this iconic moment mean
to the current Filipino?

It has been 25 years since the Filipinos made their mark in recent memory. It has been 25 years since the power of the people took down one of the most controversial leaders in modern history. It has been 25 years since the First EDSA People Power Revolution.

The world saw the fall of a mighty overlord and the rise of a simple housewife to take care of the country as it inevitably went through a transition period. Filled with hope and promise, Filipinos and even the rest of the world expected that the Philippines will finally return to its former status as one of the leading Asian economic powers, circa 1965.

So what has happened since that fateful day?

Well, there have been a lot of developments in the country, but I will give you this: the most interesting fact is that 25 years since EDSA I, a Cojuangco Aquino is still heading the country. President Noynoy Aquino, just like what his mother Cory promised, and at least did during her time, vowed that he will lead us to the straight road to prosperity. On one hand, the fact that we are under basically the same type of leader for 25 years may symbolize that the Philippines has not moved on from its expectations to become a better nation for its citizens from 1986. On the other hand, both Cojuangco Aquinos are keeping their promises and showing that they really are serious about alleviating the country of its problems.

I will not explain in detail what is the big deal about this fact. This is where your personal analyses come in to play. After all, should not EDSA I have opened our eyes?

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT ...

RIP Angelo Reyes (1945-2011)

I have a minor problem.

As you may know, last February 8, former Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General, former Defense Secretary, former Interior and Local Government Secretary, former Environment and Natural Resources Secretary, and former Energy Secretary Angelo Tomas Reyes (as a result of the police investigation) killed himself by placing a bullet in his heart, dramatically falling down into the grave of his mother. He was given full military honors and was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Suddenly, a man facing graft charges and being suspected as a  "corrupt crony" of ex-President Gloria Arroyo became some sort of a hero and sympathetic figure. The man will even have a film dedicated to his life, directed by none other than National Artist Carlo J. Caparas.

With all due respect, ARE YOU F***ING KIDDING ME?

I cannot deny his accomplishments as a soldier, politician, and statesman, serving his country for 45 years. I respect that. If you do not believe that, then you need to read the first part of this article again. I also cannot deny that he has been a good father, husband, and friend to probably everyone that knew him. And despite the allegations that he received a mind-boggling P50-million send-off after his retirement (what's even worse is that this practice was revealed to be a decades-old military tradition), everyone is innocent unless proven guilty. 

But I do not see how the common man would feel sympathetic to Mr. Reyes, much less give him respect as a person. How could you respect some man who killed himself? Instead of facing his problems, he chose to end it himself. Not alluding to anything, but Mr. Reyes is indeed innocent, why did he choose not to answer the questions, clarify doubts, and reveal the truth (and nothing but the truth) to his countrymen? 

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, honor is defined as the "good name or public esteem" and "a showing of usually merited respect". Mr. Caparas stated that the reason behind his plans on making a film on Mr. Reyes is because the latter's death is a consequence of his last chance to save his honor. Really? Taking away your own life is NEVER good reputation. So if say, a man in the future faces a difficult challenge, in some degree similar to what Mr. Reyes went through, and he reads about what happened weeks ago, he will choose to go to the tomb of his parents, and kill himself, we will consider it as a good move? I am sure that there are other ways to defend your honor, such as having the strength to face them and revealing the truth. For a man who supposedly was one of the smartest students of his batch, Mr. Reyes probably did not realize that.

Some people would claim he "sacrificed" himself for his family, who (if the charges were true) would have inevitably benefited from those P50 million. Uh, once again with all due respect, Mr. Reyes should have realized that the career he is going to enter is never an easy and smooth ride to his goals. A career in the military or the government in the Philippines has been synonymous with corruption and fair-weather brotherhood for who-knows-how-long. Enter both and you will have twice the headache. Mr. Reyes should have known that at some point, his dumbest of critics will include his family in an effort to bring him down. He should have been more prepared and made his family realize how difficult life would be for them because of his profession. He probably did. However, he handled what turned out to be his last crisis the wrong way. The bottomline is, Mr. Reyes killed himself. 

With all due respect, too bad Mr. Reyes died. He probably knew something. He could have helped inch our country one step closer to finally breaking down these walls that will show to us what is truly going on with the authorities. Or maybe he really is innocent. Either way, he just became the latest "victim" in our struggle for the truth.

Mr. Caparas, I would think twice about spending money on that movie if I were you.

President Noynoy Aquino, thank you for keeping one of your promises from the campaign.   

RIP Angelo Reyes (1945-2011)

     

TEN OTHER IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF A PILIPINO

As of now, a lot of us have already
forgotten what these men and women
died for. 

1)      You reveal the truth ... and an unintentional desire to get killed.

Do you hear voices crying? Do you see heroes dying? Do you taste blood that's drying? Do you feel tension rising? From media men and journalists to activists, government officials, and seemingly every single honest-to-goodness man, corrupt individuals and their henchmen simply do not want what's right to be done to keep their dirty little secrets, and their benefits, for themselves. 

This is what happens when you care
more about money than anything else ...
including your very own life.

2)      You confuse a driving lane for a racing circuit.

Just about any day of the year, anywhere in the country, road accidents just cannot take a break. Careless, reckless bus, jeepney, and taxi drivers drive at the speed of light and beat the red lights to earn as much money as they can. The result? Falling off cliffs, hitting-and-running innocent pedestrians, and losing any humanity in them, whether they are aware of it or not.

 



Think these congressmen cheered for
the next President because they really
wanted to?



3)      You change your allegiance as frequently as you change your clothes.

 Just six months ago, Person A was allied with a higher official Person B. But with Person B losing popularity, Person A shifts his alliance to Person C in the upcoming elections just to stay in power. Along with losing any kind of loyalty is the loss of principles and values by which every government official should follow. Power truly determines the true character of a person.

  



As long as you do not go overboard
and try to marry your idols,
everything will be fine.



4)      You treat those who appear on TV like gods and goddesses.

Imagine you being in a mall, eating a delicious burger with your boyfriend while strolling around the shops and establishments around you. Suddenly, you see your favorite male teen star, all alone. You leave your boyfriend in the dust, rioting among other fangirls just to even get a touch of his white skin. Really? What is this, the procession of the Black Nazarene? This, I simply do not understand. It's not like whatever you touch turns to gold.



Nice one. I hope that hand is as good
as you using your own hands in
your work.

5)      You spend your time leaving your fate to the luck of the draw instead of earning the credits yourself.

Gambling, at least in the Philippines, is (sort of) disliked by a majority of the populace. And yet when the stakes are high in the 6/49 Lotto, Bingo, jueteng, OTB, or any other luck-based game, everyone just cannot resist the urge to spend part of their hard-earned cash for a low chance of receiving thousands or millions of pesos or any luxury item. Also, how many times have you seen four men in their office breaks or simply sitting on a street corner drinking alcohol while playing Pusoy Dos with a hundred pesos at stake? Instead of wasting time and money on high-stakes, low-reward contests, we should work as hard and as wise as we can.

With all due respect, I hope everyone
of them has a good future at hand.

6)      You plant twelve seeds which you can never grow into tall trees.

Common belief amongst the poorer Filipinos is that the more kids you have, the richer you will be when you grow old. Thing is, long-term planning is always the better option than short-term pleasure. If you cannot provide your ten-plus children with proper food, education, shelter, and every other form of support in their early years, chances are they will end up just like you. And the more people in the country, the more problems they bring. Translation? Overpopulation.



Remember this? You disrupted business
in that area, broke a lot of rules ... and
somehow get freed earlier than you
deserve. There sure is a better way to
express your opinion ... SENATOR.



7)      You simply cannot tell the difference between right and wrong and do not know the difference between right and wrong.

This is how the justice system works in the Philippines: you do not commit a crime, get arrested for misjudgment, wait 5 years on trial, sentenced to life imprisonment, spend 30-plus years behind bars, then the court finds out you are innocent, and released while serving a sentence you did not deserve. Another scenario: you commit a crime, get arrested, wait 5 years on trial, pay the judge a hundred thousand pesos, "found" not guilty despite strong evidences, and roam freely while ignoring your conscience. Which one seems more wrong? 

Instead of making something that is not
clearly ours our "own", why don't we
show the world what is truly our own?

8)      You copy anything the others do, and do not make a good impression on others.

We lack so much pride in our national identity that instead of being original, we copy pretty much anything the other countries make. We make our own versions of Korean soap operas. We scramble all over the malls searching for that newly-released iTouch because your friends have one. Heck, we even translate bad words from the other countries. Why? 



It would be nice if you look up to
someone as a role model. Just not this
guy. Please.



9)   You dream at day and live at night.



"Mamaya na yan", "Tinatamad ako, eh", "Kayang-kaya yan". Whether it be optimism or pure laziness, our inability to finish the job quickly and in great quality is while we have all the time in the world is one of the reasons why our country is struggling economically. And when there are only a few hours left before the deadliest deadline, that is when we only exert our efforts (not even our best efforts). Look at where we are right now.







A fellow Pilipino won a lot of titles.
Is that the only time you will say you're
proud to be Pinoy? Sure ...

10)      You either desperately search or do not care at all for a national identity.

We have a national anthem, national hero, and national flag. Sounds reasonable. But when you begin to have a "Pambansang Kamao", "Pambansang Bading" (who seems to be the most popular gay at the moment), o "Pambansang Laro" (which is a rip-ff of 20 Questions), we have a problem. When we hear someone won a modeling contest and you say, "I'm proud to be Pinoy", we have a bigger problem. Is this what being a Pilipino is all about?  

ANO? PILIPINO KA BA TALAGA?