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?