Friday, July 29, 2005

High Hopes for DCS!

Very high hopes indeed as Team Vulcan carries the Philippine Flag into Japanese territory to showcase their project. See link here.

I couldn't be any more prouder being part of a department that is making things happen. Kudos to everyone!

Thursday, July 28, 2005

The Sixth Republic

I couldn't have send this any better. This I like. This I want to see happen. Articel take from the Inq7.net.

Other links on other equally pressing issues poised to be part of the debate on federalism:

- Power to the People
- 'The countryside that feeds it'
- Maverick
- The Mindanao Problem


---0---

The Long View : The Sixth Republic

First posted 11:53pm (Mla time) July 27, 2005
By Manuel L. Quezon III
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page A13 of the July 28, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE PRESIDENT proposed, in her State of the Nation Address, that a new, "Sixth Republic" be established for our country. At first, it seemed she wanted this done in a manner that went against what she -- and her father before her -- felt was the only way to properly lay down the framework for a new republic: through a convention. But her press conference yesterday suggested that, after pandering to her party mates at the Batasan last Monday, she has other ideas of her own as to how a new constitution should be drafted.

In that press conference, the President said she has in mind some sort of a consultative constitutional commission that would propose exactly what changes should be made to the Constitution. This seems to be the President's way of making the amendments through a constituent assembly acceptable to the public. There is no greater proof of how our elected representatives -- particularly in the lower house-are perceived as unrepresentative of their constituents than the public mistrust of placing constitutional change in Congress' hands.

Were our representatives (and their family members, too) to deny themselves the fruit of their labors by vowing not to hold office in the first legislature of the new constitution, then people might be less skeptical. But our officials are advocating constitutional change not only for them to live on, but also for their tribe, so to speak, to increase. Hence, the President's toying with the idea of a supplementary commission.

Such a commission would offer a way out for both houses of Congress, which are on a collision course.

The one proposal in the "Ramosian trinity" -- federalism, unicameralism, parliamentarism -- that was seemingly swallowed hook, line and sinker by the President and cheered by absolutely everyone in the admittedly captive audience inside the Batasan [legislative building], was federalism. It captured the imagination of people on both sides of the political aisle, in the cities and in the provinces. Federalism, in itself, does not require the other -isms in former president Fidel Ramos' trinity. We can be bicameral and be federal, we can be presidential and be federal.

Indeed, we can sacrifice parliamentarism and unicameralism to achieve federalism, and it would be enough to excite a lot of people who wouldn't otherwise support the Ramos plan. Federalism would, for example, appeal to people in the provinces and reduce the scope of authority of both the president and the bureaucracy to foreign affairs, national defense and inter-state and world trade.

But what of those who want to get rid of the presidency as a powerful institution, or of the Senate as a component of the legislature? They are asking for the sun, the stars and the moon. I am convinced that our culture demands a chief executive who is not only nationally elected but who is also with national responsibilities. The problem with the presidency is not the institution; it is the near-impossibility of having a presidency armed with an unquestionable majority, not just a plurality. We have not had a president armed with an unquestionable majority since 1965. We have not had a president armed with a landslide victory since 1969: Cory Aquino had to have a revolution to enforce her victory. All presidents from Aquino down have had pretty pathetic pluralities (Joseph Estrada's so-called impressive showing in 1998 wasn't even as good, percentage-wise, as Carlos P. Garcia's plurality in 1957), and Filipinos are like the French: We respect only majority victories, and instinctively rebel against minority rule, which is what pluralities achieve.

Only Fidel Ramos managed to keep his presidency intact with a plurality because he had something other recent presidents lacked: long experience in handling people, and a fairly solid constituency, the military, that provided loyal and effective backing to his governance. However, the manner by which presidents are selected almost guarantees the failure of any president under the present system.

The solution, then, is run-off elections to ensure that presidents have a majority. Add to this, the political near-impossibility of asking the Senate to abolish itself (which I also believe the public won't support; the public prefers an inefficient legislature to a rubber stamp unicameral assembly), and what do you have? Either the continuation of the status quo, or some reforms for the Senate. What reforms could those be?

Well, you're back to federalism. Such a system would suggest a Senate composed of senators elected by federal district, or by region; with more limited law-making powers restricted to approving or vetoing laws passed by the lower house. This might be made acceptable to the senators by giving them the sole power to confirm Cabinet and such other appointments that under the present system has to pass the Commission on Appointments. This would also remove the bicameral conference committee, which produces laws very different from those passed by either house.

Finally, what of the congressmen who are having tantalizing visions of having everything to themselves? Give them what they have always wanted, which is the chance to hold Cabinet portfolios while remaining congressmen. This has been their dream since the time of Sergio Osmeña Sr., who wanted to remain speaker and at the same time hold a Cabinet portfolio under the Jones Law. A president with reduced powers, but an unquestionable mandate; a Senate that's a throwback to the 1916-1935 legislature, elected by regions, with confirmatory powers; a lower house that holds Cabinet portfolios, under a prime minister who runs the Cabinet in consultation with the president; and provincial governments with more room for experimentation and self-rule under federalism. Win-win!

Power Color

Your Power Color Is Indigo

At Your Highest:

You are on a fast track to success - and others believe in you.

At Your Lowest:

You require a lot of attention and praise.

In Love:

You see people as how you want them to be, not as how they are.

How You're Attractive:

You're dramatic flair makes others see you as mysterious and romantic.

Your Eternal Question:

"Does This Work Into My Future Plans?"

Excited for my birthday








Your Birthdate: September 20

Your birth on the 20th day of the month adds a degree of emotion, sensitivity, and intuition to your reading.

The 2 energy provided here is very social, allowing you to make friends easily and quickly.

Yet you are apt to have a rather nervous air in the company of a large group.



You have a warmhearted nature and emotional understanding that constantly seeks affection.

You are very prone to become depressed and moody, as emotions can turn inward and cause anxiety and mental turmoil.

It can be hard for you to bounce back to reality when depression sets in.

When things are going well, you can go just as far the other way and become extremely affectionate.


Wednesday, July 27, 2005

In state of Limbo

Yes. Everybody passes the state of limbo. The state when you know you have moved on yet a state where you do not know where you are going. Yes, this I think, is the state where I am now. In my last post, I acknowledged the fact that I am now ready to leave the confines of the university ready to face the scary real world and here I am now facing that scary real world not knowing where to go after that first step out the gates of UP.

Now it seems so easy just to turn back and return to those gates just waiting so openly... God, who knew that moving forward takes more than just one step. Every step is equally as difficult as the first and finding that life you so desired, you have imagined having since the day you almost failed those major exams, gets farther and farther away from you. Who knew that real life is boring but very tiring, lonely yet too complex too even dare think of... Just last long weekend, I stayed home for three days... imagine three days trapped doing nothing other than the fulfilling my personal needs and basic necessities. Its not that I don't want to find a life, hell, I need a goddamn life. The thing is I do not know where to look. I guess this is one of those life defining moments where you need to sort of focus on what you want to do, what you need to do, what is there to do... grrr... this is getting harder by the moment.

There is this quote in the cubicle I am in now. It says: "you are only young once, but you can stay immature indefinitely." Is this a sign? Damn, and to think we all thought puberty was a tough period, that growing up from childhood to teenager was a the ultimate rock to climb! It isn't! I can say that! Maturing is at this point of life seems to be unconquerable wall, the insourmoutable mountain.

I have survived my entire life drawing strength from the friends that surround me. I guess this life telling me that I have to learn to draw my own strength, whatever strenght there is in me. Goddamn it, why can't I be as confident as others. I have so much to be proud of. I can accomplish so much and yet here I am trapped in my comfort zone once again.

Here I am in the state of limbo. You know you're there but not quite there yet. Argh... I'm just glad that this song came along while I was typing this shit of a blog entry... hehehe... I played this song twice... :p Bamboo presents... NoyPi

Tingnan mo ang iyong palad
Kalyado mong kamay
Sa hirap ng buhay
Sa dami mong problema
Nakuha mo pang ngumiti
Noypi ka nga
Astig

Saan ka man naroroon
Wag kang matatakot
Sa baril o patalim
Sa bakas na madilim

Hoy
Pinoy ako
Buo aking loob
May agimat ang dugo ko
Hoy
Pinoy ako
May agimat ang dugo ko

Sinisid ko ang dagat
Nilibot ko ang mundo
Nasa puso ko palaang hinahanap kong kulo
Ilang beses na akong muntikang mamatay
Alam ko ang sekretokaya’t andito pa’t buhay

Sabi nila may anting-anting ako
Pero di nila alam na Diyos ang dahilan ko

Hoy
Pinoy ako
Buo aking loob
May agimat ang dugo ko
Hoy
Pinoy ako
May agimat ang dugo ko

Dinig mo ba ang bulong ng lahi mo
Isigaw mo kapatid ang himig natin

Hoy
Pinoy ako
Buo aking loob
May agimat ang dugo ko
Hoy
Pinoy ako
May agimat ang dugo ko

---0---

Just continue living life Mike! To my readers, if I do have them, my apologies for the rantings...

Builders and Wreckers

I watched them tearing a building down,
A gang of men in a busy town.
With a ho, heave, ho and a lusty yell
They swung a beam and a wall feel.

I asked the foreman, "Are these men skilled?
Like the men you'd hire if you had to build?"
He laughed as a replied, "No, indeed
Just common labor is all I need.

I can easily wreck in a day or two
What builders have taken years to do."
I asked myself as I went away
Which of these roles have I tried to play?

Am I a builder who works with care,
Measuring life by rule and square?
Or am I a wrecker who walks the town
Content with the labor of tearing down?
----0----
Why do so many of us find it easier to be a wrecker than a builder?
Why do we find it perversely gratifying to be sideline cynics smothering ideas in a relentless barrage of ‘what ifs’?
----0----
A builder sees problems as challenges and seeks solutions;
a dismantler sees problems in every solution.
A builder sees flaws and tries to fix them;
the dismantler sees flaws in every fix.
We need more builders.
God bless the Philippines.
----0----
My question for everyone:
Are we builders?

Monday, July 18, 2005

UP's Position

The President Must Resign Now

Statement of the University Council (UC) of the University of the
Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City on the political crisis
facing the Arroyo administration

13 July 2005

The pursuit of the truth and the quest for a democratic society are
integral to the university's mission in society. In the conduct of its
work, the University of the Philippines is strictly guided by the
paramount values of honesty, personal integrity, and responsibility.

We have strong reason to believe that the recent actions of the Arroyo
administration in relation to the so-called "Gloriagate" tapes -- the
initial attempt at a cover-up, the use of threat and intimidation to
prevent public access to these tapes, and the clever admission of
half-truths to conceal a serious offense, among others -- constitute a
direct assault on nearly all the values we hold sacred in academe.

A careful analysis of the content and context of the recorded
conversations between the President and Commission on Elections
(COMELEC) Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano clearly shows that there
has been a betrayal of public trust, if not a subversion of the
people's will in the last presidential election.

Grave economic problems confront the nation today. At no other time
have we needed a leader who can heal the divisions in our society and
inspire hope especially among our young people. President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo has done enough damage to our public institutions and
to the country's self-esteem. We cannot afford to be led any further
by a dishonest president who has shown no qualms about using the
awesome powers of her office for purely personal interests.

The University Council (UC) of UP Diliman, Quezon City - composed of
professors, associate professors and assistant professors and chaired
by the
Chancellor - calls on the people to guard against foreign meddling and
military takeover in charting the nation's future in the event of her
removal from office. UP Diliman faculty members will join the people
in their struggle to build a progressive society and a responsible
government and in their commitment to uphold civilian supremacy in
government and governance.

We thus call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to immediately
resign.

Thursday, July 14, 2005

A Phoenix...

Phoenix....
Your a Phoenix! Wow, you lucky so and so. Phoenix
are amazingly rare and beautiful birds who live
ontop of palm trees and feed on morning dew.
There can be only one Phoenix in the world at a
time. Phoenix;s can live up ro 1000 year old
and a little older. They represnt wisdom,
grace, rejevenation, rebirth, life, sun, hope,
ilght, and freedom. You are a very optimistic
person to be a Phoenix and are very kind.


What Mythical Beast are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

CBCP statement on the crisis facing Arroyo

First posted 09:40pm (Mla time) July 10, 2005 INQ7.net, Inquirer News Service

RESTORING TRUST: A PLEA FOR MORAL VALUES IN PHILIPPINE POLITICS

The Pastoral Situation
1. As a people we seem to have passed from crisis to crisis in one form or another. For many analysts, reinforcing these crises are ambivalent cultural values such as palakasan, pakikisama, utang na loob, and family-centeredness. As Bishops we have long contended that the crises that we have suffered are basically moral--the lack of moral values in ourselves, in our relationships, in our social structures.

2. Today we are beset with yet another political crisis of such magnitude as to polarize our people and attract them to various options ranging from the extreme right to the extreme left. In this grave situation, various groups take advantage of one another, manipulate situations for their own agenda and create confusion among our people sometimes by projecting speculation or suspicion as proven fact, with the aim of grabbing power.

3. At the center of the crisis is the issue of moral value, particularly the issue of trust. The people mistrust our economic institutions which place them under the tyranny of market forces whose lack of moral compass produces for our people a life of grinding dehumanizing poverty. They also mistrust yet another key institution – our political system. This mistrust is not recent. For a long time now, while reveling in political exercises, our people have shown a lack of trust in political personalities, practices, and processes. Elections are often presumed tainted rather than honest. Congressional and senate hearings are sometimes narrowly confined to procedural matters and often run along party lines. Politics has not effectively responded to the needs of the poor and marginalized.

4. This question of trust in national institutions has taken a critical urgency with the resignation of some key Cabinet members, the realignment of political parties and the creation of new alliances. Amid this realignment of forces we commend the clear official stand of our military and police authorities who reiterated their loyalty to our Constitution that forbid them from engaging in partisan politics.

5. Moreover with academe, business, professional and civil society varied positions have been taken with regard to President Macapagal Arroyo. Some want her to resign; others want her to go through due process. Some want a Truth Commission. Others impeachment. Some want a constitutional process and others an extra-constitutional process. On the other hand there is also a wide manifestation of support for the chief executive by a cross section of society.

6. Today, we ask ourselves, “As bishops what can we offer to our people? Can we provide some clarity and guidance in the present confusing situation?” We can only answer these questions from who we are. We are not politicians who are to provide a political blueprint to solve political problems. Rather we are Bishops called by the Lord to shepherds the people in the light of faith. With Pope Benedict XVI we do not believe in the “intrusion into politics on the part of the hierarchy.” But we are to interpret human activities such as economics and politics from the moral and religious point of view, from the point of view of the Gospel of Jesus end of the Kingdom of God. We are to provide moral and religious guidance to our people. This is what we offer in the present crisis. Not to do this would be an abdication of our duty.

Our Pastoral Role and Our Stand
7. In the welter of conflicting opinions and positions our role is not to point out a specific political option or a package of options as the Gospel choice, especially so when an option might be grounded merely on a speculative and highly controvertible basis. In the present situation we believe that no single concrete option regarding President Macapagal Arroyo can claim to be the only one demanded by the Gospel. Therefore, in a spirit of humility and truth, we declare our prayerfully discerned collective decision that we do not demand her resignation. Yet neither do we encourage her simply to dismiss such a call from others. For we recognize that non-violent appeals for her resignation, the demand for a Truth Commission and the filing of an impeachment case are not against the Gospel.

8. In all these we remind ourselves that a just political and moral order is best promoted under the present circumstances by a clear and courageous preference for constitutional processes that flow from moral values and the natural law. Hence, we also appeal to the people, especially their representatives and leaders, to discern their decisions not in terms of political loyalties but in the light of the Gospel values of truth, justice and the common good. We urge our people in our parish and religious communities, our religious organizations and movements, our Basic Ecclesial Communities to come and pray together, reason, decide and act together always to the end that the will of God prevail in the political order. People of good will and credibility who hold different political convictions should come together and dialogue in order to help move the country out of its present impasse. We believe with Pope Benedict XVI that through prayer the Filipino people and their political representatives and leaders guided by moral principles are capable of arriving at decisions for the common good that are based not only on political realities but above all on moral precepts.

9. Yet having said this we wish to subject specific situations to moral inquiry to guide our people in deepening their moral discernment.

Restoring Moral Values
10. On Moral Accountability: “Political authority is accountable to the people. Those who govern have the obligation to answer to the governed “ (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 408) President Macapagal Arroyo has admitted and apologized for a “lapse [in] judgment” for calling a COMELEC official. The admission further eroded the people’s trust on the already suspected electoral system and raised serious questions on the integrity of the elections. Beyond apology is accountability, Indeed, with forgiveness is justice. To restore trust would require a thorough, credible and independent process to examine the authenticity of the so-called Garcillano tapes, verify any possible betrayal of public trust and mete out due punishment on all those found guilty. Punishment should also imposed on those duly found guilty of corruption and illegal acts, such as jueteng and wire tapping. Moral accountability calls for radical reforms in various agencies of the government to make them more responsive to the requirements of integrity as well as to the needs of the poor.

11. On Constitutionality: In the present crisis some calls are being made of measures that are counter-constitutional. The Constitution enshrines cherished values such as human dignity and the common good, freedom, the rule of law and due process. On this basis, we reject quick fixes that cater to selfish political agenda and advantage rather than to the common good. We deplore the attempts of those groups who seek to exploit our vulnerable national situation in order to create confusion and social chaos, in order to seize power by unconstitutional means. We reject calls for juntas or revolutionary councils. Our political leaders have to be the first to observe and faithfully implement the Constitution. Revolving the crisis has to be within the framework of the Constitution and the laws of the land so as to avoid social chaos, the further weakening of political systems, and greater harm in the future,

12. On Non-Violence: Violent solutions, as Pope Paul VI taught us, “produce new injustices, throw more elements out of balance, and bring on new disasters” (Populorum Progressio 31) There are today, on different sides of the social and political spectrum, those who would instigate violence in order to promote their own agenda or causes. We reject the use of force and violence as a solution to our problems. Such cannot be an option of the Gospel, for we know that Jesus the Lord taught a Gospel of Love and non-violence.

13. On Effective Governance: “Public authority in order to promote the common good… requires also the authority to be effective in attaining that end” (Pacem in Terris, ch. IV) Together with competence, personal integrity is one of the most necessary requirements of a leader. Ineffective governance may be due to a lack of personal integrity or lack of competence. It could also be the result of a confluence of factors that have eroded trust and credibility and hence effectiveness. In our present situation we recognize that blame could be attributed to many, even all of us. Yet we would ask the President to discern deeply to what extent she might have contributed to the erosion of effective governance and whether the erosion is so severe as to be irreversible. In her heart she has to make the necessary decision for the sake of the country. We all need to do the same, Indeed moral discernment is very difficult since it is not based on political allegiance and alignments but on moral considerations.

Conclusion
14. Dear People of God, sadness and anxiety were our feelings when we as Bishops first met to study on various aspects of the crisis. To confront the fears and hopelessness that are the daily companions of our poor is to realize that we of the Church likewise contributed to them by our neglect, our bias, our selfishness.

15. To respond to the pastoral situation we commit ourselves to a more effective evangelization in word and deed so that moral values might become dynamic forces of human life in economics, politics and culture. We especially commit ourselves to the formation of men and women endowed with competence and integrity and empowered to effective leadership in the economic and political spheres. With the Gospel of truth, justice, peace and love in their hearts they might, indeed, be a leaven of social transformation for our country.

16. This year of the Eucharist reminds us to the abiding, loving, and healing presence of the Lord Jesus in our midst. By the grace and mercy of God and the maternal protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we pray that a deep sense of hope will prevail in these dark moments of our history. Our loving God will not abandon us no matter what pit of evil we have fallen into. We shall emerge stronger from this crisis. We shall rise endowed with greater integrity. We shall be witnesses to the power of God’s grace to transform us into a noble nation, a holier Church, a united people.

FOR THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CONFERENCE OF THE PHILIPPINES

Fernando R. Capalla, D.D.
President
Archbishop of Davao

Rundown

A run through of various thougths:

1. I am proud of the current ESC for their success during the Freshmen Week and the opening program of Engg Cup, despite the earlier rain.

2. There was a prayer rally outside the office today and expecting a bigger on later. I hope I get home safely.

3. I should have been more clear minded now that I am "working" and should have known better.

4. In connection to #3., I should have known not many people grow up or learn fast. Change needs time. I apologize for my sudden reaction to the unpublished article.

5. I am also happy for the way things are going for DCS in a way that it is being ahead of the other departments with regards to ELE. I commend the current representatives for a job well done.

6. This is my blog, my space, my thoughts, I can be wrong with my posts and I can also be right. My purpose for having this blog is for me to have a venue to speak and share what I have in mind. I may change my mind later or may strengthen what I have said earlier. This is a place where I know I can be criticized, appreciated or reacted and it is ok.

7. Most of my entries, often times, lack proper grammer, contain a lot of spelling mistakes, may sometimes be contradictory, and might sometimes be just a mixture of random ideas brought about by impulse and feeling.

8. I like to write even if I know I wouldn't be checking it again for mistakes or lapses in my thought constructs.

9. I'm sleepy and tired but have to stay awake for work...

10. CS Reps 2004-2005 rule! :D Just wanted to say that. I miss the good old times when we did nothing but squabble about little things. Still do, right chix? hehehe...

Adios! Back to work...

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Gas-Station Philosopher

Here is a nice story I got from Drew. I feel it is a timely lesson when our country feels itself facing period of difficulty.

During our first summer on the Arizona desert, I thought I'd roast. Trying to garden, tag after the children and shop at my usual pace nearly killed me in the 112-degree Fahrenheit temperature.

By the next April I was already dreading those three months of Hades coming up. I told Mr. Simpson so, at his service station while he filled my car's tank.

"Now, you don't want to worry the season that way," he chided me gently. "Dreading the scorchers just makes the summer start sooner and last longer."

I realized, as I paid the bill, that he was right. Summer in my thinking was already upon us, making a five-month hot spell.

"Treat the heat like a welcome surprise," he said, handing me change. "Take advantage of the best that our summer offers and ignore the rest under air conditioning."

"Is there a best about summer here?" I asked weakly.

"Ever up at five or six o'clock? I swear, those July morning skies are so rosy - like heaven is blushing. And on August nights, the stars look like icebergs floating in a dark blue ocean. And a person doesn't know the real joy of swimming until he's jumped into the water on a 114-degree day!"

As Mr. Simpson went to wait on another customer, a younger employee who'd been standing nearby grinned and said softly, "Well, you've just had Simpson's Special - free with a fill-up."

To my amazement, Mr. Simpson's advice worked. When my dreading stopped, April and May were cut from the hot season. And when the scorchers did arrive, I worked at my roses in the heavenly cool of morning. In the afternoon I slept with the young ones. And in the evening we played croquet and made ice cream on the patio. Through the summers that followed, I learned the beauty of the desert sunrise.

Years later, when we moved north, our neighbors there were already worrying about winter in September. When the snows of December did arrive, our children - David, ten, and Dawn, 12 - were excited. As they made snowballs, our neighbors gathered to watch "those nutty desert kids who've never seen snow before."

When the children headed for the hills with their sleds, a few neighbors joined the kids "so they won't kill themselves hitting trees." Later they'd go skating on the pond with David and Dawn "to keep them from falling through the ice." Afterward, adults and children would sit by our fireplace and linger over hot chocolate.

On one afternoon a middle-aged neighbor remarked, "For years the snow has just been something to shovel. I'd forgotten what real fun it can be!"

A few years later we were transferred home to the desert. When I drove to the service station, I learned from the new owner that age had forced Mr. Simpson to sell. He'd bought a tiny station in a nearby town.

I drove there and visited with Mr. Simpson as he serviced our car. He was thinner now, with hair the color of silver hubcaps. But his pleasant smile was still the same. I asked how he was.

"I'm not worrying abot growing old," he said, coming out from under the hood. "Too busy enjoying life out here in the country."

He wiped his hands. "We've got three peach trees loaded with fruit - and a hummingbird nesting outside our bedroom window. Imagine a perfect bird no bigger than my finger, looking just like a little penguin."

He started writing up the sale. "At twilight rabbits pop like corn out of the brush. When the moon comes up, coyotes gather on the knoll. I've never seen a spring with more abundant wildlife." As I drove off, he called our, "Enjoy it!"

All the way home, I thought about Simpson's Special - that wonderful man's secret to happiness. Instead of dreading life's minuses, he simply enjoyed the pluses.

----

Moving on

When can you finally say that you have finally moved on from being that college student to the college graduate? I found that out while I was walking from the OUR to Engg just this afternoon. It's a feeling that just sinks and finally you just think, hey, I have finally moved on. I no longer long for and crave viciously everyday for the company of UP friends and UP places and UP happenings although I know I will always appreciate, treasure, love and continue to see them. But finally the need for me to actually go there everyday and think about UP almost every houris finally done.

My friends have learned to move on but that does not mean that we, as friends are moving apart. I know we will see less of each other but I know we will always be friends. The communication may not be there everyday but at least we still communicate. We will definitely miss those good all times but why stick around when you can find other things to share with them when you expand your horizon a bit further.

I will always care and love the institution that made me who I am yet I know that it will be much more proud of me to if I made myself a better person outside its wings. I know it will always be there to accept me when I fall like a mother always accepting and forgiving. Yet, it must push me to also learn to live life, face the real world. And finally, today, I have come to accept that. The real world will challenge me, it already has many times and if I don't put up a good fight, I might as well hide for the rest of my life in my parent's garden cleaning up for them.

Today, I begin to learn on being independent. Today, is the beginning of the rest of my life. Today, I have finally left the university.

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

On the "political crisis"

A word from good friends and people who I think has very deep insights when it comes to the political scenario of our country. Here's a transcript of email messages. Start from the bottom.

jed wrote:
I agree magaling si GMA for consulting magaling political advisers andmagicians.
She is still the President exercising all its power without anylimitations watsoever. This irritates the opposition because theywant her to feel helpless and isolated.

Guilty or not? She is doing something good right now for the nationand we are helping her keep her promise by accusing her of jueteng andelection fraud. She's actually doing something good for this countrynow.

The next allegations against the President would maybe wake her toimplement yet more radical reforms and good changes for our country.

Keep up the governance thing GMA and also keep up the noise OPPOSITION.Panalo ang bayan sa nangyayari ngayon... OPPOSITION wants GMA out sothey accuse and accuse and GMA wants to stay so she does many goodthings. In turn OPPO gets irritated and intensifies anti-govt campaignso GMA gets more focus on doing more good things. People feels theinitial heat but eventually they see that SUSAN et al are just noisethat wants power for themselves.

Hey, even if i voted GMA in the last election, I do agree that whatshe did talking to comelec official is something unethical. If she didcheated, by how much then? If she did not actually had the votes, thenconscience will kill her. Baka nahihiya siya na ang lamang niyaagainst FPJ is small (assuming she actually did have the most numberof votes) But looking at the bigger picture, this country needsstability not political change.

mike wrote:
true though na we are running out of better people to run our government. during elections, we end up choosing someone who is the lesser evil. lesser but evil still. pero in all fairness, gma does know how to make friends at sobrang powerful pa ng friends nya. i have no problem with how she runs the country. in fact it was doing a better bit by bit until this issue came...

another thing i really find amusing is how people immediately assume that gma admitted to cheating during the elections when she only admitted to her being on the wiretapped conversations. we are not even sure if the person she was talking to was a comelec official or if it were so, it does not prove that there was vote manipulation. although, we have to admit, it was unethical to talk to a comelec official during the counting of ballots... we don't do that during esc and usc elections dba... its your party who should be your mouth and eyes...

one thing that will make gma happy though is that she and mike arroyo will no longer be living in the same roof. though still rumors, their marriage is said to be just for show. well, at least they found a way to stay apart with valid and noble reasons..

the situation ngayon is very fun to watch. paminsan may mga protest rallies dito sa tapat ng building namin at nakakatuwa kasi the people want gma to resign for reasons we have no idea where they got. to think they were doing it in the center of makati business district, who would listen to them... did kasi naman, Dagdag Sahod!!! daw... hehehehe.... anyway, i just keep on wondering what the tibaks of UP have to say about the issue... who do they think should replace the president? any news??

sarap naman ng mga ganitong discussions.... na mimiss ko na... hehehe..

joan wrote:
exactly. walang papalit na matino kay gma. have you guys seen noli anywhere? nagtatago nga ata yun because he's scared of becoming president. even the media doesn't accord him much respect. after ng speech ni gma sino yung ininterview nila? si drilon, not noli. tawa nga ako ng tawa eh. iniisip ko nga that time they should not have bypassed noli, kawawa naman yung tao. hehehe.

as for gma's credentials, i don't entirely agree with what brillantes (yung sinasabi ni mike) said, that gma can't run this country. on the contrary, i find that she seems to be doing a perfectly good job of having the country's forces at her disposal. kasi kung titingnan natin, a change of presidency will only happen if you don't have any sectors behind you. just look at what happened to erap and marcos. pero si gma? shet, ang galing nya magbalasa ng cards nya. she has the business sector and the military supporting her. magaling talaga sya. saludo ako sa spin doctors nya and sa kanya mismo. yung speech nya last week? grabe, tawa ako ng tawa nun. pero alam ko that it would be something the masses would appreciate. pang-telenovela effect. astig talaga. pero hindi talaga bagay kay gma yung paawa effect look. nagmumukha syang ewan.
just as nagmukhang ewan si susan roces dun sa speech nya. susan roces is trying to do a cory aquino. or at least she tried to. ginamit pa nya yung apo nya. that was pathetic. pero it couldn't have hurt. if you've ever seen clips from dati, ganyan din kasi ginawa ni cory, si kris nga lang ginamit nya. although to accord respect to the yello lady, i don't think she meant to really use kris. ewan. i wasn't there. i just read stuff.

i am not for gma. although i tend to be pragmatic at times, i am still idealistic mostly and i would never have voted for gma. i just think though na sobrang galing ng ginawa nyang pag-shuffle ng lahat ng pawns nya. astig talaga. she was in the wrong (she may not have admitted it but cmon, we're not naive naman di ba? and my orgmate was presidential staff at that time kaya alam nyand may daya nga na nangyari) but look where she is now? still president. i have to hand it her.

yung talagang kinaiinisan ko sa lahat ng to, si mikey arroyo. what is it with him? magresign na lang sya no if he really wants to act. nakakairita siya.
and you guys may not agree with me on this (i'm not asking you to) pero ok sa akin yung vat. i do not want to compare us with other countries pero sa tingin ko kasi, it's one of the ways para umunlad naman bansa natin. i'm only worried about its implementation. sana naman bumaba na ang corruption rate in the government and in the military.

jed wrote:
Alou, i agree with your Dad!!!

alou wrote:
hehe. may point naman e. alala ko tuloy dad ko. 2 weeks ago, nung umuwi ako ng baguio, nag-uusap kami about issues regarding the president hanggang sa nasabi ko na, "paano kung may move na ma-oust siya?" sabi niya, "wala namang papalit na matino e." hehehe. wala lang.

mike wrote:
jone, nids and exte pips,
kahit may pagka-apathetic yung tone ng sumagot. his got a point rin noh... saya dahil nag-iisip rin...

someone else wrote...

Grabe naman yang multiple choice na yan!?! Ba't parang walang tamang answer?!? Trick question yata ito!

Si GMA may PhD, kaso nandaya. Si Susan Poe 'di nga nandaya, kaso movie star naman. Yung may PhD, hindi matakbo ng maayos yung bansa. Nakakatakot din naman ibigay sa isang movie star kasi kahit anong drama niya, hindi niya maiintindihan ang intricacies ng Philippine Government. Yung may PhD nga nagfail, yung movie star and housewife pa kaya?

Wala na ba talagang maganda-gandang choice? Basta, wala dyan ang answer. Bonus question dapat ito, dahil mali ang mga choices! Ubos na ba talaga ang matinong mamumuno na mananalo sa eleksyon sa dakilang bansa natin?

Yun lang.


Final say: CS Network

The CS Network issue has been running unresolved for sometime now and has been placed under a silence banner. I have kept my silence thinking out of respect for the incumbent representatives and convenors of the alliance. It is their term and they are allowed to run things as they see fit, as they think is what the students and department needs, as they vision the department to be. But I guess my silence has also its down side, having read an unpublished article for Parser on what the current representatives vision is for the network.

I still maintain that they are given free reign on how to run the network, but what irks me the most is for them to say that we during our term had a limited vision vision for the network, contained by the boundaries of what was, and dictated by those that surround us.

Yes, information dessimination was our primary purpose for the network. It was a time when only those who had connections and those who took time to read the WH? and Logscript knew what was happening. Those who didn't have access didn't know what the hell has happening to the college, and to our department. Most didn't even have an inkling on what their department representatives are suppose to be doing. Aside from that, Parser dead, the ECR volcorp was dying, there was a limited number of players for EnggCup, and there were no organizations interested in participating during TechnoFair activities. And with these problems, we wanted make people know that the ESC was doing something for the college and for their welfare. We wanted people to know that the department offers tons of activities that would develop their interests deeper than what I myself has experienced. There were just so many things I wanted to do during my college days but it came too late.

That was why information dessimination came as our first priority for the Network. And yet, this was not the only vision we had for it. Another purpose was for it to become a not an umbrella organization but rather a collaboration between organizations. A collaboration that has respect for each other as its foremost value and concern. Respect for each organizations individuality. Respect for each organizations difference and uniqueness. We wanted it to be a place where the organizations let the others know what they are up to / what their activities are, not compete for activities. It was suppose to be a venue for student leaders to voice their concern on issues concerning the department, the ESC and college.

I mentioned this in the first CS Network meeting despite it being too late. The purpose of the CS Network: 1) information dessimination from the ESC to the organizations, 2) information dessimination between organizations, and 3) a venue to discuss both technical and nontechnical (national, college, department and ESC) issues. Just like EASL but I also emphasized on the need for respect for each other uniqueness - a trait not many organizations in EASL have for one another.

If it were only about visioneering for the department, I personally do not think that we were limited, bounded, and dictated. If it were not for visioneering, we would have made it half of our term before losing interest because of the disappointments we crossed path with during that one year stint. We had problems both in the ESC and our own projects for the department - these I'd not mention as these are all in the past.

When we ran for office, we had this vague idea of the different committees of cs-related organizations forming a newsletter and a varsity for the department. That was before the current EIC's name was brought to our concern. Parser was suppose to be a product of the Network considering that its previous death was due to lack of funds. We didn't anticipate nor regret in involving the current EIC and his friends into Parser without the need for the network. I do not deny that at that point we lost purpose for the network as Parser was revived for the purpose of information dessimination.

But then small organizations came and grew, new ones formed and up until the 2nd sem, there again grew the need for the network and now with more leaders that might be eager to collaborate with each other. Like a network, organizations would work as clients capable of working independently achieving each of their specific tasks and goals. A server is there so that each individual client could connect when they need to collaborate, talk to chat and to share information. However, there were some that doubted it, and sometimes with good reason. The status quo that the representatives before us left was among the best relationships left between two particular organizations. It would be difficult if we brought something of that nature again to the DCS student scene. This was one scenario that we were very carefula about and a scenario we knew was very risky.

That risk we took and ended with a pretty swell CS Week. In planning for that, we never debated on who will take what event, but rather what event will each organization hold, and we schedule it for them. Cursor, being the organization that sponsored the event throughout its entire existence, I believed, deserved the right to be asked if we could invite other organizations to sponsor events. They agree to the condition that as long as these events do not overlap theirs. Thus, I made sure they didn't. The meetings where stressful, I can tell about that now. It was difficult to make everyone give their opinion most especially when they start feeling intimidated. But i guess thats a whole different story.

As I said earlier, I do not want to meddle in the affairs of the CS Network now because it is the current representatives vision running it. However, my point in this whole thing is that people should just not blame for others for lack of vision. There is no one who lacks vision for himself or in his service. Blame the way we implemented the Network, but never underestimate what vision we had for it.