i had a wonderful night with my grade school and high school friends last sunday...we went to jhoan's house to celebrate her birthday...ako, jhoan, arnold, karen, vicky, maricel...it was nice recalling the good experiences we had back in the old days...i know they get together regularly (i get to join them only once in a while) but there are still a lot of good memories to talk about...one of the things we've talked about is out extension parties back in high school...extension parties are 'extensions' of the christmas parties we celebrate in school...you see parties in school end at around six...so feeling 'bitin' we go to a classmate's house to continue the fun...our venue for i think all four christmases we spent together in high school was vicky's house...they have a big 'sala' in their second floor...a perfect venue for partying...and her parents are welcoming so we always felt at ease...as i look back all our parties where fun...all wholesome...perhaps the most 'adult' thing we ever did was to have punch...pineapple juice mixed with a small bottle (bilog) of gin...definitely diluted...pineapple continuously added...gin forgotten...probably high school students now will call our parties boring...no alcohol...you can hardly consider the punch we drink as alcoholic...
another thing we discussed was the nintendo game we played during our elementary years...i think vicky was the only one who has nintendo so it's only in thier house where we get to play supoer mario...i was surprised that last night that two decades after, super mario still exists...i saw a housemate playing super mario in his psp...i asked what goes on in the super mario now...iasked if they still save the princess...yes, they still do save the princess...are the mushrooms...is there still a flower you have to get?...yes...do you still jump over turtles?...yes...is there still a star to help you overpower the enemies?...yes...wow...not much changed...
as i reflect i realized that there are a lot of things in life that still remains the same...vicky's house is still there but i don't know if we could still party...super mario and his brother luigi wer able to fight all the enemies thus they still remain...and more importantly friends remain...there are little changes, yes, but for the most part walang pinag-iba...we may now have red wine (thanks to arnold and zeth who now resides in spain -- i regret not being able to join them when she came home) instead of pineapple/gin punch...but the friendship is still there...laughter...the same....stories...the same...i hope to find time to join them again...soon...there are still a lot of wonderful memories to relieve...
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
hope is what we need...
i felt bad when i read an article about the manila bus hostage taking this morning...first i felt bad because i felt the author of the article was looking down on us...but then as i went on with the article i realized that a lot of what he is saying is true...many things that happen to us according to him is because many of us have already lost hope...he said a lot of us just become content on what is there...we just accept whatever is presented to us...i didn't like to believe this at first...really...but it seems that what he said is right...there are many of us who say "okay na yan kesa wala"..."pwede na yang trabaho na yan kesa mamalimos"..."okay lang ma late kasi late din naman sila"...
i hope we do not lose hope...because there is hope...look at that girl who sent her wishes to wish ko lang...she is a child who probably didn't even know how to spell hope...but she showed hope...look at that teachers who posted the concerns of her students in her facebook account...she was saddened by the lack of funds from the government...but she knew she wasn't lacking in friends whom she know would help...she hope...so she could show hope...what is their common denominator...their situations are what many would say hopeless...had those situations happened to others they would have said "let us just accept our situations because we have no other choice"...but both of them hoped...and they got what they hoped for...
i hope we do not lose hope...because there is hope...look at that girl who sent her wishes to wish ko lang...she is a child who probably didn't even know how to spell hope...but she showed hope...look at that teachers who posted the concerns of her students in her facebook account...she was saddened by the lack of funds from the government...but she knew she wasn't lacking in friends whom she know would help...she hope...so she could show hope...what is their common denominator...their situations are what many would say hopeless...had those situations happened to others they would have said "let us just accept our situations because we have no other choice"...but both of them hoped...and they got what they hoped for...
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
we are now hostages of our own people....
there!...what we've all been fearing for happened...we are now hostages by other people's judgments...i'll say it again we are now hostages by OTHER PEOPLE's judgements...i didn't say other nationalities...i said other people...because we are not only hostages of foreigners' opinions but our own opinions as well...so many things are being said...so many issues being discussed in public...so many criticisms being hurled at people...filipinos, why are we making ourselves hostages of these opinions, issues, concerns, criticisms...do we need to do this to ourselves?...what we need, i believe, is to stand up together, as one nation, to prove to the world that we are a good people...a peace loving race...a God fearing nation...we have done this successfully in the past...we have done this in EDSA back in 1986...we can do it again now...
we do not need to go to the streets bearing placards saying filipinos are good people...we do not need to write articles such as this to shout out loud that we are kind people...what we need is to stop pulling each other down...what we need is build each other up...what need is to sow love...what we need is to show care for others...
let us take inspiration from filipinos who have done so already...
efren penaflorida jr teaches streetchildren how to read and write...how to live life...he teaches them out of love...he gives them inspiration...he gives them hope...
people driving the ambulansyang de paa...they take time and effort to carry the ill through long and difficult trails just to bring them to the nearest hospital where they could be given proper treatment...
the filipino nannies in other countries who leave their own children behind and take care other peoples' kids to earn a living for their families...
the filipino caregivers in other countries who leave their own aging and sick parents to take care of other old people just to make money to buy medicines for their own parents...
the filipino teachers who teach other nationalities to speak a language that they themselves cannot call their own...
the soldiers who risk their lives in protecting us from terrorists...
the missionary priests who go to places where they are not welcome just to let them know the Good News...
the old ladies who volunteers to clean the churches everyday to give us a conducive place to worship our maker...
let us take inspiration from these people who chose to look at the beauty of life rather than all the negativities....let us take inspiration from them so we could lift the image of the filipinos once again....let us take inspiration from them so we could show the world who we truly are...let us take inspiration from them for the filipino children...the kids who have no idea of what the whole manila hostage drama was all about...the kids who are at this very moment listening to their teachers believing that what they'll learn will give them a bright future...the kids who are at this time dreaming that someday their parents who are picking 're-sell-able' items from dumpsites will find free tickets to a theme park under the pile of trash...the kids who are hoping to someday see a mouse that they will not fear...
we do not need to go to the streets bearing placards saying filipinos are good people...we do not need to write articles such as this to shout out loud that we are kind people...what we need is to stop pulling each other down...what we need is build each other up...what need is to sow love...what we need is to show care for others...
let us take inspiration from filipinos who have done so already...
efren penaflorida jr teaches streetchildren how to read and write...how to live life...he teaches them out of love...he gives them inspiration...he gives them hope...
people driving the ambulansyang de paa...they take time and effort to carry the ill through long and difficult trails just to bring them to the nearest hospital where they could be given proper treatment...
the filipino nannies in other countries who leave their own children behind and take care other peoples' kids to earn a living for their families...
the filipino caregivers in other countries who leave their own aging and sick parents to take care of other old people just to make money to buy medicines for their own parents...
the filipino teachers who teach other nationalities to speak a language that they themselves cannot call their own...
the soldiers who risk their lives in protecting us from terrorists...
the missionary priests who go to places where they are not welcome just to let them know the Good News...
the old ladies who volunteers to clean the churches everyday to give us a conducive place to worship our maker...
let us take inspiration from these people who chose to look at the beauty of life rather than all the negativities....let us take inspiration from them so we could lift the image of the filipinos once again....let us take inspiration from them so we could show the world who we truly are...let us take inspiration from them for the filipino children...the kids who have no idea of what the whole manila hostage drama was all about...the kids who are at this very moment listening to their teachers believing that what they'll learn will give them a bright future...the kids who are at this time dreaming that someday their parents who are picking 're-sell-able' items from dumpsites will find free tickets to a theme park under the pile of trash...the kids who are hoping to someday see a mouse that they will not fear...
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
manila bus hostage...do not let innocent filipinos become hostages of your judgments
the manila bus hostage drama yesterday was very alarming...it's very traumatic...not only for the people directly involved but for those of us who watched the situation on tv as well...
but what's more alarming for me is the effect of this on us...the reaction of the international community...last night i was saying there will be travel bans again because of this manila bus hostage taking...true enough, i read on facebook that there are several travel bans already...
i also pity all the filipinos working abroad...most especially those people working in hong kong and other chinese communities...whether we like it or not, these overseas filipino workers will somehow be affected...they might be treated unfairly...some will be looked down upon...others might even get abused...
i'm writing this to appeal to everybody to react on this with calm...please always remember that we are all different...filipinos are different from other races...and even us who come from the same race also differ from one another...please do not look at us as if all of us are evil people...please do not look at all of us as if we are criminals...yes, there are filipinos who do unacceptable things...we all know that...we recognize that...in the first place we cannot deny what happened yesterday at the quirino grandstand...but is this not the same thing that happens in other countries?...there are also hostage takings in other places...there are also others who get robbed in other countries...there are also others who get beaten up in dark alleys in other nations...what happened yesterday is not unique to the philippines...that bus hostage taking could happen -- no! that happens in other places as well...
please do not get me wrong...i'm not saying that we should just all forget what happened yesterday just because bad things happen everywhere anyway...no!...what i'm saying is that let us not blame all filipinos for what happened...we say what the hostage taker did was wrong because he used innocent people for his own purpose...i say yes, i agree...those innocent people should not have been put in harm's way...my appeal to you also stems from that idea...please do not let innocent filipinos be affected by what that one man did...because if you do you are also doing to us the very you thing you hate...you are making us hostages...innocent hostages...yes, justice must be served...but not at our expense...let the proper authorities do their jobs...in the mean time let us look at the brighter side of filipinos...
there are a lot of foreign visitors in our land who have been pleased with our hospitality...there are a lot of foreigners who have experienced our honesty...there are a lot of foreigners who have been entertained by our jolly attitude...these are the things that i hope we will not forget to see...even how blinding that hostage taking is...
we are a nation still trying to start a new life...a new life after much political turmoil...to look at us as criminals or evil people will certainly not help...please let us stand up again as a nation and allow us to prove to you that we are good people....mabuhay ang mga pilipino...mabuhay ang pilipinas....
but what's more alarming for me is the effect of this on us...the reaction of the international community...last night i was saying there will be travel bans again because of this manila bus hostage taking...true enough, i read on facebook that there are several travel bans already...
i also pity all the filipinos working abroad...most especially those people working in hong kong and other chinese communities...whether we like it or not, these overseas filipino workers will somehow be affected...they might be treated unfairly...some will be looked down upon...others might even get abused...
i'm writing this to appeal to everybody to react on this with calm...please always remember that we are all different...filipinos are different from other races...and even us who come from the same race also differ from one another...please do not look at us as if all of us are evil people...please do not look at all of us as if we are criminals...yes, there are filipinos who do unacceptable things...we all know that...we recognize that...in the first place we cannot deny what happened yesterday at the quirino grandstand...but is this not the same thing that happens in other countries?...there are also hostage takings in other places...there are also others who get robbed in other countries...there are also others who get beaten up in dark alleys in other nations...what happened yesterday is not unique to the philippines...that bus hostage taking could happen -- no! that happens in other places as well...
please do not get me wrong...i'm not saying that we should just all forget what happened yesterday just because bad things happen everywhere anyway...no!...what i'm saying is that let us not blame all filipinos for what happened...we say what the hostage taker did was wrong because he used innocent people for his own purpose...i say yes, i agree...those innocent people should not have been put in harm's way...my appeal to you also stems from that idea...please do not let innocent filipinos be affected by what that one man did...because if you do you are also doing to us the very you thing you hate...you are making us hostages...innocent hostages...yes, justice must be served...but not at our expense...let the proper authorities do their jobs...in the mean time let us look at the brighter side of filipinos...
there are a lot of foreign visitors in our land who have been pleased with our hospitality...there are a lot of foreigners who have experienced our honesty...there are a lot of foreigners who have been entertained by our jolly attitude...these are the things that i hope we will not forget to see...even how blinding that hostage taking is...
we are a nation still trying to start a new life...a new life after much political turmoil...to look at us as criminals or evil people will certainly not help...please let us stand up again as a nation and allow us to prove to you that we are good people....mabuhay ang mga pilipino...mabuhay ang pilipinas....
Sunday, August 22, 2010
moving on after moving on
a friend shared an interesting story…an unlikely story…a few hours after sharing the story she sent me a text message saying it was nice she shared it coz she realized that she has finally moved on…
sometimes it is really difficult to realize that we have already moved on…sometimes we fail to see that we are no longer hurting because we are already so used to the pain that we feel it is already part of us…and to realize that we have moved on we think we need to see something new to happen…something great…something so noticeable it could not be me mistaken for anything else…but most of time nothing great will happen…no sparks from somewhere…no fireworks…no band playing when we go home…we just need to really focus on how we feel so that we can see little changes that when put together will tell us we have moved on…it’s hard to describe what these little changes are…the little changes that will matter to me are probably different from the little changes that will mean something to you…
so, does it mean that when we realize that we have moved on we can already be happy…for many people yes…for some no…as said, some of us get so used to the feeling of hurting that when we realize that we are no longer hurting we miss the feeling…then we go back to the start where we feel we could not move on – this time from having moved on…crazy?…yes!…but that is what happens to some of us…so how do you really move on?…just tell yourself you have moved on…disregard whatever your emotions tell you…just decide that you have moved on…
does this make sense?…i’m not really sure…but i hope it does…wink
sometimes it is really difficult to realize that we have already moved on…sometimes we fail to see that we are no longer hurting because we are already so used to the pain that we feel it is already part of us…and to realize that we have moved on we think we need to see something new to happen…something great…something so noticeable it could not be me mistaken for anything else…but most of time nothing great will happen…no sparks from somewhere…no fireworks…no band playing when we go home…we just need to really focus on how we feel so that we can see little changes that when put together will tell us we have moved on…it’s hard to describe what these little changes are…the little changes that will matter to me are probably different from the little changes that will mean something to you…
so, does it mean that when we realize that we have moved on we can already be happy…for many people yes…for some no…as said, some of us get so used to the feeling of hurting that when we realize that we are no longer hurting we miss the feeling…then we go back to the start where we feel we could not move on – this time from having moved on…crazy?…yes!…but that is what happens to some of us…so how do you really move on?…just tell yourself you have moved on…disregard whatever your emotions tell you…just decide that you have moved on…
does this make sense?…i’m not really sure…but i hope it does…wink
Friday, August 20, 2010
we care....only in st. mary of the woods school
it's been a tiring week....too many things to do....a lot of things left undone...but at the moment i don't want to think about those things...i do not want to ruin the satisfaction i feel because of the wondeful presentations that our students gave in our program today.,.the students did a great job an i am well pleased...im sure their parents are also happy of how their children performed...
i am also pleased with the way the teachers did their jobs...they were able to come up with good production numbers...but what pleases me more was how they showed their love for the students...let me give you some examples...
one little girl was to suppoed to participate in the 'paligsahan sa pagtula"...she got scared so she didn't want to join anymore...the adviser came to her and tried to reassure her that everything was going to be fiine...she was really scared so she cried...when the teacher saw this she said "it's okay i wont force you to join"...i asked the teacher whatg prompted her to say that...she said she didn't want the child to feel pressured and traumatized...then another teacher took the child and let her sit on her lap...how touching....
in one class performance one child was crying...he was dancing but he was crying...one teacher standing near him kept saying "you're doing fine"....then after the presentation she run to the boy and kissed him...
these are the things that i am really proud of...in other schools only seleted students get the chance to perform during programs...the best students are selected to give excellent presentations...with us, we let all students join...we let everybody get their chance to show others what they have...even if the teachers know they will not beable to memorize the steps or say the lines well they still give them the chance to join...only in st. mary of the woods school...
thank you students for making us proud...thank you students for giving us, teachers, the chance to become real TEACHERS....thank you for allowing us to find all your potentials....
thank you parents for allowing us to motivate the students to givetheir best....thank you for supporting us...
thank you teachers for showing you care....only in st. mary of the woods school
i am also pleased with the way the teachers did their jobs...they were able to come up with good production numbers...but what pleases me more was how they showed their love for the students...let me give you some examples...
one little girl was to suppoed to participate in the 'paligsahan sa pagtula"...she got scared so she didn't want to join anymore...the adviser came to her and tried to reassure her that everything was going to be fiine...she was really scared so she cried...when the teacher saw this she said "it's okay i wont force you to join"...i asked the teacher whatg prompted her to say that...she said she didn't want the child to feel pressured and traumatized...then another teacher took the child and let her sit on her lap...how touching....
in one class performance one child was crying...he was dancing but he was crying...one teacher standing near him kept saying "you're doing fine"....then after the presentation she run to the boy and kissed him...
these are the things that i am really proud of...in other schools only seleted students get the chance to perform during programs...the best students are selected to give excellent presentations...with us, we let all students join...we let everybody get their chance to show others what they have...even if the teachers know they will not beable to memorize the steps or say the lines well they still give them the chance to join...only in st. mary of the woods school...
thank you students for making us proud...thank you students for giving us, teachers, the chance to become real TEACHERS....thank you for allowing us to find all your potentials....
thank you parents for allowing us to motivate the students to givetheir best....thank you for supporting us...
thank you teachers for showing you care....only in st. mary of the woods school
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
12 year basic education
two weeks ago, an old friend wrote in her facebook account about her experiences as a new public school teacher in the province...she just started work this month....anyway she got really depressed because of the situation of her students....each child uses only one notebook for all subjects...the parents can afford just that...they also do not have a lot of books....they just share what limited books they have....after working in a private school where all students could afford to buy notebooks and books that must have been really depressing....
last week, while on our way to skygarden in quezon city, i heard two friends talking about books...i eavesdropped...i learned that one of them asked for books from the others....it turned out her niece is studying in a public school and she was only given one book....yup...not one set of books but one book...she found out about this when she found a note from the teacher in her notebook...the note says that her niece is not doing her homeworks...
now there are talks (loud talks) that there are plans to increase the 10-year basic education to 12...if that will happen do they think they can provide all the books that the students need...we only have 10 years now and we could not give all the students even half of the books that is required...try to go to the provinces, sirs....there you will see the real state of the classrooms....here in manila all public school students probably receive the complete set....but as you move farther away from the capital, book supply also moves far away from what is proper, appropriate, needed or required....
can they build enough classrooms?...they couldn't even have all the old (dilapidated) buildings repaired....look at what happened to one school where a student died when an old building collapsed...look at classrooms being used by a class with 60 - 70 students....look at classrooms divided into two to accaommodate two big sections....look at desks shared by 3 - 4 students.......look at students studying under 'talisay trees'...look at 'stages' used as classroomS and not as venues for performances.....
students need good teachers to learn....will they be able to provide enough teachers for this additional two years....if they could provide that, will they be able to pay them enough....a lot of good teachers now are going abroad because they do not get paid well here....some education graduates would even prefer to work as domestic helpers (no, i'm not saying this is bad....this is just not what they trained for) in other countries because the pay is better....
some people advocating this 12-year basic education are saying that they are going to increase the budget for education...can they and will they really do that?...even if they do, i think what ever additional budget they will give to education will not be enough to even compensate for the deficit every school child is now experiencing....and then they will add two years???....
i wonder....what is their real reason for thinking about this 12-year basic education curriculum?
last week, while on our way to skygarden in quezon city, i heard two friends talking about books...i eavesdropped...i learned that one of them asked for books from the others....it turned out her niece is studying in a public school and she was only given one book....yup...not one set of books but one book...she found out about this when she found a note from the teacher in her notebook...the note says that her niece is not doing her homeworks...
now there are talks (loud talks) that there are plans to increase the 10-year basic education to 12...if that will happen do they think they can provide all the books that the students need...we only have 10 years now and we could not give all the students even half of the books that is required...try to go to the provinces, sirs....there you will see the real state of the classrooms....here in manila all public school students probably receive the complete set....but as you move farther away from the capital, book supply also moves far away from what is proper, appropriate, needed or required....
can they build enough classrooms?...they couldn't even have all the old (dilapidated) buildings repaired....look at what happened to one school where a student died when an old building collapsed...look at classrooms being used by a class with 60 - 70 students....look at classrooms divided into two to accaommodate two big sections....look at desks shared by 3 - 4 students.......look at students studying under 'talisay trees'...look at 'stages' used as classroomS and not as venues for performances.....
students need good teachers to learn....will they be able to provide enough teachers for this additional two years....if they could provide that, will they be able to pay them enough....a lot of good teachers now are going abroad because they do not get paid well here....some education graduates would even prefer to work as domestic helpers (no, i'm not saying this is bad....this is just not what they trained for) in other countries because the pay is better....
some people advocating this 12-year basic education are saying that they are going to increase the budget for education...can they and will they really do that?...even if they do, i think what ever additional budget they will give to education will not be enough to even compensate for the deficit every school child is now experiencing....and then they will add two years???....
i wonder....what is their real reason for thinking about this 12-year basic education curriculum?
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