Stop? Look and Listen

UP is a dream come true.

But it seems that this reality is getting exhausting. And it still hasn’t been a year since I’ve set foot on UP grounds.

I have wished to be one of the lucky “iskolar ng bayan” ever since I knew the existence of this prestigious national university. It was a dream I held on to until the end of highschool.

My problem was I didn’t know what I course I would want to take. Back then I was so resolute on taking up BS Accountancy and then afterwards proceed to law. But for some mysterious reason, I changed my mind. And I didn’t know what I wanted anymore.

I am currently taking up BS Psychology. My father told me this would be good. My two other choices in the UPCAT were BS Industrial Engineering (UP LB) and BS Accountancy (UP somewhere, I think it was Mindanao?). BS Psychology in UP D is my second choice. I decided to take it mainly because it was the one I passed.

I don’t hate my course. But I don’t love it either.

With quite less motivation in studying, I find myself asking “what if I don’t continue on with college?”.

There are a number of successful people who were not college graduates.

Henry Ford (Ford Motor Company), Bill Gates and Paul Allen (Microsoft), Larry Page (Google), Steve Jobs (Apple), and Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook are only a few of those people who were not hindered by their lack of a college diploma.

These people are an inspiration to the ones who have lost hope in school and to those who couldn’t really afford to send themselves to college. If you can use the best of your abilities to the fullest, you can be as successful or even more successful as those who have earned a degree. Persistence is a powerful weapon.

On the other hand lots of people insist that graduating from college compared to the opposite will always make life better. Even celebrities in the Philippines- Ai Ai delas Alas (comedian), currently taking BS Public Administration in UP D; Eric Santos (singer), very recently just graduated BS Psychology in Centro Escolar University; and many more- are convinced that earning a diploma would make them better and more productive individuals than what they already are right now.

The reality of the world today is that it is really hard to get yourself a job without a diploma. The first thing that establishments would look for to give you a job would be that certain piece of paper. People who fail to present a diploma would be given the low wage income jobs.

Though the huge successes of Bill Gates or Henry Ford are somewhat inspirations to disregard college, I still believe it would be better to continue on with my studies. It wouldn’t hurt to get myself a diploma, and with the current system of any country, diplomas are a passport to well-being.

Anyway, with or without a college degree, the important thing is that we know and recognize our mistakes, correct them, constantly improve ourselves, and persevere in what we do.

Word count: 500+ words

smiles and laughter

We often say that the Filipinos are a simple and happy people.

I guess this is true since we did get at the top twenty in the Happy People Index four years ago.

We usually say that this is because of the very colorful history of the country. The Philippine culture is a blend of different cultures and the process is going on even today. Think about it: original Malay roots, Spanish Catholicism, American flavor, Japanese and Chinese influence.

One Filipino professor spent ten years on his research about why the Filipinos seem to be happy most of the time. He found out that this is because of the “sharing is loving” mentality of the Filipinos.

“It is the opposite of the individualistic culture of the West, with its emphasis on privacy and personal fulfillment. It is also the opposite of certain collectivistic cultures, as one finds them in Confucian societies, that value hierarchy and ‘face’. …

… By contrast, Filipino culture is based on the notion of ‘kapwa,’ a Tagalog word that roughly translates into "shared being."… Everything, from pain to a snack or a joke, is there to be shared.”

Filipinos value togetherness very much. “Bahala nang maghirap basta’t sama-sama” - a very common line in primetime teleseryes which Filipinos love to watch every night together with family members, neighbors even.

Whenever a family member or a friend, even the newest acquaintance, feels down, we can’t help but feel the same way, or at least symphatize with the individual. That’s a typical Filipino characteristic. Even the pettiest concerns like somebody backbiting at you or your “sundo” coming late (based on experience) are meant to be shared.

Filipinos find it a bit rude not offering food to other people when eating. “Kain tayo”, we always say. Although it’s not really like we would expect them to sit down with us and help us “extinguish” our single piece of fish with fried rice, the noble intent is there.

All these things about togetherness and sharing explain very well why Filipinos give the impression that they are happy most of the time. It makes Filipinos feel less lonely. And when people are less lonely, they’re supposed to be happy, right?

The actual situation in the Philippines is so ironic, though. Catastrophes –natural and man-made, disfunctional system, and poverty are not uncommon. These are no reason to be happy.

It just seems like the Filipino people are not serious enough to face life.

Even the most downhearted Filipino facing a calamity can still afford to smile when in front of a camera. This may be good, but this is one of the many reasons why we do not excel in so many things. We just want to relax and be happy – no pain.

Happiness is always associated with smiles and laughter. And we Filipinos are very fond of these things. One prominent figure that makes us smile and laugh is Kenkoy.

Kenkoy is a Filipino comic icon who is still widely recognized up to this day. The Filipino comic magazine is a post-war product. Kenkoy made the Pinoy comics. He is a comedy idol that first appeared in Liwayway magazine back in the late 1920s. He was at the height of fame from the 1940s to early 1970s. He became the representataive of the colonial minded youth of the 30s. Kenkoy was so popular most people during that era would recognize him more easily than political or social personages. It was so famous that even when all publishing houses were confiscated or severely censored by the Japanese during their reign over the Philippines, Kenkoy was still allowed to continue (though there were a few conditions, like the topics should be about the healthcare programs by the Japanese). The comics presented happenings in the life of the teenager Kenkoy, including his views about things in his life, like the problems of the community and politics, in a rather humorous manner.

Since then, comedy has been the best-celebrated genre in Philippine comics even after the appearance of Pinoy comic superheroes.

American comic writers were the pioneers of the superhero genre. In 1929, the stock market collapsed, signaling the start of the “Great Depression”, rapidly spreading worldwide. The market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement. As if that wasn’t enough, the “Dust Bowl” conquered land after land which took away people’s source of living. It was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands from 1930 to 1936 (in some areas until 1940). The phenomenon was caused by severe drought coupled with decades of extensive farming without crop rotation, fallow fields, cover crops or other techniques to prevent erosion.

People needed some sort of encouragement. And then Superman came – “the champion of the oppressed” and all the rest of the superheroes followed. Superheroes fought crimes, punished the bad guys, brought peace and order –in short, they solved problems.

Filipinos made something to let them laugh their problems out; Americans made something to provide them an insight that there is a way to solve their problems. Though superheroes aren’t that realistic, the difference between the mindsets of the two peoples is too big. Instead of facing problems properly, we chose to put them aside and made them look like they were meager issues. It would be good to look at the bright side of things, but it will eventually disappear if we won’t stop it from sinking into the dark side.

We should stop being escapists and start being realists.

Being happy won’t always solve problems. Doing will.

Word count: 800+ words

http://www.redboots.net/comics/supe_history.htm

http://komiklopedia.wordpress.com/serials/a-short-history-of-pinoy-komiks-serials/

http://www.filipiniana.net/microsite/opk/history.jsp

http://malangsantos.blogspot.com/2007/10/filipino-comic-strip.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression_in_the_United_States

Kung ako ay magiging presidente ng Pilipinas

Siguradong sisikat ako nang todong-todo. Instant celebrity, ‘ika nga. Biruin mo naman, labing-anim na taong gulang pa lang, e presidente na ng isang bansa. Big time!

Magkakandarapa ang mga media-men para ma-interview ako. Makikita at maririnig ako sa sandamakmak na tv at radio stations, hindi lang sa Pilipinas, kundi, sa buong mundo. Natural tatanungin ako kung anu-ano ang mga plano ko para sa ating bayan.

At dahil diyan, eto ang “speech” ko:

“Magandang araw po sa inyong lahat!

Ako po ay nasa inyong harapan ngayon bilang inyong mababang tagapaglingkod. Maraming maraming salamat po sa inyong pagmamahal at suporta na siyang dahilan kung bakit ako ay nasa kinauupuan ko ngayon.

Mga kababayan, matagal na po nating nilalabanan ang hamon ng pag-unlad at hanggang ngayon po ay hindi pa rin natin naaabot ang tagumpay. Nagsimula tayong nakakalamang sa karamihan sa ating mga karatig-bansa sa Timog-Silangang Asya, ngunit ngayon, tayo ay naiiwan na. Gagawan natin ito ng paraan. Magtulungan tayong lahat para sa ating ika-uunlad. Naniniwala akong ang tagumpay ay ating makakamtan kung ang ating solusyon ay may magandang simula.

Atin po munang bigyang pansin ang ating malaking populasyon. Maraming nagsasabi na ito ay nakapagbigay lamang ng malaking problema para sa atin. Iba po ang aking paniniwala. Imbes na malaking problema, ito po ang ating pinakamahalagang ‘asset’.

Edukasyon po ang solusyon ko, dahil ako’y naniniwala na ang ugat sa lahat ng problema natin ngayon ay ang kakulangan sa tamang edukasyon. Paglalaanan natin ng sapat na ‘budget’ ang edukasyon. Magpapatupad tayo ng mga programa na makakatulong sa ating mga kabataan, lalong-lalo na para sa mga ‘out-of-school youth’. Kailangan nating imulat ang ating mga mata sa kahalagahan ng mabuting edukasyon. Sa pamamagitan ng edukasyon, mas magiging produktibo ang ating bansa. Lalawak ang kaalaman ng mga tao. Hindi na tayo basta-bastang tatanggap na lamang ng kung anong nakalatag sa ating harapan. Makapag-iisip na tayo ng kritikal at matututo tayong kumwestyon sa kung ano nga ba ang mas nakabubuti sa nakararami. Higit sa lahat, magkakaroon tayo ng tamang ‘vision’ na siyang magiging gabay upang makamit ang magandang kinabukasan.

Kung may sapat na edukasyon, mapapaunlad natin ang kakayanan ng ating ‘labor force’ at ang mga mamamayan ay madaling makakahanap at mabibigyan ng trabaho. Gaganda ang kalidad ng mga serbisyo at produkto na ating maibibigay at magkakaroon na rin tayo ng sapat para sa pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan.

Marami po sa ating mga kababayan ay nagsisipag-alisan sa bansa dahil nakikita nilang mas marami ang kanilang oportunidad sa pag-unlad doon. Hindi naman ako tutol dito. Natutuwa nga ako sa ating mga dakilang OFWs sa kanilang pagsisikap sa ibang bansa, sa kabila ng labis na pangungulila sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay. Hindi lamang sila nakakatulong sa kani-kanilang mga pamilya, pati na rin sa ating bayang minamahal.

Ngunit hindi ko po pababayaang mananatiling ganito ang sitwasyon natin sa habang panahon. Lalong hindi ko hahayaang mawawalan tayo ng mahusay na manggagawa dito sa ating bansa. Bakit hindi natin kayang maging ‘labor importer’ sa halip ng pagiging ‘labor exporter?’

Makikipag-ugnayan po tayo sa mga organisasyon at mga bansang handang makipagtulungan sa atin. May isang kasabihan nga sa Ingles na ‘No man is an island.’ Ito rin po ay totoo para sa kahit anumang bansa. Hindi tayo lalago bilang isang bayan kung tayo-tayo lang. Kailangan natin ang tulong at maayos na pakikisalamuha sa ibang mga bansa.

Makakatulong sa ating bayan ang maraming ‘foreign investors.’ Pagbutihin po natin ang mga programang makaka-akit sa mga negosyante gaya ng ‘tax incentives.’ Kapag marami po tayong ‘investors’ dadami ang mga negosyo at proyekto sa bansa. Kapag dadami ang negosyo at proyekto sa bansa, mangangailangan ng maraming trabahante upang kunin ang kanilang serbisyo. Samakatuwid, dadami na ang trabahong maaari nating maibigay sa ating mga kababayan dito mismo sa ating bansa at tiyak na hindi na kailangang mag-‘abroad’ pa ang karamihan sa ating mga kababayan.

Sa edukasyon nagsisimula ang lahat. Ngunit hindi po ito magtatapos dito. Kailangan din nating sugpuin ang korupsyon na siyang naging malaking sagabal sa ating pag-unlad. Hindi natin makakamtan ang pag-unlad kung ang pera para sa mga mahalagang proyekto at pupunta sa bulsa ng mga kurakot na opisyal. Ibalik natin ang sinseridad at integridad sa ating serbisyo sa pamahalaan.

Kailangan din nating isulong ang kapayapaan sa ating bansa. Hindi nga tayo nakikipag-away sa ibang mga bansa, ngunit nakakabahala ang gulo dito mismo sa loob ng sarili nating bayan. Ating bibigyang lunas ang nakakabagabag na sitwasyon sa Mindanao. Babalik tayo sa ‘negotiating table’ upang pag-usapan muli ang kapayapaan. Bubuo ako muli ng ‘peace panels’ upang masimulan kaagad ang usaping pangkapayapaan sa pagitan ng gobyerno at mga rebeldeng NPA at Muslim. Hindi tayo susuko hangga’t hindi natin makamit ang kapayapaang matagal nang inaasam-asam ng mga kababayan natin sa mga apektadong lugar.

Ang kapayapaan ay isang susi sa kaunlaran. Kapag mailunsad natin ang isang mapayapang Pilipinas, mawawala na ang takot at pangamba sa puso ng mga tao, hindi lamang sa loob ng bansa, pati na rin sa ‘abroad.’ Nangangahulugan ito ng pagsulong ng ating ekonomiya sapagkat dadami na ang magiging komportableng mag-‘invest’ sa loob ng bansa. Magiging kampante na ang mga negosyante sa loob at labas ng bansa na magtayo ng kanilang negosyo sa mga lugar na dati ay kahit pagpunta lamang dito ay walang makapangahas. Kung maraming negosyo, maraming trabaho, at gaganda na ang katayuan ng Pilipinas.

Sa disiplina nagsisimula ang kapayapaan. Disiplina hindi lamang sa ating pamahalaan, kundi sa ating lahat, lalong-lalo sa ating hukbong militar. Ang ating mga kawal ang siyang tagapangalaga ng kaayusan at katiwasayan sa bansa, ngunit nakakalunos isipin na mayroong iba na sila pa ang dahilan sa gulo. Kamakailan nga lamang ay naging sangkot ang isa nating ex-pulis sa isang nakakapangilabot na insidente. Dagdag pa sa ginawa niyang kaguluhan ay ang pagiging palpak ng ating pagresponde sa problema.

Atin ngayong pinangangambahan ang negatibong epekto nito sa relasyon natin sa Hongkong at pati na rin sa turismo ng buong bansa. Malaking tulong sa atin ang turismo. Maraming mga tao ang dumadayo sa Pilipinas hindi para mangalakal, ngunit para mag-relax at mag-enjoy. Marami na tayong mga ‘tourist spots’ kagaya ng ‘Underground River’ sa Palawan na sikat na sikat sa ibang bansa. Marami pa tayong maaaring maipakita kung maisaayos lamang natin itong mga lugar na ito na nagtataglay ng likas na kagandahan.

Dapat din nating bigyang pansin ang agrikultura. Pangarap ko pong maitigil na natin ang pag-angkat ng bigas sa ibang bansa, at sa halip ay tayo na ang mag-‘export’ ng bigas. Marami na tayong programang nailunsad upang mapalago ang agrikultura sa buong bansa. Ngunit ito’y humantong sa pangungurakot kagaya ng ‘fertilizer scam.’ Dapat mananagot ang may kasalanan upang maisulong natin ang pag-unlad.

Naniniwala po akong maayos na ang ating mga batas at panuntunan. Ang problema ay hindi natin nasusunod at naisasakatuparan ang mga ito. Dahil sa baluktot na sistema ng pamumuhay, nagkakaroon ng korupsyon at rebelyon sa bansa. Kailangan nating ayusin ang ating sistema.

Ang Pilipinas po ay iisang bayan natin. Huwag po nating hayaang ito’y magtiis sa labis na kahirapan at kaguluhan. Magtutulungan at makibaka po tayong lahat. Sa tulong po ng Dios, aahon din tayo sa kahirapan. Aasahan ko po ang inyong suporta. Simulan na natin ang tunay na pagbabago.

Maraming salamat po.”

O ‘di ba, parang SONA lang? Maikli nga lang masyado.

Pagkatapos ng “interview” ay babalik na ako sa Malacañang at magmumuni-muni ng mas mainam kung paano ko matutupad ng mahusay ang aking mga pinagsasabi sa aking maikling SONA.

Mahirap nga naman talaga ang trabahong ito. Kung pagiging lider nga ng ‘team’ para sa isang “class project” nakakabalisa na, e paano pa kaya kung isang bayang may higit siyamnapung milyong katao na ang pinamumunuan mo? At hindi lang iisa ang “project”na gagawin mo kundi libu-libo!

Dagdag pa sa problema ang mga kalaban sa gobyerno. Syempre dahil ako na ang pinakamakapangyarihang tao sa bansa, siguradong may gustong patalsikin ako sa pwesto. At maaaring mabuti o hindi ang hangarin nila.

Kaya nga nagtakda na ako ng sangkatutak na PSGs para sa kapakanan ko at ng pamilya ko. Hindi naman pwedeng sa bansa ko na ilalaan lahat ng oras at pag-aaruga ko. Tao din lamang ako, at lahat ng tao ay hindi maipagkakailang mas iniisip ang kanyang sariling kapakanan. Sa kadahilanang ito nagmumula ang korupsyon.

Ewan ko nga rin, kung kaya ko nga bang maiwasan ang tuksong ito. Syempre, ang dami-dami ko nang hinahawakang pera at ari-arian. Pwede ko nang bilhin lahat ng sapatos, damit at “barbie dolls” na inaasam-asam ko. Pwede na rin akong mag-bakasyon sa iba-ibang lugar linggo-linggo.

Pero, dahil sanay na ako sa kahirapan, kakayanin kong iwasan ‘yun. (Siguro pwede rin namang maging marangya, pero hindi na lang lahat ng mga pangarap ko ‘yung bibilhin ko at hindi na lang rin linggo-linggo ako mag-a-outing…siguro buwan-buwan na lang xP)

Naniniwala akong mahirap ngang talikuran ang baluktot nang pamamaraan ng gobyerno ngunit maaari pa itong magbago. Kung magiging tapat lamang akong talaga sa tungkuling sinumpaan ko sa pagiging “Ate” ng bayan (ayoko kasing tawaging “Ina”) – hindi sa pagiging “Prinsesa” ng bayan at susunod sa daang matwid, hindi ako lalayo sa aking binitiwang mga salita sa pagpapaunlad at pagsasaayos ng Pilipinas.

Sana nga.

Siguro nga aabutin pa tayo ng maraming-maraming taon para malampasan o kahit mapantayan lamang ang ating mga karatig-bansa, ngunit hindi naman ‘yun ang dapat nating pagtuunan ng pansin. Kahit kaunting pagbabago ay makapagdulot na ng mabuti sa atin. Kahit paliitin lang natin ang napakalaking agwat ng mayayaman at mahihirap sa bansa, kahit maisaayos lang natin ang sistema ng pulisya, naniniwala akong malalaking tulong na ang mga ito.

May pag-asa pa. ‘Yun ang dapat nating tandaan. Ngunit ‘wag naman sana nating hayaang ang gobyerno lamang ang kumilos para sa atin. Walang mangyayari kung ganoon. Dapat sa ating sarili mismo magsimula ang lahat.

Nawa’y patnubayan tayong lahat ng Maykapal.

bilang ng mga salita: higit isang libo at animnapu

STORIES

For the people of Infanta, Quezon, the month of May is devoted to the Blessed Virgin. Mayohan is what they call this tradition. A month-long series of novenas is instigated and a pasayaw marks the end of the festivity. Several happenings revolve around the seemingly religious and spiritual event.

I took notice of 7 C’s while watching the movie.

Cellphone. Lilibeth (Lovi Poe) is told by her friends a cellphone would be useful in time. And then she spends other people’s money to buy one. Niño (Elijah Castillo), the city kid who visits his parents’ hometown, softly exclaims when he discovers he left his cellphone back home. His uncle Ruben (Ping Medina) says he won’t let Niño borrow his phone. Well, how can he be able to text his “girlfriendS”? The cellphone is considered as such a necessity that the present-day human being is expected to be totally at a loss without this invention. Technology nowadays is too convenient it’s scary. Everything happens in an instant there’s no assurance it won’t be gone in an instant. For example: cellphone -> textmate -> blind date -> instant lover -> instant baby -> instant break up -> back to zero.

Chismis. It is said Filipino culture is rich with superstitions about anything and everything. Being naturally superstitious, we Filipinos tend to make and believe certain rumors that we encounter. We are fond of making stories about the lives of other people, whether these stories are true or not. Chismis or gossip is a recreation and entertainment to the common folk, but a despicable enemy to the rich and powerful. The most common victims of chismis are the politicians. The mayor in the movie supposedly chose not-so-pretty girls to dance with during the pasayaw to avoid chismis. Chismis is so powerful it can ruin people’s lives. The sad thing is not all chismis is true and it can tarnish the reputation of a good person.

Conference. Regularly attending events during religious feasts doesn’t always mean the person is religious. Youngsters may have other agenda when going to novenas, as an illustration. Niño is more engrossed in staring at Lilibeth during the padasal than in praying to the Virgin Mary. Aida, a friend of Lilibeth, concentrates on getting Niño’s attention while the elders are reciting the prayers. The padasal as shown in the movie is I could say more of a simple conference, just a gathering of people for various reasons. It is used for socializing, rather than for meditating. Another gathering that has been exploited was the pasayaw. Men eager to satisfy their emotional and physical desires and women trying their luck at “love” all take part in the corruption of the devoutness of the event. A riot occurs in the middle of nowhere, giving an end to the pasayaw. Afterwards, Ruben meets with his “girlfriend” and does “things” with her (it was revealed at a latter part of the movie). The true spirit of the tradition is lost.

Chastity. The traditional Filipina is expected to still be in a virginal state before marriage. The ideals of Roman Catholicism dominate the way most Filipinos think and act. In the movie, “devirginized” ladies take part in a celebration for the Blessed Virgin. How ironic. Lilibeth seems sweet, pure, and unexperienced. Then she smokes, and says her ex-boyfriend brought her to his house that time when she was so drunk. The untainted image is ruined. Rural surroundings tend to give an impression of lack of sexual desires and activities, but the movie shows otherwise. The thing is premarital sex is slowly being accepted by people. I believe this to be the reason why the government is trying to include sex education in the curriculum. Since kids nowadays are very passionate in discovering and doing things, at least they’ll be aware of the consequences and will hopefully be able to prevent the unexpected. I remember being told that people situated in the rural areas are the most enthusiastic when it comes to these things. Most of them are poorly informed, making them want to see it for themselves. We had several “probinsyana” house helpers before. They say that normally after highschool, since there are no colleges and not enough funds, people get married and have kids. More often than not, it occurs the other way around.

Children. Teenage pregnancy is no more of a big-deal. It is not unusual for young women to walk down the aisle with a bulging belly. Lilibeth lives with her grandmother who earns as a seamstress. One time she sees her grandmother doing finishing touches on a wedding gown. Learning that the owner of the gown is younger than her, Lilibeth presumes this wedding is caused by an unexpected pregnancy. I read somewhere that in the Philippines the average age for both men and women to involve in sex is 18 years and about 15% of women aged 15 to 24 engage in premarital sex. I know several close relatives and relatives of close friends of mine who got married to compensate for the wedlock. Some become single moms, taking refuge from their own moms. Commonly shown in movies is a situation where the single mother takes off from her town and leaves the baby behind in the care of some random neighbor or and more usually with the baby’s grandmother. This is Lilibeth’s situation. She is the love-child of her mother and the current mayor of the city, but she is not properly supported financially by her wealthy father who has his own family to take care of. With this she determines to leave for the city to find her mother who can’t possibly recognize her and who she never laid eyes upon before. Though it was shown in the movie that her primary reason for wanting to leave the province is to find her mother, I believe there’s also this want for a change/ escape/ improvement in her life. There’s this idea that life is better in the city, though this rarely becomes true.

Corruption. It is present everywhere, even in the smallest form of community. Lilibeth, in charge of the collection of donations being the presidenta of the pasayaw committee, buys a cellphone using money from the collection. Maybe corruption has already been absorbed in the Filipino culture seeing now we are the fourth most corrupt country in Asia, and for some years now we were always one of the best competitors in the field.

Choice. In a democratic country like the Philippines, we have the freedom to choose our leaders. The problem is that the citizens are badly or not even informed. Customarily we choose the people with names that ring a bell in our ears. Like right now our newly elected president is Noynoy Aquino, the son of two supposed to be liberators of the Filipino people. I’m hoping he would really live up to the expectations of the people of the Philippines. Influential parents or relatives are a key to authority. Niño asks Lilibeth one time if she became the presidenta of the pasayaw through her parents’ influential capabilities. He shares that the president of his class is useless and stupid but is given the position since his parents have a good relationship with the teachers. Though we are free to choose, the easily identified choices are too limited that we end up picking the more familiar.

These concerns are not only applicable in Infanta, Quezon, but to the country as a whole.

Every happening has an unseen side to it. A comedy movie doesn’t always mean it is all laughs. Horror movies may have other aspects than just “horror” incorporated in them. Love stories aren’t there to just make us smile, cry, and fall in love. We have to be able to look at all the angles in order to fully understand what is going on.

Mayohan doesn’t only dwell upon the blossoming love story between a 19-year old provincial lass and a younger city boy. It was a collection of stories; stories affecting each of the other in ways we can’t really expect. And that’s exactly the way everything goes.

"Each affects the other, and the other affects the next, and the world is full of stories, but the stories are all one."
-Mitch Albom; The Five People You Meet in Heaven

word count: about 1300 words

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

I have been given the name Elaiza- said to be a combination of the names of two Christian prophets, Elijah and his disciple Elisha. I never really understood how that happened but I’m sure this can be due to the fact that my parents are devout Christians. I am the daughter of Mr. Lee T. Berame, a professional mechanical engineer and Ms. Marilou F. Tañajura, a nurse.

My father, a Cebuano by birth, spent the first twenty one years of his life in Cebu. Immediately after graduation, Papa was hired by the National Steel Corporation based in Iligan City where he met my mother. They got married on December 7, 1992, and built a house which became my home for sixteen years.

On the twenty-sixth of October, 1993, I was born. That year, the ever popular Beanie Babies were launched, the World Trade Center was bombed by the Islamic Fundamentalists for the first time, the first bagless vacuum cleaner was invented, and the Pentium Processor was introduced by Intel. I never knew any of these though.

SCHOOL

Well I found out, we could only understand some little parts of us
When I got that, I could only make a scene or make the best of it
-John Nathaniel, The Best of It

I started going to nursery school at the age of four. I was too young to realize the value of studying then that at one time I stubbornly refused to go to school and even my parents couldn’t convince me to go back. Luckily, I outgrew that attitude. Modesty aside, I became a competent student; well, at least in Iligan City.

My parents managed to send me to a special public elementary school for high achievers in June 2000. However, after three years of never being able to enter the top of the class despite my outstanding performance, my mother was convinced there was a flaw in the system. I was transferred to a private Catholic School in June 2003. My new school was smaller and situated just beside the Parish church. Obviously, playing and making noise should be restrained. It was pretty much different from my previous school, where kids could just do anything they like. My disposition was quite different from the others so I eventually became an introvert.

Being a loner, I found refuge in reading. We had plenty of books at home and I found them very helpful during those times. My love for books continued and I started looking for new ones. The only time I’d be able to receive a new one, though, was during Christmas.

Fortunately, I befriended someone who was able to save me from my misery. She was the exact opposite of the “me” at that time: very outgoing and animated, not to mention noisy. The funny thing was that she was a kid with, well, a number of enemies. Everybody was wondering why I, a “peaceful” kid, became close friends with her.

I was a consistent First honor student since Grade Four but my biggest break happened in the sixth grade when I was chosen as one of the representatives for the “Division Schools Press Conference”. At that time, I was as one of the staffers of our first ever publication. I was awarded first prize in the Division and subsequently in the Regional Level for editorial writing- quite a feat for a student coming from a virtually unknown school. But my luck didn’t last that long as I wasn’t able to bag any prize during the national competition in February 2006. It wasn’t such a shock though, considering we were from the southern parts of the country where the quality of education was relatively inferior. Nevertheless, that competition afforded me a free trip to Boracay and that alone was already good enough for me.

In March 2006, I graduated Valedictorian in Elementary and was accepted in a very reputable high school in our place. Adjustment was again quite hard for me, but it was easier to adapt to an environment of open-minded people. There were also more opportunities for socialization, such as acquaintance parties, so I eventually made many friends. I got myself my own group of friends and a weird “barkada” name: DJEGSHK. Parents would often forbid their kids to have barkadas since they would be “a bad influence to you”. That never applied to me though. I guess it’s just a matter of choosing the right friends.

I had it easy during my freshman year. I learned how to hang out with friends. Headaches and sufferings started arriving during my sophomore year in the year 2007; our curriculum was quite advanced, fairly comparable to that of a science high school. Most of the time, we were left on our own, - totally different from the “spoon-feeding” style in the elementary years. We had to spend sleepless nights preparing for exams and doing difficult projects.

By this time, I finally discovered the now extinct “Friendster”. Yes, I was so late. My friends often teased me because most of them already had more or less five hundred friends but I still had six. It was no big deal for me, but that was the fad that time, so I thought I really should catch-up on my friendster account. That was funny!

During my third year, I became an unfashionable girl carrying a heavy rifle and sweating it out. I joined the COLT (Cadet Officers Leadership Training) mainly because I wanted to be saluted and also because it would benefit me the next school year. It was tough but rewarding. After graduating from the COLT, I became a more respectable person literally, because I became one of the CAT officers, and also personally, because of all the lessons I learned during training. I became less girly (the exercises, drills, and duties were more suited for males), more disciplined (violation of rules equals tough punishment), and more mentally skillful (piles of documents were needed to be memorized and comprehended).

My last year in high school which started in June 2008 was very exciting; it was packed with tons of new stuff. We were exposed to movie-making as part of our curriculum. I played a major role in our group’s movie and it was totally fun, even embarrassing. We had one scene inside a Dunkin Donuts store which we had to re-shoot three more times. Just imagine having to go to the same store in the same clothes thrice in three consecutive weekends. We all know Pinoys are very keen observers. In spite of all the effort, the movie turned out to be disastrous in the end.

I finally became a staffer of the school paper. I never had the chance before, in my junior years, because there were too many senior writers. The staff went mountain climbing one time. It was fascinating to discover small communities up there in the presumably uninhabited areas of Mount Agad-Agad, Iligan City’s highest peak. Being there made me feel like I was in a different time and dimension. I wasn’t alone with my thoughts. Until now I still wonder how those Pop Cola, Sprite, and Coke bottles (of course they’re not empty) got to be sold up there.

One event we were all really looking forward to was the JS Prom. We did not have one during our third year “because of the crisis”, as the teachers said. We were lucky to have one that year. At that time, I already had my own fashion sense, and I can’t help but scrutinize everybody else’s outfits. Mine didn’t turn out as I imagined it to be; the tailor was not able to do the desired style due to the rotating brownout. The rotating brownouts, which started in the first quarter of 2010, were one heck of an annoyance. They would last three hours during weekdays and at least five hours during weekends.

Finally, graduation came in March 2010. I finished Second Honorable Mention. Sporting my school uniform under a white toga, skin-tone stockings, black four-inch high pumps, and a graduation cap, I proudly marched my way and sang for the last time our university hymn:

…saan man naroroon ay bigyang karangalan
Dakilang paaralan, Pamantasang Mindanao…

THE FAMILY

Contrary to popular belief, not all areas in Mindanao are chaotic. Iligan City wasn’t, until two years ago. I grew up unfamiliar with anything to do with war. The only war I knew was my own war with my brother, I only have one sibling, a brother, Lee Malcolm, who was born on July 1, 1995 or about two years after my birth. Back then, there wasn’t a day when we didn’t quarrel. I guess age really does change people, because by this time we could at least talk a lot without having to scream at each other’s faces.

Back when we were kids, every summer we would spend some days in Kalawisan, my father’s hometown. One time, we went swimming in my Lolo’s fishpond full of sharp-edged stones and numerous coarse roots of mangrove trees with my cousins. We also went “boating” on a very wide flat piece of Styrofoam using a small twig as a paddle. You may think it’s impossible, but our Styrofoam “boat” really floated, even with five people on it. In the end I acquired petty cuts and bruises, a terrifying sunburn, and an unforgettable experience of my childhood.

Kalawisan was a more rural area compared to Iligan. There were big trees everywhere and roads were uneven and full of jagged rocks. Most of the houses looked ancient, I sorted them out into two-types: the “pinoy horror movie” type (houses like those we see in our local horror movies) and the “environmental” type (ones made from indigenous materials). But it’s a really nice place to stay for lovers of nature.

Bisaya is the language widely spoken in both Cebu and Iligan, but there are minor differences. One important difference is the omission of the letter “L” for some words in Cebuano, like “wala” (nothing) becomes “wa” and “balay” (house) becomes “bay”. Also, Cebuanos speak gently and with a certain tone whereas Iliganons speak in an abrupt and monotonous manner. “Po” and “opo” are both absent in this dialect, but of course, it doesn’t mean Visayans are less polite.

Religion was a very important value in the family. Both my parents have been devout Catholics so we were brought up in a rather religious environment. We were trained to devote certain times of the day for praying and to go to mass regularly, at least twice a week. Christian character was also emphasized in the family. Childhood values really do live on; I still carry out all of these things I learned from before, even if nobody tells me to.

Ten million people each with their problems, why should anyone care?
-Kutless, Sea of Faces

My father lost his job when the National Steel Corporation (NSC) was shut down in 1999 due the crisis. I was in grade one then. He worked with Del Monte Philippines in 2001 in Cagayan de Oro City, which is 2 hours away from our home. We could only spend time with my father during weekends because of his newfound job. I think young kids separated from their fathers would either become more mature or more timid; my brother belonged to the latter, I belonged to the first (I think). For family reasons, my father stopped working with Del Monte and returned home as a consultant to the City Mayor. It was better this time since we had him with us. In June 2002, my mother also went back to work as a nurse, seeing that we were old enough. She stopped working for seven years to personally take care of us.

After finishing his Masteral degree, my father worked as a professor in MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology as a part-time job along with being a government consultant. We had lots of family “bondings” during this time. Every Saturday night we’d go to the City Hall to have dinner while enjoying the view overlooking the city. There were also times when we would go to my father’s office in the university to help out with his student’s papers.

Then, the NSC reopened in 2004, but already with a different name and owner. My father was rehired and decided to quit his job as a government consultant. He continued on with being a professor until I stepped into high school in 2006.

Our family was relatively stable in every aspect by this time. We had everything we needed, but not exactly everything we wanted. But then the new NSC threatened to shut down again. My father was offered a job by a former co-worker for a Japanese owned company situated in Bauan, Batangas. He started working there in 2008, the same year when the bombings rocked Iligan City. The first incident happened during our school Christmas Party, December 18, 2008. Our merryment was suddenly brought to an end and we couldn’t even go home immediately since we could be in danger. That caused such an uproar, it was broadcasted in national television. Mass media in the Philippines really are fond of catastrophes. On the other hand, that incident made most of the students happy, of course, because there were no classes. But it lasted for only a few days. Everything went back to normal after some time.

Being separated from my father was a big challenge for me especially because I often ask help from him for my assignments and projects. The whole family had to adjust because our daily routines suddenly changed. The modern communication facilities like cell phone and internet could not patch up the distance. My parents decided we should be together in two years time.

In April 2009 my father brought my brother with him to Batangas. I stayed with my mother in Iligan to finish my high school. Terrorist activities continued and that made us more determined to relocate to Batangas. In May 2010, without second thoughts, we left our home in Iligan and transferred to an apartment in Batangas.

Looking back, I believe it was God’s plan that my father got a job in Batangas. It was the first step in fulfilling my dream which is to be able to study in the University of the Philippines. Had Papa turned down the job offer in Batangas, I’m sure I wouldn’t be in this school today.

COLLEGE

So all the memories fade

And the days go by

Forget the lonely yesterdays in mind

I know it's never gonna be the way you like

I know you don't wanna think about the endlessness you find

You wait forever blind
-Lifehouse, Days Go By

This best describes what I am thinking these days. It’s been past a month now, but I still am not used to life here in the university; a different place, different faces, and a different language. Moreover, the pressure of being an iska causes me to almost crumble. And then, I hear these words:

So come on and leave the years when you watched the days go by

Come on and leave the fears that you were afraid to find

‘Cause while you wait inside

The days go by
-Lifehouse, Days Go By

Why worry too much? After all, everything will just come to pass. These days will go by.


Word count: about 2000 words (not including the song lyrics)