Pre-graduation syndrome

This thing happens a few months or weeks, or days before graduation. Graduating students cry, hug their classmates and teacher, and sometimes even the librarian if ever they hang out at the library. Class pictures are taken for yearbooks, and unlike the past years, the whole class don't share in one page any more, each student owns a half or whole page. - The Pre-graduation Syndrome

This happens to everyone who's graduating, except if you're in waiting list for doing something that'd deprive you from "the diploma march." 

For this instance, close your eyes. Okay, you won't be able to read, so just pretend you closed your eyes. Realize, that in a few days, you'll be marching towards your diploma. You're gonna have it in your hands. You'r gonna lay it in your chest and show it to the whole congregation. Then, you're gonna bow down your head. And when you look back at them, you feel like 'wow! school's over.' Pretend your graduating in college, and after all these, you'll never gonna need to stay up late with Google, researching for your term paper. Remember the last subject exam you took before graduation. Did you ever really realized that it would be your last exam as a college student? And then remember the times when you skipped breakfast just so you will not be late and be at school at 7a.m sharp. Remember when you were an incoming freshmen at the university. You were sitting on the bench outside the admission office along with the other applicants. You all just took the entrance exam, and all of you were nervous, not knowing if you're gonna pass or not. Also, at that time, you didn't know if those were the persons who you will be classmates with and now, four years have gone. Open your eyes. Graduation is in your fingertips!

No More Honor

All of a sudden, the news world stopped spinning around more important issues like the Ampatuan massacre, ex-president Gloria Arroyo’s pending cases, and Sendong storm victims. All of a sudden, it rotated around an axis called “Chief Justice Renato Corona Impeachment Trial.” All of us, Filipinos, await for one thing – the verdict for this so-called honorable chief justice, whether or not to impeach.

June 16, 2012 marked one of the heaviest days in the history of Philippine governance, because at this day, the Philippines starts to put on trial for impeachment their honorable Chief Justice, Renato Corona. The first day starts when everybody is in their proper places, everybody rises, the Senate President bangs his gavel, and the trial begins. The complaint for impeachment is filed against Corona upon the grounds of Betrayal of Public Trust, Culpable Violation of the Constitution, and Graft and Corruption.

We all hate injustice in the Philippines and for years, we have tried all our best to get rid of it. This is also the same thing that our President Benigno Aquino III is trying to do, aside from removing people appointed by our ex-president Arroyo, left and right. And these appointed people include Chief Justice Corona. Let us try to think about it. Is it maybe, President Benigno Aquino III believes that removing all officials appointed by the alleged injustice ex-president Arroyo, mean also removing the injustice in our country? For the record, even if it means degrading our country by impeaching a chief justice, by means of using movie actors, undergrad politicians, and senators to judge him.

However, of course, let us also examine the other side of the coin. Chief Justice Corona has indeed committed Betrayal of Public Trust and Culpable Violations of the Constitution by merely not declaring some of his wealth in his SALN. One is his 31 million pesos under BPI and PSBank accounts, even if we forgive his 19 million worth of allegedly undeclared wealth which he claims, belongs to his relatives. As chief justice, his monthly salary is only 46,200 pesos including COLA. How on earth can he beget wealth as big as 31 million in just nearly two years of service as chief justice? Chief Justice Corona served at Development Bank of the Philippines and Commercial Bank of Manila before he became chief justice, but even if he accumulated his wealth before he became chief justice, it is still a violation to the law, given that it is not declared.

The fact that ex-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appointed him just days prior to the presidential election in 2010, will never leave your mind without doubt that there is an anomaly about to come or going on. Who president in his or her right mind is going to appoint an official just days before his or her term ends which is a risk, if he or she will not benefit from it? Some of us may try to deny that is merely imagining our ex-president Arroyo breaking the laws behind our backs, but let us look closely on how she was given consent to travel by the Chief Justice amidst the height of her pending cases.

Everything has been laid out to the public. Some understand, while some do not understand the trial as shown in different television interviews by different networks to the masses that watch the impeachment trial.

However, one heavy thing that we would like to ask the higher officials who handles the trial to do, is that if they impeach Renato Corona, they must make sure that there is enough shown evidence to impeach him. It is because, impeaching a Chief Justice is too big of a deal that by it, our country might be degraded thus it might also lose its credibility, and by losing our credibility let us all expect that other countries that support us, may lose their trust and respect. And if they decide not to impeach Corona, they must also make sure that their decision pays.

Nevertheless, we, the Filipinos are neither ignorants nor fools not to see nor touch nor hear the damage and corruptions made by these so-called honorable high officials. For us, we want them, including Chief Justice Renato Corona down.

The Gift of a Sister (I wish I had One)

 You know, I always wished that I had a sister. 

Someone I can share a girly room with. Someone I can share my secrets with. Someone I can swap my clothes with. Someone I can go shopping with. Someone I can make-up after a fight with. Someone I can confide boy problems with. Someone I can just sit down and drink tea with. Someone I can do the grocery with.

It would be so much fun. It would be so special, and if I had a sister right now, I bet my world would have another splash of color. Bu then, I bet it's something that I'm never gonna have. I and my brothers, we're quite grown-ups now to have another sib. I even have a daughter already. 

Of course other people might say it's still possible since we can have friends to consider sisters but what I want is someone to whom I share my own blood that no matter what happens we can't get away with the thing that we're sisters. I've talked to some friends who haves sisters. They say they're a lot tight when it comes to relationships with their girlfriends, but there's no love that can be compared with the love of a sister even if you are not close.

I just wish I had one. 

Batas Militar

           

            Everything really came as a shock to me, and I bet it also was to the people who lived under Martial Law. The cruelty of Ferdinand Marcos was as horrible scene that ran for 20 long years. We all know that military men are people of hard fists and iron chests, and that’s what the Filipinos were handled with back in the reign of Marcos.  Everyone lived in darkness, in the darkness where there is fear, and innocent blood were shed.

It is not wrong to run a country with discipline, after all discipline is an essential tool for a developing country, but the leader also must show care and love to his subordinates. The least he can do for this, is value his people’s lives, which was not seen in Batas Militar. The military were killing spree drunk. Freedom was unavailable, except for Marcos and his friends. The governing of Marcos in a sadistic way, divided the country. The line was drawn between the Filipino citizens and the government. How on earth will this country grow, without the cooperation of its people?

However, there are also some things that credits to the Marcoses. Imelda had many medical establishments, foundations, and charities built and started. The MRT and LRTs were also began by the Marcoses. It may be, that the following presidents improved these projects, but it was the blueprint of Marcos that started it all. Marcos also had many projects built that people were not able to give credit to him, due to their blindness because of his cruelty. I just don’t know which outnumbers the other. Is it his good works or the lives he took?

One of the lives that was ended and blamed to Marcos, was the life of Sen. Ninoy Aquino. Ninoy Aquino, when he lived against Marcos, his blood was hot to fight against Marcos. Imagine, he went to prison because he went against Marcos and suffered with only two underwears that he daily washed just so he could wear something clean the next day. He wanted justice.

When he was sick in the cell, he requested to be treated in US and it was granted. There, he lived with his family for three years and decided to come back in the Philippines which Marcos did not want, where just after he was able to come out of the door of the plane, he was shot. One thing however, stuck in my mind.

Ferdinand asked Ninoy the date of his arrival in Manila. While he was inside the plane, he told the interviewers to tape everything that happens because this could be the last time he would be able to speak to them. Could he knew that someone was about to shoot him? And when he was coming out of the plane, someone inside the plane yelled, “Pusila! Pusila!” That word means, “Shoot him! Shoot him!” in Bisaya. Could it be that Ninoy Aquino knew that something would happen in his arrival? Maybe.

Youth Life Student Center : tambay na!

Pagkatapos ng klase, saan ka ba pumupunta?

Parang sarap gumala sa mall, kumain sa labas, manood ng sine, o simpleng tumambay lang sa dorm/bahay. Yung iba naman, sa school lang or sa library, gumagaw ng assignments at iba pang requirements. Pero, may nalaman akong lugar na patok sa mga estudyanteng gusto ng isang wholesome na tambayan. It ang Youth Life Student Center.

Malapit lang 'toh. Nasa U-belt nga lang eh. Nasa 818 Nicanor Reyes St., Samapaloc, Manila. Ito ang siguradong okay na okay tambayan. Libre lahat ng facilities kapag member ka na. Para mag[amember, kailangan mo lang magpa-orient, kung saan iisa-isahin lahat ng benefits ng mga members, at ang rules and regulations.

Tuwing Biyernes naman, pwede kang sumali sa ginaganap na Youth Gig from ^:00-8:00pm. Sumali ka, at makipagfellowship sa mga kapwa mo college students. May games, may message, may worship, and libreng food pagkatpos ng message ng Staff.

Hali na! Tambay na tayo sa YLSC!

Dear M16,

Ang hirap talagan g mag-isa. Yung mag-isa ka sa lahat – sa pagkain, sa pag-uwi,sa gala, sa tuwa, sa problema.

Bago ako dumating sa Manila, sa lugar kung saan alien ako, inexpect ko na na marami akong mamimiss sa probinsya – mga tao, mga habit, mga lugar. Totoo naman noong nakarating na ako sa Manila. Kaya lang akala ko yun yung worst part. Pero hindi. Yung pinakamahirap, yung fact na mag-isa ka. Walang masisilungan, walang malalpitan.

Siyempre may mga kamag-anak naman ako sa Manila, napoprovide din yung needs ko. Pero mayroon kasi yung emotional chord na kukumpleto nalang lahat eh, sad to say, in my being, in my system, yun yung kulang. And I’m the one most responsible for it. Of course, kasalanan naman ng bawat tao lahat ng mga pagkakamaling nangyayari sa mga buhay nila kasi it won’t happen naman if they don’t allow.

To tell you, I don’t know the exact thing why I’m writing this, pero I know there is a reason why. I just don’t know what.

Maybe, I don’t want to be alone anymore. Okay naman ako kahit mag-isa, but honestly, I’m also longing for someone I can superbly confide in. Alam mo yung taong safe ang secrets mo with, yung pwede mong pag-unloadan ng lahat, maaring hindi siya magbigay ng advice, basta lang nandiyan siya. I always hoped there was someone. I prayed for it. I see some persons na pwede maging yung taong yun, and it came to a point na I thought one particular person was already the one, but sad to say, hindi pala siya. Kasi madami din siyang baggages and she belongs to a circle na I tried to enter, but it was a challenge, and later on I gave up kasi sobrang hirap pasukin. Ayaw ko naming pilitin.

Itago nalang natin siya sa pangalang M16. Okay naman ang relasyon naming magkaibigan. Actually M16 is more than a friend to me, m16 is like a sibling. Kasi halos lahat na kinukwento ko sakanya eh (pag nandiyan nga lang siya, kasi laging wala eh). However, I treasure m16’s presence so much. Masaya ako pag kasama ko siya thinking na again, may mapagcoconfidean nanaman ako. I am hurt kasi nawawala na siya. Ayaw ko naman na ipilit sa kanya na maging available para sa’kin kasi nga naman hindi naman niya ako responsibilidad(tama ba kung sasabihin ko ‘to?). To think, I’m not m16’s sister, so maybe, m16 is not my keeper. Funny ba? Can’t smile about it. I miss m16. But something’s wrong. Nawawala na siya. Kaunti lang naman mga kaibigan ko sa Manila, and nawawala na siya along with some people in the circle, or the whole circle maybe. Ayaw kong pabigat, ayaw ko maging threat, I’m just sad, you know… I’m hurt kasi nga paulit-ulit noh? Nawawala na siya. Is it a need na rin na I let m16 go? 

My new option for mirienda

I have tasted this stuff many times already, even back in the province. It's only now that I get to appreciate the taste, when I learned garlic bread was fantastic and I discovered it was a good substitute for cruttons.

Last Saturday, I visited a friend's house and she offered me mirienda. She placed bread pan and some dip. That's when I fell in love with bread pan. Masarap pala talaga. I guess I was able to appreciate the thing because of the dip. Upon continuous eating, I realized it's also tasty without the dip. 

That evening, I went to Mercury Drug to by my vitamins. On my way out of the store, I saw someone holding Bread Pan at the cashier. I immediately looked for Bread Pan at the snacks displayed. I found out that it's affordable. It's only Php 7.50. Now, I have Bread Pan as an option for mirienda.