Banidoso

Kapag iniisip natin na maraming nagmamasid sa atin, mas lalo nating nararamdaman ang halaga ng pagiging banidoso. Ang pagiging banidoso ay hindi lamang limitado sa mukhang nais mong ipakita sa tao, ito rin ay ang pagmamatyag sa gawain mo.

Walang masama sa pagiging banidoso, pero ang hindi pag-amin sa katotohanang ito, oo.
Walang masama sa pag-amin na ikaw ay banidoso, ngunit ang higit sa pagiging ganito, oo.
Hinihingi nga ba ng pagkakataon na maging banidoso tayo?
Produkto nga ba ng pagiging banidoso ang patuloy na pag-usbong ng mga "cosmetic products", "medical tourism" at pagsikat ni Belo at Calayan? O, sadyang sumusunod lamang ito sa propisiyang binibigyang-diin ng kawalan ng "human satisfaction" -- kawalan ng kuntento at kasiyahan sa itsura mo.

Maraming kuro-kuro ang maaring itala sa puntong ito, ang etika mula sa Simbahan hanggang sa pamantayan ng lipunan tungkol sa kung ano ang maganda. Hindi pinipilit ang kagandahan o kaguwapuhan. Nalalaman nating hindi lamang pisikal na anyo ang batayan sa daigdig na ating ginagalawan, at maraming istorya na ang naghuhugpong sa mga kuwentong ito. Nakalap natin ang ilang konsepto ukol dito.

Una, ang pagmumukha mo ay may sariling awra sa pinakasimpleng itsura nito, ang paglalagay ng kosmetiks sa mukha ay isang pamamaraan upang mapaunlad pa ito -- ang resulta, pagtaas ng self-esteem, confidence at presentation. Ang mga nakikinabang sa uring ito ay ang mga sinasabi nilang "physically challenged" o simple lamang ang punto nito, nais mong gumanda lalo o nais mong maging maganda.

Ikalawa, ang pagiging banidoso ay hindi lamang ang tipikal na pghawak sa salamin, at pagsuri sa sarili. Ang pagiging ganito ay isang pamamaraan ng pagbabantay sa kalusugan, "health consciousness" sapagkat nabibigyang lunas ang mga hindi kaaya-ayang istruktura, maging ang hindi kanais-nais na amoy ng katawan.

Ikatlo, ipinapalagay na ang pagiging "vain" ay ang pinakasimpleng pamamaraan ng paghusga sa sarili. Sa isang daang paraan ng pagpapaganda, ito ang una sa listahan. Ito ay nakaayon sa intelektwal na pananaw.

Bago natin bigyang puna ang iba, bakit hindi muna natin bigyang puna ang sarili? Sa pagiging banidoso binibigyan mo ng pribelihiyo at karapatan na husgahan ang sarili mo. Sa pagharap mo sa salamin, direkta mong nakakausap ang sarili mo. 'Pag humaharap ka sa salamin, natutunan mong sagutin ang mga tumatak na tanong sa iyo, na hindi mo masasagot kapag hindi mo nakikita ang iyong sarili. Nakikita mo kung paano inaarte ng iyong mukha ang iba't ibang emosyon. Napapaisip ka kung hindi ba malaswa ang dating ng repleksyong 'yan sa ibang tao.

Kapag humaharap ka sa salamin, nakikita mo kung karapat-dapat pa ba ang mukhang nakikita mo, na manghusga sa kapwa mo tao.

*Mas maraming mas mahalagang isyung dapat bigyang-pansin, ngunit sa isyu ng maling paghusga, bigyan natin ng panahon ang pagtingin mismo sa ating sarili.

There are many ways to educate ourselves.

Aside from our educational attainments, we could further educate ourselves. It is not only the number of letters we add in our surnames (to give weight to the degrees we earned) that counts -- it is how we understand life.

We somehow neglect to see the other side of learning.

By just observing your surrounding. By just asking a poor man. By just asking a pregnant woman. By just looking at how an ant carry a piece of bread bigger than its body. Making metaphors and reflections. All of these things.

In order to understand life, we should not only be satisfied to the knowledge offered by books and by the four corners of our classrooms.

We should also learn the basics to learn life. :D

Trading Forts

According to Professor Sharon Caringal*, there are two distinct ways of distinguishing urban people to that of rural ones. There is an evident prescription the way they introduce themselves.

Since the imperial Manila is one of the primary trading forts in terms of career mobility and economic prosperity, these separate stories would find their fates somehow intertwining. As rural people wanted to secure a certain space in the voluminous Manila to escape from the usual planters’/fishers’ set-ups, some urban people are trying to steal a great catch out of it.

The usual Manila affair has been bombarded by scattered pieces of bio-data and application forms. Until, Manila cannot carry anymore. Sprawls exist, city diffuses but then Manila’s name is institutionalized so long that it remains to be the first choice for seekers until now.

And yes, social injustices are still there.

Let’s assume they have earned equal degrees in college, not in UP. Let’s suppose they are both males, seeking for a scientific position in an agricultural bureau. They only need 1 for the job, with a competitive work pay. Having said such, let’s now spot the difference/s.

A rural man would tender his name with a pinch like this: “Ako po si _______________________, mula sa Barrio Paraiso, sa Bayan ng Gingsawa, Maasin, Leyte. Ako po’y pinagpalang anak nina Aling Teresita Ramos, isang magbubukid at Gerry Santos, isang mangingisda naman. Sanay po ako sa mabibigat na gawain…Nalalaman ko po ang pangunahing pangangailangan ng posisyong ito, sapagkat hawak ko po mismo ang lupa at ang halaman. Nakapagtapos po ako sa Pamantasan ng _________, sa aming bayan ng kursong __________.”

An urban man with conviction: “I’m ____________________. I graduated from University of ______________, here in Manila. I took up, B.A./ B.S. in _____________. Now, you should hire me...it’s because I was trained to master the basics and complexities of this industry. I was practiced to do researches that would develop techniques, and…”

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And so, a lot of factors should now be taken into account – the environment, the society, settings to where they were able to establish their personalities, the political and cultural aspects and so on. A human resource person would have hard time thinking between quantity and quality; experience and knowledge.

This may be the current plight of human resource persons --- deciding between two ideal men in their own spheres, knowing that foregoing one of them is a hard task to do. Choices would have carried out mix feelings.

Sinisimulan Ko Na

Sa nakalipas na 17 taon ng pamamalagi ko sa daigdig ng tunay at hindi natural, matagal ko nang sinimulan ang pangarap na ito.

Pero pagdating sa paggiling ng kamera? Ngayon ko pa lang nasubukan.

Karapat-dapat ba ako?

"Karapat-dapat akong mapabilang sa institusyong ito dahil naniniwala akong nabiyayaan ako ng interes at kaalaman sa pamamahayag – mula sa masusing pangangalap ng impormasyon, pag-aanalisa, pagsulat nito sa porma ng balita hanggang sa paglalathala nito. Ngunit alam kong hindi natatapos sa teknikal na aspeto ang pamamahayag, ito rin ay may mahalagang panlipunang pananagutan --- ang maghatid ng balanseng impormasyon na umaayon sa etika ng responsableng pamamahayag. Nais ko pong magsilbi sa publiko sa pamamagitan ng propesyong ito, gamit ang talino’t kasanayan / at, MALINANG pa ang mga ito mula mismo sa inyo -- mga pantas sa larangan ng broadcast journalism".

...Hanggang sa ikunekta ko ang aking kurso sa mundong nais kong subukan:

"Ang kursong B.A. Development Studies ng UP ay isang agham panlipunan. Ito ay naglalayong imulat ang mga Pilipino sa katotohanan at sistemang umiiral sa lipunang ating ginagalawan – mapa-pulitika, ekonomiya, kultural at maging ang simpleng pamumuhay ng mga bansa sa Ikatlong Daigdig. Ang kursong ito ay umiiikot sa pinakaimportanteng elemento ng lipunan – ang tao – ito ang pangkalahatang tuon ng aking kurso. Sa kabilang banda, ang news media ay isang makapangyarihang puwersa upang magbigay ilaw at humulma sa lipunan. Ang news media ay may pananagutan sa publiko na ang tanging armas ay ang katotohanan. Ito ay bentahe sa bahagi ko sapagkat ang balita sa ngalan ng responsible at malayang pamamahayag ay repleksyon ng buhay ng bawat ordinaryong Pilipino sa lahat ng aspeto. Higit kong mauunawaan ang balita sapagkat alam ko kung saan nag-uugat ang pang-araw-araw na pakikibaka ng masang Pilipino. At kung bibigyan ng pagkakataon, ako po ay titindig upang maging simbolo ng kabataan na magsisilbling tulay para sa kapwa ko Pilipino – isang mapagkakatiwalaan, responsable at kritikal na _______________. Maraming Salamat po".

At, ano man ang maging resulta nito, magpapasalamat pa rin ako...

Sa karanasan pa lang kung paano sumabak sa harap ng isang kamera para sa video resume at voice demo, pakiramdam ko, panalo na ako!:)

Criss- Crossing Battlegrounds

It drives me to create a cloud of doubt when I heard Sec. Arthur Yap condemning the fearless forecasts of peasant workers regarding the issue of rice shortage.

In this view, farmers, the land tillers themselves, shall become the first hand source of information. They are the tanks who strive hard to deliver a kilo of rice in every household. Whenever I take a look at the stand given by agriculture secretary, it makes me believe that his department suggests the other side of what is actually happening. The mere contradiction of the statements held by the thinks versus the tanks will only show the people that there’s no transparency at all and that this circumstance is prevented and protected by SOME CROCODILES to be publicly scrutinized, or to be kept secret.

Just to borrow the lines of a folk who I got to ask about his stand on the pressing rice concerns, he reiterated that Yap’s intelligence must not be corrupted, and in other words, not be tarnished by the power given to him or otherwise he is a candidate to be in the roster of other promising young crocodiles.

Farmers say that rice shortage is due to six major reasons:

• The change of crop/livestock (let’s take for example, tobacco planters who gain more income than rice planters which is actually the case, creating a mutual feeling for unions to promote a different choice of crop)
• Inadequate irrigation (since birth, this has always become an issue. Did you know that a kilo of rice grains needs to be supported by a liter of water in order to attain its harvesting state?)
• Lack of fertilizers and agricultural machines
• Change of agricultural areas to industrial ones
• Inability to fight rice pests, etc.
• Global Warming, of course underscores the change of climate, etc. (at least this issue is for a global worry)

Double Jeopardy. Yap, now taking this as an issue of tall order, shall inform the people what is the real condition of rice production in the Philippines and for a record, for the next years to come. In the news, rice rationing does exist, whether it in rural areas or not. Last month, a usual fifty NFA sacks would serve good for three consecutive days; today, that same amount is amassed only for three hours! To make things really aggravating, the so-called NFA Rice are smuggled and repacked together with low-quality variants, leaving the poor Filipinos with nothing but a completely betrayed meal.

Let us not dwell to that idea that his highlighted measures will drastically or completely change the current outfit of our agriculture sector, and that we will not experience rice shortage for the next years to come -- the Filipino people are tired of hearing another batch of conceived false optimism.

Carrying Capacity and Marginal Gains. The agriculture authorities informed that there has been an increase in rice production in the Philippines for the past two seasons – a good figure to take note; however, in contrary to that same alleged issue of adequacy, population continuously sets its ramp to a much booming number for that past three years! Mas marami kanin nga ang naihahain sa hapag, ngunit di hamak na mas madami naman ang kumakain. Samakatuwid, nanatiling salat ang produksyon ng bigas sa buong Pilipinas.

In reaction, fast food chains observe a venture of domino effect –- that is to cater ½ serving of rice in each plate. It has entailed panic buying, a normal response from average market consumers. On the other hand, some people simply behave like ants –- that is, buying and storing rice stocks in grand amounts, afterwards, selling these to the public in the event of price peaks, where there’s an absolute scarcity of resources.

As I see it, this has become a consequence of the Philippine’s city dream (or others ambition) to be developed in a speedy phase. The trade-off has created a big range of difference. Sacrificing the ideal balance between agriculture and industry (this includes technology), the government is so much winning its time to a fast-phased development.

The former rice-rich Philippines is now apparently gloomed with food shortage, a serious menace that should be considered by everyone. It makes me think, what happened to our rice bowl? Is it now just a coffee mug? An ash tray for tobacco? Or just a dwelling/breeding ground for another batch of crocodiles?

This is really an alarming crate as we are now dealing with the basic need of the people in order to survive. A real sustainable development* can be achieved by our country, something that can be described as having a balance between agriculture and industry.

Developing takes time and being patient goes with the same strand of learning what should be regarded or what steps should be considered relative to our own socio-political setting. Let’s not imitate Japan’s bullet train if there’s no enough fund to make it as a priority, or Singapore’s tiger claw for economics. Like many other things, development must be fitted with a nation’s landscape, so as to jive with the flow. We shall not be forced by risky factors that will promise us nothing.

I still dream of that development, but definitely, not like this.

In the first place, does development in the Philippines really exist?

Nagpaparaya ang bawat isa.

Umaagos sa tabla ang tila naghahabulang tubig
Mula sa tuktok ng isang simbolong pinupuri ng relihiyoso
Habang nanabik na magisnan hindi lamang ang pagtulo,
Pati ang pagpapasukob ng tubig sa malalaking tipak ng bato.

Hindi maihugis ang mga batong iyon,
Sa pagkakataong masilayan mo,
Dito mo makikita ang nagkakaisang tanawin, malaki man o maliit.

Sumasayaw lamang sa ritmo ng hangin ang mga berde,
Nagpapasailalim sa makapangyarihang tinig ng hangin ang lahat
Habang ang lunduyan ng magkakabigkis na ugat ay siya ring isang agusan.

Mauuri mo ang lahat ng bagay sa buhay at hindi buhay.
Marahil ito’y nadasalan na rin ng pamayanang nanalig sa Sepulkrong Katoliko.

Ilang usal ng dasal kaya ang nagpabanal sa kipot na ito?
Ilang dasal na kaya ang sumaliw sa musikang likha ng tubig, hindi ng apito?
Ilang bulong, ilang hiling at ilang beses na kayang napuri,
Ang kagandahang pinagkukubli ng relihiyon at sining?

Sa muling pagtanaw mo sa bahaging ito,
Ilang beses nang nadama ang lungkot, ligaya, kapayapaan at ginhawa?
Mapait man ang buhay na ibinibigay sa iyo,
Umaasa kang sa pagdasal mo sa babaeng nasa tuktok
At sa paglubog ng piso mo’y,
Lulutang ang solusyon sa suliraning kinakaharap na itinurin mong itinira sa iyo.

Nagbabakasaling sasagutin ang panalanagin,
Kasabay ng umaagos na tubig,
Gamit ang elemento ng daigdig,
Sa liriko at tunog mula sa luntiang natatangi
Na sinaliwan pa ng bulong ng hangin;

Nabubuhay ka sandali,
Umuusbong at ipinapaalala ang pangarap na nais mong abutin.
Sa grotong walang may alam ng tunay nitong hangarin.