Strive to Be an Independent Senior Citizen

My friend Aileen sent me an email regarding the status of senior citizens here in the Philippines. This is very saddening statistics and I hope to find (if I can) new stats with more optimistic results.

In 1995, a study was made by SSS on the status of an average Filipino. The study showed that, at age 65,

45% of Filipinos are dependent on their relatives,
30% are dependent on charity
23% are still working
2% are financially independent

If we do not fight the war of poverty today, 95% of Filipinos might be below the poverty line by the time they reach the age 65.

The STATISTICS are alarming! No wonder most income is insufficient: there is a never ending price increase in gasoline, electricity, tuition and other necessities; some other relatives are also dependent on your income.

Therefore, it is very important that we make deliberate efforts to fight poverty now while we are still young and able. There is an old saying,"IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN, YOU PLAN TO FAIL".

BY CHINKEE TAN, Author of TILL DEBT DO US PART - www.chinkeetan.com

I actually dream of retiring by 30. I mean, I don't want to be stuck in the office like forever.

Tech Tags: senior citizens, Philippines, debt, Chinkee Tan

US Meltdown Kills...

Not only economies but lives as well. I didn't expect these people to kill themselves because of such.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - - The murder-suicide of a Los Angeles financial manager who shot dead five members of his family before killing himself has highlighted the psychological toll of the economic meltdown.

The bodies of Karthik Rajaram, a 45-year-old business school graduate, and his wife, three children and mother-in-law, were discovered at his home in an upmarket gated community on Monday.

In a letter to police, Rajaram said he had been driven to murder because of his dire economic situation: already unemployed for several months, his remaining finances were reportedly wiped out by Wall Street's collapse.

[...]

The Los Angeles case came less than a week after a 90-year-old woman in Ohio shot herself as she was about to served an eviction notice on the home she has lived in for the past 38 years.

The two harrowing incidents have drawn attention to the mental-health impact associated with the most serious US financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s, experts say.

Source: Yahoo News - 'Economic 9/11' exacting grim psychological toll in US

Yes, the US meltdown may be the mother of all meltdowns and is definitely drowning the global economy. However, do we all need to suffer because we're all going to poverty. On a cynical note, we might just be going back to equality of resources. Still, if the rich becomes poor then the poor becomes poorer. How about the poorest?

You don't go shooting yourself because you're poor. Look at the Philippines. A lot (as in a lot) are unemployed not only for months but years. And there are those who live under bridges, on cardboards, in sidestreets, squatting wherever their feet get them. But do they finish off themselves before hunger does? No. They thrive. (They're even getting rampant.)

I think the Filipinos' advantage in this is we're so accustomed to poverty. It's our life and we survive. Mabuhay ang mga Pilipino! (Cue flag raising. Hahaha.)

Related Posts:

• Why Did Lehman Brothers Go Bankrupt?
• The Hype on US Presidential Elections
• Suicide to Poverty
• Suicide to Poverty II: Digging Deeper
• The World Aches for Gas

Melamine-Flavored Chocolates. Yum?

Ok, so maybe not. But how are you sure?

Choco Melamine
With Cadbury recalling 11 of its chocolate products, what next? Unilever Philippines is assuring consumers that their milk tea products are melamine-free despite Unilever HongKong and Macau's recall of their products. M&M, Oreo and Snickers are also affected by the scare. This is really a scare not only to milk-sucking infants but chocoholics like me. Cue pandemonium.

Eating Chemicals is Nothing New
If it were not for the death of four babies and illness of 53,000 more, we wouldn't be aware that we may be munching and drinking on industrial chemicals. But then, we are never aware of what we eat, right? It's like eating in a fast food chain and having the faith of eating clean and delicious food without knowing that the burger patty got stuck in the floor for half a minute until someone stepped on it and hey, there's the patty in your burger. Gross I know but let's face it, we can never be too sure of anything that's laid out on us even raw food. (Ok, except if you personally planted and harvested the veggie or fruit.)

We were already eating chemicals even before melamine stood on the spotlight. Kidney stones and renal failure weren't just discovered because of melamine. It just so happened that it was instantaneous and massive plus they're only infants for God's sake.

What Do I Eat Now?
So my problem now is that I have to stay away for a while on chocolates, cheese, milk, and other dairy products. (Does ice cream count? Teehee.) I think that's easy enough for someone who doesn't like those stuff. But how about me? Boohoo. To eat or not to eat. That is the question. ^^

image source

The Hype on US Presidential Elections

Actually I'm not affected. Period. Hehehe.

I don't want to delve on politics. (Plus I hate it especially when it's rampant inside the company.) I never dreamt to be a politician because I don't like the dirty play.

Why can't governments get rid of politics?

Related Posts:

• US Meltdown Kills
• Why Did Lehman Brothers Go Bankrupt?
• Suicide to Poverty
• Suicide to Poverty II: Digging Deeper
• The World Aches for Gas

We Need More Alternative Energy

I didn't know that there's already a wind turbine here in the Philippines at Ilocos Norte and was even the first in Southeast Asia. We need more renewable energy nowadays. We have to keep guard on global warming.

Tech Tags: wind turbines, renewable energy, global warming, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, Southeast Asia

Why Did Lehman Brothers Go Bankrupt?

*updated 01/08/09*

Well, it's really a devastating week for all of us I guess. Yeah, all of us because I think we are all affected by the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, directly or indirectly.

For those still not in the know, Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last September 15, 2008. The institution is the fourth largest investment bank in the US and has been standing in Wall Street for 158 years. Yes, you read that right --- 158 years ago. What I really want to know is how did this giant, an old one at that, get bankrupt? So shouldn't we be thinking over this seriously because if it happened to them, it will surely be possible for us, too.

What does Chapter 11 mean?

Under Chapter 11 Business Bankruptcy is a legal process by which a business may declare bankruptcy but continue to operate under the direction of a court-appointed trustee. This process is called "reorganization," because the trustee reorganizes the business to be more efficient and to be able to pay the creditors of the business. The bankruptcy court may also exempt the business from paying all or part of its debts. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is usually sought and granted in the case where the value of the business is greater than the sum of its assets; in other words, the business has a significant amount of goodwill as a "going concern" which would be lost if the business were sold or liquidated.

In many cases, a business may re-emerge from Chapter 11 and continue to operate normally. In other cases, the reorganized business can be sold after some period of time.

Source: About.com - US Business Law/Taxes

It seems that even financial giants are susceptible to bad credit. There has been a mortgage crisis in the US that led to Lehman Brothers' downfall.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Let's see the timeline:

1850: Lehman Brothers was founded by two cotton brokers in Montgomery, Ala. The firm moved to New York City after the Civil War and grew into one of Wall Street's investment giants.

(Fast Forward)

Summer of 2007: Lehman's slow collapse began as the mortgage market crisis unfolded, when its stock began a steady fall from a peak of $82 a share.

March 2008: Lehman managed to avoid the fate of Bear Stearns, the other of Wall Street's small fry, which was bought by JP Morgan Chase at a bargain basement price under the threat of bankruptcy.

Summer of 2008: Lehman started to have more downs than ups. A series of write-offs was accompanied by new offerings to seek capital to bolster its finances. The investment bank also fought a running battle with short sellers. The company accused them of spreading rumors to drive down the stock's price; Lehman's critics responded by questioning whether the firm had come clean about the true size of its losses. As time passed and losses mounted, an increasing number of investors sided with the critics.

June 9, 2008: Lehman announced a second-quarter loss of $2.8 billion. The company said it would seek to raise $6 billion in fresh capital from investors.

Sept 8, 2008: The situation grew more dire after the government announced a takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Lehman's stock plunged as the markets wondered whether the move to save those mortgage giants made it less likely that Lehman might be bailed out.

Sept 10, 2008: Lehman said that it would spin off a majority of its remaining commercial real estate holdings into a new public company. And it confirmed plans to sell a majority of its investment management division in a move expected to generate $3 billion. It also announced an expected loss of $3.9 billion, or $5.92 a share, in the third quarter after $5.6 billion in write-downs.

Sept. 13-14, 2008: It was do or die for Lehman. The Treasury had made clear that no bailout would be forthcoming. Federal officials encouraged other institutions to buy Lehman, but by the end of the weekend the two main suitors, Barclays and Bank of America, had both said no.

Sept 15, 2008: Lehman filed for bankruptcy.

Sept 16, 2008: Barclays said it would buy Lehman's United States capital markets division for $1.75 billion, a bargain price. Nomura Holdings of Japan agreed to buy many of Lehman's assets in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Lehman also said it would sell much of its money management business, including its prized Neuberger Berman asset management unit, to Bain Capital and Hellman & Friedman for $2.15 billion.

Oct. 5, 2008: Richard S. Fuld Jr., Lehman’s chief executive, testified before a Congressional panel that while he took full responsibility for the debacle, he believed all his decisions “were both prudent and and appropriate” given the information at the time.

Source: NY Times - Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

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The World Aches for Gas

Gas price increase is a constant headache that the world endures. When... will... the... hurting... stop?!? Ugh.



Even us commuters feel the gas price hike because of the increasing fares. When I was in college, I jokingly remarked that there will come a time that jeepney fares will be 10 pesos. Back in those days, the fare was around 5 pesos.

Look at us now: Php 8.50 for the average 4-kilometer jeepney fare!?! That totally sucks! I don't cuss, but I can feel my blood boil with the ongoing rate. I miss my elementary days when it was just Php 1.50. Imagine that!!!

Woe to humanity.

Are You Willing to Pay for US Citizenship?

When a Filipino becomes a US citizen, most reactions from his friends and family would be of awe and admiration. That's because to gain citizenship abroad means a lot to the average Filipino.

dNeero got a good conversation going with paying for US citizenship. Since a lot of people are willing to pay to get inside USA, illegally that is, why not legalize it instead? How much are you willing to pay for US citizenship? How badly do you want it?

Tech Tags: US citizenship

Being Filipino is Tiring

Even by just watching the news, you can get tired. With all the destruction and suffering that Typhoon Frank left in the country (what more the politics, corruption and economy), sadness (or hatred) may fill your heart and exhaust your happiness. Especially for the direct hits of the disaster.

As I was blog-hopping the previous nights (or early mornings), I stumbled upon blogger Faery and I was surprised to read her post. Her cousin's husband Jomer was a passenger in MV Princess of the Stars on that fateful day and, as of today, he still hasn't been found. Nevertheless their neighbor Ruel, one of the ship's crew and one of the survivors found in Quezon, confirmed that Jomer had jumped off the vessel when the captain announced 'abandon ship'.

Please join me in praying not only for the missing passengers and crew of the capsized ship but also for their loved ones. As Faery posted:

I can't help but ask. If worse comes to worse, which would you prefer? Seeing a loved one dead or have them missing for like...forever?

It's really disheartening.

***

Being a Filipino is already exhausting what with the economy and state of our country. Plus the discrimination we get from other nations. My friends in Singapore said that even though they're all Asians there, you can still see some discrimination on Filipinos. Sad, ei? :(

But let's see this article here.
Click the image to enlarge.
Thanks to emcee for sharing this. :)
It's good to hear that our global presence isn't totally taken for granted. I remember Zafra's previous write-up that we can achieve world domination by using our domestic helpers abroad. Perhaps we have a better chance now for world domination since almost all of the Filipino families have at least one relative abroad. Think about that.

***

Actually I was inspired to do this post because I'm tired. Physically. (Not yet mentally and emotionally.)

I'm changing my body clock so I can sleep normally like other people do and not like I'm in a graveyard shift. I don't even have a job so why should I do night shifts? I'm going to sleep now and tomorrow morning I hope I can greet you and do my regular visits to my blogging friends. (It's great to know that you can find sweet individuals online.) Also, I'll be going through my job-hunting. Shh. ^^

So I'll leave you with this pretty thought, which I got from Fab.

I know this is kinda girlie, but we can all relate to the general idea, don't we? What's more tiring than to be someone you're not? But then who's tiring you but yourself? ;)

Good night, people. Sweet dreams! ^^

Rally for Peace

Another rally. Another group against the government. It seems that all we do is rant (and gossip) nowadays.

Have we done something beneficial to the country aside from complaining?



Wednesday lunch had us talking about corruption. Someone noted that corruption is already ingrained in our culture. So how do we go about it when the mind is the culprit?

Our philosopher "Pope" gave two solutions:
1. On social terms: Communism. Think China.
2. On moral terms: Annihilate the entire Filipino race save for 10 un-corrupt individuals. Think Noah's ark.

I love democracy but I'm having second thoughts if the Filipinos are disciplined enough to take it. Any more radical suggestions to eradicate corruption?

Suicide to Poverty II: Digging Deeper

I don't believe that Mariannet killed herself only because of poverty, to think that many of our kababayans are drowning in poverty. However we can never find that out. We cannot ask her now.

Killing one's self is cowardice.

Sorry but it's true. I am saddened with Mariannet's tragic end but nevertheless, it is still wrong. She succumbed to her hopelessness. I believe it is more noble to live on, to fight the very reason of one's downfall. Mas marangal ang magpatuloy sa buhay at labanan ang mismong sanhi ng pagkalugmok, pagkasadlak.

I was shocked to learn that she was only 12 years old and felt such depressed with life. A tender age, as I've said before, to give up on life. Yet, on second thought, who can say what one should feel at a certain age? Are adults the only ones to feel the burden of life's cruelty? Here Mariannet attests that it is not. Despair can strike both the young and old, the rich and poor. We are all equal to emotions.

I also believe that the government should not be primarily blamed for Mariannet's actions. We are all shaped by our environment --- our family, school, community. My condolonces to her family but questions arise in my mind: Did Mariannet have a secure and open communication with her family? Did she have a friend to confide on who could have given her advice or, moreso, a shoulder to cry on?

Mariannet's story will soon be forgotten in the ever-rising crises of the Philippines. We tend to be a forgetful nation. Now we feel aggrieved; the next week, joyous or unfeeling - depending on the occasion and headlines.

But before that happens, I hope that we not only pray for Mariannet's soul and her family's strength. May we also reflect on our relationships with our loved ones so as to prevent another Mariannet in our lives.

Suicide to Poverty

The tragic life of Mariannet Amper, or why children commit suicide
11/10/2007 | 09:15 PM

She would have completed her elementary school, but the 12-year-old girl grew so dejected that she hanged herself, and her dreams of finishing school died with her.

Mariannet Amper’s suicide last week in Davao City hogged headlines and sparked off protest rallies against the government.

Poverty has been blamed on her decision to end her life.

Under her pillow was a letter she wrote addressed to television program, “Wish Ko Lang," which grants viewers’ wishes. On it, Mariannet wished for a new pair of shoes, a bag, a bicycle and better-paying jobs for her parents.

She also left a diary, narrating her family’s difficulties surviving a life penniless in a little hut that has neither electricity nor running water.

She also wrote that she had not attended school for a month for lack of transportation fare.

...

But psychiatrists disputes (sic) that poverty cannot be the only factor to push someone, especially a child, to commit suicide.

It seems that I've been posting gloomy incidents recently --- a poem for All Saints, prayers for the Glorietta blast and Saguisag's accident. And now the suicide of Mariannet Amper.

12 years old. Such a tender age to grieve and reflect on life's cruelty. But is it?

I remember when I was in my teen years, I got depressed and wanted to end my life as well. Yet I live. I'm a coward at being a coward, I guess.

Another post for this issue tomorrow. :)

Free Rice

I am currently at my wit's end while donating rice.
I encourage you to do the same.
Visit http://www.freerice.com/.
^_^

Prayer for the Glorietta Blast Victims

Let us pause for a while and pray for the victims of the Glorietta blast last October 19.

Lord Almigthy, bless the souls of our departed brothers and sisters who died in the recent Glorietta tragedy. May they rest in peace in Your loving arms. Furthermore, may You heal those who were injured especially those who are in critical condition.

Lord, strengthen their loved ones to accept what's happened and move on with their lives. May this catastrophe be justly investigated and may You protect the Filipino nation from future danger.

Amen.

Share: Among Ed Panlilio, Governor of Pampanga

This adds up to another notch in my Kapampangan pride.

Joey Silayan wrote:

I'm 100% sure this income disparity is replicated in all the provinces of the Philippines. If we had more Ed Panlilios in our government...

--------------------

We hope we are witnessing what will be a sustained revolution in good governance in the Province of Pampanga, under its newly elected governor, Fr. Ed Panlilio.

According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer of August 26, only one month after Fr. Panlilio assumed his gubernatorial duties, the province's income from the quarrying of volcanic ash from Mount Pinatubo had reached P29.4 million. (Haulers pay a fee of P300 per truck of volcanic ash that they haul from the quarry.)

By contrast, during his predecessor Mark Lapid's term as governor, the province's income from the same quarrying operations amounted to only P29 million a year.

This gaping variation in official incomes from the same activity should inspire a new set of textbooks in Arithmetic, especially for the school children of Pampanga. There is nothing like local color and local situations to cultivate
comprehension in young minds.

Sample problems: If Fr. Ed's provincial government can collect P29.4 million in 26 days (we assume no quarrying on Sundays), how much does it collect in one day? Answer: an average of P1.130 million.

If Fr. Ed's provincial government collects an average of P1.130 million a day from quarrying operations, how much can it collect in one year of 313 days (365 days less 52 Sundays)?
Answer: P353, 690,000, or P354 million.

If Fr. Ed's provincial government can collect P354 million a year, and Mark Lapid's provincial government collected only P29 million a year, what is the difference in their official yearly collections?
Answer: P325 million a year.

If Mark Lapid was governor for four years and his provincial government's annual collections from quarrying amounted to an average of P29 million, how much did his
provincial government officially collect in four years?
Answer: P116 million.

If Fr. Ed manages to remain as provincial governor for four years, and his provincial government's annual collection from quarrying were to average P354 million, how much will his provincial government collect in four years?
Answer: P1.416 billion.

What is the difference between P1.416 billion and P116 million? Answer: P1.3 billion.

Where did this P1.3 billion go? Answer: Only God and the Lapids know.
('Lapids' is in plural because Mark, as a second-generation political dynast, succeeded his own father, now Sen. Lito Lapid. We don't know how much Lito's provincial government officially collected from quarrying operations during his watch. Should be a good investigative project for media.)

If Gawad Kalinga spends an average of P75,000 per low cost house, how many low-cost houses can P1.3 billion build?
Answer: 17,333 low-cost houses.

If the average Pampanga family were to consist of five persons (father, mother, three children), how many people would be benefited by 17,333 low-cost houses?
Answer: 86,665 persons.

End of Arithmetic lesson.

Fr. Ed is to be congratulated for setting a high benchmark for collection from quarrying operations, against which his predecessors have a moral obligation to explain why their collections were so low, and against which future governors will be judged by the people of Pampanga.

Volcanic ash, by the way, is a superior building material. Many of the buildings, aqueducts and monuments of the Roman Empire that have survived for almost 2,000 years are known to have been built with volcanic ash, quarried from the
environs of Mount Vesuvius after it erupted in 79 AD.

We do not expect Fr. Ed's moral victory in Pampanga to be remembered for the next 2,000 years. We would be happy with five, ten or 20 years, enough, we hope, to spawn a moral-revolution- by-example to save the Filipinos from their worst enemies - themselves.

Share: Istorya ng Puta

Nakuha ko ito kakabasa sa BobongPinoy. Di rin alam ng nagbahagi kung sino ang gumawa. Pero kahit ako saludo kung sinumang nag-akda nito. Pasubali na lang sa mga bulgar na salitang nakapaloob sa istorya.

Tingin ng mga bobong kapitbahay ko puta daw ako. Nagpapagamit, binabayaran. Sabi nila ako daw ang pinakamaganda at pinakasikat sa aming lugar noon. Ang bango-bango ko daw, sariwa at makinis. Di ko nga alam kung sumpa ito, dahil dito naletse ang kinabukasan ko.

Tara makinig ka muna sa kwento ko, yosi muna tayo.

Alam mo, maraming lumapit sa akin, nagkagusto, naakit. Ang hirap pag lahat sa iyo virgin eh. Tinanggap ko naman silang tao, bakit kaya nila ako ginago? Masakit alalahanin, iniisip ko na lang na kase di sila taga rito, siguro talagang ganoon. Tatlong malilibog na foreigners ang namyesta sa katawan ko, na-rape daw ako. Sa tatlong beses akong nagahasa, ang pinakahuli ang di ko makakalimutan. Parang maski di ko ginusto ang mga nangyari, hinahanap-hanap ko siya. Tinulungan nya kasi akong makalimutan yung mga sadistang Hapon. Kase, ibang-iba ang hagod niya. Umiikot ang mundo ko sa tuwing ginagamit niya ako. Ibang klase siya mag-sorry, lalo pa at kinupkop niya ako at ang mga naging anak ko. Parating ang dami naming regalo - may chocolates, yosi, ano ka! May datung pa! Nakakabaliw siya, alam kong ginagamit nya lang ako pero pagamit naman ako nang pagamit. Sa kanya namin natutunan mag-inggles, di lang magsulat ha! Magbasa pa! Hanggang ngayon, sa tuwing mabigat ang problema ko, siya ang tinatakbuhan ko. 'Yun nga lang, lahat ng bagay may kapalit. Nung kinasama ko siya, guminhawa buhay namin. Sosyal na sosyal kami. Ewan ko nga ba, akala ko napapamahal na ako sa kanya. Akala ko tuloy-tuloy na kaligayahan namin, yun pala unti-unti niya akong pinapatay. P*** ng I**! Sa dami ng lason na sinaksak niya sa katawan ko, muntik na akong malaspag. Ang daming nagsabi na ang tanga tanga ko. Patalsikin ko na daw. Sa tulong ng mga anak ko, napalayas ko ang animal pero ang hirap magsimula. Masyado na kaming nasanay sa sarap ng buhay na naranasan namin sa kanya. Lubog na lubog pa kami sa utang, kulang ata pati kaluluwa namin para ibayad sa mga inutang namin. Sinikap naming lahat maging maganda ang buhay namin. Ayun, mga nasa Japan, Hong Kong, Saudi ang mga anak ko. Yung iba nag-US, Europe. 'Yung iba ayaw umalis sa akin. Halos lahat, wala naman silbi, masaya daw sa piling ko, maski amoy usok ako.

Sa dami ng mga anak ko na nagsisikap na tulungan ang kalagayan namin, siya din ang dami ng mga anak ko na namamantala sa kabuhayan at kayaman na itinatabi ko para sa punyetang kinabukasan naming lahat. Dumating ang panahon na di na kami halos makaahon sa hirap ng buhay. Napakahirap dahil nasanay na kami sa ginhawa at sarap. Ang di ko inaakala ay mismong mga anak ko, ang tuluyang sisira sa akin. Napakasakit tanggapin na malinlang. Akala ko ay makakakita ako ng magiging kasama sa buhay sa mga ahas na ipinakilala ng mga anak ko. Hindi pala. Ang tanga ko talaga. Binugaw ako ng sarili kong mga anak kapalit ng kwarta at pansamantalang ginhawa na nais nilang matamasa. Wala na akong nagawa dahil sa sobrang pagmamahal ko sa aking mga anak. Wala akong ibang yaman kundi ganda ko. Pinagamit ko na lang ng pinagamit ang sarili ko, basta maginhawa lang ang mga anak ko. Usap-usapan ako ng mga kapitbahay ko. May nanghihinayang, namumuhi at naaawa. Puta na kase ang isang magandang tulad ko.

Alam mo, gusto ko na sanang tumigil sa pagpuputa kaso ang laki talaga ng letseng utang ko eh. Palaki pa ng palaki. Kulang na kulang. Paano na lang ang mga anak ko naiwan sa aking punyetang puder? Baka di na ako balikan o bisitahin ng mga nag-abroad kong mga anak. Hindi na importante kung laspagin man ang ganda ko, madama ko lang ang pagmamahal ng mga anak ko. Malaman nila na gagawin ko ang lahat para sa kanila. Sa tuwing titingin ako sa salamin, alam ko maganda pa rin ako. Meron pa din ang bilib sa akin. Napapag usapan pa din. Sa tuwing nakikita ko ang mukha ko sa salamin, nakikita ko ang mga anak ko. Tutulo na lang ang mga luha ko ng di ko namamalayan. Ang gagaling nga ng mga anak ko, namamayagpag kahit saan sila pumunta. Mahusay sa kahit anong gawin. Tama man o mali. Proud ako sa kanila. Kaso sila, kabaligtaran ang nararamdaman para sa akin. Sa dami ng mga anak ko, iilan lang ang may malasakit sa akin. May malasakit man, nahihilaw. Ni di nga ako kinikilalang ina. Halos lahat sila galit sa isa't isa. Walang gusto magtulungan, naghihilahan pa. Ang dami ko ng pasakit na tiniis pero walang sasakit pa nung sarili kong mga anak ang nagbugaw sa akin. Kinapital ang laspag na ganda ko. Masyado silang nasanay sa sarap ng buhay. Minsan sa pagtingin ko sa salamin, ni hindi ko na nga kilala sarili ko.

Dadating na naman ang pasko, sana maalala naman ako ng mga anak ko. Isang buwan pa, magbabagong taon na. Natatakot ako sa taong darating. Ngayon pa lang usap usapan na ang susunod na pagbubugaw ng ilan sa mga anak ko. Sana may magtanggol naman sa akin, ipaglaban naman nila ako. Gusto kong isigaw: "INA NINYO AKO! MAHALIN NYO NAMAN AKO!"

Sige, dumadrama na ako. Masisira na ang make up ko nito eh. Salamat ha, pinakinggan mo ako.

Ay sorry, di ko nasabi pangalan ko.

Pilipinas nga pala.

Change those energy wasting lightbulbs!

Change your lightbulbs to compact fluorescents. You not only save on your electric bills but moreover you save our planet Earth from destruction. Remember, the Earth is our only home. Godspeed! :)

Guilty and Acquitted

The (extremely) long wait is over. Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada, the 13th Philippine President, was found not guilty of perjury but guilty of plunder. Thirteen might well be proven to be the unluckiest number of them all.

As per my previous post, I stand corrected. Given that Erap is sentenced to life imprisonment (reclusion perpetua) on his Php40B-plunder case, the last six years of his house arrest will be perceived as serving this sentence.

Despite my belief in his guilt, I still felt pity on Erap's situation --- in his old age and frailty. To think that he is not the only one who might have committed plunder in our country, he just had his (bad) luck. Nevertheless, PGMA might give him pardon (if ever Erap is willing to take it and swallow his pride) to win over the opposition's camp and its followers. Happy ending, isn't it?

A positive note on this outcome is the hope that future (may we say present?) government officials, be it the President, can still be imprisoned and justice may well be served in the Philippines at last. I hope that the Sandiganbayan's seal will serve its utmost purpose: Karangalan (Honor), Katapatan (Fidelity), Kapanagutan (Accountability). So help us, God.

Related links on Erap's verdict:

• Erap Plunder Trial: The Verdict. GMA 7's micro-site on the whole Erap trial, including video clips on the primary events. (ABS-CBN's vids are not shown for free. Boo.)
• Erap Jokes. With the comic onslaught, I think "Erap Jokes" is Erap's legacy aside from being the first Philippine president to be convicted.
• Sandiganbayan decision on the plunder case.
• The Estrada Trial: A Timeline. Inquirer's special report on the key events that transpired prior the 9/12 verdict.
• The Estrada Trial. Inquirer's updated special report in the comings and goings of Estrada's trial.

Justice delayed is justice denied

More than six years ago, Erap was the president of the Philippines. Fast forward to tonight, the eve for the verdict on his plunder case.

Notwithstanding if I believe that he's guilty or not (which I believe that most government officials are corrupt), I think the whole trial period was unfair given that it took six years for this verdict to happen. If he's found innocent, he wasted six years of his life, effort and money trying to convince us that he really is innocent. Nevertheless, if he's found guilty, it was better if he'd served those 6 years in prison already and just counting more years if ever he could still get out.

Questions:
Why did it take six years for the prosecution to take place?
Given that the process is painstaking, wasn't the six years too long?
Does that mean that if we have other government officials in the stand, it will take the same period to seek justice?
Or is it just in this case?
Or worse, is our judiciary process that prolonged?

Read this if you want to get annoyed

This is the controversial article that started all the ruckus on the Malu Fernandez issue. Read on the images and tell me afterwards if those OFW statements were relevant to the overall column.

So after all the negativity that the previous article entangled, Fernandez decided to do a rebuttal with this more annoying piece she did with Manila Standard Today. I'm posting the article here so we won't be linking to their site, okay? I know it's quite long and tiresome. She's got a lot of (bad) things to say, to which we can get a glimpse of her personality. Brace yourself for more annoyance especially in the last two paragraphs.

Am I being a diva? Or do you lack common sense?

Many people often find my direct attitude to be rude or obnoxious. I really don’t mean to be anything but true to myself. Patience is a virtue I sorely lack and dealing with stupidity is something I cannot tolerate but something I have to deal with in this God-forsaken country of ours. How many times do you have to deal with day-to-day activities and find yourself exasperated because of simple-minded people who take two hours to do a 30-minute task? Just go to any government office from the post office to the Bureau of Internal Revenue and you’ll see that anything that can be done in a few minutes takes up more than half of your day.

What irks me the most is bad service when you are paying full price and expected to leave a generous tip. Hair salons are most often guilty of this. I have had the privilege to experience going to high end salons from Frederick Fekkai to Bench Fix when I am being spontaneous or have time to kill at the mall. In truth, all the operators or stylists are skilled but you get what you pay for. My bare minimum requirement is cleanliness and a good massage at the shampoo bowl. But I found out that in this country, it doesn’t pay to make an appointment because the receptionist will almost always make you wait. Although there are a few salons that are strict about it most are not. When one takes the time to schedule an appointment, it is common courtesy for the salon to honor the time allotted and when they don’t they shouldn’t expect anything less but an irate customer whose time has been wasted. These are just some of the stupid things I have to deal with everyday. Life is stressful enough so going to the hair salon should be relaxing and not a pain in the ass.

Big corporations should train their customer service personnel properly. For instance, I spent over 20 minutes on the phone with a customer service person and after answering certain “security” questions, I was politely told that they could not give out the information I needed. So naturally that is 20 minutes of my life that I will never get back again, prompting me to quickly bitch that a simple answer should have been: “Before I verify your identity we would like you to know that we are not allowed to give out information regarding…” Am I supposed to learn how to be patient with people who lack common sense?

I just don’t get it. The minimum requirement for people in this country to even work as a barista in Starbucks is to have a college degree. Do we blame the individual who has no common sense or the education system? A year ago I was asked to teach a fashion class at the University of the Philippines. I said yes to honor my late father who also taught medicine in UP. I also accepted the task as a form of giving back to society. In doing this job, I was paid a measly amount for one semester. The amount did not even cover my gasoline expenses. However, the money wasn’t really the issue, but I noticed the major difference in an American education vs. a Filipino education. Forget about the outdated facilities because these are not even the major problem but the small salaries the educators who are forced to sell things out of their office to supplement their income. So it’s a case of what comes first, the chicken or the egg. If your teachers don’t get paid properly, you end up with low quality educators and the whole cycle just continues even if the young students are eager to learn.

Why is it that you have to hire a college graduate to work as a sales girl? Doesn’t that tell you that the quality of education in this country sucks? It doesn’t require a college degree to do a sales job and yet I am forced to do so because high school graduates end up as maids or house help. Once in a while, I come across a brilliant employee who is at an entry-level job and yet has the brains to be elsewhere but doesn’t have the right connections. How fair is that?

As I type this, I’d like you to know that it’s not about whining, complaining and bitching but just stating the facts. Just recently, I wrote a funny article in my magazine column and my friends thought it was hilarious. It was humorous and quite tongue-in-cheek, or at least I thought so, until the magazine got a few e-mails from people who didn’t get the meaning of my acerbic wit. The bottom line was just that I had offended the reader’s socioeconomic background. If any of these people actually read anything thicker then a magazine they would find it very funny. Most people don’t get the fact that they need bitches like me to shake up their world, otherwise their lives would be boring and mediocre. I obviously write for the a certain target audience and if what I write offends you, just stop reading.

Although it may sound elitist to you the fact is this country is built on the foundation of haves, have-nots and wannabes. One group will never get the culture of the other. Although I could mention that it is easier to understand someone who has a lower socioeconomic background that would entail a whole other page and frankly I don’t want to be someone to bridge the gap between socioeconomic classes. I leave that to the politicians in my family who believe they can actually help. Now I seriously ask you, am I being a diva or are people around me just lacking in common sense? Perhaps it’s a little of both!