Pagpag/Batchoy

Not so long ago I got to watch a documentary about the increasing poverty rate in the Philippines. Unlike other news about poverty, this one did not only show pictures of garbage or beggars, it showed how people try to cope up with poverty and survive through the so-called PAGPAG/BATCHOY. You may be wondering what pagpag is. To all those unaware, pagpag are left-over food dusted off from garbage bags delivered from fast food chains. They wash it and afterwards they cook it and then that's their meal. Shocking right? It may even make your stomach sick but that's not what these people need today. They are in a great battle for survival. This is reality.

There are three branches in the operation of the pagpag system.

First- TAGA-DELIVER 2 am
One person will clean-up in fast food chains and in return he gets to bring their left-over food or what is seemingly for us garbage but for them wealth. He then drives, using his pedicab to a place they call 'bagsakan' where many people are waiting. The bagsakan is a warehouse. It is dirty and sometimes when it rains, there's water all over.


SECOND- TAGA-PAGPAG 3 am
Upon arrival of the delivery, people who are called 'taga-pagpag' will start working. They open the bags and then they do the 'pagpag'. They dust off the left-over food and separate it from those which are already bones. Most of the times they get fried chickens but not very often there are hotdogs and burger patties. They do this for hours not trying to waste a piece.




THIRD- TAGA-LAKO 6-7 am
After separating the food, they distribute them to the people who will later on sell it. They are called 'taga-lako'. They wiegh them and place them in plastic bags. Each bag cost abot P25. They sell it to the residents of Smokey Mountain. Amazingly, people are actually eager to buy some.




This is how the trade goes. Then, the pagpag will be cooked again. It can be cooked in different ways and the most popular dish are adobo and fried pagpag. While mothers are cooking, the kids are waiting and you can see the joy in their face. They don't care where it came from, all they know is that they will again be able to taste their favorite meal, fried chicken! It broke my heart seeing them. They were given no choice. And this is the saddest part. The unequal distribution of resources has done its part. It saddens me knowing the fact that some people are wasting money and food while some are struggling to survive.





No one in this world has the right to drop judgement on them. It's is the Philippine economy dictating them to do this. Who would want to eat left-overs? No one right? So why do you think do they stick to this kind of life? It's because they want to survive. They don't do this because they're lazy or anything, this is because they were given no choice. They are not in any way a lesser person compared to us.

To all those people especially the city officials who are blaming these people, you might as well try to think it over. Don't try to was your hands. You are also responsible. We are all responsible for the welfare of our fellowmen. Why are we placed in a better social status than them? It's not to insult them but to help them. The minds have become so narrow as time passes by. The eyes have become so blind. The hearts have become so cold. What's next?





Photo courtesy:
www.reuters.com
www.flickr.com

The World is Just Awesome-Discovery Channel

I'M IN LOVE WITH THIS SONG<<<3




I love the mountains
I love the clear blue skies
I love big bridges
I love when great whites fly
I love the whole world
And all its sights and sounds
Boom de yada, boom de yada
Boom de yada, boom de yada





I love the oceans
I love real dirty things
I love to go fast
I love Egyptian kings
I love the whole world
And all its craziness
Boom de yada, boom de yada
Boom de yada, boom de yada





I love tornadoes
I love arachnids
I love hot magma
I love the giant squids
I love the whole world
It’s such a brilliant place…
Boom de yada, boom de yada
Boom de yada, boom de yada

Freedom

Man is free. He can be what he wants to be. He can do what he wants to do. Man is born in a society but it is up to him as to how he would live his life. There are norms imposed by the environment but it is up to him whether he will follow them or not. As we grow up we learn many things and through this learning we create our own idea of the world, ourselves and other people. We choose our likes and dislikes. The idea of choosing what you want is freedom in its own form. We aren't in any way intimidated from choosing an option. We are not restricted to the knowing of our ancestors but we are meant to do better.

From the very beginning, we are given our choices. From the moment we started walking, we were given the choice of leaving or staying. Most choose to stay because we love the company of our parents, we need them to survive and again because we wanted to. Your parents are there to support you and to guide you in your decisions but it is you who writes your own story and creates your own plot. There might be obstacles along the way but obstacles are to the body only. There is no limitation as to where our minds can take us. It has its own freedom, a limitless freedom. Thus, pertaining to the mind, freedom is absolute. Thus, pertaining to the human, freedom cannot be restricted.

When we are born, the world has an existing essence. This is because the world came to exist before us. Thus, as we grow up we develop our own essence, too. There are no guidelines to that. We can create that essence in any way we want it to be. We can choose to be bad or to be good. We can choose to create our own or to copy other people. We can be fair or unfair. It is totally up to us what pith are we to establish. It isn't true that as we grow up we are forced to adapt to changes and to social norms. Yes, there are changes and the society does impose the norms but at the end of the day it is still up to us what we do to them. We are still free to choose. At the end of the day, we are still the ones in charge of our own destiny. This is the beauty of having your own mind, being free.

Yes, we obtain our knowledge from our environment, but it doesn't mean that we are not free. We are still free. We are free to choose the education we want to gain. We are free to interpret the learning we have. We are free to use them in any way we want. We are free to navigate our masteries. There are many famous inventors, scientists, mathematicians, etc. They did not discover things because someone told them to but because they wanted to. Yes, the starting point of our wisdom is the existing world but it doesn't mean that we are not free. We are still free to create our own comprehension. From this comprehension, we will truly start developing our profundity.

We also have the freedom to create our own personality. It is not true that experiences build our character. They are only our guide make our decisions better. They are there to serve as our shield from unnecessary things. We are still the ones who build our rectitude. We are therefore free to create an individualism we feel is best for us. No one can give us this but ourselves. Even to the perception of others, we can create our own selfhood as we please. No matter what, we are still the ones who create our own image. There is no restriction as to how we shape ourselves.

We have the freedom to choose our crowd. We are situated in a certain place we didn't choose but it doesn't really stop us from exploring our interests. We are still free to discover the possibilities around us. We are free to find ourselves in others through heedful choosing of friends and unintentional choice of enemies. Now, with globalization, we are not anymore confined to the vicinity of our town, our region or even our country. We are free to find our clique anywhere we want. There are no strictures as to how far we can go finding them and how long it takes. The point is we are free to be with people we like, we trust, and we please.

We have the freedom to make our own judgments. We cannot be bludgeoned by anyone into making a bias judgment. It is always up to us whether we like it or not, we favor it or not. There might be whispers along the clouds but we are still in charge of our own appraisals. People might influence us, then again, it is our freedom to choose to believe them or not. One way or another, we are still the master of our valuation.

We have the freedom to express our thoughts and feelings. There are many avenues redirecting us to our emotional needs. It is up to us which we choose. There are many ways in ventilating ourselves. We are not restricted from letting them out. People might try to stop us or in any way threaten us but the decision is always up to us. We are free to do what we want. When we are scared to let out our thoughts, we are still in a free position to not do it because we don't want to do it and because we are free. If we really want to do something, there's always a way and we are free to delve those ways. If we love someone, we can always tell that person how we feel. We can also hide our feelings if we wish to do so because we are free. Freedom of expression is not always shouting out what we feel or think. It is doing what we feel is best for us. It is being true to ourselves whether we wish to be loud or we wish to keep what we have inside. Freedom of expression doesn't necessarily mean that we have to criticize everything we want to criticize. Freedom is doing what you want with how you feel.

There are many things that I could say but at the end of the day the questions are still the same. At the end of the day, it is still up to us whether we want to be free or we want to live in the shadows of other people. At the end of the day, it is still up to us whether we exercise our freedom. It is easy to say that I am a free man but it is hard to prove to the world how free you are. How you perceive your freedom will be how people will perceive your liberty. It is up to you whether you want people to take advantage of you or you want them to respect your freedom. You are free to choose whether you want to be free or not.

ABS-CBN(Alto Broadcasting System- Chronicles Broadcasting Networking) and NBS(National Bookstore)

ABS-CBN(Alto Broadcasting System-
Chronicles Broadcasting Networking)
and NBS(National Bookstore)

Business Failure Reflection Paper

Over the years, these two companies have ruled the Philippine business scene in their own field of specialization. They've already gained the trust of the people. In such success, it's hard to believe that once in their lives, they fell on their knees. Seeing how prosperous they are today, some may think that they never tasted despair once in their lives. As for me, reading the articles about their business failure and the revival, ABS-CBN(Alto Broadcasting System-Chronicles Broadcasting Networking) and NBS(National Bookstore) both gave me the inspiration to pursue my dream of putting up my own business someday.

There are a lot of people wanting success. It is but our nature to want a better life. As I see it, the problem is not lack of resources, as what they may say. The problem is not lack of education nor lack of opportunities. The true problem lies within us. Success is always attainable. Even the wildest of animals can be tamed, so it isn't impossible to reach our dreams and goals in life. The secret to a good life is that strong drive or passion mixed up with hard work. We can't have something and feel good about it if we didn't work hard for it or better yet we can't have the things we want without sweating for them.

As I read the two articles, I felt so much inspired by the plights that these two giant establishment had surpassed all through the years. They had to combat enemies to protect their businesses. The NBS endured even the inflation during the Japanese war and even after it yet, they remained standing. It was a fight against all odds. They fagged so hard to be able to save the business which they loved so much. Some call it the need to be alive, I call it passion. There many skilled people on Earth but only few have that passion to use their skills in a good way. The NBS wanted to serve their fellowmen through the books and supplies that they sell. They never gave up because they wanted it so much. Desiring something so much sometimes makes any suffering bearable. This is what I learned from the Ramoses.

The ABS-CBN on the other hand had so much glory from the very beginning. But, to their luck, came across the Marcos dictatorship and lost everything they have worked for over the years. It was like a soap bubble, that in just a blink of an eye, before even recognizing the situation, all was gone. They lost possession of their own sweat and blood. It even took them fourteen years to be able to start all over again. Astoundingly, they were able to get up from the mud that they were thrown into. It was an unbelievable revival. The then president, Geny Lopez, was put behind bars and all but he didn't for a second lost his fervency to continue what his father had started. He had this strong ardor of rekindling the candle which was left unlit by the Marcos regime. He had to start from what was left which didn't really matter in number. It was a glorious renewal though.

I've learned, from what I've read that success always comes after work. I, personally, am a slacker. Now, I've ascertained that life won't reward you if you don't do anything. You won't win in a raffle if you didn't buy a ticket. You won't get an A in your subjects if you wouldn't study hard. I also learned that failure is part of life. We can't avoid it. There will always come a time when we fall but we can always get up and start anew. At the end of the day, the success of anything we do will always depend on how much work and zeal we put in it.

Who Moved My Cheese? (Reflection)

Who Moved My Cheese?







Introduction

There are certain things in life that are hard to deal with. We, as humans are prone to despair and the feeling of solitude. It is but normal to brood in the moment but not for a very long time. The short novel “Who Moved My Cheese?” written by Dr. Spencer Johnson is all about our struggles in life and moving on from something painful.

Understanding the story is easy and at first you might find it unnecessary but this story would make us want to reevaluate our lives.

Who Moved My Cheese?

People change. There are times when I am a 'Sniff'. Sometimes I always look for opportunities and I always recognize them at once. This is especially true when it comes to my ambitions in life. I am on guard to things that might come my way. I always try to look for my chances at things. By far ambitious but it's the only way to be able to get to where I want to.

There's also a part of me similar to 'Scurry'. Just like him, I can quickly hasten into action and acclimate to the new environment. It is true to me immensely on occasions when I have no more choice and when I cannot, by any means, change the situation I am in. There are certain things that humans are not capable of doing or changing, for that matter. It is better to do yourself a favor and just move on and continue living.

There's also a part of me just like 'Hem'. I sometimes repudiate and traverse change especially if what is being changed is something that I've been long used to and something or someone I love is being taken away from me. It really happens to people you know. We are all just humans. We love so much and sometimes we create our own understanding of things. Sometimes, we only listen to what we want to hear. Sometimes, we only look at what we want to see. Sometimes, we deny the hurtful facts around us because it is our nature to seek happiness more than anything else. We are all weak in some sense. This is why sometimes we become just like 'Hem', who tried to resist change because he already got used to the situation.

Good thing there's also a 'Haw' in me. At times, I am easy with my existing environment but I know how to adjust to certain changes along the way and I am ready for anything to come because I know that there's always a rainbow after the rain. I know very well that good things are ahead of me, I just have to look for it myself. It is always better to be ready for anything. I have always prepared myself to some things that might happen just like life and death. I know that we are all going to die, it's just that it won't happen at the same time so I always try to orient myself to this possibility.

My Own Cheese

Just days ago, my father died. In this part of my life, he was my cheese. I was there with him in the hospital when he took his last breath. It was very painful watching someone you love slowly dying. During that time I had to be strong. I am not anymore a just a girl, I'm already 17 and I should be strong enough for this.

We all knew that this time would come but we didn't expect it to be so soon. My family, my maze is where I tried to find the courage to face this dark hour of my life. We held on to each other for support and comfort. I also had my friends to give me strength. They never left me. They were always there whenever I need them.

When my father died, I knew that I had to just accept it. Death is something that no one can change. It really happens and it will also happen even to me. All I can do is to just apprehend the fact. It is not in the scope of my ability or any human to bring back someone's life. The movie 'Who Moved My Cheese?' was shown before the incident so there eas already this idea of how to deal with the changes in my life. Somehow, I would say that it helped me. It gave me the starting point to a new life without my father.

An A-mazing Change(Realizations)

The short novel is a plain story of four creatures trying to survive but if you try and look at it and really try to understand it, you'll see its value in the human life. People, for some reason are resistant to change. It is but normal that we, at first try to contest the changes around us. The thing is, some of us doesn't move from that point. This is where the problem lies. We are all capable of conforming to changes, some of us just don't want to. We get so used to things or the people we have today as if they will never be gone tomorrow. It is important to remember that in this life, in this world, nothing is permanent. Even the color of your hair as you age changes. Even the shape of your body changes.

After reading this story or watching it, I felt good about myself because I've been doing the right thing. There are already many changes that occurred in my life but I managed to cope with them because I have this belief that in life nothing is permanent. I know that someday, along the way, I will lose and I will win. Life doesn't care about your plans. Remember, change is the only constant thing in the world. Yes, you could plan all your life but there will always be a curve or a detour or a U-turn. Even in a forecasted sunny day, there might be rain.

My New Cheese

After what had happened to me, I am still happy about my life. I still have my family. I still have my friends. They are always there for me. My family, after my father's death, became more intact. We created a stronger bond. We love each other so much and that love is already enough to compensate our loss.

At the end of the day, I'm still lucky to have many people who love me. I've already learned to let go and move on. It is really difficult and very painful but I need to do it. There's nothing more I could do but to start a new life. Having the assurance from my family, my friends and all the people around me who have proven their love to me is already enough to make me smile again.

In another view

Guidelines for Communal Discernment and Action to Address the National Crisis

Nowadays, how do we respond to the controversies in the government? The Society of Jesus produced this Guidelines for Communal Discernment and Action to Address the National Crisis. It provides an analysis of the response of the people and the course of action to the unending political turmoil in the country. This article is reflection paper on the said guidelines.

Just months ago, we were all so eager about the ZTE-NBN controversy. It woke the Filipino spirit up. It produced many insurgencies. There were many witnesses who placed their lives at risk for the purpose of letting the people know the truth. Sadly, the truth never came out. Suddenly, nobody cared. It was as if it never happened. There could only be two reasons for this: people don't really care or they already got tired caring. This is what's happening today. We start to stop trying to make our country a better place. We stopped hoping for a better Philippine democratic government. I hope that things won't stop at this. We can always do something. The problem lies on the initiative of the people to make a move. We can't be forever slaves to the lies of our government. It's not how Filipinos are.

I've noticed, even before our current president took the seat, there are always parties asking for the president's resignation. Right now, many are wanting to unseat the president. Maybe, it's the right thing to do, maybe it's not. What's happening right now won't in any way solve our national crisis. We blame each other for the problems we are facing. Politicians point their fingers to each other. We point our fingers to politicians. Instead of trying to solve our problems, people waste their time on bad mouthing each other. I don't think it will solve any problem. Maybe it's time to work together. We should settle our problems together because we are al part of this country, this government. It is not a favor that we do for anybody, it's a responsibility each of us must fulfill.

I've just one question, if ever GMA would be ousted, who will be seated? In times like this when the government is unstable, many politicians who are hungry for power just wait for their chance to seated. They wait and try to watch for signs. Some of the politicians who are rallying with revolutionary groups have their own personal hidden agenda. They just want to be seated in the palace. Maybe this is why political upheaval in the country is endless. Just when we think we're doing the right thing and trusting the right person, things start to get out of hand. Who should we blame? Should we blame them or should we blame ourselves for falling into their game?

More than anything else, I believe that the main and biggest problem in our country is poverty. It is everywhere if you only care to observe. I understand the inadequacy of some people to provide themselves and their family their basic needs. But I think this is what's wrong with our society. We tolerate and accept the presence of poverty. Those who are poor think poor. Only few of them work hard and try to uplift themselves from their poverty. They only depend on the mercy of those with higher social status. They limit themselves to the current situation they are in. Some may say that it is impossible to escape poverty considering the current situation of our country but nothing is impossible if you have the will to do or achieve something. Instead of giving them crops to eat, we must teach them how to grow these crops so that they may be able to eat not just today but in the coming days. We can fight poverty, we just have to believe in ourselves.

At the end of the day, we are still the one responsible for our democracy. It doesn't matter what your age is, what your education is, what your income is, what you look like. For the youth, we must involve ourselves because the product of what's happening today is ours tomorrow. We must familiarize ourselves with the mistakes that our parents have committed which have caused the national crisis we have today so that we won't be able to do the same lapses by-and-by. For everyone else, let's be in this fight together.

Guidelines for Communal Discernment and Action to Address the National Crisis

Guidelines for Communal Discernment and Action
to Address the National Crisis
(Reflection Paper)

Guidelines for Communal Discernment and Action to Address the National Crisis fills an important need in our emotionally charged and often confusing context: it provides a substantive analysis, based on Catholic moral and social doctrine, of our present national situation and the various options and courses of actions taken or advocated in response to that situation. It is hoped that the carefully reasoned assessments presented here will aid communal discernment and action.

For what has been called one of the darkest times in Philippine political history, people are finally losing their hopes of a better government. Sorry never made any difference. Until now, we are still under a great suppression. We are denied of the truth we deserve. I can't understand why but it seems like the government is pushing its people to rebel against it. People are already extricating themselves from politics. Politics now is already nothing but garbage. It is full of lies and greed. This view of the citizens lead them to revolt against the government. This is true especially to the poor. They have gone weary waiting for the time when it's their turn to be given proper attention by the government.

I, personally is against the current government. I don't want to be involved at first but I'm still a Filipino. It is a responsibility for us to take care of our country and our fellowmen. I thought that I won't be affected in any way by the political crisis that we are having but I was so wrong about that. Anyone who is in the country is affected in any way possible. One very concrete example is the uncontrollable tuition fee increase in this university. And now that our school is already autonomous, I'm quite sure about what's gonna happen. This school for me is a miniature of the Philippine political situation. Just like the tuition fee increase, we have our VAT and EVAT. It would be fine to pay some amount of money if it's for our own sake but the problem right now is the refusal of the government to show us where do our parents' taxes go. It's very simple and yet they find it so hard to do. All politicians do is talk non-stop about how good they are, about how many money they've spent, and about how many people they've helped. These don't matter. It's all talk. If they are really doing something, we must be able to see them. If they are doing something, we must be able to feel it. Yes, I know that the poverty in our country can't be solved overnight but we can always start anew.




In terms of the political scandals that our government is facing right now, it's very compelling how each of our politicians convinced us into tolerating their bad deeds. Corruption has become a culture among politicians. They have made it a household name among us and it's very surprising how they have made most of us believe that it is okay to be corrupt as long as you help your citizens. When did stealing become acceptable? When did it become right? This country is so near to losing all its hopes. It's amazing how the ZTE-NBN controversy just vanished. One day, everyone was shouting, demanding for the truth, the next day, no one cares. People already got tired. Even I, sometimes, lose my hope for a better future. In this national crisis, the youth are especially affected because it's their future that is being directed either to a good or a bad hand. Despair is already eating up Filipinos bit by bit. Should we do something about this? Yes, we can't let ourselves suffer for the shortcomings of our governments.

After everything that has been said, there's one thing that I'm hoping for. I hope that we all get together as Filipinos and do the right thing. The right thing which is to do something. It's not enough that we watch the news and keep ourselves updated of the current happenings in the country. It's not enough that we sympathize on those who suffer. We must be one with them, empathize, move, for yourself, your fellowmen, and your country.

Three Types of Teachers in Ateneo(de Naga)

As far as I've experienced, there are three types of teachers in Ateneo; the formal, the casual and the cool. Formal teachers are usually the older ones. They come to class, trying to portray a very respectable character. It is very evident from the way they dress, execute lessons and answer questions. It can also be seen on how they move, from those small steps in the hallway to the riddance they do from chalk dusts. Formal teachers are usually strict. They want assignments submitted on time. And because of the fact that they want to be seen as a higher being, they try to intimidate students by pressuring them to do too many course requirements in such short period of time. Not to offend anyone, but I believe that teachers from the formal clan are more disliked by most students. The second types of teachers is the casual. They are the less intense, less strict, less dressed version of the formal. I should say that they are trying to follow the footsteps of the formal. They are younger in terms of age and experience. They are the more relaxed teachers. They speak to students, not teach them. They try to communicate with the students and convey their lessons through informal discussions. I honestly think that they are better, in my case, as compared to the formal because they try to listen to what the students have to say. Of the three types, I like the casual best. The third type is the cool. Cool teachers are those who make class hours chat hours. They love opening conversations that are not at all connected to the subject. Maybe, they think that they are part of the class as a student because instead of teaching they are part of the noise. They are also frequently absent from the class. They love to dismiss the class early for personal interests. At the end of the semester, the cool clan's students just wasted their time, effort and most especially money. In Ateneo, most of the teachers are in the casual type. They are dedicated teachers. They are my favorite of the three. I have no intention of offending anyone by what I've said. This article was made to comply to a subject requirement by a teacher which in one way or another, I have no motive of displeasing.

Why I Never Learned to Ride a Bicycle

Riding a bicycle is one indicator whether you were able to exhaust the time frame you were given as a child. If you know how to ride a bicycle, you must've enjoyed your childhood very much. Perhaps, you were always permitted to play outside because learning how to ride a bicycle takes a person many sweaty days, a lot of unnecessary turns and falls and countless of that moments of laughter with the kids in the neighborhood and their dog in the streets. It is also a sign that you were a free child. You were able to conquer your barangay or even your town using your own strength. I've always imagined how it felt like. You know, the joy inside your heart whenever you take a ride; with the wind brushing on your cheeks and the sun smiling at you. This means so much to me because I've always wanted to ride a bicycle but it's impossible because I don't know how.

When I was still a child, our grandmother lived with us. Because of this fact, we were to abide to many house rules which I honestly didn't understand at all. We couldn't go and play outside during weekdays while during weekends we could only play from 3:00 PM until 5:00 PM. This has limited us from playing with our neighbors. While they played happily outside, we were stuck inside the house. We weren't allowed to get dirty. We couldn't run around because we might get hurt. Most especially, we couldn't ride a bicycle because it might cause us accidents and she didn't want us to get wounded. Also, because of this, it got into my head that it as scary riding a bicycle and I won't learn it easily. So, I just gave it up. Until now, I never learned because I'm scared that I might get hurt.

Until now, I still get jealous of other kids. They run around, enjoying every bit of sun on their skin without a trace of any of the world's problems. They do as they please. They play in the mud, dance in the rain, lie on the grass and most specially they get to ride a bicycle. They get to enjoy their childhood days while I get to watch them. Sounds great, huh?

_oBviOusLy...

Love like you've never loved before
Love like you've never been hurt
Love like there's no tomorrow
Love like it's true
Love like he's true
Love like it's forever
Love like it's forever

Love even if it's painful
Love even if it's hard
Love even if it's hopeless
Love even if it's fading
Love even if you're tired
Love even if he's not worth it
Love even if he doesn't love you back

Love when you want to
Love when you have to

Love and be hurt
Love and be happy
Love and give
Love and receive
Love and sacrifice
Love and fight for it
Love and die for it

Love until it hurts
Love until it lasts
Love ubtil you're confused
Love until your heart breaks
Love until your last teardrop falls
Love ubtil you can

Love saves
Love cares
Love gives
Love respects
Love perseveres
Love hurts
Love wounds
Love lasts
Love endures
Love hopes
Love never ends

Love when the moment comes
Love like it's the most wonderful thing to do
It's a destiny to be fulfilled
It's a goal to be achieved...

_sUnNy sUmMEr..

it's finally SUMMER!!!!
no classes...
no waking up early...
no assignments...
no projects...
no ALGEBRA...
no scary teachers...
wooooooooooooohhhh.....
it's all FUN!!!
enjoy your summer vacation!!!

Hooray!BICOL...Wow!BICOL...

Bicol is my favorite region in the Philipines not just because I was born there but because it has a lot to boast. It is composed of six provinces namely;Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon .

It is often regarded as the epicenter of the counterculture and liberal politics in the Philippines. As many of its inhabitants seem to oppose many right-wing governments and ideology in which they blame for corruption. The region has a political reputation of voting always for left-wing politicians. It is also widely seen as a stronghold for the National Democratic Front. No wonder, we, in Bicol respect and uphold Democracy no matter what.

It does not only boast its good-natured people but also its beauty.

Albay is where the almost-perfect-coned-volcano, Mt. Mayon is located. It stands majestically at 7,946 ft. from the broad base about 10 km. In radius. The crater is 2,451 meters above sea level and with a diameter of .5 kilometer. It has a notched rim where a pool or building hot lava boils and rich coal deposits could be found.

Camarines Sur is the Philippines' pilgrimage center because of the yearly celebration of the Feast of Peñafrancia held every September. This feast amazingly unites Bicolanos once a year. Devotees gather in Naga City to praise Our Lady of Peñafrancia.

Camarines Norte blessed with a dense rainforest, habitat of numberless variety of wildlife. It is known for its Pineapple plantations. People there celebrates their blessing of the pineapples by having the yearly Pineapple Festival every May.

Catanduanes is the pearly island of the Pacific. Adventures hike the twisting trails of Gigmoto and San Andres and enjoy the cool refreshing waterfalls, the religious visit to the ancient church of Bato and hike to the stone chapel a kilometer away where the first mass was believed to have been celebrated by the Spanish conquerors. Island life is not as quiet as it seems. The capital town of Virac is irresistible for an oceanfront entertainment and arousing videoke bars. A hotel offers a breathtaking view of the entire island as its penthouse restaurant. Resorts abound to accommodate leisure-seeking travelers, with a chain of picnic sheds and cottages over a well-manicured landscape, surrounded with lush greeneries.

Masbate is the home of local cowboys. The wild wild west comes alive in the island every year. Every May, the country's local cowboys flock to the capital town of Masbate to display their power over untamed cattles during its festival called Rodeo Filipino. In this international fair, the arena burst with fun and excitement and shouting. Masbate is a flourishing island-province. Its three islands (Ticao, Burias and Masbate) are bounded with clean and fine beaches. Its sea waters abound with exotic fishes, corals and many other marine life.

Sorsogon is where the world's largest fish can be found. Nature has showered the province with unexplored and pristine tourist attractions, boost by mountain lake cradled below Mt. Bulusan, rising at 2000 feet above sea level. Awed by the wild vegetation around it, the succulent environment of the forest and the idyllic mixture of the wildlife's enchanting aura, foreign tourists have compared it with the cool and enthralling country of Switzerland, naming it Switzerland of the Orient. Sorsogon is blessed with rich reserved of aquatic resources. It is the major supplier of fish food all over the mainland. By twist of fate, an amazing discovery of grandest scale surfaced. The world's largest fish-whale shark (scientific name is Rhicodon Typus) locally known as butanding shelters near the shores of the towns of Donsol and Pilar.

WOW BICOL!
VISIT US!

My Philippines

Philippines is my country. It is where I was born and where I live. It has been written and passed through generations,"It is a country to die for". Is it really a country to die for? If someone will ask me if I'm willing to die for this country, I'll answer at once, "I don't know". If someone would ask the Philippines if she is willing to die for Filipinos maybe she'll say no. They pollute her and corrupt her. She has been suffering ever since. The foreigners were indeed right, Filipinos are INDIOS. Now, I am trying my best to be excluded from the generalization. It seems like those younger people are more concern to the country as compared to the older ones.

A SHOUT FOR THE TRUTH

everything's happening so fast, i couldn't believe everthing i'm seeing. last year on september, this whole ZTE issue just popped out of nowhere and took ever the primetime news and newspaper headlines. at first, i didn't care about the news but after some matter loading and finding out that this issue is really something, well, i got curious. now, i am already one of those people demanding for the truth and for transparency and accountability from our government. i'm only one of the many students fighting for these. we are the ones most affected by this issue. it's wrong to say that you can't do anything just because you're just a student. anyone can do anything as long as the person really wants to do it. if there's a will, there's a way. this is my country, therefore, i must protect it from any form of abuse. this is my future at stake, therefore, i must protect it from total destruction. this is our constitution being perverted, therefore, we must seize them. i'm a Filipino, i live in the Philippines and i'll fight for its democracy. this is what you call love, A SHOUT FOR THE TRUTH.

on EMOs

Emo. Short for emotional.

-->people who are in pain, who are broken but chooses to hide the pain by the weird fashion statement.

ha! oh come on! try to fool me, see if i fall for it. i watched this report on TV about the EMO thing and one guy was intrerviewed. the reporter asked him:

what's EMO?

he said..

it's us, we try to hide and fight the pain we feel inside by putting on eyeliner and black clothes. even though we are broken still we fight. we try to express the feeling through what we wear.

GOD!

one big DUH?!

and i thought this was just music, but something's going on and i'm so not liking it.

what's so problematic about this group of people? it's pretty obvious, they're overlydramatic. and i mean it. anyway, when you get hurt, badly hurt what comes to your mind? if you're not so stupid of course you wouldn't think of suicide or the likes, right? i mean, come on! does the thick eyeliner help in mending your brokenness? of course not. the cure is within yourself. if these "EMO" people really want to forget their hurtful experiences, why do they drown in the emotion, in the pain? and you know what? pain subsides and goes away. it's never permanent(this is a fact). so it's really impossible that the pain never goes away, unless you intend on keeping it for yourself, for some stupid reasons. honestly, i don't get the point of this whole EMO thing going on. i've viewed a lot of profiles on friendster with this EMO concept and i don't like how juveniles nowadays view their lives. HELP!some understanding please. they don't understand why some things happen. being hurt is part of life. it happens to everybody.

just GET OVER IT!

so here's my question: if some other people who got hurt in the past were able to recover(just like me), how come you can't?

my GOD! are you aware how sick-worried your parents are because of the EMO thing going on with you? because of the thick eyeliners? the black outfits? and s***, the drama is freakin' them out!

trust me guys, i have nothing against you. it's just that i'm really worried about your lives. why not be grateful instead of blaming other people or yourselves? forget the drama, forget the fashion, forget SUICIDE. life is so BEAUTIFUL. enjoy it.