Oust the Excruciating Incursions of Poverty

Have you ever experienced a day without something to eat or drink? Is it because the place where you live has no food outlets or local vendors? No! No! No! Poverty has come your way, having no capacity to get hold of the essential needs for survival – food, clothing, shelter and education. When you’re living in the street, pleading for alms from all passersby, ingesting the restaurant’s leftovers inside a trash can and other gruesome incidents of similar problem, you are deemed underprivileged.

On one hand, Margaret Fitzgerald from the film Million Dollar Baby entered the world of boxing, even if she has already a job as a waitress, because she could still feel impoverished. With her winnings on different boxing tournaments, it doesn’t change the fact that her family doesn’t care for her integral welfare. Being in poor state doesn’t only cover the economic aspect of existence but also the emotional, spiritual, social and physical conditions of subsisting. It entails suffering because of not having the ability to get what an individual wishes to achieve in life. It is flagrantly demonstrated by being penniless, considering that in this modern era, it seems money controls every human acts. As a matter of fact, the people in my hometown, Salvacion Poblacion, Tinambac, are so much eager to win the jueteng and lotto prizes to unchain them from the manacle of mediocrity.

But what could be the main causes of this terrible phenomenon? Actually, many economists, politicians and even simple human beings have shared their thoughts about this, but more concrete actions must be mobilized. The reason why scarcity is striking us could be the inadequate jobs on the market. Our country has many graduates of diverse courses but due to high unemployment rate, they are encouraged just to leave and work abroad. And yet the worst case is when parents, being jobless, could not definitely afford to send their children to school, making them uneducated throughout their lives. Could it be graft and corruption? Due to the greediness of some regime officials, no more funds can be conveyed to the public. Consequently, a conflict arises between equality and equity, power and justice as well as prestige and wealth. Without a doubt, this results to the demoralization and affliction of our nation’s populace making their lives more atrocious than rats’ subsistence.

Furthermore, poverty might be the effect of people’s indolence and reliance to others. But why do rich citizens, even if they’re just sitting on their sophisticated chairs, have all the things they desired to obtain? If someone keeps on accumulating affluence and material goods beyond his necessity, that isn’t proper anymore but rather a form of discrimination and crime stealing what is due to another person. In the case of Frank and Maggie, they were able to attain riches and fame because of their skills and knowledge. A person must only gain properties based on his lifestyle and crucial life requirements. He should share the excess and unnecessary assets to those who have inherent civil rights on them. Social responsibility as we call it, and when we instigate its commencement, we’re able to help out others in dire need of our service and transform the integral features of humanity and society. Just remember that the kind of living a specific person has reflects his country’s responses to nationwide upheavals.

Finally, the only thing that must be accomplished is to eradicate poverty and balance population dispersion and growth, especially to urban areas, by plainly working hand in hand with the administration’s assistance and interacting to all result-oriented activities for the betterment of all. Procurement and distribution of funds should be correctly addressed by government agencies to provide livelihood for the people. Budgeting at precise times and places also matters. As consequences, there would be no more fatal felonies, starvation, hyper birth and mortality rates and other lunatic scenes. These are hard, yet sound decisions, and if we give our best endeavor to reach certain degree of solidarity and moral obligation to our fellowmen, stern circumstances inhabiting our land will soon fade away.

CPPO satisfied from SCD outcomes

Bearing the theme “WORKWORLD: Reality beyond the Four Pillars, the annual ‘Senior Career Days’ of the College Guidance Center – Career and Placement Program Office (CGC-CPPO) for 2010 was held at the University Gymnasium.

To prepare graduating students in job searching outside the campus is the main aim of the program aside from providing the do’s and don’ts or guidelines and the necessary skills and knowledge needed in applying for work.

Career and Placement Program Officer Cherry Rastrullo started the preparation of the said event last July – making and organizing the concept paper and committees which are program, secretariat, logistics, and food.

With promotional campaigns through the Public Address System, letters to Chairpersons and students, announcements from The Beat, flyers, posters and streamers, the CPPO Head Rastrullo expected high participation from seniors.

The office was able to get former Counselor Edsel Navera, Hazel Navera of Coca Cola Bottlers, Patricia Bea Anonao of Jollibee Group of Companies, Fiery Agramon of LCC Malls and Katrina Lautengco of Monde Nissin, Atty. Emilio Escueta III and Atty. Marion Eloisa Escuata-Legacion as speakers for Day 1 and 2, whereas Dennis Pabelico of John Clements Consultants lectured on the day 3.

Adjusting For Good

Since the activity commenced last 2005, ‘Senior Career Days’ has been conducted for five to six days and with simultaneous discussions per college, thus requiring more presenters and space.

To address the issue, the CPPO, established last 2008, revised it into three days only to minimize costs and maximize time of doing the affair.

According to Rastrullo, required student s who were not able to attend the first day will be accommodated at the second day, but if not complied with, Guidance Counselors will converse to the student and shall give alternative requisites equal to what they have missed.

Day 1 was scheduled 22 November for the Colleges of Arts and Sciences (AS) and Nursing, while 23 November, day 2, was for College of Computer Studies and BSBA Department.

Due to time constraint, the day 3 initially listed 29 November was moved to 8 December for Colleges of Engineering and Education, Departments of Accountancy and Financial Management and Digital Arts and Computer Animation.

Sunup Meetings

Starting from 7:30 am until 5:30pm, the number of graduating students who attended the activity was good according to Rastrullo, who has yet to come up with final report of exact attendance and evaluation forms of students after the 3^rd day event.

“We [CGC] are very pleased because of the various industries that became part of the program like businesses from Manila and Legazpi City, not just focusing on the locality of Naga,” said Rastrullo.

Work Style Preference Inventory Administration, Evaluation and Interpretation, Effective Resume Writing, Different Strategies/Methods of Job Design and Power Dressing were the discussed topics during the morning sessions.

Past Noontime Talks

The afternoon sessions, on one hand, include Handling Job Interviews, Basic Labor Laws: What Every Employee Should Know and special topics per college done at various venues.

When asked about the results of the seminars, Rastrullo uttered that they were smoothly tackled because of the variety of presenters, diverse sharing of ideas and no major problems encountered.

“We [CGC] hope that through Senior Career Days, graduating students were able to assess their strengths and weaknesses for improvement purposes para di sila caught off guard, na ‘pag sumabak sa labanan eh walang bala,” Rastrullo concluded.

Nationalism for Sale

Are you willing to die for your country?

Since ancient Filipinos grasped the idea of territoriality, people were able to have that sense of nationalism. Legends could it be, but the gallantry and resilience portrayed in every acts of Filipinos during the pre-Spanish, Hispanic and eras next to them proved it as they ousted Philippine colonizers.

In line with this commotion, people who have instigated revolutionary uproars, in the case of Andres Bonifacio, or even reformist actions of Jose Rizal have left great impact on people, that dying with honor for your country blazes Filipinos’ desire in caring for the Philippines.

At this modern world, people, except our military and police forces, don’t use lethal weapons and protective armors anymore to preserve and prop up one’s land. With the help of contemporary science and technology, entrepreneurs and resourceful entities, made our heroes’ praiseworthy deaths the main source of profit and nationalism. Rare times of unity and bonding come into our way through learning from the roots of these endeavors that surely gained prestige, power and wealth.

Intrinsically speaking, Filipinos have that ardent heart for the nation – considering that this serves as their habitat, sources of livelihood and basic needs in life and the area of responsibility towards the principles fought for by past generation for future races.

Bearing in mind the things that could strengthen that sagacity of partisanship to one’s country or hero, people’s creativity come up with income-generating works of selling items with statements or signs of nationalism. Isn’t so exciting to wear shirts or accessories with ideologies of national identity? Being a nationalist doesn’t end with you, being proud in participating to the flag ceremony and retreat; saluting to deceased heroes who have protected the government and state from tyrannical regimes and armed rebels; raising the countrywide symbols of the Philippines towards other earthlings; practicing proper behavior and superior demeanor or trying to be Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW’s) for the sake of high wage and adequate life-sustaining resources for the families left in the country.

Let me ask you. Have you ever made superb sacrifice which bounds the paradigm of nationalism? Well, this is not necessary for now for others may think you’re crazy to die for a country without the inhabitants acknowledging you’re patriotic or such action didn’t change anything at all but just upgraded the turmoil affecting the emotional, social and political perspectives of people and administration.

At the most unfathomable conception of nationalism, however, is the true act of demonstrating love to our country that can’t be merely shown to public by just shirts or fashionable accomplices of nationalistic testimonies.

Maybe, wearing clothes with a tagline like, “We are change!” or Corazon Aquino’s “Laban” may create a blow to intensify one’s nationalistic ideas. Indeed, this trendy look grabbed the attention of nationalist consumers, especially fashionistas, which have led to fashionalism, a term coined by Rhett Eala.

Various businesses indulged in customized shirt printing, national garment designs and store retailers or companies have materialized. Being hip, cool and stylish, consumers not just help the economy to boost up, but rather improving their appearances and nationalistic values. But, is this fad and craze really promoting social movement for our realm from a very deep angle?

It depends! If customers just want to add products with photos of Manny Pacquiao and Francis Magalona to their respective fancy collections, which could only be a sort of interest towards self, that feat is measly an act of idolatry and passion. On one hand, putting ornaments in your body or displaying commodities that says and implies something worthy to one’s terrain can be an indication of nationalism.

This rational thinking about nationalism, however, has encompassed other nations that we imitate even foreign concepts of fashion, speaking mode and even lifestyle. Filipinos seemed to be razed with Korean and American principles to the point that local products are not anymore advocated and imported goods are soaring with sales.

Nationalism must not be regarded as just a meager instrument of being ‘in’ within a circle of friends or to equalize, unrelentingly, one’s condition to the society for when these circumstances happen, our traditional ways of showing who the real Filipinos are will soon fade away. Profoundly rooted in our veins, that must not vanish, is the igniting aspiration to develop confidence, social interaction amongst people and feeling of affection for our own homeland.

Are you capable of spreading the good news through wearing outfits with national icons and witticisms? Anyway, you will not be sued by the Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan which monitors or grants product blueprints using national representations but the manufacturers will be deemed accountable for violating provisions of the law.

Heroes’ faces like that of Ninoy and Cory Aquino, country songs, slogans about nation building thoughts or artworks such as Philippine archipelago and flag are marks of the growing awareness of people in educating the Filipinos to where we should credit our fine status in life today. In every part of our history, from ancestors to Rizal’s death and People Power 1 and 2 to the outward show of modern Filipino idols in variety of fields, nationalism keeps on flaming high, yet we can’t conceal the verity of other people’s ignorance to these things.

On one hand, the sheer emergence of nationalism from people in commemoration of a surmised hero proves that, indeed, it’s just a seasonal activity of people instinctively knowing what would be the next obsession of people when another renowned and significant human being died from battle or severe sickness. Why, from a foremost scrutiny, businessmen haven’t started producing souvenir or marketable items of celebrated artists when they were still alive? Is the bereavement of one pro-independence the grandest launching of good works he has done for the country? Is it the day people would only initiate buying his state-of-the-art contributory creations, or items created by other parties not related to him, to give a supposed remembrance from the things someone never knew at the prime place?

The rise of establishments and bazaars, having loyal and devoted signs to Philippine culture and society such as Nike, Adidas, My Philippines Lifestyle, Inc and more that sell goods like caps, bowlers IDs, mugs, fans and the like, not just provide employment to Filipinos but also foster relationship of people, cooperation of state regimes - communities and reinforcing nation’s defense and offense troops.

Observable occurrences might be the accumulation of assets of investors and industries but in a way, we are being amalgamated as one and the nation being radically transformed to fair democratization. As a matter of fact, structures and functions of certain lands can pass through progression, but if nationalism is demoralized by tyrannical rulers, autocrats, and supremacy-famished politicians, it will only bring violence and divided populace.

Therefore, in advertising nationalistic services and objects, commercial manufacturing agencies must take into consideration the influence of media – be it television, radio, newspaper or the Internet – that they would not ruin the very essence of incorporating nationalistic figures into buy and sell operations.

At the end of the day, to tell you, buying the said items won’t automatically transfigure your persona to a nationalist one. For someone to imbibe the logic and revered experience of factual nationalism commences with definite actions of generosity, justice and love to nature and words of acumen that will touch Filipinos’ spirits to dissect apathy and to move against poverty, corruption, colonial mentality and dishonor.

Can be reckoned as a substantial calling for amendments in our rotten system of treating fellowmen, the nation and its decrees, people must realize why to spend money for national emblems of fallacious offers or merchants for revenues who attack buyers’ dehumanized character. Hence, buying and selling nationalism constitutes proper treatment and maneuvering for it reflects a particular state so it won’t decimate camaraderie and serve as wastes that it forcibly submerges humans into something they don’t feel at all.

Survival of the Fittest

Yes! I'm in... as an officially declared aspirant... I thought being an exemplar would be not so hard at all, but my expectations failed me. When I became an honorary member of Ateneo Paradigm Eclat Xircle (APEX), I was then so excited to attend our practices and meetings as major preparations for the past Pintakasi 2011. It was not just about my inclination towards entertainment which kept on motivating me to be on their sights whenever certain circumstances call for my presence, but rather the in seeing my new circle of friends – ang mga “kalog” na exemplars! Just when I thought things will be as ordinary as assumed, everything changed when I aimed for higher position in that organization. It is even more difficult than my current PEDS004 subject...hha... The exemplars have many requirements and tricky tests, which I supposed to be so trivial prerequisites... They want to add more members in their group, but why would they put hindrances in each aspirant's way? Aha! Want to be equal with other pioneers who did the same terrible services to all of you or is it the true principles of APEX and formation that count the most? Don't get mad, I know it's the second one. How I wish to turn back the time for me to inquire about the things you and your towering conglomeration have already accomplished in making this world a better place to live...hhe... Peace!hhe... Okay! Actually, whenever someone says not to do these kind of stuffs 'coz you are not telling so, but witnessing with my eyes that you're executing them at the moment, I reckoned it as stupid comments that triggered compulsive thoughts regarding the composition of your organization. Discipline? I don't think so! Finally, I hate being reprimanded, being punished for the things that I consider so petty and forgivable at a single glance. But to tell you, my dearest exemplars, I am now a better individual due to your principles, formations, services, games and the lifetime camaraderie that springs dictated by a common goal. TY. GB.
I WILL BE AN EXEMPLAR!!!

Rizal’s Sociology by Randy David: Reaction

Our predecessors, in my own opinion, are naturally industrious, but because of various factors affecting their social, emotional and physical disposition, they tend to experience the goodness of leisure. If Spaniards haven’t conquered us in the first place, we could be one of the First World Countries for we won’t be suffering from restrained international trades, personal developments and won’t be burdened by vociferous regulations and unreasonable injustices such as unjust taxes, derisive interactions with them and forced labor.

Rizal made a great point about the reasons of our ancestors’ being ‘indolent’ for sometimes brought by the stern setting they were engaged in before. His suggestions, however, can be reckoned with sky-scraping infeasibility because the system running amidst every sector of the society. Others are close-minded to the fact that they’ve been used to have employees that even they’re just sitting in one corner, they’re still earning. The problem is on the education system and the equal distribution of resources that must be shared to those who need them to guarantee their existence. But, if these conditions are in the concept of equity, business tycoons might deserve their owned properties due to the capital and effort they’ve spent on their establishment but originally, nature is not man’s creation so resource partitioning must also be subjected to humans. Pathetic are those who haven’t acquired any knowledge and skills that they can’t progress side by side with other golden-spooned families.

In terms of indoctrinating national sentiments to Filipinos, we are bound by colonial mentality that we advocate other culture and migrating to places just for income – a sacrifice it is but something can be done here in the Philippines if and only if the government provides great number of employments and good salary with outstanding benefits. With these things, Philippines won’t be teemed with sluggish and inferior people but rather prosperous and educated citizens.