The Freedom of Hard Work and Practicality by Emmanuel J. Abraham Jr.

They say that our mind is like a parachute, it works best when it is open. Our mind is the extension of our life; without it, we will never learn to endure and accomplish the things that we have. No wonder how people reacts on the achievement that they have, most of them that get-in to top uses hard work and others draw closer from practicality. But this set our minds to what goal to follow; either hard work or practicality.

It is impossible to win unless you begin. And in winning, hard work is very important. Hard work is the term use to the people who exploit their resourcefulness and time to achieve something. No skills and talent are needed for this, as long as you give time and you love what you do, you will attain something bigger than what you expect. Some people who are very successful in our industry make use of time and hard work to arrive at their achievements. For them, “ideas without labour are stillborn,” that as long as you have the will to carry-on, and focus, you will cease to something that can get you to top.

Practicality in the other hand is different. It uses your knowledge and experience that can deceive others and make that as an advantage in your part. Majority of the people that I know, who are very practical in life are the ones who earn a lot. They can even go beyond the accomplishment of the people who uses hard work because they have the connection and experience that’s been part of their life. It is the result of what they decide to keep and they are doing things differently.

You can easily determine those people who are practical and hard working. For those, who have the effortless, uncomplicated and trouble-free life; they are the practical ones. These include those top models that have been married to the rich old guys, people who furnish gifts to their bosses, have many friends but a lot of enemies, and have the wealth but not the time. Hard workers are the gloomy ones. They value time and money because they work hard to manage that. They got the pose in their old age, and they never stop working up until they gain contentment.

While writing this article, I realize that life is all about hard work with practicality. Some may think that it is difficult to achieve such but others who have been trained to uses both can accomplish success easily. Life and success may seem so hard to exploit but one thing is for sure, in life the greatest handicap is fear, the hardest thing to do is to move-on, the most useless asset is pride, and the greatest mistake ever is to give up.

If you feel like quitting, and feels like your hard work is taking for granted and no one notices it; feel free to work hard more. They may not seem to notice it but the result can be extra-ordinary. The knowledge is yours, the experience, and the result is all yours. You may not get the prize but as long as you feel the contentment and power, which you have accomplish something that others can’t afford to do. Then, at the end of the day, you got the crown.

After Graduation: Life, Plans, tips by Emmanuel J. Abraham Jr.

It's been a while since I wrote my note in facebook. So hear this guys and I hope you'll love it! and never mind the grammar.

Just today I watched a movie about graduation, while watching I remembered the 14th of May 2010. I slept through the commencement speech at my graduation. And I wasn'nt the only one. All we wanted was to hear our names called so we could finally toss our caps into the air and down something with any percentage of alcohol as our reward for enduring four years of educational tyranny. We were now self-ordained adults and finally free to tell our parents that as soon as we were handed our diplomas, their almost 19 years of dictatorships were now over, that from now on, we were calling the shots. We would stay up and out as long as we wanted, we would go wherever we felt like because we had passed enough test to prove our intelligence (or maybe not! lol) and finally earned the right to step into the abyss we were claiming as our future. WE ALL HAD PLANS! such as being a professor in a University, researcher, historiographer or even a famous star. My dream is to save the world if I remember it correctly. I didn't quite know how, but I'd deal with the small details when they came up.

During my college days, I enjoyed every moment with my friends and professors. Everymorning I wake up, take a shower, and eat breakfast and after that, go to school and listen to our professors lecture. After class, chat a bit, stay in the PUP-SMK office, read some books and wait for Sir Mcdonald's class to finish and go home. Everything was almost perfect. At home, I'll eat dinner, watch TV and turn on my computer for "facebooking" ( I invented this word). ahhhhhh life was so sweet back then.

After our graduation, everything change. There is no guarantee for anything; no plans, no direction, no money and no job. My parents told me that I need to rest for a while and after a month or two I can look for a job and start earning money. But I can't! I'm not like the other college graduates that can stay around and be a bum for a while. I want a job ASAP!-- and I did! I was so happy that words was not enough to express how lucky I am to have it.

Good for me, but not so lucky for some of my classmates. They jumped into the sea of uncertainty, knowing nothing about the cruel life. Some were riding the waves of decline in different schools and companies, others have jobs,but not careers. Everything is complicated and harsh. Life in the real world is all about competition and struggle. In order for you to survive, you need to be practical or at least try to think things out. A realy paycheck with a few pesos left over would've been nice. I already knew that life was going to be a struggle or at least a challenge, but I was looking forward to it. That's the reason why I chose to be practical and plan things out. After earning money, go the graduate school and persue my dream to be a professor. That's the path that I want to take! The goal, in my estimation, is to continue to evolve and change and renew our thinking and feelings so that we do not remain static and stuck about anything. It's how I measure my own evolution and as long as what I do pleases me and one hopes will benefit others, then I have added something sacred to the world.

The following are the things that I learned, and the things that you need to do inorder for you to survive:

1. CONFINDENCE: There's nothing worse than watching people walking as if they're afraid of something. It'll make you look uncomfortable with your self. My advice is to walk tall, as if someone's holding your head, chest and shoulders by separate strings or, more simply: walk like you're royalty or in runway. Even if you don't have much confidence, fake it! After a while you'll get so accustomed to faking it that you won't even realize when your confidence becomes real and rightfully so.

2. DON'T LISTEN TO YOUR PARENTS: Of course they mean well, but you can't live out their dreams, you have to find it on your own. It's your turn to live your life.

3. LEARN NEW THINGS: After graduation, better to explore and learn new things. Whatever you choose to do, give it everything you've got and don't do all at the same time. Give yourself a time to learn. Remember that a mediocre effort will get you mediocre results.

4. KNOW THAT THE WORLD DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND YOU: Take other people's feeling into account. You are not the only one who has them. Caring about someone else's misfortune and putting yourself in another person's shoes will allow you to be less judgemental and not so supercritical of others.

5. PARTY HARD AND WORK HARD: Life is not always about hard work, hard work, hard work. You have to learn to parent yourself and know when to hang and when to take a rain check. After working and if you receive your paycheck, try to give yourself a price. But learn how to say no to your friends and to yourself.

FAMILY, LIFE AND COURAGE OF LIFE by Emmanuel J. Abraham Jr.

I'm thinking, my blog is already 2 years of age but no one is actually reading it except me and my sister who is currently living in Australia. She's so proud of me that words can't express how much she adores and loves me. I feel the same way to her either, and with that I dedicate this article to her.

My sister is one-of-a-kind! Very gentle and mature, she taught me a lot of things about life. She taught me how to survive and to share and give. Though sometimes quarell are natural to both of us, it never stop us from showing our love and care for each other. Every night I never forget to pray, for her to attain success and happiness, that I would risk my life just to protect her and repay the love and support that she provided me through time being.

I know to myself that it is impossible for me to have a family of my own, but I promise myself that I won't regret it. Why? It is because my sister, my mom and dad; they are my family no matter what. My life is not as interesting as the others. I don't have an award to show off or knowledge to share, and even money to brag, but one thing is for sure, I have a family that I can count on.

Things never happened the same way twice, and people live their lives bound by what they see as "right" and "true," that's what they called "reality." However, "right" and "true" are nothing but vague terms, and their reality could turn out to be an illusion. Everyone is living by their own assumption, just like me. I thought that I could attain success easily just by having an instant job and money. But as I have metioned before, things are not permanent unless the things that you really want are the one's you are doing. Life is not permanent, though I'm still young to do a lot of things in life, we can never tell when to let go or when to live. Knowing the fact that no one would read this blog except me or my sister, that's fine, as long as I can put my thought and my ideas here and maybe someday,,, someday, someone or many people can read this to realize that life itself is a blessing. I'm not even half way through success, but only perseverance shall true strength be gained.  I remember when one of my friends said that I have great potential in life, that I could easily attain success because of my personality and skills. But in reality, I'm suffering, because I really don't know my talent and skills, and I'm having an identity crisis. I don't know where I'm good at, and I don't know where I belong. I'm lost, and my path has too much obstacles that it seems impossible for me to finish. Sometimes I want to give up and just let it be. Let things happen and go to the flow of life without even thinking about the future and my next move.

I've dreamed of a world where everyone is happy, without fear and chaos. Even I, can see that there is so much hate in this world, and I wanted to do something about it. Yet I'm not sure what must be done, but I have faith that there will come a time when people can truly understand one another. It all sounds complicated, and if ever that I'm not going to find the answer, perhaps, I will entrust the young one's to find it. I really hope that they'll do!  I really hope... :)

THINGS I LEARNED WITH NARUTO by Emmanuel J. Abraham Jr.

Here we go again! With my favorite anime in the world, Naruto.  I was actually impressed with the flow of the story; from being the hated one to a hero. The reason why I'm writing this article is because people who watched, collect or simply reads this anime have forgotten the exact thought of it.

With my understanding in such, meanings and ideas are all over it. It talked about war and peace between different nations.  Some may seen this as fictional, others just like me sees this as reality. By just watching this anime, I then realized that we cannot attain peace if people are too ambitious on getting the things that they wanted; immortality, power and glory. It is impossible to attain peace without war, but it is possible to attain war without peace. In the history of our world, we have never attain peace, it is all about war and brutality between others. Time may run fast but disaster are becoming outrageous. I know for the fact that people who can survive in this cruel life are the one's who had experienced pain, pain that they can't let go and pain that is inside them. They want to prove something, that despite the things that they'd experienced, they never give up. They used PAIN to overcome and survive, as what they say, "sometimes anger can make you survive, and so as hope and love." We can use pain as our handicap but we cannot use "giving up" as an alibi to just let your life out of purpose. Just like what I learned in this anime, despite the fear and hatred, Naruto never give up and use his friends as an inspiration to attain and live long. At first, many people would hate him becasue they all thought that he's a monster and there's a monster living in his body, but he became an inspiration to his comrades, he shows love and care, friendship and courage can really make a big difference. Just like life itself!

When his mentor told him that he never changed and remain as idiot as ever, I'm impressed with Naruto when he said that "I'd rather be an idiot than to be smart and show no feelings to others," with that simple and precise words, determination was all over me. I don't care what other people say, as long as I can show goodness, love and encouragement to others, then everything will be fine. It may seem unpractical, but this  can really make a big change.  Life is all about suffering, it makes you cry and laugh, it can tear you up or build you, but things can be otherwise if you know how to stand up from your pain and giving it a purpose. I lived believing that my failure would build my character and that they were trials that honed my skills and in the end, I would accomplished a deed so great that it would obliterate all of my failure, and I'd die a death worthy of a true hero.  Remember that everything happens for a reason, just like Naruto, things in his life changed, it is not always about suffering because life is a cycle of being, you may be at the top of the world for a minute but it can change and it can bring you down.  The true meaning of life is now how knowledgeable or how rich you are, the most important thing is to have the will and the guts to never give up. Never go back on your words, and teach others the things that you learned in life. Just try to hold on and move forward, but still learn from your past mistakes, at that point, things can surprise you, just like Naruto! :)

THE INDEPENDENCE: MARKED OF THE FILIPINO NATIONALISM by Emmanuel J. Abraham Jr.

What fundamentally separates man from any other in the animal world is the intellect Nature has given him whos creative potential and capacity are limitless. It is a gift that allows him to transcend what is ordinarily impossible. It is the only singular tool which helps him overcome the challenges of man and nature and attain "progress," which is the essence of culture and the subject of history.

This article is for the celebration of one of the most historical day in the Philippine History, "the Philippine Independece"- in which without the mark of this history, Filipinos would cease to exist. The freedom and independence in which the various groups (Katipunan, Katagalugan, etc.) were the characteristics that marked importantly the thoughts and actions of people in societies and therefore, were what constituted the primary aims of social unity in our level.

Different heroes marked the beggining of the newly government thru Aguinaldo, colonized once more by the Americans and Japanese. Despite all odds, Filipinos had never failed to established the spirit of nationalism and the importance of sacrifices and independence. As what Dr. Jose Rizal's vision were, he had declared explicitly that "our sacred mission" is the formation of the Filipino nation. And so, he had called on his fellow expatriates to come home to fight for the nation, the Philippines. The great puzzle for us is that when the moment of truth came in 1896, rather than leading the revolution, Rizal allowed himself to be arrested, and, while awaiting his inevitable death sentence, condemened the revolution. Yes! That is correct! Rizal condemned the revolution. He had enough of brutality, killings and unfair treatment to the Filipinos. Thus, his death led to the Philippine Revolution.

All countries had independence. All that marked there own identity. I hope that this historical day would make sense to everyone. That in this day, the people who had sacrificed are the ones to be thanked and to honored. In this respect, every man has a philosophy, whether conscious or unconcious; and every people has an ideology, whether articulated or not.

Our generation is the one who creates our history, let's begin by doing the first step of change. LOVE THY HISTORY, GIVE IMPORTANCE TO OUR CULTURE AND TRADITION, KNOW THY PHILOSOPHY, CREATE A PATH IN LIFE, THIS IS BUT THE FIRST STEP. OUR PEOPLE MUST NOW FLEASH OUT THE STRUCTURE. LET US BEGIN!

MY SHOCKING DAY

I wouldn't expect that one of my BARKADA (or group of friends) is pregnant. This was base on my friend's Dad. A while ago her dad talked to my dad to ask me to talk to my pregnant friend because she was planning to stop studying. Though I'm not on her position to judge or even tell her that she's making a big mistake, I'm thinking that it would be better if I let her decide if she still wants to continue her studying or not.

To tell you the truth, I really don't know what to feel. There's this thing inside me that I should be happy because at last I'm gonna be a "fake uncle". nyahahah but perhaps when her dad talked to my dad about there situation at home that her dad was like blaming himself to the things that happened to her daughter, I felt like I'm being selfish to the situation. I know that they are suffering, but time would make up to this problem and after a while, your family would still be there to guide and help you out in this kind of situation.

Just remember that in every challenges, the best thing to do is to never give up. And know that der are people who can help you or support you.

PUSH FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR NATION by Emmanuel J. Abraham Jr.

As the national and local polls getting close into the finish line; black propaganda thrown against each other by politicians, intentionally to pull down the rival´s credibility, surface in the highest level in all dimensions of media. Some public office aspirants find pleasure in destroying the opponent´s reputation rather than to promote and PUSH UP their quality and capability to the listening and watching public instead. In marketing - I´d preferably buy merchandise that offers quality and benefits, not at all I´d care to base my purchasing decision to the defect of another product. What a useless effort for the salesman to articulate the flaw of the competing brand rather than to promote the best qualities of his product. Little opportunity and limited attention are one chance of a lifetime to lay down the best cards in order to sell. Getting attention is already one task difficult to achieve so it should be the best move to make an impact. What output to expect from a candidate who chooses to detract and campaign against its political rival rather than to promote his/her political platform? Well, not like the previous set of voters, today´s generation is much critical and smarter who chooses to favor capabilities over noisemakers. It´s time to push up for a change in political preference.


Unsurprisingly while politicians get hectic in the campaign trail; the Catholic Church becomes most vigilant on its protest against the approval of Reproductive Health Bill too - making it appear to indirectly campaign against the lawmakers who support the proposed law. It´s been ages that the church and the state have become separated and independent with their functionality; but since Philippines is known as the only dominant Christian nation in Asia, church leaders can´t keep their might and influence under its personal perimeter; tempting politicians to utilize that advantage especially at election time. The irony of fanaticism echoes between religious sects. This is one quality that Juan dela Cruz should get rid with. A PUSH UP for choice independence is needed.

When population over reaches the density ratio, poverty becomes the haunting reality in an instant something which the church doesn´t care to realize. Excessive fanaticism to the religious doctrine cannot help feed every starving stomach. Proper education and basic prevention tool and services that should reach up to the most remote corners of the Philippines (which happen to be the baby making haven) is the approach to address this issue in over procreation, the drive that the Reproductive Health Bill is pushing up forward. “The rich becomes richer, the poor becomes poorer.” This is an accurate forecast that never hurts some Filipino´s pride because of being stuck into a no drive mindset. Complaintive but never works out a solution, hopeful and simply dependent to politicians. Our society cannot resurrect from the grave of ignorance when education remains unreachable. It is the chance to PUSH UP what this bill has to say to control our population´s speedy, unstoppable growth.

Push up in every way is an effort that rewards a positive result. Funny but true – I know men in other hand who desire good physique that maintain a regular and passionate PUSH UP routines everyday to help them shape up a masculine figure making it unnecessary to go to the gym to pay extra amount of money in order to get fit and look good. Likewise with ladies, I know girls for a fact that use PUSH UP bras to enhance how their breast should look and become appealing. At weekend when they meet at party places, the next thing you hear when the crowd gets wild and euphoric is: “PUSH IT, PUSH IT!” followed by “PUT YOUR HANDS UP IN THE AIR, PUT YOUR HANDS UP!”

Really it´s better to keep those hands always up in the air while partying rather than to pull someone in the dark alleys then become unprepared young parents adding burden to our population issue.

People simply can't bear to see everyone's happy. All the time, in a single group or a certain organization, their is always this someone who would make your life miserable. And I guess that is part of life.

I think that it is a human nature to feel good whenever the person that you hate most fail. Like, com'n, all the while you will think that you can be good friend and afterwards you can just simply stab him at the back. This certain person that I'm talking about is one of my collegues in Ventus. She WAS (because after our new sitting arrangement, I'm not gonna be sitting with her anymore) my sitmate! Sometimes you don't know if she really cares for you or just want to make your world rolling like a ball. Whenever I fail for something, I don't know if she's laughing, but I could definitely sense that she loves it. How? I can see it in her ugly monkey  face.

She even said that many boys would like to be her boyfriend that she was so pretty and had this sexy body when she was young. But hell no! I think she's just lying to put every attention on her face. I think she hates show-off people. Why? because she wants all the attention. (Now who's the show-off)

Knowing the fact that I know people and I know their attitude and even their beliefs (it is actually my nature to know everything) I can definitely sense the aura of jelousy and envy. She felt that she can be popular with other people if she'll keep her friends close and after that stab them and do some stupid things at their back. I'm very sorry if I'm saying this kind of things to her. But enough is enough and I'm just so pissed with her attitude. I just hope that people would not be able to judge others. I think, our world would be a better place if people would stop acting like they are better than the others. It is what you called KRAB MENTALITY or putting other people down in order for you to attain the achivement.

In conclusion, people who are insecure would tend to do such thing, and people who wants things better for the others are the ones who are loved and cared. For those people who will be reading my blog, remember that you cannot grab everything in life. Sometimes we need to choose if we're doing the right thing for the others or just for ourselves.

MY WEEK AS A CALL CENTRE AGENT

They all thought that being a call centre agent is an easy job. Just siting around doing nothing and answering calls, and at the same time having free coffee in the pantry whenever you want. Being a call centre agent is so much more than eating, answering calls and even drinking or having some free stuff in the pantry.

This is actually my first week being a call centre agent in ePLDT Ventus and I was stressed out because of so much pressure especially with my account (as a techinical support in Dish Network). I know that I shouldn't complain for such matter but after having our first assesment, I then realized that a 20,000 pesos salary as a call centre agent is a decieving factor. They may thought that this is too much and this is a big deal, but crap; it's not.

Having such an exceptional and proficient colleagues adds up the pressure. They are all good and I was left behind their knowledge and experiences. I don't feel comfortable and I'm intimidated.

They all said that in order for you to be a successful in your job career, you need to love, feel, and embrace it. But unfortunately, Im not feeling the essence of love and I couldn't embrace or appreciate my job if most of my peers are talking behind my back. They all thought that I have DEFECTS! -- and YES I have. I'm not perfect by the way. But I should never give up. This is a new challenge, as what I said before; "Challenges in life is natural, it determines your skill and tenacity". Though difficulties are there, I know that I can improve, and I will never stop educating myself, and I know that I can handle the pressure. I'll show you guys that I can do it! I can... Ican... I know I can..

Philosophy As Reason but Forgotten by Emmanuel J. Abraham Jr.

Last night, I was reading a book about philosophy. It was a novel to be exact, but the thought is philosophical.


The first thing that I noticed on the book is the way it questions life in the way we live. It came to the point that you cannot experience being alive without realizing that you have to die. The best way of approaching philosophy is to ask few philosophical questions, in a simply and absurd way as possible. For instance, how was the world created? Is there an end or not? Why are we here? What is our purpose?

People have been asking these questions throughout the ages. We know of no culture which has not concerned itself with what man is and where the world came from. History presents us with many different answers to each question, thus it is easier to ask philosophical questions than to answer them. So even if it is difficult to answer a question, there may be one- and only one- right answer. Either there is a kind of existence after death—or there is not. In this case we have to realize that the world is not all sleight of hand and deception, we are part of it. Nothing can come out of nothing, and nothing that exist can become nothing. Remember that there was no such thing as actual change. Nothing could become anything other than it was.

To be a philosopher is to be a detective, and the only thing that requires us to be a philosopher is the faculty of wonder. I just hope that people don’t grow up to be one of those who take the world for granted. The world itself becomes a habit in no time at all. It seems as if in the process of growing up we lost the ability to wonder about the world. And for somewhere inside ourselves, something tells us that life is a huge mystery. This is something we once experienced, long before we learned to think the thought. For various reasons most people get so caught up in everyday affairs that their astonishment at the world gets pushed into the background. It seems like we’ve just grown so used to the world that nothing surprises us anymore.

Philosophy separates myths and god, maybe because a true philosopher is skeptic and questions different beliefs. They are unique and different, and they don’t need to be like the others because for them, they are already special. People who believe in any imaginary gods are people who believe easily in the things around them. They simply stop thinking and start believing. People had always felt a need to explain the process of nature. Perhaps they could not live without such explanations. And that they made up all those myths in the time before there was anything called science.

The point here is what solutions we arrived at, but which questions they asked and what type of answer we are looking for. We are more interested in how they thought than in exactly what they thought. A true philosopher know how to posed questions relating to the transformations, they could observe in the physical world. They were looking for the underlying laws of nature, and they wanted to understand the actual processes by studying nature itself. This just means that philosophy gradually liberated itself from religion. We could simply say that the natural philosophers took the first step in the direction of scientific reasoning, thereby becoming the precursors of what was to become science.

If you were to choose between relying either on senses or reason, choose reason. Remember that our senses give us an incorrect picture of the world, a picture that does not tally with our reason. We need to see it as the task to expose all form of perceptual illusion. Remember that we need to be rational, and all humans are rational. We are born to be one, and this unshakable faith in human reason is called rationalism. A rationalist is someone who believes that human reason is the primary source of our knowledge of the world.

ABE

LEADERSHIP AND ACADEMIC TALENT: THROUGH PHILIPPINE POLITICS

 Every living being, human or otherwise, throughout the whole universe is struggling for existence through a never ending battle for survival. However ingeniously we might plan and organize our society and adjust human relationships, so long as the world remains what it is even the best of us cannot escape suffering. Suffering from one point of view is one of the nature of life, this include our history and our politics. Defining Philippine Politics is tough but defining 'politics' per se is more of the right track. Politics is the study of power and the powerful, of influence and the influential, of rules and the ruled, and of authority and the authoritative. he said that the standard definition of politics will include some essential elements such as power, rule, authority and influence and the manner in which all are acquired and exercised. Philippine has been undergoing the process of this, in which for so many centuries, even in the time of great rajas and sultanate, had the view/knowledge in politics. Thus, conflicting the argument of the late Spaniards that "they are the one who gave Filipinas civilization" that well in fact a paradoxical statement.

In recent years, quite a number of scholars have come out with specialized studies on different areas of Philippine history, but it is a little sardonic that Filipino people have learned not much to it. The tasks of the people who are in position in Philippine politics have forgotten the basic concept of human nature and human society. Some of them were blinded by money, while the others have shown bad leadership through selfishness and self-interest. they have forgotten the basic principle of politics and governance; and that is "human" (the Filipino people). In this perhaps, I got to the point where I asked myself, why exactly are we (Filipinos) suffering from this kind of cruelty and status? Do we deserve this? Have we really forgotten the basic principle of history and politics? What can we (student/ regular citizens) can do to change/prevent it?

History, as a fact, is the recorded struggle of people for ever increasing freedom and for newer and higher realization of the human person. But the struggle is a collective one and as such involves the mass of human beings who are therefore the motivators of change and of history. history is not merely a chronology of evens; nor it is not the story of heroes and great men. Essentially, history consists of the people's efforts to attain a better understanding to life. The common people possess the capacity to make history.

Since the mass of humanity is still in a state of poverty and ignorance, since a few nations have attained advancement and development at the cost of consigning others to underdevelopment, what has hitherto been regarded as history is predominantly a conscious record of the rich and powerful but by no means the just and the correct.  All politicians/present leaders had exerted efforts to insure that the history of their time would be written in their image. Image in which is wasted, dirty, and corrupt. This might be the reason why the Philippines had suffered cruelty. As far as status quo is concern, we (Filipinos) are suffering form different problems such as poverty, crimes and corruption, disaster (natural or man-made) adn so on and so forth. this is a cycle, this is natural, why? It is because other countries are suffering the same fate, even worst. But these challenges, has its own response, and the response are reason, education, love, nationalism, philosophy, and patriotism. If all of these are with us, and with our politicians and present leaders, then our country would have had otherwise. We don't deserve suffering, but we deserve the challenge. These challenges have made our country as strong as it is. Inspite of different disasters and colonizers, we have established a paradigm of success and a paradigm of nation-state.

This coming election, we should be the one (students and voters) to make a change. But of course, we have different political views, but what is important is to vote for the person who do you think can make a difference. How? Simply by not cheating the election! If a candidate asks you and pay you for your vote, just simply says "NO," while if a candidate ask you to be a flying voter, simply say "No," as simple as that. If we have seen some cheatings and rule breaker in the election, simply report it to the authority. With regards to the non-voters, just simply do things better with your lives in order to attain success, don't just sit around, do absurd and useless stuff. Look for a job, inspite of difficulties, try hard and study more. Wasting time is one of Filipino cultures that have been passed generation to generation, but this MUST/should change. Filipino time is considered as 1-hour-late. And Filipinos sees this as a joke, damn it!

By making this, we will and we can establish a community for a better Philippines, a nation-state with less unfortunate and highly succes, or better, all success. It is a challege, but simple response can make a big difference.

Hence, in conclusion; "winners don't do different things, but they do things differently." If these politicians/future politicians are really winners, they will not do things to show bad reputation, they are not afraid on their principles and they have this sense of pride and fear, which they use as their handicap. True leaders never give up and quit, true leaders show pride and succes, true leaders are real, and after the failure, they stand and make things otherwise.

Leadership and Academic Talent: Through Philippine Politics

The View: True Philippines

Being a call centre agent gave me the opportunity to learn how foreign people´s impression about Philippines affect my patriotism. It´s uplifting to get praises about how filipino´s hospitality becomes a wonderful experience. How they enjoy the beauty of nature offered by the 7107 thousand islands. High tide or low tide like our “binibini(s)”, it´s a stand-out.


There are cases that remind me a little bit of history in other hand. The Marcos era was quite earlier but for me great. It is for me, the starting point of the New Society. In my toddler-years, I cared nothing but to play, eat, and sleep. Only during my college days when I acquired the full understanding about the past (HISTORY!!!). At one point I concluded how helpful being educated and partly informed. How will you react to a criticism when you´re not aware of Imelda´s posh collections? Whenever my brother-in-law from Australia ask me on “when is the peak of glory for the Philippines?” my main answer would lead to the Marcos(es). I have nothing against the former dictator neither to his family but they´re famous globally primarily because of the spouse´s extravagance on shoes. hehehehe

Recognition couldn´t always be sweet. The Philippines is renowned for being the dominant Christian nation in the whole Asia. Sadly, most cases of abortion occur too. The natural resources are considered rich and abundant but yet millions of families are starving. There´s a reported number of brilliant professionals graduating each time, I wonder where they practise their expertise out? (I hope I’m not one of them) The group of people marching on the streets plus the parties seated in congress, government agencies, and other organizations who share the advocacy of a greener environment are increasing in number. My question - where´s the result of their cause yet? Filipinos still has the difficulty getting a clean air. Carbon monoxide emitted by unregulated transport’s killing their lungs.

Manny Pacqiao is looked-up as the “national pride”. Wheew… When the fight night is over, reality comes forth to Mindanao, the “national disaster” down south. The race of Lapu-lapu is regarded to be emotionally tough, physically strong, and mentally sharp. The major qualities of a world-class athlete should possess. How come we´re not even close to getting a bronze medal in the olympics? The visayan hero´s glory seems to have ended at dinner tables.

In every household children are nortured and taught to set and live with goals. Filipinos are known ambitious “libre mangarap eh”! 16 years later guess where those kids were? On the same roof passing their unfulfilled dreams to the next generation.

Going to the streets of “Tondo, Cubao, etc.”, genuine Filipino trait of being helpful especially to elderly is yet consantly present on public transportations. Amazing isn´t it? Not until you realize the guy next to your sit wears a camouflage. In disguise to attract prey then later declares a robbery.

You cannot either discredit the white sands and clear waters of Boracay when we speak of natural pride. Can you imagine who raised up the coliform issue attempting to destroy tourism to our top-contender beach in the world? Hella filipino.

In every good aspects and best corners of the Philippines something´s lurking to equate the opposite evil. As a citizen I personally take pride and prestige, and hold a firm stand that my race ”ang lahing pilipino” is competitive and can create real results. Building a nation starts from a responsible own self, to a good-valued family, creating a united community. Inspite of national issues and turmoil, we can make a difference individually. Let´s introduce to the world: the educated, the skilled, the empowered, and the new generation of hybrid pinoys in us. Cheers Inang Bayan! Cheers Pinoys!

PHILIPPINES VIEW: The Story of Filipinos "Juan Tamad"

Looking at the Philippines´ political scene, today´s generation shouts for the genuine change in public governance. The poor becomes poorer and the rich becomes richer, they say. Subversive as I am, both the anti-government and the pro-administration´s overrated accusal against each other looks flimsy in my perspective (if I may not use the word stupid). These flock of urban nesters, who mostly out-of-school are on top of their anger questioning and literally demanding help and aid from the government in the form of food and shelter. Pathetic! Who on Earth might have caused thier own misfortune? The classic parable of "Juan Tamad" (Indolent John) is fundamentally shared to students over the generations to inculcate its moral lesson. A guava fruit will not voluntarily fall into Juan´s hands when he´s hungry. He needs to exert real effort in order to get something. These people might need some tools from the local level to be able to function and make a living though, however when they´re found in the streets marching in protest rather than finding ways to improve their situation; they must be absent, inattentive, or out-of-school when Juan Tamad´s story was taught. I can not merely rely and wait for the goverment´s blessing to shower a house and lot title and expect to feed me and my family for the rest of my life.

The pro-government in other hand is deaf and numb, living in one principle: "To get paid". Can´t hear the scream of truthfulness but one voice, the crocodile´s roar; the mouth that emits money. I -- am -- sorry... They are the stomach that can swallow wickedness. The supposed appropriation allocated to elevate the living standard of every filipino goes to lavish lifestyle expediture. Some people now start to get involve not as laid-back as "Juan Tamad" not to see the abrasive proof of corruption. What´s absurd is that - the one who points a finger to criticize someone happens to see the same person in return. The blot he´s seeing belongs to no one but to himself. Come to notice other people´s filth but not his´.

We can grant candor as ambassadors of goodwill, give chance to "condemn the act rather than the person itself" for special cases, however to people above fifty years old doing the same thing over and over again for two decades running is a diffirent story. I can´t sit in a niche to wait ´till my children get old and suffer the same problem that I tried to fix which has remained broken. I feel compelled to initiate a move, to rectify whatever comes my way that needs correction. "A successful journey always begins with a single step". Influence and a mentality driven to value "change" will start immediately within myself around my surroundings.

It´s hard to live clean, desire for material possession is the culprit that pushes an individual to be dominated by greed. What belongs to Pedro would never go Pedro when "Juan Tamad" turns to "Johnny Greedy". Taking advantage becomes easy to swallow in exchange of personal convenience. This character is cursed everywhere. Let the boss who sucks the privilege of others meet the karma´s vengeance. With the collaboration of today´s generation, the advocacy to tap out the crooked including the old pillars who exercise inequity will fall, not by means of force but a clear drive to inform; educate, and empower the concerned people which would enable them to influence others towards one goal: To achieve equality. Fairness to live without the fear of the street robbers and the worst office thieves, who steal other people´s benefit, and that the indolent citizens stop their government protest exhibit in the streets instead of making a livelihood, to free the traffic - helping the hardworking fellows to get to work on time.

If One Day I Don't Wake up Anymore by Emmanuel Abraham Jr.

If one day I don’t wake up anymore,
And I’m done walking through life’s corridor

I’ll be but a painting hung in one’s mind

Highly designed and yet hardly defined

If one day I don’t wake up anymore,

Should my soul decline or live still and soar?

Would my memory last or fade away?

And be gone with me when I’m dead someday

If one day I don’t wake up anymore,

Will eyes be as heavy as clouds on pour?

Whose eyes I know then will I find in tears?

Those I’ve shared but a glance or those with years?

If one day I don’t wake up anymore,

The world shall still spin, they can but ignore

I’ll leave this place with a smile on my face

Yet eyes in tears as I recount my days

If one day I don’t wake up anymore,

Guess things will just be as fine as before

Forever then be locked my secret door

And my stinging past lost forevermore

An Angel:Glimpse of Love in Heaven

She passed by with a sweet smile upon her face, something I didn’t quite expect from a stranger that she is. Maybe she was just plain happy and the smile wasn’t really for me. But in a second or so, as she paseed by, I felt rejuvenated from my day’s work just because of that invisible optimism overflowing from within that lady’s soul. I was really in gloom that moment but it rained on the desert of my soul the first time I saw her.

She sat on a bench not so far still smiling, looking around at others as if there were more colors in her vision than that dull, grey scenery the cloudy afternoon offers. I don’t usually stare at people like how I did on this girl. I admit that she’s pretty and radiant despite her eyeglasses. However, I also suppose that any judgmental pair of eyes would find her typical. . .simply ordinary. Hers was like a faint smile that made me assume she was from some tiring work as me. Maybe from school. She looked young. Maybe just as my age. I caught her looking at the sky. I thought she was just observing the clouds, trying to see if it’s going to rain eventually. However, she didn’t stare back to eye level and continued looking up as if waiting for something to fall down. She didn’t change her position for about a minute or so with her legs swinging gently. Her smile changed. It became more enthusiastic, happier, different. Wondering what’s taking her so long staring at the clouds, I also looked up and tried to see what she’s looking at. There was nothing special in the cloudy sky. It was but a space of swirling white and grey clouds. I blinked once or twice hoping that blinking would perhaps clear my vision and make me see whatever it is that made this girl smile differently. I gave up trying to figure things out though and just went back looking at her just to find out that she was already staring at my direction still with that radiant smile of hers. Caught in surprise, I was stunned staring back. And after two blinks or so we then looked down at the same time. I would usually look away and pretend to see nothing when circumstances like that happen to me. But this time, i was caught to this lady’s gaze and the walls I’ve built around me seemed to have fallen down. I thought I was the one trying to come into her world by trying to see through the windows of her soul. Yet again, what happened was the other way around and it seemed that she was the one who saw through me. I wonder what she saw. Did she see the loneliness in my eyes, grey as the cloudy sky she was staring at a while ago? Or was there more colors of my being in her vision? She glanced at her watch and stood up. She had a final glance at the sky and left without a word.

I stared back in the sky and now, I’ve noticed that i’m smiling too already. The clouds are still floating slowly and it seemed that my body is starting to float away with them. I’ve learned that there’s no such thing as “love at first sight.” That concept for me is better known as “lust in first sight.” I started questioning the reason behind the quick thumping of my heart, trying to think deeper, more rational, but the more I try to figure things out, the more I got confused. So, I stood there, smiling, looking into the darkening skies, left in daze. What was so special in the clouds that she saw and made her smile? And why didn’t I see it? Did she had a glimpse of heaven? How could she do that. . .stare at a stranger, smile and pass her radiance, her happiness, a relief from loneliness, a refuge from life’s gloom and misery? Those eyes. . .clear and yet there’s nothing I saw beyond but swirling clouds. . .misty fog. . .geez. . .I found it a little stupid pondering on such insensible questions but that’s all I can think of. . .she’s all i can think of.

I may be uncertain about everything I feel towards that girl after our encounter. I can even hardly tell if I’m going to see her again. Life is full of uncertainties. . .but–I’m sure that she’s no angel–she’s more than that–she’s God’s way of giving me a glimpse of Heaven and I’m taking all my chances to have that glimpse one more time–whatever it takes. . .