Thoughts on Being Single

It’s Valentine’s Day, which means it’s time for the world to hold a pity party for the miserable member of the human race, the Single Woman.

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And if one’s age is already out in the calendar, she is then referred to as an ‘old maid.’ These type of women do not want to be in a loving, committed relationship. They are as well the ones who are in a panic mode. The ones who are panicking with the thought that they’ll be left with no one but themselves.

Single ladies, according to most people,  have no one to blame for their lack of  other half—but themselves because they are just too damn picky. And most people would think that being one is extremely miserable- really miserable.

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It feels worse not having someone to curl up to while watching a movie or spend holidays alone with plenty of foods around you and no one to share it with. In fact, no matter where you go or what you do you are still by yourself, unless you bring a friend along who is by the way adds up to your budget unless he/she is nice enough to shoulder the expenses while spending time with you during a sale in a shopping mall or a concert of your fave band.

But I think otherwise. Well, I’m here to tell you that we single ladies are no more, nor less, miserable than the rest of  the people.Perhaps,  it’s just  not easy to meet Mr. Right, or even Mr. Pretty OK. And yes, I’m taking it base on my experience.

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 Just like any other stories of that sort, being single also has bunches of reasons why to love it. And I actually enumerated a few  out of  a  thousand. You can go out and flirt as much as your heart desires, without a worry in the world. You don’t have to worry about somebody who might nag you when you’re late on your date or can’t make time to be with him. And most importantly, no more arguments about things you can’t explain.

Well, there really is no right or wrong answer to the question:  ’Which is better- being single or taken?’ 

 Some people simply enjoy the single life while others would prefer a life with somebody to share it with- be it temporary or for a lifetime. Some might be crying into their solitary wine glass because they don’t have a partner. While others think  that they are  better off with a so-so man than none at all. And still there are some who are enjoying the life of their own. I mean, a relationship to oneself. No attachment. No commitment. Nothing. Just her and her alone.

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But I think to live is to choose. In my own world for instance, I’m a single lady by choice. I don’t have any concrete reason for staying single for more than a decade. Perhaps, the most rational statement that I could give is I’m still on the process of preparing myself to be with somebody whom I believe deserves my full love and attention at the right place and at the right time. Maybe not now, but sooner or later I know he’ll come.

Grabbing a Poor Man’s Bread

In just a blink of an eye, hundreds of thousands were buried. But that doesn’t even count those still under the scattered remains, carried off by relatives, left along the sidewalks or killed in the distant earthquake zone.

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Upon seeing  the photographs that reflect the atrocious occurence of the 7.0M earthquake that tears down the  hopes and dreams of many of our fellow Haitian on  January 12, 2010, all I can do is to thank God.

Don’t get me wrong when I say that I wanna thank the Almighty. I wanna express my heartfelt gratitude to Him simply because I’m glad for it didn’t happen in our country (knock on the wood). Well, aren’t you? But it doesn’t mean that I’m happy seeing these people, these children and women whose faces bear helplessness and hopelessness. Anyone who sees the same pictures can as well  sees the manifestation of  a deliberate infliction of pain and suffering.

In their eyes, we can contemplate  despair. Inspite of the numerous efforts exerted by different countries all over the world to extend help, it seems that Haitians become numb already. After what they’ve gone through it is just but normal for them to be in a great awe.

And just like in any chaotic scenario,  kids will always be the  susceptible part of the population to physical and/or emotional injury. The  inocencencies of  their childhood worsen the after effects of this natural grave misfortune.

The Haiti quake is beyond all words horrible. It does not simply ruin the industries around its capital- Port-au-Prince. It does not simply wreck the business establishments and buildings that serve as the life blood of the country. Haitian quake entombs Haiti in a deeper state of poverty in which to recover is nearly impossible. 

 Along with the mass  grave, are worn out dreams and hopes that were buried 10 feet below the ground. The dreams and hopes that were developed through years and are starting to develop inspite of  inaccessibility of choices.  

It will be insensitive of me then to encourage these victims to continue on living and dreaming when I know in myself that if I were in their place, it will be extremely difficult. Well, you can use all the adjectives all you want but still, to all my fellow Haitians, though it may be hard, let’s all move on. I know we’re humans but deads are no longer alive. Hence, they won’t be the one who’ll take the misery of losing loved ones. We still have lives to live in and dreams to realize to. There are still people who count on us especially the young ones.  And instead of  falling-off, let’s start all over again and try to fix what have been ravaged.

The More, The Lesser

The power of media in terms of influencing the people is not to be underestimated. We are bombarded everyday with beauty contests like Miss Universe and shows like Extreme Makeover, as well as People Magazine featuring the most beautiful people in the world, all trying to answer the question “What is beauty?”.

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In recent times, people, who are most often than not are females, never walk out of the door not knowing how we look  like, or not assured by none other than our favorite vanity mirror that  we look perfect. From top to bottom, we know what we ought to look according to a default image of beauty that we are accustomed to. These and all other things that define our very existence are being determined by, of course, MEDIA.

Aside from the fact that in media, we rarely see pretty faces with brains but only physically- challenged bunch of geniuses. We can never gain both the physical and mental, only few are blessed and these are , by the way,being critically screened.

Somebody in the streets will say that  the moment we try to delight our sense of sight, we begin to lose the soul purpose of our very existence. But I say, we never lose it, it simply goes down one or so level on our set of reasons for living.

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I also believe that to a certain degree, all women are superficial. Take for example the case of most women nowadays. They do deadly diet, endless work-out and sometimes even risky surgery just to maintain their figures, healthy skin and body. And with this, they are able to enhance their self-worth. 

But it doesn’t mean that they should set aside their life just solely for this.The same way as saying that their lives must not entirely revolve around the glittering crown of beauty and glamor.

However, what women of today don’t realize is the depravity that they endow in each and every parts that they shower with stronger admiration. Yes we did make ourselves more physically attractive, but what’s next?  We become unaware of the results of our actions. Did I say unaware? I mean, we ignore the outcome of what we did because our minds are just centrally focus on our main goal- to look good. We apparently see, but we just don’t mind.

It is not a mortal sin to aim for a better new you. And if great figure, sexy body, smooth, glowing skin, silky, long , black hair would equate to one’s image of beauty, then so be it. 

 There are only a few things in life that are guaranteed to be glorious. And it won’t hurt if we decide to take advantage of these. As long as we know what our limitations are and the consequences of every actions that we do. Because if not, tendency is, we will  lose sight of our own personal definitions because we get caught up in trying to let the media establish the definition of beauty.

It is about time for us to stand up for what we believe. Although we do not necessarily have to contradict the existing beliefs but atleast we should strive to strengthen our stand and show the world that regardless of the  inferiorities, we are beautiful. We conquer.

Does It Really Matter?

Religious.

Cultural.

Commercialized.

Whatever it is, it is still Dinagyang.

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One of the best tourist attractions in the country and no doubt about that.

In line with this celebration are the street dancing, outflowing of fastfood stands and night gimmicks with amazing bands and hard rock music.

Even foreigners go together to enjoy the lively street dancing and the loud beats of the drums.

It is also the time when people from all walks of life enjoy the traditional ihaw-ihaw and kamayan on the streets without any fear of taking in carcinogens from these foods as long as they enjoy.

Some may say that the Dinagyang has already lost its essence because of too much commercialization that goes with it.

But does anybody really care about Dinagyang losing its real essence?

People have fun with lively beats, mouth-watering foods, endless party and all other glamorous events.

Now, who cares if Dinagyang loses its meaning?

Everyone loves it, anyway.

Enlightenment or Disappointment?

The May 2010 Elections is fast approaching. In less than five months, our country will have another set of leaders who are ideally chosen by the people. Different sectors and private organizations exert effort to reach out and educate people about the controversial Automated Elections.

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In this regard, the Katilingban sa Kahanginan in cooperation with College of Arts and Sciences Student Council (CAS-SC) facilitated a Voter’s Education Forum to somehow enlighten the voters especially the first-time voters in the UPV community. t

A representative from the Commission on Elections was invited to present a the basic information regarding the Automated Elections. She was very enthusiastic and calm in spite of the issues that she encountered prior to the beginning of the forum.

I must say that although there were only few people went to the said forum it was still very successful in one way or another. For one, the small number of viewers did not necessarily limit the discussion that took place in the said forum. In fact, a lot of concerns and clarifications were raised during the open forum with the COMELEC representative.

As a viewer and observer, myself, I felt that right after the host opened the floor for questions regarding the automated election the tension gradually rose. You can definitely see how excited the viewers were to participate in the discussion. They were very vocal and assertive in throwing out their questions to the COMELEC representative.

There were several questions that were quite concerned with the sustainability and efficiency of the machines. The sustainability was confidently answered by the COMELEC representative. She even gave the alternative solutions that the COMELEC and as well as the Smartmatic have prepared. She even talked about a battery and a memory card.

But here comes the question of efficiency. The question of the possible cheating in polls suddenly struck the representative. She tried to assure the viewers that the data from computers were being sent within seconds. But she can still not tell confidently to the entire people inside the CFOS-AVR that the COMELEC is 100% ready for this election.

As for me, we would never know the integrity of this Automated Election until election day. Let’s just see what will happen.

Creating a Monster Out of a Tame Sheep

( A response to an articLe entitLed ‘The fugitive’ of the PhiLippine DaiLy Inquirer on January 21, 2010)

A former TV personality. . .
a US Marine. . .
a stepson of a British diplomat. . .
a nephew of one of the best singers in the Philippines. . .
a weaLthy Amboy. . .

What an ideal record.

But now. . .
a murder suspect.

A very dramatic transition from a once tame sheep to a deadLy monster.

And just recently, he took the chaLLenge of facing the NBI agents with his baby armalite and a bandolier. It wasn’t easy. Fighting for your life is never easy. I admit that I personaLLy admire the bravery that this monster had shown.

It was even more dramatic when NBI agents used the monster’s crying mother to cover-up themseLves from the monster, who at that moment was obviousLy had no any intention to surrender from the authority. The poor but strongLy-wiLLed monster had nothing to do but to stop from throwing his fire. And I assume that he did that because of his mom. See, monstrous he may seem but still he recognized the woman who gave his life.

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And with that, can anybody bLame the mother’s monster for hiding her own son, her own flesh, her own bLood in her home? I guess, that is what you caLL a mother’s instinct. The moment you knew that somebody might hurt your chiLd prompts you to protect him at aLL costs. Not because you don’t have civic sense, but because you are a mother and being one tells you that no matter how much people caLL names to y0ur s0n, stiLL, y0u are on his side. That’s how it works.

And I reaLLy find those peopLe hypocrite whenever they say that if they are in that monster’s mother shoes, they won’t do the same thing. Easier said than done, I guess.

If the monster was able to over-power certain ruLes such as the handgun and immigration poLicies, then I must say that he reaLLy is a no joke. But our system is.

How come the monster’s famiLy can brag about their son being an American citizen after being invoLved in a major crime? How come this monster was able to traveL freeLy with aLL the weap0ns he couLd caRRy?

This IvLer case, which I think is very pecuLiar in a country Like ours, is aLso a refLection of what kind of system we have. If the first time that he did commit the aLLeged crimes that are now being thrown to him, the NBI or any concerned authority had automaticaLLy penaLized him, then, this shouLd have not been the case.

I guess, the bravery and the strength that the monster had during the shoot-out had rooted ever since he enjoyed the impunity that our system is showering to their kinds. Their kinds would mean the weaLthy, the infLuentiaL.

NonetheLess, I commend the NBI agents who successfuLLy captured the said monster. After all, it was a good compensation, indeed.

Let’s Do Some Math

Anvie, my partner, and I were assigned to interview some vendors of native delicacies whom we easily spotted along the side of the market entrance.
They are mostly married women whose ages, according to my estimation, would range from mid-40s to late 60s. They were sitting in the sidewalk with their ‘bilao/s’ placed exactly on the concrete path.

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The first question that instantly popped out from my head was ” Are these sidewalk vendors legal?” And when asked, they gave me a big yes for an answer.
Contrary to what most people think, they are absolutely legal since they’re paying for a small sheet of paper known as ‘arkabala.’
This ‘arkabala’ which costs five pesos per vendor, regardless of how many items one has, gives them the right to sell through their extensions.
Moreover, to secure a space in the market, these sidewalk vendors also pay 66 pesos every Saturday for the rent of each table located inside the public market.
Mrs. Rosario Miyak, president of the Bread Section, where all native product vendors belong, pointed out that they don’t necessarily have to occupy the tables that they rented. These tables are just an assurance that they will not be kicked out from the market, unless they have unsettled accounts in the Municipal Treasurer.
If we look at it in either a daily or weekly basis, we may say that the payments are not that heavy. But if we try to calculate the total for the whole month, definitely,a 404 pesos is a big deduction from the vendors’ earnings. Especially in the case of native product vendors who can barely earn a hundred per day as what they’ve confessed. Mind you, there is also a 1 500 pesos payment that all vendors pay annually for business permit, medical examination, barangay clearance and all other documents. Apparently, all these eat a large portion of the vendors’ earnings.
But just like what Mrs. Miyak said, “Ano pa maubra namon?” They are left with no choice but to abide municipal rules although it may mean lower income.
Perhaps, it’s far better than losing their entire business. Besides, as what the vendors,themselves, said they are quite satisfy with the facilities that the municipality offers to them and with the kind of treatment they receive from the officers.

The Pornography Behind Advocacy

I typed the word ‘PETA’(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and I was a bit confused if I did key in the exact acronym for a private organization which is basically concerned with animal rights or do ‘PETA’ is synonymous with pornography because after I hit  the image search, naked people instantly appeared on the screen.

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It all started from Hollywoodstars like Pamela Anderson, Alicia Silverstone and Uma Thurman. And from then on, others followed.

Eating fruits and vegetables with strictly no meat does not only become a diet that concerns with the maintenance of one’s figure. But it as well becomes a screaming way of condemning the killing of poor animals that is basically done to get their meat. And I personally salute those kinds of people for doing that.

On the other edge of the boat, there are some who does not eat meat not because it’s part of their diet nor do they have compassion for animals. But it is simply because they want to caught up with the trend.

Not a mortal sin, though, but it somehow gives somebody a feeling of guilt knowing that the intension is not really exactly what others think it is.

There are also some who is after the brand name which is to be called as a vegetarian. Today, being one gives additional appeal to somebody who is working on big screen. It also generates plausible excuses for those who want to gain popularity by showing their naked body amidst the astonished public.

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I really don’t understand the psychology behind those vegan who would pose and/or even walk in public places naked. What is that suppose to mean? Are they bragging or what?

The sole purpose is to get the publics’ attention by letting the people realize that animals do have rights too and not because they showed their body. If that is the case, they should have work as porn stars and not use these often abused creatures to get the image that they want.

Put simply, everything is just plain pretension. Well, that must be really hard for these people. To make their hypocrisy appears not too obvious to people is no joke. And with that, let me give them a big round of applause.

Who Not What is the Problem

The government approved the Poll Automation Project for this upcoming May 2010 Elections and with that finally, the Comelec has caught up with technology. Sure, it’s a relief for us voters and the Comelec because it will minimize, if not get rid of, cheating in the polls.

No more manual counting, only high tech computers that will do the job for us. It will as well, according to Mr. Jessie Borro, head of the COMELEC, Miagao, Iloilo, ensure faster and easier vote counting.

However, along with these numerous advantages are bunches of disadvantages of this poll automation when implemented in our country.

If programmed, machines can cheat more efficiently than people. How long will it takes to hack computers, anyway? Human virus will surely find its way to intoxicate the 2010 elections.

Several possibilities of election fraud and anomalies have been raised ever since the idea of poll automation has been brought up to the Senate.

But we, the people, especially those who were blessed to be exposed in these kinds of technologies that the government intend to introduce to the entire Filipino people, forgot to look at the side of the masses. Masses here would not only mean the poorest of the poorest but as well as those who lived in the farthest places who are not even familiar with these sophisticated gadgets. Places where even a television, a radio and all other antiquated media seem so alien to its people.

As for me, as for a an ordinary citizen who spend her whole life in a barrio where almost 75% of the population is composed of people who can hardly read and write, I wonder how can this fully computerized election will be done. Miagao Poblacion, may not be one of those remote areas I’m bothered about but some barangays in it are.

The only thing left for the Comelec is the urgency to train all the people that will handle the computers, especially those in remote towns in the countryside. Nonetheless, I’m still happy that this certain issue can still be addressed. It is not yet too late.

But definitely, the attitude of Filipinos every election day is still the biggest problem. At least with ignorance there’s education. But with vote-selling and vote-buying, not even education can be a remedy.

People need to realize that at the very end, a 500 or so pesos can only save their family for a maximum of one week but after that, after they voted for a wrong candidate, their entire life, the entire life of their family might as well be only good for one week.

Now that automated polls might be utilized this upcoming May 2010 Elections, the question remains the same: Are we wise enough to vote for somebody who deserves the Filipino’s trust? Because if not, then everything will be useless.

Should we or should we not?

The clamor on whether to support or oppose the implementation of the coal-fired power plant has been consistently in one of Iloilo’s hottest issues for quite a long time.

The increasing numbers of different establishments mirrors the progress of the city but as well plays as the major culprit for greater power consumption.

Along with this,power interruptions will be noted as a result of the scarcity of power supply in the cty of Iloilo.According to local power utility supplier,the city consumes 13 megawatts more than what the Panay Electric Corporation’s power plant supplies.

In turn,this also leads to the increase in the ate of the electricity which apparently gathered negative feedbacks from the consumers not just locally but even nationally.

And to avoid occurrence of this power shortage,the government welcomes the establishment of the coal-fired power plant in Brgy.Ingore,Lapaz.This basically aims to augment the power supply of the city.

As estimated,the project will cost around 150 million dollars that will generate 100 megawatts for the entire Panay Island

Practically saying,it is feasible and commercially viable.It also promises stability in power supply.But most importantly,it will not harm the environment contrary to what most of those who oppose usually assert on.It uses indigenous materials for coal burning.Lime will also be added to control air pollution.

Some people would rather propose renewable sources of energy such as wind,solar and biogas.But considering the context of Panay,Iloilo per say,these are not feasible at present.

At the moment,people are left with either of the two choices.Should we settle for whatever is at hand or be open to new ideas?should we support or oppose the establishment of the coal-fired power plant?

Amidst this crucial situation,the city has to make its decision.A decision that will never lead to repentance in the end.