Q AND A...

·  The exotic jeepney is a post-war creation inspired by the GI jeeps that the American soldiers brought to the country in the 1940s. Enterprising Filipinos salvaged the surplus engines and came out unique vehicles of art.

·  Short distance and feeder trips could not be more exciting than via Philippine quick transports – the tricycle, a motorcycle with a sidecar, and the pedicab, a bicycle with a sidecar.

·  The world’s longest underground river system accessible to man can be found at the St. Paul National Park in the province of Palawan.

·  The largest Philippine wild animal, the tamaraw, is a species of the buffalo that is similar to the carabao. It is found only in the island of Mindoro.

·  The highest mountain in the Philippines is Mt. Apo, a dormant volcano found in Mindanao, at 2,954 meters (9,689 feet). Mt. Pulog in Luzon is the second highest at 2,928 meters (9604 feet).

·  Filipino bowler Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno was the first bowler to be elevated to the International Bowling Hall of Fame based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. The Philippine Congress has named him “Greatest Filipino Athlete of All Time.”

·  Philippine National Hero and writer Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2. He grew up to speak more than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French, and Chinese. What were his last words? "Consummatum est!" ("It is done!")

·  The largest city in the Philippines is Davao City. With an area of 2,211 sq. km., it is about three times the size of the national capital, Metro Manila.

·  Cebu is the oldest Philippine city.

·  Negros Occidental has the most cities among Philippine provinces.

·  Filipinos celebrate the world’s longest religious holiday. The Christmas season begins on September 1st, as chillier winds and Christmas carols start filling the air, and ends on the first week of January, during the Feast of the Three Kings.

·  Paskuhan Village in the province of Pampanga is Asia’s only Christmas theme park and the third of its kind in the world.

·  The great Christmans lanterns of San Fernando, Pampanga can reach as big as 40 feet in diameter, using as many as 16,000 glowing bulbs.

·  The exotic jeepney is the Filipino version of the jitney, the taxi/minibus that travels along a fixed route, found in many countries.

·  The popular toy, the yoyo, was invented by 16th century hunters in the Philippines.

·  The word "boondocks," which is now a part of the English language, dictionary, and vocabulary, comes from the Tagalog word "bundok," meaning "mountain."

·  The Philippines became the first Asian country to win FIVE major international beauty pageant crowns — two for Miss Universe, in 1969 and 1973, and three for Miss International, in 1965, 1970, and 1979.

·  Diving paradise Anilao, in the province of Batangas, is the theme of a picture book that bagged the International Prize for Underwater Images at the 27th World Festival of Underwater Images in France in November 2000. “Anilao" book creators and Filipino scuba divers Scott Tuason and Eduardo Cu Unjieng defeated big names in underwater photography such as Jacques Mayol, Pascal Kobeh, Monique Walker, and Alessandro Tommasi.

·  The biggest game preserve and wildlife sanctuary in the Philippines is located on Calauit Island in Palawan, which has the largest land area among the Philippine provinces.

·  The antibiotic erythromycin — used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections, such as respiratory tract infections, middle ear infections, and skin infections — was created by Filipino scientist Abelardo Aguilar, and has earned American drug giant Eli Lilly billions of dollars. Neither Aguilar nor the Philippine government received royalties.

·  Fernando Amorsolo was officially the first National Artist of the Philippines. He was given the distinction of National Artist for Painting in 1972.

·  Philippines Herald war journalist Carlos P. Romulo was the first Asian to win a Pulitzer Prize in Journalism in 1942. He was also aide-de-camp to General Douglas MacArthur in World War II; Philippine resident commissioner in the U.S. Congress from 1944-46; and the first Asian to become UN President in 1949.

·  The largest fish in the world, the Whale Shark, locally known as Butanding, regularly swims to the Philippine waters.

·  The world’s shortest and lightest freshwater fish is the dwarf pygmy goby (Pandaka Pygmaea), a colorless and nearly transparent species found in the streams and lakes of Luzon. Males have an average length of 8.7 mm. and weigh 4-5 mg.

·  On January 18, 1995, Pope John Paul II offered mass to an estimated 4 to 5 million people at Luneta Park, Manila, Philippines, making it to the Guiness Book of World Records for the Biggest Papal Crowd.

·  The Philippine Madrigal Singers bagged the 1997 European Choral Grand Prix, the choral olympics of the world’s best choirs. The group, being the only Asian choir, bested five regional champions from all over Europe, earning them the title as the "world’s best choir."

·  There are 12,000 or so species of seashells in the Philippines. The Conus Gloriamaris or "Glory of the Sea" is the rarest and most expensive in the world.

·  Of the 500 known coral species in the world, 488 are found in the Philippines.

·  Of the eight species of marine turtles worldwide, five are reported to be found in the Philippines: the Green Turtle, Hawkbill, Leatherback, Olive Ridley, and Loggerhead.

·  Of the eight known species of giant clams in the world, seven are found in the Philippines.

·  The Basilica of San Sebastian is the only steel church in Asia and was the second building to be made out of steel, next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

·  The largest bell in Asia hangs at the belfry of the 221-year old Panay Church. It is 7 feet in diameter and 7 feet in height, and weighs 10.4 tons. Its tolling can be heard as far as 8 km. away. It was casted from 70 sacks of coins donated by the townspeople as a manifestation of faith and thanksgiving.

·  The World Cup, which was instituted in 1965, is contested annually by the national champions of the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ). The highest number of wins is 4, by Filipino bowler Rafael “Paeng” Nepomuceno: 1976, 1980, 1992, and 1996.

·  Filipino Eriberto N. Gonzales Jr. consumed 350 chilis in 3 minutes at the annual Magayon Festival chili-eating contest held at Penaranda Park, Legazpi, Albay on May 27, 1999, making it to the Guiness Book of World Records for the most chilis eaten.

·  The longest possible eclipse of the Sun is 7 min. 31 sec. The longest eclipse in recent times took place west of the Philippines on June 20, 1995, lasting for 7 min. 8 sec.

·  Camiguin province holds the distinction of having the most number of volcanoes per square kilometer than any other island on earth. It is also the only place in the Philippines which has more volcanoes (7) than towns (5).

·  The 900 sq m Relief Map of Mindanao in Dapitan City was personally done by Dr. Jose Rizal. It was used as a device for teaching history and geography to townsfolk.

·  The Zamboanga Golf Course and Beach Park was founded in 1910 by Gov. John Pershing. It is one of the oldest golf courses in the Philippines.

·  Isabela City is the youngest city in the region. It was only on March 5, 2001 that the Municipality of Isabela, Province of Basilan was converted into a component city Through RA 9023. On April 25, 2001, Isabeleños ratified the new status of Isabela.

·  The Kinabayo is an exotic and colorful pageant re-enacting the Spanish-Moorish Wars, particularly the Battle of Covadonga where the Spanish forces under General Pelagio took their last stand against the Saracens. They were able to reverse the tide of war with the miraculous apparition of St. James, the Apostle. A Kinabayo Festival is celebrated every July in Dapitan City, attracting thousands of tourists to the city.

·  The altar at the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Dipolog City was designed by Dr. Jose Rizal. The Cathedral was erected by the Spanish friars sometime in 1895, before Dipolog City became a municipality.

·  The Rizal Shrine in Dapitan City is the original estate of Dr. Jose Rizal which he acquired by purchase during his exile in Dapitan from 1892 to 1896.

·  RA 8973 signed by then President Joseph E. Estrada in February 2001 created the province of Zamboanga Sibugay. A total of sixteen municipalities compose this newest province in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

·  Magat Dam is Asia’s biggest dam project at the time of its construction. It serves the primary function of power generation and irrigation.

·  The Cagayan River or Rio Grande de Cagayan is the Philippines’ mightiest watercourse – the longest and widest river in the country. Small streams originating form Balete Pass, Cordillera, Caraballo and Sierra Madre Mountains meet other streams and rivers and flow to the Cagayan River.

·  Magapit Suspension Bridge is the first of its kind in Asia. It spans the Cagayan River at Lallo and is 0.76 kilometers long. The hanging bridge links the first and second districts of Cagayan going towards the Ilocos Region via the scenic Patapat Road on the Ilocos Norte-Cagayan Inter-Provincial national highway.

·  Angono Petroglyphs – This cultural heritage site dates back to circa 3000 B.C. and is the most ancient Filipino, or more aptly, prehistoric Filipino work of art. Besides being the country’s oldest “work of art” it also offers us an evocative glimpse into the life of our ancestors. The site has been included in the World Inventory of Rock Art under the auspices of UNESCO, ICCROM and ICOMOS and nominated as one of the “100 Most Endangered Sites of the World.

·  PANCIT HABHAB (Lucban)-Made from rice flour, these local noodles acquired its name and developed its unique attraction by the way it is eaten. Otherwise known as Pancit Lucban, these noodles are hawked in the streets and served on a piece of banana leaf, sans fork or any other utensils. Thus, it is eaten straight from the leaf, licking permitted... "habhab"-style.

·  Tagala - the Philippines first Filipino-Spanish dictionary which was printed in 1613, 25 years older than the first book printed in the United States.

·  Mayon is the most beautiful mountain I have ever seen, the world-renowned Fujiyama (Mt. Fuji) of Japan sinking into perfect insignificance by comparison. British traveler-writer A. Henry Savage Landor

·  Ilo-Ilo golf and country club is the oldest golf club in the Philippines. It was built at 1908 by Irish Engineers.

·  Limasawa Island – where Ferdinand Magellan first landed in the Philippines which give way to the discovery of the Philippines and where the first mass was celebrated.

·  San Juanico Strait - said to be the narrowest yet the most navigable strait in the world

·  Calbiga Cave – The Philippines’ biggest karst formations and one of the largest in Asia, the 2,968-hectare cave system is composed of 12 caves with wide underground spaces, unique rock formations and sub-terranean watercourse.

·  At the Immaculate Conception Cathedral can be found the only existing pipe organ in Mindanao. The 2nd largest pipe organ in the Phiippines. The huge instrument took 2 years to built and was brought over by sea from Germany in 23 crates.

·  Cagayan de Oro City - “The City of Golden Friendship,” known for its warm people and old-fashioned hospitality

·  Mt. Apo, the Philippines highest mountain at 10,311 feet above sea level, and considered as the “Grand-father of all Philippine Mountains”

·  Lake Lanao is the second largest lake in the Philippines, probably the deepest in the country and is considered one of the major tropical lakes in Southeastern Asia. The lake is home of endemic cryprinids, the species found only in the lake and nowhere else in the world.

·  Halo-Halo! Halo-halo literally means, "mix-mix". And its is just that: a mixture of sweetened fruits and beans, lavished with pinipig (crisp flattened rice flakes), sugar and milk, topped by crushed ice and ice cream. You know its summertime when halo-halo stand start sprouting by the roadside and by the beach, all whipping up their heavenly concoctions of such a refreshingly divine dessert. You can make your own by selecting and mixing your ingredients to make a perfect Halo-Halo. Halo-Halo is uniquely, unforgettably Filipino!

·  KALESA - The kalesa or karitela is a horse-driven carriage that was introduced during the 18th century. It was used by Spanish officials and the nobles as a means of transportation. The Ilustrados, the rich Filipinos who had their own businesses, used the kalesa not only for traveling but as a means a means of transporting their goods as well.

·  BAKYA-Made primarily of lightwood (laniti and santol trees), it is sculpted with a slope and shaved to a smooth finish, then painted with floral designs or varnished to a high sheen. The upper portions, which are made of rubber or transparent plastic, are fastened to the sides by thumb nails called "clavitos". The bakya industry prospered during the 1930s when the Filipinos began exporting these to the other countries.

·  SORBETES-This sweet treat was concocted in the early 1920's, a time where a single centavo could buy you almost anything. The process of this ice cream making and selling it in carts with colorful designs is still the same. Back in the old days, these ice cream dealers bred their own cows and milked them with their own hands to ensure the freshness and sanitation of the milk needed to make the "dirty ice cream".

·  Waling Waling Orchids - With some 800 to 1,000 species of orchids, the Philippines has one of the richest orchid floras in the world. Philippine orchids come in an amazing array of shapes, sizes and colors. Most grow only in old-growth forest, often on branches of huge trees dozens of meters above the forest floor.

·  Maria Teresa Calderon – A Filipina World champion speed reader as listed in the Guinness Book of World Records

·  In the Philippines, Filipinos were introduced to the English language in 1762 by British invaders, not Americans. Philippines is the world's 3rd largest English-speaking nation, next to the USA and the UK.

·  The Philippine Basketball Association is Asia's premier and the world's second oldest professional league.

·  Philippine Airlines took to the skies on March 15, 1941, using a Beech Model 18 aircraft amid the specter of a global war. It became Asia's first airline.

·  The world's largest pearl was discovered by a Filipino diver in a giant Tridacna (mollusk) under the Palawan Sea in 1934. Known as the "Pearl of Lao-Tzu", the gem weighs 14 pounds and measures 9 1/2 inches long and 5 1/2 inches in diameter. As of May 1984, it was valued at US$42 million. It is believed to be 600 years old.

·  Alto Broadcasting System (ABS) Channel 3, the first television station in the country, went on the air in 1953.

·  The world's second deepest spot underwater is in the Philippines. This spot, about 34,440 feet (10,497 meters) below the sea level, is known as the Philippine Deep or the Mindanao Trench. The Philippine Deep is in the floor of the Philippine Sea. The German ship Emden first plumbed the trench in 1927.

·  The symbolic name for the Philippines, Juan dela Cruz, is not a Filipino invention? It was coined by R. McCulloch-Dick, a Scottish-born journalist working for the Manila Times in the early 1900s, after discovering it was the most common name in blotters.

·  Lipa City in Batangas is dubbed as the “Rome of the Philippines” because of the number of seminaries, convents, monasteries, retreat houses, and a famous cathedral located in it.

·  Compostela Valley is known to be laden with gold, thus earning the monicker “Golden Valley of Mindanao”

·  Basilica of St. Martin de Tours in Taal, Batangas built by Augustinian Missionaries in 1572, is reputed to be the biggest catholic church in East Asia. It is so huge that it can house another big church

·  Kibungan is known as the “Switzerland of Bengued” because of the frost during the cold months

·  The Delmonte Pineapple Plantation in Bukidnon is considered to be the biggest in the far east

·  Both Tridacna gigas, one of the world's largest shells, and Pisidum, the world's tiniest shell, can be found under Philippine waters. Tridacna gigas grows as large as one meter in length and weighs 600 pounds while Pisidum is less than 1 millimeter long. A shell called glory of the sea (Connus gloriamaris) is also found in the Philippines and considered as one of the most expensive shells in the world.

·  Seahorses are small saltwater fish belonging to the Syngnathidae family (order Gasterosteiformes), which also includes pipefish and sea dragons. Most seahorse species, probably the most peculiar creatures in the water, live in the Coral Triangle. There are at least 50 known seahorse species in the world. They inhabit temperate and tropical waters but most of them are concentrated in the warm coastal waters of the Philippines.

·  Donsol, a fishing town in Sorsogon province, serves as a sanctuary to a group of 40 whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), which are considered as the largest fish in the world. Locally known as "butanding", whale sharks visit the waters of Donsol from November to May. They travel across the oceans but nowhere else have they been sighted in a larger group than in the waters of Sorsogon. They measure between 18 to 35 feet in length and weigh about 20 tons.

·  The Philippines is home to some of the world's most exotic birds.
One of the most endangered species is the exotic Kalangay or the Philippine cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia), which belongs to Psittacidae or the family of parrots. Some cockatoos can live up to 50 years. They are known for mimicking human voices. Most of them measure 33 centimeters in length and weigh 0.29 kilogram.

·  Palawan bearcat is neither a bear nor a cat. Known in Southeast Asia as binturong, the bearcat is a species of its own, with population in the forests of Palawan, Borneo, Burma and Vietnam. It belongs to the family of Viverridae (civets). The Palawan bearcat has a long body and a pointed face leading to the nose. Its head and body measure 61 to 96 centimeters in combined length while its tail is almost as long. It weighs 9 to 14 kilograms and lives up to 20 years.

·  Calamian Deer - Calamian Islands, north of Palawan province, keep a species of deer that cannot be found elsewhere. Scientists referred to the hog deer in the islands as Calamian deer in order to distinguish them from other hog deer in the world. An ordinary Calamian deer measures 105 to 115 centimeters in length and 60 to 65 centimeters high at the shoulder and weighs about 36 to 50 kilograms. It is said to have longer and darker legs, compared with other hog deer.

·  World's Smallest Hoofed Mammal - South of Palawan, lies the Balabac Island, home of the world's smallest hoofed mammal - the Philippine mouse deer. Locally known as Pilandok (Tragalus nigricans), this ruminant stands only about 40 centimeters at the shoulder level.

·  Flying Lemur - One of the most distinct creatures on Earth lives in the Philippines. It doesn't have wings but it can glide across 100 meters of space in a single leap. Like the lemurs of Asia, it moves around at night. Its head resembles that of a dog while its body has similarities with the flying squirrel of Canada.
In Mindanao, people call it "kagwang". Around the world, it is known as colugo or the flying lemur.

·  Did you know that the first four cities of Metropolitan Manila are: Manila, Quezon, Pasay and Caloocan

·  The flagpole located in Rizal Park, is where the starts of 0 kilometer reading in measuring all distances from Manila.

·  Quezon City is the second biggest city in the Philippines.

·  The Bonifacio Monument in Monumento, Caloocan City was designed by a noted Filipino sculptor Guillermo Tolentino

·  In 1916, in the Philippines, an offensive style of passing the ball in a high trajectory to be struck by another player (the set and spike) were introduced. The Filipinos developed the "bomba" or kill, and called the hitter a "bomberino". (source: http://volleyball.org/history.html)

·  The PHILIPPINE EAGLE is the 2nd largest bird on the planet (next only to the American Condor)....

DO OR DIE?

Life is one of the most precious gifts that were given by God, but what if it is destined to be taken away from the person that is very special to you?  Would you have the guts to set him free or see him suffering from the pain?

           

We all know that one of the hardest things in life is loosing someone very close to your heart, especially if they are one of your friends or relatives.  No one in this world can ever tell what time your loved-one will bid his goodbye unless his sickness is intolerable and only depends on machines and medicine that was given to them by their physicians. Once this machines that support the dying patient was taken away you deprive the patient in having a chance to live again and it is called euthanasia.

              

Euthanasia is the practice of painlessly putting to death persons who have incurable, painful, or distressing diseases or handicaps. It is considered one of the most controversial issues today and some define it as mercy-killing, others as assisted suicide, and some refer to it as plain murder.

We believe that physicians should use every means to maintain a person's life as long as possible. But others argue that dying patients and their physicians have the right to choose whether life-maintaining treatments should be continued. Some people also feel that this decision should be left to the family and physician if the patient is no longer capable of expressing his or her wishes.

For me, all of us have a right to die with dignity. Nobody wants to end up plugged into machines and wired to tubes.

Who wants to spend their last days lying in a hospital bed wasting away to something that's hardly recognizable as a human being? Nobody right? The very thought insults the whole concept of what it means to be human. People are entitled to dignity, in life and in death. Just as we respect people's right to live with dignity, so we must respect their right to die with dignity. In the case of the terminally ill, that means people have the right to refuse life-sustaining treatment when it's obvious to them that all that treatment is doing is destroy their dignity.

I even experienced the ache and pain to see a person dying when my grandmother was confined in the hospital last year.  She suffered from a cervical cancer almost a month.  We fought for her recovery but we saw her suffering from the pain.  We really love her so much, but we can not take to see her suffering.  The whole family talked about the situation deeply. The time is running and our hospital bills become bigger and we all aware that only our prayers can heal to my grandmother.   And we decided to let her go to lessen the pain she feels. This is one of the hardest decisions that our family decide.   Let us admit we cannot help to see the person we love suffering from illness. And the pain they feel is the same pain that the family is suffering from. 

The case of my grandmother is bearable compare to the patients that is under a state of comatose for almost a year.  The family of the patient in didn’t think that their love ones suffer even though it is just a comatose.  I understand that they really love the patient but they need to think the consequences of their decisions, if they will continue fighting for the illness that in the first place they don’t know if it has an answer or solution.

I am pro-life but I am still in favor that mercy-killing is the best solution to stop the patient from suffering.  As a human we have the right to live freely and no one have the right to take the life from us except God, since we only borrowed it from him. Medicine and medical apparatuses help lengthen life, but it does not mean it can be a remedy or it can prevent dying.

Euthanasia is still under the process of legalization. Whether it becomes legal or not, it is still the family’s decision that will prevail.

Since life is one the most valuable treasures, we need to live a healthy and happy life.  Live your life to the fullest so that you don’t have to undergo being a subject for a family debate. This may cause the family to decide on something they would not want to happen but the bottom line is, a dying person should experience a dignified death.

As they have called this process, mercy killing, I say it simply means giving a suffering person a chance to retain his dignity and die naturally without painstakingly undergo the hurt that illness brings. 

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

“History Repeats Itself” it is an old statement that says that our history happens over and over again.  The history or the past affect every individual’s life, that’s why studying sociological imagination, is very important to us as a student.  It tend o change our perception and beliefs in many things and for us to be able to face the real world the ‘Reality’. We often feel that ourselves trapped in what happening around us.  Because we are human we are conscious in the things happens around us.

According to C. Wright Mills an initial stab at defining the sociological imagination by calling it "the first lesson of modern sociology."  To understand our experience, Mills asserts, we must locate that experience within the context of our historical time and within our social strata.  Whether people believe it or not, Mills writes, historical and economic forces move people.  Such forces are the stuff of sociology.  Ordinary men and women often are oblivious to these forces in their lives, or they may be but dimly aware of their impact. 

The sociological imagination is simply a "quality of mind" that allows one to grasp "history and biography and the relations between the two within society.  The sociological imagination enables one to switch from one perspective to another, thereby forming a comprehensive view of the sociocultural system. This quality of mind is characteristic of the best of classical social analysis--it is why we still find much of it so useful in understanding social reality.  This quality of mind is also characteristic of the best in social science today. 

“It is best to begin, I think, by reminding you, the beginning student, that the most admirable thinkers within the scholarly community you have chosen to join do not split their work from their lives. They seem to take both too seriously to allow such dissociation, and they want to use each for the enrichment of the other." Mills said.

TULDOK

Andito na naman ako. Sa punto na parang blangko. Parang tuldok. Tinatapos ang sense ng lahat-lahat ng mga salita, pero wala namang pinatutunguhan. Ni hindi ko nga alam kung ano ang sinasabi ko o kung bakit ako nakatayo ngayon sa harapan ninyo. Pero sige, kwento lang ng kwento.

Alas-nuwebe na ng umaga at hanggang ngayon ay nag-iisip pa rin ako ng mga bagay na sasabihin kahit na alam kong  wala namang kabuluhan. Parang life, di ba? Tuluy-tuloy lang. Minsan, may kabuluhan; minsan, wala.

Sa totoo lang meron akong na nais sabihin sa inyo. Ngunit dahil sa kaba nakalimutan ko, pipilitin kong alalahahin at subukang pagandahin kasi gusto kong magpa-impress sa inyo na marami akong alam na ideya at kaya kong iparating iyon sa paraan na maiiintindihan ng lahat. Kapag naalala ko na syemore matutuwa ako, dahil mapapatunayan ko na isa ako sa pinakamahusay at masasabi kong may kuwenta pala ang mga natutunan ko sa Filipino.

‘Tapos, malulungkot ako uli. Kasi, naaalala ko ang nagging buhay ko noong high school. Kasi, bukod sa nag-aaral ako sa kolehiyo nagtatrabaho na ako. First priority ko na ang pera, di katulad noon na first priority ko eh yong lumaya at gumawa ng mga bagay na gusto kong gawin gaya ng paglalakwatsa at pagtambay pero imposible na ngayon. Kailangan ko kasing mag-aral, magtrabaho at mag-ipon ng pera kasi, nakakahiya naman sa nanay ko na nagtrabaho nang ilang taon para mabigyan lang ako ng magandang edukasyon. Ngayon ko lang naintindihan na importante nga talaga ang pera. Sa totoo lang, hindi cliche yong kasabihan na umiikot ang mundo sa pera. Totoo ‘yon. Hindi love ang nagpapaikot ng mundo kundi pera.

Marami ngang tao riyan na halos hindi makakita ng love. Kaya sex na lang sila nang sex. O kaya, nagmumukmok sa isang tabi. Parang ako ngayon nagmumukmok sa harapan nyo, wala na naman akong kakampi malapit na nga rin akong maniwala sa kasabihan na “Love doesn't exist... only the possibilities of love happen.” Oo nga. Lagi ka na lang pinapaasa ng lahat ng tao na meron ngang tao na magmamahal sa 'yo. So maghihintay ka naman nang pagkatagal-tagal. ‘Tapos pag nagsawa ka na, makikita mo na putsa, ang tanda ko na pala, buti pang nagtrabaho na lang ako at nagputa para magkapera at maka-jugjug pa. Kasi, ‘yang love na ‘yan eh icing lang ng cake. Matamis pero nakakasuya at di naman importante. Pampa-decorate lang kung baga. ‘Tapos, lalagyan mo ng kandila sa ibabaw, at ang mga tarantadong mga bisexual friend mo magkakantyawan ng 'Blow! Blow!' ‘tapos, ngingiti ka at matatawa ka kasi napakasaya nila habang ikaw, di mo nga alam kung masaya ka nga talaga. ‘Tapos maaalala mo kung kailan yong huling sandali na masaya ka nga talaga. Hindi mo maalala. Ano’ng ibig sabihin nun? Na hindi ka pa talaga naging masaya sa buhay mo? Imposible naman yata ‘yon. Meron naman siguro, kaso, di mo lang maalala kasi, depressed ka. Bakit kaya mas tumatagal sa isipan ang mga bagay na nagpapasakit ng buhay natin? Bakit kaya mas madaling magalit at ma-depress eh minsan, mind over matter nga lang naman ‘yan. You can be happy if you want. You can be horny if you want. Pero siyempre, easier said than done ‘yon.

Kasi, hindi naman madaling magluto ng emotion, eh. ‘Yang galit at tuwa ay di naman minsan napipilit na maramdaman. Kusang dumarating. Parang love. Daw. ‘Tapos, matatawa ka na lang kasi, napakawalang-kuwenta rin n’ong cliche na yun. Naghihintay ka sa wala. Parang itong sinasabi ko. Naghihintay ka nang matagal kung ano ba talaga ang point ko pero alam mo naman mula sa simula na wala talaga. Pero meron, e. So magtitiyaga ka pa ring makini at papakinggan kung saan ba nagkaroon ng point ang mga sinabi ko. Minsan, gan’on ang buhay talaga, e. Tipong wala ka nang ibang magawa kundi bumalik sa nakaraan at tingnan mo kung nasaan ba talaga ang point sa lahat ng kaguluhan na nangyari. Minsan, wala kang makikitang sense. Minsan, naman meron at mabibigla ka kung bakit hindi mo nakita ‘yon dati pa. Kasi masyado kang abala sa paghahanap ng punto. ‘Eto ang punto.

Diba sa umpisa pa lamang ng talumpati ko sinabi ko na ang salitang TULDOK at iyon ang aking punto. 

Sabi nga ng tatay ko, “Kung ahas lang ‘yan kanina ka ps natuklaw.” Pero mali din siya, e. Pa’no kung di naman poisonous yong ahas ‘tsaka bungi rin sya, e di hindi niya ako natuklaw. Di naman lahat ng ahas, nanunuklaw, di ba? Pero di ko rin alam kasi, wala naman akong interes sa ahas. Although marami na rin ang nag-ahas sa akin. Mga tao sila. Minsan nga, parang sampal pa sa mga ahas ‘yon na tinatawag natin ang mga mapaglinlang na tao na mga “ahas”.

Pero siyempre, dahil sabi nga ng mga Katoliko na ang tao ang hari ng buong sanlibutan. Tapos na ang Middle Ages, so babay na, Katolisismo; tapos na rin ang Renaissance, so hindi na hari ang tao ng sanlibutan. At pinatay na rin ng mga existentialist ang Diyos. Kaya ang buhay ng tao ay isang malaking blangko. Isang puwang na wala naman talagang laman kundi isang tuldok. At ang tuldok na yun ay ‘eto -->. (na nagsasabi na everything is a complete sentence because it expresses a thought and has a period). Tama nga. Nasa era o period tayo ng walang hanggan at paulit-ulit na tuldok...

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION

What is Sociological Imagination?

Acoording to C. Wright Mills an initial stab at defining the sociological imagination by calling it "the first lesson of modern sociology."  To understand our experience, Mills asserts, we must locate that experience within the context of our historical time and within our social strata.  Whether people believe it or not, Mills writes, people are moved by historical and economic forces.  Such forces are the stuff of sociology.  Ordinary men and women often are oblivious to these forces in their lives, or they may be but dimly aware of their impact. 

The sociological imagination is simply a "quality of mind" that allows one to grasp "history and biography and the relations between the two within society.  The sociological imagination enables one to switch from one perspective to another, thereby forming a comprehensive view of the sociocultural system. This quality of mind is characteristic of the best of classical social analysis--it is why we still find much of it so useful in understanding social reality.  This quality of mind is also characteristic of the best in social science today. 

How can this applied to your over degree and circumstances?

"It is best to begin, I think, by reminding you, the beginning student, that the most admirable thinkers within the scholarly community you have chosen to join do not split their work from their lives. They seem to take both too seriously to allow such dissociation, and they want to use each for the enrichment of the other." Mills said.

“MAN MAKES CULTURE; CULTURE MAKES MAN?”

"Humans do not make culture; culture makes humans.” An individual cannot escape the force of destiny imposed by his culture and history. Culture, like race, appears as a transcendent category outside of our immediate consciousness but which is transmitted from generation to generation. Racial science expressed a mechanistic view of humanness, one in which human history flowed inevitably according to the laws of nature. Unesco Man embodied an idealist view, in humans were not rooted in their nature, and in which human history and culture are reified. What united the two was a common view of human beings, not as subjects, but simply as objects, in the one case of nature, in the other of culture.

It is true that humans do not make culture because culture makes us the human.  It all because ever since before we are born the culture already exists because of our forefathers.  When culture begins to progress people get confused what culture they are going to follow and when they didn’t follow it doesn’t mean that they makes a culture it means that they only disobey it.  In this problem we are not asking who comes first the chicken or the egg; the man or culture?  We all know that man comes first but the real point is the culture affects the life of human and culture makes a human a better person.  What we are right now is based on the culture that we are accustomed to.

Filipino thinks that a culture is sacred that we can’t ignore or forget.  We still follow it in spite of what we are what we have.  We all know that the Filipinos are conservative and American is very liberated.  When we went in America will there culture by being liberated or culture of America makes us liberated.  Another example is when we celebrate Fiesta, as part of our culture we still celebrated it with food, litchon, fruits, and games etc. We do this not because we like, even if we don’t have money because it is our culture and part of our tradition.  “Culture is already a part of our lives and nothing will change it.” 

ME, MYSELF AND I

I know all of you did not know how cruel life being independent.  It is the hardest thing I have experience in my entire life and I am proud of it because it made me strong.  I will never forget this chapter that pass through in my life not only in my mind but also in my heart.

I am a working student and I’m employed for more than three years in a fast-food chain in Libis, Quezon City.  My life is like an air pot, full of pressures, in our house, in my work, in school and even in my relationship with other people.  I can’t stop thinking of what will happen if one of my responsibilities and obligation has ended or stop here.  Does my future end in what I don’t expect?  Does my conscience find me at the end of the road and tell me that there are so many opportunities have been wasted because of giving up in life and ask me if this will be the end?  And I think it’s not…

My journey started when I realized that education is indeed the best treasure that parents can give to their children, but what if your parents doesn’t know the implication of having a degree. 

When I was in elementary my grandmother visited us in Antipolo and I found out that she is a grade school teacher in Albay, Bicol.  She’s become my inspiration to fight and face all the obstacles and problems that come my way.  That’s why even though I am now three years older to my classmates; I show them how eager I am to finish my studies and have a degree, especially when my grandmother died last year.  When she died, I started thinking again on why this thing happened to me?  That of all the people, why she? I even questioned God’s inequality. 

Then I suddenly realized that I didn’t question God when he gave me a perfect life.  When I still in grade school, I was enrolled in an exclusive school in Antipolo.  My father is working then as a successful manager in one of the biggest and respectable company in town.  We are the perfect picture of a happy family.  We owned our house; we have an expensive car, a good school, lot of toys, nice dress and everything we want.  And yet forgot thanking God for all those blessings.

I was in grade 6 when my father lost his job because of his pride, from a manager he become a tricycle driver.  He started to sell our appliances while my mother still trying to cope up with our everyday needs. Because of the financial problem that our family encountered me and my other siblings forced to live with my grandmother in the province.  We started to lose our trust to my father because of what he did to our family. 

After a year when all the hopes are gone, my father was hired by a business millionaire.  That businessman let my father handle one of his businesses.  My father bring us back to Antipolo to make our family complete once again.  I am very glad to what my father did this time, everything’s went back to normal but there’s one thing did not change… his pride,  the pride that almost destroy our family, the family that he and my mom build. 

I just want to share how hard being a working student.  A student in the morning and an ordinary worker at night.