The Augustinian Mirror, May 2010

Table of Contents Editorial: Ending the Double Standards......................................... 1 society: Tawaran sa Bangketa at Kwentong Vendor sa Kalsada..... 2 National elections: The PCOS, the Votes and the Change....... 4 Society: Sa Kandungan ng Lansangan............................................ 6 nationalism: Nationalism Won’t Do................................................ 8 TRENDS: Facebook: The New Vice.................................................... 10 POLITICS: The Church and the State in an Augustinian Perspective... 12 eMPLOYMENT: The Boon and Bane in Nursing................................. 14 GOVERNANCE: Liecel’s Dream.......................................................... 17 elections: Educating Voters............................................................ 20 PEACE AND ORDER: Elusive Peace................................................. 21 ECO-TOURISM: Life in the Wild at the Mari-it Wildlife

Conservation Park..................................................... 22

WOMEN: Of Failing Dreams and Unexpected Gifts:

The Pitfalls of Teen Pregnancy............................................ 23

ARTS AND CULTURE: Memories of Tanghal and Tarangban............. 26 Environment: Your Way: It Doesn’t Count...................................... 28 VALEDICTION: Isang Pamamaalam................................................... 30

And the Journey Goes On........................................................ 31

Awit ng Bagong Umaga: Isang Matamis na Handumanan....... 34

photo collage.............................................................................. 36

About the cover

The cover photo depicts an innocent street child sleeping soundly in the busy streets of Iloilo City in the midst of loud vehicles and passers by. Like this little boy, the Filipino nation has survived so many hardships and challenges throughout its history. As a new set of leaders are going to assume governance this year, it is hoped by many that special attention would be given to the country’s neglected youth, especially in terms social services such as healthcare and quality public education for the poor.

Evidently, many Filipinos have taken this year’s historic elections seriously in their aspiration for change in government and a better future. These hopes do not only focus on leadership alone but also on the quest of winning the battle against poverty and social inequality. In this issue of The Augustinian Mirror, we would like to reveal the dreams and struggles of a nation aspiring for social transformation.

EDITORIAL STAFF

A.Y. 2009-2010 2nd Semester

Pietros Val Patricio Jefferson Magbanua Editors-in-Chief Donna Isabelle Fresnido Managing Editor Aljun Padisio Ray Adrian Macalalag Mia Rose Emboltura Associate Editors Emmanuel Barcelona Ronald Sorrilla Senior Writers Josefa Maria Castro Diam Queenie Permocillo Josh Von Iron Tondo Mary Leslie Eregia Staff Writers Quezzy Claire Pedregosa Bombette Marin Jigger Latoza Contributors Noel de Leon Staff Photographer Nicole Fernan Caminian Staff Artist Sheena Capindo Circulation Officer Erwin Sustento Moderator

The Augustinian Mirror is the official student magazine of the University of San Agustin. It is published once every semester by the USA Publications with editorial office at the 2nd Floor, Alumni Hall, University of San Agustin, Brgy.

San Agustin, Gen. Luna St., 5000 Iloilo City. Comments, suggestions, and contributions may be sent to the Editorial Board through the email address pubpipol@usa.edu.ph.

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Editorial Ending the Double Standards

T

oday’s young people are more aware than ever of the social, economic, and environmental problems affecting the way they live. But even if there has been a recent call for greater involvement by young people in helping to address those problems, few adults seem to have accepted the youth as having the desire or ability to make significant contributions.

We believe the youth should be empowered as equal partners in community decision making. However, more often than not, the degree of involvement by young people in decision making is subject to what we call a double standard for youth involvement.

We in The Augustinian Mirror believe that citizens must get involved early in the decision making phases of program development. While this allows citizens to decide on what to do, many societies or institutions only involve volunteers in carrying out the work to be done, long after many of the decisions have already been made.

We fear that our culture doesn’t treat adults and the youth

the same way with regard to involvement in making decisions - whether crucial or not. While adults seem to be involved in decision making from the start, the youth aren’t often involved until implementation of the program.

We need to involve youth throughout all of the development process of decision making. Such involvement not only improves the accuracy of programming decisions, but provides the youth with meaningful experiences that foster positive growth.

Feeling no power to make an impact on one’s environment leads to learned irresponsibility. Learned irresponsibility, in turn, has been suggested to manifest itself through helplessness, defiant rebellion against authority, negative peer subcultures, and the narcissism of an affluent generation lacking a sense of social responsibility.

Learned irresponsibility results from a lack of experience in accepting consequences for decisions and actions. As opposed to the contemporary view that children must be taught to be obedient and follow instructions of elders, our culture suggests that personal autonomy and responsibility are best taught by sharing values and models for action but providing “opportunities to learn and to make choices without coercion.” Although the opportunity to make choices is a significant learning opportunity in its own right, we must also allow the youth to accept the consequences of their decisions and actions. Allowing for successes and failures reinforces the notion of accepting responsibility for decisions and actions.

Phrases like “preparing the youth as future citizens” and other patronizing language are often used to justify youth involvement. However, such language implies that young people aren’t currently citizens and can’t contribute now. This way of thinking suggests real contributions are deferred until adulthood and limited participation is valuable practice for adulthood. Adults who subscribe to this idea of involvement, although altruistic in nature, don’t recognize the full range of potential contributions by youth.

There is virtually no limit to what young people - with appropriate education, training, and encouragement - can do, no social need they cannot meet. We reiterate: Young people are essential resources and society needs their active involvement as citizens.

True youth-adult partnerships exist when the contributions of young people are seen as having value in the present, and not as practice for adulthood. Such a partnership acknowledges that decision-making roles can be shared by young people and adults.

Often, subscribing to and practicing such a mentality will mean significant shifts must be made in our beliefs and assumptions about the youth in general. And these shifts should begin now. Let us no longer practice double standards for youth involvement.

The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 1

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Tawaran sa Bangketa at Kwentong Vendor sa Kalsada

By Mia Rose Emboltura

M

ahilig akong maglibut-libot sa ibat-ibang lugar lalo na kapag nagiisa lang ako at walang magawa sa bahay. Pinagmamasdan ko ang mga tao - ang kanilang mga ginagawa, emosyon at kinaugalian. Kung maswerteng makakita ng mga hindi kaaya-ayang kaganapan sa kalye (gaya ng babaeng nadulas dahil hindi tumutingin sa dinadaanan at batang naglalaway dahil nahulog ang ice cream niya), patago akong natatawa. Ngunit ang pyesang ito’y hindi nakakatawa.

Dugo, Pawis at Laway

Masikip. Matao. Mainit. Maingay.

Mausok at kadalasa’y mabaho. Buong araw silang tayo’t upo, nakikipag-kumpetensiya sa sari-saring ingay na kung saan-saan nagmumula para makuha lang ang atensyon ng mga nagdadaanang mamimili. Panay rin ang ayos nila ng mga panindang pinaka2 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

iingatan matapos halukayin ng mamimiling na sa huli’y hindi naman pala bibili. Ganito ang pangkaraniwang karanasan ng mga tindera sa kalye. Dugo, pawis at laway ang puhunan nila sa pagbebenta sa bangketa at gilid ng kalsada.

Istilo sa Bangketa’t Kalsada Mula sa pinakasosyal, medyo sosyal at hindi kasosyalang lugar, hindi nawawala ang mga sidewalk vendors. Minsan nga’y tulaktulak pa nila ang kanilang kariton na kanila namang hinihila pauwi tuwing bumabagyo’t kumikidlat at may papalapit na pulis na tila huhulihin sila.

Yaong mga may lakas ng loob na magtayo ng tolda sa bangketa man o kalsada gaya ng nakapanayam kong si Kuya Pabs ay nanalig na lamang sa Diyos na hindi nitong pababayang masira ng malakas na hangin at ulan ang toldang pinatayo nila. Ayon

pa kay Kuya Pabs, minsan kung masira ang kanilang tolda, nilalatag lamang nila ang sako at banig sa sidewalk na tila mga kabuteng nagsusulputan sa umaga’t gabi kasama ang mga panindang borloloy, gulay, prutas, gamit para sa cellphone at mga damit at panloob na kasuotan.

May mga toldang napapalamutian ng makukulay at samu’t saring tsitsirya, kendi, chewing gum, yosi at marami pang iba na kung oras na nang pagliligpit ay nagmimistulang papel na pwedeng tikluptiklupin sa kahit anumang paraan. Walang palya at kumpleto sa rikados ika nga; iba’t ibang pagkain at paninda walang lusot pati palamuti mula ulo hanggang paa.

Ang ibang nagtitinda’y nagbibisekleta naman para makapwesto’t makapaglako ng paninda kahit saan, umulan man o uminit nang matindi.

Nagiging makulay ang ating mga kalye

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?Society dahil sa mga street vendors, lalo na kapag inoobserbahan natin ang kanilang istilo sa pagtitinda. Mapa-kariton man, tolda o bisikleta’y magiliw pa rin, may ngiti sa mukha’t nakakapanghikayat. Lahat ng magagandang katangiang ito’y nadadala nila mula sa kanilang mga bahay patungong bangketa o kalsada.

“Cool” ka lang Gayunpaman, hindi lahat ay natutuwa sa kanila.

May naiirita rin sa sobrang pamimilit ng paninda na mukha namang hindi na matutumbasan ang halaga ng pera.

Ayon kay Kuya Pabs, pinagsasalitaan pa siya nang masama ng mga tao ngunit hindi niya sila pinapansin para huwag masira ang kanyang araw. “Cool” lang daw siya sa mga sitwasyong gaya nito.

Mayroon ding nayayamot o kaya’y naiinis sa matinding siksikan sa mga bangketa’t kalsada kaya’y nagsisigaw at nagagalit. Yung iba na sobrang high blood nagrereklamo naman sa mataas na presyo ng paninda.

Sa kabila ng kagiliwan at kainisang ito, hindi natin maikukubli ang ilang mahahalagang aral na dapat nama’y sumagi’t tumatak sa ating isip. Maging magiliw, kaaya-aya’t mabuti sa iba kahit saan ka man pumunta - isa lamang ito sa mga aral na aking maihahatid sa inyo gamit ang napagdaanan ko sa paglalakad sa kalsada at sa pagpunta sa bangketa.

Dala ng hilig kong makipag-usap sa iba’t ibang uri ng tao, sinubukan ko pang pumunta sa ilang matataong lugar dito sa lungsod at makinig sa ilang kwento ng mga matatawag nating yaman ng bangketa’t laman ng kalsada. Marami pa ang kagaya ni Kuya Pabs. Nakatirik rin ang kanilang tolda sa gilid ng kalsada, sa ilalim ng matinding sikat ng araw.

Maraming tumangging makipag-usap sa akin dahil sa sobrang pagpokus sa negosyo pero meron ding pumayag na mapanayam - sina Ate Marilou at Aling Tess. Dahil sa gusto kong makausap pa rin si Kuya Pabs, binalikan ko rin siya sa kanyang pwesto.

Mahirap at Malaya Hindi madali ang buhay vendor.

Sabi nga ni Ate Marilou na nagbibenta ng accessories, bago pa man lubusang sumilip si haring araw, kailangan handa na siyang umarangkada papuntang bangketa.

Pagdating doon, naghahanda na siya ng kanyang paninda at kung hindi man, dapat makabili siya ng mga ititinda niya.

Kadalasan, nagsisimula siyang mag-ayos ng paninda alas sais pa lamang ng umaga at natatapos ng alas diyes.

Ano naman ang kinaiinisan ni Ate Marilou? Ang tawaran sa presyo ng kanilang paninda na akala ng ila’y hiningi lang ang mga ito sa pinagkumprahan. Mahirap din para sa iba sa kanila ang mag palipat-lipat ng lugar. Merong ilalagay sila sa iisang lugar ngunit hindi naman puntahan ng tao.

“Ti sin-o pa sina didto ang mabakal kay wala tawo? Mabudlay gid ya,” sabi pa ni Aling Tess. Ayon kay Aling Tess, pinakamahirap sa lahat ang mga kakumpitensya. Hindi sila maaring mawala.

Hindi naman pwedeng ikaw lang mag-isa ang magbebenta ng ganoong uri ng paninda.

Mayroong nag-aagawan ng pwesto at hindi nagkakasundo sa presyo.

“Pareho abi nga ibaligya mo ang imo prutas sa tag kwarenta ang kilo tapos iya ya, ibaligya lang niya sa tag trenta y singko. Ti paano na bi kay tuparay lang kami. O, kundi, mabais lang gid kami,” dagdag pa niya.

Kahit mahirap, mainam parin naman ang may ganitong uri ng trabaho. Ayon kay Ate Marilou, “Diri ya, wala ka amo. Wala may maakig sa imo kung ano ubrahon mo. Kapagusto ka kung maano ka kay ti wala man may gabantay sa imo. Mabakal mo kung ano gusto mo kag indi tanto ka kapoy.”

kanilang mga anak at ang makaahon sa kinasasadlakang kahirapan.

Mga Aral Mula sa Kalye Kailangang maging madiskarte at matiyaga sa negosyo. Maging mabuti sa mga kustomer lalo na sa mga suki. Dapat matutong humawak ng pera at pahalagahan ang tunay nitong halaga.

Street vendor man kung ituring, hindi basta-basta ang mga aral mula sa kanila.

Ayon pa kay Ate Marilou, “Hindi por que vendor kami, naba na panulok sa amon sang iban nga tawo. Kay vendor kami, low profile kuno kami, pero wala lang sila kabalo nga ang iban nakapatapos man sa kolehiyo kag may ara gani nga naga milyonaryo.”

Sa mga naging pahayag ng aking mga nakilala sa kalye, sa kabila ng hirap ng buhay, bakas sa kanilang mukha ang pagiging kontento. Ayos na ang nakararaos sa pang-araw-araw at naibibigay ang pangangailangan ng pamilya. Ikaw kaya, subukan mong lumingon sa iyong kaliwa at kanan, hindi ba’t may makikita kang gaya nila? Huwag natin silang sukatin sa abot lamang ng ating mga paningin. Huwag magulat kung may magtatanong sa inyo: “To, day, mabakal kamo?”

Pangarap sa Bangketa

Sa buong araw nilang pagiging abala, naiisip din nila ang salitang pangarap. Libre lang ang mangarap, ika nga nila. Kung tutuusin, ito na nga lang muna ang pinakamainam nilang gawin habang patuloy sila sa pagsikhay. Sa pamamagitan nito, sila (pati na rin tayo) ay pansamantalang nakakaahon sa lupang naglilibing sa atin sa kawalan.

Gaya ni Kuya Pabs na dating kusinero at ngayo’y nagtitinda ng prutas, “Ang handom ko lang ang mapatapos ko ang akon mga kabataan kay sila ang akon yaman sa ulihi. Kayti nagakayod man kita para sa aton pamilya.” Ganito kasimple ang kanilang pangarap ang mapagtapos sa pag-aaral ang The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 3

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

The PCOS, the Votes and the Change An analysis of the May 10, 2010 elections

By JEFFERSON MAGBANUA

A

ko ang simula ng pagbabago.

Ang boto ko i-papatrol ko. On May 10, 2010, the Filipino voters demonstrated just what they thought would be for their betters – voting for new leaders whom they think could realize change.

Way back to the time the automated elections were proposed, solons, so-called IT experts, businessmen, activists and the candidates themselves screamed foul on the new system, saying that the first automated elections in Southeast Asia would fail.

There were warnings of how the basic software if the computers could be “programmed” for certain politicalwannabes to produce results in favor for them – this in exchange of cash or other privileges for the computer technicians. Talk was rife that the illiterate and old people would have big difficulty in shading the “hugis itlog na mga bilog” (egg-shaped circles) and feeding 4 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

their ballots into a PCOS machine that would either validate or invalidate their votes.

And, when, just several days before we had the elections, some 76,000 precinctspecific compact flash cards produced discrepancies from the test votes, all the naysayers raised their voices in confusion and in trouble, adding to the foul words they have thrown earlier. Add to this cloud of negativity the common factors of political violence in so-called electoral hot spots, rampant vote-buying and intimidation by private armed groups and rebels.

And, yet, as the dawn of May 10 came, voters turned away for their usual habit of leaving things fo the last minute and trooped early to the poll precincts. It was the deluge of people, many of them told to “come early and avoid the crowds,” that created the long lines and congestion in the precincts that was the most heard – and most loudly aired

– complaint on Election Day. Although some blogging sites and media men flooded their outlets with complaints about the heat, the long queues, the interminable wait and the frustration caused by PCOS machines jamming papers and shutting down, notably, no manifestation of a civil uprising or a mini-version of People Power came.

Positive experience Even if the media for most part chose to focus on the glitches attending transmission, from malfunctioning modems to misaligned satellites, no one could deny that the first reports of vote totals were a clear contrast to the painful silence that Filipinos had to endure in the first few days after an election.

By late evening, local candidates were already proclaimed and it was clear that

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

National Elections with vote totals coming in just few hours after the close of polls, it would have been extremely difficult for anyone to massage the results or produce fraudulent totals of a massive scale.

Despite the prophets of doom and failure, the pooh-poohing of the ordinary Filipino’s intelligence and dedication, and over-zealous protectiveness of foreign observers, the Election Day proved on the whole a positive experience for everyone.

Of course, we should remember those who were killed in election related-violence, and go after goons and vote-buyers (which are rampant in Iloilo and elsewhere), and their patrons. But it is an unforgettable fact that when the times called for us to be courageous and perseverant, patient and confident, we didn’t evade the call and even managed to have a good time.

Fair and credible elections When the unofficial partial results of the first automated elections were released, the Filipino people, especially, the media, were stunned. The quick count by the automated election system seemed to be a success to many, restoring the credibility and integrity of the Philippine elections as a foundation of democracy and as a process that insures a nonviolent method of regular leadership change.

With the new system of elections, politicians can no longer manipulate the numbers in tally sheets and steal ballot boxes. However, the automation is not the end-all, be-all of having fair and credible elections. Much is to be attributed to the teachers and technicians who risked, protecting the sanctity of the ballots. The numbers this time are more accurate.

Evidently, there were also less complaints of election fraud or cheating – a sign that losers in the elections could not do anything if the people no longer trust them. So, even if traditional politicians can still bribe the voters with their cheap PhP200, PhP500 or PhP1,000 bills, they could not do anything if the people will not vote for them and much more that they could not do anything to change the results of the polls.

The “Yellow victory” The first automated elections in the country saw yellow votes sweeping across the archipelago, from the northernmost to the southernmost. (Yellow is Aquino’s symbolic color).

The broad scope of the Aquino landslide is shown by the returns from all the 17 regions of the country. Results mapped by the Comelec’s partner, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), showed that Aquino won in 13 regions, while his closest rival, Joseph Estrada, won in only four.

Aquino won by miles in most of the vote-rich regions and in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Partial and unofficial results from the PPCRV showed Aquino beating his closest rivals Estrada, Manuel Villar and Gilbert Teodoro in Metro Manila, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Region I (Ilocos), Region III (Central Luzon), Region IV-A (Calabarzon), Region V (Bicol), Region VI (Western Visayas), Region VII (Central Visayas), Region VIII (Eastern Visayas), Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula), Region XII (Caraga), and the ARMM. The landslide victory of Aquino (who garnered 41.80 percent of the votes as of

this writing) is a strong manifestation of the powerful anti-Arroyo sentiment. From this point-of-view, Aquino’s landslide victory is arguably a dramatic expression of a strong undercurrent of the anti-Arroyo vote, rejecting the terrible performance of her administration and conveying the people’s outrage to have a new leader who can bring spectacular changes in the nation.

Having won more than 40 percent of the votes, Aquino was close to becoming the first majority president the Philippines ever had for years. Estrada, who was president in 1998 to 2001, only had 39 percent plurality votes when he first ran for presidency in 1998.

Rebirth, renewal In the May 10, 2010 elections, we re-established the integrity in our electoral process. We have proven to the rest of the world that with honest polls, we have the capacity to use our electoral system as a tool in national renewal and to rescue our country from the hands of iron leaders who want to run a backward democracy.

The abovementioned has been the most significant result of the May 10 elections, more significant than the grain of hope that saw expression in Aquino’s landslide win.

That landslide will give Aquino enormous legitimacy and political capital to undertake comprehensive social change, an opportunity not presented to any post-war president.

Sources: www.gmanews.tv www.inquirer.net http://l.yimg.com http://d.yimg.com

The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 5

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Sa Kandungan ng Lansangan

By Diam Queenie Permocillo

H

anggang saan ba ang magagawa ng iyong barya? Nalakbay na ba nito ang maruruming palad ng mga batang lansangan? Nakalaan na ba ang iyong barya pambili ng kendi, sigarilyo, pamasahe sa dyip o para sa tambak na photocopies sa 4th of July? Makakapag-Farmville ka ba sa Facebook at five-day unlimited call kung iipunin mo mula sa iyong pitaka ang iyong kumakalansing na barya? Malamang, ilang hilera pa ng piso ang sasagi sa isip mo bago mo masagot ang tanong ko.

Ayon sa United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) ay mayroong tatlong uri ng mga batang lansangan. Ang unang grupo’y

6 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

binubuo ang mga batang kusang lumayo sa kanilang pamilya at mas piniling mamuhay nang mag-isa sa lansangan. Ito ang mga batang nakakaranas ng pang-aabuso at hindi nakadama ng kalinga at pagmamahal ng kanilang pamilya. Pangalawa ay ang mga batang kumikita sa pamamagitan ng pagtratrabaho o pamamalimos. Sila ang bumubuhay at sumusuporta sa kanilang mga sarili, gayunpaman, ay mayroon pa ring pamilya na mauuwian. Ang panghuling pangkat ay ang mga batang itinuring ng tirahan ang lansangan kasama ang buong pamilya. Ang dumaraming bilang ng mga batang lansangan ay isang pangunahing

suliranin ng ating bayan at ang pangunahing ugat nito ay ang kahirapang hanggang sa ngayon ay hindi pa nalulunasan. Kung susubukang unawain, biktima lamang sila kung sila’y ituring na pabigat sa ating lipunan.

Sina Ramil (apat na taong gulang), Badyaw (pitong taong gulang) na magkapatid at ang kanilang kaibigan na si Damal (limang taong gulang) ay magkakasamang napadpad sa lungsod ng Iloilo mula sa bayan ng Culasi, Zamboanga. Magkakasama nilang hinarap ang kapalaran dito matapos silang sumama sa isang grupo ng kabataang nanlilimos din lulan ng isang barko patungo

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?Society sa Iloilo. Sila ay nagkahiwa-hiwalay nang makarating at naiwang magkakasama ang tatlong ito. Ulila sa magulang at walang masasandalang kamag-anak, ang lansangan ang nagsilbing tahanan nila sa loob ng sampung buwan. Kung paano sila nabubuhay sa kanilang araw-araw na pakikibaka? Tanging ang palad nilang dinadapuan ng barya ang nagsisilbing pagasa nilang makaraos, sa mga katagang, “pambili ng pagkain.” Bilad sa init ng araw at walang masisilungan tuwing tag-ulan, ang kakarampot na baryang kanilang natatangap ang tanging ligaya nilang nalalasap.

Si Benjie, trese anyos na tubong Quezon City at kasalukuyang naninirahan sa Ezperanza Street, Iloilo City ay ulila sa ama sa edad na siyam na taong gulang at tuluyang iniwan ng kanyang inang nagpakasal sa isang Muslim sa Mindanao.

Mas mapalad si Benjie kaysa kina Badyaw dahil mayroon pa siyang matatawag na “pamilya” na kumakalinga at nagpapa-aral sa kanya. “Sang 2005 ako di ginpadala ni lola kay tito kag siya ang gapa-eskwela sa akon subong, grade six na ako. Ang manghod ko, nabilin kay Lola sa Tandang Sora [Manila].”

Sa kabila nito ay patuloy pa rin sa pag-inog ang kanyang buhay sa lansangan.

Sa paglubog ng araw, pagpatak ng ala-sais impunto, pagkagaling niya mula sa paaralan ay nagsisimula na ang kanyang mga paang tahakin ang Kalye Jalandoni at mamalimos sa mga taong dumadaan. Sampung piso hanggang bente ang kadalasan niyang kinikita. “Bisan pigado, kag mabudlay kay kung kis-a wala may gahatag, basta may maidugang lang ako sa balon ko,[mageskwela] malipay na ako,” aniya ni Benjie.

Isang juice at supot ng pandesal ang sukli ng buong gabing pamamalimos niya sa kalsada, hindi alintana ang anumang kapahamakang sa kanya ay nag-aabang.

“Mabudlay man mamalimos kay kung gab-e basi masal-an ka nga kawatan sa dalan,” dagdag niya. Naranasan na rin niyang mamasura at sumama sa ibang batang namamalimos at nagru-rugby. Dito niya napagdaanan kung gaano kasakit ang mabugbog at malamangan sa kita ng mga kasama.

Sa murang edad ni Benjie ay natutunan na niyang makibaka at pasanin ang sariling kahulugan ng kahirapan. Kung ipagtatanto, walang sinumang bata ang nanaising suungin ang gawain ng panglilimos kung

mayroon lamang silang buhay na kahit papaano’y maginhawa. “Pigado gid ang amun pangabuhi, maayo na ang may makaon kami sa matag-adlaw. Maayo man kung may gahatag, pasensyahanay lang kung wala,intindihan ko man nga ang iban pigado man,” pagsusumamo ni Benjie.

Gamit ang pira-pirasong basahan, ang magkapatid na sina Joy-joy at Martin, pito at limang taong gulang ay matiyagang nagpupunas ng mga naka-parking na sasakyan sa Kalye Gen. Luna kasama ang kanilang tiyuhin. Pagkagaling mula sa paaralan ay sa lansangan na ang kanilang sunod na destinasyon. Kung ihahambing, ay higit silang mapalad sapagkat mayroon silang mga magulang na kumakayod bilang mga street vendors sa bangketa.

Naging isang napakahalagang parte na ng kanilang pamumuhay ang lansangan, dahil sa biyaya nito natutustusan nila ang kanilang pangangailangan.

Ang kumakalam na sikmura ang pangunahing sinasagip ng mga baryang kanilang natatanggap. Ito ang bumubusog sa gutom ng kanilang mga bituka. Ngunit ang limos ng barya ay hindi sapat upang mapunan nito ang paglago ng kanilang pagkatao. Naiwaksi sa isip ang panganib ng mabangis na lunsod at ang nagbabadyang kapabayaan sa edukasyon. Sa halip na ang mga paa’y maihakbang patungo sa paaralan, sa lansangan sila ay nakiki-awit kasabay sa tunog ng barya na sa kanila ay

tila musika. “Kung wala ako gapanglimos, tani ga-eskwela ako maayo subong,” wika ni Benjie.

Tulad ng ibang bata, mayroon din silang binuong pangarap sa lansangan. Nais ni Benjie na maging kapitan ng isang barko, si Joy-joy bilang isang magaling na guro at Martin bilang isang bihasang doktor. Ilan lamang sila sa maraming batang lansangan na mayroong simpleng pagpapakahulugan na kahit hindi sinlinaw ng tubig ang naghihintay sa kanilang kapalaran ay mayroon pa ring piraso ng pag-asang balang araw ay magbabago ang kanilang buhay. Sana nga’y may pagkakataon pang mahawakan nila ang kanilang buhay ng tama. Maituro sa kanila ang wastong daan.

Maitama ang pagkakamali sa kanilang kapalaran at magamot ang sugat na dala ng mga karanasan.

Kung para sa iba, ang bawat sentimo ay pinaghihirapan, ang bawat patak ng tubig ay mahalaga, papaano pa kaya ang buhay na mas lalong walang kapara? Higit sa anupaman, hindi lamang barya ang kanilang kailangan, ang pakikisimpatya at ang pagkilala sa kanilang karapatan bilang tao, ang intindihin at tulungang gawing makabuluhan ang kanilang buhay ang mas higit nilang kailangan. Ang makalaya sa tanikalang nagbibigkis sa kanila sa kandungan ng lansangan ang tangi nilang hanap. Ito ang limos na hinihiyaw nila, higit pa sa kumakalansing na barya.

The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 7

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

“The abiding purpose of every nationalist is to secure more power and prestige, not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has to chosen to sink his own individuality.”

-George Orwell

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

-John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

Nationalism Won’t Do

By DONNA ISABELLE FRESNIDO

T

he symbol of empires is very simple: an axe and rods bound tightly together with rope—this is the fasces. It means to impress the values of solidarity and unity upon the subjects of empire. No one is meant to question the empire, to doubt the empire, to consider dissent, or to even consider one’s self an individual.

The will of the axe is the will of the emperor, the will of the rods is the will of the people. One cannot exist without the other. It is no small matter then, that the aspect of empires is the eagle. They say it stands for the greatest heights man could achieve, excelsior—yet, for these heights to exist, the excelsior must become a predator. All empires are predators. They are the precedents of the phenomena that shares the same attitudes and objectives, nationalism.

8 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

Conquer and subjugate Nationalism is not, and will never be, patriotism. Patriotism is a defensive devotion to protect a way of life or a particular place; it has no ambition to impose that way of life or increase the borders of that particular place. Nationalism, on the other hand, cannot exist without an aggressive desire for power. The world is instantly turned into a them-or-us situation, where everything is a dog eat dog competition. The nationalist has only one agenda, which is to conquer and subjugate all that is seen.

Setting the tone Nationalism, in turn, set the tone that fascism and communism will follow.

Fascism itself is an apparent eventuality, with its name directly taken from the imperial fasces. Both subjugate the individual in

favor of a nationalist ideology. Both are imperialistic and aggressively expansionist.

Both are driven by a manifest destiny. Both are buttressed by uniformity in thought, word, and action. Both are purely racist in spirit.

Fascism gave us the Holocaust, the murder of 11 to 17 millions ethnic Poles, Romani, Soviet civilians, Soviet prisoners of war, people with disabilities, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and other political and religious opponents along with the Jews. Where did the word Nazism or Nazi come from anyway? Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, or the National Socialist German Worker’s Party. The Nazis were Nationalist Socialists.

Communism gave us the Ukrainian Genocide. Stalin deliberately starved the Ukrainian people from 1932 to 1933

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Nationalism because of the Ukrainian people’s national consciousness. This consciousness threatened the power of the Soviet Union, a threat Stalin decided to purge. No one knew it was happening when it happened.

Walter Duranty lied about it and received a Pulitzer for his efforts. Those that heard about it wouldn’t believe it. For every concentration camp Hitler made for the Jew, Stalin built one for the landowning Ukrainians in Siberia.

Painfully home If Europe wasn’t enough, nationalism hit painfully home. It began with the Japanese invasion, the same racist Yamato imperialists who subjugated and oppressed the aboriginal Ainu of Hokkaido. It was the Japanese who first instituted the use of Tagalog as a national language, a medium for them to propagate the same ultranationalist principles espoused by the same war-thirsty parliament that ordered the cowardly assault on Pearl Harbor to buttress their establishment of an Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere with Japan as its de facto center.

Filipino fuehrer Shortly thereafter, we encountered Ferdinand Marcos, the same Marcos who styled himself a Filipino fuehrer. His slogan, Isang bansa, isang diwa, mirrored Hitler’s own Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer! His New Society was an exact copy of Hitler’s own Hitlerjugend. Marcos even tried to reenact the invasion of Poland with his eyes greedily set on Sabah. The Jabidah Massacre was the sin that would come from this nationalist greed.

He had eager, young Muslim men trained for the eventual invasion. When news of it leaked, he had them all systematically killed. The survivors fled to Ninoy Aquino; some began the Armed Muslim Secessionist movements.

For our Muslim brothers, the Jabidah Massacre was the last straw on the sore wound they have been nursing ever since the Bates treaty was mildly ignored and then ultimately forgotten. Marcos fell.

Residues Even now, despite the bridging of differences through globalization, we still face the residues left by these evils. The provincial and the Muslim

are still second class citizens in their own country. Their cities and urban centers are seen as backwater towns beyond the peripheral myopia of Metro Manila. For the apathetic Filipino, nationalism merely means having a national language, a national dress, a national flower, a national tree – all uniform, all painfully designed to make every Ilonggo, Waray, Bicolano, etc. fit the capital’s mold of a Filipino.

The spirit and the language of our forefathers—Hiligaynon, Butuanon, Kinaray-a, Ivatan, Ilocano, Cebuano, and etc—are held inferior to Tagalog/Filipino despite their wide proliferation among the urban centers.

Our society exists on herd mentality, conformity, and superstition. How can a democracy be real if the basic unit of society is not the learned individual?

The future requires otherwise, and this is why nationalism just won’t do.

The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 9

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

: the new vice

By Josh Von Iron Tondo and Josefa Maria Castro

D

rugs, liquors and cigarettes have been recurring vices throughout history and many eyes have passed judgment on them. It is inevitable to see hoards of students engaging in these as something they cannot live without. Those vices, however, have proved to be uncontrollable in a way because it is the very nature of a vice to be addictive. Now, the millennium has embraced these and yet again comes another vice from the infamous dotcom era. Luckily, in the infancy of the social networking phenomenon, it is Facebook that we now consider as our new vice.

While a student at Harvard University, Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook (FB).

The website’s membership was initially limited by the founders to Harvard students, but was expanded to other colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, and Stanford University and was later expanded further to include any university student, then high school students, and, finally, the whole world.

The world is very grateful for the advent of FB. In certain ways, it has made life easier, being a complete package that enables blogging, chatting, advertising, enjoying the different applications, engaging in online businesses and a whole lot more.

The wonders that FB can offer seem endless and is only limited to what people demand for it to contain.

But the sad part is that most of the students’ time and productivity are oftentimes forfeited in order to give way to “harvesting” crops on Farmville or butchering enemies on Mafia wars. The status quo would suggest that students without an FB account are considered to be social outcasts, or cyber outcasts, for that matter. It may be difficult to admit, but the truth is, FB is too entertaining.

Looking at the figures, we would see the cosmic number of Facebook users as they lead FB to world domination. It is astounding to see how active people are on the said site.

10 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

According to the Facebook Press Room more than 400 million are active users all over the world and 50% of which log on to Facebook in any given day. You think that’s a jaw-dropper? Get a load of this: • More than 35 million users update their status each day.

• More than 60 million status updates posted each day.

• More than 3 billion photos uploaded to the site each month.

• More than 5 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) shared each week.

• More than 3.5 million events created each month.

• More than 3 million active Pages on Facebook.

• More than 1.5 million local businesses have active Pages on Facebook.

• More than 20 million people become fans of Pages each day.

• Pages have created more than 5.3 billion fans.

• Average user has 130 friends on the site.

User Growth - Facebook Philippines

• Average user sends 8 friend requests per month.

• Average user spends more than 55 minutes per day on Facebook.

• Average user clicks the Like button on 9 pieces of content each month.

• Average user writes 25 comments on Facebook content each month.

• Average user becomes a fan of 4 Pages each month.

• Average user is invited to 3 events per month.

• Average user is a member of 13 groups.

These facts may not likely discourage students or slackers from using (or abusing?)

Facebook, but these may lead company owners into mulling the cutting off of Facebook connections from their offices.

In Australia alone, the economy lost around $6 billion in the year 2007 due to wasted productivity. This happened because Facebook has taken 90% of internet browsing of employees.

Some sources conclude that more or less 2.6 million minutes are spent on Facebook

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?Trends

User Age Distribution - Facebook Philippines

Male/Female User Ratio - Facebook Philippines

Male/Female User Growth - Facebook Philippines

On the other hand, AllFacebook of Philippines-based users has it that around 611,000 to 612,000 Filipinos logon to Facebook everyday.

Majority of that are women and are in the age group18 to 34 years old. College students or yuppies at 18-24 years old dominate the numbers. The same age group dominates on the male segment as well.

The growth of Facebook users in the Philippines is still low in comparison to Friendster which has an estimated 13 million active users. Although it is growing noting that there were 489,420 users as of February 4 from 353,740 last November 27, 2008.

On Facebakers on the other hand, you can find daily updated Facebook Statistics from different Facebook countries. Here you will find that Philippines ranks eight on the list but still has its user growth in millions.

Based on all the numbers we’ve seen, it’s clear to us that Facebook is here to stay and will hopefully no longer be treated as a vice but as a social networking website, the real purpose why it was created in the first place. With that, it’s up to you to decide whether you choose to drain another 2 hours of your day sitting in front of your computer, waiting for another notification, or, to hit those books and log-in to FB after you’ve finished your homework.

each day and 233 million hours every month. This may seem impossible as there are only 1440 minutes in a day. But imagine ten companies with a total 400 employees for example. Given that each employee has1440 minutes each day, with more or less 480 minutes spent in the office, and the rest of the 960 minutes spent on FB, it won’t be impossible to waste as much - and this goes to all companies all over the world.

Now, why should we call FB a vice? The dictionary defines “vice” as an immoral or evil habit or practice or a particular form of depravity. Take note: practice, habit and depravity. With the given facts above, it is no question that Facebook’s yield of waste of time and productivity has become a practice and depravity. It is but fitting to categorize it as a vice.

In the Philippines, the number of Facebook users is also growing. You can find in the Facebook Statistics for Philippines that the Facebook users in Philippines amass to 11 526 080. 5 472 360 of these are male and 5 753 840 are female.

The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 11

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

The Church and the State in an Augustinian Perspective

By JEFFERSON MAGBANUA

T

he Church, which is referred to as the “people of God,” has the right to tackle issues related to elections.

As the “people of God,” the Church should secure that every citizen, Filipino or not, will be given what is due to him. To do this, the Church needs to be heard at all times – during elections or even in times of threats to the institution of elections.

In congruence to the ideas of Saint Augustine, the Church has the right to indulge itself in any issue using the grounds of faith and morals. Augustine argues that the Church guides people towards the Heavenly City, wherein they shall see and praise God. To achieve this end, Augustine points out that the Church should have an all-out participation in man-ran society for man to have a good spiritual end. Hence, the participation of the Church when it comes to issues wherein faith and morals are concerned, observed especially in the Philippines which is a predominantly Catholic nation.

In our country, the Church has been 12 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

vocal and participative when it comes to the morality of the actions of politicians up to the point of attacking their persons sometimes.

Evidently, the government, especially “those above” is pressured by the Church to act in accordance to the its wishes. That is why the Reproductive Health Bill and other bills wherein morality is in question have not been passed in Congress.

Putting the negativity aside, in our elections, the Church’s activism is always seen. Priests and bishops often comment on the morality of the doings of certain political candidates, the morality of the procedures undertaken during elections, and the righteousness of the platforms of these politician-wannabes. But why does the Church exercise such activism during elections? The answer: it only wants to preserve the purity of faith of the citizens and to inculcate in them the right sense of freedom which is doing what is good. In this case, the Church becomes a candle that lights the path of every Filipino citizen to be led to the truth by making use of faith and morals

as grounds. With this said, the Church has the moral obligation to tell voters to vote for the candidates with well-formulated and just platforms, without endorsing any name. The Church also has the duty to make sure that there are no cases of votebuying, violence, and the like to achieve its end of making the people obtain what is due to them, the best government service.

It should be understood that though the Church has that freedom to represent the interests of the “people of God,” its domain of participation in issues related to politics, or specifically, in elections, is limited only to issues on faith and morals. This means that the Church shall only comment on the morality of the actions of the candidates, the morality of the procedures observed in the elections, and the righteousness of the platforms of these politician-wannabes.

Using the ground of morality, once the Church finds the position of a certain political candidate or politician inconsistent or incongruent to its goals, it has the right to go against this to protect and preserve the

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?Politics purity of the faith in which it is founded upon.

In this case, the main goal of the Church is to make sure that all citizens are led to the light or to the truth through faith and morals.

But why participate in issues related to elections through grounds of faith and morals? It’s because only the Church can interpret and command solutions to questions related to faith and morals and these two become grounds for them to check whether there is upright and just political rule in the country. After all, their main goal here is to ensure that the needs of the people are taken care of by the politicians (whether in times of elections or not) or the government. This is basically what justice is and this is what the Church as an institution is concerned about it. Hence, they have the moral obligation to tell voters to vote for the candidates with well-formulated and just platforms, without endorsing any name. The Church also has the duty to make sure that there are no cases of votebuying, violence, and the like to achieve its end of making the people obtain what is due to them, the best government service.

Why should the Church be only concerned with questions on faith and morals during elections? Basically, questions on spirituality, values, and morals are dealt with by the Church while material or temporal needs of the citizens are the concerns of the state. There is a delineation between the duties of these institutions. Hence, the separation of Church and state. Though both their goals are to make the citizen reach his Ultimate End, they have different approaches in this as earlier mentioned. The Church cannot run the government and the government cannot run the Church for if they will do so, their functions will be entangled.

So, there is a strong tendency of having confusion as to how they should achieve

their common end. With this, the Church is left raising questions on the morality of actions or things in elections or in government but could not really act on these concerns.

After all, while the state makes sure that every Filipino citizen is provided his or her bodily needs; there is an institution (the Church) that takes care of the spiritual necessities of these people. As far as we Filipinos are concerned, it is tolerable and even logical that the state takes care of our earthly needs while the Church makes us desire what good is beyond this world. Such delineation emphasizes a division between the functions of the abovementioned institutions. And, such separation of functions provides man two ways to nourish himself, considering that he is by fact, body and soul.

Now, the larger question is this: is this involvement of the Church in elections a violation of the concept of the separation of Church and state? The two have separate functions and only if at least one of them goes beyond the grounds specified in their duties could we say that there is, to an extent, a violation of the concept of separation of Church and state. What specific instances prove that such violation exists? An example is when a priest endorses a politician in a mass for that politician to win more votes in elections. This is not acceptable because in this case, it is not befitting for the priest to use the grounds of faith and morals to endorse his choice during a mass. But if in any case such priest only manifests his support of a certain candidate while having conversations with a small group of friends, he no longer acting in his capacity as a priest but a citizen. Hence, in this event, he is allowed to speak of the person whom he shall vote to be in public office. It is imperative, therefore, that those who belong to the said institutions know how to limit themselves to the prescribed duties assigned to them and never go beyond those. This is to secure that the person that they are leading to the Ultimate End will never get confused in his way to the truth.

However, if asked which of the two institutions is more important, the answer is

that the Church and the state are equals in terms of priority on the part of the individual.

There should be no question on which of the two is more important for they have separate functions, though leading man to his very end – God. What should be a point of dispute always is whether these two institutions stick to their goals and duties. That is something that only the citizens could judge. The bottom line is this: The Church cannot run the government and the government cannot run the Church for if they will do so, their functions will be entangled and man would be confused in reaching his Ultimate End, the source of everything, God. Augustine’s theory in separation of Church and state is acceptable and applicable to the Philippine setting. All we have to do as citizens who are under the state and as “people of God” is to look after whether our functions are realized to lead ourselves and others to the common good.

The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 13

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

The Boon and Bane in Nursing

By Emmanuel Barcelona

N

ursing is a dynamic profession. It easily adapts to the changes brought about by the society. There are a lot of factors that contribute to the changes in society, one of the most common of which is science and technology.

Science and technology revolutionized health care both in the medical and nursing worlds. It permeated the accurate diagnosis of patient’s diseases leading to proper treatment and, eventually, recuperation.

On the side of nursing, quality care is rendered to its maximum level through research-based practice that yields patient satisfaction and limits the occurrence of malpractice. However, these changes also brought about certain difficulties in the 14 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

field of nursing. There are advances that improved nursing care standards and there are woes that plagued the profession -the boon and the bane of nursing.

The boon In order to prepare the Filipino nurse for the world, a new and better curriculum was developed alongside other new programs that will help the nurse to cope with the demands of the global community. These measures were supposed to produce a nurse well equipped with knowledge and skills required to work. There is the adoption of a more comprehensive and responsive BS Nursing curriculum with the inclusion of nursing informatics as a subject and recently,

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Employment

Evolving Nurse; nurses are now more active in the delivery of patient care.

in this university, the virtual laboratory is expected to boost the growth of the profession.

Digitalizing the nursing workforce In the hospitals, staff nurses document or chart the care rendered to the patient in old in decrepit-looking. In the age of information technology and advanced computers with intelligence surpassing that of man, nursing is adapted through the most recent trend in documenting patient carenursing informatics.

Nursing informatics is a new advancement, a growing trend abroad. No longer will the staff nurses make do with deformed metal charts and dog-eared news print when they document patient care.

Modern computers will replace these old instruments. Hence, there will be ease and accuracy which are important since the patient’s chart is a legal document that can be used to make or un-make a nurse in court litigations when sued.

Virtual laboratory Relate Learning experience (RLE)

or duty, in the nonprofessional’s term, is necessary in the training of would-be nurses.

During duty hours student nurses, such as me, function as if they are registered nurses. It is sad to note however that before we are exposed to hospitals I would like to admit that our training in our skills laboratory in the school is lacking, thus we are oftentimes caught in a nursing situation where we do not know how to perform. It is offensive that clinical instructors expect more from us, telling us that we were taught about that particular skill during our skills laboratory. We are to practice the skill directly on a human being without gaining a good grasp of the skill. The probability of committing a mistake is high and it might lead to injury for the part of the patient. I am very thankful that I haven’t experienced a major error that amounted to the debilitation of the patient.

This problem had been forseen by the Professional Regulation Commission which is why they recommended that there will be virtual laboratories in nursing schools or at least experience in a virtual laboratory.

Virtual laboratory is a program that will provide simulations of actual nursing situations commonly encountered in the hospital. There is one here in the University and I am glad that before I graduated I was able to learn how to manipulate IV infusion and syringe pumps, defibrillator, ECG machine and perform tracheostomy care, blood transfusion, CVP monitoring and other

nursing procedures I haven’t encountered in my two years of hospital exposure.

Dummies are used in the performance of ideal procedures and this is good since s student nurse can make as many mistakes as he or she can without doing damage. Aside from that, the student nurse can repeatedly practice on the dummy without worrying of any verbal assault and abuse from the patient. A virtual laboratory was specifically constructed as an actual hospital setting and here in the University a critical care unit.

Opportunities waiting abroad In January of this year, the Lippincott Publishing Company published the 2010 Nursing Career Directory. Included in this directory are specific work opportunities in the United States. Seven job prospects were cited, inclusing the positions of nurse instructors, private geriatric nurse, critical case manager, staff development specialist, clinical research coordinator, cyber instructor and forensic nursing. These are good fields to work in and it is good to know that though the US experiences recession there are still job opportunities for nurses.

Transcultural nursing has recently became a popular choice among nurses lately as the global community has became a small village in the process of globalization and the advent of the digital age. People tend to migrate more now than before and when they migrate they bring with them their culture and traditions relating to health and thus enter the transcultural nurse, who will

Virtual patients; dummies are used in virtual labs, so the risk of injury resulting to possible errors are absent.

The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 15

Quo Vadis, Filipinas? be caring for the patient without offending his or her customs and beliefs pertaining to health.

Other specialties that emerged these recent years are legal nurse consultant, nurse anesthetist and poison information specialist.

In a seminar I attended, the speaker claimed that in the US the only thing that separates nurses from doctors is performing surgery.

The bane So much for the bright side of nursing.

There are still problems yet unanswered.

The problem of nursing shortage and the oversupply of nurses throws the economy off-balance, aggravating the unemployment and underemployment woes plus the

16 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

looming brain drain phenomenon that devastated the profession. More and more nurses are produced each year whereas the employment opportunities are nil. This results in more nurses being underemployed or unemployed, forcing many nurses to abandon nursing in rotting hospitals for the enticing prospect of the call center industry.

This thought is saddening, but who can blame them when they have spent more or less half a million for their education, not counting the emotional and the physical cost of nursing?

Many had chosen nursing as a profession and not as a calling. I am guilty of that.

Who would want to work here if you will

earn less than what is specified by the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 and yet have fewer incentives? The wage of a nurse as specified in the said law is salary grade 15 equivalent to 24,857 pesos per month whereas the present salary is salary grade 11 equivalent only to half of salary grade 15. We are overworked and underpaid and we are only humans with bodies subject to wear and tear.

Increasing the salaries of nurses according to the Philippine Nurses Association and Alliance of Health Workers will help encourage our nurses to stay and serve here and help abate the looming health crisis. In 2003 about 85% of total Filipino nurses work abroad so how much are left and who are they? They are the young and inexperienced nurses who will provide lowquality nursing care because of their lack in experience.

The exodus of nurses has a great impact on our health care delivery system that we either fail to realize or we do not want to see. I would like to reiterate in defense of my colleagues that we cannot blame them, since they are humans they are also subject to the rudiments of human nature.

Yet another problem faced by the prestigious vocation of nursing is the understaffing and the poor quality of care. These are but symptoms of an underlying disease and this will not be solve unless the virus is pinned down and killed.

With those mentioned advances, are our nurses ready to take the international community and the global demands of care with the dismaying result of the recent board exam?

Perhaps the present status of nursing graduates boils down to nursing schools who honed them. Nursing schools mushroomed as the demands for nurses increased this decade and many of nursing schools do not conform with the standards of nursing education. A testament to that is the recent memorandum of the Professional Regulation Commission, citing the low performing schools who will be subjected for closure.

Closing down inept nursing schools may seem like cutting off one of Hydra’s heads – each time you try to eliminate a problem, it only increases. But we have to start somewhere if we want this country to hold the best nurses instead of watching skill and expertise slip through our fingers.

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Governance

Liecel’s Dream A confession of a true-blooded Augustinian leader

By Ronald Sorrilla

W

e all have the right to dream, no matter how impossible or absurd it may seem. It is free and no one can dictate what we wish to have or what we want to do.

For Liecel Mondejar-Seville, the mayor of New Lucena, Iloilo, dreams do come true as long as you steadfastly fasten your eyes on the elusive prize.

Duties of a mother If you ask Mayor Liecel, the duties of a mother come before that of a stateswoman.

A day has never complete without spending her time with her little angels Jocarl, 6 and Angela, 4. The tribulations of politics instantly fade when she faces her children.

“Daw gadula akon problema every time nga makita ko sila nga mag-smile or just call

out my name and tell me where to go. Kis-a ginadala ko na lang sila sa opisina or else their day will be ruined and that makes them cry out loud, kapin pa ang girl k kaygatabid gid na sya sa akon.”

Liecel considers serving her family a much more difficult task than serving the community. “Whenever they’ve seen me rushing to my car, I just make an alibi telling them that I’ll be back in a couple of minutes because of an important matter. There was a time when my car was also a dressing room. I hurriedly came to my car and change my clothes and catch-up the 7 o’clock flag ceremony sa municipal hall.”

She confesses that she cannot devote ample time to her children, something that strikes her as unfair. This time, she makes her kids her number one priority, even letting them play in the DSWD corner just beside her office so she can keep an eye on her them.

Open the world of leadership An Augustinian from elementary until high school, she had never been out of the roster of officers. Being Chief Girl Scout had opened her to the world of leadership.

Her involvement and dedication as a leader during her elementary years back then had helped her embrace responsibilities. In fact, during her high school years, she fought her way to become a battalion commander in CAT (Citizen Advancement Training).

“Ang nanamian ko lang kay we were really trained leaders equipped with skills and knowledge and at the same time responsible Christian Catholics. That’s the real essence of a leader”. She had been moulded by her school to be a spiritually-centered person, something she never wants to forget.

Family of servants After graduating at Iloilo Doctor’s College and passed the Nursing Licensure Examination in 1990, Liecel worked as a volunteer in various hospital and medical centers in Iloilo City and managed the travel agency business of her family. However, something was missing. She thought, “Daw indi guid ini ang para sa akon. I wanted more.”

Her elder brother Buen (affectionately called Bok-Bok), former Mayor of New Lucena and currently the Regional Director of TESDA VI, had a great influence in introducing her to the world of politics.

“Daw nakita ko sa iya ang akon ginahandum.

The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 17

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

18 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Gusto ko magserbisyo sa akun pumuloyo,” she stressed. Another brother, June, who is presently a Board Member of the Province of Iloilo, had also followed the footsteps of his brother and became the mayor of New Lucena for three consecutive terms.

Both Augustinians like Liecel, Buen and June encouraged their sister to follow the path that they had carved out in politics.

“Even though dako ang kita sang nurses especially abroad, it didn’t make me stop dreaming.” Winning the 2007 mayoral elections in New Lucena was part of that dream.

Jimanban Festival As mayor of New Lucena, she derived inspiration from San Joaquin’s Pasungay Festival, Pavia’s Carabao-Carosa Festival, Guimbal’s Bantayan, Leganes’ Saad, and Zarraga’s Pantat Festival in creating a festival that would put New Lucena on the map – the Jimanban Festival. Taken from the word nagapanghimanban, Liecel conceptualized it as one of the major festivities along with the patronal celebration of Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje every January.

One of the major purpose of putting-up such events is to promote the town’s tourism aspect with regards of OTOP (One Town One Product) and as well as the endorsements of OBOP (One Barangay One Product) of the 21 Barangays of New Lucena.

Most Child-Friendly Mayor Thanks to Mayor Liecel, her town wasn’t only known for a festival. Recently,

the Municipality of New Lucena was adjudged as the Most Child Friendly Municipality in the whole Philippines (4th-6th Class Municipalities) for the second time, continuing the legacy left by her brother, June Mondejar. It is given every two years by the Administration through DILG as a way of recognizing towns in uplifting the moral values of the society especially in upbringing the future of the younger generations. “Dako guid nga pagpasidungog indi lang sa akon kundi sa tanan nga New Lucenanhon ang pagdaog namon, kay nakilala kami not in the whole Western Visayas but in the whole Philippines.” Winning twice meant that New Lucena has received Php 200,000, which is good enough for starting a Museo Pambata in the Municipal Hall perimeter as a priority project of the said award.

Other recipients of the Presidential Award for Most Child-Freindly Cities and Municipalities were San Mateo in Isabela for 1st to 3rd class Municipality category, Vigan City for Component City category, and Makati City for Highly Urbanized City category.

“This kind of prestigious award hasn’t been an account for me, because it was the collaboration of the support extended by the whole municipality. The respective offices under me has paid much of their effort

in the implementation of the welfare of the people,” Mayor Liecel beamed.

Her motherly instincts extended from her two children to ultimately the children of all her constituents. “Daw extension na sang pagiging iloy ko ang pag-alagad sa banwa, kag daw dira ko pa gid nabatyagan nga when you live in the spirit of servant leadership, without expecting, gaabot lang ang grasya sa imo”.

Her other side Apart from being a mother and a mayor, Liecel, is also an active member of the Flock of the Divine Mercy of the town. “My years at San Agustin taught me to be a responsible Christian. Ang mga masses, recollection and even community outreach ang nagmuklat sa akon mata nga importante guid nga indi naton pagkalimtan ang pag-ulikid sa aton pagiging Kristiyano. Amu gid na ang indi ko malipatan. Joining further charismatic groups like the Divine Mercy and even ang Diyos Gugma had nurtured my sentiments in leading my fellowmen.”

She has still a lot more years as mayor and she is not content in resting on her laurels. Her new goals include knowing God more by participating actively in Church undertakings as well as encouraging the people to move closer to Him, proposing priority projects and programs especially for the welfare of children and the agricultural aspect of the town, and conducting activities for the disabled persons, the less fortunate and depressed families because of poverty.

Dream on, Liecel.

The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 19

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Elections

EducatingVoters

By JIGGER LATOZA

A

free, open, and honest election is the cornerstone of democracy. The right of qualified citizens to vote and to have their votes counted keeps alive democratic ideals, more specifically the principles of republicanism. If an election is riddled with fraud, elected officials assume public office under a cloud of suspicion, and this lack of trust results in the erosion of the ascendancy of government to command and enforce obedience from citizens.

After the appalling “Hello, Garci” episode that almost triggered another extraordinary change in political leadership, the nation cannot afford to have elections with questionable processes and results.

It has been said that in a democracy, people get the government that they deserve.

Let it be so, then. If the majority would like to put to public office the intellectually challenged, the coup plotter, the comic, the dancer, the gambler, then let them. Even this gloomy scenario cannot rationalize a Machiavellian modus operandi such as cheating or vote buying so that the undesirables eat the dust in the election.

On a personal note, not even my dislike for entertainers gunning for public office could justify illegal schemes that would ensure their loss.

There always are complaints from sensible members of the social order about the “wrong” people getting elected to public office, or about the gobbling up of the traditionally profound realm of politics by circus performers. Other analysts nostalgically recall the golden years, yet gone, when the Senate and the House of 20 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

Representatives were convergence points of intellectuals, when the word “solon”, in reference to legislators really meant “sage”.

The solution to these plaints lies not in cheating, but in a comprehensive and sustained voters’, or more broadly, citizens’ education program. I stress the value of a sustained program because what we have been having for quite some time now are largely eleventh hour attempts by churchbased movements, academic institutions, and other advocacy groups to make citizens responsible and intelligent voters.

Any social psychologist would agree that this is not the right way towards citizenship or voters’ education and, by extension, not the way towards ensuring that only those candidates that are truly qualified get the mandate. Effective voters’ education requires the simmering process of pressure cooking, not the instantaneous process characteristic of the microwave mindset.

Since voters’ education has become the church’s favorite advocacy a few months before election day, for instance, it is suggested that it approach this with a more macro and long-term perspective. Education in good citizenship and in responsible voting should be a consistent effort, an important part of a program, not just of an activity.

Furthermore, this is one program that should be collaborative, involving all other social institutions. When priests or pastors stress the need for voters to exercise their sacred right responsibly or to choose candidates wisely, in churches or in churchyards or in parish socio-pastoral

centers, the same must be unequivocally echoed in the dining halls and TV rooms of families, and in the classrooms and conference centers of educational institutions. These undertakings must be given full, undivided support by concerned government agencies.

The unified message from all institutions about voting as a sacred right that cannot be sold, or about the nation’s future being at stake during elections will hopefully bring forth a breath of fresh air into our electoral politics, and eventually, put in place genuine democratic governance, which, in the classic definition by Abraham Lincoln, is truly a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Peace and Order

Elusive Peace R

By JIGGER LATOZA

ecently, I attended the Peace Partners’ Forum organized by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process in a downtown hotel in Iloilo. The forum gathered many participants from all over the Visayas, apparently pleasing Secretary Annabelle Abaya, the current presidential adviser.

Gatherings for peace usually cannot escape the question why peace – as an end – seems so elusive in this country of generally happy and hospitable people. Insurgencyrelated problems have been shaking the foundations of our sociopolitical order for nearly half a century now. Unification and peace talks have been done but armed conflicts persist, violent encounters between government forces and insurgents are not rare, resulting in losses to lives and properties which, by any measure, are not negligible.

The road to peace is a long, bumpy one. This is largely because the root causes of armed conflict have not been addressed seriously by government. As early as 19921993, under the Ramos Administration, these deeply rooted causes were identified by the National Unification Commission led by the well-regarded Haydee Yorac.

Based on the commission’s consultations, armed conflict continues unabated because of the following : massive poverty and economic inequity; poor governance, including lack of basic social services; political inequity; abuse of power, violation of human rights, corruption and delay in the administration of justice; and exploitation and marginalization of indigenous cultural communities.

If we go by statistics, these causes have worsened, making some of our people lose faith and even hope in the ability of the legitimate government to perform its functions as guardian of the rights, and promoter of the welfare, of our people.

A case in point is the problem of poverty and hunger. According to the September 2009 survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), 53 percent of Filipino households considered themselves poor. Dr.

Mahar Mangahas of SWS, after considering this recent result alongside previous ones on the same subject, explained that there has been no significant alleviation in the plight of the Filipino poor in 26 years. Meanwhile, the December 2009 SWS survey on hunger showed the 24% of Filipino households or an estimated 4.4 million households had experienced “involuntary hunger.”

When we consider these figures visà-vis scandalous splurges of our political leaders such as the one million -peso Le Cirque dinner in New York, we begin to see what economic inequity means and see some light as to why some of our countrymen totally lose their confidence in government in this country.

This example is closely related to another cause pointed out by the Yorac Commission: abuse of power and corruption.

Estimates from independent watchdog

organizations allege that, on the average, 50 percent of the annual Philippine budget goes to corruption. In 2008, think tanks said that we lost 400 billion pesos to graft and corruption. One could just imagine how many of our poor countrymen could avail of the most basic social services if that amount were properly used. If we used that money to build houses for the homeless, using Gawad Kalinga’s PhP80, 000 budget per housing unit, we would have given decent shelter to some 50,000 families. Or we could have built 50,000 classrooms for our public schools.

Finally, political inequity as a cause is still prevalent because more than 20 years after the 1987 Constitution mandated the ban on political dynasties, there still is no enabling law for it because our legislators, a good number of them coming from dynasties, have ignored that mandate. This issue is linked to private armies maintained by political dynasties that have transformed their local government units into fiefdoms and kingdoms, where tragedies like the Maguindanao massacre happen.

Now, is it any wonder why peace is so elusive?

The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 21

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Eco-Tourism

E

cotourism has reached an all-time high in popularity. Attendance rates at some known conservation parks have soared in recent years and people have started moving towards these parks as a tourist destination.

Wildlife conservation is a process where individuals and organizations are involved in analyzing, protecting and preserving various life forms existing in our ecosystem. Scientists have documented that human influence over the last 10,000 years in our ecosystem had been so wide-ranging that they have difficulty estimating the total number of species lost in this era.

Many species are at risk of becoming extinct because they are threatened by the changing environment caused by overpopulation of humans. With the population boom comes mass agriculture, deforestation, overgrazing, slash and burn, urban development, pesticide use and global warming. By acknowledging these problems, we can find solutions for them.

There are many wildlife conservation societies and organizations all over the world that untiringly work to save wildlife through conservation education. One organization that strives to change attitudes towards the protection of wild populations of, including endangered species is the Mari-it Wildlife Conservation Park in Lambunao, Iloilo.

Situated inside the College of Agriculture and Forestry of West Visayas S t a t e University in Barangay Jayubo, 16.3 kilometers from the t o w n ’ s poblacion, this 2.5 hectare conservation park is a captive

22 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

Life in the Wild at the Mari-it Wildlife

Conservation Park

by Bombette Marin

breeding center for endemic animals in the Island of Panay.

The park is a haven where endangered species such as the Panay tariktik hornbill, Visayan warty pig, Banog (hawk), Malayan palm civet, leopard cat, Visayan writhe hornbill, Raquet-tailed parrot, Visayan spotted deer, and the Panay bushy-tailed cloud rat are given the opportunity to live in a protected environment that is as close as possible to their natural habitat. The habitat preserved within the park boundaries offers many of these species an oasis of safety and is some of the last bastions of intact ecosystems found today.

But these living and breathing monuments to Iloilo’s landscape, culture and history need care and support to overcome the many dangers that threaten to destroy them. At the Mari-it Wildlife Conservation Park, advocates work every day to ensure that the conservation park gets vital care and support. The park is headed

by Project Director Lucia Lastimoza who works under the notion that all animals in the area, human and non-human, are of equal importance. Her biggest task is to educate the public and work to help change the way humans think of, and treat these endangered animals. Inside the park, she tries not to allow any activity that would place the animals in an unnecessarily stressful situation.

The Conservation Park and natural sites of Lambunao embody the Ilonggo spirit.

They are windows to our past, homes to some of our rarest animal and plant species, and places where every Ilonggos can go to find inspiration, peace, and open space.

All of us have crucial roles in ensuring that these magnificent lands and landmarks are protected in perpetuity Want an experience to remember? The area also provides a range of activities for all visitors to the parks and its neighboring reserves.

Lambunao’s outstanding reserve system inside WVSU-CAF also offer visitors a wide choice of opportunities to discover spectacular landscapes, from cool, silent and rich wilderness parks of temperate rainforest to beautiful cascading sceneries of waterfalls. The park encompasses a diversity of unspoiled habitats and ecosystems which offer refuge to unique and ancient trees found nowhere else in Iloilo. It offers versatile trekking opportunities. The trail leading to Montillano and Inas waterfalls inside the reserve offers walking experiences for all - from short strolls to challenging wilderness treks covering a diverse array of environments, from ancient rainforests to inspiring walks through Lambunao’s most mountainous landscapes.

This is a park for every season, and a park for every person. Discover the natural and cultural values the Mari-it Wildlife Conservation Park protects and the enjoyment it offers.

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Women Of Failing Dreams and Unexpected Gifts: The Pitfalls of Teen Pregnancy

By Mary Leslie Eregia

A

s a young girl, I liked to envision myself as a woman with flair, a woman who can turn men’s heads and make them whisper to one another, “Who is this elegant lady? Have you seen her before?” as I pass by.

I have always dreamt of flaunting my Gucci shoes, of showing my newly-bought Salvatore Ferragamo bag, of making men drool and women green-eyed with the scent of my Chanel perfume, and of course, being hailed as the “Woman of the Night” thanks to Donatello’s fashion line for my glamorous outfit.

Yes, I know this is way too much but hey, I can dream. Any girl can dream.

Everyone can dream but not all dreams can come true. Take Jen (not her real name), a sixteen-year old girl, for example. Being an only child, she was loved by her parents and they gave her everything she needed.

Who would have thought Jen’s life would turn upside down just because of her mere “curiosity”? Eighteen year-old Mae (not her real name) is another of those girls whom we can consider “blessed.” She was born to a rich family and her motto in life is “I get what I want.” Yes, she gets what she wants but Mae doesn’t seem to understand the concept of contentment. She craves for more, asking for things she already has until eventually, she obtains that one thing she never expected to receive. Some “gift,” huh?

Jen and Mae are just two of millions of teenagers in the Philippines who have taken on the role of motherhood at a very tender age. Unsurprisingly, their situation is one of the most crucial issues that the country has to face today: teenage pregnancy.

Curiosity Adds…Not Kills As of the 2003 Health and Demographic Survey conducted by the National Statistics Office and Orc-Macro, of the 2,648 surveyed females aging 15-19, 6.1% are already mothers, 1.8% are currently pregnant with their first offspring, and 8.0% have just started the course of childbearing. In terms The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 23

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

of total birth, young women in this age bracket have contributed approximately 818,000 births in the year 2000 alone and have continued to rise in an alarming state.

Almost 16.5 million Filipinos comprise the 15-24 age group and it is with deep sorrow that we are forced to accept the truth that at a young age, most children already have kids of their own. What has prompted the young generation of today to perform that sacred act which should only be done by married couples?

The causes, per se, are usually a combination of factors, among of which are peer pressure, lack of self-esteem, general rebelliousness, selfishness and lack of quality parental relationships in the form of too authoritative or too permissive parents.

The parental relationships are perhaps the driving factor behind the other causes (http:// answers.yahoo.com).

Knowing that these factors may be the ones that could trigger early pregnancies, who should be blamed for teenagers’ curiosity?

Elders versus teens In today’s time, we are faced with a glaring truth: most of teenagers today end up pregnant before they are married. With regards to the 2003 National Health and Demographic Survey, one out of four women have become mothers at the age of 19 while 4 out of 10 women in the 20-24 age bracket 24 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

are already engaged in sexual activities.

Truly, one cannot deny that teenagers of the 21st century are very impulsive and eager to try new things. The point to ponder on is, “Why would adolescents go all the way to end up being pregnant when they were properly educated by their parents?”

Filipinos are civilized people but talking about sex is considered a taboo, especially in conversations involving parent and child. Most Filipinos are confident that their children will never engage in premarital sex or any other sexual activity due to the fact that they are still very young and they have been taught a lot about God and other values.

However, this is not to be taken lightly since teenagers are easily encouraged due to lack of experience and because of their eagerness to do things that are new to them.

In a fairly conservative country with a predominantly Catholic population like the Philippines, doesn’t it seem ironic that its younger generation is starting to be viewed as “sexually adventurous”? Then again, most young people feel that their elders are uncomfortable when asked to talk about sex.

The bottom line is, they end up asking their friends, curiosity gets the better of them, and then voila – another addition to the family.

Does the problem of uncontrollable sexual desire really belong to the youngsters or should the parents also shoulder the blame because of their lack of proper guidance and

counseling?

How safe is safe sex?

According to surveys, the rate of pregnancy increases from 25 % to 50 % by the time women reach the ages of 20-24. The latest data from the National Statistics Office showed that of 1.7 million babies born in 2004, almost 8 % were born to mothers aged 15-19. Almost 30 percent of Filipino women become mothers before reaching their 21st birthday. Nevertheless, the likelihood of being pregnant during teenage years can be lessened through the use of contraceptives thus, practicing safe sex.

Overall, the use of contraception among sexually-active adolescents was low at 20%. Desire for “pregnancy after the marriage bed” and high awareness of contraceptive methods were not enough reasons for the young to take part in contraception. For those who do practice contraception, the most popular methods are the use of condoms, withdrawal method, and rhythm.

As mentioned, one of the popular methods of practicing safe sex is the condom. It is supposedly viewed as a prevention for HIV/AIDS infection and not for contraception. One aspect of condoms that makes them unpopular with youth involves their social inaccessibility.

The need to buy them in a public place— the other side of the counter in most

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

drugstores—seems to make condoms out of young people’s reach. Beliefs and misconceptions about the side-effects of contraceptive use also created barriers to access. So, how is the word “safe” really defined in safe sex?

Bye-bye baby…

Statistics show that every year at least 64,000 teenagers have abortions in the Philippines, a country where abortion is illegal. Estimates of induced abortions among adolescents reached 319,000 in 2000 and could reach 400,000 by 2015. Large numbers of abortions among adolescents occur because of non-use of contraception to prevent unwanted or mistimed pregnancies.

From the figures shown, do these teens know they are killing a fellow human being?

How did abortion come into the picture?

Come to think of it, how did abortion even become an option? It was all because they feared of becoming unaccepted. They feared the unknown. Just how many more girls are getting rid of their babies? How many girls die by trying to kill their unborn child? How many babies will have to lose their lives?

How many cries would be drowned into an ocean of nothingness just because nobody listened?

Who’s at risk?

If it only takes sex education and

counseling to help the youth become less open to premarital sex, then schools can offer these kinds of services. However, what about the need of young people who cannot attend school due to poverty? These young people will need all the help they can get.

First, they have more free time for social interaction and consequently, more chances at sexual encounters. Second, most of them live in depressed communities and are therefore situated in families where parents are more focused on how to earn a living rather than on giving their children counseling about sex.

It is therefore crucial to have both meaningful sex education and direct counseling in both formal and non-formal education systems. Schools can easily adopt a more relevant curriculum while local governments (i.e. barangays) can implement sex education programs directed towards the youth especially those who have no access to formal education.

Prevention is better than cure Teenage pregnancy can be prevented if teens only knew the importance of discipline. Here are some ways on how to minimize teen pregnancy: first, keep teens at home with an intact family set up. The social institutions surrounding the youth jointly form a web of influence that either shield or expose them to the lure of sexual risktaking. Second, keep the teens in school

since this is the other social institution that shields the youth from engaging in risk taking behavior. Teens leaving school at an early age are more likely than other group of women to have their first sexual experience outside of marriage. Third, keep talking to them. Increased parental communication decreases the likelihood of young Filipinos to engage in sexual risk-taking activities since it has been found that the mother, in particular, has a special role in decreasing a teen’s chance to engage in intercourse or have fewer sexual partners because of their monitoring as well as open communication lines with their daughters. Lastly, keep them morally and spiritually grounded.

Regardless of gender or race, survey results revealed that teens who attend religious services frequently are less likely to have permissive attitudes about sex. Orienting them with the proper values early helps them imbibe it in their lives and keeps them from succumbing to peer pressure (source: http://philippinechildren.ph/filer/toledocebu/Teen-pregnancies-in-the-Philippines. pdf).

Preventing teen pregnancies requires a concentrated effort on the part of the parents, the school and government, and the teens themselves. They must all cooperate to insure that the right information is transmitted to children especially during their pre-teen years and that they are wellmonitored and supported emotionally and psychologically.

As stated in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it.” As the youth of today, we are visualized as the hope of the future. What may happen in the next ten or twenty years lies in our hands. Will we allow ourselves to be endangered by our own curiosity? Think about it. Dr. Jose Rizal once said that the children of today are the hope of tomorrow. Let us not fail him.

Let us not fail our families and our country.

Let us not fail ourselves. It was mentioned earlier that not all dreams come true. But we can always hope.

Sources: http://bop.nppa.org/2009/ thumbnails/512/00026024/OESTeenagePregnancy/00026024-OESteenagepregnancy-002.JPG h t t p : / / n a i j a p i n o y. f i l e s . w o r d p r e s s . com/2008/02/teenage_mothers.jpg The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 25

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Memories

of Tanghal and Tarangban

By Quezzy Claire Pedregosa

“F

our years ago, thespians all over the nation gathered in Iloilo City. The University of San Agustin Little Theater was the first host of this event, the Tanghal National University Theater Festival. For four years we are happy and still privileged to be a part of this celebration. Tanghal helps us love our craft more, hone our skills, and interact with our fellow student-thespians, So, in behalf of The University of San Agustin Little Theater, I would like to thank the host and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts for keeping the legacy alive.”

I took a deep breath and made a graceful curtsy as I thanked the host and everyone who had took part at the closing ceremony of the 4th Tanghal National University Theater Festival, celebrating another year of showcasing young talents and various theater forms.

Of course, this isn’t the perfect time 26 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

to muse and process things amidst the muddled crowd. But after the curtain call of the last performance at the auditorium of the De la Salle-College of St. Benilde and the photo taking by the wellapplauded Little Theater, where the liaisons had a hard time stealing us away from the flashes of the cameras to fill our empy tummies with food that we were unable to eat the whole day, I found myself a comfortable space to zone out (as Sir Eric would call it). I took a melancholic pose at the third step of the DLS-CSB stairs as if screaming, “Hey, I’m Lubay Hanginon who screams like a hawk at the official entry of the USALT called Tarangban. Doesn’t anyone remember me anymore?” Quite a long shout out and it wouldn’t sound like me.

I was actually trying to weigh the significance of this journey, of why in three years of being an active member of the USALT, this happened to be one of the most anticipated events of the year where every member

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Arts and Culture

hopes to join.

My first Tanghal experience was at Zamboanga City, during the festival’s second year of continuously providing various theater groups a venue for interactions and exchange of ideas. We were publicized at Tanghal’s daily with “Kudos” for the Little Theater, followed by the 3rd Tanghal at San Juan de Letran, Laguna City where the Little Theater was featured in an article entitled “The Breaking Barriers.” Apparently, even using Iloilo’s dialect had never been a hindrance for bringing the house down.

After three years of fringe performances at Tanghal, we are happy to be finally chosen as one of the seven main performances this year. We had built a solid name over the years through our materials that are full of creative juices and substance. I’m also delighted that all the members of Little Theater including most of the new members are here to perform with us. Before, only few were chosen to represent the USALT at Tanghal. I would like to think that we’ve earned it through our hard work, dedication, fand love and passion for theater.

This wasn’t just a Manila tour where we perform for the sake of being famous.

Rather, this is about what we can do to fulfill our mission and vision as members of the USA Little Theater. All of us had sacrificed for this, especially our dear Sir Eric Divinagracia, who went all the way from Michigan to help us mend and mount the production and make it possible for us to get to be where we are right now.

I, too, gave my share in fulfilling this goal through the pressure during rehearsals.

I had pushed myself to stay up late with the rest of the members to help get things done, from the aiding of the casts’ mastery in the choreography to the making of the costumes

and raising money to fund the tour.

Beyond the many problems encountered along the way, my commitment to the company was firmer than ever. The pressure that was thrust upon each member was the burning passion to hone our craft. I am very much delighted with my parents’ support, the loved ones I had kept waiting for me every single night until I’m home from my busy schedules. Despite the signs of caving in due to the burden, there’s still grace that underlies this journey. It is the energy that had linked us together and formed a bond through generation to generation of LT and the success that each and every one of us had worked for as one Little Theater, one family.

Since I graduated at INHS-Special Program for the Arts with a major in theater, it had always been my dream to perform in The Cultural Center of the Philippines. I am so grateful that as I welcomed another group of people known as the Little Theater,

I never thought that they were the people who will be with me and share experiences that I will keep close to my heart.

The place that I thought will only be a far-off dream was now in the palm of my hand as I joined the LT and the resident company of CCP along with artists all over the nation make the grand curtain call at The Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo Main Theater.

I was overwhelmed by the number of people and the fact that apart from our performance that day, there were also more than 80 other performances within the halls of this great edifice.

Together with our humble bows is also the vow I made that as I continue to explore and experience the wonders and miracles of theater that I had fallen in love with, I shall keep on believing in my talents. This journey is only the beginning for me to prove fthat I deserve this fortune.

The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 27

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Your Way: It Doesn’t Count

By RAY ADRIAN MACALALAG

No more water. A part of the Aral Sea once covered by deep waters.

“I

chew it up and spit it out … I did it my way.” These words were taken from “My Way,” a classic song first sung by Frank Sinatra in 1969.

As I could remember well, I used to love eating chewing gum. When I was younger, I used to pull the gum out of my mouth while it sticks to my teeth and I then munch it back into my mouth. I thought of that technique to extend the sweet flavor of the gum. When the flavor is gone and it can’t be “sweetened,” I spit it out without much hesitation.

Just like my gum, we also spit out natural reserves like they no longer matter.

We exhaust most of the planet’s resources and when it is almost gone, we look for means of reacquiring the resource from alternative sources. However, if the alternative source we’re looking for is gone, we just simply forget it. We throw our gum away.

Slowly drying up Let us take Aral Sea as a very concrete example. It is the fourth largest lake in the 28 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

world, located in Central Asia that was once occupied by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Its waters were channeled down through Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers for irrigation of the barren farmlands in Central Asia.

Since the 1960’s, it has started to dry up. Later the lake was split into three because of the drying up. Today, almost 90 percent of the lake is gone. All that is left now are the ships resting on the once lifegiving lake.

During the shrinkage, the countries in the region namely, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan have established a joint committee in order to save the lake. But then, the competition of the nations has hampered the progress.

The people have just consumed the richness of the lake and now they are left with empty and cracked wastelands.

What is phenomenal is not the occurrence of drying up our own ways of bringing about the disaster.

Same situation Like the people of Central Asia, we are also bearing the expensive nourishment in our country. We did not dry up our lakes or theirs but do we have to wait for time to come for us that we will be like them? It is fortunate for them to survive such but we Filipinos may not.

We should only use the water that we need, as expressed by the phrase, “Supplies are adequate but not excessive.” We should not exhaust what we know that cannot be exhausted. This might destroy our resources.

Water is every man’s necessity. Water is the one responsible for the food we eat, the energy that charges our mobile phones, the material used for the paper we write on.

That’s how important it is. That’s why we should sympathize with others and use the water just enough for our needs.

Something we ignore Going back with the gum that was compared to our resources, we do not only

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Environment

Once a source of food. Beautifullycrafted homes in subdivisions stand in locations once allotted for agricultural purposes.

exhaust water supply. We also destroy our farmlands (our primary source of food) in order to give way for very wide subdivisions. Yes, we do need space for our butts to sit on, our heads to lie on, and ourselves to relax on but thinking along the line that more residential lots and lesser agricultural lots would cause the booming cost of living, we might want to revise that thought.

We can acquire these homes and have comforts with them, yes. The lot where it is standing on was once the very source of the rice on our tables.

Also, there has been a policy that we

shouldn’t burn our garbage as this would cause the depletion of the ozone layer. Well, personally I can see people still burning up their rubbish and seem to be happier while doing this (I wonder why). It lacks supervision of the authorities and proper orientation to the citizens on what they should and should not do when it comes to garbage disposal. Even burning is an abuse that our planet could not take any longer.

Not your way … Our way It’s always your own way, as if it is always the right thing. We need to understand more of what is really going on

with the Earth we know. Our planet is like a piece of chewing gum that we chew very fast and thorough in order to extract all the “sweetness” that is has. Yes, it is impossible for something not to end, but wouldn’t you agree that we can slow things down before they totally break down, or dry up like the Aral Sea? If all of us will take responsibility of our faucets and close them tightly after use, imagine the water you can save if each faucet spills just half a liter. If fourteen people close their faucet at their homes, they save sever liters of water. If all of us will practice proper waste disposal, the rate of pollution will diminish in no time.

We should be less concerned only of our butts and think of the earth we’re stepping on. We are not the only persons living, there are more generations waiting for life – a non-dry life. So it was never my way or your way. Our way, together, is the one that counts.

Reference: h t t p : / / w w w. c b s n e w s . c o m / stories/2010/04/23/tech/main6425156. shtml Photo Credits: http://intheboatshed.net/wp-content/ uploads/2009/01/aralship.jpg http://www.geografiaonline.it/Images/ Foto/Aral/aral4.jpg http://camellahomesproperty.webs. com/Cerritos.jpg http://www.uh.edu/admin/engines/ aral_sea_1989_2003.jpg

Big difference. A satellite image from the University of Houston showing the shrinkage of Aral Sea between.

All dried up. A rusty ship stranded in the floor of Aral Sea. The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 29

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Isang Pamamaalam Ni Aljun padisio

L abinlimang a r a w n a l a n g a t gradweysyon na. Eksayted na kaming lahat na makapagtapos kasi yung iba raw ay magpapahinga muna nang limang buwan bago maghanap ng trabaho.

Ako, hindi ko naman matiis ang maghintay ng ganun pa ka tagal at nakakahiya na sa ate ko na nagpapaaral sa akin. Baka sabihin na hindi na lang siya mag-aasawa dahil sa mawiwili na lang siya sa pagpapalamon sa akin.

Sa katunayan nga, maliban sa gumagawa ako nitong artikel na ito’y gumawa rin ako ng resume at application letter.

Ngayon, malapit na kaming lumabas sa Unibersidad, masarap balik-balikan ang mga nangyari sa loob nang mahabang apat na taon.

Nagsimulang mag palit-anyo ang buhay ko nang unang umapak ako sa lungsod ng Iloilo. Yung tipong gaya sa paglapag ni Niel Armstrong sa buwan. Kasi simula noon nagsi-sulputan na ang mga makabagong teknolohiya, modernong paraan ng paggagamot at marami pang iba.

Nagsisulputan din sa buhay ko ang mga

30 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

sandamakmak na exams, projects, at walang humpay na stress sa bawat araw ng ng aking pamamalagi sa Iloilo.

Ganyan talaga ang buhay, eksayting ang bawat kabanata. May mga kabanatang kay sarap balik-balikan na parang Chicken Joy o `di kaya’y spaghetti o lechon baboy. Hay...

Pero may nga bahagi din ng buhay kong masarap kamuhian. Wala manan sigurong matino ang pag- iisip na nasiyahan nang mabasted sa babaeng anim na buwang niligawan at ginastusan ng load o ang makakuha ng iskor na itlog sa algebra o sa akawnting, o araw-araw ka nalang kinukulit ng landlady mo kasi tatlong buwan ka nang `di nakabayad sa inuupahang boarding house.

Bukod sa mga bagay na nagpapadami ng pimpols ko, hindi ko rin malilimutan ang mga bagay na nagbigay sa akin ng kiliti. Ito ay ang mga bagay na kahit sa maliit na paraan ay nagbigay sa akin ng tunay na ligaya.

Kung may tao man na dapat pasalamatan sa pakikipagsapalaran ko sa Iloilo, ito ay ang mga titser kong pilit kaming binabagsak kasama ng mga katropa ko sa klase. Alam mo kung bakit? Hindi sa minomotibeyt nila akong mag-aral o napepresyur ako,kundi nag-eenjoy lang ako at wala nang iba pang dahilan.

Masarap din sa pakiramdam ang magkaroon ng maraming kaibigan at magkaroon ng pinakamamahal. Tinagurian ko nga silang “mga charger ng buhay ko.”

Dahil sa tuwing malolowbat ang puso ko sa dami ng problema, sa kawalan ng pera o iniwan man ng nobya ay nandiyan siya palagi.

Una sa lahat, nagpapasalalmat ako sa mga kaibigan ko sa Tuburan Study Center, lahat ng mga kilala ko at kilala ako ay tinuturing kong tunay na kaibigan at kapatid.

Siyempre ang mga kaibigan ko sa Pub na pilit nagpapasensya sa akin tuwing maleleyt ang mga artikels ko.

Nagpapasalamat din ako sa lahat ng mga kaibigan ko noong maliit pa ako, noong elementary, hayskul at hanggang ngayon sa kolehiyo.

Pati na rin sa mga ex-gf ko, sa mga

nagbasted sa akin, sa lahat nang mga crush ko at crush ako, sa mga nang- away at mga kaaway ko noong una. Kung hindi dahil sa inyo, wala akong eksperyens na maisusulat dito.

Kung maari lang sanang ma enyumereyt ang nga panagalan na nais kong pasalamatan ay mapupuno ang isang buong isyu ng Augustinian Mirror.

Sa mga kasalukuyan kong mga walang hiya-patay gutom-mukhang pera-barat-palautang-pala absent at palaging late sa klase na mga kaibigan na sina: Eufan, Robert, Edu, George, DJ, Jordan, Tintin Mateo at Chavez, Lyka, Neschelle, Raiza, Jean, Janet, Reycel, Tata at higit sa lahat ay si Joy. Maraming salamat! At alam ko na sa mga oras na mababasa nila ito ay siguradong magpoprotesta silang punitin na lang ang pahinang ito. Trivia: kakosa ko rin sila sa inuman.

Syempre sino ba ang makakalimot sa pamilya ko? Nagpapasalamat ako sa kanila sa pagbuo nila sa akin, pagpapalaki, pagpapakain at pag-papaaral nila sa akin.

Idinidedikeyt ko rin ang last artikel kong ito sa kanila. Para ito kina Mama, Papa, Andylou, Babes, Noynoy, at Twinkle.

Hindi ko talaga lubos maisip na ako’y gagradweyt na. Eksayted talaga akong makapagtapos ng makapag-ipon, makapagaral ng kapatid, makapag- asawa at makapagpatayo ng two-storey na bahay, volkswagen na sasakyan at vespa scooter at isang dosenang anak! Whew!

Kailangan ko pang tapusin ang resume at application letter pagkatapos ng artikel na ito bago matupad ang lahat ng mga pangarap ko sa buhay. Hay buhay!

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Valediction

And The journey Goes On

By PIETROS VAL PATRICIO

WHEN I was young, I really had a lot of vague and weird notions about art through my father and his artist friends but it was literature that has always excited me.

Journalism, on the other hand, brought me closer to society. It intrigued my thoughts on what was happening around in our society.

I have always admired Filipino writers who have spoken out of their own voice and language, their own culture and existence for they possess their own style of bursting out from their emotions – their rage, hatred and passion. Above all, it’s their human experience that I love, the vital element that puts high artistic value in their work, these gifted writers and artists I have admired because of their straightforwardness in expressing their human side. At the root of what they were all about was self-respect for being individuals who wrote for the cause of our society.

During the span of my four-year stay in the USA Publications, I have come to the following realizations: 1) That my engagement in journalism was more of a transition rather than a professional preparation, a stepping stone towards becoming a literary artist; 2) Learning the passion and hunger for life as a fledging young journalist. But above everything else, I’ve learned so much about humility, the ethics of hard work and the good fruits that we all from it in the end. It has indeed taught me a lot where in fact, my entry to the Pub was just mere luck and pure coincidence for I have never written formally for any publication before entering college. I’d love to call it a blessing in disguise.

You see, our lives happen to be a long journey we all have to take during the discourse of our short lives. Everyone comes and goes. If you happen to be in a bad situation right now, just think of it as

a transition. Someday, you’ll think of all the experiences you’ve had in college as an adventure. You’d even laugh about it. We’ll be looking back savoring all the memories, whether good or bad. And everything will surely be worth remembering. In fact, I would have loved exchanging positions with many of you right now. As an editor, people always have a lot of expectations from you.

They always want you to be like this and that. They just love using your position a title or status symbol. But as a Pub staffer myself, I always thought I had nothing to prove as a writer since I have often written out of my own conscience. Literary awards and journalistic recognition didn’t matter to

me anyway. Neither did I feel any obligation to prove myself in class, academics or in front of a crowd. I didn’t have to prove anything to anyone for I was already conscious of who I am as an individual.

My cultural background, my intellectual limits and creativity, and all my weirdness in public were already valid to everyone and the whole world in their own right. I chose self-respect and the determination of self, to enjoy a college life that was mine. Nothing owns me. I am free because I chose to be free. My success, humiliation and failure all mine. And that’s what I love about the beauty of life.

Starting the last semester of college, The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 31

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

I frequently met up with a group of young Iloilo poets at a sidewalk eatery every weekend. I made it a habit to write a few poems every other day and share it with them. The group was actually founded by an earlier gathering of poets called the Mirror Poetry Guild back in the early nineties. The guild was actually revived by expanding its original purpose of being a group of lovers for the written word to becoming cultural patrons and being avid supporters of the arts. Photo exhibits and poetry reading events were organized; the latest indie films were frequently talked about while musical concerts, theater performances and various cultural events in the city were often supported by our group. I guess I’ve probably needed this to saturate my thirst for art, to understand life and write about it in a different perspective. I needed this to keep myself sane.

32 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

My life in the Publications meant everything to me during my first three years. I often talked about it as if it were the only thing that mattered in my life at all. San Agustin has molded my academic life so much these past years that all its dramas and flaws have become more real to me than anything else I’ve experienced as a college student up to the day of my graduation. The people of my Pub batch in 2006, starting from Johnny all the way down to Cara, Krissy, Steve, Elsed, Rowena, Jerson, Jenny, Mae Karr, Karlo, Angel and Sheena have all played vital roles in my college life – our laughter, our hangouts, our journeys to distant places our fights and all our quarrels.

When I became editor during my third year, I did all my best to save the Pub’s reputation. I worked hard to maintain and improve its quality, challenged my creativity,

my innovative and shaky leadership skills, harmonize interests with our new moderator, sacrificed most of my personal and academic life, and invested time for the newcomers to keep the Pub afloat. I was battered with so much stress and pressure until many confrontations and challenges came that I didn’t know what to do and almost lost my mind. I invested so much time, friendship and effort with the new staffers like Jeff, Dawn, Donna, Josh, Paulo, Ivan and Aljun et al. and they also meant the world to me at the time. It was our goal to become one family. But apparently, things do not always end up as we expect them to. I got into many arguments with my most avid Pub companions; we had many differences in opinion, views and personality until the day came when we had serious misunderstandings towards each other’s differences and started going separate ways.

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Valediction During my last year, I managed to serve the Pub regularly but due to so much internal and external pressure, my enthusiasm dwindled. Although I continued writing, my passion was not the same as it once was. I became indifferent of what was happening inside the campus and gave very little effort to mingle with the new staffers. I wrote only upon request and eventually withdrew from most leadership responsibilities. My once burning passion for journalism altered in terms of output and quality due to many factors I do not want to mention here. But I think something good was learned out of this experience, so many lessons, in fact. The USA Publications was not the center of my life anymore. Instead, it became a pillar for me to face all the challenges the bigger world has given me. I got to know to my political science batch mates, friends and relatives outside school even closer. And I am very thankful for this.

I would like to thank Sir John for all the intellectual support advice and parental treatment as moderator for two years. He was like a professor to me with all the informal lectures that he gave, reading his books, organizing socio-cultural events, travelling to distant places and letting us meet new people with big names in civil society. It was also through him that I have learned to love my native language, appreciate our local literature and proudly write in Filipino and Hiligaynon. Without him, I would have probably remained the typical colonial idiot writing and reading only in English with no postcolonial consciousness and speaking like any local wannabe American in this country. Thanks for making me realize all these things. The same gratitude also goes to Ma’am Mona and Sir Jigger for the post-imperialist insights they have given me. My political science education would have never been complete without the private discussions I’ve have had with the two of you. My special thanks also go to Sir Erwin for bearing all the pressure we have given him since his appointment as our new moderator. I know you are very much aware of your potential as a great educator and leader. You were not proclaimed as the country’s Most Outstanding Filipino Teacher in College and appointed moderator of the USA Publications back in 2008 for no reason. You even topped the election results as councilor of your hometown.

Many people have high regards and are

indeed looking up to you. Believe me, you really have all the makings of a great mover for change. There is obviously a clear purpose behind all this. I just hope you gain more confidence and realize this sooner or later.

When I first moved to Iloilo four years ago as a fresh high school graduate from Manila, I owned nothing to my name, not knowing a soul in this city and not even knowing a single word of Hiligaynon. But I dreamt and worked hard for the things I believed in. And I still continue to dream for our country up to this day. I advise you to pursue your dreams as long as time allows you to do so, reach for the sky and make the best out of it for life is so short that we barely even notice that the greatest opportunities pass by so quickly. We happen to live in a struggling nation wherein one of the few ways to express ourselves is by writing about our lives, our struggles, our pains and realities as a people. Writing is the expression of individuality, it captures our thoughts with which we exercise influence, achieve success and express our feelings. History and ancient culture have been passed down through writing for it is through written texts that society’s legacy is preserved for future generations. They are all formed by human experience documented by the great writers of their time.

Now that my days in the USA Pub and San Agustin are over, I’m not even sure if this political science degree would land me an instant job.

Elections are over and my NGO involvement in the Philippines has now concluded. My family has migrated to Ireland about a year ago and they’re expecting me to move along. All I have to say for now is that my journey in life has to go on.

What is past is past. We cannot turn back the hands of time but we can always learn from these experiences and improve things in the remaining time of our lives. And what a heck of a Pub life that was!

The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 33

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Awit ng Bagong Umaga:

Ni Sheena Capindo

Isang Matamis na Handumanan H

alos apat na taon din ang nakalipas ng pumasok ako sa pintuan ng San Agustin para tuparin ang aking mga pangarap. Sa loob ng apat na taong pananatili ko sa Unibersidad, marami akong natutunan bilang estudyante, working student, at higit sa lahat bilang isang manunulat.

Isang pribelihiyo ang mapabilang sa isang kapita-pitagang organisasyon, ang USA Publications. Bagamat ang pagkabilang ko lamang dito ay dahil sa ako’y naaasign bilang Grant-in-Aid scholar sa opisinang ito. Laking pasasalamat ko kay sir John, dati kong moderator at boss dahil sa binigyan niya ako ng pantay na pribelihiyo tulad sa mga staff at maging circulation officer ng Pub. Hindi madali ang pagiging estudyante habang isang working student at circulation officer. Bagamat alam ko na ang trabaho ko ay ang maglinis at gumawa ng mga office works sa Pub, kailangan ko ring magsulat ng ilang artikulong itinalaga sa akin ng aming editor. Sabi ng iba kong mga kasamahan sa GIASA, maswerte raw ako dahil napakabait ng boss ko at hindi ganoon ka hirap ng mga trabaho ko. Gayunpaman lagi akong malungkot sa dati naming opisina sa Fray Luis wala kasi ako masyadong kasama

34 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010

roon. Kung walang meeting at deadline ng mga articles, wala masyadong umaakyat sa opisina noon. Nasa pang-apat na palapag kasi ng Fray Luis ang dating opisina namin.

Pero hindi naman mababayaran ang saya ko tuwing kasama ko ang staff members

tuwing may mahahalagang okasyon na kami’y nagkakasama-sama. Natatandaan ko na sa tuwing may meeting kami, laging may pink na cake kami dahil kay Sir John.

Noong lumipat kami sa Gamboa medyo naiba na ang ihip ng hangin, lagi na akong may kasama at kakentuhan para malibang.

Nandiyan sina Sir Elsed, Maam Lheng at Pietros. Lagi kasing abala si Sir John sa Printing Press pero lagi naman akong nandiyan kung kailangan niya.

Marami rin akong naranasang paglalakbay kasama ang Pubpips. Nagpunta kami sa Cebu at dinalaw ang naghihimalang Sto. NiĂąo doon. Nakarating din kami sa Bohol at sumakay sa tanyag nitong floating restaurant. Nagtampisaw din sa dagat ng Dao, Antique at naglakad sa mapuputing buhangin ng Guimaras. Pero hindi lahat ay masasaya, may malulungkot din. Tulad ng pag-graduate ng iba kong kasamahan tulad nina Nong Johnny, Nong Elsed, Stevie, Kristle, Nang Belle, Nang Weng at pagresign ni Sir John bilang moderator namin.

Ang pakiramdam namin noon ay nawalan

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Valediction kami ng nanay at moderator. Lalong lalo na ako, inspirasyon ko kasi si Sir. Lagi niya akong sinasabihan na taasan lagi ang aking mga grades at pinapayuan sa mga problema ko. Sayang nga kasi dalawang taon na lang sana at gragraduate na ako pero hindi pa niya nahintay.

Gayunpaman, masaya na rin kasi kahit papano nakilala namin si Sir John. Hindi nagtagal at kinailangan na naming pumili ng bagong moderator. Nakilala namin si Sir Erwin na tumayo bilang bago naming moderator at sumalo ng mga responsibilidad na naiwan ni Sir John. Ramdam namin ang pagkakalayo ng atmosphere sa opisana simula ng umalis na si Sir John at halos bago na ang editorial staff. Makailang ulit din kaming lumipat ng opisina mula Gym papuntang Fray Luis pa Gamboa at ngayon nga dito na sa gusali ng Alumni na dating opisina ng Prefect of Students.

Sa kabila ng pangungulila ko sa mga dating kasamahan, pinalitan din naman ng ngiti at matatamis na alala ng mga bagong kong kasamahan at kaibigan sina Ray, Ronald, Jeff, Donna, Leslie, Diam, Allin at Mia. Malaki rin ang pasasalamat ko kay Piet at nang Cara dahil hindi lamang sila naging mabuting kasamahan, naging mabuti rin silang kaibigan at mentor. Marami akong natutunang mga bagay bagay na hindi ko lamang matutunan sa apat na sulok ng opisina at silid-aralan. Hatid ng mga taong ito ang mga aral at mga awit ng mga alaala na aking babaunin sa pagtahak ng bagong landas ng buhay. Batid kong hindi ko sila malilimutan kailanman.

Nais kong pasalamatan ang aking mga magulang at pamilya sa kanilang pagmamahal, tiwala at suporta. Labis labis akong nagpapasalamat sa inyong lahat at mahal na mahal ko kayo.

Sa dati kong boss at moderator na si Sir John na nagturo sa akin ng mga aral na hindi matutularan. Sa kanyang tiwala, suporta at pagmamahal, salamat. Maraming salamat din Sir sa gabay ninyo, sa mga turo at mga opotunidad na ipinagkaloob ninyo sa akin.

Kay Sir Erwin na laging nagpapasensya sa akin tuwing aabsent ako at late sa duty.

Salamat po at pasensiya sa kakulitan ko minsan. Napamahal na po kayo sa akin kahit hindi man tayo naging ganoon kalapit.

Salamat din po sa suporta at tiwala.

Sa mga kasamahan ko sa Pub, hindi ko man mabanggit lahat ng inyong mga pangalan, tandaan niyo lagi na mahal ko

kayo at salamat sa mga alaala natin bilang magkakaibigan at pamilya.

Sa pamilya ko sa Printing Press, Nong Sam, Nong Garry, Nong Lando, Nong Ading, Nong Joel at mga naging kaibigan ko, salamat sa lahat ng pagmamahal at matatamis na alaala ng pagkakaibigan.

Hinding-hindi ko kayo malilimutan.

Sa aking mga mahal na guro ng CBAA, Ma’am Dichosa, Ma’am Raylos, Ma’am Chua, Ma’am Salvosa, Ma’am Lopez, Dr. Lauron, Ma’am Peralta, Sir Tan, Sir Agreda, Sir Colonia at sa aking mga naging guro na hindi ko na mabanggit sumasainyo po ang aking walang hanggang pasasalamat at pagmamahal. Salamat po sa inyong pasensya

at mahahalagang aral na naibahagi ninyo sa akin. Mahal na mahal ko po kayong lahat.

Sa mga mahal kong kaibigan at kaklase, salamat din sa inyo. Naging parte kayo ng aking makulay na buhay sa unibersidad na ito. Patawad kong hindi ko na maisusulat lahat ng mga pangalan ninyo pero batid kong kulang ang lahat ng mga letra upang kayo’y aking mapasalamatan lahat.

Sa lahat na hindi ko nabanggit, salamat din. Asahan ninyong patuloy kayong magiging parte ng masaya kong paglalakbay.

Salamat sa mga alaalang maibabaon ko sa aking mga bagong umaga. Ang mga awit na hinatid ninyo sa puso ko ay kailanman hindi ko malilimutan.

The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 35

Quo Vadis, Filipinas?

Photo credits: Lorenz Jan Rodriguez http://www.alphabetics.info/ international/?cat=24 http://www.dominionpaper.ca http:callcentergal.com/2010/05/12 36 The Augustinian Mirror May 2010 mindanao.com/blog/2009/06/page/11/

Photo credit: John Ray Palmares