My Emotional Outrage

I am supposed to sleep early today. I had nothing to do except to wait for emails that would be coming in from the clients that I had been wooing to get my services. I got one telling me that they are going to review my proposal and wait for a week for their response. I just hope that would be a positive news a week from now.

Balik sa topic. I was reading some posts from blogs that I had placed on my Google Reader when I stumbled upon this blog post here. I have nothing personal against her but I had a sudden emotional outrage upon reading her post. Again, I have nothing personal against her. I am only reacting here based on her post. What was it all about? It's about our 'dear President.'

Let me elaborate my short reply to her post. I do hope na babasahin mo, hanggang sa katapusan dahil naiyak ako habang ginagawa ang post na ito - na maaaring huli na naman dahil sa pagkakataon..

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I'm a PRO-GLORIA too but that was ten years ago. I had been defending her from 'attacks' made by other people especially my relatives. They keep on telling me that nothing will change. But I insist on my belief then that she would be different and would make a difference.

But just a few months after, she disappointed me and that was the end of my disillusionment.

I'd like to highlight what she said in her last SONA:

"However much a President wishes it, a national problem cannot be knocked out with a single punch…"

She could be referring to Pacquiao (since he was around the Congress at that time) but of course it was about solving our perennial problems.

Believe it or not but yes I believe that she cannot solve all of our problems. She cannot do it all with a snap of a finger. She give us all the solutions in all of our problems. After all, she's not a that lady who would swallow a piece of rock and turn into a superhero. She's just a human being.

Enough of that, let's go straight to the facts.

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Since 1986, she had been the ONLY PRESIDENT in this forsaken land that was given the chance to be in office for almost a decade - the second longest term ever served by a Philippine president. A decade of chance to do something for this country.

Before anything us, let us set aside what her critics are saying which I also believe are no different to her (like Erap) and stick to reality.

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Look around you.

Maybe, you haven't been to a squatters area. You may say that they are too lazy to work and they just wait for manna to come down from heaven. But try to talk to them. Know why are they still in that condition. And you'll be surprised to find out that they had been working hard all their life so that they would be uplifted from poverty - not waiting for dole outs from the government.

There may be few of them who are really 'palamunin' or are indulged in deadly and unproductive vices like drinking beer almost everyday, smoking, drugs, gambling and sabong. But majority of these people are striving hard everyday to the point of doing something unlawful just to make both ends meet.

In short, para may makain man lang sila kahit isang beses sa isang araw.

Oh yes she is very hardworking. She does not spend too much time talking. She let her spokespersons do the talking for her. But the problem is we don't know for whom she is working for. Is she really doing her work for us? Or for the 'chosen' few? How are we going to know the answers to these queries?

I know the answer. I'll give them to you based on my personal story.

Still, even if I won't tell you my story, you just need to look around.

Classrooms.
Salary of Public School Teachers, Gov't Workers and Private Employees.
Land Reform.

What happened to these things? Think about it.

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Pasensya na. Medyo nasaktan lang ako sa mga sinabi mo na isa siyang magaling na Pangulo. At hindi talaga ako sumasang-ayon sa mga sinabi mo dahil sa ilalim ng pangulo na ito naranasan ng aming pamilya ang matinding hirap.

Maswerte pa din kaming maituturing kasi nakakakain pa kami ng tatlong beses sa isang araw. May cellphone. May pampaload. May TV. May internet. Nakakapag-aral. Pero sa lahat ng ito, hindi biro ang pinagdaanan namin para magkaron nito.

Sa ilalim ni Gloria, halos tatlong taon nawalan ng trabaho ang tatay ko. Hindi siya makahanap ng trabaho. Isipin mo na lang ang pakiramdam ng isang ama na tingin niya'y wala na na siyang silbi dahil di siya makahanap ng maayos na trabaho.

Pero hanga ako sa kanya dahil iginapang niya ang pag-aaral namin. Namasada siya ng FX. Nagsumikap makabenta ng insurance sa panahon na marami ang di na nagtitiwala dito. At sa awa ng Diyos, nakaraos kami sa yugtong iyon.

Pero ngayon, di pa natatapos ang termino ni Gloria mawawalan na naman siya ng trabaho - wala pa din kasiguraduhan at malamang kung matatanggal siya hindi na siya makakakita pa.

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Guro sa pampublikong paaralan sa hayskul ang nanay ko. Kita ko ang hirap niya sa pagtuturo. Isipin mo, sa isang silid-aralan, 60 ang estudyante. Ang tinuturuan ng nanay ko sa isang araw ay apat na seksyon katumbas ng 240 estudyante - halos kasingdami na ng buong batch namin ng 4th year nung hayskul.

Sa ilalim ni Gloria, inabot pa ng anim na taon bago sila magkaron ng dagdag sa sahod - na wala ring silbi dahil sa kataku-takot na mga deductions nila. Bakit? Baon sa utang ang mga guro. Utang sa mga loans na kinailangan nilang kunin para lang may panggastos sa kanilang pamilya.

Miyembro ang nanay ko ng GSIS. Naging saksi ako sa ilang beses naming pagpunta doon sa tila kawalang pakialam ng ahensiyang ito sa mga manggagawa ng pamahalaan.

Isipin mo na lang, may isang guro doon na dinala na nakastretcher. Bakit? Dahil kailangan daw ng lintek na GSIS ang 'personal appearance' upang maaprubahan ang retirement benefit na kakarampot.

At kami ng nanay ko? Inabot ng higit sa tatlong oras sa pila para lang sabihan na anatayin na lang daw ang tawag o sulat para sa pagkuha ng educational benefit sa GSIS. At inabot pa ng ilang buwan bago namin nakuha.

Tatlumpung taon nang nagtuturo ang nanay ko. Dalaga pa siya noong nagsimula siya. Hanggang ngayon, wala pa ring nagbago.

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Ngayon. Tamad ba ang tatay ko? Tamad ba ang nanay ko? Hindi. Nagsumikap sila para sa amin. Pero kulang pa din.

Si Gloria ba ang may kasalanan? Malamang.

Madaming Pangulo na ang nagdaan. Oo at lahat sila ay may kasalanan. Ngunit sa pagkakataong ito, isang dekada ang ibinigay kay Gloria - kung naibigay nga talaga o inangkin lang niya. Pero di niya nilubos ang panahon na ito para magkaron ng 'makabuluhang pagbabago' sa bayang ito.

Gaya ng pag-alis ng diskriminasyon sa mga kumukuha ng trabaho.

Gaya ng pagtigil sa biglang pagtatanggal ng mga empleyado.

Gaya ng karapatan ng mga guro, empleyado sa gobyerno at pribado na makakuha ng mas mataas na sahod - na disente at kayang bumuhay ng pamilya.

Kung iyun sana nagawa niya, malamang PRO-GLORIA pa din ako. Pero hindi. At hindi ako magpapakatanga para sabihin na siya ang pinakamagaling na Pangulo o kung sino pang galing sa Tondo o nakakaramdam ng mga bagay-bagay.

Dahil hangga't puro lang sila salita at walang gawa, fahil kung puro trabaho nga pero wala namang nangyayari, wala silang karapatang mag-angkin o bigyang titulo ninuman na siya ang pinakamagaling na Pangulo.

Dahil kung magaling nga talaga siya, kusa itong igagawad sa kanya ng LAHAT - hindi ng kung sinong Hudas na kakampi niya.

Ang nakakalungkot: isa siyang ina. Alam niya dapat ang gagawin niya para sa kanyang mga anak.

Ngayon, saka mo sabihin na si Gloria ay isang magaling na pangulo.

Pasensya na, sariling opinyon lamang po. Dahil sa tinamaan mo ang aming kalalagayan ngayon. Hindi mo man ito sadya ngunit nais ko lamang malaman mo ang panig ng mga taong ayaw na sa kanya. Mga taong hindi bulag, tanga at manhid para ipagsigawan na siya ay magaling na Pangulo.

At oo nga pala, nainis din ako sa pagpapamili mo dito: "She may be a thief. All presidents were and will be thieves in people's eyes, true or not. But would you rather have a corrupt yet effective president or a corrupt yet stupid president? "

Tang ina. Patawad sa pagmumura.

Habang naluluha..

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Phtoto credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and others have been credited in my previous post here.

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So What Does It All Mean?

So this is my second time to feature a YouTube video. The first one was about that old swine flue warning commercial in the 1970s. But for today, this is one of my favorite videos in YouTube that I keep on watching every time. It is really my favorite vid that I even used it for a class report just last week. But sadly, my fellow classmates did not appreciate it that much because the laptop my groupmate brought has some problems with its 'sound system.' They missed the very catchy and 'groovy' background music. But why? Well, please watch the video below:

The presentation is quite nice right? This YouTube video had already been viewed more than 5 million times and still counting (I think I had contributed 100 views to it, haha..). It had already undergone three revisions. It was originally intended for a school presentation in America to pose a challenge to its teachers to become effective in teaching their students so that these kids would be prepared for the real world. But it was too good to be just kept as a school presentation.

So here it is now on its third edition wherein this latest version was said to be used for a presentation at the meeting of Sony BMG executives (That explains that last part added which was not in its original version, the number of illegal downloads, the music industry's greatest arch-nemesis).

I bet you were quite impressed at some of the facts presented on the video. Or maybe you got quite dizzy after you have been bombarded with all those numbers. You may be quite amazed on how fast our times are really changing, how fast our time is moving.

But what really caught my attention is the question at the end of it all: so what does it all mean?

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We are undeniably living in 'exponential times' as the video says so. Tingnan niyo na lang ang Facebook. In just two years, umabot na sa halos 50 million ang users at balita ko mahigit 100 million na ata ngayon. We should not be surprised if a new innovation sprouts out of the net that would also receive the same reception that Facebook had. That is why it had been always a must to constantly improve their system to catch up with our ever changing world.

The video had also mentioned that scientists are fast approaching on the creation of a supercomputer that would surpass the computational capabilities of man and before this century ends, they would be able to create a simple desktop PC that would exceed mankind's computational capabilities.

Another one is that the amount of unique information that we would be creating this year would exceed all of the information that we had been able to produce in the past 5,000 years!

Quite impressive. But again the question is "so what does it all mean?"

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If I am going to roughly translate it into Filipino I would get this: 'Eh ano ngayon?'

The creators might have a different message to convey but for me, that last question was the most important part of the video. It means so much especially to our present regime.

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Our dear President keeps on bragging about the number of BPOs and call center companies that have been investing in our country these past few years. She is even very proud to say that these companies had not been gravely affected by the global economic downturn because the "industry" still needs more than a hundred thousand people to work for them. That would be great indeed since a lot needs a job nowadays.

She even goes far by saying that the "industry" is contributing a lot to our economy.

So what does it all mean?

Our dear President has completely lost her mind. I lament the fact that she is an economist yet she cannot understand the basics.

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BPOs and call centers are not the type of 'industry' that we should help flourish in this country. Yes they provide jobs for the unemployed. Their mere presence in some areas helps to get some extra economic activity during the wee hours of the morning. Thus, providing jobs too.

But let's get real. How many call centers do we have here? Maybe a hundred. How much is the industry worth? If my memory serves me right, it is at about $10 billion. That's a lot of money. But is it worth it? Are these call centers for good? Or this is just another industry that would bring our country into another 'boom and bust cycle' - just like what happen in the late 70s?

Well, I do hope it's not. But surely because of our dear President's failure to prioritize developing and investing in our much important industries like our agricultural sector. Well, we have seen some people investing in our agricultural sector but who are they? Foreigners.

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There's nothing bad about these dollar-rich people investing in our land. But what is wrong is the mentality of this regime and the past regimes that the number priority is to attract foreign investors.

..not to encourage its own citizens to invest.

..not to develop our countryside in which more than 70% of our population lives.

..not to develop our own 'industries' which would create goods that are genuinely Filipino.'

..not to have an economy 'effectively controlled by Filipinos.'

..not to have 'genuine progress and industrialization.'

If this regime thinks that BPOs, call centers and sending millions of OFWs every year can uplift every Filipino from poverty, then they really had lost their mind. These dollars would just simply come and go. Because there's nothing of real interest here. No basic industries. A backward agricultural system. Rampant corruption.

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They must have forgotten that ours is an largely agricultural country. We have a large portion of our population dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. And most of poor Filipinos come from this sector. Why? Because the government has neglected their plight which in the past 50 years had been the main cause for the Huk uprising in the 1960s and one of the reasons why the CPP-NPA still exists upon to this day.

Instead of helping them improve their conditions, they only make their lives worst. Land reform still needs to be 'reformed.' Support for those who had been able to benefit from the land reform needs more. These two are very basic. But the government fails to give them.

That's why I have decided long time ago that I won't vote for that orange colored presidential aspirant. I dread to see him turn the whole countryside into subdivisions so that it won't be 'masikip.'

Hindi nga masikip, wala naman makain.

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And so what does it all really mean?

Simple. The last SONA that our dear President would deliver tomorrow means nothing. Just like the YouTube video that I shared with you, the presentation is very impressive. Catchy music, colorful graphic, nicely created Powerpoint presentation but it means nothing to the Filipino masses who cannot even eat once a day.

We may be living in exponential times. But we are leaving behind those who cannot go with it. We leave them in their sorry state.

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Our dear President have lived an exponential term of office. The longest term under our present Constitution.

But she would be leaving all of us in the same state that we had since she took office almost a decade ago.

If she would really be leaving.

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Credits: Gloria Photo, Farmers, Bloggers Kapihan

Super BUSY

Got no time to spare for my blog. I miss this one. So here is my shortest post ever. But what had happened in the past few days? Here they are:

• Got 'hired' FINALLY as a student assistant after weeks of persuading the librarian
• Got 'new' clients for my freelance writing biz
• Got 'new' problems for my freelance writing biz
• Revised the writers handbook for my freelance writing biz
  
• Studying 'hard'
• Trying hard to finish all school work so that I could go on 'duty' as an S.A. at the library
• Joined the school paper (waiting for the results)
• Because of my father, got myself playing Farm Town (yep, it was my father, 52 years of age, who had introduced to me this nice app. :D)
  
• Mending something..
• Trying to get some sleep

Basta, i'll be back next week after prelims. I have upcoming posts saved on drafts. Something again about society, something about LOVE and something about poetry. Daming pending. And naku, this latest Globe commercial got into my nerves and they are again would be part of my dissecting commercials post next week. Very insensitive.

Ayun, I'll be back next week and would comment back on you guys.

Getting Personal Cash Loans

In this times of crisis, especially in the US, most are really living the hard times and are badly in need of cash to finance their daily needs. We could also not avoid emergencies which sometimes are very untimely because we are short of cash. So our option is to run to our friends and relatives if we can get a loan from them. But most of time, they too are cash strapped. So what are going to do? Getting a personal cash loan from trusted lenders would be the best option.

This would be great if your purpose is just to finance an emergency situation like getting hospitalized or you need it to pay an overdue debt. But of course, just like before getting any loan, you need to take a quick glance on the terms and conditions attached to the personal cash loan that you'd be getting. Although you need that money very much, you still need to see if it won't be disadvantageous.

After all, that's why you are getting a personal cash loan - because you don't have the money. So make sure that you can pay for it. Where to find one? The internet can provide you with lots of easy to get payday loan but still you need to be on the look for usurpers that would just take advantage of you. Remember that you should not give in to 'things that are too good to be true'.

Nevertheless, personal cash loans would really help you in times that you need the money most.

I'm Ready to Recieve More Blessings

Had I continued being a pessimist, I would not be getting a new lease of life in another school. If I had done so, I would be surely wnadering the streets in tattered clothes asking for scraps because I would have gone insane. But gladly, I did otherwise. I tried to see things in light and learned to become more positive in life.

If I had been still impatient, I would not be able to see what God has planned for me today. I would most likely be complaining everyday for the 'misfortunes' that He allows to come into my life. But gladly, I learned to be patient and that all things will come and happen at the right time.

Had I continued being a loner, then I won't meet these wonderful friends at school who makes me laugh so hard that I would have difficulty in breathing. But gladly, I learned that some would surely reject and dislike you but there are a lot that would be more than willing to take you as their friend.

If I had still been afraid to love because of the past 'tragedies' that happened to me, then I won't be with my only princess. I would not entertain the thought of loving her because of my fear that she won't love me back. But gladly, I did otherwise. I took the risk and loved her.

Had I continued to give up on my life, then I won't be doing these things. I won't be writing. I won't be blogging. I won't put up my own 'virtual company.' I won't be having this ambitious dream of becoming the next President. I won't be with my friends. I won't be in a new school. I won't be meeting Euqie. I won't be with my family.

But most of all, I would have surely have been gone a long time ago if I had given up living.

But why did I do the opposite?

Because I made myself ready to receive more blessings in life.

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Before I had read this thought in Bo Sanchez's book "How to Fill Your Life with Miracles", it was a through a SPAM text message that this 'message' was sent to me. It was from an unknown person because the number did not register not only on my phone book and the phone book of my sister, mom and dad as well.

Well, I guess, just like in the many instances in my life, it was some 'message from above'. A very timely message on that moment of my life wherein in giving up is already next in line.

I tried to contact that person so I can tell him/her how grateful I am. But blame it on my carelessness or stupidity, I 'accidentally' erased that message from my cellphone after I had sent it to everyone else. (Maybe some of you have received that long message especially those whom I know.) That was the end of my futile attempt to thank that person but I guess, it was also a way of saying that the message should not stay put in my inbox and I should share it to everyone else.

And after that, it's time to receive the blessings that have long been 'allocated' for me.

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And so one of the many blessings that I made myself ready to receive was this nice badge:

You see after almost eight weeks of flooding and spamming your chat boxes, bulletin boards, status updates, shoutouts and even brandishing catchy images and graphics in this blog to entice you to vote for me, I finally got what I've been waiting for.

To everyone who had been faithfully voting for my blog even if I don't know you personally, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. To Mr. Talksmart of the Composed Gentleman, thank you very much for this opportunity to 'shine' and recognize bloggers like me.

And as promised, the raffle would push through. Just give me some time to lay down the details. :)

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Again, Mr. Ichabod made my day by making a very nice post about me and Euqie. :D This is his 'reaction' to my previous post here. As I have mentioned before, I'm one of his great fans and I am really thrilled that such person would give me some space in his prestigious blog. Again, Mr. Ichabod, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. You're such a nice person, keep on inspiring people through your simple posts and I do really hope to meet you real soon. :)

See his POST here.

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Insurance for Your Car

Car? Quite surprised eh? Well, I know some of you out there owns at least two cars. More often than not, you are just too excited to try it out as soon as you got hold of the wheel without thinking of the consequences that may arise from it - let's say accidents. We don't want that to happen to you but we should be prepared for the worst. A car insurance would definitely be of big help to you especially in covering the costs that are due to unfortunate events. You relieve yourself from worrying on what you should do if you don't have it. It would simply take care of everything: from covering your car's repair to paying for hospital bills if ever someone or you got injured.

But if you still don't have one and you don't have any idea on where to find the best car insurance deals for you, the net has tons of information that could help you get an idea through online car insurance sites that would help you weigh the advantages and disadvantages of getting it. But as of now, I'm pretty much sure that the advantages would far outweigh the disadvantages of getting a car insurance. Remember, we can still get our money back through hard work and perseverance but life, once lost, will be lost forever.

State of Philippine Education - Part 4

Coinciding with the opening of classes this month, I'm coming up with a series of articles that would talk about the current state of Philippine education. When I say here the 'state of Philippine education' it encompasses all issues related to it: from the conditions of our classrooms to the attitude of today's youth and the view of Philippine society today towards getting 'an education.'

Ito ang aking maliit na kontribusyon upang i-angat ang kalagayan at siguro panibaguhin kahit papaano ng sistemang pangedukasyon sa Pilipinas.

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For this post, let us take a break from taking a look at the dismal state of our educational system here in the Philippines. We will instead take our focus on the students - the products of our very own educational system. This time, I won't be delivering a 'sermon' on the 'state' of our students like me today. I would like to sum it up in what I call as the 'Panata ng Estudyanteng Pilipino' or roughly translated in English as 'The Filipino Student's Pledge.'

And so, without further ado, here is my own pledge that I would like fellow students like me to adopt as well.

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Unang Panata: Ako ay mag-aaral ng mabuti. Iisipin ko lagi na isa akong maswerteng bata na may mga magulang na may kakayahang paaralin ako sa mga eksklusibong paaralan na umaabot sa halos ilang milyong piso ang matrikula kapag ako ay gumradweyt na. Hindi ko iwawaglit sa aking puso't isip na kung magloloko lang ako, mas mabuti pa na ibigay ang pang-tuition ko para maipang-paaral sa iba.

At kung hindi na ako mag-aaral kahit na may pagkakataon pa ako, wala akong karapatang kumain at humingi ng load sa mga magulang ko.

(1st Pledge: I will study hard. I will never forget that I'm very lucky to have parents that can afford to send me to exclusive schools wherein the tuition fees would sum up in millions of pesos when I graduate. I will never forget with all of my heart and mind that if I would not study well, then it would be better if my tuition fees are given to those who deserve to study.

And if I won't study even if I had the chance to, I don't have the right to eat and ask for load from my parents.)

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Ikalawang Panata: Ako ay hindi mangongopya sa mga pagsusulit at takdang aralin. Estudyante ako at dapat na gawin ko ang aking responsibilidad. Tatandaan kong lagi ang sinabi ng aking propesor sa Filipino (actually, ang aking propesor. :D): ang mga nangongopya ay walang pinagkaiba sa mga rapist at magnanakaw. *evil laugh*

Hindi ko kakalimutan na nagsisimula ang pagiging kurakot, kriminal at rapist sa simpleng pagsulyap sa sagot ng aking katabi. Mabubuhay ako sa paniniwalang hindi ko ipagpapalit ang aking kaluluwa sa demonyo para lamang malaman kung true or false ba ang sagot sa number 2 at 7.

Hindi rin ako magpapadala sa 'peer pressure.' Wala akong pakialam kahit na sabihin nila na wala akong pakisama, na hindi ako marunong makiisa - na parang ganun lang eh ipagdadamot ko pa. Mas mabuti nang maging iba sa lahat kaysa sumama sa liga ng mga mandaraya. Mas mabuti nang libakin nila ako, hindi pa rin ako magpapadala sa kanila - dahil alam ko na nasa tama ako.

(2nd Pledge: I will never cheat in any examination or copy my classmate's homework. I am a student and I should know my responsibilities. I would always remember what my professor in Filipino told us (actually, my professor in Filipino. :D): cheaters are no different from rapists and theives. *evil laugh*

I will never forget that being corrupt, a criminal and a rapist begins with the simple peek on my seatmate's answer. I will live on this principle that I won't exchange my soul to the demon just to know if the answer in number 2 and 7 is true or false.

I will never give in to peer pressure. I don't care if they see me as an outcast, someone who is not part of the crowd, someone who is going against the flow and someone who does not want to 'share his part'. I would be better off to be not with them than join a band of cheaters. I would just accept their jeers than give in to them - because I know I'm doing the right thing.)

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Ikatlong Panata: Aral muna bago pag-ibig. Hindi ko maaaring pagsabayin ang dalawang bagay na humihingi ng malaking bahagi ng aking panahon. Kailangan kong mamili. Ngunit kung darating ito sa aking buhay at ako'y 'nahulog' sa patibong na ito, akin itong tatanggapin at gagawing inspirasyon sa pag-aaral. Dapat na malinaw sa akin ang mga limitasyon. Dapat kong paganahin ang aking utak at hindi ang bugso ng damdamin.

Pero kung wala pa, hindi na ako magbabalak pa na maghanap o 'magpabiktima' dahil madalas, nauuwi ang lahat sa pagkawala ng pag-ibig at pagkasira ng aking kinabukasan.

(3rd Pledge: Study first, love later. I cannot do two things at the same time that would require me to give almost all of my time to it. I need to choose. But if ever it comes into my life and I would 'fall for it', I would wholeheartedly accept it and use it to further inspire me to finish my studies. I should also be clear to me that I have limitations. I should always use my brain and not give in to sudden outbursts of emotions.

But if I still not into it, I should never have any intentions to 'find love' or become a willing victim to it because if not everytime, it all ends up with the loss of my love and my future.)

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Ikaapat na Panata: Hindi ako magiging linta. Hindi ako ang uubos ng isang pad paper ng aking kaklase dahil lagi na lang ako nanghihingi. Estudyante ako at hindi ako dapat pumapasok sa eskwela nang walang armas. Para na rin akong pumunta sa eskwela ng walang salawal. Isusuksok ko sa aking kokote na ang palagiang paghingi ay walang pinagkaiba sa mga kongresista na hingi ng hingi ng bagong buwis pero wala namang napapala at pinaghingian nila.

(Fourth Pledge: I will not become a leech. I will never devour my classmate's pad paper because I would ask for it every time we need it. I'm a student and I should not go to school without my 'weapons.' It would be like going to school without my pants on. I would not forget that devouring my classmates pad paper does not have any difference to our 'honorable representatives' who keeps on asking for new taxes but the people doesn't get anything from it.)

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Ikalimang Panata: Ako ay makikinig ng mabuti at irerespeto ang aking guro. Sila ang mga dakilang tao na pinili na maging isang guro kaysa maging domestic helper sa Hong Kong para kumita ng malaki. Sila ay mga dakilang tao na kasiyahan na ang may matutunan ako kahit kaunti.

Gagalangin ko ang aking guro kahit na siya pa ang pinaka-terror at kinamumuhian ko dahil sa lagi na lang akong pinapalabas ng classroom, pinapatayo sa upuan at binibigyan ng singko sa recitation. Hindi ko sila babansagan ng anuman. Hindi ako gagawa ng anumang tsismis na makakapanira sa kanila. Sila ay guro pa din at malalaman ko na lang balang araw na ang mga guro pala na ito ang nagtulak sa aking sarili upang magbago at magtagumpay sa larangan na aking pipiliin.

(Fifth Pledge: I will listen to my teacher. The great people who chose to become a teacher rather than become a domestic helper in Hong Kong just to earn more. They are great people whose happiness is just for me learn even a bit of it.

I will respect my teacher no matter how strict and how much I hate him/her because I am always 'sent out' of the room, stand on my chair or gives me a five in our recitation. I will not call them by any other name. I will not create any rumors that would damage their reputation. They are still my teachers and I would find out later in life that these teachers are the ones who had pushed me to the limit so that I can change myself and become a successful person in my field.)

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Ikaanim na Panata: Ako ay magiging mag-aaral na hindi lamang nakapako sa apat na sulok ng silid-aralan. Lalahok ako sa mga aktibidad na magdudulot ng panibagong kaalaman at karanasan sa akin na hindi ko matututunan habang nakaupo sa classroom. Hindi ako mangingimi na maging aktibo sa pagtulong sa kapwa, sa larangan ng palakasan o kahit pa ang maging 'aktibista.'

Naniniwala ako na higit akong maraming matututunan sa leksyon ng buhay at sa silid-aralan ng malawak na mundong aking haharapin, oras na ako'y magtapos sa huling yugto ng aking pag-aaral. Ang pagiging estudyante ay hindi hadlang upang ihawalay ko ang aking sarili sa realidad ng mundo. Bahagi ako nito. Dito ako gumagalaw. Ako ay isa sa bunga nito. Ito rin ang aking kakaharapin paglabas sa apat na sulok ng teorya at paraiso.

(Sixth Pledge: I will be a student that would not limit myself to the four corners of the classroom. I will join in activities that would let me learn new things and experiences which I would never learn while sitting down inside the classroom. I will not be meek and reluctant in being active in helping others, in sports or even becoming an 'activist' myself.

I believe that I would learn more from the lessons of life and the classroom of this wide world that I'd be facing once I got that diploma. Being a student is not the reason for me to detach myself from the realities of life. I'm a part of it. I move within it. I'm one of its products. This would also be the same world that I'd be facing once I leave the four corners of theory and paradise.)

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Pardon me for the poorly translated words and seemingly exaggerated prose in Filipino. But here it is, the pledge that I myself is trying to follow but unfortunately, I had not been able to faithfully 'comply' with it. I may have not been able to compile all that students need to do but these six pledges are merely symbolic for all of these things should be innate once a person becomes a student.

Pero sa hinaba-haba ng pagngawa ko dito eto lang naman ang gusto ko: I do hope that students like me would study hard and be a good student so that I can be a productive citizen of this nation.

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Bilang pangwakas, narito ang isang quote mula sa librong 'Days of Disquiet, Nights of Rage' ni Jose F. Lacaba:

"The beautiful thing is that the students can learn from their mistakes, can learn more through practice than through classroom theory. They have learned, for one thing, they do not even constitute a class in society and their existence as students is transitory."

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Photo credits: 1, 2 and 3.