Tuloy ang LABAN!

Walang sinuman ang maaaring mag-ari ng tagumpay ng kabataan - kahit si Mar Roxas ka pa. Tagumpay ng kabataan, tuloy ang LABAN!

The Story of Educating Myself and You

Note: This is my contribution to Blog Action Day for Education. This post is dedicated to my family and friends who still don't understand why I am doing such things. Nahirapan din ako sa pagbuo ng title kaya ipagpaumanhin kung parang alang konek sa laman. ;)

"Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave." - Lord Brougham

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When I was in elementary, Sibika at Kultura was my favorite subject. It was our own version of Philippine History. Back then, I knew by heart all the dates of important historical events and the names of important figures in our history. I had been also quite aware of the current events happening in our country then. Because of this, politics piqued the interest of my young mind when I was in Grade 6 and after which, I had dreamed of becoming the next President of this country.

During those days, it was also the height of the jueteng allegations against then President Estrada. Soon, I was following the impeachment trial religiously through the AM radio. I was then fervently hoping that Erap would soon be ousted because I believe he was a 'bad president' - a jueteng lord, womanizer, gambling lord and a drunkard.

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I had been very excited to be able to witness then a momentous event in history - EDSA 2. I wasn't there at EDSA. I was in front of the TV watching as the events unfold until Erap finally left Malacanang and Gloria Arroyo was sworned in as President.

Blame it on my innocent mind, I instantly became a Gloria supporter then. It went on as she got 'elected' as president in 2004. It is one of the biggest regrets I had because in our family, I was the only one defending her from criticisms. I keep on telling them that she cannot do things in an instant. Change the way things are going in our country.

How did it all end? It wasn't my family who convinced me to do so. It was her excellency herself who proved them right.

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But that did not really moved me. I was still a bit apathetic. I would still rather be in a safe distance commenting on issues. Although I had been very vocal about my love for this country, I am still too naive about what's really happening. If you're going to look at my previous blog posts here way back in 2006, you can hardly see any trace of social concern. It was just purely superficial nationalism based on superficial values and superficial features that our country has.

But I'm glad that I had been able to overcome it despite eight years of being brainwashed by our educational system.

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Yes. Our educational system had brainwashed me. And so are the millions of Filipino youth. They are training us to become slaves to commercial interests. They are molding us to become apathetic. They are making us hate history because instead of understanding why certain events happened in our history, students are forced to memorize dates and names which are highly insignificant in their lives. They are telling us lies to cover up the people who wronged us in the past.

That's why we shouldn't be surprised if most of the youth today are apathetic and mere spectators of the worsening crisis in our country. They prefer to comfortable sit in front of the TV, go bar hopping with friends or play Farmville in Facebook rather than express their angst on the hottest issues of the day, going room to room to explain the issues to their classmates or going out of the city to see how miserable are the lives of millions of Filipinos are in the countryside.

This could have not happened if we have only been taught right.

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The current crisis of our country: social, economic and political, can be wholly blamed on our commercialized, corrupt and neoliberal education system.

It is because we have a government that prioritizes debt servicing over giving public schools its much needed subsidies.

It is because we have schools that has profits in mind above providing quality and affordable education.

It is because we have a curriculum that follows the dictates of multinational corporations.

It is because we are producing gifted children who are only good at showing off their extraordinary talents to others instead of using it to serve others.

It is because we are producing students who believe that their courses and life goals should meet the demands of the global market rather than what this country needs so it can achieve progress.

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The failure of our education system to instill nationalism, social awareness and cultural identity have been able to perfectly maintain the status quo.

The aim is always to get to the top. Never to step down in the pedestal and be one with the people. Never to offer up our talents and youthful energy in serving the people.

We need to have a nationalist, scientific and mass-oriented educational system if we want things to really change things in this country.

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In the mean time, I am challenging my fellow youth: go out of your classrooms, examine our society, learn from the masses and take action.

Because in this kind of educational system that we have, we can only possibly have the best education out in the streets, in picket lines and even your own community.

But as for me, my current 'academic institution' taught me things that they never knew that they are teaching me and insinuated me to become radical and slowly initiate radical changes into it. I'm talking here about turning pink into bloody red. :)

"Tanging sa militanteng pakikibaka lamang lilitaw ang pinakamahusay sa kabataan. Tanging sa pakikibaka lamang patuloy na mapapanariwa ang panlabang pwersa ng walang hanggang pagdaloy ng bagong dugo." - Mula kay Faye Released, isa sa PUP 5.

Kabataan: Mag-aral, Maglingkod, Makibaka!

Blinded by Fury

Note: This post was written last February 22. I had completely forgotten to place it here until today, when I found it as I was searching for my previous posts.

Last Friday, as I was going home from school, I probably had one of the most beautiful realizations of my life. It wasn't because something extraordinary had happened to me. Actually, I did nothing but watched everything as it unfolded before me.

Let me share with you what I've seen and realized yesterday.

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Before I had alighted the jeep yesterday, I've seen an old man in ragged clothes with a walking stick and can in his hand. He was just standing still helding out his can filled with a few coins. He was probably waiting for people to drop some of their spare coins in his can.

Anyone who would've seen a person in that condition would immediately 'judge' him as a beggar. But I was about to know later that aside from being a beggar, he was also blind.

Later, I found out that he was not actually waiting for someone to drop some coins in his can. He was waiting for someone to help him alight the jeep. Maybe becuase he was pissed off or it was a random act of kindness, the caller (or barker) helped the old man to get in the jeep and told the driver that his destination is in Bangkal (in Malolos City).

We were sitting then at both ends of the jeep - the old man near the entrance so he could get down easily.

Though he was at the other end, I can't stop myself to take a few glimpses of him.

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From the first I saw him standing and waiting at the terminal until he went down the jeep, he retained his composure. His face looked serene and peaceful. He seems contented about life despite his condition. He did not show any sign of discomfort or worry.

But what strike me the most is that he seems to have this extraordinary faith within him that he'll be able to get back home safe. He seems quite sure of himself that he is in good hands - that someone from above won't leave him and instead lead him the way even if he cannot see.

That alone made me realize not how lucky I am that I am able to see the wonders of this world but how blinded I am.

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I've come to realize how blinded I am by my frustrations in life.

Despite having a complete and normal body, I have not used it to make my life better.

I have failed to use my eyes to see how blessed I am.

I should have instead used my vision to forsee good things happening to me.

I should have not allowed myself to be blinded by my fear of the unknown because it robbed me of the opportunity to grow, learn and offer myself to serve others.

Now, I see things in a better light.

Image Copyright by Jose Dennio P. Lim Jr. Image Taken last March 10, 2010.

formspring.me

May tanong ka ba? Tanong na dali. Ang mag-anonymous duwag, hahaha.. :D http://formspring.me/projectdennio

I'm Now on my 20th Birthday

Today is the day that I finally saw the world. I am now 20 years old. I could have been a graduating student now at UP but because of certain circumstances, I have to extend my stay in school for at least 2 more years. But seeing my life these past two decades, it is really one hell of a ride. I cannot say that I've been through a lot but most of the things that happened to me would probably not happen to others. But what I can say is that these things had made me to what I am right now.

Now, I can proudly say that I don't regret anything that happened to me, from the day that I was born up to this very moment. Everything had been a wonderful part of me. I may have made thousands of mistakes and may have never really learned from them but hey, I'm still alive and I can still mend my ways. Besides, I'm much better off that those younger than me who had been sealed off forever and never had the chance to do it right.

To my parents, salamat sa pagtityaga sa akin. Salamat sa pang-unawa at pagmamahal. Hindi sasapat ang mga salita para ipaabot ko sa inyo kung gaano ko pinahahalagahan ang panibagong pagkakataon na inyong ibinigay sa akin.

Sa lahat ng tao na aking nakilala, naging kaibigan o kaaway, salamat. Hindi magiging masaya at malungkot ang aking buhay kung wala kayo.

Of course, all of this won't happen without the will of God. The ever-loving God who never ceases to love me despite of my imperfections. He never left me even though I have rejected Him in the past.

Sa kanya ang lahat ng papuri na aking maibibigay para sa napakaganda at pinagpalang dalawampung taon na kanyang ibinigay sa akin.

Saka na ako maglilitanya, ubos na oras ko dito sa net cafe. Sira pa din kasi PC. Sana may magregalo ng laptop.

PS Lord sana talaga may magregalo ng laptop nuh. :D

Mapagpalayang kaarawan sa akin. :)

Ang Kwento ng MP3 Player

Allow me to write in Filipino this time so I can freely express my thoughts. This is still part of the series of posts intended for my birthday celebration. You can find the previous posts here: 1,2,3. Today's the 8th day before my birthday (March 2).

Kaiba sa lahat, ngayon pa lang ako nagkaroon ng MP3 player habang ang halos lahat ay may iPod shuffle na o iPod mismo. Salamat na lamang sa aking 'napakabait' na kapatid dahil regalo daw niya ito para sa aking birthday. Sweet nuh? :)

Wala namang kaso sa akin kahit na parang siya pa ang nagpamana sa akin ng isa niyang gamit. Pero akalain mo 'yun noh? Ang bunso na pala ngayon ang nagpapamana ng gamit sa panganay, hahaha.. :D Pero siyempre, tuwa naman si Kuya kasi galing iyon kay bunso (na makulit at mataray, hahaha.. :D).

Iba na talaga takbo ng mundo ngaun anu?

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Hindi naman talaga ako mahilig sa music. Pero paborito ko ang mga medyo banal na awitin o gospel at praise songs. Iyung mga tipo ng kanta na maririnig mo sa simbahan o kaya pag may prayer meeting.

Nag-ugat ang pagkahilig ko dito sa aking pag-aaral noon sa isang Catholic all-boys high school. Puro mga Pinoy na kanta lang noong una gaya ng mga awit ng Himig Heswita hanggang sa maipakilala sa akin ng YFC at SFC ang Hillsong United.

Iba ang naging dating at tama ng mga awit nila kapag naririnig ko. Para bang ako'y dinadala sa alapaap at naglalakbay papunta sa kaluwalhatian.

Ang mga kanta nila ang laman ng aking MP3 player maliban sa ilang kanta gayan ng Tatsulok ni Bamboo at ilan mula sa FM Static. Huwag mo na itanong kung bakit sila kasama. :)

At sa nakalipas na limang araw na napasakin ang mahiwagang MP3 player na ito, halos buong araw na ito nakasaksak sa tenga ko. Hindi naman pala. Tuwing nasa biyahe lang ako papunta at pauwi ng school o di kaya 'pag ako'y nasa trono na (you know what I mean. ;D). Naging eksakto ang pagbibigay ng kapatid ko nito sa akin.

Hindi ko kasi maintindihan ang nararamdaman ko.

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Nagtanong nga ang isa kong kaibigan sa FB kung bakit "mixed emotions" ang status ko. Sabi ko, tila napuno ako ng halu-halong emosyon noong araw na iyon. Nakakaramdam ako ng lungkot, saya, galit at tuwa ng sabay-sabay. Hindi ko na nga halos mapagkaiba ang pakiramdam ng masaya sa malungkot.

Masyadong madaming gumugulo sa isip ko. Isa na doon ang problema ko sa aking negosyo na sinabayan pa ng lintek na pag-ibig.

Kaya't ang pagsasaksak ng earphone ng MP3 player ko ang nagsasalba sa aking katinuan bago pa ako bumigay na naman at sumuko.

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Nabanggit na lamang ang lintek na pag-ibig, nais ko lang ibulalas ang mga bagay na ito:

"Minsan lang darating sa ating buhay ang isang tao na magmamahal sa atin ng tapat at totoo. Isang tao na handang mahalin ang lahat ng kapintasan sa iyong pagkatao. Isang nagmamahal na walang hinihiling na kapalit. Isang pagmamahal na maihahalintulad sa pagmamahal ng Diyos sa atin.

Ngunit madalas, kung hindi tayo handa na tanggapin ito, itinataboy natin sila.. Nahihirapan tayong maniwala na may tao pala na tulad niya ang handang ibigay ang lahat para sa atin. Hindi lamang dahil sinabi niya kundi dahil ginagawa niya. Madalas pa, sa iba tayo tumitingin dahil ayaw natin silang hayaan na pumasok sa ating buhay.

Hanggang isang araw, mamumulat ka na lamang na wala na siya hindi dahil sa isinuko na niya ang pagmamahal niya sa iyo kundi dahil ayaw niyang ipagpilitan pa ang kanyang sarili. Pero kahit na umalis na siya, ikaw pa rin ang kanyang mahal at huling tao na mamahalin niya habambuhay. Katangahan man ito, ganyan ang tao na tunay na nagmamahal. May dumating man na iba, hindi nila kayang lokohin ang kanilang sarili dahil ikaw pa rin ang kanyang mahal.

Saka mo lamang malalaman kung gaano siya kahalaga sa buhay mo at kung ano ang nawala sa iyo. Laging nasa huli ang pagsisisi."

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Bakit ko iyan nasabi? Iyan ang bagay na gumugulo ngayon sa aking buhay.

Salamat.