1) Ang di lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay di makararating sa paroroonan. *** Huwag lingon ng lingon sa pinanggalingan nang di madapa. ~~~~~~ 2) Kapag may sinuksok may mabubunot. *** Kapag may sinuksok at walang nabunot, may nandukot. ~~~~~~ 3) Ang ilog na tahimik ay malalim, ang ilog na maingay ay mababaw. *** Ang ilog na tahimik ay malalim, ang ilog na maingay...may nalulunod. ~~~~~~ 4) Ang taong nagigipit, sa patalim man ay kumakapit. *** Ang taong nagigipit ... sa bumbay kumakapit. ~~~~~~ 5) If you can't beat them, join them. *** If you can't beat them, shoot them. (Kawawang Ninoy) ~~~~~~
6) Pulutin ang mabuti, ang masama ay iwaksi. *** May pera sa basura, mag recycle tayo Wag magkalat ha ! ~~~~~~ 7) An apple a day, keeps the doctor away. *** An apple a day is too expensive. An apple a day makes 7 apples a week. (really expensive) ~~~~~~ Kapag may tiyaga, may nilaga. *** Kapag may tiyaga…Good luck ! ! ~~~~~~ 9) Kapag maikli ang kumot, matutong mamaluktot. *** Kapag maikli ang kumot, tumangkad ka na! (Salamat sa Star margarine) ~~~~~~ 10) Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. *** Early to bed and early to rise, makes you feel sleepy after lunch. ~~~~~~ 11) Do not do unto others what you do not want them to do unto you. *** Do not do unto others, If you’re not sure you can get away with it. ~~~~~~ 12) Pag may itinanim, may aanihin. *** Pag may itinanim, may ibang aani. (bantayang mabuti..) ~~~~~~ 13) Ako ang nagtanim, ang nagbayo at nagsaing, subalit ng maluto ay iba ang kumain. *** Ako ang nagsaing, subalit ng maluto ay iba ang kumain. (On diet ako eh) ~~~~~~ 14) Ang taong nagigipit, sa patalim man ay kumakapit. *** Ang gwapong gipit, sa bakla kumakapit. ~~~~~~ 15) Huli man daw at magaling ay naihahabol din. *** Huli man daw at magaling, undertime pa rin. ~~~~~~ 16) Ang taong naglalakad nang matulin, kung matinik ay malalim. *** Ang taong naglalakad nang matulin, toilet nais agad marating. *** 17)Ang pagsasabi ng tapat ….. *** Is it you they are taking about? ~~~~~~ 1 Tell me who your friends are and i'll tell you who you are. *** Tell me who your friends are and i'll tell you mine. ~~~~~~ ============================
LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE. This is just for fun & is not intended to offend anybody.
An Irish woman "of a certain age," visited her physician to ask his help in reviving her husband's sex drive.
"What about trying Viagra?", asks the doctor. "Not a chance," she said. "He won't even take an aspirin."
"Not a problem," replied the doctor. "Drop it into his coffee. He won't even taste it. Give it a try and call me in a week to let me know how things went."
It wasn't a week later, but what she rang up the doctor, who directly inquired as to progress.
The poor dear exclaimed, "Oh, faith, bejaysus and begorrah! 'Twas horrid. Just terrible, Doctor."
"Really? What happened?", asked the doctor.
"Well, I did as you advised and slipped it in his coffee, didn't I ? The effect was almost immediate. He jumped himself straight up,with a twinkle in his eye, and with his pants a-bulging fiercely! With one swoop of his arm, he sent the cups and tablecloth flying,ripped me clothes to tatters and took me then and there, making wild, mad, passionate love to me on the tabletop! It was a nightmare, I tell you!"
"Why so terrible?", asked the doctor. "Do you mean the sex was not good?"
"No, no, no, Doctor. The sex was fine. Indeed, 'twas the best sex I've had in 25 years. But I'll never be able to show me face in Starbucks again!"
Dylan Wilk was born to a poor family. But at the young age of 20, he started a computer games company that made him a millionaire. Soon, Dylan operated in nine countries and ran his own TV channel. Then at the age of 25, Dylan sold his company for multi-million British pounds. He became the ninth richest person in the Great Britain under the age of 30.
But one night, while lying in bed, he was distressed by a nagging question that wouldn't let him sleep.
"God, why am I rich?"
He asked if there was a reason for his immense wealth. Ironically, he also felt terribly empty inside. This, despite his ability to have any kind of pleasure he wanted. He had just bought himself a brand-new Ferrari and took one holiday after another. But he was discovering that pleasure was like fire... it constantly needed more fuel to keep it going.
And he realized he would never be happy in the path he was taking.
One day, a Filipina friend visited him. She said she felt guilty going there because her plane fare could have built two homes for the poor. That made Dylan pause. How can you build two houses for that measly amount? He decided to investigate.
In January 2003, he visited the Philippines. And for three hours, Gawad Kalinga (GK) Director Tony Meloto brought Dylan to different GK villages for the poor. With his own eyes, he saw something that would change his life forever...
Bo: What did you see on that day?
Dylan: I saw hope. More than newly built houses, I saw transformed lives. We were entering rather dangerous slums, breeding ground for thieves and kidnappers... yet in the middle of that was an oasis...the Gawad Kalinga village. I saw people smiling, men working, children laughing... I've seen many other projects in South East Asia and across the world. And I've never seen anything like GK. This was different. This really worked!
Bo: So what did you do after your trip?
Dylan: I went back to England. I saw my BMW parked in the garage and realized I could build 80 homes with it... and affect the lives of 600 people. I saw the faces of the children I could help. I called up Tony Meloto and told him I was thinking of donating $100,000 to Gawad Kalinga and asked him if that was okay...
Bo: What did Tony say?
Dylan: He said, "No, I don't want your money."
Bo: Only Tony can say something like that. (Laughs.)
Dylan: He said if I was really serious in working for the poor, I should go back to the Philippines. So two months later, I sold my BMW and flew back to Manila. And in June of that year, I made a decision to stay in the Philippines and work for GK for seven more years.
Bo: Wow.
Dylan: I've decided to invest in the poor of the Philippines. Not in stocks or bonds. If I can help in uplifting the poor of this country, I can say that I spent my life well.
Bo: I presume your family wasn't too crazy about that decision.
Dylan: No! They thought I was brainwashed by a religious cult! (Laughs.) So my mother came and spied on me. But she was soon convinced of the beautiful work we were doing and went back home and told my sister about it. And my sister said, "Oh no, they brainwashed you too!" (Laughs.)But today, all of them support what I do.
Bo: You've made a decision to give up your wealth for the Filipino poor.
Dylan: I don't see it as a sacrifice. When you give charity out of pity, you feel pain parting with your money. But when you give charity because you love, you don't feel that pain. You only feel the joy of giving to someone you love. That's what I feel.
Bo: I hear you built an entire village for GK in Bulacan.
Dylan: I don't see it as my village. I just provided the materials. Architects, engineers, volunteers gave their labor. Together, we built 63 houses for the poor.
Bo: Amazing. What else do you do?
Dylan: I go around the world telling everyone that Filipinos are heroic. Because I work with them every day... the volunteers of GK.
Bo: What do you see in the Filipino that we take for granted?
Dylan: You're hardworking. You're always laughing, always eating, always singing. Even in your problems. You're loyal. And honest. Sure, there are exceptions, but generally, that's been my experience. And you have the bayanihan spirit. The pyramids of Egypt are beautiful but they were built by slavery. GK villages are more beautiful because they're made through the bayanihan spirit of the Filipino. It's especially this bayanihan and love of family and community that makes the Filipino more valuable than gold. If you take a golden nugget and kick it on the floor for 400 years, afterwards you won't be able to see much gold, just mud. This was what happened to the Filipino... for 400 years you were slaves and then you suffered under dictatorship and corruption. This is where the crab mentality came from; I don't think it's a natural Filipino quality because every day I see the gold under the surface of ordinary Filipinos. If we wipe away the mud by bringing hope and being brothers to one another in bayanihan, the gold will shine through and the world will see it.
Bo: Let me get personal here. I hear that you don't only love the Filipinos, but you've fallen for a particular Filipina.
Dylan: (Smiles.) Two months ago, I married Anna Meloto, the eldest daughter of Tony Meloto. She grew up with the GK work, so we're totally one in our mission. And yes, I'll be having Filipino children. The best way I can secure a future for my kids is to continue to help raise this country from poverty. Instead of building high walls in an exclusive subdivision to protect us from thieves and kidnappers, I will go to the breeding ground of thieves and kidnappers and help transform their lives.
Bo: Thank you for this interview. You don't know how much you inspired me.
Dylan: Thank you for being our partner in GK. I read KERYGMA every month and I'm happy to see GK stories in every issue.
Bo: It's our immense privilege to tell the world about it and ask others to join the miracle.
Dylan: To me, GK isn't just Gawad Kalinga. It is a part of "God's Kingdom" in this world. Thank you.
****************************************** The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a terrible tempest -a driving rainstorm hit the not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory-colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.
By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus.. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the Pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put Up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet.. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again. The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The Pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do.. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a house cleaning job. What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike. He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he Forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison.. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between. The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.
Akala ng mga tao na nasa Pilipinas kapag nasa America ka akala nila madami ka ng pera. Ang totoo,madami kang utang, dahil credit card lahat ang gamit mo sa pagbili mo ng mga gamit mo. Kailangan mo gumamit ng credit card para magka-credit history ka, kase pag hindi ka umutang o wala kang utang, hindi ka pagkakatiwalaan. Pag wala kang credit card, ibig sabihin wala kang kapasidad magbayad. Akala nila mayaman ka na kase may kotse ka na. Ang totoo, kapag hindi ka bumili ng kotse sa America maglalakad ka ng milya-milya sa ilalim ng init ng araw o kaya sa snow. Walang jeepney, tricycle o padyak sa America . Akala nila masarap ang buhay dito sa America . Ang totoo, puro ka trabaho kase pag di ka nagtrabaho, wala kang pangbayad ng bills mo sa kotse, credit card, ilaw, tubig, telepono, insurance, bahay at iba pa. Hindi ka na pwedeng tumambay sa kapitbahay kase busy din sila maghanap buhay pangbayad ng bills nila. Akala nila masaya ka kase nagpadala ka ng picture mo sa Disneyland , Seaworld, Six Flags, Universal Studios at iba pang attractions. Ang totoo, kailangan mo ngumiti kase nagbayad ka ng $70+ para makarating ka dun, kailangan mo na naman ang 10 hours na sweldo mong pinangbayad sa ticket. Akala nila malaki na ang kinikita mo kase dolyar na sweldo mo. Ang totoo, malaki pag pinalit mo ng peso, pero dolyar din ang gastos mo sa America . Ibig sabihin ang dolyar mong kinita sa presyong dolyar mo din gagastusin. Ang P15.00 na sardinas sa Pilipinas $1.00 sa America , ang isang pakete ng sigarilyo sa Pilipinas P40.00, sa America $ 6.50, ang renta mo sa bahay na P10,000 sa Pilipinas, sa America $1,000++. Akala nila buhay milyonaryo ka na kase ang ganda ng bahay at kotse mo. Ang totoo, milyon ang utang mo. Ang bago mong kotse 5 taon mong huhulugan. Ang bahay 30 taon mong huhulugan. Ibig sabihin, alipin ka ng bahay at kotse mo. Nagka-asawa at nagka-apo ka na, may hinuhulugan ka pa ring utang. Madaming naghahangad na makarating sa America . Lalo na ang mga nurses, mahirap maging normal na manggagawa sa Pilipinas. Madalas pagod ka sa trabaho. Pag dating ng sweldo mo, kulang pa sa pagkain mo. Pero ganun din sa ibang bansa katulad ng America. Hindi ibig sabihin dolyar na angsweldo mo, yayaman ka na, kailangan mo ding magbanat ng buto para mabuhay ka sa ibang bansa. Kailangan mong kumilos at kumita upang mabuhay sa araw-araw. Matitikman mo lang ng buo ang iyong naipon sa pagreretiro kung ikaw ay edad 65-70 na. Isang malaking sakripisyo ang pag alis mo sa bansang pinagsilangan at malungkot iwanan ang mga mahal mo sa buhay.Hindi pinupulot ang pera dito o pinipitas. Hindi ako naninira ng pangarap, gusto ko lang buksan ang bintana ng katotohanan. ISIP ISIP: Kahit saan mahirap ang buhay. Ang kaibahan ng buhay dito sa Amerika at sa Pilipinas, dito sa America, makikita mo ang pinaghirapan mo, maa-enjoy mo ang pinagbanatan mo ng buto. Sa Pilipinas, lasag na ang buto mo, naghahabol ka pa din ng jeep o FX para makarating sa trabaho na dapat sana ay siyang magbibigay sa iyo ng kakayanan para guminhawa ang buhay. Dito sa America kahit karaniwang manggagawa, nakaka-utang ng milyon. Sa atin, "white collar" job ka na hirap ka pang makautang sa tindahan sa kanto nang kahit isang kilong bigas (dahil sila man ay kailangan din ng cash). Saan ka lulugar?
We all suffer a roller coaster ride far too often, but this is because we allow our emotions to dominate. If we reside in anger for any length of time we somehow find justification for revenge. If we allow our ego to dominate we become greedy and selfish.
Our minds are busy and it is this busyness that can tire us out. Take a day off work and find out how tiring it is doing nothing.
QUOTE: "Minds are like parachutes, they only function when they are open." (Thomas Dewar)
As you focus on reading this post, you’ll forget the troubles of the day. Study for a moment how valuable such practice can be. When your attention in pinpointed to doing one task, all other troubles take a back seat. The moment you allow them to re-enter your conscious mind the less attention you give to the job in hand.
This principle is the same with emotions. If you are sad but engross yourself in a good book your sadness seems to disappear until your pinpointed attention is lost. You are not losing the emotion of sadness but you’re not allowing it to conquer your power of reason and decision making.
Decisions made in negative situations are poor. So we need to practice giving our full attention to other tasks. When we recognize how powerful this distraction of full attention is we can chip away at resolving bad emotions.
Unless we truly focus on the job in hand we tend to day dream. This system of wandering may be with us for many hundreds of years, until we stabilize our emotions to the point of perfection.
So what to do?
We must have two main objectives. Firstly we must reduce the peaks and the troughs and secondly always have a short term goal.
In the United Kingdom a television advert running that states for every GOOD event that occurs there is an equally DUMB thing that occurs elsewhere in the world. Amusing as the advert is, it constantly reminds me that we experience peaks and troughs every day and every hour.
One moment we can be extremely happy and then out of the blue we receive a telephone call about an ill relative and suddenly the swing starts and the trough begins opening, to include sadness, misery, anger, lethargy, hopelessness, grief, sorrow, unhappiness, gloom, despondency, woe and possibly depression.
Our response is imperative! Do we wallow in all those negative emotions or do we respond with a positive to avoid the trough being too deep? A positive reaction may be to offer your support. Instead of thinking about the sadness of the illness, by offering your support the ill person will gain strength from knowing others care. We easily bury our head in the sand should an occasion arise where a relative becomes ill.
There must have been a time when you have been either ill or facing a mountain to climb and some distant relative has arrived with their own walking boots and said, “I’ll walk with you to offer encouragement.” You’ve smiled no matter how painful your circumstances are.
The way to avoid the extremities of our emotions is to reduce peaks and troughs. The most effective way is to apply full attention; to focus 100% rather than do a job while contemplating your current list of troubles.
As for small goals… I’m not suggesting that you don’t have big goals but you must have small goals. Small goals are the reason you get up and work. Small goals are the reason you clean your house and the main reason you self develop. Today for example, along with my days work I must shop for a birthday present, visit the garage for an assessment and I have chosen to try my luck on the mid-week lottery. All of which need extra effort to squeeze into my day; but I’m up for all of them. Each day will offer up a few small goals; don’t consider them to be toil, enjoy them and they will brighten up your soul.
A small goal encourages a positive feeling; the emotion you reside in during this accomplishment will assist in prolonging serenity and happiness.
In conclusion our emotional stability means a balanced emotional state of mind which is difficult to maintain with so many distractions that we encounter daily; but what we can do is to lessen the peaks and troughs so the ride is more comfortable. We must expect during every day a trough to begin and upon noticing this developing we must think of a positive move that will lessen its blow. If we acknowledge they happen regularly we will be able to see them arriving.
Take your walking boots, sometime today you’ll need them…
EACH PERSON WHO ENTERS OUR LIFE HAS A UNIQUE LESSON TO TEACH US And it is only through these lessons that we learn about life, people, relationships and God.
WHEN SOMEONE LIES TO YOU it teaches you that things are not always as they seem. The truth is often far beneath the surface. Look beneath the masks that people wear if you want to know their heart. And remove your own masks to let people know yours.
WHEN SOMEONE STEALS FROM YOU it teaches you that nothing is forever. Always appreciate what you have, for you never Know when you might lose it. And never, ever take your friends and family for granted because today is the only guarantee you have.
WHEN SOMEONE INFLICTS AN INJURY UPON YOU, it teaches you that the human state is a fragile one. Protect and take care of your body as best you can, it's the only thing you are sure to have as long as you live.
WHEN SOMEONE MOCKS YOU it teaches you that no two people are alike. When you encounter people who are different from you, don't judge them by how they look or act; instead base your opinion on the contents of their heart.
WHEN A LOVED ONE IS UNFAITHFUL TO YOU it teaches you that resisting temptation is Man's greatest challenge. Be vigilant in your existence against all temptation. By doing so you will be rewarded with an enduring sense of satisfaction far greater than the temporary pleasure by which you were tempted
WHEN SOMEONE BREAKS YOUR HEART it teaches you that loving someone does not always mean that person will love you back. But don't turn your back on love because when you find the right person, the joy that one person brings will make up for all the past hurts put together. A hundredfold!
WHEN SOMEONE HOLDS A GRUDGE AGAINST YOU it teaches you that everyone makes mistakes. When you are wronged, the most virtuous thing you can do is forgive the offender without pretense. Forgiving those who have hurt us is the most difficult and courageous thing Man can do.
WHEN SOMEONE CHEATS ON YOU it teaches you that greed is the root of all evil. Aspire to make your dreams come true, no matter how lofty they may be. Do not feel guilty about your success, but never let an obsession with achieving your goals lead you to engage in malevolent activities.
WHEN SOMEONE RIDICULES YOU it teaches you that nobody is perfect. Accept people for their merits and be tolerant of their flaws. Do not ever reject someone for imperfections over which they have no control. God replied that Man's capacity to love is the greatest gift he has. At the root of all kindness is love, and EACH ACT OF LOVE ALSO TEACHES US A LESSON.
WHEN SOMEONE LOVES US it teaches us that love, kindness, charity, honesty, humility, forgiveness and acceptance can counteract all the evil in the world. For every good deed, there is one less evil deed. Man alone has the power to control the balance between good and evil, but because the lessons of love are not taught often enough, the power is too often abused.
When you enter someone's life, whether by plan, chance or coincidence, CONSIDER WHAT YOUR LESSON WILL BE .
Will you teach love or a harsh lesson of reality?
When you die will your life have resulted in more loving or hurting?
More comfort or pain? More joy or sadness?
Each one of us has power over the balance of love in the world. Use it wisely. Don't miss an opportunity to nudge the world's scale in the right direction.
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...one old love she can imagine going back to... and one who reminds her how far she has come.
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ... a youth she's content to leave behind...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...one friend who always makes her laugh ... and one who lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored.
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a feeling of control over her destiny...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... ...how to fall in love without losing herself...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... ...how to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... ...when to try harder ... and when to walk away...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... ...that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... ...that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..... ...what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...qout;
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... ...how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... ...whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... ...where to go... be it to her best friend's kitchen table... or a charming inn in the woods... when her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... ...what she can and can't accomplish in a day... a month...and a year...
I used to think that corruption and criminality in the Philippines were caused by poverty. But recent events tell me this is not true. It is one thing to see people turn into drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves and murderers because of hunger and poverty, but what excuse do these rich, educated people have that could possibly explain their bizarre behavior? And to think I was always so relieved when petty snatchers got caught and locked away in jail because I never fully realized that the big time thieves were out there, making the laws and running our country. Can it get any worse than this?
Every night, I come home and am compelled to turn on my tv to watch the latest turn of events. I am mesmerized by these characters. They are not men. They are caricatures of men - too unreal to be believable and too bad to be real. To see these “honorable” crooks lambaste each other, call each one names, look each other in the eye and accuse the other of committing the very same crimes that they themselves are guilty of, is so comical and appalling that I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. It is entertainment at its worst!
I have never seen so many criminals roaming around unfettered and looking smug until now. These criminals wear suits and barongs, strut around with the confidence of the rich and famous, inspire fear and awe from the very citizens who voted them to power, bear titles like “Honorable”, “Senator”, “Justice”, “General” and worse, “President”.. Ironically, these lawless individuals practice law, make our laws, enforce the law. And we wonder why our policemen act the way they do! These are their leaders, and the leaders of this nation, “ Robin Hoodlum” and his band of money men. Their motto, “Rob the poor, moderate the greed of the rich.”
It makes me wonder where on earth these people came from, and what kind of upbringing they had to make them act the way they do for all the world to see. It makes me wonder what kind of schools they went to, what kind of teachers they had, what kind of environment would produce such creatures who can lie, cheat and steal from an already indebted country and from the impoverished people they had vowed to serve. It makes me wonder what their children and grandchildren think of them, and if they are breeding a whole new generation of improved Filipino crooks and liars with maybe a tad more style but equally negligible conscience. Heaven forbid!
I am an ordinary citizen and taxpayer. I am blessed to have a job that pays for my needs and those of my family, even though 30% of my earnings go to the nation’s coffers. Just like others in my lot, I have complained time and again because our government could not provide enough of the basic services that I expect and deserve. Rutty roads, poor educational system, poor social services, poor health services, poor everything. But I have always thought that was what all third world countries were all about, and my complaints never amounted to anything more.
And then this. Scandalous government deals. Plundering presidents pointing fingers. Senators who are crooks. Congressmen who accept bribes. Big time lawyers on the side of injustice. De Venecia ratting on his boss only after his interminable term has ended, Enrile inquiring about someone’s morality! The already filthy rich Abalos and Arroyo wanting more money than they or their great grandchildren could ever spend in a lifetime. Joker caught red-handed. Defensor rendered defenseless. Gen. Razon involved in kidnapping. Security men providing anything but a sense of security. And it’s all about money, money, money that the average Juan de la Cruz could not even imagine in his dreams. Is it any wonder why our few remaining decent and hardworking citizens are leaving to go work in other countries?
And worst of all, we are once again saddled with a power-hungry president whose addiction has her clinging on to it like barnacle on a rusty ship. “Love (of power) is blind” takes a whole new meaning when PGMA time and again turns a blind eye on her husband’s shady financial deals. And still blinded with all that is happening, she opts to traipse around the world with her cohorts in tow while her country is in shambles.
They say the few stupid ones like me who remain in the Philippines are no longer capable of showing disgust. I don’t agree. Many like me feel anger at the brazenness of men we call our leaders, embarrassment to share the same nationality with them, frustration for our nation and helplessness at my own ineffectuality. It is not that I won’t make a stand. It is just that I am afraid my actions would only be futile. After all, these monsters are capable of anything. They can hurt me and my family. They already have, though I may not yet feel it.
But I am writing this because I need to do something concrete. I need to let others know that ordinary citizens like me do not remain lukewarm to issues that would later affect me and my children. I want to make it known that there are also Filipinos who dream of something better for the Philippines . I want them to know that my country is not filled with scalawags and crooks in every corner, and that there are citizens left who believe in decency, fairness, a right to speak, a right to voice out ideas, a right to tell the people we have trusted to lead us that they have abused their power and that it is time for them to step down. I refuse to let this country go to hell because it is the only country I call mine and it is my responsibility to make sure I have done what I could for it.
Those of us who do not have the wealth, power or position it needs to battle the evil crime lords in the government can summon the power of good. We can pray. We can do this with our families every night. We can ask others to pray, too, including relatives and friends here and overseas, just so we get the message to Him of our desperation in ridding our nation of these vermin. After all, they cannot be more powerful than God!
I implore mothers out there to raise your children the best way you can. Do not smother, pamper, or lavish them with too much of the material comforts of life even if you can well afford them. Teach them that there are more important things in this world. I beg all fathers to spend time with their children, to teach them the virtues of hard work, honesty, fair play, sharing, dignity and compassion right from the sandbox till they are old enough to go on their own. Not just in your homes, but at work, in school, everywhere you go. Be good role models. Be shining examples for your children so they will learn to be responsible adults who will carry and pass on your family name with pride and honor.
I call on educators and teachers; we always underestimate the power of your influence on the minds of our youth. Encourage them to be aware of what is happening in their surroundings. Instill in them a love of their country, inculcate in them the value of perseverance in order to gain real, worthwhile knowledge, help us mold our children into honorable men and women. Encourage our graduates, our best and brightest, to do what they can to lift this country from the mire our traditional politicians have sunk us into. The youth is our future and it would be largely because of you, our educators, that we will be able to repopulate the seats of power with good leaders, presidents, senators, congressmen, justices, lawmakers, law enforcers and lawful citizens.
I ask all students, young people and young professionals everywhere to look around and get involved in what is happening. Do not let your youth be an excuse for failure to concern yourselves with the harsh realities you see. But neither let this make you cynical, because we need your idealism and fresh perspective just as you need the wisdom of your elders. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Let your voices be heard. Do what you can for this land that gave you your ancestors and your heritage. Use technology and all available resources at hand to spread good. Text meaningful messages to awaken social conscience. Try your best to fight moral decay because I promise you will not regret it when you become parents yourselves. You will look back at your past misdeeds and pray that your children will do better than you did.
Remember that there are a few handful who are capable of running this country. You can join their ranks and make their numbers greater. We are tired of the old trapos. We need brave idealistic leaders who will think of the greater good before anything else. Do your utmost to excel in your chosen field. Be good lawyers, civil servants, accountants, computer techs, engineers, doctors, military men so that when you are called to serve in government, you will have credibility and a record that can speak for itself.
For love of this country, for the future of our children, for the many who have sacrificed and died to uphold our rights and ideals, I urge you to do what you can. As ordinary citizens, we can do much more for the Philippines than sit around and let crooks lead us to perdition. We owe ourselves this. And we owe our country even more.
P.S. Pls translate in your dialect and forward to provincemates!
Kapag may tiyaga, may nilaga.
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qout;
