wowowee age

I read an article from a Philippine newspaper’s website; that the government announced a P5-billion aid program for the poor as a solution to the food crisis in the country. According to the article, the program would give allowance of up to P1,400 monthly to the poorest families in the 20 poorest provinces… Truly, we are now living in a noontime show age! Numbers of Pinoys have a wowowee kind of mentality… that is a sad truth. Sadder truth, it seems that some of our leaders have this way of thinking too.

Several years back, I heard a preacher said “if you want to help someone, don’t give him a fish everyday, but instead teach him how to fish.” This based on a Chinese proverb which is; “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” This adage etched on my mind.. and since then, I try to apply its principle each time I deal with people who are in need. Its principle is also the reason why I’m not fond of noontime shows nor do I think they help the poor as they claim.

To prevent the poor from hunger… As an answer to food crisis… P5-biillion aid program?! Where did the government get this idea? From Willie Revillame?!

Just like noontime shows, this kind of thing promotes laziness and teaches people to be dependent instead of self-reliant. They will get a monthly stipend without exerting a muscle. Instead of helping the poor, this just makes them paralyze, unable to do things for themselves and just waiting to be spoon-fed. Also, with cash, there is the temptation to use it for other things—for liquor, or gambling. The people is the prime capital of a country, they say. How can people be an asset if they can’t even stand on their own feet? Instead of an asset, they become a burden to the country.

In my humble opinion, the government should provide employment rather monthly allowance. Instead of spending money on this program that have a momentary effect, why not spend it on something that have a long term (good) effect that can probably benefit us all…say, education? Rather consuming their time thinking of a program to alleviate poverty instantly, why not think of an agriculture program that can rehabilitate the irrigation which can increase rice production, and eventually resolve the food crisis?

newsflash

My thoughts…

Ever since I worked abroad, I’ve become a news buff… When I was still a student I watched the news because I had to… But now, I watch the news because I want to… I now derive pleasure from it. Since I left the country, I’ve been keener about what’s happening back home. Not just I, but many other pinoy here suddenly became more conscious about current events. Perhaps the reason for this ardency for news is the ‘homesick’ factor… Watching the news or any particular show from Pinas somehow alleviates our homesickness. It gives us the feeling that home is just within our reach. It also has the power to delusion us to feel that we’re actually just at home… But lately, watching the news has become [more] draining. Hearing about food crisis, rampant corruption, unending rallies, heinous crimes, and etcetera can be so exhausting and disheartening. Sometimes, the more I watch it, the less excited I feel [to come home]. But I try to tell myself not to believe in it too much. News programs [media] are gatekeepers. They have the ability to alter or exaggerate things.

I honestly don’t know if this is a good thing or not; when you read news papers here in UAE, you will hardly see bad news, nakakapanibago. If there are any, they would focus on the bright side of it. For example, the recent accident of almost 200 cars on Sheik Zayed Road, at the boundary of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, they put more attention on how they cleared the roads within few hours and how many people were saved. Also in the fire that happened in Al Quos last month, where a Pilipino died. They focused on how fast the firemen and ambulance came to the rescue. I hear stories from Pinoys who’s been here for quite a long time; they say that UAE is so powerful that they can tamper news. They say that Dubai may be a fast growing city but it’s still young… and it can’t afford to have negative impression to them from other countries, so they focus on good news that sometimes it comprises that real news. Hmm…I really don’t know if it’s true or just a mere speculation.

On the other hand, I wonder if the news back home is the truth or the half truth or exaggerated truth. Why do this? I have two theories… Pinoy have the tendency to make paawa to foreigners. We have a deep-rooted belief that when foreign people take pity on us, they would assist us, they would shower us with help… but what is in return? (I was a bit shocked when I saw GMA said in Hong Kong that ‘Filipinos are more pro-Americans than Americans’). Why wait for deliverance from foreigners? Another theory is yellow journalism. Maybe TV networks are after the ratings that they overlook other things. They exaggerate the news to get viewers’ attention. Well, I don’t know…these are mere theories of mine.

Even if the news were true, still I tell myself not to feel hopeless no matter how shocking the news may be… Because once sense of hopelessness takes over, apathy will surely come next. I just thought… people always long desperately to come home when they are abroad. The only thing is what they are coming home to.

men’s magazine

My Thoughts…

Just recently, I saw on the news that the most famous “men’s magazine” in the face of the planet reached the Philippines. As a Christian… as a woman… as a feminist… I can’t help to react violently on this. The leading men’s magazine (FHM) in the country has the largest circulation which is 67%. (That is according to Summit’s website). Surely Playboy will thump that vast circulation. And that can’t be good. I’m not rooting for FHM, just to clarify. It’s disturbing enough to have that kind of magazine in a (only) Christian nation in Asia. Then, Playboy enters the scene… the more explicit, more graphic magazine that will capture the men’s attention and wallets!

First of all, these kinds of magazine don’t care who purchases and reads their magazine. They don’t care if the readers are adults or minors. They don’t care about the possibility that they can pollute innocent minds. All they care about that their profits.

They distort women’s image. They present women as toys. Such things insinuate that women are mere objects of desire. They portray women as a piece of meat. They give men the wrong notion that women are to be fantasized not respected; be used instead of loved. They exploit women! They mislead women in the wrong thinking hat it’s pleasurable to be fantasized by men… that it’s good to be a sex object… They inculcate to women’s mind that they are created to fulfill men’s fantasies! Talk about deceit!

I’m well aware of that these women aren’t forced to do this; and that what makes it more disheartening. It is sometimes understandable why some men disrespect women (It is not excusable just understandable, ok?!). How can a woman expect men to respect her if she herself doesn’t respect own self? Clichéd, but true: Respect is something earned.

I just don’t understand why a woman would use her body. A woman shouldn’t capitalize on her body; instead she should have respect for herself, cultivate her intelligence and talent, improve herself, and know her worth.

diary entry 1

03/19/08

I finally mustered up the courage to talk to my boss. His answer wasn’t exactly the one I’ve been hoping for. He just told me that the decision wasn’t up to him. Although, I was expecting to hear that, I still felt somewhat disappointed. I felt weird. I tried to fight back my tears as I was speaking with him. But as soon as I sat back down on my seat, I broke into tears. Being an adult, I fully know that crying is not exactly a mature way to react if you don’t get what you want – most especially in the corporate world. As a person, who doesn’t want to be seen crying, I tried to hide it of course. But I wasn’t successful in doing that. An officemate noticed my swelling eyes. She tried to cheer me up and as her consolation gesture, she treated me to lunch. A relative also found out what happened. She too felt for me. She told her best friend whom I also treat as a friend about it. They wanted me to feel better, so they took me out for dinner that evening. My sister also called me later that evening insisting on taking to a movie on Friday… hehe… talk about comforting me!

A few hours before I left the office I had the great privilege of talking to our pastor. We talked on the phone for half an hour. We didn’t talk about what happened that day, that wasn’t the reason why I wanted to talk to her in the first place. I asked her counsel about personal matters – matters that I’m not ready to write about.

In all honesty, the reason why I cried wasn’t just about the conversation I had with my boss… It had something to do with it but not entirely about it. You see, I’ve been on the verge of breaking into tears. I’ve been crying inside but for some reason, I couldn’t let it out. that’s so me. When I cry, it’s hard to distinguish the real reason behind my tears. I’m sounding like a drama queen again! haha. I really don’t know if this is a good thing or not. I turned into a delayed-reactor when it comes to unwanted events. When not so good things happen, it takes me a while to digest it. I don’t repress nor suppress my feelings. It’s just it takes time for me to process and grasp those kinds of things to the point that I seem unaffected. I myself think it’s strange…haha…

03/20/08

I didn’t have work… I attended Energy Hub in Ramada Hotel. I pigged out later that day

03/21/08

I went to the church. I was so late. I ended up sitting on the floor. That’s how jam-pack the church is. After the service I met up with my sister. We were supposedly going to watch a movie. Nothing’s good in theaters so we just ate and did little shopping. There was a sale kasi.

03/22/08 I stayed at home. Watch Korean Novela all throughout the day. boring…