Sa pananalita lang, marami na tayong mapupunang mapangmatang pagtrato batay sa kasarian at edad.
Pamilyar na ang uri ng diskriminasyon sa mga babae.
Matatandaan ang popular na komentaryong "Eh kasi, babae!" Kahit walang karugtong, napakarami nang kahulugan nito.
Sakop ng mga salitang ito ang paniniwalang mas mahina ang kasariang babae. At taglay din nito ang mga tipikal na paglalarawan sa kahinaan - papalit-palit ng isip, emosyonal sa halip na lohikal, mahina sa larangan ng teknolohiya at agham. Kaya naman madalas marinig sa kalsada ang komentaryong, "Babae kasi ang driver" kapag may palpak sa pagmamaneho.
Pero maliban sa kasarian, may iba pang anyo ng diskriminasyon batay naman sa edad. ‘Di marahil napupuna nang husto, pero nagiging natural na bigkasin ang ilang pananalitang nanghuhusga o nang-iinsulto sa matatandang babae. Tulad ng "wala nang asim" o "tuyot na" na kapwa patungkol sa paglaho ng kanilang sekswalidad.
Ang babaeng umabot sa edad 30 pataas at nananatiling dalaga ay binabansagan ng kung anu-anong nakaiinsultong pananalita. Napag-iwanan ng tren.
Matandang dalagang masungit at bugnutin. Wala nang ‘market value’ (‘di na makakaakit ng lalaki). Walang lalaking nagtiyaga kaya ‘di nakapag-asawa.
Lahat ng pangmamata’y tila nakaugnay sa pagkakaroon ng lalaki sa buhay ng babae. Para bagang ang pahiwatig ay ‘di kumpleto ang pagkababae kapag walang esposo o katipang lalaki. Pero ang lalaking binata sa katandaan ay ‘di dumaranas nito. Walang panlalait na kasing dalas ng ginagawa sa matandang dalaga. Maliban na lang sa kantyaw na ang lalaking edad 40 at wala pang asawa ay malamang ‘di tunay na lalaki. Pero mas madalas na positibo pa rin ang pagturing sa matandang binata. Pangunahin ang paghanga na malamang mayaman siya sa karanasan at higit na kanais-nais.
Sa aspeto naman ng edad, may mga palasak na pangmamaliit batay sa pagiging bata o matanda. Nariyan ang mga kasabihang "may gatas pa sa labi" o "marami ka pang kakaining bigas". O kaya ‘yung, "Papunta ka pa lang sa simbahan, pauwi na ako". Lahat ito’y paghusga sa bata na wala pang alam sa buhay at walang kakayahang makaunawa sa mga kumplikadong usapin.
Kung tutuusin din, ngayon ay maaring maghusga nang ganito. Marami nang pagkakataong ang mga bata pa nga ang higit na matino at may kakayahang mabuhay at makaraos sa mga pagsubok. Sila pa minsan ang nag-aalaga at "nagpapalaki" sa kanilang mga magulang.
Kapag matanda naman, may mga karaniwang pananaw na sila’y wala nang silbi. Masakit ang paglarawan sa kanila bilang ulyanin, pabigat at pasanin. Madalas rin, sila’y ‘di na binibigyan ng pagkakataong ipagpatuloy ang mga gawaing pinagsanayan na nila at nananatiling mahusay pa rin. Tulad ng pagtuturo o ibang hanapbuhay.
May ilang samahang pribado ang tumututok sa mga usaping ito at sinisikap na baguhin ang mentalidad ng mga tao. Layon ng mga itong patunayang nananatiling makabuluhan ang kanilang sektor at ‘di nararapat imaltrato o ituring na mas mababa ang estado sa buhay.
Lahat naman tayo’y dumaan sa pagkabata at hahantong din sa katandaan. Mga normal na yugto ng ating buhay ang mga ito kaya’t walang saysay ang diskriminasyon.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
WHY EMPLOYEES LEAVE ORGANISATIONS ?
- Azim Premji, Wipro
Every company faces the problem of people leaving the company for better pay or profile.
Early this year, Arun, a senior software designer, got an offer from
a prestigious international firm to work in its India operations developing specialized software. He was thrilled by the offer.
He had heard a lot about the CEO. The salary was great. The company had all the right systems in place employee-friendly human resources (HR)policies, a spanking new office, and the very best technology, even a canteen that served superb food.
Twice Arun was sent abroad for training. "My learning curve is the sharpest it's ever been," he said soon after he joined.
Last week, less than eight months after he joined, Arun walked out of the job.
Why did this talented employee leave?
Arun quit for the same reason that drives many good people away.
The answer lies in one of the largest studies undertaken by the Gallup Organization. The study surveyed over a million employees and 80,000 managers and was published in a book called "First Break All The Rules". It came up with this surprising finding:
If you're losing good people, look to their immediate boss. Immediate boss is the reason people stay and thrive in an organization. And he's the reason why people leave. When people leave they take knowledge,experience and contacts with them, straight to the competition.
"People leave managers not companies," write the authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman.
Mostly manager drives people away?
HR experts say that of all the abuses, employees find humiliation the most intolerable. The first time, an employee may not leave, but a thought has been planted. The second time that thought gets strengthened. The third time, he looks for another job.
When people cannot retort openly in anger, they do so by passive aggression.
By digging their heels in and slowing down. By doing only what they are
told to do and no more. By omitting to give the boss crucial information.
Dev says: "If you work for a jerk, you basically want to get him into
trouble. You don't have your heart and soul in the job."
Different managers can stress out employees in different ways - by being too controlling, too suspicious, too pushy, too critical, but they forget
that workers are not fixed assets, they are free agents. When this goes on
too long, an employee will quit - often over a trivial issue.
Talented men leave. Dead wood doesn't.
Every company faces the problem of people leaving the company for better pay or profile.
Early this year, Arun, a senior software designer, got an offer from
a prestigious international firm to work in its India operations developing specialized software. He was thrilled by the offer.
He had heard a lot about the CEO. The salary was great. The company had all the right systems in place employee-friendly human resources (HR)policies, a spanking new office, and the very best technology, even a canteen that served superb food.
Twice Arun was sent abroad for training. "My learning curve is the sharpest it's ever been," he said soon after he joined.
Last week, less than eight months after he joined, Arun walked out of the job.
Why did this talented employee leave?
Arun quit for the same reason that drives many good people away.
The answer lies in one of the largest studies undertaken by the Gallup Organization. The study surveyed over a million employees and 80,000 managers and was published in a book called "First Break All The Rules". It came up with this surprising finding:
If you're losing good people, look to their immediate boss. Immediate boss is the reason people stay and thrive in an organization. And he's the reason why people leave. When people leave they take knowledge,experience and contacts with them, straight to the competition.
"People leave managers not companies," write the authors Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman.
Mostly manager drives people away?
HR experts say that of all the abuses, employees find humiliation the most intolerable. The first time, an employee may not leave, but a thought has been planted. The second time that thought gets strengthened. The third time, he looks for another job.
When people cannot retort openly in anger, they do so by passive aggression.
By digging their heels in and slowing down. By doing only what they are
told to do and no more. By omitting to give the boss crucial information.
Dev says: "If you work for a jerk, you basically want to get him into
trouble. You don't have your heart and soul in the job."
Different managers can stress out employees in different ways - by being too controlling, too suspicious, too pushy, too critical, but they forget
that workers are not fixed assets, they are free agents. When this goes on
too long, an employee will quit - often over a trivial issue.
Talented men leave. Dead wood doesn't.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Francisco Colayco Wealth Within Our Reach
Francisco J. Colayco relates the story of the female caller on his radio program. The woman has no savings to show for all the 23 years she had been working as an OFW in Hong Kong. It was the same story of hard-earned bucks being spent on new dresses, changing cell phone models, jewelry, good time.
"I told her if she cut her unnecessary expenses, she would have savings," recalls Colayco. Nine months later, the same caller would report P175,000 in savings, a typical story but with a happy ending on Colayco's radio chat.
Heartwarming was how this white-haired veteran of many a corporate battle described the episode. He was a professional manager up to the age of 40 before making the shift to being an entrepreneur. Now in his late 50s, he is facing his next big challenge: changing a mindset among OFWs and tapping their earnings to make them save for their future.
"I want to generate a mindset epidemic among the expatriates and even among small-income earners here. I want Filipinos to imbibe an appreciation of laying money in store for the future," Colayco tells Planet Philippines in an interview.
It was his interaction with listeners on his Saturday radio program (simulcast to Hong Kong from the RMN station in Metro Manila) that spurred Colayco into compiling his callers' experiences and his insights in book form. The result is "Wealth Within Your Reach: Pera Mo, Palaguin Mo," a 232-page tome now on it sixth printing in just over one year, a rarity in local publishing.
"I have always believed in sharing," writes Colayco in the foreword. "Sharing thoughts, experiences, discoveries, news." Having lost his father when he was barely four months old (father Manuel Colayco, a guerrilla leader, died liberating the UST concentration camp from the Japanese in 1945), Colayco knew what it was to be the beneficiary of kind and generous souls who helped his mother put him and six other children through school (in his case the Ateneo de Manila, where he earned his AB in Economics and MA in Business Management).
Colayco's own wealth of experience began to pile up when he managed a local construction and shipbuilding firm and turned it by the early 70s into the first Filipino service contractor to do business in the Middle East. After ten years and several other firms later, he capped his stint as a professional manager by becoming president and CEO of the international arm of one of the largest Philippine conglomerates at the time, First Philippine Holdings Corp.
Since turning self-employed in 1984, Colayco has had his shares of successes and failures, distilling lessons along the way. For the past two years, what he now considers his personal advocacy has been to reach out to the OFWs through his radio program, sharing his thoughts with ordinary workers and small business owners eager to learn how they can keep earnings or make them multiply.
He set up the Kalayaan sa Kakapusan Movement to reflect his advocacy. In November 2003, KsK held its first seminar on personal finance in Hong Kong, with 400 paying participants showing up. "For four hours I lectured at walang tumatayo (no one took a break)."
Colayco believes most everyone is driven by the desire to earn money. "Yet how many have real understanding of how to keep and manage money?" he asks.
Taking the case of OFWs, he notes how they tend to change lifestyles as soon as they draw their first pay checks. "They are unprepared for the sudden abundance," he laments. Mention to them the need to save, or the meaning of financial planning, and what comes to their mind is something that is complicated, something for the experts.
He continues: "People do not seriously understand why they should save, what they should do. Fifty percent of OFWs don't have savings. They have barely any idea how they should prepare for the future."
Some venture into business but ask the wrong people for advice, often a favorite relative or a friend with his own agenda. Financial literacy, the simple way, is what Colayco hopes to instill in them.
"The sad fact is that 85 percent of start-up business ventures end up as failures," he notes and ticks off some examples he has encountered in the course of his radio program and seminars.
"One OFW put his meager savings into buying a tricycle, failing to reckon with the fees for permits, association dues and other expenses. Another placed her savings into a supposed bakery in her hometown, only to find out upon returning to the country that the business was not running. She went back to being an OFW to recover her losses."
One OFW he had counseled was sending 90 percent of her earnings to relatives back home to meet their needs. "I advised her, your first obligation is to yourself," recalls Colayco. "Don't foster mendicancy by your relatives." For the last nine months, that OFW has been sending only 30 percent of her savings. " Mayroon bang umangal (Did anyone complain) ? I asked her and she replied, ' Wala po (No one).'"
The launch of his book in June 2004 led to more requests for him to conduct seminars, especially from corporations. "Recognition came from sectors I did not expect -- banks, some of the top 500 corporations. Tinamaan kami (We were affected), they told me. They needed an awakening among their own employees, how they can supplement their incomes while staying with the company."
He found a lot of interest, too, among ordinary people who wished to multiply their savings. He admits that mantra is easier said than done. But as a start, he advises people about being financially literate -- knowing and understanding what one wants for himself and how to match his resources to meet future wants.
"I tell them, even an employee can look at himself as 'You, Inc.' Financial independence does not mean having so much money and assets. It is simply having the means to maintain the lifestyle one chooses to have without having to actively work," Colayco explains.
He writes: "If you are to become financially independent, you will have to accumulate earning assets or investments that will generate earnings and allow you to maintain your current level of lifestyle by the time you retire. You need to plan for it."
No lotto or pyramid schemes for Colayco. But treasury bonds or high-earning financial instruments are sure things for him. "It is easier to earn money than to keep it," he enthuses.
Colayco admits to having been remiss himself in his business ways before he came up with his advocacy. "I was impulsive. I did not look at the negatives of projects I went into. I was not personally involved in some. Nasama lang . (I just went along). Kaya ko (I can do it), I would tell myself."
In the late 80s, he guaranteed the loans for a major project with some partners. " Nag-coup si Honasan and the project went down. Because of my guarantees on the loans, I had to do a lot of sacrifice like selling some of my investments that were doing well."
Those experiences, he says, taught him valuable lessons in managing personal and corporate finances. Asked if social or political factors are a deterrent to what he is advocating, he replies: "If all of us will feel disheartened, walang mangyayari sa ating bansa "(nothing will happen to our country).
Ultimately, it boils down to the individual: his willingness and his discipline. "Understand yourself. If you are not seriously or personally committed to something, nothing will come out of it. Have the passion. Your heart must be in your venture."
These days, Colayco busies himself running the Colayco Foundation for Education and the Kalayaan sa Kakapusan Multipurpose Cooperative which he incorporated in the Philippines to avoid conflict with the laws of the OFWs' country of employment. He is into a sequel to his book that will contain specifics on how to 'grow' your money.
"My wish is for an OFW to return home not to a failed investment or another round of job-hunting but to a place in a company owned by his own cooperative."
"I told her if she cut her unnecessary expenses, she would have savings," recalls Colayco. Nine months later, the same caller would report P175,000 in savings, a typical story but with a happy ending on Colayco's radio chat.
Heartwarming was how this white-haired veteran of many a corporate battle described the episode. He was a professional manager up to the age of 40 before making the shift to being an entrepreneur. Now in his late 50s, he is facing his next big challenge: changing a mindset among OFWs and tapping their earnings to make them save for their future.
"I want to generate a mindset epidemic among the expatriates and even among small-income earners here. I want Filipinos to imbibe an appreciation of laying money in store for the future," Colayco tells Planet Philippines in an interview.
It was his interaction with listeners on his Saturday radio program (simulcast to Hong Kong from the RMN station in Metro Manila) that spurred Colayco into compiling his callers' experiences and his insights in book form. The result is "Wealth Within Your Reach: Pera Mo, Palaguin Mo," a 232-page tome now on it sixth printing in just over one year, a rarity in local publishing.
"I have always believed in sharing," writes Colayco in the foreword. "Sharing thoughts, experiences, discoveries, news." Having lost his father when he was barely four months old (father Manuel Colayco, a guerrilla leader, died liberating the UST concentration camp from the Japanese in 1945), Colayco knew what it was to be the beneficiary of kind and generous souls who helped his mother put him and six other children through school (in his case the Ateneo de Manila, where he earned his AB in Economics and MA in Business Management).
Colayco's own wealth of experience began to pile up when he managed a local construction and shipbuilding firm and turned it by the early 70s into the first Filipino service contractor to do business in the Middle East. After ten years and several other firms later, he capped his stint as a professional manager by becoming president and CEO of the international arm of one of the largest Philippine conglomerates at the time, First Philippine Holdings Corp.
Since turning self-employed in 1984, Colayco has had his shares of successes and failures, distilling lessons along the way. For the past two years, what he now considers his personal advocacy has been to reach out to the OFWs through his radio program, sharing his thoughts with ordinary workers and small business owners eager to learn how they can keep earnings or make them multiply.
He set up the Kalayaan sa Kakapusan Movement to reflect his advocacy. In November 2003, KsK held its first seminar on personal finance in Hong Kong, with 400 paying participants showing up. "For four hours I lectured at walang tumatayo (no one took a break)."
Colayco believes most everyone is driven by the desire to earn money. "Yet how many have real understanding of how to keep and manage money?" he asks.
Taking the case of OFWs, he notes how they tend to change lifestyles as soon as they draw their first pay checks. "They are unprepared for the sudden abundance," he laments. Mention to them the need to save, or the meaning of financial planning, and what comes to their mind is something that is complicated, something for the experts.
He continues: "People do not seriously understand why they should save, what they should do. Fifty percent of OFWs don't have savings. They have barely any idea how they should prepare for the future."
Some venture into business but ask the wrong people for advice, often a favorite relative or a friend with his own agenda. Financial literacy, the simple way, is what Colayco hopes to instill in them.
"The sad fact is that 85 percent of start-up business ventures end up as failures," he notes and ticks off some examples he has encountered in the course of his radio program and seminars.
"One OFW put his meager savings into buying a tricycle, failing to reckon with the fees for permits, association dues and other expenses. Another placed her savings into a supposed bakery in her hometown, only to find out upon returning to the country that the business was not running. She went back to being an OFW to recover her losses."
One OFW he had counseled was sending 90 percent of her earnings to relatives back home to meet their needs. "I advised her, your first obligation is to yourself," recalls Colayco. "Don't foster mendicancy by your relatives." For the last nine months, that OFW has been sending only 30 percent of her savings. " Mayroon bang umangal (Did anyone complain) ? I asked her and she replied, ' Wala po (No one).'"
The launch of his book in June 2004 led to more requests for him to conduct seminars, especially from corporations. "Recognition came from sectors I did not expect -- banks, some of the top 500 corporations. Tinamaan kami (We were affected), they told me. They needed an awakening among their own employees, how they can supplement their incomes while staying with the company."
He found a lot of interest, too, among ordinary people who wished to multiply their savings. He admits that mantra is easier said than done. But as a start, he advises people about being financially literate -- knowing and understanding what one wants for himself and how to match his resources to meet future wants.
"I tell them, even an employee can look at himself as 'You, Inc.' Financial independence does not mean having so much money and assets. It is simply having the means to maintain the lifestyle one chooses to have without having to actively work," Colayco explains.
He writes: "If you are to become financially independent, you will have to accumulate earning assets or investments that will generate earnings and allow you to maintain your current level of lifestyle by the time you retire. You need to plan for it."
No lotto or pyramid schemes for Colayco. But treasury bonds or high-earning financial instruments are sure things for him. "It is easier to earn money than to keep it," he enthuses.
Colayco admits to having been remiss himself in his business ways before he came up with his advocacy. "I was impulsive. I did not look at the negatives of projects I went into. I was not personally involved in some. Nasama lang . (I just went along). Kaya ko (I can do it), I would tell myself."
In the late 80s, he guaranteed the loans for a major project with some partners. " Nag-coup si Honasan and the project went down. Because of my guarantees on the loans, I had to do a lot of sacrifice like selling some of my investments that were doing well."
Those experiences, he says, taught him valuable lessons in managing personal and corporate finances. Asked if social or political factors are a deterrent to what he is advocating, he replies: "If all of us will feel disheartened, walang mangyayari sa ating bansa "(nothing will happen to our country).
Ultimately, it boils down to the individual: his willingness and his discipline. "Understand yourself. If you are not seriously or personally committed to something, nothing will come out of it. Have the passion. Your heart must be in your venture."
These days, Colayco busies himself running the Colayco Foundation for Education and the Kalayaan sa Kakapusan Multipurpose Cooperative which he incorporated in the Philippines to avoid conflict with the laws of the OFWs' country of employment. He is into a sequel to his book that will contain specifics on how to 'grow' your money.
"My wish is for an OFW to return home not to a failed investment or another round of job-hunting but to a place in a company owned by his own cooperative."
Small loans to poor can change the world, says Nobel winner
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Declaring credit a human right, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus said on Monday that the successful micro-lending bank he launched in his native Bangladesh showed wiping out world poverty was a goal within reach.
Yunus said Grameen Bank's miniscule loans to the destitute have allowed people to launch their own small businesses and lift themselves out of poverty without any massive infusion of outside aid.
"Poverty is an artificial creation of a system. Poverty is not in the person," Yunus said in a speech in Washington.
The economics professor was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last month jointly with Grameen Bank, which began with a loan of 27 dollars and now lends nearly a billion dollars a year to the poorest of the poor.
"Fifty-eight percent of Grameen borrowers have moved out of poverty, and every year, every month more and more people are getting out of poverty," Yunus told an audience at the National Press Club.
"If people can do business and get out of poverty, what happy news for the whole world," he said. "We can create a world completely free of poverty."
He said conventional financial institutions and services were closed to most of the world's population, depriving people of a means to help themselves.
"Credit should be accepted as a human right," Yunus said. "Human beings are very creative beings. All kinds of creativity and ingenuity is built into the person," he said. And micro-credits were about "unleashing that creativity."
Yunus set out to help the poor after famine struck Bangladesh in the 1970s, shaking his assumptions about economics.
"I started to dread my own lectures," Yunus wrote in his autobiography, "Banker to the Poor". "What good were all my complex theories when people were dying of starvation on the sidewalks and porches across from my lecture hall?"
After learning that 42 people in the nearby village of Jobra were locked in deep poverty for want of 27 dollars, Yunus eventually established a bank that lent small sums of money at modest interest rates without demanding collateral in return.
Now the bank has close to seven million borrowers and has expanded its services, including education and pension funds as well as loans, to street beggars.
Yunus said the bank's wide reach has helped reduce poverty in Bangladesh and that by 2015, the country would likely meet a United Nations goal of cutting poverty in half. According to a recent joint study by the World Bank and the Bangladeshi government, the proportion of poor fell to 40 percent from 49 percent in the past five years.
Yunus reiterated his recent criticism of the World Bank, saying it should focus projects more on empowering local communities instead of channeling aid through governments. But the World Bank says it is committed to micro-credit projects.
While the idea of micro-finance had received widespread attention previously, the Nobel prize has given Grameen Bank's work a whole new level of interest and publicity, Yunus said.
"I am amazed at what one recognition of that nature can transform everything overnight," said Yunus, who earned a doctorate in the United States.
He said he was especially pleased that the Nobel prize had linked the fight against poverty to peace efforts. "This is one message that kind of gets lost ... that poverty is a threat to peace," he said.
The Grameen Bank provides an example of what Yunus called a new category of "social business", a venture designed to address a social problem while generating no dividends but no losses either.
"The present narrow view of business has to be expanded. You can have two kinds of businesses, one is business to do good to people and the other is to make money."
Yunus said Grameen Bank's miniscule loans to the destitute have allowed people to launch their own small businesses and lift themselves out of poverty without any massive infusion of outside aid.
"Poverty is an artificial creation of a system. Poverty is not in the person," Yunus said in a speech in Washington.
The economics professor was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last month jointly with Grameen Bank, which began with a loan of 27 dollars and now lends nearly a billion dollars a year to the poorest of the poor.
"Fifty-eight percent of Grameen borrowers have moved out of poverty, and every year, every month more and more people are getting out of poverty," Yunus told an audience at the National Press Club.
"If people can do business and get out of poverty, what happy news for the whole world," he said. "We can create a world completely free of poverty."
He said conventional financial institutions and services were closed to most of the world's population, depriving people of a means to help themselves.
"Credit should be accepted as a human right," Yunus said. "Human beings are very creative beings. All kinds of creativity and ingenuity is built into the person," he said. And micro-credits were about "unleashing that creativity."
Yunus set out to help the poor after famine struck Bangladesh in the 1970s, shaking his assumptions about economics.
"I started to dread my own lectures," Yunus wrote in his autobiography, "Banker to the Poor". "What good were all my complex theories when people were dying of starvation on the sidewalks and porches across from my lecture hall?"
After learning that 42 people in the nearby village of Jobra were locked in deep poverty for want of 27 dollars, Yunus eventually established a bank that lent small sums of money at modest interest rates without demanding collateral in return.
Now the bank has close to seven million borrowers and has expanded its services, including education and pension funds as well as loans, to street beggars.
Yunus said the bank's wide reach has helped reduce poverty in Bangladesh and that by 2015, the country would likely meet a United Nations goal of cutting poverty in half. According to a recent joint study by the World Bank and the Bangladeshi government, the proportion of poor fell to 40 percent from 49 percent in the past five years.
Yunus reiterated his recent criticism of the World Bank, saying it should focus projects more on empowering local communities instead of channeling aid through governments. But the World Bank says it is committed to micro-credit projects.
While the idea of micro-finance had received widespread attention previously, the Nobel prize has given Grameen Bank's work a whole new level of interest and publicity, Yunus said.
"I am amazed at what one recognition of that nature can transform everything overnight," said Yunus, who earned a doctorate in the United States.
He said he was especially pleased that the Nobel prize had linked the fight against poverty to peace efforts. "This is one message that kind of gets lost ... that poverty is a threat to peace," he said.
The Grameen Bank provides an example of what Yunus called a new category of "social business", a venture designed to address a social problem while generating no dividends but no losses either.
"The present narrow view of business has to be expanded. You can have two kinds of businesses, one is business to do good to people and the other is to make money."
Thursday, November 16, 2006
"Utang"
Itinanghal ng Probe
Oktubre 25, 2006
Natural daw sa tao ang may utang -- pero paano kung nabaon at hirap nang makabayad? Paano nga ba tayo makakaahon sa utang?
Pabor man na ipinagkaloob o materyal na bagay na tinanggap, walang taong walang utang. Madalas, sa materyal na utang nagkakaroon ng problema tulad ng naging karanasan ni Connie Sitac.
“For me kasi ang pera dumarating tapos talagang ginagastos lang,” ani Connie.
Ito ang tingin ni Connie sa pera. Mayroon dalawang anak at nangungupahan. Umaabot ng P40,000 kada buwan ang kita nilang mag-asawa na kapwa empleado. Hindi raw pumapasok sa isip niya ang pagbabadyet
“ 'Di ako nagkaroon ng financial background of how to manage your finance. Basta may kailangan ako, kung may gusto akong bilhin, kahit mas malaki pala ‘yung ginagastos ko kesa kinikita,” ani Connie.
" 'Pag may kulang siyempre mag-go into credit card ako,” aniya.
Lima ang credit card ni Connie.
“Parang status symbol siya. Parang ang sarap mamasyal sa mall kasi ‘pag may nagustuhan ka, madali mo siyang mabibili. Tapos ano siya… ginamit ko siya parang cash eh. ‘Yun ang purpose niya, pinambibili ko siya sa lahat ng gusto ko though ‘di ko naman nababayaran. So kahit ‘di mo kailangan bumili ng bag, may shoes ka. ‘Pag nakita mo pang sale mapapadaan ka,” kwento ni Connie.
Tuwing darating ang credit card bill, nagbabayad si Connie kung magkano ang kaya niyang halaga.
“Nangyari na ‘di ko naman na-track kung magkano na ang balanse ko dun,” aniya.
Nagpatong-patong ang utang ni Connie. Kung magkano ang talagang inutang, hindi na niya alam. Parang sa interes lang napunta ang lahat ng ibinabayad niya.
Dito na nagsimulang magkaroon ng problema si Connie. Tinatawagan at sinusulatan siya ng mga kompanya ng credit card. Umabot ng P120,000 ang utang niya.
“Naalarma ako kasi nung kinompute ko siya isipin mo saan ka kukuha ng P120,000 na monthly nagku-compound ‘yun so habang ‘di ko siya na-pay off lumalaki siya, ‘yung dapat kong bayaran,” ani Connie.
Mayroon pang mga utang si Connie sa ibang tao. Sinimulan niya itong unti-unting bayaran pero naging prayoridad niya ang utang na umaani ng interes -- ang kanyang mga credit card.
“For a month meron na kong pambayad ng utang tapos lahat ng sobra binabayad ko pa. I checked ‘yung bahay namin kung may gamit na ‘di ko naman kailangan sobra-sobra pwede ko siyang ibenta for my other living expenses or pambayad ng utang,” ani Connie.
Sa libro ni Francisco Colayco na “Making Your Money Work,” ang pinakamahal na utang ay ang credit card loan. Kung may utang ka ng P37,000 na may 3.5 porsyento na buwanang interes at ang kaya mong bayaran ay P2,000 lamang kada buwan, tatlong taon bago mo matapos ang pagbabayad ng utang. Ang kabuuang naibayad mo ay P60,627 o P23,672 para sa interes lang.
Hindi hamak na mas malaki ang utang ni Connie kumpara sa halimbawa ni Colayco. Habang nagbabayad, nadadagdagan pa rin ang utang niya dahil sa interes.
Halos makuba si Connie sa bigat at hirap ng pagbabayad ng utang. Ni hindi na raw niya matikman ang bonus at sobrang kita. Tatlumpung porsyento ng sweldo nilangg mag-asawa ay napupunta sa pagbabayad ng utang. Mabilisan daw ang kanyang ginawang pagbabayad para hindi na lumaki ang interes nito.
Binantayan na ni Connie ang gastos ng kanyang pamilya sa araw-araw. Wala raw silang binibiling extra. Madalas na ang dalawang beses sa isang buwan na pagmu-mall ng pamilya. Kailangan buso na sila bago mamasyal.
“The whole household talaga ‘yung nag-uusap kung papano namin pagkakasyahin ‘yung budget. In-itemize ko ‘yung mga dapat na bilhin kahit na ‘yung sabong powder kina-calculate ko kung gaano ko mauubos,” ani Connie.
Ayon kay Dennis Erasca, isang sociologist, hindi lang si Connie kundi milyong Filipino pa ang may matinding problema sa utang.
“Kung ikakabit natin ‘yung konsepto ng pangungutang ang Pinoy kasi nangungutang dahil malaki ang kanyang pangangailangang material. So kahit anong culture naman ganyan ang pwedeng gawing explanation, so kaya ang Pilipinas pwede nating sabihin na sa kahirapan kaya may mga taong tinatawag nating nababaon sa utang,” ani Erasca.
Sa paraan ng paggamit sa perang hiniram daw nagkakaiba ang mga nangungutang
“Sociologically speaking, ang problema raw ng mga Filipino ‘pag umutang sa kanya ng pera ‘yung propensity to pay way back mawawala. Worst ‘yung perang inutang napupunta sa consumption na ‘di lumalago. Para sa akin, you want to consume, borrow pero gamitin mo sa lalago,” ani Colayco.
Ilan sa mga ipinapayo ni Colayco ay ang pamumuhunan sa negosyo o paglalagay ng pera sa bangko.
“Walang utang na masama eh. Ang problema sa atin ‘yung mindset. ‘Pag umutang ako sa ‘yo ‘yung perang nakuha ko na in my mind akin na eh. Kaya ang laki ng incidents of nonpayment,” dagdag ni Colayco.
Walang gaanong alam si Connie pagdating sa paghawak ng pera.
“All of us are obligated to really uh... take care of our finances. Dapat pala alam mo kung nasaan ka eh. So nung nalaman ko na nasaan ako dun ako nag-start. ‘Yun ang naging first move ko. Nalaman ko na ang dami-dami ko palang utang. I’m spending more than I’m earning,” ani Connie.
“I call it invest debt. Kung gusto mong magpalago bayaran mo ‘yung utang mo. Halimbawa apat na credit cards ang pinagkakautangan ko ‘yung isa P200, ‘yung isa P400, whatever uunahin ko yung ‘madali ko i-zero dahil pag nai-zero ko ‘yung isa meron akong success eh. Ngayon susundan ko uli ‘yun pero ‘pag inuna mo ‘yung pinakamataas at ‘di mo nakaya ‘di mo na itutuloy,” ani Colayco.
Huli na nang maisip ni Connie na kailangang sabayan ng pag-iipon ang paggastos.
“Dapat mag-save muna. I mean ‘yung savings unahin siya as part of the expense. Kasi ‘di ba tayo, inuuna natin kung ano matira ‘yun ang isa-save natin eh definitely ‘pag may natira marami kang maiisip na gastahin,” paliwanag ni Connie.
“Kapag wala, ‘di nag-iipon talaga, nangungutang. ‘Yun ang trend eh. ‘Pag wala, nangungutang. ‘Pag meron its either nangungutang or nag-iipon. So ‘yung utang present dun sa wala at meron. Pero ang pagse-save nandun sa meron pero wala sa walang pera,” ani Erasca.
“Wala naman magic sa pera eh. It all goes down dun sa pwede mong itabi. Ngayon kung sobrang liit ng kita mo, siguro sabi nga nila in finance follow the money and ‘yung mga nakakausap ko even the small folks ‘pag sinusundan nila ‘yung ‘san nagagastos ‘yung pera kahit papano meron silang nakikita na ten percent. Nagagastos sa ‘di naman kailangan, discretionary. Sabi nga nila pambili ng magazine tapos chewing gum paglabas ng LRT, bili dito bili doon. Kahit papaano may natatapon,” ani Colayco.
Hindi raw kailangan ang malaking halaga sa pagsisimula ng pag-iimpok.
“I started as low as two percent. Talagang kung anong kaya ko pero nandun ‘yung action na kailangan ko mag-save,” ani Connie.
Mga bagay na dapat isipin sa pag-iipon:
· Piliin ang antas ng pamumuhay na kaya mong tustusan
· Bumili lang kapag talagang kailangan, ngunit bilhin ang pinakamahusay na kaya ng inyong bulsa.
· Alamin kung papano ka makakatipid sa ibat ibang paraan
Simulan mo na ngayon!
Simple lang ang dapat isipin sa pag-iipon – piliin ang antas ng pamumuhay na kayang tustusan, bumili ng mga bagay kapag kailangan lamang, alamin kung papano ka makakatipid sa tubig, kuryente at iba pa at ang higit sa lahat, dapat itong simulan ngayon.
“The reality is the number. Once an emergency can hit you for sure typhoon Milenyo, masira ang bahay n’yo saan ka kukuha ng pang-repair? ‘Pag hindi ka naghanda, mawalan ka ng trabaho at the age of 55, magsarado ang mga magbibigay ng pension ng separation pay but that’s not enough ngayon ang life span natin ay ‘di 65 we can survive up to 75, nag-retire ka ng 50 to 60 in 16 years sa’n mo kukuhanin ‘yung panggastos?” paliwanag ni Colayco.
“Pina-plan ko na ‘yung expenses ko. I’ll use my card kasi ‘yung cash ko kumbaga nasa bahay lang or nasa bank,” ani Connie.
Ang kagustuhang makapag-impok at magbabayad ng utang ay dapat daw simulan sa ating sarili.
“Dapat lahat ng tao obligation nila ‘yun sa sarili nila, not for anybody, for themselves,” ani Connie.
"Ninegosyong edukasyon?"
Itinanghal ng Probe
Setyembre 27, 2006
Kailangan ba ang pre-school para maihanda ang mga chikiting sa Grade 1?
Parang kabuteng nagsulputan ang mga preschool sa iba’t ibang lugar. Marami rin ang reklamo rito. May mga nagtatanong, negosyo ba ito o serbisyo? Gaano nga ba kahalaga ang preschool eduation?
“Sumulat ako formally to request and ni-raise ko din ‘yung mga ilang concerns ko unang- una ‘yung mga materials na supposedly dapat nakukuha at nabayaran na namin ay ‘di pa nabibigay,” ani Jennifer Malonzo, ina ng isang pre-school pupil.
Uniporme at ID ng anak na si Nicole, isang nursery student sa Santol Learning Center, ang inirereklamo ni Jennifer. Kasama ito sa P9,200 na isang taong tuition na binayaran niya sa pre-school.
“Agosto na ‘yun ‘di pa nabibigay at bayad na kami sa mga materials na ito,” aniya.
Nang magpadala ng liham si Jennifer sa may-ari ng eskwelahan, saka lamang naibigay ang mga gamit. Pero ito lamang ang natugunan sa kanyang mga hinaing.
“Itong pinapasukan ng anak ko ay private siya, dahil pre-school siya dapat merong playground na malapit na space lang for the children to play ‘di ba? Wala ‘yun. So paglabas mo ng classroom na actually parang maliit na sala lang siya ng bahay na kinonvert sa classroom, paglabas mo gate ka na. Road na ‘yung ando'n at dahil maliit lang ‘yung room wala silang educational facilities. Halimbawa wala masyadong mailagay eh desk lang…hindi chairs lang tsaka ‘yung table ng mga bata ‘yun lang kasya tsaka ‘yung board,” reklamo ni Jennifer.
“Pinalampas ko na nga ‘yung grammar lapses ng teacher. Kahit nga ‘yung class ng anak ko ay six students lang sila or five lang yata kasi umalis na ‘yung isa ay cramped pa rin siya. ‘Yung teacher kailangan na ilabas pa ‘yung lamesa sa labas ng classroom para magkaroon ng space to move around,” dagdag ni Jennifer.
Maliit nga pero...
Aminado si Gng. Honorata Baquiran, may-ari ng learning center, na maliit ang espasyo ng kanyang pre-school pero iginiit niya na hindi sakop ng space requirement ng Department of Education (DepEd) ang kanyang eskwelahan.
Binigyan ng DepEd ng moratorium o palugit si Baquiran para makasunod sa kanilang pamantayan.
“In the next five years she has to comply with the requirements, that’s the only time she will be given recognition,” ani Teresito Inciong ng Bureau of Elementary Education ng DepEd.
Ang Bureau of Elementary Education ng DepEd ang nagbabantay at nagbibigay ng permit para makapagpalakad ang mga preschool.
Ilan lamang sa dapat nilang sundan na pamantayan mula sa DepEd ay:
Ang bawat guro ay may kasamang teacher aide. Di lalampas sa dalawampu’t limang estudyante and hahawakan nila.
Ang laki ng eskwelahan ay dapat di baba sa 500 square meters. Pero sa National Capital Region, 300 sq. meters lang. Pero di pa rin ito nasusunod.
May 48 taon nang nakatayo ang pre-school ni Gng. Baquiran. Sumunod daw ito sa pamantayan ng organisasyong National Federation of Women’s Clubs (NFWC), isang samahan ng mga babae na nagpapalakad sa kulang-kulang na 50 preschool sa bansa.
Pinabulaanan naman ng NFWC na may permisong nakuha ang eskuwelahan ni Gng. Baquiran sa kanila. Iba rin ang resibong ibinibigay ng learning center kay Jennifer -- walang tatak ng NFWC.
Kinumpirma ng NFWC na guro nila si Gng. Baquiran at iniimbestigahan na ang nasabing eskwelahan. Marami raw nalabag na regulasyon ang eskwelahan ni Gng. Baquiran.
“Dapat masasara na siya kasi that does not comply with the requirements,” ani Inciong.
Kwento ni Florencio "Butch" Abad, dating kalihim DepEd, hindi raw nasusubaybayan ng kagawaran ang lahat ng mga paaralan, lalo na ang mga preschool.
May sariling mundo?
“Sa totoo lang, hindi saklaw ng DepEd ‘yung pre-school eh. May sariling krisis ang DepEd. Hindi kayang pangasiwaang mismo ‘yung mga grade one to high school. Dapat talaga ang nangangasiwa diyan ‘yung mga LGU pero ‘di nga kaya. Sa regulasyon napunta sa DepEd ‘yung regulasyon ng pagtatayo at pagsasara ng preschools pero dahil nga sa dami ng… sa laki ng saklaw ng DEpEd, dami na siguro mga 19 million students, 5,000 high schools and so many thousands 42,000 elementary schools hindi na kakayanin ‘yung marami pang preschools,” ani Abad.
Pero may mas nakapagtatakang aspeto sa isyu ng preschool – hindi raw ito kailangan para makatuntong ng Grade 1 ang isang mag-aaral.
Tumatak sa isip ng mga magulang na kailangang ipasok ng pre-school ang mga bata upang payagang makatuntong ng Grade 1. Pero ayon sa Department of Education hindi ito isang rekisito.
Kadalasan sa mga pribadong paaralan, para matanggap sa Grade 1, hinahanapan muna ang mag-aaral ng patunay na dumaan sila sa pre-school. Pero pwedeng pumasok agad ang bata sa Grade 1 na hindi dumaan ng pre-school -- ito ang pinapairal sa mga pampublikong paaralan. Wala raw hawak ang DepEd sa mga pribadong paaralan na kailangang dumaan sa pre-school ang bata.
May programa o curriculum ang DepEd para sa mga batang diretsong Grade 1 agad.
“Meron kaming eight-week curriculum, kumbaga unang dalawang buwan ng Grade 1 na ang binibigay namin ay preschool experience. Mga readiness activities: How to color. Papano mag-identify ng hugis, laki, colors sizes and shapes.
“Malaki talaga ang agwat nung …’yung 'dapat,' saka ‘yung 'umiiral.' Magandang patakaran ‘yung 'dapat' eh pero walang kahandaan upang gawing lahat, ano sa lahat.. isipin mo taun-taon nadadagdagan ng tatlong daang libo ang mga preschoolers na nagiging grade 1,” ani Abad.
Naglabas ng isang Executive Order noong 2004 para isama ang pre-school sa bahagdan ng edukasyong dapat kunin ng bata. Nakikita nila itong solusyon para mapataas ang kalidad ng mga estudyante sa bansa.
Nagsulputan ang mga pre-schools. Nagmahal din ang mga tuition fee. May umaabot sa P90,000 o higit pa na tuition fee sa pribadong pre-school.
Mula sa 10,776 na eskwelahan na may pre-school noong 2004 lumobo sa 12, 989 ang eskwelahang naghahain ng preschool ngayong taon.
“Parang nagiging negosyo na ‘yung pre-schools. It’s a lucrative business. Pwede niyang sabihin na kung ‘di ka satisfied dito lumipat ka, pero ‘yun nga karapatan kong i-demand na ibigay n’yo kung ano'ng ‘yung dapat. Responsibilidad ng school na ibigay niya kung ano’ng tama kasi kung hindi dapat, sana ‘di na lang siya nag-operate ‘di ba? From the start kung ‘di rin pala niya maibibigay ang tamang serbisyo,” ani Jennifer.
Serbisyong kulang
Wala ring kontrol and DepEd kung magtaas ng tuition fee ang pribadong pre-school. Pagdating naman sa curriculum, maaaring magdagdag ang mga pribadong pre-school basta sundin ang basic curriculum na binibigay ng DepEd.
“Reading readiness. Kumbaga marunong ka nang mag-identify ng alphabet. Letters, marunong ka nang magbilang. Natututo silang maging handa para sa susunod na serious ‘yung Grade 1,” paliwanag ni Inciong.
Ayon kay Abad, hindi sapat ang pag-iisyu ng isang executive order para sundin ang gustong patakara na ipatupad ng pamahalaan. Parang ganito ang nangyari sa utos na inilabas noong 2004.
Sa Kamara ng mga Representante inihain ang House Bill 5495 o ang Pre-school Education Act of 2006. Layon nito na magkaroon ng ahensyang magbabantay at magbibigay ng mahigpit na polisiya sa mga preschools. Marami na raw kasing ‘di sumusunod sa mga regulasyon ng DepEd.
“Meron namang pamantayan na ginawa, pero kung iasa ‘yung halimbawa ‘yung pangmamatyag dun sa mga preschools na tinatayo ng DepEd palagay ko di mapapangasiwaan ng mabuti itong paglaganap ng mga preschools. ‘Yung mismong sinasaklaw nilang dami ng estudyante sa eskwelahan ng elementary at high school mahihirapan nga sila. Mas mahihirapan kasi lalung-lalo na para sa administrative officials ng DepEd. Dagdag trabaho ‘yun eh hindi naman talaga kasama ‘yun sa trabaho nila. So, maaasahan mo na ‘di mangyayari talaga,” ani Abad.
Dapat daw plantsahin ang gusot sa pagpapatakbo sa mga preschool.
“Kailangan pa rin talaga ang pre-school kasi nakikita natin sa ngayon marami sa ating mga estudyante hindi handang pumasok sa Grade 1 or ‘di kaya naman marami ang hindi pumapasok sa grade 1 nasa labas ng sistema,” ani Abad.
Gusto ng gobyerno na pormal nang gawing bahagi ng basic education ang pre-school gaya ng elemetarya at high school, na sa Konstitusyon natin ay libreng binibigay ng pamahalaan, ganun din dapat ang preschool.
“You’re rendering a service, education. Tapos binabayaran ka naman. Dapat ibigay mo ‘yung adequate service sa batang i-enroll sa school. Kaya din naman nagpo-proliferate ‘yung mga private kasi wala naman public ‘di ba? So ‘yung parents mapipilitan na dalhin ‘yung mga anak nila sa private schools so isang puna din ‘yun sa gobyerno na wala rn siyang… mag-e-encourage siya ng pre-school pero ‘di naman nagpu-provide,” ani Jennifer.
"Storytelling"
Itinanghal ng Probe
Oktubre 11, 2006
Hindi na raw pinapansin ngayon ng kabataan ang mga aklat lalo na ang pagbabasa kaya isang grupo ang nagtayo ng libreng aklatan para sa mga bata. Hindi kaya masayang ang pagod nila? Tunghayan ang kanilang kahangahangang istorya.
***
Sa kalye Mendoza sa Barangay Paltok, Quezon City, karaniwang tahimik at mangilan-ngilan lang ang nagdaraan. Pero tuwing Sabado ng 10 a.m., ang mga bata ay tila nagpipyesta.
Isa lang ang kanilang hinihintay: ang pagbubukas ng bahay-aklatan. Maging mga magulang, lolo’t lola, natutuwa sa pagpasok ng mga bata sa aklatan
Ang kinasasabikan ng mga bata ay ang storytelling session.
Minsan may iba’t ibang grupong bumibisita sa aklatan para magkwento sa mga bata
“Masaya pala makatulong sa iba lalo na ‘yung mga bata na gustong makarinig ng kwento at nahihikayat pa silang bumasa,” ayon sa isang kinatawan ng grupo.
Pati ang Probe ay nahikayat na ring magbasa ng istorya sa kanila.
Uhaw na uhaw ang mga tsikiting sa pakikinig ng kwento.
Isang lumang bahay sa Barangay Paltok ang aklatan. Itinayo ito ng organisasyong Eduk. Inc sa panungunguna ni Troy Lacsamana na dating librarian.
“Gusto po naming i-promote ‘yung reading at i-involve ‘yung community sa pag-establish ng library,” ani Troy, executive director ng Edukasyon Para Sa Kinabukasan Inc.
Nakakaalarma raw kasi ang sitwasyon ng mga kabataan ngayon pagdating sa pagbabasa.
“Nakakatuwa po yung interaction pero nalulungkot kami na ‘yung Grade 6 ‘di ganon ka…’di sila marunong magbasa in English and in Filipino,” ani Troy.
“Kasi ngayon puro TV lang po. Nagiging tamad na ‘yung bata na mag-aral. Mas maganda po kasi ang sources galing sa libro kasi parang tinuturuan mo ang sarili mo na magsikap na mag-aral,” aniya.
Malaking tulong sa mga kabataan ng Barangay Paltok ang maliit na proyektong ito
“Nagkakaroon po ang mga bata ng interes na magbasa, nakiki-participate po siya sa mga activities, nagiging open-minded po siya unlike nasa labas po sila at naglalaro lang,” anang isang nanay.
“’Pag nag-spend ka ng twenty minutes everyday sa mga bata maganda ‘yung effect. Nag-eenjoy sila eh dapat naman ganon para ma-expose sila sa reading,” ani Troy.
Isang taon na ang aklatang pambata sa barangay. Simula pa lang raw ito ng misyon ng grupo.
“Ginagawa naming mas involved talaga ‘yung parents. Sila na po talaga ang mag-manage ng library para naman kami po punta na kami sa ibang lugar kung saan kami kailangan para magtayo ng library,” ani Troy.
Sa pagsasara ng aklatan pagkatapos ng storytelling, ang karunungan at sayang naidulot nito sa mga bata ay malaking bagay para kina Troy.
Para sa mga bata, muli na naman nilang hihintayin ang pagbubukas ng aklatan sa susunod na Sabado.
"Uhaw"
Itinanghal ng Probe
Agosto 9, 2006
Ulat ni Ricky Carandang
Marumi na, kulang pa. Ito raw ang sitwasyon ng tubig dito sa ating bansa. May solusyon pa ba sa ating problema o tayo ang tunay na problema?
***
Papaano ba tayo makakasiguro na malinis ang tubig na iinumin natin?
“’Yung source ng tubig maaaring ma-contaminate ‘yan kung malapit sa mga poso negro, sa tubig-baha, malapit sa basurahan,” ani Joselito Regio de Dios ng Water and Sanitation Division ng Department of Health.
“Kung merong butas, may mga leak dun sa ating mga tubo, pwedeng pumasok 'yung contaminants, ‘yung tubig-kanal,” ani Jun Gomez ng Maynilad Water.
“Lahat naman tayo di nakakasiguradong malinis yan eh,” anang residenteng si Amy Catamora.
Sa tubig umiikot ang buhay ng pamilya ni Amy. Nabubuhay ang apat niyang anak sa P100 kita mula sa pagtatahong at pangingisda. Pero sa mismong bahay nina Amy, wala silang tubig. Bumibili pa sila tubig sa kapitbahay.
“Jug po, ano, limang piso. Tinitipid ko na ‘yan sa maghapon,” ani Amy.
Nagmula raw sa NAWASA ang tubig na iniinom ng pamilya ni Amy. Malinaw naman kaya hindi na nila pinapakuluan.
“Kapag hindi masama ang panahon, ‘di na ako nagpapakulo pero ‘pag ganyan, bagyo, talaga na nagbabaha diyan, nagpapakulo ako kasi Malabo. Halimbawa nga po naumpisahan na’yan ganyan may nagtatae o mababalitaan naming dito sa barangay na uso daw ngayon ‘yang nagtatae. Uso ‘yung sakit ng tiyan. Ito nga lang nakaraan, ito lang isang linggo lahat kami masakit ang tiyan, nagtatae,” ani Amy.
Ating alamin
Para alamin, kinumbinse ng Probe si Amy na ipasuri ang kanilang tubig. Bumili ang grupo ng pangsuri ng tubig. Sa loob ng bote, may isang klase ng papel na kung tawagoin ay “media.” Ito ang kinakain ng coliform bacteria.
Malalaman daw kung marumi ang tubig kung may coliform bacteria. Ito ang mikrobyong nanggagaling sa dumi ng tao at hayop.
Nag-ikot ang Probe sa iba pang bahay para makumpara ang kalidad ng tubig sa iba’t ibang lugar.
“Kung mayroon nga po siya ng coliform or ng e-coli nga po magte-turn into black siya,” ani Gina Lea Andres ng Aqualab Water Specialist.
Sa tatlong “sample” ng tubig na ipinasuri sa Aqualab, ang tubig galing sa bahay nina Amy ang may coliform bacteria.
“Ang tawag po naman diyan is charcoal black na kulay. Naglalaman na po talaga siya ng dumi ng tao o hayop,” ani Andres.
Bago pa man lumabas ang resulta ng pagsusuri, parang alam na ni Amy kung ano ang resulta.
Hindi na raw niya alam kung saan pa kukuha ang kanyang pamilya ng tubig na iinumin.
“Araw-araw nand’yan ang pagmumukha ko sa balon, sa poso. ‘Pag Malabo ang balon, sa poso ako pupunta,” ani Amy.
Kulang na kulang
Base sa pag-aaral ng World Bank, 35 porsyento ng mga Pilipino na tulad ni Amy ay walang napagkukunan ng tubig sa sariling bahay, 65 porsyento naman ay walang makuhanan ng malinis na tubig.
“’Yung mga tao takot na sa pag-inom ng direkta dun sa gripo. Kasi nga naiisip nila na meron ka nang access ng ganitong waterworks eh nagkakaroon pa ng ganitong sakit. Kaya dito parang nawalan sila ng kumpyansa dun sa tubig na nanggagaling sa gripo,” ani de Dios.
“Dapat po kasi ‘yung galing sa planta isa lang ang quality niyan, potable po ‘yan ‘pag nangggaling sa palnta. Ibig sabihin niyan ‘pag naging iba ‘yung quality niyan nagkaroon na siya, meron po sigurong leak yung tubo,” ani Gomez.
Sa Philippine Standards for Drinking Water, nakapaloob ang mga pamantayan na dapat sinusunod ng mga planta ng tubig upang masigurong ligtas ang iinumin ng tao. Pero minsan hindi raw maiiwasang may mga gustong makalamang.
“’Yung tubo po sa ibabaw ng kalsada dahil binubutas po ng mga tao gusto nila ng libreng tubig. Ang nangyayari po dun eh libre nga ang tubig mo ‘pag iinumin mo magkakasakit ka,” ani Gomez.
Bunga ng pangambang hindi ligtas ang tubig sa gripo, nauso ang bottled water. Pero hindi rin daw nakakasisigurong malinis ito.
“Hindi rin po. Kasi ang quality po ng mga ganyan ay is potable water quality. ‘Yung Philippine Drinking Water Standards din ‘yan kaya lang ‘yung treatment nila ‘di rin maayos, minsan positive din sa e-coli, sa mga bacteria kaya titignan din po niya kasi may mga lisensya po ‘yan na gina-grant ng munisipyo,” paliwanag ni Gomez.
Hindi na nga sigurado na malinis ang ating tubig, mayroon pang pangamba na mauubos ang supply nito.
“[The] Philippines is losing 1.3 billion [cubic liters] a year due to water pollution. So dapat malaki pa ang dapat i-address dahil ‘di nga conscious ang mga tao sa importance, sa pagkaimportanteng tubig,” ni Dr. Olivia La'O Castillo, miembro ng Advisory Board Member-Water and Sanitation ng United Nations.
Taning sa tubig
Sa Maynila pa lang, may takot na ang mga water company na darating ang panahong hindi na kakayanin na suplayan ng tubigt ang lumolobong populasyon.
Sa pagtataya ng mga experto, pagkalipas pa ng dalawa hanggang tatlong taon ay maaaring lubos na kulangin ang rasyon ng tubig sa Kalakhang Maynila.
Ang pagkuha ng supply ng tubig mula sa Laguna de Bay ang pinupuntirya ngayon ng Metropolitan Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).
Gayunman, kung sisimulan na ngayon ang pagtatayo ng planta para sa kumbersyon ng tubig sa Laguna ay aabutin din ito ng dalawa hanggang tatlong taon.
Ang habol na lang ng mga nagrarasyon ng tubig ay maibsan ang inaasahang pagkakaroon ng kakapusa ng suplay ng tubig sa Kalakhang Maynila.
Ang tubig sa Kalakhang Maynila ay nanggagaling sa Angat, Ipo at La Mesa dam. Malaki raw ang maitutulong sa pagrarasyon ng tubig kung idadagdag ang Laguna. Pero hindi pa rin ligtas ang tubig dito dahil tapunan ang lawa ng industrial at residential waste.
“The irony ano, we’re living around the bodies of water p[ero is it available,” ani Castillo.
Binabalewala raw ng marami ang problema sa tubig.
“Sabi nila, katabi lang naman ang ocean ano? Sabi namin eh hindi naman nanggagaling ang tubig n’yo diyan eh. ’Yung awareness talaga ng tao na imagine kung ilang liters ng water, gallons of water ‘yung aksayado, ‘yung bukas ang tubig the whole day even mag-brush ka lang ng ipin ang habit natin ‘yung iiwan mong bukas, ‘yung tubig kasi ‘yung habit mo ano, isa, dalawang baso ano madaming mase-save,” aniya.
Sinasabing ang tubig ay buhay. Kung hindi raw aaksyunan ang problemang ito, tiyak na lahat ay nasa peligro.
“The constitution of our body is really more of the liquid. Kaya importanteng-importante ang tubig, kung ‘di tayo makakainom. I think more than ay factor, mamamatay ang tao kaya importante na malinis ang tubig na iniinom niya,” dagdag ng doktora.
Oktubre 25, 2006
Natural daw sa tao ang may utang -- pero paano kung nabaon at hirap nang makabayad? Paano nga ba tayo makakaahon sa utang?
Pabor man na ipinagkaloob o materyal na bagay na tinanggap, walang taong walang utang. Madalas, sa materyal na utang nagkakaroon ng problema tulad ng naging karanasan ni Connie Sitac.
“For me kasi ang pera dumarating tapos talagang ginagastos lang,” ani Connie.
Ito ang tingin ni Connie sa pera. Mayroon dalawang anak at nangungupahan. Umaabot ng P40,000 kada buwan ang kita nilang mag-asawa na kapwa empleado. Hindi raw pumapasok sa isip niya ang pagbabadyet
“ 'Di ako nagkaroon ng financial background of how to manage your finance. Basta may kailangan ako, kung may gusto akong bilhin, kahit mas malaki pala ‘yung ginagastos ko kesa kinikita,” ani Connie.
" 'Pag may kulang siyempre mag-go into credit card ako,” aniya.
Lima ang credit card ni Connie.
“Parang status symbol siya. Parang ang sarap mamasyal sa mall kasi ‘pag may nagustuhan ka, madali mo siyang mabibili. Tapos ano siya… ginamit ko siya parang cash eh. ‘Yun ang purpose niya, pinambibili ko siya sa lahat ng gusto ko though ‘di ko naman nababayaran. So kahit ‘di mo kailangan bumili ng bag, may shoes ka. ‘Pag nakita mo pang sale mapapadaan ka,” kwento ni Connie.
Tuwing darating ang credit card bill, nagbabayad si Connie kung magkano ang kaya niyang halaga.
“Nangyari na ‘di ko naman na-track kung magkano na ang balanse ko dun,” aniya.
Nagpatong-patong ang utang ni Connie. Kung magkano ang talagang inutang, hindi na niya alam. Parang sa interes lang napunta ang lahat ng ibinabayad niya.
Dito na nagsimulang magkaroon ng problema si Connie. Tinatawagan at sinusulatan siya ng mga kompanya ng credit card. Umabot ng P120,000 ang utang niya.
“Naalarma ako kasi nung kinompute ko siya isipin mo saan ka kukuha ng P120,000 na monthly nagku-compound ‘yun so habang ‘di ko siya na-pay off lumalaki siya, ‘yung dapat kong bayaran,” ani Connie.
Mayroon pang mga utang si Connie sa ibang tao. Sinimulan niya itong unti-unting bayaran pero naging prayoridad niya ang utang na umaani ng interes -- ang kanyang mga credit card.
“For a month meron na kong pambayad ng utang tapos lahat ng sobra binabayad ko pa. I checked ‘yung bahay namin kung may gamit na ‘di ko naman kailangan sobra-sobra pwede ko siyang ibenta for my other living expenses or pambayad ng utang,” ani Connie.
Sa libro ni Francisco Colayco na “Making Your Money Work,” ang pinakamahal na utang ay ang credit card loan. Kung may utang ka ng P37,000 na may 3.5 porsyento na buwanang interes at ang kaya mong bayaran ay P2,000 lamang kada buwan, tatlong taon bago mo matapos ang pagbabayad ng utang. Ang kabuuang naibayad mo ay P60,627 o P23,672 para sa interes lang.
Hindi hamak na mas malaki ang utang ni Connie kumpara sa halimbawa ni Colayco. Habang nagbabayad, nadadagdagan pa rin ang utang niya dahil sa interes.
Halos makuba si Connie sa bigat at hirap ng pagbabayad ng utang. Ni hindi na raw niya matikman ang bonus at sobrang kita. Tatlumpung porsyento ng sweldo nilangg mag-asawa ay napupunta sa pagbabayad ng utang. Mabilisan daw ang kanyang ginawang pagbabayad para hindi na lumaki ang interes nito.
Binantayan na ni Connie ang gastos ng kanyang pamilya sa araw-araw. Wala raw silang binibiling extra. Madalas na ang dalawang beses sa isang buwan na pagmu-mall ng pamilya. Kailangan buso na sila bago mamasyal.
“The whole household talaga ‘yung nag-uusap kung papano namin pagkakasyahin ‘yung budget. In-itemize ko ‘yung mga dapat na bilhin kahit na ‘yung sabong powder kina-calculate ko kung gaano ko mauubos,” ani Connie.
Ayon kay Dennis Erasca, isang sociologist, hindi lang si Connie kundi milyong Filipino pa ang may matinding problema sa utang.
“Kung ikakabit natin ‘yung konsepto ng pangungutang ang Pinoy kasi nangungutang dahil malaki ang kanyang pangangailangang material. So kahit anong culture naman ganyan ang pwedeng gawing explanation, so kaya ang Pilipinas pwede nating sabihin na sa kahirapan kaya may mga taong tinatawag nating nababaon sa utang,” ani Erasca.
Sa paraan ng paggamit sa perang hiniram daw nagkakaiba ang mga nangungutang
“Sociologically speaking, ang problema raw ng mga Filipino ‘pag umutang sa kanya ng pera ‘yung propensity to pay way back mawawala. Worst ‘yung perang inutang napupunta sa consumption na ‘di lumalago. Para sa akin, you want to consume, borrow pero gamitin mo sa lalago,” ani Colayco.
Ilan sa mga ipinapayo ni Colayco ay ang pamumuhunan sa negosyo o paglalagay ng pera sa bangko.
“Walang utang na masama eh. Ang problema sa atin ‘yung mindset. ‘Pag umutang ako sa ‘yo ‘yung perang nakuha ko na in my mind akin na eh. Kaya ang laki ng incidents of nonpayment,” dagdag ni Colayco.
Walang gaanong alam si Connie pagdating sa paghawak ng pera.
“All of us are obligated to really uh... take care of our finances. Dapat pala alam mo kung nasaan ka eh. So nung nalaman ko na nasaan ako dun ako nag-start. ‘Yun ang naging first move ko. Nalaman ko na ang dami-dami ko palang utang. I’m spending more than I’m earning,” ani Connie.
“I call it invest debt. Kung gusto mong magpalago bayaran mo ‘yung utang mo. Halimbawa apat na credit cards ang pinagkakautangan ko ‘yung isa P200, ‘yung isa P400, whatever uunahin ko yung ‘madali ko i-zero dahil pag nai-zero ko ‘yung isa meron akong success eh. Ngayon susundan ko uli ‘yun pero ‘pag inuna mo ‘yung pinakamataas at ‘di mo nakaya ‘di mo na itutuloy,” ani Colayco.
Huli na nang maisip ni Connie na kailangang sabayan ng pag-iipon ang paggastos.
“Dapat mag-save muna. I mean ‘yung savings unahin siya as part of the expense. Kasi ‘di ba tayo, inuuna natin kung ano matira ‘yun ang isa-save natin eh definitely ‘pag may natira marami kang maiisip na gastahin,” paliwanag ni Connie.
“Kapag wala, ‘di nag-iipon talaga, nangungutang. ‘Yun ang trend eh. ‘Pag wala, nangungutang. ‘Pag meron its either nangungutang or nag-iipon. So ‘yung utang present dun sa wala at meron. Pero ang pagse-save nandun sa meron pero wala sa walang pera,” ani Erasca.
“Wala naman magic sa pera eh. It all goes down dun sa pwede mong itabi. Ngayon kung sobrang liit ng kita mo, siguro sabi nga nila in finance follow the money and ‘yung mga nakakausap ko even the small folks ‘pag sinusundan nila ‘yung ‘san nagagastos ‘yung pera kahit papano meron silang nakikita na ten percent. Nagagastos sa ‘di naman kailangan, discretionary. Sabi nga nila pambili ng magazine tapos chewing gum paglabas ng LRT, bili dito bili doon. Kahit papaano may natatapon,” ani Colayco.
Hindi raw kailangan ang malaking halaga sa pagsisimula ng pag-iimpok.
“I started as low as two percent. Talagang kung anong kaya ko pero nandun ‘yung action na kailangan ko mag-save,” ani Connie.
Mga bagay na dapat isipin sa pag-iipon:
· Piliin ang antas ng pamumuhay na kaya mong tustusan
· Bumili lang kapag talagang kailangan, ngunit bilhin ang pinakamahusay na kaya ng inyong bulsa.
· Alamin kung papano ka makakatipid sa ibat ibang paraan
Simulan mo na ngayon!
Simple lang ang dapat isipin sa pag-iipon – piliin ang antas ng pamumuhay na kayang tustusan, bumili ng mga bagay kapag kailangan lamang, alamin kung papano ka makakatipid sa tubig, kuryente at iba pa at ang higit sa lahat, dapat itong simulan ngayon.
“The reality is the number. Once an emergency can hit you for sure typhoon Milenyo, masira ang bahay n’yo saan ka kukuha ng pang-repair? ‘Pag hindi ka naghanda, mawalan ka ng trabaho at the age of 55, magsarado ang mga magbibigay ng pension ng separation pay but that’s not enough ngayon ang life span natin ay ‘di 65 we can survive up to 75, nag-retire ka ng 50 to 60 in 16 years sa’n mo kukuhanin ‘yung panggastos?” paliwanag ni Colayco.
“Pina-plan ko na ‘yung expenses ko. I’ll use my card kasi ‘yung cash ko kumbaga nasa bahay lang or nasa bank,” ani Connie.
Ang kagustuhang makapag-impok at magbabayad ng utang ay dapat daw simulan sa ating sarili.
“Dapat lahat ng tao obligation nila ‘yun sa sarili nila, not for anybody, for themselves,” ani Connie.
"Ninegosyong edukasyon?"
Itinanghal ng Probe
Setyembre 27, 2006
Kailangan ba ang pre-school para maihanda ang mga chikiting sa Grade 1?
Parang kabuteng nagsulputan ang mga preschool sa iba’t ibang lugar. Marami rin ang reklamo rito. May mga nagtatanong, negosyo ba ito o serbisyo? Gaano nga ba kahalaga ang preschool eduation?
“Sumulat ako formally to request and ni-raise ko din ‘yung mga ilang concerns ko unang- una ‘yung mga materials na supposedly dapat nakukuha at nabayaran na namin ay ‘di pa nabibigay,” ani Jennifer Malonzo, ina ng isang pre-school pupil.
Uniporme at ID ng anak na si Nicole, isang nursery student sa Santol Learning Center, ang inirereklamo ni Jennifer. Kasama ito sa P9,200 na isang taong tuition na binayaran niya sa pre-school.
“Agosto na ‘yun ‘di pa nabibigay at bayad na kami sa mga materials na ito,” aniya.
Nang magpadala ng liham si Jennifer sa may-ari ng eskwelahan, saka lamang naibigay ang mga gamit. Pero ito lamang ang natugunan sa kanyang mga hinaing.
“Itong pinapasukan ng anak ko ay private siya, dahil pre-school siya dapat merong playground na malapit na space lang for the children to play ‘di ba? Wala ‘yun. So paglabas mo ng classroom na actually parang maliit na sala lang siya ng bahay na kinonvert sa classroom, paglabas mo gate ka na. Road na ‘yung ando'n at dahil maliit lang ‘yung room wala silang educational facilities. Halimbawa wala masyadong mailagay eh desk lang…hindi chairs lang tsaka ‘yung table ng mga bata ‘yun lang kasya tsaka ‘yung board,” reklamo ni Jennifer.
“Pinalampas ko na nga ‘yung grammar lapses ng teacher. Kahit nga ‘yung class ng anak ko ay six students lang sila or five lang yata kasi umalis na ‘yung isa ay cramped pa rin siya. ‘Yung teacher kailangan na ilabas pa ‘yung lamesa sa labas ng classroom para magkaroon ng space to move around,” dagdag ni Jennifer.
Maliit nga pero...
Aminado si Gng. Honorata Baquiran, may-ari ng learning center, na maliit ang espasyo ng kanyang pre-school pero iginiit niya na hindi sakop ng space requirement ng Department of Education (DepEd) ang kanyang eskwelahan.
Binigyan ng DepEd ng moratorium o palugit si Baquiran para makasunod sa kanilang pamantayan.
“In the next five years she has to comply with the requirements, that’s the only time she will be given recognition,” ani Teresito Inciong ng Bureau of Elementary Education ng DepEd.
Ang Bureau of Elementary Education ng DepEd ang nagbabantay at nagbibigay ng permit para makapagpalakad ang mga preschool.
Ilan lamang sa dapat nilang sundan na pamantayan mula sa DepEd ay:
Ang bawat guro ay may kasamang teacher aide. Di lalampas sa dalawampu’t limang estudyante and hahawakan nila.
Ang laki ng eskwelahan ay dapat di baba sa 500 square meters. Pero sa National Capital Region, 300 sq. meters lang. Pero di pa rin ito nasusunod.
May 48 taon nang nakatayo ang pre-school ni Gng. Baquiran. Sumunod daw ito sa pamantayan ng organisasyong National Federation of Women’s Clubs (NFWC), isang samahan ng mga babae na nagpapalakad sa kulang-kulang na 50 preschool sa bansa.
Pinabulaanan naman ng NFWC na may permisong nakuha ang eskuwelahan ni Gng. Baquiran sa kanila. Iba rin ang resibong ibinibigay ng learning center kay Jennifer -- walang tatak ng NFWC.
Kinumpirma ng NFWC na guro nila si Gng. Baquiran at iniimbestigahan na ang nasabing eskwelahan. Marami raw nalabag na regulasyon ang eskwelahan ni Gng. Baquiran.
“Dapat masasara na siya kasi that does not comply with the requirements,” ani Inciong.
Kwento ni Florencio "Butch" Abad, dating kalihim DepEd, hindi raw nasusubaybayan ng kagawaran ang lahat ng mga paaralan, lalo na ang mga preschool.
May sariling mundo?
“Sa totoo lang, hindi saklaw ng DepEd ‘yung pre-school eh. May sariling krisis ang DepEd. Hindi kayang pangasiwaang mismo ‘yung mga grade one to high school. Dapat talaga ang nangangasiwa diyan ‘yung mga LGU pero ‘di nga kaya. Sa regulasyon napunta sa DepEd ‘yung regulasyon ng pagtatayo at pagsasara ng preschools pero dahil nga sa dami ng… sa laki ng saklaw ng DEpEd, dami na siguro mga 19 million students, 5,000 high schools and so many thousands 42,000 elementary schools hindi na kakayanin ‘yung marami pang preschools,” ani Abad.
Pero may mas nakapagtatakang aspeto sa isyu ng preschool – hindi raw ito kailangan para makatuntong ng Grade 1 ang isang mag-aaral.
Tumatak sa isip ng mga magulang na kailangang ipasok ng pre-school ang mga bata upang payagang makatuntong ng Grade 1. Pero ayon sa Department of Education hindi ito isang rekisito.
Kadalasan sa mga pribadong paaralan, para matanggap sa Grade 1, hinahanapan muna ang mag-aaral ng patunay na dumaan sila sa pre-school. Pero pwedeng pumasok agad ang bata sa Grade 1 na hindi dumaan ng pre-school -- ito ang pinapairal sa mga pampublikong paaralan. Wala raw hawak ang DepEd sa mga pribadong paaralan na kailangang dumaan sa pre-school ang bata.
May programa o curriculum ang DepEd para sa mga batang diretsong Grade 1 agad.
“Meron kaming eight-week curriculum, kumbaga unang dalawang buwan ng Grade 1 na ang binibigay namin ay preschool experience. Mga readiness activities: How to color. Papano mag-identify ng hugis, laki, colors sizes and shapes.
“Malaki talaga ang agwat nung …’yung 'dapat,' saka ‘yung 'umiiral.' Magandang patakaran ‘yung 'dapat' eh pero walang kahandaan upang gawing lahat, ano sa lahat.. isipin mo taun-taon nadadagdagan ng tatlong daang libo ang mga preschoolers na nagiging grade 1,” ani Abad.
Naglabas ng isang Executive Order noong 2004 para isama ang pre-school sa bahagdan ng edukasyong dapat kunin ng bata. Nakikita nila itong solusyon para mapataas ang kalidad ng mga estudyante sa bansa.
Nagsulputan ang mga pre-schools. Nagmahal din ang mga tuition fee. May umaabot sa P90,000 o higit pa na tuition fee sa pribadong pre-school.
Mula sa 10,776 na eskwelahan na may pre-school noong 2004 lumobo sa 12, 989 ang eskwelahang naghahain ng preschool ngayong taon.
“Parang nagiging negosyo na ‘yung pre-schools. It’s a lucrative business. Pwede niyang sabihin na kung ‘di ka satisfied dito lumipat ka, pero ‘yun nga karapatan kong i-demand na ibigay n’yo kung ano'ng ‘yung dapat. Responsibilidad ng school na ibigay niya kung ano’ng tama kasi kung hindi dapat, sana ‘di na lang siya nag-operate ‘di ba? From the start kung ‘di rin pala niya maibibigay ang tamang serbisyo,” ani Jennifer.
Serbisyong kulang
Wala ring kontrol and DepEd kung magtaas ng tuition fee ang pribadong pre-school. Pagdating naman sa curriculum, maaaring magdagdag ang mga pribadong pre-school basta sundin ang basic curriculum na binibigay ng DepEd.
“Reading readiness. Kumbaga marunong ka nang mag-identify ng alphabet. Letters, marunong ka nang magbilang. Natututo silang maging handa para sa susunod na serious ‘yung Grade 1,” paliwanag ni Inciong.
Ayon kay Abad, hindi sapat ang pag-iisyu ng isang executive order para sundin ang gustong patakara na ipatupad ng pamahalaan. Parang ganito ang nangyari sa utos na inilabas noong 2004.
Sa Kamara ng mga Representante inihain ang House Bill 5495 o ang Pre-school Education Act of 2006. Layon nito na magkaroon ng ahensyang magbabantay at magbibigay ng mahigpit na polisiya sa mga preschools. Marami na raw kasing ‘di sumusunod sa mga regulasyon ng DepEd.
“Meron namang pamantayan na ginawa, pero kung iasa ‘yung halimbawa ‘yung pangmamatyag dun sa mga preschools na tinatayo ng DepEd palagay ko di mapapangasiwaan ng mabuti itong paglaganap ng mga preschools. ‘Yung mismong sinasaklaw nilang dami ng estudyante sa eskwelahan ng elementary at high school mahihirapan nga sila. Mas mahihirapan kasi lalung-lalo na para sa administrative officials ng DepEd. Dagdag trabaho ‘yun eh hindi naman talaga kasama ‘yun sa trabaho nila. So, maaasahan mo na ‘di mangyayari talaga,” ani Abad.
Dapat daw plantsahin ang gusot sa pagpapatakbo sa mga preschool.
“Kailangan pa rin talaga ang pre-school kasi nakikita natin sa ngayon marami sa ating mga estudyante hindi handang pumasok sa Grade 1 or ‘di kaya naman marami ang hindi pumapasok sa grade 1 nasa labas ng sistema,” ani Abad.
Gusto ng gobyerno na pormal nang gawing bahagi ng basic education ang pre-school gaya ng elemetarya at high school, na sa Konstitusyon natin ay libreng binibigay ng pamahalaan, ganun din dapat ang preschool.
“You’re rendering a service, education. Tapos binabayaran ka naman. Dapat ibigay mo ‘yung adequate service sa batang i-enroll sa school. Kaya din naman nagpo-proliferate ‘yung mga private kasi wala naman public ‘di ba? So ‘yung parents mapipilitan na dalhin ‘yung mga anak nila sa private schools so isang puna din ‘yun sa gobyerno na wala rn siyang… mag-e-encourage siya ng pre-school pero ‘di naman nagpu-provide,” ani Jennifer.
"Storytelling"
Itinanghal ng Probe
Oktubre 11, 2006
Hindi na raw pinapansin ngayon ng kabataan ang mga aklat lalo na ang pagbabasa kaya isang grupo ang nagtayo ng libreng aklatan para sa mga bata. Hindi kaya masayang ang pagod nila? Tunghayan ang kanilang kahangahangang istorya.
***
Sa kalye Mendoza sa Barangay Paltok, Quezon City, karaniwang tahimik at mangilan-ngilan lang ang nagdaraan. Pero tuwing Sabado ng 10 a.m., ang mga bata ay tila nagpipyesta.
Isa lang ang kanilang hinihintay: ang pagbubukas ng bahay-aklatan. Maging mga magulang, lolo’t lola, natutuwa sa pagpasok ng mga bata sa aklatan
Ang kinasasabikan ng mga bata ay ang storytelling session.
Minsan may iba’t ibang grupong bumibisita sa aklatan para magkwento sa mga bata
“Masaya pala makatulong sa iba lalo na ‘yung mga bata na gustong makarinig ng kwento at nahihikayat pa silang bumasa,” ayon sa isang kinatawan ng grupo.
Pati ang Probe ay nahikayat na ring magbasa ng istorya sa kanila.
Uhaw na uhaw ang mga tsikiting sa pakikinig ng kwento.
Isang lumang bahay sa Barangay Paltok ang aklatan. Itinayo ito ng organisasyong Eduk. Inc sa panungunguna ni Troy Lacsamana na dating librarian.
“Gusto po naming i-promote ‘yung reading at i-involve ‘yung community sa pag-establish ng library,” ani Troy, executive director ng Edukasyon Para Sa Kinabukasan Inc.
Nakakaalarma raw kasi ang sitwasyon ng mga kabataan ngayon pagdating sa pagbabasa.
“Nakakatuwa po yung interaction pero nalulungkot kami na ‘yung Grade 6 ‘di ganon ka…’di sila marunong magbasa in English and in Filipino,” ani Troy.
“Kasi ngayon puro TV lang po. Nagiging tamad na ‘yung bata na mag-aral. Mas maganda po kasi ang sources galing sa libro kasi parang tinuturuan mo ang sarili mo na magsikap na mag-aral,” aniya.
Malaking tulong sa mga kabataan ng Barangay Paltok ang maliit na proyektong ito
“Nagkakaroon po ang mga bata ng interes na magbasa, nakiki-participate po siya sa mga activities, nagiging open-minded po siya unlike nasa labas po sila at naglalaro lang,” anang isang nanay.
“’Pag nag-spend ka ng twenty minutes everyday sa mga bata maganda ‘yung effect. Nag-eenjoy sila eh dapat naman ganon para ma-expose sila sa reading,” ani Troy.
Isang taon na ang aklatang pambata sa barangay. Simula pa lang raw ito ng misyon ng grupo.
“Ginagawa naming mas involved talaga ‘yung parents. Sila na po talaga ang mag-manage ng library para naman kami po punta na kami sa ibang lugar kung saan kami kailangan para magtayo ng library,” ani Troy.
Sa pagsasara ng aklatan pagkatapos ng storytelling, ang karunungan at sayang naidulot nito sa mga bata ay malaking bagay para kina Troy.
Para sa mga bata, muli na naman nilang hihintayin ang pagbubukas ng aklatan sa susunod na Sabado.
"Uhaw"
Itinanghal ng Probe
Agosto 9, 2006
Ulat ni Ricky Carandang
Marumi na, kulang pa. Ito raw ang sitwasyon ng tubig dito sa ating bansa. May solusyon pa ba sa ating problema o tayo ang tunay na problema?
***
Papaano ba tayo makakasiguro na malinis ang tubig na iinumin natin?
“’Yung source ng tubig maaaring ma-contaminate ‘yan kung malapit sa mga poso negro, sa tubig-baha, malapit sa basurahan,” ani Joselito Regio de Dios ng Water and Sanitation Division ng Department of Health.
“Kung merong butas, may mga leak dun sa ating mga tubo, pwedeng pumasok 'yung contaminants, ‘yung tubig-kanal,” ani Jun Gomez ng Maynilad Water.
“Lahat naman tayo di nakakasiguradong malinis yan eh,” anang residenteng si Amy Catamora.
Sa tubig umiikot ang buhay ng pamilya ni Amy. Nabubuhay ang apat niyang anak sa P100 kita mula sa pagtatahong at pangingisda. Pero sa mismong bahay nina Amy, wala silang tubig. Bumibili pa sila tubig sa kapitbahay.
“Jug po, ano, limang piso. Tinitipid ko na ‘yan sa maghapon,” ani Amy.
Nagmula raw sa NAWASA ang tubig na iniinom ng pamilya ni Amy. Malinaw naman kaya hindi na nila pinapakuluan.
“Kapag hindi masama ang panahon, ‘di na ako nagpapakulo pero ‘pag ganyan, bagyo, talaga na nagbabaha diyan, nagpapakulo ako kasi Malabo. Halimbawa nga po naumpisahan na’yan ganyan may nagtatae o mababalitaan naming dito sa barangay na uso daw ngayon ‘yang nagtatae. Uso ‘yung sakit ng tiyan. Ito nga lang nakaraan, ito lang isang linggo lahat kami masakit ang tiyan, nagtatae,” ani Amy.
Ating alamin
Para alamin, kinumbinse ng Probe si Amy na ipasuri ang kanilang tubig. Bumili ang grupo ng pangsuri ng tubig. Sa loob ng bote, may isang klase ng papel na kung tawagoin ay “media.” Ito ang kinakain ng coliform bacteria.
Malalaman daw kung marumi ang tubig kung may coliform bacteria. Ito ang mikrobyong nanggagaling sa dumi ng tao at hayop.
Nag-ikot ang Probe sa iba pang bahay para makumpara ang kalidad ng tubig sa iba’t ibang lugar.
“Kung mayroon nga po siya ng coliform or ng e-coli nga po magte-turn into black siya,” ani Gina Lea Andres ng Aqualab Water Specialist.
Sa tatlong “sample” ng tubig na ipinasuri sa Aqualab, ang tubig galing sa bahay nina Amy ang may coliform bacteria.
“Ang tawag po naman diyan is charcoal black na kulay. Naglalaman na po talaga siya ng dumi ng tao o hayop,” ani Andres.
Bago pa man lumabas ang resulta ng pagsusuri, parang alam na ni Amy kung ano ang resulta.
Hindi na raw niya alam kung saan pa kukuha ang kanyang pamilya ng tubig na iinumin.
“Araw-araw nand’yan ang pagmumukha ko sa balon, sa poso. ‘Pag Malabo ang balon, sa poso ako pupunta,” ani Amy.
Kulang na kulang
Base sa pag-aaral ng World Bank, 35 porsyento ng mga Pilipino na tulad ni Amy ay walang napagkukunan ng tubig sa sariling bahay, 65 porsyento naman ay walang makuhanan ng malinis na tubig.
“’Yung mga tao takot na sa pag-inom ng direkta dun sa gripo. Kasi nga naiisip nila na meron ka nang access ng ganitong waterworks eh nagkakaroon pa ng ganitong sakit. Kaya dito parang nawalan sila ng kumpyansa dun sa tubig na nanggagaling sa gripo,” ani de Dios.
“Dapat po kasi ‘yung galing sa planta isa lang ang quality niyan, potable po ‘yan ‘pag nangggaling sa palnta. Ibig sabihin niyan ‘pag naging iba ‘yung quality niyan nagkaroon na siya, meron po sigurong leak yung tubo,” ani Gomez.
Sa Philippine Standards for Drinking Water, nakapaloob ang mga pamantayan na dapat sinusunod ng mga planta ng tubig upang masigurong ligtas ang iinumin ng tao. Pero minsan hindi raw maiiwasang may mga gustong makalamang.
“’Yung tubo po sa ibabaw ng kalsada dahil binubutas po ng mga tao gusto nila ng libreng tubig. Ang nangyayari po dun eh libre nga ang tubig mo ‘pag iinumin mo magkakasakit ka,” ani Gomez.
Bunga ng pangambang hindi ligtas ang tubig sa gripo, nauso ang bottled water. Pero hindi rin daw nakakasisigurong malinis ito.
“Hindi rin po. Kasi ang quality po ng mga ganyan ay is potable water quality. ‘Yung Philippine Drinking Water Standards din ‘yan kaya lang ‘yung treatment nila ‘di rin maayos, minsan positive din sa e-coli, sa mga bacteria kaya titignan din po niya kasi may mga lisensya po ‘yan na gina-grant ng munisipyo,” paliwanag ni Gomez.
Hindi na nga sigurado na malinis ang ating tubig, mayroon pang pangamba na mauubos ang supply nito.
“[The] Philippines is losing 1.3 billion [cubic liters] a year due to water pollution. So dapat malaki pa ang dapat i-address dahil ‘di nga conscious ang mga tao sa importance, sa pagkaimportanteng tubig,” ni Dr. Olivia La'O Castillo, miembro ng Advisory Board Member-Water and Sanitation ng United Nations.
Taning sa tubig
Sa Maynila pa lang, may takot na ang mga water company na darating ang panahong hindi na kakayanin na suplayan ng tubigt ang lumolobong populasyon.
Sa pagtataya ng mga experto, pagkalipas pa ng dalawa hanggang tatlong taon ay maaaring lubos na kulangin ang rasyon ng tubig sa Kalakhang Maynila.
Ang pagkuha ng supply ng tubig mula sa Laguna de Bay ang pinupuntirya ngayon ng Metropolitan Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS).
Gayunman, kung sisimulan na ngayon ang pagtatayo ng planta para sa kumbersyon ng tubig sa Laguna ay aabutin din ito ng dalawa hanggang tatlong taon.
Ang habol na lang ng mga nagrarasyon ng tubig ay maibsan ang inaasahang pagkakaroon ng kakapusa ng suplay ng tubig sa Kalakhang Maynila.
Ang tubig sa Kalakhang Maynila ay nanggagaling sa Angat, Ipo at La Mesa dam. Malaki raw ang maitutulong sa pagrarasyon ng tubig kung idadagdag ang Laguna. Pero hindi pa rin ligtas ang tubig dito dahil tapunan ang lawa ng industrial at residential waste.
“The irony ano, we’re living around the bodies of water p[ero is it available,” ani Castillo.
Binabalewala raw ng marami ang problema sa tubig.
“Sabi nila, katabi lang naman ang ocean ano? Sabi namin eh hindi naman nanggagaling ang tubig n’yo diyan eh. ’Yung awareness talaga ng tao na imagine kung ilang liters ng water, gallons of water ‘yung aksayado, ‘yung bukas ang tubig the whole day even mag-brush ka lang ng ipin ang habit natin ‘yung iiwan mong bukas, ‘yung tubig kasi ‘yung habit mo ano, isa, dalawang baso ano madaming mase-save,” aniya.
Sinasabing ang tubig ay buhay. Kung hindi raw aaksyunan ang problemang ito, tiyak na lahat ay nasa peligro.
“The constitution of our body is really more of the liquid. Kaya importanteng-importante ang tubig, kung ‘di tayo makakainom. I think more than ay factor, mamamatay ang tao kaya importante na malinis ang tubig na iniinom niya,” dagdag ng doktora.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
New Pictures
Hi Rose, see latest pictures.
You will see Rheena, Karen, Liza, Russel, Samuel anak ni Ti Lina at kaibigan nila.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
I WILL STILL LOVE YOU
Stonebolt
Love 'em and leave 'em
Give them the air
Hurt and deceive them
Say you don't care
Break their hearts and let them fall
Like rain on your back stairs
Then call me up tomorrow
You know I'll still be there
When the moon disappears forever
And the sun shines electric blue
And the mountains and trees tumble into the sea
To rest there for eternity
No matter what you do
I will still love you
So if all your bridges go up in flames
And if all your lovers strike you too tame
Or some sad song of love you hear
Can make you call my name
I will be there in a minute
And you know I'll feel the same
When the moon disappears forever
And the sun shines electric blue
And the mountains and trees tumble into the sea
To rest there for eternity
No matter what you do
I will still love you
So the weary traveler
Tired of passing through
Stops to get his bearings
And stays on to wait for you
When the moon disappears forever
And the sun shines electric blue
And the mountains and trees tumble into the sea
To rest there for eternity
No matter what you do
I will still love you
I will still love you
Love 'em and leave 'em
Give them the air
Hurt and deceive them
Say you don't care
Break their hearts and let them fall
Like rain on your back stairs
Then call me up tomorrow
You know I'll still be there
When the moon disappears forever
And the sun shines electric blue
And the mountains and trees tumble into the sea
To rest there for eternity
No matter what you do
I will still love you
So if all your bridges go up in flames
And if all your lovers strike you too tame
Or some sad song of love you hear
Can make you call my name
I will be there in a minute
And you know I'll feel the same
When the moon disappears forever
And the sun shines electric blue
And the mountains and trees tumble into the sea
To rest there for eternity
No matter what you do
I will still love you
So the weary traveler
Tired of passing through
Stops to get his bearings
And stays on to wait for you
When the moon disappears forever
And the sun shines electric blue
And the mountains and trees tumble into the sea
To rest there for eternity
No matter what you do
I will still love you
I will still love you
Sunday, July 09, 2006
In my Life
There are places I remember all my life,
Though some have changed,
Some forever, not for better,
Some have gone and some remain.
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall.
Some are dead and some are living.
In my life I've loved them all.
But of all these friends and lovers,
There is no one compares with you,
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new.
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before,
I know I'll often stop and think about them,
In my life I'll love you more.
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before,
I know I'll often stop and think about them,
In my life I'll love you more.
In my life I'll love you more.
Though some have changed,
Some forever, not for better,
Some have gone and some remain.
All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall.
Some are dead and some are living.
In my life I've loved them all.
But of all these friends and lovers,
There is no one compares with you,
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new.
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before,
I know I'll often stop and think about them,
In my life I'll love you more.
Though I know I'll never lose affection
For people and things that went before,
I know I'll often stop and think about them,
In my life I'll love you more.
In my life I'll love you more.
If I Had Only One Friend Left
by Dan Seals
I always thought you were the best
I guess I always will.
I always thought that we were blessed
And I feel that way still.
Sometimes we took the hard road
But we always saw it through.
If I had only one friend left
I'd want it to be you.
Sometimes the world was on our side
Sometimes it wasn't fair.
Sometimes it gave a helping hand
Sometimes we didn't care.
'Cause when we were together
It made the dream come true.
If I had only one friend left
I'd want it to be you.
Someone who understands me
And knows me inside out.
Who helps keep me together
And believes without a doubt,
That I could move a mountain
With someone to tell it to.
If I had only one friend left
I'd want it to be you.
Someone who understands me
And knows me inside out.
Who helps keep me together
And believes without a doubt,
That I could move a mountain
With someone to tell it to.
If I had only one friend left
I'd want it to be you.
Nice song to sing.....full of emotions...
I always thought you were the best
I guess I always will.
I always thought that we were blessed
And I feel that way still.
Sometimes we took the hard road
But we always saw it through.
If I had only one friend left
I'd want it to be you.
Sometimes the world was on our side
Sometimes it wasn't fair.
Sometimes it gave a helping hand
Sometimes we didn't care.
'Cause when we were together
It made the dream come true.
If I had only one friend left
I'd want it to be you.
Someone who understands me
And knows me inside out.
Who helps keep me together
And believes without a doubt,
That I could move a mountain
With someone to tell it to.
If I had only one friend left
I'd want it to be you.
Someone who understands me
And knows me inside out.
Who helps keep me together
And believes without a doubt,
That I could move a mountain
With someone to tell it to.
If I had only one friend left
I'd want it to be you.
Nice song to sing.....full of emotions...
Monday, June 19, 2006
Is your school a Model of Bahay Kubo Food Production?
Greetings to the more than 20 million students and teachers who have trooped to their school: elementary, high school, college, university this June 2006 all over the Philippines in barangays, towns, cities and provinces in Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon.
Nais naming itanong: Is your school a Model of Bahay Kubo Food Production? Is your school engage in food production at all?
Sa panahon ng krisis sa Pilipinas ukol sa pagkain, kalusugan at kabuhayan, mahalagang ang mga paaralan ay maging sentro at laboratoryo ng food production. Ang mga estudyante ay kumakain ng 3 beses sa isang araw at idagdag natin ang merienda kung recess. Kung ang bawat isa ay Consumer, may napag-aaralan ba sila tungkol sa Food Production? Mahalagang maituro at matutuhan sa paaralan na ang mga estudyante ay maging Food Producers: magkaroon ng kasanayan sa pamamaraan ng food production. Isang simpleng gabay ang ibinibigay ng awit na "Bahay Kubo, kahit munti, ang halaman doon ay sari-sari...Singkamas, talong, sigarilyas at mani. Sitaw, bataw, patani.. Kundol, patola, upo't kalabasa at saka mayroon pa: labanos, mustasa, sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya. Sa paligid-ligid ay puno ng linga."
Ang modelo ng Bahay Kubo ay nagpapaalaala sa atin ng pagtatanim ng halamang sari-sari... Ngunit madalas ang ating pagtatanim sa kapaligiran ng ating mga bahay at paaralan ay mga halamang ornamental, bulaklakin.
At maganda sa paningin, nakabubusog ng mata, ngunit hindi naman pagkain at gamot na ating kailangan sa pang-araw-araw. Ang halamang kailangan ay yaong palagiang mapag-aanihan ng talbos, ugat, dahon, bulaklak, bunga, buto na mailuluto at makakain sa araw-araw at buong taon.
Isa sa magandang pamarisan natin ay ang binansagan naming "PINAKBET GARDENING" ng mga Ilokano. Magtatanim tayo na ang layunin ay maisama ito sa mga lulutuing ulam o pagkain. Magtala tayo ng mga sangkap na gulay na iluluto: talong, ampalaya, sitaw, kalabasa, malunggay, kamote, saluyot, sili, okra, sigarilyas, bunga ng singkamas, luya, bawang, sibuyas, kamatis...At ang kailangan na lamang natin ay ang bagoong isda na pampalasa, pampasarap. At kung mayroong karne o inihaw na isda, enjoy tayo sa masarap at masustansyang pagkain...At ito marahil ang sekreto ng mga Ilokano sa kanilang kalakasan, kalusugan, kasiglahan at mahabang buhay. At bukod sa may maipamimigay o mahihingi ang mga kapitbahay at kamag-anak, ito ay maibebenta sa palengke o talipapa.
Nais naming itanong sa ating mga kababayan kung may alam sila na pamamaraan ng pagtatanim na matatawag namang "Kapampangan Gardening". "Tagalog Gardening", "Bicol Gardening", "Ilongo Gardening", "Cebuano Gardening", "Visayan Gardening", "Mindanao Gardening"?
Kung ipadadala ninyo ito sa amin ay ating ilalathala ang mga ito upang mahikayat ang iba sa kanilang pagtatanim.
Ang pamamaraan na itinuro ng mga Chinese ay ang "Chop Suey Gardening" na nagtatanim ng iba't ibang gulay na pangsahog sa chopsuey: repolyo, bellpepper, pechay, lechugas, chicharo, baguio beans, carrots, atbp.
Maaari rin tayong magtanim na matatawag nating: "Kare-kare Gardening" o "Sinigang Gardening" o "Bicol Express Gardening" o "Tinola Gardening"...
Kung magbibigay ng halimbawa ang mga paaralan, guro at mga estudyante sa kanilang pagtatanim sa palibot ng eskuwela ng mga gulay na ito na kanilang mapipitas at magagamit sa pang-araw-araw na pagluluto at pagkain, malaki ang magiging pakinabang. At ito ay magiging halimbawa na maaring pamarisan ng bawat estudyante sa kanilang bahay at paligid. Makatitipid at bawas gastos at hindi na kailangang bumili sa palengke. At makatutulong ito sa pagkain, kalusugan at kabuhayan.
Nais naming itanong: Is your school a Model of Bahay Kubo Food Production? Is your school engage in food production at all?
Sa panahon ng krisis sa Pilipinas ukol sa pagkain, kalusugan at kabuhayan, mahalagang ang mga paaralan ay maging sentro at laboratoryo ng food production. Ang mga estudyante ay kumakain ng 3 beses sa isang araw at idagdag natin ang merienda kung recess. Kung ang bawat isa ay Consumer, may napag-aaralan ba sila tungkol sa Food Production? Mahalagang maituro at matutuhan sa paaralan na ang mga estudyante ay maging Food Producers: magkaroon ng kasanayan sa pamamaraan ng food production. Isang simpleng gabay ang ibinibigay ng awit na "Bahay Kubo, kahit munti, ang halaman doon ay sari-sari...Singkamas, talong, sigarilyas at mani. Sitaw, bataw, patani.. Kundol, patola, upo't kalabasa at saka mayroon pa: labanos, mustasa, sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya. Sa paligid-ligid ay puno ng linga."
Ang modelo ng Bahay Kubo ay nagpapaalaala sa atin ng pagtatanim ng halamang sari-sari... Ngunit madalas ang ating pagtatanim sa kapaligiran ng ating mga bahay at paaralan ay mga halamang ornamental, bulaklakin.
At maganda sa paningin, nakabubusog ng mata, ngunit hindi naman pagkain at gamot na ating kailangan sa pang-araw-araw. Ang halamang kailangan ay yaong palagiang mapag-aanihan ng talbos, ugat, dahon, bulaklak, bunga, buto na mailuluto at makakain sa araw-araw at buong taon.
Isa sa magandang pamarisan natin ay ang binansagan naming "PINAKBET GARDENING" ng mga Ilokano. Magtatanim tayo na ang layunin ay maisama ito sa mga lulutuing ulam o pagkain. Magtala tayo ng mga sangkap na gulay na iluluto: talong, ampalaya, sitaw, kalabasa, malunggay, kamote, saluyot, sili, okra, sigarilyas, bunga ng singkamas, luya, bawang, sibuyas, kamatis...At ang kailangan na lamang natin ay ang bagoong isda na pampalasa, pampasarap. At kung mayroong karne o inihaw na isda, enjoy tayo sa masarap at masustansyang pagkain...At ito marahil ang sekreto ng mga Ilokano sa kanilang kalakasan, kalusugan, kasiglahan at mahabang buhay. At bukod sa may maipamimigay o mahihingi ang mga kapitbahay at kamag-anak, ito ay maibebenta sa palengke o talipapa.
Nais naming itanong sa ating mga kababayan kung may alam sila na pamamaraan ng pagtatanim na matatawag namang "Kapampangan Gardening". "Tagalog Gardening", "Bicol Gardening", "Ilongo Gardening", "Cebuano Gardening", "Visayan Gardening", "Mindanao Gardening"?
Kung ipadadala ninyo ito sa amin ay ating ilalathala ang mga ito upang mahikayat ang iba sa kanilang pagtatanim.
Ang pamamaraan na itinuro ng mga Chinese ay ang "Chop Suey Gardening" na nagtatanim ng iba't ibang gulay na pangsahog sa chopsuey: repolyo, bellpepper, pechay, lechugas, chicharo, baguio beans, carrots, atbp.
Maaari rin tayong magtanim na matatawag nating: "Kare-kare Gardening" o "Sinigang Gardening" o "Bicol Express Gardening" o "Tinola Gardening"...
Kung magbibigay ng halimbawa ang mga paaralan, guro at mga estudyante sa kanilang pagtatanim sa palibot ng eskuwela ng mga gulay na ito na kanilang mapipitas at magagamit sa pang-araw-araw na pagluluto at pagkain, malaki ang magiging pakinabang. At ito ay magiging halimbawa na maaring pamarisan ng bawat estudyante sa kanilang bahay at paligid. Makatitipid at bawas gastos at hindi na kailangang bumili sa palengke. At makatutulong ito sa pagkain, kalusugan at kabuhayan.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Diane Warren
Diane Warren (born September 7, 1956 in Van Nuys, California) is an American pop music songwriter. As of 2006, her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, four Golden Globe nominations, and seven Grammy Award nominations.
She has had her songs featured in more than 80 films.
Her first hit was "Solitaire", which Laura Branigan took to No. 7 in the US pop charts in 1983. Other notable hits include:
• "A Smile Like Yours", recorded by Natalie Cole
• "All I Want Is Forever", recorded by Regina Belle and James J.T. Taylor
• "Because You Loved Me", recorded by Céline Dion, from the film Up Close & Personal (Winner: Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, Oscar nominee, Golden Globe nominee)
• "Blame It on the Rain", recorded by Milli Vanilli
• "Blue Eyes Blue", recorded by Eric Clapton, from the film Runaway Bride
• "Can't Fight the Moonlight", recorded by LeAnn Rimes, from the film Coyote Ugly
• "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)", recorded by Mariah Carey
• "Could I Have This Kiss Forever", recorded by Enrique Iglesias & Whitney Houston
• "Don´t Turn Around", recorded by Tina Turner, Aswad and Ace of Base
• "For You I Will", recorded by Monica, from the film Space Jam
• "Forever", recorded by KISS
• "From Loving You", recorded by Mandy Moore
• "From The Heart", recorded by Another Level, from the film [[Notting Hill (film)
• "Give Me You", recorded by Mary J Blige (originally written for and performed by Patti LaBelle)
• "Have You Ever", recorded by Brandy
• "How Do I Live?", recorded by both Trisha Yearwood (from the film Con Air, Oscar nominee) and LeAnn Rimes
• "How Can We Be Lovers?", recorded by Michael Bolton
• "I Could Not Ask For More", recorded by Edwin McCain, later by Sara Evans
• "I Don't Want to Be Your Friend", recorded by Cyndi Lauper, Do and [[Nina GiradoNina]
• "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love", recorded by Chicago,
• "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", recorded by Aerosmith, from the film Armageddon (Oscar nominee) (co-written with Aerosmith member Joe Perry, although Warren got sole writing credit)
• "I Learned From The Best", recorded by Whitney Houston
• "I Get Weak", by Belinda Carlisle
• "I Turn to You", recorded by All-4-One, later by Christina Aguilera
• "I Will Get There", recorded by Boyz II Men
• "I'd Lie for You (and That's the Truth)", recorded by Meat Loaf
• "If I Could Turn Back Time", recorded by Cher
• "If I Ever See Heaven Again", recorded by Jasmine Trias
• "If You Asked Me To", recorded by Patti LaBelle, later by Céline Dion
• "I'll Be Your Shelter", recorded by Taylor Dayne
• "I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)", recorded by Exposé, Bellefire and M.Y.M.P.
• "I Want You To Need Me", recorded by Céline Dion
• "Just Like Jesse James", recorded by Cher
• "Look Away", recorded by Chicago
• "Love and Understanding", recorded by Cher
• "Love Can Move Mountains", recorded by Céline Dion
• "Love Will Lead You Back", recorded by Taylor Dayne
• "Music of My Heart", recorded by Gloria Estefan & Nsync, from the film Music of the Heart (Oscar nominee)
• "Nothing Broken But My Heart", recorded by Céline Dion, later by Tracie Spencer
• "Nothing Hurts Like Love", recorded by Daniel Bedingfield
• "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" (co-writer), recorded by Starship, from the film Mannequin (Oscar nominee)
• "Numb", recorded by Pet Shop Boys
• "Rhythm of the Night", recorded by Debarge
• "Saving Forever For You", recorded by Shanice
• "Set the Night to Music", recorded by Starship, later by Roberta Flack
• "Spanish Guitar", recorded by Toni Braxton
• "Strong As Steel", recorded by Five Star, later by Gladys Knight for the film Ghost Dad.
• "Tell Me Where It Hurts", recorded by C-note and later by country artist Tommy Shane Steiner
• "The Saddest Song I Ever Heard", recorded by For Real
• "There You'll Be", recorded by Faith Hill, from the film Pearl Harbor (Oscar nominee)
• "Time, Love & Tenderness", recorded by Michael Bolton
• "Too Lost In You", recorded by the Sugababes
• "Un-Break My Heart", recorded by Toni Braxton
• "We Can", recorded by LeAnn Rimes
• "We're Not Making Love Anymore", recorded by Barbra Streisand
• "What Are You Doing with a Fool Like Me", recorded by Joe Cocker
• "When I See You Smile", recorded by Bad English
• "When The Night Comes", recorded by Joe Cocker, written with Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, Bryan Adams also performs the song in concerts
• "When You Walk Away", recorded by Cher
• "When I'm Back On My Feet Again", recorded by Michael Bolton
• "Where My Heart Will Take Me", also known as Faith of the Heart
o recorded by Rod Stewart for the movie Patch Adams
o recorded by Russell Watson for the television show Star Trek: Enterprise
• "Who Will You Run To", recorded by Heart
• "Would I Know", recorded by Céline Dion, later by Charlotte Church
• "You Were Loved", recorded by Whitney Houston
• "You Stay With Me", recorded by Ricky Martin
• "Your Baby Never Looked Good In Blue", recorded by Exposé
She has had her songs featured in more than 80 films.
Her first hit was "Solitaire", which Laura Branigan took to No. 7 in the US pop charts in 1983. Other notable hits include:
• "A Smile Like Yours", recorded by Natalie Cole
• "All I Want Is Forever", recorded by Regina Belle and James J.T. Taylor
• "Because You Loved Me", recorded by Céline Dion, from the film Up Close & Personal (Winner: Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, Oscar nominee, Golden Globe nominee)
• "Blame It on the Rain", recorded by Milli Vanilli
• "Blue Eyes Blue", recorded by Eric Clapton, from the film Runaway Bride
• "Can't Fight the Moonlight", recorded by LeAnn Rimes, from the film Coyote Ugly
• "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)", recorded by Mariah Carey
• "Could I Have This Kiss Forever", recorded by Enrique Iglesias & Whitney Houston
• "Don´t Turn Around", recorded by Tina Turner, Aswad and Ace of Base
• "For You I Will", recorded by Monica, from the film Space Jam
• "Forever", recorded by KISS
• "From Loving You", recorded by Mandy Moore
• "From The Heart", recorded by Another Level, from the film [[Notting Hill (film)
• "Give Me You", recorded by Mary J Blige (originally written for and performed by Patti LaBelle)
• "Have You Ever", recorded by Brandy
• "How Do I Live?", recorded by both Trisha Yearwood (from the film Con Air, Oscar nominee) and LeAnn Rimes
• "How Can We Be Lovers?", recorded by Michael Bolton
• "I Could Not Ask For More", recorded by Edwin McCain, later by Sara Evans
• "I Don't Want to Be Your Friend", recorded by Cyndi Lauper, Do and [[Nina GiradoNina]
• "I Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love", recorded by Chicago,
• "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing", recorded by Aerosmith, from the film Armageddon (Oscar nominee) (co-written with Aerosmith member Joe Perry, although Warren got sole writing credit)
• "I Learned From The Best", recorded by Whitney Houston
• "I Get Weak", by Belinda Carlisle
• "I Turn to You", recorded by All-4-One, later by Christina Aguilera
• "I Will Get There", recorded by Boyz II Men
• "I'd Lie for You (and That's the Truth)", recorded by Meat Loaf
• "If I Could Turn Back Time", recorded by Cher
• "If I Ever See Heaven Again", recorded by Jasmine Trias
• "If You Asked Me To", recorded by Patti LaBelle, later by Céline Dion
• "I'll Be Your Shelter", recorded by Taylor Dayne
• "I'll Never Get Over You (Getting Over Me)", recorded by Exposé, Bellefire and M.Y.M.P.
• "I Want You To Need Me", recorded by Céline Dion
• "Just Like Jesse James", recorded by Cher
• "Look Away", recorded by Chicago
• "Love and Understanding", recorded by Cher
• "Love Can Move Mountains", recorded by Céline Dion
• "Love Will Lead You Back", recorded by Taylor Dayne
• "Music of My Heart", recorded by Gloria Estefan & Nsync, from the film Music of the Heart (Oscar nominee)
• "Nothing Broken But My Heart", recorded by Céline Dion, later by Tracie Spencer
• "Nothing Hurts Like Love", recorded by Daniel Bedingfield
• "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" (co-writer), recorded by Starship, from the film Mannequin (Oscar nominee)
• "Numb", recorded by Pet Shop Boys
• "Rhythm of the Night", recorded by Debarge
• "Saving Forever For You", recorded by Shanice
• "Set the Night to Music", recorded by Starship, later by Roberta Flack
• "Spanish Guitar", recorded by Toni Braxton
• "Strong As Steel", recorded by Five Star, later by Gladys Knight for the film Ghost Dad.
• "Tell Me Where It Hurts", recorded by C-note and later by country artist Tommy Shane Steiner
• "The Saddest Song I Ever Heard", recorded by For Real
• "There You'll Be", recorded by Faith Hill, from the film Pearl Harbor (Oscar nominee)
• "Time, Love & Tenderness", recorded by Michael Bolton
• "Too Lost In You", recorded by the Sugababes
• "Un-Break My Heart", recorded by Toni Braxton
• "We Can", recorded by LeAnn Rimes
• "We're Not Making Love Anymore", recorded by Barbra Streisand
• "What Are You Doing with a Fool Like Me", recorded by Joe Cocker
• "When I See You Smile", recorded by Bad English
• "When The Night Comes", recorded by Joe Cocker, written with Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, Bryan Adams also performs the song in concerts
• "When You Walk Away", recorded by Cher
• "When I'm Back On My Feet Again", recorded by Michael Bolton
• "Where My Heart Will Take Me", also known as Faith of the Heart
o recorded by Rod Stewart for the movie Patch Adams
o recorded by Russell Watson for the television show Star Trek: Enterprise
• "Who Will You Run To", recorded by Heart
• "Would I Know", recorded by Céline Dion, later by Charlotte Church
• "You Were Loved", recorded by Whitney Houston
• "You Stay With Me", recorded by Ricky Martin
• "Your Baby Never Looked Good In Blue", recorded by Exposé
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
by aerosmith
I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
While you're far away and dreaming
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Well, every moment spent with you
Is a moment I treasure
I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
Lying close to you
Feeling your heart beating
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming
Wondering if it's me you're seeing
Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we're together
And I just wanna stay with you
In this moment forever, forever and ever
I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
I don't wanna miss one smile
I don't wanna miss one kiss
Well, I just wanna be with you
Right here with you, just like this
I just wanna hold you close
Feel your heart so close to mine
And just stay here in this moment
For all the rest of time
Don't wanna close my eyes
Don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
'Cause I'd still miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
Don't wanna close my eyes
Don't wanna fall asleep, yeah
I don't wanna miss a thing
I don't wanna miss a thing
I could stay awake just to hear you breathing
Watch you smile while you are sleeping
While you're far away and dreaming
I could spend my life in this sweet surrender
I could stay lost in this moment forever
Well, every moment spent with you
Is a moment I treasure
I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
Lying close to you
Feeling your heart beating
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming
Wondering if it's me you're seeing
Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we're together
And I just wanna stay with you
In this moment forever, forever and ever
I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
I don't wanna miss one smile
I don't wanna miss one kiss
Well, I just wanna be with you
Right here with you, just like this
I just wanna hold you close
Feel your heart so close to mine
And just stay here in this moment
For all the rest of time
Don't wanna close my eyes
Don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
'Cause I'd still miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
I don't wanna close my eyes
I don't wanna fall asleep
'Cause I'd miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
'Cause even when I dream of you
The sweetest dream would never do
I'd still miss you, baby
And I don't wanna miss a thing
Don't wanna close my eyes
Don't wanna fall asleep, yeah
I don't wanna miss a thing
I don't wanna miss a thing
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
NARDA
by KAMIKAZEE
Tila ibon kung lumipad, sumabay sa hangin akoy Napatingin
Sa dalagang nababalot ng hiwaga.
Mapapansin kaya sa dame ng yong gingawa
Kung kaagaw ko ang lahat may pag asa bang makilala ka
Awit na nananawagan, baka sakaling napakikinggan,
Pag ibig na palaisipan sa kanta na lang idaraan
Nag aabang sa langit, sa mga ulap sumisilip
Sa likod ng mga tala,kahit sulyap lang darna
Ang swerte nga nman ni ding, lagi ka nyang kapiling
Kung ako sa kanya niligawan na kita
Mapapansin kaya sa dame ng yong gingawa
Kung kaagaw ko ang lahat may pag asa bang makilala ka
Awit na nananawagan,baka sakaling napakikinggan,
Pag ibig na palaisipan sa kanta na lang idadaan
Nag aabang sa langit, sa mga ulap sumisilip
Sa likod ng mga tala,kahit sulyap lang darna
Tumalon kaya ako sa bangin,para lang iyong sagipin
Ito ang tanging paraan para mayakap ka
Darating kayasa dame ng ginagawa
Kung kaagaw ko sila paano na kaya?
Awit na nananawagan,baka sakaling napakikinggan,
Pag ibig na palaisipan sa kanta na lang idadaan
Nag aabang sa langit, sa mga ulap sumisilip
Sa likod ng mga tala,kahit sulyap lang darna
Nag aabang sa langit, sa mga ulap sumisilip
Sa likod ng mga tala,kahit sulyap lang darna
Tila ibon kung lumipad, sumabay sa hangin akoy Napatingin
Sa dalagang nababalot ng hiwaga.
Mapapansin kaya sa dame ng yong gingawa
Kung kaagaw ko ang lahat may pag asa bang makilala ka
Awit na nananawagan, baka sakaling napakikinggan,
Pag ibig na palaisipan sa kanta na lang idaraan
Nag aabang sa langit, sa mga ulap sumisilip
Sa likod ng mga tala,kahit sulyap lang darna
Ang swerte nga nman ni ding, lagi ka nyang kapiling
Kung ako sa kanya niligawan na kita
Mapapansin kaya sa dame ng yong gingawa
Kung kaagaw ko ang lahat may pag asa bang makilala ka
Awit na nananawagan,baka sakaling napakikinggan,
Pag ibig na palaisipan sa kanta na lang idadaan
Nag aabang sa langit, sa mga ulap sumisilip
Sa likod ng mga tala,kahit sulyap lang darna
Tumalon kaya ako sa bangin,para lang iyong sagipin
Ito ang tanging paraan para mayakap ka
Darating kayasa dame ng ginagawa
Kung kaagaw ko sila paano na kaya?
Awit na nananawagan,baka sakaling napakikinggan,
Pag ibig na palaisipan sa kanta na lang idadaan
Nag aabang sa langit, sa mga ulap sumisilip
Sa likod ng mga tala,kahit sulyap lang darna
Nag aabang sa langit, sa mga ulap sumisilip
Sa likod ng mga tala,kahit sulyap lang darna
Monday, April 24, 2006
Mahalin Ang Mother Earth
Isa lang ang ating mundo. Oras na masira ang Earth, saan pa tayo pupulutin?
Ang bahay na nasira ay puwedeng buuin ulit. Ang gusaling gumuho ay puwedeng maitayo.
Lahat ng material na bagay sa mundo ay puwedeng palitan ng bago kapag nasira at nawala. Pero ang mismong mundo, nag-iisa lang ito.
Nakakatuwa na ang Simbahang Katoliko ay tumututok sa mga isyung may kinalaman sa Mother Earth. Dito sa atin, agresibo sila sa pagsusulong sa Mining Act. Isa ito sa maigting na kinakampanya ng mga pari at obispo upang matigil na ang pagmimina sa bansa na labis na nakakasira ng kalikasan.
Naalarma tayong lahat sa nangyaring trahedya sa St. Bernard, Southern Leyte. Pero ang ating pagkaalarma ay halos kasabay na namatay ng ating pagluluksa sa libu-libong buhay na nawala. Sandali lang at balik na naman tayo sa dating gawi. Ilang araw lang na pagtitino at pangangalaga sa kalikasan, tapos ‘back to normal’ na tayo.
At ang masakit, ang normal natin ay ang walang patumanggang pamumutol ng mga kahoy at pagtotroso, ang quarrying, ang pagmimina, ang polusyon, ang pag-abuso sa mga tubig at lahat na ng nakakasakit sa ating mundo.
Kahit ang simpleng pagtatapon ng plastik na balat ng kendi o styrofoam na ginagamit nating kainan sa mga fastfood, lahat ng ito ay mayroong matinding epekto sa ating kalikasan.
Simple lang naman ang hinihingi sa atin at ito’y para naman sa ating sariling kapakanan. Magkaroon lang ng kahit maliit na malasakit sa mundo. Mahalin lang natin ang kalikasan. Sasagipin natin ang isang mundong gagalawan ng mga susunod pang henerasyon...ng ating mga anak, mga apo at darating ang salinlahi.
Maaaring hindi na tayo ang magdusa sa pagkawasak ng mundo. Maaaring nasa kalagitnaan na tayo ng ating buhay pero isipin naman natin ang mga maiiwan nating mga anak, apo at kanilang kaapu-apuhan.
Ang pagtatanim ng halaman sa paligid, ang pangangalaga ng mga batang puno, ang tamang paraan ng pagtatapon ng basura lalo na ang segregasyon ng nabubulok at hindi nabubulok na mga basura, ang hindi pagbabalahura sa mga kalsada at mga pampublikong lugar, lahat ng ito ay madaling gawin kung ating isasapuso ang pangangalaga sa kalikasan. Hindi mahirap kung sasanayin natin ang ating sarili sa ganitong disiplina.
Kaya natin ito basta maging seryoso at determinado lang tayo sa ating pagmamalasakit sa mundo.
Ang bahay na nasira ay puwedeng buuin ulit. Ang gusaling gumuho ay puwedeng maitayo.
Lahat ng material na bagay sa mundo ay puwedeng palitan ng bago kapag nasira at nawala. Pero ang mismong mundo, nag-iisa lang ito.
Nakakatuwa na ang Simbahang Katoliko ay tumututok sa mga isyung may kinalaman sa Mother Earth. Dito sa atin, agresibo sila sa pagsusulong sa Mining Act. Isa ito sa maigting na kinakampanya ng mga pari at obispo upang matigil na ang pagmimina sa bansa na labis na nakakasira ng kalikasan.
Naalarma tayong lahat sa nangyaring trahedya sa St. Bernard, Southern Leyte. Pero ang ating pagkaalarma ay halos kasabay na namatay ng ating pagluluksa sa libu-libong buhay na nawala. Sandali lang at balik na naman tayo sa dating gawi. Ilang araw lang na pagtitino at pangangalaga sa kalikasan, tapos ‘back to normal’ na tayo.
At ang masakit, ang normal natin ay ang walang patumanggang pamumutol ng mga kahoy at pagtotroso, ang quarrying, ang pagmimina, ang polusyon, ang pag-abuso sa mga tubig at lahat na ng nakakasakit sa ating mundo.
Kahit ang simpleng pagtatapon ng plastik na balat ng kendi o styrofoam na ginagamit nating kainan sa mga fastfood, lahat ng ito ay mayroong matinding epekto sa ating kalikasan.
Simple lang naman ang hinihingi sa atin at ito’y para naman sa ating sariling kapakanan. Magkaroon lang ng kahit maliit na malasakit sa mundo. Mahalin lang natin ang kalikasan. Sasagipin natin ang isang mundong gagalawan ng mga susunod pang henerasyon...ng ating mga anak, mga apo at darating ang salinlahi.
Maaaring hindi na tayo ang magdusa sa pagkawasak ng mundo. Maaaring nasa kalagitnaan na tayo ng ating buhay pero isipin naman natin ang mga maiiwan nating mga anak, apo at kanilang kaapu-apuhan.
Ang pagtatanim ng halaman sa paligid, ang pangangalaga ng mga batang puno, ang tamang paraan ng pagtatapon ng basura lalo na ang segregasyon ng nabubulok at hindi nabubulok na mga basura, ang hindi pagbabalahura sa mga kalsada at mga pampublikong lugar, lahat ng ito ay madaling gawin kung ating isasapuso ang pangangalaga sa kalikasan. Hindi mahirap kung sasanayin natin ang ating sarili sa ganitong disiplina.
Kaya natin ito basta maging seryoso at determinado lang tayo sa ating pagmamalasakit sa mundo.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Nalalapit tayo sa gutom
by Jake Macasaet
Ako ay isang magsasaka bago naging houseboy sa Maynila para makapag-aral. Kaya alam ko ang buhay ng isang magbubukid.
Noong panahon na iyon, hindi bumbili ang pamilya ko ng bigas. Kami ng tatay ko at ang kapatid na sumunod sa akin ay nakakapag-ani ng palay na sapat kainin hanggang sa susunod na ani.
Hindi kami gumagamit ng pataba at insecticide. Ang panlaban namin sa uod na kumakain ng lumalaking tanim na palay ay maraming klase ng ibon. Kasabay sa paghahasik ng palay ang maraming butil ng gulay tulad ng mungo at tapilan. May mais pa.
Dahan-dahang nagbago ang panahon. Una, nalason ang ating kapaligiran. Nawala ang mga ibon na kumakain ng uod na pumipinsala sa palay na lumalago.
Ikalawa, dahan-dahan din na lumiit ang mga sakahang lupa. Ang dating mga maliliit na bukirin ay bahay na ang nakatanim ngayon.
Hindi mahihinto ang pagliit ng sakahang lupa dahil masyadong mabilis dumami ang tao. Higit pa sa dalawang milyong bata ang ipinanganganak bawat taon. Magtatayo rin sila ng bahay na sana ay palay at iba pang halaman ang nakatanim.
Ang lupang hindi palay ang dating nakatanim ay mga bahayan na rin ngayon. Ang marami pang piraso ay hindi naman pinagkakakitaan.
Tulad sa barrio ko sa Lipa. Ang mga maliliit na piraso ng lupa ay halos kape lahat ang nakatanim. Dahil matandang variety na ito, at matanda na rin ang mga puno, maliit lang ang ani sa kape.
Lalo namang tinamad ang mga may tanim na kape dahil masyadong mura ang presyo. Hindi sila makalaban sa imported coffee.
Pero may solusyon din dapat ang gobyerno sa problemang ito. Ang pinakamabuti ay bagalan ang pagdami ng tao.
Samantala, dapat tumulong ang gobyerno sa pagtuturo sa mga maliliit na nagtatanim ng kape na palitan ito ng ibang halaman. Depende sa lugar, puwedeng ipalit ang durian.
O kaya ay mga gulay tulad ng ampalaya, pechay, papaya, munggo at marami pang iba.
Noong panahon ko, malimit kaming puntahan ng ama ko ng tinatawag na extension worker. Sila ang nagtuturo kung paano palalakihin ang ani sa bukid at paano makakaiwas sa sakit na nakakahawa.
Halimbawa, sinabi sa aming ng tatay ko -- bagaman alam na namin ito -- na ipunin ang dumi o manure ng kabayo o baka, kasama na rin ang pag-iipon ng ipot ng manok.
Mabisang pataba ito pag bulok na.
Wala na ngayon niyan. Ang dating mga health worker, extension worker, at city, provincial at municipal agriculturist ay namumulitika na rin. Bakit hindi e, mga mayor at gobernador ang nag-a-appoint sa kanila.
Hindi na tungkulin ang inaatupag. Malaking panahon ang winawaldas para sa pulitika ng mga gobernador at mayor.
Nangyari ito dahil nagkaroon tayo ng batas na nagbibigay ng kalayaan sa mga local government units sa maraming bagay tulad na nga ng paghahalaman at kalusugan. Dati ang amo nila ay secretary of health o secretary of agriculture. Ngayon, gobernador at mayor na.
Isipin nating mabuti. Sinabi na ni Agriculture Secretary Panganiban ng 500,000 ektarya na ang kinain ng housing, golf course at sementeryo.
Dumarami ang bibig na pinakakain. Lumiliit naman ang pinagkukunan ng pagkain.
Di matinding gutom ang aabutin ng mga apo at mga anak nila. Ang kawalan naman ng hanapbuhay ang isang dahilan kung bakit mabilis ang pagdami ng tao.
E, kung hindi nga naman pagod si lalaki dahil wala namang siyang trabaho, at ang asawa ay ganun din, at wala pang kuryente kaya hindi makapagpalipas oras sa TV, alam na ninyo ang gagawain ng mag-asawa.
Gabi-gabi sex. Taun-taon nanganganak si nanay. Paano ngayon pakakaininin, pag-aaralin at ipagagamot ay dumaraming batang iyan?
Knocked down pero di knockout
Sa laban ng boksing nina Manny Pacquiao at Erik Morales, dalawang beses na-knockdown ni Pacquiao si Morales. Dinesisyunan ng referee na ihinto ang laban, na ikinatalo ni Morales dahil technical knockout na siya. Pero iba ang laban sa ating buhay Kristiyano. Kahit ilang beses tayo ma-knockdown ng mga problema, di dapat tayo magpa-knockout.
Marami sa atin ang dumaranas ng mga problema. Marahil ay may malubhang sakit tayo, o problema tungkol sa pera, o nagdodroga ang anak.
Oo nga, knocked down tayo ng ating mga problema, pero dapat ba tayong magpa-knockout? Hindi! Ito ay dahil kakampi natin ang Diyos. Paano ba tayo babangon mula sa pagkakabuwal sa tindi ng ating mga pinagdaraanan?
Tingnan natin ang halimbawa sa buhay ni David. Sa 2 Samuel 11, na-knockdown si David mula nang masilayan niya si Batsheba, pero makikita nating hindi siya nagpa-knockout. Si David ay nagpaiwan sa Israel habang ang kanyang hukbo ay nakipaglaban sa mga Ammonita. Galing siya sa tulog nang pumanhik siya sa bubungan ng palasyo at natambad sa kanyang paningin ang isang magandang babaing naliligo. Ano ang pagkakasala ni David? Ginamit ng diyablo ang maraming panahong wala siyang ginagawa upang tuksuhin siya. At dahil hari siya ng Israel, hindi siya nasiyahang manilip lamang. Ginamit niya ang kapangyarihan niya upang ipakuha si Batsheba at sipingan niya. Hindi lang iyan. Iniutos pa niyang umurong ang hukbo at ipasubo si Urias, ang asawa ni Batsheba, sa mababangis na kaaway hanggang sa mapatay ito.
Alam ng diyablo ang ating kahinaan at kalakasan at kung saan tayo mahina, doon tayo titirahin. Tulad ng maraming lalaki, ang kahinaan ni David ay magandang babae. Hindi rin natin dapat gamitin ang ating posisyon o kapangyarihan upang makuha ang ating gusto, kahit pa ito ay kasalanan.
Anu-ano ang ginawa ni David para makabangon siya at hindi manatiling knocked down?
1. LUMAPIT SA DIYOS. Ang unang ginawa ni David ay ang lumapit sa Panginoon. Marami sa atin, kapag may problema, lumalayo tayo sa Panginoon. Akala natin galit Siya sa atin. Ito ay mali! Ang Diyos, mahal tayo. Ang ayaw Niya ay ang kasalanan natin. Lalo nating kailangan ang Diyos kapag tayo ay may problema. Ang panalangin ni David ay: "Ako'y kaawaan, O mahal kong Diyos, sang-ayon sa Iyong kagandahang-loob" (Awit 51:1). Sabi sa Hebreo 4:16, "Kaya't huwag na tayong mag-atubiling lumapit sa trono ng mahabaging Diyos at doo'y kakamtan natin ang habag at kalinga sa panahong kailangan natin ito."
2. AMININ ANG KASALANAN. Nagpakumbaba si David at sinabi, "Linisin mo sana ang aking karumihan at ipatawad mo yaring kasalanan" (Awit 51:2). Ito ang susi upang muli siyang makabangon nang ma-knockdown ng kasalanan. Sabi sa Santiago 4:6, "Ang Diyos ay laban sa mga palalo, ngunit tumutulong sa mga mapagpakumbaba."
3. TANGGAPIN ANG BUNGA NG KASALANAN. Ang Panginoon ay laging handang magpatawad ng ating mga kasalanan, pero hindi tayo maliligtas sa ibubunga ng kasalanan natin. Ano ang bunga ng kasalanan ni David? Sa 2 Samuel 12:13-14 ang sabi ay, "Sinabi ni David kay Natan, 'Tunay akong nagkasala kay Yahweh'. Sumagot si Natan, 'Kung gayo'y pinatatawad ka na Niya at hindi ka mamamatay. Gayunman, yamang nilapastangan mo si Yahweh, ang magiging anak mo ang mamamatay." Ang bunga ay iba sa kaparusahan; ito ay paraan ng Diyos upang tayo ay disiplinahin. Sabi sa Hebreo 12:5-6, "Anak, huwag kang magwalang-bahala kapag tinutuwid ka ng Panginoon...pinarurusahan ng Diyos ang mga iniibig Niya, at pinapalo ang itinuturing Niyang anak."
4. MATUTO SA MGA PAGKAKAMALI. Huwag tayong magalit sa Diyos kung nararanasan natin ang bunga ng ating kasalanan. Ang dapat ikabahala ay kung sa kabila ng kasalanan natin ay hindi tayo dinidisiplina ng ating Diyos Ama, baka iba ang ama natin. Naisulat ni David ang kabutihang dulot ng pagtanggap natin sa disiplina ng Diyos sa Awit 119:67,71, "Ang sariling dati-rati'y namumuhay nang baluktot, nang ako ay parusahan, salita Mo ang sinunod; Sa akin ay nakabuti ang parusang iyong dulot, pagkat naunawang mahalaga ang 'yong utos."
5. TANGGAPIN ANG KAPATAWARAN NG DIYOS. Kahit ano pang kasalanan ang ihingi mo ng tawad sa Panginoon ay mapapatawad Niya. Si Jesus na ang nagbayad ng kaparusahan ng ating kasalanan sa pag-alay ng Kanyang buhay sa krus ng kalbaryo. Ang anyaya Niya ay: "Lumapit kayo sa akin, kayong lahat na napapagal at nabibigatan sa inyong pasanin, at kayo'y pagpapahingahin ko" (Mateo 11:28). Tulad ni David, kapag knocked down, huwag magpa-knockout. Bumangon at magsimula muli kay Jesus.
Panalangin: Panginoon, Inaamin ko po ang aking mga pagkakasala.
Patawarin Niyo po ako. Nais ko pong matuto sa aking mga pagkakamali sa tulong ng Inyong disiplina. Tinatanggap ko po ang Inyong kapatawaran.
Amen.
Ituktok buhay sa ngayon
By Bella Angeles Abangan
The greatest gift ...is the realization
that life doesn’t consist either of wallowing
in the past or of peering anxiously of the future
and it is appalling to think of the great number
of often painful steps by which one arrives at a
truth so old. so obvious and so frequently expressed.
It is good for one to appreciate that LIFE is NOW.
Whatever it offers, little or much, LIFE is NOW,
this DAY, THIS HOUR!”
Ang nasa talata sa itaas ay sinulat ni Charles Flandua. Ang mensahe sa itaas ay ito:
Hindi natin dapat na ubusin ang ating panahon sa pagtatago ng sama ng loob at galit dahil sa isang masakit na karanasan.
Hindi na natin maibabalik ang nakaraan sang-ayon sa ating kagustuhan. Ganyan ang buhay, hindi maaaring mangyari ang ating kagustuhan. May mga pangyayari na hindi na natin matanggap. Ngunit kailangang harapin at tanggapin.
Narito ang dalawang nurse na nakaduty sa gabing iyon. Sina Lolit at Tessa ay nakatapos nang lahat ng kanilang nga dapat gawin sa kanilang mga pasyente.
Si Lolit ay malungkot pa rin tulad ng dati. Alam ni Tessa na hindi malimot nito ang ginawa ng kanyang best friend at boyfriend. Inagaw sa kanya ni Margie ang boyfriend niyang si Ambet.
“Araw gabi ay ganyan ka, Lolit ay limutin mo na ang mga ginawa ng dalawang taksil na iyon. Anong malay mo kung may inihahanda ang Diyos para sa iyon na higit na uliran kaysa sa kanya!”
“Oo, Tessa, hindi ko malimot na best friend ko pa at nobyo ko ang nagtaksil na iyon. Anong malay mo kung may inihahanda ang Diyos para sa iyo na higit na uliran kaysa sa kanya!”
“Ibig mong malaman kung bakit? Nagpaliwanag sa akin si Margie bago umalis. Nagkuwentuhan daw sila minsan noon ni Ambet. Ipinagtapat ni Ambet na mabibigo ka sa pangarap mong mgakaroon ng mga anak. Hindi siya maaaring magkaanak sapagkat nagkasakit siya ng German measle noon. At si Margie ay isang freak...?”
“Hindi siya nagkaroon minsan man ng menstruation mula nang isilang siya. Alam niya iyon pagkat isang nurse din siya. Parang pinatambal sila ng Diyos na kailanman ay hindi sila magkaanak. Ikaw ay kuwento nang kwento kay Ambet tungkol sa mga gagawin mo kapag nagkaanak na kayo. Sabi ng boyfriend mo ay mahirap na mabigo ka ng isang lalaking baog...”
“Ganoon ba iyon? Bakit tinaon nila na bumagsak ako sa nursing board at si Margie ay nakapasa noong pagtaksilan nila ako? Nagtake-two pa ako bago ako nakapasa...”
“Nagkataon lamang iyon. Hindi nila sinasadya na gawin nilang doble ang trahedya...”
“Kaya?”
Pagkaraan ng isang linggo ay naging pang-umaga na ang magkaibigan sina Lolit at Tessa.
Naroon sila sa nurse station ng may maghanap kay Lolit na isang maginoong binata.
May iniabot na malaking sobre ang binata kay Lolit.
“Para sa Daddy iyang handaan. Gumaling na si Daddy at ikaw ang aming special guest...”
Ako ay isang magsasaka bago naging houseboy sa Maynila para makapag-aral. Kaya alam ko ang buhay ng isang magbubukid.
Noong panahon na iyon, hindi bumbili ang pamilya ko ng bigas. Kami ng tatay ko at ang kapatid na sumunod sa akin ay nakakapag-ani ng palay na sapat kainin hanggang sa susunod na ani.
Hindi kami gumagamit ng pataba at insecticide. Ang panlaban namin sa uod na kumakain ng lumalaking tanim na palay ay maraming klase ng ibon. Kasabay sa paghahasik ng palay ang maraming butil ng gulay tulad ng mungo at tapilan. May mais pa.
Dahan-dahang nagbago ang panahon. Una, nalason ang ating kapaligiran. Nawala ang mga ibon na kumakain ng uod na pumipinsala sa palay na lumalago.
Ikalawa, dahan-dahan din na lumiit ang mga sakahang lupa. Ang dating mga maliliit na bukirin ay bahay na ang nakatanim ngayon.
Hindi mahihinto ang pagliit ng sakahang lupa dahil masyadong mabilis dumami ang tao. Higit pa sa dalawang milyong bata ang ipinanganganak bawat taon. Magtatayo rin sila ng bahay na sana ay palay at iba pang halaman ang nakatanim.
Ang lupang hindi palay ang dating nakatanim ay mga bahayan na rin ngayon. Ang marami pang piraso ay hindi naman pinagkakakitaan.
Tulad sa barrio ko sa Lipa. Ang mga maliliit na piraso ng lupa ay halos kape lahat ang nakatanim. Dahil matandang variety na ito, at matanda na rin ang mga puno, maliit lang ang ani sa kape.
Lalo namang tinamad ang mga may tanim na kape dahil masyadong mura ang presyo. Hindi sila makalaban sa imported coffee.
Pero may solusyon din dapat ang gobyerno sa problemang ito. Ang pinakamabuti ay bagalan ang pagdami ng tao.
Samantala, dapat tumulong ang gobyerno sa pagtuturo sa mga maliliit na nagtatanim ng kape na palitan ito ng ibang halaman. Depende sa lugar, puwedeng ipalit ang durian.
O kaya ay mga gulay tulad ng ampalaya, pechay, papaya, munggo at marami pang iba.
Noong panahon ko, malimit kaming puntahan ng ama ko ng tinatawag na extension worker. Sila ang nagtuturo kung paano palalakihin ang ani sa bukid at paano makakaiwas sa sakit na nakakahawa.
Halimbawa, sinabi sa aming ng tatay ko -- bagaman alam na namin ito -- na ipunin ang dumi o manure ng kabayo o baka, kasama na rin ang pag-iipon ng ipot ng manok.
Mabisang pataba ito pag bulok na.
Wala na ngayon niyan. Ang dating mga health worker, extension worker, at city, provincial at municipal agriculturist ay namumulitika na rin. Bakit hindi e, mga mayor at gobernador ang nag-a-appoint sa kanila.
Hindi na tungkulin ang inaatupag. Malaking panahon ang winawaldas para sa pulitika ng mga gobernador at mayor.
Nangyari ito dahil nagkaroon tayo ng batas na nagbibigay ng kalayaan sa mga local government units sa maraming bagay tulad na nga ng paghahalaman at kalusugan. Dati ang amo nila ay secretary of health o secretary of agriculture. Ngayon, gobernador at mayor na.
Isipin nating mabuti. Sinabi na ni Agriculture Secretary Panganiban ng 500,000 ektarya na ang kinain ng housing, golf course at sementeryo.
Dumarami ang bibig na pinakakain. Lumiliit naman ang pinagkukunan ng pagkain.
Di matinding gutom ang aabutin ng mga apo at mga anak nila. Ang kawalan naman ng hanapbuhay ang isang dahilan kung bakit mabilis ang pagdami ng tao.
E, kung hindi nga naman pagod si lalaki dahil wala namang siyang trabaho, at ang asawa ay ganun din, at wala pang kuryente kaya hindi makapagpalipas oras sa TV, alam na ninyo ang gagawain ng mag-asawa.
Gabi-gabi sex. Taun-taon nanganganak si nanay. Paano ngayon pakakaininin, pag-aaralin at ipagagamot ay dumaraming batang iyan?
Knocked down pero di knockout
Sa laban ng boksing nina Manny Pacquiao at Erik Morales, dalawang beses na-knockdown ni Pacquiao si Morales. Dinesisyunan ng referee na ihinto ang laban, na ikinatalo ni Morales dahil technical knockout na siya. Pero iba ang laban sa ating buhay Kristiyano. Kahit ilang beses tayo ma-knockdown ng mga problema, di dapat tayo magpa-knockout.
Marami sa atin ang dumaranas ng mga problema. Marahil ay may malubhang sakit tayo, o problema tungkol sa pera, o nagdodroga ang anak.
Oo nga, knocked down tayo ng ating mga problema, pero dapat ba tayong magpa-knockout? Hindi! Ito ay dahil kakampi natin ang Diyos. Paano ba tayo babangon mula sa pagkakabuwal sa tindi ng ating mga pinagdaraanan?
Tingnan natin ang halimbawa sa buhay ni David. Sa 2 Samuel 11, na-knockdown si David mula nang masilayan niya si Batsheba, pero makikita nating hindi siya nagpa-knockout. Si David ay nagpaiwan sa Israel habang ang kanyang hukbo ay nakipaglaban sa mga Ammonita. Galing siya sa tulog nang pumanhik siya sa bubungan ng palasyo at natambad sa kanyang paningin ang isang magandang babaing naliligo. Ano ang pagkakasala ni David? Ginamit ng diyablo ang maraming panahong wala siyang ginagawa upang tuksuhin siya. At dahil hari siya ng Israel, hindi siya nasiyahang manilip lamang. Ginamit niya ang kapangyarihan niya upang ipakuha si Batsheba at sipingan niya. Hindi lang iyan. Iniutos pa niyang umurong ang hukbo at ipasubo si Urias, ang asawa ni Batsheba, sa mababangis na kaaway hanggang sa mapatay ito.
Alam ng diyablo ang ating kahinaan at kalakasan at kung saan tayo mahina, doon tayo titirahin. Tulad ng maraming lalaki, ang kahinaan ni David ay magandang babae. Hindi rin natin dapat gamitin ang ating posisyon o kapangyarihan upang makuha ang ating gusto, kahit pa ito ay kasalanan.
Anu-ano ang ginawa ni David para makabangon siya at hindi manatiling knocked down?
1. LUMAPIT SA DIYOS. Ang unang ginawa ni David ay ang lumapit sa Panginoon. Marami sa atin, kapag may problema, lumalayo tayo sa Panginoon. Akala natin galit Siya sa atin. Ito ay mali! Ang Diyos, mahal tayo. Ang ayaw Niya ay ang kasalanan natin. Lalo nating kailangan ang Diyos kapag tayo ay may problema. Ang panalangin ni David ay: "Ako'y kaawaan, O mahal kong Diyos, sang-ayon sa Iyong kagandahang-loob" (Awit 51:1). Sabi sa Hebreo 4:16, "Kaya't huwag na tayong mag-atubiling lumapit sa trono ng mahabaging Diyos at doo'y kakamtan natin ang habag at kalinga sa panahong kailangan natin ito."
2. AMININ ANG KASALANAN. Nagpakumbaba si David at sinabi, "Linisin mo sana ang aking karumihan at ipatawad mo yaring kasalanan" (Awit 51:2). Ito ang susi upang muli siyang makabangon nang ma-knockdown ng kasalanan. Sabi sa Santiago 4:6, "Ang Diyos ay laban sa mga palalo, ngunit tumutulong sa mga mapagpakumbaba."
3. TANGGAPIN ANG BUNGA NG KASALANAN. Ang Panginoon ay laging handang magpatawad ng ating mga kasalanan, pero hindi tayo maliligtas sa ibubunga ng kasalanan natin. Ano ang bunga ng kasalanan ni David? Sa 2 Samuel 12:13-14 ang sabi ay, "Sinabi ni David kay Natan, 'Tunay akong nagkasala kay Yahweh'. Sumagot si Natan, 'Kung gayo'y pinatatawad ka na Niya at hindi ka mamamatay. Gayunman, yamang nilapastangan mo si Yahweh, ang magiging anak mo ang mamamatay." Ang bunga ay iba sa kaparusahan; ito ay paraan ng Diyos upang tayo ay disiplinahin. Sabi sa Hebreo 12:5-6, "Anak, huwag kang magwalang-bahala kapag tinutuwid ka ng Panginoon...pinarurusahan ng Diyos ang mga iniibig Niya, at pinapalo ang itinuturing Niyang anak."
4. MATUTO SA MGA PAGKAKAMALI. Huwag tayong magalit sa Diyos kung nararanasan natin ang bunga ng ating kasalanan. Ang dapat ikabahala ay kung sa kabila ng kasalanan natin ay hindi tayo dinidisiplina ng ating Diyos Ama, baka iba ang ama natin. Naisulat ni David ang kabutihang dulot ng pagtanggap natin sa disiplina ng Diyos sa Awit 119:67,71, "Ang sariling dati-rati'y namumuhay nang baluktot, nang ako ay parusahan, salita Mo ang sinunod; Sa akin ay nakabuti ang parusang iyong dulot, pagkat naunawang mahalaga ang 'yong utos."
5. TANGGAPIN ANG KAPATAWARAN NG DIYOS. Kahit ano pang kasalanan ang ihingi mo ng tawad sa Panginoon ay mapapatawad Niya. Si Jesus na ang nagbayad ng kaparusahan ng ating kasalanan sa pag-alay ng Kanyang buhay sa krus ng kalbaryo. Ang anyaya Niya ay: "Lumapit kayo sa akin, kayong lahat na napapagal at nabibigatan sa inyong pasanin, at kayo'y pagpapahingahin ko" (Mateo 11:28). Tulad ni David, kapag knocked down, huwag magpa-knockout. Bumangon at magsimula muli kay Jesus.
Panalangin: Panginoon, Inaamin ko po ang aking mga pagkakasala.
Patawarin Niyo po ako. Nais ko pong matuto sa aking mga pagkakamali sa tulong ng Inyong disiplina. Tinatanggap ko po ang Inyong kapatawaran.
Amen.
Ituktok buhay sa ngayon
By Bella Angeles Abangan
The greatest gift ...is the realization
that life doesn’t consist either of wallowing
in the past or of peering anxiously of the future
and it is appalling to think of the great number
of often painful steps by which one arrives at a
truth so old. so obvious and so frequently expressed.
It is good for one to appreciate that LIFE is NOW.
Whatever it offers, little or much, LIFE is NOW,
this DAY, THIS HOUR!”
Ang nasa talata sa itaas ay sinulat ni Charles Flandua. Ang mensahe sa itaas ay ito:
Hindi natin dapat na ubusin ang ating panahon sa pagtatago ng sama ng loob at galit dahil sa isang masakit na karanasan.
Hindi na natin maibabalik ang nakaraan sang-ayon sa ating kagustuhan. Ganyan ang buhay, hindi maaaring mangyari ang ating kagustuhan. May mga pangyayari na hindi na natin matanggap. Ngunit kailangang harapin at tanggapin.
Narito ang dalawang nurse na nakaduty sa gabing iyon. Sina Lolit at Tessa ay nakatapos nang lahat ng kanilang nga dapat gawin sa kanilang mga pasyente.
Si Lolit ay malungkot pa rin tulad ng dati. Alam ni Tessa na hindi malimot nito ang ginawa ng kanyang best friend at boyfriend. Inagaw sa kanya ni Margie ang boyfriend niyang si Ambet.
“Araw gabi ay ganyan ka, Lolit ay limutin mo na ang mga ginawa ng dalawang taksil na iyon. Anong malay mo kung may inihahanda ang Diyos para sa iyon na higit na uliran kaysa sa kanya!”
“Oo, Tessa, hindi ko malimot na best friend ko pa at nobyo ko ang nagtaksil na iyon. Anong malay mo kung may inihahanda ang Diyos para sa iyo na higit na uliran kaysa sa kanya!”
“Ibig mong malaman kung bakit? Nagpaliwanag sa akin si Margie bago umalis. Nagkuwentuhan daw sila minsan noon ni Ambet. Ipinagtapat ni Ambet na mabibigo ka sa pangarap mong mgakaroon ng mga anak. Hindi siya maaaring magkaanak sapagkat nagkasakit siya ng German measle noon. At si Margie ay isang freak...?”
“Hindi siya nagkaroon minsan man ng menstruation mula nang isilang siya. Alam niya iyon pagkat isang nurse din siya. Parang pinatambal sila ng Diyos na kailanman ay hindi sila magkaanak. Ikaw ay kuwento nang kwento kay Ambet tungkol sa mga gagawin mo kapag nagkaanak na kayo. Sabi ng boyfriend mo ay mahirap na mabigo ka ng isang lalaking baog...”
“Ganoon ba iyon? Bakit tinaon nila na bumagsak ako sa nursing board at si Margie ay nakapasa noong pagtaksilan nila ako? Nagtake-two pa ako bago ako nakapasa...”
“Nagkataon lamang iyon. Hindi nila sinasadya na gawin nilang doble ang trahedya...”
“Kaya?”
Pagkaraan ng isang linggo ay naging pang-umaga na ang magkaibigan sina Lolit at Tessa.
Naroon sila sa nurse station ng may maghanap kay Lolit na isang maginoong binata.
May iniabot na malaking sobre ang binata kay Lolit.
“Para sa Daddy iyang handaan. Gumaling na si Daddy at ikaw ang aming special guest...”
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Kasiyahan sa Buhay
Hindi maikakaila na ang karamihan sa atin dito sa Pilipinas ay mga dukha. Maliit lang na bilang ang masasabi nating namumuhay nang masagana o mayaman. Sa pagitan ng dalawang ito ay ang mga taong katamtaman ang estado -- hindi mayaman pero hindi rin mahirap. Ang kita nila ay tamang-tama lang sa pang-araw-araw nilang pangangailangan.
Maaring kumbinsido tayong mahirap ang kalagayan ng mga dukha at masarap ang pamumuhay ng mga mayaman. At madalas, ang isa sa mga pangarap at ambisyon natin ay ang yumaman dahil masaya at masarap ang antas ng pamumuhay na ito. Pero hindi rin kaila na maraming mayayaman ang hindi masaya. May mga tumatalon sa gusali o nagbabaril sa sarili dahil sa sobrang kalungkutan. Marami rin sa mga mayayamang pamilya ang watak-watak dahil sa paghihiwalay ng mga magulang.
Hindi masama ang yumaman at hindi rin masama ang magpakasaya sa buhay. Hangad ng Diyos na sumaya tayo at mamuhay nang masagana. Ngunit paano natin ito mararanasan sa gitna ng kahirapan at kagipitan? Nakasaad sa Mangangaral 2:24: "Ang mabuti pa sa tao’y kumain at uminom, at pagsasaan ang kanyang pinagpaguran. Alam kong ang lahat ng ito ay kaloob ng Diyos."
Marami ang nag-aakalang magiging masaya na sila kapag nakatikim na sila ng kasaganaan sa buhay. Sa mga estudyante, maaring sasabihin nila na magiging masaya lamang sila kapag tapos na sila sa pag-aaral. Para naman sa iba, ang maaprubahan ang visa papuntang U.S. ay katumbas ng pagtama sa jackpot.
Ang sinasabi sa aklat ng Mangangaral, "pagsasaan mo ang iyong pinagpaguran." Ang kaligayahan sa buhay ay nasa ginagawa natin sa araw-araw na gawain. Ang kaligayahan sa buhay ay hindi ‘yung resulta na nasa dulo ng trabaho natin. Ang kaligayahan ay wala sa dulo ng landas kundi nasa tabing-daan na araw-araw natin binabaybay sa kasalukyang pamumuhay.
Halimbawa: ang pagiging estudyante. Mahirap ang maging estudyante dahil marami ang mga kailangan sa paaralan. Masasabi ng isang estudyante na magiging masaya lamang siya kung makapagtapos. Ngunit kung tatanungin mo ang mga nakapagtapos, sasabihin nila na magiging masaya lamang sila kung makapagtatrabaho sila, at ang mga nagtatrabaho naman ay magiging masaya lamang kung tataas ang sahod, at ang matataas ang sahod ay magiging masaya lamang kung mapo-promote. Walang katapusan.
Balik tayo sa pagiging estudyante. Kumbinsido tayong lahat na masarap din ang maging estudyante. May mga alaala tayong hindi natin makalimutan noong nag-aaral pa tayo. Mayroon ding mga kasiyahan sa buhay na nakakatuwa, at ito ay eksklusibo para sa mga estudyante lamang. Ito ang mga pagkakataon na tinutukoy ng aklat ng Mangangaral. Kahit mahirap ang maging estudyante, kailangan pagsasaan mo ang masasarap at masasayang bahagi ng pagiging estudyante. Ang kasiyahan ay wala sa matataas na grado sa eskuwelahan. Ito ay nasa nakapagpapasiglang makabagong mga kaalaman na natututunan, at mga kaibigan na makakapiling mo lang sa mga taon na nag-aaral ka.
Pagmasdang mabuti ang kasalukuyan mong pang-araw-araw na gawain. Dapat maging masaya tayo sa trabaho, dahil may mas kapus-palad pa sa atin na ang tanging minimithi sa buhay ay ang makamtan ang mga bagay na mayroon na tayo ngayon.
Sana’y maipagdiwang natin ang kasiyahang hatid ng Panginoong Diyos.
Maaring kumbinsido tayong mahirap ang kalagayan ng mga dukha at masarap ang pamumuhay ng mga mayaman. At madalas, ang isa sa mga pangarap at ambisyon natin ay ang yumaman dahil masaya at masarap ang antas ng pamumuhay na ito. Pero hindi rin kaila na maraming mayayaman ang hindi masaya. May mga tumatalon sa gusali o nagbabaril sa sarili dahil sa sobrang kalungkutan. Marami rin sa mga mayayamang pamilya ang watak-watak dahil sa paghihiwalay ng mga magulang.
Hindi masama ang yumaman at hindi rin masama ang magpakasaya sa buhay. Hangad ng Diyos na sumaya tayo at mamuhay nang masagana. Ngunit paano natin ito mararanasan sa gitna ng kahirapan at kagipitan? Nakasaad sa Mangangaral 2:24: "Ang mabuti pa sa tao’y kumain at uminom, at pagsasaan ang kanyang pinagpaguran. Alam kong ang lahat ng ito ay kaloob ng Diyos."
Marami ang nag-aakalang magiging masaya na sila kapag nakatikim na sila ng kasaganaan sa buhay. Sa mga estudyante, maaring sasabihin nila na magiging masaya lamang sila kapag tapos na sila sa pag-aaral. Para naman sa iba, ang maaprubahan ang visa papuntang U.S. ay katumbas ng pagtama sa jackpot.
Ang sinasabi sa aklat ng Mangangaral, "pagsasaan mo ang iyong pinagpaguran." Ang kaligayahan sa buhay ay nasa ginagawa natin sa araw-araw na gawain. Ang kaligayahan sa buhay ay hindi ‘yung resulta na nasa dulo ng trabaho natin. Ang kaligayahan ay wala sa dulo ng landas kundi nasa tabing-daan na araw-araw natin binabaybay sa kasalukyang pamumuhay.
Halimbawa: ang pagiging estudyante. Mahirap ang maging estudyante dahil marami ang mga kailangan sa paaralan. Masasabi ng isang estudyante na magiging masaya lamang siya kung makapagtapos. Ngunit kung tatanungin mo ang mga nakapagtapos, sasabihin nila na magiging masaya lamang sila kung makapagtatrabaho sila, at ang mga nagtatrabaho naman ay magiging masaya lamang kung tataas ang sahod, at ang matataas ang sahod ay magiging masaya lamang kung mapo-promote. Walang katapusan.
Balik tayo sa pagiging estudyante. Kumbinsido tayong lahat na masarap din ang maging estudyante. May mga alaala tayong hindi natin makalimutan noong nag-aaral pa tayo. Mayroon ding mga kasiyahan sa buhay na nakakatuwa, at ito ay eksklusibo para sa mga estudyante lamang. Ito ang mga pagkakataon na tinutukoy ng aklat ng Mangangaral. Kahit mahirap ang maging estudyante, kailangan pagsasaan mo ang masasarap at masasayang bahagi ng pagiging estudyante. Ang kasiyahan ay wala sa matataas na grado sa eskuwelahan. Ito ay nasa nakapagpapasiglang makabagong mga kaalaman na natututunan, at mga kaibigan na makakapiling mo lang sa mga taon na nag-aaral ka.
Pagmasdang mabuti ang kasalukuyan mong pang-araw-araw na gawain. Dapat maging masaya tayo sa trabaho, dahil may mas kapus-palad pa sa atin na ang tanging minimithi sa buhay ay ang makamtan ang mga bagay na mayroon na tayo ngayon.
Sana’y maipagdiwang natin ang kasiyahang hatid ng Panginoong Diyos.
Monday, March 13, 2006
TIPS FOR JOB HUNTERS
The Striking Interview
by Maissa Virtusio
Getting scared of job interviews? Don't be. A job interview is simply a screening process wherein the company learns more about you and vice-versa. During this 20 or 30 minutes, the employer makes significant decisions about your capabilities and personality (Neile, 1991).
Winning First Impressions
Caren Neile (1991) continues to say that when you can't do anything about your experiences and skills, what's more important are these eight factors that can make first impressions last:
alertness, articulateness, compatibility, enthusiasm, maturity, motivation, personality, preparation
Dressing for Success
Remember that male interviewers take in your whole look without focusing on details. Females, on the other hand, are more likely to notice the little telltale signs that would indicate your being a pro or not, like a loose hemline.
Fashion expert Pamela Redmond Satran (in Dressing Smart: The Thinking Woman's Guide to Style) mentions eight no-no's for interview clothes, namely:
Anything not spotlessly clean
Anything brand new that you don't yet know how you walk in, sit in, or "perspire" in
Anything sexy—sends the WRONG message
Pants for a woman
Anything too casual
Bow-ties- whether you're a male or female
Colors that make a statement. Black, for example, gives an impression of gloom, while pinks seem frivolous.
Noticeable shoes.
Commonly, try to dress as you would on the job.
Other Ways to Make an Impression
Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm. Isn't' it logical to think that an enthusiastic, energetic applicant would make a good employee?
"Body language speaks volumes."
Walk in and shake hands warmly
Take the nearest seat to the interviewer
Avoid habits that manifest nervousness like scratching, biting or picking at your nails or fidgeting with hair or cloth
Be polite but don't be timid either. "Unless it's your true personality, there's no reason to speak softly or sit with your hands folded in your lap and your legs crossed at the ankles".
In sitting down, sit upright and back in the chair; don't slouch
"A warm smile is a powerful weapon in communicating and winning
attention" (Samuel Roll)
In speaking, establish eye contact with the interviewer; don't look down or mumble OR the interviewer might think that you are hiding something , you don't' know what you are talking about, you are insecure and nervous, or you don't know what you are talking about…Do not stare either.
Caren Neile's Top 35 Interview Questions
1.) .What do you know about our company?
2.) .Why did you decide to interview with our company?
3.) .Tell me about yourself.
4.) .What personal qualities do you possess which might distinguish you
from other applicants?
5.) .Why did you/ did you not attend college?
6.) .If you did, how did you choose that school or field of study?
7.) .What were some of the most important parts of your education?
8.) .What courses in school/college did you like best? Least? Why?
9.) .What type of work interests you?
10.) .What are your favorite working conditions?
11.) .What jobs have you held?
12.) .What factors are most important to your success?
13.) .What is most important to you: job security, satisfaction, work hours, salary, working conditions?
14.) .What have been some of your most important work responsibilities?
15.) .What have you liked best and least about your jobs?
16.) .Do you have a preference as to the part of the country/'province" you work in?
17.) .Where do you see yourself in five/10 years?
18.) .How do you schedule your time?
19.) .What are your hobbies?
20.) .What are your strengths and weakness?
21.) .What was your most difficult decision in the last six months, and why?
22.) .How do you deal with pressure?
23.) .Do you prefer working alone, one on one, or with a group?
24.) .What extracurricular activities did you participate in?
25.) .How have these activities prepared you for work and life?
26.) .What can you bring to this company?
27.) .How are your people skills?
28.) .Are you married (and other personal questions)?
29.) .Have your skills improved over the last few years?
30.) .What do you think are your employer's obligations to you?
31.) .Are you applying for any other jobs?
32.) .What type of salary did you have in mind?
33.) .Why did you leave your last job?
34.) .Have you ever been fired or laid off?
35.) .Silence
And a Few Answers
Above all, be upbeat, concise and to the point. Being prepared for the interview is good, but don't sound as if you have memorized your answers. If asked to crow about yourself, try to temper your bragging with a little old-fashioned humility.
Here again is Neil Caren and her pointers for some of the trickier questions:
#3 The situation does not call you to reminisce about your childhood memories. What is being looked at is your organization of thought, poise, perspective and skills. Hence, this is a question to plan beforehand.
#15 An employer can find out what type of worker you are by your answer. Be specific about the type of work and the atmosphere. Better have an idea about how your past job- likes and -dislikes fare with what you'll find at the job you're applying for.
#17 Goals are important, but you want them to reflect the realities of the company. This questioned is asked to find out if you've thought about your future.
#19 Hobbies do count. Interviewers want to be sure you're well-rounded. And don't ever lie because you'll never know when your golf or tennis skills will be tested during the company tournament. Do tell about your talents you'll need in the job.
# 20 Be careful about laying down strengths and weaknesses. Be specific about your strengths (as opposed to saying "I like people", why not say " I seem to have a knack for people skills. Last year I was assigned to be the company's resource coordinator because they say so many people
recommended me as a good person to talk to".
For weaknesses, don't joke, don't be flip but do answer. The tip is to turn a plus for the job you want into a so-called weakness. Like if you're looking for a public relations position, you can say " I don't like being alone. I like to be surrounded by people".
#28 Try to anticipate the question behind the question. An interviewer asking about your husband's job may want to know if he's going to be transferred soon. Those who ask if you have young children may be concerned about you working long hours or your being able to
concentrate. You can then answer the actual question and then the underlying one.
#31 A fair question, since you are not expected to apply for just one job at a time. Show you are a good, careful job-hunter.
#33 Be kind. Never badmouth a former employer even if you were fired. Most of all, be honest because these things can readily be checked.
#35 This is to see if you have poise and confidence. Don't babble. Don' t feel the need to fill in the silence. Just sit quietly and smile.
Finally, if you have not prepared for a question, be honest. You can say: "That's a good question. Could you give me a minute to think about that?" And then do think. I f nothing comes up, simply be as brief as possible. "You don't get extra points for answering all questions, but you do get points for trying!"
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Reference:
Neile, Caren (1991). How to Get A new Job and earn What You're Really Worth.
Florida: Globe Communications Corp.
Cover Letters: Adding the Professional Touch
by Maissa Virtusio
A cover letter. What is it ? Sometimes, we call it an application letter. In your job search, a cover letter introduces your resume (Neile,1991). Is it needed? Well, in "Resumes for Hard Times" Bob Weinstein remarks that "you can get away without one" but enclosing a cover letter is adding the right professional touch. In today's competitive world, professionalism can indeed make a difference.
In this regard, I highly recommend Caren Neile's Tips for Winsome Cover Letters which are as follows:
Custom-fit your cover letter to the specific job or company with your background in mind.
Open with a convincing lead. Make the employer's day by writing opening lines that stand out - but don't overdo it.
Manifest your skill in research. If you are replying to an ad, why not use some of the words or phrases the company has mentioned?—like "industrious", "hardworking". Make sure you have researched about the company, its needs, the needed job responsibilities, and how your skills
and experience will make a good match to it.
Hit the mark by targeting the letter to the right person. Don't risk ignoring or insulting a female employer by writing "Dear Sir" or "Gentlemen". "Dear Sir or Madam" will do if you can't get any name. Remember, you should get the information right : the address, the spelling of the person's name, the company name, the job title you're applying for and that of the person you're writing to.
Be brief and concise. Let your resume speak more for you.
Proofread and ask somebody to check for typographical errors.
Your cover letter as well as your resume should have the same type paper and envelope. No flower-designed stationeries, please. Standard, matching paper presents a professional look.
By all means, type (don't hand-write) the letter and use correct business-letter form.
Type an original cover letter or application letter for each resume you send. It may take a good part of your time but it's worth it.
Don't be too personal, intimate, or sweet. Polite and professional is the secret.
Use blue or black ink in signing your name and leave out the loops and squiggles.
As you end your letter, leave one space after your typed name and type "Enc." at the left margin to notify that you have attached an enclosure, i.e., your resume together with the letter.
So, here's A Sample Cover Letter (Courtesy of How to Get a New Job and Earn what You're Really Worth)
Your Address
City, State, Zip
Telephone Number
Date
Name Of Employer or Personnel (HR) Manager
Title of Employer or Personnel (HR) Manager
Name of Organization
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Name of Employer or HR Manager:
Paragraph One: Introduce the purpose for mailing your resume (like you want to apply for the position the company has advertised). State the source used—such as a classified ad, recruiter, friend, and of course, a web site like trabaho.com. If you want to drop someone's name, check
first if it's okay and research about the person's credibility and reputation in the company.
Paragraph Two: Describe yourself briefly with regards to your current job, education, willingness to relocate, etc.
Paragraph Three: Expound a little bit more about your contribution to your field, as far as experience, enthusiasm, education, or expertise.
Paragraph Four: Politely request a date for an interview. If there's a need for you to travel, recommend a time span during which you'll be able to do so. Reiterate your interest in the company.
Sincerely OR Very truly yours,
Your Signature
Your Typed Name
Well, what are you waiting for? Sulat na!
The Go-Getter Resume
by Maissa Virtusio
RESUME … also known as curriculum vitae or vita, or c.v. - Latin for "the course of one’s life" (as it applies to your performance as a worker).
So, why the fuss about writing a resume in job-hunting? Well, as Caren Neile puts it in her work "How to Get a New Job and Earn What You’re Really Worth", it is for the reason that a resume takes on your shoes when you should have been the one being asked inside the premises of a
company instead. And in sending the resume as your representative, you only want the best, right?
Remember that a good resume CASTS a good background about you.
Here are some helpful tips:
Be C- CONCISE
Be brief and concise. Unless you are the President of the Philippines, one or two pages will be fine. Economize on words. For example, " I worked as a full-time administrator and then later as part-time consultant" may be cut into : "F/T Administrator (1990-92); P/T Consultant (1993-1995) Use punctuation instead of "and" and "then" Keep sentences short and direct
Be A- APT
State only relevant or appropriate information. You don’t have to describe what a particular machine (you have operated) does, for example, if in the industry you are applying at, everyone knows what that machine is all about.
S- SYNTHESIZE
Synthesize or harmonize the parts of your resume by organizing them.
The parts of your resume may consist of the following information:
1.IDENTIFICATION DATA : Name, Address, Telephone Number.
2.CAREER OBJECTIVE: State the position or job level, function and industry you are interested in. But if you are sending only one resume for a wide variety of jobs, you may not include this part.
3.WORK EXPERIENCE: Job titles, names of employers and locations, inclusive dates, job functions, accomplishments.
4.EDUCATION: School, location, degree, major, date of graduation, honors and grade point average (if commendable), special project or course that speaks of a certain ability or knowledge. 5.EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Organizations, clubs, associations, activities and positions that say about pertinent skills or responsibilities.
6.SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES: Special skills like knowledge of sophisticated machines, or computers, foreign languages, etc. But only if you really have special skills to speak of.
7.PERSONAL INTERESTS: Community activities, hobbies, travel
8.REFERENCES: If you have space, you may include this, but it is not necessary. "References available on request" placed at the bottom of resumes, are expressions of courtesy.
Write the T- TEXT with these tips in mind:
Never use the pronoun "I" . Just say: "Prepared reports", "Supervised five staff", etc.
Never use high-falutting, exaggerated statements like "the greatest in the world"
Use the language of the field or trade lingo. You may look up trade journals for the right terms.
Use action verbs which imply that you are a "doer" , such as:
Achieved, administered, analyzed, assembled, budgeted, checked, conducted, coordinated, designed, directed, expedited, generated, handled, increased, installed, interpreted, interviewed, invented, led, modeled, operated, organized, performed, prepared, tested, trained, utilized
Use strong self-descriptive words that indicate what a good worker you’ll be, such as:
Adaptable, aggressive, alert, creative, dependable, diplomatic, enthusiastic, forceful, mature, organized, personable, positive, reliable, self-reliant, systematic
Of course, check your grammar. This can unmake your resume.
Write in S- Style
Resumes may be written in one or in combination of these three styles : chronological, functional, targeted (depending on what you want to emphasize).
Chronological
The easiest and the most popular, use this if you have a good working history that is directly related to the job you are applying for. Start with your most recent experience and work backwards.
Functional
Use this if you have had a variety of jobs not directly related to the job you are applying for. Stress the important functions, duties and responsibilities you had. Write a heading by type of functions performed and list under it any accomplishments related to it. Present the headings in order of their importance according to the job you are applying for, not based on the date you performed past jobs.
Targeted
You may use this if you are a fresh graduate or a first-time employee because here, you emphasize what you can do even if you haven’t proven yourself yet in a work setting. State four or five sentences that indicate what you are capable of and what you’ve done to demonstrate it. Write also a job objective to stress the skills you have to offer.
Combination of Styles
This is most useful if you are a professional with proven track records. You can begin with a career summary, followed by a description of skills, a chronological history, and the education at the bottom.
Final Reminders
Double check for typographical errors Use a good typewriter or a computer printer
Print the resume on short sized bond paper in black ink. Don’t overdo it in colored stationeries , or expensive typeset, etc. If your education is not something you are too proud of, "bury it at
the bottom" Honesty (in the information you wrote ) is still the best policy.
PHILIPPINE HR UPDATE (June 2, 1997)
Questions Applicants Ask During Interviews
by Maissa Virtusio
Now it’s the applicant’s turn to ask questions during interviews. Caren Neil proceeds to say that "It’s a very good policy to ask a few questions at a job interview, not only for the obvious reason that there are things you need to know in order to make your decision, but also because it sends the message that you’re a thorough, thoughtful individual".
What then are these questions that you may want to ask? The following are Caren Neil’s additions to your own list.
1.What are your company’s plans for future growth?
2.Tell me about the community in which I would be employed.
3.What qualities are most important to success on the job?
4.What are the opportunities for advancement? What’s the typical career track?
5.What might I expect to be doing in the next six months or so?
6.Describe the work environment.
7.Does your company encourage and support continuing education for its employees?
Some questions though are better off not asked:
What does your company do? -- Shows you haven’t come prepared.
Is this a union shop? --It’s something you should know, but it’s threatening to an employer.
How much job security do you offer? -- This makes you appear like you care more about what the company can do for you than what you can do for it. Will I have to work much overtime? -- A good question, but don’t sound like you don’t want to put in the extra effort—that’s a
decision to be made by you privately. You would have a better shot if it will be rephrased into something like: "What kind of job pressure can I expect?"
What happened to the person who had this job before me? -- So as not to put the person on the spot, try re-phrasing this. Maybe you can ask why this job is available. The reason might be that it’s a new position , which is beneficial for you to know.
What kind of office politics do you have? This is better asked as:
What qualities make for a successful employee?
Final Interview Tips
When preparing for the interview, you must equip yourself with one of the most important facts and that is, what you’re worth. In order to find out how much to ask, you can observe through the many interviews you’ve undergone and see what you’re offered; ask job placement professionals; scan the classifieds; call other personnel departments; read salary surveys at job agencies; and talk to people in your field. Robert Snelling has a good book on the subject, "Jobs!
What They Are…Where They Are…What They Pay!". Well, it’s good to stand out but it’s not tasteful to be too wacky like taking a picture of the astonished interviewer, or challenging the
interviewer to a game of poker. The best policy is still good old-fashioned etiquette. Be there a few minutes early so that you can have ample time to fill out the application. Be friendly. Moderation is the name of the game; don’t be too talkative but don’t be tight-lipped either. Be certain that you have the name of the interviewer straight, and use it once or twice.
Even if you have sent in a resume before, bring a few more. Samples of your work and copies of what you’ve written are likewise advantageous.
Fill out the application as carefully and completely as you can. "Make as many allies as you can". Show courtesy and respect to the secretary or receptionist who ushers you in. Sincerely and in a low key manner try to look for common ground with the interviewer. The "me-too" effect, psychologists say, is very beneficial in establishing a bond. Thank the interviewer when you are finished and always, follow up with a letter. A few interviews will be followed by a written skills or aptitude test. It may be advisable to do a little review ahead of time on your math, grammar or special job-related skills depending on the job. It’s always good to be armed with a sharpened pencil, eraser and pen even if probably you’ll be provided with one. It’s nice to break the ice, but withdraw from too much humor, lest you come off as too flippant. Be prepared for computer interviews. Many businesses are screening job applicants by computer! Just be honest with your answers. When you are with a human interviewer, don’t forget that they are only human. At times, you wont’ be able to just wow them either because they had an earlier fight with their spouse or they have a terrible headache.
Remember, too that the interviewer’s job is not that easy because finding the right candidate may likely make her or him nervous. Try then to put both of you at ease.
by Maissa Virtusio
Getting scared of job interviews? Don't be. A job interview is simply a screening process wherein the company learns more about you and vice-versa. During this 20 or 30 minutes, the employer makes significant decisions about your capabilities and personality (Neile, 1991).
Winning First Impressions
Caren Neile (1991) continues to say that when you can't do anything about your experiences and skills, what's more important are these eight factors that can make first impressions last:
alertness, articulateness, compatibility, enthusiasm, maturity, motivation, personality, preparation
Dressing for Success
Remember that male interviewers take in your whole look without focusing on details. Females, on the other hand, are more likely to notice the little telltale signs that would indicate your being a pro or not, like a loose hemline.
Fashion expert Pamela Redmond Satran (in Dressing Smart: The Thinking Woman's Guide to Style) mentions eight no-no's for interview clothes, namely:
Anything not spotlessly clean
Anything brand new that you don't yet know how you walk in, sit in, or "perspire" in
Anything sexy—sends the WRONG message
Pants for a woman
Anything too casual
Bow-ties- whether you're a male or female
Colors that make a statement. Black, for example, gives an impression of gloom, while pinks seem frivolous.
Noticeable shoes.
Commonly, try to dress as you would on the job.
Other Ways to Make an Impression
Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm. Isn't' it logical to think that an enthusiastic, energetic applicant would make a good employee?
"Body language speaks volumes."
Walk in and shake hands warmly
Take the nearest seat to the interviewer
Avoid habits that manifest nervousness like scratching, biting or picking at your nails or fidgeting with hair or cloth
Be polite but don't be timid either. "Unless it's your true personality, there's no reason to speak softly or sit with your hands folded in your lap and your legs crossed at the ankles".
In sitting down, sit upright and back in the chair; don't slouch
"A warm smile is a powerful weapon in communicating and winning
attention" (Samuel Roll)
In speaking, establish eye contact with the interviewer; don't look down or mumble OR the interviewer might think that you are hiding something , you don't' know what you are talking about, you are insecure and nervous, or you don't know what you are talking about…Do not stare either.
Caren Neile's Top 35 Interview Questions
1.) .What do you know about our company?
2.) .Why did you decide to interview with our company?
3.) .Tell me about yourself.
4.) .What personal qualities do you possess which might distinguish you
from other applicants?
5.) .Why did you/ did you not attend college?
6.) .If you did, how did you choose that school or field of study?
7.) .What were some of the most important parts of your education?
8.) .What courses in school/college did you like best? Least? Why?
9.) .What type of work interests you?
10.) .What are your favorite working conditions?
11.) .What jobs have you held?
12.) .What factors are most important to your success?
13.) .What is most important to you: job security, satisfaction, work hours, salary, working conditions?
14.) .What have been some of your most important work responsibilities?
15.) .What have you liked best and least about your jobs?
16.) .Do you have a preference as to the part of the country/'province" you work in?
17.) .Where do you see yourself in five/10 years?
18.) .How do you schedule your time?
19.) .What are your hobbies?
20.) .What are your strengths and weakness?
21.) .What was your most difficult decision in the last six months, and why?
22.) .How do you deal with pressure?
23.) .Do you prefer working alone, one on one, or with a group?
24.) .What extracurricular activities did you participate in?
25.) .How have these activities prepared you for work and life?
26.) .What can you bring to this company?
27.) .How are your people skills?
28.) .Are you married (and other personal questions)?
29.) .Have your skills improved over the last few years?
30.) .What do you think are your employer's obligations to you?
31.) .Are you applying for any other jobs?
32.) .What type of salary did you have in mind?
33.) .Why did you leave your last job?
34.) .Have you ever been fired or laid off?
35.) .Silence
And a Few Answers
Above all, be upbeat, concise and to the point. Being prepared for the interview is good, but don't sound as if you have memorized your answers. If asked to crow about yourself, try to temper your bragging with a little old-fashioned humility.
Here again is Neil Caren and her pointers for some of the trickier questions:
#3 The situation does not call you to reminisce about your childhood memories. What is being looked at is your organization of thought, poise, perspective and skills. Hence, this is a question to plan beforehand.
#15 An employer can find out what type of worker you are by your answer. Be specific about the type of work and the atmosphere. Better have an idea about how your past job- likes and -dislikes fare with what you'll find at the job you're applying for.
#17 Goals are important, but you want them to reflect the realities of the company. This questioned is asked to find out if you've thought about your future.
#19 Hobbies do count. Interviewers want to be sure you're well-rounded. And don't ever lie because you'll never know when your golf or tennis skills will be tested during the company tournament. Do tell about your talents you'll need in the job.
# 20 Be careful about laying down strengths and weaknesses. Be specific about your strengths (as opposed to saying "I like people", why not say " I seem to have a knack for people skills. Last year I was assigned to be the company's resource coordinator because they say so many people
recommended me as a good person to talk to".
For weaknesses, don't joke, don't be flip but do answer. The tip is to turn a plus for the job you want into a so-called weakness. Like if you're looking for a public relations position, you can say " I don't like being alone. I like to be surrounded by people".
#28 Try to anticipate the question behind the question. An interviewer asking about your husband's job may want to know if he's going to be transferred soon. Those who ask if you have young children may be concerned about you working long hours or your being able to
concentrate. You can then answer the actual question and then the underlying one.
#31 A fair question, since you are not expected to apply for just one job at a time. Show you are a good, careful job-hunter.
#33 Be kind. Never badmouth a former employer even if you were fired. Most of all, be honest because these things can readily be checked.
#35 This is to see if you have poise and confidence. Don't babble. Don' t feel the need to fill in the silence. Just sit quietly and smile.
Finally, if you have not prepared for a question, be honest. You can say: "That's a good question. Could you give me a minute to think about that?" And then do think. I f nothing comes up, simply be as brief as possible. "You don't get extra points for answering all questions, but you do get points for trying!"
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Reference:
Neile, Caren (1991). How to Get A new Job and earn What You're Really Worth.
Florida: Globe Communications Corp.
Cover Letters: Adding the Professional Touch
by Maissa Virtusio
A cover letter. What is it ? Sometimes, we call it an application letter. In your job search, a cover letter introduces your resume (Neile,1991). Is it needed? Well, in "Resumes for Hard Times" Bob Weinstein remarks that "you can get away without one" but enclosing a cover letter is adding the right professional touch. In today's competitive world, professionalism can indeed make a difference.
In this regard, I highly recommend Caren Neile's Tips for Winsome Cover Letters which are as follows:
Custom-fit your cover letter to the specific job or company with your background in mind.
Open with a convincing lead. Make the employer's day by writing opening lines that stand out - but don't overdo it.
Manifest your skill in research. If you are replying to an ad, why not use some of the words or phrases the company has mentioned?—like "industrious", "hardworking". Make sure you have researched about the company, its needs, the needed job responsibilities, and how your skills
and experience will make a good match to it.
Hit the mark by targeting the letter to the right person. Don't risk ignoring or insulting a female employer by writing "Dear Sir" or "Gentlemen". "Dear Sir or Madam" will do if you can't get any name. Remember, you should get the information right : the address, the spelling of the person's name, the company name, the job title you're applying for and that of the person you're writing to.
Be brief and concise. Let your resume speak more for you.
Proofread and ask somebody to check for typographical errors.
Your cover letter as well as your resume should have the same type paper and envelope. No flower-designed stationeries, please. Standard, matching paper presents a professional look.
By all means, type (don't hand-write) the letter and use correct business-letter form.
Type an original cover letter or application letter for each resume you send. It may take a good part of your time but it's worth it.
Don't be too personal, intimate, or sweet. Polite and professional is the secret.
Use blue or black ink in signing your name and leave out the loops and squiggles.
As you end your letter, leave one space after your typed name and type "Enc." at the left margin to notify that you have attached an enclosure, i.e., your resume together with the letter.
So, here's A Sample Cover Letter (Courtesy of How to Get a New Job and Earn what You're Really Worth)
Your Address
City, State, Zip
Telephone Number
Date
Name Of Employer or Personnel (HR) Manager
Title of Employer or Personnel (HR) Manager
Name of Organization
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Dear Name of Employer or HR Manager:
Paragraph One: Introduce the purpose for mailing your resume (like you want to apply for the position the company has advertised). State the source used—such as a classified ad, recruiter, friend, and of course, a web site like trabaho.com. If you want to drop someone's name, check
first if it's okay and research about the person's credibility and reputation in the company.
Paragraph Two: Describe yourself briefly with regards to your current job, education, willingness to relocate, etc.
Paragraph Three: Expound a little bit more about your contribution to your field, as far as experience, enthusiasm, education, or expertise.
Paragraph Four: Politely request a date for an interview. If there's a need for you to travel, recommend a time span during which you'll be able to do so. Reiterate your interest in the company.
Sincerely OR Very truly yours,
Your Signature
Your Typed Name
Well, what are you waiting for? Sulat na!
The Go-Getter Resume
by Maissa Virtusio
RESUME … also known as curriculum vitae or vita, or c.v. - Latin for "the course of one’s life" (as it applies to your performance as a worker).
So, why the fuss about writing a resume in job-hunting? Well, as Caren Neile puts it in her work "How to Get a New Job and Earn What You’re Really Worth", it is for the reason that a resume takes on your shoes when you should have been the one being asked inside the premises of a
company instead. And in sending the resume as your representative, you only want the best, right?
Remember that a good resume CASTS a good background about you.
Here are some helpful tips:
Be C- CONCISE
Be brief and concise. Unless you are the President of the Philippines, one or two pages will be fine. Economize on words. For example, " I worked as a full-time administrator and then later as part-time consultant" may be cut into : "F/T Administrator (1990-92); P/T Consultant (1993-1995) Use punctuation instead of "and" and "then" Keep sentences short and direct
Be A- APT
State only relevant or appropriate information. You don’t have to describe what a particular machine (you have operated) does, for example, if in the industry you are applying at, everyone knows what that machine is all about.
S- SYNTHESIZE
Synthesize or harmonize the parts of your resume by organizing them.
The parts of your resume may consist of the following information:
1.IDENTIFICATION DATA : Name, Address, Telephone Number.
2.CAREER OBJECTIVE: State the position or job level, function and industry you are interested in. But if you are sending only one resume for a wide variety of jobs, you may not include this part.
3.WORK EXPERIENCE: Job titles, names of employers and locations, inclusive dates, job functions, accomplishments.
4.EDUCATION: School, location, degree, major, date of graduation, honors and grade point average (if commendable), special project or course that speaks of a certain ability or knowledge. 5.EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Organizations, clubs, associations, activities and positions that say about pertinent skills or responsibilities.
6.SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES: Special skills like knowledge of sophisticated machines, or computers, foreign languages, etc. But only if you really have special skills to speak of.
7.PERSONAL INTERESTS: Community activities, hobbies, travel
8.REFERENCES: If you have space, you may include this, but it is not necessary. "References available on request" placed at the bottom of resumes, are expressions of courtesy.
Write the T- TEXT with these tips in mind:
Never use the pronoun "I" . Just say: "Prepared reports", "Supervised five staff", etc.
Never use high-falutting, exaggerated statements like "the greatest in the world"
Use the language of the field or trade lingo. You may look up trade journals for the right terms.
Use action verbs which imply that you are a "doer" , such as:
Achieved, administered, analyzed, assembled, budgeted, checked, conducted, coordinated, designed, directed, expedited, generated, handled, increased, installed, interpreted, interviewed, invented, led, modeled, operated, organized, performed, prepared, tested, trained, utilized
Use strong self-descriptive words that indicate what a good worker you’ll be, such as:
Adaptable, aggressive, alert, creative, dependable, diplomatic, enthusiastic, forceful, mature, organized, personable, positive, reliable, self-reliant, systematic
Of course, check your grammar. This can unmake your resume.
Write in S- Style
Resumes may be written in one or in combination of these three styles : chronological, functional, targeted (depending on what you want to emphasize).
Chronological
The easiest and the most popular, use this if you have a good working history that is directly related to the job you are applying for. Start with your most recent experience and work backwards.
Functional
Use this if you have had a variety of jobs not directly related to the job you are applying for. Stress the important functions, duties and responsibilities you had. Write a heading by type of functions performed and list under it any accomplishments related to it. Present the headings in order of their importance according to the job you are applying for, not based on the date you performed past jobs.
Targeted
You may use this if you are a fresh graduate or a first-time employee because here, you emphasize what you can do even if you haven’t proven yourself yet in a work setting. State four or five sentences that indicate what you are capable of and what you’ve done to demonstrate it. Write also a job objective to stress the skills you have to offer.
Combination of Styles
This is most useful if you are a professional with proven track records. You can begin with a career summary, followed by a description of skills, a chronological history, and the education at the bottom.
Final Reminders
Double check for typographical errors Use a good typewriter or a computer printer
Print the resume on short sized bond paper in black ink. Don’t overdo it in colored stationeries , or expensive typeset, etc. If your education is not something you are too proud of, "bury it at
the bottom" Honesty (in the information you wrote ) is still the best policy.
PHILIPPINE HR UPDATE (June 2, 1997)
Questions Applicants Ask During Interviews
by Maissa Virtusio
Now it’s the applicant’s turn to ask questions during interviews. Caren Neil proceeds to say that "It’s a very good policy to ask a few questions at a job interview, not only for the obvious reason that there are things you need to know in order to make your decision, but also because it sends the message that you’re a thorough, thoughtful individual".
What then are these questions that you may want to ask? The following are Caren Neil’s additions to your own list.
1.What are your company’s plans for future growth?
2.Tell me about the community in which I would be employed.
3.What qualities are most important to success on the job?
4.What are the opportunities for advancement? What’s the typical career track?
5.What might I expect to be doing in the next six months or so?
6.Describe the work environment.
7.Does your company encourage and support continuing education for its employees?
Some questions though are better off not asked:
What does your company do? -- Shows you haven’t come prepared.
Is this a union shop? --It’s something you should know, but it’s threatening to an employer.
How much job security do you offer? -- This makes you appear like you care more about what the company can do for you than what you can do for it. Will I have to work much overtime? -- A good question, but don’t sound like you don’t want to put in the extra effort—that’s a
decision to be made by you privately. You would have a better shot if it will be rephrased into something like: "What kind of job pressure can I expect?"
What happened to the person who had this job before me? -- So as not to put the person on the spot, try re-phrasing this. Maybe you can ask why this job is available. The reason might be that it’s a new position , which is beneficial for you to know.
What kind of office politics do you have? This is better asked as:
What qualities make for a successful employee?
Final Interview Tips
When preparing for the interview, you must equip yourself with one of the most important facts and that is, what you’re worth. In order to find out how much to ask, you can observe through the many interviews you’ve undergone and see what you’re offered; ask job placement professionals; scan the classifieds; call other personnel departments; read salary surveys at job agencies; and talk to people in your field. Robert Snelling has a good book on the subject, "Jobs!
What They Are…Where They Are…What They Pay!". Well, it’s good to stand out but it’s not tasteful to be too wacky like taking a picture of the astonished interviewer, or challenging the
interviewer to a game of poker. The best policy is still good old-fashioned etiquette. Be there a few minutes early so that you can have ample time to fill out the application. Be friendly. Moderation is the name of the game; don’t be too talkative but don’t be tight-lipped either. Be certain that you have the name of the interviewer straight, and use it once or twice.
Even if you have sent in a resume before, bring a few more. Samples of your work and copies of what you’ve written are likewise advantageous.
Fill out the application as carefully and completely as you can. "Make as many allies as you can". Show courtesy and respect to the secretary or receptionist who ushers you in. Sincerely and in a low key manner try to look for common ground with the interviewer. The "me-too" effect, psychologists say, is very beneficial in establishing a bond. Thank the interviewer when you are finished and always, follow up with a letter. A few interviews will be followed by a written skills or aptitude test. It may be advisable to do a little review ahead of time on your math, grammar or special job-related skills depending on the job. It’s always good to be armed with a sharpened pencil, eraser and pen even if probably you’ll be provided with one. It’s nice to break the ice, but withdraw from too much humor, lest you come off as too flippant. Be prepared for computer interviews. Many businesses are screening job applicants by computer! Just be honest with your answers. When you are with a human interviewer, don’t forget that they are only human. At times, you wont’ be able to just wow them either because they had an earlier fight with their spouse or they have a terrible headache.
Remember, too that the interviewer’s job is not that easy because finding the right candidate may likely make her or him nervous. Try then to put both of you at ease.
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