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19May/108

Sa Kambas ng Lipunan

I attended a values-formation seminar by a government office. You know, my mom keeps telling me that i "don't have values." Well, mom, that's impossible. We just don't have the same "values." But, anyways, let's proceed to the seminar.

The facilitator (Sorry, I can't disclose names) who happens to be a head of a particular bureau in this government office gave a presentation on values-formation specifically targeted to the youth. That's cool, right? Kidding. I just want to share my insights and probably criticize how the "facilitator" tried to develop our values as a youth.

He asked us to watch a clip. Panoorin mo na rin:

Sa Kambas ng Lipunan

And then what? He asked the participants their reactions slash their realizations after watching the clip. Right after the clip. Emphasis please. Right after the clip. After which, he summarized the realizations of the participants and addressed this to the whole group.

"Hapag ng Pag-asa"

Facilitator:

"What's the cause of poverty? The I. He attributes poverty as a result of combined individual selfish actions. He blames the I. No one should be blamed here except for the I."

"He is conditioning the participants to be apathetic. How? He's imposing on the participants the "we're-fortunate-pa-nga-that-we-eat-three-times-a-day-attitude" and let others care for themselves. Okay na nga tayo dito. Dapat hindi na tayo magreklamo. We don't have the right to complain. We're living a better life than theirs."

"There's no call to action but rather a call to be complacent. Appreciate what you have. That's already good. Kung sila nga ay hindi kumakain at ikaw ay tuyo lang ang kinakain, dapat matuwa ka na. At least, you have something to eat. Kahit tuyo pa yan, at least, you're living a better life. "

"Kapag may nakasalubong kang may car, what do you feel? Inggit? You shouldn't be. You should think of others. Bakit ako maiingit sa kanila? Marami nga na hindi kumakain. Why would I want to have a car?"

"With all of that, we need a leader that will do something. We need a leader. A leader with heart. Not just a good leader but a leader with a good heart."

With all those points, I was like, what the hell is this? Is this really a values-formations seminar or just some political propaganda slash conditioning of the status quo? The said facilitator is known to be a supporter of President-elect Aquino. Kaya nung sinabi niya yung last point, Oh My God! That can't be! You're all conditioning our minds! And everyone is agreeing! OH MY!

My points:

You just can't attribute poverty as the sum of all selfish individual actions. Why don't you show and tell us the real cause of poverty? It's easy, very easy. Why can't you tell these participants that poverty is a result of a systematic oppression of a ruling status quo. Why can't you? Ang daming resources ng Pilipinas but we're still poor. Nasaan ang resources? Please tell me. Why can't you tell the participants that Imperialism should be blame? That capitalism is a systemic form of keeping all in poverty poor and making the rich richer. You can't tell me you don't know. Bakit may nagugutom? We are in the Pacific Ocean (where are the fishes), we have forests (where are the animals, the fruits and the vegetables), we have arable lands and we own a vast reserve of natural minerals. Ano? INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS PA RIN BA? OR SYSTEMIC SIYA?

Why would you condition the participants to just be "okay" and leave things the way they are? After watching this clip, what we need is a call to action! ACTION! You'll tell these people to do their job and look for solutions. You'll not tell them to just appreciate what they have and don't complain. Remember, inaction results to the strengthening of the present system slash condition. Or yun naman talaga ang gusto mo? Do you really want people to stay poor? Eating "tuyo" is not my definition of being fortunate specially when you try to contextualize it. Why can other people afford expensive foods? Why can't I? Sa dami ng available na resources, bakit may gutom? Don't tell me they're just too lazy. They're not. There's something wrong. And we should address that. What we have to do is to find alternative solutions. Let's try to change the present system and let these people eat. Let's try to pressure the government and let them address this. There's so much to do than to say "Hey, I'm okay here." INEQUALITY MUST BE ADDRESSED.

And the clip is trying to insert some religious agenda in it. It's fine. It's good. Ang tanong nga lang e. If people are really believing in Jesus Christ, why is there inequality? In a supposedly Christian country, bakit may kahirapan? Bakit may nagugutom? It's weird, right? CHRISTIANITY IS A RELIGION OF EQUALITY. WELL, SUPPOSEDLY.

And with all those points, leadership must be contextualized. With the present problems, you need to contextualize what kind of leader we need. Ano nga ba? Siguro, those who want poverty to be eradicated, those who want to solve these things and those who recognize the "real problems" and willing to change the present system of oppression. Yung kakalaban sa status quo. Yung kakalaban sa Imperyalismo. Yung kakalaban sa Kapitalismo. Those are the qualities na kailangan ay meron ang leader. Inequality must be addressed by this leader. At kilala niyo naman sila, for sure. Hello, Satur. Hello, Liza. Hello, KABATAAN. Hello, National Democrats.

Figure it out, people. I know you're not that stupid. Lalo na yung kasama ko ng values-formation seminar.

The Late Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran

P.S. It's Crispin Beltran's Day Today! Kilala niyo siya? He is a genuine, militant, and anti-Imperialist labor leader. See? That's what I'm talking about.

P.S. I will receive a compensation just for attending this particular seminar. Woah! Time for some good pasta!

P.S. Wala na akong proofreader and grammar checker. Poor me.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Tagged as: anakpawis, beltran, canvas, crispin, day, democrats, formation, hapag, inequality, kambas, Leadership, lipunan, National, ng, of, on, pagasa, poverty, sa, seminar, Society, the, values 8 Comments

13Dec/0910

Christmas Shopping

Girls need two lifetimes to shop. I know it's very given. But it's really amusing (and at the same time, irritating) to see and experience how this kind of thing really happens. They really make you wait.

Yesterday, my family had our annual Christmas shopping. We went to SM Makati, Landmark, Glorietta and Greenbelt. I was with my mom, sister, two brothers and a girl cousin. The girls did the digging first. It's really hard to wait especially when you don't have money and you don't have a cellphone. Eff. Anyway, they always make us wait whenever we shop together. Just, unfortunately, my father will not be here for Christmas, for the second time.

Greenbelt is still intimidating as always. Landmark is like an upgraded Divisoria. SM and Glorietta was made for the middle class. We found most of our buys in SM and Glorietta. It's kinda off to shop at this time of the year because people are in a hurry to buy stuff (take note, without an s) because it's Christmas and it's high-time for consumerism without guilt. We're on a tight budget this year because Dubai is in a crisis. We're seriously worried because only my Dad works. But we were able to buy all of our wants.

I was not able to find gifts for my two exchange gifts. It's hard to find a 200-peso unisex thing and 100 peso gift for a not-so-straight-friend. Well, do I have to give gifts to my friends? It's the thought that counts, right?

There were a lot of good jeans in Greenbelt and Glorietta. But most of them were very expensive. When will I be able to have my Viktor Jeans? When? I think this season's color is violet. Most of the collections in the shops were violet. It's very amusing for my little brother Arvin. No green loves this time. But, hey, i hate it when wait-this-is-what-i'm-really-looking-for-but-i-already-bought-something-that-i-don't-really-want-kaya-i-will-not-be-able-to-buy-the-thing-that-i-really-want happens. Depressing. This post is so gay 'no? Yes, because i'm gay like that. We are all gay when it's Christmas.

Anyway, the National Bookstore in Glorietta 5 is awesome. You get to read and check all your favorite books without the annoying dim light. The store is lighted perfectly. But Powerbooks will always be for the readers. NBS is for the buyers! We all know that books are cheap in NBS. And that Fullybooked is for the Rich Kids! Aside from the bookstores, i also visited some of the ID and furniture stores there. The stores were intimidating but most of the them offers modern collections. I just hate it when christmas trees that are supposed to be chrismtas trees don't look like one. I know designer things should be unique and cool but too much uniqueness is not good. Sometimes, eclecticism and modernism is not good. Anyway, anything that's too much is not good.

We now have a Christmas tree! :)

Popularity: 9% [?]

Tagged as: bookstore, christmas, Dubai crisis, eclectic, family, fullybooked, girls, glorietta, greenbelt, jeans, landmark, modern, National, powerbooks, shopping, SM Makati, tree, trees, viktor 10 Comments

13Sep/082

29th Manila International Book Fair

[chenelyn of "Chenelyn, Chenelyn!"]

It is my first time to see a book fair. Although I always see exhibits such as IFEX, CFEX and F.A.M.E, these exhibits were always held in the World Trade Center, kaya it's also my first time to see (as in go inside) SMX Convention Center.

Book Fair

Lots of good publishing companies/bookstores/institutions are there, my favorites includes the UP Press, Ateneo Press, UST Publishing House, Anvil Publishing, National Book Store, Powerbooks, National Historical Institue, St. Pauls, Summit Media, Ibon Foundation, and Adarna Books. ( adarna:nostalgic ) There are 123 exhibitors kaya magsasawa ka talaga!

Most of the books are expensive, not-that-expensive, i'm just expecting cheap prices since it is a fair. Good thing i found bargain hard-bound books from National Bookstore, I bought one, "The Lost Constitution by William Martins." A "K-Zone Mag" for my brothers, "Cosmopolitan" for my mom and "Witch" for my friend from Summit Media naman. Those three magazines cost 100 pesos lang! Pero back issues. :D The two major bookstores, Powerbooks and National Bookstore made a 20 percent off in all of their items. I found three good books, babalikan ko na lang sila!

Ateneo Press and UP Press offers good books though Ateneo's products are not cheap. Controversial mostly and laman ng Ibon Foundation's booth pero ansarap basahin eh, UPng UP ba! :D

SMX CONVENTION CENTER

Since it's my first time ren dun sa venue, i'll dedicate a section of my post na rin. SMX in the outside is impressive, the architectural designs are good! I think fiber glass walls are good talaga for exhibit venues eh, they create an ambience of a corporate world at classy rin! The location of the venue is medyo inaccessible lalo na sa mga commuters since you really have to walk from the jeepney/taxi stop para makarating sa entrance. Or you can enter MOA na lang, at magpalamig habang nag tratravel. Air-conditioning is not that good kasi in other parts of the exhibit hall, naiinitan ako, dapat super centralized yung lamig ah!

A: Mainit dahil maraming tao!

Cleve: Exhibit hall nga eh, fair nga di ba? Malamang madami talaga ang tao kaya nga dapat malakas ang AC nila.

A: Sabi ko nga. Oo na nga.

The over-all physical look, ayos naman. Pero ang mga security guards at ang kanilang method of checking bags is not good. Haha. Ang disrespectful nung guard biglang hinahatak yung bag at manual airport type machine security checking sila! Yung parang ilalagay mo yung bag mo para ma x-ray sya tapos aantayin mo, ganon rin sa kanil except for being manual nung kanila. The restroom is very conventional, walang bago. Yung escalator, awesome! Ang taas nya talaga!

Enjoy the images. (Phone pics lang)