expired

That's what I was thinking over a week ago during Sunday mass. My patience has expired. My tolerance has expired. Any residual sympathy within me has expired.

I don't know why I even bother listening to their side.

I absolutely detest being lied to, ESPECIALLY if it's to my face. Having people I used to trust doing the lying is just the final nail on the coffin.

It was a captive audience. They even had a Powerpoint presentation up on the huge screen.

Everything was pure vanilla. Everything had been said before. However, one thing really twisted my tail.

Coercion.

One of the reasons why the Church is against the reproductive health bills in Congress is that, according to them, the bills seek to force people to use contraceptives. In fact, the men in white robes gleefully point to a provision penalizing health workers who refuse to provide complete information on reproductive health and access to contraceptives.

Another reason is that they believe that "population management" here would soon be just like that in the People's Republic of China: one child per family, or else. They point to the provision of "incentives" for couples who have only two children as a basis for this fear.

The Catholic Church considers these acts as coercive. But what is coercive about providing tax breaks? What is coercive about ensuring that the people get complete information and have access to whatever family planning method they choose?

What is coercive is the fact that the Church is forcing down our throats its own views on family planning on pain of "being in a state of sin" or outright excommunication.

They are forcing their beliefs on everyone. Not just Catholics, everyone. The bishops and the priests would be well within their rights to tell their flock to follow their teachings, to toe their line, so to speak. Within the Church they would just be doing their jobs.

However, in a nation of 90 million, NOT ALL OF WHICH ARE CATHOLICS, the mere act of denying equal access to information is coercion.

Natural Family Planning: NOTHING ELSE, OR ELSE!

Even if you are a Protestant, or a Muslim, or a Buddhist, or whatever other religion, you are forced to toe the line. AS LONG AS THE CHURCH HAS ITS WAY.

The issue here now is not only overpopulation. It's no longer just the fact that our resources are being spread thin by the unbridled growth of our population. It's no longer just the fact that our schools are being filled to the brim with new students year in and year out. It's no longer just the fact that more than 400,000 babies are being aborted by mothers and families who are either not yet ready or simply cannot afford another child.

The issue here is freedom of choice.

THAT is the one thing being denied the Filipino people, thanks to the Church.

Choice.

The people have the right to choose how they plan their families. They must be able to choose what they believe is right FOR THEM, not what is right for the Church.

Choice in itself is useless if it is not INFORMED.

The people must be given equal access to ALL kinds of family planning methods. They must have access to ALL information about family planning, not just the sanitized version peddled by the Church.

Last time I checked, we were supposed to be in a democracy, although much remains to be desired in this country. However, the people in this country are free to choose what they want.

Ignore the Catholic Church. Give the issue to the people. Give the issue to suffering mothers and overburdened fathers. Let them choose for themselves.

inspired

I have an idea.

Would it not be a good investment to develop some kind of defense system which deflects or even engages and destroys inbound problems and crises?

Yes. Something like this. Or this. Maybe even this.

Of course this is all just wishful thinking. The problems life throws at you are not like missiles or artillery shells. Libre lang mangarap.

But it would be really nice to go about life without headaches and heartaches blindsiding you at every turn.

An early warning system would be much appreciated in lieu of an active defense platform - at least I would not walk blindly into yet another problem!

Ahhh... I love the feeling. The stress is draining away as I type. I've gone through three different blog posts already. Two you will never see. This is the third. Hahahahaha.

However, I would like to avoid talking about my problems. This post ends now.

Life from Venus blown to Earth?

Life on Venus could be blown to Earth by powerful winds, scientists claim.

Previous research has considered the possibility of micro organisms existing in Venus's atmosphere despite extreme temperatures on its surface.

Read more from BBC News.

Viewer's Guide: Aug. 1 Solar Eclipse

Friday, August 1 is a red-letter day for eclipse enthusiasts. On that date, the sun will be partially eclipsed over an immense area that includes western and central Asia, parts of northern and central Europe, all of Greenland and even a small slice of northeastern North America.

A total solar eclipse — the first in nearly two and a half years — will be visible along a narrow track that will start over the Northwest Passage of Canada, gives a glancing blow to northern Greenland, then shifts southeast through Siberia and western Mongolia and before ending near the famed Silk Route of China.

Read more SPACE.com.

revitalized

For the past weeks I have been feeling, shall we say, a bit sluggish.

It's not that I'm bored or anything, it's just that I'm not as inspired as I was before. I turn in assignments and papers without much gusto, hoping that "good enough" would get me a passing grade.

Stress, stress, and more stress. About the only thing keeping me sane was my frequent "tambay" at AstroSoc. "A laugh a day keeps the stress away", to paraphrase an old cliche.

But only barely.

Computer games only keep me away from the stress for as long as I have the mouse in my hand - not a good thing when you have to pass papers every few days.

I needed to break my humdrum routine. I had to breathe some fresh air.

Today I did.

Of course it's not as clear-cut as it sounds. Just yesterday I was having a very bad case of the jitters. The mere thought of going out and getting interviews by myself turned my stomach.

For our report in Journalism 102, we had to go out and interview reporters about the PNP and AFP beats. Read that? ReporterS. And get a feel for the beats as well.

The problem with the assignment was that the "we" part meant "me". One of my groupmates was AWOL and the other had a prior engagement.

So there I was at Camp Crame. Alone.

The policeman at the front gate was helpful enough to tell me how to get to the press office. I found the press office soon enough and got an interview with one of the reporters there.

All of a sudden it was just like that one moment a few months ago. There I was, talking to a person who really loved what he was doing. The feeling was infectious.

While the questions l was asking this time were about the place and the news from the place, I got to feel what it was like to be a journalist once again.

I was so scared of going out by myself that morning that I was practically paralyzed. The fear and paralysis disappeared the moment l went inside the press office. Maybe it was the friendly reporter who gave me the interview. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the room; everyone was accommodating and helpful. Most probably it was because I was reminded of what I was preparing to become.

I was again given a glimpse of what could very well be my future. And I loved it.

I wanted it.

The interview went smoothly. My next stop was Camp Aguinaldo, which was quite literally just across the street from Camp Crame.

While Crame was warm and accommodating, Againaldo was cold and distant. The soldier at the gate told me to go to the public Information office. However, he neglected to tell me where that was.

I almost got lost inside the sprawling base if not for a signpost which pointed me to the right direction. The press office was easy enough to find, though my timing could not have been worse.

As I approached everyone inside came out and left. Apparently there was a press conference. I spent an hour doing nothing as I waited for their return. They came back, but I was told that no one would be available for an interview until late in the afternoon.

One score and one bust.

Success at Crame made up for the failure at Aguinaldo. But even though I did not get that second interview I still felt good. I got to go out in the field. I got to stretch my legs and once again get a feel for what my future job would be like. I got to go to the headquarters of the PNP and the AFP. It was all I needed to get back in the groove.

I love my life.

lead us not into politics

There's a debate raging over the issue of reproductive health and population management.

Again.

This time, the bill in question is named "An Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development".

The Catholic Church has voiced its staunch opposition to the bill.

The bishops say that the bill is pro-abortion.They say that the supporters of the bill are "murderers" and "anti-life", that the bill "legalizes abortion" and promotes the use of "abortifacients".

Some priests have even gone so far as to threaten the denial of the sacrament of communion to "pro-abortion" politicians.

The Church says that using contraceptives is wrong, that couples should only use "natural family planning" methods.

The Church says that the passage of the bill into law would lead to the eventual legalization of abortion and euthanasia, thus perpetuating a "culture of death".

The Church also said that the Earth was the center of the universe. They also threatened astronomers like Galileo and Copernicus who said otherwise.

Oops.

What the bill actually proposes is the establishment of a coherent national population management policy.

The Philippines currently has no national policy on population. Instead, local government units are left to decide for themselves how best to deal with issues of population and reproductive health.

The bill also has provisions for "mandatory reproductive health and sexuality education" in schools and the guarantee of the availability of "the full range of family planning methods, techniques, and devices" for "couples and adults of reproductive age".

A related bill in the Senate provides incentives for couples who decide to have only two children. However, there will be no penalties for families who have three or more children, so the proposed law is nowhere near China's draconian "one-child policy".

Nowhere, absolutely nowhere, is abortion legalized in both bills. In fact, abortion is repeatedly stated to be illegal and punishable.

As a Catholic, I find it disheartening that the people I was brought up to respect and follow would resort to spreading lies and misinformation and to name-calling in their attempt to stop the reproductive health bill.

Every time I hear mass I cringe whenever the priest or an announcer discusses the issue, knowing full well that the congregation is being fed half-truths and outright lies.

And this from people who should know better.

Aside from the moral issue, the Church should think more about the state of the nation.

With 88.7 million people as of the last census in 2007 (see this press release), the Philippines is dangerously close to becoming overpopulated.

This year, the population is projected to hit 90 million. That's more than a million new mouths to feed, bodies to shelter, children to educate, and workers to employ.

Didn't we just experience a rice crisis? Aren't fuel prices rising everyday?

Many schools are forced to hold classes under trees or in corridors while the children share books and seats.

A family of six needs more than 800 pesos to survive for a day. The current minimum wage in Metro Manila is just a little less than 400 pesos.

Granted, these problems are not caused solely by rapid population growth. However, these problems are exacerbated by the addition of more and more people.

Some babies are even unwanted by their parents.

There are about 400,000 cases of abortion in the country every year.

Abortion, one of the sins condemned by the good bishops, can be linked to lack of education and poverty. Coincidentally, the very bill they demean as "anti-life" seeks to provide proper education and to properly manage one of the many causes of poverty.

Teaching children at the proper age about reproductive health will discourage "experimentation" and unwanted pregnancies before marriage.

Giving married couples -especially the poor ones- access to every available means of planning their families also reduces the incidence of unwanted or unplanned pregnancies.

Having less children will also increase the quality of life, especially for poor families - imagine having to feed eight mouths AND sending them to school with a minimum wage job.

I do not understand why the Church wants to block any reproductive health and population management initiative in the country.

They keep invoking a a 40 year-old papal encyclical called "Humanae Vitae" which was promulgated by Pope Paul VI.

It was never explained in church, only mentioned as the reason why they were calling on everyone to join prayer rallies to protest the reproductive health bill.

Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal explains it as "about the beauty of conjugal love", whatever that means.

The point is the Church has not fully explained its side to the people. It has resorted to threats and name-calling, to lies and misinformation. I will not go so far as to call the bishops and priests hypocrites, but their actions do tend to border on it.

The Philippine Constitution states that the separation of Church and State must be absolute. In our "democratic" society, the Church has every right to air its views and opinions. However, we must draw the line at its use of threats and misinformation.

If the Catholic Church wants to stop this bill, I hope that they will stay away from engaging in political maneuvering to get what they want. They must refrain from doing the very things they condemn politicians for.

If they want to stop the passage of the bill, the priests and bishops should instead talk to their flock and explain why they should not vote for the politicians who support the reproductive health act.

Of course, I have no intention of seeing the Church succeed in stopping the bill. I want the bill passed this year.

The country needs a coherent national policy on population and reproductive health. We can ill afford a future where our archipelago of 7,100 islands is filled to the brim with people competing for every available resource and service.

If we do not want this to happen, we have to act now.

UP AstroSoc Co-presents Namets!

Namets (Yummy) follows the ongoing flirtation between Jacko and Cassie, two Negrense chefs who grew up in Bacolod, and whose lives revolve around food. Trouble starts when Jacko loses his Italian restaurant, Puccini's, to a giant cockfighting debt. The moneylender Dolpo takes control of Puccini's and hires Cassie as a consultant for a total restaurant makeover. Cassie re-visions Puccini's into a place that serves traditional Negrosanon food, and we are treated to the full panorama of Negrosanon cuisine and the idiosyncrasies of Negrosanon eating. Along the way, Jacko and Cassie find time to finally fall in love and set aside their differences.

'Namets' will be shown on July 30, 2008 at Cine Adarna, UP Diliman, 7.00pm. Don't miss it!

Contact Bea Banzuela (09178051515) for tickets (php70 each).

View the trailer here.

***
You can also get the tickets directly from me. Just reply to this post or send me a personal message. Thanks!

checking out "cheking"

“Who the heck is this guy?”

That was the first thought which entered my mind when I found out about this year’s Gawad Plaridel awardee.

Who is Atty. Pachico A. Seares?

A quick check through Google did not turn up much. There were a lot of articles about him being the fifth Gawad Plaridel awardee and… nothing else. I was expecting maybe a past interview or biography, but nothing of that sort turned up. The only things I learned was that he was the current editor-in-chief of Sun.Star Cebu and that the award was for his contributions to community journalism.

I realized that I would have to attend the awarding ceremony to find out more about him.

I had no idea what the big deal was back then. The name just didn’t ring a bell. All the past Gawad Plaridel awardees were people I knew and recognized. The first, Eugenia Apostol, started the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Film actress Vilma Santos was the second recipient. Radio broadcaster Fidela Magpayo, more commonly known as “Tiya Dely”, was the third. Last year, television reporter Cheche Lazaro became the fourth awardee.

The awarding ceremony was held at the UP Cine Adarna. I came late, as usual. There was a line at the entrance when I arrived; all us latecomers were made to wait for the end of the processional and the singing of the national anthem.

As I entered, I noticed that the theater was packed. There were students from different schools and colleges, reporters covering the event, and a lot more other people. I found a seat just as the dean of the UP College of Mass Communication (CMC), Dr. Elena Pernia, started her opening remarks.

All the time I was thinking about who Pachico Seares was. Who was this man being described by Dean Pernia as “a media practitioner who has excelled in the media and has performed at the highest level of professional integrity in the interest of public service”?

An audio-visual presentation titled “A Dreamer with a Deadline” followed. Friends, colleagues, and students of Seares – whom everyone called by the nickname “Cheking” – gave testimonials about him and aired messages for him. Going by the words of the people interviewed for the presentation, Seares appeared to be a fair journalist, a strict editor and boss, and a fine teacher.

The awarding ceremony came right after the presentation concluded. Former CMC dean Nicanor Tiongson, the man who started the Gawad Plaridel, read the citation on the plaque. The award was then presented by UP Diliman Chancellor Sergio Cao, UP Vice President Dr. Amelia Guevara, and Dean Pernia to the man who was the cause of all my trouble.

It was my first look at “Cheking”. Honestly, he reminded me of former senator Ernesto Maceda - the two looked surprisingly alike.

Seares then proceeded to give the customary Plaridel lecture; his was on the issues faced by community newspapers. Community newspapers, like Sun.Star Cebu, are only local in circulation, as opposed to national broadsheets like the Inquirer and the Star.

In an unmistakable Visayan accent, Seares recounted the problems of our country’s community press. He talked about an article he wrote for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism in the past, titled “The Future of Community Newspapers”, which discussed the dilemma faced by community papers.

That dilemma, according to him, was “how to improve standards and values and struggle for survival at the same time”.

He decried the existence of corruption in the community press, which he blamed on economic problems and “values less than strong”.

I listened to him speak. He really did sound like a good teacher, notwithstanding the accent.
He went on to discuss the value of the community paper. I learned that as they are local in scope, they have better reach among the local population and they cover more local issues than the national broadsheets. Their coverage of local issues ignored by the national papers makes them very important to their readers.

Up to this point I was completely ignorant of the importance of the community press. I guess I was guilty of being so “Manila-centered” that I forgot about the other cities and provinces of the country.

He then said that a newspaper, or any news media for that matter, should always maintain public trust. That way, public patronage would be maintained and even increased. This would lead to profit which would ensure independence from bribery and corruption and from the control of investors who could dictate what could be printed, thus making a better paper.

“Good journalism is good business”, he said. Plus, its practice can also prevent libel suits and the killing of journalists.

To practice good journalism, he said that one must not be a puppet of government or private interest. One must seek clarity in his stories, know what’s important, maintain objectivity, be informed and fair, and get his or her facts right.

“Whatever lies ahead of community press, good journalism will help us endure”, said Seares as he wrapped up his lecture.

Before this year’s awarding of the Gawad Plaridel, I did not know who Pachico Seares was. Of course I wouldn’t know him – he’s a Cebuano journalist. Now I realize that in Cebu he is a very important and famous man, and that his contributions to the growth and expansion of Sun.Star Cebu and his work for Cebu’s community journalists are great achievements.

That was why he got the Gawad Plaridel. He underscored the importance of the community press. He highlighted the need for good journalism in the community and the country.

A good journalist, a great teacher, and a pillar of the community press in the Philippines.

That is Atty. Pachico A. Seares.

rediscovering work

It's cool. It's calm. It's quiet. I love the weather.

Apparently, a tropical depression is pulling up the monsoon towards our erstwhile oven of a city. More rain is coming, and I love it.

So here I am again. Tuesday morning: the first day of the week. Thank you, UP Admin, for moving the free day from Wednesday to Monday. I really enjoy the three day weekends. Thank you very much for screwing up my biological clock and making me feel very lazy come Tuesday. You only went against nearly a lifetime of starting the week on Monday.

Time to work again. Microsoft Outlook (yes, I use it) just reminded me of my Online Journalism class two hours from now.

I'm currently working on my third paper for my Feature Writing class. I've been sitting on it since Friday, and it's only now -just 22 hours from the deadline- that I'm starting to write it.

Yes, here we go again.

But it's no longer because of procrastination. It's more of distraction. I cannot concentrate on anything. I start something and then as I'm doing it I think of something else; something totally unrelated to what I'm doing.

It's so frustrating.

I don't do it on purpose; it just happens. Argh.

But enough of that. I'm just so frustrated that I plan to do things early but end up cramming a few short hours before the deadline.

Let's just focus on the positive. Every paper I crammed right before the deadline got me high grades. Hahahaha. Yabang mode nanaman.

Siyempre naman no. I got my first "1" for the year last week, and it was for an article which I absolutely hated to write. I did not hate the subject, mind you, but I just felt that i was not up to the task of writing about it.

I had a load of complaints about what I wrote then. I'm my own worst editor; many papers, articles, and even blog posts I wrote in the past never ever saw the light of day because of some nitpicky little error or detail my eagle eyes saw.

Three pages glowed on the screen in front of me. I was not pleased with what I saw. I felt that I could have done better, but drooping eyes and back-to-back yawns were dragging me to dreamland.

Print. Sleep. Pass. Wait. 1.75. Hahaha.

Right. Back to work. This post is actually longer than what I have written in Microsoft Word. Way longer. Time is running out. I have a class in less than two hours. Move, move, MOVE!

rediscovering relaxation

Raindrops are falling on my head. The wind is beating on my back. Water surrounds my feet. I could not care less.

Four hours ago.

The rain came down the moment I stepped off the jeepney. Talk about timing. Lightning flashed in the sky as I walked through a growing flood amid torrents of falling water.

I smiled. I missed walking in the rain. And, for the first time in days, I was not rushing home to finish an assignment. I did not have anything to pass the next day. I had absolutely nothing to do.

I did have to do some light reading, but at least I didn't have to write a paper about what I've read.

Now.

I actually have time to sit back, relax, and enjoy a glass of chocolate milk. Read that? Enjoy. Every sip of pure chocolate-y goodness drains away the stress of the past weeks. Ahhh...

That I'm able to write this blog right now says quite a lot.

Haaay... I love the feeling of not having to do anything.

I feel even more alive. My mind is free. I can now do things which I've put-off due to my back-to-back assignments.

I will de-clutter my room. Not clean, de-clutter. I have to re-organize all the papers and books scattered all over my room.

I will de-clutter my bag. I still have papers from last year adding to the weight I have to carry every single day.

I will check my financial status. I actually have a huge Excel file containing every transaction I've made since November of 2006 in my XDA. I have to summarize and analyze it in order to strengthen my case for another allowance increase.

The inflation is killing me.

But I won't talk about THAT right now. Maybe some other time.

Tomorrow.

UP AstroSoc Applicant's Orientation at 5:30 PM. PAGASA Observatory. Must prepare welcoming speech. Hahahaha.

Member's Refresher Course follows. Overnight at the Sun Deck. Unless it rains again, that is.

I almost forgot. I still have a class in the morning. Hahahaha. Jonats, out.

like i did not see this coming

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multi-slacking

I love the term. I first heard of it through Ate Ekkay's blog, and I identified with it immediately. Hahaha.

I should have finished my Communication 130 synthesis paper and my research for my Journalism 102 and 111 classes this morning. Instead, I finished the first act of Age of Empires 3 and watched Futureweapons on the Discovery Channel.

Given my current tendency to lapse into extreme procrastination, it's a wonder how I got things done in the past weeks.

It's been paper after paper after paper. I've gone to the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Excellence in Journalism. I've done one interview and given one other. I wrote a personality profile. I did well in Adobe Photoshop.

It's been problem after problem at the org. Teng is in the hospital. Ritz has an ulcer. All projects have been delayed for a week. Money, as always, is in short supply. And don't get me started on those damned mosquitoes!

So much for that. It really helps to put things in writing. Sometimes, when you least expect it, you get jolted back to reality.

Aside from a tendency to procrastinate, I am also dangerously prone to blowing things out of proportion. Indeed, for the past few days I've been so stressed - not because of all the things I have to do, but because of the way I saw the things I had to do.

I miss blogging. This is my first blog post in two weeks; the paper and blogthings don't count. When writing, I restore my mindset to one more grounded in reality.

Stupid me. I have done so much. I had so much time. I have even more time. I can do so much more. Problems are only problems when you do not adapt to them. Properly dealt with, they become opportunities.

Procrastination and slacking-off only serve to exacerbate the stress when left to run wild. Multi-slacking can become a part of multi-tasking with proper control. I can still beat the Brotherhood of Nod or the Nazis into submission AFTER I finish my assignments. I can relax in front of the television AFTER finishing my work for the day.

I can do many more things, things I WANT to do, with proper time management.

I can deal with any problems that come my way, those little itsy-bitsy things, by not blowing them out of proportion.

Of course, there are those things which have to be dealt with in a more direct and forceful manner.

There. Back in the groove. While writing this post, I've also finished three-fourths of my synthesis paper. Now THAT is multi-tasking. I have regained the initiative. I will not let it slip away again.

I have to go now. I have to cover the Gawad Plaridel awarding ceremony later. I love my life.

Oh, by the way, my Journalism 101 grade was FINALLY released. That 1.5 puts my GWA for last semester at 1.58. I REALLY love my life!