Friday, August 31, 2007

8 Things You'll Hate-Love About Me
In the 8 facts about me, you share 8 things that your readers don't know about you. then at the end you tag 8 other bloggers to keep the fun going.
* each blogger must post these rules first.
* each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
* bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
* at the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
* don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I'm afraid of the dark, most espeecially when I'm alone.

2. I feel guilty whenever I spend more that 100pesos on a meal.

3. I once went commando to school (2nd year college).

4. I like trying out my childhood frustrations - yoyos, rubik's cubes...

5. I was my elementary batch's valedictorian and student government president.

6. I won a national-level pagaent during high school.

7. I have several secret identities. Some of them you may have heard of.

8. I want to own BookSale.

I tag:
1. Cheenee
2. Nayie
3. Steph
4. KB
5. Maja
6. Joana
7. Glenys
8. RR

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Joma Sison Arrested
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS -- In a move President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hailed as “a giant step toward peace,” Dutch police arrested Filipino communist rebel leader Jose Maria Sison on Tuesday on suspicion of ordering the murder of two former allies in the Philippines.
[via Inquirer.net]

It's incredible how after all these years, Joma Sison, the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines is finally in the hands of the government. This sudden development really sounds fishy. I suspect foul play and a lot of fabrication involved. This is definitely unhealthy for the ongoing peace talks. But I do know that there are people out there who are rejoicing (Hi Gloria!) while others have no clue on what all these mean (Hi Ateneans!).

Bellarmine Field Permit

I really like this editorial cartoon from this month's The Guidon.



I passed by Bellarmine Field today. I saw a newly installed sign saying that the field cannot be used without a permit. I found the policy quite disturbing. First, they did this to the soccer fields, now their doing it to the Bel Field. What's next - the cafeteria? Are they also prohibiting those who just want to walk around the field or those mothers who bring their children there every once in a while? OAS, this policy is ridiculous! I know that rules are important so that there is order in the university but with the track record of their office, I don't think that issuing permits for spur of the moment frisbee games or prayer sessions is something that the office can do at a regular basis.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Living Above a Creek
Never say this when you are about to go into an urban poor community:
Oh my! We might get robbed, raped, mugged...

Never say this when you have just visited a community that is above a creek:
Oooh! I like ice cream!

I don't know why I get so sensitive and over-reactive whenever I go to squatters' areas (goodbye politically correctness). It must be due to the deep negative experience of contrast whenever I visit such areas and interact with the people who live above a creek. It takes a while to remove the images of shanties that could barely be called houses being held up by wooden stilts above the raging river. It's hard no to think of the children walking barefooted in the planks that connect the houses. It's difficult to forget how some of these people will lose their homes within this year - to think that the richest of the rich who live in the same area are the ones responsible for their eviction.

Definitely, the co-existence of the rich and the poor is one of the greatest ironies that I cannot swallow.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Something's Gotta Change
It's beyond me, I cannot carry the weight of the heavy world
So goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight
Goodnight, hope that things work out all right

Something’s gotta change
It must be rearranged

USA Voting Machines are Made in the Philippines

There is a current issue in the USA about defective election machines that were used last elections. Many of these machines, aptly called iVotronic (reminds me of the iVote campaign last Sanggunian General Elections), had faulty touch screens. Thus, many American citizens placed their votes for the wrong candidates.

Dan Rather featured this in his cable news show, Dan Rather Reports. Anyhow, upon investigation, it was found out that these faulty electronic voting machines were assembled (not manufactured) in Manila! It's not just any factory, in fact it's a sweatshop. Imagine, here's a sweatshop in a Third World nation powering the elections of its ex-colonial master when it can't even computerize its own elections. They say it's globalization. I say it's pathetic.




Ateneo COMELEC has just computerized its counting for the Freshmen Elections. Can it computerize the whole election process next election season? Maybe, but students shouldn't be expecting any touchscreens soon.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Freshmen Elections are Unofficialy Over

Officially, I need some sleep. The counting night was especially difficult because there were only a few of us who stayed to count the votes. The computers helped in verifying the votes. I do hope we can computerize the elections by next year.

I am disappointed at how the special elections for the Finance Officer turned out. History has repeated itself. We have to figure a way, legislation-wise or otherwise, to prevent another failure of elections.

I am anticipating some complaints, or some motions from the involved people and parties. Nonetheless, I believe that reason and democracy will prevail.

It's definitely hard being part of COMELEC. There is little recognition, little fame, little consideration, and no compensation. Nonetheless, I believe that by ensuring that the electoral process is fair and clean, I am ultimately serving my Ateneo community. If only people would appreciate the value of what we do and what we fight for.



Setting up my Shelfari book shelf made me realize that I don't have enough reading mileage in me. I dream of having a room full of books when I grow old so that I can spend the waning years of my life, reading and re-reading the books that I enjoy. If ever I have children, I would want them to grow in a house filled with books. I'd rather have them reading that watching TV or playing computer games.



We don't need to be world changers, we just have to be good Christians. That is more than enough.

Friday, August 10, 2007

My Personal Goal

In Intact, the freshmen had an assignment. They were to present their personal goals in class via whatever medium - poem, drawing, song, dance, etc. Being a good student facilitator, I also shared my personal goal in life.



His Excellency
President Omar L. Castañar
19th President of the Republic of the Philippines

It also wouldn't hurt if my face is in a peso bill.




"The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."
---Frederick Buechner

Monday, August 06, 2007

Vanity of Vanities
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,
vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!

I liked yesterday's set of readings. It speaks of earthly wealth and how much people attach themselves to it. It reminds me of another gospel last week, during a weekday. It speaks of a man who found treasure in the fields and a merchant who found a great pearl. Both of them sold everything just so that they can keep that great treasure. The great treasure on both cases is the Lord and His kingdom. We who seek and ultimately found God must be willing to give up everything.

Yesterday's gospel hit a homerun especially since for the longest time, I have been speak (oftentimes debating) with people who maintain that their goal in life is to be rich and to live comfortably with the fruits of their labor. According to many, it is not wrong to enjoy what they have toiled for. Many said that it is better to be financially secure. Many said that it is the poor's fault that they are poor. They're lazy and sleazy. Thus, they are not worth helping since they will just squander it. I do hope that the people I've talked to went to church yesterday so that they could have heard the readings.

What is the use of all financial security if one day, your precious life can easily be taken away? That is the great paradox of our lives. We can live for a hundred years but today may be our last. Why spend all our lives accumulating riches we cannot bring beyond our coffins? How can we live in abundance if many around us live in destitution? Why not choose austerity over Starbucks-lifestyle?



For what profit comes to man from all the toil and anxiety of heart
with which he has labored under the sun?
All his days sorrow and grief are his occupation;
even at night his mind is not at rest.
This also is vanity.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

La Salle News

Here are some Green Archer news to whet an Eagle's appetite.


La Salle protest vs Ateneo to go to UAAP board
MANILA, Philippines -- The UAAP technical committee "accepted" on Thursday commissioner Ed Cordero's recommendation to junk La Salle's protest due to "lack of merit."

But the Archers may keep their hopes up as technical committee head Kiko Diaz said La Salle's claim that Ateneo violated a league rule on foreign players will be elevated to the UAAP board "due to the differing appreciation in the merits of the case by individual technical committee members."
[via Inquirer.net]


St. Benilde player arrested for alleged game-fixing in NCAA
MANILA, Philippines -- St. Benilde shooting guard Paolo Orbeta has been arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation following allegations of game-fixing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's basketball.

The league will conduct its own investigation against the 5-foot-11 player who could be facing lifetime ban from the league and expulsion from the school.
[via Inquirer.net]

Waiting for Bourne

Even if they raped the first two books, I'd still watch the third.


Wednesday, August 01, 2007

No Classes on Aug3 Says Palace

It's another free day for us Ateneans.

MANILA, Philippines -- Malacañang has declared August 3 a special holiday for high school and college students all over the country to allow them to register as new voters for the barangay (village) and Sanggunian Kabataan [youth council] elections this October.
via [Inquirer.net]

I do hope people will use this day to register for the coming Barangay Elections on October 29, 2007.

*UPDATE* Sir Christopher Castillo (Intact Coordinator - ADSA) sent me an SMS a while ago (8:16 PM):

as of 6pm today, no classes on Fri for ADMU FRESHMEN due to the extended voters' reg. as of the same time, upperclassmen still have class on fri. -AdMU LS

Well if that is the case, I call it preposterous. How can the admin be sure that all those who are supposed to be registering on Friday are only Freshmen students and not members of the upperclass? What will they do about 17-year old sophomores or juniors or even seniors? Will there be a means of selecting the students? How about those who have failed to register last elections? Aren't those above 17 also eligible for the Barangay Elections?

*UPDATE No. 2* Marge Fulgueras of Partido Aguila sent me this YM message (8:36 PM):

According to VP Dr. Cuyegkeng, the PGMA proclamation about this Friday, 03 August (Voters' Registration Day) translates to *NO CLASS MEETING ONLY FOR OUR FRESHMEN* to allow them to register. Students 18 years of age & below in the UPPER YEAR LEVELS should not be given a cut if they don't come to your Friday class so that they can register . Although the Sanggu has been tasked to inform before Friday the freshmen & all students covered by the proclamation, please find a way (via your yahoogroups for example) to inform your freshman classes about this.-ADSA

Messy implementation! I have one question in mind - why? Does Proclamation 1345 only cover those below 18 or is the Ateneo just refusing to have two class days off within the same week?



Yesterday, I received a snail mail (one of the few I have ever received my entire life) from the Jesuit Vocation Promotions. They were inviting me to their Vocation Direction Program. Part of the program was assigning me to a Vocation Guide. I am very much open to having a guide. But the problem is, I am also participating in CMO's Spiritual Companioning Program (and RDL and Liturgical Guitar). Having two Spiritual guides would be redundant. Nonetheless, I am very happy that it isn't that difficult to find people who can help me in my discernment. There is much comfort in that.