SHORTCOMINGS OF THE CITIZENS

I feel sorry for majority of the Filipinos, which is the ordinary people because at this age of time, most of the Filipino people are still far from maturity to handle political, social, and national issues.   It is saddening to learn but we have to realize that the behaviour of people is still not grown up when it comes to sense of nationalism.  From time to time every now and then, we criticise on a certain national issue, flooding the social media with harsh reactions, and stage insurgencies in the street to show we’re proudly concerns and we love our country – this how we call patriotism, some have their own bet they want to support and are really even seeking dirty and negative news in the internet just to mock their own government,which is not helping but disrupting instead.

In politics for instance, there is no unity to anchor the path of the ship towards the advancement of national development of the country.   If it’s not our colleague, there are complaints popping out in every side and designing a plan on how to step forward, to steal the spotlight, to own the stage, to grab the microphone and do grandstanding. Every past administrations had lot of programs but cannot move forward because we do not support and we keep on opposing as sort of reprisal.  Worse still, there are people digging old dirty stuff to destroy a person in the government.  These acts are pre-empting the continuous growth of our country but we don’t care if it impedes the welfare of the country just to put down a certain persona whether or not it deters the best interest of the country.  I just think sometimes I cannot blame the leaders to appoint their closed allies just to run the ship smoothly and continuously.

In a developed country like America, we see them debating and answering the various issues and controversies throwing to the candidates during the election campaign period but after the election, they are all matured to accept the defeat, recognize the result and help whoever elected for the sake of their country.  They set aside their differences to start altogether and build their country, they are united to extend their all-out support to whoever wins the election – that’s how mature they are. Another example of matured citizen, we see in international news about the large demonstration in Hongkong mainland yet after the permitted time of rally, it is amazing to see how clean the place when the rallyist leave the place.  They just left the place as clean as before they used.  No garbage, no destruction of properties, no burglary – this how matured these rallyists are.  They just followed what are the restrictions in the permit.  In some incidents there could have minor clashes but overall, the demonstrations are so matured.

In Japan, the country is used to natural disasters like earthquake, tidal wave, nuclear explosion, flood, etc. but despite of these its peoples are known for their patience and dignity in times of crisis.  Amidst of crisis like these, we will see how disciplined the citizens are from children to olds.  Everybody is in queue patiently waiting.  When it is said buy in the grocery up to certain amount only, no question about that at least everybody can get and businessmen are not taking advantage in the price of basic needs.  Japanese people are not bursting out in anger and grievance nor blaming their government but just obey what is directed to them.  Nothing is violent to ask relief goods, stubborn saying the government is too slow, doing nothing or neglecting them.  They have high respect and trust to their government.  But when we look at ourselves in many incidents of calamities, how many times we see the prices of commodities are going up, complaint our government for not responding us as we want, even blaming for not teaching us to be ready and even yelling and fighting to get the relief goods?  It’s very third-world country.

In Saudi Arabia, what the King said people will follow. This and these given instances from USA, Hongkong and Japan are reflection of matured citizens that are far from our habituated characters.  These are so patriotic attitude of ordinary citizens that I wish we Filipinos can emulate as soon as possible. In other country, they support and believe whoever represents their country in international competitions no matter how other countries think of it while in our country, we underestimate our athletes in sports, criticize our entries in talent search, and bash our candidates in pageantry just right before sending them.  We are not patronizing our own and appreciate our government because we do not believe in ourselves which sink us behind even more.  We should support our government because who else will love and help the Philippines more than we Filipinos?

By Alex V. Villamayor

September 26, 2015

PASARING

Ang pagpaparinig o pagpapasaring ay isang pangkaraniwang ugali ng mga babae, kung ito man ay maging ugali ng isang lalaki ay masagwa ito para sa kanya dahil nakakabawas ito ng pagkalalaki at ng pagiging maginoo.  Anut-anuman, mapababae o mapalalaki man, ang pagpapasaring ay isang ugali na hindi kanais-nais dahil ito ay nagpapakita ng pag-aanyaya sa kaguluhan at pag-aaway – malakas na panghatak sa basag-ulo.  Hindi man ito masama na masasabing kasalanan ngunit nangangailangan ito ng kapaliwanagan kung paano ito mapapabuti.  Dapat na maunawaan na ang ugaling pagpaparinig ay taliwas sa minimithi natin na magpakabait at magpakatao.  May mga tao na mahilig magparinig, kapag mayroon silang gustong hingin o kaya’y kapag mayroon silang sinasaloob at dinaramdam sa ibang tao ay nagpaparinig sila.  Isang ugali ito na hindi maganda dahil ang magpasaring ay pagpapakita na kalakasan at paghahamon sa pagpukaw ng galit ng ibang tao.  Nangangahulugan agad ito na may mali sa pakikipag-kapwa-tao ang mga taong ganito.

Ngunit ano nga ba ang problema ng mga taong mapagparinig o ng mga mapagpasaring?  Kadalasan ang mga taong ganito ay nagpapapansin upang makakuha ng atensyon, papuri o simpatiya man.  Sa madaling salita ang problema sa kanila ay ang ugaling pagpapapansin.  Paraan ito ng pagasasabi ng gusto, hindi man diretsahan ngunit sa ganitong paraan ay nasasabi ng tao ang kanyang gustong masabi na hindi niya magawa ng direstsahan.  Maaaring mayroon ding takot kung kaya hindi kayang masabi ng diretso o maaaring paghahamon ng isang pagtatagisan ng pagsasalita man o ng pagbubunong-braso.  Kaya nga sa umpisa pa lamang ay hindi na ito magandang ugali dahil nagdudulot ito ng hindi kaaya-ayang kaganapan.

Para sa mga taong papansin, nagpapasaring o nagpaparinig, ang pinakamainam na gawin sa mga taong ganito ay ang pagbabale-wala sa kanyang mga sinasabi at sa mismong tao.  Dahil ang parinig o pasaring kapag hindi pinansin ay nagiging walang silbi o walang kwenta.  Sa taong gumagawa naman ng pagpaparinig ay nagmumukha lamang hangal na walang pumapansin at mistulang talunan na hindi nagawang makuha ang pansin ng pinaparinggan.  Kapag sa tuwing sila ay nagpapasaring nang walang pumapansin ay malalaman din nila na walang saysay ang kanilang pinaggaga-gawa.  Huwag ibigay ang atensiyon na gusto nila dahil ang atensiyon ay isang uri ng pagbibigay ng halaga sa isang tao o sa ginawa nito.  Dahil hindi nararapat na bigyan ng halaga ay maganda na hindi na lang bigyan ng pansin ang mga taong nagpapasaring dahil walang mas masasakit pa kaysa sa ipagkait na makuha ang kagustuhan.

Maliban na lamang kung ikaw ay balat-sibuyas, masasayang lamang ang pagsisikap ng mga taong mahilig magparinig.  Ngunit kung papansinin ang kanilang mga pasaring, naaabot lamang ng mga taong ito ang kanilang layunin at sila ang maituturing na nagtatagumpay.  Dahil dito ay nagiging inspirasyon ito sa kanila upang mas lumakas pa ang loob na ituloy ang ginagawa.  Kapag nakita nilang apektado ang kanilang pinapasaringan, habang nagsisikip ang kalooban ng isang tao dahil sa pagpapasaring na ginawa nila ay tagumpay at tinatawanan lamang nila ang nangyayari.  Ang kasabihang ang mapikon ay karaniwang talunan, iyun ka sa nangyayaring pagpupuyos ng kalooban dahil sa pasaring, ikaw na pumatol sa pasaring ang siyang talunan agad.  Dahil nga sa nalalaman nila na nagiging magaling sila sa pagpapasaring ay gagawin at gagawin pa rin nila ulit sa ibang tao.

Kung ikaw ang taong mahilig magpasaring, kailangan mo ng alisin ang ugaling ito para sa iyong katahimikan.  Dahil habang ikaw ay nasisiyahan sa pagpapasaring ay unti-unti mong inilalagay ang iyong sarili sa kapintasang nagpapalubog sa iyong pagkatao.  Masakit ang maturingang naging tao nga ay wala namang kaalamang magpakatao, nasabi mang nakikisalamuha ay hindi naman maganda o mababa ang uri ng kanyang pakikipagkapwa-tao.  Dahil sa aminin man natin o hindi, ang ugaling pagpapasaring ay ugali ng tulad sa walang aral, laking-kanto at kulang sa katinuan.

By Alex V. Villamayor

December 22, 2013

REMEMBERING MARCOS’ REGIME - Martial Law

This is the very first time I wrote a full article about former President Ferdinand E. Marcos’ dictatorship regime, just timed to coincide the declaration of Martial Law.  In the past I rather not to write categorically about the weaknesses of Marcos’ administration because either I am not a political writer or it is untimely – yet.  But with the coming out of paid ad and white propagandas that contradict to what revealed real stories, I feel I need to somehow express what’s on my mind and try to caution those who receive such propaganda who have no idea about martial law.  My worry is if everyone like me will keep passive, I may allow corrupting the young minds of today who have not given the chance to experience the Marcos regime while those elders will totally forget what have transpired in our life during those years.  I just pray those people known and friends to me who I may differ in politics will merely consider and respect this as personal view that will not take against me. Although hesitant at first but hoping the outcome of this writing may not cause someone’s reprisal in the future considering the dirty politics.

There is no doubt Marcos is so far, the greatest statesman that the Philippine politics ever had.  He has the brilliance to fill in the highest post in the land, an exemplary academic record that top notched his class, an experience that qualified him job, wisdom that heightened him to gracefully debate, ideology that made him respected, and authoritative personality that made him a leader.  But being the greatest doesn’t mean faultless, in fact Marcos regime had so many accountabilities and offences that he owed to the Filipino people from our generation to the next generations.  During his first regime, Philippines was the Tiger of Asia, second to powerful Japan.  But it has to remember that Marcos has just inherited the strong and robust economy of the Philippines from his predecessors.  From Magsaysay’s administration where Philippines was just liberated from America who enriched and blessed us up to Macapagal’s steadfast administration, the Philippines was practically rich just like America, making the peso almost equaled the dollar.  But when Marcos entered in his second term, this started the weakening of our economy, growing graft and corruption, rise of international debt, and increase of local unemployment that made the door open for overseas contract workers.  There was already rampant poverty that’s why Pope John Paul II warned Marcos regarding the obvious lavish lifestyle of the First Family and their cronies despite the happening poverty.  To cover the increasing poverty, Philippines loaned in IMF and World Bank to finance and to show various government projects such as CCP, Folk Arts Theater, Philippines Heart Centre, Kidney Centre, Lung Center, Manila International Airport, LRT, San Juanicho Bridge, etc. which should not be supposed the case if the country had dollar reserved skipping international debt.  From 2 pesos into 1 dollar, it ended in 30 pesos is to dollar just when he was exiled from the office.  Indeed, 20 years was remarkable with what goods he had done to our country except the martial law and abuse of power.

The proud claim of Marcos’ loyalist is the peace and order during its time which seemed to be true at first look but is actually in contrast because there were rampant crimes across the country that the existing martial law pre-empted them in the media controlled by government and ordinary people never able to know them.  There was nationwide censorship at its best, dictatorship at its finest, people only read the good news about the country but never the summary executions, political harassment, sequestration of wealth and properties, forced obedience, warrantless arrest, tortured, raped, genitals electrocution, life threat, and of course the known desaparecidos.  The terror wrapped the whole country in the iron fist that pointed to anyone who will object.  People were virtually afraid on the military because the military themselves were sowing terror.  The loyalist claim that there were no agitators, complaining and opposing may true because the military capture, abduct, or silence whoever attempted.  Peaceful if that what it call peaceful, but people has no choice but to follow and people are not disciplined but afraid. How can an ordinary citizen come out in open to complaint if he will be killed?  Human rights were clearly violated.  Most of these are undocumented and never sensationalized in headline because of the wide news blackout and censorship.  Merely the reasons why the leftish group (as NPA) has formed because of the corruption and tyranny of Marcos regime.  For twenty long years, Marcos ruled the country through several elections that guaranteed him to win as rigged.  His greatness makes him the best but the abuse of power makes his legacy a great failure.

In today’s power of social media, public relation and political advisers see it as potential tool to expose their version of story.  This is a free country anyway, what not written in the books, you can run to social media.  There are videos depicting the heroism of Ferdinand Marcos but can easily determine it’s from its camp when it is not merely not showing the greatness of the former president but it extremely reiterates and presents the imperfections, deformities and weaknesses of political opponents.  There is a video showing the long list of accomplishments of Marcos administration compare to the combined from his predecessors.  In theory, this should have not supposed the way it counted.  The total numbers of accomplishments against the number of years of Marcos regime is the average accomplishment to be compared to the next leaders, I believe this should be the count.  Twenty years under one leader is not possible but should be.  Imagine if each president after 1986 has same twenty years of terms, how much accomplishment could they have?  And then in another video is the claiming of zero massacres in the 20 years of dictatorship compare to each term of preceding presidents where each has accountabilities.  How can we expect to hear news about massacres during those 20 years while media is controlled by government?  And how can we compare these later massacres if they were not really schemed by the government unlike then?  While in other videos compare the killing of journalists in the succeeding administration, killing is not just limited to media men.  All in all, either way if tracked or not, there is no greater number of the combined massacres from the next administrations than massacring the whole nation by Marcos regime alone.

After Marcos regime, whoever takes the office will really take difficult time to put the anchor of the ship that Marcos held to suffering for a long time and left bankrupt.  This is how serious he’d done to our country.  There are just people who are charlatans saying life then is better than today, who severely taking advantage the freedom to criticize without fear, who are desperate to find peace and find the right man who can make our nation great once again which is used by the people behind these paid ad propagandas. If not for the democracy we restored, did they ever realize the freedom to criticize without fear they are enjoying today, that they will not able to do if there is still martial law today?  In our present time, call it mother of all poverties and corruptions that need to crush thru iron fist but not the way thru Martial law we used to have.  Martial law is good by the way but changed its connotation because of our history.   Having that dark era we had, never allow by all means all possible ways of coming back the same personalities into power again, never give the chance of the potential repeat of history by cutting off right away the possible root.  I have friends and colleague from Ilocos the bailiwick of former president.  I want to apologize if this may dismay and contradict to their faith.  I know how patriotic the Lakays are when it comes to Apo but I am sorry, this is my honest to goodness two-cents and I guess most of the Filipinos too.  I am not having say who is the best president but we will never like to go back again in that long, dark, fearful and dangerous years.

September 21, 2015

PAGPAPAPAYAT

Sa Pilipinas, nung mga taong 1990’s ay napanatili ko ang ideal weight ko na 143 lbs.  Nang makapag-abroad ako nuong 2000 hanggang 2007 ay nasustinihan ko ang timbang na ito.  Ngunit nagbago at bumigat ako sa pag-itan ng mga taong 2007 – 2010, umabot pa nga sa 74kilo ang pinakamabigat ko sa mga taon na iyun.  Sa kabila ng madalas kong pagpapapawis ay nahihirapan akong mapababa ang aking timbang at ibalik sa normal na 65 – 71 kilos.  Sa pagbabalik-gunita, sa Pilipinas pa lang ay mahilig na akong kumain ng mga gulay kaysa sa mga karne ng manok, baboy at baka.  Nagkataon pa na mabilis magsunog ng mga taba ang aking katawan at likas na pawisin kaya hindi ako naging tabain.  Sa aking mga unang taon sa ibang bansa, mag-isa akong nagluluto ng sarili kong pagkain.  Solo ako sa lahat mula sa pamamalengke hanggang sa pagliligpit ng kinainan.  Nagustuhan ko ang ganito dahil hawak ko ang oras ko at at nasusunod ko ang mga gusto ko.  Hanggang naisipan ko na sumama sa grupo ng pagkain nuong 2007.  At sa araw-araw na pagkain ng ibat-ibang mga luto ay nagsisimula na akong tumaba at bumigat nang hindi ko namamalayan dahil nalilibang ako sa saya ng pagkain ng may mga kasama.  Iba kasi ang mag-isa kang kumakain kaysa sa may mga kasabay ka.  At habang marami kaming kumakain ay napaparami rin ang kain ko na kadalasan ay hindi yung mga pagkain na dati kong kinakain.  Malayo sa paborito kong pinasingawang ng talbos ng kamote o kangkong, isinapaw na okra, at mga ibat-ibang luto ng gulay na walang ihinahalong karne.  Hanggang malaman ko na ang sukat ng aking cholesterol sa katawan ay malapit nang umabot sa limitasyon.  Hindi man sobra ngunit nakaka-alarma.

Taong 2010 iyun.  Ang alalahaning wala akong pera na ipangpapagamot sa sarili, ang takot ko na mahirap ang magkasakit, ang mawalan ako ng trabaho, at ang iniisip kong magiging abala ko sa mga mag-aalaga sa akin kapag nagkasakit ako ang siyang naging inspirasyon ko upang mag-udyok sa akin na alagaan ko ang aking katawan at kalusugan.  Ito ang nagsisilbing tagapagpaalaala ko kapag yung nahihirapan akong magpigil sa paghahanap ng masasaarap na pagkain, yung kapag gusto kong sumuko at magpatalo sa tukso ng masasarap at saya ng pagkain ng maraming kasama.  Nagsimula akong bumalik sa dati.  Nuong 2010 ay muli akong nagsimula na magsolo sa pagluluto at pagkain.  Kailangan kong gawin ito dahil hanggang naririyan ang mga pagkaing dati kong hindi kinakain, magtutuloy-tuloy ang aking pagbigat at tuluyang tataas ang bilang ng aking cholesterol at asukal sa katawan.  Mahirap ang mga unang linggo, ang isang buwan at dalawang buwan.  Ngunit nang makaabot ako ng tatlong buwan ay naramdaman ko na ang kakayahan ko at nalaman ko na ang galaw ng aking bituka.  Napatanuyan ko na kapag nasanay na ang ating bituka sa sukat ng ating kinakain, kahit ituri man itong kaunti ay hindi tayo makakaramdam ng gutom bastat tama ang ating kinakain.  Hindi man kasing bigat ng karne ng manok ang tinapay ay kasing dami naman niyon ang sustansiyang nagpapalakas sa atin sa loob ng maghapon at magdamag.   Sa tuloy-tuloy na dedikasyon at disiplina, napakalaki ng pagbabago sa akin.  Mula sa timbang na 74 ay naibaba ko ito sa 67 sa loob ng tatlong buwan.  At nang lumaon ay naging pagsubok sa akin ang tukso nang hindi ako makaramdam ng panghihinayang kapag mayroong kumakain ng masasarap sa tabi ko.

Marami ang nagsasabi na baka daw masobrahan ako, baka daw makasama ang ginagawa kong pagpigil sa pagkain, baka daw tinitipid ko lang ang aking sarili.  Ang sabi ko, hindi ako lumalampas sa sukatan ng aking tamang timbang, at ito ako kahit nuon pang sa Pilipinas ako nagtratrabaho.  Ang naging panuntunan ko nuong mga oras na iyon sa sinasabi ng ibang tao na baka mali ang ginagawa ko, sinabi ko lang sa sarili ko na hanggang kumakain ako ng tatlong beses sa isang araw at basta’t ang kinakain ko ay yung mga tamang pagkahin ay hindi ako mapapahamak.  Ang mali kasi sa iba sa atin ay kapag nakaramdam ng gutom ay pagkain agad ang unang iniisip.  Makakain lang naman sa umagahan, tanghalian at hapunan ay tama na ang mga ito at hindi na tayo malilipasan ng gutom.  Maaaring nasa isip lang natin ang gutom.  Ang gantimpala ko sa lahat ng ito?  Isa ako sa mga kasing edad ko na walang minimintinang gamot sa katawan at walang iniinom na bitamina na pampalakas at pangdagdag sa kinakain.

Ni Alex V. Villamayor

September 17, 2015

EARNING MONEY

I’ve already turned down so many opportunities to join in any pyramiding scheme way back in the 1990’s when networking became popular in business world.  Until today, personally I do not join any business as such be it online or not.  I am simply not interested in the nature of pyramiding that if I want to earn I need to establish a network by bringing new members.   Sales talk is one of my weaknesses and to go on top of the pyramid I have to be good in this field.  That’s one of the reasons why I have no instant interest in this business.  Then another thing, I am not easily tempted in easy money or instant money job.  I always believe that I have to work hard for my success.  There is no instant and overnight success.  I’m not speaking too soon to say there is monkey business in pyramiding – no, it’s unfair to accuse immediately because there are really legitimate opportunities in pyramid businesses.  I am just trained in persistence and patience even it may take long time.  But to say to become millionaire in a short period of time and in easy way, maybe you need to pause for a while and be cautious.  Bear the pain of long diligence because it is even more painful to learn later that you were scammed.

Just to hear them, many mean and harsh words have been said about pyramiding and networking. Although there should nothing really supposed to be fault but our impression has changed and redefined them due to the trauma they imparted to the people.  In many times I am not giving my personal opinion about pyramiding or networking because I have some friends who are into it whom I do not want to offend with my opposite personal view.  But just on this time that I feel the responsibility, just for once I will give this story as a writer who wishes to send message to his readers.  Pyramiding and networking are actually good that only become wrong when there is scam involved.  When there are promises that seem to be too good to be true, when there is a required recruitment of new members and when there is involved payment without the tangible products or obvious services except the guaranteed return – undeniably it’s pyramiding and networking.  I am not presuming to speak they are bogus and it’s premature to say scam but for sure it is networking because the very nature of it is pyramiding itself.

When the return of investment is so lucrative, have a little amount of doubt for the sake of being cautious.  This is the classic sample of pyramid scam. In our time of internet and social media, you could be fending off offer chances to make easy money even by barely working from the comfort on your own home.  And in this age of computer, scammers become trickier and even high tech too to watch their prey, be careful if you are already dealing with them.  There are several distinguishing signs to identify scam.  Like when there is a required certain amount regardless of any amount as joining fee, as soon as you paid it’s gone, it’s same as paying to fly by night operation.  Or if to become a member you were forced to purchase a certain product, if you were required to recruit other than selling product, if there is no really actual selling of product but focusing only in recruiting investors, if there is a promise of lucrative return of investment, and lastly which is the most accurate is that if the business to operate is not registered in government agencies which means they are not allowed to take money, then you should be wary and avoid them at all costs because something smells fishy here. 

Actually, the most apparent sign to at least doubt, if not to determine is if there is a promise of fast and high returns to the investors that is something too good to be true, then use your common sense and remember the old cliché.  What the heck business that will give an impossible more than 100% profit in an easy way?  Do not let greed hook you and lure you with the nice words persuading that you deserved to become rich.  Scammers will do all means to make you believe, will provide even witnesses to testify the truth or they will show proof such as properties, savings account, and etcetera but no matter how many witnesses and proof they bring, just stick to only one important thing: check their legitimacy in government agencies. It’s none of my business if people want to earn a living, but if their instinct and way on how to earn is by taking advantage other people, then this is where I am writing and criticizing the pyramiding and networking.  Our desire to earn for better life drives us to make business but invest your hard-earned money wisely.  Always be on the right track, transact with legal business.

By Alex V. Villamayor

September 14, 2015

THE GROWING POPULATION

The world population is practically increasing, the number of people on the planet is soaring more than seven billion now.  There are several significant reasons of the rapid population explosion.  Specially those most populous countries, they have the remarkable contribution in the rapid growth of human populace. Probability theory effects, it indicates that the more probability of having more people is the more certain birth will occur.  In a developing country like Philippines, the rate of population is significantly increasing due to religion influence, lack of information, lack of education, and yes poverty.

Roman Catholic as the predominant religion in the country has the great influence that plays a pivotal role in raising a family from inculcating the moral values to the children up to the decision of family planning method.  Believing in the doctrine of procreation and multiplication, Filipino families who are devoted Catholic are religiously following in this teaching.  Religion is tough to oppose.  As it is being said “be fruitful, multiply and fill the earth”, this scripture has a great impact in the flock of Catholicism.  And since the early times, marriage has been always regarded as procreation.  Since Catholic is dedicated supporter of pro-life, all means of artificial contraceptives are then mortal sins and unacceptable.  With this conservative mindset, there will be no way but to grow the population until explode.  Aside from powerful religion that fed the mankind with the faith that humanity has the God-given right to hold dominion over the earth, poverty is one of the important reasons of population explosion.  Others could be the premarital sex, teenage pregnancies, young marriages, and lack of information.

The result of over population and government unpreparedness to address the increasing inhabitants lead to nationwide poverty.  There is lack of information that transmitted to people and the programs of the government do not reach to the places.  Education denied the poor to comprehend.  Those who are poor are those who have growing number of children because they are lacking in information, education and means to control family planning.  Rich or poor, they have both same sexual needs but while the affluent has the means to afford birth control the deprived will instead use the amount in their immediate needs like rice and can goods.  True, the government is offering free contraceptive like pills, condom and even vasectomy or tubal litigation but most people in the poor sector preferred to refuse because of the mindset unlikeable side effects.  Or these people would choose to work as need, attend the children and the mounting household chores rather than going to interrupting clinic.   The marginalized poor are just either misinformed to see family planning scheme or uneducated to understand the importance of family planning.   Or simply poorer families especially those in rural areas often have less access to government family planning services.  All of these are because of poverty, facts that it is one of the culprits of population boom.

Poverty constraint the family in sending their children in school, out of school youth deprive them to get  knowledge and information, and turn some of them from early relationship to premarital sex and eventually teenage pregnancies.  The law of demand and supply takes place and population has just puts hard pressure on resources for both government and its people.  At risk are the capita income, foods, education, medical aid, sanitation, space and natural resources like water, land and minerals.  While the developed countries and responsible families are trying their best effort in limiting their family to one child or two as maximum, the developing countries and uneducated couples lose the sense of this effort by leading the greater part of population.  The desire for more than two children will remain an obstacle and it will remain a cautionary threat in rapid increase rate of population.  If it can’t stop poverty, we’ll all suffer.

By Alex V. Villamayor

September 11, 2015

REVIEWING THE BBL

The Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is a law that will establish a new autonomous region to replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).  This law will provide the basic structure of government for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and will enact the agreements set forth in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, which is the peace agreement signed between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.  BBL is an autonomous political entity.

I appreciate the intention of BBL which is to come up with a lasting solution in search for peace in Mindanao.  So much have been transpired, many have been laid down their lives and shed blood in this warzone in the Philippines.  It’s high time to stop that something must be done and BBL is here to end these nonsense killings.  Watching the news and reading the primer of the draft, BBL promises the exhilarating welfare of Mindanao particularly the group of Moros in exchange of ensuring to attain the long elusive peace.  Fine, I believe nothing can match any amount of money for the sake of peace especially if long overdue.

But there are scuttlebutt behind this rushing and railroading proposed bill.  Most of the people are actually clueless that need an in-depth understanding about BBL, apart from the needed clarification for the unconfirmed reports of hidden agenda behind the railroading of this law.  And giving my reaction to that, I want to say compromising the sovereignty and interest of the whole country and profiting of some few should not ever allow.  All doubts and the allegedly vested interest of some few must be convincingly faded and what should prevail instead is the general interest of the country and not those some few.

BBL empowers the entity over the state to build their own domain by any means, as in the government is submitting the group of Moro to BBL.  Giving this full authority is backing up the ultimate ideology of Moros to determine their own future.   But it has to be reminded that the region is not solely for Moros.  Mindanao is comprised of other ethnic groups who have their own culture, faith, arts and history.  It will be discriminating for other non-Muslim minority groups like Tausugs, Maranaws, Yakans, Maguinadanaoans and others whose importance were neglected.  BBL centers in Moros that non-Muslims have to give up under one flag.  The Moro with the participation of neighboring country who has outstanding territorial issue, I am afraid that BBL will turn like getting own dose of medicine.

In lieu of the resources, enclosing in the draft law is the distribution of revenues generated from natural resources.  In the representation of the percentage of share, BBL favors more power over the state on the unfair distribution of revenue.  Larger amount of division of wealth goes to BBL which I think imbalanced for the state.  I think any resources within the territories of the Philippines belong to the state and that any generating revenue from it should prioritize to go to government fund.  The whole Mindanao is part of Philippines, part of it can be autonomous but should always part of the republic and anything that in relation should always favor in the best interest of the Philippines.

Everybody wants peace but our heartfelt desire to attain peace must still be bounded with constitutionality.  Mindanao is very promising land, like other travel trotter, I want to go to different places of Mindanao and see the wonders of this majestic place but there is always fear in me because of the ill-reputed impression from infamous news about Mindanao, making anyone like me afraid in own country. I want the turmoil in Mindanao to put end and finally restore the peace in the land but if by means of the current form of BBL, I would say no primarily because of three things:  it empowers selective group only, it favors over the state on the distribution of revenue, and it neglects the interest of the other minority ethnic groups. I want peace for Mindanao but there is a need to amend BBL into an acceptable form.

By Alex V. Villamayor

September 8, 2015