Ang salitang "paalam," ay maharil mahirap sambitin sa mga taong mahalaga sa atin. Ito man ay isang minamahal, miyembro ng pamilya, o isang matalik na kaibigan. Mayroong nagsabi na “kung ang pagtatapos ay nangangahulugan ng panibagon simulain, bakit ang pamamaalam ay napakahirap sambitin?” Sa tuwing darating tayo sa situwasyon na kailangan nang mamaalam sa isa’t isa, parating nandiyan ang takot at kaba. Kaba at takot na baka ito na ang inyong huling paguusap, at marahil ay hindi mo na siya muling makita.

I suddenly missed this song. The title of this song is "Bad Day" and it is by Daniel Powter, a Canadian Grammy Award-nominated recording artist. The song was first released in Europe in mid-2005 as the Powter's first single from his debut album.

I like this song because it explains life well. It is a kind of song that applies to and is relevant to almost everyone.

You feel useless. You think you are stupid. You want to cry and you want to scream.

Bad days, at times, are really bound to happen. However, there is always tomorrow, so just keep your hopes up.

It is my holiday today! Well, sort of. August 8.

With all the hardships and trials that I have experienced in the past years of my life I must have matured to the next level to understand better what life really means. As I am reflecting about the years that have passed, having faced a lot of adversities, walked amidst many misfortunes, and endured so much agonies, I feel that someone has been here with me to guard me, defend me, and protect me all along. I never thought that I would be so strong, so brave, and so smart to withstand all of those. I never thought that I would be THE MAN.

The experience I had in the past were only a preparation for the next, and the next begins today, and it stops in eternity. This serves, for me, as a call for a continuing search for life’s purpose. As I begin my journey towards the next level, I know that the road would be tough and the water turbulent. Life is not a bed of roses; in fact, it may be the other way around. Encountering more problems, more difficulties, and more pains is very foreseeable. Nevertheless, even though demise would come, I know that I can always make them positive. As the saying goes, there is always a choice in times affliction. It is always either we choose to be submerged in depression, or choose to take advantage of the situation to become a better person.

I personally have not yet truly understand the reason why I exist, but I have discovered some secrets to life which I may share. Take advantage of all the situations in your life. Treat every hardship as an opportunity to equip yourself with the necessary learning on how to get on with life. Pray – pray for God’s help and guidance. Lastly, be on guard at all times.

As I actualize myself, I hope to build more bridges instead of burning them, to remain a positive impact to others, and to live a more meaningful life.

Lord, to you alone I surrender. To you alone I dedicate my life’s purpose. I love you. Bless me on my birthday.

I together with other eight intellectuals of our High School Editorial Team were chosen by our adviser to represent our school, Don Bosco in a seminar-conference on journalism yesterday, July 10, 2009. This seminar-conference was conducted inside the old meeting hall of the mayor of Mandaluyong City, at the 4th floor of the old building in Maysilo Circle.

Only three big schools: Don Bosco, La Salle, and Lourdes, were invited to participate in the said seminar-conference; the rest, if not public, were semi-private schools. Though, La Salle and Lourdes did not send their representatives. Perhaps they do not consider gaining from a free seminar on journalism. Right.

The speaker was Albert Almendralejo. He began his journalism career as a contributor of the school organ of San Beda College. On account of that, he became the student council president of the said college. This exposed him in the task of event-organizing and engaging more with different people which means more writing. Some works he handled were the Guinness successful Colgate Lovapalooza where more than 6000 lovers kissed simultaneously for at least 10 seconds, and Bakal Boys (Children Metal Divers): an indie film featuring the lives of unfortunate children in Baseco, Tondo scavenging iron and metal scraps in the dark, muddy waters of Manila Bay. Almendralejo has a degree in Management but, apparently, he is reaching higher in the field of media.

Almendralejo taught us how to capture readers for our articles and how we can reach out to other people as journalists. He just said that our articles must be related to the readers' interests and we could help the disregarded members of our community by addressing in our works their situations and needs. I would not elaborate this for now.

We were expecting three speakers that day but unfortunately only one of them was able to come. We just spent the remaining time of the course with a series of exchange of ideas.

After the course, we were stranded in the City Hall because it was raining and the roads around were already submerged in water. Our adviser called to school to send us a service so we could go back there but since it was already past five, the head of our department had already left the school. We had no choice but to brave the deep flood and the heavy rain.

Getting stuck somewhat gave way for us to bond with one another, which was a good thing. One of them told me some good remarks, and I was happy because I had the chance to show my kindness by giving back to him the favor. Through our conversations, I learned some new great things about them.

Going home, I had to ride a pedal-operated tricycle to cross the sunken road. I asked the driver to drop me to the near gasoline station where I could wait for a jeepney. Jeepneys were quickly filled by other waiting passengers. Just about after eight jeepneys I was able to roll up. Nevertheless, I consider myself lucky because I had three schoolmate-friends inside the jeep. They told me they were from McDo, and they asked me why I was wet and where I was from. I told them what happened, that we were jammed in YJAM (Youth Journalist Association of Mandaluyong).

All in all, it was a memorable day for me. A simple yet an enjoyable adventure.

It is June, and it is almost July again, mean to say we are halfway through the new year again. For this entry, I will let you make a review on the several commitments I made last New Year. I described them in my blog as the easy things that we often forget to do that we are supposed to. Have they been really easy for me to do? Have I been able to accomplish them, or at least some of them? Well, let's find out through this re-post of my New Year's resolutions. The bold-faced sentences are the ones that I have accomplished.

I still have 6 months left, and I hope to accomplish more with God's help within that period of time. LOL. I will purpose in my heart to accomplish them and make them a habit.

"He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." (Matthew 6:33)

That's all for today's blogging.

Filipinos used to be like puppets on strings that were controlled by the Spanish rulers. They were obedient to each orders imposed to them without even knowing its actual purpose. They were ignorant and innocent to the injustices that were being done to them. Some even tried to be like the Spanish colonists in their thoughts, feelings, and approach in life, which sequentially ended in transforming their entire characters to new beings by acquiring even the culture and traditions of their exploiters. (This describes how colonial mentality works in the Philippines. Do you still remember Doña Victorina – the Filipina native in Noli Me Tangere who tried dreadfully to look like an Española?) To cut a long story short, the Filipinos were a depiction of a nation with a mesmerized and spellbound will.

These and more happened because we were deprived by our colonizers of our right to be educated in our own country, to be well-informed. They did that for the reason that they did not want us to see and realize the exploitation, oppression, and the abuse that they were doing in our country.

On the friar’s aim of obscuring Rizal’s message from the Filipinos, making them difficult to understand for the Filipinos (get how they’re making us idiots?), Jose Rizal cautiously instructed everyone who had received his novels, letters, and other compositions to preserve them so it could do its purpose and act as a sender of his message to the future generation. On Rizal’s manifesto written on December 15, 1896 (Manifesto to Certain Filipinos), he declared that education is important because through it and our supplementary effort, we may acquire a personality of our own, identity of our own, and this would make us worthy of the liberty that we are enjoying this day.

The youth as the fair hope of the motherland. This is Rizal’s vision for the youth.

The youth are advocates of idealism. Dreams, hopes, desires, and goals are more evidently expressed by the youth. That could be why Rizal depended very much on the youth. He believed that the youth is the key towards a great country. He also believed in education for the youth. In fact, a number of his letters, novels, poems, and even his manifesto mostly emphasize education. He believed that we can achieve unity and progress through education.

May the Philippines continue to bear heroic and daring youth, steadfast in eradicating the wrong ideas but opens himself to the steadfastness of his great mind, vigilant against deprivations of truth, justice and freedom. Belated Happy Independence Day!

P.S. Nevertheless, really, what is Colonial Mentality? – We have been hearing about it since we were young. It is the despised wicked mentality of Filipinos we have discussed in our HEKASI, along with Mañana Habit, Crab Mentality, and Ningas Cogon. Colonial Mentality, according to Wikipedia, is a concept that refers to the acceptance, by the colonized, of the culture of the colonizer.

It is funny that most of the people who went there were only up to the dog tags and not really to rally for a change in our country. Littering, swearing, etc. were so widespread during the event. 40,000 people present? If not for the dog tag, for the concert? We Filipinos are too eager to make a change, yet we are too lazy and selfish to do so.

DOG TAG YOU WANT? - NO THANKS, I'M NOT A DOG.

The best place to start change is within each one of us; the essence of the advocacy. AKO MISMO actually reminds us that we can; there is hope for change and progress in our country.

Thank you to Mr. Juan Step for the inspiration to write.

In every street corner, the spirit of the Lenten Season can be felt. Everywhere, there are processions in the streets, and the churches are always filled with devout pilgrims. The traditional Pasyong Mahal echoes along the road as it mingles with prayers from the elders. Indeed, the scene is altogether divine and serene.

April 6, just a few days away from the Lenten Holidays, Mary decided to visit a toy store to buy gifts for her twins. She is a single mother – annulled, that is. But you can never see any traces of regret or pain from her face. A sweet smile never faded from her lips and she always looks pleasant in every hour of the day.

She has two daughters – Angela and Angelique, both five years of age. She called them her sweet little angels for they were God’s most precious gift to her. They were born on April 12, which falls on the year’s Easter Sunday. They were the ones who keep her coming back to the toy store whenever she wanted to buy some gifts.

After she bagged off and punched her time card, she rushed towards her car with the hopes to shun the traffic jam on the road. But as a rule, it took her an hour before she reached the store. Thanks to the heavy traffic.

Inside, the store was utterly crowded. Here and there, she saw a throng of buyers searching for the right stuff to choose. She glanced at cashiers and they all seemed to her as though they would get sick, for the customers’ line appeared to have no end at all. She smiled, shook her head and headed to the doll section.

When she reached the doll section, she looked for the nice dolls to buy. It was not really difficult to choose, for her angels have always loved the presents she gave them. But what had really interrupted her concentration was the noise from behind her. There were two voices arguing – one from an adult female, and the other was from a little boy.

“I told you dear,” said the female voice gently. “You can’t buy the doll. Your money isn’t enough.”

“But I want it, Aunt Martha,” begged the boy.

“Well you can’t have it,” replied his aunt. “Now, stay here, and I’ll go to check on your cousin.” Then she headed off and left the boy.

At this time, Mary turned around and saw the boy, holding the doll and caressing it with his tiny hands.

“Is there a problem?” Mary asked smiling.

“Yes,” replied the boy sadly. “My sister loved this doll and always wished to have it as a gift to her. But my parents never had a chance to buy this for they’ve died from a car accident. And now, my aunt told me that my sister just went to join my parents. She passed away this afternoon because of dengue, so I have to buy this doll myself and tell Jesus to take it to her. My aunt told me that Jesus is going back to heaven on Sunday, the Easter. I knew she’d love it if she finds out it came from me. She loves me so much and I love her too dearly.”

When Mary heard the boy’s tale, she reached her pocket and took some bills into her hands.
“Hey,” she said softly as she took the boy’s hands. “Let’s pray and ask Jesus to give you enough money so you could buy that doll, okay?” The boy nodded in reply.

At length, she let go of the boy’s hands as she carefully slid the money into the child’s palms. The boy was delighted to see the amount which he was holding, so he let out a smile and thanked her.

“Now,” Mary whispered, “if someone asked you where it came from, tell them an angel gave it to you, okay?” Then she left the place after picking the dolls for her twins. Mary smiled and decided to head off.

Easter Sunday came. Mary was shocked by the news she had read on the news paper. It said that a boy was shot in the chest by a drunken irresponsible gun owner last Black Saturday night, and has a fifty-fifty chance to survive. Out of curiosity, she decided to visit the room that the paper had indicated.

“Surely,” Mary said to herself, “this has nothing to do with the boy I met last night,” then she drove off.

When she arrived at the room, no one was there. Mary was told that the patient in the room had just passed away and was taken to the morgue. Quickly she went to see the boy’s corpse, and she burst into tears when she saw the boy. Mary walked closer and saw the doll was beside him. Then she noticed a piece of paper which was glued on the box of the doll. There were writings on it, and it read:

Dear Jesus,

Please give this doll to my sister when you go to heaven; because if you don’t, I will go there and give it to her myself.

Love, Michael

“Many a man curses the rain that falls upon his head, and knows that it brings abundance to drive away hunger.” – St. Basil

(The following story is my adaptation of the story from the homily of Fr. Eli Cruz, SDB, and from the article by Fr. Armand Robleza, SDB on CodeRED)

Mikey was a lovely raindrop up in the sky. One day, he looked at the clouds and said, “How beautiful it is to stay in this sky. I sparkle like a diamond in the sun. I am pure as the angels without the dirt of the earth. From the sky I can see the whole world. The universe is mine.”

Until the Great Spirit, one day, approaches him, “Mikey, fall down into the earth!”

Mikey replied, “What? Are you serious? Fall down to the earth and die?”

But the Great Spirit came in with assuring words, “Yes. If you drop down, the earth will swallow you; but the rice will grow, the farmers will have something to harvest, and the children will have something to play around.”

Mikey, knows no longer what to do, spoke softly, “You want me to die?” The Great Spirit became silent, and Mikey became very silent too.

The morning came and the fields were greener. The grasses were all satisfied from their thirst. It must have rained the previous night.

Mikey, in spite of so many issues that were being thrown at him, he ran… for student council president. He was no longer afraid to dive into the unknown. He got out of his comfort zone. He took a great leap of faith. He hoped to amplify the use of his gifts, and dared to become more.

“Get away from your comfort zone. Fall down from that abundant and lavish life!”

Jesus said according to Matthew, “Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

So often, life seems to be filled with so much huge paradoxes. You have to fall in order for you to rise once more. You have to go down that you may go off yet again. You have to die… for you to live all over again. I realized it would only seem so until we have finally fully understood His way. He said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways are my ways.”

"You cannot fly a kite unless you go against the wind and have a weight to keep it from turning somersaults. The same with man; No man will succeed unless he is ready to face and overcome difficulties and is prepared to assume responsibilities" - William J. H. Boetcker

Diamonds are created under pressures of the earth. They are produced more or less a hundred miles below the ground where pressures are five times higher than on the surface, and where temperature is hot enough to dissolve iron. With carbon exposed to such conditions, the circumstances are perfect to transform carbon into a diamond.

In the same way as the diamonds are formed, true leaders also emerge under pressure. Situations force true leader to the surface. Similar to the diamonds, they erupt when situations require strong leadership. Carbon is everywhere, charcoal and graphite abound; but diamonds are few, just like true leaders are rare.

Pardon me for saying this, but in life, shit really happens. Harsh words could be spoken to you, criticism could be whispered, and conflicts could happen; but how you face and handle these pressures will measure your ability to make a difference… to be a leader.

“Circumstances play a vital role in the development of an individual; the more severe the circumstances, the higher the chances of an ordinary person to become an extraordinary leader.” – Branimir Schubert

These are the songs that I listen to whenever I am in deep doubts, confusion, or seemingly endless problems, or sometimes when I just need some inspiration. Since the Season of Lent began this year, these are the songs I have been listening to.

You Are Loved, Don't Give Up by Josh Groban
The message of this song is very simple, yet very strong. This song tells us to carry on despite our adversities in life. If you are a spiritual person, while listening to this song, you could even imagine that God is the one singing to you, “they are mere adversities, don’t give up, I love you.”

Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson
Anyone who has a desire to find himself, or passion to break free and explore the world could certainly relate to this song. It tells us not to be afraid to try new things, and strive hard till we reach our goals.

Power of the Dream by Celine Dion
This song sends out a very important message: everything started with a dream; all our achievements, undertakings, and endeavors. This song tells us to be brave to chase our dreams, and never get tired until they totally manifest themselves.

Warrior is a Child by Gary Valenciano
This song represents my life perfectly, and it really touches my soul when I listen to it. Even though I appear strong, I think I am vulnerable. Oftentimes, I cheat the world with smiles and laughter, although deep within is a devastated individual. This song reminds us to surrender all our failures to God. He will always be there to pick us up.

Who Am I by Casting Crowns
It is embarrassing to realize that sometimes, we only remember to call on Him when we are in trouble, or we are in need; what is even more embarrassing is that most of the time, they just consist of complaints, abhorrence, and disapprovals like we can do better than Him. This song is a wonderful reminder to us that God loves us so, and care for us. God is so good that in spite of all our failures, mistakes, sins, weaknesses and shortcomings, He still accepts us and helps us to endure, overcome them, and improve. Let us exert ourselves to get to know Him also as He deserves.