Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Philippines a Century Hence: Another point of view of another aspiring Filipina

Probably ten or so years from now when supposed I would be living in another country and would be truly successful I would look at the Philippines and think about her. Do I still want to come back or not? Thinking about that issue I probably would remember that once upon a time during my crazy college days I took a subject called PI 100. Remembering so many things I learned from it, with all honesty, I may consider going back to that country and just become a Filipino once again no matter what that statement would mean. I hope that by that time if the Philippines will be in such a mess I would want to be a Filipino because I want to help my country get better or if the Philippines would be a prestigious country then I would become a Filipino because I’m proud of it.

Unlike Rizal I have no intention of become a clairvoyant. In his article “Philippines a century hence” it appeared that Rizal is a clairvoyant having such ideas of what the future is and becoming quite right about what he is saying. Rizal in some of his works had showed how much he cares about the future. In his diary he had already dreamt about his death during a rather odd night. In Philippines a century hence he is saying things that might happen to Philippines and some of the countries. In his novel El Filibusterismo he is thinking of what this fight should be and is suggesting of a revolution as an answer to it all. Again El Fili is his work for the future. He might not be saying things about computers, or playstations or internet that would probably make him look like a crazy fortune teller but at some point he seems to look like a fortune teller –an intelligent one.

Roman numeral number one talked about the past. He writes things about religion and stuff like that. Here he is actually interpreting how the Philippines had lost its legitimate civilization. Filipinos become enticed with what the foreigners could offer. She forgot about her religion, her lifestyle and her original form. Because of these foreigners she forgot about her freedom and slowly she even forgot about herself as the time goes by. Colonization is not the act of giving a civilization to those barbarians but rather it is the decline of the national spirit of the ones colonized. Even until today the Filipinos are still more interested in foreign bodies. They would rather have relationships with foreigners rather than Filipinos. They would rather buy an imported item than a “tatak pinoy”. They would rather praise other countries than their own. There may be a few who still go out in the open and declare their love for the motherland in their day to day life but most of the Filipinos I see now do not have the right to be called Filipinos.

Rizal also talked about in the first part about the efforts of the 19th century intellectuals, where he was one of them, on rescuing the country from decline and fall. They have enough ideas and love for their country to be called heroes but since what they are doing back then does not made the Philippines free it was as if it was all futile. Like now, there are some Filipinos who have the potential of a hero but most of the people around him would not dare recognize this and even put the flame of nationality out. It was like they are trying their best to pour water over the flame so that it would die out and the person would be like them –always searching for a light that they think could only be found in other countries. But the light is already inside our country and it is very near to us. We just have some trouble looking for it because we are putting it out slowly!

If everyone would just let the flame burn then the whole country might light up and outshine other countries. But then again... that is somewhat like a dream... so it seems.

Roman numeral number two investigates the Philippines’ status quo. It was the Philippines during Rizal present time. Like that what Simoun suggested in the Bapor Tabo that the Filipinos should be given more work and suffering. It might be because once the Filipinos reached their certain boiling point they would finally realize that they cannot take it anymore and just fight for their freedom. I think it is a nature of some people that they would just become martyrs and take and take all of it thinking that someday it would be better without even doing anything to make it better. And once these kinds of people snapped there would be chaos.

The uprising of an entire nation would just bring one thing and that is violence. If people would fight it is expected that lives would be lost, properties would be damaged and normal everyday living would not be normal. But if this is the only way to make things better then so be it. However, not everyone is thinking that fighting is a solution. To some people fighting and dying in fight is the noblest thing to do. It is an honor to die fighting. Surrender and lost is such an embarrassment to the point that they would rather kill themselves than to succumb under another flag.

However like I said there are other people who believe that there is another way. Because for them life is important and every life should be saved. Death in the battlefield is just wasting your life without even knowing what your death could mean. In this part, Rizal seemed to hesitate probably because he did not want too much bloodshed. Because of this some people would think that Rizal is a coward. But he isn’t he just thinks that life is important and a blood bath is unnecessary.

The next Roman numeral talked about reforms. Rizal is a reformist, like what almost everyone thinks about him. This part showed him that he is at some point a reformist. If a war will not solve anything then let’s just make reforms. It is a peaceful and logical way. It is these intellectuals that think like these. Somehow it makes sense I mean people are logical creatures, since that is what separates us from animals, that maybe we can just talk things out to make them better. Humans are bounded by their laws and with these laws we can change the world. Humans are capable of thinking of ways can help him in making his life more comfortable and by putting it into black and white the word can be eternal. It is something that even as time passes by the people could still see it. Like what Rizal did in his novels. He might knew that he would die someday since everyone dies somehow so he made sure that he would leave something behind. Again, Rizal is thinking about the future. Because of all the things he left behind the people of the future became aware that someone as brave, as intelligent and as controversial as him existed. For him he might’ve done that on purpose because he did not want to be forgotten as the years go by.

Like I was saying the third part talked about reforms. He listed reforms. There can be a way that we can acquire freedom without wasting so many lives. And that is probably what he wanted.

The last Roman numeral is where he takes a world historical view. He is talking about more counties here and how their co-existence in this world would affect one another. It is the role of the Philippines to its neighbouring country and to Spain. It is also about Spain and the countries that she wanted for herself. Somehow this is the future part of the article. In here he was suggesting of what things to come may be. Of what would be of China, Japan etc.

Philippines a century from now... what kind of Philippines would it be? Would it still exist in the map the first place? Will its territory be bigger or smaller or non-existent? Will the people there suffer or be in bliss. I am not a fortune teller that could foresee of what things to come will be but I don’t know I still think that the Philippines would still exist a century from now. The people living in it will still be called Filipinos and the people there would be contented with what they have with a sense of being competitive when it comes to International market.

I just hope what I think is right for maybe some years after when I am already successful I shall visit the Philippines with a smiling face or who knows maybe I do not need to leave the Philippines in the first place.


>>>
This is my essay for my class Philippine Institutions 100...ehehehe

Saturday, March 15, 2008

The Passionate Shepherd to his Love

The Passionate Shepherd to his Love



Come live with me and be my love,

And we will all the pleasures prove,

That valleys, grives, hills and fields,

Woods, or steepy mountain yields.



And we will sit upon the rocks,

Seeing shepherd feed their flocks,

By shallow rivers, to whose falls,

Melodious birds singing madrigals.



And I will make thee beds of roses,

And a thousand fragrant posies

A cap of flowers and a kirtle

Emroider'd all with leaves if myrtle.



A gown made of the finest woll,

Which from our pretty lambs we pull;

With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and ivy buds

With corals clasps and amber studs;

And if these pleasures may thee move;

Come like with me and be my love.



The shepherd swains shall dance and sing

For thy delight each May morning;

If these delights thy mind may move,

Then live with me and be my love.



---Christopher Marlowe

Just a quote



How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;

-Alexander Pope

This quote was also used in the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".

Monday, March 10, 2008

Just last night...

I just read the blog of one of my beloved teachers in CMSC... and I was inpired to write this entry.

In just a few hours March 10 na... nag-uusap kami magroroommates tungkol sa enlistment. This registration is a race. Parang sa mga panahon na ito nag-aabsent ang mga estudyante... yumayaman ang mga com shop at bumabagal ang wifi sa di maipaliwanag na dahilan.

Pagkatapos nito aatakihin nanaman ang SystemOne. I cannot understand them... ok I am also irritated when I am underloaded or when I am not given the subject I wanted but that does not mean we should go online and curse the system. It is the system or OCM (online change of matriculation) who is at fault. Why don't students consider themselves guilty? They fail. They get grades like INC and 4. But they do not see that it is because of those that they are having problems.

Nakakairita rin na may mga tao na natatanga sa Internet. May mga naririnig ako na "Pano ba gamitin itong SystemOne na ito?"

umm... na-try niyo na ba ang Help page? If I remember it right merong ganung page dun...
sometimes even if they are already in front of the help page they still rant about they cannot understand.

PEOPLE! YOU ARE UP STUDENTS! TRY TO COMPREHEND WHAT YOU ARE READING... or at the first place read!

...and some students are bashing something that they don't even know... Ignorance is bliss, ne?


When it comes to problem... I've also experienced some...

"LECHE! NADIDISSOLVE SECTION KO! MADIDISSOLVE NA RIN AKO!"

"WAAH!!!! ANG BAGAL NG NET KO! ANG BAGAL NG NET! MAUUNAHAN NA AKO!"

but I do not blame anyone without proof because in the end I might end up looking stupid.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Hear me out!

There are some people who rarely gives out their opinions. If they ever give out their opinions to others then it just goes to show that the person they are saying those stuff is a very important person for them.

Some people just want to be heard. Some people are not assertive enough to speak their minds but that does not mean that their ideas are not worth hearing. Sometimes it is those people whose ideas have more meaning than those people who always speak up.

So if you know someone who speaks his or her mind rarely and disagrees with you don't fight back at once. It's either hear his or her side first then provide an intellectual argument or try to think and re-think about his opinions.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Random event

I did not expect that before I would go home I would first swim in a resort.

It was fun. I was supposed to not talk to him the whole holy week vacation. But since we went to a resort... my plan changed.

We had the whole resort to ourselves. It is like reserving the whole resort or rather it is as if we own it.

It was truly an experience especially the part when I was just sitting on the hot spring with him.

Because of that I would like to add another long term goal... and that is to have a swimming pool [or a hot spring] outside my house... in the backyard to be precise.

And if I would like to relax I would just go there and relax.