Education in the Philipines

According to Wikipedia.com,”Education is a social science that encompasses teaching and learning specific skills. Also, intangibly and profoundly, it is the imparting of knowledge, good judgment and wisdom.” Education has as one of its fundamental goals the imparting of culture from generation to generation. It is the best way to improve one’s living standards or social standing. Just like Ramon Magsaysay who was just a poor mechanic and Joseph Estrada who was a third-year engineering dropout, who both became the president of the country. The better your educational attainment, the better is your economic standing going to be. In Cambodia, for instance, 81.7 percent of the wealthiest 20 percent has had high school education. Only 5.2 percent of the poorest 40 percent has had secondary schooling.
However, in the recent statistical data gathered by National Statistical Coordination Board, 94 out of every 100 elementary graduates are not qualified to be in high school. Out of 100 pupils who start a Grade I, only 66 will graduate after six years. The 34 cannot because of sheer poverty, despite elementary school being free. Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus has been trying mightily to retrain elementary school graduates before they can get to high school. Some even suggest an additional year in the elementary education to enhance the knowledge and skills of the elementary students. But, is there really a need for such?
I personally do not agree with such proposal. As we all see, the problem lies with students themselves and in the learning environment where there are in. And the government should focus on this problem. I can raise four possible points why there should not be an additional year in the elementary years of students in the Philippines.
First is the quality of education in the Philippines. Philippines used to have one of the highest enrolment ratios of college-age population actually in school out of the total population. Not anymore. Among the Philippines’ top universities, none are among the top 25 in Asia. The best, the University of the Philippines, is in the lower 25 of the Top 50. Ateneo and La Salle are near the bottom of the Top 80. With poor quality schools that does not have care for there students, the Philippine students is on its way to nowhere.
Second are the expenses for the families of these students. Another year in elementary years means additional expense for the family. As of now, the cost of education to every family affected is P5,000 a year. There are 8.26 million families with children in elementary school. Assuming just five million graduate from elementary school a year, multiply that by P5,000, and you have a whopping P25 million in additional expenses for these families, not to mention the expense of the government. Even assuming one million Grade 6 graduates, the cost is still staggering—P5 billion a year in extra expenses. Poor families don’t have that kind of money. If all the congressmen and senators were to pool their pork barrel funds for one year, just one year, they would be able to send these kids back to school—for one year. It’s a big if—because our lawmakers look at their interest, not at the interest of the next generation. That is the difference between politicians and statesmen. The first group looks after the present, its present interest. The other group looks at the next generation. Perhaps, many of our congressmen and our senators are not educated enough to know the difference.
Third is the lack of well-equipped teachers. The proposal still will never solve the problem of having good teachers for our Filipino students. According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, as reported by the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics on its Labstat Updates (Vol. 7, No. 12, July 2003), the number of teachers who left the country every year to practice their profession abroad grew from 112 in 1992 to more than five times as many in 2002, with 586 teachers taking teaching jobs overseas. From 1992 to October 2002, 2,289 teachers were deployed abroad. Almost half (45.2 percent) went to teach in the United States; 18.2 per cent, in Saudi Arabia; and 5.9 per cent, in Brunei. In the last three years of the survey, the US alone accounted for more than half (55.5 percent) of the total deployment. Short-Term Solutions
The statistics prove conclusively that the fields of primary and secondary education in the Philippines are suffering acutely from brain drain. However, despite a large supply, many eligible teachers are not being employed by the educational system. Data from the Department of Education show that the number of the country’s elementary and secondary teachers, both public and private, remained almost the same within a span of ten years. From 433,701 in 1991, it increased by only 71,658 to 505,359 in 2000, for a growth rate of only 1.7 percent or 7,962 newly employed teachers per year. The country’s public schools accounted for 86.5 percent of the total teacher employment in 2000.
Compare these to figures released by the Professional Regulation Commission for the same decade (1991-2000), which show that 35,238 graduates on average passed the teachers board examination annually, out of which only 7,962 were absorbed by the educational system. Furthermore, in February of this year, the DepEd released an order adopting austerity measures through the non-filling of vacant positions, although its online newsletter dated April 2005 reported a search for 10,000 new teachers.
In its search for teachers, the DepEd is of course competing with foreign institutions. According to Bulatlat.com, US school districts need to hire around 200,000 teachers each year. But because fewer and fewer Americans want the job, private recruiters plan to place at least a million foreign teachers in American classrooms by 2007. The Philippines, with a system of education patterned after the US’s and high proficiency in English, is emerging as the chief source of recruits.
With only a little over a fourth of those eligible to teach gaining employment in the Philippines, the brain drain of teachers in elementary and high schools could in fact be a catch basin for the excess supply of teachers. But to see the brain drain as a solution rather than a problem is in itself a problem.
Lack of Teachers
The truth is, the number of teachers hired each year is insufficient to address the country’s needs in primary and secondary education. The new-hires cannot keep up with the fast-rising number of students. It is especially hard on the public schools where student populations are growing, as more and more students enter into the stream, some of them transferring from private schools. Owing to bureaucratic, financial, and logistical constraints, the hiring levels of public schools cannot keep up with the need. The result is a worsening teacher to student ratio. Figures from the DepEd show that as of 1991 the national ratio was 1:33. In 2000, it was 1:35. Latest data from the department show that in public schools, the teacher to pupil ratio in the elementary level for school year 2001-2002 stood at 1:36, while the teacher to student ratio in the high school level stood at 1:39. A quick count of enrollment in 2003-2004 indicated an alarming 1:42 ratio for public high schools. Extreme cases are experienced in highly urbanized areas where the classes swell to more than 70.
Consider also that those leaving for teaching jobs abroad are generally those with better credentials. For example, recruitment in the US must meet a federal mandate for “highly qualified” licensed teachers. Teachers seeking employment abroad still compete not only among each other but also against teachers from other countries, such as India, in terms of qualifications. Thus, the Philippine educational system is losing some of its most qualified teachers. This is especially true for high school teachers. High school teachers are required to specialize, i.e. have mastery of the subject they teach, unlike elementary education teachers who may teach all subjects. High school math subjects, for example, are ideally taught by an education graduate who majored in Math. When high school teachers leave, people with the same qualifications must take their place, and suitable replacements are not easy to find. The country also loses the investments it made on those teachers. For example, DepEd is reported to be developing the Science and Math teaching competency of its teachers through training and scholarships. This enrichment may very well translate into better qualifications for their applications abroad. While the DepEd is also reported to be tightening its recruitment policies so that only the best qualified will enter the system (Education Post, Vol. 37, No. 3, April 16-30, 2005, www.deped.gov.ph), the bigger question is: once hired, how will the teachers be retained?
In a country where teachers in primary and secondary education are overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated—if not unemployed—working overseas, is undeniably an attractive option despite its hazards and difficulties. When the state is unable or reluctant to hire the number of teachers it needs, and when it is unable to improve school conditions in order to retain its best teachers, it is failing to fulfill its role in providing a decent future for its children. As the brain drain escalates, the biggest losers are the Filipino children.
The last is the lack of funds of the government for additional facilities. In Asia, the Philippines has the highest pupil to teacher ratio—36.4 (in 2000, the latest comparable year). Compare that to 17 in China, 21 in South Korea, 19 in Cambodia, 14 in Indonesia, 22 in Laos, 19 in Malaysia, 22 in Thailand, and 27 in Vietnam. Also, public schools don’t have enough books, and other needed facilities. DepEd reinforced its corruption efforts aimed at reforming anomalies in finances, particularly in hiring and procurement, as well as refined its 12- Point Agenda (or Education Roadmap under Secretary Edilberto C. de Jesus) by expanding it into the Schools First Initiative(SFI) under the leadership of Secretary Florencio B. Abad, which will strive for the decentralization of the management of schools, and for the greater involvement of the community in taking responsibility and ownership for the achievement and performance of their students. But, it is not good enough.

Burning Passion

The reason why I decided to venture into business all by myself is certainly not because I am not capable to work effectively in a group, neither because I am too egoistic nor because I inflict a conflict within the previous group I had. As a matter of fact, I feel the same amount of pressure and responsibility now that I am engaged in business as a sole proprietor as compared back when I was still a part of the partnership of Soyworks.

The main reason why I decided to take risk and carry on business operation on my own is because I wanted to learn more about the business arena- which I believe can only be attained through having a deep personal focus. Being in a group lessens the degree of business risk especially if the partners that you are with are your friends and your comfort zones. A partner has limited power to decide for the group not unless such power has been rightfully given and/or all the partners agreed that a certain strategy is very much ready for implementation and execution. This complex structure of partnership hinders us students from having a full grasp of business realities- with the presence of constraints as to long lapse of time in decision making, and failure to observe authority and power.

Being a sole proprietor manufacturing utility and decorative candles, I was able to realize more things about running a business. Being tagged as the “captain of my own ship’, I am in charged of all aspects of business including production, financial and marketing aspects. All decision I make has a significant impact in the business as a whole because I am responsible to lead the business towards profit realization (short-run) and continuous growth (long-run).

In the course of managing the business for the first four consecutive months, I learned that the nature of my business which is manufacturing is not as easy as others may think it is. I am concerned with the production schemes which are a very vital aspect in any manufacturing firms. Constraints as to time of production, maximization of the use of available raw materials to achieve higher number of units at lesser cost, inadequate supplies, inventory systems and labor requirements are a few of the problems that are needed to be addressed consistently.

The first month was not easy. I had to face problems as to acquiring the raw materials, securing technology and equipment, settling manpower requirements, furnishing business plan and some legal documents in the business name registration, soliciting approval of the department to partake in the proposal, and of course ensuring the availability of funds for the start-up capital.

I can say that I learned a lot of things now that I am alone taking the overall control of the firm. I learned to manage my time more efficiently, to properly deal with people (both with my workers and my distribution networks/consumers), and to implement strategies that would make a significant positive results for the firm. I also learned the importance of being responsive not just to customer orders but also with regards to making solutions to unexpected problems that may arise. In addition, I learned the importance of having synergy within the firm and the significant effect of taking part in the business operation.

These learning give me a more subtle approach in taking risks in business. It gives me confidence by lessening the fear of failure and by giving me a clear and optimistic foresight of the possible pitfalls that might be a hindrance in the business operation. Knowing my responsibilities and imploring the right approach gives me a greater chance to take action towards success. And that is my burning passion, my motivation and heartfelt desire.

BAKIT NGA BA?

BAKIT "SINGLE" ANG STATUS KO, AT STATUS MO?!?!

Kaya heto ako at sasabihin ko sa inyo ang ilang mga rason kung bakit. Kesa kinukulit nyo ako kung bakit single ako at kung bakit d nyo rin maubos isipin bakit single pa kayo!

10. Perfectionist/ Mapili

Yes, isang taong perpeksiyonista. Yung tipong dapat ganito ang magiging kapartner ko. Pag may nakilala, nakita lang na pangit ang kuko o may dumi lang, turn-off na agad. O kaya ang daming ayaw. Ayaw sa mabait boring daw, gusto bad boy/pilya pero kapag pinaiyak ka tatanungin ka bakit ang sama mo bakit mo nagawa yun! Adik ka ba?! Ayaw sa cute, ayaw din naman sa panget. meron dyan gusto ka ayaw mo naman.. ung gusto mo halos magtambling ka pero
deadma parin yang stunts mO sa kanya! Pasaway ka rin e! Ano ba talaga kuya?

9. Busy Busyhan

Opo, eto yung ang mundo e gumagalaw lang sa libro at ballpen kung estudyante ka o kaya naman sa computer at files kung office staff ka. YunG tipong aalis ng bahay ng alas 6 o alas 7 ng umaga at uuwi ng bahay ng 6 hanggang alas 8 ng gabi [baligtad naman para sa mga nag tratrabaho sa call center]. Sabay tulog na. Kapag sabado masaya na sila sa tv, sa pagkain na niluluto ni mama at sa linggo naman sisimba at maghahanda na ng kelangan para sa lunes hanggang byernes. Pssssst... ka muna and pause for awhile...

8. Friendship Theory

Ano naman ito? Eto yung ang buhay ay kay bestfriend o kaya kay special friend na hindi masasabi sabi sa friendship nya sa loob ng kanilang mahabang panahon na pagsasama dahil baka daw maapektuhan ang pakikipagkaibigan at iwasan sya. Yung tipong pag may kasama si friendship na iba, nagseselos na wala naman sa lugar, pero syempre wag pahalata, kunyari happy sya for friendship. ABA! Oi lakasan mo ang loob at baka mamaya forever mong pagsisihan yan kaw rin.


7. Born-to-be-one (Authestic)

Eto yung nasa palad na ang pagiging single daw... Walang reason... Basta lang nabuhay sya sa mundo na mag-isa at feeling nya mamatay sya sa mundo ng mag-isa. Kesyo magmamadre o magpapari na lang. Asa kang tatanggapin ka pa noh!

6. Happy-go-lucky

Eto yung taong walang alam kundi kasiyahan at trippings. Kahit sino nalang basta no string attach. For fun lang daw... Walang halong seryosohan. ABA hoy! yang init ng katawan mo e ikiskis mo nalang sa pader. Makakahanap ka rin ng katapat mo!!!


5. Wrong Place

May nakaranas na ba nito? Yung pakiramdam mo nasa ibang mundo ka. Yung ang nakakaharap mo e yung mga hindi mo gusto, yung mga hindi mo hinahanap. Alam mo yun? Halimbawa nasa ibang bansa ka, pero ang hinahanap mo e yung amoy ng nasa sariling bayan mo. O kaya naman e nasa sarili mong bayan ka, nasa normal na lipunan, pero ikaw ang abnormal at hindi mo kayang sabihin na abnormal din ang hanap mo kung ayaw mong ibitin ka nila ng patiwarik.


4. Wrong Time

Eto yung mga tao na sinasabi na, "hindi pa ako ready e bata pa kasi ako" o kaya naman "hindi pa ako handa sa panahong ito, wala pa ako kayang ipagmalaki." Yes meron pong ganyan. Yung feeling nila may tamang panahon para sa love. Awwwwwww. Aba kelan yun? Pag uugod ugod ka na at yung time mo e bitin na? O baka naman pag pang out of time ka na? Oist, sugod lang ng sugod...


3. Si parents kasi...

Yes, factor din ang komyunidad na ginagalawan mo. Una, ayaw pa ni mader o pader na magkaron ka kahit 22 anyos ka na at kelangan umabot ka muna raw ng 40 bago magkaroon ng gf/bf. O kaya naman ikaw mismo! Takot sa sasabihin ni parents at ni kapitbahay na tsismosa sa magiging kasama mo. Aba ikaw na nga ba ang sabihan na "Alam mo hindi kayo bagay. langit at lupa kayo." Sus! Payo ko sayo, Pakialam nila diba? Palibhasa inggit!


2. Traumatic Experience

Eto kalimitan ang reason ng marami. "Ayaw ko na!!! takot na ako mangyari pa ang nangyari dati!" O diba ang drama ng layp? Yes, tama ka. Eto yung dahil sa past relationship mo, e until na ayaw mo ng magkaroon at sinumpa mo na ata ang magmahal. Dahil sa pinagpalit ka sa mas pangit, o kaya naman iniwan ka ng walang word na "bye-bye", o dahil binugbog ka!, ano pa ba? Madami yan... wag na nating isa isahin at baka tumulo si tears...heheh Gayunpaman, eto lang masasabi ko mga hija at hijo. Ibat iba ang lasa ng pag-ibig. May mapait, may mapakla, may matamis at may maasim. Aba mapalad ka at natikman mo ang ibat ibang lasa nito. Kaya ikaw, Do not be afraid to fall in love
again... malay mo sweetiness na ang malasahan mo next time. E di panalo ka sa lotto. Yan ang nagpapalakas sayo... Yang ang bumubuhay sayo, ang pag-ibig. tsk! drama!



1. EX to the nth power!!!

Oi aminin!!! LOVE parin si Ex kahit 1 - 2 yrs na ang nakakalipas. .. May ganito naman. Yung tipong ilang taon ang nakakalipas, hindi parin makalimutan si ex. Yung pinagsamahan, yung tawanan, yung iyakan, at lahat ng nangyari sa inyo nung kayo pa. Malungkot man at sa kung anumang kadahilanan, maganda man o masama ito, kelangan nyong magpaalam sa isa't isa. YES, after a year sasabihin natin, im over him/her na, pero pag-usapan natin ang love at ang nangyari sa ating relastionship from the past, TADANNNNNNNNNNNNN, eto na, sya agad ang naalala mo. At habang nagkukwento ka, ouch may kirot, o kaya may ngiti at may bumabagabag sa ating kalooban.... Ano kaya yun? AMININ mo na kasi.... MAHAL mo pa si EX.... Isa lang ang masasabi ko, well mahirap sya kalimutan alam ko yan... pero open your heart and makipagdate ka, lumabas ka, at try to entertain someone. Wag mo ikumpara si ex sa iba. At give urself KITKAT, take a break..

Immersion

Several preparations were done before the immersion activity. The teachers were all busy reminding the students what to bring and the rules and regulations that while in the site. As for the h11 block, the week before the activity was really a tough one. We were all busy doing several computer works and other requirements due for the week, finishing our research papers, doing case analysis and a whole lot more! Generally, the immersion truly has become our break from the tiring 7-day work for almost two months.
Our site was on Magdacanan, Libmanan, a small barangay compose of six zones. My house buddy was Jun Tibi, my fat and hilarious classmate. We were close friends, that’s why we never had a difficulty in dealing with each other. We were assigned to Mr. Armando Reyes’ family, somewhere in Zone 6. According to ma’am Elaine, he has eleven sons and daughters and they don’t have electricity, which is why we were nervous thinking how to adapt in their way of living for three days. Then, the day came. At about 9:00a.m., our jeepney arrived at zone 5 and we were immediately guided towards our household families. The guide said that it was just walking distance but as minutes of continuous walking passed, as we perspire with the summer heat, and as we feel the thirst within our throat, it was just then that we realized how far one kilometer was. It was like walking in the desert with extremely heavy luggage!
Finally, we arrived at our household family-tired and hungry. When we came in, there were three little boys playing while watching channel two’s Mission: Odyssey. We befriended them and decided to play with them. My new friend’s name was Jason. He was three years old, with really white complexion and really cute smile. Jose (oti), Jun’s five-year old alaga, was Jason’s uncle. Jason and Jose were complete opposites. Jose was dark, short and barely smiles. Perhaps, the only thing they have in common was their love for dancing. Jose even won the dance contest at the socials night.
Jun and I started to take a few photo shots of the place. We were assigned to document the happenings in the immersion as a requirement in our NSTP class. Just as we were about to take a few pictures of the ampalaya plants, Jason’s dad came-a huge man, half-naked, with long hair and big tattoos at his arm. How would we react? It was really scary. Are we about to live with him for three days? Can we? Then, another group of huge men went in carrying bolo and again half naked…that was the time when we really got scared.
Our first impression lasted after the first day. We were able to talk with those guys (at least some of them) and we were able to talk about a lot of things, from text mates to their business of exporting vegetables. They were cool. They were often out busy, I guess. But they have their own mobile phones-with camera and really handy. It may be the reason why we haven’t charged our phones for three days considering that they have electricity…because our phones are not updated as theirs.
The three-day activity was thrilling. It was like a game of trying to belong, picking the right words to say and being brave to talk to scary strangers. Well, this was applicable to our brothers and sisters who often ignore us and even call us gays. Maybe they were not used to our jokes that led to misinterpretation.
Our ‘mother’ and ‘father’ were really kind to us. Our father was really approachable just like our mother, Salvacion Reyes. Mom would never let us do any kind of work, not even wash the dishes. But still, when they were both out (which usually happens), we do a lot of things by ourselves like washing the dishes, filling the water basins, watering a hectare of newly planted ampalayas, and of course playing with the kids.
Our ulam would always be a kind of vegetable- mongo, balatong, natong, upo and ampalaya. They even gave us some when we left.
We will never forget the place and the experience. In their house, they have their own big television with a really loud stereo that can be heard all over the barrio. During night, they would watch a lot if movies and invite some folks (neighbors) to watch with them. They watch James Bond Movies, Finding Nemo, The skull 2 and more. They even played April boy and Andrew E’s CD at almost maximum sound level. That’s the reason why we couldn’t sleep properly until the lights were shut and they all fell asleep.
With what was happening in our house, we feel bored so we would carry our alaga and visit adjacent houses for two valid reasons-(1) to take some photographs and (2) to eat. We can say that we stayed more in other’s houses than with our own family- because no one was at home during day, they were all busy.
I learned a lot of things from the immersion. I learned how to deal with people and how it is to be in other’s home. It also led me to understand the severity of poverty here in the Philippines which are seen in the farmers who are hardly reached by the programs and government assistance.
I also learned how to deal with kids which I admit I am not used to. I learned how to talk to them and take care of them. I also learned how hard it is to face responsibilities for the benefit of other people. And likewise, it made me realize how important it is to take action with what is happening to the society nowadays and how we should open our mind and take part to resolve the problem.
I consider myself lucky. I need not work in a huge farm and sleep in a really tight room. I also study in such a prestigious school which is never attained by ordinary people who are not financially stable. Thus, the best learning that I gained from the activity is love and joy that Filipinos share even in times of crisis, and this is one of the things that we should all be proud of. In fact, the Philippines ranks second in the most cheerful individuals around the world. Our assigned family may be in a state of extreme poverty but they still have time to enjoy and have fun. They watch movies together and it serves as one of the reasons why they have a special kind of bond that keeps them intact.
I adore the way their family works together. Each one functions as someone very important to be the one to do a work. Some works in the house and the others works in the house. Their Organization is really amazing!
They may not talk a lot but I can see their eagerness to try to welcome us. They may not serve us delicious food, but still they try to make us taste the love that is present in their hearts. They may not be very sociable, but you can approach them anytime you want. That is all that matters. Letting us feel that we are welcomed to come into their lives is more than enough…
In the site, I also have learned about God’s love for the poor. Our household family may not be rich but still we can see how much they love one another. That is what God wants us to do. To love, have hope and care for our neighbors. With loving, we can attain peace and strengthen faith in God.
I also appreciated innocent people who were embodied in my alaga, God’s child. My alaga was really nice and kind and truly depicted the lack of status, power and honor. As discussed by Robert Nolan, Jesus loves children because of their littleness and lack of responsibility in the cruel world. God wants me to learn and attain this littleness in order to enter the His Kingdom.
With all this learning, I offer to God this sincere prayer:

Dearest God,
Thank You for letting me learn in actual how you value love for humankind and children. Thank You for letting me feel that all the people in the world is loved by You equally, no matter whether we are poor or rich, or sinner or believer. Thank You for letting us understand that it lies upon us that we are judged to come in your Kingdom. And that it depends on the way we use all our freedom according to Your will.
Please continue showering us with Your blessings specially those little ones who truly needs Your guidance. May You also forgive all the sinners and lead them to the right path towards Your Kingdom.
Thank You!

My Own Concept of Freedom

The concept of freedom is often viewed subjectively. This is because the way a person value freedom greatly depends on his experiences that shape his understanding of this concept. I myself have my own way of looking at freedom. My understanding of such term is the product of personal experiences which led towards having core principles that facilitate my understanding of freedom. These experiences also led towards learning responsibility, attaining higher moral standards and proper modes of conduct.

Freedom is defined as the human capacity to act and live as people choose, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions. People view and value freedom differently based on the specific situation they are in. For a person in captivity, freedom means having another chance or achieving a state when they are released or rescued from being physically bound, or from being confined, enslaved, captured, or imprisoned. For a country which desires independence, freedom as synonymous to independence is the power to rule itself, without interfering from or possibly domination by, another country or power.

Freedom can also exist in various forms like freedom of self-expression, freedom to acquire ownership of certain property, freedom to occupy a certain place, and other rights embodied in the declaration of human rights.

I look at freedom as the ability to exercise free will and make choices independently of any external determining force. Freedom is always anchored on human responsibility, the feeling of being accountable for any outcome that may surface with the decision made or action implemented. Freedom is not limited even if the society plays a major role in influencing course of human conduct. People respond to situation in a number of ways depending on how they view things, what their philosophies are, what value they promote and what human characteristics they possess. Simply put, freedom is the ultimate capacity of man to live out his individuality without being limited by external factors. Freedom is the right of the individual to choose what would best express the person that they are. Every decision they make somehow acts out their overall personality.

When I was a kid, I, being so small and frail, experienced being bullied by a few of my classmates. When I was in grade 1, I felt so helpless when Rene, one of the biggest boys in class, took my favorite toy and threatened me that if I would go and tell Mrs, Quintin, our class adviser what had happened, he swore he would punch me at the end of the class. That was one of the most memorable experiences that I have in my early childhood years. It was then that I realized, that for one, there are bad people around who would try to hurt me, and two, the world is not fair. On that very day, I walked home thinking about the toy that was stolen from me and I kept on repeating to myself, “If only I was bigger and stronger…”

What Rene showcased was a personality of being egoistic. Well, it may seem be true that we were just kids by then and that Rene’s not-so-good behavior was a product of his innocence and “I-don’t-care” attitude seen in most kids. But I still stand with my belief that he is egoistic. Just recently, when I went to Emall to satisfy my craving for a hot Takoyaki, I saw Rene with his bunch of friends. He had spiked hair, wore black shirt, and walked like he was about to bump anyone that would stand his way. I lot of things changed all right, but his attitude sure will not. Same old scary Rene- maybe even worse.

Freedom stems from the inherent human desire to promote his own welfare. The behavior of man is leaned towards making choices that would lead to greater happiness. In the course of making choices, man tends to affect other people negatively, in the sense that these people endure the consequences of a certain act made by one individual. That is where responsibility comes in.

I made a really stupid mistake when I was twelve. Today, that certain mistake which put me to extreme embarrassment was still so clear to my memory as if it happened just yesterday. When I was in Grade 6, I belonged to the top five of the graduating class. And as expected, I needed to practice being a model for others and to prove that I deserve to be in the position where I was- a candidate for Valedictorian. Unfortunately, I messed up. Our class adviser, Mrs. Gomez, was talking to a friend inside the class one morning while the class was doing some English work. I finished the work quickly that it gave me some time to play with some scratch paper inside my bag, just to ease boredom. I folded papers to make boats, jet planes, submarine, hat, air planes and many more. I was joined by my friend Francisco who was then competing with the title “The Origami Master.” I threw my airplane up in the air to prove its superb aerodynamics and my amazing workmanship. Just then, a fortuitous event came and my airplane flew its way to my teacher’s mouth. Well, my intention was not to be called a sharpshooter. It just so happened that probably my work has a mind of its own and wanted to land on a “dark cave”. Haha.

What happened next? Of course I was scolded. I had to stand in front of the class as they wait for me to admit my mistake. I did not confess. They waited for the rest of the morning’s session for me to apologize. Francisco was asked to join in my darkest hour of punishment because I was so stupid to call him as the culprit. At that time, all I was thinking was the way my friends would see me, the teachers would view me as a student, and the prestige I was aiming for as being Rank 1.

Okay. I was a bad boy. The issue was forgotten without being settled. But actually, that event became my turning point in my quest of understanding the real meaning of freedom. It led me to a personal transformation towards becoming more just, and practicing the sense of responsibility. After the event, I realized that I was wrong and I should have begged for apology. Responsibility, admit it or not, is a human choice. Freedom necessitates practice of responsibility because responsibility serves as basis in assessing the rightness of an act. Human conduct, to be morally justifiable must incorporate the welfare of the people affected, the impact on the society at glance, and not just the individual satisfaction.

From the experience, the moral responsibility I learned is my responsibility to promote truth and justice. I should have told the truth and faced the consequences of my mistakes. I should have become fair and should have been considerate about the welfare of other people, especially Francisco who was innocent but still had faced the embarrassment of being scolded in front of the class.

I never had a chance to talk and apologize to Francisco about what had happened. It still is a mystery to me that he had not solely accused me of my involvement in the “airplane on the cave” controversy. Maybe, he was just really a good person who would not leave a friend behind to experience agony. Maybe, he was just afraid to defend himself because he was out-of-words because we are all obliged to use English as the medium of communication during English Class. Or maybe even worse, it was his airplane that actually put me to shame. No one knows.

Likewise, I never had chance to apologize to Mrs. Gomez. She died three to four years ago because of a heart attack. But despite her death, she will surely remain in my memory because she is made an important part in my personal development. She taught me life’s realities which ultimately led towards having a strong foundation of my own core principles in life. Thank you ma’am, wherever you are.

Rizalism: The will to Perfection by Michael Arevalo

Introduction

Perfection is defined as the quality of something that is good or suitable as it can be (Microsoft Encarta 2007). Beauty and superb qualities or traits are some of the common basis of man to judge a thing to be of perfect attributes. Perfection leaves minimal probability for errors since it is characterized by a genuine universal function accepted by most to be something that is difficult to be attained.

People study the biography of great men and women of the nation for the fact that it serves as an important and significant study of the nation’s history. Great men and women who take part in history needed to be studied in the quest of the unveiling of the truth about the past. Jose Rizal, being a person of great personage took part in the Philippine history by making use of his writing skills to produce novels and other written documents that promotes freedom of the Filipinos, specifically through having reforms which ultimately led towards security of human dignity.

Rizal was a perfect person in the sense that he has admirable characteristics that are worth idolizing. He was an amazing man who was driven by his nationalistic aims. He dreamt of a perfect Philippines- whose inhabitants are secured of their freedom, are able to gain access to life’s basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, education) and are able to have self-esteem, the feeling of being proud as a member of the Filipino race.

The will to perfection drove Jose Rizal to reach for the highest attainable standard for himself and for his motherland. He lived his life in excellence and was able to accomplish a lot of things that were of great recognition. And, in line with this personal goal, was a deeper aspiration to uplift the welfare of his townspeople from severe oppression by the Spanish regime. But how deep really is Rizal’s commitment towards his goals of perfection? What are the some of the things he has done to prove the magnitude of his craving towards valuation for perfection?

Jose Rizal: A Perfect Filipino

Jose Rizal was a man willed towards attaining perfection. Analysis of his biography and factors that influence his motivation towards accomplishment of his goals lead people towards understanding that he was indeed a perfect person who was behind a societal transition. Rizal was a perfect person because he was able to extend his capacity to enact changes beyond his potentiality. He was able to maximize the use of his time to learning new concepts that enhances his knowledge in various fields. This knowledge-seeking characteristic was shown even during his young age. Santos (1974) discussed the childhood of Rizal as:

“Young Rizal was a peace-loving boy. He would not start an argument nor pick up a fight. In the school ground he played with other boys, but he would not spend all his leisure hours with them. After a game or two, he would leave them and retreat to a shady place to read his book.”

Rizal was a perfect man because he always followed a balanced activity between his body and mind. He may be sickly and frail but it never regarded such as something that would hinder him from any physical activities. In fact, in his later age, he was able to become an excellent fencer and taught self-defense together with academic subjects with his pupils in Dapitan. He believed that when a man is free, he should be able to defend himself and his freedom. He envisioned this for the people, which is why he established a school for boys in addition to his practice of medicine.

Rizal was an ambitious man, thorough in his performance and firm in his decision. For his needs he preferred to depend first on what he could do and afford instead of depending on other people. For this reason, he strove to be first in anything he tried to do so that the opportunity to succeed would fall on him before it would to somebody else. Rizal made use and relied on his abilities to solve simple problems that he faced in his time. For instance, when he was still a student at the University of Santo Tomas, he would answer anagrams in the daily morning paper which made him win boxes of candies from a candy factory not very far from his boarding house in Calle Magallanes, Manila. He received a box of candies everyday, and was envied by his boardmates, until the factory stopped the series and eventually gave up business.

Rizal was devoted towards having a perfect society for his countrymen- a society where all people are able to live with freedom from servitude, to have access to life’s basic needs, and to be have self-esteem or proud of their nationality. Rizal dreamt of a society where all are living peacefully and are given equal right and opportunity. He wanted a society that is just and promotes equilibrium in treating the various classes- the rich and the poor. He advocated freedom more than independence because he was able to foresee that the country was not ready to stand on its own. Freedom need not seek separation from Spanish colonization but it means recognition of racial equality between the Filipinos and Spaniards. Forbes (1969) shared the following reason for the enthusiastic American attitude of Rizal:

“Rizal never advocated independence, nor did he advocate armed resistance to the government. He urged reform from within by publicity, by public education, and appeal to public conscience.”

Rizal’s aim was never to resort to forceful battle to regain separation. His aim was unity and mutual relationship with Spain. Rizal’s own reformism was evident in this excerpt from his letter to Blumentritt:

“…under the present circumstances, we do not want separation from Spain. All that we ask is greater attention, better education, better government employees, one or two representatives and greater security for our persons and property. Spain could always win the appreciation of the Filipinos if she were only reasonable.”

Rizal believed that education was one thing that completes the full-humanity of man. It benefits both individual and the society. Thus, it was believed that wise education is the mother of all virtues. Contrary to what Renato Constantino said in his pamphlet Veneration without Understanding (Third National Rizal Lecture December 30, 1969), education, like aspiration for freedom is a natural prerogative and not merely something to be deserved, like a medal for good behavior. He tagged the youth as the “hope of the nation”, the ultimate key towards a brighter tomorrow. Such is embedded in his writings, along with the goal of promoting nationalism of Filipinos in particular as a core principle towards development.

Rizal: A Filipino Hero Indeed

Rizal is the Philippines’ national hero not because he was an “American-made hero”, forced upon the Filipinos by the Americans who wanted a model of colonial loyalty (Constantino, 1969). It may seem be true that it was Governor William Howard Taft who in 1901 suggested to the Philippine Commission that the Filipinos be given a national hero. However, it still lied to the Filipinos the freedom to choose whom to accept as a hero who would stand as a symbol of Filipino prestige. The Free Press of December 28, 1946 gives this account of a meeting of the Philippine Commission:

“And now, gentlemen, you must have a national hero. In these fateful words, addressed by then Civil Governor W. H. Taft to the Filipino members of the civil commission, Pardo de Tavera, Legarda and Luzuriaga, lay the genesis of Rozal day… IN the sunsequent discussion in which the rival merits of the revolutionary heroes were considered, the fin la choice- now universally acclaimed a wise one- was Rizal. And so was history made.”

It was therefore been alleged falsely that Rizal was chosen as a hero to benefit the reign of the Americans as a new colonizer. A noble Rizalist, Professor Esteban A. De Ocampo further added:

“Who made Rizal the foremost national hero of the Philippines? The answer is… Rizal himself, his own people, and the foreigners all together contributed to make him the greatest hero and martyr of his people.”

Likewise, Theodore Friend in his book, Between Two Empires says that Taft “with other American colonial officials and some conservative Filipinos, chose him (Rizal) as a model hero over other contestants- Aguinaldo too militant, Bonifacio too radical, Mabini unregenerate.”

A person, who is worth idolizing, showcases characteristics that emanate genuine perfection. Rizal was a person who carries with him qualities that are somehow close to perfection. He was a good child, a good student, a good teacher, a good friend and a good citizen of the country. He was humble despite his accomplishments, thus, he never regarded himself as someone who is not one with the masses.

Rizal was very motivated to lead the Philippines to freedom and his actions and decisions manifest a genuine desire to achieve such goal. Being nationalistic, he never forgot the welfare of the people of his homeland in his voyages in pursuit of learning other culture systems and attaining a higher level of learning. His literary works were famous for their ability to penetrate the privacy of the reader’s deep feelings, proving that his intelligence and versatility finds no match with his contemporary figures.

He was a common person just like all of us, but his remarkable deeds were really of great distinction. He may be a full-fledged womanizer, but he never lost grip of his well-set purpose of prioritizing the welfare of his countrymen who were experiencing the sufferings caused by the brutalities of the colonizers. The gruesome attempts of his people were of no effect, making Rizal realize the urgency to make further action towards relieving their hopelessness, an impact of their desolate despair and sorrow. His unique style of making use of pen instead of swords and bolos to attack the injustice of the colonizers made him a unique personage, in fact a hero who unlike heroes of foreign countries who are autocratic and who bestowed military leadership, promoted peaceful attempts that avoid bloodshed to regain freedom.

Rizal’s family greatly shaped his individuality and influenced his thought of uplifting the people from their miseries, and ultimately eradicating the societal crisis faced by the country in his time. He came from a religious and prominent family and was a good brother to his siblings. His mother, Teodora Alonso-Realonda, being his first teacher, introduced him to God and spiritual life, maintained his strong faith and gave him encouragement to develop his gift of intelligence. He felt genuine love and care from his family who supported his quest of unveiling his potentials even in his early childhood years.

Rizal was an intelligent man. During his years as a student in prestigious universities and even in his studies at Biñan with professor Justiniano, he has shown an amazing craving to learn more and grasp new ideas about the life's realities, undoubtedly the clear reason for his excellent grades. He balances “work” with “play”, a value that is worth idolizing by the young people of today.

He is being idolized today because he is well accepted as a national hero by the Filipinos. No other hero in the course of Philippine history that would match his greatness and will-power. On the 1973 Rizal Day, President Ferdinand E. Marcos made the following observation about the Filipino hero:

“…if Rizal seems to many of us first among his great contemporaries, and first among the nation’s heroes, it is no doubt because he alone among these men distilled in his work a vision of Filipino nationhood that could serve not only his generation, but the succeeding generations of his countrymen. If there ever was a visionary among us, it was he. If ever there was a generalist and student of the world among us, it was he. And the distillation of his experience through the medium of literature more than perhaps his martyrdom, enabled him to speak to his countrymen long after his death.”

Rizal’s Excellence

Jose Rizal, being our national hero, is considered a model for perfection of Filipinos because of his amazing craving for excellence. He was a man with admirable traits and his amazing quest for understanding and giving solution the country’s societal dilemmas led him to formulate moral legacies which are of universal application even in the present-day scenario.

Rizal lived by example of upholding excellence in his studies. In his studies in Ateneo, the classes were divided into groups of interns and externs: the first constituted the Roman Empiore and the second, Carthaginian Enpire. In each empire there were five dignitaries: Emperor, Tribune, Decurion, Centurion and Standard-Bearer. Rizal, according to Ozaeta (1966), was able to practice excellence by obtaining expence marks in all the subjects and accessits in the examination, making him reign as the emperor in the empire where he belonged. Thus,

“As a newcomer, Jose was at first put at the tail of the class, but he was soon promoted and kept on being promoted so that at the end of one month he had attained to the rank of Emperor…”

Rizal’s teachings embody human virtues, the core of his philosophy. He formulated universal moral legacies which are solutions towards economic progress and promotion of human dignity. The richness of his ideas and nobility of his examples were the things that were anchored on the center of his enduring greatness. Thus, according to Capino et al (2005), Rizal uphold leading values of love of God, purity and idealism, noble conduct, love of fellowmen, love of parents, charity, love of country, courage, will-power, honesty, devotion to truth, self-sacrifice, fortitude, serenity, self-control, initiative, tolerance, obedience, courtesy and politeness, thrift, gratitude, love for justice and living by example.

The fact that a number of books about him are being published each year, books of myth and life-stories, show that there is so much that his people would like to tell the world about him out of the fullness of their hearts and imaginations. Through the years, authors continue to recall and do researches about the bits of incidents about him to share to the Filipino masses and even to foreign people the real magnitude of Rizal’s greatness. Authors give their readers a glimpse of the characteristics of the Philippine hero through their published works that illustrate the deeds he performed beyond compare, the educational achievements he received, and the remarkable crowning glory of his patriotic devotion- his death. Incorporating the teachings of Rizal in the present day situation will ultimately lead towards promotion of higher values and noble aspirations.

Rizal is being honored not just by the Filipinos but foreign people as well. For instance, one TV show in GMA7 called Pinoy Meets World show that there are, at present, group of Rizalian cults in Europe. This actually shows that his remarkable deeds are being honored not just within the Philippines but all around the world as well.

Man of Great Honor

Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonzo Realonda y Quintos was a man of great talents. At an early age, he showcased amazing skill in sculpture and the arts. A compilation of Rizal’s deeds were presented in the 1974 book of Alfonso Santos entitled Rizal in Life and Legends. The book as to their authenticity carries with it a room for doubt since all tales, legends, and myths by their name alone suggest fiction in their composition; they might even be fiction throughout. But the contents of the book are not a thing to question not because they are foretold by people who had a chance to come in contact with Rizal, but because the main purpose of the book is to confirm and augment the greatness of Dr. Rizal. Its aim is to is to give insight into his genius, to describe a picture of how people view Rizal and to provide inspiration for others to become good like him. Santos further states that “When a man is as great as Dr. Jose P. Rizal and his people are as dedicated to him as the Filipinos are, there is no end to myth-taking about him as there is no end to his immortality.”

Rizal will continue to live in the hearts of the Filipinos because we regard him as having the characteristics of a true Filipino. He has a humble heart and a deep passion towards serving his countrymen. His amazing deeds were all in line with promotion of the welfare of his homeland. His dedication was so strong that he stood for it even if it would mean his death. He was intelligent, fully educated man and was able to exercise his learning in propagating the moral legacies he formulated which are of universal application. He was a great leader who advocated freedom, justice and truth and incorporated his love for the country in ever decision he made. It was this love for the country that made him a distinct leader- a person who deserves a great respect.

Faces of a Perfect Hero

Rizal practiced a number of amazing deeds that make him so amazing. Zaide (1988) regarded the national hero as a philologist because he was born a linguist. Rizal believed with Baron Wilhelm von Humbold, famous German philologist that Tagalog and other Philippine languages belong to the Malayo-Polynesian linguistic family, mother tongue of all Pacific races.

Rizal was not an inventive wizard like Thomas Edison, but he, above and beyond all common men, had certain talent for invention. Zaide (1988) discussed that Rizal invented a cigarette lighter (mechanism based on compressed air) which he called sulpakan and was sent to Blumentritt in 1887 as a gift. Also, during his exile in Dapitan, he invented a wooden machine that could manufacture 6,000 bricks daily.

He, unknown to many, was a sportsman. He took up gymnastic exercises in Ateneo and fencing and shooting lessons while he was studying medicine. To prove his love for sports, he opened a gymnasium in Calamba where he introduced European sports such as boxing, fencing, pistol shooting, wrestling, and gymnastics. He also encouraged native sports such as arnis and sipa. Rizal’s physical fitness and dexterity in judo and wrestling were also fascinating and were showcased in his encounter with a Augustinian friar in Hong Kong.

He was a well-traveled person because for him, travel is both a delightful recreation and an enlightening education. He was able to travel to Europe, America, and around Asia like Japan and Hong Kong. In the same way, he was an anthropologist who was able to learn life, customs, and cultures of different nations during his travels. He read books on anthropology written by A.B, Meyer, R. Virchow and Waitz-Gerland. It was his knowledge on such field that he was able to annotate properly Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas and to correct the errors committed by early friar-chronicles in their historical writings on social practices and religious beliefs of the ancient Filipinos.

He also acquired knowledge on geography through his travels in many countries of the world, by reading geography books and maps, and associating with famous geographers in the world, including Dr. W. Joset of Berlin. In addition, he was an amazing engineer who was behind the waterworks in Dapitan which was constructed in 1894 and the lighting system in its town plaza. Like an architect, he designed and built three houses- square, octagonal and hexagonal.

He was an artist- a painter, a sculptor, a dramatist and a musician. At an early age, he manifested an amazing inclination in the arts especially in painting. He painted a door on the wall which was thought to be so genuine that a lot of people, including the great artist Juan Luna tend to be deceived by it. He drew money on a plate which looked so real that the manager to whom the money was paid has not noticed that there was no money and just a realistic picture of the bill embossed on the face of a fragile plate. He even painted a picture of himself when he was only fifteen years old. He was also a sculptor and in his boyhood days, he loved to model figures of birds, butterflies and flowers out of clay and wax and to carve out wood with his sharp knife images of persons and animals. He was interested in drama. When he was still a boy, he wrote a Tagalog comedia staged in Calamba during the town fiesta. The governadorcillo of Paete liked it so much that he bought it for two pesos. Lastly, he also studied music, was able to sing a little and play the piano and the flute.

Rizal was a magnificent writer. He was a poet, essayist, novelist, and historian. He wrote a number of poems of different topics such as his youth, love life, and his other views about life. A few of his poems include To the Filipino Youth, To my Fellow Children, To the Flowers of Heidelberg, and Last Farewell. He also wrote essays which depict his being a nationalist and two controversial novels which are now an important part of the Philippine Literature- Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Thus, he was a historian who disgusted the early books on Philippine history as generally biased and full of errors.

But the best trait that the Philippine national hero possessed was his being a nationalist. He exercised his profession as a doctor to reach out to his countrymen and serve those who are in need of his service without asking for anything in return. He was a physician, an amazing doctor and an ophthalmologist. He used his skill not to promote his own welfare and get rich but rather to give back to his motherland the things that he has accomplished. That is one big trait that is worth recognizing, a true indication of how perfect Rizal is.

NOT so Perfect?

Several books were published to question Rizal’s qualities to be called the Philippines’ national hero. One of which is the Veneration without Understanding by Constantino who said that Rizal could be regarded as a traitor for he refused to join Bonifacio the nation’s quest for independence. It was a great issue for the author that Rizal repudiated the Revolution and that he favored freedom more than independence. In his statements against Dr. Rizal, he suggested that the national hero was weak not to support the revolution led by Bonifacio, that Rizal actually underestimated the power and the talents of the people. Rizal advocated reforms that would “come from above... (for) those which come from below are regarded irregularly gained and uncertain.”

Rizal was never frightened to face the Spaniards in a battle. But like an educated person, his rationale took over his emotions and it was manifested in the decision he made of not supporting the Revolution. He never rejected the idea of a revolution, but in a true ilustrado sense, he believed that revolution need not resort to bloodshed. He chose to make use of his writings to attack the brutalities of the colonizers against the Filipinos and he was brave enough to stand by what he did even on his last breath. He analyzed the situation and realized that the Filipinos were not ready for a physical revolution. What Rizal wanted was equality with the peninsulares through having reforms that would benefit the Filipino masses in practical and economic sense.

Another book which tries to depict the negative sides of Rizal was the book by R. M. Bernardo entitled Rizal, Josephine and the Jesuits. It revealed important facts about Rizal and some analysis of such which led to discovery that Rizal was still an ordinary man who is not so perfect. The depth of Rizal scientific rationalism was questioned. It has been said that actually held his back while he was in his barren cell, On December 30, Rizal said, as quoted by Fr. Villaroel: “I should have limited myself to my studies. Rizal, according to him did not desire to free the Philippines. In the Jesuit James B. Reuter’s “Death of an Alumnus” accounted in The Philippine Star, 30 august 1997, which the latter took from the just-reissued and aggressively promoted retractionist Light Cavalry by great Jesuit historian, Horacio de la Costa:

Rizal said [in the death cell]: “Father, I neither fought nor intended to fight nor am I good at fighting. I desired nothing more than to be left alone with my books…Now, I know… my great pride has led me here.”

It was like saying that Rizal never got plans of pursuing a goal of setting free the Philippines. It just so happened that the subjects of his writings were against the colonizers and he was so sorry for such. The local chapter head of the Bertrand Rusell Society, Ramon “Poch” Suzara’s piece (January 1997 Daily Inquirer) shared the following points:

“Forget that Rizal was unique, great, and wise: a true patriot and a philosopher of human dignity. His written retraction says he died a submissive lackey, pro-Spanish anti-revolution coward… Forget his Ultimo Adios. It was not a deathbed call to arms for freedom and independence against friardom and Spain… Forget that Rizal loved his people and his country. It turned out that in the final hours of his life he loved the friars more and the Spanish colonialism in the Philippines… Forget the 1956 Rizal Law making Noli and Fili required reading in school. Anyway, its implementation has already been sabotaged by the retraction story compounded by the Filipino’s ant-reading habits, beliefs and passions… Forget Rizal’s last will and testament to the Filipinos. Its messages turned out to be more lies from Rizal… Forget admiring The Rizal monument in Luneta. We should replace it with Guerrero’s biography in order to please the Jesuits, the Dominicans, Opus Dei, other distorters, perverters, mudlers, indeed, subverters of Rizal’s work and nature as revolutionary of the mind and morals.”

There are indeed a few people who contested the greatness of Rizal and distinguishing among the right and the unreliable facts would give people a confused mind about the accomplishments, letters and works of Rizal. Prejudices will never be separated with man’s desire to prove things that are of no significance. There is no question on the impact of Rizal to Philippine history and his persuasive capacity to create a driving force that led people to fight for their rights. The question lies not on the person that he was. The magnitude of his acts was amazing and that is sufficient for people to call him as a perfect being.

Early in 1997, Oregon Professor Glenn May shocked Philippine historians, teachers, and readers with his book on second greatest Philippine hero’s invented larger-than-life persona. “Their stories of Andres Bonifacio came contaminated- directly, subtly, [and] even unconsciously- from dubious sources, some most likely forged.” This clearly shows that oftentimes, authors tend to fabricate stories of famous people just for their works to be talked about. Some of written documents about Rizal’s life, perhaps like those of a few of other Philippines’ heroes, may be questionable and in fact exaggerated (like some apparitions Rizal made after his death found in the later chapters of Francisco’s book, magical healing powers, psychic abilities, magical handkerchief that can cure almost any ailments, and more). But the real issue of his perfection lies on the impact of his life to societal change- and there is no doubt that Rizal created an important chapter in the nation’s history.

Rizal’s personage was being questioned in variety of personal reasons. Rizal’s works actually made a mark in history and somehow affected groups of people, especially religious groups. Rizal’s writings, being controversial by nature, jeopardized the sanctity and genuineness of these groups. Fr. Sanchez., S.J. (1897) who was a friend to Rizal even begged for the national hero not to write against the church’s doings. He said, “I asked Rizal never to mention our Society of Jesus in his future writings… it causes us harm without being our fault.” This was a clear indication of Rizal’s huge impact in the societal restructuring.

It has been said that to err is human and nobody is perfect. But Filipinos can surely find a person close to perfection in the person of Rizal. After all, perfection, in this context, does not necessarily mean complete severance from erroneous acts. Rizal made wrong acts in his life but he was able to deal with it responsibly, thus, making him a person that he was. He was a man who carried with his name an extreme desire for excellence, making him inevitably a person worth idolizing.

Perfection is not just associated with the physical structure of things but also on its beauty. Rizal’s will to perfection was aimed towards having a beautiful country- a country that is peaceful and has a concretized sets of laws that guides human conduct taking into account the human rights and dignity. He dreamt of a nation where all are free and ready to fight for their rights. He said that it was through education of his countrymen that “they can attain their highest potential and become masters of their own destiny.” People must learn to educate themselves in the process of struggling for freedom and liberty.

A book, Rizal, Educator and Economist, used in certain Philippine schools supports the desire of the national hero to perfection through education by quoting a portion of Rizal’s manifesto on December 15, 1896 which states:

“…I am one most anxious for liberties for our country, and I am still desirous of them. But I place as a prior condition the education of the people, that by means of instruction and industry, our country may have an individuality of its own and make itself worthy of their liberties.”

Rizal had a goal of exalting the intelligence and dignity of the individual, by loving justice, right and greatness, even to the extent of dying for them. He believed that through attaining such, his will towards perfection, the perfection of the Filipino society, will be accomplished. And that is the Filipino hero, Jose Rizal, perfectly Filipino by heart, desiring perfectly beautiful Philippines.

Summary and Conclusion

Jose Rizal’s commitment to gain perfection for himself and for his motherland is so amazing. As an individual, he was able to practice his knowledge about various fields. He was an inventor, a sportsman, a physicist, a traveler, an ophthalmologist, a painter, a sculptor, a dramatist, a geographer, an anthropologist, a poet, an essayist, a novelist, a historian, an economist, an engineer, a musician, an anagram decoder, a humorist and a full-pledged nationalist. During his educational days, he was a very excellent student. He even became the emperor of his empire after his first month in Ateneo Municipal. In addition, he formulated moral legacies that are of universal application.

Rizal’s aims were generally towards societal restructuring that would uplift the welfare of the Filipinos. He demanded that Filipinos should be treated as racial equals of Spaniards, have representation in the Spanish Cortes as members of an autonomous Spanish territory enjoying human rights and freedoms of thought, religion, press, speech, assembly and other human rights. He firmly believed that in those times, the Philippines could not stand as one independent country so he promoted more freedom not as a separation from the Spaniards as colonizers but an appeal to have mutual relationship with them.

There are several writers who question Rizal integrity, deeds, writings, ideals and philosophies. But the real measure of his being perfect lies not on the person that he is (if the biography of Rizal was truly fabricated), but on the person that he has become. Rizal became the national hero of the Philippines not just because of his amazing traits but because he made a huge impact into persuading the Filipinos to demand for their rights and fight for their freedom.

And that is the main reason of his perfection. He was a perfect man who have had accomplished perfect deeds.

Bibliography and References

January 1997 Daily Inquirer, Article of Ramon “Poch” Suzara

Microsoft® Encarta® 2007. © 1993-2006 Microsoft Corporation.

Philippine Free Press, December 28, 1946

Rizal and Other Great Filipinos, Gregorio and Sonia Zaide, Part I and II, pp1-72, National Book Store, Inc, 1988.

Rizal: Buhay at Ideolohiya, Ligaya Tiamson Rubin, Arthur P. Casanova, ana Isabel D. Caguicla, Heracleo D. Lagrada and Ariel B. Vidanes, Chapter V, And Pag-aaral ni Rizal, pgs 19-23, Rex Printing Company Inc., 2001

Rizal, Educator and Economist, High school Textbook

Rizal in Life and Legends, retold and edited by Alfonso P. Santos, Allied Printing and Binding Co., 1974.

Rizal, Josephine and the Jesuits, The Poem-Vindicated World Hero from the Philippines and the Retraction Scandal, Volume II, R. M. Bernardo, Ph. D., Giraffe Books, 1998.

Rizal’s Life, Works and Writings: Their Impact on Our National Identity, Diosdado G. Capino, Ma. Minerva A. Gonzalez, Filipinas E. Pineda Rizals’s Moral Legacies For Our Daily Life, Chapter 7, pg 92-124, Goodwill Trading Co., Inc , 2005

Rizal: Makabayan at Martyr, Austin Coates translated by Nilo S. Ocampo, University of the Philippines Press, Diliman Quezon City, 1995.

Pride of the Malay Race, A biography of Jose Rizal, Translated from the Spanish of Rafael Pama by Roman Ozaeta, Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1966.

Veneration without Understanding, Renato Constantino, Third National Rizal Lecture, December 30, 1969.

Who made Rizal Our Foremost National Hero, and Why?, Zaide and Zaide, op. cit. Appendix A. pp.271-286

The Chopped Asset

Inspired by a true story of a friend

Nine years before the end of the twentieth century, a young blood was born in the City of Vaclod. He was the offspring of a royal family of the central south. Having skin as white as snow, adorable eyes, and rightfully placed facial moles, he was his parent’s apple of the eye.

A feast was set to celebrate his birth. Wealthy people from far away land came to attend together with fairies, house elves and other enchanted creatures. Numerous presents were offered and placed on the golden coated chest near the child’s cradle. The people enjoyed the variety of dishes exquisitely prepared by known gourmet hunters who dared to risk their lives and travel their way to the edge of the planet just to have the sought-after ingredients.

Five warlocks came riding their flying broomsticks. They were invited as the child’s godfathers. They appeared in the stillness of the night sky and perfectly round-shaped moon. People applauded as they one-by-one set foot close to the innocent sleeping child. The first four gave their blessings of wisdom, courage, health and prosperity. But a moment before the last warlock was about to take his turn, a dark shadow embraced the entire hall, which was followed by a loud frightening laugh, long enough until a lady figure slowly appeared right before their eyes. "…And why am I not invited by thee?", she shouted with her eyes looking straight at the petrified host- King Racit. She was the King’s evil sister who studied sorcery and magic at Beauxbatons, a prestigious school for witchcraft. Everyone thought she was dead after she connived with Lord Voldemort but lost against the army of Dumbledore. The people in the hall were astonished for they believed the myth and rumors about her unfortunate defeat.

In an instant, she pointed her wand to the child and yelled, "Lust- the gift I shall bestow you…". She laughed once more like a real witch and vanished together with the dark fog.

There was a minute of deafening silence. The guests felt sorry and were depressed for the poor child, same way the warlocks did for they know that their powers were useless to revoke the witch’s enchantment.

Fifteen years passed and the boy heavily endured the curse of his fate. The family migrated to one of the coasts of the Island of the Serpent with the hope that the witch would no longer preoccupy their lives. The witch’s curse gave his uncontrollable lust for physical affection and consistent genital erection. Rubbing does him no good so he had to seek for people to satisfy his ‘unique’ cravings. He kissed more like French and he touched placidly skins- some aggressive moves that were highly praised by a few girls in his time.

The prince dreamt and was aroused by the beauty of some goddesses. Later, because of his strong connections with some colleagues who knew such goddesses and perhaps his swift but accurate moves, he was able to meet and befriended a few of them. He had an affair with goddesses like Maria the blessed, Jenny the charming, Jessica the people’s darling, Kelly the jolly, and Seria the cat lover. But these were no match against his favorite Sandra the kite enthusiast, the pretty girl whose parents were not opposing against their blatant love affair, and Carla the moonlight beauty, the only girl he never dared to touch because of his genuine respect towards her amazing personality.

At first it was hard for him to control his natural dilemma. Out of the eagerness to relieve his own sexual arousals, he resorted to the support of his friends- Cole the damned, Severus the righteous and of course Rubeus the train and rail tracks expert. Rubeus was illustrious because he gave the young blood an authentic vintage robe with a ‘DOWN’ imprint, just as the prince wished. No one knew if he also had an affair with these men, but people will surely understand if he will confess he did.

The night before his eighteenth natal anniversary, the fifth warlock who was not able to grant his blessing on him made an amazing apparition. He was Charlie the monstermaker, his last living godfather after the other four died in the gruesome battle against the so-called faithful servant of Lord Voldemort. He showed an image of himself on the surface of brick wall and then uttered in a soft but heartening voice, "Tonight I shall will you my blessing...". The young prince with great amazement couldn’t believe the great magic taking place in front of him. He was confused and so astonished that he couldn’t speak of any word in response to the magician’s statement. After all, it was the first time that he saw his godfather and the first time that he experienced real magic.

"Open this at exactly 12 midnight tomorrow", the godfather continued as he was reaching his hand towards the petrified young man to render a box containing the present. After having a hold to the box, he stared silently as his last godfather vanished to thin air.

A few hours before his official birthday, his best friend Sesa the ant raiser came for a visit. They French kissed thrice and end up in the man’s bed a few minutes before the break of the new day. He never forgot his godfather’s order so he opened the box at exactly midnight and there he saw nothing but banana-flavored condom. Giggling, he turned to tell Sesa the weird present he received from his godfather but Sesa instantly grabbed his dick and cut it off with a sharp-edged dagger she was suppose to give as a present. The prince screamed for the rest of the day.
From then on, the young blood lived happily ever after out of love and not lust. He married Sesa who agreed to keep as a secret what had happened that strange night. Because of the chopped asset, the witch’s spell against him finally ended and Sesa felt much secured that her husband wouldn’t hit on other girls (or boys for that instance) ever again.

He's with me

By Michael B. Arevalo

“We wouldn’t be this strong if God is not with us. We often forget His presence because of the concerned things we do. But still, God is there to remind us how beautiful life could be with Him.”

My childhood years can never be complete without series of unfortunate events and misfortunes. I was an accident-prone boy, better yet, the king of great disasters. I do not seek accidents - they just seem to follow me.

When I was a kid, I accidentally bumped into a glass wall which was instantly broken into pieces because of high pressure that I personally caused. I had caused me bruises and scars. My face bled when one triangular shaped piece of glass was loosely stuck above my nose, just between my eyes. Mom said I was brave enough not to cry as they tried to clean my face with a clean towel and slowly removed the glass off my face.

I also had a “not-so-good” encounter with a meter-long snake. For a second, I thought was Harry Potter, doing paseltongue with a basilisk. It happened while I was silently asleep. A huge serpent rushed over my foot, probably with a purpose other than befriending me.

I was almost hung by a rope. I fell off a two-meter-high bed and then rolled towards the stairs adjacent to the room. I even bumped my head so hard on the chair in the middle of a mass, and had been bitten by a brown dog when I was ten. Not to mention the time when I stumbled so hard on the ground, hitting my head on a big rock, causing doctors to put a stitch on my forehead (for seeing a part of my skull I felt so miserable and even pitied myself).

Some would say that I wasn’t lucky and I really couldn’t blame them. Considering these “not-so-lucky” tragedies, some may really arrive at a conclusion that I wasn’t loved by God, that He wasn’t concerned about me and that I was a person of great misfortune.

Contrary to such possible beliefs, I personally think that God has always been with me. I feel His very presence in everything I do. I feel Him in the air I breathe, in the water I drink, and in the things that brings a lot of joy to me. I feel Him standing beside me when I screamed my way to my first jeepney ride and when I saw “The Rocketeer”, the very first movie I saw in a in a large screen inside a Theater house. I feel a deep personal connection with God and I am secured that He stands by me taking part in my wondrous life. He guides me towards making right decisions and ultimately towards attaining my very purpose in life, which I don’t really know yet.

I feel that I am a blessed that God protects me in His own special ways. I may have experienced terrible incidents in the past but I solemnly believe that the fact that I am still alive suggests a genuine personal intervention from God. The glass that once hit my face and left a scar which I shall forever bear, proves that He was there at that moment perhaps controlling the glass as it flew towards me so it wouldn’t injure me badly, better yet, by damaging my eyesight. With the swift occurrence of the event and my own proven recklessness, there is a great probability that I could have been hit in my eyes and could have been blind, living the rest of my life in a surrounding of full darkness, a state that gives me a great appreciation of intensity of sound- nothing more, nothing less. The great unexplainable event that it had hit me exactly between my eyes gives me an idea of His divine presence.

In the same way, it was also a great mystery, or should I say miracle that the serpent have not bitten me when in fact it had a chance since I was weak and helpless lying in bed. Thus, other miserable events of my life may have caused me to suffer from numerous wounds, painful stitches, obscure scars, and a few bruises, but I like to believe that God’s intention was to help me become tougher and never to exercise His power to prove His great superior attributes, neither just to play tricks on me.

There are a lot of other events in my life that would prove that I indeed encounter Him everyday. He is with me because he rewards me. I am among the few who believe in the karma, which states that every good thing one person does come with an expected future reward which is shown in varied forms. My ‘occasional luck’ proves this. After an in-depth contemplation I came to realize that oftentimes something good happens to me whenever I exercise a good deed to others. I remember I won Php2,000 in the Bikol Medical Center Poster-making contest, Php2,200 in Bingo at ALDP mall, a new Sony Ericcson W300i walkman phone in the Pepsi Raffle Promo and various first place certificates in poster-making contests. I like to believe that these are rewards from God that stem from my genuine desire to touch other people’s lives..

God guides me towards great opportunities, leaving me nothing more to do but to decide which option to grab. You see, I never really had any plans about my future precisely because I hate being frustrated especially whenever I wasn’t able to attain such laid out plans. When I graduated in Elementary, I never had experienced being in a “caught in the middle” situation, I mean, when it comes to choosing which school should I enroll into. I felt being indifferent and unsympathetic from my other colleagues who were really thinking a hundred times and excitedly trying to assess which school would best showcase their potentials.

As for me, the only school where I took the entrance exams in NCSHS, leaving me no choice but to spend my high school years in such school. God was there guiding me as I was taking the exam so hard that from the ten examinees from my elementary school, only two qualified. I like to believe that He intervened by showing me signs that it was my fate to be a full-fledged Naguenian. Naga City Science High School uplifted my spirit towards learning, further developed my artistic inclination, and gave me more than a thousand reasons to enjoy life since it was in Sci-High that I experienced the great bond with my peers, and the feeling of truthful belongingness.

When I graduated in NCSHS, God was there giving me a lot of choices with what to pursue in college. I was given a 50% scholarship in Brentwood College of Asia, passed the Department of Science and Technology exam, was among the top 20% of the Naga City scholarship program (Skolar Kan Ciudad), and was able to pass the gruesome interviews to qualify for the Business Management Honors’ Program in Ateneo de Naga University. The fact that I ranked one in the roughly 400 examinees in the entrance exam for Mechanical Engineering course at the Bikol Colleges of Arts and Trade, may have been one of God’s sign. But I have chosen to be a blue blooded Atenian because I reconsidered some suggestions of my family and friends, a decision which I never regretted. It has been a great honor to be an Honors’ Program student, and it gives me a lot of joy that I was able to pass all requisites to be admitted as one.

I encounter God everyday because He gives me a number of reasons why I should thank Him. I greatly appreciate every blessing He bestows me- every meal I eat, every smiling person I bump into each time I walk along the street, and all other small things that mean a lot to me. God gave me a “worth-to-be-proud-of” identity- a person in the care of a perfectly understanding and loving family, and a person with superb qualities of being analytical, result-oriented, responsive and artistically inclined. The gifts of astounding talent and skill, honor of being recognized as a four-time Dean’s lister and three-time President’s lister, and chance to be surrounded positively influential individuals give me the major reason to live each day with a smile on my face. The amazing people I share my life with, my family and friends, shaped the Mike that has always been a person of lasting faith, hope and love.

God warns me by giving consistent signs and by somehow bestowing a part of His divine capacity, more of a power, to foresee the future. Whenever I would face or about to face a major dilemma, an extraordinary storm or a heavy rainfall would come unexpectedly after one bright sunny morning. Being able to have a brief glimpse about the future, seemingly with the occurrence of such catastrophic events, I am able to achieve a mindset and an emotional readiness to accept the possible outcomes that may create a huge impact in my day to day living. The warning signifies a small detail about my incapacity to do a certain work, inability to pass a minor exam even if I studied so hard and even personal fortuitous events relating a loss of penny. It also foretells a happening of a miserable event such as huge consequences of my bad luck and even death of a relative. This proves that God loves me and that He never forgets my welfare.

God rendered me to this world as a gift as a response to eternal desire of my parents to bear a child. My parents have not been given a child for three long years of their marriage, until they have resorted to seeking the divine blessing from God for them to have one. They joined immense processions, endlessly prayed and prayed, and talked personally to God about their personal cravings of becoming a family complete with at least one child. God was probably touched by the heart-felt devotion and answered their prayers. On the dawn of the 27th of December 1987, while half of the world was asleep in the comfort of their homes experiencing an enormous typhoon, I was born and have brought great excitement to my parents. That is why even I am a living proof of God’s genuine care and love. God is indeed the reason for my existence, thus, it is rightful to live life for His glory.

I think of God in every decision I make and I believe that that is one approach of being morally upright. I always think whether my action would make Him happy or not. I think a number of times whether I am able to exercise me full humanity by being just and somehow being utilitarian. For this, God truly has caused me great transformation for He is an influential, though not physically present, figure in my life. I owe God my life, and I look forward every morning as I wake up to having an encounter with Him again- probably when I meet a hilarious chick in my tricycle ride to Ateneo, or maybe as I help a really gorgeous lady picking up her books which accidentally fell on the floor.

Online Marketing Seminar- August 4, 2007

On the first week of August, the members of the JCCI of Ateneo de Naga University conducted a seminar entitled Online Marketing, which has been an all day event.
The key note speaker for the said event is Ms. Janette Toral, the author of the DigitalFilipino.com E-commerce Workshop book which became the reference of my E-commerce subject about a year ago.
I learned lot from the seminar. I learned that online marketing nowadays offers lesser risk, especially considering the fact that there are already specific laws implemented by the government that actually secures the way people uses the internet. Thus, even website owners are now very particular about each transaction happening with their site, making it very beneficial to online trading consumers.
As an Internet Addict, I felt the relevance of the talk of Ms. Toral and I am very much willing to apply the tips that she gave to a few of my blogs and webpage. I learned how can I be able to maximize the use of my webpages by linking it to other websites and ensuring that the title page is in line with what is frequently searched in some search engines such as Google.com, Msn.com and yahoo.com.
I also learned how to check the efficiency of my site by using some of the internet websites suggested by the keynote speaker. This is done by checking the number of times people actually has been able to navigate with my site.
The talk is truly very helpful.