Tuwing naririnig ko ang mga katagang, “It’s unfair”, lagi kong naaalala ang isang dula na lagi naming ipinakikita sa mga Evangelistic Nights ng mga youth activities noong nasa high school pa ako. Ito ay kwento ng isang kabataang tinawag ng Panginoon sa langit. Habang lumalapit siya sa paanan ng Panginoon, isinigaw ng mga mahal niya sa buhay ang “it’s unfair” dahil tinawag siya at sila hindi. Unfair kasi hindi man lang niya ibinahagi ang kanyang karanasan sa Panginoon; unfair kasi sarili lang niya ang inisip niya; unfair, unfair…

Well, unfair talaga at sadyang mahirap ang mabuhay sa mundong na punong-puno ng unfairness. Ikaw ang magsasakripisyo pero ikaw pa ang masama. Ikaw ang gumagawa, ikaw pa rin ang masama. Konting kapalit lang ang hinihingi mo katumbas ng pagod mo, ito pa ang ikasisira ng pangalan mo. Inggit lang ba ang mga tao kaya’t ikinaliligaya nila ang siraan ang iba? O hindi lang sila makapag-move on sa kanilang pagkatalo?

Kunwari, ipinagtatanggol ka nila pero sa huli, gagamitin nila ang mga desisyon ng nakararami laban sa iyo. Kunwari, kaibigan ka nila at kampi sila sa mga sinasabi mo pero pagkatapos ng lahat gagamitin nila ang mga ito upang bigyang katwiran ang baluktot nilang kaisipan at ipagtanggol ang kanilang sarili. Punung-puno ng pagkukunwari. Kunwari, malinis ang layunin nila pero para pala ito sa pansariling interes sa kabila ng kasiraan ng iba.

Unfair dahil hindi nila alam ang tunay na dahilan kung bakit ka nagpapakapagod upang ipagtanggol ang nakararami. Unfair kasi ang iniisip nila, sarili mo lang ang pinagsisilbihan mo; na sa paggawa mo ng mabuti, mapaparangalan ka at ayaw nila ng ganun dahil gusto nila sa kanila ipuputong ang gawad. Unfair talaga kahit saang anggulo mo tignan.

Sana lang pag tatawagin na rin tayo ng Panginoon, wala ring sisigaw sa atin ng “it’s unfair”. Yun na lang, sa huli na lang tayo magtutuos lahat. Kung talunan ka man ngayon dito sa mundo, wag kang papayag na hanggang sa katapusan ay ikaw pa rin ang naging unfair sa lahat ng iyong ginawa para sa kanila.

“I feel sorry about the old lady downstairs,” PJ said in Filipino while catching his breath. “I saw her in front of the bank. She couldn’t cross the street because she was walking too slow. So I held his hand and we crossed together. She showed me her P2.50 asking me to hand her some money to cover her fare to Proj. 8. She also showed me a solicitation letter for her medicines worth P250. But what can I do, I just said that I also don’t have enough.”

His encounter with that old woman reminded me of the families I often encounter as I pass the waiting shed in front of Sto. Domingo Church. They sleep along the road. They cook and eat there. Worse, one of the men, probably the father inhales rugby and just let his children eat some food they were able to get somewhere. I always pray for them. Ask God for His mercy toward such people. But what could my prayers do? Yes, perhaps God hears me every time, no questions for that. But will my prayers reach them? Will my prayers able to feed the starving children? Will my prayers give them decent abode?

In this time of election campaign, I am sure that many politicians out there will promise to help eradicate poverty and improve the living condition of people. What could the politicians do? Will their promises reach them? Will their promises change the live of those people when they got their positions?

There will always be poor in the land. This is what I learned from reading the Bible.

We have always complain of poverty; that the poor occupies the larger bottom part of the society pyramid and own the least of the resources. But what if there were no poor? Could you ever imagine a land overflowing with richness. Everyone have enough to sustain life, that no one worries where to get food or clothing for the following day, or where to stay during the night.

However, more than the economic classes that classify people according to their incomes, the society also has its unwritten standards in it comes to being poor or rich.

Poor people are like Mang Carding who sell bottled water in the streets of Manila; the family of Tata Juan who built their house beside the train railway; the two teenagers pushing a cart of thrash; Boknoy who begs for money inside a jeepney after polishing the passengers’ shoes; Aling Nida who sweeps the streets of Quezon City under the heat of the sun; Mang Goryo and his three sons farming and toiling in the land but harvest none but a hundred peso a day; the manong drayber who drives the whole day then renders back the jeepney to the owner at the end of the day; Tiya Naning who left his children and went to Taiwan to nanny other people’s children just to send money home; Lija who stopped schooling so she can help her mother in the market; Allan who sells taho in the morning and go to school in the afternoon until the evening; and the list goes on.

Could you imagine life without them? Many values and essentials would fade without poverty.

Richness is so appreciated because we can see, smell, touch, hear and taste poverty. We work so hard to earn a living because we do not want to become poor. We care and protect our belongings because we do not want to lose them and wander in the streets. We learn the act of mission and outreach because we know that poor people need resources. We value life because many people die because of poverty. We strive to finish our education because we believe that it is the easiest way out from poverty.

What if there were no poor people living today? Who will sell bottled water, biscuits and candies in the streets to feed weary motorists? Who will collect the trash from our junkyards? Who will sweep the streets and keep our small garbages away? Who will nanny the rich children? Who will work in the farm of the rich hacienderos? Who will sell fish in the market? Who will walk to your doorstep just to hand you your favorite taho?

But poor people need not do all those things as few people up in the corporate ladder and economic richness enjoy luxury and privilege. They need not work for a day for a hundred-peso wage and die leaving not even a roof for their children. And we, people more fortunate than they are, need not rejoice as many of them die from famine.

Poverty has already been a great, if not the greatest, problem in our society.  It has already evolved, mutated, and established a long chain of reactions; and perhaps I don’t need to discuss all about these reactions here.  Just read or watch the news everyday and you can see it all there.

How many times did you here people saying “let us help the poor”, “let us eradicate poverty in the land?”  Or have said that yourself? We know what we should do but isn’t it that it’s already becoming more difficult to practice what we preach? Difficult because we are already looking to far and occupied in gaining more richness that we forget those people we see everyday.

One Sunday afternoon, while my friends and I was eating in a fast food at North EDSA, a woman approached us.  She was carrying her son in her arms and her daughter was beside her.  She was asking for small amount of money; according to her, to buy food.  There were seven-peso coins and a twenty peso bill on our table; but my friend’s initial reaction was “we’re only students,” as we really were.  The woman begged again but we ignored her pretending that we did not hear her while we continued our chit-chats and food.  When she noticed that we were not going to give her any, she transferred to the table next to us and repeated her dialogue asking for money.

After a while, we realized what we have just done to the woman.  We actually refused to help her and her children.  But then we had our arguments: Helping the poor does not only mean giving them some amount of money now.  Besides, it should be done in proper ways or in proper institutions.  Giving a small amount of money would not actually help them; it might help but not in the long run.  Tomorrow, for sure they will again beg for more thus tolerating them not to look for other alternatives other than begging and asking their resources from other people.  On the other hand, we don’t even know how sincere or how needy they are.

But why people like them remain in the corners of the society?

Oh, blame it to the government that doesn’t have more concrete program for poverty eradication than feeding programs and relief operations. Blame it to the politicians whose promises flew in the air. Blame it to the church that kneels and prays for the poor but can’t even shelter those living in front of the church gates. Blame it to God who can’t make magic to turn everyone rich. Blame it… blame it… Feeling exhausted? Look at the mirror and point at ourselves.

As much as we all want to eradicate poverty, I think we can not until we could not recognize and appreciate the presence of it in the society. We could never (somehow) equalize resources and wealth if we could not empathize with the needs of the people who are living below our economic status. We could not stop the blaming game if we could not learn to see, feel, taste, smell and hear the people we fear to become.

“There will always be poor people in the land.  Therefore I command you to be open handed toward your brothers and toward the poor and the needy in your land.” —Deuteronomy 15:11

Malapit ko nang makaligtaan ang magsulat ng Filipino, buti na lang at lagi akong nagsasalin ng mga lathalain. Bilang pagbibigay galang sa ating wika ngayon buwan na ito, pinili kong magsulat sa Filipino (ang orihinal na lengwahe ng blog na ito).

Ano ba talaga ang gusto ko?

Yan ang karaniwang tanong ng mga kabataang tulad ko — nakatapos na sa kolehiyo, nagtatrabaho ngunit hindi kontento, maraming gustong gawin ngunit walang panahon, may mga pangarap ngunit di alam kung paano tutuparin. Karaniwang pakiramdam ng mga kabataang nasa gulang 21-29 ang hindi madaling maipaliwanag na paghahanap ng direksiyon o tunguhin sa buhay.

Ano ba talaga ang gusto ko?Kumbaga tapos na ang mga panahong magulang lang ang laging nasusunod. (Nay, Tay, bente na ako!) May sarili ka ng kita, nakatira ka ng mag-isa (yung iba nakikitira pa rin sa mga magulang), nagagawa mo na ang halos lahat ng gusto mo ngunit hindi ka pa rin kuntento. Alam mo sa sarili mo na mayroon ka pang mga bagay na hindi nakakamit ngunit hindi mo ito mawari. Kung tinatanong ka, hindi ko pa alam pa rin ang lagi mong sagot.

Gusto mong kumita ng mas malaki, pero bakit? Wala ka pa namang pamilyang pinakakain (maliban lang kung bread winner ka ng pamilya). Gusto mong lumipat ng trabaho dahil pakiramdam mo hindi ka lumalago sa kasalukuyan mong opisina. Lagi mong ikinukumpara ang sarili mo sa ibang tao. Tipong gusto mong magpahinga at mawala pansamantala sa sirkulasyon ngunit hindi mo rin matitiis. Gusto mo ng lumagay sa tahimik (mag-asawa at magkaanak) pero wala ka namang kasintahan. Pinipilit ka pa rin ng mga magulang mo na kunin ang kursong gusto nila para sa iyo at parang gusto mo namang subukan. Naiinis ka dahil may mga plano ka ngunit hindi mo na nasusunod.

Ano ba talaga ang gusto ko? Magulong-magulo na ang isip mo. Tila namamanhid ang iyong mga kalamnan at ayaw mo ng gumalaw. Gusto mong laging nagmumukmok sa kwarto mo at naghihintay ng biyayang hindi mo alam kung kailan darating.

Ito ang tinatawag ng quarter-life crisis. Inimbento nina Alexandra Robbins and Abby Wilner ang mga katagang ito na tumutukoy sa pagbabagong kalagayan mula sa pagiging kabataan patungo sa kasapatan ng gulang. Inilalarawan ito ng pagkabalisa, kawalang katiyakan sa hinaharap at kawalan ng pansariling kapayapaan.

Ito rin ang panahon kung kelan ang karamihan ay naghahanap ng kahulugan ng buhay. Bakit ba ako narito?

Ngayon, natukoy ma na ba kung ano ba talaga ang gusto mo?

Hindi ako eksperto sa larangang ito ngunit dahil pinagdaraanan ko rin ito ngayon mahusay siguro na tignan natin kung anu-ano ang maari nating gawin pareho.

• Magtakda ng mga layunin. Maiiging naisusulat mo ang mga bagay na gusto mong maabot sa hinaharap. Maliban sa iyong to do list para sa araw o linggong ito, isulat mo rin kung anu-anong bagay ang iyong pagsisikapan mong abutin sa susunod na taon o limang taon. Saan mo ba nakikita ang sarili mo sa hinaharap? Ano na kaya ang ginagawa mo sampung taon mula ngayon?
• Pag-isipang mabuti ang mga susunod na hakbang. Hindi ka na bumabata at ang buhay mo ay hindi umuurong. Lahat ng gagawin mo ngayon, aanihin mo kinabukasan. Huwag kang padalos-dalos sa mga desisyon. Isiping mabuti kung ano ang magiging kahihinatnan ng mga ito (Plan ABC at Z kung kaya). Minsan may mga bagay na akala mo yun na ang tama pero pag nandun ka na, magsisisi ka lang at hindi mo na maibabalik ang panahon at saka mo sasambitin ang mga katagang sana ganito… sana… Ngunit iwasan mo rin ang sobrang pag-iisip at baka hindi ka na makausad. Maliban pa riyan, maging handa kang humarap sa mga kahihinatnan ng mga hakbangin mo.
  
• Balikan paminsan-minsan ang nakaraan. Paminsan-minsan lang. Sa iyong pagbabalik sa nakaraan, tiyakin bumalik sa kasalukuyan at ipagpatuloy ang paglalakbay tungo sa hinaharap. Nakatutulong ang pagbabalik sa nakaraan sa pagsusuri ng mga bagay na iyo nang natapos, mga pangyayari at karanasan kung saan ka natuto, sa mga planong hindi mo pa naipatupad at mga pangarap na hindi mo pa naabot. Tandaan mong bahagi ng kasalukuyang takbo ng buhay mo ang iyong nakaraan.
• Hindi ka nag-iisa. Maliban sa hindi ka nag-iisang dumaranas sa yugtong ito ng buhay, may mga kaibigan at pamilya kang nariyan na maaari mong takbuhan. Hingin mo ang kanilang mga opinyon sa mga balak mong gawin. Suriin mo ang iyong sarili ayon sa mata ng mga taong nasa paligid mo. Tandaan mo, bahagi rin sila ng buhay mo at hindi mo maaari basta-basta na lamang ilayo ang sarili mo sa mundo.
• Panatilihin ang disiplina. Hindi ko alam kung mayroon ka nito o wala ngunit tiyak magagamit mo ang disiplina ngayon sa lahat ng aspekto. Sa pinansiya, itakda mo lamang kung ano ang maari mong gastusin. Iwasang gumastos sa mga bagay na hindi mo naman masyadong kailangan. Matutong mag-impok. Magagamit mo ang mga ipon mo pagdating ng panahon. Bigyan mo rin ng panahong magpahinga ang sarili mo. Batid natin na sa ganitong mga gulang, aktibo talaga ang buhay ng mga kabataan. Ilaan mo ang iyong lakas sa mga makabuluhang bagay. Marami ka pang taon ang iyong haharapin. Sikaping gumising ng maaga at matulog ng maaga hindi umaga (maliban na lamang kung nagtatrabaho ka sa isang kumpanya na may shifting schedule).
• Panatilihin ang balanseng buhay. Sarili, trabaho, pamilya, kaibigan, kaibigan (a.k.a. bf/gf) at kung anu-ano pa. Ilang oras ba sa isang araw ang nararapat mong ilaan sa mga ito. Tiyakin na may panahon ka sa iyong sarili dahil kadalasan ito ang ating nakaliligtaan. Ngunit huwag din masyadong makasarili. Tiyaking nagagamit ng mabuti at sa mabuti ang lahat ng oras mo.

Ang mga nakatala sa itaas ay pawang mga mungkahi lamang. Sa huli, ikaw pa rin ang masusunod sa patuloy mong pagtugis sa bagay na talagang gusto mo sa buhay mo.

It seems that the Philippines did not get into the top this time…

After all those records that set the Philippines on the first rank, this peace index is different. Of the 121 countries surveyed, my [beloved] country ranked just 20 notches higher from war-torn Iraq.

Akalain mo nga naman ano? People seem to be more focused on other things and assume that they live in peaceful community BUT our eyes are shut for the reality.

One great paradox, which I encounter almost every time I write for “A Peaceful World” and “Values to Live By” columns, is that I tend to present the Philippines to children that it is a peaceful country where peace-loving people live. I have produced many articles for the columns yet sometimes, I am aware that my words do not embody reality and what I am telling are contridictions of my beliefs.

Going back to the Global Peace Index, I think the low rank was expected. I’ll not be thankful if I read that the Philippines is in the first 15 or 50 ranks. Because, reality prooves it.

When was the last time you walked in crowded places or you ride the MRT/LRT that you did not worry for pick pockets or hold-upers? When was the last time you listened to the radio or watched television that deaths and bombings are already out of the news? When was the last time that you heard of someone disappeared with no apparent reason? When was the last time that parents need not worry of their children’s safety while they are outside? Isn’t all those seem to happen just yesterday or events as such happen even at the very moment of your reading this article?

“Peace” is defined more than the absence of war as many people define it. Peace is— can you give your own definition?

• the freedom of children to play outside
• safety both for humans and animals
• harmonious relationship among neighbors
• cooperation among individuals in the community
• acceptance of individuality while developing their own capabilities
• tolerance of cultural differences yet living together for common good
• food for the hungry, clean water for the thirsty, cloths for the naked and home for the homeless
• freedom with responsibility
• justice to the victims of human rights violations
• respect for each other’s rights
• unity amid diversity
• an ear that listens to the cry of people; an eye that see the plight of the world; a nose that smells the stink of injustice and war; a tongue that tastes the devastation of the environment; a skin that feels hurt of torture; a person that envisions a “life”

The list should go on until peace is achieved! I may seem to be so idealist but I am also a realist— that somehow, those ideas I preached to children in my articles be achieved. Everyone of us can advocate peace depending on our choice of definition. Peace starts from within.

The challenge came more than from what the people told us during the exposure, more than what we were exposed to. It’s the struggle we have experienced with them, the plight of the community, which we have proven, and the journey we wish to travel with them.

The sun was hot and high at 10 in the morning and the atmosphere was really humid. The ground was dusty and dry. The pabasa or the chanting of the story of Jesus’ life during Lenten season was loudly heard over the big speakers. A boy led us as we ascended the hill to a canteen to rendezvous with our team.

The sitio (smallest local administrative unit) lies in a hammock, which base is at Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac. It is referred to as Sitio Ye Young after the church building built by the Koreans, which became a common landmark of the place. Before, it was named Sitio Maalyabon. Two Aeta subtribes, the Aberlin and Unggey, have considered the sitio they’re home. They were resettled there after Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991.

The countryside was a common scenery, as if I was back into my own childhood place. The only apparent difference was the people living there. The usual traditions during holy week were also the same except for those penitent men, imposing suffering on themselves by creeping on the earth and beating themselves until blood runs through. Many of them passed by in front of my foster family’s house.

After some waiting at the canteen and talking to a young mother and her three-year old kid and playing with her eight-month old girl, I was accompanied to meet my foster family. I lived with them for three days (more or less) starting Holy Thursday.

I slept where they sleep, ate what they eat (even cooked one meal), did what are doing (I supposed I did), went where they go and tried to understand what they were all saying in their native Zambal Botolan tongue (they also speak Kapampangan).

My foster family was the sitio captain’s family. Aside from being a sitio leader he works as a farmer. He owns a small piece of land below the sitio where he plants rice during rainy seasons. The community does not have water or irrigation system to supply the farms with water all year round. Other areas depend only to the running water in the creeks. This condition impedes people to plant. For the meantime, Tatay Arthur serves as a middlemen to some folks who harvest puso ng saging (banana blossom). He collects the puso ng saging down the hills and sell them in the market for an average of P60 to P80 a sack-full.

Together with another youth missionary, I stayed in the house of Tatay Arthur’s eldest daughter. She is in her early twenties but she already have two children, a two-year girl and a one-year boy. She and her husband work in the forests near Mt. Pinatubo— their primary source of living is making charcoals out of tree branches. They sell those to middlemen who in turn bring the sacks to the market.

Their house is made primarily of indigenous materials like nipa and bamboo. They cook in a clay stove and uses dry branches for firewood.

I helped in the halu-halo (ice-fruit-milk mix) business of the neighbors. They set up the mini-carenderia in front of our house under the shade of a small Aratelis tree. This is one of their alternative source of income during dry months.

On Holy Friday, Tatay Arthur invited us to go to the creek to take a bath. We excitedly walked the long dusty journey down the hill. We met along the road some of our team mates and many children accompanying them. We traversed some small bodies of water (cool mossy waters!), rice fields and sugarcane plantation.

The creek water was cold and clean— perfect for bathing on a warm day. Along with the children is a carabao also bathing on one side! More than a place for bathing, it is also the place where the sitio folks laundry. It also serve as water system to some fields nearby and a place for herds to drink. There are other sources of water around the sitio but are not accessible to every house. We needed to go down the hills just to fetch some water for cooking and cleaning the dishes. There is a spring called sibul around 200 meters down the house where we stayed and three water pumps all down the hill on different locations. There are times of the day when the waters the low and smell stinky. Some of the houses fetch their drinking water from water pumps down in Sta. Juliana.

The scarcity or let me say the inaccessibility of water caused me to do away with my usual body routine. I can’t remember if I even washed my face before sleeping or how many times I washed my dusty feet before stepping on the bamboo floor, which served as our bed. If only possible, I wouldn’t have used the comfort room just to conserve water.

On a higher hill overlooking the sitio is the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine. The irony is that, the very site of the shrine was also the site of the original UMC building. The concrete floor is said to be the main floor of the old church. More than that, the shrine is fully lighted during the night while many houses and the street go through the night without electricity. It was just a blessing that all the night of our stay, the moon shone bright.

We left after lunch on Saturday. We took another route down to the school of Sta. Juliana where we waited for tricycles to get to the jeepney station in Patling.

View the photos here.

At the height of political campaign, it is no doubt that the there are rivalries not only between political parties but also between politicians and journalists.

Journalists harassments and KILLINGS could not be denied especially those who are covering political beats. I am worried about some college friends and acquiantances who came to work for the mainstream media. I just can’t imagine my mom’s worries when I, too, have been working in that kind of arena.

As we were listening to the news this morning, my mom said, “Buti na lang wala ka sa radio or diyaryo, hindi ko alam kung anong nerbyos ko ngayon o lagi na lang ako nag-aalala sa iyo.”

I graduated journalism major but I preferred to work as a writer for an educational magazine. Honestly, sometimes I wish I were a “hard core” journalist as I miss going out, looking for news articles and interviewing people. But with this current trend of life for journalists, I don’t know if I were happy if i have joined the media. Hmmm.

On the other note, what would happen to the media now? What would the “fourth estate” do to its people?

I just don’t know if there is an increase or decrease of young people who dream to be a journalists someday but if this phenomenon continues, perhaps (maybe) one day, there will be no more people who are willing to cover the rough draft of history. And the rest be burried history.

It was Sunday morning. After all the dos and don’ts, the lectures and community development inputs, we were ready to have our community exposure. Were we really ready?

Well, I’ve been to community exposures and immersions already so I did not think I wasn’t ready. The only thing was that I wasn’t feeling any excitement or whatsoever. I collected all the cellphones, put them in a bag—that’s one of the “rules” we had—and I enjoyed that. At least that time I don’t have to worry about who’s calling or texting me. It was just me and whatever I had to do in the community.

I did not know if it was a 30-minute or a 45-minute (or whatever) dusty travel from the base camp to the Aeta community. I also removed my watch. When we arrive in the community as if no one is expecting us. The District Superintendent who accompanied us gave us time to tour ourselves. When we’re out of the church (by the way, there is a UMC church in the community), everybody started walking away. I did not know where they have been but I was left alone. So what should I do then but to also go out and walk while some children started coming over.

The first child I came to know was Girlie Kate. She was with her cousin Isabel. I asked her to tour me around. We saw some children playing the improvised swing. It was made up of rubber car tire. I talked to the children, asked them what are they doing, their names and everything just to sustain conversation we had. What is amazing was the children have two names. They all have names in Sambal Botolan, the local dialect and in English. Girlie’s was Kitkit. They also speak Kapampangan.

A child asked me: Nanung lagyu mu?

What??? A mother answered me that the child was asking for my name. Oh, I see. Then I asked some of the phrases to be translated in Filipino so I could understand them and learn something from their language.

Anong ginagawa niyo pag walang pasok sa skul? (What are you doing when you’re not in school?)

Nagdadagaw (Playing). So that’s one of the hardest thing: to memorize words I only heard for the first time. I always said nagda–da– what, and the children laugh at me.

The children also asked me where I came from and what languages I speak. I told them that I came from Isabela and speak Ilocano and Tagalog. When I return the question to them they answered me: kulot po kami at tagabundok (we are curly and from the mountains). I was silence. Their answer proves that they think of themselves as inferior to other people.

Time is up! The local pastor was already there and we had to join the Sunday service. Before it started, we led the children in singing. It was a good feeling to hear the children’s Sunday school songs again. Ahhh, these were the songs I used to sing when I was a child and songs I used to teach children in my Sunday school and Vacation Church School classes. I might have just missed teaching children and that I already forgotten most of the songs and stories I used to tell.

So what could be more amazing than singing popular hymns in Sambal Botolan (or was that Kapampangan)? The Sunday service turned to be multi-lingual. The student pastor acting as the liturgist spoke and prayed in Filipino while the pastor had her sermon in the local language. She was translating everything in Filipino during the first part of her sermon but it seems to be so long that she stopped the translation. Well, I may not have understood the message but I believe it was God speaking to the people.

The next two hours after the service was spent interacting in the community. I did not know where the others went but Chikai and I were with at least ten children. I asked them to tour us and to let us visit their houses and know their family. But instead, they led us to see where they are taking a bath. My memory is bad that I forgot the name of the place. I carried a little girl on my back while we walk up and down the road.

The sun was already too hot at around 10 a.m. (wooohhh, of course I took my watch out of my pocket). I told the children we only had one hour. So we did not go down to the well (or whatever was it) but instead we stayed in the under a tree and sing songs.

No one wanted to tell stories but most children wanted to sing for us. Girlie has a very good voice at her age. It wasn’t Christmas anymore but they sung a popular OPM Christmas song. I can’t believe Chikai caught it in video and I was there singing and dancing with them.

Since we had to get back to the church at 11 a.m. and I already don’t know what time was it, I requested the children that we go back to their houses. We dropped by at Girlie’s house where we met more children and her family. We had a small talk with Nanay Chiqui, Girlie’s mother. She was informed that we will be having our immersion sometime in April and she asked me why. I had to gather my thoughts then. I wasn’t fully convince about the purpose of the immersion: for us to learn from their ways of life (so what after that?) I smiled and said that yes, we will soon be back to live with them and share their lives. I couldn’t explain myself that much as I was also wondering what change could we have for the community or are we really there for a change—fearing the acculturation, inculturation, transculturation and all sort that would affect mission.Nanay Chiqui, invited me to stay with them during the five-day immersion and I gladly say yes. So I already have a foster family ready for the April immersion. Chikai will be staying with one of Nanay Chiqui’s daughters.

We went back to the church. Chikai played larong Pinoy with the children. I could only imagine myself at their age playing the Isasara ang bulaklak, ibubukas ang bulaklak and aso’t pusa. That was really amazing that those games were passed on in ages. Those were the games we had in the 80’s but in the age of computers and high tech gadgets, those children preserved the tradition. After the games, we had our simple program with the kids. I remember when I was in grade four when we often to such with my classmates before starting our class in the afternoon. Mavish would usually sing for us while I served as the emcee; I was a no-good singer. That time, the spotlight belonged to every children who volunteered to show a talent.

It was already lunchtime when the parents fetched their children. Some children stayed outside the church and watched us eating. The elders of the church prepared us sinigang na baboy complete with puso ng saging, gabi and kankong. We invited them to dine with us but they refused for unknown reasons; perhaps they really treat their visitors like that or was it a part of their culture? I don’t know.

The community exposure ended there but as went back to Camp O’Donnell, as I began to feel my feet and arms ache, as we celebrated an well-done activity, my experience at Sta. Juliana with the indigenous people also began to set in—my mind wondering, why was God brought me there, why was He allowed me to experience yet another community of indigenous people, why did I endure the heat and the tiredness—was I there for a mission? What would the church do? What would be our share as young people? What would be my share as a leader?

I came to look back at the exposures and missions that I joined before. What happened to the communities that we visited, that we ought to strengthened? Were we able to achieve our goals? But what were our goals, anyway? Was it to give them a one time-big-time project and after the five to ten days living with them we all go back to what we were before?

I wish for now that we would be having a comprehensive framework of mission: a framework that would make each other accountable not only to the spiritual needs of the indigenous people but also to their lives after the mission; a framework that gives everyone an opportunity to participate in the mission of Christ whether your are an Aeta or a lowlander, a kulot (curly) or unat (straight); and a framework that redeems the culture of the indigenous people as no inferior to the culture of the lowlanders and that could be use to bring praise to the Creator.

photo credits: When you see me in the photo, it is taken by Johanna Mae dela Cruz a.k.a. Chikai.
View Mighty’s thoughts at umyfp.org’s Reflections.

Meds is a Medical Technologist student in Baguio. He wants to be a doctor someday and volunteer to Africa after graduation. I asked him why in Africa. We exchanged a couple of conversations. His answers, Africa do not have enough doctors (so is in the Philippines), Africans need doctors more than anybody, many die there (so are Filipinos and in the Philippines), but people are poorer there…

I interrupted him with his justifications and shared him a new perspective of Africa and the Philippines. I said, I am aware that many parts of Africa are devastated with diseases and that many people die; to what he immediately agree. But my following statements quieted him.

My conception of the African continent totally changed when I got to experience a part of it. My five days stay in Johannesburg, South Africa last December was a great eye opener. Together with over 200 young people and nine other Filipinos, I was able to take even a glimpse of what South Africa has become after their long period of struggle.

Africa is the poorest place of the world. And when I say poor, it encompasses diseases, death, malnutrition, low technology, poor quality of education, high crime rates, dirty water, lack of food resources, shanty homes, etc. But to all of these, Joburg proved me wrong.

It is when I browsed the pictures I’ve taken when my friends and I walked around Manila, when I browsed the Internet for pictures of “shanties Manila” that I came to realized that we are indeed poorer than the poorest.

Our bus toured us around Joburg and Soweto. Soweto stands for southwest township which was established during the time of the apartheid. It was made as temporary housing for the mine workers. But since then until the time of the country’s liberation, people permanently occupied the area. Squatters set in and overcrowding resulted to violence and uncontrolled crimes.

Compared to Metro Manila “soweto”, the two are almost the same but that one is Joburg is far better. It has its own place far from the city center — the township is situated in a wide land area, some houses are real “houses” and not the two-story tagpi-tagping yero at karton kind which are typically seen beside the railroad in Sampaloc, Makati and Tondo and beside the black stagnant rivers in Quaipo and Binondo or the mobile houses in kariton.

I was called out with Bishop Eben Nhiwatiwa’s Sunday message: “What have you come here to see? Have you come here to see Soweto?” He is the bishop of the UMC Zimbabwe Area. He challenged everyone saying that Soweto might be in our own backyard. Amid the tiring days, I came to a moment of reflection. My mind flashed back to the Philippines and imagined that, yes, Soweto is just in my backyard or perhaps even more.

The only prominent difference is that people in Soweto are blacks while those in my backyard are my fellow Filipinos. I was and still proud to be Filipino but I came to pity my country. I came to hate the government for its inefficient work and program in alleviating the standard of living and eradicating poverty. But more than that, I was challenged to do something about it. For now, what I can do is to let you know about this.

People like Meds who have a heart for volunteerism and mission are nearly extinct. Many of us are just contented ending a day and beginning anew and continuing our routines. We might have wanted to go to other places or countries for mission and to help the so called poor but as I said to Meds, “Hindi mababayaran ng mga dolyares na ipadadala mo ang pagkalinga ng isang Pilipino sa kapwa Pilipino.” (Your dollar remittances could not surpass the care a Filipino can give to fellow Filipino.)

Before we open our eyes to other poor countries and have compassion to them, isn’t it better when we first reach out to the Sowetos we have in our own backyards. We might be looking far ahead that we are not able to see what are just in front of us.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Quiapo

vs.

Soweto

Are Filipino teenagers emotionally ready for sex? Are we?

First, what does it mean do be emotionally ready? Teenage years bring young people in the most crucial era of their personality development. This is the time where they search their character, identity and directions they want to take. This is also the time when they are most vulnerable and sensitive to their environment.

Being emotionally ready could mean being able to handle and control emotions. Individuals should know when, where or to whom they should put these emotions to. In the case of teenagers, while they are still at the time when most of them feel at their lowest or highest points of their lives and when emotions are strong and sometimes unpredictable, readiness to engage in mature matters like sex is not yet attainable. Teenagers might have the tendency of investing emotions to something or someone too much and may neglect others aspects of their lives.

Second, what does the Filipino culture offers to teenagers? Filipino culture, as diverse as it has been, brings the diversity of young people alive. However, the presence of new and fast phased technological advancement makes it even more complicated. There are so many choices that they could have and most of the time, they want them all. Our culture also establishes media’s portrayal to everything as examples to young people’s minds. It seems everything the media shows are neither good nor bad until you try it yourself. So since teenagers are at search of something that could make them feel better in any plight that they have, they so often want to try everything without thinking much of the consequences.

Teenagers in the provinces are no exemption, too. More and more young people are caught in early marriage situations because the girl is already pregnant. Why? Provincial culture invokes to teenagers, especially those out of school, a culture of closer bonding among them. Since there is not much diversity compared to the cities, boyfriends-girlfriends could segregate themselves from others. Along the way, the temptation to have sex sets in. More so, the ultraconservative side of the province having teenagers with boy/girlfriends as a wrong idea, sometimes, drive these youngsters to be more rebellious of the tradition.

Third, what has become “sex.” The context of “sex” as interaction between (even among) young people of the opposite sex (even same sex) has already become a fad, a pop culture.

It is one, if not the most, intriguing subject and experience to curious young people. More so that the media intensifies the gratification of love through sexual interaction.

Young people sometimes test the faithfulness of their partners through having sex. Some last for long but in the long run will end up to ruined future, like most of them. Some parents even disown their children because of their misfortunes. Other than that, peer pressures sets in. [Sex] experienced young people could easily convey to their peers the excitement and “happiness” sex has momentarily given them. Then convince the others to do so. Though they are aware of the consequences, because of emotional endulgence, teenagers easily forget them while in action. Then they could only realize what they have done if the consequences of their actions could almost spank them on their faces.

Though talking “sex” in public is still a taboo, it is already slowly becoming a norm starting with teenagers and older young people. Given our society existing between the ultraconservative traditions of Filipino culture and the liberalism of Western-imbibed fashion, teenagers are also given much choice or no choice in engaging in sex.

Given the factors above, in conclusion, we could easily evaluate that Filipino teenagers are not yet ready for sex—emotionally, physically and responsibly. At the height of their search for themselves and their development of their identities, most of them are still afraid of responsibility and may not handle the consequences of mature matters like sex. Sex may bring young people an unending chain of consequences, which teenagers still not ready to handle.

Engaging in sexual interaction requires maturity in all aspects of being.

Dumating ka na ba sa puntong naisip mo na wala palang kabuluhan lahat ng ginagawa, pinaghihirapan at pinaplano mo?

Sa mga nakalipas na araw, naging abala ako sa pagdalo ng mga pagpupulong — para sa mga programa ng mga kabataan ng aming simbahan. Laging napag-uusapan ang leadership development, ministry innovations at iba pang mga bagay na sa tingin namin ay makatutugon sa pangangailangan ng mga kabataan sa loob at labas ng simbahan.

Ngunit sa patuloy na pagmumuni-muni at pag-uusap kasama ang iba pang mga lider-kabataan, napagtanto namin na marami pala sa aming mga isinasagawa at pinaplanong gawain ay hindi na nauukol sa kasalalukuyang kalagayan ng mga kabataan.

Isang pag-aaral ang nagsasabing kailangan ng mga kabataan ng pagdidisipulo. Hindi ko alam kung paano ito tutukuyin at bibigyang kahulugan ngunit malinaw ngayon na hindi muna kailangan ng mga kabataan ngayon ang mga leadership and skills development.

Akala namin yun ang kakulangan. Paano mo nga naman sila magiging mga lider kung mismong pagkilala kay Kristo ay wala sila ideya. Wala silang malalim na relasyon kung sino ang kanilang pagsisilbihan. Kumakanta nga sila tuwing praise and worship ngunit hindi naman pala nila alam kung bakit nila ito ginagawa at kung sino ang kanilang kinakantahan. Nag-aapoy ang kanilang damdamin para sa isang gabi ng pagsamba ngunit kinabukasan, kung saan-saan mo na lamang sila nakikita — walang patutunguhan at madaling matangay sa agos ng mundo.

Nabanggit ko na dati sa aking kolum sa Pananaw na nakapa-activity-oriented kasi ng simbahan at nakalilimutan at nakaliligtaan na nito ang pangangalaga sa kanyang buhay-ispiritwal ng kanyang mga kasapi. Maliban pa rito, masyadong abala ang ilan sa pagtatayo ng mga gusali at pakikipagtalo sa pulitika ng simbahan.

Kailangan ng pagkilos para sa pagbabago upang sa kabila ng lahat ay hindi mapunta sa kawalan at mawalan ng kabuluhan lahat ng mga isinasagawang gawain. Tiyak, ayaw natin na mawawalan ng saysay lahat ng ating pagpapagod at pagpapagal.