The Social Network

Add me on Facebook at cuteako_27@yahoo.com.ph. Please do.

Of the 18 million Filipino users, such request is but a needle in a haystack.

To date, the Philippines ranks 6^th for the most number of users around the globe and it would be very likely that even kids who have yet to enter school have their own account. The advent of social networking has definitely seeped into our bloodstream.

“Facebook has 500 million members in 207 countries. It’s currently valued at 25 billion dollars.” It is no miracle that its creators reach Forbes richest billionaires and its story to reach this massive success is no joke.

The Social Network tells about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his best friend Eduardo Saverin  and how they developed the site into a huge online networking phenomenon. Because the website was such a big hit among Harvard students and has attracted over a million members in two years, Mark was later sued by Saverin and pioneer financers the Winklevoss and accused him of stealing their ideas. In the end, both parties settled and Facebook remains to be a high commercial success to date.

Armed with good scriptwriting by Aaron Sorkin, Social Network dramatically illustrates the life of Zuckerberg as a teenager and his frustrations in college where a geek like him is an outcast to the school’s exclusive organizations. (more…)

MDAS: Simpleng Math

Ilang araw

Ang nagdaan

Mabilis….nakakapagod

Isang paligsahang sinalihan

Kahit talo may premyo

Eyebags,,,,itim pa

Pero may pag-asa sa

1*10^2+5*4

Minuto lang yan

Makakauwi din ako….

Sa bahay

Modern Nightingales

“This is our dream… to nurse foreigners” uttered comically by a clinical instructor in our RLE laboratory while showing picture slides of a nurse with a white patient.

I was struck on my seat while I ponder on the thought of her saying that. She was right thinking that majority of our nursing professionals are going abroad for what they say a greener pasture and perhaps many of us in the room will also agree.

I will be a hypocrite if I try to argue with her on that matter because I also have a dream of improving the quality of living of my family like everybody else and the easiest way of doing such is taking up nursing as a stepping stone for a greater chance of going abroad. Perhaps I am a lost for the country in the making, born and raised here but will soon leave like the millions who are now in different corners of the world.

  (more…)

‘Til (Death) Divorce Do Us Part

“For better or for worst, for richer or for poorer, ‘til death do us part”. Anyone who is in love dreams to recite the quotation in front of a partner and will definitely dream of pictures of a happy married life after the wedding ceremony. But what if all of a sudden the blissful dream becomes a nightmare?

Married life can never be as ideal as what we think off when we are in love. Reality speaking, there are numerous cases of failed marriages in our country across all Filipino classes. Commonly experienced by the Filipinos below the poverty line, these marginalized sectors usually suffers most of the consequences of family problems and are unable to have access with courts for legal proceedings due to financial constraints. Currently, the country has no law that allows divorce or the dissolution of marriage. Only annulment and legal separation is honored by the courts, two legal processes that require not only time for proceedings but also more on monetary funding. 

‘Til divorce do us part

Historically speaking, earlier periods of the country tells us that divorce among couples were allowed. Divorce was legal among ancestral tribes before the colonial rule of the Spaniards such as Tagbanwas of Palawan, Igorots in the Cordilleras and Moslems in Mindanao to mention a few.  During the American occupation, Divorce Law of 1917 (Act No. 2710) was enacted and during the Japanese occupation, pursuant to Executive Order No. 141 (1943). It was only on August 30, 1950 when the new Civil Code took effect and thereby disallowing marriage dissolution.

House Bill 1799, an Act introducing Divorce in the Philippines is proposed by Gabriela Women’s Party Representatives Luzviminda Ilagan and Emerencia de Jesus to be an alternative solution to  marital problems where it is already beyond saving and already detrimental to the couple’s well being. GWP, known to be an advocate of women’s rights in the country, believes that if married relationships gets worst, it is always the woman who suffers most of the damage and more commonly than not, the woman gets to be battered most of the time.  The party condemns this act and proposes the bill to be an alternative in saving a defective relationship. (more…)

Para Kay B

(o kung paano dinevastate ng pag-ibig ang 4 out of 5 sa atin)

Naniniwala ka ba sa pag-ibig? Malamang kung hindi ka pa nakaranas umibig tataas ang iyong kilay, kukunot ang noo at ibabagsak na lang ang diyaryong ito sa kung saan. Sa quota kaya ng pag-ibig? Kakayanin mo bang malaman kung saan ka mabibilang?

Ako ay pinapasulat ng kung anong artikulo ngunit sa kasamaang palad, dala na rin siguro ng katamaran, hindi ko nagawa. Ang bagsak ay isang book review ng Para Kay B na unang nobela ng batikang manunulat na si Ricky Lee.

Sa kanyang unang nobela, naglakas loob si Ricky Lee na sumulat ng akdang pwedeng basahin ng lahat (kung ikaw man ay tao), ang temang naghahari na sa m
(more…)

Another Dose of Glory

Despite her stay in the palace for more than nine years, the fun never stopped and the hunger for power of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo remained  unfulfilled.

Last year, she filed her congressional candidacy for the 2^nd District of Pampanga. To give way to her mother’s entrance into the action, Mikey Arroyo, the loyal son, gave way.

For years now, I have endured much of the people’s “Oust Gloria” battle cries. Alas, in her supposed exit—in her only decent exit—she again proved that she never fails to fail the majority of her countrymen. For her, the game is not yet over.

The Arroyo administration has indeed a little bit of everything of the worst that can happen to a nation that has never really received what it truly deserves. The administration has laid its already dirty hands to acts of corruption and countless human rights violations.

(more…)

Daigdig ng Kulay

Ang mundo ay makulay

Sa atin ay pinamanang tunay

Mula sa mga ninunong namuhay

Kanilang inalagaang mahusay.

Asul ang payapang karagatan

Sa isda’t lamang dagat ay mayaman

Na sa mga mangingisda’y pinagkukunan

Ng ikabubuhay at laman tiyan.

Luntian ang bundok dahil sa mga puno

Pinamamahayan ng mga hayop at kung ano ano

Mula sa mga lumilipad hanggang sa mga naglalakad

Gawa ng diyos na sa ganda’y walang katulad.

Patuloy akong nahuhumaling sa kanyang kariktan

Magtulong tayo upang atin itong mapangalagaan

Nang sa gayon maipakita natin ito sa susunod na salin

Ang kulay ng mundo Kung saan ikaw at ako’y nananahan.

(ang tulang ito ay rush, para sa mga pasyente sa mental hosp, bibiahe na kami mamayang alas tres ng madaling araw)

Bayan ng Bukirin (isang maselang pagsusuri sa hiwaga ng Farm Town)

My very own LAND and the Virtues I Learned

As a son of a full pledge farmer, once in my earlier life, I loathed the loads of farm works to be done early in the morning. My friends would then tease me to play in the streets but my father would tell “Tumulong ka pay ditoy, haan ka tumulad kadagita awan trabaho na”.

Indeed I was able to internalize the virtue of PATIENCE, PERSEVERANCE and SACRIFICE so as I write this post, I am waiting for that pineapples of mine for harvesting, enjoying the feeling of economic stability with regards to my farm’s profit from production and the social recognition I am receiving from friends in admiration of my LEVEL 30 FARM TOWN ACCOUNT!

Patience.

                Standing on farm town’s market place can sometimes be frustrating. Jobs are just in the corner yet you realize you are not that lucky to be chosen for certain works.  Pleads for a job comes in with the usual “Pls give me a job, I am just starting”, “I am a fast clicker”, and the worst of all that made my muscle jerk “I can do plow job and hand job”.

                Time taught me that the best word is silence: just stand by the corner where everyone can see you with moderation of chats would certainly get you a job in no time. A tip from an expert would be “just stand by that orange colored fruit and let them do the talking. “A minute of wait will be much rewarded (promise).

PERSEVERANCE

                Starters should be contented with any small job of harvesting or plowing in any size of farm offered. In fact, I was fond of harvesting trees in my earlier days just to compensate with my stupidity of letting the others take on cotton and pineapples, not knowing they are more expensive. Anyway there will be lots of people online during the later hours of the night (foreigners are online usually and they give the best jobs ever).

                What you need is a well developed clicking reflex and hand and eye coordination with good analysis of the size of the farm and approximation of how much effort  will it take you to out maneuver the rest.  A faster internet connection is an advantage where you can do twice as the others do. Courtesy is an option here yet a better option of starting a good conversation with the owner can end up in adding him/her in your buddy list, thus giving you hope of returning to the same farm and get the job again! A simple “Hi, can I add you on my list” certainly won’t kill.

SACRIFICE

                Of course nothing is free. Just visiting your farm and waiting for that job to be offered requires you more and more time as you get addicted to the game. The satisfaction becomes more difficult to achieve as time goes by thus comes the monetary deficiency in real life comes to play. An hour would not be enough to fix everything in a day.  (Luckily, my school offers WiFi).  It will cause you a lot of money depending of the severity of your addiction.

Time is also sacrificed especially for full time students like me. Review or study hours are trimmed just to face the computer once a day.  My super-ego tells me that I must study yet I find it difficult to resist my ego.  I usually end up going to bed late at night and wake early in the morning to cram for the day’s quizzes.  Yeah it’s hard but I’m surviving (still).  

In the end, I came to appreciate all the teachings my father has given me. That a great man that faced the hardships of farming in his earlier life can have a great farm even though its only online. I will be contented with this- for now.

(feel free to add me as a friend and neighbor at akonayata@gmail.com gifts are much appreciated XD)

Dimmed Spotlight

Philippine politics has never been plain boring. it has always been a venue of circus acts, blatant ironies and dynamic display of power and influence.  

Doing my pre-bedtime rituals includes turning on the television and scanning for the usual programs .Its just quite annoying that, once again as it has always been, the primetime is jam packed with advertisements of political figures ranging from skin soaps to alcoholic beverages and worst, commercials with self uplifting themes. Not to mention cabinet secretaries flaunting their agency’s advocacies.

To top it all, sensational commercials like “Anak-itabi-mo”, “Dito-kami-Nangarap”, and “Ganito-kami-sa-Makati” paved its way to the public eyes for months now. It highlights politicians riding in a pedicab (of course it’s not possible in real life), narrating his rags to riches drama and achievements in his City.

According to the Omnibus Election Code, the official campaign period for the national positions starts 90 days before the election, that is on mid February of 2010. It is a fact neglected by our dear officials. Commercials such as these are clearly manifestations of early politicking.

It all boils down to these two facts: firstly, they were not models, secondly, they are not paid, instead they pay exorbitant fees just to see themselves on TV.

Its true that these officials have not yet filed their candidacy for national position but why will they spend hundred of millions in such major Philippine TV stations. It is also true that even there are no “Vote for Me” phrases, the whole thing speaks for it. That even  my 5-year old nephew stopped  imitating John Lloyd’s “ingat” instead he started saying “Anak Itabi Mo”.

Not to mention Government secretaries starting to appear regularly at primetime with what they call info-mercials about their respective agencies.

Money spent can be more productive as to donations to Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that never spent a single penny on ads just to ensure that they make the most of there fund or just continue their public service while not expecting anything in return.

Traditional Politicians or TraPo is what they call them.  Conventional politicians use this as tactic with statistics saying  early signs of uplifting popularity  affects standings on chances of winning the elections.

But how can we choose such leaders if simple rules they can not follow. In this time of crisis, change is much awaited. And greatest changes are more expected from them.

I have seen much of these for the past elections yet nothing has changed. What was being portrayed in commercials is most likely to-good-to-be-true. After the elections, money spent will be taken back. The public will always be left deceived.

Voters are becoming wiser even though slower than expected but at least. We’ve reached another opportunity to make the right choice or the other way around. We can believe in what we see in that box of glittering and shimmering nothing but we can also be more critical in comprehending the darker side of it.

With this I remember the most remarkable commercial of  2007 that goes like this: “Pangarap kong Tuparin ang mga Pangarap mo”.

LH Broadsheet: Taking the bacon home again!

Lorma highlights is glad to inform everybody that our broadsheet won in the last concluded 69th CEGP National conventionheld at Lucena City, Quezon for the second time in a row.

 Isagani Yambot, a mainstream media editor, said that the LH broadsheet was able to present articles concerning students as well as socio-political issues. He said that the paper was out of the box and was able to write a variety of factual articles. 

  Winning one of the major competed categories, the LH family wants to extend its warsmest thanks to everyone who had been part of this success. 

bAgSaK

OO nga’t sa marka’y salat..

ngunit di kailanman sasapat 

ang mga numerong panukat

sa mga natutunang bumakat..

Oo na’t apat ang nakuha

sa dalawampung bilang na parusa 

lahat naman ay ginawa, binasa

MINALAS lang talaga …

Si Unang Seatmate,,

Ayun, lumipas ang dalawang oras na nagtabi kami sa distansiyang di aabutin ang isang langaw na dumapo sa kabilang banda sa loob ng isang kisap mata. 

Ni ha, ni ho wala. Tanging ang mga espasyong naaabot ng aking peripheral vision ang nagsasabing makailang ulit niya ring ninakawan ng tingin  ang notebuk ko na pinampapaypay. 

Nakalimutan ko man ang pangalan niya (ah, alphabetical ang mga upuan, Ma o La siguro umpisa last name) , magkikita pa rin naman kami bukas.

Para sa katabi ko sa NCM 100, sana di kahit di tayo naguusap, mahabag ka sa katabi mo tuwing may pagsusulit…

Ang Butas na Bulsa sa Unang Araw ng Linggo

Hindi ako nagbibiro, butas talaga ang bulsa ko. Tattered kasi, isang disenyo na pilit ipinagbabawal sa loob ng makakristyanong paaralan tulad ng Lorma na sa kasamaang palad ay syang napasukan ng inyong aba. 

Ngayon ay ang araw ng pagkabuhay ngunit walang oras para magsaya at manatili sa bahay. Punuan ang mga bus mamayang gabi at minainam ko na lumarga sa umaga. 

Ito ang araw bago ang madugong umpisa ng Summer Classes, bagong simula, bagong yugto, bagong mga gamit (bp ap, oral thermometer, rectal thermometer, pen light, apat na kulay ng bolpen, tape measure, bandage scissor, gloves, notebook, libro sa pharma, microbio, drug handbook, student handbook, at kung ano ano pa) at higit sa lahat, mga bayaring hindi ipinipilit ngunit ikikintal ang kahihinatnan mo kapag hindi ka nag-avail.

Bukas pa ang klase pero wala na yata akong pera, teka,…naalala ko, kukunin ko pa pala ang rusty lopez na sapatos na bilin saming dapat bilhin para sa duty, 530 daw un(taas kilay), white uniform ko rin pala, 650 din un, at argggh, V-neck na panloob pa….

Duduguin na ako, baka wala na akong pangkain. Buti na lang may isang garapong adobo na ipinabaon ni nang. Sana magtagal siya….

Bentilador

Hindi ko alam kung paano ko ito sisimulan. Aaminin kong hindi nga tayo naging matalik na mag-kaibigan pero masasabi kong sa haba ng pinagsaluhan nating oras na nasa loob ng isang kwarto, hindi mabibilang ang mga pagkakataong nais kitang kausapin.

            Sa buong magdamag, isang hakbang lang ang layo ng kinahihigahan mo sa akin ngunit sa di malamang kadahilanan, may pwersang namagitan sa ating dalawang pumipigil sa  bawat pagtatangkang mag-usal ang mga labi ng salita.

            Kung alam mo lang kung gaano ko kagustong malaman kung ano ang nasa isip mo. Kung ano ang ginawa mo sa maghapon, saan ka galing, o kung kumain ka na ba. Lagi akong nauubusan ng mga salitang kapag binigkas ko’y sasagot ka. Ni hindi nga siguro aabot sa limang minuto ang mga oras na naririnig natin ang isat isa kung susumain sa loob ng limang buwang pagsasama.

            Sa kabilang banda, nangungusap pa rin ang bawat kilos ng hindi sinasadya, kung hindi man hindi lang gustong ipahalatang sinadya. Maalinsangan ang buong silid tuwing gabi at batid kong ang tulad mo lang na may kaya ang makakabili ng bentilador. Pero sa halip na itutok sa sarili, mas pinili mo itong paikutin at patamaan ako bahagya.

            Hindi ko lubos maisip kung sa limang buwan nating pagsasama ay puyatin ako ng init. Hindi ko naman maatim na humingi kay nanay ng pambili ng sarili kong bentilador. Iniisip ko pa lang tumatayo na ang balahibo ko sa pwedeng isagot niya. Mabuti na lang at mabait ka. Pinasasalamatan kita dahil dun.

            Laging nagungusap ang iyong mga mata. Kahit pa natatakpan ng make-up ang iyong pisngi at puno ng eye shadow ang ilalim nito, hindi ko makakalimutan ang malambing mong titig. Ewan ko ba kung bakit hindi ko nagawang magalit sayo ni minsan habang nanigarilyo ka sa may bintana. Pwede kitang isumbong kay manang kasera kung tutuusin ngunit pinipigilan ako ng kawalang kasiguraduhan kung titigil ka kaya o di kaya’y lalala.

            Hindi ko rin kailanman inusisa ang pagpasok mo sa kwarto sa kalaliman ng gabi. Alam ko kasing marami kang kaibigan. Buhay na buhay ang night life kung baga. Pero inisip ko rin paano kaya kung kasama rin ako sa mga paglabas mo para naman makilala sana kita kahit paano.

            Hindi naman masama kung sakali diba? Sino ba naman ako sa unang punto. Kalabisan na siguro ang hinihiling ko. Dapat matuto akong lumugar kung saan may espasyo at di ipagsiksikan ang sarili sa isang saradong sisidlan. Nakakahiya man pero aaminin kong hinintay kitang dumalaw sa isa sa mga panaginip ko. Gabi-gabi yun upang kahit paano ay magkasama tayo kahit sa isang lugar na kailanma’y di magkakatotoo.

            Pilit kitang inintindi sa mga gabing umuwi ka ng lasing. Hindi mo naman ako close sabi ko nga upang sitahin ka o makaipon ng lakas ng loob upang ipahiram sayo sa oras na kinailangan mo ng mapaghuhugutan, sa mga sandaling mas pinili mo ang alak kesa bagtasin ang isang hakbang na pagitan nating dalawa.

Pero nag-iba ka sa mga huling gabi ng buwan. Kumakatok ka pala sa pinto sa oras ng mahimbing na pagkakatulog ng lahat ng kasambahay natin. Sukdulan na ang galit mo ng magising ako’t pagbuksan ka ng pinto. Nagdadala ka naman kasi ng susi datirati kaya nasara namin ang pinto ng di ka pa dumarating.

Agad mong hinanap noon ang bentilador mo. Sa taranta ko, naibigay ko ang bentilador ng lalaki sa taas ko. Nagalit ka siguro ng malaman mong ang iyo pala ay gamit gamit ng lalaki sa taas mo.

      Iniyakan kita ng gabing iyon alam mo ba?

            Natakot na akong matulog sa higaan ko. Natakot akong umiksi ang isang hakbang nating pagitan at baka bagtasin mo habang ako’y natutulog. Ayokong isipin ang maari mong gawin habang ika’y lasing. Lasinggero nga ang tatay ko pero ni minsan di siya nagwala sa harap ninuman.

            Ngayon nakalipat na ako ng tinutuluyan. Masaya an ako at wala akong taong dapat pakisamahan. Sapat na siguro ang abot tanaw nating pagitan sa bagong daang binabagtas ko pauwi upang magkaintindihan ang ating mga nakaw tingin na siguro, kapag nadagdagan ang limang minutong paguusap, naging magkaibigan sana tayo kahit paano alang alang sa bentilador na ating pinagsaluhan.

Fragile

. Fragile .

I

Anxious of tomorrow

Can not be asleep

Still thinking of it

On the corner

I remained

Silenced

And forgot 

I lived that moment.

 (photo taken at Cordillera Inn, Vigan City during a press conference)