a dependent culture, my two cents on the Willie Revillame issue

A lot of intellectuals and elite and movers said their piece of mind already about the Jan-Jan episode on Willing-Willie. Ads were being pulled off the show until finally, Willie announced that the show will be off air in the next couple of weeks. Just before going off live air, Willie Revillame lambasted as well the celebrities who have strongly voiced their opinions on Twitter. The celebrities, I believe, were moved to voice out against Willie in defense of the marginalized, in defense of the poor who for the sake of being given some money, are willing to sacrifice even their well-being, and allow Willie to even humiliate them. Willie's words about the celebrities mirrored how he is as a person. The celebs were defending the poor, while Willie attacked the personhood and individuality of the celebraties; calling out to Aiza to be a man (why should he attack Aiza's lesbianhood?), calling out to Agot that she doesn't even have a child (for a married woman who wants to have a child and then be hurled with this insult must be very hurting), calling out to Bianca "who does she think she is" (okay, Willie probably has much higher salary than Bianca since he is more popular but Willie's statement clearly reflects how HIGH he thinks of himself). Personally, I abhor the guy. But the Philippine masses loved him. Purely because he doles out a lot of money in his TV shows. Easy money. I do believe TV show organizers are intellectuals as well. And I do believe they do realize that their TV shows do breed/propagate a culture of dependence, where the poor wait that fate make them lucky enough to be chanced upon by the host and hence be doled out money or be lucky enough to be a contestant and hence have a chance for bigger bucks. Oh mind you, for one to be able to be a contestant, it entails days of queuing and applications. And one would think, instead of queuing, why not look for a decent job instead, one that would give them a stable salary. But then again, if truth be told, there really is a lack for job openings especially in Greater Manila for the masses. And probably, even if they do land a job, some would think that the money they would earn is very meager as compared to what they would earn in the TV shows if they're lucky enough. Willie Revillame lashed out in his show on April 8 that those celebrities who complained against him are not helping the poor, questioning them if they themselves gave Bantay Bata 1 Million pesos (making you surmise that he gave the charity the very amount). But I don't think he really is helping the poor. He is giving away easy money, making them even more dependent on other people for their survival. He is barely scratching the surface of what really needs to be addressed here. To change the mindset of the poor. To change them from within. To make them their own masters of their own future and not wait on lady luck to bring them good fortune. But then again, it would be good, if we can offer more jobs as well.

The Rise of Philippine EPC: WHEN??

A contact in Twitter retweeted the article below in Arabian Oil and Gas website about the rise of South Korean contractors. True, our company has actually lost a couple or two projects to South Korean contractors where one (or two) was a project owned by our company's long-time Client.

Sure, they pose a threat to other competitors, especially to our company (or at least my husband's, since I have just already recently resigned). But then foremost in my thoughts is the question: When will Philippine EPC have its own rise?

Our engineers and professionals has been highly appraised worldwide. My husband even attended a lecture recently, held by an esteemed Japanese lecturer with international credentials under his belt, where that same lecturer has talked highly of the Filipino people having a lot of potential and being very capable.

And yet, "The Rise of Philippine EPC" is near impossible at the moment. Brain drain does the job. We gather enough experience here at home and when we have enough, our wanderlust, our longing to prove our mettle in the bigger field, our wanting to have better salaries, makes us want to pack our bags and be part of the working force of other countries.

I myself am guilty of this. And if truth be told, I don't want to spend the rest of my life working here in Manila - the city stresses me out (it's not the same story with other cities though). But if each engineer or professional thinks in exactly the same way, give or take a few other reasons besides, then I do think we will not ever witness "the rise of Philippine EPC". Not in our lifetime anyway.

http://www.arabianoilandgas.com/article-8505-the-rise-of-the-south-korean-contractor/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

how cruel can it be

I took the day off from work last Friday - had to undergo drug test for my driver's license and I had to go to the bank for my bank certificate. Late that afternoon, I went to the office to meet with the groupmates and together, go to Jom's place for his farewell party before he flies to Singapore next week and lead a new life.

While we were having our dinner, I casually asked Kristine on the latest news in the office, thinking she would just update me on another funny yet mundane happening. And so I totally wasn't prepared to hear the news she told me - that 4 JGC managers working for IGD Pj were killed in a road accident in Abu Dhabi. My eyes must have been as big as saucers as I exclaimed "WHAAAAT??! HOW? WHEN? WHY??!!". My heart sank as I hear more of the story and yet my mind still can't comprehend what happened and why it happened. As talk went to the subject of overspeeding in the Middle East, I thought of the possibility that my special someone would get to be assigned at site every now and then and my heart was gripped with fear. Worry now settled in as well as I thought about what he must have felt about the incident.

Of course, like a lot of people, I'm angry with the truck driver who was so reckless that he didn't check any oncoming traffic thus killing 5 people. But foremost in my thoughts was how unprepared those 5 must have been with their deaths. They were not able to say goodbye to their loved ones, were not able to say their farewells and to express their thoughts and feelings to the people who are important to them. Their dreams and aspirations just cut off, with nary a warning. It was such a tragedy.

And yes, how sad and cruel it is to die without even saying goodbye to those dearest to you...

This tragedy has a lot of effects in a lot of facets with big resulting complications. I can only hope that their deaths will bring about good changes in Abu Dhabi's traffic laws. In that way, their deaths won't be in vain.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/4-japanese-among-5-killed-in-traffic-accident-in-abu-dhabi

This reminds me yet again though, to tell your loved ones, everyday, as often as you can, how special they are to you.

Farewell thee, my clothes

I've been told time and again that I have quite a LOT of clothes. Even a special friend told me I shouldn't get fat since I have quite a number of clothes and all those clothes would go off-spec if I ever get fat. Well if truth be told, I am having a hard time now in organizing my clothes in my cabinet since clearly there's not enough space anymore. Although I think it's not because I really have innumerable clothes in store. I think it's more like I have difficulty in parting with my old clothes and I hesitate in giving them away. It's not out of selfishness that I don't want to share clothes which I don't use a lot anymore and that I don't give it away to those who need it much more than I would. It's just that those clothes has been part of me for a long time already, has been with me in moments in the past and are parts of my memories. They contain a part of me. And that's the difficult part. Parting with something precious to me because it's been a part of me.

But then again, since I haven't worn some of the clothes already or that some of them haven't even been aired out for some time now, some of them are already discolored. Some of them may go to waste already if not remedied asap. When I saw some discolored clothes, somewhere inside me twinged because those clothes could have been put into use, if not by me, but by someone else who needs it more. And surely you would feel bad right if "a part of you" would just rot away?

So rather than keep those little mementos of me in the cabinet where they will just rot their while away, I think it would be better to give them away and share them. At least, they'd be made more special if they can be put to use. If those "little mementos" of me can be of help to others, then it'd be better.

seesaws and swings

I never did like the seesaw when I was a kid. Of course any other kid would want to be on the "up" side. But then much of your happiness on being on the "up" side depends on the kid on the other end of the seesaw. It was not only the being up and down that is dependent on the other kid. The rythmn as well as the speed of being on the up and down was dependent on your playmate as well. I remember making a number of strategies, sort of cheating, yes, just so I would always be on top or at least just be on the same level with the other kid - if I can't be on top then the other kid can't be on top as well. Hence, I cunningly adjust my seating position from the central axis depending on the weight of the kid on the other end. Hence, it was not always a fun game.

I liked the swing better, even up to now (although my liking it up to now has a bit of the romantic in me working). I think why I liked it better as a kid was that you can be happy on your own. If you want to be as high and as "up" as you want to be you can just propel yourself as hard as you can. If you want to slow things down, you can just use your feet as break and you're swinging in slow motion already. You can be up whenever you like. And when you want to slow things down, it will also be at your own pace. I loved it.

But in a way, it is lonely. You are enjoying it, alone.

The seesaw would be good now. As long as you don't mind being on the downside sometimes just so your partner can be on the up side. This would be okay as long as your partner would also be happy to have you on the up side for as long as you want to. You can keep the seesaw going for as long as you and your partner wants. There would be no cheating now. It should be a matter of give and take. Being mindful of your partner's happiness as your partner is mindful of yours. Give and take.

musings

If people can write songs, make books and movies about it, then probably, maybe, at least for some, if not most, it does exist...and lasts.

on dandelions and letting bygones be bygones

some things can just die a natural death. at first you cling on the loss. but good thing common sense always lead you back to thinking right.

there wouldn't be goodbyes even. what is will just be blown to neverwhere just as a dandelion's seeds gets blown in the wind. and yet even as the dandelion's seeds floats in midair, it still is so beautiful; reminiscent of how beautiful it was when it was still whole.

the dandelion's meaning is "happiness and faithfulness". i associate this flower however, with wishes & heart's desire. albeit what with it's being whisked off with even the gentlest of breezes, there's something bittersweet with the flower. that with its fragility, everything can be blown off with the slightest of disturbance. But then again, there's something nice with it's being free enough to be blown by the wind and float in midair. there's happiness in there i think. and faith and trust in that wherever the seed may land, that's where it ought to be; that that's where you ought to be.

Moments

"Up a flight of almost 300 steps. Church bells tolling nearby. Flowers a-bloom on the sides, some even seemed like they're reaching out to you, as if willing you to touch them. Butterflies flitting about. Birds chirping up on the trees' branches. And the lush green of the early summer leaves forming a canopy above you. All peaceful, so peaceful it was bordering on being surreal. And you seize it. Bask on the moment. Drink it like it's some elixir, healing you of whatever is troubling you, of whatever is ailing you. Drink it till you're satiated. Drink till you know you've drank enough to bring with you to wherever you need to go to."

Wrote this on my last weekend in Japan, when my heart feels constricted with how much i'll be missing the place and things/people I love. These were my thoughts as I was scaling the stairs leading to Yamate Church.