RE POST: TIME TABLE

This article is a re-post of my previous blog post in an another blog site.

I decided to do this because of its relevance to some very important people in my life. I made this blog back in 2007 during which I found myself lost and in despair. While writing this article I came to realized that there was nothing to be miserable of and that I am not really lost. I just lost track of my directions in life but the way back to right path is there in front of me.

This is about ambition, dream and career that seem to be elusive.

Recently, I have friends who did not make it in the Bar Examination of 2009. For them, the way to that coveted prefix in their names, ATTY., remains an ambition that never came into realization. Is this really their fate? Or is there a divine plan that was fore laid upon them and they just don't know it yet.

To my friends, this blog is for you.

Time Table

January 29th, 2007 by natziphil

Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted something and you really wanted it so badly? For whatever reason, whether you need it or simply want it for the satiation of your worldly needs.

I have been reaching for my ambition too long a time and it seems to me that this reaching of ambition process is taking me for eternity. I’m now exhausted, physically, mentally, financially and emotionally, but the ambition never realized.

Sometimes, I blame a lot of people. Becoming a lawyer is a mind set. My family, relatives and friends have conditioned my mind and made me believed that I should become a lawyer. Often, I asked myself, is this really my dream or some others' dream for me. Unfortunately, it is now too late to finally make a dream that suits me well, in accordance with my means and talent. I’ve reached this far and to blame someone else is foolishness. Besides, this is likewise my true ambition, which I nurtured and dreamed of since childhood. Hence, I have only myself to blame and no other.

My everyday life is a continuous struggle. I kept this battle for so long but it never made me a good soldier. What good this life’s upheaval has brought me then? Did it make me a better person? Nah, I could not tell. It’s too presumptuous to say that I have become a better person. Perhaps, I’ve gained self confidence yet self confidence cannot be equated to a good person.

I am now confused. I wanted to pursue the career in the practice of law but the way to attain that career is very difficult. I have reached this point in life where I am burned up. I don’t want to study anymore. Just a glimpse of my books annoys me. I easily get irritated.What is happening to me?

Taking three hours sleep is a luxury. I have to study at night until the wee hour in the morning. My social life is curtailed with too many responsibilities in my job and in school. Heavens! this is too much.

Is giving up a right thing to do? I don’t think so. This, notwithstanding, my heart is determined to fulfill my dreams. I would not take all these frustrating incidents in my life if I did not want to become a lawyer.

My mind may have given up but not my heart where my dreams reside. I know I will become a lawyer someday. This day may not be today but that day will come. I just know it. My heart tells me.

At times like this, when my mind and heart conflicts, who shall I follow?

My mind is rational. It is dictated by the results of the prevailing circumstances. It decides in accordance with my well being. It doesn’t have feelings. My heart, on the other hand, is very much unlike my mind, it does feel. My passion in law emanates from my heart. It isn’t rational but it is determined and enduring. Each pulsating action that it does is a surge of energy that drives me to keep pace with my ambition. My heart wields that person that I have dreamed of to become. So, it is obvious, who I chose to follow.

This is not yet my time, I have come to terms with that, but who cares. I know that God is with me in this journey. With He who guides and strengthens me I do not fear. I know by divine knowledge that He shall fulfill my dreams. My destiny awaits me in his own time.

When the things that I’m rearing in the bag seem not to go inside, I do not despair. It may not be my time yet to become a lawyer. Though the table of time is moving too slow for me at the moment I am confident that in God’ s time I shall receive it and take it with all His grace. God’s time table maybe moving on slowly but it is moving on surely.

Having stated all these, I therefore rectify my earlier erroneous statement. They are all but rubbish. Dreaming is not limited by age nor time. So long as we live and capable of it we should continue on dreaming. An ambition is an ambition until its realization. Discouragement is only for the weak. The time spent pursuing dreams may not molded a good person but surely bred a stronger one.

REVIVING, REVITALIZING & REACTIVATING MY PASSION IN WRITING

LADIES & GENTLEMEN OF THE BLOGGING WOLD IM BACK!

NATZINALISM: Cool Voters Don't Give Away Votes They Loan Them.

NATZINALISM: Cool Voters Don't Give Away Votes They Only Lend Them.

Social Polarization

Are you wondering why is there a continuous social unrest?

This Phenomenon is plaguing the country since Philippine history was just about to be written. Even before the inception it never ceases to bring turmoil in the society. This event toppled down former governments and conversely instituted new ones. Amazingly, as time progresses the resulting social unrest generates more power and continues destroying the country, its economy, its moral foundation and its integrity.

This upheaval was forged from the clashing of two opposing forces; that two groups of people that made up the Philippine social spectrum. One group is composed of the poor people, while the other group is made up of the wealthy ones, a social grouping based on the economic conditions of each group.

The former is always on the offensive. Being the underprivileged and the oppressed, they seek redress through redistribution of the national wealth by equal share. Conversely, the latter group is one that is on the defensive. Born of nobility, educated and apprised of their rights to inheritance they considered their wealth, their own birth right, hence, deems it beyond contestation.

The genesis of this battle dates back eons of years ago. History speaks of the battle between the Spaniards settlers and the native dwellers whose conflict finds its root from the improper distribution of wealth and resources. This event never left the nation since then. Like a perpetual storm that sweeps the social atmosphere of this nation for years, this unrest has been woven so intricately into the fibers of the society, a social problem hovering upon this nation unceasingly.

The socio-economic composition of the Philippines is made up of two extreme groupings; the poor and the wealthy. This social set up began during the period of hispanic occupation of the country. As a Spanish Colony, the Conquestadores drained all the country’s resources. Kept the wealth of the colony inside the vaults of the Spanish families, Whilst, dominating the rule upon this country, imports the corrupt system of governance from Spain. Consequently, the natives were deprived of their bounties from our motherland. Traces of this families or clans remain today. They're the majority of poor families, which were the remnants of the slave Indios. The wealthy families, who have control of our present economy, are the heirs of the insulares and the peninsulares. Their last names traced their roots from the hispanic race that once seized control over the country. Philippines, therefore, is predisposed to this social disturbance brought about by the unequal wealth distribution.

After the Spanish occupation came the Americans. Capitalism became the major economic reform in the country. Opportunism flourished; driven by the capitalist ideology Filipinos sought the opportunity to emancipate themselves from poverty. Education too played a vital role in this process. The former indios went to school and became professionals. This event paves the way for the restructuring the social composition of the country. The Filipino working professionals increased in number through time thst gave birth to a third group called the "middle class". This new group acted as middle ground between the two clashing groups of the poor and the wealthy. Filipinos belonging to the middle class are neither poor nor rich. The middle class obtained social standing in the community by virtue of their professions and had consolidated control of a fair share in the distribution of wealth.

With the emergence of the middle class the erstwhile social unrest came to a temporary halt (debatable according to some). As the number of professionals increased, among the poor families, poor Filipinos eventually were lifted from poverty and partaken sizeable distributive share of the national wealth. Resultantly, a new socio-economic structure was ormed by these three groups, which illustratively took the shape of a diamond. At the two pointed ends of the structure are the rich and the poor classes and at the bulging center is the middle class.

Unfortunately the defunct social stability did not last. The indios who were now self governing have not gone away from the shadows of their colonizers. Relative to the running of the newly founded government, was the adoption of the corrupt system of governance. The system of Capitalism from the Americans became the bedrock of the inherited practice of corruption in the government. Opportunism (of capitalist practice) spoused by protectionism (of hispanic origin) became an effective concoction for graft and corruption.

The rich Filipinos at one end of the social spectrum found the way to protect their wealth from being distributed to the other groups. The wealthy class tapped the practice of graft and corruption by bribing officials in the government and ensured that every policies formulated and every legislations passed would be protective of their resources from being redistributed. Worst, when the wealthy became officials of the government themselves, they have thereby permanently sealed their wealth away from the other classes. Graft and corruption became lucrative business among the Wealthy politicians and their wealthy cohorts who ran the government. Having been deprived again of the concealed national wealth, the poor people reignited the flames of the olden battle for the equal distribution of wealth.

Several episodes of social unrest again engulfed the social atmosphere. By repeating history, the social disturbance that once transpired in the past, finds its way back to the present time. The ancient battle between the poor and the wealthy begun , which was triggered by the unfair distribution of the country's resources. The diamond structure formed by the three social groupings eroded as lesser professionals from the middle class could maintain a decent way of living. Majority of these working professionals became poor. The former diamond-shaped social structure changed into new structure, taking the pyramid shape. The re-formation into a pyramidal social structure disrupted the status quo that heightened displeasure among the people, consequently, social unrest ensued once again. With the new socio-economic structure in place of the former one, the middle ground at the center vanished. More and more middle class people turned pauper in the process. The poor people increased in number, which was to become the base of the pyramid. Middle class in the society decreased while, rich people became wealthier. The wealthy people were at the apex of the pyramid looking like supreme amongst the other Filipinos.

Continuously unchecked, the imbalance distribution of wealth would ultimately destroy social order. If the rich people continue on amassing wealth more than their share in the distribution and the poor people kept on becoming pauper and with lesser or none at all share in the wealth distribution, these two forces would eventually collide heads on.

The impending chaos in the social order is imminent because of the phenomenon this country is experiencing called Social Polarization. As the group of the poor people becomes poorer and the group of wealthy people becomes wealthier the middle class between these opposing sides melts. The worst scenario is that there would be no middle class left in the social structure. The intense pulling apart of the two opposing ends and the frequent violent collision of the two contradicting forces in the social spectrum is Social Polarization in the active phase.

With the present socio-economic conditions prevailing among Filipinos there is indeed a social polarization. There was no more middle class left in the social structure. It vaporized in the process of polarization. The once middle class composed of the working professionals could hardly be construed a distinct and a separate class on its own. Having meager salaries and income which could not cope up with the high cost of living these people belong to the group of the poor people. Salary and cost of living are factors that affect the determination of whether or not an individual lives a decent life, after all, people in the middle class are supposed to lead a decent living. The present plight of the working professionals reveals that they do not have income enough to support their needs. In reality, therefore, working professionals are poor people.

Social polarization destroys social structures and brings down social order. Such that, any demonstrations in the streets or mass gatherings of angry mob or any other social unrest, are prelude to a much bigger and disastrous event brought by the continuing collision of the two extreme forces of the rich and the poor, embattled with each other for the equal distribution of the national wealth. Unless, an effective and concrete solution to the problem of polarization shall be put in place, social unrest shall stay in the country for good until a new system shall have been born from the refueled ancient battle for wealth.

God bless Philippines.

LABOR DAY: BENEFITS OR HOLIDAY?

The nation observes on this day, the 1^st of May, Labor Day. By decreeing it a holiday Filipinos commemorate this day in honor of labor.

In every economy in the world labor plays a vital role. Economic growth depends much from the labor sector. So much so, that a vigorous economy is spelled out from a strong and developed labor force.

In the Philippines, nothing’s different. Labor is the backbone of its economy. Hence, it is therefore proper that this country gives labor and the laborer enough recognition for that noble part it partakes in building this nation.

However, I could not help but notice the meager acknowledgment bestowed upon the people behind the labor whose work force drives the labor machinery and the nation’s economy into action.

The workers and the laborers both in the government and in the private sectors are the most abused citizen in this body politic. Workers in this country have never experienced a blissful life. Since time immemorial, most laborers have been immersed in a poverty stricken world where benefits and privileges are in scarcity. Several governments have gone yet laborers have never been unchained from the bondage of poverty. Declaring Labor Day, as a holiday is not enough, in fact, it is not even close enough. Governmental policies on labor and labor legislation must be the paramount concern of the government. Giving laborers a single day to take a brief rest from work is an insult rather than a benefit or a privilege. Workers don’t need a holiday, what they want is concrete and tangible benefits commensurate of their labor and sufferings in giving forth life force to the country’s economy.

To the deaf ears of the policy makers and implementers, here is a list of what workers are asking for the longest time now. To wit: higher salaries and or tax exemptions of workers; decent health benefits; realistic pension and life plan benefits; humane work place; worker’s protection; and a good government.

One-day rest from work in honor of the great day of labor allotted to the workers is reflective of the importance given to labor by the government. That is how little labor and the laborers are to the government. Worker’s welfare is nothing but a day’s rest. The government has turned deaf-ears to the plea of the workers. The Labor Force is so much unlike the Arm Force. The present government banks in more in the Arm Force for it’s needed security in power, it being an unpopular government. Unfortunately, to the Labor Force no faithful policy was ever been formulated and implemented for its betterment. No funds were channeled in, no salaries were increased, no benefits for the spouses and children, no modernization plan drafted, no priority agenda was talked about, and worse, no laborers have been emancipated from poverty.

The observance of Labor Day by giving workers’ day off with an empty pocket is an empty gesture of commemorating their noble role in nation building. Instead, fill up their pockets and extend them their reasonable benefits and give them the choice whether to take the day off or not on May 1^st is a genuine showing of gratitude to laborers and the labor.

To all the Filipino workers here and abroad, I salute you. You are the champion of our economy and the modern heroes of the country. Mabuhay ang mga Manggagawang Filipino at ang dakilang Araw ng Paggawa. Mabuhay tayong lahat!

Once A Bookworm Always A Bookworm.

I have wanted to read other books aside from the law books that are filling up all the shelves in my place. In fact its law books all over the place; other than the books of Tolentino, Herrera, Reyes, Regalado, De Leo, etc. on the book shelves, there were stocks of red, maroon, blue and green hard-bound books on the sofa, on the computer table and on my bed. On the dining table there were, likewise, couple of soft-bound books accompanied with machine copies of the pages of SCRA and a hand full of notes. My house is really that mess most of the time but that is my life during school period. There were clatters everywhere giving an atmosphere of a chaotic world. Organizing and arranging these books are out of the question because it is very hard to manage my time squeezing in both my work load in the office and my studies in law school.

Aside from these law books I have likewise in my possession other books. I am a fan of numerous authors whose manuscripts are best sellers. I like John Grisham’s works and I have two of his books. I have read several of his books but I could not afford buying my own copies because my resources are all channeled in my schooling. Such that most non-law books that I have read were either borrowed or gift from friends sharing the same passion in books. Other than my two Grisham books there were other books in my shelves that remained unopened. The famous trilogy book of The Lord of the Rings which was given to me as gift by a good friend before the second sequel of the motion picture is shown in the movie theater remained stocked in my shelves fragmentary read until now collecting dust and maybe mites. There were also books of local authors which were given to me as birthday present that I have merely collected and have not dared to open as yet. Stupid that I am, I borrowed the latest, well at that time, of the sequel of the Harry Potter series, The Half-blood Prince, from a friend during the last semestral break hoping that I could read it. However, I have neglected my reading and came the school season and my purpose has not been realized. Coming this July the last of the sequel of the Harry Potter will be released on bookstores, The Deathly Hollows, and I have not even started with the former. How certainly stupid I am, huh?

Hence, in addition to my law books, which I have thoroughly read, there were other books that keep on filling and stocking in my place. Unfortunately, they remained just like that, filling and stocking, without me having them opened and read. So last Saturday, I made a vow, I promised before my towering stock of books, that I will not watch TV. The pledge includes the undertaking that I will not watch television until I have finished reading at least fifty percent of these dusty books. What a bookworm! I have been wanting in reading other kind books but that purpose seems to have become a distant reality. My eyes are giving up on me every time I start to read they involuntarily shut down even before I finish a single chapter. Worse, my thoughts were hovering away from my mind flying towards the world of sleep and dreams, you know what I mean. Then finally, i decided to slow down in reading and find another way in relaxing my mind.

Alas, last night I sat in front of my TV set and spent the evening watching movies and shows. To my dismay nothing caught my interest. All that I saw in the cable networks are re-runs of movies and shows which I have already seen before. There was nothing new, with few exceptions of some series of shows in AXN channel. Aggravating the feeling of dismay, my sister, who was then around, sat beside me in front of the TV and browsed the local networks. There I had again glimpses of the political campaign ads of the candidates this coming poll frequently interrupting the local shows. It was terrible, like what I had stated before in my previous blog post, the ads are more of nuisance than informative. The campaign ads were absolutely unsubstantial and certified junk. It is such a shame to realize that these politicians wasted substantial amount of money for nonsense ads defiling the air waves and agitating viewers. These strengthen my resolve to ban the TV and read good books instead. I came to a realization that books are better stuff than TV. What a book worm indeed. Haaaaahahahahahahahahahaha!

Text Message From Heaven

After a long time of emptiness I am once again filled with happiness.

Yesterday afternoon my cell phone made a familiar beep notifying me that a message was received. To my surprise the message came from a person that I thought had forgotten me. When I pressed my phone's interface button accessing the message just received I was surprised to see that familiar name again "love ko". The message reads "Hi! Kmusta k n? D nman ako galit syo tampo lang ako nun pero kalimutan na ntn yun. How r u?" After reading it I was dumbfounded. Surprised of the unexpected message. I held my cell phone tightly as if I was holding my girl's hand. My prayers were finally answered, I was forgiven and not forgotten I told my self.

I told her, "I was doing good but I can't get rid of that sadness that keeps on haunting me every time I am alone specially at night" I was confused when she gave this reply through text,"=(", so I immediately texted her again, "When you left a void feeling occupied that room you left empty in my life". Then she replied "Talaga?Alam mo miss n rn kta". After reading that I immediately dialed her cell phone number and talked to her. I said a million sorries and I pledged my whole loyalty to her. She said to me that my apology is accepted and She hopes that I learned my lesson well. "Absolutely" I said. After our conversation I said to my self, "finally! I can be happy again".

I did not expect this to happen but it did happen. Indeed good thing comes to your life unexpected. It just come bangging on your door without any notice. That was really the message of all messages, the message sent from heaven.

You too can be happy! just pray and wait patiently for the answer. No prayers are left unanswered. God is good.

I love you my luvs.