BENJICATED

D'you guys remember the Paschal Mystery of Jesus? Suffering, Death, and Ressurection? Well, last week I was in the suffering and death stages, but now it's aaaall ressurection, baby! No more worrying about classes and exams and sleezy professors. It's all ova', and man, am I glad itch ova.' I certainly will miss a lot of things, though. The food (chikcen strips paaare!), the culture, my sleezy homies always fooling around deciphering the female complexities, and the philo classes. Damn,the philo classes! I'm surely gonna miss learning about Trethowan, Kant, Aquinas, Socrates, the Big Aristotle, and the rest of the philo gang!

Well, that's that. After my last finals exams I went straight to my little couzin's birthday party. Had some pretty good talk with my folks there. After that I got myself on a jeepney to SM North where I met up with Nolaine and Tabong and Jay. We watched this French romantic-comedy film "Love Me If You Dare." We initially planned to watch "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events", but the guys saw the trailer of L.M.I.Y.D. and no sooner did we find ourselves swapping our tickets at the ticketing booth. Anyway, the film was wicked awesome. I'm still confused on how I'd rate the ending, though. At first, I though it was too ideal, too sleezy for me that it kinda' ruined the whole plot of the story. When we watched the movie again, I asked myself, "Why I was complaining about the ending in the first place?" Shiznits, I'm really confused, but I must say the movie, in Randy Jackson parlance, 'really brought the house down'. After that I spent the next 22 or so hours at KNL. Benjoe was missing me at home so I had to leave. Benjoe, you did miss me, right? Don't shy! I know you did, you sweet little bastard you! Hehe! Anyway, Feb 27 is now, officially, a wicked awesome day for me. Wicked awesome...

Sunday morning rain is falling
Steal some covers share some skin
Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable
You twist to fit the mold that I am in
But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do
And I would gladly hit the road get up and go if I knew
That someday it would bring me back to you
That someday it would bring me back to you

That may be all I need
In darkness she is all I see
Come and rest your bones with me
Driving slow on sunday morning
And I never want to leave

02/22/05

'Eto na, huling linggo na ng aking pagka-mag-aaral. Matagal-tagal na rin akong hindi nakakapagsulat sa kalokohang ito dahil sa dami ng ginagawa sa school...o sa school nga kaya??? Punyemas, bago ka naman patapusin e duduguin ka talaga. Di na rin ako masyadong nakapag-aral kahapon sapagkat nilagnat ako ng pagkahusay-husay mula pa noong linggo. Pero masaya talaga last week, panalo yung UP fair hindi lang dahil malulupit yung mga banda at free entrance ako palagi, kung 'di pati nakakasama ko magdamag si Nolaine. Wazzzapp! Gimme' five boy! (Raising hands to the roof) oh yeah, oh yeah, oh oh oh yeah! I don't want to get ahead of myself, but damn, masaya talaga yung buong linggo kahit madaming makukulit at loko-loko (teka, isa ata ako don ah). Itch all good, ika nga ni Tiops.

For years at the Ateneo, and what do i have to show for it? Well, I learned to blog, that's for sure. I got myself into friendster even though at first I though it was "cotton candy" stuff. But more than that, I think what I really learned was the value of money, and/or the lack of it. By "and", I mean I had to budget my own money 24/7. It's nice trying to be quasi-financially independent from your folks, not asking for anything more than your weekly allowance. Heck, at times I do need the extra cash, but I always try to keep it at the minimum. Kahiyaan na rin lang kasi, bente ka na umaangal ka pa rin.

On the other hand, by "or" i mean the lack of value of money. If my Philo and Theo classes have taught me one thing, it would probably be that money ain't all that. It's not gonna make a person ultimately happy, although it helps and I'm not gonna argue that. What I'm getting at here is that the Ateneo - the school that "supposedly" teaches people how to earn big bucks"- ironically taught me that there are more important things in life. Stuff like 'preferential option for the poor,' the immersion, 'Kantian ethics' and such have been stuck in my head like dried-up boogers underneath an armchair. And this has lead me to a crossroad: the JVP or a corporate life after graduation.

In the back of my mind, I somehow hope that I don't make it pass the second deliberations in the JVP so that I won't be bothered by this dilemma anymore. I do know, however, that not joining the JVP will be the frustration of my life (together with not being able to realize what I should've realized before, but that's another story). Benjoe's already set on joining the JVP, and i guess it would be unfair to our parents if both of us joined at the same time, them investing so much on us and all. I'm thinking of maybe just letting Benjoe join the JVP first, and then I'll just re-apply maybe a couple of years from now. Well, Benjoe is the better, more experienced missionary, plus he's pursuing someone who's also joining the JVP, so this is really 'his time'. As for me, I'd probably work my ass of in some corporate office not making a difference in the world.

Damn! I love my folks, but I hate the fact that they keep pressuring me to work right after graduation. They're not even proud that Benjoe and I want to make a difference, even in a small community, by joining the JVP. If my son/daughter told me s/he wanted to join a volunteer organization, I'd shed tears of joy in an instant (don't take it literally). Not to whine or anything, but I don't really see fulfillment in what they want me to do. Hey, maybe if we really do need the money, can i just at least take a few weeks off before I become a corporate slave for life? I don't know, maybe it's because I've never experienced poverty before and my parents have, and that's why they don't want me not earning money from the get go. But damn, it really sucks having to argue with your parents about the track you want to take after grads...it sucks big time.

Anyway, enough of that. Going back to my so-called present life, I came across this wicked awesome old school song yesterday. The shit really hits the spot, especially the part about "isaw". You've obviously heard of this song, and if you haven't, then you should probably just go home and eat kamote. it's Ligaya by the voice of the Pinoy 90's youth, Eraserheads. Hey, at least there are still some good things to look forward to in this life.

Eraserheads - Ligaya

Ilang awit pa ba ang aawitin o giliw ko?
Ilang ulit pa ba ang uulitin o giliw ko?
Tatlong oras na akong nagpapacute sa 'yo
'Di mo man lang napapansin ang bagong t-shirt ko
Ilang isaw pa ba ang kakainin o giliw ko?   ---> isaw! panalo!!
Ilang tansan pa ba ang iipunin o giliw ko?
Gagawin ko ang lahat pati ang thesis mo
Huwag mo lang ipagkait ang hinahanap ko
Refrain:
Sagutin mo lang ako aking sinta'y
Walang humpay na ligaya
Chorus:
At aasahang iibigin ka
Sa tangahali sa gabi at umaga
Huwag ka sanang magtanong at magduda
Dahil ang puso ko'y walang pangamba
Lahat tayo'y mabubuhay ng tahamik at buong
Ligaya
Ilang ahit pa ba ang aahitin o giliw ko?
Ilang hirit pa ba ang hihiritin o giliw ko?
'Di naman ako manyakis tulad ng iba
Pinapangako ko sa 'yo na igagalang ka

02/08/05

Windang ako buong weekend, buti na lang nakita ko si Bunek for the past two days kaya "ayos lang," ika nga 6 Cycle Mind. Noong sabado nagbasket ako kasama sina Jo-ed (formerly known as Edel) sa QC circle (hindi quality control circle), at masasabi kong hindi lang sa football ako nag-"unimprove." Noong unang game mamaas-maas talaga ako, pero at least noong second game ok na.

Nagpagupit na nga rin pala ako dala na rin pangangailangang magmukang tao para sa job interview. Isa pa, masyado na daw kaming magkamukha ni Beho. At totoo nga, padami ng padami ang mga bumabati sa akin na hindi ko kakilala.

02/05/05

4:00 am - tulog

7:30 am - gising

buong araw - kelangang gising!

Duguan na po! Nilagnat ako kahapon sa sobrang dami ng ginagawa sa school. Overfatigue. Nako, eh ito pa naman yung "weakest" week ko ngayong Pebrero. Pagkatapos nitong linggo 'to, lalong magtatambakan ang mga sangkatutak na deadlines, papers, exams, atbp. Talagang madarama mo na na gusto ko nang paalisin, na talagang gragraduate ka na... Whaaa! Patapos na rin sa wakas, tatlong linggo na lang! Pero di ko ba alam kung dapat magsaya ako o malungkot o mainis o mangiyak-ngiyak, etc. Basta ang alam ko, bawal na muna ang himatlugin ngayon.

02/04/05

I played football with the Jesuits yesterday afternoon. Man it feels good playing fuzzbol again! The only problem is i've become so lousy at it, not being able to play for almost four years and all. I can't even trap the damn ball! I got a couple of bruises, too, but it's all part of the game. The Jesuits were very receptive and welcoming (well, i guess they to be), but still, i'm not planning to enter the seminary any time soon. Magfifishballs na lang ako!

ON THE VAT ISSUE

Being a nearly certified quasi-economist, i can't help but put a say on this issue. Watching Dong Puno Live last night was really an eye opener for me. One guest there, an economist who goes by the name of Prof. Leung (I can't recall his first name) who is a professor at UP gave some pretty good insights about the proposed VAT law. Suprisingly, i got so hooked up (and yes, excited) in all his analyses that i forgot studying for my Theo exam, which was this morning (madali lang, dapat di na ako nagpuyat!).

Anyway, here are some of his insights, and I concur with them:

The government needs money now more than ever. We are at the brink of a fiscal crisis, and preventive measures must be taken NOW. Kelangan ng revenues eh, at hindi pwedeng uutang na naman ang Pilipinas kasi 'yung yung dahilan kung bakit tayo nasa ganitong sitwasyon in the first place (naks, conyo!). Revenues must come internally, and inevitably, taong bayan ang gagatasan dyan. Now, the most efficient and fastest way to gain revenues right now is VAT. Let's face it, VAT is a revenue machine. It just needs some fine tuning for it to work properly and justly.

1. equal additional tax (2%) for all classes

2. abolish all exemptions

-these are measures that would ensure no one would manipulate the system. Malimit kasi, yang mga big corporations find loop holes so that they could evade their tax duties. Parang tubig sa lababo, hahanap at hahanap ng butas na malalabasan. Ngayon, dapat walang kawala.

3. compensate the sacrifices of the poor through the expenditure side

-siyempre talagang magsasakripisyo ang mahihirap 'pag naaprubahan 'tong VAT, so it is only fair that the government, pag nakapangolekta na sila, reimburse the money that the people gave them through good and proper governance. WALANG KURAKOT, alleviate foreign debts, and most importantly focus on the improvement of basic services. Prof. Leung points out education, especially at the grass-roots level, as the "should-be" top priority of the government in compensating the people. At tama nga naman siya, good quality education is a major catalyst for the improvement of the current standards of living.

Needless to say I'm pro-VAT. But don't get me wrong, I don't want the people to suffer anymore than the anti-VAT people. It's just that kelangan na talaga eh (conyo ulet!). When we've calmed the storm (tama ba yung expression), saka na lang ipasak yung multilevel VAT shit para di na maaberya yung mahihirap. Also, this law (if ever ratified) should involve the removal of the Pork Barrel and, as much as possible, the minimization of the IRA. Dapat lahat mag-sasakripisyo; everyone should do their part. Kaya oo, mga congressmen na gagawa ng batas na 'to, dapat kasama kayo dito!

One more point to add: the debt today is the result of compounded debts from past administrations. It is not fair that we mercilessly blame the current government for what is happening in our country today. On the contrary, I applaud our President (and believe me, I'm not really a fan of Ate Glo) for facing up to the challenge, for being courageous enough to admit it, and tell it straight to the people that we are in "deep shit," that we need your money, that we need you guys to sacrifice.

The bigger issue here is suffering long-term. Paraphasing Mareng Winnie last night on Debate, "Masakit nga ngayon, but if we continue not doing anything to solve this fiscal problem, the economy WILL collapse, at maghihirap lalo tayo." Good point right? It's better to sacrifice now than suffer later. Wala nang masyadong panahon para magreklamo eh. What we need now is cooperation and trust, both from the government and the people.

I guess that's why people are so hesitant -not to mention militant- about this issue. When you have a history of governance with names like Marcos, Erap, Mike Velarde, and Maj. Gen. Whatshisname, you can't help but not trust your government. I can't really blame the activists on the streets if they don't want to put more of their money into the national treasury; trust and government no longer correlate these days in the Philippines, and it has been this ways since Marcos got seated in Malacanang.

I guess what I'm trying to get at here is that reform should also take place in the government. If they want people to trust them, show their sincerity through honest and strict governance. However, the progress of this country relies not only on the shoulders of the government but of the people as well (patriotic mode na!). Really, this is no time to be whinning and complaining - it's not productive in the first place. What we need now is unity and cooperation from everyone. Like any other social issue, getting through this problem requires a two-way "no-malice" interaction between the decision-makers (government) and the affected parties (tayo 'yon).

Yun lang. Pagod na akong mag-type and I think i'm getting over-emotional and schmaltzy for my own good. To end this, I would just like to quote Bamboo:

"Hoy, Pinoy ako!"

02/03/05

Yes, sa wakas nagawa ko ring i-revised ang website ko. Bagong version na 'to mga kids!

Ano naman ang masasabi ko ngayon. Nothing much really. No classes today, but still a hectic sched ahead. Sched, ahead! I'm a poet and I don't know it!

Ganda ng laro ng GInebra at TNT kahapon. I must admit, i am getting hooked on the league right now. Homecourt kasi ng Ginebra every game, so i'm really rooting for TNT, lalo na ngayon na dehado na sila. Go underdawgs! Sayang lang ang di umabot sa final ang San Miguel! Damn it!

Yesterday night was a double knock-out for me. Panalo na ang nga ang Ginebra (i've nothing against the team, it's just that they have the "crowd factor" already), 'di ko pa nakasama, o at least nahatid man lang, si... Needless to say I had a not so good sleep last night.

But still, it's a new day today, and i've upgraded my website, so it's all good.