Where are now the hope of the Father land?

Excerpts from the diary of Genesis M. Auza


“The State will eventually loss the hope of the nation if the latter will be continually exposed to this corrupt system of environment.”


Dr. Jose P. Rizal had high hopes to the youths in bringing the country to its heights of success, if not today, in the near future. During his days, Rizal was also one of those brave youths who fought against belligerent and oppressive aggressors of the land. He was the most that can be remembered of raising the patriotism and nationalism in the hearts of many Filipinos in the darkest days of its history.


According to our National Hero,

“The youths are the hope of the Father land.”


With his beliefs, many young men were inspired and sought the path Rizal made.


In our times, can we take the same challenge which echoed to the youths for many lifetimes?


I may not be in the right position to dissent on this matter since my experience is not that enough, due to my age, and I may not know everything; however, I guess, in this little way, I can open the eyes of many to the wisdom Rizal wanted to impart to the youth and to the rest of us.


To this date, I think Rizal’s words continue to live, but the spirit that gives it life has ceased to exist in the present. There is now a big question of where are now the youths once entrusted by the great hero to take good care of the country.


How could I say much of these words when I, myself, am a member of the youth sector of the community? On the second thought, I believe this question is not only right to me but to the rest of the youths.


To answer the question, so where are now the youths?


I can see the youths here, there, and everywhere – here in the school, there during elections and in their parents custodial attention, and everywhere – for they are out-of-school.


Here – in the school. The youths are trained well with competency in the tolerance of cheating. Yes, this is not to praise the teachers but to condemn the methods of education that we have, where we are tolerating the practice of cheating among the youths thus leading a wrong programming of their lives. Our youths are vulnerable to immoral doctrines and conducts that is why earnest possible lessons must be inscribed in their minds and hearts.


The youth spend their most of the years in school. The years they spend in school, where cheating is tolerated is enough to inculcate in their hearts corrupt practices which they may carry in the years to come. This is a serious ill programming practice where we are putting bugs in our own system. In the long run, I could guarantee an expectation that our system shall collapse in the years to come. This will need hundreds of years to fix the system again.


In school, as a teacher, I could observe that students are afraid of getting low grades – which is a good thing in the first hand. But what is sad about this thing is they do not study hard, yet expect to get high grades, and so instead, they resort to copying from other classmates and other forms of cheating.


I can assess that students nowadays, are more concerned and worried about grades and not concerned about what they know and what they don’t.


“Why?”


This is not a simple question as we are now questioning the moral and mental state of the youths.


So what is with the grades that they are becoming more concerned of than what they know?


I started asking myself and began looking for answers. I commence relating this situation to my family.


At home, our parents – this is true to most, if not all, of the families, encouraged the five of us, all boys, to study hard, get good grades, get good job, get high paying salary, get a house, get a pension in the advance age, and many others; or maybe, and more so like,


“Okay son. Take this course because when you graduate, you will land at a high paying job!”


The advice of our parents is always commenced with studying hard. But studying is not easy for a less hardworking child, so he loves shortcuts. Get good grades, graduate this course, get a good job, and get a high salary. That is what the students do.


So is getting good grades possible when you do not study? Can you get it by chance or luck? Of course, resorting to luck and chance are not the best option when you have a brilliant classmate as your sit mate.


In my years in teaching, and as experienced when I was just like these students, I could observe that a lot are proud that they are getting good grades – because that is what they are more concerned of – but failed to weigh the more important thing about grades – the true value of its equivalent which is the knowledge they learn.


As a teacher, I always encourage students that tests are only modes of measuring what the students do not know and not a mere method for getting of what their grades shall be.


Am I wrong – modes of measuring what the students do not know? Is it not measuring of what the students know? I think my contention is correct. Because in philosophy, the things which we do not know yet are more likely what interest us to learn more. That is the reason why we never stop on experimenting, researching and inventing objects valuable to our lives. And it is very true to life’s experience. We are ought to learn from mistakes and failures of the things that we do not know, because if not, we are bound at repeating it again and again until such time that we understand the true meaning of it.


Just like simple tests in the classrooms, we should not be afraid of getting low grades because, of these mistakes, we learn from them. If we want a shortcut – that is very subtle and dangerous because we are refusing the whole opportunity of learning what we do not know yet.


I wish this is the mind set for all of us and the mind set all the teachers must possess.


I can remember three very good mentors who have thought me these things: Atty. Angel Ucat Jr., my Law professor, Atty. Jannycer M. Auza, my brother and also my Law professor, and (Mrs.) Eufemia Oculares, my secondary Math teacher.


I realized, it should be my time to share the same wisdom and experience to the other youths like me.


There – during elections and while under the custodial and influence of the parents. The youths are trained with the skills in vote buying, kidnapping electorate, and many other forms of election deceits.

From the National to the SK level, vote buying is out of control and unstoppable especially in the province of Bohol.


Why? What happened?


The SK was primordially designed in order to inculcate leadership skills to the youth to prepare the latter as future government leaders. The objectives of the law which provides for its operation to our lands are good per se. But with deceitful intentions of getting into the government position, not for the service, but to increase the control, fame, power, and popularity, the once good is now far effective and less operative. And I strongly believe, this is not all alone the intendments of the youths who participate in such elections but also, of the parents who are more influential to the emotional and mental state of their children.


SK election ceased to become melting pots for firm, strong and honest leaders but a common ground for business pursuits, interest and investment of the rich and corrupt politicians already in the government positions.


Think of it. Is SK not used by corrupt politicians? Who are these SK Chairmen and Federated SK Presidents? Are not they sons and daughters of these people?


According to President Ferdinand E. Marcos,

“Everyone participates in the corruption in our country.”


Yes, the story does not end at the politicians but to the electorate as well. The people seem to contribute more in the corruption and vote buying.


I can recall, in my first year in teaching, I handled Politics and Governance with Philippine Constitution. I had 70 plus students under me coming from different courses. In one of our meetings, I interviewed every one of them, without prejudice to their grades – as I wanted honest answers.


“Would you or have you received money during election?”


Sad of what I learned, but that was their response - 94% received and would want to receive money in the election. I can remember only five who said ‘no’ to my question.


Not satisfied with the result, I asked the same question to my other class and I got an ‘Outstanding Yes’ from them.


Try to check. The community is very good at exposing the youth to ill practices thus influencing and programming them to go to the odd paths of life – corruption.


If it is the purpose and objective of the SK to train the youth to leadership, cannot we do it right away to our own selves?


Example, one of the traits we wanted to possess in leadership practices is discipline. Can’t we do it in our simple ways of preserving the environment clean by not throwing our garbage waste anywhere and by not littering in the public? That is discipline guys!


Another, in leadership we want to possess honesty. Can’t we not practice it and observe it during our class by honestly answering our assignments and test?Think of it again.


If we want to have SK election just for the sake of these objectives, well these can be done even without it. If you want to become a leader thus a model, how can you give what you do not have? It is a well-founded principle in Logic that he cannot dispose of what he does not have.


How can you as leader dispose and share discipline among the members if you do not have one? How can you teach honesty among your members if you are not one? This is a joint responsibility that we must accept.


According to John Maraginot, our brilliant trainer in one of the leadership trainings I once attended, “Transformational leadership does not call for a change all alone in the government side, in non-governmental sector, nor only in religious sectors. It calls rather a change which must commence from each one of us.”


True. Again, let me quote what once President Marcos said, “Everyone participates in the corruption in our country.”


I know some of us are losing hopes that there is no more solution to our present political condition. I heard even one of my Law professors once claimed, “If we cannot win them, let us join them.”


My professor simply did not believe me after I answered no to his question whether I received money in the last election and went on proceeding to the above quoted words.


I understand my Law professor was already 80 years old, maybe, experiences in life have made him frustrated about the realities in the present environment.


But if this may ever reach in your hand sir, I tell you now,


“You are not alone in this movement for change. Maybe we are only few at this generation who are ready for the truth but I believe a time shall dawn for the maturity of our brothers and sisters. And the change we longed seek shall be in our grasp.”


Everywhere – our out-of-school youths are exposed to the hard and cruel environment. In our own localities, in the cities, in radios, in the TVs and even in the internet, we hear of killings, prostitution, exploitation, war, rapes, drugs, human trafficking, abortion, adultery, disease, famine, and many other problems.


Many out-of-school youths who are mostly the ones needing more guidance are more exposed to this environment. What could we expect will happen to them if this will persist to be their everyday experience?


We are living in a social environment where our own character is mostly, by gradual and imperceptible process, couched and influenced in the course of time.


In Bohol, drug related incidents are rampant and continues to grow every day. Our own province is not anymore safe for the youths.


If this will not cease to exist, the State will eventually loss the hope of the Father land.


All of us must stay vigilant. Who should care about tomorrow but us who are in the present.


Tomorrow begins today.


If you care about tomorrow, share this to your friends.

To a Rationally-Responsible You

Written by Phebe Rejas

   
     Life indeed is an untold mystery. Its mystery maintains life’s beauty and amazement. Life is the most beautiful mystery, none of the most genius mind can fathom. Geniuses got no way to comprehend its mystery. All they can do is to keep on wondering while keeping amazed on the mystic beauty on how and why it is created. This just goes to prove that no one can surpass what God can do and no one can fully understand what God has done.

        God may have left all this mysteries on our shoulders so that we may exercise our responsibility to think things over and put meaningful meanings towards it. Moreover, it has served to keep every human being appreciate what He has perfectly done so that through appreciation, we may put value to every single mystery that He inputs to life. As we value even the most little part of this mystery, we begin to realize how God put so much value in every little thing of his creation. Thus, we ought to be gratefully responsible of what God cares so much about. For this responsibility is not an obligation we carry in our hands but a priceless privilege we need to value. Everything that is valued ought not to be abused.

        Scientists may be able to create robots and other superb inventions that continually amazed all races but no one can never create nor replicate what God has perfectly created. And that’s the human life. Who would have imagined how meticulously and unbelievably life has been formed? Even a single sperm cell is especially operated to form just like how machines are mechanically made in factories. It is made like fully-equipped armor prepared to engage in a battle just to win out a single life. And it’s just amazing to note how a single egg cell prepared itself for the coming of a sperm cell. How does it know that a sperm cell is coming? It even signals a calling to communicate with the sperm cells. Extraordinarily, who would have thought that even before life forms, a momentum calling for a life had already been transmitted and communicated through a mysterious force that is happening inside a women’s vessel? One thing is clear about these things. Life is so special that it had to be made in an ultimately special way. If only all people would realize how a single life was so specially formed, then probably, all will treat life so special that no one could not afford to kill it nor carelessly and irresponsibly induce to create one.

       Every little thing existed with a great responsibility to accomplish. Even a single sperm cell and egg cell know of its specific responsibility. And it even seeks its way out to achieve its responsibility. A single Bulbourethral gland achieves its responsibility by producing a fluid that helps to lubricate the urethra for spermatozoa to pass through, neutralizing traces of acidic urine in the urethra, and helps flush out any residual urine or foreign matter so that the sperm can survive. This proves to show that every single part of a man’s body is given with responsibility they never failed to do just to accomplish its purpose. Well, how about the thinking-human itself?

        Man could not claim his own body for his own body works for his own responsibly. Without man’s dictations, the body’s organs, bodily systems and all other parts never failed to function on its own as its responsibility. What man can only claim is his own thinking. It is his own judgments. It’s intriguing to ponder if the thinking men had really functioned out for its responsibility. Have we accomplished our responsibility as thinking men? We can never underestimate a single sperm or egg cell for all parts of the body (including man’s brain of course) because they are equally given with responsibility. Though equally equipped with responsibilities, the brain is placed above to prove that it plays a higher responsibility. A single sperm cell is responsible for a single formation of life but man, the brain itself, is responsible for the sperm. Thus, man is still responsible for every life that forms.

         Both men and women are equally accountable for this responsibility. But in terms of reproduction, men are more likely accountable of a life’s formation but women are more accountable for a life’s full development. It appears like men have lighter responsibility than women in this aspect. In forming a life, men’s contribution is just the sperm but women’s are her body. Women are the ones who will carry and sustain the life for 9 months before it is fully developed. Thus, women are risking their health or life itself. Men should realize of the fact that women have bigger responsibility in order to sustain the formation of life thus their pregnancy ought to be fully supported and nourished. Women’s lives are put into crucial status when they deliver a child or even when they just experienced the painful labor. If only all people will realize how much mothers risk her life carrying us for nine months and enduring all the pain and struggles until we will be brought out into this world, then maybe, mothers will not suffer from hard-headed and unrespectful children.

      Regarding marital life, husbands should fully respect and care for their wives especially during pregnancies because pregnancy is not as easy as anyone could think of. The fact that a mother’s health is being risked during pregnancy is enough to make men realize that family planning is a crucial need to care for the wife’s welfare. Men are considered to be the head of the family that’s why they have the bigger responsibility in creating decisions that could promote the best welfare not just for his wife but for his future kids itself.

        One thing should be considered in all aspects of human life. The thinking being’s responsibility has the greatest power. It has the power to kill or create life. Both are very easy to do but of the two, creating a life is more of crucial thing to consider. Creating a human being does not end to that. How you cared, nurtured and fully equipped it with all the necessities of life will determine if you have form a good creation. It is so to speak that the “soon to be parent’s” greatest manifestation of love is how they care so much for the adequate welfare for their future children. After all, we are all just instruments of God. We are just vessels so He can create life. God still dictates not to create, to create and to kill if He wants to. (This proves why not everyone is capable of reproducing.) But still, He created as human beings so we, ourselves can take part of this human creation. We are rational. We are favored and privileged. We are special that unlike other creations existing, we are free to do anything, except to abuse or destroy this freedom. And freedom in procreation is not a mere freedom to enjoy but a freedom to get responsible of.

The importance of change should start from the people.

We keep on demanding for good governance, but have not demanded anything from ourselves. While it is true that we have our rights of suffrage, the essence becomes useless when the people trade it for money.

The essence of true democracy has been paved out. This is the realm irony that our nation has.

If we demand for good governance, we must also demand something from ourselves for change. While it is true that the people are not doing its share, good governance cannot be achieved by mere election of officials who will serve the nation. The solution to this problem should not only be addressed to the people who are serving the nation or who are yet to serve our nation, but also to people especially those who exchange their rights of suffrage during elections of money.

This nation will never have a good government when the people remain from themselves corrupt because no matter how many elections will come, nothing will happen in this country but worst. Would change really be possible in the case that people want to stop corruption from the government but they themselves are the very corrupt beings during elections? The corruption starts from the people themselves and not from the government.

I don’t know if people understand the inviolability of their rights, but as far as I am concern, they have not learned about the sanctity of right to suffrage.






The importance of change should start from the people. Huge emphasis of transformation must commence from the people.

“Beyond the knowledge we got from education, what doth people gain?”

They are saying that education has already taken us away from certain slavery and drudgery. These fools don’t know that possession of education thist raises people’s competitiveness, aggression, and exploitive tendencies to a more subtle dimension. It does not change their hearts from loving mammon to loving God.

Education, yes it places a vital part of our national and international culture. It influences the lives and thoughts of all of us. But does it free us from certain slavery and drudgery? No of course not. Acquiring education only increased the people’s will of livelier interest in the world in which he live, the same as the will to increase his capabilities for enjoyment. Therefore, such becoming totally educated springs “materialistic mentality”.

Why are people nowadays so interested in acquiring education? People want power. They want to increase their control. Why is this? Because they want (power) to enjoy. The desire to be educated or to increase knowledge is based on the desire to have greater power. He is trying to increase ones power or abilities so that he can control more efficiently. And why does he want to control? So that he can enjoy. 

Education has introduced methods to help people increase their control over other people or the environment. But all these methods have the same aim – to increase control in order to increase material gain or profit. The aim is the same, for enjoyment; the means of achieving this enjoyment is by increasing his control. Thus, education springs or leads him mentally materialistic.
Everyone in the world naturally wants to increase his knowledge endlessly so he can imitate God and be the enjoyer. Every person feels that he is the center and that everything and everyone else exist only for his exploitation. In other words, the increase in knowledge does not free people from their enviousness of God, unless until he is interested in changing his heart.

If a person develops his intelligence, might this not cause him to become a better person?
No, it won’t. People mostly believe that knowledge is power. What did they do with this power? For example, what has man done with his increased air power? Dropped bombs. Simply increased the destruction of others. So this idea that possession of increased knowledge leads one to become a better person is nonsense.
Let us take the example of sea power. Now people can float on water. They can walk across the ocean on ships; they can go underwater by submarines. What do they do with this power? They used it for their missiles and their bombs. They used their submarines for wars. So, all these powers are used for the same materialistic end – controlling, being enjoyers and exploiting others.

Education cannot bring about a peaceful society? Yes, it cannot. It will be worse. It is the same exploitive consciousness. Everything is just taken to a more subtle level. For example, a man wants to excel in the field of entrepreneurship would have to cultivate a great knowledge to defeat their business competitors. Knowledge is simply used for competition. A peaceful society cannot be brought about by people who always hunger to become more competitive than other. The same materialistic end envelops the heart of men. The possession of knowledge to the society just raises people to more complicated world and subtle dimension.

See what the dangers in getting too educated are. An ideal society can be brought about not by people developing his knowledge, but by people developing their love for God.
So the idea that knowledge would thoroughly bring us to a better life is nonsense. It may lead us to the worse. The answer would be until we learn to think that satisfaction of better life is not found on material gains but on Spiritual perfection.

What I have realized for 15 years

Have you ever felt so much pressure in your life that you could even wish for the end of everything including your very life? Have you ever tried shouldering all the expectations from you community? Have you ever walked in crowded streets yet you feel so alone?

Have you ever walked hard for something which belongs to the future and not from today? Have you ever dreamed of reaching your ambitions and goals in life even though the future is purely a complete mystery?

These are just but few of the things which kept troubling me all this time. I worry so much about tomorrow because of the uncertainties of the future.

I can still remember when I was still in Grade school; I had an easy life back then. I could laugh anytime. I could wander along the streets towards our school. I could play games anytime with my colleagues and I did not worry so much of anything bad could happen.

The story changed when the eagerness began to fire and bolster my passion to the pursuit of knowledge. It was in my second year in grade one when the warmth woke me up and open my eyes to the light away from the slavery of ignorance. That desire deserves to be referred to as a match which lighted my heart to the journey of seeking wisdom even at an early age.

I was never an honor student when I first grasped a formal education in our local barangay, and in fact, I even failed in my first grade. I had to repeat grade one for two years before my teacher could decide that I was ready for grade two.

I guess this failure in my early grades which I already experienced added to my esteem that I could be more than what I always know about me and I could be better than what the community sees of me.

This fueled my passion of seeking a better me and brought me to my destination – to the top of the class. From the least performing student in school, I climbed up to the peak of my success, to become the top performing student in school, coupled by my diligent hard work in study.

What doth a normal person feels after one’s success is reaped in harvest is happiness. But this yuletide did not stay long for I began to realize that I was now carrying tons of expectations from the community from which my name echoed as a competent and diligent person. Their expectations must forever be satisfied in order to maintain the image which I have founded for years in the academe.

To wear an ambition was one of my best responses to my problem.

At first I thought I would be free from stress of meeting the expectations of other people; but then, recently I realized that I only laid upon myself a heavier burden which I need to shoulder for another five long years.

I began to ask myself:

“Does wearing an ambition in life enhances one’s anxieties and fears about tomorrow or gives meaning to it?”

My name bears the image of who I was and who I am today. I grew up living to the expectations of many people. I married excellence and decided to do best in everything I endeavored. I cannot handle to bear the thoughts of failing the expectations of many persons.

June 2013, early after graduation from my college degree, Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, I immediately proceeded to enroll in the College of Law in BIT International College to pursue and attain the required academic records of the legal profession.

The future is uncertain so I must exert extra efforts to reach for my ambition in life. To live every day in fear that failure to study or to cease from substantial efforts of reading may jeopardize your dreams is, surely bearing to say that it has never been fun to maintain the expectation of the community in one’s life.

Today, 15 years since I wanted to be the most competent person in every field I touched, I realized one thing:

“I should have not raced for the destination where I wanted to be at. I missed all the fun along the way. I should have just followed my own passion.”

I am sharing this story to make others realize too.

“Do not chase your dreams. Just do what you love and success will follow you.”

Realities of Human Existence

Most, if not all, businessmen do not use complicated smart phones but settle to use the primitive gadgets for their business affairs, while most of us, students especially, of regular class, are dying to avail new release gadgets like smart phones, iPods, laptops, flat screen TVs, and many others.

Businessmen, while privileged of material wealth and can afford to buy anything, know that gadgets have nothing to do with real happiness but only adds to the growing anxiety of human behavior.

It is essential that man must go back to the fundamental realities of human existence that ultimately gives meaning to his life. Materialism can be replaced by pursuing religious, and communal concerns.

I can still remember how we spent the night with my family or friends before we go to sleep or when the supper is due for the night. We spent all the time talking, sharing stories, making jokes, and exchanging questions. That was how it used to be when gadgets were not yet there. I cannot almost imagine the shift of change which happened to my nephews and other children of today's age. The human interaction has been struck down by the growing technology and totally replaced the supposed to be attended by human relation - play and game, and is now slowly dying unknowingly telling the people.

Welcome to PhilMedia

Hi! Like you, I placed a good concern of what is happening to our country today, may in religion, culture, morals, and or politics. I opened this blog for sharing you my own thoughts with what truth lies behind all of the events emerging as to this date.