The title was "The Philippine Treasure called SERVICE"
I spent the days leading to that Saturday talk doing research and calming myself down. I had so much to say. And in moments like that, there is always little time.
Had to calm myself.
I ended up weaving together two different and continent-apart talks I gave in the past then injected and fused new materials. On top of this, I delivered it in a more matured and "designed" spirit.
It was a journey of sorts for me after reading and studying the many materials that I found. It came to a point that I was staring to hate the Internet for its ability to bring to my eyes seemingly never ending data, information and misinformation. Had to see through the clutter and understand what was coming.
But one thing stood out.
For all the bad things that has happened in our country in recent times, I was surprised to realize that we are still ranked the 36th largest economy in the world according to purchasing power parity. A list made by IMF. This list is 180 countries long.
I am not among the ones that will hold on to this fact as a silver lining. In fact, my heart broke. How could we allow ourselves to be in this mud when we truly have more than enough input to be a league that we all aspire for? I mean, we are this bad and we are still ranked 36th?
What is that we have that we do not see that somehow stops or slows our journey to the bottom?
How could we behave so badly and so wrongly and still be in the first 20% of the list?
What is it that we do not see about us? About the Philippines? What is it that we do not understand about us? About the Philippines?
The tide is turning...
"... why think like mere men?"
Monday
the spanish times reloaded
Maybe it is just me.
Maybe it is due to the policy of the government or the government not making good on their promises on education, our formal education system is starting to feel like the education system during the time of Jose Rizal... a time where only the rich and the moneyed can afford "quality" education.
Good for business. Bad for the generation that will need to be competitive against the Singaporeans, the Taiwanese, the Koreans and the Japanese.
The next thing is, do the brave ones and the courageous ones even enter the halls of these quality education institutions? Or are the brave ones and the courageous ones are being left one to study on their own in a university called life?
I can only pray.
"... why think like mere men?"
Maybe it is due to the policy of the government or the government not making good on their promises on education, our formal education system is starting to feel like the education system during the time of Jose Rizal... a time where only the rich and the moneyed can afford "quality" education.
Good for business. Bad for the generation that will need to be competitive against the Singaporeans, the Taiwanese, the Koreans and the Japanese.
The next thing is, do the brave ones and the courageous ones even enter the halls of these quality education institutions? Or are the brave ones and the courageous ones are being left one to study on their own in a university called life?
I can only pray.
"... why think like mere men?"
our roles
Let us take care of the children, for they have a long way to go. Let us take care of the elders, for they have come a long way. Let us take care of those in between, for they are doing the work.
Traditional African Prayer
elinier fantillo
Funny.
As I prepare myself for one of the most important day in a man's life, I had to meet various documentary requirements. So, we did just that last Friday.
Lo and behold, I had an episode.
Written in the annals of heaven, I am not Elisier Montalban Fantillo but Elinier Montalban Fantillo :)
All we can do is laugh and take everything in stride. What is marital preparations without moments and stories like these :)
My take away from this is that most of the church staff of the past were really not properly trained in office management. I do not even know if they have taken courses like records management. And the fact that, most Filipinos are baptized in small churches, though manned by a very committed staff, their situation has placed them with a limited capability in records keeping.
Now, we, this "limitedness" has come to the spotlight :)
As I prepare myself for one of the most important day in a man's life, I had to meet various documentary requirements. So, we did just that last Friday.
Lo and behold, I had an episode.
Written in the annals of heaven, I am not Elisier Montalban Fantillo but Elinier Montalban Fantillo :)
All we can do is laugh and take everything in stride. What is marital preparations without moments and stories like these :)
My take away from this is that most of the church staff of the past were really not properly trained in office management. I do not even know if they have taken courses like records management. And the fact that, most Filipinos are baptized in small churches, though manned by a very committed staff, their situation has placed them with a limited capability in records keeping.
Now, we, this "limitedness" has come to the spotlight :)
Wednesday
Why I like Bono not only as an artist but also as a person
The one thing we can all agree, all faiths and ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and poor. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house... God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives... God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war... God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them."
Bono
Monday
The Vote 2010 ver 2.0
If the first automated polls does not go according to schedule, it is not because of a technical issue. But one that's social. And I mean that in the greatest way possible :)
For the first time, Filipinos (for one - me) was uniquely excited in going out and voting. My vote this morning felt like my first vote in a national election in 1998. I did not matter if I was once again simply a dot in a mass of humanity. A dot that's taking in all the heat. Sweating. Smelling the perspiration of the common folks. I was out there. Excited to vote.
Things will not go according to plan because one can not plan for how excited one can be. I mean, almost all broadcast media played the story of how fragile this automated election is. As if, setting the mood of the Filipino electorate to stay home and not vote because the automated system will implode.
Bad :)
I hope the elections gets extended up to 9pm or until everybody, as in EVERYBODY, votes so that the next time Filipinos gets the difference between a result of 2,000 sample size and 50,000,000 strong voters :)
So that nobody, not even the most popular candidate can leverage on it. So that nobody, not even the most cash heavy candidate uses his cash just to bring his name on top of the surveys. I mean, save the money and truly launch a campaign :)
Let's all go and vote.
May His will be done.
"... why think like mere men?"
For the first time, Filipinos (for one - me) was uniquely excited in going out and voting. My vote this morning felt like my first vote in a national election in 1998. I did not matter if I was once again simply a dot in a mass of humanity. A dot that's taking in all the heat. Sweating. Smelling the perspiration of the common folks. I was out there. Excited to vote.
Things will not go according to plan because one can not plan for how excited one can be. I mean, almost all broadcast media played the story of how fragile this automated election is. As if, setting the mood of the Filipino electorate to stay home and not vote because the automated system will implode.
Bad :)
I hope the elections gets extended up to 9pm or until everybody, as in EVERYBODY, votes so that the next time Filipinos gets the difference between a result of 2,000 sample size and 50,000,000 strong voters :)
So that nobody, not even the most popular candidate can leverage on it. So that nobody, not even the most cash heavy candidate uses his cash just to bring his name on top of the surveys. I mean, save the money and truly launch a campaign :)
Let's all go and vote.
May His will be done.
"... why think like mere men?"
Saturday
Vote 2010
Seriously.
I really do not care that much who wins because I care (and pray) more for the elections to go as smoothly, as peaceful and as credible as possible.
For all the bickering and mudslinging that has happened and all the psychobabble and leveraging on survey results, I really do not care that much as long as we have a new president.
Our beloved Philippines deserve a new life. Another chance to make itself better. To make a new niche for herself in the Hall of Nations.
Let's all do our part and vote. No matter what. No matter if the process makes us wait for hours under the hottest summer heat of our known lives. Let's not complain about how bad things are with the automated poll. That does not help. Remember, when we took our first step as toddlers, we all fell down. But did our mothers (Happy Mother's to Nanay. I love you, po!) gave up on us and got disenfranchise? :)
Let's do our duty. Let's vote. Let's markahan the bilog na hugis itlog properly.
Here's praying for His will be done on this election.
"... why think like mere men?"
I really do not care that much who wins because I care (and pray) more for the elections to go as smoothly, as peaceful and as credible as possible.
For all the bickering and mudslinging that has happened and all the psychobabble and leveraging on survey results, I really do not care that much as long as we have a new president.
Our beloved Philippines deserve a new life. Another chance to make itself better. To make a new niche for herself in the Hall of Nations.
Let's all do our part and vote. No matter what. No matter if the process makes us wait for hours under the hottest summer heat of our known lives. Let's not complain about how bad things are with the automated poll. That does not help. Remember, when we took our first step as toddlers, we all fell down. But did our mothers (Happy Mother's to Nanay. I love you, po!) gave up on us and got disenfranchise? :)
Let's do our duty. Let's vote. Let's markahan the bilog na hugis itlog properly.
Here's praying for His will be done on this election.
"... why think like mere men?"
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