Do You Believe That Life Is Fair?…by:Maribeth Q. Galindo November 11, 2008
Posted by beth95 in Uncategorized.3 comments
Who said that life is fair? Do you believe that there is fairness in life? Primarily to some extend there is fairness. As human being, we both feel love and wanted to be loved. We both feel pain if we are hurt. We both feel happy if we succeed. We both feel sad if we fail. We both shed tears if we lose our loved ones. We both feel empty if something is missing. We both get sick if our immune system is weak. We both feel tired if we work too much. Most of all, we both die on earth. In other words, with no exemptions, all will feel love, pain, happiness, sadness, bitterness, emptiness, sickness and die where the fairness of life lies regardless whether you are rich or poor.
However, unfairness of life will always be felt by those who are less fortunate. They could not feel the fairness of life if they see that there are some people who live in a house worth 20 million and above and yet many who live in a squatter area or under the bridge that made of plywood and cartoons. They could not feel the fairness of life if they see that there are people who can feed their family more than three times a day having bountiful, delicious and abundant food in their table during meal time and yet many have difficulty of feeding their family others have to scan the garbage first to look for left over for them to have something to fill in their empty stomach. They could not feel the fairness of life if they see that there are some people who can send their children to school where they always wanted and take the course that they like and yet many families who have difficulty of sending their children even to public schools and finish at least elementary level. They could not see the fairness of life if they see that there are some people who can go to other countries for vacation and yet many have not even visited to nearby places coz they could not afford to pay for the fare. They could not feel the fairness of life if they see that there are some people who could bring their family members to hospitals in case of sickness and emergency and yet many who could not even afford to buy a medicine for their sick family members. They could not feel the fairness of life if they see that the well-known drug lords, obvious corrupt politicians, master mind of kidnappers and carnapper can freely enjoy their life outside the prison cell and yet many suffers in jail because they were caught stealing a pair of slippers, food or minor violation were charge against them and they stayed in jail for many years because they could not pay the bail for their case. Most of all they could not feel the fairness in life if many whose dignity is taken away from them and nothing is left anymore.
Now, if we look at life brought by its external factors such how much wealth that an individual possess or how influential an individual can be based on his/her positions therefore, life is never been fair to everyone……..How about you, do you believe that life is fair??????????
Rizal vs. Bonifacio, Is it fair to compare? by: Maribeth Q. Galindo September 9, 2008
Posted by beth95 in Uncategorized.Tags: Historical
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The name Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio are some of the well-known personalities that have been mentioned in the annals of Philippine history. The exemplary deeds that they had done for our country; in order to achieve freedom from the hands of the Spanish colonizers is worth to be remembered specially by the present generation. Indeed, their heroism is well done.
Apparently, there are some students, faculty, leftist, writers, critics and even we perhaps questioned the credibility of Rizal when he got the title of being our “Philippine National Hero” why not Bonifacio which results to the existence of pro-Bonifacio and anti-Rizal or pro-Rizal and anti-Bonifacio. The comparison of these two personalities and made endless debate of who should be our national hero is much discussed in the environment of academe.
Moreover, to give you a little background, Jose Rizal was a son of an educated parents and belong to a wealthy family. All siblings of Rizal’s family had gone to school. Jose studied in Ateneo and University of Santo Tomas and had gone to Europe for further studies. He finished medical course specializes in Ophthalmology and made known for his talents in writing, painting, sculpturing, fencing and others. He fought the Spanish tyranny through a propaganda battles by means of using his pen in critiquing and exposing the defects of Spanish governance. He died in front of the Spanish and Filipino crowds by a firing squad on December 30, 1896 due to a false accusation of instigating Philippine revolution. Thus, his charisma for the elite and intellectuals are proven strong.
On the other hand, Andres Bonifacio was a son of a farmer and belongs to a poor family. All siblings of Bonifacio’s family had not even finished high school due to economic instability. Andres at early age had to work hard and carries big responsibilities for him to help his family. Andres represents the grassroots of society that were/are usually exploited, abused, maltreated, and marginalized one. He proved to be a good organizer when he established a revolutionary movement called “Katipunan” in 1892. He fought the Spanish tyranny by using bolos and guns, thus, encouraging bloody revolution.
Sadly, he was executed by his co-katipuneros on May 10, 1897 which was not made known to many Filipinos due to a false accusation of betraying Philippine government. Jealousy and greediness of power brought Andres to death. Thus, his strong charisma for the masses is pretty obvious.
Now, would it be fair for these two personalities that are extremely opposite to be compared? Would it be fair for a rich man to be compared by a poor man? Would it also be fair for a poor man being compared with a rich man? Would it be fair for a doctor to be compared by a farmer? Would it be fair too to a farmer to be compared by a doctor? Where is fairness if an educated man who attained the higher degree of education being compared to a man who didn’t even finished high school and vice versa. Come to think of it……
But one thing I am sure of, that these two personalities have in common, they are both brave and great heroes of their time. They both wanted freedom for the Filipinos that long been controlled by the Spaniards. So, do not compare and stop using each others weaknesses and flaws in order to put down one another. If Rizal and Bonifacio would still be alive, definitely, they don’t want to be compared. Who wants to be compared anyway?
The Relevance of Rizal Course by: Maribeth Q. Galindo August 7, 2008
Posted by beth95 in Uncategorized.Tags: Add new tag, Historical
107 comments
Most often students feels that Rizal course is an additional burden to their studies because it is a minor subject. The person had been studied was already dead. Students further said that what’s the use of Rizal course where in fact they could not use the name Rizal as one of their references when they apply for a job nor Rizal could back up them if they need help…Well of course! A dead person cannot do anything about the life of the living but the thoughts, ideals, dreams, principles or convictions that he left might be very influential to people’s life as a basis of getting strength in their day to day existence. And that’s where the relevance of Rizal subject came in.
Indeed, Republic Act 1425 otherwise known as Rizal law was approved in June of 1956 made it clear that Rizal subject is a compulsory to all students who are enrolled in different colleges and universities. Obviously, a student cannot graduate in his course without taking and passing Rizal subject. Therefore, Rizal subject is equally important to all other subjects.
Moreover, Rizal subject would have meaning if the teacher who taught the subject would not just focus her/his discussion to life of Rizal per see but rather made the life of Rizal as a springboard of discussing the culture of the Filipinos, its political, economic and social affairs in the past and relate it at present situation of the people. In that way, student critical thinking would be developed more. As a result students would take an active part not only in the classroom setting but also in participating outside activities for the betterment of the Philippine society in general.
More importantly, the value of being a religious person, a loving and obedient son to his parents/family, a responsible student, a strong willed individual who stands for his convictions, the one who loves and serves the country are some of the virtues of Rizal that must and should be emphasized in the whole duration of the coarse. And that’s where the relevance of Rizal subject lies.
Mayang Bungol by: Maribeth Q. Galindo July 28, 2008
Posted by beth95 in Uncategorized.2 comments
I often heard the term Mayang Bungol being uttered by my gay friends every time we have conversation. I got curious of what does it mean because I couldn’t found the term in the dictionary, so when I asked them, they said the term is being referred to those guys whose hiding their real color. They dress like, talk like, live like, act like a macho man but behind the image that they portray, live a big fantasy. They were laughing out loud while describing the term and said it takes one to know one. Then, I conclude, Mayang Bungol is an idiomatic expression used by some group of gays which they labeled to those homosexual whose identity are not yet revealed to their family, relatives, friends, girlfriends or even to their wives.
Suddenly, I asked my gay friends, how would I know if my boyfriend is straight or not? They were laughing again and said, girl be observant to your boyfriend actions and reactions…..When you were dating in the mall or where ever while you were eating or walking and unconsciously, he gave side comments about the perfumes, hair styles, finger nails, out fits of every man that caught his attention more or less your bf is mayang ungbol. Nevertheless, when you were watching movie be naughty sometimes. Slowly touch his private part, when he refuses and got mad, girl your bf is 99.9% mayang bungol. Straight guys may not react that way, they love that they’re private part will be touched by their gf, its not rude but it’s a normal reaction.….. I got silent for a moment and said to myself, I’ll do it after all he is my boyfriend…You too ladies out there who have boyfriends, try also to do it. Anyway, there’s no harm in trying………………
I further asked other signs of mayang bungol. They said with confident, those guys who keeps on changing their gf every now and then who pretends to be a “chickboy” trying to convince themselves that they are straight, trying to cover their identity by having many girls in his life to the extend of having sex to his girls but still the guy is not satisfied, then he is mayang bungol. In addition, if the guy got mad or annoyed, if he knows a certain gals got a crush or admiration on him to the extend of ignoring the gal’s presence. Straight guys seldom act that way. Seemingly, if the guy reached at his age of 30’s, good looking and stable financially yet no plan to have a girlfriend or to settle down, then he is mayang bungol. Straight guys with good looks usually at that age has gf or planning to settle down. Thus, for newly wed couple, after 3 or 4 weeks, the guy starts to sleep separately at night and make alibis that he is tired from his work and seldom have sex with his wife, no doubt, the guy is mayang bungol . Straight guy would not abstain from sex since it’s still their honeymoon period and supposedly enjoy each other’s presence on bed.
On the contrary, I believe that not all guys who does similar actions and reactions on the different situations mentioned were all mayang bungol. I would like to give the benefit of the doubt for those who are not really mayang bungol but their feminity is likely obvious. Indeed, I have nothing against them. In fact I feel pity on them. It’s not easy to suppress your emotions just because you wanted to please the people surrounds you even to the extend of sacrificing your own happiness. I could not imagine how life would it be, living in the world of lies……My sympathy is with them too, as much as they don’t want the feelings but they have difficulty of controlling or stopping it, its really an agony. It is an emotional and psychological torture on their part that needs to be understood deeply especially by their loved ones without criticizing or judging them.
