Killing Maria Clara

Playing for kids isn't tumbang preso, patintero, or tagutaguan anymore- it means an hour or two in front of the computer playing the "chaotic" phenomenon DOTA; Sunday isn't a day to rest or serve God anymore- it is a 24 hours (or more) for partying hard till your underwear drop; and sweet girls aren't looking over their tamagotchis- they are now holding whimpering babies of their own.

Surely, the world today isn't what it was years ago. Time flies, so does the mind of the people living in the Earth. Everyone is seeking for changes, almost all of its kind, whether bad or good. At some points, we might consider that it is indeed needed, for change is the only permanent thing in this world. But as we stop and take a while to watch things grow a little bewildering, does the question "are these things normal?" comes to your mind? Cause mine, it always does.

When I entered high school, I know that something, or might as well everything would change. I know that I should somehow change the way I was on my elementary days just to fit in, but I never knew that changing involved opening my minds to the worst of life.

I was astound when I realized that most of my classmates had or is having a romantic relationship, and I being an innocent girl, didn't know that it was normal. Duuh? Like we were just 12 or 13, what the hell were they thinking? Holding hands, cuddling, public affection were everywhere. I was really shocked about these things, and because of that, they thought that I was quite weird. They used to tell me things about these kinds of stuffs, on how it can make someone happy, fulfilled or inspired. Good thing I didn't stand the chance of taking the risk. I am safe until now. I ain't a part of the 30% total of birth from youth ages 15 to 24 years old. I was able to resist the temptation they were urging me. Now most of them are now dwelling the crisscross road of life.

Another change of route would be the youth's inclination to technology. I myself, is guilty of this. Needless to say, everyone owns something that has radiation on it. Cellular phones, laptop, personal computers, iPods, and a whole lot more. In fact, there are now two dimensions existing, the mortal and the cyber one. On my observation, the cyber world is the complete opposite of the reality. What you see (or read) isn't always what you get, everything could be deceiving.
Statistics show that 6 out of 10 people are socially drenched with the cyberworld. That, I can never condemn. Because honestly, people can express their minds (and even hearts) out through the internet, just like what you are reading.

But just what I have said, radiation is present to these kind of stuffs. This energetic particles may affect our mental and psychological aspect and even triggers some serious diseases when taken excessively. Studies show that two hours usage of internet is bad for our health. This fact is a nightmare, for the sad truth is two hours isn't enough for someone who has a cyber persona.

These things aren't the worst of the bunch, but probably the most visible of all. As far as I see, these kinds of changes could have been tolerated when we wanted too. These things doesn't only kill the traditions we used to do but also, they are killing pages of legacy.

God, may you take these curious hearts to the right path.

Singing a Song of True Faith

What is true faith?

Nope, I ain't talking about the famous band on the Philippines who sang Dahil Ikaw. When people hear the word faith, they would define it as a strong belief or confidence to a certain thing or person. It is indeed, a simple five lettered word that people would hear at least hundreds of times all throughout their lives. But indeed, if we let ourselves comprehend the word faith a bit deeper, we can conclude that it is a powerful thing one can ever achieve.

For me, true faith would be the best thing we could offer to the Lord God.

Faith in the Lord would be the most intimate spiritual state one can ever attain. It is when the you have given your whole life to the Lord, and you believe that anything He may do would be for your own good. But as the word "best" accompanies it, clutching it would never be a walk in the park. Anyone can say that "I have a faith in the Lord" or "I believe in God" but their actions and the truth behind these statements might be the exact opposite of these.

Achieving faith isn't a sole action.

Let us all admit it, believing into something we haven't seen or experienced yet would be really difficult. So how come we can push ourselves to trust on the Lord while He is an invisible God? The answer is we cannot. No matter how hard we try, we cannot push the boat alone towards the ocean. God would make a way to help you do it even in the most complicated way. He will make you hungry and he will make you look beyond the visible realm. It maybe by means of problems, wherein we will just find ourselves helpless and He would be the only One we could lean on to; it may be other people's work wherein we will eventually find someone that seems to be pushing us towards Him, well in fact it was Him who was intervening; miraculous coincidence, wherein we would be astonished on how something happened that seems to be lifting us to Him; and plenty other more.

Faith isn't just an internal action, we should show it to the world.

If you have faith, don't be afraid to be transparent about it! You should show that you have given your full life to the Lord God and you believe that nothing would go wrong because of the perfect God you're now trusting. There is nothing wrong if people might condemn you about this, it may happen, it always happen. Just take these verdicts as a test on your faith wherein you should pass in order to be developed and to make you stronger.

But as a living person, we sometimes doubt if we're doing the right thing, like laying it all to someone we haven't seen the existence yet as if we had already gave up our future. Do not worry, you aren't alone on feeling that way. Nevertheless, God will show you that you have nothing to be afraid of.

Like any other things, there would come a time wherein God will test you faith.

Just like what I have said a while ago, there would be things to shake your faithfulness. At some points, you would just feel that your faith have decreased, as if you're doing wrong or you aren't doing something. Again, you have nothing to fear. Often times our expression of faith maybe intervened by our emotions, like when we are ecstatic, we feel our faith is really high, and when we are sad, it seems like we are far away from God. When you truthfully achieved faith, it wouldn't be taken away from you with just a glimpse unless you are the one to throw it away.
There would be daily trials, and there would be bigger persecution that would leave you on the edge of falling. But again, just believe.

The product of true faith.

Maybe, at this time, you would be realizing that aiming and moving to achieve true faith would never be easy. But as you suffer and face all the trials, you are slowly being righteous to the Lord God, which is, the best thing a person can ever experience. He is also preparing a room in heaven for us, probably the best room one can ever imagine. The product of all our hardship would be unexplainable for human dialect, for it would be perfect, beautiful and maybe the best thing one can ever get. God won't let us lose the game we played for Him.

How bout you, do you think that you have a true faith?

Looking to the End

It has always been a fact to all of us- everything and everyone will come to an end.
A good dream would soon be ended by an irritating alarm clock; a good habit would be perished because of boredom; a good relationship would die because of some internal or external reasons; and even us, our lives, would come to a final stop.

If you have read the Holy Scripture, the book of Revelation reveals how the world would come to an end. I as a Christian, believes it even though my logical side wouldn't let me. The scene is worse than a nightmare, yet if you believe in God, you'll know that you have nothing to fear.

This was the only theory about the world's end- before. But as time flies, and as the human mind becomes more clever, they have formulated different ideas about the world's final destination. And here are some of it:

1. Nanobots or Nano-robots

Science's major goal would probably be the lengthening of human life. This fact includes fighting certain diseases that may lead to death. Scientists of today formulated a concepts of using nanobots, microscopic robots that aims to kill cancer cells or viruses that causes illnesses in the human body to prevent possible death. But this nanobots are designed to multiply every second, thus, at no time, it might dominate the whole body of a certain individual. So just like the movie cartoon series transformers nanobots might be the root of robotic imperialism to the whole world.

2. Planet Nibiru or the 2012 doomsday

Creepy right? If this is true, then this would be our last year!

Planet Nibiru or Planet X, is an extremely large planet which is said to collide on the planet Earth on December 21st 2012. But before the major catastrophe, the magnetic field of the Earth would change as it slowly draw nearer the Planet Nibiru, thus, resulting to tragedies like tsunamis, earthquake, volcanic eruptions, cyclones, hurricanes and other more that would happen simultaneously. It has been written all over the web that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had knew this thing for quite a long time but decided to conceal the truth so the people would not be frightened.

3. Supernova

Maybe all of the fifth grader knows that our Sun is the largest star on the entire galaxy. And preferably, all the high school students out there had already learned that a every star would die through an explosion. So what does these things mean? If the Sun is a star then if the stars explode, then the Sun would explode! Yes it is, and it would probably the greatest explosion one can ever imagine. It is called the supernova, wherein the Sun would explode like a normal star together with all the heavenly bodies around it, including the Solar system, including Earth... including us.

4. Climate Change

This theory would be the most evidently visible to all of us, the theory about Climate Change. Slowly, everything seems to be turning upside down from the normal prospect of the Earth. Typhoons and other natural calamities are being worse, and the natural temperatures of the parts of the Earth are being screwed up. Greenhouse gases are now free to enter our atmosphere because the ozone layer (which is the thing that should be protecting us) has been growing thinner because of the chlorofluorocarbon which is exerted by our appliances and plenty other stuffs. So the bottom line is, we are the main reason.

But if I am the one to be asked if I believe in these tragedies, well I don't. I do believe that the Revelation on the Holy Bible will happen.

And if I am afraid in the world's end? Not either. Because I know that there is a Great Man above who is stronger than any of these catastrophes. And I know that the world's end would be the beginning of the paradise He once promised.

Pagpigil sa Takipsilim

TOPIC: YOUTH/ KABATAAN

Pagpigil sa Takipsilim

"Hanap ko lamang ay ang walang humpay na kaligayahan."

Kasabay ng muling paglitaw ni haring araw sa kalangitan, patuloy na umuusbong ang kabi-kabilang suliranin na kailangan kong indahin. Masaktan man ako, magalit at managhoy, wala itong magagawa sa aking paghihirap na nararanasan at mararanasan pa. Marami man ang mga taong nais tumulong sa akin, batid ko sa aking sarili na wala silang permanenteng solusyon na maibibigay sa akin.

Ako ay kabilang sa 1/3 na populasyon ng mga kabataan sa Pilipinas. Isa ako sa mga nilalang na naghahanap ng pagunawa at gabay sa aking tatahaking buhay. Ang daan na aming tinatahak ay sadyang napakadilim, at dala na rin ng aming kapusukan, madali kaming maimpluwensyahan ng mga tao sa paligid namin. Mahina at walang sapat na proteksyon laban sa rumaragasang mga tukso sa paligid namin. Kami ay ang mga kakaibang nilalang na nabubuhay sa mundong ibabaw.

Takot sa kahit na sino. Takot na magkamali. Takot na masaktan. Takot na hindi matanggap.

30% sa aming bilang ay tuluyan ng napasok sa maling gawain. Ang mga kababaihan ay nagdalang tao na wala sa hustong edad, ang iba ay lulong sa bisyo at ipinagbabawal na gamot, at ang iba naman ay nasangkot na sa mga krimen. Kami ay kinukundena... hinuhusgahan. Pilit na binabago ng lipunang hindi matanggap na kami ay tao lamang na nagkakamali. Pilit kaming hinuhubog sa anyo na sila lamang ang makikinabang. Pilit kaming pinapasok sa isang maliwanag na lagusan kung saan hindi ko alam kung ano ang naghihintay sa aming lahat.

Naglipana ang mga bagay na ginagawa ng mga nakakatanda upang kami ay maihatid sa tinatawag nilang tamng landas. Ang mga naligaw kong kasamahan ay inilalagay sa mga rehabilitation centers na pumapatay sa kanilang kalayaan. Ang iba ay dinadala sa Department of Social Welfare and Development kung saan sila ay tinataguyod ng matiwasay ngunit inihahanda para sa mas mga matitinding laban. Ang iba ay nililibang sa iba't ibang gawaing hindi nila lubos maisip kung tama o mali, ngunit pilit na pinagtutulakan sa kanila.A ang pinakamasaklap, an iba naman ay inilalagay sa likod ng malalamig na rehas kung saan ang pag-asa sa kanilang damdamin ay unti-unting pinapatay.

Ngunit ang solusyon ay hindi nahahanap sa ano mang mga proyekto, ito ay inyong makikita sa kaibuturan ng inyong damdamin. Ang inyong pagunawa at pagkalinga.

"Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan."

Ngunit ang mura naming pagiisip ay binulag ang aming pagtingin sa reyalidad ng buhay. Kinakailangan namin ng mga matang siyang magdadala sa amin ng liwanag. Ang mga suliranin ay pinilay kami, kinakailangan namin ng mga paa na maghahatid sa amin sa tamang daan. Kailangan namin kayo, hindi ang mga ginagawa ninyo upang kami ay mabago. Tulungan niyo kaming mapigilan ang nagbabadyang takipsilim sa aming magandang kinabukasan.

Shocked? Well me either. This would be my very first blog post that is written on th Filipino dialect. I don't know if it will sound good, but I am quite happy to the result of it. This is a feature article (Lathalain). To the campus journalists out there, I am quite sure you know what it is. Well for others who don't, its a literary piece made to entertain and inform people mostly about current issues of the society.

I have been a Feature writer ever since, but on the English medium. So this one is quite new for me :)

2010: Best Madness

Its quite late for me to post a year-end special here in my blog since 2011 had already started. But these things are just too precious to neglect.

Best madness.

These two words suddenly popped on my mind when I thought of reminiscing 2010. Simple and shallow, yet these is the exact predicate to describe the past year.

2010 was mad. Really mad. With just a span of 12 months, lots of things have changed in and out of me. Regardless to its cause, these changes were involuntary, they just happened... they needed to happen. But in spite of the negative things that went out together with these changes, they brought out the best in me.

1. Change of administration

Let us begin to the macro one. The term of the Aquino administration started last year. If you are reading my blog from the very beginning, I am sure that you are aware of the warmth welcome I have given to them. Needless to say I was happy, no... I was ecstatic of his victory. As far as I can remember, I even changed my blog's theme from its legendary black and white into black and yellow just to campaign his candidacy!

2. New people

I have met lots of people during 2010. Luckily, most of them were on the positive side and the trash ones were just few. There were transferee students in my school, on which I needed to exert effort just to please them (but its worth it!); new teachers that made me even better, especially my new School Paper Advisers Mr. Immanuel Tucay and Winalyn Catacutan whom never failed to remind me about life and trained me during the schools' press conference; and new administrators.

But preferably the new people that really made a mark on me would be the ones I have met during the Regional Schools Press Conference. We were from different schools and we have different personalities, yet we were able to connect with each other so well! Though we only had less than one month together, we seemed to be inseparable!

My S.P.A's and Filipino Broadcasters of City of San Jose del Monte

3. I gained confidence and "a bit" of independence

I always knew that I was different, yet I have never been confident that my uniqueness was good. My weirdness often puzzled me that maybe, I may look stupid to other people. But I don't know that suddenly, I felt great that I am different. Maybe that's what they call maturity. I felt unique, in the good way, like everything is good and that maybe, somehow, someone will even like the way I am!

Because I am about to enter college life, my parents would now allow me to go to different places alone or with my friends. And I love how they did things. Before, I was not able to go to other places except my legal friends' houses and I was trained to text them every moment when I am outside. They made everything perfect, I ain't that "gala" (adventorous) so much and I am not that numb because of too much dependence!

4. Determining my dreams

This is final and nobody can ever change this one, I want to be a magazine or newspaper columnist or a school paper adviser. Maybe you guys know that I am a campus journalist, and I cannot seem to erase that on my life. I always wanted to be a writer, since my elementary days, and that simple want was ignited and now it turned out to be a desperate dream! On the other hand, the school paper adviser thingy, is urged by the two teachers above. I never thought I would consider this.

5. Deeper relationship with God

During 2009, I met some people who introduced the true identity of God. Slowly, I realized that it wasn't them whose pushing me through, but God Himself. I have experienced His greatness personally, He never failed to comfort me and remind me that He is always with me. When I have problems, I confess it to Him and at no time He will answer it, at the most unbelievable place in the most believable time. I am currently strengthening my faith, I ain't having hard time because God is helping me. How privileged I am for the Lord God is helping me in my life!

P.S:

Thank you guys for constantly checking out my blog in spite of my inactiveness! I love my followers and you guys are awesome!

Have a great 2011 and may you continue to bear with the outrageous writer.

God bless!