Precious Jewel

I thought that I am a precious jewel,
Hearing muffled voices of standing ovations.
Thoughts played that my enterprise,
Is to be polished, be perfect, and be wise.

I’ve tried my best to hit the target
Of souls whose affection I yearn to get.
This heart of mine have inert gases,
Striving to show only wonderful poses.

But then a worm crawls in the apple.
And starts to spread stink in its middle.
And the glass was broken into pieces,
And white flags seem to sprout from the dishes.

Hush now, precious jewel and be comforted.
In the list of exalted, you are now counted.

ANINO SA KAHAYAG

Kahayag. Matag usa kanato nanginahanglan ug kahayag. Ang kahayag mao ang mogiya kanato sa atong paga-agian. Kun wala ang kahayag, malagmit mapandol kita sa dalan ug mahitumpawak kita sa kaalautan. Ang kahayag usab sa huna huna mao ang mogiya kanato sa paghimo ug hustong mga desisyon sa kinabuhi. Apan dili nato kalikayan nga moabot gayud ang gabii sa atong kinabuhi ug mawala ang kahayag. Apan bisan pa niini, aduna unta kitay makita bisan anino man lamang. Ug tungod niini, mapagarbuhong ipasundayg kaninyo gikan sa St. Francis team ang usa ka drama nga nag ulohan , "Anino sa kahayag."


Scene 1

PEDRO: Juan, anak, Andam na ba ka? kay moadto na ta's simbahan sanglit Dominggo man karon. Pagdali diha kay daghan ra bag manimba ron kay hapit nay pista. Pagdali para makalingkod ta.
JUAN : O tay, hulat sa kadiyot. OK. Andam na ko. Tana. (samtang molakaw sila) Tay, mag-unsa man ta sa pista ato bang ihawon tong atong baboy?
PEDRO: Syempre anak, isip pasalamat sa atong patron nga si San Roque. Nagkasabot na mi si Nanay nimo nga ato sang ihawon ang atong baboy .
JUAN: Mao ba? kalooy sad sa atong baboy.
PEDRO: Ayaw kabalaka anak kay inig maihaw na tong atong babboy, mopalit na usab kita ug bag-ong baboy para dili ka mingawon sa imong baboy. Ok?
JUAN: Sige, tay maayo noon. Yuna pa, tay, tua silang lolo sa unahan O!. (singgit ug kaway) Lo... Huwat (dagan, Lolo hunong ) Tiyo! (tiyo lingi)
TASIO: Oy, apo (Juan mo- amen) kaloy-an kas' Ginoo.
JUAN: Maayong buntag kanimo lo. Tiyo (amen sa tiyo) maayong buntag usab.
TIYO RAMON: kaloy-an ka sa Ginoo, Juan.
TASIO: Kinsa bay imong uban doy?
JUAN: Si Papa, manimba man mi padulong.
TIYO RAMON: Pagkabuotan gayud nimo nga bata Juan.
JUAN: Salamat tiyo, Oy, gaw mosimba diay pod ka?
NILO: O gaw, syempre para kaloy-an ta ni Lord ba.
JUAN: Ingon ana gyud gaw kay di ba niingon man to si titser nga ang batang mosimba sa Ginoo, kaloy-an sa Ginoo.
NILO: Bitaw gaw, para pod makapasalamt ta ni Papa Jesus di ba lo?
TASIO: Husto mga apo.
PEDRO: Maayong adlaw tay, (mo-amen ni Tasio)maayo kay nagkaabot ta Buyno, magkuyog na lang ta.
(exit)

Mao kadto ang pamilya ni Pedro, usa lamang ang iyang anak nga mao si Juan ug sukad sa pagkabata iya na kining gimatuto pag-ayo ug gianad niya sa pagsimba kada Dominggo. Samtang bata pa ang iyang anak, iya kining gitudluan sa mga maayong butang. Usa ka adlaw niana........


Scene 2

PEDRO: Doy, Juan, paglung-ag na kay hapit na to mouli tong imong inahan gikan nanglaba.
JUAN: O tay (mogawas, mobalik) Tay, tay, wala na man diay tay bugas para lung agon.
PEDRO: Mao ba? Unsaon na man ni? Sigurado akong gutmon gyud tong imong inahan inig abot niya gikan nanglaba, Yuna, ah maayo pa pamaylo na lang una adto sa atong silingan si Nong Terso. Ingna nga mamaylo ta'g usa ka gantang ug anha lang bayaran inig makauga na ta sa atong humay.
JUAN: O, tay (kuha ug cellophane) Sige tay, molakaw sa ko. (moamen, molakaw) Ayo...Ayo...
TERSO: Oy, doy, unsa may ato?
JUAN: Maayong udto nong Terso,(moamen)
TERSO: Kaloy-an ka sa Dios doy.
JUAN: Miingon si Tatay nga mamaylo sa kuno siya ug bugas, usa ka gantang.
TERSO: Unsay gatas?
JUAN: (kusog tingog) Bugas, usa ka gantang kay wa na man mi lung agon unya mouli ra ba to si Nanay gikan nanglaba.
TERSO: Mao ba, Abi ko bag gatas. Kusga pod intawon ug sulti doy kay kabalo na ka ning magkatiguwang ta , magkabungol. Pila ba diay imong bayloon
JUAN: Usa ka gantang,
TERSO: Sige, paghulat sa diha kay magkuha ko. Bi, ambi nang imong sudlanan (mogawas, mobalik dala ang bugas) O, ania.
JUAN: Salamat kaayo nong ha? Ingon diay si Tatay nga anha ra ni niya bayran kun makauga na mis amoang humay.
TERSO: O sige, paghinay-hinay ( exit Juan, then Terso, then Juan enter with the rice)
JUAN: Tay, tay, ania ra ang bugas.
PEDRO: Maayo kay nakadala ka, buyno, hala sige ihatod kining utan adto ni Noy Terso kay buotan ra ba kaayo nang tiguwanga.
JUAN: Nag-utan diay ka tay?
PEDRO: O lagi kay nahurot na man gud ang atong paropot.
JUAN: Unsa man ning utana tay?
PEDRO: Aw, nilaw-oy ra gud nga kamunggay. May na lang makahigop ug sabaw ang tiguwang. Sige na.
JUAN: O Tay.(exit)


Bisan pa man ug kabos sila si Pedro apan malipayon gihapon sila tungod kay nagkahiusa man sila. Ug bisan pa man sa ilang kakabos, buot ni Pedro nga maka human sa pagtungha ang iyang bugtong anak busa naningkamot gayud siya pag ayo.

Scene 3

JUAN: Tay, tay, tan awa O!. Dako kaayo kog grado sa akong pagtungha.
PEDRO: Maayo anak, ingon ana gyud. Pagtarong sa imong pagtuon aron nga mahimong lamdag ang imong kaugmaon. Gusto ko nga dili ka mapareho namo sa imong nanay nga way nahuman. Gusto ko nga mahimo kang edukado aron dili ka maglisod inig maminyo ka pohon. (Adunay motuktok) Yuna pa, mura ug adunay nangayug kaayohan, adtoa daw
BERT: Maayo, maayong adlaw.
JUAN: Unsay ato?
BERT: Maayong buntag diha kanimo doy. Pwede ba ko nga mohangyo ug tubig kay giuhaw na gyud ko kaayo.
PEDRO: Kinsa kana Juan?
BERT: Maayong buntag diha kanimo bay. Pwede ba ko nga mohangyo ug bisan tubig na lang kay giuhaw na gyud ko kaayo. Gikan pa man gud ko sa layong dapit ug padulong ko sa lungsod. Ug sanglit kay wala man koy pamasahe mao nga naglakat lang ko. Mahimo ba?
PEDRO: Mao ba? Kalooy sab nimo. Sige dayon. Lingkod una. Juan, sige tawga ang imong inahan ug ingna ipa andam na ang lamisa kay manihapon na ta karong taud taud. . Ingna usab nga paapilan ug usa ka plato alang sa atong bisita. Unya, pagdala dayon ug tubig diri.
JUAN: O tay.(gawas)
BERT: Apan bay, sobra na kana kaayo..(sulod Juan dala ang tubig)
JUAN: Dia ra ang tubig noy, sige inom sa!
BERT: Salamat doy.
JUAN: Way sapayan noy. (gawas)
BERT: Maikog man sad ta ninyo.
PEDRO: Ayg igsapayan kana bay. Kabalo ko nga gigutom sab ka. Busa hinaut dili nimo balibaran ang akong dalit nga panihapon. Magpinobre lang gud ta, unsaon man nga pobre man gyud ta.Ug kon buot mo, diri na lang pagpalabay sa kagabhion.
BERT: Pagkamaayo ninyo, bay. Kaloy-an gayud kamo sa Ginoo.(gawas Juan)
JUAN: Tay, andam na ang lamisa.
PEDRO: Buyno, tana.


Puno sa kaayo ang pamilya ni Pedro. Ug tungod sa pangpaningkamot ni Pedro binuligan sa pagtinarong ni Juan sa iyang pagtunga, nakahuman gayud si Juan ug kurso sa kolehiyo. Milabay ang daghang panahon ug nakahimo na usab si Juan ug iyang kaugalingon nga pamilya. Aduna siyay tulo ka anak, nga pulos lalaki. Si Junior, si Jake, ug si Alvin Usa ka adlaw nga Domingo niana. (Jr. nag tan-aw sa TV)


Scene 4

ALVIN: Kuya, aduna ka bay kwarta diha kay aduna koy paliton.
JR:(gatan-aw ug tv) Unsay kwarta, kita kang pobre pa tas ilaga. Ug mangayo diay ka ni Papa.
ALVIN: Ambot na si Papa uy, modayon man ug ingon nga wala daw siyay kwarta. Makalagot! Daghan pag sermon.(moabot si Jake magdagan, excited)
JAKE: Pa, pa.
JR: Ngano ka Jake?
JAKE: Hain si Papa, si Mama? (Juan mogawas)
JUAN: O Jake, nganong nangita ka kanako?
JAKE: Pa, tan-awa (pakita sa sulat) Sulat ni Pa, gika sa seminaryo, nakapasar ko.
JUAN: Unsa? Pagkamaayo. Congratulations anak. Buyno, mangadto kita sa simbahan karon kay Dominggo man aron makapasalamat kita sa Ginoo. JR, Alvin, hala sige pag-ilis na mo.
JAKE: Sige, pa, mag-ilis na sab ko.
JUAN: Hoy, Jr., Alvin, unsa ba, sige na , pagnga na ng TV diha
JR: Sus, simba simba way nadato ana.
JUAN: Tan-awa ra. Mao ba nay imong nakat-onan sa imong pagtungha. (Jr. molakaw nga nagbagutbot) Ikaw Alvin, ayaw ko ingna ug dili sad ka mosimba.
AALVIN: Pa, aduna koy lakaw karong taud-taud. Aduna mi himoon nga project sa akong mga classmates.
JUAN: Hesus, Ginoo, bisan Dominggo, project gihapon. Naunsa na man ning kalibutan karon uy! (gawas Jake) Buyno, tana kay dili siguro mokuyog nato tong inyong duha ka igsoon.
JAKE: Mao ba? (exit)

Hinuon maayo nga tawo si Juan apan kulang siya sa disiplina sa iyang mga anak. Dako kaayo ang iyang pagmahal kanila ug tungod sab siguro sa impluwensiya sa press, nahilo ang huna huna sa mga kabatan-onan ilabina ang duha niya ka anak . Usa ka adlaw niana......

Scene 5

MICHAEL: Uy, JR. bay. Kumusta man? Unsay lingaw nato ron?
JR: Wa lagi.
MICHAEL: Buyno, kuyog ta adto ta ilang Gino (smoking cigars)
JR: Mag unsa man ta didto?
MICHAEL: Sus, mangita gud ta'g lingaw. (aduna silay matagbuan)
MIGUEL: Michael, doy, balhina sa intawon tong baka.
MICHAEL: Saba, kalingaw na raman ako. Ikaw diay. Peste kang tiguwanga ka. Samok,
(padayon sa paglakaw) Sus, makalagot jud nang tiguwanga angay a patyon.
JR: Kinsa diay to bay?
MICHAEL: Ah! Way lain ang ahong kinakusgang amahan.
JR: Mao ba?
GINO: Uy! Mike kumusta? Maayo kay imong gidala ning buang dinhi.
JR: Abay! Nya, unsa may lingaw diri.
GINO: Aw, syempre, tagay ta. O imo sa ni.
JR: Salamat bay.
MICHAEL: Bay, tilawi daw ning sigarilyo.
JR: Ha?
MICHAEL: Sige na, ganahan lagi ka ani.
JR: Sige.
GINO: Diri lang ta sa sulod la, kay para mag videoke ta.
MICHAEL: Ah, maayo hinuon. (exit all)

Tungod sa barkada, nakakat on ug inom si Jr. Ingon man usab sa pagpanigarilyo. Ingon ug nahulog sa kaalautan ang duha ka anak ni Juan. Sa laing bahin niana.


Scene 6

(Juan ga basa-basa ug newspaper sa sala, moabot si Alvin)
JUAN: Hoy, Alvin, nganong karon pa man ka?
ALVIN: Sus, tay. Unsa man ka uy! Dili na ko bata. Ulitawo na ko. Busa dili na ka angay mabalaka nako.
JUAN: Apan wala pa ko nimo tubaga sa akong pangutana. Diin ka gikan?
ALVIN: Adto sa akong classmate, dugay nahuman among project.
JUAN: Unsa? Unsa ba kanang klasiha sa project nga dugay man kaayo mahuman. Wala ba ka masayod nga naguol kaayo ang imong inahan kung wala pa dinhi ang tanan niyang mga anak.
ALVIN: Ah! Peste, daghang yawyaw. Labaw pa man kang mama.
JUAN: Hoy Alvin, wala ta ka gipadala sa tulunghaan aron lang makakat-on sa pagtubag-tubag sa imong amahan. (moabot si Jake)
JAKE: Unsay nahitabo ani Pa, ha Alvin?
ALVIN: Wa kay labot busa ayaw paglabot-labot. Pesteng yawa, atay. (Lakaw)
JUAN: Alvin.......Alvin......
JAKE: Hustona pa, sagdi lang kay ako lang tong pakig istoryahan tong akong igsoon basin maminaw pa siya nako.
JUAN: Sige, anak. (molakaw, molakaw usab si Jake, mosulod si Alvin ug sundan ni Jake)
JAKE: Alvin, naunsa ka ba, dili maayo ang gihimo mo kang Papa.
ALVIN: Utro sab ka. Pareho ra mong mga yawa.
JAKE: Alvin, ang imong baba.
ALVIN: Hoy, Manoy, wa kay labot sa ahong kinabuhi. Busa kun dili ka gusto nga magsinumbagay ta karon . Pahawa sa akong atubangan. (Jake molakaw) Bwisit! Maayo pay maglaag (molakaw)


Tungod niini labihan ang kaguol ni Jake alang sa iyang igsoon. Busa miadto siya sa simbahan aron sa pag-ampo.

Scene 7

JAKE: (nagluhod) Ginoo ko, intawon malooy ka kanamo. Ayaw intawon itugot nga mahitumpawak sa kaalautan ang akong pinangga nga mga igsoon. Ako naga-ampo kanimo nga imo silang tultulan sa maayo nga dalan sa kinabuhi. Naguol ako alang kanila ingon man usab sa akong mga ginikanan. Ingon ug sa nawad an na ug pagtahud ang akong mga igsoon ngadto kanila. Ginoo, tabangi ako ug dungga ang akong mga pangamuyo.Amen (manguros, motindog ug padulong molakaw, matagbuan si Fr. Mark)

FR. MARK: Uy! Jake, unsa man ang imong gibuhat dinhi nga human na man ang misa?
JAKE: Uy! Father Mark, maayong buntag diha kanimo (moamen) Nag-ampo man gud ako alang sa akong mga igsoon.
FR. MARK: Pagkabuotan gayud nimo nga bata, angayan gyud kang mamahimong pari. Manglingkod sa ta. Karon, tagsa na lay mga batan-on nga aduna gihapoy batasan sama kanimo. Kasagaran, mga lampingasan na, mga walay tahod. Yuna, unsa man diay ang problema mahitungod sa imong mga igsoon?
JAKE: Ingon man gud ug nahisalaag sila sa dili husto nga dalan. Gani, kagabii giaway ko ni Alvin, ang among kinamanghuran. Ug tungod kay dili man ko gusto ug gubot, minglakaw na lang ko ug nagpailob.
FR. MARK: Mao ba? Abi nimo Jake, husto kanang imong gibuhat. Apan usahay kinahanglan nimo nga atubangan ang problema inay nga likayan. Ang usa ka problema dili masulbad pinaagi sa paglikay niini, tanan masolbad pinaagi sa panag-istoryahanay. Busa, kon ugaling moabot na usab ang panahon nga magkabingkil kamo sa imong mga igsoon, sulbara ninyo ang problema diha diha dayon.
JAKE: Mao ba Father, salamat kaayo sa imong mga bulawanong mga tambag. (tindog)
Sige Father moadto na ko kay basin gipangita na ko karon ni Papa. Mo ari sa ko( moamen)
FR. MARK: Sige Jake, kaloy-an unta ikaw sa Ginoo.

Ming-uli si Jake sa ilaha ug giandam na niya ang iyang mga butang nga angay dalhon sa seminaryo sanaglit tulo na lang ka adlaw ug pa reporton na siya sa seminaryo aron mamahimong usa ka seminarista. Apan ingon ug gisungog gayud siya sa kapalaran, aduna pay dako nga pagsuway nga iyang sagubangon sa dili pa siya mosulod sa seminaryo, ang iyang mga igsoon. Usa ka adlaw niana....

Scene 8

GINO: Abay, tilawi ni.
JR: Unsa man ni bay?
MICHAEL: Mao ni bay gitawag ug shabu?
GINO: Bitaw bay, Karon makatilaw na ka niini ug sigurado akong magpangita ka niini ug ganahan ka niini. Mura kay maglutaw sa hangin.
JR: Mao ba?
MICHAEL: Sige na bay, sugdan na ni nato ug yupyup. (Mag chip in sila sa shabu, hangtud ma high, mag singit singit, unya motindog silang tulo, adunay molabay nga tawo)
GINO: Psst... ikaw ba? Ambi, tagai kamig kwarta aron among ipalit ug bahalina
TAWO:Bay, yamo man koy kwarta.
JR: Unsay wa, basin gusto kang makatilaw ug sakit sa lawas (mangatawa ang tulo ka bugoy)Ania..(sumbagon ang tawo, mosukol ang tawo, karambola, hangtud nga dunggabon ni Gino ang tawo ug mamatay, matarantar ang tulo ug managan)


Ug dinhi magsugod ang kalbaryo sa pamilya ni Jake. Tungod sa nahitabo kang Jr ug sa iyang mga barkada, nahimong wanted si Jr. ug ang iyang duha ka mga barkada. Busa....


Scene 9

JR: (Maghangos) Pa ...Pa....
JUAN: Unsay nahitabo nimo JR, nganong nagdagan ka man ug ingon ug nahadlok ka man pag-ayo?
JR: Pa, tagai kog kwarta, dos mil karon dayon.(natarantar)
JUAN: Unsa? Apan nakahibalo ka nga wala akoy kwarta karon kay wala pa koy sweldo anha pa sa katapusan. Yuna, iasa man nimo ang kwarta?
JR: Kinahanglan ko nga malayas sa labing madaling panahon kay gipangita ako sa mga pulis.
JUAN: Unsa?
JR: Pa, nakapatay ko. Wa nako tuyua. Wa ko kahibalo ngano. Pa (hilak) Tabangi ko. (hilak) huhuhu..........
JUAN: Ginoo ko ug Dios ko.(hilak usab, mogawas si Jake)
JAKE: Pa, unsay nahitabo ani?
JUAN: Jake ang imong manong nakapatay siya ug kinahanglan nga makalayas siya sa labing panahon. Basin hiabtan pa siya sa mga pulis.
JAKE: Unsa? Ginoo ko. Manong, ngano man?
JR: Wa ko masayod. Wa ko sa akong buot niadtong mga taknaa. Tabangi ko Jake. Pangitai ko ug kwarta aron maka eskapo ko sa labing madaling panahon. Dili ko buot nga mapreso sa prisohan.
JAKE: Apan manong, dili husto ang imong gihunahuna. Mosamot kadako ang imong tulubagon sa autoridad kun moikyas ka. Ug kon ugani madakpan ka nila. Manong, surrender na lang. Atubanga ang imong problema ug ayaw kini likayi.
JR: Unsa ka ba Jake, gusto ba ka nga mabilanggo ko ha? Wa gyud kay kwenta nga pagka igsoon.
JAKE: Manong ako lang gihuna huna ang imong kaugmaon. Kabalo ako nga dili ka magmalinawon kun kanunay ka na lang moikyas sa imong tulubagon. Hinuon lisod sa sinugdan, apan kinahanglan nimong atubangon ang mga bunga sa dautan nimong mga binuhatan.
JUAN: Insakto ang imong manghud Jake, mas maayo kung mo surrender na lang ka.
JR: Tay! (Mogawas si Alvin)
ALVIN: Tan-awa ra, kriminal man gani ning ahong igsoon unya wa kasuk-i ag ako hinuon dabu dabuhan ug kasaba.
JR: Usba, usba kanang imong gisulti Alvin.(kwelyuhan)
ALVIN: Unsa man ha? Nga Kriminal ka, nya imo pod kong patyon. La, sige patya ko. Patya ko. Para matapos na ning tanan. (masuko si Jr unya sumbagon niya ang bungbong)
JAKE: Hustona, Manong.(pungngan niya si JR, motabang sa pagpugong si Juan) Unsa ba Alvin hustona. Mao ba kana ang imong ikatabang sa imong magulang niining pit os nga sitwasyon.
ALVIN: Hilom, hilig jud ka magpasaliakaw. Unya, sermonan na pod ko nimo.
JAKE: O tungod kay wala na mamao ang imong gihimo. Imbes nga tabangan nimo si Manong sa pagsulbad sa iyang problema, imo na man hinuon siya nga giduot. Unsa ka bang klase sa pagka-igsoon (Mapungot si Alvin ug gusto manumbag) Sige, sige, sumbaga ko kun mao kana ang makapalipay kanimo. Apan timan-i Alvin, gimahal ta ka isip akong igsoon. Ug dili ko gusto nga magmahay ka sa kauwahian angin lang nianang imong batasan. (mohilom si Alvin , ingon man si JR) Abi ninyo, galisod baya ko. Gusto kong mamahimong pari apan ingon ug inyo akong gibabagan sa akong mga pangandoy. Usa ra ka butang ang akong gipangayo sa Ginoo matag adlaw sa akong kinabuhi nga dili unta kamo mahulog sa mga kaalautan. Ikaw, Alvin nasayud ko kun nganong nasuko ka kaayo kang Papa tungod kay wala ka niya hatagi ug kwarta ug gikasab-an pod ka niya. Apan nasayod ba ka nga gihimo to ni Papa tungod sa iyang pagmahal kanimo. Palihug, ihunong na nato kining tanan. Dili pa ulahi ang tanan para magbag-o ta ug mahimong usa ka malipayon nga pamilya.
JUAN: Anak (gakos kang Jake) Hustona... Husto si Jake Alvin, mahal ta ka, kamong tanan nakong mga anak. Ug buot usab ako mangayo ug pasaylo kaninyo. Kanimo Alvin kun ugaling pit-os ra ko kaayo kanimo, kun gikasab-an ta ka, pasayloa ako, nahimo ko lang kadto tungod sa akong paghigugma kanimo.
ALVIN: Pa, pasayloa ko. Wala ko masayod.
JUAN: Gipasaylo ko na ikaw anak, bisan pa man sa wala mo pa ikabungat ang maong mga pulong.
ALVIN: Pa.(hilak, gakos) Manong, Manoy pasayloa usab ako.
JR: Ingon man usab ako pa, pasayloa ko kun ugani nakapasakit ko kaninyo. Kanimo Jake, pasayloa usab ako kun nakababag kami sa imong bokasyon ug salamat usab sa imong mga tambag. Husto ka. angay ko nga mo surrender para mogaan ang akong setensya.(gakos ang pamilya)
JAKE: Gipasaylo ko na kamong tanan. Ug salamat sa Ginoo. (gakos ang tanan, group hug)

Ug mi surrender gayud si Jr sa mga kapulisan ug tungod niini nagamay gamayan ang iyang sentensya. Sa laing bahin, nahinayon si Jake pagsulod sa seminaryo ug si Alvin nagpadayon sa iyang pagtungha.

Kun adunay kangitngit sa atong katilingban, hinaut makakita man lang kita ug usa ka anino sa kahayag aron makahinumdom kita sa atong mga kapakyasan. Dili pa ulahi ang tanan kun ang tawo mamalandong lamang alang sa iyang kaayuhan.

Ug dinhi nahulog ang tabil sa among drama nga nag-ulohan ANINO SA KAHAYAG. Ug ania ang mga artista nga nagdala sa maong drama:

CAST OF CHARACTERS


PEDRO --------------------------------MARTIN RELAMPAGOS
JUAN----------------------------------RICHARD PONGASE
TASIO---------------------------------JOHN DAVE
NILO-----------------------------------JOVANIE CORTES
RAMON ------------------------------LEO GIL RUBIA
TERSO---------------------------------HENRY LANIBA
BERT----------------------------------MELVIN TAJALE
ALVIN---------------------------------MARK VINCENT DALAGAN
JR---------------------------------------JEFFREY JANOMIL
JAKE-----------------------------------WALDEMAR CASTINO
MICHAEL-----------------------------CHRISTIAN MEBRANO
MIGUEL-------------------------------MARK JOHN MANATAD
GINO-----------------------------------PAT LESTER SALAS
FR. MARK----------------------------GERARD VALLES
TAWO---------------------------------FIDEL AMOLO

DIRECTED BY : MARK NEIL ERONICO
SCRIPTWRITER: WALDEMAR CASTINO

NOMINEES FOR BEST ACTOR
- SEM. JEFFREY JAMONIL
- SEM. MARK VINCENT DALAGAN
- SEM. WALDEMAR CASTINO
- SEM. CHRISTIAN MEBRANO

NOMINEE FOR BEST DIRECTOR:
- SEM. MARK NEIL ERONICO


NOMINEE FOR BEST SCRIPT WRITER:
- SEM. WALDEMAR CASTINO

HOW TO ACHIEVE WORLD PEACE

Atomic bombs, nuclear weapons, graft and corruption, crimes, famine, thirst, blood… name it, the world has it. Nations against nations, State against the church, government against the armed forces, military versus the fascists, innocent civilians in between. Then the guns rattled, the deafening sounds filled the air, then silence…

Is there still a way out?

In an instant, our lives are threatened with uncertainty, our children facing bleak future. Everything seems dark ahead, everything is vague. But still, everybody gropes for soothing words to say, everybody hopes. Yet, what is there to hope for? But then, HOPE – we must not let this go out of our hands, out of our grasps, out of our lives completely. It is not a question of our differences, not of our mistakes, but rather, of our principles that we can finally resolve and come up, hopefully, with a most taken-for-granted word – PEACE.

Yes, peace. There is nothing so queer about this, nothing so elusive. But only, this is the most abused word, its meaning drowned wit the successive bang-bang of guns. Our senses have become numb, our consciousness refusing to believe its existence. We often regard peace with its negatively charged counterparts – war, friction, contention. Yet, we never progressed. We never dare unbosom our blunder, we never even care to make it our overriding concern to propagate peace and rouse the underlying benevolence deep within our hearts. Can we not, even just for once, secede from our mistakes, learn from our past, and come out spiritually unctioned?

Let’s face it. Our principles are as rotten as our faith in God. We many not be aware of this but it is an established fact that more often than not, our tendency is to seek refuge in worldly splendor, unaware that we are only putting a limit to our chance of finding serenity. We are in a labyrinth of moral darkness, lost and searching, and unless we work for our escape, we will be trapped forever. How many of those people up there have sold their principles, on one way or another, just to be where they illogically think they belong? How many of them have preferred to get into demagoguery just to win power, accumulate wealth, and get in towed to the most influential part of the society? And how many of us have ever thought of peace as the most basal requirement for us to ever find happiness? And yet, you might ask how.

There are not much rules to follow in achieving world peace. The fundamental step to this must come from every person who still believes that peace can exist, and is willing to give it a chance. Basically, there have to be some changes that have to take place within us first. With this, we have to involve our heart, our soul, our psyche. We can’t be forever maudlin over our peccadillos. We have to be cruel to ourselves sometimes in order to be kind to the entire humanity. Remember, to propagate peace, there has to be a contamination process.
Next, it must be considered that for as long as pride and prejudice exist, peace shall never be within our reach. People will always try to have for themselves the best of everything – power, influence, money – at whatever cost, and stepping the rights of others in process. They will try to outdo one another, and then come out as the “morally unstained” heroes. Yet, no one will ever know that going to the top means rejecting the principles that are parallel to the law of God and to the law of the people.

We have, indeed, an animal instinct in us to disregard peace, deflate our principles, and go on with the things that are arbitrary to our impulses. Yes, everything is up to us. Everything must come from us, and we are held responsible for whatever future that awaits us. It is time to wake up now. We just could not let ourselves be swayed into something horribly inevitable. We have been in this maze since time immemorial, and we shall always be in this delirium, unless we learn to abnegate our own personal, yet selfish motives. Man lifts man up, man drags man down.

Indeed, man is a rational being, but he ceases to be one the moment casuistry steps in. We are living in a life wherein facts are much stranger than fiction. But then, we live in no dreamland. There is that grim reality that we have to deal with. We are given the gift of logic to think and reason out correctly but we are also given the prerogative to use this in such a way that it shall serve a common purpose of a morally –accepted ideology.

Life is a game, they say. These things are just the basic and the elementary steps to the achievement of world peace. The underlying tone to these things still hums for our faith in God, to save us from a crisis of our own making. If we have failed ourselves, God never will. Indeed, the achievement of peace is must a matter of standardization of our morale and principles, of our faith in ourselves, in others, and in Him, and of the unfolding justice for the entire humanity. Saint Thomas Aquinas once said, “Pax opus justitia.” Peace is the product of justice.

Is there still a way out?

No one can ever tell, nobody can ever be sure. But one things is certain – man will never know the essence of peace, not unless he knows the real meaning of death

The Creator: Is There an Intelligence Beyond the Universe
( A Reaction Paper)

With regards to the paper that was assigned to be read, I found it very informative and mind stimulating as well. It enables me to open the horizons of knowledge so that I may be able to understand more about life specifically about the nature of God. Indeed both Freud and Lewis have their own points that worth a second look.
Primarily they are arguing about the existence of the creator: intelligence beyond the universe. Sigmund Freud an infidel Jew and a confessed atheist said that it is very unthinkable to say that there is intelligence beyond the universe. He said that the spiritual worldview is a delusion. It is based and founded on wish fulfillment. And if we keep on believing on it, it is tantamount of saying that we have not yet grown up from our childhood. On the other side, C.S. Lewis, a convert, i.e. an atheist turned into a believer said that thee is indeed a creator, an intelligence beyond the universe as explained by the one responsible by the incredible vastness, precision and order, enormous complexity of the universe. Hence, the universe is filled with signpost all pointing to the unmistakable clarity of the intelligence beyond the universe. Here we have two opposed views regarding the spiritual worldview. One who says Grow up and another says Wake up.
Sigmund Freud believe that knowledge cam come from only from research and never from any other means such as revelation.
When Freud said that the spiritual worldview of the believers is based on wish fulfillment, I would like to agree with C.S. Lewis that not all reality of life is something to be wished of such as the reality of pain and suffering in life.
Moreover, I can see many contradictions in the life of Freud. His daughter told us that if we really want to know him we must not read his biographies but his letters.
I can say that the childhood of a person has a very great influence on the child. Both Freud and Lewis have an unpleasant childhood that is why they resorted to become atheist.

Sacrifice merits Paradise

With the advent of modern technology, people tend to lose the virtue of sacrifice. Our generation can be described as an instant generation. Almost everything is in instant. Gone were the days where we have to gather firewood, and then burn them with match and dried coconut leaves. It was replaced by rice cooker and stoves. With just a click of the hand, everything will flow on smoothly. We also have instant coffee, instant noodles, etc. The list goes on. Moreover, we also cater to instant happiness which somehow explains the emergence of prostitution and pornography in this world. All these things happen because man in the first place yearns for pleasure and happiness. But man has failed to realize that happiness is not instant. It is a fruit of labor and sacrifice.
We might ask ourselves, “Why do we need to sacrifice when in fact we can get happiness in an instant?”
First, we have to consider the reality of pain and suffering in life. From the moment we are born, we already felt the pain as we see light for the first time. Evidence to which is the fact that we cry during birth. We felt very insecure to the new world that we are in. Thus pain, suffering, and sacrifice are part and parcel of living. We cannot do away with it. It is embedded in our nature as finite beings lacking the necessary perfections.
Second, we need to sacrifice something for a higher purpose. Had not our mother sacrifice her health and eventually her life, we would not be present in this world nowadays. It is a good thing that we give up something in order to have more in life. Let us not cater to things that could bring us happiness which are ephemeral and fleeting in nature.
The saints in our Catholic Church have a great deal of sacrifice done for the Church. They shed their blood for a higher purpose. The best epitome of sacrifice is the sacrifice of our Lord on the cross. Blameless as he is, he shed his blood for us so that we may have eternal life in the life to come. Somehow Ninoy Aquino has a point when he said: “There comes a time in a man’s life when he must prefer a meaningful death than a meaningless life.”
We should live a meaningful life by sacrificing our evil desires for the good of the many. We got a lot of things we owe from God and it is a symbol of gratitude to render some sacrifice of our life for others for all the good fortune God has given us. We live life not in years but in how many lives that we touched.

Parusang kamatayan

Parusang kamatayan; Kalutasan sa lumalalang Krimen sa Bansa O Hindi


“Ang buhay ay bigay ng Diyos at walang sinuman ang may karapatan na kumuha nito, kundi siya na nagbigay nito.”

Ang ating mundo ay lalong gumugulo habang papasok sa bagong siglo. Hindi maikakila ng bawat isa na ang ating mundo sa ngayon ay puno ng karahasan at ligalig. Mga karahasang nagdudulot ng gulo at ligalig sa ating mudong ginagalawan. Sari-saring krimen and maririnig o mapapanood sa radyo at telebisyon. Misan pa nga ay masasaksihan pa natin ito ng harap-harapan. Kay, nararapat lamang na parusahan ang mga taong gumagawa ng krimen upang mabawas-mabawas ang antas ng kriminalidad sa ating bansa.

Ngunit, dapat din nating isaalang-alang na sa bawat parusa ay may hangganan. At ang parusang kamatayan ay di dapat ipagpatupad sa ating bansa ng madalian, dahil ito ay kinakailangang pag-aralan ng maigi kung ito ba’y makatarungan o hindi. Dapat isaisip kung ito na nga ba ang huling soluson sa patuloy na lumalalang antas ng kriminalidad sa ating bansa, maging sa buong santinakpan. Ngunit, ayon sa pag-aaral na isinasagawa sa Estados Unidos, hindi ito napatunayan bilang huling sandata laban sa krimen. At bilang tao, meron tayong paniniwala na ang nasabing resulta ay maaaring maging katulad din kung ito ay ginawa sa ating bansa.

Sa katunayan, hindi ito ang solusyon sa patuloy na lumalalang antas ng krimen sa bansa dahil ang layunin ng pagpataw ng parusa ay upang matuwid ang taong nagkasala at makapagsimula ng bagong buhay. Na kung saan ang parusang kamatayan ay taliwas sa naturang layunin. Ang parusang kamatayan ay kumikitil ng buhay na bigay ng diyos sa atin. Nakasaad sa sampung utos ng Panginoon na “Hwag kang pumatay.” At paano kapag ang naparusahan ay wala palang kasaana, maibabalik pa ba ang kanyang buhay?

Masasabi din natin na ito ay isang trahedya sa karapatang pantao dahil ating inilalalgay ang maysala sa kanyang kaparusahan hindi sa pagmamahal ng sinuman kundi sa purong poot sa kanya.

Dapat din nating igalang ang buhay hindi lamang ng mga biktima ng krimen kundi pati na rin ng mga kriminal bilang tao na may karapatan na mabuhay.

Marami ang paraan ng pagpaparusa na maaring igawad sa mga kriminal maliban sa hatol na kamatayan. Ang panghabang buhay na pagkabilanggo ay isa sa mga sumasagot sa tawag. Mas mainam ito dahil ito’y nagsisilbing rehas ng mga krimnal tungo sa paggawa ng iba pang krimen at maari pa syang magbago at and ating mga mamamayan sa bagong kabihasanan ay di na tulad ng mga taong napag-iiwan ng bagong bihis ng kabihasbanan

Pambihirang nilalang

Pambihirang Nilalang


“Mabuti pa nga kayo may kinakain, ang iba ryan wala kahit kanin. Kaya dapat kayong magpasalamat sa Panginoon sa halip na magbagot sa kasaganaang inyong ninanais.” Ilan lamang ito sa mga salitang lumabas sa bibig ng isang lalaking humubog sa aking buhay at katauhan. Isang pambihirang taong kilala sa kanyang pagiging matalino at maparaan sa anggulo ng pagmamaneho at pagmemekaniko. Isang taong nag-iisa lamang sa mundong ito.
Isinilang siya noong Septiyembre 10, 1956 sa Payao, Duero, Bohol bilang panganay sa siyam na magkakapatid nina G. at Gng. Sancho Castino Sr. Sa gulang na pito ay pumasok na siya sa Mababang Paaralan ng Duero. Halos araw-araw ay nilalakad niya ang limang kilometrong layo mula sa paaralan upang makapagtapos lamang sa kaniyang pag-aaral sa elementarya. At sa awa ng Diyos ay nakapagtapos din siya sa taong 1968. Dahil sa hirap ng buhay ay hindi siya nakapag-aral ng haiskul. Kapwa magsasaka lang kasi ang kanyang mga magulang at marami silang magkakapatid. Kaya, di nito makayanan na tustusan ang kanilang pag-aaral. Maliban pa dito, bilang panganay ay siya ang naiiwan sa kanyang mga nakababatang kapatid na sunod-sunod habang patuloy na nagtatrabaho ang kanyang mga magulang.
Noong kanyang kabataan ay nakahiligan na niya ang mag negosyo. Kaya noong siya ay naging binata ay nagpatayo siya ng isang munting tindahan sa tulong ng kanyang mga magulang. At dahil na rin sa kanyang pagiging masinop ay lumago ang kanyang negosyo dahil sila pa lamang ang nagtitinda sa nasabing lugar. Sari- saring negosyo na rin ang kanyang napasukan mula sa pagtitinda, pagbababuyan, pamimili ng palay at kopra, pagtatayo ng bigasan, pagtatayo ng maliit na sinehan , at iba pa. Hanggang umabot sa puntong nakabili siya ng dyip mula sa kanyang kita sa kanyang mga negosyo. At naging bantog ang kanilang pamilya sa kanilang lugar bilang unang pamilya na nagmamay-ari ng dyip. Nag-aral siya ng Driving and Mechanics sa Lunsod ng Tagbilaran. Kaya, siya na mismo ang nagmamaneho at nag-aayos ng mga sira ng kanilang sasakyan.
Nang siya’y magdadalawamput apat na gulang na ay may nakilala siyang isang babae na nagpatibok ng kanyang puso. At dahil na rin sa kapusukan ng kabataan ay nangyari ang di dapat na mangyari at nabuntis niya ang isang babaeng nagngangalang Tessie. Nang malaman ng mga magulang ng babae ay nangyari ay pinatawag siya nito upang mapanagutan ang kanilang ginawa. Sa una’y naging tutol ang kanyang mga magulang sa kanyang desisyon na magpakasal dahil sa bata pa lamang siya. Ngunit dahil sa mahal din niya ang nasabing babae ay pinanindigan niya ang kanyang ginawa. Kaya noong Setyembre 31, 1980 ay kinasal sila sa simbahan.
Pagkatapos ng kanilang kasal ay bumukod agad sila. Dito niya naranasan kung gaano kahirap ang magtayo ng sariling pamilya. Maraming gabi na wala siyang tulog at halos walang pahinga sa pagnenegosyo upang lumago ang kanilang pamumuhay. Sa awa ng Diyos ay biniyayaan sila ng marami sa Panginoon. Naipa-ayos at napalaki niya ang kanilang tinitirhan at nakapagbili pa siya ng ilang materyales sa bahay. Kaya masaya silang naninirahan sa Payao kapiling ang apat nyang anak: dalawang babae at dalawang lalaki.
Ngayon ang lalaking ito ay hindi gaano nagbago maliban na lang sa ilang puting buhok na tumubo sa kanyang ulo nang ipagdiwang niya ang kanyang ika-51 na kaarawan noong nakaraang taon. Siya pa rin ang Jack sa buhay ng aking ina (Tawag kasi ni Ina sa kanya ay Jack, pinaikli sa Jacinto). Isang pambihirang nilalang dahil puno siya ng pag-ibig sa kanyang mga minamahal. At kahit na isa lang syang hamak na tsuper at negosyante ay napagtapos niya ng kolehiyo ang kanyang panganay na ngayon ay isa ng ganap na guro sa lunsod ng Tagbilaran.
Sinasabi kong isang pambihirang tao ang lalaking ito dahil sya ay isang mabuting tao na may buong pananalig sa Panginoon. Isang siyang Lay Liturgical Minister sa loob ng maraming taon. Isang taong mahinahon at handang makinig sa iyo kahit gaano pa kalalim ng iyong mga suliranin at pagkabigo. Isang taong handang magsakripisyo alang alang sa kanyang mga minamahal.
Oo, kilalang-kilala ko siya ng lubusan sa loob ng halos dalawampu’t anim na taon dahil siya ang aking ama, ang nag-iisa at pambihira kong ama. Ang taong bumuo sa aking pagkatao at nagbibigay sa akin ng mga pangaral na nagiging gabay ko sa aking pamumuhay dito sa mundong ibabaw.

Filipinas

Pagsusuring pampelikula:

FILIPINAS

Napakaganda ang pelikulang Filipinas na mula sa panulat ni Felipe Iglesias at ginawang isang obra sa direksiyon ng batikang director na si Joel C. Lamangan.
Ang naturang peikula ay tungkol sa isang pamilya sa makabagong panahon na kung saan ang kanilang ina ay isang guro na may anim na anak. Ang mga magkakapatid na ito ay may kanya-kanya ng buhay. Nagkataong ikakasal ang isa sa kanila kaya nagsiuwian ang lahat sa kanilang lumang tahanan upang magtipon. Ngunit sa kanilang pagbabalik ay dahan dahang nabuksang muli ang mga sugat ng kahapon na hindi pa rin tuluyang naghilom. Bunsod na rin ng iba’t ibang pananaw ay nagtatalo ang magkakapatid hanggang umabot sa sukdulan na kung saan ay nasuntok ang kanilang butihing ina at dinala sa ospital. Doon lang nila tinigilan ang kanilang mga pagtatalo. Hindi na nila pinairal ang kani-kanilang mga prinsipyo at nagkabuklod-buklod silang muli.
Maihahanay natin sa mga piling-pili at natatanging pelikula na gawang Pinoy ang obrang ito ni Joel C. Lamangan. Kung sa uri ng pelikula ang pagbabasihan, tiyak ito ay nabibilang sa drama o para maging tiyak ay family-drama. Maganda ito dahil ito ay nagtatalakay sa pamilya kaya marami ang nakaka relate. Maganda din ang ginawang uri ng paglalahad ni Lamangan sa pamamagitan ng flashback. Ito ay nakakatulong upang magbigay linaw sa mga pangyayaring naganap sa pelikula. Maliban pa dito mabisa din ito upang magbigay ng mas magandang epekto sa takbo ng mga pangyayari.
Meron ding mga parte ng pelikula na kung minsan ay gumagamit ng mga matatayutay na pananalita ang mga tauhan. Hayagan itong ginamit ni Florencia, ng kanyang kaibigang pari, at ni Yolanda. Ang kanilang mga sinasabi’y nagsasaad ng mga katotohanan tungkol sa buhay at iyo’y nagsasalamin sa kanilang mga damdamin at pananaw sa pamaraang makasining.
Tungkol naman sa takbo ng mga pangyayari, naging maganda naman ang naging resulta. Sa aking pag-aalala’y walang mga sandali na ako’y nabagot sa kapapanood dahil maganda at kapana-panabik ang takbo ng mga pangyayari. Ngunit napansin kong medyo minadali ang takbo ng mga pangyayari sa bandang hulihan ng pelikula. Mas mainam siguro kung ginawa ito sa normal na takbo at hindi medyo mabilisan.
Kung sa tauhan naman ang pag-uusapan ay masasabi kong maganda ang naging kinalabasan. Lalong laolo na sa katauhan ni Yolanda. Talagang nagampanang mabuti ni Ms. Maricel Soriano ang kanyang papel bilang Yolanda. Talagang isa syang batikang aktres at talagang makukumbinse ka sa kanyang pag-arte. Kaya hindi natin maitatanong kung bakit sya nanalong Best Actress sa pelikulang ito. Maganda ang kanyang papel bilang panganay na anak ng pamilya Filipinas. Maraming beses syang naging duwag na magsalita para sa katotohanan dahil mas pinairal nya ang kanyang pagmamahal sa kanyang pamilya na kahit sarili nyang kaligayahan o buhay pag-ibig ay kanyang isinakripisyo alang-alang sa kanyang pamilya. Kung sa bagay, maganda at kahanga-hanga ang ginawa ni Yolanda ngunit nakalimutan nyang di nya dapat pasanin mag-isa ang mga suliranin ng kanyang pamilya. Nakalimutan nyang sya’y tao rin na marunong masaktan at magmahal. Kaya, nainitindihan ko ang kanyang naging reaksyon sa mga panahong nagkagulo na ang lahat. Bagay lamang na ipahayag nya ang kanyang tunay na saloobin imbes na ibaon ito sa limot at kawalang bahala. Ang kanyang katauhan ay nagpaala-ala sa akin na dapat nating harapin ang mga problema sa buhay at lutasin ito sa lalong madaling panahon upang hindi lumala at bago pa maging huli ang lahat, lalong lao na kung ito ay may kinalaman sa ating mga pamilya.
Wala akong maitulak kabigin sa mga nagsipagganap. Nabigyan nila ng buhay ang bawat katauhan na kanilang ipinakita. Ang naturang pelikula ay tinampokan ng mabibigat na bituin tulad nina Richard Gomez, Dawn Zaulueta, Aiko Melendez, atbp. Maging ang kaliit-liitang ekstra ay magaling din sa kanilang pagsipagganap.
Dahil sa pelikulang ito ay napagtanto ko ang kahalagahan ng pamilya at mabisang komunikasyon sa loob ng isang pamilya. Dapat magkaroon ng diskusyon kung may mga suliranin sa loob ng pamilya ngunit dapat itong gawin sa pamaraang mahinahon at iwasan ang pagiging mainitin ang ulo para sa katahimikan ng lahat.
May mga punto ring ako’y lubusan natinag sa takbo ng mga pangyayari lalong-lalo yong pagkakataong ipinabulalas ni Yoly ang kanyang mga hinanaing na kanya lamang kinikimkim sa loob ng mahabang panahon. Kasi, minsan ay ginagawa ko rin yon. Isa din yo`ng naglalakad sya sa gitna ng ulan matapos malaman na may iba na pala ang kanyang mahal na hindi nya nagawang ipaglaban noon.
Higit sa lahat, marami tayong aral na mapupulot mula sa pelikula. Una dito ay huwag na nating hintayin pa na mawala ang ating mga mahal sa buhay o may mangyaring masama sa ating mga magulang upang tayong mga anak ay magbuklod-buklod sa pagmamahal at magbibigay ng kapatawaran. Sa banding huli, pamilya pa rin ang tinitibok ng pusong Pilipino.

interesting conversation

An Atheist Professor of Philosophy speaks to his Class on the Problem Science has with GOD, The ALMIGHTY.
He asks one of his New Christian Students to stand and . . .
Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son ?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor : So you Believe in GOD ?
Student : Absolutely, sir.
Professor : Is GOD Good ?
Student : Sure.
Professor : Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : My Brother died of Cancer even though he Prayed to GOD to Heal him. Most of us would attempt to Help Others who are ill. But GOD didn't. How is this GOD Good then ? Hmm ?
( Student is silent ) Professor : You can't answer, can you ? Let's start again, Young Fella. Is GOD Good ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Is Satan good ?
Student : No.
Professor : Where does Satan come from ?
Student : From . . . GOD . . .
Professor : That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this World ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Evil is everywhere, isn't it ? And GOD did make Everything. Correct ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : So who created evil ?
( Student does not answer )
Professor : Is there Sickness ? Immorality ? Hatred ? Ugliness ? All these terrible things exist in the World, don't they ?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor : So, who Created them ? ( Student has no answer ) Professor : Science says you have 5 Senses you use to Identify and Observe the World around you. Tell me, son . . . Have you ever Seen GOD ?
Student : No, sir.
Professor : Tell us if you have ever Heard your GOD ?
Student : No , sir.
Professor : Have you ever Felt your GOD, Tasted your GOD, Smelt your GOD ? Have you ever had any Sensory Perception of GOD for that matter ?
Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Professor : Yet you still Believe in HIM ? Student : Yes.
Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son ?
Student : Nothing. I only have my Faith.
Professor : Yes. Faith. And that is the Problem Science has.
Student : Professor, is there such a thing as Heat ?
Professor : Yes.
Student : And is there such a thing as Cold ?
Professor : Yes.
Student : No sir. There isn't.
( The Lecture Theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events )
Student : Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat, a Little Heat or No Heat. But we don't have anything called Cold. We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No Heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as Cold. Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Absence of Heat. We cannot Measure Cold. Heat is Energy. Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Absence of it.
( There is Pin - Drop Silence in the Lecture Theatre ) Student : What about Darkness, Professor ? Is there such a thing as Darkness ?
Professor : Yes. What is Night if there isn't Darkness ?
Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the Absence of Something. You can have Low Light, Normal Light , Bright Light, Flashing Light . . . But if you have No Light Constantly, you have Nothing and it's called Darkness, isn't it ? In reality, Darkness isn't. If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness Darker, wouldn't you ?
Professor : So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?
Student : Sir, my point is your Philosophical Premise is Flawed.
Professor : Flawed ? Can you explain how ?
Student : Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality. You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Good GOD and a Bad GOD. You are viewing the Concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can't even explain a Thought. It uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be ignorant of the fact that Death cannot exist as a Substantive Thing. Death is Not the Opposite of Life : just the Absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you Teach your Students that they Evolved from a Monkey ?
Professor : If you are referring to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes, of course, I do.
Student : Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir ?
( The Professor shakes his head with a Smile, beginning to realize where the Argument is going )
Student : Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and cannot even prove that this Process is an On - Going Endeavor, are you not Teaching your Opinion, sir ? Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher ?
( The Class is in Uproar )
Student : Is there anyone in the Class who has ever Seen the Professor's Brain ?
( The Class breaks out into Laughter )
Student : Is there anyone here who has ever Heard the Professor's Brain, Felt it, Touched or Smelt it ? . . . No one appears to have done so. So, according to the Established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have No Brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then Trust your Lectures, sir ?
( The Room is Silent. The Professor stares at the Student, his face unfathomable )
Professor : I guess you'll have to take them on Faith, son.
Student : That is it sir . . . the Link between Man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that Keeps Things Moving & Alive.
NB:
I believe you have enjoyed the Conversation . . . and if so . . .you'll probably want your Friends / Colleagues to enjoy the same . . . won't you ? . . .Forward them to Increase their Knowledge . . . or FAITH It turned out later that the student is Albert Einsten

Realizing one's potential and becoming an achiever (a public speaking piece)

“I am only one but I am one. I cannot do everything but I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”
Ma’am Tess, brother seminarians, a pleasant afternoon to all of you.
The great philosopher Aristotle affirmed that all of us have the potency for something great. Who knows one of us here will become the next bishop of Basilan or maybe one of us here will be the future Executive Vice President of Sara Lee. Nobody knows. Nobody can tell but it is very much possible because Martin Heidegger said that as long as man exists his potentialities can never be exhausted.
However, the problem with most of us is that we are contented with what we are. We seem to settle for less. If our academic dean would tell us to study harder and push beyond our limits, you may ask – Why should I study harder? What for? For grades? Grades are just numbers and numbers does not measure and define me. Yes! You’re right. Numbers cannot define you but they tell something significant about you.
A person who does not realize his potentials is like a bird that dies without ever having the chance to sing its most beautiful song. If such thing happens to you, you will be full of regrets as you look back at your past because you have not done the things that you should have done. Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside of us while we live. It is said that for all the sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest ones are these: “It might have been.” It might have been successful if I did my best. It might have been better if I push beyond my limits. It might have been wonderful if I believe in myself.
Friends, are there times in your life that you fell that you are bound in chains? Chained from your past, from your shyness, or from your inordinate fears? Are you afraid to be labeled as a second rate trying hard copycat? Are you afraid to fail? Well, try asking yourself: “How is one to know what one can accomplish unless one tries?” There’s no harm in trying. Right?
Then, you need this key. This key will help you unlock those chains and will open the door leading you to greater heights, enabling you to blaze new trails, venture into new frontiers, and hopefully discover broader and wider horizons. This key consists of few tips so that you will b able to realize your potentials and become an achiever in the future
And that is the topic I wish to impart to you today – “Realizing One’s potential and Becoming an Achiever.”
As you can see, I have here three balloons of different colors. Somehow, in our life there are things that we need to get away with things that somehow qualify as those of our comfort zones. Things like laziness, mediocrity and hatred. These three balloons that I have represent these things. And what I’m gonna do with it. I’m gonna prick it with a pin and have it burst. Now, anybody of you would like to demonstrate how to prick a balloon using a pin? Yes, N____. Please do the honor. (The balloon is pricked) thank you N____ for your cooperation. But oh! Can you see this? There is a paper contained inside the balloon. Let me read it. Read to widen your horizons.
This is the first tip in order to realize your potential and become an achiever.
According to Richard Steele, “Reading is to mind, what exercise is to the body.” If you are very much conscious about your health and figure, that’s why you g to the gym and have some exercise, then you should also have to let your mind do the exercise simply through reading. Reading does a lot of marvels to a person. With reading, one can e well traveled and well- informed. One can have something to say about anything under the sun. And these will be one of your passports towards achieving you dreams in the future. Yu know very well that in this modern and competitive world, one needs a wining edge in order to be an achiever. And reading is a very great help.
Researchers show that a house full of books gives youngsters the richest start of all. A love of reading is more important for children’s academic success than their family’s wealth and class. Children from deprived backgrounds performed better in tests than those from more affluent homes if they enjoy reading books, newspapers, and comics in their spare time. The study which covered 31 countries found encouraging children to read for pleasure could compensate for social problems that would usually affect their academic performance.
Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once said, “Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a destiny”. Psychologists say that it takes 21 consecutive days to form a habit. So whether it be forming a bad habit or a good one, the same process applies. If I were you, choose to form a good habit ad I’m sure the fruits will be sweet. Cultivate the habit of reading and you will see marvelous results.
I myself can testify to it. The only reason I could draw why do I easily get the lessons I studied is because of my early training of reading during my childhood. My mother had taught me how to read at the age of four. Since then, I’m always reading anything that I could grasp. As a matter of fact, I have read a total of 87 novels to date excluding non-fiction books, textbooks, magazines , and other reading materials. The result my vision has become blurred but my mind sharpens. I don’t care even if I will become blind because I read much. Anyway we have now the technology that would great wonders in bringing us our sight. Isn’t it? If such thing happens then I am somewhat on the equal footing of Jean Paul Sartre, a great existential thinker who got blind because of reading too much. Then I don’t have to worry. Who know I would have a Simone de Bouvier who would do the reading for me. Thus I would heed what Fr. Dongdong had said, “Read, read and read until you can’t read anymore.”
Og Mandino said that love of books is our pass to the greatest, the purest, the most perfect pleasure prepared for us by God. It endures when all other pleasures fade. It will support us when all other recreations are gone. It will last us until our death. It will make our hours pleasant to us as long as we live.
That’s the beauty of reading. Indeed it widens our horizons.
Now prepare for an explosion of the second tip on realizing one’s potential and become an achiever. Here we go (Prick the balloon.) As usual there is a paper that said Don’t settle for less.
Those who reach the top are the ones who are not content with doing what is required of them. They do more, they go another mile. And another. The measurement of their recompense never enters their mind. They know that eventually they will receive their rewards.
There is but one certain method of achieving one’s goals and that is through hard labor, both mental and spiritual. If I am not willing to pay the price of distinction I should be prepared to resign myself to a future of tears and poverty while I beat my chest in self pity over the futility of a life void of smiles and rewards.
Always do your best. What you plant now you will harvest later.
Go another mile.
The only certain means of success is to render more sand better eservice than is expected to you. No matter what your task may be. This is a habit followed by all successful people since the beginning of time. The surest way to doom yourself to mediocrity is to perform only the work which for you are paid.
The very reason why do I choose no to have my scholastic records uncredited lies on this philosophy. For the information of everybody, I have already studied for a period of 3 and a half years outside the seminary, specifically at University of Bohol. But I choose to retake all the subjects because I want to know how far I can achieve if I do my best.
Had I have my units credited, I would be one of the millions who settled for less, aspiring nothing but a passing grade. But I dare to make a difference.
Think not you are being cheated if you deliver more silver than you receive. For there is pendulum to all life and the sweat you deliver if not rewarded today will swing back tomorrow, tenfold.
Hard work and rewards are like cause and effect, means and ends, seed sand fruits, these cannot be separated. The effect already blooms in the cause, the end pre-exists in the means, and the fruit is always on the seed.
What is the best thing for a river? It is to keep moving. If it stops, it stagnates. The best thing for me is that which keeps my currents flow. Our life must progress and we should not limit ourselves with what we are now. Man’s reach exceeds his grasps.
Never again will I fail to go the extra mile or render less than my pay deserve.
I will do my work, henceforth, with all the intensity I can put forth. Not just my work and no more, but a little more. That little more which in time will be worth all the rest. And if I suffer, as I often will and I’ll doubt the value of my efforts, as I must on occasions. I will still do my work. I will put my heart into it and the sky will clear and from out of the very doubt and suffering will born the supreme joy of life then I would sing either “I can live. I can love. I can reach the heavens above.” Or “I can go the distance. I will search the world, I will face its harms. I don’t care how far, I can go the distance. Till I found my hero’s welcome waiting in your arms.”
I will take every risk and embrace every opportunity that may provide a better life for me. I will despise myself if I look back on my life and realize that I had the talent and the ability to do great things but could not find the courage to try. I know that I can do, and I know how little have I done I have tittered away my opportunities. Take a look at these sand. I let its grains fall through my open fist. When in fact, I can hold it. But I do believe that it s not too late for me, for you, for us. We can still shape a future of success and happiness. We are capable of great wonders and now we know that our achievements will never rise higher than our faith in ourselves. We have new faith. We were made in the image of God. We are not created to fail. Defeat? Possible. Quit. Never again.
That holds the second tip of realizing ones potential and becoming an achiever. Just for a recap, I have already given two simple tips: Read to widen your horizons and Don’t settle for less.
Now, it’s time for the last tip that I could give regarding my topic. May I call another volunteer from the audience to prick this last balloon tat I have? Yes N______ Thank you. Now the third tip is to Love what you are doing.
Reading a lot of things and pushing beyond our limits would not be possible and would be a burden to us if we have not loved doing such things. Love can make wonders in our works. Have you tried working on a certain job with a heavy heart? How do you feel? Personally, I can attest to it because when I do things just out of obligation with a heavy heart, the work becomes a curse and a burden to me. But when I learned to love even those menial jobs, it makes wonders deep inside of me.
You see this? I got these medals and citations because I love what I am doing. Studying my lessons and living here in the seminary are just some of the thing I have learned to love. As a result, good outcomes flow on naturally.
As John Lennon and Paul McCarthy said in their song, ”All you need is love.” To make great things out of simple ones.
Thus whatever my job may be, let me perform it with love and I will not fail. . Henceforth when my days work has ended, I will surprise the world. I will remain at my task, just a little longer, and put love on my work. I’ll let that extra effort be an investment in my tomorrow. Wit such attitude flavored with love, so rare in this selfish worked we inhabit I know I cannot fail.
So there you have it. Three simple tips on realizing one’s potential and becoming an achiever in the future.
Let me close my speech with a short story that follows:”
A 7-year-old boy named Kenny, moved to a county and bought a donkey from an old farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day. The next day the farmer drove up and said “Sorry son, but I have some bad news, the donkey died last night.”
Kenny replied” Well then, just give me my money back.” The farmer said, “Can’t do that. I went and spent it already.”
Kenny said, “Okay then, just unload the donkey” the farmer asked, “What you gonna do with him?”. Kenny: “I’m going to raffle him off, sell it by lottery, draw a lot to a group of people each paying the same amount for a ticket.”
Farmer: “You cannot raffle off a dead donkey.
Kenny: “Sure I can, watch me. I just won’t tell anybody he’s dead.” A month later the farmer met up with Kenny and asked, “What happened with that dead donkey?”
Kenny: “I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at $2 apiece and made a profit of $898.”
Farmer: Didn’t anyone complain
Kenny: “Just the guy who won, So I give him back $2”. Kenny grew up and eventually become the chairman of Enron Power USA.
Friends, I hope you don’t get me wrong. I don’t suggest you to cheat but my point is to be an achiever, aside from the tips given, one must have an attitude. A positive outlook towards life amidst trails and adversities.
I know that many of you here can be great someday if only you realize your potentials and I’m confident that you will.
Thank you so much and have a nice day.

CLASS WILL AND TESTAMENT
Senior Class 2008-2009

DEAR JUNIORS, few weeks from now, we will be leaving the portals of our beloved Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary. Next school year, you will be called “Seniors” which will mean to you a great opportunity, a big responsibility, and a challenge.

There are many things that we are supposed to do this year, but only the less we have done. We’ve been through lots of trials and thank God, we have survived. We long to stay more in this institution because we cannot afford to leave you. We still want to be around to guide you as your elder brothers but time is so short and we still have to move forward because life is fast that we should always keep our pace with time. There’s nothing left to do except to say goodbye to you… but with this goodbye, you need not to worry because among you are brilliant-minded people who have the will and the guts to continue the work that we have started.

An on the occasion of this JS Prom 2009. WE, the dynamic SENIORS of Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, Class 2008-2009, who firmly believe the will of God, do hereby proclaim and bequeath to our heirs – the JUNIORS of Class 2008-2009 this CLASS WLL AND TESTAMENT.

The leadership of Waldemar Castino to Ryan Montealto and Ruben Cuizon Jr. The mathematical abilities of Zairus Canales, Reymon Virtudazo and Waldemar Castino to Melvin Tajale and Jovanie Leones. The English proficiency of Richard Busaco, Zairus Canales, Emmanuel Gamana, Ismael Magadan Jr. and Waldemar Castino to Melvin Tajale and Jovanie Leones. Garry Nathaniel Guiritan, Ismael Magadan Jr. and Mark John Manatad’s specialty in Arts and Letter Cutting to John Paul Credo and Francis Malikse. The dancing prowess of Garry Nathaniel Guiritan, Carmelo Tandugon II and Reymon Virtudazo to Angelo Salaas, Bonifacio Tariga and Adrian Surigao. Waldemar Castino, Ismael Magadan Jr. and Richard Busaco’s gutsy speaking ability to Jovanie Leones, Jose Abregana, Jeric Daguplo , Melvin Tajale and Adrian Surigao. Floricel Bongay, Josie mar Gudes, Gregorio Duterte Jr. and Ismael Magadan Jr.’s skill in handling guitar and other musical instruments to Angelo Salas, Jay Buno, Adrian Surigao, Francis Malikse and Christoper Aupe.

The athletic ability of Floricel Bongay, Exequeil Paredes and Carmelo Tandugon III to Adrian Surigao, Richard Pongase, and Jay Buno.

The efficient way of handling finances of Garry Nathaniel Guiritan to John Paul Credo. The art of flower making of Jovic Bonior, Garry Nathaniel Guiritan and John Rodel Ceballos to Ryan Cadenas and Jovanie Leones.

Given to John Philip Manlangit the ever-ready-to-help attitude of Darwin Gitgano, Garry Nathaniel Guiritian and Mark John Manatad. Debonair Jovic Bonior, Zairus Canales, Richard Busaco and Floricel Bongay to Melvin Tajale, and Angelo Salas. The religious qualities of Darwin Gitgano and Ismael Magadan Jr. to Richard Pongase. The humble attitude of Darwin Gitgano and Garry Nathaniel Guiritan to Christopher Aupe, Medardo Jumamoy and Richard Pongase.

We are handling down to you these assets for a more successful year to come.

At this point, in behalf of the Seniors, allow me to express my sincerest thanks and appreciation to all the people who are art of our college education.

To our dear Alma Mater, IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY SEMINARY – htanks so much for the good teachings,. To our administrators, Bishop Leonardo Medroso, D.D., Fr. Martin Lupiba and Fr . Crisolito Geangan; to our class adviser, Fr. Absalon Florenosos; to our priest formators, Fr. Irvin Garsuta, Fr. Claverlito Migrino, Msgr. Jess Ligason, Fr. Dong2 Estafia ; to our teachers, Maan Natz Alvardo, Maam Tess Concha, Maam Zia Managaytay, Maam Ann Babera, Sir Oj Cinio, Sir Eddie Managaytay, Sir Tito Cempron, Maam Husain, Fr. Morge Amora, and Fr. Jose Cecil Lobrigas. To our dear parents, benefactors, friends, textmates, schoolmates, and loved ones, whose smiles cheer us up when the road gets rough. Most of all to our Almighty Father, who is the last one to approve our plans.

And to you my dear JUNIORS, thank you too. With your company, our journey becomes more meaningful and enjoyable. Keep up the good work. Continue the task that we have started to do. Be good in your studies and most of all follow the seminary rules and respect our formators. Go on spending one more fruitful year with our Alma Mater.

Lastly, let us pray for one another. We may be walking in different paths soon, but hopefully we will all met in one point all crowned with laurels of success.

In testimony hereof, we affix our signature on this 24th day of February in the year of our Lord two thousand and nine at Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, Taloto District, Tagbilaran City.


Signed:

SEM. WALDEMAR B. CASTINO
President, Ingenuosus Class
S.Y. 2008-2009


SEM ZAIRUS O. CANALES SEM. EMMANUEL R.GAMANA
Vice-President, Ingenuous Class Secretary, Ingenuosus Class
S.Y. 2008-2009 S.Y. 2008-2009

An Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living

When I was young, my parents trained me to become a God-loving child. They taught me the prayers and the right manners. Consequently, I had a very nice childhood. I was the favorite of my parents as well as my grandparents simply because I was cute and good. Furthermore, I could never forget when my grandmother told me that she wanted me to become a priest in the future so that someone will pray for her dear soul when God will withdraw her borrowed life. Right then, I had always wanted to become a priest. But when I was in high school where I was introduced to the marvelous world of computers, my dream of becoming a priest seemed to subside because I yearned to know more about computers. So instead of going inside the seminary to study, I took up Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering at the University of Bohol.
As I go over my college days, I found out that I just ventured into this new frontier hoping to discover broader and brighter horizons. Discover, I did but it seems to be that I don’t know where my life was heading.
My college life has been a mess. I have learned a lot of bad things including skipping classes and drinking liquors among other things. I was afraid that one day I’ll be seeing myself all filled up with mundane happiness and my soul will be malnourished as I go with the trend. Moreover driven by circumstances such as problems in financial matters, I was pushed to reflection about my life. I was thinking what things really matters and what are those things that can really make me happy. Gradually, I found out that I should use my God-given faculties for the greater glory of God and not for bad things so that I may able to attain peace of mind which I consider to be utmost essential. I also found out that what really makes me happy is to make other people happy most especially my dear family and God. So I decided to pursue my childhood dream of becoming a priest. As a result, I am already 25 years of age and still a third year philosophy student of IHMS. Somehow there is a room for regrets on my part. Had I entered the seminary directly after my high school, I might be an ordained priest next year.
These things make me realize the value of reflection in ones life. It seems to be that I lacked the proper reflection that turned me to be a rolling stone who gathered no moss. When we are so much occupied with mundane concerns, we fail to appreciate the things that really matters. As a result, we’re heading to an unknown path, without future and direction. Thus it is essential to reflect in some points of our lives so that we will be guided and we could keep ourselves tracked with the passing of time.
We should also consider that God has his own way of telling us what his message is for us. We only need to be sensitive enough to distinguish these messages in form of signs so that we will be able to live our lives well. We need to reflect on every pages of our history so that all the opportunities are grabbed and feelings of regrets are lessened. Moreover, we need to pray to God to open up our understanding regarding the things that happens in our life.
Life is indeed a mystery. We will never exhaust the reality of life even if we will encounter death. But what really matters is that we did to our best in pondering the messages of God through reflection wherein we love and we have loved and we spend most of our time in doing things that brought more meaning to our lives.

Lights, Camera. Action

Most of us want to become popular because it is nice to be known as somebody. That is why many want to become an actor or an actress. This is the shortest way to fame because all you have to do is to give your best in acting.
Acting is derived from the Latin word agere meaning to do; this is precisely what acting is. In acting an actor suppresses or augments aspects of his personality in order to reveal the actions and motivations of the fictional character he portrays within a particular moment. Thus, the actor is assuming the role of another, usually for the benefit of an audience. Aside from benefiting an audience, acting can also bring a sense of art satisfaction on the actor because it helps in expressing the aesthetic sense of a person.
For me the very first thing you must do to be effective in acting is to develop an interest on and love on it. Without interest and love, acting will come out strained and artificial. With love and interest, acting will become spontaneous and satisfying both to the actor and the audience. Once you learned to love and to develop interest in acting, you cannot do it without passion. You will be passionate enough in justifying your character and many will notice you for your exceptional acting prowess.
The next thing that you have to do is to read the script. In reading the script, you should try to understand the story behind it. Then re-read the script, and this time try to focus on the role assigned to you. It is not important to memorize your lines word for word. What is essential is that you understand the flow of events. You can even inject adlibs as long as the situation allows you.
Then go on internalization, the process of putting up all your emotions and imaginations to the scene. You should consider that acting is a work of imagination. If you are rich in imagination, wonderful things will come out. Thus it is an edge if an actor has a well-developed imagination. Moreover, an actor should also have the ability to analyze and understand dramatic text so that he will be able to justify his character or role. To do this, true feelings and true objectives must be involved.
During the acting proper, an actor must retain the same level of concentration and emotional intensity from one shot to the next. He must be able to recall, in minute detail, the exact sequence of the character’s emotional response, often at a moment’s notice. This requires enormous concentration and mental coordination.
In acting, actors are generally expected to possess a number of skills, including good vocal projection and clarity of speech. These would give an actor the advantage to be better than his contemporaries. You have to consider that a well-delivered speech in acting would lead to an easy comprehension and clarity of the message the story tries to impart. Other things that an actor should possess are physical expressiveness, a good sense of perspective, and emotional availability.
If an actor has the capacity to express physically what the scene asks for, he would become very effective. Good sense of perspective would also help the actor to be professional even if he will commit mistakes. An actor should be very innovative and should have the guts to make wrong things right. Moreover, he should also have the emotional availability, which would allow him to show a specified emotion fitting to a certain scene. Emotional availability is very important because it enables the actor to do his role with justice. Acting is having the emotion that best fits the scene. A good all-round actor is able to convey a wide range of emotions, with the development of movement and vocal skills.
On the other hand, a very important thing that an actor should learn is the principle of leaving and living. He should have a total abandonment of his own personality and should live with the new personality his character requires. Thus to become a good actor, he should have no awareness of self. He must not allow himself to go back to his past because it leads him to be aware of himself.
Well-rounded actors are often also skilled in singing, dancing, emotional expressiveness, imitating dialect and accent, observing and emulating, and performing classical texts such as William Shakespeare’s. Many actors train at length in special programs or colleges, which have a wide range of different artistic philosophies and processes to develop these skills.
Thus it is essential for an actor to be equipped with all the necessary principles so that he will be confident enough when the director shouts, “Lights, Camera, Action."

Making a Difference

Many of us lose our identities because we tend to go with the flow. We cater to what is popular and we are very much conscious not to deviate from what is normal as dictated by the society. As a result, many of us become dishonest simply because many are dishonest.
It is very discouraging to note that many are shocked by honesty and a few by deceit. We are shocked when we hear stories like a taxi driver returning a big amount of cash. Some of us might say, “Is he out of his mind? He is not using his brain. He should be practical.” Such remarks uttered by those in the mainstream society suggest that most of us are willing to sacrifice honesty in exchange of personal gain. On the other hand, when we hear politicians doing electoral frauds and deceits in the government, we just act as if nothing happens; our response to such event will not be a shock. Some of us might say, “That is not NEWS. It is normal because many people are doing that.” We fail to realize that what is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular. If such mentality and line of thinking continues, what kind of future will we have? Probably, things will worsen to its optimum and we will find ourselves living in a society where dishonest people dwell. What a disaster!
Dishonesty is very rampant in our society. Many of us become dishonest because we tend to look after our own welfare only and thus we become selfish. What matters to us is our own interest and needs that somehow push us to do injustices.
Dishonesty is common among politicians. They have lots of promises during the campaign but they always forget all of these when they already take their seats in the government. These people are supposed to act as good models because they are the leaders of our nation. And as leaders, they must catch the confidence of their followers because a leader cannot be one unless he has followers. Leaders should also consider that the only way to have their followers’ confidence is through their unquestionable integrity. A leader must keep his word. He must fulfill his promises to the people. He must do what he has said and must stand firm in his decisions no matter what. But it is sad to note that only a few of our government leaders are able to maintain their integrity. If only all of our government leaders have integrity, our nation might have resurrected from poverty which prevails in our society.
It is sadder to note that dishonesty is not limited only in our government. Even the Church has its own share of dishonesty. Some clergymen are excellent in their homilies; they can even make their parishioners laugh and cry. They are like saints in the pulpit that could touch one’s heart. But when they live their own personal lives, their actions do not anymore reflect the words they utter. Some of them are so strict that they almost forget the Christian virtue of compassion. Worst, some of them are living scandalous lives.
The only consolation I could draw as I look at this reality is the fact that the Church is flawed only because the people composing it are flawed and imperfect. However I think that we must not try to justify our misdeeds and lapses by our nature as imperfect beings. We must try to make a difference by staying firm with what we believe and by doing according to what we say.
Yes, words are powerful. But actions speak louder than words. Actions are more emphatic; they convey a message that cannot be contained in words. Words are always deficient because of the limitations of our language. It cannot capture the innermost yearnings and longings of our souls. We should always remember that well-done is better than well-said. Thus words and deeds should be complementary, congruent, and united. If that is the case, we will become persons of unquestionable integrity and we will be making a difference.
Though in making a difference we will encounter oppositions and negative feedback from the mainstream society, we should still stand our ground with the belief that we are just doing what is right. We should maintain our integrity and should be honest even if others are not, will not, and can not. Had not Jesus Christ made a difference by dying on the cross for the salvation of mankind, then we could have been eternally damned.

My Loving God (Song)

Intro: G A D A
I
D F#m E
Lord God, come fill me with your presence.
G Bm D
Cleanse my soul and renew my spirit.
Em F#m Bm
You alone can heal me with my impurities.
D E A-A7
And I seek healing in Your name.


Chorus:
G(A) A(B)
I know You’re good and forgiving,
F#m(G#m) Bm(C#m)
Loving God til the end.
Em(F#m) A(B)
You still love me despite my past.
D(E) A(B)
And showered me with Your blessings.

G(A) A(B)
You filled me with Your power
D(E) Bm(C#m)
To live my life.
Em(F#m) A(B)
And in You alone, Lord
D(E) - A
I put my trust.


II
D F#m E
I’m not worthy to stand before you, Lord.
G Bm D
For my soul is filled with evils and scars.
Em F#m Bm
So I ask You, make my soul clean.
D E A
Heal me for I am wounded by sin.


Repeat Chorus
Repeat Chorus 1 step higher


Coda:
F# B
And In you alone, Lord
E
I put my trust.

One Sided Love

It is a very nice feeling to fall in love. A person who is in love is always on the brink of mirth. Everything seems to be full of life and color. Thus it is a noble feeling to fall in love. However, it hurts so much when your love is not reciprocated. When you are experiencing what we called as one-sided love.
I have my own share of this feeling. The feeling that this special person means everything to you. There are times when I am always thinking of her, reminiscing every memories that we have shared and enlivening every moments that we spend together.
My beloved is not perfect. I know she has lots of flaws and lapses as a person. But I do not know why I love her with all her being despite of all her imperfections. I have learned to love her whole being. I love to hear her voice, to see her face, to feel her body next to mine and even to smell her perfume.
There was a time that I even told her how I feel, that I tenderly love her. But she did not believe in me. She thought that I was just kidding. She just looks at me as a plain friend and nothing more. I have been obsessed to her. I even get jealous when I saw her with other men and it lacerates my heart to the fullest.
When I am with her, I felt like I am in heaven. I have done everything for her. Even if it takes sacrifice just to make her happy. But it hurts to know that she does not love me the way I wanted her to feel for me. She makes it clear that we are just friends.
However, I have been thankful to her for being honest and for being real. She does not play with my heart. She did not prolong my agony by letting me know the real score between us. Now I know where to situate my self in her life. I am just her friend – a dear friend and I have to accept it.
I realized that I have been too much impractical. I was blinded with foolish love. I keep on insisting to go through a single door when in fact here are lots of doors to go through. I am just focussing on a particular person, demanding her to love me the way I want but she didn’t. However, the only consolation I have is that I have loved even if I was not loved the way I want it.

The Wonders of Love

Love. We are born out of it. We are by-products of the love shared by our parents. Many people say it is what that makes the world go round. I also have the share of this feeling. I’ve fallen in love the first time when I was in high school, but that love is not reciprocated. It just makes me cry. And I have found that I am not lovable maybe because I am a silent type of person and very boring to be with. During my college life at University of Bohol, I again experience the beating of my heart. I then did enter into an intimate relationship but as the passing of time, I found out the infidelity of my beloved. I am not the only one but we are two in her life. She’s just using me as his servant when it comes to paper works. With the turn of events, I began hating to fall in love and I promised myself never to fall in love again because it will just cause me heartaches.
Ever since I become a seminarian, I never experienced to have a special someone. I tend to focus myself on my studies and my vocation. I realized that only God can give me reciprocated love. However, lately, a special feeling developed in me as I know this special person in my life. I began to wonder how it really feels to be in love and be loved in return.
Lately I proposed my feelings for her and she gladly bestowed the most beautiful words to hear. But she is always reminding me that she does not want to become a stumbling block to my desire of becoming a priest. Besides she feared that my family would get angry to her. But is it my fault that I fall in love with her? Am I indispensable with the feeling of falling in love to somebody? Can my family dictate me what to do in my life? Can they dictate me as well how to feel? If so, then I began to wonder why does God allowed me to fall in love. Why is it that this feeling still exists in me? Have I not learned from my past? You see, I am very troubled this time. A lot of people are expecting me to become a priest and I have done my best to meet their expectation. But now I feel I am sandwiched with the flow of events. I even entertained the thinking of stopping in order to discern more about my vocation. But I guess having a girlfriend even with my status as a seminarian is not abominable per se as long as we did nothing immoral.
These turns of events helps me to wonder about love, its existence and its meaning in my life. It is indeed a reality that the most obvious, ordinary and simple are hard to answer. I really do not know what love is. Yet it is most important to know what love is. However a lot of questions groveled my mind. What is really love? What is the role of love in life? Is it really necessary to fall in love? Is love a feeling or a decision? With regards to my feelings, am I certain that this is really love or just some sort of infatuation? How sure am I that I’m really in love? Do I have a proof or an evidence to say that I am really in love this time? Well, the only proof that I could draw out from it is the unexplainable and mysterious feelings that overwhelmed me when I am with her. I can’t explain it. When the new generation would explain it, It’s here eh.
I really wonder why I fall in love. Perhaps I have not really fully known myself. You see, it is really essential to have a deeper knowledge of self. I never thought that time will come that I will feel this way. I thought that I have already discerned about my vocation, but now I doubt it. Perhaps I have to settle things first before going ahead so that I will have no regrets. However, I am open to possibilities and I know that I have to face whatever the consequences that is twinned with any actions that I have to act in the future. Somehow I may need to gamble.
My wonder about love will lead me to search more about its reality. In its process I am sure that I may get hurt. But I believe that pain is part and parcel of living, it’s just the way we grow. So I just condition myself. I just hope that after some time I will be able to satisfy my wonder.

The Film That Swept The World

Love, by definition, a mysterious feeling of a human being. A value which is the center point of the film that swept the world. A James Cameroon masterpiece, a bone clashing revival of the ancient one retelling the tragedy happened somewhere around the year 1912. A film that enriches the value of love from the by-genes tot he new era of the present times. What I am talking for is the TITANIC.
The film focuses on a love story of two beings as unexpected lovers whose feelings where known and developed in the ill-0fated ship. In the movie, brilliant star Leonardo diCarpio portrayed the role of a bachelor, who was a little bit innocent and a gambler who fall in love to a woman who belongs to the Alta Sociedad. The blending of DiCarpio and Winslet (portrayed as Rose) is magnificent. They are very compatible to each other from the boarding of the ship until the end. It is depicted that the two are very sweet lovers.
In portraying the role of Jack Dulsen, Leonardo DiCarpio is so much appropriate to his role despite of some rumors that is denied by himself that he was effeminate. He acted so well in this move and he looks so cute and handsome that enables him to have more succeeding films to do such as The Man in the Iron Mask and Boyfriends with other brilliant stars. While Kate Winslet whom I found sexy and daring did also a great job. She did her role audaciously, that enables her to have a sexy film just in a while right after the showing of Titanic.
As I go over the film and view it for the second time on a video, I found out that Cameroon’s technique as good, decipher, and professional director comes in apparently. Cameroon is a director eminent on his films whose scenes are mostly in the sea. But this film is a much distinct from his earlier films. He has done the film much discreet that it enables to sweep the world. It is a film having an amulet, which gives caress to the million of viewers worldwide. Viewers whom some are having an awe to have been wasting time and money but come up realizing that it is a good film and they are not wasting any.
In the film, one can really feel the ardor of love as well as the anguish of pain of the tragedy happened on the ill-fated ship. The movie is almost like a reality that enables anyone of us to alienate from boarding ships. It is a film much anxious to those who have not watched yet. And there is something unique in the film – Cameroon did to present Rose in real life. It also involves finding the so-called Heart of the Ocean, which is the diamond necklace worn by Rose on the sinking on the ship.
But every film is expected not to reach the perfect level of excellency. Such as this film, some brighten were made on the entire story. Like the event which enable to baffle my innocent mind where Rose in real life dropped the diamond necklace despite of its value as a remembrance of Jack, showed by Jack on painting her image wearing only that. Also some small and much unrecognized bluffs on the story in which for me are needed to be amended. But despite of the above-mentioned critique, it is still a good film. The only film that swept the world, ample enough as a badge to be called the Movie Event of the Century.
With regards to the other aspects of the film, the cinematographer of the movie is much excellent. It is not observable that most of the scenes are done only through the enigmatic use of the Modern computer. Where one can say that the Productions are building a new ship like Titanic just to be drowned. The production designer of the film also did a great job wherein it is viewed that costumes of the casts, furnitures and architectures of the sets are very much reflective to the period way back 1912. All the films casts event he smallest extras do justify their roles. Sound and special effects are bone clashing and almost looks like real. In editing, it is a perfect score.
Well, apiece of us have varied critique to a given film. But I bet once you will see this movie, you will be pleased. I do not compel you on watching this film but I bet this film is a great one, Which for my own conjecture without amending it has an overall rating of *****.

A Man Out Of This World

“Be happy and thankful for everything you have now, and just count all the blessings instead of complaining with the absence of the convenience you want. “ These are just some of the words uttered from the mouth of a man who have lanquored a deeper insight into my life. A rare man known for his being intellectual and resourceful in the field of driving and mechanics. With dealt to the above-mentioned incident happened almost four years behind, I therefore refrained on eating supper with nothing as a viand but those dreadful rock of salts and toasted coconut meats. I planned to sneak out from our house and went to my grandfather’s where I thought have something to eat that would please my appetite. But no, I unfortunately did not succeed because this man displeased me a lot and gave me some litany of the so-called lessons in life. And as anybody does during that age, I persisted in listening and in behalf, I did something that would change the direction of his thinking, hoping it would stop; but it did not. It seems to be a dynamic push towards righteousness between a father-son relationship. Wherein after a few minutes, a message of love and care has deeply hit the turmoiling heart of mine. I later found out that he was just doing his responsibility as a good and responsible father and that as a responsible one; he must le this son know that ”A father always thinks for the sake and goodness of his children.” A message that live in the midst of my heart until this point of time.
This man has not even changed a lot except on some few white hairs growing on his head as he turned 42 last 10th of September. He is still the Jack of my mother’s life (mother used to call him Jack, short cut for Jacinto). A Jack who was not so tall and stand 5 ft. 2 inches tall and stays fat. This man was often teased by his wife as a man with a Pasig river on his head due to the massive forehead forming a river on it. But even though he is just like that, he is a handsome guy able to win such 28 girlfriends during his bachelor years. Girls who were attracted to his outer as well as his inner beauty and radiance.
I sometimes dare to tease him with accord to his past girlfriends when some of them accidentally visited our home. But instead of getting mad, he is so weird that he managed to say that past is past. He was a man never won through teasing. A man with a strong determination in life as a good father, also as a great Christian. Wherein even though he was busy driving specially on Thursday and Sunday, he still managed to go to church every Sunday and prayed to God, no matter the circumstances was, rain or shine. He was a great man all I wished for a father.
This man is my father. A rare man and out of this world. Out of this world because nowadays this world is filled with evil and unpleasantness, wherein my father is an exception. A man with a heart full of mercy and love. The only father I have, and the only man I idolize beside Jesus and heavenly creatures. Yes, I know him so well for almost 16 years from now because he is my father – my great and out of this world father.

Sacrifice Merits Paradise

With the advent of modern technology, people tend to lose the virtue of sacrifice. Our generation can be described as an instant generation. Almost everything is in instant. Gone were the days where we have to gather firewood, and then burn them with match and dried coconut leaves. It was replaced by rice cooker and stoves. With just a click of the hand, everything will flow on smoothly. We also have instant coffee, instant noodles, etc. The list goes on. Moreover, we also cater to instant happiness which somehow explains the emergence of prostitution and pornography in this world. All these things happen because man in the first place yearns for pleasure and happiness. But man has failed to realize that happiness is not instant. It is a fruit of labor and sacrifice.
We might ask ourselves, “Why do we need to sacrifice when in fact we can get happiness in an instant?”
First, we have to consider the reality of pain and suffering in life. From the moment we are born, we already felt the pain as we see light for the first time. Evidence to which is the fact that we cry during birth. We felt very insecure to the new world that we are in. Thus pain, suffering, and sacrifice are part and parcel of living. We cannot do away with it. It is embedded in our nature as finite beings lacking the necessary perfections.
Second, we need to sacrifice something for a higher purpose. Had not our mother sacrifice her health and eventually her life, we would not be present in this world nowadays. It is a good thing that we give up something in order to have more in life. Let us not cater to things that could bring us happiness which are ephemeral and fleeting in nature.
The saints in our Catholic Church have a great deal of sacrifice done for the Church. They shed their blood for a higher purpose. The best epitome of sacrifice is the sacrifice of our Lord on the cross. Blameless as he is, he shed his blood for us so that we may have eternal life in the life to come. Somehow Ninoy Aquino has a point when he said: “There comes a time in a man’s life when he must prefer a meaningful death than a meaningless life.”
We should live a meaningful life by sacrificing our evil desires for the good of the many. We got a lot of things we owe from God and it is a symbol of gratitude to render some sacrifice of our life for others for all the good fortune God has given us. We live life not in years but in how many lives that we touched.