Fear and Power

I fear... I fear... I am afraid... not because I am weak... I am afraid because I am powerful... powerful beyond any measure... All I ask is an opportunity for me to prove myself wrong... so I may not fear... no more.

Sino ang Dapat Sisihin?

Pagkatapos lumubog ang barkong "Princess of the Stars", nagsimula na naman ang turuan at batuhan ng sisi. Sinisi ang Sulpicio Lines, sinisi ang Coast Guard, sinisi ang PAGASA, Sinisi ang Port Officers, sinisi si Frank, at sa huli, Sinisi ang nawawalang kapitan ng barko dahil alam nilang hindi na ito makakapagbato pabalik ng sisi. Sisi ng sisi, sisi ng sisi, puro sila sisi... Kaawa-awa naman ang naiwang pamilya ng kapitan. Nawalan na nga ng mahal sa buhay, kailangan pa nilang magdusa sa kaalamang ang kanilang mahal sa buhay ang sinisisi sa pagkamatay nya at ng marami pang iba. Ngunit, sino nga ba ang dapat sisihin?
Kung ako ang tatanungin, hindi dapat magsimula at magtapos sa pagtuturuan at pagbatuhan ng sisi ang mga talakayan pagkatapos ng trahedya. Dapat ay magsimula ito sa pagaanalisa kung ano talaga ang bawat kisap ng mga kaganapan, at magtapos sa resolusyon at lunas para hindi na ulit ito mangyari. Hindi dapat napupunta ang sisi sa mga tao, kundi sa sistema. Hindi dapat pinapaubaya ang mga decision making sa mga maliliit na tao. Dapat ay magkaroon nang sistema na magbabawal sa paglaot nga mga barko kapag may bagyo. Hindi dapat nilalagay ang decision making sa kapitan o sa mga coast guards kung naaayon pa ang panahon para ang isang barko ay magpalaot o hindi. Kaya nga bumubuo ng sistema, para mabawasan ang human factor sa mga decision makings. Sa dinami dami na ng lumubog na barko, hindi man lamang ba sila matututo o gagawa ng hakbang bukod sa mangsisi para sa kapakanan ng mga susunod na mga lalakbay?
Pagkatapos ng isa o dalawang linggo, makakalimutan nanaman ang trahedyang ito. Hindi na muling maaalala hanggang sa magkaroon na naman ng panibagong trahedya. Masasayang lang ang pagkamatay ng daan-daang tao dahil wala pa ring hakbang sa pagbabago.
P.S.
Huwag basahin at bigkasin ng pabulol.

Politics 101

Kelangan natin ng sistema na kung saan ay hindi na makakapangurakot at makakapanakot ang isang opisyal. Kelangan natin ng pang counterbalance sa kapangyarihan na kanilang pinanghahawakan. At paano natin magagawa iyon? Ang mga sumusunod na sistema ay mga naisip ko na sa tingin ko ay makakatulong sa pagcounterbalance ng kapangyarihan.
- Dapat ay maging transparent ang lahat ng galaw ng bawat politiko. Kung merong mga biniling materyales o construction vehicles, lahat ng resibo ay documented. Lahat ng gastusin ay dapat nakabreakdown. Lahat ng dokumento ay dapat accessible sa lahat ng may gustong tumingin dito, mayaman, mahirap, kapartido man o katunggali, kapamilya man o kapuso.
- Dapat ay malimitahan ang military/police protection ng isang politiko. Sino ba naman ang maninita sa isang politiko kung ang politiko ay may dalawang dosenang bodyguards (goons)?
May naalala akong kwento sa bandang ilocos (ndi ko na sasabihin kung anong municipality), may isang gustong maging politiko na gustong lumaban sa pagkamayor sa isang higanteng political dynasty dahil gusto nya ng pagbabago. Ang nangyari, dinaya ang politiko. Bukod sa natalo na ang politiko, pinatay pa. Sino ang may maglalakas loob muli na lumaban sa dynasty na ito?
- Dapat ay magkaroon tayo ng sistema na hindi dadaan ang pera sa politiko. (Hwaw, pano un?) Magkakaroon ng Agency na hahawak sa pondo ng politiko. Kung kelangan ng isang politiko ng panggawa ng proyekto, katulad ng tulay, ang Agency na ito ang bibili ng materyales, magpoprovide at magpapasweldo sa mga tauhan. Pwedeng magsuggest ang isang politiko kung saan o kanino bibilhin ang materyales basta mas mababa ang presyo neto kaysa sa pinagbibilhan ng Agency. Kung kelangan ng isang politiko ng military escorts (o escort service), Agency din ang cocontact sa military para kumuha ng tauhan. Kung walang gagawin ang politikong eto, hindi masasayang ang pondo dahil wala sa kamay ng politiko ang pera.
Pasensya na. Ako ay isang Idealist at hindi realist.

Letting Go of Chapter Friends

In every chapter of the book called life, we go to new places, learn new stuff, aim for new goals, even meet new acquaintances. Some of these acquaintances could become new found friends. Friends are there to help you through a particular chapter. They could help you in different ways. Some help you directly when you are in need of help. Some gives ideas on how to pass through a particular task. Some are there to teach you lessons (even if it is painful). And some are there just to give you company, share life stories, listen to your stories, share with the laughter, or share with your pains.
But immediately after a chapter, many of these friends dissapear. But those who do not dissapear, I call them "lifetime friends". they stay connected to you even if you met them a couple of chapters ago. May be you don't see them for a while, but once you get a chance, you connect to them again or they connect to you again and treat them like the connection has never been broken.
Those who do disappear, I call these friends "chapter friends". After you move on to a new chapter, you don't see these friends again. Maybe for a while. Maybe forever. When you cross paths with them again in another chapter, the connection is not entirely the same. You smile to them, say "how do you do?" half heartedly and then walk away.
Every time I close a chapter, I feel sad for losing my chapter friends. Friends I lost after grade school, high school and college. Friends from my previous work, previous projects, clubs and organizations. Right now I have just finished my "Malaysia chapter". I already missed them. Some of those connections, I tried to rekindle. But a couple connections already ended in disappointing manner. Maybe I was trying too much or hoping that much that the connections we had would not change. I think I should just accept the fact that they are indeed chapter friends and they would want to go on with their lives, marking me as their chapter friends. They are appreciative that they had been my friend for a chapter but would appreciate more if I don't bother them on future chapters.
Right now, I am sad for my previous chapter friends, knowing that I might never see them again. Yet I should be excited that a new chapter is coming and I would meet other chapter friends and life time friends.

Shorty 05

I didn't mean to rule the world...
I only intend to rule your heart

Shorty 04

How can I win the battle if the one that I am fighting for is also the one that I am fighting against???

Shorty 03

How can I break the paramount iceberg between us if you yourself are the one who is pouring water to reinforce it???

All I want for Christmas

The only gift I ask of you this Christmas
is your big, golden, precious heart
wrapped in your sweet warm embrace
and sealed with your enchanting kiss

fearless

I do not fear death if my death would finally bring peace to the world. I do not fear death if it would save the lives and the souls of the persons I had touched. I do not fear death if it would solve world wide hunger. I will not fear death if you will be there beside me, holding my hand 'til the end. The only thing I fear is living the rest of my life without you at my side.

Larawan

Every night, I look at your friendster pictures before going home from the office, so that I could picture you perfectly when I imagine you sitting beside me at the car, conversing on different matters under the moon. Every night, I look at your pictures that I gathered at my PC before going to bed, hoping that you would visit me in my dreams. Even though I had completely memorized your face, even though I had looked at your pictures a million times, I can't get tired of looking at your pictures. I can't get tired of looking at your beautiful face. I can't get tired of looking at your pretty eyes. Hypnotized by your beauty, I can't turn my eyes away from your picture. Before I close my eyes tonight, the last thing that I would want to see is your enchanting beauty. Before I lost my thought from slumber, I pray to God for a miracle, hoping that when I wake up, you would be right there beside me...
... see you again tomorrow night.

Shorty 02

Why did you lock the door to my heart, leave me behind, and bring the key with you without even realizing it?

Shorty 01

How would I know that I have fallen for you? Is it enough that I think of you every single day even if I hadn't seen you for years?

Paano ko ba masasabi na minamahal na pala kita? Sapat na ba ang isipin ka sa bawat araw na lumipas, kahit tayo'y hindi nagkita nang iilang taon?