This Time

Mystified by this changing world,
I look upon and ponder how the older generation loathed seeing their young
going astray. It is not unusual to hear them say, “ibang-iba na talaga ang
panahon ngayon.” And they have reasons to voice their conviction.

This time, we have women
empowerment. I don’t see this as an issue, at least for myself. Our
grandmothers grew up without voting rights. Female offspring were considered
misfortunes then. Women were regarded as the lesser sex, an inferior class, and
were meant to serve the superior men. But now, women have stood up to prove
that they are equal with the opposite sex. Females have become more assertive,
more involved in all fields which were exclusively dominated by men before. We
have stood up for our rights and worked our way up the ladder to establish that
we are not just servants of men. But in this time, people have changed. Women
have changed, and so do men. Our societies have changed.

While women strived to equate
themselves with the men, they seem to be taking in charge, which, in the normal
course of things, taking charge should be the role of men. Our society has
placed upon a greater expectation to the female population. The society demands
for women to be much more than being a woman and the sense of femininity is
somehow lost in it.

I am now challenged. My own
reflection revealed that in my existence, I have strived to at least show the
world that girls can do just what boys can. If guys can do it, we can do it
better. I remember when I was young that I lived in the notion of, “Girls rule,
boys drool.” I don’t deny that I have some fair share of these petty “battle of
the sexes” experiences, and I would sometimes go home crying because boys
teased a little too much, and it hurt a little too much to be placed in
embarrassing situations in such a young age. Little did I know that those petty
experiences have created a barrier in me that’s meant to divide the line
between ladies and men and inculcated a deep sense of hunger to accomplish more
than the boys do. I thought about outdoing them in everything. As I matured, my
feelings have softened and my goals have lightened. I considered the fact that
men and women should work their way side by side. But it was still vague to me
whether the boys would accept us girls to be their comrade in the battle of
life. So the objective I had in mind was to make sure that girls are not left
at the end of the line. Women should be heard, women should be respected, and
women should also be given the same rights as men.

And it was not an easy thing. I
struggled, and failed. And then I struggled some more, and still struggling
now, to let the world know that women have the same rights as men. And in my
struggles, I have observed that I have not really become less of a woman, but
femininity was somehow reduced. As I fought my battle, I did it with less grace
that is expected of a woman. As I fought my battle, I have seemed to be working
on it in manly moves. And it wasn’t right.

And this is my challenge: fight
for your faith, but preserve your femininity. We are women, and we ought to be.
In this world where we are tremendously demanded to be someone better, higher,
bigger, we need to work through this without sacrificing an ounce of our
womanliness.

This time, what’s taboo in the
past is bragged on everywhere. Don’t be offended on what I observed, and I know
you have seen it too. The rising rate of sexuality crises, impurity, and just
about every kind of abomination is plaguing this world. If this is what our society
demands, then there must really be something wrong. How do teenagers do away
with temptation? Well, most of them don’t, and they indulge into it. Masarap ang bawal, and that’s fairly
true. What can we do about it? It seems these days that people at my age are
corrupted, perverted, and entangled in fantasy. Who could refuse such tempting
wine? Indulging in satisfying worldly desires has been perceived as a fortress
of enchanted youth. Can we still change it?

Boys should act like men, and
girls should act like ladies. We have to know what we are here for. We have to
know what roles we have to play. It’s hard to play these roles, but practice
makes close to perfect. We have to reevaluate our values. Let’s not make
perverts out of ourselves. People, let’s be better. Let us change.

We need not over-spiritualize our
lives, we are equipped with a brain. We should decide for ourselves but must
admit and acknowledge the Higher Being who has put us in this world. God is the
only and ultimate source of happiness. Knowing Him is the best filling for our
insatiety. I am not a righteous person nor am I devout. But I feel blessed,
this time, to have felt God’s love for me, and this overflowing joy just wants
to be shared. Try to know God, and discover how much joy you can contain.

Political Hammock

Posted
on my Friendster’s Bulletin Board is a punchline that says, “Bad
politicians are elected by good people who do not vote.” Whatever my
friend’s reason might be for posting such line, it caught my attention
and made me pause and ponder, I could be one of those reasons why our
current government system is full of bad politicians.

I
did not stand here to deliver a depressing speech of disgust and hatred
in our current government system. Nor am I here to praise. Here I
stand, on political will, because I still believe that the Philippines
is worth believing, somehow.

For
the past few years, our country has been plagued with so much
controversy that it would seem hard to believe that the peso-dollar
rate is up to a miraculous P49.

Someone
told me once that the Philippines is like a beggar sitting on a
mountain of gold. If it be true, then the political turmoil that
envelops our nation would certainly aggravate the sufferings of this
beggar—can you imagine slapping the face of a young frail girl?
That’s how our country suffers.

We
are one nation with different ideologies. We are one people with
different cries. We are one, but so very diverse, and so very divided.
And it is not bad to have different views in life but it seems that we
cannot compromise.

I
think that the last news I have watched on television was when the
widow of Fernando Poe Jr. was delivering a very emotional and
sensationalized speech over a large crowd, and it was also the time
when Loren Legarda was fervently working out for the reinvestigation of
election returns. I might sound so historical, and I have reason to be.
I don’t know what happened to Legarda’s pleas, or to Roces’
accusations, because since then, I decided not to watch television or
to read the newspaper because I was too tired of entertaining this
political turmoil. I’m tired of reading about EDSA revolution for the
nth time, after all, the EDSA revolutions the Filipinos have plotted
are losing integrity and losing its touch.

And
then I became ignorant of the latest issues, to the effect that I
cannot even follow our class discussions in Political Law. You might
say, is this apathy? But I would certainly defend myself by saying that
this is how I exercise my right. I am not indifferent, I just choose
not to enter the maze. After all, I still care. And this sweet
suffering of staying in this country is a fool-proof evidence of my
love for this nation. Young people these days are eager to take up
Nursing in the hope of landing good jobs abroad. I’m not saying that it
is bad, but it’s not all good. At least, we are taking our part in
maintenance of health worldwide. We are top exporters, not only of
nurses and domestic helpers, but also of instant brides, can we blame
them? No one can blame them for it is clear that in this country, the
pastures aren’t green. Can we blame it to the government? I’d just say,
“I have the right to remain silent.”

If
only people would stop wearing crowns on their heads, if only people
would be sincere in what they do, if only… They say that it is either
you change the system or the system will change you. If you want to
change the system, start by changing your self. But it is not as easy
as it sounds.

I
might be living in the mere hope that someday, this beggar would have
new clothes and would use her gold before it is eventually lost and
wasted. A little candle might not be enough to light a large room, but
at least, there’s light. I believe in this country, no matter how
wounded this might be.

And
so, before I end, I wish that nobody among you would accuse me of
putting bad politicians in office. For after all, I am still not a
registered voter.

This was the speech i delivered at my forensics class last semester.
~spread the angst! ehehe

PAPT's judgmental slogan

"Dito ka mabubulok. Lahat ng pirata ng software kulong. Pati ikaw." (You will rot here. All software pirates will be incarcerated. Including you.") That's the slogan of The Pilipinas Anti Piracy Team.

Having the Pilipinas Anti Piracy Team (PAPT) is a good thing in protecting intellectual property rights. But how come the "brilliant" people behind this "brilliant" project cannot come up with a brilliant and more appropriate slogan for their banner? A reader once noted that the slogan conveys an implied accusation to everyone. Yes, it is judgmental. We are in a nation where everybody's supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. I believe that PAPT's threatening remark doesn't give itself a good impression, it is only giving it negative publicity (although negative publicity is STILL publicity).

Anyway, aren't they supposed to encourage people in complying with the laws? Would saying "DITO KA MABUBULOK" encourage anyone to comply? Although it seems to be a good threat for software pirates and intellectual property rights violators out there, the slogan is still rude. For a team which was founded on the objective of eliminating software piracy and promoting faster growth of the country's information technology, shouldn't they have made a slogan which could invite people in becoming legitimate software users? In their effort to materialize their objectives, they have raged this all-out-war against software pirates. Wouldn't it be more effective to use these people as active participants in PAPT's programs rather than telling them to just comply to avoid punishment? And most of all, wouldn't it be better to read something that would make you appreciate them, rather than read something that could raise an eyebrow?

Unemployment

INTRODUCTION

The problems of unemployment are not new and they do exist everywhere. Even the industrial countries that are considered the richest countries have not been spared from the distinctive implications of unemployment. However, in the less developed regions of the world like Africa, Asia, & Latin America, the problems of unemployment are more serious & deep sealed in the rural areas of the poor countries, unemployment is more widespread, particularly disguised unemployment. This is a situation where individuals are working actually but they do not contribute solutions to the problem. There are various unemployment causes such as changes in technology, renovations, business cycles and seasons. Some of these causes are temporary in nature. However there are types of unemployment, which have become persistent. In the Philippines, more individuals join the long lost of jobless persons every year. It is a pity that colleges and universities are producing graduates but due to present economic crisis, where unemployment is prevalent, the increase in the number of graduates has aggregated the unpleasant situation. But despite this depressing economy, many economists and business specialists believe that our economic recovery can only start in 1990. (Economics, Third Edition, Feliciano R. Fajardo)

Unemployment has both economic & social implications. The productive resources are not fully used. Less goods and services are produced by individuals who could have done more. They could have earned more, & with their earnings they have more chance to improve their economic conditions. On the part of country, increase in unemployment rate means a decline in national income/gross national product. In such situations where the GNP declines, government revenues literally fall. Evidently, the government has to put aside some of its important projects due to the lack of funds. In most cases, the country has to borrow money from foreign sources to be able to pursue its development objectives or for its economic recovery program.

A job provides hope for re-employment in the near future, not a few jobless people develop an attitude of frustration. Thus, may lead to loss of self-confidence or to more several crimes. (Feliciano R. Fajardo, Economic, third edition)

A job experience could give more chances of reemployment for aspiring job seekers. Unfortunately, those who were denied of getting an employment on the first try would eventually give up and eventually lose their chance of being employed.

THE CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment is caused by several factors. First, the employers seek the people who are most suitable for the job. Qualifications and credentials of employees are prioritized together with the skills of the aspirants. Usually, employees are under-skilled or under-qualified for the jobs. In our country with a high literacy rate of 92.3% (www.census.gov.ph), statistics would show that this may not even be an indication that literacy is congruent with employment rate.

Second, and closely related cause of unemployment are with actions of labor unions are collectives my workers who rally together for higher wages, better working conditions & more benefits, these unions force firms to spend more money on each worker, some on the form of wages & some in form of benefits. Overall, this has an effect similar to minimum wage law, where workers are demanding wages greater than the firms are willing to pay.

In microeconomics, we learned that in an efficient market, the price of goods change to equilibrate the quantity demanded and the quantity supplied.

A third reason is based on theory of efficiency wages. The basic idea behind efficiency wages is that firms benefit by paying their workers above the equilibrium wage, since higher wages produce happier, healthier and more productive workers & may even increase worker loyalty.

A fourth reason would be because of the improvement of our technology. Companies strive for the automation of processes, which have drastically improved production at lesser labor costs. Because of automation, companies employ less number of people because they depend more on machines and robots to do the job. With this, there are no more jobs available for the people.

THE EFFECTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT

The first and most obvious effect of unemployment is Poverty. As per the latest census, the Philippines is home to 76.5 million people, almost 85% is composed of the poor and marginalized society. From the working force (15 years old and above to 60 years old), unemployment rate is 8.1% in 2006 and projected to be at 7.8% in 2007. This would mean that about 500,000 occupants of this country are not employed, excluding the fact that another 21 % or about 1,200,000 persons are underemployed. This is one of the most depressing situations that are caused by unemployment.

The effect of poverty has also its sub-effects such as the proliferation of crime in the country. Although the unemployment rate is expected to decrease this 2007, the crime rate remains to be high. And majority of criminals are those who have no source of income and no means of livelihood. So there seems to be a positive relation between unemployment and the commission of crime.

Moreover, unemployment means lack of income. With this, since families have no means of subsistence, this carries with it the problem of malnutrition and parents cannot also afford to send their children to school. This aggravates the situation.

RECOMMENDATION

The researchers believe that a job provides hope for material and social development. In order for the economic stability of our country be achieved, the researchers suggest the following recommendations:

1. There must be an improvement in the quality of education.

Literacy rate has proved to be not an indicator of employment, at least for our country. This may be absurd because high literacy rate suggests better jobs for people. But in our country, literacy rate may be high, but this only relate to the reading and writing skills of the people, and not really based on comprehensive and analytical skills. They must also teach the students to inculcate a sense of passion towards success and progress.

Our government should develop means and procedures in improving the quality of education given by schools so as not only to focus on the basic reading and writing skills but also target the holistic development of students. It is not uncommon that the high paying jobs are given to highly qualified applicants. Schools should produce not only academically good graduates but also graduates who are equipped with proper training and skills that they need for employment in the future.

2. Government should support microeconomic enterprises.

Microeconomic enterprises, or those small and medium enterprises, help alleviate poverty and unemployment. Small businesses may be supported by creating programs, such as providing loans, to the marginalized but deserving people. Often, the poor are willing to start business but the main problem is the lack of capital. If the government would make programs that could support the poor in starting their own small business, the marginalized society would have better chance of improving their status.

3. Regulation of market competition.

Competition in the market is good. It is the key to have better goods and services at the most reasonable prices. But market competition should also be regulated by the government. Imported products are a usual sight in our market today. Because imported products are preferred because of its lower prices, our locally-produced goods are not patronized. The influx of imported goods in our market kills our local market. With this, local companies close or lay-off its employees which would then increase the unemployment rate.

CONCLUSION

The essence of social responsibility is when man thinks of the whole system and begins to develop societal values into his actions. In the same manner, the government has a social responsibility to the people. This whole system is integrated with different factors vital in its development.

That the government plays a vital role in the destructive implications of unemployment and in the recovery of the people from being drowned and being impaired from the effects of unemployment and of what unemployment brings. But man is also responsible and answerable for his own actions.

The government and the governed should be hand-in-hand in working towards development. We cannot put the whole blame to the government; we can only hope that our government would do better. Man needs to participate in the development of the whole structure by taking in part in being responsible for himself and helping others towards progress. After all, progress really starts from within.