Every Grain is a Blessing

Cute, nurtured, and “healthy” kids are often praised by grown-ups who see their chubby and supple cheeks. “Ang cute, pakurot nga!” is what often follows. But in Sitio Datalnay in the province of Saranggani, these fluffy cheeks are no laughing matter. The children in Sitio Datalnay have cabbage-like cheeks. Even though the faces are somewhat swollen the arms are thin and weak. Some kids can hardly walk because of their clubbed feet. Their height is shorter than other kids their age and almost all of the kids in Sitio Datalnay look alike. For eleven hours, including a seven-hour trek, Kara David travels to the mountains of Sarangani to seek these strange kids with swollen faces. What is the mystery behind the condition of the children of Datalnay?

-http://www.gmanews.tv/story/236126/public-affairs/ang-mga-bata-ng-datalnay-dokyu-ni-kara-david

I was doing my paperworks when I swtiched to GMA News TV and saw i-Witness featuring Ang mga Bata ng Datalnay. My attention was caught and it promted me to write a short blog; above is a synopsis of the episode which I copied from GMA News online. I pity these kids affected by a disease known as kwashiorkor, a malnutrition disease due to lack of protein in the diet. Such is characterized byedema irritability, anorexia, ulcerating dermatoses, and an enlarged liver with fatty infiltrates. Children affected by this disease simply have ground corn as their major diet; they seldom eat vegetables or fruits as part of their diet. Vegetables cannot grow much because rats literally bigger than cats are pestering it. Meat? Nil. While we have the chance to eat different kinds of foods, let us remember that there are still many people who are suffering from malnutrition simply because they do not have that luxury to buy other foods. It is therefore important not waste even a single grain of rice.

Happy Teachers’ Day!

Before this day will end, let me extend my sincerest gratitude to my teachers in Cebu City Central School (elementary), UP High School, and UP College for molding me to become a good teacher like them.

To be a teacher has been my dream ever since I was in Grade 2. This dream did not change (not even a bit), I never had a doubt on my profession, I’m sure of becoming a teacher, and I want to be a teacher FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

Indeed a DREAM COME TRUE.

God said YES to my desire – and that is TO TEACH.

Suicide

For a while I was suicidal and I tried to kill myself. I think I should have died about four times.  – Jack Osbourne

Nowadays we often hear of news of people committing suicide because of rejection, love and family problems. This really made me realized that even if I am not materially gifted, still I am so blessed because I have a family who really loves me unconditionally. This love was inculcated in me. It taught me that before I can love others, I have to love my self first because I cannot give what I do not have. Most of all, my parents genuine love taught me to trust my Creator in everything that I do; so that in times of trial, the strongest wall I can lean on is GOD.

Split Christians

I know of some people who appeared to be so religious – going to church almost everyday, do church services, talk about God –

and do the opposites.

I remember my former colleague calling these kind of people as “spit Christians.” These people practice the cliches of Christianity, yet do the unchristian things. To name some – react violently on some issues, excessive dishonesty, make up stories, backbite to the highest level, etc.

What gives me goose bumps? These people claim to pray the rosary everyday. One even has the guts to say, “I always pray for you every night.”

*Sigh*

Lessons

This has been my fifth year as the Supreme Student Council adviser. It’s been five years of working with student leaders and five years of spear-heading student activities. One of these activities is the Intramurals.

This year is the lousiest.

The school administrators never gave enough time for the students to rehearse and do some preparations for the said activity. For the previous years, at least two weeks before the Intramurals some non-activities were postponed. A week before, classes were shortened, thereby producing good presentations. This time, almost every presentation, every activity were so mediocre.

We all know that TIME is one of the factors of an excellent output.

Being the student council adviser, I really felt bad. No matter what amount of arguments you throw, ears may hear but refused to listen. Sometimes, they think not on the educator’s level. Sometimes decisions are just based on impulses, on whims. Our school principal sometimes cannot defend the pleas of the students and teachers; or maybe when he tries to defend, again ears may hear but refused to listen.

I learned many lessons from such experience and from my interactions with them. When time comes for me to become part of a school administration (of another school, of course), I will do the opposite of what they do.

Mideo ug ang iyang Poleteismo

Mag duha na ka semana ug ang kontrobersya sa Poleteismo ni Mideo Cruz mao lang gihapon ang gi sumsuman sa mga taga simbahan ug mga ordinaryo nga mga taw.

Gikataho nga ang artist nga si Mideo Cruz nagpahigayon ug exhibit sa iyang mga obra sa Cultural Center of the Philippines kung diin naay mga imahen sa Birheng Maria, Hesukristo, ug Krusipiho nga gipang-usab ang mga hulagway. Ang giingon nga mga bag-ong hulagway nagpakita ug “kabastos” hinungdan nga niinit ang dugo sa katolikong simbahan ug sa mga katolikong sumusunod.

Kung ang mga fine arts artists maoy atong pangutan-on, matud pa nila nga ang exhibit ni Mideo Cruz wala nakalapas ug bisan unsa man, kay tungod ang art is a form of self-expression. Sa art, matud pa nila, anything goes.

Tinuod wala kini nakalapas siguro ug mga balaod pero dako kining insulto sa mga katoliko nga motoo ug moampo ug mga rebolto. (Pero pangutana lang: Sakto ba kini nga binuhatan kung diin moampo ta sa mga rebolto? Dili ba kini mao ang gitawag nga idolatry nga diin usa ka sala matud pa sa Balaang Kasulatan?)

Pila na ka adlaw ang nilabay, gitangtang na ang maong exhibit, ni-reign na ang maong pangu sa Cultural Center of the Philippines. Si Mideo Cruz nangayo na ug pasaylo sa simbahan ug sa katolikong katilingban. Apan nisiaw man hinuon ang simbahan sa ilang mga ritwal ug mga siremonyas kontra sa ilang gitawag nga blasphemy sa maong artist. Sa bahin sa simbahan, dili pa ba sakto ang pagtatang sa exhibit, pag-resign sa pangu sa CCP, ug pagpangayo ug sorry? Para nako murag nagpakita ra pud ug pagkamapahitas-on ang atong simbahan.

Dili ba diay puede nga butangan na nato ug tuldok ang kining panghitabo? Can we not just move on and start anew? Sa giingon, God is love, God is forgiving. Ang simbahan nagsangyaw sa Maayong Balita. Apan kutob lang ba kita sa pagsangyaw, pero wala sa buhat?

Alibi gyud ug taman

ARROYO, FG

Gikataho kaniadto nga si Mike Arroyo nilupad padung Hong Kong kay magpatambal, pero diay kuno mutago lang. Ug ang former first gentleman niingun sa usa ka interview nga mubalik siya sa Pilipinas para atubangon niya ang mga pasangil. Pag-abot niya balik diri, niingun siya, “I am back to face my detractors.”

Karung adlawa gi-schedule and hearing sa Senado, apan usa ka oras sa di pa magsugod ang hearing, nagpadala ug suwat ang former FG ug nag-ingun nga dili siya makatunga tungod sa problema sa panglawas.

Alibi.

Alibi.

Alibi.

Kung tinuod man gani nga naay gyud siya’y dako nga problema sa panglawas, merise!

ARROYO, RGMA

Gikatahong operahan pagbalik si Congresswoman GMA tungod kay na-dislodge ang katong gibutang pag opera niya sa iyang cervical spine. Kung tinuod man gani ni, ug tinuod man pud gani to ang mga pasangil batok niya, dili na kaha ni gaba?

Merise!

KOKO, WELCOME TO SENATE

Kaniadto dili gyud ko ganahan aning Koko Pimentel kay murag hilasan ko niya manulti atong panahon nga nag file siya ug election protest batok ni former senator Migs Zubiri. Pero karun nga ni-resign na si Zubiri, nakita man nako ang ka sensero ni Koko Pimentel nga muduma sa nasud isip usa ka senador

Manghinaot lang ta nga dili ang pork iyang gi apas kay kung dili, ang cholesterol dili magsaba! (Medyo milyones pud raba ang nagasto niya sa iyang gipang file nga election protest… Way bawi-ay sa gasto ha…)

KARLA HENRY, NABIKTIMA

Si Karla Paula Henry, usa ka Cebuana, nakoronahan pagka Miss Earth 2008, maoy pinakauna nga representante sa Pilipinas ug sa Asia nga nakakuha niana nga titulo.

Karun lang hapon nakurat kita sa panghitabo nga siya nahiagum ug mga dinunggaban sa parking lot sa iyang condo. Wa siya nahibaw unsay motibo sa nagdunggab niya. Maayo nalang gani kay luwas na siya sa makuyaw nga kahimtang.

Angay ug matarung gyud nga sa tanang panahon, mag amping kita pirmi kay wa gyud kita nasweto sa mga taw nga nagpalibot nato.

Way Kasiguraduhan

Ang kinabuhi sa taw wala gyuy kasiguraduhan. Karun lang hapon usa ka wa damha nga panghitabo ang mikutlo sa kinabuhi sa usa ka drayber ug jeepney nga magbiyahian ug Talamban.

Say may Zapatera, usa ka dako ug tiguwang na kaayo nga acacia ang natumba diha gayud tungod sa usa ka jeepney ug nihagsa deretso sa drayber kung diin kini namatay diha dayun.

Dili ba kini responsibilidad sa syudad nga kinahanglan susihon ang mga punuan sa kahoy kilid sa karsada kung luwas pa ba kini sa mga mangagi? Kung mugasto na man lang gani ta ug milyon para pagpanindot sa atong syudad, hinaot kining bahina sa atong syudad gahinan pud ug panahon.

(Ang mga hulagway nakuha sa http://www.sunstar.com ug sa Facebook photos ni Mike Perez.)

Facebook Lossy Photos

Facebook-uploaded photos are now degrading in terms of its resolution. Now I understand what one renowned local photographer had told me about it, when he compared Facebook with Flickr.

Dragons Spew Less Fire

Yesterday was the opening of the CESAFI 2011 and the renowned CEC Dragons took a match with UV Green Lancers – the opening game of the CESAFI Season 11 Juniors Basketball. CEC was ahead in the first three quarters. Unfortunately, the Dragons was not able to sustain their spitting-fire ability, and beaten by UV Green Lancers in a score of 62-47.