Personal Note on the Hayden Kho Issue

Ang balitang Hayden Kho - Katrina Halili, etc. controversy ay patuloy na nag-iinit. Halos lahat ng mga headlines, flash reports, atbp. ay nagbibigay ng updates ukol dito. Kaya naman, tuwing mapapanood ko ito sa TV, sa simula't-simula pa lamang ng isyu ay talaga namang naglilitawan ang aking pananaw sa isyu.

Base sa pahayag ni Hayden Kho na "... Sana let us try to condemn the sin, not the sinner... " aking napag-isip-isip... May point naman siya. In fairness, kahit papaano, at kung ating iisipin -- oo nga, nagkamali siya nang kuhanan niya ng videos yung mga partners niya. Ngunit tulad nating lahat na may weaknesses, si Hayden ay nahulog sa bitag ng kanyang kahinaan. Base sa pakikinig at pagbabasa tungkol sa mind and its capabilities, nalaman kong lahat tayo ay may taglay na kahinaan. Ang kahinaang ito ay maaari nating malabanan sa pamamagitan ng maraming techniques. Pwede tayong mag-employ ng iba't-ibang defense mechanisms at coping means upang maka-cope sa mga stressors, mga hindi magandang experiences. And later, pag nasanay tayo sa mga maaaring maging habit na ang mga ito.

Sa case ni Hayden, naging resort niya ang sexual pleasure na naattain niya through making videos. It's just so sad for him kasi nagkataong nagkaconflict sila ng ex-friend niya, kaya ayun, naging talk of the town siya. Iba talaga pag sumapit ang tadhana... Hayy...

Well, for me, sana magkaroon pa rin ng space for forgiveness. And sana maiwasan naman ang pagdaragdag ng hindi makatotohanan ukol sa tunay na isyu. Kung anuman ang nangyari ay nangyari for a reason. More or less, ang incident na ito ay ang hudyat upang magising-gising na ang mga tao sa outcome ng mga actions.

We can't say, but for sure, marami ring gumagawa ng equivalent ng ginawa ni Hayden pero hindi lang sila namemedia. Pero asan sila ngayon? Nagpapatuloy pa rin malamang ng ginagawa nila! Kung iisipin, pwedeng sila sana ang nasa katayuan ni Hayden, pero hindi eh.. Showbiz kasi. At madali siyang mapapansin dahil doon. Kaya naman, sana lang, kung meron mang mabuting dulot ang isyung ito, panigurado, iyon yung lesson na ipinapaabot nito sa taong-bayan -- na magbago na para sa ikauunlad ng ating mga sarili...

Clueless

It’s been a different week by far. It seems pretty cool too, since I’ve gotten into what I call now as a “either I stay or go” stint. The life of an ordinary potato girl has yet to go anew.

The dream of a greener pasture still lives on. But as I come to think of the consequences I would have to face if ever I would be granted the chance to fulfill my dream, I just feel uncertain.

Okay, for those of you who do not know what I’m talking about here, well, in a few days I am about to find out the verdict: whether or not I’ll be leaving the Philippines for a while to work somewhere else – where a lion stands abound, and where chewing gum is forbidden. Yes, this is Singapore.

To Singapore, where the hardworking are blessed – this is where I will be bound for if ever God wills me to. This is where I suppose I will be staying over a period of time to enhance my independence, my capabilities, and my strengths and weaknesses as a person.

Alas, when that time comes that I will be required to face challenges that a normal adult usually faces, I think that this would also be the moment when I’d be ready to proclaim without hesitation that I am truly free. All this time, when my environment has always been a friendly one, where I don’t usually stand amidst a fierce crowd, I just am laid back, knowing that I always have my parents and family beside me. But this time, if ever God grants me the chance, then I’d better be ready.

This time, I should be brave enough to survive the tough life out there. I have to learn how it is to wash my laundry without being piled up with more than what I could handle. I must also learn how to iron my clothes so as to dress according to the nature of my supposed work. In there, I must learn how to travel by myself, without fears that I won’t end up at the wrong streets. In Singapore, I must realize that all I shall earn are products of hard labor and determination.

And just like it is in life, I know that even if I do not make it there, I must really strive hard to reach my destination. No matter what it takes, and no matter what happens, I shall soon fulfill my dreams.

Yet, in our own journeys, let us not forget that there are times when we just have to bear with the consequences that are packed along our choices. As we decide, let us also try to consider that there will definitely be pros and cons. Whatever these results might be, we just have to weigh them carefully. They may turn out small, but at a later time, they may end up so large that we won’t be able to handle them anymore. Hence, along our decision-making, hopefully, we will be able to stand up, beaming, that no matter what would happen, we are ready to accept anything life has to yet to bring.

Inspired by Bo

Upon subscribing to Bo Sanchez's blog, I came into a recent inspirational. One part, about godliness and giftedness really struck me. Imagine, if we just apply the concepts here, what a wonderful world it would be! As human beings, of course, we fall into temptations, but nevertheless, we can beat these temptations. That's for sure... It can be tough, however, as we grow in faith, we definitely can...

Giftedness is the ability to turn thought into things;

Godliness is the ability to use that giftedness to serve.

Giftedness is being like God in his skills;

Godliness is being like God in his service.

Giftedness is being like God in his power;

Godliness is being like God in his love.

Giftedness is charisma; Godliness is character.

You can be successful with giftedness alone, but success will be short-lived and isolated in one or two areas of your life. For real success that spans your whole life, you need giftedness and godliness.

For more of Bo Sanchez's inspirationals, visit http://bosanchez.ph

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No More Newly Imported Books in the Philippines; the reason why

This was a post on my online group, OneLaSalle -- from Ging Sison.

For everyone's information.

Fw: No More Newly Imported Books in the Philippines; the Reason Why


In the last few months, the importation of books into the Philippines has virtually stopped. (To those of you who frequent bookstores, I don't know if you've noticed.) The reason why is explained in this article by Robin Hemley, a University of Iowa creative writing professor currently on a fellowship in the Philippines.

If you have no time to read the article, the essence is that because the Bureau of Customs has decided to impose duties on the importation of books into the Philippines.

This, despite the 1950 Florence Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials (which you can see here), which the Philippines ratified in 1979. The preamble of the agreement states: "Considering that the free exchange of ideas and knowledge and, in general, the widest possible dissemination of the diverse forms of self-expression used by civilizations are vitally important both for intellectual progress and international understanding, and consequently for the maintenance of world peace...", an indisputable proposition.

Here's an excerpt from Robin Hemley's article (i shortened it a bit. better if you can read the whole thing.) -

...Over coffee one afternoon, a book-industry professional (whom I can't
identify) told me that for the past two months virtually no imported books had entered the country, in part because of the success of one book, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. The book, an international best seller, had apparently attracted the attention of customs officials. When an examiner named Rene Agulan opened a shipment of books, he demanded that duty be paid on it.

The importer of Twilight made a mistake and paid the duty requested. A mistake because such duty flies in the face of the Florence Agreement, a U.N. treaty that was signed by the Philippines in 1952, guaranteeing the free flow of "educational, scientific, and cultural materials" between countries and declaring that imported books should be duty-free. Mr. Agulan told the importer that because the books were not educational( i.e., textbooks) they were subject to duty. Perhaps they aren't educational, I might have argued, but aren't they "cultural"?
No matter. With this one success under their belt, customs curtailed all air shipments of books entering the country. Weeks went by as booksellers tried to get their books out of storage and started intense negotiations with various government officials.

What doubly frustrated booksellers and importers was that the explanations they received from various officials made no sense. It was clear that, for whatever reason"perhaps the 30-billion-peso ($625 million) shortfall in projected customs revenue"customs would go through the motions of having a reasonable argument while in fact having none at all.

Customs Undersecretary Espele Sales explained the government's position to a group of frustrated booksellers and importers in an Orwellian PowerPoint presentation, at which she reinterpreted the Florence Agreement as well as Philippine law RA 8047, providing for "the tax and duty-free importation of books or raw materials to be used in book publishing." For lack of a comma after the word "books," the undersecretary argued that only books "used in book publishing" (her underlining) were tax-exempt.

"What kind of book is that?" one publisher asked me afterward. "A book used in book publishing." And she laughed ruefully.

I thought about it. Maybe I should start writing a few. Harry the Cultural and Educational Potter and His Fondness for Baskerville Type.

Likewise, with the Florence Agreement, she argued that only educational books could be considered protected by the U.N. treaty. Customs would henceforth be the arbiter of what was and wasn't educational.

"For 50 years, everyone has misinterpreted the treaty and now you alone have interpreted it correctly?" she was asked.

"Yes," she told the stunned booksellers.

Throughout February and March, bookstores seemed on the verge of getting their books releasedâ€"all their documents were in order, but the rules kept changing. Now they were told that all books would be taxed: 1 percent for educational books and 5 percent for noneducational books. A nightmare scenario for the distributors; they imagined each shipment being held for months as an examiner sorted through the books. Obviously, most would simply pay the higher tax to avoid the hassle.

Distributors told me they weren't "capitulating" but merely paying under protest. After all, customs was violating an international treaty that had been abided by for over 50 years. Meanwhile, booksellers had to pay enormous storage fees. Those couldn't be waived, they were told, because the storage facilities were privately owned (by customs officials, a bookstore owner suggested ruefully). One bookstore had to pay $4,000 on a $10,000 shipment.

The day after the first shipment of books was released, an internal memo circulated in customs congratulating themselves for finally levying a duty on books, though no mention was made of their pride in breaking an international treaty...

Please forward this or disseminate this in any way you can. In the name of
reading.

*** As a bookworm, I feel like this has its pros and cons. First, as with the pro: The Filipino book-world will probably shine, since its international competitors will be lessened. However, this will still be depending on what the Filipino writers have to offer. Content still counts. And yes, lots out there (uhmm, out here too!) are just writing brilliant works, but still are not published authors.

For the cons: Well, diversity and balance in the Philippine book-o-sphere will be lessened. I mean, whoever gets to imagine bookstores without the latest celebrated books all over the world?... Hmmm...

Prayer - May 3, 2009 (from SacredSpace.com)

Dear Jesus, as I call on you today I realise that I often come asking for favours.
Today I'd like just to be in your presence.
Let my heart respond to Your Love.

My Own Prayer for Today:

Lord, I truly adore You.
You are the source of everything we have today.
Without You, we are nothing.
As we go through our daily journey,
May Your light shine on us, Lord.

You sent Your Son to redeem the whole world,
And for that we are grateful, Lord.
Your flock of angels guard us everytime,
And so does the Holy Spirit.

Now that we are going through obstacles, Lord,
May You still give us strength,
The power to carry on,
The love to be free.

This we ask through Your Son, Jesus Christ...

Amen.

MP3 Pick of the Day

Remember those walls I built
Well baby they're tumbling down
And they didn't even put up a fight
They didn't even make a sound
I found a way to let you in
But I never really had a doubt
Standing in the light of your halo
I got my angel now

It's like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
It's the risk that I'm takin'
I ain't never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace
You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
Woah...

Hit me like a ray of sun
Burning through my darkest night
You're the only one that I want
Think I'm addicted to your light
I swore I'd never fall again
But this don't even feel like falling
Gravity can't forget
To pull me back to the ground again

Feels like I've been awakened
Every rule I had you breakin'
The risk that I'm takin'
I'm never gonna shut you out

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace
You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
Halooooo ouuuu
Halooooo ouuuuuu
Halooooo ouuuuu
Ouuuuu ouuuuu ouuuuu

Everywhere I'm looking now
I'm surrounded by your embrace
Baby I can see your halo
You know you're my saving grace
You're everything I need and more
It's written all over your face
Baby I can feel your halo
Pray it won't fade away

I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo
I can feel your halo (halo) halo
I can see your halo (halo) halo