Looking at my old pictures, I can proudly say that physically, at least I have evolved from a dark-skinned and skinny boy that I am before to a dignified-looking banker that I am today. Proof to that is how I am labeled in my workplace. As an office newbie, my boss used to call me Fido Dido, obviously because my look resembles the character of the Sprite’s TV commercial. After several years, I am now tagged as "Matt Ranillo". Not Matt Ranillo the III (The Actor) but Matt Ranillo The Dead (Laughs!).
Kidding aside, as a student and office worker my appearance and stature in life contributed a lot to my low self worth and lack of confidence. When surrounded with affluent classmates and colleagues, I've always felt small, thinking having less in life, I am not capable of achieving more. That inferiority complex unconsciously led me to entertained self-doubt and diminished my self-trust.
Not until I came to know myself as a dear child of God. I’ve known that I am precious in His eyes. That I am deeply loved, cared and important. That unbounding Love alone gives me confidence, a childlike confidence in the Father's love.
With that knowledge came the realization that beyond physical transformation, what matters is who we are, what were made of, and our worth as His beloved Children.
The psalmist beautifully exclaims in Psalm 139:13-16:
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
One day, I came accross this beautiful story, I cant wait to share.
A black child isolated himself from a group of kids playing in front of a church. A balloon salesman tried to get their attention. So he released one red balloon and it soared up high. Then the blue, then the yellow. It all went soaring up until they all disappeared. The black boy asked the man.
“Sir, if you’ll send the black baloon, would it go as high as the others?”
The salesman answered, “It isn’t in the color, Son, it’s what’s inside that makes it rise.”
Monday, May 23, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
A Lesson On Giving
One of our bonding moments with my baby girl Mandela is our regular Saturday afternoon walk to the beach near our place. We would spend moments together watching the fisherfolks preparing their boat for fishing. Sometimes, we would catch some kids enjoying swimming in the murky cold seawater. When already bored, she would pull my hand and said, “Adto ta slide Daddy”. (“Let us go to the slide Daddy”) - referring to the children’s slide at the playground of the nearby orphanage.
I was told that the orphanage was built two years ago. It was actually founded by a German named Albert Schweitzer of the Albert Schweitzer Familienwerk Foundation Philippines, Inc (ASFFM)and is known as Children's Haven. True to its name, it has become not just an abode but a haven to more or less sixty (60) homeless, parentless and abandoned kids. During my several visit to the place, I took the chance to interact with the orphans by talking and playing with them. Every kid has a different sad story to tell. And their stories made me think how lucky my daughter is for having a family she can call her own. But even if they appear lacking in material provision, their young faces emanate childlike joyful spirit, genuine smile, sincere intentions and positive vibes. Everybody seems happy and doesn’t care about the world and what it can offer to them. Their friendly and welcoming gestures are manifestations of their zest for life despite of their conditions. Love and sharing abound in the place. Everybody is family and in my heart I can feel that the place is overflowing with love. No wonder my baby doesn’t want to go home everytime she lands her foot in the place.
One unforgetable experience during one of our visit made me pondered on the true meaning of unselfish giving. When we went there one Saturday afternoon, I decided to bring some munchies for the kids to eat. Our way of thanking them for their goodness and hospitality. For reaching out and playing with my baby girl.
I was surprised, when in return a boy orphan handed my baby his favorite toy – a yellow plastic ball and another baby girl named Rosemarie offered her favorite blue dress.
I was left teary-eyed.
These kids had such pure and giving hearts.
At first, I am compelled not to accept the items. I knew that having less in life, these things are precious to them – or means everything to them. In their world of nothingness, these items might be treasures in their eyes and taking it might be inflicting pain.
But all the while, I thought refusing would means robbing them the chance to experience the joy of giving. These items were given out of pure intentions – from the gratefulness and goodness of a child's heart. I can see the delight in their eyes when they offered it to my daughter which made me decide to graciously accept it.
That experience taught me what it means to truly give with a cheerful and grateful heart. The orphans might have understood what Blessed Teresa of Calcutta once said when she exhorted “give until it hurts”.
I was told that the orphanage was built two years ago. It was actually founded by a German named Albert Schweitzer of the Albert Schweitzer Familienwerk Foundation Philippines, Inc (ASFFM)and is known as Children's Haven. True to its name, it has become not just an abode but a haven to more or less sixty (60) homeless, parentless and abandoned kids. During my several visit to the place, I took the chance to interact with the orphans by talking and playing with them. Every kid has a different sad story to tell. And their stories made me think how lucky my daughter is for having a family she can call her own. But even if they appear lacking in material provision, their young faces emanate childlike joyful spirit, genuine smile, sincere intentions and positive vibes. Everybody seems happy and doesn’t care about the world and what it can offer to them. Their friendly and welcoming gestures are manifestations of their zest for life despite of their conditions. Love and sharing abound in the place. Everybody is family and in my heart I can feel that the place is overflowing with love. No wonder my baby doesn’t want to go home everytime she lands her foot in the place.
One unforgetable experience during one of our visit made me pondered on the true meaning of unselfish giving. When we went there one Saturday afternoon, I decided to bring some munchies for the kids to eat. Our way of thanking them for their goodness and hospitality. For reaching out and playing with my baby girl.
I was surprised, when in return a boy orphan handed my baby his favorite toy – a yellow plastic ball and another baby girl named Rosemarie offered her favorite blue dress.
I was left teary-eyed.
These kids had such pure and giving hearts.
At first, I am compelled not to accept the items. I knew that having less in life, these things are precious to them – or means everything to them. In their world of nothingness, these items might be treasures in their eyes and taking it might be inflicting pain.
But all the while, I thought refusing would means robbing them the chance to experience the joy of giving. These items were given out of pure intentions – from the gratefulness and goodness of a child's heart. I can see the delight in their eyes when they offered it to my daughter which made me decide to graciously accept it.
That experience taught me what it means to truly give with a cheerful and grateful heart. The orphans might have understood what Blessed Teresa of Calcutta once said when she exhorted “give until it hurts”.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
How to Teach Honesty to Kids
For most parents with growing up kids, raising an honest child might be an arduous and a challenging responsibility. Given the vast and strong media influence that sometimes edify distorted moral values, parents nowadays find it hard to inculcate in the young minds of their kids the value of honesty. But according to Mary Vanclay in her article entitled “The Honest Child: How to Teach Honesty”, there are helpful tips parents can do to teach their child the importance of telling the truth.
AVOID LABELS. Parents out of anger unintentionally say unpleasant words to their kids. They failed to realize that kids live up to the labels we place upon them. Call them a liar and overtime they may start to believe in and live up to the label. Parents should tame their tongue not to label their kids to the person they don’t want them to be.
DON’T GIVE YOUR KIDS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIE. Avoid asking questions when you already know the answer. If you’re quite sure your child hasn’t cleaned her room, instead of asking, “Did you clean the room?, it would be better to ask her the reason why she wasn’t able to clean her room. Asking the “why” question allows your child to explain his behavior rather than setting a stage for a lie.
FIND THE REASON BEHIND THE LYING. “Children can learn to be dishonest out of fear for the consequences of their actions or by following the examples of others.”,says Dr. Harold Sala, author of the book, Raising Godly Kids. Enough good reasons why your child deserves to be heard. An open and free communication with your child about the reason why she lied would create a loving atmosphere. Stressing to your child your disapproval of her not telling the truth but still assuring your unconditional love and acceptance will surely encourage her to be honest with you no matter what the consequences may be. One good way to encourage honesty is to praise or reward your child if she tells the truth.
KEEP YOUR COOL. "Where did we ever get the crazy idea that in order to make children do better, first we have to make them feel worse?" says Jane Nelsen, author of the Positive Discipline book series. "Most punishment comes out of anger — and then we’ve taken the child totally out of any learning mode, because now she’s feeling defensive or afraid."
SET A GOOD EXAMPLE. Parents should model honesty to their children. As they say, the best way to teach honesty is to be honest. Parents should be extra careful not to say a lie especially if their children are around. A simple scenario if she hears you call in sick for work when you’re fine or lie about her age so you can avail of a discount on her fare ticket would send her a message that it is acceptable to say a lie.
Honesty does have a price, and it’s worth paying it now.
Life's An Amazing Race
“Congratulations, you’re team No. 1, you’re the first team to arrive.”
If you’re a certified reality show fanatic, you can easily recognize those familiar words of Phil Keoghan, host of the hit reality show AMAZING RACE. He usually utters those words, every time the first team arrives at the pit stop of each leg of the race.
The AMAZING RACE is just one of the many foreign reality television game shows invading our local television scene . It is a game show produced by CBS in the US in which teams of two race around the world in competition with other teams.Contestants strive to arrive first at the end of each leg to avoid the possibility of elimination. Unfortunately, in an elimination race, the last pair to arrive gets eliminated. Teams are progressively eliminated until three teams are left. At that point, the team who arrives first in the final leg wins the much-coveted one million dollar prize.
As a contest mechanic, the contestants will travel to different countries and various continents until they will reach the final destination – the final pit stop- which is the culmination of the entire race . At the initial race, they will be given initial directions on the first place to go to get the next clue. In order to reach the destination, the team will travel or drive by themselves, relying only on the information they can get from the travel map, clues and directions and some by asking information from the folks living in the area. Route markers also serves as helpful hints for them to reach the exact destination. But along the way, the race doesn’t guarantee an easy journey. Aside from the difficulty of reaching the exact spot, there are physically-demanding tasks that should be accomplished in order to be handed a clue for the next destination. These tasks come in the form of DETOUR, ROADBLOCKS,YIELD AND FASTFORWARD.
A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its own pros and cons. Teams must successfully complete one of the tasks described on the clue in order to receive their next clue.
A Roadblock is a task that only one team member may perform. Before heading into a Roadblock, teams read a vague clue about the task to come, e.g., "Who’s really hungry?" (for an ostrich-egg eating challenge), or "Who wants to get down and dirty?" (for a task involving making mud bricks).
Yield allows any one team to force another team to stop racing for a predetermined amount of time.
The Fast Forward allows the team that receives it to skip all remaining tasks on that leg of the race and proceed directly to the Pit Stop.
Admittedly, I first ignored the show when it was shown over a local channel. I find it senseless for cameras to follow infamous personalities who keeps on running and running as if there’s no tomorrow. It was only when I am able to sit down and started watching the show from start to end that I am able to appreciate the excitement that it can entice to its would-be viewers. I began to feel the thrill of watching teams compete with each other, outsmarting each other by courageously doing each tasks, racing as they hurtle with time, and even doing dirty tricks just to be the first team to land on the pit stop mat.
But I realized that aside from the excitement it can bring, the show offers a clear picture of our daily complexities in life. That looking in a deeper light, the show conveys similarities to our journey in this temporal world towards a destination.
One AMAZING RACE episode that I can still remember is that when a couple decided to give up their backpack so they can run fast and land first at the pit stop. Those extra baggages in their back hamper them from running as fast as they can to win the race. The symbolic giving up of backpack could mean giving up material things for a higher gain. Giving up things for a nobler purpose. I’m sure letting go of these things isn’t easy but it’s the only and the surest way not to be left behind and win the race.
Majority of us in this modern and hedonistic world, are pack rats who like to collect and transport stuffs. In our journey in life we tend to bring extra baggages that will make our journey tedious and tiring, uncomfortable, complicated and less enjoyable. We are overshadowed by the importance that it can provide us that we always brought them along wherever we go. These extra baggages come in different forms and sizes. It could be unfulfilled dreams and desires, failed relationships, shameful and dark past, unreconciled relationships, strong materialistic pursuits, greed for fame and power, fear, unresolved guilt, strong need for approval. The list is endless. What most of us failed to realize is that those extra weight could deter us from winning our race in life.
Relating to life, DETOURS are life crossroads. Situations wherein we are torn between a decision and options. Difficult moments to decide what in our life are worth letting go and worth keeping. An inspiration I browsed from www.authenticity-road.com states that life is a highway with roads which can be maddeningly circuitous, boringly linear, painfully narrow, amazingly wide, sadly short, or, interminably long. In life, there are several pathways laid before us that we find it difficult and confusing to decide what path to take. Due to uncertainty of our decisions, there is an accompanying risk in possibly making the wrong choice.
ROADBLOCKS are life situations that will test our independence and our courage to let go of our co-dependency and attachments – our attachment to people, materials things and places. One unforgettable roadblock task I watched happened in India that required the African American wife to give up her hair in exchange of a clue. Giving up her crowning glory is hard for the woman but she decided to let go of her attachment because that’s the only way to continue the race. The hapless husband was brought to tears. In the end, the sacrifice is worth the effort because they won the race. This is probably what author Mike Murdock refers as “experiencing a season of pain to create an eternity of gain.”
YIELDS comes in the forms of difficult people who will pull us down. In our life, there will always be negative people who will pissed us off and make our life miserable. These people will be an inevitable part of our journey so its just in the manner of how we handle them that lie the challenge. According to Donna Beal, “Difficult people are God’s sandpaper to smooth out the rough edges of our personalities.”
FASTFORWARD are life’s unexpected blessings and surprises. They comes in the forms of life’s extra comfort and convenience and answered prayers. Situations that will give us reason to look up to heaven and say “Thank you, Lord.”
God intended each one of us to enjoy our journey. He wanted us to travel light so we won’t be having difficulty carrying our backpack. He desires us all to enjoy every moment of our journey by journeying with Him and allowing Him to direct us to the right path. One beautiful promise can be found in Jn 8:12 when He said, “I am the Light of the World, anyone who follows Me will not walk in the dark; he will have the light of life.” He gives us DIRECTIONS for us to reach our destinations. In the Bible, Jesus said, “I am the Way, The Truth and The Life” (Jn 14:16). He wants us to recognize Him in the face of ordinary people because He is with us in our daily walk.
But due to our human frailties, we tend to run so fast that we miss the joy that goes with our journey. We are so preoccupied with the daily hustle and bustle of living, we hurtle with time as if life is a race and there will be no tomorrow. Even though God sent us clear directions by giving us signs, maps and route markers, still we stumble in choosing the wrong path. The enjoyable walk in our journey becomes a race always battling with time. Worst of all, like the disciples in the Road to Emmaus, we didn’t notice God walking with us. We only notice Him when we fall.
Brothers and sisters, our Catholic faith dictates that our life on this earth is a temporary journey and that we are only stewards of our life. Even though in this life, we all travel in different paths, follow different directions and embark on different journeys, in the end, we are heading towards one destination – our eternal home. Let us allow Jesus to direct us towards the right path. Let us allow Him to be our tour guide and open our hearts for Him to be our sole travel companion. After all, in the end, what matters when we came face to face with our Heavenly Father is for Him to smile at us and say, “Congratulations, my son, you’ve ran a good race.”
New Beginnings
At 32, I must have thought I've learned a lot from life.
Borrowing the concept from writer Bum Tenorio, Jr., in my silence, I interviewed myself and culled 32 simple or not-so-simple things I learned about life.
1. Being born unfortunate is not a license to an unfortunate future. It doesn’t matter who you are today, what matters is who you will become tomorrow.
2. People tend to ask themselves why they failed in an endeavor not realizing they failed not in the execution but in planning.
3. Say “10Q” even if the situation doesn’t requires you to say so.
4. Write down your life greatest dreams and aspirations and read it as often as you can.
5. The purpose of our existence is not merely existing but to live our existence. Our actions, plans, and decisions should revolve around that purpose.
6. Respect your spouse - it is one of the proven secret formula of a lasting married life.
7. Keep your passions burning. Winners are people who desperately pursue what they badly want.
8. Take a daily dose of prayer. Prayer in absolute trust and surrender sweeps out anxieties, worries, fears and doubts. Above all, it gives peace the world can't give.
9. Believe in God’s mighty hands working in your life. If things get wrong, believe that all things pass through His gentle hands. God writes straight through crooked lines.
10. Smile, smile and smile. It is the secret of a lasting youthful glow.
11. Difficult people are inevitable part of your life. You cannot avoid them but you can choose to love them.
12. Build your life on solid ground. Your good values, morals and sound principles are the strong foundations of your life.
13. Good things will come to those who wait. Patience is a virtue.
14. Hug your loved ones and say “I love you” as often as you can. Tomorrow might be too late.
15. Call each person by his or her name. It is one of the commandments of human relations.
16. Be genuinely interested in people - even if they aren’t interesting enough.
17. Take charge of your own life because nobody else will.
18. Enjoy your journey in this race called life. Take Jesus as your travel companion.
19. Laugh and laugh as often as you can.
20. Focus on the positive side of life. Be an optimist. You are far more blessed than anyone.
21. Forget all the hurts people have caused you but dwell on the good things they’ve done.
22. Your earning capacity is dependent on your self-image. Start expanding your psychological wallet. God desires you to be financially blessed so you can be a blessing to others.
23. During difficult decision moments, let go and let God.
24. All addictions - drugs, alcohol, material or sexual is a manifestation of a psychological hunger for love.
25. Don’t be afraid to try. Trying isn’t always associated with failing.
26. “Whatever comes our way, whatever battle we are raging inside, we always have a choice. My friend Harry taught me that. He chose to be the best of himself. It’s the choice that makes us who we are, and we can choose to do what is right.” (as quoted from the movie “SPIDERMAN 3″)
27. Hopeless and desperate situations aren’t forever. There will always be a way out. All sufferings and hardships will come to an end.
28. Happiness is relative on one’s perspective on it. A person with a single centavo can be happier compared to a man with a million dollar bucks.
29. Business people are sharks. In order to survive in the highly competitive corporate world, you have to swim with the sharks.
30. Married life isn't a walk in the park. You have to talk while you walk to get there.
31. The greatest gift a man can have is the gift of being a father.
32. Happiness is always a choice.
Borrowing the concept from writer Bum Tenorio, Jr., in my silence, I interviewed myself and culled 32 simple or not-so-simple things I learned about life.
1. Being born unfortunate is not a license to an unfortunate future. It doesn’t matter who you are today, what matters is who you will become tomorrow.
2. People tend to ask themselves why they failed in an endeavor not realizing they failed not in the execution but in planning.
3. Say “10Q” even if the situation doesn’t requires you to say so.
4. Write down your life greatest dreams and aspirations and read it as often as you can.
5. The purpose of our existence is not merely existing but to live our existence. Our actions, plans, and decisions should revolve around that purpose.
6. Respect your spouse - it is one of the proven secret formula of a lasting married life.
7. Keep your passions burning. Winners are people who desperately pursue what they badly want.
8. Take a daily dose of prayer. Prayer in absolute trust and surrender sweeps out anxieties, worries, fears and doubts. Above all, it gives peace the world can't give.
9. Believe in God’s mighty hands working in your life. If things get wrong, believe that all things pass through His gentle hands. God writes straight through crooked lines.
10. Smile, smile and smile. It is the secret of a lasting youthful glow.
11. Difficult people are inevitable part of your life. You cannot avoid them but you can choose to love them.
12. Build your life on solid ground. Your good values, morals and sound principles are the strong foundations of your life.
13. Good things will come to those who wait. Patience is a virtue.
14. Hug your loved ones and say “I love you” as often as you can. Tomorrow might be too late.
15. Call each person by his or her name. It is one of the commandments of human relations.
16. Be genuinely interested in people - even if they aren’t interesting enough.
17. Take charge of your own life because nobody else will.
18. Enjoy your journey in this race called life. Take Jesus as your travel companion.
19. Laugh and laugh as often as you can.
20. Focus on the positive side of life. Be an optimist. You are far more blessed than anyone.
21. Forget all the hurts people have caused you but dwell on the good things they’ve done.
22. Your earning capacity is dependent on your self-image. Start expanding your psychological wallet. God desires you to be financially blessed so you can be a blessing to others.
23. During difficult decision moments, let go and let God.
24. All addictions - drugs, alcohol, material or sexual is a manifestation of a psychological hunger for love.
25. Don’t be afraid to try. Trying isn’t always associated with failing.
26. “Whatever comes our way, whatever battle we are raging inside, we always have a choice. My friend Harry taught me that. He chose to be the best of himself. It’s the choice that makes us who we are, and we can choose to do what is right.” (as quoted from the movie “SPIDERMAN 3″)
27. Hopeless and desperate situations aren’t forever. There will always be a way out. All sufferings and hardships will come to an end.
28. Happiness is relative on one’s perspective on it. A person with a single centavo can be happier compared to a man with a million dollar bucks.
29. Business people are sharks. In order to survive in the highly competitive corporate world, you have to swim with the sharks.
30. Married life isn't a walk in the park. You have to talk while you walk to get there.
31. The greatest gift a man can have is the gift of being a father.
32. Happiness is always a choice.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Rebuild what you call "Home"
Ang kuya ko adik
MY ELDER BROTHER IS AN ADDICT.
Pag gutom siya,
WHEN HE’S HUNGRY
Hindi niya nararamdaman ang sakit
HE DOESN’T FEEL THE PAIN.
Nagra-rugby lang siya,,
HE JUST SNIFFS SOLVENT,
Solb na..
AND IT’S ALRIGHT.
Gusto ko
WHAT I WANT TO BE
Paglaki ko
WHEN I GROW UP
Adik din ako.
IS TO ALSO BE AN ADDICT.
Para pag gutom ako,
SO THAT WHEN I’M HUNGRY
Hindi ko rin mararamdaman ang sakit
I ALSO WON’T FEEL THE PAIN
Alexander
7 Years old
Payatas 13, Quezon City
(text taken from GAWAD KALINGA Primer)
Alexander is just one of the many faces of poverty in our society today. At such a young age, his impoverished condition forces him to face the cruelties of life just to survive. Left with no choice but to embrace the harshness and ruthlessness that life has to offer for the unfortunate. His innocent words convey the inculpable cry of hopelessness and despair. His young forlorn-looking and tattered face mirrors the mentality of helplessness, confusion and impotence. For him and his kuya, survival depends on that plastic of solvent. For them, life means survival of the fittest.
Sad to note that 70% of the Filipinos belong to Class E a technical description of the socio-economic status of those who have no home, no job, and eat only once a day. Local pollster Social Weather Station, even cited that as of the fourth quarter of 2006, the incidence of hunger in the country has reach a new high. Poverty surge in our country seems to be a recurring dilemma that appears to halt no more. Just like any raging war, the battle against poverty proves no promise of winning in the end.
But who is to blame? Some blame their unfortunate situations on their irresponsible parents for not giving them a good life. Activists and militant groups point to the lack of government support and corrupt public officials as the main culprit. Some believe their case is hopeless and so there is no way of getting out. Others perceive it as just pure bad luck and fate. But on top of all these reasons, I believe it is also a valid point to stress that POVERTY IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUE. And I have the following explanation to emphasize my view.
Catholic lay preacher and author Bo Sanchez in the Kerygma Magazine January 2003 issue exhorted that one of the biggest obstacles he faced in trying to lift people from poverty is what he refers as HOMING INSTINCT. And he explained how it works in this way, as quoted :
“The people I tried to help were born poor. At the core of their being,they defined themselves as poor. If I give them a new home or a scholarship or a tiny business a part of their unconscious minds would rebel. Something screamed within them. This is not me! This is not my home! Fear of the unknown set in. And suddenly they want out. So they sabotaged their new path . They got into drugs again. Or they got pregnant out of wedlock. Or they married an irresponsible bum. So they lost the scholarship. They lost the house. They lost the tiny business. By doing so, they recreated what they had been used to. They were back home. Even if it was a home called poverty.”
I can’t help but agree with the preacher’s exhortation. Although not all, but there are some people who are born poor and think they should breath poverty the rest of their lives. For them, being born from poor parents is a license to poverty. Their mindset dictates they don’t deserve a place in the sun. So they never care to have the drive and ambition to rise from the pit of poverty that they are into. They allow their low self-esteem, financial constraint, hopelessness and unfortunate situations to stuck them forever in the pit called poverty. They just watch things happen instead of making things happen in their lives.
Idealistic as I may appear to you, but I believe WE NEED TO HAVE THE INITIATIVE TO CHANGE OUR LIVES FOR THE BETTER. We need to initiate and start it ourselves because nobody else will. After all, we are the only initiator, decision-maker, catalyst and agent of change in our lives. As architects of our lives, the future of our masterpiece lies in our very own hands and our dreams and aspirations should be its blueprint. I loved it when World Entreprenuer Awardee, Nabi Sale exclaims, “You must have a dream, and it has to be bigger than yourself.”
Rebuilding what we perceived HOME won’t happen overnight. Just as Rome was not built in a day, it takes years and years of hardwork, perseverance and persistence for you to change and elevate your social condition. It requires ample belief in yourself, in God, and in your dreams. Believe in the fullness of life that God desires for his children . Believe in the power of your dreams. Believe that you can achieve your goals if you will pursue it with avowed intent and desperation. Believe that if there are people who came from humble beginnings but made it to the top, then, surely you can.
Winding up, I must agree with what Nobel Prize winner Jacques Monod when she says, “Between the great things we cannot do and the small things we will not do, the danger is that we shall do nothing.”
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MY ELDER BROTHER IS AN ADDICT.
Pag gutom siya,
WHEN HE’S HUNGRY
Hindi niya nararamdaman ang sakit
HE DOESN’T FEEL THE PAIN.
Nagra-rugby lang siya,,
HE JUST SNIFFS SOLVENT,
Solb na..
AND IT’S ALRIGHT.
Gusto ko
WHAT I WANT TO BE
Paglaki ko
WHEN I GROW UP
Adik din ako.
IS TO ALSO BE AN ADDICT.
Para pag gutom ako,
SO THAT WHEN I’M HUNGRY
Hindi ko rin mararamdaman ang sakit
I ALSO WON’T FEEL THE PAIN
Alexander
7 Years old
Payatas 13, Quezon City
(text taken from GAWAD KALINGA Primer)
Alexander is just one of the many faces of poverty in our society today. At such a young age, his impoverished condition forces him to face the cruelties of life just to survive. Left with no choice but to embrace the harshness and ruthlessness that life has to offer for the unfortunate. His innocent words convey the inculpable cry of hopelessness and despair. His young forlorn-looking and tattered face mirrors the mentality of helplessness, confusion and impotence. For him and his kuya, survival depends on that plastic of solvent. For them, life means survival of the fittest.
Sad to note that 70% of the Filipinos belong to Class E a technical description of the socio-economic status of those who have no home, no job, and eat only once a day. Local pollster Social Weather Station, even cited that as of the fourth quarter of 2006, the incidence of hunger in the country has reach a new high. Poverty surge in our country seems to be a recurring dilemma that appears to halt no more. Just like any raging war, the battle against poverty proves no promise of winning in the end.
But who is to blame? Some blame their unfortunate situations on their irresponsible parents for not giving them a good life. Activists and militant groups point to the lack of government support and corrupt public officials as the main culprit. Some believe their case is hopeless and so there is no way of getting out. Others perceive it as just pure bad luck and fate. But on top of all these reasons, I believe it is also a valid point to stress that POVERTY IS A PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUE. And I have the following explanation to emphasize my view.
Catholic lay preacher and author Bo Sanchez in the Kerygma Magazine January 2003 issue exhorted that one of the biggest obstacles he faced in trying to lift people from poverty is what he refers as HOMING INSTINCT. And he explained how it works in this way, as quoted :
“The people I tried to help were born poor. At the core of their being,they defined themselves as poor. If I give them a new home or a scholarship or a tiny business a part of their unconscious minds would rebel. Something screamed within them. This is not me! This is not my home! Fear of the unknown set in. And suddenly they want out. So they sabotaged their new path . They got into drugs again. Or they got pregnant out of wedlock. Or they married an irresponsible bum. So they lost the scholarship. They lost the house. They lost the tiny business. By doing so, they recreated what they had been used to. They were back home. Even if it was a home called poverty.”
I can’t help but agree with the preacher’s exhortation. Although not all, but there are some people who are born poor and think they should breath poverty the rest of their lives. For them, being born from poor parents is a license to poverty. Their mindset dictates they don’t deserve a place in the sun. So they never care to have the drive and ambition to rise from the pit of poverty that they are into. They allow their low self-esteem, financial constraint, hopelessness and unfortunate situations to stuck them forever in the pit called poverty. They just watch things happen instead of making things happen in their lives.
Idealistic as I may appear to you, but I believe WE NEED TO HAVE THE INITIATIVE TO CHANGE OUR LIVES FOR THE BETTER. We need to initiate and start it ourselves because nobody else will. After all, we are the only initiator, decision-maker, catalyst and agent of change in our lives. As architects of our lives, the future of our masterpiece lies in our very own hands and our dreams and aspirations should be its blueprint. I loved it when World Entreprenuer Awardee, Nabi Sale exclaims, “You must have a dream, and it has to be bigger than yourself.”
Rebuilding what we perceived HOME won’t happen overnight. Just as Rome was not built in a day, it takes years and years of hardwork, perseverance and persistence for you to change and elevate your social condition. It requires ample belief in yourself, in God, and in your dreams. Believe in the fullness of life that God desires for his children . Believe in the power of your dreams. Believe that you can achieve your goals if you will pursue it with avowed intent and desperation. Believe that if there are people who came from humble beginnings but made it to the top, then, surely you can.
Winding up, I must agree with what Nobel Prize winner Jacques Monod when she says, “Between the great things we cannot do and the small things we will not do, the danger is that we shall do nothing.”
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Friday, May 6, 2011
Manny Pacquiao's Yellow Campaign
"All my life I have had to fight. At first as a child I had to fight just to get something to eat. I believe this world needs new heroes. The biggest fight in my life is not boxing but it is now to end poverty in my country".
Such an admirable and moving words from RP's boxing superstar Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao during the Final Press Conference of his fight with Shane Mosley.
Yes, he is true. The world needs more heroes. Heroes like him, who not only has a heart for the poor but also felt their hapless plight and responded to their cry of hopelessness. He truly understood how it is to be one having came from humble beginning.
To prove his "fight against poverty" advocacy he had worn yellow gloves and encouraged boxing fans to wear yellow as a sign of support. during his fight where he came victorious in the end.
Manny is not only a boxing champion. His advocacies in helping the poor surely made him not only a sports hero but a true champion of the cause of the poor. Such greatness and concern for the needy made me respect and admire him more.
May his tribe increase.
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