The girl who beats life, then and again.

2009 Holidays and Long Weekends

2009-07-28T06:42:00.000-07:00

For more roadtrips and out of town getaways, here is the list of the holidays and long weekends for this year. Cheers! :)

2009 HOLIDAYS AND LONG WEEKENDS

* January 1 (Thu) - New Year's Day
* January 2 (Fri) - Non-Working Holiday (four-day weekend from January 1 to 4)
* April 6 (Mon) - Moved Holiday for Araw ng Kagitingan (three-day weekend from April 4 to 6)
* April 9 (Thu) - Holy Thursday / Araw ng Kagitingan
* April 10 (Fri) - Good Friday (four-day weekend from April 9 to 12)
* May 1 (Fri) - Labor Day (three-day weekend from May 1 to 3)
* June 12 (Fri) - Independence Day (three-day weekend from June 12 to 14)
* August 21 (Fri) - Ninoy Aquino Day (three-day weekend from August 21 to 23)
* August 31 (Mon) - National Heroes Day (three-day weekend from August 29 to 31)
* September 29 (Tue) - Eid'l Fitr (tentative)
* November 1 (Sun) - All Saints Day
* November 2 (Mon) - Non-Working Holiday (three-day weekend from October 31 to November 2)
* November 27 & 28 (Fri & Sat) - Eid al-Adha
* November 30 (Mon) - Bonifacio Day (four-day weekend from November 27 to 30)
* December 24 (Thu) - Non-Working Holiday
* December 25 (Fri) - Christmas (four-day weekend from December 24 to 27)
* December 30 (Wed) - Rizal Day
* December 31 (Thu) - Non-Working Holiday
* January 1 - (Fri) New Year's Day (five-day weekend from December 30 to January 3)

40 THINGS WOMEN SHOULD KNOW

2009-06-30T05:00:00.000-07:00

I got this from a friend, posted it in my Multiply page and here it is now =)

40 THINGS WOMEN SHOULD KNOW

1. If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away. If he doesn't want you, nothing can make him stay.

2. Stop making excuses for a man and his behavior.

3. If you have ANY doubt in your mind about a man's character, leave him alone.

4. Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache.

5. Stop trying to change yourself for a relationship that's not meant to be.

6. Don't force an attraction.

7. Slower is better.

8. Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy.

9. If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve then heck no you can't "be friends." A friend wouldn't mistreat a friend.

10. Have faith in God regarding your relationship, but don't let faith make you stupid. God does things decent and in order.

11. Don't settle.

12. If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is.

13. If he keeps changing his mind about the relationship--take that as a BIG sign that he is unstable. Do you really want to be with a man like that?

14. Don't stay because you think "it will get better." You'll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better.

15. Honorable men take care of their business and aren't involved in a whole lot of mess.

16. The only person you can control in a relationship is you.

17. There's only one 'reason' a man dumps you; he doesn't want you.

18. Avoid men who've got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women. He didn't marry them when he got them pregnant, why would he treat you any differently?

19. You really do have to kiss a few frogs before finding the prince.

20. Always put yourself and your happiness first.

21. Always have your own set of friends separate from his.

22. Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you. If something bothers you, speak up.

23. Like from the show Sex and the City, if he doesn't call, he just isn't that interested.

24. Be honest and upfront.

25. Know when to cut the cord, don't be strung along.

26. Don't fall for the "I'm confused role". Remove yourself from the situation to let him figure things out

27. If you want to have a clue as to how he will treat you, watch how he treats the WOMEN in his family (not just mom).

28. There's more than physical abuse, there's emotional and mental abuse. If he causes any of them...flee.

29. You cannot change a man's behaviors. Change comes from within.

30. Don't let him place rules on you that he is not willing to follow himself -- double-standard.

31. Don't EVER make him feel he is more important than you are...even if he has more education or in a better job.

32. Do not make him into a quasi-god. He is a man, nothing more nothing less.

33. Demand respect and if he can't give it, he can't have you!

34. Don't compete with other woman, but be aware that men are attracted to what they see.

35. If you think he is cheating, he probably is. Confront him right away and if you feel he's lying, let him go.

36. Actions speak louder than words.

37. Never let a man define who you are.

38. Never rely on a man for compliments, look to yourself for that.

39. Never borrow someone else's man.

40. If he cheated with you, he'll cheat on you.

Bringing Hope to the Filipino Nation

2009-06-30T04:55:00.000-07:00

My PA 11 paper 3 years ago.

The task of nation building is indeed massive, but the challenge is not insurmountable if all Filipinos learn to work together. Not one group or agency can do it alone. Government is not hopeless, but it is helpless without the support of civil society. Each Filipino must take part in realizing the dream of the Filipino nation rebuilt. So I would like you to see this not as the absence of the government but a collective effort initiated by the civil society to alleviate suffering from poverty and rebuild the nation.

Gawad Kalinga (GK) is a movement aiming at building integrated and sustainable communities focusing first and foremost on depressed areas throughout the Philippines then the world. Not one organization has the capability to rebuild the country, not even the government. The challenge that lies before them, the very stability and growth of a people and nation, compels more and more of us to work together because GK believes that when you give people better chances, you’re giving them access to better life.

This movement doesn’t only help the poorest of the poor but also those people who need helping. They start with establishing caring relationships with those who are among the most used, abused and neglected of society. GK then moves quickly to help restore the dignity of the poor and marginalized and revitalize their capacity to hope and dream.

In 2005, UP Gawad Kalinga was established and just after a year, membership boomed to three hundred proving it to be one of the fastest growing organizations in the campus. But unlike the GK National, as what we refer the mother movement, UP Gawad Kalinga is being organized by students with the primary aim of involving the whole UP community in this great cause. Now, that this student-led organization is handling its own GK community popularly called Iskolar ng Bayan GK Central at Brgy.Culiat, Central Avenue, Quezon City, efforts must be doubled as time and resources must be spent wisely.

As of November of this year, 5 houses are ready for occupancy, 5 more are on its way and these are made possible by the students and donors who are giving assistance not just financially and more importantly, manpower. One example is the 1^st Mega build at the site last November 25, 2006 attended by more than 300 people. Students from various colleges and different affiliations worked together and exemplified Bayanihan with the residents of the GK Village. Seeing these people happy despite their situation is a humbling experience.

Equipped with the knowledge that more than half of the Filipino population live below poverty line, being poor is not something to be ashamed of but doing nothing to change the state of affairs is. The gap between the rich and the poor is incessantly widening. A bridge must soon be made.

Providing basic services should be the government’s major concern. If only 5 families are affected by poverty, illiteracy and hunger it is just a personal trouble but if half of the 82 million population of the country are living in the same state, we already have a crisis. Free, quality based basic education and reliable health care are needed but the question of the capability of the government to provide such services must also be raised.

The government won’t be able to live by itself alone. The three sectors of public administration are interwoven in such a way that it would be impossible to live without each other. So I define Public Administration as the collective effort of the government, the civil society and the business sector to properly address and take action to the economic, political and social issues. But are they able to? One common reason of the inefficiency of the government to address our problems is corruption. Caiden wrote that corruption is still a way of life in low income countries where public employment depended on one’s having the right connections is grossly overstaffed for the limited workload. Paying people 10 people to do the job of one is stupidity and a waste of the government’s money.

As far as I know, Sweden is the only country brave enough to open its documents to the public. Doing the same in the Philippines will only unearth anomalous dealings, uncharacteristic transactions and would only attest the inefficiency of many of our public offices. We’ve set so high expectations of the government but our responsibilities must also be fulfilled for it to function better. .People also tend to think that if an institution is handled by a civilian, it would function better. We, citizens are so idealistic that we are so into our imaginary kind of society. We focus more on what ought to be that what really is in front of us. The sad part is they won’t be able to please everybody, whatever the government do or how much effort they exert.

The ordinance banning the use of Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) in refrigerators and air conditioners satisfied environmentalists but displeased the producer companies because it would mean remodelling which in turn means extra cost. The clearing of the “bangketas” of illegal vendors pleased Department of Tourism and other concerned people but it certainly infuriated the vendors. Working for the government is no easy job.

Making our nation productive and prosperous is not just the job of the government. Each Filipino citizen has a vital role to play because we must all administer the public for public administration, as Waldo has stated, is a rational human cooperation calculated to realize given desired goals with minimum loss to the realization of other goals. And the statement given is so like Gawad Kalinga.

GK reflects the determination of its partners to heal relationships in society, from within the family to the national environment. Rebuilding broken relationships translates to bridging gaps between people, and opens new and unlimited opportunities for human interaction and the exchange of resources.

GK defines resources as beyond the monetary to that which has value to life and community. That is why GK goes beyond the management of funds to the management of relationships and sharing of resources. Architects and engineers design houses and create color schemes, doctors and nurses can attend to the people's health, teachers can contribute their time and knowledge to the young, and business leaders can tutor others towards economic enterprises

GK envisions empowered communities whose residents are not just receivers but are givers as well. The work is not about charity, but stewardship. It is about uplifting the dignity of the poor by building their capacity to respond to opportunities and enabling them to reach their highest potential and by doing such, we create heroes. Not dead heroes of history but ordinary men and women who choose to make sacrifices for the greater good. In Gawad Kalinga, you don’t need to die to be a hero because what our country needs is living heroes.

The Fading Afterglow of EDSA

2009-06-30T04:50:00.000-07:00

Something I wrote a year or so ago.

It was already 1:30pm and I was in MB 329, waiting for Ms. Fabios, our Math professor when a magazine on my seatmate's table caught my attention. Its cover is this huge hand illustrating the Laban sign which is prevalently used during the time of Cory and under it reads “Culture in POLITICS”. I got curious so I borrowed it and dashed downstairs to have it photocopied and when I went back, our teacher was already there. haha That’s another story.

Many have discussed and tried to give reason to the People Power Revolution being the most powerful tool for governmental change but come to think of it, after three EDSAs ( if we will consider the after-Erap rally as EDSA 3) we are somewhat in the same state as we are in the past and maybe worse. From where I see it, it’s only the personality that is changing, not the corrupt acts, the culture of tolerance nor the flawed system of patronage and political dynasties. When will we learn?

EDSA used to represent the promise of freedom and democracy but as its afterglow fades along with the return of traditional politics and the recycling of discredited figures from the old regimes, its promise has been whittled away by disappointments, failures at seizing revolutionary initiatives and the repeated fraudulent acts involving the people’s money and trust.

Since the First EDSA, many features have sprouted in our political landscape even as the old forces continue to strengthen their hold on the spoils of power. Let me point out at least two new elements in our political culture that have quietly surfaced and need close watching.

“One is the quite novel sight of the poor getting politicized, whether as grassroots communities experiencing a degree of empowerment through civil society interventions, or as an electoral base for politicians that are quite savvy in manipulating traditional values for their own ends. The other is the rise of religious movements that by their sheer number have muscled their way into gaining political clout.”

Looking at history, people who have less have tended to be distant, alienated for the centers of power and were seen to be politically static but with EDSA Tres, as extremely combustible and manipulable, serving as crowd-for-hire for unscrupulous politicians and movements of various stripes for the destabilization projects of those personalities who know their way into the culture of the poor.

The increasing empowerment at the grassroots level looks like a really good news for governance in this country but it has yet to impact the larger, more powerful structures in the society and it is worth noting that such gains at the micro level can get easily wiped out by political disasters at the macro level.

During elections, the people are not exactly ignorant, nor do they vote for merely mercenary reasons, as recent researches of the Ateneo Institute of Philippine Culture and others show. Voters were generally aware of the track record and level of competence of the candidates. It was just that their preferences had little to do with such factors but mostly with the candidates’ capacity for empathy and ensuring order. On the whole, people choose leaders according to their emotional identification with the candidates and the level at which they are perceived to be potentially responsive to their needs.

Another new element is the increasing influence of religious movement whose vast number has attracted the notice of politicians. We have the most high-profile movement in the last Presidential elections, Jesus is Lord Church which provided grassroots to the failed candidacy of Bro.Eddie Villanueva and Bro.Mike Velarde’s El Shaddai which is said to have been lined up behind the candidacy of the now-deposed president Joseph Estrada.

I personally experienced the influence of these religious movements last Midterm Elections when I served as executive assistant to my tito, who was running for public office in our province. He asked me to draft a plea letter for support addressed to the head of Iglesia ni Cristo because aside from the followers’ 20% salary donated to the Church, they are also encouraged to block vote. This also happens even in the Catholic Church but of course, in different and dirtier forms.

With all these religious movements, we can denote that there is an incipient force of highly committed religious elements who, with sufficient motivation, can be mobilized towards a political cause,vision of transformation or personal advantage of the candidate.

A great deal of the frustration of our hopes in the political arena has to do with the lack of congruence between formal political structures and actual electoral processes. It accounts for the informal pressures exerted on the system by things such as kinship, cronyism or the dense network of loyalties nurtured by the padrino system.

Our recurrent political crises require that we finally pay attention to developing structures that truly fit and provide solutions that will not just cut the problem in the surface but will grab it from its roots.

Love, just like life, is a gamble.

2009-06-30T04:44:00.000-07:00

Who said this is going to be easy?

roller-coaster ride of emotions.

doubts.

what ifs.

what-may-be.

"No one knows exactly what will happen tomorrow so enjoy each day as it comes" as the passe saying goes. Enjoying each day? Well, it was quite hard at first because of several reasons such as I'm not expressive, more often than not, I jump to conclusions and I always go for self preservation. But thinking about it, one wouldn't be truly happy if risks won't be taken. That's why I believe that love, just like life, is a gamble. For every chip being bet on winning, you are aware of the possibility of it losing. You think I'm telling you not to gamble right? Wrong. it's not so much about the end goal but more about the journey because that's where you fall deeper or rise above the water.

For me, it has always been a sure thing.

It's whether I love the person or I do not.

I know. I know. Cheesy! Hopeless romantic or what have you..

but my very own fairy tale is now unfolding..

I may sound like a fool but I'm happy.. very happy..

I hope you too.

Bye for now! :)

I'm back!

2009-06-30T03:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last opened this for reasons others might not understand. Anyway, let me share what happened today. I woke up at around 8am, meaning I still have a lot of time for my 10am class but because of so many things that I did before preparing for school, I was able to leave the house 5 minutes before my class. Thankfully, when I arrived at NCPAG (National College of Public Administration and Governance), that's in UP, my classmate was in the lobby and told me that we had no class.

So after getting my Admin law readings, I went home. Oh not yet! I detoured to KFC to buy some lunch. I was about to order their Wow steak meal when I remember Chip saying that KFC's hot and Crispy chicken is really spicy compared to Jollibee's spicy chicken. I am always in search of spicy food. haha Well, Jollibee uses chili powder to make its chicken taste spicy but that would also mean that it only covers the skin that's why when I ordered there before, I had to ask for extra chili powder. haha Oh well, that's another story.

After KFC, I went home, ate my take out while surfing the net with my readings still untouched on the side. During the course of the afternoon, I read and surfed the net alternately and that's when I received an SMS message from the manager of DQ Eastwood telling me that I really left my wallet there. I called them earlier today to check if I did. I was sooo thankful! When I couldn't find it yesterday, I was about to give up any hope as to the honesty of my fellow Filipinos but now I realized I was wrong. So I hurriedly changed my clothes, went to Landbank to withdraw some money then went straight to Eastwood. But that was after waiting for 20 minutes for a cab in that oh-so-awful-oh-so-wet weather outside.

When I finally got there, I had to wait for a few minutes because there were a lot of customers. That actually made me wonder as to the number of people when it is raining cats and dogs outside. Hmmm. That would be a good topic to study. When the rain subsided a bit so did the number of customers and that's when I finally got my readings! :)

On my way home, the taxi driver was telling me about the fire in Ortigas which is causing traffic there now. He said it's near Tektite Bldg. Then silence fell until we reached Katipunan extension flyover. Traffic was terrible but that's a common happening during rush hour and that was when the driver started talking again, now, about the taxi company he belongs to. But I was thankful he did because I found out that there is a taxi company in the Philippines which gives retirement benefits to their drivers plus SSS, Philhealth and Pag-ibig. If I got it right, the company is called TAI Taxi Company. TAI stands for Toyota Alabang Incorporated because the owner of the taxi company also owns Toyota Alabang. I salute whoever he is for his fair compensation and just benefits to his employees. :D

Change I Believe In

2008-06-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

"I'm asking you to believe, not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington... I'm asking you to believe in yours."

Sen. Barrack Obama

I'm starting to understand why so many people are falling for Obama and not in so distant future, I might be one of them. haha I still am a Hillary girl but as my candidate had already conceded, I, too, must. It isn't a question whether to vote for Clinton or Obama anymore. The primary season has ended. Democrats must now unite.

In these times when we await a momentous episode, we should ask ourselves what we really want because as we move forward, a much bigger challenge is posed before us- change. Change from the old ways of governing that proved to be futile and sanctimonious, change from an administration that is putting more focus on arms than universal health care and quality education and change from a government that seems to care more about eradicating "terrorists" and searching for "invisible" armaments for mass destruction than edifying its people.

Contrary to what my professor in PA 108 told us that there won't be a significant effect on us whoever gets elected president of the United States, I believe that we will be better with Obama being elected especially to our fellow Filipinos living abroad as he is also part of a minority and he is determined to bring about the change- the change we all believe in.

what you learn only in UP

2008-06-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

*A Repost. I've never been more proud to be called ISKOLAR NG BAYAN! ISKOLAR PARA SA BAYAN!

First published 6 June 2008
The Manila Standard Today
INTEGRATIONS
maya baltazar herrera

There are no children here. This week, I went to a meeting at the UP School of Economics and came away with renewed belief in the value of the UP experience.If you speak to anyone from UP – student, professor, alumnus - you will get no Latin slogans or apologies about how the school teaches values in spite of its outward materialism. This is not a student population that thinks about basketball games or memorizes school songs. This is not a school that chooses one statement to drill into the minds of its students. This is not, of course, to say that UP does not care about values. It is that UP, in its own inimitable way, believes that values cannot be force-fed. The statue of the naked man that guards the entrance to the campus in Diliman best represents UP's approach to all education and the respect for students that is the center of its educational philosophy. All who come to this university, regardless of origin, bring themselves naked, carrying nothing but their thirst; like the proverbial empty teacup, making an offering of self, waiting to be filled.

Adults. For many students from private schools, the first lesson that is learned here is that this is a school for adult education. There are no children here, and that is why no parents are allowed either at freshman orientation or during enlistment. The spirit of the oblation lies not in a mother or a father offering up his child to the world, it is that of the newly adult, freely offering of his self. I remember quite vividly that moment that drove home how different the UP education continues to be. It was my daughter's first semester in university and she had invited a group of her high school friends to our house. One of them asked a classmate whether she had gotten her parents permission form approved for that weekend's outreach activity. From the UP population around the table came the mock horrified responses of: "Permission? " and "Outreach?"I thought about it and realized that all of these students were, in fact, legally adults. I thought it interesting that only the UP students appeared to appreciate this fact. Even more interesting was the "outreach" comment. I think back to my own university years and the last three years that my daughter has been in UP and am certain there is no lack of civic activity. There are medical missions, house building projects, tree planting, community work and barrio work and so on. I realize now that the reaction was not to the activity as much as it was to the use of the word. One of the most important differences of the UP campus from all the other campuses my children considered going to is that this campus has no walls. Many parents fear this. They are afraid their precious children will not be protected from the ills of society in a campus that is so open to the rest of the world.But UP is open to the world in more ways than just not having the physical walls.

Community. Being in UP means much more than being a student. This campus is enmeshed in a community. This community is made up not only of the transient population of students who go home at the end of each day. It includes the many, many students who lay their heads on dorm pillows every night, enduring time away from families in the firm belief that this campus will bring them closer to their dreams. This community includes the families of faculty and employees who live on campus. It also includes the many people who do not work for the University, but nevertheless work on campus. This community includes the lady who remembers the brand of cigarette you smoke and automatically hands it to you in the morning. It includes the gentleman who remembers you like pepper on your egg sandwich or the one who knows you will dip your fish balls into two of his sauces and patiently waits for you to eat your three sticks before being paid. It includes the woman who saw all her children through college by selling peanuts every day on campus.To a UP student, the daily heartbeat of the school is never far away from the realities of the country. The word outreach suggests that civic activity is something outside of the normal, something you do once in a while. It must be immensely difficult to think of community as a thing apart when your campus experience brings you face to face with all of the world's realities every day.

Character. All of this probably explains that unmistakable sense of self that you will find from students who come from this campus.Here is a campus where all have the same opportunities to learn. But, also, here is a campus that will give all the same opportunities to fail. There are no guidance counselors who will chase after you because you have been skipping classes. The attitude this university takes is that you must take the initiative – for learning, for seeking help, for realizing you need help. That is not to say that no help exists. But it is help that is not forced upon you.This is a university rich in both introspection and conversation. On this campus, the student is constantly exposed to people – faculty, administrators, community members, other students – who care deeply and passionately about the world. The conversations are almost never purely cerebral. A single graph can provoke comments about government policy and its effects on people.As a result, UP is home to a student population that looks at the world and cares. It is easy to see pictures of protesting students and dismiss it as radicalism. But there are few campuses in this country where students go beyond a passing curiosity about what is happening in the world beyond their own lives. There are even fewer universities where students not only care but also actually believe they have a responsibility to make a difference – not in some hazy future – today.And that, I believe, is what truly forges character. Character is not molded by speeches or long classes in ethics or theology. Character grows from within. It begins by being handed the keys to your own self and being told you are in charge; you now have power over yourself and your own actions – and with that power, you take on responsibilities.Each student in this university goes through his own unique voyage of discovery. On this voyage, as he decides what he cares about, what he will fight for and what he will sacrifice, he crafts his own personal values. That is what education is truly about.

amidst the busy life

2008-06-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

Fast-paced? That's my life. 24 hours of a day seems to be insufficient to be able to do so many things. I'm not complaining. I really love this kind of life coz it suits me great. So if I'll be given superpower, I would either extend the hours of the day or clone myself to accomodate more people because I'm now finding it very hard to be on call.. I've already given up some positions but why am I still so busy? Well.. life that's not busy is boring. I know I'll be bored to death doing nothing. But the feeling of "too much" resurfaces. I've been meaning to slow down, take things as it comes and focus on things that really matter but it seems that's quite a lot. My relationship with friends and acquaintances is suffering coz i find it hard to keep in touch when I have so many things on my mind and my friends, of all people, must understand that. Yes I seem to be the most amiable person in this world but I do really have a problem with "truly" connecting with people. The sustainability of relationships such as friendship is in question everytime I'm out of this world (the term I use when I'm uber busy)

What are the things I've been busy with? Acads (It's very demanding), Sorority work (this has been a lifestyle) reviving our provincial org UP Hingyap, Family (this can be a stress reliever or a destressor) and other personal things.

I must stop, breathe and smile.

I can get this over and done coz I am the girl who beats life, then and again!