On the Military Organization

In the latest issue of the Corps Magazine, an officer wrote an article entitled "The Relativity of being snappy." It was an article marked by an officer's obvious concern over the restlessness of many cadets regarding the many changes and the criticism that they are contended with. It did not only was very logical but it was something that most of us, the cadets. have not seen. We failed to see that there are also others who find certain realities in the Military culture absurd.

I say this because I have always encountered not so good comments about writing things in this blog. Not that I am not able to handle it but because I pity those who fail to see that there is really no contradiction between being a soldier, having a point of view and expressing these views. It is true that our military organization is very rigid, traditional and sometimes harsh. This is the way it has been since time in memorial and to a certain extent, this has also caused some of the lapses in the organization.

In the article that I was talking about, the officer specified about this prevailing belief that those who have come ahead are in a way "more snappy." It seems that they are always right, their ideas are better and in case of any conflict between another, it is the seniority that decides. I believe this is true because in our military culture, the subordinate does not question, he simply follows. This may be beneficial especially in situations that need immediate action, but in the long run the same culture is the very disease that undermines the organization.

The military organization is made up of unique individuals with their own sets of attributes that can be used for the organization. Each one has a role to play to the accomplishment of a task at hand. The thing with the seniority is that, to a certain extent, ideas are not that much evaluated for the simple reason that the organization does not appreciate soldiers who have their view on things. Take the example of the recent comment in this blog saying that I was being very "civies." He was saying that because he has a made up idea on how is it to become a cadet. He has drawn the line on the distinction between the cadet and the civilian. I now wonder, who made this definition? Of course, that comment will just be immortalized and I will not even dare to confront the one who made it for the simple reason that it might come from someone who is my senior. But I will write about it in this blog and hope that the person reads it. Who was it that decided how I should act? Why is it that there is no written directive that I have encountered that specifically defines that I should be like this and like that? Again, it boils down to seniority, its just that he's more senior than I am... end of discussion... I lost.

Now going back to that article, it concluded in saying that by boosting the self esteem of the cadets to be confident in their decision making and going about what they are supposed to do actually strengthens the organization. Instead of the comparing and insist that I undergo the same experience that they went through in the days when having a computer was for the rich people and that cellphones were a status symbol, I would like to think that being overly critical is not contributing anything to me or to how I perform as a soldier. I would like to make the assurance that I am doing the best of what I know I should do in my capacity as a cadet and as a soldier of the people. We may not exactly agree on how I do it but this is my own experience and I am entitled to it.

What makes Recognition Day important

I am not yet in the mood to write the continuation to my series. My mind now is occupied with so many things: a major exam tomorrow and articles for the Corps Magazine that I have to follow-up. I am trying to be calm in lieu of the responsibilities that are now on my shoulders.

Anyway, I haven't really written anything about Recognition Day. Last night, I read a feature article about this year's Recognition Rites and I felt that I just have to write my insight about the event.

This year's recognition day was at the front page of national broadsheets. Although a storm was rampaging Baguio City, the ceremony pushed through while the rest of the world watch us as we insist on doing it despite of the heavy rain. There is something in the ceremony that is more than the eye could see.

To anyone who has been a plebe at one time in his life, Recognition Day is the finish line to everything that makes plebehood bad. In normal days, heavy rains on a saturday was somethign that we cadets celebrate and pray that it will go on the whole day or at least until the afternoon. The reason for that is because we want the parade cancelled. In the day of the Recognition however, all of us were praying that the rain would stop, not because we really wanted to go on parade but because we do not want the ceremony of Recognition for the plebes to lose its essence. For my part it wasn't just reminiscent of my own victory over plebehood, but it was also my victory as a squad leader to the plebes that were about to be recognized. I have had ten plebes under me since I became a second class and I am proud to say that all of them made it to Recognition Day. For me, to shake their hands on that glorious day was also my congratulations that my mission to them was accomplished.

Today, those ten plebes smile everytime they see me. If that was last month, they would have suffered my wrath. I would have asked them to double time and ruin their day. I was not the type of squad leader that the plebes would consider as kind. The fact that I have a history of a plebe having marks on her shin is not something that I am proud of but is a simple illustration that I am not exactly kind to plebes. I made them do exercises for infinite number of repetitions, gave them seemingly impossible orders, tested their physical stamina and endurance and gave them a very hard time even at the most little things. They know that they can not smile at me but now when they do smile, I smile back. I smile back because they have earned their right to smile. People may not be able to understand why something as simple as a smile is a good thing. the truth is in that smile lies the sense of achievement that only those who have been plebes can understand.

Field Trip: Pera sa Basura (part 1 of 4)

"May pera sa Basura." That was how we were welcomed by Engineer Mendoza of the Metro Clark Waste Management Corporation. All of us listened to his orientation. We were inside an air conditioned office space. On one side were trees of all kinds, on the other is a man-made lake and beside it is a mountain. The mountain was actually a huge pile of garbage and the lake beside it was its juice that they call leachate.

Solid waste management has been a perrenial problem. Not just because of the fact that it is waste but also because it is something that is very visible, it is an eye sore. I remember the days when I had to accompany my mother going to Marikina Market. It was during the pre-Bayani Fernando days. When all the vendors begin to sell their products, all the garbage also begins to appear. I hated it. First the water becomes black, then my slippers becomes dirty with the black water, my feet begins to be slippery with the dirt and water combined. By the time it is time to go home, my feet feels (and smells) so bad that I promise myself not to go with my mother again. Well, things did change, lately Marikina has been making good in this area. Going there now, it becomes a pleasant visit and a worthy example of how things are if only people have more responsibility at disposing their garbage.

The orientation continued and then we were given the tour to the site including going to the actual garbage. I realized how our little trashes can grow into huge mountains like the ones in front of me. For most of us, we just do not care and yet we complain of floods, of diseases and other things that have some connection with garbage. The mountain of garbage reminded me of a sense of responsibility in the things that we do.

The next place we went to was Trust International Paper Corporation or TIPCO. It is the largest paper mill in the country and prides itself as the leading supplier of newsprints in the country. Most likely each of us have taken hold of the paper they produce because they are the ones who provide the paper of almost all leading newspapers in the country. What is interesting in this plant is that they use 100 percent waste paper for their products.

Mr Rox Pena, a manager in TIPCO, was the one who brought out the comment on garbage being the most visible pollutant such that it has to be addressed. In his little lecture he said that around 40 percent of all the garbage collected in the country is waste paper and yet his company is not able to retrieve that such that they still have to import waste paper from countries as far as the United States. Imagine how more profitable it is if only we have a system that will retrieve all this waste paper. More than how the paper is made, I took particular attention to their water treatment facility. This ensures that their waste water will not cause harm to society instead it has been used in other useful means. Their fire station boasts of using treated water to put off fires and they have hollowblocks made of clay from their treated water. I guess what is very evident in what they are doing is the sense of responsibility not just for their own personal gain but for the benefit of the wider community.

It is true that there really is money in garbage but more than finding money we should also remember that in everything we do, we should couple it wit a sense of responsibility. Not because it is being good but because it is only by being responsible that we can sustain this world for us to endure and continue living.

Tomorrow, I will introduce you to the birds of Candaba Swamp in Pampanga... till then

The Field Trip (Introduction to a four-part series)

I arrived last night from a very fun filled Field Trip for my Environmental Science Class. I enjoyed it a lot considering that I did not go on break, seeing other people that do not wear the uniform gave me something to be happy about.

Anyway, I have decided to write everything that happened in that trip. I am dividing it into four parts , the first of which will come out tomorrow, if I will have time to write about it. I am still getting all the pictures that I need for the write-up.

To start with, as a somewhat introduction, I will begin to write about the trip as a whole. Personally, there was this sense of urgency in the issues that were brought up in the trip. Although I was more interested in just leaving PMA and have some fun, the idle time inside the bus while going to the next destination became a venue for me to think about what was discussed to me in the sites that we went to. I was not able to resist the temptation of asking the resource speakers questions and express my own opinions regarding their advocacy. Somehow, there was this realization that everything is connected, that no matter how hard we try to find a life, even if we do not care about everything else, it will haunt us. Life should always be in moderation and be lived in a balance that comprises everything that makes this world.. the world.

And so I formally begin this series. In the next four entries, I will write about some realizations in the recent Field Trip that I have. I will write about the thing that I felt on the issues that they brought up. I will write about realizations and some personal decisions that I made in my own. I think the thing tha I can do to help them in some way is to just write about it even here in my little abode in the cyber space. Of course, I will still write about it in other avenues possible, but of course I can not write them all. So this is the introduction to a four part series (so there will be five in the series including this one... ????).

But of course let me just highlight some of the things that happened. These are the things that I may not have a reason to include in the other four write-ups that I will do. The pictures that do not fit... here it is:This was a picture taken from Candaba, Pampanga where we had a nice time bird watching. The Mountain is Mount Arayat and the sun was just about to set when this was taken

This is another picture but a glimpse of the sunset. A few minutes after this, the birds started flying in big groups and it was a very beautiful scenery.

We wondered how this fight was going to be. When I passed this poster in SM Pampanga, I just have to take a picture, the boxing fever was still on even if we knew we will not be able to see the match... true enought Pacquiao won.

If you think water is life, then take a look at this picture. This was the water that I and my other classmates had to use in taking a bath. After one whole day of going around, our bodies just felt so dirty and it was hot considering that we were "highlanders." Initially, we did not want to use the water but it was unavaoidable and so we did. At least we were not drinking it. The funny thing is that long after all the soap was removed from our bodies, it was still slippery.

We had this accident somewhere in Pangasinan. The bus in our rear collided with our bus (we were in front). It was a case of a bus driver going on auto pilot (if you know what I mean). It was a good thing that the bus was our other contingent. Sadly, it was another PMA bus that collided with a PMA bus. There are more "grueling" pictures of this damaged bus but I'd rather not show it.This is the Final Picture. I sure did not dream of being a Tricycle driver but the moment I saw the tricycle, it was as if it was calling out my name saying, "Come take a picture." Seeing this afterwards, I thought that I sure did not look bad if I was to become a tricycle driver.

Well, that's it for now, tomorrow will be the first in the series.

Pag gunita sa buhay High school

Ito kami noon.... Ito na ngayon...

Naubos ang aking oras sa kakatingin ng iba't-ibang pictures ng mga classmates ko nung high school na nakapost sa friendster. May iba nasa ibang bansa na, yung iba baboy na, yung iba may mga anak na, yung iba baboy pa rin. Sana hwag magalit yung mga batch ko nung high school eh sa talagang ganito naman ako magsalita kahit nung unang panahon pa. Ang galing kasi siguro yung iba confident na magsalita, yung iba marami ng pera, habang ako hanggang ngayon animated pa rin sa salitang baboy... Baboy... baboy... at baboy....

Ganun pala yun pag nalalaman mo kung ano na nangyari sa mga taong kasama mong lumaki sinaunang panahon. Natatawa ako kasi naalala ko tuloy sino yung berks ko, yung inaway ko o sino yung wala lang akong pakialam. Yung mga berks ko, ginagago ko pa kahit sa friendster message, yung mga inaway ko pilit kong inaalala kung bakit ko sila inaaway nun, yung mga wala akong pakialam, pilit akong nag-iisip ng mga pagkakataong pinakialaman ko sila. Sa dami ng mga naisip ko na mga pangyayari napipili ko tuloy kung sino ang posibleng mag aacceept pag inadd ko sila sa friendster ko. Syempre yung hindi ko talaga berks, hindi na ako nag attempt man lang na iadd sila, aba baka mapahiya pa ako. Iniisip ko na lang na makikita nila na tiningnan ko yung account nila at magtataka sila kung sino yung hunghang na alex ang tumingin ng profile nila. Then baka maalala nila ako at pag hindi naman talaga ako naging masama sa kanila baka iadd nila ako, kahit papaano rin pala talagang lahat ng bayad may kabayaran. Malamang dahil sa mga pang-aasar na ginawa ko sinaunang panahon, hindi nila ako iaadd sa friendster.

Kahit itong sinusulat ko ngayon. Pag nakita nila na tagalog to, mamamangha sila kasi bisaya kami mag-usap nun. Pag nalaman nilang nagiging serious din pala ako, baka maisip nila hindi ako yung dati nilang classmate kasi sa naalala ko ang feeling ng lahat ng tao nun maingay lang talaga ako... period. Siguro yung pagiging kadete ko hindi na sila masyadong mamangha pero sa ibang bagay... baka mabaliw sila. Naalala ko tuloy yung isa kong teacher na pinuntahan ko nung minsan nag break ako. Nung nakita nya ako at naka uniform... aba umiyak... hindi ko alam kung bakit, natuwa siguro sya kasi minsan tinuruan nya ako, pero ang naisip ko talaga nun baka natuwa siya kasi noon akala nya magiging pariwara ang buhay ko (naisip ko lang naman yun). Tapos nung nagsalita na ako sa harapan to advertise PMA dun sa mga fourth year high school students ng school ko, aba sa likod natatanaw ko ang aking mga nag gagandahang mga teacher na minsan ay binigyan ko ng sakit ng ulo. Mas lalo akong naging nostalgic nung isa isahin ko ang naging section ko nung high school, kasabay ang mga hiyaw ng mga estudyante dahil yun din ang naging section nila. Akalain mong biglang naging sikat ang maging miyembro ng section kasi naging kadete ako, kung iisipin hindi pa nga ako grumagraduate.

Minsan linapitan ako ng isang officer na taga dumaguete rin. Sabi niya meron daw isang bisita na sinamahan nya na classmate ko raw nung high school. Siyempre tinanong ko kung sino, hindi nya na maalala, ang sabi nya lang eh umakyat daw ng baguio para magrelax kasi kakukuha lang ng bar exam. Binilang ko ngayon... oo nga no walong taon na pala akong grumaduate from high school. Hopefully, gragraduate ako ng 2008 yun din yung pang 10th year na grumaduate ako ng high school, akalain mong ganun katagal bago ako nagkaroon ng achievement uli mula nung nagkaroon ako ng Boy Scout of the Year medal nung high school graduation ko. Sana pag dating ng August eh buhay pa ako after graduation para makapunta ako ng dumaguete to attend the 10th year reunion. Ang saya siguro nun... iniisip ko tuloy kung kailangan kong magdala ng baril para magdalawang isip silang tawagin akong brownie? Hahaha

Ang sarap isipin ng mga bagay na ganun. Minsan kaming lahat nagsama sa isang eskwelehan. Napilitang makilala ang isa't isa kasi apat na taon kaming nasa isang batch. Yung iba naging barkada talaga, yung iba nagkaroon ng iba't ibang buhay, napunta sa ibang lugar, yumaman, naging baboy at kung ano ano pa. Siguro kaya nagiging masaya ang pag gunita sa mga panahong yun eh dahil alam ko, ginusto man namin o hindi, naging parte kami ng buhay ng isa't isa at kasama silang lahat at ako sa mga buhay nila, sa kwento ng buhay namin.

Note: The pictures above was placed there to put dramatic effect on the entry. The first picture was my class picture in 4th year high school while the other is a recent picture that they took when they had some kind of a reunion, I was not there because I was here in PMA...