The things that are happening

It took sometime for me to log-in. I had to find some way because the log-in page is just not loading. But anyway I am here now writing my piece.

A lot of things are happening right now. We are in the news again for the nth time and I do not want to comment about it let's leave the issue as it is. Anyway last weekend, Ces Drilon went here to cover one area in our training. We were not specifically told what it is but I reckon it was something related to Physical Development. We were given instruction to answer only questions related to this subject. With that in mind I began making mock interviews on the other cadets. I told them to imagine that I was a reporter, the mock interview goes like this:

Me: Cadet *_* ano ang masasabi mo sa relasyong Diether Ocampo at Kristine Hermosa?

Cadet *_*: Aba Maganda yan, ang feeling ko bagay sila.

Me: Mali ka di'ba ang sabi we are not to answer any question that is not related to Physical Development?

I asked several others and they all seem to be very interested to voice out their sentiments on the question I raised. I then started telling them that in year 2000, Kristine Hermosa was commissioned muse of PMA for the Baguio Educational Athletic League (its BBEAL now with the entry of Benguet State University to the League). That was the time when PMA still had money to pay actresses to become our muse. The year before that was Sunshine Cruz which was the height of her popularity brought about by movies like Ang Kabit ni Mrs. Montero with Edu Manzano and Gardo Versoza, and Ekis with Albert Martinez. That was before she was with Cesar Montano. I could remember it very clearly because my brother (who was a third year then) was one of the escorts and he showed me his picture with the actress. Of course, PMA now is more practical that was before the austerity measures were undertaken. In the last opening of the BBEAL that we hosted, the muses were our female cadets. I think that its better not only that it save us a lot of money but the muse also exemplifies the school that she represents, I don't think the likes of Kristine Hermosa or Sunshine Cruz can run 3.2 kilometers in less than 17 minutes.

Let me now explain my reason for removing my shout box. The reason I placed it there is to make the site interactive. When it first appeared there were a lot of reactions that made me improve in the way I write and other informations people want to know. Sadly, at the onset of people who do not like my ideas, it has instead become their way of expressing their gripes which sad to say are totally baseless. I guess some of them know me from before, the one who was discharged for "possessing unwanted traits and habits." That isn't something that I am proud of what I am proud of is what happened after that. I was then a young 17 year old with no care in the world who thought that life was something that came naturally. That story is of the past and has taught me lessons that I value now. The point is this the choose to attack me on the basis of who I am as a person rather than actually refuting the points I raised. If they really had something to say more than saying that I am some insecure person who hides behind my words why can't they make their own contentions and use the comment form? The issue I heard they are pointing out is the fact that I should not write things that put the academy in the bad light like the bad things I observe. While its true that I do not agree with how some of the things are done here, I do not agree with them not because I just want to but because I think these practices do not have a place in this institution. Although its true that PMA will not change for me but I am hoping that PMA will change for the better, better than I found it. Even in our society, we find things that we do not agree, yet we do not isolate ourselves from it, we either take action or become adamant to what is happening around us. I believe that being adamant is the coward's way and I refuse to be one. I do not need to prove anything to anybody, what I write is an outflow of what I feel inside, this is who I am. People may not necessarily agree with what I do or write but they do not have the slighest right to judge me for it, they do not know anything about me. The people that criticize me haven't even read the whole blog and yet they pretend they know everything about me. I am not seeking popularity, what I am after is respect and consideration. The bottomline is we all have something to contribute to make things better and I believe this is mine. Don't worry I will not launch some revolution, I'm doing what I can at my level and just maybe in the long run I am able to make something out of it.

Sunday will be 27 August the day the incoming PMA class of 2011 will take their entrance exams. The examinations will cover English Grammar and Comprehension, Math and a Special PMA Aptitude Test. For more information visit this site.

I guess that is all for now, for comments just click the comment form below.... thanks and God Bless

It has gone too far

The harrassment has gone too far and I do not wish to glorify their remarks in my shoutbox. If they have negative thoughts about me then they make their own blog and write everything they want to write about me they do not know a thing about who I am. I have them to thank for increasing traffic which is a good thing because I want to raise my rank at pinoytopblogs. If they really have valid points then they can talk sense by writing it in the comments after each entry that they find troubling other than that they are simply some insecure people who wants to be noticed by people at my expense, the form on the side is for your perusal. This is just an advisory. Thanks to all those who go to this blog.

Kawawang bata

My Top 10 best picks

I realized that I have been writing in this blog for the past 5 years of my life. I have written so many things on so many topics. I decided to highlight some of the articles that I think are best picks for me. Somehow, I believe by doing this my critiques will understand how this blog exists and be enlightened. Here are the top ten:

1. In my old blog I particularly like almost all entries (but I have to have favorites), it is not bookmarked so you will have to do the searching. I like the entry on my squad leader who became the class goat of 2003, its on the bottom part. Then those that I wrote in memory of my mother, and finally my confession on what really happened when I got discharged. And then there was this prediction I made that saying that I will go back to PMA.
2. May 2005 is a good one because it chronicled my struggle with Calculus. How I hate the fact that I am having a hard time coping up with the subject. And then declaring that I passed it
3. I like this one because there is so much energy and I know I was speaking from the heart.
4. This one is about my fondness for letters. I'm sharing my love for letter writing.
5. This blog entry brought in opinions but not as rude as the one coming out right now.
6. There is irony in this entry about the Naga trip last February but I like it just the same. There is something more in this story you can just look for it starting from the January entries of this year.
7. This is my testimony as a Christian
8. The very much loved Prosti Story this one was the original version of the one published in the Corps Magazine last June
9. Aptly titled My Frustrations, but as I always said it does not mean that I hate it here, can you blame me for being frustrated at times?
10. And finally the July and August entries that brought in several critiques.

Well, somehow the entries I highlighted are different in a variety of ways. All in all the blog is a journal of the last 5 years of my life, it wasn't easy but it was a very worthwhile learning experience. I think the blog allows me to reflect on the things that have happened and be thankful that I am still on my feet with head raised high. I am able to appreciate everything and continue to be hopeful of the things that are still to come in our lives.

A message of Hope

I started to write something earlier but it just didn't make sense so I am writing all over again. I think the things that happened to me this past days are quite exciting so the story begins.

Rain has not stopped since several days ago but life continues. Last Saturday, we were host to the opening of the Baguio-Benguet Educational Athletic League (BBEAL) and people were just everywhere. Unfortunately, I was not able to witness the event as I was involved in another activity, I was a contestant for the Impromptu Speaking Contest representing my company. There was also a debate tournament so that occupied me for the whole day. Again there were other guests and somehow it was a different atmosphere since there was practically no duty for the whole day. When I went back to barracks that night I was tired but was greeted by a pleasant surprise, I received copies of the Starfish Magazine from my friend. As I was about to sleep, so many thoughts lingered inside my head realizing that I had to do something. That something will be my blog today.

The Starfish Magazine is published by the Ayala Young Leader's Alliance. I believe the initial intention of the magazine was for it to become a mouthpiece for those who have attended the Ayala Young Leader's Congress. When I talked with my friend the last time I was in Manila, he said that it is now a magazine that aims to empower the youth. It is in fact the first magazine to become one. Just like before, it featured articles about lives of real people, going through tough circumstances and coming out of the situation better and even using their life to inspire others. I remembered something that Randy David once wrote saying something about our only hope is to cling to hope; I guess the magazine just provides hope. It highlights people, ordinary people actually, that went out of their way to do something and make a difference. In the issue I received, there was this story of a Pastor, who ran away from his hometown in Davao at 13. He met and experienced the cruelty of life finally giving up and returning home. There he met God, lived a new life and became a pastor. Now, he is a missionary in Cambodia sharing his life bringing a message of hope, a message that he learned when he was faced with difficult circumstances in his life. That is the message of the magazine... a message of HOPE.

Last year, I was part of the Academy's information drive. The goal was to advertise PMA to all places to attract prospective cadets. In the schools that I visited there were all sorts of question, questions that some may consider useless but were intriguing. I wondered why almost all of them just felt that going and surviving in PMA is hard. And then I went on to become a Squad Leader, with plebes that are young, very young if I may say. One of them was a seventeen year old from Cagayan de Oro City. Every now and then I find him at the brink of crying obviously trying his best to cope up with the difficulty he is experiencing. Then one time out of the blue, I thought of letting him see my pictures when I was a plebe. I could see how fascinated he was when he saw my pictures doing what he was doing. I told him stories of how I coped up with my own plebehood and told him that it was just a matter of time and soon everything will all be over. I guess in all this experiences, there was something that stood out, it was obviously the message of Hope. in the schools that I went to during the information drive, the students were in awe of what we were telling them yet there was this feeling that you were doing something to their spirit. I felt that as I was telling them everything about PMA, I was also giving them that hope of being someone better that who they are or being great. With my squadmate, I could sense that although he was still going through so much hardship, his spirit was renewed. Although he still cries now, you can see his enthusiasm in trying to do his best to cope up and I think it is on the belief that all will come to pass. I was being a carrier of hope.

I for one would say that I am in a position better than many people out there. I have free education, a bright career in the future and other privileges. But I also know that not many can say that about themselves. I heard of people who gave up on life (like Jopay the prostitute), people who compromised their principles because nothing good is just happening. I realized that the contribution I can do right now is to deliver the message of hope. It is a message that does not need anything but only a sincere heart that has endured the realities of life and came out a winner. I learned that the most basic thing we can do is to give out this message to renew their spirits. Each of us can do something it may be small it may be big but right now I know that the message of hope is one of it.

We will have an effect on people even without trying. I am praying that our effect will be something that will give them hope and renew their spirits.