Saturday, October 31, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Snap It!
Technical writers, researcher and bloggers usually surfs the web when searching for resources needed as additional materials for their document. When a particular page of interest is found, they “copy” it by pressing the “PrntScrn” button, open a graphic software such as Paint, paste the copied material, give it a filename and then save it.
The problem with this technique is its quite tedious and time consuming especially if you got a lot of materials to “copy”. You see, the “Print Screen method” captures the whole screen into your clipboard. If you’re interested only in a particular area of the picture, you have to do extra work of editing the file to remove the unwanted parts.
There’s another method, simpler and easier way of doing it. It’s called SnapIt from Digeus Inc. Once you have installed and set it up, the rest is straightforward as A-B-C.
For example, if you only want to “capture” the header title of this blog...
Just press the “PrntScrn” button and the cursor style will change into a cross-hair. Draw a rectangle around the area you want to grab by holding down the left mouse button while dragging it.
Release the mouse button and that’s it, the software will do the rest.
The problem with this technique is its quite tedious and time consuming especially if you got a lot of materials to “copy”. You see, the “Print Screen method” captures the whole screen into your clipboard. If you’re interested only in a particular area of the picture, you have to do extra work of editing the file to remove the unwanted parts.
There’s another method, simpler and easier way of doing it. It’s called SnapIt from Digeus Inc. Once you have installed and set it up, the rest is straightforward as A-B-C.
For example, if you only want to “capture” the header title of this blog...
Just press the “PrntScrn” button and the cursor style will change into a cross-hair. Draw a rectangle around the area you want to grab by holding down the left mouse button while dragging it. Release the mouse button and that’s it, the software will do the rest. It automatically assigned a filename, save it to what ever file extension you prefer (JPG, BMP, GIF, TIFF or PNG) then store it to a file folder you assigned in the SnapIt’s property box. It captures anything in your screen except a “freeze 
frame”.
A “freeze frame” is a “still picture” of a particular scene when you “Pause” a media player while playing a VCD, DVD, MP4 or AVI file. Other capturing software can’t do it too, but it would be great if only SnapIt has this added feature.
Bottom line is; if all you need is to capture a screen, SnapIt can do the job easily, without any hassle. But don’t take my word for it. Try it yourself. You can download a “trial version” here free to use for 14 days.
One more thing, before you install SnapIt; be sure your computer has Framework 2.0 installed. SnapIt won’t work without it. You may download an update from here, free of charge. If Framework 2.0 does not install properly you might need to upgrade your Windows Installer as well. You can download it too from here, also free of charge.
Good luck and happy capturing!
frame”.A “freeze frame” is a “still picture” of a particular scene when you “Pause” a media player while playing a VCD, DVD, MP4 or AVI file. Other capturing software can’t do it too, but it would be great if only SnapIt has this added feature.
Bottom line is; if all you need is to capture a screen, SnapIt can do the job easily, without any hassle. But don’t take my word for it. Try it yourself. You can download a “trial version” here free to use for 14 days.
One more thing, before you install SnapIt; be sure your computer has Framework 2.0 installed. SnapIt won’t work without it. You may download an update from here, free of charge. If Framework 2.0 does not install properly you might need to upgrade your Windows Installer as well. You can download it too from here, also free of charge.
Good luck and happy capturing!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
On Commercial Ads
The art of advertisement, has introduced into all our life such a lavish use of superlatives, that no standard of value whatever is intact. - Wyndham Lewis
I really think people who believed what commercial ads are saying don’t know better. Ads companies have staffs that do research to find what makes people “tick” or what social group prefers what commodity. They then designed their ads, for what ever product they endorse, to that kind of mindset or consumer demography. In a way we are being conned. They even have a term for us – target customers. It feels like we are in the firing range.
Take for example instant noodles. They claim it’s nutritious, pack with vitamins and minerals. For crying out loud, where’s the nutrition in that? Its noodles, made from flour mixed with artificial flavoring to make it edible. Not to mention what other chemicals are in it, if it’s carcinogenic or not. You’ll get more mileage and nutrients eating a stick of banana cue.
Cosmetic is another thing. Since most pinoys are obsessed with fair skin, light-skinned models are hired to push their products, therefore projecting an image that you’ll be “white” after several applications. I’ll believe this crap only if Wilma Dozen turns as white as Kris Aquino after using it. Worst comes to worst, you’ll look like a kabuki actor or that girl from The Grudge.
Car ads are also pretentious. They talk about how strong its engine going from 0 to 60 in 3 seconds or boasting a 12 speaker stereo system and other amenities not particularly related to driving or car performance. I don’t care about those specs except how far it will go to a liter of petrol. For an ordinary man like me, all I want is a ride to go from point A to point B without sweat dripping down my armpit from flagging taxis. And then see them roar away because I won’t agree to a “fixed fare”. In my opinion, in all practical purposes, a person who wants an expensive sport car or SUV has only two reasons for buying it. Either to show-off or get laid.
Political ads disguised as “humanitarian effort” are the same. Lately, Manny Villar’s ad, showing him helping distressed OFWs is on TV every commercial break. It’s redundant to a point of being pathetic. We see it now and then that my 4year old daughter have memorized and can sing its jingle. If he really wants to help, instead of spending money to pay in airing that phony ad, he could have used it to help the victims of Ondoy. I don’t care if he puts his name on every plastic bag containing relief goods. Nakakapantawid gutom yun, ang commercial, hindi!
I wish we become a little bit cynical and refrain from believing everything we see and hear. But from what I observed, we got a long way to go before we could distinguish fantasy from reality and truth from falsehood.
I really think people who believed what commercial ads are saying don’t know better. Ads companies have staffs that do research to find what makes people “tick” or what social group prefers what commodity. They then designed their ads, for what ever product they endorse, to that kind of mindset or consumer demography. In a way we are being conned. They even have a term for us – target customers. It feels like we are in the firing range.
Take for example instant noodles. They claim it’s nutritious, pack with vitamins and minerals. For crying out loud, where’s the nutrition in that? Its noodles, made from flour mixed with artificial flavoring to make it edible. Not to mention what other chemicals are in it, if it’s carcinogenic or not. You’ll get more mileage and nutrients eating a stick of banana cue.
Cosmetic is another thing. Since most pinoys are obsessed with fair skin, light-skinned models are hired to push their products, therefore projecting an image that you’ll be “white” after several applications. I’ll believe this crap only if Wilma Dozen turns as white as Kris Aquino after using it. Worst comes to worst, you’ll look like a kabuki actor or that girl from The Grudge.
Car ads are also pretentious. They talk about how strong its engine going from 0 to 60 in 3 seconds or boasting a 12 speaker stereo system and other amenities not particularly related to driving or car performance. I don’t care about those specs except how far it will go to a liter of petrol. For an ordinary man like me, all I want is a ride to go from point A to point B without sweat dripping down my armpit from flagging taxis. And then see them roar away because I won’t agree to a “fixed fare”. In my opinion, in all practical purposes, a person who wants an expensive sport car or SUV has only two reasons for buying it. Either to show-off or get laid.
Political ads disguised as “humanitarian effort” are the same. Lately, Manny Villar’s ad, showing him helping distressed OFWs is on TV every commercial break. It’s redundant to a point of being pathetic. We see it now and then that my 4year old daughter have memorized and can sing its jingle. If he really wants to help, instead of spending money to pay in airing that phony ad, he could have used it to help the victims of Ondoy. I don’t care if he puts his name on every plastic bag containing relief goods. Nakakapantawid gutom yun, ang commercial, hindi!
I wish we become a little bit cynical and refrain from believing everything we see and hear. But from what I observed, we got a long way to go before we could distinguish fantasy from reality and truth from falsehood.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
On Catching a Liar: Anatomy of a Spammer
Like almost everyone who uses e-mail, I receive a ton of spam every day. Much of it offers to help me get out of debt or get rich quick. It would be funny if it weren't so exciting. - Bill Gates
Why the Animosity?I hate spam. I immediately erase it if I get one. It’s analogous to a thick-faced salesman knocking at your door then places his foot at the door gap to get your attention. They wear different masks and specialize on different communication medium. Some are telemarketers, others in the form of “e-mailers” and blog post commenter. They are insensitive, out of topic and devoid of proper decorum.
Blog spammers,, in my opinion, are one of the worst. They disrespect owners by ramming their way into other people’s blogs. And since a lot of visitors not only read posts but comments as well, they also used it as a platform to sell their wares.
First Encounter
Take for example this comment I erased in my KaBlog Station Page:
“I just made $1003 this week working from home for google. I cant believe how easy this is. Im recommending this to everyone, check out this guys google blog makemoneywith-google.com”
It seems harmless and “friendly”, but in effect, designed to increase traffic of the linked site by dangling possible monetary gain on naïve readers. To counter it, I went directly to the spammer’s page and leave this message:
“If you want to put ads, do it in your own blog. Don't go around spamming other sites with your ads. Do that again in my site and I'll recommend that you be remove from this network.”
This incident happened a month ago and then thought nothing of it. But last week, I was blog-hopping on some of my friends KaBlog Station page and noticed ALL of them have spam comment similar to what I deleted. They only differ in monetary value, but verbatim, they are all the same. It made me assume these are all software-generated, randomly inserting monetary numbers for each comment. I went back to the spammer’s page and things got interesting. Somebody responded to my comment.
Can’t Hold His TongueA certain Joey Parman, a KaBlog member, left this message on the spammer’s page:
“Wala akong malay sa sinasabi mo blogus! Before you make any threats you might want to consider other posibilities kung bakit may pumasok na ads sa site mo na allegedly saken galing. For all you know it could be a malaware na nagamit ang pangalan ko. Please refrain from making harsh accusations. Kahit magsumbong ka pa! Hindi ko gawain ang sinasabi mo.”
Nagging QuestionWhat has this spammer, whose profile is female from New York, USA, got to do with Joey Parman from Taguig City, Philippines, that he thinks my comment was addressed to him? I don’t know him or mentioned his name nor did the spam comments ever use his name for that matter. Unless the spammer’s page and "DakilangAlalayMo" are owned by one and the same person, I can’t think of any other reason for him to “sing”. Claiming to be another “Jackie Bermejo” does not hold water either, since the spammer’s page title and URL address are in concordance with what it actually do – to advertised “MakeMoneyWithGoogle.Com”. If that too was hacked and changed, why didn’t he report it to the proper authorities of KaBlog Station?
Possible AnswerKaBlog Station is a social networking site. If you want to comment on a page, you should be a member and log-in first. To do that, you must register. Since the intention is to spam, an existing member created a fictitious account to divert attention away from him. Nice deception and smart, but not smart enough. He forgot one thing, the "code of omerta” – keep your mouth shut!
The ball is in your court Joey. Try to make sense and have a plausible alibi this time.
Why the Animosity?I hate spam. I immediately erase it if I get one. It’s analogous to a thick-faced salesman knocking at your door then places his foot at the door gap to get your attention. They wear different masks and specialize on different communication medium. Some are telemarketers, others in the form of “e-mailers” and blog post commenter. They are insensitive, out of topic and devoid of proper decorum.
Blog spammers,, in my opinion, are one of the worst. They disrespect owners by ramming their way into other people’s blogs. And since a lot of visitors not only read posts but comments as well, they also used it as a platform to sell their wares.
First Encounter
Take for example this comment I erased in my KaBlog Station Page:
“I just made $1003 this week working from home for google. I cant believe how easy this is. Im recommending this to everyone, check out this guys google blog makemoneywith-google.com”
It seems harmless and “friendly”, but in effect, designed to increase traffic of the linked site by dangling possible monetary gain on naïve readers. To counter it, I went directly to the spammer’s page and leave this message:
“If you want to put ads, do it in your own blog. Don't go around spamming other sites with your ads. Do that again in my site and I'll recommend that you be remove from this network.”
This incident happened a month ago and then thought nothing of it. But last week, I was blog-hopping on some of my friends KaBlog Station page and noticed ALL of them have spam comment similar to what I deleted. They only differ in monetary value, but verbatim, they are all the same. It made me assume these are all software-generated, randomly inserting monetary numbers for each comment. I went back to the spammer’s page and things got interesting. Somebody responded to my comment.
Can’t Hold His TongueA certain Joey Parman, a KaBlog member, left this message on the spammer’s page:
“Wala akong malay sa sinasabi mo blogus! Before you make any threats you might want to consider other posibilities kung bakit may pumasok na ads sa site mo na allegedly saken galing. For all you know it could be a malaware na nagamit ang pangalan ko. Please refrain from making harsh accusations. Kahit magsumbong ka pa! Hindi ko gawain ang sinasabi mo.”
Nagging QuestionWhat has this spammer, whose profile is female from New York, USA, got to do with Joey Parman from Taguig City, Philippines, that he thinks my comment was addressed to him? I don’t know him or mentioned his name nor did the spam comments ever use his name for that matter. Unless the spammer’s page and "DakilangAlalayMo" are owned by one and the same person, I can’t think of any other reason for him to “sing”. Claiming to be another “Jackie Bermejo” does not hold water either, since the spammer’s page title and URL address are in concordance with what it actually do – to advertised “MakeMoneyWithGoogle.Com”. If that too was hacked and changed, why didn’t he report it to the proper authorities of KaBlog Station?
Possible AnswerKaBlog Station is a social networking site. If you want to comment on a page, you should be a member and log-in first. To do that, you must register. Since the intention is to spam, an existing member created a fictitious account to divert attention away from him. Nice deception and smart, but not smart enough. He forgot one thing, the "code of omerta” – keep your mouth shut!
The ball is in your court Joey. Try to make sense and have a plausible alibi this time.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Enough Is Enough
Foreword: From a very brave Filipina. She even placed her name and telephone number. This is what happens when somebody reaches boiling point and says “enough is enough”. - BlogusVox
To all Filipinos Everywhere:
I used to think that corruption and criminality in the Philippines were caused by poverty. But recent events tell me this isn't true. It is one thing to see people turn into drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves and murderers because of hunger and poverty, but what excuse do these rich, educated people have that could possibly explain their bizarre behavior? And to think I was always so relieved when petty snatchers got caught and locked away in jail because I never fully realized that the big time thieves were out there, making the laws and running our country. Can it get any worse than this?
Every night, I come home and am compelled to turn on my tv to watch the latest turn of events. I am mesmerized by these characters. They are not men. They are caricatures of men - too unreal to be believable and too bad to be real. To see these "honorable" crooks lambast each other, call each one names, look each other in the eye and accuse the other of committing the very same crimes that they themselves are guilty of, is so comical and appalling that I don't know whether to laugh or cry. It is entertainment at its worst!
I have never seen so many criminals roaming around unfettered and looking smug until now. These criminals wear suits and barongs, strut around with the confidence of the rich and famous, inspire fear and awe from the very citizens who voted them to power, bear titles like "Honorable", "Senator", "Justice", "General" and worse, "President". Ironically, these lawless individuals practice law, make our laws, enforce the law. And we wonder why our policemen act the way they do! These are their leaders, and the leaders of this nation – Robin Hoodlum and his band of moneymen. Their motto? "Rob the poor, moderate the greed of the rich."
It makes me wonder where on earth these people came from, and what kind of upbringing they had to make them act the way they do for all the world to see. It makes me wonder what kind of schools they went to, what kind of teachers they had, what kind of environment would produce such creatures who can lie, cheat and steal from an already indebted country and from the impoverished people they had vowed to serve. It makes me wonder what their children and grandchildren think of them, and if they are breeding a whole new generation of improved Filipino crooks and liars with maybe a tad more style but equally negligible conscience. Heaven forbid!
I am an ordinary citizen and taxpayer. I am blessed to have a job that pays for my needs and those of my family's, even though 30% of my earnings go to the nation's coffers. Just like others in my lot, I have complained time and again because our government could not provide enough of the basic services that I expect and deserve. Rutty roads, poor educational system, poor social services, poor health services, poor everything. But I have always thought that was what all third world countries were all about, and my complaints never amounted to anything more.
And then this. Scandalous government deals. Plundering presidents pointing fingers. Senators associated with crooks. Congressmen who accept bribes. Big time lawyers on the side of injustice. De Venecia ratting on his boss only after his interminable term has ended, Enrile inquiring about someone's morality! The already filthy rich Abalos and Arroyo wanting more money than they or their great grandchildren could ever spend in a life time. Joker making a joke of his own "pag bad ka, lagot ka!" slogan. Defensor rendered defenseless. Gen. Razon involved in kidnapping. Security men providing anything but a sense of security. And it's all about money, money, money that the average Juan de la Cruz could not even imagine in his dreams. Is it any wonder why our few remaining decent and hardworking citizens are leaving to go work in other countries?
And worst of all, we are once again saddled with a power-hungry president whose addiction has her clinging on to it like barnacle on a rusty ship. "Love (of power) is blind" takes a whole new meaning when PGMA time and again turns a blind eye on her husband's financial deals. And still blinded with all that is happening, she opts to traipse around the world with her cohorts in tow while her country is in shambles.
They say the few stupid ones like me who remain in the Philippines are no longer capable of showing disgust. I don't agree. Many like me feel anger at the brazenness of men we call our leaders, embarrassment to share the same nationality with them, frustration for our nation and helplessness at my own ineffectuality. It is not that I won't make a stand. It is just that I am afraid my actions would only be futile. After all, these monsters are capable of anything. They can hurt me and my family. They already have, though I may not yet feel it.
But I am writing this because I need to do something concrete. I need to let others know that ordinary citizens like me do not remain lukewarm to issues that would later affect me and my children. I want to make it known that there are also Filipinos who dream of something better for the Philippines. I want them to know that my country is not filled with scalawags and crooks in every corner, and that there are citizens left who believe in decency, fairness, a right to speak, a right to voice out ideas, a right to tell the people we have trusted to lead us that they have abused their power and that it is time for them to step down. I refuse to let this country go to hell because it is the only country I call mine and it is my responsibility to make sure I have done what I could for it.
Those of us who do not have the wealth, power or position it needs to battle the evil crime lords in the government can summon the power of good. We can pray. We can do this with our families every night. We can offer petitions every time we celebrate mass. We can ask others to pray too, including relatives and friends here and overseas. And we can offer sacrifices along with our petitions, just so we get the message to Him of our desperation in ridding our nation of these vermin. After all, they cannot be more powerful than God!
I implore mothers out there to raise your children the best way you can. Do not smother, pamper, or lavish them with too much of the material comforts of life even if you can well afford them. Teach them that there are more important things in this world. I beg all fathers to spend time with their children, to teach them the virtues of hard work, honesty, fair play, sharing, dignity and compassion – right from the sandbox till they are old enough to go on their own. Not just in your homes, but at work, in school, everywhere you go. Be good role models. Be shining examples for your children so they will learn to be responsible adults who will carry and pass on your family name with pride and honor.
I call on educators and teachers – we always underestimate the power of your influence on the minds of our youth. Encourage them to be aware of what is happening in their surroundings. Instill in them a love of their country, inculcate in them the value of perseverance in order to gain real, worthwhile knowledge, help us mold our children into honorable men and women. Encourage our graduates, our best and brightest, to do what they can to lift this country from the mire our traditional politicians have sunk us into. The youth is our future – and it would be largely because of you, our educators, that we will be able to repopulate the seats of power with good leaders, presidents, senators, congressmen, justices, lawmakers, law enforcers and lawful citizens.
I ask all students, young people and young professionals everywhere to look around and get involved in what is happening. Do not let your youth be an excuse for failure to concern yourselves with the harsh realities you see. But neither let this make you cynical, because we need your idealism and fresh perspective just as you need the wisdom of your elders. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Let your voices be heard. Do what you can for this land that gave you your ancestors and your heritage. Use technology and all available resources at hand to spread good. Text meaningful messages to awaken social conscience. Try your best to fight moral decay because I promise you will not regret it when you become parents yourselves. You will look back at your past misdeeds and pray that your children will do better than you did.
Remember that there are a few handful who are capable of running this country. You can join their ranks and make their numbers greater. We are tired of the old trapos. We need brave idealistic leaders who will think of the greater good before anything else. Do your utmost to excel in your chosen field.. Be good lawyers, civil servants, accountants, computer techs, engineers, doctors, military men so that when you are called to serve in government, you will have credibility and a record that can speak for itself.
For love of this country, for the future of our children, for the many who have sacrificed and died to uphold our rights and ideals, I urge you to do what you can. As ordinary citizens, we can do much more for the Philippines than sit around and let crooks lead us to perdition. We owe ourselves this. And we owe our country even more.
Remedios C. Paningbatan
Administrative Officer
Office of the General Counsel
Asian Development Bank
Tel (632) 632-4248
Erratum:
Remedios C. Paningbatan is NOT the author of this essay as stated and explained in comment #24. Please refer to that comment to find out the real author.
To all Filipinos Everywhere:
I used to think that corruption and criminality in the Philippines were caused by poverty. But recent events tell me this isn't true. It is one thing to see people turn into drug addicts, prostitutes, thieves and murderers because of hunger and poverty, but what excuse do these rich, educated people have that could possibly explain their bizarre behavior? And to think I was always so relieved when petty snatchers got caught and locked away in jail because I never fully realized that the big time thieves were out there, making the laws and running our country. Can it get any worse than this?
Every night, I come home and am compelled to turn on my tv to watch the latest turn of events. I am mesmerized by these characters. They are not men. They are caricatures of men - too unreal to be believable and too bad to be real. To see these "honorable" crooks lambast each other, call each one names, look each other in the eye and accuse the other of committing the very same crimes that they themselves are guilty of, is so comical and appalling that I don't know whether to laugh or cry. It is entertainment at its worst!
I have never seen so many criminals roaming around unfettered and looking smug until now. These criminals wear suits and barongs, strut around with the confidence of the rich and famous, inspire fear and awe from the very citizens who voted them to power, bear titles like "Honorable", "Senator", "Justice", "General" and worse, "President". Ironically, these lawless individuals practice law, make our laws, enforce the law. And we wonder why our policemen act the way they do! These are their leaders, and the leaders of this nation – Robin Hoodlum and his band of moneymen. Their motto? "Rob the poor, moderate the greed of the rich."
It makes me wonder where on earth these people came from, and what kind of upbringing they had to make them act the way they do for all the world to see. It makes me wonder what kind of schools they went to, what kind of teachers they had, what kind of environment would produce such creatures who can lie, cheat and steal from an already indebted country and from the impoverished people they had vowed to serve. It makes me wonder what their children and grandchildren think of them, and if they are breeding a whole new generation of improved Filipino crooks and liars with maybe a tad more style but equally negligible conscience. Heaven forbid!
I am an ordinary citizen and taxpayer. I am blessed to have a job that pays for my needs and those of my family's, even though 30% of my earnings go to the nation's coffers. Just like others in my lot, I have complained time and again because our government could not provide enough of the basic services that I expect and deserve. Rutty roads, poor educational system, poor social services, poor health services, poor everything. But I have always thought that was what all third world countries were all about, and my complaints never amounted to anything more.
And then this. Scandalous government deals. Plundering presidents pointing fingers. Senators associated with crooks. Congressmen who accept bribes. Big time lawyers on the side of injustice. De Venecia ratting on his boss only after his interminable term has ended, Enrile inquiring about someone's morality! The already filthy rich Abalos and Arroyo wanting more money than they or their great grandchildren could ever spend in a life time. Joker making a joke of his own "pag bad ka, lagot ka!" slogan. Defensor rendered defenseless. Gen. Razon involved in kidnapping. Security men providing anything but a sense of security. And it's all about money, money, money that the average Juan de la Cruz could not even imagine in his dreams. Is it any wonder why our few remaining decent and hardworking citizens are leaving to go work in other countries?
And worst of all, we are once again saddled with a power-hungry president whose addiction has her clinging on to it like barnacle on a rusty ship. "Love (of power) is blind" takes a whole new meaning when PGMA time and again turns a blind eye on her husband's financial deals. And still blinded with all that is happening, she opts to traipse around the world with her cohorts in tow while her country is in shambles.
They say the few stupid ones like me who remain in the Philippines are no longer capable of showing disgust. I don't agree. Many like me feel anger at the brazenness of men we call our leaders, embarrassment to share the same nationality with them, frustration for our nation and helplessness at my own ineffectuality. It is not that I won't make a stand. It is just that I am afraid my actions would only be futile. After all, these monsters are capable of anything. They can hurt me and my family. They already have, though I may not yet feel it.
But I am writing this because I need to do something concrete. I need to let others know that ordinary citizens like me do not remain lukewarm to issues that would later affect me and my children. I want to make it known that there are also Filipinos who dream of something better for the Philippines. I want them to know that my country is not filled with scalawags and crooks in every corner, and that there are citizens left who believe in decency, fairness, a right to speak, a right to voice out ideas, a right to tell the people we have trusted to lead us that they have abused their power and that it is time for them to step down. I refuse to let this country go to hell because it is the only country I call mine and it is my responsibility to make sure I have done what I could for it.
Those of us who do not have the wealth, power or position it needs to battle the evil crime lords in the government can summon the power of good. We can pray. We can do this with our families every night. We can offer petitions every time we celebrate mass. We can ask others to pray too, including relatives and friends here and overseas. And we can offer sacrifices along with our petitions, just so we get the message to Him of our desperation in ridding our nation of these vermin. After all, they cannot be more powerful than God!
I implore mothers out there to raise your children the best way you can. Do not smother, pamper, or lavish them with too much of the material comforts of life even if you can well afford them. Teach them that there are more important things in this world. I beg all fathers to spend time with their children, to teach them the virtues of hard work, honesty, fair play, sharing, dignity and compassion – right from the sandbox till they are old enough to go on their own. Not just in your homes, but at work, in school, everywhere you go. Be good role models. Be shining examples for your children so they will learn to be responsible adults who will carry and pass on your family name with pride and honor.
I call on educators and teachers – we always underestimate the power of your influence on the minds of our youth. Encourage them to be aware of what is happening in their surroundings. Instill in them a love of their country, inculcate in them the value of perseverance in order to gain real, worthwhile knowledge, help us mold our children into honorable men and women. Encourage our graduates, our best and brightest, to do what they can to lift this country from the mire our traditional politicians have sunk us into. The youth is our future – and it would be largely because of you, our educators, that we will be able to repopulate the seats of power with good leaders, presidents, senators, congressmen, justices, lawmakers, law enforcers and lawful citizens.
I ask all students, young people and young professionals everywhere to look around and get involved in what is happening. Do not let your youth be an excuse for failure to concern yourselves with the harsh realities you see. But neither let this make you cynical, because we need your idealism and fresh perspective just as you need the wisdom of your elders. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU! Let your voices be heard. Do what you can for this land that gave you your ancestors and your heritage. Use technology and all available resources at hand to spread good. Text meaningful messages to awaken social conscience. Try your best to fight moral decay because I promise you will not regret it when you become parents yourselves. You will look back at your past misdeeds and pray that your children will do better than you did.
Remember that there are a few handful who are capable of running this country. You can join their ranks and make their numbers greater. We are tired of the old trapos. We need brave idealistic leaders who will think of the greater good before anything else. Do your utmost to excel in your chosen field.. Be good lawyers, civil servants, accountants, computer techs, engineers, doctors, military men so that when you are called to serve in government, you will have credibility and a record that can speak for itself.
For love of this country, for the future of our children, for the many who have sacrificed and died to uphold our rights and ideals, I urge you to do what you can. As ordinary citizens, we can do much more for the Philippines than sit around and let crooks lead us to perdition. We owe ourselves this. And we owe our country even more.
Erratum:
Remedios C. Paningbatan is NOT the author of this essay as stated and explained in comment #24. Please refer to that comment to find out the real author.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
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