President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, in his inaugural speech delivered last 30 June 2010, pointed out something close to everyone’s heart — the siren, better known as the “wangwang”. For starters, it was an effective and a precedent-setting move –.

“Kayo ba ay minsan ring nalimutan ng pamahalaang inyong iniluklok sa puwesto? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay nagtiis na sa trapiko para lamang masingitan ng isang naghahari-hariang de-wangwang sa kalsada? Ako rin. Kayo ba ay sawang-sawa na sa pamahalaang sa halip na magsilbi sa taumbayan ay kailangan pa nila itong pagpasensiyahan at tiisin? Ako rin. x x x Ngayon, sa araw na ito – dito magwawakas ang pamumunong manhid sa mga daing ng taumbayan. x x x “

But alas – towards the tailend of his 6-year term, Noynoy is again facing a challenge in the form of an overwhelming MetroManila-wide traffic mess that banning “wangwang” can no longer ease. More drastic alternatives and solutions are called for.

In today’s MOTORING TODAY December 23, 2015, Ray Butch Gamboa stated:

“Subic never fails to amuse me whenever I go there. And I was there for two straight weekends. The first was upon the invitation of Toyota Motor Philippines for the culminating leg of the Vios Cup. While the second week was for the 2^nd and final leg of the only motor sports competition that auto companies openly compete against each other, the STV Auto Rally Corporate Challenge. And all the time I never failed to see drivers make a complete stop at every intersection to give way to those who came ahead. And not one dared to tailgate the car ahead but similarly made a full stop (like the way it should be done while crossing a stop thru intersection) and patiently waited for their turn. And this scene was repeated even at intersections where there were no traffic enforcers in sight. It looked like second nature to these guys—like obeying traffic rules and regulations were a way of life—and it is. 

With all due respect to those running other parts of the country, most people I know, myself included, only see this in Subic. And most people who have seen this, myself included can only hope this can be replicated in Metro Manila or at the very least in EDSA—as a popular TV series is similarly titled, “Wish ko lang.”

We just had the head of the PNP-HPG, Police Chief Superintendent Arnold Gunnacao for an interview in the Motoring Forum segment of our TV show Motoring Today and he mentioned that what’s needed in EDSA to continue whatever small gains they have achieved in managing traffic in the metro’s main thoroughfare is more HPG and MMDA personnel. And I would agree with the gentleman except for a qualifier—more personnel who are dedicated, straight and firm who would implement the law without fear and favor.

This was how it all started in Subic. No one was above the law—no senator, no congressman, no military, no police, no media. Make that happen, HPG Chief Gunnacao, and you can be as popular or unpopular like Senator Dick Gordon, who started it all in Subic. But it still works and people still give credit to good old Dick. Then perhaps EDSA can be another Subic. Or is it, “Wish ko lang?”

I hope not. Go for it, sir! It can be a worthy legacy”.

It seems that for many for us vehicular congestion or traffic gridlock is the most palpable problem among Pinoys. How we deal with heavy traffic and manage it triggers awareness of a series of other problems.

Former MMDA boss Francis Tolentino missed to take advantage of this golden opportunity to expand his political base. And instill the seed of discipline among the travelling masa. Perhaps, the contending presidentiables should take a cue from this.

Mar Roxas’ plan of relocating the international airport from Pasay to Clark serviced by a reliable rail system is a logical ground-breaking start. But it’s a long way off from expecting discipline among our confused voting masa. A disciplined electorate will pave a straight way for Mar to the Palace.

Our political circus continues

Credits from Society of Honor, George Sison, Conchita Razon

        Clowns are supposed to be funny. Why am I not laughing? Instead I find myself shaking my head, sometimes even my fists, in disbelief and frustration.

        Just when the debates were getting a little more interesting, when it seemed that we were giving the candidates a fair opportunity to weigh in on worthwhile issues like reproductive health, our taxes, the ills of poverty and traffic and ill-gotten wealth, suddenly we have to deal with gutter-speak.

        Do you feel like I do? I sometimes wonder how they grew up without any qualms about using the foulest language. I watch the video grabs and think: “I can’t believe he said that.” Sadly however, yes, he did.

        To make matters worse, these distasteful remarks are greeted with raucous laughter. I am embarrassed and deeply mortified. I feel like hiding my face in shame. It is an affront to any code of decency, un-statesman-like, totally offensive. There oughta be a law!

        Time was when we looked up to the leaders of the land and those who aspired to represent our nation and our people here and abroad. We taught our youth to emulate them. We held their principles up to the light, were inspired by their words, admired them for their values and dreamed that our children would learn from them and someday follow their example. No more?

Marked improvement

        The other day, someone said that there has not just been a marked improvement in our gross national economic indexes, but also that a definite rise was noted in the standards held by our young people. They have raised the bar, she said, and this soon will be seen and felt in every aspect of our lives; in our choice of lifestyle, our business ethics, in the way we treat one another, in how we choose our leaders. The standard has been set up high, and it’s all to the good. Encouraging news to be sure.

        I was raised in a world where good solid values were essential, during a time when principles held true, when nationalism and patriotism were not just empty words to get someone elected.

The parameters were defined. The rules were clear, and stepping out of line was not tolerated.

But slowly, it all began to change. We saw the birth of a more “liberated” and soon permissive generation. Before we knew it, what used to be out of line in the good old days quickly became A-OK, acceptable and even politically correct.

        How did that happen? When did we slide down the slippery slope? Was it the fault of my generation? I look back and cannot help but wonder how I personally may have contributed to the decline.

        What has happened to us? Someone shouts out curses and we respond with laughter. Obscenities receive our applause. We are no longer affected by deliberate rudeness or disrespect. An official behaves like a hooligan and we call it his macho swagger. When he threatens to paint the streets red with the blood of the bad guys we can’t wait for the spectacle.

        We do not need to explain this behavior to the children. They will just take it and believe that it is the new normal. We should definitely be worried.

        I notice that since P-Noy’s return from his visit with Pope Francis, despite the rigors of office, he has an aura of peace and calm. He exudes an air of excitement and anticipation as well.

        I hear he is looking forward to June next year when he can finally hang up his political gloves and surround himself with family, his favorite music, and finally live a normal life. But I hope he can still whisper into the ears of his successor.

        Can anyone blame him? All I know is that when it is over, I will miss his honest face. God bless him.

        It is now up to the electorate to choose what kind of leader they think they need.

        The loudest political noise we hear is extolling the virtues of various personalities. We can hear a different but weak echo pointing to an agenda for good governance.

Indefatigable Loida

        Sociocivic leader, philanthropist and entrancing speaker Loida Nicolas-Lewis tendered a luncheon for a hundred of her friends on Bonifacio Day at the Luna room of Rockwell. She went on to rally them to support Mar-Leni with probably the same passion that Andres Bonifacio summoned when he called on the KKK members to fight for freedom from oppression.

        Loida started her talk by recalling the oppression we suffered under Marcos’ 21-year rule.

“For the period of 21 years, the Philippines underwent its longest, darkest period in its history,” she said.

        That meant the loss of human and civil rights; the loss of our reputation as a country that leads its Asian neighbors in literacy, economic ascendancy, democratic system of government; the loss of lives of those who opposed Marcos; and the martyrdom of Ninoy Aquino. Most of all, during those 21 years, the culture of corruption began to take root in our psyche.

        When destiny carried P-Noy to the presidency, he succeeded in moving the country from the bottom third in the world to the middle third in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index. The country badly needs the cooperation of right minded voters to erase negative patience and to further significant gains already achieved. Let me name some of these gains:

        In her PowerPoint presentation, Loida underscored why Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo should be the next president and vice president of the Philippines. Their integrity is beyond question, she stressed. Walang bahid, walang scandal. Mar’s educational background is solid—a graduate of Ateneo de Manila and the Wharton School of Economics. His work experience as investment banker at Allen and Company in New York adds to his impressive curriculum vitae. Add his involvement in government service as congressman, senator and trade secretary under the Erap and GMA administrations. Erap even acknowledged that Mar was his best Cabinet member and could truly be a good president.

        Then we have his team-mate, Leni Robredo with her local government turf. Much of what is done well, or is messed up, depends on local governments. Good local governments, such as Albay under Governor Joey Salceda, or even Davao under Mayor Duterte, do their jobs in making things progressive, inclusive and safe locally.

        It is said that we need at least 18 years to get rid of the culture of corruption that has taken root in the country and to bring about inclusive growth. That would be six years of P-Noy, six years of Mar and six years of Leni that would surely turn things around – 18 years of sustained GDP of 6 – 7%

        The indefatigable Loida concluded: “Twenty one years of President Marcos produced a corrupt nation. Eighteen years of good governance will make the Philippines a head nation and no longer the tail in the family of nations. Then the Philippines will truly be the Pearl of the Orient. It will then truly become a noble race, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, God’s own people— and this transformation has started but needs to be continued.”

Today is a day like no other: it is my 82^nd birthday.

        It is a special day, not because of the personal significance of the occasion, but because I’ve reached it against tremendous odds! So - time to share and be grateful!

        Most octogenarians cannot claim to be as healthy as I do. The great majority have had some kind of major medical episodes. The only major health episode I’ve had is Herpes Zoster or Shingle, which by itself is not life threatening, but it disrupted my routine morning exercise resulting in weakened leg muscles. At seventy, it was extremely difficult to resume the old routine.

Consider the odds.

        I lost regular employment at 65. Together with the employment was the loss of my health benefits. At any rate HMOs discontinue their benefits for those over 65 years old. One can continue coverage but you have to pay an escalating premium every year without any recourse to cash values, dividends, or return of premiums. I still have Philhealth coverage but it can only shoulder a small amount of the total hospital bill. 

        A friend was hospitalized for a major illness in one of the tertiary hospitals in Metro-Manila. A major illness is called such because it is curable but money has to be thrown to it. Everything-but-the-kitchen-sink time.  It’s also called catastrophic disease because it spells a catastrophe to the finances of the family involved. Today, my friend has been moved to a neighborhood hospital because his resources are almost gone. Relatives and friends have pitched in but donor fatigue is setting in. Philippine General Hospital, a public hospital with Grade A medical care but Grade D for hospital atmosphere beckons. A trip to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has to be done. Government helps the destitute, but requires to show proof.

Indigent. Insolvent. Pauper. These words sting. Perhaps poverty is even harder to take than the disease itself, because the last resort is the family home.

“Matandain” at 90

As we grow older, we experience physiological changes that slow down the activity of all body parts and organs. Doctors routinely advise the middle age to exercise – which we usually take to mean physical exercise. The brain is usually left out. Also, protective youngsters caution their elders to take it easy saying: “You’re no longer a spring chicken.”  But it is a common saying: IF YOU DON’T USE IT, YOU LOSE IT. So it is with the brain.

But memory loss is not an inevitable part of the aging process

The brain is capable of producing new brain cells at any age, so significant memory loss is not an inevitable result of aging. But just as it is with muscle strength, you have to challenge the easy way out. Your lifestyle, health habits, and daily activities have a huge impact on the health of your brain.

Fact: Brain power can be improved at any age. The human brain has an astonishing ability called neuroplasticity. It enables the brain to adapt and change even into old age. The brain has that uncanny ability to reshape itself in order to increase your cognitive abilities, enhance your ability to learn new information, and improve your memory at any age.

Here are some tips on how to improve your memory:

Aerobic exercise is good for the brain, so choose the activities that keep your blood pumping. In general, what is good for the heart is great for the brain.

But, there are cases when exercise causes our leg muscles to ache. If you succumb to it and fail to use your legs, your muscles grow weaker and weaker and you start to lose your balance and risk being unable to walk.

Sleep experts advise that we should go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time each morning. We should avoid all screens for at least an hour before bed. The blue light emitted by TVs, tablets, phones, and computers triggers wakefulness and suppresses sleep hormones, such as melatonin, that make you sleepy. And most of all, cut back on caffeine as it may interfere with sleep at night.

 With some quotes from Boo Chanco

Patience is supposed to be a virtue. But as far as the Filipino people are concerned, it has long been proven that patience is a vice. Patience never got us anywhere through three centuries of Spanish rule, half a century of the Americans and some 60 years with our home grown tyrants.

I am not sure if the pre-Spanish tribesmen in these islands that became the Philippines were naturally patient. But I am almost sure the kind of patience we have today has colonial roots. It was nurtured by the Spaniards and later, the Americans and our Ilustrados to subdue our masa for easier exploitation.

Perhaps our poor are resigned to the realities of their miserable existence. They live by the day and are ready to vote for the source of their next meal.

This should be embarrassing to all of us who take pride in being the only Christian nation in our region. But it isn’t. We, too, are resigned to this fact of life. Hunger and poverty and self-flagellation are in the realm of background noise for most of home-based Pinoys.

There are some 10 million Pinoys abroad and more former OFWs who have absorbed the varied cultures of their adopted communities. They are experiencing the good and bad life in other countries.

These are the people who would thoughtlessly parry criticism about inconveniences and inefficiencies in our country by saying: “This is the Philippines. What do you expect.”

This irresponsible high-handed attitude is shared by many of our overseas countrymen including media practitioners. You can just read broadsheet’s opinion pages.

So, how can the people rid themselves of decades old obstructive “patience” – when even “responsible” media succumbs to irresponsible impatience?

The country needs everyone’s cooperation to erase negative patience and to push significant gains already achieved. Let me name some:

Critics may say that all of these achievements in numbers are nothing if the economic growth can't be felt by ordinary Filipinos, yes that's true but the task is not easy as they make it appear. They should not expect the government to give out mansions and jobs directly to anyone who hasn't even gone to school.

Lifting the poor people of our country needs more than just saying the "Erap Para Sa Mahirap" or "Gaganda ang Buhay kay Binay" slogan. It starts with concrete economic plans and patiently doing the right things to implement them.

As the experts have said, it needs at least 10-15 years of sustained GDP at 6% - 7% of the Philippines to make the masses feel the economic growth.

But first, to get to that point we need to support the efforts of the government which are good. When something good is done, we need to support it and drop the opposing political agendas we have. It is the only way to change our decades old patient complacency.

We need to drop crab mentality and give credit where credit is due. 

STEVIA

from Live Science of Lauren Cox

        Stevia is perhaps unique among food ingredients because it is most valued for what it doesn't do. It doesn't add calories. Unlike other sugar substitutes, stevia is derived from a plant.

But the prized species, Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni), grows in Paraguay and Brazil, where people have used leaves from the stevia bush to sweeten food for hundreds of years. In traditional medicine in these regions, stevia also served as a treatment for burns, colic, stomach problems and sometimes as a contraceptive.

        Today, stevia is already part of the sugar substitute market.  

        The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates Americans added more sugar to their diet every year since the 1970s until 2000. When Americans dropped the added sugar, they turned to sugarlike extracts. The sugar substitute market was estimated to be worth $10.5 billion in 2012, according an analysis by Markets and Markets research firm.

        And the artificial sweetener market may already be growing. Just 18 percent of U.S. adults used low- or no-calorie sweeteners in 2000. Now, 24 percent of adults and 12 percent of children use sugar substitutes, according to a 2012 review in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

        Unlike food, Stevia has no calories, and it is 200 times sweeter than sugar in the same concentration.

        But new studies suggest stevia might have extra health benefits.

"Available research is promising for the use of stevia in hypertension," said Catherine Ulbricht, senior pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and co-founder of Natural Standard Research Collaboration, which reviews evidence on herbs and supplements. Ulbricht said Natural Standard gave stevia a "grade B for efficacy" in lowering blood pressure. Other studies suggest stevia could benefit people with Type 2 diabetes, but Ulbricht says more research is needed.

        A no-calorie source of sweetness is an obvious diet solution for diabetics in theory. But a few studies show that replacing sugar with artificial or low-calorie sweeteners may not ultimately lead to weight loss in real life.

        "A number of studies suggest people who regularly consume ASB [artificially sweetened beverages] are at increased risk compared with those that do not consume ASB," Dr. Susan E. Swithers said in a 2013 opinion letter in the journal Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism.

        Yet there is also evidence that stevia does nothing to change eating habits or hurt metabolism in the short term. A 2010 study in the journal Appetite tested several artificial sweeteners against sugar and each other in 19 lean people and 12 obese people.

The study found people did not overeat after consuming a meal made with stevia instead of sugar. Their blood sugar was lower after a meal made with stevia than after eating a meal with sugar, and eating food with stevia resulted in lower insulin levels than eating either sucrose and aspartame.

But is stevia safe?

        The question of whether stevia is safe to consume largely depends on what someone means by "stevia." The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved stevia leaves or "crude stevia extracts" for use as food additives. Studies on stevia in those forms raise concerns about the control of blood sugar and effects on the reproductive, cardiovascular, and renal systems, the FDA warns.

        However, the FDA has allowed companies to use an isolated chemical from stevia as food additive, calling the chemical "generally recognized as safe." Now, products such as Truvia and others have the legal go-ahead to use Rebaudioside A, which is also found in stevia, in their no-calorie sweeteners.

        But there are some health concerns surrounding the stevia plant. Stevia may cause low blood pressure, which would be of concern to some taking blood pressure medications.

"Caution is advised when using medications that may also lower blood sugar. People taking insulin or drugs for diabetes by mouth should be monitored closely by a qualified health care professional, including a pharmacist," Ulbricht said.

        Stevia may also interact with anti-fungals, anti-inflammatories, anti-microbials, anti-cancer drugs, anti-virals, appetite suppressants, calcium channel blockers, cholesterol-lowering drugs, drugs that increase urination, fertility agents and other medications, Ulbricht said. People should talk with their doctor before deciding to take stevia in large amounts, she said.

The raging controversy over the Torre de Manila in Rizal Park (http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2015/06/24/1469307/let-it-be-let-it-be) brings to mind a similar but a bit older dispute sparked by the construction of the Blue Residences and Vista Residences (http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/229303/news/nation/rise-of-42-story-building-sparks-loyola-student-protest)  in the burgeoning suburb of Loyola Heights, Quezon City. If the Torre de Manila is a photobomber to a national heritage in Rizal Park, Blue Residences and Vista Residences are eyesores and health hazard to the high-end residential community of Loyola Heights, home to exclusive schools, Ateneo de Manila University, Miriam College and many other known preparatory schools in Quezon City.

Both controversies have a common denominator: the high-handedness of the mighty corporations that ignore city zoning regulations. The first showed the heavy hand of David Consunji and his DMCI organization and the Loyola Heights high-rises powered by the Henry Sy group and Cynthia Villar conglomerate.

What is really bothersome about both these unfortunate events is that this method of bullying and bulldozing less powerful and less connected organizations to succomb to the greed of powerful conglamerates can be repeated again and again. And at each instance, the immoral transgressors are rewarded by getting the benefit of their misdeed unscathed. Is there no way to undo the fruit of their evil ways? It is said we cannot undo what is done and is already cast in stone. Will the victims of these clear transgressions just bury in their minds the injustice done on them?

____________________________________________________

Rise of 42-story building sparks Loyola student protest

        Rising over one of the busiest intersections in Quezon City is a building that will be nearly twice as high as any other in the neighborhood. A well-coiffed student protest movement is trying to stunt its growth.

        Students of Ateneo de Manila University and Miriam College demanded Friday that the Quezon City government revoke the exemption it issued in 2010 allowing the SM Development Corporation’s (SMDC) Blue Residences tower to exceed the height limit prescribed in the city’s comprehensive zoning ordinance.

        They said that their area is a fault line prone to earthquakes that make it risky for a structure that tall. Moreover, they argue that a building that high will drastically increase traffic in an area already notorious for rush-hour jams of cars dropping off and fetching well-to-do students.

        Andrew Copuyoc and Nicole Alonzo, presidents of the student councils of Ateneo and Miriam respectively, said only buildings of up to 24 stories may be built in that area of Loyola Heights where Blue Residences is being constructed.

        However, SMDC was able to secure a zoning exemption from the city council of Quezon City which allowed the developer to add 18 more stories to make the mixed-use condominium structure 42 stories high, Copuyoc said.

        Members of the Barangay Loyola Heights community took to the streets Friday urging Quezon City officials to revoke the special zoning exemption given to SM Development Corp., developer of the 42-story condominium Blue Residences. Candice Montenegro

        “The (Loyola Heights) community is questioning not just the exemption given, but also the manner by which it was given to SM," Copuyoc said. "SMDC got the exemption within just one day, when this process usually takes months to get approved."

        "We wonder why the decision was made with such haste, and why SMDC bypassed the Loyola Heights barangay for the permits they need," he added.

        "There are a lot of concerns. Not only will it cause heavier traffic, but the building also stands on top of a fault line. This will pose danger not only to the residents of the condominium but also to residents living near the structure," Miriam College’s Alonzo added.

        Residents of Barangay Loyola Heights, including gated subdivisions La Vista, Alta Vista, Loyola Grand Villas, Xavierville, and Varsity Hills, are also opposing the project.

SMDC has the permits

        SMDC, in a statement Wednesday, said it obtained prior consent and approval from Barangay Loyola Heights, the Quezon City government and other concerned agencies before the construction of Blue Residences started.

        "As a result, a barangay clearance, location clearance, environment clearance, building permit and other permits were issued in SMDC's favor," the statement said.

        Construction of the 42-story Blue Residences condominium at the corner of Katipunan Avenue and Aurora Boulevard continues amid protests and petitions to have its special zoning exemption revoked.

SMDC also denied that they bypassed Barangay Loyola Heights before they started building the Blue Residences tower.

        "A barangay hearing was conducted by Barangay Loyola Heights on February 3, 201... [I]n all these hearings the Loyola Heights community was allowed to voice out their concerns and such concerns were answered by SMDC consultants,' the statement said.

        SMDC said the city government "has also ruled that there was no violation of any law by SMDC which paved the way for the lifting of the suspension order against the construction of Blue Residences."

        Blue Residences is expected to be ready for turnover to buyers by 2014, according to SMDC's official website. The tower has 41 floors and a roofdeck. It is rising on a 4,234.51 square meter triangular lot at the intersection of Katipunan Avenue and Aurora Boulevard, near the border of Quezon City and Marikina.

Smooth sailing through city council

        Copuyoc said they are protesting not just the fact that SMDC was given a zoning exemption but also the fact that the Quezon City council granted it to the company. He said the resolution was proposed and passed on the same day, bypassing the legislative deliberations it had to go through.

        According to research by the Ateneo student council, the city council proposed and passed the “Resolution Authorizing the Issuance of a Certificate of Exception" to SMDC for the Blue Residences tower on March 8, 2010 when now Mayor Herbert Bautista was still vice mayor and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte was mayor. The acting presiding officer when the council voted to exempt was then Councilor, now Congressman Jorge “Bolet" Banal Jr.

        The Blue Residences resolution was “bundled with other resolutions in favor of SMDC… passed without a single argument on the matter," the Ateneo Sanggunian ng Mga Mag-aaral statement said.

The other measures were for two other property development projects in the city. Former Councilor Ariel Inton introduced the resolutions with “seconding motions" coming from Councilor Victor Ferrer Jr.

Ateneo: Building permit issued despite protests

        Earlier this year, the Ateneo administration voiced out its objections to the Blue Residences project. In a position paper issued in February this year, Ateneo vice president for administration and planning Edna P. Franco said SMDC got the exemption “without following the required process."

        Franco also said there was “absence of any deliberation" in the city council. She noted that SMDC “began construction of the tower without a building permit" and excavation activities were noticeable in December 2010 although the city engineer issued the building permit only on January 20, 2011.

        She said the university wants the construction of the Blue Residences “stopped until a true consultation process has taken place."

Franco appealed to the Quezon City government to “demonstrate a model of good governance" and urged the “responsible shareholders of SMDC to fulfill their articulated mission of being good corporate citizens."

Some QC councilors oppose SMDC tower

        In a text message to GMA News Online, Quezon City councilor Allan Reyes said there is a proposed Resolution 10-223, which Councilor Precious Hipolito Castelo filed, seeking to revoke the exemption issued to SMDC.

        "The resolution is on the committee level, but the city council is on recess now," Reyes said. "We have no idea right now as to the hearing schedule." GMA News Online tried to contact Hipolito and Councilor Bong Suntay for comment, but both councilors could not be reached as of this posting.

        There is at least another 42-story mixed purpose condominium, for which the city council also granted a zoning exemption. This other project is by Vista Residences Inc. and it has two 42-story towers. The council approved the exemption through Resolution No. SP 4926, S-2010.

        City councilors amended the zoning ordinance itself only last June via Ordinance No. SP 2069, S-2011. — Candice Montenegro, with Earl Rosero/VS/HS, GMA News

 Alumnus Jose Rizal kept in touch with the Ateneo mainly through four men. There was Father Faura, who prophesied that he would end up on a scaffold. There was Father Pastells, who sought to restore his Catholic Faith by patient argument. There was Father Balaguer, who reconciled him to the Church before he died. And there was Father Sanchez, who was his friend.

 

I think it can be said that these four men, each in his own fashion, express what the Ateneo should mean, and would like to mean, to all its alumni. The Ateneo is a school; first and foremost, it is a body of teachers; and the essential duty of a teacher is to speak the truth. The truth is often unpleasant, often unpopular; but the teacher, if he wishes to be faithful to his profession, cannot afford to dilute or debase it. He must speak the truth as he sees it, no matter how much it hurts.

 

Rizal had worked out during his sojourn in Spain a thoroughgoing plan of colonial reform. Whatever Father Faura thought of that plan, he saw at least one thing clearly – that the Spanish government would never stand for it. Sooner or later it would try to crush both the plan and its author. That was what he meant when he said that Rizal would end up on a scaffold.

 

We could wish that Father Faura could have put it a little less bluntly, a little more diplomatically. He might have spared Rizal's feelings. But there are times when to spare a man's feelings is to betray his friendship. What Father Faura said was shocking; he meant it to be. He wanted to shock Rizal into seeing that he was faced with a choice, and that his very life depended upon what he chose. He did not tell him what to choose. Rizal was not a boy any longer but a man, and it was a man's privilege to choose; but it was also a man's privilege to be told the consequences of his choice.

 

Rizal saw and chose; and the fact that he chose with his eyes open, with the scaffold at the end of the road having been pointed out to him, is his claim to be our greatest alumnus.

 

All of us, at some time or other in our lives, will be faced with the necessity of making a similar decision. Beset by fears and forebodings, we shall go to seek strength and comfort from those we miss. I do not think we shall ever lack friends who will try to soothe us with ambiguities, who will blur alternatives, dull the horns of a dilemma on the mistaken principle that what we don't know won't burn us, on the childish principle that medicine doesn't taste half as bad if taken with eyes shut.

 

But rare indeed is the friend who will tell us the truth; who will pay us the supreme compliment of assuming that we are not afraid to act on our principles. It is our hope as alumni that we shall always find such a friend where Rizal found him – at the Ateneo.

 

However, it is equally important to remember that respect for the truth must go hand in hand with respect for the individual conscience. To force the truth on the people's minds, to ram the truth down people's throats, is not only unjust: it is unwise. Nothing breeds error so quickly as truth accepted under constraint. It was to be regretted that Rizal lost the priceless heritage of the Faith; but granted the fact that he lost it, there was only one way of restoring it to him: by convincing him, by convincing his mind, that he had erred. There were easier ways; threats, cajolery, flattery, the emotional argument; but Father Pastells used none of these. He chose the hard way; he appealed to that in Rizal which was hardest, diamond-hard- -his mind. For he knew that a faith based on anything else but conviction would be of no use to this man who lived solely by his convictions, and who would not hesitate to die for them.

 

Jesuits believe that their system of education is fashioned to produce men of this calibre, rational men, men whose faith, while fully supernatural, is based on reason. Whether that system actually does so or not, is not for them to say. But this certainly can be said: that if the schools of the free world do not produce such men in greater numbers than hitherto, that world is doomed.

 

We must have men of conviction, but they must also be men of faith. Reason can go far, but there is a point beyond which it cannot go; the deepest questions that reason can ask, only faith can answer. It was Father Pastells who raised these questions in the mind of Rizal, but it was Father Balaguer who answered them. To the death cell in Fort Santiago came this simple man, came, not with subtle argument, not with the persuasive words of human wisdom, but with the word of God, sharp as a drawn sword, cutting deep, even to the marrow of the spirit, cutting and healing, slaying and giving life. And the work that the learned Father Pastells began, this simple priest finished. Yet not he, for what are these but men? Poor, brittle instruments, of what avail are they, of themselves, in the titanic struggle of good and evil for the immortal soul?

 

No, not they, but God, in that lonely hour between dusk and dawn, between life and death, when Rizal sank to his knees at last with a strong cry and tears, in that lonely hour he was alone with the Alone, the man about to die with the God who died, and lives.

 

What folly even to think that such a man, at such an hour, could have been tricked into repentance! If there was trickery in the business, God was the trickster; let them complain to God. If there was trickery in the business, it was prayer that did the trick.

 

There was one man at least whose prayers were with Rizal continually, through all the years of doubt, all the years of agony, all the years of exile; that man was Father Sanchez. Perhaps he was to blame for Rizal's conversion. At any rate, he was the most subtle Jesuit of them all, for he used against Rizal's infidelity the one irresistible weapon; the power against which nothing is proof; the power of prayer.

 

"More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of"; and we like to think that among these good things is that fellowship of Ateneans with the Ateneo and of Ateneans among themselves, which not even death can break. For even in maturity, even when we are old, the mother of our youth yet has something to offer us; yes, four things, to all her alumni as to her greatest alumnus: the plain truth, the path of reason, the light of faith, the love of friends.

  

- Horacio de la Costa, SJ

Today we are truly at a crossroads. We can either accept the argument that every Filipino is corrupt and corruption is a part of our culture, and therefore should not punish those who are suspected of having plundered this country. Or, stand fast and together act decisively against this prevailing endless culture of corruption. WHILE WE HAVE TIME.

"We are all against corruption in all its forms. We are, however, recognizing the role of the separation of powers and the existence of the three branches of government. We will defer to the Chief Justice as to how the Supreme Court handles corruption cases within their branch," Secretary Lacierda said in a press briefing.

"Meron tayong sinasabing 'justice delayed is justice denied.' That’s one of the things, one of the reforms that we would like to see happen especially in the area of cases," the Palace official said.

Lacierda's statements came after the Coalition of Filipino Consumers urged Chief Justice Sereno to probe some members of the Court of Appeals who are allegedly selling court decisions. The chief justice countered that the judiciary was already engaged in "serious housecleaning, a painful but necessary process."

The Supreme Court has assigned Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez to investigate the “Napoles” equivalent in the judiciary. So this guy Marquez will take on the role of a Leila de Lima and Conchita Carpio-Morales and has pledged to clean up the judiciary.

        I know for a fact that our ADMU batch has long been into Gawad Kalinga projects including scholarship projects for the housing beneficiaries' dependents. I am also aware of Our Lady of Pentecost Parish’s many scholarship programs for the community’s depressed areas. Also, Loyola Heights is host to many NGOs and families supporting the school needs of informal settlers here.

Aside from DSWD’s CCT dole-out assistance to indigent families, the Department of Education is also zealously implementing the K to 12 program striving to make Philippine educational standards at par with global standards.

        Aside from the government’s push on education, a remarkable number of International and Filipino scholarships are available for the citizens of Philippines. The Philippine Government and other educational organizations are making continuous efforts to increase the literacy rate and improve the education system for the students. In order to encourage the development in the education sector, institutions seek to provide number of incentives in the form of scholarships, grants and subsidies to students for their higher education. Many international universities and organizations like University of Strathclyde, the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Asian Peacebuilders, etc are also offering grants and bursaries for Filipinos to avail the benefits of their educational facilities in their countries.

        I cite three among many local leading schools offering various Filipino scholarships.

1.            University of the Philippines is awarding scholarship for Filipino students. Applicant must be a bona fide student of the University of the Philippines who is enrolled in the field of Science and Technology. The actual interest earnings of the fund but not to exceed P37,000 per year. The benefits from the programs may be used to defray expenses in purchasing special equipment, instruments, supplies and materials, or to hire special tutor or coaches. The application deadline is August 28, 2015.

2.            De La Salle University is offering St. La Salle Financial Assistance Grant for incoming college freshmen. Only those whose annual family income is less than PhP 700,000 will be considered. The financial aid program usually includes tuition and fees only, although a donor may provide other forms of assistance, such as book and living allowances. Once awarded, the grants are renewable every trimester. Grantees are required to meet certain academic standards and to abide by the policies prescribed by the OAS. Grantees may be required to render service/research assistantship beginning their sophomore year. The application deadline is 28th February 2015.

3.            The Ateneo Freshman Merit Scholarship is an academic distinction awarded yearly to outstanding freshman applicants who have excelled in the Ateneo College Entrance Test, have distinguished themselves in their respective high schools, and who also show great promise for the future. This award includes a full tuition and fees grant for any undergraduate degree of the awardee's choice.

        My point is that all these may be for naught much like the futile efforts of Don Quixote of La Mancha fighting the windmills, because of our unregulated population growth. Where are the successful beneficiaries of these gratuities going?

        Until I came upon the following blog where I found answers my question.

WHEN WILL THE PHILIPPINES REACH A TIPPING POINT?

by PinoyInEurope