Thursday, January 29, 2009

SCORCHED: Xavier turns the heat up!

Scorched, Xavier Fair



Xavier School will hold its annual school fair on Feb. 7-8, 2009. The fair grounds will highlight a western-rodeo theme and everyone will have the opportunity to ride horses and walk through a simulated Indian village. The Velcro Wall is a new attraction added to the inflatables of the Titanic, Soccer ball and the fair rides of the dinosaur, lantern wheel, caterpillar and octopus. Entrance to the fair will be at Gate 8 and the entrance ticket of P50 covers the two fair days.



Eclipse, Xavier Variety Show



On Feb. 7, Saturday, the variety show, ECLIPSE, will feature school bands, dance numbers, a fashion show and the well-known bands of Spongecola, Urbandub, 6CycleMind, Itchyworms, Kjwan and Parokya ni Edgar. Hosts of the show are Grace Lee and Andi 9. The show begins at 4:00 p.m. in the Grade School quadrangle and tickets are P300 each.



Proceeds will go to the Xavier School Education and Trust Fund (XSETF) and social action programs, so be a benefactor while enjoying your weekend in the Xavier School Fair. Let’s turn the heat up!









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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Chinatown Adventure this February 08!

Chinatown Adventure



Please look for any UP Chinese Student Association, ADMU Celadon, UST Community Achievers, DLSU Englicom, UA&P Fu members or officers for requirements and for the entry forms needed in order to join the Chinatown Adventure! :) We hope you'll be able to join us, participate and have fun this February 8, Sunday. You can email Harrell Wong for more information (hvrio@yahoo.com) See you there!









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Monday, January 26, 2009

Of Chinese New Year beliefs and practices

恭喜發財! 新年快樂!

Dragon

Photo by Sean Tiu



Tikoy



As always, Tikoy, or Glutinous Rice Cake in English, is something you would find in a Chinese family's home during Chinese New Year. They say that since Tikoy is sticky, it will translate to good family ties all year long. But besides that belief, it's also yummy to eat.



o.o;;



If there's one thing I don't understand, it's this. I don't really know what this means, what it will bring us, but yeah, it's erected on a mountain of rice in a bowl. If anyone figures out what this suppose to mean, and why they're erected on top of a bowl-full of rice, please don't hesitate to comment :P What does your family do during Chinese New Year?



P.S. Don't forget to wear YELLOW today! :)









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Sunday, January 25, 2009

Bench & Coke Wear A Smile promo

I was strolling around SM Megamall, when I saw this shirt, and this big sign at Bench. I immediately went inside and asked how much for the "A Coke A Day Keeps The Bad Trip Away" shirt (because if you guys know me, I'm a HUGE Coke merchandise addict). They were a little bit surprised about my question. "How much for the shirt?" I found out that it's a promo by Coca-Cola and Bench. You have to look under your Coca-Cola bottle and pet-bottle caps or tansans. If it says you get a free shirt, you may claim it in any Bench store or outlet. I REALLY WANT THIS, AND I WILL GET ONE! (oh, please help me...can someone give me one tansan?) Promo starts today!


Bench & Coke


Coke & Bench










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Philippine Political System: An example of an Elite Democracy




Democracy in the Philippines is not a product of internal class struggles, but instead, it is said to be a set of political practices imposed by the outside colonial power, the Unites States.



In the "Democracy" that the Philippines got from the Americans, the electoral process we have now in our system is one of the "political practice" that's imposed to us. Since then, we have instituted a system of electoral competition, which served as a mechanism for the transfer of power among the elites while it gave the illusion of democratic freedom and choice among the masses.



"Elite democracy drives its strength from the fact that no matter how cynically the Filipino citizenry might view the electoral process, most Filipinos see no alternative to the ballot as a legitimate means of succession" (Bello and Gersnman, 1990)



In form, the "Philippine political system was a mirror image of the American in terms of presidential leadership, separation of powers and two-party system" (Curato, 2009), but in substance, "it's a marriage between feudal paternalism and Chicago-syle 'machine politics'" (Bello and Gersnman, 1990)



Martial Law came, and temporarily interrupted the pre-existing modes of elite rule and succession by establishing a dictatorship. If we looked back, we only see how bad that point in time was and the imposition of martial rule. But during that time, Martial Law was allowed by the Filipino people, meaning they consented to it, at first, probably because they saw the need to give the president such powers with what was happening that time.



There came a point that a lot of people were fed up and didn't like what was happening, so it all resulted to the EDSA Revolution that the Philippines was known for all over the world.



But see, EDSA Revolution terminated a dictatorship but it never gave us a clean break. "There were discontinuities as well as continuities: some old faces in new roles, some new faces in an unchanged bureaucracy. Movement leaders became bureaucrats overnight, isolated from one another by intimidating chores of running a government from day to day. They could not initiate meaningful changes within their own departments and offices because they discovered, to their dismay, that the very things they wanted to change fulfilled certain functions. And the alternatives were not available." (David, 2001)



End-all it just displaced the elites Marcos put into place, and those who were elites back then got their power and place back in the "grand scheme of things". A classic instance of the way elite democracy defuses and derails mass dissent was provided by the debate over land reform.



Despite the massive clamor for land reform, 90% of the House of Representatives during Cory's time were big landlords. While the House didn't officially oppose land reform, "it adopted a land reform bill that stipulates enough loopholes, evasions and contradictions that its implementation was castrated." (Bello and Gershman, 1990)



And at present, the Elections we have is one way for the elites to legitimize their power, to get voted at large by the masses, whose choice is both an illusion of "democratic power" and a manufactured one, because of predetermined set of candidates by the elite (also).



This relatively peaceful competition of power by the elite still exists up to the present, and I think will still continue unless the masses get educated, and clamor for genuine change in the system, or with our kind of democracy.



Sources:

Editorial Cartoon from NYU and Bertell Ollman

Some text and quotes are from Neeks Curato's Lecture 7: Political System, 2009










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Saturday, January 24, 2009

Bigby's Titanic Treat - a dessert of the gods

DSCN5444




Among the hefty servings of Continental, Mediterranean, and Oriental dishes Bigby's Cafe and Restaurant serve, their Titanic Treat is a must, MUST try! It's 40 scoops of ice cream and toppings all over the place. This baby is the god of all desserts. Yes, be afraid. This enormous dessert is for those who are adventurous and who call themselves ultimate food lovers.



Owner Henrik Yu told us that if you'll order this with another person (meaning there's just 2 of you) and you guys finish it in 5 minutes, this Php 999 monstrous treat will be free of charge! Anyone up for the challenge? ^^



Bigby's started in Cagayan de Oro, and now, it has expanded to Metro Manila, in the newly opened Atrium in SM Megamall









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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

US President Barack Obama Inauguration Speech

Barack Obama, the first black President of the United States of America, delivered this speech this Jan. 20 in Washington DC, where more than 2 million (estimated) gathered and even more around the world witnessed his oath-taking ceremony:



[Start] My fellow citizens:



I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.



Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.



So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.



That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.



These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.



Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.



On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.



On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.



We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.



The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.



In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.



For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.



For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.



This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.



For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.



Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.



What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.



Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.



The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.



As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.



And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more. Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.



We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.



For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.



To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.



To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.



As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.



For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.



Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.



This is the price and the promise of citizenship.



This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.



This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.



So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:



“Let it be told to the future world…that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive…that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”



America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.



Thank you. God bless you and God bless the United States of America. [End]



A lot of us are asking, "Will the Philippines have an Obama?" Well, I say, "Kaya Natin!" I am not really directly answering the question, I know. Obama, is Obama. The Philippines will have its own. Juan Dela Cruz! It's all just up to every single Filipino people, here and abroad. Everyone. You, me, we! "Bakit sila?" Well, I tell you, "YES WE CAN!" Kayang-kaya ng Pinoy! "Tayo pa!" God Bless!










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Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Mini-Dachshund Puppy!

Dachshund Puppy



Debbie, our Dachshund gave birth yesterday to 3 puppies; sadly, 2 of them died because they're too big, the labor was so stressful. She had a hard time, they even helped her give birth. The other side to it, it was her first time and we didn't know. Having her undergo C-sec might have saved the other 2, though I believe that they wouldn't let her have C-sec even if.









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Sunday, January 18, 2009

UP Chinese Student Association Cultural Week Celebrations in UP Diliman & SM Fairview and the Grand Alumni Homecoming

Chinese New Year will fall on January 26, 2008 this year. The University of the Philippines Chinese Student Association celebrates its Cultural Week annually, in time for this festivity. Here's a run-down of the activities for everyone! Come one, come all! Let's enjoy and have fun, 恭喜發財!


UP Chinese Student Association Cultural Week



Also, this year marks UP CSA's 45th Anniversary; with this, we'll be celebrating our Grand Alumni Homecoming on January 31, 2008, Saturday, 6:30pm at Gloria Maris, Greenhills!



CSA-ALUMNI-HOMECOMING-45
Correction: PO Box 70, not PO Box 40. ^^




Contact Madie Co at 0916-4120662 for more information about the Cultural Week celebrations and Tiffany Chua at tiffychua[at]gmail[dot]com for the CSA Grand Alumni Homecoming. Celebrate with us in UP Diliman and in SM Fairview, and be witnesses to a start of an Ox-citing year! CSA, Fil-Chi: Rekindle the past and cherish the present..attend the Grand Alumni Homecoming! :) We wish to see you all in our activities! 謝謝!








More Related Posts:





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Friday, January 16, 2009

Art In Site Magazine Launch at Ayala Museum

ARTINSITE MAGAZINE LAUNCH




On Saturday, January 17, Manila’s arts aficionados and patrons will be welcomed to a special reception at the Ayala Museum to announce the publication of the inaugural issue of Art in Site Magazine. The quarterly publication will be produced in Manila and distributed in the Philippines and the U.S. It is envisioned to be a leading resource for, by and about Filipino artists filled with insightful and engaging articles relating to the arts in all its forms to incite a renaissance of sorts—a rekindled interest in local art, artists, and a renewed sense of pride to be Filipino.



Art in Site Magazine is not just another arts magazine. Its history and unique vision are as remarkable as the people behind its creation. Patricia Laurel, editor of the magazine has the qualifications and pedigree: great-grand niece of national hero Jose Rizal; educated in Germany and the United States; writing credentials with European Stars and Stripes and Associated Press in the United States. Under Laurel’s leadership, Art in Site Magazine was conceived under the banner of a Cooperative for Artists in the Philippines and the U.S. as a way to connect a growing international community of artists of Filipino descent.



In every issue of Art in Site Magazine, a special article will be devoted to an update on the Cooperative’s ultimate goal — the establishment of the Manila Center for the Arts. The Center will be a physical structure that can be the hub for artistic development, exhibition and study; a nurturing home for Filipino artists, arts educators, and students to convene. Patterned after the highly successful San Francisco Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the plans include a Center School for young artists, state-of-the-art performance and exhibition spaces for small audiences, the provision of legal and practical services for the artistic community, and advocacy programs to increase government and private support of the arts in all of its forms.









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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Alumni Association of Xavier School (AAXS) and Immaculate Conception Academy Alumnae Association (ICAAA) Privilege Card Benefits and Discounts

The AAXS and the ICAAA privilege card for its alumni/alumnae have partner stores, restaurants, and a lot more (oh yes it does, if you still don't know by now..) with benefits, discounts and freebies galore! I graduated not so long ago, but it's just now that I learned of the "complete and updated" list of the partners of the card. And so, my fellow Xaverians and ICAns, I share to you the complete restaurants and their corresponding discounts and freebies. Bon Appétit!

AAXS/ICAAA Restaurants 1AAXS/ICAAA Restaurants 2AAXS/ICAAA Restaurants 3AAXS/ICAAA Restaurants 4




But besides the cool and yummy restaurants included as partners with the AAXS-ICAAA Alumni Card, there are a lot more like clothes, shoes, beauty care and products, computers and many more included. Watch out for the next installment of the AAXS-ICAAA card. ^^









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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Online Contest: Winner of Havaianas Limited Edition Leisure Towel

After having trimmed down the entries to 5, I asked my friends (Jeric, Kimberly, Blanch and Christa) to pick their top answer. After voting from the shortlisted 5, including my own vote, the winner who emerged from the 45 entries of the Online Contest - Havaianas Limited Edition Leisure Towel last December is:





Congratulations! I'll contact you on how you may claim your prize.



On other news, I just wish that there were more towels to give out, because if I did, I would also give one to him. This was the answer which emerged next to Fran's. This personally caught my attention because back when I was still small I used to do this with my brother.. Haha!













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Monday, January 12, 2009

Yummy Grape Sorbet

I visited Kimberly's house when they were here in the Philippines, and celebrated New Year with them over at Corinthian's. The food was great, and the company even better. I can proudly say that both our lola's (grandmothers) are great cooks, and truly a great tandem.



Anyway, I wish I took photos of the food we ate, but sadly I wasn't able to bring my own camera. I didn't know Beljo brought his; but when I knew, the food wasn't photogenic anymore. But that's alright.



Kimberly did a very yummy Tiramisu (for the first time) and her specialty, the Blueberry Cheesecake (both from the ICAN Cookbook - one great source of desserts if you will ask me).



Grape Sorbet :)




But something else caught my fancy. It's the homemade Grape Sorbet Auntie Nancy, a friend of my Aunt (Kimberly's mom), brought to the party. It looks very delish and tastes good, believe me. It's frozen pureed grapes with all other different ingredients. What I really liked about this is that it has bits and pieces of real grapes all over (yumm). Though it's quite sweeter than I expected (I'm not too much into sugar), I find it refreshing.

Here's some Concord Grape Sorbet recipe I found over at aarn!'s Flickr,

4-lbs of grapes (rinsed and stemmed) and 1c. of water were blended and put over low heat in a sauce pan. 3/4c. sugar and 1T. vodka were added to the warm pulp, and stirred until the sugar had dissolved. i think that the mixture was transferred to a mixing bowl, stirred over an ice bath for a little while until slightly chilled, then moved to the freezer. while in the freezer, the blended grape mixture was removed and stirred every 30-45 minutes for 2-3hrs, until at the desired consistency.


And here's a very nice article with photos, and some recipes of the grape sorbet. You have to check this out! Enjoy! :)









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Saturday, January 10, 2009

2008 Stanford Commencement Address by Oprah Winfrey

As you all know, I have renamed my blog to "The Philippines and Beyond". “Beyond? What do you mean by beyond?” Yes. It's beyond the Philippines, beyond its national boundaries and its shores, beyond the often traditional, and close-minded mind and view of the Filipino, beyond our classes, beyond our culture, religion and all things beyond our own understanding and choice.



I would like to share with you a great post I found (reposted) from Karol Yee's blog. It's the 2008 Stanford Commencement Address of Miss Oprah Winfrey. I hope every Pinoy and others as well will pick up a thing or two in what she said. But more importantly, I think that the challenge is not just for the Stanford 2008 graduates, but for all of us... for me, you, the educated, the students from the different schools and universities in and around the Philippines and beyond.



Oprah Pictures, Images and Photos

Photo from caliah_2008 on Photobucket




Can we be more of ourselves for others? Think about it. For now, here's her speech::



Thank you, President Hennessy, and to the trustees and the faculty, to all of the parents and grandparents, to you, the Stanford graduates. Thank you for letting me share this amazing day with you.



I need to begin by letting everyone in on a little secret. The secret is that Kirby Bumpus, Stanford Class of '08, is my goddaughter. So, I was thrilled when President Hennessy asked me to be your Commencement speaker, because this is the first time I've been allowed on campus since Kirby's been here.



You see, Kirby's a very smart girl. She wants people to get to know her on her own terms, she says. Not in terms of who she knows. So, she never wants anyone who's first meeting her to know that I know her and she knows me. So, when she first came to Stanford for new student orientation with her mom, I hear that they arrived and everybody was so welcoming, and somebody came up to Kirby and they said, "Ohmigod, that's Gayle King!" Because a lot of people know Gayle King as my BFF [best friend forever].



And so somebody comes up to Kirby, and they say, "Ohmigod, is that Gayle King?" And Kirby's like, "Uh-huh. She's my mom."



And so the person says, "Ohmigod, does it mean, like, you know Oprah Winfrey?"



And Kirby says, "Sort of."



I said, "Sort of? You sort of know me?" Well, I have photographic proof. I have pictures which I can e-mail to you all of Kirby riding horsey with me on all fours. So, I more than sort-of know Kirby Bumpus. And I'm so happy to be here, just happy that I finally, after four years, get to see her room. There's really nowhere else I'd rather be, because I'm so proud of Kirby, who graduates today with two degrees, one in human bio and the other in psychology. Love you, Kirby Cakes! That's how well I know her. I can call her Cakes.



And so proud of her mother and father, who helped her get through this time, and her brother, Will. I really had nothing to do with her graduating from Stanford, but every time anybody's asked me in the past couple of weeks what I was doing, I would say, "I'm getting ready to go to Stanford."



I just love saying "Stanford." Because the truth is, I know I would have never gotten my degree at all, 'cause I didn't go to Stanford. I went to Tennessee State University. But I never would have gotten my diploma at all, because I was supposed to graduate back in 1975, but I was short one credit. And I figured, I'm just going to forget it, 'cause, you know, I'm not going to march with my class. Because by that point, I was already on television. I'd been in television since I was 19 and a sophomore. Granted, I was the only television anchor person that had an 11 o'clock curfew doing the 10 o'clock news.



Seriously, my dad was like, "Well, that news is over at 10:30. Be home by 11."



But that didn't matter to me, because I was earning a living. I was on my way. So, I thought, I'm going to let this college thing go and I only had one credit short. But, my father, from that time on and for years after, was always on my case, because I did not graduate. He'd say, "Oprah Gail"—that's my middle name—"I don't know what you're gonna do without that degree." And I'd say, "But, Dad, I have my own television show."



And he'd say, "Well, I still don't know what you're going to do without that degree."



And I'd say, "But, Dad, now I'm a talk show host." He'd say, "I don't know how you're going to get another job without that degree."



So, in 1987, Tennessee State University invited me back to speak at their commencement. By then, I had my own show, was nationally syndicated. I'd made a movie, had been nominated for an Oscar and founded my company, Harpo. But I told them, I cannot come and give a speech unless I can earn one more credit, because my dad's still saying I'm not going to get anywhere without that degree.



So, I finished my coursework, I turned in my final paper and I got the degree.



And my dad was very proud. And I know that, if anything happens, that one credit will be my salvation.



But I also know why my dad was insisting on that diploma, because, as B. B. King put it, "The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take that away from you." And learning is really in the broadest sense what I want to talk about today, because your education, of course, isn't ending here. In many ways, it's only just begun.



The world has so many lessons to teach you. I consider the world, this Earth, to be like a school and our life the classrooms. And sometimes here in this Planet Earth school the lessons often come dressed up as detours or roadblocks. And sometimes as full-blown crises. And the secret I've learned to getting ahead is being open to the lessons, lessons from the grandest university of all, that is, the universe itself.



It's being able to walk through life eager and open to self-improvement and that which is going to best help you evolve, 'cause that's really why we're here, to evolve as human beings. To grow into more of ourselves, always moving to the next level of understanding, the next level of compassion and growth.



I think about one of the greatest compliments I've ever received: I interviewed with a reporter when I was first starting out in Chicago. And then many years later, I saw the same reporter. And she said to me, "You know what? You really haven't changed. You've just become more of yourself."



And that is really what we're all trying to do, become more of ourselves. And I believe that there's a lesson in almost everything that you do and every experience, and getting the lesson is how you move forward. It's how you enrich your spirit. And, trust me, I know that inner wisdom is more precious than wealth. The more you spend it, the more you gain.



So, today, I just want to share a few lessons—meaning three—that I've learned in my journey so far. And aren't you glad? Don't you hate it when somebody says, "I'm going to share a few," and it's 10 lessons later? And, you're like, "Listen, this is my graduation. This is not about you." So, it's only going to be three.



The three lessons that have had the greatest impact on my life have to do with feelings, with failure and with finding happiness.



A year after I left college, I was given the opportunity to co-anchor the 6 o'clock news in Baltimore, because the whole goal in the media at the time I was coming up was you try to move to larger markets. And Baltimore was a much larger market than Nashville. So, getting the 6 o'clock news co-anchor job at 22 was such a big deal. It felt like the biggest deal in the world at the time.



And I was so proud, because I was finally going to have my chance to be like Barbara Walters, which is who I had been trying to emulate since the start of my TV career. So, I was 22 years old, making $22,000 a year. And it's where I met my best friend, Gayle, who was an intern at the same TV station. And once we became friends, we'd say, "Ohmigod, I can't believe it! You're making $22,000 and you're only 22. Imagine when you're 40 and you're making $40,000!"



When I turned 40, I was so glad that didn't happen.



So, here I am, 22, making $22,000 a year and, yet, it didn't feel right. It didn't feel right. The first sign, as President Hennessy was saying, was when they tried to change my name. The news director said to me at the time, "Nobody's going to remember Oprah. So, we want to change your name. We've come up with a name we think that people will remember and people will like. It's a friendly name: Suzie."



Hi, Suzie. Very friendly. You can't be angry with Suzie. Remember Suzie. But my name wasn't Suzie. And, you know, I'd grown up not really loving my name, because when you're looking for your little name on the lunch boxes and the license plate tags, you're never going to find Oprah.



So, I grew up not loving the name, but once I was asked to change it, I thought, well, it is my name and do I look like a Suzie to you? So, I thought, no, it doesn't feel right. I'm not going to change my name. And if people remember it or not, that's OK.



And then they said they didn't like the way I looked. This was in 1976, when your boss could call you in and say, "I don't like the way you look." Now that would be called a lawsuit, but back then they could just say, "I don't like the way you look." Which, in case some of you in the back, if you can't tell, is nothing like Barbara Walters. So, they sent me to a salon where they gave me a perm, and after a few days all my hair fell out and I had to shave my head. And then they really didn't like the way I looked.



Because now I am black and bald and sitting on TV. Not a pretty picture.



But even worse than being bald, I really hated, hated, hated being sent to report on other people's tragedies as a part of my daily duty, knowing that I was just expected to observe, when everything in my instinct told me that I should be doing something, I should be lending a hand.



So, as President Hennessy said, I'd cover a fire and then I'd go back and I'd try to give the victims blankets. And I wouldn't be able to sleep at night because of all the things I was covering during the day.



And, meanwhile, I was trying to sit gracefully like Barbara and make myself talk like Barbara. And I thought, well, I could make a pretty goofy Barbara. And if I could figure out how to be myself, I could be a pretty good Oprah. I was trying to sound elegant like Barbara. And sometimes I didn't read my copy, because something inside me said, this should be spontaneous. So, I wanted to get the news as I was giving it to the people. So, sometimes, I wouldn't read my copy and it would be, like, six people on a pileup on I-40. Oh, my goodness.



And sometimes I wouldn't read the copy—because I wanted to be spontaneous—and I'd come across a list of words I didn't know and I'd mispronounce. And one day I was reading copy and I called Canada "ca nada." And I decided, this Barbara thing's not going too well. I should try being myself.



But at the same time, my dad was saying, "Oprah Gail, this is an opportunity of a lifetime. You better keep that job." And my boss was saying, "This is the nightly news. You're an anchor, not a social worker. Just do your job."



So, I was juggling these messages of expectation and obligation and feeling really miserable with myself. I'd go home at night and fill up my journals, 'cause I've kept a journal since I was 15—so I now have volumes of journals. So, I'd go home at night and fill up my journals about how miserable I was and frustrated. Then I'd eat my anxiety. That's where I learned that habit.



And after eight months, I lost that job. They said I was too emotional. I was too much. But since they didn't want to pay out the contract, they put me on a talk show in Baltimore. And the moment I sat down on that show, the moment I did, I felt like I'd come home. I realized that TV could be more than just a playground, but a platform for service, for helping other people lift their lives. And the moment I sat down, doing that talk show, it felt like breathing. It felt right. And that's where everything that followed for me began.



And I got that lesson. When you're doing the work you're meant to do, it feels right and every day is a bonus, regardless of what you're getting paid.



It's true. And how do you know when you're doing something right? How do you know that? It feels so. What I know now is that feelings are really your GPS system for life. When you're supposed to do something or not supposed to do something, your emotional guidance system lets you know. The trick is to learn to check your ego at the door and start checking your gut instead. Every right decision I've made—every right decision I've ever made—has come from my gut. And every wrong decision I've ever made was a result of me not listening to the greater voice of myself.



If it doesn't feel right, don't do it. That's the lesson. And that lesson alone will save you, my friends, a lot of grief. Even doubt means don't. This is what I've learned. There are many times when you don't know what to do. When you don't know what to do, get still, get very still, until you do know what to do.



And when you do get still and let your internal motivation be the driver, not only will your personal life improve, but you will gain a competitive edge in the working world as well. Because, as Daniel Pink writes in his best-seller, A Whole New Mind, we're entering a whole new age. And he calls it the Conceptual Age, where traits that set people apart today are going to come from our hearts—right brain—as well as our heads. It's no longer just the logical, linear, rules-based thinking that matters, he says. It's also empathy and joyfulness and purpose, inner traits that have transcendent worth.



These qualities bloom when we're doing what we love, when we're involving the wholeness of ourselves in our work, both our expertise and our emotion.



So, I say to you, forget about the fast lane. If you really want to fly, just harness your power to your passion. Honor your calling. Everybody has one. Trust your heart and success will come to you.



So, how do I define success? Let me tell you, money's pretty nice. I'm not going to stand up here and tell you that it's not about money, 'cause money is very nice. I like money. It's good for buying things.



But having a lot of money does not automatically make you a successful person. What you want is money and meaning. You want your work to be meaningful. Because meaning is what brings the real richness to your life. What you really want is to be surrounded by people you trust and treasure and by people who cherish you. That's when you're really rich.



So, lesson one, follow your feelings. If it feels right, move forward. If it doesn't feel right, don't do it.



Now I want to talk a little bit about failings, because nobody's journey is seamless or smooth. We all stumble. We all have setbacks. If things go wrong, you hit a dead end—as you will—it's just life's way of saying time to change course. So, ask every failure—this is what I do with every failure, every crisis, every difficult time—I say, what is this here to teach me? And as soon as you get the lesson, you get to move on. If you really get the lesson, you pass and you don't have to repeat the class. If you don't get the lesson, it shows up wearing another pair of pants—or skirt—to give you some remedial work.



And what I've found is that difficulties come when you don't pay attention to life's whisper, because life always whispers to you first. And if you ignore the whisper, sooner or later you'll get a scream. Whatever you resist persists. But, if you ask the right question—not why is this happening, but what is this here to teach me?—it puts you in the place and space to get the lesson you need.



My friend Eckhart Tolle, who's written this wonderful book called A New Earth that's all about letting the awareness of who you are stimulate everything that you do, he puts it like this: He says, don't react against a bad situation; merge with that situation instead. And the solution will arise from the challenge. Because surrendering yourself doesn't mean giving up; it means acting with responsibility.



Many of you know that, as President Hennessy said, I started this school in Africa. And I founded the school, where I'm trying to give South African girls a shot at a future like yours—Stanford. And I spent five years making sure that school would be as beautiful as the students. I wanted every girl to feel her worth reflected in her surroundings. So, I checked every blueprint, I picked every pillow. I was looking at the grout in between the bricks. I knew every thread count of the sheets. I chose every girl from the villages, from nine provinces. And yet, last fall, I was faced with a crisis I had never anticipated. I was told that one of the dorm matrons was suspected of sexual abuse.



That was, as you can imagine, devastating news. First, I cried—actually, I sobbed—for about half an hour. And then I said, let's get to it; that's all you get, a half an hour. You need to focus on the now, what you need to do now. So, I contacted a child trauma specialist. I put together a team of investigators. I made sure the girls had counseling and support. And Gayle and I got on a plane and flew to South Africa.



And the whole time I kept asking that question: What is this here to teach me? And, as difficult as that experience has been, I got a lot of lessons. I understand now the mistakes I made, because I had been paying attention to all of the wrong things. I'd built that school from the outside in, when what really mattered was the inside out.



So, it's a lesson that applies to all of our lives as a whole. What matters most is what's inside. What matters most is the sense of integrity, of quality and beauty. I got that lesson. And what I know is that the girls came away with something, too. They have emerged from this more resilient and knowing that their voices have power.



And their resilience and spirit have given me more than I could ever give to them, which leads me to my final lesson—the one about finding happiness—which we could talk about all day, but I know you have other wacky things to do.



Not a small topic this is, finding happiness. But in some ways I think it's the simplest of all. Gwendolyn Brooks wrote a poem for her children. It's called "Speech to the Young : Speech to the Progress-Toward." And she says at the end, "Live not for battles won. / Live not for the-end-of-the-song. / Live in the along." She's saying, like Eckhart Tolle, that you have to live for the present. You have to be in the moment. Whatever has happened to you in your past has no power over this present moment, because life is now.



But I think she's also saying, be a part of something. Don't live for yourself alone. This is what I know for sure: In order to be truly happy, you must live along with and you have to stand for something larger than yourself. Because life is a reciprocal exchange. To move forward you have to give back. And to me, that is the greatest lesson of life. To be happy, you have to give something back.



I know you know that, because that's a lesson that's woven into the very fabric of this university. It's a lesson that Jane and Leland Stanford got and one they've bequeathed to you. Because all of you know the story of how this great school came to be, how the Stanfords lost their only child to typhoid at the age of 15. They had every right and they had every reason to turn their backs against the world at that time, but instead, they channeled their grief and their pain into an act of grace. Within a year of their son's death, they had made the founding grant for this great school, pledging to do for other people's children what they were not able to do for their own boy.



The lesson here is clear, and that is, if you're hurting, you need to help somebody ease their hurt. If you're in pain, help somebody else's pain. And when you're in a mess, you get yourself out of the mess helping somebody out of theirs. And in the process, you get to become a member of what I call the greatest fellowship of all, the sorority of compassion and the fraternity of service.



The Stanfords had suffered the worst thing any mom and dad can ever endure, yet they understood that helping others is the way we help ourselves. And this wisdom is increasingly supported by scientific and sociological research. It's no longer just woo-woo soft-skills talk. There's actually a helper's high, a spiritual surge you gain from serving others. So, if you want to feel good, you have to go out and do some good.



But when you do good, I hope you strive for more than just the good feeling that service provides, because I know this for sure, that doing good actually makes you better. So, whatever field you choose, if you operate from the paradigm of service, I know your life will have more value and you will be happy.



I was always happy doing my talk show, but that happiness reached a depth of fulfillment, of joy, that I really can't describe to you or measure when I stopped just being on TV and looking at TV as a job and decided to use television, to use it and not have it use me, to use it as a platform to serve my viewers. That alone changed the trajectory of my success.



So, I know this—that whether you're an actor, you offer your talent in the way that most inspires art. If you're an anatomist, you look at your gift as knowledge and service to healing. Whether you've been called, as so many of you here today getting doctorates and other degrees, to the professions of business, law, engineering, humanities, science, medicine, if you choose to offer your skills and talent in service, when you choose the paradigm of service, looking at life through that paradigm, it turns everything you do from a job into a gift. And I know you haven't spent all this time at Stanford just to go out and get a job.



You've been enriched in countless ways. There's no better way to make your mark on the world and to share that abundance with others. My constant prayer for myself is to be used in service for the greater good.



So, let me end with one of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther King. Dr. King said, "Not everybody can be famous." And I don't know, but everybody today seems to want to be famous.



But fame is a trip. People follow you to the bathroom, listen to you pee. It's just—try to pee quietly. It doesn't matter, they come out and say, "Ohmigod, it's you. You peed."



That's the fame trip, so I don't know if you want that.



So, Dr. King said, "Not everybody can be famous. But everybody can be great, because greatness is determined by service." Those of you who are history scholars may know the rest of that passage. He said, "You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato or Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love."



In a few moments, you'll all be officially Stanford's '08.



You have the heart and the smarts to go with it. And it's up to you to decide, really, where will you now use those gifts? You've got the diploma, so go out and get the lessons, 'cause I know great things are sure to come.



You know, I've always believed that everything is better when you share it, so before I go, I wanted to share a graduation gift with you. Underneath your seats you'll find two of my favorite books. Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth is my current book club selection. Our New Earth webcast has been downloaded 30 million times with that book. And Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future has reassured me I'm in the right direction.



I really wanted to give you cars but I just couldn't pull that off! Congratulations, '08!



Thank you. Thank you.










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Friday, January 9, 2009

UPCAT 2009 RESULTS ARE FINALLY OUT! (updated)

UPDATED!

The University of the Philippines College Admissions Test is now posted at the Office of Admissions in UP Diliman. You may also visit this site (UP UPCAT RESULTS MIRROR) for the results online. Good luck and welcome to UP! :)




UPCAT RESULTS









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Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Philippines Family Power - A Perspective

"Is the Philippines truly a democratic nation or a lucrative family business?" This was the question the show 101 East posted at the start of their episode where it tried to tackle the role of the Family, dynasties, in the Philippine political arena.







As said in the film, some will defend political dynasties on the basis of an argument that these families bring "continuity and experience necessary for a successful government;" but despite of this, the Philippines (political system) still ranks among the most corrupt in the world.



Still the rich are getting richer and poor are getting, you've guessed it, poorer. The gap between the rich and the poor is in fact still widening. Quoting our Supreme Court Chief Justice, "The root cause of this problem is well-known. It is the relentless greed of a few families who, from the beginning of time, have always controlled the wealth of our country.” And people would say, that among these families Puno cited are identified with, no other than, the political dynasties (which unfortunately still exists up to this very day and age).



From the video, they reported that out of the 265 representatives in Congress, there are at least 160 of them belonging to the political clans or dynasties. This fact strengthens the assumption of people that the elite (and consequently their families), in this case these politicians who dominate the law-making bodies of the Philippines, has that much power.



Of course, they blame it on colonialism, rooting from the "colonial past"; but come one, that was more than 300 years ago? As the cliche line from Spiderman movie says, "with great power comes great responsibility," but that's easier said than done, right?







The Phonomenon of Political Dynasties: In the Philippine political arena, there are more or less 75% of them who have relatives (meaning grandparents, parents, wives, husbands, nephews, children, grandchildren) who became/ was one way or another a government official. Needless to say, it's easier to spot a government official who is related one way or another to another government official (past or present).



Democracy in the Philippines may be attributed to a "government of the people and by the people", but the political dynasties are a testament to the lack thereof (so they say). But as a result, some would argue that this is still a democratic procedure because these officials are still voted by the people.



Another argument presented is the capability of these officials (whether coming from political dynasties or not), that they come from the best schools from around the world, better equipped to handle such position.



Popularity, connections and resources ultimately dominate the playing field (ruled by the incumbent, or in this case, the incumbent's family/ family member). True. The incumbent may have the popularity, all the connections and resources to put himself or his kin into the office, but we must level the arena.



Dean Alex Brillantes of the National College of Public Administration and Governance in the University of the Philippines pointed out in the film that even this is the case, we must put everything in context, that 1.) there are good and bad dynasties, and 2.) there's still hope for people to participate actively in the Philippine political system.



Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri supports the Dean's claims and furthers the discussion with emphasis to campaign finance reform and party system reforms to help level out the playing field. Poor people given chance to spend from legal means.



The constitution is clear, Article 2, Section 26 of the Philippine Constitution states that "The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law." There's no enabling law, as of date.



"But the notion of a "political dynasty" could not be defined – at the most basic because elective posts are not inherited, they are elected," Alex Magno explains.
He writes about and explains more in detail why even if there's a law against political dynasties, it shouldn't be the focus of reforms; instead he suggests "a shift out of single-member district representation."



On the other hand, there has been efforts on the Anti-Dynasty Bill by both the Congress (HB 5925) and the Senate, but until this date, there's still no clear and definite progress on the said bill.



These arguments presented, I ask you what's your stand on this issue? ^^










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