The Feet of Faith and Transcendent Wanderlust

Sometimes, we feel like we’re abandoned and lost in the galaxies of infinity. We keep walking in the tunnel of oblivion and ambiguity. We close our eyes. We dig deep down into the depths of our subconscious, looking for the heart that once upon a time made a promise to the constellations of stars, with its euphoric beat, to make a stand and march through. We are blind; however we carry an innate consciousness just like a child, being taught to walk. As he began his precious steps, little by little, the hand that carried him, slowly, freed him until the last touch became a soft whisper. The child begins to stumble and fall. But the whisper is still there, omnipresent.

The child, now a man, continued his walk, searching for that first beat. He fell into a familiar dimension, there he met his heart. His heart doesn't know the man’s countenance, for the heart is blind. The whisper came, beamed, and became a serene ethereal harmony in the midst of the heart and man.

He found himself and became one with his soul.

**end**

Minsan, sa paglalakbay natin, di natin maiiwasang marindi sa ingay ng mga sigaw ng mundo. Mapapagod tayo at hahanapin ang sarili sa nakaraan, sa dalang saya at lungkot nito. Siguro, kung ang batang tinuturuan maglakad ng kanyang magulang ay magkaroon ng limitadong pangunawa na tulad ng sa iyo o sa akin, sya’y magagalit at bakit ba naman sa gitna ng kanyang paglalakad ay unti unti naman syang binibitawan. Bakit?

Ang mga kamay na naging bulong, may tinuturo Siya sa atin. Walang mata ang puso, may pakiramdam ngunit pagsamantala lang. Pero hahayaan mo bang ibase lang ang paglalakad sa pamamagitan ng pakiramdam? O ang paglalakad na base sa Tiwala..

LAUS DEO SEMPER

The Feet of Faith and Transcendent Wanderlust
26.04.15
12:25am

Let's pause awhile

Before Dawn

                    He went outside barefoot, the December wind howling, cutting through his skin like the vivacity of noontime sunbeam.

                    It is three thirty in the morning. The moonbeam's radiance struggles to penetrate the earth beneath, moving on from yesterday's tempest. The earth begins to dry, like the cry of a pacified child, the wind pursued no hindrance.

                    Early morning December dew touched his countenance. The universe is celebrating the glorious silence after the surges of the past.

                    The cosmos whispered, and the boy listened, " Thy things shall pass and let it be fulfilled. The universe shall conspire for you to achieve thy master's will, let it be done to you according to His will."

                    He closed his eyes, opened his heart, he is breathing with an absolute calm, allowing the force of the cool wind to pierce in every pore in his flesh filling his soul.

                    He opened his eyes and saw the dawn's glorious break.


                                                                                                                                    -Neb Iva (12.10.14)

Fisonomia Hambuguera

December 5th, 2014, around 9 pm, while reading and waiting and sipping coffee at Mcdo Bustillos, two backpackers (probably Americans, accent would tell) made their grand entrance and seated adjacent to my table. They're murmuring something that can hardly be heard. While eating, they had begun complaining and raising their voices as if no one could ever understand what in the world they're saying: The "hilariousness" of the premises, service (pertaining to Mcdo?), the early Christmas of Filipinos, traditions and everything under their stupid care and the Great American Dream. Then came: "This is the only country in the whole of Asia which blah blah blah here and blah blah blah there", the hell? Comparing your country to the rest of Asia in your own turf, got really into my nerves and I almost dunked my coffee over their stupid faces. Then I remembered Rizal's experience while in Paris, inside the train headed for Dieppe in 1889 where a boorish American gave him the best reason for his low regard for Americans:

..While waiting for the train to depart, the americano with the "fisonomia hambuguera" (mayabang or hambog) started talking. He found everything in Paris bad: Exposition, Eiffel Tower, cafes, restaurants, etc. Nothing was comparable to New York. New York here, New York there, New York everywhere; there was nothing like New York. From time to time his companion would say, "Oh, indeed!"

Rizal sighed and kept his peace. He wrote, "I was beginning to be annoyed by the fury of the traveler and I was going to join the conversation to tell him what I've seen and endured in America. Rizal was relieved when the train started moving and the americano fell asleep.." (A. Ocampo, 2011)

Like Rizal, I blamed the strong coffee that made my mind create, at least a polite question to ask the two bastards: "Gentlemen, what are your thoughts that your country is the birthplace of AIDS?" HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, of course, I kept my cool and just smirked on the other guy.

They went quietly.


Minsan, mahirap magpaka-ilustrado sa mundong puno ng kuto.

Di tayo perpekto. Maraming kakulangan sa bansang 'to at kasama ka sa kakulangang yun kung ikaw mismo susuko sa paniniwalang balang araw, bago ka rin mabaril dahil sa prinsipyo mo, maaayos din ang lahat.

Hello Kitty and Friends On Duty

Fourteenth of September Thoughts

In the outskirts of Recto and Avenida one Sunday morning, while this boy was on his way to attend a mass at The Feast, something happened for the first time in 5 years of his adventure in the city. Oblivious and complacent the boy was, an old man suddenly jerked, loomed behind his back and snatched the boy’s wallet within a second or two. After a few meters from where the scene had taken place, a man shouted at the boy’s general direction telling him “Nanakawan ka! Nanakawan ka!”. The boy was shocked almost numb for what he just heard. After checking his bag, and learned that his wallet was stolen together with its collection of cards, he rushed back to the place and found no one except a sleepy security guard on duty, perceptibly unaware of what just occurred in his general area of responsibility, and an empty police emergency outpost with few stray cats as if ready to conduct a blotter report on Sundays. The boy doesn't want to be frustrated, “there is hope for this country, still, it’s a beautiful Sunday anyway” he convinced himself.

The boy made his way to the LRT Doroteo Jose station and found his friend waiting for him. After some pleasantries and a quick narrative of what had happened she bought him a card to Vito Cruz to catch their 8am mass session.

So what is the message of the story?

It’s just a simple reminder that no matter how valuable our mundane possessions are, the Lord is telling us that our REAL TREASURE is still our DESTINATION yet emphasizing that the JOURNEY, no matter how tough, towards that DESTINATION is something that would really make you appreciate the latter. Hence, the attitude or reaction towards the experience, or perhaps what is happening around you is all that matters. The Lord has embedded you a character and wisdom that will comfort you even amidst the deadliest of all tempests.

Guess what?

I'm safe. I have wonderful parents and two sisters. Awesome friends and Gracious God that provides.

CASTS:
The Boy – Beam Andalecio
The Friend – Novie Lozada
The Man – random by passer
Stray Cats – I named them Hello Kitty and friends

P.S. The story also ATTEMPTS to call the ATTENTION of all the elements of the Philippine National Police to PLEASE (EMPHASIS ADDED) workout on your POLICE PRESENCE and STRICT LAW ENFORCEMENT for the people, whom you protect and serve. Please refer to Art. XI Section 1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Thank you and God bless. :)

TRAILBLAZER

“Seek not to follow the footsteps of the wise, you seek what they sought.” –Anonymous

Have you ever experienced being compared to someone? Perhaps our generation would have given a knock on the door of the past, not just once, nor twice, but perhaps a hundred times. That’s how the present operates. Yes, it is normal to look at the past. Doing so only means that we have the audacity to correct our mistakes and learn from it. Most importantly, it gives us the humility that before we have gone this far, we are once upon a time a struggling fool in search for knowledge and wisdom.

The World Revolves 360 degrees

According to McCarthy, D.D. & Seidelmann, P.K. in 2009, the Earth rotates once in about 24 hours with respect to the sun and once every 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds with respect to the stars. Earth's rotation is slowing slightly with time; thus, a day was shorter in the past. This is due to the tidal effects the Moon has on Earth's rotation. Atomic clocks show that a modern day is longer by about 1.7 milliseconds than a century ago, slowly increasing the rate at which UTC is adjusted by leap seconds.

So what does that mean?

Simply put, everything changes under the sun. You and I change every millisecond. In fact I’m not the same writer a second ago. Am I making sense? You, the reader, are not the same as you are seconds ago. Your psyche changes, your body's cell count changes, your mood changes and so on. Everything that happened in the past had its own share of joy, sadness, delight, grief, enchantment.

And challenges too. Many of us are stuck on the bait of hanging in our past. Yes, the story of the people in the previous course of history has definitely something to do with what we are now. But always put in mind that the encounters are different. Different challenges that needs another course of solution. Do not compare your accomplishments from the accomplishments of your older brother, sister or parents. You see, their generation had different set of challenges, and you have your own. Find solution and solve it.

The generation in the past made their mark and created their trails. It’s up to you weather to use it or.. act in the present and trail blaze your own way by opening another door specially designed for the vendetta of this generation. “Seek not to follow the footsteps of the wise, you seek what they sought.”

Dealing with present? HAVE IT YOUR WAY. 

What Do You Think Is The Problem?

A Personal Observation

The patchy economic record of the Philippines shows that there are inconsistencies in our economic reforms. Economic development continues to be elusive in spite of our abundant natural and human resources; dismal poverty unmoved for years, weak institutions and oligarchic private sector has contributed immensely to the problem.

Makati City Business Hub, Philippines

Like a steering wheel, the Philippines has adopted an openness model, entered a series of multi-lateral free trade treaties, agreements, and inter-Asian conventions. These efforts provided domestic firms access to markets overseas and leverage to policymakers that allowed them to pursue economic reforms more aggressively. However, investment rate in the country remained to be one of the lowest in the region in recent years because of the poor physical infrastructure that discouraged foreign and domestic investors. The fiscal position of the country remained to be one of the other factors. This is ultimately brought by weak revenue collection.

Lack of economic transformation has brought further dilemma as the country exert its efforts for progress. This deficiency elevated and gave rise to production and economic imbalance. Evidently, the lack of economic transformation is one reason as to why there is increasing number of Filipinos wanting to hook a job overseas.

I agree that a vigilant society adds to better governance. Pressure groups are vital on expressing the majority’s stand on public issues and concerns. They act and serve as an instrument to hear the voice of the masses. Conversely, policymakers should be aware that there are possible drawbacks brought by these pressure groups. There are possibilities that policies may become paralyzed because of populist clamor.

CTO

I have gathered a set of aspirations and challenges for the Philippines in doing this reflection. These aspirations and challenges are composed of five and three areas respectively. It gives emphasis on an opportunistic approach to development with respect to the visible strengths of the Philippines; the Business Process Outsourcing, Human Capital, Agriculture, Tourism, and Rich Natural Resources. Also included are the challenges to the Philippine Government, Private Sectors, and ultimately, to the Filipino People.

Philippine Stock Exchange

The idea of a Balanced, Rapid, Inclusive, Sustainable, and Capital-led Economic Growth, more that its adjectival characteristic, are appealing. These concrete steps can be a turning point for economic, political, and social renovation provided that each private and public institution, empowered with people’s participation would steer the application of the proposed model.

I would like to quote the assertion of the late anti-apartheid hero, Nelson Mandela; “The greatest glory in living lies not on never failing but in rising every time we fall.” Dr. Jose Rizal described our country; “The beloved region of the sun”, “The pearl of the orient seas”, and “Our lost Eden.” The Philippines has experienced many ups and downs in the past years and has tried to be cured by different administration during the past decades but still stuck at the near bottom of the East Asian neighbors.

CTO

We probably ask ourselves at one point in time, what’s the problem with our country? In spite of our rich and abundant natural resources as well as human resources, we still fail to reach the top? During the past months, we were being staggered by natural calamities and brought us to total dismay by the exhumed scandals of dirty politics that tested our faith and vigilance.

I guess that’s how it is. These challenges should come to pass to genuinely transform the Philippines into a matured nation. I believe that the universe is pushing us to explore new solutions, to innovate and to act as a true citizen with one aim, and that is to prosper and renew the spirits of each Filipino to stand and to sacrifice in the name of patriotism and brotherhood. I believe these characters will guide us from the inherent enigma of the past and direct us to the dream just like what Jose Rizal emphasized; “If a man wants to be free, he should live with Personal Discipline, Moral Dignity, Refusal to submit to tyranny, and willingness to die in defense of these traits.”

CTO

True enough; a country is composed of free men living for the common good and betterment of life. These free men and women will strive to realize a free and prosperous nation, a nation we call the Philippines.

I still believe in miracles, I still believe that in the near future, the only pearl in the orient seas will again shed light to the world and become a model of modern development and good governance.

In Search for a Solution

Searching the Lost

Jose Rizal

I believe that the primary need of a formidable country is the concrete-solid values system rooted from its rich past. Searching the lost values and retrospecting the life and works of our great heroes standing side-by-side in search for our liberty and self-rule is a challenge to all Filipinos.

Andres Bonifacio

Rizal, Mabini, Bonifacio, Jacinto and all of those unsung heroes who fought and have sacrificed their time and youth to alleviate this country, our lost Eden, the pearl of the orient seas, Las Islas Filipinas, from the injected plight by her conquerors.

Apolinario Mabini

Our values system that has been deteriorated by the manipulating schemes of the foreign force taking advantage of our humble approach being inflicted resulting into inferiority complex, lack of pride being a Filipino, western mind-setting, lack of discipline and all others.

Emilio Jacinto

Our values system should be restored. Reviving the inherited pattern bestowed to us by our forefathers to relive our stolen rich past of culture, glorious communities of golden abundance and harmonious brotherhood and cohesion, a self-governing, self-reliant, skilled men and women working and contributing hand in hand for the perpetuity of our magnificent story.
In the past 100 years of our long-sought freedom, did we realign our lost path of greatness? Like our forefathers did, did we fight to bring back the prosperous promise to our mother land? Did we make an attempt to execute all possible random act of patriotism to save this land from the scars of the past? Or are we just contented as to what the Westerners have sowed in our soils?



(to be continued)