Yuletide 2015

Yuletide 2015

Next year will be an election year for the republic.  For the presidency, the candidates are Vice President Jejomar Binay, Secretary Mar Roxas, Senator Grace Poe, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Mirriam Defensor-Santiago.  Come May of next year, the next president of the republic will be plucked from the above-mentioned names.  Any one of these candidate have their own vision for the country, some are viewed to be worthy while some are viewed as opportunists.  At any rate, such is the reason that there is an election every six years for the position of the presidency, and other electoral positions.

In a fender-bender accident, car insurance companies have a standing order to clients to never admit liability.  If there are liabilities to be settled, then let the opposing insurance talk to one another.  Very recently, I was involved in a vehicular accident and the opposing party contends that it was my entire fault, while yours truly holds the contrasting position, and that such was the fault of the other party.

Roadside arguments will never settle anything, different parties have their own version and as such, it is best to simply let the insurance companies settle whatever it is that needs settling.

What really drives me mad is the nerve of the opposing vehicle to demand that I provide them of a replacement vehicle while their vehicle is in the repair shop.  Considering that it was their fault and that I too have my own car repair inconvenience, such is really an offending and a stupid proposal all to suit their selfish needs and convenience.

Long story short, let it be a stupid and irrational proposal on their part and as for my own consumption, I already processed all the necessary papers for a car insurance claim and hopefully, by mid-January next year, my car would be good as new.

We had our annual family getaway this yuletide season at the Camayan Beach Resort in Subic Bay.  Had our fun-filled memories and family bonding and hopefully, next year would be a better and a more generous year for House Estoque.

December 30, 2015…

SP article 11

Sikolohiyang Pilipino

Kung ang Sikolohiyang Pilipino ay tumutumbok sa karanasan, kaisipan at orientasyon ng mga Pilipino – nararapat lamang na bigyang ng bagong diin ang mga ito sa kontemporaryong pananaw at perspektibo.  Ano na nga ba ang mga bagong karanasan ng mga Pilipino ngayon?  Ano na nga ba ang mga modernong kaisipan?  Nag bago na ba ang kanilang mga pananaw kung ito ay ihahambing isang dekada o dalawang dekadang lumipas?

Nararapat lang naman na isulat at suriin kung ang mga kontemporaryong kaisipan ay sang ayon sa mga Pilipino ngayon.  Sa panahong kung saang naka pag halal na ang Amerika (Estados Unidos) ng isang itim na pangulo, ano na nga ba ang mga pag babago sa mundo?  At kung ang mga pagbabagong ito ay umaayon sa mga Pilipino o suma salungat sa kanilang kontemporaryong karanasan, kaisipan at orientasyon.

SP at Motorsiklo

Kung ihahambing sa bilang ng mga apat ang gulong, mas marami na raw ang mga motorsiklo sa bansa.  Kung ang pagbabatayan ay ang bilang ng benta taon taon, maiiyak ang mga kotse sa inggit dahil, kung umabot man ng limangpong libo ang bilang ng mga kotseng naibebenta taon taon, daang libo naman ang bilang ng benta ng mga motorsiklo sa bansa.

Mag mula sa presyo hanggang sa konsumo ng gasolina at layo ng nata takbo, walang talo talaga ang motorsiklo.  Idagdag pa natin ang mabigat na trapiko sa lansangan, tanging motorsiklo lang ang nakakagalaw sa masikip na trapiko.  Sinasabi na dalawa hanggang tatlong bilyong piso ang nauubos at nasasayang taon-taon sa trapiko at ang bilang na ito ay tataas pa dahil padami ng padami na ang sasakyan sa lansangan ngayong hindi naman nadaragdagan ang bilang ng lansangan.

Philosophy Manuscript (raw and unedited)

The Early Greek Philosophy

Philosophy is commonly known as the rational and critical inquiry into basic principles.  As used originally by the ancient Greeks, the term philosophy meant the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake.  Philosophy comprised all areas of speculative thought and included the arts, sciences, and religion.  As special methods and principles were developed in the various areas of knowledge, each area acquired its own philosophical aspect, giving rise to the philosophy of art, of science, and of religion.

The term philosophy is often used popularly to mean a set of basic values and attitudes toward life, nature, and society —thus the phrase philosophy of life.  Because the lines of distinction between the various areas of knowledge are flexible and subject to change, the definition of the term philosophy remains a subject of controversy.

The Ionian School

The first philosopher of historical record was Thales (625 B.C.- 546 B.C.). A Greek Philosopher born in the City of Miletus, on the Ionian Coast of Asia Minor.  He was the founder of Greek philosophy, and was considered one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece.  Thales became famed for his knowledge of astronomy after predicting the eclipse of the sun that occurred on May 28, 585 B.C..  He is also said to have introduced geometry in Greece.

According to Thales, the original principle of all things is water, from which everything proceed and into which everything is again resolved.  Before Thales, explanations of the universe were mythological, and his concentration on the basic physical substance of the world marks the birth of scientific thought.  Thales left no writings; knowledge of him is derived from an account in Aristotle's Metaphysics. 

Anaximander, a disciple of Thales, maintained that the first principle from which all things evolve is an intangible, invisible, infinite substance that he called apeiron, ”the boundless.”  He realized, however, that no observable substance could be found in all things; thus his notion of the boundless anticipated the modern notion of an unbounded universe.  This substance, he maintained, is eternal and indestructible.  Out of its ceaseless motion the more familiar substances, such as warmth, cold, earth, air, and fire, continuously evolve, generating in turn the various objects and organisms that make up the recognizable world.

The third great Ionian philosopher, Anaximenes, returned to Thales' assumption that the primary substance is something familiar and material, but he claimed it to be air rather than water.  He believed that the changes things undergo could be explained in terms of rarefaction and condensation of air.  Thus Anaximenes was the first philosopher to explain qualitative differences in terms of quantitative differences, a method fundamental to physical science.

In general, the Ionian school made the initial radical step from mythological to scientific explanation of natural phenomena; it discovered the important scientific principles of the permanence of substance, the natural evolution of the world, and the reduction of quality to quantity.

The Pythagorean School

Pythagoras considered as the first true mathematician.  He established a movement with religious, political, and philosophical aims, known as Pythagoreanism in 6th-century B.C. in Southern Italy that emphasized the study of mathematics as a means to understanding all relationships in the natural world. The followers of this movement, Pythagoreans, were the first to teach that the earth is a sphere revolving around the sun.  Born on the island of Samos, Pythagoras was instructed in the teachings of the early Ionian philosophers Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes.  Pythagoras is said to have been driven from Samos by his disgust for the tyranny of Polycrates.  His philosophy is known only through the work of his disciples.

The Pythagoreans adhered to certain mysteries, similar in many respects to the Orphic mysteries.  Obedience and silence, abstinence from food, simplicity in dress and possessions, and the habit of frequent self-examination were prescribed.  The Pythagoreans believed in immortality and in the transmigration of souls.  Pythagoras himself was said to have claimed that he had been Euphorbus, a warrior in the Trojan War, and that he had been permitted to bring into his earthly life the memory of all his previous existences.

Among the extensive mathematical investigations carried on by the Pythagoreans were their studies of odd and even numbers and of prime and square numbers.  From this arithmetical standpoint they cultivated the concept of number, which became for them the ultimate principle of all proportion, order, and harmony in the universe.  Through such studies they established a scientific foundation for mathematics.  In geometry the great discovery of the school was the hypotenuse theorem, or Pythagorean theorem, which states that the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

The astronomy of the Pythagoreans marked an important advance in ancient scientific thought, for they were the first to consider the earth as a globe revolving with the other planets around a central fire.  They explained the harmonious arrangement of things as that of bodies in a single, all-inclusive sphere of reality, moving according to a numerical scheme.  Because the Pythagoreans thought that the heavenly bodies are separated from one another by intervals corresponding to the harmonic lengths of strings, they held that the movement of the spheres gives rise to a musical sound.

The Heraclitean School

Heraclitus (540B.C. – 480 B.C.), a Greek philosopher, who believed that fire is the primordial source of matter and that the entire world is in a constant state of change.  He was born in Ephesus, an ancient Greek city in Asia Minor, in what is now Turkey.  Because of the loneliness of his life and the obscurity and misanthropy of his philosophy, he is also called the dark philosopher or weeping philosopher.

Heraclitus was in a sense one of the founders of Greek metaphysics, although his ideas stem from those of the Ionian school of Greek philosophy.  He postulated fire as the primal substance or principle that, through condensation and rarefaction, creates the phenomena of the sensible world.  Heraclitus added to the being of his predecessors the concept of becoming, or flux, which he took to be a basic reality underlying all things, even the most apparently stable.  In ethics he introduced a new social emphasis, holding virtue to consist in a subordination of the individual to the laws of a universal, reasonable harmony. Although his thinking was strongly influenced by popular theology, Heraclitus attacked the concepts and ceremonies of the popular religion of his day.

The Eleatic School

In the 5th century B.C., Parmenides founded a school of philosophy at Elea, a Greek colony on the Italian peninsula.  Parmenides took a position opposite from that of Heraclitus on the relation between stability and change, maintaining that the universe, or the state of being, is an indivisible, unchanging, spherical entity and that all reference to change or diversity is self-contradictory. Nothing, he claimed, can be truly asserted except that being is.  On the other hand, Zeno of Elea, a disciple of Parmenides, tried to prove the unity of being by arguing that the belief in the reality of change, diversity, and motion leads to logical paradoxes.  The paradoxes of Zeno became famous intellectual puzzles that philosophers and logicians of all subsequent ages have tried to solve.  The concern of the Eleatics with the problem of logical consistency laid the basis for the development of the science of logic.

The Pluralists

The speculation about the physical world begun by the Ionians was continued in the 5th century B.C. by Empedocles and Anaxagoras, who developed a philosophy replacing the Ionian assumption of a single primary substance with an assumption of a plurality of such substances.  Empedocles maintained that all things are composed of four irreducible elements: air, water, earth, and fire, which are alternately combined and separated by two opposite forces, love and strife.  By that process the world evolves from chaos to form and back to chaos again, in an eternal cycle.

Empedocles regarded the eternal cycle as the proper object of religious worship and criticized the popular belief in personal deities, but he failed to explain the way in which the familiar objects of experience could develop out of elements that are totally different from them.  Anaxagoras therefore suggested that all things are composed of very small particles, or seeds, which exist in infinite variety.  To explain the way in which these particles combine to form the objects that constitute the familiar world, Anaxagoras developed a theory of cosmic evolution.  He maintained that the active principle of this evolutionary process is a world mind that separates and combines the particles.  His concept of elemental particles led to the development of an atomic theory of matter.

The Atomists

It was a natural step from pluralism to atomism, the theory that all matter is composed of tiny, indivisible particles differing only in simple physical properties such as size, shape, and weight.  This step was taken in the 4th century B.C. by Leucippus and his more famous associate Democritus, who is generally credited with the first systematic formulation of an atomic theory of matter.  His conception of nature was thoroughly materialistic, explaining all natural phenomena in terms of the number, shape, and size of atoms.  He thus reduced the sensory qualities of things, such as warmth, cold, taste, and odor, to quantitative differences among atoms.  The higher forms of existence, such as plant and animal life and even human thought, were explained by Democritus in these purely physical terms.  He applied his theory to psychology, physiology, theory of knowledge, ethics, and politics, thus presenting the first comprehensive statement of deterministic materialism, in which all aspects of existence are claimed to be rigidly determined by physical laws.

The Sophists

Towards the end of the 5th century B.C., a group of traveling teachers called Sophists became famous throughout Greece.  The Sophists played an important role in developing the Greek city-states from agrarian monarchies into commercial democracies.  As Greek industry and commerce expanded, a class of newly rich, economically powerful merchants began to wield political power. Lacking the education of the aristocrats, they sought to prepare themselves for politics and commerce by paying the Sophists for instruction in public speaking, legal argument, and general culture.

Although the best of the Sophists made valuable contributions to Greek thought, the group as a whole acquired a reputation for deceit, insincerity, and demagoguery.  Thus the word sophistry has come to signify these moral faults. The famous maxim of Protagoras, one of the leading Sophists, that man is the measure of all things, is typical of the philosophical attitude of the Sophist school.

Sophists held that individuals have the right to judge all matters for themselves.  They denied the existence of an objective knowledge that everyone can be expected to believe, asserted that natural science and theology are of little or no value because they have no impact on daily life, and declared that ethical rules need be followed only when it is to one's practical advantage to do so.

Philosophy etymologically denotes “love of wisdom” in Greek but there are a lot of meanings and usage that tries to capture the full meaning of philosophy.  Some would say that it denotes the use of reason, while some would argue that such is a set of principles that governs human behavior, existence, perception and the material universe.  At the moment, all of them are partially right and maybe a hundred years from now, all of them could be absolutely wrong.

Philosophy tries to define what is the truth?  Philosophy is applied in religion, science, ethics as well as politics.  The first body of knowledge is bracketed as philosophy.  Branching out and specifications came after philosophy, but suffice it to say that at first, everything was considered a trunk of philosophy.

Philosophy includes five fields of study and discourse: logic, esthetics, ethics, politics and metaphysics.

Very briefly, logic is the study of ideal method in thought and in research.  These include observation and introspection; deduction and induction; hypothesis and experiment; and analysis and synthesis.  

Esthetics is the study of ideal form or beauty; this is more focus on the philosophy of art.

Ethics is the study of ideal conduct.  Here, the highest form of knowledge – is the knowledge of what is good and what is evil.

Politics is the study of ideal social organization and the way power is exercised.

Metaphysics is the study of “ultimate reality” of all things.  This deals about the real nature and final nature of matter, mind, and inter-relationship of mind and matter.

Though there were other philosophers before Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.  The relevant philosophers were always the aforementioned.

Socrates (C. 470 – 399 BC)

“One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing”

He is one of the most influential and remarkable figures of ancient Greece.  Some would argue that he is the first martyr of philosophy because, literally, he died in defense of what he believe is right.

The famous saying that could really be attributed to Socrates is the Greek maxim of “gnothi seauton” which literally means “know thyself”.  It was from his teaching philosophy that Socratic Method was lifted.  This method pertains to the asking of basic questions such as “What is justice?” “What is beauty?” “What is order?” and from such basic questions were the answers which finally becomes the platform for the definition of concepts, ideas, perceptions which later becomes further platforms for discussion and clarification.

Legends have it that Socrates always starts his lectures with the question to ti? (Which literally means “what is it”?)

The heir of Socrates in terms of pedagogy and philosophy is Plato.  There is no known work of Socrates that is published, much of what the world knows stems from the writings of his student Plato, who through his works had a character named (incidentally, also Socrates).  In the writings of Plato, the character of Socrates speaks of volumes about pertinent things, making it difficult to discern whether it is still Socrates who is speaking or Plato through the character of Socrates.

Socrates is always fixated on definition.  If you could define a concept or an idea then you understand it.  If you cannot define it then you simply have no idea what you are talking about.  For him, definition is a clear and a fixed concept.  Accordingly, the facilitation of knowledge is the main function of a teacher, the symbolism here is just that teachers are just like midwifes who assist in the birth of knowledge.

For Socrates, knowledge and virtue were the same thing.  If virtue has to do with “making the soul as good as possible”, it is first necessary to know what makes the soul good.  Therefore, goodness and knowledge are closely related.  But Socrates said more about morality than simply his.  He is in fact identified goodness and knowledge, saying that to know the good is to do the good, and that knowledge is virtue.  By identifying knowledge and virtue, Socrates meant also to say that vice, or evil, is the absence of knowledge.  Just as knowledge is virtue, so, too, vice is ignorant.  The outcome of this line of reasoning was Socrates’ conviction that no one ever indulged vice or committed and evil act knowingly.  Wrong doing, he said is always involuntary, being the product of ignorance (Stumpf and Fieser, 2005).

Socrates was charged with the following from which he was declared guilty:

1.    Of not worshipping the gods whom the state worships, for introducing new and unfamiliar religious practices;

2.   And, further, of corrupting the young.

He could have gone into voluntary exile, but instead, he went on and faced the enumerated charges.  He defended himself before a jury of about five hundred.  His defense was recorded by Plato through this work Apology.  The Apology showed the motives of his accusers and the inadequacy of their charges.

Plato writes in his Phaedo that “Socrates felt himself, and said that when it came to his heart, he should be gone.  He was already growing cold… and spoke for the last time.  Crito, he said, I owe a cock to Asclepius; do not forget to pay it…  Such was the end… of our friend, a man, I think, who was, of all the men of his time, the best, the wisest and the most just” (Stumpf and Fieser, 2005).

Plato (c. 429 – 347 BC)

He was one of the most prominent and remarkable student of Socrates.  He was the author of “Dialogues”, “Republic”, and “Laws” among others.  Similar to Socrates, he utilizes a Socratic method of teaching where instruction was facilitated by questions.

Historically, Plato was the first one to mention “utopia” (which denotes perfection where there is no want) in his writing and that such is impossible to attain because men are not content with simple life, because man by nature is acquisitive, ambitious, competitive and jealous; they soon tire with what they have and pine for what they have not, and they seldom desire anything unless it belongs to others (Durant, 1926).

Accordingly, human behavior flows from three sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge.  The seat of desire is the loins, the seat of emotion is the heart and the seat of emotion is head.

In the book, the Republic, he advocated that the state is best served when it is ruled by philosopher - kings.  People who would later become rulers must be trained while they are children and accordingly must ascend to the next level until such time that they are ready to assume the mettle of power.  Families will be abolished, every child will be the children of all, and people who are physically and intellectually gifted must be allowed to father as many children as they can.

His other literary output includes Dialogues (early dialogues, middle and late dialogues), Apology, Gorgias, Protagoras and Phaedo, which became the platform of his metaphysics where he postulated the existence of unchanging and eternal objects; each form Plato regarded as the indivisible essence of particular thing or concept.

Democracy in the eyes of Plato means the perfect equality of opportunity especially in education.  Career will be open wherever, whoever, regardless of sex.  Plato died at the age of 80.  While attending a marriage ceremony, he simply slept in the corner and never woke up.

The most enduring contribution of Plato is the establishment of his school which he calls the “Academy” which became the basis of the present academic set-up or nomenclature. 

Aristotle (384 – 322 BC)

“We are what we repeatedly do, excellence is not an act but a habit”.

Aristotle basically is a medical doctor by profession.  He became the teacher of Alexander the Great of Macedonia and he also founded a school called “Lyceum”.

He started the practice of collecting manuscripts, paving the way for the first recorded collection of works enough to sustain the tag of a library.  Aristotle is also the father of a relatively new science, which is now known as logic, “the art and science of correct thinking”.  Indirectly, he is also the father of syllogism (e.g. Francisco is a man, all men are rational beings, therefore – Francisco is a rational being).

Aristotle is so talented and productive that he is even credited to have fathered biology, embryology, and even organon (the organ or instrument of correct thinking).

He talked about the free will and the immortality of the soul and that the aim of life is not goodness but happiness.  He is also an advocate of medan agan, which means nothing in excess.  He also postulated that happiness is multiplied when it is shared.

One of the main tenets of his philosophy is that males are superior to females.  In his familiar generalization, he said that development of speech led to the development of society, the development of society led to the development of intelligence, the development of intelligence led to the development of order and the development of order led to the development of civilization.

After the sudden death of Alexander the Great, Aristotle was sent into exile where he died and with the death of the abovementioned, signaled the progressive demise of the Greek Empire.

Filipino Psychology Manuscript (raw and unedited)

Filipino Psychology Manuscript

Chapter 1

The day is May 24, 2012.  If one were to read the newspaper headlines of this particular day, most broadsheets would contain these stories: Supreme Court Justice Renato C. Corona, Given an Ultimatum, Present CJ by Friday – Enrile, Jessica wows crowd in close “idol” finale, Lady Gaga rejects homophobia and hatred, Google buys Motorola for $12.5 Billion etc.

The headlines were lifted from Manila Bulletin and certainly, these current interests and happenings shaped and affected the lives of Filipinos directly and indirectly.

As of this writing, it is still not known whether the impeached Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Renato C. Corona would be convicted or acquitted.  The issue has been polarizing the country into two main contentions, those who favors conviction and those who sees conspiracy with the Malacanang Palace as the main author.  Surprisingly, pop superstar Lady Gaga also had a pair of concert in SM Mall of Asia and the typical objections of the conservatives (i.e. the Roman Catholic Church and other religious groups) are all out for the cancellation of the concert because of morality issues.

Historically, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was convicted by the Philippine Senate with overwhelming guilty votes.  When sixteen votes as the only numerical figure necessary for a guilty pronouncement, twenty senators voted to convict and judged him guilty.  A lot of political and legal reasons were forwarded to explain the overwhelming guilty votes, but in the realm of Filipino Psychology, the walk-out of the former Chief Justice while not yet excused by the Presiding Officer spells a grave insult to the Senate President as well as to the Philippine Senate as an institution.  Looking back with the benefit of hindsight and with the utility of Filipino Psychology, no other verdict is possible but a guilty verdict and that is just for the insult.  Never mind the legal and political rationalizations.

Western psychological models might find it contradictory that former president Joseph Estrada was convicted with plunder and yet his wife and son are both sitting as senators but in the realm of Filipino Psychology, there is no contradiction but just a simple case of love for the underdog, pity and forgiveness all rolled into one bundle of Philippine reality.

In the middle of all of these brewing storms is the unrecognized and seldom noticed tip to the iceberg, Filipino Psychology.

For the uninitiated, the question begging to be answered would be just what is Filipino Psychology?  A quick search in the internet (wikipedia as of May 1, 2012) would yield an answer of “the psychology rooted on the experience, ideas, and cultural orientation of the Filipinos”.

In a nutshell, Filipino Psychology is just your basic garden variety of “psychology” with a Filipino perspective.  If psychology is about the study of behavior, mind and spirit of man and animal then Filipino Psychology would be about the contextual study of behavior, mind and spirit of a Filipino individual.

The Birth of Filipino Psychology

The father of Filipino Psychology is credited to Dr. Virgilio G. Enriquez.  Though the concept and needs were already present and percolating long before Dr. Enriquez came into the scene, he is (hands down) the fountainhead of Filipino Psychology.

Dr. Enriquez posited that there is a need to examine any theory that comes from another country and that we must only put to use what is important and relevant to the Filipinos (Enriquez as cited by Pe-Pua, 1982).  Of all the many papers and books left by Dr. Enriquez, the thrust is always for the establishment of a unique Filipino identity.  A Filipino is always different from his Asian and European neighbors because of the relationship from which a single event or scenario is processed by a Filipino individual.

There is a relativity of a person, a place and a thing.  There is a flavor from which once extracted and savored, a unique Filipino perspective is born and created.   

Another notable Filipino psychologist in the person of Dr. Ma. Carmen C. Jimenez posited that an individual is separated from the society, that people are similar and that psychology as a science does not favor any set of values or society (Jimenez as cited by Pe-Pua, 1982).  An angry Filipino is no different from an angry Russian.  An emotion is similar regardless of nationality and that there is no such thing as a superior emotion that favors a particular tongue or color of skin.

Psychological theories and methods ought to be scrutinized and not swallowed blindly; in fact the examination and not just the blind acceptance of western theories pushed Filipino Psychology to create its own history, culture and language (Pe-Pua, 1982).  Prior to these historical contentions, articles in the 1970’s such as Mga Batayan ng Sikolohiyang Pilipino sa Kultura at Kasaysayan (Bases of Filipino Psychology and History) and Sikolohiyang Pilipino: Perspektibo at Direksyon (Filipino Psychology: Goals and Meanings) fanned the flame that resulted in the founding of the Pambansang Samahan sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino.  These was the formal birth of Filipino Psychology where Sikolohiyang Pilipino becomes not just a felt need but an academic discipline that is solely based on Filipino perspective, understanding, experience, culture and language.

The call and the need for the indigenization or for localizing psychology as a science was met, in fact, nowadays, no four year course is ever complete without  a general psychology or an introduction to psychology subject.  In the Basic Educational Curriculum of Commission on Higher Education (CHED), psychology as a basic subject offering is ever present.

The bigger question now how does Filipino Psychology stands with Globalization where the current buzz words right now is about convergence and the transformation is geared towards “one global village”.  The paradox here is that western psychology is limited; it does not answer the local quest of the Filipinos and the norms and call for innovation for explaining an indigenous phenomenon is ever present.

Thirty years (30) after giants of Filipino Psychology (i.e. Zeus Salazar, Jose Samson, Gloria Feliciano, Augusto Espiritu, Sonia Margallo, Ernesto Franco etc.) contributed heavily to the eventual acceptance to the formal arms and embrace of science, Filipino Psychology is again re-defining its uses and relevance in the everyday course of business of every Filipino.

Chapter 2

Filipino Psychology

Filipino Psychology is never static, more than anything else, Filipinos are adaptive and technologically savvy.  Long before texting became a worldwide craze or a killer business application, texting was already the preferred mode of communications for the Filipinos.

Principally, this preference for texting could be attributed to economic sense because texting is a lot cheaper than voice calls but you have to consider that People Power 2 was largely attributed to texting.  The Philippines and the Filipinos are the texting champions of the world, administration (e.g. President Joseph Estrada) have fallen because of texting and with the current advances of smartphones, who knows where this would lead the Filipinos.

Along with change comes the adaptations of the Filipinos and the prevailing psyche is again re-wired and values are re-routed to manifest an entirely new set and patterns of behavior.  By comparison alone, a person with a smartphone is far different in values and behavior as oppose to a person without a cellphone.

The difference would be more palpable when the different era of Filipino Psychology is pronounced and analyzed with the usual benefit of academic hindsight.

Filipino Psychology in the Pre-colonial Era

From hunting and food gathering to the planting of root crops to bartering, the Filipino Psychology has come a long way.  But the most important factor here would be that Filipino behavior was always focus and predicated on providing for the family.

The ancient Filipino family was closely-knit in terms of relationship.  The Family was usually an extended one.  The relatives usually lived in one habitation or in just one barangay.  The family was basically patriarchal, with the father as the head of the family and no decision can be made unless approved by the father.  The father was the breadwinner while the mother took care of the children at home.  The children on the other hand, were expected to obey their parents and other elder relatives.  Polyandry was common among the ancient Filipinos especially those who can afford to support more than one wife (Duka, 2008). 

Historically, Filipinos were one of the many tribes in Asia that thrived on hunting.  When they reach the territory that is now the Philippines, they started to shift their efforts and labor to farming, but the still the most important factor is the need and call to constantly provide for the family.  Though the pre-occupation was hunting and gathering of food, Filipinos then would leave the family, hunt for days (and months even) but always they return to the embrace of the nuclear family. As hunters, the primal need for survival is paramount universally, but the key for the Filipino Psychology is not just survival but the imperative longing to provide and care for the needs of the family.

Filipino Psychology in the pre-colonial era also calls of obedience and submission to the patriarchal rule of the father, right or wrong, it is still the father who calls and decides for the family.  The family is an extended family that could easily comprise a single barangay.

Filipino Psychology in the Spanish Era

According to Alvin Toffler, there are three historical shifts that shaped human history.  First is the agricultural revolution, second is the industrial revolution and third is the knowledge revolution.  At the onset, people were hunters and gatherers of food and for thousands of years, the cycle is that man chases the prey and in the central plains of Africa, Europe and Asia such is the main scenario.

The first revolution transpired when man instead of hunting, started to till the land and learned how to farm.  Now this simple shift in history is very significant because instead of hunting, man started to stake and claimed a territory.  It is because of the birth of agriculture that nations, countries and territories were born.  Along with this comes the development of unique languages, culture, customs, traditions and inclinations.

Similarly, the same is also true for the territory that would soon be claimed and named after King Philip of Spain (by Magellan).  Prior to the arrival and the so-called rediscovery of the Philippines, there was already a shift in the psyche and eventually a shift in the Filipino Psychology.  The concept and practice of bartering comes to fore, and along with this comes the longing to connect with the world.  Islam was introduced in the south, India and its numerous cultural influences were introduced in our numerous languages and beliefs and the Chinese were economically beneficial to the Filipinos in terms of trade and culture.

When the Spanish colonizers came, with their introduction of Christianity (Roman Catholic), it was nothing but just an extension of the need of the Filipino psyche to connect, evolve and enrich its spirit and culture.  Filipino Psychology then was ready and ripe to connect with the world, historically speaking however, such was an unfortunate inclination because such led to the eventual subjugation, exploitation and rape of the Filipinos.

The psychological model that was dominant was rationalism and reason, judgment, good and bad, right and wrong issues were usually settled favoring religious tendencies.

Filipino Psychology in the American Era

When the Americans came and stole the Philippines from the clutches of the Spanish colonizers, rational psychology was replaced by behavioral psychology as the main model of adaptation for the Filipinos.

Behavior in the form of action, reaction, manipulation, stimulus and response and what is directly observable is the new measurement and standard from which a Filipino is measured, directed and judged.

The Filipino psyche was anchored on freedom and liberty and while historically, there was deception and conspiracy, after three centuries of Spanish domination, the wind of change is calling and Filipinos were clamoring for change in whatever shape and form just as long as it was not a standard set the Spain.

Historically, nationalism is on the verge of coming out – unfortunately, the Americans and their clever policy of attraction halted the genie from coming out of the bottle.  Psychology as a science was introduced in the University of the Philippines and promising Filipinos were appointed Department Chairmen who in turned were educated in the US with their behaviorist bent thus cementing their hold of the Filipino psyche.

English was introduced as a medium of instruction as opposed to the Spanish policy of withdrawing the Spanish language from the reach of common Filipinos which ironically furthered the local academics in hastily embracing western psychology (or sikolohiyang kanluranin).  English as a medium of instruction turned the Filipinos away from the Spanish friars.

Hollywood psychology or the type of psychology that originated from the Americans started to take roots in the Philippines.  This in turn created an imbalance for western models for studying Philippine realities.

Filipino Psychology in the Japanese Era

With the onset of the Japanese occupation as the result of World War 2, the Filipino psyche as well as the Filipino Psychology prevalent at the time was afraid of engaging in productive occupation.  Because of the Japanese practice of economic confiscation, productivity came to a halt and survival mode was the prevailing practice.  People were afraid to engage in agricultural and economic productivity and the only profitable business then was the buy and sell business where the practice of buying low and selling high is the usual business maxim.

The Japanese occupation was extremely hard for the Filipinos.  They do not hesitate in the infliction of bodily harm and they do not shy away from the use of torture as a mode of getting their way.  Anyone caught or perceived to be not cooperating was tortured and killed right away regardless of station, age, and gender.  And in the middle of these are the collaborators and traitors who in turn pushed their own agenda of lording it all over again at the expense of the Filipino masses.

The unique use of comfort women for the recreational sex of the Japanese soldiers was one of the most deplorable practice and legacy of World War 2.  Hundreds of thousands of Filipinas were forced into this and coupled with the Japanese atrocities and wanton acts of brutality compelled the Filipino psyche to adapt once again so that it could survive this horrific era.

The operative concept is adaptability and survival and if one is unable to adjust to this mode, the chances of maintaining individual and collective equilibrium would be nil or would tilt towards maladjustments or other manifestations.

Chapter 3

Contemporary Filipino Psychology

The contemporary Filipino would be a far different Filipino from the era of the Spanish, American and Japanese period.  Today, in the year 2012 – Filipinos are creatures of convenience and seems to be shy or an enemy of inconvenience.  Filipinos today are educated, technologically adoptive and savvy in the ways of the world or how the world is operated.

Because of the Americans and their insistence on paper and credentials, Filipinos are highly educated formally and informally.  Because of the Spanish oppression, majority of Filipinos still consider themselves as religious but is beyond the dictates of the Roman Catholic Church.  Because of the brief Japanese occupation, and because of the brutality and of the notorious way that Filipinos were treated then, Filipinos are quick to adjust and adopt and largely have become a skeptic.

Hollywood America still plays a dominant role in what is considered valuable, ideal and desirable.  Beauty is still equated with being white hence the billions of pesos earned by snake oil salesmen about whitening products.  Though this could also be partially traced to the Spanish doctrine and misplaced belief that white is superior to brown skin, the democratization brought about by Hollywood America infused Filipinos that anything is possible given the proper cultivation and timely acquisition of chance and equality.  Anything that is imported is superior to a locally developed product, service or concept.  Some would even contend that Filipino Psychology is inferior to Western Psychology.

Contemporary Filipinos and their psyche is still moral in spite of the relativity of American morality – Filipinos still are easily swayed by appeal to pity and emotion, but of late have hardened their resolve because of the inherent possession of a questioning mind.  Filipinos in general now questions and doubts everything.  From an authority figure, to questionable territories or to unreliable and inaccurate internet.

The Internet is a rich source of models but Filipinos still exudes its own flavor and persona the moment it acquires a certain trait and gives it its own Filipino twist.

Sociology has a term for this phenomenon, acculturation.  And while such is true, such does not explain the fully this phenomenological bent of the Filipino Psychology.  The effect of the Internet is not yet fully felt by the Filipino masses but the forward stride is beyond measurement and description.  Access to the Internet, social media, news and its encapsulation and integration to the Filipino psyche is still on the initial stage and though such is still on the upswing, changes and more changes on the Filipino Psychology is still on the far horizon.

The Filipinos want more but at the same time wants to remain the same regardless of the technological advances.

log 71

October 1, 2013

Tide seems to be turning.  For a couple of months, I was on the bad side of luck, in fact; I was downright unlucky personally and professionally.  But this time around, the luck again is on my side.  Very recently, I had my brand new motorcycle (purchased around a month ago) and today, I have a brand new laptop.

Though these material things have nothing to do with me being (and feeling) lucky, these new acquisitions tend to signify a changing tide and this tide is one lucky tide.

Psychological but that is just the way I see it.  And in response to this new tide, I am putting my thoughts again in writing and hopefully, I could sustain this exercise daily.

Ayn celebrated her 23^rd birthday last September 28 and RG will be celebrating her 43^rd birthday this October 16.  Yes, I am getting old but I really feel that my life is still before me and I still have some things to contribute to the betterment of this planet and indirectly, to the betterment of my life.

There is just no better description for pounding a virgin computer keyboard as well a brand new belt-driven motorcycle.  Just for the record, my new mc is Yamaha Mio while this new laptop is Lenovo Ideapad S210 Touch.  The Ideapad is a new acquisition just this day while the Yamaha is about a month old.

Now I was able to acquire a new MC because I sold my first MC (Honda Bravo circa 2009) and the proceeds of the said sale served as my downpayment for a MC.

Currently, I now have two MC’s.  One is a Kawasaki Rouser 135cc and Yamaha Mio 115cc.

If things work out according to plan, by December of this year, I would be purchasing my first car and things just couldn’t be better.  At the moment, I am leaning towards a second hand Toyota Revo (Automatic Transmission) and if the funding pushes through, this could even be a banner year financially.

If my paternal inheritance pushes through, a better 2014 could be a very tangible and a possible thing. My family might be heading for a Cabadbaran Christmas celebration and such is just about time.  The last time I was at the province was when Tatay died and financially willing, the entire family might just visit the grave of Tatay to pay respect and renew some old family ties.

In life, there are winners and losers.  Winners are people who get what they want and need and deserved.  While losers are those people who always get the end of the stick.  Who in a competition, always loses.  Now, winning is not an event, winning is a process.  You need to work at it every day, setting the day that would one day propel you to notable achievements and accomplishments.

In a chess game, such is called a positioning move, setting a potential advantage versus an immediate gratification with short term payback.  I elect to be a winner and I will work at it slowly and surely.

October 2, 2013

My first trouble with my Kawasaki Rouser happened today.  On my way to the university, I was having difficulty accelerating with my throttle and when I went to in-house technician from where I got my MC, it was initially diagnosed as having some problem with its electronic condenser and I simply need to replace it.

Unfortunately, parts specific to the MC was not available and to cut a long story short, I need to leave my MC with the shop and I went home to get my Yamaha Mio.

Resigned to the fact that there is something electronically wrong with the Kawasaki Rouser, I was surprised to learn when I got a text from the shop that they discovered through serendipity that instead of the condenser my problem was somewhat trivial.  It seems that water somehow penetrated the gasoline tank and that the entire tank was now flooded with water instead of gasoline.

I immediately put a fresh gasoline from the tank and had the MC up and running.  The trouble I had this day was more of frustration of having to walk a long distance from which I am not used to.  From the entrance of the Maligaya Village up to the Maligaya Market, I individually approached all shops asking for the abovementioned condenser only to find later that such was not the real culprit of my MC trouble.

A third of the day was wasted attending to the water filled gasoline tank accidentally solved by serendipity.

RG was absent today, she had a terrible headache in the morning…

October 3, 2013

The current US President Barack Obama was scheduled to visit the country this month, unfortunately because of an internal turmoil in the US Federal government, Mr. Obama is now cancelling the said visit.

For the first time in 17 years, there is a federal shutdown in the US because the US House of Representatives refuses to fund a certain legislative agenda of the US President aptly called Obamacare.  Because of this impasse, the president is vetoing the budget hence the federal shutdown.

Watching the news, it is estimated that one billion dollars is lost because of lack of funding and people in the US are frustrated – politics in getting in the way of government service.

My estimation is that sooner or later, someone will have to pay for this fiasco and either way, the fall out will be costly for everyone concern.

Islamic Republic of Iran elected a new leader in the person of a cleric Mr. Rouhani and comparatively speaking, it seems that he is more moderate compared to his predecessor, Mr. Ahminedijad who projects extremism and radicalism.

There is light at the end of the tunnel and surprisingly, the light is emanating from Iran.  

I am really disappointed with the recent breakdown of my Kawasaki Rouser 135 MC.  Yesterday the gas tank was flooded with water and today, minimal front lights were busted.  I had to go out at 9 PM to have it replaced and replaced it was with two LED yellow lights.

A chat with a local mechanic revealed that the quality of the Kawasaki Rouser is not that good since such is originally branded as Pulsar Bajaj in India.  Only a marketing tie-up with Kawasaki Philippines resulted in a re-branding of Kawasaki Rouser.

At any rate, I now doubt the quality of my Kawasaki Rouser.  I now fear that at any given time when such great inconvenience might happen – then such would happen.  A Murphy law once stated that if a thing could go wrong, then it would go wrong (or something to that effect).

The thing is, I really like the form that Kawasaki Rouser emanates, I just question the substance.  In this equation, it is form over substance.

A colleague, Ms. Joyce Padilla recently gave birth to a second child and unfortunately (or fortunately) I was picked as one of the many godfathers.  Now I don’t know whether I should be flattered or scared. In four years, she should have known better.  I really think that I have exhibited enough crumbs for my faculty to gauge my character.  Personally, me picking myself as a godfather is a bad idea.

By any catholic metrics, I found myself wanting.  And they should know these already. 

October 6, 2013

Psychology week was and aside from the normal and predictable blunders, the celebration was fairly decent.  It didn’t exceed expectations but a decent handling was palpable.

For the record, my Yamaha Mio MC was acquired August 27 of this year while the Kawasaki Rouser was acquired circa August 6, 2012.  My pet name for the Yamaha Mio is Black August while for the Kawasaki Rouser is Red August.  Obviously the color code refers to the actual color of the MC while August refers to the month of their respective acquisition.

For the past two days, I have been riding the Kawasaki Rouser hard to test its performance and durability.  Because of “water in the tank” episode, I am assessing the reliability of the said MC.  To test whether such is worthy of my care and attention.  Because if it would become a constant problem later on, I think that I have no other recourse by to sell it and just simply buy a more reliable MC.  At the moment, I am looking at Yamaha SZ model.

Diego and Francisco is a joy to behold.  I am fortunate that I am their father.  Their temperament is nowhere near mine though Francisco is a cut from my own cloth while Diego is a gentle giant literally and figuratively.

Argie is aging gracefully (no pun intended since her name is Grace) and I am fortunate that I made her my wife and she accepted me as her husband.  She would be celebrating her 43^rd birthday this October 16.

I am living the life that I want and deserve.  To this end, I am counting my blessings and extends my gratitude to God.

There is a bigger world out there.  While travelling abroad for me is still out of the question, there is no impediment for me to gallivant in local destination.

Today, for the first time – I took Diego to Norzagaray, Bulacan to visit Ipo Dam and Angat Dam.  While we were able to enter the compound and had our pictures taken in Ipo Dam, we were only able to visit the long stretch of a bridge leading to Angat Dam.  We didn’t even attempt to enter the compound that secures Angat Dam.

The upswings of this activity were the following:

1.   Bonding with Diego.

2.   Expanding the experiences of Diego and yours truly.

3.   Testing and improving my motorcycle driving skills.

4.   Testing the endurance of my Kawasaki Rouser MC.

But more than these things, the horizon and experience of Diego was expanded and hopefully, in the long run, these would yield priceless dividends.

One of my favorite authors, Tom Clancy died this week and let me just say this:  it was an end of an era.  My discovery with Tom Clancy was an accident in the local bookstore in Davao and from there on, I was hooked by his mastery of his own genre which he invented in the first place.

The death was only in the realm of biology because in words, the man is immortal.

October 10, 2013

Semestral break is fast approaching and instead of looking forward for a holiday, I hate the thought that I would be earning less since there is no class and since majority of my income comes from teaching – then it is lean months for me and lesser paycheck.  The university is one cheap and shrewd operator.  We are supposed to teach for 54 hours per subject per semester but it seems that there is a conspiracy to lessen the semestral calendar so that they get to pocket the surplus revenue resulting from the shortage of teaching in a semester.  Unofficially, the shorter the semester, the greater the profit for the university.  Cheap bastards!!! Students as well as faculty are shortchanged.

Classes will end by the middle of October and classes will resume by the middle of November.  That is almost a month of furlough without pay.

For the first time, an NBA game is being held/played in the country today.  The game is between Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers.  The historic game is played in the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The game was a lousy one.  The finesse that is usually connected with NBA games was non-existent.  It was a defensive game and an ugly game.  I pity the poor people who trooped to the Mall of Asia Arena to watch the game costing an arm and a leg when, as I said earlier was an ugly game.

NBA stars were holding back their A game and the coaches were still experimenting with what works and what is just a plain ploy to get their bench players earn their mega buck paychecks.

RG will be celebrating her 43^rd birthday this 16 of October and for this week I already gave her my gift.  A digital watch. For the past week, she has been unable to go to work because of a fever and after 4 days, she managed to infect Ugy and Francisco and even the household help Ging.

It seems that a season for fever is upon us and we have no recourse but to let it burn itself out.

The US President was supposed to visit the country but because of the Federal shutdown, the trip was cancelled.  In lieu of the US President, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry was supposed to visit the republic.  Due to a typhoon, the scheduled visit again was put on hold. 

The Philippines is getting some unfortunate twist of plots that doesn’t go well for the republic.  I really hope that we could get out of this cycle of bad lucks.

October 14, 2013

Classes were suspended today principally because the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC)  is celebrating their own version of medical and dental mission.  Tomorrow will also a holiday because the Muslims will be celebrating the start of their pilgrimage to Mecca.

Personally, these holidays are disruptive to the academic calendar.  Classes are inevitably suspended and the delivery of instruction is impeded by these unplanned furloughs.  I am attributing these INC moves to a simple case of “kulang sa pansin” (ksp) since the Muslims are having religious celebration inserted to the national calendar and by and large, the INC must also have their religious celebration penciled in the national calendar.

Ayn came home over the weekend to have her time with the family and it was really palpable that Francisco misses his sister.  They sleep together with their hands holding one another.  When it was time for me to accompany Ayn back to her condominium, Francisco just wouldn’t let go of his “ate”. 

Ayn was able to give a favorite game application to Francisco and Diego and RG were happy as well – since they are also beneficiaries of the said game application.

I am having some problems with the fuel gasket for my Kawasaki Rouser and since tomorrow is a Muslim holiday, I will have my problem checked and hopefully, solved.

At first, I was having some regrets why I took a Yamaha Mio instead of Suzuki Skydrive but after a thousand kilometers of travel and gallivanting, my regrets have dissipated.  I still have a love affair with Yamaha Mio that is still burning and I think, I need to finish such affair.  A closure is still in order.  I could still recall that almost two years ago, I had to let go of my green Yamaha Mio so that I could finance the tiling of my house in Cypress Drive.

As I was saying, I still need to finish a love affair with a Yamaha Mio mc…

October 16, 2013

Yesterday was declared holiday related to the beginning of the Muslim hajj.  Taking advantage of the opportunity, together with RG, we went to Lipa City to visit the grave of my mother-in-law via Talisay road from Tagaytay City.

While I usually take the Laguna route, this time around, the Tagaytay route was a great discovery.  The Talisay road was a road seldom travelled and from a scenic mountain road to the lakeside road, it was an easy ride as opposed to the road that traverses the entire Laguna town with its accompanying horrendous traffic.

The weather was cooperating in the early hours of the morning down to the afternoon.  The evening ride however was characterized by a heavy downpour that resulted in a cold and an agonizing ride back to Caloocan City (North).  There was even an accident where a pick-up wittingly (or unwittingly) hit a group of MC’s under an overpass in Sandiganbayan in Commonwealth highway, resulting in a heavy traffic under a heavy rainfall.

RG and yours truly were drenched in rain but were psychologically pumped up by our recent adventure.  Gallivanting in the province certainly excites us.  It was a classic getaway in the middle of the week.

We also visited our former house in Dasmarinas, Cavite.  It was such a big letdown.  The street resembles a squatter colony and our former house was obviously disrespected by our low quality neighbors.  Looking back, it was a blessing to have finally abandoned our Dasmarinas residence in lieu of city living.  Besides, such dwelling was classified as a low-cost housing and the people were also of the same quality.

Now, we are in a happier place in Bellefonte Subdivision in Caloocan-North.  Though it is costing an arm and a leg, such is worth the hardship and difficulty of making the monthly payment.

Unfortunately, we learned late in the evening that an earthquake measuring around 7.2 in intensity hit central Visayas at around 9 AM.  The epicenter was in Bohol where Roman Catholic churches were heavily damaged.  After some initial assessment, it was determined that these historical and hundred years old churches were constructed minus the technology of withstanding 6 to 7 earthquake intensity. Hence, ruination was the usual summation of such absence.

Some people were attributing the hands of god in the scenario, I for one do not subscribe to such an opinion.  The Philippines is in a typhoon belt and is even unfortunate enough to be located also in “ring of fire” where almost all of the active volcanoes are found.  A simple vector analysis will show that if such a thing is possible then such a thing will occur regardless of prayers, beliefs and culture.  The rain falls equally on the righteous and the wicked.

For me, it is not the question of being hit by a typhoon or by an earthquake but rather an issue of bouncing back after such an unfortunate event.

Today is also the 43^rd birthday of RG.  The celebration of such a milestone will be commemorated over the weekend.  The weather is just not cooperating and both of us are still recuperating from an energy sapping adventure yesterday.

October 19, 2013

The whole family had a dinner out at the SM Mall and we specifically had it at a Kangaroo Jack, we had a lovely dinner and that was that.  I just came to realize how fortunate we are as oppose to those poor people who just had their homes ravaged by an intensity 7 earthquake.

Studies had long ago predicted the scenario that if ever the same intensity is visited upon Metro Manila, more people will be dead on the account of poor quality of building construction.  It is estimated that with the same intensity, at least half a million will die and another 100,000 will also die due to fire and other diseases brought about by diseases indirectly caused by the same earthquake.

Easily that is over 600,000 thousand deaths.  Currently, it is projected that at least 200 people have died because of the recent earthquake in Bohol.  Though tragic, the figure could have been worse if such a thing happened in a Sunday where a lot of people attend mass.

October 20, 2013

Last Friday, I was finally able to confirm from the Professional Regulation Board (PRC) that my application for the Professional Psychometrician was accepted and approved by the said regulating body.

The implication of this is that I am now a registered professional psychometrician hence, I will be able to acquire a professional license stating such.

Now this is a big deal because such is a pre-requisite for my teaching profession.  I was excepted from the taking a board examinations where I could fail.  Though there is nothing wrong with failing an examination, the humiliation of failing a board examination is quite embarrassing.  How could one teach student to pass the examination when you yourself failed the same examinations.

At any rate, I am spared from such a scenario since; my credentials were accepted by the PRC.  By next year, I think that I would be applying for the board certification in being a psychologist; hopefully, I would be able to secure some documents attesting that I am one.  If not, then I would have to take the actual examinations.

October 28, 2013

I was unable to make some entries in this log for the simple reason of too much work and the grading chore has begun in the university.  Fortunately, the work was concluded swiftly, I had some leisure time over this long weekend.

Due to the barangay elections, we had a three day weekend and last Saturday, I was able to trek to Tagaytay using my Kawasaki MC. Prior to the gallivanting, I again had some repairs needed for the Kawasaki Rouser and to fully test the work done by the mechanics, I had an additional rationale to go Tagaytay.

Saturday, 4:30 AM, the Kawasaki MC refuses to start but eventually when I was able to gas up, the Rouser run smoothly up to the cold hills of Tagaytay.  By 7:00 AM, I was already in Tagaytay and by 9:00 AM was already cruising downhill onwards to Manila.  Unfortunately, when I passed by Dasmarinas, the Rouser was choking and refuses to start.  When I consulted with a roadside mechanic, my suspicion was confirmed and the official diagnosis was that there was again some water in my gasoline tank.

Long story short, I drained the water and my trek home was again smooth but was caught up with a horrendous traffic in the Baclaran area.

Arrived around 2:00 PM, ate my lunch and immediately slept the whole afternoon. 

In the evening, Francisco together with some of his cousins from Batangas, joined an annual Halloween Trick or Treat parade in the subdivision.

Yesterday, RG and I went to Muntinlupa (using the Yamaha MC) to visit the graves of her relatives.  Surprisingly, the place was the top seeded and highly awarded Everlasting Eternal Garden in the country and I had a wonderful time.

After the visit, we went to the Bonifacio Global City to partake in the upper class decadence of the very rich in the country.  The so-called global city was an enclave for the very rich where poor people are simply driven away by the sheer upper class pricing of goods and services.  Everything was priced higher and even people seems to project wealth that is way above the middle class origin of this writer.

This morning, together with RG, we went to the Medical City of SM Fairview to get the test and lab results of Diego and Francisco.  Initial fears were confirmed, Diego is reported to have a Pneumonia and Primary Koch.  Pending the official diagnosis from their pediatrician, but I am skeptical that indeed Diego suffers from such a sickness.

We would be returning this afternoon to finally confirm with his pediatrician.

This late afternoon, it was confirmed that Diego and Francisco do have Primary Koch and we need to medicate as soon as possible.  So as to arrest further development that could be more serious problem in the future.

Work would be commencing tomorrow and life goes on.

November 2, 2013

After a week of writing sloth, doing nothing significant worth mentioning in this log, the semestral break started and the usual complaints and mistakes in grading students is on. 

I have officially adopted the academic policy of helping students pass and if possible, give them grades that would motivate them to do better in their other academic endeavor.  So far, I think that I changed at least 3 grades just to motivate students to do better next time.  I think that it is better to help them by positive reinforcement as opposed to a negative reinforcement which is tantamount to a failing grade.  And I estimate that I would be changing more as the start of the second semester nears.

Philippine politicians are the new robber barons of the contemporary times.  Truth be said, there are only three ways to acquire wealth nowadays.  One is marrying one, two is to earn one and three is to steal one.  The politicians of today are greedy and just plain stupid.  They rely on their surname, they milk it for what it’s worth, and not just steal but plunder government coffer.

The education of the Filipino voter is improving but sadly, we still vote according to surname recall.  First, it was the father who stole from the Filipino people and now, it is the turn of the offspring to steal some more.  If it weren’t for the Napoles incident, the Filipinos might have tolerated the plundering but the figure is just too large to sweep under the rug.

Pnoy is starting the fight in the Senate but I see no possibility for him to continue the corruption fight in the House of Representatives (where there are more violators), where the sole power to impeach resides.

At the moment, according to the information that came out with the Napoles incident, Senator Enrile, Estrada and Revilla are caught with Napoles.  Channeling hundreds of millions of people’s money in bogus NGO’s.  But this is just the tip of the iceberg, there are a lot more in the House of Representatives but so far, Pnoy cannot pursue them because he might get and impeachment in return.

Pnoy will have to tread a careful line so as to protect his legacy, ensure a friendly successor and if possible, avoid an impeachment in his years of office.  Hence, no member of the House of Representative in a corruption hunt – for now.  Maybe if he could jail these Senators, the ball could start rolling.

Today, RG, Ayn, Diego and Francisco went to Lipa to visit the grave of Lola Ine and some more relative.  RG and I already went there two weeks ago to escape the maddening crowd and that is just a fulfillment of my social obligation related to All soul’s day and All saint’s day.

November 10, 2013

The strongest typhoon in modern history with a wind surge of 315 kilometers per hour visited the country last Thursday, November 7.  Up to this date, video footage of what took place in affected areas are still unclear, but what is certain is the damage that is substantial in terms of infrastructure and though, it is still uncertain, death are projected to reach hundreds if not thousands.

The super storm is locally called “Yolanda” but the international name is “Haiyan”.  With the damage and anguish brought about by the super storm, one is left with the question, why the Philippines?

But why not the Philippines?  Philippines is no better than any other country in the planet.  The super storm could just as well strike another country in another part of the planet.

With the year still not over, 3 or more storms could still visit the country and damages could still be massive.

We could still be lucky…

Tomorrow, I would be trekking back to Plenary International Convention Center (PICC) in Roxas Boulevard to attend once more the graduation ceremony of the university.  Twice a year, I am compelled to visit the said site to attend the customary commencement exercise prepared by the university for its graduating students.

If it were up to me, I wouldn’t waste a single minute attending a ritual perpetuated by the university to further milk its graduating students of their much needed money.  Because truth be said, the university is still making a bundle out of this exercise and the faculty are left with the mind numbing task of making the graduation happen.  School owner are still profiting from this exercise and even a fracture of profit do not even feed the poor people behind the ceremony.

With so many paper works to do, I still need to attend this exercise on top of my multiplying work outcomes.

There is no respect for our academic achievements, no proper compensation and even more work.  As I said earlier, really a waste of time.

November 24, 2013

For this week, months of work and preparation earned the university as well as my department an ISO accreditation.  To be more specific a 9001-2007 credit. For the uninitiated, it is a quality management system.

Today, the current Philippine pride in boxing (Manny Pacquiao) won a match against an American, Brandon Rios.  From the onset, it was a match way above the talent of Mr. Rios, because Mr. Pacquiao was winning every round (all 12 of them) and giving his opponent a classic boxing lesson.

The ramification of course is a national celebration for the country.  Now this is a much needed win for Mr. Pacquiao as well as for the country.  Considering the many setbacks and series of unfortunate events, the win is a morale booster for the republic.  Coming from two consecutive losses, a lopsided victory formally announces to the world that he is back in his winning ways and retirement is still further away in the horizon.

Sports has no way of curing illnesses and bettering the economic life of the Filipinos, sports however can provide inspiration that sparks change in collective lives.

March 10, 2014

Last week, I was able to confer with the elected Representative, Earlpe John Amante.  Long story short, I applied for a consultancy work and such was granted.  The pay is not that much but at least now, I get to practice my doctorate degree in Public Administration.

The prospects are limitless and opportunities are abound in the House of Representatives.

Fact is, I was already constructing my first bill proposal and this one is about retirement schemes for private institutions.