PULSO SA KONSEHO

February 22, 2012. The morning after the victory moment we had last night!

The election has ended. After straight 11 nights in sleeping at the Student Lounge, I learned a lot of fresh experiences that I never had in my former world that is isolated in the debating and academic community. I am very very happy to meet new student leaders which I never had acquainted before. PULSO HAN MAG-AARAM Party is the perfect avenue for me to meet young fellow intellectuals in the campus. Together we serve the people. I really made the right choice to resign from my very much loved Debate Society. I know that I was more needed by the students. Serving the students has been my passion. If not for it, I should have languished for more unproductive moments in my college life.

Congrats Party mates! Together we built HISTORY! 

I will always miss you PULSOmates! TUNAY PALABAN MAKABAYAN

Next academic year will always be challenging as I will spearhead the UP Tacloban Student Council 2012-2013. All these challenges won't be surpassed without the collective efforts of the council and the students' population at large. I believe in the capacity of my Vice Chairperson Hezro Caandoy for being responsible for the issues in strengthening the body. The next academic year will also be challenging to the level of commitment of my new set of councilors, disregarding to which parties do they belong. Division Representatives must also live up to the expectations set by their co-divisions for it is only through this that the element of trust from the students will continuously live up. 

CONGRATULATIONS!

Food Wars ( A Book Review)

This work of Walden Bello brings back again the line that connects the Global North and South. From his book explicitly entitled “Deglobalization” to his contribution in the “Another World is Possible”, Bello’s “Food Wars” continuously assert the spread of international movements countering the industrialization crafted by these “club of rich countries” at the expense of the lives from the Global South. This time is a focus for the farmers and peasants completely hurt by the current economic order.

The problem all started from the uncontrolled increases in the food prices that spread across the continents. This alarming situation triggered protests and hunger to many people especially those living in absolute poverty who cannot afford the minimum level of basic needs, most importantly the food. All these are traced in the neoliberal project that aims a corporate industrial agriculture.

The degradation of the agricultural sector that develops the underdevelopment of countries like the Philippines was then pointed out by the abandonment of the government through cutting its subsidies on agricultural sector which is exposed to the massive importation of goods that are relatively cheaper. Without the government’s assistance in the picture, products from the countryside lead to skyrocketing prices that makes the farmers aim for return from high costs. Thus, exposing to cheaper imported products such as rice from Thailand gives an unfair treatment to our domestic products. With the farmers hurt, the free-market is more than a typhoon that destroys the sector which was the backbone of the economy way back during Marcos period.

More than the government snubbing our exhausted farmers on the field, the production which was supposed to serve sustenance in the level of their community is distorted. If serving the community was the initial purpose, then lately it shifts to serve the interest of the developed countries by supplying demands for biofuel production instead of agricultural.

This type of production is extracted from the South. This specifically refers to ethanol and biodiesel; both are renewable and believed to combat climate change.  Ethanol is made from crops high in sugar or starch while biodiesel is produced from oils and fats. The latter is most commonly consumed in Europe. With a very high demand of agrofuel from the North, Brazil, the agrofuel superpower has to respond in parallel to the promise released in the World Trade Organization. Now, this starts the ironic situation. With the higher demands from the North and the greater supply from the South, Brazil, has to expand its sugar plantation for example, to the extent of hacking away its forests. These forests are supposed to absorb the carbon emission majorly produced by developed countries. In addition, South America, the second largest ethanol producer, comes to the extent of inevitably causing deforestation in the Amazon, losses biodiversity, and even resulting to slavelike working conditions. This is reality and this is the product of the false hopes created by the agrofuel production.

So this explains that in a decrease of supply, price increases. With the focus from agricultural channeled to biofuel, prices on goods continuous to soar high. However, two other main contentions explain this situation that directly devastates the lives of millions of people.

In relation to poor Africa, where countries are remnants of the colonial Europe, African government has failed to care farming. Given the low productivity in the country, New Green Revolution might ease its problem. This is through a genetic engineering based agriculture that is seen as necessary in the continent. However, with Europe’s ban on GMO, African feared that their exports will be barred from entering Europe. Again, unfair trade exists. The fact of the nondevelopment of agriculture in Africa also extends the low supply of food in Africa unable to keep up the demand of the continent.

Branded by the corporate world that peasants’ way of farming is obsolete and uncompetitive, a capitalist industrial agriculture has been a trend in the international economy. Not knowing this led the destabilization of our local industries through the opening up to the international market legitimizes the transformation of our local land, nature, and social relations when countryside is alienated- all these are effects that made responsible to the food crises.

Another very important example to understand in the era of skyrocketing prices is the diversion of Mexico’s corn to biofuels. 60% increase in the price of Mexico’s tortillas last 2007 was enough to stage thousands of protests. With the US Government subsidizing corn in Mexico for ethanol rather than for food consumption is the root of the problem. By then, an intriguing question arrive; How on Earth had Mexicans, who lived in the land where corn was first domesticated, become independent on imports of US corn in the first place? This is very crazy to understand but easy to answer when we come to think of the global agrifood system pushed by the World Trade Organization plus the transnational corporation taking advantage in all sides for profit maximization at the expense of the developing countries’ formation towards development.

The former concrete example is also not different to the food crises especially on the deficit of rice in the Philippines. How can we be currently a net rice importer, when we achieved a respectable degree of rice sufficiency in the late 1970s? Right now, we are regularly sourcing 1 to 2 million tons of annual rice requirement in the international market. So what really weakens our national economy? The answer- Structural Adjustment Programs.

If only SAP is a person, I see him as Osama Bin Laden intentionally killing the lives of many innocent people. SAP has been more than a terrorist that legitimizes its threats in the developing country through the mandate of the World Trade Organization and some other international financial organizations such as IMF and WB.

Shifting the attention to debt servicing from agriculture during Cory Aquino’s administration was nothing but suicide. With a weak local industry due to political crisis in the 70s and 80s, Aquino liberalized the market, cut off tariffs and quotas from imported goods, and left the agriculture to the hands of private entities thus creating a government who hands-off to the sector. This is the winning situation for the rich peasants and landlords which former president Cory is a part of. Also, cutting the quota, massive importation of rice follows which exacerbates the country’s fall behind Thailand and Vietnam. This even discourages the farmers and leaves the countryside to the cities which massive migration from the rural areas to the cities makes the government head aches. Now, with the emergence of new export industry specializing in high value added crops like cut flowers, asparagus, broccoli, and snow peas,- employment in the agriculture dropped.

Another major example of this global trending economic system is China. The capitalist development path for China is really a failure. Though, it did not feel the same level to Philippine’s experience since Chinese government had been so wise in gradually opening up its market while still holding many state-owned enterprises (SOE) at the same time.

            

Among the principle widely discussed and the realities explicitly uncovered, I strongly agree the current order that we are in. The food crisis that Walden Bello pointed out last 2009 was perhaps just 3 years ago, but the drastic increase in the prices of goods is definitely shocking for a three years period to almost double. This will mostly fit the example of oil prices.

As a resolution, I couldn’t agree more on the idea of deglobalization. Though this does not strictly mean a strict protectionist policy, but about still participating in the international economy that at the same time builds local economic capacity rather than destroying it; with a destroyed local industry, more protests and social unrest seeking for the right path to development is triggered. That is why, there is a need to respond these international movement forwarded by different farmers all over the globe.

It is so much disheartening to see more people self-immolating in a struggle for genuine reform in the system. These people die in vain without returning their land grabbed by powerful private entities, they died without witnessing the growth of their domestic market that upgrades the quality of life that their family must have experience. More than that, there’s nothing more to ask in living a society on the sphere of a democratic decision making and operating a market with the values of equity and justice. It is so much fun for an economy to be “reembedded” in the society, instead of having our society driven by the principles of the economy that will naturally hurt the people if left unregulated.

I personally hoped that all these propositions were gladly opened up in the World Economic Forum just this January in Davos. Planning among global business elite is expected to get realized in the next few months. This made me excited on how they will answer the problems resulted from the current order that they imposed on the past few years. Knowing that these elite people conceded the shortcomings of a market-free system, delegates in the said forum are forming a new model. System recovery is the biggest challenge for these delegates.

Witnessing their shortcomings already shed them light to realize that indeed there is a need for a change- a change that must be definitely different to their system of neoclassical counterrevolution that emphasizes market fundamentalism. I hope they will fulfill the theme “The Great Transformation”, that is, a transformation for the benefit of everyone. So long as they fulfill not just only advantageous to their private interest but also to the interest of the global world that will feel the convincing change, then a peaceful forum for them will take place in the next few years. No more naked protesters combatting the extreme coldness in Davos will happen. No more Igloos set as camps for Occupy Davos protesters will take place.

Bombarded by all these crises, future decisions must all be learned from these nightmare experiences. Most primarily, the strength of agriculture should not be left behind. The attention of the government for this sector is even worth since it is through our farmers that sustain the lives of the people who are supplied by food which is a basic need for everybody. If we pursue the kind of globalization that continues to shape the society in which we live today, social unrest will continuously rise and I believe that it will all the more consolidate to a more powerful movement that will sooner topple the world order created by the elites in the developed and developing countries. In this I am optimistic.

Major ideas credited to Walden Bello's "Food Wars". No one shall be held responsible for any errors of analysis.

Understanding a Development Miracle: China

If people anywhere would try to assess how China emerged as the world’s second largest economy, well, what’s obvious is the country’s export-oriented industry. Everybody in the Philippines will certainly agree that explanation. With the very large export surplus, we witness how every Chinese products are displayed on almost every Filipino stalls. This is just one of the efforts done by the Chinese in shaping the kind of development that the country is molding for many years.

It feels so interesting to understand how income per capita in China by 2008 was well over 5 times what it was in 1978. However, the increase might be as well embarrassing to know that China’s income per capita in comparison to some other countries is far behind. Just late last year, TIME Magazine had this issue comparing countries of big economies. Though Japan is behind China in the world ranking, the former leads a significant higher in income per capita compared to the latter. This low income per capita relative to other countries might explain why the country still has large number of poor people. Even if World Bank estimate that the number of poor in China is falling from 53% to just 8% in 2001, still, 8% is too many in a country who has 1.3 Billion population.

Moreover, if China hailed the benefits of markets, trade, and globalization, it is still very important to understand that the country had adopted activist industrial policies, meaning, less privatization which for me gave China the wisest decision that led to their advantage in the race for rapid growth. With the neoclassical counterrevolution theories (i.e. free market model) not doing well in Africa and Latin America, China’s own crafted development policies might as well be failure without their good performance in transitional institutions which is primarily their difference against Russia who immediately abolish its central planning institutions, not allowing to coexist both institutions.

With the European countries and Russia who aimed for a “big bang” in the changeover to a free-market economy, China opted to be different. They introduced new and transitional institutions that exist side by side with previous institutions of central planning for extended periods.  It was in this core reason that perhaps generates further miracle for the country.

Well, in the investment atmosphere, China is the most favored. It has an eventual market of more than 1.3 billion consumers that is more than enough to expound the pour of investments in the region.

A factor of being homogenous also matters. Ethnic diversity impedes economic growth which associates African slow pace of growth.

In the other part of the globe, whether the country is a developing or in a transition period, state-owned enterprises were sold off to private investors quickly. China is a different case. These enterprises still remained in the government’s hands, however this was contested with many problems that later on led to some of it privatized or even closed.

Another important thing to consider is also their focus on township and village enterprises. These are local government owned enterprises. Though these were privatized lately, it spread development to rural areas. It was a perfect choice for their country to have early reforms on agriculture in rural areas, then strategic for shifting it lately toward industry.

Upon looking China’s prosperity, there are some certain drawbacks that are might as well problems encountered by almost all other counties. Extreme poverty is one. Official land grab from peasants also losses the farmers security. Also important to note is their rising local taxes and minimal improvement in technology. The latter is more delicate for the country in the years to come. With the competing countries all over the world, China who mainly relies on labor-intensive approach may not come at par with high and sophisticated technologies of their economic rivals.

It is also a country who situates the most of the polluted cities in the world. This aggravates health problems among its people. Moreover, with its skyrocketing surplus that caters too many people around the globe, we cannot forget their publicized scandals concerning their safety on food, drugs, and others. A perfect example was their melamine tainted products on milk that led too many victims especially in the South East Asia. This created a threat to international public image on Chinese products added by lists of health hazardous exported materials.

To wrap up, China has made the wisest decision for its own boundary. With a gradual change in adjusting itself into the demands of globalization, they had found themselves in a win-win situation.

(This is a reaction to a case study in China published in Michael Todaro's Economics of Development 2011 Published Book)

"The Philippine Hidden Story"

What is primarily the talk of the town is the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona. But there is a hidden talk, one that is gossiped by the people more than that of a town and this talk is always overshadowed by national issues embodied by the elites. These elites are basically the powerful minority that controls the power and decision-making in the policies of the government. This is all because the monopoly they occupy in the framework of the government that is supposed to be vacated for the masses. And who represent the pool of the repressed, vulnerable, and poor? None, so they really are the powerless majority.

The majority stays behind the elites. These people are shaped by the norms created through the powers of the elite that champion their trust. This is the meat of the talk that remains hidden after the said EDSA revolution. Following this process is the stage that institutionalizes the value of conformity to those who are in power. This is where my concessions arrive to Christian Monsod’s article on Christmas Day. It is put in emphasis that the priorities of the poor, the powerless majority are mishandled and most often neglected.

Being distracted from the core issues that our country must really face- from poverty, inequality, social services, etc., it is quite startling to comprehend that the current agenda set in the country is diverged from it.  We are more than interested to Kris Aquino's talks, live concerts of Korean's Super Junior, overestimating Adele's soothing voice, too much focus on impeachment of whoever seats the office, and so many more.  But there is nothing to get confused especially in the government scandals. It has already been noted that these people who are the stakeholders on these issues are just primarily the same faces who are choosing the options on the table on how the country come and go. So it is on their lives, on their issues that we are oriented to focus into.

I just therefore dismiss the idea of EDSA Revolution. Was it really a revolution? Or was it just an authentic revolution that just aimed to get the attention of the masses being blinded by the prime movers of that movement? Well, I think, it was the latter. It’s simply the restoration of the elites. Yes, our textbooks are right to show that the power of the poor are visible in the picture on that historical uprising in EDSA where they fought along with the promises branded on their foreheads. But it was not sustained. The masses are not the champions in that long way struggle. Had we truly won, concerns of the people who are on the mass absolute poverty must have been addressed. To refer Monsod’s article, “the government family income and expenditures survey (2009) showed that the incidence of poverty went down from 35.15 percent in 1988 to 26.49 percent in 2009, but the number of the poor increased from 21.3 million to 23.9 million.”. In this, poor are trapped to less than 1$ a day despite the skyrocketing prices in the market.

With the social reforms continuously unachieved despite the hopes of the majority, there has been a telltale issue on the challenges on whether or not the social reforms are really the interest of the powerful elites. The passage of distributing the land to the farmers in Hacienda Luisita was almost half a century struggle as started way back on 1960s. Just before 2011 ended, this battlecry of our sugar farmers were heard. The Supreme Court en banc 14-0 decided to finally give back the land to the farmers who are now probably the grandsons and granddaughters of those who were  squeezed by the might of the Cojuangcos’ in their call of land distribution. But this garnered a heavy emotion towards the ever prominent Kris Cojuangco Aquino, our President’s sister. We heard too much from her and I’ve read too much of her grief in her twitter account about the final decision of the court regarding the distribution of their vast land already spilled by those heroic farmers’ blood.

Finally, I agree to Monsod’s alternative in distinguishing to why Philippines is on its deep nightmare. Basically, the plans do not strike at the roots of the problem but only at the branches. Well, how one can know the where the root is if one don’t have the ability to listen the masses. This is why there is something very wrong about using power and wealth. This is an answer that primarily comes back again on my initial views- the pool of minority elites vested on selfish interests, planning for the country though their monopolistic opinions, championing the trust of the masses through institutionalizing the value of conformity from the majority powerless poor, and thus neglecting their concerns and diverging the central hidden issues to their issues based on their lives and interests.

Well, still, have a Happy New Year for the Philippines- with optimism. :)

(This is primarily a reaction to an opinion of Christian Monsod's article in Philippine Daily Inquirer, December 25, 2011 labeled as the 'Talk of the Town')

“Another World is Possible” (A Book Review)

           “Another world is not just possible but is also essential…" These words are the battlecry of every people in the globe who seek for genuine democracy in international institutions that the oppressed majority have been dreaming of. What the present globalization offered us were nothing but developing the underdevelopment of countries at the periphery through these developed countries’ undemocratic decisions solely formed in crafting policies for the developing states. This however led towards crises that currently are in need of a treatment.

Edited by William Fisher and Thomas Ponniah, there exist specific alternatives to globalization convened at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre in Brazil, a convention from the symbolic South. The book mainly expresses the conference proposals and synthesis that both articulate the rebellion against the neoliberal order and the desire to produce another world that is free of empires. All these are blended by the ‘network of networks’ composed of the old left, new social movements, and the newest wave of radicalism- or just mainly the global civil society. This precisely is a world engineered through a ‘globalization from below’ as a term parallel to Walden Bello’s ‘deglobalization’.

The core clash of these social movements is hinged throughout the effects of neoliberal policies. From the perpetuation of indebtedness to the stolen wealth and the culture of dependency- all these contribute the rooted sentiments against the developed North.  Even the problem of indebtedness lies in the history of colonialism! This puts forward the cancellation of debts to the ever-oppressed developing countries which is a bad idea for international financial institutions like IMF and World Bank.

Moreover, it has been a challenge for some time that these movements appear in two significant areas. First are the reformers that uphold the value of dialogue, negotiations, and partnerships. Change can come through reasonable discussion while the other one are the radicals which are total critics to the dysfunctional Bretton Woods/WTO and believe that the economy works better for the poor if there is check and balance not dominated by institutions. However, this divide is never a hindrance as to my views. So long as the anger, hatred, and fear envelopes the global civil society, the struggle remains constant. With the existence of these unjust institutions, social cohesion rises, thus, the movements will remain.

The principle of subsidiarity backs up these struggle where decisions does not have to be decided at the larger scale, then it let be decided at the smallest scale possible. Part I discusses the solidarity economy that which contribute a socially just globalization. The idea behind is to put the human being at the center of social and economic development. Preceding discussion emphasize the economics behind the movement which include the external debt, the call for reparation and extension of the scope of affirmative in Africa and Brazil, the alternative approach to international finance that has the economics in the service of humankind, reformation of WTO, forwarding corporate social responsibility, consolidation of representative voices of organized labor. One striking incite is the pressure on Argentina in climbing the ladders of development. In Todaro’s Development Economics published in 2011, Argentina despite the efforts of financial institutions in appropriating the structural adjustment programs, it is enveloped by negative growth rate, underwent a default in 2002 and the economy shrank 11%. This conditioned development primarily fell victim of the developed country where foreign investors buying high interest Argentine bonds with accounts in banks in the US and Europe.

One most important thing to understand is the nature of the opposition to the meeting in Davos for the World Economic Forum. This global political party in WSF at Porto Alegre against the Investors’ Protection Party in WEF is simply not the anti-globalizers as media would sensationalize it. Globalization is something that will continue and the concern is on the economics that serves the society, not the one that is served by society.

To boil down the specifics, further rights are highlighted, rights which are displaced in the order of globalization. Before, bureaucratic control and state dominated economies flourished not until the corporate rule in this modern world. Identities and contexts were moved from the national to the global. Heritage was all to disappear and destroyed. This is a fear that haunts one Filipino to identify himself amidst the trend on K-Pops, Hollywood dramas, nonsense and erotic songs from West, and many more.

Moreover is the transformation of public domain to privatization. Water, a common heritage for all are mismanaged resulting to inequality in access to it. A sustainable water management definitely requires the effective participation of local communities in decision-making process. On the other hand is the monopoly of knowledge by corporate interests or private profit shaped by the market of rich consumers. This expounds the rights over intellectual property which includes the patents, copyright, and trademarks- the first problem is this rule of granting patent holders to the members of WTO. The second problem is the impact which specifically explains the high prices on HIV/AIDS medicines which limits the ability of developing countries to meet basic human rights to health.

What is also striking to remember is the patent right as a recent development. We can remember how US took over British technology without any problem and without paying for it. In 20^th century is the emergence of Japan that copied freely the western technologies. But in the 21^st century, developing countries are hold back from developing its knowledge on improving high technology. This is an important thing to ponder on. What my Microeconomics taught me is the argument on protecting intellectual property through patents is the need to reward innovation. It is based on the assumption that inventing new is something to be encouraged. However reality speaks that the result is painful. We can also imagine our commendable farmers on the field introduced by sterile seeds by corporate seed manufacturers thus prohibit them on reusing their own seeds. This is a way to the monopoly over the reproduction of TNCs in the agricultural products. This however fuels the alternative to the rights of farmers and rural communities to ownerships, rejection of the monopolistic appropriation of knowledge, and therefore the increase in the public funding for research and innovation for social and economic development.

Lack of investment in research and development of medicine to treat neglected diseases which are mainly diseases of developing countries is a problem at status quo. This might probably supply the idea that diseases of the ‘rich’ are highly profitable thus crowded by profit driven character researchers influenced by neoliberal perspectives while in-need treatments for the developing countries is continually neglected.

With neoliberal policies, heavy subsidies for export agriculture and fishing are maintained with absolutely no protection for small- and medium-sized producers who produce mainly for the domestic market. On the other side of the story, access to food should not be viewed as a form of assistance.  It is indisputably a right that everybody needs to have. For this reason, USA using food as a weapon of economic and political pressure against countries like Cuba is definitely inhumane.

Another city is possible. Right now, urban population is denied the right to housing, essential services, employment in reasonable condition, etc. it is essential to deconstruct the ideology of the single-minded city that aspires for more supportive, more democratic, and more sustainable in response to social demands. Lastly, the indigenous people who are marked by domination, social exclusion, intolerance, wars, and destruction of nature, violence, and threat of extinction must be protected. They are vulnerable to projects imposed on them, introduction of construction sites and making decision without them on the table of decision-making. What is important is the idea on the “Unity in Diversity” among IPs. Indigenous territory can be inherited, but never sold or mortgaged. This is the weapon of the IPs in forwarding their calls and sentiments. Defending their rights as collectives is their armor.

In the light of the age of information, what is concentrated among the media is their high profitability over and above the public interest. The sad story for media is being forcefully swept away of being in a public character, privatizing most and forcing the rest to become commercialized. The danger is indeed on the dictatorship of the market that it has enormous power to win peoples’ ‘minds and hearts’. The exaggerated news on movements is irritating and the sensationalized publicity on neoliberal projects are attracting. Before when CNN flashes the World Economic Forum in Davos, an inspiring message will registered into my mind thinking of being one of those participants along intimidating conferences with the good-looking people all around the globe.

Furthermore, one right to push through is for the education to be not treated as a commodity. This is a problem deeply felt by the youths actively acting against neoliberalism. Thus, with the youths in the picture, the movement coming from all the different sectors of the society remains solid and alive.

In the context of violence, some argues that war on terrorism is justified just because of the 9/11 attacks of the terrorists. However, the excuse of using 9/11 nightmare propagates US in legitimizing the use of weapons for wars. Talk about how they tried to pulverized the Talibans in Afghanistan who abuses women. However, which is more abusive is the US bombing in the Afghanistan which results to the rise on the number of women victimized by the armed conflicts initiated by the US. These are women who are victims of discrimination and intolerance.

Finally, what is essentially presented is the international architecture of power which Walden Bello calls it ‘deglobalization’. It is all about getting rid of being dependent to the North, income redistribution and land redistribution, de-emphasizing growth, democratic economic decisions, new production and exchange, and the principle of subsidiarity.

With the another world that dismantles the present hierarchical system of domination, there rise a threat to cultural imperialism. This is something beyond to my expectation because anyway, what is a must to focus is this current illness in the global order that in need of a special treatment started by the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre.

Haunted by Joel Lamangan's "Sigwa"

           “I totally admire the youths of 1970s!”  This immediately registered to my mind after watching the internationally acclaimed movie Sigwa by brilliant Joel Lamangan. Staging the culmination of “End on Impunity” week-long event, I think that last Saturday afternoon was indeed a full blast, seriously awakening.

            The movie loaded with flashbacks gave the feeling of putting oneself back to the first quarter storm. It also relates the audience that being a student confronting with social issues at present cannot be just different to what students before experienced. However, there is a thick line that distinguishes my generation’s reaction compared to what our parent’s generation of being students back in 70s.  I felt that they were more active. I felt that they were more united and dedicated.

            I love the idea that the movie explains us the truth on why people resort to activism. Simply on what is the rationale behind why the characters, specially the youth engage in underground movements. They aren’t to be blame for all the activities they have done before, from marching on the streets, from holding placards, from resisting the police’ forces, etc. I personally hail them for all of these. I feel the anger that squeezed their hearts. I saw their tears that trickles down to their cheeks. I feel for their struggle.

            With the crowd of people who intensely watched the movie, I think we are all in common feeling that drives us to realize that in the end, being an activist is the best for those who have the courageous hearts. I admired these people for having deeply rooted sentiments in them against inequalities. Well, I have been into this stage but no time for me to be a radical. Rallies from the panting leadership of Gloria to the spring of Noynoy’s presidency made up my college life. I know that the intensity of my experience were incomparable to what Pauleen Luna, Marvin Agustin, Megan Young, Lovi Poe, etc. did in the movie, but I know that the feeling in forwarding the struggle is the same.

            There were some disappointments in the progress of the story. When they were all fragmented and their circle of friends was dismantled, I think that they were all innocent of it, not until Marvin Agustin-turned-Tirso Crus III’s rise into political power. His role of being a traitor to his comrades signals how activists turned to be pliant like a bamboo when situation calls for a matter of death. On the other hand, I have a high regard for Pauleen Luna-turned-Zsa Zsa Padilla in continuing the struggle in the country side. She was a fierce woman with nationalist and scientific principles embedded in her personality.

            After all, I hope that the story behind the movie will put a tingling sensation down to our spine with a realization that it is the masses that go along with our struggle. I love the idea of “social practice” taught to the main characters by their professor. Thus, the vehicle towards the courage is to feel the masses and to seek for a better future for the greater good.  

Lastly, the movie is composed of few words, “Serve the People!”

“Deglobalization” (A Book Review)

            It was once a privilege to be one of the reactors during Walden Bello’s symposium on “Terrorism and Counter-terrorism” at the University of the Philippines Visayas here in Tacloban. He may be old but enough to educate young minds that thirsts intellectual truth on the bigger picture of the world. Moreover, I felt his air of authority in the field of activism that upholds anti-imperialism, anti-colonialism, and anti-fascist upbringing. All these reflect his impressive book implanted of brilliant ideas entitled “Deglobalization”.

            Beginning with the discussion on the establishment of the World Trade Organization in consonance to the prevalence of globalization, bringing more equity and global trade remains the outlook for WTO  but inversely, what is reaped in the membership of WTO are costs, not benefits. This introduces the crisis of the globalist project designed specifically by World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank.

Globalization, as supported by status quo obviously marks the hegemony of neo-liberalism which focused on ‘liberating the market’ via accelerated privatization, deregulation, and trade liberalization. These are the best solutions as what my Development Economics subject taught me. Nearly did I believe but thanks to my Sociology of Development instructor who taught me otherwise about these globalist projects, I learned to think critically. These two orientations are opposites in viewing the dimension of globalization. However, only one line of critic is followed by Bello. He buys the idea that steps to market liberalization cannot count as pre-requisites to development.

Taken from the point of view of Walden Bello unveiling the sentiments of a developing country, market liberalization all the more pushes the people to ‘below the poverty line’ as manifested few weeks after the implementation of these projects in Thailand and Indonesia. This project called as the structural adjustment program clearly institutionalized stagnation, worsened poverty, and increased inequality.

Then goes from the foreword of the book are big economic terms and events like the crises of globalization during the collapse of the Third Ministerial of the WTO and the collapse of the stock market. Good higher economic subjects’ background might be an edge to further understand some complicated equations and solutions to globalization as narrated by Walden Bello. Needless to say, the entire views of the book clashes against the prominence of USA through assassinating its good background to the readers. Irregardless of the intention, this book speaks information that one needs to know and understand. Though shocking are some of the details, this book is commendable for being highly informative in the field of reality in politics and economics.

Given this 3 Pillars that are scaffolding the new economic order- the WTO, IMF, and the WB, the roles of each are nothing but innocent in the formation of new global economy. WTO is projected as a catalyst of an economic process that would bring about the greatest good for the greatest number. IMF is identified ever to promote freer global capital flows, and the WB supervises the transformation of the developing countries along free market lines and manages their integration into the global economy. I mean that all these bring the tone of kindness from the stakeholders behind these institutions. Not until this WTO’s agreements promoted monopoly for US firms, that IMF is used to dismantle the structures of sate-assisted Asian capitalism that are barriers to the entry of goods and investments from US transnational companies, and WB accusations of being irrelevant to the task of eliminating poverty. All these constitute the crises of legitimacy of all these 3 institutions. The supremacy of United States of America was therefore innocent until proven its selfish interests that drive these multilateral institutions forward.

Targeting America’s corporations that remains prominent in this age of globalization evaporates more questions of resentment against the world’s superpower. Microsoft is so much attached to my student life but nothing I know about its predatory practices, Shell is almost everywhere that truly we know about its environmental depredations, Monsanto and Norvartis as familiar are irresponsible in promoting genetically modified organisms. This made me believe that GMOs indeed happens after thinking it as a conspiracy to deprive US of its high-tech edge. Nike, which is famous among with my friends secretly systematize exploitations of dirt-cheap labor. Lastly, these air pollution contributor cars like Mitsubishi, Ford, and Firestone are known for their concealment form consumers of serious product defects. Rapid melting of the polar ice caps is traced to Big Oil and automobile giants promoted by uncontrolled transnational corporations (TNCs).

 It is beyond my intention to shame these companies. In fact, I always wear my Nike branded shoes. Shell is most often the destination of vehicles like “multicabs” that I used to ride in roaming the city. I ate on local restaurants that offer large stunning fried chicken believed by some to be GMOs. All these are inevitably confronted especially in the age of globalization. However, what is important to highlight just like what Bello pointed out is the ‘process of uncontrolled growth’ among these companies.

To quote former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the text, “…unregulated markets make difficult to reconcile the demands of social responsibility with the demands of profitability”. This brings us that corporate-driven globalization was creating tremendous problem, much more that the driving institutions to globalization promotes privatization, deregulation, and trade liberalization- all in all celebrates uncontrolled corporations and the imperial overstretch of America.

Structural adjustment programs are definite ways to discipline the Third World countries like Philippines. It brings the image of a new lending approach which pushes reforms. IMF and WB- imposed structural adjustments became the vehicle for a program of free market liberalization applied to countries suffering major debt problems like the Third World. Its major elements are heartfelt to me as a student of a third world country. Firstly is the government reduction on budget allocation to basic services like education, health, and welfare. Secondly is my observation on destroyed local markets being exposed to foreign competition due to the removal of restrictions on foreign investments. Thirdly is the high prices on toll fees and many others seen on news stations every evening due to privatization and radical deregulation of the use of resources that tolerates the private owner’s insatiable appetite for profit. This sends out a message that government participation is already curtailed.

In the prevalence of the neoliberal hegemony was the pushing for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation which Philippines is one of its 21 member-states. Basically it is a framework to discipline Asian economies specially the East and Southeast Asian countries where an activist government intervenes the key areas of its economy and where domestic markets are protected from foreign competitions, and there are tight controls on foreign investment. All these are deviations to America’s free market ideals. Thus the effect was the formation of APEC to tame the Newly Industrialized Countries (NIC) in Asia.

            Another action was to weaken the United Nation’s agenda to the south through America’s power of the purse. The United States, whose contribution funds some 20-25% of the UN Budget has its major role in influencing programs to the South that leans to their interest. Putting General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in the age of globalization, where US is the leading advocate, is purely because of the inability of US goods to enter Southern markets, and the rise of new competitors in the shape of the East Asian NICs. In fact, later on, GATT turned to loose and get flexible which justifies the birth of WTO that further United States’ assessment on interests of its corporation that which were no longer served by GATT.

            Recognizing United States as a major voice in the multilateral development banks, the domination of developed economies in the International Monetary Fund which the Fund itself is non-transparent and the one who vetoed the creation of Asian Monetary Fund  (AMF) as its counterpart that could have been a blow to the US role in Asia, and the consensus nature that defeats the one-country-one-vote principle in the World Trade Organization, these furthers the crises of legitimacy among the institutions manipulated by developed countries specifically the US.

            With all these basis that exist in the international arena as manipulated by developed countries, from IMFs packages to rescue foreign creditors, imposing radical deregulation on fallen economies, financial and trade liberalization, killing the proposal of AMF, promoting structural adjustment programs that institutionalizes stagnation in Africa, Latin America, and other parts of the Third World, all these devil institutions remains to operate with zero changes on its policies and structures.

            After all these disastrous effects that subjects to public scrutiny, structural adjustment program (SAP) failures pushes the IMF-WB meeting on 1999 to rename it to extended structural adjustment  facility (ESAF) that still preserves the neo-liberal economic model that secretly shows anti-developing country policies. Furthermore, as what the International Monetary Fund managing director Horst Koehler’s famous line “I also have a heart, but I have to use my head in making decisions”, as an answer to the charges against IMF-World Bank meeting on September 2000, the idea behind was all because of those institutions’ crises of legitimacy.

            Deglobalization is mainly an answer to international institutions’ crises of legitimacy. It is a reconstruction method after the strategy of dismantling the WTO and the Bretton Woods institutions. Bello introduces the tactic on making coalition to reduce the power of institutions like the IMF that for instance be converted into a research agency with no policy powers. In the case of World Bank, the coalition shall end its loan-making capacity and devolving its grant activities to appropriate regional institutions. In addition to the response of deglobalization is to boycott the World Bank bonds, deny new appropriations for the International Development Associations, and oppose calls for quota increases for the IMF. All these simply aim to disempower such institutions that are now at crises on their legitimacy.

            An important to understand Bello’s deglobalization effort is not about to withdraw from the international economy but simply about to reorient economies from the emphasis on producing for export to production for the local market. It is about bringing development from bottom to top. What is entirely needed for today is not another centralized global institution but the deconcentration and decentralization of institutional power and the creation of a pluralistic system. These regional blocs involve not only government and business but also NGO and people’s organization. This is an agenda of people-oriented sustainable development that will naturally succeed if it is evolved democratically rather than imposed from above by regional elites.

          Bello’s tone in the ending part of his book sounds a hero that fights the failures of today’s globalization. His proposal on the strategy for deglobalizing Philippines faces risky tasks. One thing is disciplining the private interests in the country and giving more roles to the civil society in checking the state and the private, focusing on internal market, building up capital-intensive industries, reinvigorating our agriculture, building up an industry like information technology that is managed under democratic process, and many more counter strategies to neoliberal framework.

             Deglobalization is a difficult project to accomplish as long as the hegemony of neoliberalism is on its peak. With more public scrutiny, more critics, more heartfelt economic stagnation despite IMF, WB, and WTO’s blind response to developing countries, then, the coalition that Walden Bello imagine will naturally uprise along with the reorientation on each national economies.

I FEAR NO HARDSHIP

“He who knows no hardships will know no hardihood. He who faces no calamity will need no courage. Mysterious though it is, the characteristics in human nature which we love best grow in a soil with a strong mixture of troubles.”

Wait. The tone of the quote above might sound different that which might leave wrong message about me. But anyway, it is an advising mechanism that we all Political Science Dungganan can get after all these unexpected events confronting into our lives. This will be all about the first month of second semester year 2011 that we all live in infamy.

The whole story is too complicated to share, too long to write, and too difficult to understand. But perhaps the effect of this greatest problem or one of the greatest problems I had might lead a picture on how we [Pol. Sci. Batch Dungganan] surpassed and continuously surpass this great challenge.

I know that clashing against the ‘highest ranking professor in the University of the Philippines’, as what that Professor consider himself is very difficult or dangerous so to speak. However, this is nothing when I come to think of being in the right path and being on the side of justice and truth. If he thought of his right being violated, a right which we cannot readily identify, well, I firmly believe that the damage that he claimed is incomparable to the wounds that I personally feel. I come to think over that after all, it is us against them. It is me personally, or we the 3^rd year Political Science majors against the whole Division of Humanities faculty and staffs.

Well I guess we are all united. I presumed each of us had the meeting of the minds regarding the ‘unintentional movement’ that we eventually created. Unintentional for nothing was never planned against Professor “he who must not be named”. Moreover, it lately turned to be a movement for us to protect our names after all the drama that spread from him tagging us as grade oriented, coward, and more that is demeaning to his personality making him more of being unprofessional.

I know that some of my close friends who are of my co-party to the problem badly-behaved along the way at the peak of our campus prominence. I just listen…and listen. I’d rather be silent. I believe my silence will somehow make them regret their words. So far, I felt happy that they continue to ride with us in this difficult journey. One of them told me that if only we can ‘undo’ what we have done.

I cannot directly pinpoint if there are some of us who have this connivance with some other secondary actors in this issue that fuels the strength of our newly turned opponent in this fight. I know that they are encroached of their selfish interests. Academic interests perhaps like designing their image to be neutral so as to gain praise from some other secondary actors of this issue. With this I felt disappointed. I felt being betrayed from the struggle that I eventually organize after my name being mentioned inside one of the classes handled by that Professor. It really affected me a lot after I recall this statement which is famous to my friends that “It takes time to rebuild an image”. Another friend of mine texted me about this with the details about my name assassinated in the eyes of some students in the campus. With this I felt the shame, the isolation, and it made me more often go with the flock of my Pol.Sci.mates. I feared to be the subject of some students gathering along the hallway and lobby. But all these internal troubles eventually wiped out in my imagination. The key is simply to be courageous and be a fighter.

For these past few days, I happened to have almost a close contact with the secretary of that Professor when I almost twisted the door upon entering the faculty when she eventually opened it from inside. I can’t forget this stern looks from her when she glimpsed to see my face. At first, I got upset but lately had thought how funny she reacted and designed her strict emotions against me which in fact she is not a party to the issue; neither has she known the whole story nor the sentiments from our side. What she had is this brainwashed mind to hate us and this myopic understanding of what problem we had against that Professor who is her boss.

Before I usually greet and smile to one of their young faculty which was once my instructor, but now I felt the awkwardness with her head bowed whenever we happened to cross our path. Also, just lately when I was on my way home, I walked along the street across where that Professor who must not be named stood together with some of his cohorts. I heard this heavy laugh from him and that I registered to my mind his weirdness.

One of my instructors this semester keeps on asking me about this matter. Something which I cannot disclose the details. Perhaps the best thing is to smile and show how this problem affected me. It is just some sort of a way to let them stop asking from me about it. And so it is effective. Moreover, I feared also that another one of my instructors this semester will see this as a disappointment towards me. Well, I don’t care. It’s all the more challenging. As what I recall together with my friends in high school, we had this motto that: “I fear no hardship”.

So long as we stand on our right. So long as we fight against immaturities that the other people tagged us. So long as the conscience drilling into my classmates who MIGHT have betrayed us, there remains the hope of getting over this situation, then after all, we laugh and say “I’m fine. There is nothing wrong, thank you”.

Akong Kinaagi sa First Semester 2011

Sa dihang maghinapos na ang kining akong unang semester sa 3^rd year college dire sa UP, dakong hinam-hinam nako nga himuan ug storya ang akong mga naagian nga kapait ug kalipay dianing semestera. Sayang intawn kung makalimtan, dili baya basta-basta lang kining mga akong naagian na kahimtangan.

Sa kadto ning Miting de Avanci last
February 28, 2011. Nakadaog baya kog
ka Vice Chairperson gikan sa Pulso Party

Buwan sa Hunyo naining tuiga, dos mil onse, sama lang ako sa laing estudyante diha-a. Excited ba. Third year na baya! Gimingaw la gad pud kog swela. Kinsa bay gusto magdugay sa akong bakasyon nga hastang boringa. Mamati napud kog utro sa mga maistra, maestro, magdugay ug katog sa kadamo sa tun-anan ug sa uban pa nga mga buluhaton. Bise president baya daw kuno ko sa Student Council ug Secretary- General sa Debate Society. Di gad ni angay ipanghambog ue. Maayo raba ug lalim ning mga trabahu-a.

18 units ra gihapon ko dianing semestera pero di jud ni ma-ihala kay mga hastang lisora. Kung buot sabton damo gad ug vacant, pero mura raman ug wala. Meeting didto, meeting dire. Group study didto, group study diri. Library permi. Ambot ue, ma-o jud tawn na! Naka schedule halos tanan himuonon ug sa dihang mura ba kog robot ba?

Wa man ko mangandoy na ma college scholar karon nga sem. Syempre, kay naglisod baya ko sa akong mga subjects. Mura ba kog nag suicide ba nga nagkuha pa kog BA 161 nga subject sa mga Accountancy para free elective nako. Sige lang, naka 2.5 man pud. Better nalang. Mao man pud akong expected grade. Pasar gad ko sa midterm ug final pero siguro, mejo maot man jud akong recitation. Dah, basta damog nahibaw-an, okay na uy! Atleast, mao diay to ang experience pag nag skwela nakog Law puhon.

Sem-ender namo sa Macroecon didto
Botanical Garden

Maayo man pud akong Macroeconomics. Wala jud ko kayo nag effort pag advance-advance ba. Kahibawo baya ka nga mas maayo gud kung mag advance reading sa mga lessons. Maayo man pud akong Microeconomics. Mejo kulba-kulba lang. Igo ra jud ko makapasar kada Long exam. Atleast! Kaysa sa mahulog. Anyway, may pagka confident gad ko sa major nako kay syempre, double effort. Basta kung may effort, may maayo baya nang resulta. So mejo expected gad pud nako ang mas maayo na grado. Thank you Ma’am Lim and Sir Talde sa tulo ka subjects sa Pol.Sci. nga inyong gitudlo sa amoa! Mejo kahadlukan gad kay duha kay Ma’am  Lim, terrorized gamay.

Sa dihang nag interview mi. Unsani ba
nga mitugpa man ang manok sa akong likod.

Okay na ang academics… storya napud tag lahi bi. Ahmm. Di gad to makalimtan among field trip sa Tubabao. First time jud ko maka puyo ug layo nga isla nga hastang mingawa. Wa juy mga sakyanan wala lay labot sa pumpboat nga sakyan padung Guiuan.

Pinobre ra gad to didto sa Tubabao. Pero maayo pud to kay permi damog pagkaon. Kapoy baya mag alog-alog ug tubig para pagkaligo sa CR sa skwelahan kung asa mi nangatulog, ah kay ang akong gibuhat, manumbay nala ko didto sa ilang Kapitana. Maki-kaligo. Dili pa hago!

Orange nga mga payong gikan nila
Manny Villar! Siya baya sponsor pagpakaon
sa amoang first day lunch time.

Naa puy dinato nga field trip namo. Syempre, Embassy Tour jud to sa Manila. Usa ka simana kahuman sa among Tubabao, nangadto mi ug Manila sa among tibuok klase sa Comparative Politics. A courtesy of Philippine Airlines, Meyers Mansion, ug Vacazion Travel Agency baya to. Nakangadto nako ila Villar. Nakaabot napud kog Chile, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, ug Sri Lanka. Kutob ra gad mga Embassy nila pero okay na to! Murag di na baya jud ko mubalik didto puhon.

Pero sa tumoy sa kalipay kay may nag abang jud nga kapait. Naunsa ba ni nga permi man ko masakit karong semestera, permi nala pasakit ning permi ko hilantan. Wa jud intawn ko naka apil sa among Opening sa Sportsfest. Muna-muna baya jud kog practice sa among sayaw ato nga i-present sa opening. Sa third day nakos Sportsfest nabanhaw. Pero bawi pud ko uy, second jud mi sa sepak takraw, first sa Kawatay Bulad nga ngadto na ko nakahibawo sa duwa sa mismong duwa na, first sa Last Suffer nga abi nakog kaon-kaon nga di man diay! Unsani batong mag pasa-pasa man hinuon ug mga kendi, saging, tawong, bread stick, etc. gamit ang baba! Second to the last pagud ko out of ten players. Haha! Proud pud ko ato sa among Patintero kay first pud mi! Namawi jud ko sa duha ka adlaw nga wa ko sa UP sa Sportsfest kay napugos ko ug pahuway.

KASAMA sa UP! Mga officers na sila gikan
UPV Miagao ug UPV Iloilo

Interview namo kay Kawayan Mayor
Gerry Espina, Sr. Alams na kung unsa
na siya ka imba! :)

Na contact person pud ko ug ahat sa All Leaders Conference sa Visayas-wide nga  Kasama sa UP. Kapoy jud to kaayo kay akoy nag Head sa among student council ato. Nauwaw napud ko kay naka utang mi sa Office of the Student Regent para sa registration. Ambot lang ani! Wa pa jud ko mitungha sa second day ato kay nangadto mi ug Kawayan kauban nila Mark, Kim, Jude, Fionna, si Milay na nahimong photographer namo ug si Maville nga murag tour guide ba. Hehe. Syempre pasalamat ko ni Mama nga maoy naghikay sa among panihapon ug pamahaw inig ka ugmaan. Sa Chona’s Boarding House man sila ga star, nindota man jud didto ba.  Na interview jud namo si Mayor Gerry Espina, Sr., ang banggiitan na ngan sa pulitika sa Biliran. First time pud ko kaabot ug Kawayan ato ug first time nakakita atong mga langgam, tiger, buaya, magkadilain nga has ug sa kadtong bao nga ikaduha sa pinaka kusog mupaak sa tibuok kalibutan. Didto man to sa Zoo nila Espina sa Caray-Caray ug mga pila nalang to ka minuto usa mi manglarga pabalik Tacloban.

Mejo proud ko aning tungura ba! Hehe... Syempre.

Kapoy kung huna-hunaon ano? Pero worthy baya tanan kung mahibaw-an nimong Top 3 ka sa inyong Batch sa UP. Na tingala jud ko diato nga kadtong gipa apply mi para Ayala Young Leaders Congress basta apil sa Top 20 sa over-all since First Year First Semester sa UP. Maayo unta ug madawat ko. Amisyoso ra. Haha.

Syempre halos tig dugay nako maka uli sa boarding house karon nga semester. Makatog man jud ko sa kwarto ba, wa na hinuon koy ma studyhan kay magsige nalang ug katug. Tapad ra man gud ang higdaanan. Ako ra mang usa pud tapos mingaw baya kaayo. Effective pud baya tong mga group study nako sa Zilog nga mga tig alas sais na sa buntag maka uli. Mao nay overnight nga walay tulganay. Damo na pud kog mga di makalimtan diha sa Zilog ba. Makakita mga pok-pok nga halos bisag si kinsa la nga lalaki ang kauban kada kaon pag kadlawon, mga muduol sa imo para mangayog kwarta, ug uban pa. Pag katugon na gane, mag lakat lakat sa karsada sa downtown, muagi ug Dunkin didto dapit sa Jollibee nga tua pud didto ang mga uban nga kaila namo nga na bugbog pud ug study. Maglakat-lakat lang jud intawn mi usahay kauban nila Lois, Kim, Mark, Pamela, ug Glecy. Maabot mi ug RTR Plaza mga alas singko na sa kadlawon kahuman sa downtown tapos manguli na diretso sa tagsa-tagsa sa boarding house mga mag alas sais na tapos andam para klase sa alas dyes. Pasalamat nalang naka College Scholar gihapon ko! Yes! Mas dako pa gane akong GWA karon kumpara last semester.

Kini! Murag klaro ko diini. Hehe
Lipong baya ni sa ulo aning tungura

Ika usa nga mga alas kuatro mi nanguli kadtong pila ka adlaw nalang kay mag pista na ang Tacloban. Nangita man mi ato ug Freestyle nga concert sa Balyuan. Maayo man sab diay sila. Mga pol.sci. gud to akong mga kauban. Red Horse dayon ue. First time baya to nako. Nalipong baya jud ko ato. Wa pa ma kontento nga nag baktas pami padung i-ref. Ngadto man na sa ubos sa traffic light didto mismo sa eskina dapit Gabrino ug Zilog. Storya –storya ra man to ba. Jamming man to kauban nako mga ka kurso nako. First time siguro to namo. Damu-damo man pud mi ato ba.

Naa pay iba. Di ka malisang nga naka emcee na baya jud ko. Ikaduha man to sa Kapihan nga gi pangunahan nako nga event sa Student Council about sa SONA ug usa sa kadtong tri-sectoral forum about SONA gihapon. Nalipay napud ko nga damo ang nangapil atong rally namo against budget cut. Dakong pasalamat nako ila Ma’am Ana, Ma’am Rosianette, Sir Galang ug Sir Dakila sa pag apil ato nga rally sa downtown.

Planking! Mao na pag budget cut pa sa education! Tuo
ninyo ug musugot ra mi? Dili no?! Shock lage mo.

Iapil pa nato ang kadtong nabalita mi sa Bandila nga gi hostan ni Ces Drilon sa ABSCBN tungod lage atong rally laban sa Budget Cut. Ang planking man to sa covered walk ang na kuhaan sa camera sa balita. Syempre niapil ko ato ug hapa-hapa sa covered walk. Damu-damo sab baya mi ato.

Zip line sa Agas-agas bridge sa Southern Leyte!
Di ka malisang ana?
Ako diay nang naa sa left nga naka helmet ug white.

Kadto tanan dugang pa ang kada gabie nga practice sa debate namo kay hasol gad kung huna-hunaon ano? Pero na manage naman la gihapon. Wa ko kahibawo kung gi unsa to nako. Niagi nalang tong mga adlawa nga nakaya man. Naa pud gad lipay-lipay. Labi natong laag nila Sir Jethol, George, Roniel, Mera, Maville, Aina, ug Rose didto sa Agas-agas. Syempre uban ko! Naka zip line najud ko didto. Perti bayang habuga ug perting kulbaa!

Mga halos lima ka buwan nga kasakit ug kalipay. Mao na akong natagamtam. Salamat nalang sa akong mga igsuon nga nag finance sa akoa. Dako jud na kaayo nga tabang. Maayo unta  ug malipay sila sa akong mga nahimo nga kaayuhan karon sa college. Atleast naka one-time university scholar ug consistent college scholar ko. Namention pa jud baya na sa pag introduce sa akoa didto sa symposium namo about Al Qaeda ni Representative Walden Bello sa UP. Nag reactor man jud ko ato on behalf sa mga youths. J

Sa diha nga gihatag sa akoa ang akong certificate
nga naka frame na daan. Kadto man ning nag reactor
ko sa event ni Rep. Walden Bello :)