society - Cerebral Insights

My Heart Goes Out to Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a beautiful country. What’s happening today is heartbreaking and begs the question: what can we, the world, do?

The recent news over what’s happening in Afghanistan is heart-breaking. Despite not monitoring the news as closely as before, my husband alerted me to it when the events broke out.

By evening, I saw the videos circulating on Twitter showing one harrowing scene after another.

This morning, I watched US Pres. Joe Biden’s official statement over what happened. And so began my investigation.

The War That Stretched Too Long

Afghanistan has been at war for as long as they can remember. From the war with the Soviets to the internal civil war to the war with the US Army. They’ve been at war for far too long.

This video by Al Jazeera gives a clear summary about who the Taliban are and why is Afghanistan fighting such a long war.

Who are the Taliban? This video, made 2 months before the US left the country, summarizes the conflict in superb detail.

In Pres. Joe Biden’s speech, he said he wanted the bucket to stop with him. The war with Afghanistan has stretched for far too long and he cannot keep sending generations of Americans to fight their internal battles.

The US war in Afghanistan began with the relentless pursuit of Osama Bin Laden, thought to be the mastermind behind the Sept 11 attacks. It has gone on for 20 years now even as Osama Bin Laden was killed in 2011 by the US Army in Pakistan.

Yet despite accomplishing this 1st mission, the war raged on as the US attempted to help Afghanistan establish a democratic government.

Sadly, after 9 more years of helping the internal battle, the US has called it quits.

My Thoughts on Seaspiracy – and Sustainable Eating

There’s a new controversial documentary in Netflix – Seaspiracy. I am familiar with our planet’s dwindling resources thanks to human’s own faults but it was a one-sided familiarity with only land’s woes. I was at a lost at sea.

Watching Seaspiracy opened my eyes to new knowledge such as bycatch, trawl fishing and wild fish farming.

Bycatch happens when untargeted species such as turtles, dolphins, sharks and whales are caught up in fishing nets and then discarded back to the sea – often dead. This is largely due to trawl fishing which is simply putting down a big net to the ocean that it can swallow even a whole cathedral. The net is dragged for many miles across the ocean floor gulping up everything in its path and leaving a flattened ocean. You can imagine the marine habitat destroyed – corals washed out – and the number of fishes big and small engulfed.

Fish farming may have been a solution – where instead of catching wild fish, they are harvested instead. But these farmed fish are fed wild fish feed (hence the need to catch more wild fish) and live in very bad farm conditions leading to lice infestations and many other fish problems.

The film went even further to tackle the problems of forced labor in Thailand and the conspiracy of sustainable labels where enforcers and reviewers can be bribed at sea – or shot dead.

Commercial fishing was a multi-billion dollar industry and it’s so interconnected – no one can stop it.

I was appalled at how destructive commercial fishing is and how some cultures are blatantly ignoring the real ecological impacts of their ignorant traditions.

After watching the film, I resonated strongly with the filmmakers conclusion – stop eating fish.

But as I slept it over and had more time to think it through – would this conclusion be the solution?

The Burden of Decisions

Who would have thought that in one’s lifetime a pandemic as severe as this would occur? I never imagined that the time would come when my life would come a grinding halt. And a sudden and shocking one at that.

Over the weekend, I lost my daily routine of going to the office and going to church on weekends. I was optimistic at first, naively I thought they couldn’t halt businesses. The economy would suffer. How will people buy food, etc? But then the unimaginable happened.

Businesses closed. As the country’s biggest malls closed their doors, so did hundreds of businesses and offices. Restaurants were limited to take outs and deliveries. People were forced to stay inside their homes. Regardless if you will have sustained income to last you a month indoors.

It was a good thing that flow of basic goods remained unhampered. Local governments scrambled to implement guidelines and policies such as quarantine passes, market day schedules and the like.

I thought the month long lockdown (technically called enhanced community quarantine) will not last a month. Again, naively, I thought it will be over before the month is up. But as the days progressed, and the cases rose, the government had to choice but to continue the lockdown even beyond the original end date.

Now, my wedding has been postponed – a bit indefinitely – as we are still unsure of the impact of this pandemic.

Now, I have become more pragmatic as to the effects of the current situation – to my life, to the community around me, to my country and to the world as a whole. This is definitely historically and life changing.

And I can imagine how hard it must be to be in power these days. As we are plunged to great uncertainties, making decisions we don’t really know will be true in a month – or even a week’s time – I can only imagine how tough it must be for the people in government to also make plans and decisions.

Will they choose to extend the lockdown seeing as there is no immediate solution to the pandemic? It’s still ballooning. But if they continue on this path, the number of hungry Filipinos will increase and economy will keep on suffering to a point where it will be very hard to bounce back. Finding the balance between saving the economy and saving lives is tough. In each side, there are bound to be casualties.

I tried to look at the history of pandemics to see how we fare with time. As they say, history repeats itself – it is up to us to learn from it. The worst pandemic in history is the 1918 Spanish flu. About a hundred years from today. Around 500 million worldwide died.

There were other pandemics over the course of the hundred years – the most recent being the H1N1 swine flu of 2009. I thought back to my life then. Where was I? What was happening to me? Was I aware there was a pandemic? I heard about it in the news. But did I feel it? My life seemed to move on as normal. It was the year I graduated from school and the year I landed my first job. All seemed normal.

Yet today, I doubt there is a single Filipino who isn’t aware what is happening. Not just because they watch it in the news but feel it in their daily lives. The curfew hours. The restricted movements. The long days. Everyone has been forced to lead a new norm.

I believe that this too shall pass. I believe that, as always, we will bounce back. After all, God who remains in control will not allow harm to come to us. The virus may strike and death may stare us in the face – but His promises remain true forever. At the same time I believe that in the aftermath He will be with us. He will remain steadfast in His promises for guidance and provision. This I believe – not naively – but with practical faith.

And so as I spend my days doing the things I once didn’t have the time to do, I find myself strangely at peace – the peace that only Jesus can bring. The days may be long and the future uncertain, but with God, everything is OK.

Are we Filipinos still worth dying for?

Elections is over. The most divisive and brutal election season I have ever encountered is finally drawing to a close. Mar Roxas and Grace Poe, the two “closest” rivals to Duterte has conceded defeat.

While I have already prepared myself for a Duterte presidency, I cannot begin to fathom or accept how people can vote for Bongbong Marcos. How easy it is for people to forget the atrocities of Marcos’ regime. How apparently senseless the death of Ninoy Aquino and countless other martyrs have been.

Before I have resigned myself that should Duterte win, I may as well watch him and make sure he does bring the change he claims he will do to our country — the scary violent change he promises. I told myself, I may even consider going to public office – working for the government – in order to watch from within.

But as of late, I have been thinking of a different thing. I am led to believe that it is hopeless and just want to do away with everything. Let go of my nationalistic tendencies and turn my back to actually making a positive change in this country through servant leadership. I have thought about, one day, running for president – even claiming this as my biggest ambition in life. An ambition born not because of greed or hunger for power but because of a real desire to serve the Filipino nation. Call it my highest form of idealism (or should it be idiocy?).

Seeing how brutal the last election was, I am led to question how, an honest public servant, can really withstand the mudslinging and stress of the candidacy. But I can push on had I have more belief in the Filipino nation whom I wish to serve. Sadly, that belief evaporated as I saw more and more people willing to go back to the times of the past.

Will I be selfish if I try to be more pragmatic and choose my family’s well being first? A well-being that I can assure if I go to a first class nation – and in the process – bring them with me too. A place that will offer peace and prosperity albeit far from the native land – a land I am no longer sure of what it is becoming of.

At this point I don’t know what to believe of my countrymen anymore. I am moved to apathy – jaded by the calls to nationalism. How can someone be nationalistic in a land that is divided all on its own?

Conserving Manila’s Heritage Sites

Today I read this article in ABS-CBN News Online about the social commentary of Dolce Amore, a prime time soap about the degenerating status of heritage sites in Manila. The show went to Paco Park which I’ve also visited and found to be barely maintained. They also went to Luneta Park and discussed how the local government can allow, in the name of increased revenues, an eyesore to be built.

I find it really sad that the local government of Manila has failed to identify what the city is capable of. In a bid to be like Makati or Quezon City or the other cities in Metro Manila, they have allowed capitalists to enter and build business structures around the city – in the process destroying the heritage sites.

Manila could have been a great city had it stuck to a well-thought out development plan. She could have been an old university town filled with various universities and cultural sites. They could have concentrated on that – developing a vibrant, safe and pollution-free (or lessened) university belt. Sadly, even though there are many universities in the area, the students live in fear of petty criminals and risk their lives in vehicle-infested roads. Slums surround the campuses adding to the pollution and derelict view of the area.

Parks – pocket parks – are virtually non-existent since those that exist have become home to homeless people. The only lung in Manila left has been virtually forgotten. The once grand architectural wonder buildings have been discarded – left to rot until they are eventually destroyed to make way for “better and modern” ones.

Comprehensive_Land_Use_Plan_of_the_City_of_Manila — The Comprehensive Land Use Plan of Manila City Legend: Green – Parks; Dark Blue – University Zone; Red – High Intensity Industrial Zone; Yellow – High Density Residential Zone Click image to view clearly Source: Wikipedia

I am saddened that my children may never see Manila with her cultural heritage intact. I, myself, am sad that what I see are mere vestiges of a once glorious past.

Shall I stay on the sidelines? But what can I do?

A visit to these derelict sites, which I’ve always planned but never do, is, I believe, the start.

Government Now Online

Applying for most government requirements are now conveniently online. In recent years, the Philippines has made a shift to automate many government processes that are prone to long queues. It’s not yet perfect but give it a little more time and we will surely have an efficient system hopefully like the developed countries.

Since I’ll be taking the PRC Exam for Real Estate Brokers, I have to comply with several government requirements such as an NSO Birth Certificate and an NBI Certificate.

First, the PRC Application was online. They wouldn’t accept walk-in applications. It’s ok although the website could use some more updating since I had trouble making the fields with search buttons work.

NSO E-Census

The National Statistics Office now has an online portal where you can apply for your birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, CENOMARs, etc. Everything can be done online and you can just request for your documents to be sent to you via courier. It’s very convenient especially if you have work to attend to during regular business hours. You don’t need to take time off work just to fall in line and get these documents.

I applied for my birth certificate online and made the payment via BDO Over The Counter payment mode. The payment options are a bit limited but still convenient.

I’m now just waiting for the LBC to deliver my documents.

To learn how it’s done, here’s a good guide.

NBI Clearance

Another source of headaches is the application for NBI Clearance. I distinctly remember my first NBI Clearance application. It was for my passport and since I was in college that time, I got it from the Quezon City branch. It was nightmarish due to the long lines and the dirty fingers (finger printing was a hassle) afterwards. When I started working, I applied at the provincial NBI office which had the same long lines until I discovered that it’s best to queue in the afternoons – when they’ll nearly close. When the biometrics way of fingerprinting was implemented, I was so grateful.

Now, I’m thankful that we can apply online for the NBI Clearance especially that I’m now based in Manila.

Application is really a breeze. Just create an account online, select your application, make the necessary payments and set an appointment to visit an NBI office.

Here’s a guide.

Everything was a breeze until I reached the NBI office. No blog I’ve read prepared me for what I experienced.

I chose the NBI office in Robinsons Galleria because it’s the nearest to me and I surmise it’s better inside the mall (hello airconditioning). My appointment was in the morning and since the mall opens at 10am, I went to work first, left at 11am (lunch break) and arrived at 11:40. The line was long when I arrive at Basement 1. Thankfully I had enough common sense to look at signs and ask questions.

Everywhere there were notices saying

Huwag lang pila ng pila. Kumuha ng numero at antayin tawagin.

(Don’t just fall in line. Get a number and wait to be called.)

The system at the office was you get a number, go to the waiting area and wait to be called. Make sure you have your online application and reference number for a faster process. And don’t lose the transaction number because you’ll need it.

There were a lot of people in the waiting area and I was tempted to go home. I felt like my number would take forever to call. But the process was relatively quick. They call the numbers in batches of 50. Just be sure to bring entertainment or work to keep you occupied and make sure you’ve eaten so as not to be hungry.

The entire process took me 3 hours mainly due to the waiting lines. But once it was my turn, everything was smooth sailing as long as my files are in order.

Overall, I applaud the government for attempting to have an online facility to easily process these forms. Although not perfect, with everyone’s cooperation we can definitely come to a point when requesting government forms becomes a breeze through online applications.

Love Won?

#LoveWins has been all over the net eversince the July 26 ruling of the US Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage in all states. Yet despite the “love” supposedly oozing out of the hashtag, what I got were criticisms for views I’ve long held.

It’s true I do not agree with the ruling. My Christian upbringing and my faith and beliefs make me believe otherwise. I will not apologize for my faith. It is my stand. I believe it is wrong to turn marriage into something else it was not intended to be in the first place.

But then does it mean I love my gay friends any less? Does it mean I disrespect them and will callously treat them refusing them my help if needed? By all means NO. My love and respect for them remains. I still hold on to my opinion that some of the best people I’ve worked with are gays. Being in Marketing, I’ve encountered a lot of creative, industrious and resourceful gay people and I’ve been blessed to have them as friends and be with their company.

And if they need me, if their world crumbles, I won’t hesitate to lend a shoulder, a listening ear and any help I can give.

But this doesn’t mean I agree or support same-sex marriage. The Bible is clear on its stand against homosexuality and as someone who believes in it completely I cannot and will not compromise beliefs just to fit the opinions of the majority or even just to fit in and be popular.

I would rather endure persecution for my beliefs than live in comfort knowing I have sacrificed them.

So do I contradict my beliefs when I say I love and respect my gay friends but do not support same-sex marriage?

No. I don’t.

For just as the Bible gives clear lines against right and wrong so does it teaches me to love unconditionally. To love others as Jesus loves me.

If Jesus could love and forgive a sinner like me then how much more should I love and forgive others?

It’s hard to understand. Hard to comprehend. I know. In a world that advocates relativism of right and wrong, it becomes increasingly difficult to understand what love truly is.

And as debates spring up across all corners of the globe over this ruling which can have numerous impact and repercussions for future rulings, I can see how love has really lost and not won. For when people start bashing each other over unpopular beliefs and for expressing seemingly contradicting opinions then it’s not love that’s displayed but hatred, narrowed-mindedness and disrespect.

The Unlikely Ascent to Presidency

Whenever I tell people I want to become President of the Philippines someday, they ask me – then why are you not in politics or any politically related career right now? They think that I ought to be running for barangay chairman at the very least or if not working as part of someone’s cabinet.

But despite my ever nagging desire since childhood to serve at the topmost position in the country, I have also this predisposition that it won’t happen in a conventional way.

It won’t be because I am born of a political family. It won’t be because I have demonstrated aptitude in political office for X number of years. It won’t be because I am a veteran at politics and all the traps that come with it.

No. Rather, it will be because God says so.

Pretty far fetch for the most pragmatic mind right? Many would argue to leave God out of it. That roots, connections and lots of money are what is needed to win a presidency. But I disagree.

In fact, I wouldn’t want the position if I know for certain that God is not with me. For without Him, I would be walking into a death trap. I would probably be swallowed alive by a system so corrupt many have lost faith in it already.

But I haven’t. I believe that the Philippines can be turned for good. That like her ASEAN neighbors she can also rise from the ashes and ascend to a glorified spot at the top. Already, we know we have one of the fastest rising GDP in the region. Shocking if we take a look at the seemingly non-improvement of the lives around us but economics tells us that we are on the rise.

As I mull over how in 4 election cycles I will be qualified to vie for Presidency, I am struck at how the current Presidential 2016 elections is fanning out.

A year ago many dreaded that the only vocal – and most likely to win candidate – was Binay. Those who opposed him dug up so much dirt to mar his image to the doting public that many were disillusioned with him. The impact was made regardless of the many counter measures the Binay camp attempted. After carefully placing his pawns in place during the previous elections, he now threads on precarious waters.

And yet, majority concur that his chances of winning remain high. The other candidates are equally marred and the public are also disillusioned of what they can do.

However from this seemingly lose-lose situation comes a beacon of hope – Grace Poe. A quiet politician who ran for Senate and emerged at the top. She did her job well serving as MTRCB Chief and many recognized her silent fortitude. The fact that she was also fighting to clear the name of her deceased father, Fernando Poe aided to her cause. Despite the reservations if she will make a good lawmaker, she proved herself time and time again to be a brilliant and humble public servant.

Now, as someone who has captured the public’s heart, she is eyed to be one of the contender for Presidency. And not just some contender but someone with the seal of trust of the current President as someone who can continue his projects. That endorsement would go a long way to securing Poe a seat in the Palace for despite criticisms against PNoy, many still contend that he has done more good than harm for the country.

This is in stark contrast to her possible opponents – Binay and Mar Roxas to name a few. Both Binay and Roxas through years of political career and strategic planning have planted in various places people who will aid them to their cause of being president. They are your traditional politicians. Note: I am not using trapo here to mean a negative thing. It’s just that they are your typical politicians who slowly but surely rose up the ranks. They played by the book. And now they are eyeing the top spot.

Grace Poe didn’t play by the book. She didn’t rise up the ranks of a political career. She has no people in strategic positions. She does not come from a political family. She’s not someone with an arsen of resources she can use to ensure she wins at all cost. She’s a wildcard entry. Yet being one, she is a welcome breath of fresh air.

In the Bible, there are many stories of unlikely ascent to power.

There’s Joseph from Genesis who despite being a slave and prisoner found himself to be the second most powerful man in Egypt second only to Pharaoh. There’s Saul, Israel’s first king who was simply looking for his father’s lost donkeys when Samuel saw him and made him king by the Lord’s prompting. And there was David who was a shepherd, faithfully guarding his flock from wild animals and showing bravery to fight the giant Goliath. He was soon selected as king by the Lord.

As the Bible said, God doesn’t look at outward appearances. He doesn’t measure the same way we measure. God looks at the heart. He sees what is inside. He sees the desire. And if we take delight in Him then surely He gives us the desires of our heart.

–Update as of July 31, 2015: PNoy has announced that he’s endorsing Mar Roxas to be his successor. Grace Poe’s political plans for 2016 – if she agrees to be a VP to Mar or any other presidential candidates or if she will run for Presidency herselft are not yet known.

The State of Mass Transit in the Philippines

Earlier I read a news about how, once again, the commuting masses face kilometric lines in the MRT. Apparently from close to 50 trains when the operations started, it went down to 30 then 20 and now 7.

How can 7 trains accommodate the thousands that venture to use these services?

I am reminded of a constant topic of discussion between a friend and I about how our government has wrongly prioritized transportation channels.

Going North from Manila there are the networks of toll ways making land travel faster and more convenient. Going South from Manila sees the same. Is it wrong to improve these road systems?

Well, not if you want to solely cater to the elite who can afford cars and hefty toll fees.

Improving road networks are not wrong. It’s important to improve them for faster and easier travel. However, the toll ways were made with those who have private cars in mind. They are the ones who can afford the toll fees imposed due to the improvements and conveniences of dedicated highways.

What we can see from every improved and developed nation – or even our next door Asian neighbors – are highly developed train systems.

Train systems are the ticket to massive mass transportation. We were at the forefront of it when LRT 1 was constructed – the first and best in Asia at that time. But somehow we’ve lagged behind.

Imagine. If we prioritize our train systems and we get to develop well functioning trains and even make way for high-speed bullet trains, then it would be possible for people in the nearby provinces to travel easily in and out of Metro Manila.

Imagine a Metro Manila that is less congested because the people who live in its dense cities can easily go home weekly to their far flung provinces as aided by the train systems. Who knows, some may even go home daily eliminating the need to rent a temporary house within Manila.

Trains are supposed to be the key to efficient public mass transportation. Yet in skewed prioritization it appears they are at the bottom list.

The Peace in Mindanao

This morning, during my usual commute to the office, I heard the radio commentator discussing the current situation in Mindanao. With the recent tragedy involving the SAF Elite Unit, it appears the peace process is compromised – possibly altogether abandoned.

He said that before we all rush into emotionally charged decisions, we should consider first all factors involved – rationally. The peace process gave hope to our fellow Filipinos in Mindanao. Not the rebels, but the civilians. Civilans who have become too scared to seek means of livelihood. Innocent children who have become too scared to go to school. Thousand of innocent Filipinos, caught in the crossfire between the government and the rebels. They are the ones for whom the peace process is for.

And with the recent skirmish, abandoning talks of peace process all over again, is akin to dashing that single shred of hope to bits and pieces. A shred of hope that for years they haven’t even the slightest idea was possible.

While it is true that we must grieve and mourn the fate of the Fallen 44, that we must sympathize with the families who have lost them, we should not let ourselves be consumed with our emotions to forego all rational thinking. After all, these brave men died for the very same thing many wants to abandon – peace.

The Bangsamoro Issue, these peace talks and peace process with Mindanao, these are all issues that I have heard over and over again. Back in college, I gained a better understanding about the Bangsamoro and their plight. I gained friends who were residents of Mindanao, proud to be so, and longing to see peace in their land. I know they deserve it. Like us, who fight for our basic rights, these people also deserve the most basic right anyone can get – peace.

With the recent momentum in the peace process, I shared their glimmer of hope. That finally, after so many years, peace will come to Mindanao. It was a shock when the masacre happened. It was a shock even more when people reacted so strongly to the point that they wanted to abandon the peace process. I even read some hate messages to simply wipe out the rebels.

It made me wonder: are we still humans? Are we still capable of love? forgiveness? peace? even in the midst of tragedy? Yes, it was a loss. But it was not just a loss on the military (or police’s) side. There was also lost in the MILF side. There were civilan casualties as well. But as a friend from Mindanao put it, why would the media care? Why would people care? The Fallen 44 were the glorious heroes. The fallen MILF were the bad guys. The fallen civilians were the extras.

War is a lose-lose situation. Each side will suffer. One side may win but at the expense of what? The best course is to really forge peace. Peace is a noble thing to aspire for. It will not come without a cost; without challenges. But we must hold on. We must desire it and fight for it to not deterioate.

What can we do? We can do the most powerful thing we can. PRAY. Pray for our leaders. Pray for the people in power who have the ability to move things. Pray that peace really happens this time. Pray for healing in the hearts of those who grieve. Those who are angry. Those who are ignorant. Prayer can do wonders. It is time we do our part.