President Cory succumbs to colon cancer

At 3:18AM on August 1, Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, first woman President of the Philippines, died of cardio-respiratory arrest. The former President was confined a few weeks earlier in the Makati Medical Center due to lost of apetite. President Cory has been battling colon cancer since she was diagnosed in 2008.

Request for prayers for her to get well was aired all around. Filipinos responsed well to the family's requests.

Madam Cory has been the icon of restoring democracy to the Philippines through the world renowned peaceful People Power Revolution in EDSA in 1986. She was elected President of the Philippines in the same year. She took on the fight for freedom, justice and democracy left by her husband, Sen. Benigno Aquino, Jr., who was assasinated in 1983 at the Manila International Airport.

She was instrumental to the drafting of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Aside from being an icon of democracy, she is also a woman of simplicity. She has been praying not only for herself but also for the country.

Though she stepped down to power in 1992, she continued giving support to the Filipinos in her personal capacity.

Many said that she is indeed blessed because of her example of living her life for others.

President Aquino is an example who can be emulated by Filipino leaders --- humble, simple and faithful.

Thank you our dear President Cory. You lived a life to the fullest in service for the Filipino people.

HULING SONA NA NI PGMA?

As the Executive Secretary of the VPAA, I couldn't personally know everything about what's happening every now and then inside and outside the campus. Anyway, thank you very much. Now I know that five (5) has been been confirmed to have A(H1N1) in CLSU. By the way, according to University authorities the 5 students recuperated well. I don't have an update if the cases increased because, obviously, we are all out of the University.

Here are the links to the Inquirer.net given to me by a Commenter (thanks :):

http://services.inquirer.net/mobile/09/07/24/html_output/xmlhtml/20090723-216849-xml.html
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20090724-217023/Pantabangan-town-12-H1N1-cases-Cagayan-1


Anyway, my head, back and shoulders are aching because of the tons of work I brought home to catch up with the deadlines. I have with me the University Code (which I have finished encoding the available resources with me like the BR Nos., reference memos and circulars, and additional inputs coming from the Committee Members. More inputs will come Monday because there are still 3 members of the committees who have to include references in their assigned areas). I also brought with me the Faculty Workload Forms only to find out that I only needed those submitted for this First Semester (that means I have to really go back to CLSU on Friday to get some of the workloads of my dear colleagues). I have updated the Faculty Profile for June 2009 (though the number still lacks around 6 faculty members because we are already 389 so again I really have to check things out come August 3). I still have EDUC 120a plates to correct, assignments to record, tests to make and lessons to be prepared. But I already have a schedule of all these things and I pray that I can finish most of it until July 31.

The long suspension gave me more time to sleep though. I know that it will recharge me to do more tasks come August 3.

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So what's with the State of the Nation Address, the supposed last SONA of PGMA?

Ano nga ba ang meron sa SONA? Naiulat nga ba ng mahal nating pangulo ang tunay na naging kalagayan ng ating bansa isang taon matapos ang kanyang ikawalong ulat? Naintindihan ko naman ang nais na iparating ng ating pangulo. Tunay nga namang tumaas at lumago ang ating ekonomiya. Tama rin ang sinabi niyang naging handa tayo sa "economic turmoils" na gumambala sa buong mundo. Naapektuhan din naman nga tayo ng "global recession" pero hindi ganun kagrabe.

Anu-ano nga ba ang mga buffers na ginawa ng pamahalaan para paghandaan ang global recession. Siguro una na dito yung enhanced VAT na ipinasa sa atin sa tuwing kakain tayo sa McDonald's o Jollibee. Ang balita ko, bilyun-bilyon ang nakokolekta ng pamahalaan mula sa E-VAT. Sa tantiya ko rin, galing din ito sa VAT ng kuryente at langis na wala naman nuon. Sa katanuyan nga ata, tayong mga mamamayan ang pumasan ng mga buffers na ito.

Totoo rin naman yung sinabi niyang skills training and development. Sa katanuyan nga nabigyan ang Provincial Youth Development Council ng Nueva Ecija ng 250 scholarships para sa training ng TESDA sa welding. Bukod pa ito sa daan daan ding scholarships na kasalukuyang ibinibigay din sa iba't ibang lalawigan at lungsod sa Pilipinas.

Ang hindi ko lang mapaniwalaan eh kung tunay ngang nakapag-generate ang ating pamahalaan ng halos 1 milyong trabaho taun-taon kung ang karamihan sa mga taong kilala ko ay walang makitang trabaho. Nagtataka din naman ako kung saan na napunta ang mahigit sa 7% na GDP growth natin, na sa hinuha ko ay mga mayayaman lang ang nakaramdam.

Ang nakakatuwa pa, sinabi niya last year na 50 sentimos na lang ang text messages pero sa totoo lang pag nagbayad ako ng bill ng telepono P1 pa rin kada text messages. Ewan ko ba kung gaano nga ba katotoo ang sinabi ng ating pangulo. Biruin mo almost 1B text messages ang pinapadala natin sa isa't isa sa loob ng isang araw, i-multiply mo ito sa Piso. Magkano ang naiipon ng mga TELCO's sa sa loob ng isang araw. At take note sabi pa nila nalulugi sila. Kaya siguro nila tayo pinaadalhan ng mga downloads at info messages na minsan eh 2.50 ang halaga para makabawi sila. Ewan ba. Pag yumaman ako magtatayo ako ng TELECOM company at ang text message ay 25 sentimos.

Mukha nga dumami ang naisaayos na mga kalsada, kasi nung mga nakakaraang buwan eh matraffic sa pagpunta ko ng CLSU dahil inaasalpato ang mga kalsada. Nakakatuwa nga kasi binabagbag ng mga kontraktor yung matino pang kalsada pero yung mga talagang may sira at lubak ay tinabunan lang nila. Anak ng "improved infrastructure projects na yan." At ngayong ngang maulan, ayun sira-sira nanaman yung mga kalsada. Malamang sa milyon nanaman ang gagastusin nila dito.

Sabi niya nag-hire daw siya ng 60,000 na mga guro. Siguro nga totoo kasi yung kaibigan ko nagkaroon ng item. Pero sabi ko nga rin, nasan na napunta yung 60,000 mukhang mula year 2001 hanggang ngayon yung datang 60,000.

Natuwa rin naman kami dahil naipasa ang salary standardization law o yung SSL3. Yun nga lang makukumpleto lang ang umento o dagdag sahod na P6,500.00 sa 2012. At alam niyo ba na sa September pa mae-enjoy ng mga public school teachers yung almost P1,500.00 sa additional nila for this year. Wala daw kasing guidelines. Pero ayun binanggit na ni PGMA kahit di pa naman ganap na nangyayari. Magaling din naman si GMA dahil biruin mo after 9 years na nakaupo siya ngayon lang niya naisip na magtaas ng sweldo gayong sabi niya e lumago ang ekonomiya. Sana yun ding mga teachers sa private school na kasing hirap din ng trabaho ng mga public school teachers eh tumaas din from 6,000 to 7,000 pesos to at least mga 12,000 naman. Kumusta naman ang future ng mga teachers di ba?

Pero sa totoo lang si PGMA lang ang pangulong konsistent sa pagpapataas ng sweldo ng mga government employees. Para na rin daw mabawasan ang mga ungas na nangungurakot.

Nabingi rin ako habang nanunuod ng SONA. Kasi bawat pangungusap na ata eh pinalakpakan ng mga kongresistang binoto natin. Minsan nga kahit di dapat palakpakan eh pinapalakpakan nila. Nakakatuwa talaga ang tapang ng ating pangulo. Totoo ngang she is small but terrible. Pinatunayan niya talagang mataray siya.

Marami siyang nabanggit tungkol sa bayan. Meron siyang ordinaryog mga taong pinakita na natulungan ng pamahalaan. Hopefully, mas marami pang mamamayan, lalo na yung mga mahihirap na matuunan ng pansin nga pamahalaan.

Pero in the end mas pinakita niya ang state of mind niya kesa sa state of the nation dahil mas marami pa siyang sagot sa batikos sa kanya kesa sa mga ginagawa ng pamahalaan para sa atin.

Hanggang dito na lang muna.... may susunod pa... hehehehe

QUOTABLES

Correct and constant practice makes you an expert.

Ang kabataan ay maasahan ng bayan.

...OF LOOSING AND WINNING

I would just like to share some thoughts about lossing and winning.

I have won contests (not always a champion but at least a placer) and lost some (judges do not like my performance or I have failed to comply with the guidelines).

I have won elections (3rd year high school, 1st year college, 3rd year college) and lost some (tie breaker elections when I was in 4th year high school and more than a hundred votes as CEDSC President).

Life is not just about winning (though I'm happier when I win) but its also about lossing. The good thing here is I know how it feels when I experience either of the two.

People might say many things about the way you've done things but it is only you who knows whether they are saying the truth or not.

We can never please everybody but we can please as many people as we want. All people might not see the better things that happened around but many felt it.

As God says, what is important is doing what He commanded us to do. If we have accomplished things not violating God's rules then we have done the right thing.

I was taught by my parents that I should not step on other people's rights. As long as I'm not violating any of your rights then I am doing fine.

Again God said, whoever have not sinned cast the stone first. A person can throw a stone upon you if he/ she believed she has not sinned. Well, in reality, some would just like to throw stones upon you even if they themselves are the ultimate sinners.

I so love what Ma'am Jen told Jessa a few weeks ago (though not as accurate as I can remember). Huwag tayong mamumukol lalong lalo na kung wala tayong alam tungkol sa mga nangyayari. Ang hinahanap kasi ng marami ay perfektong lider, pero wala namang nabubuhay na perfektong lider. At wala rin naman ni isa sa atin ang perfekto.

I'm just so sad that some people are so engrossed with themselves that they loved bullying others. What is more disappointing is that the people who would want to reform something are the violators themselves!!! That is what I hate in politics. As what I always say in QVNEYM's meetings, "Magbantay na lang tayo."

Leaders must be Idealists but Sincere. Leaders must have a high degree of Integrity --- someone who can be trusted even with small things. Leaders are Models --- they can be looked upon by their followers. Leaders must always be thirsty of knowledge and are humble. Leaders must be like Jesus Christ --- the absolute example of perfection.

I am a sore losser, as some of you might think, but hey, I learned a lot from lossing. I believed that I moved on and hurdled it all.

And the reality is, the people around you are the lossers if that is how they think of you, unless you are one of them.