The majority of the time when people say or think of the word “addiction,” people either think of drugs, gambling, or sex; however, a wave of new addictions is rising in today’s society. The debate continues as to whether or not these new age addictions are just overindulgence, true clinical addiction, or mere obsessive habits. However, some of the new addictions that are rising in today’s society include addictions to cell phones, internet, and video games.
Cell Phone Addiction
There are a couple of issues here:
1) The average users (regardless of age, gender, education, etc.) and their increasing dependence on cell phones
2) Emotional dependence on staying connected at all times.
3) Gadget lust, consumerism and materialism (craving to have the latest and greatest phone)
Looking at the big picture we’ve all heard and read various rants about cell phones by now. Some people use them in inappropriately. And all the while, we continue to use the devices ourselves, and increasingly notice our own dependence on the infernal things. On any given day a person can walk down the street and see the majority of adults and teenagers on their cell phone. Many people say they could not exist without their cell phone. What would people, especially teenagers, do without their cell phones?
I’ve noticed this tendency towards cell phone dependence myself, and I’ve discussed the experience with others. There are plenty of other people out there (who are not recovering drug addicts necessarily) who have noticed this dependence in their own lives as well. And I’m not necessarily saying that it is such a bad thing, not for sure anyway. Technology can empower our lives, bring us together, and all that jazz. But the level of dependence, in the case of the cell phone, is a bit disturbing. Certainly there is the potential to move from cell phone dependence to full blown cell phone addiction. How would you know when you’ve crossed the line?
1.You’ve spent more on accessories than on your phone.
2.You have different apps installed. And use them all.
3.You have alarms telling you when to do everything in your life.
4.You read about your phone on your phone.
5.You’ve cut back on necessities to afford your monthly cell phone bill.
6.A full battery charge barely lasts the day.
7.You broke it, and it feels like you lost a friend.
8.When you meet people with the same phone, you can only talk about the phone.
9.You feel a brief moment of panic when you touch your pocket (or grope to the bottom of your purse) and it’s gone.
10.You use it in the bathroom.
Internet Addiction
Some psychological conditions such as depression or obsessive compulsive disorder encompass other symptoms, such as internet addiction. Whether excessive internet use or internet addiction is part of a bigger mental health issue or is in its own category of psychological disorder is still being determined.
Who is most likely to struggle with internet addictions? Singles and young people are most likely to be addicted to the internet, perhaps because singles have more free time at home and young people are more comfortable with daily computer use, because they grew up with it. Even more specifically, single college-educated men in their 30's are most likely to spend over 30 hours a week on non-essential computer use, which could lead to internet addiction. Even if some of this time is spent on creating and building internet relationships -- it may be unhealthy.
As with any addiction, an internet addiction can be a serious problem. Pay attention to the signs of internet addiction, because it can overtake your life.
1.You check your email every five minutes, and spend more time in chat rooms than chatting in your living room with friends and family.
2.Your relationships suffer because of your internet use. Weak relationships are a sign of internet addiction.
3.Your family and friends complain about your computer use (a sure sign of internet addiction is friends complaining).
4.You hide the amount of time you spend on the internet. This is a strong sign of internet addiction.
5.You hide the websites you surf. Secrecy is a sign of internet addiction.
6.You use your computer to escape problems or avoid reality (this could be a huge sign of an internet addiction or other psychological disorders)
7.You have a hard time staying off the computer for a day or two.
8.You feel preoccupied by the internet when you’re not online. This is a sign of internet addiction.
Video and Computer Game Addiction
There are so many children, teenagers, and adults that come in from school or work and the first thing they do is get on video or computer games and stay playing games for many hours. Some children never go outside, which does not promote social, communication, or learning skills that are much needed. Additionally, if a child or teenager sits in front of a game all day and night, there is no physical activity involved, which can lead to obesity and other health problems. Gamers who played excessive hours were more likely to have trouble paying attention in school, poorer grades and more health problems than those who played fewer hours
Here are some symptoms or signs of video game addiction as well as computer game addiction to help determine if your children are addicted to video games, or if you and/or your boyfriend, husband, girlfriend or wife are video game addicts.
For Children:
1.Most of their “free time”, non-school hours are spent on the computer or playing video games.
2.Fatigue; tendency to fall asleep in school.
3.Not keeping up with homework assignments/not turning in homework on time.
4.Worsening grades.
5.Lying about computer or video game use so computer or video game privileges aren’t taken away.
6.Choosing the computer or playing video games rather than spending time with friends or family.
7.Dropping out of activities such as social groups, clubs or sports.
8.Irritable, cranky or agitated (withdrawal symptoms) when not playing a video game or on the computer.
For Adults:
1.Obsession or preoccupation about computer games or playing video games on a video game console excessively
2.Neglecting personal relationships with friends and family to spend more time playing video games
3.Difficulty keeping up with personal or professional responsibilities due to increased hours playing video games. Have you ever “called in sick” to stay home to play your favorite game?
4.Lying to others about computer or video game use. Do you sneak time to play games, perhaps late at night while others are asleep? Has someone close to you, perhaps your significant other, ever criticized you for spending too much time playing video games rather than spending time with them?
5.While not spending time on the internet or playing video games, do you feel angry, agitated, irritable or depressed? Do you experience withdrawal symptoms when not playing video games?
6.Do you spend most of your time thinking or wishing you could be playing your favorite game or surfing the web?
7.Do you become so involved in playing video games that you sometimes neglect to eat, sleep, or bathe?
8.Do you ever experience physical symptoms such as backaches, dry eyes or headaches after playing video games? Have you been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome or experience symptoms of carpal tunnel?
Society is now moving into an era of different types of addictions. It is hard for a person to think of cell phones, internet, or video games as leading to addiction; however, these items are taking over lives and interrupting a valuable item, the family structure. The typical family evening now involves children playing video games, using the computer, or on their cell phones. These items can definitely take over and disrupt a person’s responsibilities or a family’s valuable time.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Social media to play a role in the Aquino administration
El Presidente said that Facebook and Twitter "undoubtedly will help in our communication processes," what with how popular the two are in the
Aquino mentioned that the sites will especially be of help as more and more Filipinos are indulged into social media technologies nowadays and the number are still increasing at a rapid pace. The Department of Finance makes use of social media, in its Facebook and Twitter accounts in monitoring and catching smugglers and tax evaders. "We will have all of these eyewitnesses and people who can give us leads on all of these activities that should be stopped.”
And you thought that our own justice system is too old and outdated mature and formal to join the social-networking scene? Think again, folks, as the
The Supreme Court's Facebook page, which was only created about a month ago, is being updated with the highest judicial body's most recent decisions and proclamations. What's more, you can check out some of the profiles of the Justices there.
And while Aquino won't be handling any of the social-networking accounts and will instead have hired guns, so to speak, to fire up the government's advocacies, we're proud. Proud that President Noynoy has recognized the role of social media in nation-building.
In a country where a lot of businesses still look at social networking as time wasters, no less than the Chief himself has delivered home the point that companies should re-assess their beliefs.
Currently Aquino’s Facebook fanpage has over 1.6 million fans, while he has over 90,000 followers on Twitter. His Twitter account is also among the first accounts in the
Torta: The star of Boholano Fiesta
Celebrating fiesta is part of Boholano culture. Boholanos are fun-loving, generous and deeply religious. These traits push them to celebrate and yearly honor saints in towns and barangays of the province. Celebrations are highly structured that includes the preparation of luscious food to entertain visitors.
May has been hailed as the “Fiesta Month” as most of the feast days in the province of Bohol fall on May. Visitors can enjoy the month long revelry by hopping from town to town and to the barangays. Everybody is welcome. There is no need for invitations. Feast days are likewise a time for family reunions. Boholanos from all parts of the world come home to attend the feast day and the reunions. If circumstances beyond their control deter their coming home, they will send monetary support to their families in order for them to be able to celebrate the fiesta in style.
No Boholano can escape from the fiesta fever. For the rich, expect them to include in their preparations a cow and goat and the forever present “lechon” or roasted pig and all those mouth-watering desserts.
Desserts perse, torta outshines them all. Depending on which part of the Philippines you are from, torta can mean one of three things. If you’re from Bukidnon, it can mean an ensaymada-like bread. People from Manila regard torta as a dinner roll made with lard, while in Bohol, a torta is a large, sweet cake, sometimes anise-flavored.
A few fiestas ago, I chanced upon a friend hawking her specialty, tortas, she called them. They resembled large ensaymadas cradled in parchment paper. Yellow and dense, they had a tight crumb which would proceed to crumble once bitten into or pierced with a fork. They had an old-fashioned taste to them, similar to the flavor acquired through baking in a clay oven. The torta was also very rich and since it was late night, it’d pair quite well with a mug of tsokolate.
From what I’ve learned about this torta, it’s native to Cebu and Bohol, its distinctive ingredient being tuba (too-BAH), a coconut wine/stem sap. The tuba’s primary purpose is to leaven the cake, and add its characteristic flavor. While modern-day advances and lifestyles dictate baking powder or some other faster-acting leavener, the tuba is traditional, even though it takes seven to eight hours for it to do its work.
Other ingredients used in the making of a torta are flour, egg yolks, sugar, and milk. Lard is also a key component, guaranteeing moistness and shelf life. I’ve also heard of tortas that have raisins added to them as well as anise seeds for fragrance and textural contrast. The use of a clay or wood-fired oven is preferred over the conventional oven.
When in Bohol for the monthlong celebrations, we praise God and and honor St. Joseph as devout catholics, we dance to the beat of Sandugo and other festivals. But there is another thing that unites Boholanos, celebrations can never be complete without a taste of torta, the star of of Boholano fiesta.
I fondly remember a trip to Bohol with my friends three years ago. While returning from one of our day trips, we passed by the most amazing smell. We asked the driver to make a u-turn and entered the house/makeshift bakery, and we saw rows and rows of torta!
Unfortunately, she wouldn’t sell it to us. Apparently, they were pre-ordered.(I was desperately craving to rememeber, I just know we couldn’t eat it!). She ended up just selling us ONE torta (the only one she can spare), which was quickly devoured by fifteen hungry mouths. Such a sweet memory of Bohol
May has been hailed as the “Fiesta Month” as most of the feast days in the province of Bohol fall on May. Visitors can enjoy the month long revelry by hopping from town to town and to the barangays. Everybody is welcome. There is no need for invitations. Feast days are likewise a time for family reunions. Boholanos from all parts of the world come home to attend the feast day and the reunions. If circumstances beyond their control deter their coming home, they will send monetary support to their families in order for them to be able to celebrate the fiesta in style.
No Boholano can escape from the fiesta fever. For the rich, expect them to include in their preparations a cow and goat and the forever present “lechon” or roasted pig and all those mouth-watering desserts.
Desserts perse, torta outshines them all. Depending on which part of the Philippines you are from, torta can mean one of three things. If you’re from Bukidnon, it can mean an ensaymada-like bread. People from Manila regard torta as a dinner roll made with lard, while in Bohol, a torta is a large, sweet cake, sometimes anise-flavored.
A few fiestas ago, I chanced upon a friend hawking her specialty, tortas, she called them. They resembled large ensaymadas cradled in parchment paper. Yellow and dense, they had a tight crumb which would proceed to crumble once bitten into or pierced with a fork. They had an old-fashioned taste to them, similar to the flavor acquired through baking in a clay oven. The torta was also very rich and since it was late night, it’d pair quite well with a mug of tsokolate.
From what I’ve learned about this torta, it’s native to Cebu and Bohol, its distinctive ingredient being tuba (too-BAH), a coconut wine/stem sap. The tuba’s primary purpose is to leaven the cake, and add its characteristic flavor. While modern-day advances and lifestyles dictate baking powder or some other faster-acting leavener, the tuba is traditional, even though it takes seven to eight hours for it to do its work.
Other ingredients used in the making of a torta are flour, egg yolks, sugar, and milk. Lard is also a key component, guaranteeing moistness and shelf life. I’ve also heard of tortas that have raisins added to them as well as anise seeds for fragrance and textural contrast. The use of a clay or wood-fired oven is preferred over the conventional oven.
When in Bohol for the monthlong celebrations, we praise God and and honor St. Joseph as devout catholics, we dance to the beat of Sandugo and other festivals. But there is another thing that unites Boholanos, celebrations can never be complete without a taste of torta, the star of of Boholano fiesta.
I fondly remember a trip to Bohol with my friends three years ago. While returning from one of our day trips, we passed by the most amazing smell. We asked the driver to make a u-turn and entered the house/makeshift bakery, and we saw rows and rows of torta!
Unfortunately, she wouldn’t sell it to us. Apparently, they were pre-ordered.(I was desperately craving to rememeber, I just know we couldn’t eat it!). She ended up just selling us ONE torta (the only one she can spare), which was quickly devoured by fifteen hungry mouths. Such a sweet memory of Bohol
Tips: Choosing your Wedding Motif
One of the most important decisions that you will have to make about your wedding is the motif. The symbol or theme that you choose will serve as the base that your entire wedding design is built upon. There are many symbols that are popular, but why not think beyond what is typical, and choose a more creative source for your wedding motif?
There is always that feeling of joy and anticipation in choosing a wedding motif. The theme you pick might just be the element that can help determine other decisions you have to make on your special day. The flowers, favors, food, music, venue, cake, gown, gifts, and everything else can depend on your overall wedding theme; and will make choosing a whole lot easier for you.
Your wedding motif should be something that has some meaning or significance in your life. Ideally, it will be equally special to both the bride and the groom, but not always. You can look to your hobbies, your heritage, and your shared interests as potential sources for the perfect motif for your wedding.
Many brides and grooms share love of a wonderful pet. If you have a dog or a cat that is like a part of your family, there are certainly some fun ways to use them as inspiration. You do not even have to have the pet present at your wedding, if it is not what you have in mind. For instance, at my best friend's wedding, the postage stamps were custom made featuring a photo of the couple's beloved Irish Wolfhound. Another idea would be to have your invitations lined with a customized paper with the silhouette of your furry friend.
Symbols can also be subtle. One trend is to use your astrological sign in the wedding planning. Each sign has a symbol, known as a glyph, that represents it, and most are attractive yet not particularly overt. The symbols for the bride and groom can be used together on everything from souvenir items to wedding programs to venue designs and decorations.
Perhaps you are looking less for a definite symbol and more for a unifying design element for your wedding. Many brides find inspiration in their bridal jewelry. If classic pearl bridal jewelry is your style, then ask your baker to create an all-white wedding cake trimmed with frosting "pearls" at the edge of each tier. More into the sparkle? Then have your florist add crystals to your bouquet and order a crystal monogram to decorate the top of your cake.
Choosing the motif to serve all these doesn’t need to be excessive or intricate. You only need to be a little creative and spontaneous. You may as well consider these tips from Blissful Wedding Philippines.
1. Consider cultural value. For Boholanos with rich and colorful history, look for pieces and colors that can be brought up to fit your wedding theme.
2. Pick a period. Just decide between past, present, or future. Periods in the past may include medieval, Victorian, or even the Stone Age, if you wish. Futuristic themes may involve the use of a lot of lights and metals. As for the present, just stick with what you’ve got. To avoid making the whole festivity seem like a carnival, arrange the items in accents and avoid exaggeration.
3. Decide a venue. This can be the one determining factor that makes your wedding unique. You can choose from the chocolate hills, white sand beaches, or a garden. Just be sure that it matches the culture and period you chose to create an enthralling aura.
4. Choose a personality. This is best selected with your partner. Think of activities and traits that both of you are compatible and find memorable. You may also consider places where you first met or got engaged. You may choose a fairy tale theme, diving adventure, or an animal-filled environment. Your wedding guests are more likely to get interested with the idea behind the theme and drool over your love story. The idea here is not formality, but sentimentality.
5. Pick a season. Choose a season to help you decide on the colors that you’re going to use in your overall theme. Summer would be best represented by earth or golden tones. Wet season provides a more classy and elegant appearance in white or silvery blue with its shades of green and lots of flowers and happy tunes.
6. Pick a time. Decide whether you want to hold the affair at dawn, in the morning, noon, afternoon, or late in the evening. This will further provide your wedding celebration with the final touch it needs to set it in a more romantic and fun-filled mood. Some colors and themes work best in the evening, so choose those that best amplify the other details you previously selected.
Let your creative side be open, and you will find that there are all sorts of symbols and motifs that you can use to personalize your wedding. The fun part will be picking your favorite one. When you have the perfect motif, the rest of the wedding planning will seem to fall into place.
Picking the perfect motif for your wedding should be fun. It can also be a good activity for you and your partner. Wedding guests are most entertained and delighted to share with you the joy of your wedding day in the most heartwarming and comfortable atmosphere.
The Motherless Generation - Philippines
It’s a Sunday. It’s a family day. But not with Roldan, a bachelor now living alone at Mother Earth Subdivision, Las Piñas City, Philippines.
My cousin grew with us in our little town in Northern Mindanao. I have three siblings and Roldan is an illegitimate child. He was seven when her mother left him with us to find better-paying job in the middle east. We were of the same age and I was a living witness of his childhood days and early adolescence. He has the materials in his name and possession that kids envy but I know, something kept him from being Mr. Happy.
An article from TIME magazine, The Motherless Generation motivated me to share my learning experience to paper.
“In recent years, the Philippines has faced an unprecedented exodus. Though millions of men have come and gone to work overseas over the past century, the world’s ever increasing demand for female labor like caregiving and domestic service has swung open the exit door for the nation’s women”, Krista Malur said. Government statistics show about 10 million Filipinos are OFWs. Thousands of workers leave everyday and half of the new hires are women, flying off to earn salaries that are legging the country. Without remittances, our economy will instantly collapse. The whole country knows it.
What people don't know is what the Philippines will look like when the millions of children these workers are leaving behind grow up. The government rightly applauds "Overseas Filipino Workers," or OFWs as they are commonly called in the country, as heroes for the sacrifices they make for their families. But while children whose mothers are nurses in Canada or housekeepers in Hong Kong often go to good private schools and have MP3 players, there is a growing sentiment that trading global dollars for a generation raised on cell-phone minutes is a raw deal.
Many parents go abroad hoping to finance a better future for their children. The country's public schools are overcrowded and underfunded, and that's not likely to change anytime soon. The Philippines' young population is on track to double between 2000 and 2030, sending tens of millions more into the workforce. With some 30% of the population stuck in poverty and 7.4% without jobs despite the nation's steady economic growth, Filipinos see few opportunities at home.
The notion that being able to feed your family means leaving the Philippines is a message kids are quick to internalize. Roldan, who never knew his father and whose mother has been working overseas since he was seven, already planned his career overseas. "I'm going to work hard so my mother can come home," my coz said.
Ending this cycle of emigration won't be easy. Nimfa Bernaldez, my mother’s sister who works as Chef in Riyadh, says part of the problem is that most children of migrant workers "do not have the slightest idea of the difficult situations their parents face." More and more women are leaving to work in private homes as domestic helpers, a job that can mean putting up with long hours and cramped living quarters — and, all too often, abusive employers. But few of the grim details get shared in the regular phone calls parents make home to their kids. Through workshops like "Scrubbing Toilets is Never Fun," Auntie Nimfa tries to urge kids like Roldan to reconsider following in their parents' difficult footsteps.
Family values
Children with homes to call their own are also struggling. According to a new UNICEF study, Filipino teenagers with one or both parents abroad, though they do better in school and have more allowance money, said they felt they were worse off — particularly when it came to their future — than peers with both parents living at home. Past studies have also shown that children with mothers abroad report feeling less happy than those with fathers abroad. "One parent can do a good job, but that doesn't happen a lot," a DSWD Secretary once said. "The social cost is great." But no government data exists for tracking the social progress of migrants' children, and that, social workers say, is a problem when millions of kids are thought to be at high risk for early pregnancy, incest, drug abuse and depression. Bohol police, for instance particularly in Talibon, say that children with parents overseas are more exposed to violent crime, particularly rape and physical assault. "There are no parents watching," says Talibon Police Officer Rey Aradaza.
Even when parents return, the sting of abandonment can linger. There was a time I visited my cousin. In a dimly lit living room in suburban Las Piñas, I watched him bolt past and drove his XRM. He was a good kid. He did well in school. “But, I feel uncomfortable around him”, my aunt would say. “Now, sometimes when we argue, he'll say, ‘Who are you to tell me what to do?' Having spent all those years away from him and even if we were financially well, it's not enough.”
No End in Sight
Officially, the Philippines knows it can't sustain having 10% of its population gone for decades at a time, particularly when a worldwide economic recession means fewer jobs overseas and smaller remittance checks sent home. In as far as I know that “by law, the government isn't allowed to promote overseas employment.” But the Department of Labor does arrange state-to-state labor contracts that send workers abroad and openly encourages private-sector recruitment for overseas jobs. Evidence of its success, in the form of advertisements for short-term English courses, schools with TESDA courses and recruitment centers, is plastered across buildings and billboards in urban centers nationwide. It's a global phenomenon, we have to accept it.
The Department of Labor and Employment's Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration (OWWA) runs programs to support its globetrotting workforce including mandatory predeparture orientations, free life insurance, a voluntary savings plan and, when workers return, family counseling, free job training and access to scholarships and loans. Migrant workers are also required to buy national health insurance, which extends to their families. But as more and more women leave, I think the government needs to step up its efforts to develop programs that specifically address the needs of workers' kids. Another way to help families is to dam the flood of migration by giving workers a reason to stay home. I remembered the jobs created the Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and how the activists and labor organizations argue that many of those were part-time or low-paying- hardly an enticement to keep Filipinos from seeking their fortunes overseas. We want people to go abroad to work as a choice — not as something they have to do.
I remembered my experience way back 2003 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, not to mention our flight to Singapore was cancelled at the peak of SARS, a crowd is milling in front of the overseas-worker processing office. Dozens of families — some red-eyed, others laughing — hang around, trying to draw out their last moments together. "This is normal," says Marilou Lozanta, who has just parted with her children again. "Everybody is hugging, crying - sad." On the tarmac, planes are ready to scatter families to Dubai, to London, to Rome, to Hong Kong. Women sit in window seats, bracing themselves for another year, or another three years or don’t know how long. As night falls, they watched metropolis spread out beneath them. The lights of their houses are on, but the lights of their homes are already gone.
Greetings to all fathers especially to Papa Roger and my siblings Kuya Ramil and Kuya Junjun.
"My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it."
-- Abraham Lincoln
My cousin grew with us in our little town in Northern Mindanao. I have three siblings and Roldan is an illegitimate child. He was seven when her mother left him with us to find better-paying job in the middle east. We were of the same age and I was a living witness of his childhood days and early adolescence. He has the materials in his name and possession that kids envy but I know, something kept him from being Mr. Happy.
An article from TIME magazine, The Motherless Generation motivated me to share my learning experience to paper.
“In recent years, the Philippines has faced an unprecedented exodus. Though millions of men have come and gone to work overseas over the past century, the world’s ever increasing demand for female labor like caregiving and domestic service has swung open the exit door for the nation’s women”, Krista Malur said. Government statistics show about 10 million Filipinos are OFWs. Thousands of workers leave everyday and half of the new hires are women, flying off to earn salaries that are legging the country. Without remittances, our economy will instantly collapse. The whole country knows it.
What people don't know is what the Philippines will look like when the millions of children these workers are leaving behind grow up. The government rightly applauds "Overseas Filipino Workers," or OFWs as they are commonly called in the country, as heroes for the sacrifices they make for their families. But while children whose mothers are nurses in Canada or housekeepers in Hong Kong often go to good private schools and have MP3 players, there is a growing sentiment that trading global dollars for a generation raised on cell-phone minutes is a raw deal.
Many parents go abroad hoping to finance a better future for their children. The country's public schools are overcrowded and underfunded, and that's not likely to change anytime soon. The Philippines' young population is on track to double between 2000 and 2030, sending tens of millions more into the workforce. With some 30% of the population stuck in poverty and 7.4% without jobs despite the nation's steady economic growth, Filipinos see few opportunities at home.
The notion that being able to feed your family means leaving the Philippines is a message kids are quick to internalize. Roldan, who never knew his father and whose mother has been working overseas since he was seven, already planned his career overseas. "I'm going to work hard so my mother can come home," my coz said.
Ending this cycle of emigration won't be easy. Nimfa Bernaldez, my mother’s sister who works as Chef in Riyadh, says part of the problem is that most children of migrant workers "do not have the slightest idea of the difficult situations their parents face." More and more women are leaving to work in private homes as domestic helpers, a job that can mean putting up with long hours and cramped living quarters — and, all too often, abusive employers. But few of the grim details get shared in the regular phone calls parents make home to their kids. Through workshops like "Scrubbing Toilets is Never Fun," Auntie Nimfa tries to urge kids like Roldan to reconsider following in their parents' difficult footsteps.
Family values
Children with homes to call their own are also struggling. According to a new UNICEF study, Filipino teenagers with one or both parents abroad, though they do better in school and have more allowance money, said they felt they were worse off — particularly when it came to their future — than peers with both parents living at home. Past studies have also shown that children with mothers abroad report feeling less happy than those with fathers abroad. "One parent can do a good job, but that doesn't happen a lot," a DSWD Secretary once said. "The social cost is great." But no government data exists for tracking the social progress of migrants' children, and that, social workers say, is a problem when millions of kids are thought to be at high risk for early pregnancy, incest, drug abuse and depression. Bohol police, for instance particularly in Talibon, say that children with parents overseas are more exposed to violent crime, particularly rape and physical assault. "There are no parents watching," says Talibon Police Officer Rey Aradaza.
Even when parents return, the sting of abandonment can linger. There was a time I visited my cousin. In a dimly lit living room in suburban Las Piñas, I watched him bolt past and drove his XRM. He was a good kid. He did well in school. “But, I feel uncomfortable around him”, my aunt would say. “Now, sometimes when we argue, he'll say, ‘Who are you to tell me what to do?' Having spent all those years away from him and even if we were financially well, it's not enough.”
No End in Sight
Officially, the Philippines knows it can't sustain having 10% of its population gone for decades at a time, particularly when a worldwide economic recession means fewer jobs overseas and smaller remittance checks sent home. In as far as I know that “by law, the government isn't allowed to promote overseas employment.” But the Department of Labor does arrange state-to-state labor contracts that send workers abroad and openly encourages private-sector recruitment for overseas jobs. Evidence of its success, in the form of advertisements for short-term English courses, schools with TESDA courses and recruitment centers, is plastered across buildings and billboards in urban centers nationwide. It's a global phenomenon, we have to accept it.
The Department of Labor and Employment's Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration (OWWA) runs programs to support its globetrotting workforce including mandatory predeparture orientations, free life insurance, a voluntary savings plan and, when workers return, family counseling, free job training and access to scholarships and loans. Migrant workers are also required to buy national health insurance, which extends to their families. But as more and more women leave, I think the government needs to step up its efforts to develop programs that specifically address the needs of workers' kids. Another way to help families is to dam the flood of migration by giving workers a reason to stay home. I remembered the jobs created the Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and how the activists and labor organizations argue that many of those were part-time or low-paying- hardly an enticement to keep Filipinos from seeking their fortunes overseas. We want people to go abroad to work as a choice — not as something they have to do.
I remembered my experience way back 2003 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, not to mention our flight to Singapore was cancelled at the peak of SARS, a crowd is milling in front of the overseas-worker processing office. Dozens of families — some red-eyed, others laughing — hang around, trying to draw out their last moments together. "This is normal," says Marilou Lozanta, who has just parted with her children again. "Everybody is hugging, crying - sad." On the tarmac, planes are ready to scatter families to Dubai, to London, to Rome, to Hong Kong. Women sit in window seats, bracing themselves for another year, or another three years or don’t know how long. As night falls, they watched metropolis spread out beneath them. The lights of their houses are on, but the lights of their homes are already gone.
Greetings to all fathers especially to Papa Roger and my siblings Kuya Ramil and Kuya Junjun.
"My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it."
-- Abraham Lincoln
Social Media Revolution: Is it a Fad?
Is social media a fad?
- Studies show that Social Media has overtaken porn as the #1 activity on the Web.
- 1 out of 8 couples married in the
- Number of years to reach 50 million users: radio, 38 years; TV, 13 years; Internet, 4 years; iPOD, 3 years. iPOD application downloads hit 1 billion in 9 months; Facebook – added 100 million users in less than 9 months. The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55-65 year-old females. More than 1.5 million pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc) are shared on Facebook, daily. If facebook were a country it would be the world’s 4th largest.
- 2009
- 80% of Twitter usage is on mobile devices, people update anytime, anywhere
- YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world with more than 100 million videos
- Wikipedia, hawaiian term for Quick, has over 13 million articles. Studies show it’s more accurate than Encyclopedia Briatannica. 78% of these articles are non-English. If you were paid $1 for every timem an article was posted on Wikipedia you would earn $156.23 per hour.
- There are over 200 milliom blogs 54% of bloggers post content or tweet daily
- 70% of 18 to 34 year-olds have watched TV on the Web
- 24 of the 25 largest newspapers are experiencing record declines in circulation. We no longer search for the news, the news finds us…in the near future we will no longer search for products and services, they will find us via social media.
Still think social media is a fad? Social media isn’t a fad, it’s simply a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.
Lessons learned from 2010 Philippine Elections
THE OUTCOME OF THE MAY 10 ELECTIONS is the triumph of Filipinos who value honesty, integrity, truth, justice, freedom and democracy. And in the light of the poll results, there are valuable lessons that can be learned. Some of them are:
• Of all virtues, moral integrity is of primary consideration; it is the attribute that the electorate is looking for among the aspirants.
• The use of “expensive celebrity endorsers” can backfire, especially if the candidate claims and proclaims himself to be pro-poor.
• It doesn’t pay to flaunt one’s vast financial resources by airing an excessive number of radio and TV commercials and publishing too many advertisements in magazines and newspapers.
• A candidate should never, ever, betray the people’s trust by evading questions begging for clear and straightforward answers.
• A candidate who had been leading in surveys and mock polls must never be overconfident and complacent as his or her political opponents might spring a surprise. Remember: the “battle” is not over until it is over.
• Keep the discussion of issues at a high and dignified level. A candidate should not engage in mudslinging. This can boomerang, with the object of personal attacks gaining the public sympathy instead.
• A candidate should never resort to buying votes even as a “last resort” to winning.
• Focus on the most timely and relevant election issues. In the May 10 polls, corruption was the top issue because the Arroyo administration is widely perceived to be graft-ridden.
Congratulations and best wishes to all the other winners. May they succeed in serving our country and the Filipino people well.
• Of all virtues, moral integrity is of primary consideration; it is the attribute that the electorate is looking for among the aspirants.
• The use of “expensive celebrity endorsers” can backfire, especially if the candidate claims and proclaims himself to be pro-poor.
• It doesn’t pay to flaunt one’s vast financial resources by airing an excessive number of radio and TV commercials and publishing too many advertisements in magazines and newspapers.
• A candidate should never, ever, betray the people’s trust by evading questions begging for clear and straightforward answers.
• A candidate who had been leading in surveys and mock polls must never be overconfident and complacent as his or her political opponents might spring a surprise. Remember: the “battle” is not over until it is over.
• Keep the discussion of issues at a high and dignified level. A candidate should not engage in mudslinging. This can boomerang, with the object of personal attacks gaining the public sympathy instead.
• A candidate should never resort to buying votes even as a “last resort” to winning.
• Focus on the most timely and relevant election issues. In the May 10 polls, corruption was the top issue because the Arroyo administration is widely perceived to be graft-ridden.
Congratulations and best wishes to all the other winners. May they succeed in serving our country and the Filipino people well.
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