Making sense of common sense

I was watching ANC last night. They had Guido Delgado, the mastermind behind the second "psychiatric report" that allegedly confirmed that presidential candidate Noynoy Aquino sought psychological help in 1979.

I was appalled by this guy. I will not elaborate on the TV interview, but he kept on emphasizing that he was doing it because HE LOVES THIS COUNTRY! Sanamagan. Who doesn't? It's like, if we are campaigning for Noynoy, we don't love this country? This guy is really an idiot! Damn him! It's like - well if you don't vote for Villar and you vote for Noynoy and don't believe that Noynoy has a psychological history then you don't love the Philippines? I didn't see the logic there.

A couple of minutes later, Adel Tamano (whose picture is on this blog), who is running for senator under Villar's banner came on the air to belie the claims of Delgado.

First, it was not true that the NP had allowed Delgado to speak and that they were admonishing Delgado's claims and were disappointed and angry at what Delgado did.

Second, it sent a wrong message home and was destructive to the image of the Nationalista Party.

Finally, which is what caught my attention, was the statement that Atty. Tamano made - that we should rise above all this mudslinging and below the belt tactics and learn to campaign more intelligently. Based on platforms, agenda and what the person is capable of delivering. Not based on hodge-podge hearsays or character assassination or black propaganda.


In the words of Tamano - “To be very honest, I am really so tired. Pinapahirapan nila yung trabaho ko. I joined the NP I was hoping I would be talking about yung vision namin for the country. That’s what I wanted to do as spokesman pero hindi. Instead of doing that I’m on your show now defending this stupid tactic na ginawa ng isang NP supporter namin. Parang nakakahinayang eh. Nakakasama ng loob to tell you the truth.”


My goodness, now there's one guy I'm going to campaign for! For all the irony that the idiots who seem to be throwing tomatoes at the moon and stars, there's one guy who had a more intelligent perspective on what campaigning should be.

In a few days, we all troop to the polls to select the next president of the banana republic. Let's not cast our ballots based on feelings, or vested interests, or conflicts of interest, or what's in it for us, or how much promises these candidates will give. Let's base it on a rational assessment of their credentials.

This will be my last campaign pitch. Whoever you vote for, and I trust we all believe that we love this country, please make sure that you choose not for yourself. You need to give this country a chance. One final chance to show the world that we can be a cut above the rest. Can we just have a little sense for common sense or did we lose that somewhere in our campaigning for whom we want to vote for?

Remember, whoever we vote for, it will be six years. Six years of heaven, purgatory or more hell?

Sino ang baliw?

I don't understand what's all the fuzz about Noynoy Aquino allegedly seeking psychiatric help for depression and melancholia when he was 19 years, then a student at the Ateneo de Manila.

If we are to believe the reports that Noynoy had suffered from depression and melancholia during the time that his father Ninoy was incarcerated during the Marcos regime, and that Noynoy apparently became depressed after each prison visit to his father, and that Noynoy had allegedly sought help for his depression - I think this speaks well of a man who knows how to seek help.

Depression can affect anyone.

When my father passed away, my mom did not take it well. She would have palpitations, headache, symptoms and feeling of suffering from a heart attack, and other somatiform disorders. She underwent various cardiovascular examinations and procedures. She saw the best doctors I knew. There were panic attacks in the middle of the night and I would rush her to the emergency room at least twice a week. After a year, I decided that she should see a psychiatrist.

It was initially a bout of anger. Did I think she was going insane? She would retort that there was nothing wrong with her. She was going to be fine. Then we would all wake up in the middle of night, hear her crying alone, hugging me, then wanting to go to the emergency room. When I explained that sometimes some of the symptoms we feel are actually because the mind is more powerful than the body, she denied that she was losing her mind. To offer reassurance, I said that she was not losing her mind. She was lonely, depressed, and sad. And it was perfectly fine. These things happen. We cannot all have perfect lives. But we need to talk to someone.

And medicines will help us on the path to recovery.

It has been 15 years since Tatay passed away and 13 1/2 years since my mom last saw a psychiatrist. I applaud her for doing the best thing - seeking help.

Only intelligent people seek help when they need to. And there is nothing wrong with someone seeking psychiatric help for various reasons.

It is not only depression with melancholic features that is a psychiatric disorder.

If you go through the whole DSM IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental DIsorders, 4th edition, Text Revision), you may consider that probably 7 out of 10 people fall within these various categories. For example, Conduct Disorder is considered in the textbook. I see kids who fulfill the criteria for this disorder and let the parents know. But of course, the parents will always say they have normal kids and that they don't need to see a shrink even if their son/daughter has "deliberately engaged in fire setting with the intention of causing serious damage". Sure. Fine. Whatever. So why bring the kid to my clinic? "Para pagalitan nyo doctor at sabihin huwag ng uulitin" (So that you can castigate him and tell him not to do it again). Duh??

Addiction to nicotine and alcohol are psychiatric disorders. And so are sleepwalking, male erectile dysfunction, exhibitionism, pedophilia, voyeurism, vaginismus, gender identity disorder, female sexual arousal disorder, anorexia, feeding and eating disorders in infancy and childhood, enuresis, kleptomania, obsessive compulsive personalities, antisocial, maladaptive health behaviors, relational problems with siblings, child abuse and neglect, malingering...and I can actually go on and on and on and on.

So what am I trying to drive at?

First, people who need help, seek help. So what's so wrong with that? Seeing a psychiatrist does not mean that you are crazy. It is this kind of misconception that makes you wonder if these people who spread malicious mischief actually need to see a psychiatrist as well. Delusional with persecutory complexes!

Second is that people who go through traumatic events need to get help. Noynoy was a teenager at the time his father was incarcerated. It was difficult for him and his family to go through such tragic events. During those years, posttraumatic stress syndrome was not even in the DSM classification. Everything was simply lumped under depression. If he did get help, what was so wrong with that?

Thirdly, people who seek help with psychiatrists should not be stereotyped and mislabeled. Some seek help from friends or take drugs so forget their problems. Others seek professional help. You can see how misguided and uneducated regarding this matter the Filipinos are.

Finally, let's call a spade a spade. I have friends who tell me they don't like to vote for Noynoy because they don't like "abno" people. Or that they want some other crazy to become the next president.

I respect who you vote for. It's your vote. It's my right to campaign. And I will campaign intelligently, rationally and give people opinions on my choice. It's your right to campaign too. But stick to the issue. Who do you think will make a good president?

There is always a thin line between sanity and insanity that you and I tread. If you can't be intelligent about deciding on the next president, just roll over and die. This country would be better off without the other "crazies" (baliw) that have no reason for existence at all.

Random act of kindness

"An ice cream vendor was standing in the sweltering heat along the asphalt road, waiting for customers. While he was only 45, the ravages of poverty made him look more like 65. He was wearing slippers and an old pair of jeans on top of a paper thin t-shirt that looked like it had gone through several years of use. It was a stark contrast to have someone like him peddling his wares along an upscale neighborhood. He lazily rang the bell hoping to beckon more buyers.

A young boy, not more than 8 years old came up to the vendor and asked him how much one scoop of ice cream on a cone would cost.

P20, replied the vendor.

The young boy turned around and opened his small purse. He had only a P20 bill.

He asked the vendor, "and how much would a scoop of ice cream cost if it was served in a cup?"

The vendor flashed a grin, and said, "P18 young man."

"Alright, give me one scoop of ice cream", the young boy said.

The young boy gave him the money, the vendor gave him back P2 and the young boy quietly savored the ice cream.

The vendor was tired, and he wanted to move on because it seemed that it would not be a good day...again. He was still ringing the ice cream bell when the young man tapped his shoulder and said that he was done eating. He returned the plastic cup to the vendor and thanked him.

The vendor found it odd that the boy had stayed on to eat the ice cream and oddly returned the cup in the end. But maybe he had no one to play with, as the boy, who seemed to come from a well-to-do family went back to the high fenced gate of his home.

The vendor sighed and put the cup in the side trash of his cart and began to push his ice cream cart. "I guess that would be it for this neighborhood...", he mumbled.

As he was pushing the cart, he heard some clinking on the trash bin. He stopped to pick up the cup that the boy gave him and saw a small piece of paper and P2 coins that read...

"Thank you for the ice cream...this is your tip..."


It's not everyday that we share a random act of kindness.

For some of us, it is not present in our vocabulary. For others, it is an overflowing gesture.

But kindness is not asked for. It is spontaneously given, it is free , it is a gesture of love for neighbor, it is what makes the world a better place to live. Most importantly, it does not require anything in return. It should be paid forward.

I look at kids each day and have watched many of them grow. Believe me when I say that the majority grow into the mirror image of their parents. We mold them into what they become.

The first random act of kindness is never seen in adulthood. It is during childhood that we share our first act of kindness. I guess over the years, how life treats us is how we share our acts of kindness as adults.

I cannot tell you how or whom to share an act of kindness today to. It will always be your call. But this I firmly believe - look at the world through the eyes of a child. Not through your hurts, pains and frustrations. You will never see kindness here.

Look through the eyes of a child. No malice, no reservations, no frustrations, no pain and sorrow. Like a child who easily forgives, we need to let go...so that we can share a random act of kindness each day of our lives.

Ampatuan, Arroyo and Agra

Aside from the fact that these three people have the first letter of the alphabet (A) in common, they also have a common denominator - ass**le.

Ironically, I guess the Filipinos have been in a state of apathy for so long a time that they wouldn't care less about how these three idiots ran the whole justice system in this country.

The banana republic has received so much flak, not only with respect to the issue of graft and corruption, but to the issue on the kind of judicial system we run.

With the way things have been going for this country, it is not really a far-fetched idea that justice in the Philippines, has literally gone to the dogs.

The massacre in Maguindanao, a result of the dynasty-driven thoughts of our politically appointed and elected officials, is the perfect example of justice that has all gone awry in the country.

With Acting Justice Secretary Alberto Agra stepping into the foray and clearing both suspended Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan and Maguindanao Vice Gov. Akmad Ampatuan of complicity in the historical Maguindanao massacre, the public outrage over this decision has become the central topic in media.

Ironically, Agra is in a precarious position. He is both the solicitor general and acting justice secretary. This "dual designation" has been questioned by many lawyers and the Supreme Court has ordered Agra to explain why he "should not be removed as concurrent solicitor general for supposed violation of the law against holding multiple positions in government." Noted is the fact that in the 1987 Administrative Code, the Office of the Solicitor General and the Department of Justice should be "independent" and "autonomous". Obviously, at the rate Agra is deciding on matters, it seems that he is part of the "clean up" team or as Malacanan would call it - "transition team" - when they finally burn all the skeletons in their closet before they dearly depart (hopefully they would).

It is not surprising that Bishop Oscar Cruz has called Agra simply a 'clerk' and that his 'boss' is allegedly behind all of Agra's decision. Of course, Malacanan in the statement of Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza is that "Ms. Arroyo always respects the decision of department secretaries because she considers their own expertise and their own competence on their own field of interest."

And what, pray tell, did Mendoza mean by that? This nincompoop comes up with such a pathetic excuse as this. He is passing the buck back and forth, when we all know that when GMA becomes incensed with decisions of department secretaries not to her liking, she finds a way to replace them, just as she had done with those that do not espouse her kind of thinking, in the past. Somebody should slap Mendoza to keep him awake.

I have a strange feeling that most (if not all), the spokespeople of GMA are always high on drugs. They are incoherent, poorly knowledgeable, and if you put them actually in a corporate environment, these are the kind of people that would be the security guards at the doorstep of your office. They're only good for getting you your cup of coffee for the day. All of GMAs allies should undergo drug testing every week to check what kind of drug they are getting. Dang these people!

The sad part is that as a people, we have become so callused about the events that we refuse to budge from our seats.

A friend once told me that I should not be too vocal about what I feel, especially against the government.

I retorted - what is there to fear? It's not that I'm like Miriam Defensor-Santiago that I would be willing to eat bullets for breakfast. I am just angry at what is going on. And if you don't feel as much anger, at least feel as much pain as the people whose families were buried, all in the name of money and politics.

And that's the problem with this country.

As long as your kids are going to school and no one is hurting them, as long as you're earning relatively well and have a roof over your head, as long as you can afford to have some simple pleasures in life, then it's okay. Other people's problems are not yours.

That's where I disagree.

I wouldn't give a sh*t if GMA read this piece and feels offended. And I guess she wouldn't give a sh*t as well to what I feel.

But you can tell that this is the very reason why there is so much pain among our countrymen. The poor do not get the opportunities as those who have money. Or those who are in power. Corruption and greed is the very reason why this government thrives and why we have so many politicians who kill to stay in power.

And many of us wallow in our own world, not even caring about so much indignation, except being a spectator the the scene. It is not only when such hideous crime occurs in our own backyard are we willing to move. And we expect to get sympathy when once upon a time we refused to give sympathy.

The world is a circle...

When the very figure head of this country allows this kind of travesty, whether that decision is an individual's decision or not, you know that this country is doomed. A good commander-in-chief will always be one who is willing to be the captain of the ship. Steer the ship through a storm. Be accountable. And in the chain of command, be answerable to the sins of all her cabinet members.

The mere fact that Malacanan is giving us the run around and passing the buck back to the sacrificial lamb, just goes to show you the kind of president we have had in the last 9 years.

A few days from now, we will troop to the polls to choose our next president.

It is with fervent happiness that I look forward to see the little rat finally step down from her beloved throne.

It is with fervent desire that I pray that we make the right choice in electing the next president and other public officials who shall help steer this sinking ship in a different direction.

Never in the history of Philippine elections have the people become more involved in the campaign for the next president and other public officials, as this coming May 10, 2010 elections.

As to whom and how we vote will be the final shining moment when we come together as a nation, to save a country, and provide Filipinos hope for a better future.

Changing Lanes

There comes a time in your life when you need to make a difficult decision.

Someone once asked me, if I am happy with my life.

It took me quite some time to figure out the answer to the question.

My mind was playing with deductive reasoning. Is happiness and contentment the same?

Arguably, one can be contented but not necessarily happy. But does being happy mean that it's tantamount to contentment?

There have been several situations where I needed to decide on matter like these.

For many of us, who have done the same thing over and over again, I believe that we probably don't move out of that comfort zone - not because we are happy about it, rather, we are contented with what we have or where we are. So to put it, we refuse to rock the boat.

Work is one example. Career change when one reaches the age of say, 50 is a definite no no. But I know many people who have shifted from one profession to another, in the hope of finding better opportunities for themselves and their families. Doctors who decide to give up their practice to become nurses because of better financial opportunities in a foreign land.

I am a Mathematics major but my career shift to a medical degree and eventually to a subspecialty that probably has no career in a developing country like ours except in the academe was the highlight of my first lane change. When I had the opportunity to join a multinational pharmaceutical company, I was initially nervous. Was it going to be the right choice? What happens if I don't make it in the corporate world? At 48, this probably would have a devastating impact on my life if I failed. After 23 years with the academe, was it the wrong time or was midlife crisis sinking in?

I probably needed to push myself to see what I can do with my life. Contentment was not going to be an issue. I needed to be happy.

I have moved forward and never looked back since my decision to retire with the academe.

I still meet my students, friends, colleagues, and even teachers.

While there are still conversations on my leaving the teaching career and joining the corporate world, I have settled in nicely with this new found challenge.

Found new acquaintances. New colleagues. New friends. And yes, new teachers.

Even in relationships, the concept of changing lanes is applicable. Do we hold on to a relationship because we are contented or because we are truly happy? If we are simply contented because the relationship provides us a security blanket for some reason or another, are we holding on because of this or because the other partner makes you feel special, makes you feel real, makes you feel wanted, makes you feel important as well? Are you real partners in the relationship, or is it a one way street that you're traveling?

Believe me when I say that, the thought of changing lanes is scary. It takes a lot of courage to move from one busy lane to another. A piece of us just dies a little, only to make another part of us better and feel alive.

Just like a highway, you need to go with the flow you have chosen. You cannot keep changing lanes just because you want to go with the tide. You'll end up in circles and eventually get nowhere.

Or always back to square one. And end up being miserable all your life.

Remember, the final destination should take you home - to being happy.

Plagiarism...Amazing!

For someone of the stature of Manny V. Pangilinan, the imbroglio of his "plagiarized" speech delivered at the Ateneo de Manila drew front page attention to the local newspapers. Then it became the talk of the blogsites.

So why MVP? No one ever scrutinized the speeches of GMA. It would be some watered down "pat on her back" sort of speech about how great a job she did. No other speeches actually came close to being dissected line by line as MVPs speech.

I guess it's because MVP is envied at. He has not only become a household name for the rich, the famous and the oligarchs but an icon in the business circle as well.

He has built an empire, with his company owning real estate properties mainly at The Fort, major shares in utilities (PLDT and Meralco), tollways, TV station, hospitals, universities...and the list goes on and on and on.

During the last graduation rites at the Ateneo, he received an honorary doctorate degree from the university, and gave a, well, resounding inspirational speech.

A few days later, what supposedly was a great speech, turned out to have certain portions of it "plagiarized".

The it got posted in Facebook. Then it was all over the news. For some media sectors, it took it to the extreme of deserving an editorial for the controversy.

My hats off, however, to MVP, who apologized sincerely for this dilemma as it was his speechwriters who had written it. Instead of naming the speechwriters, he took the blame. He submitted his letter of resignation as chair of the board of trustees of the Ateneo.

Strangely, the Ateneo board rushed to "put out the smoke". It decided that the Ateneo would reject his resignation. What followed in the days to come was an exchange of mudslinging from those who thought that the resignation should have just been accepted. There was talk that the board rejected the resignation because of the influence and "charitable" coffers of Mr. MVP. Most of the students and faculty at the Ateneo were being ridiculed at the board's decision. But understandably, the prestige of having MVP at the helm of the Ateneo would be lost if MVP would not be chair any longer.

Former Ateneo basketball star and heart throb Chris Tiu even went on to the extreme of trying to salvage what was left of Ateneo's pride by defending the plagiarized speech of MVP. Tiu, too, received disconcerting comments about his position regarding the issue. Tiu was asking for sympathy and understanding and even likened the scenario to Jesus Christ's plight. Idiotic? No - stupid! For all the accolades Tiu had garnered, his thoughts on the matter spelled the kind of breeding the Ateneo had raised him. It was all about fame and fortune.

MVP finally put an end to it by saying that his resignation was irrevocable. That he was returning his honorary doctorate degree. And that he was sorry that he got everyone into this mess. And that he needed to put closure into this. And that we all needed to move on.

And any way I look at it, I just thought that what MVP did was an honorable thing.

A man of his stature in all humility had to accept fault and in defeat made the right decision. The Ateneo administration should accept this. So should its alumni. After all, it wasn't like it would be their ultimate demise. After this imbroglio, life does go on.

In reality, a man as busy and iconic as MVP does need a speech writer. But his speech writers should not try to impress themselves by claiming lines which they "borrowed". The latter, is called "referencing". Borrowed lines, should be cited and due credit should be given to who initially wrote and published it. It is, after all, an intellectual proprietary right.

That's where the rub is. His speechwriters had belittled the mental capacity of MVP and in the process of trying to earn points for themselves and probably their boss, had degraded the very person who puts food on their table.

I believe that at this point, MVP has gallantly made his own stand on the issue.

And this is where I am at awe with his decision. Even in defeat, he stands out as a hero to all. Apologize, return the gift, resign, and then move on.

If all leaders were like him, this would indeed be a better country.

Amazing!

Hotel Lotte, Jeju Island - World's Best?

We arrived in Jeju Island an hour early.

Rainy and cold, we took the limousine bus (for 3900Won/person) because our limo was still in the hotel. That's what we get for arriving early.

Miraculously, when we stepped out of the airport with freezing weather of 9C, the bus was already ready to leave. Ala Amazing Race Part 2, off we ran and got into the warm comfort of the bus.

It was pitch dark on the streets on the way to our hotel.

Jeju Island is the resort island of South Korea. Situation about 300 miles away from Seoul, Jeju Island is a volcanic island and is the only self autonomous region of South Korea. Aside from the historical attractions that Jeju Island offers, it is the home to Daum Communications, South Korea's leading internet company and sole owner of Lycos. Similar to the Philippines, the Jeju islanders have their own dialect.

After arriving at the Hotel Lotte, touted to be the World's Best Hotel at around 10pm, our weary bodies could not take it anymore. The large hotel contains a Casino, a windmill backdrop, and a large duty free including an exclusive Louis Vuitton outlet. No photos allowed though.

Getting from the lobby to the room was a challenge. You'd need to go through the maze of rooms. Reception was on the 8th floor (which was the lobby) and needed to take the elevator DOWN to your room. It was quite a walk (around 5 minutes) and no help from the bellhops. They will show you to the corridor that leads to the elevators and you're on your own. This is fine if you travel light like I do.

The rooms were clean and though a bit old, still had modern amenities. The floors were heated (had separate heating controls from the airconditioning system) and the rooms were large, had private verandas and Korean wooden sliding doors to all areas in the room. The interiors were sparsely decorated which kept the simplicity of each room. Internet was available at 10,000Won (~10USD/30 mins). Swimming indoor in the heated pool was available at 25,000Won entrance fee, even for guests. Bottled water was 3000Won. Everything you did in the hotel required payment, aside from your room charges.

And because all the restaurants close at exactly 10pm, we had to order room service.

The 3 days meeting was fruitful and a great learning experience. Great camaraderie and the regional goals were set and addressed appropriately.

There are only 3 restuarants in the hotel - Japanese, Korean and Western. We were rotating breakfast, lunch and dinner among the 3. On the second day, I was about to faint from the food choices.

Because the weather was extremely cold and we had sunshine only on the second day of the meeting, plus the fact that the meetings ended almost near dinner time, we stayed in.

I attempted to do some shopping in the hotel's duty free on the day before my departure. Surprise surprise!!! You need to purchase the item before 330pm. You cannot purchase duty free items and pick it up there. You will need to pick it up at the international airport you intend to leave from (Busan, Incheon, Gimpo...whichever).

Unfortunately I did not join the group tour on the last day. I was headed for the airport for my trip back home.

On the last day, I left after the morning session for my very long journey back home. I caught the 1210 connection from Jeju direct into Incheon, arrived in Incheon at 100pm and had to wait for my flight back to Manila at 750pm.

So what else was there to do but shop shop shop shop and sleep!

The Asiana Airlines business class lounge while sprawling and clean and had good service had very limited food choices. Snacks were served as were drinks.

In spite of the long wait at the airport, the thought of finally coming home to warm (should I say hot) Manila was all I could think of.

Boarding was prompt. When we departed, the temperature at Seoul was 1C.

The plane touched down in Manila at exactly 1045pm. Manila temperature - 31C!