negativity

It is a fact that there are things people surely don't like about themselves. Some don't like their status, some their homes, some their work and some their appearance. Truly, almost all people questions a certain part of their body. One wants a better breast, one a good-looking nose, another one would wish to extend his penis, and some would want to look thin and sexy. Others also would want to change the color of their skin- from dark to white and for some from white to tan. People surely are not contented with their body.

And this is partly the fault of the media. People see their favorite celebrities on TV and want to be like them. For others, they see the advertisements showing women with long back hair and white skin and super flawless face and great teeth, etc. For the guys, they see men with muscular built with 6-pack abs, flawless skin, and a lot of women wanting to be near the guy. Ordinary people, which comprise 99.9% of society wants these kinds of body figures. That is why cosmetic surgery clinics are earning well and that is why beauty products companies are gaining more and more clients and that is why fitness gyms suddenly sprouts a over the metro. Not to mention, the many miracle drugs that promises to whiten your skin or bring back more hair for the bald.

Wanting to look good is itself not bad. No one would want to look like trash. But the reason behind looking beautiful and sexy must be thought about properly.

When people look at other people, the first thing they notices is the one thing they lack. If one has a dark skin, she will automatically notice first the skin of the other person. If one has flat nose, the first thing she looks at is the nose of the other. Many people look at others based on what they don't have and what they proudly have. The problem of beauty lies there. Beauty is supposed to be subjective, but now there are cetain standards that everyone follows.

Of course, not all people think this way. There are still many who doesn't really care about what others think regarding beauty. But majority are victims of this idea, of this mindset. One must have a change of perspective to see the real beauty. Media must reduce projecting standards of beauty. Even the not-so-perfect people can be the most beautiful of all.

democracy

Democracy, an already over-used term in the Philippines. If before, it was such a sacred word and a word everyone keeps in their heart. Now, it is so abused that everyday people would hear it most especially on the streets, where people rally and shout demokrasya, kalayaan etc.

In a speech given by ABS-CBN Senior Vice President for News and Current Affairs Maria Ressa, as she accepted the TOWNS Award at Malacañang on October 18, 2007, she stated:

"For two decades now, my friends and I have had an ongoing debate: why isn’t our country doing better? First, it was because we didn’t have democracy. Then it was because we had too much democracy. Now it’s because our democracy is too mangled and torn by vested interests – often distorting truth and shattering certainty. What can we believe in? Where do we find hope?"

The country is experiencing a lot of difficuties, the question is what or who seems to be the culprit of this? Of course, the Philippines also has a slice of good news and comparatively speaking, this country is a lot better that other countries like those in Africa I guess. But the Philippines is far behind from its neighbors. The country was second in Asia in terms of economy, growth, etc in the 1950's. Now all other countries caught up and never looked back. The islands stayed in the bottom part. The Philippines was once the envy of Asia, the Pearl of the Orient. Now, I don't see the pearl shining anymore. What was the problem? What happenned?

We asked for democracy and freedom, it was given. Nothing happened. We asked for a change of government, it was changed. Nothing happened. Now, a new government is being wished by many.

With all these, What can we believe in? Where do we find hope?
There is hope for sure, that I can answer.

high low

The Philippines is growing quite well. The peso hits a 7-year high rate at around Php 44.31 versus the US dollar. And to think that it reached almost the Php 60 mark more than a year ago. The Philippine stocks are also setting an all time high record. Businesses in the country are flourishing. Investors are gaining a lot from this growth. The peso is in fact the second best performing currency in Asia, only next to India's. It is no surprise that foreign companies are bullish in investing in the country. HSBC even predicted that the peso will continue to rise by 41-42 by the end of the year. This is a good news for many. Even Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself is proudly saying it to foreign businessmen when she visited the US, China and India in the past weeks. With all the controversy hounding her, the good news of the economy was her weapon against detractors.

On the other hand, this news brings sadness and frustration for millions of the Filipinos. A good and strong economy should be a good sign for all countrymen, but not all are happy. OFW's are one reason why the peso is gaining strength, but they are also affected negatively by it. They remit millions to their families in the Philippines. If before their 100 US dollars is Php 500, now it's just Php 440. Families of OFW's do not really feel happy about the good news of our economy. They now receive less as compared to before. And there are around 10 million OFW's around the globe who are affected by the growth. Very ironic.

OFW's should not feel sad about it. It is true that the value of their money is now low as compared a few years ago, but if this growth continues, then they don't have to work abroad anymore. One must think of the long term development. If this growth continues, then there will be more companies investing in the country, more tourists to visit the country, thus more employment, more infrastructure and a more progressive society awaits everyone. Of course, it will not be an easy ride. It will take time and prayers. A good economy must be also a good sign for the Filipinos, whether they are OFW or not. The country might be inadequate in a lot of things, but at least the economy is improving and with it comes development of the entire nation. Of course, all these depends also on how the country is governed. The economy is high but do people actually feel it?. Well, that's another topic. From now, one still needs to pray for continuous growth.

Who knows tomorrow the peso might reach an 8-year high.

of growth and politics

For the past weeks and months, the Philippines was and is on the rise. Well, economically speaking that is. The country's economy has been improving a lot. The Philippine Stock Exchange is rising, the peso is getting stronger, there are now more investors in the country, inflation rate is slowly decreasing and a whole lot of economic improvements. The country is experiencing growth nobody expected. Of course, it is a very good thing. After the Asian Crisis exactly a decade ago, it was hard to imagine that the country could recover in less than 10 years. Now, one can see more buildings being constructed, more BPO companies, more infrastructure being built and the focus is not just Manila but the provinces as well. All these things are good and great. If not for the political controversies hounding the country, the Philippines could have even been stronger. A lot of issues are plaguing the country. One of it is the ZTE scandal, which involves resigned COMELEC chair Benjamin Abalos and the First Gentleman himself. There are also the Cyber-Ed Project and the Hello, Garci scandal. How weird and funny (and sometimes wise and stupid) politicians are in the government. They make the biggest mistakes and ask the wrong questions and everyting becomes so controversial. Now, Filipinos eat politics for breakfast, lunch and dinner (together with showbiz news). All these make the Philippines a fun place to live. One is experiencing growth in the economy, and also has politicians as the public's entertainers.