Politics, Economics and thoughts that matters:

The material poverty of the many, cannot be solve by the few. - Rodolfo Panizales

Goodbye to our Beloved, teachers.

Most of you have heard this saying that in every successful leader or presidents, there is always a teacher or teachers behind. The teacher can be your parents, or your school teachers. Did you know while in grade school and high school, we spend more time with our teachers, than with our other siblings ? 

The story I am sharing, is the story of one of my college professors. She taught freshman English and public speaking subjects among the graduating seniors in college. I was one of her many students. 

I never liked seating in any classrooms while in grade school, high school and college. There were few teachers that I really liked listening to.
Some teachers does not make sense when they teach. I noticed that it appeared that they do not understand many of the concepts they were teaching, or they are just too lazy to elaborate further and give excellent examples ? The English subject was not an exception, though it is technical. Professor Ticao was one of my few exceptional teachers. She can be hard on any students, and a bit stingy when she award grades. I was an average English student. I passed. In my senior year in college, Professor Ticao became my public speaking teacher and adviser. This subject I loved. I practiced speaking and as well as preparing many speeches I wrote while completing the academic subject. I excelled in the Public Speaking subject, I got an A- ( 1.5/90-95 ). One of my proudest moments in my academic life. The Public Speaking college course was not easy. I enjoyed and excelled on it not because I was a genius in Public Speaking, it was more because our Professor Ticao motivated all of us to learn and excell in the college course Public Speaking. Professor Eda Ticao is one of my favorite teachers, I hope she knew she taught me very well, that not a single day during my speaking engagement I would not think about her, how she impacted my life and profession.
Thank You, Professor Eda Ticao.

NELSON MANDELA, A HUMAN EXAMPLE.

The late President Nelson was not a perfect person. He was a human being just like you and I. But, in the inner recesses of his heart, he was a great person with great potentials towards greatness. President Nelson Mandela was a man. He made mistakes, but humbled himself and inspired millions of people. 
President Mandela was not a born leader, he became not just a leader, but a great and visionary leader. Through his years in prison, President Mandela perfected forgiveness and reconciliation, a saintly act; To him it was wisdom, a divine one. We salute him, and say goodbye to him today, December 5, 2013. President Nelson Mandela reconciled with God.

 

THE OTHER HEROES...

The many heroes we read about have received their rewards by societal recognitions and other material benefits while alive, and after death.
Many other heroes remained silent if not obscure. They do not want people to know what they do for others. Some preferred to do the right thing without the media hype. Many of those heroes are the daily and seemingly ordinary folks at school, offices, and other commercial places. Your janitor, and the other cleaning crew of a business or establishments. The cleaner of a laboratory researching on diseases that will cure millions of people, the caretaker of your elderly parents or relatives in  nursing homes, the direct staffs that work with special needs children and adults, the bus drivers that takes your priceless assets to school Monday to Friday, your children. The security guards that checks ID and literally the first line of defense of any institution or establishments, and Shopping Malls. We often miss, or took them for granted. 

PiLIPINOS Yesterday and today...remembering Andres Bonifacio

Many Pilipinos born in the Philippines speaks at least 3 to 4 languages.
Despite of material poverty, many Pilipinos attended college. Some completed graduate schools and considered by many foreign employers as one of the most talented professionals in the world. 
General Douglas MacArthur spoke highly of Pilipinos, and many other notable Americans and U.S historians. Despite of material poverty, Philippines emerges as one of the most promising economy of Asia. That explains the presence of more than 200+ multinational businesses in the Philippines. Philippines is extremely rich in agriculture and aquatic resources. Formerly in the 50's,60's and 70's as the rice granary of Asia if not the world. Many agriculture lands suffered from exploitation of foreign businesses, notably researches were made in disguised of helping Philippine agriculture, instead destroyed many rice lands because of the introductions of pesticides and fertilizers made by foreign companies. Today Philippines is experiencing agriculture nightmares and the environment is polluted by factories and industrial plants including mining explorations.

Andres Bonifacio the de facto Philippine National Hero was born November 30, 1863 in Tondo, Manila
There are so many Pilipinos like Americans, Irish, Italians, Germans, and French who fought for independence. Many Philippine heroes died liberating the Philippines from foreign aggressions. 

REMEMBERING THE HEROES OF THE PHILIPPINES...

Andres Bonifacio was born November 30, 1863 in Tondo, Manila, Philippines. He is considered the de facto National Hero of the Philippines by some people and historians. Jose Rizal who was executed by the Spaniards was declared the National Hero of the Philippines.

Philippines has so many heroes. The Philippines like France,USA and many other countries struggled to have independence from foreign control and dominations. Philippines experienced 4 conquerors namely the Spaniards, the USA government, the Japanese Fascists Regime, the USA government and multi-national businesses. Today, Philippines is one of the poorest nation in the Far East of Asia. Paradoxically, Philippines is extremely rich in agriculture, aquatic resources, minerals, oil, and the most important of all, the People. Pilipinos are one of the most educated in Asia. Many Pilipinos speaks at least 3-4 languages. Many Pilipinos speaks English and Spanish compared to other Asian countries. Besides English, many speaks tagalog and other local languages. Philippines is an island nation.

Father John Phalen, CSC - A continuing legacy of service above self.

Consistency and constancy, in service of others, the Father John Phalen of the Holy Cross Family Ministries that I knew since 2008. There are so many endearing qualities Father John possesses and exhibits, in humility and passion to serve God and others, I cannot help but noticed and observed for many years now. 

Last November 26, 2013 Father John celebrated a Holy Mass for the dear departed members of the Braintree Knights of Columbus Council and the Catholic Daughters of Braintree. Paraphrasing what Father John said, during his homily. " Why concern with the past, and why worry for tomorrow ? Nobody knows when the end will come. The here and now, what matters the most." (paraphrased)

Jesus during his ministry on earth in the new testament of the Holy Bible, Jesus through the  letters of his disciples admonished us, " Do not worry." 

The legacy of Jesus the Christ is living in the words of many of our priests and nuns, who serve others with all their hearts and minds...and Father John is a living example of them. 

The recent natural disaster in the Philippines, is an example of disasters/events beyond our control. 

Father John visits the Philippines as frequent as many Pilipinos travel annually to visit their relatives, Father John visits and frequent the Philippines to serve others. 

Father John Phalen is a living example of a saint in the making. There are people in the Catholic Church that serves others like Father John, many of them are from the Braintree Council of the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Daughters of Braintree.