East vs West

I discovered this neat application that predicts what year Chinese economy will takeover the American economy. You just need to tweak 3 variables.

A small sharing about student governance to the next generation

Zipping hot coffee,

I spent a meaningful evening with the potential CSG leaders for next year. My message is technical yet important for any person to occupy a position of authority and of public trust. In the context of student governance, it is important they we should first organize what concerns/issues we shall engage in a limited time span and with limited resources. Explore all roots of the issue and base action programs and engage policies from there. Second, know the political dynamics of the university. Know the key players, the head of offices, the personalities and the system/culture at work so we can better engage them. And finally, educate yourself about politics and the political process.

Student governance is an interesting mission. We are given the chance to do something for the students with greater impact. We are given the chance to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. We are given the chance to serve.

Leadership Simplified Synthesis

Leadership is a lifelong process,

As captured by Chris Lowney in his book the Heroic Leadership. It is in this spirit that I shared my derived an simplified version of the accumulative process of leadership to a group of 5 freshmen students who participated in the Ateneo Campus Leadership Discovery on January 9, 2011.

In all the references I’ve read on the topics of leadership, I can synthesize them into 3 simple and general approaches which I guess reflects the leadership process.

Know: the primarily starting point is knowledge. It is grasping a

nd articulating who you are, what you value, what you believe in, what your vision is and why you do it which stirs us towards action. It was beautifully articulated by Fr. Arrupe when he said that:

Nothing is more practical than finding God,
that is, than falling in love
in a quite absolute, final way.

What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination,
will affect everything.
It will decide what will get you
out of bed in the morning,
what you will do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,what you read, who you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in love; stay in love,
and it will decide everything.

One practical consideration for knowing yourself is the practice of blogging or journal writing after a 15 minute reflection. This practice captures the feelings and thoughts that you have in that moment. If you do it in about 3 months and review it, you begin to see patterns about who you are. It is in this knowledge that you begin to see the graces, the gifts and will then lead you to ask yourself what you can give to the world.

Develop: the next practical step after having an understandable picture about ourselves is to nurture the knowledge that you have substantially gained after a concentrated effort to know they self. Read books, expand your knowledge in the context of your desires, and take note of your skills and what you want to develop further. This is where practical innovations happen when we desire to nurture what is given to us.

Multiply: Building the community naturally flows from a person with competence and knowledge in his mission. Multiplication deals with you unlocking the potential of other people. It is coupled with love and the deep faith on the potential of the human person that drives leaders to nurture other leaders. In the process, influence is further cultivated and our interior nurturance begins to bare good fruits. A practical application of multiplication is to be active in a specific social advocacy.

This does not end in multiplication. Once you think less about yourself and more about others, we begin to empty ourselves. This “emptying” then leads us to further deepen our desire to know more about ourselves and ultimately our creator. Then it starts all over again. This cycle grows the influence in us and this helps us amplify and spread the reach of our mission throughout the world.

Being Central Student Government President 2

Being Central Student Government President 2

The semester is about to end and the conclusion of the first half of the academic year gives a sense relief and reflection in my mission as CSG President.

Many ask and wonder, did the whole semester and the demands of the presidency sucked out the energy in me? Did I become more “realistic” about certain things I considered Ideal when I started? Did I trust people less? Did I become cynical?

Now that the semester is setting, It is safe to asses my sanity in this respect. With all the pressures and expectations, one thing in particular defined how I see my mission in the student government. It is the realization that the whole grace of shepherding a flock or leading a student body is having the honor and opportunity to enter into other people’s lives.

I may not realistically lead all the 10,000 students defined by the constitution as CSG’s constituents or my 10,000 bosses. But every a time a student comes to the office bearing with him/her concern or problem and with an ounce of hope that the student government can do something about it, this brings forth a surge of energy in me because I can actually see my place and the student government’s place in the greater scheme of things.

It is having this opportunity to be a part of the solution of their most basic problems and concerns that keep me energized, that keep me going, and that keep me working for the mission. From calling an office to drain an accumulating pool of water that is becoming a mosquito breeding ground, to a student who chatted to me that he and his block mates are doing the P-E-C-A-L. From a team mate in the office who thanked me for the trust and opportunity given to him, to facilitating a complaint of a student who was unfairly treated by his teacher. From a Student Assistant thanking us of having this chance to form an organization, to a student who can’t afford to lose some library books. I can simply brush it aside as part of my job description but THIS IS grace. I see it as grace. It is grace because it is an opportunity presented by someone above to be part of making something good. This is something beyond myself, beyond comfortable. Ultimately, these actions serve as a channel for me to see and communicate to God and how he plays in all of these student government affairs.

I think this is primarily what public service is all about. It is standing up for justice in behalf of others who can’t stand up for themselves because it is the right thing to do. Now more work to be done.

Tonton Neri

The Economic Significance of Cdeo Starbucks and the rest

I am becoming more convinced of the growing consumer spending capacity of the middle class in Cagayan de Oro City that matches that of our northern counterparts. Starbucks would not have selected this city as its first coffee shop in the Island of Mindanao if it was not for this. The opening of Starbucks, the world’s number one “coffee shop” which pretty much sells the brand more than the coffee validates how the city is slowly becoming a central hub of trade and commerce with a growing culture of “affluence”. To put it plainly, the Kagay-anons are willing and able to spend more. What does this mean to all of us? It signifies an exciting time for Cagayan de Oro. This growth in terms of big lump sum investments and a growing consumer spending can deliver a large multiplier effect that all innovative entrepreneurs can take advantage of as signaled by the Starbucks opening, Hotel constructions, and International Airport construction. Small shops will open to accommodate the influx of foreign tourists brought in by the upcoming International airport, taxis and other alternative transport will blossom when new luxury hotels will be built, the tourism industry will have a frenzy, and our ethnic artisans will have a to double their production. In the light of this economic momentum, this is therefore a call to all the brilliant, innovative, and ambitious Kagayaons to remain in the city and invest in the City and its people. The market in its upward trajectory is perfect for entrepreneurial ventures. Starting capital remains relatively cheaper but with a growing market willing and able to spend.

HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF THE DIRTY STC CANTEEN AND BEYOND. (what i learned reading Gladwell's Tipping Point)

This is an analysis of the seemingly endless tale of the satellite canteen trash crisis. This I believe is the epicentre of the campus wide problem on proper waste disposal.

The Satellite canteen near the Stc Building has been the subject of criticism about what we desperately lack as a community - a deep sense of ownership and cleanliness. It is a common scene where students just leave their leftovers waiting for the canteen personnel or even for the next occupiers to clean up after them. Countless entries on social media especially on facebook have lambasted these kinds of behaviour and countless initiatives had been launched from the students to the formation units to counter this social behaviour. But in all of these efforts, it seem like nothing has taken deep lasting effect.

As I mentioned in my first line, this is a simple analysis and recommendation which I hope can compel our authorities to reflect and act in solving this community problem.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The premise of this analysis is anchored in what psychologists call the Fundamental Attribution Error. This theory states the tendency to overvalue personality based explanation while undervaluing situational explanation for those behaviours or the environment in which the behaviour operates. This simply means that character does not have a significant bearing in one’s actions as much as the external environment. If you read much of the reactions students post online about this matter, more than 50% directly blame the background, the upbringing or the apathetic strain of those who leave their plates on the table. This theory brings in a significant change of perspective on how we look at this problem. It is not so much of what level of consciousness that they have, rather it is the condition of their surroundings that affect their behaviour. This will then lead me to my next point.

Broken Windows Theory

In criminology, broken windows theory describes how broken windows actually invite people to commit crimes because it signifies a neighbourhood with no one in charge, no one responsible to replace the windows, or no one seems to care. This picture actually invites crimes. This means that an unwelcoming environment welcomes the unwelcomed. This theory has some sort of parallel application to our own case in the canteen. Students when asked what they generally feel when eating or staying in the canteen, they have expressed a degree of disgust and discomfort in the whole canteen set up. The heat, produced by the plastic roof and the hard cement floor added up with the moisture, congestion, the long lines, the small tables and uncomfortable plastic seats contribute to this atmosphere of untidiness. Even seeing the actual cooking of the food and the odd scent of the air contribute to this “communal feeling”. It is not so much of the trash scattering around but the feeling itself seems dirty as one pointed out. This feeling my not completely register into the students’ minds as something appalling creeping into their pores but it is a subtle invitation for the occupants to be also untidy. The surroundings actually invite us to be untidy.

Time and Motion Study

Given that the students do bring their plates to the proper dispensers, it actually requires a substantial amount of effort. By average, it requires around 35 steps or about 20 seconds from point A to the dispensers located at the sides of the canteen. The dispensers’ location in itself is problematic. It is placed near an eating table. It is not in a relatively open area that can accommodate a number of students. Students naturally clump their tables together and form circles that distort the traffic flow. This might not seem to be a hard effort but navigating through the congestion in the peak lunch hour is clearly a disincentive. The stalls at the central area perpendicular to the main selling area contribute to this obscure traffic flow. The set up actually opens multiple buying points (which creates lines/crowds) per stall that is also perpendicular to the eating area. There are micro intersection points all around the canteen. This produces traffic which adds moisture, disorder, and untidiness.

Conclusion

I do believe that if we just work on putting order and cleanliness in the canteen infrastructure, the rest of the students will follow in its cleanliness. The tipping point in this case is to improve the physical setup of the canteen. I sense that a clean canteen with clean walls and clean processes can carry its cleanliness beyond its walls into our pavilions, our kiosks and our benches. Let us see the canteen as the central social hub of the campus. It is in the canteen where students mostly interact, exchange ideas, and transmit behaviours without the rigid structure of the classroom. Revolutions can start here. And a green one is just waiting to be born. It is fascinating to see even in our temporary satellite canteen, we can extract a substantial amount of science and social dynamics. Though this is temporary, the satellite canteen serves as a reminder for policy makers on the importance and power of context in making changes. Just by fixing at the margin such as fixing traffic flow, and cooking procedures, we can spark a green revolution in campus. This might work. The soon to rise Magis Complex that will house the new canteen is an interesting venue for the next BIG THING – The green revolution.

Para kanino ka bumabangon?

People always ask me if the presidency has taken away the better half of my sanity. I would always reply them that by God’s grace, I am enjoying every bit of it.

Sure there are struggles, pains, dilemmas, compromises, neglect or disappointments but pretty much that is what I enlisted for in the first place. The enjoyment comes when above all the barrage of everyday challenges, I still find sense in what I do. And it is mainly from that sense of “sense” that I regain my energy and govern another day. The “sense” that I am talking about here is that spirit we feel and see when we wake up every morning because we believe and we know that someone, even a stranger out there needs us. This thought is not just exclusive to people of influence or authority. The world’s need calls to everyone. People need us and the world needs us. It is in understanding that there is a need in this world and it is our part of our humanity to fine tune ourselves to meet that need.

And every time that need meets our individuality, there is joy – deep seated joy.

Harvard at Home

Though I have been viewing lectures of different US universities in Youtube before, I just came across this great site: http://athome.harvard.edu/streaming_video.html. If you find constantly find yourself before a computer screen, it would be useful to at least allocate a portion of your time to receive insightful inputs from these brilliant sources.

This in particular is an exhaustive discussion on moral philosophy and how it animates in everyday life.

Practical Guide to Student Government Operations Article #3: E-GOVERNANCE

Aside from the physical world, the student government can also deliver services in a different platform called cyberspace and social media in particular. In this era, any large-scale organization can be considered foolish if it does not consider a presence in social media as a sound strategy to reach their constituents. So it is through the power of social media that constant constituent connectivity can be forged.

We developed a strategy for our social media presence that hits on 4 areas.

Transparency

All financial statements, reports, open letters, and attendance on meetings are published online. This allows the viewing public to account the performance of the people they entrusted into power. The official Central Student Government blog site (http://csg.xu.edu.ph/) also serves as the platform where all public documents are posted.

Concerns and Feedback

Before every major meeting with the administration or any other authorities of interest, the official Central Student Government fan page in facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Xavier-University-Central-StudentGovernment/100580254583) calls on feedbacks from students on the subject matter of the meeting. This exercise has allowed raw and unfiltered sentiments from the student body to be directly forwarded to the administration. Polls regarding different issues are also conducted in the CSG’s official blog. Complaints from students can also be brought to the attention of the CSG through their personal messages. These channels of communication have further liberalized the students’ access to their government. And, all the information collected in these channels has led policy makers to put their decisions into proper perspective.

General Information

Relaying relevant information to the students is a form of service. Needless to say, the internet is one of the best channels to dissemination information aside from the traditional forms. The CSG created a facebook student body group at the beginning of the year and its membership has swollen into almost 2,000. This allows the CSG to personally email each member. Posters, shout outs and events on facebook are also great ways to spread information.

Resource Mobilization

Social media is also a powerful venue to recruitment volunteers and drum up sponsorships for community projects.

Youth and student leadership

View more presentations from Ernesto Neri.

In order to contribute in building an engaging citizenry or in this case, a student body, it is important for government to increase and develop its presence in this different kind of forum called social media. Its intricate network of people and information allows us to magnify and multiply our message and expand our reach. With this, our mission of service is able to evolve in a new form that is more accessible to our online constituents.

Practical Guide to Student Government Operations Article #2: Reduce Transaction Costs at all Cost

Reduce transaction costs at all cost

Needless to say, every single day the office of the Central Student Government conducts transactions. In the ordinary course of business, the observable transactions that happen in the office are project proposal submissions, calls from different units and offices of the university, questions from students, delivery of letters, and buying and selling at the student service center across the corridor.

Every time these transactions happen, there is always an associated cost to them aside from monetary. These are time and energy costs. Example: when a letter from the administration addressed to a particular person is delivered to the office, how much time does it take for it to be read by that person and the person’s response? Upon the submission of the project proposal to the signatories, how much time and energy is consumed for it to be processed and the money delivered? These are everyday situations that define the bureaucratic nature of the CSG. As we’ve observed, these threads of processes inside the CSG office can be categorized, controlled, and streamlined to bring about a more efficient flow of information and output. For simplicity, we categorized the major transactions in the office into 2 “threads”. There are more threads that exist in an office but for focus, we shall stick tackle these 2.

1. The Project/Program thread. This thread is the flow of the project proposal which starts from printing to the money disbursement and from the evaluation to the liquidation report. This complex paper trail if not given serious attention may compromise the efficiency of the entire Central Student Government. What we can do is to design a one-stop station where a single filer sorts out the documents by signatories in a chronological order. To make this work, the Executive secretary should be the one to contact the people whose approval is required and update the project head on the status of the project proposal in a daily basis.

2. The Communication thread. Conveying information from point A to multiple points or to a single point is as complex as trying to hit the center of dart board in room filled with people. Information can easily be lost, misinterpreted, or junked if it is not stored or transmitted on time. It is quite obvious that communication lags are very costly especially when it is an emergency requiring immediate attention. The office should set up a communication desk where all forms of information are received and given to their intended respondents. All units then should be provided a simple area where all information can easily be seen and for confidential information to be stored. For information that requires immediate attention, it should be brought to their attention through text or other means.

The fun thing about the CSG is that we can engineer systems that facilitate efficient services for the students. It requires not just a clear and concise system but an equally dedicated and critical man power to make the system work.

Practical Guide to Student Government Operations Article #1: The Rise of the Autonomous Departments

By now, students who desire to serve the student body through the Central Student Government (CSG) are beginning to roll up their sleeves and are starting to gather their forces and consolidate their agenda. In the spirit of an open government, I believe it is only fitting to share practical tips on the very basic ofstudent government operations management based on my own experience as President. I hope that these tips can guide future CSG and College Council leaders in their management of the government as an organization first before anchoring it as a political entity.

Reengineering student governance: CSG – Department Reforms

In our political science class, we understand government departments as the primal implementing unit that executes the different programs of the government.

In the context of the CSG, The departments are the front line service units of the government. Therefore these are the labour and capital intensive units of the CSG.

As far as I can recall, the previous CSG has 7 existing Departments each organized with a specific area of concern. Initially, the large number of department seems to raise 2 concerns. These concerns are regarding control and focus. Having too many departments tend to fragment the government in its operations. It might facilitate greater number of activities but might compromise focus and it will spike cost. Aside from this, its manpower system also is seen as a concern. Volunteers are coursed through a central human resource office which puts a central unit great influence in personnel management. Directly overseeing 70 to 100 volunteers might just be too much. Added further, Direct control and supervision may not be a good idea for it might cripple creativity and a sense of ownership.

With these circumstances, we implemented an experimental system that reduces the number of departments, upgrade some in to administrative offices which solely focuses in process management and development, and devolve the influence of the human resource. Ultimately, we hope these features may empower the Department to plan, implement and evaluate its own programs following its mandate as approved by a central committee composed of the core leaders of the student government. Presently, the departments are empowered to create its own internal structure, recruit and manage its own volunteers with little interference with a central human resource, and design its logo to build its own identity. But what really operationalizes autonomy? The present CSG experimented on this by allowing the departments to do the following:

1. Eliminated central Human Resource intervention in the recruitment or the Departments directly recruits members. By allowing the departments to recruit their own members, you allow the department leaders to be more responsible and accountable to their members and a distinct department culture will form making the group more cohesive.

2. Allowed them to design their own organizational structure and department logo. This allows the department to assess their own operational needs. Atop from making their internal structure, they are also given the mandate to design their department logo which facilitates a deeper sense of ownership and cohesion. This resulted to the departments generating their own t-shirts, organizing their own BOLTS, and conducting their own team building activities among others.

The 4 Departments at present are organized around the 4 point agenda of the student government namely academic development, student services development, engaged citizenship, and community and leadership engagements. The Departments that addresses these concerns are the Department of Academic Affairs, Department of Student Services and Welfare, Department of Mission and Social Action, and Department of Interior and Networking respectively.

This set up definitely has costs but we have seen for the past months that it can generate greater benefits such as efficiency in project management, overall cohesion of the entire CSG structure. The CSG has developed stronger muscles in its service unit arms

In the long run, we hope to see a department that is semi-autonomous and can lead on its own with little supervision from the office of the President. It is in this manner that we give space for creativity, develop tools for empowerment and generate dynamism in the services of the CSG.

THE 2010 Year End Review

I always make it a ritual that at the last day of the year, I would briefly highlight important experiences and events in my life that defined 2010. In a nutshell, 2010 was a year of “Service” and “influence” primarily drawn from the missions I have in my campus and community. This was a generous year.

Concluding the first year of ASUL. This year saw the conclusion of the first year of the Ateneo School for Upcoming Leaders. From a core of 7 to a community of 60 (including this year’s batch), this group has been trying to define its role in the mission of leadership formation in and outside campus. We hope that its first year planted the seeds that would eventually bear good fruits.

My Last NSTP Class. Teaching is one of my passions and I bid farewell to my last NSTP Leadership Class this year. It was a good and fruitful 3 years of NSTP teaching. This mission in the program primarily taught me the importance of experience and reflection in changing mind sets.

Serving as your CSG President. From the campaign to actual student governance, my mission as CSG President is primarily the highlight of my engagements this year. It is a privilege serving the student body. This mission has allowed me to appreciate the truth about governance and its relationship to building a just and humane community. More importantly, this experience showed me that development is all about PEOPLE. It is the students that the student government was able to help one way or another that ultimately animates its purpose and drives me to work more.

Brother’s move to Canada and return for the Holidays. This can be considered both a sad and happy event this year. After years of waiting, my brother finally got the approval to travel to Canada as an immigrant. I am happy for the opportunities that immediately opened for him but on the other hand, there will always be a sense of longing for him. On the brighter side, I am excited to finally have some place to stay for free when I visit Canada. J

Travels to Thailand, Manila, Davao, Hong Kong and Macau. Being President has its perks and one of it is travel both local and foreign. The Thailand trip in particular was a big highlight. The country and its people are fascinating. Their reverence to their King was something I envy. Amidst all the political turbulence plaguing the country, they still have a figure head that unites them as a people. This is something which I see we lack as a people. We also travelled to Hong Kong for our educational trip in International Economics.

Family soar eyes. This was one funny incident. My father got soar eyes first followed by my mother and finally me. It even reached some officers in the CSG. This was funny and meaningful at the same time because we had this infection together which made us eat together and stayed at home for 2 straight days together. This bonded us.

Malcolm Gladwell Book Craze. My love for books resurfaced this year with my Malcolm Gladwell collection and other books (Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler, Lost Symbol, Audacity of Hope, Good Company etc) A particularly like his books because he creatively sees simple things and events in everyday life and weave it in a larger scheme of patterns and science.

Completed the 9 dawn masses . For the second time, I have completed the dawn masses with my brother and mother. This Filipino practice of waking up before the sun rises and celebrating the Eucharist has a deep spiritual and nationalistic effect in me. May this sort of little sacrifice lead me more to grater sacrifices for God.

Feasibility Study on Urban Gardening to Sweet brownies. This was also the year where I got my first F. However, this is what we called a voluntary “F”. Our group decided to change our FS entirely because we realized how much its going to rob us with our time and energy. The only way to do that was to fail it. Do not follow our lead! From a visionary social enterprise, we are now cooking brownies which is not that bad anyway.

Victory of the People through P-Noy and my Inauguration trip. This started last year but it culminated in the victory of the idea we campaigned for embodied in our present president. I had the honor of being part of the people’s campaign and even went as far as attending the inaugural wearing a barong and watching P-Noy’s speech just meters away. This showed me what an engaged citizenry can do.

Forging great new friendships. Above all, it is the priceless friendships that was formed and nurtured this year that defined the year. The new best friends I gained with all the sleepovers, monopoly nights, and videoke spelled a very wonderful year. I would like to thank Van, Kevin, and EJ for being frequent visitors during our game nights at home! More to come!

This year was full of grace and no post can truly capture it. With no drama, what I can only say is a thank you so much God and YOU who made this year a great year.

My previous last year posts:

2009: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=230581705895

2008: http://republikaneri.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2008-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2009-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=50

2007: http://republikaneri.blogspot.com/2007/12/bias-year-end-review-2007-my-life-year.html

2006: http://republikaneri.blogspot.com/2006/12/happy-new-year.html

In Bangkok

Since facebook is blocked in the free internet service in Bangkok Airport, this is the only means for me to tell the world I am now safe here in Bangkok. See You all soon!

Earthquake and Evil

It is a scene I thought I only see in movies. The massive human cataclysm unfolding before us in Haiti, maybe the worst in a century, calls the people of the world to rid our isolation and walls and summon that formidable human spirit of cooperation to help in any way possible for the immediate efforts of rehabilitating the people of Haiti. My prayers and thoughts go out to those who have suffered so much from this unspeakable tragedy and to the people working tirelessly to bring aid to them. This again is a product of evil. I do not assume to be an expert in theology however; I do want to make sense of this tragedy in the light of my faith. In my simple analysis, the evil is not the earthquake itself but something more elusive. Seeing the basic information of Haiti as a state, I can draw a picture of a basic example of how evil arising from human fallibility is perpetuated in human social structures. This evil formed into a weak country, the poorest in the western hemisphere suffering from corruption, poverty and lawless violence. These manmade forces eventually made manifest through weak reinforcement of their building code, lack of proper housing for the poor and poor literacy among their people. All these factors facilitated the destructive power of the earthquake which toppled almost all buildings in the Capital. Even their seat of government was not spared. So this is how I make sense of it all. It is the absence of good that enabled evil to perpetuate and eventually revealed its horrible face through this unspeakable human tragedy.

The RepublikaNeri STATE

After the natural drama of my brothers’ departure for Canada, I have found myself possessing an entire room. A room! I now have a room I can call my own! You see, we are mostly a communal family and this goes along with the property relations that govern the hose hold. With this new found “independent” territory I inherited, I am a step closer in forming my own imaginative state! I always wanted to have this sort of independent space and now I have it. Thinking in a political framework, I know have a territory (my room), I now have a “people” (myself), I also have sovereignty over the properties herein. One thing missing on constitute a state is a government. The best way to express this home “government” is the institution of rules inside my small state. For the meantime, my basic law constitutes 5 basic policies. These are:

1. 1. Clean As You Go
2. 2. Conserve Energy
3. 3. Be Productive
4. 4. Sharpen your Mind and Body
5. 5. Pray Always

There you have it. My childish mind coupled with a fantasy of governing a state finds its expression in my little room. I can now begin to order it in a manner that reflects my values and principles. This little experiment has highlighted that order and prosperity is a derivative of private ownership.

A new Decade begins

As we prepare to end one year and enter another, let us look forward with hope and trust in the Lord who is stronger than all darkness. As we look back over the year and think perhaps with mixed feelings, of all its joys and sorrows, all the promises kept and opportunities wasted, it is important for us to be reminded that our Father is the Lord of all time, and in Him all things are truly made new. It may be that we find ourselves looking back on the resolutions which we made at the beginning of the year, on all our good intentions to improve our commitment to prayer and our spiritual life, and feeling disappointed at our inability to live up to our ideals. Perhaps we find ourselves struggling with the same pat terns of sinfulness which we did a year ago and more.

The Church tells us that today is not a day for disappointment over how little we have achieved but a day for joy and anticipation over what God has achieved. Today’s Gospel invites us to turn our eyes away from the slow passage of days and years and to look instead towards the free unending horizon of eternity.

www.jesuits.ph

Sorting my Future

I just came from a chat with my father. The chat was short and simple. I do not wish to elaborate what we talked about but one thing is certain, this chat made me review the direction I am taking for the future. Let me focus on the worldly profession I wish to take in complement with my inner desire to follow a road less travelled. As I trace my past, on the things that excite me, there is a certain trend that pronounces itself; all my interests are anchored on how societies work and develop. From the development of human civilization, to the interactions of the material world and human nature, all of these interests find its expression in my obsession with world history, economics, and politics. These are the three general sciences which I hope people will remember me for - A geeky person who seeks to find God working in human history, economics, and political dynamics. Now that I am nearing graduation (in a year), I begin to re-examine the depth and applicability of these interests in my future work. I realize that I need some sort of “professionalization” factor that binds these three things together and deliver more impact and weight in my future engagements. I identify the legal profession as the glue that binds my passions together because it integrates human nature and his interaction with the power structures around him. So with this, I shall begin to look at into this path of becoming a lawyer -- a childhood dream that had lost its tune but finally finds its voice again.

[A social scientist (specializing in development economics) and a lawyer]

Room to Room War

In the midst of the coming Xavier Days, Asul went room to room to spread the message of Trash Zero, a campaign for campus cleanliness. I was surprised to see that these students have more than enough confidence to capture the audience and transmit the message. Trash Zero is as simple as 1-2-3. I'll reserve the details later. For now, I just want to share how this seemingly common effort be integrated in the whole agenda of campus cleanliness. I always see this as a 3-front battle just like in WW2. Front 1 is the front for policy. The key people here are the administrators and the students, whose constant lobbying can make a difference. Front 2 is the hardware where actual physical things facilitate the agenda. Front 3, the student engagement where students engage fellow students by way of advocacy and leadership. This is where ASUL's initative could fit. Even though it is just a tiny part of the whole effort, it is integral in bringing about a new greener consciousnesses among the members of the community.

thank you asulites for being part of this great move!

SJSA Comment

One situation of the youth that needs to be highlighted is our growing obsession with convenience. We grew up in the world where almost all basic important things are attained instantly. We have instant communication, instant food, and instant answers. This has been very helpful for mankind in terms of efficiency but we should consider its impact in the very heart of a young human person. This whole obsession is making our world smaller in an accelerating pace. We are starting to live in a constructed reality - that our entire world resides on a computer screen and worst thing is, we feel a sense of “security” from it. This mindset where we operate nurtures a sense of disengagement. This disengagement from the real world has contributed much in the growing confusion, apathy and disempowerment among the youth. It contributed to us losing touch with our true selves and compels us to peg our identity to superficial and ephemeral trends. If unchecked, a whole generation can be lost.

The Old Man selling Balot

Last night as we were enjoying ourselves in Caltex’ Star Mart over some soft drinks and crackers, a vendor approached us. He was selling balot and like any other street vendor, he offered us his basket of Filipino food products. But this “business” encounter was not ordinary. When I turned my head to entertain the vendor, what greeted me is a very old man. As I focused my sight to him, I can see a gray mist in his eyes - a sign of his very old age. It might not be obvious, but the view of his misty eyes made me stutter a bit. At that moment, I can see the age has consumed his sight. When I asked how much the balot is, he leaned his head towards me and repeated what I said with a questioning tone. Anyone can tell that he can no longer hear well.

He answered “kinse” after I affirmed what he asked.

As I gave my money, I had the chance to glance at the pavement and saw his dilapidated slippers housing his very crooked toes. Right there, I can see well that this man is suffering from arthritis.
My friends bought an ample amount of goods from him. As we finished our transaction, he moved away to the next table doing the same thing he did to us. At that moment, I stared with a blank face at the curved back of this old man. Anyone in this scene can be moved into some amount of pity. I ran through that feeling and again amazed by the fact that this man, regardless of his very old age and obvious physical pain is still working, walking for station to station at night. I then wondered who is he working for, who is he labouring for that he can endure that pain and sacrifice to walk around the city in an aged body bearing a heavy basket. And instantly I imagined his family waiting somewhere hoping that tomorrow will bring some food in the table, hoping and praying that no bad elements will take advantage of his fragility, hoping that he can earn something for his family. This is what struck me. Far from the need to survive, this man is enduring such pain because of his love for his family or for someone more vulnerable than him. Tonight, as I review that scene yesterday, I can see clearer that this vendor reminds me of one person who did a similar thing – Jesus Christ. I am starting to understand why he, even though I don’t know his name or even sure of his background moved me with such intensity. He reminded me of such indescribable love for and of family.

The image I see is an old man enduring such physical pain, working hard during unsafe hours just to bring home something for his family. This reflects to Christ’s own suffering and even death for our salvation. I then asked myself, when did I ever labour so hard, against the pains of my body for someone? When did I ever pay attention to these fragile people begging in the streets? When did I care much?

This whole thing occurred only about 3 minutes in Star Mart. But I continuously ask, why does this move me so much? Why does the scene move me to tears? Maybe it’s God’s way of reminding us to fall in love for something or someone greater than your own selves, a love that conquers our pains or his way of twitching us to care more for those who are vulnerable and fragile.

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

Tomorrow Morning

There is always something special about waking up early morning. The thought of rising before the sun always gives me that sensational feeling to start the day right. Waking up in the break of dawn, inhaling the cool morning breeze, smelling the hot coffee at the breakfast table, seeing the neighbors warm up all seem to fit a perfect picture of a great day. I think the mysticism that lies in early mornings comes from the very simple truth that at the end of the previous day, all we have is tomorrow morning.

So in the dawn of semestral break, i hope to relive my previous routing of waking up early morning. A great start permits the good to flow in every part of the day.

History of Economic Thought Class

One exam down! Not just any exam, this is one of our majors and in a way, one of the most demanding in terms of reading requirements. Our Business Economics 2: History of Economic Thought is over and with it, the endless nights of reading scribbles printed in voluminous papers. I have not really surveyed how my block mates feel about this major but one thing for sure as far as I am concerned, this is one of the most interesting subjects. I should have warned you that history interests me a lot and that is an understatement. So it is not difficult for me to appreciate such a subject. If there is anything this subject has taught me, it is to appreciate the evolution of the human idea towards his material world. If I could just sew the entire history of economic thought and breathe life to it, I could create a living diorama of the entire human civilization from the Old Testament to the Keynesian revolution. The entire subject showed me how man consistently respond or react to an ever-changing consciousness and material environment. Some ideas are born out of anger, others out of a present need. Regardless of the source and differences of these ideas, they all worked together to incubate new ones and that process is in play from the very start of civilization and has become the engine of its development. The world is a living arena of ideas. They are like fighting gladiators whose strength comes from reason and applicability. They outwit each other; they battle each other for the loyalty of the human mind. This is a magnificent spectacle and this is what the history of economic thought showed me.

The Role of Filipino Youth - A talk in SM

I would like to start off with this question: “why do we young people need to get involved?” I’ll give three basic reasons why we need to get involved. First, there is present and clear need. The nation needs us more than ever by virtue of the problems that we see plaguing our country. Second, we are in the best position to help. When I say we, I mean we, the people listening here. We are the once who are educated, who have the opportunity to listen to these kinds of things and the opportunity to learn against the millions of our peers who can’t afford to even go to school. You have the upper hand and it is our moral obligation to make good use out of it. We also have the overflowing creativity and idealism that can be channelled towards change and development. And the third reason is our very future is at stake. The very future we are hoping, we are building now maybe at stake. These three basic reasons should at least compel to do something and this then moves to our roles we young people can assume in this present time.

The first role we can conveniently take is the ideas generator. This role flows from our natural creativity and innovativeness as young people. Let us then employ this advantage of being unburdened by the past and fresh in the present for the development of our people. Let us use or art, our music, our social networks and fuse it with our creativity to spread the message of action. Second role I can deduce is being the mass catalysts for change. By the sheer size in terms of population and energy in terms of idealism, we can literality move mountains. So for us to do that, we should begin to think that we are the primary change agents and with that mind set, it is easy for the millions of youth to unite for action. So let us channel our idealism and energy into cause/civic groups, student organizations, community or church groups that exposes us to how it is to help build our nation. Lastly, we should in a way, influence our elders. Oftentimes, we overturn the rules of nature by influencing our elders, our older leaders through our good deeds and that great sense of hope so they maybe constantly reminded who they are labouring for – that is our future. So constantly communicate to your parents, share your hopes and your dreams because maybe just maybe, they could get extra energy and inspiration to work harder for our country.

This is a very beautiful prayer by Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador. He was assassinated on March 24, 1980, while celebrating Mass in a small chapel in a cancer hospital where he lived. He had always been close to his people, preached a prophetic gospel, denouncing the injustice in his country and supporting the development of popular and mass organizations. He became the voice of the Salvadoran people when all other channels of expression had been crushed by the repression.

He is also the role model for the Sixes in the enneagram. I can relate so much to this prayer because it talks about a never ending mission, our labor here on earth. I wish to share it to you!


It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
It may be incomplete,
but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation
in realizing that. This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.

Amen.

Sino ang Atenista???

Was about to leave Xavier University when a grimy old man approached him. The complete stranger asked him to buy him some ice water. To his surprise, that old man was bleeding, blood flowing from his forehead and there was a noticeable burse in his face. The student caught by surprised abandoned his intention to go home and decided to help this old man. His instinct led him to go to the Rizal Hospital knowing that the service there is free since the money he had was just enough for him to travel home. From the front gate they travelled all the way to the back but only faced a locked gate. His second option was the Loyola house, residence of the Jesuits. Unfortunately, the porter told him that nobody was home. So the distressed student has lost all thinkable options but thankfully enough, in that moment the porter spoke and suggested to call the KKP Director’s office instead.

After Sir Ermin and I finished a fruitful conversation inside his office, the phone rang. I wondered who the caller was since I noticed a slight change of tone of Sir Ermin’s voice. I got patches of information from his replies and made the assumption that it is something of an emergency. Once the call was over, he shared what it was all about. I felt shivers climb up my spine.

I immediately recalled our earlier conversation. We talked about ways to creatively foster a deeper appreciation of Atenean values and behold, as we where talking about it, this student was living it out in that very moment.

He then arrived at the KKP office. Since he has no extra cash, the office provided assistance. He accompanied the old man to the Hospital. His deed did not just stop there; he went all the way to accompany the old man back to his home in Carmen. This is magis.

Atenean heroes are true and living. The amazing story of this student highlighted the truth that a Good Samaritan still does exist. I hope his story serves as an inspiration for all of us ateneans. May his story emphasize that our identity as ateneans is not so much defined by our status, the way we speak, academic loyalty, or even wearing all ateneo shirts and accessories but it is defined by our DEEDS coming from a true concern for others especially the poor.

A message to Freshmen FFP leaders

I got an accidental chance to share a very brief testimonial to a large group of freshmen students for ACLD. When I saw them, I got reminded of my own freshmen year – a year of emotional ironies; from excitement to anxieties, passivity and seriousness. But in that gathering, there is one thing that holds them together. That somehow, they demonstrated a sense of leadership in their class which led them to take the position of FFP team leader.

Reviewing the road I took, I can really now say that this first opportunity to lead has tremendous value. You see, I never had that opportunity to “shepherd” eager classmates in my first year. I could recall our team leader always checking our attendance and requirements, plotting the dates of our group prayer and sharing, and delegating tasks for the numerous projects of FFP. These are the very basic of leadership and this can all well be nurtured in your given position.

In our sharing, I think it is an understatement to say that we have overemphasized the process of self-mastery. We are trained to marry the process and it is an absolute necessity in leadership. So I begin by encouraging all freshmen to explore their surroundings, get to know new people aside from your high school friends or block mates (ACLD network is one good venue), and get to engage with different opportunities offered by the school and your community (FFP immersion, outreach, NSTP). These are great venues to discover the miracle of you. I say this with the assumption that you posses a degree of confidence and people skill that made you a “leader” in the first place.

I also suggest that you keenly observe your surroundings and start spotting areas where you feel you can do something about and if you want to involve in a student organization, I believe there are already existing organizations that are geared towards amending these areas for improvements. In this process, you can link your personal interests and the area of change you want to work for in your college years.

That is my advice. I believe college can be lived to the fullest if you take an extra mile to consciously know yourself and with that knowledge and appreciation that goes with it, translate it to concrete acts of service for others. Aside from this basic notion, a deeper reason exists that I found very important once you start your leadership journey in Xavier. It is knowing that we are all educated or pulled out from society in a sense so we can learn and every time we return to society (the real world outside the walls of XU) it is a moral duty for us to translate that education into works of justice – making a difference in the lives of others. Four years in Xavier is too short for a freshman with a flaming heart to lead and serve. Start now.

Doable Heroism

(late post) This day, we speak about the idea of heroism and the traits that goes along with it. This word bears tremendous value for me since it is one of the pillars of Ignatian Leadership as described by Chris Lowney in his book “Heroic Leadership”. In his words, he spoke of heroism as “energizing yourself and others with heroic ambitions and a passion for excellence.” Having this in mind, I would like to have this opportunity to share my own appropriation of heroism as a student in Xavier University.

When I hear the word heroism, the instant idea that comes into mind is “sacrifice”. I believe that mere mortals become heroes because some point in their lives, they made great sacrifices for the common good. In a blink, names such as Rizal, Bonifacio, and Ninoy surfaces when I think about heroes and any man can rationalize that they became heroes because they gave their lives for a cause greater than their selves. Now, I came to understand that the magnanimity of heroism does not necessarily come from acts of giving one’s life (literally dying) but it speaks of all forms of actions contemplated for the greater good and animated beyond the bounds of comfort and safety. Speaking in the context of being a student, I think that a call to be heroic can be very well exercised in our learning, in our relationships and in our great journey of self discovery.

Heroism and Self Awareness

I am a loyalist, a 6 in the Enneagram. My type’s need is to have a sense of security from the perilous world. This is the reason why when I find an organization or a cause that I can trust and believe in, I stick with it undyingly and even reach to a point of blind obedience. In my reflection, I saw that I was trying to fulfil a heroic deed when I consciously and intently try to loose away from that sense of security and direct guidance from a group that has become synonymous with my identity. I know that I am breaking away from neither the cause nor the relationships but I am breaking away from that sense of security, familiarity, and comfortableness that would have solidified my compulsions more if I would not confront it. I intently moved into an uncharted territory plagued by uncertainty and instability – the very thing that we sixes fear. In a personal level, that is a simple attempt to be heroic which is facing my underlying fear and breaking my own security for a greater good. That greater good is redemption which hopes to capacitate me to be freer.

Heroism and relationships

I never had a girlfriend before so I speak in the context of NGFSB paradigm which pretty much gravitates around the idea of non-romantic relationships and the “kuya pa help” relationships. I believe working in the context is all about offering your help for others in the form of tutoring, help in their projects, help them in a certain degree facilitate their own struggles and countless others. I speak as if I am public property but in a sense it is close to that. With my relative freedom, I can offer myself readily to others. I believe my challenge is to always be ready to give and to give more and this is simple heroism.

Heroism and Learning

One subject I can instantly recall is a minor subject. TAX 1 is a dreaded subject for me because I simply find it hard to comprehend it. It takes ample amount of brain energy to remember all the necessary elements needed to identify certain taxable categories. Now I believe this is where heroism can be exercised. It is exercised when I achieve to completely eradicate that minor-major mentality which is common among us. I should treat all subjects in equal weight and this should be reflected in the amount of time allotted for its study and mastery. By going against that psychological inertia, I can begin to build a momentum that hopefully will lead me to get better grades – a personal heroic deed of challenging deeply seated mentalities.

So again, I hope that I somehow simplified the magnanimity of heroism into doable acts that can very well exercise in a personal sphere. But in the end, the highest call of heroism is really giving ourselves, sacrificing and sharing our selves to something greater than our own – an in our Catholic context, for the God and his people (The Kingdom of God).