Society And Media Influence

Are your choices being influenced by the media and by the society? The media is a very potent medium of changing mindsets. Just take the case of tri-media advertisement (or should I say quad-media including the Internet?) which promotes and sells products. Constant bombardment to certain products and ideas are bound to influence your choices sooner or later.

How about the society? How often do you rely on your friend's recommendation even on simple things like soap or even the food you eat? Examine your life. Examien you choices. Then decide how your life is being run by society and by the media.

Rediscovering Song Writing And Suzanne Vega

I have always liked the songs of Suzanne Vega but that was a long, long time ago when I still had the luxury of listening to my favorite CDs. One of her songs which really made an indelible mark in my subconscious is "Luka". My interpretation of the song is of an abused child or an abused woman. What would you conclude with this lyrics..."they only hit until you cry, after that you don't ask why; you dont' argue anymore.."

I lost my Luka CD but then the song remained. Several years forward. I was reading the New York Times earlier when I saw Suzanne Vega's column "Measure for Measure--How To Write A Song And Other Mysteries". I did not know until now that aside from being the voice behind her songs, she was also the writer and the composer. And I was right, the inspiration behind the song is a neighbor, a boy who was not really abused but was queer or just different from the other kids.

I found a commonality between Suzanne and me, knowing that she composed her own songs and that she is now a columnist of the NYT. I used to compose songs while in College and even became one of the 10 finalists in the Awitenista. However, Suzanne wrote the melody first then the lyrics. My method was different. I write the lyrics and the words first to go with the melody then a friend who knows how to get the chords will do the rest. But like me, she also did not know how to read chords.

Braga Blames Land Conversion, Imports For Scarcity Of Rice

Councilor Pilar Braga yesterday blamed land conversion from agriculture to housing and industrial use and the continued importation of rice as the culprits behind the present rice shortage in the country. However, she clarified that there is no rice shortage, only a rice-land shortage.

Braga also blamed the government's stance in discouraging people from becoming farmers by "discouraging agriculture as a way of life" leading to the closure of farming and agricultural schools in the country.

This reminded me of that time several years ago when the entry of the University of the Philippines in Mindanao is still being debated and protested by various universities here saying the state-financed university will only duplicate the existing courses being offered by the Mindanao institutions.

The defense of UP then was that they will offer different courses to differentiate itself to the other institutions. Several years later, UPMindanao is offering almost the same courses being offered by the other institutions like SocSci, Mathematics, Architecture, etc. Perhaps, introducing courses that are being offered by UP Los Baños will help in making sure that the country will produce better farmers in the years to come.

However, at the rate UPMindanao is going where politicking is a way of life and administrative officers are changed one after the other this may still be a long wait.

Davao City Council Approves Local Dev't. Plan For Children

The city government voted 18 to 4 to approve the Davao City Local Development Plan for Children despite a warning and an appeal from Archbishop Fernando Capalla. In a pastoral letter, Capalla warned the councilors that exerting moral pressure on their subordinates to adopt the LDPC "may create public scandal and thereby making themselves openly unworthy to receive the Sacraments."

The resolution to adopt the LDPC is authored by councilor Angela Librado who tried to combat the allegations made by the oppositors of the resolution led by religious groups. Capalla said LDPC is "dangerous and detrimental" because it is in the guise of reproductive health and safe pregnancy and it:

mocks parental authority

belittles the value of family

denigrates the virtue of chastity

makes available all contraceptives to children from 0 to 18 years old

promotes pre-marital sex and promiscuity

Librado however said she does not know where the Archbishop got his information because nowhere in the several pages of the resolution can she find the alleged matters. She said on the contrary, the resolution aims to promote better parental authority and guidance. The city council will by any means approve a resolution that promotes abortion and promiscuity.

Vice mayor Sara Duterte prevented all efforts to delay voting on the resolution saying Capalla was invited during the committee hearings but he did not come and instead sent a representative so it could not be said that the church was not part of the consultation process.

Duterte said the approval of the resolution just proved the separation of the church and state.

No Rice Shortage In RP

Is there a rice shortage in the Philippines? Answering this question can be tricky. Rice shortage means the supply of rice is not enough to feed the population. if this is your definition of rice shortage then there is no rice shortage in the Philippines because there is plenty of rice supply both local and imported. However, the answer should not stop there.

While sustainable agriculture should be looked into by the Arroyo government to avoid a rice shortage from really happening in the future, it should go deeper and look into the cause of the seemingly rice shortage in the country. There is no rice shortage. However, you can bet your breakfast that the price of rice is really skyrocketing and this is the problem.

The price of every commodity in the country is rising but the spending power of the Filipinos is running the opposite direction. Ideally, a directly proportional increase between the price of goods and the spending power of the people will not result to a rice shortage. The problem is, the rise in the price of rice is inversely proportional with wage.

Look at all the poor families lining up to get NFA rice. There is enough rice supply but not enough to lower the price of rice. Rule of Economics. If there is great demand with less supply, price will go up. If there is great demand but with ample supply then price will remain stable. If the Filipino have enough money to fill their pockets then there wouldn't be families lining up to get their day's supply of NFA rice. They would rather go to SM or wherever their pockets will lead them

In the end, it is still a problem of the Filipinos being too poor.

Writers' Strike

When America sneezes, the whole world catches a cold. This has been proven time and again with the changing economic status of the Philippines everytime the dollar moves. However, the influence wielded by the US of A has also been proven during the long writers' strike when Filipinos got lost lookign for their favorite imported TV shows.

McDonalds Now In Digos City

If McDonalds is an indicator of a promising economy (since a franchise costs millions and no one will invest in a place where he coudl not get his ROI) then Digos City has arrived. Passed by the city last weekend and there it was---the proverbial junkie outlet which is patronized by a lot of people--McDonald's.

Jollibee has been in Digos for years now so McDonald's will be a refreshing change for those who have gotten tired of seeing the busy bee.

This is a bad shot but I was rushing since I did not expect to see this one. Unfortunately it was already difficult to stop and get photos since we were in a hurry and we did not want to cause a traffic.