nasan si lola yosi?

bago ko simulan ang kwento ko, lilinawin ko munang hindi ako nagyoyosi dahil sa personal na mga kadahilanan. nakiki "lola yosi" lang ako kasi yun ang tawag sa kanya ng mga schoolmates ko. sya kasi ang bilihan ng yosi ng mga tao sa school. pero bukod sa yosi ay nagtitinda din sya ng kendi at bubblegum na sya namang binibili ng mga taong gaya ko. pero masagwa naman kung tatawagin ko syang lola kendi di ba? at nakakahiya din naman kasing habang bumibili ako ng v-fresh o kaya ng maxx e bigla kong tanungin ang pangalan nya. baka sabihin nya feeling close pa 'ko di ba? kaya naki lola yosi na lang ako.

eto na ang kwento..

naglalakad ako kanina papuntang CAS ng matripan kong ngumuya ng bubblegum. pagdating ko sa brickwall, nalungkot ako kasi wala si lola yosi sa kanyang madalas na pinepwestuhan dun sa may tapat ng gate ng school. naalala kong ilang araw na nga pala syang wala dun. sabi ni aldie wala nga daw si lola yosi sa labas ng school nung mga nakaraan. ako'y nagtaka at nangamba. ano ang nangyari kay lola?

ayokong mag isip ng masama. pag may nakakita kay lola, pakibalitaan naman ako.

lola yosi, wer na u?!

for Mr. Brown Eyes

I know you but you don’t know me,
Guess that’s the way we should be.
Though we’re not exactly strangers,
Never will we be close to lovers.

Don’t know what’s with those brown eyes,
Damn! It puts me into a world of lies.
Never wanted this one way relationship,
Yet you haunt me even in my sleep.

You’ve shared your laughs and heartaches,
And you know? It’s making my heart ache.
You always tell me your worries,
Have you ever listened to my stories?

I’ve tried many times to show that I care,
Sad to say, barely have you been there.
Tried to show the love you’ve been looking for,
Seems that I’m not the one you’re waiting for.

I know I should let this go,
But my heart is screaming no.
Because despite this awful misery,
It’s still you that makes me happy.

Sometimes

Sometimes I dream that I could fly
I wonder how it feels to be somewhere so high
I yearn to see another world
Another childish fantasy, I’m too old!

Sometimes I dream I could travel through time
Be at a moment where all I knew were nursery rhymes
When my tears could be stopped by a pat on the back
Oh how I’d love to go back!

Sometimes I wish that you and I were strangers
If so, I would feel so much better
Sometimes I wish to banish memories of you
But I know I can’t, for my love is true.

tatlong araw

Naisip kong masaya pala kung tatlong araw lang ang pasok ko sa loob ng isang linggo. Bukod sa maraming oras para makapagpahinga at makapag aral. Hindi pa ko gaanong matatagtag sa byahe. Naku next sem talaga gagawin kong 3 days ang pasok ko. Hahahahaha!

kampai!

aaminin ko, tuwing lalabas ako ng classroom ko e mukha nya ang hinahanap ko kahit alam kong hindi ko sya makikita sa dagat ng mga pagmumukhang di ko naman kilala. aaminin ko rin na twing naghahasik ako ng group message e reply lang naman nya ang gusto kong matanggap. pero ayoko nang gawin yun ngayon. at sana nga di ko na gawin. hahaha! goodluck naman sa'kin di ba? ilang beses ko na ba sinabi sa sarili ko pati sa mga kaibigan ko na di ko na gagawin yun? napakarami na, at ni minsan di ko yun tinupad. kamote fries ka joanne, yan lang ang masasabi ko.

ang hirap kasi sa'kin, kahit ata makita ko na lahat ng nakaka turn off sa kanya, parang wala na lang sa'kin. oo, lakas tama na kung lakas tama! haha. pero masaya ako ngayong sem. bakit? kasi alam kong di magkatugma ang sched namin. di ko sya madalas makikita o kaya naman e di ko na talaga sya makikita.

sa wakas, makaka recover na 'ko mula sa kanya. kampai! hahahahaha!

sked ng 1st sem 3rd year

yehey. approved NA NAMAN lahat ng sked ko! ang swerte ko talaga pag dating sa CRS. nyahahaha!

Priority	Class Code	Class	Credits	Schedule	Result
1	75526	ECON 102 MHEGX	4	MTh 1:00p-3:00p Lec GAB-301A	A
2	75550	POL SCI 172 MHB	3	MTh 8:30a-10:00a Lec RH-223	A
3	75566	POL SCI 160 SEG	3	S 1:00p-4:00p Lec GAB-301B	A
4	75583	POL SCI 197 SBYDX	3	S 9:00a-12:00p Lec GAB-208	A
5	75540	PI 100 WBYDX2	3	W 9:00a-12:00p Lec RH-11B	A
6	00000	HUM I	3	marked as a class option in case class restriction is lifted	M

yey!

yehey! ang saya nga grades ko. grabe. pinaghirapan ko yan! ultimo weekend na dapat e nagpapakasaya ako, nag aaral ako. my gulay! hahaha. nawasak ang kaligayahan ko. pero ok lang, at least may napala ako di ba?

2nd semester/2008-2009	Grade	Re-exam	Units/Hrs
NAT SCI 5	1.75	-	3
ECON 101	1.25	-	4
HISTORY 4	1.00	-	3
PHILO 11	1.50	-	3
POL SCI 100	1.75	-	3
POL SCI 150	1.25	-	3
PE 2 TPBW	1.50	-	(2)
*** NO ENTRY FOLLOWS ***	GWA: 1.408 ( GOOD STANDING )		----- 19

nang malasing ang utol ko

Hindi, kaya ko pa ‘to.

Ganyang ganyan ang linya ko nung unang beses akong nagpakalunod sa alak. Masama ang kinahinatnan pero di ko pa rin tinantanan. Pero siguro medyo natauhan na rin ako kaya naisip ko ng mag drop out sa Toma 101. Walang maidudulot na mabuti. Trust me.

Ang storyang ‘to ay tungkol naman sa kapatid ko, yan ang linya nya habang katabi namin sya. Go na go sa alak pero alam mong may tama dahil sa sobrang kulit. Kainuman nya ang tito at tita ko pati ang nanay ko, ako naman e busy sa pag upak sa tsokolateng nadekwat ko at sa pagpili ng sunod kong kakantahin sa videoke. Humingi pa nga sya ng tsokolate ko eh, langyang yan. Ilang trip at halakhak pa ang lumipas, knock out na si kapatid, yumuko na sya at tila ba panandaliang humiwalay ang kaluluwa nya sa katawan nya. Susuka daw yun panigurado. Dedma lang ako nung una pero sabi ng tita ko akayin ko na daw papuntang banyo.

Inakay ko ang kapatid ko papunta ng palikuran. Dinahan dahan ko pa ang lakad kasi naisip ko na baka pag naalog sya mabuti e lalo syang masuka. Di naman sya gaanong mahirap akayin dahil di naman sya nagpabigat, nabubuhat pa nya ang sarili nya. Kaso nga lang, noong abot kamay ko na ang doorknob ng pinto ng banyo…

Huli na pala ang lahat. Nag umpisa nang maghasik ng lagim ang aking kapatid. Di na nya kinaya. Kumalat na sa paanan naming dalawa ang pinaghalong alak, tubig, coke at gastric juices galling sa bituka nya. Amoy pa lang nakakalasing na. Heavy! But wait! There’s more. May namataan din akong buo buong tahong na nakalimutan na ata nyang nguyain sa sobrang kalasingan, may mga noodles ng pansit at kung ano ano pang remnants ng mga pagkaing nilamon nya. Ayos, nasayang lahat ng kinain nya. Ilang libong tao ang namamatay sa gutom di ba? Tas isusuka nya lang. Tsk tsk tsk.

sked for next sem

Desired Number of Units: 19

Priority	Class Code	Class	Credits	Schedule
1	75526	ECON 102 [MHEGX]	4	MTh 1:00p-3:00p Lec GAB-301A
2	75550	POL SCI 172 [MHB]	3	MTh 8:30a-10:00a Lec RH-223
3	75566	POL SCI 160 [SEG]	3	S 1:00p-4:00p Lec GAB-301B
4	75583	POL SCI 197 [SBYDX]	3	S 9:00a-12:00p Lec GAB-208
5	75540	PI 100 [WBYDX2]	3	W 9:00a-12:00p Lec RH-11B
6	00000	HUM I	3	marked as a class option in case class restriction is lifted

yung HUM 1, MHC kukunin ko. kaso restricted pa sya sa ngayon. hehe. ^__^

4 days lang pasok. yeah!

The Poor Dad and the POORER MOM

The Poor Dad and the POORER MOM

An Essay on Women and Poverty

Joanne Michelle C. Lara

2007-28949

Political Science 100

April 2009

Women and Poverty

The unfinished business of the 21^st century is the eradication of poverty (Todaro, 2000). Hunger, deprivation and inequality remain to be the most pressing problems across the globe. Poverty is the ghost that terrorizes third world countries, including the Philippines.

Republic Act 8425 defines the poor as individuals and families whose income fall below the poverty threshold as defined by the government and/or those that cannot afford in a sustained manner to provide their basic needs of food, health, education, housing and other amenities of life. According to the National Statistics Coordination Board, 30 out of 100 Filipino families in 2003 had income short of the minimum cost of satisfying the basic requirements for living (2007).

As the world spins, many Filipinos suffer from hunger and deprivation. They hold no certainty on what may unfold on the next sunrise. Their existence can be voided at any point in time. Yes, they still struggle to open their eyes every morning but most of them have ceased to hope for a better tomorrow. For them, death is the only finish line of their suffering. For years the Philippine archipelago is a witness to this social massacre. Filipinos die with their stomachs unfilled for days, they die with illnesses left untreated. They die not because they do not have the will to live but because they are deprived of the means to survive. Poverty is a facet of this nation that is really heartbreaking. It will always leave questions hanging. It will make people search for someone or something to put the blame on.

Why should people suffer in such inhumane ways? Are the country’s resources inadequate to provide the needs of these people? Or is it just that the world is destined to be unjust?

Everyday unfortunate people can be seen running along the streets with their rolling stores, driving pedicabs, sweeping off dried sediments in the streets – they are the overworked yet underpaid class. They are the workers unprotected by the law. They are laborers treated in unjust ways but left with no choice but to deal with it. However, there are still people who suffer at the extremes. Children left unsheltered, women with the look of a human being deprived of food for more than a year, men dressed in mud and grease – these are the realities that are not worth accepting and yet they are real, tangible things. These people are the ones who have literally nothing at all.

Within the poorest of the people, there would always be someone poorer. If some people eat once a day, there are others who barely eat in a week. If some people live in slums, others sleep cold sidewalks. These are the faces of poverty. They are the people deprived of the basic things necessary for survival. They are the people who thirst for resolution at the soonest possible time.

The dilemma of this nation is how to quench these thirsts. Although the Philippine government is putting on efforts to alleviate poverty, history has proven that government actions were never enough. Poverty is still the AIDS virus waiting to be cured.

Still there is greater deprivation inculcated within the most economically battered class in the country. Inside the walls of impoverished homes lies another oppressed human being, a woman. Women constitute the largest minority group in the world. They are socially disadvantaged and discriminated against, thus occupying a subordinate status and enjoying only marginal positions in their respective societies (Nolasco, 1987). If we compared the lives of the inhabitants of the poorest communities across the developing world, we would discover that virtually everywhere, women and children experience the harshest deprivation (Todaro, 2000).

Article 2, Section 14 of the Philippine Constitution states that the State recognizes the role of women in nation building and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of women and men. There is also a wide array of laws advocating for the fair and equal treatment of Filipinos within the societal framework, regardless of their gender. If this is the case, then why are poor women poorer and more miserable than men? Why do mothers suffer more than their husbands?

Most women living below the poverty line work in the informal sector which is generally outside the effective reach of the whole range of existing protective labor legislations as well as government programs to improve working conditions and environment (National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women, 1985). Women who work in factories set up by multinational corporations are mostly underpaid because labor is made cheaper for they are women (Nolasco, 1987). Still, more women seek employment besides doing domestic responsibilities due to the increasing burden of supporting large families that barely makes ends meet. They resort to different highways, whether or not they are adequately paid or treated with fairness in the workplace (Poverty, 2002).

Another reason why women are poorer is that our cultural values exert extreme pressure on the woman to keep her from active participation in the world affairs, putting her to “where she belongs” – the home (Nolasco, 1987). While the man brings home the bacon, the woman only cooks the bacon, literally. Although in reality, the poorest of the poor can afford no bacon. There are even instances that constrain them from eating at all. But among all the members of the household, the most malnourished is the mother (Nolasco, 1987). This is because most of the food goes to the husband, who works for a living, and their children. This is one of the millions of sacrifices a mother has to make in order to sustain her family. And this is one aspect of the patriarchal dominance in most Filipino families.

Women have less access to education, formal sector employment, social security and government employment programs. These realities combine to ensure that poor women’s financial resources are inadequate and unsound relative to men’s (Todaro, 2000). Poor women are more economically unstable for two reasons. One is that the arena in which they work is not subjected to the laws provided by the State to ensure the recognition of their rights as female laborers. Another is that they are not even given the chance to work and earn a living but instead they are confined within the four walls of the house performing unpaid labor.

The subordination of women is a disturbing reality that is unconsciously constructed within the Filipino society. There are people enclosed in the mentality that women are lesser forms of humanity. These people believe that the female species lack the capacity of maximizing their resources given the chance to do so. This is the reason why they are deprived of holistic control over their economic capabilities. This is the reason why male employers pinpoint the weaknesses of women and use it against them. This is the reason why women are barred from full participation in the public and private sphere. This is the reason why most husbands dominate the family in one way or the other.

Poverty in the Philippines is not a new area of concern. It is a problem that was inherited and passed on from generations to generations. It unveils a sense of urgency. It is a social disease that needs an immediate remedy. However, poverty paves way to yet another sensitive issue. The existence of equality within the boundaries of the marginalized is subjected to bouts of questioning. This is the case of the woman, and more often than not, the mother. To address this quandary, the roots of the problem must be traced and destroyed. The cultural structure that imprisons women is in great need of scrupulous restructuring.

Research Approach

The study on women and poverty should be leaning on the anthropological approach to be able pin down the reasons for this predicament. It would be best to trace the roots of the subordination of women in order to know what aspects of the society should be modified or destroyed. The process by which women were overshadowed through the course of history should be highlighted.

Deciphering laws regarding the welfare of women would not seem very effective in understanding the tenets of gender inequality. Through the different eras of colonization, anti women laws were transformed into more gender sensitive laws. Nevertheless, the existence of these laws proved to be unhelpful in alleviating the suppression of women. In order to explain the situation of women today, we should look beyond these laws. The stories which are embedded in these laws might be more helpful than the laws per se. Then again, it could not be denied that a thorough study of the shifts in laws will help in expounding the research.

Although rational choice is a factor in eclipsing the image of women, there are reasons which are deeper and more complicated than reason itself. The consent of a woman might deem necessary in limiting her activities within the home. It is the choice of employers to choose men over women when hiring new participants in the labor force. But, it shall not be neglected that there are factors why a person chooses one thing over the other. It is mainly the cultural construction of the Filipinos that influences these valued choices. In this patriarchal society, some women might accept the fact that their roles are limited as housewives or as lowly paid laborers while some men believe that men are way better than women in terms of everything. The choices they made are not purely the results of their value judgments but rather the prescriptions of the society in which they are situated.

Observing the current behavior of men and women living below the poverty line will help in predicting their actions and patterns of decision making but like the other approaches, this cannot dig the origin of women’s subordination. Nonetheless, delving the behavior of people will help in establishing causation in a relatively short timeframe. For instance, when there is a shortage of food within the family, it is more likely that the mother will eat less or none at all in order for the other members of the family to have their share. This behavior can exhibit regularities then further explain the cause of high malnutrition incidents in women. But it cannot explain the reason why women came to this point of existence.

The use of the normative theory will be advantageous in formulating a solution to the problem. In this approach, there would be an in dept analysis of the present situation and then a concrete plan of action will be devised afterwards. But similar to the rational choice, behavioral, and institutional perspectives, there would be a missing piece in the puzzle if the research would be limited to these approaches. These perspectives focus on the present situations and how certain factors shape the movement of the society. They fail to investigate what existed prior to the status quo.

In explaining the issue on women and poverty, it is necessary to expound on the roots of the problem, to illustrate and explain the current situation, and to formulate strategies on how to reach the equilibrium state of the society. To do this, the anthropological approach should be the major framework. Other approaches should be incorporated to the framework in order to broaden the scope of the study. Law, culture, tradition, attitude and government policies determine the status of a woman in a society (Feliciano, 1996). Therefore these areas should be studied. And at the end of the research, recommendations should be made to picture out the ideal state of the society.

Is culture the real reason why women are subordinated?

Prior to the age of colonization, gender equality was never an issue in the Filipino society. Customary law gave firm recognition to the principle of equality of the sexes. They have the right to property and divorce. And in case of separation, they were entitled to a share of conjugal earnings depending on the circumstances (Feliciano, 1996).

The advent of Spanish colonizers transformed the Filipino culture in such a way that women’s rights were banished. The introduction of Spanish customs, religion and laws imposed numerous restraints and disabilities on the woman’s freedom (Feliciano, 1996). Filipinas were denied from full participation in social life and had been subordinated to the Filipino male (Nolasco, 1987). All their actions can only be carried out with the consent of their husbands.

Women were not granted equal rights to education. Although they are allowed to enter school, their curriculum served as extensions of household chores. While boys took up Spanish, Geography and History, girls were required to take subjects “suited to their sex” such as deportment and needlecraft (Feliciano, 1996). Not to mention that education during that time was limited to that of the privileged class.

Spain transformed the Filipinas’ image from being strong and free to being weak, helpless and incapacitated. This forced them to succumb to the power of the male species. The laws were changed and certain beliefs were tweaked through the course of history. But the scars left by 300 years of sadistic occupation were never erased. This is the reason why the female species continue to be sullied. Filipinos have developed a mentality that confines women inside the box. It has evolved into a bad habit and a firm belief. And this is something that we are aiming to shatter.

Does poverty lead to women’s subordination?

It will be absurd to ignore the gender dimensions of poverty for it has huge impacts on the goals of human development. However, these two dimensions do not establish causality right of the bat. Poverty does not necessarily lead to women’s subordination and not all women’s subordination is due to poverty. Other factors such as class and educational attainment should be taken into consideration (Sayson, 2008).

In the case of the Philippines, women are subordinated for three major reasons. First is by virtue of their sex, them being women. The second is them being a member of a definite social class. And third is them being as citizen of this country. The Filipino, regardless of gender, is continually being oppressed due to the political and economic conditions of the country. Citizens living below the poverty line suffer further due to their membership to the unprivileged social class. And the Filipina, by virtue of her sex, is constrained by the cultural deformations of this country (Nolasco, 1987).

Poverty intensifies the deprivations experienced by women. The female species might be underprivileged in whatever social class or nation she belongs, but depriving her of the basic needs for survival and denying her of self preservation makes things worse.

Is it possible to shatter our culture?

There is a great level of difficulty in reconstructing belief systems and culture. It is inconvenient to change existing ways of life. But if people will let themselves be prisoners of these ideologies, the hope for a better nation should be thrown away at once. No country will progress if it is dominated by closed minded people. No country can move on if it is trapped by the nightmares of the past.

This is not a battle of men against women. It is not a battle between the rich and the poor. This is a war against inequality; a war against the ideologies that caged our being. It is a fight in which each and every Filipino should partake.

Alleviating poverty does not provide an assurance of empowering women in the same way that empowering women does not ensure improved standards of living. But if people will work hand in hand to combat poverty and inequality, if everyone will do their share, if every one will show that they care, nothing is impossible.

Bibliography

Feliciano, Myrna (1996). The Filipina: A Historical Legal Perspective. In Women’s Role in Philippine History: Selected Essays. pp. 22-51, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.

National Commission on the Role of Filipino Women (1985). The Women’s Decade in the Philippines: Analysis of Significant Changes in Women’s Role and Status. Manila, Philippines.

National Statistics Coordination Board (2007). FAQs on Official Poverty Statistics of the Philippines, Makati City Philippines. Retrieved from http://www.nscb.gov.ph/poverty/default.asp

Nolasco, Cynthia (1987). The Women Problem: Gender, Class and State Oppression. In Mananzan, Mary John (Ed.), Essays on Women, pp 80-89, Manila, Philippines.

Poverty, many dependents drive women to seek out work (April 19, 2002). Manila Bulletin, p. M4.

Sayson, Jiah Labajo (2008). Poverty Alleviation, Women Empowerment, and Social Protection: Promises of Microcredit as a Development Alternative. In University of San Carlos Graduate Journal, Cebu City Philippines.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution.

Todaro, Michael (2000). Economic Development 7^th Edition. USA.