Twitter: Boon or Bane?

Social Networking Sites like Facebook, Friendster, Multiply, Plurk and Twitter have been invading the internet since the start of the 21^st century. Take Twitter for instance which has been around since July 2006 and has been a trend in countries like the United States where it originated. It instantly became famous with Hollywood celebrities, politicians and even ordinary people.

However, twitter only became a trend in the Philippines sometime on the year 2009. Some say twitter became a replacement for social media site Friendster who slowly became obsolete in the later years. Twitter consumption in the country is rising every year.

Tweeps (twitter users) are very much surprised upon reading a tweet from COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez last September 7, 2012 that COMELEC Chairman Sixto Brillantes, Jr. has already joined the world of Twitter which the latter confirmed the following day. This was even featured in GMA News online with the title “Never too old to tweet: Comelec Chairman Brillantes now on Twitter”.

Imagine, at the age of 72 years old, Chairman Brillantes showed Filipino netizens that having a Twitter account does not have an age requirement. To think that in the present age, senior citizens are already considered as way past the internet age. But what is impressive that more and more old people become active in SNS despite their age. Despite their apparent lack of computer skills, senior citizens are turning to SNS as a hobby.

From 4 to 34 followers in less than 4 minutes, Chairman Brillantes is really attracting more and more tweeps to follow him on Twitter. Comparing to this generation who started using the twitter at such a young age, 72 years old is already way past being a senior citizen but still Chairman Brillantes was able to grasp how Twitter works.

With SNS, everything is possible for whomever, whenever, and wherever.

Party - List System: Marginalized or Personal Gain?

Marginalized sectors in the Philippines include the self-employed or those working in family workshops, jeepneys drivers, rural workers like fisherfolks, farmers, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, elderly, handicapped, women, youth, and such other sectors as may be provided by law, except the religious sector (Section 5(2), Article VI of the 1987 Constitution; Section 5, RA 7941). The nature and operation of their work are beyond the scope and reach of government legislation and regulations on labor as there are no employer-employee relationships.

The 1987 Constitution clearly provides the marginalized sectors a chance to be represented in the House of Representatives. Each party-list group is required to pass a list of nominees who will represent them when they won in the election. In addition to the usual requirements like being a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, able to read and write, the nominees must belong to the marginalized sector they represent (Section 9 of RA 7941).

(C) http://static.rappler.com/images/housereps-partylist-complete-20130622.jpg

These rules and guidelines should be followed to the letter. Failure to pass the requirements should be subject to disqualification. COMELEC has the authority and the full implementing powers to disqualify these party-list groups.

Through the years, the party-list system has been repeatedly abused and misused. Either the marginalized sectors being represented in the House of Representatives are not so marginalized anymore or the Representative is not as marginalized as he thinks he is.

Last year, the Ang Galing Pinoy party-list have been disqualified by the COMELEC due to failure to pass evidence to justify their accreditation and participation in the May 2013 elections. Ever since after the filing of candidacies and the May 2010 elections, Ang Galing Pinoy has been under heavy fire for its first choice nominee, Mikey Arroyo, son of former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Detractors accused the son of using the party-list to secure another term in the House of Representatives. Facts clearly show that he is not even a security guard or a driver that APG is representing. Even the other nominees of APG do not fall under the category of the marginalized sector. This made others speculate that the party-list is just a front for the Arroyos.

The party-list system has truly evolved as a money-making scheme for some politicians. It has deviated from its original purpose of representing the marginalized sector. AGP and Representative Mikey Arroyo should be disqualified and the slot be given to other party-list groups who are more deserving and are really serving the marginalized sector they represent.

(C) http://cpcabrisbane.org/Kasama/2003/V17n3/PartyList.htm

COMELEC should be vigilant and strict in giving party-list groups the authorization and go signal to participate in the elections. They should constantly check the status of these organizations. Party-list groups should pass their accreditation papers before given the authorization to run for election.

Time will come that the party-list system will really live out to its mission of representing and serving the marginalized sectors. Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give to the marginalized what belongs to the marginalized.

Night Out: Stress Reliever or Addiction?

College is the last part of an individual’s education. This is the final stage before he or she goes out into the world, find work, and raise a family. They say that college will define you future because whatever decision you make in choosing your course will make an impact in your life after graduation in choosing a job.

Everyone would agree when we say that college is not easy. It is full of challenges and problems which are not present in elementary and high school. All your decisions in college is very important as it can affect your education and your grades. A person can only breathe easily when he or she is wearing the black toga of a graduate and receives his or her diploma.

What is the hardest part of college anyway? A question with many answers, as in many answers. But majority would answer this question with exams. Prelims, Midterms, Finals define the learnings that a student has made within the semester. Whatever answers a student has in his or her test paper shows what he or she was able to comprehend from his or her lessons. That is why students consider exams as a huge problem in college life. All are busy in studying and preparing for the exams especially final examinations. No malling, no shopping, no watching of movies, no recreation! Just books, notes and photocopies!

(C) http://gallery.asiantown.net/v/t3yg/Exams-are-more-fun-in-Philippines

But the fun part always starts right after the last exam. It has already been proven and tested that right after examinations, hang-out spots here in Iloilo City are always filled with students enjoying themselves to the fullest. Smallville always overflows with students from different universities right after exams. It is truly a night out without any school works to think about. No more exams, no more assignments.

(C) http://www.bonzon-travel.com/2012/06/we-decided-to-take-night-trip-out-in.html

This has already been a culture here in Iloilo City. A culture easily adopted by students of all ages. Even first year students are already into this culture. Young as they are, they can already bear witness that what I have written is true.

Try to observe the students during the last day of exams. As early as the morning, they are already planning on where to go and what to wear. I doubt if the test is in their minds while taking the last exams for the day. I know that. I’ve been there, done that.

We can’t blame them, it is already the culture of even professionals to go and hang out with friends after a stressful day at work or at home. It is already normal to see young and old alike hanging out especially in urban areas like Iloilo City. What more in Metro Manila.

(C) http://nm2u.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/230/

A culture that is hard to break but not hard to avoid. If you have the discipline in you, then you would choose not to go or otherwise. But it won’t hurt to go out with friends once in a while. It refreshes your mind and makes you forget your problems. 

However, this becomes wrong when you do it daily. It is already an addiction. An addiction which truly is hard to break and much harder to avoid.