Speed Demons: A Growing Menace

Having a car is already a necessity for some people. Having a car gives you an edge against those people taking public transportation. You can get to your destination quicker than those riding a jeep or a tricycle. You can pass through shortcuts unlike jeepneys that have to follow a designated route.

However, having a car can also be a factor for vehicular accidents. You have to admit that not all drivers are careful in driving. Some would drive as if they are the only people on the road, speeding up to 100 Kph on a 40 Kph road. We call them speed demons.

These speed demons do not think of the welfare of other people. Are they aware that they are courting danger through the way they drive?  Why are there such drivers? More and more drivers add to this list every day. Thus, more and more vehicular accidents happen every day.

These speed demons deserve to be placed on a stationery car parked in the middle of the road which will then be hit by a speeding ten-wheeler truck. What would they feel if they are in this position? Will they also feel the fear and the dread? Will they also grab the rosary in the dashboard and pray incoherently? This kind of people should have a taste of their own medicine. They contribute a large percent to the increasing number of vehicular accidents.

What is the Land Transportation Office (LTO) doing to lessen the number of vehicular accidents? They should be more critical in their efforts to maintain the order in the roads especially near populated areas where accidents of pedestrians being hit are increasing. They should advocate responsible and safe driving. More so, the traffic enforcers should be strict in enforcing the traffic rules and regulations.

Bullying...a rising problem in schools

Merriam – Webster Dictionary defines school as “an institution or organization for learning which provides instruction or what we call as education“.

          Simply put, the school is supposedly the second home of a child while he is growing up. Starting from kindergarten up to college, a child goes to school to learn, discover and achieve. Teachers are highly trained in order to teach these children what they need to know. These very same teachers serve as a child’s second parents in school. They become the moulders of the children’s future.

          But this definition of school is slowly being challenged by the emerging problem in elementary and secondary schools in the country, Bullying. Webster defines bullying as “the act of intimidating a weaker person to make them do something against their will”. School becomes the survival of the fittest and the strongest, and downfall of the weakest.

          Why did I choose to write about this topic?

          It is simple. I was also a victim of bullying when I was in elementary and high school. Yes, this is true. I might be what you can call a “siga” nowadays but I was also once a bullied kid. School bullies especially those big bodied kids, the rich and popular kids would usually pick on me when they get bored. Since I was sickly and fragile when I was in elementary, I became one of the favourite pastimes of these bullies. They would tease me, make fun of me and get my things.

          I was raised by my parents with extreme care as if I was an egg and they are afraid that I might break. I was never taught and trained how to fight and answer back against anyone who would bully me. My mother especially never believed in violence and she tends to keep me away from factors that might encourage or influence me to engage in violent activities. I was taught the value of NONVIOLENCE.

          This was one of the reasons why I never fought back against the bullies and would just avoid them, if I can. Every time they would bully me, I would just walk away. But still, the hurt is there inside and the emotional pain would haunt me.

          It was only when my mother felt that I need to protect myself that she enrolled me in a taekwondo class which I enthusiastically look forward to every Saturday. I learned all the different kinds of punches, jabs, and kicks offered by this Korean martial art.

          One time when I was in Grade 5, I was bullied by one of my classmates. When he got tired of doing so, he turned away. Apparently, I could no longer hold back my anger and I landed a karate chop on the back of his neck. Thankfully, he has a thick neck so I was not able to damage any vital organ like his spinal cord. Another time, I kicked my classmate on the back because he keeps on bullying me. During these times, I felt contented and happy because I can finally protect myself and invoke justice in my part.

          However, I began to realize that what I am doing was not the right thing to do. Giving back the hurt that you receive is not good. Jesus once said “If someone throws a stone at you, throw a piece of bread at him.” As I remembered this line, I also realized that the value of HUMILITY is a weapon for me to succeed.

          The next the bullies picked on me, I just turned my back and left. Because of this, I was able to survive my elementary and high school years.

           Because of what I have been through, I promised myself that I will help those people who are being bullied. Every time a friend of mine is being bullied, I would immediately take his/her side. I began to practice the value of EMPATHY.

Bo Sanchez, a famous Catholic writer and Publisher of the Kerygma Magazine has this to say about bullying: http://bosanchez.ph/awaken-the-giant-within-you/.

Anyone here remembers Christopher Lao? He became the target of heavy bullying when a video showing him complaining of the inefficiency of the Philippine government went viral on Youtube and Social Networking Sites (SNS). As a survivor of bullying, he is now a full-pledged lawyer and an advocate against bullying. (http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/ispeak/40792-road-bully-free-philippines)

Last September 12, 2013, President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino, III signed the Republic Act 10627 or the “Anti-Bullying Act of 2013” which requires all elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to prevent and address bullying in their institutions. (http://www.philstar.com/education-and-home/2013/09/19/1226601/anti-bullying-law-enacted)

This Law was authored by the feisty Dragon Lady of the Philippines, Ilongga Senator Miriam Defensor – Santiago.

This was highly welcomed by the Department of Education which began drafting the rules for implementation of the new law.

With the passing of this law, I hope that bullying will slowly be eradicated in the elementary and secondary school system. Bullying at a very young age affects the mental, emotional, social and intellectual aspects of a child’s growth.

Hopefully with this law, the school can once again be the second home of the child, a home away from home.