Come and See
Josue L. Magquilat III
Some call me by my name
to make it formal and presentable
But rumors spread all over the town
a stranger I am, who loves to write
not to mention his favorite line
guess I need to introduce myself
estranghero; que sera sera
remember me whenever you read my line it's not ours to see
Myke Ian A. Hechanova
Greetings, dear reader, and welcome to my space,
I am a writer of the words you see and hear.
Not a lover of pen, not tall, not handsome
Just typically me
but has a good heart blazing intrinsically.
Let’s go come and see
As we delve into the beauty of words, just me and you.
Two horse and a Bridge
(Fable)
A horse is able and strong. He can be very stubborn as he jumps and runs along. One beautiful spring day, a horse is walking along munching on the weeds along the way.
Horse 1: What a delicious taste! I cannot let any of it go to waste.
But then, he saw that on the other side of the bridge there was even more to eat all along the ridge. In the meantime, another horse was going about, smelling the flowers.
Horse 2: they must have just blossomed after the springtime showers. Oh what a wonderful smell! It makes me feel so happy and well. What's that? Over there? There's even more flowers growing everywhere. I must go and see if those flowers are as beautiful to me.
But when the horses met the bridge and tried to cross. They discovered that they were both at a loss.
Horse 1: Move aside, you hear there's no room for the both of us. Stand clear.
Horse 2: Excuse me? But what you need to do is move and let me through.
They argued and neither gave in. each thought that he would eventually win. They fought and began to fall into the river below. Until such time, the horse does believe that it's time to think of a new direction and allows the second horse to pass through the bridge first and him after.
When you argue and fight you lose sight of what is right. So stop to listen and to communicate in that very way everyone wins and feels great.
Caves Constraining the Philippine Youth: A Persistent Struggle
(Allegory of the Cave)
Despite the system that the Philippines has, still like any other nation, we are susceptible to several challenges that hinder the progress and well-being of its youth. The very becoming of the country aiming to develop young’s full potentialities are impeded due to the “caves” that constrain the young generation free from the bondage of ignorance.
Philippines is a democratic country after the fall of authoritarian regime. According to national data, more than 42% of Filipinos are under 18 years old and poised to become influential participants in Philippines’ democracy (National Democratic Institute, 2019). However, as the technology constantly developing such as the influence of social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and many more, the state of vulnerability of misinformation increases as well. Youth today becomes ignorant of the current issues of the country simply because of the potential distortion of truth appeared before them. Even the citizens of the Philippines are swallowed by unethical used of technological advancement. Truth now is clouded by lies of information and gradually changing the scars brought by history. Hence, youth is in the verge of enchainment.
One of the most prominent caves that persistently shackle the Philippine youth is the issue of educational inequity. Despite efforts to improve access to quality education, stark disparities remain between urban and rural areas, as well as among different socioeconomic classes. As a result, many Filipino children and young adults are deprived of equal opportunities for learning, perpetuating a cycle of poverty and limiting their potential for personal and national growth.
According to a report by UNICEF Philippines (2018), around 2.8 million children in the country are out of school, with the majority coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. Lack of access to quality education further exacerbates existing social and economic inequalities, creating a significant barrier for the Filipino youth to overcome. Such educational inequity restricts their chances of acquiring the knowledge and skills needed to participate effectively in the workforce and contribute to the nation's development.
Unemployment and Underemployment: The second cave that continues to hinder the progress of the Philippine youth is the pervasive issue of unemployment and underemployment. Despite being equipped with education and skills, many young Filipinos struggle to find suitable employment opportunities that align with their qualifications. The lack of decent job prospects not only limits their economic prospects but also undermines their motivation and sense of purpose.
Statistics from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reveal that as of 2020, the youth unemployment rate in the country stands at 16.1%, significantly higher than the national average (PSA, 2020). This alarming trend not only reflects the challenges faced by the youth in securing stable employment but also highlights the broader structural issues within the Philippine economy. The inability to find gainful employment not only restricts individual growth but also hampers overall economic progress and social stability.
The Philippines continues to grapple with several challenges that constrain the potential of its youth. Educational inequity, unemployment and underemployment, and political disempowerment stand out as significant caves that persistently shackle the Philippine youth. Addressing these issues requires concerted efforts from government, civil society, and stakeholders at large. By prioritizing equitable education, creating more employment opportunities, and fostering youth participation in political processes, the Philippines can work towards unshackling its youth, enabling them to become catalysts for positive change and sustainable development.
References:
National Democratic Institute. (2019). The Role of Youth in Philippine Politics and Democracy:
Results from a Nationwide Survey. Retrieved from
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2020). Employment Situation in October 2020.Retrieved
from https://psa.gov.ph/content/employment-situation-october-2020-final-results
UNICEF Philippines. (2018). Achieving Quality Basic Education for All: A Comparative
Analysis of Education Sector Policies and Programs in Selected Countries. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/philippines/reports/achieving-quality-basic-education-all-comparative-analysis-education-sector-policies-and
Face of Reality
(On Meditations)
The real face of reality is revealed when we encounter the most unexpected thing or event that might change our views and beliefs in every person's life.
Way back in the year 2016 on December night. I was alone sleeping in my bed. My mother and sister went on a vacation to Davao city. A loud crash from our red rusty door woke me. In fear, I slowly got up to the bed and looked at who was the one that crashed our gate. It was my father, driving an Adventure car. I was so sleepy that time that I didn't even notice something happened. “Pa, din ka halin?” He suddenly told me to get back to sleep. He did not answer my question. I followed him without any hesitation. It was 5 in the morning when I already woke up because I had to prepare our breakfast. I am the one who is tasked to do the household chores. While I was waiting for the rice to cook, I tried to go outside our kitchen. I was shocked and could not move an inch away from what I saw. It was shipwrecked. The car my father drove last night is not the usual car we see everyday. The front bumper was destroyed. I could not imagine and think how it happened, I'm about to ask my father when he spoke the word “nabangga sa karbaw”. Then a few days passed and I thought it's all right. But one day, my mother was so worried. My father did not go home. I thought he was working overtime at work. He was working in a well-known banking group in Surallah as their driver. The next morning 2 cops visited our house. They are looking for my father. I don't know why but at that time I remember the car he used last night. The police said that my father accidentally killed 2 people early in the morning while he was driving. I was stunned. My whole body numb again just like how it numbs before I saw that car. I'm stuck between my father’s statement or the police claims holding a warrant of arrest. From that moment I overthink a lot. I can't sleep. Wondering where my father is. If it is not true, why is he missing? Then suddenly I came up with this question. If my father would go to jail, who would be the head of the family? Me? Who only knows how to play with my friends.
This perspective of mine changed the way I view the world. My father surrendered after that day. I saw him crying. It really breaks my heart. The incident that had happened really changed us. Moulded me and opened my little world into a bigger picture of reality in society. Life is not easy to be lived but one must ought to do it. It must be more convenient to create your own illusion but the truth will set you free from all what-ifs you have.
To end, the real face of reality shows when we encounter the most unexpected thing or event that might change our views and beliefs in one person's life. Moreover, the incident did me something I was never before - to care much more not only to my parents but to everyone closest to me.
On Confessions: Faith Journey
Struck By A Thunder
By: Josue L. Magquilat III
Amidst the mist in the forest, a boy was running as fast as he could, but he could barely see the pathway for the raging of the thunder was behind his back. He tightens his backpack and carries the loads with all his might. His name was Simon, an eighteen year old boy living in the Philippines located in Surallah. His father is a company driver while his mother is a housewife. Simon has a sister and he was the oldest.
Simon is a man living in a world of fantasy. A world where nothing is impossible because the world he used to live in was bombarded with injustice, crimes and abuses. Simon dreams of a life where simple things get easier and more instant. He doesn't want his parents to work hard all day just to fill their stomachs.
During night-time, Simon used to look up in the skies looking for the stars to shine. One night, he didn't see anything that shines in his hours of darkness. As the world revolves and the night starts to fade, Simon sees the sun that shines in the morning and makes him happy. It is a warm welcome of a new day for him. It invokes him to chill because his healer makes him strong as what he believes his savior can do. He who's Simons' faith builds, sets sails on the trails that the boy may pass. For a day without remembering his God makes him feel unstable, something's wrong. Simon's soul is thirsty for God's words. Simon always seeks answers for the questions that inculcate in his brain. Why him? Many people believe that becoming what Simon wants might not happen. But still, his counting the blessings he receives even pain and sufferings are always hurting him back. Is it Simon? To be the one of the people who serves Him and should know Him for what we live. An eighteen year old boy finds the answers that he really needs to know. At a very young age he saw the uncertainty of humanity which he wanted to improve. He loves to serve and mingle with other people. He aspires to have a dream that will make things possible if he answers that call. The call of the religious life where he will be the shepherd of the flocks. He loves this journey for he is not alone. God is with him.
Later on, he continued running after he fell asleep. The loads he carries are the inspiration and the reasons why he continues his journey despite being struck by thunder in a misty forest. For this forest serves as the challenges and that backpack with a heavy load is not a burden but an encouragement for the things he achieved and flopped - to become a very strong person every time he falls down.
This story of Simon reminds me of myself to face the problems. How difficult or blurred the way for I know that the grace of God will go along with me. The dreams and questions of Simon were once mine but those dreams turned into reality; and those questions are answered through prayers and action. Knowing oneself is knowing its significance just like Simon as what I wanted to know. Hoping that Simon will continue running until he sees the sunshine that will make him feel peace. That the desires of Simon as I become the greatest achievement we will be having. I keep praying for Simon in his journey towards priestly vocation for it is I.
My journey does not only end in this kind of life. My faith is not debatable but should be nourished and protected. One of our formator said in his conferences that good decisions result in peace. And people just come and go. None of us will stay and remain. Be it the person or the personality. Yet, we can make choices. We are responsible for the consequences. Hence whatever it is but still satiates my heart. Then let it be, trust the process and be still.
Knowing the Unknowable
By: Myke Ian Hechanova
"In order to understand the concept of God or Jesus Himself, we have to transcend ourselves." Thus, our image of God is conceptualized by our experiences, according to Xenophanes. We, as human beings, are capable of knowing. That is why, let us not be confused if we ask questions from time to time, because that is where all begins—to wonder, even if we tend to question the existence of God. It is part of the process
I am confronted by the query, “How do I know God?” Am I just to believe that this is so because it is what the system teaches? I am tempted to simply respond to this question with ‘faith’. But, there is something inside me that makes me restless if I just become contented with my faith. Here, I am reminded of St. Anselm’s motto: fides quaerens intellectum, that is, “faith seeking understanding.” This means something like “an active love of God seeking a deeper knowledge of God.”
I would like to share who Jesus is for me based on my personal experience. How did it change my life? Knowing a person with certitude requires ample time. How much more the persona of God, who is infinite; full of mystery. Similarly, one thing I know for sure is that Jesus did a miracle on my father and helped my mother for a fast recovery. I associated all of those in God’s grace given to us. These are all because of faith. Moreover, I am as well an Altar Server in our GKK. By this, it strengthens my faith in Him through the act of service. Because I do believe, to serve God – is to serve His people.
I cannot deny the fact that sometimes I only recognize God whenever I need Him, such as when I am in trouble or in times of difficulties and depressing moments. I failed to see Him even in a happy moments. Despite my imperfections, He never abandoned me. To know Jesus is to love Him first. Give space for Him instead, as I should care for my chosen vocation and as an expression of my love for it. Thus, it is not about who Jesus is; it is about knowing Him.
With this, I am also reminded by Blaise Pascal. He posited that the heart is our faculty to the infinite. Faith and love, I would believe, are products of our heart. I think that it is our heart that has the answers for our questions about God, but finite as we are, we could not possibly comprehend all the answers.
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf: Illuminating Women's Potential
In her known article, Virginia Woolf addressed the condition of women, particularly women artists, asserting that a woman must have money and a space of herself if she is to write. Woolf's essay contends that women must have money and their own room in order to write. She illustrates this with the example of William Shakespeare's bright but ignorant sister. She also honors the work of women who defied convention and became writers, such as Jane Austen, George Eliot, and the Bront sisters. She encourages her audience to write poetry, critique, and intellectual works in addition to fiction. Woolf's conversational manner is reflected in the essay, which is written in bright, beautiful writing.
Woolf suggested that both men and women are equally necessary and useful to each other. Before that she claimed that women are capable of great things but often constrained by social and economic norms. Their status are a call to action which states that we need to build a society of equal treatment, getting rid of stereotyping and giving women a chance to achieve their potential.
Women has numerous rights in today’s time. Society reserved a place for them to hear their voices and even do the things men can do. Most of the rights women do really enjoy are the right to education, to work, to vote and to own property. Yet, in spite these rights being laid down, women are still seen of those conservative people as a means to an end. It is a kind of tragedy where hidden intentions lies after being good. Challenges women faces day by day are gender discrimination, violence against women and poverty.
In conclusion, Woolf addresses how women are viewed and treated before. She even had claims such women are capable of doing great things, can reform the norm of the society and even establish equality between gender biases. Moreover, the society heard their cry and proposed rights that women should possess. And it greatly shaped the entire system of viewing women. Although challenges arises, they can face it with might and integrity.
On Great Books
Studying great books of all time can be very essential in terms of not just familiarizing but knowing deeply what the book is talking about. Reading great books brings me closer to the history I never had before birth. It can take you to places, events, situations be it a fantasy or in real life experience that our pockets limits us. I sometimes imagine I was there dwelling with them and for a fact considering the author's background. Great books are considered great books if they are not just depicting a scenario that is relevant to us but shakens the status quo of what reality we do have right now. Mostly of the great books that have been tackled are greatly influenced by the societal status a writer had experienced.
-Magquilat-
Great books play a pivotal part in my study. As a Philo student, great thinkers of the ancient/medieval period had been discussed under the influence of philosophy like St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and many other contributors. It is my privilege to encounter wisdom and to become wise themselves. It has similarities with the study of philosophy that tries to engage with its history to provide opportunities handed-on by our ancestors. We have to return in the past to give credit from those who contributed. Out of their wisdom, another birth of concept arises. Upon studying, the born of wonder is brought out which entails a sense of awe as a fruit of inquiry. We constantly search for what is truth by perennial speculation and navigation.
-Hechanova-
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