BLISS

BLISS

i can't think of a title.. =)....this quote is by Bob Marley.. This quote just got me thinking about some people in my life and some others that i’ve met for only a brief time. ...hayz..maganda lang ung qoute, i hope, niahaha.. =)...

“Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.”

~ Bob Marley.

Philippine Foreign Policy Analysis

Philippine Foreign Policy Analysis

Gilpin focused on the powerful economic, political and technological forces that transformed to economic globalization. He argues that the state, like the market, remains a principal institution. He also cautions against overestimating the power of multinational corporations; most economic transactions still occur within nations and not across nations. Waltz introduced the neorealism theory which states seek to survive within an anarchical system. Although states may seek survival through power balancing, balancing is not the aim of that behaviour. Balancing is a product of the aim to survive, because the international system is regarded as anarchic and based on self-help, the most powerful units set the scene of action for others as well as themselves; (poles); the international system, characterized as unipolar, bipolar or multi polar. Putnam introduced the two-level game theory, a political model of international conflict resolutions between liberal democracies.The "two-level game" is a metaphor referring to a situation where statesmen are positioned between domestic politics and international negotiations and should simultaneously calculate the domestic and international implications of their actions:"International negotiations must be seen as a double edged process in which every actor tries to take into account expected reactions on both the domestic and international level

A wise government in its home policy considers the reasonable wants of the people; in its foreign policy it is prepared to resist the unjust demands and the unreasonable views of foreign powers.( Lord Palmerston, leader of the liberal party in Victorian England) The Neorealism Perspective and State Centric (partly reflected) are reflected in the main objectives of Philippine Foreign Policy. To date, the Philippines pursues the 3 main pillars / objectives of foreign policy, which are the following: Preservation, and and enhancement of national security; promotion and attainment of economic security through the mobilization of external resources for economic advancement and social development; the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interests of Filipinos overseas. The state centric realism is also reflected in the Foreign Philippine Policy, in as much the Philippine state is seen as the the primary actor in the international affair. The central concerns of the state in state centric realism, are it's national interest as defined in terms of military security and political independence. National Security is and always will be the principal concern of the states. The engagement of the Philippines in the global community is guided by the mandates of the 1987 Constitution, more specifically, Article 2 Declarations of Principles and State Policies, Sections 7; the state shall pursue an independent foreign policy. In its relations with other states the paramount consideration shall be the national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest, and the right to self-determination Neorealism holds that the international structure is defined by its ordering principle, which is anarchy, and by the distribution of capabilities, measured by the number of great powers within the international system. The anarchic ordering principle of the international structure is decentralized, having no formal central authority, and is composed of formally equal sovereign states. These states act according to the logic of self-help--states seek their own interest and will not subordinate their interest to another's. Neo-Realism maintains that while states maybe concern with raising the population’s standard of living and promoting national moral values international, these goals must ultimately remain subordinate to ensuring the state’s survival, without which all aspirations are doomed anyway. To guard against the worst case scenario of national enslavement or destruction, states tend to see each other as potential enemies. Corollary to Section 7 is Section 2 which states; The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy, adopts the generally accepted principles of international law of the land and adheres to the policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom, cooperation, and amity with all nations. Neo-realists also assume that states are rational, unitary actors in their external behavior because when it comes to international relations and foreign policy, all factions and organizations agree on the common goal of making the states as secure as possible (Denny, Roy, (1998), China's Foreign Policy). Neorealism is based on the on the rational choice approach to internal relations, with it's three axioms: 1) States are concerned with self preservation in a self-help system.; 2) States are concerned with their positons vis-a-vis other states; this is also known as the concept of relative gains. 3) These concerns will lead states to form and preserve balances of power.States are assumed at a minimum to want to ensure their own survival as this is a prerequisite to pursue other goals. This driving force of survival is the primary factor influencing their behavior and in turn ensures states develop defensive or offensive military capabilities. because states can never be certain of other states' future intentions, there is a lack of trust between states which requires them to be on guard against relative losses of power which could enable other states to threaten their survival. This lack of trust, based on uncertainty, is called the security dilemma. (Culture Relations: The Role of the State)./

• Kenneth Waltz. The Emerging Structure of International Politics
• Robert. Putnam, Diplomacy and Domestic Politics: The Logic of 2-Level Games by Putnam
• Robert, Gilpin. The New Political Economic Order
• Romulo, Alberto (2004) Philippine Foreign Policy Realities. (Speech) Manila Overseas Press Club Diplomatic Night: http://www.dfa.gov.ph/archive/speech/romulo/realities.htm
• 1987 Phillippine Constitution
• Denny, Roy, (1998), China's Foreign Policy
• Santiago, Defensor. (2002). International Relation
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neorealism_(international_relations)

Sun Tzu's Adivce on How to Achieve Goals

Sun Tzu's Adivce on How to Achieve Goals
(and translation in modern development context)

• Maintain good spies. (Maintain up-to-date-information using the lastest technological methodologies.
• Know when to fight, when to stall and when to retreat. (Know when to confront, when to main status quo and when to collaborate).
• Use guile and surprise war. (Develop technical expertise and intellectual superiority through education and value formation. Act swiftly.
• Be brave, loyal and comply with instructions. (Practice dedication, unity and full adherence to your mission and objectives.
• Mentally rehearse the battle over and over again before it it waged. (Make full preparation, take full cognizance of contingencies and enforce full psyching of the entire organization.
• Use intuition and creative responses to situational changes. (Same for the modern development strategies.)

* THE GOVERNOR'S HANDBOOK, LPP, 1992

Who am I? - - THE HABIT

Who am I?

I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failture. I am completely at your command. Half the thing you do might just as well turn over me, and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly. I am easily managed - you must merely be firm with me.

Show me exactly how you want something done, and after a few lessons, I will do it automatically. I am the servant of all great people; and alas of all failures as well. Those who are failures I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with all precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a human being. You may run for a profit or turn me for ruin -- it makes no differen to me.

Take me, Train me, Be Firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you..

I am the Habit.!

Review: Christine Bellen's Batang Rizal (PETA)

On September 16, 2007.. Our Filipino teachers made us watch the play about the young Jose Rizal, and teacher made us passed a paper / review on the play.. I did not have time to post this then, because i did'nt have a blog yet, but i found some old papers from my previous classes that i want to share...This paper was passed when i was a second year political science student, i currently a fourth year political science...*I am not a good tagalog speaker, but i tried my best to make the paper as scholary as i could...lol..I never thought i could write some deep Filipino tagalog words...

The Play was entitled "Batang Rizal" by Christine Bellen..The actors and actress that comprised of the play were from PETA (Philippine Eucational Theater Assocation")

Christine Bellen's Batang Rizal

Sino nga ba ang maituturing nating bayani ngayon? Paano kaya nating huhubugin ang pagiging isang bayani sa panahong ito? Sinisikap ng dulang "Batang Rizal" ni Christine Belen na magbigay ng kasagutan sa mga katanungang ito, sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakita kung paano magkakakilala ang Batang Rizal, si Pepe at Pepito, isang magaaral na nasa-ikaanim na baitang sa mababang paaralan ng Rizal sa kasalakuyan, sa nakaraan. Ipinapakita sa dula ang buhay ni Rizal noong siya ay bata pa. Ang dula ay naglalayong ibahagi sa mga kabataang Pilipino ang mga mahahalagang usapin ukol sa pagiging bayani, at mga kaakibat ng pagiging bayani. Ang salitang bayani ay marahil malayo sa pagkakaintindi ng mga kabataan nabubuhay sa kasalukuyang lipunang bugbog sa realidad ng pandaraya, pangabuso at pagkukunwari na ipinapakita ng samu't - saring mamamayan at institusyong sosyal, lalong lalo na sa ating kommunidad o gobyerno. Una sa lahat, ang dulang ito ay karapat-dapt na panoorin ng mga kabataan upang malaman nila na ang bawat bata ay pwedeng maging isang bayani basta gumagawa sila ng kabutihan sa kanilamg mga simpleng gawain. Gawaing, maging ito'y maliit man or malaki, ang mga simpleng paggawa ng kabutihan ay isang malaking bagay na pagpapakitan ng kabayanihan. Matutununan din ng mga kabataan sa dulang ito na ang pagkabayani ng isang tao ay hindi nakikita sa mga bantayog, gamit or iba pa.

Naganap ang Batang Rizal sa panahon ng kanilang selebrasyon ng Buwan ng Wika at Kultura sa mababang paaralan ng Rizal. Si Pepito ay naharap sa isang malaking problema - kailangan niyang makanap ng paraan upang mapalitan ang nasira niyang bantayog ng pambansang bayani, ang bantayog ni Dr. Jose Rizal. At sa tulong ng isang mahiwagang linro, si Pepito ay napunta sa nakaraan at doon niya nakilala ang Batang Rizal, si Pepe, sa Calamba, Laguna. Malinaw na nailarawan sa dulang ang mga tagpuan, may buhay ito. Mahalaga ang bawat tagpuan sa kwento, katulad ng sa Calamba, Laguna. Ang lugar na iyon ay mahalaga, upang ipakita kung paano pinalaki si Rizal. Ang Mababang Paaralan ng Rizal ay mahalaga rin, dahil pinapakita dito ang kahalagahan ng edukasyon.

Ang mga nagsiganap sa dulang ito ay pawang magagaling sa pag-arte, dahil mahirap gampanan ang paple ni Rizal noong siya ay bata pa, lalo na dahil mas maraming nasulat tungkol sa kanyang pagiging bayani. Pero nagawa ito ng mahusay ng aktor. Isa lang ang naging problema sa dula, at ito'y ay ang ginawang "puppet show" ni Pepito dahil habang ito ay kanyang ginagawa, may isang "shadow-play" sa gitna ng stage. Maganda iyong "shadow-play" upang mas lalong nilang maikuwento ulit ang "Ang Bujay ni Pagong at Matsing" pero ang ang mga attensyon nila ay nanakaw ng makulay na disenyo sa "puppet show."

Ang dulang "Batang Rizal" ay naging epektibong paraan upang maalala nating ang naging buhay ng ating pambansang bayani. Para sa akin ang dulang ito ay umaakit ng paniniwala't pagsang-ayon, dahil naniniwala ako na ang kabayanihan ay hindi makikita sa mga bantayog o anumang bagay, ito'y dapat lang isapuso. At, puwedeng maging isang bayani basta sila ay magandang asal, may pagmamahal sa bayan at gumagawa ng mga simpleng bagay na nakakatulong sa iba.

Nagbibigay ito ng kahalagahan ng kasimplehan at ipinapaalala sa atin na dapat nating ipagmalaki ang pagiging isang Pilipino. Informal ang naging istilo ng mga nagsiganap sa kanilang pagsasalitan, imbes na "formal" gaya ng lagi nating ginagamit kung ang paksa ay si "Rizal". Dahil sa paggamit nilang ng informal na istilo, mas madaming kabataan ang naeengayong manood ng dula. Kasi, nakakarelyt sila dito. Pawang orihinal at simple ang naging himing ng dulang ito. Bilang kabataan, naniniwala ako na ang dulang ito any makakatulong sa pagresolba ng mga problema o issues sa ating bayan sa pamamagitan ng pagtulong sa ating minamahal na bayan. Dapat nating tandaan na ang kabataan ang pagasa ng bayan. Ang ating mga pananaw at paguugali, ang magiging daan tungo sa isang tapat at naninindigang Pilipino upang maglaan ng pagibig sa ating bansa.