My Blog's New Home

It's official. This will be my new online home and repository of rants/raves.

For previous posts, please visit my old blog at http://sopraninigabi.multiply.com/journal.

An Attempt to Revive my Inactive Blog

   I haven't been updating in ages!! Bad, bad blogger. Have been busy with new things, apart from the usual work-and-grad-studies combo.

   First, I'm now part of a fashion-advocacy group called GUTSY. Come visit our blog at http://gutsyfashionteam.blogspot.com !

   (Some of you might be going, "Gabi? And Fashion?" I don't blame you. I'm a closet fashionista, that's what I am. And besides, GUTSY isn't your typical fashion group. Go check the website to find out what our cause is.)

    Working with Blogspot has made me seriously think of relocating there. The template is more user-friendly.

   

   Next, I've also joined the Philippine Organization of Classical Singers. Expect big things from this new group, folks! 

   I'm also giving a talk on Friday to graduating college students, I'm supposed to motivate them to consider teaching as a career. I've only got 15 minutes!!! What to say, what to say, what to say? Fellow teachers, please help me!

   There! Update done! :) Hopefully I'll have a more intelligent one soon. 

A New Beginning

   The first month of the new school year is always an extraordinarily busy time for me. Adjusting to a more hectic pace after two months of "slow-motion" living, and for me, learning to handle the new responsibilities that comes with being a (preschool) class moderator, has meant very little time for reflection.

   Which is why last Wednesday was a welcome break from the tyranny of Work. Though I did not physically attend the Inauguration, my family and I watched P-Noy on television as he gave his speech. As our favorite priest, Father Mario pointed out, Noynoy did not speak in a grandiose, oratorical manner, but he more than made up for it with his sincerity. Father Mario narrated during his homily how he had been present at Quirino Grandstand that day. Upon hearing the words of the new President, he turned to the lady beside him and said, "My God! He means business!" The lady's reply was striking: "Father, we should ALL mean business."

   The over-arching message that I got from the inaugural speech was this: Change must come from ALL of us. The President said as much in his speech, when he asked all those present to make the vow to themselves and to their countrymen, that no one will be left behind in this quest for change.

   Below are some excerpts from his speech, the parts that really touched me:

   "...I am like you. Many of our countrymen have already voted with their feet – migrating to other countries in search of change or tranquility. They have endured hardship, risked their lives because they believe that compared to their current state here, there is more hope for them in another country, no matter how bleak it may be. In moments when I thought of only my own welfare, I also wondered—is it possible that I can find the peace and quiet that I crave in another country? Is our government beyond redemption? Has it been written that the Filipino’s lot is merely to suffer?

Today marks the end of a regime indifferent to the appeals of the people. It is not Noynoy who found a way. You are the reason why the silent suffering of the nation is about to end. This is the beginning of my burden, but if many of us will bear the cross we will lift it, no matter how heavy it is...

We are here to serve and not to lord over you. The mandate given to me was one of change. I accept your marching orders to transform our government from one that is self-serving to one that works for the welfare of the nation.

This mandate is the social contract that we agreed upon. It is the promise I made during the campaign, which you accepted on election day.

During the campaign we said, “If no one is corrupt, no one will be poor.” That is no mere slogan for posters—it is the defining principle that will serve as the foundation of our administration...

The first step is to have leaders who are ethical, honest, and true public servants. I will set the example. I will strive to be a good model. I will not break the trust you have placed in me. I will ensure that this, too, will be the advocacy of my Cabinet and those who will join our government.

I do not believe that all of those who serve in our government are corrupt. In truth, the majority of them are honest. They joined government to serve and do good. Starting today, they will have the opportunity to show that they have what it takes. I am counting on them to help fight corruption within the bureaucracy.

To those who have been put in positions by unlawful means, this is my warning: we will begin earning back the trust of our people by reviewing midnight appointments. Let this serve as a warning to those who intend to continue the crooked ways that have become the norm for too long...

Our goal is to create jobs at home so that there will be no need to look for employment abroad...

...If I have all of you by my side, we will be able to build a nation in which there will be equality of opportunity, because each of us fulfilled our duties and responsibilities equally.

After the elections, you proved that it is the people who wield power in this country.

This is what democracy means. It is the foundation of our unity. We campaigned for change. Because of this, the Filipino stands tall once more. We are all part of a nation that can begin to dream again.

To our friends and neighbors around the world, we are ready to take our place as a reliable member of the community of nations, a nation serious about its commitments and which harmonizes its national interests with its international responsibilities...

Today, I am inviting you to pledge to yourselves and to our people. No one shall be left behind.

No more junkets, no more senseless spending. No more turning back on pledges made during the campaign, whether today or in the coming challenges that will confront us over the next six years. No more influence-peddling, no more patronage politics, no more stealing. No more sirens, no more short cuts, no more bribes. It is time for us to work together once more.

We are here today because we stood together and believed in hope. We had no resources to campaign other than our common faith in the inherent goodness of the Filipino.

The people who are behind us dared to dream. Today, the dream starts to become a reality. To those among you who are still undecided about sharing the common burden I have only one question: Are you going to quit now that we have won?

...You are the ones who brought me here... I offer my heartfelt gratitude.

I will not be able to face my parents and you who have brought me here if do not fulfill the promises I made.

My parents sought nothing less, died for nothing less, than democracy and peace. I am blessed by this legacy. I shall carry the torch forward.

My hope is that when I leave office, everyone can say that we have traveled far on the right path, and that we are able to bequeath a better future to the next generation. Join me in continuing this fight for change.

Thank you and long live the Filipino people!"

   (This link contains the transcript and video of the Inaugural speech, and its English translation as well.)

   Last elections, I voted for Gibo, but I must say that I heartily approve of our new President's actions. If his first few days in office is merely an indicator of good things to come, it makes me very optimistic indeed. :) Go Noynoy! Go Philippines!

The New Year

   In 51 hours, I will be standing in front of a new class of freshmen music majors, starting my third year of teaching.

   In a week, I'll be doing the same for my very own preschool advisory class. The familiar faces of my old high school/ grade school students will greet me as I walk down the hallway, only they will be much much taller after only two months of summer! And I will be shocked at how some of them will have to peer down to speak to me.

   Ask any teacher, and they'll tell you that for them, the New Year starts not in January, but in June. There is that powerful sense of expectation, of rebirth, of regeneration... and it comes not with the fireworks and half-devoured quezo de bolas, but with the smell of freshly sharpened pencils, the crackling sound of brand new notebooks and textbooks, the echo of students' laughter in the hallway. For the UP College of Music, it starts with the strains of Westlife, The Corrs and Alicia Keys heard in the corridor, outside the classrooms where students congregate, jamming to non-classical music while waiting for their professor to meet them for the first time (the chance of which is something like 1 is to 4, haha!).

   I look back on the past two months of easier living, on the mornings where I had time to savor my cup of (decaf) coffee while listening to Mozart or Renaissance polyphonic music on YouTube, and am glad.

    In the 10 months to come, I shall say goodbye to one hour more of sleep, one more novel read during weekends... but shall have the ineffable joy of interacting with hearts and minds so different from my own, which shall become as dear as my own... and truly, no amount of R&R can compete with that.  :)

    Ah... the life of a Teacher. There is nothing quite like it!

Call for Scholarship Applicants

Sometimes, all it takes is a helping hand given at the right moment. One semester can make the difference between a student continuing and eventually finishing his studies at UP, or stopping his schooling in order to work. The trouble with the latter is that they rarely get the chance to complete them.

It is because of this that our NGO, Ex Libris Philippines, organized our "Concert For A Cause" fundraising activity last May 21, 2010. We're now looking for beneficiaries for our scholarship project. We seek undergraduate students who need financial assistance to continue their studies at the University of the Philippines for the first semester of A.Y. '10-'11. (Partial and complete scholarship grants for one semester will be granted based on the applicant's need)

 
Do you know of any deserving U.P. student of good moral and intellectual standing (preferably no INC's or 5's, with a GWA of 2.00 or higher), who REALLY NEEDS this one semester tuition fee grant? If you do, please send their contact information and any other pertinent info (e.g. references, mini bios) to Gabriela Francisco  gabitwin@gmail.com (09209470835) or Tata Francisco teachertata@gmail.com (09209470861) (or any other Ex Libris Philippines member you know). 
 
Thank you so much! Please reply if you know someone---anyone---an orgmate, collegemate, friend, or classmate. A UP student who you think is deserving, and who really needs the financial aid. Just a name (or several names!) and contact number/s will do---and of course, a few sentences (personal recommendation) will be a great help. Please forward this to your teachers/students, family and friends; perhaps they may know of people who need this scholarship. Thank you so much!
 
For more information about Ex Libris Philippines, please go to http://exlibrisphilippines.multiply.com

 

 

For interested applicants, please submit the following:
   

   4 pcs. 1x1 ID picture
   Copy of parents' most recent ITR
   Copy of TCG (a CRS printout of grades will do)
   3-4 names (with complete contact info) for references

Replugging: Concert For A Cause

(Please click on the poster to enlarge)

Book-lovers and world-class musicians...

Uniting for a great cause.

May 21, 2010, Friday

6:00 p.m.

Abelardo Hall, UP College of Music

See you there!!! :)

Repost: An Appeal for Support

We are Lester Pascua’s friends.

We come together to give a voice to his story.

Five unknown men, brandishing baseball bats and hidden by masks, viciously attacked our friend, Lester, in Katipunan at the night of April 29. As our friend Lester was walking to buy dinner, these men mercilessly, and without any provocation, attacked him. They ganged up on him and beat him to a pulp. As if their treachery and brutality was never enough, they soon drove off in a silver Vios (plate number ZMD 300) to escape.

As his friends, we continue to receive persistent reports that this crime was a fraternity-related hit gone wrong. Knowing that our friend Lester was never a fraternity member in UP, and had no known enemies, only heightens our suspicions that this was a case of mistaken identity. In our eyes, Lester was an innocent person caught up in a senseless act of vendetta.

Even as we still piece together what really happened in this case, and we trust our authorities in their investigation, we still condemn – in the strongest terms – this barbaric act. If it was indeed true that this was a fraternity hit, these men who attacked him are no different from criminals. These criminals, whoever they are, must not go unpunished.

We are angry that these things can actually happen in our streets. We are indignant that these hoodlums think that they can get away with their crimes. Nonetheless, we are united by our demand to exact justice.

As Lester’s friends, we come together as one to bring attention to his case, and never stop until the criminals who have done this to him are punished.

If you believe in what we stand for, please repost this note and tag your friends.

LET US SHOW THESE CRIMINALS THAT WE DON'T TAKE THIS SITTING DOWN.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/SAWA-NA-KAMI-SA-FRAT-RELATED-VIOLENCE/116241481744011?ref=nf