Shall We Shut Up?

After the Mamasapano massacre, netizens expressed their dismay to the current administration.  The gravity of what has befallen in our nation was (and still is) deeper than six feet under.  January 30^th as the National Day of Mourning should also be the National Day of Disgust for PNoy.  Of all the faute politique he has committed, his absence in the arrival of the SAF44 troops shall long be remembered.

Leah Navarro wrote on Twitter: “So how many of those people who dissed the President’s absence from Villamor were actually there to condole?”

To which Grace lee replied: “There is only one head of the State.  Only one commander in chief! You CANNOT compare the value of his presence to the presence of any ordinary citizen then use it against them when they voice out their frustration and anger!!”

I strongly agree with Grace on this one.

A part of myself wanted to keep quiet and tell myself to just let it be, focus on myself, be proactive, focus on your circle of influence, nothing will happen if you focus on your circle of concern.  I also want to rationalize on behalf of abNoy (absent Noy).  He carries a lot of burden.  The whole nation depends on him. Blah. Blah. Blah.

I JUST CANNOT.  I DON’T THINK THE FILIPINOS SHOULD SHUT UP.  BY ALL MEANS, LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD.

To fire up the rage, I had to listen to his effin’ speech about his father while he desperately attempt to sympathize to the bereaved of the befallen ones.  Seriously, is abNoy playing his daddy card again?  What a Joker! His mommy Cory used that daddy card to get into position, then Kris used the mommy card to be in ABS-CBN, then here go again the parents cards abNoy used to be in power - I cannot help but wonder when this card game would end.

To add salt to the wound, the Palace had to call what transpired as “mis-encounter”?  This disrespects the befallen as what really happened was a massacre, a mass murder.  Mis-encounter?  MILF mutilated many of the cadavers, who in his proper mind would believe such press statement?

Does the government think we are that stupid?  The government must really think that their rhetoric-filled PR communication plans would work on us.  Let us send them a message that who they are shouts so clearly, we cannot hear what they say. 

This is not the time to shut up.  Let them hear us until they tell us the truth. 

Why Network Marketing is NOT for You

I became vigilant in accepting invitations from friends.  Whenever I would be invited over for coffee or dinner, at the back of my head, I would pray, I hope it would not be those circles and dollars again.  But then again, we are all dreamers and I dreamt of a brighter future I could provide my family so when a network marketing company invited me to be their speaker and trainer, I said yes.  It closed.  I entered two network-marketing companies after that.  They, too, closed.  Stubborn me.

I promised to myself, NO MORE NETWORK MARKETING COMPANY FOR ME.  Until I have read the books of Robert Kiyosaki.  As soon as I realized why network marketing company is for me, I also realized why its system does not work with a lot newbies.  I am sure most of you can relate with these:

 Kidnapping. This may seem to others a tolerable practice but I have heard stories from clients who have been made to wait.  To make matters worse, there are networkers who make their invitees wait with their empty stomach churning during the presentation.  Others who were invited at the guise of social call also feel disappointed since they thought that the meeting would only be about catching up only to know after, that yes, indeed their inviters catch them just like how fishermen catch big fish by a wide-cast net.

Testi-money.  It is all about money for some MLM companies.  You would see a lot of these companies park a lot of expensive cars in front of their buildings.  Someone told me that during the presentation, there was a presenter dangling a key of Lamborghini capitalizing on earnings without even having proven that the product works.  Part of the marketing strategy of these companies is to blind prospects by hyping them up with money, money, and more money not taking into consideration that products not the money you earn are the lifeblood of an MLM company.

Flushable products.  Some products belong to the toilet bowl.  They should be flushed.  Someone invited me to a presentation and tried to sell me a product that was supposed to make my skin look and feel healthier.  He tried them on my wrist and while he was rubbing it he promised my skin would look whiter.  After three tries, he gave up but told me to just take the product home and pay when I could.  Since I looked at him as a friend, I accepted the product but I never used it.  I let him played me. A veteran network marketer had also admitted to me how they would make up testimonies to keep the ball rolling in their presentation.  After he said that, I swore to myself I would never let myself nor anyone be a part of his company.

Hyping instead of simply telling.  Even if this hyping works for some, this does not yield long time results.  You see when you hype others and they decide to join, when the hype is gone, there is a bigger tendency that they would regret their decision.  For you to make them trust you again, you need to re-hype them but this time on another level, and it goes on and on to another level until you both drain the energy out of you.  This is more annoyingly counterproductive than it is more productive for both parties.  I hope my inviter knows how to simply tell me logically and truthfully what I am getting myself into.

Insistence instead of persistence.  They would not take no for an answer and it just sucks.  While not taking no for an answer could be an admirable trait for salespeople, some would go overboard by dismissing whatever you say.  They do not understand the difference between insistence and persistence.  To be insistent is to be forceful; to be persistent is simply to carry on with your course of action.  Some networkers would literally shove their opinions down your throat.

(MLM) Mis-Leading-Marketing Companies.  Some MLM companies would claim their stability merely through their SEC registration (you can get one for less than 15k if you wish so) or through their international affiliations.  If a company is stable, it should somehow be listed in your local stock market and for it to be globally stable, it should at least make it to the New York Stock Exchange. 

Having shared all these experiences and insights with you, it is not too late to realize that there are network marketing companies out there who will not kidnap you, who will not dangle money in front of you, who will present valid research for their products that really work, who will simply tell you the truth, who will not put integrity below self-interest and benefits.  Robert Kiyosaki believes in MLM and I am not any smarter than he is.  So if you think you want to give MLM another try, there may be reasons why it is not for you but there are also reasons why it is for you.  You should just be a part of a company that could show you why. 

If you are interested to be a part of our growing team, just ask how.  We will not kidnap; we will not hype, we will simply tell you how.

Decoding "No Approved Therapeutic Claims"

NO APPROVED THERAPEUTIC CLAIM is a disclaimer on the labels of many supplements that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has not verified.  When a product bears this disclaimer on the label, it only means that these food or dietary supplements (F/DS) have no approved therapeutic or curative effects.  These F/DS were granted market authorization as food products and not as drugs.  As food products, evidence-based or clinical studies on these F/DS need NOT be submitted to the FDA.  However, all food supplements are required to carry on their labels the phrase “No Approved Therapeutic Claims” because as food products they are not intended to treat, diagnose, nor cure diseases.  Therapeutic claims can only be made for drug products authorized by the FDA.[1]

In the Philippines, manufacturers of supplements do not need to seek approval from the FDA in marketing dietary supplements.  Companies (local or international) can also claim that their product addresses a nutrient deficiency in the body.  Various owners, advertisers, and agents of food/ dietary supplements are also abusing the use of the disclaimer “No Approved Therapeutic Claim”.  Thus, there is a growing public concern due to the inaccurate, misleading, and false claims on the efficacy of some supplements that are in the market today.[2]

There has been an alarming proliferation in the market of well-commercialized herbal and alternative medicines which might pose danger to our public health system and imperil the lives of the unknowing and non-discriminating public.  Today, manufacturing firms and distributors of herbal food and dietary supplements have resorted to utilizing powerful marketing and advertising tools to entice the public to try and patronize their products such as tapping showbiz and sports personalities to endorse various products.[3]

Just recently, the FDA issued DOH-FDA Advisory No. 2012-008 which warned the public of “food supplements [that are] being advertised, promoted, and marketed over the TV as having therapeutic claims.  The endorsers are peddling testimonials made by people who took the food supplement.  The false claim of [some] unscrupulous peddlers even accompanied with the FDA logo and the Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) as food products that are flashed on the screen to give semblance of legitimacy.  Thus, “The public is advised to be more discerning about their health and the health products that they buy.”[4]  The regulation of claims attributed to all health products in general is imbued with public interest as such claims can influence a person’s belief regarding a particular health product.  Reliance on false and misleading claims regarding a health product may have harmful consequences to a person’s health.[5]

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[1]http://www.fda.gov.ph/attachments/article/118031/FDA%20Advisory%20No.%202013-044%20TV%20Ads%20Food%20Supplement.pdf

[2] http://www.doh.gov.ph/node/1325.html

[3] http://www.congress.gov.ph/download/basic_15/HB02189.pdf

[4] Ibid (1)

[5] http://www.metaphilippines.org.ph/phocadownload/Medicines-Transparency-Alliance-MeTA-Philippines-FDA_stand-on-herbal-supplements-2010-June.pdf

Happy 100th to the Church of Christ (1914-2014)!

Praise be unto God.  Praise be unto God.  Praise be unto God...  My friends are always surprised when they learn I am a member of the Church of Christ.  Some would say, "Hindi bagay!" (You don't seem so!) or "Bakit parang di kita nakikitang sumasamba?" (How come I don't see you attend Church?) or "Talaga?  Sumasamba ka pala?" (Really?  You worship?) to which I would simply say, "Hindi ko kailangang ipakita." (I don't need to show it).

To avoid confrontation about religion, I have always been mum about my beliefs.  I have decided to keep that part of me to show respect to others since I know that with my assertive (and sometimes aggressive) personality combined with my contentious tongue, once the topic of religious beliefs are brought to surface, there will be no stopping me to discussing the Biblical bases of our doctrines which some of the people I have mingled with question in arrogance or in simple inquiry.  I do not wish to talk about our doctrines in this blog.  As a matter of fact, I leave Biblical interpretation to our ministers.  While I know and understand really well (bragging aside) some of the complicated doctrines of our Church versus the doctrines of others, my simple reply to people who question me is an invitation to listen to our gawain (activities) or attend our pagsamba (worship service).  

I have also kept my post about my faith to a minimal because I know that I will not be able to keep quiet if my religious posts attract detractors (I will ensure by the way that the rules of logic would crush them to pieces and man, don't try me, I know how to do it well).  Also, a part of me tells me that some of my dispositions may not be actions worthy or deserving to be associated with my beloved Church.

But this is the Centennial year of our Church and so I will make an exception.  

Let me tell the whole world that my heart overwhelms with joy and love to my life, and to my Church; that for almost a week now, I have been crying because I feel His Holy Spirit each time I close my eyes and pray; that as I type these words, I'm teary-eyed because I feel protected, I feel loved, I feel forgiven and brothers and sisters around the world unite with this feeling; that as I sit silently in my apartment, I stalk other brothers' and sisters' social media accounts because it pleases me to know that in this silence, I am one with them; that in this silence, I hear firecrackers even if I am in QC (as if the wind is carrying the sound for me to hear); that when I prayed just a while ago I cried as I exalted (and still exalt) His Holy Name; that I look back and realise how the Church has grown from a nipa hut to the Philippine Arena; that I have always been inspired that this Church has always been one of the firsts to be there for the victims of Yolanda, or Haiyan and we extend our help to whomever needs one; that this Church, the Church of Christ, no matter how others have tried to destroy and put down, still stands higher than all its Churches, higher than all of us.

A previous student messaged me on FB, "... do you believe religion is still relevant today?"

Quickly I babbled (some parts omitted and rephrased), "Yes.  Of course, Imagine a world without religion.  No one would help us develop spirituality.  Religion, no matter what it is, encourages belief in God, the Supreme Being.  Without this, encouragement, the world would be filled with godless humanity.  Should we allow that to happen?...  Without religion, fear of sinning would be lesser.  Without religion, people would be less connected to whomever their Supreme Being is and that would result to chaos.  There's a reason why the State protects the right to religion.  It is because religion contributes to social welfare and wellbeing of mankind.

So for those who feel they don't need a religion, maybe you need this one.  You are invited.  Just listen then decide.

And if you are a detractor wanting to comment negatively to this article, go ahead.  Bring it on.  Our Church and its members are still marching forward to ciudad de victoria (city of victory). (Image grabbed from Eagle News PH.)

Is your Misleading Institute really implementing K-12?

Some misleading institutes claim they are K-12 ready only so they can increase their marketability.  Don't be fooled by these monetary institutes.  They will mislead you for money since they put profit above student learning.

Cheers!

Where's the Money in these Institutes?

If you are a student, a teacher, or a parent, do your part by sharing or liking this.
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Truth is the best defense.

If it is so thought I say things to attack or to attribute ill repute to some people or this money-making institute, then let it be known that I courageously say to you who wear this perfectly ill fitted shoes to detail where the tuition fees and miscellaneous fees of your students go. It is but a standard practice for schools to detail if not enumerate the fees students pay (athletic fee, energy fee, id card fee, internet fee, newsletter fee, medical/ dental fee, org fee, registration fee, etc...). And if this monetary institute has existed for more than 10 years but has done nothing to at least shed light on these issues, then I dare say something is not right with the way its finances are managed. It's simple mathematics; we multiply each fee to the number of students to identify how much is allotted for each aspect; it may not be an absolute fee or expense but it's an estimate to give the shareholders (students, teachers, and most especially parents who work day and night to send their students to an institute that is supposed to take care of the welfare of their children) so that there's transparency in the system. These fees are included in the miscellaneous fees. The tuition fees, however, are computed on a per unit basis and must detail how much the students are paying daily (e.g. 1 unit - P100, then if students have 8 subjects, 800 daily for the tuition fee. It's much much higher in other institutes).

Why should students, teachers, and parents know this?

Students are ENTITLED (enough with the baloney sense of gratitude versus sense of entitlement; Sense of gratitude should exist in times when you get something for free. If you pay for services, then by all means, assert that you are entitled to your money's worth) to get what they pay for. It's basic. I won't buy a fake Vuitton or a fake Hermes bag for say P50,000 in the same manner that I will not pay P200,000 to a school who cannot even instil library skills to its students because of its apparent lack of better facilities. (I feel sorry for those victims who are now left with no choice but to stay since it's too late for many of them to transfer schools and they also treasure friendship they have with students and teachers around them even at the core of their guts, they so want to just be out of this money-making institute.) Students ought to benefit from the organisational fee they pay. So if each student pays P1000 and there are 20 students as a member of a certain mentorship club (or sometimes Pods) then the students are entitled to PHP20,000 (P1000 x 20 students). The adviser then, in collaboration with each student member, prepares a budget proposal so that they can make good use of the money they are entitled to. Library fees should also be utilised - If each student pays PHP1000 for the library fee and there are say 500 students then somehow the students must benefit from PHP500,000 worth of library facilities. If not, at least half of it - new books, new technology, etc... This should be existing NOW because students pay for it for the school year they are enrolled and not for its future services (it sickens me to know that some students are paying for the campus development fee for PHP5000 each yet they won't even see the light of this so-called development. Where does the money really go?). This computation applies to all the fees for the maximum benefit of the students.

Teachers should also know that for the raise in tuition fee, they are entitled to 70% of the increase. So if the tuition fee is greater than PHP15000 from last school year, then we compute by amount of increase multiplied to the number of students - PHP15000 times 500 students = 7.5 MILLION. Say we have 100 teachers in an institution, then each teacher must approximately have a 75,000 increase yearly or a little over P6000 monthly. It doesn't take a genius. The big question is where do teacher benefits go and who really benefits from this? Just a question.

Lastly, parents must interfere with these issues. it's not just because you pay for your child's tuition fee but because you want to know your money's worth and where your money goes. If you are a parent and you are a part of a parent organisation in an educational institution, then you make it a point to know because you want to make sure your child gets every bit of the cent you paid their education for.

I am mad. Yes, I am. I am passionate about teaching because it's my vocation and it is such a frustration that these money-making institutes are after profit more than student learning that they brag of. My bone hurts to see students (including my previous students) taken advantage by these pretend educators. As an educator, these are the very elements we should protect our students from - entrepreneurs who see education as a lucrative money making machine. Schools are not mainly for profit, it is mainly built for student learning and anyone who prioritises personal (or family) gain over student learning have no right to establish a school; have no right to even be entrusted our kids to; have no right to be called as an educator; have no right to be called a teacher. They should be called business tycoons, commercialists, capitalists, and the right hand of the devil because love of money is the root of all evil.

No. I will not stop educating others by writing and by speaking even if it kills me so long as my expression becomes an eye-opener for the many. I am a teacher and if it means I should use the little light I have as a candle, then let it burn me, let it melt me until my light drowns in my own wax of temporary being.

And if you are so bothered by this writing, you who pretend to put student learning as your main objective, then by all means, tell the real truth and not your version of truth you want others to see. Truth is the best defense and if you have it and I am wrong - I will not hesitate to concede.

And by the way, schools should be transparent to who their members of the board are. If until know, you can't even disclose the names of the people who are in your Board of Trustees or Director, then my question is why? Has nepotism really run deep in this money-making institute?

Students, teachers, and parents, dare to ask, dare to know. Cheers!