Ang “Blogger”, “Basher”, at “Nakawan” sa Internet

ANG “BLOGGER”,  “BASHER”

AT “NAKAWAN” SA INTERNET

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Ang “blog” ay maaaring ituring na “noun” o “verb”. Kaugnay niyan, kapag “noun” ay pwedeng sabihing “the blog”, kapag “verb” ay masasabing, “to blog”. Subali’t kung tutuusin ay tungkol lang ito sa “pagsusulat” o “pagpo-post” ng buong sanaysay o komento man lang o di kaya ay ng larawan sa sariling facebook o sa facebook ng iba pero may pahintulot nila, at iba pang sites sa internet, lalo na ang mga pag-aari ng blogger.

 

Ang “basher” naman ay mga nagbabasa ng mga blogs at dahil kampon yata ng demonyo, sa halip na tumulong sa pagpapalinaw sa isinulat ng blogger, ay umiikot sa mga personal na bagay ang isinusulat bilang komento. Ibig sabihin ng “personal” ay tungkol sa mga bagay na may kinalaman sa blogger kaya nade-derail ang mensahe ng blog. Sila yong mga kung tawagin ay “viewers” o nagbabasa ng blogs na hindi nagpaparamdam at tumatayming ng blog na pwede nilang sirain o bulabugin kaya nagagalit rin ang ibang mga seryosong nagbabasa. Kalimitan ay gusto nilang palabasin na mas magaling sila sa blogger sa paggamit ng Tagalog o English, o di kaya ay palabasing mas maganda ang kanilang pananaw. Kung ganoon sana ang paniniwala at pananaw nila, sumulat na lang sila ng sarili nilang blog upang mai-post sa kanilang fb.

 

Sa isang banda, maraming taong matatalino sa larangan ng teknolohiya ang nakakakita ng “ginto” sa internet…mga oportunidad na pwede nilang pagkitaan sa anumang paraan, kahit masama. Ang isang paraan ay ang illegal na pag-hack ng mga sites, gawaing itinuturing ng mga hacker na isang prestihiyosong kaalaman. May mga hantaran pang umaamin na sila ay hacker dahil maraming tao at kumpanya ang umuupa sa kanila upang makapanira ng kalaban o kakumpetensiya sa negosyo. Yong ibang hacker naman ay pumapasok sa sites ng iba bilang katuwaan lang o para patunayan na sila ay magaling. Sa ganitong gawain ay may mga sinuswerte rin, tulad ng Pilipinong nag-hack ng IT system ng Pentagon. Sa simula ay kinastigo siya, pero kalaunan ay kinuha na lang ng Pentagon upang mapakinabangan ang kanyang katalinuhan.

 

Ang iba namang “magagaling” ay gustong kumita sa pamamagitan ng panloloko. Ang mga paraan ay, ang paggamit ng email kung saan ay magpapadala sila ng mga nakakaiyak na kuwento ng kanilang buhay upang makapag-solicit ng tulong; pakikipagkaibigan upang mapagamit sila ng bank account ng kinakaibigan na paglalagakan kuno ng perang minana nila; pagpapadala ng email message tungkol sa isang pasyente sa ospital na kailangang operahan kaya nakikiusap sa pinadalhan na ikalat ang message dahil kapag ginawa ito, bawat isang message na ipinadala sa isang kaibigan ay may katumbas na pisong didiretso sa isang account, kaya kung mag-viral ang message dahil sa dugtung-dugtong na koneksiyon ng mga may-ari ng emails, siguradong hindi lang 1 milyong piso ang malilikom; pagbebenta sa internet ng mga kalakal lalo na gadgets, subalit kapag nakapaglagak na ng bayad sa ibinigay na bank account ang niloko ay parang bulang mawawala ang on-line seller.

 

Ano pa nga ba’t ang magandang layunin sana ng teknolohiya ay sinira ng mga taong may mala-demonyong pag-iisip. Dahil sa mga nangyayari ngayon, nagkaroon ng agam-agam o takot ang mga internet users sa pagpadala ng mga mahahalagang impormasyon sa kanilang mga mahal sa buhay tulad ng numero ng passport, mga kopya ng dokumento, bank account number, numero ng telepono, at pati address ng bahay o negosyo. Yong isa ngang mayabang, nag-post lang ng kopya ng kanyang First Class plane ticket at boarding pass sa facebook ay nakuhanan na ng mga personal na detalye tulad ng contact number at address ng bahay na nakapaloob pala sa “bar code” ng boarding pass gamit ang isang skimming device na gawa sa China! Kaya habang nagliliwaliw ang mayabang at ang pamilya niya, inakyat-bahay sila! Nangyayari ito kapag ang pasahero ay miyembro ng promo program na nangangailangan ng mga personal niyang impormasyon, kaya ang pangalan niya ay naka-connect sa information archive ng information system ng airline.

 

Ang epekto ng teknolohiya sa tao ay hindi nalalayo sa epekto ng mga inimbentong bagay na magdudulot sana ng kaginhawaan sa buhay ng tao. Ang gamot halimbawa, ay inimbento upang makapagpahaba ng buhay, subalit inabuso, kaya may namamatay dahil sa overdose o maling paggamit. Ang baril ay inimbento sana upang maging proteksiyon subalit ginamit sa katarantaduhan. Ang dinamita na gagamitin lang sana sa pagpasabog lang ng malalaking tipak ng bato upang hind maging hadlang sa ginagawang kalsada sa gilid ng bundok ay ginamit sa maling pangingisda at terorismo. Ganon din ang ginawa sa marami pang inimbentong ginamit na pagpuksa ng kapwa-tao at kalikasan. At, lahat ng iyan ay nangyayari dahil sa pagkagahaman ng tao  na umiiral sa mundo!

 

 

Ang “Cremation”

ANG “CREMATION”

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Nahahati ngayon ang mga Katoliko dahil sa isyu ng “cremation” na ang kautusan ay galing sa Vatican. Bawal nang i-cremate ang bangkay ng Katoliko upang ang abo ay maiuwi sa bahay o mapaghati-hatian ng mga naiwang mahal sa buhay at gawing pendant o palawit ng kuwintas. Dapat ay ilagak sa sementeryo o sa columbarium na pinapagawa ng mga simbahan ngayon. Panibagong negosyo kaya ito ng simbahang Katoliko? Sa mga sementeryo namang pampubliko ang mga patung-patong na mga “apartment” ay umaabot na sa sampung palapag kaya kailangang maghagdan pa ang mga namatayan upang makapagtirik ng kandila. Ang lalong masaklap ay ang maaaring pagkaroon nila ng “stiff neck” dahil sa katitingala sa “apartment” ng kanilang patay  na nasa bandang itaas, upang masigurong hindi mahipan ng hangin ang kandila!

 

Walang sinasabi ang Bibliya tungkol sa cremation o pagsunog sa bangkay. Ang pinaniniwalaan ng mga Katoliko ay tungkol sa “resurrection of the body” kaya dapat buo ang bangkay kung ilibing. Pero, ang tanong: mabubuo ba uli o mare-“resurrect” ang naagnas nang bangkay pagdating ng “araw ng paghukom”, kung totoo mang meron nito? Hindi kaya magkakagulo dahil ang mga bangkay na naging lupa na ay magkakapormang katawan na naman at maglalakad sa ibabaw ng mundo?

 

Sa panahon ngayon, ang magagastos sa “disenteng” pagpapalibing ay halos umaabot na sa 100 thousand pesos. Samantala, kung ipa-cremate lang ang bangkay, hindi pa aabot sa 50 thousand pesos ang magagastos, at dahil maiuuwi ang abo ay araw-araw pang madadasalan. Ang mga kaanak na nakatira sa malalayong lugar ay maaari pang makapag-uwi ng ilang kurot ng abo upang magamit na pendant kaya kahit hindi na sila mag-uuwian kung araw ng mga patay ay okey lang. Ano ngayon ang praktikal?

 

Ang nakasaad sa Lumang Tipan (Old Testament) ng Bibliya ay ang paglibing agad ng bangkay bago lumubog ang araw na sinusunod ng mga Muslim dahil nakalagay din ito sa Koran. Subalit sa kapanahunan ni Abraham, nauso ang pagburol ng bangkay upang paglamayan na ang tagal ay depende sa yaman ng namatayan. Ibig sabihin, nagkakasalungat ang nakalagay sa Bibliya. Noon ay malawak pa ang mga bakanteng lupa na pwedeng paglibingan ng mga patay at kahit sa kuweba ay pwede na, subalit ngayon ay hindi na dahil kahit ang taong buhay ay nakikitulog na rin sa ibabaw ng mga nitso!

 

Batay sa kasaysayan ay talagang ginagawa ang pagsunog sa bangkay, subalit ito ay gawain ng mga pagano. Para consistent ang simbahang Katoliko, dahil halos lahat naman ng ginagawa nito ay hango sa tradisyong pagano, sana ay hayaang magdesisyon ang namatayan kung iuuwi sa bahay ang abo o ilalagak sa columbarium ng simbahan. Wala naman daw kaparusahang kaakibat ang utos ng Vatican dahil wala naman itong paraan upang malaman kung sinunod o sinuway ang kautusan. Kung ganoon ay bakit pa naglabas nito kung inaasahan din lang na masusuway ng maraming Katoliko na may praktikal na pananaw sa buhay? Kung ang kasagraduhan nga ng kasal ay nasisira, ang tungkol sa cremation pa kaya? Pati mga dokumento ng kasal at binyag ay napepeke na rin dahil sa kagalingan ng makabagong teknolohiya, kaya ano pa ang silbi ng pag-iingay na ito ng Vatican tungkol sa kung ano ang dapat gawin sa bangkay na wala nang silbi dahil ang sinasabing kaluluwa na bigay ng Diyos ay nakawala na mula dito?

 

Ang may pinakamakabuluhang magagawa ng Vatican ay ang pagbigay ng pansin sa “day off” ng mga pari tuwing Lunes kaya bawal ang pagpabendesyun ng patay sa simbahan sa araw na yan, at ang ginamit na dahilan ay upang makapagpahinga kuno ang staff ng kumbento, ganoong silang mga pari mismo ang may gusto nito. Ilang staff ba ng kumbento ang magsusulat sa record book o maghahanda ng mga forms para pirmahan ng namatayan? Ilang pari ba ang magmimisa at magbabasbas ng patay? Kung isa lang naman, ay bakit hindi gumawa ng magkahiwalay na iskedyul ng day- off para sa parish priest at assistant niya, pati sa mga staff ng kumbento upang sa loob ng isang buong linggo ay palaging may nagbabantay sa kumbento at may pari din? Dahil sa “day-off” na yan, para na ring pinapatigil ng simbahang Katoliko ang pag-inog ng mundo ng mga miyembro nila ng isang araw sa loob ng isang linggo!

 

Hindi pwedeng sabihing “tao lang sila at kailangan ng pahinga”, dahil dapat ay alam nilang ang pinasok nilang propesyon ay “spiritual” kaya nangangailangan ng sakripisyo. Kung mahina ang katawan nila sa ganitong uri ng propesyon, maghubad sila ng sotana at pumasok sa ordinaryong trabaho sa opisina o kung saan man….lalo na ngayong naglilipana ang mga Call Centers!

 

On the Filipino Dignity and Self-Respect

ON THE FILIPINO DIGNITY AND SELF-RESPECT

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

 

President Rodrigo Duterte, with animated emotion, declared that he does not want his country to be trampled on just like a doormat by America. His declaration is very timely as, since the Spanish colonization, the Filipinos have been treated like slaves. And, when the Americans took over, they did the same – treating the Philippine archipelago as their “garden” where they can reap the produce anytime they want for their dinner table. During the Spanish regime, vast areas of the country, except Mindanao, were divided among the friars and the Spanish immigrants as “encomiendas”. When America took over, and in time, supposedly gave the long-overdue liberty to the Filipinos, they tainted their act with deceit by inserting the disgusting “parity rights” in the Philippine Constitution. In short, while the Spanish colonization was grossly masked with religion, that of the Americans was with “freedom and rights”.

 

Ever since, the Philippines became “independent”, nobody among the presidents until the time of Benigno Aquino III, ever noticed that the Filipinos have been suffering from the trauma that resulted from trampled dignity which practically shattered their self-respect. Unfortunately, SOME of those who enjoy the “blessings” via US visa and Green Card cannot accept this fact. The enforced influence is so ingrained in the consciousness of the Filipinos that it has brought forth the word, “stateside”, which means “nice things from America”…which further means, that nothing is better than “stateside”.

 

I have nothing against America and anything American. What I am disgusted at is how the leadership of America and even many Americans, themselves, continue to have a negative impression about the Philippines and her people who, for them are overly- dependent on their “big white brothers”. I am also disgusted at SOME Filipinos who suddenly became “American” upon setting foot on American soil. SOME of them pretend to have forgotten their dialect, the taste of saluyot, alugbate, ginamos, tuyo, etc. SOME even ask, “why is YOUR president (Duterte) like that?”, as if their skin is not brown or that it transformed into a sickly paleness only after quaffing skin whitening drugs. There is nothing wrong with those of course, FOR AS LONG AS THEY DO NOT FORGET THAT THEY ARE FILIPINOS DESPITE THEIR U.S. VISA AND GREEN CARD, AND MOST ESPECIALLY, THEY DO NOT DESPISE THE COUNTRY OF THEIR BIRTH, JUST BECAUSE THE NEW PRESIDENT CUSSES!

 

Those who deny their being a Filipino are losing their dignity and self-respect. THE U.S. VISA AND THE GREEN CARD CANNOT SUPPLANT THE FILIPINO BLOOD THAT FLOWS IN THEIR VEINS….THEY SHOULD REMEMBER THAT, IF THEY ARE WISE ENOUGH. They forgot that foremost among their plans when they went to America was to earn dollars to be sent back home to their family, for which they toil hard night and day by maintaining many jobs, and losing sleep in the process. The problem with SOME of them is that they deny this fact. How can those back home, understand their sacrifice if they keep this information from them which results to their family’s assuming that they are just picking up dollars in America, as if they are picking up shells on the seashore?

 

The impressive diligence and dependability of the Filipinos in America have not totally erased the bad impression about the country as demeaning comments can still be found in the internet, especially, with the emergence of Rodrigo Duterte as the new President…and all because of his cussing and brashness. His guts did not spare the American president, Obama, and the European Union because they dipped their fingers into what Duterte is doing to eradicate the illegal drug problem in the country. All of a sudden, Filipinos in America became apprehensive because they might be affected which shows their lack of self-confidence. The two governments are involved in the issue, and not the business sector, although, the bosses of Filipinos who may be dishonest and not diligent enough in their job will now have a reason to kick them out.

 

Duterte should be admired for his courage and aggressive desire to restore the dignity of the Filipinos that has long been trampled by their colonizers. Instead of lambasting him with unfair judgments, his detractors should wake up and face the reality that what the country needs today is a paramount cooperation among the Filipinos, for which the detractors should extend their hand. If they cannot do it…the big question is WHY?

The Dynamic Streak of Asia United Bank (AUB) Reaches Buendia Avenue Extension (Pasay City)

The Dynamic Streak of ASIA UNITED BANK (AUB)

Reaches Buendia Avenue Extension (Pasay City)

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

The first time I was impressed by the service of the Asia United Bank (AUB) was when it took over my former depository bank at Rotonda, Bacoor City in Cavite. I almost decided to cancel my accounts but I changed my mind when I met its first branch manager. A few months later, another branch manager took over, Ms. Nanette Quincena whose typically aggressive salesmanship further bolstered my trust.

 

When the AUB decided to expand its operation to cover the Pasay area, it opened a branch along the Buendia Avenue extension, between Harrison and Leveriza Streets, on September 20, 2016, with the deployment of Ms. Quincena as the first Branch Manager tasked to lay down the foundation. She has been expecting a tough job as along the stretch of Buendia are also other reputable banks. Nevertheless, she considers the situation as a challenge which she can hurdle, together with equally aggressive, Ms. Gemmalou Ortega, the Field Sales Officer, with whom she confers every morning before the latter starts her sales calls.

 

Interesting to note is the fact that AUB pioneered the paperless transaction in the country with the use of the Virtual Teller Kiosk (VTK) which resulted to a resounding success. At the Buendia branch, the VTK occupies a prominent space which easily catches the attention of the customers. The transaction via the VTK, has likewise, reduced the queuing time considerably.

 

What impressed me most is how the bank starts the day with a heartfelt prayer, in which everybody joins – the guard, Utility/Messenger, the Operations staff, such as Richard Dumayas, the Service Manager; Gemmalou Ortega, the Field Sales Officer; Jowell Agaban, Counter Teller; and Jean Marie Padua who handles the New Accounts Section. I found out too, that the youthful staffs are all from prestigious schools known for their scholars – Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), Pamantasan ng Lunsod ng Maynila (PLM), University of Makati (UMak), and New Era University (NEU).

 

According to Ms. Quincena, the bank maintains its high standards with the support of its consistent utilization of every available banking technology and young recruits who are willing to learn the intricacies of the industry and most especially, are willing to grow with their chosen benefactor. The bank’s investment in human capital so far has been successful, as consistent show of diligence on their part has been very prominent.

 

On October 31, 2016, Asia United Bank is celebrating its 19th year of success. By then, and onward, Ms. Quincena is expecting more challenges that she aims to clear, to significantly improve the steady growth of the Branch… but of course, with the cohesive co-operation of the whole Buendia Branch Team!

 

By the way, Asia United Bank is proudly 100% Filipino!

 

 

 

 

The Impressive Staff of Jollibee Buendia/LRT Branch

The Impressive Staff of Jollibee Buendia/LRT Branch

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

I will never tire of writing about inspiring people out there whose diligence in their job is just remarkable, as I keep on encountering them. One of them was MS. JHENNY AVILA, cashier of the Jollibee Buendia/LRT Branch. I was impressed by how she was able to convince me to take breakfast despite my intention to just have a cup of coffee on the morning I dropped by the said burger outlet. Smiling her sweetest, she practically, insisted that I try any of their breakfast offerings, so I opted for the double pancake and coffee. She just showed how an aggressive sales talk can win over a hesitant customer.

 

I was further surprised by the presence of MR. VINCENT MACHADO behind me who was waiting for my move to proceed to my chosen seat…and, without much ado, he asked that he carry my tray for me. Again, another trademark of Jollibee surfaced. His act was followed by the efficiently smooth move of MS. MAYLENE ORONGAN to clear the table to give way to my tray. I knew that what they did were routine and also being done by the crew of any burger joint, especially, their competitor. But there was something in how they smiled to customers that made the difference.

 

My good impression about the Jollibee service did not end there, as I had an opportunity to talk to one of the duty supervisors for the shift, MR. AYZON HERNANDEZ, working in tandem with MS. JENNICA TOLEDO, another supervisor. Both were a standout in their distinct striped light blue uniform. Mr. Hernandez, confided that he, too, worked his way up since he joined Jollibee as a struggling crew and who had to attend classes after his duty, that is why he felt so much for the new generation of working students Today, the branch according to him has five “scholars”, with Maylene as one of them. Jollibee accordingly, is known for this education-bound advocacy, one of the reasons perhaps, why the joint is so blessed!

 

Practically, the whole staff of Jollibee seemed to be well-rounded in their job as I observed that everybody knew how to handle the job of a colleague, so that the whole operation looked well-orchestrated. For instance, Mr. Machado and Ms. Orongan opened the door for customers if they were not busy carrying trays and cleaning tables. Both supervisors, Mr. Hernandez and Ms. Toledo also did cashiering, and even the guard pitched in …it was a show of a smooth spontaneous cooperation that ensued as if on unspoken cue. If only other service-oriented outlets could be like Jollibee, I don’t think that there would be an unsatisfied customer, at all!