Beverly Padua: Nakakabilib dahil Nakakabenta sa Internet kahit Cellphone lang ang Gamit

Beverly Padua: Nakakabilib Dahil Nakakabenta sa Internet

Kahit Cellphone lang ang Gamit

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Meet Beverly or Bevs na nakakapagbenta sa internet kahit walang laptop, i-Pad o desktop computer dahil ang gamit lang ay isang simpleng smart phone. Nakakagulat, dahil sa pagkakaalam ko, ang mga on-line sellers ay umaasa sa malalaking computer na kanilang tinututukan sa loob ng 24/7, hangga’t maaari. Nang una kong makita ang shop site niya ay bumilib na ako dahil  sa linis ng pagkagawa, hindi kalat o magulo kaya hindi nakakalito. Ginawa rin pala niya ito gamit lang ang simple niyang cellphone.

 

Panganay siya sa kanilang magkakapatid at ulila na sila sa ina. Ang tatay naman nila ay sakitin kaya silang magkakapatid na kumikita kahit papaano ang nag-aambagan upang makaraos ang pang-araw araw nilang pangangailangan. Kahit madalas silang kapusin sa budget ay dinadaan nila sa matinding pagtitipid ang lahat upang masambot ang kanilang pangangailangan lalo na ang mga gamot ng kanilang tatay.

 

Single mom din siya. Wala siyang hinanakit sa ama ng kanyang anak kahit na ito ay may iba nang pamilya. Kahit sa hinagap ay hindi niya naisip ang maghabol o magalit sa dating asawa, bagkus ay dinadaan na lamang niya sa pagsisikap ang lahat  upang mapalaki nang maayos ang nag-iisang anak na naging inspirasyon niya sa buhay. Sa kabila ng lahat ay hindi natinag ang kanyang malakas na pananalig sa Diyos, at sa halip ay tinutumbasan na lamang niya ng pagpapaubaya, dahil ayon sa kanya, darating din sa tamang panahon ang taong talagang nakalaan para makasama niya habang buhay.

 

Hindi siya nariringgan ng kahit kaunting hinagpis kahit may mga pangangailangan din siya para sa kanyang kalusugan bilang isang diabetic. Ilang beses na rin siyang sinumpong nang matindi dala ng kanyang sakit subalit lahat ay kayang nalampasan, kaya ang ginagawa na lamang niya ay pag-ibayuhin pa ang pag-iingat upang hindi siya atakehin uli.

 

Masidhi ang pananampalataya ni Bevs sa kapangyaarihan ng Diyos dahil ilang beses na rin daw niya itong napatunayan. Noong nakaraang taon kung kaylan patung-patong ang pangangailangan nila sa pera ay saka naman humina ang bentahan, subalit hindi siya nagpakita ng pagkainis, sa halip ay tinanggap na lang ang sa tingin niya ay isang pagsubok. Totoo ang kanyang naramdaman dahil nitong nakaraang mga araw ay nagsunud-sunod naman ang pagpasok ng mga order sa kanya.

 

Kahit ang dapat sana’y kailangan niyang i-Pad lamang upang lumaki kahit bahagya ang screen na kanyang tinututukan ay ipinagkikibit na lamang niya ng balikat. Hindi daw priority ito, kaya bibili na lamang siya kapag may ekstra siyang naipon dahil ang mahalaga ay ang pangangailangan ng kanyang anak, isa pang kapatid na nag-aaral, at amang nangangailangan ng mga gamot.

 

Hindi siya nawawalan ng lakas kahit halos magdamag kung tumutok siya sa cellphone sa paghintay ng papasok na order dahil kapag pinalampas ng kahit ilang minuto lang na hindi nasagot agad, ay lilipat na sa ibang online shopping site ang browser. At, ang sikreto daw niya sa pagkakaroon ng lakas ay ang tiwala sa Diyos na nasa likod lang niya.

 

Magandang halimbawa si Bevs sa mga nagsisikap kahit maraming kakulangan dahil kahit simpleng smart phone lang ang gamit ay kumikita, hindi tulad ng iba na nakikipag-text at tsismisan lang sa mga barkada, ang gusto ay mamahaling cellphone o i-Pad pa, at kung hindi mapagbigyan ay magtatampo sa mga magulang o di kaya ay lalayas, at kung asawa naman ay magdadabog na humahantong kung minsan sa pagpapabaya ng mga obligasyon bilang asawa at ina.

 

(For interested shoppers, please check Princessrobe O’shop and OBe Padua facebook pages.)

 

 

The Struggle of Man to Survive…a personal view

The Struggle of Man to Survive
…a personal view
By Apolinario Villalobos

Man has for long, exploited the earth’s fossil residues – oil, coal, and natural gas. As estimated by experts, their years are numbered, so that there is a scramble now in finding ways to utilize the sources of renewable energy, such as water, wind, and sun. Even motion will eventually be harnessed for this purpose, as it has been used successfully in small gadgets like flashlight and wristwatch. Many years from now, the battery with different capacity for storage, forms and sizes shall take the center stage in this endeavor. As of now, there are efforts being exerted to make the battery with stored solar energy as an acceptable option, but unfortunately, with few takers.

Moving contraptions such as cars, ships, aircrafts, etc. may later be operated by batteries that shall store energy from wind and motion, as the one from the sun is being used now, though, on a small scale. Homes may utilize batteries that shall store energy from the sun and wind. The batteries for cellphones and cameras may be recharged by motion and body heat. Such batteries may form part of the gadget’s structure, hence, cannot be detached for replacement.

Nature cannot take so much abuse such as denuding of forests, unscrupulous mining, slash and burn farming, fishing with the use of poison, dynamites, and fine meshed trawls. It yields to such onslaught by way of floods, erosions, landslides, and depletion of marine life. With its loss of balance, deprivations, especially, hunger shall definitely get worst.

In this view, time will come that even leaves of trees may be made edible through a meticulous process in which, their fibers shall be softened and flavored to make them palatable. So there may come a time when future generations shall be munching biscuits made from coconut leaves or fill their sandwich with jam made from grape leaves or delight in crunchies made from twigs and tree barks, or wafers made from wood shavings and dust. Practically, the whole tree may become edible! We are leading to that, as in virtual preparation, we are partaking today of “ground” or “powdered” cinnamon bark and other “woody” spices, even powdered roots as herbal drug.

With high-tech process, even poisonous fruits may already be safe to eat, after their deadly substance has been removed. It should be noted that some of the drugs that are used today come from poisonous plants, such as the “tuba-tuba” that yields castor oil. Some poisonous tubers become safe to eat after having been soaked in the running water of river for several days. Further to this, antidotes against some poison come from the same source such as cobra. Even the potent poisonous saliva of komodo lizard is being developed as a powerful drug.

The crossbreeding of vegetables to make them resistant to long drought and flood are being done now. In this regard, new varieties of rice and corn are being developed for the aforementioned situations. Presently, genetically-modified vegetables with remarkable increase in size and slight change in appearance and taste are already in the market, although, opposed by the conservatives who fear their effect to the human genes. But how can that be, when genes of animals are already used today in therapies to prolong the life of man?

Insects as part of exotic cuisine are becoming a fad in many countries. So, now there are pizzas topped with crickets and grasshoppers, sandwiches filled with wormburger, jellies made from giant black ants, baby scorpions as appetizer, etc. Even some kind of starfish may be made into crunchy barbecues. To avert extreme hunger, all kinds of insects may eventually find their way to the dining table. Even crocodile and elephant skin as with all other animals may become crunchy snacks, just like the water buffalo and pig skin which in the Philippines is called “chicharon”.

Subdivision and condo developers may be required in the future to have recycling facilities to make their projects self-sufficient in water. They may also be required to install facilities for the harnessing of sources of renewable energy. The same requirements may also be imposed on factories, commercial buildings and supermarkets, as well as, restaurants. The keyword here is “require”, because to date, what prevails is just the option.

In many years to come, homes, entire subdivisions, and clustered villages may be covered with protective green fiberglass to minimize the deadly effect of long exposure to sun rays. New cities may be developed in this manner. High-end and exclusive subdivisions may even be totally covered to protect the occupants from the excessive polluted air. Such green cover may eventually become part of political promises for a healthy and better life during electoral campaigns. Governments may set aside budgets for this, too.

Though morbid as it may sound, some remote villages in poor countries may revive the practice of cannibalism due to extreme poverty, though, discreetly this time. As a last resort, warring neighboring states may forget their differences and instead, merge to pool their effort in fighting hunger. Water may become the most important and expensive commodity on earth, more expensive than life, as in some remote villages, parents may trade their children for jugs of water. This is actually done now, though indirectly, through adoption of children by foreigners, whereby, parents of adopted children are given monetary consolation.

Politics may be replaced by religion as a driving force and unifying factor of humanity. The struggle could be between the united Islamic States and progressive Christians which had ever been since the Biblical time. It should be noted that politics came into the picture only centuries later, with the spread of the Greek philosophies that somehow classified the different schools of thought. The classification that eventually defined the different thoughts gave man an option to deviate from the path laid down by Godly faith.

Finally, because both Islam and Christianity are God-centered, eventually, they may reach a compromise which shall mark another stage of man’s struggle for survival…the beginning of a new cycle of life on earth.