#thomasian proposals
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Thomasian Proposals, by DKTC-FL
Below are three essays I have written as an informal introduction and summary to each of the three structures I intend to introduce and describe in some measure. The Orionist Model you already know; the other two are the Reconstructive Approach and the Codex of Eom.
The Reconstructive Approach is a set of theorems and proposals previously described in issues of the Digest that suggest bringing a chosen model of eco-socialist federation to the world rather than gradually proceeding towards it through the natural process of public opinion, due to the will of the public being compromised by indoctrination of traditional and oppressive values. To steer the world away from crisis, so must our societal structures and cultural values shift to those more adequately suited to deal with problems on a global scale.
Afterward, the Codex of Eom describes the concept of Eo, the enlightened human ideal, and the concepts of good and evil as they relate to human nature. More spiritual and philosophical in nature than its counterparts, it suggests that the attitude of Eos, those who follow Eom, should be that of kind but firm pursuit of justice and stability. That which benefits the most people and does not harm, oppress, invalidate, or exploit the individual is morally right, and should be encouraged and taught across all human society, for the benefit of those within it.
It is this collection of models and theories that I propose to you as a full set, but it is entirely up to you to pick and choose aspects as you see fit, or to come away choosing none at all. I believe that to deal with the end of the world that seems to be rapidly befalling us, it will take a common belief in the potential for good within humanity, and a necessary shift in structure helped along by an organization built for that purpose in order to heal our damaged environment and reach societal enlightenment, so that we may emerge from this chrysalis of history wise and ready to face the future.
- DKTC FL
The Orionist Model
The Model is the basis of Orion, in terms of theory, philosophy, and structure. It is our bread and butter, our core beliefs, our central mission, and the manner in which we organize. It only covers the basics, as to define too specifically would make it less applicable to times and circumstances outside of that of its origin. Don’t worry, we’ll get to the details later on in this document, when we get to the Reconstructive Approach. But for now, let’s see what defines Orion specifically.
First, let’s start with theory. Human society is composed of four central factors – economy, government, sustainability, and socialization. The first, economy, is how resources get turned into goods and services through labor that can be used to fulfill the needs, physical and psychological, of citizens that in turn provide labor. The second, government, defines a set of limitations that prevent behavior that will create conflict between people organized within a culture or economy, for the stability of their organization. The third, sustainability, refers to the balance between human activity and the rest of the natural world – basically, how a society uses their resources, whether responsibly or irresponsibly. Finally, socialization is how someone interacts with society – what they are taught to uphold and believe in, and how they contribute to the three mechanisms listed above.
This being known, we believe that the efficiency of all four factors is what makes an ideal society. Efficiency doesn’t mean how much you can make or how tightly you can control your people; efficiency in Orionist theory is ‘the maximum fulfillment of citizens’ collective needs with minimum input’. The systems that you use for each factor will tend to have either lower or higher efficiency, and so, we propose eco-socialist federalism as the system that will generally tend to have the highest efficiency. Eco-socialist federalism is defined as “a democratic federation of socialist states united with the express purpose of human rights and environmental protections.
Philosophy boils down to five levels of realization, that deal with the human concept of purpose, and the responsibility that comes with empathy and suffering. First, we must realize that despite the many different definitions of the ‘meaning of life’, everyone will observe the world around them and develop conclusions about themselves and their place in the world, coming to find some sense of satisfaction in their actions and goals. That being understood, we realize that if everyone shares fundamental experiences, we can relate and connect to them, seeing ourselves in their own lives, and learning from their example.
Understanding and recognizing oneself in another means that when they suffer, you are faced with a moral responsibility to provide the kind of helping hand that you would want in your own life, for if you foster a world where people look down upon their less fortunate neighbors, who’s to say that the world will not look down upon you in your failings? To turn your back on another in need is to turn your back on yourself. To fully realize one’s ability to make change and help others, they must fully realize themselves through discipline of the body and mind, through which they can hone their passions and thoughts through temperance of negative emotions. Those willing to take on the charge and mission of Orion must accept the final level of realization – the sacrifice one will have to make for the sake of the world and its people, to devote oneself to the undying flame of Orion.
Structure is divided between regions of chapters and higher, organization wide levels of command. Thematic and symbolic structures exist overlayed across the whole of Orion, known as ‘branches’. They are embedded within the usual structure of Orion, but define specialization and intent of different members – the Sword of Orion is the media and communications branch, Liberius is the service and activism branch, and the Museion Institute is the research and development branch. To pledge oneself to a branch means to assign oneself to that specific function, to its cause, and as such, Liberius and Museion require training to apply.
The structure of a chapter reflects the qualities and functions of the branches – in addition to a democratically elected chapter head, there must also be a Service Officer, a Research Officer, and a Communications Officer, in order for a grouping of members to be recognized as a chapter. Chapters are organized by geographic region, and overseeing a region is a regional command chapter, or REGCOM. A REGCOM heads Sword and Liberius activities in the region, and the head of a REGCOM, elected by all members in their region, serves on a council of other ‘Flagbearers’ that dictate the activities of all regions and chapters. Meanwhile, all of Orion votes to elect an Instruist, who appoints another council to oversee the activities of the branches, recordkeeping, and finances. This council, Sword COMMAND, oversees the Museion Institute, a concentrated research institution that collects data from chapters’ research teams.
The overall mission of Orion is, till our last member falls, to uphold the survival and prosperity of humanity and life in general.
The Reconstructive Approach
Moving on, the Reconstructive Approach is a set of proposals and theorems more specific to the times in which Orion finds itself – a world tearing itself apart and yet not sufficiently united to recognize such problems and solve them. Faced with a world that must be taught, we realize that our own citizenship in this world means that our logic may be flawed, and our knowledge limited, but we cannot wait around until we believe we know enough to act. We must decide a direction to aim towards and move rapidly toward it.
There are multiple paths to progress and to eco-socialist federation, but the path that we must take must not be one fraught with compromise and appeasement – the federation must start from a constitution that is strict and uncompromising on the legal requirements of each member nation in order to form a more civil society. Future members will then have to change to fit the model, or be denied entry, and in order to strengthen the federation, we must appeal and rationalize with the people of our neighboring nations to recognize the limits and flaws of their circumstance, and get them to enact the necessary change to join with us in democratic unity.
This necessary structure must possess several necessary attributes. First, the representatives of the people who act as the deciding members of government must not simply be chosen from among the people at random, but at least a portion must be first educated properly in the study of law and ethics at state institutions, so that they are prepared for the enormity of the task placed upon them, and so that through their training and conditioning, they are dissuaded from being swayed by abuses of power, and are instead directed to use their position for the advancement of the mission.
Secondly, the economies of the nations must conform to a hybrid-planned economic structure, in which the resources of production are accountable to the people through management by the state – businesses must be registered and apply for use of land and capital, rather than haphazardly leaving power in the hands of a few profit-oriented elite. Such resources and leverage will do better, used alongside international organization, to deal with humanitarian and environmental crises, rather than relying on debt and goodwill. It will also keep a market active for the sake of innovation and efficiency, while preventing the evolution of corporate power through bureaucratic management.
The final attribute is not structural, but instead a matter of policy – for the sake of environmental recovery, we must de-escalate our industrial and population growth, and decrease our emissions as much as is feasibly possible and necessary. We must first make sure that we stop making the problem worse before we begin to make it better, and make it better we must through research, replanting, cleanup, and no shortage of whatever action is suitable to allow ecosystems to recover and repopulate. Such a colossal effort and shift in human activity will require an equally titanic state to manage it, and it is only with time and healing that such a state can start to decrease in size and reach.
However, before the state becomes less absolute, the people must be taught to abandon their destructive tendencies engrained in them by millennia of flawed societal practices, and instead learn over the course of generations to live and organize efficiently, and to self-govern. They must learn to live in harmony, and so another important aspect of the reconstructive approach is that the people must culturally be reconditioned into more ideal citizens. Once again, we cannot be sure of what this ideal we must strive toward is, but right now, a flawed image of progress is better than a nightmarish image of decline. If we get it wrong, it will be better if we are alive to learn from our mistakes.
Reconditioning as a process requires, to some degree, a level of monoculture. Culture encompassing everything about our learned behavior, there must be a universal sense of morality, justice, and freedom spread across the whole of humanity, and particular to these coming generations, there must be a sense among the survivors of the mission of repair and recovery. However, a full monoculture is harmful, as it hinders development, innovation, and growth of humanity. Our differences are not a thing to scorn, but at the same time, if we wish to work together, as we must in order to deal with the coming crisis, we must not waste our energy against each other. Already, we see a spreading of morals in terms of ‘equality’ and ‘justice’; these are a method of monoculture, and so we must see it completed.
The tremendous task that awaits us is one that relies upon the altruism and selflessness of many people; if it were that easy to make people act in the interest of the collective and not in their own self-interest, then the world would have been saved already. People are not necessarily to blame for being self-interested in a world that so often makes people fight for their lives; but this mindset cannot be allowed to perpetrate oppression, corruption, and inefficiency. Therefore, as part of this reconditioning and reconstruction, there must be the spread of a common set of beliefs and the awareness of the necessary steps of this mission that has been outlined, with the sort of moral and incentive that has spurred so many throughout history to act possessed by a goal that offers no obvious physical benefit, but rather, that of spirituality.
Codex of Eom
Eo; the enlightened ideal. Eom; the pursuit of Eo. Eos; those who participate in Eom. These words are chosen to describe this concept because of their simplicity – so that no matter what nation or language, they could find their place on the tongue of whoever says them.
Human nature, despite what many try to peddle or believe, is neither slanted towards some sense of good or evil. We, like all life, are creatures of complex needs. We seek survival first, and happiness after, though the true peak of our fulfillment is spiritual, some greater sense of purpose or belonging in life. Someone can be turned to evil or good depending on the conditions around them; will a wild dog not bite if it means the guarantee of its dinner? And will that same dog, when well fed, not still bite the innocent if cruelty is all that it knows to be beneficial? In many aspects, we are not above this state, and we can be swayed either in our development or by cruel desperation forced upon us. In this regard, much of our behavior can be attributed to what our circumstances make us into.
This is not to say that we have no input or choice in the matter, and that we should not be held accountable for our actions, but that no one is born predisposed to commit violence or injustice upon another. Whether they are misguided, desperate, or unattended, humans have the potential to become monsters, and it is in this knowledge that even the most detestable among us could have been cherished friends and family that injustice gains a greater tinge of tragedy. But from that we learn that, given the right conditions, anyone can grow to be morally upstanding citizens. Learning how to foster and encourage those conditions can bring greater peace and unity to society as a whole.
For good and evil do exist, and it is through human nature that we can understand them. If our innate, instinctual purpose is to fulfill our needs, then what is good is that which allows people to fulfill those needs with conflict, without danger, and without risk. That which enriches all people by turning their energies not against each other, but by combining those energies for first survival, then comfort, then spiritual attainment. When one is not starving and not fighting for their life, they can glimpse a greater design at work in the universe, a complicated tapestry created by all who have lived, all who live, and all who will live, and it is good that they should be able to comprehend and find their place in that tapestry.
Evil being the opposite of good, a conflictive and oppressive society is one that not only must not stand, but in the end, will not stand. Eventually, the insufferable pains one endures at the hand of oppression will drive them to fight back, to strike against the pillars that uphold the flawed and wicked foundation of the world. For if one’s survival, physical or psychological, is threatened, do not forget that they will fight back, and if not them, then their descendants. Eventually, there will come those that find wickedness intolerable and turn on the notion of peace in hopes of instead accomplishing liberation.
And yet, there might be those that do evil in the dark, that steal and harm their fellow human where no one can see, and go unpunished from birth to death. Where is justice there? Can good be thwarted in the end? And I say not, because even if they die innocent in the eyes of the public, they will fail truly by having their spirit tainted. In bringing oneself to harm and hate unjustly another, they leave themselves forever at a distance from the world, forever knowing that the rest of the world is their enemy, or at best, their plaything, and in that they die having missed a fundamental aspect of their humanity, a life never truly fulfilled. Evil, whether loud or quiet, is intolerable for the victims and perpetuator alike.
To aspire to Eo is no easy task, for there is much in the way of common argument and strife that is not inherently evil. It is better defined as such intentional acts of exploitation, harm, and denial of one’s freedom to express themselves that restrict or endanger one’s fulfillment of their basic needs, rather than spark and move along their mental development. To argue a point may anger someone else, but if done solely for the sake of the point, there is nothing that betrays deeper sentiments against someone for who they are, or any intention of harm. Nor is defense inherently evil either; if one’s safety is threatened, they are right in making an attempt to secure it. Additionally, Eo is an ideal, and one cannot be expected to be always and in every moment perfect; only to pursue the ideal and seek to embody it to the best of one’s ability.
We are a species of great potential, and it is within our ability to create a peaceful and prosperous society. To do so would require a culture of wisdom and kindness, entire generations cultivated to be aware of the harm that past evils have done and could do again, while raised to accept others and be tolerable of their differences, and to be firm in stamping out hatred and oppression wherever it stands. They must know to forgive the heart of the one who sows hatred, but not the actions. They must be those who use every possible path and exhaust every opportunity for peace, but strike fast and merciful when the only option is conflict. To live in ignorance of depravity is to invite it, and so we must be kind without being soft.
So, there must be a culture that spans the globe and every citizen, in some respect, of Eom, the pursuit of Eo, the enlightened human ideal. For a species to embody Eo is to be enlightened; to find a pattern of life and a state of mind that ensures satisfaction, peace, and stability eternal, and so we must ourselves make every effort to encourage enlightenment in others and seek enlightenment for ourselves. To be compassionate and help one’s neighbor, but to be wise to the ways of the world, to the depths people will sink when dragged there by the tides of life. To be ready to defend and end a fight, but never to start one. To teach future generations to be who they are, and to be proud of themselves while still humble and respectful of others. These things are what define Eom to me, and such things I will continue to write in future collections.
#thomasian proposals#thomasian#orionist model#reconstructive approach#eom#eo#eos#codex of eom#reconstructive#reconstruction#de-escalation#hybrid planned economics#theory#philosophy#structure#orionist theory#orionist philosophy#orionist structure#good and evil#essay#eco-socialist federalism#eco-socialist federation#orion
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Barangay 401 Zone 41, Sampaloc, Manila
By: Reinalyn Cadavillo
C-EDU-6 (Module 3)
The Barangay is located near the borders of the University of Santo Tomas, Espana side and was established in the year 1990. The former chairman of the barangay was Mr. Arkie F. Rosales which was replaced now by Chairman Allan G. Antiado. Address: Barangay 401 Zone 41 District IV Sampaloc, Manila. Region: Metro Manila. The group explored the barangay from end to end, seeing all the houses and establishments. As we were waiting for our appointment for the interview, we chatted with Angelo, a kid in the barangay. He told us everything that we need to know about their place. We saw the firetrucks of their barangay, houses and their hospital. When the time came, we went inside the barangay hall to conduct the interview.
THE COMMUNITY WALK
The walk through the I was able to observe the various conditions of the place and the people living in it. The improper way of garbage disposal in the community, not being able to segregate and not having a standard common place of garbage for the residents of the community. A proper waste disposal project for the community would make the community a cleaner and healthier place to live. It would also make the place have a more pleasant appearance. Lastly, the residents of the place would benefit by learning why proper waste disposal is a must in every community.
HAZARDOUS PLACES
The hazardous places that can be seen in the barangay was the condensed houses built closely together with more on wood material, which is very susceptible to catching fire if ever a fire incident occurs.
Specific places also have drainae with trashes and litters that could cause a great hindrance of water or flood flow when typhoons hit the metro. This simple litters andd garbages could be the cause of bigger problems such as flooding that would lead to access of people to different diseases, such as leptospirosis, infections, and dengue.
SAFEST SPACES
One of the best and safest spaces in the community is the elementary school. This specific location could be an evacuation center when calamities hit the area. This is where the government could conduct programs such as medical missions, feeding programs, and relief goods giving when disasters occur. This is the safest place for the people of the community to go to when their homes are not safe anymore.
BEST PRACTICES
The best practices of the barangay are having a community fire truck that is essential for emergency fire incidents. In addition they also have posters about evacuations, safety precautions, and disaster risk reduction materials and manuals, so that they have the proper knowledge and plan, and to also educate the whole community.
REFLECTION
The hazard identifications and emergency plans are mandated in the national level. The hazard identifications are from scientific departments or institutions of the country like PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) for typhoons, and PHIVOLCS (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) for volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis.
Some issues concerning the community are waste disposals and sanitation. This issue could not only affect the physical appearance of the barangay, but it could affect gravely to disasters that may occur, such as typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamis. For typhoons and tsunamis, trash could increase the risk of flooding and drainage clogging, that also increases the risk of access to certain diseases. I think this issues are happening because of lack of discipline of the people comprising of the community, and the lack of implementation and activeness of the barangay, but this issues could be resolved by stricter implementation and the barangay needs to ensure full cooperation of the majority of the citizens.
Thinking now nationally, the lack of discipline and lack proper leadership, and stricter implementations are a national problem of the country. Filipinos lack discipline even in simple ways and manners, and because of that we truly need great leaders to guide us for the betterment of each one of us and the whole community.
After all the kwentuhan and the community walk, I have realized that in terms of emergencies and risk reductions, we must strictly be prepared, we must always take these preparations seriously in order for us to have knowledge on what we must do and how to save and take care of ourselves, our families, and others in a matter of survival. I have observed personally during the community walk that we have a lot more to do to be able to provide public preparations for risk reduction programs, fire trucks, clean environment, sturdy and safe materials for buildings and houses must be advised and encouraged, and the education that preparations for calamities and disasters must be nowadays COMMON. CPR, first aid, “Duck, cover, hold. “during earthquakes, “Pull, aim, squeeze, sweep.” In using the fire extinguisher, these are the things that should be of COMMON KNOWLEDGE.
It is essential to address the issues of disasters of the country because risk reduction management is the key for survival. It is all about reducing exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improving preparedness and early warning for adverse events. Risk reduction is one of the practices that shows importance on survival and preservation of human life, and the environment and other species that humans deal with.
As a member of this community I would help in lessening the vulnerabilities by being a good and responsible citizen, I would follow the law and regulations of the barangays, I would educate myself in community development and I would immerse myself in community involvement with the idea and intention of helping out and promoting common good. I would actively participate as a citizen with full concern and avoid being ignorant and passive. It is the time to realize that we also have a responsibility and purpose to help each other to look out for one another because it is always easier if we all cooperate and contribute. I guess the number one thing that we should focus on to increase the country’s capacity is to have education. Educate everyone, so that we could achieve risk reduction management to be a COMMON KNOWLEDGE, and form there, everyone could chip in, contribute and help, because they are well informed and are skilled. Majority would come up with proposals, program ideas, ways, techniques, and methods to alleviate risk and susceptibility from disasters.
A COMMUNITY PROGRAM PROPOSAL TO END THIS BLOG!! J
THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN
PROPOSAL
Project Title: Malinis na Barangay para sa Maginhawang Buhay
Target Community/Beneficiaries: Baranggay 401 Zone 41, Sampaloc, Manila
This proposal aims to implement a proper waste disposal system on Barangay 401, Zone 41, District IV, Sampaloc, Manila. Having this kind of program within the community promotes healthier lifestyle and environment for the residents. It reduces the risk of contamination, pathogens and diseases in the community. It also helps on maintaining the overall appearance of the place. Not only does this proposal improve the overall environment of the community, it also lessens the damages of certain natural disasters such as fire, and typhoon by removing the catalysts of such occurrences in the barangay. All in all, this proposal aims to promulgate the positive effects of having a proper waste management within a barangay.
Community Background:
Narrow streets, stinky gutters, trash-infested corners, inter-connected houses. This is the situation of barangay 401 in Sampaloc, Manila. This small barangay would represent how a typical barangay in Metro Manila would look like. With its lack of proper waste management, health and sanitation knowledge, and unemployment being prevalent the barangay, most probably, it is a challenging task for the citizens to cope up and get through with their daily lives.
With only a small barangay hall serving both as a sanctuary for the problems and issues of the community, and a health center for those who needs medical attention, it’s quite undeniable to say that this small office isn’t enough to attend to the needs of the community. Also, another problem faced by the community is the absence of a proper fire station, and the barangay hall also serves as a fire station. The community has only one old and rusty fire truck parked at the side of the office. With this condition, we could see that the barangay hall serves as a health center and a fire emergency station – a cramped, small place, houses and attends to the major responsibilities of the barangay, which is not the very ideal condition of a safe and fully prepared, especially in terms of emergency plans.
The most notable problem observed the community is its insufficient knowledge of proper waste management and disposal. Just like any other barangay in the Philippines, this small community also faces a very huge problem when it comes to garbage. Garbage bags from different households, pieces of trash and litters, could be seen on the sides of the gutters, and even in specific areas where the people just pile up their garbage. The barangay’s waste disposal situation is alarming because this garbage can affect both the health of the environment, and the health of the citizens, especially a lot of children live here and play on the streets because it is a school zone.
Even though the way of living in this barangay is quite unfavorable, it just goes to show the Filipino’s optimism in dealing with a simple life. That is enough reason for the Thomasian volunteers to aid in the betterment of the community. With the problems in hand, especially regarding the waste disposal of the community, the volunteers would commit in a project wherein the citizens of the community will be educated on how to properly manage and dispose their garbage. Thomasians will change the Philippine society, one community at a time.
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Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) for NSTP
Hello everyone! It’s actually my first time writing in this blog so I hope all of you will be interested! I think you guys have an idea what my first post will be about, based on the title. If you’re from the Philippines, I’m pretty sure a lot of you will be able to relate to this.
If you live in my country, I guess some of you have heard about the calamities occurring here nowadays. Does the name “Typhoon Tisoy” ring any bells? If it doesn’t, you might as well look it up right now. Anyway, you might be wondering, how do people survive natural disasters like these? In line with this, I’m gonna be talking about a specific barangay in Leganes, Iloilo and its practices when it comes to Disaster Risk Management.
Yesterday, I went to this small barangay, Brgy. M.V. Hechanova, and met its captain, Hon. Rudy Villegas, for a tour and interview. It wasn’t a very far drive since it took about 20 minutes to get there from the city. As I went around, I could see that it was a sleepy place situated along a beach. Apparently, most residents make use of its advantageous location for income by becoming fishermen. Unfortunately, there are also several cons living along the beach.
Due to the location of the barangay, it is one of the first places to be affected by calamities such as typhoons. According to Hon Villegas, typhoons occur the most frequently and have the most adverse effects in comparison to other calamities. This is why the barangay officials try their best to ensure that its people get to safety before disaster strikes. Of course, they’d have to practice correct disaster risk management protocols. Hon. Villegas shared to me that in times of calamities, their barangay disaster risk reduction and management council (BDRRMC) monitors alerts given to them by the city DRRM councils. If a weather bulletin is issued to them by the PAGASA, the barangay is then to implement necessary measures such as preparing food supplies, flashlights, medicine, and etc.
The DRRM practices of the barangay depend on the severity of the typhoon. If the typhoon entails light to severe flooding, the officials would move the people to a space near the hall and the church. This is considered their safe space in the barangay, as this is located on high ground. The officials prioritize the people living in hazardous places, such as those staying right next to the beach. This is because its close proximity to water and low altitudes. Trash and broken glass which could harm people in an impending flood can also be found along the beach. Since the backbone of the barangay’s economy is fishing, several fishermen reside within hazardous places. They are most affected by heavy rains and typhoons because they would not be able to catch for income on rainy days. People living near the beach also sustain the most damages to their homes and are often unable to have them repaired.
(hazardous places)
(safe spaces in the barangay)
A big problem the barangay faces is that they lack funding to improve their supplies for its citizens. Since they are small, they have limited facilities and are unable to buy things other than flashlights, life jackets, and minimal food supplies and medicine. In order to overcome this challenge, the barangay conducts fundraisers and relies on the aid secured from private and public sponsors/donors. In order to help the victims of natural calamities, the barangay officials allocate their budget and conduct relief operations for them. Furthermore, the barangay also conducts frequent beach cleanups in order for the trash and broken glass to not be as debilitating in times of flood.
(best practices)
With this activity, I realized that not only this barangay, but several barangays have difficulty in securing a budget for their proposed activities. This may be due to its small size, or a problem involving higher public officials. This greatly saddens me since this reflects the poor situation in our whole country. Our country is also experiencing lack of supplies and slow deployment of aid. Fortunately, at least this barangay puts a lot of effort in its speedy recovery.
Conducting this interview and community walk is such a refreshing experience because it gives me an idea on how public officials plan on how to take care of its citizens in times of need. Indeed, it is an eye-opener because it also gives me a glimpse on the problems small barangays such as these encounter when it comes to floods. As a Thomasian, I must be critical in thinking and aware about what is happening with our country. By using what I have learned in UST, I must show compassion, competence, and commitment in what I am doing. This can be done by joining outreaches and meeting with public officials in order to do what I can for small barangays such as these. I’m glad the local government units are doing its best despite the challenges along the way and I hope they are able to keep up the good work in the future.
heads of the BDRRMC
possible evacuation centers
what to do in case of a typhoon
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6.3.9
December 4, 2019 – My scheduled interview in our Barangay with one of our Barangay Counselors. Barangay 639 is located in Malacañang complex within San Miguel Street, Manila. It is my hometown for nineteen years, yet it never gets old and boring.
For 19 years in this place I never had some interrogation with the community developers and officials, not until this time. It was a privilege for me to have some interaction with one of the officials and get to know more about the issues that our surroundings experience and carries. Throughout this interview, I was able to ask the questions and concerns of the community that we have.
In the Philippines, we most likely be involved in those countries which often experience catastrophic events such as disasters which can be both naturally occurred or made by humans and hazards which can affect the lives of the humanity.
Barangay 639 is just a simple place where hazards happens rarely. Counselor Susan shared the most tragic event that the community had – 5 years ago, November 12, a massive fire rapidly covered numerous houses in one of the areas of the barangay. “It all started sa naiwang kandila sa isang bahay, sa 1444 compound. Grabe yung bilis ng pagkalat ng apoy, nakakagulat, nakakatakot. Lahat nagulantang sa nangyari. But thank God pa rin at walang nasaktan.”, she said. Some houses were made from wood and some which was made from concrete are very enclosed to each other. Perhaps those could be the reasons why the fire was easily spread out although the entire area. Fortunately, it didn’t get any casualties, yet resident’s houses were burnt, and some weren’t able to survive any of their things. But somehow life matters the most – they were able to get some help from others and started to build a new life.
Aside from the previous fire, typhoon “Ondoy” brings so much tragedy in our lives. The whole area of our barangay was flooded, and it reaches up to the knees or above. It lasts for a week until the whole community got up from the tragic moment they experienced. Back then, the roads and creek weren’t taken care of yet – canals where unclean while creek got some few trashes and dirt on it. Because of the community’s undisciplinary acts, the result was also brought to us, and that is flooding. Because of the hazards happened before, the organizations of our community become more careful and alert all the time. Through media, news, and PAG-ASA, announcements were easier to be disseminated around our area.
Places along the area of the river, estero, and low land areas, indigenous people, people residing along the danger spots and homeless persons are most likely to be affected by these hazards and more vulnerable. Because of the disasters happening in our country, systems and services were getting affected – social services get harder to reach. Lack of supplies in water and food, electricity was cut down, water supply from Maynilad becomes rotational, and many more. In all areas of each barangay, there is a safe place where people can go during times of calamities and danger. In barangay 639, St. Jude Thaddeus Church is the safest place to go since it is the evacuation center of the barangay. Whenever there is an earthquake, open field or open areas is the safest place to go. In our place, the Mendiola open area is the place where we can go.
Since many things might happen later, barangay officials and organizations of our community always plans something that may give help and solutions to our problems. Yet in every politics-related, there always comes an issue. Sometimes people within our own community betrays us and tells negativity which gives the organizations the limits and barriers to conduct their proposed projects and plans.
Every project needs a budget from the government. Hence, deferment of budget became an issue in our barangay. Last 2018, the barangay was planning onto something for the community. It was Mayor Erap that time when it happened. The budget for the project were postponed and hold, there happens a selective approval of the budget due to political alliances and differences of political allies. Up to this time, nothing yet still happened.
In times of disasters, the community organizations prepare the information needs to be disseminated for preventive precautions. Through public address and other officials such as kagawads, the chairman himself, tanods, the policeman assigned in the area, and even the soldiers and Malacañang officials disseminates the information as fast as they could.
They have gathered many projects and plans for the community yet those are still on hold for some issues. Each barangay has its Barangay Risk Reduction and Management Program or known as BRRM Program/Plan – this helps the community be prepared at all times especially whenever there is an impending disaster like typhoon, flood, and earthquake. We also have the Hazards and Safety Map, projects and activities for varied ages.
Timely, the barangay officials visit each house to announce news. So far none of the facilities needs to be addressed to help the people, but what the officials can do is to convene a meeting of all the barangay tanod and officials to give actions and commands to the brigades. Some government offices visit every barangay for inspection and consultations.
With these cases of emergency and catastrophic events, people such as the Chairman, Kagawad, Kagawad community on Risk Reduction management, Tanod, the schools and churches near the area like the National Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus, Policemen, staff of the Office of the Mayor, Office of the President in Malacañang, DILG and DSWD are those authorities which prepares, plans, and solve for the communities issues and problems.
Going around the area of our place, there are only few matters that we should be worrying about. Barangay 639 or the whole JP Laurel Street and San Miguel Street are considered safe in terms of terrorists and threats since it is inside the Malacañang complex. We have checkpoints in every end of the road of the street that is guarded by soldiers so people can’t just go beyond the Malacañang complex without notice of residency. Also, the barangay officials and tanod are staying up 24/7 just in case something happens, someone can call us. As per the safety when it comes to disasters, we got some problems on it since there is a creek the runs parallel to some areas which some houses will be affected.
As one community there are practices which we usually do in our barangay. Not everyone does it but at least somebody could do and initiate. Morning cleaning is a practice that we won’t regret since it gives positivity for a person’s morning. This also contributes something for our environment.
Another thing is the practice of segregating and putting trash bins outside of every house so that whenever the garbage truck arrives there will be no difficulties in getting the trashes per house.
Since the National Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus is within our barangay, it is in the hearts of every people living here to donate something for the charity that our community is taking care of. Aside from all of these, there are still more practices which barangay 639 focuses on.
Having this “kwentuhan” with Kagawad Susas makes me feel proud of myself because I was able to interview and get to know more about our place. As a Thomasian Engineer, I will continue on keeping our place clean, peaceful and united by started it within our house up until then someone can help me disseminated my advocacy and plan for the future of the community.
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Will you have coffee with me? nYEAm, or cappucci-NO?
I tried to stop myself from posting this because you may find this irrelevant already, like girl… It has been weeks- until I heard the news that Erich Gonzales has finally, FINALLY declined the extravagant, infamous, billboard invite by a stranger (who is now an online ‘sensation’) named Xian S. Gaza, who was actually a CEO.
I am a student of UST, and maybe you are expecting that I have already personally seen the controversial billboard along Morayta, which is just beside España. I wish I had, but to be honest, when I first saw it online, I choked. And by choke, I mean, it was not worthy for a 5-minute walk from my dorm to wherever it stands. A lot of my Facebook friends were sharing the links of the articles all about this billboard thingy and they find it so romantic, cute, cheesy, what else… any adjective related to Nicholas Sparks’ creations, perhaps. But there I was- cringing, uncomfortable, at zero consciousness. (Uhm doc, what is going on am I at the hospital?)
You see, I may be overly dramatic but to be straight to the point, I find it so frightening to be invited through a humungous billboard by a complete stranger just to have coffee. If it was a marriage proposal from a boyfriend to his girl, an apology from a husband to his wife, or *sige na nga* a gimmick from a guy to ask a girl to be in a relationship with him, then maybe, it was sweet. BUT TO JUST HAVE COFFEE FROM SOMEONE UNFAMILIAR? Uh-uh. Just, no.
First, it’s too extra.
Even if this Xian guy is so wealthy that maybe he can do it some other time again, it’s just too much for an invite. It costs an arm and a leg. He could’ve just donated the money to a charity. That gesture will attract Erich more, I think.
Second, it’s useless.
What are the chances that Erich would walk along Morayta, anyway? She is a public figure. She wouldn’t risk her safety in the crowded and busy streets of Morayta. And let’s be real, maraming snatcher dun, and mauubos lang oras niya para sa mga magpapapicture. I’m a Thomasian, I should know. It would make more sense if the guy invited someone from FEU, UST, UE, or any student or professor along the university belt who had more chances of going to Morayta. But still.
Third, it’s a public stunt expressing obsession.
I fan girl over Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, Adam Levine, and a lot more hot guys BUT I know my limits. I also get the internal thrill and excitement when I see Daniel Padilla near me. But if I had money, will I pay for a billboard just to get their attention? Hell no. We, fans, should know where they draw the line on what we can do as their fans. They are humans too, and they need privacy. To make it simpler, I’m comparing it to this scenario: You’re just walking along the street, then suddenly a cat caller starts wolf whistling and shouting malicious words to you just so you would turn your head for him. Xian Gaza is like the cat caller.
Fourth, it’s the wrong move.
He should’ve taken things slowly, step by step. If he really was CEO and had connections to other talents like Ogie Diaz and Ella Cruz, maybe he should’ve first tried to reach out to her in private and be friends, maybe ask for her number, get along until there’s no awkwardness, then that’s the time he could ask her for coffee. Then he should’ve not paid a lot for a billboard! Right?
Fifth, it’s emotionally manipulative.
I’ve watched a lot of public proposals, and I find it really pressuring on the girl’s part when people are already staring at her and she sees their excitement in their eyes. That moment, she turns into ice and the moment freezes. She can no longer hear what her heart wants; she just tries to give an answer that would not spoil the moment, the answer that would not fail the people, especially the guy who set things up for her, and she becomes afraid that people may think that when she declines, she is ungrateful. You may seem to think that those that I’ve watched are just the same as what this Xian guy did for Erich, but no. In the videos I’ve watched, the ones invited to personally witness the proposal are just the inner circle- family and maybe some close friends. If ever the girl says no, they will understand because the people who were there personally know her, so they would understand her. With Erich’s case, it is the whole country witnessing it. So if she was to decline, then she will carry every criticism the netizens have to say.
The issue spread like wildfire. From that simple billboard proposal, several exposés have been blurted out in public about this Xian S. Gaza. The first one that I’ve seen was a Twitter thread by @waniedoo (which I’m sure you’ve already seen) and it was spilling the tea about him, scamming the funds being raised by a project involving t-shirt designs, that was supposed to be for a charity. The dirty little secrets scattered like dominos- after one exposé, another one again claims to be scammed by him. I can’t enumerate everyone, but I’m sure they are still online. Go seek for yourself.
I was also shocked to see that he has also been linked to Ella Cruz. After seeing their sweet pictures and videos online, I can’t resist to think that maybe they had a relationship (this is just a guess, basing from the pictures I’ve seen). Which I find so confusing because Jessica Cruz, the mother of Ella Cruz, has claimed that Xian Gaza was a stalker. Well, I don’t know everything, but I can’t stress to think that her daughter and Xian were so sweet, with her witnessing their sweetness personally- then she claims that he was a stalker? Strange. Because according to dictionary.com, stalker means a person who pursues game, prey, or a person stealthily, or a person who harasses another person, as a former lover, a famous person, etc., in an aggressive, often threatening and illegal manner. JUST BASING ON THE PICTURES AND VIDEOS that circulated online, I didn’t see any hint of aggressiveness and threatening which makes “Stalker” the wrong term to be used because her daughter and the guy were so sweet together, so I highly doubt it.
Of course, finding out that this Xian Gaza cut corners to reach where he is right now, made me find him creepy even more. I also thought he had some bad intentions to Erich, because who knows, right? He wouldn’t pay hundreds of thousands for a billboard if he gets nothing from it, knowing that he is a business man who had dirty transactions in the past. Also after seeing his Instagram posts with lengthy, poem-y captions dedicated to Erich, I just couldn’t contain everything anymore. I thought, maybe he was doing it to show off, after all. Or, as Taylor Swift’s song goes, “You say sorry You paid for the billboard just for show..” I’m not in the position to judge, but maybe, he paid for the billboard for his ego, to broadcast to everyone that, “Hey, I can afford a billboard.” Well, you could tell basing on the graphic design of the billboard- MS Word-ish fonts, he also has his name on the cap, and wait there’s more- he also plugged in his Instagram account. Like whuuuut? If not, maybe… he is just so crazily obsessed. Come to think of it, they haven’t had any encounters, and if ever Erich said yes, then it will be their first. But all they had was just one picture, and in that picture, he was a fan of Erich, not Erich’s somebody. So how are you supposed to say, “I can’t even espresso how much i like you a latte” to a person you just took a picture with? Weird. If still not, then I’ll just give his justifications the benefit of the doubt.
The answer is, Cappucci-NO. I kinda expected Erich to say no even from the very start. This woman has class- she didn’t get blinded with how she was preciously invited, she stood up for her decision and that didn’t change even when the price was right- well actually, she’s priceless, that’s why. Let’s be real that a lot of girls are already being easily caught with lavish proposals and gestures, so I applaud Erich for knowing what to do even with cold feet. I just hope people would understand, and that girls would learn from this, to know their worth and to not just be taken for granted. After all, any form of invitation- may it be through a text message, a Facebook chat, a piece of a hand-written letter, or a billboard, if the answer is NO, it will remain a NO for someone who is dignified.
Oh! Before I forget, after being rejected by Erich, Xian S. Gaza is now inviting her ex, Daniel Matsunaga, for tea.
I don’t know what this man is really up to but.. A penny for your thoughts?
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