Critical Commentary#1- Western Theories

Western Theories is already part of the world's culture.

Domination is already part of one's culture. It shapes the identity of the one being involved. Actions may not look like domination but one form of it is othering. Those western ideas that was injected to us was the one overpowering our kind. It will always be the concept of  superiors and inferiors. Domination might lead into two ways, the people who are being dominated might resist or somewhat accept the idea. Popular culture and "high art" is gave the people to express themselves by not physcically telling the audience but making the audience think critically. For me, popular culture is the simple one. It does not make me think critically like "high art" does. I appreciate "High art" because I am a 90s kid who appreciate old songs more than the newly released song. I find "high art" more meaningful than popular culture. Both popular culture and "high art" helps people to reflect about themselves and things around them.

Blog#10 - Wants Vs. Needs

Is it what we really need or is it what we really want?

　People becomes confused between the needs and wants. I may sometimes be confused with it. For me, what I really need are the goods that will help me survive my life and what I want is just a luxury that I can live without it.

In our modern world, people are forced to do things such as work. Some people do not even want to move. They just want to be in their houses. Some people want to move as long as they can. They want to get tired because they think it is what their worth is.

　In this I can say that what I really need is what i really want. How do I make this? I like to put thoughts being an opportunist. I always maximize my full potential.  I have been to a stage when I wasorn choosing what I really want (a game console) and what I realy need ( a shoes). At first, it was really hard choosing. I was awake every night thinking that I need both. As time passesby, I realized something. I realized that choosing a shoes over a game console will be a good choice since I like maximazing things. I thought that the only advantage of choosing thr game console will be just for my leisure time but in my case, I do no have that much leisure time that is why it will be stock in my house. Though it can motivate me to study more and release my stress, it is not practical.

Blog#9 - Para kanino ka bumabangon

"Kayo ang boss ko", iyan lagi ang linyang ating naririnig mula sa mga nangangampanya at mga politikong nagnanais tumakbo para sa isang posisyon. May mga platapormang minsan ay hindi makareyalidad, kung hindi naman makareyalidad ay platapormang mismong bumabaliko sa ideya ng naturang politiko. Minsan nakakainis at nakakatawang isipin ang kanilang mga pagnanais dahil ung iba ay tatakbo lang naman para sa lalawigan pero ang iniisip ay pangbuong bansa na. Ang aking punto ay dapat ang ating isipin muna ang ang pangmaliitan na sakop natin bago isipin ang isang malawakang pagbabago. Dapat ay simulan muna natin sa ating sarili bago tayo lumayo dahil hindi natin tuluyang makakamtan ang pagbabago kung mismong sarili natin ay hindi natin tanggap.

Sa akin pananaw, hindi naman madalas nairerepresinta ng ating mga pulitiko ang ating mga mithiin dahil na rin sa ating pagkakaiba ng mga ideya. Maging ang mga politiko ay may mga ibang ideya na minsan ay hindi natin nais. Minsan ako ay napapaisip na hindi nama. gaanong nagrerepresinta ang pulitiko sa ating mga mamamayan dahilkaramihan dito ay ang kanila mga interes lamang kung hindi nama. sa kanilang interes eh para sa kanilang ikabubuti o oara sa kanilang kaalyados.

Ito ang madalas na nakakapagpagulo ng aking isipan.
　

Blog#8 - Arts as an eye opener

Do we ever think that a simple artwork such as painting or dancing have a significant meaning. As a normal person, we tend to look arts as ordinary work. One form of art that I really love is acting. I have been one of the members of our prestige club in my highschool named Thespian. We performed plenty of stage plays, speech choirs and also dancing. The stage play “Pinatay si Mayor” is about a typical election. As a Filipino people, living in a democratic country, we have the right to vote or to choose our next leaders. Do we get to the point that we question our leaders if they really represent us? Do they run for the position just for their own interest? “Pinatay si Mayor” was one of the most enlightenment play that I have seen that showcases the electoral process or the government actions. It showcases what the real Philippines really is now.

The play is in line with the upcoming 2016 General Elections, the mass media that we think that is always correct and reliable must not be referred as sources. People nowadays is greatly shaped by media. They do not really showcases the truth and sometimes it is just exaggerated. Political dynasty that manipulates our country that we are just ignoring. There are anomalies that is happening in our country such as black voting. Elites has a huge influence in elections since there is also a need for money. People’s human nature is to be greedy of power, if we got power, we tend to crave and crave for more. It just really shows how power can manipulate people.

Critical Commentary#2 - Post-Colonialism

Post-Colonialism

Do we have our country called Philippines before the colonizers came? Do we really label ourselves as Filipinos before they came? The answer is no, we do not have a name called "Philippines" before they came. As i can remember, it was the spaniards colonization when our country was named as "Philippines". In that sense, can we categorize ourselves purely Filipinos when in the first place, the man who labelled us Filipinos and called our country Philippines was the spaniards? I do not agree that Phillipines has its own pure culture since we were mold by the colonizers.

After being a direct colony of many countries, there are things that changed. Our religion was greatly influenced by the Spaniards when they came, our food culture was influenced by the colonizers and the proof is that now, we are purchasing orr supporting the foreign food like burgers, fries, pancit, siopao and other. We are also influenced by tge colonizers in terms of our clothing. These days, bahay is not used as clothing for people in the cities and in the urban and rural areas but is used to be the clothing for the IP tribes in our mountains like Igorot. Sad thing is that, only fer of those IP groups that came from the mountanous parts of the Philippines is using it becuase they have already introduced to the use of blouse, pants and skirts. Even the use baro't saya was an influenced by the Spaniards, they were the one who used it. They used it with a classification.

The effect of colonization exerted a huge impact in our society. We have racism and discrimination. Racism and discrimination is being a significant problem in our world since we are all people and our what we want is the nature of acceptance. The form of otherings will always be the result. The discrimination that will lead to a misorganized society will always be present. It is like our categorization of our social statuses wherein some elites may be overpowerful that may result to stepping do the rights of the average people because they have the money, the connections and the power. Color is the becoming the social issue nowadays because it is perceive that whites are the superior, the rich people who came from a royalty blood while blacks  are the poor, the inferior people and the one who came from a slave blood.

　Post-Colonial theories are significantly affecting all of the people especially the Filipino nation. The search for our own identity is being destroyed. Filipino people are confused with our own identity and categorizing what is our own.

Critical Analysis #3 - My Political Space

There are places that I really feel comfortable. For me, silence is my comfort zone. Environment does help to boost my mood. It is my thing to walk around the places to have my comfort. I always like to walk to some places that I do not usually go to because I feel it as an unwind and relaxation. I sometimes go to football fields where there are only few people or sit near the swimming pool in my condo at night while watching the moonlight. It is really peaceful at night especially when all the people are inside their own houses.

Starbucks and DLSU Library, are one of places that I feel my comfort zone since both has the lighting that I prefer. It is funny that I prefer a specific place in order for me to have a specific comfort zone. I prefer Starbucks Torre Lorenzo 1 when I am studying for my business majors while DLSU Library when I am studying and making papers for my liberal arts majors. The Starbucks Torre Lorenzo gave me the mood of being a business student because of its environment that is very busy. When you look outside, you will see the reality of life that every seconds matters. In DLSU Library, I feel the comfort of getting new ideas and questioning the thoughts in my mind. What I usually feel when I am in DLSU Library is being serious, an analyst or consultant who will evaluate a certain case. It is the place where I have the mood to set my stand.

I cannot deny that sometimes, I feel discomfort in the campus because I feel that there are many eyes looking at my actions. It is not that I have done wrong but it is just not my thing to be an attention-seeker to people. Sometimes I tend to camouflage with people. I do not want all eyes in me. The places that discomfort me is the fastfood chains especially McDo in Taft since the place is so noisy and there are plenty of people which I do not really know or feel that I do not have any connection with.

           There are plenty of forms that I exercise my politics, one of them is the decision-making. Whenever there is a situation in our house that is more of critical, my family is asking for a consensus, that consensus should be answered by all of the members of our family. After answering it, there will be a forum that will involve about the effects, advantage and disadvantage of choosing a specific action.  The spaces that mostly exercise my politics is my house because I believe that opinion’s of every member of the basic unit of society is important. Being able to question all the decisions that is being made by my family makes my politics more open to more ideas. I also find my politics in school specifically in the room. The settings of a room is very competitive, everyone wants to have a high grades, everybody is competing each other’s idea especially when we try to learn new things but may end up contradicting with your own view. It is always the place where I have to prove and be consistent with my stand.

Critical Analysis #2 - Media

Evaluating myself, a song is the most powerful form of media in my point of view because we tend to memorize the things that we hear. I think it is powerful because people has the capacity to remember the things that we hear frequently. Sometimes, though we do not want to sing the song but when it register to our mind, we cannot resist from singing it. For me, there are kinds of song that do not really mean anything while others have a significant role to play in the society. In my world, all the songs that I want to hear are the songs that has meaning not just literally but has something to deal with the reality and has the reason behind it.

OPM songs are the songs that I usually want to here. I do think that OPM music has the real essence of what the reality is. As you can see in every lyrics, there are meanings not just they want to complete the lyrics of the song or just want to have a rhyme but there are relatedness and association.

I chose the song “Sirena” by Gloc9 because I usually hear it in the radio. I think that they play the song because of its real essence which is to be strong no matter what happens and there is a real message behind the song.

Ako'y isang sirena

Kahit anong sabihin nila ako ay ubod ng ganda

Ako'y isang sirena

Kahit anong gawin nila bandera ko'y di tutumba

Drum na may tubig ang sinisisid

Naglalakihang mga braso, saki'y dumidikdik

Drum na may tubig ang sinisisid

Sa patagalan ng paghinga, sa'kin kayo ay bibilib

In the first lines, the song’s message is that there are plenty of things in our life that can or will happen but despite of it we should face the truth and be ourselves as a person. It also showcase that it will always within you who can bring out yourself. (maitataas ang sarili). In our society there are trials and challenges that may question ourselves and our identity. Sometimes the idea that you believe may not be universal, meaning it is not really accepted by everybody.

Simula pa nang bata pa ako,

Halata mo na kapag naglalaro

Kaya parang lahat ay nalilito,

Magaling sa chinese garter at piko

Mga labi ko'y pulang pula,

Sa bubble gum na sinapa

Palakad-lakad sa harapan ng salamin,

Sinasabi sa sarili "ano'ng panama nila?"

Habang kumekembot ang bewang,

Mga hikaw na gumegewang

Gamit ang pulbos na binili kay Aling Bebang

Upang matakpan ang mga pasa sa mukha

Na galing sa aking ama

Na tila di natutuwa sa tuwing ako'y nasisilayan

Laging nalalatayan,

Sa paglipas ng panahon ay di ko namamalayan

Na imbes na tumigas ay tila lalong lumambot

Ang puso kong mapagmahal

Parang pilikmatang kulot.

As we grow up, we are mold by our environment and society. It culture, society and our environments shapes a person identity by putting ideas on our mind. We may not be able to figure it out but our society played a huge role in making our identity because it is the society who consider an idea tolerable or not. There are things that we might relate or accept but for other cannot and in this song, it is the gender preference which became the main argument or topic. In our country, it is one of the problem though there is already a progress on accepting all the gender preferences. Those who are not accepted by the society is suffering from various punishments such as criticisms and maltreatment.

Hanggang sa naging binata na ako

Teka muna mali, dalaga na pala 'to

Pero bakit parang lahat ay nalilito pa rin

Ano bang mga problema nyo?

Dahil ba ang mga kilos ko'y iba,

Sa dapat makita ng inyong mata

Sa tuwing nanonood ng liga laging natutulala

Kahit di pumasok ang bola ako'y tuwang-tuwa

Kahit kinalyo na sa tapang, kasi ganun na lamang

Akong paluin ng tubo kahit kinakalawang

Tama na naman itay, di na po ako pasaway

Di ko na po isusuot ang lumang saya ni inay

Kapag ako'y naiiyak ay sumusugod sa ambon

Iniisip ko na lamang na baka ako'y ampon

Kasi araw-araw na lamang ay walang humpay na banat

Ang inaabot ng ganda kong pang-ilalim ng dagat

It is funny how people criticize you even if they are not being affected by how you act. Sometimes we tend to hide in our closet because we are afraid of criticisms. We are afraid that the society we live in might not accept us. We are afraid of those eyes chasing our movements without considering that not all people cannot accept you for who you are. Seniority and patriarchy still do exist in our society. There is still this thinking that women are inferior and men are superior.

Lumipas ang mga taon, nangagsipag-asawa

Aking mga kapatid, lahat sila'y sumama

Nagpakalayo-layo ni hindi makabisita

Kakain na po itay, nakahanda na'ng lamesita

Akay-akay sa paglakad paisa isang hakbang

Ngayo'y buto't balat ang dati matipunong katawan

Kaya sa iyong kaarawan, Susubukan kong palitan

Ang lungkot na nadarama, wag na po nating balikan

Kahit medyo naiinis hindi dahil sa nagka-cancer

Kasi dahil ang tagapag-alaga mo'y naka-duster

Isang gabi, ako'y iyong tinawag, lumapit

Ako sa'yong tabi ika'y tumangan, kumapit

Ka sa aking kamay kahit hirap magsalita

Anak, patawad sana sa lahat ng aking nagawa

Di sinusukat ang tapang at ang bigote sa mukha

Dahil kung minsan mas lalaki pa sa lalaki ang bakla

It is a human nature of people to judge a person without knowing them. We may not do it frequently but we have to admit that once in our life we did judge a person without knowing him or her personally because we do think that our instinct and the impression that we are generating is true. There is a saying “ Don’t judge the book by its cover”. In real life application, some of the people are criticizing the capabilities of the lower class people that they do not know anything because they did not study but sometimes there are the one who knows all because they accept opinions and ideas of others. In the case of genders, people think that the LGBT community is just confused of their real identity and they think that it is just a piece of trash. Some people think that people who are under the 3^rd class of gender is useless. They think that they do not belong in a society where people lives in.  

To summarize all, “Sirena” by Gloc9 is a resistive song which can represent or express the thoughts of those people who are hiding under their closet. It is a song that fits in that society wherein LGBT community is no accepted so they may know how people involved feels. So people may be aware of their actions.

Blog#7 - Other individual's political space

Understanding other’s perspective of Political Space

Last meeting was full of sharing since our professor told us to communicate with other people whom you do not know really well. My partner and I got the chance to discuss our different perspective of our own political space. At some point we had a same comfort and discomfort.

 He told me that his comfort zone is McDonald. He told me that it is where he usually study. The place of his discomfort is at his province because he is not really close to his relatives. Of course, as person we should understand that closeness affects the relationship of a family. Family is a basic unit in a society where in people live in but in the scenario, how can a family be considered as a basic unit of a society when you fell the discomfort at your own family. His place of Politics is in media since media shapes politics. Media gave data and information about a current situation. He mentioned that he gets his current update through internet since for now, internet is the best way to spread an information. Information that may be true or may be overstatement.

In life, there will always be similarities and differences. It is the human nature of people to argue if their views are completely different. We must not immediately criticize the perspective of others if we do not know the reason behind it. We must have connection and communication for us to be able to understand each other’s ideas and opinions.

Critical Commentary #3 - Indigenous Filipino

Kulturang Pilipino nga ba?

Maraming nagsasabi na talaga ngang nagbago at at patuloy na nagbabago ang ating bansa. Hindi natin maipagkakaila na lahat ng pagbabago ay nakasalalay rin sa atin, sa ating mga Pilipino. Sa mga nakapaloob na pagbabago ay ang pagtanggap din natin sa kultura ng mga dayuhan maging mga mananakop. Naniniwala ako na sa kasabihang hindi natin malalaman kung hindi susbukan. Hindi na nakapagtataka ang malugod nating patangkilik sa ibang bansa dahil na rin sa mga pananakop na ating naranasan na kung minsan pa nga sila ang ating inaasahan upang umunlad ang ating sariling bayan.

Hindi nating lubusang masasabi kung tayo nga ay may sariling kultura sapagkat sa hinaba-haba ng panahon ay marami na rin ang mga dayuhang nanakop sa atin. Hindi rin natin masasabi na tayo ay may “Filipino culture” dahil ang lahat ng ito ay nagsimula lamang noong matapos tayong sakupin ng mga kastila. Tayo ay sinasabi isa sa may mga magandang kaugalian ngunit sa mga kaugalian na ito ay may nakapaloob.  Ang “utang na loob”, “pakikisama” at “hiya” ay ilan lamang sa mga sinasabing magagandang katangian ng mga Pilipino ngunit sa kabila nito ay meron din tayong sinasabing hindi magandang kaugalian katulad ng “mamaya na”, “ningas cogon”, “bahala na” at “crab mentality.

Madalas ko itanong sa aking sarili kung makapagdudulot nga ba ng magandang bagay  ang ating mga kaugalian na “utang na loob”, “pakikisama” at “hiya”. Sa akin paningin, ito ay may magandang naidududlot ngunit kung ito ay aabusuhin, iba na ang usapan. Hindi masamang tumanaw ng utang na loob ngunit dapat ito ay hindi sobra- sobra dahil minsan ang naidududlot nang sobrang pagtanaw ng utang na loob ay hindi rin maganda. Kapag ikaw ay may tinulungan, madalas sa mga Pilipino maririnig mo yung salitang  “tulungan natin para pag siya naman ang umunlad, tayo rin ay matulungan niya”. Sa paraan ito, mas lalo lang sasama ang loob natin kung hindi maibabalik sa atin an gating inaasahan. Isa pang kaso ay maraming tao ang lagi nalang umaasa sa iba maging sa kanilang pang-araw araw na buhay na kung minsan kapag ito’y tinigilan mong tulungan, ikaw pa ang lalabas na masama.  Sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino rin makikta ang konsepto ng salitang “Tayo” na madalas nating ginagagaw upang makipagsocialize sa ibang tao.

Blog#6 - ASEAN INTEGRATION

    Noong kami ay nagkaroon ng "exposure fireldtrip" sa Bangkok. Ang pangalwang araw ay nakatalaga para sa meeting ukol sa ASEAN Integration. Noong kami ay pumunta sa Mahidol University, kapansinpansin ang pagkakahawig nito sa Pamantasang Ateneo De Manila. Ang arkitektura at ang maganda nitong kapaligiran ay talagang kamanghamangha. Ito ay parang ang aking kinagisnan na UPLB kung saan ako madalas magmuni muni tuwing ako ay nasa Laguna.

　Ang paksa noon ay ang nalalapit na ASEAN integration kung saan lahat ng miyembro ay kinakailangan iugma ang sistema na ayon para sa ASEAN integration. Nakakatuwang isipin na hindi lahat ng tao ay nagmamadali at basta nalang tanggap nang tanggap ukol sa programa. Ang punto ng mga sinabi ng "panelist" ay kailangan munang manggaling sa isat isa o sa ating bansa na tanggapin lahat.  Kailangan muna nating paunlarin ang ating sariling kultura bago tayo umakap ng ibang kulture. Sa papamagitan nitio, maayos nating matatanggap at matututunan ang dayuhang kultura.  Kung sabagay, sinabi nga pala ng akin isang professor na walang sariling kultura ang pilipinas dahil ito lang daw ay nagmula pagkatapos tayong sakupin nga mga dayuhang Kastila. Katulad nating mga pinoy, kailangan muna nating maging bihasa sa ating lenggwahe bago nating ang mga dayuhang lenggwahe dahil hindi rin magkakaroon ng progreso. Sabi nga ng iba, ang pag-unlad ng isa ay nasa kanya sarili. Magkakaroon ng pagkakaisa kung lahat ay makikisama at makikipagtulungan.Ang progresi ay hindi madaling nakakamit, ito ay nakakamit nang dahan-dahan.
Hindi lahat ng bagay ay nadadaan sa madaling proseso. Minsan kailangan muna nating linangin ang ating kakayahan sa mga bagay na alam nating hindi tayo komportable upang pag nagkaroon ng mga bagong bagay na dapat nating isaisip ay maintindihan natin ito nang ayos. Ang pagkakaisa anlt pagtutulungan ng bawat mamamayan ay makakatulong upang mabuo ang identidad ng isang bansa. Sa pamamagitan ng pagtutulungan at pagkakaisa, mas madali at mas maayos nating matatanggap ang pagbabago na maaaring mangyari palitan man ang sistema o hindi.
　

Blog #5 - What should be the number one

As we grow up, things are changing. From the smallest to the largest details in our life. From our physical appearance to our mindset. As we grow up, our mindset is being developed by the group of people and culture. It is also beind developed by the environment we live in. (Kinagisnan) The fundamentals that we used to keep in mind will never be forgotten. It will always be the limit or the standard that we will be using in our future or decisions in life.

There are plenty of things in my mind which I am confused with. I am not usually like this before. I did not experienced any prioritizing problem since I know how to handle the pressure. This term is becoming a pressure for me since I have 3 majors for my liberal arts course and 2 majors for my business course. There are times that I feel like I am dead, times that I think my body will just shut down. There are times that it is already bed time or vacation but what I am thinking is what should I do for my academics.

Sometimes my decision is not to sleep and just to reflects all the things that I need to. What I realized about the thing that bothers me is the priorities that I have to do and have to choose. There will always be a confusion once you think that you need to do all the things. The confusion will always be asking what should be the number one priority.

In decision-making, prioritizing is important especially when you are torn between two important things. Before I was torn between my 2 major subjects because of an alternative class which will be during my other major subject's time. At first, I was confused and a bit worried about it but suddenly I realized that maybe I can ask the other's permission if I can cut the class and be responsible for what I have missed. My idea was to ask my prof in a good way not in the form that it will be disrespectful.