TABLE OF CONTENTS · Parang buhay ang ibon. Malilitratuhan ding may kinakain, may dinagit, nakabuka ang pakpak, sinusubuan ang inakay, at iba pang mga ginagawa ng ibon. Nang dumating

TABLE OF CONTENTS

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Food Poison or Medicine

84

HUMAN INTEREST

God’s Way of Teaching a Teacher

76

FINANCIAL ADVICE

The Value of Time

68

STREET SURVIVAL

Technology and Anti-CrimeOperations

50

OPINION

So Near. So Far.The Fascinating Story ofour Current Reality

58

FEATURED STORY

Kargada

06

MEN’S TALK

Part 2:Loud Reveries of ThreeDrunk Ancient Men

40

TOOLS, GEARS & SKILLS

The TETADA Kalimasada

Atmost Fit Elite,Low Priced Brand

26

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

It has been heard somewhere, sometime, that

‘it is more fun when you are not the only one

having it’. Thus, Spearhead continues to walk the

direction that men shall be interested in and wil l

make them enjoy the walk. It shares with friends

tools, gears, and ski l ls that may widen their

options on how to make fun. It wil l continually

strive to share ideas that may spark individual ’s

thoughts on values and friendship.

People who have the technical competencies to

dissect and share their thoughts on tools and

gears have reinforced the Spearhead. These

competencies wil l be uti l ized to assist the readers

in deciding on the type of gears that they may

wish to acquire. Spearhead wil l start sharing its

technical impressions on the next issue.

HAVE FUN.

PANCHO ADELBERTO M. HUBILLAPublisher

SPEARHEAD MAGAZINE, ALL THAT IT TAKES TO BE A MAN.

Spearhead Magazine is published monthly byExprimma Concept Management Inc.For subscription, advertising and editorial inquiries,Call: 632-2185806, 632-9893074Email: [email protected], [email protected]: www.spearheadmagazine.com

Opinions expressed in this magazine are solely of the writers and are not necessarily endorsed by the

Publisher. No part of this magazine may be reproduced unless with written consent from the Publisher.

The Publisher reserves the right to accept or reject editorial or advertising material. All rights reserved.

THE TEAM

PANCHO ADELBERTO M. HUBILLA

Publisher

NILL QUIZON - SALVADOR

Creative Director

JING VALDELLON

Managing Partner

JACEL G. DE JESUS

Managing Partner & Sales

and Marketing Director

ROMEO PERALTA JR.

Photography Editor

NICHOLAS D. TORRE III

Section Editor

ANNA LIZA MADAYAG GASPAR, CPA

Section Editor

RODOLFO DESUASIDO

BERNARDINE RUIZ

RHOANNE RAMAS

Writers

CHARD HOCON

Graphics

JEROME BONGABONG

Web

NOEMI DOCE

YESA BEDIOT

DONNALYN BRION

Sales, Marketing & Admin

| S P E A R H E A D M A G A Z I N E . C O M04 05

Reuel Molina Aguila

Paboritong gamit ito ng tinatawag na

maniniyot.

Teka muna po, bago pa kung saan

tumungo ang imahinasyon ng

mambabasa, nililinaw agad na tungkol ito

sa kanyang ibon.

Teka uli, paglilinaw uli, tungkol ito sa Bird

Photography; wala nang iba pa

Ang mahaba at mataba ay ang lenteng

ikinakabit sa digital camera. At ang term

na maniniyot ay siyang tawag talaga sa

mga photographer (shoot / siyot;

mangsu-shoot / mangsisiyot; maniniyot).

Sa kargadang ito ng lalaki, mas

mahaba, mas mataba, mas OK.

FEATURED STORY

Mahalaga ba ang development

na ito?

Biglang bigla, marami ang nahihilig sa bird photography. Dala ito ng

paghusay ng mga digital camera at mahahabang lente. At, believe it or

not, masasabing malaki ang iminura ng mga gadget na ito.

May pumasok kasing new players at ang dating dominanteng brand ay

naglabas din ng camera at lente na kayang abutin ng publiko.

Ang Resulta: dumami ang bird photographer, dumami ang magagandang

litrato ng mga ibon, at na-document ang mga mahirap-makitang ibon at

behavior ng mga ibon na dating naoobserbahan lamang ng mga mata ng

iilang tao; tapos, isinusulat at idino-drawing.

Opo, labis na mahalaga. Kasi, ngayon-

ngayon lang talaga natin napapansin ang

ating kapaligiran. Na, totoo pala na sa maliit

nating bansa, maipagmamalaki natin na

maaaring pangatlo nga tayo sa buong daidig

sa dami ng klase ng ibong mayroon sa ating

bansa.

Ang masakit dito, hindi natin nakikita

ang mga ibong ito… noon. Pero dahil sa

pag-unlad ng mga gadget para sa bird

photography, namamangha tayo na totoo

ngang ang ganda pala ng mga ibon, ang

ganda pala ng ating bansa.

Halimbawa, Itanong Natin: mula sa mga

mahigit sa 600 na naitalang ibon sa Pilipinas,

ilan sa mga ito ang nakita na natin?


ang pangunahing grupo ng bird photographer ay may kasapi

sa Facebook na mahigit 14 na libo. At, may core member na

mga 150 aktibong “maniniyot” sa buong bansa.

Ang layon ng WBPP, malitratuhan ang ganda ng mga ibong

ito upang maging aware ang Pinoy. At. dahil sa ganda ng mga

ibon ay hindi nila ito saktan, at higit pa, pangalagaan.

Ngunit mailap kasi ang mga ibon. Sa kung anong dahilan, pa-

rang instinct ng bata man o matanda na batuhin, tiradurin o

barilin ang mga ibon. Ang iba naman ay poaching o illegal na

panghuhuli ng mga ibon para ibenta. At ang pinakamatindi ay

ang pagkasira ng gubat, kahuyan, bukid, tubigan, at kalikasan na

siyang tahanan ng mga ibon at iba pang wildlife.

Kaya naging mailap ang ating mga ibon; mas mailap kaysa

sa mga ibon ng ibang bansa na nagmamalasakit sa kanilang

kalikasan.

Kaya kailangan ng mahahabang lente para malitratuhan ang mga

ibon na mabilis na lumalayo kapag nakakita ng tao.

Ang WILD BIRD PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE

PHILIPPINES,


Ang 200 sa mga ito ay mga ibong dito lang sa Pilipinas

makikita o endemic. Pero, kahit tayong nasa Pilipinas, hindi

pa natin nakikita ang mga ito. Pero rin, dahil sa malaking

improvement at pagmura ng mga camera at lens, dumami ang

bird photographer. At ang kanilang pagdami ay ang pagdami

rin ng posibilidad na malitratuhan ang mga ibong ito.

Mabigat ang mahahabang lente. Kaya, kailangan ng matibay na tripod at head (ito yong ikinakabit sa tripod para siya namang pagkabitan ng malaking camera at lente upang pwedeng itutok saan mang direksyon ang camera.).

Mabilis ang kilos ng ibon.

Kaya, kailangan ng camera na mabilis ang auto focus, may kakayahan ngsunod-sunod na maraming frame sa isang segundo, may kakayahan sa mataas na ISO at malaking opening ng shutter para sa hindi maliwanag na kondisyon (nakakaistorbo sa ibon ang paggamit ng flash at artipisyal na ilaw).

Sa panahon na film ang gamit sa camera, karamihan ay mano-mano ang pag-focus, mababa ang speed ng film (ang kapasidad na makalitrato kahit kaunti ang liwanag), at manual din ang pagkombinasyon ng f/stop o ang laki ng pagbukas ng shutter ng lente, at speed ng pagbukas at pagsara ng shutter na ito.

Kaya kadalasan, bago pa man mai-ready ang lumang camera, nakalipad na ang ibon. Sa mga makabagong digital camera ngayon, naging mas madali ang photography; pwedeng gawing fully automatic ang lahat.

Ang Karaniwang Gamit:Lente na may 500mm o 600mm. Ang iba ay gumagamit

pa ng teleconverter para madoble ang focal length na

ito. Kaya ng mga lenteng ito, depende rin sa ilaw, na

makakuha ng de-kalidad na litrato kahit mga 20 metro

ang layo.

Paano mo naman maa-appreciate ang black and white

na drawing, e, hindi naman black and white yong ibon. At

kung de-kulay man ang litrato, kadalasang malabnaw o

sobrang tingkad ng mga kulay.

Kaya noon, upang ma-appreciate nang mabuti ang ibon,

kailangang pumunta ka mismo sa field. Nauso sa mga

taga-lunsod ang bird watching. May largabista o binocular,

sisilipin ang ibon, itatala ang petsa, lugar, uri ng ibon, at

iba pang circumstance. Tapos, uwian na; dala-dala lamang

ay ang kuwentong nakakita ng ibon, walang visual na

maaaring ipakita sa kakwentuhan.

Mahalagang makita ang detalye ng ibon.

Noong drawing pa lamang at hindi sharp

na litrato ng ibon ang mayroon, mahirap

makita ang ganda ng ibon.


at ang mahahabang lente,

lumantad ang pattern ng mga

balahibo, ang kintab ng mga

mata, ang tingkad at iba’t

ibang shades ng kulay. Parang

buhay ang ibon. Malilitratuhan

ding may kinakain, may

dinagit, nakabuka ang pakpak,

sinusubuan ang inakay, at iba

pang mga ginagawa ng ibon.

Nang dumating ang

pinahusay na digital

photography (mga 15

Megapixels ang minimum

na kapasidad),

Upang makuha ang maraming detalye, kahit mahaba ang lente,

kailangan pa rin talagang lapitan pa ang ibon (sa agwat na hindi

mabubulabog ito). Upang magawa ito, kailangan ng mapagkukublihan;

kailangang hindi mahalata ng ibon.

Kailangang gumamit ng pananamit na umaayon sa kaligiran: camouflage,

o madidilim na kulay. Bawal ang puti at matitingkad na kulay ng

pananamit.


Maaaring gumamit ng hide: yong parang tent na pinag-tataguan;

o kaya’y isinusuot tulad ng tinatawag na ghillie suit; o kahit anong

maibabalabal para hindi mabulabog ang ibon.

Sa paghahanap ng malilitratuhang ibon, pati sapatos ay dapat tama

para sa ano mang terrain: mabato, maputik, maalikabok, matubig.

Nagdadala ang iba ng sandalyas o tsinelas pag lulusong sa tubig.

Ang iba ay may dala ring tungkod o walking cane.

At kung umulan, dapat may nakahandang pananggalang: payong,

kapote, dry bag, plastic bag.

Pag naiinip o napagod, mainam na may upuang dala. Pag nagutom,

may dalang pagkain. Pag nauhaw, may dalang tubig.

Pwera pa rito ang pampahid para hindi kagatin ng lamok o anumang

insekto; pwedeng sunblock o sombrero o net sa ulo na parang doon

sa mga nag-aalga ng bubuyog.


Kung bitbit ng birder ang lahat ng ito, daig pa

niya ang isang sundalong patungong gyera. Kaya,

kadalasan, nag-aarkila ang birder ng isang porter o

taga-buhat ng mga gadget na maaaring umabot sa

mga 20 kilo ang kabuuang bigat.

At hindi lang literal na mabigat ang mga ito. Sa dami

ng iba pang kagamitan, mabigat na rin ang mga ito

sa bulsa.

May ibang umaabot ng halos isang milyong piso ang

buong set-up at napapasigaw kapag ang porter ay

muntik-muntikang madulas o madapa o mahulog

habang dala-dala ang isang-milyong pisong gamit.

Pwera pa rin ang lalagyan ng gamot at f irst

aid; lalagyan ng mga baterya, SD o CF card,

charger, cellphone o radyo at iba pang

mumunting abubot.


Hindi pa rito nagtatapos ang litanya ng mga gadget ng isang birder.

Anong bag ang pagsisidlan ng mga ito?

Naririyan ang mga espesyal na backpack, o hardcase na waterproof at

shockproof, ice box, lunch box, at kung ano pang mga sisidlan.

At dahil ang karaniwang lakad ay sa madaling araw at ang uwi ay gabi

na, kailangan ng sasakyan. Hindi lang basta sasakyan. ‘Yong pwede sa

rough road, akyatan, maraming maikakarga, matibay.

At, bag pala para sa mga damit na pamalit kapag pinagpawisan,

nabasa, naputikan o nag-overnight. Pati na ang gamit sa pagligo,

pagtulog; depende sa kung ilang gabing kailangan.

Mas mahinang digital camera (mga 5MP lang) at mas maikling

lente (kit lens lang halos) ang mabibili sa ganitong halaga rin.

Tapos, pwede nang tipirin ang ibang gamit: mumurahing

sapatos o sandals (o magtsinelas na lang (ang porter at local

guide nga na inarkila ay naka-pambahay na suot at naka-tapak

lang kung minsan).

Kaya nang dumating ang higit na murang set-up (mga

P80 libo para sa camera at lente), mas magaan ang

bitbit (sa bulsa man o sa balikat) . Mura na ito kung

ikukumpara 15 taon ang nakararaa.


Ok na ang anumang pantalon at t-shirt. Kahit ukay-ukay. Ok na

rin ang itim na garbage bag ang gawing pang-waterproofing

kung umulan. Magpaluto na lang ng pagkain sa baryo (matutuwa

pa sila dahil may extra income sila). At, mag-carpooling para

makatipid.

Sa dulo, ang esensyal lang talagang kargada ay:

Disenteng digital camera at

mahabang lente. The rest, wika

nga, nasa diskarte mo na yan.

Ang May Akda

Si REUEL MOLINA AGUILA, Ph. D. ay guro sa

Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas, UP,

Diliman. Makata, mandudula, mananaysay, nagsulat ng

iskrip para sa telebisyon, radyo at pelikula, hinirang

din siya sa Hall of Fame ng Palanca Awards (2009).

Ang ilan pa sa pangunahing pagkilala sa kanya ay:

Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas (2004), lifetime

achievement award para sa dula; Gawad ng Dangal ng

Wikang Filipino, lifetime achievement award para sa

kontribusyon sa pag-unlad ng Pambansang Wika sa

pamamagitan ng kanyang mga nasulat (2008); Makata

ng Taon (2008); Mananaysay ng Taon (2007).


Premyadong photographer, siya

rin ang nag-curate at kalahok na

photographer sa Bagwis: Birds of

UP, Diliman (2013), Birds of Baguio

and Benguet (2014), Bagwis 2: Birds

of UP, Diliman and Quezon City

(2016).

Si Aguila rin ang isa sa dalaang

tagapagtatag ng Palihang Rogelio

Sicat, pambansang pagsasanay

sa malilkhaing pagsusulat; at

tagapagtatag ng Kataga, Samahan

ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas.

| S P E A R H E A D M A G A Z I N E . C O M24

Pancho Adelberto M. Hubilla

TETADAThe

27


The Spearhead decided to feature a

skill that is not commonly known and

is not as popular with the Filipinos as

other forms of martial arts to widen

the selections of skills that boys and

men (and ladies too) may get into – the

TETADA. This was previously referred

to as Kalimasada but was replaced by

TETADA Kalimasada as more reflective

term of the practice.

We were fortunate to interact with

Mr. Mar B. Robosa @Mars. He is

one of the early practitioners and

qualified coaches in the country. Mars

participated and was rated in the

Pilatih Nasional 2010 at the TETADA

Indonesia. Mars in his UP Diliman days

was a judo and karate aficionado but

unconsciously relegated the practice

for his career. A friend introduced him

to TETADA Kalimasada because he was

observed to be suffering from gout. The

friend told him to try TETADA and Mars

observed that after his fourth session

he was greatly relieved from his pain

without the usual medications.

Brief Background

Mars explained that the practice of

Kalimasada started sometime five hundred

years ago in Surabaya, Indonesia. The

story is that it is an ancient and secret

form of healing and martial arts. In Java,

‘Kalimosodo’ means great weapon of King

Puntadewa while in Bali ‘Kalimosada’ refers

to the method of traditional healing. In

November 1991, the TETADA Kalimasada

healing component was shared with the

public through the Institute for Energy

Cultivation. TETADA is an Indonesian

acronym for TE – Terapi, which means

therapy, TA – Tenaga that, means Energy,

and DA – Dalam that means inner. It is

practiced in several parts of the world and

it was introduced in the country in 1994.

The Practice

TETADA Kalimasada is being

propagated for its healing benefits

albeit practitioners of other martial

arts especially Kung Fu discern

the fighting technique that it has.

TETADA as its Indonesian name

connotes focused on harnessing the

practitioner’s inner energy towards

healing of the practitioner’s ailment

and as he advances in his practice,

he gains the ability to address

other people’s ailments as well.

Mars Robosa attests to the health

benefits that he has acquired as

a practitioner while other people

attest to several instance that Mars

relieved them of their ailments.


There are three general progressive courses.

The first and introduction is the Dasar. It has

six stages geared towards development of inner

basic energy. The second is Pancar Sona. It

hones the energy gained and combines it with

Prana of the universe for superior effectiveness.

The third is Pancar Daya. It trains the mind

to increase and intensify the energy outflow

from the practitioner’s body. The practitioner

advances by completing the required number

of sessions and passing a test on ‘energy

synchronization’ as evaluated by a coach (Pilati)

and finally by the

Grand Master.

Mars clarified though that in a month’s time

there will be noticeable improvement on the

practitioner’s health. The Spearhead inquired

why the TETADA did not gain popularity as

those of other martial arts. He said that the

more popular martial arts like Judo, Karate, and

Thai Boxing are spectator sports while TETADA

is geared towards healing the practitioner’s

body and others.

We requested Mars to make more

public rather than esoteric by

demonstrating how focused energy

works and how it is delivered. The

video of the bottle breaking through

focused energy is at The Spearhead

Gallery.

Mars Robosa can be reached at

[email protected]


Crystalynne D. Cortez

My heart rate is experiencing seesaw effect because

of obesity. Having difficulty breathing, I decided to

monitor my heart rate and get a fit band. I looked for

the cheapest brand in the market because I know,

FitBit is too expensive. I found Atmos Fit Elit for Php

890.00 in Kimstore, an online shop. Knowing its price

ranges from Php1,090 to Php1,290 in malls, I grabbed

the opportunity and bought it. The band comes in

two colors, black and blue, so I got my favorite, the

blue one.

ATMOS F IT EL ITE : L O W - P R I C E D F I T B A N D

33


When I got the device, I was mesmerized by its packaging.

It really looks posh and elite. Opening the box, I got a fit

band, a USB charger without an adapter and a piece of

paper stating, ‘Manual and User Guide.’ Since it was my

first time using a fit band, I read the entire manual and

it is not helpful. To turn on the band, manual said I had

to press the sensor button for 3 seconds, I did and even

counted 1 to 3. I figured out I had to long press the sensor

button for 5-10 seconds to turn it on and off.

I installed Atmos Fit App to my

Android phone and connected the

fit band via Bluetooth to maximize

its functionalities. Using the fit

band in stand-alone mode, only

four features can be utilized: heart

rate monitor, pedometer, distance

monitor and watch.



The question, “Is it really a smart fitness band?” Being smart

does not only mean knowing but having an accurate data, so

my answer is NO. Starting as a heart rate monitor, several

times, I got readings of 78 to 81 beats per minute (bpm).

Am I having a heart attack? Reason was the sensor is more

sensitive to external light. Pressing the sensor button harder

to tighten skin contact yields a more accurate result of

around 95%, 3 to 4 beats greater than manually monitoring

my heart rate. As a pedometer, I wonder how did I get step

counts when I am sitting and lying down on bed? Sensor

counts based from the movements of my hand. I wore the

fit band on my left wrist and tried moving it, automatically

it counts. As a distance monitor, the distance travelled was

calculated based from the step counts made. In an average,

a person walks 2,000 to 2,500 per mile. As a watch, I noticed

that every time I turned off my fit band for several hours,

I had to sync it again to my phone. The fit band itself does

not support internal memory. This is acceptable since the

design is small.

As for weeks of using it and mastering

the technique of getting pulses, I found

the heart rate monitor quite reliable.

My purpose of buying it was to check

whether my heart rate is rising so

I can apply immediate intervention

like resting for a while, oxidizing my

body and breathing shallowly, Atmos

Fit Elite satisfied this need. Using the

pedometer and distance monitor in

stand-alone mode is very unreliable. I

suggest turning on the GPS of Android

phone and connecting the fit band

when jogging or walking to monitor

the distance more accurately. Other

functions of Atmos fit band while

connected to Android phone, like call

and text notifications, alarm clock

and remotely taking pictures, worked

perfectly.

The accuracy of every biofeedback

device falls in good algorithm and

sensor calibration so for Atmos Fit

Elite, I suggest recalibrating the sensor

to yield a more accurate result. But

despite its flaws, I still found Atmos Fit

Elite cool in terms of design and easy

to use.


Pancho Adelberto M. Hubilla

LOUD REVERIESOF THREE DRUNK ANCIENT MEN

PART 2:

Whoooaaa! The three ancient men

suddenly switched to reminiscence

mode. FAM (fat ancient man) was

shaking his head and expressed regrets

that he was not able to think about such

possibilities in his time. There were

billboards and large ads postings during

the ancient men’s younger years but

FAM said he was not as innovative and

as imaginative as that fellow who did it.

The three ancient men were in their

spirits (pun intended) while on their

seventh round of sub-zero cold beers

when BAM (bald ancient man) saw on

twitter that a guy was inviting out a

lady through a billboard post

05| S P E A R H E A D M A G A Z I N E . C O M40 41

MEN’S TALK

BAM and SAM (slim ancient man) were

sure though that the reason why FAM

was not able to device it in his time

was simply because he did not have

the financial ability to even think about

it. There is an ancient esoteric mystical

principle from the ‘sage of the drunk old

men’ that said, ‘you can only imagine as

far as your wallet will allow you to or as

far as someone’s bank account inspires

you’.

FAM grudgingly agreed to this ancient

esoteric mystical principle but bewailed

the absence of social media in his time.

He felt that if there were social media in

his time maybe he could be as imaginative

and innovative too. SAM agreed and said

that with FAM’s rich imaginations he

could be earning tons as a troll.

Reminiscence

Mode


SAM posed the query as to ‘what

does it take to be a man’ in their

younger days? The three ancient and

near-drunk men pondered on the

question. BAM blinked a few times

and shared that he can recall that

boys were considered as men when

they were already circumcised.

FAM and SAM agreed. They recalled

that the only time that they were

accepted to join the banter of the

teen-aged guys was the time that

they were able to prove that they

were circumcised. SAM qualified

that at that time, among circumcised

boys, there was still a question of

who was ‘more man’.

The three ancient

men switched to

reminiscence mode on

their eighth rounds of

sub-zero cold beers.

Torn cloth from an old t-shirt rather than

gauze was used as bandage.

The trio agreed. Indeed, there were

lesser men and true men. FAM narrated

that he became best friend with SAM

because there was a time that SAM was

bloodied in a melee in their town’s public

market long time ago. It happened when

five unruly drunk men harassed his

sister who was then buying foodstuffs.

Incidentally, SAM was there and tried to

escort FAM’s sister out of the situation

but the situation went out of hand. It was

unfortunate that SAM was reading so

many Arthurian Novels that he thought

chivalry makes him a better man. SAM

said he felt it made him a better man sans

the broken ribs, five stiches on his torn

eyebrow, and of course the lost tooth.

SAMs smile with one tooth missing made

him the ‘crush ng barangay’ for a while.

FAM recalled that those

circumcised by an MD

were considered as lesser

men. The ‘true men’ were

those who had it cut along

a river bank after soaking

for around thirty minutes,

done by a certified

‘mangtutule’ with the

use of a newly sharpened

barber’s razor, and the

‘patient’ personally spitting

the chewed guava leaves on

the cut skin.


BAM recalled that it

was some sort of a

practice in his town

for young men to help

carry the loads of

elders and women they

met along the way.

They even kiss the hands of the elders. It

was a manifestation of respect. There was

an ulterior motive though. This practice

places the young men in good graces in

an instance that they decided to court a

relative of those assisted. Expression of

respect makes people smart, sometimes

in those days.

The trio agreed that those were some

of the best that could be done in their

younger years. There was no earthshaking

technique comparable to the billboard

invite. They also decided to be on the

lookout just in case the invited lady will

respond through the billboard too. BAM

is very interested to see a meme of a

‘tokhang looked’ barista or smiley barista

depending on the lady’s response. SAM

asked as to what is a ‘tokhang look’.

BAM said it is a crying man looking over

on what looks like a huge fresh lumpia

roll with what appears to be a human

silhouette.

It meant then that a man could work

longer hours in the farm inspite of

the weather or could trod on with his

responsibilities despite the challenges.

Tough guy then was in the mold of

the epic movies where he serves and

protects the helpless. BAM was wide-

eyed surprised and inquired whether the

tough guys were cops too. SAM clarified

that maybe ‘to serve and to protect’ is

the current cliché for the policemen but

in the olden days it was their duty. BAM

blurred by the sub-zero cold beers asked

whether to be tough guy requires that

he must boast and commit to killing of

so many people categorizing the dead as

either criminals or collateral damages.

FAM patiently explained to blurry BAM

that a barangay holds a man in esteem

because that man upholds the values

and aspirations of his barangay. Thus, if

a barangay wishes to forego of the ‘due

process as prescribed by the laws’ and

support the killings, then it makes the

killer a tough guy and the barangay’s

hero too.

FAM recalled that in

their younger days the

description of a tough

guy had a different

meaning.


It is typical of conversation

among presumptuous men.

FAM suggested that they must

really be in cadence with the

modern times and the best way

is through the social media. BAM

said that that he could request his

nephew to give them a tutorial on

the different social media. FAM

replied that there is no need for

tutorials because social media

are designed for idiots. SAM

in form of correction said that

social media are not designed for

idiots but these were designed

that even idiots can access them.

The exchange accelerated BAM’s

transition towards stupor.

The drunk ancient men

did their respective bottles

in singular swig without

understanding whether

they understood what they

were talking about and

none was gutsy enough to

seek clarification.

Envy Mode

FAM agreed while BAM drunkenly nudges

SAM. They said that they noticed that in

the social media there are so many new

standards on ‘what does it take to be a

man’ and they felt being left out.

BAM was suddenly excited, he said

he saw in his nephew’s twitter that

people can cuss, threaten, and make

other utterances that will make his life

miserable if his late mother would hear

him saying. FAM shared that he even

noticed that people threaten those who

disagree with them with rape or other

mayhem. BAM felt envious that people

can say all those nasty stuff without

the risk of being physically smashed

or mauled. SAM said that it is brought

about by the anonymity offered by the

different social media platforms. This

time FAM really wished there were social

media in his younger years.


Nick Torre III

TECHNOLOGY AND ANTI-CRIMEOPERATIONSThe Philippine peace and order situation is a highly

dynamic landscape that is continuously changing

together with the other development indicators and

barometers. Among these indicators is the technological

advancement especially in the field of information and

communications. As such, it is imperative that the

capability of the country to protect its citizens from

crime must progress with the headway that the country

is making on other fronts.

In the forefront of the country’s fight against criminality

is the Philippine National Police and its subordinate

territorial forces. Close coordination between the

Local Government Units (LGUs) and their counterpart

PNP Offices is a must considering the convergence of

interests between them in the maintenance of peace

and order. LGUs, through the Peace and Order Councils

had been the major contributor of equipment to local

PNP units, donating patrol cars, firearms, and other

crime fighting equipment.

Time and again, the PNP implemented various

programs aimed at increasing police visibility in

the streets. Several Chiefs, PNP gave marching

orders to maximize the deployment of the PNP

at the frontline, particularly on the streets, to

spearhead intensified anti-criminality operations

to give true meaning to the PNP’s motto;“We Serve

and

Protect”.


STREET SURVIVAL

Invariably, the common objective of these programs

calls for the streamlining of headquarters administrative

operations and redeployment of less-critical personnel

in admin units to patrol and police visibility duties in

the field. These strategies however can only achieve so

much. The biggest limitation of the PNP is its insufficient

number of personnel — the current police to population

ratio on paper is one policeman for every 600 citizens

but on the ground, taking into consideration several

units that are not performing patrol and visibility related

jobs, the ratio can go as high as 1:5,000. The obvious

solution, which is recruitment of more personnel, is

not always the most feasible considering the budgetary

requirements that it entails and the politics in the

bureaucracy that is involved. Moreover, the advent of

new trends of crime commission necessitates that the

police also adjust to the emerging modus operandi.

Among the new modus operandi include robberies that

take advantage of the mobility provided by motorcycles,

carnapping that take advantage of the well-paved

roads of highly urbanized communities, and thefts

that take advantage of the numerous convergence

places in commercial and business centers. Likewise,

the emergence of new white-collar crimes is noted.

Whereas before, robbers violently storm banks to cart

away a few million pesos, nowadays, billions can be lost

to thieves who do not even fire a single shot.

Urban centers such as Metro Manila, with its network of

the best roads, cutting-edge infrastructure, and modern

amenities of urban lifestyle, is among the top business,

investment, and leisure destination in the country today.

The heart of various Central Business Districts (CBD)

in the country hosts transient traffic that becomes a

major peace and order concern. Most of the time, the

numerous entry and exit points in and out of these

CBDs are almost impossible for the PNP to monitor due

to manpower constraints. Foot and mobile patrols are

effective only in its influence radius which is the line of

sight of policemen. As such, police response is usually

based on reports of witnesses. Often times, these

witnesses are indifferent to the plight of their fellowmen

and they do not deliberately report the incidents, thus

the police can only respond upon observation of a

situation that reaches their attention.


Many crime prone areas are located in roads serving

as the boundary of two police units. Because of these

“gray” areas, two or more units often dispute for credit

during accomplishments and finger point responsibility

during lapses. Likewise, there are times that deployment

gaps are created resulting to failure of police service

during untoward incidents. The other extreme of the

spectrum is deployment overlapping and redundancy

that result in ineffective utilization of the already limited

PNP resources. At its worst, the boundary issue results

to porous chokepoints because one unit may depend on

another and vice-versa resulting in non-deployment at

all. Many crime prone areas are also unlighted or dimly

lit streets that are often used as a refuge of criminal

elements. These streets have usually busy intersections

with the lighting system either not properly maintained

or were vandalized by unscrupulous elements.

Among the most viable option to further extend

the sphere of influence of the police is the use of

surveillance cameras strategically positioned in critical

areas. These cameras can be monitored by a central

control that in turn could feed the information to

policemen on the ground. This system should improve

the response time of policemen as real time information

can be fed to them by a professional as compared to the

reports of bystanders and witnesses. Current data show

that if the PNP intends to keep up with the times where

technology permeates every facet of society, it must

take advantage of available anti-crime technology such

as surveillance cameras and modern communications

equipment. Another equipment being explored by the

PNP is the GPS in its patrol cars. Coupled with GIS-

based crime pattern analysis, GPS equipped patrol cars

can be deployed in areas where crime is assessed to

occur during the times that pattern is observed.


In the post-crime investigation

function of the PNP, the Crime

Laboratory is another unit that relies

heavily on technology to catch up

with the emerging modus operandi.

Crime scene reconstruction is now

made easier by the use of computer

design software. Fingerprint

and firearms examination is now

faster with the use of automation.

Composite sketches of suspects is

also a breeze nowadays because of

computer software designed for the

purpose.

Technology is indeed both a boon

and a bane to criminals and the PNP

alike. Whoever gets ahead in the

acquisition and the exploitation of

technology has a better chance of

winning this endless war between

good and evil.


SO NEAR. SO FAR…THE FASCINATING IRONY OF OUR CURRENT REALITY

Rhoanne Ramas

Social Media. I feel that a lot of people would agree

with me when I say that the birth as well as the

continuous development of various programs enables

each individual to transform our lives in such a way

that helps us become more at ease with the day-to-

day dynamics. Developers did a great job in creating

programs that engages people in many ways. Our

current technology enables us to become more

proficient and maximize our capabilities. It allows us

to think that a lot of things are just within our grasp.

These improvements are good as far as I think.


OPINION

However…

I find it funny and ironic because

something which was originally created

to connect people is the same medium

that forms an invisible wall that divides

us from the people in front of us.

Technology was initially meant to bring

us closer to each other. It was meant to

bring us closer, but why does it feel like

it now becomes a distraction?

Make no mistake; I am not against the use

of such things as well as the advancement of

society. I’m all for that if it means enabling

people to live a well-balanced life. I support the

idea of helping people reach higher grounds and

see how far they can go. Still, ironic as it seems,

I find it quite saddening to think that we are a

click or swipe away from people miles away but

we seem to be galaxies away from the people

who are physically with us.


Technology was

initially meant to

bring us closer to

each other

When I sit alone in a coffee shop (yes, I

take pleasure in having my alone time

once in a while), I can’t help but notice

families and friends so focused as they

look down and fiddle non-stop with

their gadgets. I am also guilty of such

actions. I guess I am no different. It’s

as if that we are creating a world of

our own. Constantly trying to connect

but becomes more disconnected

either way.

Then I wonder… when was the last

time that we made an effort in being

present in the moment? As in really,

truly present? When was the last time

when we conversed with the person in

front of us without being distracted by

the notifications that hums repeatedly

on our sides, or inside our bags?


I feel that at times, it is very important

to unplug ourselves in a digital world

that continues to envelope us. I’m not

saying quit it altogether because let’s

be honest, technology has become an

important part of our routines. That

is something that we are all aware of.

However, it is also necessary to take

time to just be in the moment. Turn off

the devices for a while.

Maybe an hour

or a day perhaps?

Look. Hear. Smell.

Feel. Just be.


Take the time to

simply immerse

yourself to the things,

events and people

within your physical

reach.

UNPLUG.


Anna Liza Madayag Gaspar, CPA

THE VALUE OF T IME

You may have heard of ‘The Time Value of Money’

over and over, that a peso today is more valuable

than a peso you’ll receive in, say, a year. Or you

may have heard about time being the great

equalizer. That a rich woman and a poor one has

24 hours a day, 7 times a week. Each. Though

the rich woman may pay as many people as she

can to spend some of their time working for her,

at the end of the day, that day will only have 24

hours.

All these tells us that time

has its own value.


FINANCIAL ADVICE

ON TIME

Last April, together with some members

of the International Group of Ilokano

Writers, I was invited to perform at

the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

This event was organized by the CCP’s

Intertexual Division. My mindset as

regards to an event’s starting time is set

at the Filipino time, something that I don’t

actually like; however, there is nothing I

dislike more than going to a 9 A.M. event,

then made to wait until God knows when

until the event actually starts. I usually

bring a book to entertain me when I go

to meetings.

Imagine my surprise when the Intertextual

Division started most (except one) of the events

I attended on time. When I mentioned this to

one of the CCP people, Bebang Sy, she said

that if they don’t start an event on time, they

will get punished. What sort of punishment?

Bebang said her division will receive a memo.

I was very impressed. A mere memorandum

has this much power to change an ingrained

practice not only by institutions, but by our

entire culture. (Try reading bulletin boards or

forums with majority of expats working in the

Philippines as members and you’ll learn in no

time that we, Filipinos, are known for showing

up in meetings hours after the appointed and

agreed upon time. This frustrates them no end.)


I salute CCP particularly the Intertextual

Division for instituting this practice. I

hope that others, including me, will learn

from their example. This shows that they

respect the time of the people attending

their events.

PROMISES

Most of the times, we hear the Metro’s

horrendous traffic as the reason for

someone arriving late. Thankfully we

now have tools made available to us by

technology to ensure that we arrive to our

commitments on time. Waze can be easily

accessed from our mobile phones. It can

tell us what time to leave our homes such

that we will arrive at our meetings at the

time we promised.


It’s not only about arriving to meetings on

time that we have to be mindful of. Fulfilling

time-bound promises is also very important.

For example, I promised this article yesterday

morning, but I failed to deliver. This means that

the entire magazine - lay-outing, rendering,

etc. - was delayed because I failed to honor my

promise.

Imagine if it’s a life and death situation. Would I

still be lackadaisical? I supposed not. I remember

what Congresswoman Sol Aragones shared about

replying to text messages from her constituents.

She said her constituents may be in dire need

that an immediate reply can meet life and death.

Maybe it’s time that all of us think beyond ourselves,

think about the impact of our actions on the lives of

other people. Of course, as someone who wants to

be a better version of myself, I am continually doing

my best to improve. I also think that at times when I

can’t deliver on my promises it is also important that

I am not hard on myself.

Yes, I failed, but that isn’t enough reason

to beat myself up. There is always the next

time to do better.

Liza was educated at the University of the Philippines, Diliman and the De La Salle

University. She is a published author of children’s stories. She’s saving up for the

Chartered Financial Analyst III exam. Email her at [email protected] or

follow her antics at www.facebook.com/annalizamgaspar.


GOD’S WAYO F T E A C H I N G A T E A C H E RGaily Magan

HUMAN INTEREST

This is basically my life for 9 years.

I wake up, get dressed, travel for

2 hours, check lesson plans, revise

programs, win little kids, attend

parent-teacher conferences, and

sundries. My hands are full because

of infinite responsibilities at work

and there were days I wished to

take a break. Apparently, not this

kind of break.

Just a month before I turned

30, I was diagnosed with

Thyroid Follicular Carcinoma.

I was kind of confused at

first. I thought I was healthy

but it is cancer and it means

I have to undergo surgeries,

treatments, and months away

from work.

I did researches about my sickness.

Fortunately, it is curable. Still and

all, I have no single idea where this

sickness will take me and if I can zing

back to my everyday routine.

This sudden lifeless switch that

makes me stuck in bed daydreaming

is considerably more draining and

frustrating. I feel more exhausted but

it taught me in an unexpected way.


It is to love what I have in

my hands, to become aware

of my work’s value and its

contribution to my life and all

things in between. However, the

moment I realized the gravity of

what I have in my hands, Cancer

is slowly taking it away. This is

the beauty of life and learning.

It has ferocious dimensions

and unimaginable tests. And

no matter how hard we refuse

to let go, life will continuously

throw curveballs until we feel

like we are empty-handed.

This is going to be dark and I

am fearful but God is saying,

it is okay for me to let go of

everything. I just have to hold

one single thing in my hands in

this battle, and that is Faith.

Faith that God is

teaching me something.

That it is acceptable to stop so

that when it is time to move

again, I will truly appreciate my

work more not because I miss

the kids, the school, and the

sound of the copy machine.


That I love it not just because

it helps me earn nor it is my

passion but simply because it

makes me feel alive. Now, I am

in the process of recovery and

I will be going back to work in a

few months.

God truly worked in ways

beyond my imagination.

This long battle has been

teaching a teacher something

she knows beforehand but

this time in a totally different

perspective.

The author is a preschool teacher. She had her BS

Psychology major in Clinical Psychology from the

St. Paul University, Quezon City and her Masters in

Developmental Psychology from the UP Diliman.


Anna Liza Madayag Gaspar, CPA

FOOD: POISON OR MEDICINE?

One of the continuing mysteries of

existence is that the things that keep

you healthy and sustain your life are

the very things that can undermine

your health and cause your death. In

the same manner, the foods that keep

you alive are the very same foods that

can bring your death. For example, in

trace amounts, metals like cobalt, iron,

zinc, and magnesium are essential

to health, but in greater than trace

amounts, they can poison and kill you.

In ancient times, Hippocrates, the

father of medicine, often advised

his students and patients alike: ”Let

your food be your medicine, and let

your medicine be your food.” In the

absence of manufactured drugs and

prescription medicine, the medical

practitioners of Hippocrates’s time

have no choice but to go natural and,

needless to say, herbal.

85

HEALTH & WELLNESS

That food can be medicine and can

cure illness was proven in the case

of Dr. William Howard Hay, a medical

practitioner in Pennsylvania. When he

was a student at New York University

School of Medicine, he felt very strong

and considered himself to be very

healthy. He grew up to be a heavy

man, he weighed 223 pounds, but still

he continued to think of himself as

healthy. When he was 39, he found

out he was not really healthy. While

going to work one morning, he ran

to catch up on an oncoming train. A

sudden pain in the chest made him

collapse. He found out later he had

a dilated heart. As a doctor, he knew

that the tissues of his heart were

weak, thus the dilation.

Because of his weak heart, his blood

circulation was poor, resulting in a

swollen leg that stretched the skin to full

capacity. He was unable to lie down and

sleep for fear of drowning in his own

fluids. This condition was very familiar to

him as a practicing medical doctor. He

had seen this symptom in some of his

patients, and he had always told them

“to prepare for the final hop-off,” which

was never far in the future.” To make

matters worse Dr. Hay also found out he

had Bright’s Disease, an inflammation

of the kidney characterized by loss of

albumen through the urine. The illness

was also accompanied by hypertension.

Some colleagues who had diagnosed Dr.

Hay told him he had only three months

to live. Since he knew the “utter failure

of medical treatment in this class of

cases” he refused to take any medicine.

What was the use? He asked.


It was at this point, over many long sleepless nights, that

Dr. Hay made a careful analysis of his previous habits.

He realized that since he graduated from the medical

school 16 years ago, he had eaten only at hotels, boarding

houses and restaurants where he had no control over

the preparation of food. He also realized that it was only

during the last five years after he got married that he had

eaten in his own home, “with controllable conditions at

table.” An analysis of his diet during his eleven years of

public eating showed that he had been eating meat or

other concentrated protein food at each meal, “usually

combined with white bread and generally potato in some

form.” In other words, a combination of animal protein

(meat) and starch (bread and potato), which are highly

incompatible foods that cannot be digested together.

As top dressing for this mixture of

incompatible foods, Dr. Hay had been

eating pastries freely. The whole was

washed down with two or three cups of

coffee sweetened thoroughly with white

sugar and enriched with cream. Dr. Hay

also smoked like a “veritable chimney”

and drank wines and liquor freely.

After realizing that he had been

poisoning himself with food for

years, Dr. Hay drastically changed

his diet. His usual diet of three

meals per day was reduced to one

meal a day, consisting only of a

little amount of vegetable at night.

In his book Health via Food, Dr.

Hay relates: “The coffee was also

discontinued, and in a few weeks

the stimulants cured themselves

through loss of desire for them.

In a few months the tobacco was

given up, and for four years,

there was no desire to smoke,

even after many years of heavy

smoking.”

He further relates: “Then

followed a period of rejuvenation

that was truly remarkable. In

three weeks there was not a sign

of dropsy (edema) anywhere in

the body. In three months the

weight had gone down [from 223

pounds] to normal, 175 pounds in

street clothing.”


At about the same time, Dr. Hay

discovered that he could run again as

far as he desired without disturbing

the rhythm of his heart, “and there

was surprising endurance and long-

windedness.”

Needless to say, Dr. Hay fully recovered

from his illness. He lived for another

33 years and died at the age of 74.

His case clearly showed that food

could be a poison if overeaten or if

eaten carelessly. For many years, he

has been poisoning himself by taking

a wrong combination of food—meat,

bread and potato— and wrong food

itself—coffee sweetened with refined

sugar. But if eaten sparingly and in

right combination, most especially, in

moderation or in very little amount, it

can become a medicine.

With today’s innumerable choices

of food, it becomes your choice to

make your food your poison or your

medicine.


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