Bayan ko, maging matalino ka. Huwag kaagad sasang-ayon.

Kung ang anino ng kapangyarihan ay hindi inilalantad sa tapat ng mesa-aregluhan, ang mga pakikipag-ayos ay nagiging isang salin-salita lamang sa pagsasang-ayon na maamo.

Baka marahil ang sintomas na ating nasasaksihan ngayon ay isang uri ng pampapigil na pagsasang-ayon: Kung baga, dudurogin na mismo natin ang ating konsensya bago pa tayo maunahan nila, at wala na silang madudurog pa.

O Bayan ko! Huwag ka sanang bibigay kaagad nang di man lang inaasahan at baka ika'y patihayang mapatumba, at wala ka man lang kahit anong makakapitan. Pag nangyari yon, ang silakbo sa loob mo ay kataka-takang titiwasay, na animo'y nasa kinahinatnang dulot ng isang buhawi -- awit ng ibon, sikat ng araw, sobrang puspos na mga kulay, wasak na paligid, at... ang iyong sarili, tuliro at paikod-ikod.

Bayan ko, huwag mo sana'ng simulang sabihin kung ano'ng gagawin mo pag di ka magtagumpay sa nais mo, dahil sa pinakasaglit pa lang na sabihin mo ito, ay nagpapahiwatig lamang na sang-ayon ka na sa kahihinatnan mo sa umpisa pa lang.

Bayan ko, ano man ang ibahagi mo sa iba, subalit ingatan mo at pangalagaan mo ang biyayang nakalaan para sa mga anak mo at sa mga anak ng mga anak mo.

       

Why not teach our own native languages instead?

Instead of teaching foreign languages such as Korean, Chinese, or Japanese, why not prioritize teaching our own native languages in addition to the Filipino language in our school curriculum?

For instance, consider our very own Visayan language. Over 30 languages constitute the Visayan language family. The Visayan language with the most speakers is Cebuano, spoken by over 30 million people as a native language in Central Visayas, parts of Eastern Visayas, and most of Mindanao.

Just think of the countless positive developments that could result when the young Tagalog pinoys of today and the next generations of the Tagalog-speaking regions of our country would someday be no longer linguistically alienated from the Visayan-speaking regions -- just as how the Bisaya-speaking pinoys learned Tagalog early in school making them not linguistically alienated from the Tagalog-speaking pinoys.

A huge percentage of the language barrier between Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao would significantly be reduced just by adding the Visayan language in our school curriculum! Isn't that amazing?! There would be a linguistically united Philippines when that happens!

Image, Courtesy To The Owner (CTTO). Personal addition of red punctuation marks and symbols are for added emphasis.

Wage hike is not just a question of competitiveness

Wage hike is not just a question of competitiveness, but also it is a matter of cost of living and much more. Honest and good business people do not just stop at considering only one factor to justify wage hike because raising the compensation of their employees is also a matter of cost of living which is very much directly related to the inflation level of basic commodities.

When inflation rate gets above normal level (normal inflation rate level is about 2% to 3%), the delicate relationship of the costs of goods, wages, and services get thrown out of balance.

The economic balance scale is a multi-arm multi-factor weighing device.

On the employee side of the economic balance scale: How many workers could and would continue to endure for long working at their best when their compensations are not able to meet their cost of living?

On the employer side of the balance scale: When an inflation is caused by a government's poor economic management, why are the employers always the ones made to shoulder for the adjustments in the workers' compensations? How many of the employers are able to sustain their operations without laying off workers or increasing the cost of their products and services?

On the consumer side of the balance scale: How many low income families are able to cope with the high cost of basic commodities without resorting to illegal means of earning something just to survive?

On the government side of the balance scale: Where should the point of balance justly lie, and where should it fairly be placed? Who should be responsible for setting the balance back to normal? Who should be held liable for upsetting the balance?

          

Be new! Let the world see the real light in you

There are quite a number of people who are sensing your heart's desire for public service, Ms. Mocha Uson. But your heart is being imprisoned by the hurts and pains of so many past and present negativity and emotions such that in some way it has started to harden ready for "war", as you have spoken it when you recently resigned as an ASec.

But with the content and format of this video interview post of yours, kudos, Mam! I am sensing that finally you are learning to reinvent yourself. This is a right and very good step in freeing your heart towards the way to being a true public servant.

Mas effective, Mam, ang ganitong paraan sa pag-convey mo ng positive message sa mga mamayan tungkol sa importanteng mga bagay (o kahit mga bagay-bagay man lang) na dapat malaman ng publiko tungkol sa kanilang gobyerno.

Hanggat pwede at kaya mong gawin, katulad ng ginawa mo ng video na ito ay sana ang dapat na magiging basic format at content ng inyong susunod pang mga post:

1. Totoo ang message at hindi fabricated. Use information na galing mismo firsthand sa resource person mo. Do not communicate to propagandize.

2. Whatever you convey, whether positive or negative, accept the fact that there will always be haters and critics. Therefore, just simply let haters hate, and let critics criticize.

3. Day by day, on your part, develop the ability to focus less and less on the negativity of their hate and criticism. Find instead something in their messages that you might possibly be able to exploit into something positive. But never fabricate truth just to support your opinion.

4. Learn to refrain from hitting back at haters and critics in the same way or style they are hating and criticizing. Avoid responding to them as soon as you feel the sting of their message. Take some time to at least let the sting subside to a manageable level, if you could not let it die down completely.

5. No government, no administration, no public official, no citizen, no netizen, is perfect. Thus, as much as possible focus on what positive things can be conveyed and can be done in the midst of issues and negativity. But never try to ignore the negative things that are worthy of getting due and appropriate attention.

6. Remember that a negative thing cannot be changed or erased by using other negative things to drown or counter the criticisms they have earned.

7. Learn to appreciate the criticisms that are worthy and constructive and try to build an honest reasonable opinion from the positive and constructive aspects of the worthy criticisms.

Kaya Ms. Mocha Uson, damihan mo pa ang ganitong klase na mga posts. Keysa you play a tedious and futile role of an online "guard dog" who keeps barking at every critic and criticism -- you would only be leading a pack of like-minded "guard dogs" who are barking the same way as you are, while when it comes to winning hearts and minds of the not-like-minded packs, your efforts and resources are just totally wasted.

Don't be a warrior for someone, or a defender of somebody. Rather, be your own self. Be on the side of truth and what is worthy. Be someone who is able to win the heart and mind of somebody -- not by the intimidation of "rabid barkings", but by the persuasion of the truth of positive messaging.

Mam, if you could use your charm and tenacity in this way, in time, even the fiercest critic will go silent and will resort to emojis and animated GIF reactions, if not reduced to silent stalkers of your posts.

Be new and let the world see the real light in you that you have kept inside of you for so long.

God bless you. Let His Holy Spirit guide your thoughts.