Biking Lanes

How about biking lanes in Davao City?

That's the idea behind the Cycle For Life initiative by MISSION. Aimed at increasing awareness for a more sustainable lifestyle among the citizens of Davao City, it also strives to promote the development of biking lanes in the city's major thoroughfares.

Why biking lanes, you might ask? That's because we are getting there anyway. The transportation system that we have right now is not sustainable in the long run. There's the issue of oil price instability which will only worsen as supply dwindles. Then, there's the huge dilemma of how to fit millions of vehicles in Davao City's already congested streets. In addition, there is the ongoing fight to lessen vehicle emissions and reduce pollution. 

For the rest of us, deciding to traverse the city through bicycles is one of the better options for transportation. Promoting the use of bicycles not only addresses the congestion problem, the obesity problem, the pollution problem, or even our increasing dependence on oil. It also sends a clear image of what this city stands for in terms of priorities; promoting the humble bicycle is our statement that we, Dabawenyos, value sustainable living above all else.

Hence, designating bicycle lanes is the next step in the process. Through bicycle lanes, riders are more protected against vehicles and, with this incentive, more people will be compelled to ride in two wheels.

I don't really know the status of the ordinance seeking the creation of bicycle lanes in Davao City. But for now, bicycle lanes remain a vision, a fantasy, in the city. But if it can help make the vision clearer, here's a New York post about a citizen who has made this vision a reality. 

If she can do it, why not us?

Rethinking The Scholar

I shouldn't be writing this post. Maybe, I'm just pretentious, assuming even. I'm not a scholar. My parents were and my friends shared a bit about their lives as scholars for the country. But that in no way make me an expert in these things.

So, now that I've let that out, let me talk about scholarship grants. The process itself is first an objective then a subjective one. After the preliminary tests to gauge academic ability, the selection process then involves real people, this time, through the form of interviews and/or essay writing marathons. Candidates are assessed by how they conduct themselves during the interview, by their answers obviously, and by the values that they presumably hold. 

For me, I feel uncomfortable with the subjective side of the process. All of us, even expert interviewers, are not exempt from biases and even veteran school administrators hold a certain preference for those candidates who embody the qualities of what they think the ideal scholar should have. The concern here would be the introduction of scholars into the student body who, although brilliant, are quite homogeneous with each other.

I would rather prefer that psychological tests determine the right candidates for the scholarship and that interviews and essays be a mere formality, a method of confirming what the tests have revealed about the candidate. It may seem robotic and straightforward (yes, it is) but this way, I believe, provides a clearer picture of the candidates that a one-on-one or even a panel interview might distort. 

Tests can measure an individual's self-motivation, his or her will to succeed. Tests can measure what values do each one hold and if one has the moral ascendancy to merit a scholarship grant. Interviews on the other hand may be skewed by a candidate's eloquence and charisma, qualities that, although important, should be secondary to a person's attitude towards life and his internal environment (Besides, eloquence and charisma can always be taught. Attitude is another matter altogether).

I may be wrong though. Like I've said, I'm not a scholar. But I hope some would consider my view as something worthy of merit.

A Twisted Sense of Beauty

We are funny. I mean...we men are. When it comes to physical beauty, we are quite infatuated by women who have the wrong characteristics.

For instance, most of us like boobs, big boobs. Some would point to leftover evolutionary instincts which equate cleavage size with reproductive capacity as the reason for this (but I don't buy that reasoning). But big breasts are actually potential health hazards for women. Being heavier, they exert more stress on the muscles, causing occasional shoulder and back pain, not to mention affecting a woman's mobility when she's on the move.

We also like women with fair complexion, often bordering on the anemic.But a light complexion is most often synonymous with low levels of vitamin D, since most women who sport light complexions don't get under the sun often enough.

We love women who are thin, sometimes dangerously thin. But these women are most often anorexics, bulimics, or victims of some other anxiety disorder.

Truly, our standard for beauty is not healthy. The sad thing is some women seem to agree that our standard is just right.

My Take On A Moro-Islamic State

I remember a class I had with Dr. Macario Tiu (T-Mac) back in college. We were discussing Mindanao and the need, or rather, the want for a Moro-Islamic state surfaced in the lecture. He asked me what my opinion was about this burning question: should the Philippine government concede to the wishes of the Muslim secessionists and carve out an Islamic state out of Mindanao? My answer was a firm no, citing that the Muslims weren't ready for self-government.

Ever the sage, T-Mac asked me why and what criteria was I applying. That's when I realized I was seeing the issue from an unacceptable perspective, my perspective. I was speaking as I was, a Filipino citizen on Mindanao's soil. Although my assumption was correct, that Muslims weren't politically fit for self-rule (as evidenced by their leaders' increasing arrogance, corruption, and apathy), I also summarily dismissed their case because they didn't meet the benchmarks that I've arbitrarily set upon them.

Looking back, I think the question is best answered by those who will actually carry the burden of self-rule: the Moro people. They should be the ones who should answer because they are the ones who can assess, for themselves, if they are up to the challenge. They alone can assess their strengths, their weaknesses. In short, they should be the ones setting the criteria, the ones who should be answering the question: Are we ready? Are we ready for a separate state?

The problem nowadays is that the voice of the Moro majority is muffled, distorted. The people who do the talking are the ones who hold the guns, who hold the power. MNLF and MILF rebels push for separatism. Some political warlords push for the same thing. Both claim they represent their constituents but you can never know. The Moro people want peace but, somehow, that message is seemingly lost among their leaders. The Moro people clamor for development and security but, again, that need never comes across.

I cannot speak for the Moro people no more can my fellow Dabawenyo speak for them. But, if there should be any talk about a Moro-Islamic State, I believe the Moro people should be the ones on the negotiation table, not the rebels nor the politicos who claim they know who they stand for.

Taxes And Citizenship

I have a story. 

Ma'am Nora, an activist, approached a lawyer for some advice. Her organization was working on a deal, trying to negotiate the purchase of a property. Some associates had advised her earlier that she should execute two sets of the Deed of Absolute Sale, one for BIR purposes and one for the actual transaction. This was to minimize the tax payments since the Deed of Absolute Sale for the BIR would show a lower selling price than the actual, thus leading to a lower computation of the taxes involved. This was a common practice, they said. 

However, the lawyer Ma'am Norma approached would have none of it. They shouldn't be cheating, he asserted. Embarrassed and impressed at the same time, Ma'am Norma marveled at the lawyer's integrity. 

I cannot remember the name of that lawyer but Atty. Alex Lacson, the author of the yellow little book "12 little things you can do for your country" is espousing the same ideal: Pay your taxes. It's a very Filipino thing to do. 

Never mind the corruption or the fact that the government misuses its funds most of the time. What matters is that you're doing your civic duty. You're doing the right thing and that alone gives you all the moral ascendancy to demand the same from your government.

For me, if you're screwing the government by cheating on your taxes, then you don't have any right to complain when your government screws you back.