What happens to the batch after March 2009?</

Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavours to live at the expense of everybody else.–Frederic Bastiat, French Economist (1801-1850)

Tough girls of Journ batch 2009

Well, having to face the reality that after a minimum of 14 years in school, one has to contend with a crazy government that has been forced upon everyone in this country, it is but fitting that appropriate coping mechanisms are in place once people leave school. For this prophecy, all in the JO419 are included despite the fact that not all may make it this time but for some a later time (due to various reasons). So, the prophecy is more of what happens after March 2009?

Tell me what to do now!

For Claude, the ticket to success lies in his following the footsteps of his Dad. Whether it’s a journalism or writing job does not matter so long as he pursues a career outside the Philippines. He will put his favourite hobby, photography, to good use. He will launch one man exhibits documenting the struggles of the urban poor communities in Manila. His tenacity to achieve despite the odds is worth noting.

What a nice smile!

< Girlie will most probably move over to Japan. She fell in love with the place and it can be seen that she will seriously take language training in kanji, hiragana and katakana. A post graduate degree in Japanese language and culture is an obvious track for this girl. Having good English writing skills, she will be an expert in its Japanese version which will surely add more to her talents. A diplomatic job in the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo and partnership proposals from eligible Japanese gentlemen are not far off possibilities for Girlie.

Singin' in the dark

Pop fashion seems to be Jeka’s passion. Or at least, that seems to be an observable tendency by the clothes she loves to wear in the classroom and in various occasions. She may start off a small tailoring shop which she will nurture into a big fashion outfit pretty much like Cinderella? She may study fashion design in Prada, Givenchy, and Armani while enjoying the sights of Europe with her lover. Her love for the public relations and advertising subjects will help her promote her business and she will be on top of everything.

This is the game that we play

By the time March is over, Precious’ baby Francine will be a little bigger. It may take time for Precious to go out and seek work because she wants to see how her baby has been growing up. She is not pressured much at this time but she will be thinking about how she can help out send her baby girl to school. So she takes a job interviewing people in a human resource career. Having a family may probably stifle her journalistic dreams but a job in HR may provide time for her to give attention to her family.

Is it me?

A culture and lifestyle writer in a major daily is something that is cut out for Joevie. This lass has a natural flair for depicting realism in her writing style – evoking much emotion from her readers. On the side, Joevie might venture in setting up a bar where her batchmates can unwind every TGIF (Thank God Its Friday) moment. The bar will be a venue for Joevie to share her stories, while nicely intoxicated, and for her to gather tidbits on topics that she will write about.

Can't be happier than this!

An American green card awaits Luisa even before she graduates and obviously, the land of milk and honey is her destination. Luisa will first settle and adjust to the domestic chores typical of migrant families in the United States. But somehow, her writing skills will beckon her to look for work in Los Angeles or San Francisco, or even in Tucson, Arizona. She will be active in the Amerasian and Fil American communities where she will utilize her craft in journalism and research. After several kids, Luisa will develop from a skinny college kid into a sexy mum with an American twang. She will frequently visit her batchmates in the Philippines and occasionally invite them over to the west coast.

In my own personal world!

Julian while officially belonging to this batch has a distinct love for UE’s classrooms and corridors that had made him decide that he may want to stay one more year. The reason is that outside, it may not be possible to express himself in animé costumes and outfits without attracting too much attention. At least in UE, people are more tolerant and appreciative of his and his groups’ proclivities in comic book characters. To live up to his plans of spending some more time in school, he had ceased to attend some of his classes and had delayed the submission of requirements. In time, Julian may become an animé icon and will become a prolific writer in the same genré in a major magazine. He will be a sought after critique and will be well known internationally.

These earrings look real enough!

His taste for women’s clothes and his adoration of the woman’s physique had pushed Neil to become one of them. He will try to pursue every which way so that he can say that he “belongs” to the other gender. Everyone is happy about Neil’s attempts and all are supportive that he will become successful in artfully crafting a woman out of a man’s physique – with him as the subject. Neil’s journalistic touch will be most evident in fashion magazines, where he will become a style guru for both men and women. He will surely write about what he thinks is appropriate for both genders having experienced the transformation himself.

This is good enough.

The angelic faced Marinel Joy is set to become both a successful singer, composer, and art and culture writer. MJ’s path will bring her first to be a lifestyle editor and her personal advocacy will be the prevention of music CD piracy. She will set up a recording company together with whoever will become her life’s partner. The recording company will cater to overseas Filipino workers, where their talents will be tapped by the MJ Music Company and their CD’s marketed in the huge overseas market. As a writer, she will embark on an OFW Music Newsletter that will be distributed to all the countries where Filipinos work. Her fame will be well known and she will someday receive an Academy Award for corporate social responsibility.

That's really funny, guys!

The emotive Heidy will be a nomad, just like the rock group Journey! Heidy will not be contented with staying in one place or in one company. She will consistently and regularly switch from one job to another in her prolific writing career. Her journalistic genré will include highly emotional depictions of non fiction stories. The articles will be complete with heart breaking photos and emotionally laden quotations from her subjects. Heidy will probably be married and divorced several times because she will engage her partners in endless debates about life in general until they become challenged or bored to death. But all will be well because that is exactly what Heidy wants her life to be!

What am I looking for?

A recluse is what Camille might become. She may continue staying in her house while writing good articles for on line publications. Someday, however, she may get to escape from the drudgery of staying at home once she asserts to her family that she is mature enough to deal with life outside the home. Aside from a collection of good written articles, Camille may attempt to be a soap opera queen – with her conceivable talent for acting and her natural good looks. Her soft voice and simple demeanour will land her a role as a battered, beaten up and suicidal character – which will earn her millions! But beware, in spite of her quiet ways, she is ready to cut up and spill the guts of her enemies. So guys, don’t ever cross this girl.

This is where you and I belong!

A college professor is what is seen in Gilbert’s ways. Prone to sometimes overdo writing and discussing, he has a natural ability to talk to students who are willing to listen. Gilbert will be a good teacher of philosophy, English, psychology and other social sciences, except journalism. Why not journalism? Because he will practice his knowledge on the subject and be a scientific writer in the science and education sections of national and international publications. He will also be a sought after speaker in his favourite subjects. Right after graduation, he will take up graduate courses in UP or Ateneo to further sharpen his skills. A PhD at Stanford University in California may also be one of his plans.

This is my laser light for all occasions.

Grace now belongs to this batch and she has created friendships with them. Grace will set up a resort somewhere in the Northern Luzon, where nice white sand beaches abound. She will own and manage a tourist destination. With her tendency to experiment in various layouts (e.g. dark over white, small fonts, etc), she will produce lots of promotional materials about the resort and distribute them in embassies worldwide. The attraction will be herself and her friends displaying their allure and hospitality in skimpy bathing suits. Who else will not get attracted to that? There will be many foreign tourists who will come over to visit and see the resort owner in the flesh!

Ok that's enough for today.

Christine’s writing skills will be applied in political undertakings. After graduation, Kit will go back to her community and serve the people by getting elected as a barangay chairperson. Her distinct advantage will be her ability to communicate directly and succinctly. And that alone, will make her constituent understand her programs and be motivated to participate in their development. She will be active in coordinating development projects between the local government and the national agencies and her assertiveness will enable her to achieve her goals.

No one's gonna fuck with me, you hear that?

Pyke will probably end up owning a restaurant of native delicacies. As the owner and manager of the resto, Pyke will be sitting with favourite customers and talking to them about how shitty things have been and what the hell are they going to do about it. One of his all time solutions would be to stick a really thorny version of Thai durian in the assholes of fuckin’ jerks. He will almost always be visited by former professors and batchmates, where they will be entitled to a 50% discount on food and drinks. The highlight of each dinner will be his personal discourse about how to eliminate creeps, wackos, and nut cases in Philippine society. By that time, he will be in control and his sister will not beat him up anymore. Instead he has the right to throw cuss words in her direction. He will be successful in his business that he can afford to visit his family in the United States twice a year and meeting up with different girls everytime while frolicking in the snow capped ski resorts of Denver, Colorado. His idea of chillin’ out.

Now my eyes are too dark! Where's the text?

An occasional emo look will complete Fitz after graduation. Not really a full time emo, this girl will continue to be an epitome of what the sub culture is all about. She will write about it in magazines and newspapers. She will become its Asian representative in Global Emo Conferences in the US and Europe. She will document the travails of the Philippine emo groups and write a book about them. The book will become a bestseller much like the Da Vinci Code. Hers will be entitled, the Emo Code and will be a subject of a movie starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.

I really want to be in my own batch 2010.

Emman is set to return to his old batch, Journ class of 2010. He has mistakenly registered a subject in this current batch but it seems he has a difficult time handling it. The reason is that he seems to be preoccupied with too much production work in extra curricular activities. This is good since his journalistic skills are appropriately balanced with singing (while drinking) skills and producing live shows. It is really heroic for Emman to be in journalism while his passion is geared towards the performing arts. After 2010 perhaps, Emman will find the right mix in his professional life.

I am confident I will make it next year.

2010 is the batch where Migz officially belongs. But he had developed friendships in both batches (2009 included). One such friendship is particularly close in the broadcast batch. Migz will be a writer in the arts and music scene, probably a critique of music in general and singing groups in particular. He may become a percussionist of a local or foreign heavy metal act but will keep his journalistic skills as a writer in specialized magazines. Migz career will involve too many nights out and over weekend stays in resorts to cover gigs and performances. This will take a heavy toll on his relationship and someday, he and Marge might just end up all by themselves together as proprietors of a music instrument shop selling Ludwig, Pearl, Tama, Zildjian, Sabian, Yamaha, Gibson, Fender, Roland, Korg, etc.

This is the real report.

Nicko has embarked on a productive writing career and previously had hotel experience in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He will continue to be a good writer but will gain promotion by being the section editor once the current boss steps out. He will also be an advocate of overseas Filipino workers and his skills will be used to promote solidarity among workers particularly those subjected to bad working conditions. With this, he will become an information and culture officer in the diplomatic service of the Philippines. Being an articulate and organized person, Nicko may take up a course in Law and his persuasiveness will be useful in tackling problems of OFWs.

Hope the smile lingers.

How it was like to graduate in 1978 with a Journalism degree

Left photo: Left most guy is political science, middle psychology who took up law and is now a partner in a major law firm, the rightmost guy is you know who. Right picture is a party in a Spanish class.

After a frenzy of serious college work interspersed with fun moments, every potential student looks forward to finishing the course after satisfying all its requirements.

Different generations have different issues to face. That was, somehow, reviewed in the course “history of journalism.” In the Spanish colonial period – there was no “journalism” then the way it is known today. And there were no journalism schools, then. Though in the United States, it was said that there were journalism schools then back in the 1860”s!

But how did the writers then face the issues when Spain ruled the islands? Via the colonial firing squad? Then how about the American colonial period? How did the newspaper writers face the issues? In prison walls? At least, that time, facing the firing squad was an honourable way to go. And being charged with libel and imprisoned was also quite honourable.

After World War II, there had been relative peace and democracy, though the social and political climate was controlled much by the Americans – through the various treaties that many critics say were one sided. Then in the early 70’s, the then President declared martial law “to save the republic.” Well, at this time, most knew that was all bullshit. He simply wanted to remain in power for as long as he can! And steal as much as he can! (Why is it that many presidents in third world countries wanted to remain in that office forever? Beats me.)

My older brod nominated the leftmost woman, now Dr. Elena Pernia, present Dean of the College of Mass Communication, in the UP ROTC annual presentation of sponsors.

That was the scenario that prevailed when I graduated in 1978. Many of my batchmates, of course, were asking the same question – what problems are we going to face? Martial law has sent journalists to jail and provided an excuse for some to execute them – but not in the same numbers as the current administration. So what was the future that lay ahead for new journalism graduates?

Ok look for the stranger that you came to know after 30 years

As far as I can recall, at least for my batch, they were not daunted much by the prospect of limited freedom and the possibility of its curtailment. Many indeed had decided to join mainstream media. I still am aware of one girl, who until now is a lifestyle editor at Malaya publications – the then alternative press in those days.

Some joined government and sought to fulfil their dreams of “service to the people” through the various programmes that it implements. There is a distinct quality to this tact since the graduates continue to immerse themselves with problems of the common people and hope that what they are doing will form part of the solution. Of course, again, there was limitation on the content and further analysis normally needed to tackle a huge problem such as poverty reduction. Pointing fingers at those who really contribute to that problem (i.e. the government) was moderated to a great extent. But somehow, there were occasions that cannot be avoided.

Then of course, one problem then (as it is now) was the relative low income that journalists receive (unless of course, one becomes a “talent” in broadcast journalism or an owner of a publication!). Searching for an ideal or practical pay scale has remained elusive for many.

But as they say, it is the passion, the tenacity, the semi celebrity status (by lines in newspapers or your face as field reporters on television) and the artistic and literary talent that will attract students to become journalists, despite the problems!

The passion to apply our skills to benefit others (well, I hope so!)

Reminder of the past

Dates for all ages

At home

Whoever said that dates are meant to be for adolescents? Well, dates are supposed to be across all ages, between and among age groups, so long as the sensibilities of the persons involved are respected. And, of course, not to mind the wagging tongues of those who object to it or are jealous of the relationship. What would someone, like me, then, who had had a couple of experiences do if a February date looks inevitable right now? The first thing to do is to be real.

There are three “real” possibilities, all of which are interconnected and interrelated. Each naturally provided support to others subsequent to the activity. The first one consist of an invitation to one’s humble home. Why? Like I wrote above, one’s got to be real and one way of showing that with all sincerity is to show the warm welcome – to make her feel at home. And that includes tidying up the clutter on the dining table! You know, academicians, writers, journalists, etc typically have the dining table to double as a work table – with the typewriter, computer, paper files, phone, etc, on it. That should be cleared up, temporarily. Then, probably, give a sample of cooking preparations – like a bunch of veggies (for health!). That will be topped by dark chocolate with some alcoholic aperitif.

After some time, the second activity will be an invitation to visit the wonderful sites of the Philippines, like Palawan, Cebu, Davao, etc. Those places will enable both to engage in some memorable, fun, and nostalgic moments.

The ultimate third part of the date will be, if resources allow, a visit to some of the nice places outside the Philippines. France easily comes to mind. The visual image of the Eiffel Tower fully lighted at night is such a breathtaking scene always.

Then a visit to the Louvre on the day following to see some of the world’s wonderful artifacts is an excellent way to spend the time. It takes seven days to completely see all the museum’s exhibits.

A quiet walk along the backstreets will provide opportunities to chat about anything under the sun! A visit to the impressionist painter, Claude Monet, in Giverny, a small quiet town on the way to Normandy is simply nostalgic. Down south at the Loire river, the town of Chartres, where crusades were launched in the 12th century beckons as a romantic and unforgettable setting. Same with Orleans, where my favorite Saint Joan of Arc lived. Imposing cathedrals and wide parks make for romantic rolling in the grass while hugging each other tight a very happy experience. Or a visit to Fountainebleu, where the old rock faces hide trysting places since the ancient times. And the old champaigne town of Reims are reminders of getting inebriated in a nice way. The labyrinth gardens of Louis XIV in the Versailles chateau south of Paris makes a memorable quiet afternoon. Of course, the country itself does not discriminate against couples in public displays of affection. It is normal for couples to go kissing and hugging on the Metro, inside the lift or in street corners. If a car fogs up (like in the movie Titanic) on an autumn, winter, or spring day, it is safe to assume that something is getting warm (or hot) inside! There are many bed and breakfast hotels in towns and villages whose service equals a Philippine 3 or 4 star hotel!

And then finally, if things go well, a trip to the jeweller for some symbol of commitment to each other must be done.

Afterwhich, who knows what the future may bring!

2008 was not that bad!

For many, 2008 was not too environmentally and politically good. All the scandals of the inept and selfish government in the Philippines and their inability to deal with economic and social problems plus their propensity to lie and mis interpret issues ran against the people’s welfare. And of course, all the tragedies related to the weather added to the toll of death and miserable lives. Fuel prices also hit the highest ever recorded in this country due to the weakened peso and the selfishness of the oil cartels. On those aspects alone, one is tempted to say that 2008 had been a forgettable year.

But not quite. Take a look closer to home and one is bound to discover that the year has brought plenty of wonderful events and unforgettable moments.

First let me say that I was blessed with the first batch of journalism students who graduated under my guidance in UE. During the first semester and a part of the second, I was happy to have a nice group of students in journalism in UE and communication arts at Miriam College. So those were a source of one of the best moments in 2008 for me.

When one gets older, it is said that people tend to talk about their families. The reason there is that talking about them (as opposed to talking about one self) also projects an image of good and successful events. And they all provide a sense of well being and accomplishment indirectly attributed to one self.

One other fine moment of 2008 was the graduation of my daughter, Pacita, with a Bachelors degree in European languages (major in French, minor in Spanish) at the College of Arts and Letters in UP Diliman. Her thesis was commended by the faculty (she was told that in the 25 years of the department, it was the first time they gave a flat 1 for the effort) and because she was a working student, her GPA was short .05 of the cut off for cum laude. But never mind, from among the batch she was one of the 3 or 4 invited to teach in her school. She actually handles French literature (6 units) and a weekend refresher course (3 units) for professionals who will work in French speaking countries.

A third best in 2008 was the graduation of my grandson, Teo, from the pre school. The pre school wanted to accelerate him to Grade one for 2008 -09 skipping prep. But it was decided that education should be taken slowly so it was again a blessing that he made it to the Ateneo Grade School. And an added blessing was that he had consistently been in the first honours list with 97.8 ratings in the grading periods. That achievement practically surpassed his dad and his grandad’s own performance during their times! (The grandad only got 2nd honors during his time!!!)

Then Teo’s dad, Chito, got a blessing to travel back to his roots. In countries where he spend most of his boyhood. Working for Emerson in a merchandise “valves used in nuclear power plants,” the company sent him on a study tour to France, the Netherlands and Hungary over a 6 week period. He stayed longer in France. Lucky for him because he was able to touch base with places and persons he knew or met since he was a kid then.

So looking back at the previous year was not all that bad after all. Yes it is agreed that everyone suffered (except a few with plenty of resources to spare – got illegally or through hard work) due to the iineptness, idiocy and selfishness of governance. But there is always a place to look up to – and that is where one’s family and friends count a lot.

Ever been a victim of Scrooge?

Most everyone is familiar with Ebenezer Scrooge, a character in Charles Dickens 1843 English novel “A Christmas Carol.” The name “scrooge” became known today as a word that means “a miserly person.” Scrooge aimed at preventing the celebration of Christmas and all the activities associated with it because he does not want to spend. I remember during my childhood the cartoons depicting that character but I think that there was a positive thing that happened to him.

Perhaps someone willfully giving away bad presents would qualify as a “scrooge” because he or she takes away the spirit of Christmas. Gift giving is a tradition from the New Testament, from the poor shepherds who were “present” to the wealthy travelers who brought expensive gifts to the child Jesus.

It is hard to imagine how anyone would think about gift giving in a negative way. From my experience, it is better not to give anything at all, than to give something hurtful or rude. The act itself of not giving is already bad.

As far as I can recall, there was no time that I ever intentionally gave something away, on Christmas or any other occassion, in a malicious way. Nor do I recall if there was any at all that I was a recipient of something that to my judgement was a badly thought present. During the December holidays, I think most people, no matter how dark their personalities are, somehow refrain from evil gift giving if they ever give at all in the normal course of things. I wrote normal cuz in times of war no truce ever ceases hostilities. Bullets, bombs, and grenades are bad gifts to the enemy any way you look at it.

On thing though that is somehow related to this is a fact of all December born people – their birthdays take the back seat amidst the celebrations. Often in office parties, December birthdays are mentioned but not given much attention. Well, the family, some close friends, and some students are always there for comfort. I’ve always been happy regardless and again I believe that in the normal course of things no person will ever intentionally give away a really bad gift. And with that no one is destined to receive the same.

The prayer of Jabez

In the old testament, there’s a passage, (verse and chapter I cannot recall at the moment) about a certain person named Jabez. He was not a big time bible character like Moses or Isaac. His was a prayer quoted something like – “Lord bless me with good fortune, bless me so that I may be a testimony for you, keep me safe from harm and for me not to harm anyone.” The last phrase “not to harm anyone” is significant because, any person no matter how humble or high his or her station is life is capable of harming just about anyone else! It is proof that human nature has an integral “dark side.” The legend of Lucifer attests to this spiritual backdrop – that there is a dark side to each of our personalities which may or may not find fulfillment. Often, the dark side may consist of thoughts that are entertained not for any benefit but simply to respond to certain situations.

Like any “normal” human, I have some dark sides, too. One of those is the thought that all bad politicians should disappear from the earth. In what way, I cannot say. I just want them not to exist at all. I just don’t want to see their treacherous smiles and crocodile tears. And especially Philippine politicians, they make bad entertainers. Imagine, dancing and singing on TV. That really made throw up!

Another is that all the bad drivers on the road, as well as all the mulcting enforcers and cops get a bad case of leprosy so that their hands will not be able to use the steering wheel (for the bad drivers) and for the enforcers not to be able to accept bribe money.

By extension, when things really get bad, I also think that (despite my development orientation), the poor has no one else to blame but themselves. It is amazing that the poor provide the services that other people in the higher or lower SES bracket need. Such as the public utility drivers, the trash collectors, the lowly government bureaucrat, etc. They often outnumber those who peaceably live in the subdivisions and thus control the barangay leadership. Imagine, the filthy and unlettered serving as officers in a local government! It’s a tragedy of numbers.

The problem is that if a community is surrounded by these colonies, some of them victimize residents of subdivisions – as thieves and professional beggars! As if, they are a disease that clings forever. But mind you, these thoughts only come to mind because, it was not only once that our residence had been victimized by these people. Nothing has been recovered despite the blotter reports in the barangay and the cop’s precinct.

It’s simply disappointing. And one’s only recourse is to imagine how to get back at these bad people. But doing so would be assuming their perceived evil. Which means opening up to one’s dark side. I’d rather relegate these to my inner thoughts and just think about the good, the beautiful and the peaceful. That way, it is possible to live the Jabez way of “not harming anyone.” Otherwise, spending time in jail and being ostracized might be an unwelcome proposition.

Hello everyone

Hello would be graduates. You know I have the impression that WordPress is not so user friendly. When I forget the password to previous user name, they sent me a cryptic something that I cannot understand. I have to copy paste it on the log in page! I tried to change it to my old password but it didn’t work. Now I have a new user name but I need to enrol it in this blog. See ya all soon with your nicely written works. Good luck.

– Prof. A. Maaliw

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A-10-TION

Welcome to wordpress! This is the administrator’s page of Prof. Alex’s On-line Journalism class. The administrator of this site has invited gorgeous, smart and reverent people to be one of the authors of this sublime on-line community. Once you confirmed the invite, your name will appear on the blogroll (the first widget on the right side of this page…that is if you’re facing the monitor).The invites were sent through the emails of the following hot peeps:

Bert          Cams       Girl       Pike       Claude       Jeka       Joevie       Luidia        Kit    Darius     Precious     Pits       JM          MJ           Migs        Sir. A.      Heidz
Note: I am not sure if the list is complete. If you’re not on the list (you’re not hot), please do inform me through SMS and I would be glad to send you an invite. – Nicko