Let us help you! - Headline Gitnang Luzon

HeadlineGitnang LuzonOCTOBER 30, 20135I’ve watched this basketball play over Youtube, Ithink a hundred times already but I’m always itchingto view it like it’s the first. “Here comes Chicago!”said the intense voice of the commentator.“Seventeen seconds..from game 7 or championshipnumber 6!” those lightning words were like precursorof greatness-matic that will be witnessed. “Jordan,open, Chicago with the lead!” The swoosh of thenet. The stationary followthrough.The 1998 NBA Finals.History and then some.I was on my way to thebasketball court; sitting insidebus number 4; seethingexcitement embraced my being;earphones on, holdingmy phone, watching videosto sedate the partaking boredom;donning varsity jacketbecause the autumn windwelcomes the people; shorts,knee sleeves and a pair ofJordan shoes; basket rocksme, ball rolls me; How couldanyone deny that basketballpassion enslaves me?Looking at my shoes, hesitationstarted to creep in as Idecided if I should take photosof my shoes and post it on Instagramand other social mediasites. My intent was to showthat my shoes were screenshotof my hard work and sweat.But then again, maybe it’ll bea bad decision on the standpointof how my social mediafriends view me as a person. IfDespite reports of some “isolatedcases” of election-relatedviolence (and deaths), thepolice’s assessment of the just-concludedbarangay elections was“relatively peaceful”. Perhapsit is for them and it is not forsome. While the recent democraticexercise yielded not somuch victims, we cannot sayat least that we have had whatwe call zero-casualty polls.***With the smoke of politicssubsiding, there were reportsof minor incidents of maulingand violation of electoral lawsand issuances by the supportersand by the candidates themselves.I thought there was a ban onliquor and other intoxicating drinks?While the same were banned for theelections, intoxicated persons onstreets perhaps were not.OutsideLooking In***The people have spoken, so thecliché goes. It’s time that the peopleshould watch out now and see if thecandidates theyelected deserveiWritetomas m. garciaJordan shoes“I recognizedthat life andgame co-relatewhen you feelweak and lazyone morning,and sweating itout and workingharder makesyou better. ”their votes. Lateron, it will be thetime to find out if the elected officialswould realize the promises theymade to their would-be constituentsonce they assume their new officesor would take their steps into anotherterm of their mandates.I state now that I may be accused from some people ofbragging my recently purchased material items, likeI am climbing my social status by flaunting, a clearhashtag to that statement would be #siento porsiento.My perception towards everything is piercing beneaththe exterior. I won’t wear Jordan shoes just tobrag. I want to have a bite of greatness. I want to feel iton my stand, down my feet, up my ground.The problem with hypercritical people is that theirpersonal issues like hate and envy were always subjective,and destructive. If they wanted to spew negativewords towards the person-- they started hating hiswords, his dress, his walk, his laughter, his voice andeverything else. First class fault-finders and alphas ofprejudices, their judgment becomes demented.If I saw someone rocking a Ferrari down the roadof France, as soon as the older person walked passby me, I would smile and greet that person by saying,“Wow, nice Ferrari, Sir! What kind of job are you in todrive a Ferrari, Sir?” He might smile, too, and pat meon the shoulder and say: “A lot of work, young man,work hard and follow your dreams!” Definitely, that isthe correct mental attitude. Inspire your inferiors andnever put them down; make your superiors as yourinspirations and never drag them down. That simple.Let the words of Michael Jordan, that were immortalizedin a Nike commercial, be engraved withinthis article with proper hommage: “It’s not about theshoes, it’s about where you are going, not forgettingwhere you started. It’s having the courage to fail,not breaking when you’re broken, taking everythingyou’ve been given.. and making something better. It’sabout work before glory, and what’s inside you. It’s doingwhat they say you can’t. It’s not about the shoes..it’s about what you do in them.. it’s about being whoyou are born to be.”So, today, yes! I am wearing Jordan shoes. But myviews on these shoes are laced up differently thanmost shoe-wearers. I am nowhere near the greatname Michael Jordan. But little do people know I amstriving to walk on Jordan’s shoes-- that’s when I amwearing Jordan’s ideals; when I am weary; when I amsporting his aspirations; when I am shooting for excellenceand being inspired by people--recognized ornot--who are notching a higher bar on their art andcraft; when I am rebounding to problems and identifyingthem as challenges; when airing my dreams bytaking small steps as prints of success; when I knowthat failing again and again, but standing up hundredtimes more than failing is Jordanesque; when I recognizedthat life and game co-relate when you feel weakand lazy one morning, and sweating it out and workingharder makes you better. By then, walking on Jordan’sshoes is envisioning a great name like MichaelJordan as your model and pillar of inspiration.As I am nearing the basketball court, the sight ofboards and rims, the floor, the screeching of shoes,the shouts and laughter of players.. I feel home. Beforegametime, I will leave a simple Capampangan poemof mine to all of you, our valued HGL readers. Keepsmiling, have fun!***Nanu susulud mu king bitis?Oktubring hangin, uman naku ning pali ning aldomamaltang kung sapa, responsibilidad king pagoMitatawli naku obra, apin ing malagwang dalan itimengapudpud nala ring sapatus ku king kakapulayiMengalbag naku uyat, bitis kapmung rayumaIng kasakitan pa king biye mengaring katapapero mibabata ku ikwa ku napin mepatamagobra ku para kareng kakung miindaAnyang talpak naku sapa, misdan ku ba!ating mimigut king bitis ku nanu la kaya?Lawen muno ta, amu na, kirut kirut lapakapanistorbu da dene, kasi magobra kupaKaras ku king opisina, yaku ng lalawen dasitsitan la, pipigilan dang ayli arakap mulabilbal ne ning sagakgak, mipakirut laing ayling ayta ibat ya king amu ku palaThe people have spoken“Nanu susulud mu king bitis? ninanu ka?”“Ba, boss mamusit kapa, ali mu akakit oh.. ala!”“ot linub kang makatapak ikwa muna yatang mesira?”“tinalpak kung sapa, kabuluk ku sapatus, liban dalapareng buysit a talangka.” •“What started as a pompouscampaign for someelection candidates endedup as equally ostentatiousvictory parties for the pollwinners.”***After the polls, comes garbage.Those political supporters who tooklast minute efforts to campaign fortheir bets caused the piling of pamphletsand flyers of candidates onalmost every publicschool’s gates. It wasan awful sight forthose who care for theenvironment. Asidefrom being made intoeyesores, the thoughtof papers made intogarbage can make onethink of the fact thattrees had to be cut toproduce paper that produced trash.***As I have observed, there was alow turn-out of voters, in our localityat least. Many voters were not as eagerto troop to election precincts andIWRITE... Page 9Tapos na ang halalan;Trabaho na tayo!Mahigit na kwarenta mil (42,028) ang mga barangaysa buong Pilipinas. Sa kasaysayan ngpulitika sa ating bansa, ngayon lang tayo nakaranasat nakasaksi ng isang masiglang prosesongdemokratiko na animo’y isang sirko at mahigpit napaligsahan sa isang mababang pwesto ng pamamahala.***Noong bago sila gawing mga kapitan, ang tawag sakanila ay tiniente del barrio. Walang sweldo, walangkasamang kagawad, walang lupong pamayapa atwalang barangay tanod. Mag-isang tinutupad ng tinientedel barrio ang isang pamamahala ng katahimikanat kaayusan sa kaniyangnasasakupan.***“When it ain’t broke, don’tfix it,” ika nga sa Ingles. Noongpanahon ng diktaduryangMarcos, nag-lunsad ang pamahalaanng kaniyang tinaguriang“New Society” o “BagongLipunan”. Para lalong lumakaso humigpit ang hawak niya sabawa’t sektor ng lipunan, inibaang istraktura ng mga barangay.Pinromote kuno pamulatiniente ay ginawang kapitanat binigyan ng sweldo at kapangyarihan.***Noong panahon naman ngsenador na si Ka Nene Pimentel,nag-akda siya ng isangbatas. Ito iyong “Local GovernmentCode” at doon nakasaadtoda maxMax Sangil“Isang poder pang isang kapitanay pagdating ngmga eleksyongnational atlokal.”na nang detalyado ang buong kapangyarihan ng barangayat nagtakda ng araw ng halalan para mabigyanng kapangyarihan ang mga mamamayan na pumili.Ito ngayon ang resulta. Ang nasaksihan ng bayannoong nakaraang Lunes. Na ang mga magkakaibiganat magka-kamaganak ay mahigpit na nag-paligsahan.Sa maraming magka-kaibigan at magka-kamaganakhindi naiwasan ang maanghang na pananalita at ito’ynag-iwan ng mahirap na mag-hilom na sugat sa magkabilangpanig.***Sa kasalukuyan, ang mga barangay captain ay maysweldo na hindi hihigit sa beinte syete mil pesos(P27,000) at ang mga kagawad ay mga disisyete milpesos (P17,000). At ito’y depende na rin kung magkanoang income ng barangay at nakukuha niyangInternal Revenue Allotment (IRA).Palagay ko, iyong mga barangay na nasa sentro ngmga lungsod at bayan ay mas malakas kumita, at ito’yhigit sa kanilang sweldo. May mga balita tayo na maysingilan sa barangay halimbawa ng barangay clearance,mga permits at iba pa.Bukod pa rito, may scholarship ang kaniyang mgaanak hanggang sa kolehiyo, at libreng pagamot samga ospital ng gobyerno.May traveling expenses at sari-saring benepisyoang pwede niyang tamasahin, at kung minsan ang sasakyanng barangay ay gamit na rin ng buong pamilya.Ito kaya ang dahilan kung bakit nitong halalan sabarangay ay naging magastos na sa mga kandidato?Namumuhunan na rin sila?***Isang poder pa ng isang kapitan ay pagdating ngmga eleksyong national at lokal. Bilang frontliner,siya ang nagiging takbuhan ng mga kandidato. Hindimalayo na ang mga kandidato ay naglalaan ng panggastosat may ilan lang naman na mas marami angnaibubulsa kesa gagastusin. Ito ang kalakaran.***Sa lahat ng mga nagwagi. Congrats! Tuparin ninyoang pinangako ninyo noong kampanya. At doon sahindi pinalad, better luck next time! •