It's A Great Day for Graduation

Last March 29, 2006 the Faculty of Arts and Letters had our Solemn Investitures at PICC. Here are some pictures I'd like to share with you. I thought I'll never see this day

But first let me say THANK YOU, to my parents who have been through a lot just to get me through school, I hope I made them proud by my humble achievements. To my mentors who taught me a lot of things and who inspired me to become better person by giving me lots of trials and challenges I thought we cannot overcome. To my classmates, who believed and who allowed me to exercise my tyranny. To my awfully GREAT BARKADA! Who really helped in more ways than one, mga kasama ko sa hirap at saya! SALAMAT SA LAHAT.




My Barkada, my amazing, great FRIENDS.





With My Great Friend Faith




I will never forget these special people, believe me they are really special.





Great Girls


And indeed it's a great day for Graduation!

Maria Francia Posted At 10:33:00 PM

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The College Education System

The Faculty of Arts and Letters is in limbo because of a scathing article written by one impassioned Communication Arts Senior. The article was, in a gist, about the injustice suffered by a group of CA students at the hands of a professor and the seeming inaction of the Administration, the CA Department and the Artlets Student Council. The CA Senior is now the subject of controversy after the Professor concerned and the Department Head filed a criminal and administrative complaint.


The article is a wake up call to everyone, to reconsider and review the whole education system that students get from the Faculty, we lovingly call AB. Rather than exhaust our resources to court proceedings the Administration should seriously look into the allegations and root cause of this incident. To actually proceed to a legal battle would just simply divert everyone's attention to the real problem which is, does students really need to suffer that much at the hands of their professors? The educator named in the article is simply a model or an epitome of all professors who does the same to their students. We understand that at this point we are at the mercy of our teachers because they somewhat bear the torch of knowledge that we all aspire, but do we really have to undergo that much to get a good "education"? I have to agree with the article when it stated that after all the projects and countless researches and assignments given to us, what have we really learned? After four years of college education, are we ready to go out there and be productive citizens of the nation? Indeed feelings were hurt but more than the scratches on the ego, we should really examine and take a better look at our college system. I know that most of us, perform our class activities just to pass the subject but not learn anything. That’s why our outputs are not at par to those produced by other schools or institution. Being physically in school is different from getting real education. At the end of the semester, we feel awfully tired but when we try to remember the lessons taught we already forgot it the moment the professors steps out the door.


This is a sad day for all students, because what the professors/administration is trying to tell us is that, never protest or we’ll file a complaint, what happens to us students is that we blindly follow and obey their every wish even though we know its already impossible and beyond our capacity as students. That’s why it’s not difficult to understand why the students cannot draw the line between injustice and real education. Students are afraid to question because they fear the ramifications protesting may do to their grades, because what has been taught to us is that good grades are your ticket to good education. Definitely not, your personhood, dignity and value as human persons are your tickets to a good future. We hope that the people in the college education system harness our dignity rather than destroy it by blackmailing us with “good grades”


The student is only trying to express the injustice that happened to his fellow students, he aired it responsibly, by posting it in an area which is provided for students to speak out their concerns, and he even placed his name to own the words that appeared on the article. The complaint against him is nothing but a tool of suppression against the very right of the student to freedom of speech, and I thought Proclamation 1017 has been rescinded?


Rather than concentrating on the hurt egos, lets look back, maybe there is truth to what he is saying


MA. FRANCIA C. ROSERO
Student, Faculty of Arts and Letters

Maria Francia Posted At 7:35:00 PM

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"O Anong Napala mo sa Pagiging Presidente?"

Interesting question, isn’t it? I don't think I answered this sufficiently when a friend asked me this. I have been thinking of the answer from the time we separated and the moment I write this article. Honestly, I don't know what I got from being the President or what it did for me and if I ever accomplished anything by being the President of Behavioral Science Society but one thing is for sure, I learned A LOT.


On Myself


At one point during my incumbency, I was having a very ugly argument with a co-officer, it was really nasty and difficult because you're supposed to work together not fight each other. Issues were not addressed directly so instead of getting it resolved, it snowball-ed into one messy conflict. Instead of threshing out details, dirty glances and non recognition of each other's existence were ways of ignoring the issues. Until we all agreed to talk, just clear everything and confront the issues and persons involved. There was a consensus to forget everything and forgive each other's mistake and start over, though now we have to be conscious of each other's feelings, lessen our paranoia and earnestly give each other a chance. This predicament gave me a glimpse of how paranoid I am when my capabilities are being doubted. That when people try to have second thoughts on my capabilities instead of proving them wrong I build a wall so thick that I isolate people and myself as well. My defenses are indomitable that I hear nothing, nor see anything that would change the whole situation. In simple terms if you like me, come join the party, if you don't just stay out. Then I would get paranoid that they're thinking bad things about me.


I am a sucker for rules. I am bounded by rules, its difficult without rules for me (that's why I have a high inkling to become a lawyer) and sometimes being the President you have to circumvent rules so that you can dispense your duties and you have to go around the rules so as to adapt into the varying situations. I have difficult time adapting and being flexible because I am a CONTROL FREAK, I never understood that term until this day. I want to control everything, I want everything to be just what I want them to be and I want results to come out just the way I imagined it. And seeing this not happening gave me a lot of frustration, headaches and anxiety. That's why at one point my interest and vigour to perform started to dwindle. I forgave myself to much for not doing things perfectly, I forgave people who were not performing well, I forgave mistakes and we started to live in mediocrity. That's why everything suffered. I can't be in situation where you have to leave everything to destiny or circumstance. I don't like that. If I can control it, I will control it. Imagine my frustration when I lost everything (my bag) when every tool I have to control was there. I'm trying to pick up pieces, starting over, wanting to control again.


On Leadership


There are really different kinds of leaders. I realized that I am the sort of leader who values relationship rather that output, that's why I forgave people (referring to preceding paragraph). I feel that when I have good not necessarily working relations with people they would perform well. Not considering that people needs spanking from time to time so that they will perform well. My tendency is to take the task and do it myself which resulted to burden in which quality suffered.


That as followers, we are lenient on our leaders. We feel that once we have voted for them our role as a citizen and voters ended the day we slipped our ballots in the ballot box. We do not hold our leaders liable on services undelivered and promises not met. That's why we continue to condone GMA's actions. We forgive her, we let her do these "pseudo - martial law" actions to us. We are glued to our seats unable to act against her tyranny because we are lenient on her actions. We do not clamor for things that are rightfully ours. We do not hold them accountable for aspirations not met, when in fact leaders should embody the aspirations his people hold. Leaders should not fit everything in a small hole, he should make a bigger hole to let everything fit. Leaders should have high expectations for themselves because; their people have high expectations for them.


For example there were two significant issues that rocked the nation these past ten months, the "Hello Garci Tapes" and Proclamation 1017. In both issues, our leaders failed to act decisively. You as followers should have crucified us for not acting and speaking in your behalf when in fact, as your leaders it is our God forsaken duty to speak for you, to tell the world how you feel. But there was no indignation, no resentment from the students that's why we continue to be lackluster and passive in issues that truly matters. On that aspect alone we have failed immensely. The usual response of leaders when asked during meetings when actions were supposed to be contemplated was, we need to educate and inform and students first. I wonder why the students need to be educated when in fact they should be aware of what is happening around them, they should not read the newspaper just because their PolDy professors told them to do so, it is our responsibilty as citizens to be aware and be critical of issues that the nation confronts. The education should be a continuous process, it shouldn't only happen when there are pivotal issues, it should happen all the time. Do not confuse education from schooling, these two things are way different. Re-think leadership. Leadership is not when people fear you, it is not when you tell people what to do, it is making them understand and owning what you want them to do. Leadership is empowering people so that they can do things on their own. Leadership is not greeting every person you meet in the hallway, it is when people recognizes you bacause you have contributed something substantial.


On Organizations.


The seeming vacuum in leadership stems from the fact that organizations are confused on why they are existing. Take the Student Council as an example.(No, I'm not only talking about the ABSC in particular but all student councils) I don't know if the student's council main objective in life is to provide the students with concerts and beauty pageants. I know they're fun and all but the issues that are really pertinent and substantial to students are not discussed. For example, when asked what the greatest problem of students is, the usual answer would be apathy. You are dead wrong about that one. The student's main problem is staying school. The perils students have to face everyday just to go to school is their biggest problem. Never in my stay in the University did I hear any forum on reproductive health, as young adults these are issues that we need to know. There are no statistics that would provide us with how many students’ parents experience Diaspora. No assistance provided to students who were victims of these falling insurance plans. No help extended to students who are victims inside the classroom, injustices in grades, harassment, abuse, among other things. These issues hinder our continued stay in school. These are issues we face. We don't know if student councils should organize events for us or speak for us, stand up for us, empower and embody the students, but personally I prefer the latter.


The same confusion is evident in Political Organizations. Why does political organizations only exist when there are elections and the moment they wake up from their slumber, you don't see any difference in the ideals that they espouse. The justification in their existence is not really there. You can't see the difference between the leaders that they present, for example, is this leader communist, socialist or democratic in thinking. Is this leader conservative or liberal? When these characteristics have been established their actions can be predicted, you can see how they will react when confronted with issues. Political organizations should not be seen as something dirty or illegal, they should be seen as a tool in empowering the students through ideas and principles aligned to the kind of politics that they espouse. Political organizations should start re-thinking their reason for existence because if they continue the path that they lead, they will soon be irrelevant to student’s life.


So, anong napala ko sa pigging presidente, ay MARAMI!

Maria Francia Posted At 4:26:00 PM

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of losses and gains

if there is anyone who is more experienced in losing things than gaining them, that would be me.

last july 2005 I lost my Nokia 3310 to a holdup incident while on board a jeepney in Quiapo. January 2006, I lost my bag, this time, my phone was in it in a "robbing" incident at Burger King Dapitan. Consequently I haven't set foot in that place ever since, not that I frequently go there but just seeing the place where I sat and eventually lost my bag gives me the creeps. It makes me realize how amazingly stupid and preoccuppied I am that time, that it was relatively easy for the thief to get my bag. That inicident has a profound effect on me because until this point I don't think i have recovered, it was as if he took my very life. Everything was there. I am so mad and disappointed both at myself and the perpetrator. And now, I lost my phone AGAIN! Technically the phones are not mine because they were all paid by my parents but I am the one who uses them so I can say that those were mine. I don't know what to think of, why these things keep on happening to me? Is there something written in my forehead saying, "you need a cellphone? just reach for my bag, you can have mine!"

my folks reaction changed through the course of these 3 losses, the first one made my mother really ticked, understandably. The second one was more of a feeling of pity and the third was a comedy, there was no shouting or punitive actions, surprisingly they understood it, that it goes with the territory and its not my fault that the UST area is a hotbed for petty crimes. Luckily, I just had to pay for it through the loss of belongings not necessarily my life. I guess my parents are becoming really wise. They know that this experiences are GAINS for me. I know I lost a lot and I mean A LOT! But the lessons that came with it is priceless.

I know those cellphones and other things can be replaced but i can never replace the trust i had in people. Before I never thought that I would be victim to these crimes because basically I have nothing! I'm not rich, what the hell would they get from me? And I have tremendous trust in people, even people I don't know. I don't believe that people steal things. I don't believe anyone is capable of committing a crime. Now i feel that I cannot trust anyone, I can't continue walking around without getting paranoid that somebody was out to get my stuff. Its sickening and stupid, I hate this feeling. I love people, i don't want to accuse them or be suspicious of them. Now when i see people in Dapitan I can't help but wonder if these people know the person who robbed me or they were the people who stole from me.

Its so sad that my last days in the University is characterized by suspicions and accusations. I guess that's the real world, no one is safe and our worst enemies are someone of our own kind.

Maria Francia Posted At 1:19:00 PM

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Ten Months

3 cellphones lost in 10 months, 2 funerals in ten months, almost 10 pounds lost in 10 months, disillusionment, disappointment, lost hope, shattered optimism, tested faith, tested friendship, challenged values and principles, smorgasboard of experience, countless seminars, humiliation, fear, sorrow, solitude, all in ten months.

it's unbelievable to have changed in just a span of ten months coming in as different person and coming out as a completely changed individual.

its not that bad, change is something good. the thing though is i don't respond well to changes. when i get into a comfort zone, i don't want to get out of it specially when i already established a certain order and way of doing things. but john maxwell said, to arrive at your optimal performance one must shake things a bit so that you can always be at your toes and think quickly. and changes are momentum starters, momentum makes you better, change makes you better.

this past 10 months made me realize a lot of things. i have been blessed with so much that i'm overwhelmed by it. being able to stand in front of people and be called their leader is more than a blessing, representing them and be regarded as their leader is a wonderful experience but a really daunting one. being able to tell people what to do and making them agree with and realize it as their own is a gift. coming up with a thesis in less than one week is luck, that you shouldn't push and stretch too much. being around great, supportive and amazing people is a treasure. paranoia sometimes work but you shouldn't have an overdose of it because it can kill you. values and principles would define your leadership, expect the unexpected, life is short, love and be loved, question and question, don't get satisfied with mediocrity, dream and dream big, do not forget to become a child once in a while. laugh, it will make you sane. sing, it can lift your spirit. don't let them take the most important thing for you lest you'll realize how significant it is and it might be too late to redeem it. humility has a different and painful way of teaching you its lessons. help people, believe, be grateful, go for the extra mile because that's where you'll find the gold, listen, people have always interesting tales to tell, when you thought you are powerful that is the time when you are most helpless.

when all things have been said and done you just can't wait to start the next 10 months of your life.

Maria Francia Posted At 9:43:00 PM

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