Jobs Seeking Applicants

I just read a post on the blog of my former boss about job openings in the company for which I used to work.  They are paying bloggers who refer people who can fill their job openings.

This is not the first time I have heard of bloggers advertising for job openings.  Janette Toral did that and if I remember right she created a blog solely for advertising job openings for IT positions, particularly those required by DigitalFilipino members.  This time however, the impact is more personal because I know the company and the person doing the hiring.

Payment for applicants referred has also been practiced before.  That is how recruitment companies earn.  That is also an effective way of referring not just for jobs but also for clubs and organizations; rewarding the person who referred a successful entrant.  In a way, you could say it is a basic principle in network marketing.

I'm not surprised though.  After all, the company had long tried to position itself as a good choice for information technology projects.  Besides, if they are paying me to give them their employees then why not.

The company is Systems Generators Phil Inc. by the way.

Once a Nurse

We just got of work this morning and were waiting for a ride at the stop.  A couple of incidents occurred in the span of 5 minutes that really got our attention.

The first one happened about 40 meters away from where our group was standing.  We could only watch as a car almost side swiped a motorbike sending the smaller vehicle off balance.  This sent its rider flying off and landing on the road close to the fallen bike.  As the car sped on, the rider slowly moved to get up.

As we looked on, we noticed a cement mixer suddenly stopping right in front of the stop.  Knowing there was no traffic up ahead, we turned to see why.  Right in front of the cement mixer was a man lying face down on the road.  The security and one of our managers ran over to the fallen guy to see how he was doing.  They started to turn him over.

"Hey, don't do that!" one of my companions suddenly shouted.  "Don't move him. You're not supposed to move him."

My friend Don, a registered nurse was agitated to say the least.  He crossed over to where the man was now laid face up.  He introduced himself and tried to explain what needs to be done.  A crown started gathering and the medical personnel of the office came out to administer first aid.

Presently the police, and then an ambulance arrived to take over.  Don came back to where we were positioned and told us that the man was conscious because he was able to move his eyes when they asked him to but he could not follow their direction to move his fingers.

Don Brinas is a nurse who is working at a call center.  I can't dwell on his reasons but he once said he is at a decision point in his life.  Somehow, I think that even if he does stay with the call center industry, his instincts will still kick in at times like this.  I saw how concerned he was as the man was being moved onto the stretcher and into the ambulance.  He may have helped the motorcycle rider if we were close enough.

A hundred kudos points to you, my friend.

An Act of Generosity

I was riding on a train with Celia Martinez yesterday.  We just came from a radio guesting on DZME in Monumento and were on the train bound for Baclaran,  We were to get off at the Doroteo Jose station.

At R. Papa station, a mother and her baby came aboard.  The mother was having a hard time carrying the baby. The child was so thin that you could see from the legs it was almost reduced to skin and bones.  Its legs were stiff, probably from disuse.  We guessed it was more than a year old, probably close to two, because of its height or rather length.

But what really caught our attention was its head.  It seemed that it was longer than the child's torso.  The mother was supporting the head instead of the neck and we were worrying about its neck breaking.

The mother was having a hard time because apart from the fact that she had to carry the child with his big head and their bag, the baby was complaining too.  Apparently, he did not want his mother to sit down.  For him, mommy had to rock him while standing in the train.  Trouble really was, to stand up and hold him, she needed both hands so there was none left to hold on to the rail.

Anyway, that's not the point.  My friend Celia was so moved by this scene that she decided on the spot to hand her some money to help defray doctor's fees for the child.

That is generosity,   She lives on a fixed daily budget and any unspent amount, she returns to the family fund.  Yesterday, she gave half her daily spending budget to that mother and child.

I salute you, Celia Martinez

The Lady and The 80's

I had lunch at McDonald's today.  At the next table sat two ladies, probably in their mid forties.  One was wearing a rust colored blouse while the other had on a red shirt.  They were loudly discussing their kids.  At one point, the lady in red said "My kid liked the song so much that she asked me where I got it."

At that point, she began to sing the song.  She went on until she got to the chorus then something occurred to her and she blurted out the title.

The conversation then moved towards current music and again the lady in red took the lead.  She expressed an opinion about Justin Beeber which I didn't quite catch but it sounded positive.

A little later, they got to discussing 80s music and the Styx song "Kilroy Was Here" got mentioned.  Actually the lady in red was reciting the titles of Styx songs that were released together.  Speaking of Kilroy, the conversation turned to robots, particularly robots in movies.

I was fascinated with this lady in red.  She knew the story of some newer movies very well.  She even knew who starred in those movies.

Street Food in the Supermarket

I had taho (soy curd) for breakfast today.  That's not surprising since I do it quite often.  I sometimes wait for the street vendor to shout "Taho!" then run out to catch him.

The one I had today came from the supermarket.  It's the second time I got this brand and I like the taste.  It comes in a plastic cup covered with a plastic wrap.  On top of the wrap is a packet of syrup which is quite watery but that can be remedied.  Then there is the plastic cover of the cup on top of that.

It comes in two flavors this brand.  Today I had plain taho.  Last week I tasted the strawberry flavor.  The first time I had strawberry taho was in Baguio over a year ago.  That was also from a street vendor, and that flavor is not seen here in Metro Manila.

Of course this is a Philippine brand.  It tastes nice too like the regular thing.

The only thing I can complain about is that there is no sago

Sundays are for Kids

I attended the weekly Feast at the Bureau of Soilsthis morning.  We have a dance ministry there.  It's composed of kids who just enjoy what they are doing.  They're kinda contagious but I think the parents get quite distracted from the worship session.

Anyway, I usually sit in the front rows so I can't see what's going on further back.  Today, i was late for the mass so I got an aisle seat way back.  That meant I only got to watch the kids in the middle of the group.

That also meant I got to see another little dancer.  There was a boy, about two years old, who refused to stay in his seat.  He had decided that he would roam up and down the aisle keeping his mother in sight.

He was going up the aisle when the dance ministry began their routine.  He stopped and watched for a while.  Next thing I knew, he was doing his own moves.

Kids are usually tireless dancers.  I guess it's inate in all of us.  They celebrate with movement.  That's one thing I hope we remember to keep as we get older.

What IS Sex Education?

It's the start of another school year.  Kids are going back to the classrooms, probably with some vacation hangover but generally with a lot of excitement to see if they are still in the same section as their old gang or who has grown as tall as they have over the summer break.

For the authorities, there has been a controversy over offering sex education in the public schools.  The Department of Education is pushing it.  Religious leaders are against it.  Exactly what is the argument about anyway?

If by sex education, the policy makers are referring to the methods of having sex then maybe I agree with the churches.  I don't see the point of showing kids graphic images of different sexual positions.  Emphasizing the act itself, I believe, will heighten curiosity which might lead to promiscuity or early pregnancy.

However, a recent news report showed a DepEd official saying that they are changing the term to gender education.  That then is a different story.  If they mean to discuss things like the physical differences between males and females, what happens during puberty, the reproductive cycles, and stuff like that then I'm all for it.

I spent my elementary years in a convent school where we were all girls in our classes.  I moved to a government school for high school.  In these institutions, I learned about menstruation and what can happen because of it.  We were given seminars about the different methods of contraception, both natural and artificial, as well as their differing effects.  We were also told that abortion was illegal and premarital sex can have moral and legal consequences.

In Biology classes, we studied the baby's growth from conception to birth, complete with pictures of the fetus.  With that, we also learned the role of the males in pregnancy and how a baby can look like either parent.  We also discussed sexually transmitted diseases, especially how one can acquire them.

Are these things part of the controversy?  Do you mean these things are not part of public school education?

Exactly what are they talking about anyway?

It's a Small World

Love the power of the world wide web!

We used to sing that song when I was in grade school.  If I remember right, it was from the movie Shang-ri=la.

My niece and I share the internet connection.  Both of us also stay up late at night to connect.  Last night, we were discussing about what time to shut down the connection.  I had planned to download some game and I expected it to take a while because I would be playing another game while that was going on.

My niece said she would also be staying up late.  She was chatting with a Brit she said.  She met this person on Tumblr.  She also has a French friend.  She regularly talks to some Japanese who are practicing English skills with her.

It's so easy to connect and learn about other peoples through responsible social networking.  These could be life long friends.  Maybe they can help in her school or work later on.  Even if they do not directly help her, knowledge about places she has never been too could prove useful as she deals with the global economy when she finishes college.

Wonderful isn't it?  It's been there for years.  We just need to use it to our advantage to give eahc other a win-win proposition.

Flowers of May

I had a chance to watch the Flores de Mayo parade in Cubao yesterday.  The Araneta Center had one every Sunday of May, I heard.  Each one had a different set of sagalas and yesterday it was all about beauty queens.  Naturally, they had to be included.  The head of Binibining Pilipinas Charities was after all married to an Araneta.  Anyway, that's a whole other story.

I had to note the dresses or gowns if you may.  These girls were support to represent something about the character of the virgin Mary.  Instead, they wore something that showed off their assets.  Nothing wrong with that really but then again, the essence of the festival is lost on them and on the audience.  Too bad for us because keeping these traditions alive would augur well for our country.  I'm sure the tourism heads would agree.

That girl Venus Raj was there.  She was assigned the role of Queen of All Nations, fitting for our Miss Universe representative really.  I wish she really could fit the role but from what she showed so far, I don't believe I'm willing to support her.  maybe somebody will tell me I don't know what really happened.  From media, I hear more from her than from the other side and what she said told me that she chose to ignore warnings before the pageant.

Carlyn Aguilar was Reyna Elena.  She is very pretty I think but her face is strong, perfect for mataray roles on tv.

The Reyna Emperatriz role went to Gloria Diaz, the country's first Miss Universe winner.  She still has the body for the part of beauty queen although her face shows signs of age.  She deserves the role.  And she looked lovely in her violet gown (or was that royal blue)

The Heat is ON

Someone once told me that Good Friday is always the hottest day of the year.  He said it was a natural phenomenon and proves that God is in charge.

Not this year.  TODAY was the hottest day SO FAR.  I was working on the computer and it was as if I was crying buckets.  Perspiration was running down my face so fast, the face towel beside me could be wrung and water would come out.

Oh well, we'll live through this I guess but we really should be careful to keep cool.  I brought out a scarf that a cousin sent me and my sister was surprised I was going to wear one in this weather.  It was a scarf that was supposed to keep you cool during hot weather.  I dumped it into a bath of cold water for a few minutes then put it on.

What do you know?  It worked.  Necessity is really the mother of inventon.

And the Winners Are

Kudos to COMELEC for successfully pulling off the automated elections.  Yeah, there was a high percentage of failure but you have to realize that this was the test run so . . .

Early in the campaign period, my nephew suggested awards for the campaign ads.  Here are my suggestions for the winners.  The list concentrates on TV ads for national candidates as I did not see much of the local candidates save for Makati and Manila.  I invented most of the titles here but if you've seen the ads you can probably identify.  The letters in parenthesis are the parties that sent out the ads.

Best Campaign Jingle:  "Dagat ng Basura" (NP)
Need I say more?  Even the street urchins know this by heart.  It caught on pretty fast in a viral way.  There was even a Japanese version.

Best Ad in Drama "Babae" (NP)
A melodramatic take on woman power here.......  The script is good too.

Best Ad in Musical: "Dagat ng Basura" (NP)
This series is quite memorable.  It was actually the ad that prompted my nephew's idea.

Best Ad in Documentary: "Ang Alamatng Ama ng Bayan" (PMP)
This series showed Erap in a very good light, even having rival Noynoy's mom in the picture.

Best Ad in Comedy:  The Bitoy campaign (NP)
As usual, Bitoy came up with great comic characters.

Best Ad in Action: "Superhero" (Lakas-Kampi-CMD)
This was Secretary Bello's ad for his senatorial bid.  In case you did not see it, he wore purple leotards and tights (no, I am not sure it was really him in the costume, I only saw this once) with a big letter B on the chest.  His weapon was a gavel.  It made me think of Parokya's song, Mang Jose.  It was a good thing he did not use that song though.

Best Actor: Noynoy Aquino (LP)
Did you notice how intense he was when he said "Hindi ako mangungurakot"?

Best Actress:  Miriam Santiago (NP)
Here too is a searing performance.  Well, she's always intense when she gives a speech anyway.

Best Child Performer:  Baby James Yap (LP)
Who was he really cheering for anyway? (joke)

Most Influential:  the Chiz series
Check the last SWS survey.

Any suggestions, anyone?

The Watcher and The Fence

This fence sitter is coming down from her post because some time in your life you have to get into the action.  There are others out there who may be complaining about how things are turning out but are unwilling to get involved.  The only way for change to happen is for us to get moving and make it happen.

Actually, that is far from the point of this post.  It seems to me that we are being complacent about the automated elections.  We see that it produced a count and we trust that it will do the same on election day.  Now, there was a glitch found.  Something I find strange because shouldn't the COMELEC and Smartmatic have been working hand in hand from the start.  Were not the programmers told about the design of the ballot?

So there was a problem in the testing.  The solution?  Change the program with the corrected version.  We will just sit tight and watch as the provider replaces the memory disk in each machine.  We are giving them one weekend to run the tests.  If there is another glitch, we will probably postpone the elections or revert to manual counting which will be a nightmare for the teachers really.

So they will replace the memory disk  Has anybody audited the program they are putting in there?  Yes, I see a reason to look at the conspiracy theory.  In whose favor?  I have my guess but that's just what it is so let's not speculate here.  I am only forwarding a concern from a practicing systems person.

Who is doing quality control for the software in the PCOS machines?

Skin So

I took a walk late this afternoon.  I passed by the 7-11 and decided that walking home would be the best way to  get home.  It was in the area where we used to live so I was familiar with the place.

As I passed one of the buildings, I noticed a guy giving out fliers.  He was wearing what looked like a scrub suit but it was colored maroon.  Still, I guessed he was a clinical assistant of some sort.

Anyway, as I was about to pass him, he began to extend his right hand holding out a leaflet towards me.  As I got closer, he hesitated and left it hanging close to his body.  There was no further effort to give me the flier.

Then, I noticed there was a new derma clinic at the ground floor of the next building.  I guess that was where he worked and the leaflet was about their services.

I would like to believe that he hesitated because he noticed that I did not need to visit them.  But then it was almost evening.

Teams in the Forest

The PSHS Main Campus faculty went on a two and a half day team building trip a few days ago.  We stayed at the Forest Club in Bay, Laguna.  The place was designed for team building.  They had group activities that will really make you work as a team.  They have this Eco Adventure challenge where we got to cross a body of water in three ways, and battle obstacle courses (yes that's plural).  There was also a canopy walk where you traverse a path on bamboo poles se high above the ground while admiring the view of the surrounding countryside.  Then there were the water games in the swimming pool (which I refused to join on the grounds of endangering myself as it was held in the part where I can not touch the  floor).  Best of all our team won (Go BLUE)!!

The games got me (and my companions too because we talked about it).  Many of the kids we teach were city kids.  They probably never had to do anything on a fart.  Oh, they have been there, visiting the old folks maybe or staying at a resort farm.  But most likely they had not had a chance or were never given the chance to get dirty.  As such, they have been deprived the experience of working with the earth or with animals and plants that they study in the biology lab.

I remember when we were kids, we used to spend summer vacations in the province.  In the mornings we would clean the house, gather fallen leaves and fruits, and feed and clean the pigs and chicken coop.  Sometimes, we would be brought along to the market to get fish and vegetables.   In the evenings, we were called to serve food if the adults had a padasal or some such affair.  We had to serve plates of rice cakes and rice pies with coffee. If there was nothing going on, we would be counting calamansi or other produce to be sold in the market in the morning.

Occasionally, specially during lent, we watched the men catch fish in baskets (my cousin in the US wanted to import this but we could no longer find the men who could make them so well).  We ourselves had tried to gather snails and fresh water eels.

Those summers weren't all work though.  After the morning chores, we would all hie down to the river that flowed through our property to swim (the same place where we got fish and snails).  After luch, we clambered up trees to ge the fruits and eat them there.  Or we would relax on the swings, or in our little playhouse made of nipa.

I think many parents now want to protect their kids from hardship, which is all very well.  However, sheltered children may actually be deprived of certain coping abilities.  If they had never experienced anything hard, they might not know how to act when the going gets rough.  They may also not respect hard work and the rewards it could bring will be lost upon them.

Just a thought:  Maybe we should put those politicians through team building, eh?

This is the New Year

Last night, I was bored. I was sleepy but I couldn't sleep. There were sounds of firecrackers every minute, some as close as the neighbor's backyard. Besides, my sister's kids and I had a no sleeping deal.

At midnight, we turned on all the lights and greeted each other a happy new year. We had our midnight meal of pansit and lechon with a dozen pieces of chico, about six calamansi and several pieces of banana as fruits on the table. Oh, there was also salad and cake, our sweet stuff. Then there was the traditional drink; apple and cramberry juice because my sister's kids were minors. Next year, we will be trying some light alcohol except for my nephew who is just sixteen.

And that was it. My niece remarked "That's it? That was the new year?" It was a lot quieter this year. There were no wonderful firework displays in the sky. It was a lean year.

Right now, I'm alone in the living room. I'm looking back at the year that was and it occurred to me. No, my situation suddenly fell on me. I'm tearful because I realized that my finances are in shambles. I owe the credit card company (though that has already been taken care of but I'm still paying). The preneed company is almost ready to close my account because of my neglect. Internal Revenue will probably send me a letter in a few weeks for personal and corporate taxes. And I find that I had put myself in this situation.

I knoe that this could be potentially read by so many people; people who know me and thought I was doing well. I know I had told some lies in the past just so I would not be the subject of questions and pity. But now, I'm the one giving myself these things. I have to ask the hard question of how the situation can be corrected. I have to find the answer to where I will source the funds. Right now, I am in tears because of guilt and self-pity.

This is the beginning of the rest of my life. Where do I go from here?