Media: The Sweet Poison

Media refer to the means of mass communications; especially television, radio, news paper, and the internet. Each of these reaches millions of people everyday to bring them information about anything, new ideas, current events, entertainment, etc. The media have indeed helped people get connected in so many ways; impart them knowledge which was otherwise not easy to obtain some number of years ago; and entertain them more than they could imagine.

Yes, media have indeed brought good things to the lives of so many, yet amidst all these good things, evil lurks. The lives of those who have benefited from it are in so much danger of destruction. This is the truth that most people would ignore until they realize they or someone they love has fallen victim to deception.

Let us take for example internet. There is not doubt that internet has connected the world more than any other means of mass communications. Millions and millions of information are being uploaded online everyday; information accessible to anyone including your innocent child. Parents should take extra precautions when letting their child access the internet for whatever reasons. Pornography, violence, sexual deviations, immoral relationships, murder, theft, drug addiction, alcohol, etc., these are all available online for free! Do you really want your innocent child to access these information online?

Now why don't we take a look at Facebook. I bet that most, if not all people in the house have a Facebook account. What do we see in Facebook nowadays? Are they not posts about hatred, murder, rape, pornography, violence, immoral behaviors, and the like? Have you not seen people bashing other people in Facebook and calling each other names and cursing them? Is this really the kind of environment you would like to child to experience?

Why go any further? Look at our home entertainment, television. Yes, the television that everyone loves! Telenovelas, movies, talk shows, variety shows etc. are all so very entertaining, are they not?Yes of course, until you realize that these things have slowly been polluting the mind of your child and even yours! What are the usual themes of the most watched telenovelas? Are they not murder, vengeance, adultery, and many more of this sort? So is this the kind of shows you want your child to see every single day?

How about movies? What kind of movies do most people like? Are they not about witchcraft and sorcery, war and other forms of violence, horror and demons, and many more of this nature? Are these the same movies we have at home? How could we teach our children that violence isn't good or witchcraft is forbidden when we ourselves patronize movies of this theme?

Let's talk about music. Many say that music is food for the soul and most people believe this. The ironic things is most people seem to feed their souls with unhealthy music! Isn't that we eat good food to stay healthy? Why then do we feed our soul with rotten songs or musics? Lady Gaga for example, how many people, both young and old patronize her and her songs? Let me make this clear that I don't just talk about lady Gaga because there are a lot more out there. In fact, too many to mention! Are these not music that connotes sex, drugs, violence, adultery, deviant sexual behavior, and more of this nature? If so, is this the kind of food you or you would want to child to feed on?

Think again all of you who are reading this. Do not let the media ruin yours or your children's lives. The media is comparable to that of a sweet poison. As sweet as it is, death befalls upon those who take it!

Federalism and Mindanao

Federalism is a form of government that ensures the division of power between national and local governing units. Compared to unitary form of government where most of the decisions come from the one central body, Federalism could allow local governing units to legislate laws concerning peace and order, taxation, marriage, education and health, infrastructure, and a whole lot more for as long as stated in the constitution. This coupled with the power to execute them within their areas of responsibility makes local governing units highly accountable for the growth and development of their constituencies.

Considering the above view, Federalism is the most appropriate form of government for the Philippines. Allow me to support my claim by discussing its advantages in relation to the Philippine setting.

NAIA Express Way

The Philippines is an archipelago of more than seven thousand islands inhabited by a number of ethnolinguistic nations; each has its own beliefs and traditions. For a government to run such a vast territory divided by seas and cultural differences has been proven, time and again,to be futile. Federalism is expected to resolve this by bringing the governing body as close to the problem as possible.

In terms of legislation, the current house of representatives has this authority. However, legislation passed are more focused on issues of national concern. I am not saying this is wrong but this setup results to local issues being set aside as if those weren't important at all. Federalism is expected to address this by giving the local governing bodies the power to legislate laws pertaining to issues that concern their constituency alone while the national government retains its authority to legislate laws to address issues of national level. This will ensure that laws passed will serve its purpose.

Another very controversial subject when talking about Federalism is taxation. Mayor Rodrigo Duterte himself made mention of this during the presidential debate that was hosted by GMA Network. He said that out of all the millions and millions of taxes collected from Mindanao, only a small percentage comes back to Mindanao to finance its development projects. Most of the infrastructure projects are concentrated in Luzon. 

 Mindanao's roads. (Photo by Allan Barredo )

Mindanao and the Visayas region have contributed so much to the economy of the Philippines but what have we got? Nothing but humiliation because people from Imperialist Manila are looking down at us. You all need to understand that Metro Manila is what it is now because of our people's sweat! Federalism, is expected to address this by giving the local authority enough power to come up with local taxation laws. redistribution, and spending policies. This will make sure that each state or local governing body gets the most out of its taxes.

Federalism is the key for us Mindanaoans to free ourselves from the grip of Imperialist Manila. It is about time that we stand up and fight for what is rightfully ours and for the future of our children.

Note: Views expressed in this blog are mine alone. It may or may not necessarily represent your view of Federalism and how it is expected to resolve our current issues in Mindanao. Please feel free to provide your own views.

Photos being used in this blog are not mine. If you are the owner of any of the photos being used, please feel free to comment so proper credit will be given to you.