tUrMoiL: a cRiTiCiSm

A government should work for its citizens. Its primary responsibility is to ensure the welfare of its constituents. Any affair a government would be involved in would have an effect on the people they govern. Thus, a government should be capable and credible in managing the intricacies of governance like providing security and livelihood. As such, a government who can wield their authority and power effectively is assured of unwavering support from the people they serve. The people would manifest love for their life, their countrymen, and their government.

But in the Philippines now, go out and ask a person on the streets what they value most and they would probably answer that they want a good life for their families. BY this, they mean a stable life (which could be translated into having three-meals daily at the very least), and a future for their children. With the present state of governance in the country, a layman would ask and desire only things for his own and never about the government. Though there are still who believe in the strength of the government to rule things in the country , many have given faith on their own ways instead of on the government meeting their needs. Needless to say, the government has taken care of (petty) squabbles instead of prioritizing its constituents' concerns which has led to a serious power struggle for a few, and political apathy and frustration for many. But more than it being a cause of low political effficacy, the present political situation is a result of years, even decades, of jostling for position of different groups and individuals in the government to protect and advance nothing but only political interests. All under the cloak of nationality and service.

The elderly would say, in a tone fearful and hopeful, overwhelmingly confident, yet suspect, perhaps really confused, that they are fortunate to have experienced this turmoil while they are already old. At least, they say, their years are numbered so they would only just sufffer for a short time. But they ask, what about the children? What about those of still simple mind and heart? The young ones who would probably live at least 50 more years (oh yes, i hope!)? How would they face the present volatile socio-political environment the Philippines has for them? They are without a sturdy foundation to live. No livelihood and worse no education. The most essential thing that the government could have given them is instead neglected. Their future is written not on paper, not on something permanent, not on something accepted in legal transactions, but on old and tattered plywood, rusty g.i. sheets and scrap; the very things that make up their present homes, just like their future, are flimsy and scrawny. One strong wind and their lives would end up in shambles. They write with rocks, cement as canvass, everything can easily be erased, can easily be forgotten. A future built on these will easily wilt away, all because their leaders are engrossed in bringing down political adversaries.

[a product of awareness; c'mon people let's all watch the news, and be involved!]

LiFe, oH LiFe! :p

Life on Earth is temporary…Things come and go… Things change. Life can be easy yet it could also be extremely difficult to live. Indeed! All of us agree with this, I suppose. But what could life be beyond these four letters? A lot of truths about life have already been written but as for me, LIFE=PLAY. By this, I mean two things. Play as a GAME, and Play as a PERFORMANCE.

A GAME; life is a game of survival. Rules are set out for us, and it’s up to us to follow or to break away. We may find the game awfully hard but that’s how it was made to be. The challenge lies in its intricacy, remember? And, and…giving up would only make us losers so better yet fight to the very end. There’s no such thing as perfect but there’s this thing we call beauty. We don’t need to see life as something infallible for it’s a masterpiece with a speck. O_o Like in a real game, life has its ups and downs. You don’t always score a point, do you? And this game, I forgot to tell everyone, is a team game. We have our buddies and our foes. We cannot expect everyone to be on our side. We need to have people to battle against and to prove ourselves to. After all, life is all about living to fight and fighting to live, am I right? Hahaha! Enough of the rhymes. :p

A PERFORMANCE; life is an ongoing stage play/ theatrical performance. We are directors, actors, and scriptwriters in one. What else can I say? We’re all talented individuals, huh? :D Every day that we face, is a scene that we create. We shape our own lives. We can, and we do, make things happen. But if that’s the case, why then do we sometimes tend to blame other people and the Lord above for the melancholic lives that we have? Aren’t we satisfied by the simple joys life brings to us? Poor souls! We don’t realize how God made this LIFE beautiful for us. We look for things beyond our reach that we tend to overlook the little things that make life worth living. And since the said stage play is ongoing, there’s no rewind or fast forward. We live with the present yet look at the past for learning, and at the future for vision. Great, great! *to be continued, im sleepy*

mAn aNd aRt

The Renaissance era was a great shift in the way people viewed art. Everything people know about art, the reason why they do it, their approach, changed dramatically at the birth of this age. Art was revolutionized. At the onset, the change, as with the other new ideas introduced, was met with either hostility, for the Renaissance was not only a change in art but in science and philosophy as well. Traditional viewpoints, belief systems, were challenged, put into question, and eventually disregarded. The change was significant since it claimed that the focal point of art and science was man, not God. It's number one proponent, Leonardo Da Vinci, the Renaissance man himself proved himself "correct" by making advances in art, philosophy, and science and technology. All in all, he defined not only science, but also most importantly art and philosophy. Since art cannot be separated from philosophy, he didn't only contribute to the advancement of then unacceptable views, but altered the conventional at the same time.

One could have a completely opposite view of this, but since the shift of ideas focused on man, whether a particular stance is right or wrong, only the individual can judge. Therefore, he is the center of his own views. And in this scenario, man himself is the definition of art. Art is man. His values, his hurts, his pains, joys, experiences, and thoughts are of utmost importance. Unlike traditional values wherein God or the divine is the one who defines art (and philosophy), man now is at the very core of art. He is one with art. Without him, art will not exist. The Vitruvian man, though a sketch made by Da Vinci for his scientific studies, is a perfect embodiment of how art could be defined. Man is at the center of the universe, of the affairs of this world. Moreover, art is not an extension of man. But instead, art could be his very heart, his mind, his soul. It could even be his hands, because he could do great things with it; his feet for he could travel, even transcend beyond great boundaries. Art could also be his voice, for he could speak a great deal of words, sharing his ideas. It could be his most private parts, bringing sensation, ecstacy. Art is he. Whoever he is in life is, what he is, is art.