Whenever I think about volunteerism in the Philippines, the first concept that comes to mind is “bayanihan.” As Filipinos, it is in our blood to help our brothers and sisters who are in need. It is our natural tendency to help. It is in our culture. And I think this is what keeps us apart from other countries. One sad thing that I could notice about the concept volunteerism in the Philippines is that it differs depending on whether the place is urban or rural. Usually, the concept "bayanihan" as volunteerism is only apparent in the provinces. In the urban cities, volunteerism is usually signified by community immersions and donations to the less fortunate. There is nothing wrong with these two views. It is just that volunteerism in the concept of "bayanihan" is more natural and in a sense, promotes equality. Meaning, you do "bayanihan" because you wanted to help. Volunteerism as helping the less fortunate, on the other hand, simply spells out that you are helping because you have more, and others have less.

My point here is that I hope there will be equality in all the faces of the earth. So that when we volunteer, it is because some people need some kind of assistance, and not some kind of charity.

I believe that the true welfare of human life is reflected by the condition of its natural habitat. If the environment is scanty and desolate, then it is most likely that the lives of the people living in it are wasted as well due to the reason that they are deprived of the provisions that are necessary to their health.

Nature sustains our life. It is where we get our oxygen, food, water, shelter, clothing, and basically anything that is under the umbrella of our basic biological needs. If we were to wake up in an environment that cannot produce and supply our basic needs, then obviously, that is where our lives can end. In the modern day era, humans are so obsessed with "creating" artificial dupes that can possibly replace the "natural" ones. Humans are so fixated with exploring every part of the universe for a chance to find a place where humans can possibly survive. But let me tell you what I think: The earth cannot be replaced. It is one of a kind. And as rational beings, we should be responsible for it. Humans are so adamant with upgrading, but why can't we just take care of the original version of the earth that we are blessed with? For me, it is because it is our tendency to think that everything degrades. But honestly, we are the ones who did this to ourselves in the first place. We created cars that cause pollution just so we can experience some aspects of our lives better. We become so distracted by these things that we forget the only thing that keeps us alive is NATURE.

Again, as the only rational beings on this planet, nature is our responsibility. We are the only ones who can save or break it. Therefore, we have to take our actions now before it is too late. As a naturalist, it breaks my heart to see our environment degrading. But even if I am merely a student, I can do something about it already. I can bring my water bottle to school so that I would not need to buy water that are placed inside a disposable bottle. I could opt not to use a straw when I am in a restaurant. I could choose to just dine in my food rather than to take it out. I could bring a shopping bag when I shop for groceries so that I could avoid the exploitation of plastic bags. All of these simple things can help save nature. It might be inconvenient sometimes, yes. However, I believe that a simple inconvenience is better than a heavy dose of suffering in the future.

"Parang sasabog na yung puso ko" was the only line that I could internally scream off at the top of my head after hearing the sentiments of our indigenous kababayans during our visit last Monday, October 24, at their camp near the College of Fine Arts.

I would like to think about rescuing people analogous to this picture.

Among the first few adjectives that young children learn are the words good and bad. Naturally, these words are what adults use to describe particular actions and situations around children.

“If you obey me, you’re good!”

“If you don’t follow this, you’re bad!”

As children grow up, however, the concept of what’s good or bad becomes increasingly complex. Take the word behave as an example. Adults usually shout this word to children as if they would automatically know what to do. But, really, what does behave exactly mean?

If you try to unravel this word, it can mean a lot of things: stay put, keep quiet, be good, sit still, obey, etc. The list can go on forever. The same thing applies to the words good and bad. But what does that really mean?

Lawrence Kohlberg, a proponent of Moral Development, once made a story called the “Heinz Dilemma” which perfectly portrays how baffling and fuzzy the line between what is good or what is bad really is.

An experience is an enchanting thing.

As I read this line, at this very moment, each passing second adds up to the records of my personal experiences; my own story; my own history. And just like any other stories and histories, I believe that experiences are also categorized in different genres and seasons, respectively.

There are some experiences that are seemingly insignificant; events that I barely noticed, I couldn't even remember they actually happened. And then, there are some events in my life that are too embarrassing to share, but too valuable to forget. Lastly, there are those horrible incidents that I tried to distort in my mind, leading me to believe the illusion that those events didn't happen, or at least, happened differently. But late at night, when I was all alone, it wasn't just those events that had left me breathless, awake, and miserable. It was because of the lie that at some point, actually became the truth to me.

The weight of every happening in my life differs. The same applies to everyone else. It's a universal thing. Some experiences cut deep, others scratch, while most do nothing at all. Regardless of that, one thing is for sure: everything matters. Everything is relevant.

You might not agree with me. It's okay. Sometimes, I don't agree with myself either. But let me ask you to stop, and breathe for a minute. Think about the time when you have spent an hour or so watching the television. It was an experience; a rather irrelevant one, you may say. But have you ever wondered what would have happened if you did something productive, other than watching TV? Have you thought about the effect of what you have watched to your mental or emotional state? Have you ever wondered what things you "might" have accomplished then? Maybe now, you should be done with your pending responsibilities. Perhaps what you have watched has changed your perspective on important matters. Or maybe instead of six hours of sleep, you had seven. You never knew, and you will never know, because it already happened. It's in the past.

You see, every experience in our life equates to a single domino. Put together, they can easily influence or impact another experience, one way or another. So it doesn't really matter whether one experience was dull, or breathtaking. It all boils down to the connection that binds them. You can't single out an experience from the others. It doesn't work that way.

From the "Psychodynamic Perspective" of Psychology, it was said that who you are now is an accumulation of your past. For those who have built a great foundation in their early years, this is good news to them. But for those who aren't proud of their actions, this is disheartening.

I belong in that latter group. I used to regret. I used to weep at night crying out to God the question why?

"Why did certain encounters have to happen?" "Why did I have to deal with these challenges?" "Why did I have to be so stupid?" "Why didn't God guide me?" And then soon enough, the most fundamental question hit me: "Why me?"

These open-ended questions have bothered me for a long time. I haven't necessarily found an answer to those questions, but the words that was revealed to me later in my life was more than enough to keep me going: