Tag: World of Mikee

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I’m a nurse but I opted not to continue working in the hospital now.

After I filed an online petition to President Duterte, I received a letter from Marites, who asked me if her story can be featured in my blog. I  was hesitant. How can I give justice to a non-fiction story, more especially if it is about her– being a nurse and a mother.

But, as an advocate for nurses. I devoted myself to continuously talk about the inequalities of the nursing profession in my own country. I told her, yes. I sent her, some guide questions which she can answer so that I can make a story out of it.

 

I’m a nurse but I opted not to continue working in the hospital now. Despite my passion to serve and care for the welfare of my patients, I chose to go out, put off the lamp of Florence Nightingale and venture to another path, where I can get enough, for my only baby girl.

Hindi ko mapapakain ang mga anak ko sa sahod bilang nurse.

(I can’t afford to feed my family with my salary as a nurse.)

With the meager 3,000 per two weeks (15 days) (sometimes even smaller depending  on the duty hours (kasi nga Reliever pa kami bago maging Regular Staff).

I served the public hospital for 3 years, again 3 long years without any reservations. I gave my life and time (pati overtime) na unpaid with the hope that one day, I will be promoted in a regular post.

However, one day, I felt like, they are not serious in promoting me. A new nursing graduate was assigned the vacant posts, very easily. Then I learned that, she was the daughter of the assistant chief nurse of the hospital. It crushed my heart. It was injustice.

I pay the BIR, SSS, PAG-IBIG, and PhilHealth and other applicable state taxes, hoping that the government will be nicer to us me—as a nurse. But, I was very stupid to believe that the government is passionate and caring.

While working in the hospital, I have no choice but to leave my own child under the care of a babysitter. I have no choice. Then, one day, I realized that;

Naku! mas malaki pa sweldo ni yaya kesa sa akin! parang nag-nurse ako para may pasweldo at pang SSS and Philhealth ang yaya.

Nurses na yata ang susunod na martyr sa Pilipinas! Seeing that I could not even feed my self three times a day, and my baby with the right amount of milk, I decided to say,

“Enough is enough! It must stop!”

In the Philippines, nurses are disregarded. Nurses are not the priority despite the hardships and sacrifices that we give. We care but no one is caring for us.  Before I resigned, I went to the office of our Chief Nurse, I looked at her in the eye, and I delivered the arrow that pierced her heart.

Where is the government?

Where is your conscience?

For nurses to triumph, one should not be afraid to speak. Nurses should throw the appropriate arrows, right to the heart, especially if you are facing the beasts that kill the essence of the nursing profession, even though he/she is also a nurse.

(Story of Maritess, a nurse and a loving mother)

Share your own story to ikuwentokaymutya@gmail.com. 

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Sec. Coloma, I am Mutya and I stand to speak and defend Filipino nurses.

Dear Sec. Coloma,

I do appreciate your explanation why President Aquino vetoed the comprehensive nursing bill, but like what he did, as a nurse, I am writing my suppositions, I refuse to believe your sugar-coated, traditional answers.

Sec. Coloma, you have the liberty to positively varnish PNOY’s mercilessness regard to us, nurses. I know you are just doing your job, rest assured, I am doing mine also. You defend your boss, I will defend mine.

You have the microphone, the media and the podium of the Malacanan, we only have the small space in social media. We don’t have the machinery, but we have every genuine heart of a nurse- uncompromising, undying, passionate, enduring, caring and loving. Our only difference sir, is that, you are paid to do so, your life depends on your boss, but mine, depends on the hope that one day, nurses will claim what we long deserve.

Your explanation came very fast, in science that’s a form of self-defense, your body and spirit need to rationalize the guilt from murdering the lives of many Filipino nurses and their families.

How can you sleep sir during the night? With your mouth full of blood from the neck of innocent and dying nurses whom the office you are defending bit and slit last week? This administration sucked the blood and life of all the nurses in the Philippines.

How can you speak with conviction, echoing and spreading the lies that this administration is continuously propagating?

How can you kneel in the front of the crucifixion? Don’t you see us nurses on the cross?

Where do you take your strength to receive the Holy Communion?

If you have some form of mercy, as the mouth and ears of the President, please tell him that he can veto the bill, but he cannot veto our humanity and our profession. The presidency may disappear, including your position as the communications chief, but our profession will survive.

In fact, we will be the last person beside your deathbed, preparing your peaceful transition to the other side of the world. Remember there are two worlds after us (heaven and hell), we nurses can’t help you go to a better place.

If you are in disagreement of the salary grade, so be it, but please have the balls to improve the working conditions of all the nurses in the country. For 6 years straight, this administration had watched the nurses suffer in hospitals, which is lacking of safe equipment and manpower. You tend to compare us to other entry level professions, how dare you! Forgive my tone sir, but I will repeat, how dare you.

Entry level teachers, for example receive acceptable salaries after they graduate. Unlike us, nurses, after we graduate, we pay for hospitals to hire us and some are silently crawling just to work without receiving any salary for years, I repeat, no salary for years; until they are given a small allowance. The teachers are given chalks, rooms and books, while nurses are given nothing. We even accidentally needle prick our own fingers because your “state of the art” hospitals don’t have sharps collector, we mop the floor, because you don’t have enough hired janitors, if we are comfortable in our workplace, we will not ask you this consideration.

The office you are serving and defending seemed to be jubilant and contented seeing the nurses leave the Philippines. In abroad, Filipino nurses are considered as the best, they garner commendations; they are the top choice because they set high standards. The care of Filipino nurse is unique. Then this government will ask and wonder, why does the health status of the Philippines is not improving? You already know the answer sir, because you don’t invest in the healthcare workforce of your own nation.

Mr. Coloma, it is not unfair, and paying us will not distort the fiscal structure of the Philippines if ONLY you have the heart and the will to do it. What your boss did, was he distorted and crushed the hearts of all the nurses in the Philippines and abroad. He failed them terribly, this government butchered them, but believe me; we are not weaklings to not to overcome that blow. We studied for 4 years, volunteered without pay for 2-6 years and suffered under the (government watch). We cannot rely to the government. The house and the Senate have spoken, the Filipino Nurses have spoken but you did not listen.

In nursing, if a patient has impacted cerumen, we do flushing with solutions, ensuring first that their tympanic membrane is not perforated. After that procedure, the patient regains his/her hearing. But with you and the President, we don’t have the capability, because it is not the cerumen that blocked your hearing it is something inside your brains that filtered our cries and yearnings, and only you and God can decompress it.

Sir, time will come that you will need a nurse. With your age, you will soon need the assistance of these angels, by that time, I am hoping that, you will hold their hands and say thank you because despite all your sins and shortcomings to them, they will still be there to care for you. They will ensure that you are comfortable despite their pockets are empty, they will hold your hand and smile, they will perform the sponge bath using your favorite shampoo and soap, and before, you close your eyes they will whisper the most caring words in the world.

I’m sure your tears will begin to cloud your eyes, and you will remember everything, how the President vetoed the bill, and how you defended him.

 

Mr. Coloma, I am Mutya and I stand to speak and defend Filipino nurses. We have the same role, but I am in the good side, I don’t know about you, which side you stand.

-Mutya

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I’m MutyaRN, I’m writing to the President.

Dear Pres. Aquino,

I congratulate you for killing  the “ act providing for a Comprehensive Nursing Law towards Quality Healthcare System and Appropriating Funds Therefor”. This signifies your compassion, love  and understanding to us—nurses.

Being the outgoing President of the Philippines, I will give all my respect to you, His Excellency. Your administration is always proclaiming that you successfully improved the conditions of our public healthcare institutions in our poor country, in support, the Department of Health also boastfully said that we are very near to achieving the goal of universal healthcare, yet, ironically,  8 out of 10 Filipinos die without seeing a single healthcare professional, that includes not seeing us— nurses.

I will not ask you to override your decision or to explain yourself; I want to give you a glimpse of our life which you belittled and disregarded. It is better than convincing your already close mind.

Mr President, this is not only about the salary grade that we are fighting for, this is about the work dignity that the nurses only deserve. We don’t ask for too much, we only beg for the exact, livable amount. We are not corrupt, we care, we love, we understand and we only deserve it.

Early in the morning when no one is around, we take care of 30-40 patients in one hospital ward; your administration permitted your hospitals to hire 2-3 staff nurses/ward. Mathematically, one nurse is for 10 patients. We don’t only look at our patients, we cannot afford to sit, to wait for the bell to ring, eat our breakfast, lunch, snacks or dinner. Infact Mr. President, while you are taking your break,  we assess, diagnose, set outcome criteria, plan, intervene and evaluate.

We are not low lying animals, we are human beings.

We administer high alert medications. We see to it that we give the correct drug with right dose and observing another kilometer of rights. If we are cruel enough, if we are idle, if we are corrupt, if we are stupid, we can easily administer these drugs and watch your voters die.

We don’t get enough sleep, we have straight duties, we need to comply and compensate because most of your hospitals are understaffed. We report despite there is a typhoon, an earthquake, even in special occasions, we care for your voters. While others are having their vacation, while you are having your siesta time, we are selflessly present at the patients’s bedside.

Don’t lecture us about training and seminars because, I tell you Mr. President, it’s useless. We are paying for private training because the free seminars and training that you are very proud of, are as old as the Malacanan palace. If we want to learn more, to improve our competency, You give us no choice but to seek, to train and sadly, to pay using our own meager salary because when we will not do this, we will remain empty in your empty healthcare institutions. Supposedly, you are the one ensuring the implementation of these training. Your advisers did not do their research right?

Now, when your voters poop and urinate on their bed, we wipe it and make them clean. Our hands are dirty because you gave us no choice but to recycle our gloves.  We don’t have mask in the hospital, to protect ourselves; we buy using our own salary. Providing workplace safety, as far as I know, is your responsibility. No amount of money can pay to suffice the hazards that we are facing every day.

Lastly, you don’t ever compare us to other professions. We are your health allies. We are the lifeblood of the healthcare industry. When we leave the bedside, many will die, and you will not like it. We don’t leave our posts just to attend rallies in the street. In fact, we are not only nurses, we are also teachers, because health education is one of our many core competency.  Our teachings can save a life.

We are also pharmacist, we don’t only administer drugs, we check it, and we protect your voters from medication error. We don’t simply follow orders, like you, we discern, we investigate if this is safe and beneficial for your voters.  Unlike you, we fight for what is right and just.

No job is small or big. Every job is unique. There is simple a reason why nurses receive high salary outside of this country. It is no brainier Mr. President. It is common sense that other countries, sane and compassionate countries, acknowledge the kind of work that we do. Only in this country that we are treated as animals, not to mention, some doctors who verbally torture nurses in the clinical area.

With due all respect Mr President, you are under an illusion and a delusion that this country has a strong health workforce. In Psychiatric nursing, we confront you with reality, that’s why I’m writing this for you to see the bitter realities of the nursing industry in our country. If you are still in doubt, try to have yourself admitted in a public hospital, and you will see how cruel your government to nurses is.

Earlier when I read the news that you vetoed the bill, I cried because of disbelief. In fact, I am a supporter of your yellow army. I supported you, but that support and admiration ends today, like how you vetoed our life, the CNL.

Nurses are trained to become caring, understanding and enduring. We always listen; we never judge or give advice to influence a decision. However, I can’t be a nurse with this.

Tonight, I am speaking not as a nurse but as a human being. This is more than business Mr. President. At the end, you will know that the last man or woman standing beside your bed is a nurse and not your (kumpare and companeros,) the {nurse}  will insert your intravenous catheter, she will tuck your bed, she will wipe your poop, she will give your medications, will clean your wounds, will provide you food, will fight for your rights, will protect you from falls and accidents, even you failed them.

Mr. President, I want to close this letter by saying; you have no heart . You have no soul.

 

-Mutya

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The lady that you should meet now. 

Leadership Journey 7 - Martin San Diego-119I am very afraid to post this entry. This is my most courageous composition, as of now.

Arriving home, I opened my messenger and I saw our conversation last year. It was June, same day, when I message her in facebook. Well, the message was dramatic and heavy. Given that I don’t have a degree in Communications, for heaven’s grace, I was able to deliver the message to her. I was doubtful, anxious, but the message was sent 01:00 AM and was seen 02:00 AM.

I immediately turned off my facebook. Slowly, my actions begun to sink in.

“I messaged one of the most powerful women in the world, in—FACEBOOK.”

I prayed ardently, that Mother Mercy will forgive me, which she will guide and protect me from possible havoc as a result of my actions. I hid under my polka dots blanket. I wished that the blanket would give me goodluck. When I opened my messenger, she replied.

“Send your resume to me, let’s see how and what.”

Oh my God! “Ginawa kong HR si ma’am!” I was ashamed. It was unprofessional. I went out from the apartment, looked at the sky and wished for an UFO to suction me.

Then the rest is history.

But before that incident….

It was in the middle of Typhoon Yolanda, I sent a message to her Facebook, it was my first time to contact her. We were planning to conduct a medical mission in a severely affected area in Iloilo. I knew, she was busy during that time, but help arrived.

After the medical mission, in the back of mind, “Oh my God! Nakakahiya!”

I will not do this again.

I’m not writing to impress her, or to ask an extension of my deliverables. This is my simple way of expressing my deepest gratitude.

We call her ma’am RPF.

Reflective, one time, she asked me under the shade of coconut trees. “Why?” “Why?” Why?” “Why are you here?”, my synapses collapsed. It was a deep reflective session which she helped me identify my calling.  She has the power to look at the clouds and give you an insight and interpretation of your existence. I looked at the clouds a million times, but I don’t see anything. She is rich in wisdom.

Passionate, She can bring and channel your passions into something measurable and meaningful. She has an eye for hidden potentials and talents. She guides you to a series of maze, and at the end of the day, you will experience extreme happiness because you have survived it. It’s not always easy, but with her, you will be amazed on how you reached that kind of decision. She challenges your mind to think big. She stretches it until it snaps.

“Ma’am, pause muna tayo, masakit na ang ulo namin.”

Then she would laugh and say, “Sige, hinay-hinay lang tayo.”

Fun, she believes that building a healthier Philippines should not be boring. She incorporates color to the office, her pasalubongs, her superb attire (na gusto ko nang manahin).

It has been 2 years since I left Iloilo for Manila. Once in a while, I miss my mother. I only get the chance to talk to her through phone. But when I see ma’am RPF in the office, I can feel that my mom is around. Her presence is reassuring. Every time, I see her colourful flower arrangements, I see flashes of images of our garden cultivated by mama.

I believe that, to survive work, to have a meaningful job, it is essential sometimes, to perceive your superiors as someone as close and as dear to your heart. Sometimes they will correct you, get angry at you, but at the end of the day, they will be waiting for you at the end of the road, ready to share the happiness and celebrations, after a day full of meaningful, satisfying and fun work.

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Finding meaning in a doctor’s order.

Her name is Chariza, we commonly call her Doc. Cha. But don’t be fooled by her seemingly kind and uncomplicated name. However,  this is just a veil; a silhouette of her real power.

She can conjure typhoon, she can resurrect the dead, and she can bring out all your fears, in fact, she can destroy or build you.

Yesterday, when I stayed under the rain—wet and tired, I remembered one of my favorite doctors back when I was working in one of the best hospital in the country. Back then, I was assigned to the adult medical intensive care unit. I always want to be in that area of specialization because of the challenge. I want to experience the independence to manipulate equipment, to give high alert medications, to perform CPR, to change diapers every two hours and carry-out unusual orders.  I was very enthralled; finally, I will experience what is written in the books.

I will tell you a specific story, my typical, normal day with doc Cha.

It was my first day without a preceptor. Everyone was very busy that time. Each has to care for two critically-ill patients.  I saw nimbus clouds as she approached me. She immediately opened the chart and wrote a kilometric order. But before that, she asked me.

“Bago ka dito?”

“Yes doc.”, I answered with my gastric contents starting to reflux back to my esophagus. Reality check, it was not heartburn, I am not pregnant, either.  It was anxiety.

Upon sensing my anxiety, she added another kilometer of orders, which you need to carry out within an hour. Because of its impact, I can still fully remember it.

“Turn to sides every 2 hours, apply air mattress, apply anti-embolic stockings, request for Sodium, Potassium, Ionized calcium, magnesium, Renal Panel 2 (erasure), Renal panel 4, Start erceflora, MV shift to SIMV, Sputum GS/CS, Chest XRAY in AM.”

These orders are just part 1 out of 10 for the whole 12 hour shift.

Indeed, Doc Cha is extraordinary. She is a teacher in disguise that every nurse should experience. Despite her everyday terrorism, back in my mind, was a thankful soul. Not everyone has the chance to be stretched into their limits. She sees the resting and hidden potential in every nurse. She believes that in chaos and disorder, knowledge can be derived.

Only with doc Cha, I was able to perform sponge bath continuously until patient is afebrile. I knew it was her own method to teach me that to achieve a certain goal; you need to do it, continuously.

Her favorite was to order chest x-ray  as in (now), but every chest x-ray, bedside CT scan, I got the chance also to examine what is inside my chest— my heart. There were times, when she asked me if what is more important, the heart or the brain?

I knew that for her, it is always the heart.

When I knock on her room, her typical response.

“Sandali lang Mikee, I’m praying.”

When everyone, is saying no pulse, she replies, “Meron pa!”

When everyone is hungry, she orders a pizza.

She is optimistic, she is active, and she doesn’t sleep.

Every time I feel very tired and with feelings of retreat or surrender, I always think of the days when I sat on the floor, during at the end of my shift, counting the gauze and bandages, perspiring, , hypoglycemic, knees trembling, waiting for Berns, Nash or Jervie, but, more importantly, smiling, savoring the victory from a well fought day. I would look at her, and say.

 

“Salamat sa Diyos!”

Her reply: “May bukas pa.”

Then laughter fills the cold and tensed unit.

 

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The Miriam inside of me.

When I was little, every time someone bullies or hurts me, without second thoughts, I would look at that person from head to toe, and admonish them in the presence of other students who are eating their packed lunches.

I became notorious for using fiery words during my elementary and high school, even until my college days though I became a bit demure and meek. My inspiration and model back then was Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

Let me tell you a story.

I was in Grade 3 when I first ran as a Senator in our class elections. My adversaries back then were from Grades 5 to 6. I was the youngest and the smallest at that time—perhaps due to malnutrition. Thus, I was the last candidate to deliver my platform. I told the electorate:

“Behold, promises are made to be broken. I am asking the sky now to hit my opponents with lighting, if they are lying.”

Then a lightning struck, disturbing the solemnity of the miting de avance. On the next day, I found out that I won.  Again, my inspiration then was Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

Even during the toughest times, my faith to the Lady Senator did not falter. When there’s no food to eat, I think of it as a sign of climate change affecting food security. When there’s no electricity in our house, I think of it as a manifestation of the government’s incompetence in addressing energy problems. We seriously didn’t have proper supply of electricity until I graduated from high school.  Despite all of these, I know that Sen. Miriam was with me—pushing me to study harder and not surrender.

Here’s another story.

I was ambitious, that’s why when I was in high school, I ran as President despite contradictions because I was only in my sophomore year. There were three of us competing for the highest position in the school. I was afraid then; I was still the smallest and the thinnest. But I saw Sen. Miriam in the horizon.

I knew I needed to win.

It was a bloody speech.

At the end of the canvassing of votes, I was proclaimed President. I know that it was Sen. Miriam who made me win. However, just to note, it was my friend Alfred Dicto who became the Fidel Ramos of my life, defeating me in my second attempt for re-election.

For sure, without Sen. Miriam in my head, I wouldn’t be able to surpass all the trials in my life. She was the only person—despite the absence of many—who remained at my side. I even memorized all her speeches and I impersonate her perfectly, gaining awards by doing so.

Why am I doing this?

I already learned my lessons. Before I pursued development work, I was a nurse, taking care of critically-ill patients. I have witnessed both life and death almost every day. I learned that while you still have the chance, go and say your piece—do it now, because time is a bitch. Today, you could be sleeping in bed; tomorrow, you could be inside a coffin.

My dad passed away last year due to lung cancer, just two hours before I reached home. It was the most painful experience I’ve ever had. In my hand during that time was a poem. I wrote it while I was en route to Iloilo. I never had the chance to hug him. I failed to deliver the best care for him.

This time, I don’t know how, but I want to care for Sen. Miriam. Not only because she is a previous Senator, but because she is someone who influenced me in so many ways. I want to give her the most meticulous care she deserves. I will provide her adequate oxygenation like how she provided life and excitement in the Senate. I will monitor her electrolytes, like how she monitored the financial spending of our country. Feed her if necessary, like how she fed students with wisdom. Give her bed bath, like how she made “sabon” corrupt public officials during hearings.

And once she is already comfortable, I want to read the Constitution to her, before she sleeps.

I may be sad right now, praying ardently that the Lady Senator will soon fully recover. That God will help her because she contributed a lot to this country.

Nevertheless, I know inside of me that the Miriam spirit will always be alive—burning like a torch, ready to share the fire with everyone else.

I hope that my little story will reach you, Madam. Like how you touched my life back when I was in Grade 3.

Thank you so much.

Love,

Mutya

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Reform Education now.

He eagerly and exhaustively told me his everyday struggle as a teacher in a public school in Metro Manila. I was eating cold, hard rice coupled with Pinaksiwan na bangus, but his narration is much harder to swallow.

“It is not a joke to be a teacher”, he said. I could not distinguish if it was a signal of anguish or desperation. I continued to listen.

“There are 11,000 students in our school, 60 students per section, there are 30 sections.”

Bangus halted in the middle of my esophagus. I grabbed and swiftly sipped a cold water from my James Reid glass.

“Because of the scarcity of rooms, our school don’t even have a library.”

“Kulang din ang upuan.”, he added

I stopped from chewing the talbos ng kamote. I looked at him in the eye.

“In my class, out of 60, only 5 pay attention.”

Ernie is only one of the hundreds of thousands of Filipino teachers who are suffering from severe educational depression and suppression.  The problem can be viewed in two ways:

One, is the amount of students. The government funds allotted for education is not enough to provide quality education for students. We are pushing that every child should receive proper education but how can you provide an acceptable quality education in a 60:1 ratio? In a school without a library? With teachers whose salaries cannot feed their own children? What if we educate only the deserving, striving students and let those who are idle to enroll in private schools and pay for their own tuition? There must be a distinction and limit here, to save the greater majority we need to do some adjustments. People’s taxes should educate deserving and potentially good students only, educating the otherwise in unwise spending.

Two, our teachers. In order, to drive the best from each student we need teachers who are passionate and driven enough to inspire his/her students.  With the present set-up, It seems that politics and nepotism are in effect vs. the core competency of the individual. Each teacher should teach a subject closest to his/heart, brain and soul. Increase the salary of those who are performing well, promote those who are exceptional irregardless of age or sex.

These problems are multi-dimensional. What we need is a reform in our educational system. Consider education as a privilege and not a right. I don’t know on how to solve this, but the departments involved should start on actively listening to the younger generation. The educational system should evolve.

All our country’s problem are rooted from poor education, there is no change if we continue with this framework.

Sad to say, if I have to give an oral recitation and performance grade to government agencies involved, It would really hurt me if I will give a passing grade.

It’s time to send  to your principal, division superintendent and Department of Education heads their report class cards showing their  grades, with the remark:

Pagbutihin sana sa susunod na pasukan.  

 

 

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What kind of change?

President Duterte has all the power to appoint anyone to his cabinet. Anyone in the country can be a cabinet member regardless whether or not, he/she possesses the right attitude and competency. It becomes  clearer now that President Duterte’s main qualifications are friendship and utang na loob– a contradiction to his campaign message; “Walang lugar ang kaibigan sa aking gobyerno.”

On his latest statement he said, he is busy appointing his friends and kumpadres. He has no plans yet to give VP Leni Robredo any cabinet post.

I agree with President Duterte.

VP Robredo should not be a part of his questionable cabinet.

VP Robredo should stay away from that cabinet, because that circle will soon suction every ounce of goodness from her.

President Duterte should stand on his principles. It seems that change is really coming, the question is, what kind of change?

 

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Mag-BLOG like Judy

Uupo siya sa harap ng computer, tapos maririnig ko na lang ang kumakaripas niyang mga daliri. Mabilis ang pagtype niya ng mga salita. Tanging paglunok lang ng laway ang kanyang pahinga. Tatayo siya, tapos pupunta sa water dispenser at iinom ng malamig na tubig. Susulat ulit. Lulunok ng laway. Iuunat ang hita. Tatayo. Water dispenser. Inom ng malamig na tubig.

“Kung blogger ka, hindi ka napapagod.”, iyan ang sabi ni Ate Judy sa akin.

Tuwing break niya sa trabaho ay nagsusulat ito ng mga bagong blog. Noong nakaraang taon ay sumikat ang blog niya na “Date a girl who rides the MRT.” Ito ay nalathala sa mga malalaking network. Ito ay isang rebolusyon para kalampagin ang inutil na sistema ng MRT/LRT sa kalahkang Maynila.

Nakikita ko kay Ate Judy si Jose Rizal, bagamat mahinhin ito sa paggalaw, ngunit ang talas at gilas ng mga salita ay kayang impluwensiyahan ang mga tao. Hindi bala kundi labanan ng tinta.

Si Judy Santiago ay isa lamang sa mga blogger na walang pagod sa pagbabahagi ng kanilang mga saluobin sa mga isyu na hinaharap ng lipunan. Tinatayang may 25,000 bloggers sa Pilipinas.

Pero bakit hindi natin sila marinig?

Bukod sa mahina at mahal na internet koneksyon, ay walang opportunidad para mapabuti ng mga bloggers ang kanilang mga angking kakayahan. Naiipit sila sa mga malalaki at nag-uunpugang mga websites at blogs na nagbebenta ng sabon at kung ano-ano pa. Walang batas o regulasyon din na nagpapakilala sa kanila bilang mga importanteng myembro ng lipunan na may maitutulong sana lalong-lalo na sa larangan ng komunikasyon. Hindi naman siguro masakit kung merong Blog consciousness month, o blogging act of the Philippines.

Kung magagamit ng maayos ang blogging sa Pilipinas ay malaki ang maitutulong nito para maabot ng ating bansa ang mga magagandang hangarin nito. Sa pamamagitan ng blog ay maihahatid natin ang mga makabuluhang mga isyu. Maipapakita natin ang ating demokrasya sa pamamagitan ng blogging.

Ngunit walang magagawa ang mga kagaya ni Judy sa ngayon.

Ipapagpatuloy niya pa din ang pagbabantay sa mga nangyayari sa Maynila. Isusulat niya pa din kung paano malugmok at mahipuan ang mga babae sa MRT at kung paano nawawala ang moral at galang ng mga kabataan tuwing nag-aagawan ng masasakyan pauwi.  Dahil kung ititigil niya ito, tuluyan ng lulutang ang kasinungalingan at panlilinlang, hihina nang hihina ang boses ng mga karaniwang tao.