To A Friend Whose Heart is Breaking

How will you save "us", if you alone fight for that relationship? How will you save "us" if you feel unworthy? How will you save something if you're already out of reasons to do so? And why does it needs saving if it is bound to end?

Being in a relationship has immeasurable joy. It gives us a pleased feeling because, we have provided what we think our heart's desired. But, this is not perfect as how we imagined it, time will come that you will go through the pitfalls of this affection.

Immeasurable joy is also equal to boundless agony; the difficult times. All intimate relationships are difficult, if some thought it easy as saying yes, NO! You are definitely wrong! It requires you a great responsibility and willingness.

I know, your relationship has been tested enough to prove your and your partner's faithfulness. You've already experienced the worst out of it that tested your forbearance through the years. You've been through a lot of pain and your mind was filled with worries as you go on. You've repeatedly asking yourself, where did I go wrong? Are the things I did, not enough to provide as much as this relationship needs? The answer is NO! It's just that, the other party fail to notice what lies within, as he was insensitive of your feelings. He often lose his interest and concerns whenever he was distracted or irritated and let you live in affliction sometimes.

I know that you always put your best to make your partner happy and make them feel that they are not alone in this battle. That, despite those adversities, you still find a reason to stay. Yet, why he treats you like that? Why he took advantage of your dependence and weakness? Why he suddenly changed? He became even unbearable, pushing you away and he didn't even bother to care while you suffer.

Some, will still find a way to salvage this relationship. Maybe, they were blinded by promises (that continuously ended being broken), or they were hopeful that things will change, or they were just sentimental of the years they have spent together and afraid of losing it. We refuse to admit that these were scarred already and we actually feel unhappy most of the time. It is not the same and will not be the same as before, it will just distress you over and over again. So, it is better to start making-up your mind and decide what's best for you. You're not being selfish in this way, you're just saving what have just left for yourself, which is almost come to nothing.

You've already tried your every means to save every piece of it and prevent its loss still, nothing happens. You can't save something by yourself, you need "together" to work it out. If you keep fighting without the other, likewise leaves you in solitary, then it's time to decide. YOU DESERVE A BREAK!

You don't deserve to be treated less and disregarded. You are good enough to be considered as IMPORTANT.

The Best Educator I Ever Had

I was lucky to have a decent education but, I was blessed to have the best educator like you. We are nothing without you. I am grateful of all your efforts and hard work you have put in refining me just to become the better person I am today.

I was off beam on perceiving your profession as soothing as long as you are passionate. Passion, which I assumed all about constant affection and pleasure while doing the things you desired to do. But, passion is essentially about sacrifices, which indeed demanding for anyone. You, as a teacher often attend to that demand and to your “call of duty” just to make sure that our welfare will not be compromised. Sometimes you even disregard your personal matters just to perform your duties. I am one of your heavy suitcases among the forty (students) you bring every day and concern about daily. You even work beyond your time to prepare lesson plans and your sleepless nights were the reasons why I obtained perfect scores on that test sheets you prepared quarterly.

I am aware that some of us are your frustrations because of our impolite and undisciplined demeanor. Instead of turning that frustrations into anger, you always take that as a challenge for both of us and yourself. At all times, you give your full extra attention and words of encouragement to make us feel that someone still believes on us.

You are one of the sweetest persons who appreciates us the most. Someone who will raise everybody’s spirits whenever the situation gets tough. Someone who will inspire us to take courage whenever we feel reserved. I was motivated by your wisdom and honor while being humbled at the same time. Honestly, I imagined myself of becoming one someday but, this is too much to fantasize as I am not that worthy of any of the praises and nobleness. I simply want to remember you as my sole educator whom I admire and respect the most. I’m just what I've become and that is all because of you, who will continuously pursue learning and share the same on my own little ways that somehow will make a big difference.

You are one of my beautiful encounters whom I will cherish for a lifetime. These words may not be enough to thank you, but let these words acknowledge your triumph from your day-to-day uphill battle. Let these words be a recognition of your greatness.

HAPPY WORLD TEACHERS' DAY!

(10/5/2018)

BamBikes - Distinctive Solution for Environmental Dilemmas

The Philippines is rich with natural resources that are utilized for different purposes. These natural resources available in the environment truly accommodate our needs. But, with the distraction made by humans it seems that there’s no other way to lessen environmental dilemmas. However, there is a distinctive way to protect the environment, that is surely an eco-friendly.

An American-Filipino national named Bryan Benitez McClelland started putting up a business that protects the environment, at the same time helping the community. He gets involved with Gawad Kalinga, and helped them promote and start green building and later on he founded Bamb Ecological Technology Inc.

Due to his passion on bicycles and bamboos, he then tries to do both things at the same time. His business was called BamBikes which are bicycles made from bamboos. The business started March 2009 in partnership with Gawad Kalinga a local NGO, that has the primary purpose of providing sustainable livelihood practices for the people and the community. Bambike business is located in the town of Victoria, Tarlac wherein the people in the community are those who create bamboo bicycles.

These Bamboo Bikes really help the environment, and it was called as the eco-friendly bikes, because it’s made purely natural. Instead of using steel and other chemicals that are toxins of the environment, they then used natural resources that are available in the surroundings. Eco-friendly because, with the use of bicycles, the exhaustive smoke coming from vehicles that pollute the environment will be lessened.

This concept of doing a pure hand-made product out of indigenous materials was inspired by environmental problems. Since side by side pollution surrounds us, thus McClelland made this idea of using bikes and raw materials present in nature. Aside from helping the environment, the project also helps the community. Through this livelihood project, people don’t have to go far and leave their family because the trade is inside their community.

The first ever Bambike, made last March 2009.

These Bambikes are exported to different countries including US. Actually, President Aquino gave these Bambikes as present to US President Barack Obama and to New Zealand Governor-General Sir Jeremiah Mataparae. These Bambikes gone from different process, through planting, to harvesting, trading and furnishing, until they built a bike frame that suits your style.

Behind these Bambikes, are the Bambuilders who are responsible with all the details, materials and process in creating a world class product. These Bambuilders make sure that these Bambikes are long-lasting. According to Mr Fredy Yusi who's one of the heads of the Bambuilders, working for four years, he’s confident that all of their built bicycles are tough because, these were all made of bamboos. 

Mr Yusi and Mr. James Cardona (the Bambuilders) showed me the basic procedure of these hand-made bikes.

Bambikes were sold by frame only and exported it to different countries. The process in doing these bikes was so hard but for the Bambuilders it’s not, because they are trained to crafts this raw materials. They do different frames and styles of bikes that are truly unique.

Bamboo for Bikes

According to Bruce Lee, if you noticed, the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind. They are easy to produce, and to harvest, since the province of Tarlac have different kinds and plantation of bamboos.

The Bambikes were made of different kinds of Bamboos such as, bayog, kawayang tinik, and bikal. These take two to three years before harvesting. These bamboos were harvested then processed. They cut trade and furnish it until it became a frame and ready to export bikes.

The bikes made from bamboo are tough in terms of loading capacity; in fact a square inch of bamboo can carry a weight of 500 pounds, andits tensile strength is 28,000 newtons, compared to 23,000 for steel. This means that these bamboo bikes have the strength and ability same as the bikes made from steel and aluminun.

Bamboos are not that difficult to find, there are approximately 1,000 species of bamboo, and has abundant uses, and the bamboo bikes are just a start of the bamboo revolution. Aside from this, there are also 1,000 other uses of bamboos. These include the used for botanical extracts, teas, medicine, arts, crafts as like the bamboo bike, livestock forage, reinforcing concrete, building material, flooring, clothing etc. These are only of the many uses of bamboo.

The Community

The people of Gawad Kalinga Village in Victoria Tarlac are thankful on what the business bringing them. They had much time for their families since they don’t have to go that far to look for job. The work does not bring much load for them unlike before, they do so much labor, like in farming and pedicab driving. Now, they can stay longer with their families, at the same time earn for the family’s expenses.

The villagers, who create and produce this craft (Bambike), are very proud and thankful on what they’re doing. Apart from financial earning, they also earn credits from different people showing how proud they are on their Gawang Pinoy product.

During my interview with one of the heads of the Bambuliders named Fredy Yusi, he was thankful and happy that they were able to help their families, the communities and especially the environment. He just wanted to show how talented the Filipinos are, and be able to do unique things. “Ang gusto ko sana na makita ng buong Pilipinas  na, sa paggawa ay hindi lang nanggagaling sa ibang bansa kundi, kaya nating mga Pilipino na gumawa ng unique na sarili nating produkto ”. This message from Mr. Yusi just showed how dedicated he is in encouraging Filipinos to make a product like this and prove how talented the Filipinos are.

Me, together with the two Bambuilders, Mr. Fredy Yusi  in my right, and Mr. James Cardona in my left. The happy faces of Bambikes.

Interview with Mr. Fredy Yusi

The environment is the best we can have and we are the assets of it. As the assets of the environment, we are all responsible to utilize the resources and use these for good purposes as what Bambuilders are doing. Thanks to them we at least protect and preserve the environment in a useful way. This was just a start of the raw materials revolution.

Disclaimer: For academic purposes only.
      

Jollibee-McDonald’s: Filipino David disputes U.S. Goliath

Fast food chains have increased the eating-out habits of people particularly in the Philippines. Through this trend of eating-out spending, there is now a fierce competition in the market. The question is, how come the Filipino David able to fight the U.S. Goliath in terms of market leadership?

Jollibee and McDonald’s are two well-known fast-food chains in the country. These two food chains have this great competition in terms of market control. We all know that McDonald’s is a global brand and is popular worldwide, which serves more than 31,000 outlets in more than 100 countries. In case of Jollibee it only serves more than 750 outlets nationwide.

Despite these numbers, still, Jollibee was able to dominate McDonald’s here in the country. Jollibee mainly focuses within the Philippines where its number of restaurants outstrip McDonald’s. McDonald’s has a total of 293 restaurants only, half of the Jollibee’s restaurants with a total of 623 as of 2010.

Jollibee is now popularly known as the “King of the Burger Market”. In year 2002, the Economist Magazine cited a Taylor Nelson Sofres study showing that Jollibee was the most often visited fast-food restaurant in the Philippines. Apart from this, it was also featured in several magazines such as Euromoney, Wall Street Journal Asia, Far Eastern Economic Review, and Forbes – where it was able to make to the Forbes’ top 50 elite list with an estimated market value of $4.2 billion and a sale of $1.7 billion with the two biggest conglomerates in Asia (Alliance Global Group and Ayala Corp.) as of August 2013.  Its founder Tan Caktiong was also recognized as the World Entrepreneur of the Year in 2004.

The advantage of being its home country gave rise to its success. A study was conducted among the top 1000 Corporations belonging to Business World, where the Gross Revenues had reached of almost Php70 billion pesos, and it was surprisingly led by the Jollibee Foods Corporation.

Their unparalleled success is through their customers’ intimacy which said to be one of the weaknesses of McDonald’s, reason for Jollibee to take over in market leadership.

Though, both of them offer cleanliness, fast service, and convenient locations; and in addition promoting Filipino values, promote advocacy (for kids, family, friends) and charities which encourage customers and various shareholders that will contribute to their market sales. Yet, the distinction is on its menu preferences, one of the Jollibee’s secrets.

“Menus with local tastes”, is its pride and advantage to keep its dominant position in the market. The Filipino burger fight against the global giant; the burger itself which serves a spice that matches the savoury of Filipino food. Unlike McDonald’s that serves only a plain beef patty. It doesn’t sell hotdogs as well for it was prohibited by its founder (Ray Kroc) as he regarded them the hygienic preparations of hotdogs. The local tastes were not able to master by McDonald’s easily, because it follows its own preferences which are part of its global menu standard.

Aside from menus, another reason that helped them grow its sales was through acquisitions. These food chains purchased by Jollibee Foods Corp. include, Chowking, Greenwhich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, and two foreign brands such as Burger King and Delifrance. Through these acquisitions, Jollibee was able to expand the business, reach its customers easily, boosts its cashflow, and sustains growth on its sales.

However, McDonald’s has managed to increase its market share over the recent years. But, how come McDonald’s never beat Jollibee as market leader? According to a column written by Ardy Roberto of The Philippine Daily Inquirer, for McDonald’s, it is more than just the food it offers. The question for them is, if they had the same number of restaurants as the number of their nearest competitor, what would be the market share looks like? This argument was raised by McDonald’s Vice President for Marketing and Communications, Margarita B. Torres, talking about the number of restaurants as related to the market sales and shares.

Now, Jollibee is maintaining its leading position by being nationalistic oriented. Its local preferences really suites the Filipino palate that serves as their weapon to fight against a big chain as in the case of McDonald’s. Even a small local business can surpass a multi-national giant. Nevertheless, fast-food chains continue to take place in the market and business industry together with the fast changing lifestyle of Filipinos.