personal adventures

RETROGRESSION: stumbling block for the US-bound nurses

2010-09-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

The nursing demand particularly in the US triggered an astronomical nursing enrollment in the Philippines, touted to be the one of the world's largest supplier of nurses,which also resulted to mushrooming of nursing schools. Although nursing education is quite expensive many are still lured -even doctors are becoming nurses- hoping for a greener pasture in the land of milk and honey. Most are willing to spend a dizzying amount of money just to be a licensed nurse in the US. In fact, the Philippines and India are two leading countries that have a significant number of license US nurses and even qualify for immigration. Unfortunately, the immigration was swamped with too many applicants and with the slowing down of their economy, it further resulted to delays and then retrogression was implemented. It was a sudden twist of fate that deter the hopes and aspirations of those hoping to migrate and work in America.

It was indeed a big blow to the career plans of the nurses seeking to work and live in the US. The amount of time reviewing as well as processing for the documents are time consuming and financially draining. It was thought to be a worthy investment but turns out to be the other way around. Although painful but life moves on and wait for the lifting of retrogression.

On the other hand,until now retrogression still lingers and it is predicted to stay longer as the US economy is slowly recovering from the economic blows. Many of these US bound nurses are left with no choice which either they stay and wait for their priority dates to be processed or they seek other avenues to seek greener pasture.

Once retrogression is lifted, it is expected to be another boom years for nursing!

INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY: KUDOS to WOMEN

2010-03-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

Today the role of a woman to our society is a complete opposite of yesteryears. However, there are certain people believed that women should be confined in the four corners of the house whilst other disagreed as they viewed women plays a vital role in our society. These two opposing views I would like to tackle in this essay.

Traditionalists viewed woman’s role as a mere subordinate to men. They prefer their wives and sisters to be at home rather than working in the offices or tending a business. They expect women to serve them and also to be their escorts into some social functions. It is evident in the past, that women has a lesser rights compared to their counterparts. Their voices are often unheard and always subject for discrimination.

On the other hand, the continued struggle of women for equality and justice enabled them to level off the playing field. The once neglected voice are heard not just in the comforts of their home but also throughout the offices, plenary halls, houses of Parliament and to name a few. The newly empowered women stood high and even imparted sterling contributions to our society that earn both admiration and envy to men.

In addition, women are increasingly becoming influential to our society. They can do the things that traditionally a man does. It is interesting to note that women are generally as strong-willed as men.

To wrap up, I highly believed that today’s women have a pivotal role in shaping our future.

gift is a gift or gift as a bribe?

2010-01-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

One Friday afternoon, a friend popped a question of “when is a gift a gift and gift as a bribe?” I was totally dumbfounded because I don’t how to answer the question. Gifts are something that most people value and something others look forward to have. Who else won’t love to be given gifts? But really when is a gift truly a gift and not the other way around?

A gift is a gift if you do it with no strings attached. It is supposed to be unconditional. You give a gift out of admiration, gesture or simply you wanted to surprise or thank someone for his or her good deeds. It may be pricey or it may be priceless as long as it’s a gift. The recipient would love to accept and treasure it. And some would even give gifts in return. It may sound so ideal but that’s the principle of giving gifts.

On the other hand, some would equate gifts as a form of bribe. And who else love to bribe? It is their form of pampering their recipient and expects political or business favor in return. It’s an unwritten rule of giving gift as a bribe. In this political season, gifts are bound with different gimmickry. Some politicians resort to give gifts to the poor or in charitable institutions. And others will throw out a huge party as gift for their supporters’ tireless support. Some businessmen or private groups or individuals will give gifts as a form of donation to bankroll the campaign.

The preceding example may be of different form but it has same intention. It’s to bribe no less. Politicians will do everything in their capacity to polish their image and having the charity plus the poor people is an instant picture perfect. That would be used for political advertisement since some need a boost to their lackluster ratings in the survey and some are so desperate to be the front runner. Moreover, holding a party is actually a caucus to gather their throng of supporters and brag it to their political opponents. It’s also the self vested interests that trigger some to bankroll the campaign of a certain politicians. Is it the system of gift giving the problem or the giver itself?

The recipient may not know their intentions or simply ignore it but they are unwilling or willing victim for political ploy. They may have a choice to accept it or not but some politicians or people are even making a deal out of it. It takes two to tango. It is not proper to give gifts because you wanted something in return. And also it is not good to accept gifts for personal gain and to be use for some political gimmick.

Indeed, there’s a great difference between giving gift as a gift and giving it as a form of bribe. How unfortunate to note that some are consume of desperation that they are making business out of giving gifts. It goes against the moral fiber of our society and it further cripples our system. We should always uphold the principle of gift giving and shun away those who play con for their self benefit.

unemployment :is there a better alternative?

2010-01-21T06:56:00.000-08:00

The impact of economic crises led to rising unemployment both in the developed and developing economies. The United States, epicenter of the recent economic debacle, still continue to grip the economic shocks that left millions unemployed. Numerous strategies were implemented to address the problem such as reducing the work- week for thirty-five hours. Such measure created mounting concerns among employees and employers alike.

There are a lot of several advantages of having to work less in a week. First, there will be a considerable amount of time to spend with family and friends. It will greatly boost one’s social life. Second, it will reduce stress consequently lead to efficiency. Third, employers will be saving up money thereby increasing their profits. In addition, some workers will use their extra time to find alternative job or to dedicate it to their other job.

On the other hand, it will also have a string of disadvantages. Chief of that is reduction of salary that will absolutely pinned down one’s finances. Second, it will create a financial stress especially those work solely for one job as they will having hard time to pay up their mortgages, credit card bills and to name a few. Moreover, productivity specifically in the manufacturing companies will be affected as they will reduce production that will surely hit hard their financial books. Some of the companies will be paying up more for the extra hour rendered compared to the traditional working hours. These translate to rising production cost and jacking up of their prices which will threaten their market share. The end result will be another horrendous crisis in the making.

To wrap it up, it clearly shows that the proposed measure will have predominant disadvantages both to the workers and businesses. It will just add insult to an injury. It would be better if the usual working hour will be retain and find another remedy to the problem. Instead of abating, it looks like its heading to escalate.

Freaking Traffic

2010-01-21T00:09:00.000-08:00

Traffic is a perennial problem among growing cities. When an economy advances, people resort to buying more cars which clogged up roads and streets especially if there is inadequate infrastructure. There are a lot of measures proposed in order to abate the problem. One such controversial measure is by reducing the need for people to travel from home to their work, school and even malls. This is one measure I highly disagree with.

Indeed, limiting or restricting the travel of people reduces congestion of roads and also emissions generated by cars. It can also ease the delivery of goods and services thus increasing efficiency. In addition, it translates to a lot of saving for the government since there will be a decrease cost of road maintenance.

However, the above mentioned benefits outweigh the negative effects both to the people and the city. First, the people has the right to travel anytime they wanted and can freely use the roads and highways as it is built using taxpayer's money. Second, it will discourage tourists to visit the city as well as the investors to invest because of the restriction thereby hurting the city's coffer. Third, there will be reduced economic activity notwithstanding its effect to businesses who rely mostly to cars or vehicles such as gasoline stations, automotive shops, car wash, and to name a few.

Moreover, one such controversial measure is a sign of desperation and it will have a tremendous effect to the social and economic life of the people. The need to restrict or limit is totally against the democratic principle. Instead of protecting, upholding and ensuring the rights of its citizen its the government quelling it. There are a lot better alternatives like building more network of roads and highways or investing in an efficient and environmentally-friendly form of transportation. The government should be more cautious and implement measures that can be a win-win situation.

YOUTH:driven to power

2010-01-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

Youth of Today: powerful and influential

The world is comprised with a vibrant and technology- driven young populace. Today’s youth is completely opposite of yesterday. The young people of today are abuzz with modernity that enables them to be more empowered and influential.

The fast-paced life driven by modern technology affect greatly to the young. They are more innovative, creative and have a strong will to succeed. Fifty years ago, young people are considered naïve, fragile and a mere subordinate of their old peers. However, it is not the case of today. Majority of young people are as strong-willed and passionate and it is becoming evident as the years go by. To cite an example, the creators of Google and Yahoo are both young and now occupying the highest echelons of the information technology business. They represent a new dimension of young people.

Due to the rising power and influence of young people it affects tremendously to the relationship with their old counterparts. The latter are still confined to their traditional means while the former are becoming more assertive and innovative thus sometimes creating a gap, professionally or personally. In addition, young people sometimes are impulsive and overwhelm with their wealth or knowledge that they tend to be disrespectful and unselfish.

Indeed, there is a great difference of today’s youth compared fifty years or a century ago. The emerging power and influence of young people resulted from their sheer innovation and passion. Although, being young and powerful doesn’t mean you can have the best of both worlds. We still need the guidance and experience of the old.

One year blogging!

2009-12-10T00:14:00.000-08:00

WOW! one year and counting. It's not about the nostalgia that i'm celebrating kundi and pagsurvive nang aking blog. Akala ko wala na kasi its semi-active. Ano ba nangyari after a year? Ito pa rin walang work, hehehe...naghahanap ng kung saan saan. Pero in all fairness, napasa ko na lahat ng foreign exams ko except nalang sa IELTS and after that Visa screen. In addition, i was able to trained at Davao Medical Center and after that back naman sa square one. Challenging masyado ang life. Bum naman ako ulit. Depressed na naman. Actually nag apply ako for Libya pero lahat ata tutol sa application. And i know na im a poor decision maker. I can't really make my mind kasi first, parang dami kung questions regarding sa life doon and yung hospital as of now ata is currently in renovation. SO makaparanoid gyud siya considering na baka pagpunta sa Libya wala kami work. Parang vague yung feeling ba.
Wala na din si MIMi she left for Denmark to work as an au pair. Pano na yan. Ang hirap pa namang mag adjust pero matutunan mo rin. Kaya siguro nakadecide ako to back sa blogging kasi at least dito mas naka ka express ka ng kahit anong feelings mo. By the way, meron man akong job. ANd i'm earning pero as of now 4.21 dollars pa yun. I need a 100 bucks para mapadala yung poarang atm card daw. Siguro you'll thinking ano yung job ko na yun..hahahaha.. Actually pra kang sales agent..
With regards to my job application, wala talaga. I'm practically zero talaga. Three Christmas na akong walang work and nahihiya na ako sa Mama at Uncle ko. Gusto ko mag LIBYA pero ang pangit ng connotation sa Libya bakit kaya?
basta happy ako na at least one year na ang blogsite ko..hehehe..although wala akong follower ok lang as much as nag eenjoy ako...

THE making OF A BUM RN!

2008-12-21T06:32:00.000-08:00

After spending 2/3 of my life studying and I’m still can’t find work.. So officially I’m a BUM.. I can’t classify myself as a student though I’m busy reviewing for my exams.. Being BUM is not a thing to be proud of. Although I choose to be BUM because I can do whaetever I want. I can sleep ten hours a day and watch TV untill wee hours without worrying anything.. I can go to malls and meet my friends anytime without filing a leave of absence. I own my TIME! I feel that I’m free! I think this is one of the greatest time of my life.. I may or may not regret this but I’m certainly enjoying the life of being a BUM. It is not purely incedental but I’m loving it. I create my world..And the sad thing is a lot of people dont want to be BUM but they end up being BUm…why? think of thousands of nurses who were unemployed until now… think of those will be graduating and those who will be taking their exams this june and november.. think of those hospitals who exorbitantly charge newly-registered RN’s for the sake of training.. think of the indecisive government that is inutile in regulating nursing schools… think of the quality of nursing graduates.. think of those who choose to left for greener pastures.. think of the OVERSUPPLY of NURSES! so is it a sin being BUM? NO, absolutely NOT.. Being BUm maybe unproductive to some but wait is there enough space for us.. I’m not procastinating but this is a freaking reality…

Being a BUM is a product of unemployement or it may not be true to others..A lot of newy-registered RN’s were a bit hopeful to land a job as a nurse but end up as call center agents, medical representatives, and to name a few.. It is frustrating and a part to be blame is the government.. Somehow the corrupt- ridden goverment makes us BUM! i know u may disagree or agree with me but this is the TRUTH!

A lot of my friends are becoming BUMS because they can’t find work as a nurse. They are tempted to go to the middle EASt because of not so stringent requirements unlike here that we have to do training(it comes with a fee) or volunteers and to be train as IV therapist.. WHy do we need to pay for training where in fact we should be the one recieving allowances for an 8 hour apprenticeship? And the worst, if you don’t have a political backer or whatever connections say goodbye to your dream of becoming a nurse or having a stable/regular job as a nurse. Conections are important to survive in this country. We are engulf by this rotten corruption. This is a system that eatens up our dream…I wont wonder why a lot of nurses choose to leave than stay because this is utterly INJUSTICE..We deserve to be treated equally and there’s too much politics in our system!.. It sounds pessemistic but THAT"S THE TRUTH!

So don’t be ashame to be called a BUM RN…let us all hope that the government will care for us…..A $329 million question, when would that happen?

Fighting Depression

2008-11-29T00:27:00.000-08:00

I am depressed.

I am pretending to be perfectly okay but I am not. I don't know if I'm going to blame the economy for my depression or not. But partly it has to do with economics. I am depressed because I have no money. I neither have a savings nor a 100 buck in my pocket.I am a bum and actually unemployed is a fitting term for that. I am in the state of poverty. Now I know how poverty affects mentally. I can pretend to be happy but deep inside i am weeping like hell. Though I'm far of committing suicide. Suicide is not an option and it wont even be considered. I know this is just temporary. I need to back on my feet and start seizing the opportunity. I have lots of things to do and i am positive that next year something big will happen.

I am learning.

Depression may have a positive impact in my life. I know I'll be leaving this chapter soon. I am grateful and i learn tremendously from it. It made me reflect and be thankful of what i have. i know i am still lucky compared to others. I know this won't deter my dreams. I am constantly in pursuit of my big dreams and i'm slowly seizing it brick by brick. Thank god something positive happened amidst the crisis. I have more to thank of. And i won't complain anymore. Before I love procrastinating and I love blaming game. But its totally different now. I know what I've gone through now it's because of my decision. Although I have great and small plans but it fells through. I've been to a pitfalls of failures. And I'm still savoring it. I am still suffering from it. I don't love it but I have to face it. I have to stand where I fall.

I am coping.

One way to cope is to cry. But I was surprised that I never shed tears(although I'm quite emotional). I was thinking maybe this is not worth crying for. I have no other way to cope but to face what causes my depression. I was actually in denial at first but soon it consumes me. I am contemplating, praying hard, and breathing deeply and little by little I did cope. Actually, writing is one way to release stress. Its effective and its convenient. in addition, one way to cope is to SHARE. It's a great avenue to free from depression. And I am thankful that I have friends who has an ear to hear my grievances. And I am more thankful to GOD for the blessings and for the opportunity to live a beautiful life.

healthcare, does anyone cares?

2008-10-29T23:42:00.000-07:00

Healthcare may not be as popular as the economy as the world grip into recession. Our ailing healthcare system particularly has been in constant disarray due to persistent negligence by the government as it always receive meager annual budget. It is sad to note that our government is fixated so much on building billion-dollar infrastructure that healthcare is always taken aback. Although we need these infrastructure to advanced economically but it is disappointing to learn that even useless or unnecessary projects are given much importance such that of the ZTE, which many experts says we don’t need it actually. I don’t know why healthcare is not given high priority despite the huge revenues from VAT. It is unfortunate and disheartening to witness the sad state that engulfs our healthcare system. If the government fails to address the problem soon I think our nation will plunge into trouble.
I don’t even saw in TV or read in the news that our government is proposing a healthcare system that will somehow improve the lives of 90 million Filipinos. I am looking forward and hoping high that we can have a better healthcare system that will benefit largely the indigents and impoverish ones. If and only if the government is serious in addressing the problems that plagued the healthcare system it should stop dolling out fat pork barrels to politicians and instead allocate it to health. Unfortunately, our country is so politicized that even the healthcare system is not spared. A system overhaul is needed to wipe politics out to our healthcare and instead focus in delivering better health care services to the people.
Our president is bragging that we can achieve a first world status in 10 or 20 years time which obviously unattainable considering we can’t even improve the healthcare system in our country. We are way too far to those well - developed countries wherein the healthcare system is at par which we wish to have. Health must always be the priority with government alongside with the education. We need a healthy citizenry to be more productive, effective, and competitive that will consequently elevate us into a first world status.
Improving the healthcare system will have a tremendous effect to lives of our people. It will lead to better healthcare services and improves the life expectancy of our people. Instead of spending for those mega-infrastructure projects why not spent it for our health?

BISAYA special!

2008-10-29T23:40:00.001-07:00

BISAYA: KAANINDOT KUNG GAMITON!

Gamay or maihap ra siguro ang naga blog sa Bisaya na language. Siguro wala lang kayo ko nag-research ug tarong. Ug actually ako mismo dili kayo ko makasulat sa straight na Bisaya na way sagol na English ug tagalog. Siguro ang tan-aw nato sa Bisaya na language kay warag lain o awkward kaayo ang uban moingun kataw-anan. Pero diba dapat ma proud ta nga naa tay un ani nga linggwahe. Bisag ako mismo un ana akong perception pero kung tan awon biya nimo no unique biya gyud ang paggamit ug Bisaya. Siguro tungod sa historical background na ang tan aw sa Bisaya or ang mag-bisaya kataw anan labi na kung mag-tagalog or mag-english. Pero nunka maanidot ang atong linggwahe. Ako nahinay-hinay nakog realize na nindot man dyud diay ang atong lingwahe. Siguro maka-feel lang ta ug inferiority kay ginatan-aw nato or gina-perceived nato na ang Tagalog o English mao ang superior. Di ba mali siya na perception. Unta ato kining masabatan ug dapat atong panggaun ang atong nakagisnan na lingwahe.

Makumpara pud nako na dali ra gyud pud magsulat ug bisaya pero dili gyud straight hinuun kay naa man sagul sagul na ginangmayng English o tagalog. Lisud pud biya ang atong language kay daghan kaayo interpretasyon ang usa ka word. Ug usa pa ka disadvantage sa pagsulat sa English usahay lisdan ka labi na kung limitado lang ang imong bokabularyo ug hina ka sa grammar. Or kung wa kay pakialam sa grammar.. di ba naa ra mana sa imo pud. Mao dyud ni akong pinakaunang blog na bisaya. Nalingaw k okay nadiskubrehan nakong paspas ang flow sa information kung kaning lingua franca na akong ginagamit ang akong pagagamiton. Mas daghan kug maabot na mensahe.. Siguro makaingon ko na sakto kay wala na koy huna-huna on na interpretasron gawas lang kung naa mga taong tagalong ug english ang ginagamit. Mas naka learn na anindot dyud kung Bisaya diay pud ang gamiton. Dapat dili nato ika-ulaw ang paggamit ug Bisaya.Di ba usahay malisdan ta ug pagsulat labi na sa naa kay erequest or basta kaning imporatanteng documento mapansin nato na English gyud ang main language kay mao man ang naandan. Ang pangit lang kay dili biya tanan nakasabot gyud sa kana lingwahhe. Usahay makaisip ka ban a nanu man ang application letter or bisag unsa nga letter sa English man? Ibutang nato standard ug nakasanayan, pero nanu wala man gi try man lang na local language lang gamiton? Diba? Wala pa gyud koy nakit-an na Bisaya ang gigamit sa pag-apply ug work o pagsulat sa kanang mga opisina labi na sa memo o sa transakyon sa gobyerno. Unta no suwayan para dili pud malisadan ug pagpasabot sa tanan labi na tong mga taong maglisod dyud pud sila sa pagsabot. Usahay man gud or siguro kasagara-a magkalain-lain ang interpretasyon sa mga tao tungoid kay dili common language ang gamiton. Di man siguro makasagabal sa ato no mas makatabang pa siguro ug maka-save pag time para lang e-interpret. Usa sa ehimplo ani ang kanang sa korte kanang proseso ba. Di ba English man gyud ang gamiton nanu diay kung for example Bisaya man kasagaara-a Bisaya na lang tana ang gamiton kay tiopid pa sa time di pa malangan ug interpret kay usahay warag malahi ang meaning.

Kana pud sa mga skwelahan. Ok ra guro dili dyud English ang gamiton as a medium instruction kay ngano mas masabtan gyud kung sagolan ug Bisaya o Tagalog. Mas dali matun an ang usa ka leksyon. Kanang sa trabaho usahay kaning limitado ra atong kaalam o ibutang nato naa gyud time warag mahutdan gyud ta no sa paggamit ug English labi na sa pagdocument o pagrecord sa mga butang. Ingon nila na taas lagi daw ang bisaya kung mao gyud ang ibutang kaysa nakagisnan na English. Tinuod taas gyud pero dib a mas anindot kung ang atong interpretasyon dyud ang gamiton kanang sakto o tukma sa atong nakita. Susama sa usa ka ka nurse diba usahay malisdan ta unsaon pagbutang sa chart sa atong nakita kay lagi English ang atong gamiton tapos makalimot ka sa eksakto na term. Makaisip gyud ka. Tan-awa unsa ang diperensiya sa kung English o Bisaya ang gamiton: Patient lying on bed, awake and oriented to time, place and person kung sa Bisaya: Ang patiente naghigda sa katre nga gamata ug kabalo sa oras, sa lugar ug sa mga tao kung pangutan-on. Ambot kung mao ba ang interpretasyon. Hehehe..pero Makita nimo na literal pag kainterpret pero taas gyud ang bisaya pero masabtan dayon labi na sa ordinaryong mubasa ani.. Kaysa butangan ug oriented na maka-cause pag kalibog kung onsa ang buot ipasabot. Diba?

Ambot kung daghan bam u-agree o mo dis-agree sa akong naobserbahan pero aminon man nato ug sa dili mas mayo gyud kung Bisaya ato pud na gamiton ug dili kay ikaulaw kay dib a parte kana sa atong pagkatawo. Siguro warag makaingon mo na hilasan ra mo sa kong gipang-ingon pero kana ang kamatuoran. Nanu lisdan man nato ang atong mga sarili ug ipilit gyud na gamiton dyud ang English ngano diay kung gamiton pud ang atong nakagisnan na lingwahe? Mortal sin ba ka na nga matawag? Makababag bana sa atong paglambo? Pero dili ko against o kontra sa paggamit ug English o tagalog ang sa ako lang taga-an pug bili ang Bisaya kay sa tinud anay maanindot dyud kung gamiton.

Kani pud atong gobyerno magrush-rush pud ug patuon sa ato ug English kay maulahi na daw ta. Dili man siguro. Mas okey guro kung tagaan natog pantay na pagtagad ang atong linggwahe na common natong ginagamit taga-adlaw. Ang ila lagi katarungan kay naga ubos na daw atong kalidad sa pag-english. Kana lang ba ang atong sukatan para mulambo ta?Unta pantayon na lang para mapromotar pud ba ang atong maanindopt na lingwahe. Siguro mas makaingon tana muusbaw pa siguro ang atong kaalam sa paggamit ug English kung mas nasabtan nato kung unsa na siya sa bisaya. Dili lang kay mag-English lang ka dira tapos nagnga-nga ug blangko ang natun an gihapon sa mga studyante. Kibale ang pag-implementar siguro ang naa mali. Dili man pud tanang maestro hawod mo-english, sila mismo maglisud pud. Warag ang punto dapat guro kung magtudlo dapat tama gyud kay kung mali gihapon nagsayangsayang lag panahon kay dili sakto ang gitudlo. Mas okey kung mahanas ang maestro sa linggwahe na common sa mga bata para kung ma-interpret na tama pud. Di bam as effective kung common language isagol sa pagtudlo kaysa magpaka-aron ingnon na English gyud kay globally competitive kuno. Tama lang siguro na atong supakon ang gina promote sa gobyerno na English lang gyud purely o puro ang gamiton.

so busa naa gyud ta katungod mga bisaya na gamition unta nato to the fullest ang atong linggwahe..