The Quest for a Brighter World

LIFE IS WHAT WE MAKE IT

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 05:02:00 +0000


Life is what we make it

How true is this in our lives?

Life is a circle, a rhythmic oscillation of events repeating over and over. Sometimes we feel as if the course of our life is on a continuously repeating cycle. Constantly, we are reminded of similar events, places or points in our life that we feel as if we have lived before, others call it "déjà vu".

Every few years, we feel the need to settle into a familiar sense of routine. At the end of a series of tremulous events, the horizon becomes flat and unwavering. It is during these periods that we have the clearest vision of the future; we can anticipate what is coming and what we need to do. After some time of collecting our thoughts and riding the smooth current, we can decide that it is time for a change. Once again, with a renewed vigor and resolve we make a staggering trek to the next plateau, and our life come a full circle.

What have we done on that full circle and the next circles of our lives? How is our relationship with our colleagues, friends, family, with spouse, with children? Above all how is our relationship with the CREATOR?

Our relationship with the CREATOR is the most important relationship in the universe.

It is high time to reflect.

THOUGHTS HAVE POWER

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 02:19:00 +0000

With hope and optimism, let us all welcome the coming year.

Life is not always a bed of roses. Those who look at life with a defeated and cynical mind set will never hope to get out of the negative situation they are in.

This is the psychology of wealth. You and I create the kind of life we like to live in. Choose thoughts carefully because they form your behavior. When you have formed your behavior, out come the consequences; which, not incidentally, includes wealth or poverty.

The bottom-line, therefore is: You create where you want to live – in poverty or in wealth. Don't forget, you create your own wealth or your own poverty. It is your choice to be rich or poor.

DREAM BIG! What kind of thoughts would you like to form in your mind then?

Your thoughts have power. They have power over your body; power over your abilities.

They have power over your life.

WITH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 02:17:00 +0000

How do you cope with your job at the office?

Are you someone who scratches his head often, turn things upside down and feels the work pressure like the mythical Atlas carrying the world on his shoulders?

Don't be. There's a not too secret formula about making your work light. Here's how:

Practice singing a tune every day. Vocalize your joy as you greet the day;

Don't let anyone or anything turn your day into something sour or bitter;

True, certain things hurts us or leave us confused but that doesn't mean we should surrender. It is all the more reason for us to overcome it.

It is okay to cry. It is okay to unload the emotional burdens once in a while. But it's never okay not to do anything positive about your circumstance.

Breath, Feel the whip of fresh air, Inhale and exhale.

If you can do this every day, then be thankful because you have just received God's daily shower of life.

SECRETLY

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 02:15:00 +0000

I saw you in a distance

Only then I have that chance

Hoping and praying you would just glance

And my world would have an assurance

I know no one could be criticized

For it is my own desire

But I never intended to publicize

My affection for you to jeopardize

Doing things over and over again

Is like loving you every single step of the way

It is what they call insanity

And every time I think of you

I feel like I'm in a state of scarcity

I will chase after you

Until my heart say's its overdue

Then I'll let you go, and if you'd realize you love me too

I would just say to you

“It's too late for you, I'm over and done with you”

5 W’S AND H OF BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 01:44:00 +0000

Develop an action plan wherein to base your goals.

An action plan (what-to-do) contains all the things you need to do to accomplish your objectives (daily schedule, the 5 W's and 1 H).

The 5 W's are: WHAT, WHO, WHEN, WHERE and WHY.

The H is: HOW.

Do things patiently by always make sure all the 5 W's and the H are connected. When you have identified the WHAT, list down the WHO (persons to see, clients to visit) in the order of their importance;

Then timing is vital. Always ensure that the WHEN (time/day/date) is adequate free time to enable you and your client to talk business or whatever it is that you want to discuss;

WHERE is the place wherein you and your client can have a private business talk without distractions – a coffee shop, lunch in a decent restaurant or a visit in his office;

WHY is the objective or the reason for the business chat, which is when you lay down your cards on the table, explaining in the simplest terms possible the reason for the meet up;

How refers the mechanics after you have accomplished the 5 W's. This is the finishing touch. Do not delay, do not procrastinate. Be prompt and deliver what you have promised.

If you are able to master the above simple rules of business engagement, you are on your way to a bright success.

HEART THAT BEATS FOR TWO

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 01:17:00 +0000

Seems like my heart's confusion grows

As life's sojourn continually goes,

The battle of voices strikes through

Should it be her, or you?

Loving as it cuts more like a knife

Hurts in times of uncertainty in life,

When one is torn between two lovers

With love for both that never falters.

To choose is a hard decision to make

Choosing one is so heartbreaking for the other to take,

My heart is torn between two women that I love

Equally dear, yet whom should I really love?

When I'm with one, for the other I long

Both are like melodies in a song,

Yes, I have a HEART THAT BEATS FOR TWO

Why is this so hard, now what to do?

POSITIVE IN NEGATIVE: UNDERSTANDING CRITICISMS

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 03:30:00 +0000

POSITIVE IN NEGATIVE: UNDERSTANDING CRITICISMS

In a sociological context, criticism is considered as an informal negative sanction. In the work place, it is inevitable not to receive criticisms for it is meant to realign inferior work towards quality.

Usually when a worker receives criticisms from his boss or perhaps from a co-worker, the usual response is that he gets upset, of not offended. One easily forgets the positive side of the criticism. The message could be that you should work harder and improve your performance.

There is a positive thought even in a negative criticism only if you keep an open mind. For example, you are tasked by your boss to make a communication letter for a company customer and your boss is not satisfied with your output. Perhaps the format of the letter is not within the standard or that the content is vague.

If you are going to let your pride take over your keen sense of humility and open mindedness, your attitude will prevent you from accepting sound ideas and will hinder your capacity to improve the quality of your work.

When confronted by a situation like this, the best thing to do is to respond positively by doing what is asked of you. You should not feel bad that you have been critiqued by your boss.

Constructive criticism maybe taken as negative if you view it the wrong way, but if you will only think of it in a positive manner there could be a positive in a negative. In this context it will drive you to do not only good but also to achieve excellence in your work.

WISH I COULD BE

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 01:49:00 +0000

WISH I COULD BE

Wish I could be like a famous mountain

With the trees and flowers dancing under the rain,

Helping the people forget problems and pains

On every smile I take, more friends will be gained.

Wish I could be like a wondrous sea

Symbolize unity just like a cup of tea,

Waving my own hands calling for somebody

Bounded by friends to live my life completely,

Wish I could be like an amazing falls and river

Life continues flowing on forever,

With a determination deeper and stronger

To reach the final end – for the better.

Wish I could be like a shining bright star

Twinkling and still sparkling from afar,

Has a colorful light guiding in every way

Making people's lives meaningful each and every day,

Wish I could be like a fascinating true man

Living in a world that someone else can.

UNWRITTEN

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 01:48:00 +0000

UNWRITTEN

Time is running so fast that it seems so hard for us to chase it

So long to bear, too short to ponder, things that is unwritten.

It was full of flaws and chaos, the road

The trees that saw it and they knew it was us.

A photo that captures that moment, it was me who didn't see the beauty

I was blind and naive to feel you fell for someone who was empty.

It's been a year, tears are still in you

Am I numb, Or maybe just faulty?

You brought out the wildest dreams I've kept for so long

Ignite the candle light into a wild fire.

You burn the dying coldness

And you freeze the melting hopelessness.

SUCCESS AND WEALTH

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 01:47:00 +0000

SUCCESS AND WEALTH

Most people equate success with material wealth. In this present time and age this interpretation is neither strange nor heretic.

Remember that less than one percent of the population controls the wealth of any random country. Meaning, you can count but the fingers just who are the wealthy scions and families who belong to the top ten richest persons in your country.

Well, it is not wrong to be rich, for as long as your rich were produced from the sweat of your brow, your abundant wealth is considered morally right and legit. How you handle your riches though matters.

Permit me to cite the Bible verse that says, Deuteronomy 15:4: “However, there need be no poor among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you.”

God has promised prosperity to his people ever since He blessed Abraham with a son despite being too old at 100 years. This, despite also that his wife Sarah was already way beyond the child-bearing age of 88 years.

Truly, with God nothing is impossible.

God's promise to prosper His people was preceded by Deuteronomy 8:18 when God said: “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant which He swore to your ancestors as it is today.”

Therefore, if our faith in God dominates our lives, His promise of prosperity will sure come, just like rain.

PHANTOM KNIGHT

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 01:46:00 +0000

PHANTOM KNIGHT

He's the angel with dark wings

From within the deepest pits

The knight from your sweetest nightmare

The phantom from your ethereal fantasies.

He'll get under your skin

And before you even know it

You're spellbound, enthralled and dazed.

And from the shadows, in he comes

The dark prince lulling you for a ride

Should've run the other way

For you'll see not wildflowers and meadows

But black roses and streams of crimson

Flowing from your bleeding heart.

He's a wolf in a sheep’s skin

Lurking for unsuspecting preys

Drawing in willing victims

Like a fire to a moth.

What was little red riding hood thinking?

Just before she got swallowed by the wolf

Did she see the haunting in his eyes?

Did she see a glimpse past into his soul

For I think I did, I swear I did.

I saw a wounded warrior beneath that facade

I saw lost innocence and long forgotten dreams

Oh how I ache to break through that shield

How I long for the sun to shine down on him.

That one day, just one day

My dark angel would take flight

Out of darkness and into the light.

NIGHT AIR

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 01:44:00 +0000

NIGHT AIR

After the suns warm light

Here comes the moon in a cold night,

And stars shine bright up there

With a cold, fresh, freezing night air.

A night air that makes the birds sings

Which compel tree's leaves to dance and swing,

And within the breeze comes the spring

Of joy that refreshes a person's being.

A night air that whispers a promise

A promise of another night's new bliss,

It is an oath that no one should miss

For it is a heartfelt kiss.

A night air that calms one heart

And assures that it will never part,

With the silence of the night

It vows to make the darkness shine as white.

IT IS ALMOST CHRISTMAS

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 01:43:00 +0000

IT IS ALMOST CHRISTMAS

Christmas is a season of prosperity. You are either spiritually or materially prosperous or both.

If you think not, then you are thinking negatively.

Prosperity is often equated and synonymous with success.

There are many principles by which success can be achieved.

·Conceive and develop an action plan.

·In the action plan is your target goal and a timeline.

·Be persistent. Do not allow your weakness and limitations discourage you.

·Do no procrastinate. Do what you have today, not later, not tomorrow but today.

·Always be ready to accept rejections. Successful people experienced failure once or twice in their lives but pursued their dreams and attained them.

·Always have a second source of income. Inflation eats up whatever purchasing power you get from your regular income source.

·Upgrade your capabilities by learning more.

·Be enthusiastic an all your endeavors as this develops a positive attitude in you.

·Love the people around you and forgive those who have hurt you.

·Don't let negative opinions get the better of you. Therefore, shun the company of negative thinking people.

This Christmas, think prosperous. Spend your money wisely by buying only what you need, and some of your want but not all.

HOW TO LOVE YOUR JOB AND WORK HAPPILY

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 01:42:00 +0000

HOW TO LOVE YOUR JOB AND WORK HAPPILY

In spite of the heartaches, disappointment and frustrations with colleagues and even disenchantment with the management, we can still love our job and work happily. Let me share with you how I did my best working.

·Align your thinking with the owners. The job itself will be more easy if you are thinking like your boss, it will be easy because you know you and your boss or the owner of the company have and pursuing the same direction.

·Work as if you own the company. In your everyday work, ask yourself, how would I work if this is my very own company? In that way, you will do your best because it is yours.

·Treat your co-workers equal to yourself. Whether you are a Manager or just a lowly rank and file worker, you are both the same and equal human beings; you both feel the hunger, the thirst and have feelings. That's why treat them how would you like to be treated. If you want to be respected, respect them first, if you want them to love you, love them first. I firmly believe that the good deeds are reciprocated, maybe not instantly but surely. Every person has innate goodness, an in born brightness and light because we are all created with good intentions.

·Be contented with what you have while striving for the welfare of everybody. No matter how big or small is your pay check, you will still fall short if we will not be contented with what we have. Also, we will tend to be selfish to the point that we will step on other people to just be on top. Let us refrain from thinking that we don't care if someone will be angered or saddened with our actions for as long as we are good in the eyes of the management.

·Whatever you do, think of the consequences ahead. There are days in our job that we feel lazy and we can just still earn money at the company's expense. Think! How would this affect yourself, your family, co-workers, the machine you are tending or the product you are producing. What will happen to the company that you are working for? Will it become sustainable? Will it live longer? Where will you be and the hundreds of others who eat through the company if it cannot sustain itself?

·Share your knowledge. In everything that you do, there is knowledge that you will gain, share them. Never think that when you share your knowledge and technique you will lost the upper hand in things to the one you shared it with. A good teacher cannot be over powered by his/her learner, because that more you teach, the more you learn.

·Do it very well. There is no greater reward than satisfaction and fulfillment in all that we do. If you are tasked to do something, better yet do it very well.

These are just simple insights on how to overcome the rigidity and hardships of performing our functions. It doesn't mean this is all there is to do but this are the basics.

HEART'S GREATEST DESIRE

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 01:39:00 +0000

HEART'S GREATEST DESIRE

Unsecured emotions

The bleeding of soul.

In search for the pinnacle of contentment

Uncovers the dawn of my life.

Unclaimed passions

Forbidden hours.

The sacredness of loving

To fight the unknown.

Unnumbered tales

Dedicated for one.

Believing the existence

To draw an everlasting.

A WISH

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 01:38:00 +0000

A WISH

That fascinating future that anyone always hopes,

To reach out to the farthest melodious lopes.

Abound to the deepest and sweetest dream,

To touch a single mind's innocent beam.

A priceless journey that travels miles away,

Through the wings of the souls that led astray.

And the tickling of freedom to the glimpse of the past,

The cycle of running hours may not seem to last.

A fantasy lazy the sky that might come as real,

With the rhythm of the air that whispers still.

For shadows of momentum carries as over,

And kind intentions to the light of forever.

A wonderful world full of indescribable emotions,

Finding meaning to the true faith of perfections.

Cheers of an autumn breeze showers a blessing,

A magical beauty blossoms from the heart of a king.

A secret reflection of a spirit that caresses,

Believing thy greatest gift of innate goodness.

A desire of love's promise that world may bring,

As the image of an angel will shine bright deep within.

2017

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 01:37:00 +0000

2017

She was standing next to me,

I am holding her like we're meant to be.

She said she cares for me,

She showed me love like I've never see.

It feels so real, I asked for her hand,

I can't hide the happiness for it was like a spell from a magic wand.

It brought my dreams to wonderland,

Where people were like fairies all around.

The day came when we were to say “I do”,

I can't imagine what to say like she does.

I saw her walking in the aisle with a bright smile on her face,

That harmonized with what I felt about her grace.

A SPECIAL BEING CALLED “MOM”

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 01:34:00 +0000

A SPECIAL BEING CALLED “MOM”

At the moment a child was born from a woman's womb,

There's a light of happiness that surrounded the world.

Where heaven's precious gift started to live,

And brought constant magic that is shared and cared.

In the middle of the century comes the most special thing,

A day of praise, a month of appreciation and a year of thanksgiving.

Abundance of joyous moments is to be remembered,

With so much love from a guy a special woman deserves.

Deepest feeling of affection has been planted within,

Unconditional love of a woman in her heart remains.

To a unique man and her family she portrays a precious character,

Sacrifices until the end making things seem better.

Amongst the people in this world of sad realities,

Amidst great trials, there is this woman who still sees life beautifully.

That a child has grown to a guy and became a sincere man, her son,

Saying thank you and I love you to a special being called MOM.

A HOME FOUND IN A BEST FRIEND'S HEART

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 01:32:00 +0000

A HOME FOUND IN A BEST FRIEND'S HEART

There were times in my life that I knew I was down and hopeless, but you have been there to help me stand up over again to encourage me to fight and to go on with my life and I thought it was good enough to know the real you.

There were times in my life that I knew I was alone and lonely, but still you have been there to cheer me up and brighten my day and willing to take a chance and share a part of you with me, and I thought it was good enough to simply love your nature.

There were times in my life that I knew I was in trouble and full of problems, but again you have been there to support, to guide, to comfort and to teach me face life with courage, and I thought it was good enough to share your blessed friendship.

There were times in my life that I knew I was nothing and useless, but then again you have been there to help me cope with the things that could make me feel worse, to share things with me and to understand me when others don't, and I thought it was good enough to be fully alive to the wonders of life.

There were times in my life that I knew I was lost and have nowhere to go, but then again and again you have always been there to help me find my way and to lead me into the right path of my destiny to see the bright side of the world, and I thought it was good enough to be one of your trusted friends.

Yes, it's true! It's really a wonderful feeling I know being part of your existence. To have known you and being with you is a very rare moment I would always treasure and cherish all my life that is really worth keeping, valuing and remembering. Until the end of everything, and I'm so glad that I am your best friend.

Now, it's really the best thing to know that I've found a special home in a best friend’s heart right deep within you. For me, you're not just a simple friend but my one great best sister friend.

SO, YOU WANT A PROMOTION

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 06:43:00 +0000

In the corporate world, promotion to the next position or higher level is a self-motivating factor why employees work seriously hard and try to outpace the competition.

If the employee secures the promotion, not only will it honor the concerned employee, he/she will also get a considerable increase in his/her monthly pay, which is, oftentimes, the end-all and be-all of employment.

In a large beehive of a workplace where there is so much business to do, an employee cannot merely take the routine 8 to 5 tour of duty and expect an automatic promotion in the succeeding months. He has to scour the whole terrain and discover ho he/she can contribute something more, way beyond the expectations of his/her supervisor and middle management for the benefit of the entire organization.

Whatever skills the employee has must be complemented by a sense of creativity, great initiative and audacity.

In marketing parlance, they say “find a need and fill it.”

The employee who exerts extra effort to find that need and seeks to fill it, will eventually rise up and be recognized for his/her creativity, initiative and audacity.

When you work beyond the normal expectations of your boss, when you seek the betterment of the company and contribute to revenue generation – however small- you achieve a higher level of competence and efficiency that is lacking in the other members of the workforce.

Then, without a doubt, you are on your way to developing yourself as a future manager of the organization.

Now, we are talking promotion, right? if you don’t have the guts, you won’t go anywhere. Remember,

No pain, No gain.

No guts, No glory.

HYPOCRISY AT ITS FINEST (THE CHURCH AND ITS PRIEST)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 07:22:00 +0000

HYPOCRISY AT ITS FINEST

(THE CHURCH AND ITS PRIEST)

Since when did the clergy become activists?

I saw a headline about an archbishop with a name known to many, encouraging "CATHOLICS" to take part in a mass protest against a court decision allowing the burial of a former Philippine President in a Heroes Cemetery.

I can’t really believe the words while I am reading it, I was doubt for a long time now and I think this seals the deal for my “Faith” in “Church” or the lack of it.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not an Atheist, I believe in a higher form that created all the beautiful things in this world. What I don’t believe is the divinity of the church and the so called religious, for me God is HERE and NOW, Past, Present and Future, and God is Omnipresent and Omnipotent because is in me and with me.

Meanwhile, the church, its scriptures/dogma, its various institutions and corrupt bureaucracy are all but the creation of man’s imagination. It is never divine and it and they are all still susceptible to mistakes, evil and hypocrisy.

I mean, how a high member of a religious institution in a country boasting to be the one and only Christian country in South East Asia and embracing humility and forgiveness primary doctrines of its faith do such things, say such words and act is such a manner unworthy of Catholic Priest.

He was quoted as saying, “Maraming nawala, namatay, nasugatan at napinsala dahil sa martial law. Ang karangalan ng kanilang pagpapakasakit ay dapat na alalahanin. Kung sa inyong paninindigan, ang makisali sa mga rally ay kinakailangan at sa tingin ninyo ay bahagi ng ating tungkuling Kristiyano, kayo ay malugod kong hinihimok na dumalo dala ang aking basbas.“

Which can be translated into, “Many were lost, died and wounded during Martial Law. We must remember the sacrifices they made. If you think that joining the rally is necessary and believe that it is part of your Christian duties, then I encourage you to join the protests with my blessing.”

Why can he and they as a whole practice what they have been preaching in churches? What they’ve been saying in their long sermons, why can’t they forgive? The man has been dead for a long time now, but he was deprived of the peaceful rest that he somehow deserved. Yes! He can be considered the Hitler of the Philippines, a lot of activists have gone missing during his administration, death toll is at its highest and violation of human rights is rampant. But it’s a very long time now, and it seems we failed because we never moved on, a wound that failed to heal because it was continuously and constantly scratched.

We are investing so much time, money and man power resources to fight a horror of the past while we are being eaten by the worms of our future which only promise a worst future.

I am not a supporter of Marcos, nor do I intend to make excuses for his and his cronies atrocities during his time in this article, All I want is for our country to finally let go of the pain of past and focus ourselves to the more pressing issues of the present so as to ensure a better and brighter future.

But how can we do this? When the establishment that is expected to be neutral, that is supposed to serve as an arbiter, a balancer is the one who is not just condoning but spearheading the anarchy.

Because of this, all other DOUBLE STANDARDS of the church and its clergy men that I have experienced, saw and heard for my own self comes back to memory.

When I was young, I remembered attending Sunday masses in our parish chapel, the mass is as usually is. The Pastor or what they call Layman is very good; he is welcoming everyone and accommodating all parishioners. But this is only during Sunday, because for the rest of the week you can barely recognized this same Layman for he is always drunk and causing scandal in the middle of the street. And the local folks who just laugh at him, some would argue and other will try to convince him to stop, and he will for the rest of the night but he will come back to this same state early the following morning. I mean so much for being Christian right and surely for being a “religious” practitioner.

Another instance is when I am attending a mass in a church undergoing “renovation”. After the offering in kinds and the usual alms which is kind of ironic since the church is far richer that its devotees can admit to acknowledge. An altar boy would announce in the microphone while religious hymns are being played that they will be passing around the alms baskets one more time, they are asking for the help of its “poor” devotees to help financially in the renovation of their church and turn it into a very big and splendidly decorated basilica, and they are proud of it.

Actually, I can go on forever, and unlike other people who tends to highlight and emphasize the worst of their experiences, for me this are the least of them all. I know of things and experienced them personally and they are far worse compared to what I already narrated above.

But my point here is, the Church and its members shall refrain from stooping further down a very low level, they shall work towards harmony and development of the people instead of initiating activities that will further widen the gap and divide because of their meddling with politics.

And finally, they should really start walking what they are talking.

By writing this, I will be judged, I will be tagged and labeled. I will be looked down but I don't care. I believe in God and this is not how God works, at least not how my God works.

If Loving You is a Crime, then I am Guilty!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 29 Nov 2016 05:12:00 +0000

If Loving You is a Crime, then I am Guilty!

BY: EDGARDO W. VILLANUEVA JR. “CJ”

He loves me? Or He loves me not?

His existence is not visible, yet He is the most romantic man that I have ever had. His charm seems to be the sweetest delight in the whole world. His scent is more fragrant than the most expensive and elegant products that has touched my skin. His hugs and kisses are signs of his incomparable love. He wears his smile in a way no one can imitate. But, He was not the one I wanted. I never even laid my eyes on Him before, because I only wanted self-centered experiences- selfish desires, hatred, worldly pleasures, bitterness, quarrels, obsessions, self-absorbed success- these were the things that I desired the most!

Most of all, I never thought of Him because I was satisfied of being loved and pleased by the people around me. I enjoyed so much with my friends: the conversations, sharing laughter and even the quarrels. Focusing on my own abilities and strengths made me flaunt what I am. I thought no one can change me.

I never acknowledged Him, even when He courts me as often as the earth revolves around the sun.

I thought that he has surrendered His love as the days went by. Suddenly, His words were like stains that fade away. I was disenchanted by His charm- yet, I missed his presence. I disguised it with a lying facade; it was like I was wearing a mask.

But then, he embraced me. He showed me the truth when I felt unimportant. Now, He looks for me whenever I’m not around. He asks me for my commitment, but only on the 7^th day of every week. Now our relationship is so much more exciting.

Finding true love is indeed difficult. When temptation gives invitation- yes, the intensity and excitement is oozing! But when this man expressed His faithfulness, which has always been true, there are no more lies and wrong doings to be had. I loved him, from the moment he made me upscale. He showed me my worth. I am not useless because His love for me is absolute. I want him as he wants me. He makes me feel wanted as he wraps me with his longing arms and embraces me. Our relationship makes the best love story that was ever told.

He is my best supporter, my provider and my Personal Savior- He is JESUS CHRIST, my number one lover. And if loving him is truly a crime, then I am guilty.

TRUE LOVER WAITS

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 05:27:00 +0000

TRUE LOVER WAITS

A true lover does not demand from the person he loves. He simply waits. In this sense, waiting is an expression of loving because the lover allows the other to exercise her freedom to respond. To wait is not a passive response. It is an active attention accorded to the person who is coming.

It is grounded in the belief that love is not just a matter of hope but also a matter of time. Loving as waiting is thus an embrace of time that flows naturally, not forcing it to happen but allowing it to tick and tack until the beloved comes.

Patience is a virtue that’s a waiting test. It accumulates inner strength to be able to receive the person who is coming. It is thus a call for an inner journey made through reflection and contemplation. Reflection because waiting forces the one who waits to ask and contemplate because loving is beholding.

On the one hand, if a lover inquires, he enters into self-knowledge. He comes to know more of himself and brings into consciousness some probable reasons why the beloved is delayed in her coming.

It is about entering into the stillness of a reasonable mind over an unpredictable appearance of an expected love.

In this mode, a lover becomes more in touch with himself which is a prerequisite to the act of self-giving to that person he loves. For this reason it was said, “You can only fully give yourself to another when you are fully yourself.” Otherwise, the lover falls into the pit of loving partially to the disavowal of love itself. This is precisely what that song means, “too much love will kill you,” or love isn’t enough.

It kills and it isn’t enough precisely because it was not actually given in full, consciously and willingly to the recipient of that love. If the coming of the beloved is prepared well, the lover is ready to accept the utter response of the beloved when she is there. Should the love be accepted or rejected. This is another question. But did he prepare for her coming? This is the question of waiting? What are you waiting for?

Loving is giving all without reserved. If something is withheld, then such love is not total. If something is not total, then it is partially true. If something is not wholly true, then it is not fully fruitful. If something is not fully fruitful, then it is not yet unconditional. If it is not yet unconditional, then it lacks the condition of being free. And to be free means to give all without reserved. It necessitates the uninhibited act of waiting. For then the lover becomes free as the beloved he is waiting for.

He has the gift of time to gather himself into wholeness so that he can love totally. In fact to become object having seen the wide horizon. He also becomes grounded in the cultivation of patience so that he can love fruitfully. He can journey within an act of self-possession so that he can love truly. And whether his love is received or rejected, to him, his love is himself, his act is his love, and his waiting is not in vain. He has found what he is searching for because he has become an embodiment of that love. The looking outside is after all, a looking within. The person of the beloved is after all the person that is himself not in a narcissistic sort of way, but in a fusion sort of way that the reason why you choose to love that person or this person is not that you are needy for love but that you want to share in the fullness of your life what is in you, love.

A Spiritual Reflection on Christmas Celebration and Beyond

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 02:42:00 +0000

One of life’s best moments is when it is celebrated. It can be a celebration of birthdays, anniversaries, foundations and feasts. It can also be a celebration of friendship and belongingness, of success or of something that has been achieved. It can be with a sumptuous meal during pay day or it can be very simple as having a cold bear after a day’s work. It can just be a whisper of personal encouragement or a participation in community event. In whatever way, the celebratory aspect of life uplifts the spirit. It can make us exclaim, “It’s good to be alive!” It also raises our consciousness on the value of a purpose driven life without which life is just like chasing after the wind.

Christmas is one of those best moments because it is the time when the essential things in life are more valued, treasured and celebrated. We are, as some people say, “in-to-life” and not after the wind. We not only sing and dance, exchange gifts and went for a party or so but we open our hearts and hands so that we can share not only things but the gift of self to others. This makes the experience always new. It transforms the meaning of material things into gifts and charity. It transforms us to be life-givers and love-givers. It opens us to the horizon that there is something more to life than our own. Time and time again, this season reminds us that our value is not only in what we own but in what we give in return. This was the meaning of the words, the more we give, the more we receive.

But it’s good to ask again and again, “What have we receive that compels us to give?” Perhaps a little meditation can help. Listen to these words as you read them, “I am near you.” Now close your eyes and say those words again from the heart. How does it feel? Is it you speaking or an inner voice speaking in you? I had hoped you had had that inner joy that no one can take away from you.

The experience of the manger was the Lord’s most tender way of saying, “this is how I am close to you.” Mary and Joseph experienced this. Since that moment and until today the experience is being relived, in a very special way during Christmas. No wonder some scholars associate this event with the Eucharist because it is where Christ perpetuated his presence in each one of us. The God who was once transcendent and incomprehensible, powerful and almighty has given himself as a gift. He has been seen and touched. Not only that, he has given himself as well as food to sustain us. Such act on the part of God did not diminish His immense attributes but brought them near to His creature. What was once a hindrance to eternity became a means to achieve it; this is the reason why a philosopher named Maurice Merleau-Ponty once said, “The incarnation changes everything.” It changed everything for the simple reason that Christ assumed everything that is in us. Humanity contained divinity. And this is why, humanity is meant to be celebrated. It is not something to be explained but more to be exclaimed with joy and gratitude.

But this realization cannot remain there. A contemplation of some grains of truth usher us for action. The event then must now become our event, to be like the manger. To be emptied so that Christ can find a space to occupy. This applies to a work environment where much is expected of us in terms of competency, effectiveness, efficiency as well productivity. This is where independence is valued in so far as those conditions are present. That left on our own we knew what we are doing. Some also call this common sense. But there is also the other side and this is what they call interdependence. This is our capacity to see our work in relation to others – our superiors, management and co-employees. This is our willingness to set aside the self in order to serve the rest, to be “under” so that we can learn, to be hallowed so that we can contain the mission that we are here to accomplish. The event where we owe the celebration of Christmas can always be our light. Christ did not choose a palace (though he can probably do that) but a manger because that sufficed. It literally contained all his being, dignity and worth as God. Christ so the teachings would say is in the Church, in the Eucharist, in the word, in the ministers and in one’s neighbor. But certainly Christ must also dwell within so that what we see in others can also be seen in us and this meeting of hearts can bring about the gift of his presence. This is our dignity which when carried along in our day to day encounters can change the way we look at things.

There is a natural orientation to attach Christmas with service and charity. This is positive and emulating. But perhaps the gift of presence sufficed (especially for those who think they have none). It is free but its impact can be life changing not only to the other but to our very self. An author named Joyce Rupp succinctly described how this power of presence worked referring to the experience of Mary and Elizabeth, the dance within their wombs can change a hurting heart, transform a languished life. That was Jesus and John referred to. Like them, we can also be life-giving to others by our mere presence. In Friendship as Sacrament Caltagirone has this to say: “Words, ideas and actions can be exhausted, but a presence cannot be. In the presence of another there is a wealth of energy flowing from God.” To experience this, Rupp suggested the following “being with” activities:

Be with someone who needs you.

Be with a person who gives you hope.

Be with those who live in terror and fear.

Be with an older person.

Be with someone who has helped you to grow.

Be with one who is in pain.

Be with a war-torn country.

Be with yourself.

Be with someone who has written to you.

Be with a child.

Be with a refugee who is fleeing from harm.

Be with an enemy or someone you dislike.

Be with a farmer losing his or her land.

Be with someone who has terminal illness.

Be with the homeless.

Be with those who suffer from substance abuse.

Be with hungry children.

Be with a co-worker.

Be with those whose hope is faint.

Be with world leaders.

Be with someone in your family.

Be with men and women in prison.

Be with someone working for justice.

Be with those who are abused and neglected.

Be with your loved ones.

We might be tempted to think that this “being with” activities can never change anything. But if these are done graciously and gently, the gift that we received is broken and shared. It can help us realize what these lines from a song tell us, “Christmas is not a point in time but a state of mind and heart. And everyday must be like Christmas time when you’re a Santa Claus with gifts and open arms... When he lives within your heart, you glimmer like Christmas light.”

POLITICAL INTERVENTION IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PANTAWID PAMILYANG PILIPINO PROGRAM (4P’S): A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 06:40:00 +0000

I once tried to do Research on something that I am really interested in, also as a requirement for a Master's Degree of a friend who is seeking my help.

It only got set aside because she quit the course. Now, I was thinking if only I did finish that research, it could have been done by now and we are already seeing the results.

I regret that I didn't pursue it, because it could have changed other people's perception of this government program.

I. INTRODUCTION

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

For a number of years now, the whole country has been talking about the Philippine Conditional Cash Transfer dubbed as the “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program”. The program chief implementer, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has received so few compliments and a truck load of comments and criticisms regarding the carrying out of the said CCT, the program itself has been the favourite topic of investigative news programs always questioning the efficiency of the program and if it really provide an opportunity to solve the social reality that it wishes to address. Pantawid Program is a development program designed to promote investment in human capital among poor families with 0-18 years old children. Aims to deal with the following MDGs:

1. Reducing extreme poverty and hunger;

2. Achieving universal primary education;

3. Reducing child mortality;

4. Improving maternal health; ƒand

5. Promoting gender equality & empowering women.

Pantawid Program was patterned after the conditional cash transfer programs in Latin American like the “Programa Bolsa Familia” in Brazil and African countries which have been proven successful as a poverty reduction and social development measure, Pantawid Program supports DSWD’s vision, mission and mandate and is aligned with the department’s goals of reducing poverty and empowering the poor.

The Pantawid Program has two main objectives, first is Social Assistance by providing assistance to the poor to alleviate their immediate needs (short term) and second is Social Development to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty through investment in human capital i.e., education, health and nutrition (long term). Following these objectives, the Department of Social Welfare and Development set a number of conditionalities for the program beneficiaries and they are as follows:

1. Children 0-5 years of age get regular preventive health checkups and vaccines

2. Children 3-5 years of age Attend day care / preschool at least 85% of the time

3. Children 6-14 years of age Attend elementary or high school at least 85% of the time

4. Pregnant women must get pre-natal care, must be delivered by a skilled birth attendant and must get postnatal care

5. Mothers must attend mother’s classes

6. Parents must attend Parent Effectiveness Seminars and Responsible Parenthood Seminars

The Pantawid Program is laid out perfectly, since program eligibility is conditioned on pre-determined variables such as household composition and observable correlates of poverty, cash transfers constitute an exogenous shock in household disposable income, resulting to an outward shift in the budget constraint that allows recipients to reach a higher level of welfare. But as all programs, the judgement will not be based just on the plan and its framework but on the actual output or result that the program garners. Members of civic society groups, international organizations, the common Filipinos and even some government agencies are questioning the integrity of the program, saying that instead of pro-active results, the program are just making the Filipinos indolent and therefore is retro-active, some says that the program is dole out and also just a front for corruption for elected officials.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program provides cash grants to poor households conditional on pre-determined investments in human capital. This study analyzed its impact the program beneficiaries, The study was undertaken by the researcher to construe the extent to which the status of the program beneficiaries in terms of their socio-economic well being, has progressed or its opposite, the researcher would like to make a comparative evaluation of the well-being of the program beneficiaries before, during and after they have benefited from the program services. The study was conducted to answer the question on how the 4ps really helped or is it really helping the Filipino poor. If the program really empowered the poor, the researcher set as a purpose of this study to pinpoint the tangible evidence in support of those supposed empowerment or evidence on the contrary.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The study was conducted in order to determine the level of impact of the Pantawid program to its beneficiaries, to assess the current trend in the well-being of the beneficiaries since the implementation of the program. Specifically, the study sought answer to the following questions:

1. What is difference between of the beneficiaries “Before” and “After” their coverage as program services recipients in terms of:

1.1 Socio-economic Capacity

1.1.1 Spending Power

1.1.1 Affording of Basic Needs

1.2 Social Capacity

1.2.1 Employment and Employable Skills

1.2.2 Participation in Social Activities

1.2.3 Social Empowerment

2. What are the beneficiaries own reflections on the effects of the program onto their families?

3. What are the tangible evidence of “short term” and “midterm” impacts of the program on the lives of the beneficiaries?

4. What are the effects of the program to the holistic improvement of the standard of living in the community?

5. How sustainable are the social services deliveries of the Pantawid Program?

6. What recommendations can be given to improve the level of empowerment and the level of sustainability of the projects?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The results of the study are deemed beneficial to the following:

DSWD personnel. This will serve as basis for evaluation and review of their existing policies and programs relative to the implementation of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and to serve as base for recommending beneficial future considerations and amendments to the said policies.

Local Government Units. This can serve as model guide for community leaders in planning and proposing programs to see to it that it would supplement for progress and development in the community and program beneficiaries.

Community beneficiaries. This will serve as their guide in program implementation, review and expansion.

Stakeholders. This will serve as encouragement for them to give full support in terms of participation and cooperation in the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

In order to have common frame of reference to the terms used in this study, the following are hereby operationally defined.

Pantawid Program – is a short term for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program provides cash transfers to poor households, conditional upon investments in child education and health as well as use of maternal health services. The objective of the program is to promote investments in the education and health of children to help break the intergenerational transmission of poverty, while providing immediate financial support to the household.

Program Beneficiaries – these are the recipients of the Pantawid Program targeted out of the poorest among the poor households in the country through the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction also by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

DSWD – this is an acronym for Department of Social Welfare and Development, the chief implementing agency of the Pantawid Program.

Phenomenological – is a term used by the researcher to connote the current trend in the politics and implementation of the Pantawid Program, to differentiate the current situation of the Program Beneficiaries from their pre-coverage situation.

Socio-Economic Development – refers to the development in the economic power of Program Beneficiaries.

Social Development - refers to the development in the social capacity of Program Beneficiaries.

Pre-coverage situation – refers to the situation that the program beneficiaries are in before the implementation of the Pantawid Program.

Post-coverage situation - refers to the situation that the program beneficiaries are in during and after the implementation of the Pantawid Program.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study was conducted to investigate 1) the level of impact of the effects of the Pantawid Program to the lives of Program beneficiaries, and 2) to compare their pre-coverage situation with the post-coverage situation to ascertain the extent to which the Pantawid Program helped them. A descriptive method of research was used in carrying out this study because it entails describing data and characteristics of the phenomenon being studied. The participants were the Program Beneficiaries of Brgy. Poblacion; Brgy. Manuel Roxas; Brgy. Katipunan; Brgy. San Isidro and Brgy. Sajaneba but limited only to Program beneficiaries in batch 6-A whether active or delisted of the Pantawid Program. The researcher opted for these program sites because these are the program beneficiaries most accessible to the researcher.

II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Related Literature

This section presents the review of related literatures and studies that have similarities with the study undertaken.

An extensive body of literature that evaluated CCT programs found that participation in such brings positive effects on families’ use of education and health services while concurrently reducing poverty and child labor. The World Bank, after reviewing several evaluation studies, was able to conclude that CCTs have improved the lives of poor people. Transfers generally have been well targeted toward poor households, raised consumption levels, and reduced poverty by a substantial amount in some countries. These rigorous impact evaluations have successfully convinced political leaders in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East to invest in CCT programs and investigate how they can be made more effective. In a number of countries, those impact studies have also persuaded their political leadership that when outcomes are uncertain and budgets limited, random assignment to treatment and control among eligible poor households is a more transparent and fairer selection procedure than political handpicking (EAST ASIAN DEVELOPMENT NETWORK’s 2013 EADN WORKING PAPER No. 71).

However, the World Bank panel of experts reviewed the existing evidence of the real impacts of CCT programs in 2009 found some mixed results. While the programs helped reduce extreme poverty rates, the increase in school attendance did not necessarily result in better learning outcomes, nor did improved utilization of public health services translate into better health. The analysis of Chaudhury and Okamura (2012) on CCT and school enrolment in the Philippines found an almost 9 percent increase in the enrolment among the younger cohort aged 9-12 (as of 2011) who were eligible for grants under the program throughout 2008 and 2011. The program was able to help address the education gap between beneficiary and non-beneficiary households in a short amount of time. However, no statistically significant impact was found for the older cohort of children aged 13-17 (as of 2011), most of whom were no longer eligible for grants due to the age limit (14 years) set by the program. The researchers suggested that additional measures (e.g., raising the age limit, increasing the grant amount for older children, parallel supply-side interventions in the education sector) are required to improve educational outcomes for older children.

Continuing policy debates concerning design of anti-poverty programs in both developed and developing countries frequently include the question of whether or not transfers should be conditioned on school enrolment or medical checkups of children. The conditionality of transfers raises enforcement problems (i.e., verifying that required conditions are being met), as well as administrative problems of coordinating schooling, medical and anti-poverty programs.

These would be justified only if there were substantial benefits of retaining these conditionalities. Yet, there appears to be no clear demonstration of the nature of these benefits, either theoretically or empirically.

Poverty

Poverty remains a big challenge for the Philippines. Income poverty in the Philippines has generally declined since the early 1990s. From 33.1 percent of the population being poor in 1991, the share of poor Filipinos was brought down to 24.9 percent in 2003. In recent years, however, there was a reversal in this trend. Latest official poverty estimates show that poverty has increased since 2003. In 2009, the share of the poor population, or those who are unable to meet their basic food and non-food needs, was estimated at 26.5 percent (NSCB, 2011). In addition to income poverty, human development outcomes especially in education and health are lagging. Primary education is still far from universal while maternal mortality and child malnutrition are among the highest in East Asia and Pacific region (NEDA et al, 2010). This happened despite the historically high record of economic growth in 2000 until 2010, which averaged 4.7 percent annually versus 2.4 percent of the two decades before. This suggests that, on aggregate, the poor have not benefited from growth (Welfare and Distributional Impacts of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program 2011). Poverty, according to UP School of Economics’ 2014 Discussion Papers, is caused by the inability to acquire and maintain productive asset stocks. Among the poorest households, subsistence living, market failures, and predominance of risks preclude the possibility of investing on development of capital that can improve productivity or income over time. For the past two decades, conditional cash transfer (CCT) programs have gained enormous popularity both as a mechanism for inclusive social protection and as a strategy for breaking the so-called intergenerational cycle of poverty. CCTs provide cash grants to beneficiary households conditional on compliance to specified investments on human capital, mainly sending children to school and availing of preventive health care services. Cash grants also aim to protect households from persistent hunger and malnourishment that impede productivity and cognition. CCTs are targeted to the poorest section of the population, generally among households that have schooling-age children. Originating in Mexico in 1997, there are now around thirty countries worldwide implementing their version of a conditional cash transfer program [World Bank 2009]. Overall, CCTs appear to be achieving the program’s explicit short-term goals.2 School participation rates have increased among children of CCT households and they are less likely to drop-out from school. The program has also helped address differential access to schooling due to age, gender, or minority group affiliation. Utilization of preventive health services has increased, improving access of children and pregnant women to immunization, nutrient supplements, and regular health monitoring. The tremendous expansion of CCTs has also highlighted the immense task of improving public infrastructure. CCT experience have increasingly emphasized that the more substantial outcomes – better student learning and improved health status – will not be realized unless governments build more and better facilities and provide accessible essential services.

SOCIAL WELFARE

Social welfare is a development priority of the Philippine government. Conceptually, social welfare refers to the "well being of all the members of human society, including their physical, mental, emotional, social, economic and spiritual" state. It can be achieved through laws, programs, benefits, and services that assure or strengthen provisions in meeting basic needs. Ultimately, social welfare provisions redound to the good of the social order. These provisions may be directed to –

• strengthening existing arrangements; • mitigating the hardships or handicaps of particular individuals and groups; • pioneering new services; • stimulating a better adaptation of the social structure; • including the creation of new programs as needed; or, • a combination of these approaches to respond to social needs.

Another view holds that social welfare is attained when "well being" is manifested by people. To achieve well being requires three elements. The first is the degree to which social problems are managed. The second is the extent to which needs are met. Third is the degree to which opportunities for advancement is provided. In other words, it is important to set up mechanisms by which the attainment of well being is assured, and to make sure that this is sustained and improved. The concept of well being covers broad requirements, such as income, security, housing, education, recreation, and cultural traditions. Services to address these requirements are not necessarily lodged in one office. For instance, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) caters to the broad social welfare needs of the population. Different government agencies undertake other social welfare requirements that need specialized services (i.e., health and labor). Social welfare needs to be pursued as part of the process of governance. Governance deals with managing resources and political authority to ensure that public programs address basic needs in a way that conforms to accepted standards of effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, equity, and sustainability(VICTORIA A. BAUTISTA, PH.D. 2015).

OVERVIEW OF THE PANTAWID PAMILYA PROGRAM

The government developed the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) that has now become its flagship social assistance program to help the poor. The Pantawid Pamilya is a conditional cash transfer (CCT) program that provides short-term income support to the poor to help them meet their immediate needs while enhancing their human capital to overcome future poverty. It provides cash to eligible households if they agree and comply with the program’s conditions. This new approach to addressing poverty was adopted by the Philippine government following the success of CCTs in Latin America. The Pantawid Pamilya was launched in February 2008 with the first 330,000 household beneficiaries (Set 1) and then scaled up in 2009 to cover another 320,000 households (Set 2). By April 2011, the program has grown to about 1.9 million household beneficiaries and is slated for further expansion by the end of 2011 and 2012. To become eligible for the Pantawid Pamilya, a household needs to satisfy a uniform set of criteria, which include (i) residing in program areas of the Pantawid Pamilya, (ii) being identified as poor based on a proxy means test (PMT), and (iii) having a pregnant woman or having at least one child below 15 years old at the time of enrolment into the program.

Being a conditional cash transfer program, beneficiaries receive grants when they comply with program conditionalities. The Pantawid Pamilya provides two types of grants – a health grant of Php 500 ($125) per household per month for 12 months and an education grant of Php 300 ($7) per 6-14 year old child attending school (for a maximum of 3 children in this age range) for 10 months of the school year.6 Health conditions apply to pregnant mothers and children aged 0-5, while education conditions apply to children aged 6-14. A beneficiary household can receive a maximum health grant of Php 6,000 ($143) and a maximum education grant of Php 3,000 ($72) per child if it complies with the health and education conditionalities of the program 100 percent throughout the year. Actual grants received by beneficiaries depend on their compliance to health and education conditions, which is regularly monitored through the Pantawid Pamilya’s Compliance Verification System (CVS). Based on the latest CVS reports, children’s attendance to school and visits to health centers have been improving in 2010. In the last quarter of 2010, close to 80 percent of children registered to receive the Pantawid Pamilya education grant complied with the program conditions, that is, they were present in school at least 85 percent of the time during that period. Compliance of children registered to receive the health grant improved as well especially among Set 2 beneficiaries, although at a slower pace than education. The increase in compliance rates especially in early 2010 also reflects efforts made in updating beneficiary information. This ensured that schools and health centers where children go are correctly recorded in the system so that compliance is monitored properly and grants are paid accordingly (Welfare and Distributional Impacts of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program 2011).

Beneficiaries for Pantawid Pamilya are selected through a combination of geographical targeting and the proxy means testing (PMT) method, known as the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR). Once program municipalities are defined, beneficiary households are selected through the PMT. The PMT, centrally designed in 2007 and implemented starting in 2008 by DSWD, predicts household income using observable and verifiable variables that are highly correlated with household income. Relevant variables for the PMT model were selected based on an analysis of two household surveys in the Philippines, the Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) and Labor Force Survey (LFS) of 2003. Through NHTS-PR, households are categorized as poor if the predicted income is below the official provincial poverty threshold (Fernandez, 2012). Among the poor households in program areas, eligible households—those with a pregnant mother at the time of the Household Assessment by NHTS-PR and/or children between 0-14 years of age—are invited to enroll in the program by attending the community assembly (Philippines Conditional Cash Transfer Program Impact Evaluation 2012).

Consumption pattern among beneficiary households revealed their extreme poverty. Two thirds of consumption is spent on food, the rest on a few basic necessities. Education, health, and clothing together constitute a meager 6% of total household consumption. The hypothesized consumption response of beneficiary households is grounded on the distinction between goods conditioned-on by the program and those that are not. Households will spend the minimum required on goods monitored for program compliance, and residual response is determined by preferences. These preferences, this study posits, are influenced by key program aspects such as granting cash to women and monthly instructional meetings. The observed impact of Pantawid Pamilya on consumption provides credible evidence to the hypothesized response. Impact estimates show that beneficiary households increased their consumption of education-related goods, goods that are necessary for continued program participation. This is a good signal of households’ resolve to perpetuate participation, presumably because they understand the program logic and have positive expectations of its impact on future household welfare. After spending on goods conditioned-on by the program, Pantawid Pamilya households have spent the rest of the additional income on food. Specifically, they prioritized carbohydrates. This choice supports the view that women’s control over resources leads to spending on goods that improve total household welfare, as food is known to be more preferred by women than by men. Since cash grants tend to be lumpy due to the payout cycle, mothers may opt to stock up on food to ensure sufficient supply until the next pay-out. The obvious choice is rice or corn as it is accessible, storable, and sufficient as stand-alone meal (UP School of Economics Discussion Papers 2014).

III. METHODOLOGY

This chapter contains the discussion pertaining to research design, research participants, instrumentation, sampling technique, and data collection procedure and data analysis. It also includes ethical consideration of the researcher.

Research Design

The study made use of the descriptive method of research, utilizing survey questionnaires and in-depth interviews in the gathering of information. This method is seen appropriate for this study because the problem entails describing data and characteristics about the population being studied; answering the questions what and how.

Research Participants

The Pantawid Program beneficiaries in the five (5) barangays of Municipality of Sto. Nino namely, Brgy. Katipunan, Brgy. Manuel Roxas, Brgy. Poblacion, Brgy. Sajaneba and Brgy. San Isidro was the participants of this study. There were a total of ___________________ participants, 50 from program site. Tables 1 and 2 show the distribution of respondents.

Table 1 shows a total of 983 beneficiaries in all project sites deduced as follows: Brgy. Katipunan has _________________________; Brgy. Manuel Roxas with __________________________________; Brgy. Poblacion, _________________________________; Brgy. Sajaneba with _____________________________, and Brgy. San Isidro, ________________________. Fifty (50) samples were taken from each group summing the participants of the study to two hundred (250).

Table 2 shows the distribution of participants for the Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Because the FGD is in-depth, only the Parent Leaders in the clusters within each barangay were taken as samples for FGD. There are _______________________parent leaders in all of the five barangays that made up the __________ participants.

Table 1

Distribution of Participants

Barangay	No. of Beneficiaries	No. of participants

Total

Table 2

Distribution of Participants in the FGD

Barangay	Number of Parent leaders (Combination of Male and Female)

Total

Instrumentation

The researcher utilized the questionnaire used as the surveying tool for the Social Welfare Indicator administered by the DSWD in assessing the level of well-being of the program beneficiaries. A copy of the said surveying tool shall be sent to the adviser for amendments to suit the purpose of the study before it was subjected to the evaluation by experts in the field in order to ensure validity and reliability of the instrument. The questionnaire is composed of ______________ parts. Part I pertains to __________________________. Part II relates to __________________________. Part III pertains to ______________________________________. (Please see Appendix A).

Sampling Technique

The researcher used purposive sampling in identifying the sample population. This was so because the researcher already had a particular group of people in mind. Also, because of the proximity of the areas where the target population live was very difficult for the researcher to gather all the prospect population. Hence, purposive sampling was the only option. The researcher took as samples those project beneficiaries who live near the program areas because others live very far from the area and reaching them was next to impossible.

Data Collection

The researcher followed a certain process in gathering data.

1. A letter of request asking permission to conduct the study was sent to the head of DSWD Regional Office XII.

2. When the request was granted, the researcher personally administered the questionnaires to the respondents.

3. In-depth interviews were also conducted in order to deepen and validate the result of the questionnaires.

4. Tabulation, interpretation and analysis of data followed.

Data Analysis

Because the study is qualitative in nature, the researcher made use of frequencies and averages as means of treating data.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

At the time of reporting research results, the researcher’s ethical duty to be honest becomes paramount.

· The researcher provided an honest accounting of how the research was carried out and where the initial research has to be changed.

· The researcher maintained a full record of the research project so that questions can be answered if they arise.

· The researcher avoided lying and using graphs to mislead.

· The researcher acknowledged sponsors and benefactors of the research.

· Thanked everyone who made major contributions.