A Nurse; your Trusted Technical Advisor

For the first time in my Call center working experience, I felt something to a customer- the feeling of compassion, the willingness to fully satisfy a customer and to meet not only her business needs but as well as her yearning for someone to talk to about her health condition and holistic being. For a moment there, I forgot about my time constraints- I deviated from the main subject of that transaction; I allowed myself to wander around things that are beyond my scope as a Technical Adviser. The customer called in to ask for assistance with regard to her internet connection, but for almost an hour, we talked about her Fibromyalgia, her compacted vertebral discs, her Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, her Diabetes, her End-Stage Renal Disease and her Hemodialysis sessions. I ended up telling her that I'm a nurse and I'm more than willing to consume my time unnecessarily if she would want to discuss about her health.

In the end, I wasn't able to resolve her Internet issue but she was beyond thankful and she cried out of gratitude that somebody cared to listen and consider her as a person, and not just a customer. For a moment there, I neglected my responsibility as a Technical Advisor and started to become a health counselor, a friend and a nurse over the phone. Though I failed in resolving her Internet issues, but I felt satisfied. I realized that despite me turning my back on my profession,- the gift of compassion, care, and humanitarian concern was still there deep inside (which I thought have long been gone). 

That call may have murdered my performance metrics and may cause me to fail my evaluation and probably lose my job, but SO WHAT!!! Afterall, that's the main essence of customer service, right? Giving them the opportunity to feel that they are not just customers, they are people.

#Before that Call ended, the customer asked for a supervisor and that became a KUDOS call in the end. 
#I am Huemer, your nurse, and your trusted technical adviser over the Phone.

"Changes..."

"Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change." -Jim Rohn

ARCADIA.With the Capitol Chronicle staffers (who I consider

 as my second family) last May 24-25, 2012 at Villa Arcadia, 

Talisayan, Misamis Oriental.

It is always amazing to see how things change. Indeed, nothing in life stays the same forever. Although change happens slowly for some people, but it doesn't work that way for me. My life has been a roller coaster ride- with all the loops, the thrills and the ups and downs. It is but a rhetorical analogy to present my life's changes in a fun-ride metaphor, because at the very least- it's not Fun all the time. However, It is just my nature to see things in my own perspective- seeing the optimistic side, the blindside for most people. 

Dumbfounded. Together with college friends in a photo-opportunity

in Lim Ketkai Center after the Mass Oath Taking ceremony 

last September 19, 2012  

Pondering. Huemer at Amara Club
House, Cebu.

                 Things happen just as unpredictable as they had been throughout the centuries. Who would expect that an oppressed Austrian boy would later become the Chancellor of Germany, leader of the Nazi and head the historical Holocaust? Nobody would even expect a beat-up boy to be a music icon and would bring the "Thriller" to the world. Or a rape victim to be dubbed as "the Greatest Black Philanthropist of the 20th centruy" and the "Only black billonaire". I know it would sound so ambitious on my part to use Adolf Hitler, Michael Jackson and Oprah Winfrey as an allegory of how whimsical my life is. Nevertheless, I guess what I'm trying to say here is- nobody can predict where and how far you can go if you just keep on going regardless of the circumstances.
                      Although at this point in my life, I may not be able to say that I've reach my dreams yet (as I'm not even close to discovering what my dreams are), but I can definitely shout to the world that I made it! I changed something and discovered how vast the ocean is by letting go of the shore.  Indeed, how you shape your mind dictates how you shape you life. If only you are open to changes  and liberate your mind from all the uncertainties of tomorrow, things will just fall into place like a Jigsaw puzzle showing your destiny. I would sound hypocrite if I declare that I never doubted myself and my capabilities, because honestly, I did! A lot of times! I would also appear self-righteous if I deny those circumstances when I doubted my faith and the so called "powers-that-be". But never mind all the ambiguity and agnosticism, the bottom-line is I am here now (and  no one knows where I'll be tomorrow).  And if ever a momentous "moment-of -impact" happens to me, I'd be glad to embrace it knowing that every moment that unfolds accompanies an opportunity to change- a change for the better. 

Black and Yellow. With Jeremarie Delos Santos, wearing our wave

jacket in Convergys. Photo taken by Mr. Olacao after shift in 

front of Starbucks, IT park, Cebu City.

                       Living my life one day at a time may sound like a platitude for some. Even so, it made me realize that all quotations and sundry statements born by obscure intellectuals have at least once been validated by whosoever deserves to be accounted for.  Right now , I become one of the living testimonies that life indeed changes if you allow it to be.  It is just a matter of embracing the possibilities and a proper conditioning of the mind....

Tell the children I’m afraid to die

Tell the children I’m afraid to die 

(A declamation piece from a distant memory)

Across the  Mindanao skies,
high above the plateaus of Bukidnon,
echoes a voice scared and trembling
from a creature fearing for its life.


“I am the guardians of the mountains.
On the tallest tree of Dalwangan is my lair,

Upon the tallest tree of Mt. Kitanglad,

I’ve built my nest, maybe my last.

If I lose it, my doom is near.

The dying of the trees is killing me like a knife!

Only then be the mourning or the sunset of my life.”

“From the air I’ve watched
the children of the valleys,
playing, laughing!

I watched them keenly with my eagle eyes
and hope starts burning softly, warmly
in my breasts like a kindling fire.

They’re the future!

They are my future!

Go! Tell the children I’m afraid to die!


Tell the children my life is linked,
with all the life in my forest home,
with the boar and the wild flowers;
the lawaan and the kalaw;
 and the fishes of the forest stream!

 Tell them that each blow of the logger’s axe,
chops of a post from my mountain home
and every bullet a hunter fires,
finds its way into my heart.
Tell them that when I die,
you’ll see a cloudless sky,
where I used to fly.

A thousand trees unmoored,
hauled by the greedy demons,
in shapeless coffins,
And a million creatures,
great and small, baking lifeless
 under the hostile sun, barren valleys,
 arid plains and waterless riverbeds.

Tell the children I’m afraid to die!
 Their hearts are soft,
their minds are young!
We must live together,
or together perish under the sun.
Tell them, that each tree they plant
becomes a new pillar of my mountain home
 and helps to make the rivers stay.
 Tell them that rivers water the land
and let it bear fruit for birds and man.

Tell them that clean air,
bright sunshine and cool refreshing rain
 gives life to everyone.

Let us teach the children
to build a world
that is safe for life.

A world, where we can live together,
you and I.

So speaks the eagle of Dalwangan and Kitanglad,
the eagle of Mindanao
with misty eyes.
We must let the eagle live and fly.

Life less Ordinary

 

Facing the public, I fear

And it all started from there

With a bold dream to conquer

An intellectual fighter

With hope, I start my journey

Of wit and audacity

Seven minutes, my speech shall take;

With a hard stand, I shall make.

I speak on behalf of them,

Whose justice is but a dream.

For those oppressed and helpless,

Every round won’t be pointless.

I will bluff when I need to

To convince them, I must do

In defending what I know,

It’s a chance I must not blow.

Matter, method and manner

As my weapon and armor

Aided by Athena’s wisdom,

Shall I stand in the podium?

“Hear, Hear!” That’s what I should hear,

It boosts me to hear that cheer.

“Shame, shame!” to a speech so lame,

Faulty logic is to blame.

I clap at those who beat me,

Proud to lose honorably,

Debate, you’re a vagary,

A life less ordinary.

Had it not been for Religion

 

If there were no religion, only humanity, the world could have been a better place. If there is only Humanitarian justice, no faith could cause biases and inequality. There could have been no faith to impregnate religious delusions which misled congregations.

If there were no religion, only humanity that uplifts the human instinct of self preservation, there could have been no holy wars to ignite terrorism- No Jihads, No Crusades.  There could have been no Al Qaeda to feed terror and trigger uncertainty in the middle of peace.  There could have been no sane person who got persuaded to be a suicide bomber and sacrifice himself for spiritual salvation.  There could have been no brotherhood (by faith) whose aim is to bring fear among innocents. Should that be the case, there will only be unity towards survival and prosperity. There could have been no global terrorism, had it not been for religion.

If there were no religion, only sincerity to serve humanity, there could have been no religious hypocrites in the politics, whose aim is to use religion as a way of winning the votes of the people.  There could have been no lay ministers whose actions contradict what they preach. There could have been no priests who assert that politics is dirty yet they engage into it.  There could have been no impostor who uses God’s name as an instrument to allure people, had it not been for religion.

If there were no religion, only exclusive humanitarian-statutory sovereignty, countries could have imposed laws that meet the needs of its people.  Had it not been for religion meddling with state affairs, the government could have approved legislations and actualized its full potential in serving the interests, safety and preservation of the citizens. There could have been no religious officials who take part in law-making while mitigating a potentially effective policy. There could have been a legal support towards capital punishment, euthanasia, divorce and contraception in the constitution to solve the quandary of overpopulation, crime, felony, hostility and poverty.  Death penalties could have minimized the overcrowding jails and made criminals hesitate to commit felony; Euthanasia could have cut down unnecessary medical expenses; divorce could have reduced a hostile family environment; and contraception could have prevented the birth of unwanted babies, reduced the number of hungry children and eventually, minimize poverty.  These dilemmas could have been solved long ago, had it not been for religion.

If there were no religion, there could have been no division among people. There could have been no confusion as to which belief guarantees salvation. There could have been no opportunistic individuals who establish their own religion to make money from while taking advantage of its followers’ twisted judgment.  There could have been no contradiction in ethical perceptions and a universal principle could have long been established, had it not been for religion.

If there were no religion, there could have been unity. There could have been no religious prejudices and no religious discrimination. No Muslims, no Christians. There could have been global cohabitation, just human beings living together in a society, had it not been for religion.

 (Disclaimer: The author has nothing against God/Allah or against any religion, but just the mere existence of religion itself)

Living History

____________________________

"...It devours every second we spend and will continue until all the future has been consumed. It flows even after all the rivers run dry and it lives so long as there is life.  It is the shadow of time and time itself cannot stop it, neither can we.... "

_____________________________

History is boring. It’s all about the past and a difficult subject as I may say. It has nothing to do with our future. Although, some insists that studying history makes us see the trend of events and foresee the future, since according to them, history repeats itself. They even say that history holds the secrets of a bountiful society and the key to powerful governance. Ironically, those effective governments and bountiful societies are now just part of what we call- HISTORY, the glorious past of the unseen future.

                        History is boring. It is all about the past but historians try to relive it. They hunt manuscripts of reformists, decipher the deepest of thoughts and interpret the ancient works of arts. From the golden sarcophagus of Tutankhamen to the disappearance of the Mayans and Incas; from the Spanish colonization to the mystery of the Cojuangco’s wealth- looking for possible links of one event leading to another. Yet at the end of the day, all they have is the knowledge and the truth of the past- not even relevant to solve tomorrow’s uncertainties.

                        History is boring. It is all about the past yet many have the passion to discover it. Truly, it is but a human nature to dwell on the memory of the past just as though reminiscing the presence of a parted loved one. Keeping the memorabilia of what has been, as if it is the greatest masterpiece of TIME- the ultimate artist whose works are divine.

       History is boring. It is all about the past and confusing names.  It made ordinary people, whose characters were seasoned by circumstances and whose names were famed out of opportunity; stand in the pedestal of heroes and martyrs.  It made us forget that we, ourselves, are part of it- a minor yet an important part of the big picture.  We might feel small compared to the names of Michael Jackson, Augustus Caesar, Joan of Arc and Christopher Columbus yet we are the reason why they are famous. By being in the dark, we made them shine. And by living the present, they became the past- the HISTORY.

                        History is boring. It is all about the past and the cultural linkages of the ages. History links Filipinos to its cultural brothers- the Cubans, Columbians and Puerto Ricans- sharing the same Hispanic fate through the grandiose of Spain’s exploration and expansion.  Yet, history itself ignited the disgust and loathe among Filipinos that lay dormant for decades making Juan de la Cruz deny its past and bond to his Hispanic brothers.                  

                     History is boring. It is all about the past yet it is living. It devours every second we spend and will continue until all the future has been consumed. It flows even after all the rivers run dry and it lives so long as there is life.  It is the shadow of time and time itself cannot stop it, neither can we. History is something that we all inevitably and helplessly fall into yet we have the power to define how to position ourselves on its pedestal.                      

                        History is boring. It is all about the past and I do not study it though many have the audacity to talk about it. All are born to live with it, many are determined to discover it, and a few are called to teach it while I am destined to become a great part of it. 

My year book Picture

Pouty in Black. This is my Yearbook Photo taken at Larawan Studio

 last September.

This is it...

I might Graduate this March. That's if I pass all my subjects and comply all my requirements on time.

The final list of Graduating Students will be released this March 19...


...Only then will my soul be fully rested and attain sweet bliss of success...


...As of now, I'll just hope against the odds- Hope for the best and prepare for the Worst....


 This is it! I'm facing the Final Curtain! And beyond that curtain, is the reality called LIFE.

NO to Five-point-Zero!

Graduating in college with flying colors is probably a dream-come-true for some students. However, for others, just being able to pass each subject and move on to the next is already an achievement. Nonetheless, we have one goal in common- to have a presentable transcript of records with no failing grades at all.

Some say that having a failing grade is inevitable and is part of the learning process, but to those who aced their way through college, avoiding failures means avoiding these...

· Being a “YES” man…

            It is difficult to say “NO” to a friend. Right? Especially if it involves beer houses, disco bars and other barkada gigs. As they said, “That is what friends are for… for good times and bad times”. But it does not have to reach bad times if you only know how to say “NO” especially if you have pending homework and quizzes in queue.   After all, if they are really your friends, they will understand. So start saying “NO”. It might be just a two-letter-word but that is all it takes to start the difference.

· Shopping schedule unwisely…

            Although most subjects in this university are already pre-arranged for the students to avoid conflicts of schedule, some students are just unwise enough to pick the schedule they feel they are comfortable with. However, while in the middle of the semester, they just realize that their chosen schedules gave them a hard time to comply all the requirements due on the same day.  Hence, they fail to submit one or two requirements because of the lack of time to complete an array of homework.

            So, if you are wise enough, try to weigh each subject and consider the time it might require. Adjust your schedule based on the subject and not based on your comfort. After all, college is not about balancing things to become comfortable but rather, it is about being comfortable at balancing things.

· Being a escape artist…

            Dealing with the headache brought by piles of paperwork and pillars of books to read is very draining. Hence, we tend to avoid the psychological distress by diverting our attention away from our tasks. But running away from our responsibilities will only temporarily relieve us from the stress while new tasks are adding to the pile. And since these tasks will not complete themselves, we will have to face them eventually.  And before we know it, we become more stressed after finding out that our original hills-of-paperwork became mountains-of-overdue- projects. Getting rid of procrastination means getting rid of the “manyana” habit and balancing responsibility with leisure.

· Taking things for granted...

While some students exert effort to impress people and reach the class’s spotlight, some are just contented with being an ordinary student- having outputs that are hastily done, quiz results that are just at the borderline and everything done out of mediocrity. Although it is not wrong to be contented with what you have, but knowing that you can do more and not doing it makes you wrong.

While some people say that education is not a race. In the end, it is still a race against time, quality and yourself. So start beating them up!  Outrun quality by soaring above the standards, transcend time by beating the dead lines and defy yourself by being extraordinary.

· Hating where you are…

            Students claim that they fail because they were just forced by their parents or relatives to take up the course they do not want on the first place. Hence, they rebel by creating an impression that they do not fit the course, by failing their subjects. If this is your case, then doing so will only waste your time. As a student, you have two options. Either you talk to your parents, follow your calling and change your course or start loving the course they want for you. Who knows? It might be the calling you ignored for quite a while.

· Having a wrong priority…

             As a college student, we experience new things- get into relationships, be caught in the insistence of peers while meeting the demands of the academe.  We sometimes get confused when we try to weigh things and realize that some things, which were wrong by nature, feel so good and seem so right. Hence, we make wrong priorities and neglect our studies. Nevertheless, doing well in college requires proper judgment and sound decision since not everything which seems right would yield the outcome we intend.

· Having too many commitments…

            One good thing about enrolling in a good university is the influx of opportunities- opportunity to join organizations, meet new people, form new habits and experience new things. These opportunities are overwhelming and entail a good time management to cater them all. However, as students, the main reason why our parents sent us to school needs to be prioritized. Since the reason why these opportunities are called extra-curricular activities is that they are not originally part of the curriculum and are just added services to make the students’ development more holistic.

· Skipping classes and being late…

            It might be very tempting not to attend a subject or two and have some time for yourself especially if there are no scheduled quizzes for the day. Spending time window shopping at the mall or playing DOTA at the internet café may sound better than attending a boring discussion throughout the afternoon, right? Think again! Because some experienced instructors have mastered the psychology of college students. Some of these instructors give quizzes in times when they are least expected.  If you skipped their classes, then you will surely miss those simple surprise quizzes which you can surely ace, if only you were there to take them.

· Hopeless Cynicism…

            Students fail not because they cannot but because they would not and they would not because they think they cannot.  They feel inferior about themselves because they think that their inadequacies are beyond their control. Doubt is what consumes them and they rely on luck to bring them success. However, in a dynamic society where being doubtful is a setback to ones success, optimism is need to make us bold. Hence, we dare because we think positively. And only then will we achieve something. After all, you will never know what you can do and how far you can go if you let yourself hindered by your pessimism.

· Feeling bored all the time…

            You cannot study because you are bored. You do not attend classes because you are bored. You do not finish your homework because you are bored.   Hasn’t it occurred to you that you are just burned out?  You feel that everything you do makes no sense. You come home tired yet you feel unproductive. And this happens if you spend so much time on things which will not bring you any closer to your goal. Or if not, you feel tired because you lose the sense of direction. Either way, reorienting yourself back to reality and meditating will surely help you realign your actions with your goals.

***

*Subject for editing*
*Not yet Published*

Plagiarism: A crime taken for Granted

Click. Copy. Paste. Print. Submit. That’s so easy! Right? Most students find it very convenient to grab some ideas or even phrases from the internet without putting into consideration the ethical and legal considerations they violate. The bunch of information the World Wide Web has to offer plus its copy-paste features seems to be the quick-fix and the easy way out of all the dilemmas in beating the academic deadlines. But then, is copying-and-pasting really that simple?

Intellectual Felony

                        Although there is no existing law that is directly pointed against plagiarism, but the mere act of phrasing published ideas without crediting the author is already a violation against their intellectual property rights. According to RA 8293, otherwise known as “The Intellectual Property code of the Philippines”, copyrighted materials include collections of literary, scholarly or artistic works, and compilations of data and other materials which are original in the coordination or arrangement of their contents. Moreover, the authors of these printed and published materials have the sole right to give people the authority to recopy, reproduce, translate and dramatize these materials. Needless to say, infringement of copyrights includes massive photocopying books, reproducing of movies and other media, personification of literary works and selling any part of a copyright property without any written authority from the copyright owner. However, Part IV- Chapter VIII of the said provision states that there are also limitations to the scope  of this code which allows people to reproduce a substantial portion of copyrighted works and cite quotations as long as  these materials are already made available to the public and as long as the copyright owner is recognized and cited.

                        In the academic context, massive reproduction of books by photocopying them is already a violation against the publishers. Although it was provided in section 184 of the said code that reproduction of published works in a single copy by a natural person is allowed, doing so is exclusively for the purpose of research and private study. And if ever such reproduction or citation of quotation is to be published in researches, case studies, thesis and dissertations, citing the references is necessary to protect the student from any legal and academic sanctions.

Dismissed Plunder

                        Although the internet discloses some information to make facts and ideas available to everybody, there are still limitations and legal considerations where both students and professionals are bound to. Since the literature and facts presented in the internet and books are written or intellectually owned by authors, recognizing them by citing their names, publications or links as references is the least thing we can do after borrowing their ideas. Not doing so is the same as not recognizing them as intellectual owners and claiming their ideas as our own.   In research papers and case studies for example, as simple as using facts from wikipedia to define our topic without recognizing the author(s) is already a simple form of plagiarism. Blatantly citing phrases which are not our own and using them to comply the academic demands is the same as stealing our seatmate’s homework, writing our name on it and submitting the homework as our own.  Hence, in Capitol University, the student manual in Chapter 4, section 2.4 indicates the violations of those students (both undergrad and post-grad) who commit plagiarism. Although copyright infringement and plagiarism is a grave intellectual crime, the academic punishment only includes failing the student(s) in that particular subject or homework.  In research subjects, instructors are even bound to give a failing mark to students who stole ideas from the internet or books without giving due recognition to the author/publisher.

Setting Limits

                        Like any form of human rights, the right to use published materials as resources has limitations and responsibilities to avoid violating others. Though it is a part of learning process for the students to do researches and utilize published works as resources, being extra careful with the kind and amount of information used needs to be considered since avoiding copyright infringement is not only exclusive to citing the author’s name. Infringing copyrights also includes the amount of information/phrase utilized and the manner to which it is used. The Intellectual property code emphasizes that utilizing portions of published works should give justice to its original meaning. Hence, these phrases are not to be used randomly as they should appropriately fit the article or studies to which these excerpts are to be applied. 

Lesson not learned

Some students who are tasked to write an essay as a homework are tempted to open the internet, search, click, copy and paste phrases instead of actually constructing them. And sometimes, the students who are tempted to do so are those who were not able to complete their assignments on time because of procrastination. They are racing against the clock in beating the deadlines and are just forced to take the easy way by stealing the works of others made available in the internet.  Or worst, they prefer to copy the whole paragraph just because they are too lazy to think or do it by themselves. Sometimes, these students just assume that they will never be caught. However, there is an easy way to track down these intellectual felons. Using the search engines, instructors can type the exact words or phrase in the search bar. After pressing the search button, the link containing the webpage where the phrase was copied from will display on top of the list. And the offender is caught. 

Some say they just forgot. While some people claim that they are unaware of such criminal offense. But at the end of the day, ignorance is not an excuse. After all, proper citation of intellectual sources has been taught and incorporated in the elementary and high school curriculum for students to internalize the value of giving due credits to the authors. Nevertheless, self discipline and respect for others needs to be applied every time one excerpts ideas and phrases especially if used in scholarly publications such as researches and case studies. 

***To be edited***
*NOT YET PUBLISHED*

*ONGOING *

The Wrath. The Towpath. The Aftermath.

Cyclones. Hurricanes. Typhoons. Confusing terminologies right? You might be wondering which is which and how one is formed. Nowadays, we often hear the weather reports mention about such terms in a very confusing way. Hence, we usually hear people interchangeably use these terms and often feel uncertain as to which term fits the situation. But believe it or not, they are all Synonymous!

Tropical Dilemma

According to scienceray.com, a typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. Since geographically, the Philippines is the western border of the Pacific, the country is the first stop of most typhoons. Hence, the Philippines receives moderate amount of rainfall and according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geothermal and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA),  an average of 19 typhoons visit the country annually.

Tropical cyclones form when warm water from the ocean evaporates and condenses. When warm water evaporates, it increases the humidity of the atmosphere. Being warm and moist, air rises up in the atmosphere following the principles of thermodynamics. As it moves upward and condenses, it releases heat energy which later turns into a mechanical energy that increases the wind velocity. The energy from condensation also pushes the storm clouds upwards which speeds up the condensation.  When the condensation rate increases (and the energy it release also increases), air is pushed away from the center forming a “Low Pressure Area”. When this low-pressure area matures and gathers enough storm clouds, thunderstorm starts.

 The influx of warmth and moisture from the underlying ocean surface is critical for strengthening of the tropical cyclone.  Hence, the greater amount of warm moisture it gathers, the stronger the typhoon becomes. When a tropical cyclone crosses the coastline (a phenomenon called “landfall”) and travels by land, the amount of moisture it gathers significantly decreases. Hence, typhoons are stronger in the coastal areas and weaken as it goes inland or through areas with low temperature. When a typhoon gathers enough cool moisture, it slowly weakens and becomes a low pressure area.

Tropical cyclones travel with the ocean current. When it reaches the land and becomes a typhoon, it follows the direction of the wind and a pattern called Coriolis Effect, which is affected by the Earth’s rotation.

Sendong Detected

Despite the allegations hurled against PAGASA, the weather agency defended itself by claiming that the forecasts on Sendong were delivered on time and that the weather monitoring was right on track. According to batangastoday.com, PAGASA issued warning as early as December 13 about the upcoming storm.  The agency even called for a press conference the day before storm Sendong reached the Philippine vicinity to announce the areas, which will be possibly hit.   Days before Sendong’s landfall, the weather bureau raised public storm warning into signal number two in fifteen areas in Visayas and Mindanao.

When Nature Claims

            According to the native residents of Cagayan de Oro City, the areas greatly affected by the flood were once part of the great river. The riverbank where shanties were built was once part of the wide riverbed of Cagayan River. Because of soil erosion brought about by illegal logging and mining and the development of subdivisions, silt from the mountain slopes of Bukidnon and remote areas of Cagayan de Oro was eroded and deposited to the riverbed.  The vegetations and trees, which used to hold the soil firmly, are now developed into subdivisions and quarries, leading to the direct downpour of rainwater and mud from the mountains to the lowlands. Due to the water current, silt is displaced to areas where water is calm. The deposition of soil formed some part of Barangay Macasandig, Carmen, Kauswagan and other towpath neighborhoods including the four islets at the river mouth - Isla Delta, Isla de Oro, Isla Bugnao and Isla Cupa in Barangay Consolacion.

            Because of constant deposition of mountain silt and sand from the sea, Cagayan River got shallow as time goes by.  When rainwater from the mountains floods the already narrow and shallow river, it is expected that the river will overflow and reclaim its original path. Hence, the shanties built over loose soil formed by deposited silt are the ones primarily washed out.

Political Intervention

            With death tolls rising to almost 1,500, the local government with the aide of several non-government organizations and businesses started the rehabilitation plans for the flood victims. The local government of Cagayan de Oro already declared Isla de Oro and other risky areas as inhabitable. To insure that the victims will not go back to repair their homes, police officers were deployed to watch over the inhabitable areas.  Pres. Benigno “Pnoy” Aquino Jr., during his visit even ordered the local government not to issue housing permits to these flood prone areas.

            The local government already has plans to relocate the flood victim to vacant areas in Barangay Canitoan.  Plans of putting up high-rise condominiums for the victims are already on going. However, since the relocation cannot be implemented until the housing projects are finished in six months, the flood victims remain homeless until then.

            To help the flood victims rehabilitate and have decent quarters, the Department of Health proposed family hosting program. In their program, able families who can adopt a family of flood victims will receive a cash voucher wherein half of which will be used to meet the adopted family’s needs.  The House of the Representatives also agreed to donate 1 million php from their pork barrel to aide the victims. Some senators and congressmen even agreed to donate part of their monthly salary for the rehabilitation of the flood victims. 

            The government already did their part and contributed their share. As civilians, may we rekindle the spirit of bayanihan in rehabilitating our City of Golden Friendship.