Another Chapter

Jonathan Vincent Tan  AB-MC 2 Irreg

Kahalagahan at Kasamaan ng Kompyuter

Maraming kahalagahan at kasamaan ang kompyuter. Kahit nakakabuti ang kompyuter. Kahit nakakabuti ang kompyuter sa pamumuhay ng tao, hindi maiiwasan ng magkaroon ng salot. Ang kompyuter ayon sa Wikipedia ay isang bagay na kung saan pinoproseso nito ang isang datos ayon sa kanyang panuto. Ang kompyuter ay hindi gagana kung walang panuto mula sa isang gumagamit. Ika nga, ang nalalaman ng kompyuter ay 2 bagay lamang: ang binary numbers (0 at 1).

Maraming kahalagahan ang kompyuter sa buhay ng tao. Kahit marami itong kapalpakan na naidulot sa atin ngayon, hindi rin natin maikakaila na marami itong mabuting naidulot.

Isa sa mga kahalagahan ng kompyuter ay napapadali ang proseso ng mga gawain kagaya ng pananaliksik ng isang mag-aaral, pagbabayad, pagrehistro ng mga dokumento, pag-eenrol ng isang mag-aaral sa paaralan at sa pag-iinbentori ng isang kumpanya, tindahan at marami pang iba. Kung dati-darati makinilya ang ginagamit natin upang makatala tayo ng mga datos, ang kompyuter naman ngayon ang sagot sa problema ngayon. Kung ang pag-iinbentori ay ginagamitan ng papel at pluma, ngayon isang daan lang sa barcode scanner, alam mo na kung ilang produkto ang naiiwan o nababawasan.

Pangalawang kahalagahan ng kompyuter ay makakahanap ka ng bagong impormasyon sa pamamagitan ng Internet, e-books o programa gaya ng Encarta o World Book. Ang Wikipedia, Google, Ask, Yahoo at MSN ang karaniwang ginagamit ng mga mag-aaral upang makita nila ang kanilang hinahanap. Ang e-book naman ay isang payl na kung saan ang nilalaman ng libro ay nakalagay dyan. Katumbas lamang ito ng isang libro pero mababasa lamang ito sa kompyuter o sa ibang gamit gaya ng e-book reader.

Sa kabila ng mabubuting naidulot ng kompyuter sa atin, hindi rin maiiwasan na magkakaroon rin ito ng masamang epekto sa atin.

Isa na rito ay nakakasama ito sa pag-aaral ng isang mag-aaral. Nakakasama ito dahil sa halip na mag-aral, naglalaro na lamang ng kompyuter. Hindi na pumapasok sa paaralan dahil naa-adik na sa paglalaro ng kompyuter. Sinasayang lamang nila ang gastos ng kanilang mga magulang dahil sa pagka-adik sa kompyuter. Kung may proyekto man, sa halip na magsaliksik, mangongopya na lamang galing sa Internet.

Pangalawang masamang naidulot ng kompyuter ay nakakasama ito sa kalusugan ng tao. Nakakasama ito lalung-lalo na sa mata dahil nakakadulot ito ng pagka-duling. Isa na ako sa mga naduduling ng kompyuter dahil pagkatapos kong gumamit ng kompyuter, naliligo ako agas. Ang dapat kasi, hindi muna agad-agad maligo pagkatapos gumamit ng kompyuter. Nakakadulot ito ng sakit sa likod, sa leeg at sa kamay dahil sa posisyon natin paggumagamit tayo ng kompyuter. Nababaluktot nito ang katawan, nagkaka-arthritis, at nakakasira ng utak.

Pangatlong masamang naidulot ng kompyuter ay pagkakalat ng masasamang imahe o palabas sa Internet o madaling sabi, mga porno na kung makikita ng mga menor de edad ay nakakasira sa moralidad. Walang bawal sa Internet kaya maraming pahina na naglalaman ng porno. Isa na rito ay ang mga scandal na parating kinakalat gamit ang file sharing na programa. Ginawa na ng gobyerno ang makakaya nila upang sugpuin ang mga ito ngunit, laganap parin ito sa lipunan.

Pang-apat at panghuling masamang naidulot ng kompyuter ay nawawalan tayo ng pribado ng buhay. Maraming mga hacker sa Internet ngayon. Pwede nilang galawin ang kompyuter natin na hindi natin nalalaman o buksan ang ating email address, ating mga transaksyon sa bangko at mga profayl sa Internet gaya ng Friendster, MySpace at iba pa. Sa paraang ito, nalalaman nila kung ano ang mga sikreto natin, mga transaksyon sa bangko at lahat tungkol sa atin.

Ang kompyuter ay nakakabuti sa buhay ng tao ngunit nakakasama rin ito sa buhay ng tao. Konting ingat lang sa katawan at ‘wag ating abusuhin ang paggamit ng kompyuter dahil nakakasama na ito sa atin. Gaya ng sakit sa katawan, pagkaduling at pagkasira ng utak. Hindi natin maiwasan na marami tayong gagawin sa kompyuter ngunit bigyan natin ito ng pahinga. Hindi na biro ang pagtaas ng kuryente natin ngayon. Kung maari, gawin nalang 3 oras bawat araw ang paggamit ng kompyuter o gagamitin lang ito kung kinakailangan. Tandaan, walang sakit kung iiwasan natin ang sanhi nito.

Turning a blind eye is an Editorial Feature of Atenews Vol. 54 No. 2. Copyright. Atenews 2008

The directive of Ozamiz Archbishop Jesus Dorado to his archdiocese in the form of a pastoral letter instructing his clergy to deny communion to the proponents of the RH Bill (otherwise known as “An Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development”) make us wonder if his moral compass is malfunctioning.

With their condemnation of the contraceptives and the labeling of the proponents of the RH Bill as “abortionists” and “godless”; we now ask: Is the church blind to the various problems circling like vultures over our ballooning population? Is the church playing dumb to the staggering statistics of abortions due to unplanned and unwanted pregnancies?

The RH Bill does not in any way condone abortions. In fact, according to Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, principal author of the RH, “We have repeatedly said in the bill that abortion is illegal, punishable, and not part of the menu for responsible parenthood and population management.: The RH Bill classified abortion as “illegal” and will still be punishable under the revised penal code. Furthermore, the bill only seeks to cater to reproductive health by giving people access to adequate and effective family planning methods.

Comparing abortion to contraception demands great leaps of logic. Abortion is the termination of an innocent fetus in a mother’s womb. Contraception, on the other hand is the prevention of pregnancy. The lack of logic by the church is a clear demonstration of mistaking apples for oranges.

If this is so, why is the church so insistent on prohibiting the passing of the RH Bill? Why are they denying the proponents of the RH Bill communion when the real proponents of grave evils such as corruption, cheating, lying and stealing are on a Sunday church?

Another question: Since the church favors the calendar method (rhythm) as a means of family planning, what is its problem in approving other methods to prevent childbirth? According to Cristine Gudorf, author of the book “Body, Sex and Pleasure”; Pope Pius XII in 1954 laid the foundation for changes in the Catholic teaching when he permitted the Rhythm method. He pondered on what methods he could use to prevent childbearing and eventually he did bless contraception in principle by permitting the Rhythm method. He even said that there could be multiple reasons to avoid having any children at all in a marriage.

Is it because the other means of preventing childbirth is unnatural? If we are going to define what is natural or not, then how can one explain the rhythm method when one deliberately measures the time when a woman is fertile to avoid pregnancy as natural?

The bishops should understand the reason why our country needs a population plan through a solid and effective legislation like the RH bill. The issue here is not stopping pregnancies; it is balancing resources with our growing population and improving the quality of life. If one of the Church’s doctrines is safeguarding the dignity of life then the church needs to answer this: where is the dignity of life in a growing population in which an ever increasing amount of people are going hungry and young children are out there sniffing rugby and begging for alms? Where is the dignity in that?

In the meantime, the absence of an aggressive policy towards reproductive health contributes to the growing 1.4 million unplanned pregnancies in the country in which one-third lead to abortions.

With these problems tied to the growing population of the Philippines; we repeat our stand. The church is obviously blind to the problems surrounding the lack of aggressive Reproductive Health policies. We do hope that somehow, their perspectives would change.

Wew. That was tiring. Anyway, I’ve read this article like twice already. Yeah, don’t ask why there is a picture of the president at the back of a bishop while the bishop is blabbering on a condom with the label “Pro Reproductive Health Bill”. I admit, I did blabber this here at home while the issue is still hot. Why is the church very hesitant to prohibit this bill? Did they know what is inside the bill? Did they label condoms and other contraceptives as aborting a child? Do they have anything to contribute when the population bursts above the threshold level?

So much questions yet only a tidbit or few can be answered. In my opinion, I favor the RH bill. Why? Because with the RH bill, families are given the chance to explore a new way of controlling pregnancies. Beside the rhythm method which Pope Pius XII approved way back in 1954. The pope said, “there could be multiple reasons to avoid having any children at all in a marriage.” Which I think, includes contraceptives.

To those who are reading and wondering what is contraceptives, contraceptives, as what the Wikipedia defined as birth control. It is a regimen of one or more actions, devices, or medications followed in order to deliberately prevent or reduce the likelihood of pregnancy or childbirth.

In that term, where is the abortion in that? Abortion is defined as the termination of the life of the child inside the womb of the mother. Abortion is classified as illegal and you could be punished if you’re gonna abort the child. I hope the church would do something to understand why there is a need to control pregnancies. As what the articles stated, “the lack of logic is a clear demonstration of mistaking apples for oranges.” It is clear in the law that the church and the state should be separated. The church could interfere with the state if and only if, the state is in a grave danger. There is no harm in using contraceptives such as condoms. One can enjoy making love with his/her partner without thinking of pregnancy.

Turning a Blind Eye by Atenews is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 Philippines License.

College Fiesta 08 or better known as the 60th Anniversary of Ateneo de Davao University. My current college alma mater who provides students with utmost knowledge, utmost discipline and the practice of “magis”. But what do you think about this year’s fiesta? Would it be successful? Would it? Would it? For me, it’s not. Why? With all the preparations given to us, with hours planning in the said fiesta, and I call it unsuccessful even though the fiesta is tomorrow and it never started yet.

Have you noticed? If this is a fiesta, should all classes be suspended? Should we deserve to celebrate it without classes? This is a rant and it’s on.

Back in the days when caveman used stones to create fire (wait, wrong article, sorry - Author). OK round 2, back in the days when we celebrate college fiesta by starting a motor cade or a parade rather from Rizal Park to Ateneo de Davao with not much of a casualty, not much of a problem since it’s very near and we don’t need to complain about the heat. I don’t know about the others but for me, it’s not that hurtful. This year is worst. I thought 60 years would mean, 60 years of education excellence and they would like us to parade from Ateneo college to Ateneo grade school. Are you kidding? Though, for me, I don’t complain because naturally, I could walk that far. Without rest, I could go on. But for others, especially women who don’t like to walk that far, would you consider it as part of what Ateneo could give to us students? But we can’t do anything about this because it’s in the schedule. They can’t change in the last minute because all has been set.

Tonight, I’ll pack my bag containing a slipper, a bunch of water or an energy drink perhaps, extra shirts and I mean, a lot of them and an umbrella. I pray that this is the most unforgivable and memorable fiesta that I celebrated. The most grueling by nature.

Would just love stress? Don’t you? Don’t you? The hell with stress. Everything is being stressed. Even this blog is been stressed (does it? I don’t think so). Anyway, I’ve been back to school since I’ve been absent for the past 1 semester of my life. Others refer it as PMA (Pahinga Muna Anak) while the school refer it as LOA (Leave Of Absence). So now I’m back.. With a new program and such, things just changed inside the walls of my school. I didn’t expect that some teachers evolved from being good to being abusive. Before the days when MacBook, NEO, Acer, Toshiba, or we refer them as laptops reached above critical point and the school has no choice but to put more access points than students clogging the OSA (Office of Student Affairs) or the TSO (Technical Support Office) just to get the chance on “free Internet”, teachers assumes that we, who don’t have any of those because we have PCs at home, began to pressure us on doing our paper and other assignments at that choke pointed timeline. Right now, I’ve been in that tight schedule. Everything for me is being set. The last thing you’ll know, I’ll be carrying a calendar within my knapsack. Or an organizer perhaps or if you want it technologically… A PDA (Personal Desktop Assistant). I have paper to work on until August 29… A demo next week and the upcoming fiesta.

Bring everything within your sleeves. Paracetamols, Stresstabs and such because you’ll need it. My head hurted 3 times because of stress. Lack of sleep, many assignments, quizzes, etc.

Remember the time when I said my adrenaline rushed for the 2nd time? Remember the time when I said we want to be in the Finals. Remember the time when we want to crush the Faculty? All of it never happened. It never happened because we lost do the Faculty. I never get the chance to play straight. I never get the chance to receive the ball and play with my own game. Why? Because, we lack team work. Team work is key in the game and if you don’t have any team work, you will GO DOWN.

So why do we lost? Anyone who can see the game clearly observed that we indeed lack team work. Those teammates of mine who are in the higher years wants the ball for themselves. I have nothing against ball hogging though I was in that situation once. It’s OK to ball hog if you can shoot the ball. The problem is, they ball hog and they can’t shoot the damn ball.

Now, it’s over. Just a simple miscommunication in-court and that caused us the league. We have the chances to stay in the league. Oh well. It just happened. We lost and we can’t do anything about it.