Random Chapters

This is an exerpt from something that I wrote.

Chapter 4

The Demise

Summer before I turned 4^th year high school is when my mother experienced the peak of suffering from the pains of cervical cancer. I remember her crying so loud. What did I feel? I felt I don’t want to feel anything. I was tuning her out. I just don’t want to feel sad and concerned. It’s just too painful. Back then I felt as though the experience is much for me to bear. Right now, while writing this, I can’t help but be sad. I miss her so much. She died June 27, 2010.

 

Chapter 5

The Reaping

 

I’ve said a while ago that I have a thing on announcement of honors. I remember the announcement of honors when I am to graduate in high school. It just for me is dramatic. Well, I found it wonderful that I cried when I heard the news. Standing in front of my teachers and batch mates, it dawned to me that this is the product of my hard work. I’m reaping my harvest. I even imagined my mother watching me and applauding. It’s really  a dramatic moment for me.

Javert and Jean Valjean

The characters of Javert and Jean Valjean are said to be of binary opposition. For one, they represent the concept of what is just and right in two different and sometimes opposing ways. Javert embodies the abstract of being right and just in strict accordance to man-made law and written formal norms. On the other hand, Jean Valjean is a representation of what's right and just that is modified by love, compassion, and of morality. These having said, we could see where there characters are founded. Javert is very loyal to man-made law thereby imbibing law-made concept of justice. Hence, a violation, however small they may be must be duly punished as stated in the law. Valjean lives with morality, understands deeply humanity (being human) and conforms to justice according to the law of the divine. That people do change and capable of redemption, deserves second chance,that violations are modified or somehow lessened by intent and circumstance.

Additionally, Javert's conscientious adherence to the law would represent the upper class (bourgeoisie) maintaining their status and keeping their power over those of the lower class (proletariat). Hence, preserving the status quo. Valjean, a running criminal and a proletarian turned bourgeois himself, silently seeks to change, rather than preserve, the social strata through providing employment and helping the needy. From these we could see that they are both right and wrong in different contexts. Javert being right according to the law but wrong in the eyes of ethics and morality. Other wise Jean Valjean is wrong because of his negligence to the law yet right on the side of humanity.

Furthermore, it is not wrong to imply that imply that Javert is the conservative one while Valjean is a reformist, an agent of change. This could be related to why Javert still wants to capture Valjean after so many years (so many that Valjean had already changed). The inspector believes that people cannot possibly change, i.e. "Once a criminal, always a criminal." Yet change did Valjean. Thus it is safe to imply that their characters also represent the parties involved in a development and/or revolution. Javert being the resistance, Valjean the aggressor. Moreover, there's hope for change. If Valjean can, we can, the society can.

At the end, Javert, whose principles and values were shaken by Valjean's, killed himself. Perhaps this is the keypoint of the story's theme. The message is that "Javert" of the society of the society will perish and will be vanquished if more "Valjeans" would rise. But this is not a call for armed revolution. The story clearly shown the use of guns as weapons isn't effective. This is more of a revolution of the intellect and of love- to use the minds and hearts as armors- to apply in words and deeds fields of philosophy, theology and morality as weapons in eliminating illnesses of the society and in changing a very degrading status quo.

The story's subject matter may be bounded by time and place but its theme and its essence as a work of art transcends generations and territories. Les Miserables is timeless. Praises to Victor Hugo!

My Reasons to say YES to Duwang Camarines

 Perhaps House Bill 4728, also known as “An Act Creating the Province of Nueva Camarines”, now amended and replaced with HB 4820, is in its incubation period. Hence, it’s not as noisy as other issues we have today. Yet as a constituent that is directly affected by this, I think it would still be worthwhile for me to discuss about this social issue.

History has it that the term division is not new to Bicol Region. The same process occurred for several times already since its foundation on 1573. Bicol was then split into two namely Partido de Ibalon and Partido de Camarines on 1574. Come March 19, 1919, the latter was further divided into Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte which was acclaimed as separate provinces by a decree of the first Philippine Legislative. This is my ground in saying that time is already ripe for us to undergo yet a similar process – for progress, and for the next generations’ benefit.

For one, legal requirements under R.A. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 are met; thus, qualifying the two consequent areas to be provinces themselves. In fact both shall easily qualify for first class status if ever.

This could also be logically advantageous in the sense that smaller areas of jurisdiction will make monitoring and management easier. It would facilitate administration of basic social services to reach remote and neglected areas. This in turn would provide opportunities for social and economic growth. In the same way, towns that will share the allocation of Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) would be decreased; thus, will and must receive more of it.

Analogically, this is like our parents seeing us graduate high school and progress to college. They would do everything just to support us; hence, investing for our future to be as bright as they plan. I know this would be costly a venture, yet every investment entails this kind of sacrifice. This is why those who spearhead this action must prove themselves trustworthy enough to bear this risk.

So I say, let not self-interest impede, or mainly promote this move. Decision-making must be guided not by maintaining or keeping neither status nor reputation. Rather, by the welfare of the present and future constituents.