~travis

why is it raining so cold?

Paglangoy Dianil Malabanan dhianhj@yahoo.com Kontento na sana si Jadie sa panonood sa kanyang mga kaibigan habang lumalangoy sila sa beach, ngunit bilgla siyang nabagot at nainis nang mapansin niya na mga bote na lang ng beer ang kanyang mga katabi. Maging ang kasintahan niyang si Marcus ay naliligo rin sa dagat at tila walang pakialam sa kaniya. Naisip tuloy ni Jadie kung bakit pa siya sumama sa bakasyon ng barkda: hindi naman niya sila gaano kasundo dahil iba ang takbo ng isip niya sa kanila, pagdating sa mga outing o pagsasaya. Para sa kanya, masyado silang “wild.” Bukod pa dito, hindi sana si Jadie sa mga outing. Siya ang tipo ng babae na mahilig tumambay sa mall o kaya naman sa bahay. Ito ang huling araw nila sa Palawan. Bukas ng umaga, babalik na sila sa Maynila. “Back to the real world,” ika nga ni Alain, ang kaibigan niyang pintor. Nayamot itong gumising noong umaga dahil napipinto na ang wakas ng bakasyon. Pinamasdan ni Jadie si Alain habang lumalangoy ito na tila sirena. Wala na sa mukha nito ang kahit anong bakas ng inis. Sa layo ni Alain sa dagat, rinig pa rin ni Jadie ang pag-awit niya ng “Part of your world” na galing sa pelikulang “The Little Mermaid.” Natawa si Jadie noong naalala niya na niligawan niya si Alain kahit alam niyang kasapi ito ng federacion. Sunod naman na napansin ni Jadie si Yaddah. Photographer siya. Madaldal din siya at saksakan ng taklesa. Daig pa nito si Kris Aquino. “Hoy Jadie! Lumusong ka na dito!” sigaw ni Yaddah. “Baka ipagpalit ka ni Marcus sa sirena!” dagdag pa nito. Umiling si Marah. Pinilit niyang ngumiti, ngunit naiirita siya sa pakiramdam ng buhangin sa kanyang balat, sa init ng araw sa kanyang mga balikat, at higit sa lahat, inis na inis siya kay Marcus dahil sa mga ikinilos nito noong nkaraang gabi. Tumuloy silang Palawan bilang pre-graduation celebration. Hindi dapat sasama si Jadie. (Napapayag lang siya ni Yaddah dahil ayaw niya na siya lang ang babae sa grupo.) Gusto na kasi niyang magsimulang maghanap ng trabaho. Sa katunayan, nakpaghanda na siya ng mga resume at portfolio sa iba’t-ibang mga kompanya. Ayaw kasi niya maging bahagi ng estatistika ng mga tambay o walang trabaho. Habang palapit nang palapit ang araw ng graduation, hindi mapigilan ni Jadie na mag-alala. Kahit ayaw na niyang isipin ang kinabukasan, hindi ito natatanggal sa kanyang isipan. Lagi rin niya naaalala ang pag-uusap nilang magkakaibigan. “Ayoko mabulok sa call center.” Sabi ni Yaddah. “Sayang ang utak ko. Huli yun sa mga pagpipilian ko. Baka mag-masteral na lang ako.” “Tutuloy akong Canada. May Scholarship ako.” Sambit ni Alain. “Maghahanap ako doon ng fafa ko.” “Tambay muna ako sa bahay. Mga 6 na buwan.” Humalakhak si Marcus pagksabi niya nito. “Pahinga muna ako.” Napataas ng kilay si Jadie. “Seryoso ka ba? Mahirap ang buhay ngayon!” Tumahimik ang lahat nang sinabi yun ni Jadie. Alam nanan kasi nilang magkakaibigan yon. Alam din nila na pagkatapos ng lahat, ay magkakahiwa-hiwalay na silang lahat. Magbabago ang takbo ng kanilang mga buhay. Puwedeng magkalayo din ang mga loob nila. Maaaring hindi na sila magkita muli: Pupuntang Canada sa Alain, at si Yaddah naman, baka sa ibang bansa din mag-masteral. Si Marcus, maaaring pumuntang Amerika dahil nursing ang kurso nito. Si Jadie lang ang maiiwan sa Pilipinas. Isa siyang Philosophy major. Sa tuwing naiisip niya ang lahat nang ito, naiiyak siya: kaibigan niya sina Marcus, Alain, at Yaddah mula pa noong high school. Kilalang-kilala siya ng mga ito kahit medyo naiiba siya sa kanila. “Ms. Overprotected” ang tawag nilang lahat kay Jadie. Bantay kasi ng mga magulang ni Jadie ang lahat ng kilos nito. Ultimo suot na damit ay dinidikta ng kanyang mga magulang. Maraming bagay din ang bawal kay Jadie. Sa katunayan, hindi alam ng kanyang mga magulang na kasintahan na niya si Marcus. Kung happy-go-lucky ang lahat ng knyang mg kabrkda, kabaliktarn nman nito si Jadie. Isa png bansag sa kanya ay “Ms. Rules-and-Regulations.” Lagi kasi siyang “prim and proper.” Sa buong bakasyon nila, hindi tumabi sa pagtulog si Jadie kay Marcus. Hanggang holding hands lang kasi ang gusto ni Jadie. Kaya noong nakaraang gabi, laking gulat na lang ni Jadie nang biglang nagnakaw ng halik sa kanya si Marcus. Umiyak si Jadie dahil dito. “Bakit mo yun ginawa?!?” “Smack lang naman yun e. Good night kiss.” “Bastos! Dapat nagpaalam ka muna sa’kin.” “Gusto ko lang maging spontaneous. Bakit? Dapat ba lahat lahat lahat ipagpaalam ko sa’yo? ” “Hindi naman… pero iba kasi ang kiss.” “Ah ewan ko sa’yo. Ms. Rules-and-Regulations. Matulog ka na nga. Nanlalambing lang ako e. Nagtoothbrush ako ha. For your information!” Katabi ni Jadie noon si Yaddah na natawa lang sa nangyari sa kanila ni Marcus. “Oo nga naman, Jadie. Smack lang naman. At wala pang 3 seconds! Nanlalambing lang ang tao. At huwag kang mag-alala. Hangga’t ako ang katabi mo, ‘di ka pwede chansingan ni Marcus.” Sumingit naman si Alain. “Chachansingan ko si Marcus pag tinangka niya gawin yun! Subukan lang niya.” Nagsitawanan ang lahat maliban na lang kay Jadie na nagtalukbong na nang kumot. “KJ na ako kung KJ,” naisip niya. Medyo palubog na ang araw at hindi pa rin nagsasawa ang mga kaibigan niya sa paglangoy. Halos naubos na ni Jadie ang bote ng sunblock lotion dahil pahid siya ng pahid. Dapat kasi may payong. Dapat kasi may banig para hindi ako sa buhangin nakupo. Dapat kasi kanina pa sila umahon. Dapat kasi hindi na lang ako sumama, naisip niya. Nadagdagan pa ang kanyang pagka-irita dahil paniguradong magtatagal pa sila sa beach: doon daw sila mag-iinuman. Kumulo ang dugo ni Jadie nang naisip niya ito. Ayaw na niya. Gusto na niya bumalik ng Maynila. Wala na siyang pakialam sa bakasyon. Ayaw na niya sa dagat, sawang-sawa na siya dito kahit hindi pa siya nakakalangyoy. Naiinis din siya sa buhangin. Pakiramdam niya, tila alikabok ang mga ito. Kalat lang sa paligid. Higit sa lahat, naiinis si Jadie nang mapansin niyang tila nagsasaya naman ang barakada niya kahit hindi siya nakikihalubilo sa kanila. Umahon si Yaddah at Alain. Nilapitan nila si Jadie. “Ang asim ng mukha mo. Enjoy. Last day na natin dito!” Nakakunot na rin ang noo ni Yaddah. “Pag nasa Real World na tayo, hindi na natin ito puwede gawin. At saka Jadie… masyado kang seryoso. Live life naman. Ika nga ng isa ko pang friend, the day you take life seriously is the day you are potentially insane.” Nakapamewang si Alain. “At saka naalala mo ba yung sa Finding Nemo? Yung “keep on swimming”? parang ganun lang. simple lang. Hindi nagsalita si Jadie. Titingnan lang niya kalangitan. Lumubog na ang araw. Litaw na litaw na ang mga bituin. Sa di naman kalayuan, nakita niya si Marcu, kumakaway. “Hoy Jadie! Tara! Langoy.” “Ayoko.” Nagmatigas si Jadie. Nagulat na lang siya nang bigla siyang buhatin nina Alain at Yaddah. “Teka! Hindi ako sanay lumangoy sa dagat! Bitiwan niyo ako!” Ngunit huli na. Narmdaman ni Jadie ang pagbagsak niya sa tubig. Hindi niya alam kung bakit, pero tila nawala ang init ng kanyang ulo noong naramdaman niya ang katamtamang lamig ng tubig. Tila inaakap siya nito. Pinalutang ni Jadie ang sarili at tumingala sa langit. Tadtad ito ng bituin. Pagakatapos nito, tiningnan ni Jadie ang dagat. Itim ito. Sa malayo, may bangkang maliwanang ang ilaw. Namangha si Jadie sa ganda ng liwanag sa dilim. “Puwede ba kita ma-akap kahit 2 seconds?” boses yon ni Marcus. Tumango si Jadie. Tumawa sina Alain at Yaddah. Natawa silang lahat. Habang nagisitawa sila, may naramdamang kirot sa kanyang puso si Jadie. Sa mga sandaling iyon, nakaramdam siya ng matinding lungkot, saya, at pangungulila; ngunit alam niya sa sarili niya na magiging maayos ang lahat. Muli siyang tumingala at tumitig sa kalawakan.

 

Jina Kim

FINAL PAPER

FOREIGN SERVICE INSTITUTE

1. Brief History

 

DFA's history dates back to Emilio Aguinaldo's time, when the Philippines became a Repbulic. Apolinario Mabini, also known as the Sublime Paralytic, was appointed as the first secretary of DFA. The DFA was ormed because the Philippine government thought that the country needed international recognition to support the legitimacy of the government.

The Foreign service institute was established on December 9, 1976. It takes care of the career development of DFA employees.

a.) During the American Occupation and Japanese Occupation the DfA did not take an active role in formulating Philippine Foreing policies. It was only on 1946 when DFA took over the creatiohn of Foreign Policies.

b.) The post-war years became the DFA's most productive year. Under President Elpedio Quirino, the Foreign Service Law was approved. This was the first foreign policy created without American supervision.

Under President Marcos, the imprortance of national security was realized by t he DFA. Several laws and policies were created to address this matter.

The DFA also created policies that would be beneficial to the country's different industries such as trade and investment. Also, policies that tied the Philippines to the United States (for the latter's advantage) were reformatted to protect the country's interests. Included in these changes were policies that would ensure the advantage and safety of OFWs. Today, the DFA remains faithful to its goal of protecting the country's interest.

1. Organizational Structure

An organizational board composed of 5 people heads the FSI . It is chaired by DFA's secretary.

The FSI is led by the Director (who is a senior career Chief-of-Mission, and is also known as Assistant Secretary.) The Director is then helped by the Assistant Director. The other members of the FSI board are the heads of the AFSD (Administrative and Financial Services Division), CCFSD (Career Forein Service Development), and CIRSS (Center for International Relation and Foreign Studies).

Academic operations of the FSI are facilitated by the CCFSD and CIRSS, while support services are provided by the Administrative and Financial Services Division.

1. Budget

    

For the year 2004, the DFA's budget is P4,409,389,000.00.

For the year 2005, DFA's budget is PhP4,937,633,000.00

1. Purpose of the Agency

a.) The FSI was created to serves as an agency that ensures the development, professionalization and growth of the foreign service corps. Aside from this, the FSI also serves as a research institution that conducts studies to improve issues and problems about foreign policy implications, regional strategies,a nd the management of forein affairs.

b.) The FSI takes care of its personnel, but the people who benefit from the career trainings of the FSI corps ate those who have official transactions with the DFA. Among the FSI's clientile are OFWs, foreiners who want to avaid Philippine passports or visas, Filipinos who need their passports for their own purposes.

Without the FSI, DFA employees would not have ample trainig to do their jobs. Also, foreign policies and the like will not be studied thoroughly. A result of this, the DFA will be poorly manned and may cause a lot of ineffciencies in the flow of the agency.

1. Process of Delivering the Product

a.) The FSI has a lot of programs and this is one means of delivering their services directly or inderetly to its clientile. 1.) Research done by the FSI is a very important “product” carried out by this agency. For example, the studies conducted by the FSI are used for the modification of some foreign policies, and important matters. 2.) Publications written by the FSI personnel are also very important.

United Parcel Service: Not Just Delivering Packages---They are now synchronizing your world.

 

Summary (over all- gist of the report) 

 

The United Parcel Service, more popularly known as the USP, has become a world flattener. UPS was once a company that shipped packages. In short, it was an airfreight business that did nothing but ensure that your packages will arrive at your doorstep on top shape. Now, UPS has expanded its operations. They collaborate with other companies by means of  “In-sourcing.”

 

In-sourcing involves the participation of UPS in the operations of a certain company. People from the UPS works closely with a company to collaborate. UPS does this with big and small companies alike, giving both parties almost the same range of opportunities for them to reach their customers and consumers. The most striking feat UPS achieved is being in charge of synchronizing global supply chains for large and small companies.

 

 

Forces Behind Flattening the World: How UPS works

 

• UPS collaborates with large and small companies
  

 

-         for these companies to work efficiently, they ask UPS to do some of their work for them. Toshiba, for example, used to repair its own laptops and computers when customers complain. Since it takes a long time to do this, Toshiba collaborated with UPS. Employees certified by Toshiba work at a UPS hub and fix damaged laptops there.

 

-         for a more synchronized schedule of delivering food ingredients, food companies like “Papa John’s” enlisted UPS to take care of the pick up and delivery of their food supply.

 

-         companies that sell their products online route their orders to UPS. For instance, if someone buys a pair of shoes from nike.com, the order is routed to UPS, and they take care of the rest.

 

 

All of these were done by means of “insourcing”.

 

§                     What exactly is insourcing?

 

-         When UPS works with a certain company, UPS engineers come right inside that company to study and understand it thoroughly. The engineers analyze the company’s manufacturing, packaging, and its delivery processes. 

-         After this, UPS will design, re-design, and manage the company’s supply

chain. When needed, UPS will gladly finance some parts of the company.

 

 

• Small Companies are Given the Chance to Compete with Large Companies
  

                  -Majority of UPS’ customers are small companies

 

                  -UPS takes them global

 

                  -because of UPS, companies both small and large are now able to see                           where they could sell their goods, manufacture their goods, and buy raw                                 materials for their products

 

            -smaller companies now have access to the world market, which was    exclusive to large companies

 

            -small companies are empowered by the UPS store, which enables them to       avail of global supply chain services

 

• Large Companies can “Act Small”
  

 

-         UPS headquarters all over the world work with large companies in order to reach clients all over the world.

 

-     For example, if an HP laptop breaks down somewhere in the world, a UPS       headquarters in that area will repair it directly, instead of sending it to the HP headquarters in the Unites States.

 

• UPS is also an important innovator
  

 

-         UPS manages to break customs barriers by means of devising a smart way of tracking down packages. UPS, together with the US customs, made a very efficient tracking and sorting system. As a result, the global flow of packages is not interrupted.

 

• UPS takes care of internet-based transactions
  

 

-         Companies that sell their items online and have their companies shipped are helped by UPS by means of having their engineers suggest how their products could be packed and shipped in order for their products to reach the consumers in good shape.

 

-         Individuals who sell their things on Ebay also use UPS. Thanks to the tracking barcode, the person who purchased products on Ebay can monitor where exactly their products are.

 

• Advantages of Working with UPS
  

 

 

-     UPS reduces credit risk. They step in as trusted brokers. Since they have          the packages, they don’t deliver it unless the customer pays.

 

-         UPS transforms a certain company’s delivering system etc, based on its needs. As a result, it saves the company more money and time, while increasing its profit!

 

-         UPS has its own set of meteorologists so they can operate more efficiently, and in their own terms.

 

-         UPS uses wireless technology in order to operate more fluidly.

 

-         Products handled and delivered by UPS are more secure

 

-         UPS does inventories for large companies

 

-         The brains of UPS is the Operations Research Division, which studies supply chain algorithms.

 

·                    Why UPS is Trusted: Efficiency

 

-         because of its efficient packaging strategies, products handled by UPS reaches their owners in top shape

 

-         UPS delivers with great punctuality. This is due to the delivery systems they devised that makes sure that everything is delivered on the dot. 

 

-         UPS developed advanced gadgets delivery personnel use that ensures that the things don’t get delivered to the wrong places

 

 

·              Flattening the World: UPS

 

            UPS is no longer a delivery service company. They actually synchronize the global supply chain system. They work with companies and help them function effectively.

 

            Both small and large companies benefit from UPS because they both have access to UPS’ global supply chain. This make competition more leveled, both for small and large companies.

 

            Because UPS makes companies work more efficiently, money, time, and manpower is saved, and the daily pace of life (this involves the consumer and the companies) uninterrupted. In this manner, UPS synchronizes the world. 

 

 

Google and Other Search Engines: The World’s Information at Your Fingertips

 

Summary:

 

Information was not accessible a long time ago. People had to go to libraries if they needed to find information. Also, looking for information used to be a dreary task. Now, thanks to search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and MSN, one can have access to all sorts of information.

 

With all the information found on the Internet, all one has to do is type for what they are looking for and the search engine does the rest. With the help of search engines, information is now accessible to everybody. People from all walks of life---as long as they have Internet access, can retrieve all the information they need. This is called in-forming.

 

People are empowered through informing. Anybody can avail of knowledge and entertainment with the help of search engines. People can become self-directed and self-instructed researchers and editors of all the information they need to access. While bringing people to common ground (it brings everybody from all walks of life together), it empowers people in a very personal level.

 

 

How Search Engines Flatten the World

 

§         What exactly is in-forming?

-         “In-forming is the individual’s personal analog to uploading, outsourcing, insourcing, supply-chaining, and offshoring. In-forming is the ability to deploy your own personal supply chain—a supply chain of information, knowledge, and entertainment. It is about self-collaboration...and seeking for  knowledge”

 

·        How People are More Informed

 

-they know more about work

-small towns are no longer limited to small sources of information

-people could easily find their interests online

-people can find other people who share similar interests with them

 

·        Everybody can use it

 

-         the use of search engines is not exclusive

-         people with internet connection can access information by means of search engines

-         it is easy to use “if you can type, you can use a search engine”

 

§         Search engines are tools that help the democratization of information

 

-         everything under the sun can be found by search engines

-information about product

-information about jobs and companies

-facts and educational materials

-sometimes, personal information can be retrieved by search engines

 

• How Search Engines Work
  

 

-         a mathematical formula ranked a web page by how other WebPages are linked to it

 

-         page content is used to sort out WebPages

 

 

·        Search Engines are Personalized

 

-         You find what you need

-         You filter the information that you want
-         You access what you want and need
-         Using a search engine is like customizing your own library

 

·        Search Engines make the world smaller

 

-since the internet is accessible to everybody, people are allowed to put information about themselves (of course, this could be very high risk), or information about people can be posted online, people can now find each other with the help of search engines

 

-people from all over the world can connect with each other based on their interests with the help of search engines.

 

-if search engines become more and more accurate, finding information will be a lot easier, and this will save people time. Instead of spending lots of time on looking for the things they need, they can now redirect their energies to the things they need to do.

 

-the more global Goole users are, the more it reaches, and in this way, it makes the world smaller.

 

·        The Future: New Developments Through the Help of Search Engines

 

-         in the future, search engines will be more accurate

 

-         information that were not searchable will be searchable with more accurate search engines

 

-         all sorts of data will be accessible. Pictures, videos, high school paper information, health cures, and the like will be available to people through the help of search engines

 

-         even information from long ago, especially the practical ones, will be even more available through the help of search engines.

 

 

Search Engines: The World’s Information at Your Fingertips

 

Summary:

 

Information was not accessible a long time ago. People had to go to libraries if they needed to find information. Also, looking for information used to be a dreary task. Now, thanks to search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and MSN, one can have access to all sorts of information.

 

With all the information found on the Internet, all one has to do is type for what they are looking for and the search engine does the rest. With the help of search engines, information is now accessible to everybody. People from all walks of life---as long as they have Internet access, can retrieve all the information they need. This is called in-forming.

 

People are empowered through informing. Anybody can avail of knowledge and entertainment with the help of search engines. People can become self-directed and self-instructed researchers and editors of all the information they need to access. While bringing people to common ground (it brings everybody from all walks of life together), it empowers people in a very personal level.

 

 

How Search Engines Flatten the World

 

*What exactly is in-forming?

-         “In-forming is the individual’s personal analog to uploading, outsourcing, insourcing, supply-chaining, and offshoring. In-forming is the ability to deploy your own personal supply chain—a supply chain of information, knowledge, and entertainment. It is about self-collaboration...and seeking for  knowledge”

 

 

·        Everybody can use it

 

-         the use of search engines is not exclusive

-         people with internet connection can access information by means of search engines

-         it is easy to use “if you can type, you can use a search engine”

 

*Search engines are tools that help the democratization of information

-         everything under the sun can be found by search engines

-information about product

-information about jobs and companies

-facts and educational materials

-sometimes, personal information can be retrieved by search engines

• How Search Engines Work
  

 

-         a mathematical formula ranked a web page by how other WebPages are linked to it

 

-         page content is us ed to sort out WebPages

 

 

·        Search Engines are Personalized

 

-         You find what you need

-         You filter the information that you want
-         You access what you want and need
-         Using a search engine is like customizing your own library

 

·        Search Engines make the world smaller

 

-since the internet is accessible to everybody, people are allowed to put information about themselves (of course, this could be very high risk), or information about people can be posted online, people can now find each other with the help of search engines

 

-people from all over the world can connect with each other based on their interests with the help of search engines.

 

-if search engines become more and more accurate, finding information will be a lot easier, and this will save people time. Instead of spending lots of time on looking for the things they need, they can now redirect their energies to the things they need to do.