MATA

Sa unang pagkakataon mga mata’y nagkasalubong

Hindi inaakalang may uusbong na pagtitinginan

Sa paglipas ng panahon

Bawat kurap ay ‘di pinalagpas

Nasundan ang unang pagkikita

Muli na namang nagkita sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon

Mga mata’y waring nangungusap

Tila may gustong ipahayag

Nagkapalagayan ng loob sa isa’t-isa

Hindi maipaliwanag ang sayang nadarama tuwing magkasama

Waring puso ay tumatalon sa sobrang tuwa

Paningin ay umaaliwalas tuwing ikaw ay nasisilayan

Mahaba-haba na rin ang pinagsamahan bilang magkaibigan

Habang tumatagal lalong lumalalim ang pagkakaibigan

Na nauwi sa malalim na pagtitinginan

Tuwa sa mga mata’y walang kapantay

Mata’y hindi mapakali tuwing siya’y wala sa aking paningin

Sa bawat minuto’y siya ang ibig na masilayan

Puso ko’y tila napapaos na sa walang tigil na pagsigaw ng kanyang pangalan

Sa isipan, ang kanyang mukha ang laging nakikita

Ikaw ay nagtapat na ako’y iyong iniirog; ako’y hindi makapaniwala

Nanlalabo ang paningin

Hindi mawari kung ano ang dapat na isagot

Pagkasambit niya sa mga katagang iyon

Mga mata’y napatitig sa isa’t-isa

Bakas sa mga mata ang naguumapaw na tuwa

Kislap ng mga mata’y walang kaparis

Daig pa ang kislap ng mga bituin sa langit

Dahil sa kagustuhan kong marinig muli

Ang mga salitang kanyang binitiwan

Pilit kong pinapaulit

Munti kong kahilingan

Agad niyang dininig

Ang puso ko’y muli na namang tumalon sa sobrang tuwa

At tila nag-uumapaw ito sa pagmamahal sa kanya

Hindi na napigilan ang bibig na sambitin ang:

“Mahal din kita.”

Masaya ang naging pagsasama ng dalawang puso na dati’y nag-iisa

Nagbibigay kulay at kinang sa buhay ng isa’t-isa

Problema’t pagod ay kayang-kayang pawiin

Basta’t laging magkasama

Sa tuwing tayo ay namamasyal

Tayo ay magkahawak-kamay

Tila ayaw bumitiw sa isa’t-isa

Sabi ko sa kanya:

“tumingin ka na ng gusto mo

sigurado ako na marami kang makikita at magugustuhan

pero tumingin ka na sa lahat ng bagay

huwag lang sa ibang babae”

Ako’y iyong niyakap at sinabing ako lang ang mamahalin

At siya ay akin lamang

Sa paglipas ng panahon ikaw ay nananatili parin sa aking tabi

Lalong kumikinang kislap ng mga mata

Puwing sa mga mata na nagdudulot ng pagluha

Agad nating napapawi

Ngunit dumating ang araw, mga mata mo’y tila nanlabo na

Wala na ang dating kislap sa iyong mga mata

Ang aking iniirog na dati’y laging nasa aking tabi

Ngayo’y bihira na lamang makapiling

Sa tuwina’y ikaw ang laging hanap

Ng mga matang nais masilayan ang dating kislap ng iyong mga mata

Puso ko’y nalulugmok na sa kalungkutan

Isip ko’y hapo na sa kakaisip sa’yo

Sa kanyang pamamasyal kaya ay mayroon na siyang nahanap?

Hiling ko sa Panginoon na sana’y mali ang aking iniisip

Na sana sa kanyang pamamasyal

bagay ang kanyang nakita at nagustuhan

Paano nga ba mababawi ang dating kinang ng iyong mga mata

Na dati’y nakakasilaw at nakakahumaling

Kung sa iyong pamamasyal ikaw ay nakahanap na ng iba

Mata’y ibinaling na pala sa iba

Juvenile Delinquency in the Philippines Upsurges

By: Paula Jane Escasinas

Jose Rizal once said “The youth is the hope of our nation” (AngKabataanangpag-asangbayan). Is this really happening now? Or is it the other way around? The rising number of youth involvement in crimes catches great attention from the news media and politicians. This crime caused great fear and dismay among the country. This prevailing issue greatly affects the development and the image of our country.

Youth involvement in crimes

Nowadays, the rate of juvenile delinquency in the Philippines upsurges; murder and physical assault topped the list of cases committed by minors followed by robbery, with minor offenders ranging from 15 to 18 years old. Base on the records of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), most of the young offenders are male, amounting to 9,390, while only 704 are female. Most of them came from the Visayas, Southern Tagalog and Ilocos Regions. In the National Capital Region, there are about 1,130 youth offences documented. Among these, 488 are crimes against property and 263 are crimes against person, whereas 234 amounts drug-related cases. DSWD admits that “the increasing number of delinquent youth has been a serious concern of the government since the late 1980’s.” Their population doubles every other year. Since then, the number has been constantly and aggressively increasing until now. Statistical records of juvenile delinquency in the country are difficult to be quantified accurately due to several reasons. Often, crimes committed by juveniles are not reported and those that are may not result in an arrest. Usually, crimes are more likely to be reported whenever they involve serious injury or large economic loss. The statistical reports may also depend to the willingness of the victims to report crimes to law enforcement agencies, and also in the inclination of the police to make records.

The levels and types of youth crimes can be used as an indicator of the general state of morality and law and order in a country, and consequently youth crime can be the source of ‘moral panics’ in a society. Other crimes committed by the Filipino youth involve the use of illicit drugs, rape, and many other forms of criminality. Given these disturbing facts about the Filipino youth of today, can we still say that the youth of today is the hope of our nation? How can they contribute in addressing the various social ills of our country today and bring hope to our beloved motherland if the youth itself were the ones who give ills in the country. Due to this, our nation remains trapped in a critical condition.

Who to BLAME?

This remains debatable. Is it the minor offender who committed the crime? Their parents? Or the government? Who will be held accountable to the crimes committed by an individual who’s still in a minor age?

Youth. Crime is equals to punishment. That is the first thing that comes to our mind whenever someone committed a crime or violated the law. However, there is an exception to the rule—a minor offender has not yet developed the capacity to discern what is right or wrong, that is why a child could not be put into prison. Under Presidential Decree No. 603 or the Child and WelfareCode of the Philippines, a child aged nine years old and below who committed a crime doesn't face any criminal liability. The same applies to youths aged 15 years old and below unless it is proven he or she committed the crime with discernment.

Parents. Filipino youth offenders should be understood in the context of the ‘Filipino family in crisis.' Family, as the basic unit of social production should be further viewed as a miniature of the larger Filipino in crisis. It is imperative to guide the youth in their physical, mental, and spiritual life, and this should be the main responsibility of every parent to their children. Parental guidance is the most effective way in moulding ones personality and values. This will certainly teach an individual on how to become a good and responsible citizen of his or her own country. Likewise, it will also prevent involvement of their children in crimes; thus, contributes to the lessening or prevention of the emerging rate of juvenile delinquency in the country. 

Government. The authority should be a role model among its citizen, as youth today sometimes shadows what the government do. They thought that what they saw through their eyes is right.

It will be useless for them to discipline or rule their citizens without practicing what they preach and order. It is important for every government leaders to remember that ‘in order to become a good leader, you must be a good follower first. In the Philippines, an individual is blamed for his wrongdoings, and yet not much is done by the government to correct structural inequality of the classes, overpopulation and the corruption of politicians and the judiciary. The status quo remains as the result of the absence of drastic changes that should be made by the government for the betterment of every individual in their community. 

Youth Imprisonment is not the SOLUTION

There are several laws which are implemented prior to juvenile delinquency; however it seems that existing laws are not enough or effective in suppressing the emergence of juvenile delinquency in the Philippines. What is the government doing? If the state is not prepared to help juvenile delinquents, surely the crime rate will continuously rise. Putting the juvenile delinquents behind bars to achieve the so called ‘justice’ will not lessen the crimes of which young villains involve themselves. Hence it will just become a source of the development of criminal capacity of young offenders, making them the “new adult criminals of tomorrow.” In addition, there is no need to implement a law that will subject a lower age limit of youth offenders to criminal liability. Community service, rather than imprisonment is more effective in holding minors accountable for their mistakes. Moreover, it will be an advantage to them; it will develop their skills and value the importance of work; thus, preventing them to commit crimes. The solution to the problem of controlling juvenile delinquency is not incarceration but good education and vocational training, thus emphasizing prevention and rehabilitation. And these could be achieved through economic and political empowerment of the Filipino family.

YOUTH: Hope or Fear?

Nowadays, the youth could inspire both hope and fear in the society. Fear in the form of apathy, criminality, and immorality. Hope in the form of participation, concern and volunteerism. Solving the country’s social problems, then, is a challenge for the youth to bring hope rather than fear into our society. The youth have a crucial role to play in shaping the future of our county. They have proven that they can be powerful agents of change. The question is, are they up to the challenge?

YOU HOLD MY HEART

YOU HOLD MY HEART

 

You, vampire freak, who bite me with those promises

Promises which flows throughout my veins

Unable to control its flow unto my heart

Without hesitations, to you I entrusted my heart

My heart filled with love, now has turned into ice and now has turned into pieces

You are the serpent upon my own paradise

Hissing, crawling, and craving endlessly

Scar on your body remember the error from the past

Lost your love is far away, you’ll never find it, since you broke your vows on me

You’ll never find another who shines like me, until you’re dead and gone

You are like a ghost of my past

Haunting me wherever I go

Appears in my dreams

Caressing me tightly, crying, begging for forgiveness

You’re such a nightmare!

Remember the times when we’re still together

Holding each other’s hands

Lying on the grass

Watching the moon and the stars that twinkle

Making promises, that as long as the stars twinkle, you and I will be together

As I longingly wish for your embrace whilst my emotions are left hollowlike

Alas to be betrayed by the one whom I gave my heart obediently

So overconfidently knowing I would not be betrayed

And now what is left but a wound, mockingly following me as I think of you

Recalling painfully of memories that are easily gone

I guess nobody can fix it unless I won’t let myself

Bringing back to where my heart belongs

I know there’s somebody waiting, somebody who deserves to hold my heart

Happiness is waiting behind the clouds; the sunlight leads me through it

Leaving the past and facing the world that waits for me anew

 -Paula Escasinas