brOken doLL

after three more semesters..

i'll be able to scream..

to shout...

But will I be ready to face the real world? Will I be able to tell what is real from what isn't? Will I be able to distinguish between people who are really good to me from those who would just want to use me?

I am excited.

I am thrilled.

And I can't wait..

But in the middle of the excitement, of the thrill, honestly... I am scared... Because in a matter of 1 and a half year, I'll be graduating. I will be independent. I will be free. But I am also scared. I am scared because I don't have any idea what will happen to me in the real world. I don't have any plans. Because up to now, I still don't know what I want to do with my life.

In a matter of one and a half year.. I would be alone. There won't be any friends whom you can go out during lunch time. No friends who will let you copy from their work whenever you forgot to do yours. There won't be the "good professors" who will extend the deadline of your project because you haven't finish yours. There wouldn't be removals or special assignments to have "bonus points" to make your grades higher. Because for me, in the real world, you are not allowed to make mistakes. After graduating, the mistakes I will make will not be seen in class cards.. But it will be seen on me. In my life. I am scared. I think I am not ready yet.

Will I make it?

Will I make it out of my cocoon safely?

Will I be a beautiful butterfly?

After getting out of my cocoon, will I be able to fly?

I hope so.....

League of Filipino Students rallied in front of the US Embassy last September 11, 2009 in protest of the continued intervention of the United States in the Philippines.

LFS just celebrated its 32^nd founding anniversary. And in part of its commemoration, members of the militant group held a lightning rally in front of the US embassy.

Sovereignty in the Philippines is damaged by the stay of US troops in our country. This statement was given by LFS secretary general, Terry Ridon. Ridon stated that “The presence of US troops in the Philippines undermines the supposed sovereignty and independence of the country, even more so if that presence is permanent.”

“The continued implementation of the Visiting Forces of Agreement (VFA) and other unequal treaties with the US has taken away the victories of decade’s worth of Filipino struggle against US intervention such as the dismantling of US Bases in 1991.” Ridon added.

On May 27 1999, the Philippine Senate passed the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the United States and the Philippines. It is a bilateral agreement between US and RP which establishes mutual respect and parity on the two countries.

But after a decade of its implementation, VFA faces controversies. Has it really helped the country? Or was it a metaphor for US imperialism in our country?

According to the LFS leader, “The people’s battle cry in the anti-bases struggle was down with the US Imperialism and that remains appropriate, if not even more so today.”

“After a decade since it was ratified, we ask what the people has gotten out of the VFA. The supposed aid that is being given by the US troops in Mindanao service nothing but a smokescreen to their intervention in the country. It is nothing If it costs our freedom.”

According to them, the policies made by this agreement only serve the US’ welfare. On 2006, the US used this agreement to hold custody to the four soldiers who were accused of rape during their trial period. This led the Filipinos to think that the agreement is one-sided and is concerned only with the welfare of the US. It is a chain in our sovereignty. Some even look at this agreement as the reason why the US military troops and the US government treat Filipinos as second class citizens in their own country.

This is why the Filipino youth protests against the American troops. They want to put a stop on the way the US treats the RP. They want to stop the US in using the Filipinos as puppets. They want to trash the Visiting Forces Agreement which gives the Americans the right to abuse their freedom here in our country.

Polytechnic University of the Philippines, College of Communication holds its annual Intramurals on September 1 – 4, 2009 in preparation for the university-wide Intramurals.

“ Dapat talaga nung last week of August yung COC intrams. Peron a-move from Aug. 24-29 to Sept. 1-4 in-line with the PUP intrams” said Mac Adornado, program head of the Colloge of Communication’s Intramurals. Adornado also stated that no student from the college don’t know about the intramurals.

Meanwhile, a student from the same college contradicted Adornado’s statements saying that they were not well-informed about the events of the Intramurals.

“Hindi naman ganun ka-effective yung intrams dahil kulang sa information dissemination. Kaya yung mga estudyanteng gusting sumali sa events eh hindi nakasali dahil kulang sa information. Kung maganda sana ang information dissemination ng Student Council, eh di sana mas masaya at successful ang intrams.”

Another student, at the same time a basketball player of the college said that not all participated in the events of the Intramurals because of limited time of promotion.