Usapang Pera... Usap Lang A!

A college professor once asked the class what the root cause of evil is. I automatically thought about the 7 deadly sins but I figured it would be such an obvious answer, and clearly this professor is trying to appear smart in front of us so it's highly unlikely. I refused to give an answer. Nobody in the class knew what the "right" answer is. Then he finally said it. "Love of money". Honestly I was hoping for a mind-blowing answer. I was hoping it was a trick question or something. Anything that isn't a little bit too preachy. I was highly irritated, apart from it being a STATISTICS class, I just didn't accept that it was too general. A little too vague. Pero tinamaan lang talaga ako ng sobra. Haha, ang tsakit tsakit e.

Sino ba naman ang ayaw magmahal ng pera. Pera yan e. Kung totoo nga na ang pagmamahal sa pera and sanhi ng lahat ng kasalanan, e wala na talagang pagasa. Haha sama sama na tayo doon. Praktis nang magbabad sa arawan at dun din naman ang bagsakan. 

In all seriousness, I do understand what the Bible wanted to say. "1 Timothy 6:10 English Standard Version: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." Ki-nopy paste ko lang yan a, malay ko jan. 

There is truth to what it's trying to convey though. It's obviously about greed too. I hate to use tired phrases but there are in fact a number of fucked-up things people would do for money. If you're familiar with the Internet, you definitely know what I'm talking about. 

Fuck we are in dire need of money. It's one of the many constant things that we have to endure in this life. It's never ending. We always seem to ask for it. Why? You fucking know why. Everyone knows why. Here we go again with using cliched phrases but money does make the world go round. If you deny it, you live in a world where unicorns and puppies coexists, and the Philippines is a first-world country. Or maybe you're just really, really religious. I mean, good for you! Life's good. Love is the answer yey!


But back to reality. Money is definitely a necessity in this world and there's no denying that. I wouldn't dare expound on this because fuck, if you don't know this by now, fuck! Ignorance is truly bliss in your case. (What's with all the cliches!) I'm dumb.

Money buys you food, shelter, clothes which are basic necessities. It gets you to school for education, hopefully. I mean we all know education is a luxury now more than a right. Kahit sa public ka pa nag-

aaral. Alangan hindi kumain yung bata o mamasahe. Tsaka pano siya makakabile ng mga cartolina't crepe paper na gagawing decoration sa nutrition month. Tsaka pano siya makakasama sa field trip sa bahay nina Aguinaldo this year, at next year, at sa susunod pang year. Kulang ang isang bes na pagbisita dun sa bahay ni Aguinaldo. Kelangan mo lang talagang makabisa kung ilang bintana meron yung bahay. 

Kelangan talaga natin ng pera. Kasi kung wala tayong pera, pano iikot yung mundo natin? Pano ba talaga? Isipin mo yung wala pang sweldo tapos hindi ka makalabas. Yung wala kang ginawa kundi humiga sa sala't magpabalik-balik sa ref. Bubuksan, mamasid masid, bibilangin kung ilan nalang ung itlog niyo. I-checheck kung ano-anong mga palaman at dressing sa gilid ng pinto. Tapos bukas ng freezer. Magiisip kung mag luluto ng pancit kanton at magpipirito ng hotdog. Mangangarap na Ice cream talaga yung laman ng Selecta at hindi galunggong. Tapos balik na naman sa sofa, kuha phone, browse, manlalait sa Facebook, balik ulit sa ref, repeat hanggang marealize mo na putaena, anyare sa araw ko. 

Think about doing this for the rest of your life. Maybe I should really put this in consideration on why the Philippines is heavily populated. I didn't see this as an excuse before as to why poor Filipino families keep on growing drastically. Dahil wala silang pera pambili ng ref, o ng sofa, o ng phone, at ng internet, magjugjugan nalang talaga ang paraan nila para mag enjoy. Biruin mo, check mo lang talaga. Suriin mo kung gaano ka liit yung bahay nila. Ilagay mo yung sarili mo sa sitwasyon nila na pagpasok mo ng pinto, kubeta na agad. Kumbaga alam mo yung square? Yun na. Andun na yung sala, dining area, kubeta't kusina. Mayaman na sila kung may master's bedroom. Pwede nang utangan. Pero isipin mo lang kung dun ka nakatira, ikaw na damuho ka na kung makareklamong walang magawa. Diba makikipag landian ka nalang din sa asawa mo? Yun nalang yun e. Haha swerte pa nga nila kung tutuusin. (Pero parang hindi rin kasi... ano.. parang.. dapat siguro mahal mo talaga.. haha basta) 

Pero ayun. Baka nga factor talaga yun kung ba't andami nilang anak. Yun na yung kaligayahan nila't pampalipas ng oras. Wala nga kasing pera pang Republiq. 

Why exactly is Love for Money the source of all evils? I just find it extremely vague, well come to think of it, nothing in the Bible is simple as fuck. There's just too many loopholes. Are we not suppose to love money? Are we not supposed to work hard for it, spend time for it. Because if you love money, it somehow means you wanna use it right? You wanna use it for food, to put your kids to school, to buy them things they deserve. If you love money, it means you value what you worked hard for. You appreciate the job and the tasks that you had to do to earn your paycheck. Pinaghirapan mo e. At dahil pinaghirapan mo, iingatan mo. Mamahalin mo. Aalagaan mo yung pinagpawisan mo't nilaanan ng mahahalagang oras, na kung ikaw lang ang masusunod, e pinagsaluhan niyo nalang ng pamilya mo. So kung nakuha mo na yung paycheck mo, masamang tao ka ba kung mamahalin mo yung pinagtrabahuhan mo?

The problem is the misconception towards money per se. When someone says he loves money, there's automatically a stigma that is branded on him. He suddenly becomes a greedy selfish jerk who, despite being an overall nice guy, is now a repulsive human being. 

Yung "mukhang pera" na term. Ano yun? Siguro naapektuhan lang ako kasi kung sino yung mga mahilig mag-paratang ng term na to e yung mga inggit na inggit sa kung anong meron ka sa bangko, o kung sino pa yung saksakan ng dami ng utang. O yung mga nagyayabang ng mga Iphone, hindi naman bagay sa hulma ng ilong. Ewan ko ba. Be humble nalang siguro.

I have always loved money. Ever since I was a little kid, I already tried to save as much as I can. I opened up my own account and did my best to keep it going until now. It just gives me a boost of confidence knowing I have money in the bank. Money is one of the three things that I believe can help with your self-esteem every time you go inside a 5-star hotel in the Philippines (or in general) The other two are education and appearance.

Ang hotel kasi sa Pilipinas, sobrang ganda. Lahat ng mga 5-star na yan, lobby palang manliliit ka na. Yung tipong kung sanay ka naman sa SM lang yung tambayan mo't sagad na sa buto kaligayahan mo sa mga Ayala malls, talagang malulula ka sa mga hotel satin. Aminin mo man sa hindi, bilang normal na mamamayan lang tayo, iba yung feeling pag-papasok ka sa hotel. Feeling mo mamatahin ka ng mga tao sa front desk, kahit nga si manong guard huhusgahan ka na din sa brand ng Samsung mo. Kung baga susuriin ka sa hilatsa ng mukha mo. Susuriin na nila kung mukha ka bang hihingi lang ng brochure, o magnanakaw ng flower vase.

Titingnan pa kung naka steppin ka lang! Samantalang pag makinis ang kutis mo't maputi ka, kahit naka sando't nakapaa ka lang papapasukin ka na, me complimentary drinks pang walangya. Yun e kung may itsura ka, pasok ka sa hotel.

Kung saktuhan lang naman ung tabas ng ilong mo, at halatang nagcocommute ka araw-araw, pwede mong daanin sa talino. Kung matalino ka, lalo na't kung pinasukan mo lahat ng English classes mo, bibigyan ka na din nila ng complimentary drinks. Kung hindi kaya ng tabas ng ilong mo, daanin mo sa tabas ng dila mo. Alam mo kasing pag hinamak ka ng isa sa mga tauhan sa hotel, alam mo sa sarili mong mapagtatanggol mo ang sarili mo. Kasi may laman ang utak mo. Pwede kang maging sarcastic at pwede mo silang pakainin ng alikabok gamit lang ang wit at tiwala sarili.

Pero kung wala kang lahing stateside, o kung mejo tagilid ka sa klase, PERA PERA lang yan. Pasok na pasok ka sa banga. Pumasok ka dun ng naka tsinelas, kahit mukha ka pang mandirigma sa LRT, Basta nalaman nilang mayaman ka, kahit isang Bestank ng complimentary drinks ang kailangin mo, ibibigay nila. Me straw pa't maliit na payong.

...teka nyeta nawala na sa topic.


Even if it's not a huge deal of money, I just find it comforting that I can eat whenever I want, that every time I get lost somewhere, I can always hail a cab to get home. 
It just makes me genuinely happy knowing I have savings. Savings that I will never touch unless when it's for an incredibly important purpose. I can't stress this enough. 

The thing is, ilang bes na kong natawag na kuripot at mukhang pera. Na, pakiramdam ko naman totoo. Kasi hindi naman talaga ako magastos. Tsaka hindi ko ugaling manlibre ng mga taong mayayaman. Yung alam kong may pera din naman. Mahilig akong manlibre ng mga taong pakiramdam ko deserving. Alam naman nila yan. Sa mga umutang sakin na hindi na nabayaran, alam niyo yan haha.

Iniisip ko kung masama parin loob ko sa kanila e. Pinapakiramdaman ko kung kaya kong kalimutan yun.
Kung tutuusin 1 libo lang naman para ikasama ng loob ko. Masakit noong una, oo, nung wala pakong trabaho kasi nakadepende lang ako sa school allowance. Pero pinautang mo kasi yun kasi kaibigan mo't may "mabigat na rason" na dinarama sayo. Ikaw naman tong si "maunawain", sige game, ok lang, "makatulong" lang sa kaibigan. 

Siguro ang masakit lang sa gantong sitwasyon e yung fact na, hindi mo naman kasi pinulot yung isang libo na yun. Yung isang libo na yun ay nagrerepresent ng mga araw na hindi ka kumain ng lunch. Yung mga oras na pinili mo nalang mag lakad pauwe para lang makatipid sa pamasahe. Yung mga panahong gustong gusto mong bumili ng damit pero kinalimutan mo nalang. Hindi lang pera yun. Kahit 200 pesos pa yan, o 50 pesos. Pera yan na may kasaysyan (huwaw). Pero may storya kasi yan. Ayan ba yung 50 pesos na inutang lang ng nanay mo sa kapit bahay niyo para may pang allowance ka ngayung araw? Yang 50 pesos na yan, yan yung pride ng nanay mo. Yan yung ikinatok niya sa bahay bahay para makabili ka ng isang ulam, plus rice, plus mirinda. Libre pa sabaw.

Ayun, narealize ko hindi pa pala ako makakamove on sa mga hindi nagbayad. Masyadong madaming maliliit na sakripisyo na ginawa ko para maipon yung 1000 pesos na yun para kalimutan ko nalang.

Kaya masama pakiramdam ko sa "Love for money" bilang source of all evil. Pakiramdam ko lang talaga kelangan natin mahalin ang pera kasi hindi naman inutot nalang yan. 

Loving your money also means loving the time, the hard work, the perseverance, the patience and the sacrifices you had to make to earn it. It also means food on the table, shelter, the ability to share it with others. The opportunity to take care of someone, a relative, a friend, or an organization. The chance to make a difference to someone's life. 

Forgive me if I became way too literal towards the phrase. Again, of course I do understand the negativity "love for money" entails. I understand that it just wanna emphasize the fact that people can love money so much that they will do everything for it, good or evil, that they will make money the only thing they care for, and that greed will take over in expense of every one else. I guess I was just thrown off by the term "love" when it can be replaced with greed instead. I just feel like it gives money a negative connotation which I'm not fully on board with.

Value your money. It's more that just a piece of paper or a purchasing power. It is the culmination of the sacrifices you made to earn it. 

Nagdadalawang isip talaga ako kung ipopost ko to, kasi baka mabuksan yung ideyang pwede akong utangan kasi may savings naman ako. HAHA kinakabahan talaga ako, kasi sa mga gantong edad, problema na talaga ang pera. Ako, ikaw sila, pare pareho tayong me problema sa pera. At ang pangungutang sa bawat isa ay OPTION na sa gantong edad. Parepareho na kasing may trabaho. Pero kung nabasa mo tong paragraph na to, eto talaga yung way ko para sabihing, haha, wala talaga kong papautang sayo. Gipit din ako seryoso haha. Wag ka nalang kasi munang mag hotel! Tama na yung sa Sogo-Sogo muna.