Showing posts with label cellphone. Show all posts

Never Underestimate a Photo

By Apolinario Villalobos

A photo should never be underestimated. Such printed record could send a person to jail, cause a breakup of once a strong relationship, destroy a person’s life, or worse, cause someone’s death. Psychologists use photos to test the soundness of their patients’ mind.  Due to the varying impression on particular images that people make, some view a certain photo with malice while others are nonchalant about what they perceive.

In the Philippines today, due to the scandals that are rocking the government system and its officials, even a lone photograph may be considered very important evidence. This is what’s meant by the line in a song that says, “…a picture could paint a thousand words”….words that are needed to establish a case or develop a story of a committed crime.

In this regard, the Vice-President Lenny Robredo posing with the Catholic bishops in a photo could mean a lot because the latter are detractors of President Duterte, while the former is viewed as being used as a tool by the opposition, as well as, the bishops themselves. Senator de Lima shaking hands with the purported drug lords can create so many stories about her link with them. And, President Duterte being kissed on a check by a beautiful admirer could send media people to their laptop and desktop computer to type a scoop.

The “photographic” memory of our ancestors enabled them to sketch animals and their daily activities on cave walls and ceilings that helped us understand our past. Though how crudely executed these records may be, without them, we may never have had a glimpse of what transpired in the past.

Photographs can also hide and reveal true events and situations, as well as, characters of people. To make any situation convincing before they are photographed, it is enhanced with props. On the other hand, happiness can be temporarily etched on a face – all for the sake of visual recordings that have distinct objectives. While some are used for deception, others have noble intent….the so-called visual “white lie”. And, this is how the “motion picture” or movie was conceived.

Today’s world of high technology is being made alive or perked up by photos. People practically want to record what they do, a manifestation of their ego which is the center of the “self”. That is why, inventors are not stopping from conceiving gadgets that would incorporate a photographic lens, such that wireless phones did not end as just an audio gadget, but later developed further to have a camera.  This resulted to some watches having camera, as well as, pens, buttons and many others.

Finally, that is how the “inventor” of the facebook raked in billions of dollars….open a site that would accommodate photos of events and frames of quotes. So, next time you open your facebook and post a photo on its wall, remember that you are making someone richer.

And, the next time you open your old albums of photos, cherish those faded records of the past. By the way, even old photos of Nora Aunor could command today a price of not less than 200pesos!

ANG PROPOSED UNIFIED IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

AT MAHINANG PRIORITY SYSTEM NG GOBYERNO

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Ang matagumpay na pagka-hack ng data base ng COMELEC ay patunay na hindi uubra ang unified ID system sa Pilipinas. Samantala, ang hirap sa mga nagsusulong nito, bulag sila sa katotohanang marami pa ring agency ang hindi konektado sa isa’t isa sa pamamagitan ng telepono man lang. Ang ilan sa kanila ay hindi rin konektado sa kani-kanilang mga sangay, kaya’t nagtitiyaga na lang sa pagmimintina ng localized information archive. Bakit hindi nila unahin ang “maliliit” na DAPAT gawin bago “mangarap” na gumawa ng malaki? Dahil ba gusto lang gayahin ang ginagawa ng mga mauunlad na bansa…o baka naman may “malaking” dahilan!

Paano magiging makatotohanan ang pangarap na ito kung ang serbisyo nga lang ng mga service providers o TELCOs ay palpak kaya mahina ang signal na nasasagap ng mga computer at cellphone? Paano makakapag-download ng impormasyon, halimbawa, tungkol sa isang may-ari ng ID kung mahina ang signal kaya hindi makakakonek agad ang isang ahensiya na nasa probinsiya sa central file na nasa Head Office naman nila sa Manila?! At, dahil diyan, paano na ang kanyang transaksyon na mabibitin?....sorry na lang?

Dapat ding tanggapin ang katotohanang sa Pilipinas ay naglipana ang mga kawatan na animo ay mga buwitre na nag-aabang ng mga pagkakataon. Sa Pilipinas ay maraming hackers na naggu-goodtime lang basta lang nangha-hack para patunayan na kaya nila. Dahil diyan, nakakahiyang aminin na marami nang government agencies ang na-hack. At, halimbawa lang na matupad ito, siguradong maraming mga Pilipinong nakatira sa mga liblib na bayan at probinsiya ang hindi makakapag-transact sa iba’t ibang ahensiya dahi siguradong aabutin ng siyam-siyam bago nila matanggap ang ID nila. Ito pa….kung ang cedula nga ay napepeke, ang ID pa kaya?

Ang driver’s license  at plaka ng sasakyan ay inaaabot ng kung ilang taon bago mai-release. Isama na diyan ang SSS ID na pinipilit ng ahensiyang ipadala sa address ng nag-apply…paano kung sa ilalim ng tulay siya nakatira?...paano kung ang may-ari ng “care of” na address ay nakaaway ng may-ari ng ID? Kaya tuloy hanggang ngayon ay marami pa ring nakapag-apply na ng ID ang hindi pa nakakatanggap nito…huwag naman sanang mangyari na itinapon na ng messenger ng courier agency dahil hindi niya mahagilap ang address. Ang bayaran kasi sa delivery ay “per item delivered”. Alam ko yan dahil naging biktima ako. Wala ako sa bahay nang may idineliber na nakasobreng dokumento, pero alam kong dapat ay pumirma ako sa “receipt” na malamang ay naka-staple sa sobre dahil nakita ko pa ang bala ng stapler sa envelop! Malamang ay pinirmahan na ng gagong messenger ang “receipt” para palabasing nadeliber nga niya ito sa akin, ganoong isiningit lang sa siwang ng gate! Ganyan katindi ang sistema sa Pilipinas kaya pati delivery ng ID ay nadamay…kaya, paano kung unified ID na ang ide-deliver!

Sa kabila ng napakaraming simpleng pangangailangan na dapat asikasuhin para sa mga Pilipino, ay kung bakit ang mga hindi pa napapaghandaang mga bagay ang gustong ipanukala ng mga akala ko ay “matatalino” sa gobyerno. Sa madaling salita, walang mainam na priority system ang gobyerno…at ang mga plano, kalimitan ay sabog…palpak!

Sa Pilipinas, pati ang cellphone numbers ay binebenta, kaya may nagra-raket na kunwari ay may binibenta o nagri-recruit at pinipilit na humingi ng cellphone number ng prospect na client. Binibenta ang mga numero sa mga nangra-raket at sa mga makukulit na marketing agencies kaya magugulat na lang ang isang tanga na nagbigay ng numero niya sa mall kung may tumawag sa kanya nang sunud-sunod pero hindi niya kilala. Paano kung unifed ID number ng mga tao ang nanakaw?

Sana naman ang mga kurakot sa gobyerno na gusto lang kumita sa proyektong ito ay magpahinga naman sa kanilang pagnanakaw dahil ang isang bansang tulad ng Pilipinas ay HINDI PA HANDA sa unified ID system…tapos!

A Friend Gave Life to My Blogging

By Apolinario Villalobos

A friend who is also a blogger in her own right, based in the United States, but a Filipina, gave life to my blogging when she gave me her smart phone, after finding out that I have no camera which should be an important tool of a blogger. I told her that most of my blogs need no photo to support them.

It took me a very long time before finally deciding to use the cellphone, but only its camera because it has not yet been “opened” for local use, being registered with a Telcos in America. Most especially, I have no heart in spending a big amount just for that purpose because I am very much comfortable with my old basic phone.

Of late, I found out that the cellphone is indeed a big help in supporting my blogs, especially, events such the recent Feast of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo. Also, for people with amazing and inspiring virtues, so that viewers will know how they look like – such as having a seasoned face due to hard work, stooped body due to almost 24/7 toil for the much needed cash, and also for strange sounding names of food. But the said contraption is still a no-no for my random acts of charity.

When the same friend read the blog about my laptop lacking a key cover for letter “M”, she immediately sent me a message of her plan to send over a laptop which I respectfully declined because I have no habit of getting rid of things that are still useful to me.

My friend is Perla Buhay….by the way, for foreign viewers, “buhay” means “life”. Coincidence?...God works in many splendid ways. Perla also gives life to her financially “dying” relatives and friends, also intellectual nutrients to children “starving” for knowledge with her book donations. So now, viewers know why I keep on praising the All-Knowing God although, I criticize to high heavens His people on earth who “badly manage” churches and manipulate the faith of innocent people.

Cellphone: Man’s New Electronic Master

By Apolinario Villalobos

Unconsciously, man has enslaved himself to his own invention – the cellphone and its “siblings”, the ipad, ipod, telpad, etc. that keep on popping in the market, sporting new looks but still with almost similar attributes. So as not to make this ridiculous and glaring fact so obvious, the reason given for such so close an attachment, to put it lightly, is necessity. Or, is it?

The manufacturers in connivance with programmers have practically hooked the users to this gadget so that they never ran out of models in a span of a few months after the “latest” ones have hit the market, during which those issued earlier have virtually become outdated. The manufacturers have banked on the requirements of buyers with fashion statement to satisfy, and who compete with each other for the first ownership of the latest models with limited editions. Some manufacturers even go to the extent of coming out with weird designs to make their creations unique.

The young use the gadget to put forward their fashion statement, so manufacturers come up with different colors and shapes of housing. The vain use it as a status symbol, so manufacturers come up with expensive models, although, their attributes are not much different from the old ones. And, the overall winners in this show-offness among consumers are of course, the manufacturers!

It could be true that the cellphone has become a convenient tool, especially, when it has also got camera, voice recorder, music player, radio, calendar, calculator, international clock, flashlight, games, etc. And, with those attributes, man has indeed, justified the gadget’s necessity. But anything taken in excess means abuse, and anything abused is no longer nice. Food for instance, is a necessity but its abuse results to disease, and so does medicine which if abused could be fatal.

How about the ears on which are plugged the cellphone at least 14 hours a day? What will happen to the fingers that tick the keypad regularly within the same length of time? What about the brains that accumulates radiation at least 8 hours a day? And, most especially, what about the time wasted in useless chats and texting?

Before it’s too late, we should think twice before totally enslaving ourselves to this contraption which seems to be already in control of some people’s senses.

Pagkatapos ng Mamasapano Massacre

…isusumpa ng mga tanga ang cellphone

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Isang gadget na pang-status symbol ang cellphone, lalo na sa kabataan. Yong iba nga dinidespley pa ang mahal nilang cellphone kaya kapag inagawan ay walang magawa kung hindi man magsisigaw ay tatanga na lamang. Pahamak ang cellphone dahil mitsa din ito ng buhay.

At lalong pinakita ng cellphone ang pagiging instrumento nito ng “kapahamakan” tulad ng nangyari sa Mamasapano. Dahil gumamit si Pnoy, Purisima, Napeῆas, at iba pang opisyal ng kapulisan at military, nairekord tuloy ang kanilang usapan. Nabisto ang kata…..han ng mga nagpipilit na walang kinalaman, lalo na ang naghuhugas-kamay. Siguro ngayon, ang mga taong ito ay nanginginig kapag nakakita ng cellphone!

Ayaw ko nang banggitin kung sino ang mga tanga sa paggamit ng cellphone sa isang maselan na operasyon dahil tulad ng sinabi ko noon sa isa pang blog, maaari itong i-disable gamit ang isa pang instrument, o di kaya ay magiging inutil kung palyado ang signal sa lugar kung saan ito ginagamit. May radyo naman pala at via satellite pa ang signal, ay kung bakit hindi ginamit. Talagang matalino ang Diyos na hindi na rin siguro makatiis dahil ang mga katangahan, kaluwagan, kahinaan, kalamyaan, inggitan, at kabobohan ay abot-langit na!

Ginamit ko lang ang salitang “tanga” na ginamit ng isang tao sa pag-alipusta at pag-aakusa sa isa pang tao. Binabalik ko lang sa kanya ang salita, sa ngalan ng “Golden Rule” (huwag mong gawin sa iba ang ayaw mong gawin ng iba sa iyo)….sana ay maunawaan ako ng makakabasa at huwag sana nilang isipin na mahilig ako sa ganitong klaseng katangahan!