Papasok na Ako!

Tuwang-tuwa ako ng makita ko ang aking tatlong taong gulang na anak sa unang araw nya sa eskuwela noong nakaraan lamang Hunyo. Maya’t-maya ay pinupunasan niya ang kanyang bagong itim na sapatos, sinisilip ang laman ng kanyang bagong envelope. Mukhang excited na siyang pumasok noon.

Hindi sa mamahalin at pribadong eskuwelahan namin ipinasok si Karl. Pinili naming ang isang preschool na bunga ng isang joint project ng pamahalaang lokal at OB Montessori.

Sa tingin ko iisa lamang ang pakiramdam ng mga magulang na pinipiling papasukin ang kanilang anak sa pampublikong eskuwelahan, ang pag-aalala sa kalidad ng pasilidad at edukasyon na kanilang makukuha.

Malamang ay nasaksihan na natin sa maraming balita sa radyo at telebisyon ang kalunus-lunos na kalagayan ng mga pambulikong paaralan, ang mga sirang upuan, kulang o walang classroom, ang mga siksikang klase, kakulangan ng mga libro at upuan.

Pero marahil para sa mga magulang na walang ibang opsyon o kakayahang pampinansyal, ang pampublikong eskuwelahan ay mas mabuti na kaysa tuluyan ng hindi mag-aral.

Sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang administrasyon, patuloy pa ding nababawasan ang subsidy para sa edukasyon. Ihalimbawa natin ang mga State Universities and Colleges (SUC).

Ang sabi ni Pangulong Aquino, ang patuloy na pagbabawas ng budget sa edukasyon ay isang paraan para matulungang maging financially independent ang mga eskuwelahan. Ibig sabihin, isang paraan ito para unti-unting bitawan at talikuran ng gobyerno ang kanyang responsibilidad sa edukasyon.

Hindi na bago ang patuloy na pagliit ng budget sa edukasyon. Nakakalungkot isipin na mukhang mas mahalaga pa sa gobyerno ang barkong pandigma na nagkakahalaga ng bilyung-bilyong piso, overpriced na mga helicopters kaysa sa pagbibigay ng mga bagong upuan, libro at pasweldo sa mga empleyado.

Hindi nakakapagtaka kung gayon kung bakit unti-unting bumababa ang rankings ng mga top universities sa Pilipina sa QS World University Rankings. Ang University of the Philippines, na kinaltasan ng P1.39 bilyon ngayon taon sa budget, ay nasa #332 mula sa dating #314. (Balita mula sa Philippine Inquirer.)

Samantalang ang mga unibersidad sa mga bansang South Korea, Japan at Germany, na hindi kinaltasan ng budget ng kanilang pamahalaan ay nanatiling nasa matataas na bracket ng QS World Ranking.

Dahil sa patuloy na pagkakaltas ng gobyerno ng subsidyo sa mga paaralan, napipilitin ngayon ng magtaas ng tuition fee and ibang pang fees ang mga eskwelahan. Paano ngayon makakasabay ang mga mag-aaral na limitado o napakababa ng kakayahang pangpinansyal?

Kung sakaling papipiliin ka, saan mo ilalaan ang kakarampot na sahod ng iyong magulang? Sa edukasyon o sa pagkain sa buong maghapon? Sabihin mo ng cliché, pero ito ang katotohanan. Mayroong mga pamilya at mga kabataan na napipilitang pumili sa pagitan ng oportunidad na makapag-aral at ang araw-araw na survival.

Noong nakita kong pumasok ang anak ko sa isang maliit na pampublikong classroom, naisip ko, paano kung hanggang dito na lang ang kaya ko? Ano pang klaseng edukasyon ang aabutan ng anak ko pagdating niya ng kolehiyo? At naisip ko, may panahon pa para magkaroon ng pagbabago.

Karl: Papasok na ako! from ray leyesa on Vimeo.

Tuesdays With Danny: Bicol Express Night

Don't expect my Tatay to be available every Tuesday night. His weekly schedule includes a "session" with his friends, and that happens every Tuesday.

When the clock hits 6:30 P.M., my father will start to take out of the bottles of ice cold beer of the refrigerator. My father would usually bring pulutan, it can be pack of roasted peanuts, chicken or whatever it is that looks appealing in our fridge. There are days, however, when my father would request me to cook something for him. This version of Bicol Express is on the top of his list.

Pulutan, which comes from the word pulutin, is almost equivalent to “finger food.” But it has gone beyond a simple snack and a beer partner, pulutan is now served as an appetizer or sometimes as a main course. I bet that you will gladly settle for a plate of sizzling sisig and rice for dinner or lunch.

My father rarely goes home drunk from these Tuesday dates. But he is always giddy from all the stories and jokes he learned from his friends. He would often share these stories and jokes to my mother during their late dinner conversations. What happens to the pulutan? Of course, it’s all ubos.

This version of Bicol Express has not only graced my father and his friends’ inuman, but it has been one of the favorite ulam at home.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo pork
1 1/2 kilos tahong
Baguio beans
siling haba (finger chili)
bell pepper (a small one)
1 sliced onion
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cups of coconut milk ( I just bought the P20 in the palengke)

Steps:
1. Cook the tahong. When they are done, remove the shells and set aside.
2. Slice the pork into smaller pieces. Cook onion, pork and the coconut milk together. Simmer until the pork is done.
3. Add the tahong and beans. Simmer again for a few minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the chili. If you want to have something more spicy, soak the finger chili in salted water for a few minutes before cooking. If you want something less spicy, then make sure to remove the seeds before cooking.

Pinoy Roll

In the past few years, my older siblings and I have been responsible in preparing some of the courses for our Media Noche, it is also an effort to drive our mother out of the kitchen and let her have some good night sleep. Unfortunately, we usually fail on the latter part, since our Inay still manages to slip into the kitchen and put something on the stove.

On New Year's Eve of 2011 (or 2010, darn this memory), my older brother volunteered to cook the pasta and my eldest sister decided to prepare the pasta sauce. I was thinking about making some salad when my second eldest sister decided to make one. My Tatay, meanwhile, decided to grill some barbecue.

Good thing, my sister brought home a copy of Good Housekeeping cookbook (vol. 5). I saw Adobo Roll recipe and decided to try it. I used the left-over adobo and whole wheat tortillas instead of the burrito that the recipe called for. I have been making it ever since. During the Lenten season, I use the adobo-flavored canned tuna. You just have to make sure to carefully drain all the juices so the roll won't be soggy.

Here's the recipe!

Ingredients:
whole wheat tortilla
hoisin sauce/paste
pork adobo (shredded)
i medium sized cucumber (thinly sliced)
1 carrot (thinly sliced)
lettuce leaves (chopped)

Steps
1. Spread hoisin sauce over the tortilla wrapper.
2. Arrange the adobo, lettuce, cucumber and carrots on the lower side of the wrapper.
3. Roll and wrap tightly.
4. Cut into four and arrange. You could add additional hoisin sauce.