WOMBS FOR HIRE

In the present society, in vitro fertilization and other ways of assisted reproduction
are no longer a taboo. A lot of couples, who could not have their babies the normal way,
had been aided with these processes. Some procedures may not be deemed as
successful, due to a lapse in the babys health or physical stature, but this should not be
the ground for parents to decide if they will accept the child or not. The Australian
couple, as stated in the article, only brought with them one of the two babies reproduced
from IVF. The reason why they left the other child with the surrogate mother was that the
boy had some serious cases concerning his health. Is this the present thinking of
humanity? Are we this stupid and hard-hearted? I hope not.
Pattaramon Chanbua, the surrogate mother of Gammy and a mother of two, is a
living proof that the world does have kind-hearted people. Despite of their cultural, racial
and personal differences, she accepted Gammy the way he is. She loves him and takes
care of him as if she were her own child. For me, she is a perfect example of a Good
Samaritan.
Concerning the biological parents of Gammy, I do respect their decision of
leaving their child to the surrogate mother. The Australian couple perhaps assumed that
they could not take care of the child well. But I am very disappointed with their decision.
They should not have thought of Gammy as a burden because of his health status. The
baby, despite of his Down syndrome, lung infection and heart disease, is still a miracle.
Test tube babies and kids with serious illnesses are already part of this world.
They do not differ from any of us. They do the things we do. They act the way we do.
They deserve respect like any of us. Even if we turn the world upside down, we could not
remove the fact that they, too, are human.

THE UNIQUE APOSTOLATE OF PINOY GRANDPARENTS

Grandparents are one of the most influential persons in a kids life. In their old age,
they do nothing except for spending time with their children, and most especially having
a quality time with their grandchildren. They just want to see their apo growing up into
a responsible and a morally-guided individual.
Dating back to when I was a kid, I was very fond of visiting my grandparents. It was
such a nice experience to look back on. You could see the happiness on their faces
despite of the childish antics you do in front of them. Whether you sing out of tune or
dance like a wiggly worm, it will surely put a smile on their faces.
In this article, it was stated by Randy David that thirty-five percent of the
grandparents are solely in charge of taking care of their grandchildren. This is a very
startling fact. Even if the elderly will accept the role as a parent to the child, it is still
inevitable that these grandparents have their own personal problems, specifically their
health. It is not every day that they will be able to give 100% of attention to the child.
Nothing to take off grandparents but a child will always look for the unparalleled love of
his mother and father.
Reading the article of Randy David made me appreciate my grandparents more. I
could not thank them enough for all the things they have done for me. They are part of
who I am today. They will always be in my heart and I will be forever proud to say that
they are my lolos and lolas.

POLITICAL PATRONAGE REVISITED

The recently most talked about issue about the Philippine government is the
controversy about the PDAF/DAP. My take on this topic is that I am in favor of the DAP, if
and only if the government officials will be completely responsible and honest on where
they use the money given to them.
The Disbursement Acceleration Program or the DAP is a reform intervention to
speed-up public spending and to boost economic growth. It is not a fund, but a
mechanism to support high-impact and priority programs and projects using savings and
unprogrammed funds. DAP also enables the government to introduce greater speed,
efficiency, and effectiveness in budget execution. This program will be a helpful one if it
will be executed properly. The Philippine government should plan this seriously so that
the lapses and faults would be minimized. Also, if the Filipinos will feel and receive the
service of the government through this program, this will help rebuild the trust of our
countrymen towards the Philippine government.
I am looking forward to a better and more improved economy in our country, the
Philippines. I hope that the politicians elected by the nation will do their jobs effectively
and efficiently so that this progress will be seen in our economy. Currently, the
Philippines is still on its developing state. We have not fully reached the climax of our
countrys success. I hope that sooner or later, this full development will finally bloom out
of the Filipinos eagerness and initiative to witness a better country before they leave
this world.