To the 2007 Graduating Class

For the past two years as your Chairperson I could proudly say that I did everything to make you the best Computer Science graduate you could be. Your transformation from being passive to assertive software programmers shows that we did not fail in our mission.
Now that you are leaving the portal of Sacred Heart College, allow me to give you some fatherly advice.
You will enter the workforce in an economy that is booming and a lot of job openings related to your course are beginning to gain momentum. Seize this opportunity because this rarely happens in the boom and bust cycle of our economy. You might find that the jobs are concentrated in Manila and rarely in Lucena. Please accept the fact that ours is a country where Manila is a magnet for companies to make money. In order for you to make money you temporarily condition your mind to work in places outside Lucena. Why is it that I strongly recommend Manila?. It is because the blue chips companies are there. These blue chips are the big companies which can help propel your career in the upward trajectory. Working in these companies will provide you free trainings, extensive exposures and numerous mentors. Then when you jump job in the next company there will be also a jump in your salary. While working in Manila, utilized your proximity to schools like Ateneo, DLSU, MIT and UP and enroll for your masteral degree. They offer classes for professionals in the evening and Saturdays. The teachers that you will meet and the knowledge that they will impart will not only impress you but influence you for life.
When you choose a company please make sure that you find the right fit. A company that will utilize your strength, set your passions on fire and provide you a culture that fit in naturally to you, go for it. You will enjoy your job and at the same time earning a living. But be prepared for some annoyance for those people who will not like you. You should accept the fact that this is not a perfect world and there is no perfect person. There will be always three kinds of employees you will meet whatever company you work for: the disciples, the fence sitters and the saboteurs. Be the disciple, work as if God is watching you and be loyal to the vision of the company. Avoid like a plague the fence sitters and the saboteurs, they can not help you in achieving your personal goals.
Remember always your Computer Science teachers who stay late at night preparing for lessons so that you can learn. Their sacrifice is truly a sacrifice befitting as a whole year Lenten season. Remember Sacred Heart College who honed you holistically.
At the end of the day it is not the money that is important but your contribution to this world.
When you come back ten years from now, I will ask you how many poor people did you help. I will leave the asking to your future wife/husband and children how much you earn.
Good Luck to you!.

 Arnel L. Cadeliña

To the Batch 2007 Phians

For the past several months you witnessed the resurgence of our HSLKP. The yahoogroups and the launch of the website are not only 50th anniversary projects but the result of yearning to be part of the bond that keeps us together. If you read the yahoo messages you will notice that the brothers are scattered all over the Philippines and to several places abroad. Many signified their intention to come to our anniversary because they feel that they will miss something big in not attending. The 354 Phians listed in the roster are your brothers who walked in the same initiation path as you experienced. The first kick, second kick, hell night, baptismal and acceptance we all gone thru. That made us different to other fraternities. We have a tradition that still standing after 50 years. It is this tradition that you should not disregard because this is the connections that unite us together. If you notice a young brother and an old one arguing just remember that during their active Phian days they are trained not to accept everything as acceptable. If you hear no debate and argument it is not HSLKP. Do not be intimated by the past accomplishments of the past Grand Council because your environment is different from ours. During our time, we ruled the academics, the school paper and the politics in the University because we were passionate as a Phian. Our masters were demanding us to excel in the field where we are into and they raised the bar as the initiation went thru. We recited the poem “If” in all parts of the campus whenever the master wishes, we dressed like beggars and we wore barong courting our future Phianette. If your batch can equal the accomplishment of my fellow Phians during my time, you are good. If not, forcing you to do it will result in a negative way to you psychologically. The best thing that your Grand Council can do is to attract future Phians that can contribute. But attracting them requires a good role model. As an active Phian you should at least be good academically. How can you attract a valedictorian as an initiate if the active members are rascals?. You should accept the reality that we need new blood to make HSLKP relevant. Just remember that the elder Phians are always behind you because you carry our name. Anything that disgraces HSLKP disgraces us all so be careful on all things that you do in all your activities that carry our fraternity name.
When you attend the 55th anniversary five years from now and you see the Phians that you trained excelling in their craft you can truly say that you are a true Phian.
Marrying your Phiannete, just like what I did, is a bonus though!.

Good Luck to your Grand Council!.

Arnel “Arcade” Cadeliña
Batch 1985

Lovestruck

I supposed to post this article on February 14, Valentines Day. But due to numerous tasks it was only last night that I have the time to complete it.
My first year students are asking me to write about courtship and love. I keep telling them that I am not an expert on this one, that I fell in love only with the same woman several times. This woman I'm talking about is now my wife. Still they keep on begging me. Finally I gave in, wrote this article in the wee hours of the morning.
For those who are looking for the right partner here are my grain of salt.
If you are courting or being courted ,avoid this man or woman:

1. Argumentative. If your boy or girl keeps on arguing everything under the sun the best thing that you will do is....run. If you marry this type of person, your house is hell on earth. Imagine arguing everyday with her about money and the toothbrush you left in the kitchen. That's pure hell.
2. masculine or feminine aggressive. When you say aggressive he/she is egoistic, self-centered and demanding. Wake up! Can you love a person who love herself more than you?
3. Possessive, jealous and tendency to be gay. This type of person may require a shrink. He/She don't want you to be out of his/her eyes. Your every movement is monitored, every person you talk with is competitor. If you add the tendency to love the same sex, you better be looking for somebody else.
4. Alcoholic. This is addiction and every addiction is dangerous to you. The tendency you might be beaten is 90% and the likeliness that your wealth be squandered is 100%. You want a future wife/husband not a mental patient.
5. drug-users. same as number 4 but on a higher degree.
6. Family-slaves. Yes, there are Mama's boy and Papa's girl. They can not decide, they always cling to their parents everytime they have problems. How can you marry someone who is asking his mother what color of toothbrush he should buy every month?
7. Does not believe in God.. The tendency to do evil is great for non-believers. Will you marry a guy who want to bring your son to the church or to someone whose church is a cockpit or a beerhouse.
Can you now decide whom to fall in love with?
Good luck!

ALC

Microsoft Vista

Last week Microsoft Philippines launched the Microsoft Vista at SM Mall of Asia. Many students, professionals and even corporations are asking themselves if now is the right time to upgrade their OS. My answer is it depends. If your OS is still Windows 95, 98 and 2000 you may opt to buy it but if yours is windows XP you still have at least 5 years before Vista emerges as default OS for PC’s. So stay with your XP’s at least for the moment.
As I tried Vista it boasts of speed, security, baked-in Search, Aero, sidebars, MCE and Tablet OS functionality. But judging from the crowd at SM Mall of Asia, Microsoft Vista will not be a huge success in 2007 and 2008 in the Philippines. Relatively only a handful Philippine Corporation will be using it this year.
But since 90% of the PC purchases (either desktop or laptop) in the Philippines are Windows-based machines we are at the mercy of Microsoft Corporation to migrate to Vista sooner or later. It is because we know that Microsoft will not support XP indefinitely just what they did to Windows 95 and 98.
In what year before Vista lords the PC’s in the Philippines?. My estimate: 2012.

ALC

This Time They Are Relevant

For so many years I was frustrated on what’s happening politically in our country. The people keep on electing unqualified politicians in the local and national elections. Their reliance on popularity and name recall resulted to electing congressmen and senators who have no ability to write laws. If there are pea-brain-monkey in the Senate and slow-poke-turtles in the house it’s the fault of the electorate. Truly there is a need to educate our voters.
The constant useless bickering of the house and senate shows the quality of our politicians. When you listen to them you sometimes feel the need to strangled their neck and erase them in the face of the earth.
So for several years, I was one of the million Filipinos who are not only frustrated but also angry.
But yesterday it’s a different thing. The senate approved in the final reading the PERA ACT or the Personal Equity and Retirement Account Act. This PERA Act, authored by Angara, will allow us to contribute as much as P50,000/year for our own private retirement account. The scheme will require us to deposit our contributions in banks which will then be managed by an entity under the Department of Finance. This entity will invest our funds in government securities, bonds, foreign currency and non-speculative stocks.
Our PERA savings will be available to us when we reach 55 years old either as a lump sum or lifetime pension.
The contribution will be tax exempt.
This time the politicians specifically the Senate are relevant because this PERA Act bill answers a need of the people.
Can you imagine the domino effect if politicians forget their self-interests and make laws that are relevant to us?