Heart's Desire: Evolution of Love

To love someone and be loved in return must be a source of joy, especially when suffering from emotional setbacks like loneliness, apathy, and grief. Sometimes, some people struggle to find the real meaning of love when they feel lost and empty.

However, love has a different meaning to individuals. For the orphan, a warm hug gives them a feeling of acceptance and security. Raising their kids well for single parents and a widow gives them dignity and pride. The elderly get the highest respect from the young ones. These are the positive emotions where love wins.

In today's society, we also have the victims of circumstances that made them view love differently. The homeless feel less secure and abandoned. The rebel groups, they may feel deprived of equal rights and opportunities. And the sick and dying may feel unfulfilled, uncared for, and unloved.

Love has several meanings as we go through the stages of life. As a kid, we felt so much love from our parents. As we go through our teenage years, we think about the acceptance and love of our peers. When working and serving people, we love our countrymen and the nation. That is how love evolves over time. 

Following Our Heart's Desire is a reminder to chase our most coveted goals to achieve and to keep going on when life seems to be challenging in the achievement of our most cherished hopes and dreams. That may be the stage when we have all the energy and hopeful desires for success.

Heart's Desire: Living A Fantastic Life is a service beyond self. It's about experiencing bliss, a higher level of Divinely inspired happiness. When we reach out to others through public service, we give part of our Divinity inherent to a human being. Then we go beyond our selfish desires, which are all about us, our ego.

Heart's Desire: Living A Humanitarian Life is a realization of a higher level of love when we go beyond our love for self and love for our family. It is about humanitarian service through charity work or public service, allowing us to serve the privileged and underprivileged sectors.

The evolution of love may be beyond life on earth as we may believe in 'life after death and may continue to guide the loved ones who are still fighting for love, the meaning of love, and their evolution of love.

© 2019 Del Cusay

Election 2019: Making Voices Heard

The official campaign period for the National midterm election has already started. However, it's pronounced premature campaigning when we have seen political ads on television and street posters since 2018.

In the coming May 13 election, we will again select and vote for the candidates who will serve our country and the people. We will choose our 12 Senatorial bets for the national post and elect our own officials, from Provincial Governors down to Municipal Councilors.

It's a midterm election, and several candidates now share their political views and expertise on issues confronting our nation. Several problems are currently widespread, like the drug war, extrajudicial killings, terrorism, medical marijuana, the age of criminal responsibility, the defense of territorial waters, and the revival of the death penalty. 

We also have long-time issues such as poverty alleviation, graft and corruption, unemployment, drug addiction, crime prevention, population control, reproductive health, environmental protection, and climate change. These are some of the many issues our national candidates face once elected. Our local candidates will represent the interests of their constituents and legislate local laws or ordinances to address socio-political issues and uplift the living conditions of the people.

The media significantly influences the public to know the candidate's profile, background, and experience. The good thing is that the media organizations serve as a medium for learning our candidate's platforms and intentions. 

I have watched the senatorial forum hosted by CNN Philippines and the Senatorial debate from the GMA network this month. Thousands of Filipinos could hear what their senatorial bets had to say on various issues. We may have different reactions or emotions to their views; either we agreed and were amused or disagreed and disappointed. 

On March 29, we will also hear our local candidates' political views. It may not be as grand as the national candidates' campaign, but their common intention is to serve and be the voice of their constituents. 

The campaign period may be the most exhausting part of the candidate's possible victory since they devote their energy, time, and money. Thus, we, the voters, must also spend some time getting to know our candidates. Their stance on various issues of our nation and locality is significant in nation-building and good governance. 

Amidst the different voices, we can learn how to filter those who are significant and reflect our values and virtues. Our guiding principle shall rule and not the outside influence brought by media and black propaganda. 

Our vote matters, and let us exercise this right in the upcoming May 13 election. For now, it is not just the fight of our candidates but also the fight of all Filipino people toward a better community and country.

© 2019 Del Cusay

Social Commentary: Lessons from Vaccination Scare and Disease Outbreak

On February 6, 2019, the Department of Health declared an outbreak of measles in the National Capital Region, including regions in Luzon, Central Luzon, and CALABARZON. Just a day after, it was reported that the outbreak expanded in the Visayas, Central, Eastern, and Western Visayas.

The disease outbreak is just a year after the controversial Dengvaxia scare, with several deaths of children linked with Dengvaxia: a vaccine for Dengue.

Although it was not medically proven through studies and investigation by the Department of Health, still the Public Attorney's Office, headed by its Chief, Persida Acosta, defended the human rights of her clients when she insisted that it was indeed the Dengvaxia vaccine that caused the death of children who received it.

How the deadly controversy started

It was revealed late last year by Acosta that the President himself ordered her office to pursue filing a criminal complaint against several personalities of the past administration who are allegedly involved in the Dengvaxia controversy, and that includes former President Aquino, Former Department of Health Secretary Garin, and the present DOH Secretary Duque.

Since then, Acosta has actively pushed for public information on the dangers of  Dengvaxia and the vaccination program, and this controversy led to discouragement and fear against vaccination. 

Dr. Acosta is interested in fighting for her client's rights and following his excellency, the President. As a Doctor of Social Development, she has the expertise and advocacy for human rights and legal aid; that is where she comes from.

From Advocacy to Disaster 

Apparently, Acosta's advocacy went wrong when her allegations about the Dengvaxia-related deaths caused a sudden drop in immunization records of the DOH starting in 2018 until the present. Parents are scared to have their children vaccinated by Dengvaxia and even other vaccinations, including MMR vaccines (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) which have caused an epidemic of measles in several regions in the country and were reported to be thousands of cases and several deaths already. 

Disinformation and fake news can kill

With the Dengvaxia scare, over 2 million Filipino children are currently at risk of contracting measles, a highly infectious airborne disease-causing respiratory complications that can be lethal. 

This would not have happened if there had been no mass hysteria coming from several personalities from broadcast media and social media. The disinformation easily spread and was accepted by their followers to be an absolute truth. 

Nowadays, thousands or millions of Filipinos are victims of fake news or disinformation with social media. Social media influencers have to be responsible for their words or statement to not create confusion, and also for followers and the general public to learn how to decipher real news from fake ones.

Turnaround of circumstances.

With the rising number of measles cases across the country, the Department of Health and President Duterte has stepped up to lead a campaign on national television for families to have their children vaccinated against diseases. The public call was followed by Vice President Robredo and now, the Chief Public Attorney, Persida Acosta, who seemed to be remorseful when she expressed to the public not to be scared of vaccination to spare children from getting measles considering its alarming rates: a step she made just after the call for her resignation by our Senators and some people. 

Our leaders have the most significant role to play in all of these circumstances affecting the state of health of Filipino children. They may have reflected on their shortcomings and are now doing their part to correct the mistakes they have caused. For the Chief Public Attorney, her sudden active campaign for vaccination may not be an admission of guilt, hence taking responsibility for her actions if her advocacy to fight for her clients led to our country's health crisis. 

Our Call to action 

May this health crisis call other media personalities and social media influencers to do the same thing and stop disinformation campaigns causing trials by publicity and untoward events? The worst is the loss of lives. We have lost the confidence of our people in our Government's immunization campaign, and it might take time for others to regain their trust.

Full immunization is essential in developing immunity against highly communicable diseases. Imagine if all children received full immunization; we would be closer to eradicating diseases like measles.

We have already eradicated diseases like polio and maternal and neonatal tetanus. Hence we can also achieve a measles-free country and eliminate other conditions through full immunization. It may be a challenging task for our healthcare workers, but with our government's active campaign and the public's cooperation, the goal can be achieved. 

As a Healthcare advocate, I want to protect my family and the public through health education to live the best life they deserve. Whoever we are, we can become health advocates, and our advocacy can create a ripple effect toward a healthy citizenry and community. 

© 2019 Del Cusay