reality seen by a shutterbug through pros' masterpiece...

the photo exhibit entitled "mindanao war" is indeed a window of reality beyond doubt.

everything is excellent. i was overwhelmed with divergent emotions upon looking at the photos.

amazed and mournful. at the same time.

reading the news in print and seeing the news on tv didn't give me the feeling that i felt while i was looking at the photos. remorse was all over, which enforced me to think over where i got that instinct. and later realized that perhaps it's the guilt of not being able to feel that much at the first time that i became aware of the raging war in mindanao.

i have been writing about peace in mindanao for years. but it's only now that i felt hurt and crushing sympathy for the thousands of innocent people being caught between the war.

lastly, i genuinely look up to all the brave photojournalists who were very daring to risk everything to let people like me realize things that should have been realized long before.

my MDG choice.

the environment is the concern of every living creature.

many of us have remained indifferent and unaffected by the sordid state of our environment. we have chosen to go on with our lives undisturbed while a series of environmental-related tragedies unfold right before our very eyes. we must constantly remind ourselves that our existence as a civilization greatly depends on the environment that sustains us.

the seventh among the eight millenium development goals of the united nations is my MDG choice.

with the current state of our environment, there is a compelling need to heighten awareness among the people especially the youth of environmental issues confronting us, and thereby, motivate us to take action in protecting our environment and natural resources.

goal seven of the MDG is a guiding venue for us to promote a sense of responsibility and the realization of our critical roles in environmental protection.

i still believe there is hope in our midst - the society's coming together in the MDG is witness to this hope. we need to express our collective concern. when we all come together to work, a promising future awaits.