2008 MMCS Essay Writing Contest

[admin]

JUDGES PROFILE

MELVIN VINGCO he graduated BS Accountancy, Cum Laude at SPU Surigao he was an Editor of The Paulinian Publication 2004
an Ayala Young Leader of the AYL Search
he is now working in Cebu City as a company Accountant




CHARLIEMAGNE COMETA, CPA he graduated BS Accountancy, Cum Laude at SPU Surigao
he championed in essay writing contests in college
served as the Editor in Chief of The Paulinian Publication 2006
Editor in Chief, The Paulinian Yearbook 2007
a Certified Public Accountant
currently working as a Commercial and Financial Assistant at AMEC Services Ltd.





DANIEL ADRIAN CAMINGUE, MBA was a Writer/Artist for The Paulinian Magazine in 2005
he is now a freelance Internal Auditor and a business Ccnsultant for
Lavender Shell Service Station, Surigao City






RANDY RETULLA he graduated BS Administration major in Management at SPU Surigao
he served in the following publications/newsletters as the Editor in Chief
The Paulinian Magazine, 2007
15th Mindanao Sulu Pastoral Conference, 2007
The Paulinian Centennial Newsletter
in college, he was a champion in essay writing competition. He facilatated the 2005 NATIONAL PHYSICS ESSAY WRITING conducted by PSYSC, UP DILIMAN. He also facilitated the application for the prestigious INTERNATIONAL RAMON MAGSAYSAY ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION 2005.
He was an employee of PeopleSupport Phils. Inc., Makati City
-Banker and Financial Consultant for Washington Mutual Bank, USA
he is currently employed in Eperformax Contact Centers and is undergoing a training for the Credit Cards Department of Washington Mutual Bank, USA




FRITZIE GAY LUSICA, (CHAIRMAN) MBA Graduate, BS Secondary Educ. Major in English, Magna Cum Laude, SPU Surigao
Adviser, The Paulinian Magazine and Yearbook, 2005
has been judging essay writing contests in various institutions
a College Instructor of STI Surigao




Criteria:

60 % - Judges
40 % on line voting
___
100 %


See On Line Voting below...

ENTRIES


Help us decide by joining a poll survey below. Who do you think has the best essay on the topic "Practicality versus Conscience"?
Gun Real Omega, Florence June Bantugan, Glenn Donoso, or John Ericson Diadula

Essay number 1
PRACTICALITY VS CONSCIENCE
Gun Real Omega


We are standing not only in a place of smiles and joys
which everyone craves for but also in a place of tears and sorrows which everyone suffers. We are living in a world of two opposites, like a coin with two faces, the first face pictures out happiness and the second face pictures out the agony caused by sufferings. Worse, because we rarely resemble happiness in our faces but always paint a panting face not only external but also internal. This is a mere fact and to deny this fact is a big foolishness. Suffering is apparently experienced by many, either simple or complicated one. We suffer from financial constraints, emotional breakdown, mental deficiency and physical loopholes. Even tasting an affordable happiness one must still to suffer before tasting it. Very awful, isn’t it?

Hence, from this pathetic fact many learned how to deal with it. Practicality is the solution. Practicality means an acceptance. To accept the fact that we suffer and so we must be practical. Many practical individuals say that, “if death is everywhere, why not make profit out of it?” If we are living in a temporary world, why not make a temporary decision in evacuating ourselves from the suffocating sufferings and move towards the most breathily happiness? Even if it’s just a temporary, at least we could experience how lovely to breathe.

Thus, my stand to this issue is not really against conscience, rather, a mature stand of a practical person who accepted the nature of this temporary world, that I suffer and so I must be practical. However, conscience is important. But even how powerful our conscience is in correcting ourselves, still we cannot hide to the visible reality that we are sinners. We are still incapable of upbringing our conscience to work within us because we have already cliff in our personhood. And worse, because as we enlightened by the light of education from the obscure reality the more we became “evil.”

As synopsis, we are living not in finality but in a temporal episode of our real existence. We must not be afraid in making practical decisions, it just mean that you are true and you are not putting any pretentious masks in your face. We just have to be optimist in dealing with this world and learning from every episode of our life is the best thing to do.

To those judgmental, “shame on you guys!” you are like dogs eating foods without getting full but getting fool. Be yourself! Do not hide…

[admin]

Contestant number 2
PRACTICALITY VS CONSCIENCE
Florence June Bantugan


The world now offers many opportunities to make life easy. We are now in the era of globalization where things became instant. As such, it is true that exploration and research plays an essential role in shaping one’s moral views in life. You may at a time believe in the Church’s teachings but later give up through scientific discovery. It seems like morality is already shaken in the advent of technology. Thus, it is timely to exchange ideas regarding the issue of practicality and conscience.
People in our contemporary world are more likely to cling with immoralities and dilemmas in society while neglect their own conscience. Personally, I do believe that man by nature is good since we all have that feeling of guilt and conscience. We know already the boundaries of right and wrong, good from bad. I know deep inside us, we like the ways of God. However, in times we act to be good, why is it that instead of goodness w commit to evil? These dissect us to the practical world that maybe because we are greatly influence upon the chances and opportunities which the society offers. If that happens, which way we will go? Practical society or conscience?
Whatever the situation, I believe that man has the power over its own nature. Even though we said, I am just a victim of situation but we sill have the full decision and right whether to do it or not. It is our own choice that generates our own life. Thus, I recommend to follow what the conscience dictate rather than what society expect. It is because I see the practical world in the level of temptation which is very attractive to humans. It floats like a battle between moral persons against immoral generation.
As Christian, we should always remember that we are not only feeding our body but most significantly our soul. Worldly things can satisfy our bodily needs but it doesn’t follow automatically that it gives pleasure to the soul. Valid as reasoning, conscience is the window to our soul. It serves as road symbols that every driver should follow. If not, then you will be lost on your way.
Whatever it is, conscience earns the right to lead our negative practicality since we are not after for temporary happiness but eternal life. In my humanness, I suggest that every person should value and possess the sense of sacrifice, the very essence of love, to conquer the practical world into a life full of serenity and conscience. It is not to give us easy life but moreover to stand everyone to be strong since it is obvious that our world is full of struggles and trials. After all, if we all survive the pains and hurt feelings, eternal happiness is sweet satisfying.

[admin]

Essay number 3
MORAL MAN VS EVIL SOCIETY
conscience vs practicality
Glenn Donoso



Man by nature is good (Theologians). The fact that man have morality is the manifestation that goodness is imbedded to him. That is why when a person committed immoral action he will be reprimanded by his conscience. Conscience is the inner voice comes from the heart as source of goodness that is in man. However, our bodily desires lead us into the world of materiality. Materiality is the central focus of practicality which temporarily satisfies humanly whims. Temporal in the sense that man have infinite desires that cannot be solely satisfied by finite materiality of this world (St. Augustine). According to Gauttamma Buddha this desire is the cause of human suffering. Man will continue to long for more because he will never be contented of what he has that will end up to emptiness and frustration.
Historically, before civilization man live in harmony with nature. They rely to what the nature can offer and they survived. As millions of years passed, man desire for more than the nature can offer. They used their intelligence to master the world for their comfortability. They started to wander to look for comfortable place and began to expand territories. After then, one tribe invade the other for territorial expansion. Civilization then exist to have human connection all over the world for one purpose to improve the way of living in easy way and pleasure for all. Then modernization rise as the product of human continuous desire for immediate gratification and instant way of living. Thus, all of the sudden the main focus centered on human cravings which is being catered by modernization.
This give rise to the world of practicality which the core principle is to satisfy human desire for better living. And become trend in our present society. There are characteristics of practicality used as trend today. First, practicality endowed instantly. Machines and gadgets are invented to make the lifestyle instantly which resulted to unemployment. Second, practicality divulge power. In the world of practicality people are competing to gain power and become money oriented as the golden mean of powerful living. Nations who are wealthy monopolize the wealth of the world and creating undefeatable war heads to maintain its power. Third, practicality incorporates pleasure. To be practical is to live in pleasure or in comfort zone. Many people exploited humanity for pleasure and rejected human dignity. Fourth, practicality is egocentric. It always point the fore finger to himself. It is the self always must claim all the glory on earth.
In the world of practicality two important virtues are lost – patience and sacrifice. These virtues plays a vital role in moral man which conscience prevail. However, in practicality patience became a forgotten virtue through the presence of instant living. Nobody want to wait and be patient in any circumstances. In result, people become compulsive and impulsive which is the root of quarrel. Sacrifice is neglected in the presence of competition for power using money to rule all over the world by incorporating terror. As a result, rampant of crimes, graft and corruption in the government and other agencies, illegal businesses become intensive and immorality becomes tolerable. Thus, practicality creates evil society.
Now, is there a place of moral man in an evil society? How could he fight it? As long as man remains a man he still a moral person and have place in the society even how evil it is. Despite of evilness conscience remains. The moral man must be aware of his place in the society of evilness. He must emerge from the shadow of error and ambiguity to present reality and truth. He must stand for what is truth and just as dictated by his conscience. Therefore, a moral man never rejects his conscience as basis for decision making and moral judgments.
Lastly, things are in constant flux (Heraclitus). But the ends never justify the means. Change and development is good if it is in good will and just ways. In improvising the nature we must give justice for every people living on earth and nature of existence. The world is perfect in its naturality. We must do what is oughtness. As what Confucius would say that man will follow his responsibility of his own role in the society as what is ought to be done. Over and above of this argumentation the powerful tool that will enhance the placement of moral man in an evil society is prayer. For in prayer there is the sense of self- reflection in thinking the moral implications of action. And God will transcends to man as the good nature of relating or communicating to Him. In everything we do we must do it with love and compassion in the glory of our most high God.

[admin]

Essay Number 4
PRACTICALITY VS CONSCIENCE
John Ericson Diadula


Nowadays, some people would refute that being practical is more important in their lives than choosing their own conscience. If it is about money then it is good to be practical. Practical in a sense that they ignore their conscience and allowing theirselves to do such thing that is intrinsically evil for the sake of money rather by saying it in vernacular, “bahala na makasaya basta makarami.” For instance, the life of being a prostitute; do they think that their intentions justify their evil action? Of course not, because even if their intention is purely good but the action being used in order to gain money is evil, then everything is evil. Thus, as we all know that the end will not justify the means and vice versa.
On the other hand, using our conscience is a better choice for using it is the same as following the will of God. It is often said that conscience is the voice of God. For being practical in a negative way is not justifiably good. Duly in letting our conscience examine what is the right thing to do. If for instance, you and your friend are swimming and it happens that your friend was drowned into the water/sea. What will you do? If you’re being practical, you will not care for your friend because your life will be put in danger. However, if you follow your conscience you will save your friend even if it will be the cause of your death.
Using our conscience doesn’t mean that we disregard the concept of practicality. In fact, it is a higher form of practicality because it goes beyond the limits. When we use our conscience, we are practical in a sense that we assume of the things that is spiritual and eternal. However, if we refer to the practicality of this world in which it disregard the role of conscience, it is still practical but in a lower from. Lower form of practicality because it does not go beyond the limits. It only assumes of the things that is earthly and passing. It fulfills only the cravings of a person for this world and not the cravings for eternity.
Lastly, if a seminarian would be asked by a beautiful lady, “Why are you aiming to be a priest? Be practical. If you’re not practical you cannot taste the earthly heaven. After all you can still serve God in other ways.” If it is address to me, I would answer him with this statement, “I’m sorry miss, but I’m very much practical because I am assuming the things in heaven which is eternal and divine, I wanted to taste it through eternity rather than the heaven of this earth which is not eternal but a limited one. Yes, there are other ways to serve God but it is my choice to serve God in this way. Furthermore, if everybody would be practical in a lower sense or in a negative way. Who would become a priest that will administer the sacraments, especially the sacrament of reconciliation?
Thus, choosing our conscience, nevertheless, is a better choice.

[admin]

Who has the best essay to received Maradjao Magbalantay writer of the year 2008 award..?

[peekabooh]

You should have given us the criteria. Anyway, essay 1 and 2 are the best; almost equal. If errors are accounted (I am sure it is, since I also joined essay contests before), essay number 1 will slightly win. However, in the Philippines essay no. 2 will win. Please encourage Messrs. Omega and Bantugan to write, write and write. Likewise, it is best that they pursue a degree in a related field. They are amazing. The contents are both powerful and profound, fluid writing, and the clarity of thought and style are outstanding!

[erzlaurente]

greetings of love!

to the contestants of the 2008 MMCS Essay Writing Competition, CONGRATULATIONS to you guys! your articles were all great! keep up the good work and continue to exude your ability in writing substantial articles which topics and contents are challenging enough to make everyone move and respond. like all of the writers, every writing opportunity is a chance to improve so go on and express yourselves! GOD bless you! awarding of winners will take place soon! see you!


regards!
randy laurente retulla