In Unadulterated waters...
There is a post in a forum over at Pinoy Exchange,
where the Philippine situation was allegorical to that of a "murky pond of water".
So posted, that "if we keep on pouring pure unadulterated water (our children and
children's children and so on) to the pond there will come a time that the pond will
be purified. this will work if we can follow the qualifier pure unadulterated water,
but if we have an equal amount of murky water entering the pond also then it will cancel
out each other. so education i believe is the answer. "
Further expounding on the analogy: "By simply relying on pouring pure unadulterated water
in the murky pond, there is no guarantee that it will improve in quality. Quantity, yes.
The ideal process would be to simultaneously purify the murky water already present in
the pond as well as the murky water coming into the pond. This would [complement] the
inputs of pure water (in fact, this would not require massive amounts of pure water)."
"If we will utilise the example of education and relate this to society, we properly
educate not only the future generations (the pure water) but the existing one as well
(the murky water already present)." And it is in the academia our featured alumni,
Atty. Christine de Lino Carpio-Mintu, finds solace.
Juris was well inculcated in Manila chapter's first alumna.
Chris, as fondly called, became a founding member
of the sorority while taking up Political Science in UP Manila. Pursued further studies at the San Beda
College of Law and assumed her Masters at the Boston University.
Six years in corporate law and almost two years in litigation manifested Maslow's law of hierarchy of needs.
In a nation more obsessed with titles rather than substance,
the lady lawyer chose not to jump in the bandwagon and instead abandoned her practice for a
fulfilling life with family. That family not only involves husband, Upsilonian Timi Mintu, her firstborn LJ and her newborn, but the ménage extends far beyond. In June 1991,
the Carpio Family welcomed Ann Arbor Montessori Learning Center, Inc. into the kith and kin.
Ann Arbor Montessori Learning Center, Inc.
is a non-stock non-profit corporation
duly organized and existing under the laws of the Philippines and registered with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ann Arbor Montessori was established in 1974
as a pre-school by the spouses, [the late Senator] Renato and Sandy Cayetano and
Mr. Gregorio III and Myrna Garcia. After 17 years of providing pre-school education
in B.F. Homes Parañaque, the management of the school was transferred to the Carpio
Family in 1991. The school expanded in Biñan, Laguna in 1995, offering both elementary
and high school education. At present, the two branches are offering complete basic education.
As the Vice-President for Internal Affairs puts it in her own words:
"would like to think that being an educator
I have instilled into the
minds and hearts of our students the basic moral values needed in
living a proper life. Considering that our [sorority's] alumni can still be counted by
hand, it's a start to bring hope to our almost-desperate situation. I
would like to continue emphasizing the importance of these good values to
our youth to give them a firm foundation so that they will not be
easily swayed, manipulated or influenced."
Chris saw to it that her advocacies- Truth, Reason and Justice,
generate a multiplier effect. She thought it "would be better off concentrating on the
education of the youth rather than trying to change a system composed of
already rotten apples." Participating actively in school affairs, she
"envisions to develop well-rounded individuals who pratice 
self-discipline, with a sense of responsibility and fairness, promote
desirable values ad show active concern for his fellowmen, country and the
global environment."
Sigma Alpha Nu made her "realize that as a person, you have to live on ideal
principles and base all your decisions on them and hopefully you will never go
wrong." Her aspirations for the sorority is the establishment of an
active alumni association, to have more socio-civic works and most of all, to
produce good leaders of the country.
In unadulterated waters, our sister's confidence swims.
The "murky pond", from her perspective is nothing but a bad dream.
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