10 Commandments of Taft

For 3 to 4 years or more, students will have to live with the traffic, people and the claustophobic environment that Taft has to offer. I developed rules from observation around my environment also from my upper years. Here they are:

  

  

  1. Thou shall not waste money.

Do not spend beyond your needs. Money is important in Taft because if you're a college student you will need money for your projects and stuff for school. Also, you will need the money for three things: Barn, Beach and Sherwood. 

    2. Thou shall not give anything to beggars.

I don’t understand why you see such  depressing environment, where you can see naked kids who beg for food outside big universities specifically DLSU and CSB, that gives quality education and promotes good morals to improve lives. For me, giving money to the less fortunate is great! But the thing is that the beggars in Taft abuse it. I remember one time when a kid asked us for money. My friend gave 5 pesos to the kid and I gave 20 and the kid was like "ayoko niyan" and he grabbed my 20 peso bill and ran away. Also, it's a hassle when you buy a drink then they harass you into giving it to them. As mean as this sounds but don't give anything to beggars but I would advise you to talk to them about life and motivate them to find long term solutions over temporary ones. 



    3. Thou shall not landi anyone with a    boyfriend/girlfriend.

This is basic. Don’t destroy a relationship just because you can’t have one. Be a butterfly that people would actually want to see not a higad that people would want to kill.



    4. Thou shall focus on my study more than fun.

Another basic instruction for being a student. Focus on your education more than fun. Do it for your future self. If you’re tired of studying, then probably your parents are tired of paying for your education more.


    5. Thou shall meet new friends.
In real life, you will need friends to survive. Your college life won’t be complete if you don’t have wacky friends. Also, extend your hand to other people! There's nothing wrong in meeting new people in life.



    6. Thou shall not use any branded things that are   expensive enough to feed 20 children.


The thing is, you don’t need your expensive Louis Vuitton bag while walking in Taft. Manila is a dangerous place for you to show off your 50k bag.

   7. Thou shall leave early when it rains hard.
There are only two situations in Manila: Either it’s hot or it’s flooded. Get out of there as fast as you can when it rains because it’s either you'll get stuck in there or you’ll get stuck in traffic.

   8. Thou shall not walk around Taft after 10 pm alone.
Do you want to get raped? Because this is how you get raped. Do not go out and walk in Taft alone. You might get in danger. I’m not stereotyping but I think it’s better for you to know the dangers rather than you experiencing it. So do not walk around Taft after 10 alone. 

   9. Thou shall not judge a person.  
In college, you will meet a lot of different people. There will be unique and different people that you will meet along the 3-4 year road. You will work with them and you will be with them. Their uniqueness and your uniqueness will create an unusual bond that you will remember forever. So never judge them and always remember that the cover doesn’t make the book, it’s the chapters inside of it.

10. Thou shall have fun.
Have fun! Make memories with your block mates and people. Always remember that college is the stepping stone to real life. So have fun and cheers to the 4 years of building yourself.