VENDILLO, Narcy Lyn T.

MS Accountancy

Philosophy goes all the way back to ancient Greece but still shapes the world up to this day. During the
introduction part of the course, one explanation of Philosophy lingered in my mind: the heart of philosophy consists
in shaping one’s mind, not in filling it with facts.

As the discussion progresses, the statement became less vague as it was first mentioned. This meaning was
further elaborated when the class met for the second time last Saturday. New comers entering the class for the first
time imparted their motivations in taking up Masters of Science in Accountancy (MS Accountancy) in Saint Louis
University. Among the shared stories, Ms. Luzchelle Ulayan’s has the most impact on me. According to Ms.
Ulayan, prior to enrolling under MS Accountancy, she is vacillated between resigning from her day job in Metro
Manila and pursuing a career as Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Chairman in the province. She stated further that
winning the SK elections will be her deciding factor to pursue her graduate studies. With her presence in the class, it
is clear what transpired in the election.

I admire Ms. Ulayan’s courage to resign from a job which has an enticing promise of career growth and
development in exchange for government service as an SK Chairman whose term will only last for three years. Her
example is a perfect fit for how philosophy is "a system of principles for guidance in practical affairs.” I can sense
from her sharing that her philosophy is leaning towards being in public service eventually leading her to pursue her
graduate studies, since it is now practical to do so. She was certainly guided by a certain philosophy however; I
cannot feel the commitment with the words she has thrown on the table. It may be because she has a lot of things she
plans to chase right now: series of goals, long sequence of unfinished projects, a lot of commitments and deadlines.
Ms. Ulayan might want to enter public service but is still not fully committed or is still having some doubts.

From my perception, Ms. Ulayan knows her philosophy but it is still clouded. What I can grasp from her
situation, is that one person needs a clear, well-defined philosophy. Every bit of detail in life will become a bit
clearer when you take that level of certainty in your goal. This will give you the course of action and restrictions to
keep you on track. One’s philosophies are deemed to be enduring vow seeking to move further than simple self-
improvement. For example, my philosophy is to carry out tasks more exemplary than they have ever been done; this
is then my top-level goal. This top-level goal will give direction and significance to my actions and small decisions.
With the highest goal in mind, I get out of the door before seven a.m. and arrive at work on time. These two are low-
level goals that I need to accomplish to reach the top-level goal. Why will I care about that? Because I need to be
punctual. Why will I care about that? Because being punctual is a demonstration of my respect towards the people
whom I work with. Having a clear philosophy helps you in recognizing what you truly care about. When you are
certain about what you care about then you become dedicated and firm in pursuing your top goal.

From this reflection, my understanding of what Philosophy is was deepened. Philosophy is not just shaping
one’s mind, but shaping one’s life, his aspirations, and his actions. It is then important to have not just a philosophy,
but a clear and definite one to serve as day-to-day guidance.