Viole(n)t Mugs

Love Thy Books

2012-01-31T16:21:00.007+08:00

The surplus of books we see when we visit Book Sale stores seems to be a formative evidence already of the gradual phasing out (so they say) of those bounded papers. The advent of tablets makes the possibility of their existence closer to reality than ever.

However, if one would just look back into the not-so-distant past, one will hopefully realize their importance to people’s daily living, to people’s conviction, and to people’s aspirations.

Martín Espada’s poetry book entitled “Rebellion is the Circle of a Lover’s Hands” contains a poem which exhorts a message, a message of recollection, when books were still as subversive as those famed ‘subversive’ personages like Ché Guevara. It is a personal hope that you get to breathe in the essence of the lines.

The King of Books (for Camilo Pérez-Bustillo)

The books traveled with Camilo
everywhere, like wrinkled duendes
whispering advice.
The fortuneteller clawed his palm
and warned him
about ElSlavador,
where the guards
search for books at the border,
plucking at pages
like the pockets of a bearded subversive.

The books were bandits,
bootlegging illicit words
like Che and insurrection.
For the books,
a rifle jabbed in his spine;
for the books,
an elbow pressed against the chin;
for the books,
electrical wires slowly waving,
branches of cruel sparks.

And the captain in camouflage
tied to instuct hm
with a wall-hard smack
and ratonal fascist philosophy;
the guards worked to convince him,
propping him on the cot
with the same interrogation repeated
till morning slipped into the cell
and spread across the floor unnoticed;
the Marines fought to persuade him
by stern quiet in the jeep,
dropping him marooned
without money or books
at the border.

He was not persuaded.
In his apartment books breed,
an infestation of books,
Piling, spilling,
a horde of printed words like grasshoppers
blackening the nightmares
of treasury police and army captains
in El Salvador,
a plague commanded
by Camilo,
the King of Books.

Reference: Espada, Martín. The King of Books in “Rebellion is the Circle of a Lover’s Hands” Rebelión es el giro de manos del amante), pp. 66 & 68. Curbstone Press, 1st ed. 1990.

Here Comes Pulp Summer Slam 12: The Apostles

2012-01-26T16:49:00.002+08:00

Musicians, music enthusiasts, and poseurs alike will troop again to the battlefield that is Amoranto Stadium on April 28, 2012 for the 12th year edition of the Pulp Summer Slam. I have been absent from this much-awaited annual music for three years already and I hope to get back again to the grounds of Amoranto and get drowned again to the sound of guitar riffs and drum thumping.

This year’s slam will feature six foreign acts: Arch Enemy, August Burns Red, Bless the Fall, We Came as Romans, Periphery, and Darkest Hour, most of which are of metal and/or hardcore background. But beside them, it is also good to anticipate Filipino bands to rock the stage to be set up in Amoranto.

Apostles, slam now!

The Unlucky Friday the 13th

2012-01-13T15:16:00.001+08:00

Fussing over a simple day such as 13 seems to be a folly already. Or even to the point of being ritualistic (that thought about rituals comes from the book by Harald Gruendl entitled ‘The Death of Fashion’ which I am devouring right now). But let us give this day to those who find Friday the 13th unusual and spooky. After all, there will only be three Friday the 13th this year. Another bonus for them is February 29.

A simple musing would reveal to us how people can give vivid meaning into an otherwise simple thing such as this day. It will always be an unlucky day if we think and say so and perhaps our subconscious mind would urge the body to put itself into inconvenient situations just to prove that contention. Better stick to what it is: that 13 is just a number, nothing else.

Clash Between Life and Living: The Tragedies in Mindanao

2012-01-06T16:30:00.002+08:00

.It’s a wonder how a small change in word spelling could serve as a thin thread dividing life and death. People make a living to sustain life. But living, when done in excess, conquers the very thing it seeks to sustain – life.

That’s exactly how I see the recent tragedies in Mindanao. We have seen piles of dead in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro when Typhoon Sendong raged through these southern Philippine cities. In the aftermath, what flowed with the volume of flood were tree trunks, presumably cut down from the forests in the areas to be sold or marketed. It seemed like it was the Ormoc tragedy again.

And then yesterday the night news was replete with details of the recent landslide in the province of Compostela Valley in Mindanao. Twenty five people, perhaps more as I write this, were killed as mud made its way from the mountain down into the village called Napnapan. Most of the residents there get their living from mining.

What was too disappointing in this tragedy was that it could have been avoided. DILG, Department of Defense, and the DENR (if we are to take the statement of the presidential spokesperson) have advised already the local government officials of the potential dangers in the place. The spotlight now switches to these local officials who will have a lot of explaining to do. Geohazard maps (care of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau) have been issued already stating that the place was already landslide-prone. The place was reportedly cleared of people. But if it has been really cleared, then there should have been no casualties. Again, spotlight is trained to the local government.

I have seen the worth of geohazard maps. Having seated as part of a team for a disaster-related project spearheaded by a government agency, I am well aware of the need to heed the results of geohazard mapping. To see this blatantly ignored in the case of Compostela Valley shows our disregard for the efforts of the government bureaus to serve and (potentially) protect the citizens from harm. What has been missed was proper coordination among government institutions and the people and proper dissemination of information to the locals. Thus, another set of casualties for a tragedy.

Beyond these sad facts is the sickening anticipation of blame games among government officials on who or which to blame for this tragedy.

* Photo credit: msnbc.msn.com

Remembering Ché Guevara through Arab Spring

2012-01-05T11:32:00.007+08:00

.Seeing a series of news about the political and social unrest in Syria and Bahrain yesterday (where many Filipinos right now are having a hard time leaving these countries) recalled to my mind again the so-called Arab Spring, which in fact is still spreading. True, the countries involved in this may have different political settings and background which prompted protests and demonstrations (not to mention revolutions) from the people. But the fact that they are in close proximity with each other clothes them in a general view that they most probably share more or less the same end desires. End of long-standing regimes perhaps. Or perhaps the establishment of democracy in those countries.

Some quarters even trace back the Arab Spring in the post-9/11 period, when the United States acted on the alleged terrorism in their country (which brought down the famed Twin Towers of the World Trace Center) primarily directed to the Middle East. Whether it was for the betterment or for the deterioration of the fate of Middle East (and Northern Africa for that matter) is yet to be seen. Perhaps this Arab Spring would serve as the current political barometer.

This very Arab Spring made me remember again Ernesto ‘Ché’ Guevara, an Argentine-Cuban revolutionary who was instrumental in the success of the Cuban Revolution against the Fulgencio Batista regime. While the Fidel Castro-led Cuba was starting up, Ché was busy too spreading the same revolution in Latin America. Such desire ultimately led to his death in the forests of Bolivia. But I wonder how Ché would take this sudden Arab Spring. They may not have a rallying leader but the people in those Arab countries definitely have a rallying thought and desire. Ché’s plan of liberating countered from the clutches of regimes has taken its manifestation in the Asian and African continents. Will a same kind of ‘Spring’ be seen soon in Latin America? That may be too soon to think about. It would be better to learn from the unfolding history in those Arab countries.

*Photo Credit: wikipedia.org

Dwarven Song About Old Wealth and The Hobbit

2012-01-04T00:15:00.007+08:00

Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
The pines were roaring on the height,
The winds were moaning in the night,
The fire was red, it flaming spread;
The trees like torches blazed with light...

I am having goose bumps as I write this. Part of the upcoming The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey movie is a song by the dwarves who were with the hobbit Bilbo Baggins in their journey to Lonely Mountain and I am listening to it right now. The song, seen and heard briefly in the first trailer, was simply eerie and moving. It only makes you anticipate more the movie. I have only read part of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings and since the movie would not be released until after twelve months, I will have enough time to finish them (although I already have an overview of the books).

The Lord of the Rings books and The Hobbit release one out of the limitations of this physical world and make you enjoy and live, at least temporarily, in a world or even worlds not bounded by constricting physical laws. High fantasy indeed is an apt description. Personally they also make me appreciate more the craft of (verbal) storytelling. I wish I’ll be in the moment when I could discuss the story and its intricacies under the night sky and the night stars, out there in a field.

Outside the books we could make our own adventures and journeys if we desire for it.

The Year Ahead

2012-01-03T22:17:00.003+08:00

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Now that the dust of the firecracker explosions has settled and the night is no longer punctuated by them, let us arise and move on with the coming of the New Year. Rest days are over. Face the more adventurous year ahead.

Year-End Musings and the Crisis of Resolutions

2011-12-30T01:24:00.005+08:00

The wind blowing from my window gradually cools as the evening turns into an early morning. As I juggle thoughts, plans, and faces in my mind I am left with one thing now just before the year 2011 call it quits: to make a recollection of the year past and make tentative plans for the coming one.

What can I say? The year has been a voyage as if in a sail-run ship, unpredictable days of brief triumphs and downright failures, swaying to the waves of outside events, clasping only the knowledge of steering and maneuvering. Forgive the figures of speech. If only those will be enough to describe the past twelve months.

...Brief Triumphs
Triumph is a strong word. But then its meaning resides in us, in what we consider triumphs and in what we do not consider as one. My gauge comes in the form of writing output, published works. My first history research paper came out this year, a fruit of my first unemployed semester. I can still recall those times when I had to hitch on a full-packed jeepney just to reach a rural barangay to interview war veterans. Then there are those published poems, one in Ateneo, one in South Korea, and two in USA. I am yet to make a ripple here in the country but at least I am aware that I still have many things to learn in craft and art that is poetry.

...Downright Failures
As I have never been a fan of personal lives getting posted like tabloid stories and being talked about by people who know nothing more than mere gossiping, I intend to make up anyway for the ugly events of the past few months. Responsibilities and mere adventurism blurred as I coursed through a sudden deluge of accidents and incidents, both intended and not. And as the coming year look upon me like a new chance I desire to follow the more amiable path, where more lives would be put at peace and where I can see real responsibilities put into realizations. Love conquers both in a good and a bad way but I wish to immerse myself in the uncorrupted form.

And at this juncture I wish the send my apologies to those people who may have felt the tug of my uncontrolled life in the past months. Amendments may come long but at least these tentative steps to settle things would suffice. Ugly details have been spilled around, yes, but I still stand by that conviction that there lay that thick wall dividing what’s public and what’s private in one’s life. I will be the sentinel of this border.

...of Resolutions
And the crisis lies on the concept of resolutions. A yearly set of resolutions inevitably assumes that what you have set the previous year has all been accomplished. That is not necessarily true for me.

- Write more and learn to write more. Lack of formal grounding on this craft is no longer an excuse not to excel. Go learn by the experience. Go learn through rejections and revisions. Writing is a love affair of its own.

- Travel more. Reach even the smallest corners of the cities or towns in the Philippines. Interview the commonest of the common and extract from them the essence, the soul of the ground that is the Philippines. The people’s stories, the structures of the past all form the moving saga, the moving history of ours.

- Save more. Not to poke fun on a well known establishment. But I need to save now owing to the uncertainly of my present situation. Unexpected problems can be best weathered with a sound pocket.

- Ponder more. An activity which I failed to do after graduating. Quiet moments under the trees. Quiet moments in a deserted train station. Quiet moments in the house. Quiet moments just before sleep. In the absence of deep prayers, may an exercise of meditations would help in organizing my thoughts and plans.

I close myself for this year, swallow in the down times, carry my bag to move onto the more aggressive and adventurous years ahead. I will walk on my own; this is my story.

“...travel on foot [is] virtue.”
-Werner Herzog

Rizal is in the Heart Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

2011-12-30T01:23:00.001+08:00

Words will flood again as Filipinos celebrate today Rizal Day, a commemoration of the martyrdom of Jose Rizal, physician, doctor, patriot, national hero. The air we’ll breathe will soon be saturated with the scent of flowers from the wreaths offered in different monuments and statues. Having read his works and studies parts of his life, Rizal indeed is worthy of all the honors still being given to him. As for me, Rizal is in the heart yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Living Up to the Season’s Spirit: Giving to Typhoon Sendong Victims

2011-12-25T14:47:00.015+08:00

Being a non-celebrant of this month’s celebrations has given been relative freedom from pressures of excessive giving and excessive consumption at the same time. But the continuous bombardment of the media of photographs and video footage of the destruction wrought by Typhoon Sendong in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro permeated through me. And so in part to enable our organization, Kapatirang Pitong Lawa sa U.P. Los Baños to participate in a community service, a relief mission was organized for three days at San Pablo City, Laguna.

I was only able to come on the last day of the mission and what surprised me was the volume of goods that the organization was able to collect. Sacks of clothes came from one barangay alone and last-minute donations were also received. Despite the intermittent rain the group was able to transport the goods to LBC which offer free delivery of relief goods to Mindanao. What we have collected thus far may be small compared to others who have truckloads but giving, as I realized as I went home after delivering the goods, is as subjective as any other concepts. It is not about how many or how much you have given. The worth of something you have given is lodged in the sincerity of your giving. You give out of heart, so they say. We hope the goods would reach the people of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro before the year ends.

Sendong Silences the Christmas Season

2011-12-20T14:20:00.004+08:00

In this period when almost all the Filipinos are gearing up for the festivity that is Christmas, a rather ugly event cuts through an otherwise pristine season of celebration. Typhoon Sendong may not have devastated Luzon this time but it almost turned the southern cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro into wastelands. We see cars overturned, muds flowing through the streets, and dead people being piled up like unusable logs. We then see the survivors lining up to get drinking water which has become a boon for them.

It is really a contrasting view, a view of brown and mud as compared to a view of red and green pine trees of Christmas. But then it is quite more saddening to note how much of our happiness, at least in the Philippine setting, is anchored on how pompous our Christmas celebrations would be. Is it the only time of the year when happiness can be found? Is it the only time of the year when we could gather together and prepare for lavish food? Is it the only time of the year when giving can be a common sight?

“Araw araw ay magiging Pasko lagi...” It may not be conducive for the people of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro to celebrate Christmas and so let us give them the rest of December for mourning. And since we have all been harking how Christmas can be celebrated any time of the the year, then we might as well reserve the festivity for them in the coming of the new year. The pain and hurt might still be there but we, as a nation, can only move on and press on forward. For now let us give all the assistance we could extend to our fellow Filipinos affected by the tragedy on the south.

Photo Credit: Bobby Lagsa/NPPA Images

Of Deltas and Losses

2011-12-08T14:03:00.001+08:00

It’s a wonder how much of life’s experiences can be summed in the alternating descriptions of deltas and losses. Delta is not that foreign to me, having been acquainted with it through physics to denote change. Yes, changes. Then there are losses. Forgive this semi-series of emo posts. I have said to an intimate anyway that this will be my last post of that character. It is time to get over the ugly details of the recent weeks and move on.

Breathing in Changes

When one chooses not to act on something, an impetus I choose to call change will definitely run over you. But in accepting change as your inevitable shadow (in the protagonist and antagonist sense of the word), you can somehow weather eventualities not in your favor. War, as has been reminded to me recently, brings changes. War is fundamentally ugly. And so ugly affairs definitely change you or your environment. Inevitable or not, we just have to brave all of them. In my case, braved it all I did. But hopefully things would turn better after all those hasty decisions made just to patch the problems. Change compelled those decisions. And those decisions will soon attract change. That only shows that we can never go round change. It’s a part of us. It’s in the air we breathe.

Bridging Losses

We get to lose something every now and then. It may be a few bills or a wallet sometimes. Or we get to loss a chance to watch a long awaited concert. But to lose a relationship, more so a bounded one, rakes into one’s psyche and leaves you that feeling of emptiness. Perhaps emptiness is not sufficient to describe it. A calm, more likely. A calm in the storm. The calm you feel after recovering from a high fever. A calm which rings into your ears. A calm that smells of pain no matter how hard one deny it. But loss is never felt more painfully when you bridge that emptiness, when you try to overcome the realization of the loss. But as with change, we can only move on when we brave the reality of loss. Only then can we find the initiative to make the necessary amendments.

Forgive my vagueness reader.

Life Created, Life Ruined

2011-12-05T13:55:00.001+08:00

How does one create life? Is it really confined to the biological process we are all familiar with: an entity carried in the womb of a mother and brought into this world after nine months of nourishing? Or can it be described through a relationship where the bond between two persons is strengthened by experiences shared together each day? Perhaps the distinction will lie on the definition of what is life for you or for me. As a further thought, how does one ruin life or recreate it?

On my own definitions, I saw life rose around me in the form of a family, a concept I grew to respect and appreciate for one does not get to receive so much attention beyond its circle. Its stability and happiness, ironically, is defined by norms which are totally indifferent to the human factors involved in the family’s growth or death. And I recently saw a life (or perhaps lives) got thrown into an existential abyss, leaving on its disposal a void of almost the same character but charged with more pain and suffering.

But how do I act in the midst of these two conflicting events? Do I move to preserve what the norm says is to be preserved in exchange for my personal happiness or deny the norm itself and make a living definition of happiness for me?
The answer is that I am utterly confused. And at least by typing away these simple thoughts in the wee hours of the day, I’ll receive that proverbial spark inside me and have the clarity of mind to proceed with the decisions that should be made. Life, as I have always seen it, is always wanting. I am urged to fill in the empty spaces but I still find myself tethered by responsibilities.

Name saving is no longer a safe haven, for all the details of an ugly past have been spilled anyway. I just hope to find the right bets, the right choices for the actions that must be done. Peace, at least in the personal level, cannot be attained for now. And so I plunge into these bitter and decidedly ugly battles. Still, I expect to come out of all the problems not really clean but redeemed. I have overlooked many things but I intend to correct them for the betterment of the many.

And so to my questions. Well, one can create and ruin life. After all, this moral existence is an existence of constant change. We can only live with the wounds of the creation or of the destruction. The bright side of all this is that we OURSELVES have the power to recreate our damaged lives not only once but more. Living gives us hope. I may have the most guilt- and problem-ridden heart at this hour, but I am anticipating a better closure to all of these present predicaments the soonest possible time.

Rethinking December Consumption

2011-12-02T15:14:00.001+08:00

.The month of December comes in with the usual chilly morning air and festive mood. Christmas is at hand and all would now be Christmas songs and carols in our ears, Christmas decors to look at, and Christmas delicacies to indulge with. In short, it is all about consumption again by our dear, old senses.

But a simple thought, written by Sarah Nardi in an issue of Adbusters Magazine would make one rethink on how one would approach the Christmas, beyond all the pretexts to celebrate the birth of the Messiah of Christendom. She spoke of fasting done in the (more or less) same holiday of the Muslims, the Ramadan. It is not about consumption but in fact abstinence, designed as the short article said: “…to bring closer to one’s spiritual self.” Christian or not, it may be high time for those who chance upon this blog post to revamp our consuming attitude for the coming holidays. One can make it a re-founding of one’s self. That’s something to think about.

December In Silence

2011-12-01T16:00:00.005+08:00

Let this uneven breathing and a light fever
describe the multitude of thoughts and feelings
inside me as December commences today.

The Maguindanao Massacre as a Reminder to Filipinos

2011-11-24T16:31:00.003+08:00

Two years after the bloodbath that was the Maguindanao Massacre we are yet to see closure and sufficient justice served for the families of those murdered. But as the blood stains over those grounds in Maguindanao percolate underground let us be reminded by the sobering fact that the massacre is a direct show of our capability and incapability of handling power, of handling that hunger for power. Our political maturity (if not stability) is still a utopian state. But let us hope for the best. For now, we’ll do better if such a horrible thing as the Maguindanao Massacre will not happen anymore.

* Photo credit: "They Own the People" Human Rights Watch Report, © Reuters

Intermit

2011-11-24T10:21:00.002+08:00

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One must come to that moment when an activity must come to an end, however temporarily. And for my case inaction must now come to an end.

I have not been breathing for a long time; having not able to write anything except for a few lines I have tried to scribble in my free times. I miss my extensive scribbles of drafts, late night writings and readings. Yes, I have attempted to dislodge my self-realized ‘writer’s block’ (see that particularly entry here) but it seems that I still have not exerted much effort to triumph over it. Events—both domestic and relational—have severely affected this writing aspect of my life, something that I wish yet again to exorcise by doing this simple musing.

But will this thing still work, discussing my thoughts in my blog? Perhaps. I still have faith in this blog activity after all.

As to those thoughts: I realize each day that personal life is balanced by putting one’s attention to the world beyond one’s bedroom. Too much brooding over domestic stuff rots you inside, while too much attention on outside affairs makes you an abstract entity. The merging the two gives you a corporeal identity. Life isn’t always about yourself; it is also sharing the living with the others. But most of the time, we cannot have those ideal situations, and we have to wade through a flood of struggles. True, it makes life spicier but makes us susceptible to surrender.

But in any case, one must have to press on forward, carry a dog tag of optimism, and continue to live life. I cannot afford to sit down with my knees on my cheeks letting the world turn with all its ugly affairs. I know I am in for some extreme feats and decisions in my personal life in the coming months and I have to go for them. There is NO other choice. This is the ONLY definition of choice for me—to go for them. Only then, I believe, will I be able to fully say that I am living that ‘free life’ that existentialism has tried to define.

I wish my fingers would bleed ink so that words would now flow freely after this.

The Business of Busyness

2011-11-18T11:23:00.002+08:00

The word ‘busy’ has earned both my respect and my contempt. It is viewed in a good light whenever an active engagement in some work is necessary and a complete turn-off when I see it being used as an excuse by individuals just to escape. I wish people would stop overusing the word.

KAPWA sa UPLB Continues to Bloom at 22

2011-11-06T18:57:00.003+08:00

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The coming of the month of November brings to mind not only the nearness of the Christmas season but also of the celebration of the anniversary of our organization, Kapatirang Pitong Lawa sa U.P. Los Baños or KAPWA sa UPLB. The twenty-two-year-existence of our org is a testament already of the members’ commitment to keep the group intact and active.

Yes, there have been those years (which I have witnessed personally) when the organization seemed to be on the brink of division and extinction but the small embers of encouragement that came from some of the members gave way for the org to bloom more beautifully. The success of the recent Clean Up the World activity which drew hundreds of students proves the resident members’ newfound compelling powers. It is, so far, the org’s first activity with the largest number of participants. Alumni and resident members await bigger challenges for the organization. Bigger activities. Bigger goals at least until the 25th-year anniversary.

At this point, I send out my sincerest wish that KAPWA sa UPLB will continue to grow internally and that such growth be manifested in the quality of its activities for the city of San Pablo, for U.P. Los Baños, and the Philippines.

Confronting Writer’s Block

2011-11-06T18:50:00.003+08:00

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The word ‘frustrating’ would not suffice to describe those moments when the eager hand and pen cannot connect to the mind. The mind, being the formative source of thoughts and inspiration, sometimes fails to open up its metaphorical wells and provide the willing writer – professional or not – of those seeds to be planted on paper. In this fast-paced world, such elaborately described phenomenon will only be relegated to the label of a “writer’s block.”

Such ‘writer’s block’ for me involves those harrowing nights of complete emptiness. Those harrowing nights when I spend the early hours of the day just staring onto the lined pages of my draft book, occasionally focusing on the soft tapping of raindrops on the roof or on the hum of our battered electric fan motor. It was grueling to glide through a vacuum where even anger or thoughts of anger do not inspire you to write even a single word. It is, to say the least, a living nightmare.

But inspirations come quite ironically on seed-like moments too, when mental vacuums are turned onto seemingly simple things:
Watching a child dance to the music of a children’s song.
Scribbling onto post-it notes.
Smiling in front of a comfort room mirror.
Listening to a movie sound track rendered by an orchestra.
Singing loudly in the jeepney.
Talking to an acquaintance.
Putting one’s head against a wall.
I’ve seen how such awkward activities have turned my complacency in writing to a raging task which I have to do for it is a part of my life, for it is a life. I have already mentioned many times that to write is to breathe, and to breathe is to write. That is personally true for me.

In the end, one effective counter-attack to a writer’s block is to engage in activities so devoid of any characteristics related to writing that they would actually turn your attention back into writing and will let you see the vast space of inspiration for the writer, a space whose fabric is composed of intertwined reality, fiction, dreams, and the unknown. One just has to open one’s eyes and see behind what these mortal eyes can perceive.

Thoughts on this Post-Given Grace Period

2011-10-23T14:21:00.002+08:00

The lingering sleepiness on this particular Sunday was warded off by the topic of Jordan’s “Perfect Rhythm” radio program: Given Grace Cebanico. The program was only 30 minutes long but it effectively summed up the life of Given Grace, not as a student, not as a daughter, but a faithful servant of God.

It is quite disappointing that much of the details of the last few hours of her life were distorted by the media and the eternal evil of gossip. Jordan shared that she actually came from a night-long preparation of a school-related work and not from a party as is known by some of my acquaintances. And I myself, despite not knowing her personally, could not imagine her partying the night away like that given the hectic schedules of the last few days of the semester in UPLB. She could have only been working on school stuff. Unfortunately, yes, quite unfortunately, that she became the target of those beasts who took the form of drug-pumped suspects.

Jordan played Given Grace’s favorite songs and on the last part of the program, Given Grace’s rendition of a Christian song. It is quite reassuring, despite the brutality of her death, that she is now in peace with her God, away from the ugliness of her departure. At least on that extent, the people who love her are appeased. And on this mortal existence, it is also relieving to know that Given Grace’s killers were promptly arrested before her funeral. Justice was initially given to Given. But I know that Justice will soon tighten her grip and resolve for the punishment of the suspects.

For her fellow Christians, the reigning question as Jordan aptly put it is: “Why her?” But not one can really answer that. Misfortune falls to the good and evil alike. And that is one hard fact that we should all remember.

The reason I allude to this time as post-Given Grace period (much like post-WWII period, etc.) is that it is undeniable that most of us, Filipinos, have been moved by her death. For death, when it comes to a most senseless form, can really move a person’s heart. And especially on Given’s case for she could have achieved more if she have only lived longer. Which makes me wonder if our lives have been moving towards some higher call, towards a life that has a purpose. Given Grace found her purpose in God and she died embracing such purpose. If her death would lead others to approach the God who gave her life’s purpose, then I believe Given Grace did not die in vain.

* Photo provided to Pransisem by Marlon Jaurigue, an orgmate of Given Grace in Young Software Engineers’ Society, UP Los Baños

The Death of Muammar Qadhafi and the Upcoming Darker Times in Libya

2011-10-23T14:11:00.004+08:00

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I connected to the internet on Friday to see different news websites plastered with news articles, videos, and analysis about the capture and eventual (albeit quite controversial) killing of Muammar Qadhafi. The death of the once-strong leader of Libya is a pivotal point in the campaign of the revolutionary forces who took up arms against the more-than-forty-year-old regime. To some extent, the revolution is somewhat serendipitous, as the revolutionary forces have different strongholds in different towns in Libya – some eventually falling to the Qadhafi forces and some eventually getting recaptured by the revolutionists. Such erratic campaigns have discouraged outside backings for the rebel forces (which should have meant a shift to diplomatic sort of reconciliation for this war-torn country) but Qadhafi’s capture put a cap to these misgivings.

But darker times are already seen in Libya, for unlike some of the revolutions I have followed in the history books there was no prominent leader (or a prominent group) who/which could direct the reorganization of the government of the country. I can put forward a naïve parallel comparison to Cuba, which at least had Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and Raul Castro who led the campaigns during the Cuban Revolution and when the regime they sought to topple (that is, Batista’s government) has fallen, they eventually emerged as the new leaders of Cuba, something which was more or less expected by the rest of the revolutionary forces there. The same cannot be easily said of Libya as the people who form the collective revolutionary forces came from different tribes (and if I may venture to say, religious sects). That would be quite a headache for the National Transitional Council (NTC) which, according to some analysts, is also divided into factions.

In any case, the bloodbath would surely be significantly lowered as the focus would now turn to the building of the country’s national government. It also certain that the circumstances regarding the death of Qadhafi would be the topic of future historical inquiries and investigations. One only has to watch the few videos capturing the last few minutes of Qadhafi’s life to realize how difficult it would be to clearly write out the details of his death. But in the end, what is clear (and in fact somewhat ironic) is the way he died. He gained power through revolution and another revolution killed him in the end.

As an afterthought, it is only now that I got the chance to watch a bloody revolution from its start to its end (although the question if it is really the end is another story). But such things are not new anyway. History is replete with similar events. The only difference is this knowledge that one such revolution happened in my time. (Well, Enough of these random thoughts.)

Photo Credits: Yahoo! News / ABC News

A Birth and A Death in U.P. Los Baños

2011-10-14T10:50:00.008+08:00

Having spent almost six years in U.P. Los Baños, I could not help but scavenge for news every now and then about my alma mater. This present blog post was conceived after receiving some recent news about UPLB. The ‘birth’ part is somewhat metaphorical while the ‘death’ part is, sadly enough, quite literal.

A Birth: Rex Victor Cruz Carries the Torch of Chancellorship

A new chancellor for UPLB has been selected and officially declared by the UP Board of Regent on September 29, 2011. Dr. Rex Victor Cruz of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources (CFNR) will start to assume office on November 1, 2011. According to the UPLB website, Dr. Cruz carries with him his vision of “One University, One Goal, One Destiny for UPLB” directed by five-point thematic agenda. It is a fresh start for the UPLB constituents after a rather longish leadership of former Chancellor Luis Rey Velasco whose term was marred by various issues and controversies. How well will Dr. Cruz fare (not to mention the question of how well will the activists take his appointment) is yet to be seen. Perhaps after a year, we’ll be able to make a few assessments with regards to his performance. But such assessments, of course, would come from the rank and file and would not, in any way, prove to be encompassing. For now, we can only hope for the best for this coming administration.

A Death: Given Grace Cebanico and her Senseless Murder

Gloom now envelops the UPLB campus as the news of the senseless killing (and allegedly rape) of Given Grace Cebanico, a BS Computer Science student. It really ‘strikes home’ for me firstly because she was a UPLB student and second, she was an orgmate of one of my orgmates. I engaged this orgmate of mine in a conversation to flesh out information aside from the details publicized already by the sickening media.

“Kalog”, a Christian, a DOST scholar, and a rather attractive person. These are but some of the few descriptions which I am afraid would never be enough to fully describe the person. She was also appointed to be the promotion head of a fair that her org is organizing for next year. It turns out that she will never be able to attend it. “Sickening” I think would be an apt word for this tragedy. It makes me want to vomit, for a lowly way to satisfy one’s carnal cravings like this can only be described as belonging to the nature of beasts and animals. I cannot even imagine even in passing that gray area where rationality comes into contact with beastliness.

Mournings and tributes are only right to be done at these times but in the end, nothing, not even a very powerful person could bring back her life, much less his dignity which was unruly taken away from her by some beasts. The supreme retribution that all might be looking forward to is the imposition of justice and punishment – equally, if not more than enough – to all those who planned this barbaric act.

It is a bitter death, yes. But it resurrects again the age-old issue of security in and around the campus. UPLB may be notorious for being liberal in many aspects but that is not an excuse to be lenient in security especially amongst its prime constituent, the students.

My sincerest condolences to her family and to her second family at school.

*Photo credits: Rex Victor Cruz (rexcruz.org) /
Given Grace Cebanico (Marlon Jaurigue, orgmate Young Software Engineers Society)

Ka Roger and His Belated Hailing as a Red Hero

2011-10-12T15:01:00.002+08:00

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The delayed announcement of the death of Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal, erstwhile spokesperson of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) could have only benefitted their group as they needed to make the necessary adjustments at the demise of their once strong leader. Having no substantial knowledge on how the grounds lay at present – whether his death will signal the weakening of their (“revolutionary”) forces or otherwise – I can only make a simple comparison, that of the death of Ernesto “Che” Guevara.

They were essentially of the same calling. They basically have the same form of enemy (or enemies). But how well will Ka Roger’s death fuel the campaign of their groups and all its different wings is yet to be seen. Che’s death in one way or another only galvanized the stronghold of Fidel Castro and his group in Cuba. The extent of the influence of Ka Roger, who can be considered already as one of the pillars of the Party, will be tested in this era of CCP without him.

As for the general public (who, for most of the time, is conditioned by the media), it is high time to take a short pause and ponder on this highly ironic fact, or call it existence. Their campaigns as “revolutionary” forces definitely have some basis (but how strong these basis are is another story) but the lingering question is how come not so many people join their ranks. It may be a naïve inquiry but a formative response would be some concepts are endowed with the thinking that they are higher callings. Perhaps for them, this protracted war is worth all their hardships. Or perhaps not. But they are indeed worthy of accolade for this is a brave way of painting a meaning–of the meaning–of their lives.

Photo credit: philippinerevolution.net

Faces of the Storms

2011-10-11T13:39:00.002+08:00

Sometimes, the rain comes to us like a relief. In a tropical paradise like the Philippines (yes, it is), a brief respite in the heat of the whole day compels one to relax, make a cup of coffee, rest on a comfortable chair and look out the glass window and watch as the rain drops kiss the polycrystalline shield and eventually slide down to the ground.

It is a picturesque description if not for the fact that heavy rains, particularly in our country, prove to be devastating. Rain can move you to a poetic, if not romantic, trance. But rain can also turn one’s dreams into dreadful nightmares.

And this has been true in the past few weeks. Three strong typhoons (and still counting) and we have another set of statistics for dead people; several millions of pesos worth of destroyed infrastructures, crops, and houses. The typhoons Pedring and Quiel could have wiped the entire Luzon with all their furies. The Philippines is gifted with water more anything else every year.

With the coming of the Christmas season, the devastation that left most of Northern Luzon to waste will surely affect the upcoming festivities. In the wake of these calamities, another round of blame throwing is at hand: the concerned government bureaus or agencies? or the people who refused to evacuate? But in the end, since we cannot really move the country out of the typhoons’ paths, we might as well do the most basic of all activities, and that is preparation.

Photo credit: calvinshub.com

The Dreamscape of Neil Gaiman’s “Sandman”

2011-09-25T19:39:00.002+08:00

Two years after I accidentally obtained a copy of the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman, I am now finally done reading the series. The concept of Dream has never been brought into this level elaboration, if not re-imagination. If before dreams seemed only the hazy events unfolding only in the sleeping hours, dreams (or perhaps Dream) have transformed into a pale Lord who/which inhabits our waking and most importantly our dreaming world(s).

One thing I can only say about sharing this little accomplishment is that it will be difficult to recount the stories and the reading experience. Needless to say, you must read the series yourself.

A short line which left an impression on me came from William Shakespeare as he talked to Morpheus on the way to his castle: “…life is no play. We meet people once, and never see them again. There is no shape to events, no point at which we turn to the audience for their praise. No time at which we step behind the stage, to see the actors changing their wigs, and painting their faces, and muttering their lines.” Dreams fuel our lives. Life is not what it is now without dreams. And dreams are reality and fiction at the same time.

The 32nd Manila International Book Fair Experience

2011-09-18T19:49:00.006+08:00

* one of the entrances to the Manila International Book Fair

in SMX Convention Center

* University of the Philippines Press Booth

* Ateneo de Manila University Press Booth

* school children attending the MIBF 2011

I can readily count on the fingers of my right hand the times I have been to the Manila International Book Fair (fondly called MIBF by others): 1) in 2005 when I met in person then Mayor Lito Atienza [held then in the World Trade Center Manila], 2) in 2008 with a fellow book enthusiast and 3) this year 2011. If before I only went to do random book picking, I can say that I have been relatively successful in this year’s MIBF as I was able to collect a number of Filipiniana books, especially those that I will need for my book project.

* a simple merienda bought from Albergus

* Pastor Hiram Pangilinan in the book signing session of his new book
“Hula, Multo, Faith Healing, Atbp.”

* Trailer Pransis and Jordan, DJ of Perfect Rhythm radio program

The MIBF is a five-day event but one can visit all the booths, skim through the books on sale, in one day. However, each day has highlight activities. On the day we attended, book readings for children occupied most of the afternoon slots in the stage area.

Some booths also have their special activities. As an example, the OFM Literature Booth hosted a book launch of Pastor Hiram Pangilinan, a preacher I have known in a not-so-distant past through his writings. One bonus at the OFM booth was meeting Jordan, the DJ of the 702 DZAS program “Perfect Rhythm”, a half-hour radio show airing every Sunday. My mother always tunes in the radio to this particular station and somehow my ears have become accustomed to Jordan’s greeting as I wake up every Sunday. During our brief conversation, he mentioned that a lot of people treat his program as their alarm clocks.

* book reading session of “The Boy with the Book”

* book reading of Kuya Jun at the Stage Area

* “thou shall be known by the mark”: MIBF marks

In recalling the booths I have visited which catered to Filipiniana books, I can only say that the Philippines has a wide array of written materials, from books on indigenous culture and arts, to technical manuals on medicine or engineering. Not to mention pocket romance books! The only thing that the Filipinos need to have and cultivate is the affinity for reading. Yes, it is good to see people buying and conducting book reading sessions in that kind of activity. But unless we get to the point where reading is as commonplace as smoking in public, we still have a long way to go to entrench the culture of reading in the Philippines.

* This blog entry also appears in Back Trails blog

Recalling Childhood through “Oxygene”

2011-09-14T17:12:00.001+08:00

Although I would agree that old objects, antiques, and the like can bring back even the most repressed memories from a very distant past, the same can be said of smell and hearing. This is particularly true for me, as scents of perfume or aroma are processed by my brain to be associated with certain events or people. This is also true for the sense of hearing. I literally grew up with music in my ears everyday.

And so when I stumbled upon the “Oxygene” album of Jean-Michel André Jarre, snippets from my childhood came back to me. I remember bringing a cassette tape of the said album from the house of my cousin (the tape belongs to his father) to our house. Then we would go to an upstairs room, close the windows, put the tape in an antique cassette tape player, and we would listen to the tracks with eyes closed, as if we were in a ritual. In recalling those childhood activities, I cannot say that I have been afraid of the music. It was, to say the least, therapeutic. The cover art in fact reinforced that budding idea that there is so much to be learned about this world. And indeed as of this writing, I can still say that much can still be learned about the world, however dark they may be sometimes.

“The Golden Boy” and Politics Perspectives

2011-09-08T17:12:00.004+08:00

I have been reading the Sandman Comics Series by Neil Gaiman in the past few months now and it has been personally enjoying. The concept of dream in this series was extended and in fact every story line is packed with creative lines drawn from both reality and myths. This present blog entry will not attempt to critique each of the Sandman Series’ storyline but will only focus on a particular issue of Sandman (which, by the way, is the last issue I have read so far).

The Sandman issue 54 entitled “The Golden Boy” is part of “The World’s End” storyline, a place where different stories are told by the people stranded by storm in their respective worlds or time.

The term “The Golden Boy” refers to the main character in this issue, Prez Rickard who grew up to become the president of the United States of America. Just before he becomes the president, he was visited by the current president (Nixon) and the two indulged in a verbal swordfight regarding the running of the government. The president was a pessimist. He said to Prez that if he ever gets the presidency, he would be seen (negatively) by the people just like the other presidents and that later the same people will regret their actions. In the words of the president: “You don’t get to make a difference.” But Prez was an idealistic person. And he went on to become the president and fulfill his desire of making a difference to the America he came to know.

That verbal swordfight I mentioned was particularly striking as it conveyed a fact of the common conception (or is it misconception?) of the people on politicians: that they are corrupt and they are no good to make any difference. The ones who conceptualized this particular issue laid down this “political” conception which may have still been dominant during their time (90’s period). But it is obvious that such conception is still present today. It may have been shown through comics primarily for an American audience but surprisingly, it applies too here in the Philippines. The story compels one to think back and understand how we really see our politics and our politicians as well.

In the end I wonder, can any person (no matter how adept one is on the mechanics of politics) really know if a politician is keen or not in making a difference on the place in which he is elected?

* Photo credit: screenshot from the front cover of The Sandman 54
* Quote snippets from: THE SANDMAN 54, October 1993, Published by DC Comics

A Long Way to Southern Peace

2011-09-02T15:26:00.006+08:00

The quest for “independence” in the southern Philippines begun with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) with Nur Misuari as its rallying leader. The Front then split into Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Abu Sayyaf, the latter gaining notoriety in the eyes of the mainstream media and the civilians.

And now in recent news a new group has emerged from MILF – the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) with its leader Umbra Kato, carrying the conviction that the current peace negotiations between the government and the rebel groups are leading nowhere.

A new hurdle, a new challenge in the struggle to attain peace in the disturbed lands in Mindanao. Today is part of the gray period when the government and the separatist group(s) are rearranging strategies and mechanisms through which they would deal with each other.

Nevertheless, we hope for smooth, if not quick, resolution regarding this decade-old struggle in the south.

Photo Credit: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Pre-Birthday Sentiments

2011-08-31T13:55:00.002+08:00

The month draws now to a close. September will come, tagging along my birth date. And so in lieu of a celebration, I choose to lay down a few thoughts here before that day comes. I am at present in the most active stream of youth period. Better make the most of it while the awareness is still there.

Looking Onwards

The things I’ve expressed on a semi-personal entry (Moving On, Moving Forward) still hold. We can only carry our past into the present and future. No forms of denial of the past can make our lives better. And so better move on and look onward to better things. Quite optimistic? Yes. It has to be.

Of Interests and Mismatches

Even at this age I am still surprised (and annoyed to a certain extent) when people convey directly, but most of the times indirectly, how I could have been this or that person, or how I could have had this or that career. Pity.

I was trained in the sciences with a love for literature especially poetry; existentialism; politics and international affairs; concepts and theories on conventional and unconventional warfare; music, among others; a deepening interest in Philippine history; and an almost addictive urge to travel to different places and dig in about their history and look for old houses. I wonder why even some from my own family circle does not appreciate when I was able to publish poems when they could easily relate to our acquaintances who made it to some popular TV contests. And I wonder why they cannot appreciate simple accomplishments on my part (research undertakings, etc.) when they can readily talk about the affairs of some of my friends.

This is not, in any way, a sentimental musing. Through such enumeration, I get to see that I have been indeed a person of mismatch history. It feels good to see their passive acceptance of what I have become. It only shows that I have created for myself so far a personality devoid of any un-filtered character influences. I recall just now what I wrote in my bio-note for a poetry anthology: “Pangarap nyang maging manunulat-siyentipiko.” That is a dream. And dreams are pursued on a personal level, not discussed among people.

Plans and Resolutions

Plans can be made now. Plans can be made later in the evening. Plans can made ten years from now. For now, I take each day as if it is my last, confronting challenges and answering problems that present themselves along the way. What I am trying to say here is plans (and definitely resolutions) are things not really meant to be broadcasted to accidental blog readers. They are crafted on a level deeper (and I hope more mature) than the personal level. Can I describe it as psychological level? I do not know.

Pransis

Although some quarters say that celebration of day of birth is reserved only for the heathens, I would like to share a final thought on that vein. In every celebration, a birthday in this case, it is a personal hope that one would not get lost in the pomp and lavishness of the celebration. Instead make that date as a day of reflection, as a day of taking stock of one’s achievements and failures, and as a day to make renewed resolves for the remaining parts of one’s life. We have only one life (or to put it another way, we are only given one life); let us not waste it in nonsense endeavors. Learn a craft. Live for someone else. Anything. For as long as it gives meaning to your life, one cannot ask for more.

Did these sentiments make sense? I hope so.

On the Possibilities and Impossibilities of Food Technology

2011-08-28T19:16:00.001+08:00

A longish travel under the indifferent rains inevitably led us to talk about pristine topics such as childhood recollections. My share of story concerned my grade school years, when food from the school canteen were rationed to our room so that we have a choice of buying and not going out of the room during recess time.

The food delivered to us was composed mostly of different rice delicacies, mga kakanin, and the ubiquitous soup placed in green plastic cups. The soup cost 1 peso and I always made it a point to buy one. When I had to go out during the break time, I often went to the other school gate to buy cheese bread (for 1 peso) and palamig (again, for 1 peso). Needless to say, my daily allowance at school was 2 pesos since I walked to school everyday and I went back home for lunch.

Such recollections created the question of: Is room-to-room delivery still done today? I answered in the negative. What I thought was with the coming of new technology, of new techniques to manufacture what they (companies and advertisements) claim as “nutritious and safe” food, modern-day parents most of the time would choose to prepare pre-packaged (that is, factory-made) food for the children. I wonder if parents of modest earnings give their children bananaque or puto as baon. I think they are just relegated to the level of snacks, as pamatay-gutom. I jested that children probably prefer nuggets because they could form their names with them. That activity cannot be done with a banana-que or a camote-que.

The discouragement in the choice of home-made food sold (or prepared) for children springs from that thinking that pre-packaged food is cleaner. Hygiene has been observed in their preparation. The irony is highlighted with the fact that these cleaner foods are oftentimes loaded with preservatives (let us not deny this) enough to preserve our bodies when we die.

The choice between home-made food and pre-packaged food is an everyday food battle. This is true for children and adults alike.

But in the end, the choice is up to the individual. To fall or not to fall in the delusion of safety and nutrition, that is the question.

Philippines acquires “New” Warship

2011-08-24T15:41:00.005+08:00

Shown in newspaper headlines today is the photo of the country’s newest warship, BRP Gregorio del Pilar. Named after a Filipino general during the Philippine-American War, this warship is actually a de-commissioned US Coast Guard cutter. It is yet another sign of the government’s intent to defend its seas, obviously on the country’s western seas. More than this warship, the President is also looking into the acquisition of more ships, fighter jets, and armored carriers (“PH buying more ships, says P-Noy” by Dona Z. Pazzibugan, Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 24, 2011, Vol. 26, No. 257, front page, A6).Of course, such desire is not geared towards an all-out military action as we all know that we don’t have the full capability yet nor the resources to engage into wars, much less battles. The President’s plan only goes to show a focused intent to defend our sovereignty, particularly over our waters.

It is likely that critics are huddling together now, brewing up counter-statements to the government’s actions. But we must look forward into the future and see that if we play softly against those who make aggressive advances over our territories, we cannot hope to earn respect from other states. We can only back up and support the government with these initiatives.

The issue of such ships having originated from the United States will be hot soon enough. But that’s another story.

Inquirer article: “President Aquino: Ship symbol of our defense”
Photo credit: Mike Alquinto/ NPPA Images

Moving On, Moving Forward

2011-08-23T11:34:00.004+08:00

Being alone for almost a day has given me a chance to reflect more about myself and my life as well on a larger context. My mute audience composed mostly of my books, magazines, and numerous notes and drafts added to the conducive atmosphere. And such reflection dwelt on the concept of moving on, or moving forward.

With the past few years literally drenched in confusing events, sorry moments, and mud holes for secret keeping, there came certain moments when moving forward seemed no longer a promising step. One loses the initiative and the proverbial road in front disappears, only to be replaced by guilt, fear, and anger.

I have just reread a favorite book (The Beekeeper’s Apprentice) and in it surfaced a line that splashed through me like cold water after a long slumber: that “…guilt is a poor foundation for a life...” And I venture to extend this and say that fear is a poor foundation for a life, that anger is a poor foundation for a life. Yes, there are heaps of things to be straightened out from a past that has not been given proper thought for the future.

But the present is always a clean slate on which one can act to prevent the ugly past from sipping into the future. I have always known these, known this in passing, and it always felt good to be reminded of these – acting properly in the present for the past and for the future. And just now, I see that it will never be in a linear form of thinking. Past, present, and future blend together. To deny one’s self of the initiative to move forward is not only to deny and disown the past, but is also to deny and disown the present and the future.

And it is for this reasoning that I continue to live each day. I do not know if I can found such thought in the quarters of my beloved existentialism for this is essentially optimistic in nature. But nevertheless it is purifying to breathe them in. Not a bad thing after all: a cleansing day, a cleansing of the mind.

To move forward each day, yes; without any question.

(You are free to consider this as random thoughts or perhaps a bit worse, dear reader.)

Public Transports, Drivers, Conductors, Barkers, and Attitude

2011-08-23T11:14:00.002+08:00

I write this in the wake of a biter encounter of an intimate with a conductor with apparently brusque manner. Instead of attempting to dampen the heat of the argument, this conductor of a well-known bus line continued to act as if he owns this intimate of mine, as if he is the boss of the bus aisle, as if manners are no longer require for their job. It was for a valid reason that this intimate of mine blurted out: “Kuya, kaya konduktor nga lang e!” pertaining to his coarse attitude which most likely pushed him towards that job.

A clarification: this is not, in any way, aimed in disparaging such job, or a driver’s job or even generalizing them into one particular description. Our family’s breadwinner was once a bus conductor too. This blog entry is meant to point out that some of those who work in the transport sector often times forget that in every piece of work they do, manners (at least in the level understood by elementary school children) still matter.

I have already encountered bus conductors who only lack a whip to use for the passengers. Some of their harsh words are certainly not appropriate. They may not have finished formal schooling but that is not a reason for them not to treat the passengers well. To play with a common phrase, passengers are customers too, and customers are always right.

As with the drivers, my point concerns in particular jeepney drivers who belch out cigarette smoke as if they are chimneys to the great irritation of non-smoking passengers. I fully understand the feelings of craving for smoke, but to do the smoking inside a public vehicle despite an existing law against this practice is something really out of place. Their on board stereo with their ear-splitting twitters and chest-busting bass are, to be straightforward, rude too. Modulated sounds would to good for a ride.

Lastly, for a “job” that is obviously sewn in a fabric of charity, a little politeness would be enough. Barkers would do well to make their actions a reflection of their desire to earn money for their family and not as a reflection of their lack of education. Tax-paying people own the streets and highways (including the barkers to some extent) but that does not endow the right to rule the streets as if they are gods.

This is indeed an ugly picture in our environs. If the majority of the people shout of living moral lives, then we might as well fulfill this by performing the basics of such morality, devoid of religious strings – and that is treating people with respect. I may not have been out to different places with different cultures and political set-ups, but I think it is from this concept of respect that the sense of humanity blooms.

As a final note, there is still much more to be improved in our transportation sector and its varied transactions and mechanisms.

CATS’ The Lab Magazine 7th Edition Now in Distribution

2011-08-21T18:27:00.003+08:00

* part of the cover design of the The Lab Magazine 7th edition

* previews from the first few pages;
note the author before me, she’s Ms. Ainne Frances dela Cruz,
a co-contributor in The Lab and in a number of publications in the Philippines

* snippet from my poem

After several weeks of anxious waiting, my copy of The Lab 7th Edition has finally arrived. My message of thanks is sent to the Cultural Arts and Theater Society (CATS) staff from Underwood International College, Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. It has been a pleasure to be part of your publication. And the staff’s handwritten letter, however short, radiates with sincerity. I am personally looking forward to contributing more in their future literary endeavors.

A Final Note on Ninoy

2011-08-21T18:24:00.004+08:00

It would be eventually quite irritating were I to repeat myself every year about my confidence and pride in the works of Ninoy Aquino during the very dark times of Martial Law in the Philippines. A plethora of critics and cynics abound who go against the man on our 500-peso bill, but I care not. History is often made by small things* and whatever attempts the others do to belittle the efforts of Ninoy to confront the iron fist that was Martial Law, we cannot deny that he did his part and was quite well aware of the role he was manning during those times. Through small things, he aided in bringing forth a greater thing – the eventual crash of Martial Law.

Perhaps my earlier note on Ninoy (read the entry ‘A Short Note on Ninoy’) which is now linked in the iamninoy.com website would sum up what I think of the man. As a final note, I encourage each one, especially those who I call the post-EDSA I generation, to pick up those books relaying the events in the country from 1972 to 1986 and feel the moving spirit of Ninoy all throughout.

* from “A Letter of Mary”, by Laurie R. King, USA: Bantam, 1998,. p. 127

Creativity for a Living

2011-08-05T13:47:00.005+08:00

.Humor poked in again one time during a travel on a bus. I was once called such ingenuity (if I can call it that) a form a racket (see my entry ‘RACKETS aboard’). But then as I think about it, one really does have to be creative in order to earn a living.

But on a more general context, isn’t such things symptomatic of a pervading lack of decent jobs for the Filipinos? When I say decent I mean to say a job that would adequately answer the needs of the person and his or her family, a job whose payment is enough to enable them to survive for month. And after all, once or twice, we have been irked by those vendors.

This is something to think about this coming weekend.

A SONA Late Review

2011-08-04T14:37:00.004+08:00

* screenshot from the website: www.coolbuster.net/2011/07/sona-2011-live-stream.html

It has been more than a week since the President delivered his second State of the Nation Address or SONA. And between that day and today, a multitude of activities has hindered me to sit properly in front of a computer and create words out of this eternally blinking cursor.

I initially intended to make a comparison of the contents of his SONA last year and his SONA this year. But owing to: 1) time constraints and 2) the most logical attack I could think of right now, I thought it better to dwell on his most recent SONA. Let us him give the consolation (for lack of a better term) for the first one. The second one deserves all the scrutiny.

A quick survey of his speech would reveal that reports of accomplishments certainly surpassed the number of pinpointing / blame statements. And the manner in which he delivered them – through the common Filipino or Tagalog flow of speaking – made it quick to absorb and easy to understand. I don’t know but the way he used concepts and metaphors reminded me of some of the speeches of Ferdinand Marcos which I have read or watched online. (Such form of re-emergence of the past has been noted by Sir Ambeth Ocampo in his article yesterday in Philippine Daily Inquirer entitled ‘Rape in 1896.’ He expressed a thought/query on the possibility that the ‘Matuwid na Daan’ concept is just like the ‘Bagong Lipunan’ before.) But the way Marcos articulated in English is certainly different from the simple approach in Filipino of President Noynoy. I will stop here so as not to make this entry a comparison between Aquino and Marcos.

The whole of the Address is fluid in character and much of the country’s various issues, sectors, and needs I would say were left un-discussed. To that extent, my activist acquaintances certainly have all the rights to describe it through different names. Some said it was no SONA at all. Some said it was all “wang wang”. But whatever noise we do, it was still the SONA of the President of the Philippines.

But personally, I think the next twelve months will be (or must be) the work grounds of the President on which to prove himself as a capable leader. I cannot say that there will be no detractors anymore. That is far from happening. But I bet a handful of hope for the next year. By that time, I think he ought to give a stronger message to the Filipino people who are impatient with development but at the same time do not do much to aid the administration. At least a few minutes before his third SONA, everyone and everything can be given a tinge of hope.

This Time, On Freedom

2011-08-04T11:58:00.011+08:00

This quote, when I found it, gave more color to my rather liberal concept of existence. It is quite hard to elaborate on that concept but suffice it to say that the quote definitely situated the way I view and live life. It matters not whether the quote is American in origin or not. Freedom, as with other concepts, a universal thing.

Museo ng San Pablo Opens on July 29

2011-07-26T08:12:00.005+08:00

San Pablo City’s past will now be closer to the literal eyes of San Pableños. With the opening of Museo ng San Pablo on July 29, 2011, details about the city’s rich history will no longer be on a installment basis (such those trivia and snippets found on blogs and social networking sites). A preview of the contents of the museum can be seen in a Multiply page (click here) and in a Blogspot page (click here).

However, there are some brewing controversies with regards to the highlights of the museum contents – whether it will only contain those things which will remind the viewers of the middle class families who have been influential in San Pablo in the past. We are yet to see the resolution on this issue.

In any case, every San Pableños is enjoined to visit Museo ng San Pablo which will formally open this Friday, July 29, 3 pm, at the 3rd floor of the old Capitol Building.

A Citizen’s Take on the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill

2011-07-24T19:14:00.006+08:00

It has been my desire during the past summer to make a statement (however inconsequential it would turn out) about the much-talked-about Reproductive Health (RH) Bill. Such desire was born not out of the want of higher blog traffic but rather out of that need to look more critically into the affairs confronting the Filipinos. The RH Bill has created allies and enemies amongst the churchmen and politicians. And the citizens in general still have no coherent take on this proposed bill.

This short entry would only contain my own personal views, naïve and not so extensive, but I think enough to convince myself that I understand the issue, free from influence of organizational affiliations, religious convictions, or political leanings. After all, I am not a religious or a politically active person. I am just a citizen (hence the title). My attempt to settle my take on this issue is also an attempt to free myself from national affair musing so that I could understand well the upcoming State-of-the-Nation Address of the President. But enough of this lengthy introduction.

The Bone of Contention

The root of all dispute is of course this certain bill, labeled as 4244: “An Act Providing for a Comprehensive Policy on Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health, and Population and Development, and for other Purposes” which has precursors in the earlier passed bill numbers 96, 101, 513, 1160, 1520, and 3387. The lobbying of this bill has gone a long way already, stretching from the previous Congress up to the Congress which would open this week.

Composed of 34 Articles, the bill is basically a laying down of provisions to what we could call reproductive health assistance of the government, from the pregnancy period of the mother; proper health and sexual education for the husbands, wives, and children; employer-employee responsibilities with regards to health education and benefits; among others. The proposed bill is quite extensive; having a lengthy discussion of the mechanism on how it will be implemented once passed into law.

The Catholic Church Takes its Side

The evil as seen by the others is the seemIng disregard of the bill to life. The bill, in all its forms and manifestations, is against life. It sees its aims as a direct assault to the sanctity of life. The basic idea is: preventing conception is tantamount to preventing life, to stumping out life.

Thus on January 2011, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines thought it better to come out with a Pastoral Letter detailing their rejection of the bill. The Pastoral Letter opened with a few quotations from the Philippine Constitution, saying that it would show that their view is not solely for the benefit of the Catholic faith but rather of the Filipinos in general. The core principle shared by the believers in ‘God’ was discussed side by side with the objections against the bill, point by point (there were six actually). In response they also came up with six items on which the CBCP stand for, ending with a call the legislators to trash the bill.

Besides this, the CBCP also produced a three-part module aimed at orienting the individual on the importance of life and how to properly understand the bill and see its supposedly faulty premises.

The Fight Continues

But of course, open letters and messages did not prevent the bitter fight to continue. Mud slinging was done in the open, with one side saying the proponents are ‘anti-Christian’ while on other side, words about the failure to understand the merits of the bill can be heard.

A Citizen’s Take

Shedding that sickening prejudice about killing life in its conception, I am supporting the drive for the passage of the bill. By all means, it would aid the government in addressing the needs of the citizenry in general, without having to worry much about the ballooning population each day. I see the bill as a deployment of a defense line so that it could pool its resources to facing other aspects.

This is not to mean that we are seeing that population is the reason for poverty; such thinking can only come from for those quarters who are offended with this revolutionary idea. As Conrado de Quiros said on one of his columns, population control (which the detractos say can be equated with the RH Bill) will not solve poverty. But neither is education only. The country produces PhD graduates each year but we are not still anywhere near the stature of Singapore.

The problem as I see it is the corruption and misconception about the term reproductive health. It will not, in anyway, promote teenage sex and/or abortion (which was clearly indicated in the bill). It will not also make the subject of sex a triviality. The health and sex education and programs that the bill proposes is to formalize or knowledge about sexual and health care. Those who say that sex education must not be taught to the children or be learned in the level of couples are perhaps those who have fully understood sex, who have not experienced making love, and worse, they are the ones who do not believe that the Filipinos in general are not mature enough to understand ‘it’. Do they believe that we will be stuck with the popular (mis)concept(ion) that sex is dirty and cheap? I believe it is all about the misalignment of perspectives. You look at the bill through an evil spectacles, you will never see its merits.

So with this approach can I readily say that I am prolife, having given a positive view about the bill? I think so. I have passed through that level of uncertainty when we l;eared that a life has just been conceived. We made the necessary adjustments. It may have been screwed at the start but nevertheless we were able to cope with it. But that’s exactly what the bill wants to avoid, so that we free ourselves with some unnecessary worries and be well-equipped and informed citizens about the ins and outs of marriage, sex, pregnancy and eventual child rearing.

If towards the end of this narrative I have been unclear, my thoughts and emotions overcome the fingers typing these words. But I do hope I was able to say my take.

References:

“Critics laud P-Noy for RH stance” by Cynthia D. Balana, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 19, 2011, p. A2
“Churchmen bash P-Noy; unfair, says Malacañang” by Inquirer Southern Luzon, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 20, 2011, pp. A1, A8
“Bishops step up anti-RH fight”, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 25, 2011, p. A2
“Palace welcomes support for RH bill from religious groups” by Madel R. Sabater, Manila Bulletin, April 26, 2011 p. 6
“Vidal says Church-Palace dialogue on RH bill futile” by Jocelyn R. Uy, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 26, 2011, pp. A1 and A15
“Civil disobedience not an option on RH bill passage – Palma”, Manila Bulletin, May 23, 2011 p. 21
‘Go easy on RH measure’ by Hannah L. Torregoza, Manila Bulletin, May 23, 2011 p. 18
“RX” by Conrado de Quiros, Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 28, 2011, p. A14

On Death

2011-07-22T16:46:00.000+08:00

When life is forcibly extinguished from an individual, it gives the event a very dark atmosphere, discordant with almost all of the romanticized views we have about life. Murder, in all its forms, will always create that sickening feeling in the stomach, as if your body wants throw up the very knowledge that someone has been killed.

My thoughts wander to these themes for in just a span of four months I have witnessed several deaths and individuals close to dying. There have been those road accidents, all fast-paced and brutal in their own respect. And there were those open killings, individuals killed in the open, presumably by hired men ready to shoot for a fee.

It still makes me sick to recall in my mind the gunshots that killed an individual this morning. Then seeing the disorientation of the bystanders. Then the fresh blood spilled over the road. Killing is indeed an ugly affair.

With these thoughts, I have realized that I still have not come into terms with the concept of death, or of killing for that matter. Life, no matter how lousy it has been lived, is still a life, created through the mysterious workings of nature and of this existence.

Contributions to "Remembering Rizal, Voices from the Diaspora" Book

2011-07-21T18:44:00.005+08:00

* book cover of "Remembering Rizal, Voices from the Diaspora"

Rizal@150 celebration is still in the air. It was only yesterday that I found out about “Remembering Rizal, Voices from the Diaspora” book in which two of my poems have been included. It is an honor to be part of the contributing authors as most of them are prominent Filipino and Filipino-American writers.

My poem “Ode to Usman” is placed under the Youth subheading while the poem “Stove Flames” is placed under the Fable and Legend subheading. What is more interesting with this book is that it was published abroad and is now being launched in different places in the United States.

"Remembering Rizal, Voices from the Diaspora" is published by the Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc. (PAWA, Inc.) and was edited by Edwin A. Lozada.

For more information about the books (the other works and authors) and purchasing details, you can visit www.pawainc.com/rizal.html or you can send an e-mail to pawa@pawainc.com.

[Next Book launch as of this writing: Thursday, July 28, 2011, 6PM, Philippine Consulate General, San Francisco, 447 Sutter Street, Social Hall, 5th Floor]

2011 NAST Annual Scientific Meeting

2011-07-17T17:17:00.012+08:00

* scientific posters session area

* our humble presentation

The recently concluded 2011 National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Annual Scientific Meeting gave me again renewed insights about the current state of science and technology in the country and of national development in general. Held again at the Manila Hotel from July 13 to 14, this year’s meeting has the theme: “Meeting the Challenges of Agricultural Productivity Competitiveness and Sustainability.”

Beside the usual NAST Awards given every year, the annual meeting was graced with seven plenary sessions, each of which touched on important aspects of food security, agriculture, ecology, and extension.

* Senator Francis Pangilinan in his keynote address

at the 2011 NAST Annual Scientific Meeting

* Senator Francis Pangilinan being interviewed by the media people

* Dr. Rodel Lasco discussing their presentation
entitled “Sustaining Ecological Services”

The two-day activity was opened by the NAST President Dr. Emil Javier followed by the keynote address by Senator Francis Pangilinan.

Senator Kiko’s speech was particularly powerful; I daresay that the early birds of the meeting were awakened by his equally powerful voice. He emphasized on the fact that the problem with people-oriented initiatives are poor governance and poor execution (of laws and policies). He also expounded on the problems facing the agriculture and fishery sectors. But he also mentioned the actions taken so far by the government to address them. He then addressed the scientists in attendance, saying that they (including me?) are at the forefront and are in the capacity to solve problems and create concrete results. At the end of his speech, he shared a simple thought (or perhaps a challenge): that 15 to 16 years from now, we could look at this year and could proudly say that we were able to participate in nation building through science and technology.

* the academicians during the closing program;

on the lower right side is my former professor Dr. Eliezer Albacea

* the UP Rayadillo during the closing program

Four years of attending this annual meeting has shown me the Academy’s maturing approach in terms of policy-making and solution-making. I have been initially doubtful of such conferences, thinking that all talk could not solve anything. But I have seen through that childish musing and realized that proper planning (meaning meeting with the experts) will lead to proper execution (flawless policies for the society). The researches being presented in the poster sessions are also evolving, at least within the chemical and physics science division. Biophysics is the current trend and I was surprised to see such wide array of researches in the field both experimental ad theoretical.

* water glass; my companion for the two-day program

* first snack! panada?

* flower-like cloth arrangement

Of course Manila Hotel will always be the perfect place for the meeting, given the number of people attending the meeting every year. And the food? Well, it is Manila Hotel. Manila Hotel is good food. And good food is Manila Hotel. I jut hope that I would be able to come up with a new research area to pursue to be presented in the 2012 Annual Scientific Meeting, seeing that I have exhausted now all the undergraduate researches I’ve done in the past years.

It Ends Here: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

2011-07-17T17:12:00.002+08:00

The story is complete. We now know why Voldemort has been living that long…

It was certainly a good experience, finishing what was once part of our adolescent years. I can still remember entering a cinema in Lipa City, Batangas ten years ago when my schoolmates and I took a break while attending a regional press conference and watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I fell asleep just as Hagrid was bringing the first year students to Hogwarts via the Black Lake. Eight years later, I rediscovered Harry Potter and finished the seven books (including the supplement Tales of Beetle the Bard) within a year. I will always be grateful for having read such a compact story that is Harry Potter.

Of course there will always be some critiques of the story but I leave them to their own views. The showing of the last part of the film adaptation of Book 7 made the book reading more worthwhile. One can only wish that J.K. Rowling would extend the storylines further. But for now, let us enjoy Pottermore.

Prepare for the 2011 Manila International Book Fair!

2011-07-08T15:01:00.003+08:00

You may have missed it before but now is the time to redeem yourself! Come and visit the 2011 Manila International Book Fair (MIBF). With its long-standing slogan of “World Without Borders” this year’s book fair promises to be greater than the last ones. I am personally excited with the prospect of collecting from the book fair valuable Filipiniana books as I intend to build a small collection of my own.

MIBF 2001 will be held again at the SMX Convention Center (Exhibit Halls 1 – 4) Mall of Asia, Pasay City from September 14 to September 18, 2011, 10:00 A.M. – 8:00 P.M. MIBF 2011 is organized by Primetrade Asia, Incorporated in partnership with Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP), Asian Catholic Communicators, Inc. (ACCI), Philippine Booksellers Association, Inc. (PBAI), and Overseas Publishers’ Representatives Association of the Philippines (OPRAP).

View the list of exhibitors at www.manilabookfair.com.

July Challenge (and Beyond)

2011-07-07T11:34:00.007+08:00

Life sometimes can be best described through metaphors. And mine can be likened to a treacherous paddling of a boat through a wild river rushing downward with your face against the current. Dangers can only be guessed at. And life gets more and more uncertain in each passing day.

But I have come to live by that metaphor. Through that, I have come to appreciate each day as if it is my last. Yes, as if it is my last. And I think life is an adventure in itself, however harsh it may seem sometimes.

But then there are those who stand by the riverside, observing my boat traversing the insane river and gamely utter generalizations as if they know the very hardships of the travel. I have taught myself the hard way not to judge anyone or anything the first time I meet them. But when someone continues to assume the role of humanity’s judge, there will come a point when my patience will run aground.

I am not perfect and I don’t think I will be one. But I intend to explore new things and improve those I have come to learn so far. I don’t care if others could not come into terms with my idiosyncrasies. This is my life after all. No one, not even any forms of deities can dictate the course that I would take.

Now where’s the July challenge here? The challenge is to cement these musings to my mind.

Deathly Hallows New Trailer and Pottermore

2011-06-21T10:54:00.009+08:00

A New Trailer

“It is my hope that the last installment to the movie series would make the thrill and excitement last.”

Just a few hours after posting my blog entry about the Deathly Hallows movie, I chanced upon a new trailer of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 which was released just last week. And it is one of the breath-taking trailers I’ve seen yet. I wonder if they would be releasing more in the next four weeks.

For those who have read the book version of Death Hallows, this new trailer shows important scenes from the story. To mention a few:

1) Lily Potter talking to Harry presumably before she was killed by Lord Voldemort,

2) the quidditch play area being burned by Death Eaters,

3) Dementors attacking Hogwarts,

4) Snape saying “You kept him alive so they could die at the proper moment”; this is one heck of a spoiler especially if you have read the book; this scene is actually from Snape's memory given to Harry; in there Dumbledore was explaining things to Snape regarding the connection between Voldemort and Harry and how both or either would die,

5) Professor McGonagall commanding the statues in Hogwarts to defend them from the Death Eaters,

6) the coming of Voldemort and his Death Waters prior to the attack of Hogwarts; on one side we can see some of the students from the Slytherin house, 7) Harry talking to Remus Lupin, James Potter, Lily Potter, Sirius Black just before he surrendered himself to Voldemort to be killed; it is worth taking note that they are solid beings, not disembodied ones; it goes only to show the power of the Resurrection Stone – to bring back to life those who are dead.

Upon seeing this trailer, my excitement to see the movie has just become more intense.

Pottermore

Another news I picked up on the internet is this mysterious website pottermore.com in which two owls, a “Coming Soon” message, and J.K. Rowling’s signature are shown. The owls are links to a YouTube Channel detailing a countdown to Rowling’s announcement of her upcoming project. It was not a book not or anything related to the Deathly Hallows Part 2 movie. But whatever it is, it is sure to get worldwide attention. Indeed, the world isn’t over yet with Harry Potter.

Manning the Boundaries: the Spratlys Issue

2011-06-20T17:29:00.003+08:00

I don’t usually buy newspapers on Sundays as the office in which I work has a steady supply of them. But because it was Rizal’s birthday I thought it better to get a PDI Sunday issue for I was sure that there would be a number of articles about him.

And so it came as a surprise when the headlines shouted about our resolve to defend the Spratlys (‘We’ll defend what is ours’, Philippine Daily Inquirer Sunday, June 19, 2011, pp.A1, A20). And our defense of the disputed seas took the form of a World War II warship named BRP Rajah Humabon. The news was quite comical and lamentable at the same time. Comical because one cannot expect that a lone warship could defend a large area of water. And lamentable because it only shows the poor and deteriorating state of our Navy and of our military in general.

Official statements issued every now and then by the Palace are only good on paper and for the media. But it will all benefit us to realize now that we will very vulnerable when things worsen. War is something we cannot afford. Not in this time of idealism in the country championed by the present administration. Resolution through diplomacy? Well, perhaps it is the safest way for now. Although it is uncertain whether China would be as diplomatic out there on the sea as they in front of the people and the media.

In the end it gives us this message that in upholding and defending out sovereignty, we really have to be realistic, see things as they are, and not babble about false courage or confidence. We are only extinguishing the trust placed by the people to the government.

Photo Credit: newsinfo.inquirer.net

The Ever-Relevant Jose Rizal

2011-06-19T16:56:00.000+08:00

A hundred and fifty years ago, a boy was born in a town called a stove and a jar. His life from there until the time he took the fatal bullet(s) from the muskets in his execution is still thriving up to this present time. A life that has become a strong motto stella for the Filipinos. A life whose activities paved the way for the societal changes in the late nineteenth century. A life that proves to be still relevant to those who continue to seek and hope to make changes in our malleable and fragile society.

Rizal has made his life relevant for the country and its future. And I wish that such thought would prevail as we join in today’s celebrations. We may not be able to reach Rizal’s stature as a rallying cry for most of the people, but we can from this moment be able to start and do our own part to serve and be relevant for the country.

Rizal indeed was and is a hero. We might as well follow his footsteps.

* this blog entry also appears in Back Trails blog

Anticipating the ‘Deathly Hallows’

2011-06-16T16:43:00.007+08:00

It will be only a month-long wait before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 will be finally shown in cinemas. Much of the excitement was built up by two recently released trailers for the movie which contain quite a number of spoilers. I don’t know whether they were intentional or not.

Reading through the seven Harry Potter books has been a good reading experience. And the film adaptations certainly made the details from the book more vivid and breath-taking. Although many of the subplots found in the books were not shown in their film version, the movie series did make it a point to make the storylines thrilling and exciting.

It is my hope that the last installment to the movie series would make the thrill and excitement last.

Nourishing Our Philippine Independence

2011-06-12T20:11:00.005+08:00

This day undoubtedly will be filled again with speeches, applauses, and scents of wreaths. It is our 113th year of independence and we should be thankful that we reached this far. However, I think we should all go beyond the predictable speeches and pomp accorded to this day. I believe we should look forward and think how we can further sustain our independence.

Look around. We have right now an unhampered access to the internet, something that is possible in other countries. On the internet, we have different platforms to express our views, share stories, even engage in discourse in practically anything under the sun – the wars in the Middle East, the power expansion of those who see their nations as superpowers, love, scandals, showbiz rumors, you name it. We also have all sorts of fashion for both men and women – clothing, shoes, and bags to satisfy the people’s cravings. We have newspapers. We have the right to vote. We have a country we can proudly say our own. We have a national language. All these things – both the serious and the fad – trace their roots in the bloody years of the Revolution, when the so-called indios, fired by a budding concept of a nation, rose against foreign rulers, the Spaniards. Of course there came the Americans along with their glorified Manifest Destiny and the Japanese and their vision of Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. But it is only fitting to celebrate our independence on June 12. For it marks a celebration of our release from bondage to the Spaniards, and of our release from an archipelagic comatose to finally realize that we can build a country of our own.

We should also go beyond the Propagandists in Spain (Marcelo del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Jose Rizal, etc.), the Katipunan (Andres Bonifcaio, Emilio Jacinto, etc.) and the others (Emilio Aguinaldo, Gregorio del Pilar, etc.). The big names in history were not the only ones who committed to the cause of obtaining our freedom. There are many others, nameless fighters who fought with the most primitive of weapons compared to the weaponries of the Spaniards, and they all should be honored together with the celebration of our Independence. They must be honored not only on National Heroes Day. Their blood was shed for us to have this Independence Day. To all unnamed warriors of the revolution we owe our present freedom, our present independence.

In the end, perhaps I have been quite unclear as to what my point is. But I say this: much of what we enjoy today was paid through the bloody battles of the past. We should be grateful to them (the revolutionaries) even at least for this day. Today’s celebration must not be only festive in nature. It should also be grateful, thankful. Independence came at a price. Our forefathers did that for their progenies. It is our turn to make the necessary payments and sacrifices to extend this independence for future generations. After all we are all benefitting from it.

Patuloy na itaguyod at pahalagahan ang ating kalayaan. Ipagbunyi ang ating kalayaan!

* This entry also appears at Back Trails Blog

Classes Starts Today

2011-06-06T16:46:00.017+08:00

Snarls of tricycle and jeepney engines in the early morning.
Heavier traffic.
More street vendors selling rags, sweets, street foods, etc.
These are but a few of the glaring signs that classes are at their commencement already. Free times are over for the children and all days from now on will be filled with notes, books, and lessons.

I’m not usually affected by such thing as resumption of classes. But due to one instance when we were able to catch an evening news about the upcoming resumption of classes and the great reluctance (and disbelief) of my sister that she is already coming back to school, I thought it better to look around and observe how things fare at the start of the June classes.

In Manila Bulletin’s June 6, 2011 issue, a short data on the estimates of Department of Education (DepEd) was discussed (“Campus boom: DepEd, CHEd expect 28-M students”, Manila Bulletin, June 6, 2011, Vol. 462, No. 06, pp.1,6): 22.5 million students shall attend different public elementary and high schools while 3.56 million students shall attend private schools. On the other hand, 2.6 million students shall attend different higher education institutes (HEIs) in the country. The country is indeed abuzz with all those students.

Meanwhile, DepEd’s K+12 program – the plan to add two more years to the country’s basic education program – is on the hot seat again (“K+12 no answer to education woes, say bishops”, Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 6, 2011, Vol. 26, No. 178, p.A4). Oppositions abound in this government endeavor and people seem to assume the role of preachers again; they all have something to say about the issue.

Anyway for now I think let us allow the students to settle first and adapt to their new set of classes and subjects. Goodluck sa inyo!

New June and Revolutionizing Thoughts

2011-06-01T16:47:00.004+08:00

Trala, how sweet are the days of June
When earth and sky seem to be in tune
The happy days of the year are all here
To feel our hearts with (cheers)!

This short song I learned during my elementary school days still plays in my mind as June comes. Perhaps the merry lines of the song pertain to the refreshing rainy days and the start of schooling. That is more for the little ones. As for the older ones (me included) the coming of the new season can be welcomed with new thoughts. I have been reading David Cooper’s book entitled “A Grammar of Living” and it has been sharing to me novel and revolutionizing ideas which I cannot imagine figuring out on my own. To discuss even an overview of the contents of the book would do injustice to the writer. I can only recommend a direct reading of the book. With the coming of June and all the uncertainties of the rest of the year, I face them all with restructured resolve, if not optimism.

Remembering Friendster

2011-05-31T10:59:00.005+08:00

Today marks the end of the phenomenon called Friendster. It was one of the few social networking sites which started in the early twenty-first century that was able to survive and thrive despite the unpredictable and ever-changing world of the internet.

It was where we first encountered those treasured testimonials and addictive bulletins. Yes, the bulletins. There were those times when we so enjoyed reposting bulletins in which we answered questions like favorite colors, habits, among other. And what about the profile views? Weren’t we so excited then to know who viewed our profiles? Those were the days, those were the times.

But beyond that, I think it was in Friendster that we got to know new friends, made or broke relationships, expressed our thoughts through blogs, and communicated with people both stranger and no stranger.

Indeed times a-changing and Friendster has to move on too. This is the last day when we could back up those precious photos meticulously given with captions, long list of messages, and those precious testimonials.

The month of May ends together with Friendster but there is a lot to look forward to in June.

Small Wonders

2011-05-23T14:40:00.005+08:00

Life is indeed fuelled by small wonders. No amount of grandiose words can fully describe my delight in hearing a child utter his first words. Those words may seem too simple for some but they comprise a world already for those who delight in the child. The chaos of the present world fades into nothingness as you hear the little tongue move and play with the formative syllables. I am convinced more and more each day that you cannot celebrate life without learning first to appreciate a child.

Maggi Mishap

2011-05-18T13:38:00.008+08:00

I grew up in the period when the dominant instant noodles were Payless and Maggi. Payless already made product update by producing its Pancit Shanghai. Maggi instant noodles, on the other hand, was only making a comeback. Unfortunately Maggi noodles, particularly beef and chicken flavors, were said to be compromised because of salmonella. What you’ll read below is the statement of Nestle Philippines regarding their voluntary recall. This particular statement was also published in Manila Bulletin’s May 15, 2011 issue, page 14.

Nestlé Philippines, Inc. has voluntarily recalled all MAGGI Rich Mami Noodles Beef & Chicken Flavors from stores nationwide, following a routine quality test which found traces of salmonella in two batches of MAGGI Rich Mami Noodles Beef Flavor.

The product recall is a precautionary measure being taken to ensure the safety and quality of our products and in the interests of our consumers, which we regard as of paramount importance.

We have immediately initiated an extensive investigation to determine the cause of this contamination, and initial findings suggest flavoring ingredients as the cause. MAGGI Rich Mami Noodles come with flavoring in sachet, which is used to enhance the noodle's flavor.

We have stopped production of all MAGGI Rich Mami Noodles pending the completion of the investigation.
The quality and safety of our products are non-negotiable priorities for us, and it is in this regard that we have decided to do a complete voluntary recall of all MAGGI Rich Mami Noodles, even outside those of the affected batches, for thorough product evaluation and testing.

We have not received any consumer concerns related to the consumption of MAGGI Rich Mami Noodles. The product is safe to eat if the cooking instructions are followed.

Consumers who have purchased MAGGI Rich Mami Noodles are requested to contact the Nestlé hotline at 8980061 (for Metro Manila) and 1-800-100-637853 (toll-free for provincial areas). Our hotlines are open 24 hours a day, from Mondays to Sundays. The concerned batches have the lot codes 11020598A2 and 11030598A1. The lot code numbers are found at the back of the product pack, between the "Best Before" date and the ingredients list.

See the actual statement from the Nestle Philippines website here:
(http://nestle.com.ph/FeaturedStories/Pages/VOLUNTARYRECALLOFMAGGIRICHMAMINOODLES.aspx)

For your information, dear reader.

Words to those Cowards

2011-05-16T14:38:00.007+08:00

I’ve never been into bitter, physical fights before despite the fact that I could easily lose my temper. But then as one grows older there comes certain instances when direct confrontations are already imperative. And that is my view as I write this right now.

The attack in our house last night was a cowardly act of some unknown people who either have no concrete thing in their heads or are just plain drug addicts. As far I know I don’t have any domestic enemies who would resort to such antics. This is vandalism at its lowest, most primordial form – attacking for no apparent reasons. This thing has happened many times already; once our bath towel was deliberately burned outside, our back window opened and vandalized, and our front door defaced.

I am quite sure that those savages will not be able to read this, but I am raising a challenge that if anyone has to settle any issue with me, it is better to lay the issue down in front of me and settle it face-to-face. I cannot afford to fight cowards who can only attack when everyone else is asleep. And certainly I do not want to live among savages. I detest living there in the past years. To live with them any longer is to condone their savagery and recognize their savage nature.

Does this call for a house transfer? I say yes. Definitely. We deserve a more human living. Enough of all these.

Escaping the Country of the Blind

2011-05-10T16:29:00.008+08:00

I first encountered the short story The Country of the Blind in some of the books I read before. Also, I have always heard of the statement: “In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” A sultry and sleepless night compelled me to pull out my book containing several short stories, one of which is this classic work of H.G. Wells. The “The Country of the Blind” could stand well alongside Mr. Well’s other works such as “The Time Machine”, among others. But this particular short story crosses almost to the realms of speculative fiction.

The story is about a man named Nunez sent into this obscure valley by accident (or perhaps by divine providence) and encountered a community composed primarily of blind people. There was a mutual repulsion between Nunez and the blind people there but both responded to that: Nunez attempted to rule over the people while the people sought to deliver Nunez from his insanity (caused primarily by his ability to see).

Forced to live among them to obtain food, Nunez worked like the blind people. But his stay was complicated by love (by love by sight) to a blind lady. To win her, he had to be “neutralized”, to be “cured” from his disease of sight. In the end, as he marveled at the beautiful scenery he was witnessing, he decided to escape back to his world, to his reality.

There is something dark in the story, particularly in that possibility of creating a world within our world. The life of those blind people is their religion, their faith. They have made their lives (which to an outsider are but weird ones) their reality.

I think the story expounded on that sleeping capability within each person to re-imagine a thing that humans treat as commonplace and fashion it according to their will. But how does one sustain this re-imagination is a standing question.

In the end, I think the story subscribes to that thought (perhaps a dream?) that has permeated human thinking and that is the creation of a utopian world. The country of the blind is a utopian country for it contains all the possible needs of the people there in exchange for one thing – their power of sight (and I use the term power here intentionally). Would you dare live in such a country?

But after all, these are just musings by a simple blogger like me. This is not an exhaustive nor a comprehensive study or analysis of the story.

Photo credit: mobiletopsoft.com

[The book I read: “The Country of the Blind” by H.G. Wells, in Turning Point: Fourteen Great Tales of Daring and Decision, Edited by George Bennett, pp. 192-218, Published by Dell Publishing Co., Inc., 1965.]

Meet Jenny Finn, the Doom Messiah

2011-05-09T16:15:00.010+08:00

It was in December 2009 when I was inducted into the world of comics and comic books. Reading through them (most especially graphic novels) has always been a pleasure. Just recently, I was able to obtain a work of Mike Mignola (the creator of Hellboy) – Jenny Finn: the Doom Messiah; this is actually a collaboration between Mignola and Troy Nixey.

Set in Victorian London, the story employs the concept of Doom and expounds on the manner it was received by the people at that time. Dark, that’s how I can describe the story. I am not yet aware if there is already a full colored version of the story but the few colored pages I saw online were superb. I foresee the full colored version to be of gloomy atmosphere which matches the storyline well.

Finding Jenny Finn however was a surprise to me, having written a poem which resembles some of her characters. I could not help but recall the concept of the collective unconscious put forward by Carl Jung. Consider my naïve wondering: is it possible that we all have that integral notion of the doom, of our doom, of our end?

But before we get too analytical psychological and philosophical here, I’ll say that you definitely have to meet Jenny Finn.

Writers: Mike Mignola and Troy Nixey | Artists: Troy Nixey (Chapters 1-3), Farel Dalrymple (Chapter 4) | Letterer: Pat Brosseau (Chapters 1-2), Ed Dukeshire (Chapters 3-4) | Published by Boom! Studios (www.boom-studios.com), 2008.

[Buy the book at Amazon. com]

Land of the Demolished: Parian, Calamba City

2011-05-03T15:34:00.009+08:00

Here are some of the photos I took from inside a bus when it passed by Brgy. Parian, Calamba City, Laguna. What you see is the place where a large-scale demolition happened (ironically on April 27, 2011, the same day as the declared 10th Cityhood Anniversary of Calamba City).

I was not able to obtain any news article regarding the incident, only a press release in a blog site and a plea to GMA Network to look into the incident (which was voiced out through Wikipedia).

The press release from the blog site I mentioned said that this particular land is owned by the Lazaros (from the family of former Governor Teresita “Ningning” Lazaro). If this is indeed true, it’s somewhat awkward, more like a political maneuver in fact, given that they no longer hold the office of the governor. What makes it more awkward is that it happened on a feast day, supposedly a day of celebration.

One cannot help but think (if treated in a larger context) that it is part of weeding out those places (or sights perhaps?) which would hamper the boom of Calamba City with regards to its economic development. I don’t think “being urbanized” is the proper term; “being metropolitized” is a more descriptive term.

We are bound to see more of these incidents and drama in the coming years in Calamba City.

Blessed Pope John Paul II: A Past Revisited

2011-05-02T16:49:00.010+08:00

The start of May is described by a number of events both here and abroad. There’s the Labor Day, with the protesters rallying for the 125-peso wage hike which was not granted by the government. Then there’s the Agua de Mayo, signaling the rainy season (hopefully, given the intense heat of the last weeks of April) and the commencement of the Flores de Mayo (which would mean pag-aalay in the afternoons, libot in the early evenings, and the santacruzan on the latter part of the month).

A more religion-related commemoration is the Divine Mercy Sunday, designated by then Pope John Paul II as the first Sunday after Easter Sunday. What makes this year’s Divine Mercy Sunday more special and memorable (at least to the Catholic devout) is the beatification of Pope John Paul II. He is now officially Blessed Pope John Paul II.

On this first day of May, we opted to travel to some sites in Manila landing later on a book sale stall. There I was again, rummaging through some sale books. On one book I found a piece of parchment with a picture of the late Pope along with some message and his signature.

The message read: “May the Apostolic Blessing, which I impart to everyone with great affection, be a pledge of my universal favor and the reconciliation of hearts.”

I forgot about the book (maybe something related to his last visit to the country) but nevertheless took the parchment as a souvenir.

But that bit of parchment recalled to my mind an article I read regarding the Pope and Vatican (“Pedophiles and Popes: Doing the Vatican Shuffle” by Michael Parenti, Z Magazine July / August 2010 pp.14-16). This concerns the alleged tendency of the Church (says the article) to defend and even cover up for the child abuses of some of the Church’s priests. I tried to do an online search and I read a result of an investigation in a country in which more than four thousand cases were recorded within a five-decade period (52 years actually). And note that this is just for one country. The article proceeded to discuss other cases in other countries where the general trend is to pass the case or incident to Vatican, thereby bypassing criminal cases that may have been filed against the erring clergies.

I recall this because it was said that it was from the Vatican that the stance to protect its clergies emanated, especially during the time of Blessed Pope John Paul II. Perhaps it is now time to set this issue straight, at least within the Roman Catholic world. This aspect certainty mars an otherwise pristine image of the Blessed Pope.

But beyond this, one cannot help but wonder why the Church cares so much for the yet unborn and not so much for those little ones who have been abused. There is still no unity with regards to the view of the Church on certain matters (on life as in this case). But then, who am I to judge when I am not even a follower? But it’s kind of a turn-off when you see a group of people, supposedly of one belief, speak different tongues (read: views and opinions).

I believe they have set their feet on the wrong stones when they fought against the RH Bill. Hopefully, I could expand on this later.

Another Legion of UPLB Graduates for 2011

2011-04-26T16:44:00.007+08:00

Today is the scheduled commencement exercises at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (see the live video streaming at h ttp://graduation.uplb.edu.ph/). Time has passed swiftly indeed. It was only last year that we were the participants of the graduation. Now, a new batch has come to be lauded for their hardships in the academic world of UPLB. With or without honors, every new UPLB graduate deserves to be congratulated. The only thing left to be done is for them to prove that they are worthy to be called “Iskolar ng Bayan.” But of course, that challenge also applies to the earlier graduates. Even to me. Mabuhay ang mga magsisipagtapos!

Post-Good Friday Sentiments

2011-04-23T12:27:00.006+08:00

We are only halfway through this long vacation thanks to the Holy Week; many things can still be done. Being a non-practioner of any religion-related activities and having no substantial resources to sustain long stay on island beaches, I have always preferred land travels within the southern Luzon area.

On Good Friday late afternoon there I was again in transit. But this time in a very different situation. Whereas the buses bound southward are full, the buses bound for Manila are full to the brim, almost literally. The two-seaters on either side had to accommodate three passengers. And the aisle, the aisle! We are packed liked tiny sardines in the aisle! Experiences and memories are some of the things I treasure the most. But beyond experiencing the rush after the activities of Good Friday, anxiety made its way into my mind.

The root of this anxiety comes from the possibility of accidents. Vacations, people rushing for transport vehicles. These are all conditions quite conducive for accidents as we are all occupied by other things. The bad thing about overloaded vehicles (buses as in my experience) is that the risk of higher casualties are already raised. It’s bad enough to travel in rush times. It’s worse to find yourself stuck in an overloaded passenger bus with a pseudo-ticket on hand (the conductor opted to give me a spent ticket). I could swear we were more than a hundred in the bus. The air-conditioning unit fails to match the more than a hundred breathing bodies inside.

Perhaps what must be done in these situations is to enforce strictly the maximum number of passenger per vehicle. More than convenience, it will give a more secure spot in travel. On the part of the bus companies, this will lessen their potential offenses in the event of a mishap – overloading, reckless imprudence, among others. We respect our laws and regulations we respect our passengers’ lives in return.

To those who are yet to travel back home or work, be vigilant and careful.

The Fight Continues Against RH Bill

2011-04-18T14:39:00.003+08:00

I do not intend to discuss my view on the battles on Reproductive Health Bill (more commonly known as the RH Bill), but instead I want to share the extent of this issue. It seems that the creative side of the Filipinos is showing, as can be seen from this slogan that I saw along M. Paulino Street in San Pablo City, Laguna. It may not be as direct as the others (“Say No To RH Bill”, etc), but this clearly shows the house owner’s take on the RH Bill.

We are yet to see the end-of-the-line of this RH Bill battle.

Ngayong Araw ng Kagitingan

2011-04-09T20:10:00.007+08:00

Today I commit to mind and heart the events 69 years ago, when soldiers (both Filipinos and Americans) were brought to surrender by the power of the Japanese Imperial Army. It was a defeat, yes; but within those who participated in the brave fights to keep the defense of Bataan, it was a display of sustained resolve to be focused to the prime goal: to keep the invaders away.

There may be hundreds of speeches being delivered today and hundreds of wreaths being laid in numerous war memorials and monuments. But without committing to our minds and hearts the horror of the battles, the recollections of the piles of dead civilians and combatants, then not much is achieved by those who fought the War. It was blood that was given that we now enjoy the (relative) peace of today. The (relative) calmness and contentment with which we face each day betrays the noise of the firing guns and shouts of the dying at that time.

Let us commit this day in remembering ALL those who fought in the defense of the Philippine Islands during the Second World War. May we continue the battle for peace and independence that they have earlier waged. Even without the guns. Even without the cannons.

City Government of San Pablo Tackles the Garbage Issue

2011-04-03T17:09:00.005+08:00

Having a sister connected with the barangay youth council is an advantage as I am able to get a hold of news about the city government of San Pablo firsthand. I will now share here good news about the city’s garbage management.

Garbage Segregation

“Bawasan ang Basurang Itinatapon! Dagdag Pera, Bawas Basura.” This is the slogan that fronts the semi-memo I obtained from my sister, stating the implementation of garbage segregation (at least in our barangay). I am not aware if there is already an existing city ordinance about garbage segregation but if there is, this would be the first instance that it would be manifested. The aforementioned segregation will commence on April 15, 2011. The date is good for it is currently summer vacation – young children can join be instructed about this worthwhile activity.

A schedule for the segregated garbage collection was also given:
Nabubulok [Biodegradable]: Linggo, Lunes, Miyerkules, Biyernes
Di Nabubulok [Non-biodegradable]: Martes, Huwebes, Sabado

There was, however, a reminder not to hang the garbage packs on walls, electric posts, and similar places. This be better followed. This will lessen the eye sores in our city’s streets.

Plastic-Free San Pablo City

This is already a follow-up about my earlier post about banning the use of plastics in establishments in San Pablo City. City Ordinance No. 2009-14 specifically states the prohibition of the use of plastic bags on dry goods, its minimal use on wet goods, and the prohibition of the use of styrofoam in San Pablo City.

The offenders shall be given the following fines:
Small Stores: 1st Offense – P1,000 | 2nd Offense – P2,000 | 3rd Offense – P3,000 AND imprisonment for six (6) months and cancellation of license for one (1) year
Supermarkets / Department Stores / Malls / Food Chains: 1st Offense – P2,000 | 2nd Offense – P3,500 | 3rd Offense – P5,000 AND imprisonment for six(6) months and cancellation of license for one (1) year

All these are joint initiatives of the Office of the City Mayor and the City Solid Waste Management Office (CSWMO). You may contact CSWMO at (049) 503-1623 for any inquiries or additional information. I cannot help but recall the same initiatives by the municipal government of Los Baños, Laguna a few years ago; they are now reaping the fruits of their ordinance. Plastics may be ubiquitous and may be still be indispensable for the next century (or two), but at least we are doing some ways by which we can lessen their usage.

Musing on Executions

2011-03-31T14:01:00.013+08:00

The news on the execution of three Filipinos in China [3 Filipino drug mules executed in China, ‘Am I going to die today?’: Nation mourns for 1st Filipinos executed in China] probably is still permeating through our consciousness. Many sympathize with the families of the executed Filipinos, a thing that is quite unavoidable as Filipinos (it is said) place high regard and value for the family. To lose a family member is to lose a part of one’s life.

The importance that we give to human life (as influenced by our religion perhaps, predominantly Roman Catholicism) made the execution of those three Filipinos tagged as drug mules something evil and sinister. But then, laws were disobeyed (unfortunately in a country which has the highest record of executions every year as said by Amnesty International) and corresponding punishments should be done.

This recent execution brings to mind the issue of working overseas. To what extent do our OFWs have to go to provide for their families? Does/Did drug trafficking help them? Perhaps not, as evidenced by this execution. Something is definitely wrong with the way we take overseas labor. Some opined that they be given a separate department (apart from the Department of Foreign affairs and Department of Labor and Employment). But will this solve the problem? Not immediately I think. But at least it points to a direction and to a notion that our OFWs who take the risk to work are being given all possible assistance.

The fate of those three Filipinos will definitely have an impact in the lives of those they left behind. I can still remember when the remains of Flor Contemplacion were finally brought to San Pablo City and the throng of people who came to join in the mourning and condemnation of her execution. But then what happened just now? Her sons are now finally sent to jail for drugs [3 Contemplacion sons get life for selling drugs, 3 Contemplacion sons moved to Muntinlupa prison]. The sacrifices of our OFWs oftentimes do not guarantee good life. It is within the hands of those who were left behind by these three executed Filipinos to chart their futures. And I do hope that it would be for the good in order (at least) not to put in vain the initial motivations of those three and that was to work abroad to provide for their families, for their loved ones.

Family. Love. Money. Future. Labor. Life. These concepts are interconnected in the increasing complex and difficult phenomenon of working overseas. It is high time that those in the forefront of leadership genuinely work hand in hand with the OFWs. If we could not curtail the surge of working abroad (which, after all, provides the biggest chunk of remittances to the country), at least give them a perceptible guidance and assistance.

Photo Credit: straitstimes.com / Reuters

Nelson Mandela’s Take on the Libyan Turmoil

2011-03-29T16:15:00.007+08:00

I found the Time article about Nelson Mandela (“Mandela: His 8 Lessons of Leadership” written by Richard Stengel; read the article here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) particularly insightful. However, in light of what is happening now in Libya, I cannot help but look back in the article and recall the following lines:

“As a statesman, Mandela was uncommonly loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and Fidel Castro. They had helped the ANC when the U.S. still branded Mandela as a terrorist. When I asked him about Gaddafi and Castro, he suggested that Americans tend to see things in black and white, and he would upbraid me for my lack of nuance…”

I wonder what Mandela’s take is regarding the strife that is currently raging through Libya.

* Photo Credit: time.com

The Kritika Kultura Anthology of New Philippine Writing in English Now Available

2011-03-25T14:00:00.016+08:00

Finally, the long wait is over. Here comes the Kritika Kultura Anthology of New Philippine Writing in English. Beyond seeing my poem (click here or here to read or download my poem contribution; the final one you'll see there is substantially edited already) in this anthology from the Department of Humanities, School of Humanities, Ateneo de Manila University, I am also excited to finally read in detail the other poems which gave me new insights about crafting poems. I still have a long road to tackle in poem writing.

You can download the anthology at the Kritika Kultura website (http://kritikakultura.ateneo.net/index.php/literary-editions or http://150.ateneo.edu/kritikakultura/index.php/literary-editions).

The issue editors are Mark Cayanan, Conchitina Cruz, and Adam David.

Word Water Day

2011-03-22T10:44:00.013+08:00

The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.

Read more about today's event and activities around the world at the Word Water Day website here.

World Poetry Day

2011-03-21T16:37:00.007+08:00

Poetry has a thousand faces and always springs from the depths of the culture of peoples.

Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO

I have just chanced upon the news that today is World Poetry Day. I wish I could write a poem before the day ends. You can read the full text of the message of the UNESCO Director General here.

Plastic-Free San Pablo City

2011-03-07T12:05:00.002+08:00

A recent news article reported that an ordinance is now operating in San Pablo City banning the use of plastic materials in major establishments such as supermarkets and food stores. A preparation period (from March to August) is given for those establishments to adjust to this ordinance.

This is good news indeed. I have been secretly wishing that San Pablo follow suit after Los Baños who earlier made a similar ordinance. The next thing to anticipate is the ordinance’s reception to the people of San Pablo. I just hope that they (or we) will have the will to participate in this endeavor to help the environment. Some say that the shift to the use of paper bags would in turn affect the exploitation of trees which are primarily used to make papers. Well, I believe that we must first make a positive move with regards to these plastic materials which may take a century or more to degrade. That’s a more pressing problem as we only have one planet. We cannot afford to make this a big wasteland in the future.

Thumbs up to the people behind the ordinance.

Post-EDSA 25th Musings

2011-03-06T16:51:00.004+08:00

* two of the many lanes of Epifanio de los Santos (EDSA) Avenue

The pile of self-imposed deadlines and transitory activities at work makes writing in front of the computer an opportunity. And I am taking this opportunity now.

Though I have missed posting something here about the 25th EDSA People Power Revolution last February 25, that day was well spent for us. We were able to visit the inaugurated monuments of Cardinal Sin, Former President Cory Aquino, and Former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. near Luneta Park. The occasion was made special by the presence of President Noynoy. And on the other side of Intramuros, the fence surrounding the National Press Club was covered with black-themed photos taken during the 1986 EDSA People Power. Most of them were shot by Sonny Camarillo. One has to start reading and seeing the photos on the side near Jones Bridge then leftward. I wonder if they are still there.

So what about the musings I am talking about? It’s only about saying that we cannot deny that the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution has served its purpose. It occurred in the most perfect point in the country’s history. Those who still attempt to disprove its worth are either quite ignorant of the context of the Revolution or have no other more fulfilling thing to do. I am not trying to be an EDSA know-it-all. I am in fact a post-EDSA baby. But in going back to the accounts of that revolution, I see that unity and conviction can still make a difference in the country. If only one has an unfailing belief that his conviction will not fail. Certainly, faith operated during those times.

Let us give EDSA I its due.

On Love

2011-02-14T18:31:00.003+08:00

All love measures the universe in its own way, attending only for its own expectations, its own discoveries. All love is modified after itself: nothing precedes it; we learn nothing from it. When it dies, there is no point remembering it. It can’t be shared with anyone, or with the rest of our lives, or with future loves. It belongs neither to the past nor the future.

from “Distant Cousin” by Federico Vegas, translated by Lisa Dillman
Bomb’s Literary Supplement, p.16, 2010

[This post appears too in Back Trails | pransisempilipinas.blogspot.com]

Living through Jeepney Fare Increases

2011-02-13T14:38:00.005+08:00

It has been a month since I last posted here. Work activities and self-imposed writing deadlines covered most of my waking hours. Recent news had only been glimpsed from the newspaper headlines on the streets.

Thus it was to my surprise when I noticed a small signboard inside a jeep that says “Simula po Feb. 2 ang minimum na pasahe na po ay P8.” I realized that outside the walls of the workplace, things are changing. And that change that smacked me right in the face was the jeepney fare increase.

My restlessness could have only been pacified by reading through the news stating the reason(s) for effecting the increase. And that was it: increase in oil prices in the world market [in which, quite unfortunately, our oil prices (and fares) are heavily depended].

“Change” and “certainly” increase in whatever form is always an added burden to the common Filipino. It does not matter if you, chance reader, get to pay for the new fare readily. It does not matter if those in the problematic state they call “middle class” gets to pay for the fuel regardless of increases. The issue is how well the majority of the citizens weather such increases – increases that usually involve money.

Think of those students mixed in the sea of commuters we see everyday, budgeting his or her little money, thinking how food for the day can be squeezed in the listing of expenses. Most often, fare eats up most of their allowances. This is just one little situation, one I can openly talk about because I once experienced those tight conditions. But then on the other side is the plight of the drivers, most of whom need money in order to have food on their tables by dinnertime.

This is one mud pit I am always disgusted of – being dependent on something not entirely within our hands (world market oil prices) but having no choice but to swallow it all up. I still hold the belief that there was a lapse in judgment when the Oil Deregulation Law was integrated in our society.

New laws, alternative fuel, and new energy sources are all around us, buzzing like irritating insects in our ears. But are they here? physically felt I mean? Forgive this seemingly unrelated analogy but, can policymakers and perhaps the government itself be able to outmatch the impact of Pacquiao’s fight when it comes to our fuel or oil problems? This may seem vague for now. My only concluding point (or perhaps concluding question) is how we will bring the benefits of the laws right up to the doorstep of the common Filipino.

2011 Babies: No ‘World’ for Tomorrow?

2011-01-09T19:51:00.010+08:00

In Reaction

This particular entry is made in reaction to an article (read via Yahoo!) authored by Stacy Johnson and entitled “Things Babies Born in 2001 Will Never Know.” It was a brief survey of things and activities that are en route to extinction and, in the belief of the article writer, will only be of interest to the ones born this year as historical artifacts.

I can forgive the limited view of the article for it was obviously Western in orientation. As an initial reaction to it, I don’t think much of the things apply to us, Filipinos. I am not trying to fit the country into the view of the article, but because it touched on a number of things quite close to me, this entry can serve as a reminder to us (again, to us Filipinos) that there are still many things we can enjoy despite the domination of technology in our daily lives.

What Smartphones and Technology Cannot Replace

Most of the things that we used to do or we used to have can be done or be found now on Smartphones (and other technology-born devices for that matter): that was the gist of the article. Although I concede that some of the extinction candidates enumerated may indeed be gone in the next few years as in the case of yellow pages (haven’t seen one in many years already), encyclopedias (the company in which my father once worked was an unfortunate victim of extremely low sales) and film cameras (we last used our film camera seven years ago).
I have picked five items from the list which, I think, when finally relegated as artifacts of past generations would make the world – my world for that matter – less interesting to live in.

Books, magazines, and newspapers. I have talked to a number of people already and they all have the same view about book reading: a tangible book is better than an electronic book. I don’t know, but it seems to me that when e-books get more and more common, the concept of a page (I mean book page) will get fainter.

The separation of work and home. This is the reason why I seldom talk at home about the hardships at school before (which, to some extent, can be considered work) or answer those who ask how I am faring at my present work. I want to make a home a home. School is a different world. And so is a workplace. Let the home be the haven for rest and reflection. Disconnect to these worlds while at home by giving your phone or TV a break. That’s why I sympathize with an intimate who has to bring home some works and aid this intimate in the accomplishment of those take-home works.

Catalogs. This is a more personal one. A former professor asked me why I was so keen in obtaining a catalog of a recently released microscope. I told him, lamely I think, that I hope to learn some physics concepts there. He discouraged me to get it. Personally, I do not have that much time staring at an electronic copy of a product catalog, specifically on musical instruments. What I want is something that I can have before I go to sleep, not something that I have to access online.

Hand-written letters. Need I say more? Writing letters using pens or pencils sends out a message of sincerity. Ask those who have suitors. Man, I tell you, nothing beats hand-made gifts.

Mail. Besides the possible extinction of postage stamps, to eradicate mails would be tantamount to allowing computers and print-outs to do the work for us. (Might as well leave the earth and let the computers do the living, eh?) No, mail cannot and must not go extinct. Mail humanizes our works as individuals.

No ‘World’ for Tomorrow?

As a final note, I still believe that technology can never reach that stage where it can do ALL things for us, human beings. We may be in a critical period in our planet’s existence due to international politics and environmental and ecological problems, but we cannot let technology dictate our future. If the demise of things listed in the articles makes some of us less human, why would we allow it? There will be a limit for the convenience that technology provides to us.

(Forgive me, dear reader, if you feel that I write like a silly preacher. I feel the same way too.)

What It Means to be a Blogger

2011-01-01T16:44:00.003+08:00

There have been many instances when I made a ‘pause’ of some sort and reflected on this particular activity I have come to assimilate in my being: blogging. That was what I originally planned to do. And make it as my first blog entry in Viole(n)t Mugs for this year.

But rummaging through my saved files again, I came across the keynote address of Manuel ‘Manolo’ Quezon III during the recently-concluded Philippine Blog Awards. It was definitely thought-provoking. Though brief, it seems to me that I would be diluting the message if I were to summarize it.

So as a primer of sort for those who blog, read blog, and breath blogging, this piece is definitely worth reading. (Read the address here.)

A happy new year to you, dear reader.

Year-Ender IV: Musings on the 31st

2010-12-31T13:37:00.004+08:00

As the year draws to a close, let us be reminded of our triumphs and failures in the past year. And let us carry the lessons that ensued from them.

Resolutions are good in so far as they serve us a plateful of optimism at the start of every year. But I urge each one of us to carry them to reality. We may have different views of resolutions, but I believe that they have a common trait. And that is the character of change.

It may still be debatable whether life is indeed cyclical or not. But one thing cannot be denied in life: that we ought to make our lives better. The coming of the new year gives us a perfect excuse for declaring resolutions. We might as well make use of this opportunity.

As I always say every January First: let us face the new year with brave hearts!

Year-Ender III: The Lab 6th Edition (Seoul, South Korea)

2010-12-28T10:25:00.013+08:00

This is a follow up for the listing of several work achievements this year. This is to a large extent special as this is the first time that my (literary) work got published abroad. The publication is sponsored by a group called CATS from Seoul, South Korea. I felt very happy having this connection of sort from new friends up north. A bonus is a short message from one of the editors Michelle Kim.

In every moment like this (that is, having a work published), I always treat it as a springboard for better things. Among my life’s activities, it is only in writing that I get to be staunchly optimistic.

To The Lab and CATS, more power!

(You can download a copy of The Lab 6th Edition here.)

Year-Ender II: Downs

2010-12-27T13:07:00.004+08:00

I have always said to an intimate that problems or challenges that a person faces are like spices of life. It would be a dull existence if all was just joy and happiness. Of course, this is an exaggeration (or if not, an understatement). But problems – struggles as I like to call them – transformed me into a stronger individual. Much like an athlete preparing for his or her Big Day. The preparations may be tiring and wearisome but they have definitely some concrete ends to meet. Life’s struggles may be irreconcilable for some people’s idea of life, but for me, they are an integral part of my being.

For I believe they are natural offshoots of our actions and we only need to get around and solve them for ourselves.

The landscape of my 2010 has been composed primarily of struggles. There came those times when my writing was questioned by people within the family circles. As if writing is something foreign, something reserved for the rich and not for those who need to earn money to survive.

Then there were domestic ones, concerning principally schedules and budgeting. It was hard enough to transport one’s self between two houses. It created another chunk of headache when a third house was considered. Home-related plans were made to earn convenience, but with all the constraints and ‘politics’ (as I love to call them), no good was achieved, only headaches and busted pockets.

A plan for a business enterprise, which in theory was very good, did not materialize due to severe budget and logistics limitations. A job is good but one has to have a working trade where money can be generated. That was the philosophy. That was the mission. But it is yet to be fulfilled.

Finally, at the close of the year, it comes clearer to me that as we journey through the rough roads of life, one could not help but etch troubles along the way. I realized that it is high time (a few more days are left for the year anyway) to make a pit stop and walk back to some of the blazed trails and patch up those things that need some patching up.

It seems that it is quite easy to say it in words. But I know that it is going to bloody, definitely bloody. I intend to live a more mature phase of life anyway, so better make amends on some of the past’s pock marks (forgive the play with words).

[It’s good to realize that this entry ends on a positive note.]

Year-Ender I: Ups

2010-12-26T18:17:00.002+08:00

Christmas has just passed. But it always seems to me that no days separate Christmas and the New Year celebration. In the blink of an eye, we will have 2011 right before us. And so, as I have said before, I personally would not want to be swept by the activities of the last days of December. Instead I desire to look back to the months that comprised this year. And from that I hope to extract morsels of lessons which I could carry on for the coming of the new year.

But in looking back, it would be practical to recall successes. I can still remember what my thesis adviser told me: that there are in essence two kinds of successes – external and internal. External successes are those things that other people can identify and relate to. These are the society-conceived successes. Internal successes, on the other hand, are those which you yourself can tell as successes. The world may see those things as trivial, but for you they are your accomplishments. These two stuck to me. Internal successes are for me personal truths.

And I can say that my writing life is one example of internal (or personal) success. Finishing a thesis manuscript, getting some works published, and winning writing contests are indeed fuels for me to pursue this writing path. I would admit that I still have a lot of grounds to cover – a lot of theories to learn, a lot of literary works to read and learn from, a lot of drafts to write. I am a self-confessed novice, to say the least.

But knowing that almost everything (in my personal life at least) revolves around writing, I dare not drop it out of my system. Writing is breathing. Writing defines a large portion of my character. Whether or not I would make it as a top-rate writer (wow, the ever ambitious Francis!), no one knows. But for 2010, writing is the highlight of my everyday activities. I am personally excited with some plans. No harm there. At least I have some programs to follow instead of just scribbling around.

But to say that it was only writing that I did for the whole 2010 would be tantamount to lying. There are certainly many other things that happened within the year which I consider successes. But it would be better to keep them as personal recollections. I have come to realize that I cannot blog every single parcel of my life and activities.

Anyway, in this existence of duality, a thing always has its opposite. For every up, there will always be a down. I wish to discuss some of that ‘downs’ in the next entry.

Yule Talk 4: Drummer Boy

2010-12-25T11:20:00.004+08:00

A silent night pierced by the simple rhythm of a drum. No one could possibly understand how a drum could sound like a symphony. No one except this young boy and God, who may have closed his eyes and listened. The world would be forever shaken by the intrusion of Grace.

No one could possibly understand how the cry of a baby could like a symphony. No one except God and the world who so desperately needed a Saviour.

This boy knew.

A silent night pierced by the simple rhythm of a drum. No one could possibly understand how a drum could sound like a symphony...

Yule Talk 3: A View of the Lunar Eclipse

2010-12-22T10:25:00.001+08:00

It would have been more memorable if I was able to take a picture of the moon. But no, nothing can buy experience. And so I can only go as far as describing it.

The lunar feat rising in the east just beside Mount San Cristobal. The reddish glow. The bright light that seem to emanate from it. The view of Sampaloc Lake adding an atmosphere of awe of the eclipse. The surprisingly dark surroundings (except for the evening lights of the houses around the lake). Indeed, it felt so food to lose awareness of time and space (space indeed, as I positioned myself on a terrace overlooking a cliff) even for just a few minutes.

In moments like this, I cannot help but imagine what it was like hundreds of years ago. When there was still no light pollution. When the night was always darkness. And when the only thing to be marveled at was the sky. No wonder they look up to the heavens as if the gods reside there. The phenomenon I saw last night was marvelous.

Yule Talk 2: Reformation through ‘A Christmas Carol’

2010-12-21T11:51:00.002+08:00

Rummaging through a book sale about a month ago, I came across a paperback copy of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I purchased it right away, thinking that it would come in handy for the coming Christmas season. I have just read it again, and put down the book with a reformed view of Christmas.

But, I am still, and will always be critical of its origins (plus some of the traditions that have become associated with it). People brand the celebration as religious yet a determined researcher can trace it back to the unreligious. Anyway, it is my conviction and I am sharing this entry not to persuade anyone to share my belief.

Despite being characterized as a potboiler*, it seems that the novella still possesses the force that moved many people during the time of its release and up to the present. The story of the central character (an unswerving killjoy who later changed his ways) proved to be memorable, especially as it was placed within the context of Christmas.

And although having been written during the Victorian era, some of the lines in the story still ring true today. Said Scrooge’s nephew about Christmas:

“…the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”

Although it seems that Scrooge found his own reformation in seeing his future (a dull death, a dull grave), the good thing about it was that he actually found the heart to change from within him. It was the things of his past and of his present that comprised the ingredients of his reformation. He saw that he could step outside his self-centered realm, make others happy, and even share happiness with them.

That was exactly my own point of reformation. I may disprove of the way they anchor Christmas celebrations with the birth of an alleged savior, but the spirit of the celebration itself cannot be discounted. Those staunch killjoys (am I still included here?) can freely shed their shells and take part at least in giving a breather for those who find life stifling and tiring.

The Philippines is in toil the whole year round, and Christmas can be one of days of the year when it can make merriment. In realizing these things, I do not want to spoil the celebration, at least within my family circles.

---

(Quote taken from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, A Watermill Classic)

* potboiler – a literary composition of poor quality that was written quickly to make money (to boil the pot)

Yule Talk 1: A Friendly Reminder

2010-12-20T13:21:00.004+08:00

It would be hard to deny the festive atmosphere around. And perhaps for this reason the National Telecommunications Commission or NTC has put out a reminder for all the busy buyers and shoppers of the Christmas season.

Received this message recently from a sender named NTC:

BABALA: HUWAG MANINIWALA SA MGA TEKS NA HUMIHINGI NG LOAD, PERA, BANK ACCOUNTS, ATBP. IPAGBIGAY ALAM KAAGAD SA NTC-OSPAC: 9213251, 92667722.

The text message looks genuine enough for me.

Anyway, I have been thinking over if I would proceed with my usual Christmas blog series (see the Navidad Talk series here; and the Season’s Talk Series here) for I think I have already said what I had to say about Christmas. I am still critical of its origins and yet I was able to find some fine reasons to join in the festivities upon rereading some books. It was at that point that I was convinced that I can proceed, after all, with a series. Which I have named now as Yule Talk.

Up next: a discussion of ‘A Christmas Carol’.

Sa Gunita (para sa pag-alaala sa mga naging biktima ng Maguindanao Masaker)

2010-11-23T19:00:00.002+08:00

Hindi kayang tuyuin ng isang taon
Ang mga dugong sa lupa’y tumapon,
Nang sa isang iglap, noong ika-23 ng Nobyembre
Inihatid ng mga bala sa kabilang buhay
Ang hininga at mga pangarap
ng mga biktima ng Maguindanao
Masaker.

Hindi kayang ikubli ng labindalawang buwan
ang alingawngaw ng pighati at pangungulila
nitong mga kaanak, mga mahal sa buhay
ng mga naging bikitma ng Maguindanao
Masaker.

Pagkat sa gunita ng baya'y
umukit ang mapagmalaking
paglalantad ng mga naghahari-harian
sa Maguindanao -
sa gatilyo at pulbura
ginawang laruan
ang mga buhay na
'di nila nilikha at
'di nila pag-aari.
Sila'y mga diyos-diyosang may
kapit (noon) sa tanyag na Palacio.

Mulat pa rin ngayon
ang diwang tinulungan nilang mag-apoy,
nang tinangka nilang ikubli ang mga katawang nilisan ng buhay
ng backhoe at lupa.

Markado na rin ang pagbalik ng mga salarin sa lupa, ang kanilang
huling hantungan
Samo lamang sa piringang Hustisya -
gawing kasingtindi (kung 'di man higit pa) ang hatol sa
mga nag-astang berdugo ng Maguindanao.

At gawing buháy ang parusa sa kanila
at maging monumento ng pag-alaala
na sa likod ng maskara ng pamamahala
ay may mga patuloy pa ring nagkukubli,
gumagawa ng kanilang munting mga kaharian.

Marami pa nga ang dapat hugasan
sa ating putikang pulitika
Ngunit sa pagtiwala at pagpursige sa Hustiya,
may mga paunang hakbang tayong matatahak;

Sa gunita
mananatili ang alaala ng trahedya;
Sa puso
mananatili ang pag-asa para sa hustisya.

* isang munting tula para sa pag-alaala sa mga naging biktima ng Maguindanao Masaker

© Francis Murillo Emralino
Nobyembre 23, 2010 | Laguna

Beneath the Lightweight Issues: A PAGASA Story

2010-11-21T17:10:00.004+08:00

Since the Memorandum of Understanding for a DOST IV-A project has just been signed recently, I think I can share a few things about it now. The media was also present during the signing so most likely, an article or two about it is now printed on a newspaper or published online. The project is called ICT-based Disaster Monitoring and Feedback System is currently in progress. The institution in which I am currently working for is part of the project, hence my presence at the place.

The event’s guest of honor was Raymund Liboro, director of the Science and Technology Information Institute of DOST. Although he suffered a sprain somewhere on his right feet, he came to grace the event.

I cannot say for sure that what he talked about was impromptu. I daresay that his cuento, as he termed it, was anchored on an update approach, that is, sharing what is currently happening inside DOST, specifically PAGASA.

He initially posed a question: were we satisfied at how PAGASA performed during the onslaught of the typhoon Juan? The audience was divided. But Sir Liboro’s shrugging of shoulders seemed to give hint to what he later told us. It was, he said, a story a few people only knows.

As with the other coming of typhoons, PAGASA was on alert again when typhoon Juan was detected on the satellite. It was a typhoon which almost looked like a boring thing to watch. He said that it seemed Juan will just tread a straight path, from Aparri, Cagayan and will exit through Laoag. That was it.

But hours before their next major weather bulletin, satellite images showed that typhoon track was changing; it was gradually going southwest. The possibility that it could cut across northern Metro Manila down to Cebu came into existence.

Holding on to the basic concept that a typhoon’s path can be predicted if low-pressures areas were mapped out, they begun figuring it out its possible new path. Using a crude ruler and through manual computations, they verified their forecasts in order to confidently map out the typhoon’s path.

And the results?

It would enter a particular beach in Isabela and cut through Mountain Province. This was their projected typhoon Juan’s path.

Anxiety reigned in the room of the monitoring team.

Will they bet their jobs for this new bulletin?

They did in the end. Eight people signed the next weather bulletin. One of them was the DOST Secretary himself. It was unprecedented. Only three people sign weather bulletins, continued Sir Liboro.

The weather bulletin was released via Twitter. And…

…the typhoon traced the path PAGASA had forecasted.

-----

Sir Liboro mentioned three things that he said were the essence of the marching order of the DOST Secretary. Just forgot to take notes of them. It was it seemed to me a story of success shared to us and a story of how well the agency is now functioning.

But in light of the present threat of Senator Miriam-Defensor Santiago to ‘massacre’ some of the cabinet members, who she said were lightweights, how can one balance between a story of success and a story of records or credentials. I am not saying that the DOST secretary is one of those Senator Santiago is referring to. She is yet to name them. But then, a success or a failure of a government of department is a success or failure as well of the administration who oversees them.

Forgive this novice observation. Having just passed the honeymoon period, the Aquino administration should really strengthen itself primarily for itself and secondly for the people that it has promised to serve. Critiques and criticisms will come hard and bitter. But in an administration that champions a tuwid na landas, proving itself is indeed a bloody endeavor.

Philippine Premiere of Harry Potter 7

2010-11-20T18:47:00.003+08:00

This one blew me away.

Biodegradable Plastic Bags

2010-11-06T20:00:00.001+08:00

I can still remember the workshop we had back in 2001 on biotechnology. The activity was facilitated by some people from the UP Open University. Later in the workshop, one facilitator spoke of the possibility of having bacteria capable of degrading materials that pollute bodies of water.

This recollection is not quite related to the picture I am now sharing here. But this goes to show that, at least, we are finding ways to wage war against the plastics. Forgive me if I find these plastic bags amazing; I admit that I am not up-to-date when it comes to environment-related innovations like these. This is the third of the activities that I admire the most. The first one is the use of paper bags in Los Baños, Laguna and the plastic-free Wednesdays in a supermarket in San Pablo City, Laguna.

Small actions all add up to create big results. These activities will definitely pay off.

See Through

2010-11-06T19:58:00.000+08:00

In the past few months, I have been a constant reader of Sunday Inquirer, primarily because I was hoping to find in print a poem submission I made. As I was leisurely browsing through the newspaper one Sunday evening, I chanced upon this movie ad. The movie’s title was ‘Devil’ and shows an elevator. I then begun to wonder why there was a woman, apparently transparent, seen on the elevator. Looking closer, she seemed more like Tony Gonzaga!

It was quite stupid of me not to realize that Tony is printed on the other side of the paper, and since I was holding the paper in front of the light, the two images inevitably merged.

(Call this random shares.)

An Article on the New Energy Future Essay Contest

2010-10-28T14:10:00.004+08:00

Finally found an article in American Chronicle about the awarding ceremony of the essay contest where I recently joined. I would agree that Sec. Almendra’s message was thought-provoking. Also, I now have names for the faces of the winners I met there. Been lucky indeed to be among them, seeing the fields of studies they are pursuing. You can read the article, chance reader, by clicking on this link.

Force of the Harry Potter Series: A Conclusion

2010-10-26T08:43:00.001+08:00

Finally, after sharing some thoughts about the Harry Potters series and three of its memorable characters, I would like to conclude by quoting a few lines not from the HP series but from the book ‘Sandman: A Book of Dreams’. This is from the story written by Robert Rodi entitled ‘An Extra Smidgen of Eternity’.

One of the characters said:
“Stories are important…stories are hope. They take you out of yourself for a bit, and when you dropped back in, you’re different – you’re stronger, you’ve seen more, you’ve felt more. Stories are like spiritual currencies.”

This is entirely true for me after reading the Harry Potter stories. Other than the plots which completely overwhelmed me, I also got the feeling of being in whole new world because of the interconnected people and details weaved almost all throughout the series. The series was never short of insights about life. I can only say that its detractors are really missing a literary treasure of this age.

As of now, there is nothing to be done except to reread the books, go over the six film adaptations again, and wait for the first part of HP7.

Three Unforgivable Characters: Tom Marvolo Riddle

2010-10-25T16:36:00.004+08:00

He is literally unforgivable.

But despite all the evil that he has exhibited in the Harry Potter series, one cannot help but admire the ways through which he obtained his stature as an evil genius.

It is a pity to note that his past somehow contributed to what he became later in life. A loveless union. A bitter life in an orphanage. The lack of people who could have shown him love and affection. If only Dumbledore discovered him much earlier. But then, if that happened there would be no archenemy for Harry Potter.

Prefect. Headboy. One of the best students Hogwarts ever had. A great Legilimens. An accomplished Occlumens. A Parselmouth. He was not a descendant of Slytherin for nothing.

And since he was intended as the antagonist of the series, I can only proceed to discuss what he has done (and what he has not done) that led to his downfall: his lack of trust to his own followers; his lack of initiative to understand that magic that first defeated him; his arrogance. And from what I observed, his extreme obsession not to conquer death but to escape it. His use of the Horcruxes and not of the Hallows (as Harry pointed out to Dumbledore in the last book) shows only that he is a coward on the inside. Perhaps he got the idea of death as a weakness in thinking that her mother was not a witch since she died when he was born. And he refused to reflect on these things and proceed to overcome this corrupted view of death. Through what? Through attempting to rule the Wizard and the Muggle Worlds.

What good did he bring to the series? Well, through him, some of the characters were able to discover more of their potential characters and used them during those tumultuous times of the Second Wizarding War. Also, courage and bravery sprouted like mushrooms among the characters. Remember Neville. And Percy’s reformation. Tonk’s insistence to join the battle. Molly’s driving force to fight. Little Colin. Many were killed in the end, but we saw that their deaths were not in vain.

I would admit that it is quite hard to write something about an enemy. Anyway, I shall wrap up my Harry Potter blog entry series soon.

Election Election!

2010-10-24T19:21:00.004+08:00

We are to experience again one of the liveliest activities of the Filipinos, the election. Although it is only on the barangay level, it disturbs me to note the features that also characterize the national election campaigns.

There’s the usual kamag-anak, kumpare thing, where one reminds the voter of his or her connection to the person’s relatives. Since they are somehow related, it would not hurt to vote the candidato.

There’s also those pompous campaigns made all over the barangay: processions of vehicles with blaring horns and decorated with balloons of different colors. And oh, there are the children, programmed to chant the names of their bets. The noisier, the better chances of wining.

And there are the ever-present slogans about ‘pagbabago’ and ‘pag-asa’ plastered on every bare wall in the barangay, all of which lack the same thing: a concrete platform of what the candidates envision for their barangays and how they shall make them a reality.

It is sad that there is still that blurred dividing line between the Filipino’s concept of power and public service. The barangay election is a chance for us to vote for the people that are really capable of honing their leadership capabilities. We should not waste our votes to place into position those who would obviously use them for their own good.

So basically it’s the same with the national elections. We should be critical in choosing our future leaders. Let us hope that tomorrow’s event would be a peaceful one.