The Son…The Father…Me

THE SON…THE FATHER…ME SOMETIME IN THE LATE 60’s…on the hilly side of a remote barrio Bongabong, in Pantukan, Davao…around 5:00 a.m… “This is radio station DXAW now signing on. This station is owned and operated by Auto Broadcasting System (now ABS-CBN) and transmitting at 640 kilocycles…” the Avegon transistor radio blared in the early summer morning. A door of a small house has opened. The father, Teofilo (RIP), has sharpened his grasshawk while his carabao has just started to nibble the young kumpay grass. The smell of burning kerosene from the “abohan“ (cooking place) suggested that the mother, Isidora (RIP), had risen too. The son, about twelve, was unaware of what was going on. He was still in his deep sleep. As expected, “Pagmata na! (wake up)”, the father said. The son hesitantly obeyed. After he rubbed his face with his bare hands, he headed towards the small, wood framed mirror to comb his long hair, Beatles style. The father’s Tugaris wristwatch displayed 5:10 a.m. He then tuned in the radio to dxMM to listen to his favorite songs. “Constantly” by Cliff Richard. “There’s Always Me” by Elvis, but most of all, to the Beatles. He has seen them on Song Cavalcade, a songbook called songhits. To him, they were the best. The father’s advise not to sport long hair was ignored. His big but flat nose did not match to his hair, unlike the real Beatles’. The father though, did not fail to instill to the son’s mind the rewards of hard work. Of perseverance. Of self-reliance. Of trustworthiness. Of diligence. And many more. He did these not just by words but also by acts. He was a man of few words. He showed strong character not only during plentiful harvests but also on scarce seasons. And yes, the importance of education. In one occasion, the son joked about the father’s ability to write clearly. It was election time. Marcos/Lopez vs. Macapagal/Pelaez for president/vice president. The father practiced what he would write in the ballot. He preferred Marcos/ Lopez but the “c” in Marcos was not bent well and the “L” in Lopez looked like a “B”. The son called him Marios Bopez. The father just laughed and said, “Do not follow me. Study hard until you finish. I am here to support.” PRESENT TIME…in the city… The wall clock displays 5:10 a.m. The telephone rings. The father answers. It is an early call from Mila Cabiliza, the procurement officer from Tagum City-based DANECO , an electric cooperative supplying electricity to three provinces and two cities. She asks if their ordered goods are ready for pick up. DANECO has been his regular client for years. The father have already packed them up the night before. It took him and his buddies four days to fabricate the goods. His shop is neat and tidy. The tools are in their proper places. The twenty five-year old son, Junjun, is still sleeping. The father does not want to wake him up. He knows his son is working overtime for his programs. The father’s dreams for him are now a reality. The son finished his studies and is now working for a foreign company. Home-based, through the internet. In fact, he now operates and maintain a website he himself created. Did the father effectively instill to his son’s mind the rewards of hard work? Of perseverance? Of self-reliance? Of trustworthiness? Did he show it not only in words but also in deeds? Did he displayed a strong character to his son? Maybe yes. The son followed what the father wants him to. He never had any tattoos– no body piercing in any manner. He does not smoke. He sticks to only one girl for almost five years. He works diligently. A good son? Sure! A good father? Maybe. ARE THERE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE TWO SETTINGS? Obvious. Both have fathers. Both have sons. The fathers wake up earlier than the sons. They both taught their sons moral values not just by words but by deeds as well. They showed to their sons strength in character. Why are they similar? It is but natural, an age-old fact. What a father teaches to his son will also be taught by the same son to his own. The son in the late 60’s and the father at present time is one and the same– and that is me. I have been raised by my father with moral values, so I have to, too, to my son. My only regret is that my father’s dreams for me did not all come true. While my son finished his studies, I have not! Still, I am a happy and fulfilled father to my son!

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Talino Lakas Yaman Ganda at Pag-ibig

TALINO LAKAS YAMAN GANDA at PAG-IBIG Habang binabasa mo ang isang ito ay may mapapansin kang may mga parting pabalik-balik. Ito’y talagang sinadya. Ang plano ko noo’y lapatan ito ng musika, ala-BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND ni Bob Dylan (na pabali-balik din). Sayang nga lang at hanggang ngayon hindi ko pa ito naisagawa. Ngayon ay ang ika-tatlumpung araw na wala akong entri dito. Ito’y ang pagiging busy ko sa aking mga proyekto. Karamihan kasi sa mga magpapagawa ay tuwing magsisimula ang taon. Sa tuwing ako’y dadalaw dito, tsini-check ko ang rating nito at ang paglagay ng latest news na isang page dito. Ngayong naging pang-limampu na ito sa TOPBLOGS, kahit medyo may kabisihan pa, naglalagay na ako ng post rito. Naninibago kasi ako sa pang-limampu dahil ito na ang pinakamababa. Mag-klik dito. Kasalukuyang rating:

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Noynoy Aquino: si Mama at si Papa

Noynoy Aquino: si Mama at si Papa image from allecoallende.files.wordpress Miyerkules, ika-30 ng Disyembre, 8:40 ng umaga. Habang nakikinig ako sa mga paborito kong mga himig ng dakada 70, biglang may tumunog na cellphone- tunog na hindi galing sa akin. Lumingon ako sa pinanggalingan ng tunog at nakita ko ang cellphone ni Kringkring, isa sa aking mga dalagita. Naiwan pala niya ito sa pagmamadali. Sumama kasi siya sa aking misis sa NCCC (isang mall dito sa Davao), nagsa-shopping. Dali-dali ko itong kinuha at tinignan. Nalaman kong isang text message ang ipinadala. Binuksan ko ito upang mabasa sa pag-aakalang galing sa misis ko. Galing pala sa isa sa mga kaibigan ni Kringkring. Laking gulat ko nang mabasa ang nilalaman na message. Kahit tinatamad, naisip kong ilagay sa blog ko dahil sa ito’y may kabigatan. Narito ang nilalaman ng text message na ‘yon: Manny Villar: Sipag at Tiyaga Gibo Teodoro: Galing at Talino Noynoy Aquino: si Mama at si Papa Bakit sinabi kong may kabigatan? Sa tatlo kasing tumakbong may chance na manalo sa pagka presidente ng ating bansa, si Noynoy lang ang walang nakakabit na tagline. Si Manny Villar ang ipinagmalaki ay ang kanyang sipag at tiyaga, si Gibo Teodoro ay ang kanyang galing at talino, si Noynoy Aquino ay wala. Kaya siguro naisip ng nag-compose ng text message na nabasa ko na ilagay bilang asset niya (Noynoy) si Ninoy at Tita Cory, na totoo naman. Wala talagang maipagmalaking abilidad si Noynoy. Siya’y nakasandal lang sa anino ng pumanaw na niyang mga magulang; at sa kanyang kapatid na si Kris. Isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit nasabi ko ito ay makikita dito. Sa aking personal na opinyon, tila may kakulangan siya ng kompiyansa (na nakikita ko sa sa kanyang tindig), kawalan ng pokus (na nakikita sa kanyang mga matang palipatlipat ang tinitingnan), at tila kakulangan ng paniniwala. Sa performance bilang senador, nasa ibaba siya. Ang listahang ito ay nagpapakita ng bilang ng naipasang bills at resolutions ng mga senador sa panahon ng 14th Congress break noong Marso. 1. Miriam Defensor-Santiago – 933 2. Manny Villar – 579 3. Jinggoy Estrada – 538 4. Loren Legarda – 299 5. Francis Escudero – 288 6. Antonio Trillanes – 261 7. Bong Revilla – 238 8. Lito Lapid – 196 9. Richard Gordon – 148 10. Manuel Roxas II -146 11. Edgardo Angara – 140 12. Juan Miguel Zubiri – 135 13. Aquilino Pimentel Jr – 121 14. Pia Cayetano – 114 15. Rodolfo Biazon – 107 16. Jamby Madrigal – 93 17. Francis Pangilinan – 87 18. Panfilo Lacson – 83 19. Gregorio Honasan – 73 20. Juan Ponce Enrile – 70 21. Noynoy Aquino – 46 22. Alan Peter Cayetano – 24 23. Joker Arroyo – 11 Marahil masasabi ng mga makakabasa nito na ako’y hindi boboto kay Noynoy. Tama sila. It is either Gibo or Villar for me. Not even Erap! At sabihin na rin nilang naninira ako. Dito mali sila. Ako’y naglalahad lang ng aking personal na paniniwala. Walang nanghihikayat sa akin kungdi ang text message na hindi naman para sa akin- ang message na pumukaw sa natutulog kong kamalayan. MANIGONG BAGONG TAON NA LANG SA INYO!

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Merry Christmas to All

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Global Warming

Global Warming It can not be denied that the world we live has undergone drastic changes– the most significant of them is the so-called climate change. Some attributed it to the end of the Mayan long count calendar which will take effect Dececemder 21, 2012, winter solstice of that year. It is said that a global catastrophe will happen on that day. Planet-x (is it the Nibiru of ancient Babylonians?) will collide with our planet. Polar reversion will take place causing floods and earthquake of great magnitude, and many more, (Incidentally, the winter solstice for this year is today, December 21.) Some see it in a biblical point of view saying it is the sign the wrath of the Lamb as stated on the Book Revelation 6:1-17. Whatever it is, one thing is sure. The cause of the changes in our climate is largely caused by excessive greenhouse-gas emmisions from highly industrialized countries thus triggering global warming. That is why delegations from 193 nations gathered in Copenhagen last December 7-16 aiming to reach a new global agreement on climate change. In the late 80’s I have written a Filipino poem about environmental pollution. I decided to place it here although not directly related to the above. It is entitled ‘ANG KAPALIGIRAN’.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MANNY

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Malaysian tycoon buys networking site Friendster

Most of us, if not all, have been members of FRIENDSTER. This item (taken from a news report) may shed light on why it has a new formatting scheme. Malaysian tycoon buys networking site Friendster image from friendster.com KUALA LUMPUR (AP) — Malaysian tycoon Vincent Tan announced a deal to buy Friendster, a social networking site that still retains a strong following in Southeast Asia after losing in global popularity to Facebook and MySpace. Tan’s online payment systems business will buy 100 percent of Friendster through an affiliate company, according to a joint statement Thursday. The two companies will be combined so Tan’s business empire can sell content such as games, movies, music and other products to Friendster’s 115 million members, using his company’s electronic payments system. Tan’s businesses include retail franchises in Southeast Asia such as Starbucks, 7-Eleven, Borders, Krispy Kreme, and Wendy’s. The price for Friendster wasn’t disclosed but the combined entity will have annual revenue of about $110 million. “We are creating a unique company that will be well positioned to provide content to a huge, regional user base here in Southeast Asia,” the statement said. Launched in 2003, Friendster was among the first to establish online social networking as a hot trend. It soon faded in popularity, however, as Web users migrated to newer sites such as MySpace.com and Facebook.com. Facebook is the world’s second most popular Web site, attracting almost 29 percent of Internet users, according to Web traffic monitor Alexa.com. In contrast, only 0.4 percent of Internet users are visiting Friendster, ranking it the 164th most popular site globally. Despite its demise in the U.S., Friendster has managed to build a strong following in Asia, particularly in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. The three countries account for almost 60 percent of its users. Friendster Chief Executive Richard Kimber said about 90 million of the site’s members are Asians and described the merger as an “industry-changing event.” Associated Press Writer Tomoko A. Hosaka in Tokyo contributed to this report. To view or post comment, please click here

Pagkakauhaw

Pagkakauhaw image from imageshack.us Pagkakauhaw ni doroastig 18Hun’78 lalamunan ko’y tuyong-tuyo na matinding pagkauhaw damang-dama ang tubig na sa aki’y ipinagkait iinumin ko kahit walang kasimpait ang araw’y nagiging mabangis tindi ng init niya apoy ang kawangis ang malamig na hangin di man lang umihip upang kahit sansaglit ako’y maidlip paghihirap ko’y ‘di nababawasan kahit sa mga luha ko pinatuluan dama kong katawa’y lalong pinag-aalab ng matinding pagsisising sa puso sumisilab paghihirap ngayo’y ‘di sana nalasap kung alay na tubig noo’y buong pusong tinanggap ako sana’y naging maginhawa ngayon kung di ko pa sinayang ang nag-iisa kong kahapon doroastig.wordpress.com

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Andres Bonifacio, The Great Plebian

Andres Bonifacio, The Great Plebian plebian: 1533 (n.), 1566 (adj.), from L. plebius “of the common people,” from plebes “the common people” (as opposed to patricians, etc.), perhaps from PIE base *ple- “to be full” (see plenary). Slang shortening pleb is attested from 1865 (see plebe). See here image from library.thinkquest.org/ Today, Nov. 30 is Bonifacio Day Many Filipino nationalists think Andres Bonifacio, the Father of the Philippine Revolution, is a greater national hero than the intellectual, physician, poet, essayist and novelist Jose Rizal. An auto-didact, Bonifacio founded the Katipunan and was its Supremo. He started the revolution against Spain, against the advice of Rizal who wanted the revolutionaries to be better trained and armed. Bonifacio launched a nationwide revolution anyway. He called for mobilization and simultaneous raids on Spanish installations. He declared the transformation of the Katipunan into a revolutionary government, with himself as president and commander in chief of the army. He formed a Cabinet. He appointed the Katipunan military leaders as generals. Bonifacio won battles and lost some. Until the point when there were three major centers of revolt. Cavite was under the upper-class, educated Katipunero, Emilio Aguinaldo. Bulacan was under Mariano Llanera of the skull flag. And Morong was under Andres Bonifacio. Morong consisted of the present Rizal province and most of the present Metro Manila (except the Walled City and the present city of Manila). To the careless observer, the revolt appeared to be most successful in Cavite, because the province had virtually fallen under the control of Aguinaldo’s forces. But this happened only because the colonial government had withdrawn the Spanish soldiers from Cavite and other provinces to defend Manila from Bonifacio and his mostly bolo-wielding Katipunan army. Still, the Cavite revolutionaries looked like better soldiers led by better commanders. All the provinces, including Cavite, accepted Bonifacio as the supreme leader. But every time he lost a battle, Bonifacio’s reputation fell and Aguinaldo’s star rose. Magdiwang vs. Magdalo In Cavite rebels loyal to Bonifacio belonged to the Magdiwang faction. Its chief was Mariano Alvarez, an uncle of Bonifacio’s wife, the heroine Gregoria de Jesus. Emilio Aguinaldo’s brother, Baldomero, led the rival faction, the Magdalo. To divide and weaken the revolutionary forces, the Spaniards made a show of being more impressed with Aguinaldo. They tried to initiate peace talks with him. This was of course insulting to Bonifacio. As Emilio Aguinaldo won victory after victory, in relatively smaller battles than those that Bonifacio fought in Manila and Morong, the enmity between the Magdalo and Magdiwang grew. The rivals did not help each other in their military campaigns. The clash so heated up as to require the Supremo to go to Cavite to mediate between the two factions. With only a few troops, Bonifacio entered Cavite province with his wife, his brothers Procopio and Ciriaco. Aguinaldo’s superior attitude irked the Supremo. The Magdalo men were so disrespectful, in anger he nearly shot one of them, Daniel Tirona. But Aguinaldo also resented Bonifacio for acting “as if he were a king.” The meeting to end the rivalry between the Magdalo and Magdiwang factions was held in Imus. The Magdalo people spoke of rumors, unfounded allegations and the leadership of the Katipunan itself. Soon Bonifacio found himself having to prove that he was not running the revolutionary government like a monarch, that his government was republican and democratic. He told his detractors each Katipunero, no matter how lowly his rank, had a vote equal to that of any other man. Political trap he did not see Bonifacio was in a political trap he did not recognize. He agreed to resolve the Magdalo-Magdiwang rivalry and the leadership issue through an election—in Tejeros, Cavite. Despite the arrogance and rudeness of Aguinaldo’s men, despite his realization that the election was not proper because there were no Katipunan members from the other provinces, despite warnings that the balloting would be rigged, the Supremo remained so confident of winning. Before voting began, he solemnly asked everyone to respect the election results gracefully. Then he presided over the election. Of course, Bonifacio lost to Emilio Aguinaldo, who was not even there. Someone suggested that Bonifacio be made the vice president. No one seconded the motion. The election for lesser offices continued. Mariano Trias, who was supposed to be a Magdiwang and therefore pro-Bonifacio, was elected vice president. Position by position, other officers of the revolutionary government were elected, until Bonifacio was chosen director of the Interior. Before he could be proclaimed in that position, Daniel Tirona, the man Bonifacio had almost shot days, spoke up. He said the position could not possibly be held by a non-lawyer. He then nominated a prominent lawyer for the position. Bonifacio demanded an apology from Tirona, who turned his back to the leave the hall. Bonifacio drew his gun and was about to shot Tirona but Artemio Ricarte, another Magdiwang man, who had been elected Captain-General, stopped the ousted Supremo. People were walking out of the hall as Bonifacio cried out: “I am the president of this assembly and as president of the Supreme Council of the Katipunan, as all of you do not deny, I declare this assembly dissolved, and I annul all that has been approved and resolved.” That next day, President Aguinaldo took his oath of office. The tragedy of the revolution Bonifacio and his supporters wrote the Acta de Tejeros, denouncing the election for being fraudulent. They accused Aguinaldo of treason because he was negotiating with the Spaniards. (Aguinaldo wasn’t). President Aguinaldo had Bonifacio arrested, tried—and executed. Read Adrian Cristobal’s book, The Tragedy of the Revolution. It’s an artistic analysis of the life and meaning of Andres Bonifacio. It will make you wish the Supremo had listened to Jose Rizal.

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STOP KILLING JOURNALISTS !!!

STOP KILLING JOURNALISTS !!!

image from img4.imageshack.us

Together with the rest of the world, I strongly condemned the politically motivated November 23 abduction and killing of over 50 people, at least 25 of them journalists, in Maguindanao. It is a new low even for the Philippines. Not only its brutality, but the sheer senselessness of it as well qualify it for collective outrage and condemnation and the strongest call for the immediate apprehension, trial and punishment of those responsible.

The following journalists are the victims of savage killers: 1. Ian Sublang – Media/Gensan Newsprint 2. Lea Dalmacio – Media/Gensan Newsprint 3. Gina Dela Cruz – Media/Gensan Newsprint 4. Marites Cabunes – Media/Gensan Newsprint 5. Bart Maravilla – Media/Bombo Radyo 6. Jhoy Duhay – Media/Peoples Tonite 7. Henry Araneta – Media/DZRH Correspondent 8. Andy Teodoro – Media/Mindanao Inquirer 9. Neneng Montano – Media/Gensan Newsprint 10. Alejandro Bong Reblado – Media/UNTV 11. Victor Nuñez – Media/UNTV 12. Mac-mac Amola – Media/Gensan Newsprint 13. Jimmy Cabello – Media/Midland Review 14. Councilor Razul Daud – Media/SK Newspaper 15. Joel Parcon – Media/Prontera News 16. Val Cachuela – Media/Prontera News 17. John Caniban – Media/ 18. Art Baloya – Media/Punto Periodico 19. Noel Decena – Media/Punto Periodico 20. Rany Razon – Media/Punto Periodico 21. Bienvenido Jun Legarta – Media/Punto Periodico 22. Jovy Legarta – Media/Punto Periodico 23. Rey Merisco – Media/Punto Periodico 24. Boyet Dela Cerna – Media/Escalera News 25. Art Mascardo – Media/GSC May They All Rest In Peace…

Read this post in the following languages (translations by GOOGLE TRANSLATOR) Spanish simplified Chinese Filipino Arabic French Portuguese Japanese Hindi I have posted in this blog my Filipino poem about what journalists are. Read it here For more images from TIME/CNN, click these numbers: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1o 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

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