I woke up this morning at 6:57 due to a recurring nightmare. Today is my flight to Cebu to attend a National Conference of Student Leaders. Last night, I was really feeling weird that I even cry. Perhaps, I am just tired.
For some strange reasons, I don't want to go to Cebu anymore. There are many things left undone.Sigh. I am so tired yet I want to do things because no one might do them. Also, I feel soooo alone. When I opened my friendster account this morning, I checked my profile to (re)read some testimonials from my friends, blockmates and important people in my life. I do this whenever I want to boost my ego because my (severe)inferiority complex is manifesting itself since last night. At some point, we all feel this way, I know. Maybe I just need company. As of the moment, Im the only person awake in our house. I haven't eaten breakfast yet because I don't have the appetite to eat. The song At the Beginning is playing--this time I think for the 10th time. The sun is now reunited with the sky, bright as ever. Sadness is oppressive. I hate it.
My days are usually tiring but still I try to find time to laugh, rest and chat with my friends. As you might have guessed, I am currently experiencing an ideological struggle. I know oppression is evident, poverty is widespread and equality remains to be a myth. But really, is there still hope? As I see it, only those who are well-off remains to be optimistic about our current political and economic situation. Have you even heard of a millionaire committing suicide because he feels hopeless for the Philippines? Of course that'll be absurd. They have more in life hence they have more options. Given the situation in our country, they are least affected. Besides, they can always opt to live somewhere better than the Philippines. (mind you, Philippines is number 87 in the ranking of the top 100 livable countries around the world). Im on the verge of collapsing. (of course not in the literal sense) Seriously, do you think there's still hope?
Anyway, there is a transpo strike today. The senate will soon decide on the UP Charter. On Saturday will be the anniversary of the passage of the tuition increase in UP (of course, there is no reason to celebrate this due to its many implications not only in terms of student enrollment but also to education sector as a whole). There are so many issues at hand that sometimes I feel confuse which to prioritize. Yes I know that local issues are manifestations of the bigger national issues.However, there are instances when one is given heavy premium while the other is left out. I wish I was Superman--this way I could attend to things easier, faster and at the same time.
Criticisms. Why do I always have to explain myself if I prefer to do this and that?--This is the line I throw at people whenever my mouth is tired to speak and when I don't feel like explaining. However, there are times when you need to speak up and explain things to people (closed minded people, you bet) to enlighten them or at the very least defend yourself. I love many things about being part of the council. For one, your social network expands. You meet different people, interact with them, debate with each other while waking up your braincells. Some of my friends and acquaintances are both politically and culturally diverse (and include their economic status as well which varies, too). I have friends who are weird, kikay, nerd, geek, apathetic, religious, gay, artist...everything you could think of. But even if we may differ in many ways, we have converging interests. I have met different government officials and even became friends with some of their staff. Usually, the speakers in our congress are senators and I will be meeting more of them in Cebu (which will include Mr. Artemio Panganiban, Sen. Madrigal, Sen. Roxas and many more.)Some may argue that you need a large social network to win in student council elections and any type of election for that matter, which I think is partly right. But also, a large social network is an offshoot of being a member of the council. HOWEVER, the thing I hate most about being a student leader is the part where you hear criticisms from people who don't even know a tenth of you and your life. Criticisms are sometimes good in order to develop and better yourself. Criticisms based on hatred is another story.Definitely, we can always argue that we can never please everyone so it's ok and normal to have people stabbing your back, (I remember a line from Eminem which says "Back stabbers are only powerful when you got your back turned.") but in my case, I really feel bad. I wouldn't want to have enemies and I find it difficult to sleep when someone's mad at me or when I hate someone. Sometimes I even hate the idea of party lines. I never wanted a political rival or opponent. I never dreamed of people staring at me funny just because I belong to a different party. I only wanted to serve.
17days more before the year ends. Often, we try to assess the year and make a resolution on what we'll do next. In other words, what will be our frame of mind and attitude in the coming year. As for me, I have yet to list the things I will aim to accomplish next year. I am looking forward to enjoying my stay in Cebu even if I know that, like usual Conferences, it's going to be very tiring.
I would also want to take this opportunity to thank people in my life (just in case I die today or any time soon).
Thanks to my blockmates who are always there to help and understand me. Thanks to my closest friends who often hear me rant and rave but still listen to me. Thanks to my orgmates who are there to offer assistance whenever Im tired of schoolworks. Thanks to my professors who have given me knowledge of the real world. Thanks to my friends whom I can always count on. Thanks to those who broke my heart and to those who are trying to mend it. Thanks to my one good friend who knows almost everything about me.Thanks to my family. Thank you!
Thanks for the memories I will cherish forever.
This year is one of the best I've ever had. I will forever be grateful to everyone.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
35 Facts that Tell You You're in College
1. High school started before 7:20am, but now anything before noon is considered "early".
---> Yeah, seems like that. i even had a class that STARTED at 5:30 PM
2. Weekends start on Thursday.
---> Hahaha! Rock on! And even the gimik nights start every Thursday.
3. 6am is when you go to sleep, not when you wake up.
---> True, especially when me and my gang just left the club.
4. You know many different ways to cook instant noodles or macaroni and cheese.
---> Filipino style, Italian, American, Spanish and even DORM style, I so know.
5. Anything can be cooked in a microwave.
---> Yes, even fried chicken! Hahaha! So it bummed everyone when my dorm's microwave was unavailable for a week or so.
6. You know which fast food is open 24/7.
---> Imagine walking around Pedro Gil or Taft Avenue just to go look for a store that's still open at 3am until our dorms opened!
7. Your underwear/sock supply dictates your laundry schedule.
---> When there aren't anymore clothes in my closet but the pambahays, I know it's time to do the laundry.
8. You talk about beer pong like it's a sport. Your beer pong table is nicer than all your other tables.
---> Of course, it's a reserved table, espacially decorated with the week-old trash.
9. The standard of meals per day falls to two, sometimes just one.
---> Disagreed! I'm hyperacidic so I eat 3-5 times a day on average
10. Your trash is overflowing and your ATM allowance isn't.
---> Dear, so sad but true. *tear*
11. You wear the same jeans for 7 days without washing them.
---> Not really.
12. Your breakfast consists of a coke or cereal bar on the way to class... anything with caffeine will do.
---> I'm not supposed to drink anything with caffeine but what the heck. I always need something to wake me up even at night (Starbucks loves me so much.)
13. You sleep more in class than in your room.
---> Hahahahahah! I slept in class one time and I woke up to find everyone already leaving the classroom!
14. You see people you know you've met but can never remember their names or how you know them.
---> True. This has happened way back.
15. You've traveled with bags of dirty clothes- from dorm back home.
---> To think that my hometown is 12-13 hours away by bus!
16. You recognize the meat in the dorm soup as yesterday's meatloaf, and thus decide to eat a nice bowl of cereal - a safe bet for any meal.
---> Dorm doesn't serve any food, but some people steal my food in the fridge!
17. It takes preparation... and 3 people... to take out your garbage.
---> There're three of us in the room so whoever is irritated at the sight of an overflowing trash bag throws it out.
18. Going to the library is a social event.
---> Hahaha, I haven't gone to the lib since last year!
19. You skip one class to write a paper for another.
---> I skip classes for so many other reasons. *wink*
20. You have no idea where your tuition money is going... technology fees? I think misc.
---> First of all, tuition is tuition. The misc fees... ah... I don't know exactly why the newer batches had to pay that much, other than the fact that there was a "need" to increase the miscellaneous fees.
21. You stay up late to finish homework then sleep through the class in which it was due.
---> I even slept while taking an exam. How's that?
22. You never realized so many people are smarter than you.
---> I know. What a horrible fact.
23. You never realized so many people are dumber than you.
---> I know. What a motivating fact.
24. You meet the type of people you thought only existed in movies.
---> The probinsyana that I am, I never thought I'd make friends with models and all those TV people.
25. Printers break down only when you desperately need them.
---> No, Alva photocoying machines and the ones at AS break down when you deperately need them most. Bummer.
26. You can't imagine life without your computer/cell phone/ i-pod.
---> I have yet to buy a laptop, and I believe there is really no need to buy an iPod. But the dire need for a cellphone is unquestionable.
27. A canceled class is almost as exciting as Christmas.
---> Not really. There was one time when we had too many cancelled classes AND exams that I got tired of studying. The exams had to be moved again and again and it sucked big time.
28. Taking a nap in the library is perfectly acceptable.
--->Yes! How sweet of the librarians. We praise them for understanding the reasons behind our zombie looks.
29. Showers become more of an issue.
---> I always shower before going to school, unless I'm feverish.
30. Class size doubles on exam days.
---> Indeed! You never knew that this and that took (or is STILL taking) the same subject until the departmental exams.
31. There's always a "question kid" in at least one of your classes, and you really wish someone would just tell him/her to shut the hell up.
---> We call them "epals."
32. You become increasingly annoyed with the "old" people in class - props to them for going back to college but they generally ask really, really annoying questions.
---> I've never encountered someone who fits this description.
33. Bet you know which way “in” is not guarded in your dorm.
---> There's no other way in or out of the dorm but the main door.
34. An hour and a half of philosophy class is like forever.
---> An hour and a half of CHEMISTRY is forever.
35. You finish reading this and wonder how you can procrastinate next.
---> Dude, you'll never know. Never know.
---> Yeah, seems like that. i even had a class that STARTED at 5:30 PM
2. Weekends start on Thursday.
---> Hahaha! Rock on! And even the gimik nights start every Thursday.
3. 6am is when you go to sleep, not when you wake up.
---> True, especially when me and my gang just left the club.
4. You know many different ways to cook instant noodles or macaroni and cheese.
---> Filipino style, Italian, American, Spanish and even DORM style, I so know.
5. Anything can be cooked in a microwave.
---> Yes, even fried chicken! Hahaha! So it bummed everyone when my dorm's microwave was unavailable for a week or so.
6. You know which fast food is open 24/7.
---> Imagine walking around Pedro Gil or Taft Avenue just to go look for a store that's still open at 3am until our dorms opened!
7. Your underwear/sock supply dictates your laundry schedule.
---> When there aren't anymore clothes in my closet but the pambahays, I know it's time to do the laundry.
8. You talk about beer pong like it's a sport. Your beer pong table is nicer than all your other tables.
---> Of course, it's a reserved table, espacially decorated with the week-old trash.
9. The standard of meals per day falls to two, sometimes just one.
---> Disagreed! I'm hyperacidic so I eat 3-5 times a day on average
10. Your trash is overflowing and your ATM allowance isn't.
---> Dear, so sad but true. *tear*
11. You wear the same jeans for 7 days without washing them.
---> Not really.
12. Your breakfast consists of a coke or cereal bar on the way to class... anything with caffeine will do.
---> I'm not supposed to drink anything with caffeine but what the heck. I always need something to wake me up even at night (Starbucks loves me so much.)
13. You sleep more in class than in your room.
---> Hahahahahah! I slept in class one time and I woke up to find everyone already leaving the classroom!
14. You see people you know you've met but can never remember their names or how you know them.
---> True. This has happened way back.
15. You've traveled with bags of dirty clothes- from dorm back home.
---> To think that my hometown is 12-13 hours away by bus!
16. You recognize the meat in the dorm soup as yesterday's meatloaf, and thus decide to eat a nice bowl of cereal - a safe bet for any meal.
---> Dorm doesn't serve any food, but some people steal my food in the fridge!
17. It takes preparation... and 3 people... to take out your garbage.
---> There're three of us in the room so whoever is irritated at the sight of an overflowing trash bag throws it out.
18. Going to the library is a social event.
---> Hahaha, I haven't gone to the lib since last year!
19. You skip one class to write a paper for another.
---> I skip classes for so many other reasons. *wink*
20. You have no idea where your tuition money is going... technology fees? I think misc.
---> First of all, tuition is tuition. The misc fees... ah... I don't know exactly why the newer batches had to pay that much, other than the fact that there was a "need" to increase the miscellaneous fees.
21. You stay up late to finish homework then sleep through the class in which it was due.
---> I even slept while taking an exam. How's that?
22. You never realized so many people are smarter than you.
---> I know. What a horrible fact.
23. You never realized so many people are dumber than you.
---> I know. What a motivating fact.
24. You meet the type of people you thought only existed in movies.
---> The probinsyana that I am, I never thought I'd make friends with models and all those TV people.
25. Printers break down only when you desperately need them.
---> No, Alva photocoying machines and the ones at AS break down when you deperately need them most. Bummer.
26. You can't imagine life without your computer/cell phone/ i-pod.
---> I have yet to buy a laptop, and I believe there is really no need to buy an iPod. But the dire need for a cellphone is unquestionable.
27. A canceled class is almost as exciting as Christmas.
---> Not really. There was one time when we had too many cancelled classes AND exams that I got tired of studying. The exams had to be moved again and again and it sucked big time.
28. Taking a nap in the library is perfectly acceptable.
--->Yes! How sweet of the librarians. We praise them for understanding the reasons behind our zombie looks.
29. Showers become more of an issue.
---> I always shower before going to school, unless I'm feverish.
30. Class size doubles on exam days.
---> Indeed! You never knew that this and that took (or is STILL taking) the same subject until the departmental exams.
31. There's always a "question kid" in at least one of your classes, and you really wish someone would just tell him/her to shut the hell up.
---> We call them "epals."
32. You become increasingly annoyed with the "old" people in class - props to them for going back to college but they generally ask really, really annoying questions.
---> I've never encountered someone who fits this description.
33. Bet you know which way “in” is not guarded in your dorm.
---> There's no other way in or out of the dorm but the main door.
34. An hour and a half of philosophy class is like forever.
---> An hour and a half of CHEMISTRY is forever.
35. You finish reading this and wonder how you can procrastinate next.
---> Dude, you'll never know. Never know.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Kung Pinoy si Noah....
...Ganito ang mangyayari sa barko. Read along...
Taong 2007 at isang ordinaryong middle class Pinoy si Noah. Nagpakita sa kanya ang Diyos at sinabing "Pagkatapos ng isang taon ay bubuhos ang ulan at babahain ang buong kapuluan ng Pilipinas. Gusto kong gumawa ka ng isang malaking
Barko at isakay mo rito ang pares-pares na mga hayop at mga mag-asawang pilipino sa iba't ibang kapuluan."
Ibinigay kay Noah ang "specs" ng arko at taos puso nitong tinanggap ang responsibilidad na sagipin ang sambayanang Pilipino sa napipintong pagbaha.
Lumipas ang taon, muling nagpakita ang Diyos kay Noah. Walang arkong nagawa si Noah at galit na galit siyang tinanong ng Diyos,
"Nasaan ang arko na ipinagawa ko sa iyo? "Tumugon si Noah,"Patawarin po ninyo ako kung di po natupad ang utos ninyo! Nagkaroon po ng malaking problema sa plano po ninyo ."
At inilahad ni Noah ang mga sagabal na nakaharap niya sa pag-gawa ng arko.
Humingi siya ng Mayor's permit pero papayag lang daw si Mayor kung ang gagawa ng arko ay ang construction firm ng kanyang pamangkin. Tumungo siya sa Congressman
pero papayag lang daw si Congressman kung may matatanggap siyang 30% commission. Nagtayo ng unyon ang mga kinuha niyang manggagawa at nag-strike.
Natunugan ng mga left-leaning groups ang kanyang balak at ang mga ito ay nag-rally dahil daw sa hindi makatarungang pagpili ng mga taong sasakay sa arko (mga taong naniniwala lang sa Diyos ang pwedeng sumakay). Nakisali sa rally ang mga bakla at tomboy dahil bias daw na normal na mag-asawa lang ang pwedeng sumakay.
Ang civil society group ay nakisali na rin sa gulo dahil napag-alaman daw nila na ang pondong gagamitin sa paggawa ng arko ay galing sa donasyon ng mga gambling lords at katas ng hueteng. Sa kaguluhang ito ay napilitang magpatawag ng hearing ang senado "in aid of legislation".
Sinubukan ni Noah na gamitin ang EO 464 para makaiwas sa hearing pero dahil hindi sya executive official, napilitan siyang tumistigo.
Nang malaman ng senado na utos ng Diyos ang pagpapagawa ng arko, dineklara nila itong unconstitutional dahil hindi raw nito iginalang ang separation ng church at state.
Nakialam na rin ang NBI at PNP at sinabi nilang meron silang impormasyon na ang barko raw na ito ay gagamitin ni Erap sa kanyang pagtakas. Sinabi naman ng ISAFP at DOJ na ito raw ay gagamitin ng grupong Magdalo sa binabalak nilang coup laban kay Arroyo. Nilapitan ni Noah si Mike Defensor para makipag-usap kay GMA. Payag daw si GMA na ituloy ang arko kung ipapaskil daw sa arko ang malaking mukha ni Arroyo
na may slogan "Towards a Strong Republic". "Hindi po ako pumayag kaya hanggang ngayon po ay may TRO ang pag-gawa ng arko.
Sa palagay ko po kailangan ko pa ng 10 taon para matapos ang inyong proyekto". Ang huling wika ni Noah. Napa-iling ang Diyos at sinabing, "Di ko na kailangang wasakin pa ang bansang ito. Hayaan ko na lang kayong sumira nito."
...Ganito ang mangyayari sa barko. Read along...
Taong 2007 at isang ordinaryong middle class Pinoy si Noah. Nagpakita sa kanya ang Diyos at sinabing "Pagkatapos ng isang taon ay bubuhos ang ulan at babahain ang buong kapuluan ng Pilipinas. Gusto kong gumawa ka ng isang malaking
Barko at isakay mo rito ang pares-pares na mga hayop at mga mag-asawang pilipino sa iba't ibang kapuluan."
Ibinigay kay Noah ang "specs" ng arko at taos puso nitong tinanggap ang responsibilidad na sagipin ang sambayanang Pilipino sa napipintong pagbaha.
Lumipas ang taon, muling nagpakita ang Diyos kay Noah. Walang arkong nagawa si Noah at galit na galit siyang tinanong ng Diyos,
"Nasaan ang arko na ipinagawa ko sa iyo? "Tumugon si Noah,"Patawarin po ninyo ako kung di po natupad ang utos ninyo! Nagkaroon po ng malaking problema sa plano po ninyo ."
At inilahad ni Noah ang mga sagabal na nakaharap niya sa pag-gawa ng arko.
Humingi siya ng Mayor's permit pero papayag lang daw si Mayor kung ang gagawa ng arko ay ang construction firm ng kanyang pamangkin. Tumungo siya sa Congressman
pero papayag lang daw si Congressman kung may matatanggap siyang 30% commission. Nagtayo ng unyon ang mga kinuha niyang manggagawa at nag-strike.
Natunugan ng mga left-leaning groups ang kanyang balak at ang mga ito ay nag-rally dahil daw sa hindi makatarungang pagpili ng mga taong sasakay sa arko (mga taong naniniwala lang sa Diyos ang pwedeng sumakay). Nakisali sa rally ang mga bakla at tomboy dahil bias daw na normal na mag-asawa lang ang pwedeng sumakay.
Ang civil society group ay nakisali na rin sa gulo dahil napag-alaman daw nila na ang pondong gagamitin sa paggawa ng arko ay galing sa donasyon ng mga gambling lords at katas ng hueteng. Sa kaguluhang ito ay napilitang magpatawag ng hearing ang senado "in aid of legislation".
Sinubukan ni Noah na gamitin ang EO 464 para makaiwas sa hearing pero dahil hindi sya executive official, napilitan siyang tumistigo.
Nang malaman ng senado na utos ng Diyos ang pagpapagawa ng arko, dineklara nila itong unconstitutional dahil hindi raw nito iginalang ang separation ng church at state.
Nakialam na rin ang NBI at PNP at sinabi nilang meron silang impormasyon na ang barko raw na ito ay gagamitin ni Erap sa kanyang pagtakas. Sinabi naman ng ISAFP at DOJ na ito raw ay gagamitin ng grupong Magdalo sa binabalak nilang coup laban kay Arroyo. Nilapitan ni Noah si Mike Defensor para makipag-usap kay GMA. Payag daw si GMA na ituloy ang arko kung ipapaskil daw sa arko ang malaking mukha ni Arroyo
na may slogan "Towards a Strong Republic". "Hindi po ako pumayag kaya hanggang ngayon po ay may TRO ang pag-gawa ng arko.
Sa palagay ko po kailangan ko pa ng 10 taon para matapos ang inyong proyekto". Ang huling wika ni Noah. Napa-iling ang Diyos at sinabing, "Di ko na kailangang wasakin pa ang bansang ito. Hayaan ko na lang kayong sumira nito."
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Crazy quotes from UP profs
"The aim of policy making is to invoke
action! Because action speaks louder
than words! You do not just say I love
you. You say: If you love me, enter
me! "
-Dr. Alfonso Pacquing
"Class, next week na lang ung result sa
exam nyo. I am having a hard time
checking it. I will seek first the
divine guidance on what to do about it.
Class dont worry about your grade. Let
me worry about it."
-sir de jesus,envi sci 1
(valentines day)
"Ano ba yan? Students ba kayo ng UP?
Bakit ang bababa ng scores niyo?
Siguro wala kayong date ngayong
valentines kaya ganito kayo. Losers!!!
When i was your age i had a date. Hindi
ba naapektuhan ng UP FAIR
euphoria ng grades niyo? Parang di
kayo masaya..."
(sabay matching tapon ng quizzes sa
sahig)
"I won't record this. Go find a date."
(sabay walk out.)
-Sir Doliente,BA.
Ma'am: Many people believe that we,
psychology graduates can read minds...
(silence) Actually, we can.
Class: Weh.. Sample..
Ma'am: Right now, you think that I'm
bluffin
-Ma'am Chei
"I don't give surprise long exams. all
exams are announced. Halimbawa,
Class, mageexam tayo, NGAYON NA!"
-Ma'am Chei (again)
"The human body is 70% water. Kaya wala
kayong kasaysayan lahat. Pag may
kaaway ka, sabihin mo sa kanya, TUBIG KA
LANG!!!"
-Dr. Recio
"Oo, nagpapaulan ako ng uno... baket?
aanhin ko ba nun? di naman ako
yayaman dun."
-Sir Atoy, histo I
(commenting on a thesis of a senior
student)
'Yang thesis mo? .. Mamamatay ka!!
Mamamatay ka!!'
- Dr. llanes, UPM.
"Nasa bandang gilid ang fallopian tube.
Kaya kung gusto niyong magka-anak
ng asawa niyo, dapat nakatagilid kayo
habang gumagawa."
-Ma'am Meggie, Zoo 10
"Last sem was the first time that I gave
a grade of 5, and it felt good!!!"
- Prof Goldie, Comm II, circa 1998, first
day of class
"Please wait a while as I finish these people off."
- Prof. Manahan, UPCNs
action! Because action speaks louder
than words! You do not just say I love
you. You say: If you love me, enter
me! "
-Dr. Alfonso Pacquing
"Class, next week na lang ung result sa
exam nyo. I am having a hard time
checking it. I will seek first the
divine guidance on what to do about it.
Class dont worry about your grade. Let
me worry about it."
-sir de jesus,envi sci 1
(valentines day)
"Ano ba yan? Students ba kayo ng UP?
Bakit ang bababa ng scores niyo?
Siguro wala kayong date ngayong
valentines kaya ganito kayo. Losers!!!
When i was your age i had a date. Hindi
ba naapektuhan ng UP FAIR
euphoria ng grades niyo? Parang di
kayo masaya..."
(sabay matching tapon ng quizzes sa
sahig)
"I won't record this. Go find a date."
(sabay walk out.)
-Sir Doliente,BA.
Ma'am: Many people believe that we,
psychology graduates can read minds...
(silence) Actually, we can.
Class: Weh.. Sample..
Ma'am: Right now, you think that I'm
bluffin
-Ma'am Chei
"I don't give surprise long exams. all
exams are announced. Halimbawa,
Class, mageexam tayo, NGAYON NA!"
-Ma'am Chei (again)
"The human body is 70% water. Kaya wala
kayong kasaysayan lahat. Pag may
kaaway ka, sabihin mo sa kanya, TUBIG KA
LANG!!!"
-Dr. Recio
"Oo, nagpapaulan ako ng uno... baket?
aanhin ko ba nun? di naman ako
yayaman dun."
-Sir Atoy, histo I
(commenting on a thesis of a senior
student)
'Yang thesis mo? .. Mamamatay ka!!
Mamamatay ka!!'
- Dr. llanes, UPM.
"Nasa bandang gilid ang fallopian tube.
Kaya kung gusto niyong magka-anak
ng asawa niyo, dapat nakatagilid kayo
habang gumagawa."
-Ma'am Meggie, Zoo 10
"Last sem was the first time that I gave
a grade of 5, and it felt good!!!"
- Prof Goldie, Comm II, circa 1998, first
day of class
"Please wait a while as I finish these people off."
- Prof. Manahan, UPCNs
Monday, September 10, 2007
Equality is a myth, Deprivation is not
If you watch Cribs in MTV channel, you are probably used to seeing houses that are huge, stylish and usually filled with rooms ranging from music room, entertainment room, gym, even a mini bar inside, with 2 or more cars parked in the garage controlled by a very high technology. Basically, the show is about showcasing houses of celebrities, famous athletes and influential people in the US. It’s all about great house structures though the real picture, and the truth of the matter, is that there is an increasing number of poor people forced to live in slum areas and ragged houses due to the decline in their economy. One need not to be smart to realize that inequality exists not only in the American soil but also in different parts of the world.
The term relative deprivation was originally coined by Sam Stouffer and his associates in their wartime study “The American Soldier.” It is a subjective perception that one is in a disadvantaged point as compared to an individual or a group in terms of economic, political or social status. According to Walter Runciman, the four preconditions of relative deprivation are as follows: A does not have X, A knows of other persons that have X, A wants to have X, A believes obtaining X is realistic. From this, we can infer that the realization of deprivation starts by determining what you do not have. Subsequently, you see other people having the thing you wanted, which is then followed by an urge to get what you want believing that it is possible to get it. Relative deprivation then is more of a comparison of the haves and have-nots by people in a given society.
Deprivation is persistent in societies where inequality is widespread. It is a manifestation of inequality brought by various and interlinking factors. It is often perceived as discontentment by an individual or a group giving way to a feeling that a person deserves better than what he/she is getting. Hence, at some point, relative deprivation has been a rallying point of social movements.
Industrial societies are not exempted from this social phenomenon. Relative deprivation however is even more apparent in developing countries. The point is that deprivation is ubiquitous, it transcends borders. It transcends cultures. And it transcends societies fed up with the idea that equality exists. Deprivation, most often than not is anthropogenic. Humans deprive their fellows, consciously or not. One must delve deeper the roots of widespread deprivation resulting to unequal distribution of resources to be able to address it properly. There are cases where relative deprivation is culture-induced as in the case where colonial mentality is prevalent. People believe that other culture or society is more dominant and materially wealthy hence the feeling of hopelessness and deprivation.
Deprivation is not only an economic issue but a moral. There are cases when the feeling of being deprived is transmuted to committing crimes. Sometimes, it results to a feeling of depression and dejection. To cultures that promote individualism where there is a distinction between the haves and have-nots, winners or losers, it may even be demoralizing.
When I was a kid, I saw only a glimpse of social reality. There was one time when I saw beggars swarming the streets of a city, begging for mercy from passers by. The picture struck me. From then on, I started believing that equality is a myth. I failed, however, in recognizing the cause of inequality; I only assumed that is a product of natural circumstances. Laziness, perhaps? But that is not always the case.
What is alarming though is when people are getting used to dissimilarity. It scares me to think of people unaware of the spread of inequality and worse, they tend to pretend that nothing can be done about it.
It is not enough to realize that you are being deprived of your rights. One must fight to live. I used to think that if I would be a very poor individual, I might as well commit suicide. For what is life when sooner or later your life will be taken by poverty and hunger? I don’t see why people still go on begging for a peso or two from aristocrats who waste their money in casinos rather than helping charities.
But then again, I realized. The poor also value their life.
If you watch Cribs in MTV channel, you are probably used to seeing houses that are huge, stylish and usually filled with rooms ranging from music room, entertainment room, gym, even a mini bar inside, with 2 or more cars parked in the garage controlled by a very high technology. Basically, the show is about showcasing houses of celebrities, famous athletes and influential people in the US. It’s all about great house structures though the real picture, and the truth of the matter, is that there is an increasing number of poor people forced to live in slum areas and ragged houses due to the decline in their economy. One need not to be smart to realize that inequality exists not only in the American soil but also in different parts of the world.
The term relative deprivation was originally coined by Sam Stouffer and his associates in their wartime study “The American Soldier.” It is a subjective perception that one is in a disadvantaged point as compared to an individual or a group in terms of economic, political or social status. According to Walter Runciman, the four preconditions of relative deprivation are as follows: A does not have X, A knows of other persons that have X, A wants to have X, A believes obtaining X is realistic. From this, we can infer that the realization of deprivation starts by determining what you do not have. Subsequently, you see other people having the thing you wanted, which is then followed by an urge to get what you want believing that it is possible to get it. Relative deprivation then is more of a comparison of the haves and have-nots by people in a given society.
Deprivation is persistent in societies where inequality is widespread. It is a manifestation of inequality brought by various and interlinking factors. It is often perceived as discontentment by an individual or a group giving way to a feeling that a person deserves better than what he/she is getting. Hence, at some point, relative deprivation has been a rallying point of social movements.
Industrial societies are not exempted from this social phenomenon. Relative deprivation however is even more apparent in developing countries. The point is that deprivation is ubiquitous, it transcends borders. It transcends cultures. And it transcends societies fed up with the idea that equality exists. Deprivation, most often than not is anthropogenic. Humans deprive their fellows, consciously or not. One must delve deeper the roots of widespread deprivation resulting to unequal distribution of resources to be able to address it properly. There are cases where relative deprivation is culture-induced as in the case where colonial mentality is prevalent. People believe that other culture or society is more dominant and materially wealthy hence the feeling of hopelessness and deprivation.
Deprivation is not only an economic issue but a moral. There are cases when the feeling of being deprived is transmuted to committing crimes. Sometimes, it results to a feeling of depression and dejection. To cultures that promote individualism where there is a distinction between the haves and have-nots, winners or losers, it may even be demoralizing.
When I was a kid, I saw only a glimpse of social reality. There was one time when I saw beggars swarming the streets of a city, begging for mercy from passers by. The picture struck me. From then on, I started believing that equality is a myth. I failed, however, in recognizing the cause of inequality; I only assumed that is a product of natural circumstances. Laziness, perhaps? But that is not always the case.
What is alarming though is when people are getting used to dissimilarity. It scares me to think of people unaware of the spread of inequality and worse, they tend to pretend that nothing can be done about it.
It is not enough to realize that you are being deprived of your rights. One must fight to live. I used to think that if I would be a very poor individual, I might as well commit suicide. For what is life when sooner or later your life will be taken by poverty and hunger? I don’t see why people still go on begging for a peso or two from aristocrats who waste their money in casinos rather than helping charities.
But then again, I realized. The poor also value their life.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Si Inday man ay progresibo din!
"I am with you and i feel for your struggles. I am also a woman; I know how it is to live in this society deeply entrenched in such oppressive patriarchal structures. You husband's infidel acts are symptomatic of these feudal values that uphold unfair double standards. But you must resist. As what Simone de Beavouir says 'one is not born a woman but rather becomes one one.' We become women by resisting. It is in this 'becoming', in this resistance that we are transformed. I am glad you confided in me your marital concerns to me. Women maybe bound twice, but women in the struggle are women unbound."
(advice ni Inday sa among babae nung nahuli nitong nambabae ang kanyang mister)
"I am with you and i feel for your struggles. I am also a woman; I know how it is to live in this society deeply entrenched in such oppressive patriarchal structures. You husband's infidel acts are symptomatic of these feudal values that uphold unfair double standards. But you must resist. As what Simone de Beavouir says 'one is not born a woman but rather becomes one one.' We become women by resisting. It is in this 'becoming', in this resistance that we are transformed. I am glad you confided in me your marital concerns to me. Women maybe bound twice, but women in the struggle are women unbound."
(advice ni Inday sa among babae nung nahuli nitong nambabae ang kanyang mister)
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Mga makabagong linya ni Inday...para sa pag-angat ng kanyang posisyon sa paningin ng lipunan...
1. " I stay awake in the coldness of the darkened sky
contemplating why, for some reasons, has my emptiness
made itself manifests, extending to that niche where i was
given life and growth, that because of austerity i was made
seperated from...."
-INDAY habang ndi makatulog dahil na-ho-homesick . =D
2. "Heavy fire exerted by the stimulus affected the best conductor of heat which is the steel,causing the Oriza Sativa to change it's state of color,smell as well as the taste."
-sagot ni inday ng tanungin siya ng amo kung bakit nasunog ang sinaing.
3. "listening to the nonsense talk about someone's life is a pathetic way of entertainment..it doesn't contribute to the good of society..i hate character assassinators!"
-reklamo ni inday nang natsismis siya ng kapitbahay.
4. "It's not that i dont like you. Its just that i feel we're still to young to entertain thoughts of fornication in the domicile of our employers. In fact, its very immature to insuate that i dont reciprocate ur emotions just because i decline to perform an act of coitus with you."
- inday, nireject si dodong na makipagsex
5. "Love, a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable
malfunction of the heart that weakens the brain
causes the eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow,
blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker."
-inday, gumagawa ng blog entry sa multiply account niya.. pataray ng pataray si inday ha... may mutiply na si bakla
6. "Off you go! Under no circumstances this house
would relent to such unabashed display of
vagrant destitution...!!!"
-INDAY pinapaalis ang makulet na pulubi sa gate
7. "Bloody hell what the fuck did just land on my cutie top...?
I mean i've spent all day just to make myself look fabulous.
I think i have to remove this eeeewwwyyy thing
in a whip wham of time...."
-INDAY nagiinarte ng matalsikan ng mantika habang nagluluto ng TILAPIA
8. Misis: Inday! Bumili ka nga ng mga isda! Oo nga pala, inglesera ka na nga pala ngayon. Would you please purchase many fishes for our this week's meals?
Inday: Judging from your statement, I believe you meant a variety of fish. The term "fishes", although rarely and erroneously used, connotes a plethora or an array of different kinds of the aforementioned gilled creatures. But the more pressing questions before I traverse the road to the wet market would be: What type of fish? Fillet or not? Frozen or just right smack the day's catch" (Pauses) Aaaaahh. By manner of careful extrapolation, given the meager budget and this household's quasi-peasant middle class taste, I assume then I will source the staple "Ga-lewng-gong", am I correct?
Misis: Leche!
Inday: Oh, you meant the milkfish?
9." This has reference to my preceding earnings which you failed to release prior to my departure. Pls note that a demand has been made prior to my departure but due to a fortuitous event you incurred delay from the time I extra-judicially claimed for its fulfillment. Should you fail to settle your obligation, you may be held liable for interest or damages as provided for in the Civil Code of the Phils Article 1169 (makaspak vs. CA) which is a supplementary provision for the Philippine labor law, or a culpable violation of the constitutional provision for involuntary servitude."
-sulat ni inday sa amo nya hinhingi nya yung huling sweldo nya. panalo, parang gumawa ng pleading sa korte!
10. "Please.. It is indeed reprehensible for us to have a carnal knowledge. If you be adamant to unlawfully intercalate your limb into my citadel of pleasure I would be legally responsible to allege this juncture to your spouse."
-sagot ni inday nung pinipilit syang makipag-sex ng amo nya.
11. "Don't limit my capacity in the four corners of this luxurious abode. Expose me to the real challenges of the outside world. I want to grow as an individual with dynamic experiences."
-inday, nagrereklamo dahil ayaw siyang isama sa Enchanted Kingdom
12. Amo: Inday! Bakit mo binenta iyong sirang silya?!
Inday: "I computed the chair's fair value less cost to sell and the value in use using projections for 5 years at a pretax discount rate. Accordingly, the value in use is lower, so I decided to sell the chair. This is in accordance with PAS18 on revenue, PAS16 on Property, Plant and Equipment, and PAS36 on Impairment of Assets.
Amo: (dumugo ang ilong at hinimatay)
1. " I stay awake in the coldness of the darkened sky
contemplating why, for some reasons, has my emptiness
made itself manifests, extending to that niche where i was
given life and growth, that because of austerity i was made
seperated from...."
-INDAY habang ndi makatulog dahil na-ho-homesick . =D
2. "Heavy fire exerted by the stimulus affected the best conductor of heat which is the steel,causing the Oriza Sativa to change it's state of color,smell as well as the taste."
-sagot ni inday ng tanungin siya ng amo kung bakit nasunog ang sinaing.
3. "listening to the nonsense talk about someone's life is a pathetic way of entertainment..it doesn't contribute to the good of society..i hate character assassinators!"
-reklamo ni inday nang natsismis siya ng kapitbahay.
4. "It's not that i dont like you. Its just that i feel we're still to young to entertain thoughts of fornication in the domicile of our employers. In fact, its very immature to insuate that i dont reciprocate ur emotions just because i decline to perform an act of coitus with you."
- inday, nireject si dodong na makipagsex
5. "Love, a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable
malfunction of the heart that weakens the brain
causes the eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow,
blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker."
-inday, gumagawa ng blog entry sa multiply account niya.. pataray ng pataray si inday ha... may mutiply na si bakla
6. "Off you go! Under no circumstances this house
would relent to such unabashed display of
vagrant destitution...!!!"
-INDAY pinapaalis ang makulet na pulubi sa gate
7. "Bloody hell what the fuck did just land on my cutie top...?
I mean i've spent all day just to make myself look fabulous.
I think i have to remove this eeeewwwyyy thing
in a whip wham of time...."
-INDAY nagiinarte ng matalsikan ng mantika habang nagluluto ng TILAPIA
8. Misis: Inday! Bumili ka nga ng mga isda! Oo nga pala, inglesera ka na nga pala ngayon. Would you please purchase many fishes for our this week's meals?
Inday: Judging from your statement, I believe you meant a variety of fish. The term "fishes", although rarely and erroneously used, connotes a plethora or an array of different kinds of the aforementioned gilled creatures. But the more pressing questions before I traverse the road to the wet market would be: What type of fish? Fillet or not? Frozen or just right smack the day's catch" (Pauses) Aaaaahh. By manner of careful extrapolation, given the meager budget and this household's quasi-peasant middle class taste, I assume then I will source the staple "Ga-lewng-gong", am I correct?
Misis: Leche!
Inday: Oh, you meant the milkfish?
9." This has reference to my preceding earnings which you failed to release prior to my departure. Pls note that a demand has been made prior to my departure but due to a fortuitous event you incurred delay from the time I extra-judicially claimed for its fulfillment. Should you fail to settle your obligation, you may be held liable for interest or damages as provided for in the Civil Code of the Phils Article 1169 (makaspak vs. CA) which is a supplementary provision for the Philippine labor law, or a culpable violation of the constitutional provision for involuntary servitude."
-sulat ni inday sa amo nya hinhingi nya yung huling sweldo nya. panalo, parang gumawa ng pleading sa korte!
10. "Please.. It is indeed reprehensible for us to have a carnal knowledge. If you be adamant to unlawfully intercalate your limb into my citadel of pleasure I would be legally responsible to allege this juncture to your spouse."
-sagot ni inday nung pinipilit syang makipag-sex ng amo nya.
11. "Don't limit my capacity in the four corners of this luxurious abode. Expose me to the real challenges of the outside world. I want to grow as an individual with dynamic experiences."
-inday, nagrereklamo dahil ayaw siyang isama sa Enchanted Kingdom
12. Amo: Inday! Bakit mo binenta iyong sirang silya?!
Inday: "I computed the chair's fair value less cost to sell and the value in use using projections for 5 years at a pretax discount rate. Accordingly, the value in use is lower, so I decided to sell the chair. This is in accordance with PAS18 on revenue, PAS16 on Property, Plant and Equipment, and PAS36 on Impairment of Assets.
Amo: (dumugo ang ilong at hinimatay)
Thursday, August 23, 2007
BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS
1. No Breakfast
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.
2. Overeating
* It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.
3. Smoking
* It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.
4. High Sugar Consumption
* Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.
5. Air Pollution
* The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.
6. Sleep Deprivation
* Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.
7. Head covered while sleeping
* Sleeping with the head covered, increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.
8. Working your brain during illness
* Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.
9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts
* Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.
10. Talking Rarely
* Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brian ------------ --------- -------The main causes of liver damage are:
1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming raw (overly done) foods also add to the burden of liver.
9. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.
We should prevent this without necessarily spending more. We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our bodies to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to "schedule."
Because:
Evening at 9 - 11pm : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/ toxic chemicals (detoxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on health.
Evening at 11pm - 1am: is the detoxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state.
Early morning 1 - 3am: detoxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.
Early morning 3 - 5am: detoxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the detoxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.
Morning 5 - 7am: detoxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.
Morning 7 - 9am: absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30am, for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 - 10am rather than no meal at all.
Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4:00 am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood. Therefore, have a good sleep and don't sleep late.
TAKE CARE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND PASS THIS EMAIL TO WHOM YOU CARE
1. No Breakfast
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.
2. Overeating
* It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.
3. Smoking
* It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.
4. High Sugar Consumption
* Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.
5. Air Pollution
* The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.
6. Sleep Deprivation
* Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.
7. Head covered while sleeping
* Sleeping with the head covered, increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.
8. Working your brain during illness
* Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.
9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts
* Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.
10. Talking Rarely
* Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brian ------------ --------- -------The main causes of liver damage are:
1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming raw (overly done) foods also add to the burden of liver.
9. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.
We should prevent this without necessarily spending more. We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our bodies to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to "schedule."
Because:
Evening at 9 - 11pm : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/ toxic chemicals (detoxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelaxed state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on health.
Evening at 11pm - 1am: is the detoxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state.
Early morning 1 - 3am: detoxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.
Early morning 3 - 5am: detoxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the detoxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.
Morning 5 - 7am: detoxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.
Morning 7 - 9am: absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30am, for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 - 10am rather than no meal at all.
Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4:00 am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood. Therefore, have a good sleep and don't sleep late.
TAKE CARE ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AND PASS THIS EMAIL TO WHOM YOU CARE
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
From MIKE BELTRAN
Incoherence by pseudo-intellectualism
A reply to one Prinechar and his blog entry “Mga walang batayang RTR at ang mga anti-student tibak”---revised edition hehe(harsh stuff omitted haha)
By Algely Comia of GABRIELA and my cohorts (ME) hehe
“When ignorance reigns life is lost”-Zach Dela Rocha
For the sake of the reader let us first show what “Mr. Charles” has against the student activism of UP manila. He mentions the lack of analytic ability fused into propaganda, the RTR he experienced during his ECON101 class with GABRIELA with his claims that their interpretation of the Human Security Act was incorrect, how the AS tambayan issue was meant to be beneficial in general for the college, he goes so far as to even cite the mistakes in grammar committed by the tibaks, how they also abuse the facilities in spite of campaigning against the ToFI, the illogical tag placed on individuals who do not unite in campaigns, and lastly he concludes with implying that we should not stick with the existing banter on issues and think for ourselves. Mr. Charles is certainly one who writes with good composition and structure in his arguments but fundamentally they are incoherent and based solely on his selfish vision of what education is and should be-passive. If I were even allied with him AND HIS COHORTS I would be able to come up with better arguments that put actual relevance into his stand. He writes with confidence yet his words do not pose any actual grip on the subject matter; it only seeks to focus on details that bother his already subjective mind rather than to actually demerit us. Mr. Charles views education as primarily an asset of the middle and ruling class, as well as something to be accepted by standard of academe. His repetitive stands on going to class as quintessential to the definition of learning and intellectual capacity, his blind acceptance of a grade-based intellectual hierarchy, and his insecurity to social reality and consequent cling to reactionary ideas causes him to delude himself into thinking he is coherent. In short it is laughable to even present these thoughts as something to be reckoned and put into consideration. We shall discuss why.
First his assertion that the tibaks do not emit enough analytic effort into their propaganda, given as his example is when a Gabriela member gave an example as to what terrorism could be in the HSA. The member of Gabriela illustrated that shouting “sunog!” in the theaters could constitute terrorism. Charles counters with presenting that nowhere in the HSA does it mention anything remotely like that. This is where he fails to make a BASIC political connection. Under the law, terrorism is defined as “thereby sowing and creating a condition of widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace, in order to coerce the government to give in to an unlawful demand shall be guilty of the crime of terrorism.” Thus implying with this extremely vague definition that yelling “SUNOG!” as an act creating panic among the populace could in fact be terrorism. The example was a play on the ridiculousness of the definition of a terrorist as basically a scary person asking for an unlawful demand or anything that is contrary to what existing provisions state terror has put into action (CPR, EO 464 etc). Given the ridiculousness of the government’s implementation of its laws, even “sunog” (even without the unlawful demand part) could be deemed as terrorism; since the implication of the law seeks to make terrorism as common a term as AIDS (widespread yet not many actually understand the effects and the protections it can bypass), to be used without the right context thereby justifying their abuse of power. Besides that, it was also a good icebreaker during the RTR; yet Mr. Charles devotes thought to focus on that point specifically, why? Probably because everything else in the RTR was too good to be countered, as he does not even understand the context that the remark was put in. Incoherence diba?
Regarding the tambayan issue, in the reply of Warrianne Torrente she clearly illustrated the main points to be considered in the issue, thus concluding that it is in no respect beneficial to the CAS. There may be many sides to the coin but it will invariably come down to the fact that every recognized organization needs to have a tambayan. The lines drawn between U-based and AS-based are not even that important when we think about it; they are all orgs with legitimacy to be achieved; whether it be a better tambayan (AS-based) or an actual one (U-based). We can relate the issue to many urban-poor communities facing demolition without substantial relocation precautions. Taking away their homes and not giving them any just because some government agency like TUCP or some business tycoon bought the land for his commercial endeavors. Get out and the hell where you end up was what the initial talks with the admin entailed; that is why the right to organization is what pushes the issue and unity. It’s not that we don’t want the college to be clean and spacious; it’s that that should not be at the cost of some of the most influential orgs in the university. C’mon, Frats, Soro’s and tibaks do generate more public opinion and relation to students than simple acad orgs. But yet again Mr. Charles takes this as an attack on student rights of others simply because we assert our own. He again misinterprets the situation as he himself does not even bother to show up at the all orgs meet. His insecurity shows his desire for monopoly of academics in student’s lives and disregard student participation in other relevant activities. I sense the fear in his confidence. His annoying slander seeks to console himself in his loss, pointing the finger at every little thing that pisses off his world of study first while social and historical can take a back seat. He parades through the grounds as if his self-righteous opinions of elitism and bragging are vital to the university. But in spite of this he calls activism primitive and essentially anti student, given that his definition of students are ones that get good grades and don’t complain when they are being kicked in the nuts; well because “the more educated person” said so. Those aren’t students. Those are drones if you ask me. Passive submissive, and defined by someone else’s rules, as if UP students haven’t proven throughout history that we are a fighting force who can put our fists on the table and make our own demands. He shames the memory of such UP greats: Laurie Barros, Monico Atienza, Lean Alejandro, Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan. I assume Mr. Charles has high grades but I can GUARANTEE that he is nowhere near rational. With all our primitive traits, we could just as easily kick your ass, but no, that would be too easy instead this will suffice. As I’m sure he prides himself on being one of the UP intelligentsia, but I can hardly see him actually wearing those shoes with lapses in analysis such as these. Hanggang aral ka lang minsan ata eh.
Now that we have dismissed he more prominent statements in his blog entry, let us move to the more “low-blow” remarks towards Gabriela and our cohorts. Again he seems to disdain it when classes are sacrificed for the sake of the organization. This begs the long enduring saying that “not every important thing is learned in the four corners of a classroom.” But again the apparent obsession with academic performance as the most important basis of credibility becomes the contention of his anger towards tibak activities. He thinks that what we do defeats the purpose of our struggle, but actually we already hold that this education, state provided it may be is not for the people. We are not wasting taxpayer’s money when we struggle to empower those taxpayers, and if it requires not getting uno’s in every class then so be it. We do not yield to academics, it yields to our struggle. This mis-education of the Filipino people has already done much to impose the colonial mentality and suppression many our thoughts abide by, and its not their fault this is the existing environment presented to them by the system. That is why activism provides the alternative and goes against the flow; contrary to your belief that we are the purveyors of popular culture and thought. We effect alternative insight and empowerment to the student body. You my friend may not be part of the reactionary state but are already embracing their anti-progressive line of thought, with the obvious stand to be a drone for the mass mind rape. With this type of mentality it is obvious why he values his middle class heritage, completely disregarding what is beneficial for the Filipino people, as in previous entries he equates nationalizing education as solely for middle to ruling class only. Nationalization without the largest percentage of people (workers and peasants) seems a little off-base. See what I mean by incoherent? Freedom means development and this will not come fundamentally from the classroom. Our sacrifice is for future generations and not just trying to get by fast enough for a degree and a lousy government job. It becomes increasingly evident that Mr. Charles does not understand what individual and social development means, not complaining or submitting to authority, but to legitimize democracy in concrete social sectors (students, women workers etc). Democracy doesn’t come from reading about it but by a succession of human assertions. And if you believe that there is democratic space in the country well then pasensyahan nalang. Your rhetoric is eloquent bet unfortunately they have no place in the essence of enhancement of concepts and empirical truths.
Supposedly we have tagged many students as anti-student, apathetic, etc. Neutrality only exists for those who refuse to be part of the solution right? Not everyone is like that, I agree not everyone prefers to spend their time with effecting change. But the likes of you and your cohorts, these are the forces of moderation and irrelevance to the necessities of the times, and thus reactionary or impediments to change. Hence, their definitions of change are nothing more than the thought play of elitism. Has this reply already proven that we are not a bunch of emotionally driven town criers? Mind you, you do not know who you are dealing with.
Let us give particular mention to Mr. Charles resentment towards Rainier Palogan, pointing out that he has not completed the subject PS 160. Utterly laughable as this is the best he can come up with. True credentials are important in entrusting leadership but this does not become the source of knowledge and skill. These thoughts only naturally came to him since he, as we have already discussed is one that equates competence with academic standing, thus making him the apparent higher ups on almost any subject. Yes we make mistakes, forums or for a, condone and condemn, we are only Filipinos naman diba? The basis of judgments comes from standards that Mr. Charles himself has not even met entirely. Graduate ka na ba? Are these the requirements for good leadership? Or is to rely solely or chiefly on them as selective basis a bureaucratization of what right and wrong are? It is right that we should complain about the crap that has been happening, mind you there is no peace in silence. Do not get me wrong, I am not suggesting that anybody can lead, I am saying that academics are the defining point of leadership. Compare Arroyo (educated) and Estrada (well errr…ahem hehe) both lousy and anti people. It is truly ironic that Mr. Charles standardizes many little things based on academics yet his intelligence hardly shows any actual merit, given the level of aptitude of his arguments. Such as the charging of cellphones in the old NEDA building, natural ano ba masama dun? Parang napakalaking kawalan ang makicharge? It is wrong to think that we are the only students who do this.
I have said too much already and I apologize. Durugan lamang ng linya ito. Therefore to conclude, we can say that Mr. Charles blog entry is one that has sparked much reply from various students. Essentially the entry is one of one-sided and unintelligible mud slinging. It goes without saying that the opinions and convictions of Mr. Charles and his little clique are in no way relevant to the pressing matters the student sector faces today. Evident of course in the current widespread anti-TOFI sympathy (ahem), this means that the true progress of development has not come from an ECON101 class and foolish angst-ridden propaganda. What I have done is simply to expose him in that light, he has neither merit nor coherence in his criticisms. And as Mr. Charles seems to appeal to promoting intelligent thought and discussion, he appears to have not much of it while advancing his own personal interests. The basis of all this wasn’t learned in a classroom, just so you know.
“Violence frees the native from his insecurity complex and from his despair and inaction: it makes him fearless and restores his self-respect”- Franz Fanon
Incoherence by pseudo-intellectualism
A reply to one Prinechar and his blog entry “Mga walang batayang RTR at ang mga anti-student tibak”---revised edition hehe(harsh stuff omitted haha)
By Algely Comia of GABRIELA and my cohorts (ME) hehe
“When ignorance reigns life is lost”-Zach Dela Rocha
For the sake of the reader let us first show what “Mr. Charles” has against the student activism of UP manila. He mentions the lack of analytic ability fused into propaganda, the RTR he experienced during his ECON101 class with GABRIELA with his claims that their interpretation of the Human Security Act was incorrect, how the AS tambayan issue was meant to be beneficial in general for the college, he goes so far as to even cite the mistakes in grammar committed by the tibaks, how they also abuse the facilities in spite of campaigning against the ToFI, the illogical tag placed on individuals who do not unite in campaigns, and lastly he concludes with implying that we should not stick with the existing banter on issues and think for ourselves. Mr. Charles is certainly one who writes with good composition and structure in his arguments but fundamentally they are incoherent and based solely on his selfish vision of what education is and should be-passive. If I were even allied with him AND HIS COHORTS I would be able to come up with better arguments that put actual relevance into his stand. He writes with confidence yet his words do not pose any actual grip on the subject matter; it only seeks to focus on details that bother his already subjective mind rather than to actually demerit us. Mr. Charles views education as primarily an asset of the middle and ruling class, as well as something to be accepted by standard of academe. His repetitive stands on going to class as quintessential to the definition of learning and intellectual capacity, his blind acceptance of a grade-based intellectual hierarchy, and his insecurity to social reality and consequent cling to reactionary ideas causes him to delude himself into thinking he is coherent. In short it is laughable to even present these thoughts as something to be reckoned and put into consideration. We shall discuss why.
First his assertion that the tibaks do not emit enough analytic effort into their propaganda, given as his example is when a Gabriela member gave an example as to what terrorism could be in the HSA. The member of Gabriela illustrated that shouting “sunog!” in the theaters could constitute terrorism. Charles counters with presenting that nowhere in the HSA does it mention anything remotely like that. This is where he fails to make a BASIC political connection. Under the law, terrorism is defined as “thereby sowing and creating a condition of widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace, in order to coerce the government to give in to an unlawful demand shall be guilty of the crime of terrorism.” Thus implying with this extremely vague definition that yelling “SUNOG!” as an act creating panic among the populace could in fact be terrorism. The example was a play on the ridiculousness of the definition of a terrorist as basically a scary person asking for an unlawful demand or anything that is contrary to what existing provisions state terror has put into action (CPR, EO 464 etc). Given the ridiculousness of the government’s implementation of its laws, even “sunog” (even without the unlawful demand part) could be deemed as terrorism; since the implication of the law seeks to make terrorism as common a term as AIDS (widespread yet not many actually understand the effects and the protections it can bypass), to be used without the right context thereby justifying their abuse of power. Besides that, it was also a good icebreaker during the RTR; yet Mr. Charles devotes thought to focus on that point specifically, why? Probably because everything else in the RTR was too good to be countered, as he does not even understand the context that the remark was put in. Incoherence diba?
Regarding the tambayan issue, in the reply of Warrianne Torrente she clearly illustrated the main points to be considered in the issue, thus concluding that it is in no respect beneficial to the CAS. There may be many sides to the coin but it will invariably come down to the fact that every recognized organization needs to have a tambayan. The lines drawn between U-based and AS-based are not even that important when we think about it; they are all orgs with legitimacy to be achieved; whether it be a better tambayan (AS-based) or an actual one (U-based). We can relate the issue to many urban-poor communities facing demolition without substantial relocation precautions. Taking away their homes and not giving them any just because some government agency like TUCP or some business tycoon bought the land for his commercial endeavors. Get out and the hell where you end up was what the initial talks with the admin entailed; that is why the right to organization is what pushes the issue and unity. It’s not that we don’t want the college to be clean and spacious; it’s that that should not be at the cost of some of the most influential orgs in the university. C’mon, Frats, Soro’s and tibaks do generate more public opinion and relation to students than simple acad orgs. But yet again Mr. Charles takes this as an attack on student rights of others simply because we assert our own. He again misinterprets the situation as he himself does not even bother to show up at the all orgs meet. His insecurity shows his desire for monopoly of academics in student’s lives and disregard student participation in other relevant activities. I sense the fear in his confidence. His annoying slander seeks to console himself in his loss, pointing the finger at every little thing that pisses off his world of study first while social and historical can take a back seat. He parades through the grounds as if his self-righteous opinions of elitism and bragging are vital to the university. But in spite of this he calls activism primitive and essentially anti student, given that his definition of students are ones that get good grades and don’t complain when they are being kicked in the nuts; well because “the more educated person” said so. Those aren’t students. Those are drones if you ask me. Passive submissive, and defined by someone else’s rules, as if UP students haven’t proven throughout history that we are a fighting force who can put our fists on the table and make our own demands. He shames the memory of such UP greats: Laurie Barros, Monico Atienza, Lean Alejandro, Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan. I assume Mr. Charles has high grades but I can GUARANTEE that he is nowhere near rational. With all our primitive traits, we could just as easily kick your ass, but no, that would be too easy instead this will suffice. As I’m sure he prides himself on being one of the UP intelligentsia, but I can hardly see him actually wearing those shoes with lapses in analysis such as these. Hanggang aral ka lang minsan ata eh.
Now that we have dismissed he more prominent statements in his blog entry, let us move to the more “low-blow” remarks towards Gabriela and our cohorts. Again he seems to disdain it when classes are sacrificed for the sake of the organization. This begs the long enduring saying that “not every important thing is learned in the four corners of a classroom.” But again the apparent obsession with academic performance as the most important basis of credibility becomes the contention of his anger towards tibak activities. He thinks that what we do defeats the purpose of our struggle, but actually we already hold that this education, state provided it may be is not for the people. We are not wasting taxpayer’s money when we struggle to empower those taxpayers, and if it requires not getting uno’s in every class then so be it. We do not yield to academics, it yields to our struggle. This mis-education of the Filipino people has already done much to impose the colonial mentality and suppression many our thoughts abide by, and its not their fault this is the existing environment presented to them by the system. That is why activism provides the alternative and goes against the flow; contrary to your belief that we are the purveyors of popular culture and thought. We effect alternative insight and empowerment to the student body. You my friend may not be part of the reactionary state but are already embracing their anti-progressive line of thought, with the obvious stand to be a drone for the mass mind rape. With this type of mentality it is obvious why he values his middle class heritage, completely disregarding what is beneficial for the Filipino people, as in previous entries he equates nationalizing education as solely for middle to ruling class only. Nationalization without the largest percentage of people (workers and peasants) seems a little off-base. See what I mean by incoherent? Freedom means development and this will not come fundamentally from the classroom. Our sacrifice is for future generations and not just trying to get by fast enough for a degree and a lousy government job. It becomes increasingly evident that Mr. Charles does not understand what individual and social development means, not complaining or submitting to authority, but to legitimize democracy in concrete social sectors (students, women workers etc). Democracy doesn’t come from reading about it but by a succession of human assertions. And if you believe that there is democratic space in the country well then pasensyahan nalang. Your rhetoric is eloquent bet unfortunately they have no place in the essence of enhancement of concepts and empirical truths.
Supposedly we have tagged many students as anti-student, apathetic, etc. Neutrality only exists for those who refuse to be part of the solution right? Not everyone is like that, I agree not everyone prefers to spend their time with effecting change. But the likes of you and your cohorts, these are the forces of moderation and irrelevance to the necessities of the times, and thus reactionary or impediments to change. Hence, their definitions of change are nothing more than the thought play of elitism. Has this reply already proven that we are not a bunch of emotionally driven town criers? Mind you, you do not know who you are dealing with.
Let us give particular mention to Mr. Charles resentment towards Rainier Palogan, pointing out that he has not completed the subject PS 160. Utterly laughable as this is the best he can come up with. True credentials are important in entrusting leadership but this does not become the source of knowledge and skill. These thoughts only naturally came to him since he, as we have already discussed is one that equates competence with academic standing, thus making him the apparent higher ups on almost any subject. Yes we make mistakes, forums or for a, condone and condemn, we are only Filipinos naman diba? The basis of judgments comes from standards that Mr. Charles himself has not even met entirely. Graduate ka na ba? Are these the requirements for good leadership? Or is to rely solely or chiefly on them as selective basis a bureaucratization of what right and wrong are? It is right that we should complain about the crap that has been happening, mind you there is no peace in silence. Do not get me wrong, I am not suggesting that anybody can lead, I am saying that academics are the defining point of leadership. Compare Arroyo (educated) and Estrada (well errr…ahem hehe) both lousy and anti people. It is truly ironic that Mr. Charles standardizes many little things based on academics yet his intelligence hardly shows any actual merit, given the level of aptitude of his arguments. Such as the charging of cellphones in the old NEDA building, natural ano ba masama dun? Parang napakalaking kawalan ang makicharge? It is wrong to think that we are the only students who do this.
I have said too much already and I apologize. Durugan lamang ng linya ito. Therefore to conclude, we can say that Mr. Charles blog entry is one that has sparked much reply from various students. Essentially the entry is one of one-sided and unintelligible mud slinging. It goes without saying that the opinions and convictions of Mr. Charles and his little clique are in no way relevant to the pressing matters the student sector faces today. Evident of course in the current widespread anti-TOFI sympathy (ahem), this means that the true progress of development has not come from an ECON101 class and foolish angst-ridden propaganda. What I have done is simply to expose him in that light, he has neither merit nor coherence in his criticisms. And as Mr. Charles seems to appeal to promoting intelligent thought and discussion, he appears to have not much of it while advancing his own personal interests. The basis of all this wasn’t learned in a classroom, just so you know.
“Violence frees the native from his insecurity complex and from his despair and inaction: it makes him fearless and restores his self-respect”- Franz Fanon
Monday, August 6, 2007
Invitation
Invitation to the Forum
The BS 198: Special topics class is sponsoring a forum entitled Cancer: Graft and Corruption in the Philippines on August 8, 2007 at 10am-12noon at the Little Theater. The guest speaker is Hon. Guillermo Carague, Chairman, Commission on Audit.
Please do attend the forum if you have time.
The BS 198: Special topics class is sponsoring a forum entitled Cancer: Graft and Corruption in the Philippines on August 8, 2007 at 10am-12noon at the Little Theater. The guest speaker is Hon. Guillermo Carague, Chairman, Commission on Audit.
Please do attend the forum if you have time.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
A must read
YOUNGBLOOD
On the same street
By Janice Cambri San Jose
Inquirer
Last updated 03:56am (Mla time) 07/26/2007
A police officer for a father and a militant activist for a daughter -- "What a great irony!" people would often remark about us. Most people probably think the only thing we have in common is our DNA make-up. However, we have an unusual bond that is far stronger than any blood relationship: our principles.
Daddy has always been simple, silent and serious. He has the looks and bearing of a military officer: clean haircut, snappy posture, no vices, and cordial conduct. He is a bit antisocial, but remains civil with everyone, including those he despises. He prefers to read the newspapers or watch the news while sipping his coffee to chatting with the neighbors. He has never been inordinately conscious about being an officer of the law and never has he bragged about his position.
His idea of fun is limited to family celebrations and playtime for him is almost non-existent. When we were young, our mantra was "study, study and study." On school days, the TV set would be locked in the closet and we only got to watch it from Friday night to Saturday night. He insisted that we take our studies seriously.
Most of his expectations were impossible. But I never took it against him. After all, we did not have to plow the field and we never had to swim rivers or walk barefoot for several kilometers to go to school, with only a banana or camote for snacks. Which was what he did in his youth.
Who can blame Daddy? He was a poor farmer's son who had to work his way through college, taking janitorial jobs. He graduated cum laude from law school and became an officer in the Philippine National Police. And he would never let us forget about it, saying: "Ako, anak lang ng magsasaka, nakatapos ako. Kayo, anak kayo ng opisyal, dapat mas malayo marating 'nyo." ["I was a farmer's son, and yet I was able to finish college. You are children of a police officer, so you should be even more successful." ]
Despite his meager salary, he enrolled us in a small-town private school. He called it a very good investment. "It doesn't matter if we would be reduced to licking salt, as long as you have a good education," he told us. "That is the only thing I can leave you, so you better study hard."
I bled from his cruel words whenever I fell short of his expectations, but I always knew he had the best intentions so I did my best to excel in my academics.
Another treasure that Daddy passed on to us, which is much more priceless than our education, is integrity. At a time the credibility of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police has been tarnished by so many cases of ill-gotten wealth, graft and corruption, organized crime, human rights violations, and electoral fraud, Daddy was one of the few good men who withstood the temptations of greed and power. While many generals have their mansions, we continue to live in our small bungalow. While many of his colleagues drove SUVs and kept several cars in the garage, Dad who spent 32 years in the service, used only a worn-out, assembled jeep of the kind that you see in old Filipino movies. It was only after his retirement, when he got his benefits, that he was able to buy his first brand-new vehicle.
During hard times, we were fed like we were in a military barracks, with food being measured and distributed equally among us. There were times when my brothers and I had to settle for soy sauce and calamansi with rice because we were still hungry. I learned to drink six cups of coffee a day to pacify my grumbling tummy. Most of our books and uniforms were hand-me-downs. In college, I would sometimes eat fish ball, or banana cue, or "taho" for lunch because my food allowance went into photocopying our lessons.
I often wondered why we were so impoverished while some of the kids I knew and whose fathers were lower-ranked police officers enjoyed affluent lifestyles. Dad never took home anything grand -- just packs of "bukayo" and small jars of "belekoy." They were "pasalubong" [arrival tokens] from his subordinates returning from vacation in the provinces. My Dad said he did not want to feed us with dirty money. We may be poor but we would keep our dignity intact. He was afraid of karma.
At 19, I came to understand what he had been saying when I joined the militant group Anakbayan. Although we had somewhat conflicting ideologies, he never stopped me from pursuing my crusade of serving the people in a framework different from his. Up to now, he does not have anything against the movement. He recognizes the truths in our advocacies. He, himself, has experienced injustice and witnessed irregularities in the armed services and the government.
We would often discuss politics, and dispassionate debates became a normal happening at home. But our ideas clashed, and during rallies, we became foes.
I remember one strike at Manila Hotel in 2000, where I joined the picket line of the oppressed workers together with other activists. He stayed behind the police unit where he acted as one of the ground commanders, while I linked arms with the protesters. He never told anyone I was among the militants, not even the cops who would soon use their truncheons to disperse us. I never pointed to him as my dad either. It was a silent pact between us. We would exchange brief looks, then go on with what we had to do.
After every mobilization, he would be relieved to see me unharmed. It must have been terribly painful for a parent like him to anxiously wait for his child to be home safe and in one piece, while knowing what his colleagues were capable of doing to militants like me.
But despite all of this, he never asked me to abandon the movement. Unlike other fathers who would ground, threaten, lock up, or beat up their activist kids to stop them from pursuing their cause, Dad just let me be. And I will always be grateful to him for that.
Dad is retired now, while I remain an activist. He has his own legacy, and I am proud of him. We both love our country and this principle has been the bond that binds us, transcending age, social roles and family trees.
Daddy and I stood on opposite sides of the street, and we looked like foes in the eyes of many. However, we are on the same street. The real adversary is on another.
Janice Cambri San Jose, 27, is completing her MA thesis at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.
On the same street
By Janice Cambri San Jose
Inquirer
Last updated 03:56am (Mla time) 07/26/2007
A police officer for a father and a militant activist for a daughter -- "What a great irony!" people would often remark about us. Most people probably think the only thing we have in common is our DNA make-up. However, we have an unusual bond that is far stronger than any blood relationship: our principles.
Daddy has always been simple, silent and serious. He has the looks and bearing of a military officer: clean haircut, snappy posture, no vices, and cordial conduct. He is a bit antisocial, but remains civil with everyone, including those he despises. He prefers to read the newspapers or watch the news while sipping his coffee to chatting with the neighbors. He has never been inordinately conscious about being an officer of the law and never has he bragged about his position.
His idea of fun is limited to family celebrations and playtime for him is almost non-existent. When we were young, our mantra was "study, study and study." On school days, the TV set would be locked in the closet and we only got to watch it from Friday night to Saturday night. He insisted that we take our studies seriously.
Most of his expectations were impossible. But I never took it against him. After all, we did not have to plow the field and we never had to swim rivers or walk barefoot for several kilometers to go to school, with only a banana or camote for snacks. Which was what he did in his youth.
Who can blame Daddy? He was a poor farmer's son who had to work his way through college, taking janitorial jobs. He graduated cum laude from law school and became an officer in the Philippine National Police. And he would never let us forget about it, saying: "Ako, anak lang ng magsasaka, nakatapos ako. Kayo, anak kayo ng opisyal, dapat mas malayo marating 'nyo." ["I was a farmer's son, and yet I was able to finish college. You are children of a police officer, so you should be even more successful." ]
Despite his meager salary, he enrolled us in a small-town private school. He called it a very good investment. "It doesn't matter if we would be reduced to licking salt, as long as you have a good education," he told us. "That is the only thing I can leave you, so you better study hard."
I bled from his cruel words whenever I fell short of his expectations, but I always knew he had the best intentions so I did my best to excel in my academics.
Another treasure that Daddy passed on to us, which is much more priceless than our education, is integrity. At a time the credibility of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police has been tarnished by so many cases of ill-gotten wealth, graft and corruption, organized crime, human rights violations, and electoral fraud, Daddy was one of the few good men who withstood the temptations of greed and power. While many generals have their mansions, we continue to live in our small bungalow. While many of his colleagues drove SUVs and kept several cars in the garage, Dad who spent 32 years in the service, used only a worn-out, assembled jeep of the kind that you see in old Filipino movies. It was only after his retirement, when he got his benefits, that he was able to buy his first brand-new vehicle.
During hard times, we were fed like we were in a military barracks, with food being measured and distributed equally among us. There were times when my brothers and I had to settle for soy sauce and calamansi with rice because we were still hungry. I learned to drink six cups of coffee a day to pacify my grumbling tummy. Most of our books and uniforms were hand-me-downs. In college, I would sometimes eat fish ball, or banana cue, or "taho" for lunch because my food allowance went into photocopying our lessons.
I often wondered why we were so impoverished while some of the kids I knew and whose fathers were lower-ranked police officers enjoyed affluent lifestyles. Dad never took home anything grand -- just packs of "bukayo" and small jars of "belekoy." They were "pasalubong" [arrival tokens] from his subordinates returning from vacation in the provinces. My Dad said he did not want to feed us with dirty money. We may be poor but we would keep our dignity intact. He was afraid of karma.
At 19, I came to understand what he had been saying when I joined the militant group Anakbayan. Although we had somewhat conflicting ideologies, he never stopped me from pursuing my crusade of serving the people in a framework different from his. Up to now, he does not have anything against the movement. He recognizes the truths in our advocacies. He, himself, has experienced injustice and witnessed irregularities in the armed services and the government.
We would often discuss politics, and dispassionate debates became a normal happening at home. But our ideas clashed, and during rallies, we became foes.
I remember one strike at Manila Hotel in 2000, where I joined the picket line of the oppressed workers together with other activists. He stayed behind the police unit where he acted as one of the ground commanders, while I linked arms with the protesters. He never told anyone I was among the militants, not even the cops who would soon use their truncheons to disperse us. I never pointed to him as my dad either. It was a silent pact between us. We would exchange brief looks, then go on with what we had to do.
After every mobilization, he would be relieved to see me unharmed. It must have been terribly painful for a parent like him to anxiously wait for his child to be home safe and in one piece, while knowing what his colleagues were capable of doing to militants like me.
But despite all of this, he never asked me to abandon the movement. Unlike other fathers who would ground, threaten, lock up, or beat up their activist kids to stop them from pursuing their cause, Dad just let me be. And I will always be grateful to him for that.
Dad is retired now, while I remain an activist. He has his own legacy, and I am proud of him. We both love our country and this principle has been the bond that binds us, transcending age, social roles and family trees.
Daddy and I stood on opposite sides of the street, and we looked like foes in the eyes of many. However, we are on the same street. The real adversary is on another.
Janice Cambri San Jose, 27, is completing her MA thesis at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
"Breaking away from the past is one of the hardest things to do much more when you have been deeply attached to it. Is it always like that,I wonder. Why do we always have to complicate things when in fact they could be simplify?"
(Drama mode. The weather brings a melancholic atmosphere hence the mood..hehe)
(Drama mode. The weather brings a melancholic atmosphere hence the mood..hehe)
Philippines is where…
1. Starbucks is more expensive than gas;
2. Every street has basketball court but every town has just one school;
3. Doctors go back to school to be nurses abroad;
4. Rodents are normal house pets;
5. Soap opera is reality, news provide the dramas of life; and
6. Actors make the laws and politicians provide the entertainment.
1. Starbucks is more expensive than gas;
2. Every street has basketball court but every town has just one school;
3. Doctors go back to school to be nurses abroad;
4. Rodents are normal house pets;
5. Soap opera is reality, news provide the dramas of life; and
6. Actors make the laws and politicians provide the entertainment.
GMA flying with her family in a plane.
GMA: What if I throw a check for a million pesos out the window to make at least one Filipino happy?
Mike: But my dear, why don’t you throw 2 checks for half a million each, and thus make two Filipinos happy?
Luli: Why not throw 4 checks for a quarter of a million each, and make 4 Filipinos happy?
And on it went until finally,, her grandchild blurts out:
“But grandma, why not simply throw yourself out of the window and make all Filipinos happy?”
GMA: What if I throw a check for a million pesos out the window to make at least one Filipino happy?
Mike: But my dear, why don’t you throw 2 checks for half a million each, and thus make two Filipinos happy?
Luli: Why not throw 4 checks for a quarter of a million each, and make 4 Filipinos happy?
And on it went until finally,, her grandchild blurts out:
“But grandma, why not simply throw yourself out of the window and make all Filipinos happy?”
Thursday, July 26, 2007
The Forbes Asia 40 Richest Filipinos:
1. Henry Sy - $4.0 billion- He owns SM
group with 27 shopping malls in the
Philippines and several others in China
. He also owns Banco de Oro Universal
Bank and has substantial shares in China
Banking Corp. and Equitable PCI Bank. He
also owns Highlands Prime Holdings, a
high-end property developer.
2. Lucio Tan - $2.3 billion - He owns
Philippine Airlines, the country's flag
carrier. His business interests include
tobacco (Fortune Tobacco Corp.), beer
and liquor (Asia Brewery Inc. and
Tanduay Holdings Inc.), and banking
(Philippine National Bank and Allied
Banking Corp).
3. Jaime Zobel de Ayala - $2.0 billion-
He is the patriarch of Ayala Corp., the
Philippines' oldest conglomerate, whose
business interests include real estate
and hotels (Ayala Land Inc.), financial
services (Bank of the Philippine
Islands), telecommunications (Globe
Telecom Inc.), water infrastructure
(Manila Water Co. Inc.), electronics and
information technology (Integrated
Microelectronics Inc. and Azalea
Technology Investments Inc.) and
automotive (Honda Cars Makati Inc. and
Isuzu Automotive Dealership Inc.).
4. Eduardo Cojuangco - $840 million - He
is the chairman of San Miguel
Corporation, the largest food and
Beverage Corporation in the Philippines .
5. George Ty - $830 million- He founded
Metropolitan Bank and Trust, currently
the largest bank in terms of Assets and
Capital in the Philippines . He also has
stakes in the Bank of the Philippine
Islands and Philippine Savings Bank, a
Metro bank subsidiary.
6. John Gokongwei - $700 million- He is
the chairman of JG Summit holdings,
whose subsidiaries include Cebu Pacific
Air, Digital Telecommunications
Philippines Inc., First Private Power
Corp., JG Summit Petrochemical Corp.,
Litton Mills Inc., Robinsons Land Corp.,
Robinsons Savings Bank, Sun Cellular,
United Industrial Corp. and URC .
7. Tony Tan Caktiong - $575 million - He
is the founder and current Chairman and
CEO of Philippine fast food chain
Jollibee , ChowKing, and Delifrance
8. Andrew Tan - $480 million - He is the
Mega world president .
9. Emilio Yap - $350 million - He is the
owner of Manila Hotel, newspaper owner,
Manila Bulletin, a national newspaper .
10. Oscar Lopez - $315 million - - He is
the chairman and CEO of Benpres Holdings
Corp., the holding company of the Lopez
group. - Meralco, ABS - CBN , Maynilad Water
11. Enrique Razon Jr. - $285 million- He
is the chairman and chief executive
officer, International Container
Terminal Services Inc; publishing magnate .
12. Andrew Gotianun - $280 million - He
is the chairman and CEO of East west Bank .
13. Enrique Aboitiz - $275 million - He
is the WG&A president and chief
executive officer.
14. Alfonso Yuchengco - $225 million -
He is the chairman of Yuchengco Group of
Companies.
o Great Pacific Life Assurance
Corporation (GREPALIFE)
o Lifetime Plans, Inc.
o Bankard, Inc.
o Pan Malayan Management and Investment
Corporation
o Pan Malayan Travel and Tours
o Pan Pacific Computer Center, Inc.
o YGC Corporate Services, Inc.
o Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation
(RCBC)
o RCBC Savings Bank
o House of Investments
o Malayan Insurance Company, Inc.
o The First Nationwide Assurance Corporation
o Malayan Reinsurance Corporation
o Malayan Zurich Insurance Company, Inc.
o Tokio Marine Malayan Insurance Co. Inc.
o EEI Corporation
o Nippon Life Philippines
o AY Foundation
o Honda Cars Quezon City
o Honda Cars Manila
o Mapua Institute of Technology
o Manila Memorial Park
o First Malayan Leasing and Finance Corp.
15. Menardo Jimenez - $210 million - He
is the head for wireless consumer
division of Smart Communications.
15. Gilberto Duavit Jr. - $210 million -
He is the Executive Vice President and
COO of GMA 7.
17. Ramon Del Rosario - $205 million -
He is the president of Philippine
Investment Management (PHINMA), Inc.
18. Felipe Gozon - $180 million - He is
the president of GMA-7.
19. Beatrice Campos - $160 million - She
is the widow of United Laboratories
founder Jose Campos.
20. Luis J. L. Virata - $150 million- He
is the UEM-MARA Philippines Corporation
president .
21. David M. Consunji - $145 million- He
is the founder of DM Consunji Construction.
22. Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. $140 million
- He is the chairman of Rustan's
Commercial Corporation.
23. Betty Ang - $115 million - President
of Monde Nissin, maker of instant
noodles, biscuits and snack food
24. Manuel Villar - $110 million- Senate
President of the Philippines and a real
estate businessman who developed
Camella, Palmera, Crown Asia , Serendra,
etc.
25. Mariano Tan - $100 million -
26. Rolando and Rosalinda Hortaleza -
$90 million - Splash Corporation
(HBC/Hortaleza)
27. Oscar Hilado - $85 million - He is
the chairman of the Phinma group, the
Philippines ' biggest cement maker.
28. Vivian Que Azcona - $80 million- She
is the president of Mercury Drug with
over 500 outlets.
29. Manuel Zamora - $75 million - PHILEX
Mining Corporation
30. Magdaleno Albarracin - $73 million-
Vice Chairman of Phinma Group
31. Jesus Tambunting - $70 million- He
is the Chairman & CEO of Planters
Development Bank (PDB).
32. Frederick Dy - $65 million - He is
the Security Bank president.
33. Tomas Alcantara - $60 million - He
is a former Trade Secretary
34. Lourdes Montinola - $50 million- FEU
Chairperson.
35. Salvador Zamorra - $45 million- He
is the Hinatuan Mining president.
36. Mac & Daisy Potente - $45 million -
Successful entrepreneur, own the town of
Salinas in Cavite .
37 . Antonio Roxas - $40 million -
Director and President of Roxas &
Company Inc.; Chairman & Chief Executive
Officer of Roxas Holdings Inc.;
Executive Chairman of Central Azucarera
Don Pedro (CADP) Group Corp.; Director &
President of Roxas & Company Inc.,
Fundacion Santiago; Chairman of
Philippine Sugar Millers Association,
Club Punta Fuego Inc., Fuego Land Corp.,
Jade Orient Sugar Corp.; Director of
Batangas Assets Corp., Banco De Oro
Private Bank, Philippine Long Distance
Telephone Company (PLDT), Hawaiian
Philippine Sugar Co.; Trustee of
Philippine Business for the Environment,
Philippine Business for Social Progress;
President of Roxas - Gargollo Foundation.
37. Wilfred Steven Uytengsu Sr. - $38
million- Alaska Milk Corporation
38. Philip T. Ang - $35 million -168
Mall partner.
39. Marixi Prieto - $30 million -
Philippine Daily Inquirer chairman , Inq.7
40. Manuel Pangilinan - $25 million -
Chief Executive First Pacific Holdings
HK,PLDT chairman, Smart, Makati Med
OTHERS WHO SHOULD HAVE MADE IT
Sugar baron Jose Mari Chan, runs a large
sugar empire in Negros Oriental and
Iloilo provinces in the Visayas. Mr.
Chan, who is also a noted song composer,
inherited the business empire from his
father, Antonio, who immigrated to the
Philippines from China when he was 14
years old. The Chans, who are among the
country's biggest sugar traders, own
Central Azucarera de San Antonio (Casa),
which operates a sugar mill in Iloilo
and a refinery in Negros Occidental.
Casa is investing P1.2 billion in a
biomass co-generation plant capable of
generating 14 megawatts of electricity
and is putting up a state-of-the- art
P1.6-billion sugar refinery in Negros
Occidental. The Chans also own Hyatt
Regency Hotel.
Bookstore magnate Alfredo Ramos, one of
the successful entrepreneurs in the
Philippines , is qualified to join
Forbes' list. He is chairman and
president of Atlas Mining and his family
owns National Bookstore, the biggest
bookstore chain in the Philippines . Mr.
Ramos owned the defunct Daily Globe
broadsheet.
Ambassador to Laos Antonio "Tony"
Cabangon Chua's worth is certainly more
than P2 billion. Cabangon-Chua, founder
and chairman emeritus of the Fortune
Group of Companies and publisher of
Philippine Graphic magazine, owns the
fledgling Business Mirror and operates
popular hotel and motel chains in the
country.
Antonio "Tonyboy" Cojuangco will also
easily qualify to the Forbes' list.
Tonyboy reinvested his "windfall" in
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.
and Piltel after acquiring medium-sized
Bank of Commerce and Associated
Broadcasting Co., which operates ABC-5.
Tonyboy also owns Dream Cable and has
joined the call center business.
Corazon D. Ong, another successful
entrepreneur, steadily built CDO
Foodsphere to become the second-biggest
meat processing company in the country
after San Miguel's Purefoods.
Former Trade and Industry Minister
Roberto "Bobby" Ongpin could probably be
among the 10 wealthiest Filipinos in the
Philippines today. Bobby earns lucrative
fees and commissions as an investment
banker. He was one of the senior
advisers of Asian billionaire Robert
Kuok, who owns the Shangri-La hotel
chain. Ongpin, whose family partly owns
SGV auditing company, is now heavily
investing in the local IT sector with
investments in Eastern Telecoms, ISM
Communications and Philweb.
1. Henry Sy - $4.0 billion- He owns SM
group with 27 shopping malls in the
Philippines and several others in China
. He also owns Banco de Oro Universal
Bank and has substantial shares in China
Banking Corp. and Equitable PCI Bank. He
also owns Highlands Prime Holdings, a
high-end property developer.
2. Lucio Tan - $2.3 billion - He owns
Philippine Airlines, the country's flag
carrier. His business interests include
tobacco (Fortune Tobacco Corp.), beer
and liquor (Asia Brewery Inc. and
Tanduay Holdings Inc.), and banking
(Philippine National Bank and Allied
Banking Corp).
3. Jaime Zobel de Ayala - $2.0 billion-
He is the patriarch of Ayala Corp., the
Philippines' oldest conglomerate, whose
business interests include real estate
and hotels (Ayala Land Inc.), financial
services (Bank of the Philippine
Islands), telecommunications (Globe
Telecom Inc.), water infrastructure
(Manila Water Co. Inc.), electronics and
information technology (Integrated
Microelectronics Inc. and Azalea
Technology Investments Inc.) and
automotive (Honda Cars Makati Inc. and
Isuzu Automotive Dealership Inc.).
4. Eduardo Cojuangco - $840 million - He
is the chairman of San Miguel
Corporation, the largest food and
Beverage Corporation in the Philippines .
5. George Ty - $830 million- He founded
Metropolitan Bank and Trust, currently
the largest bank in terms of Assets and
Capital in the Philippines . He also has
stakes in the Bank of the Philippine
Islands and Philippine Savings Bank, a
Metro bank subsidiary.
6. John Gokongwei - $700 million- He is
the chairman of JG Summit holdings,
whose subsidiaries include Cebu Pacific
Air, Digital Telecommunications
Philippines Inc., First Private Power
Corp., JG Summit Petrochemical Corp.,
Litton Mills Inc., Robinsons Land Corp.,
Robinsons Savings Bank, Sun Cellular,
United Industrial Corp. and URC .
7. Tony Tan Caktiong - $575 million - He
is the founder and current Chairman and
CEO of Philippine fast food chain
Jollibee , ChowKing, and Delifrance
8. Andrew Tan - $480 million - He is the
Mega world president .
9. Emilio Yap - $350 million - He is the
owner of Manila Hotel, newspaper owner,
Manila Bulletin, a national newspaper .
10. Oscar Lopez - $315 million - - He is
the chairman and CEO of Benpres Holdings
Corp., the holding company of the Lopez
group. - Meralco, ABS - CBN , Maynilad Water
11. Enrique Razon Jr. - $285 million- He
is the chairman and chief executive
officer, International Container
Terminal Services Inc; publishing magnate .
12. Andrew Gotianun - $280 million - He
is the chairman and CEO of East west Bank .
13. Enrique Aboitiz - $275 million - He
is the WG&A president and chief
executive officer.
14. Alfonso Yuchengco - $225 million -
He is the chairman of Yuchengco Group of
Companies.
o Great Pacific Life Assurance
Corporation (GREPALIFE)
o Lifetime Plans, Inc.
o Bankard, Inc.
o Pan Malayan Management and Investment
Corporation
o Pan Malayan Travel and Tours
o Pan Pacific Computer Center, Inc.
o YGC Corporate Services, Inc.
o Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation
(RCBC)
o RCBC Savings Bank
o House of Investments
o Malayan Insurance Company, Inc.
o The First Nationwide Assurance Corporation
o Malayan Reinsurance Corporation
o Malayan Zurich Insurance Company, Inc.
o Tokio Marine Malayan Insurance Co. Inc.
o EEI Corporation
o Nippon Life Philippines
o AY Foundation
o Honda Cars Quezon City
o Honda Cars Manila
o Mapua Institute of Technology
o Manila Memorial Park
o First Malayan Leasing and Finance Corp.
15. Menardo Jimenez - $210 million - He
is the head for wireless consumer
division of Smart Communications.
15. Gilberto Duavit Jr. - $210 million -
He is the Executive Vice President and
COO of GMA 7.
17. Ramon Del Rosario - $205 million -
He is the president of Philippine
Investment Management (PHINMA), Inc.
18. Felipe Gozon - $180 million - He is
the president of GMA-7.
19. Beatrice Campos - $160 million - She
is the widow of United Laboratories
founder Jose Campos.
20. Luis J. L. Virata - $150 million- He
is the UEM-MARA Philippines Corporation
president .
21. David M. Consunji - $145 million- He
is the founder of DM Consunji Construction.
22. Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. $140 million
- He is the chairman of Rustan's
Commercial Corporation.
23. Betty Ang - $115 million - President
of Monde Nissin, maker of instant
noodles, biscuits and snack food
24. Manuel Villar - $110 million- Senate
President of the Philippines and a real
estate businessman who developed
Camella, Palmera, Crown Asia , Serendra,
etc.
25. Mariano Tan - $100 million -
26. Rolando and Rosalinda Hortaleza -
$90 million - Splash Corporation
(HBC/Hortaleza)
27. Oscar Hilado - $85 million - He is
the chairman of the Phinma group, the
Philippines ' biggest cement maker.
28. Vivian Que Azcona - $80 million- She
is the president of Mercury Drug with
over 500 outlets.
29. Manuel Zamora - $75 million - PHILEX
Mining Corporation
30. Magdaleno Albarracin - $73 million-
Vice Chairman of Phinma Group
31. Jesus Tambunting - $70 million- He
is the Chairman & CEO of Planters
Development Bank (PDB).
32. Frederick Dy - $65 million - He is
the Security Bank president.
33. Tomas Alcantara - $60 million - He
is a former Trade Secretary
34. Lourdes Montinola - $50 million- FEU
Chairperson.
35. Salvador Zamorra - $45 million- He
is the Hinatuan Mining president.
36. Mac & Daisy Potente - $45 million -
Successful entrepreneur, own the town of
Salinas in Cavite .
37 . Antonio Roxas - $40 million -
Director and President of Roxas &
Company Inc.; Chairman & Chief Executive
Officer of Roxas Holdings Inc.;
Executive Chairman of Central Azucarera
Don Pedro (CADP) Group Corp.; Director &
President of Roxas & Company Inc.,
Fundacion Santiago; Chairman of
Philippine Sugar Millers Association,
Club Punta Fuego Inc., Fuego Land Corp.,
Jade Orient Sugar Corp.; Director of
Batangas Assets Corp., Banco De Oro
Private Bank, Philippine Long Distance
Telephone Company (PLDT), Hawaiian
Philippine Sugar Co.; Trustee of
Philippine Business for the Environment,
Philippine Business for Social Progress;
President of Roxas - Gargollo Foundation.
37. Wilfred Steven Uytengsu Sr. - $38
million- Alaska Milk Corporation
38. Philip T. Ang - $35 million -168
Mall partner.
39. Marixi Prieto - $30 million -
Philippine Daily Inquirer chairman , Inq.7
40. Manuel Pangilinan - $25 million -
Chief Executive First Pacific Holdings
HK,PLDT chairman, Smart, Makati Med
OTHERS WHO SHOULD HAVE MADE IT
Sugar baron Jose Mari Chan, runs a large
sugar empire in Negros Oriental and
Iloilo provinces in the Visayas. Mr.
Chan, who is also a noted song composer,
inherited the business empire from his
father, Antonio, who immigrated to the
Philippines from China when he was 14
years old. The Chans, who are among the
country's biggest sugar traders, own
Central Azucarera de San Antonio (Casa),
which operates a sugar mill in Iloilo
and a refinery in Negros Occidental.
Casa is investing P1.2 billion in a
biomass co-generation plant capable of
generating 14 megawatts of electricity
and is putting up a state-of-the- art
P1.6-billion sugar refinery in Negros
Occidental. The Chans also own Hyatt
Regency Hotel.
Bookstore magnate Alfredo Ramos, one of
the successful entrepreneurs in the
Philippines , is qualified to join
Forbes' list. He is chairman and
president of Atlas Mining and his family
owns National Bookstore, the biggest
bookstore chain in the Philippines . Mr.
Ramos owned the defunct Daily Globe
broadsheet.
Ambassador to Laos Antonio "Tony"
Cabangon Chua's worth is certainly more
than P2 billion. Cabangon-Chua, founder
and chairman emeritus of the Fortune
Group of Companies and publisher of
Philippine Graphic magazine, owns the
fledgling Business Mirror and operates
popular hotel and motel chains in the
country.
Antonio "Tonyboy" Cojuangco will also
easily qualify to the Forbes' list.
Tonyboy reinvested his "windfall" in
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.
and Piltel after acquiring medium-sized
Bank of Commerce and Associated
Broadcasting Co., which operates ABC-5.
Tonyboy also owns Dream Cable and has
joined the call center business.
Corazon D. Ong, another successful
entrepreneur, steadily built CDO
Foodsphere to become the second-biggest
meat processing company in the country
after San Miguel's Purefoods.
Former Trade and Industry Minister
Roberto "Bobby" Ongpin could probably be
among the 10 wealthiest Filipinos in the
Philippines today. Bobby earns lucrative
fees and commissions as an investment
banker. He was one of the senior
advisers of Asian billionaire Robert
Kuok, who owns the Shangri-La hotel
chain. Ongpin, whose family partly owns
SGV auditing company, is now heavily
investing in the local IT sector with
investments in Eastern Telecoms, ISM
Communications and Philweb.
A song dangerous under Human Security Act
Inquirer
Last updated 02:15am (Mla time) 07/14/2007
The message is loud and clear. Under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regime, whose legitimacy remains an issue to this day, the civil and political liberties of the people are not respected. Civil libertarians, activists and even ordinary people who speak out firmly and stand up for truth, justice, human rights and human dignity are living dangerously.
Since Arroyo assumed power in 2001, there have been 863 cases of extrajudicial killings, 180 forced disappearances and 248 political detainees. The persecution is meant to silence the people and discourage them from pursuing the cause of justice, peace and human rights. The message is loud and clear:
1. Thou shall not speak out the truth
2. Thou shall not expose graft and corruption
3. Thou shall not seek justice and peace
4. Thou shall not uphold human rights and dignity
5. Thou shall not offer services to the poor and ask why they are poor
6. Thou shall not expose fraudulent elections
7. Thou shall not offer sanctuary to those who were displaced and are seeking refuge
8. Thou shall not protest about human rights abuses by the PNP and AFP
9. Thou shall not join street protests, rallies and assemblies held in defense of democracy
10. Thou shall not call for Arroyo’s resignation nor for her ouster
And to think that the human rights violations are happening as a matter of course even as the Human Security Act (antiterrorism law), which virtually places the country in a state of undeclared martial law, has yet to take effect on July 15.
Given the human rights record of the Arroyo regime, this law could be used to suppress, repress and persecute people advocating and working for justice, peace, human rights and meaningful change in our society; or to prolong Arroyo’s stay in power, and to quell and punish those with dissenting opinions and actions.
God forbid, time may come when even a harmless band like Bamboo, which revived and popularized the song “Tatsulok” (originally sang by Buklod) will suddenly be under threat. And pity the ordinary mortals like the taxi, jeepney and tricycle drivers, students and out-of-school kids and youth, people in the streets, the unemployed, the hungry and those who dream of a better world who hum and dance this song. They can easily understand and identify with the message of this socially relevant song, which is very provocative and threatening to those who wield economic and political power, and therefore can be construed as a “terror” song. Here’s an excerpt from the song:
Lumilipas ang hininga ng kay raming mga tao
At ang dating lunting bukid ngayo’y sementeryo
Totoy, kumilos ka! Baligtarin ang tatsulok!
At tulad mong dukha ang ilagay mo sa tuktok
Hindi pula’t dilaw ang tunay na magkalaban
Ang kulay at tatak ang di siyang dahilan
Hangga’t marami ang lugmok sa kahirapan
At ang hustisya ay para lang sa mayaman
Habang may tatsulok, at sila ang nasa tuktok
Hindi matatapos itong gulo…
Inquirer
Last updated 02:15am (Mla time) 07/14/2007
The message is loud and clear. Under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regime, whose legitimacy remains an issue to this day, the civil and political liberties of the people are not respected. Civil libertarians, activists and even ordinary people who speak out firmly and stand up for truth, justice, human rights and human dignity are living dangerously.
Since Arroyo assumed power in 2001, there have been 863 cases of extrajudicial killings, 180 forced disappearances and 248 political detainees. The persecution is meant to silence the people and discourage them from pursuing the cause of justice, peace and human rights. The message is loud and clear:
1. Thou shall not speak out the truth
2. Thou shall not expose graft and corruption
3. Thou shall not seek justice and peace
4. Thou shall not uphold human rights and dignity
5. Thou shall not offer services to the poor and ask why they are poor
6. Thou shall not expose fraudulent elections
7. Thou shall not offer sanctuary to those who were displaced and are seeking refuge
8. Thou shall not protest about human rights abuses by the PNP and AFP
9. Thou shall not join street protests, rallies and assemblies held in defense of democracy
10. Thou shall not call for Arroyo’s resignation nor for her ouster
And to think that the human rights violations are happening as a matter of course even as the Human Security Act (antiterrorism law), which virtually places the country in a state of undeclared martial law, has yet to take effect on July 15.
Given the human rights record of the Arroyo regime, this law could be used to suppress, repress and persecute people advocating and working for justice, peace, human rights and meaningful change in our society; or to prolong Arroyo’s stay in power, and to quell and punish those with dissenting opinions and actions.
God forbid, time may come when even a harmless band like Bamboo, which revived and popularized the song “Tatsulok” (originally sang by Buklod) will suddenly be under threat. And pity the ordinary mortals like the taxi, jeepney and tricycle drivers, students and out-of-school kids and youth, people in the streets, the unemployed, the hungry and those who dream of a better world who hum and dance this song. They can easily understand and identify with the message of this socially relevant song, which is very provocative and threatening to those who wield economic and political power, and therefore can be construed as a “terror” song. Here’s an excerpt from the song:
Lumilipas ang hininga ng kay raming mga tao
At ang dating lunting bukid ngayo’y sementeryo
Totoy, kumilos ka! Baligtarin ang tatsulok!
At tulad mong dukha ang ilagay mo sa tuktok
Hindi pula’t dilaw ang tunay na magkalaban
Ang kulay at tatak ang di siyang dahilan
Hangga’t marami ang lugmok sa kahirapan
At ang hustisya ay para lang sa mayaman
Habang may tatsulok, at sila ang nasa tuktok
Hindi matatapos itong gulo…
Monday, July 23, 2007
The Human Security Act is An Affront to the Right to Education
Letter to the Editor
With the impending passage of the Human Security Act of 2007, the Iskolars ng Bayan of the University of the Philippines have much to fear, not only insofar as their lives and liberties are concerned, but as well as the stifling of legitimate dissent and protest against the relentless tuition increases and commercialization schemes wracking the premiere state university and other state colleges and universities nationwide. Iskolars ng Bayan have been known to analyze issues not in a myopic fashion but comprehensively, such that issues on the rising costs of education and commercialization are viewed as intricately part of the long-standing policy of state abandonment of higher education, concretely articulated by the Long-Term Higher Education Development Plan being implemented by the Arroyo government. Thus, the Iskolars ng Bayan also pin the blame for the decreasing enrollment and stunted educational access to the policies of President Arroyo herself, whose seems to be more keen on producing graduates solely for human export and foreign consumption such as semi-skilled workers and call center agents instead of comprehensively developing the Philippine educational system that would produce graduates and intellectuals that would serve to develop the scientific and cultural capital of the country. Under the Human Security Act of 2007, can we now surmise that even these assertions of right and articulation of demands by the Iskolars ng Bayan shall be subsumed under the concept of terrorism? We have a legitimate fear that it shall, given the vagueness of the definition of terrorism under the HSA and the penchant of the Arroyo regime to classify all forms of dissent as unlawful, thereby crippling even the most legitimate of these kinds of exercises. Moreover, the Iskolars ng Bayan, particularly the UP Student Councils, have been known to valiantly stand not only on student issues but people's issues as well, such that the University of the Philippines has been a center of the people's defiance against President Arroyo when she forcefully implemented PP1017 in February 2006. The UP Student Councils have also stood in defense of urban poor dwellers in danger of demolition and displacement against a fascist MMDA, notwithstanding its repudiation and outrage over the unceasing urban militarization in Metro Manila and the relentless political killings around the country. Given all of these premises and the questionable provisions of the HSA, we have little doubt that even the UP Student Councils shall also be proscribed as terrorist organizations by the Human Security Act. It shall therefore come as no surprise that even the simplest articulation of legitimate student issues of commercialization and state abandonment of education will also be curtailed by state security forces in illegal pursuit of the Human Security Act.
Nonetheless, history has proven the militant resilience of the Iskolars ng Bayan. Under the darkest day of martial rule, the struggle of the Iskolars ng Bayan was able to re-establish the previously banned Student Councils and Publications and even force the establishment of the Office of the Student Regent, which now articulates the interests of the Iskolars ng Bayan in the highest policy-making body of the University of the Philippines. The struggle of the Iskolars ng Bayan against the HSA in the backdrop of unceasing commercialization may be difficult on its face, but we know for a fact that victory and history have always been on the side of those who resist and struggle in pursuit and exercise of their rights.
J.M. Terry L. Ridon
Student Regent
University of the Philippines
Letter to the Editor
With the impending passage of the Human Security Act of 2007, the Iskolars ng Bayan of the University of the Philippines have much to fear, not only insofar as their lives and liberties are concerned, but as well as the stifling of legitimate dissent and protest against the relentless tuition increases and commercialization schemes wracking the premiere state university and other state colleges and universities nationwide. Iskolars ng Bayan have been known to analyze issues not in a myopic fashion but comprehensively, such that issues on the rising costs of education and commercialization are viewed as intricately part of the long-standing policy of state abandonment of higher education, concretely articulated by the Long-Term Higher Education Development Plan being implemented by the Arroyo government. Thus, the Iskolars ng Bayan also pin the blame for the decreasing enrollment and stunted educational access to the policies of President Arroyo herself, whose seems to be more keen on producing graduates solely for human export and foreign consumption such as semi-skilled workers and call center agents instead of comprehensively developing the Philippine educational system that would produce graduates and intellectuals that would serve to develop the scientific and cultural capital of the country. Under the Human Security Act of 2007, can we now surmise that even these assertions of right and articulation of demands by the Iskolars ng Bayan shall be subsumed under the concept of terrorism? We have a legitimate fear that it shall, given the vagueness of the definition of terrorism under the HSA and the penchant of the Arroyo regime to classify all forms of dissent as unlawful, thereby crippling even the most legitimate of these kinds of exercises. Moreover, the Iskolars ng Bayan, particularly the UP Student Councils, have been known to valiantly stand not only on student issues but people's issues as well, such that the University of the Philippines has been a center of the people's defiance against President Arroyo when she forcefully implemented PP1017 in February 2006. The UP Student Councils have also stood in defense of urban poor dwellers in danger of demolition and displacement against a fascist MMDA, notwithstanding its repudiation and outrage over the unceasing urban militarization in Metro Manila and the relentless political killings around the country. Given all of these premises and the questionable provisions of the HSA, we have little doubt that even the UP Student Councils shall also be proscribed as terrorist organizations by the Human Security Act. It shall therefore come as no surprise that even the simplest articulation of legitimate student issues of commercialization and state abandonment of education will also be curtailed by state security forces in illegal pursuit of the Human Security Act.
Nonetheless, history has proven the militant resilience of the Iskolars ng Bayan. Under the darkest day of martial rule, the struggle of the Iskolars ng Bayan was able to re-establish the previously banned Student Councils and Publications and even force the establishment of the Office of the Student Regent, which now articulates the interests of the Iskolars ng Bayan in the highest policy-making body of the University of the Philippines. The struggle of the Iskolars ng Bayan against the HSA in the backdrop of unceasing commercialization may be difficult on its face, but we know for a fact that victory and history have always been on the side of those who resist and struggle in pursuit and exercise of their rights.
J.M. Terry L. Ridon
Student Regent
University of the Philippines
Essay Contest '07/ Katrina Nessa Abad: The media shape us into the people we are
07/18/2007
SPECIAL TO THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
This essay won one of the second prizes in the English essay contest sponsored by the International Herald Tribune/ The Asahi Shimbun. There were 670 essays submitted.
* * *
As a member of this fast-paced generation, I know that I am highly dependent on the media for mostly everything I love to do. I am just an average person with simple needs, but even so, the media has become such a big part of my life.
One of the usual ways I use the media is to learn new things. I read the newspapers every day to keep myself updated on news and current events. I am a foreign student living in Japan, so it is really handy for me that one of my country's leading newspapers has an online edition that I can access every day.
I know it is important that I keep abreast of the daily dramas unfolding in the Philippines--a beautiful, dynamic, but volatile country inhabited by highly emotional people. I also like to read international newspapers and magazines, especially because these have special features on topics ranging from science to culture and the arts, to the weirdest or coolest stuff that's probably not useful to remember but fun to file away in my brain.
Apart from information and entertainment, I also read newspapers and magazines because it helps me to hone my skills. I do not just learn new ideas; I also learn new words, enabling me to expand my vocabulary.
But more importantly, I think that reading newspapers, in particular, helps me to improve my critical thinking skills. I consciously try to practice contextualizing and objectifying what was reported in the papers to help me formulate or reformulate my analyses and make sense of what is happening in the world around me.
Every day, too, I use the media as my source of entertainment. I love to read books, watch movies and listen to the radio. That's probably normal for a lot of other people, but I recall these now with fond memories of my parents back home.
I remember that for the longest time, my father refused to have more than one television set in the house because he wanted the entire family to enjoy watching shows together. And my mother, who is a librarian, raised my brother, my sister and me to read like there was no tomorrow.
She started us off with those hardbound children's encyclopedias, and then afterward she subscribed to magazines in our names (getting mail at the age of 10 was so cool). I remember that regular visits to the local bookstore felt like such a special treat in those days.
She just now finished sewing a cloth "book" for her first grandchild; she says we don't remember, but that she did the same for us kids when we were babies so that we could freely play with pages that would not tear.
Today, with the Internet as a more advanced form of the media, I can play around with lots of things and also express myself. For example, I can both watch and upload videos of my own to show to others.
On a Web site I own and maintain, I regularly post pictures that I take here in Japan to share with my family back home.
Likewise, I can check out what is new in the lives of my loved ones when I view their Web sites.
I also have three separate online journals, more popularly known as blogs (from the term Web log). One of them chronicles my adventures in Japan, and another, more private one, holds all my secrets and my views on life.
There is more to the media than meets the eye. I probably use it in ways I am not even aware of. That is because the media is continually undergoing innovations and being revolutionized to cater to the growing needs of the masses, and its boundaries are constantly being pushed back.
Ten years ago, nobody would have imagined that the news headlines would be delivered to their fingertips, but now news alerts and even weather bulletins are accessed via mobile phones.
The main point is that by maximizing the many ways in which I can use the media, I believe that I can lead a fuller life--it supplements my education, it provides entertainment, it helps me touch base with family and friends and it allows me to creatively express myself.
The truth is, the impact of the media on my life is so great, it has helped shape me into the kind of person that I am today.
* * *
Katrina Nessa Abad is a senior majoring in English at the University of the Philippines and now studying Japanese and Japanese culture at Nagasaki University.(IHT/Asahi: July 18,2007)
07/18/2007
SPECIAL TO THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
This essay won one of the second prizes in the English essay contest sponsored by the International Herald Tribune/ The Asahi Shimbun. There were 670 essays submitted.
* * *
As a member of this fast-paced generation, I know that I am highly dependent on the media for mostly everything I love to do. I am just an average person with simple needs, but even so, the media has become such a big part of my life.
One of the usual ways I use the media is to learn new things. I read the newspapers every day to keep myself updated on news and current events. I am a foreign student living in Japan, so it is really handy for me that one of my country's leading newspapers has an online edition that I can access every day.
I know it is important that I keep abreast of the daily dramas unfolding in the Philippines--a beautiful, dynamic, but volatile country inhabited by highly emotional people. I also like to read international newspapers and magazines, especially because these have special features on topics ranging from science to culture and the arts, to the weirdest or coolest stuff that's probably not useful to remember but fun to file away in my brain.
Apart from information and entertainment, I also read newspapers and magazines because it helps me to hone my skills. I do not just learn new ideas; I also learn new words, enabling me to expand my vocabulary.
But more importantly, I think that reading newspapers, in particular, helps me to improve my critical thinking skills. I consciously try to practice contextualizing and objectifying what was reported in the papers to help me formulate or reformulate my analyses and make sense of what is happening in the world around me.
Every day, too, I use the media as my source of entertainment. I love to read books, watch movies and listen to the radio. That's probably normal for a lot of other people, but I recall these now with fond memories of my parents back home.
I remember that for the longest time, my father refused to have more than one television set in the house because he wanted the entire family to enjoy watching shows together. And my mother, who is a librarian, raised my brother, my sister and me to read like there was no tomorrow.
She started us off with those hardbound children's encyclopedias, and then afterward she subscribed to magazines in our names (getting mail at the age of 10 was so cool). I remember that regular visits to the local bookstore felt like such a special treat in those days.
She just now finished sewing a cloth "book" for her first grandchild; she says we don't remember, but that she did the same for us kids when we were babies so that we could freely play with pages that would not tear.
Today, with the Internet as a more advanced form of the media, I can play around with lots of things and also express myself. For example, I can both watch and upload videos of my own to show to others.
On a Web site I own and maintain, I regularly post pictures that I take here in Japan to share with my family back home.
Likewise, I can check out what is new in the lives of my loved ones when I view their Web sites.
I also have three separate online journals, more popularly known as blogs (from the term Web log). One of them chronicles my adventures in Japan, and another, more private one, holds all my secrets and my views on life.
There is more to the media than meets the eye. I probably use it in ways I am not even aware of. That is because the media is continually undergoing innovations and being revolutionized to cater to the growing needs of the masses, and its boundaries are constantly being pushed back.
Ten years ago, nobody would have imagined that the news headlines would be delivered to their fingertips, but now news alerts and even weather bulletins are accessed via mobile phones.
The main point is that by maximizing the many ways in which I can use the media, I believe that I can lead a fuller life--it supplements my education, it provides entertainment, it helps me touch base with family and friends and it allows me to creatively express myself.
The truth is, the impact of the media on my life is so great, it has helped shape me into the kind of person that I am today.
* * *
Katrina Nessa Abad is a senior majoring in English at the University of the Philippines and now studying Japanese and Japanese culture at Nagasaki University.(IHT/Asahi: July 18,2007)
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Sunday, July 8, 2007
TOFI is…
A question of UP as a state university. -Faculty Regent Roland Simbulan
A drastic change of UP Philosophy education (from providing enabling conditions for the poor but talented students to acquire quality education to a market based instrument where prices must be adjusted depending on the customer’s ability to pay). -FR Roland Simbulan
A way for UP to help itself. (The government thinks that UP is just trying to help itself upon the implementation of TOFI.)
(On the rationale of TOFI and new STFAP brackets) The dual meaning of the principle “those who can afford should pay more” is “those who can not afford should not pay!” –Student Regent Terry Ridon
Sends wrong signals
>to the hard up parents paying high tuition fees
>to legislators who will think that UP is now rich so they can reduce further the budget for UP
>hopefully, other SCUs will not idolize UP
- Student Regent Terry Ridon
As I see it, TOFI is...
A shift of burden to the students (pasaload).
A way to stabilize the funds of UP and therefore will not immediately result to improvement of facilities and increase in salary of faculties.
(According to the De Dios report, the UP Administration expects a P53.7 million increase per semester in the money collected from tuition of incoming freshmen. If the tuition increase will be implemented in all levels (freshmen up to graduating class) the money generated is up to P429.6 million which will be the yearly collection from tuition alone. This means that the money generated will surpass the income of UP from the combined fees which will be paid by the students every year.)
A symptom of state abandonment.
( “…there was nothing in the law that said the government should provide a free college education, and warned that all other state colleges may end up following UP's example because of the government's fiscal crisis.” -UP Pres. Emerlinda Roman (Philippine Daily Inquirer, Oct. 1, 2006 issue)
A manifestation of the glaring commercialization of education in our country today. (Commercialization of a basic right)
An understatement to the worsening living conditions and limited capacity of the majority of the Filipinos to afford education.
What’s more is that, we are pressured BUT the government ISN’T.
A question of UP as a state university. -Faculty Regent Roland Simbulan
A drastic change of UP Philosophy education (from providing enabling conditions for the poor but talented students to acquire quality education to a market based instrument where prices must be adjusted depending on the customer’s ability to pay). -FR Roland Simbulan
A way for UP to help itself. (The government thinks that UP is just trying to help itself upon the implementation of TOFI.)
(On the rationale of TOFI and new STFAP brackets) The dual meaning of the principle “those who can afford should pay more” is “those who can not afford should not pay!” –Student Regent Terry Ridon
Sends wrong signals
>to the hard up parents paying high tuition fees
>to legislators who will think that UP is now rich so they can reduce further the budget for UP
>hopefully, other SCUs will not idolize UP
- Student Regent Terry Ridon
As I see it, TOFI is...
A shift of burden to the students (pasaload).
A way to stabilize the funds of UP and therefore will not immediately result to improvement of facilities and increase in salary of faculties.
(According to the De Dios report, the UP Administration expects a P53.7 million increase per semester in the money collected from tuition of incoming freshmen. If the tuition increase will be implemented in all levels (freshmen up to graduating class) the money generated is up to P429.6 million which will be the yearly collection from tuition alone. This means that the money generated will surpass the income of UP from the combined fees which will be paid by the students every year.)
A symptom of state abandonment.
( “…there was nothing in the law that said the government should provide a free college education, and warned that all other state colleges may end up following UP's example because of the government's fiscal crisis.” -UP Pres. Emerlinda Roman (Philippine Daily Inquirer, Oct. 1, 2006 issue)
A manifestation of the glaring commercialization of education in our country today. (Commercialization of a basic right)
An understatement to the worsening living conditions and limited capacity of the majority of the Filipinos to afford education.
What’s more is that, we are pressured BUT the government ISN’T.
TOFI Updates
I got the figures below from the Office of the Student Regent. You may use it as a reference if you’re currently making a paper on the 300% tuition increase in UP and its implications. I asked the UPM Administration to furnish me a copy of the enrollees for this school year and for the past academic years but up till now they haven’t released it.
*note: The number of confirmants is not necessarily the number of enrollees. In UP Diliman, the number of enrollees is relatively lower to that of confirmants.
UP Unit Qualifiers Confirmants % (Confirmants)
Baguio 1162 463 39.85
Mindanao 537 90 16.76
Manila 820 450 54.88
Diliman 3813 2636 69.13
Pampanga 233 103 44.21
Cebu 550 132 24
Iloilo 1295 429 33.13
Los banos 2352 392 16.67
Tacloban 423 159 37.59
Total 11, 185 4,854 43.40%
Source: Office of the Student Regent
(UP Diliman)
I got the figures below from the Office of the Student Regent. You may use it as a reference if you’re currently making a paper on the 300% tuition increase in UP and its implications. I asked the UPM Administration to furnish me a copy of the enrollees for this school year and for the past academic years but up till now they haven’t released it.
*note: The number of confirmants is not necessarily the number of enrollees. In UP Diliman, the number of enrollees is relatively lower to that of confirmants.
UP Unit Qualifiers Confirmants % (Confirmants)
Baguio 1162 463 39.85
Mindanao 537 90 16.76
Manila 820 450 54.88
Diliman 3813 2636 69.13
Pampanga 233 103 44.21
Cebu 550 132 24
Iloilo 1295 429 33.13
Los banos 2352 392 16.67
Tacloban 423 159 37.59
Total 11, 185 4,854 43.40%
Source: Office of the Student Regent
(UP Diliman)
Now that PGH increased its rates through Memo 2006-131 which was implemented last Dec. 14, 2006 hence making the health services less accessible to the poor majority, is it then still the Ospital ng Bayan?
The same way, is UP still the Pamantasan ng Bayan, as it claimed, after it amplified its tuition and other fees making UP education less accessible?
The same way, is UP still the Pamantasan ng Bayan, as it claimed, after it amplified its tuition and other fees making UP education less accessible?
On making a stand
The role played by student councils has changed over time. From the fundamental task of promoting the welfare of the students, history has seen how this was transformed to higher forms of service- to the students in the micro level and to the Filipino masses in general.
The youth particularly the students are always in the forefront of the struggle with unrelenting vigor. They have stood up in resistance when Marcos blatantly ruled the people with hands much harder than iron. During that period, mobilizations were attended by hundreds and even thousands of youth, their fists clenched high in the air as they marched in the streets with battle cry for freedom, change and justice. Such act is crucial for it’s a way to register your position (opposition or support) on certain issues with regards to the national conditions. Mass action is a manner of showing force, too. Time and again, history would tell that collective action is an effectual way to achieve something. However, I must stress here that activism and service need not to be in the streets. Activism comes in many forms.
The repression of the people during martial law pushed the students to walk out of their classrooms in order to learn and see the reality in the streets, in factories, in the countryside and other dejected areas. They learned about the marginalized sectors and the glaring repression and exploitation. They became a potent agent for transforming the society. Alongside their resistance, they pushed forth solutions to the obtrusive political and economic crisis during the period. In the realization of their influence, Marcos ordered the deferral of student organizations and publications, except for fraternities as Marcos himself was a frat man.
Conventionally, student leaders hold activities to consolidate the students and strengthen the community spirit in the campus. It is also expected that they will represent the students in the pursuit of their interests. The question on how the students will be represented will always be answered through a democratic consultation (though this one is litigious as people have different interpretations on it). This way, the pros and cons of an issue will be discussed so that students may give their stance. However, there are instances when the student council needs to function beyond merely reflecting the students’ voice. Its role must not be confined with purely mirroring the stand of the majority for there are times that the majority is not always right especially if it obstructs the rights of the minority.
It is imperative to bear in mind that our individual standpoint will not matter if it is not voiced out; stance is futile without action.
The role played by student councils has changed over time. From the fundamental task of promoting the welfare of the students, history has seen how this was transformed to higher forms of service- to the students in the micro level and to the Filipino masses in general.
The youth particularly the students are always in the forefront of the struggle with unrelenting vigor. They have stood up in resistance when Marcos blatantly ruled the people with hands much harder than iron. During that period, mobilizations were attended by hundreds and even thousands of youth, their fists clenched high in the air as they marched in the streets with battle cry for freedom, change and justice. Such act is crucial for it’s a way to register your position (opposition or support) on certain issues with regards to the national conditions. Mass action is a manner of showing force, too. Time and again, history would tell that collective action is an effectual way to achieve something. However, I must stress here that activism and service need not to be in the streets. Activism comes in many forms.
The repression of the people during martial law pushed the students to walk out of their classrooms in order to learn and see the reality in the streets, in factories, in the countryside and other dejected areas. They learned about the marginalized sectors and the glaring repression and exploitation. They became a potent agent for transforming the society. Alongside their resistance, they pushed forth solutions to the obtrusive political and economic crisis during the period. In the realization of their influence, Marcos ordered the deferral of student organizations and publications, except for fraternities as Marcos himself was a frat man.
Conventionally, student leaders hold activities to consolidate the students and strengthen the community spirit in the campus. It is also expected that they will represent the students in the pursuit of their interests. The question on how the students will be represented will always be answered through a democratic consultation (though this one is litigious as people have different interpretations on it). This way, the pros and cons of an issue will be discussed so that students may give their stance. However, there are instances when the student council needs to function beyond merely reflecting the students’ voice. Its role must not be confined with purely mirroring the stand of the majority for there are times that the majority is not always right especially if it obstructs the rights of the minority.
It is imperative to bear in mind that our individual standpoint will not matter if it is not voiced out; stance is futile without action.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
As I walk this afternoon
This morning, our group report was deferred because we weren’t prepared at all. We chose to postpone it instead of delivering a very elementary type of discussion (which is what I always do in class). So as an alternative to holding a three-hour class, our professor decided to give us a library work.
As usual, my day is gloomy. The weather brings a melancholic atmosphere and I can’t help it. I’m always sad, always feeling alone. Plus I am confronted by many problems as of the moment (problems ranging from the problems of society, to love, to family, health and academics). Dead tired with the system.
While I was on my way home, I passed by Araneta Coliseum, as I always do. Today is the opening of the UAAP and the match is between UP and Lasalle. As expected, UP lost in the game. Forgive me for being harsh but I can’t blame them though. They don’t receive sufficient funding, and sufficient support I guess that’s why. I am reminded of a joke; actually it’s a line UP players throw at their opponents whenever they lose. It goes like this “Mag-exam na lang tayo, sige!” There goes the intellectual arrogance of the cream of the crop. Ang mga matatapang, matatalino at di patatalo na UPians. Will our players benefit from the TOFI? Will it be a factor for their victory? That I don’t know. I just fervently hope they win next time.
I watched the crowd dispersed after the game. Most of the Lasalista, as always, headed to Starbucks, Pizza Hut Bistro and whatever classy restaurant or coffee shop nearby. I am almost near the jeep terminal when it started to rain. Darn, I left my cheap umbrella. But walking under the rain somehow made me feel easy. I love the rain, except rain in the city coz it’s not really soothing. It’s an acid rain and therefore corrosive, (chuckle).
I just had this thought: Intellectual gap between UPians and others is a given, but economic and income gap is very evident. UST students most often than not have cars; an Atenista is likely to be seen in a car discharging loud music while causing traffic along Katipunan Avenue; and a Lasalista in a car beside a girlfriend/boyfriend. UPians on the other hand are usually seen inside jam packed jeepneys. However, because of the changing character and philosophy of UP, majority of the students now belong to higher economic strata.
Nakakainis na TOFI, sana nag-aaral ako ngayon ng Econ 115 pero kailangan ko pang tapusin ang statement ng pagtutol dito. Nakakainis na HSA, kailangan tuloy naming magpa-forum tungkol dito. Nakakainis ang dean, walang tambayan ang mga tao paralisado tuloy ang recruitment at activities. Nakakainis na bagong walkway sa LT at drinking fountains, nahahamig tuloy ang iba na suportahan ang TOFI. (TOFI is an issue of UP being a state university-Prof. Roland Simbulan) Nakakainis na sistema.
Sometimes, a walk under the rain helps you contemplate on things.
It all boils down to commercialization of education, to commercialization of a basic right.(sigh)
As usual, my day is gloomy. The weather brings a melancholic atmosphere and I can’t help it. I’m always sad, always feeling alone. Plus I am confronted by many problems as of the moment (problems ranging from the problems of society, to love, to family, health and academics). Dead tired with the system.
While I was on my way home, I passed by Araneta Coliseum, as I always do. Today is the opening of the UAAP and the match is between UP and Lasalle. As expected, UP lost in the game. Forgive me for being harsh but I can’t blame them though. They don’t receive sufficient funding, and sufficient support I guess that’s why. I am reminded of a joke; actually it’s a line UP players throw at their opponents whenever they lose. It goes like this “Mag-exam na lang tayo, sige!” There goes the intellectual arrogance of the cream of the crop. Ang mga matatapang, matatalino at di patatalo na UPians. Will our players benefit from the TOFI? Will it be a factor for their victory? That I don’t know. I just fervently hope they win next time.
I watched the crowd dispersed after the game. Most of the Lasalista, as always, headed to Starbucks, Pizza Hut Bistro and whatever classy restaurant or coffee shop nearby. I am almost near the jeep terminal when it started to rain. Darn, I left my cheap umbrella. But walking under the rain somehow made me feel easy. I love the rain, except rain in the city coz it’s not really soothing. It’s an acid rain and therefore corrosive, (chuckle).
I just had this thought: Intellectual gap between UPians and others is a given, but economic and income gap is very evident. UST students most often than not have cars; an Atenista is likely to be seen in a car discharging loud music while causing traffic along Katipunan Avenue; and a Lasalista in a car beside a girlfriend/boyfriend. UPians on the other hand are usually seen inside jam packed jeepneys. However, because of the changing character and philosophy of UP, majority of the students now belong to higher economic strata.
Nakakainis na TOFI, sana nag-aaral ako ngayon ng Econ 115 pero kailangan ko pang tapusin ang statement ng pagtutol dito. Nakakainis na HSA, kailangan tuloy naming magpa-forum tungkol dito. Nakakainis ang dean, walang tambayan ang mga tao paralisado tuloy ang recruitment at activities. Nakakainis na bagong walkway sa LT at drinking fountains, nahahamig tuloy ang iba na suportahan ang TOFI. (TOFI is an issue of UP being a state university-Prof. Roland Simbulan) Nakakainis na sistema.
Sometimes, a walk under the rain helps you contemplate on things.
It all boils down to commercialization of education, to commercialization of a basic right.(sigh)
“ Fighting for greater state subsidy isn’t merely a call for more money. It is a cry to our government to open its eyes and see that it is slowly choking the life out of our country’s youth, our future. It compels the government not just to give money but also assess where most of it necessarily goes.”
-UP Diliman University Student Council
Quotable Quotes from Feminists
"In my heart, I think a woman has two choices: either she's a feminist or a masochist."
—Gloria Steinem
"People think at the end of the day that a man is the only answer [to fulfillment]. Actually a job is better for me."
—Princess Diana
"I think the key is for women not to set any limits."
— Martina Navratilova
"For what is done or learned by one class of women becomes, by virtue of their common womanhood, the property of all women."
—Elizabeth Blackwell
(The first woman in the U.S. to become a physician)
"In passing, also, I would like to say that the first time Adam had a chance he laid the blame on a woman."
—Nancy Astor
(British Politician)
"The day will come when men will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside, but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes that shall result in the highest development of the race."
—Susan B. Anthony
“The reason why there are few women at the top is that they have no wives to help them.”
—Gloria Steinem
"People think at the end of the day that a man is the only answer [to fulfillment]. Actually a job is better for me."
—Princess Diana
"I think the key is for women not to set any limits."
— Martina Navratilova
"For what is done or learned by one class of women becomes, by virtue of their common womanhood, the property of all women."
—Elizabeth Blackwell
(The first woman in the U.S. to become a physician)
"In passing, also, I would like to say that the first time Adam had a chance he laid the blame on a woman."
—Nancy Astor
(British Politician)
"The day will come when men will recognize woman as his peer, not only at the fireside, but in councils of the nation. Then, and not until then, will there be the perfect comradeship, the ideal union between the sexes that shall result in the highest development of the race."
—Susan B. Anthony
“The reason why there are few women at the top is that they have no wives to help them.”
Monday, July 2, 2007
What is the Tagalog translation... (just for laughs)
1. black hawk down - ibong maitim sa ibaba
2. dead man's chest - dodo ng patay
3. i know what you did last summer - uyy... aminin!
4. love, actually - sa totoo lang, pag-ibig
5. million dollar baby - 50 million pisong sanggol (it depends on the
exchange rate of the country)
6. the blair witch project - ang proyekto ng bruhang si blair
7. mary poppins - si mariang may putok
8. snakes on a plane - nag-ahasan sa ere
9. the postman always rings twice - ang kartero kapag dumutdot laging
dalawang beses
10. sum of all fears - takot mo, takot ko, takot nating lahat
11. swordfish - talakitok
12. pretty woman - ganda ng lola mo
13. robin hood, men in tights - si robin hood at ang mga felix bakat
14. 4 weddings & a funeral - kahit 4 na beses ka pang magpakasal,
mamamatay ka rin
15. the good, the bad and the ugly - ako, ikaw, kayong lahat
16. harry potter and the sorcerer's stone - adik si harry, tumira ng shabu
17. click - isang pindot ka lang
18. brokeback mountain - may nawasak sa likod ng bundok ng tralala
/bumigay sa bundok
19. the day of the death - ayaw tumayo (ng mga patay)
20. waterworld - basang-basa
21. there's something about mary - may kwan sa ano ni maria
22. employee of the month - ang sipsip
23. resident evil - ang biyenan
24. kill bill - kilitiin sa bilbil
25. the grudge - lintik lang ang walang ganti
26. nightmare before christmas - binangungot sa noche buena
27. never been kissed - pangit kasi
28. gone in 60 seconds - 1 round, tulog
29. the fast and the furious - ang bitin, galit
30. too fast, too furious - kapag sobrang bitin, sobrang galit
31. dude, where's my car - dong, anong level ulit tayo nag-park?
32. beauty and the beast - ang asawa ko at ang nanay nya
33. the lord of the rings - ang alahero
2. dead man's chest - dodo ng patay
3. i know what you did last summer - uyy... aminin!
4. love, actually - sa totoo lang, pag-ibig
5. million dollar baby - 50 million pisong sanggol (it depends on the
exchange rate of the country)
6. the blair witch project - ang proyekto ng bruhang si blair
7. mary poppins - si mariang may putok
8. snakes on a plane - nag-ahasan sa ere
9. the postman always rings twice - ang kartero kapag dumutdot laging
dalawang beses
10. sum of all fears - takot mo, takot ko, takot nating lahat
11. swordfish - talakitok
12. pretty woman - ganda ng lola mo
13. robin hood, men in tights - si robin hood at ang mga felix bakat
14. 4 weddings & a funeral - kahit 4 na beses ka pang magpakasal,
mamamatay ka rin
15. the good, the bad and the ugly - ako, ikaw, kayong lahat
16. harry potter and the sorcerer's stone - adik si harry, tumira ng shabu
17. click - isang pindot ka lang
18. brokeback mountain - may nawasak sa likod ng bundok ng tralala
/bumigay sa bundok
19. the day of the death - ayaw tumayo (ng mga patay)
20. waterworld - basang-basa
21. there's something about mary - may kwan sa ano ni maria
22. employee of the month - ang sipsip
23. resident evil - ang biyenan
24. kill bill - kilitiin sa bilbil
25. the grudge - lintik lang ang walang ganti
26. nightmare before christmas - binangungot sa noche buena
27. never been kissed - pangit kasi
28. gone in 60 seconds - 1 round, tulog
29. the fast and the furious - ang bitin, galit
30. too fast, too furious - kapag sobrang bitin, sobrang galit
31. dude, where's my car - dong, anong level ulit tayo nag-park?
32. beauty and the beast - ang asawa ko at ang nanay nya
33. the lord of the rings - ang alahero
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Freed(om)
“If the freedom of one man oppresses another, is it then still freedom?”
Here are some of the comments by the people who received my text:
Cheng Abarquez:
“One man’s oppressor is another man’s freedom fighter.”
Her point? Freedom is relative.
Mam Baguilat:
“Freedom comes with responsibility otherwise there will be an abuse of ones freedom.”
I believe that every thing comes with responsibility. Academic freedom goes hand in hand with academic responsibility. And so does other things.
Sir Arcilla:
“Freedom enlarges people’s capacities and power. It is not a zero sum game. Freedom is structural, dapat lahat ay nakikinabang, hindi lang iilan kasi kapag ganun kahit na the oppressed are free to fight dapat ang alipin ay malaya na. History is a continuing struggle for freedom but the fact that it must be gained with the blood of the oppressed means that freedom is not solely individual based. Society, in a given time, defines what freedom is, based on the interest or power of those who benefit from such a definition. It then uses all of its apparatus, armed/non-armed to preserve the discourse.”
Sabi ko relative naman po ang mga bagay-bagay. Ang kalayaan po ba ng oppressed ay nangangahulugan na matatapakan iyong freedom ng mga naghaharing-uri?
“Freedom is always relative. But be careful of falling into an ideological trap. Freedom for the oppressed does not mean less freedom for the oppressor; in the struggle, the oppressed are redefining freedom.”
I am fond of using the theory of relativity mixed with the concept of subjectivity as an excuse for making standards and definitions.(harhar) Most of the time, defining things is a hard task :showing to someone what freedom is is easier than explaining it. In the process of defining freedom, you are already restraining its concept. I haven’t come up with my own definition of freedom yet because Jose Diokno said:
“ For what is freedom when there is no food, or justice when there are no jobs? A starving man does not have much freedom of choice and there is no justice in poverty. Food without freedom, jobs without justice, would be like leaves without a tree. Food and freedom, jobs and justice-these are the key to peace.” -Jose W. Diokno
For now, let’s stop defining things but rather let’s act to redefine things.
Now don’t ask me what freedom is. I’ll just show you what it is. (*wink*)
Here are some of the comments by the people who received my text:
Cheng Abarquez:
“One man’s oppressor is another man’s freedom fighter.”
Her point? Freedom is relative.
Mam Baguilat:
“Freedom comes with responsibility otherwise there will be an abuse of ones freedom.”
I believe that every thing comes with responsibility. Academic freedom goes hand in hand with academic responsibility. And so does other things.
Sir Arcilla:
“Freedom enlarges people’s capacities and power. It is not a zero sum game. Freedom is structural, dapat lahat ay nakikinabang, hindi lang iilan kasi kapag ganun kahit na the oppressed are free to fight dapat ang alipin ay malaya na. History is a continuing struggle for freedom but the fact that it must be gained with the blood of the oppressed means that freedom is not solely individual based. Society, in a given time, defines what freedom is, based on the interest or power of those who benefit from such a definition. It then uses all of its apparatus, armed/non-armed to preserve the discourse.”
Sabi ko relative naman po ang mga bagay-bagay. Ang kalayaan po ba ng oppressed ay nangangahulugan na matatapakan iyong freedom ng mga naghaharing-uri?
“Freedom is always relative. But be careful of falling into an ideological trap. Freedom for the oppressed does not mean less freedom for the oppressor; in the struggle, the oppressed are redefining freedom.”
I am fond of using the theory of relativity mixed with the concept of subjectivity as an excuse for making standards and definitions.(harhar) Most of the time, defining things is a hard task :showing to someone what freedom is is easier than explaining it. In the process of defining freedom, you are already restraining its concept. I haven’t come up with my own definition of freedom yet because Jose Diokno said:
“ For what is freedom when there is no food, or justice when there are no jobs? A starving man does not have much freedom of choice and there is no justice in poverty. Food without freedom, jobs without justice, would be like leaves without a tree. Food and freedom, jobs and justice-these are the key to peace.” -Jose W. Diokno
For now, let’s stop defining things but rather let’s act to redefine things.
Now don’t ask me what freedom is. I’ll just show you what it is. (*wink*)
See the difference
Sabi ni Recto pagkatapos matalo sa eleksyon:
"Honey, I’m home."
Sabi ni Loi ng hindi na muling tumakbo sa posisyon:
"Erap, here I come."
Sabi ni Palatino (KP Nominee)ng di pinalad ang KP na manalo:
"Mga kasama, hinihintay tayo ng masa."
"Honey, I’m home."
Sabi ni Loi ng hindi na muling tumakbo sa posisyon:
"Erap, here I come."
Sabi ni Palatino (KP Nominee)ng di pinalad ang KP na manalo:
"Mga kasama, hinihintay tayo ng masa."
5G
Kung dati-rati 3G lang ang formula para manalo sa halalan,
ngayong 5G na:
1.Guns
2.Goons
3.Gold
4.Garci
5.Gloria
-Raymond Palatino
ngayong 5G na:
1.Guns
2.Goons
3.Gold
4.Garci
5.Gloria
-Raymond Palatino
Saturday, June 23, 2007
A Poem on Poverty
She is the modern, technologically
advanced world of urban dwellers,
awake at night and asleep in the
middle of the day.
She is the factories breathing smog,
the industrial noise of machines
that slaves the people,
amidst a community full of children
running around barefooted, tummy bloated,
crying out of innocence and of ignorance.
She is the walls of the Hall of Justice
and the factory of laws, infested by elites-
land owners and grabbers.
She is the green meadows in the far side
of the mountains, where perseverance
is a virtue.
She is the lack of life.
One night she is hunger,
the other she is repression
of political, economic and
cultural freedom.
One midday she is discrimination,
the other she is ignorance
of laws and of rights.
She is the lack of money,
of education and of nutrition.
She is poverty.
advanced world of urban dwellers,
awake at night and asleep in the
middle of the day.
She is the factories breathing smog,
the industrial noise of machines
that slaves the people,
amidst a community full of children
running around barefooted, tummy bloated,
crying out of innocence and of ignorance.
She is the walls of the Hall of Justice
and the factory of laws, infested by elites-
land owners and grabbers.
She is the green meadows in the far side
of the mountains, where perseverance
is a virtue.
She is the lack of life.
One night she is hunger,
the other she is repression
of political, economic and
cultural freedom.
One midday she is discrimination,
the other she is ignorance
of laws and of rights.
She is the lack of money,
of education and of nutrition.
She is poverty.
Isang Tula Para sa Bubuyog na nahulog sa balon
Ang sikat ng araw ay nasa lunduan na,
patuloy pa rin ang abang magsasaka
sa pag-ani ng mga nakayukong palay,
habang ang araw ay panay ang paghalik
sa kanilang balat.
Tanging ang lupa sa kanilang kuko
at ang manipis na alikabok na kumapit
sa kanilang madurungis na paa
ang lupang kanilang pag-aari.
Salo ng aking mga palad ang aking mukha
habang taimtim kong minasdan ang mga
bubuyog sa tabi ng balon.
Tila humuhugot sila ng lakas sa malamig
na atmosperang dulot ng pinaghalong
tubig ng balon at sanga-sangang puno
ng molave sa gilid nito.
Muling inabot ng aking mga mata
ang kinalulugaran ng mga magsasaka,
habang ang bubuyog ay tinutunggali
ang kamatayan.
Gumewang kasi ang kanyang pakpak,
nahulog tuloy sa balong pinupugaran
ng mga palaka.
Habang nagpupumilit siyang lumutang
at umahon mula sa pagkakahulog,
pilit din niyang ikinampay ang kanyang
mga pakpak na ngayon ay pasan ang
bigat ng tubig.
Napaisip ako.
Ang buhay ng bawat isa sa atin ay
walang katiyakan.
Isang kapwa bubuyog ang umaligid
sa kanya; kung bakit ay hindi ko tiyak.
Hindi ko tiyak kung ito'y nangungutya
o ang nais lamang ay tumulong.
Napaisip ako.
Kapag ang tao ay may suliranin,
dalawang bagay lamang ang maaaring
itugon sa atin ng mga tao sa paligid.
Maya't maya pa'y kasalo na
ng bubuyog ang kanina'y umaaligid sa kanya.
Ngayon, pareho na silang nakikipaglaban
sa kamatayan.
Bawat galaw ng kanilang pakpak ay
nagsusumigaw ng kalayaan mula sa hirap
na dinaranas sa kanilang pagkahulog
sa malansang tubig.
Napaisip ako.
Kapag tulong-tulong sana,
mas masusulosyunan ang problema.
Kolektibo dapat.
Hindi ko na nalaman ang nangyari
sa dalawang bubuyog.
Posibleng nakita na nila ng harapan
ang kamatayan sa pagkalagot ng
kanilang hininga,
o kung di man ay natauhan ang ibang
bubuyog at pumasok sa isip nila
ang konsepto ng pakikipag-kapwa bubuyog.
Masuwerteng buhay pa sila kung ganoon.
Napaisip ako.
Sa mundong ito,
tayo ay nabubuhay sa pagitan
ng buhay at kamatayan,
ng kabutihan at kasamaan,
ng pagtulong at pagkibit-balikat.
Sa bubuyog na matapang na hinarap
ang hamon para pagsilbihan ang kapwa,
isang pagpupugay!
patuloy pa rin ang abang magsasaka
sa pag-ani ng mga nakayukong palay,
habang ang araw ay panay ang paghalik
sa kanilang balat.
Tanging ang lupa sa kanilang kuko
at ang manipis na alikabok na kumapit
sa kanilang madurungis na paa
ang lupang kanilang pag-aari.
Salo ng aking mga palad ang aking mukha
habang taimtim kong minasdan ang mga
bubuyog sa tabi ng balon.
Tila humuhugot sila ng lakas sa malamig
na atmosperang dulot ng pinaghalong
tubig ng balon at sanga-sangang puno
ng molave sa gilid nito.
Muling inabot ng aking mga mata
ang kinalulugaran ng mga magsasaka,
habang ang bubuyog ay tinutunggali
ang kamatayan.
Gumewang kasi ang kanyang pakpak,
nahulog tuloy sa balong pinupugaran
ng mga palaka.
Habang nagpupumilit siyang lumutang
at umahon mula sa pagkakahulog,
pilit din niyang ikinampay ang kanyang
mga pakpak na ngayon ay pasan ang
bigat ng tubig.
Napaisip ako.
Ang buhay ng bawat isa sa atin ay
walang katiyakan.
Isang kapwa bubuyog ang umaligid
sa kanya; kung bakit ay hindi ko tiyak.
Hindi ko tiyak kung ito'y nangungutya
o ang nais lamang ay tumulong.
Napaisip ako.
Kapag ang tao ay may suliranin,
dalawang bagay lamang ang maaaring
itugon sa atin ng mga tao sa paligid.
Maya't maya pa'y kasalo na
ng bubuyog ang kanina'y umaaligid sa kanya.
Ngayon, pareho na silang nakikipaglaban
sa kamatayan.
Bawat galaw ng kanilang pakpak ay
nagsusumigaw ng kalayaan mula sa hirap
na dinaranas sa kanilang pagkahulog
sa malansang tubig.
Napaisip ako.
Kapag tulong-tulong sana,
mas masusulosyunan ang problema.
Kolektibo dapat.
Hindi ko na nalaman ang nangyari
sa dalawang bubuyog.
Posibleng nakita na nila ng harapan
ang kamatayan sa pagkalagot ng
kanilang hininga,
o kung di man ay natauhan ang ibang
bubuyog at pumasok sa isip nila
ang konsepto ng pakikipag-kapwa bubuyog.
Masuwerteng buhay pa sila kung ganoon.
Napaisip ako.
Sa mundong ito,
tayo ay nabubuhay sa pagitan
ng buhay at kamatayan,
ng kabutihan at kasamaan,
ng pagtulong at pagkibit-balikat.
Sa bubuyog na matapang na hinarap
ang hamon para pagsilbihan ang kapwa,
isang pagpupugay!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
1952
1952
I see you in the eyes of the people
consumed by the idea
of death, in which we were born,
and in which we shall lurk upon our mortality
I see you in the face of the people
frenzied by intense anger,
agitated by the cause they are fighting for,
and together, we will transform their suffering.
I see you in hearts of the people
inspired by love as you go on fueling the fire
of adoration to the Master,
for when we feel it, we show it
I see you
I feel you.
And yet all I know
is that you are
A memory somewhere
in time—in 1952.
**This poem is actually a code.This is for someone I cherish the most.
I see you in the eyes of the people
consumed by the idea
of death, in which we were born,
and in which we shall lurk upon our mortality
I see you in the face of the people
frenzied by intense anger,
agitated by the cause they are fighting for,
and together, we will transform their suffering.
I see you in hearts of the people
inspired by love as you go on fueling the fire
of adoration to the Master,
for when we feel it, we show it
I see you
I feel you.
And yet all I know
is that you are
A memory somewhere
in time—in 1952.
**This poem is actually a code.This is for someone I cherish the most.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Arroyo warned of Marcos’, Somoza’s experience
Inquirer
Last updated 09:06am (Mla time) 05/28/2007
Every time the US Wall Street is on the verge of collapse, a global war breaks out. According to Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, the greatest threat facing America today is not terrorism or foreign economic competition or illegal immigration but the disastrous fiscal policies of its own government, allegedly marked by shameless deficit spending and dollar devaluation. When corporate America fails, the military industrial complex acts to save it. The problem is, it transfers the blame for creating state-sponsored terrorists -- like Bin Laden, Ramzi Yousef -- from their “operators” to other nation-states.
Allies who, the “establishment” believes, shift their loyalty to their perceived enemy suffer the consequences. Look what happened to Marcos, the Shah of Iran, Noriega of Panama, Diem of Vietnam, Hussein of Iraq, Somoza of Nicaragua, all “American boys” but ousted by their colonial master.
The Nicaraguan experience is very relevant to the Philippine situation today. US Marines were sent to Nicaragua to back up Anastasio Somoza’s martial law. But after several years, he became a nationalist and started defying the secret orders of Washington which, in response imposed economic sanctions. Nicaragua experienced an economic slowdown and corruption became endemic. Somoza’s military became his sole protector.
The assassination of Joaquin Chamorro, the editor of the anti-Somoza newspaper La Prenza, agitated the restive Nicaraguans. A déjà vu of the Ninoy Aquino assassination and the political killings happening under the Arroyo presidency. Chamorro’s death emboldened the Sandinista National Liberation Front to fight the government, with the help of Nicaragua’s confused citizenry. Nicaragua became ripe for anarchy and eventually plunged into a civil war.
The Sandinista ousted Somoza and took over the government in 1979. But when the Sandinista gave the Nicaraguans a chance to decide their own future, it got the ire of the US government. The Reagan-Bush administration started funding and arming the “Contra war” to undermine the Sandinista regime.
The Arroyo administration should be wary of this pattern of history, especially now that the President is perceived to be using her China card. Political observers were amazed when the United States and the United Nations warned the Arroyo administration about the ongoing human rights violations and the political killings. There is the perception that the atrocities -- which continue despite the President’s order to stop them -- have the blessing of Malacañang.
Political pundits see both the American and Philippine governments as anti-communists. But why is the US establishment serious in investigating the alleged human rights violations, thus making the leaders of the progressive Left like Rep. Satur Ocampo look like a hero in the mold of Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua?
With a divided military, will history repeat itself?
—ERICK SAN JUAN,
Manila Bank,
Ayala Avenue, Makati City
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/letterstotheeditor/view_article.php?article_id=68248
Inquirer
Last updated 09:06am (Mla time) 05/28/2007
Every time the US Wall Street is on the verge of collapse, a global war breaks out. According to Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, the greatest threat facing America today is not terrorism or foreign economic competition or illegal immigration but the disastrous fiscal policies of its own government, allegedly marked by shameless deficit spending and dollar devaluation. When corporate America fails, the military industrial complex acts to save it. The problem is, it transfers the blame for creating state-sponsored terrorists -- like Bin Laden, Ramzi Yousef -- from their “operators” to other nation-states.
Allies who, the “establishment” believes, shift their loyalty to their perceived enemy suffer the consequences. Look what happened to Marcos, the Shah of Iran, Noriega of Panama, Diem of Vietnam, Hussein of Iraq, Somoza of Nicaragua, all “American boys” but ousted by their colonial master.
The Nicaraguan experience is very relevant to the Philippine situation today. US Marines were sent to Nicaragua to back up Anastasio Somoza’s martial law. But after several years, he became a nationalist and started defying the secret orders of Washington which, in response imposed economic sanctions. Nicaragua experienced an economic slowdown and corruption became endemic. Somoza’s military became his sole protector.
The assassination of Joaquin Chamorro, the editor of the anti-Somoza newspaper La Prenza, agitated the restive Nicaraguans. A déjà vu of the Ninoy Aquino assassination and the political killings happening under the Arroyo presidency. Chamorro’s death emboldened the Sandinista National Liberation Front to fight the government, with the help of Nicaragua’s confused citizenry. Nicaragua became ripe for anarchy and eventually plunged into a civil war.
The Sandinista ousted Somoza and took over the government in 1979. But when the Sandinista gave the Nicaraguans a chance to decide their own future, it got the ire of the US government. The Reagan-Bush administration started funding and arming the “Contra war” to undermine the Sandinista regime.
The Arroyo administration should be wary of this pattern of history, especially now that the President is perceived to be using her China card. Political observers were amazed when the United States and the United Nations warned the Arroyo administration about the ongoing human rights violations and the political killings. There is the perception that the atrocities -- which continue despite the President’s order to stop them -- have the blessing of Malacañang.
Political pundits see both the American and Philippine governments as anti-communists. But why is the US establishment serious in investigating the alleged human rights violations, thus making the leaders of the progressive Left like Rep. Satur Ocampo look like a hero in the mold of Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua?
With a divided military, will history repeat itself?
—ERICK SAN JUAN,
Manila Bank,
Ayala Avenue, Makati City
http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/letterstotheeditor/view_article.php?article_id=68248
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