Thursday, April 27, 2017

MOST OPPRESSED IN METROMANILA




WHO ARE THE MOST OPPRESSED PEOPLE OF METROMANILA? THE PEDESTRIANS AND THE COMMUTERS, OF COURSE.

YET MAJORITY OF THEM ARE WORKING PEOPLE CONTRIBUTING TO THE ECONOMIC ADVANCEMENT OF THE COUNTRY.



1. Pedestrians have to contend with sidewalks which have different heights -- most of the time causing them to trip over. Actually, anywhere we go around MetroManila and other cities, a standard height of sidewalks should be made, not according to the whim of the construction company.

I have suffered a lot from such sidewalks, especially along Ortigas which is not well-lit at night. I was crossing the street when I didn't know there was a center-island sidewalk at all. The color was the same as the street whereas it should have had a yellow lining around it and should be luminous at night. 

2. Commuters have to withstand having to ride jeepneys with the same problem -- different  heights of step to get inside. I must hold both bars on the left and right in order to get on instead of just stepping in with a grasp of one bar. 

3. Inside tricycles are all steel wallings and ceiling. When the drivers are crazy and think they own the road, the passengers could bump their heads on the steel wallings. No protection at all for them, not even insurance. And who would sue the driver here in the Philippines? No one would listen, not even if you complain to high heavens. 

4. Local officials think it is cute to have overpasses all over MetroManila whereas they are the ugliest blot in the skyline - steel bars that look like they have just come out of the factory and the construction company built the overpass with it in order to recoup the commissions that he had had to shell out to win the public bidding. 

Folks, no design at all; just simple welding here and there. 

5. Worse yet, Folks, majority of the overpasses do not have escalators nor elevators. Some have but are not functioning, never function, or perhaps had functioned but are no longer maintained. 

So pity the senior citizens, the pregnant women and children, the people with disabilities as they have to negotiate these oppressive overpasses.

By the way, except for the Ayala stations, LRT 1, MRT 2 and 3  do not have escalators and elevators. 

The proposed budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways is P458.61 billion while last year it was P397.11, an increase of P61.5 Billions or 15.49%.  

How much of the new budget will go to alleviate the problems of commuters and pedestrians, most of whom are trying to eke out a living?

There is a commuters association but it is not so much involved in the paths of their constituents than the smooth and efficient transport systems. 


Photo above: Street Art Utopia

https://pradaforbreakfast.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/beyond-the-mural-unconventional-street-art/

Monday, April 24, 2017

WHY CHRIST IS CHRIST



I am aghast at the type of Easter messages I hear over the radio. -- "As we died with Christ, so did we resurrect with Him." What kind of a message is that? Good God, whoever hears that would say, but I am not Christ. How could I die with him?

Then the message also talks of our getting cleansed of our sins. What sins are they talking about? Christ lived in an era where there was so much greed, oppression and fighting between traditional priests and Jesus. So what sins is the message talking about?

I believe in the teachings of Christ but making a parallelism between his life and mine is an entirely different thing. His having been a moral guide and a persevering servant of God are difficult to copy and could only serve as an ideal for us to inspire us to help others.

Also, I believe more in broadcasters' expounding on the value of the teachings of Christ rather than in romanticizing or mistifying his death.

His death was a gory experience and nowhere would people want to die in that manner except for some who have done it yearly, that is being nailed on the cross.

So the writer of that radio message has a distorted view of faith -- very masochistic I must say. I hope the station company president would replace it with a more humane message, more attuned to strengthening our faith on the Christian teachings rather than wallowing in poor imitation of the death of Christ.

Christ's message that I like best is "Feed my sheep."

-From Mayhem Mediums "Jesus carrying the cross"  www.saatchiart.com

Friday, April 21, 2017

WHEN EATING IS NOT A HEALTHY HABIT

Flies and Food Clip Art Image - two flies flying around food.


"Magkano ang turon, kasama ang alikabok?"

"Magkano ang kwek-kwek, kasama ang polusyon?"

I ask the sidewalk vendors this way because I want to make them conscious that they are selling unhealthy food to their decent customers who pay them without asking nor criticizing their food handling 

Is it not rather irritating that we spend so much for health and yet the very simple act of demanding that sidewalk vendors observe simple clean, hygienic foodhandling is not even done?

A news report says: MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is still one of the unhealthiest countries in Asia, lagging behind India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka.


Based on a survey by pan-Asian insurance giant AIA Group, the Philippines scored 61 out of 100, below the regional average of 64. It is tied for ninth overall with Korea, India and Singapore.
Ironically, we are spending billions for health as the budget for 2017 is P144.3 billion ($3.04 billion), 15.4% higher than 2016 figures.
Why do the Filipino people patronize sidewalk food stalls? It's cheap to eat there than at restaurants. Kwekkwek is P20 per 5 balls depending on the place; turon is P12 to 15 and contains saba with sugar  and langka if the vendor is generous enough. For a hungy student, this is one way of scrimping on expenses to make the allowance enough for the day. Contractual workers and some professionals stretch the value of their salaries by scrimping on food, like eating at those stalls. 
The dirty food in the sidewalk could cause stomach troubles and even "trangkaso" especially if the vendor should start coughing on it. You could even see a barbecue stand at a corner along Aurora Boulevard where jeepneys idlepark waiting for passengers and their "tambutso" blowing on the stall when departing and arriving. Yaki talaga! 
Eeky, isn't it? But I think the Business Permits section, the health sections of the local governments and the Departmen of Health itself should put their heads together to face this problem. Or else, we will be repetitively spending billions for health without gaining any health at all. 

Sunday, April 9, 2017

BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL MOVEMENT

Parang kaylan lang nag people power tayo. Malalim sa aking alaala yung nakahiga kami nga mga kasama ko sa kalye Mendiola at binabantayan ang Malakanyang; baka bumalik pa si Marcos at ang pamilya nya. Yun pala, kayraming mga bantay-salakay din na nagmula sa people power -- kumuha ng mga "souvenir items" na mga alahas ni Imelda at mga etsetera, male-maleta, balita ko. 

Hay naku. Kaydaming leksyon na matutunan tayo sa People Power na yan. 

Pero ang isang mahalaga na natutunan natin ay "timing." Napakaganda ng panahon para patalsikin ang diktadura noon. Sa totoo lang, nagsimula kaming mangalampag tungkol sa kapantayan bandang Disyembre ng 1982. At nang pinatay si Ninoy Aquino sa paliparan, noon Agosto 21, 1983, ay lalong sumiklab ang mga propaganda para maitaas talaga ang kahalagahan ng kababaihan. 

Tandang tanda ko pa, naglabas ako ng pulyetong ang pamagat ay "Feminista" noong libing ni Ninoy at sinabi ko run, ang paglutas ng problema ng bayan ay nasa Pilipinas, wala sa ibang bansa. Kailangang itaas natin ang karangalan ng kababaihan. 

Mula 1972 hanggang 1983 ay 11 taon. Pero ang pagmumulat na umaatikabo ay mula 1983 hanggang 1986, bale tatlong taon. Palagay ko, naging matagumpay tayo dahil sa nagagap natin ang mga pangyayari; may kontrol tayo sa kilusan para patalsikin si Marcos at ibalik ang demokrasya sa ating bayan. 

Siyempre, ang pagsusuri ng reconstruction period ay iba rin. Ang mahalaga ay naibalik ang mga kalayaang mamahayag, magsulat, magmartsa, magsalita sa radyo, mag FB sa ngayon at iba't ibang uri ng kalayaan. Kalayaang mamatay? Hoy, hindi yan kasali. 

Anyway, Folks, I am trying to compare our movement with that in the United States. The thievery of the presidential elections was conducted in November 8, 2016 at it is already five months; yet Congress is still in its investigative stage. "They talked to Russians; partied with Russians; secretly met with Russians; and telephoned Russians." Yet there was no connivance or conspiracy to destroy democratic processes?

Maybe the American way is different from ours. Our people are sensitive, highly sensitive which is why the military was able to capture the two Syrians who were in our midst, most likely plotting to threaten us or bomb us out of existence. 

The Americans depend too much on what is writtein in black and white; on what can be heard. But intuition, feeling our way through is our process. 

And another reason our restoration movement was successful was that everybody was involved, from the parents -- mothers, to the daughters, sisters, the women in the family anad the community -- up to the classes a and b. I remember having brought my daughter to Luneta when Cory was calling the people to boycott the companies identified with Marcos and his cronies, she tore up the flyers and through them in the air,  to see them fly as the people were shouting, "Ibagsak! Ibagsak!"That was why when I was going to Makati Ugarte Field to join the rallies there, I could smell perfume almost all around, with glittering jewels, fake or not fake. They must come in style, baby!

Whereas my group which went to EDSA, were urban poor women's groups, dark-skinned, yet laughing and smiling all the way, bringing with them bottles of water (not mineral yet) wrapped rice and fried fish just in case they needed to stay awhile and food would be very expensive to buy from the store around the area. 

Hence, one lesson we need to learn is that in a social movement, everyone, ALL, should be involved. 

Another lesson, No high falluting flyers please. Don't English me, I did not school. So Pilipino ang mga flyers. Even that Feminista which I published, was in Pilipino, and of two colors, red for banner and black ink for letters. 

Three, praying was part of our gatherings. Before the start of the rallies, usually there was a mass held, or a prayer led by a priest. 

Fourth, a movement is created in the streets and inside buildings. Inside the Congress, we saw how the Comelec employees walked out when the counting of votes was manipulated to favor Marcos. Outside, we received them. 

In the United States, the movement to produce credibility in the US presidential elections is now mainly concentrated in Congress. This I surmise because the papers cover mostly what is going on in the WH and Congress. What about the people? How do they accept the current situation?

The success of stopping the repeal of the Affordable Care Act is a triumph in the use of legislative processes. I just don't know how far that would go in righting a wrong when it comes to producing credibility of presidential elections. 

And so Folks, here we are trying to find out how to be successful in conducting mass movements amid threats of LINDOL. Right now, Batangas province has borne the brunt of 5.++ magnitude, what you could say is LINDOL BUNSO!

CHEERS!

Sunday, April 2, 2017

KONSERBATISMO, ANG KONSERBATIBO



Ang konserbatibo

Kapag sinabi nating konserbatibo, ang ibig sabihin ay sinauna.

Maraming mga suliranin sa ating lipunan ay dulot ng kawalan ng progresibo o isang bukas na isipan sa pagbabago.

Matagal ang pag-asenso natin dahil sa konserbatibong pananaw.

Ang mga Hapon ay umabante kaagad dahil isinulong nila ang pagkampanya laan sa pyudalismo, isang uri ng pananaw

Talakayin natin ang salitang ito.

Nung panahon ng mga Kastila sa ating bansa, dinala ng mga mananakop na pari at gubyerno Espanyol ang mga konservatibong pananaw tungkol sa kababaihan.

Pinagsuot sila ng mahahabang damit na dalawa o tatlong patong upang maitago ang kanilang mga binti na sa tingin nila ay nagdudulot ng masasamang kaisipan sa mga lalaki.

Ang edukasyon ay bawal sa mga babae, puwera na lamang ang edukasyon tungkol sa katesismo, sa pagbuburda at iba pang gawaing bahay.Iniluklok din sila bilang “ilaw ng tahanan,” ibig sabihin namamahala, gumagawa ng lahat ng gawaing bahay.

Bakit konserbatibo ang ginawa ng mga Kastila sa kababaihan? Kasi bago sila dumating, ang mga babae ay kapantay ng kalalakihan Maaari silang mamuno ng barangay, at sila ay pinunong tagadasal kapag may bagong ani, may namamatay, may pagdiriwang bayan, at marami pang iba.

Nang dumating ang mga Amerikano, binago nila ang pagturing sa kababaihan. Pinilit nilang bigyan ng edukasyon mula pagkabata hanggang sa tumuntong ng kolehiyo.

Taong 1937 nagkaroon ng karapatang bumoto ang mga babae kapantay ng mga lalaki.

Moderno na ba nuon ang kalagayan ng mga babae?

Hindi sapagka't hindi katulong ang mga lalaki sa gawaing bahay. Mga babae pa rin ang namamahala nito at sa katunayan, kung taghirap ang pamilya, ang babae ay magbibigay sa lalaking kapatid upang makapag-aral muna. Titigil siya at mamalagi sa bahay hanggang sa makatapos ang lalaki.

Sa maikling salita, may mga panahong tayo ay nalubog sa konserbatismo.

Fast forward tayo sa ngayon. May konserbatismo pa ba?

Natatanaw pa rin ang konserbatismo sa pagtingin:

1. Na ang buong lipunan ay isang malaking pamilya na may pinuno, at walang nagso-solong mga taong may sariling pananaw. Samakatuwid, kung ano ang iniisip ng pinuno, ay siyang dapat mamayani. Malapit-lapit na suportahan ng mga taong Konserbatibo ang Diktadura dahil sa ganitong pananaw.

2.  Takot ang mga Konserbatibo sa pagbabago. Sa kanila ang pagpapaunlad ng lipunan ay sa pamamagitan ng tuluy-tuloy na pamamayani ng pangkasalukuyang kalakaran. Kahit na may pang-aabuso ng mga tungkulin, ayaw nilang kumilos para masawata ito.

Halimbawa may isang tiwaling opisyal. Hihintayin nilang matapos ang termino nito bago palitan sa halip na palitan agad.

3. Sa larangan ng medisina, ang mga duktor na sarado sa pagtingin sa kakayahan ng mga natural at herbal na panggagamot ay isang uri ng konserbatismo. Mas gusto nilang sumandig sa nakagawiang paggagamut gamit ang mga medisinang kanluranin o kaya ay yung tinuro sa kanila ng kanilang mga paaralan na lubog sa medisinang kaalamang kanluranin. Ang mga kaalamang panggagamot ng mga indigenous groups natin ay isanasantabi

Sa eskuwelahan, ang mga guro na hindi nagbabasa ng mga bagong saliksik tungkol sa kanilang larangan at nagkakasya na lamang sa paulit-ulit na pagtuturo ng kanilang mga leksyong niluma na ng panahon ay mga konserbatibo.

Sa ating reliyon sa ngayon, ang mga konserbatibo ay ang mga nagsasalita ng ganito:


Nang tayo ay bininyagan sa pagkakapanganak ni Kristo, tayo ay bininyagan din sa kanyang kamatayan.

Bakit mali ito? Ang gusto ng nagsalita nito ay maging masokista tayo, mag-isip na tama ang tayo ay naghihirap at walang kailangang pagbabago. Kung si Kristo ay naghirap tayo pa kaya? Ito ang pahiwatig ng kanyang pananalita.

May isa pang pananalita: “Si Kristo ay naghirap, ipinako sa krus, namatay, at nabuhay muli.” Mangyayari ba yan sa ordinaryong tao, ang mamatay at mabuhay muli?

Konserbatismo ang tinuturo ng nagsasalitang ito, ang ideya ay dapat tayong maghirap na kaparis ni Kristo. At tayo ba ay mabubuhay muli? Yan ay isang malaking katanungan. Kailangang mamatay muna ang isang tao bago natin makita kung siya ay mabubuhay muli. Ang pagbabalik ni Kristo ay posible pero ang isang taong gagaya sa nangyari kay Kristo ay mahirap paniwalaan.

Sa larangan din ng reliyon, nariyan pa rin ang ideya na mga lalaki ang namumuno sa mundo. May isang banyagang pastor na nagwikang - “Let us understand man,” o Unawain natin ang lalaki. Ang babae ba ay lalaki? Hindi. Ang tawag sa pananalita niya ay “gender blind,” ibig sabihin ang lengguwahe niya ay sinauna – konserbatibo – sapagka't hindi niya kinikilala ang buhay ng mga babae. Dapat ang sabihin niya, Unawain natin ang buhay ng sangkatauhan hindi lamang ng lalaki.

Ang mga konserbatibong taga relihyon din ay may pagkiling sa pananaw na lahat ng tao ay may pagkakasala. Mahirap ang mga pananalitang ito sapagka't walang pagtatangi kung sino ang mas may malaking kasalanan at dapat parusahan. Tulad nito – ang kriminal ay tiyak na dapat parusahan. Pero ang hindi ba pangungumpisal ay pagiging makasalanan? Ang pagdarasal, hindi sa loob ng simbahan ba ay kasalanan? Samakatuwid, yung pangungusap na “Diyos ko, patawarin nyo po kami sa aming mga kasalanan,” ay parang di naaayon sa pangkasalukuyang pamumuhay natin.

Dapat ang pagdarasal ay magsasabi o dapat masundan ng pangungusap na, “Diyos ko bigyan nyo po  kami ng lakas upang mapangimbabawan namin ang pagkakasala. ” Ibig sabihin, hinihingi natin sa Diyos na huwag tayong dalhin sa lusak ng kasalanan.

Ang isa pang konserbatibong pananaw sa relihyon ay nabasa ko sa isang awit:
“I will make thine cross my crown.” Gagawin kong korona ang iyong kurus.”

Anong klaseng pananalita yan? Ang kurus ni Hesus, gagawin niyang korona? Anong klaseng korona? Mabigat yun ah, ang kurus ni Kristo ay kaylanman hindi natin dapat isuot ng korona. Ang ibig sabihin ng korona ay isang sinusuot upang parangalan ang isang tao. Yung koronang tinik na nilagay kay Kristo ay tinig ng mga makasalanan. At yun ay naiwaksi na nang siya ay mamatay sa kurus. Tapos heto ang isang kompositor na sasabihing, Ang iyong kurus ay gagawin kong korona.

Maraming mga pananaw na konserbatibo pa ang mahahalukay natin sa lipunan. Pakatandaan lamang natin na ang pagbabago ay kaylanman hindi manggagaling sa isang konserbatibo.