Tuesday, February 28, 2017

WANTED: HISTORY WARRIORS

Whenever the word history crops up, we often think of something old, something past, something that cannot be retrieved anymore save through people's memory bank. When my grandmother, Lola Abeng was still alive, she never married but did fall in love with a man who she said, “lumipat sa ibang kandungan.” She used to narrate to me stories of her younger days. Actually, she was very pretty and petite and wore long skirts, a loose blouse with an alampay, a scarf that she always had on her right or left shoulder she would use for wiping her sweat on the forehead, or for wiping food as she nibbles, or for wiping her saliva as she chewed betel nut. She is the perfect example of the Filipina who came from the Spanish period, grew up under the American period and saw her grandchildren up to post-independence days, in fact until the 60's.

During those times, to preserve the stories that she would tell me, I just used my memory, and now I cannot recall much. She told me though of the grandmother of my mother, Esperanza, as being tall, fair-complexioned and looking Spanish. Her family name was Advincula, while my mother's was Acuna, parehong tubong Tansang Luma, Imus, Cavite.

One thing that my mother told me though was that she and her mother used to go to Cavite, as they lived in Nueva Ecija. However, some guys took a fancy on her and so they did not go back there anymore.

My mother also told my elder sister, Adelina that she and her brother, Pioquinto, who became a Constabulary soldier and later died as one of the heroes revered in the Bataan March, transferred to Manila because her father had wanted her to marry a rich man in Nueva Ecija.

When Uncle Pio died in the Death March, my mother told me that she cried buckets of tears. By the way, her father, Pastor Sioson was a member of the Katipunan and saw how Andres Bonifacio was killed by the Magdalo group. Lolo Pastor heard Bonifacio cry out, “Mga Kapatid ko, bakit nyo ginagawa ito?” He was killed with a bolo, hacked to death in Mount Buntis.

When Lolo Pastor died, his bier was carried in a black limousine followed by my mother and President Emilio Aguinaldo in another car. His bier was covered with the Philippine flag. Pres. Aguinaldo, if we remember, was from Cavite.

Folks, our history is replete with heroic deeds of our ancestors and in this new millenium, I am afraid our sources of historical data could be fading away from this planet.

Today is 2017, and if we want data covering the turn of the century, I don't think we could get anymore original data, save those that have been written by researchers in the past. If we want data from the American period, we would also not get much because, those who lived during that era, would have been 107 (starting from 1910 to 2017) except those who had lived through the Japanese period from 1941 to 2017 who would be 76 by now. But maybe for American data, we could get those who lived from 1930 up to now, so then they would be around 87, barring all kinds of Alzheimer's and memory impairments attacking them.

What I am really saying Folks, is that we need HISTORICAL WARRIORS, those who are willing to risk their lives to unearth the past, who would go to the farthest distances in order to interview a good source of history, and usually they live in the provinces. We need people who would check and investigate the status of old homes that are reflective of the past eras, 50 years old and over, so that we could have a glimpse of how the people had lived then.

A house which is located in Quezon City, near the boundary with Manila, is 50 years old. One of the heirs has been trying to move mountains and heavens just to have it preserved. It is a big house on a large piece of land, 847 square meters. Nowadays, only buildings are built on huge tracts of land, not homes. Only tall buildings, high rise, are built on them in order for the owner to get back the costs of amellar, upkeep, salaries and huge profits for that matter.

Now this house has four bedrooms upstairs (it consists of two floors), all with toilets and baths with two rooms sharing one set. Then it also has a library, a living room, a dining room should the people living upstairs would want to have dinner there. The master's bedroom, occupied by the mother and stepfather when they were still alive, has a boudoir, where they would dress up, and where the mother would apply her make-up.

On the ground floor, three bedrooms, with one reserved as maid's quarters. Yes, Folks, when this was built in 1967, the original owners, a timber magnate from Agusan, had to have servants and their own bedrooms, which has a toilet beside it.

Then on the same ground floor, are one huge living room, the size of one fourth of the house itself. It also has two dining rooms, one reserved for daily use, and the other for occasions requiring the setting up of fiesta-like food, complete with a whole lechon, salads, and the like. I know this because my mother had taken me to one occasion then that was hosted by the owner of the house. .

Actually, my mother had taken me me there so I could talk to her and plead for the release of my former husband who was incarcerated at Camp Crame or Ipil, I can't remember exactly which one, because of subversion, and he was transferred from one place to another in the course of a two-year imprisonment which thus accounts for my forgetfulness. When you are under stress caused by political events, you would not really have a sharp memory of the things occurring around.

The owner knew the Defense Secretary of Marcos then, now former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. Unfortunately she demurred being involved in that kind of issue, as it could backfire against her and her businesses could be affected, or so she had thought then.

Anyway, this house also has a huge kitchen, the size of a bedroom, with a huge sink and switches should you wish to plug a coffee percolator, a bread toaster, or a pressure cooker. It really had all the works. Every room had switches for air-con units except the library and the maid's quarters. That was how the rich people lived then, or maybe until now. Spacious homes with plenty of rooms where one could retreat after a day's work.

The location of the subdivision is a flood-prone area, and so every year, the house sank in murky waters from the creek running parallel to, which is hardly cleaned up.

You see, Folks, that house is historical. Many people lived there. An internationally known painter developed his ideas initially on art there and was able to start his one-man exhibits. His aunt, who died very young in a motorcycle accident at age 33, was a multi-talented artist: able to paint many works, sculpt and create ceramic vases when she was till alive. Another daughter developed her homegardening ideas there as she would often come for a visit from the province. A son wrote many poems which won the co-first prize in Palanca there. Another son, ventured into rock music but developed habits that cut short his musical aspirations and so was sent to the province to keep him away from his barkada. Another daughter was able to compose music, to write books, to volunteer for political causes, to develop my videos and films while staying at the back house for servants. A grandson was able to graduate from a prestigious school and went on to become a highly paid corporate officer in a multinational company except that his life was cut short under questionable circumstances in Singapore. Two granddaughters have developed highly critical artistic eyes using them to run an art gallery in Makati displaying works with highly relevant themes by thoughtful artists

The house, which has always been visited by the waters that would flow from the higher areas of Quezon City, down to the Pasig River, and passing by the creek near the location, had made the minds of these residents think of the ephemeral character of life and so their acts had been quiet artistic and intellectual reactions – a positive result because of the impact of the surroundings.

Every old house has a story to tell of how the residents had lived. Some must have had greater impact on their societies, while others could have been mute witnesses to the socio-political processes in the country. Whatever their reactions have been while living in those old houses are highly important for writing the history of the society, of the country in general and deserve being written about if not preserved for a long time.

The home of National Artist for Music Lucrecia Roces Kasilag was demolished giving way to a tall builting. The home was made of wood, with big wood floorings on the second floor. It was very airy as it had huge windows that opened to the street outside where parades must have passed by often during the American and post-independence periods. The wall divisions had lattice-designs so that the wind would cross from the window and travel through all the rooms.

The wooden floors were well-maintained, very shiny and clean as Tita King was a meticulous homemaker apart from being a prolific composer.

Our former home in Mandalagan, Negros Occidental, surrounded by flowering plants, was nicely situated by the lake which went out to the high seas. Our childhood memories of rowing a boat up to the shore before the sea when it was low tide, of picking up “talangka” and sea shells are unforgettable. Now it is gone and the Bombo Radyo station is there in its new building. Maybe the house was not able to withstand the ravages of time.

I remember having had a “yaya” who disappeared for a while and when she resurfaced, she said she was abducted by a prince from the underground. She was pretty and probably the prince really had taken a fancy on her so that he had wanted her to be her princess. But she was able to escape fast.
Was it a true experience? We never know but then such supernatural stories are rife in places that have very little intrusions of technologically advanced gadgets

Nowadays, which children would have such memories close to Mother Nature? They seem to be very close to their cellphones or I pads which could only give them a vicarious experience of being with the seas, the forests, and the birds.

I really pity the millenial generations because they are being denied a very important experience of living in a natural world if they stick to staying in the cities.

Hence, let us inculcate through our schools, both formal and non-formal, the need to be attuned to the sounds of nature and to preserve its life.

Let us not allow our footprints in the world to be erased easily. Let us have History Warriors who would record every place, every event, every person that has a story to tell. In this way, we would always see our connections with the past, their significance in our present undertakings and their influence on how we plan our lives in the future. Connections of our past, present and future will insure that we do not get lost in the mirage of newness of gadgets nor in the ephemeral character of certain materialist experiences.



Sunday, February 26, 2017

CALL TO ACTION



Image result for barker clip art free download 
"A call to action (CTA) is an instruction to the audience 

designed to provoke an immediate response, usually 

using an imperative verb such as "call now", "find out 

more" or "visit a store today"."

This call to action is regularly used in advertising. However, we can also use it  when conducting mass actions. We now recall that during the People Power Movement in the Philippines, the call was to have our democratic rights restored in a peaceful manner. In that way, many people who had been burned by radical methods of bloody confrontations with the government could still be encouraged to join the mass movement. And of course, we were successful in that. 

The religious, the civil societies and sectors of the government joined us in booting out the dictatorship in a relatively bloodless way. 

In tomorrow's nationwide strike of the jeepneys who are protesting against the "modernization plans" of the government, the call of the drivers is to paralyze the transportation system in order to stop them. 

The strike is meant to dramatize the transport sector’s demands to put an end to the imposition of value-added tax on toll fees and oil products, “overpricing” by the big oil companies’ “cartel” and the Oil Deregulation Law.

The call to action, to stop driving is a very strong message to the government to finally face the main culprit in impoverishing the country: the Oil Deregulation Law which has been circumvented a lot by oil cartels. Instead of having oil prices  that are volatile and bound by market demands, the oil companies have banded together to impose higher prices for very measly excuses or none at all. Public hearings are even scuttled in the name of expediency. 

Yet the government is diverting the issue and instead is saying that it is the modernizing of the jeepneys that the drivers are against. And so with the call to action of the drivers we shall see tomorrow who will have the upper hand at convincing the public. 

Now the January 21st massive rally of women in Washington DC and other parts of the US, the call to action focused a lot on the anti-women messages of the current figurehead in the White House. The demonstration was well-attended but needs a follow up this time in order to focus on the main point: the sitting figure was not the winner in the last elections. He was just voted upon by a handful of electors. 

Now those who formulated the electoral college did not have the historical nor the sociological mindset in order to foresee the problems that could be spawned by that process. But still it is being upheld despite its loopholes. 


"The Electoral College is a process, not a place. The founding fathers established it in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens...(www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college)

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 considered several methods of electing the President, including selection by Congress, by the governors of the states, by the state legislatures, by a special group of Members of Congress chosen by lot, and by direct popular election. Late in the convention, the matter was referred to the Committee of Eleven on Postponed Matters, which devised the electoral college system in its original form. This plan, which met with widespread approval by the delegates, was incorporated into the final document with only minor changes. It sought to reconcile differing state and federal interests, provide a degree of popular participation in the election, give the less populous states some additional leverage in the process by providing “senatorial” electors, preserve the presidency as independent of Congress, and generally insulate the election process from political manipulation." (http://www.history.com/topics/electoral-college)

This system disregarded the millions of voters who opted for Hillary instead of Trump. In effect the system only considered the number of voters and not the essence of the voting process. The essence of the voting process is to insure that the choice of the majority of the people be put into office. 

Hence the call to action needed really is: NULLIFY THE 2016 ELECTIONS, UPHOLD THE VOTES OF THE 3 MILLION VOTERS.  

Why do we insist on this? That's because the political problems in the US are piling up, one after the other which can only be rooted to the flawed election results.

How should that be solved? With so many computer experts and the most advanced technologies, examining the votes could be easily done to address the problem of a fake presidency.



Thursday, February 23, 2017

WHAT?

Is it the food we eat? the air we breathe? the way we sleep? What is causing the world to stand on its head instead of its feet? 


Sunday, February 19, 2017

AS WE WAIT

May I suggest Folks that as we wait for developments, let us sing Mark Hayes song, "THOSE WHO WAIT ON THE LORD," which is a very inspiring song, based on Is 40:28-31 and Ps 121:1-2

Friday, February 17, 2017

HARASSMENT

After I wrote my article on "How to Dislodge Cheaters," I went to Makati to attend a lecture. I stopped by a kiosk selling siomai. Beside me stood a man, whom I did not bother to look at. But then I sensed something negative after sometime. I looked at him, and I saw he had a shirt with the initials USA on it. He had harassed me secretly and was acting nonchalantly. I could not accuse him frontally but I knew he was the only one who would do that. 

So the T Morality or Immorality has seeped into our soil, with a Fil-American as an agent to immobilize me from writing. Ugh! 

How disgusting! During the time of Noynoy Aquino, the harassers were the PNP intelligence group. Now it is the American spies? What are they doing here? Do they really read my writings?

I should learn judo so I could break the bones of that guy.  

Thursday, February 16, 2017

HOW TO DISLODGE CHEATERS

Image result for SUPERMAN MEXICAN PAINTINGWhy is it so difficult to change a society? Changes could mean an overhaul of a system, such as that of our own, from martial law to a democratic state ( or so-called, depending on whose side you are.), from a democratic to an autocratic or a democratic to a welfare or from an autocracy to a liberal democratic state. Many groups take chances at effecting changes in societies; some are successful, some are not. 

Now what are the reasons for attempts to fail in instituting changes?

1. Wrong people are leading the movement for change. Sometimes, infiltrators are able to worm their way in and convince the original leaders to give up some of their power to him or her;

2. The people who will benefit from the change/s are not ready to take up the cudgels; meaning, they just want to wait on the sidelines;

3. The wrong methods, which the people do not subscribe to, are being used by the leaders. such are the "sagasa style" or imposing a blueprint of the change the leaders want the people to embrace; or the "utak pulbura" style or the use of armed struggle despite the extreme rejection of the people who just want to live through their lifetimes;

4. The leaders are being supported by certain authorities who have a hold on the people in economic terms;

5.  The leaders know how to blind people to their ways, so that the mesmerization occurs -- the people develop excuses: aha, he's very good at speaking English; hey he talks like us, so he must be good; hey he knows how to massage our egoes; or hey he's giving away money to shut us up. |Who cares about the future? Today is the moment that I will enjoy life. What are morals for? Can you eat them? 

So for the do-gooders, check out the above and find out why your moves are not getting your desired results. 

So supposing you want to dislodge a cheater in the elections, how would you solve that problem? Please send me your comments in my email: miravera2010@gmail.com
 

Monday, February 13, 2017

MEGALOMANIA




According to the DSM-5, individuals with NPD have most or all of the following symptoms, typically without commensurate qualities or accomplishments:[8][11]
  1. Grandiosity with expectations of superior treatment from others
  2. Fixated on fantasies of power, success, intelligence, attractiveness, etc.
  3. Self-perception of being unique, superior and associated with high-status people and institutions
  4. Needing constant admiration from others
  5. Sense of entitlement to special treatment and to obedience from others
  6. Exploitative of others to achieve personal gain
  7. Unwilling to empathize with others' feelings, wishes, or needs
  8. Intensely envious of others and the belief that others are equally envious of them
  9. Pompous and arrogant demeanor

Andrew Sullivan says journalists should be talking about Trump's mental health


megalomania


meg·a·lo·ma·ni·a

  (mĕg′ə-lō-mā′nē-ə, -mān′yə)



n.
1. psychopathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of wealth,power, or omnipotence.
2. An obsession with grandiose or extravagant things or actions.

meg′a·lo·ma′ni·ac′ n.
meg′a·lo·ma·ni′a·cal (-mə-nī′ə-kəl)meg′a·lo·man′ic (-măn′ĭk) adj.

megalomania

 (ˌmɛɡələʊˈmeɪnɪə)
n
1. (Psychology) a mental illness characterized by delusions of grandeur, power,wealth, etc
2. informal a lust or craving for power
ˌmegaloˈmaniac adjn
megalomaniacal adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

meg•a•lo•ma•ni•a

 (ˌmɛg ə loʊˈmeɪ ni ə) 

n.
1. highly exaggerated or delusional concept of one's own importance.
2. an obsession with extravagant or grand things.
[1885–90]
meg`a•lo•ma′ni•ac, n.
meg`a•lo•ma•ni′a•cal (-məˈnaɪ ə kəl) meg`a•lo•man′ic (-ˈmæn ɪk) adj.

megalomania

1. Psychiatry. a form of mental illness marked by delusions of greatness, wealth, orpower.
2. an obsession with doing extravagant or grand things. — megalomaniac, n. megalomaniacal, adj.


1Medicine. a form of mental illness characterized by the unreasonable conviction inthe patient of his own greatness, goodness, power, or wealth.
2. an obsession with extravagant or grand actions. — megalomaniacn., adj. megalomaniacaladj.
See also: Insanity

megalomania (n.) "delusions of greatness," 1866, from French mégalomanie; see megalo-+ mania "madness."

megalomania

Arising from exaggerated valuation of oneself, this state is characterized by delusionsof grandeur.




Noun1.megalomania - a psychological state characterized by delusions of grandeurmegalomania - a psychological state characterized bydelusions of grandeur
delusions of grandeur - a delusion (common inparanoia) that you are much greater and more powerfuland influential than you really are
mental diseasemental illnesspsychopathy - anydisease of the mind; the psychological state of someonewho has emotional or behavioral problems serious enoughto require psychiatric intervention

When an official 

Sunday, February 12, 2017

PANAGHOY NI MONICA

'Monica S. Feria, 1954 - 2016'

PANAGHOY NI MONICA
1
SA PAPEL DUMADALOY ANG TINTA NG BUHAY,
SA PAPEL KUMIKINANG ANG LIGAYA AT TUWA NG SANGKATAUHAN
SA PAGDARAAN NG PANAHON
PINATITINGKAD ANG KULAY NG DAIGDIG
NAGKIKIPKIP NG PAG-ASA AT IKINAKALAT ITO
SA GITNA NG HAPIS AT LUHA
OO, OO, OO....

2
SAYA AT LUNGKOT

DUSA AT NGITNGIT

PAG-ASA'T PANLULUMO

PAGDIRIWANG AT PAGKABIGO

NAISUSULAT, NAPARARATING, SA MALIKHAING HUGIS,

SA LAHAT NG MGA PUMIPINTIG NA MGA PUSO
SA MGA BUHAY NA DIWA
SA MGA KALULUWANG YAKAP-YAKAP NG MAYKAPAL
OO, OO, OO....

3
HINDI, HINDI KAYLANMAN HIHINTO SA PAGTATANIM, PAG-AANI AT PAGPAPALAGANAP NG MGA
BAGONG KAISIPAN AT KILUSAN,
HINDI, HINDI KAYLANMAN HIHINTO
SA PAGPAPADAMA NG DAMDAMIN
SA MGA PUMIPINTIG NA MGA PUSO
SA MGA BUHAY NA DIWA
SA MGA KALULUWANG YAKAP-YAKAP NG MAYKAPAL
OO, OO, OO.

Sinulat ko ito noong A-2 ng Enero 2017 sa gitna ng aking matinding kalungkutang nadama sa pagpanaw ni Monica.



Sunday, February 5, 2017

HOW TO FREE 400 PRISONERS

DON'T SHOOT (Mike Brown) by workerOur country is stepping backward againDON'T SHOOT (Mike Brown) by worker with the two forces: government military and the New People's Army facing each other again. How many mothers will lose their sons and daughters? How many wives will become widowed? How many children will be orphaned? How many communities will be ransacked, burned, demolished and abandoned because of the encounters. 

The problem is very simple to solve: If the Communist Party of the Philippines wants 400 political prisoners to be freed, please, let us know their names and get their views and plans for a new life without war. We need to give them a chance to lead a life free from secretly plotting here and there. 

Therefore, I suggest that all those 400 political prisoners be evaluated, their promise to lead a peaceful life secured. I am sure many of them want to make a clean break already from the radical path which only has left them feeling numb, unfeeling and desensitized to the needs for emotional warmth of their children and their relatives in general. They could discover that love of country can entail a lot of approaches if only given the chance. 

Also, let us have a battalion of psychiatrists who will determine if their plans are sincere or not. 

I hope that goodness will always surface in any society so long as people maintain their faith in God and in humanity. 


Clip art by Mike Brown