IT'S NO LONGER FUNNY! LET US SUFFER NO MORE!

                                                               






Melinda "Mei" Magsino

Philippine Daily Inquirer

April 13, 2015, in Batangas City, Philippines

Magsino, 40, a former correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, was shot dead before noon near her apartment in the village of Balagtas. Police citing security footage said the gunman escaped on a black and white Honda motorcycle driven by another man, according to news reports.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), an agency in the Philippines government tasked with investigating high-profile cases, said it was searching for the two suspects, who had waited and followed Magsino as she exited her apartment. The agency said it was also looking for a group of men who were in a maroon van, who served as backups for the killers, Vicente de Guzman, NBI's acting deputy for investigation, said, according to news reports.

Magsino's friends and family attributed her murder to her years-long investigation of local officials. Magsino had reported on local corruption, including a governor's alleged links to illegal gambling, and wrote exposés for news outlets such as the Inquirer and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

Actually the list of media killings is long. The latest is that of a radio broadcaster in Ozamiz City. Not only are killings happening here. Even abroad, the Islamic terrorists are into the same business of obliterating people on earth with nary a sense of guilt. These people also rape girl children and use Quran passages to defend their acts. 

Why is life so cheap nowadays? Perhaps we should have researches on how to talk with the dead and for us to be able to go to the other world and come back on earth. In this manner, killings could be minimized for it would be useless to conduct them as people can always come back one earth if they want to. That is really funny. \

But I think it is only the government which can define whether human lives should be respected or not. The way officials react to killings should define how the ordinary folks themselves should deal with other humans. If officials are insensitive the the killings would look as ordinary events. If they react with great uproar, then that means lives are important and they should be protected. 

If they ignore murders and killings then that means, we need to check whether we have the proper government or not for our country. 

I think every government agency should have protocols on how to react to killings. The Public Information Agency, the Secretary for Communications, PTV 4, Radio BR, and all other government communication outlets should magnify those issues pertaining to media killings, especially. They should not look nonchalant and appear innocent, have an "e dI wow" attitude, or end their reactions to giving money to the families of victims. Genuine caring should be cultivated. 

For another example, when an OFW died in the prison cell, did we hear any reaction from the DOLE,  the OWWA, the POEA or the DFA? Nada, my friends. I just heard over DZXL the pleadings of the mother for the return of the body of her son whom he talked to a few days ago. 

Eventually, when God will call all of us to account for our actions, how shall we respond? "A, er, God, e, ...I don't remember. Is that important  to do?"

Funny indeed. life is so cheap that to see blood spilt on the road no longer brings us horror. Parang nakakita lang tayo ng baboy na kinatay at nakalatag sa kalye. This was how I saw people crowding around a young teenager sprawled along Commonwealth Avenue and with blood spread around him. They did not look horrified. 

And maybe, the Education Department could start extra sessions after academic classes to ingrain among the children and all students from elementary to college the value of human life. Humanities classes, subjects should be given emphasis. 

We were able to undergo many Humanities subjects at UP -- about western art, literature, and films when we were in college. They immersed us  on how the western world values artworks which are individual expressions of artists and writers. 

Coupled with humanities subjects should be lessons on the environment to make the students and especially children value living things which could extend to making human lives themselves important. 

I think our culture has undergone too much destruction -- especially with the high rise in drug-related incidents.  A need exists to deeply examine what has gone wrong with our culture so that murders, killings and all kinds of destruction of living people and things will be stopped forever. With regard to the Islamic countries' dilemma of dealing with the terrorists, I also think that they should have a united front against "suicidal bombings" and beheadings. I think that their religion could stand a bit of reinterpretation should it not be too explicit on how to deal with such issues. 

How long shall we suffer now? According to Brahma Kumaris sisters and brothers, Pain is real, but Suffering can be ended. Meaning -- we could experience pain but it does not mean we should allow it to fester in our system. 

ROUGH SAILING FOR GRACE POE

The way Grace Poe is testing the presidential election waters, it seems she is being tossed by the waves of criticisms coming from the camps of those who have similar motives.

That is "normal" in Philippine politics. Women will always have a difficult time offering themselves as public servants. Miriam Defensor Santiago receive the most difficult treatment -- being cheated of her votes. That is actually what we should guard against should Grace Poe run. The taunts against her running for the top post are nothing insulting than being deprived of that legitimate right to assume the post. 

Now, Susan Roces dipped into the political waters recently to defend Grace. That is also "normal" as she is the mother. However, a statement from her could have sufficed. Ms. Roces is an actress and so to hear or see her defend her daughter should be done when Grace is already a candidate. She could talk about the personal experiences of her raising a conscious child, a child who will be serving the country later on, the traits that Grace has for being a socially-aware child. Then, how did she influence her decision to study in the United States? How did she feel when Grace decided to take up American citizenship and then renounce it? How did Grace look at her and her husband's profession? How will Grace help the movie and video industries once she gets to be president? How will she help women and children? How will she deal with the raping of girl children or the crimes against women. 

Meanwhile, media folks I think should not pit women candidates against each other. Pinagsasabong. That is so disastrous to the women's movement to gain equality in society. We are not here to compete but rather help each other be strong to become good public servants for the people, to be strong advocates for raising our country to the heights of being a humane place for everyone regardless of age, sex, color of the skin, religion and political creed -- except that of the creed of terrorists. 

So to our great Kababayan, let us help each other get the right people to the government -- public officials whose hearts will be on the right place and who have the strength of character to become leaders. 

Picture of Grace from BoholChronicle.com

Greatness IV

Why do I need to breakdown my article into three parts? While starting my article on seeing the five-hundred peso bill, my computer shut down without my punching the button. 

So I presumed, I need to start my article with my premises. Folks, our politics is highly critical; we have ultra-sensitive authorities who would pay people to stop any contrary idea to that of the government people from surfacing. 

GREATNESS III

Maybe to introduce ourselves to the habit of being and doing great, we need to think and act like the eagle. It has sharp eyes, wide span of wings, and can soar into high mountains. Some can even focus on any prey which are located two miles away. 

Greatness requires the emotions of eagles -- angry when their territory is invaded, especially when their nests are attacked. We must have their eyes, able to see and fight corruption from Batanes to Tawi-Tawi. 

GREATNESS II

Yesterday, I was examining the pictures of Cory and Ninoy on the five-hundred peso bill and suddenly I wondeR if PNoy is nearing the line of becoming as great as his parents, Ninoy sacrificing his life to help restore democracy in his country, in effect disloding Marcos from his post as martial ruler; while Cory leading the restoration through People Power.

If PNoy should earn a place in our roster of great people, what moves will he do in order to refurbish his tarnished image due to mistakes in governance and advice of his own people and the lack of intense energy and purest of intentions of his cabinet members to truly serve the people.   

I think it is time for him to truly look for a good adviser who will teach him how to be great, if ever he wants his presidency to be rendered meaningful when he steps down. And that means doing something for the people's welfare and not messing up as to who we will vote for come 2016.

Buena Suerte!

GREATNESS 1

What is greatness? Where does it lie? What moves can make an individual great? Is greatness a virtue or an ideal that needs to be pursued or does it fall on one's lap accidentally while existing on this earth?

Some persons appear great because every move of theirs goes to achieving something unique, something unusual which nobody else has done. For example are athletes who top the scores of others and emerge as champions in the field that they have chosen. Another set of great people are the inventors whose inventions give thousands, millions or help others ease their lives -- whether physically or otherwise. Still others are those in the generally helping business, whether they belong to a government or any advocacy group.

I remember our teacher in economics, Mr. Socrates who asked us -- twenty years from now, how do you perceive the society to be -- how many will be in the bottom, in the middle, and at the top. I submitted a drawing model whereby there were many people at the bottom and only a few at the top, meaning that there will be many people enjoying the natural resources of the country and only a few rulers or rich peole above them. 

It was a disastrous drawing model because the teacher interpreted it as many people at the bottom being dictated upon by a few. Anyway, that was a different idea from what I had had while drawing it. 

Today, I think nowhere are we nearing any model where many people will be enjoying the manna from heaven -- our bountiful harvests from land and sea. 

And

REVIEW: AMPALAYA THE MUSICAL

REVIEW: AMPALAYA THE MUSICAL

by Wilhelmina S. Orozco

Watching a musical play like Ampalaya the Musical is a total entertainment – it has dialogues, singing,dancing, and orchestral background music provided by the Orkestra Sin Arco (Orchestra without bow) led by the composer and conductor Maestro Michael Dadap. The setting is simply done – on the left side is a slide which is drawn like an open ampalaya with the seeds on it and where Ampalaya would retreat now and then. On the right is a terrace-like structure with a few stairs where the other veggies came up and down to the stage. Then at the center is a leaf screen where inside, animated figures – leaves, butterflies, fireflies – flitted here and there, a kind of amplification of the forest setting.

The story, set in the town of Sariwa, revolves around the conflict started by Ampalaya against the other vegetables who have been living peacefully with each other. She steals of bit from everyone as she envies their appearance and flees. When the other veggies finds out about the theft, they seek the help of a wise Nuno sa Punso and then bring Ampalaya to the court of justice. After being sentenced, Ampalaya is remorseful and the play ends with everyone singing and uniting happily.

Dessa Quesada, the director with Vera Libertad

The movements in Ampalaya are very smoothly done, showing that a theatre person has been behind it. Dessa Quesada the director gives every character a prominent position when speaking so that even from where I was, I would know who is speaking what lines. The transitions from the blocked movements to the choreographed dancing are also done very smoothly so that the show simply passes from one scene to the other.

The music of Maestro Michael Dadap, who wrote the libretto and the lyrics as well, does not show any tinge of Broadwayish strains as he revealed after the show, he was very conscious of all the Philippine music that have to be incorporated in it. The dialogue uses three languages-- Pilipino, English and Visayan – and so, using another kind of musical genre would have made it highly incongruous to the over-all identity of the play. The pieces are twenty all in all, including an Overture, an Intermezzo and a Reprise of Halina

M. Dadap with Ms. Mathilda Limbaga from Silliman University, who trained students in the COPVA Rondalla which has evolved to be the Orkestra Sin Arko today.

I just have one comment to make, and this is about the costumes. Some of the veggie actors look like elves with half of their lower bodies cut like the vegetable they are supposed to be portraying. The upper half is just plain blouse or shirt of fa different color. So Kamatis has a red skirt, Onion, magenta, etc. Over-all I feel that the costumes have too many colors in them, so that while watching, I have to review again and again who is speaking – that is, what vegetable.

For a theatrical show, lines on costumes have to be simple as the viewing is done from a larger perspective. Colors per character have to be minimal except if it were a clown, I suppose. Theatre is different from film watching which can provide a close-up of the characters and even their costumes.

Moreover, the Ampalaya hats used are nice to look at singly, but when they come as a collective presentation, the actors lose their distinctive characterization. They almost look too similar to each other. Then the make-up also is very colorful and nice to look at, if they are examined one by one. However, when the story unfolds, it is very difficult to distinguish one character from the other.

In addition, the costumes of the jury appear straight from some European fairytale – so much like the costume of Angelina Jolie in Maleficent. Suddenly, these characters were set off as different from the rest, by their tasks, okay but should not be by their physical appearance. If we search our books on anthropology or even visit indigenous tribes,we could be inspired by much more colorful costumes that could depict the moral qualities of the jury.

I have not read the story of Ampalaya yet but the author, Augie Rivera, Jr. is highly satisfied with the musical interpretation. However, may I add that Maestro Dadap has brought the story many notches higher and immortal in the annals of our people's theatrical history as he has given us music that has Philippine color all throughout, and presented it to us with an orchestra that is indigenously Filipino also and playing awit, kumintang (a warlike song he says) and kundiman.

Credit is due the singers who all sang in tune even the high notes. They exhibited great skill in delivering their songs even while moving about. Actually, that requires extra knowledge – opening your mouth, making a melody come out, singing in tune with the orchestra and then exhibiting the emotions that your character is supposed to be expressing.

Jerry Angelo who entertained questions from the audience and who wrote the dramaturg.

One positive thing is that Mo, a staff member elicited comments from the audience after the presentation. This is a very important part of any presentation as the un-understandable parts of a presentation can be clarified. So the children viewers came up with questions apropos to the story like, “why do you have a slide in the set?” and “why is Ampalaya bad?”

The producer of the play which has a cast of 18 and 23 orchestral instrumentalists, is the Silliman University Cultural Affairs Committee. It is amazing to note that in the far Visayas, the Committee has that appreciation and commitment to present this truly Philippine play that we can be proud of. In fact, it has been brought to different parts of the United States during its beginnings in 2003 in a shorter version, according to Dessa.

It is interesting to note that Silliman has a full blown college of performing and visual arts offering bachelor and master courses in speech and theatre arts, fine arts, choral conducting , composition and arranging, music educatiob, piano, voice, and ethnomusicology. It also has associate degrees on instrumental playing – not only western but also indigenous instruments. As well is has special lessons on piano, voice, guitar, violin, drums, dance and art class.

Set by the seaside, Silliman must be a heavenly academe to study the arts.

One thing noticeable in this production is that the major performers are Christian – at the beginning of the play, a prayer is included; then in the Director's Notes, Dessa says “ ...we thank God for the joy of creative work that continues to inspire and impassion our lives.”

AMPALAYA THE MUSICAL Original Music and Lyrics by Michael Dadap, Libretto by Dadap and Patty Yusah; Direction by Dessa Quesda-Palm; Setting by Lex Marcos, choreography by Angelo Sayson, Animation by Ramon del Prado; Technical Direction by B T Tiongco and J Kitay; Musical Direction by Elizabeth Vista; Director of Orchestra sin Arco – Mathilda Limbaga. The Orchestra sin Arco was conducted by M. Dadap.

BELIEF IN GOD AND ORGANIZING

In very many religions worldwide, the center of attention, the officiators of masses are men. People pray with priests and male pastors. They listen to their sermons fervently and obey whatever are told them to do (except for some women, who wear short shorts inside the church).

Actually, during the medieval ages in Europe many women were burned at the stakes for heresy, for posing contrary views to established customs and traditions. 

Would the pronouncements of Cristina (Tenny) Manalo, the wife of Erano Manalo and the mother of executive minister of the Iglesia ni Cristo Eduardo Manalo be considered heretical when she asked for their constituents to help her and her family for fear of being harmed within the confines of the INC compound? 

Instead of the issues that have been raised by the revelations of some members of the INC could be refuted by hard evidences, the events have revealed a different path- there are name-calling, denial, barring of the fluid turning of the wheel of justice and some high officials unable to move according to what should be done in such a case. 

The INC case is a classic -- Cristina has been dismissed, without trial, from the organization, and the Philippine Catholic bishops have sided with the move, stating that she needed to fall under discipline.

When voices are shut up, when complaints are not unearthed and examined for proper solutions, the normal move of an individual is to raise his or her voice in protest, and if there are no acts coming to resolve the issues, then it is still the normal way to ask other people to step in, especially when there are so-called potential untoward incidents that could happen.

I rue the speedy implementation of the harsh discipline on Cristina. As wife of the son of the founder, she should have been given due respect and courtesy; after all, it is difficult to start and run a movement that was contrary to the established Catholic religion at that time, as well as the Protestant religion being propagated by the colonizers. 

As a people we should honor those who have created history in our midst, those who have stood up to say that as a people, we could carve our own ways of worshipping God, and create organizations to pursue our own beliefs. 

The organizers could also look into the disobedience of the 6th commandment that one should "Honor thy father and thy mother."

Is it easy to dislodge Cristina from her post because she is a woman? 

Belief in God should not be a contentious issue among us. I believe that theism is still the most important lesson that one can learn on this planet, not any of those radical ideas about society, nor the psychological theories to understand oneself. When we wrestle with the reality of our existence, we would always go back to the question of God, and belief in God under any religion should be respected. Now the direction of propagating that belief should not be bureaucratically imposed but rather make each one realize that one's existence, the presence of the beautiful world around us, minus all those who use violence, depend a lot on that Almighty Being. And if people do not choose to believe in that then they could always wallow in cynicism, depression and carry a long face all throughout their lifetime.

Without belief in God, I don't know how I would have reached this stage in my life. 


In its website, Iglesia ni Cristo has this statement: Iglesia ni Cristo does not hide the truth. In fact, Iglesia ni Cristo wants you to know the truth written in the Holy Bible. You are welcome to study-examine  the doctrines, beliefs and teachings of the Iglesia ni Cristo in comparison with other religions.


PAINTING, THE CREATION OF ADAM BY MICHELANGELO

MAKE KNOWN THE DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS FROM THE GRADES UP AND IN EVERY LEARNING PLACE

I have been searching for the address of the UN Commission on Human Rights in the internet but I am not successful. Why is this so hard to do?

Some info should be very easy to get like the UNCHR. You see Folks, I complained to our own CHR here, when it was still under a former teacher activist about the intrusion into the premises of my residence. Nothing happened. No investigation. The staff just accepted my letter that is all. 

This is why when I read that the official delivered her own report that was against that of the conclusions of the Senate on the Mamasapano report, where 44 Special Forces policemen died,  that was against that of the Senate, I knew that there was something awry in the way she views human rights. She is not philosophically grounded, and that is the biggest mistake of any appointer to that office. 

The Declaration of Human Rights is the prayerbook of every activist. It should be read by everyone. I believe that it should be taught from the grades up to college and beyond. It should be included as a subject in every vocational course also. Every citizen will profit from that because in every situation, the right of every individual is at stake. 

For example, there is a guy who keeps boring a hole in my special clothes which I hung to dry on the clothesline at home and I have thrown away five of them already, newly bought. I think it is one of the guys who live there but I don't have proof. And whenever I accost one, he would say I am off my rocker. But to have 5 pieces with holes, that is virtual sexual abuse. I don't know where that guy got his morals. But I surmise he belongs to the PNP intelligence group assigned in our barangay. (I will give you the names of the two boys that I suspect of being involved in this in private if you ask me.)

I tried complaining to the barangay about the PNP intelligence group assigned to us but the day officer would not accept my complaint and he kept on smiling even. I also wrote a letter to our barangay captain but the complaint stopped at the Lupon Tagapagpaganap. I have also complained to the NAPOLCOM about the loss of my cellfones taken from my bag that the thief had slashed. Nothing. No response. The reply? Death of my son on July 28 last year. I even told the investigator as I had finished writing my complaint on June 5, 2014 -- "Baka kami malagasan niyan sa pagko-complain ko." True enough it happened. 

When I turn on the radio, the engineer in charge of ads inserts those that I have criticised before. Or the DJ plays lousy songs that are not their usual fare. Do you remember that ad about a headache pill -- a man saying "may isang babae na kinamumuhian ng isang lalaki -- ikaw ang palakol" Do you know that the same radio station aired the same ad with the same words but this time it was a woman referring to a man, meaning he was a "palakol" to her headache. 

Folks, some of our media people are corrupt and can be drawn to do anti-human rights acts. This is why I wonder if the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas makes it imperative for everyone working in the radio-tv stations to know the Declaration of Human Rights and the Code of Ethics for Broadcasters, if there is one. 

Just last week end I went to a branch of Alva's and opened my email. Three times my screen conked out. I wanted to write my blog but I couldn't. This crunch happens more often when there is a big event that will happen in our country. I think that the Alva staff do not know it, I give them the benefit of the doubt, but some users in the same internet shop probably know how to hack the computers. 

So you think Pnoy's administration is hallelujiah? Think again. In the corners of our domestic life there lurk those spies who do prey on critics, very subtly. They are very cruel. 

When PNoy makes his State of the Nation Address, I want him to state his accomplishments on improving the lives of women and also how the police has been adhering to the principles of the Declaration of Human Rights. 

WHY ART ECONOMICS

ARTWORKS: Saraswati, Hindu Goddess of Art and Music; Apollo Greek God of Art ; Isis, goddess-patroness of nature and magic; "Birth of Venus" (Goddess of Art by Botticelli; 

The economic problem of Greece has made me rethink our own -- are we poor because we want to pattern our development to that of western countries? Are we poor because we are aspiring for a kind of development that has great use of machines and nuclear power as well as all kinds of industrial equipment? Maybe we are asking too much if we think that everyone should think the same. That to be rich is to acquire those so-called modern equipment, gadgets and what have you just so we could be called " mod."

I went to a Buddhist temple for about more than three years and what I learned there are meditation, how to lead an austere life, or in a nutshell, how to be satisfied with a simple lifestyle.  But that worked for the monks only because they have a friendly group that sustained their very high lifestyle -- air-conditioned rooms, vegetarian food galore, and first class office equipment. I mean people like me, who have to work in order to eat, and my writing is not really a very lucrative job, that kind of lifestyle is difficult to attain. Yet the principles and objectives of Buddhism are educational, in terms of teaching people not to look down on the poor and but rather to be kind and helpful to them and to be good to everyone, whether rich or poor. 

I mentioned my partial Buddhist experience because  the problem of Greece is akin to an individual who wants to fit into a large home with very rich roommates but he/she could not keep up with their lifestyle. The European Union lent her money but she could not pay back her debt. Why? What is the nature of the Greek mind - is she really industrial business-inclined? Our country the Philippines, should we really go that route of industrialization also?

Our people are an artistic lot. Our country is composed of 7100 islands and we are surrounded by water. Water makes us think of the womb where we came from -- safe inside our mother. Water is also a symbol for transformation. So we should accept ourselves as artists. For art transforms. 

We should think of the Philippines as an artistic destination also -- where the artists are able to exercise their skills and have a great income from them. 

Now considering that our people are more inclined towards the arts, then we should be able to live off on those talents and genius. 

But for us to work in that direction, the world has to change its attitude towards the arts and look at works of art, not those for auctions only, as valuable as paying a gross amount for a car or a cellphone. 

I think that losing our artistic urges makes us also lose our faith and spiritual ties which could make us aspire for goodness and greatness. Here in our country, the lack of artistic coherence is visible in the way worship is done in some churches. Religion puts up Mother Mary as the ideal mother yet we see women who dress up cheaply entering the church and receiving communion. Also don't you think some people become scammers or engage in nefarious activities because they fail to exercise their artistic skills and they think that being an artist is not being treated as an equal to all the other business callings; so then they turn to using their skills in some depraved ways? 

Here is a definition of artwork: "an aesthetic physical item or artistic creation. Apart from "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature and music, these terms apply principally to tangible, portable forms of visual art:fine art, such as a painting or jewelry, interior design and much folk art; religious artworks, photograph, film or visual computer program, such as a video game or computer animation; installation art or conceptual art. It could also be an architectural piece, or a designed landscape; a live performance, such as theater, ballet, opera, performance art, musical concert and other performing arts, and other ephemeral, non-tangible creations."

So if Greece has such a long historical background in all the different fields of endeavor, shouldn't her economic programs gear more towards the development of an arts economy -- not just as a tourist spot in Europe but as a country that values the arts and considers it as its major development program. By the way, she even has a god of art -- Apollo, and a goddess too - Aphrodite or Venus Other countries have their share like in India, Saraswati; and Isis, Egyptian goddess of nature and magic. 

But then in order for countries like Greece and ours to veer towards arts economic development, then the world also has to change its perspectives on looking at development. Art economics should be the mantra. Banks should be willing to sink in their money for artistic productions not just those businesses that produce millions of products with the same looks. 

Right now, I am dreaming of acquiring a piece of land to put up a sprawling community with three-floor buildings, with quaint design somewhere in MetroManila. The first floor will have business stores for artistic works of the owners of the unit, the second and third, their residential place. Then that community will have an agora, a circular form, with the center being a grassy land where the residents can communicate, meditate together, gather and relate with each other as friends and community members at night. 

But ask now, what and which lot in MetroManila? That would turn out to be a losing proposition because per square meter is very expensive here already. A seasoned architect said that that idea is feasible only somewhere in the rural areas. Which is true. We have built a metropolis that has become completely dependent on roads for vehicles; with places of employment very far from residences; and businesses that arise here and there without regard if a restaurant is beside a funeral parlor, or a meatshop is near a dog food store. 

Question, the way MetroManila looks now, is it an artistic landscape? Some spots are artistic but on the whole, it is very difficult to say yes. 

It is high time that we view life on this planet as diverse and in need of recognition of the differences of the inclinations of people. Maybe we could even reduce the attraction of wars as a means to attain power if we could make everyone value the work of an artist -- as art is for beauty, not destruction. Art is for goodness not ugliness; for acquisition of humanity not malevolence. A piece of art could be pleasing and shocking too but in the end it aims for the transformation of the viewer into a new humane being with ties to the living community -- the people and the environment and in the long run with the divine.