WHEN RABBITS RULE FOR A YEAR

Hello Folks, here is a write-up about the rabbit, as 2011 will be its year of rule. We Filipino people are very much affected by the Chinese horoscope that is why I have reprinted it here. In Manila alone, in every corner, we would find Chinese people, stores, friends, who are very generous to us. By the way, I received two gifts from my Chinese neighbors, Sam, and Robert and his brother. Every year I receive a gift from Sam, and Robert just acquired a lot in front of ours this year.)

Now in our political arena, let's check which officials exhibit those Rabbit characteristics and let us exploit them to the hilt, so that they may truly be our OWN LEADER, and not someone just imposed on us by the ballot.

Happy Hopping New Year in advance!


reference: http://www.usbridalguide.com/special/chinesehoroscopes/Rabbit.htm
Rabbits are private individuals, a bit introverted and withdrawn. People e born into this sign would rather work behind-the-scenes instead of being the center of attention in any situation. Do not misunderstand…the Rabbit is not a recluse. In fact, he is a reasonably friendly individual who enjoys the company of a group of good friends whether at a business dinner or a holiday party. Rabbits just like to be a part of the gang as opposed to the leader of it.

Years of the Rabbit

Rabbit Years are fourth in the cycle, following Tiger Years, and recur every twelfth year. The Chinese New Year does not fall on a specific date, so it is essential to check the calendar to find the exact date on which each Rabbit Year actually begins.

THE SIGN OF THE RABBIT

Rabbits, like their animal counterparts, are quite calm people who do not exhibit aggressive behavior and will avoid confrontation at all costs. When angry about something, a Rabbit will approach it calmly and considerately, hardly ever raising his voice or becoming visibly annoyed. Because of their serenity, Rabbits seem to miss things, whether they are confrontational in nature or not. However, the Rabbit is quite keen and pays close attention to the situations developing around him. He is intelligent and quick and can talk himself in or out of most situations with no problem.

The Chinese Rabbit is one of the most stylish creatures of the Chinese Animal Signs and finds interest in different cultures. He is classy and sophisticated, and can be found adorning one of the latest fashion magazine cover looks. Rabbits also like artistic ventures, such as painting and music and are generally quite present in these worlds. They love top express themselves, which is evident when joining them at home for a function or a cup of coffee.

RABBIT FACTS:

People born in the Year of the Rabbit share certain characteristics. The Rabbit Sign is an abbreviated way of characterizing that individual’s personality. Following are features associated with the Sign of the Rabbit.

Fourth in order, Chinese name-TU, sign of peace

Hour—5am-6:59am Month—March

Western Counterpart—Pisces

CHARACTERISTICS

Keen, Wise, Fragile, Tranquil, Serene, Considerate, Fashionable, Sneaky, Obsessive



IN YOUR ELEMENT

The characteristics of the Rabbit are tempered by one of the five Chinese elements of Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth overlaying a 5-year cycle of characteristics on the original 12-year cycle.

THE METAL RABBIT 1951 AND 2011

Metal gives Rabbits a more resilient demeanor than the other more quiet Rabbit. These Rabbits are very ambitious and can be quite crafty in their dealings with others. They throw themselves and their emotions into everything they do, making them intense lovers, but not outwardly affectionate lovers. Their determination can affect their work as well, whether through personal relationships with colleagues or with the work itself, a Rabbit can be known to immerse himself in his projects…business and personal.

THE WATER RABBIT 1903 AND 1963

Delicate and docile, Water Rabbits will pretty well go with the flow to avoid any conflict or argument. These situations hurt them and bother them because they are such sensitive creatures. They are usually sociable and relaxed, although sometimes they get withdrawn and introspective. They are supportive with family and friends as well as business partners and display an empathy that makes people flock to them for friendly advice and comfort. Sometimes, they can easily be taken advantage of because they are so generous with themselves and their emotions. So they have to be careful not to let their guards down so quickly.

THE WOOD RABBIT 1915 AND 1975

Wood Rabbits tend to be the least bit indecisive. This is probably due to their always wanting to play the peacemaker and not wanting to hurt other people’s feelings. Wood Rabbits are incredibly generous souls and like to avoid the spotlight instead preferring to live amongst others. These people are always kind enough to help you move into a new house, make you a hot cup of coffee or to listen while you rant and rave about your latest character flaw. The Wood Rabbit can sometimes be too kind for his own good, thus causing him to be taken advantage of and sometimes even used by others unknowingly. Rabbits have to learn to say no and to out their feet down or their cups will overflow.

THE FIRE RABBIT 1927 AND 1987

Fire adds an unspoken magnetism and mystery to the Rabbit. These creatures have a burning desire to get out there and live life to its fullest. They are active and adventurous and love anything that sparks their creativity or curiosity. They can throw tantrums here and there, if provoked, but most of the time they work very hard to avoid conflict or unpleasant confrontations. Fire Rabbits are charming and tend to push their emotions into the backs of their minds, but will speak up if necessary.

THE EARTH RABBIT 1939 AND 1999

The Earth element gives these Rabbits a sense of reality and practicality that others don’t illustrate so freely. They are able to give sound advice, which in turn gets them respect and trust from those who solicit their counsel. They take pride in their homes and work diligently to make them a place of security for their loved ones. In the same breath, Earth Rabbits put a great deal of value on material comforts and like to make money.

HEALTH AND HABITAT

HEALTH

Rabbits are apt to be sensitive to ailments and to have bad allergies. Stress or conflict will detriment the Rabbit’s health. Exercise could take off unnecessary stress and strengthen the Rabbit’s physical condition, but he tends not to work out regularly. Rabbits have to learn to incorporate more action into their everyday routines.

AT HOME WITH THE RABBIT

A Rabbit will become depressed and withdrawn if his home does not consist of beautiful possessions that make him comfortable. They are extremely organized and the best way to throw a Rabbit off is to remove something from its sitting place. They are so orderly and their homes and offices so clutter-free that it is sometimes a point of humor with their friends. Rabbits are modest in their decorating choices and choose different shades of green such as sages and turquoises.

CAREER AND FINANCE

THE RABBIT ON THE JOB

Rabbits have really good communication skills and are best utilized in positions of management. They make great teachers and PR people because they are so diplomatic and well-organized. Even so, they can also make great painters or musicians due to their sense of beauty and their love of creativity.

MONEY AND THE RABBIT

Rabbit people are usually relatively careful when it comes to their finances. And that lucky rabbit foot didn’t just come out of nowhere…Rabbits are pretty lucky folks! They use much of their money for possessions such as their homes, cars or furniture. They would rather invest their money in gadgets and things than in the stock market. They love hunting for antiques, arts and crafts and will tend to make sound investments in these types of things.

RABBIT CAREERS

Those born in the Year of the Rabbit share the same kinds of goals and objectives in life. The occupations best suited for the Rabbit are listed below:

RABBITS MAKE EXCELLENT:

Therapists

Psychiatrists

Doctors

Ophthalmologists

Writers

Masseurs

Teachers

Publishers

Designers

Actors

Musicians

Administrators

PR agents

Fashion designers

CONGENIAL BUSINESS PARTNERS

Whether Rabbits are compatible with their business partners depends on whether their signs are harmonious or antagonistic to those of their business partner. Considering the congruity of their own characters and the characters of their business partners can also be very useful.

Rabbits ruled by Benefit From Are antagonistic to

Metal Earth Sheep Fire Dragons

Water Metal Dogs Earth Roosters

Wood Water Rabbits Metal Horses

Fire Wood Snakes Water Tigers

Earth Fire Pigs Wood Monkeys

Leisurely activities and pleasures

LIKES AND DISLIKES

Since Rabbits are born under the same Animal Sign, they often share likes and dislikes. Following are similar likes and dislikes of the Rabbit personality.

Color Preference: Pale Green

Gems and Stones:

Crystal, Emerald, Pearl

Suitable Gifts: Tapestry kit, CD, fine wine, easel, lyrics book

Hobbies and Pastimes: Writing poetry, hiking, planting gardens and trees, chatting with friends

Rabbits Dislike: Touchy-feely people, abrupt curves in their routines, disorganization

THE RABBIT ON VACATION

Rabbits love to indulge in different cultures and spend a lot of their lifetimes trying to find inner peace. Sensitive and careful by nature they would be just as happy shopping for hidden treasures at the local flea market or yard sale to display in their delicately decorated homes. Rabbits tend to want to travel to traditional places such as Europe and Asia when they have time off. In addition, taking a course to release their creative energies such as photography or instrument lessons would make the Rabbit feel well-rounded and accomplished.

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES

Rabbits, although outgoing, are definitely not the leaders of the pack or the spotlight thieves. They like to be associated with a group or a club, where they find comfort in the company of others. Rabbits just happen to be low-profile people. Perhaps this is because they tend to be rather picky about who they pal around with. Rabbits love their friends and offer them all a warm refuge and a sympathetic shoulder to cry on. They enjoy catching up and hanging out more than anything.

Compatible Friends

Best Friends: Sheep and Pigs

Mortal Enemy: Roosters

RABBIT PARENTS AND BABIES

Many Rabbit people have large families. The Chinese say this is due, in part, to them being the sign of fertility. Despite the record-breaking number of children any Rabbit person may have, the happiness of his partner and family is essential to his own well-being. Although they love their children intensely and take care of them quite affectionately, sometimes Rabbit parents can come off as looking uninterested or distant. Still, Rabbits are so defending of their children that they often appear strict and overbearing.

When their children are little, Rabbit parents will dress them in cute little outfits and will insist they act mild mannered and politely. Rabbits often find themselves wrapped around the tiny fingers of their kids and will do anything for them, too make them happy and to keep the peace. Rabbits despise arguing with their children, as conflict makes them quite uncomfortable, and they will avoid it at all costs. Rabbits will always be there for their children and will help them even as they grow and mature. They find themselves there for their kids throughout their lives.

RABBIT INFANT AND CHILD

Young Rabbits are very sensitive children. They tend to let their emotions get the best of them and will cry with no remorse. At school, these children often get teased for being so sensitive and become branded crybabies by other boys and girls. Rabbit children are especially close to their mothers and maintain a wonderfully close relationship with them throughout their lives. They depend on their mothers for advice and support and will reciprocate when necessary. Rabbit children are desperate for stability and routine and require a sort of scheduling to do their best work. Like the adult Rabbit, Rabbit children are likely to be quite interested in the arts, particularly in music, a subject in which most Rabbit children thrive.

RABBIT PARENT/CHILD KINSHIPS

Some parents immediately click with their children and others find they will never have a close relationship no matter how hard they try to make it happen. Following are the compatibility ratings between Rabbit parents and their children.

Rabbits with Under the same roof Compatibility Rating

Rat a bit of incongruity **

Ox pretty supportive **

Tiger conflicting views **

Rabbit very well-established ****

Dragon creativity thrives ***

Snake a solid, affectionate relationship ****

Horse not much communication *

Sheep easygoing ****

Monkey a bit of restlessness ***

Rooster argument-prone *

Dog a deep commitment ***

Pig stable and loving ****

*uphill struggle **some complications ***easy bonding ****on the same wavelength

Lovers and spouses

THE RABBIT LOVER

The Rabbit lover would never dream of wearing his heart on his sleeve. The Rabbit seems aloof, yet underneath is sensual and loving - a tough facade protects a tender interior. Rabbit folk are romantic yet realistic, generous yet mercenary. Rabbits are strongly Yin and, whether male or female, are in tune with the feminine part of their psyche. Their mothering instinct compels them to nurture others, and they have an innate love of home and family.

MARRIAGE

Rabbits are easily moved to tears through words, thoughts and actions. They are deeply sensitive people who shun conflict. Rabbits tend to be a little moody and are sometimes influenced by the friends they have. Despite their cool exterior, they have a reputation for being very sexual and intimate beings. Although they may go a little crazy in their youth, they will commit themselves readily to a partner for life.

THE RABBIT LOVE PARTNER

The Rabbit needs a partner who is affectionate and loving and who will pamper his mate a bit. A partner who shares the style and suave of the Rabbit will make a good lover for him as well. Chinese horoscopes are very specific about which partnerships have the potential to be successful in love and in business. Yet, though destiny can pint us in the right direction, we must still make all efforts to maintain loving relationships. Following is a brief description of how a Rabbit will affect a relationship with other Animal Signs.

PARTNERS IN LOVE

Rabbit*Rat

The Rat will aggravate your nerves. Better steer clear.

Rabbit*Ox

Calm and quiet…your kind of romance.

Rabbit*Tiger

You’ll make a good duo.

Rabbit*Rabbit

Destined for success…same outlook and relaxed lifestyle will keep you both quite content.

Rabbit*Dragon

Your differences cold either drive you apart or make your bond that much stronger.

Rabbit*Snake

Intense romantic ideals and heated passions make this pairing exotic and exciting!

Rabbit*Horse

You can handle it…if you want to.

Rabbit*Sheep

You share love, affection, truth…you’ll be great for each other!

Rabbit*Monkey

You’ll probably end up hurting each other irreparably.

Rabbit*Rooster

You can’t stand each other…why risk romance?

Rabbit*Dog

You’ve got potential.

Rabbit*Pig

Absolute bliss. You’re good friends and great lovers.

Love Partners at a Glance

Rabbits with Tips on Togetherness Compatibility

Rat too different *

Ox caring and sensitive ***

Tiger your differences make you closer ***

Rabbit best of mates ****

Dragon learn to compromise **

Snake intensely sexual ***

Horse pretty hard **

Sheep heavenly ****

Monkey don’t try *

Rooster no way *

Dog strong and healthy ***

Pig shared understanding ****

*dispute **keep working at it ***intense sexual attraction ****angelic



EAST MEETS WEST

ARIES RABBIT

These people need their own space and will utilize their ambitious natures by changing career patterns and personal paths throughout their lives. They need to be in motion and motivate themselves through change.

TAUREAN RABBIT

These Rabbits measure their success in the acquisitions they have made. They like the stability and comfort of nice things and work hard to provide these luxuries to themselves and their families.

GEMINI RABBIT

These people love to talk and actually, unlike most Rabbits, like to be the center of attention. They make great friends and find talking stimulates them.

CANCERIAN RABBIT

These Rabbits find themselves in a tight relationship with their mothers. They are deeply sensitive individuals who are most at ease in the comforts of their own home.

LEONINE RABBIT

These people are extremely popular with others, partly due to their suave natures. They are outgoing, yet conditioned, and are one of the most confident of these combinations.

VIRGO RABBIT

These Rabbits are incredibly and almost annoyingly organized. They can be seen as anal, but trust they will never lose anything and will finish most nay project they start. They are a bit fussy about their neatness, but are some of the most efficient people you will ever meet.

LIBRAN RABBIT

Libran Rabbits are quite the sophisticated breed and love to be in the midst of a social situation. They play the part of the socially-aware quite convincingly.

SCORPIO RABBIT

These Rabbits are demure, and you never quite know what they’ll do next. They are creative and open-minded and you can find most working in the arts. Although they are relatively stand-offish at times, they carry with them a depth of character unbeknownst to most people.

SAGITTARIAN RABBIT

These are probably the most open-minded of the Rabbits finding comfort in just relaxing at home. They don’t get caught up in the sensitive characteristics of the normal Rabbit and would rather be a little less emotional and a lot more comfortable.

CAPRICORN RABBIT

These Rabbits thrive on promotions and raises at work. They work to see their efforts rewarded and take pride in their statuses and titles at work. They are loyal, handworkers, although not showy in their endeavors.

AQUARIAN RABBIT

These Rabbits love to learn new things and search for the answers to their own questions. They are gifted with imagination and determination. These individuals would rather be rich in knowledge than in possessions.

PISCEAN RABBIT

The Piscean Rabbit is quite a complex person. He is creative and will work best in relaxed, peaceful situations where his creativity can be explored and put to good measure.

HAPPY HOPPING FREE!
http://www.usbridalguide.com/special/chinesehoroscopes/Rabbit.htm

PRAYER

we, people of the earth have long been living here,
that we have not been good to one another,
that we have not taken care of the earth,
that we need to take cognizance of our relationships with one another,
that some have used power to dominate others, for more power, for greed, for wealth, whatever,
that others have been good but their acts have been thwarted by more powerful forces out to maintain the status quo
that we are now at the crossroads of losing our grip on our lives
that we need to change, to make changes, and to overhaul our inner lives, our behavior
that we need to reconnect with the highest powers who brought us here
that we need to view our lives here on earth as temporary, so that each one may live frugally without having to amass so much wealth at the expense of other people's lives
that we need to respect the reasons for everyone's being
and these are to live with dignity, respect, and honor
hence fundamental to these is the right, the need to honor the tenets of all contracts and covenants that have been promulgated by many nations foremost of which is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and therefore, let those countries which fail to honor a provision or provisions of the Declaration and all other contracts and covenants be dealt with immediately by all nations, so that the right of every individual to live in this world may be respected,
and to insure that happiness may be possessed by everyone while still alive on this earth.

SO BE IT.

Folks when you live in a country like the Philippines, we could really turn rigid or wax sentimental and think of ways by which we can turn our society over in order to be more caring of one another.

I offer this prayer so that each one of us may have something to mull over as another chapter of our life may be ending and a new one is beginning, from 2010 to 2011.

Always we are hopeful, the Filipino people are a hopeful lot, that our lives would change, that we need not go out of the country to enjoy the blessings of the earth, the nationalist legacies of our heroes and heroines, the resources of our country - both human and natural; and

That everyone could live happily till they breathe their last breath, while knowing that the succeeding generations shall also enjoy their stay on earth without fear or danger of being taken over by forces more powerful than they are.

Maybe this is a dream, but everything starts with a dream, doesn't it?

May the coming year be kinder to us.

A GLIMPSE OF THE UP LANTERN PARADE 2010

What is the purpose of a lantern parade? First of all it is to unite all the sectors of UP to render the season meaningful by expressing their ideas about it visually and possibly orally. Secondly, it is to showcase the diverse talents of the students, faculty and employees in terms of artistically giving significance to the Christmas season. Thirdly it is to honor a tradition of the UP community which has been celebrating the season for many, many years now.

However as I had a glimpse of the parade last Friday, 17 December 2017 in the campus, I discovered certain things which show a rather dull interpretation of Christmas. It lacked that jolly and optimistic mood which should be the prevailing sentiment as December is the end of the year and that we should look hopeful of the events of the coming year. Instead, many of the floats provided a stirring commentary on the current issues of the day which could have been "torturing" the floatmakers.

Pharmacy hired ati-atihan dancers to grace their file, meaning outsiders providing a more colorful participation for them. Why should this be the case? The college of human kinetics presented a man in brief showing all his muscles on his chest and limbs. But is this all that kinetics is all about? What came to my mind instead were the scenes of Chinese acrobats on stage, displaying their prowess in showing their bodies flying high and going against gravity. Isn't that what kinetics should have shown-- the capabilities of the students to express themselves bodily? Then the college of arts and letters did not move me at all -- or I must have missed some objects they could have presented -- as the float and parade had no reference at all to these, arts and letters. The college of law presented justice with a covered mouth. I think Lady Justice does not speak but rather the scales do -- showing whether law is tilted instead of being balanced. Hence the scene should have shown the scales depicting the lopsided state of justice in our country.

The student Stand-Up party was a let-down. This early, the students are being drawn into a sloganeering type of politicking. Its float showed PNoy in yellow shirt and pants of blue and white signifying the American ties, thereby implying that he is a puppet of the US. I do think that student organizations should not come up with radical bureaucratism nor sloganeering politics as well as thoughts in black and white. Most of all, they should already change their view of the United States -- a US ruled by the Democratic Party, certainly is different from that of the Republican.

Instead the students should be made to appreciate first of all the plethora of political theories and principles before (or probably never) hardening to that anti-American stance all the time. College studies are meant to make the students all-around personalities with principled perspectives and not black-and-white stance to make them look like caricatures themselves of the puppets they project.

The Statistics float looked like a mosque and when I asked one student why it was so -- she could not answer properly. So I ventured an explanation -- math was first discovered by the Arabs. Meanwhile the Beta Sigmans looked like Ku Klux Klan - with black-covered heads and faces - making themselves project that of racist acts of the white men against the blacks. What should have been a Christmassy atmosphere turned lugubriously Lenten.

The Institute of Biology was very apropos -- while it showed the institution 's lament over the recent lamentable deaths of three biologists, led by Leonardo Co, it also showed an optimistic view of biology as a discipline -- a butterfly emerging from its cocoon or Metamorphosis. Along the same vein, Architecture showed students wearing architectural designs of various edifices around the world like the NYC skyline with a green statues of Liberty (real woman in green make -up and clothes similar to the Christmas figure I had seen in NYC in 1991), the Taj Mahal of India, the Pyramids of Egypt, and many more. I really admire the creativity of the students.

The above were the ones I had seen during the parade. But I went to the College of Fine Arts to look at their floats. This college is now in the Hall of Fame as its floats had always won first prize every year. One float that struck me was done by the Industrial Design showing a big metallic fish with sharp teeth. One young girl in second grade at UPIS toured me around the different floats how each was lit up during the lantern. Then we went around and viewed the different small sculptures that stood by the trees in the driveway of the College. One was that of a bamboo opening up and with two beings -- a woman and a man. And she wondered what it meant. So I told her about the myth of Malakas at Maganda which is our Philippine interpretation of the creation of the earth and her inhabitants. I even sang to her my composition how we should disseminate that myth to all.

To my mind, the lantern parade must undergo a more thorough preparation to make it truly attractive and memorable. Paraders should be distinctly different in terms of costumes by departments, colleges and institutions. The floats should have a critical but creative and optimistic view of the season and the year to come and should be related to the discipline or field of study of the particular float group.

And most of all, -- No more sloganeering please. There is a time and a place for that. Instead let us come up with more creative phrases to drive home our point, something like -- LET JUSTICE AND PEACE REIGN IN THE COUNTRY. Or, DISCOVER THE PHILIPPINES -- TOUR OUR ISLANDS AND MEET OUR OWN PEOPLE FACE TO FACE. Or -- LABOR NOT FOR SHORTCHANGING. UPHOLD THE DIGNITY OF LABOR. JOBS IN THE PHILIPPINES, NOT ABROAD. OIL OWNERSHIP FOR THE PEOPLE, NOT FOR THE GREEDY. PESO PURCHASING POWER -- INCREASE! CELPHONE CHARGES - DECREASE! GOVERNMENT FOR THE PEOPLE NOT FOR THE FEW. Aren't these more positive messages? Let us disseminate optimism, not frustration and disappointment.

Happy Holidays, Folks.

P.S. Let's pray for the immediate recovery from cancer of Prof. Nita Abrogar, UP College of Music Piano Department, for whom Fides Cuyugan Asension held a fundraising recently.

UP FOR SERIOUS INTELLECTUALS OR BEACH LOAFERS AND SEX BAITERS?

DZUP INTERVIEW 1460 AM with additional comments re PHILIPPINE SITUATION AND THE RH BILL

Q (from EDGIE)Ms. Orozco, do you approve of the high rating for PNoy? He got 70% + thus showing that people like his administration.

A: To say no, does not mean that we disagree or our answer is in the negative. I think that his administration is too young to be judged, only a few months old. let us wait after a year. He has chosen people who seem to be democratic and that counts a lot, although some have shortcomings. But I think that we can be assured of a democratic regime under PNoy.

Q: There seems to b a reverse migration and the administration thinks it's because of PNOY. Do you agree?

A: In a way yes, if you view reverse as people returning to the country. But I think the OFWs are returning because they now see that work abroad is not all bed of roses. If you listen to the OFW programs on radio, they tackle a lot of stories about run-away domestic workers - cases of violence of the female employer, non-payment of salaries,no food, very few hours of sleep. And so, I believe that OFWs are taking a chance in this administration if it can provide them alternative employment or livelihood.

Q: What do you think of the RH bill?

A: Well, you see it's not easy to have a child (if your body is not protected against getting pregnant). IN its infancy you have to wake up in the middle of the night to beastfeed it, change its clothings, etc. When rthe child goes to school, you have to see how he/she interacts with the classmates, the teachers, and how they tackle the lessons.

Q: The Church is against the use of contraceptives. What do you think of this?

A: I support the use of the condom because as far as I am concerned it is just a piece of rubber that prevents contact between the sperm and the egg, so what's wrong with that? Why can't a woman choose the time to get pregnant?

You see by focusing on those devices, the Church makes us shy away from sex which is avery healthy acticvity between two consenting adults with healthy views.Sex is relaxing and it's not the only way that keeps a relationship. So Actually, the Church should just focus on educating the public on what is an ideal relationship between and man and woman, how liberated can it be. What are the best qualities of a man/woman worthwhile relating with? You seen, some men run away once the woman gets pregnant and so she is left as a single parent.

Here at UP, you see a lot of girls wearing what I call sex-bomb costumes, or short shorts. That's highly inappropriate. UP is composed of provincial and city-bred students. The former is not attuned to this kind of lifestyle and they could be easily distracted by thighs galore parading on the campus and inside classrooms. I have seen men inside jeepneys turn around watching those students. So I have devised a slogan: "UP FOR SERIOUS INTELLECTUALS, NOT FOR (BITCHY) BEACH LOAFERS AND SEX BAITERS."

You see those girls are inviting sexual overtures and should they give in, they could become another statistic for pregnant population, given their religious upbringin. The intellectual ranking of UP could thus get affected by all these goings-on. And the Church which has not said a thing about this fashion could be held liable for such unwanted or untimely pregnancies.

The Church is composed of frocked women and men who don't get married, who go home to their convents, and eat three times (with snacks) a day. That does not happen to most urban poor homes where pregnancy is rampant.

Folks, actually I am suffering from asthma now because our neighbor decided to paint their house and the fumes are killing my lungs as they gt wafted to our house. I just had to answer this phone patch call to be able to explain my point of view regarding a most important issue, the RH Bill.

WHEN LIFE BECOMES A CHALLENGE

I lost interest in politics for a time. I could not find my political bearings right after the elections. It had seemed as if we were going through one political exercise after another without any light at the end of the tunnel. So after electing PNoy what’s next? Sure the hello Garci was going to become history but then there are still things to be ironed out, truths to be uncovered and punishments to be meted out to the many crimes against the people. Everything seemed so gargantuan that starting from anywhere was like a shot in the dark. We could shoot down the issues one by one but new ones crop up.

So here we are, crawling, creeping through with the new administration, which has a lot of new faces except for a few known to have been part of the non-governmental organizational movement. But where are we really in? Are we moving on or are we stepping back and laying the groundwork for another lackadaisical regime to repeat the mistakes of the past, or to just maintain the status quo and hope for the changes to happen, come what may?

As citizens of this country, I believe that we must creatively seek what we can do to strengthen our democratic processes. That should be our main contribution, not any kind of movement that will topple this regime into oblivion. Rather we must find ways and means to make meaningful acts that will redound to the bright future of all generations.

I believe that we must not preach cynicism nor frustration among the people, but rather help them shape values that will be helpful to them and to the country. We can share with them our own ways of moving about to make changes in our lives and society. We can start with doing meditation, which in a way makes us start with a blank mind and then go on to concentrate on breathing in and out.

Then we must make them dig deep into their past and find out what strengths their parents and grandparents have from which they can learn and possibly ape in order to face their present lives.

Thirdly, we can share with them artistic skills – photography, arts and crafts, and even filmmaking in order to make them value cultural work, artworks, which bring out our greatest fears, urges and dreams of a better life.

Lastly, or so at this time, let us create prayers that they can recite in solitude or with others and which will inspire them to continue living, to seek spiritual guidance as they face life’s ups and downs. We need to emphasize to them to always bear in mind that they do not live alone, that the unexamined life is not worth living as Socrates had said, and always to hold on to a dream which they could work for to realize no matter what the odds are.
(This write-up came about because of a news itemabout two days ago that a 15-year old girl in Negros Occ. committed suicide after her grade in Math went down to 78% after reaching the 90's. She had been living with her grandparents.)

Dear Folks, May I present to you the song, Dreams of Green, the hymn for the UP Biology Homecoming on January 8, 2011 at the UP Bahay ng Alumni with melody composed by Gloria Quitco and lyrics by yours truly. So sorry that I cannot give you the melody now because the file which we recorded got corrupted. But once I am able to save it well, I will send it through the You Tube. Here it goes:

Let's gather round the earth
Fill her with love and care
Let every butterly and deer
Roam free in the verdant hills.

Let's feed the birds and fish
As the mighty oceans roar
While cradling songs of the earth
Winds carry our dreams of green.

Come, come, UP IB alumni
We are the bearers of lore
For every moment we ask, we learn, we impart
Grace and legacy to our race

We are the friends of the earth
We are lovers of life
For it's in living we do love
And it's in loving we are born, to dream, to act and be reborn.

Come, come, UP IB alumni
We are the bearers of lore
For every moment we ask, we learn, we impart
Grace and legacy to our race.

SCORING HITS AND MISSES

PHILIPPINE UPDATES

PNoy's hundred honeymoon days is over. It's time to get our microscopes and combs, to remove all the insects and lice that lie beneath the government veneer of invincibility.

Well, I would like to start with the commuter's plight.

1. Have you ever seen the sidewalk for students at Katipunan Avenue (the seat of exclusive schools for the children of the rich and famous -- Ateneo, Miriam, UP, among others)that is only 1 foot in width? That lies at the corner of Aurora Boulevard and Katipunan.

2. Then let's go underneath the bus stop at Ortigas-Edsa flyover. Once you get down, you will pass through a very narrow (as in 2 feet wide -- hey how wide is a Filipino individual, eh?) path with steel grills on your left and right, where you will have to climb the staircase to cross from the right side of EDSA over to Robinson's Galleria.

3. Meanwhile, at Philcoa, where the jeeps going to UP are, you will alight from your bus which comes from Quiapo, in front of the Jollibee and Goldilocks restaurants. There you will have to look right and look intently because sometimes a vehicle could be backing up which could run over your foot, as what happened to me last year. (The driver sent a bogus individual to stand in place of him, this Ronnie Aquino who hails from a posh subdivision at Commonwealth Avenue), who claimed that he ran over my foot, but then disappeared suddenly and did not attend the hearing anymore. I complained to the Judge of Branch __ at Quezon City, but nothing happened.)


4. At North Edsa where you find the Trinoma, and the SM North Edsa, I don't understand anymore the urban jungle that the MMDA created when it was still under B Fernando. The pedestrians getting off the jeep will have to pass through a very narrow path (about 1.5 feet wide), then climb the staircase and then go down again to get to the street nearby where they can get a ride going to UP, or to Project 6.

5. If you alight from the Metrorail Transit at the end of Baclaran, here you will see the masses of people, about ten in a row and ten columns long, passing through a staircase that will go through steel bridges.

If you want to talk of aesthetics, better postpone for ten moons in the next decades, Folks. There is no such thing here in MetroManila.

The skyway going to Southern Luzon is so low, that you cannot possibly enjoy driving nor riding a vehicle anymore. All you see are dark roads, and that piece of sky which used to be visible is no longer there.

Folks, what are we saying here? The most oppressed people in the cities are the pedestrians.

This is why I have always insisted that all government officials should use three days in a week to taste the lives of ordinary folks, instead of riding their sleek vehicles or the government vehicles which immunize them from the lugubrious experiences of the people.

HOW MUCH MORE?

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD: Our elections will never occur properly as long as the composition of the Commission of Elections is not overhauled. Why the need for overhaul of its staff and officials? This is because for many decades now it has not been able to give us an honest election, an honest election of leaders who will truly serve the country. It was only this May 2010 that we were able to see a bit of credibility (hopefully) after the elected officials most of them anyhow, show sensitivity to the plight of our long-burdened brothers and sisters.

Still the issue persists that the next elections will not be as smooth, as the last barangay elections have shown – 2,000+ barangays were not able to vote on the assigned date, a clear case of disenfranchisement as the people in those barangays should have voted exactly on the designated date for elections.

The delay is an abnormal operation and should be investigated – not because certain departments did not function as decreed but that the Comelec failed to put its foot down and to order those responsible for printing, distribution and sending of ballots to the regions to do everything with dispatch.

And so what is the problem here? Managerial of course. The image, the capability of the Comelec is heavily questionable at this point. Clearly, it does not have the managerial expertise to conduct elections. Instead it is immersed in political gimmickry, manipulation and or vulnerability to vultures ready to pay up to high heavens just to be able to get elected.

Hence, our concern as citizens of this country is to insist that the Comelec have an overhaul – let us subject it to management audit, check whether the people there are properly appointed, and have credentials appropriate to the positions they are occupying. I think that we have labored too much already from this very inept bureaucratic organization whose achievements fall below the international standards for a government agency that takes charge of facilitating the selection of leaders of the country.

How much more need we suffer?

DEBUNKING AGEIST THOUGHTS

C is an accomplished international consultant on educational affairs in science. Yet, she is not grabbing all chances of more jobs and travel perks abroad because she wants to be with her 97-year old mother who remains lucid until now. She can see the difficult past of her mother as the latter remembers her painful childhood of having been responsible for her siblings at a very tender age.

Del from Pangasinan, is waiting for her contract abroad. The youngest in the family of 6 children, Del was single at the time when she took care of her 64 year old mother who suffered from a heart condition and difficulty of breathing that required her hospitalization. Today, because she was at the bedside of her mother when she died, Del has been a model for her original family in terms of caring for the elderlies.

Meanwhile, in Tondo, an older man resides in his daughter’s house, suffering from dementia. He can no longer manage his personal condition and requires an aide but the family cannot provide one. His wife tolerates his idiosyncratic ways and feels helpless about doing anything to alleviate his condition.

A grandmother in Tondo also suffered a worse fate. During her stay in the city, she was actively moving about, getting bets for jueteng, and discussing the stories in the teledramas. She was also sensitive to the cries for counseling assistance of her neighbors. Because her family did not want her to be moving about without their knowledge, they sent her home to a daughter’s house in the farm where her mind deteriorated; lacking the necessary knowledge of humane treatment of the elderly, the family tied her to a pen like an animal, fed and hosed her with water whenever she answered the calls of nature. Eventually she died.

The stories above are bleak scenarios of what can happen to the elderly in our society. Among the upper classes, the family can afford to pay for a nurse that will attend to the needs of their grandparents on a daily and nightly basis. The budget for them is already set aside and reserved for their medicines, the caregivers, and other expenses.

Anti-Ageism
To be politically correct, we define discrimination of the elderlies as ageism, a movement that seeks to marginalize the elderly citizens. An ageist is one who espouses that principle that the elderlies are no longer useful in society. Hence, our movement is anti-ageism, anti anti senior citizens.

The government use of the word “senior” pits the elderlies against the youth needlessly. Why use the word “senior” instead of “elderly?” Eddie Ilarde in his radio program emphasized that “elderly” or ‘senior” in Pilipino should be “Nakatatanda,” and not “matanda.” The word “Nakatatanda” is more respectful of the people.

Western care of the elderly
In London, I have seen how the elderlies are taken care of even if they live alone in their flats. They get an allowance for housing, and a pension that can take care of their basic needs. A meals-on-wheels is provided them at their doorstep everyday. A social worker visits them daily or several times a week to check if they are ok. In the streets, the buses stop for them to alight and get on, with everyone not minding at all the long period of waiting for them to negotiate the act. But of course, medicines and hospitalizations are free there, since Britain is a welfare society. So the elderlies do not have a difficult time when getting sick.

I remember having read about an elderly woman who was divorced by her ageing husband who had gone looking for a younger woman to boost his fears of old age. Instead of moping in her home, she took off to New York and developed a new career, as a painter. But of course, this is in the west where opportunities abound and the social ladder is almost open to everyone regardless of age, sex, race and creed.

What are we trying to say here? In general Philippine society relegates the elderlies to the family members’ care without much assistance coming from the government nor are the relative-caregivers given assistance either in terms of morale-boosting or financial help. The department of social welfare and development may provide monetary assistance but only for dire needs like funerals. (Hopefully the new budget of the DSWD will carry funds for the elderlies to be able to cover their basic needs.) Monetary assistance for sickness is given by the PCSO but only after too much paperwork requiring going back and forth to the office which in turn could drive away the physically and economically hard-up relatives.

Debunking workplace attitudes
How early is the discrimination made against the elderly and those approaching retirement age? I remember in the Budget Commission, now the Department of Budget and Management, a senior employee was always teased by the junior employees, “Matanda ka na,” and he would retort with “Tatanda ka rin.” During the election period at the Barangay Donya Imelda in Quezon city, I heard a man say, “O paunahin ang mga senior citizens,” in a very mocking way. Somebody told him off, “Oo, paunahin sila. At ikaw tatanda ka rin at pagtanda mo, you will also be mocked. Lilibakin ka dahil yan ang ehemplong ipinapakita mo sa mga nakababata.” His face grew serious after that.

Actually, in the workplace, approaching 40’s is already like a time bomb, or a time for being bombed out for many employees. I can empathize with the flight attendants of the FASAP who are clamoring for the raising of the retirement age for them from 45 years, since they can still move about at that age. I know they speak from experience. When I flew to Amsterdam, KLM Airlines had elderly-looking attendants for that short flight from Frankfurt, Germany. They were very professional and smiling all the time, walking nimbly along the aisle, and their physical bodies not registering any weakness at all. Their faces had wrinkles but it is their heartfelt gestures of taking care of the passengers that removed all feelings of anxieties during the flight. And of course, their years of experience on board all the more emphasized that we, the passengers then were in good hands all the time.

In reality, the worst thing that can happen to elderlies or those approaching retirement age is to be considered a liability, and no longer available for competing in the workplace nor for an appointment in a government position despite their expertise. The latter is worse because the government is supposed to lead as a model in hiring on the basis of competence, and not making youth as a standard for getting appointments. Government positions are jobs that require sensitivity, competence, and skills in attending to the needs of the people, such qualities readily found in those that have had experience like the elderlies.

Being marginalized contributes a lot to the onset of mental weakness, according to medical doctors. Yet this should not happen at all as the Filipino people in the first place are a beautiful set. We love life and love Mother Nature. We grow easily in any surrounding – just consider the millions of Filipino workers and professionals abroad. Hence, the least the government can do is to take care of everyone regardless of age.

Truly, a need exists to debunk many ideas about age in the workplace.

Artistic contests
What about artistic contests? I am glad that the Filipino society of composers contest in cooperation with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, entitled “Click” for song compositions does not specify any age bracket for entrants. Instead it just calls on everyone to submit their entries and the public will decide the winner by the number of downloads that they get, internet-wise. By the way, the deadline for this is November 15. Check the KBP website.

On the other hand, a film competition on Biodiversity now emphasizes age over competence. The problem here is not that the elderly cannot compete skills-wise but rather in terms of treatment, they could provide a deeper meaning, a more substantial delivery of ideas, than the younger contestants. Clearly what is important here is that ideas about biodiversity should flower and that they must be allowed to spring from all sources. Why limit to a certain age? Environmental problems are concerns of everyone.

In the arts, works of mature and experienced artists really show more significance than those of the young. Even in terms of musical compositions, the lyrics of mature individuals have more depth and more relevance.

I think this is why in the Oberhausen film contests, everyone is free to apply and submit entries regardless of themes and regardless of age, but there is a special section for youth and children’s films. Here we see that all the members of society can exercise their creativity and be allowed to compete in terms of artistry and audience-viewing.

By the way, a sadder scenario here is that only Makati city provides free cinema viewing to all its elderlies all week.

Education for all
Then in the educational field, elderlies who may not have had chances of furthering their studies, or who would like to pursue a new course can no longer compete for scholarships. There is no such thing as scholarships at all for the elderlies as if the government looks at this sector as a risk instead of a group that can provide a deeper meaning to issues and topics of the day. Why not give a 50% discount in all education fees to those who want to study further or pursue a new course?

Moreover, our society is growing very fast technologically. Hence everyone should have a chance to get into the bandwagon and learn how the latest gadgets work and/or study how to put these technologies to good use. An ordinance can be passed making schools in every district provide discounts to the elderlies to study and then using these as tax-deductible items.

Anti-Age Ads
Along the same vein, our society is too embroiled in making youth as a standard for everything. Look at all the advertisements, a few show the elderlies for selling anti-ageing food supplements, and anti-sickness medicines. Instead of magnifying their exceptional achievements in having helped this society attain its level of development, the ads bracket them into situations that depict or emphasize their weakness. In an advertisement for a lagundi cough syrup manufactured by a pharmaceutical company, a child mocks his grandmother for sticking to the traditional method of boiling lagundi leaves. The case of discrimination here is two-fold: one, the boy is mocking the grandma for being out of touch in terms of so-called “modern” medicines, and two, the ad script is disrespecting our traditional healers who have used leaves for curing and treating the illnesses of our people especially those in the provinces where medical care is not available or is expensive. Hence the ad is a poor model for a child, and a poor example of advertising on health. It is also a prime example of discriminatory advertising.

On the other hand, I would not surely approve of elderlies competing with the younger set in terms of dressing up like Madonna the singer or dancing ala-Michael Jackson, and gyrating on stage as if the world can go hang. I believe that all acts of copying or imitating the young should not be encouraged as ageing should be taken as a spiritual stage when everyone can be looking at the world already, viewing and reflecting on it as a place for human life and for resting. The tarot cards reveal one picture of the Crone, an elderly woman known to have wisdom. Yes, wisdom is what the elderlies have and which should be nurtured and respected.

For couples approaching elderly years, I would suggest that the DSWD provide more vigorous counselling so that the stronger of the two would not abandon the other unless for plausible reasons like violence. It is rather unfair that one should separate from the other only because of age. Sometimes, even family members commit acts against the elderlies like their preventing or despising a parent for wanting to marry again. I think this is the height of insensitivity as romance and love are natural occurrences regardless of age. Instead, the barangay should have competent counsellors to advise families. Then DSWD should also devise program to teach the elderlies on what foods to take, food supplements that are good for their bodies, and all kinds of exercises that would keep their bodies still healthy and fit to live, as well as how to maintain a healthy sex life with one's partner.

I believe that ageing is only in the mind and that it is possible to maintain one's fitness. It is only the stresses in society, the pollution and the attitudes that bring about dark thoughts among people and hence hasten ageing. Medical reports are now coming out that age is not at all a liability in upland places, especially in mountainous places that are stress-free, where the air is cool, pollution is practically nil, and water is always clean.

Definitely, a deeper study of the plight of the elderlies in our society is very much needed so that the local governments, especially the barangay can truly be relied upon to take care of every one from womb to tomb.

FEEDBACK: MARIA.EMBRY

maria.embry@sbcglobal.net Thu, Oct 7, 2010 at 7:34 AM
To: miravera2010@gmail.com
Reply | Reply to all | Forward | Print | Delete | Show original
thank you for sharing w/ us your personal journey
you are very exact in your observation about political parties in the U.S.
I did not register any political parties, vote as an independent & cross political aisles during elections

FEEDBACK: MARIA.EMBRY

maria.embry@sbcglobal.net Thu, Oct 7, 2010 at 7:34 AM
To: miravera2010@gmail.com
Reply | Reply to all | Forward | Print | Delete | Show original
thank you for sharing w/ us your personal journey
you are very exact in your observation about political parties in the U.S.
I did not register any political parties, vote as an independent & cross political aisles during elections

ON GETTING POLITICAL

Do we know what moves people to go into politics? Power of course. Without power, who can exist? We may have power in the family, in the workplace, in the community but without power in the larger societies, especially globally, we could be eased out of major decisions being made that define the directions of life on this planet.

When I was only 11 years old, I went to the United Nations office with my classmates and asked for posters. The woman there commented, "Oh how cute she is. Look at her," and then gave me several posters on how the UN functions, and some others that contained their advocacies.

Since then, I have been posted on foreign issues.

Then when I reached adulthood, I wanted very much to travel around the globe, but the only way was to get a scholarship to study at some university. Then during martial law, when I would look at a map of the Philippines in a PAL ad, (my sister Luzviminda, was an international stewardess at the time) and how their planes travel from Manila to Hong Kong then to parts of Europe and the United States, I really felt very sad. I even shed copious tears. Why because we were second rate country, unlike Hong Kong. International flights were emanating from them while ours had to pass by HK first before going anywhere in this planet.

But luck is still very much in my hands because in the 80's I got a chance to visit Amsterdam (my namesake is Queen Wilhelmina of Holland, btw)which is a great coincidence. Annette Forster, a Dutch writer invited me to join the First International Conference of Women in Film and Video and show my Super 8mm films.

From Amsterdam, I travelled all around Europe and saw, read and interacted with all types of activists on many issues, political, social, cultural, economic -- indigenous, migrants', anti-racism; Third World vs First World films, and feminism, among others.

My head was reeling from many books, other printed media, films, tv shows that I could read when I based myself in London. I even listened to BBC tv every morning as my house mate, was a fan of the station.But I could not finish reading the newspapers because they were so bulky and my whole day would have been spent on them. Since i always deemed my stay there temporary, I just read the front pages, and parts of the cultural pages. However, in the beginning, I read through page by page, including the adverts. I was curious what things were selling in Britain.

I think that my stint in Europe, meeting filmmakers especially, gave me enough courage to view the world as it is and to join in all kinds of discussions and debates. This is the only planet we have and that we need to take care of it, no matter if we come from the "Far East" a far-away country, far-away from whose point of view, my friends would ask.

I guess had I stayed on and become an immigrant there, i would also have been very agog over politics there. But you see, in London, I was curious about what was happening with Princess Diana. I pitied her very much because Prince Charles' dalliance with now his wife, was being bandied about in the papers and among all circles. Why, a princess was in distress, and I empathized with Prince Di so much that I wrote a letter to her in the Guardian and advised her to get a divorce and also to involve her life in feminist issues. I never got to know whether my letter got published or not.

In 1991, I got the chance to go to and speak at a conference in NY courtesy of Sue Rosenberg-Zalk, bless her soul, of City University of New York Center for Women's Studies, Graduate School. Afterwards, I got immersed again in politics, watching the Democrats debate themselves to death over many issues. I commented to Linda Pichon and Ludy Resurreccion ow their style of debating could boomerang on the Democrats, with people saying "how can I trust these Democrats when they are always quarreling?" So, after watching another tv debate, i called up the 1-800 number and started criticizing. The guy at the other end, asked my how they could improve their show. So I suggested, you can debate but at the end of the program, show unity. You are all Democrats, after all, and you must present a united force to the people. In the following debate, I saw a great improvement. of course, Bill Clinton won the following year.

Now, I need not tell you anymore how I got involved writing my emails through Fil-Am Forum and the Overseas Filipino Council. I wrote heavily during the 2008 presidential campaign in the United States heavily favoring Obama over who? McCain-Palin? That election sounds very much distant now, what with many issues being raised.

One thing I have learned, any person can easily drown in the plethora of issues and advocacies. We always say, let's junk this and that person or that party and try the other one. Here in the Philippines, our officials switch parties easily and so there is no definite direction as to where they are going -- everything depends on who is up there.

However, in the western world, the stands of the different parties are very much delineated. And until now, I still cannot say that if I were an American, I would vote other than the Democratic Party. Why because once you say you are a democrat then ideas about debating, discussing, people's advocacies, women's issues, children's rights, all these come into mind. And I think I won't be able to forego all of that where questions of power exist.

Yes power, electoral power, is the most important of all in any society. How I wish, all the people, our people would use that to the hilt, electing those with whom we can praise, criticize, debate and wonder about this planet.

PHILIPPINE-USA RELATIONS

Many groups are not attuned to what is going on in the United States at this time wherein elections are going on which will determine whether the Democrats or the Republicans will lord it over in Congress. We do not seem to be too keen to observe what is really going on there.

This is unfortunate because when the United States "coughs" we catch colds, don't we? Meaning to say, whatever happens there has a connecting effect on us. Besides there are over 2 Million Filipino-Americans and Filipinos working and living there. Their dollars are helping their relatives overcome the poverty problems here. Hence it is all important for us to be wary of the goings-on there.

To my mind, the ascendancy of Barack Obama to the presidency was not a fluke. It had long been coming that a president from the black race should be president. The Afro-american singers have been singing to many songs about the black race being oppressed and subordinated; and the writers have produced many works already giving the political, cultural and social histories of black slavery. On top of it all, the series of white presidents in the United States did not result at all in a country that is immune to recession. Hence, the Obama administration inherited a government that was deep in very big economic problems and wars that seemed to have no end, although the Iraqui battlefront has now been made non-combatant.

Now for us, we need to seriously observe the politics there as the consequences for our government could be very grave. The history of Republican policies in our country are largely beneficial only to the United States. I can cite only three Republican presidents whose administration became a yoke for us to carry. Theodore Roosevelt approved of the annexation of the Philippines during the turn of the century, thus sealing all the hopes of our martyrs for a free country. Then Ronald Reagan gave his imprimatur to the martial law regime in our country up to the very end, even writing his own scenario for Marcos to leave the Malacanang and the Philippines. George Bush approved of a fake presidency which resulted in many media persons killed, greater in number than all other regimes. He distorted our idea of democracy.

The Filipino women's right to vote was given after not much struggle in the 30's because the American woman, Catherine Chappman came over to help in campaigning for it and also convincing the American governor-general then to support it, while the Filipino legislative officials then were totally aghast at the thought of women voting.

Our country is better off under a Democratic Party rule in the United States, to my mind.

Now comparing Obama's regime with that of Clinton I think will not be good because the historical circumstances are not the same. The current state of the United States does not call for quick solutions to their problems. If it took two terms of Republican rule for the economy of the US to turn sour, it would take maybe three terms to strengthen it to its feet again.

However, I believe that the direction of economic changes in the United States should be towards a real democratization -- not only of the US but also all countries around the world. Resources must be democratized and not confined to a few. It is not ethical nor humane to find millions of people suffering from wars, poverty, lack of basic necessities like shelter, clothing, water, food, and education while so many dollar millionaires reside in this and that country.

I think that now is the time for new movements to arise -- those that will truly address the inequitable distribution of wealth, opportunites and resources. By observing and if possible getting involved in political developments in the western world, especially the US, we would be alert as to the possible consequences of elected officials and thereby be guided as to how we ourselves should move, whether in the government or outside as members of the non-government movement.

Our questions should be: which party is most likely to support our NGO issues? Which one is most open to providing real and concrete support to our programs for change?

A lot more questions have to be asked as ticklers for determining our own stand about the US elections. I leave this to the Fil-Americans who must give us an update on political developments there.

Taming or Saving Filipino Women?

TAMING OR SAVING THE FILIPINO WOMEN?

By Wilhelmina S. Orozco

A great number of women, young and middle-aged alike have caught on the sex-bomb costume of short shorts. They parade themselves without qualms or guilt about arousing the libido of mostly the men who eye them with lascivious eyes and salivating mouths.

What could be the reason for this fashion? It is said that some women have to exert extra effort to attract men, to bait a partner for life, a rich companion probably who would be able to foot all the bills to concerts, musicals, theatres, and the movies. But if these women are really bent on attracting suitors why do they go the way of attracting gazers into their legs, instead of their minds? Why do some go to great lengths of wearing shorts and then when inside the jeepneys cover their legs with their books and bags? In other words, they are not really sold to the idea of displaying their legs.

Now why has this attire been upfront for many months now? What could be the reason why Filipino women are not shy at all in wearing them even when the weather is nippy and the logical act to do is to cover the legs? They don’t even feel timid at all in inserting themselves between passengers inside public jeepneys amid students whose concentration is broken by this appearance.

The media has been the culprit in this phenomenon – especially lunchtime TV shows which have chorus girls in short shorts gyrating and imitating sexual acts by moving up and down and when captured on tv camera even just by half their bodies, appear already as if the “dance” were a form of sexual act to arouse the sexual urges of the viewers.

Then the entertainment reporters in the evening news are also dressed in very revealing clothes thereby making parading their bodies a “normal” preoccupation, despite the airing of these stations of their mission: that of being “kapuso,” “kapamilya,” or “kapatid.

Another culprit is Demi Moore’s movie, Indecent Proposal which where she walked around in the streets in very short shorts. That movie which rationalized materialistic love when it was shown here raised many imitators. Many women aped Demi's attire, as if to look like her was to acquire her popularity and possibly an opportunity to be a millionaire (Remember how she did an indecent act with Robert Redford to win 1 million dollars?)

Worse yet are the print, comics and TV shows, which present costumes of those women in games. No matter if they are just animation illustrations, they feature sexually arousing curvaceous bodies – especially the bosomy ones. Then the plots revolving around the women’s being equal partners in investigative situations make the characters palatable for imitation by the female viewers.

But of course, the possibility exists that intelligence officers, to spite feminists, employ assets who will display themselves inside jeepneys, sidewalks and street corners where the latter would pass. It is a way of disorienting these critical feminists who to their mind probably are influential in the political affairs of the State.

Are clothes now so expensive that these sex-bomb attired women are into wearing them? Not really. In fact, a pair of corto shorts is only P35 or 3 for P100. So why do these women wear them.

Then it is bruited about that in Ateneo de Manila University, the guards have been at loggerheads with recalcitrant female students who assert their irrational “freedom” to do as they please, to wear anything as they like. When I visited the Ateneo Library recently I read there about a dress code and it included women wearing clothes that should cover their thighs. Then suddenly, I saw a female student climb down the stairs from the second floor wearing short shorts. I asked the counter librarian why that girl had been allowed inside, and I was told that because of the constant bickering on this matter,the dress code, the administration just gave up on imposing it.

I was appalled to find out that the Jesuit priests had bent their rules to these students. Even if the students should come from wealthy families, they should be made to understand that the university has a high goal for everyone, that of equalizing opportunities for educational attainment.

Another time, I went to the Holy Redeemer Church, and I met a girl in shorts also going inside. I accosted and asked her: “Are you going to worship in that dress? Are you not ashamed?” She was nearly teary-eyed about my question and could not answer back. Then she left, not going inside the church anymore. I could not fathom why she had to weep over such an innocent question when she was brazen enough to display her legs.

Here is where I think that the Church and the Department of Education (DEP-ED) must impose on these female students. Our country has both rural and urban students, with the former bred in an atmosphere of conservatism and the latter in extreme liberal tradition. When the two meet in school, the former would have greater tendency to kowtow or to accept reluctantly what the latter does, and would not want to “rock the boat” so to speak.

Now, how can students learn under an atmosphere where there is a clash of values? I pity the students from the rural areas who could find it difficult concentrating on their studies because of this. Hence it becomes incumbent upon Church and government officials to “tame” or discipline these female students into treating the school as a place for learning and not for displaying their legs and thighs. Attendance at school or university should be treated as an elegant undertaking, requiring modest and respectable clothes that would differentiate a sex worker from a student.

The Church and Dep-Ed should focus its attention on this matter because by having a dress code for the girls, they would show that the main reason for going to the university is to learn, acquire knowledge, debate with other students on issues that matter, challenge theories by past philosophers and writers through their mentors and classmates, and then come up with their own.

Precisely, education is meant to make students original thinkers, doers and actors, instead of blind copycats of what is going on around them. In the case of female students, education is meant to make them understand the many obstacles facing them especially where equality is not yet a permanent reality in our society, and so danger lurks where they could lose out in terms of opportunities.

Thus the university should acquire a new image from hereon – as a space for the minds of female students to expand, to raise their standards for existence, instead of being "gaya-ga" of what they see on TV and other media. The Church should also have watchers of those entering places of worship in order to protect other worshippers who would could feel uneasily and unable to concentrate on their spiritual practices due to the presence of those who flaunt their legs and thighs.

Conservatism?
Is it a case of conservatism to insist on a dress code? No, it is not. Students should learn how to regard the university as a place for learning, where the development of the mind, emotions, physical bodies and spirit are paramount. It is not a time for challenging the State or other institutions on physicalities but rather on the rationale for their existence, why social issues abound, how politics can be directed to serve the people's needs, and why culture is an equally important study, among other things.

I mentioned the university’s goal of “equalizing opportunities for educational attainment.” This is exactly the point I am driving at: the atmosphere for learning should be equal in order for everyone to be able to study, to concentrate and to develop ideas that are necessary for their courses, and not be distracted by scenes of physical challenges to the authorities’ imposing the dress code.

Moreover, how can students feel equal or strong to challenge the ideas of Henry David Thoreau, St. Thomas Aquinas, Simone de Beauvoir, Jean Paul Sartre, Mary Wollstonecraft, or even Bernard Shaw, when they look puny in their attire? These theoreticians and philosophers worked in academes and places where their intelligence was highly appreciated, admired, or even challenged with reverence by others. Is it possible to regard highly a female student in shorts attacking the ideas of Plato?

I think that the university must reacquire its status of being a true place for learning and not for display of legs and thighs of misguided students whose parents could be too busy to attend to their activities at school. Mentors, spiritual advisers and counselors must bond together to address this problem which is a probable reason for the dip in ranking of Philippine universities in world education.

The Church must also assert its authority in terms of making female worshippers be attired in those that will help others attain their spiritual upliftment easily. By the way, aren’t those shorts or even short dresses a way of desanctifying the place of worship?

I hope that even the various women’s groups should look into this problem. Women’s liberation is anchored on respect of women’s rights, true, but not when they are already destabilizing the cultural values of the society for equal opportunities in education. We should help everyone attain their own highest goals or just not be plain obstacles to others attainment of their aims in life.

MAKING DEMOCRACY WORK

WHEN GOVERNING IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY, ONE WILL FIND THAT that sometimes, choices do not match the expectations of the general public. And when that happens, criticisms ensue, blaming and then a need exists to change things.

I think that is normal in a democratic society and should not be a cause for alarm. We are in a country that was rocked several times by political struggles. So happenings in faulty decision-making are normal -- as there are opportunities to change the decision.

For example, the MRT and LRT were welcomed ideas in the beginning as they would speed up the carriage of people from one destination to another. Traffic is avoided and fares are cheap. However, now we can see some of the loopholes of building these structures -- in very narrow streets, the train ines have added to the problem. The people breathe in the pollution underneath the traintracks caused by diesel-fed jeepeneys, mostly. Streets have become narrower, as the railway walls are too close to homes and roofs of houses. Environmental clearance certificates were not issued to indicate that the construction of the MRT and LRT would not cause unhealthy conditions.

Another example, dengue fever is attacking our populace. Then immediate reaction is to call in the Department of Health. But the flaw? Why not make the Dept. of Environment also look into the problem? Are mosquitoes flying about in the environment? Why is the DENR so quiet now?

What are we saying here? Decision-making entails looking at the problems macro-wise and making all concerned think up of ways to solve the problem.

In the case of deciding the future of our country, what is most important then is getting the opinions of the public -- who to appoint, who to select to handle the most sensitive jobs, and who to promote. I do think that all government officials owe their positiont to the public as we pay our taxes so that they can earn their salaries and do their jobs well.

Hence, we also should be consulted on who should be the best person to hold this and that position. It is not enough to elect officials and let them do their thing alone. No, we should be consulted. In the case of the PNP chief, the public, more specifically, the police men and women in the force should have also been consulted prior to making any promotion or appointment.

This is making democracy -- the voice of the people -- work.

SPECTACULAR CHANGES

Spectacular governance? Are we looking for one where instantly we can make poverty disappear -- meaning vagrants will be sent to a house, that children asking for alms will be directed to go to a museum or a playground to play so as to stop their parents from making them sources of income; that breast cancer will be obliterated; that jobs will be available to everyone from 18 to 65; that senior citizens will be provided escalators at every overpass; that ads like Solmux which denigrate the efficacy of our herbal native products will be banned from being aired; that ads, especially in the morning shall include those about our great, unique and original inventions instead of foreign products all the time, and worst of all -- about products that cater to vanity of vanities; and many many more.

Folks, we are dreaming! And dreaming is good if our dreams are realizable. If not, then forget them. This is because there seems to be mistaken definition of what is a new administration.

New means nuovo, nova, nueva, bago, novel, fresh, and possibly original. Hence a new administration means it consists of fresh new faces in old positions. But that is hardly the case right now. Those occupying sensitive and high level posts, except for those in Malacanang are people, either identified with the former administration, or promoted from the ranks who had served in the same.

Therefore, given that situation, we cannot expect much new ideas filtering in our government, except a rehash, a repeat, or a recycled idea. Why is this so? This is because there seems to be a great fear of new people being placed in those key positions. The new administration leaders are afraid, suspicious or tend to be conservative relying on old faces to dot the roster list of officials. Why are they afraid? Because they have seen how Marcos was booted out of office, and how Erap was unceremoniously deposed; so the reality of their suffering from the same experience could possibly be difficult or they find it difficult to overcome.

What does all these mean to us? It is not possible, to my mind that the Filipino people shall allow another dictator or permit another deposition of a leader without proper procedures being followed. We had gone through them and we know how horrendous it had been falling under a fake commander-in-chief and "president." Up to the last minute of sitting in that position, GMA was doing things according to her own selfish purposes and not according to the will of the people.

The people saw through that and so elected a new set of leaders. However, as we have said. being new requires having new faces, especially in the military and the police. Before elections, I had been told by Dr. GE that the safest military officer would be from the level of colonels down. Those above, meaning generals are already CORRUPT. They know the ways of the world and it is very difficult to change their attitudes because they have become robotized according to the methods of milking the bureaucracy.

I think there is no room nor basis for suspicion when getting new people to occupy posts. It exists only in the mind because the bureaucracy has checks and balance systems to arrest any kind of corruption or attempt to grab power. All it takes is the will of the people.

But if the people are wary of supporting this administration, why by all means, they will support anything that will overturn the leadership. But if they see sincerity and honesty so necessary for being in government, then they will support it wholeheartedly -- as now they, or we have learned our lessons well.

Hence the bigger problem of the new administration is how to make the people strengthen their belief in the new leaders. And many psychology and sociology books will offer ready solutions.

For myself, I want a spectacular turn-around of our society, of our lives, and not piecemeal solutions. I want faces which will move us to act and cooperate with them at any time for the good of the people and their welfare. I want new faces brave enough to confront any misdeed of their colleagues or any corrupt act right away.

In other words, we want a humane society -- sensitive to our needs, wants, desires and dreams for a New Country.

Is this attainable? We can see it coming through -- the way the investigations of past misdeeds are being done. Let us keep it up. And please, let us have NEW FACES.

GOVERNANCE UNDER SPOTLIGHT

THE Series of radio features of the investigation of the Luneta hostage incident has attracted the attention of the nation -- what with the big radio stations pre-empting their programming to give way to the DOJ-led panel. Listening to it, I am truly proud of Sec. de Lima who exhibits a knowledge of her turf - justice. She speaks in clear English but could also in Pilipino in order to accommodate those involved whom she must have perceived not capable of understanding the English language that deeply as she could.

Today, I listened to two people interviewed and interrogated to shed light on the hostage: Col. Yebra the negotiator and the brother of Mendoza, the hostage taker. I could perceive the sincerity of the former to make the negotiations succeed but what hampered him was the bureaucratic procedures that had to be followed in approaching the hostage taker, the need to be always deferring to authority, and his powerlessness in the face of the assault which was never revealed nor told him beforehand. I could only pity him for his sad narration of events.

Then Mendoza's brother exhibited his own feudal ways -- appreciating more the authority of his brother than that of the PNP, but which should not be his fault as well. His actuations only reveal the need for greater reeducation of the PNP force on how to be loyal, true and committed to one's calling, without having to rely on relatives for support.

Now, I am wondering why VP Jojo Binay who had claimed that he underwent a seminar on crisis management of hostage taking in the States never volunteered to help during the incident? Why did he wait to be invited instead of going there or even calling up P.Noy and saying that he could? There is no need for protocol where lives are at stake. It should be the responsibility of everyone to help and not wait anymore to be invited to help.

Saving lives should be the primary consideration where incidents of this kind occur. Pride, protocol, hierarchies should be done away with so that a speedy peaceful resolution of the case could be done. To my mind, if after one hour, the hostage taker is still in control, then a different group should already manage the situation. Why the police waited for 12 hours+ to resolve the case and did not surrender it to the national crisis committee is beyond me. It simply reflects poor judgment and inability to act properly and appropriately.

Now, i think that since P. Noy had taken up the cudgels for the fiasco, some quarters are now airing that possibility of his resigning. That is a shocking view which I think a hidden group is now hatching up to destabilize P.Noy's administration. A broadcaster and a senator with a poor sense of loyalty have brought up this idea of "resignation" and I think they are bringing this country to the brink of a civil disturbance. They should be cut out from public exposure as soon as possible in order to limit their opinions to the sidelines.

At this time, the least we need is a change of presidents, after having had an artificial one for 9 years. Why, after driving and having thousands of American soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, how come Bush never resigned?

Not that I uphold the rightness of the hostage-taking but rather at this time, changing horses in midstream is thoroughly poor judgment. It will not solve anything. What P. Noy must do I think is get beyond political partisanship and reach out to those in the know about the problems of the country.

And so, I think that governance-wise the weak link for P. Noy is the police and the military whose structure -- very hierarchical -- breeds domineering and authoritarian individuals backed up by arms. It is a very delicate situation as these forces are the ones supposed to protect us and given us security in all times of trouble. I would not be able to fault the Chinese for their fear of coming here since it is now the police which is their object of attention. The police has not really been able to come up with thousands of bemedalled individuals who could be
models for emulation and appreciation by the public. Not even with the yearly (?) recognition by the Metrobank Foundation of police women and men who had done good service would suffice to raise public understanding that the force is one that we should be proud of.

So after the results of the investigation is through, the first order of the day is to free the police force of scalawags. Have a thorough examination of the fitness -- mental, physical, psychological -- of every individual in the police force, maybe even up to the general level -- to check on how they would respond to situations, what their understanding is of their roles in society. There are many psychological tests that could reveal if a person is authoritarian, racist, etcetera. All these tests would be a good ground for checking which ones are fit to be promoted to this and that position.

Also, all new applicants to the police force must be evaluated in terms of their capability to make independent judgments and analysis of situations, and test crimes. I do think this is highly important, since there would be cases when they would later on, after appointment, be facing situations requiring them to solely attend to cases.

Most importantly, rotation of assignments should be done constantly so that the police would not develop authoritarian postures making them see themselves as kings -- not to be critiqued nor to be charged should they commit a negative act -- in the communities, especially. For example, in our community here in Barangay Dona Imelda, I have had to put up with motorcycle riding police assets revving up their engines when they pass by my house, one after the other as soon as they find out that I am awake and am in the sala fronting the road and listening to the radio news.

How they make such noise that I have to up the volume to the highest just to listen to Ted Failon or DZXL give his news for the day.

MUSIC AS HEALER

Everyday, I listen to music -- all sorts, from classical to standard, to pop, to rock, and lullabye. I don't discriminate because my mind has that bent to analyze every phrase, every lyric which makes listening interesting for me in a way. I learned how to analyze from Tita King, or Lucrecia Kasilag, the National Artist for Music. She was not yet one when I met her and when I was taking lessons under her. When she became one, we still continued our ties, she as my erstwhile mentor, ever so giving, nurturing and humorous, while I was a student so eager to absorb everything and anything about music, as my late ambition come fulfilled.

So when Anjie Oquendo, member of the Liturgikon Vocal Ensemble (LVE) from UST invited me to attend their program, Pax and Friends, even if it was only hours before the start, I readily acceded. How that experience of watching them perform really struck me from the outset. LVE is composed of music students and that is very evident from the very start of their singing. the blending of the voices was fabulous, not a single off-key tone did I hear; the harmony was terrific, whether the singing was slow or fast; and even if there was not much choreography of the pieces, they were a sight to behold. I feasted my eyes on them, those youthful students whose voices exuded worshipful thoughts in every piece.

They sang Exultate Deo by Alessandro Scarlatti, Ave Maria by Tomas L. de Victoria and I Will Sing Forever by M. Francisco, S.J. The pieces are not ordinary choir songs. One piece required one voice singing the melody and another running against it or contrapuntal. Another thing, all the pieces required singing in harmony' but this is hard because sopranos or any of the other voices could find it hard sticking to their melodies while having to listen to other voices at the same time. Also, the lines of the songs are quite long thereby imposing breathing requirements. A singer cannot just breathe at will but has to look for that particular comma or pause whereby it would be proper to breathe without destroying or cutting the thought. Otherwise, the singing would appear amateurish and disturbing.

Anyway, other choirs were present like the UST Chorus of Arts and Letters and the Accountancy Chamber Singers during this concert. I counted the singers and there were a lot -- both male and female voices. the LVE had more than 40 members, the UST Chorus, 23, and the ACS 16 with almost equal participation of the sexes. So here we can see that young people are always drawn to music and expressing themselves through it which is a key to how development is viewed by them, after all. Life should not all be purely for materialistic but rather cultural pursuits as well.

A few suggestions will suffice here:
1. Conductors must dress well, especially when the singers are in their best attire. They must also be conscious of how their backs look like while conducting. Sometimes, these backs can distract the attention of the audience instead of being able to concentrate on listening to the music.
2. When singers of a choir joins another choir to augment the voices on the latter, it is necessary for their costumes to blend with the group.
3. Programs should contain the names of the choir members. It is a document of the students' experiences in school.
4. I like the inclusion of programme notes. However, they should also contain the years the pieces were composed for historical accuracy and also to inculcate in the audience the need to appreciate the past.
5. Above all, the singers must know how to enunciate so that the audience can hear the lyrics, and appreciate the meaning that the composer wants to impart. Unfortunately, some conductors do not emphasize this so much so that listening to choral singing becomes just a melodic appreciation hour, and no longer literary as well.
6. After the Accountancy singers had left the stage, the sounds technicians replayed a line from one of the songs which was deliberately made to make the audience hear it: :"tila ako'y nababaliw...' which is rather crass, and a sign of making the cultural exercise a political one. I am sure that the technician had been told to do that by someone in the audience out to disgrace a political critic also watching.
7. Then after the concert, the garbage janitor was there outside the hall collecting all the wastes of the college of education building in all galore. What a stupid ending for an ethereal experience. I am sure that was also deliberately done -- to make the audience see the plastic bags of garbage, in effect making a statement that all your cultural events are just a waste of time.

Calling the dean of music, Dr. Raul Sunico. Make the administration respect musicians and audience please. Delete political harassers forever from cultural language AND REALITY.

MY SERVICE, OUR SERVICE, MY JOY

By BIENVENIDA ABAN CRISANTO*
(Speech supposed to have been delivered at a ceremony honoring Dr. Crisanto as a Golden Jubilee and charter member of the Inner Wheel Club of Quezon City, 2010)

Way back in 1960, my husband, Carmelo Crisanto, who was managing a paper mill, was invited to be a charter member of the Rotary Club of Quezon City which was being organized at the time by Ceferino S. Picache, the printer-publisher of Bookman.

A big celebration was held to induct the first set of officers and members, to which my husband was included. As his wife, I was also invited to the induction of officers of the RCQC, and there and then became a charter member of the first Inner Wheel Club of Quezon City. We were honored by the presence of President Carlos P. Garcia and his wife, Leonila during the induction held at the Social Security System Bldg of Quezon City.

From 1960-61 I have been a charter member . Then from 1961-62, I was elected a secretary taking down notes of the minutes of the meetings. Then from 62-63, a director; and then 63-64, the vice-president. Then from 64-65, I was finally put up as the president of the Inner Wheel Club of Quezon City. Later on, they had wanted to reelect me but I told them, “Everyone has a potential to be a president.”


Sisterhood among Rotary Anns
The Rotarians had weekly meetings while we, in the Inner Wheel, also had ours in a separate section in the commercial place, usually the restaurants. Then the women decided to have meetings of our own in the different residences of the Rotary Anns where the homeowner became the host.


We, members, were very close to each other, sharing stories of our families, lovelives, especially the very intimate stories of our relationships with our husbands. We talked about ourselves and our businesses. I received advice from the elder members who were 20 years older than I was. It was very normal way then for the officers of the club to be closely personal with each other.

The more senior members, Amelia Zabarte, Pat Picache, Trining Enriquez, and others, talked about the humble beginnings of their families; later on they shared stories about their husbands. “Ngayon lang sila nagbibinata kasi ngayon lang sila my time – now that their children are grown up and their businesses are successful,” (thereby hinting at their sometimes melancholy life as wives.) I was only 34 then as president, and the others – Picache, were 20 years older. The older members gave me advice "oh you will encounter this… and that…”

“Nagbubuntis na ako noon, I was in the family way, and then all the while, they were giving me advice. Syempre because they were older and more experienced parang anak ako na pinapayuhan. They were already successful in their lines of businesses, having put up their own buildings and enterprises, and with achieving businessmen-husbands to boot while my husband then was still only a manager of a paper mill.

We developed friendship first as the start of our closeness. This was nurtured when after luncheon meetings, we would say to each other, “O pagkatapos ng miting ha, punta tayo sa Divisoria, ” So some of us hied off riding the Mercedes Benz of Mrs. Picache to get to Divisoria just to meander and buy whatever we could, like clothes and shoes. Hubaran ng alahas, pagkatapos, paikut ikot sa Divisoria, naghahanap ng kakaining lumpiang sariwa na gawa ng Intsik..We were well-dressed in the meeting but would dress down, wearing rubber slippers just to go around Divisoria, afraid that our jewels would be snatched or we would get held up. We often looked for that Chinese-cooked lumpiang sariwa. Ang sarap sarap noon, and after eating we would go home filling up the car of Ms. Picache. Puno ang kotse ni Ms. Picache with us – but we did not mind, showing how really close we were to each other. Sisterhood had a real meaning then. Although we were just coasting along as member-wives of our husbands, during my term, we constantly talked with each other remembering our motto, "selflessness in friendship and service to humanity.”

Inner Wheel Nationalization. Initially, the Inner Wheel existed only by district. But in 1967, the Association of the IWC of the Philippines, Inc. was put up to gather all the Inner Wheel Clubs under one organization. Trinidad Legarda, one of the first members of the Inner Wheel club of Manila then became president, and continued her presidency.

Doctor’s = Rotary motto. Actually, before I became a member of the Inner Wheel, I had already my own clinic at San Francisco del Monte in Quezon City, holding medical consultations among the poor patients in the communities around our house and charging only P20 then whereas the going on rate was P80 to P100 per consultation by my colleagues. They would mock me, and say, “Ano ba yang si Beny, ang liit-liit ng bayad?”

But I held up my head high because I knew that I was truly serving the poor who cannot afford to buy medicines, and on top of that, pay for expensive professional fees. I knew I could cure them. After all, even if my practice had been confined to the Philippine patients, I had enough skills to heal patients suffering from tropical diseases. My constant exposure to them eventually made me raise my own professional skills, coupled by exposure to international health discussions.

Medical mission: a roving clinic. When I became president, I conceived and proposed the establishment of a medical clinic because it hewed close to our motto “service to humanity.” What service can I give but the same medical professional skills?

Upon my prodding, I proposed to the Inner Wheel Club of QC during the presidency of Vicky Hechanova, a pharmacist, (67-68) the setting up of a mobile clinic, a parallel undertaking with the other projects of the Rotarians, who had member doctors and dentists to help us. The project was successful as it garnered the support of everyone.
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Motto: Service to Others. Lacking a permanent venue, our medical mission was mobile. We conducted consultations every Sunday at the covered patios of churches, bringing our trucks of chairs, tables, and other medical supplies to put up a medical clinic.

Our streamers attracted the churchgoers and so we had our hands full. We gave away free medicines some we bought and thers donated by pharmaceutical companies which were eager to promote their products through our medical missions. Later on, when our building was set up, we included dental services not during our missions then. Our member-dentists shared their services and expertise for free. As a pediatrician, I usually attended to the mothers who brought their children with primary complex.

The mission was lively because many Sunday churchgoers became curious and approached us about it. We did not even have to announce anything. Almost everyone wanted to consult us. A great come-on were the many free medicines. Humihingi sila ng multi-vitamins.

For the IWQC staff, we prepared food to make us last the long periods – so long as there were patients, sometimes lasting half a day, we stayed to attend to all the patients. Habang may pasyente, naruruon kami. Usually masses lasted till noon so we had to stay there as well.

There was great camaraderie among us; we felt that we were living our motto: truly a service to others, in a very selfless manner. Vicky Hechanova, married to Ramon, was reelected president of the Inner Wheel Club to continue our highly successful, well-known and popular medical mission. I was the chair of the mission, being a doctor, while she was the president. But we also had member-doctors as well as other volunteer-doctors who were non-members. The other members assisted by dispensing medication, interviewing and arranging the patients to be attended to with dispatch. Rotarian Greg Feliciano, husband of Inner Wheel member Pat Feliciano, head of the Social Welfare Administration or SWA also was there to assist us.

A Home for the Medical Mission. In 1971, Ester Vibal, upon assumption as president, conceived of a building for us to house our clinic more permanently. She proposed to Mayor Norberto Amoranto a place but the latter instead gave us a renewable lease-contract for 25 years the use of a small 200 meter lot in the compound of the Kamuning High School then, now called Quezon City High School. This is adjacent to the Boy Scouts Headquarters inside the QCHS compound along Scout Ybardolaza near corner Kamuning Streets, Quezon City.

The synerygy was tremendous in making the project successful. Donations poured in– from the building materials to the payments for labor. Even an architect-member of Rotary together with other construction engineer-members designed and constructed the building. I was focused on the mission, all the while feeling happy that finally we would have a permanent home for our medical mission. It was an organizational undertaking of the Rotary and the Inner Wheel Clubs of Quezon City, the first in the history of the Rotary Philippines.

When the clinic opened to the public, we offered internal medicine to women patients with children. Humihingi sila ng multi-vitamins for their children. We gave them, actually until now but I add that they need to eat nutritious food and not rely on capsules and tablets to make their bodies strong, healthy and resistant to diseases.

So every Thursday, we had free clinics in the building. Ester being a publisher-printer donated books which we catalogued and shelved in a library and added magazines patronized by students and teachers then.

Other IW Projects
Since the IWP was put up, presidents have had other projects like —tubig sa barrio, Operation Karunungan, and nursery and kindergarten school, Tunay Na Ating Operation Paglingap Sa Elderly, Ako ay Pilipino contest complete with awards of scholarships with financial rewards, such as P10,000 for first, another for second etc. It was our medical missionin 1967 which started this plethora of projects by other Inner Wheel Clubs in the Philippines and now have become implemented nationwide.

Although every IWQC president has her own project, almost all have invariably organized and supported a medical mission yearly. These are beautification, clean and green, coupled with planting trees and plants.

As all Rotarians are owners of companies, banks, businessmen, people who are up there so-called –their wives, Inner Wheel Club members, have enough resources to get involved with the Inner Wheel. During our time, Nenita Evans held a cooking session in a make-shift small kitchenette in our building. Being a nutritionist she saw the need to make the women understand the value of cooking healthy food. The project was not a simple recipe-laden activity but rather one that emphasized preparing inexpensive nutritious foods to help mothers understand the need for healthy servings. Another one was Meding Gutierrez, (74-75) a retired teacher who thought of putting up a daycare and nursery school beside our clinic. This has become a well- earning endeavor, while the clinic is still mainly a non-paying service project. Na overpower kami.

Right now, I have a self-imposed obligation to be in the clinic, previously Thursdays but now Saturdays. I treat families – my TB yung iba. Mostly though, my patients are mothers with their children. With free consultation and free medication, people were attracted to the clinic.

My husband, when still alive, was very supportive – allowing me to be active. He had his own job, but he knew the importance of my practicing my skills among the poor patients and so gave me full support, even helping me with the speeches whenever I was invited to speak at a public gathering. My children, Chuck bring me to the clinic or arranged it, every Saturday while Pixie or Third, my eldest son who has just arrived from New York and is a practicing doctor there, picks me up, to go home to Pasig. My involvement has become a family affair.

Once, we were told by the DOH to ask donations from our patients, because they might sell the medicines. They rationalized that psychologically, the patients would think it a big investment to donate for the medicines. So they would value whatever we had given them. Hence now, we accept payment for medicines.

But our work is very meritorious encouraging others to follow our footsteps. Our building built after ten years of existence of the IWQC has become a permanent place for our meetings, missions, school and other services. This has attracted others to follow suit like the Inner Wheel of Manila which put up their own building in Dao much later than we did.

Service Without Seeking Fame
I want to say this: everybody has been asking me why I have not been included in the national presidency, yet, I have accumulated more than 50 awards. I answer I don’t know. Now people are asking, why I have this red rose of friendship.

I never aspired to be this and that, national president, or national representative because I was thinking that my service as chair of the medical and dental clinic in QC has been enough. Neither did I aspire to be a district chair, which is a qualifying credit to join the higher posts, nationally and internationally. The urgency of attending to the health needs of our people, this Inner Wheel health project, has become my preoccupation, my commitment, my life though sans the trappings of fame and any position can offer.

TB, number one killer
In 1993, a group of Filipino pulmonologists went abroad for a convention They found out the results of a World Health Organization survey that, 70 per cent of world is sick with TB, and 70% of the 70% are in Asia – with China as No. 1, and the Philippines the 5th in the incidence of TB. So these pulmonologists, under the Philippine Coalition against TB which aimed to eradicate TB in the country published in the newspaper that they wanted NGO volunteers in partnership with the government. I volunteered as a member and put up the IWQC to be a member also. Since then, I have been very active in that –attending seminars, lectures, and conventions thinking of myself as a self-appointed Pulmonologist.

Every week, it has been a part of my life to be in the clinic. I feel happy knowing my patients get well, especially when I became a member of this coalition.

I announced to the community that we should adopt communities and we did. These ten marginalized communities are Payatas A and B, Pansol, Kaingin 1 and 2, Pinagbuhatan, and Scout Torillos, among others. In these communities, we conduct our mission, bringing with us, x-rays rented from Quezon Institute, and using them to find out the state of health of our patients. Many patients come over, attracted by free x-rays as well as by medicines. I would also urge them to come again and again till they were well to insure that their health had returned.

The need to help, stemming partly from that Rotarian motto: “service to humanity” is so ingrained in my psyche that I encourage people I meet, even lowly workers like that taxi driver to come over to the clinic to be examined and prescribed medicines, once I notice something wrong with them physically.

Today, I feel very much fulfilled as a doctor. I am sure that if my husband were here, he would relish the same satisfaction I feel – first, of being able to practice my profession outside (initially in the 60’s) and within the Inner Wheel Club; second, of being thanked by my patients who were healed in our clinic, third, of being recognized, and fourth, being awarded for my work by our organization, the Inner Wheel Club of Quezon City. My practice, my commitment have been deepened immeasurably by the constant exposure to the health needs of our kababayan.

However, I rue the dwindling if not lack of funds to sustain our medical operations, compared to what the IWQC has exposed to Gawad Kalinga of P1M.

My wish is that you would raise the level of your financial support as our clinic is naghihikahos. We can hardly pay for Luz, our secretary who is in great need of a home. She is a battered woman living with a jobless husband in their relatives’ house in Bulacan. Our other kababayan are in great need of health sustenance and care until now. I have been spending out of my own finances for the many items to maintain the clinic. If we can grant Gawad Kalinga P1M then I would like to have the same amount if not more for the clinic. After all this clinic has been in existence for 43 years, almost the same length of service of 50 years that I have been involved and it has provided recognition to the Inner Wheel Club of Quezon City through all of 43 years.

My honor is yours too, our honor as self-sacrificing members of the Inner Wheel Club of Quezon City. To the Rotary Club of Quezon City and the Philippines, may our tribe increase. To the Rotary International, let us use our organizations to hold more health and peace missions all over the world.

Let us make everyone live healthily and happily on earth. So be it.

as told to Wilhelmina S. Orozco