QUIAPO, NOT A THING OF THE PAST

Christ personifies goodness. He lived a spotless life while on earth; in fact he only lost his cool once when he saw the vendors at the temple. 

"Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves." NIV

That was a long time ago but if you go to Quiapo, the center of business in Manila, where you will find the Quiapo Church, with the Plaza Mirando in front of it,  you will see lots of vendors  selling all kinds of things -- agricultural produce, even a reading of destiny.  No one drives them away. In fact, there could be more than a thousand of them, luring pedestrians to buy from them. 

And if you look at the grounds of Quiapo you will see a lot wastes -- plastic bags, fruit peels, crumpled paper, 

Now how come after all these years, Quiapo has not turned into a likeable, admirable place for promenading? 

Vendors are in bedraggled clothes - maski papano na lang. They wear worn slippers and shout at the top of their voices trying to attract buyers. 

SUGGESTIONS; 

1. SILENCE I have the idea that a place of worship should have a quiet surrounding and clean environment. It's going to be a no-smoking area and no loiterers, either. 

Shouting for people to buy should be banned. the whole Carriedo street parallel to the Church should have vendors only two meters of vending in the center. The areas right after the gutter should be free of vendors.  

2. Itinerant vendors should be disallowed. Or they should be confined to only one area. 

3. AND EVERY VENDOR SHOULD HAVE A WALIS TINGTING AND A WASTECAN. If one does not obey this rule, then they should not be allowed to sell anything at all there. 

4. Candle sellers should be prohibited from lighting the candles. Customers could buy the candles and enter the church to put them in the proper places inside. Folks,  I don't believe that the prayers said in front of the sellers while lighting the candles could reach heaven at all. The current practice is just pure commercial transaction and nothing more. 

5. Herbal vendors should all be lined up in one place and not scattered all over the place. 

6. All vendors should price mark their products. They should give the least price already. Walang tawaran to speed up the business. 

7. Ukay-ukay vendors should also be confined to one area. Actually some fool the customers claiming their products are brand new. To the new Metro Manila settlers, everything looks new. So to prevent and stop deceptive business practices, the vendors should all be lined up in one area. 

In other words, there should be a categorization of vendors in Quiapo. 

8. Jewelry makers should have a license from the Professional Regulations Commission. By having a license, and their certificates duly displayed, they would not be attracted to deceiving customers of their products. When they say that a stone is genuine, then the customers could always run after them if these turn out to be otherwise. 

If a jeweler cannot fix a ring, he or she should not be allowed to bring it to another jeweler but instead make the customers themselves bring their jewels to the next jewelers. 

I remember having sought the help of a female jeweler, who turned out had a blurry eyes. She brought my ring to another jeweler. Yun pala, pinalitan ang mga bato ng russian diamond. My ring had old stones as it was a gift from my daughter. It is actually difficult to distinguish Russian diamonds from real ones. I presumed that the jeweler must have been truly hard up and so had to resort to nefarious ways. Childless,  she and her husband live on the mezzanine of their stall which is one meter by three meters long. The two meters is reserved for their small canteen offering merienda to passersby. Hay naku, for a measly sum, should I still make bruhaha over that? 

But I could no longer tolerate being fooled. One day,  I asked a jeweler  to goldplate my ring. He got it and put it inside the box of his table. It took him such a long time to do it. Then a woman (spy) came and they talked. when the jeweler gave me back my ring it was no longer the same. So I reported him to the police at the corner of Raon. He was fetched ad was forced to pay me the cost of the ring. After that I was hoping that he would lose his puwesto, but lo and behold, the other day, I saw that he even had a karatula with his name on it written in big font. Sounds like Robin's nickname. 

9. Now, the sermon of the priest in Quiapo is so loud, it reverberates all around the plaza. And it is so irrelevant when all around, is the scenery full of hagglers, buyers, cheaters, fortune tellers, children selling bags, beggars, vendors with their carts selling lumpia, maize and the like. The place looks so unholy, just like when Jesus drove the vendors from the temple. I wonder what Pope Francis would say about this travesty of spirituality. 

No one would feel holy at all in such a place. 

I think that Quiapo should be made more elegant, respectable and admirably a place that has long historical value. Don't we remember that someone once said, if you want the people to hear your opinion, go to Plaza Miranda which is in front of the Quiapo Church and speak out there? That means that people who linger there  really listen to you and analyze your opinions when you are there exercising your right to speak. In fact, every vendor that I have engaged has a mind of his or her own. They could discuss with you for hours and hours. 

I  think that we could still make Quiapo a truly memorable place, not a thing of the past, with greater resolve of local officials to make it so. 

GIFTGIVING AND TOYS FOR PEACE

I think we are the topmost people in the world who really go gaga over Christmas. It is a time for family gatherings, for exchanging gifts or even just gift-giving, and going to mass in the early mornings. The tradition is very deep and goes back hundreds of years I suppose to the Spanish era. 

We should be proud of that because it means we value being a part of the community. We belong to each other; we nurture our past; and we are of one race; one historical consciousness, and one deep kinship with each other. 

However, what we should guard against is measuring gifts in terms of monetary value. We must learn to value every gift that we receive no matter how inexpensive, especially if they have been done by the giver. It shows that we have been in the mind of the giver and that he or she values our presence in this world. 

Children particularly must recognize that Christmas is a time for being open, for being generous to other people. When they go caroling, they must give their best and not just sing even when out of tune just so they could make a quick cash. Parents must teach their children the value of singing the Christmas carols; what they mean and what message they give to other people. 

I have been making beaded balls and giving them away to children in the streets. The Mindanao group (Badjao I presume) shows great pleasure in receiving them. They know what artistic products are. But the children in the slums, ask me: "Para saan po ito?" They have forgotten or maybe they were not taught to appreciate artistic products and instead only watch gifts  for their practical value. "Pwedeng dekorasyon, lagyan mo ng tangkay, o kaya pantali sa buhok. Bahala ka kung ano'ng gusto mong gawin."Then they smiled and asked for another one as there were the two of them. I said, "isa lang. Mag-share na lang kayo." The other one who lost in the "pik" a game that makes the winner get the beaded ball, grabbed it. But I told them not to quarrel over it as they should share it between themselves.

New toys, imaginative toys, toys that can be manipulated, toys that make the children think --  these are what are needed as gifts by our children. Toys that will educate them to tell the time, a children's magazine like Regalo, to read; Toys for Peace, not the guns and swords which teach them to harm, injure others and even kill. Computer war games are the worst lot on this score. 

Way back in the 90's Aida Lava (God bless her soul,) was one of the leaders of the Forward Looking Women or FLOW toegether with Inday Pineda and Rosario Dos Santos who were at the forefront disseminating the value of toys for peace. That was a very long time ago and as the proliferation of violent toys exists it seems we have not not really made a dent in the consciousness of manufacturers especially those coming from the People's Republic of China. 

The Department of Social Welfare and Development must lead in inculcating among the children and people in general the real value of Christmas. Jesus Christ was born in a manger, a very lowly place, not the air-conditioned rooms of posh hospitals. We should never forget that. Or at least we should respect the Christian people's beliefs in the modest roots of Christmas. 

JUSTICE LEAGUE VERSUS CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

I saw two kinds of saviors the first week of December. One was the Christmas Concert at UST with the UST Conservatory of Music student musicians under the helm of Prof. Herminigildo Ranera playing beautiful Christmas songs at Plaza Mayor on December 1, 2017 as the lights were turned on the university grounds. We were in celebration of the anniversary of the birth of Christ, the Savior of humanity. 

It was highly exhilarating listening to musicians play Christmas songs because they were all Christians in the real sense -- believers of Jesus and hence, their musical performance permeated their souls, minds and hearts, not just physically. It is highly different when listening to musicians whose idea of performance is being glued to the score, playing according to the dictates of the composer, and yet not believing in the true import of the songs. 

It was the 15th celebration with King of Kings as the theme to usher in the Christmas season. Sopranos included Thea Perez, who sang Payapang Daigdig, Elisana Cortes and Nennen Espina who sang 12 Days of Christmas. Abdul Candao who is Vienna-trained according to a faculty member, sang "O Holy Night" and I thought I had heard Pavarotti that night. He was full of reverence when he sang the song. 

Naomi Sison meanwhile sang Light of A Million. There were children and other women and men singers in the whole show, coordinated by Dean Antonio Africa of the UST Conservatory of Music. A narrator said that the Conservatory now has 600 students and 73 Faculty members. Prof. Ranera who also conducts the PPO at CCP handles Composition, Conducting, Orchestration as well graduate classes which he handles with great ease and humour, a very nice approach to budding artists. Maybe that is why UST has a lot of students. 

But what struck me about the Festival is that the Savior being celebrated was a real human being, who never pretended to be ultra strong but delivered many parables to emphasize the need for a moral life. 

Unfortunately, when I saw Justice League, a movie with 5 heroes (with one woman) I just could not reconcile that idea of their being saviors of the world. The movie tries to make us believe that we have those real martyrs ready with their magical tricks to overcome evil in this world. The villains are not the real villains that we would see in the streets or in the seedy sections of our society. Instead, they are imaginative figures shaped by digital effects artists. 

And now I really pity the American girl children who have to swallow a very fantastical image of a woman but who could not be a model of social responsibility at all as the whole story is concocted for movie delectation, and not a spiritual awakening to the need to love our neighbor, especially the needy, and for girls to have the courage to stand up and fight the evil forces in society. Besides, the costume of Wonder Woman is too sexually attractive and I don't see the point how the girl children could possibly see themselves as she is

Am I being cynical of sci-fi movies? Not really, but as this film had come during the Christmas season, it brings out a negative impact of the need to have a moral overhaul of our values where society is concerned. The movie is just for appreciation of how the producers had created a film that uses computer tricks and all the way through and nowhere is it possible to identify with any of the heroes and the heroine. 

Maybe it is time to rewrite these sci-fi movies and make them credible as real saviors of the world. And please give us real enemies of the people, like those who subvert democratic processes and land as pretenders to the throne. 

MGA KABABAYAN SA CONDOMINIUM UNITS

MGA KABABAYAN SA CONDOMINIUM UNITS

Ang baradong sewage system sa groundfloor, sa mga units A, ay nagpapahirap sa paghinga, pagtulog at paglalakad ng mga naninirahan dito.  Tinangkang ayusin ng Association ito subali’t nag-breakdown ang makina. Ngayon, isang unit owner ang nagmagandang loob at kinatulong si Pabling para malinis ang mga tubo ng sewage system atnatagpuan kung bakit barado:

Buhok    Sebo     Condom    Panty; atbp

Ang mga bagay na ito ang nagging dahilan ng pagbabara at siyang nagdudulot ng perhuwisyo sa ating pamayanan. Mahalagang masolusyonan ito dahil kung hindi ay

1.Darami ang mga lamok, maaaring maging dahilan ito ng mga sakit na malaria at dengue, liban pa sa pananakit ng tiyan dulot ng pag-singhot ng masamang hangin;

2, Pati ang pagtapak ng maruming tubig sa daanan at pagpasok n gating mga sinelas at sapatos sa bahay ay magdudulot ng panganib dahil papasok ang mga mikrobyo at bakteria na dala ng tubig;

3. Ang mga bata ay lalo’t higit na magiging vulnerable o mahina sa paglaban sa mga sakit dahil mura pa lamang ang kanilang katawan;

4. Pag nagpatuloy ang kalakaran at nagkasakit tayo, mararatay tayo sa karamdaman at mawawalan ng pagkakataong maghanap-buhay at humanap ng paraan para umigi ang ating pamumuhay;

KUNG KAYA’T UGALIING:

1.     Huwag magtatapon ng mga pagkain sa lababo. Linisin muna ang mga plato ng mga kanin bago hugasan;

2.     Buhusan ng mainit ang lababo para matunaw ang sebo;

3.      Ibalot ang kondom sa papel at itapon sa basura, huwag sa toilet bowl. Hindi ito natutunaw sa tubig  dahil goma ito na may plastic;

4.     Huwag maglalaba at ibubuhos ang tubig sa toilet bowl dahil maaaring may masamang maliliit na damit, tulad ng medyas at panty na siyang magiging dahilan ng bara;

5.     Huwag magtatapon ng upos ng sigarilyo sa lababo, sa toilet bowl o kahit saan. Parating itapon ito na patay na ang sindi sa basurahan.

TANDAAN NATIN: ANG MALINIS NA KAPALIGIRAN AY NAPAPANATILI SA PAGIGING AKTIBO NG LAHAT SA PAGBANTAY SA KALAGAYAN NITO MINU-MINUTO, ARAW-ARAW. 5. Ang malinis na kapaligiran ay magdudulot ng higit na malusog na pamayanan.

ANG SAMA-SAMANG PAGKILOS TUNGKOL DITO AY MAGDUDULOT SA ATIN NG PAGSAMYO NG MABANGONG HANGIN GALING SA KAPALIGIRAN AT MAGIGING MAPAYAPA ANG ATING PAMUMUHAY. ANG PAGSAMYO NG OXYGEN AY NAGBIBIGAY NG KALAKASAN NG ISIP, KATAWAN AT DAMDAMIN TUNGO SA ISANG SPIRITUWAL NA PAMUMUHAY. 

REFORMATORY OR ANNIHILISTIC?

Societies have a justice system to put order in them. The system provides a vehicle whereby everyone can lodge a complaint, a petition, a charge to make the culprit pay. It also rights wrongdoings of public officials. 

When Chief Justice Corona died after having been impeached, I began to reflect on the method of righting the wrongs of officials. 

What happened then was that there was too much bruhaha to get him out -- a hatred for the fake president misplaced on him as he was very loyal to her. 

On second thought, I think we should have been more humane in conducting that impeachment complaint. 

In our country the justice system can be manipulated in such a way that it will not result in a more humane society. Here are the reasons: 

I think that impeachment proceedings should not be videorecorded at all, except when the decision is already final. The wounds inflicted -- not only on the person being charged but his/her kith and kin-  by day-to-day scouring for facts, calling on witnesses to testify, displaying all evidences, and many others, could wreak havoc, not only on the psyche of the person being charged but also the public. It could scare away people from serving the government. People would say, "Ganun pala ang magsilbi sa gubyerno. Ilaladlad lahat ng butu-buto mo."

And so the reputation that has been built through many years of government service, could readily be overturned in one snap. There could be callous government servants who just really want a fast buck. And so dip their fingers into the pie, so-called, here and there, and who are not scared of being exposed at all. But neither they should be subjected to harsh methods. 

But really now, I think that impeachment proceedings should not proceed in the current manner. We must always think that the justice system must have reformatory not annihilistic results, at all. 

Though we inherited the American system of dealing with civil offenses and crimes, let us create a method which would not be very harsh and if so, could lead the victim to die of depression and shame. Let us maintain our humane character

WANTED: MAGNA CARTA FOR PEDESTRIANS AND COMMUTERS

Here is a definition of public works: 

Construction or development projects for public use, such as bridges, roads, and schools.Governments usually initiate several such programs in periods of economic decline to inject money in the economy (called pump priming) as wages to raise public spending power.

In a simpler explanation, public works are supposed to help society ease the way of life. A bridge is built to help us cross to the other side. A road is built for easier negotiation of vehicles moving about. A building is built to house people. So the results are supposed to give us a pleasing aesthetic view of our surroundings, as well, aside from the practical uses of public works. 

However, let me talk about the process of implementing public works. 

Usually construction companies just dig and dig deep without regard if the hoes hit the sewage system. Hence in our community, you would find that the roads are wet: why? Because there is continual overflowing of sewage water. They are smelly, bad for the health and could make people very sick. This is the Skyway 3 project which I campaigned heavily against last year but lost to a nearsighted bunch of political leaders. Please scan this blog for the Petition I wrote the Supreme Court. 

How come, the construction company does not do anything about it? They don't because all they worry about is the payment on the project. The sooner it gets finished, the better. 

Moreover, many companies do not bother to provide a decent sidewalk for pedestrians to pass through the streets affected by their activities. So we have to walk on the streets, or endanger our lives by walking beside the construction site, without any protection at all. 

There ought to be a Magna Carta for Pedestrians and Commuters. When will that happen? 

ON DYING: THROUGH TERROR OR ALCOHOL

It is highly terrifying to note that the places I had visited abroad like those in London: Times Square, Westminster Bridge, Finsbury Park and London Bridge, and then in the NY state: iconic tourist places like Lower Manhattan and Times Square have been targets terrorists.

Why has terrorism reared its ugly head in this era, in this planet? Why are these discontented people venting their ire even on innocent civilians? There must be something to look at in the religion of these people.

Are the imams divided on how to deal with terrorists? Maybe it is high time that they unite altogether and try to solve this problem by pressuring banking institutions to cut off the delivery of sums of money to finance the attacks of these people. We could also ask all the Muslim women to make their voices be heard in unison to condemn such terror attacks which affect us, even if we are far away, psychologically, emotionally, and mentally. How could anyone sleep when we know that there are people being killed in other parts of the globe because of some misguided people?

Here in our country, many young people are dying early, why because of drinking. They drink and drive their motorcycles and thus meet fatal accidents along the way. We could solve that by curbing the sale of liquor and alcohol only on weekends. Then ask each buyer to produce a card that would indicate how many he or she have bought for the week -- don't allow anyone to buy more than two to stop alcoholism. Let us also limit the liquor and alcohol ads on radio, TV and print in order to reduce a hankering form them. It is high time that we put our feed down.

The Department of Trade and Industry should acquire a greater sense of social responsibility by curbing the power of these lethal industries to propagandize their products.

So dying either through terrorism or through vehicular accidents are scary and should be given a lasting solution right away. We should be able to live life in peace and should anyone want to curb that desire, let him or her suffer the highest penalties, short of death penalty.

DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN AND AMONG THEM

Not this way of talking, never. 

LET THE PEOPLE BE THE ARBITERS. 

President Duterte is very articulate when talking in English. In fact, sometimes I have to sift through the dictionary about certain words that he uses. 

I think he wants to emphasize a point why he wants to scuttle the peace talks with the CPP-NDF.

In the first place, peace means starting with those who are conferencing. They are the leaders and hence the power to stop all forms of violence in the cities, the farms, the rural areas, the mountains, the high seas and everywhere else. 

When this is not followed, it is like stabbing the other in the back. The fact that the CPP-NDF has not made a firm stand about stopping the killings, means that it condones them. And that is indeed very sad. 

We must have six months of moratorium on killings before any of the party should start firing again. That should be the main provision -- all hostilities must stop as soon as everybody sits down to talk. 

Secondly, a public TV should air the discussions so that we can follow what is being discussed. It is highly unfair that only the representatives of the government can hear everything that is being said by the other side. 

The problem with the parties is that they are talking on different levels: the government is trying to stop the CPP-NDF from ambushing and killing policemen and the military, while the other party is using ad hominem arguments, meaning attacking the character and personal traits of Duterte to show that he is the villain. I think talks would surely stall in this manner.

We must have intelligent discussions between and among gentlemen and gentlewomen. 

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

This morning from 2:30 am, I spent the night at Nursia Women's Center of St Scholastica's University, which was started

by the Benedictine sisters under the leadership of Sr. Mary John Mananzan. The reason ? I lost my keys to the flat where I live in, and other places. 

Calling Up Camp Karingal first, I was directed to the Manila Police Department, the phone in which was not readily released to me, as it was being denied by the responder to my call. The MPD directed me to the Quiapo police team (another phone call), who then told me to call up Plaza Miranda. A plice officer told me to go there to Plaza Miranda. I did, at 2100, and I faced a certain Jass (de Mesa) who told me with all braggadocio that he would surely find it. He was gone for a few minutes with his motorcycle but came back empty-handed and smiling enigmatically. 

My insistence on the return of my keys did not produce anything. Jass brought me to the scene of the crime in a tricycle, at Avenida Rizal, then left with his girlfriend leaving me behind saying that he would return but never did. 

While sitting on a chair provided by a sidewalk corner, I called up 8888 and reported the matter, but they could not do anything. Wait for 72 hours, the operator told me. I called up 911, with one operator even asking me to phoneconference with Jass, who then said that he would bring a policeman over.  A few minutes after, a police officer did, but then left again without saying when he would be back. 

I called up 911 several times after that and had told them to go higher, ask General Bato to counsel the PNP Intel Group to release my keys. But nothing happened. 

 Earlier, I asked Jass if the CIA was behind this, and he looked afar. Is Trump behind this, I ask myself now. 

Where else will I seek recourse to my problems?

 Finally, I asked 911 operator to refer the matter to President Duterte. "Hindi kami basta-basta puwedeng magdala ng problema sa kanya."

The loss of my keys all these I consider physical and mental torture due to my writings and outspokenness.

Thanksgiving Day in the United  States is being celebrated soon. What have I to be thankful for? Contributing ideas to the US Democratic Party so that Obama would get elected, helping the American people see through the mirage of Trump's fake presidency? Obama's group has not paid me a single cent, nor donated to my concerns through all these years.

I am a senior citizen and have not many years to live on this earth. Is this the way to be protected by the State? Tell me. 
 

Thank God for Nursia and the Sisters. Nursia is a prophetic creation.

MIGHT MAKES RIGHT?

Folks, one aspect that breeds corruption is cronyism. It is defined as 

"the practice of partiality in awarding jobs and other advantages to friends or trusted colleagues, especially in politics and between politicians and supportive organizations.^[1] For instance, this includes appointing "cronies" to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications.^[2]

Cronyism exists when the appointer and the beneficiary such as an appointee are in social or business contact. Often, the appointer needs support in his or her own proposal, job or position of authority, and for this reason the appointer appoints individuals who will not try to weaken his or her proposals, vote against issues, or express views contrary to those of the appointer. Politically, "cronyism" is derogatorily used to imply buying and selling favors, such as: votes in legislative bodies, as doing favors to organizations, giving desirable ambassadorships to exotic places, etc.^[3]"

A simpler definition: cro·ny·ism

ˈkrōnēˌizəm/

noun

derogatory

1. the appointment of friends and associates to positions of authority, without proper regard to their qualifications.

And so when an official announces ( a subtle appointment)  the names of would-be legislator-candidates in the next election whence it is not yet the election period, isn't he practicing cronyism?

Isn't he using his position to exercise his clout and influence the opinions of the people?

Isn't he saying that the positions should not be applied for but handed over on a silver platter to their favored people?

Isn't he saying, "I don't care about the civil service nor the Comelec rules. She\He is whom I want for the position."

Isn't he saying, "I don't respect our institutions. It is I who will make the decisions."

Isn't he showing that "might makes right" and not the other way around?

Isn't he telling us, "What are we in power for?"

I think, Folks, it is high time that our officials be more guarded about electoral matters.

Election is an important event in our national and local lives. It is that time when we are selecting and electing the leaders who will show us the way to a better future that is humane, kind, equitable, and prosperous. To do otherwise is to forget that one has been elected and/appointed to perform a role: that of leading the people to such a future, apart from taking care that each day that passes contributes to enhancing the dignity of our people  

Only we can break the chains that bind us to poverty and underdevelopment by electing people who are sensitive to our needs and wants. 

Here are the qualities we need to develop: 

discerning, shrewd, perceptive, astute, penetrating, observant, percipient, sharp-witted, sharp, smart, alert, clear-sighted, farsighted, acute, clever, canny, intelligent, insightful, wise, sage, sensitive, intuitive, understanding, aware, discriminating

BRAWL VS. SPORTS

BRAWL VERSUS SPORTS

Wilhelmina S. Orozco

What happens when gangsters meet? Wounds, injuries, deaths could occur. What kinds of members do gangs have? Domineering, macho guys whose idea of manhood rests on being able to defeat others, to be on top of the crowd, to be adored by the lesser vulnerable crowd, whether gangmembers or public.

It is fearsome living in a neighborhood where there are gangs. They are bound to take over the streets and create havoc when they want to. They are not there to protect the weak who could be passing by, nor apt to help the elderly and women. They are just there to be seen, to rule with impunity. Usually, they are “malakas” with the authorities.

They may brandish weapons of all sorts – guns, knives, stones, icepicks, and the like. The point is that they come prepared for any and by anyone's dare to question their domination of the place. They are ready to confront anyone who would challenge their authority.

Amid such a scenario, how could we create gentlemen? Is being a gentleman passe already? Or is there hope at all in creating a humane, benign society where men are ready to bow and greet every woman, “good morning” or “good evening, Ma'am” to assist the elderly cross the street, to help a mother carry her goods home, or to show strangers where the street is they are looking for.

How are gangster-machos bred? At home, their ways are ignored by their parents, as if the problem would be solved by keeping quiet or dismissing their acts as “naturalmente. Ganyan talaga yan.” As if the gangster-machos would/could never change. And so the family becomes the nesting place that would breed the machos.

When these machos confront society, they could find that there are rules to follow, certain ways that are expected of men, such as being gallant, being a gentleman. However, they view those traits as weakness which could not propel them to power in society.

And so they also ignore society's pressure for them to conform to the ideal image of the man. They ride roughshod on anyone who shows up a mirror to them so that they could see their real selves.

But changing a macho is not easy. It cannot be done overnight nor by confronting him. Some machos would nod in agreement now but later on would be hitting back at them when the ripe moment comes that the mirror-holder cannot strike back.

What could curb the injurious behavior of the macho is sports. From early childhood, people should already be encouraged to join sports, where there are rules to follow, where teamwork is a must, where they have to be good members so that the team would win at competitions.

I think that the very poor discipline we have in sports has bred machos and gangsterism. Our sports are highly commerce-oriented. Look at the basketball courts – full of advertising billboards. Read the names of the teams – these are names of products. Look at the uniforms of the players – they sport the names of products. Look at their shoes, their tee-shirts, their shorts, everything makes them a seller of the product, not a player of the game, especially of basketball.

Amid such a dismal picture of sports, we can see now that manhood is not properly built nor shaped by it. Manhood in sports connotes fighting to win, for the company, not for themselves as sports champions or sports players as such; with regard to achieving the integrity of a player steeped in: full knowledge of the sport, full understanding of and obedience to the rules of the game, having that knowledge that a good sports individual acquires a physique, attitude and mental alertness so necessary for getting into the game, for staying in the game, for building a code of honor that a healthy body produces a healthy mind, (Mens sana in corpore sano is a Latin phrase, usually translated as "a healthy mind in a healthy body".quote by pre-Socratic Thales)

Ang sport sa Pilipinas ay itinuro sa atin ng mga Amerikano. Natatandaan ko pa na noong nasa elementarya pa ako, ang damit naman sa aming Physical Education ay bloomers, na siyang gamit ng mga American students sa Estados Unidos. Ang musikang ginagamit para mag-ehersisyo kami ay kanluranin. Ang pagbibilang ay Ingles. Pati ang mga idolo sa sports ay banyaga. Hindi tayo nakapaghubog ng isang kamalayang maka-Pilipino sa sports.

Yung mga nagwagi nating mga kababayan sa Olympics ay ating hinahangaan dahil sa kanilang kakayahang mapangimbabawan ang mga paghihirap sa pakikipagtunggali sa mga taga ibang bansa. Subali't hanggang sa pagpalakpak, pag – congratulate, pagbibigay ng pabuya o reward na lang ang ginagawa natin. Dapat ay isa-aklat ang kanilang talambuhay para babasahin sa mga kursong Physical Education, at ating maging idolo ang mga kababayan natin. Sa ganyang paraan, ang ating ideya ng isang tao ay may disiplina sa katawan, sa pag-iisip, at lumalaban ng patas, hindi ng patayan, kundi ng pagalingan ng paggamit ng mga katawan, ng mga masel, at matalas ng isipan.

Samakatuwid, kung malakas ang ating sports consciousness, palagay ko walang magiging macho, o macha. Ang lahat ay magkakaroon ng pagtanaw na ang mararahas na labanan, kung saan may mga nasasaktan ay hindi makataong gawain, at hindi dapat tularan. Sports can defeat brawl-minded individuals. Matatalo ng sports ang mga taong mahilig sa pagbababag.

Kung kaya't para makapaghubog tayo ng mga lalaking maginoo, gawin nating requirement na mula pagkabata, sa elementary grades pa lamang, ang kabataan, hindi lamang mga lalaki, ay mahuhubog sa isang makataong lipunang may pagpapahalaga sa buhay ng lahat ng tao, at ang paggamit ng lakas at talas ng isipan ay isang paraan para humaba ang buhay at maharap ito ng buong sigasig katuwang ang lahat ng sangkatauhan.

Siya nawa.

TRUMP FOOLING AROUND

Are we Asians really polite to all our visitors, regardless of whether they come in as officials with dubious backgrounds or not-- for example, having cheated in the elections?

I don't think so. Our stoic personality in facing such disgusting characters only shows that we have a high regard for humanity: that we respect the capability of those villains to change themselves, to be sensitive enough to know that what they had done to run up to the highest position of the land was a big political flaw that should be resolved legally. 

But you see, Folks, there are really some characters who are thick-skinned and would continue pretending that they really had won squarely in the elections. 

I think it does not augur well when we are just quiet about the destruction and/or bastardization of democratic processes in the election of the highest officials or even the lower officials of the land, and in our case, the barangay levels. 

By being quiet, we sound like we are condoning the cheating, and that we don't want any conflict especially during a very regal event as the coming together of leaders of the ten countries in the ASEAN.

That could also be considered hypocritical, as we know the real character yet we refuse to say something. 

I think right now, the villain is using smooth talks, fooling around, to pretend that he is legitimate, when he is not. 

Anyway, I really find it difficult understanding and accepting diplomacy. In that field, there are many compromises that are being made which in the long run could ruin the image of the other leaders, and or destroy the faith of the people on them. 

Perhaps it is high time to know that there are really political characters who would use other people to legitimize themselves in the eyes of the world; they would smooth-talk their way to power, in order to deaden all kinds of moves that could make them look like a laughing stock. 

But who really has the final laugh, Folks? I expect that to come from the American people, really, especially the women. 

BREAKDANCING, ASIAN?

I don't know if I should cry or wail at the breakdancing at the end of the opening of the ASEAN Summit at CCP. The themes were - pagkakaisa, moving as one, forward. 

But breakdancing is very far from being a symbolic presentation of the need to unite ASEAN countries. In the first place, breakdancing is not rooted in any Asian country's history of dancing. 2. The dance originated from Puerto Rico and AfroAmerican youths; 3, The almost all black and white costumes of young people breakdancing does not seem Asian at all. 4. The music was the same all throughout the dancing, signifying that the youths have to have one voice but whose voice? Repetitive drumming, and tones produced a kind of rhythm that is not Asian at all. 5. The dance is supposed to showcase the ten countries of Asean but hardly was there any country represented, except for the angular steps of the Thais, if I remember right. 

Wow, whoever thought of presenting that dance to produce an ASEAN cultural experience certainly did not get his or her history, geography and politics, correctly. Wanted: a cultural connoisseur with deep historical consciousness to advice the dancing groups of CCP or all connected with presenting the cultural events of ASEAN. It seems they are in the dark as to what is truly ASEAN, a way of mocking the intents of having a grouping of the countries of this region. 

HELP! 

SINS FROM MARTIAL LAW TO THE PRESENT

Have we really fathomed why we conducted the People Power Movement in the 80s? It's hard to imagine that after these decades, we are still not in the best of health, especially economically for our many, many kababayan. People would rather walk than ride a jeepney, they eat at tusuktusuk snacking kariton  rather than at restaurants, they would rather watch movies on their celfones than read newspapers or listen to the radio news. Apathetic, that is what or rather how I view our kababayan. They may know the names of our officials, but with regard to the nitty-gritty of knowing what their politics are is lost in the air. 

Maybe we should examine what lessons we have gained from the conduct of martial law in our country. 
1. Greed became blurred as a sin. It looked normal for Marcos and his cohorts to amass millions of property, and even export or hide them abroad, In fact, it even looked as if, to have wealth abroad was the penultimate achievement economically. 

Hence, even today, greed is everywhere -- we see it in the way small sarisari stores charge so much for a packet of milk -- its price ranges from 12 to 13 and up to 15 on the sidewalk. We see it in the way the jeepney drivers and their conductors they don't give exact change, and would even toss and turn the passengers with their reckless driving once the change is mentioned as lacking or kulang. 

We see that in these men who would overtake the elderly at public escalators, or are they being programmed to do it when I am around? 

Greed is seen among hospitals that try to keep patients confined even though they could already go home simply because they need greater income. We have not really researched on this but I think researchers and organizations should examine if the hospital deaths are valid or induced by over-medication, and the like. 

There is also such a thing as political greed. When the guards jam the ATM that I am using so that it would not release funds, or would mark my transaction as "prohibited" is that not a form of political greed - as someone up there has told them to conduct their nefarious ways?

Political greed was also apparent when the Commission on Elections labeled candidates who were stopped from running, told to defend themselves, but before labeling them as "nuisance candidates." Yes, that is a form of political greed and am I very happy to say that I gloat over the dismissal of the chairman who did not see anything wrong in that procedure at all. 

But the worst greed is when the government funds are not being distributed for use of the people, even as loans. Stringent requirements are put up -- like those aged 60 and above are eased out as deserving of being borrowers. In the last administration of the son of Cory, so much funds were kept in the treasury coffers. Only a special few were able to enjoy borrowing. 

I tried several times to get funding for my artistic projects at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Commission on Cultural and the Arts and yet I did not get a single centavo, except for one time when I had a show at the NPDC sponsored Paco Park presents. (National Parks Development Committee). But then the money was not even enough for me to pay myself for performing. I shelled out the meager funds of P5,000 to the artists, a singer., dance interpreter, and others. 

Meager funds for artistic projects that require creative thinking and execution. 

2. Elitism - or the uplifting of certain individuals and groups as more privileged than others. Imelda really sharpened our sense of elitism. She moved and acted like a queen who could not be questioned, whose convoluted ideas of governance were silently absorbed by the public. 

The ML brought in the idea that Marcos and his family were the elite, the special few who had deserved to be treated with "respect' no matter if they were undeserving. 

Until now, we still have elitism. Our officials enjoy first class transportation. But look at the transport of the people on the barangay level - extremely unattainable or terribly expensive. Imagine just going out of our barangay which is less than 3 minutes, I would be shelling out P20 already, which could buy me a banana cake and a rootbeer, atctually. 

Who are enjoying good transport? The barangay tanod jeepney passed by and I hailed it to hitch a ride up to a corner where I could take a jeepney. But it refused to stop. Several times I had done that - why is that jeepney used as if it were a vehicle only for the barangay use? I was not even going to ask to be taken to my destination, but just that point where I could take public transport. 

Another thing, our garbage is not being collected regularly. The MMDA hardly passes by our street. And so the waste stays in the streets for a long, long time. Does the MMDA care? Not at all. In fact, it makes sure that when I pass by through the big avenues, the huge trucks would be passing by also, scattering the waste fumes of their haul. 

3. During ML,  Christianity had two faces - one for the governing rulers and the other for the poor. I saw priests holding masses for Marcos and his family seated at special podiums while the hakot public of government workers and employees stayed on the lower grounds. 

4. PEOPLE POWER, GENUINE AND FAKE 

When Ninoy died, peaceful rallies became the norm for asking for social change. I guess Cory could not be an NPA in the mountains, and so she made use of the streets of MetroManila to launch her campaign to make Marcos move out and democratic rights be restored. Hence People Power was born then. 

But then  that movement was distorted when Erap was dislodged unceremoniously. And so the lesson we learn here is that the People Power Movement could be turned upside down to make anyone leader of the country. Fake movement happened then which brought about a fake presidency, too. 

Do we really recognize what situations merit having a movement about? The only one I can think of now it to campaign for abolition of the EPIRA law and restore regulation of the prices of fuel. But the jeepney associations seem to be mum about this: either their leaders have been bribed or are ignorant about the process to abolish the law. 

5. We need to stop armed struggle. But until now, it exists. Luckily the armed soldiers were able to boot out the terrorists from Marawi. Otherwise we would have been drawn to also arm ourselves to fight them. 

Yet the armed struggle of the NPA looks uncalled for; I wish that the NPA would work with the AFP to fight in those places where environmental degradation is being committed by greedy mining corporations. Using armed struggle regularly is rather terrifying. I dont feel like moving about too much in our country because of that. 

How do we make armed struggle a thing of the past? The composition of the Peace group is not really remarkable. I don't know how they conduct their discussions. But I think that those discussions should be filmed, shown to the public as they go meticulously into every item where peace should reign Only in this manner can we extract a commitment to really fulfill the demands of a peaceful country when we could see the faces of the leaders of dissident groups, we could see how they speak and explain their side; we could then decide if they are worthwhile having as leaders to show us the way to a future that should be beneficial to the majority of the people. 

I could write and write about the many ills that have been carried over from the martial law days to the present. But what is the purpose? For us to be guarded about our actions, to see if we are improving, if we are working our way to a really peaceful, humanistic society.  

Gala Éluard Artist: Max Ernst (French (born Germany), Brühl 1891–1976 Paris) 1924