SYRIA AND ARAB SPRING

SYRIA AND ARAB SPRING
by Wilhelmina S. Orozco


Why is it always so difficult to shift from an authoritarian to a democratic regime? Why is there so much bloodshed nowadays? Way back in the 80's, when we started our pro-democracy movement, it was a breeze going from one rally to another, bringing flowers, leaflets and food. We never bothered if we would be killed by Marcos' forces or not. We just went to those venues in search of a more meaningful existence, that we may be able to regain our human rights. 

I remember one Communist diplomat who made a mistake of congratulating Marcos after declaring himself the winner of the fraudulent elections of 86. We were so appalled by his statement and so we asked, where was he all this time?

 And  now reading what is happening to Syria, we are made to see how the hardline dictator

President Bashar al-Assad could really be digging his heels on Syrian pavement just so he could remain in power, and with two communist countries, Russia and China, backing him up. 

Come to think of it, why are the leaders of these two countries so desensitized to the massacres in Syria? Are they afraid that the same thing could happen to them, that the people would opt for a democratic atmosphere and then kick them out? If they are respectful of the rights of their people, then why should they be afraid at all? 

Isn't it a very normal occurrence for people to want to be able to speak, act, write and feel freely on their own, while not stepping on other people's toes? What kinds of parents reared the leaders of these two countries that they have turned rigid and unmindful of the rising numbers of widows, orphans and dead? What kinds of methods were used to train their minds and hearts to be desensitized?

One time I met a teacher of Chinese children in physical education. At a very young age, they are town away from their parents so that their bodies and minds would be turned to physical objectives. I asked, don't children need caress and touch as they are still very young, and barely out of their mothers' wombs? The teacher answered that the trainors provide themselves as surrogate mothers. But I think there is really nothing much better than your own real parents around you as you grow up. 

When my children were young, I had my parents and the yayas to take care of the children while I had to write and join rallies. At times I brought them, but because of the danger of being hurt, I refrained from doing so. But then, I was always around to see them at any time, unlike in those countries whereby the children were brought to a home away from home to train.

Anyway, given the situation in Syria, I think that the UN has to develop standard operating procedures already on how to deal with dictatorial regimes. The UN cannot possible have country-members with repressive regimes. This is highly anti-UN in character and should not prevail at all. 

I suggest that the countries come up with procedures on how to allow people to assert their human rights on a gradual basis, and for the heads of states to allow these steps to be followed stage by stage. 

Or are we being cock-eyed optimists?

ON FEMINIST WRITING

On Feminist Writing
by Wilhelmina S. Orozco

Some people have a mistaken notion that when a feminist writes, she or he invariably becomes biased. Folks a man can be feminist too as he believes in equality of the sexes.

                                                                          

I heard a writer say that she is not a feminist, and I was very surprised because she has been around since the 80's. So I am now writing down what could be called feminist writing. I invite the readers to send me their own opinions at my email: miravera2010@gmail.com

1. Feminist writing means that the writer takes particular care of pointing out the status and condition of women on the issue. If the issue is politics, then women's roles have to be highlighted, their number, their achievements, the obstacles to their full participation. If it is economy, then women's businesses, livelihood, and all means of eking out a living also have to be mention, including their population. You could do comparison, contrast or just plain description. The point is that things, issues about women and their views too have to be read. This is putting women as subjects not objects of media;

2. Feminist writing does not use the pronouns, he, his for describing professions, as these will masculinize them, meaning only men are considered appropriate for handling them;

3. Feminist writing is recognizing women's contributions in society, whether at home or in society;

4. Promoting equality in society is not abolishing men, but rather making society recognize everyone is valuable in the development and  advancement of societies; and

5. Mentioning the history of why women are pushing for equality will deepen the public understanding and make them look kindly at every girl, female teenager, woman, mother, and grandmother.

Writing is more historically accurate and meaningful if people advance the role of women in society.

Picture from from Shifting the Gaze: Painting and Feminism September 12, 2010, to January 30, 2011, the Jewish Museum

FAKE HEROES AND HEROINES

Wilhelmina S. Orozco

When I think of airports being the channel through which pass criminal elements -- going in and going out of the country, the first thing that comes to my mind is, how do the gatekeepers regard the Filipino people? I have a nasty feeling that we, residents of the country are being discriminated against, that we are being treated as low-class citizens meant to hobnob with these supposedly outcasts of a decent society. We are made to feel comfortable with their presence despite their notorious backgrounds.

And to allow them to go out of the country, without regard for the laws of the land, is tantamount to treason. Those so-called gatekeepers who allowed criminals to go scot-free are guilty of scoffing at the law, of not only disregarding it but also creating a law unto and among themselves. They have become the powers behind the throne, judging and administering moves as to who should go in and out of the country.

As far as integrity of our government is concerned therefore, those employees of the Bureau of Immigration who allowed the killers of Ortega the broadcast journalist from Palawan to leave the country are no longer true but rather fake employees. They ought to be removed from the service because they connived with the criminal elements and set them free despite the warrants of arrest for them.

I think it is time for the government to put its foot down against such erring employees. They are no longer serving the Filipino people but themselves. Worse yet, they are bringing in criminal elements who could wreak havoc on the peace, stability and integrity of the nation. What for should these employees be allowed to continue in office when they have misused and abused their positions to line their pockets with money?

I don't think those employees would even believe in the Christian faith. They are no longer part of that Christian society where we need to be good to those who have less in life, and not those who oppress them. 

Furthermore, wouldn't it be good for each government employee entering the service and thereafter, on a yearly basis, to undergo a test of their patriotism? The Civil Service Commission should conduct tests to determine if we have governing people who love our country, who love the people and who will defend our laws though death should face them.

We need heroes and heroines in government, real angels, not fake ones;

POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS

POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS

By Wilhelmina S. Orozco

Every November used to be our election time patterned after Americans’. But now we have ours every May. Yet November is still politically interesting because we get to watch how the American people conduct their elections, who they vote for, for what (now there is the why they vote for this and that candiate) among so other hosts of reasons.

American presidential elections are especially interesting for me because we suffer from a deluge of things American, from Starbucks to American Idol on TV, up to Walt Disney in comics, and Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, question are they or aren’t they married yet? I mean all the gossips, rumors, and news altogether are right here on our soil. And everyday we get a dose of them, over print, radio, tv, and the movies. And who is the Filipino woman or man who does not have a glimpse or dose of these?

My particular interest in the elections hinges on how we could also strengthen our own love for our cultural products as the proliferation the above products reflects pride of Americans in them.  

Today we know that there are only two contenders for the American presidency, unlike ours when we had four aspirants in the past. They are the Republican aspirants, Mitt Romney with Paul Ryan as VP candidate, versus incumbents, Pres. Barack Obama and VP Joe Biden. On Thursday evening, the Dems, Democrat for short, will be officially announcing their candidates. The Republicans did their national convention Thursday last week greatly criticized by some journalists. (But if you watch NBC, you would think Romney is winning already. The station devote 3/4 of its news images on the elections on the Reps. so better watch out for propaganda and its hidden messages.  I had to surf the internet for other views in order to get a balanced picture.)

What is interesting in the American campaigns is that the candidates focus on substantial matters – what occurred during four years of the Obama administration – his policies and programs, and to the Republicans, what new things they can offer. Both also use name-recall media personalities who give the campaigns great hurrah.

If you listen or read the write-ups, they are in English, we can see the high level of debates that are occurring with subtle innuendoes on who the writers are for. But when you read their short bios, you would find out that they belong to either the Dems or the Reps, or they have had direct dealings with the candidate/s, like this professor who said that he knew a candidate personally in the university years back. In other words, they speak from experience.

How do they tackle the issues? The writers have a good grounding on facts based on history. They know when Ryan is obfuscating the issue of Medicare; when Romney is not clear, meaning specific,  on what his economic goals and when he is promoting his past economic achievements, but fails to present how many jobs were lost during his heading that company. 

I think we need to read up on the American elections now because as we have said, America is printed in our cultural psyche through its businesses here. We need to see how the American people vote and listen to the candidates. Now, the people no longer look at personalities but what they have to offer. I think that when Obama won, he already turned the election color upside down. Voters look beyond skin color (or majority do), but rather try to find ways of seeing something more from the individual. Is the candidate articulate, honest, truthful, empathic?

Yes, empathy is very important for a country that has suffered from the bombings of its iconic World Trade Center and the Pentagon, from the hurricanes, and are trying to be more savvy economically as they are deluged with Chinese and Japanese goods that upset the dominance of American products, especially cars and electronic gadgets, 

Obama seems to offer an empathy which is very difficult to cultivate actually in a country steeped in rationalistic atmosphere and material pursuits. He comes out as more approachable than Mitt Romney. I don’t know if all the Americans would value that totally but for sure, the immigrants, like our own Filipino Americans, would find that appealing. Having had to immigrate to America in search of greener pastures, certainly they would search for an official who would give them a listening ear to their woes, and who would move to make their lives better. Reports show that Obama is winning the preferences of this particular sector. But what is their percentage in the voting population?

The Filipino-Americans have an edge over the other immigrants. We know the American psyche as our country lived through 50 years of American rule and who gave us the education (highly skewed to American ideals) and governing patterns. Thus if there is any sector that can help Obama win, it is this sector, which by the way helped him in 2008 as the National Fil-American Association headed by the departed ex-priest Ernesto Ramos, brother of Luis Ramos who is now giving many jobs to the Tondo poor through his magnetite business in Zambales. Brod Ernesto was able to swing the Fil-Am votes to Obama’s favor so much so that upon his urging,  the latter signed the Filipino veterans act right away upon his assumption into Oval Office.

It might interest  you to know how US presidents fared in handling the American economy by their reining or not reining in their national debt. A graph of US debts can be found at  http://www.groupnewsblog.net/2010/02/since-1950-republican-presidents.html

snews.com/8301-503544_162-20027... - 

In our case, our economic problems stem from lack of export destinations, and possibly lack of products too that could compete with other countries’. You see we have rich soils that could possible be a good source of food crops; but our business people, instead of turning them into profitable export products, they build subdivisions which stop the fertility of the soil. It is really depressing when I see candies made from vegetables which can be found here, yet they are manufactured in Thailand, Malaysia or Indonesia. It is more depressing when we see our relatives, friends and workers in general migrating to other countries just to have jobs, like Singapore and Canada.

Hence, we look at American elections and try to see if we can reverse what is happening to us economically, too, aside from being just a consumer of every product they turn out. We need the winning party to give us more liberal access to American markets.

For that, we need to study as backgrounder, the record of each party in helping us rise economically. As we say, when the Americans sneeze, the Filipino people catch the colds, and we could even suffer from pneumonia. Luckily, we have not really gone into that state, especially when recession hit the American economy. Our OFWs served as buffers to that huge problem, but come to think of it at what costs to family ties and social stability?

Changing institutions and societies can be done through the ascension of sincere, trustworthy (pro-people), and knowledgeable political officials. Let the American elections serve as one of our reference points for judging our own.

(picture from canstock 1476 376)

WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE

I LIKE going to libraries and browsing books. I also do some of my writings inside them since I have ready access to books that could have relevant contents for my topics. However, there are some constraints when we consider the opening skeds of libraries. 

The UP libraries are closed at lunch except for, according to a new friend of mine at the Bible Studies Foundation and who works with the UP Archives,the main library I really do not understand that at all. Students are students the whole day. Ergo, libraries should be accessible during those hours. 

Public libraries are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. 

I used to go toe the Goethe Institut library near our house way back in the early millenium years but now it has gone to Makati, where intelligence is high, where the people can afford books and CDs all the time, etcetera.

What is the purpose of a library, to serve only minds and not to consider the social conditions of the reader? John Dewey, Rousseau, Simone de Beauvoir, and many other writers would not like that very much. Books, CDs, VCDs, DVDs should all be accessible at most times, not only when it is convenient for some institutions to provide them. 

Intelligence is one problem of our country. The heated debates, the sensitivity of officials to criticisms, the violence attendant to arguments, all these reflect a lack of, fear of, and even disgust for intellectual defense, which is the bedrock of democracy. 

I think that if we are going to bring up people of high intelligence, libraries should be open everyday, up to 10p.m. Why 10 p.m.? Because professionals could be off by 7p.m. and they might want to go to the library at that time, to borrow or return a book. They couldn't possibly absent themselves from their work simply to do that just because the library sked is limited. Schools and universities should open their libraries all day when the students are there. (Faculty also should have unhampered access to them, of course.)

Moreover, some schools have done away with card indices. I think they should be restored. Some computers for searching books are not functioning properly. I even suspect, the people -- management information system of the institutions have the tendency to hack those computers if only to distract some radical students and faculty, especially at the social work and  community development offices. 

Also, I hope that all libraries would have computers that would require low fees, something like P15 per hour, instead of anything higher since Knowledge should be freely given or at the least cost to everyone. 

Without knowledge, there would be no morality. Without morality, what is life?

ROBREDO, HERO OF THE MASSES

ROBREDO, HERO OF THE MASSES

Wilhelmina S. Orozco

A great individual had died, whether purely accidental or otherwise, the investigation will prove later on. Jesse Manalastas Robredo, the secretary of the Local Government Department of the country lost his life on the 18th of August 2012, and the masses unabashedly showed their undying grief over his immediate passing.

The department that he headed is extremely powerful as it is in touch witht he mass political base in the country. He was also in charge of the police, the armed group that deals with civilian security (ironically, he was not well-secured when he died). In other words, his post was truly a much-coveted one for all who aspire to capture the highest political power, the presidency later on.

Secretary Robredo was a no-nonsense guy and he waded through the lives of the masses without hesitancy, which then endeared him to them. From his local stints as mayor of Naga City which he transformed to a first from a third class city, to the secretaryship, his performance was not less than sterling. How do we fill in the gap now in that department that he left?

Usually, those appointed to secretaryships are people of high learning, broad experiences in the field where they would be assigned, and with good team playing traits. Robredo had all these, as he moved from one arena to another, poking his fingers into the nitty-gritty of local governance from Luzon to Mindanao, up to facing with determination the jueteng coddlers and instituting the one-strike policy, which is to remove from office any police officer whose area contained jueteng activities.

Is this what did him in?

Actually, his death strikes fear in my heart. I feel afraid that once you are exposed to the different kinds of power-wielders in our country, you could be easily done away with, unless you are fully secured around you. and that did not happen to Sec Robredo. I was glued to the radio from day one of his disappearance. The aide who saved himself first, was interviewed over the radio that saturday when he died. The aide said that he jumped from the plane. when asked why he did not bring Sec Robredo with him, he said that his seatbelt would not open. Then the following day, he was interviewed again, and he had another story: "I found myself floating asea and fisherfolks fetching me." In a matter of days he had changed his tune.

Several lessons come in now because of this "accident:"

1. We seem not to know too much about the our deep oceans. This is only the part of Masbate. How about the other 7,099 islands more? What about the seabeds around them? It seems that the Philippine Navy and the Marines have a lot of diving to do in order to give us a true picture of the deep. Maybe, our inventors could also produce a device that would allow us to live underneath the sea, for many days and months, or even years, instead of our wanting to go to and exploring Mars or the moon for possible residence or vacation.

2. Secretary-level posts should have fully armed security. Their travel plans must be scrutinized all the way. The wife of Capt. Bahinting, the pilot of the ill-fated plane, said that they had received a call on Friday that Sec robredo wanted to use the plane for travel to Naga. So between Friday and Saturday, somebody could readily tamper with the engine/s, or wing/s.

3. Although it is all right for officials to think and act like the masses, I believe that the State should provide the highest security, not onlyf rom the PNP, but also the NBI and the armed forces of the Philippines. Int he case of Sec Robredo, he was at odds with the top hierarchy of the PNP over jueteng and ergo, we could not have expected him to get a full security support from them.

4. Small planes, before taking off should have reconnoitering trips first before being allowed to fly, especially if they are carrying officials. It is difficult bringing up the likes of Sec Robredo who had the knowledge, the aptitude and the experience for serving the people. Hence his plane should have been examined -- its every screw -- before taking off.

5. The retrieval steps took so long. On day 1, the first thing that the Masbate local government should have done was sound off all the different units that could undertake the rescue. Hence, each LGU should have a list, contact number, and ready device for contacting them whenever or wherever there is an accident in their midst. They need not wait for Manila officials to give the go-signal for them to move. 

I am reminded of that time we had a flood -- the habagat flooding -- in my place. I called up the barangay to ask for food because I knew that it would take days before the waters would subside which had reached 12 feet already outside and ten feet inside our home. I was given a reply:"Wala hong abiso na magbigay kami."

I don't understand that kind of answer when this was clearly an emergency and hunger was so real. 

So many things to say, but I wait with bated breath the results of the investigation on Sec Robredo's death.

HUMAN BODIES FOR OLYMPIC TRAINING

HUMAN BODIES FOR OLYMPIC TRAINING

By Wilhelmina S. Orozco

The concept of manhood in our country is quite barbaric, primitive. It is brawn against brawn, and not even the litanies of prayers of the Lord’s Prayer, Hail Marys, and the Nicene Creed are enough to erase such idiotic notions of what is being a man in those universities where frat violence exists.

Womanhood meanwhile is being advanced by some religious groups as purely for procreation or pregnancy. Nowhere is there any encouragement of women’s engaging in sports at all.

How about examining ourselves everytime the so-called fist guy has a fight? The whole country stops and majority are glued to the TV set watching him pulp down his opponent. Then when he comes home, he is given a “hero’s” welcome. The mayor who started that “heroic welcome” is a devout Catholic, mind you.

Let’s ask, Heroism for what, for doing violence against another person’s human body? Listen to the language of the announcers when they are covering the fights and you would feel like vomiting, that is if you are steeped in human rights lingo.

Physical notion

In general the focus on the human body is  on its vulnerability.

There is a very low regard for sports in general in our country. Many classes in the elementary do not even have a physical education subject. This view is an indication of how we view the human body. The prevailing notion, abetted by the Church is that it is for procreation. As such –as women have limited fertility period -  then we are narrowing down its capabilities. We are saying that the human body has an ephemeral significance. Beyond procreating, what else will the human body do? The Church is silent on that one.

Advertising:only physical

The advertising world focuses on the body as a tool to attract the opposite sex especially for the youth. Its ads focus on their capability to have or keep this or that guy and gal. Every product has a sexual connotation, that once it is used, then huffing and pumping would not stop.

In advertising terms, the human body is only a physical tool -- for decoration – for display as a sweet-smelling body, its gorgeous bunch of hair on the head flinging away to the wind with the use of the “proper” shampoo; a body that will move ooh so slowly like a princess or a king, an aristocratic false view of human motion; or in the case of the female body, one that will always look svelte all the time if not pregnant.

Except for the chocolate drinks for children and some multivitamins which push for a healthy body, the rest of the ads are just Horrible, aren’t they? Not an ounce of respect nor recognition of the capabilities of the human body to reach the heights of perfection, of speed, and of muscle coordination.

Also save for medicines fornthe elderly or adults suffering from arthritis, memory loss,  or the like, the ad models are all young up to their 30’s, a reflection on the burgeoning Filipino populace. Yet we know that time passes by and the human body ages, some very fast due to exposure to the polluting elements of urban life.

Noontime shows

Then view the different noontime shows. The hosts look forever the same through the years, perhaps courtesy of some surgical operation. But the female accoutrements are sprightly youngsters whose only qualifications seemingly are that ability to put life into their one or two liners and the capability to shout out loud to two thousand people. (The screeches in those programs are just plainly unbearable.)

Inspiring environment

I asked two students, from grade and high schools, what is your physical education subject now? He said none. N-O-N-E.  She said, not now yet.

To nurture Olympian medalists, our environment should be inspirational for physical excellence In the 60’s, when I was in the elementary, everyday was PE day. Walang palya. (An ad uses that phrase to hint at unlimited sex activities for couples who take a certain product.) We even displayed or competed with other teams of the school population once a school year. In college at UP, I had PE subjects yearly in swimming, golf, volleyball, aerobics, modern dance and so many more. We were also made to attend varsity games and to cheer our teams during tournaments.

What is wrong with our educational curriculum now? How come there is less emphasis on the physique? The Greeks have a mantra:, “A SOUND MIND IN A SOUND BODY.” My teacher in high school told us that over and over again.

So if the school cannot do it, let us turn to the barangay. Unfortunately the barangay seems to have only one focus– basketball. I could only close my eyes everytime I see youngsters playing that game on the streets with great hopefulness in their eyes that someday they would be as famous as Jaworski or some other guy. But they are too short to even reach the goal.

Wanted: institutional ads

Worse of worst, Folks, a tv ad pretends to focus the attention on the Olympics, but in what manner? It implies, “Hey sports people, sure get into the race but don’t forget you could smell along the way. So wear this deodorant.”

Whoa! What is that? How could a runner, a sprinter focus on that medal, on that race, when this ad keeps reminding him or her, “Hey your opponent might smell you.” Is that not idiotic? Instead of praying muscle power would not fail her, the sportster is made to think of “kilikili” power.

Actually, what we need are institutional ads – no longer the use of sports in the Olympics for promoting this and that product. During important periods where sports are given prominence , those commercial interests should take the back seat and make the human body be the frontfunner for all types of messages – as capable of achieving the greatest speed, the most creative movements, the highest point for jumping,  etcetera. .

Transparency among sports managers

So now we know that a Philippine contingent went to the 2012 London Olympics. We have two agencies who are supposed to focus on that: The Philippines Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee. I tried accessing data through the internet to find out, how much budget was allotted for their attendance? Who are the participating sports people? How long did they practice for the event? Who are their trainors -- are they of Olympic quality? How much allowance does each sports player have just to practice everyday? But there is none at all. Even the news items hardly mention the different categories that the participants entered. Our news reports seem to be gagged to give only a superficial rundown of our participation in the event. It seems that transparency is not a valuable word in the field of sports management.

Watching the TV programs focused on the Olympics, we can gather how other countries had prepared for the Olympics -- 4 years before the event! The candidate is given to a trainor to train rigidly, everyday.

Way back in the 90's I had a friend, Carol de la Paz Zialcita who trained gymnasts for the SEA Games. She was a famous beautiful stage actress who starred in many Broadway plays – like Guys and Dolls - presented at UP during the 60’s and 70’s and later on, had gone into gymnastic training. I met her colleague, a foreign trainor and in another, weight-lifting I think, a Russian. The Russian trained participants won gold. In preparation for the SeaGames, the government spent something like P150,000 per month allowance for the foreigner with free housing etc. Those benefits drew “inggit” comments but when the medals came in, they stopped.

It was all worth the expense. It put us in the map of Southeast Asia. But now we are completely zero. And boxing? Wow, never the sport that the young should learn at all. In fact the CHED and the Dep Ed should make sure that it is erased as a sport, not even to recognize any of the international champions in the schoolbooks as worthwhile emulating. What happened to Muhammad Ali? Huh?

Sports for us

As we are an archipelagic country, the sports that we should excel in are swimming and rowing. Our Dragon oars persons won an international gold already and that speaks a lot of our capabilities where water is concerned. I wonder why they did not join the Olympic trip.

Now because we are short, we need not bother about basketball but rather about football, sprint, and track and field. What we lack for height, we can compensate through other sports that do not require it. 

I have seen many of our kababayan who could walk around very fast --especially those who are asked to walk ahead of me in the streets by some Olympic losers masquerading as intel officers. Joke guys, but the act is very real. It really happened. 

Actually, we have tall young people around us. I have seen many men and women who are a head taller than I am, which means to say 6-footers. One woman I saw is a policewoman. If we put our minds to it, we could start selecting people with the right height and build for particular sports. In volleyball, definitely we should choose tall players. In track and field, we must have those with long legs. In swimming, we must have also tall people so that when they kick at the start, their bodies would be more forward than the rest. The only thing we have to do is to convince those tall people to go athletic.

Table tennis should be another sport that we can excel in. Here, we need not think of height. Moreover, we have many Chinese folks here who could teach and train our sports people on how to whack that ball. Why Chinese is because pingpong is originally from China. My mother, Esperanza became a table tennis champion even when she had had all of us already – five children, in the fifties. So we can gather that the people of that era were conscious of being into sports.  Her ability to focus was too great despite the fact that my father was bedridden then with nephritis.

One benefit we can get from excelling in sports is that tourists would come flocking in here just to see us train the participants for the Olympics. Regional competitions would also be a come on for them. Actually, some tourists do that –they look for unique scenery especially where there is excellence. 

Focusing and sports

How did the Olympic participants-winners train? On TV, they revealed that they had had to learn how to focus.

Mindset: One girl said that her mind was set on the gold medal for two years – all over her room, she was shaped into a determined sportster. She completely focused on winning in the race.

Emotional strength A young girl had to live in Iowa so as to train under an Olympic trainer. She had to curb her longing for her family for 2 years, mind you. But of course, train tickets are cheap in America and so I am sure her parents saw more of her during those years. 

Qualifications Then let us look at the qualifications of the participants. A winner in the rowing competition is a physical education teacher! Everyday of her life, she was thinking of sports. And, and, she had a MENTOR who instilled in her that self-confidence to be able to hurdle all the obstacles that would be thrown her way.

Hence, to recap, the qualities of Olympic participants, including those mentioned above, are:

1. right height and build for the sports;
2. ability to focus;
3. respect for excellent mentors;
4. self-discipline;
5. self-confidence;
6. a great sense of time;
7. knows how to prioritize and can withstand delayed self-gratification;
8. selects the people he or she would be around with in the course of the training. If participants are surrounded by mediocre people who would make fun of sports, as once shown in that TV lunch program ridiculing the Olympics,  then they better kiss those medals goodbye.

 

What to die for

One benefit of focusing on sports is that we could curb violence in our country, especially fraternity violence. The youth will be made to focus on the Olympic motto the Latin words "Citius, Altius, Fortius", meaning "Faster, Higher, Stronger" in English.  Nothing there about boxing the next fellow.

Through such focus,  we would be raising their standards for what is being a citizen of this country – one not dependent on some barbaric groups that espouse hierarchical but rather  democratic relationships, and certainly one who knows who and what are worth dying for.  

BAHA, BAHA KAILAN KA HUHUPA

Tula ni Emma S. Orozco 

BAHA, BAHA
KAILAN KA HUHUPA

GANGGA-TUHOD
GANGGA-BAYWANG
ABA'Y TUNAY NA SALOT KA

PAANONG PAPASOK SI NENENG AT SI JING
PAANONG MAGOOPIS SI LOLENG
SAAN MAGSASAKA SI TATANG
ANONG MATITINDA NI INANG NA GULAY
NGAYONG TULUYAN NANG NALALANTA SA TUBIG

BUHOS NG ULAN GABI'T ARAW
PANGAMBA DULOT SA PAGDALAW
PUSO KO'Y BUMIBILIS ANG PINTIG
LAMAN KO'Y NANGINGINIG HANGGANG LANGIT
TAHANAN BA NAMIN LULUBUGIN
PUTIK AT TUBIG SA BAWA'T SULOK SISIKSIKIN?

DI NA MAKATULOG SA KAIISIP
KAILANGAN BANG LUMIKAS
NANG ANG BUHAY AY MASAGIP?

O DIYOS KO, TULUNGAN MO KAMI
SA MAPANLINLANG NA ULAN
HANAP NAMIN KATAHIMIKAN
HANAP NAMIN TUYONG KAPALIGIRAN

DATI RATI ULAN KAY SARAP MADAMA SA BALAT
BAWA'T PATAK LUHA NI BATHALA SA GALAK
ULAN NILILINIS ANG HANGIN AT PANANIM NILILINANG
NGAYON,  BUONG SAMBAYANAN ULAN KINTATAKUTAN

SA SOBRANG ULAN, DAM AY NAPUPUNO
KUNG BUKSAN NG BANTAY AY SUNUD-SUNOD
KAYA'T BAHA SA BAYAN AY DUMARATING
ULAN NGAYON AY DI NA KINAGIGILIWAN BAGKUS
KINAMUMUHIAN

O DIYOS KO, IBALIK DATING PARAISO
GAWING KAIBIGAN BAWAT PATAK MULA SA LANGIT
GABAYAN,  HUGASAN ANG DANGAL NG BANTAY SA DAM

GAWING MAKAKALIKASAN
GAWING MAKASAMBAYANAN

MISSING LINK

MISSING LINK

By Wilhelmina S. Orozco

The message of PNoy to the people is exemplary in terms of mentioning the gains of his administration during the past two years that he has been in office grounded on facts. It should be the model for all speeches of his cabinet members so that they would not be sugarcoating their accomplishments only to be able to stay in power.

But he missed out on two very important things: the energy sector; and two culture. Why are these highly important? I shall focus on the first in this article and do the 2^nd another time. Energy is the basic component of progress. Without energy, we would remain in the dark ages. It is the energy resources that propelled the industrial revolution in Europe. It is energy which spurs people to invent, to create and to think of ways to earn from their work, from what they invent. It is energy that lightens up the burden of work.

Today, the topmost electric energy distributor is the number one top corporation in the Philippines. It has earned so much that it is now even asking for more profits for itself. But as it moves in this manner, we should start asking the question: is this what an energy company should be?

An energy company should help the people work well, earn well, and make a profit for a better life with rest and recreation at the most. But right now, we are working our butt off, so to speak, in order to give huge profits to the company.

In our house peopled by low-budget renters, we are spending 50% of what they give to the water and electric utility companies. We cannot raise the rentals because the people are small-earners and one even lost her capital and profit for the night selling food to working people at a garments factory, to a robbery-holdupper. Still one, who had already gone from our premises, lost his bike right inside our house one night after a drinking binge.

In Idaho, USA, energy consumption may be huge because of the industries there, but then the energy company even exempts certain sectors of society from paying taxes on their electric bills, like the education and health sectors. And non-profit organizations likewise are exempted.

Unfortuantely, here in our country, the prices of electric consumption just keeps going higher and higher. This despite the fact that we have the Malampaya Natural Gas Resource.

I still remember way back in the 60’s when my parents used to light up our house even up to the porch in order to drive away potential night burglars. Sometimes even my sisters and brothers would stay up late weekly just chatting and carousing with their friends, and leave the lights on without minding  if the electric bills would rise because of those. Then my younger brother Antonio, would always have his rock band group hold rehearsal sessions at home, using electricity for their electric guitars.

Now all of these are just a dream and past. We can no longer recover those good old days when to have well-lighted homes were the normal course of the night.

Today, even our streets do not have all the lamps shining brightly. In fact, somebody had thought of using those yellow lights which make it difficult walking under them at night, and most of all, impossible to see the faces or even the movements of other people in the streets should there be any one thinking of any untoward incident.

The habit of caring for electric consumption, of keeping it low has become the norm, rather than the habit of lighting up to make it easy for our eyes not to blur too easily as we age.

What kinds of charges does the electric company make, thus catapulting itself to the topmost of one thousand corporations? Plenty, and dubious charges. Our media people are speaking through hoarse voices already about how our people are being cheated of their hard-earned money by the company; yet, the department of energy has not even lifted a finger to stop this legalized hold-up through extra charges, which by all accounts should be under the company’s burden in its operations.

No, PNoy cannot remain deaf to the clamor of the people for lower electric charges. He must respond to this problem because he is profiting from the people’s belief in him as a leader. He must learn to cut off ties – ties of utang na loob to a family that has more than profited from its relationship with his own since 1986.

People power gains

Didn’t I help this electric company gain back its ownership way back in 1986 at the height of the snap elections?

I was with a small group of freedom-loving people then who were fed up with the Marcos dictatorship. I had just been relieved of my duties with CBS News, covering the elections for its radio section where I was told to listen to news all the time with earphones and then jot down the details and submit them to my editor at that time. One time, I raised my my fingers in Laban sign  with my forefingers up and my thumbs extended when Marcos’ helicopters would fly past the hotel. My editor would tell me, “Don’t do that. You are supposed to be objective,” and I answered him, “I am a Filipino first, and a media person, second.” He would smile sheepishly at my reply because he knew that there was no such thing as objectivity under a dictatorship.

For ten days I worked with CBS, and was so dedicated that I even went to the extent of sleeping in a small corner of the Manila Hotel penthouse late in the night just to listen and transcribe what was being said aurally through the earphones. One technical guy, probably pitying me, said “Aren’t you going berserk from doing that?” probably thinking that I didn’t even have time to go out and spend a break with them. But my mind was focused on dismantling the dictatorship and if I could earn while watching the political events pass by, use the money for more propaganda to dislodge it from power, then, I would skip all personal desires for ease just to achieve that. However, on hindsight, I wish I had chatted with them and made friends with them for all time.

Oh, by the way, I spent the dollars I earned printing Feminista, a tabloid of 1,000 copies after Cory had won. Unfortunately, the printer, maka-Marcos, cut the paper in such a way as to have no room for one-inch but rather about 3 cm margins only. I could not complain anymore because the following day, there would be a rally and I intended to sell the paper there.

After February 7, the day of the elections, the CBS bosses had thought that after voting, the “normal” course would follow because Marcos had won. They were to be proven unable to read the people’s minds all the way by history though.

The people power rallies snowballed into a bigger movement with Cory leading them at Luneta and at Ugarte field. I joined this small group of rallyists in front of Channel 4 right after my stint with CBS and asked the organizers if I could speak. Then I said, “this Channel 4 is actually owned by this family and that it was just expropriated by Marcos in order to have a medium for propaganda. It should be returned to their rightful owners.” The people listening to me were amazed because my speech was not the usual propaganda of anti-dictatorship using abstract “Ibagsak” but one that was based on history.

My own former teacher in one school was even the consultant there, helping dish out the propaganda materials of the Marcos administration under the guise of being philosophically-based on “publicist powers of the State.”

When Cory was installed as President, the first thing she did was to give back the TV and radio stations to its original owners. This station has earned zo much that it can even sell its programs internationally thus earning dollars in return. I=

After working under Channel 4, the government station, producing Halina Kabaro which won the Best Women’s Program and which the bosses of that station had axed to give way to another similar program hosted by a more politically-influential female politician, who rode on the women’s movement, I tried working with Channel 2 very briefly, doing a segment on the Family Code for Cheche Lim’s public affairs program then.

When she left the station, I had tried staying on but could not fit in into their scheme of things. I was too independent and critical of goings-on. Who would like to earn a program just because the general manager had caressed your hand as you were proposing the women’s program you used to host in another channel to him? (Back to print media I did after that adventurous test of the broadcast waters.)

Coup d’tat

By the way, in 1989, during the coup d’etat against Cory by Honasan and company, I was there inside the station, when everyone had gone, thinking it highly important to finish my script for the segment and possibly stop the rebelling soldiers coming in and help protect the equipment, whatever manner I could. A manager looked at me with wonder why I was still there. But I was apprehensive then that the camera equipment which were so light to carry, would be easily brought out. Eventually, I had to leave, one of the last, climbing up the fence to go out of the yard. Now did I search for any reward or award for that bravery? No. and Recognition was nada, nada, nada.  Ha ha ha. Donya Quixote looking for reward? Impossible.

Feminist women and men

So many women in media are profiting from the new feminist movement that we started in the 80’s in response to the dictatorship. They are well-entrenched and know the ropes in order to stay on top. That is very good, but they should also think of lifting up other women to also express their talents and practice their skills. Sisterhood, after gaining equality, should be practiced, not beating others, including other women, for pomp and glory of sitting on top.

One thing we emphasized then, was that the word ‘feminist” is not only used to describe women but also men. Men should also believe in equality and thus they earn the title of being “feminist men.”

This is why I supported PNoy during his elections because he exemplified the character of a leader who does not look down upon women but even treats them as his equal. He has brought women into his cabinet, like Lilia de Lima of the justice department, Kim Henares of the internal revenue bureau, Tati Licuanan of the Commission for Higher Education, Rosalinda Baldoz for the department of labour, Dinky Soliman for social welfare and development, and Ging Quintos for the peace commission, among others. Of course, he has to continue what his mother had started, supported by his sisters who are of strong character to be leaders in their own right, “behind” him.

Being a Leader

Hence, the least that PNoy could do is cut off ties to those to whom he thinks he owes his having been elected. He should be a leader for the people, and not feel beholdened to anyone anymore. Contributions to this election should be contributions for the people of the Philippines, not for him to owe the donors anything at all after he had won.

This is also what those donors should always think. There is no room for “utang na loob,” to anyone who wishes a regime-change. We need to profit from that by doing the best of ourselves to follow the democratic path and honor and respect the rights of everyone to exist on earth following the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the Philippine Constitution (except for that section on the “unborn” of course).

Maybe this is what we, and the Comelec, should emphasize  in the coming 2013 political exercise again. Participating in the elections as candidate or donors should bring in with it ethical, not profit-making considerations. All candidates should also not feel indebted at all to those who help them win.

As a procedure to insure this, the Comelec should be informed before giving the financial contributions how much a candidate shall receive, who is the donor, and when the transaction is to be made. A listing of the facts of the donation should be made prior to and not after the elections.  As a third party to the transaction, the Comelec is making it known that political donations are made for the right individuals, parties, to be victorious at the polls for the PEOPLE’S SAKE. In other words, donating is a public not a private act. Political donations are like taxes that one gives to the government for good governance. 

The law to make some parties eligible for government support during the elections is also one way of stopping the tendency for candidates to seek help from suspicious sources just to be able to win the post.

Thus, to my mind, PNoy should start scouring the political landscape and see who has , and have been profiting from that People Power Movement without conscience. Ethical profiting is this possible? Of course it is once we put our mind into it.

Let us allow and support him in his “matuwid na daan” which should include targeting those private companies and individuals whose businesses have been so lucrative to the detriment of the people’s quest for a prosperous life.

   

PUBLIC TOILETS HOW ADEQUATE?

PUBLIC TOILETS, HOW ADEQUATE?

How much gains have women had in this society? How do we measure the gains? What have been the reactions of women to the movement for equality?

When we started the equality movement again way back in the 80’s during the martial law regime, many raised their eyebrows, women included because they had thought that it was only a copycat of the movements in the west. But by giving it a thirdworld perspective, the conscious women readily joined the bandwagon, including nuns.

The thing that made the movement highly embraceable, it that is an acceptable term, is that it encompassed not only the reading women at that time but also all other ages, from the girls to the elderlies. I remember very well Mamita Pardo de Tavera chairing many of the meetings in a very cool way, she with a Spanish background. I am sure the movement came as an enhancing aspect in the other activities then that included toppling the dictatorship.

Before, the term feminist was a curse word, but later on, it caught on as a legitimate term that should be respected even by men. The word feminist is meant for men as they must believe in equality, too. Today, that term sounds very ordinary. “Feminista yan,” meaning someone who is active and who will defend women at all costs,” which is still quite narrow, I must say. Not all women could be defended in a strong manner, especially those who reach the highest rungs of political power and do not do anything for the women’s and masses’ cause.

I am now venturing into getting a proper assessment of our gains because I find it rather constricting in some sections of our society, especially the way the comfort rooms in public places have been constructed. You see, Folks, as a writer, I go out all the time and have to use these CRs here and there. And here are my findings:

1. Unisex?: Some CR’s are unisex which is hardly sanitary, like those in Starbucks and other restaurants. Because the men’s bowls are situated beside that of the oval one, we can hardly be sure if all the guys shoot their thing in the hole without splashing any drop around. And because there is only one toilet bowl, then it is possible that some men could use that automatically without regard if it, with the wooden seat in place,  is for women’s use alone or not.

Hence, I would like to campaign that women’s toilets should be separate from men’s by a wall.

2. Hooks: Many CR’s do not have a hook for hanging bags. When women travel, we always carry an extra bag of sorts, for buying foodstuffs and the like for use at home. Now we have to devise ways of using the toilet by hanging our bags by the door, or placing them on  top of the cover of the water closet so as to be able to sit properly and do our thing.

3. Mothers and children; I pity the mothers who carry their children in tow and have to help them relieve themselves while having to think and be creative in putting down their things. In one mall, at least, I have seen a folding wooden panel for placing babies who need diaper change.

4. In Manila, especially along Ermita, the toilets are terrible, except for those three or four-star restaurants. Hardly do the owners care for their toilets. Some do not even have a proper lock. Flushing is “buhos” system. And I am wondering what the health and sanitation department of City hall is doing about that.

5. Bugged women’s toilets: At UP Arcade, you will see a toilet for women, with cubicles. Overhead, you will see the lamp connections with wires branching out. I have been told by an ex-intelligence officer that if you see that kind of contraption, you will find that as a signal that the place is bugged. Is it true? I have been wondering because in many toilets at UP they all have these branching wires of the lights in the ceiling.

If what he said is true, I dread the use of “intellectual freedom” at UP.

I think that the UP officials, especially the office working on sexual harassment issues, should investigate the matter and re-wire all those lights in the women’s toilets.

Now, I will try to investigate also other places that have similar set-ups and report them here at this site.

6. Children’s toilets:The first time I went to a children’s school for music run by Prof. Carmencita Arambulo, I noticed that the toilet bowls for the children were all small and only a few inches from the floor. They were geared truly for the size of the students. I think the construction of the those toilets showed really a great concern for the welfare of the children.

Hence, I believe that children should also have their own toilet seats which they can climb on to easily.

7. Number of toilets: I notice that the number of toilets per establishment is rather disproportional to the number of guests they have. For example, one restaurant in Makati I had gone to, had only one toilet for women and men, but the number of guests they could accommodate in the place could run up to 100.

Now how would the guests manage should they find themselves all wanting to go inside them?

      7. Sidewalk toilets: Now, the MMDA put up those sidewalk toilets for men right there in those pedestrian sidewalks where people pass and near streets where jeepneys ply their routes. Where in heaven’s name did they ever get that idea? You could see here that B. Fernando, the czar of that agency then, had a very narrow view of people’s needs.

When people pass those toilets, they cover their noses right away because of the stench.

They jump over the urine that scatters around; or totally avoid going through or being near it at all. Meanwhile the jeepneys cannot avoid them because they right there beside the roads.

You can see here, Folks, that those who designed and put up those toilets did not research on their effects on the people and the environment. In London, public toilets are located underground and there is always someone who checks them every time someone uses them. That is how conscious they are about their usage.

I think that all local government units – especially the health and sanitation sections, the mayor’s office down to the barangay level should put up standards, then visit and check all public establishments that have toilets, and examine them if they meet the standards. It is high time that our society be meticulous in their treatment of the people even where it concerns their private activities in public. Public places should be closed right away when their toilets do not follow or meet the standards until such time that the owners are able to do so.

Health concerns should be comprehensive not only in alerting the public about epidemics but also in poking into the small corners where lurk bacteria and viruses that could bring in diseases. 

A healthy mind in a healthy body and a sanitary place is a policy worthwhile keeping.