Friday, August 23, 2013

Heroism*


Martha, her twin sister, is a student activist and she knows that in many aspects, she is superior than she is. Martha is very intelligent young woman and oozing with strength and dynamism. While she, a polio victim, cannot walk straight and her muscles are tight and weak. She often experience joint weakness and pain, general fatigue and exhaustion after minimal activity including muscle atrophy and decreased tolerance of cold temperatures. They are both 20 years old and living with their mother who is selling dried fish in the market. But Maria silently admired Martha not only because of her intelligence but her courage as well. She really wished to be in one of the rallies and mass actions her sister is frequently participating. She is so proud of her but does not have an opportunity to say or to prove it.  All she could do for now is to pray for their safety and the realization of their goals. Maria is a prayerful woman.

One thing she hated so much about Martha is that she is so involved in serving other people especially those who are deprived of justice but he cannot even find time to earn money for their needs. Why not help her during days without classes by selling bread to fishermen every morning at the fish port like what she’s doing? That way, they could help their aging mother, a widow at that, in their financial needs. Martha’s deep involvement in activism even kept him away from praying and going to church. But that does not bother Maria that much. What bother her most is how to show her oneness with her sister in her struggle and her noble cause in a very special way she can despite of her limited capacity and her disability.

Martha is presently involved in a struggle against the intrusion of a multinational mining firm. Martha serves best for the sake of the people and the Mother Earth. Ninoy Aquino was assassinated just a year ago and militarization in their province been so intense. Farmer leaders opposing the project are kidnapped, tortured and detained without due process by the police and the military. Militarization and abuses are the rule of the day especially to those who oppose development projects which are aggressively pushed by the government. Martial Law indeed is a law thus a legal instrument being the Presidential Proclamation 1081. Maria even in her crooked posture can straightly declare that Martial Law is the greatest proof that not everything that is legal is moral and permissible. Maria wished that she could join Martha someday. But the question is how?

Martha at present, together with around 30 protesters are having a barricade and trying to block the coming of heavy equipment to start a mining operation in their area. They have been there for almost a week. From a distance is a mobile van from a local radio station. The security guards from the firm previously deployed by the company, along with some policemen, set a checkpoint and blocked the road from both ends not to allow food being delivered to the demonstrators from the town proper. The proposed mining site where Martha and her companions were situated more than 20 kilometers of muddy and rough road from their house.

The rain fall incessantly coupled with cool wind. Huddled under a tent, the protesters haven’t taken any food for two days now. They are chilling and being starved to death. Maria knew about their pain and hunger. Those who tried to deliver food yesterday for the group was caught and severely beaten by the security men. “The time has come”, she told herself.

Back at the barricade site, Martha felt so helpless. She knew that they are all about to die if they will not be given food tonight. Their lawyer contacts from Manila will be coming the day after tomorrow. There will be an initial talk and the food blockade will finally and surely be over. Then it is the first time in years that she prayed and she sing a song of praise and suddenly all of the protesters found themselves singing the song in chorus.  All of them who are too absorbed in political discussions and serving the masses that they have no time to sit with Jesus and learn His lessons!

Maria prepared a large amount of fish and bread, put them in a big and empty can of lard and tied it at the back of her late father’s bicycle and then rode the almost 20 kilometer muddy and dangerous road to the proposed mining site. She crawled in the wilderness to pass the checkpoint along the road. And when Maria finally managed to reach the protesters and deliver them loaves of bread and fishes, she timidly apologized to Martha for not doing any worthwhile thing for the cause of the people and the preservation of their natural resources. Martha said nothing. She’s so voiceless and so quiet. She just embraced and kissed her twin sister with tears of gratitude running down her cheeks thinking of hardships and sacrifices Maria had overcome that night. Her prayerful sister who just found out that cold and rainy night that activism is also a concrete expression of loving our neighbor and the environment, thus loving God.

In the next morning, radio newscasts as usual aired different stories. Ferdinand Marcos’ heroic deeds last World War II is being featured in the state-owned station. He is portrayed as a true hero along with some decorated Filipino war veterans, the celebrated former priest who joined the New People’s Army just been killed in a gun battle with the military and proclaimed martyr and hero by his comrades. They are all considered heroes that deserve to be remembered and their heroic deeds to be commemorated one day. They are men and women in Philippine history whose acts of courage enabled the Philippines to grow as a nation.

However, not a word about the story of Martha and Maria was heard. It had no news value in the eyes of the media. It is not heroism...



(*An adaptation of Nil Guillmette’s “Two Copper Coins”, part of his book “Wipe Every Tear”)

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(Photo : Sysiphus-Angrynewsfromaroundtheworld.)

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Si Chito, Si Neri at Tayo


Pinag-piyestahan ng maraming Pinoy ang kamakailan lang ay sumabog na sex video ng lead vocalist ng Parokya ni Edgar na si Chito Miranda at ang syota niyang may mala-anghel na mukha at dating finalist ng “Star Circle Quest” na si Neri Naig. Sa mga social networking site, sabi ng ilang tagahanga ng banda na sa dami ng isyu na dapat ukil-kilin ng media kagaya ng pork barrel ng mga kongresista, ang mga pagsabog sa Mindanao at ibang pang usapin, ay ang pinaka-intimate at pribadong sandali pa nina Chito at Neri ang gustong sawsawan.

May mga nagsabi pa na walang masama sa ginawa nina Chito at Neri, ang pagbi-bidyo at pag-dyudyug-dyugan kahit hindi pa sila kasal. Tanggap na naman daw ng lipunang Pilipino ang pre-marital sex ngayon. Ang sabi nila, biktima lamang sina Chito at Neri at ang dapat na sisihin ay hindi ang mag-dyowa kundi ang ‘tangnang akyat-bahay na umano’y dumekwat ng hard drive ng kompyuter ni Chito at ang putsang (mga) taong nag-post nito sa Facebook.

Hindi ako tagahanga ni Chito Miranda o ng Parokya, at lalo namang hindi ko kilala si Neri Naig (sa totoo lang nakilala ko lang siya dahil sa balitang ito!) wala naman talaga akong pakialam sa kanilang dalawa. Hindi ko naman sila kamag-anak. Matatanda na sila at marahil ay inaasahan naman ng kani-kanilang mga magulang na aabot sila sa ganitong kalalim na relasyon dahil sa hindi na nga sila bata. Ang hindi nila inaasahan ay dahil sa pag-rekord at pagkalat ng nasabing bidyo ay magkaka-lamat ang dalisay na pagmamahalan ng dalawang celebrity. Ayaw kong kuwestiyunin kung ano ang dakilang halimbawa na kanilang maituturo sa mga kabataang kanilang tagahanga sa kanilang ginawa. Wala ako sa posisyon na gawin ito. Inamin na naman ni Chito na siya nga ito at hindi niya ito itinanggi o itinatwa.

Ang pag-amin ay isang kahanga-hangang bagay. Makakaahon naman diyan sina Chito at Neri, magkasama man o magkahiwalay tulad nina Hayden Kho at Katrina Halili noon. Tiyak yun. Ang mga karanasang hindi maganda tulad nito ay hindi lamang “nakukuha sa paligo” kundi dapat na nagtuturo rin sa atin.  

Bakit nga ba may mga taong gustong i-bidyo ang kanilang dyug-dyugan? Misteryoso talaga ang kagawiang ito at ilabas na natin dito sina Chito at Neri. Huwag tayong maging specific sa kaso. I-generalize na natin ang usapin. Ano raw ang masama dito samantalang ginagawa naman ito ng maraming artista sa Hollywood ngayon at ilang artista sa Pilipinas? May mutual consent man o wala. Kapag ginagawa ng marami, sa palagay ng kalakhan sa atin, ito ay tama at nagiging katanggap-tanggap lalo na kapag mga sikat na tao, lalung-lalo na ang mga artista, ang gumagawa nito. Maganda nga naman na ang pinaka-mahalagang panahon na pinagsasaluhan ninyo ng pinaka-mahalagang tao sa iyong buhay ay dapat lamang i-capture. 

Katwiran din marahil ng iba kaya sila nagbi-bidyo ng dyugdyugan ng kanilang loved ones ay para nga naman magkaroon kung saka-sakali ng handy evidence just in case na itatwa ng isa sa kanila ang kanilang relasyon o ang nangyari sa kanila. At maaari rin na ang materyal ay gawing instrumento ng paghihiganti sakaling isa sa kanila ang magtaksil o maging daan upang matakot nilang pagtaksilan ang isa’t-isa. O siguro, ang pakikipag-talik o seks, para sa marami sa atin ay wala nang malalim na moral at etikal na kahulugan. Ang iyong kakayahang sekswal nga naman, kung lalake ka, ay pwede mong ipagmayabang sa iyong tropa (syempre kailangan mo ang ebidensya!) upang kanilang mapagtibay ang iyong pagiging “tunay na lalake” at marahil ito ay  makakapag-pahaba ng hair ng mga babaeng naka-bingwit ng isang sikat at bigating lalake na hinahabul-habol ng mga kolehiyala!

Ang seks ay ang pinaka-intimate  sa lahat ng human acts.  Ito ay ekspresyon ng dalawang umiibig sa (hangga’t kakayanin ay) pinaka-tahimik na paraan. Ang pagtatalik ng dalawang nagmamahalan ay hindi dapat ihiwalay sa konteksto ng una, pag-ibig at ikalawa, tunay na buhay. Kung ito ay maisasa-publiko, ito ay malaking banta kundi man insulto, sa human decency, wika nga. Lahat ay maaaring buntunan ng sisi. Ang gumawa, ang nagpalaganap at nagpiyesta sa panunood nito, ang mga nainggit at na-inis, mga nagpantasya, pati na ang mga katulad kong pilit na binubuhay ang usaping dapat na kinalilimutan na!

Pero ito ang aral na ayaw kong kalimutan : Bilang mas matanda, kaalinsabay ng paghahabilin na ang seks ay banal at mabuti, mabibigyang babala ko ang lahat ng kabataang aking makakasalubong sa aking paglalakbay sa buhay na ang seks ay maaring magamit ng hindi tama. Sisikapin ko ring ilayo ang mga aking mga anak sa mga licentious habit na namamayani sa kontemporaryong kultura.  

At ipapaalala ko rin ang teknikal na paraan upang maiwasan ito sa panahong sila ay may asawa na: Huwag itong i-store sa kompyuter. Gumamit ng USB flash drive na may integrated program para mai-lock ito na may password.

At ingatan ito kagaya ng pag-iingat sa mga mumunting bagay na nagpapatibay at nagpapagunita ng inyong dakilang pag-iibigan…

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Photo: Letsplay2ne1.wordpress

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Big "S"


Upon advice of his friends from the religious sector, Mayor Eduardo B. Gadiano have decided to add letter “S” to his Social Contract called the HEART-PO which stands Health and Housing, Education, Environment, Employment, Economic Development, Agriculture and Fishery Development, Reforms and Reduction of Poverty, Tourism and Peace and Order. So, starting today, it will be called HEARTS-PO. This is his second term in office but nowhere in his social contract or program of government concretely deals with Spirituality, Culture and Morality. And that’s why this Big “S” came into the picture. The Municipality’s Vision states, ”Sulong SablayeƱo, maunlad at payapang bayan, may saganang likas na yaman at nagkakaisang mamamayang nananalig sa Dakilang Lumikha”.  The two concluding words of course refers to a belief in transcendence force that is present within, a truth that guides in our struggle with life as a community where people’s diverse culture are unified and dwindling moral values recovered.

Is “Spirituality” exclusively for religious and church entities and matters not in governance or public service? The answer is a big “No” according to experts and theologians. For instance in his book “Vital Spiritualities’, Gerald Broccolo wrote, “Spirituality involves a way of viewing and experiencing God, self, others and the world.”  It goes without saying that spirituality includes every dimension of human life. True enough, our spirituality, as expressed by the good mayor’s spiritual confidantes, colors the way we look at everything – from ourselves to others, specially the needy,- from God to governance. It must be expressed in the decisions we make as a people and public servants, whether in the executive or legislative branch. Indeed, spirituality plays a very important role in the dimensions of the municipality’s social contract and banner programs.

Though distinct theoretically, moral recovery can be attached at this moment with spirituality. During the term of President Fidel V. Ramos in 1996, he signed the Executive Order No. 319 calling for the institutionalization of the Moral Recovery Program in all government agencies, departments and all government-owned and controlled corporations through the establishment of MRP Officers and Integrity Circles. Mayor Ed is rooting for a stable and morally-upright citizenry that serves as a pillar of a strong and progressive society and this would make the program an indispensable component in attaining social development.

I believe that pursuing and achieving such objective is certainly delightful to God. Without His most needed protection and aid, we cannot survive in this sinful world. Little by little, this often neglected dimension in government service, the Big “S”, is taken into great account in local governance in this part of Occidental Mindoro.

And sometimes, we also go for other spirits. Those kept inside a bottle and poured into our ice-laced glasses…

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(Photo: LGU-Sablayan File. Taken at the CAPDEV-ELA Formulation; July 21-27, 2013 in Batangas)