The GMA Occupation Regime

The day Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said "I'm sorry" on tv was the day when our country fell under the GMA Occupation Regime. On that day, GMA appropriated the law and made sure that she will not be made to account for accusations that she stole the May 2004 Presidential Election as evidenced by the illegally tapped Hello Garci tapes.

Henceforth, she could only rule by force, by co-optation of the craven co-optable and by wile. And she did.

It is the duty of all just and freedom loving Filipinos to rid themselves of this power usurper and make her to account for what she did.

Ang Babaeng may Malamig na Halik

(isang tulang bunsod ng larawan sa pahayagan ng isang babaeng malamig na hinahalikan ang asawang kampeon matapos makarinig ng mga balita na labis labis na nakasakit sa kanya)

Ang mga mata mo ay walang ningning,
Ang mga ngiti mo ay walang sigla,
Nagbalik ka sa iyong bayan
Na parang malamig na tropeo
Ng isang kampeon
Na ang dinurog
Ay ang puso mo na mas higit
sa tunay niyang kalaban.

Walang maliw ang madla
Sa kalbaryong nilalakad mo
At sa sugat na iyong iniinda
Pagkat lahat ay lasing sa galak
Ng tagumpay na maging ikaw
Ay inaasahang magpakalasing
Sa kabila ng kahihiyan at dagok na
Lumatay sa puso mong naninibugho.

Ngunit sa kabila ng iyong ipinapakitang
pagsasaya
hindi maitatago ng larawan
Ang iyong tulirong diwa at malamig na halik.
Bakas sa iyong mukha,
ang lungkot ng pagkagupo
sa gitna ng maingay na pagdiriwang
ng isang malupit na panalo

Kung may lamat na ang iyong puso
Dahil sa bugbog na inabot nito,
Ano ang gagawin
Kapag namatay ang pag-ibig?

Sabihin mo Noynoy

Dear Noynoy,

Marami ang nagsasabi na ikaw ay mabuting tao. Ang iyong ama ay martir at ang iyong ina ay bayani. Dahil dito, marami ang naniniwala na sakali mang mahalal ka na pangulo, ikaw ay hindi gagawa ng masama.

Ok lang ito. Ang inaalala ko, baka naman kahit wala kang gawing masama, ay wala ka rin namang gawing mabuti.

Kaya sana Noynoy, ngayon pa lang ay sabihin mo na sa amin kung ano ang iyong gagawin. Sabihin mo sa amin na hindi mo lang balak maging poster boy ng People Power. Sabihin mo na hindi ka parang pop corn na mukhang malaki pero walang laman.

Sabihin mo na kaya mong pamunuan ang laban sa mga kawatan na nanambang sa ating demokrasya at sumalaula sa ating saligang batas. Hindi sila baliw na matapos mahuli sa kanilang katampalasan ay matiwasay sila na bibitiw sa kapangyarihang kanilang inagaw. Ngunit huwag kang mag-alala, nasa likod mo kaming mamamayan.

Sabihin mo sa amin kung paano mo ibabangon muli ang paghahari ng batas na pinagtulung-tulungang ilibing ng mga politikong hayok sa kapangyarihan at gahaman sa kayamanan. Sabihin mo sa amin na ang mga politikong ito ang iyong ililibing sa kasaysayan at kung kinakailangan ay ibuburo sa kulungan. At sabihin mo sa amin na sa ilalim ng batas na iyong itatatag muli ang lahat ay tunay na magiging pantay pantay – para sa mayaman, gaya ng sa mahirap, kulungan lamang at hindi ospital ang luklukan ng sinumang gumawa ng krimen.

Sabihin mo sa amin kung paano mo binabalak linisin ang pamahalaan at bakunahan ito laban sa katiwalian. Sabihin mo sa amin kung ano ang aming gagawin upang ikaw ay matulungan. Sabihini mo sa amin na titiyakin mong mabubulok sa kulungan ang mga tulisan sa pamahalaan.

Sabihin mo sa amin kung paano mo bibigyang katarungan ang bayang pinagsamantalahan at pinagnakawan - na ngayon ay tumataghoy at lugmok sa kahirapan. Sabihini mo sa amin na hindi mo isusubo ang taumbayan sa pagbabayad ng imoral na mga utang na hindi sila ang gumawa at nakinabang. Sabihin mo sa amin na sisikapin mong bawiing muli ang mga ninakaw na yaman ng bayan at gagamitin ito sa pagbibigay katarungan sa mga higit na nagdusa at napagsamantalahan.

Sabihin mo na kapag pangulo ka na ay haharapin mo at gagawan mo ng paraan ang legal na pagnanakaw sa kinabakusan ng milyong mamayan sa anomalyang kung tawagin ay kontraktwalisasyon. Kapag ang isang tao ay pumasok sa mall at kumuha ng bagay na hindi niya binayaran, agad siya ay tinatawag na magnanakaw. Ngunit ang mga negosyante kapag hindi ibinigay ang benepisyo na nararapat sa isang manggagawa dahil may paraan na maka-iwas dito, ito ay wala lang. Ninanakaw ang kinabukasan ng ating mga mamamayan ngunit ito ay wala lang. Nakakapagtaka ba kung bakit sa ating bayan ang mayaman ay lalong yumayaman at ang mahirap ay lalong naghihirap?

Sabihin mo sa amin na ikaw ay may paninindigan, na marunong kang pumili ng boses na pakikinggan – ang boses ng mga mahihina at walang kapanyarihan, hindi ang boses ng basta lang maiingay o mga nagpapakasasa.

Sabihin mo Noynoy. Sabihin mo sa amin na hindi mo bibiguin ang bayan.

Wala lang

Ngayon ko lang uli nabalikan ang blog na ito. Nagdaan si Ondoy, nagdaan si Pepeng, dumalaw ang kaibigan kong si Foster pero wala akong naisulat.

Kaya eto, kahit walang kapararakan...

PAKATAS

Finally my project is finished and here it is - the PAKATAS.

For something that may look so simple, it still took me over a year to turn this idea into a reality.

The Pakatas is really just a simple coffee filter holding device to make drip coffee on demand. For some people, the pakatas may seem just like a piece of twisted metal, but for me, they are objets d'art. There was sacrifice, pain, frustration in its pursuit but there was also great delight and joy in its achievement that made all the effort and trouble encountered well worth it.

Through the pakatas, I learned many things. Not just about coffee and its paraphernalia but also about the nature and true color of people.

The Pakatas. Bow.

Passing of a Hero

Former President Cory Aquino was the hero and face of the 1986 People Power uprising that toppled the ruthless Marcos dictatorship and who restored constitutional democracy in the country. For these alone, Filipinos owe her eternal gratitude and the love they demonstrate for her while she was still alive and now that she has passed away is well deserved.

But in mourning the passing of a beloved President, we must not lose sight of the never ending task of nationbuilding that calls for the engagement of all of us. And we still have a lot of work to do - the flame of our democracy has been reduced to a flicker, inequality mocks our nationhood and our people still cry for social justice.

President Cory may be gone, but let us take courage and inspiration in what she stood for that we may continue to carry the torch she carried to bring light and hope to our country and people.

President Cory is dead. Long live President Cory.

Letter to a Coffee Queen

To: Ms. X
Philippine Coffee Board


Dear Ms X,

I write to express my extreme disappointment with the “don’t call us, we’ll call you” policy practiced by your staff for the organization that you represent.

This practice shows either misguided haughtiness, laziness or a lack of proper education in business ethics where respect and courtesy are given importance. It is also not worthy of an organization that appropriated the name of the Philippines to project representation of a national interest only to be selectively accessible to those who pass the grade of your social economic discrimination.

While I had respectfully written you a letter over a month ago requesting for a meeting, I received no definite feedback from your staff on whether a meeting is possible or not. Cognizant of your busy schedule on account of your work, I had limited my follow up to once a week until I gave up trying to get an answer.

When I happened to see you at the Kape Isla last 28 July 2009, I thought it would be a good opportunity to follow up on my request but I found it incredible that though I was a mere few feet away from you, your staff could still prevent me from having a few seconds of your precious time and haughtily drive me away with a lofty “don’t call us, we’ll call you” mantra.

I could have gone over the heads of your overprotective staff as you had acknowledged my presence with a brief smile. But I had lost interest in my original purpose and only wanted to tell your staff that what they are doing is ugly and wrong. Will they be doing the same if I were white and looking filthy rich or will they grovel and fall over themselves to bring me to you? If it is the latter, what does this make of you?

I bother to write this letter because I held you in high esteem. We may have different stations in life but in the end we are all in the same boat. We may commit ourselves to great missions in life, but in the end, it is the little details of civilized living like courtesy, respect and equal treatment of others that make our society a better place.

Peace.

Just a thought

It is a long lonely road to follow a dream, so one should not let dimwits and pompous assholes stand in one's way.

An OTOPian Idea for Pateros

OTOP stands for One Town One Product. It is a government program to promote entrepreneurship and create jobs.

Pateros, my hometown, would have an ideal OTOP since it has traditionally been known for its duck egg industry, especially the “balut” which is a duck embryo delicacy so loved by many people and reviled by as many others. Unfortunately, the balut industry in Pateros is itself on the wane due to a confluence of several factors.

For one, the river that could sustain duck raising has become very polluted and has almost vanished. For another, the land area of Pateros, by some political administrative decisions have drastically been reduced and urbanization has made it impractical to use precious real estate for raising ducks. Thus only a few old Pateros families cling on to the balut making business.

With a land area of 210 hectares Pateros is the smallest town in Metro Manila. With a population of 62,590 (2008) and very little local resource, it will be very difficult to identify an OTOP product that can be competetively manufactured in the town, create jobs and engage the entire community.

But in every problem, there is an opportunity. Our town may be small, but that does not mean that it can not be great.

I would like to propose to the local government of Pateros and to my kababayans that apart from having our own OTOP, we turn Pateros into the OTOP center of the country. Our barangays can be turned into areas corresponding to the thirteen regions of the Philippines plus that of the NCR, Cordillera and the ARMM. Each barangay can then host the OTOP of the provinces and town of their corresponding regions. Pateros will then be a living, breathing museum and showcase of Philippine products.

The benefits of this idea are many:
- Trade and traffic will increase boosting local income
- Increased traffic will spawn new businesses and create jobs
- The town will be a tourist destination as tourists who can not go to far flung places in the country can just go to Pateros
- Pateros can draw the attention of big business and developers opening opportunities for Pateros to renew and recreate itself as a modern progressive town

This OTOPian idea is admittedly ambitious, But it is not impossible. What is important is for the entire community to buy into the idea and take part in making this idea come true. The alternative is to let Pateros stagnate into insignificance trampled by the economic might of its city neighbors Makati, Pasig and Taguig.

10 Reasons Why Mrs. Dionisia Pacquiao Should be Considered for President

1. She is a good mother. She raised a champion.
2. She truly came from the ranks of the poor.
3. She became rich through honest means
3. She has no record of cheating, lying or stealing.
4. She is deeply religious and her prayers get good results.
5. She is not indebted to politicians or annoying personalities.
6. She is an ideal unifying figure for Pinoys.
7. She has no First Gentleman
8. She is neither a trapo, an activist, reformist, nor a member of Gabriela
9. Her election to the presidency is the better alternative to a bloody revolution
10. She dances a mean tango not cha-cha.