Sunday, November 20, 2011

On Heckling, Howie and Hillary






When a Philippine Collegian Editor-in-Chief Marjo Tucay unfurled an Anti-VFA/Anti-MDT banner in Clinton's "Conversation in Manila", he was promptly shown the door and subsequently tagged a heckler. Post-Conversation, he was interviewed by Howie Severino of GMA7, incidentally, one of Conversation's moderators. Did I say interviewed? No, that wasn't the case. Mr. Tucay was BERATED by Howie Severino for not being "old-fashioned" and  for going beyond "covering" the event.




Facebook as been afire with discussion regarding this incident. Progressive teachers and students alike, of course defend Tucay's position, whilst Howie Severino himself engages in the debate. But, lo and behold, Mr. I-Think-Before-I-Click opts to delete his comments (see pic below with his comments on Alaysa's post before Severino deleted them) when the debate got hotter and hotter. This event prompted GMA7 to take down the interview from their site (Therefore, the link below Alaysa's Note now leads to blank video). 


Photo courtesy of The Carcosite. To view, Right click then Open in New Tab. Or  Download by right-clicking then Save as.


Reposted from Alaysa Escandor's Facebook Notes


Reflections on the heckling

That Hillary Clinton herself, the US Secretary of State, was heckled by a Filipino, and a young student journalist at that, triggered a debate of sorts on the role of journalists.  The heckling was done by Marjohara Tucay, incumbent editor in chief of the Philippine Collegian, the student publication of the University of the Philippines.

 A day after the heckling, he was interviewed by Mr. Howie Severino, whose insights include –

Syempre, ang expectation sa isang mamamahayag ay hindi magprotesta kundi magtanong; Yung mga old-fashioned journalists katulad ko, yung training ay nagcocover; May choice ka dun, kung ano ang magiging action mo: mamahayag o protester.”

Okay, so there’s one huge, disturbing conjecture there – that journalists cannot participate in demonstrations. I wonder though where this conjecture has come from, because I don’t know of any code of ethics that bans journalists from protest actions. From receiving gifts and cash, certainly; from moonlighting, sure; from unfair means of information collection, yes. But never from heckling, demonstrations, rallies, strikes. These are, after all, based on the freedom of speech and expression – the very same rights upon which the entire of journalism is founded.

The freedoms that we have, the liberties that journalists like Mr. Severino enjoy, were won through wide and numerous protest actions. Martial law is a constant reminder of that.

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Reposted: What I think of the NPA's raid on Taganito Mining

I've been planning on writing something along these lines, but she beat me to it. :D Read up and judge for yourself.


For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

 What I think of the NPA's raid on Taganito Mining

by Kei Valmoria-Bughaw on Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 11:27pm

My uncle was one of the so-called "hostages" during the recent raid of the New People’s Army in a Surigao mine. Of course, being known as left-leaning, I am moved by family and friends to post my stand on the issue. So here it is.

WHAT HAPPENED?

On October 3, 2011, the New People’s Army attacked three mining sites in Claver, Surigao del Sur. These were owned by the following companies: Taganito-Sumitomo, Taganito Mining Corp., and Platinum Gold Metal Corp. These are sister companies, owned by Nickel Asia’s Manny Zamora, and co-funded by Japanese investors.

The CPP-NPA-NDF* stated in their websites that this was a punitive action. For several years now, local residents as well as lumads (indigenous people) have complained of environmental degradation, shockingly low wages, and, for the lumads, refusal to pay royalties for mining on their ancestral lands. Note that in the statements of the group, there were no references to increasing revolutionary tax, which the AFP and Aquino government stated was the reason for the attack.

According to NDF Mindanao spokesperson Jorge Madlos, the residents have written numerous letters to Taganito and the Japanese bosses to heed summons to a discussion but these have been ignored. Furthermore, the Tribal Coalition of Mindanao has already filed a petition in the Supreme Court last May 30, 2011 to hold these 3 companies accountable for violations of environmental laws and ancestral domain.

The NPA disarmed guards, herded key personnel for debriefing, and set fire to mining equipment. All the detained employees (not hostages), including my uncle, were released after the punitive action was completed.

THE REACTIONS

As expected, Noynoy Aquino and his mouthpieces in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) crowed about NPA greed, citing the demands for bigger revolutionary tax to be paid by TMC-Sumitomo. Of course, that’s about the only thing they can say to defend themselves.

As NDF’s Luis Jalandoni pointed out, Noynoy chose to ignore these:

  1. Large-scale mining and export of non-renewable minerals via cheap labor and operations that destroy hope of Philippine industrialization;
  2. Dislocation of the Mamanwa, indigenous people of the Surigao provinces, and dispossession of their ancestral lands; and
  3. Widespread environmental impact of the mining operations.

Pollution of the nearby coastlines has long been a complaint of local residents. And Noynoy and his people knew this. Long before the raid, a documentary of the Taganito mining operations was shown to the Presidential Adviser on Environmental Protection Neric Acosta. He can be seen saying on the GMA 7 documentary in a shocked voice: “My God, ano yan (what's that)?”

Well, who wouldn’t be shocked with 160 square miles of exposed earth and unbridled violations of environmental laws? In the petition submitted to the Supreme Court, it is revealed that the UP- Natural Science Research Institute conducted tests on water and soil samples taken from the site and found that nickel levels were way, way higher than acceptable levels. In fact, the samples contained 190mg/liter—a far cry from the 0.02 mg/liter acceptable level.

THE REAL ISSUE

If you’d listen to the statements from the AFP and the Aquino administration, you’d think that this is a mere extortion case. Some even chose to distort the statement by Maria Malaya, NDF national spokesperson where she said that the company owes the local government 400 million pesos in taxes but gets away with just 40 million by bribing local officials in Surigao. My relatives actually bought the military’s line: the NPA is asking for 400 million! Hahaha. My, my. Read the NDF statement from the links below.

And here's more that the military and Noynoy failed to mention:
  1. Just last September, the Office of the Ombudsman suspended two officials of the NCIP (National Commission on Indigenous Peoples) after they were found guilty of graft and abuse of authority. This includes pocketing millions of pesos worth of royalties to the Mamanwa people, payment for turning their ancestral lands into 160 square kilometers of exposed earth.
  2. Outstanding royalties to the Mamanwas amount to over 200 million pesos. But that’s a pittance compared to the profits Taganito and its foreign investors have accumulated for exporting millions of tons of nickel in 30 years.
  3. Three decades of large scale mining operations have resulted in total denudation of a huge area of the Surigao mountains. Take a look below at the picture generated by Google Earth.
  4. Sumitomo’s coal-fired Acid Leaching Plant, which refines the nickel, spews out toxic fumes daily, resulting from its usage of sulfuric acid in the refining process.
  5. Taganito employees are paid very low wages in comparison to the millions of dollars they get for stealing our natural wealth.
YES! It is OUR natural wealth. The Philippines IS wealthy in natural resources. However, our TRAITORS in government SELL our gold and minerals to IMPERIALISTS like Japan and the USA. And what do we get in return?

  • DESTROYED FOREST ECOSYSTEMS
  • WORKERS EXPLOITED FOR CHEAP LABOR
  • POLLUTED COASTLINES AND RIVERS

MY STAND
I have always been against mining, specifically, large-scale mining. There's little harm in panning or individual mining. Unaided by large machines that carve out the earth, there is less environmental destruction. But once the huge machinery come in, there is no way you can return the earth back to its original state nor can you avoid pollution as an end-result.

The mining officials say, “Oh! We did reforestation efforts!” or “No way, we always clean up our act. See this treatment plant?” I'd say, “Can you really replace full-grown trees, 40-50 years old? Can you stop all the tailings from exposed mines once the torrential rains come?” It’s BS, I say. Total BS.

I will not comment on the revolutionary tax supposedly paid by Sumitomo/TMC to the NDF. I guess they must’ve paid one time or another; most companies operating in NPA-controlled areas do. But I am not going to discuss the political reasons of the NDF for doing so. I can’t speak for them and what’s more, that’s not the real issue here.

For me, the real issue, which breaks my heart, is the dislocation and the corruption of the Mamanwa culture by 3 decades of mining issues. I am disheartened that ancestral lands are given a specific VALUE to be paid out in pesos. No, let me revise that—I am OUTRAGED!

Long before the arrival of the colonialists, the proud Mamanwas lived in this land. And now, they are reduced to the indignity of asking for royalties from foreigners. This is not a Filipino value, its clearly Western. Our forefathers knew that LAND cannot be owned. It is owned only by God, whoever and whatever he was, according to their beliefs. Land is revered for its ability to give life, to provide food, fresh water, and wood for shelter. Now some foreigners and their local counterparts can rape our sovereign land, they just have to pay 200 million pesos for stealing it from the Mamanwas? 200 million for the land of our fathers? FTS.

In July 2010, Mamanwa warriors trooped to TMC and burned some mining equipment in protest of the unreleased royalties. The AFP went after them as if they were terrorist fugitives. The mines were more important than some puny, black-skinned, kinky-haired taga-bukid (mountain-dwellers). Isn’t that tragic?

In an interview, Nickel Asia president Gerard Brimo laughed off as “populist rhetoric” the NDF statements. “TMC stands by its exemplary social and environmental record for the past 24 years, which have earned the company various awards in these fields,” he said.

Oh, Mr. Brimo, we watched GMA’s documentary and clearly, you are caught in a big fat lie. As for Noynoy and his mouthpieces, they are either deaf-blind OR they are big fat liars too.

And as for my Uncle being detained by the NPA, I have never doubted for a second that he would be safely returned to his family. I am sorry he had to go through the ordeal, after all he’s just my second most favorite uncle in Surigao, but I’d worry more if it was the AFP who abducted him.

The NPA doesn’t have a reputation for abducting, raping and torturing, and murdering unarmed civilians. But guess who does?


*For international readers: CPP-NDF-NPA means Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front-New People's Army. The New People's Army is the armed component of the party and carries out military actions.

Links:
  1. http://www.piplinks.org/House+Committee+on+National+Cultural+Communities
  2. http://www.piplinks.org/Zenaida+Brigida+Pawid+
  3. http://www.piplinks.org/Ruben+de+los+Santos
  4. http://www.interaksyon.com/article/14529/taganito-mining-resumes-operations-after-attack
  5. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/10/04/11/reds-justify-attacks-surigao-mines
  6. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/10/03/11/patroller-sends-photos-surigao-mine-attack-aftermath
  7. http://www.ndfp.net/joom15/index.php/media-releases-mainmenu-53/statements-mainmenu-71/1211-npa-punishes-sumitomo-mining-corporation-taganito-mining-corpoporation-and-platinum-gold-metal-corporation.html
  8. http://www.bomboradyo.com/news/regional-news/cebuano-news/79325-taganito-mining-co-ug-platinum-metals-group-co-sunod-sunod-nga-giatake-sa-200-ka-npa
  9. http://natoreyes.wordpress.com/2011/10/05/tv-docu-shows-aquino-government-knew-of-mining-issues-in-claver-surigao-even-before-npa-raid/
  10. http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/aquino-regime-misses-the-essential-points-at-issue#.ToxWuHtzhrI.facebook
  11. http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/cpp-congratulates-npa-in-northeast-mindanao-for-punishing-big-foreign-mining-company#.ToxWN__TKKI.facebook
  12. http://arnoldpadilla.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/mining-and-climate-change-aquino%E2%80%99s-policy-incoherence/

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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Love of Country




What Alvin Gale Tan started with 7107.com is commendable! I love his project of finding 7,107 reasons why he loves the Philippines!

It's funny how other nationalities find more reasons than Pinoys themselves why they love the Philippines. Yes, there are a lot not to love about the our country, but hey! Every country has its own problems. The story that Alvin shared on how he was inspired to started on this project shows just that!

I have a similar story to tell. I was riding the jeepney from Bontoc to Sagada. It was half full of foreigners and half by the locals. A group of tourists were talking amongst themselves. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop but I did hear what they were saying. Afterall, they weren't talking in whispers. It turns out that two of them, who look like bestfriends if not partners in life, have been going back to the Philippines every year. The guy they were talking to is visiting for the first time. So the two guys talk about how each year they allot a month to travel to the Philippines. They've been to Cebu, Palawan, Boracay etc. And this year, they're going to Sagada and then to Batangas. I was amazed at how much they've travelled. But I was even more amazed at how they made a comparison and observation of how pig's blood stew (that's dinuguan!)is cooked depending on the locality. They said that as you go down the Philippines, dinuguan gets more "soup-y" (yup, i invented that word, sorry)!

I think the perception that every other country is better than the Philippines still stems from our colonial past. Ambeth Ocampo even wrote once that Filipinos do not refer to us natives, but to the Spaniards born in the Islands.


This video will show the indio-Filipino relations better...



(I'm sorry, I just had to! I lurv Cherie Gil!)

Three hundred plus plus years of being told that we are second class citizens will no doubt take root in our psyche. This is not counting the time when the Americans "benevolently assmilated" the Philippines, which is just a new term for colonialization.

If we understand this part aof our history, we will understand why Pinoys today find it hard to feel good about themselves. We do love to flagellate ourselves. We tend to bring ourselves down. Ang Pinoy kasi ganito-ganyan (fill in with self-deprecatory remarks).

On the other hand, this also explains why Pinoys tend to play up Philippine prides such as Cong. Manny Pacquiao, Charice Pempengco, Lea Salonga and many others who have made the international scene. To us, being related to these very talented and successful Pinoys makes us feel proud to be Pinoys too. Note too, how we tend to hitch our wagon even on one-half or one-fourth, (or less) Pinoys whom we see on TV. Yes we should be proud of them! But that's not my point. Do we really need some extraordinary person, an extremely talented and persevering individual who made a name for him/herself to make us feel good about ourselves?

Even the "nationalisic trend" today where people go about bearing the Philippine map on their shirts makes me want to puke. It's so hypocritical! I hate to ask them why they're wearing that and hear a "HUh?" answer.

Alvin's project is badly needed! It's about time Pinoys learn to love their country inspite and despite of all its bad. The reasons to love your country need not be profound. The reason can be as simple as an Iloco empanada or the jeepney.

Thanks Alvin, for that vigorous shake you gave us!

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Blogwatch: beyond Campaign Promises



Blogwatch has really elevated blogging in the local scene. I am reminded of other international communities that also use their readership following to keep the public informed about politics. And to think that Blogwatch, according to this interview, just started as a voters education blog.

Watching this made me recall the year that was. The 2010 elections is foremost a statement election. Then “President” Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is sufferring from the lowest public approval a President has had since the Marcos Era, going as low as negative thirty-something. The most popular campaign line is of course Anti-GMA, and there were many takers. The handful brave men who ran under the administration ticket were doomed to lose. They received the Kiss of Death with open arms. Most presidential aspirants took the Anti-GMA stance. Any vote for the anti-GMA aspirants is a vote against GMA herself.

And so, P-Noy emerged victorious from the Anti-GMA pack, along the way, spouting numerous campaign promises, like supporting the RH Bill. I know P-Noy, next to his mother the late Corazon Aquino, is probably the most popular President post-Martial Law. But I don’t find myself as ecstatic of him as most people do. He has backtracked on a number of his promises already. I hate to think that he did all that just for rhetorics and rating.

Blogwatch was received warmly throughout the blogosphere and thus post-elections, shifted from being a voters education site to one that monitors the campaign promises of the victorious P-Noy. This I think is a very good move. Bloggers write about anything and everythings, from something as mundane as their pet rats, to food trips, from fashionable finds to the latest gadgets, among others. But political blogging is not as popular. Blogwatch bridged this gap and encouraged bloggers to be more socially and politically conscious. The advocacy for clean elections and post-elections monitoring has made Filipinos more involved and invested in the whole process. It is OUR future afterall that is at stake come election-time.

Having Blogwatch, like a watchdog, would keep P-Noy on his toes. One shouldn’t make promises they couldn’t keep. And Blogwatch makes it clear that the PEOPLE DO CARE and are NOT DUMB. They heard the campaign promises and wanted those promises fulfilled, that’s why he got their votes. And that they won’t just sit back and watch those promises turn to dust.

Blogwatch is indeed a very empowering tool for the masses. How many times have you have someone, anyone, utter a word of disgust for the government’s action, or lack of it, regarding the nation’s problems? How many times have you heard someone, anyone, say “Ganyan naman talaga ang mga pulitiko!” Or, see someone, anyone, shrug their shoulders while saying, “Wala nang pag-asa ang mga pinoy.” Blogwatch serves and will still serve as a venue for these people to rant all they want, but which is properly channeled. The opinions of every Juan and Maria gets arhived and sorted out in the various discussions. And the more they see that they are not alone in feeling duped my false promises, the more they will strive for those promises to be fulfilled. Yay!

Pinoys are said to have very short memories. Imagine this, a dictator that ruled for 20 years and broke so many lives and dreams, is now being seriously considered to be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, not counting of course his immediate family that has made a remarking political comeback! Many atrocious and scandalous events in the political history of our country has been buried and forgotten. So too will the campaign promises be if there is no one to keep it alive, to remind the one who made them his responsibility of seeing them through and fought for, if not fully realized.

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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Buying and Selling Online: the Caveat Emptor




One episode in DigitalFilipino talks featured the General Manager of Ayosdito.ph, Jon Santico. Ayosdito.ph is one of the classified ads sites that I frequent. In light of the mushrooming multiply and facebook online shops, I admit, I’m a little old school using a classified ads site.

Generally the episode tackled the buy and sell business. I liked that Santico opened the topic about secondhand items that are being sold. He even mentioned of cleaning out the old stuff from you closet of home and then selling it online. I never thought of buy and sell that way before. I thought the buy and sell business is purely buying individual items at very low prices and then selling it for a little profit. I didn’t think that even the simple act of putting your old wares on sale is already buying and selling.


SECURITY for SELLERS

One important topic that the episode covered has something to do with security. How much or how little information about you, as a seller, should you divulge to prospective buyers. This is a very good point. I have seen sellers who include in their post the RFS or Reason For Selling. This must have stemmed from a particular tendency of buyers to ask the seller why he’s selling his item, especially if its secondhand. Reasons could range from badly needing money for something else, to a duplicate or extra item, etc. I doubt if all of these is true.

Let me say that buying and selling online should first and foremost be on the professional level. So far, I’ve only encountered two j@cka&$es online. One is someone who insists on knowing why I can’t buy his phone just yet, where is my husband etc. The other is someone who constantly sends text messages of reserving my phone for him and who keeps on texting me even after the deal has been consummated. I am even thinking of changing my phone number now.

Now, Santico said that the item description is and should be enough if you’re selling something. There is no need for you to share your email or cellphone number if you don’t want to. Ayosdito.ph and other classified ads site has this feature that prospective buyers can contact you and inquire about your product through a form that the site has provided. This I think is very safe, albeit a little slow mode of communication. Currently, for the items that I am selling online, I have chosen to use this feature to minimize spam texts and spent cellphone load. 


SECURITY for BUYERS

Santico also offered tips on how to buyers can protect themselves from scammers. One is to ask the seller to meet you in a public place. If he doesn’t want too, that is one red flag. Another is to be suspicious of sellers who ask you for downpayment before shipping out the product.

In my early years of buying online, I was almost victimized by a Nigerian scam. I was selling my old cellphone then. A man inquired about it and expressed interest in buying it. So, details for the payment were discussed. Most users in that particular site back then were using money transfers, so I thought that would be a good idea. I told my buyer to send his payment through that money transfer. He then returned my mail and said that they already have the control number for my payment, which they included in the email. But it was missing the last three numbers which they said would only be given to me after I ship the cellphone to them. I was already wary. But still I checked out the shipping rate for the address my seller had given, and it was more than the amount of the item I am selling! That made me suspicious. So I went to the Forum and sought help from the oldies but goodies of the site. They told me that it was a scam and that they’ve already suspended the account of that buyer. The next thing I know, this seller is sending me private messages that he’s not a scammer and that it’s me who doesn’t know who to make a deal.

By the way, I found numerous threads there of accounts of being scammed. One girl was even scammed of the laptop she was selling. She fell for the same modus operandi.

For me, I pride myself in being street smart and I would like to think that I am internet savvy too. For added security I never transact alone in a place I am not familiar with. Earlier on, one “buyer” made me come all the way to Monumento and didn’t show up. I wasted several cellphone load on her as she was constantly asking questions about the unit, using different numbers and personas nonetheless. Still, stupid me fell for that! The next day, when I was standing there at our meeting place for more than an hour, no one was answering the cellphone number she used.

Eniweis, another security measure is not to transact at night. I make sure I always do business in a public place while there is still light. And lastly, I don’t divulge that I am a girl. I offer that information on the last minute, when we are already meeting up.

What about you, what security measures do you take when transacting online?


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E-Commerce: Beyond COD



I am admittedly a greenhorn in online transactions. I have fewer than 20 succesful transactions and most of these are done face-to-face or thru meetups.

So far I have bought:
a crib
a baby sling
and 6 cellphones

I have also sold:
3 cellphones
2 pairs of brassiere

Of these, only one transaction has very minimal human intervention, on our parts as buyer-seller.

Although I am no stranger to the internet and is an eager browser of online merchandise, I sometimes find it hard to bring myself to click the BUY NOW button. I’m many Pinoys feel the same way I do.

When CEO Bjorn Pardo said that one thing that keeps people from buying online is not having a credit card or the reluctance to use it online.Let me get back to you on this. First, I would like to add a few things why buyers like me have secondthoughts on buying online.

1. Payment Terms – like what Pardo said, most online transactions require a credit card directly or indirectly, and which is not accesible to anyone. Luckily, there are other options available now like electronic money , money order and such. They seem flexible enough but that is only after you’ve enrolled in them or had to present any proof of identification before cashing out your money.

2. Fear of Getting it Wrong – one thrill of shopping that online shopping cannot replicate is the sight, sound and feel of it. I am not talking about being in the thick of all things hot and sweaty, especially during crunch time shopping. I am talking about being able to fit the the clothes your buying. Being able to feel the texture of an item, rotating it 360 degrees so you can see it from every angle, the power to be able to examine the product as thoroughly as you can. Whereas in online shopping, in my case for example, I rely on actual pictures of the item, description, on reviews and most importantly on the honesty of seller I want to transact with.

3. Fear of being Scammed – this is what every shopper is araid of. Even those who do conventional shopping are wary of being ripped-off, paying for products that don’t live up to its, well, price. For online shoppers, the nightmare is being scammed into wiring or transfering your money to someone else’s bank account and then not receiving the product that you purchased.

I understand that both modes of shopping, conventional or online, have innate problems. As for online shopping, I think the biggest factor lies in honesty issues. This is the reason why most Pinoys would opt for COD or Cash on Delivery, that way both seller and buyer’s needs are met. The seller disposes of his wares while the buyer gets what he pays for.

What Pardo said, that Xend would be venturing into COD terms of payment, I think would be very beneficial for the growth of e-commerce. For one it answers a fundamental problem area in online transactions. This is very convenient for both parties and beneficial too. They enjoy the benefit of hassle-free transactions. It would be like doing meet-ups, only you have Xend to do it for you.

So, do you prefer the effort-consuming COD or the hassle-free deliveries via courier?


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Monday, March 7, 2011

Babae by Inang Laya, Sung in Party Pilipinas



Last Sunday, I couldn't believe my ears when I heard Babae sung on TV, in Party Pilipinas no less. I was still a bit groggy from my catnap so I just made do with listening to it, not bothering to get up at all. It was part of a medley of songs that an all-girl group (the usual singers in Party Pilipinas) performed on stage. I couldn't find a video clip of that performance, so I went for this one containing the lyrics.

Looks like this song would likely take the course that Kanlungan and Tatsulok did. Kanlungan is the song that McDonald's used in one of its ads, since then Noel Cabangon revived his humdrum career. Tatsulok did even better than Kanlungan. It was sung by Bamboo, no wonder even kids were singing to it.

These are songs that tibaks or activists sing to and just one of the many alternative tunes that attempt to paint a different picture of the Philippine society. It is a song that most women can relate to. More than this, this song, if taken to heart, can and aims to empower women to not be slaves of society and patriarchy.

In having Babae performed on Party Pilipinas, I hope more women (and MEN!) listen to the lyrics with their hearts and let it open their minds to the plight of pinays today. The Maria Clara/Cinderella psyche is still a force to reckon with.

But please remember, singing Babae doesn't make you a feminist. Much like wearing a shirt with the Philippine map make you truly patriotic.

A salute to all women striving to make a change!

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Friday, February 25, 2011

Blogging and Me



I have been keeping a diary for almost 15 years now. Maybe longer. Actually I cannot pinpoint exactly when I started, but the oldest diary in my stash is the Little Prince notebook a friend brought home from Paris. Since then I’ve written in four or five more diaries of various origins. Two diaries were personally bought at a local shop, the Papemelroti. Another one was given by a friend, when we reconnected after almost a decade. Yet another one was handmade from a cigarette ream carton and bond papers cut into size. One small notebook disintegrated when my bag fell into a pond (I keep my diaries close to my heart – always!). And the one I’m using now is also a simple notebook given by another friend when she heard about my bag-swimming incident.

leaf skeletons picked up on a mountain trail, taped to my diary

In my diaries, you can find the most mundane things. A calendar of food I ate from breakfast until dinner. A clipping of a cute dress from a newspaper. Lots of cartoons. Some personal drawings. And lots of my thoughts on so many things.

My diary was oftentimes the one that kept me sane during the most insane times -- that is, besides my husband of course,except when he’s the cause of insanity. My diary was my shelter when the whirlwind of life has taken me with great abandon.

Which leads me to blogging. Blogging is in a way like keeping a diary, only it is often open for everyone to see. I’ve treated it with more caution. I’m more careful with my words, more guarded with my opinion in my blogs. But otherwise I’ve taken to blogging like diary-writing, the keeper of my thoughts and opinions.

But in blogging, since I cannot keep on ranting uselessly just to vent out my most violent reactions on anything, I’ve focused on giving a more objective and constructive opinion and criticism. I do have different blogs for different niches but the one thing that ties them all is the effort to share my views, my struggles, and the dream to somehow affect my readers to think and act differently than they normally would, as dictated or expected by society. Please understand that I am under no impression that my blog per se will change the world. It will not. Although I do hope it does shake it up a bit.

But I don’t play the devil’s advocate just for my audience or my readers. I do it too for myself. To challenge my knowledge. To test my understanding and logic. To see if the what is legal is moral, or vice versa. Basically, like my trustee diary, to keep the voices in my head organized and in line.

And earning a few bucks along the way is nice too. Admittedly, I cannot foresee this happening in my personal diary, not unless a movie outfit offers to buy my life story and use my diaries as one of their references. That's a long shot, I know. Forgive me for dreaming.

Actually, that’s one of my goals for 2011. I am envisioning a more financially rewarding blogging experience. And how? By keeping my blogs relevant of course. Yes, I do promise not to post nonsensical blog posts only meant to draw heavy traffic in and nothing more. People are not stupid to not see a flake when they face one.

I started blogging mainly about my views on the Philippine society as a mom. I do not pretend to know everything, but I do try to offer an explanation why things have to be such and such. I also blog about giveaways and freebies on the internet and off it. I believe that the best things in life are free --happiness and peace of mind – but it also includes some designer clothes, an ad spot, and some cash. :D These days I am experiencing motherhood all over again. And I am want to share with everyone how I’m doing now.

I am blogging about my life, my views, my passion, my pet-peeves, my struggles and triumphs. And I will keep on doing it and focus on keeping my posts relevant, as I’ve said. Not only to make blogging pay for my expenses, but also to encourage others to share their lives with me, at least, by commenting on my posts. That way they’ll realize that their opinions matter too. That no one has a corner in ultmiate knowledge and that they too can share what little (or much) they do know about.

Blogging does make me feel that. That I matter as a person, especially when people comment on my posts, or when I google my blog (Guilty!) and see that it appears almost on top of the list. I want others to feel it too. By blogging, they let someone into their life. Bloggers cease to be mere specks of dust in the vast universe. Insignificant. Unknown to anyone.

But this is not to equate a blog with a life. Although bloggers feel alive when they hit the post button and see lots of comments on their posts. My bottomline is, to keep things alive, to make my blog financially rewarding, to keep my blog relevant, my ultimate blogging goal is that I have to LIVE LIFE. Because only by living my real life will my virtual self be interesting.



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Monday, February 14, 2011

Top 10 Reasons why I'm Thankful for my Hubby: A Valentine's Special (just an entry to Pinay Mommy Online)


My hubby and I have been together for ten years already, two years as bf-gf and eight-going-on-nine years as a married couple. But it feels like we’ve only been together for awhile. The spark still there. My heart still thumps when I see him after a day’s separation. We still refer to our first booboo as a couple as if it was only last week. Our hearts have found the perfect match in each other.

How do I even begin to put into writing how much I am thankful for my hubby? I can feel my heart racing, speeding beyond the limits whenever I am overcome by love. Emotions really are very hard to quantify and capture into words, that’s why poets are genuises. For my part, as I am no poet really, I’’ll just list the top 10 reasons why I am thankful for my hubby.

TOP 10 He cooks for me. Yes, honestly, my parents would prefer his cooking over mine. He does a mean spaghetti and ginataang tilapia or hito.

TOP 9 He dresses my CS wounds uncomplainingly. I do scream at him for the slightest pain but he just shrugs it off! I am such a pussycat.

TOP 8 He shares in the household chores. Aside from cooking, he also washes our clothes, if I can’t.

TOP 7 He changes diapers and gives baths. Even in my first pregnancy, since I delivered via CS, he has been the one giving baths to both our children, and also changing their diaper.

TOP 6 He wakes up earlier in the morning to prepare our breakfast. I am so tamad to cook so early in the morning. Besides the fact that I usually wake up with a growling appetite, I feel that I have no energy to cook anymore. J

TOP 5 He holds our children if they’re up for an injection. I feel quesy around blood and needles, I need him to be brave for our children if they’re in the hospital because I can’t.

TOP 4 He lets me spread my wings. He’s not seloso so I still get to hang out with my own set of friends, provided of course that I don’t stay out too late.

TOP 3 He makes me laugh. He has such a sense of humor and sharp wit that never fails to crack me up.

TOP 2 He makes me feel safe. I sleep better if I can hear him breathing beside me. The world around us can come crashing down but I’ll still feel secure with him by my side.

TOP 1 He stimulates me, in a very good way of course. Think what you want about this part, but it’s true. He makes me feel alive! I’m sure everyone in love feels the same way towards their partners.


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