Blasts from the past still ring true in the present

Some people contend that the Philippines has declared independence not just once but six times dating from Bonifacio in 1895 up to Roxas in 1946. It is actually more if we add to that the freedom regained from the people power revolt in 1986. But what do we have to show for it?

Ang sambayanan ay hindi pa rin malaya sa kahirapan. Binanggit ni Pat Sto. Tomas sa kanyang onlayn kolum ang pagkapanalo ng maikling pelikulang "Chicken a la Carte" sa isang kompetisyon. Bagama't sa simula pa lamang ng pelikula ay tila alam ko na ang direksyon ng pelikula ay hindi ko pa rin mapigilang maantig ng pinupunto ng direktor.

Nagkataon din na isang araw matapos ang pagdiriwang ng araw ng kalayaan ay nagkita-kita muli kami ng ilang kamg-aral mula sa mababang paaralan. Nakalulungkot isipin na sa kabila ng ilang dekadang hindi pagkikita, ang mga kaganapan na bumabalot sa bansa ay katulad pa rin ng dati. Kaya naman may kabuluhan pa rin ang mga awit na unang narinig hindi matagal makaraan ang aming pagtatapos.

Kaya narito ang pelikulang nabanggit ni Pat Sto. Tomas at narito rin ang dalawang awit mula sa Banyuhay. Patunay ito na hindi pa tayo umuusad at malayo pa ang ating gagapangin kung hindi tatyo tatayo ngayon.

Oy Utol, Buto't Balat Ka Na'y Natutulog Ka Pa 

masdan niyo ang inyong paligid
akala mo'y walang ligalig
may saya at mayroong awit
ngunit may namimilipit
at siya'y humihibik

masdan niyo ang ating buhay
masdan niyo ang kapalaran
bakit may nahihirapan
bakit may sumisigaw

kay hirap ng tumawa kung hungkag ang iyong tiyan
kay hirap ng mangusap kung bibig moy may tapal
kay hirap ng mabuhay kung kalagaya'y ganyan
kay hirap ng lumaban kung takot ka sa kalaban

ay-yay-yay

walang tutulong
walang tutulong sa atin
walang pag-asa kundi ikaw at ako rin
at kung tayo'y mananahimik at di kikilos
ang dapat sa atin ay tawaging mga gago

bakit may nahihirapan
bakit may sumisigaw
bakit may namamalipit
bakit may humihibik
maging ako'y nahihirapan
kaya ako'y sumisigaw, sumisigaw

Buhay Pinoy

Nang ako ay isilang

At nagdilat na ang mga mata

Ako'y agad sinalubong

Ng mga problema

Kahit saan araw-araw

Kung ang mundo'y pagmamasdan

Punong-puno ng mga tao

Lagi na lang may kaguluhan

Ay kayraming mga tao

Sumasakit ang ulo ko

Tignan n'yo sa bangketa

Pulubi ay naghilera

Mga kamay laging nakasahod

Doon sila natutulog

Ako'y mayroong kaibigan

Siya ay hindi nakapag-aral

At dahil sa kanyang kahirapan

Siya'y napilitang magnakaw

Ay kayraming mga tao

[Nagsisikip/Punong-puno] na ang mundo

Problema'y dumadami

Sana'y isipin n'yo

Ganyan ba talaga

Ang buhay ng pinoy

Ganyan ba talaga

Tayo sa habang panahon

Kayraming mga pamilya

Anak nila'y sobra-sobra

Wala namang maipalamon

Kahit kumayod maghapon

Sa umaga pagkagising

Wala palang makakain

Asawa ay kanyang aawayin

Mga anak sisisihin

Tignan n'yo ang mga pamilya

Sa umaga pagkagising

Wala palang makakain

Asawa ay kanyang aawayin

Mga anak sisisihin

Ay kayraming mga tao

[Nagsisikip/Punong-puno] na ang mundo

Problema'y dumadami

Sana'y isipin n'yo

Mayroon pang pag-asa

Isipin n'yo, isipin n'yo

Before the end of the innocence

Remember when the days were long/ And rolled beneath a deep blue sky/ Didn't have a care in the world/ With mommy and daddy standing by/ When "happily ever after" fails/ And we've been poisoned by these fairy tales...
...Who knows how long this will last/ Now we've come so far, so fast/ But, somewhere back there in the dust
That same small town in each of us/ I need to remember this/ So baby give me just one kiss/ And let me take a long last look/ Before we say good bye...
...But this is the end/ This is the end of the innocence - Don Henley "The End of the Innocence"

I met with some of my elementary schoolmates still based in Manila for a few hours of banter over pichi-pichi, barbecue, and originally San Juan fare pancit from Aling Banang and Big Scoop ice cream. There was plenty of food to go around for the eight of us who made it to the feast. Some of us have not seen each one for over thirty years. This is catching up bigtime.

I had to give them something, a small token for finding time to meet a classmate who came all the way from the south. I knew copies of the latest scandals will be a good give-away. I was not wrong. It was well appreciated. We went online for a video chat with classmates now based overseas but we were only half-successful. Still we had a good chat with those sacrificed sleep just to stay with us.

We first knew each other when we were in the age of innocence. As I recall now, we did not even had romantic notions then. It was the age for fairy tales, the happily ever afters. After thirty-five years, not everyone has her happily ever after, but they live more happily even after. That is what matters.

Today we can talk without embarrassment about anything. And I mean anything and everything. Someone in the group said this would not be possible a few years ago. We are once again at an age when we can get away with most things. It's a big jump from our simple innocence then to the harsh cynicism today. Don Henley sang about the end of the innocence and one's need to go back, to take one last look, before we all say goodbye. I think that's the reason why we like these mini-reunions.

Hindi Ako Papayag

Even the fruits, yes the fruits, unite against the Con-Ass. The fruits formed a coalition called Fruits Against Con-Ass, United (FAC-U). To show their indignation against the shameless railroading of 1109 in the House, the fruits labored to video tape their objection to the asses conning us. Here is the fruit of their labor.


Cheap that I am, I didn't want to buy all those fruits, tape them and take videos. Instead I planned to take videos at a fruit stand. I couldn't get myself to ask permission from the vendor, afraid he'd say "Hindi Ako Papayag".

For those where Youtube is blocked, here is the same video from another video server:

Happy financial independence to all!

Remember the '70s commercial jingle "ipagpatuloy ang kaunlaran, mag-impok sa bangko"? The tagline has since been used by banks in an attempt to promote domestic savings. We perennially lag behind in economic performance compared to our Asian neighbors. Raising investments is one way of aiming for a higher economic growth. Investments require financing that will can be sourced from domestic sources like savings.

Household savings, according to official government data, have consistently been decreasing. The data also shows that remittance from Overseas Filipinos is a major source of aggregate household saving. OFs should be encouraged to save a portion of the remittances using formal channels.

There is a Youtube channel that showcases videos to promote a culture of savings and encourage the channeling of these savings into productive investments in financial instruments and business ventures. There is also the Financial Learning Campaign advocacy of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas which aims to encourage the productive uses of remittances, not only for consumption or spending for the basic needs, but also for savings in different forms of financial instruments and/or investments such as in small- and medium-sized enterprises or microfinance. They also have the OF videos there. O, ano pa? Save na!

12 little things

If you notice the "Hindi Ako Papayag" video on my sidebar, most of the personalities there are politicians. Except for Cooky Chua (singer, Color It Red) and Alex Lacson, writer. You probably know Cooky but who is Alex Lacson?

Alex Lacson is a UP/Harvard bred lawyer. Alex’s claim to fame is a simple 108-page book called “12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do to Help Our Country.” He believes that a great part of the solution to our country’s problems will come from our people – from us, the ordinary citizens of our country.

Here are the 12 commandments in his list.

1. Follow traffic rules. Follow the law.
2. Whenever you buy or pay for anything, always ask for an official receipt.
3. Don’t buy smuggled goods. Buy local. Buy Filipino.
4. When you talk to others, especially foreigners speak positively about us and our country.
5. Respect your traffic officer, policeman and soldier.
6. Do not litter. Dispose your garbage properly. Segregate. Recycle. Conserve.
7. Support your church.
8. During elections, do your solemn duty.
9. Pay your employees well.
10. Pay your taxes.
11. Adopt a scholar or a poor child.
12. Be a good parent. Teach your kids to follow the law and love our country.

Simple and doable, isn't it?

He also has 10 tips for our Overseas Filipinos:

1. Spend your vacation, your dollars and other foreign currencies, in our Philippines. Visit other countries, too, but do spend time and your money n the Philippines.
2. Encourage and teach your relatives back home to be good citizens and good Filipinos.
3. All OFW’s, Balikbayans and Pinoy Expats should do more during elections in RP. Tell your relatives back home who you think is best for the country.
4. Buy Pilipino, wherever you are in the world.
5. Adopt a poor child as a scholar back home.
6. Support a charitable organization. There are many good charitable organizations that truly help build our Philippines to become a better place for all of us. (He recommends: Gawad Kalinga, Pondo ng Pinoy, Caritas Manila and World Vision, among others.)
7. Teach your children about the Philippines, and to love it and its people.
8. Speak positively about our Philippines and our people.
9. If you are remitting funds to your relatives in the Philippines, teach them to save 15% or 20% of the funds.
10. Invest in the Philippines.

For more information go to the 12 little things website.