poor erap… and so are we

the country has witnessed the promulgation of the guilty verdict of deposed Philippine president Joseph Estrada before the Sandiganbayan. looking around, we see that Filipinos received the decision with smorgasbord of reactions: some were expectant, others passive; some shocked, others unmoved; some angry or bitter, others gave a nod; some wailed, others raised a thumbs up sign.

based on people’s reactions, they are categorized, not anymore as pro-Erap or anti-Erap, but rather, as either a pro-Erap or a pro-Gloria. if you keep mum, or smile at the verdict, you are pro-Gloria. if you raise your voice and go to the streets, you are pro-Erap. at least, that is what both the administration and the opposition insist. and that is what the media escalates. it is like there is no other choice: either we support Gloria, or we rally behind Erap. we are being forced to create a large divide among ourselves.

from the many political issues that cropped up in the not-so-recent past — the Erap impeachment trial to his “resignation” that led to EDSA 2, the Erap arrest that brought about EDSA 3, the hello garci scandal that placed the presidency in crisis, the extrajudicial killings of journalists and communist members which point the blaming finger on Gloria and her generals, and now the Sandiganbayan’s conclusion that Erap is guilty of plunder – we have been thrown left and right to take sides: Erap or Gloria.

but looking harder into the reactions of the people, they do not seem to care anymore. on tv a day before the promulgation, the Erap camp warned there will be no less than 5,000 people who will stage a rally at the Commonwealth near Sandiganbayan to show a strong support for the deposed president and call for Gloria’s ouster. the court session ended but not more than 400 people showed up. now that is a stronger statement from the masses!

perhaps, the whispered scream of the man on the streets is a simple, “poor erap… and so are we.” because after all the numerous rallies calling to free Erap and oust Gloria since 2001, some of them injured or jailed for rioting with policemen, or passed out due to heat, hunger, or fatigue, at the end of the day, nothing really changed. with streamers and megaphones, they cannot unseat Gloria. they cannot free Erap. they cannot change the crooked and corrupt political system the Philippines has thrown itself into. at the end of the day, they realized they are still poor. no fish on the table, no penny in the pocket. at the end of the day, they realized they have just been used. and they will continue to be used for as long as they will allow themselves to be used.

now, they have issued a stronger statement: “Enough!”

Dearest Tinay

I do miss my bestfriend Christine. She is now a doctor and making a name for herself in Manila, and in the company of her would-be lifetime partner. Thinking about her brings millions of both happy and loving remembrances. After all, our lives have been by fate intertwined even as early as in our childhood years, until we both sailed through our college and graduate education together in our second home - Iloilo City. In fact, today, as I look around every nook and corner of this place, I find bits and pieces of us in the not so faraway past when we were the dreaming innocents deeply consumed of our passion for the future…

Well, today is that future. We have just became our respective dreams - i, a lawyer and she, a doctor. The happiness and pride we both feel for each other are just so overwhelming now that we have seen the harvest of our toils. Thus, today is a celebration. Today is a thanksgiving. Here is my thanksgiving message to my best friend as she took her oath as a full-fledged doctor early thi year.

Dearest Tinay,

I am crying now as I write down my thoughts about you. (Well, kilala mo gid ko, matapok ang luha…) You don’t know how overwhelmed I am from the minute you broke the big news until now that I am collecting words to express my thanksgiving message.

I have witnessed how that tiny girl has grown into the fine doctor that you are now.

I remember,

you were always full of passion — from creating innovative dance steps for our high school presentation to articulating your opinion on life’s issues that you tackle …

you were witty and overflowing with brilliant ideas, now that is NOT an exaggeration. Anyone who will oppose this statement?

you were stubborn with your beliefs, nobody, not even our teachers can bend your principles…

you were oozing with life, you can turn an otherwise dull moment into a grand party!

you were generous with your time, wisdom and resources. Remember our evening walks at CPU even as you were preparing for your long exams in the morning? And who could guess that my graduation dress and shoes, including my makeup, were all borrowed from you?

you were a believer, you introduced me to different novenas that we would recite together come examination days, and they really worked.

you were a pillar of strength and courage, I could not have ventured away from home if I were not with you. Part of what I am now I owe to you. Iloilo has witnessed how we tried to survive and painstakingly carved our niche in our respective fields even when we were miles away from our families. Look at us now. Look at you!

           

With all your qualities, I never doubted your potential to become your dream – becoming a doctor. Indeed, only God knows what is best for us. That is why, it is an understatement when I say I admire you for your total obedience despite yourself. You humbly and openly took up your cross, that there is nothing more to prove of your undying faith in Him. Bow gid ko sa imo ga.

Now, you are still that passionate, generous, life-of-the-party gal, and your courage, wisdom and strength more manifest. But you have mellowed down in your stubbornness, I blame it to your falling in love.

And who can equal your faith? You are a living witness to God’s grace and abundant love. You have personified what “humble acceptance” means, not merely relying on your potentials, but really letting Him work on you and for you.

I will always be your best friend, applauding you in your successes, and tapping your shoulder in your moments of failure. You have my greatest admiration. I praise and thank Him always for the gift of you. Now that you are a full-fledged doctor, may you, through your profession, give back all the glory to Him who is the source of all goodness.

Kadto na di sa Iloilo kay napreparar na ang banda!

love you,

Carol

discovering camiguin

we just can’t get enough of the cool water kissing our skin! =) ma’am jas, duvince and i bonded while having a calming bath at the pool of paras diving resort, camiguin island.

that’s john, ma’am jas, nicole, lorna and me, proudly telling the world that we have reached camiguin island, home to sweet lanzones, sunken cemetery (of “ouija” fame), and different kinds of breathtaking bodies of water…

dear tatay

on february 23 five years ago, my father retired from government service, which was concluded with a simple rights of thanksgiving given him by his officemates at DECS, Division Office of South Cotabato. as part of the program, i was asked to prepare his biography. i also took the chance to make an ode to my father on the day of his birthday. here it goes…

“dear tatay,

it isn’t everyday that i tell you i am proud of you and how lucky i am to be your child. but know that it is true. perhaps, this is my right time to count all your exceptional qualities and place them in this piece - a piece i wish to offer to you as you turn 65.

i remember…

those hands. big, rough and calloused. they are the symbol of your industry, craftsmanship and quiet sacrifice, as you toil the land in our one hectare rice farm on weekends; as you gather every morning with your broomstick the dried leaves at the DECS Division Office compund and grow in its soft soil my favorite sweet camote and okra; as you run the mimeograph machine at the DECS Supply Office on examination days and fill those hands with unwanted black ink that used to smudge your shirts and trousers. (i confess, i nearly surrendered washing your big pants because i could not get rid of the ink stains.)

those feet. hard, uneven and calloused. they are the symbol of your humility, patience and determination, as you brush aside the amused stares of passersby when they see your unbalanced walk; as you tread the long distance from work to home daily under the intense heat of the sun, preferring to save the peso coin in your pocket for our baon (well, that was good for a choco-flavored ice candy i used to buy at recess time); as you cross the rough trail of poverty to provide us, your family, comfort and security.

those eyes. gentle, honest and foreseeing. they are the mirror to your pure soul and happy countenance. they used to teach us not to look at physical charm but focus on the value of inner beauty, and enlightened us that money isn’t all there is to the world for it cannot buy true happiness. with nanay, they have woven humble dreams and set simple goals that you tried to achieve. (you were successful with them, i proudly noted. so i followed through, only mine are big ones, and ouch! i admit i am having quite a hard time. but i am positive about them, no worry.)

your words. scarce, soft spoken, wise. they are slow to anger and always forgiving. they are our treasure as you lead us not by lengthy sermons but by pieces of wisdom. they are expressions of your life principles that cannot be bought by silver and gold. they are prayers of goodwill to people you meet along your way. ( but i encourage you to talk more often now, i want to listen to your every word. and fast!)

your heart. calm, kind, loyal. it is a fountain of quiet hope, our source of positive spirit. it binds this family in love and care, unaffected by distance and influence. it is an example of committed and true love. (i would smile whenever i recall that classic love story: you quit cigarette smoking in exchange for mother’s “yes.”)

your best present. it was not wrapped in glittering paper nor was it lavished with ribbons and music, but it was something i appreciated to this day. it opened new doors for me and made me discover my ptentials. i could not have been this confident about myself were it not for that chance. you still remember what it was? well, that gift was your TRUST in me at 17 that i can journey through a new sky. see me flying now, tay!

you may not be an orator, a seasoned lawyer, a senator or a renowned scientist. for in fact you are a simple farmer and utility worker. but in your children’s eyes, you are more tha these honorable men. your life achievement of rearing three loving children to become responsible and dependable citizens of your country far exceeds any other honor.

don’t you know, tay, that you are much envied? some well-respected men produced drug addicts for a son, or a single mother for a daughter. others found their children in prison paying for crimes of passion or out of peer pressure. some others chose not to recognize their offspring for they have forsaken them. or these children would run away from home for they could not accept a philandering husband for a father. still others would exchange their children for money, or take advantage of their frailty to satisfy their lust. others even push their sons and daughters to commit crimes and, in the process, instill in them wrong values.

but you are a treasure. yours is the best example of life fully lived. i learned from you the contentment of simple living, the value of selfless giving, the love for honest work and labor.

i have only one question, though. this used to bug me in my nostalgic moments and i so long wanted you to answer: how do you address nanay?”

shues, janette and me

Taken during the IBP Iloilo Chapter Induction of Officers and New Members at the Amigo Terrace Hotel, June 1, 2007. Hmmm, dolling up myself isn’t really my cup of tea. i should have gone to the parlor for an expert touch…ehehe!