Postscripts to Elections 2010

Yeah, it’s been a week and most of us already went back to our daily grind. We have no excuse not to. The fever died down hours after the precincts closed last May 10. If only because the results were proclaimed in a matter of hours. Welcome to the 21st century, Philippine elections!



Voting for me was a breeze. My brother went to the precinct early to vote with his friends. He came back a few hours after saying the lines were long. Since the precinct was walking distance from our house, Mom, Sis and I decided to wait until 5 in the afternoon. When the heat is more bearable and most people have voted. Lo and behold, only a few people infront of us on the line. The girl who gave out cluster and precinct numbers immediately found our names on the tattered registry book. A few minutes after I was placing my fingerprint on another registry book and was handed my ballot. It took me only few minutes to shade my choices and I don’t have to use a kodigo because the names were all there.



I had my picks for national positions and local ones until vice-mayor. But I was at a loss when I reached the councilors and party list. Why do we have to elect eight councilors? I barely know these people and what does a councilor do exactly? (I remember that UK is also having their elections and the number of electoral seats are lower. Is there a certain ratio of politicians versus total population? Why is it that we have tens of thousands of public officials but our country is still grossly mismanaged?) So I shaded the names that were quite familiar. I undervoted for councilors which is OK coz the PCOS machine still digested my ballot.

So Elections 2010 leaves much to be desired. There were reports of long lines and PCOS breakdowns. But it was not the doomsday that people feared. To be fair to COMELEC, the PCOS malfunctions are forgivable and expected (I think about 500 out of several thousands deployed). And for something done first time, this was far from a disaster.

I can understand media’s vigilance in reporting problems in different precincts but these are but a spattering of isolated cases. Looking at the total picture, it’s not as bad as we feared. It was relatively peaceful and definitely an improvement. As I said, we were not promised perfection. We just wanted something better and on that parameter, COMELEC delivered.

Say what you want, but I think automation worked. As explained, it was not the voting that was automated but the counting. And the counting process was really amazing. Gone are the days when the teachers will peruse for days to have the certificates of canvass accomplished. This will often lead to protest, inconsistencies, manual errors and, of course, ballot snatching and dagdag-bawas. For what it’s worth, I think we have witnessed the first fraud-free elections.

However, this election is the worst in terms of mudslinging and black propagandas. The social networking sites were exploited to proliferate the bad and the ugly. I received text messages from unknown numbers “exposing” scandals and vendettas (the worst and most baseless was implicating a Gloriaquino tandem...perhaps an answer to Villaroyo?). Good thing that most Filipinos can see beyond the allegations, political gimmickry and insincerity (a word I would have to use for the MV-LL tandem).

Hat’s off to all the people who worked hard to make this election a turning point in our history: from the COMELEC to the teachers to the network reporters and of course the voting public who wants to have their voices heard.

(Sidebar: I was watching the news from all channels and can’t help but compare the local news networks to the likes of CNN. If you watch ABS/GMA/TV5 you would think that the election was a failure. Which could be borne out of vigilance and social responsibility. Whereas CNN painted a peaceful and successful elections. Watching CNN news made me proud to be a Filipino. The blonde reporter said that the election was relatively peaceful and festive and she lauded the Filipinos for cooperating despite the heat, the long lines and the birth pains of the first automated elections. She even said the Filipinos seem to be smarter and wants change in order to rise from the corrupt administration that has suppressed us for so long).

Just some last comments and jabs regarding the elections and the aftermath:

* A Yahoo headline: Did Willie Revillame cause Manny Villar’s downfall? I didn’t read the article but I don’t think Willie has that effect politically; his troubles are his own and he is a self-incriminating villain. Villar just self-destructed. JZ was right...character assassination is way too easy but to behave like a respectful man worthy of our vote is hard. Manny was not able to sustain his campaign and its tail-end was marred with low-blows (the crying mother and hysterical sister). He was increasingly pikon and his indifference to the issues thrown at him casted a lot of doubts.

* Kids may be singing your jingles but are they voting?

* Gibo was at the wrong place, wrong time and wrong alliance. Too bad coz I think he has it.

* It was amazing how the national result mirrored the controversial surveys. Which should have shut up the hecklers of SWS and Pulse Asia. This is statistics at its finest; as long as you obtain a representative sample, the accuracy is quite high. It is not about the numbers per se but the trending. If you don’t understand the logic and the science of a survey, then you must have flunked your math subjects. Math is logical and scientifically proven. As compared to what… the psychological tests that some people tend to believe? No offense to psychologist but the human psyche is way too complex and subjective to be defined, graded or tested.

* It is interesting to note that we have a mix of the old (hmmm...I’m tempted to call them trapos) and the new. The Aquinos and Marcoses are back in the upper echelons of politics. I can understand Aquino’s popularity but I think the Marcoses were seen in a good light after Arroyo’s anti-Midas touch. But I find it odd that some people are really THAT popular and are thus clinging to power (the outgoing and the president-before-her included).

* A few days ago, I saw on TV the bottom three presidential losers (JC, Perlas, Jamby) questioning the election process and results. They said they are not doing this for themselves but for the Bayan. Well, I’ve got news for the three of them: the Bayan is not complaining at all. And the bayan was intelligent enough to NOT vote for sour losers like you. Mr. JC, you seem like a nice guy but your Math is a failure. How can you expect to have the same votes as your highest ranking senator (that's 12 slots vs 1)? It does not follow also that you will win in your place of origin (if our outgoing mayor or governor ran for a national position, I will not vote for him). Mister (sic) Jamby, it is not impossible for Villars voters to have gone to Erap and it does not follow that you will be guaranteed several million votes if you spend several millions for ads (think Prospero Pichay).

After all this fanfare, I hope the whole nation will soon get over it and start the re-building. Yellow, green, orange or whatever…there is no longer the need to take sides. We have been given a new slate and let’s make good use of it. This chance will not come in another 6 years. We have made the decision and let us all stand behind it. It’s about time we end this enduring darkness and, as a nation, step towards the sun.

This is it, Philippines!

On A Geo-Physical High

Note: Pardon the delay; I wrote this blog a few hours after the Chile quake hit. But it is only now that I had time to post it.

I am on a natural and geo-physical high. I know this sounds inappropriate considering the alarming turn of events of the past few hours: the 8.8 magnitude Chile quake and the Pacific-wide tsunami alert.



And yes, I know this sounds a little too geeky. But geology is one of my first loves, even pre-dating my love for the written words.

Blame it on this one summer vacation we spent at the grandparent’s residence. The only book I saw was a hard-bound Science textbook. I think it was part of a grade-school encyclopaedia, the kind given by the US Salvation Army to further our Western education. Anyway, for lack of anything entertaining to do, I perused the said book. It was a volume on the Earth and its physical properties. Ergo, the birth of my fascination with Geology. I remember thinking why it was called Earth when it was plainly Water (considering that it was ¾ water!). You can tell my sarcastic genes are fully developed even as a child.

Then in college, as I was pursuing my ill-fated first degree, I took Geology as a Science elective. And what do you know, my grade is Geology was way better than my major subjects. And I impressed the teacher since Day One. During our first class, she asked what the different kinds of rocks are and their differences. Of course, I did not raise my hand (I am not a fan of recitations). No one dared to answer. So she drew a random card from the recently-submitted class cards and called out my name. I recited the answer, remembering it word-for-word from that Science text book of my childhood summer. Teacher smiled in satisfaction and remembered my name since then. I almost shifted to Geology if not for my family threatening to disinherit me if I pursued a degree that is a “hobby” rather than a “profession.”

Fast forward to today. Before going out last night, I already saw the breakings news on CNN about the Chile quake. Oh no, not this soon. A quake is still a sensitive global concern, considering that the ghost of the Haiti quake is still lurking in the background. And when I got back, it was still the breaking news but now CNN is heralding the possibility of a tsunami hitting the Pacific countries, in a tone that is almost apocalyptic. Who can forget the tsunami that raced across the Indian Ocean a day after Christmas 2004 (following a magnitude 9 quake in Indonesia)? An unspeakable number of people died in countries as far as half the world away (in Africa).

That tsunami was an eye-opener and painful lesson. Now I am amazed at how sophisticated the tsunami warning system has become. They can even predict the probable time and the path it will take. Of course, it’s not an exact science but a little paranoia is better than a repeat of the Banda Aceh tragedy. These days, they had a lot of reference data, saying that a similar quake (one of the strongest in history) happened in the 1960’s and spun tsunamis as far as Australia and the Philippines.



I just don’t know how the local government will react should the Pacific Warning System declare that a tsunami hit is imminent. Frankly, after Ondoy, I lost faith in the system. In a third-world kind of irony, media has become more reliable than government and Kris Aquino can unite us better than the president.

As of press time, smaller-than-expected tsunamis have struck the smaller Pacific islands but damage was thankfully conservative. The tsunami warning has been lifted in most of the territories including Eastern Philippines.

A few minutes ago, I was sitting in my parked car while waiting for my Mom. Engine was turned off and to kill time I was deleting some messages on my phone. Then I felt the earth heave. I was gripped by fascinating terror. I checked to see if a big truck has passed which might have caused the movement. None. The slight tremor continued for a few seconds. If I had some animals near me, I could have confirmed from their sound and expression if there was actually a quake.

I remembered a similar incident in high school. It was wee hours of the morning and I was finishing my Drafting plate. I was enveloped by the usual sounds of night time: crickets, occasional barking dogs and the rickety sounds of a house settling. Suddenly everything was silent; like I was abruptly immersed in a vacuum. Uh-Oh...tell-tale signs! True enough the ground started to shake. I felt it and saw it because the technical pen I was holding went crazy, as if mimicking a seismograph; almost ruining my precious drawing.

I don’t know if I am just paranoid or a slight quake really hit today at around 10AM. But still I am amazed by it all. Ah, the power of nature. In some way, it puts things in perspective. To realize we are just an insignificant piece in this jigsaw puzzle called the Earth.

***

P.S. Just some comic relief: Every time I would type the word quake on this blog, I would end up typing quaker. You know, the famous oatmeal brand. Which goes to show what I have been used to these days. I’m so NOT a geographer.

Update: No quake happened that Sunday. It was just my paranoia trying to shake my boots.

Life After Ondoy

This week has been surreal in a cataclysmic kind of way. After Ondoy (Ketsana) sent a record amount of rain last weekend, the most populated parts of Luzon was plunged into a state of horrible devastation. Lives were lost and lives were changed.

Monday morning in the office was gloomy. Although more than half was able to report to work, we worry about those who were severely affected. Everyone present seemed lost in their own bubble of sheer luck. Like we were all holding a fragile bottle of felix felicis in our hands. Being a “survivor” comes with a trickle of guilt. After seeing the horrorscapes on TV, most of the unaffected felt like they won a second lease on life.

Conversations were limited to stories of the weekend’s disaster. And in some stories we find something funny. Trust Filipinos to find some light humor in the midst of these challenging trials.

As P said, there is nothing like a disaster to put things into perspective. For what it’s worth, Ondoy was a painful eye-opener. For both victims and survivors.

Here are the things I want to change after this catastrophe. When the muck and mud has been cleared, we have no choice but move on and swallow Ondoy’s bitter pill.

Weather Forecast Should Include Expected Rainfall. For a country visited by no less than 14 typhoons yearly, typhoon is a fact of life. PAGASA (whose forecast accuracy is questionable) warns us about coming typhoons using Signals 1 to 4. But these signals only foretell wind strength. As Ondoy showed us, rains and resultant floods can be as destructive.



Telecoms Should Provide Calamity Text Advisories. Come on... as the text capital of the world, we are pestered by text messages informing us about sales, promos and marketing gimmicks. But at the height of calamity, we were left in the cold. The government should require the big three telecoms to provide info blast (weather forecast, traffic, evacuation plans) in times of disaster.



There Should Be A Typhoon/Flood Drill. We have heard of fire and earthquake drills; I think a typhoon and flood drill should also be in place. On a greater scale, our country needs to beef up its disaster preparedness measures. And I nominate Kris Aquino to lead this drill (so that everyone will follow). Sarcasm aside, we need to inform people where to go during calamities. Places can be marked as “flood or earthquake shelters,” meaning it’s safe to go there when disaster strikes. Educate your kids also on what to do. Teach them MacGyver instincts.Like when Ondoy flash floods happened, people didn’t realize that they can put empty plastic bottles inside a bag or sack and use these as “floaters.”



Study Ondoy’s Destructive Pattern For Future Warning References. Many firsts happened over the weekend. Floods inundated places that were once safe. First time that the floods reach the second floor in some places. Someone should study the trend so they can give precious warnings for upcoming disasters. For example, at what amount of rainfall should this and this area be flooded? At what critical level should Marikina River be to start a forced evacuation?



That Everyone Should Have A Disaster Kit. Very much like first aid kits, this can be a plastic container containing “living” essentials: canned food, Quaker Instant Oatmeal (better than rice or noodles in terms of storage and cooking convenience), candles, matches, long-life crackers and don’t forget the can opener...inflatables are optional; which can last your family for 2-3 days. This should be placed in the safest and accessible part of the house (and checked once in a while if some food has gone stale). We will never know when disaster will strike (think earthquake or tsunami). Also, those with cars should have a survival kit in their trunks. Get an old bag and place water, biscuits and a full set of clothes inside.



That Images Of Ondoy’s Aftermath Be Shown Before The May Elections. We elect people to “govern” us especially in times of distress. Where are these people when we need them the most?! You can argue that they were helping out silently or secretly (without media coverage). But still, it’s disappointing to realize that we were led by Tina Monson-Palma, Kris Aquino and Kuya Kim in the past week. (Which reminds me, these three should be given humanitarian awards. You can say what you want about Kris, but she rose to the occasion and HELPED IN A BIG WAY. How many famous people can claim that?)



Sadly, Metro Manila did not learn from the Milenyo experience. I hope this second blow of Ondoy will make us take stock about certain things. We are not sinners (as the now-famous FB status declared), but to NOT LEARN from this experience will make us a bunch of fools.

A little paranoia and some preparedness might get us through the next Ondoy, the next Pepeng or the next Arroyo.

Dispatches From The Fringes Of Typhoon Ondoy

On the 23rd of September (Wednesday), PAGASA meteorologists noted the presence of a low pressure area on the east of Luzon. They initially said it will not develop into a full-blown typhoon. By Friday evening (September 25), PAGASA released the first typhoon signals. Signal numbers 1 and 2. Quite common and nothing alarming for a country that is frequented by typhoons almost year-round.

Tropical Storm (technically not typhoon) Ondoy made landfall between Quezon and Aurora on Friday night. In the next 12 hours, it will dump rains that will submerge huge parts of Luzon, including Manila. Submerge will be an understatement; for this will be one of the worst rain and floods in recent memory. More than 50 people will die and the damage will be unspeakable.

I went home Friday evening earlier than usual to watch the finale of my favorite soap. Moderate rain was falling when we got out of the office. Upon arriving home, I saw the newsbreak about the typhoon signals. I am sensitive to news like this because I live near a creek which has overflowed three times in the past months. I watched TV and packed my weekend bag during commercial breaks; just in case I have to go home to Bulacan in a hurry. I was able to do a few laundry, tidied my room and even installed new kitchen shelves. The rain has been falling in varying intensity and I panic when it pounds mightily for more than 20 minutes.

I finished my housework by midnight. I am ready to leave any time. I opted not to dress in sleepwear and chose instead jogging pants and an old shirt. A hooded jacket was handy in case I need to go out quickly. I braved the rains and placed most of my stuff in the car. I set my alarm to scream every hour so I can check the river. I plan to sleep and I was hoping I can wait until the first light of morning to vacate the place.

By 2AM my alarm went off. Rain was still heavy and I checked the river. The horror. It has reached the alarming level (when the tall grasses on the side of the river disappears). I decided to leave before the roads become impassable. I called my other neighbour who owns a car and told him I’ll go. He said he’ll follow later. The rains were quite heavy but the drive to Bulacan was bearable. Since it was 2AM, there are few cars on the road so I was able to easily avoid the flooded sides of the street. I was at home past 3AM and was asleep before 5AM.

I woke up at 9:30 and started to tweet and check Facebook via mobile, unwary of the falling rains. I was mulling over finishing the paperback I was reading or doing a DVD marathon. I even watched AC360 on CNN.

By midday, the local news turned ugly. The images and footages streamed on TV news were abysmal and horrific, to say the least. Raging rivers of flood waters where main roads once were. Entire houses swept away by the current. People standing on the rooftops of their 2-storey houses and waving to be rescued. Parts of EDSA, usually safe during heavy rains, are flooded. Boats on EDSA getting the passengers from stranded buses. Vehicles on a standstill on the main highway, mostly abandoned, just a breath away from the flowing river of flood. In Marikina, floods have stacked vehicles on top of each other. People using rubber tires to rescue stranded people.










I texted my sister the updates on TV and advised her not to go home. She’ll be safer in her office than defying the nightmarish traffic and foul weather.

The floods spared no one; even the elite and famous living in posh villages are rendered vulnerable. In a way, tragedy has a way of equalizing us. When the floods do subside, muck and mud covered everything. This is something I have seen before on CNN. During the onslaught of the Christmas 2004 tsunami across Asia and the wrath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

But when tragedy hits this close to home, nothing can prepare you. The images hurt. You think about your friends in the affected areas. You think how it could have been you.



The rainfall on Saturday is said to be the worst since 1967. Thirty day’s worth of rain falling in the span of six hours. Not unlike a tsunami swell, the floodwaters rose too quickly. I don’t think people have time to salvage what worldly possessions they have. When you’re in the middle of this biblical calamity, nothing matters but Life. To live and make it through.

Watching the newsfeeds, it’s disarming to see smiling faces and people waving at the cameras. Or children swimming in the floods. This, amidst the background of a cruel disaster scene. This says so much about a country that has survived a lot of natural and political catastrophes.

I am writing this blog on Sunday morning. A weak sun is fighting with the rain clouds but the rains take over once in a while. Last night, Typhoon Ondoy passed nearby Pampanga and the wind and rains here were frightening.

I don’t know what happened to my room in Quezon City (to call it a condo would make it too fancy). I am preparing for the worst; the floodwaters might have submerged the second floor and washed over my things. I lost contact with my neighbour and the last text he sent said that the flood was already above human height.

I am thankful that I am writing this blog from a third-person perspective. The horrorscapes I painted are what I saw on TV news. I know this will pale in comparison to stories from friends who experienced first-hand the blunt of the storm. While I am apprehensive about my QC unit, I am just thankful that my family is safe and our main house in Bulacan is firm and far from the waterways. My relatives and most of my dear friends are safe. While the storm was blowing over, I was dry in bed; with food, water and electricity. Even if the stuff I have in my QC room will be ruined by the floodwater, my car is intact. I am thankful that at least I was not there and I am not one of the people standing wet on the rooftops.

In the end, the power of a storm is measured not by the gust of its wind or the volume of its rainfall. It’s the lives lost...the lives forever changed. The memories of yesterday and the hopes of tomorrow obliterated by the weight of water.

The aftermath maybe more challenging that the actual storm itself. The rebuilding more dire and painful.

In times like this, our countrymen need all the help they can get. I have posted below pertinent information about charities we can support. I encourage everyone to do their part. Just think how blessed you are that you are not one of those people needing help.

ABS-CBN Foundation / Sagip Kapamilya:
BDO Account Number: 56300200111
Hotline: 413-2667
US Toll Free Number: 1-800-5272820
In-Kind Donations accepted at 13 Examiner St., West Triangle Homes, Quezon City

Red Cross:
Hotlines:143 / 527-0000
You can donate to Red Cross via text:
For Globe subscribers, please text RED <5,25,50,100 or 300> to 2899
For Smart, please text RED <10,25,50, or 100> to 4483.

***

Update: The outpouring of messages and concern on the web is touching. Philippines, Typhoon Ondoy and Red Cross became trending topics. Even international stars like Paulo Coehlo, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher are asking for help on our behalf.

Let us do our part.

Kanye At The VMAs: Heartless

Last Monday, the web sizzled with news that Kanye West hijacked Taylor Swift’s speech during the MTV Video Music Awards. When Taylor (currently the biggest selling artist of 2009) was onstage accepting her Best Female Video award for You Belong With Me, Kanye grabbed the mic and said that Beyonce should have won the award. Towards the end of the program, Beyonce (who was ultimately awarded the top Video Of The Year prize) would call Taylor again onstage to reclaim her moment.



Celebrities quickly rallied against Kanye. Pink, a fellow nominee in Taylor’s category called Kanye “the biggest piece of sh*t on earth.” Kelly Clarkson blogged: The best part of this evening is that you weren’t even up for THIS award and yet you still have a problem with the outcome. I was actually nominated in the same category that Taylor won and I was excited for her...so why can’t you be??

Later, Kanye would have a lucid interval and apologize profusely. But what for? As OneRepublic would sing: it’s too late to apologize.

I want to just laugh this off as an awards show antic (remember the Bruno-Eminem moment at the MTV Movie Awards?). It’s something I expected from Kanye. He has a long history of forcing his opinions in the most inappropriate of occasions.

I never cared for Kanye and I know I never will. I like some of his songs but I am not really a fan. True, he has the talent that makes him standout in the music world. But that talent is overshadowed by his shameless attitude. I think rappers need to market themselves via huge egos (again in reference to Eminem). They need it to assert their street cred. But Kanye is a really bringing “egotistic” to an insensitive and tasteless new level.

I don’t think Kanye did this to show his admiration for Beyonce (she was obviously embarrassed). He did this for himself. Kanye thinks his opinion rises above everybody else’s. FYI, Kanye, awards like the MTV Awards are fans-centric. You are free to make your own KW Awards where you can venerate all your biases.



Now I can’t help wondering if Beyonce’s song Ego was inspired by Kanye.

I am an advocate of respecting people’s opinions. But here’s my two cents: I am not impressed at all by Beyonce’s Single Ladies video. While the song is catchy, all she does in the video is gyrate in stilettos and leotards. Can someone please tell me what is groundbreaking in that (or “one of the best videos of all time,” to quote Kanye)?

This new development in Kanye’s EGO-logy suddenly renders his song Heartless as autobiographical.

Comedy Of Errors

I am a tad too late in posting this (I wasn't privy to the net for the past two days). The whole country already went gaga over this picture but I still want to immortalize this so-funny-you-want-it-to-come-true typographical booboo.

Something's wrong with this picture and caption (as seen in The Manila Bulletin, the country's self-confessed pro-government newspaper):



Hmmm...

Ok...I get it! There's no way they could have held Arroyo's funeral at the Manila Cathedral.

Haha.


***

Like what happened to Michael Jackson recently, the web was abuzz with shoutouts, searches, tweets and videos connected to Cory after her death.

How many Filipinos can claim that they became #1 on Yahoo's Top Searches. Or they became a Twitter trending topic. And for something honorable/uplifting at that.

Cory is alive in all of us Filipinos.

An Outburst Of Yellow

I never knew the day will come when watching the news and reading the newspaper will be painful. And I never knew that I was capable of grieving for someone whose only direct connection to me is that we share the same Motherland. We are both Filipinos.

Like yellow confetti falling happily from the skies, grandiose verses and superlatives have rained on this irreplaceable woman and icon; probably the finest Filipina to ever walk this earth. I have said my piece in a salutatory blog I posted barely three hours from the announcement of her death last August 1. While I want to write more accolades in a bid to immortalize her greatness, I have conceded that whatever I write will not even come close to the poignant eulogies and moving speeches of those who have personally known and felt Cory’s magic. That and the fact that no words can do justice and describe her impact to us; as individuals and as a nation.

I am just an ordinary Filipino grappling to survive the harsh realities in this land of a thousand contradictions. And for the past days, I have walked with sadness draped over my shoulders and a lump in my throat that returns with each constant reminder. The yellow ribbon that decorates the corner of the TV every time I watch the ABS-CBN channels. The endless pictures of people enduring everything just to express their respect and admiration. The tender stories from her children that can make a rock burst into tears. Her funeral cortege (juxtaposed with that of her celebrated husband’s) that is both eerie and serene. Of history repeating itself and coming full circle to remind us of the events 26 years ago.

Frozen images of a nation again united by pristine grief and sombre celebration.

Seeing the videos from the 1980’s made me take stock of my being Filipino. I’ll admit that my patriotism is highly questionable. Cynicism and scepticism are the only passions that flow in my blood. But in being reminded of Ninoy, EDSA and Cory’s glory days, a fervent glow in my heart is once again ignited. Sadly it took Cory’s death and her legacy for me to realize kay sarap palang maging Filipino (it feels good to be a Filipino).



In mourning for Cory, we are grieving for ourselves more than we care to admit. She represents a dream, a rarity. The most excruciating part is that she is someone we might never again see in this lifetime. For a country that has made a lot of “wrongs,” it is heart-rending to realize that we once made a “right” and now have lost it.

But we need not lose it. It’s up to us to make her memory and legacy live on.

I never cared for politics, or history for that matter. I quit my previous job (eight years ago) because I got tired of writing and researching history textbooks. Current events bore me and I skip the front pages of the newspaper and dive into the Lifestyle and Entertainment sections. As a graduate of the state university known for its ideology and nationalistic dogma, I was a sterling and disgraceful example of apathy and nonchalance.

But from here on, the sight of yellow will be my call to heed and take action. Even in my own little way. The events of the last few days gave new meaning to the word “citizen.”

I hope the outburst of yellow will again be seen in the coming elections. To remind us all of our responsibility and what we can collectively do as a nation. The outpouring of support for Cory is proof enough of what we can do should we put our hearts into it. THE FILIPINOS ARE GOOD AND WE CAN STILL DO GOOD. History is our kind witness and teacher; change is our potent weapon. As a nation, we can rise from the shadows of our mistakes and triumph over adversary and challenges. Our innate goodness can prevail over the permutations of evil. Even in death, Cory showed us the way and it is up to us to follow it.

Goodbye, Cory and thank you. May your yellow forever shine upon this nation and inspire an outbreak of greatness and pride in the years to come.



***

Originally posted at www.barnieboi.blogspot.com.

My Cory Tribute: The Political Saint Who Made Us See Yellow

August started on a sad note. Still half-asleep, I was fixing my bed when I got a text from my cousin: What happened to Cory? Is she dead? I hastily turned the TV on and I knew it before I saw the actual headline. Because Channel 2 is on a special news programming. And they only do that when something historic has happened.

And history it is. On the dawn of the first of August, the lights went out on the remaining beacon of Philippine democracy.



To us, she was the first female president and the mother of democracy. To the world she was the Woman Of The Year in the 80’s (a distinction that propelled her to the ranks of Queen Elizabeth) and an icon of democracy who inspired numerous non-violent demonstrations, even in repressed Europe, the bastion of autocracy.



She made us see yellow in a different way. For a country whose political climate is forever bleak and despondent, yellow means hope.

We know her life story because it became our country’s history. And it reads like a Cinderella fairy tale. A plain and quiet housewife who was thrust into the seat of the nation’s power. And tried her darn best to do a good job while at it.

I was just a kid during the Edsa revolution but even then, I have already felt the huge Aquino impact. I don’t know if I have seen her in person. I think I have, but I can’t remember exactly when and where.

In an unforgiving world where we are just as good as our last triumph, Cory was proof that goodness can prevail over the permutations of evil. We don’t remember the scandals that marred her 6-year reign; nor her misguided ambitions. She is best remembered for her honourable intentions (despite her limitations) to make this country better. How she married State and Church to make a potent synergy; which at the very least saved us and pulled us through those trying times.

Of course, the aura of humility, calmness and sanctity that never left her until the very end. She was saintly in her demeanour and I only saw this in one other person. Pope John Paul II.

The current administration has a lot to learn from her. For I cannot remember anything good or earnest from Cory’s contemporary (except her funny mole). Cory also leaves a legacy that the current president can only dream of.

If there is one thing I admired about Cory, it is her faith. And this is a huge compliment coming from me, an unwavering cynic of Catholic faith and its hypocrisy. Cory’s faith is rooted in sincerity and altruism. The way spiritual faith SHOULD be.



In the next hundred years, her smiling glass-rimmed face and the yellow ribbon will remain powerful symbols of hope and democracy. Not unlike her celebrated husband. They will be revered as modern-day heroes and deservingly so.

This country is always one breath away from political unrest. Cory, our political saint is gone. She will not be there to march or pray with us. As a nation, we have to learn from her legacy and the bitter lessons of our history.

This blog serves as my yellow ribbon.



***

Hours after the official announcement, the international news networks were already tolling their bells to the tone of Cory’s demise:







***

Original post on www.barnieboi.blogspot.com.

Kinatay Sa UP Film Center

No, this is not a gruesome article lifted from a grubby tabloid. This is about the gruesome antics of these moral pundits supposedly appointed by our government.



I read in JZ’s blog that MTRCB has issued a preventive suspension order against UP and the UP Film Center to prevent the screening of Kinatay on July 30. Kinatay is an indie flick that wowed the Cannes crowd and nabbed the Best Director (for Brillante Mendoza) from under Quentin Tarantino and Ang Lee’s noses.

A big what?!?!

It is the year 2009 and it feels like 1984, the year immortalized by George Orwell in his classic dystopian book (from which the TV franchise Big Brother was based).



This MTRCB anomaly is a long-standing debate. I remember back in college, MTRCB was being thrown rotten tomatoes for giving an X rating to multi-awarded films like Belle Epoque, The Piano and Schindler’s List. This became the topic of our term paper in Communication II. We uncovered a lot of articles on the laughable directives set by MTRCB and the consequent petition for its abolition (which is rightful, as we concluded). Our teacher liked our topic/paper so much that he asked for copies of all the articles we used. Which is fine with us because he gave us the ever-elusive 1.0 grade (naks). I have a weird feeling he used them for his books which I often see in the Filipiniana section of the bookstore.

MTRCB fed my urge to be an investigative journalist back then and I vowed that they will be the victim of my first expose.

I hate censorship, especially the misguided one. It insults the intelligence of the people. It makes us all Neanderthals, wherein we will go around and rape each other at the sight of two boobs, instead of only one. Yes, that was the rule. One boob and you’re R-18, two boobs and you’re X. If you do the math... two pairs of boobs will make an XXX.



The irony is that MTRCB only exists to contradict and ridicule itself. Because when they "X" a movie, it makes the movie so controversial that half the population wants to watch it (in turn, the film producers actually adore the MTRCB for giving them free publicity). And in this day and age, there are a lot of means to do that.

I understand the need to censor TV shows for the sake of our kids. But for movies, an R-18 rating for a movie with reasonable sex and gore could have been enough. Or are they saying that even Filipinos 18 and above do not practice prudence and personal judgement? Tsk, tsk...the trappings of being a predominantly Catholic country.

An eye opener to the MTRCB: if a kid wants to watch porn and gore, he can just go to the nearest street corner selling pirated CDs. Or go online. He doesn’t have to go to the UP Film Center and pay 150 pesos to satisfy his raging hormones.

That makes the MTRCB such a big joke.

Death Becomes Him...Part 2

Death always fascinates us, no matter how much we deny it. Most fear death; but fear is itself a form of fascination.

For the last couple of weeks, there is not bigger problem in this world that the death of Michael Jackson. The interest and furor surrounding MJ’s death is a reflection of our insatiable interest in celebrities and death; a very toxic mixture.



This is a sad fragment of pop culture / history and I have devoted at least three blogs for it. This might be the last; my final say.

Considering that I wrote my blog tribute to MJ (Confessions Of A Fan Who Hates Michael Jackson) in pure honestly, I already expected some lashing from fans I might insult in the process. My title alone begs for an argument. But I am not apologizing. Seeing Paris Jackson sob does little to the fact that MJ was a trainwreck waiting to happen.

For the sake of balance, I did get some raves and even sympathy from keen observers of pop culture. A friend commented: I had the same issues too, I’m surprised that my iPod didn’t have MJJ... cringing at the supposed orphans of faux fans he left behind.

In this oh-so-kind world, it is blasphemy to criticize or berate a person in death. It is an unspoken karmic deed: when our turn comes to lie on that fated coffin, then we want the living to remember us in glory. Our failures and unscrupulous acts are extinguished with our last breath. Hence, death becomes our atonement and our pathetic apology. It also becomes a vindication for the victims of our vendetta.

The tributes for MJ were overwhelming and inspiring. But I know a lot of people are asking: why wait until he died to give this outpouring of love and support? Where are these supposed legions of fans when it was not cool to adore him?

Of course, Michael understands this as human nature. But I won’t fault him if he asks from this grave: Why, why did you do me that way?

I must admit that being THE Michael Jackson is in itself "dangerous." We can't even imagine how it is like to be him. In consequence, we can never really understand. But I still think that Michael is both predator and prey, both victim and tormentor.

To drive my final point home, I think Michael’s life (like everyone else’s), is too complex to be judged by the short-listed episodes that made it to the evening news and gossip pages. He is not his skin, his supposed drug use, his Bubbles.

So with all these facets, we just have to look at that which made the most impact. The one the shone brightest and made him the icon of this generation. The one that refuses to join him in his grave.

I think you can figure that one out for yourself.

***




I found the photo above and it is an interesting snapshot and comprehensive summary of the life of MJ the artist. Click it to view in a larger format.

***

Some comic relief:

The sister of a friend said: Ate, wag ka na umiyak dahil wala na si Michael Jackson. Nandyan pa naman si Regine Velasquez! (Don’t weep over the death of Michael, we still have Regine).

Death Becomes Him (Michael Jackon Is #1 Again)

I visited Billboard's website early this morning and among the many news surrounding Michael Jackson's death is one chart-busting headline: Michael Jackson breaks several records.

The King of Pop once again proved that he RULES the music charts.

As expected, his death led to an upsurge in sales of his catalog albums and songs. Here are the highlights:



• The entire Top 9 positions on Billboard’s Pop Catalog Chart (for sales of old albums) are MJ-related titles. At #1 is of course... Number Ones which sold 108,000 copies after his death. A week before his death, this was the only MJ album on this chart (at #20).

• Number Ones sold more than the current #1 album on the Billboard Hot 200. Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D shifted 88,000 copies. This is the first time that a catalog album outsold a current album.

• The said nine albums sold an amazing total of 422,000 copies this past week (more than half from digital downloads). A week before, MJ was only selling 10,000 copies of his old albums.

• And now for the song charts, Michael Jackson placed a record-breaking 25 songs on the Top 75 Digital Song tally; breaking David Cook’s post-Idol record last year of 14 charting titles.

• The song Thriller moved 167,000 copies last week, second only to Black Eyed Peas’ current hit I Gotta Feeling which sold 203,000 downloads. The week before, Thriller sold only 5,000 downloads.

• Six of the Top 10 songs are Michael Jackson's past hits.

• Combined, he sold 2.6 million downloads of his songs this week. This makes him the first artist in history to sell more than 1 million downloads in one week.

I just hope that the royalties from these downloads will add to the coffer of this financially-challenged music icon of our generation.

Black Or White...And Orange!?!

The other YouTube sensation from the Philippines is at it again (you know the first one...that singer who namedrops every Hollywood star she meets...like Ate Paris Hilton...sorry, I’m not a fan). The choreography of these many performers is in itself amazing. But it really takes some heart and determination to come up with this tribute just days from his death.

I don’t know what to make of this prison spectacle. But if it’s not negative publicity, then I guess it’s not bad and it is quite a thriller (pun intended).

So they again made it to the world headlines. Even CNN is smitten.



But what does Anderson exactly mean with “It’s the Philippines and it’s a prison”?

Confessions Of A Fan Who Hates Michael Jackson

I am writing this blog not to join the worldwide sympathy on the death of the so-called King of Pop. While the music fan in me is saddened by his death (please see previous blog), I will not be spreading false saccharine sentiments as a salute and last respect to him.



This is my tribute to him...told in the brutal honesty of a fan who hates the other side of him. You may not agree with what I say but this is how I perceived the man, the legend. And his death will not change that. Case in point: I am NOT one of the 20+ million who made Thriller the best-selling album of all time.

Since news of his death broke out last Friday, radio has been flooded with requests to play his songs. I have heard Gone Too Soon, Heal The World and Will You Be There more times in the past two days than in the last five years.

I decided to join this historic moment and reminisce his glory through his songs. I know I have his limited-edition 2-disc greatest hits HIStory CD but it has been passed around by my friends. So I got my trusty iPod and searched by artist to Michael Jackson. Only one song came up...Wanna Be Startin' Somethin’, the 2008 version featuring Akon and Fergie which was re-recorded in time for the 25th anniversary of Thriller last year.




This confused me because I know I have tons of Michael Jackson songs on my iPod. And then it hit me. I have his songs, but not HIS version. There are indeed a lot of them... from the recent big hits (Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm and Beat It by Fallout Boy feat. John Mayer)... to the live unreleased performances (the recent American Idol performances or Man in The Mirror by Usher, 98 Degrees and the late Luther Vandross)... to the local versions (Kyla with One Day in Your Life).

How did this happen? At some point I got tired of the man but not his songs. It was almost blasphemy to listen to his voice and it seems tantamount to supporting the life he led lately.

Let’s put it this way. In terms of MJ appreciation and fanaticism, I am at the halfway house. As I said, I am somewhere between a fan and a hater. I am in deep awe and I have the highest regard for his music and his influence to the entertainment world. But not necessarily of MJ as a person and what he represents.

I said I will be honest. With all due respect to Michael Jackson, I have laughed at the freakshow that he has become and I have used him as a pop-culture punchline countless times. I LOL-ed at the jokes saying he was included in the casting of Planet Of The Apes. I have called him a looney and a weirdo (those who have not are welcome to throw stones at me). I have said many a time that he was a fool to let his personal life tarnish his artistic legacy. For in the past years, all we heard about him are his personal and legal troubles. His music and artistry took the backseat. Which is ironic because if not for his music, then we wouldn’t have known he existed.

Hands down, he was the greatest musical icon of my growing-up years. The Beatles were gone before my musical consciousness was awakened. I was only 5 years old when he released Thriller so I was too young then to realize MJ's impact and the fanatical adoration rivalled only by Pope John Paul II. But growing up, I never knew the New Wave sound of the 80’s. As a kid, ask me to name an old song and, chances are, I will recite the songs from Thriller.

Other than his greatest hits CD, the only CD I have of MJ is Invincible from 2000. It spawned one hit (You Rock My World) and I bought it on sale but I can’t remember ever listening to the CD in its entirety. But I do remember one beautiful unreleased track from that CD – Butterflies.





Friends have asked me what my favourite MJ song is. I’ll have to say Human Nature and Man In The Mirror for the mainstream choices. But for obscure hits, I’d say Scream (his duet with Janet)...the energy of this song gives me a natural high. On the other end of the spectrum, I cringe at You Are Not Alone (the first song in history to do the unthinkable: enter the charts at #1). The lyrics are way too clichéd and cheesy and there is an excess of that MJ-signature hiccup-y sound or whatever you call it.

Michael Jackson thrived in the 80’s, an era of musical relevance and artistic movement. The artists from that era (Madonna included) created a world of their own. They set such high standards for today’s music. From then on, the artists we saw were mostly copycats or confused morphs of each other, as if they came from one lacklustre factory. They gave pop music a bad name. Think Britney and Celine Dion, who despite amassing huge hits, will never be called musical geniuses. For the mere fact that they don’t own their music.

Whereas Michael not only made his own music but he made music his own. The ultimate proof of MJ’s musical genius is that you can’t ruin his songs. Any artist...from Mariah Carey (I’ll Be There) to the videoke singer on the street can sing it and it will sound spectacular. He does not have the best vocals (in facts his vocals of late is whiny and wheezy) but he knows how to best use what he has. Like a true-blue artist, he knew how to differentiate himself and created his signature style. He was the male trendsetter; the fads he created are innumerable and enduring. His name and style are now priceless trademarks (note that I did not use past tense).

Hence, the kids of today’s music bear his blueprint and salute him... whether subtly (red Thriller jacket in Mandy Moore’s Crush video or the gloved hand-movement in Destiny Child’s Bootylicious video)... or blatantly (Justin Timberlake's falsetto and crotch-grabbing moves).



For all we know, the trademark he created might shine brighter in death than in life. I know only one other artist who has this all-consuming and lasting influence. Elvis Presley.



I know there is more to MJ than the musician. We have heard of his humanitarian work and drive to make this world better through his eye-opening songs like Earth Song. But, considering his much-publicized personality and choices in life, I cannot shake off the fact that these were brought about by some personal agenda. After all, he is a social study in over-indulgence, idiosyncrasy and narcissism. He became the poster boy for the dreaded rise-and-fall in the entertainment industry. But sadly, unlike Mariah Carey, there won’t be any emancipation... no huge comeback for the king. Except maybe post-humus.

People may say that he is a victim of media and bad publicity, but I will have to say that somehow he fed this machinery (remember the child dangling off the balcony?). He fanned the embers until it became an inferno which consequently burned the image of the consummate artist that the world knew and embraced.

But we need not dwell on that. His life maybe the ultimate E! True Hollywood Story but his achievements and contribution in music and the arts will forever be engraved in the annals of world history. He gave the backbone that defined pop music and his death cannot change that. The scandals and the lawsuits will soon run its course but his music will not. Years from now our grandchildren will still moonwalk and dance to Thriller. And we will smile and remember one of the greatest man who ever lived.

Ironically, the man who so craved for immortality never realized that he had it all along: his music will live on.

Love him or hate him, we all fell under his spell. The legacy left by the King of Pop is...to use his words...neither black nor white. It is permanent grey.

- Copyright B. Crisostomo @ www.barnieboi.blogspot.com.

The King Is Gone (RIP, MJ)

News does travel fast these days.

It’s just past 6 in the morning.

One moment I was blogging and tweeting and the next moment everyone is tweeting the sad news.

I got it via tweets from Ryan Seacrest, Mandy Moore, Chris Daughtry, Ashton and Delamar: Michael Jackson just passed away due to cardiac arrest.

Gone too soon? Quite ironic, I know.


(This is the cover for his now-aptly-titled single)

I just hope his detractors will stop the hatred and remember his unparalleled contribution to the industry.

And not so long ago...Farrah Fawcett also breathed her last. To the younger generation who may not know her, she was one of the original Charlie’s Angels. RIP.



Two icons...two legends in one day.

The lights must be half-dimmed in Hollywood.

***

Just a breather from these sad news. Trust Borat for the comic relief.

He just tweeted: Death comes in threes, first Farrah then Michael Jackson..lets finish on a high note with perez!!

He was referring to recent entertainment headlines on the violent fight between celeb gossip blogger Perez Hilton and Black-Eyed Peas. What can I say...Boom boom pow!

Not politically correct I know, but you can't help but admire Borat's wisecracks.

I also liked John Mayer's version of this news: Dazed in the studio. A major strand of our cultural DNA has left us. RIP MJ

I see a Michael Jackson tribute album on the horizon.

Fragments #7

"Fragments" is a compilation of short blogs (blogettes?) that bear no relation to each other. Except that they came from one brilliant mind (hehe).

***



There Will Be Half-Blood

Last long weekend I finally finished reading Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince. I rushed to read it because the movie is showing weeks from now and I vowed to always read the book first before seeing the movie. I have enough brain cells to read a book and not let someone interpret it for me visually.

I won’t write a full review anymore since half of the world would have read it anyway. It was again a satisfying escape from this forlorn Muggle world into Rowling’s magical realm. Not as exciting as Prisoner of Azkaban or Goblet of Fire but definitely better than Order of The Phoenix (Book 5 was so s...l...o...w in places).

I tend to think of Half-Blood Prince as the transition book...the prequel to the great big ending. Because nothing spectacular happened...only the death of You Know Who (and I am not talking about Voldemort). The book just gave us more facts and loose ends which I expect will be tied-up in The Deathly Hollows.

I gave my Mom some theories about the ending (like Harry being a horcrux) but she just gave me a shrug. But trust my sister to drop two spoilers...she confirmed two deaths in the final book. Grrr...you D.O.H. you!

Speaking of half-blood...has anyone heard of bloodless dinuguan (a pork stew with thick sauce made from pig’s blood)? I saw it on the Kourtyard (a mid-range dining place) menu and I would have tried it had I not been anti-red meat lately. What’s next...sweet sinigang?

***

Me See The Book One Moment

It was one of those days spent away from the quiet hurly-burly of the office. In one day, I had a series of meetings in three different places. Cafes were the usual venues; as coffee is fast becoming the elixir of life.

My mind and eyes sometimes wander away from the meeting and I take in my surroundings and observe the people around. It was then that I realized that I’ve seen the same book being read by three different people in the places I’ve been to that day. Size was standard paperback, cover is minty green and I could barely read the title because it was scrawled in the unassuming penmanship of a child who had just learned to write.

Could this be the new Twilight or Harry Potter and I’ve been again left in the cold on the next literary phenomenon?

Finally my curiosity got the better of me and I stood up, walked near a couple (the guy just dropped the book and took his laptop). I pretended to be calling someone but my eyes were really aimed at reading the title of the mysterious book. It was Me Talk Pretty One Day.

I asked F is she knows the book. She didn’t. And F was a connoisseur of popular books (if ever there is one).

I couldn’t get my mind off that book and vowed to look for it the next time I visit a bookstore.

A few days later it hit me. What I saw was not the next cult bestseller. It was probably one of those books that was required reading in the academe. Classes just started after all.

Stupid me.

***

Higher Learning

So finally...with or without A(H1N1), school started in all levels last June 15.
For me, this meant a lot of things.

More traffic on the roads during rush hour.

That I will again wake up on Monday mornings to sounds of my mother bellowing at my brothers to hurry up or they will be late for school.

That I will have my turn hollering at my brothers to sleep early.

More breakfast items on the supermarket list. Longer lines at the supermarket cashiers during Sunday night.

That I will again see on top of my laptop a torn page from my brothers’ notebook with a hastily scribbled note: Kuya, project ko sa-submit next week.

***

Pandemic! At The School

I am not quite a germ-phobe but I do have my tendencies. Like I smear my desk with alcohol first thing on Monday morning (who knows what crawled there over the weekend). And considering the clutter on my side table, a viral invasion is highly probable.

With this pandemic scare about A(H1N1), my usually indifferent Mom included small vials of sanitizer in the school bags of my brothers. They were at first “ashamed” of using them. I gave them my two cents worth and asked them what was more shameful: (a) having and using a sanitizer or (b) being known as one of the confirmed A(H1N1) cases and part of the statistics. That shut them up.

As for me, I consciously try not touch anything when I’m in a public place. And I tend to disinfect myself with sanitizer every 15 minutes.

***

Jimmy Who?

One time we were in Greenbelt 5 and passed by this luxury shoe salon (that’s what I think it is...I can’t figure out ladies and their bags and shoes).



F exclaimed: “May Jimmy Choo na dito!” (There’s a Jimmy Choo here already)

I said: Wow, really...sa kanta ko lang yan naririnig. (I only hear that in song’s lyrics)

I was referring to (obviously) Shontelle’s song T-shirt. Sing it now: Sick of this dress and this Jimmy Choos...with nothing but your t-shirt on.

F cracked up and said “Lower your voice...lumabas ang pagka-jologs!”

I cracked up.