lengua et pluma

The current rice situation is already in a state of crisis precisely because the country’s staple has ceased to be -according to the standard set by the National Food Authority- ‘affordable, available and accessible.’

Despite the sky-rocketing prices of commercial rice and the long lines at NFA retail stores, the government would still deny the crisis and its root causes.  Call it a crisis or not, the government approaches the rice problem with such arrogance, and has offered only band-aid solutions, that have no indication of any sustainability, and any prospect of lowering rice prices in the near or far future.

The government is quick to blame the traders, when it hides on the background its policies that pave the way for cartel operations and the declining rice production in the country.  This crisis that is brought about the overdependence on the importation of food, and an agriculture that is geared mainly towards the production of raw materials for export, has put on the forefront the long-running problems that beset our agriculture and farmers –lack of irrigation, lack of subsidy on the production of our farmers, land use and crop conversion, and the monopoly of land by a few land owners and transnational corporations, to name a few.

The debate does not stop on whether there is enough supply of rice in the country or not.  The question the government has to answer is whether this supposed supply would be made affordable and accessible to the public, and whether our economy could be geared towards self-sufficiency, so that it could secure rice and other food products for our people.

When the government’s response to a compelling demand for an immediate price control is “It’s a free enterprise” and Gloria rolling stores, then we could not expect much.  When this same government is tangled with multiple scams including the irregularities in fertilizer, irrigation and swine funds, then it is in deep trouble.

Then we understand why this government under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would not even at least admit the very obvious in the country’s rice situation.

Kare wa watashitatchi no ii sensei

Let us pay our highest tributes to one of the best teachers we have in the movement.

Mabuhay ang Siyam na Taong Pakikibaka ng Anakbayan!
Sulong tungo sa isang dekada ng militanteng paglaban,
masikhay na pag-aaral at puspusang pag-oorganisa!
Pahayag ng Anakabayan sa
kanyang Ika-9 na Anibersaryo
Pambansang Komiteng Tagapagpaganap
Nobyembre 30, 2007

Ipinagdiriwang ng Anakbayan ang ika-9 na anibersaryo nito sa diwa ng rebolusyonaryong tradisyon ng Kabataang Makabayan na itinatag noong 1964, at ng kadakilaan ni Gat Andres Bonifacio. Isa itong pagdiriwang kasama ang mamamayang Pilipinong patuloy na nakikibaka laban sa imperyalismo, pyudalismo’t burukrata kaptalismo sa tunguhing makamit ang pambansang paglaya’t demokrasya.

Hindi magiging maningning at matagumpay ang Siyam na Taong Pakikibaka ng Anakbayan kung wala ang militanteng paglaban, masikhay na pag-aaral at puspusang pag-oorganisa ng mga kasapi at balangay nito. Ngayong ika-9 na taong ng Anakbayan, mainit ang ating pagkilala at pagpupugay sa lahat ng mga magigiting na Anakbayan na walang-sawang nag-ambag ng kanilang lakas at talino alang-alang sa sambayanan.

Pinakamalugod na pagbati ang nais ipaabot ng Pambansang Komiteng Tagapagpaganap ng Anakbayan sa patuloy na lumalawak na mga balangay nito sa ibayong-dagat. Gayundin, pinakamataas na pagkilala sa mga Anakbayan na taus-pusong sumanib sa kilusan ng masang manggagawa at magsasaka; habang sadyang di matatawaran ang lumalakas, lumalawak at lumalabang pwersa ng Anakbayan sa mga komunidad at paaralan. Ang kasalukuyang malaking bilang ng mga kasapi ng balangay ng Anakbayan ang siyang buhay na testimonya ng Siyam na Taong Pakikibaka nito.

Higit sa lahat, pinakamataas na pagtatangi at pagpupugay ang iginagawad ng Anakbayan sa lahat ng mga dakilang martir nito na nag-alay na kanilang buhay para sa sambayanan. Sila ang nagsisilbing inspirasyon at huwaran ng mga bagong dugo ng Anakbayan sa kasalukuyang panahon at sa hinaharap.

The blast was so strong, it rocked the entire Batasan Complex; it was so deadly, it claimed lives, including one of our kasamas. 

Anakbayan pays tribute to Kasamang Marcial Taldo, or Tatay Tibong, as we call him in the youth sector.  For he was not just the driver of Rep. Luz Ilagan, but a kasama dedicated in serving the masses, engaged in a struggle to change the rotten system.  He was a father for a lot of the young activists.
 

The bombing of the Batasan Complex last November 13 was not the first one that shook the nation.  Barely a month ago, the explosion in Glorietta in Makati claimed twelve innocent lives, and injured dozens more.  The government was quick to announce that destabilizers and terrorists were the ones responsible for the ‘bombing.’  Nobody believed it.  The Police retracted everything after a week, concluding that the explosion was an industrial accident.  The US government even had to step in to throw its support behind the Arroyo regime’s cover-up of the Glorietta bombing.  Until now, no one is being held accountable for the deaths; and just like that, the search for justice came to another dead end.
 

Whether Cong. Akbar was the real target of the Batasan bombing is not the foremost issue: the mere fact that the bombing can be done without aversion, that the culprits of such crime could simply slip away, and that this incident effects an atmosphere of terror, is enough to conclude that the current state led by the US-Macapagal-Arroyo regime is responsible for the incident.  The culture of impunity and the state terror that the Arroyo administration has created, would explain why such things could happen in our country.  This government is senseless when it comes to the value of people’s lives.

Tatay Tibong was dear to us.  He and his wife, Ate Mayang would cook food and give money for the tibaks who frequented their house.  The couple would always attend Anakbayan’s cultural nights and tributes.  He became attached to us, as the father of one of our members, Ateng, who had earlier offered his life in the line of fire.  Ateng is a martyr of the people.  Even after Ateng’s death, Tatay Tibong remained a father for most of us.  He remained strong and supportive of the movement to which he did not deprive his own son.  He offered his own life in the service of the people; like how he gave his son to the masses, to wage a revolutionary struggle.

Like Ate Mayang said in last night’s tribute:  “It is important that we fight for justice.  Despite what happened (to my husband), I don’t lose hope, so as long as there are people like you, the youth, who would continue the struggle.

There’s no dead end after all.

The Iwakuni people of Japan held a conference and demonstration about the Japanese and US governments’ plan to expand the US Air Base in Iwakuni City in the Yamaguchi Prefecture.  The Conference gathered Japanese from all over the country, and some foreign activists who were in solidarity with the Japanese people’s struggle.  I came to Japan for this purpose.
 

In a referendum conducted by the Iwakuni City government, majority of the people voted against the plan to expand the base and build another airstrip.  Most of the people complained about the noise pollution and the destruction of the reefs and marine resources in the seas nearby the base.  The people have much more reason now to reject any expansion of the military base --now that one of its citizens, a 19 year old girl was raped by four US servicemen from the Iwakuni base.
 

A sequel to the Subic Rape Case in the Philippines, the Iwakuni Rape case is another display of the abuse that could be perpetuated by US troops stationed in various US military bases and other facilities all over the world under similar Status of Forces Agreements.  The US- Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement, for example, was used by the US government –with the full cooperation of the Philippine puppet government-- to take custody of the already convicted Daniel Smith, so that he could walk out of prison weeks after a Regional Trial Court in the Philippines sentenced him to life imprisonment last December 2006.  Now, the Japanese police would not even make an arrest, much more pursue a case against the US servicemen who raped the Iwakuni girl.
 

With the Japanese government unwilling to lift a finger on the rape case, combined with the conservative (read: feudal) culture in Yamaguchi and in the whole of Japan, the pursuit for justice could only start with the decisiveness of the Japanese to wage a struggle against US intervention in their country.  This on another hand should be complemented with a strong solidarity of other peoples of the world.
 

This was one of the main objectives of the Iwakuni Affair last October.  There were about a hundred people who joined the protest march towards the US military base.  When the protesters reached the gates of the military base, the protest atmosphere rose to a higher level, and the anger of the people was slowly being transformed into a collective action, and hopefully into a movement that is much needed to fight for justice, dignity and sovereignty of the Japanese people.

Japanese and foreign activists protested US war and bases in front of the US Air Base in Iwakuni City.

I delivered a short speech before the demonstrators in Iwakuni, in a rhythm and style that might not be familiar to the Japanese.  I wanted to agitate them, so I raised the tone of my speech higher towards the end, and used a typical slogan in Filipino, before I said it in English.  Our translator, good as he could be, but maybe because he got carried away with the speech, got lost in his translation at the end.
 

In Japan, as a matter of course, I always need a translator to facilitate communication with an audience.  I just feel bad that we do not speak the same language/s.  So I am very grateful for all the English translators that made the in depth discussions possible.
 

Without good translation though, things could turn out bad.  I almost missed my Shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo, because I did not understand my companion about the train’s schedule.  In Tokyo my Filipino host was surprised that I was already coming to the city that day, because he did not understand my Japanese host when the latter was explaining my itinerary.  Understanding could be very limited even in the simplest conversations.
 

Even so, I do not blame the Japanese.  I actually envy them for their developed national language.  Filipinos may know a lot or some English because our nation has been a US colony since the last century.  Japanese on the other hand are just learning the colonial language recently.
 

The Japanese government is now encouraging its people to learn English so that, according to the government, they could be more globally competitive.  English instruction however is now primarily a business rather than a state initiative.  Many English schools have been raking money for teaching the language to students and even adults who already have careers. (Read about the Nova Corp. Scandal.)
 

Learning English is almost a necessity.  But learning another language –like Filipino, for those who don’t speak it yet-- could also be very useful and friendly.  So for now, I’m going to study Japanese.  I love the language already.

KodomoKuni Bansai!

A building in Shibuya, Tokyo that was
shown in the movie Lost in Translation.

Issues about LJ and Blogging

My friends were trying to convince me to put up my blog, but I was always reluctant, and I even tried to ignore the idea.  It’s different with LJ though; and I have my reasons why I went into LJ, but STILL haven’t put up my blog.  Of course, my LJ would count as a Blog, and Mongster’s Nest already endorsed lengua et pluma to his co-bloggers.

Like what I said in my first entry in LJ, I haven’t done it (the blog) yet.  Though, technically speaking, live journaling is no different from blogging.  Some of the first Filipino bloggers started with Live Journal years ago.  They are now either in Blogspot or Wordpress.

 If we move back earlier, digital communities existed with CompuServe and BBS.  Before HTTP, journalists could post their comments in newsgroups.  Modern blogging however started with online diaries and live journals.  Though blogs by function could be more formal (and even rigid) compared to LJ, they are still websites where personal journals are logged.  Now you could log on the web anything digital -document, photo, art, MP3, audio (pod casting), and video (vlog).  The space on the web where you could do this could be infinite.

A group of young bloggers organized themselves into a BK Crew (Bloggers Kapihan), and they have started a series of forum about blogging ---student blogging, blogging as a tool for education, blogging and politics, etc.  They believe that blogging is a very useful tool in propagating ideas, that it is the latest medium of journalism, and that it should be, most of all, maximized.  There is also PinoyBlog --“a portal aggregator for the Philippine Blogosphere.”

There are also those who oppose the idea of promoting blogging (if not blogging itself).  Teo Marasigan writes about this as he wishes to tackle issues of security, the ideology behind blogging, and the impractical implications of blogging and internet on the youth.

I am not opposed to blogging; and in fact I have my favorite blogs: (1) Mongster’s Nest is really a good blog, very professional, and of course progressive.  It is the blog of my good friend and batch mate; (2) Bikoy.Net is simply fun, blogging at its purest; full of youthful idealism; and (3) Kapirasong Kritika is really bold and intelligent.  Never thought the site could be that colorful.  Whether I choose to setup my blog apart from LJ is another issue.

I’ve been apprehensive about blogging because it is too public.  It proves to be true for one of the more popular young bloggers in the Philippines; as he writes in one of his postscripts: Dear blog, you have betrayed me. For years, you were always there when I needed to rant and to let off some steam. Now that you’re older, and more popular, you’re role as my venue for various intimate personal expressions is no more.

It’s been a while since my last post…maybe because I lack the time or the inspiration, or both.  I once thought about what to do with LJ.  I guess I’ll keep it.  The blogspot is always another option.

Brad Fitzpatrick, one of the early bloggers, creator of livejournal.com

Conrado de Quiros has an obscured sense of justice like those of GMA and Gonzalez, as he "shares the sentiments" of these two about Prof. Jose Ma. Sison's arrest.  He 'heartily' agrees with them, when he's not even sure that the latter indeed committed the crimes as charged, and while he claims he "doesn't know why GMA and Gonzalez should be wondrously gleeful about this."

He can easily state 'If it is true..' in a hypothetical sense so as not to appear prejudiced against Sison; but he lambasted Sison and the movement all the way in definite terms, even belittling the protests launched by our organizations.

GMA and Norberto Gonzalez are very gleeful about Sison's arrest because Sison represents the liberation movement that's been persistent in ousting their regime; he's a thorn in the throats of the US, Dutch and Philippine governments, for being a vehement critic of imperialist policies that plunder the wealth of our nation, to the benefit of the Arroyo ruling clique and to the detriment of the Filipino masses.

Sison, being exiled for more than two decades already, would still provide political guidance to the national liberation movement he started in the Philippines.  He would speak, write and organize people to oppose US imperialist wars of aggressions, plunder of nations, and grave abuses and violations of human rights by the illegitimate Philippine government led by GMA. Being a world renowned leader of the Philippine Left, he is by far the most vocal and influential critic of imperialists and local reactionaries.

Whether he was indirectly involved in the 'murder' of Kintanar and Tabara is a legal question now being subverted by the Dutch government, as the latter appears to be naïve -like DQ- of the very fact that the case against Sison et.al. on the murder of Kintanar and Tabara and the evidences that go with it have been altogether dismissed by the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

And if DQ is coming 'from the perspective of freedom, human rights, and all that democracy holds sacred,' would he not suppose to oppose and be critical at the least about Sison's arrest and political persecution?  When Sison, even without being tried by any court, and in fact was cleared by various courts of any crime, is held incommunicado, deprived of visits from family and doctors, treated like those being held in Guantanamo?

DQ's bias against Sison is clearly manifested, and it is his every right to express so.  However he could not reconcile in his self and to his readers the justice he poses to uphold.

Joma arrest will spark another 'red moon rising'

Youth group Anakbayan strongly condemns the arrest of former student leader Prof. Jose Maria Sison and the raid on the houses and offices of NDF personalities by the Dutch government.

Anakbayan warned that the arrest of the Kabataang Makabayan (KM) founding chairman would spark another 'red moon rising' in the ranks of youth and student democracy-fighters and civil libertarians.

"Youth and students who believe in the legacy and continuing relevance of the KM stand firm in their support for Prof. Sison," said Anakbayan chairperson Eleanor de Guzman.

Dear Joma,

Kagabi ginanap ang tribute para kay Amang Roy.  Ako po ay nag emcee, at si Mama naman ay nagbasa ng mensahe ninyo.  Sa lahat ng mensahe kagabi, liban syempre yung galing sa pamilya, ikaw lang ang nakasama’t may tuwirang kaalaman kay Amang sa panahon na siya ay nakapabilang sa progresibong kilusan dito sa Pilipinas.

Simple pero maganda ang tribute. Maraming tao ang dumalo.  May mga galing pang Tarlac, kaya marami akong nakilalang kamag-anak.  Hinihintay daw si Amang doon sa Tarlac.  Mas marami daw ang nagihintay doon.

Sabi nung pari sa misa, ang tanging maipapamana ni Amang sa kanyang mga anak at apo ay ang kanyang diwang makabayan at mapagmahal sa kapwa.  Mula sa mga mensahe kagabi, nakilala ko si Amang.  Nalaman kong nakipamuhay si Amang sa mga magsasaka sa Tarlac.  Sinasama pa nga niya ang mga anak niya sa bukid.  Tumulong siya sa mga kasama doon.  Nakisangkot siya sa pakikipaglaban sa pasistang distadurya ni Marcos.  Nagsulong ng progresibong politika.  Nag-ambag sa kanyang sariling paraan sa pambansa demokratikong pakikibaka kahit sa mga huling sandali ng kanyang buhay.

Maraming di nakakaalam at nagulat na kamag-anak namin siya. Si Amang ay si Alfonso 'Amang' de Guzman Roy, samantalang ako naman ay may apilyedong de Guzman.  Hehehehe…. kaya Lolo ko siya.

Marami akong nakitang kamag-anak doon; marami pa pala akong Lolo’t Lola.  Nakakatuwa.  At natutuwa rin sila kapag nalalaman nila kung kanino akong anak.  Nakipagkuwentuhan ako sa kanila; at sa dala kong notebook, sinikap kong gumawa ng aking family tree.

Na-engganyo tuloy akong bumalik sa Tarlac, at muling naalala ang panghihinayan ko sa di pagkatuto ng Ilokano.  Palibhasa, laki nako sa QC, at di rin ako lumaki sa piling ni Papa.  Pero gusto ko pa ring matuto ng Ilokano kahit matanda nako.

Dahil sa tribute, labis namang natuwa ang pamilya ni Amang.  Natutuwa talaga ako na nagkaroon ako ng pagkakataon na makapiling ang mga kamag-anak ko.  Muling napainit ang ugnayan namin sa magkakapatid na Roy.  Alam mo ba na kapangalan mo ang bunso nila?  Si Joma na Tito ko pero ka-edad ko lang.  HIndi nga lang siya nakauwi mula New York kaya wala siya kagabi.

Hmmm....gagawin ko ngang blog entry itong kuwento ko sayo. Puwede mong bisitahin ang kakabukas ko lang na blog: http://lengua-et-pluma.livejournal.com

Hanggang dito na lang.

Bolenggay

I got injured yesterday while sparring.  My left thumb got jammed when I blocked a kick to my left side.  So that means that (1) the kick was strong enough; and (2) I blocked it the wrong way.

I thought my finger was broken.  It still hurts.  The throbbing pain woke me up at 3am this morning.  It’s really bothering me; so I have to get some reassurance that it will be just okay:

What to do if you get injured
--Excerpt from Rick Olivares’ article in Men’s Health Magazine July 2006

Never try to “play through” the pain of a sports injury.  Immediately stop when you feel pain.  Continuing to play may aggravate the injury.  Some injuries require immediate medical attention, while you can treat others by yourself.

Seek medical attention when:

• The injury causes severe pain, swelling, or numbness.
  
• You can’t put any weight on that area.
• An old injury hurts, aches or swells.
• A joint doesn’t feel normal or stable.
  

If you don’t have any of these signs, it may be safe to treat the injury at home using the RICE.

You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs. – Joseph Stalin

It’s good to have an injury once in a while. – Elmo

Just let science take its course. – Glenn

 
You are all reassuring my friends.  Thanks a lot.

Seven thousand (7,000) students of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) walked out of their classes and mid-term exams last August 14 to protest the proposed tuition increase from PhP 12 per unit to PhP 75 per unit.

PUP is the largest state university system in the Philippines, with over 50,000 students nationwide, more than half of which is enrolled in the Mabini Campus in Sta. Mesa, Manila.  At PhP 12 per unit, PUP’s tuition is the cheapest in the country.  However, PUP students, who came from poor families of workers and peasants, would still find it difficult to sustain enrollment since they would have to pay for other fees, and their living expenses.  A lot of the students are also working to support not only themselves but also their families.

To say that PUP has been beleaguered with century old problems is not an exaggeration.  Facilities are antiquated.  Computer rooms have no computers.  Science and Engineering laboratories do not have facilities.  The 6^th floor is flooding.  Electric fans are falling off from the ceiling.  Rooms do not have walls on one side.  We could go on the rest of the page just describing the dismal state of the University.

The Philippine government has been neglecting PUP throughout the years, freezing it’s yearly budgetary allocation at only PhP 500 million, while this war-mongering government could easily allocate an additional PhP 1 billion fund for its all out war, and another PhP 1 billion to military intelligence.

When the activists of the Samasa Alliance learned about the tuition hike proposal last August 13, they wasted no time, and immediately reported the news to the students in all colleges.  They called for a walk out on the following day during the scheduled meeting of the Board of Regents.

On August 14, hundreds and thousands of students streamed out of the classrooms and buildings.  They all converged at the Pop-Eye area (the main quadrangle), and decided that they would march from the Campus to the Office of the Commission on Higher Education (venue of the Board Meeting), which was three cities away. 

More than 2,000 students joined the long march.  We marched the whole stretch of Shaw Boulevard, crossing San Juan City, Mandaluyong City and the boundary of Pasig City.  We arrived in front of CHEd in Pasig after an hour.

The proposed hike would apply only to incoming freshmen.  The students had to take their mid-term exams.  But they still chose to join the walk out and protest march.  The spirit was: “Utang namin sa mga naunang henerasyon ng mga nakibakang Iskolar ng Bayan ng PUP ang pagkakataon naming makapag-aral sa Unibersidad ngayon.  Makikipaglaban din kami para sa mga susunod na henerasyon,” (We are indebted to the past generation of students who militantly struggled against tuition hikes.  That’s the reason why we could still afford to go to University these days.  We will also fight for the next generations.)

The walk out was not spontaneous at the least.  It was a conscious and collective effort of the students to fight for the future of the institution --the Poor Man’s University.  It is a result of a long and arduous work on raising political consciousness among the student masses, and of a sustained campaign throughout the University.

And that is totally admirable.  I was not surprised that kasamas in PUP were able to do it; but I was definitely awed.  It should serve as an inspiration for the whole youth & student movement in the Philippines, and elsewhere in the world.

Anakbayan salutes kasamas in PUP!
Mabuhay ang mga Iskolar ng Bayan ng PUP!

Survival tips for you this rainy season (and for the rest of your life):

1)      Drink lots of water and calamansi or pineapple juice.  Calamansi and pineapple juices are the cheapest, most refreshing, and most nutritious drinks you could get here in Pinas. 

2)      Eat your meals, and have snacks in between.  Don’t skip breakfast.  If you’re having an early morning exercise, eat cereals or pandesal first, then eat your second breakfast after.  If you’re in the field, grab some sandwiches,  banana cue, or pancit.

3)      Always bring your jacket and an umbrella.  If you don’t have an umbrella, buy one.  It’s only P50.

4)      Exercise.  Jogging, boxing, swimming, dancing.  Do a combination or two.  Do them  all!

5)      Quit smoking.  Yea, yea, it is hard. Pero sussantisima, maawa ka naman sa sarili mo.

 
Enjoy life!

I miss my Papa’s cooking.  May it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner, he would prepare our meals in his special way.  Kasamas call him a man of the kitchen; because, whenever he's in a house, he would always be found in the kitchen preparing something to eat for himself or anyone who’s with him.  He came from a peasant family, and so that would explain his vast knowledge in cooking: which fish is fresh, which plants could be picked and used for cooking, how to cut vegetables and meat, which seasoning and spices to use, how to cook good-tasting food. 

Kare-kare: Our all time favorite. Cooked with a thick sauce made of fresh ground peanuts.  The vegetables are all there -talong, puso ng saging, pechay, sitaw.  He would cook two versions if Buds (my younger bro) is joining the meal: beef consisting of twalya (stomach lining) and lean meat; and seafood consisting of squid, shrimp, and sometimes tahong.  The well-sautéed bagoong alamang would complete the entrée.

Diningding or the Ilokano Pakbet: A common Ilokano dish, but made in a very special way.  My Mama likes this a lot.  We love it as long as Papa cooks it.  He would throw into the pot two types of kamote, bunga ng malunggay, sitaw, talong (the round ones), ampalaya (the small, round ones), bagoong isda, whole tomatoes, slices of ginger and onions.  I think the last four ingredients do the trick.  The bunga ng malunggay is my favorite.  He would cook the diningding in a palayok if there’s one around.  When it’s almost cooked, he would shake the pot, and then in a while, it would be ready for serving.  It’s always a reason for the family to get together.

Tinolang Manok: a typical Filipino dish, but I can’t just cook it the way he does.  His tinola always end up tastier, mas malinamnam. Chicken, green papaya, dahon ng sili or dahon ng malunggay, salt and patis to taste – just basics, but his tinola is just something to wait for.  I miss it during these rainy days.

These are just some of the food he cooks.  I could very well describe them, but I don’t know how to cook them myself.  It’s a Sunday, and my brothers are coming over for lunch.  It’s not just the same though without Papa’s cooking.  Just not the same without him.

This is how metaphysical we could get:  Prayers would help bring rain; and emergency powers would address the lack of rain and its effects on agriculture.

Malacañang ally Rep. Thomas Dumpit said he would file a resolution seeking to grant President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo emergency powers, despite the downpour since Monday.

“Prayers help,” Nilo Prisco, PAGASA deputy director for operations said in an interview.

Farmers may have prayed for rain, because the dry spell had the worst effects on agricultural lands, especially in Ilocandia and Central Luzon (the biggest granaries in the Philippines).  For the longest time they have relied on rain to water the lands they till; and for the longest time, the government does not subsidize agriculture – the country’s economic base– including mechanized irrigation of lands.

And yes, I could only hope that it would rain for the rest of the season.  Like the farmers, I would not pin my hope in a government that is greedy of power and wealth.

The P 728 million fertilizer fund was used to ‘abono’ the local government units in time for the 2004 Presidential elections.  It was never used to subsidize fertilizers for the farmers.  Now, the government is proposing a P 3 billion fund anew supposedly to rehabilitate irrigation of farmlands.  Anyone who wants to bet that the fund would benefit the farmers?

So you see, much of the Filipinos’ metaphysics are based on material conditions maintained by the rotten relations of production of the society.  And the only way to rid of the metaphysics is to break the old relations. Be part of breaking it.

After months of dry spell, when the Philippines should be having at least eight storms by this time, the rain poured down all day today as storm Chedeng hits the country.  As the name of the storm hints (as it starts with the letter C), this is the only third storm of the year. 

While the monsoon rain was felt mostly in Metro Manila and parts of Bulacan, we hope that the storm would move slower towards Taiwan so that it would bring in more monsoon rain unto Luzon lands where the rain is badly needed.  The dry spell has made agricultural lands dry, irrigation difficult, and the water supply in the Angat Dam drop below the critical level.

Maybe a lot of us got stranded or caught in horrendous traffic because of flash floods matched with Metro Manila’s poor drainage system; maybe a lot of us got wet because of the sudden downpour; but today’s rain is just a relief.  It made the air cooler and cleaner.  It would nourish the lands farmers till.  It made us somehow thrilled.

I just love it when it rains, and I could only hope that it continues to rain for the rest of the season.

We watched Tribu (Tribe) this evening in its last screening at the UP Film Center.  We were really interested to watch this digital film about different gangs that are into freestyle rap in Tondo, Manila.  We thought that its concept would be similar to Mula sa 3^rd Avenue Hanggang sa Dulo (of Sine Patriyotiko).  Turns out, this indie by Director Jim Libiran was somehow also influenced by the Mula sa 3^rd Avenue Documentary Film.  Before I actually watched the film, he said that there is a scene in his film that is derived from one of the scenes in Mula sa 3^rd Ave.

The two films are entirely different of course – one being a documentary of real life stories, the other being a full-length film of fictional characters and events.  The story lines are different: the documentary provided the resolution of the youths who joined the gangs, the other told of gangs who ended up in a bloody confrontation in the name of vengeance.  Both wanted to underscore realities about our youths’ involvement in gangs, as they are deprived of education and livelihood.

I was dismayed by the fact that the film is in a big way a collaboration of the producers and Akbayan Partylist.  I saw Riza Hontiveros and a bunch of irritating Akbayan members in last night’s screening.  They were even acknowledged in the introduction of the film; and if you’re keen you’d notice a lot of scenes with Akbayan stickers or posters at the background.  I’m guessing that Akbayan had provided funds for the production.  I also think that Sipat should be given credit and recognition too.

I was glad on the other hand that Jim is interested to collaborate with Anakbayan as he recognizes that Anakbayan is strong in Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela – the places of his interest for a possible second installment of the film.  He said that we could hold workshops for freestyle rappers and for acting among the youths in the communities.  He invited us (me and Sarah) to watch as guests this evening.

Sarah wasn’t able to make it.  I saw at the UP Film Center Syke (a member of Anakbayan in Iligan who performed in the Kiwi, Ka Bel@Kalayaan event), and a handful of activists.  More tibaks saw Tribu yesterday.

The audience generally appreciated the film.  They applauded.  I know several people who are very disappointed though.  What do I think of it?  I think it’s good, except for several extended and unnecessary scenes.  The concept is fresh (in the indie film scene).  The film highlighted the hip-hop scene among youths in the poor communities.  The actors were good.  The sound was good.  The story may lack the better analysis of and the resolution to the objective conditions of our youths, but it tells about the real life of some of our youths at the least.

We choke. Nausea sets in. We feel like throwing up. The emotions are intense. But there’s rationale in everything we feel. We jitter.  Our hearts pound as we are agitated.  The meaning is enormous with each word we say.  The message in our heads is crying out to be heard, and then we release it.

With every calculation, with every expectation, with every passion, we deliver the words.

The words are so sharp that they slice through apologists and oppressors.  The meaning rages with our voices that echo through the channel.  We hope that we are being heard, and that we are being understood.    We speak because we need to reach out.  We speak because we need to break free from the shackles of apathy and suppression.

As we speak, as we write.

                                          

Words are bullets that could pierce the oppressive eyes.  Words could be so precise –and yet so vague— that they can open a wounded heart.  Words could be so sharp that we use them to battle against the enemy.

But we also use them to unite minds and will.  We write the words, and in the process choose whom to serve.  We write what we can speak, and what we cannot.  Nonetheless, we choose to write.  To get our message across.

As we speak, as we write.