Accumulated rainfall today (472mm in 22 hours) has now surpassed Ondoy’s rainfall (455mm in 24 hours). [via Nababaha]

• Donations for eLBi victims: Municipal Action Center, 2nd Floor, Old Municipal Hall or Social Welfare Dev’t Office, Ground Floor
• Donations for Laguna/Cavite through the UPLB University Student Council, Save The People Corps. Vega Center, Los Banos.

The Lipa Archdiocesan Social Action Commission (LASAC) is now accepting donations for relief operations. You could donate:

1. Food (canned goods, water, ready to eat food)
2. Cash donations

We specially appeal for food rather than used clothes. Salamat po ng marami. 

Makipag-ungnayan sa LASAC Office at the Lipa Archdiocesan Pastoral Center (at the old MCSH Convent, Sabang, Lipa City). Call us at 043-756-5581

Yes, this is the Front Page of the Inquirer Today

Yesterday was no ordinary Sunday. It was a great day for sports fans. There was the much-anticipated fight between Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather Jr. (with a dash of 50 Cent and Justin Bieber) and the do-or-die PBA Championship match between Tim Cone’s B-Meg and Chot Reyes’ Talk N’ Text. It was also a great day for geeks and astronomy enthusiasts with the ‘super moon’, where the moon is at its closest approach to the earth.

Just when most of us thought it would be a fun and action-filled Sunday, it turned out to be action-filled in a violent way. A brawl erupted at NAIA Terminal 3 when Raymart Santiago with six other men ganged up on Philippine Daily Inquirer Columnist and one quarter of the balls-incarnated Tulfo Brothers, Ramon, for taking photos of the former’s wife, Claudine Barreto. According to Ramon, he noticed a woman giving a stewardess a dressing down over an off-loaded luggage. He also said that he did not recognized the woman, whom he described as matronly-looking with a pretty face, as actress Claudine Barreto.

Minutes after the incident, as expected, the internet through various forms of social media erupts with taunts and jeers. In a country where these fights are considered ‘entertainment’, especially if it involves known personalities, it is but expected to be the instant talk of the town. And to spice things up, the footage of the actual brawl spread on the internet and is considered far better than the defunct MTV show, Celebrity Deathmatch.

The fiasco is far from over as both parties are threatening to sue each other in court. And I expect this to be the content of tabloids and showbiz-oriented shows for weeks to come.

But I did not expect what I saw this morning.

In today’s issue my favorite broadsheet Philippine Daily Inquirer, the banner story came to me as a shocker. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, they put yesterday’s airport brouhaha in the front page as the main headline. At first, I was disgusted and I felt a little disrespect for the broadsheet but things eventually came down on me. 1. Ramon Tulfo is one of theirs. He is a columnist and and announcer for Radyo Inquirer. 2. Maybe because it was a slow news day yesterday? Over the past days, the headlines are all about the recently-concluded ADB Governor’s meeting (which, I believe, millions of Filipinos, including me, don’t know what that is all about). And the event was the biggest news yesterday? 3. Or is just an ice breaker for the bloody return of the impeachment trial. Or not. Whatever.

I have no idea why the editors chose this as their banner story, which, in my opinion, appears to be tabloid-ish. Well, in the country where there are no clear boundaries politics, showbiz, and whatnots, what would you expect?

And to add insult to the injury, here at Juan Republic, let us dig further into the issue. Screw the impeachment trial! This is more exciting. The following items are satirical and should be taken with a grain of salt:

• Moonsanity. Let us blame the moon’s gravitational pull. Maybe, in yesterday’s super moon, the moon approached the earth too close and its gravity sucked the fluids and loosen a few sanity screws and temper bolts of these individuals. Yes, the moon is that powerful.
• Camera Obscura. According to NAIA General Manager Angel Honrado, there were no CCTVs at the carousel area of the NAIA Terminal 3. Congratulations and good luck to your luggage. Now the criminal minds know where the airport’s vulnerability is. Wait, how much again is the terminal fee at our world-class airport? Is it worth the price?
• Airport Security. Have you seen the video of the brawl? If you were keen enough to observe, you will see helpless airport security guards who were no match to break off the power of action star Raymart Santiago and former mermaid Claudine Barreto. Wow. It seems like security can be a factor to put NAIA at the list of the world’s worst airport again. Again, congratulations. 
• Matrona+Hulk=Clash of the Titans. According to Mon Tulfo’s version of the story, he did not immediately recognized the woman as Claudine Barreto. He described her to members of the Press in an interview as “tumaba at mukhang matrona”. What a deadly combo! I expect a monster worse than the Hulk in the days to come. (Speaking of which, I wonder if Hulk’s character is a woman, how worse could she get with all the stress and PMS. Damn. I cannot fathom. But that’s another story.)
• Mythbusters. It has been a long-time tsismis that Claudine and Raymart’s marriage is on the rocks and the two are already separated. Well, here it is, the proof of their happy and action-filled bond as husband and wife. I’m sorry showbiz writers, the myth has been busted this time.
• In Character. Aside from being an action star, I remember Raymart most with the TV shows Kool Ka Lang, Bantatay, and Futbolilit. Apparently, Raymart lost his Kool Ka Lang attitude when he saw his wife being being aggravated, that’s why he showed his Bantatay instinct and futbolilit-ed Mon Tulfo’s helpless face. Boom! And as for Claudine, I only remember her as Via from Mula sa Puso and as the mermaid Marina. Other than that, nada. Wait, what’s her latest known character anyway?
• Band of Brothers. Most of us know that the Tulfo Brothers (Mon, Ben, Raffy, and Erwin) are known for being maangas, walang inuurungan, and being authoritative. In other words, bayag-incarnated. Now, it seems that one of them, the eldest, has met his match with the Mr. and Mrs. Santiago. what would be the next episode of this fiasco? Earlier this morning, Erwin Tulfo in his radio program, invited Raymart Santiago et al for a coffee. Yes, coffee. I just hope that there are no biscuits, sandwiches, candies, korniks, and a bangka ng sakla with this invitation. If you know what I mean.

After making sawsaw and dissecting some parts of this issue, let us look at the bigger picture: airline services, privacy, and respect.

The problem started with an off-loaded (missing) luggage of the Barreto’s by carrier Cebu Pacific. Barreto, in her anger, scolded and threw hurtful words to the helpless stewardess. Tulfo, being a journalist, seeing the helpless attendant, tried to document the whole incident.

The problem of Cebu Pacific’s handling of the passenger’s luggage has been repeatedly criticized by Mon Tulfo (in his column) and other passengers. Maybe, this incident will be an eye-opener and a lesson for the company to fix the mess of their services. Maybe, the Santiagos and Tulfo are the shameful sacrificial lambs (pardon me for those words) to fix the service of this carrier.

The second thing is respect. Just because you are well-known and may kaya, do you really have to put this helpless flight attendants into shame by throwing harsh words to them? Yes, it is a fact that there are lapses with their services but that doesn’t mean you have the right to treat these persons as shits. The customer is not always right.

And the last thing is privacy. In today’s age of digital cameras, smart phones, and internet, it seems that the notion of privacy is nothing but an abstract concept. Take this as an example: As long as you have a camera and a decent internet connection, you can easily shoot a video of a person (even without their consent) and upload it online. Let’s say that it is for the purpose of news and evidence but what are the parameters? What are the things that you can or cannot share online? Do we have the liberty, for the sake of freedom of information, to share these stuff online? This is still a subject to debate and legislation. Mahaba-habang inuman pa ‘to.

Some people would say that this is just nothing but a cheap fight between two prominent personalities. Some would enjoy this just as much as they enjoy watching Tiyang Amy’s Face to Face. But there is bigger picture here.

It just sucks to realize that while all the attention of the public is focused on this incident, some important issues are neglected - poverty, corruption, land reform, freedom of information, and impunity.

Welcome to the Philippines!

It’s the time of the year when we salute the women whose womb brought us and whose breasts, we nursed. We have different and unique yabang stories about how great, cool, and loving our mothers are. I have already shared this to my old readers last year but let me share this again to you, my own yabang anecdote about my beloved Nanay:

The year was 2010. After months of being a bum after quitting my work as a researcher in UP Manila, I landed a job as an editor in a publishing company. And since I learned about the Eraserheads: The Head Set earlier that year (when rumors began to spread like wildfire on the internet), I made a vow to myself to allot a portion of my paycheck for the box set - no matter how expensive it would cost me.

The Box Set was released on September 9, 2010 - and I still haven’t received my paycheck. I was in panic. Since the box set is limited, I feared that I will not be able to buy myself a copy. I also feared that the box set will not be available here in the Southern Luzon area (you know, some music materials are just too Metro Manila-centered).

I received my paycheck by mid-September and the first thing that I did was to go to the nearest (and only) Greenwich here in Los Baños. I asked the crew if they have the Heads Set. And the rest was months of nostalgia, rockin’ with the Eraserheads.

As most of you who have the Heads Set, the box includes a coffee table book/ lyric sheet/ photo album (I don’t know how to exactly call it), complete albums, EPs, and a DVD, and the Heads Set Shirt.

Now, the Heads Shirt came in free-size-one-size-fits-all-that’s-a-fuckin’-fashion-discrimination!  And if you who know me personally, you know that that shirt will not fit me - and I rarely wear body fits (bakat ang man-boobs pare!). So I decided to just hang it in my room for art’s sake, for bragging, and for future self-centered consumption (I just love to use that word).

Months went by and the shirt still hangs in my room. One day, my Nanay entered the room and asked me: “Aanhin mo yan kung hindi mo isusuot? Sayang lang ang Pho 2, 500 mo.”

Jokingly, I replied “Kapag pumayat ako, maisusuot ko na yan”.

“Ipahiram mo na lang muna sa akin. Ako ang magsusuot.”, she replied.

At first, I was taken aback. My Nanay will wear an Eraserheads shirt? Is she trying to be bagets or what? I can accept it if my father wears this shirt (because he is jeprox and young at heart) but my conservative Nanay? She got to be kidding.

I asked her, “Seryoso kayo?”.

“Oo nga!”, she replied.

And she removed the shirt from the hanger, went to the other room, and wore my shirt. And it fits her perfectly. Panalo!

This is the modern world where being fit and sexy is in and being fat with man-boobs is a big no. It’s just so unfair for us fatties. Come on self-proclaimed fashion experts! There are more of us who are not sexy, fit, and macho. The world is full of non-sexy and non-fit individuals. You should consider us whenever you make these shirts.

Okay, enough of the ranting. Alam ko namang olats ako diyan at kailangan ko na talagang magpapayat. Hindi na din kasi healthy.

I have cool parents. It’s good to see them having the same trip and vibes as ours. They borrow and listen to my CDs. They watch the same TV series as mine. And they both love the Eraserheads.

Nanay, you can wear that shirt forever if you want to. It’s all yours. I can buy you more Eraserheads shirt if you want to. Keep your cool. I love you po! :’)

__________

I don’t have a perfect mother - we all are. And sometimes, whenever I lose my temper or just under the weather, I treat my mother’s imperfections as a curse. It has always been my temptation (and I am struggling to fight it day after day) to look at my Nanay’s imperfection as something that the universe has conspired to punish me. And I hate myself for that.

But whenever I hear her story, I understand her. It’s inspiring to hear the stories of her youth. I almost cried when I heard that she has to stop going to school for a year because of her health conditions and how she struggled to be a working student and pay for her own school fees. I laugh whenever I hear her stories of youth, crazy office tales, and day-to-day experiences. Hearing her story made me understand my Nanay more. I guess I have to hear from her more in order for me to view her imperfections as a blessing. How about you? When was the last time that you had a heart-to-heart to your Nanay?

When I was young, I hated my mother for not letting me listen to the music of the Eraserheads. She always treat it as a noise and not a real music.

But now things have changed. She sings with me whenever I play Eraserheads (and Beatles) songs in the guitar and the piano. She even borrowed some of my CDs to listen in her computer in the office. And the last time I heard, she’s singing Super Bass, Bad Romance, and Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People. Yes, you have read that right.

I guess music, being the universal language, helped us to understand each other.

And the last time I checked, my Eraserheads shirt is still in her closet.

__________

Thank you, Nanay, for all the things that you have done for us. Thank you for being a good mother, a good wife, and a good friend. I am sorry for being a pain in the ass sometimes (or most of the time). that is how I show my tough love (Nuks!).

May the Good Lord bless you with good health and a happier life. Madaming rounds pa ng Scrabble ang lalaruin natin at madami pang bote ng alak ang patutumbahin natin.

To the womb that bore me, and the breasts at which I nursed, I love you. Happy Mother’s Day po, Nanay!

Rakenrol!

‘Inay’

Sa mahinahong paalam ng araw Sa pag-ihip ng hanging kahapunan Balabal ko’y init ng ‘yong pag-ibig Sa dapit-hapong kay lamig Mga bituin kay agang magsigising Umaandap, mapaglaro man din Iyong ngiti hatid nila sa akin Sa diwa ko’t panalangin 

Puso ko’y pahimlayin Inay Upang yaring hamog Ng gabing tiwasay Ay madama ko bilang damping Halik ng ‘yong Anak Ay! Irog kong inay 

Sa palad niyo itago aking palad Aking bakas sa inyong bakas ilapat At iuwi sa tahanan kong dapat Sa piling ng inyong Anak 

Puso ko’y pahimlayin Inay Upang yaring hamog Ng gabing tiwasay Ay madama ko bilang damping Halik ng ‘yong anak Ay! Irog ko, O Ina kong mahal! Irog kong Inay

This is one of my favorite songs. It is written by a Jesuit and this is actually intended as a Liturgical song attributed to our Blessed Mother Mary. And I am sharing this beautiful song to you in this special occasion dedicated for the woman that we all love the most - our mother.

Happy Mother’s Day to our Nanay, Inay, Ina, Mama, Mamu, Mom, Ma-dear, Mother, Inang Mother, Mommy, and Lola. Let us treat this day as a day to show our love and to thank them for all the things that she has done for us.

And let us also pray for those mothers who are abandoned by their children and those who are suffering and treating motherhood as a curse and not a blessing.

Salamat at mahal na mahal kita, Inay.

• I will watch MNL 143 this weekend. They will have a screening this Saturday at SM City, Lipa, Batangas and I heard from the director’s wife that they will sell copies of the movie’s soundtrack for 250 pesos. Interesting.
• I have been hearing the words ‘What the actual fuck?’ from kids over the past days. I have a serious concern though. If there is an actual fuck, is there a potential fuck?
• I have been trying to revive this blog and write topics about hazing, MMDA, cyber bullying, Cynthia Alexander, books, graphic novel, music, politics, and pop culture. But I just can’t seem to finish those articles. So far, they are stuck in my drafts, waiting for me to finish them and click the ‘publish’ button. It has been over a month since I last wrote a decent article. And I don’t know what seems to be the problem.
• We are living in a mad world and everybody wants to rule it. Everyday, I see superheroes, Messiahs, and God’s gifts to mankind.
• I want to get this thing out of my chest but I find it impossible to do it without hurting people. Then it occurred to me. I would just turn this rage and personify those persons into fictional characters in this crazy project that I am brewing.
• Please be reminded that my posts should be taken with a grain - or a teaspoon - of iodized salt.

My newly purchased copies of Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Volumes One and Two. I just have to buy them because they are on sale. I got these two books for just 400 pesos. (Taken with Conyogram)

Taken from ‘There’s A Lonely Road To Sunday Night’ by Ciudad. Best part of this music video? Dawn Zulueta’s smile.

This day marks the 33rd month, the 1,004th day of the infamous Ampatuan Massacre, a horrible event in our history where 58 people were killed, 34 of whom were journalists or working for the broadcast industry. Justice is yet to be served, but do you still care?

It seems like the attention of the public on this issue is slowly going to the depths of the abyss of the forgotten. It’s in one of the infamous characteristics of the Filipinos. We have a short attention span. We tend to forget our past easily. Mabilis makalimot. Mabilis magpatawad. Or it is being overshadowed by other news and events.

As of writing, the nation is in grief with the sudden demise of a great man, a great leader, and a great family man, DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo (together with two pilots Jessup Bahinting and Kshitz Chand). He was known to be one of, if not the best Secretary the DILG has ever had. His programs and reforms, most notably the Seal of Good Housekeeping, kept the municipalities and cities striving to perform better. 

Or perhaps we no longer care about the issue anymore? As I write this piece, the local Twitter trending topics are filled with obscure statements of support for these pseudo-reality love teams and famewhores. I have always believed that the trending topics on Twitter in a particular country reflects its people’s priority, interest, and views. It’s a tragedy that these fantards behind the so-called ‘jeje trends’ on Twitter seem to be more influential than the people behind the voices of reform, vital information, advocacy, and policy making. What a shame! 

By letting this event just pass us by our consciousness, it would appear that we are condoning the perpetrators of this crime. Or depriving justice to the victims and their families. Or killing the fifty-eight victims repeatedly. 

The victims’ death will not be given justice if the perpetrators of the crime are not prosecuted and punished. A great man’s death would be in vain if his good works, programs, and legacy are not carried forward.

The victims of this gruesome massacre died doing what is right - the victims, in the sense of a change of leadership by means of a lawful and honest election and the mediamen, by telling their (victims’) story and by acting as our eyes, ears, and mouthpiece of that event.

Personally, I think Sec. Jesse Robredo gave as an example of what it takes to be a leader - that you can lead and uplift people’s way of lives without the use of violence and intimidation; that you can be a great and beloved leader despite of the the notion of the general public in politics as dirty; that you can lead a city for a long time and still be loved and trusted by the people; and that you can be a leader in its truest essence - a servant-leader.   

This massacre is caused by the warlord’s struggle to keep their power and to protect their self-interest against any possible threats. Bad politics, bad leadership, and people continuously feeding these beasts by means of the culture of tolerance, impunity, and patronage politics. But we have seen that it is not impossible to have a good, efficient, and selfless leader to rule among us.

One of the factors why these horrible events happen is because nobody seems to be punished. People choose to be silent for fear of retribution. People choose not to speak out to avoid trouble for them and their family. We are allowing the culture of impunity in our country

Impunity. Kawalang pakundangan. It’s like saying “Go ahead, kill everyone who are against your plans! Shoot the story tellers! We allow murder in our country! No one is punished by the way.”

And we don’t want it that way, right? So what can we do as an ordinary citizen?

1. Never forget. Let us always put the Ampatuan massacre into consciousness. One way of doing it is to post something about it every 23rd of the month for everyone to see (on Facebook, Twitter, and in your blogs). This will help those who have forgotten to remember.
2. Be an educated and wise voter. The Ampatuan massacre is an election-related violence which involves (an alleged) private army. Choose your leaders wisely. Do not be swayed by their goods during the campaign season.
3. Be vigilant. Stay on guard, be watchful. Let us be our brother’s keeper. And let us keep an eye on the proceedings of the trial (even if it takes 55,000 years, according to Atty. Harry Roque).

It is painful to admit that the wheels of justice in our country are not well-oiled, causing it to roll slowly. And it is more heart-wrenching to know that the witnesses of this massacre are either being killed one-by-one or being abducted never to be seen again.

But let us not give up, let us not lose hope. As cliche as it may sound, the only way for evil people to triumph - or the culture of impunity to prevail in this country - is for good and responsible people to do nothing.

Let us chase Lady Justice no matter how exhausting, no matter how it seems to be hopeless, and no matter how long it takes.

Justice for the Victims of the Ampatuan Massacre. Never Forget. Never again.  

Elsewhere:

• 1,000 Days without Justice - Interakaksyon.com’s comprehensive page  about the Ampatuan Massacre, the continuing battle of the bereaved family members, and the continuing search for justice.

Photo courtesy of Philstar.com’s editorial cartoon.

Two Years after the Bloodbath

Exactly two years ago, on the day after the bloodbath at the Quirino Grandstand, this was the headline of The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Yesterday marked the second year of the infamous Manila Hostage Tragedy where 8 Hong Kong tourists died when dismissed police officer Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza hijacked a tourist bus carrying 25 people in an attempt to get his job back.

Yesterday’s commemoration may have been overshadowed by other issues and events (Sen. Tito Sotto’s alleged plagiarism and his staff’s moronic defense and the sudden death of DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo, to name some) but this tragic event in our history is still fresh in my mind, as if it happened just recently.

I was then in between doing my editing works and procrastinating on Tumblr when the news broke out the morning of August 23, 2010. Having seen a similar situation years before when Jun Ducat held hostage preschool students in a bus, I told myself that this will also come to a peaceful end. I even exchanged some good laughs and ideas with an online buddy, Tita Marj, about the possibility of creating a biopic for Captain Mendoza and guessing who would be the best actor to portray him (I personally chose Efren Reyes Jr. and Spanky Manikan for the role).

The whole afternoon and early evening went by with me tweeting and posting some stuff on Tumblr about the hostage crisis, my opinion, my rant against Captain Mendoza, on how would it affect our image to the international community, and being glued on the evening news on television, monitoring the events.

And then the unexpected came. The whole country - and perhaps the whole world - was in shock.

Most of us, I think, were glued then on the television and have watched the events that lead to a bloodbath. Those who have no television during that time resorted to social media, blogging site Tumblr included, for updates. My dashboard became a news feed of sort, thanks to the Tumblristas who posted the events (and opinion) on the blogging platform. (There was even a pun created during that time on David Karp’s cyber empire. Tumblr became ‘Tumblr Patrol’ in reference to the blow by blow posting of events just like in the news program ‘TV Patrol’.)

After the tragic event, the eyes of the whole world were glued to our country and the then two-month old Aquino administration was put under the spotlight of local and international ridicule. The Pinoy culture of ‘mas magaling ang miron’, ‘sisihan’ and ‘turuan’ were seen days after the event. Memes about how pulpol our policemen were spread on various social media. Angry Facebook users stormed the Facebook page of President Aquino (that lead to its early demise and reconstruction). And to make things worse, photos of policemen and students who were taking pictures with the ill-fated bus spread on the internet (that added to the anger of the citizens of Hong Kong.) 

It has been repeatedly said that no one wanted this to happen. Our country has repeatedly apologized to the victims. But is an apology enough? No. Is justice served to the victims? Apparently, even after two years, not yet.

Yesterday, the families of eight Hong Kong victims who were killed in the hostage crisis stormed our consulate in Hong Kong as they demand for an apology from our Government. And two years after the tragedy, Hong Kong has not lifted its ‘black’ travel warning that discourages its residents from travelling to the Philippines. (It was originally issued on the day of the hostage taking.)

I understand the grief of the victims’ kin. Two years after the event, only one among those who were recommended to be accountable was punished and sacked from office (the alleged extortionist ex-Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez III who is one of the causes of captain Mendoza’s outrage). I personally read the recommendation of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) soon after the document was made public and I was disappointed to learn that some of their recommendations were not followed by the Palace. For instance, they did not follow the recommendation of the IIRC to sanction PNP Chief director General Jesus Versoza, Manila City Vice Mayor Isko Salvador, and DILG Undersecretary Rico Puno (the latter, allegedly, was saved because he was the President’s shooting buddy).

But to be fair, I commend the current administration in their efforts in their drive against corruption. We do not want to make another Captain Mendoza among the civilians and our servicemen. It will be remembered that one of the reasons why Captain Mendoza hijacked the bus was the alleged corruption (and bribery for his pending case) on the Office of the Ombudsman.

Two years have passed and although justice is yet to be fully served on the victims, we can see some changes on the system. There’s already a new Ombudsman in the person of Conchita Carpio-Morales. With the sudden death of Sec. Jesse Robredo, the clamor of the public for a clean and honest governance has increased. With the appointment of the new Chief Justice, Maria Lourdes Sereno, hopefully, there is a drastic change in our judiciary. And with the active participation of the people through social media, I think, we are getting closer to the dream of having a clean system.

But before all of these good things to materialize, let us not forget that there are grieving relatives of the victims, there are accountable persons who are yet to be sanctioned, and there is still an elusive justice that is yet to be served.

And I hope this would never happen again. Never again.

Elsewhere:

• Manila Hostage Tragedy Survivors call for an Apology from Philippine Government - Two years after the tragedy, the cry of the victims’ families remains the same.
• Who were Accountable for the Manila hostage Crisis?  During the commemoration of the first anniversary of the tragedy, GMA News Online looks back at the personalities held liable for the tragedy and examines if justice has indeed been served to the eight victims of dismissed policeman Rolando Mendoza, who was himself killed in a police assault viewed live worldwide.

Ms. Korina Sanchez wants it that way.

(GIF courtesy of Ren) 

Nanood ako ng tatlong maikling dula kanina sa NCAS Auditorium dito sa UPLB. Ang mga dula (Pulo’t Gata, Our Lady of Arlegui, Balang Araw) ay isinulat ng premyadong direktor at manunulat na si Chris Martinez. Ang bagsik ng istorya at atake ng mga nagsiganap. Saludo ako sa mga estudyante ng Theater Communication Class (Thea 107) ng Department of Humanities at kay Ginoong Chris Martinez. (Taken with Jologram)

Over the past years, I have been hearing things like “Marcos was the best President” and “Mas okay pa nung Martial Law” from kids who weren’t even born/living during that time. Maybe this article would help you fix your ‘bad history’.

Got our tickets for the Ang Nawawala screening this afternoon. My body is ready! (Taken with Jejegram)

My sister and I are very lucky to receive this Ang Nawawala movie poster from the producers. Maraming salamat po!

And now for the obligatory movie review…I hope I don’t get lazy to write and finish it. Wait for it. Or don’t. 

“Rochel” -A documentary about the victims of the eLBi killings and the “old Los Baños”. Interesting.

I grew up in the nineties. And just as what most of us knew, the number twenty-three (23) in that era is synonymous to one person– Michael Jordan. I may be wrong but I think most of the young boys during that time wanted to be like His Airness when they grow up – including me.  Most of my boy classmates in school are bragging their latest ‘Jordan shoes’ (the Nike Air Jordan series).  And I even had a Michael Jordan poster and jersey when I was about eight years old.

Odd as it may sound, I have a huge respect for the number twenty-three when I was a kid (Well, until Lebron James used it. But that’s another story.). For me, it signifies greatness, excellence, and authority. I even had a notion that whenever a basketball player wears a jersey no. 23, whether it is on major leagues or the baranggay liga, heis the team’s captain. Unfortunately, I have to give up my basketball dreams. I have poor eyesight and I have discovered that I will not excel on that field.

I have given up my dream to be a basketball superstar but not my respect for the man. I may have forgotten the number of NBA cards that I have collected in the past but not his legacy. There is something in Michael Jordan that I have admired aside from his basketball skills – his perseverance and determination.

But what’s with the number twenty-three and Michael Jordan?

Today, I silently celebrated my twenty-third birthday. ‘Silently’ because I have disabled my birthday on Facebook on purpose and I did not flaunt it on Twitter (and resort to the desperate, fame whore-ish move ‘Let’s make #HappyBirthdayJuanRepublic trend’). I did that because I do not want to receive an ‘obligatory greeting’ just because they saw it on the web. And I made this day different from the other years by not throwing a celebration. Instead, I silently reflected on what I have become over the past year and how am I going to ‘improve’ it. I dealt upon my success and mistakes, achievements and failures, and thought of my goal and ‘back-up’ plan for the future.

This year has been tough for me. I thought that I would somehow make an ‘improvement’ from my past mistakes. But most of my plans and goals did not materialize. I thought of myself as a failure. Looking back to my teenager self, I saw myself as an ambitious, strong, young man full of potential. But I see myself now as an exact opposite. There were times, out of depression, that I thought of doing something crazy. This may come as a surprise but I had suicidal thoughts in the past. And I feel bad for myself for having those thoughts. I was wrong.

Today, I used those things that depress me to be my inspiration. I looked up for my old published articles, blog entries, and reflection papers. Instead of having a feeling of regret for not fulfilling the dreams of a younger me, I saw it as an inspiration – as a source of positive energy. I saw my younger self as an optimistic young man – so why change into a pessimist? I was bubbly, extrovert, and a positive young man. There was even an incident in the past when my boss said that she envies how easily I earn the trust of people (which is an important tool in our field of work). I have done it in the past – so why can’t I do it now? I want to and I have to.

Today, I also learned what hinders me to be successful. I am full of pride. I don’t want to commit mistakes. Or rather, I am afraid to commit mistakes. I am afraid to be a laughing stock. I have only worked within my comfort zone. I played safe. I was afraid to take risks. I was wrong.

Reflecting with Michael Jordan and the number twenty-three, I came across on one of his famous words: “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

If Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player in the history of the NBA, was not afraid to commit mistakes, I do not see a reason to make ‘fear’ my excuse. If he became great by failing over and over again, so am I.

Aside from feeling bad for myself for being a ‘failure’, what hurts me more is to see my contemporaries (friends and former classmates) who are now successful in their field of work. Some are working for a good company/institution; some are sent by their company abroad; and some are, there, happily married (For the record, I do not envy them – yet.).

But how does one measure success? Good work? Fat salary? Happy marriage? Investments? Or getting all of them at a young age? I beg to differ. History has shown us people who succeeded long after they should have quit – during the later age of their lives. Alan Rickman got his first movie role at the age of 46. Peter Roget invented the Thesaurus at the age of 73. The author of the book Apocalypse Now, Jozef Teodor Konrad Nalecz Korzeniowski, was a sailor, drifter, and part-time criminal until the age of 37. An unemployed Nurse, Kathryn Joosten, became an Emmy award winning actress at 56. Colonel Sanders was 65 when he launched Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). And our very own Lilia Cuntapay got her first starring role in the movie Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay at the age of 76.

The above-mentioned people have inspired me not to give up. Don’t lose hope. Don’t give up. A proper time for one’s shining moment will come. As what they say, age is just a number. It is not the measure one’s worth and significance.

This is probably quarter-life crisis. But I am still young. I am just twenty-three. I have a life ahead of me. It is not yet too late to restart again and carve my own story.

This journey of 23 years was both fun and painful. And I would like to start a new journey with hopes and dreams that this will also be a good one. Let’s aim for 90 years? Why not? If the Japanese can do it, why can’t I?

Thank you everyone for (wasting) spending your time reading this. I hope that you will also be part of my journey, Let’s walk together into the fullness of life.

May the Summum Bonum bless us. Padayon!

P.S. After nine (9) months of not having a haircut, I finally decided to have one yesterday. I said goodbye to my Beatle-turned-rugged hairstyle. I look younger and, er, cleaner with my new hair. Well, I think that’s a good start for my journey. And please, excuse my unflattering photo.

May ilang linggo na ang nakakaraan, tinanong ako ni Ginoong Dexter Balita kung maaari ba akong makapanayam para sa isyu ng Tumblr Magazine para sa buwan ng Hunyo. At dahil interesado ako sa paksang pag-uusapan - at kating-kati na akong magsulat nang tungkol dito, hindi ko nga lang alam kung paano magsisimula - agad akong sumang-ayon.

Madalas akong mairita sa mga nakikita ko sa Twitter ngayon. Malayong-malayo na siya sa Twitter na kinamulatan ko halos tatlong taon na ang nakakaraan. Masyado nang maingay, siksikan, at natatakluban ng mga walang kuwentang bagay (tungkol sa mga artista, palabas, love team, at mga pa-kyut na kabataan) ang mahahalagang impormasyon. Kaya’t kung pareho tayo ng nararamdaman at obserbasyon, inaanyayahan kitang maglaan ng kaunting panahon - mga limang minuto - upang basahin ang mga nakasulat dito.

Narito ang bunga ng aking angas, opinyon, pagka-badtrip, isang litro ng Emperador Light, at apat na tasa ng Kopiko Kopiccino.

P.S. Pasensya na. Wala akong masyadong matinong litrato. Pero oo, mas guwapo ako sa personal. Itanong mo pa sa kanila.

                                     “TRENDING IS TRENDING”

Konting kibot, trending. Konting pagkakamali, trending. Mga mumunting bagay na di mo naman kalimitang naiisip pero kaya nilang palawigin at ipaalam sa buong mundo. In this rare interview with John Ebora, tumblr’s @juanrepublic, we’ll get to know how trending on twitter became a trend, why on earth it’s becoming a virtual phenomenon and what the fuck happened to this generation.

***

TUMBLR MAG: Anong masasabi mo kasalukuyang kalagayan ng Entertainment industry ng bansa kung saan tila napaka laking bagay na para sa ibang tv shows na mag ‘trend’ sa twitter? Hashtag dito, hashtag doon. Tila dito na umiikot ang bagong depinisyon ng kasikatan para sa ilang palabas eh. Kahit sa radyo, kung nabalitaan mo ang #charicepempengcosextape na kagagawan ni Mo Twister. 

JUANREPUBLIC: Noong panahong kani-kanina, nasabi kong ito yung panahon kung saan ang influence ng isang tao ay nasusukat sa dami ng kaniyang followers sa Twitter at ang significance ng isang bagay, sa kung ito’y naging trending topic. Na tila ba ang importansiya ng isang tao o bagay ay nakadepende kung ‘nagmarka’ siya sa Twitter.

At hindi dito nagpapahuli ang mga TV shows natin. Halos lahat yata, kung hindi man karamihan, ay may nakalagay na hashtag sa gilid ng TV screen habang ipinapalabas ang programa sa layuning maging ‘trending’, o sa mas diretsahang pananalita, sa layuning maging pag-uusapan ng karamihan. At kung wala mang hashtag na nakalagay sa gilid, mismong mga artista na bahagi ng palabas na iyon – o ang kanilang mga kampon na mga die-hard fans na may sapat na dami ng followers – ang siyang magpapasimula ng ‘trend’ – kahit gaano pa ito ka-obscure o kasakit sa matang tingnan dahil sa sobrang haba (Halimbawa: #InihatidNiGinoSiMikay o kaya #DalawangExHousematesNiKuyaOnKrisTV – Punyeta! Pakialam ko diyan?!).

Sa isang banda ay mainam itong pang-akit ng mga manonood and in the long run, mga advertisers. Makikita sa mga palabas na nag-trend sa Twiter kung anong palabas ang mas pinag-uusapan o iyong may ‘significance’. Pero dito nga lang ba masusukat ang kasikatan ng isang palabas? Hindi.

Bakit? Ilan lang ba sa ating mga Pinoy ang may Twitter account? Ilan lang sa atin ang may access sa internet? Kakaunting bilang lang. Mas marami pa din ang bilang ng mga Pinoy na wala nito at tanging sa telebisyon lamang nakabase ang impormasyon. Marami sa atin ang ‘walang boses’ sa panahon ng social media. Kaya’t isang napakalaking kabalintunaan ang sabihing ang mga paksa o mga bagay na nagte-trend sa Twitter ay siyang boses ng mamamayang Pilipino. Ito ay boses lamang ng mga mamamayang Pilipino na may Twitter, na may internet, na kayang magbayad para sa ‘luhong’ ito. (‘Luho’ dahil sa tingin ko ay hindi naman siya basic necessity kagaya ng pagkain, damit, masisilungan, kuryente, tubig, at hanapbuhay na pino-problema pa rin ng milyun-milyon nating kababayan.)

Kahit sa radio, madalas na ding labanan ang hashtags. Pero anong istasyon lang ba ang nagtatagisan diyan? Iyon lang bang mga tinatawag na may ‘ABC Market’ na target na mga tagapakinig? Iyon lang bang may mga Inggliserong DJs? (Hindi kasi ako masyadong nakakapakinig doon sa mga tinatawag na ‘masa stations’ kaya hindi ko alam kung may labanan din doon ng Twitter hashtags.) Pero katulad ng sa telebisyon, sino lang ba ang mga nagtatagisan doon sa labanan ng hashtags at trending topics? Iyong mga taong may access.

Nakakalungkot lang isipin na napakalaki ng importansyang ibinibigay sa mga ‘boses’ na nagmula sa social media na tila ba hindi napapakinggan ang mga taong walang Twitter, walang Facebook, at walang kapangyarihan para mapakinggan ang opinion dahil wala silang ‘boses’ sa panahon ng social media.

Nakakalungkot lang na isipin na yung mga itinuturing na palabas na ‘nang-iinsulto sa talino ng mga Pilipino’ at iyong mga artista at feeling artista/importante pero ampaw naman ang mga sinasabi pero itinuturing na ‘gospel truth’ ng karamihan ang madalas kong makitang mag-trend sa Twitter.

Teka, walang basagan ng trip.

TUMBLR MAG: Gaano ka na katagal nagtu-twitter? Sa pamamalagi mo sa microblogging site na yun, paano mo ilalarawan ang mga Pinoy as twitter users? Bakit sa lahat ng users nito worldwide, tila tayo lang ang nag iingay? o imahinasyon ko lang yun?

JUANREPUBLIC: Nagsimula akong gumamit ng Twitter noong July 2009. Bago pa lang siya noon dito sa atin. Na-discover ko siya mula sa mga brodkaster na sina Jove Francisco at Martin Andanar sa now-defunct out-of-the-box news program na TEN (The Evening News) ng TV-5. Karamihan noon, nasa Facebook at Multiply. Pero mas marami, nasa Friendster. Kakaunti pa lang ang mga artista at mga News Agencies na nasa Twitter noon. Hindi pa ganoong ka-big deal ang pagiging trending topic. Wala pang masyadong trolls, bashers, at parody accounts. Wala pang masyadong nag-aaway. Wala pang masyadong nagpapa-trend ng puwersahan. At wala pang mga cutie-patootsie na akala mo’y Diyos na dahil lumampas ng sampung libo ang followers.

Tayo kasing mga Pinoy, palibhasa’y nabubuhay sa isang bansang ‘malaya’, ay natural na expressive. At sa kadahilanang may mga bagay tayong hindi masabi sa ‘tunay na buhay’, nagiging outlet ang Twitter para ditto. Yung mga hindi masabi sa tunay na buhay, madalas, ay sa Twitter nailalabas.

Isa rin sa tingin ko kung bakit naging matagumpay ang Twitter ditto sa atin ay dahil doon sa pakiramdam na mas malapit sa atin ang mga taong hinahangaan natin – artista, model, brodkaster, manunulat, singer, at mga banda. Sa Twitter, nagiging ‘connected’ tayo sa kanila – kahit virtually lang. Nandoon yung pakiramdam na nagiging ‘close’ tayo sa kanila. Kung dati ay kailangan mo pang magpadala ng fan mail para maka-konekta sa kanila, ngayon, puwedeng isang tweet na lang. At natural din kasi sa atin ang makibalita, maki-usyoso, at maki-‘alam’ sa mga pangyayari sa buhay ng iba.

Pagdating naman doon samga bagay na nagte-trend, bida tayong mga Pinoy diyan. Bakit? Sa aking palagay, nandoon kasi yung feeling ng ‘achievement’, ng tagumpay, ng pagiging ‘kilala’, ng pagiging ‘superior’. Ang Twitter ay naging isang libre at medaling avenue para mapag-usapan, maging paksa ng kuwentuhan, at maging ‘matunog’ hanggang sa ibang bansa – kahit sa panandaliang panahon lamang. I mean no disrespect pero sa isang third world country (o siya, developing country na) na halos maya’t maya ang usapang politika, awayan ng mga may kapangyarihan, at krimen, nagiging form of escapism na din ang Twitter at ang pamamayagpag dito. Natatakasan ang reyalidad ng buhay sa pamamagitan ng ‘pakiki-alam’ sa pangyayari sa buhay ng iba o di kaya ay sa paglikha ng mga bagong paksa para pag-usapan.

TUMBLR MAG: Paano mo ika-classify si Juan dela Cruz on twitter? (ex: retweeters, famous, hackers)

JUANREPUBLIC: Sa halos tatlong taon ko sa Twitter at makalipas ang halos 25,000 na tweets, nagkaroon ako ng iba’t ibang klasipikasyon ng mga Noypi sa Twitter. Imbento ko lang ‘to kaya pwede ka ding mag-imbento ng sa’yo.

1. Ordinary Bird – Ordinaryong Twitter user. Nagbabahagi ng bahagi ng istorya ng kaniyang buhay, nagbibigay ng opinion, nagtu-tweet ng quotes, etc. Hindi nagpapapansin, hindi hinahalikan ang puwet ng mga artista.
2. Brodkasters – Obviously, mga broadcaster at ang kanilang mga opinion sa labas ng news room.
3. Policy makers – Madalas mong makitang nakikipagtalastasan sa kapwa Twitter users tungkol sa mga napapanahong isyung political, social, etc.
4. Bloggers/ writers/ artists – Madalas ay nagbibigay ng links tungkol sa latest news, information, etc. Nagbibigay din ng opinion sa mga isyung napapanahon.
5. Sensible Celebrities – Mga artistang may katuturan ang sinasabi. Madals ding makipag-talastasan sa mga policy makers
6. Senseless celebrities – puro self-gratifying tweets, senseless updates, at pakikipag-away sa mga trolls.
7. Parody accounts – I admire these people. Kahit alam mong fake, usually ay satirical ang laman ng tweets nila. At sa mas malalim na pag-unawa, mapapaisip ka talaga. (eg. @AmadoDoronilla @FakeNoynoy @SuperstarMarian)
8. Poser accounts – Medyo malapit sa parody accounts pero usually, paninira sa iba na may halong pagpapatawa ang mga Tweets.
9. Troll accounts – ipinanganak para maghasik ng lagim sa Twitter.
10. Artista Freaks – Ito yung gumagawa ng mga account na solely dedicated sa mga artista – Jhongsters, ViceGandaAddicts, etc. Ang mga tweet e puro paghalik sa puwet ng mga artista at madalas, halos lahat ng tweet ng artistang yun, nire-retweet pa. Dafuq.
11. Famewhores – I got this term from Twitter’s @KrisquinoSTD. Mga ordinaryong tao-turned-cyber ‘celebrity’ na nakalampas lang ng 10,000 ang followers – dahil siguro cute, guwapo, o nakakakilig-pepe ang alindog – e akala mo’y mga panginoon na sa cyber world. Madalas ding mag-causeng trending topics ang mga lecheng ‘to.
12. Minions – Pinsan ng mga artista freaks, ang pinagkaiba lang, die-hard supporters ng mga famewhores. See the difference?

TUMBLR MAG: Kamusta ang kasalukuyang henerasyon ng kabataan?

JUANREPUBLIC: Minsan habang nagliliwaliw ako sa internet, may nabasa akong isang komento tungkol sa latest installment ng PBB – “Ganito na ba ang henerasyon ng kabataan ngayon?”

Isa sa mga madalas na fallacy ng mga tao kapag naghuhusga, nagibigay ng opinion, at nagbabahagi ng obserbasyon ay ang ‘fallacy of generalization’. Mahilig nating gawing ‘kabuuan’ iyong ‘bahagi’ lamang ng reyalidad.

Sa totoo lang, nawalan na ako ng pag-asa sa henerasyong mas bata (ng konti) kesa sa akin. Pero nagkamali ako. Noong nakaraang buwan, nagkaroon ako ng ‘soul searching’ (AKA epic road trip from Lipa City, Batangas to Ormoc City, Leyte). Madami akong nakilalang bagong tao, at karamihan, mga kabataan. At sila yung bumasag sa pagkakakilanlan ko sa mga kabataan na walang pakialam, reckless, makakati ang bayag at Growers, at unti-unting nasisira ang moralidad. Nagkamali ako. Kailangan ko palang tumingin sa ‘ibang perspektibo’.

In general, sa tingin ko, ang mga kabataan ngayon ay progresibo, proactive, at marunong ‘makialam’ sa mga isyu ng bayan – mula sa may kabuluhang national issues ng lipunan at politika hanggang sa pagbibigay ng kuro-kuro sa kanilang mga napapanood sa telebisyon. Gustong marinig ang boses, gusting mapakinggan ang opinion, gusting makibahagi sa mas malawak na talastasan.

Masuwerte ang mga kabataan ngayon. Sa murang edad pa lang. ‘makapangyarihan’ na. Napakamakapangyarihan ng internet – sana lang ay gamitin nila ito nang tama at naaayon. Maging responsable.

*TMPH*

Movies + Books

I was late for the 4:30 PM Sunday Mass yesterday at our Parish (because of the heavy traffic caused by the diaspora of new students/dormers - and their kutsons - to the UPLB campus) so I decided to while away the time at the mall in front of the church and wait for the next, 6:00 PM mass. 

I went to the bargain books shop (not Booksale) at the ground level and I came across these books. I was suppose to buy Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon only but since was placed in the ‘buy one, take one’ shelf, I grabbed William Shakespeare in the Movies as the other half of the purchase.

And believe it or not, I bought these two books for just ninety-nine (99) pesos:

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

I came across the idea six degrees of separation last year after watching the trailer of the movie, Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay. “Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, ‘a friend of a friend’ statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer.” [source] (Though I am familiar with the game of connecting one people to another by means of relationship, I do not know that there is a term for that until last year.)

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is a game based on the concept of the small world phenomenon and rests on the assumption that any individual involved in the Hollywood, California film industry can be linked through his or her roles to actor Kevin Bacon.

This is a trivia/game book that measures one’s BQ (or Bacon IQ). It contains 118 items that ranges from Hollywood’s greatest actors and actresses and television stars to the most obscure monsters and fictional characters. I have already browsed and read some of the items written and I was amazed at how the seemingly irrelevant names and things can be related to Kevin Bacon - in less than six steps. Kevin Bacon is indeed, ‘the center of Hollywood universe’.

Unfortunately, the book was published in 1996 during the height of the game’s popularity and Kevin Bacon has made more films since then. How about I update it personally? Not a bad idea but I think I should watch his previous movies first before doing such an ambitious dream.

Shakespeare in the Movies: From the Silent Era to Today

Honestly, I am not fond of reading the works of William Shakespeare (even though some of them were required readings during my Literature classes back in High School and College). But I am a big fan of the movie and theater adaptations of his works.

I first watched the 1968 Franco Zeffirelli movie adaptation of Romeo and Juliet starring Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey when I was in third year high school and it became one of my all-time favorites (well, probably because of Olivia Hussey’s big heart - if you know what I mean). During the course of my years as a student, I have watched the movie adaptations of some of his works (including the fictional Shakespeare in Love) and when I was a freshman in college, I had the chance to watch The Taming of the Shrew by Repertory Philippines. 

“Shakespeare in the Movies is a comprehensive and entertaining study of the many memorable film versions of Shakespeare’s timeless plays. Arranged in the order the plays were written, this extremely readable guide allows readers to follow Shakespeare’s development as a playwright (and screenwriter), and to compare the filmed versions of the play side by side.” [source] 

I love the movie adaptations of Shakespeare’s works so I thought this book will be a perfect companion to know him better. But after reading some of the book reviews online, I was disappointed to know that this book contains errors and there’s even a request that this book be pulled out of the bookshelves. Well, at least, I have a good place to start and it is up to me to find out what those errors are.

____________

Movies and books are two of my favorite past times and form of intellectual procrastination (Nuks!). I guess after reading these books, I have to dig at the archives (read: torrent files) of some of these classic, great movies.

Now if you may excuse me, I am saying goodbye to my social life for now. Because epistemologically speaking, books are necessary evil.

Au revoir!