SONA 2003
Kumakalat ang abo sa kalangitan.
Di ito maikubli ng araw.
Isinisigaw ng kabundukan
ang mga taludtod ni Andres Bonifacio.
Sa mga lansangan ng lunsod naman,
dumarami ang bumibigkas
sa mga kataga ni Amado Hernandez.
At sa mga destakamento ng militar,
nakaharap ang mga bunganga ng mga baril
sa Malacanang at Aguinaldo:
umaawit ng kantang pandigma.
At ang mga tunog na ito
ay di matabing-tabingan
ng matamis na talumpati
sa Batasang Pambansa.
Thursday, July 31, 2003
Friday, July 25, 2003
ANALYZATION
Sa Ingles, ang pagsusuri ay tinatawag na analysis.
Iyan ang nakamulatan ko, sapagkat lahat ng kinapulutan ko ng kaalaman sa Ingles--mula sa aking naging mga guro hanggang sa napagbabasang manunulat at peryodista--ay ang salitang iyan ang ginagamit. Namulat akong walang alam na salitang Ingles na katumbas ng "pagsusuri" liban sa "analysis". Kaya't ito na rin ang ginagamit ko kapag ako'y sumusulat ng mga artikulo sa Ingles.
Anong laking pagkagulat ko nang kanginang umaga'y nalaman kong may salita palang "analyzation"! Ito'y nang bumili ako sa aming suking tindahan at nataunan ko sa kanilang telebisyon na nagsasalita ang isang bantog na host ng isang programa sa isang pagkalaki-laking himpilan sa telebisyon at kolumnista sa isang pagkalaki-laking arawang pahayagan.
Hindi ko na napakinggan kung anuman ang paksa ng kanyang analyzation--at wala akong pakialam doon--subalit sapat nang dagdag sa aking abang kabatiran ang malamang may salita palang ganito.
Ang naturang TV host at kolumnista ay anak ng isang dating senador at isang dating presidente.
Bukod sa pagiging isang dating senador, ang kanyang ama ay naging peryodista rin noong kabataan nito. Sa ama pa lamang niya ay dapat na niyang natutunang ang katumbas ng "pagsusuri" sa Ingles ay "analysis."
Datapwat di ito nangyari, at hindi na rin naman kataka-taka kung pagpapapakinggan ang hindi na dapat pakinggan at talagang hindi naman namin pinagpapapakinggang pinagsasasabi nito, na kaya lang namin naririnig pa ay sapagkat saanman yatang dako ng Pilipinas ay may nanonood sa kanya--sa di namin malirip na kadahilanan.
At ang nakapagtataka'y nakapagtapos siya ng kursong AB Mass Communications sa isang lubhang bantog na pamantasang Katoliko, at bukod pa rito'y naging isang sikat na TV host at kolumnista pa!
Kayhirap din pala ng hindi maging anak ng isang dating peryodista at senador at isang dating presidente. Kagaya ng minsa'y naikuwento sa akin ng isang dating kaklase sa kolehiyo. Ang valedictorian ng kanilang paaralan nang taong kami'y magtapos ng haiskul ay anak ng isang tsuper ng traysikel. Sapagkat matataas ang marka at nakapagtamo ng pinakamataas na karangalan sa kanilang klase, nagpasya itong uubra siya sa pamantasang pinagtapusan ng tinutukoy naming TV host at kolumnista. Umubra naman siya sapagkat naipasa niya maging ang qualifying examinations sa pagiging iskolar ng naturang pamantasan. Subalit kaunti nang hindi siya makapag-aral doon sapagkat naiwala ng saksakan ng gagaling na administrador at kawani ng pamantasan ang kanyang mga papel.
Samantalang itong pagkatali-talinong TV host at kolumnista, na dapat ay noon pang elementarya nakatuklas na ang katumbas ng "pagsusuri" sa Ingles ay "analysis," ay tinanggap nang walang aberya sa naturang pamantasan, at hinayaang magtapos doon kahit na wala siyang natutunang katumbas ng "pagsusuri" liban sa "analyzation."
Kayhirap din pala ng hindi maging anak ng isang dating peryodista at senador at isang dating presidente. Katulad ni Love Anover, na ang pinanggalingang mga pampublikong paaralan at dating tinirhang barung-barong ay hindi niya ikinakaila. Matapos na maipalabas ang kauna-unahan niyang segment sa The Probe Team, inulan siya ng insulto mula sa ilang henyong manonood, na nagsabing ang kanyang paraan ng pag-uulat (mapagpatawa at may kakulitan) ay nakasisira sa kredibilidad ng naturang programa.
Yaon namang pagkatali-talinong TV host at kolumnista ay malimit na maringgan ng mga salitang siya lamang ang nakaaalam na mayroon pala, ngunit magpahanggang ngayo'y walang napababalitang nagsabing nakasisira siya sa kredibilidad ng mismong mga propesyon ng mga TV host at kolumnista.
Kaysarap palang maging anak ng isang dating peryodista at senador at isang dating presidente.
Sa Ingles, ang pagsusuri ay tinatawag na analysis.
Iyan ang nakamulatan ko, sapagkat lahat ng kinapulutan ko ng kaalaman sa Ingles--mula sa aking naging mga guro hanggang sa napagbabasang manunulat at peryodista--ay ang salitang iyan ang ginagamit. Namulat akong walang alam na salitang Ingles na katumbas ng "pagsusuri" liban sa "analysis". Kaya't ito na rin ang ginagamit ko kapag ako'y sumusulat ng mga artikulo sa Ingles.
Anong laking pagkagulat ko nang kanginang umaga'y nalaman kong may salita palang "analyzation"! Ito'y nang bumili ako sa aming suking tindahan at nataunan ko sa kanilang telebisyon na nagsasalita ang isang bantog na host ng isang programa sa isang pagkalaki-laking himpilan sa telebisyon at kolumnista sa isang pagkalaki-laking arawang pahayagan.
Hindi ko na napakinggan kung anuman ang paksa ng kanyang analyzation--at wala akong pakialam doon--subalit sapat nang dagdag sa aking abang kabatiran ang malamang may salita palang ganito.
Ang naturang TV host at kolumnista ay anak ng isang dating senador at isang dating presidente.
Bukod sa pagiging isang dating senador, ang kanyang ama ay naging peryodista rin noong kabataan nito. Sa ama pa lamang niya ay dapat na niyang natutunang ang katumbas ng "pagsusuri" sa Ingles ay "analysis."
Datapwat di ito nangyari, at hindi na rin naman kataka-taka kung pagpapapakinggan ang hindi na dapat pakinggan at talagang hindi naman namin pinagpapapakinggang pinagsasasabi nito, na kaya lang namin naririnig pa ay sapagkat saanman yatang dako ng Pilipinas ay may nanonood sa kanya--sa di namin malirip na kadahilanan.
At ang nakapagtataka'y nakapagtapos siya ng kursong AB Mass Communications sa isang lubhang bantog na pamantasang Katoliko, at bukod pa rito'y naging isang sikat na TV host at kolumnista pa!
Kayhirap din pala ng hindi maging anak ng isang dating peryodista at senador at isang dating presidente. Kagaya ng minsa'y naikuwento sa akin ng isang dating kaklase sa kolehiyo. Ang valedictorian ng kanilang paaralan nang taong kami'y magtapos ng haiskul ay anak ng isang tsuper ng traysikel. Sapagkat matataas ang marka at nakapagtamo ng pinakamataas na karangalan sa kanilang klase, nagpasya itong uubra siya sa pamantasang pinagtapusan ng tinutukoy naming TV host at kolumnista. Umubra naman siya sapagkat naipasa niya maging ang qualifying examinations sa pagiging iskolar ng naturang pamantasan. Subalit kaunti nang hindi siya makapag-aral doon sapagkat naiwala ng saksakan ng gagaling na administrador at kawani ng pamantasan ang kanyang mga papel.
Samantalang itong pagkatali-talinong TV host at kolumnista, na dapat ay noon pang elementarya nakatuklas na ang katumbas ng "pagsusuri" sa Ingles ay "analysis," ay tinanggap nang walang aberya sa naturang pamantasan, at hinayaang magtapos doon kahit na wala siyang natutunang katumbas ng "pagsusuri" liban sa "analyzation."
Kayhirap din pala ng hindi maging anak ng isang dating peryodista at senador at isang dating presidente. Katulad ni Love Anover, na ang pinanggalingang mga pampublikong paaralan at dating tinirhang barung-barong ay hindi niya ikinakaila. Matapos na maipalabas ang kauna-unahan niyang segment sa The Probe Team, inulan siya ng insulto mula sa ilang henyong manonood, na nagsabing ang kanyang paraan ng pag-uulat (mapagpatawa at may kakulitan) ay nakasisira sa kredibilidad ng naturang programa.
Yaon namang pagkatali-talinong TV host at kolumnista ay malimit na maringgan ng mga salitang siya lamang ang nakaaalam na mayroon pala, ngunit magpahanggang ngayo'y walang napababalitang nagsabing nakasisira siya sa kredibilidad ng mismong mga propesyon ng mga TV host at kolumnista.
Kaysarap palang maging anak ng isang dating peryodista at senador at isang dating presidente.
Saturday, July 12, 2003
CARLOS BULOSAN: PHILIPPINE NATIONAL TREASURE
The expatriate writer Alberto Florentino posted on Plaridel Papers a few comments on and a short selection from his fellow expatriate writer, the late Carlos Bulosan. At the end of his message, he said that Carlos Bulosan is a Philippine National Treasure.
I completely agree.
Among the Filipino writers in English who appeared during the first half of the previous century, Carlos Bulosan is one of those I really look up to.
Not only was he a fine writer who learned complicated literary techniques under conditions not conducive to proper learning. Not only did he have the amazing ability to come up with many of the best collections of works in Philippine literature faster than a mango could ripen.
Besides all these, his convictions were clear, unlike those who presume it fine to have no convictions.
Even when he had only the vaguest notions of politics and philosophy, he already had the beginnings of egalitarian ideas.
He was unequivocably for the common people of whom he was one, the workers and the peasants who comprise the greatest number of Filipinos. He stood for them against exploitation by a few. He faithfully and zealously wrote of their simple dreams and degrading conditions--even to the point of forsaking meals!
He fought a good fight for justice in that land where he and other Filipinos had been going in search of a better life. In the US he fought for the rights of his fellow Filipinos against racial discrimination and against oppression by Big Business. Torture did not prevent him from pursuing the causes he had hurled himself into.
And his life, up to his last breath, was devoted to the cause of justice for all.
By all these Carlos Bulosan is definitely one of the greatest Filipino writers of all time. He is indeed a Philippine National Treasure, and should have been among the first to be given the National Artist Award.
Expanded version of a comment on Plaridel Papers.
The expatriate writer Alberto Florentino posted on Plaridel Papers a few comments on and a short selection from his fellow expatriate writer, the late Carlos Bulosan. At the end of his message, he said that Carlos Bulosan is a Philippine National Treasure.
I completely agree.
Among the Filipino writers in English who appeared during the first half of the previous century, Carlos Bulosan is one of those I really look up to.
Not only was he a fine writer who learned complicated literary techniques under conditions not conducive to proper learning. Not only did he have the amazing ability to come up with many of the best collections of works in Philippine literature faster than a mango could ripen.
Besides all these, his convictions were clear, unlike those who presume it fine to have no convictions.
Even when he had only the vaguest notions of politics and philosophy, he already had the beginnings of egalitarian ideas.
He was unequivocably for the common people of whom he was one, the workers and the peasants who comprise the greatest number of Filipinos. He stood for them against exploitation by a few. He faithfully and zealously wrote of their simple dreams and degrading conditions--even to the point of forsaking meals!
He fought a good fight for justice in that land where he and other Filipinos had been going in search of a better life. In the US he fought for the rights of his fellow Filipinos against racial discrimination and against oppression by Big Business. Torture did not prevent him from pursuing the causes he had hurled himself into.
And his life, up to his last breath, was devoted to the cause of justice for all.
By all these Carlos Bulosan is definitely one of the greatest Filipino writers of all time. He is indeed a Philippine National Treasure, and should have been among the first to be given the National Artist Award.
Expanded version of a comment on Plaridel Papers.
Tuesday, July 08, 2003
GUINGONA FOR PRESIDENT
It has been reported that Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Jr. might run for president in the 2004 elections.
And he should. For Guingona is indeed, among those who have been either rumored or reported to be planning to run for president in 2004, the only one who has any right to be president.
Of course the Constitution provides that any natural-born Filipino citizen who is at least 40 years old, has resided in the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding the prsidential election may be elected president. But these are simply legal rights; by reason only Guingona, among those who are rumored to be or reportedly seeking the presidency, has any right to be president.
For one his record as a nationalist is unassailable. He was among the Magnificent Twelve senators who voted to eject the US military bases from the Philippines in 1991, in effect voting for sovereignty against false security. He would repeat that feat eight years later by voting against the Visiting Forces Agreement. Recently he has also spoken against globalization and pressed for a nationalist economic framework.
As an advocate of social justice Guingona deserves credit as well. As a member of the government peace panel under the Aquino government, he strove to carry on the late Jose W. Diokno's formula for peace: "Food and freedom, jobs and justice." He has recognized the fact that insurgency is rooted in social injustice and has been campaigning for peace with justice. While he as yet has to further clarify his views on this matter, he has shown nonetheless a deep understanding of our past and what it implies for the future.
We all know that he is a fierce opponent of corruption. He was the first high government official to call for the impeachment of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, doing so when the man was at the height of his popularity, and did not care about being branded a Don Quixote then. He would eventually be one of the senator-judges in the Estrada impeachment trial who would vote to open the second envelope containing evidence against the president on trial.
His advocacy of human rights is clearly written in the annals of Philippine history. He was one of those who first fought the Marcos dictatorship, doing so both as a human rights lawyer and street parliamentarian.
No one else who has been aiming for a shot at the presidency can match all these. Moreover, Guingona has come across a lot of opportunities to compromise his convictions, but he has remained steadfast, unlike so many who are fervent in their causes only when these are the "in" things.
Age and popularity have everything to do with being president only in the minds of those who cannot, or refuse to, flex their mental muscles. Joey Lina was a very young man when he voted to let the Philippines remain a launching pad of US wars. Joseph Ejercito Estrada was the most popular Philippine president ever.
And if his age and lack of popularity should work against Guingona in the coming elections, he is nevertheless assured of a rightful place among the Claro M. Rectos, Lorenzo Tanadas, and Jose W. Dioknos of this land.
Expanded version of a comment on Ederic@Cyberspace.
It has been reported that Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Jr. might run for president in the 2004 elections.
And he should. For Guingona is indeed, among those who have been either rumored or reported to be planning to run for president in 2004, the only one who has any right to be president.
Of course the Constitution provides that any natural-born Filipino citizen who is at least 40 years old, has resided in the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding the prsidential election may be elected president. But these are simply legal rights; by reason only Guingona, among those who are rumored to be or reportedly seeking the presidency, has any right to be president.
For one his record as a nationalist is unassailable. He was among the Magnificent Twelve senators who voted to eject the US military bases from the Philippines in 1991, in effect voting for sovereignty against false security. He would repeat that feat eight years later by voting against the Visiting Forces Agreement. Recently he has also spoken against globalization and pressed for a nationalist economic framework.
As an advocate of social justice Guingona deserves credit as well. As a member of the government peace panel under the Aquino government, he strove to carry on the late Jose W. Diokno's formula for peace: "Food and freedom, jobs and justice." He has recognized the fact that insurgency is rooted in social injustice and has been campaigning for peace with justice. While he as yet has to further clarify his views on this matter, he has shown nonetheless a deep understanding of our past and what it implies for the future.
We all know that he is a fierce opponent of corruption. He was the first high government official to call for the impeachment of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, doing so when the man was at the height of his popularity, and did not care about being branded a Don Quixote then. He would eventually be one of the senator-judges in the Estrada impeachment trial who would vote to open the second envelope containing evidence against the president on trial.
His advocacy of human rights is clearly written in the annals of Philippine history. He was one of those who first fought the Marcos dictatorship, doing so both as a human rights lawyer and street parliamentarian.
No one else who has been aiming for a shot at the presidency can match all these. Moreover, Guingona has come across a lot of opportunities to compromise his convictions, but he has remained steadfast, unlike so many who are fervent in their causes only when these are the "in" things.
Age and popularity have everything to do with being president only in the minds of those who cannot, or refuse to, flex their mental muscles. Joey Lina was a very young man when he voted to let the Philippines remain a launching pad of US wars. Joseph Ejercito Estrada was the most popular Philippine president ever.
And if his age and lack of popularity should work against Guingona in the coming elections, he is nevertheless assured of a rightful place among the Claro M. Rectos, Lorenzo Tanadas, and Jose W. Dioknos of this land.
Expanded version of a comment on Ederic@Cyberspace.
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