didn’t go to creativity quashing schools in the Philippines, had more drive and read up more I would have come up with this video you're about to see. As it is, I came up with something similarly themed but in a laboriously worded manner (see "Julian, Charles, Ray..." piece below).
The video is about “empathy.” It happens to be one of my favorite words and is something my father made me aware of. Dad, I’ll be forever grateful. It really is a beautiful word: "Identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives." The closest Filipino word for it, I think, is, “pakikiramdam.” Dear readers, perhaps you can help find the best Filipino translation for this word.
Filipinos may be a number of things: undisciplined, passive, asal talangka, ningas cogon, etc., etc., but, it has not yet declared war on “empathy.” We are still a people who actually care for and understand the feelings of each other. Though, I agree, that it can be overdone at times. Been funny seeing the reaction of people to the release of the Vizconde Massacre suspects: “Kawawa naman si Lauro Vizconde” on one side and “Kawawa naman si Webb” on the other. It’s not about the system – which seems very faulty – that has been the focus of the people (now you know why the jury system will not work here).
That’s empathy at work right there. You can see this, too, in the gift giving, the proliferation of beggars (we give and that’s why they have business) and the closeness among friends among other virtues.
In the end, we may have our faults, but, I think most of us are doing our darndest best to lead Christian lives. I may not be smarter than a Westerner, but, am sure glad I have more heart. That should make this month’s birthday celebrant happy. Now, if we can just get ourselves to work on the other parts…
Ok, I know you keen readers have noticed that this is a revision of a prior entry I posted Sunday. One, yes, that looked like I was coasting. But, I’m sure you followers based in the Philippines will understand. Christmas season means school parties, gift buying, family gatherings, traffic and worst of all: dance rehearsals for group presentation at this year’s company party. Yes, my group didn’t win and, no, I will not be posting a video of it.
Did I break any blogging ethics by doing the revision after its publication? Am not sure. There’s no Blogging School of Ethics. Consider yourself, though, privy to the evolution of a piece. How it happened (it’s a story in itself): Short on time and wanting to keep my discipline of an entry a week, I put out the original version of this one. Soon after, though, I got messages from friends showing their appreciation of the blog with one from the the UK commenting how she’s thinking of moving back because "as great as Western society is, it's a bit too soulless and capitalist for me."
Then Peachy mentioned how she liked it and sent over a New York Times article that I really found funny. Her husband, Gino, came in with encouraging comments on the blog. Gino, I think you were trying to say: “Be more positive.” Tuesday came and my mind was already rolling with all these thoughts and, all of a sudden, I felt I had to say more.
So, here we are with a longer piece and, hopefully, one with more heart. You see, if you readers have not noticed, I alone didn’t write this piece. This was done by caring hands of Filipinos across this planet: A friend in Canada who introduced RSA videos and to the kind words of those living in New York and the UK. Thus, I dedicate this Christmas gift of a piece to all Filipinos living abroad. For 14 years, I too spent Christmas quietly, with no traffic, eating healthy and not much family. I empathize.
Don’t think I’ll be able to make an entry this week. Working on a piece that requires more time. Again, don’t think I’m it’s writer. Just really a chronicler. You people provide the story. Am trying to make it worth the wait.
Lastly, the piece you’re reading right now may not have said it explicitly, but, I think you caught the spirit: Merry Christmas and much LOVE to all!!
Wait, wait, just hit me: “The Philippines - Land of Hearts.” Now, that’s a better Department of Tourism slogan.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Julian, Charles, Ray, The Woz and "Tron"
What the Future (Ought To) Will Be
"There's nothing new in this world, there's only the truth you're not aware of"
Harry Truman
I'm obsessed with the truth. I'm not particularly fond of liars and hypocrites. Am still not sure why.
The truth...
This week saw the arrest of Wikileaks spokesperson and editor-in-chief Julian Assange (a Time's Person of The Year shoo-in, if you ask me) in connection with a sexual assault case in Sweden. The feeling, however, seems to be that this is in connection with the whistleblower site's release of secret US diplomatic cables. Wikileaks has been in existence since 2006 and has served as a venue for the release of secret materials. Highlights:
- Protocol of Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp: Published a copy of the standard operating procedures by the US Army which, among others, revealed the designation of a number of prisoners as "off-limits" to the Red Cross. Prior accusations of this very conduct was denied by the military.
- Peru Oil Scandal: Released transcription of conversations between a government official and a lobbyist working on securing a contract on behalf of a firm. This 2008 scandal led to street protests and the subsequent resignation of the Prime Minister.
- The Minton Report: An internal report commissioned by the multinational corporation Trafigura in connection with the dumping of toxic waste around Ivory Coast brought in by a ship chartered by that firm. The resulting gas released by the chemicals resulted in the deaths of 17 and the injury of 30,000.00
- Kaupthing Bank: Published internal document showing that, prior to its collapse during the Icelandic financial crisis, the bank loaned large amounts to owners of the bank and had some debts written off.
- Iraq Helicopter Airstrike: Graphic video contradicting a report filed by the US military in connection with the deaths of 18 people including two Reuters news staff. You may watch the video by clicking here: Airstrike Video. Be forewarned that it is graphic.
- Afghan War Documents
- Iraq War Documents
- US Diplomatic Cables: The release in November of communication between the US State Department and its diplomatic missions around the world. It offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the State Department including, among others, the encouragement to obtain personal info on their counterparts.
Why does Wikileaks do what it does? Assange, who is also one of its founders, explains that, "To radically shift regime behavior we must think clearly and boldly for if we have learned anything, it is that regimes do not want to be changed. We must think beyond those who have gone before us and discover technological changes that embolden us with ways to act in which our forebears could not."
And that, "the more secretive or unjust an organisation is, the more leaks induce fear and paranoia in its leadership and planning coterie. ... Since unjust systems, by their nature induce opponents, and in many places barely have the upper hand, mass leaking leaves them exquisitely vulnerable to those who seek to replace them with more open forms of governance."
Bradley Manning is the US Army intelligence analyst who leaked the last four entries. His reason for doing it? Partly to explain "how the first world exploits the third, in detail, from an internal perspective."
The attack...
The vehicle carrying Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla Bowles were recently attacked by students - some of whom were chanting, "Off with their heads!" and "Tory (conservative UK political party) scum!" - protesting the three-fold increase in tuition fees approved by Parliament.
The future...
This week's Time Magazine features an interview with the futurist Ray Kurzweil. Highlights:
- His explanation of "singularity": "By the time we get to the 2040s, we'll be able to multiply human intelligence a billionfold...Computers are going to keep getting smaller and smaller. Ultimately, they will go inside our bodies and brains and make us healthier, make us smarter. We'll be online all the time. Search engines won't wait to be asked."
- Technology and health: "We will reprogram our biology. My cell phone's probably updating itself as we speak, but I'm walking around with 1,000-year-old software that was for a different era. One gene, the fat insulin receptor gene, says, "Hold on to every calorie, because the next hunting season may not work out so well." I'd like to be able to tell my fat insulin receptor gene, "You don't need to do that. I'm confident I'll have food tomorrow."
- Eating: "We'll grow in vitro cloned meats in factories that are computerized and run by artificial intelligence. You can just grow the part of the animal that you're eating. Some people say, 'Oh, that sounds yucky.' I say, 'Well, why don't you go visit a factory-farming installation? You'll find that getting meat from living animals is yucky.'"
- Science, religion and ethnic differences: "I think we are evolving rapidly into one world culture. It's certainly one world economy. With billions of people online, I think we'll appreciate the wisdom in many different traditions as we learn more about them. People were very isolated and didn't know anything about other religions 100 years ago."
- God: "I believe our civilization is going to be vastly more intelligent and more spiritual in the decades ahead. You can argue how we got here, but we are the species that goes beyond our limitations. We didn't stay on the ground. We didn't stay on the planet. Our species always transcends."
Kurzweil is a respected author and inventor who has had several predictions come true. Notably, he foresaw the demise of the Soviet Union due to new technology (cellphones, fax machines) taking information power away from the centralized authoritarian regime.
More about the future...
Steve "The Woz" Wozniack co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne. A recent interview with him found the following quotes:
“All of a sudden, we’ve lost a lot of control. We can’t turn off our internet, we can’t turn off our smartphones, we can’t turn off our computers.”
“You used to ask a smart person a question. Now, who do you ask? It starts with g-o, and it’s not God,”
“We’re dependent on it (technology) and eventually, we are going to have it doing every task we can in the world, so we can sit back and relax.”
Fast forwarding history...
Used to be, history was something we'd see in black and white pictures and grainy video footage. Not anymore. Consider that it took almost 6,000 years between the invention of the wheel and the advent of the automobile while it took only 66 years between the invention of the airplane and the landing on the moon. History is moving at an unprecedented clip. History is what we saw yesterday on TV, from the radio, the internet... All of a sudden, news from print seems like...well, ancient history.
Just as the Industrial Age had previously shifted the paradigm of how we lived (poverty was prevalent before it), the Information Age - be glad you're in it - is changing the way you act and think.
There is some sort of convergence with The War on Terror (notably, the Iraq War) the Financial Crisis and this Age that my still tech-free brain is trying to understand. What I can see, so far:
There are those who are becoming more intelligent, more informed, less gullible and...more importantly...starting to question more. What does a more enlightened human being mean: More people who'll question authority and the actions of leaders, governments and corporations. Who'll question the very traditions and ideas they've found themselves in. Consider the students in the UK suffering under the weight of the Financial Crisis realizing that there are those (the Royal Family) among them who require $64 million a year from their government plus security from their Police and Army.
What does this all mean for the Philippines? Firstly, we've got to understand that the future will belong to the most creative, inventive and informed. Not only should it be used for creating jobs, but also, as a path to better governance. Darkness is the ally of shady dealings and the corrupt. Part of the President's plan should include the openning of the insides of the government machine to the public. We should have real-time access to contracts and plans. It is time that we get to see what the local and national bodies are up to. That is one way to fight corruption.
I've always thought that a public official's life should be an open book while in office. Shouldn't there be a camera crew following them around? I submit myself: If elected, I'll allow my years in office to be under the microscope.
The German Parliament features a viewing gallery that allows the citizenry a view of their politicians at work from above. It symbolizes: The people are above them (as opposed to the Communist era) and can see what they are doing.
The Illustrados were the learned Filipino class during the Spanish colonial period. "The enlightened ones," they were intellectuals exposed to the outside world and to the ideals of liberalism and nationalism. They've been described as "key figures in the development of Filipino nationalism." Presently, exposure to the ideals of the outside world is no longer exclusive to those who travel, study or live abroad. Technology has allowed access to these by those who can afford time on the internet. We won't be witnesses to it, but empowered, intelligent and altruistic future Filipino generations will slowly be in control of the destiny of the nation. Let me stake my claim on this new term: The New Illustrados.
What does this all mean for the future of all mankind? Let me digress slightly. "Tron" was a film that came out in 1982. The Age of Information had not yet fully arrived and the account of a world existing inside computers was not accepted by the public. I watched it again a few years back and realized that it's actually groundbreaking work that's a precursor to later cinema like "The Matrix." Seminal - "highly influential in an original way" - is how to describe it.
Julian Assange - who's now being billed as a villain for his work with Wikileaks - will probably be seen by future generations as the precursor of humans forcing openness and accountability from those with authority and power. Seminal, indeed.
That is, also, what the future will bring: The power to control how we live and treat each other will wrested away from the few and will be distributed to enlightened and involved citizenry.
This new dawn of enlightenment will eventually bring about changes in the way we believe. Eventually, an exponential number of people will question basic principles. As an example: If Adam and Eve were the first, how come we're all different? Where did the Chinese, Malays, Africans, Caucasians, Aborigines, etc. come from?
Changes in the way we treat each other. As Ray Kurzweil noted, we will feel closer to each other. Will world peace be finally at hand? Not too fast. Maybe a million years.
This will, naturally, lay the groundwork for future conflict. It will not be among nations, but rather, between the traditionalists (more to lose) who'll subconsciously see knowledge as the enemy and the enlightened (more to gain) ones.
Esoteric. I think that's the word you're trying to search for to describe this latest entry. Maybe you're right. I'm probably alienating more of you guys ("Jay, you've gone too far"). What is this piece all about?
At the very end of it all, we'll probably evolve into beings that will, eventually, - free from the shackles we've found ourselves in - be more spiritual, be more open to each other, more trusting of each other, and, perhaps... finally...finally... start to start love one another "as you love yourself." That, I think, our creator will approve of. God, please be patient. Give us a million years.
We'd better love one another...we'll have to be ready to fight the coming invasion of the Vlysnxzoperiane aliens.
Thought this would be a lovely piece to close a post on truth, peace, the future and love:
"There's nothing new in this world, there's only the truth you're not aware of"
Harry Truman
I'm obsessed with the truth. I'm not particularly fond of liars and hypocrites. Am still not sure why.
The truth...
This week saw the arrest of Wikileaks spokesperson and editor-in-chief Julian Assange (a Time's Person of The Year shoo-in, if you ask me) in connection with a sexual assault case in Sweden. The feeling, however, seems to be that this is in connection with the whistleblower site's release of secret US diplomatic cables. Wikileaks has been in existence since 2006 and has served as a venue for the release of secret materials. Highlights:
- Protocol of Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp: Published a copy of the standard operating procedures by the US Army which, among others, revealed the designation of a number of prisoners as "off-limits" to the Red Cross. Prior accusations of this very conduct was denied by the military.
- Peru Oil Scandal: Released transcription of conversations between a government official and a lobbyist working on securing a contract on behalf of a firm. This 2008 scandal led to street protests and the subsequent resignation of the Prime Minister.
- The Minton Report: An internal report commissioned by the multinational corporation Trafigura in connection with the dumping of toxic waste around Ivory Coast brought in by a ship chartered by that firm. The resulting gas released by the chemicals resulted in the deaths of 17 and the injury of 30,000.00
- Kaupthing Bank: Published internal document showing that, prior to its collapse during the Icelandic financial crisis, the bank loaned large amounts to owners of the bank and had some debts written off.
- Iraq Helicopter Airstrike: Graphic video contradicting a report filed by the US military in connection with the deaths of 18 people including two Reuters news staff. You may watch the video by clicking here: Airstrike Video. Be forewarned that it is graphic.
- Afghan War Documents
- Iraq War Documents
- US Diplomatic Cables: The release in November of communication between the US State Department and its diplomatic missions around the world. It offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the State Department including, among others, the encouragement to obtain personal info on their counterparts.
Why does Wikileaks do what it does? Assange, who is also one of its founders, explains that, "To radically shift regime behavior we must think clearly and boldly for if we have learned anything, it is that regimes do not want to be changed. We must think beyond those who have gone before us and discover technological changes that embolden us with ways to act in which our forebears could not."
And that, "the more secretive or unjust an organisation is, the more leaks induce fear and paranoia in its leadership and planning coterie. ... Since unjust systems, by their nature induce opponents, and in many places barely have the upper hand, mass leaking leaves them exquisitely vulnerable to those who seek to replace them with more open forms of governance."
Bradley Manning is the US Army intelligence analyst who leaked the last four entries. His reason for doing it? Partly to explain "how the first world exploits the third, in detail, from an internal perspective."
The attack...
The vehicle carrying Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla Bowles were recently attacked by students - some of whom were chanting, "Off with their heads!" and "Tory (conservative UK political party) scum!" - protesting the three-fold increase in tuition fees approved by Parliament.
This week's Time Magazine features an interview with the futurist Ray Kurzweil. Highlights:
- His explanation of "singularity": "By the time we get to the 2040s, we'll be able to multiply human intelligence a billionfold...Computers are going to keep getting smaller and smaller. Ultimately, they will go inside our bodies and brains and make us healthier, make us smarter. We'll be online all the time. Search engines won't wait to be asked."
- Technology and health: "We will reprogram our biology. My cell phone's probably updating itself as we speak, but I'm walking around with 1,000-year-old software that was for a different era. One gene, the fat insulin receptor gene, says, "Hold on to every calorie, because the next hunting season may not work out so well." I'd like to be able to tell my fat insulin receptor gene, "You don't need to do that. I'm confident I'll have food tomorrow."
- Eating: "We'll grow in vitro cloned meats in factories that are computerized and run by artificial intelligence. You can just grow the part of the animal that you're eating. Some people say, 'Oh, that sounds yucky.' I say, 'Well, why don't you go visit a factory-farming installation? You'll find that getting meat from living animals is yucky.'"
- Science, religion and ethnic differences: "I think we are evolving rapidly into one world culture. It's certainly one world economy. With billions of people online, I think we'll appreciate the wisdom in many different traditions as we learn more about them. People were very isolated and didn't know anything about other religions 100 years ago."
- God: "I believe our civilization is going to be vastly more intelligent and more spiritual in the decades ahead. You can argue how we got here, but we are the species that goes beyond our limitations. We didn't stay on the ground. We didn't stay on the planet. Our species always transcends."
Kurzweil is a respected author and inventor who has had several predictions come true. Notably, he foresaw the demise of the Soviet Union due to new technology (cellphones, fax machines) taking information power away from the centralized authoritarian regime.
More about the future...
Steve "The Woz" Wozniack co-founded Apple with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne. A recent interview with him found the following quotes:
“All of a sudden, we’ve lost a lot of control. We can’t turn off our internet, we can’t turn off our smartphones, we can’t turn off our computers.”
“You used to ask a smart person a question. Now, who do you ask? It starts with g-o, and it’s not God,”
“We’re dependent on it (technology) and eventually, we are going to have it doing every task we can in the world, so we can sit back and relax.”
Fast forwarding history...
Used to be, history was something we'd see in black and white pictures and grainy video footage. Not anymore. Consider that it took almost 6,000 years between the invention of the wheel and the advent of the automobile while it took only 66 years between the invention of the airplane and the landing on the moon. History is moving at an unprecedented clip. History is what we saw yesterday on TV, from the radio, the internet... All of a sudden, news from print seems like...well, ancient history.
Just as the Industrial Age had previously shifted the paradigm of how we lived (poverty was prevalent before it), the Information Age - be glad you're in it - is changing the way you act and think.
There is some sort of convergence with The War on Terror (notably, the Iraq War) the Financial Crisis and this Age that my still tech-free brain is trying to understand. What I can see, so far:
There are those who are becoming more intelligent, more informed, less gullible and...more importantly...starting to question more. What does a more enlightened human being mean: More people who'll question authority and the actions of leaders, governments and corporations. Who'll question the very traditions and ideas they've found themselves in. Consider the students in the UK suffering under the weight of the Financial Crisis realizing that there are those (the Royal Family) among them who require $64 million a year from their government plus security from their Police and Army.
What does this all mean for the Philippines? Firstly, we've got to understand that the future will belong to the most creative, inventive and informed. Not only should it be used for creating jobs, but also, as a path to better governance. Darkness is the ally of shady dealings and the corrupt. Part of the President's plan should include the openning of the insides of the government machine to the public. We should have real-time access to contracts and plans. It is time that we get to see what the local and national bodies are up to. That is one way to fight corruption.
I've always thought that a public official's life should be an open book while in office. Shouldn't there be a camera crew following them around? I submit myself: If elected, I'll allow my years in office to be under the microscope.
The German Parliament features a viewing gallery that allows the citizenry a view of their politicians at work from above. It symbolizes: The people are above them (as opposed to the Communist era) and can see what they are doing.
The Illustrados were the learned Filipino class during the Spanish colonial period. "The enlightened ones," they were intellectuals exposed to the outside world and to the ideals of liberalism and nationalism. They've been described as "key figures in the development of Filipino nationalism." Presently, exposure to the ideals of the outside world is no longer exclusive to those who travel, study or live abroad. Technology has allowed access to these by those who can afford time on the internet. We won't be witnesses to it, but empowered, intelligent and altruistic future Filipino generations will slowly be in control of the destiny of the nation. Let me stake my claim on this new term: The New Illustrados.
What does this all mean for the future of all mankind? Let me digress slightly. "Tron" was a film that came out in 1982. The Age of Information had not yet fully arrived and the account of a world existing inside computers was not accepted by the public. I watched it again a few years back and realized that it's actually groundbreaking work that's a precursor to later cinema like "The Matrix." Seminal - "highly influential in an original way" - is how to describe it.
Julian Assange - who's now being billed as a villain for his work with Wikileaks - will probably be seen by future generations as the precursor of humans forcing openness and accountability from those with authority and power. Seminal, indeed.
That is, also, what the future will bring: The power to control how we live and treat each other will wrested away from the few and will be distributed to enlightened and involved citizenry.
This new dawn of enlightenment will eventually bring about changes in the way we believe. Eventually, an exponential number of people will question basic principles. As an example: If Adam and Eve were the first, how come we're all different? Where did the Chinese, Malays, Africans, Caucasians, Aborigines, etc. come from?
Changes in the way we treat each other. As Ray Kurzweil noted, we will feel closer to each other. Will world peace be finally at hand? Not too fast. Maybe a million years.
This will, naturally, lay the groundwork for future conflict. It will not be among nations, but rather, between the traditionalists (more to lose) who'll subconsciously see knowledge as the enemy and the enlightened (more to gain) ones.
Esoteric. I think that's the word you're trying to search for to describe this latest entry. Maybe you're right. I'm probably alienating more of you guys ("Jay, you've gone too far"). What is this piece all about?
At the very end of it all, we'll probably evolve into beings that will, eventually, - free from the shackles we've found ourselves in - be more spiritual, be more open to each other, more trusting of each other, and, perhaps... finally...finally... start to start love one another "as you love yourself." That, I think, our creator will approve of. God, please be patient. Give us a million years.
We'd better love one another...we'll have to be ready to fight the coming invasion of the Vlysnxzoperiane aliens.
Thought this would be a lovely piece to close a post on truth, peace, the future and love:
Friday, December 3, 2010
Can We All Get Along? or The Balls and Chains Keeping Us Down Part 2
"People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along?"
Rodney King appealing to the people of Los Angeles during the 1992 riots. The acquital of police officers videotaped beating him a year earlier sparked the disturbance.
"What is produced when Filipinos form an organization? Several factions and a witty acronym for a name."
I'll go a little "Ambeth Ocampo" on you today and give a short, short history course. With apologies to the Chair of the National Historical Institute, here goes - to keep you short-attention-spanned generation from moving on to Facebook - a Reader's Digest version of history:
Andres Bonifacio (to the chismis inclined, his first wife died of leprosy and had a son, with his second wife, who died at infancy) was a founder and later leader of the Katipunan - a revolutionary movement seeking independence from Spain. By the portrayals I've seen, namely from the movies "Jose Rizal" and "Bayani," he seemed to be the fire-brand type full of conviction.
Let's set up the scene: It was a heady time with the people finally - thanks to "troublemakers" like Jose Rizal and others - recognizing an identity and uniformed Filipino soldiers battled the Spaniards both with set piece battles and guerilla tactics,
Ok, so far, we seem to have a run-of-the-mill hero story going on here, right? Ho-hum, yawn, huh? Well, this is where our story takes on an interesting "Soprano-like" texture. Turns out, there were two Katipunan chapters in Cavite (Filipinos? Two chapters in the same area? You're going "Uh-oh," right?). There was one headed by Emilio Aguinaldo's cousin and the other by an uncle of Bonifacio's wife. Telenovela fans out there may recognize where this is going: family loyalties, lots of shouting, macho posturing, betrayals, charges of treason and gun play.
Cutting to the chase: The clash between the two groups - now involving Bonifacio and Aguinaldo - becomes a full-blown power grab with both claiming Presidency of the Philippines with Aguinaldo writing in his memoir that Bonifacio "acted like a King." Wow, this is all too "Cristy Ferminit" for me: "So, Andy, ano naman ang masasabi mo sa akusasyon na you're 'acting like a king?'"
The Philippines, with a population of only 7 million back then was not big enough for two leaders. Something had to give. Here is how it went down: A party of Aguinaldo's men conducted a surprise attack on "Andy" and his men with the ensuing violence causing his wounding, the death of a brother, the beating of another and the possible...wait, wait...let's make this Oscar-worthy...and thepossible rape of his wife.
A trial for Bonifacio and his surviving brother ensues with charges of sedition and treason against the Aguinaldo government filed against them. Found guilty (his defense lawyer himself found him guilty), both were executed in the mountains of Cavite. The execution? Depends who does the story-telling: One account that Hollywood would surely appreciate is with him laying in a hammock, too weak to walk from his wound, being stabbed and hacked to death ("Down and out Hollywood producer, Jack Hiltzick, on his last legs halts reading the script handed to him by the Filipina maid of a more successful friend, looks at the sinking California sun and mutters to himself with great satisfaction, 'This is my Braveheart'").
Great story, huh? But did you really expect me to just stop there? What? No pontificating from the "Great Pontificator," you say? Well, here goes the "Balls and Chains" part...
Over lunch recently with my officemates (as you may surmise, they "love" having lunch with me), we discussed the whole Bonifacio story and their views say much about who we are. Firstly, of the four, only two were aware that he was killed by fellow Filipinos and are thankful to Jessica Soho for this bit of info. The Account Officer, Che Esmille, thought it was a reflection of the Filipino: "Hindi lang pala ngayon nag-aagawan ng kapangyarihan. Akala mo mas matino sila noon." My best friend, Dondi Gaite, loves pointing out the fact that historical figures are just...humans. The passage of time may allow them to be placed on pedestals with a romanticized version shown to the world, but, truth is - and this is where that Hollywood producer should get it right - these figures were human and....Filipinos.
What is a Filipino? There are the positives (we'll discuss lengthily in the future) and the not so positive, including: deep envy (asal talangka), intrigues (some of the rumors against Bonifacio included him stealing funds from the Katipunan and his sister being a mistress of a priest) and divisiveness (office politics and the common warning to avoid other Filipinos when living abroad).
The root cause of this? Kindly allow me to play armchair historian and, please, feel free to send in your differing views: It's something we picked up from our hundreds of years of occupation by different powers. Regionalism probably comes from the fact that we are different indigenous groups (170 languages, remember?) artificially put together by an outside force. Our feelings of envy probably come from the fact that there were those favored during the Spanish times. Our defeatist views and uncanny ability to adapt come from having been under different occupiers. This is in our DNA. The memes (cultural ideas and practices passed on) that we have all inherited and will pass on.
All is not lost, of course. We try to offer solutions here on this site. Firstly, we must collectively acknowledge what we are and explore why we became. We should come up with a definitive series on TV about our history. The government should commission Ambeth Ocampo to take on an expansive and entertaining documentary that will be seen as a must-see by Filipinos. There are three channels (4, 9 and 13) owned by us that could be the venue for this. History not only explains who we are, but, mirrored against those of other nations; can help us see what we may...should be.
Secondly, the government should mandate community programs that will require each and everyone of us to serve the community. The documentary series should also explore our lost values - introducing them to a new generation. We are, relatively, a young nation and we still have a long way to go towards moral recovery and efforts like these (others will be discussed in upcoming posts) will help.
Before we close out this story, you may be wondering about what finally did happen with Bonifacio and Aguinaldo. The former - in the long run - did well: He's one of only two heroes with a national holiday. Aguinaldo, meanwhile, is a different story entirely: He was forced to sign a truce with the Spaniards in exchange for cash and exile, became the first President of the Republic, lost to a landslide on another try then found himself accused of collaborating with the Japanese during the Second World War - including giving radio speeches supporting the occupier. I suppose Aguinaldo is one reflection of us: Again, the uncanny ability to adapt in order to survive.
Hard to say if there are villains or good guys in this story. Both represented the best and worst in us. Just like us, they were probably just victims of history.
By the way, my colleagues? They're glad lunch is over. Our Accountant did say that we should celebrate Bonifacio's death anniversary instead as a reminder of who we really are. "Para magising tayo," she says. Another? Cris Rayos thinks they should not be heroes for they went against the occupiers. He believes that we should just be obedient to them - in order to survive and live in peace. Just another victim of history, I guess.
Here's something that should make us all think:
Excerpt:
Nakaranas ka na ba?
Nakatikim ka na ba?
Nakatanggap o nabigyan ng kahihiyan?
Dahil sa iyong panindigan
O dahil sa iyong nakamtan
Inggit sa iyong narating
Pilit kang sisirain
Dyan sila magaling
Ilalagay ka sa alanganin kaya
Mag-ingat sa mga asal talangka
Hihilahin ka nila pababa
Namamato kapag ika'y hitik
Hitik sa bunga
This piece is dedicated to an uncle, Tonypet Araneta, a dedicated lover of the Philippines and all things Filipino and to my best friend who has helped make me see the real Filipino.
Rodney King appealing to the people of Los Angeles during the 1992 riots. The acquital of police officers videotaped beating him a year earlier sparked the disturbance.
"What is produced when Filipinos form an organization? Several factions and a witty acronym for a name."
I'll go a little "Ambeth Ocampo" on you today and give a short, short history course. With apologies to the Chair of the National Historical Institute, here goes - to keep you short-attention-spanned generation from moving on to Facebook - a Reader's Digest version of history:
Andres Bonifacio (to the chismis inclined, his first wife died of leprosy and had a son, with his second wife, who died at infancy) was a founder and later leader of the Katipunan - a revolutionary movement seeking independence from Spain. By the portrayals I've seen, namely from the movies "Jose Rizal" and "Bayani," he seemed to be the fire-brand type full of conviction.
Let's set up the scene: It was a heady time with the people finally - thanks to "troublemakers" like Jose Rizal and others - recognizing an identity and uniformed Filipino soldiers battled the Spaniards both with set piece battles and guerilla tactics,
Ok, so far, we seem to have a run-of-the-mill hero story going on here, right? Ho-hum, yawn, huh? Well, this is where our story takes on an interesting "Soprano-like" texture. Turns out, there were two Katipunan chapters in Cavite (Filipinos? Two chapters in the same area? You're going "Uh-oh," right?). There was one headed by Emilio Aguinaldo's cousin and the other by an uncle of Bonifacio's wife. Telenovela fans out there may recognize where this is going: family loyalties, lots of shouting, macho posturing, betrayals, charges of treason and gun play.
Cutting to the chase: The clash between the two groups - now involving Bonifacio and Aguinaldo - becomes a full-blown power grab with both claiming Presidency of the Philippines with Aguinaldo writing in his memoir that Bonifacio "acted like a King." Wow, this is all too "Cristy Ferminit" for me: "So, Andy, ano naman ang masasabi mo sa akusasyon na you're 'acting like a king?'"
The Philippines, with a population of only 7 million back then was not big enough for two leaders. Something had to give. Here is how it went down: A party of Aguinaldo's men conducted a surprise attack on "Andy" and his men with the ensuing violence causing his wounding, the death of a brother, the beating of another and the possible...wait, wait...let's make this Oscar-worthy...and the
A trial for Bonifacio and his surviving brother ensues with charges of sedition and treason against the Aguinaldo government filed against them. Found guilty (his defense lawyer himself found him guilty), both were executed in the mountains of Cavite. The execution? Depends who does the story-telling: One account that Hollywood would surely appreciate is with him laying in a hammock, too weak to walk from his wound, being stabbed and hacked to death ("Down and out Hollywood producer, Jack Hiltzick, on his last legs halts reading the script handed to him by the Filipina maid of a more successful friend, looks at the sinking California sun and mutters to himself with great satisfaction, 'This is my Braveheart'").
Great story, huh? But did you really expect me to just stop there? What? No pontificating from the "Great Pontificator," you say? Well, here goes the "Balls and Chains" part...
Over lunch recently with my officemates (as you may surmise, they "love" having lunch with me), we discussed the whole Bonifacio story and their views say much about who we are. Firstly, of the four, only two were aware that he was killed by fellow Filipinos and are thankful to Jessica Soho for this bit of info. The Account Officer, Che Esmille, thought it was a reflection of the Filipino: "Hindi lang pala ngayon nag-aagawan ng kapangyarihan. Akala mo mas matino sila noon." My best friend, Dondi Gaite, loves pointing out the fact that historical figures are just...humans. The passage of time may allow them to be placed on pedestals with a romanticized version shown to the world, but, truth is - and this is where that Hollywood producer should get it right - these figures were human and....Filipinos.
What is a Filipino? There are the positives (we'll discuss lengthily in the future) and the not so positive, including: deep envy (asal talangka), intrigues (some of the rumors against Bonifacio included him stealing funds from the Katipunan and his sister being a mistress of a priest) and divisiveness (office politics and the common warning to avoid other Filipinos when living abroad).
The root cause of this? Kindly allow me to play armchair historian and, please, feel free to send in your differing views: It's something we picked up from our hundreds of years of occupation by different powers. Regionalism probably comes from the fact that we are different indigenous groups (170 languages, remember?) artificially put together by an outside force. Our feelings of envy probably come from the fact that there were those favored during the Spanish times. Our defeatist views and uncanny ability to adapt come from having been under different occupiers. This is in our DNA. The memes (cultural ideas and practices passed on) that we have all inherited and will pass on.
All is not lost, of course. We try to offer solutions here on this site. Firstly, we must collectively acknowledge what we are and explore why we became. We should come up with a definitive series on TV about our history. The government should commission Ambeth Ocampo to take on an expansive and entertaining documentary that will be seen as a must-see by Filipinos. There are three channels (4, 9 and 13) owned by us that could be the venue for this. History not only explains who we are, but, mirrored against those of other nations; can help us see what we may...should be.
Secondly, the government should mandate community programs that will require each and everyone of us to serve the community. The documentary series should also explore our lost values - introducing them to a new generation. We are, relatively, a young nation and we still have a long way to go towards moral recovery and efforts like these (others will be discussed in upcoming posts) will help.
Before we close out this story, you may be wondering about what finally did happen with Bonifacio and Aguinaldo. The former - in the long run - did well: He's one of only two heroes with a national holiday. Aguinaldo, meanwhile, is a different story entirely: He was forced to sign a truce with the Spaniards in exchange for cash and exile, became the first President of the Republic, lost to a landslide on another try then found himself accused of collaborating with the Japanese during the Second World War - including giving radio speeches supporting the occupier. I suppose Aguinaldo is one reflection of us: Again, the uncanny ability to adapt in order to survive.
Hard to say if there are villains or good guys in this story. Both represented the best and worst in us. Just like us, they were probably just victims of history.
By the way, my colleagues? They're glad lunch is over. Our Accountant did say that we should celebrate Bonifacio's death anniversary instead as a reminder of who we really are. "Para magising tayo," she says. Another? Cris Rayos thinks they should not be heroes for they went against the occupiers. He believes that we should just be obedient to them - in order to survive and live in peace. Just another victim of history, I guess.
Here's something that should make us all think:
Excerpt:
Nakaranas ka na ba?
Nakatikim ka na ba?
Nakatanggap o nabigyan ng kahihiyan?
Dahil sa iyong panindigan
O dahil sa iyong nakamtan
Inggit sa iyong narating
Pilit kang sisirain
Dyan sila magaling
Ilalagay ka sa alanganin kaya
Mag-ingat sa mga asal talangka
Hihilahin ka nila pababa
Namamato kapag ika'y hitik
Hitik sa bunga
This piece is dedicated to an uncle, Tonypet Araneta, a dedicated lover of the Philippines and all things Filipino and to my best friend who has helped make me see the real Filipino.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
It's Just A Ride
"Existentialist philosopher with crude jokes" is probably an apt description for comedian provocateur Bill Hicks. He dared you to challenge your own beliefs. He didn't want you to just laugh. He also wanted you to think. Including thinking about our very own existence.
Some of his gems:
“If you don't think drugs have done good things for us, then take all of your records, tapes and CDs and burn them. Cause you know what? The musicians that made all that great music that's enhanced your lives throughout the years? Real fucking high on drugs. The Beatles were so fuckin' high they let Ringo sing a few songs."
"A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks. Do you think when Jesus comes back he ever wants to see a fuckin' cross? It's kind of like going up to Jackie Onassis with a rifle pendant on."
"What do atheists scream when they come?"
"My final point about alchohol, about drugs, about pornography...What business is it of your's what I do, read, buy, see or take into my body as long as I don't harm another human being whilst on this planet? And for those of you having a little moral dilemna on how to answer this, I'll answer for you. NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS Take that to the bank, cash it and take it on a vacation outta my fucking life. And stop bringing shotguns to UFO sightings, they might be here to pick me up and take me with 'em."
"Why do we put people who are on drugs in jail? They're sick, they're not criminals. Sick people don't get healed in prison. You see? It makes no sense."
"Folks, it's time to evolve. That's why we're troubled. You know why our institutions are failing us, the church, the state, everything's failing? It's because, um – they're no longer relevant. We're supposed to keep evolving. Evolution did not end with us growing opposable thumbs. You do know that, right? There's another 90 percent of our brains that we have to illuminate."
"I was over in Australia during Easter, which was really interesting. You know, they celebrate Easter the exact same way we do, commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus by telling our children that a giant bunny rabbit … left chocolate eggs in the night. Now … I wonder why we're fucked up as a race. I've read the Bible. I can't find the word "bunny" or "chocolate" anywhere in the fucking book."
"I think it's interesting the two drugs that are legal, alcohol and cigarettes, two drugs that do absolutely nothing for you at all; and the drugs that might open your mind up to realize how badly you're being fucked every day of your life? … Those drugs are against the law. He-heh, coincidence?"
"Wouldn't you like to see a positive LSD story on the news? Wouldn't that be interesting? Just for once?: Today, a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration – that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There's no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we're the imagination of ourselves. Here's Tom with the weather."
"You believe the world's 12,000 years old? Okay, I got a one word question to ask, ready? Dinosaurs. You know the world's 12,000 years old and dinosaurs existed in that time. You'd think it would have been mentioned in the Bible at some point: And lo, Jesus and the disciples walked to Nazareth but the trail was blocked by a giant brontosaurus' paw and the big lizard became his friend."
"Christianity has a built-in defense system: Anything that questions a belief, no matter how logical the argument is, is the work of Satan by the very fact that it makes you question a belief. It's a very interesting defense mechanism."
I had been told by my best friend that smart comedy has no place in the Philippines. That the only one that can be successful is the kind containing insults, screaming, toilet humor and gay lingo. Too bad since a lot of things we do here (not just by politicians, mind you) is a joke. Would be great if they were funny, too.
I think it would help our country tremendously if we, as a people, actually started thinking. If, somehow, a mirror was put in front of us we'd finally realize how absurd we are. For example:
The flooding of Ondoy was not made by God. It was made by people like you and I. We throw our trash everywhere. We're not doing anything to have less people. We're not doing enough to help people have decent homes and not have to live by the river. We're not holding our government accountable for not enforcing zoning laws. Of course, we were going to have the great flood.
Or (the people in my industry will kill me for this, but, here goes):
We spend so much on medicines, vitamins and cure-alls (look at the billboards, ads, commercials. Never seen a country peddle them like we do) when one just has to see that it's what we eat, our lifestyle...our own-made pollution around us that's actually killing us.
They, of course, kill people with dangerous ideas: Gandhi, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Jose Rizal to name a few. Jesus and Rizal? Both were instigators killed for exposing the wrongdoings of the Church and their fellowmen. Rizal did it, of course, through the pen. His ideas were the seeds of the revolution. Soon as I know more about Rizal, I'll feature him in an "Incendiary Minds" column.
Bill Hicks died in 1994 at the age of 32. His legacy has lived on, however, with a documentary and a rumored film to be directed by Ron Howard and with Russell Crowe portraying Hicks. Google "bill hicks prophet" and you'll get 41,000 hits.
Jon King at Consious Ape writes, "Like Martin Luther King, Bill Hicks had a dream, a vision of how things could be if only we’d get our shit together and risk a little trust—take responsibility for who and what we truly are and live as though we mean it, as though we care about each other and this incredible world on which we all live.
Bill Hicks’s vision was one of hope, an aspiration that reached out beyond the constraints of religion, fear and impending doom and caught sight of just how incredible life could be—if we want it...that if we seize the opportunity we could rid the world of greed and fear and fill it up with love."
The only way to close this piece:
The transcript:
"The world is like a ride at an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it, you think it's real, because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round and it has thrills and chills and it's very brightly colored and it's very loud. And it's fun, for a while.
Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question: 'Is this real? Or is this just a ride?' And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and they say 'Hey! Don't worry, don't be afraid - ever - because... this is just a ride.' And we kill those people.
'Shut him up! We have a lot invested in this ride! Shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry; look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real.'
It's just a ride. But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that - ever notice that? - and we let the demons run amok. But it doesn't matter, because... it's just a ride, and we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort. No worry. No job. No savings and money. Just a choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your door, buy bigger guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one.
Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, into a better ride. Take all that money we spend on weapons and defense each year and, instead, spend it feeding, clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would do many times over - not one human being excluded - and we can explore space together, both inner and outer, forever. In peace."
Some of his gems:
“If you don't think drugs have done good things for us, then take all of your records, tapes and CDs and burn them. Cause you know what? The musicians that made all that great music that's enhanced your lives throughout the years? Real fucking high on drugs. The Beatles were so fuckin' high they let Ringo sing a few songs."
"A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks. Do you think when Jesus comes back he ever wants to see a fuckin' cross? It's kind of like going up to Jackie Onassis with a rifle pendant on."
"What do atheists scream when they come?"
"My final point about alchohol, about drugs, about pornography...What business is it of your's what I do, read, buy, see or take into my body as long as I don't harm another human being whilst on this planet? And for those of you having a little moral dilemna on how to answer this, I'll answer for you. NONE OF YOUR FUCKING BUSINESS Take that to the bank, cash it and take it on a vacation outta my fucking life. And stop bringing shotguns to UFO sightings, they might be here to pick me up and take me with 'em."
"Why do we put people who are on drugs in jail? They're sick, they're not criminals. Sick people don't get healed in prison. You see? It makes no sense."
"Folks, it's time to evolve. That's why we're troubled. You know why our institutions are failing us, the church, the state, everything's failing? It's because, um – they're no longer relevant. We're supposed to keep evolving. Evolution did not end with us growing opposable thumbs. You do know that, right? There's another 90 percent of our brains that we have to illuminate."
"I was over in Australia during Easter, which was really interesting. You know, they celebrate Easter the exact same way we do, commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus by telling our children that a giant bunny rabbit … left chocolate eggs in the night. Now … I wonder why we're fucked up as a race. I've read the Bible. I can't find the word "bunny" or "chocolate" anywhere in the fucking book."
"I think it's interesting the two drugs that are legal, alcohol and cigarettes, two drugs that do absolutely nothing for you at all; and the drugs that might open your mind up to realize how badly you're being fucked every day of your life? … Those drugs are against the law. He-heh, coincidence?"
"Wouldn't you like to see a positive LSD story on the news? Wouldn't that be interesting? Just for once?: Today, a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration – that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There's no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we're the imagination of ourselves. Here's Tom with the weather."
"You believe the world's 12,000 years old? Okay, I got a one word question to ask, ready? Dinosaurs. You know the world's 12,000 years old and dinosaurs existed in that time. You'd think it would have been mentioned in the Bible at some point: And lo, Jesus and the disciples walked to Nazareth but the trail was blocked by a giant brontosaurus' paw and the big lizard became his friend."
"Christianity has a built-in defense system: Anything that questions a belief, no matter how logical the argument is, is the work of Satan by the very fact that it makes you question a belief. It's a very interesting defense mechanism."
I had been told by my best friend that smart comedy has no place in the Philippines. That the only one that can be successful is the kind containing insults, screaming, toilet humor and gay lingo. Too bad since a lot of things we do here (not just by politicians, mind you) is a joke. Would be great if they were funny, too.
I think it would help our country tremendously if we, as a people, actually started thinking. If, somehow, a mirror was put in front of us we'd finally realize how absurd we are. For example:
The flooding of Ondoy was not made by God. It was made by people like you and I. We throw our trash everywhere. We're not doing anything to have less people. We're not doing enough to help people have decent homes and not have to live by the river. We're not holding our government accountable for not enforcing zoning laws. Of course, we were going to have the great flood.
Or (the people in my industry will kill me for this, but, here goes):
We spend so much on medicines, vitamins and cure-alls (look at the billboards, ads, commercials. Never seen a country peddle them like we do) when one just has to see that it's what we eat, our lifestyle...our own-made pollution around us that's actually killing us.
They, of course, kill people with dangerous ideas: Gandhi, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Jose Rizal to name a few. Jesus and Rizal? Both were instigators killed for exposing the wrongdoings of the Church and their fellowmen. Rizal did it, of course, through the pen. His ideas were the seeds of the revolution. Soon as I know more about Rizal, I'll feature him in an "Incendiary Minds" column.
Bill Hicks died in 1994 at the age of 32. His legacy has lived on, however, with a documentary and a rumored film to be directed by Ron Howard and with Russell Crowe portraying Hicks. Google "bill hicks prophet" and you'll get 41,000 hits.
Jon King at Consious Ape writes, "Like Martin Luther King, Bill Hicks had a dream, a vision of how things could be if only we’d get our shit together and risk a little trust—take responsibility for who and what we truly are and live as though we mean it, as though we care about each other and this incredible world on which we all live.
Bill Hicks’s vision was one of hope, an aspiration that reached out beyond the constraints of religion, fear and impending doom and caught sight of just how incredible life could be—if we want it...that if we seize the opportunity we could rid the world of greed and fear and fill it up with love."
The only way to close this piece:
The transcript:
"The world is like a ride at an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it, you think it's real, because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round and it has thrills and chills and it's very brightly colored and it's very loud. And it's fun, for a while.
Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question: 'Is this real? Or is this just a ride?' And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and they say 'Hey! Don't worry, don't be afraid - ever - because... this is just a ride.' And we kill those people.
'Shut him up! We have a lot invested in this ride! Shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry; look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real.'
It's just a ride. But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that - ever notice that? - and we let the demons run amok. But it doesn't matter, because... it's just a ride, and we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort. No worry. No job. No savings and money. Just a choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your door, buy bigger guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one.
Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, into a better ride. Take all that money we spend on weapons and defense each year and, instead, spend it feeding, clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would do many times over - not one human being excluded - and we can explore space together, both inner and outer, forever. In peace."
Saturday, November 13, 2010
We're All Whores Anyway Or The Balls and Chains Keeping Us Down Part 1
George Bernard Shaw was at a party once and he told this woman that everyone would agree to do anything for money, if the price was high enough.
`Surely not,' she said.
`Oh yes,' he said.
`Well, I wouldn't,' she said.
`Oh yes you would. For instance, would you sleep with me for... for a million pounds?'
`Well,' she said, `maybe for a million I would, yes.'
`Would you do it for ten shillings?' said Bernard Shaw.
`Certainly not!' said the woman `What do you take me for? A prostitute?'
`Madam, we've established that already,' said Bernard Shaw. `We're just trying to fix your price now.'
My wife, that would be Kelly, complained why I have to call it "whores" and not a more generic phrase like, "We've All Got A Price" or something as innocuous. Look, I'm desperate to get readers. "Whore" seems, I don't know, controversial and seems to make for bad publicity. And, as any astute Filipino knows, there's no such thing as "bad publicity."
I once wrote Jessica Zafra an email that was both affectionate:
I belong to the generation (39 years old, middle-class, educated, etc.) that adored your Today columns. Yes, I remember 1994. You were able to put to words our feelings, fears....ok, bit too dramatic - more like angst. I still remember reading "Worldwide Domination" that year. I once almost went up to say hi when a friend and I spotted you at a cafe in Megamall in '95.
and critical:
Am quite surprised about the stuff you've been writing about. I left (1995) when you were angry, hopeful, funny and biting. I can still see that part of you in your writing but it's overshadowed by someone who has joined the establishment.
Did I feel betrayed by someone I looked up to? You do, when you see that person hawking Adora in The Philippine Star. But, that was before I became poor and started learning about "envelopmental journalism." You see, sorry for you and good for me if you're not aware, but Philippine media seems to be largely...how do I delicately say this, "corrupt." Now...now, corruption is all relative, am I correct? What could be considered corrupt in..let's say...Norway... may not necessarily be wrong here.
Let's just say that the...okay, let's compromise here... "Western" definition for corruption is, "abuse of public power, office, or resources by government officials or employees for personal gain, e.g. by extortion, soliciting or offering bribes."
Now, consider these glossary of terms used to describe....ehem...transactions in Philippine journalism*:
AC-DC For attack-collect-defend-collect. A kind of journalism where the reporter attacks a person in order to collect money from that person's rival or enemy. The same journalist then defends the person originally attacked, also for a fee. MY NOTE: Uproarious.
ATM journalism Refers to reporters who receive discreet and regular pay-offs through their automated teller machine (ATM) accounts. News sources simply deposit cash into these accounts instead of issuing checks or handing the money over to the journalists in envelopes. Often, the accounts are in the names of relatives, rather than of the reporters themselves. ATM journalism became popular in the 1990s, taking over from the more simple "envelopmental journalism" that took place in the 1970s and '80s.
Ayos As in "fix," the act of bribing reporters either with money or other gifts like late-night entertainment.
Bicycle Gang Refers to the contacts of politicians in television news desks who ensure that video footage of candidates barnstorming in the provinces is circulated to the different TV networks by a messenger riding a bike.
Blood Money A pay-off to ensure that a story or critical article is killed or else slanted in the briber's favor before publication. This is different from "smiling money".
Bukol From the Tagalog word that means a bump, usually on the head. A reporter gets a "bukol" or is considered "nabukulan" if he or she fails to get a share of the largesse being distributed by politicians and other news sources whom they cover.
Didal Refers to the practice of media handlers pocketing for themselves a part of the money intended for distribution to reporters. For example, if a party's media bureau sets aside a P2,000 allowance for each of the reporters covering an event, the media staff would distribute only P1,000 to P1,500 and keep the rest. The reporters in this case consider themselves "nadidal."
Envelopmental journalism A take on "developmental journalism," which became popular in the 1970s. Journalism is deemed "envelopmental" if it involves an envelope of cash paid to journalists to sway their reporting.
Hao Siao A derogatory term used to refer to pseudo-journalists, those not employed by a reputable news organization but pass themselves off as journalists in order to cash in on payoffs and bribes made by news sources, particularly during elections.
Inteligensia Cash given as bribe or protection money to the police, a part of which goes to journalists covering the police department. Some reporters have begun using the term to refer to the regular payments that they get from law enforcers.
Main Event Refers to the act of distributing cash to journalists. A press conference or news coverage is not deemed over until the cash is dispensed -- this is considered the "main event."
Orbit Like planets revolving around the sun, reporters also make the rounds of offices, particularly the police stations, to get their weekly payola. The term may also refer to any effort to visit offices for the purpose of soliciting money from news sources.
Placement The position or department within the media bureau of a government agency or company that is in charge of ensuring that press releases are sent to news offices and published or aired when they should be. While there are PR professionals who do the job, some journalists are hired to ensure "placement' as well. Some journalists also moonlight as writers for candidates, ensuring placement by making appeals to their friends in newspapers and broadcast agencies.
Point Man A reporter or editor working in a news organization but who is also paid by a candidate or political party to ensure that press releases are published or aired and also to warn the candidate of negative stories emanating from rival camps.
Smiling Money Cash that is given to reporters or editors for no particular reason except to create goodwill between a source and the journalists. It can also be used to refer to a payoff given after the publication of a positive story, supposedly as a gesture of the source's appreciation.
Tigbas Cebuano word for "cut", used to refer to a hatchet job. MY NOTE: My gulay, even the those loveable Cebuanos are in on it.
Now, with the plight I'm in: rent to pay, tuition to an exclusive all-girl's school, one of the highest electricity rates in the world, gymnastics classes, P300.00 movie tickets, car mortgage, househelp, gas, etc., I completely understand that I was being naively critical of you, Ms. Zafra.
No, I'm not saying that Jessica Zafra is corrupt. Fact is, she's probably just obligated by her paper to tout in her column the companies that advertise. Somehow, though, I have a feeling she's not too happy about that. I'd like to think that she's someone who does not accept anything for her coverage.
Ethical dilemmas, though, are raised: Is it okay to push products through opinion writers? If it's not a good product, do you still come up with a positive review? If the advertiser is guilty of some wrongdoing, will objectivity still be possible?
I'm sure those are weighty issues worth tackling...by somebody. As for me, I want to be known as the Bond, James Bond of Philippine media. Cause now I have the License to Shill (Was that good? That's the kind of writing, I have observed, that could get me a regular gig in the Lifestyle section of a daily). Yes, screw principles. Call me the Congressman of principles: "Heck, everybody's doing it why shouldn't I."
As a lot of my fellow Filipinos know, principles mean nothing when you're hungry for a Dad's cross-over buffet, you want a nice vacation in Singapore for the wifey and the little brats, college education at a non-State university, an extra car (or two), maybe a driver...and...and an extra helper (or two) to look after the afore-mentioned brats. Also, I can no longer stand the shame of still being partly supported by my parents and brother-in-law.
I'm glad I live in a society that has lowered its moral benchmark (speaking of Bench: I'm willing to cover your sexy events for free. Just don't tell the others) that I don't feel so dirty accepting envelopes of cash or deposits into my ATM (please see my account number below).
So, PR and Placement people: Listen up, these are the things we can do to my blog:
Vacation:
Here we are enjoying our stay at the wonderful (Your resort here:__________. Price: Three nights minimum stay, airfare for four, transfers, free meals and P15,000.00 allowance).
We were met by the wonderful General Manager (Price: P2,000.00) and his lovely assistant (P1,000.00). It was the most relaxing time. ___________ Resort (P7,000.00) really is a gorgeous place. My, did we have such enchanting memories on our trip home.
Total Cash Involved: P25,000.00
Political:
_________ Says Doctors Should Be Paid More
Sen._________ is batting for higher compensation for doctors to encourage them to stay and practice their profession in the country.
_________ noted that a lot of doctors have opted to become nurses....
Total Cash Involved (TCI): Guys, I'm willing to work "Smiling Cash Money." I'm not that greedy.
Good Old-Fashioned Peddling:
The 2010 holiday collection of _____________ (P30,000.00) studies the complex and intricate relationship between women and shoes. This ranges from the perspective of sexuality, culture , psychological to feminism studies, providing us with insight into women's desire for shoes. Sigmund Freud said....
___________ is available at Greenbelt 5, Power Plant Mall, Shangri-la Plaza Mall and Glorietta 4.
TCI: P60,000.00
TV Programming:
A Week Packed with Stories on _________
_____________ presents another enriching week starting tomorrow, Nov. 15 as ________ lifestyle show presents informative, entertaining episodes at _______ AM / PM.
TCI: P30,000.00
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):
__________ Corporation recently presented the City of ___________ with 15 new boats to be used in the event of disasters. Present at the turnover were Vice President for Corporate Communications Mr / Ms ____________ and ________ City Mayor _________.......
TCI: Again, "Smiling Cash Money" is sufficient.
So, there you go....just to be clear with everybody: I AM FOR SALE. I'm easy: I want to go on junkets to Hollywood or Guam, I want to be photographed with the most beautiful men and women of the Philippines, I want my Main Event at press conferences, I want to be able to attack and defend public figures in scandals, I want my own column in one of the dailies. My God, I just want to be the next famous columnist and...and... if this is fine with God, I'd like to eventually run for public office.
Possibly, my only regret in all of these is that I missed the elections. I could have done this astroturf ("campaigns that are formally planned by an organization, but are disguised as spontaneous, popular "grassroots" behavior") campaign by Manny Villar's (obviously) camp in my sleep:
The Youth Who Call Themselves 'Orangeneration'
The Philippine Star December 04, 2009
MANILA, Philippines - "What can be so special about orange?” one tends to ask after coming across a 5,000-strong national youth movement named “Orangeneration,” whose numbers are growing fast across the breadth and length of the archipelago.
They were in Quezon City, Pasig, Cainta, Taytay, Angono and up to Montalban, Rizal at the height of Typhoon Ondoy, conducting rescue and relief operations. They were also the first...
Funny that you can smell a "faxed-job" (my term describing those PR campaigns sent by fax) a mile away because a piece does not have a byline.
That's okay if I missed the elections as I'm ready and determined to make up for lost pay. Now, I happen to be a thief with some honor. So, this is what I promise you my dear loyal, gullible reader: I will disclose to you whatever I make on this enterprise. If I'm feeling a little generous, I just may give 10% to charity.
Where's my conscience, did I just hear someone ask? The indifferent majority do not care if there is corruption in the media. They're already programmed to accept malfeasance in all aspects of Philippine society. I'm sure they'll be "shocked, shocked" to know there's dirty money on the 6:30 news. As for me? I guess one gets desensitized to something when it's part of one's environment.
Democracy - a proper working democracy - defined as "form of government in which governing power is derived from the people" will only work if it has a citizenry that is active and involved. One of the ways for them to be involved is if they are informed and enlightened. Am I blaming the news media for the current state we are in? Partly. Are we getting the right information that's important for responsible citizenship? You tell me: Is there any depth in the reporting found in the evening news, the print media and on radio? Can you honestly say it's not infotainment...show biz-type news you're receiving?
In theory, this is how a component of democracy should work: Media uncovers misconduct, is able to report it freely, citizenry gets involved, wrongdoing is stopped, responsible people incarcerated, vigilance raised, wash, rinse, repeat... You have the time? Click here to find a recent example of this.
Now, I understand I'm ruffling a few feathers with what I'm doing. You in the media may want to keep fooling the public with your lies (Attack) so I'm willing to back-off with a pay-off (Collect). Price: P500,000.00. See, I'm getting good at this.
By the way, to those interested? Yes, I'm willing to sleep with anybody. Price: P30,000.00.
Here's someone who does not understand our plight:
Part 1
Part 2
Probably, the only way to close this piece:
*excerpted from "News for Sale" The Corruption & Commercialization of the Philippine Media" by Chay Florentino-Hofileña
`Surely not,' she said.
`Oh yes,' he said.
`Well, I wouldn't,' she said.
`Oh yes you would. For instance, would you sleep with me for... for a million pounds?'
`Well,' she said, `maybe for a million I would, yes.'
`Would you do it for ten shillings?' said Bernard Shaw.
`Certainly not!' said the woman `What do you take me for? A prostitute?'
`Madam, we've established that already,' said Bernard Shaw. `We're just trying to fix your price now.'
My wife, that would be Kelly, complained why I have to call it "whores" and not a more generic phrase like, "We've All Got A Price" or something as innocuous. Look, I'm desperate to get readers. "Whore" seems, I don't know, controversial and seems to make for bad publicity. And, as any astute Filipino knows, there's no such thing as "bad publicity."
I once wrote Jessica Zafra an email that was both affectionate:
I belong to the generation (39 years old, middle-class, educated, etc.) that adored your Today columns. Yes, I remember 1994. You were able to put to words our feelings, fears....ok, bit too dramatic - more like angst. I still remember reading "Worldwide Domination" that year. I once almost went up to say hi when a friend and I spotted you at a cafe in Megamall in '95.
and critical:
Am quite surprised about the stuff you've been writing about. I left (1995) when you were angry, hopeful, funny and biting. I can still see that part of you in your writing but it's overshadowed by someone who has joined the establishment.
Did I feel betrayed by someone I looked up to? You do, when you see that person hawking Adora in The Philippine Star. But, that was before I became poor and started learning about "envelopmental journalism." You see, sorry for you and good for me if you're not aware, but Philippine media seems to be largely...how do I delicately say this, "corrupt." Now...now, corruption is all relative, am I correct? What could be considered corrupt in..let's say...Norway... may not necessarily be wrong here.
Let's just say that the...okay, let's compromise here... "Western" definition for corruption is, "abuse of public power, office, or resources by government officials or employees for personal gain, e.g. by extortion, soliciting or offering bribes."
Now, consider these glossary of terms used to describe....ehem...transactions in Philippine journalism*:
AC-DC For attack-collect-defend-collect. A kind of journalism where the reporter attacks a person in order to collect money from that person's rival or enemy. The same journalist then defends the person originally attacked, also for a fee. MY NOTE: Uproarious.
ATM journalism Refers to reporters who receive discreet and regular pay-offs through their automated teller machine (ATM) accounts. News sources simply deposit cash into these accounts instead of issuing checks or handing the money over to the journalists in envelopes. Often, the accounts are in the names of relatives, rather than of the reporters themselves. ATM journalism became popular in the 1990s, taking over from the more simple "envelopmental journalism" that took place in the 1970s and '80s.
Ayos As in "fix," the act of bribing reporters either with money or other gifts like late-night entertainment.
Bicycle Gang Refers to the contacts of politicians in television news desks who ensure that video footage of candidates barnstorming in the provinces is circulated to the different TV networks by a messenger riding a bike.
Blood Money A pay-off to ensure that a story or critical article is killed or else slanted in the briber's favor before publication. This is different from "smiling money".
Bukol From the Tagalog word that means a bump, usually on the head. A reporter gets a "bukol" or is considered "nabukulan" if he or she fails to get a share of the largesse being distributed by politicians and other news sources whom they cover.
Didal Refers to the practice of media handlers pocketing for themselves a part of the money intended for distribution to reporters. For example, if a party's media bureau sets aside a P2,000 allowance for each of the reporters covering an event, the media staff would distribute only P1,000 to P1,500 and keep the rest. The reporters in this case consider themselves "nadidal."
Envelopmental journalism A take on "developmental journalism," which became popular in the 1970s. Journalism is deemed "envelopmental" if it involves an envelope of cash paid to journalists to sway their reporting.
Hao Siao A derogatory term used to refer to pseudo-journalists, those not employed by a reputable news organization but pass themselves off as journalists in order to cash in on payoffs and bribes made by news sources, particularly during elections.
Inteligensia Cash given as bribe or protection money to the police, a part of which goes to journalists covering the police department. Some reporters have begun using the term to refer to the regular payments that they get from law enforcers.
Main Event Refers to the act of distributing cash to journalists. A press conference or news coverage is not deemed over until the cash is dispensed -- this is considered the "main event."
Orbit Like planets revolving around the sun, reporters also make the rounds of offices, particularly the police stations, to get their weekly payola. The term may also refer to any effort to visit offices for the purpose of soliciting money from news sources.
Placement The position or department within the media bureau of a government agency or company that is in charge of ensuring that press releases are sent to news offices and published or aired when they should be. While there are PR professionals who do the job, some journalists are hired to ensure "placement' as well. Some journalists also moonlight as writers for candidates, ensuring placement by making appeals to their friends in newspapers and broadcast agencies.
Point Man A reporter or editor working in a news organization but who is also paid by a candidate or political party to ensure that press releases are published or aired and also to warn the candidate of negative stories emanating from rival camps.
Smiling Money Cash that is given to reporters or editors for no particular reason except to create goodwill between a source and the journalists. It can also be used to refer to a payoff given after the publication of a positive story, supposedly as a gesture of the source's appreciation.
Tigbas Cebuano word for "cut", used to refer to a hatchet job. MY NOTE: My gulay, even the those loveable Cebuanos are in on it.
Now, with the plight I'm in: rent to pay, tuition to an exclusive all-girl's school, one of the highest electricity rates in the world, gymnastics classes, P300.00 movie tickets, car mortgage, househelp, gas, etc., I completely understand that I was being naively critical of you, Ms. Zafra.
No, I'm not saying that Jessica Zafra is corrupt. Fact is, she's probably just obligated by her paper to tout in her column the companies that advertise. Somehow, though, I have a feeling she's not too happy about that. I'd like to think that she's someone who does not accept anything for her coverage.
Ethical dilemmas, though, are raised: Is it okay to push products through opinion writers? If it's not a good product, do you still come up with a positive review? If the advertiser is guilty of some wrongdoing, will objectivity still be possible?
I'm sure those are weighty issues worth tackling...by somebody. As for me, I want to be known as the Bond, James Bond of Philippine media. Cause now I have the License to Shill (Was that good? That's the kind of writing, I have observed, that could get me a regular gig in the Lifestyle section of a daily). Yes, screw principles. Call me the Congressman of principles: "Heck, everybody's doing it why shouldn't I."
As a lot of my fellow Filipinos know, principles mean nothing when you're hungry for a Dad's cross-over buffet, you want a nice vacation in Singapore for the wifey and the little brats, college education at a non-State university, an extra car (or two), maybe a driver...and...and an extra helper (or two) to look after the afore-mentioned brats. Also, I can no longer stand the shame of still being partly supported by my parents and brother-in-law.
I'm glad I live in a society that has lowered its moral benchmark (speaking of Bench: I'm willing to cover your sexy events for free. Just don't tell the others) that I don't feel so dirty accepting envelopes of cash or deposits into my ATM (please see my account number below).
So, PR and Placement people: Listen up, these are the things we can do to my blog:
Vacation:
Here we are enjoying our stay at the wonderful (Your resort here:__________. Price: Three nights minimum stay, airfare for four, transfers, free meals and P15,000.00 allowance).
We were met by the wonderful General Manager (Price: P2,000.00) and his lovely assistant (P1,000.00). It was the most relaxing time. ___________ Resort (P7,000.00) really is a gorgeous place. My, did we have such enchanting memories on our trip home.
Total Cash Involved: P25,000.00
Political:
_________ Says Doctors Should Be Paid More
Sen._________ is batting for higher compensation for doctors to encourage them to stay and practice their profession in the country.
_________ noted that a lot of doctors have opted to become nurses....
Total Cash Involved (TCI): Guys, I'm willing to work "Smiling Cash Money." I'm not that greedy.
Good Old-Fashioned Peddling:
The 2010 holiday collection of _____________ (P30,000.00) studies the complex and intricate relationship between women and shoes. This ranges from the perspective of sexuality, culture , psychological to feminism studies, providing us with insight into women's desire for shoes. Sigmund Freud said....
___________ is available at Greenbelt 5, Power Plant Mall, Shangri-la Plaza Mall and Glorietta 4.
TCI: P60,000.00
TV Programming:
A Week Packed with Stories on _________
_____________ presents another enriching week starting tomorrow, Nov. 15 as ________ lifestyle show presents informative, entertaining episodes at _______ AM / PM.
TCI: P30,000.00
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):
__________ Corporation recently presented the City of ___________ with 15 new boats to be used in the event of disasters. Present at the turnover were Vice President for Corporate Communications Mr / Ms ____________ and ________ City Mayor _________.......
TCI: Again, "Smiling Cash Money" is sufficient.
So, there you go....just to be clear with everybody: I AM FOR SALE. I'm easy: I want to go on junkets to Hollywood or Guam, I want to be photographed with the most beautiful men and women of the Philippines, I want my Main Event at press conferences, I want to be able to attack and defend public figures in scandals, I want my own column in one of the dailies. My God, I just want to be the next famous columnist and...and... if this is fine with God, I'd like to eventually run for public office.
Possibly, my only regret in all of these is that I missed the elections. I could have done this astroturf ("campaigns that are formally planned by an organization, but are disguised as spontaneous, popular "grassroots" behavior") campaign by Manny Villar's (obviously) camp in my sleep:
The Youth Who Call Themselves 'Orangeneration'
The Philippine Star December 04, 2009
MANILA, Philippines - "What can be so special about orange?” one tends to ask after coming across a 5,000-strong national youth movement named “Orangeneration,” whose numbers are growing fast across the breadth and length of the archipelago.
They were in Quezon City, Pasig, Cainta, Taytay, Angono and up to Montalban, Rizal at the height of Typhoon Ondoy, conducting rescue and relief operations. They were also the first...
Funny that you can smell a "faxed-job" (my term describing those PR campaigns sent by fax) a mile away because a piece does not have a byline.
That's okay if I missed the elections as I'm ready and determined to make up for lost pay. Now, I happen to be a thief with some honor. So, this is what I promise you my dear loyal, gullible reader: I will disclose to you whatever I make on this enterprise. If I'm feeling a little generous, I just may give 10% to charity.
Where's my conscience, did I just hear someone ask? The indifferent majority do not care if there is corruption in the media. They're already programmed to accept malfeasance in all aspects of Philippine society. I'm sure they'll be "shocked, shocked" to know there's dirty money on the 6:30 news. As for me? I guess one gets desensitized to something when it's part of one's environment.
Democracy - a proper working democracy - defined as "form of government in which governing power is derived from the people" will only work if it has a citizenry that is active and involved. One of the ways for them to be involved is if they are informed and enlightened. Am I blaming the news media for the current state we are in? Partly. Are we getting the right information that's important for responsible citizenship? You tell me: Is there any depth in the reporting found in the evening news, the print media and on radio? Can you honestly say it's not infotainment...show biz-type news you're receiving?
In theory, this is how a component of democracy should work: Media uncovers misconduct, is able to report it freely, citizenry gets involved, wrongdoing is stopped, responsible people incarcerated, vigilance raised, wash, rinse, repeat... You have the time? Click here to find a recent example of this.
Now, I understand I'm ruffling a few feathers with what I'm doing. You in the media may want to keep fooling the public with your lies (Attack) so I'm willing to back-off with a pay-off (Collect). Price: P500,000.00. See, I'm getting good at this.
By the way, to those interested? Yes, I'm willing to sleep with anybody. Price: P30,000.00.
Here's someone who does not understand our plight:
Part 1
Part 2
Probably, the only way to close this piece:
*excerpted from "News for Sale" The Corruption & Commercialization of the Philippine Media" by Chay Florentino-Hofileña
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Incendiary Minds: Part 1
A positive thing that stands out from having lived abroad for 14 years is the fact that I was exposed to different thoughts and ideas. I truly understood the "out-of-the box" cliche...to start thinking and more importantly, I believe, to question my own beliefs.
I pretty much "woke up" in 2003 - brought about by the (still) incredulous invasion of Iraq. This made me realize a number of things: human beings are easily manipulated (see George Orwell's seminal "1984"), we do not know everything, most of us are "asleep," religion has its negatives, we are basically selfish creatures, among others. I had read somewhere that 29 years old is the age when a person's beliefs are galvanized - I suppose I, being a late bloomer, was four years late.
What do I label myself now? I think I've narrowed it down to a progressive, pacifist, radical, liberal, anarcho (no enforced authority), Socialist Democrat, Christian. A mouthful and also contradictory, I agree.
Of all the definitions given for Socialism the one I identify most with is this given by the writer Howard Zinn: "Socialism basically said, hey, let's have a kinder, gentler society. Let's share things. Let's have an economic system that produces things not because they're profitable for some corporation, but produces things that people need."
It was also during this period - curious why a "Christian" nation would advocate war - that I decided to read the four gospels to find out for myself what Jesus Christ stood for. I came to the conclusion that if he lived in the present, he'd be labeled an iconoclastic, radical, left-leaning troublemaker. That it is not the conservatives, who have co-opted Christianity, that Jesus would most probably be comfortable with. That it was the conservatives (who were violently opposed to the change he was proposing) of his time that had him killed.
Zinn, who passed away early this year, became famous for having written a history of the U.S. from the perspective of the common people and not from the political and economic elite (read " A People's History of the United States"). His chapter on the American occupation of the Philippines is revelatory - a precursor to its involvement in Vietnam and Iraq.
The U.S. - because of the freedoms it holds dearly - is startlingly diverse. It is home not just to nut jobs from the left and the right but, more importantly, to wide-open, compassionate people like Zinn, Noam Chomsky and even an envelope-pushing comedian like Bill Hicks.
The Philippines will benefit greatly if more out-of-the-box thinkers emerge and be an influence on the country. I think we've collectively settled into a rut...into a fixed false belief that the current system that was handed down to us, the ideas we hold on to...is the only way.
Howard Zinn, when asked what he wanted to be remembered for said, "I guess if I want to be remembered for anything, it’s for introducing a different way of thinking about the world, about war, about human rights, about equality, for getting more and more people to think that way.
I pretty much "woke up" in 2003 - brought about by the (still) incredulous invasion of Iraq. This made me realize a number of things: human beings are easily manipulated (see George Orwell's seminal "1984"), we do not know everything, most of us are "asleep," religion has its negatives, we are basically selfish creatures, among others. I had read somewhere that 29 years old is the age when a person's beliefs are galvanized - I suppose I, being a late bloomer, was four years late.
What do I label myself now? I think I've narrowed it down to a progressive, pacifist, radical, liberal, anarcho (no enforced authority), Socialist Democrat, Christian. A mouthful and also contradictory, I agree.
Of all the definitions given for Socialism the one I identify most with is this given by the writer Howard Zinn: "Socialism basically said, hey, let's have a kinder, gentler society. Let's share things. Let's have an economic system that produces things not because they're profitable for some corporation, but produces things that people need."
It was also during this period - curious why a "Christian" nation would advocate war - that I decided to read the four gospels to find out for myself what Jesus Christ stood for. I came to the conclusion that if he lived in the present, he'd be labeled an iconoclastic, radical, left-leaning troublemaker. That it is not the conservatives, who have co-opted Christianity, that Jesus would most probably be comfortable with. That it was the conservatives (who were violently opposed to the change he was proposing) of his time that had him killed.
Zinn, who passed away early this year, became famous for having written a history of the U.S. from the perspective of the common people and not from the political and economic elite (read " A People's History of the United States"). His chapter on the American occupation of the Philippines is revelatory - a precursor to its involvement in Vietnam and Iraq.
The U.S. - because of the freedoms it holds dearly - is startlingly diverse. It is home not just to nut jobs from the left and the right but, more importantly, to wide-open, compassionate people like Zinn, Noam Chomsky and even an envelope-pushing comedian like Bill Hicks.
The Philippines will benefit greatly if more out-of-the-box thinkers emerge and be an influence on the country. I think we've collectively settled into a rut...into a fixed false belief that the current system that was handed down to us, the ideas we hold on to...is the only way.
Howard Zinn, when asked what he wanted to be remembered for said, "I guess if I want to be remembered for anything, it’s for introducing a different way of thinking about the world, about war, about human rights, about equality, for getting more and more people to think that way.
Also, for getting more people to realize that the power which rests so far in the hands of people with wealth and guns, that the power ultimately rests in people themselves and that they can use it. At certain points in history, they have used it. Black people in the South used it. People in the women’s movement used it. People in the anti-war movement used it. People in other countries who have overthrown tyrannies have used it.
I want to be remembered as somebody who gave people a feeling of hope and power that they didn’t have before."
When asked about his philosophy: "I believe, I suppose, in what could be called democratic socialism. I believe that we need a society where the motive for the economic system is not corporate profit, but the motive is the welfare of people, health care, jobs, child care, and so on. But that is dominant. Where there is a greater equalization of wealth and a society which is peaceful, which devotes its resources to helping people in the country and elsewhere.
I believe in a world where war is no longer the recourse for the settling of grievances and problems. I believe in the wiping out of national boundaries.
I don’t believe in visas and passports and immigration quotas. I think we need to move toward a global society. They use the word “globalization,” but they use it in a very narrow sense to mean the freedom of corporations to move across boundaries. But what we need is a freedom of people and things to move across boundaries."
His advise to us: "Think for yourself. Don't believe what the people up there tell you. Don't depend on saviors...or our leaders to do what must be done." 'nuff said. Howard Zinn, may you keep fighting the good fight wherever you are.
We Don't Do Concerted
"Noy" has been chosen by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) as the country's entry to the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards. Have seen but I won't do an in-depth review of it as there are better writers who have done very good pieces on it: Here and here. In a word, though, it's embarrassing.
It seems to have been a heartfelt and sincere project that, however, manages to come off as immature and naive. Sincerity, I suppose, doesn't make for great art. What stands out:
- It preaches about taking a critical view of personalities including a character admonishing Coco Martin's journalist protagonist for not having a discerning view of the subject he is covering while the movie, meanwhile, itself gives a "kid gloves" treatment of Noynoy Aquino. The term "irony" seems too frail a word.
- It's unintentionally funny in spots: A mad scene involving drugs and blindness, a skimpily dressed Erich Gonzales showing up at rallies and Ondoy-ravaged areas and a denouement that has to be seen to be believed.
It really reminds me of those anti-communist propaganda pieces that Hollywood came up with in the 50's and those Christian movies that are now in vogue: Made with the best intentions. I suppose the road to movie hell is paved with the best you-know-what.
This film will not make it to the final five nominees. I guarantee that. I'll eat a Jollibee Yumburger (I'm semi-vegetarian) if it did. It's a puzzling choice. Was this postcard-to-the-President of a film chosen as a favor to Noynoy Aquino? If it did, then it just confirmed that the film failed in its quest to send a message: The movie itself rails against the Filipino trait of currying favors.
Have not seen other Filipino films this year but have read reviews that seemed to indicate there are better ones out there. Jowana Bueser does a good piece, too, on the prospects of "Noy."
Action director and member of the special committee of FAP that chose "Noy," Jose Carreon, wrote a piece entitled "Mission Impossible" describing our history at the Oscars. Is it really impossible? With all due respect, Mr. Carreon, it is not:
It'll take a JFK-esque "Man on the Moon" effort, though. It'll have to be a goal of the administration to come up with a program that will lead to an Oscar for the country. Looking at what we have: From the government side - Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Film Academy of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and from the non-government - Cinemalaya, Mowelfund, etc....I think we have the structure for it.
The FDCP can be tasked with taking the lead on this project. The new chairman, filmmaker Briccio Santos, has indicated that he is an out-of-the-box thinker.
Like business incubators that act to "accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated...through network of contacts" this project would address both the business and creative side of filmmaking.
Creatively, it would be free from political interference and be composed of inventive individuals from a broad spectrum: writers, directors, composers, actors....Taking cue from the Sundance Lab, this project must be a collaborative effort from seasoned artists to emerging talents. To be honest, there is a limited number of true talent here in all fields.
A script would be chosen that others would work on. Ample time will be given to the development of the script and the project - without it having to be rushed because of a local festival playdate. What should the film be about? It does not have to be a historical epic. It, however, must have something new to say and be reflective of who we are: the good, the bad and the in-between. It cannot be a travelogue. Take a stroll through past nominees and you'll encounter cinema that's controversial, courageous and groundbreaking.
Financially, it will have to be seen as a moneymaking venture. Outside financing (from the US and Europe) is an option. Importantly, the scope project should not be dictated by the budget. The budget must adhere to the wishes of the project.
Why must we do all these? Can film...or a triumph in a cinematic pageant...transform a nation? No, it's not a silver bullet but, rather, it is a step...one of thousands this country will need. "Art" says that the human being being is capable of coming up with work that is creative, imaginative and powerful. Imagine what this could do to a people that lack pride in themselves?
Can we pull this off? I once was witness to a group of men whose task was to move items for the company I work for. It was five guys and a leader who were well aware that it was a glass cabinet being moved and that extra care was needed. I could sense, however, that they were not working as a team - that some of the individuals didn't seem to have full focus on the task at hand. The leader- who may not have sensed this - did nothing to correct this. True enough, it eventually led to a glass door being shattered.
Can we, as Filipinos, work selflessly together? Do we have the capacity to not bicker and squabble? Would be truly a great subject for the film's "making of," wouldn't it?
One thing that stood in "Noy" was the performance of the truly gifted Baron Geisler. His portrayal of a world-weary editor gave the film some much needed depth. In a perfect world, more quality movies would be made with him starring in a number of them. In the world we live in, he's stuck in minor roles in middling films. Truly, a waste of Filipino talent.
Now, if we do decide that the route I prescribed would be the best way to get an Oscar I've got this sure-fire script that's a cinch. It's all about this.......
It seems to have been a heartfelt and sincere project that, however, manages to come off as immature and naive. Sincerity, I suppose, doesn't make for great art. What stands out:
- It preaches about taking a critical view of personalities including a character admonishing Coco Martin's journalist protagonist for not having a discerning view of the subject he is covering while the movie, meanwhile, itself gives a "kid gloves" treatment of Noynoy Aquino. The term "irony" seems too frail a word.
- It's unintentionally funny in spots: A mad scene involving drugs and blindness, a skimpily dressed Erich Gonzales showing up at rallies and Ondoy-ravaged areas and a denouement that has to be seen to be believed.
It really reminds me of those anti-communist propaganda pieces that Hollywood came up with in the 50's and those Christian movies that are now in vogue: Made with the best intentions. I suppose the road to movie hell is paved with the best you-know-what.
This film will not make it to the final five nominees. I guarantee that. I'll eat a Jollibee Yumburger (I'm semi-vegetarian) if it did. It's a puzzling choice. Was this postcard-to-the-President of a film chosen as a favor to Noynoy Aquino? If it did, then it just confirmed that the film failed in its quest to send a message: The movie itself rails against the Filipino trait of currying favors.
Have not seen other Filipino films this year but have read reviews that seemed to indicate there are better ones out there. Jowana Bueser does a good piece, too, on the prospects of "Noy."
Action director and member of the special committee of FAP that chose "Noy," Jose Carreon, wrote a piece entitled "Mission Impossible" describing our history at the Oscars. Is it really impossible? With all due respect, Mr. Carreon, it is not:
It'll take a JFK-esque "Man on the Moon" effort, though. It'll have to be a goal of the administration to come up with a program that will lead to an Oscar for the country. Looking at what we have: From the government side - Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Film Academy of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and from the non-government - Cinemalaya, Mowelfund, etc....I think we have the structure for it.
The FDCP can be tasked with taking the lead on this project. The new chairman, filmmaker Briccio Santos, has indicated that he is an out-of-the-box thinker.
Like business incubators that act to "accelerate the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated...through network of contacts" this project would address both the business and creative side of filmmaking.
Creatively, it would be free from political interference and be composed of inventive individuals from a broad spectrum: writers, directors, composers, actors....Taking cue from the Sundance Lab, this project must be a collaborative effort from seasoned artists to emerging talents. To be honest, there is a limited number of true talent here in all fields.
A script would be chosen that others would work on. Ample time will be given to the development of the script and the project - without it having to be rushed because of a local festival playdate. What should the film be about? It does not have to be a historical epic. It, however, must have something new to say and be reflective of who we are: the good, the bad and the in-between. It cannot be a travelogue. Take a stroll through past nominees and you'll encounter cinema that's controversial, courageous and groundbreaking.
Financially, it will have to be seen as a moneymaking venture. Outside financing (from the US and Europe) is an option. Importantly, the scope project should not be dictated by the budget. The budget must adhere to the wishes of the project.
Why must we do all these? Can film...or a triumph in a cinematic pageant...transform a nation? No, it's not a silver bullet but, rather, it is a step...one of thousands this country will need. "Art" says that the human being being is capable of coming up with work that is creative, imaginative and powerful. Imagine what this could do to a people that lack pride in themselves?
Can we pull this off? I once was witness to a group of men whose task was to move items for the company I work for. It was five guys and a leader who were well aware that it was a glass cabinet being moved and that extra care was needed. I could sense, however, that they were not working as a team - that some of the individuals didn't seem to have full focus on the task at hand. The leader- who may not have sensed this - did nothing to correct this. True enough, it eventually led to a glass door being shattered.
Can we, as Filipinos, work selflessly together? Do we have the capacity to not bicker and squabble? Would be truly a great subject for the film's "making of," wouldn't it?
One thing that stood in "Noy" was the performance of the truly gifted Baron Geisler. His portrayal of a world-weary editor gave the film some much needed depth. In a perfect world, more quality movies would be made with him starring in a number of them. In the world we live in, he's stuck in minor roles in middling films. Truly, a waste of Filipino talent.
Now, if we do decide that the route I prescribed would be the best way to get an Oscar I've got this sure-fire script that's a cinch. It's all about this.......
Thursday, October 28, 2010
The Screwers and the Screwees
I try to make it a point to be a tourist in the city we live in. It had been five months since our move and we decided to check out the Ninoy Aquino Wildlife Park in Quezon City (my tip: skip it) on a warm January weekend. While there, we bumped upon the shoot of a mini-series produced by Carlo J. Caparas called “Kroko” – about a vengeance-seeking escaped crocodile.
It was fun showing the kids the mechanics of film-making. “Look kids. That’s a really fake-looking replica of the crocodile. “ or “That’s the director (action director Toto Natividad) telling the actors what to do.”
Fast-forward to news that Carlo J. Caparas had supposedly inked a five-year deal worth P1.3 Billion (yes) contract with PCSO – yes, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes – to produce (yes, again) shows to be shown on IBC and NBN (yes, in case you’ve forgotten they still exist: that’s Channels 4 and 13). Now, let’s pause a bit before we move on to the next paragraph.
Did that just hit you like it did me? If it didn’t, then this is what this piece is all about. Let’s, intelligently, break this down:
- Have not seen a copy of the contract (can’t someone put it online? Where’s our own thesmokinggun.com?) so really can’t go into specifics. What I can say is that P1.3 Billion is a lot of money even over five years. My cheap calculator didn’t have enough zeros so I had to use my Ipod Touch (thanks to my brother, Carlo, by the way for it) in horizontal setting to figure out that that comes out to about P2,500,000.00 per show (it apparently is for two shows shown on a weekly basis).
Sorry, won’t be able to show you any images of the shows since there are none online nor is there any website. With P1.3 Billion, you’d think….
- What is the PCSO doing in the TV production business? The thinking, according to former PCSO director Manoling Morato, is that showing “Ang Pangarap Kong Jackpot” (one of the two shows) is meant to increase lottery sales. Apparently, it’s that and those irritating radio spots (Peeeeee Ceeeee Ssssssss Ooooooohhh….). Manoling, here’s a novel idea: Want to see Filipinos go berserk and buy like crazy? Raise the jackpot to P1.3 Billion and see what happens.
- Background on PCSO. It’s a government agency (means we own it) and part of the mandate seems to indicate that it can find other ways of making money. Hypothetically, they can be producers. Ok, granted. But, honestly, can they really make money by showing something on NBN and IBC. Ilagan City, how’s the signal there by the way?
Since we're all producers now, this is how P2.5 million looks like:
That is the crux of this piece: Some of my fellow Filipinos think they can do anything they want and get away with it. You know what? They’re right. Here, Screwers win….and win a lot. I’ve always admired the ingenuity of the Filipino in finding ways to game a certain system. Kickbacks, percentages, “commissions,” etc. (the “Koreans” – Magkano KO RYAN? and the “Eddies” – EH, DI paano naman ako?). I just laugh at how colleagues (now, ex-colleagues) found shrewd ways of being dishonest. Now, if we can all just channel that creativity…
Is it human nature to take advantage of other people? You tell me.
You know what, though: What just happened? It’s barely going to register in the national consciousness. Not like Hayden Kho or John Lloyd and Shaina have. If there’s anybody to blame for this – it’s our culture. The Screwers have just been screwing the behinds of the Screwees for so long and for so often that’s it been impossible to feel anything anymore. Manhid na. Because of that, we’ve learned to lower the bar on our morals and (worst) critical thinking. When I heard someone I know – a Gloria apologist – say that “she’s better because even if she steals at least she’s doing something for our country” I felt like we just collectively positioned ourselves comfortably between Somalia and Burundi on some risk management group’s statistical chart somewhere. Oops, is that a formal complaint filed against me by the embassies of those two countries?
It was fun showing the kids the mechanics of film-making. “Look kids. That’s a really fake-looking replica of the crocodile. “ or “That’s the director (action director Toto Natividad) telling the actors what to do.”
Fast-forward to news that Carlo J. Caparas had supposedly inked a five-year deal worth P1.3 Billion (yes) contract with PCSO – yes, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes – to produce (yes, again) shows to be shown on IBC and NBN (yes, in case you’ve forgotten they still exist: that’s Channels 4 and 13). Now, let’s pause a bit before we move on to the next paragraph.
Did that just hit you like it did me? If it didn’t, then this is what this piece is all about. Let’s, intelligently, break this down:
- Have not seen a copy of the contract (can’t someone put it online? Where’s our own thesmokinggun.com?) so really can’t go into specifics. What I can say is that P1.3 Billion is a lot of money even over five years. My cheap calculator didn’t have enough zeros so I had to use my Ipod Touch (thanks to my brother, Carlo, by the way for it) in horizontal setting to figure out that that comes out to about P2,500,000.00 per show (it apparently is for two shows shown on a weekly basis).
Sorry, won’t be able to show you any images of the shows since there are none online nor is there any website. With P1.3 Billion, you’d think….
- What is the PCSO doing in the TV production business? The thinking, according to former PCSO director Manoling Morato, is that showing “Ang Pangarap Kong Jackpot” (one of the two shows) is meant to increase lottery sales. Apparently, it’s that and those irritating radio spots (Peeeeee Ceeeee Ssssssss Ooooooohhh….). Manoling, here’s a novel idea: Want to see Filipinos go berserk and buy like crazy? Raise the jackpot to P1.3 Billion and see what happens.
- Background on PCSO. It’s a government agency (means we own it) and part of the mandate seems to indicate that it can find other ways of making money. Hypothetically, they can be producers. Ok, granted. But, honestly, can they really make money by showing something on NBN and IBC. Ilagan City, how’s the signal there by the way?
Since we're all producers now, this is how P2.5 million looks like:
That is the crux of this piece: Some of my fellow Filipinos think they can do anything they want and get away with it. You know what? They’re right. Here, Screwers win….and win a lot. I’ve always admired the ingenuity of the Filipino in finding ways to game a certain system. Kickbacks, percentages, “commissions,” etc. (the “Koreans” – Magkano KO RYAN? and the “Eddies” – EH, DI paano naman ako?). I just laugh at how colleagues (now, ex-colleagues) found shrewd ways of being dishonest. Now, if we can all just channel that creativity…
Is it human nature to take advantage of other people? You tell me.
You know what, though: What just happened? It’s barely going to register in the national consciousness. Not like Hayden Kho or John Lloyd and Shaina have. If there’s anybody to blame for this – it’s our culture. The Screwers have just been screwing the behinds of the Screwees for so long and for so often that’s it been impossible to feel anything anymore. Manhid na. Because of that, we’ve learned to lower the bar on our morals and (worst) critical thinking. When I heard someone I know – a Gloria apologist – say that “she’s better because even if she steals at least she’s doing something for our country” I felt like we just collectively positioned ourselves comfortably between Somalia and Burundi on some risk management group’s statistical chart somewhere. Oops, is that a formal complaint filed against me by the embassies of those two countries?
Welcome To The Little Voices In My Head
How many Filipino philosophers are there? One: Pilosopo Tasyo.
Ours is a culture that does not value intellectual work. Celebrity is valorized, but intelligence is not. We gaze at the beautiful, listen to the glib; we don’t care for the thoughtful and profound. Our movie stars and pop singers become famous, but our thinkers, artists with astute insights do not.
Exie Abola, Philippine Star (9/20/09)
Wow, the first thing that came to my mind? I’ll never, never get to write like that. I may have the insight, but I’ll never write like that. That’s great stuff. If you want great writing…you’ve come to the wrong site.
I’ve seen what’s out there: Filipinos at the margins with something to say. Am hoping this blog would be at the fore: People willing to share their well thought-out ideas and not be afraid to do so. Bumper stickers, I believe, are a great indicator of the intellect of a culture. The rarity of it here is a barometer of our mind-set. What we have, instead: Basta Driver Sweet Lover, Tama ang Hinala ni Mrs., Katas Ng Saudi, No Fear II.
Okay, let’s start…
Whew!! Ready kayo for this? Here goes….
The artist is a prophet. Not because he can see the future but rather because he can see what’s in the heart of man.
Can’t remember who said it. Honest, I’ve tried to Google it.
Can’t remember who said it. Honest, I’ve tried to Google it.
At this point, I‘m probably turning off about 73% of my Filipino readers. I’m probably being elitist about this but, yes, this is not intended for the Wowowee crowd. In contradiction, I’m hoping to get more Filipinos like you to start thinking. That’s what I’d love to do: Smack you in the face and say, “Wake up and get off that merry-go-round na kinagisnan mo on and start thinking.” Would I think it be great if the time came that stuff like this would not be considered “elitist”? Yes, of course.
Why
Ahhh, yes, that great question. I suppose I was encouraged by family to do this. I guess they’ve grown tired of my rants. “Just shut up and write them,” they’ve probably thought. So, what do I think it should be about? It should be an archive of thoughts, opinion and ideas – not just by me – that’s not common in the Filipino setting. Taboo subjects? Check. Controversial ideas? Check. The subjects we’ll cover? Just like those disquieting thoughts in my head? They should be all over the place: Politics, health, society, parenting, film, media, human behavior, humor, activism, spirituality, history, etc., etc.
File Under: Probably is a Good Idea
Hmmm. Women priests? Time Magazine article:
Alta Jacko is the mother of eight children. She is also an ordained priest in the Roman Catholic Church. Jacko, 81, who earned her master's degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University, a Jesuit Catholic school, says being a priest is what she was called to do.
Officially, of course, the Catholic Church's Canon Law 1024 says that only baptized men can receive holy orders. But there is a movement against the no-women rule; it began eight years ago when a cluster of renegade male clerics (including a European bishop whose identity the female priests won't reveal in order not to risk his excommunication) ordained the first women. Now, in Jacko's hometown of Chicago, three women have entered the priesthood.
It is a question that more and more members of the flock are asking. Many have begun to publicly challenge the church's stance, especially after the Vatican decreed in July that ordaining female priests was a "grave" crime, on par with pedophilia. Biblical passages refer to female clergy, including an apostle named Junia in Romans 16:7. On Sunday, Sept. 26, thousands of Catholics around the world plan to protest, either by boycotting Mass or by showing up wearing green armbands that say "Ordain Women." "Women are tired of being treated as second-class citizens in the church," says Jennifer Sleeman, an Irish Catholic who turns 81 on Sunday and is helping champion the Sunday Without Women demonstration organized by Women's Ordination Worldwide (WOW).
"We are disobeying an unjust law," says Barbara Zeman, 62, Chicago's first ordained Catholic female priest, who serves as a hospital chaplain at Northwestern Memorial Hospital; she will protest Sunday at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Evanston, Ill. "Many male priests have told me to go for it and that they can't wait until the church changes its attitude ... It's a movement whose time has come."
Before you react to this article, kindly think of the following first:
- Is your prejudice (assumption made about something before having adequate knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy) coming from a lifetime of growing up under the only belief-system you know. The kinagisnan effect - literally: "something you woke up to."
- Is it coming from stereotypes (generalizations about a group of people) about women: tsimosa, love to bicker, etc.
- Is it coming from fear of going against the Catholic Church's Canon Law.
I've long thought it would be a good idea to have women priests:
- My stereotype of women: They're the better parent. More attentive and patient toward children.
More passionate, caring, sensitive, understanding, etc. individuals.
- What we've known so far is that research through MRI and PET scans of the brain have shown that
when processing emotions, far more areas of the brain were active and lit
up for women. It's also been discovered that the secretion by the hypothalamus of the hormone oxytocin is greater in women. Higher levels of oxytocin (aka cuddle
chemical) makes an individual more empathic (capacity to, through consciousness rather than physically, share the sadness or happiness of another) and less aggresive. This
also links the verbal centers in the brain and stimulates a nurturing response with others. Higher levels of oxytocin in women enable them to be good mothers and respond to the emotional needs of their spouse, children and friends.
On a side note: During sex the increase in oxytocin causes a woman to bond intensely with her partner, creating romantic attachment. About the only time a man experiences a surge of oxytocin is during orgasm which allows him to bond with his partner as well. However, after orgasm, a man’s oxytocin levels return to their normally low levels, while the woman’s levels remain consistently higher than the man’s. This is why a man may be compelled to say, “I love you” during sex, but may not feel like saying it much afterwards when the woman is longing to hear reassuring words of love and affection (My note: Ouch. hehehehe).
On paper, having women as priests seems to be a logical 21st Century step. If it were only that easy. Let's face it, any organization's primary role is to survive. Be it a church or institution. Why change what has been "okay" for thousands of years. Besides, as any fraternity, Men's Club, civic organization knows: Why include women? It even had to take the US Supreme Court in 1984, on grounds of sex discrimination, to force the Jaycees to start accepting women. You know how they are: domineering, gossip queens, helpless, obsessesd with shopping, concerned with looks, etc.
The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that the main aspects of priesthood are offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and forgiving sins. I think it would benefit the Church and its flock greatly if it became more dynamic and had priests who are also caring counsellors and confidants. I'm not sure if it's just me but I don't think that only men can be vessels for Christ (in the case of the Papacy: old white men).
I've met and have been privileged to have grown up around women (my Mom included) who I think would make great priests. They are people you can talk to and are filled with great spirit. I may be misguided in my beliefs so feel free to correct me.
Please find below an answer from the other end of the spectrum. Note: Just love it when he says, "feminist problem":
Looking at the two, it seems you can break down the stand to: Women priests do it because of their love for God and the Church is against it because of traditions, practicalities and laws. It seems to me that the Church's side seems institutional and, therefore, more impersonal in nature. If this were a movie, who do you think you'd be rooting for?
The ideas brought forth by Jesus Christ constitute one of the most beautiful philosophies known to the human being. An overview of it shows that it is all about love for each other, peace, hope and caring for the weak and poor. Would it be safe to assume that his words have been successfully implemented in the Philippines? Rather, are we followers that have not been able to fully understand...internalize what is being asked of us? Imagine what that would do to a country that's 85% Christian?
I know people who have turned away...growing up under the seemingly indifferent establishment that is the Church. The author Anne Rice (Interview with a Vampire) who recently quit being a Catholic (she still sees herself as a follower of Christ, "My commitment to Christ remains at the heart and center of my life") based her decision partly on her perceived impossibility of belonging to a "quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group."
Will the Catholic Church continue to thrive? Yes, of course. But, is that a question you really should have asked? That may be, after all, the wrong question. The essence of Christ's teachings is greater than any traditions, laws and practicalities. Should it matter, then, who gets to lead in its elucidation and dissemination? I think it does.
Your comments please...and be not afraid.
Note: Portions of this piece can be found in an article by Terri L. Saunders.
Alta Jacko is the mother of eight children. She is also an ordained priest in the Roman Catholic Church. Jacko, 81, who earned her master's degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University, a Jesuit Catholic school, says being a priest is what she was called to do.
Officially, of course, the Catholic Church's Canon Law 1024 says that only baptized men can receive holy orders. But there is a movement against the no-women rule; it began eight years ago when a cluster of renegade male clerics (including a European bishop whose identity the female priests won't reveal in order not to risk his excommunication) ordained the first women. Now, in Jacko's hometown of Chicago, three women have entered the priesthood.
It is a question that more and more members of the flock are asking. Many have begun to publicly challenge the church's stance, especially after the Vatican decreed in July that ordaining female priests was a "grave" crime, on par with pedophilia. Biblical passages refer to female clergy, including an apostle named Junia in Romans 16:7. On Sunday, Sept. 26, thousands of Catholics around the world plan to protest, either by boycotting Mass or by showing up wearing green armbands that say "Ordain Women." "Women are tired of being treated as second-class citizens in the church," says Jennifer Sleeman, an Irish Catholic who turns 81 on Sunday and is helping champion the Sunday Without Women demonstration organized by Women's Ordination Worldwide (WOW).
"We are disobeying an unjust law," says Barbara Zeman, 62, Chicago's first ordained Catholic female priest, who serves as a hospital chaplain at Northwestern Memorial Hospital; she will protest Sunday at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Evanston, Ill. "Many male priests have told me to go for it and that they can't wait until the church changes its attitude ... It's a movement whose time has come."
Before you react to this article, kindly think of the following first:
- Is your prejudice (assumption made about something before having adequate knowledge to be able to do so with guaranteed accuracy) coming from a lifetime of growing up under the only belief-system you know. The kinagisnan effect - literally: "something you woke up to."
- Is it coming from stereotypes (generalizations about a group of people) about women: tsimosa, love to bicker, etc.
- Is it coming from fear of going against the Catholic Church's Canon Law.
I've long thought it would be a good idea to have women priests:
- My stereotype of women: They're the better parent. More attentive and patient toward children.
More passionate, caring, sensitive, understanding, etc. individuals.
- What we've known so far is that research through MRI and PET scans of the brain have shown that
when processing emotions, far more areas of the brain were active and lit
up for women. It's also been discovered that the secretion by the hypothalamus of the hormone oxytocin is greater in women. Higher levels of oxytocin (aka cuddle
chemical) makes an individual more empathic (capacity to, through consciousness rather than physically, share the sadness or happiness of another) and less aggresive. This
also links the verbal centers in the brain and stimulates a nurturing response with others. Higher levels of oxytocin in women enable them to be good mothers and respond to the emotional needs of their spouse, children and friends.
On a side note: During sex the increase in oxytocin causes a woman to bond intensely with her partner, creating romantic attachment. About the only time a man experiences a surge of oxytocin is during orgasm which allows him to bond with his partner as well. However, after orgasm, a man’s oxytocin levels return to their normally low levels, while the woman’s levels remain consistently higher than the man’s. This is why a man may be compelled to say, “I love you” during sex, but may not feel like saying it much afterwards when the woman is longing to hear reassuring words of love and affection (My note: Ouch. hehehehe).
On paper, having women as priests seems to be a logical 21st Century step. If it were only that easy. Let's face it, any organization's primary role is to survive. Be it a church or institution. Why change what has been "okay" for thousands of years. Besides, as any fraternity, Men's Club, civic organization knows: Why include women? It even had to take the US Supreme Court in 1984, on grounds of sex discrimination, to force the Jaycees to start accepting women. You know how they are: domineering, gossip queens, helpless, obsessesd with shopping, concerned with looks, etc.
The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that the main aspects of priesthood are offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and forgiving sins. I think it would benefit the Church and its flock greatly if it became more dynamic and had priests who are also caring counsellors and confidants. I'm not sure if it's just me but I don't think that only men can be vessels for Christ (in the case of the Papacy: old white men).
I've met and have been privileged to have grown up around women (my Mom included) who I think would make great priests. They are people you can talk to and are filled with great spirit. I may be misguided in my beliefs so feel free to correct me.
Please find below an answer from the other end of the spectrum. Note: Just love it when he says, "feminist problem":
Looking at the two, it seems you can break down the stand to: Women priests do it because of their love for God and the Church is against it because of traditions, practicalities and laws. It seems to me that the Church's side seems institutional and, therefore, more impersonal in nature. If this were a movie, who do you think you'd be rooting for?
The ideas brought forth by Jesus Christ constitute one of the most beautiful philosophies known to the human being. An overview of it shows that it is all about love for each other, peace, hope and caring for the weak and poor. Would it be safe to assume that his words have been successfully implemented in the Philippines? Rather, are we followers that have not been able to fully understand...internalize what is being asked of us? Imagine what that would do to a country that's 85% Christian?
I know people who have turned away...growing up under the seemingly indifferent establishment that is the Church. The author Anne Rice (Interview with a Vampire) who recently quit being a Catholic (she still sees herself as a follower of Christ, "My commitment to Christ remains at the heart and center of my life") based her decision partly on her perceived impossibility of belonging to a "quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group."
Will the Catholic Church continue to thrive? Yes, of course. But, is that a question you really should have asked? That may be, after all, the wrong question. The essence of Christ's teachings is greater than any traditions, laws and practicalities. Should it matter, then, who gets to lead in its elucidation and dissemination? I think it does.
Your comments please...and be not afraid.
Note: Portions of this piece can be found in an article by Terri L. Saunders.
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