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?
Thursday, October 28, 2010
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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