.png)
Article by Ryan Gabriel Madrid
The following is an excerpt from Volume 2, Issue 2 of Jeepney Magazine:
(Along the Road by June Abigail P. Aranzamendez)
“The day starts very early for Joanna Antonio, a mother of six. She wakes up at 3 p.m., prepares herself, and leaves for work. With her is her youngest child, four-year-old Carlos. Together they go to a familiar spot at Aurora Boulevard where, from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m., Joanna will unwearyingly stand in the street, calling out to passengers like the rest of the barkers... Her income is carefully allocated for all of her family’s necessities, but a large percentage of her daily earning is spent on food. Every morning, she leaves her children P30 for breakfast. She and Carlos, on the other hand, share a cup of coffee and a rice cake for P15 at work. . . Joanna spends P10 for her children’s school allowance and P14 for her own transportation to and from work....”
For as long as we Filipinos have ever lived, most of what we’ve heard about our country is that it’s poor. Downright, politician-abused, face-to-the-canal poor. What’s worse is that things are piling up: the poor are becoming poorer, the rich are becoming richer. The gap between them gets wider, and sympathy can only bridge them to a certain point.
There are, however, companies that think differently. They are aware of this unjust socio-economic structure. They have a mission which is to fight poverty. One of them is the Jeepney magazine.
“Jeepney” is the first and only street magazine in the Philippines. Co-founded by Debbi and Bill Shaw, it costs Php 100.00 and is sold by ambulant vendors in commercialized areas around the metro. Aside from the fact that it’s sold in the streets, the magazine, however, is not just any plain magazine. It’s a business opportunity for the poor. The vendors who carry stacks of this publication come from the economically marginalized sectors of our community.
Selected Jeepney vendors are given sales training by the magazine’s staff, afterwhich they are given their magazines to sell. Basically, a vendor’s routine is a four-step process: greeting, briefing, selling, and thanking. First, the Jeepney vendor would approach and greet a person, “Good afternoon, ma’am/sir!” which may be followed by a quick introduction of him or herself.
The vendor will then proceed to tell the person about the magazine, its socio-economic goals and unique working concept. If the prospect buyer is convinced enough, then a magazine is bought for Php 100.00.
From the hundred, twenty-five pesos goes toward printing, another twenty-five pesos is used for production costs, vendor training, and vendor oversight, and the remaining fifty pesos goes straight to the vendor.
The magazine’s articles and photos cover a broad range of topics: economics, entrepreneurship, socio-political issues, and even recreational topics such as sports and food. The single uniting element of all these, however, is poverty. The magazine sheds light on the less privileged by showing the economics of how they live, their education, the various NGOs that also seek to uplift fellow Filipinos, and even sports teams that participate in international competitions (Homeless World Cup).
Surely this is only a small measure at the grand effort to truly defeat poverty. But the lesson we can learn from Jeepney is that the poor must be engaged in efforts that aim to help them. Hopefully, many other efforts like that of Jeepney’s will not only come about, but proliferate. ▪
Open Happiness
isang pagsilip sa kultura ng inuman
Panimula ni John Aldrich Telebrico
Hindi kaiba sa ilan sa mga mag-aaral ng pamantasang ito ang pumunta sa Katipunan, sa Teacher's Village o kahit sa Krus na Ligas para dayuhin ang mga popular na inuman. Hindi mawawala ang minsang pagpunta sa mga ito upang pagsaluhan ang drama at saya ng pagiging estudyante. Sa paglipas ng oras na pinasasarap ng alkohol ay unti-unting uusbong ang mga bagay na hindi karaniwang makikita sa loob ng klase o maging sa pamantasan.
Masarap makinig sa kuwento ng mga nalalasing. Ang mga sumusunod ay mga halimbawa nito. Hango sa dalawang magkaibang pagtatala ng mga kaganapan sa isang inuman, tingnan natin kung paano sa tuwing humahalo ang alkohol sa daloy ng dugo nalalabas ang mga bagay na hindi nasasabi o nagagawa sa araw-araw.
***
Gabi. Malamig ang simoy ng hangin. Mga mga bote ng Red Horse ang nakapatong sa mesa. Mga ngiti at tawa ang nagpapalamuti sa paligid. Lahat ay masaya. Masaya dahil kasama ng bawat isa ang mga paborito niyang mga kaibigan. Masaya, dahil tumatambay pa ang lahat kahit mayroon pang pasok kinabukasan. Masaya, dahil sa isaw at corned beef omelette na pulutan. Masaya, dahil sa alak na nagpapaginhawa sa isipan. ”Happiness” ang pamagat ng gabi na ito.
Part One: TAGAY.
In the Ikot jeepney, I was already thinking about how this experience would go. I had resolved not to drink too much - a bottle would suffice, none at all would be much better. I also thought of leaving at 8:00 p.m. because I had requirements to finish. With all this in mind I started becoming anxious. But I also thought I just had to enjoy! This may just be an unforgettable
experience, either in a good or bad way. It will nevertheless be a remarkable one.
I arrived at Sarah's with the place only half-filled. As I sat, I looked around. I saw no familiar face aside from the company I had. One of my friends went to the counter and got four bottles of beer. “Wala bang straw?” I asked.
They laughed, hard. One of my friends said it would not taste good that way. The three of them took their first gulp immediately, and another, and another. I really didn’t know how beer tastes like, so I was hesitant to take my first sip. Nevertheless, I’ve heard that beer tastes worse when warm, so I drank. I was wondering if I would manage to finish that bottle and if I would eventually end up liking it.
Part Two: AMATS.
Pagdating ko sa Sarah’s, mainit akong binati ng mga kasama ko. Si Jen, si Ralph, si Mae, at si Allan, lahat sila masaya, nagtatawanan habang tumutungga ng beer – pati si Cheenie*. (Si Cheenie ay pinilit lamang sumama upang uminom ng beer. Dahil hindi gawain ni Cheenie ang makipag-inuman, siya ang ginawa naming guinea pig para sa simpleng etnograpiya na ito.) Namumula na si Cheenie. Mapungay na rin ang mga mata, parang bagong gising lang. Bagaman si Cheenie ay nakakaisang bote pa lamang habang ang iba ay nasa pangalawa na, okey pa rin siya. Maingay, masaya, at nakikitawa sa mga kwentuhan.
Allan: Ang happiness ba ay goal o effect?
Jen: Goal.
Cheenie: Effect.
Tiningnan ni Cheenie ang kaniyang selepono para sa mga text. Walang text. Napangiti siya na tila walang dahilan. Tinago na niya ang kaniyang selepono at minasdan na lamang ang paligid. Palipat-lipat ang tingin ng kaniyang mga mata, parang natatakot sa kung anong multo. Mahahalata na ang lahat, pati mismong si Cheenie, ay may amats na. Kinausap siya ni Jen.
Jen: So, Cheenie, mag-share ka naman. Ano ang mga frustration mo sa buhay?
Mae: Ay, ang ganda ng mga ngipin mo, Cheenie!
Cheenie: Talaga? Akala nga ng mga iba, pustiso itong ngipin ko kasi ang perfect daw.
Jen: Teka, ‘di pa siya sumasagot! So, Cheenie, ano nga? May mga baggage ka ba?
Cheenie: Wala naman. Masaya ako.
Mae: (hindi nakikinig) Tignan mo itong table, o, bakla yata ito, e!
Ralph: (patungo sa akin) Wag ka magalala. Kapag si Mae ang nalalasing, lahat tinatawag niyang bakla.
Two of us ordered dinner while I struggled with the beer. Every gulp made me go “Ugh!” Drinking it cold makes it taste less bitter, but it still did not appeal to my taste buds. I only drank a fourth of the bottle when the food arrived. There was no water, so I drank more beer. This time it was already warm. At that point, I was already feeling warm as well. They said that it was really a side-effect. I could feel my heart race, and not because it was getting late. I felt warm all over, especially my stomach. Getting more and more uncomfortable, my friends did not force me to finish my bottle.
Tahimik lang si Cheenie sa gilid. Mayroon din siyang sariling kwaderno kung saan siya nagtatala ng mga nangyayari sa paligid. Maya-maya’y nagreklamo na siya ng sakit ng ulo.
I remembered asking about why I was feeling what I was feeling. I was nauseated and I didn’t like it. One of my friends suggested that I take a walk because it would help get rid of the queasiness. I knew I was queasy as we walked, and my physiological well-being was going out of hand.
Cheenie: Nahihilo na ako! Nakakakita ako ng mga black spots!
Jen: Allan, Mae, samahan niyo nga si Cheenie bumili ng mani riyan.
Mae: Sige.
Allan: Tara. Mag-threesome tayo!
Mae: Ay, teka, may huhugutin lang ako dito sa bag ko.
Allan: Ano yang kukuhanin mo? Pera? ‘Wag na, sagot ko na.
Ralph: Huy! Nauna na si Cheenie! Habulin niyo!
Nanumbalik ang diwa ni Cheenie. Nagpatuloy ang usapan na napunta na sa relihiyon.
Ralph: Alam niyo bang wala ng purgatory? Ni-recall na raw ng Catholic Church.
Jen: O, talaga? Para saan ba kasi yun in the first place?
Ralph: Parang middle ground between death and eternal life.
Jen: Ah, oo. Doon kasi tayo lilinisan ng sala, diba? Pine-purge ang ating mga sins.
Cheenie: Pero wala naman talaga dapat purgatory, e. Diretso na to eternal life.
Mae: Bakit pa ba kasi may God?
Ralph: Isipin mo. Kung walang, God, walang Theology. Wala ring Philosophy.
Jen: Para rin may trabaho si [insert Philospophy prof here]!
*tawanan*
Nanumbalik ang pagkahilo ni Cheenie. Sinamahan naman siya ni Allan ngayon para bumili ng kendi. Nawala ang kaniyang hilo ngunit bumalik din kaagad.
I felt worse, but I was telling myself to calm down. I glanced at my watch: almost 9:00 p.m. It was way past the curfew I set for myself.
My company seemed to be having even more fun. One of our guy friends had taken more than 3 bottles, but it seemed to have little or no effect on him. He said it runs in his blood.
I felt really sleepy. I took a sip of cola and it made me feel a little better, but I still wanted to throw up. My friends were sharing more stories while I was obser ving and trying to stay awake. They said that talking would help ease nausea but I had nothing to say and I didn’t feel like talking anyway. I just closed my eyes and tried to take a nap.
‘Di nakasasali sa kwentuhan si Cheenie kasi masyado siyang nadadala ng alak. ‘Di makapagsalita; tameme. Naka-pokus siya sa pagkahilo niya. Ngunit salamat sa kendi, nakabanat siya ng malalim na tanong.
Cheenie: (Habang hawak ang bote ng beer) Nahanap niyo na ba ang “happiness” niyo rito?
Jen: Happiness is just a word.
Part Three: SPOLIARIUM.
Our two girl friends were tipsy and were showing "signs" of such. One of them recklessly told some very private stories. The other girl was speaking in a “conyo” manner.
Napunta na lamang sa salitang “mutuality” ang usapan.
Ralph: Ano kaya ang root word ng mutuality? Mute ba?
Mae: Oo, mute yata e.
Ralph: E ano naman ang kinalaman ng pagka-mute sa mutuality?
Ako: Hmn. Alam niyang mahal mo siya kahit ‘di mo sabihin? (M.U.)
Jen: Kahit naman hatî, e! Alam niyang hatî mo siya kahit ‘di mo sabihin.
Allan: At saan naman nanggaling yun, Jen, hmm?
Jen: Sa dodo ng cow.
Meanwhile, my two girl friends got another bottle, either their third or fourth. They were talking and laughing even louder. They were also acting funny-- apparently that’s what losing control looks like.
Nagpunta ng palikuran sina Jen at Mae. Pagkatapos ng sampung minuto, hindi pa rin sila nakababalik. Sila'y sinundan namin ni Allan para kumustahin. Pagdating namin sa palikuran, nakita namin si Jen at si Mae na kinakausap yung dalmatian na nasa kulungan. Takot si Jen sa aso pero noon lang daw siya hindi natakot. Tinatanong pa nga niya sa aso kung bakit siya
nagpapaawa gamit ang kaniyang mga cute na mata.
Bumalik din kami agad sa mesa at nagpatuloy ng kwentuhan.
Jen: Cheenie, patingin naman ng notebook mo diyan. Anu-ano na ba mga nasulat mo?
Inabot ni Cheenie ang kwaderno kay Jen. Dahil katabi ko si Jen, nakita kong napakagulo ng mga tala ni Cheenie sa kwaderno niya. May mga malalaking letra, may mga maliliit. Lagpas-lagpas din sa linya ang mga pangungusap. Tila abstract art ang hitsura ng mga pahina dahil sa kawalan ng kaayusan ng mga tala.
Ralph: Jen, patingin naman.*kinuha kay Jen ang kwaderno* Ano ba naman ‘to, ang hirap basahin ng notes mo!
Cheenie: Sige na nga, magshushulat na ako nang matino.
Jen: (Nagsisindi ng bagong yosi) Hahaha! Shushulat.
Cheenie: (kay Jen) Anong satisfaction ang nakukuha mo sa pagyoyosi?
Jen: Alam mo, ang satisfaction… (‘Di na niya naituloy. Humitit na lamang habang nakapikit ang mga mata.)
Part Four: HINDAKOLASNG.
I felt much better when I woke up, the queasiness had passed, and I felt sober. Our two guy friends were already wondering how to get us girls, safely home. In our condition, especially the other two girls’ conditions, we could not possibly get home by ourselves.
Walang dyip na bumabaybay sa kahabaan ng C.P. Garcia kaya’t nilakad namin mula Sarah’s hanggang Katipunan Avenue. Naging katawa-tawa at mistulang Extra Challenge ang paglalakad namin sapagkat kinailangan pang alalayan yung dalawa naming kasama. Basag na basag talaga sina Jen at Mae. Si Mae ay muntik nang pasukin ang Science and Technology building at ang tindahan ng mga gamit pang-hardin. Si Jen ay pasuray-suray na naglalakad habang tumatawa. Si Cheenie, bagaman uwinguwi na, ay nakatawa. Gising na gising siya't ‘di nag papakita ng kahit anong pagkalasing.
The walk along C.P. Garcia was long but it was the highlight of the night! I was no longer sleepy. My buddy and I were just walking side by side, while the two guys were having a hard time assisting the two ladies as they were quite unruly.
I was trying to process what was happening. The physiological effect of liquor really is fascinating. Perhaps the next day, people who experience intoxication would not even remember what happened to them - the things they did and said.
Maya-maya'y kinailangan na namin magpaalam sa isa't isa. Mga yakap at pagpapaingat ang nagpahiwalay sa aming lahat. Happiness.
When I reached my dormitory, I walked straight to my room on the fourth floor.
When I got into bed, I remember dozing off right away. What would happen the next day didn’t even cross my mind.
***
Para sa iba ay nagiging instrumento ang pagkalasing upang pansamantalang makawala sa anino ng mga pasanin. Ang iba naman ay ginagamit ang alkohol para higit na mapagbuti ang samahan sa mga kaibigan. Sa pakikipaginuman ay mas nagiging matingkad ang nais ng mga taong magkaroon ng puwang upang maipahayag ang kanilang mga totoong nararamdaman at saloobin. ▪
*pinalitan ang mga pangalan para itago ang mga identidad ng mga katauhan.
Panimula ni John Aldrich Telebrico
Hindi kaiba sa ilan sa mga mag-aaral ng pamantasang ito ang pumunta sa Katipunan, sa Teacher's Village o kahit sa Krus na Ligas para dayuhin ang mga popular na inuman. Hindi mawawala ang minsang pagpunta sa mga ito upang pagsaluhan ang drama at saya ng pagiging estudyante. Sa paglipas ng oras na pinasasarap ng alkohol ay unti-unting uusbong ang mga bagay na hindi karaniwang makikita sa loob ng klase o maging sa pamantasan.
Masarap makinig sa kuwento ng mga nalalasing. Ang mga sumusunod ay mga halimbawa nito. Hango sa dalawang magkaibang pagtatala ng mga kaganapan sa isang inuman, tingnan natin kung paano sa tuwing humahalo ang alkohol sa daloy ng dugo nalalabas ang mga bagay na hindi nasasabi o nagagawa sa araw-araw.
***
Gabi. Malamig ang simoy ng hangin. Mga mga bote ng Red Horse ang nakapatong sa mesa. Mga ngiti at tawa ang nagpapalamuti sa paligid. Lahat ay masaya. Masaya dahil kasama ng bawat isa ang mga paborito niyang mga kaibigan. Masaya, dahil tumatambay pa ang lahat kahit mayroon pang pasok kinabukasan. Masaya, dahil sa isaw at corned beef omelette na pulutan. Masaya, dahil sa alak na nagpapaginhawa sa isipan. ”Happiness” ang pamagat ng gabi na ito.
Part One: TAGAY.
In the Ikot jeepney, I was already thinking about how this experience would go. I had resolved not to drink too much - a bottle would suffice, none at all would be much better. I also thought of leaving at 8:00 p.m. because I had requirements to finish. With all this in mind I started becoming anxious. But I also thought I just had to enjoy! This may just be an unforgettable
experience, either in a good or bad way. It will nevertheless be a remarkable one.
I arrived at Sarah's with the place only half-filled. As I sat, I looked around. I saw no familiar face aside from the company I had. One of my friends went to the counter and got four bottles of beer. “Wala bang straw?” I asked.
They laughed, hard. One of my friends said it would not taste good that way. The three of them took their first gulp immediately, and another, and another. I really didn’t know how beer tastes like, so I was hesitant to take my first sip. Nevertheless, I’ve heard that beer tastes worse when warm, so I drank. I was wondering if I would manage to finish that bottle and if I would eventually end up liking it.
Part Two: AMATS.
Pagdating ko sa Sarah’s, mainit akong binati ng mga kasama ko. Si Jen, si Ralph, si Mae, at si Allan, lahat sila masaya, nagtatawanan habang tumutungga ng beer – pati si Cheenie*. (Si Cheenie ay pinilit lamang sumama upang uminom ng beer. Dahil hindi gawain ni Cheenie ang makipag-inuman, siya ang ginawa naming guinea pig para sa simpleng etnograpiya na ito.) Namumula na si Cheenie. Mapungay na rin ang mga mata, parang bagong gising lang. Bagaman si Cheenie ay nakakaisang bote pa lamang habang ang iba ay nasa pangalawa na, okey pa rin siya. Maingay, masaya, at nakikitawa sa mga kwentuhan.
Allan: Ang happiness ba ay goal o effect?
Jen: Goal.
Cheenie: Effect.
Tiningnan ni Cheenie ang kaniyang selepono para sa mga text. Walang text. Napangiti siya na tila walang dahilan. Tinago na niya ang kaniyang selepono at minasdan na lamang ang paligid. Palipat-lipat ang tingin ng kaniyang mga mata, parang natatakot sa kung anong multo. Mahahalata na ang lahat, pati mismong si Cheenie, ay may amats na. Kinausap siya ni Jen.
Jen: So, Cheenie, mag-share ka naman. Ano ang mga frustration mo sa buhay?
Mae: Ay, ang ganda ng mga ngipin mo, Cheenie!
Cheenie: Talaga? Akala nga ng mga iba, pustiso itong ngipin ko kasi ang perfect daw.
Jen: Teka, ‘di pa siya sumasagot! So, Cheenie, ano nga? May mga baggage ka ba?
Cheenie: Wala naman. Masaya ako.
Mae: (hindi nakikinig) Tignan mo itong table, o, bakla yata ito, e!
Ralph: (patungo sa akin) Wag ka magalala. Kapag si Mae ang nalalasing, lahat tinatawag niyang bakla.
Two of us ordered dinner while I struggled with the beer. Every gulp made me go “Ugh!” Drinking it cold makes it taste less bitter, but it still did not appeal to my taste buds. I only drank a fourth of the bottle when the food arrived. There was no water, so I drank more beer. This time it was already warm. At that point, I was already feeling warm as well. They said that it was really a side-effect. I could feel my heart race, and not because it was getting late. I felt warm all over, especially my stomach. Getting more and more uncomfortable, my friends did not force me to finish my bottle.
Tahimik lang si Cheenie sa gilid. Mayroon din siyang sariling kwaderno kung saan siya nagtatala ng mga nangyayari sa paligid. Maya-maya’y nagreklamo na siya ng sakit ng ulo.
I remembered asking about why I was feeling what I was feeling. I was nauseated and I didn’t like it. One of my friends suggested that I take a walk because it would help get rid of the queasiness. I knew I was queasy as we walked, and my physiological well-being was going out of hand.
Cheenie: Nahihilo na ako! Nakakakita ako ng mga black spots!
Jen: Allan, Mae, samahan niyo nga si Cheenie bumili ng mani riyan.
Mae: Sige.
Allan: Tara. Mag-threesome tayo!
Mae: Ay, teka, may huhugutin lang ako dito sa bag ko.
Allan: Ano yang kukuhanin mo? Pera? ‘Wag na, sagot ko na.
Ralph: Huy! Nauna na si Cheenie! Habulin niyo!
Nanumbalik ang diwa ni Cheenie. Nagpatuloy ang usapan na napunta na sa relihiyon.
Ralph: Alam niyo bang wala ng purgatory? Ni-recall na raw ng Catholic Church.
Jen: O, talaga? Para saan ba kasi yun in the first place?
Ralph: Parang middle ground between death and eternal life.
Jen: Ah, oo. Doon kasi tayo lilinisan ng sala, diba? Pine-purge ang ating mga sins.
Cheenie: Pero wala naman talaga dapat purgatory, e. Diretso na to eternal life.
Mae: Bakit pa ba kasi may God?
Ralph: Isipin mo. Kung walang, God, walang Theology. Wala ring Philosophy.
Jen: Para rin may trabaho si [insert Philospophy prof here]!
*tawanan*
Nanumbalik ang pagkahilo ni Cheenie. Sinamahan naman siya ni Allan ngayon para bumili ng kendi. Nawala ang kaniyang hilo ngunit bumalik din kaagad.
I felt worse, but I was telling myself to calm down. I glanced at my watch: almost 9:00 p.m. It was way past the curfew I set for myself.
My company seemed to be having even more fun. One of our guy friends had taken more than 3 bottles, but it seemed to have little or no effect on him. He said it runs in his blood.
I felt really sleepy. I took a sip of cola and it made me feel a little better, but I still wanted to throw up. My friends were sharing more stories while I was obser ving and trying to stay awake. They said that talking would help ease nausea but I had nothing to say and I didn’t feel like talking anyway. I just closed my eyes and tried to take a nap.
‘Di nakasasali sa kwentuhan si Cheenie kasi masyado siyang nadadala ng alak. ‘Di makapagsalita; tameme. Naka-pokus siya sa pagkahilo niya. Ngunit salamat sa kendi, nakabanat siya ng malalim na tanong.
Cheenie: (Habang hawak ang bote ng beer) Nahanap niyo na ba ang “happiness” niyo rito?
Jen: Happiness is just a word.
Part Three: SPOLIARIUM.
Our two girl friends were tipsy and were showing "signs" of such. One of them recklessly told some very private stories. The other girl was speaking in a “conyo” manner.
Napunta na lamang sa salitang “mutuality” ang usapan.
Ralph: Ano kaya ang root word ng mutuality? Mute ba?
Mae: Oo, mute yata e.
Ralph: E ano naman ang kinalaman ng pagka-mute sa mutuality?
Ako: Hmn. Alam niyang mahal mo siya kahit ‘di mo sabihin? (M.U.)
Jen: Kahit naman hatî, e! Alam niyang hatî mo siya kahit ‘di mo sabihin.
Allan: At saan naman nanggaling yun, Jen, hmm?
Jen: Sa dodo ng cow.
Meanwhile, my two girl friends got another bottle, either their third or fourth. They were talking and laughing even louder. They were also acting funny-- apparently that’s what losing control looks like.
Nagpunta ng palikuran sina Jen at Mae. Pagkatapos ng sampung minuto, hindi pa rin sila nakababalik. Sila'y sinundan namin ni Allan para kumustahin. Pagdating namin sa palikuran, nakita namin si Jen at si Mae na kinakausap yung dalmatian na nasa kulungan. Takot si Jen sa aso pero noon lang daw siya hindi natakot. Tinatanong pa nga niya sa aso kung bakit siya
nagpapaawa gamit ang kaniyang mga cute na mata.
Bumalik din kami agad sa mesa at nagpatuloy ng kwentuhan.
Jen: Cheenie, patingin naman ng notebook mo diyan. Anu-ano na ba mga nasulat mo?
Inabot ni Cheenie ang kwaderno kay Jen. Dahil katabi ko si Jen, nakita kong napakagulo ng mga tala ni Cheenie sa kwaderno niya. May mga malalaking letra, may mga maliliit. Lagpas-lagpas din sa linya ang mga pangungusap. Tila abstract art ang hitsura ng mga pahina dahil sa kawalan ng kaayusan ng mga tala.
Ralph: Jen, patingin naman.*kinuha kay Jen ang kwaderno* Ano ba naman ‘to, ang hirap basahin ng notes mo!
Cheenie: Sige na nga, magshushulat na ako nang matino.
Jen: (Nagsisindi ng bagong yosi) Hahaha! Shushulat.
Cheenie: (kay Jen) Anong satisfaction ang nakukuha mo sa pagyoyosi?
Jen: Alam mo, ang satisfaction… (‘Di na niya naituloy. Humitit na lamang habang nakapikit ang mga mata.)
Part Four: HINDAKOLASNG.
I felt much better when I woke up, the queasiness had passed, and I felt sober. Our two guy friends were already wondering how to get us girls, safely home. In our condition, especially the other two girls’ conditions, we could not possibly get home by ourselves.
Walang dyip na bumabaybay sa kahabaan ng C.P. Garcia kaya’t nilakad namin mula Sarah’s hanggang Katipunan Avenue. Naging katawa-tawa at mistulang Extra Challenge ang paglalakad namin sapagkat kinailangan pang alalayan yung dalawa naming kasama. Basag na basag talaga sina Jen at Mae. Si Mae ay muntik nang pasukin ang Science and Technology building at ang tindahan ng mga gamit pang-hardin. Si Jen ay pasuray-suray na naglalakad habang tumatawa. Si Cheenie, bagaman uwinguwi na, ay nakatawa. Gising na gising siya't ‘di nag papakita ng kahit anong pagkalasing.
The walk along C.P. Garcia was long but it was the highlight of the night! I was no longer sleepy. My buddy and I were just walking side by side, while the two guys were having a hard time assisting the two ladies as they were quite unruly.
I was trying to process what was happening. The physiological effect of liquor really is fascinating. Perhaps the next day, people who experience intoxication would not even remember what happened to them - the things they did and said.
Maya-maya'y kinailangan na namin magpaalam sa isa't isa. Mga yakap at pagpapaingat ang nagpahiwalay sa aming lahat. Happiness.
When I reached my dormitory, I walked straight to my room on the fourth floor.
When I got into bed, I remember dozing off right away. What would happen the next day didn’t even cross my mind.
***
Para sa iba ay nagiging instrumento ang pagkalasing upang pansamantalang makawala sa anino ng mga pasanin. Ang iba naman ay ginagamit ang alkohol para higit na mapagbuti ang samahan sa mga kaibigan. Sa pakikipaginuman ay mas nagiging matingkad ang nais ng mga taong magkaroon ng puwang upang maipahayag ang kanilang mga totoong nararamdaman at saloobin. ▪
*pinalitan ang mga pangalan para itago ang mga identidad ng mga katauhan.
Tweets!
How Citizen Journalism is changing the world, one post at a time.
Article by: Roseann Ramirez
In 1961, A.J. Liebling, a journalist for The New Yorker, once said: “Freedom of the press belongs to the man who owns one.” Today, merely forty-eight years later, the Internet has radically changed all that.
The microblogging site Twitter, along with other popular websites like Facebook, YouTube and Multiply, is very much familiar to the vocabulary of this tech-savvy generation. In Twitter, the main idea is for people to be able to say, in 140 characters or less, whatever they’re thinking or doing at the moment. But in places like Iran, it plays a much bigger role than just sharing what you’ve had for dinner.
Tweets from Iran
During the 2009 elections in Iran, the ban on mass media reports imposed by their government compelled Iranians to use Twitter to update the world about their situation. The Iranian government may have been able to stop foreign journalists from reporting about the country’s affairs, but without confiscating all cell phones they will not be able to control the thousands of Tweets uploaded by the hour. To be doubly effective, tweets also have the capacity to be elusive. By altering source codes, citizens elude arrest by appearing to log on from other countries.
Iran’s avid Twitter members are just examples of what we call the citizen journalists.
What is citizen journalism?
Mark Glaser, a freelance journalist, says that “The idea behind citizen journalism is that people without professional journalism training can use the tools of modern technology and the global distribution of the Internet to create, augment or fact-check media on their own or in collaboration with others.”
Modern citizen journalism itself began with the 1988 US Presidential Elections, when journalists themselves questioned the predictability of their coverage. By introducing the ordinary citizen into the journalists' field, not only does the field expand, the public's trust in the media grows and becomes more secured as well.
Modern citizen journalism itself began with the 1988 US Presidential Elections, when journalists themselves questioned the predictability of their coverage. By introducing the ordinary citizen into the journalists' field, not only does the field expand, the public's trust in the media grows and becomes more secured as well.
Citizen Journalism in the Philippines
In the Philippines, citizen journalism is not at all inactive. Besides the avid bloggers (some of whom may be considered or are actual journalists), popular broadcast media give opportunities for expressions of vigilance. There are programs such as “Bayan Mo I-Patrol Mo” and the popular “Ako Mismo” dogtag campaign that encourage citizens to take a more active role in local and national issues.
Expertise versus Novelty
Sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Multiply have now entered the vocabulary of the generation, not only as technological novelties, but also as mediums through which instrumental information may be shared. Of course, the quality of this information may be called into question. Traditional journalists are skeptical about the ethics of citizen journalists and most maintain that only trained journalists can understand the professional values of reporting.
We are aware that the Internet provides us with a constant deluge of information, and true enough, this information may not always be accurate. The Internet, with its ever-changing and easy-to-update nature, is not subject to the fact-checking and scrutiny required in print journalism. But it cannot be denied that amateur reporters, no matter how inexperienced, can provide fresh insights and invaluable information.
But citizen journalism has other consequences. By shifting into the high-tech mode of dispersing information, those without access to these resources are left out. These include those who don't have 20 pesos of load to spare, or have the resources to afford Internet costs, computers or even the education to become computer literate, among the few.
Consensus
Danilo Araña Arao, Assistant Professor of Journalism in UP Diliman, mentioned regarding this matter in the 2006 Calabarzon Communication Convention:
“The challenge therefore lies for the online users to discern the reliability of the information provided by online publications they visit as they seek analyses that can guide them in making sense of the national situation.”
Citizen journalism both inside and outside the country has potential, although it is not without its dangers. But in a world where swiftness is the Zeitgeist, the Internet and its ever expanding features and functions are indispensable. It will continue to evolve just as we do, and will always be a way to express indomtability.
In this high-speed realm, there is no telling what will happen next. One thing is for sure though: people are bound to Twitter about it. ▪
Article by: Roseann Ramirez
In 1961, A.J. Liebling, a journalist for The New Yorker, once said: “Freedom of the press belongs to the man who owns one.” Today, merely forty-eight years later, the Internet has radically changed all that.
The microblogging site Twitter, along with other popular websites like Facebook, YouTube and Multiply, is very much familiar to the vocabulary of this tech-savvy generation. In Twitter, the main idea is for people to be able to say, in 140 characters or less, whatever they’re thinking or doing at the moment. But in places like Iran, it plays a much bigger role than just sharing what you’ve had for dinner.
Tweets from Iran
During the 2009 elections in Iran, the ban on mass media reports imposed by their government compelled Iranians to use Twitter to update the world about their situation. The Iranian government may have been able to stop foreign journalists from reporting about the country’s affairs, but without confiscating all cell phones they will not be able to control the thousands of Tweets uploaded by the hour. To be doubly effective, tweets also have the capacity to be elusive. By altering source codes, citizens elude arrest by appearing to log on from other countries.
Iran’s avid Twitter members are just examples of what we call the citizen journalists.
What is citizen journalism?
Mark Glaser, a freelance journalist, says that “The idea behind citizen journalism is that people without professional journalism training can use the tools of modern technology and the global distribution of the Internet to create, augment or fact-check media on their own or in collaboration with others.”
Modern citizen journalism itself began with the 1988 US Presidential Elections, when journalists themselves questioned the predictability of their coverage. By introducing the ordinary citizen into the journalists' field, not only does the field expand, the public's trust in the media grows and becomes more secured as well.
Modern citizen journalism itself began with the 1988 US Presidential Elections, when journalists themselves questioned the predictability of their coverage. By introducing the ordinary citizen into the journalists' field, not only does the field expand, the public's trust in the media grows and becomes more secured as well.
Citizen Journalism in the Philippines
In the Philippines, citizen journalism is not at all inactive. Besides the avid bloggers (some of whom may be considered or are actual journalists), popular broadcast media give opportunities for expressions of vigilance. There are programs such as “Bayan Mo I-Patrol Mo” and the popular “Ako Mismo” dogtag campaign that encourage citizens to take a more active role in local and national issues.
Expertise versus Novelty
Sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Multiply have now entered the vocabulary of the generation, not only as technological novelties, but also as mediums through which instrumental information may be shared. Of course, the quality of this information may be called into question. Traditional journalists are skeptical about the ethics of citizen journalists and most maintain that only trained journalists can understand the professional values of reporting.
We are aware that the Internet provides us with a constant deluge of information, and true enough, this information may not always be accurate. The Internet, with its ever-changing and easy-to-update nature, is not subject to the fact-checking and scrutiny required in print journalism. But it cannot be denied that amateur reporters, no matter how inexperienced, can provide fresh insights and invaluable information.
But citizen journalism has other consequences. By shifting into the high-tech mode of dispersing information, those without access to these resources are left out. These include those who don't have 20 pesos of load to spare, or have the resources to afford Internet costs, computers or even the education to become computer literate, among the few.
Consensus
Danilo Araña Arao, Assistant Professor of Journalism in UP Diliman, mentioned regarding this matter in the 2006 Calabarzon Communication Convention:
“The challenge therefore lies for the online users to discern the reliability of the information provided by online publications they visit as they seek analyses that can guide them in making sense of the national situation.”
Citizen journalism both inside and outside the country has potential, although it is not without its dangers. But in a world where swiftness is the Zeitgeist, the Internet and its ever expanding features and functions are indispensable. It will continue to evolve just as we do, and will always be a way to express indomtability.
In this high-speed realm, there is no telling what will happen next. One thing is for sure though: people are bound to Twitter about it. ▪
Sex Videos and the Birth of Public Voyeurism
Article by: John Aldrich Telebrico
Introducing the Voyeur and His Subject
Voyeurism is defined to be a phenomenon in which an individual gains satisfaction from watching another’s activities without proper consent or awareness of the other. The voyeur clearly knows his location in relation to the subject being studied. From where he is, he makes the most of what he can see. He becomes a spectator that enjoys messing with the business of others. He is in constant need of fulfilling his desire of seeing things that he wants to see at all costs.
But to enjoy the feast of visual appetizers and sumptuous images, his absence must be projected to the chosen subject. He will do everything to convey the message to the prey that he, together with the public, is non-existent.
In this regard, the subject does not know whether he or she is being watched or not. What he or she can only be sure of is the possibility of being subject to the gaze of other people. The subject can only take chances and is constantly uncertain whether others are aware of the goings-on within his or her private space.
And once the subject realizes that he or she has been a victim of voyeurism, he or she will live forever feeling unsure whether the guy he or she meets along the street saw whatever that was deemed to be not available for public consumption.
Spectacle: The Personal is also the Public
Internet and the hype of media sensationalism over a sex video scandal can transform the audience into a mass of voyeurs who gain enjoyment from taking part into somebody else’s supposed private pleasure. Personal trouble can become the object of desire of the audience.
For a couple of weeks, major news programs in the country featured the celebrities involved in an infamous scandal in all possible angles. The media was also able to trace the complexity of the scandal through the identification of personalities that are directly accountable for this. Not to mention, fellow celebrities shared their opinions, sympathies, and knowledge to those involved in those videos, adding to the hype. As more people come out and speak about the video, it
will take longer for the public to realize that there are more things more significant to nation building.
As more and more surprising facts about the scandal is uncovered right in front of the public gaze, the sensationalism of the scandal enslaves the viewing public to the imperative of following other events that constitute the chain until the time comes when people get sick of this. And as one sensationalized event comes to a close, a more spectacular event is waiting to be uncovered in order to satisfy the need for action and drama.
The public interest gained from watching a celebrity’s sex videos and other affairs opens a new ground for the discussion of questions on morality and human right to privacy, respect and dignity. Concerns over the protection of women and even our ethical values are being raised. It may also allow the public to be critical of the kind of public office we have that is more than willing to spend its resources for a public hearing over a spectacle to which all of them actually participated in.
Chatter: Public Voyeurism is not just about Looking
In an essay written by Umberto Eco regarding chatter, he claims that endless what-should-have-beens are examples of how chatter becomes a public phenomenon. Chatter as a phenomenon does not contribute to anything because all the talk is about the past. Talk is absolutely cheap as seen from this point of view.
Indeed, all the mess brought by the sex video scandal can be seen through the same lens through which Eco discussed chatter and its influence on public opinion over a sensationalized event. All the public's talk and fuss on the sex video scandal cannot do anything because what was done is done. Though chatter may influence our future affairs, the past becomes a sensationalized event which can be used by different social groups to put forward their interests.
Logging on to Other People's Businesses
To have watched these controversial videos with your friends and family and to discuss with your peers which of the currently available videos is the most intense and filled with passion is tantamount to taking part in the sensationalism of this mess.
And this is so easy to do. Technology provides convenient venues for communication, and ultimately shapes how we interact with one another. Technology made it possible to elevate voyeurism to become a social phenomenon that dissolves all individual differences of the viewers, and at the same time, it shifts the focus to the content and the dominant understanding of what-are’s and what-ought-to-be’s.
As a consequence, technology makes it harder to identify the fine line that separates what should be kept private from what should be shared to the viewing public. Internet, as an alternative medium for the creation of identities and establishment of social networks, makesit possible to share everything and anything at the expense of violating the basic right of others to live a life without the judgement of others.
Further, the Internet makes it possible to group people together into a single mass of online spectators that scavenge for images, videos and texts in search of enchantment and entertainment. It allows people to gossip, to talk about, and to know the deepest secrets of another without his or her knowledge. Regardless of authenticity, online materials can encourage people to wander through other people's businesses and keep them fixated for as long as it brings pleasure.
The anonymity that is also possible in proliferating these private images encourage even more of them to appear on the Internet - free and open for the public to view. Public voyeurism is a strain of the private version of it that grants pleasure not just in accessing other people's private affairs, but also in making it available to even more spectators. ▪
Voyeurism is defined to be a phenomenon in which an individual gains satisfaction from watching another’s activities without proper consent or awareness of the other. The voyeur clearly knows his location in relation to the subject being studied. From where he is, he makes the most of what he can see. He becomes a spectator that enjoys messing with the business of others. He is in constant need of fulfilling his desire of seeing things that he wants to see at all costs.
But to enjoy the feast of visual appetizers and sumptuous images, his absence must be projected to the chosen subject. He will do everything to convey the message to the prey that he, together with the public, is non-existent.
In this regard, the subject does not know whether he or she is being watched or not. What he or she can only be sure of is the possibility of being subject to the gaze of other people. The subject can only take chances and is constantly uncertain whether others are aware of the goings-on within his or her private space.
And once the subject realizes that he or she has been a victim of voyeurism, he or she will live forever feeling unsure whether the guy he or she meets along the street saw whatever that was deemed to be not available for public consumption.
Spectacle: The Personal is also the Public
Internet and the hype of media sensationalism over a sex video scandal can transform the audience into a mass of voyeurs who gain enjoyment from taking part into somebody else’s supposed private pleasure. Personal trouble can become the object of desire of the audience.
For a couple of weeks, major news programs in the country featured the celebrities involved in an infamous scandal in all possible angles. The media was also able to trace the complexity of the scandal through the identification of personalities that are directly accountable for this. Not to mention, fellow celebrities shared their opinions, sympathies, and knowledge to those involved in those videos, adding to the hype. As more people come out and speak about the video, it
will take longer for the public to realize that there are more things more significant to nation building.
As more and more surprising facts about the scandal is uncovered right in front of the public gaze, the sensationalism of the scandal enslaves the viewing public to the imperative of following other events that constitute the chain until the time comes when people get sick of this. And as one sensationalized event comes to a close, a more spectacular event is waiting to be uncovered in order to satisfy the need for action and drama.
The public interest gained from watching a celebrity’s sex videos and other affairs opens a new ground for the discussion of questions on morality and human right to privacy, respect and dignity. Concerns over the protection of women and even our ethical values are being raised. It may also allow the public to be critical of the kind of public office we have that is more than willing to spend its resources for a public hearing over a spectacle to which all of them actually participated in.
Chatter: Public Voyeurism is not just about Looking
In an essay written by Umberto Eco regarding chatter, he claims that endless what-should-have-beens are examples of how chatter becomes a public phenomenon. Chatter as a phenomenon does not contribute to anything because all the talk is about the past. Talk is absolutely cheap as seen from this point of view.
Indeed, all the mess brought by the sex video scandal can be seen through the same lens through which Eco discussed chatter and its influence on public opinion over a sensationalized event. All the public's talk and fuss on the sex video scandal cannot do anything because what was done is done. Though chatter may influence our future affairs, the past becomes a sensationalized event which can be used by different social groups to put forward their interests.
Logging on to Other People's Businesses
To have watched these controversial videos with your friends and family and to discuss with your peers which of the currently available videos is the most intense and filled with passion is tantamount to taking part in the sensationalism of this mess.
And this is so easy to do. Technology provides convenient venues for communication, and ultimately shapes how we interact with one another. Technology made it possible to elevate voyeurism to become a social phenomenon that dissolves all individual differences of the viewers, and at the same time, it shifts the focus to the content and the dominant understanding of what-are’s and what-ought-to-be’s.
As a consequence, technology makes it harder to identify the fine line that separates what should be kept private from what should be shared to the viewing public. Internet, as an alternative medium for the creation of identities and establishment of social networks, makesit possible to share everything and anything at the expense of violating the basic right of others to live a life without the judgement of others.
Further, the Internet makes it possible to group people together into a single mass of online spectators that scavenge for images, videos and texts in search of enchantment and entertainment. It allows people to gossip, to talk about, and to know the deepest secrets of another without his or her knowledge. Regardless of authenticity, online materials can encourage people to wander through other people's businesses and keep them fixated for as long as it brings pleasure.
The anonymity that is also possible in proliferating these private images encourage even more of them to appear on the Internet - free and open for the public to view. Public voyeurism is a strain of the private version of it that grants pleasure not just in accessing other people's private affairs, but also in making it available to even more spectators. ▪
Identity Crisis: Locating Gender in the Current Scheme of Things
John Aldrich Telebrico and Daniel Sandino Concepcion
The Fundamental Dualism of Gender and Sex
It is a common mistake to equate gender with sex. It used to happen that an individual’s social roles are equated with one’s sexual organs. Men are expected to engage themselves with manual work, to enjoy the privilege of attending school, and to participate in policy-making activities of the public realm. Women, on the other hand, were expected to attend to domestic chores, and to refrain themselves from interfering with public issues.
True to the nature versus nurture dualism of man, social thinkers have attributed these roles to two polar forces. One camp says that such gender differences are rooted in biological differences. Working on the assumption that gender roles are common among society, the naturalists claim that the hormonal and neurological activity, and its variation between the sexes, determines one’s place in society. The other claims that such differences are products of interpretation and internalization of norms that have been transmitted socially. Eventually, the latter challenges the absoluteness and implacability of such gender constructs grounded in biological terms. The discourse paved the way for the understanding of patriarchy and its reaction, feminism.
Patriarchy gave birth to the antagonistic separation of the social world between the public space ruled by masculine intellect, and the private, domestic realm ruled by emotions associated with femininity. The so-called movements to an egalitarian society gave rise with the influence of the publication of Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication on the Rights of Women during the late 18th century, and other texts that promote equality. Three centuries have passed but are we currently living in a society that makes a huge deal out of gender differences?
Consumption of Identity
Gender identity, one’s notions of maleness or femaleness, is certainly an important facet of identity. Psychologist Albert Bandura claims that people obtain this through socialization. By observing and interacting with the environment, the child internalizes expectations and roles that his or her environment presents. This process of gender typing precedes a conscious understanding of the construct. Hence, as early as infancy, children would have started picking up generalizations and norms that define the gender. And the environment is rich with models to provide stereotypes: from one’s family to the peers to the media.
The constitution of gender is influenced by the current scheme of things. One’s concept of the self seems to rest in a template in which its elements will be filled upon using the available objects in the market. While it seems that a universal standard for becoming a man or a woman is nonexistent, the presentation of an ideal individual through media and advertising inevitably offers the spectator “suggestions” on how to define masculinity or femininity.
Manliness as presented in popular media can be possible through hygiene, machismo, slim and proportionate body: all of which is used to gain recognition and appreciation of the spectators. The modern woman, on the other hand, is depicted in popular media as confident, smart and independent. Looking at popular images of the modern woman in magazines, we can pay our last respect to the stereotyped conservative, mahinhin and malumanay Filipina. Now, she is the aggressive partner in a condom advertisement, the androgynous career-driven woman on her way to work, and the superficial fashionista who needs to buy all the latest cosmetic products. Beauty pageants and other similar engagements may set the trend in establishing tentative standards of beauty and knowledge. Different manifestations of the empowered woman as presented in a variety of forms, unfortunately, works in favour of the satisfaction of the eternal need for consumption.
Who is the Man? the Woman?
Those who do not fit the mold of the ideal man or woman as presented in popular media need not fret. It is still possible to present one’s self in blouse and skirt, while remaining a man vis-a-vis wear a tuxedo and remain a woman. The possibilities for self-expression are infinite- the creation of the self is a never-ending project yet cannot be satisfied in one’s lifetime. Individual identities may be created using the available templates provided by the market. Zygmunt Bauman would agree that consumption is evidence that freedom is possible, but only those who have the economic and cultural resources can enjoy the rewards that come with the package.
The Fundamental Dualism of Gender and Sex
It is a common mistake to equate gender with sex. It used to happen that an individual’s social roles are equated with one’s sexual organs. Men are expected to engage themselves with manual work, to enjoy the privilege of attending school, and to participate in policy-making activities of the public realm. Women, on the other hand, were expected to attend to domestic chores, and to refrain themselves from interfering with public issues.
True to the nature versus nurture dualism of man, social thinkers have attributed these roles to two polar forces. One camp says that such gender differences are rooted in biological differences. Working on the assumption that gender roles are common among society, the naturalists claim that the hormonal and neurological activity, and its variation between the sexes, determines one’s place in society. The other claims that such differences are products of interpretation and internalization of norms that have been transmitted socially. Eventually, the latter challenges the absoluteness and implacability of such gender constructs grounded in biological terms. The discourse paved the way for the understanding of patriarchy and its reaction, feminism.
Patriarchy gave birth to the antagonistic separation of the social world between the public space ruled by masculine intellect, and the private, domestic realm ruled by emotions associated with femininity. The so-called movements to an egalitarian society gave rise with the influence of the publication of Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication on the Rights of Women during the late 18th century, and other texts that promote equality. Three centuries have passed but are we currently living in a society that makes a huge deal out of gender differences?
Consumption of Identity
Gender identity, one’s notions of maleness or femaleness, is certainly an important facet of identity. Psychologist Albert Bandura claims that people obtain this through socialization. By observing and interacting with the environment, the child internalizes expectations and roles that his or her environment presents. This process of gender typing precedes a conscious understanding of the construct. Hence, as early as infancy, children would have started picking up generalizations and norms that define the gender. And the environment is rich with models to provide stereotypes: from one’s family to the peers to the media.
The constitution of gender is influenced by the current scheme of things. One’s concept of the self seems to rest in a template in which its elements will be filled upon using the available objects in the market. While it seems that a universal standard for becoming a man or a woman is nonexistent, the presentation of an ideal individual through media and advertising inevitably offers the spectator “suggestions” on how to define masculinity or femininity.
Manliness as presented in popular media can be possible through hygiene, machismo, slim and proportionate body: all of which is used to gain recognition and appreciation of the spectators. The modern woman, on the other hand, is depicted in popular media as confident, smart and independent. Looking at popular images of the modern woman in magazines, we can pay our last respect to the stereotyped conservative, mahinhin and malumanay Filipina. Now, she is the aggressive partner in a condom advertisement, the androgynous career-driven woman on her way to work, and the superficial fashionista who needs to buy all the latest cosmetic products. Beauty pageants and other similar engagements may set the trend in establishing tentative standards of beauty and knowledge. Different manifestations of the empowered woman as presented in a variety of forms, unfortunately, works in favour of the satisfaction of the eternal need for consumption.
Who is the Man? the Woman?
Those who do not fit the mold of the ideal man or woman as presented in popular media need not fret. It is still possible to present one’s self in blouse and skirt, while remaining a man vis-a-vis wear a tuxedo and remain a woman. The possibilities for self-expression are infinite- the creation of the self is a never-ending project yet cannot be satisfied in one’s lifetime. Individual identities may be created using the available templates provided by the market. Zygmunt Bauman would agree that consumption is evidence that freedom is possible, but only those who have the economic and cultural resources can enjoy the rewards that come with the package.
Mindanao: Ang Lupang Pangako?
Tahimik na ang bayang naging entablado ng mga nagpapalitang bala at bomba ng militar at rebelde. Walang ‘sing tahimik sapagkat wala nang buhay ang masisilayan liban sa mangilan-ngilang punong nakaligtas sa bangis ng bakbakan. Naglaho na ang ganda ng bayang iyon kasabay ng pagpanaw ng ama’t ina nina Sarah at Abdul. Ang kanilang lupaing pansakahan ay tuluyan na nilang naging himlayan.
Winasak ng giyera ang kapayapaan, ang kasaganaan, at ang kinabukasan ng mga musmos. Sina Sarah at Abdul, mga batang dati-rati’y malayang tinatahak ang kilo-kilometro’t baku-bakong daan patungong paaralan, ay inagawan ng pangarap ng kaguluhan. Sila ay dalawa lamang sa daan-daang mukha ng mga musmos na pinagkaitan ng kalayaang mabuhay sa kapayapaan. Sino sila sa hinaharap? Maari kaya silang maging pangulo ng bansa, doktor, o guro? O dili kaya’y mas marapat na tanong ang: “May kinabukasan pa kaya silang masisilayan?” Bukas makalawa, maaaring buhay na nila ang sisingilin ng giyera.
Kaguluhan – ito na marahil ang mukha ng Mindanao. Marinig pa lamang ang salitang ito, nakatatak na sa isipan ang madugong bakbakan sa pagitan ng mga rebelde at militar. Higit pa rito, sinasabi ring kuta ang lupaing ito ng mga terorista. Ang mga putok ng baril ay tila kwitis na lamang na naglipana at ang mga pagsabog ng bomba’y tila “alarm signal” sa umaga, sa tanghali, at sa gabi. Hindi na nakakapanibago ang ganitong mga eksena.
Matagal na ring panahon ang lumipas bago muling sumiklab ang tensyon sa pagitan ng mga rebelde at militar. Ang dahilan nito ay walang iba kundi ang kabiguang maisakatuparan ang Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD). Matapos ibasura ng gobyerno ang nasabing kasunduan sa kadahilanang ito’y “unconstitutional”, sumunod naman ang pagkamatay ng GRP-MILF peace panel kung kaya’t tuluyan nang naudlot ang mga usaping pangkapayapaan. Ang mga pangyayaring ito ang sinasabing nagbigay-daan sa muling pagsibol ng bakbakan.
Sa baryo ng Manggahan sa Talayan, Maguindanao, minsan kaming tumungo bilang mga volunteers ng Sagip Kapamilya. Humigit-kumulang 200 mag-anak ang naroroon, mga itinaboy ng sagupaang militar at rebelde. Sila ang tinatawag nating IDP o Internally Displaced People. Sa panahong iyon ay magta-tatlong buwan na silang naninirahan sa Mayor’s Compound kung saan sila ay ligtas mula sa mga ligaw na bala at sa pangamba. Naisin man nilang bumalik sa kanilang dating mga tahanan, wala silang magawa sapagkat buhay nila ang nakataya. Umaasa na lamang sila sa tulong ng alkalde ng bayan at sa mga outreach programs para sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na makakain. Bitbit naman ng ilan sa kanila ang mga alagang hayop nang sa gayon ay may mapagkakitaan kahit papaano. Gula-gulanit man ang mga trapal, ito’y kanilang ipinagtatagpi-tagpi upang maging tahanan, tahanan kung saan sila tahimik na nagsasalu-salo sa
almusal, tanghalian at hapunan na panay noodles at itlog. At mula sa compound na iyon, 2 kilometro pa ang kailangang lakbayin para sa tubig na iinumin, ipanlalaba, at ipanliligo.
Dalawang-daang pamilya ang nagdurusa para sa mithiin ng iba. Mahigit 700 katao ang nagtitiis gayong wala naman silang kasalanan. Subalit ang mga bilang na ito ay hindi pa nangalahati sa bilang ng mga buhay na napaslang. Buhay ang nakataya alang-alang sa layunin ng mga rebeldeng grupo na mapasakamay ang pinaniniwalaang nararapat na pag-aari nila, alang-alang sa layunin ng mga militar na protektahan ang mga mamamayan.
Kahabag-habag na Mindanao. Ang kislap ay binalot ng lusak. Nangingibabaw ang dungis kumpara sa linis. Kung tutuusin sa tatlong higanteng isla ng Pilipinas, Mindanao ang pinakasagana sa kultura at yamang-likas. Ito ang tinaguriang “Lupang Pangako.” Isang pangako tungo sa walang hanggang kasaganaan at kapayapaan. Kaysarap sa pandinig, hindi ba? Subalit sa patuloy na pag-inog ng mundo, hindi kaya nagkamali ang ating mga ninuno sa pagbibigay ng titulong ito sa nasabing isla? Maaari kayang ang pangako’y nauwi na sa isang malagim na sumpa?
Oliver Ibot-Esmundo is the Editor-in-Chief of Actidamean, the student publication in Notre Dame University, Cotabato City.
Winasak ng giyera ang kapayapaan, ang kasaganaan, at ang kinabukasan ng mga musmos. Sina Sarah at Abdul, mga batang dati-rati’y malayang tinatahak ang kilo-kilometro’t baku-bakong daan patungong paaralan, ay inagawan ng pangarap ng kaguluhan. Sila ay dalawa lamang sa daan-daang mukha ng mga musmos na pinagkaitan ng kalayaang mabuhay sa kapayapaan. Sino sila sa hinaharap? Maari kaya silang maging pangulo ng bansa, doktor, o guro? O dili kaya’y mas marapat na tanong ang: “May kinabukasan pa kaya silang masisilayan?” Bukas makalawa, maaaring buhay na nila ang sisingilin ng giyera.
Kaguluhan – ito na marahil ang mukha ng Mindanao. Marinig pa lamang ang salitang ito, nakatatak na sa isipan ang madugong bakbakan sa pagitan ng mga rebelde at militar. Higit pa rito, sinasabi ring kuta ang lupaing ito ng mga terorista. Ang mga putok ng baril ay tila kwitis na lamang na naglipana at ang mga pagsabog ng bomba’y tila “alarm signal” sa umaga, sa tanghali, at sa gabi. Hindi na nakakapanibago ang ganitong mga eksena.
Matagal na ring panahon ang lumipas bago muling sumiklab ang tensyon sa pagitan ng mga rebelde at militar. Ang dahilan nito ay walang iba kundi ang kabiguang maisakatuparan ang Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD). Matapos ibasura ng gobyerno ang nasabing kasunduan sa kadahilanang ito’y “unconstitutional”, sumunod naman ang pagkamatay ng GRP-MILF peace panel kung kaya’t tuluyan nang naudlot ang mga usaping pangkapayapaan. Ang mga pangyayaring ito ang sinasabing nagbigay-daan sa muling pagsibol ng bakbakan.
Sa baryo ng Manggahan sa Talayan, Maguindanao, minsan kaming tumungo bilang mga volunteers ng Sagip Kapamilya. Humigit-kumulang 200 mag-anak ang naroroon, mga itinaboy ng sagupaang militar at rebelde. Sila ang tinatawag nating IDP o Internally Displaced People. Sa panahong iyon ay magta-tatlong buwan na silang naninirahan sa Mayor’s Compound kung saan sila ay ligtas mula sa mga ligaw na bala at sa pangamba. Naisin man nilang bumalik sa kanilang dating mga tahanan, wala silang magawa sapagkat buhay nila ang nakataya. Umaasa na lamang sila sa tulong ng alkalde ng bayan at sa mga outreach programs para sa kanilang pang-araw-araw na makakain. Bitbit naman ng ilan sa kanila ang mga alagang hayop nang sa gayon ay may mapagkakitaan kahit papaano. Gula-gulanit man ang mga trapal, ito’y kanilang ipinagtatagpi-tagpi upang maging tahanan, tahanan kung saan sila tahimik na nagsasalu-salo sa
almusal, tanghalian at hapunan na panay noodles at itlog. At mula sa compound na iyon, 2 kilometro pa ang kailangang lakbayin para sa tubig na iinumin, ipanlalaba, at ipanliligo.
Dalawang-daang pamilya ang nagdurusa para sa mithiin ng iba. Mahigit 700 katao ang nagtitiis gayong wala naman silang kasalanan. Subalit ang mga bilang na ito ay hindi pa nangalahati sa bilang ng mga buhay na napaslang. Buhay ang nakataya alang-alang sa layunin ng mga rebeldeng grupo na mapasakamay ang pinaniniwalaang nararapat na pag-aari nila, alang-alang sa layunin ng mga militar na protektahan ang mga mamamayan.
Kahabag-habag na Mindanao. Ang kislap ay binalot ng lusak. Nangingibabaw ang dungis kumpara sa linis. Kung tutuusin sa tatlong higanteng isla ng Pilipinas, Mindanao ang pinakasagana sa kultura at yamang-likas. Ito ang tinaguriang “Lupang Pangako.” Isang pangako tungo sa walang hanggang kasaganaan at kapayapaan. Kaysarap sa pandinig, hindi ba? Subalit sa patuloy na pag-inog ng mundo, hindi kaya nagkamali ang ating mga ninuno sa pagbibigay ng titulong ito sa nasabing isla? Maaari kayang ang pangako’y nauwi na sa isang malagim na sumpa?
Oliver Ibot-Esmundo is the Editor-in-Chief of Actidamean, the student publication in Notre Dame University, Cotabato City.
The Confession of a Devirginizer
Monica Joy Cantilero
Forgive me father, for I have sinned. I selfishly asked for her precious virginity.
Exactly three days after she turned 18, I hurriedly asked her to meet me in our house. I saw before me a girl who has now turned a woman. She looked so beautiful and fresh; I can’t resist kissing her. So I touched her face and began to kiss her softly on the lips. She tasted so sweet, like no other girl I have kissed before. Then the innocent kiss grew stronger and deeper. I caressed her neck and swooped to her fair chest. The next thing I knew, we were already naked, locked in a lovers’ play.
She trembled as I laid her down to my bed. Her heart was beating so fast and so loud, like ancient ritualistic drums beating to the sacrifice of a virgin for a war. Her hazy eyes looked straight into mine, succumbing into my hypnotic trance. I reached for her wrists and pinned her down, and moments later, a soft stifled cry pierced through the air. The battle had been won. Slowly, we became one.
And what did I do, father?
I deserted her afterwards.
She was scared. She kept on bugging me that I should take responsibility if a child develops in her belly, so I freaked out. I felt
scared too, but I angrily refused to share her burden, her guilt. Instead, I recommended abortion. Letting our child live is just the same as killing him; we won’t have anything to feed him anyway. I have yet many dreams to reach, and I don’t think I can have a bright future with two extra luggages pulling me away. I was just so selfish, father.
There was no communication between us for the next few days. I became restless, guilty of what I have done to her. I left her
alone in the time she most needed me. That can never be called love, right, father? As much as I wanted to believe that it was all about love, I did what I did to her because I was weak to the temptations of lust. I could hardly sleep at night. I could still smell her scent on my pillows, on the covers of my bed. I remembered how she still sweetly smiled even after I took her virginity away. I recalled how she tried to suppress her pain when I went inside her. I assured her that I will always be with her, but where is that now?
Then she confessed to me that she took pills against her will. She felt like a soulless whore, she said, as she swallowed those pills and her dignity. She did it because she knew I would not care for her or the child that could have grown in her. I couldn’t utter a word at that moment, father. I held back my tears. As a man, I can’t show her how everything is breaking inside of me as she spoke. I love her, but I was a coward. I have no right to tell her how much I still care now.
No man will marry her now, she said. I wanted to tell her that a man should never love her for her body, but I knew that a man like that would be really hard to find. I wanted to say sorry, but it’s too late, father.
Then she asked, “Is a woman really only worth her hymen?”
My conscience is killing me, father. Have mercy in me. What should I do? ▪
Forgive me father, for I have sinned. I selfishly asked for her precious virginity.
Exactly three days after she turned 18, I hurriedly asked her to meet me in our house. I saw before me a girl who has now turned a woman. She looked so beautiful and fresh; I can’t resist kissing her. So I touched her face and began to kiss her softly on the lips. She tasted so sweet, like no other girl I have kissed before. Then the innocent kiss grew stronger and deeper. I caressed her neck and swooped to her fair chest. The next thing I knew, we were already naked, locked in a lovers’ play.
She trembled as I laid her down to my bed. Her heart was beating so fast and so loud, like ancient ritualistic drums beating to the sacrifice of a virgin for a war. Her hazy eyes looked straight into mine, succumbing into my hypnotic trance. I reached for her wrists and pinned her down, and moments later, a soft stifled cry pierced through the air. The battle had been won. Slowly, we became one.
And what did I do, father?
I deserted her afterwards.
She was scared. She kept on bugging me that I should take responsibility if a child develops in her belly, so I freaked out. I felt
scared too, but I angrily refused to share her burden, her guilt. Instead, I recommended abortion. Letting our child live is just the same as killing him; we won’t have anything to feed him anyway. I have yet many dreams to reach, and I don’t think I can have a bright future with two extra luggages pulling me away. I was just so selfish, father.
There was no communication between us for the next few days. I became restless, guilty of what I have done to her. I left her
alone in the time she most needed me. That can never be called love, right, father? As much as I wanted to believe that it was all about love, I did what I did to her because I was weak to the temptations of lust. I could hardly sleep at night. I could still smell her scent on my pillows, on the covers of my bed. I remembered how she still sweetly smiled even after I took her virginity away. I recalled how she tried to suppress her pain when I went inside her. I assured her that I will always be with her, but where is that now?
Then she confessed to me that she took pills against her will. She felt like a soulless whore, she said, as she swallowed those pills and her dignity. She did it because she knew I would not care for her or the child that could have grown in her. I couldn’t utter a word at that moment, father. I held back my tears. As a man, I can’t show her how everything is breaking inside of me as she spoke. I love her, but I was a coward. I have no right to tell her how much I still care now.
No man will marry her now, she said. I wanted to tell her that a man should never love her for her body, but I knew that a man like that would be really hard to find. I wanted to say sorry, but it’s too late, father.
Then she asked, “Is a woman really only worth her hymen?”
My conscience is killing me, father. Have mercy in me. What should I do? ▪
Holiday Queer: The Singa Christmas Quiz
Jerjer After Theory-class and Joklang Echosera
Gosh, Christmas is like, fast approaching. I have to make rush pa to Greenbelt 5 and Serendra to buy gifts for my friendships, you know. Para naman they have something to look forward to besides the oh-so-fun Oblation Run, duh buh? Dapat those aren’t the only candy canes na aabangan nila. *wink*
E you, friend? How’s your Christmas spirit na ba? Not sure? Ano ba you! Take this Singa quiz na nga lang so that we’ll find out if you’re a friend, Roman, or countryman this Peskow. Ready, set, flyzung!
A. While making lakad along Ortigas Avenue carrying ten boxes of Krispy Kreme Donuts for your org’s Christmas party, a street child approaches you, asking to have one donut. He makes kuwento that he has not eaten anything since, like, forever! What will you do?
1. Kebs. Kunwari, I don’t care. Deadma. Sabay lakad ng mas fast. As in super duper.
2. Get angry with the child for contaminating your Victoria Secret Lotion-treated skin. Make tantrums. Sabay kuha ng Huggies Wet Wipes and you immediately make punas to whatever portion that had contact with the bata-kal.
3. Uber talab the paawa effect ng kiddie, who you think is a product of unfair distribution ng different kinds of resources. You cannot do anything and as such, your conscience will command you to give one box of the donuts to the child. Pati mineral water that was left in your bag and some barya, isasama mo na sa donuts. O diba? Go, Mother Teresa!
B. Your parents who happened to work as nurses in the United States lost their jobs because of the financial crisis. You happened to know this news the weekend before your class party by sobrang accident talaga. As in! Siyempre di ba the party has dress code and grabe, the theme of the bonggang party is Oscars. You don’t have the dress yet and clueless pa rin your parents that you know na pala what happened to them. As the most sosyal in the barkada, your friends expect you to be there. Your mother lily and sugar daddy called to ask you what your plan is for that party. O, what na, sister?
1. Duh! Will still go to the party but will make lapit to a friend para manghiram ng outfit. It’s the season to be jolly, and to be user friendly!
2. You will use your credit card to have a shopping spree sa Podium tapos sa Mall of Asia, tapos sa Greenbelt. One year’s worth of money is nothing compared to superstar glory, kahit for one night only!
3. You’ll be absent sa party because you are not vain. Pampalubag loob: the damn Oscars-inspired party is like, ano ba, so baduy. Done that na sa kinder pa.
C. After an entire year of making ipon your baon, and making lagay your sobrang ten-peso coins in the piggy bank, it is now your turn to make sungkit the laman of the plastic coin bank. Kahit na you broke your nail making sungkit, like you discovered, wow! Ten thousand pesosesoses ang iyong nasave. Saan you magsusplurge?
1. You are like the third person sa parable of talents: you won’t do anything with those resources. Kulang na lang is like to make baon in the lupa the whole piggy bank.
2. You’ll phone in as many friends as you have and tell them that you’re going to libre them at Starbucks. But wait you just want pala to redeem your reputation of being kuripot and cheapipay. Go Girl, grabe, save to the highest level whatever that’s left from your humanity because of your cheapipay image.
3. You will go to the mall to buy lots and lots of candies, fruits, cookies and cheap toys. Tapos you’re going to make dozens and dozens of loot bags which will be given to those who will make katok to your mansion, and to street kids and other people who are busy namamasko.
D. It is the eve of Christmas day and it is so lungkot kasi you are alone in your room sa boarding house. Your roommates kasi went back to the province. What will you do on that day?
1. Just finish your mega pile of books na hinoard mo from mainlib to take advantage of the long holiday break. Since you live near the campus, why not make kuha na rin your super kapal readings in your justice or anthropology class sa Blessings, More Blessings, and soon to open, Siksik, Liglig at Umaapaw na Blessings for more geekiness. And march on your way toward becoming the next summa cum laude of your department!
2. Be the gimikera that you have been since you were exposed to the urban environment of UP Diliman. Go to Starbucks, endeavoring your warm cup of Praline Mocha beverage while sitting by the window, and flaunting to the whole universe your latest laptop and cellular phone. Sana lang, like, hindi kayo magkita ni manong holdaper.
3. Be the religious student that you have always been. Go to your church to hear mass or service. But wait, there’s more! You do kind deeds for everybody pa. You are kind hearted really eh, so no effort pa all that!
E. What is the first thing that you will buy for yourself after having all the pamasko from your titos and titas, mamitos and mamitas, who are all senyoritos y senyoritas?
1. An Economic Text Book written by Samuelson and Nordhaus. You flunked the first exam of your professor who turns out to sell her credibility she earned to a soap brand just to make both ends meet. Your failing score in the first exam reminded you that you have to finish your course with honors in order to uplift your family’s economic and social standing.
2. Of course, clothes and shoes. It is so nakakahiya to go back to school by January, still wearing the clothes that you have made hukay in your great grandma’s baul. Actually, it is your mission not be a fashion victim anymore. You can now make libot to all the shops just to have a new set of clothes and shoes, and this might help in having your crush make pansin you.
3. Nothing. As a second year student who must pay twenty thousand pesos every semester, you just realized that your pamasko can help your parents shoulder the tuition for next semester. Next time na lang you, family muna. At least di na muna sila uutang just to expose you to different forms of symbolic violence that happen in UPD.
So, friend, you know naman how to count diba, since you passed the UPCAT naman, no? If you answered mostly:
1- Grabe talaga, you seem not to care for other things. For as long as you are safe and sound in the comfort of your own existence, there shouldn’t be any problem. Your Christmas is so plain, simple and rests on pragmatic ideals. You’re so cheap talaga.
2- You’re like Madonna: A Material Girl (or boy, or whatever!). I can be your BFF because we can go shopping and have bar-hopping escapades together. Grabe, we can make tambay in those posh coffee shops, sipping our coffee while puffing our DJ Mix. But wait, I have a tip pala. Let’s not have coffee at SM Fairview: My gosh, there are so many purita kids making limos out there and I don’t want their poverty to spoil our enjoyment as we establish our friendship through caffeine and second-hand smoke. Mwahmwah, my BFF!
3- OMG! Well, you deserve to have the Nobel Fizz Fries for empathy and selflessness. You are such a hero talaga. Like ikaw ang iilang nagbibigay ng pag-asa sa possibility ng AUTHENTIC na REBOLUSYON! Kaya, Humayo ka’t magpakarami. As in now na.
Gosh, Christmas is like, fast approaching. I have to make rush pa to Greenbelt 5 and Serendra to buy gifts for my friendships, you know. Para naman they have something to look forward to besides the oh-so-fun Oblation Run, duh buh? Dapat those aren’t the only candy canes na aabangan nila. *wink*
E you, friend? How’s your Christmas spirit na ba? Not sure? Ano ba you! Take this Singa quiz na nga lang so that we’ll find out if you’re a friend, Roman, or countryman this Peskow. Ready, set, flyzung!
A. While making lakad along Ortigas Avenue carrying ten boxes of Krispy Kreme Donuts for your org’s Christmas party, a street child approaches you, asking to have one donut. He makes kuwento that he has not eaten anything since, like, forever! What will you do?
1. Kebs. Kunwari, I don’t care. Deadma. Sabay lakad ng mas fast. As in super duper.
2. Get angry with the child for contaminating your Victoria Secret Lotion-treated skin. Make tantrums. Sabay kuha ng Huggies Wet Wipes and you immediately make punas to whatever portion that had contact with the bata-kal.
3. Uber talab the paawa effect ng kiddie, who you think is a product of unfair distribution ng different kinds of resources. You cannot do anything and as such, your conscience will command you to give one box of the donuts to the child. Pati mineral water that was left in your bag and some barya, isasama mo na sa donuts. O diba? Go, Mother Teresa!
B. Your parents who happened to work as nurses in the United States lost their jobs because of the financial crisis. You happened to know this news the weekend before your class party by sobrang accident talaga. As in! Siyempre di ba the party has dress code and grabe, the theme of the bonggang party is Oscars. You don’t have the dress yet and clueless pa rin your parents that you know na pala what happened to them. As the most sosyal in the barkada, your friends expect you to be there. Your mother lily and sugar daddy called to ask you what your plan is for that party. O, what na, sister?
1. Duh! Will still go to the party but will make lapit to a friend para manghiram ng outfit. It’s the season to be jolly, and to be user friendly!
2. You will use your credit card to have a shopping spree sa Podium tapos sa Mall of Asia, tapos sa Greenbelt. One year’s worth of money is nothing compared to superstar glory, kahit for one night only!
3. You’ll be absent sa party because you are not vain. Pampalubag loob: the damn Oscars-inspired party is like, ano ba, so baduy. Done that na sa kinder pa.
C. After an entire year of making ipon your baon, and making lagay your sobrang ten-peso coins in the piggy bank, it is now your turn to make sungkit the laman of the plastic coin bank. Kahit na you broke your nail making sungkit, like you discovered, wow! Ten thousand pesosesoses ang iyong nasave. Saan you magsusplurge?
1. You are like the third person sa parable of talents: you won’t do anything with those resources. Kulang na lang is like to make baon in the lupa the whole piggy bank.
2. You’ll phone in as many friends as you have and tell them that you’re going to libre them at Starbucks. But wait you just want pala to redeem your reputation of being kuripot and cheapipay. Go Girl, grabe, save to the highest level whatever that’s left from your humanity because of your cheapipay image.
3. You will go to the mall to buy lots and lots of candies, fruits, cookies and cheap toys. Tapos you’re going to make dozens and dozens of loot bags which will be given to those who will make katok to your mansion, and to street kids and other people who are busy namamasko.
D. It is the eve of Christmas day and it is so lungkot kasi you are alone in your room sa boarding house. Your roommates kasi went back to the province. What will you do on that day?
1. Just finish your mega pile of books na hinoard mo from mainlib to take advantage of the long holiday break. Since you live near the campus, why not make kuha na rin your super kapal readings in your justice or anthropology class sa Blessings, More Blessings, and soon to open, Siksik, Liglig at Umaapaw na Blessings for more geekiness. And march on your way toward becoming the next summa cum laude of your department!
2. Be the gimikera that you have been since you were exposed to the urban environment of UP Diliman. Go to Starbucks, endeavoring your warm cup of Praline Mocha beverage while sitting by the window, and flaunting to the whole universe your latest laptop and cellular phone. Sana lang, like, hindi kayo magkita ni manong holdaper.
3. Be the religious student that you have always been. Go to your church to hear mass or service. But wait, there’s more! You do kind deeds for everybody pa. You are kind hearted really eh, so no effort pa all that!
E. What is the first thing that you will buy for yourself after having all the pamasko from your titos and titas, mamitos and mamitas, who are all senyoritos y senyoritas?
1. An Economic Text Book written by Samuelson and Nordhaus. You flunked the first exam of your professor who turns out to sell her credibility she earned to a soap brand just to make both ends meet. Your failing score in the first exam reminded you that you have to finish your course with honors in order to uplift your family’s economic and social standing.
2. Of course, clothes and shoes. It is so nakakahiya to go back to school by January, still wearing the clothes that you have made hukay in your great grandma’s baul. Actually, it is your mission not be a fashion victim anymore. You can now make libot to all the shops just to have a new set of clothes and shoes, and this might help in having your crush make pansin you.
3. Nothing. As a second year student who must pay twenty thousand pesos every semester, you just realized that your pamasko can help your parents shoulder the tuition for next semester. Next time na lang you, family muna. At least di na muna sila uutang just to expose you to different forms of symbolic violence that happen in UPD.
So, friend, you know naman how to count diba, since you passed the UPCAT naman, no? If you answered mostly:
1- Grabe talaga, you seem not to care for other things. For as long as you are safe and sound in the comfort of your own existence, there shouldn’t be any problem. Your Christmas is so plain, simple and rests on pragmatic ideals. You’re so cheap talaga.
2- You’re like Madonna: A Material Girl (or boy, or whatever!). I can be your BFF because we can go shopping and have bar-hopping escapades together. Grabe, we can make tambay in those posh coffee shops, sipping our coffee while puffing our DJ Mix. But wait, I have a tip pala. Let’s not have coffee at SM Fairview: My gosh, there are so many purita kids making limos out there and I don’t want their poverty to spoil our enjoyment as we establish our friendship through caffeine and second-hand smoke. Mwahmwah, my BFF!
3- OMG! Well, you deserve to have the Nobel Fizz Fries for empathy and selflessness. You are such a hero talaga. Like ikaw ang iilang nagbibigay ng pag-asa sa possibility ng AUTHENTIC na REBOLUSYON! Kaya, Humayo ka’t magpakarami. As in now na.
