Editorial: A Campaign Against Apathy

In moments of triumph or tribulation, in the heat of a debate or in the impatience of a stalemate, in the breath of new life or the stench of degeneration, there comes a time in every person’s life when he or she gets to ponder on life’s most essential questions:

In all of Space, where are you?

In all of Being, who are you?

In all of History, what have you done?

As we pursue answers to these, we may find ourselves at war with those of another ideological spectrum, or with those who impose tyranny upon our freedoms, or with those who mean well, but cannot allow us to be.

In this war, we may find ourselves in battles that surpass generations, or maybe in battles that resuscitate themselves every once in a while. But more often than not, we leave our feuds in the middle, or allow them to die a natural death when another feud emerges.

At war, we may unsheathe peace and love, or we may resort to violence. Those which inflict harm to bodies may be gruesome, but those who inflict symbolic harm endorse nothing but inhumanity. At war, the sharpest wit may triumph, but it is dulled without any material outcome. Frustration ensues, then we find ourselves at war again.

We are at war every single day. Our demands are always limited by supply, our principles are always vulnerable to the power of persuasion, our agencies always find themselves obstructed by structures, the status quo always wrestles with the inevitability of change, our bodies are always subject to the push and pull of gravity. And in all of these daily wars we engage in, we find an emergency exit in not caring.

But not caring is costly. Fighting may cost you your life, but apathy can cost you your very meaning.

And no, this is not a call to militancy, or dissidence (not unless that is a terrain that you find your heart in). This is a campaign against apathy, and the invitation filters no disposition, ideology, religion, political leaning or eccentricity. This is a campaign that endeavors maximum participation in acting, speaking, listening, thinking.

This campaign presents no promises, not even hope for resolution. Our conflicts may never be resolved; no compromise could probably be reached. But we must never allow our swords to be dropped, or our pens to be without ink. We must always be equipped with the ammunition that is activism, in any of its gradients and forms, and endorse participation at all times, in all our wars. We may never win, nor win anything, but in the end, no form of apathy could ever transcend any battle that had been lost.

Because when asked life’s most essential questions, with absolutely no doubt, the most tragic of answers would be: nowhere, no one, nothing.

Your Standards or Mine?

The 2010 national election prompts us to choose who to put in the government seats for the next several years. Some of them will succeed in drawing others to their cause and others are left scavenging for the remains after the hotshots are done swaying their audiences.

But what does it take to sway an audience? Why does this one candidate have so many followers who are more than willing to talk about him every chance they get – but you would rather change the topic? The bet you're backing just doesn't seem to appeal to anyone else besides you, and you're probably wondering what these people had for breakfast that made them slow to realizing the pros and pros of taking your side.

Some candidates have epically long lists of credentials. They've been governor, senator, poor, businessman, fire eater, etc It's called experience, and many people don't want to entrust their barangay (let alone their country) to a newbie who can't tell the difference between the constitution and a congressman.

If someone has performed well in the past and in the present, chances are, they'll do fine in the future. Experience and a decorated past don't guarantee that a candidate's tenure will be free of controversy, corruption and sheer stupidity. It only tells us that they've done something (not doing) and anything that would fall under the doing part will join the rest of the done come the elections and the new term anyway.

Personality is another factor people consider. Though a handful of people may like a certain trait exhibited by a candidate, that doesn't mean everyone will agree. Traits such as respect, diligence and determination can either be seen as assets or impediments to the race. There are other attitudes that many will label as “downright undesirable, why are you even running if you know you're like that?”, but I'm only saying many, not all.

One way for candidates to get our attention is to bring out their big guns – otherwise known as catchy and potentially annoying campaign jingles, advertisements that hugely advertise their faces, commercials that suddenly pop up during your quality TV time, to name a few – in the hopes that said big guns will convince us. Some people may easily be convinced by obviously staged performances on TV, but not all Filipinos are gullible and would prefer to choose candidates based on other factors... and yet, can't help but hum to those jingles while on the MRT.

In the end, it's easy to see why many voters won't agree with each other and will spark debates in restaurants, in classrooms and even in the restroom; there are different ways to pick government hopefuls. One person will claim that credentials will suffice for a candidate, while another is satisfied by an ad of a waving candidate. Nobody really writes up a detailed, comprehensive list of criteria to consider when voting, because chances are, there is at least one person who will object to it.

If you're voting this year, never mind that people are going to bash your bet. Others just have different standards and look for different aspects in a candidate. Some factors are better considered than others, but once again, it's all relativity.

The Big 2-Oh

I celebrated my twentieth birthday inside the Sinag office.

There was no cake with candles, no ice cream, no food, even the lack of alcoholic drinks was evident. It was no grandiose celebration. Everyone was either busy, dead tired or both, as there were still quite a number of articles, videos and interviews to plow through. The deadline we had set hung heavy over our heads. I was given a complimentary birthday song, and we had the luxury of five minutes to do whatever it was that we wanted. After that, it was back to work. The dreariness of my birthday could be alluded to the fact that we were cramming the election issue, so no complaints from me there.

Hours before I choose to lock myself in the office until the wee hours of the morning, a friend of mine strongly suggested that I go do something special. She said it was because I was about to enter another stage in my life, or something to that effect. I simply nodded, but all the while I was thinking of what was so special about turning twenty. I was dropping the word 'teen' from my age, is it really such a big deal? Is it enough qualification for me to be considered an adult? If that were the case, then we live in such a sad, sad world. I can think of a handful of adults who need to take full time courses in maturity.

As a kid, I painted a picture in my head of what I would look like once I turned twenty: wearing a-line skirts and sensible pumps, my hair in a bun, composed and without a single strand of hair out of place. A quick look into my closet revealed no a-line skirts, at least those with modest lengths, and two stilettos primarily used for partying. My head is almost often up in the clouds, and the closest I had gotten to being composed, was the zoned out look I get after a particularly challenging subject. Somehow my twenty-year old self doesn’t quite match up to the me I had in mind.

I also have an issue with the word twenteen. It comes off as a failed attempt to standardize fashion sizes: preteens’ wear, teens’ wear, twenteens’ wear. Ugh. It’s horrible. Seeing quite a number refer to themselves as such, just strengthen my belief that there really is a prevalent fear of aging these days, even for those coming from my age bracket. The irony is not at all lost to me, when just a year ago looking older was the in thing.

It seems that twenty is just another transition year, similar to how we all become legal, and can be put to jail, by the age of eighteen. The carefree days call us back, and we are tempted to be content as teens and live for the moment. The pull of exploring the possibilities that lie ahead, given that we've already had a glimpse of the things that are yet to come, is also a strong force. Perhaps it is here in this tug of war that the charm of being twenty lies.

(Maybe) Not a Smear Campaign

Facts can speak for themselves, but can you put two and two together?

10 Dec 2009 Finalization of SINAG Charter’s 3rd draft.

11 Dec 2009 SINAG Charter revisions were discussed during GA.

15 Dec 2009 SINAG staff approved the 3rd draft.

5 Jan 2009 Prof. Cherrie Billedo, Office of Student Affairs Coordinator, discussed the Charter change with the SINAG Higher Editorial Board.

21 Jan 2010 Minor revisions were made in the Charter in light of the Jay Bagcal issue.

23 Feb 2010 Text messages were sent informing CSSP students of the Charter consultation.

24 Feb 2010 Letters containing SINAG’s apology to election interview errors and invitation to the Charter consultation were given to organizations registered in OSA’s database. The old SINAG Charter and 3rd draft were posted in the SINAG website.

25 Feb 2010 2010 SINAG-CSSP Charter consultation.

Attendees were representatives from UP APSM, Buklod, CSSPSC, GSUP, Kapitas, KAPPP, Kas, KMS, Likas, Philosoc, Politica, Polsci, Psychsoc, Pugadsayk, Saligan sa CSSP, Salin, Sikat, Solidaridad.

Comments raised and discussed were: danger of miscoordination due to complexity of bodies existing within SINAG-CSSP, possible repetition of positions within the publication, lack of referendum in the ratification process and charter length.

26 Feb 2010 Start of Charter commentary period. The schedule for commentary deadline and Charter redrafting was disseminated through text brigades and online notices.

27 Feb 2010 Joseph Lumanog, 05-06 SINAG Editor-in-Chief, sent an email to Marie Julienne Ente, incumbent SINAG EIC, regarding his objections to the one-year residency rule and amendment procedures.

1 Mar 2010 Lumanog sent copies of his letter to organizations such as KAPPP, Polsoc and Magkaisa! CSSP.

3 Mar 2010 Magkaisa! CSSP released “A Call for Clarity – On the 2010 Draft SINAG Charter” which criticized the residency rule, procedural provisions and amendment mechanism in the Charter draft, calling it “undemocratic” and “dangerous.”

6:00pm – SINAG-CSSP HEB discussed Magkaisa! CSSP’s statement with Reinna Bermudez and Michael Manangu. The HEB reiterated explanations given during consultation regarding provisions in the Charter draft and acknowledged the mistake of not including the referendum.

Bermudez apologized and informed the HEB that even though she received text messages regarding consultation, no Magkaisa! CSSP member was able to attend the event. It was agreed that Magkaisa! CSSP would submit a counterproposal and issue an apology regarding the matter.

4 Mar 2010 End of commentary period. SINAG-CSSP did not receive any counterproposals or official letters.

6:00pm SINAG GA evaluated comments raised during consultation and commentary period. The SINAG Charter was redrafted. A referendum provision was added and SINAG was defined as a student institution. The one-year residency rule was retained. The GA minutes, justification, SINAG old Charter, 3rd draft and final draft were to be made available to the public the following day.

5 Mar 2010 In Facebook, copies of Articles XII and XVII labeled “FAIL” and “EPIC FAIL” were posted in Magkaisa! CSSP member Jadd Dealino’s account. The caption stated, "Vote 'Yes' to the proposed amendments to the SINAG Charter this year --and it will be your last."

1:00pm The Mar 4 GA minutes and justification on retained provisions were posted in bulletin boards of Palma Hall and Palma Hall Annex. Fliers and letters to organizations including Magkaisa! CSSP were issued. The SINAG Charter 4th draft was posted online.

Mga Palagay ng Isang First-time Voter

Labindalawang oras akong pumila noong Nobyembre ng 2009 para magparehistro sa pagboto. Sa loob ng dalawang araw, nahasa ang aking galing sa pagtayo, nakatalungko at pagkaang. Wala akong kaibigan na kasabay magparehistro kaya ‘ni hindi ko sinubukang umalis sa aking puwesto.

Maski unti-unting dumilim ang paligid at dahan-dahang umalingasaw ang amoy naming magkakatabi, tiniis ko ang pawis, gutom, at inip. Wala akong nagawa kundi panoorin ang kasabay ko sa pila na hinatiran ng pagkai’t inumin ng kanyang syota. Wala akong nagawa kundi ipaypay sa sarili ang dalang mga papeles habang naririnig ko ang higop sa straw ng makukulit na magkakabarkadang magkasabay sa pila. Kinapalan ko ang aking mukha nang kinailangang magtanong sa mga opisyal tungkol sa pagkaka-sunod-sunod ng stasyon para sa pagpapasa ng dokumento. Kanya-kanyang diskarte kasi bawat distrito. Hindi ko na lang pinansin ang mga pulutong ng tao ang nakita kong lumampas, sumingit at naki-hirit sa pakiki-usap sa mga nagdiyos-diyosang sekyu na nakabantay. Naaalala ko pa na habang naghihintay ako, pabiro kong iniisip ang mga maaaring mangyari pagkatapos ng lahat ng paghihirap ko doon. Baka may magsabit sa leeg ko ng medalya, o kaya may magbigay sa akin ng malaking cheke sa dulo ng pila. Wala sa mga iyon ang nagka-totoo.

Hindi ko sinasabi na sukdulan ang lahat ng mga naranasan ko sa pagpila sa pagrerehistrong bumoto. Lalong hindi ko pinagyayabang na ganoon ang dinanas ko. Ka-engotang magkunwaring martir dahil kasalanan ko na nagpa-abot ako ng mga huling araw para magpa-rehistro. Oo, ka-engotan talaga ‘yon.

Walang sinumang nagpumilit sa aking pumila. Mag-isa kong pinilit matapos magpa-rehistro. Ngunit ngayong umuugong sa tenga ko ang mga walang katapusang jingle ng mga

kandidato, ngayong ang kikinis ng kanilang mga mukhang ipinaparada sa mga poster, commercial, at billboard, nanunumbalik ang naramdaman ko habang nakapila sa pagpaparehistro. Kailangan na naman ang lakas ng loob at kapal ng mukha para tiisin ang mga ito.

Unang pagkakataon ko para bumoto ngayong Mayo. Nakikita ko na ang parating na gulong kaakibat ng walang katapusang pagpila. Inaasahan kong katulad ng maraming karanasang dapat pagdaanan, lilipas din ang pagkabasag ng aking pagkabirhen sa pagboto.

Sa totoo lang, kinakabahan ako. Natatakot akong iboto ang isang kandidato dahil nadala ako ng bugso ng damdamin. Natatakot akong madala ng mga publicity material at maging biktima ng panlilinlang, na mauto ng mga nagpapanggap na may paki-alam sa paghihirap ng mga Pilipino. Alam kong bilang isang edukadong tao, isang miyembro ng kabataang binigyan ng mga mamamayan ng pagkakataong mag-aral, responsibiladad kong magkalap ng sapat na impormasyon tungkol sa mga iboboto ko. Ang pinoproblema ko kasi ngayon, ano o sino nga ba ang nararapat kong paghugutan ng nasabing impormasyon? Hindi lahat ng kandidato ay binibigyan ng ‘air-time’ o kaya ay imbitasyong maging speaker sa mga porum.

Sa dami ng mga tanong na umaapaw sa utak ko, buti na lang sa proseso ng pagboto, nabigyang linaw na ako. Iisipin ko na lang habang nakapila: may bilog, may bilog na hugis itlog.

The Ethics of Expression

The freedom of expression is not for everyone. To be given the opportunity to speak in the name of principles is a privilege given by the public. Only the public can legitimize the existence of ideas and arguments because at the end of each day, the whole point of voicing one’s opinion is to persuade an audience. They deserve the integrity of the different ideas being presented in the public sphere.

Since speakers are given an avenue by the public, the audience deserves the respect that is due them. The public sphere is not a site for a spectacle of ideas, much more is the place where they should be saturated with ill-informed criticism thrown by different speakers to each other.

It is an alarming fact to know that the public sphere has become a site for the spectacle of ideas. Looking at the public sphere in this light does not allow one to look at the motivations and intentions of those who convey the message. Ideas in a site of spectacle conceal the realities that truly narrate the dirtiest secrets behind them. Deliberate attempts to keep these realities away from public discourse do not give the transparency due for the public to come up with truly informed choices.

Every utterance or gesture cannot be understood without considering the motivations put forward by the speaker. To keep on insisting that things are stated in the guise of ‘unbiased service to the students’ is hypocrisy. Every message, no matter how noble they appear, shall always be laden with power in order to satisfy the desire of all speakers for the Nietzschean will to power.

Biases are always present; it is only a matter of recognizing these biases and putting them into use in a manner that it will clearly promote the betterment of others without necessarily benefiting the speaker. Personal benefits and interests of others do not need to coincide. It is never easy to resolve the conflict of personal gain and its possible consequences, but if genuine service for others is what one wants to offer, he or she should be smart enough to know what to choose.

Freedom of expression over one issue is a privilege that can be enjoyed by those who have the moral ascendancy on the issue in question. Moral ascendancy is an important component of credibility, which in turn makes persuasion possible. One may have the charisma or the capacity to articulate himself using academic jargon over the most senseless crap, but all actions and ideas need to be grounded on the establishment of trust through credibility in order to be accommodated and legitimated by public. Apparent ‘objective truths’ and social relationships presuppose the foundation of trust in order to lay the possibilities for emerging consensus and dissent.

Failure to recognize and accept one’s set of biases, as well as commenting on things in the guise of the exploited ‘freedom of expression’ without the moral ascendancy to do so are the greatest forms of disservice one can commit to the public. Only genuine public servants wouldn’t want to pass this legacy to others.

Between what is right and what is easy:

14 Questions we must answer

By the virtue of the students

being our publishers, have we

informed them of our intention to

revise the charter the first chance

we had? Was the studentry even

aware that we have already started

drafting a charter?

Did we, as the Higher Editorial

Board, consult the staff (at

least) regarding the process we shall

be adopting in revising the charter?

Did we even give them a chance

to be a part of the Charter

Commission? Have we been

entirely transparent on our deliberations?

(As far as the 1st

and 2nd drafts are concerned)

With respect to the experiences

and efforts exerted

by the alumni for the publication,

have we formally sought

their advice regarding the

whole process of charter revision?

(At least Immediate Past

EIC Jecel Censoro)

Given that we have

opened the charter consultations

and making the 3rd charter

draft publicly available last 25th of

February 2010, and deliberated on

the 4th of March 2010, can we say

that the time (which was 4 working

days) we made available for the

public to react to our charter draft

is enough? Is one cycle of consultation

and drafting enough to ensure

that we have more or less considered

the interests of the studentry in our

charter revision process?

Do we have

enough justifiable

reasons on why

we should have the

new charter effective

as soon as possible?

What are the

risks of having the

old charter still in effect? Do these

reasons counterbalance the risk we

will have to take for pushing for

a contested charter? Are there no

other measures we can take to mitigate

the damage that will be caused

by the old charter instead of pushing

for the referendum of the charter in

question?

Given the questions stated

above, can we confidently say that

we have exhausted every effort in

ensuring that our shareholders have

the proper knowledge with regard to

the entire

charter

revision

process,

as well as

their resulting

arguments,

to make an informed decision in the

referendum?

Will our actions be completely

free from any taint of doubt? Will

these actions not severely compromise

the integrity of the publication

that under immediate past EIC Censoro

we had worked hard to build, as

well as our efforts to continue this

legacy? Ultimately, can we say that

only the truth, the whole truth, and

nothing but the truth prevailed in

the course of our actions, such that

Omnia Vincit Veritas will still hold

true at the end of the day?

Before we criticize the methods of

the opposition, we must put our methods

into scrutiny as well.

Choosing between what is right

and what is easy is always difficult; but we

must always choose what is right over what

is easy.

Manere si justus, corrigere si pravus.

So Wrong

Innumerable posters and tarpaulins are now displayed in roads, as if a grand feast is approaching. Commercials promising change while lauding a candidate’s credentials are aired repeatedly over televisions and radios and printed on dailies. Politicians spend outrageous sums on these campaigns, even surpassing what’s allowed by law. These are the main features of Philippine Elections.

Although disgusted by these things, I am still thankful because I believe that student council candidates in our university do not, and will never, follow these ‘trapos.’ I am confident that as Iskolars ng Bayan, we are responsible enough to fulfill our duties as good citizens and to abide by laws governing us, be it in our university, communities, organizations, or state.

But I was wrong.

As I walked along Ylanan Street one morning, I discovered what disproved my assumption: a campaign poster of a ‘glowing’ candidate posted at a road signage post.

Section 1 of the Revised UPD Student Electoral Code, prohibits the posting of election materials in places not meant for posting. Posting on that road signage was prohibited, it was a violation of election rules.

There were other forms of election violations in the university. A picture of a ‘burning’ candidate was used as desktop background of computers in an internet shop at Shopping Center. There is no provision allowing multimedia promotions or multimedia posters or paraphernalia to be used, except in blog sites or social networking sites. It was therefore another violation.

Another example is a candidate’s tarpaulin posted outside a jeep. According to Dr. Josefina Andrea Cantiller, CSSP College Secretary and Chairperson of the College Student Electoral Board, although posting in jeeps is now allowed, posters are only allowed inside the vehicle with the driver’s permission. Thus, it was another violation.

I won’t be surprised if those events happened outside campus. Election violations are so rampant in our country because of poor implementation, and perhaps interpretation, of pertinent laws. This is aggravated by scarce public scrutiny. However, for these to happen in a university where laws and rules are regarded as binding to everyone, and students are molded to be responsible leaders and law-abiders, such violations are surprising, disgusting and disappointing.

Candidates would say that these actions were done beyond their discretion because their supporters were responsible for those acts. But if these candidates were responsible and very mindful of the rules, then they would tell their supporters to abide by them too.

Although there have been lots of violations observed in campus, only a few cases were addressed. Most were left unnoticed. I didn’t hear anything about the candidates mentioned above getting questioned or punished for their violations.

This goes to show that we get so excited with the level of politics in our university that we tend to forget vital rules made to create fairness and order in the elections. If this prevails, we can expect our council elections to lose integrity and become similar to Philippine Elections--marred by violations and controversies. Our university’s failure to uphold its duty of developing vigilant and law-abiding individuals while nourishing their critical reasoning will give birth to another set of irresponsible citizens.

Editoryal: “Batu-Bato sa Atin,” or a Short Critique of UP Partisan Politics

The University is famed for its students who are vigilant and critical of the failures of Philippine social systems. But when conflict brews within its own confines and crevices, there is an obvious UP cultural element that has an insidious effect on its students' solidarity. That element is none other than the division caused by partisanship.

We know more than anyone that being able to air an opinion even if it is contrary to those who belong to the same ranks is an exemplary display of a functioning democracy. But we also have to be cautious of straying away from the borders of decency. If we place malice on others' take on matters just because we label them blue, red, yellow, or whatever, we mistakenly go into a heated contest of who is more critical. This only, more often than not, leads to a foul, frustrating and directionless attempt to justify our own hues.

So many matters that affect the student body have gone unresolved, or been hostilely approved, because of the divisive partisan culture of UP politics. Stray as we may from the sight of it, it is glaring. Opinions regarding the student code, the Codified Rules for Student Regent Selection, and other university-wide and local issues, resonate of a divided student body. Even projects with the same aim go by a different name; which, under the flag of one party, ends up becoming an entirely different project altogether.

One cannot force opinions upon another, because fascism is a word strongly detested by any color. But when arguments go circular because compromise is unthinkable, one has to think twice whether one is holding on to a belief only because it is what's right, or also because of a tradition that one must be in opposition to the other. Are the specific differences between what we stand for really irreconcilable, or are they irreconcilable because we stubbornly hold on to the idea that we have to be different from one another?

Just taking the inquiry on the impeachment complaint on CSSP Chairperson James Bagcal and of eleven other council members later on as an example, we can see how even vocabulary reveals the infrastructure of our partisan foundations. Words like kampihan and pinagtulungan, and the rebuttals that were judged paliku-liko, all led to a controversy that was, with frustration, paikut-ikot, paulit-ulit. But at the end of the day, it is unfair for both sides that malice was placed upon their actions simply for their being from two different parties.

As a lot of us are caught up in the tumultuous alternation of quarrels and ceasefires, we end up neglecting the work we originally wanted to do for our fellow Iskos and Iskas. At the end of the day, there are a lot of them who choose to be apathetic instead of taking a stand--surrendering any chance of participation to solid, unified action--because they don't want to be burdened by the divisiveness of partisanship.

This means, sadly, that our petty and biased fights have contributed to political desaturation among some of our fellow students: those who we initially wanted to invite to our cause, but ended up merely confused as to what exactly that was. ▪

Beyond Love’s Sentimentality

I hope that someday, February won’t be romanticized as the time of the year where love for somebody, if not for others, merits unnecessary attention. I’m disturbed by the sad reality that romantic dates, with matching flowers, chocolates, and other products that connote sentimentality and affection have strong sales in the market. Popular media should merit criticism for using love as its primary apparatus to obtain market for music downloads, and viewership for love-themed programs.

Through the presentation of love in popular media, it is no wonder that most of us have been conditioned to look for love in a person through his or her physical beauty, charm, wealth, or for whatever reason. Even the personal romantic , marital and extra-marital events of personalities are made objects of spectacle through the never-ending gaze of the public. The presentation of love and its consumption appears to devalue love from its beauty that can be expressed through practice.

I am not in the position either to give a comment on the nature of loving or how to know if one is in love or mere infatuation. If authentic love were possible, I am not in the position to elaborate on how should this be practiced by the lover. But I recognize that it is natural for people to try to build communities and look for companionship in order to survive the harsh realities brought by mere existence. Call it love or call it friendship but nevertheless it attempts to spare one from the reality that sometimes, life sucks. The creation of communities of trust and security can help ensure the protection of an individual from the aggression of others and other forms of human conflict. These communities of trust need to have its foundations rest on other similarities in order to make it cohesive and obtain commonly defined goals.

If love is one response for the natural need of an individual not to feel alone in facing contingencies, then let it be. If friendship offers perks which is not possible in a romantic relationship then I don't see any problem in relation to giving one the necessary support to make existence bearable. Before we get consummated by our passions, emotions and instincts, it is important to feel belongingness with the other, if not others. The conditions that allow us to interpret the phenomenon of loving or friendship provide a lens which may influence our definition of true love, among other labels that influence the kind of relationships we
create with others. The manner in which we build communities and how we should establish interpersonal relationships with others should be understood in relation to the bigger social reality that caters to its possibility. How we immerse ourselves to our relationships is just one of the many ways in which our potentials are realized.

The feeling of security that one can have someone to run to when things turn bad, and the construction of communities that offer support from different forms for existential dilemmas is possible, seems to me more than enough. For as long as existence is shared with others, it provides the neccessary energy to imagine joy, happiness and solidarity amidst contingencies.

Fault!

Late first semester of 2009 was the first time in recent history–at least as far as I can remember–that the Chairperson of the CSSPSC has undergone an impeachment trial.

Surely the public deserves to be informed of an issue of this magnitude. To discuss what happened at length here would be futile given the considerable time that has passed. However there was one aspect of publicity the 12 accused council members seemed to have transgressed.

If I may quote from the REAL score, the CSSPSC "approached SINAG... but unfortunately... the SINGA, or the lampoon issue... was the next issue to be released and the inclusion of the news about the impeachment trial was improper." At first reading it would seem that it is the publication’s fault the issue has not been publicized. The truth is far from it.

First off, the statement said that it was deemed inappropriate to publish the issue because the SINGA, or the lampoon issue of SINAG–CSSP, was to be released. On whose discretion was this? Who said it was inappropriate to publish Chairperson Bagcal’s trial on the lampoon issue? Certainly not the publication.

To give an example, let me tell you about my first assignment on the lampoon issue last year. It was about the Veterans Bank heist in UP (in which, if I’m not mistaken, somebody died). Now that was serious. Whether that was more serious than this spectacle is not for me to tell. So, if SINAG can publish a bank heist then why not a trial?

Secondly, the REAL reason why SINAG was not able to publish the Bagcal trial was that the layout of the lampoon issue had already been already submitted to the printer when the Council approached us. It was impossible to change the layout at such a short notice if the lampoon issue was to be released on time, that is, before the Christmas break.

This brings us to the third correction. The impeachment trial occurred last 21 October 2009. The announcement was made on a KAPPulungan meeting on the 18th of November 2009, well before the issue was released. The publication could have been contacted for further publicity. What happened between the 21st of October and the 18th of November and why has the Council been so hush–hush about the issue? Beats me.

Lastly, there was no official correspondence on the part of the Council. The approach, during which the trial was not even fully disclosed, was based on informal connections between the two institutions. This changed the publication's perception on the severity of the issue.

It has been over a month since the infamous complaints and response letters, the petition from the “concerned CSSP Students” and the convocation which ended rather abruptly. Yet SINAG–CSSP has never seen the 12 accused council members disseminate the rectified version of their “REAL score.” Not even a statement of apology.

While it is true that the issue was cleared up between the 12 council members and SINAG–CSSP, insofar as the CSSP students are concerned, they did not know a thing. Indeed, we want to move on from this issue; the REALLY REAL score, however, is an altogether different matter.

On the Morals of the University: A Dialogue

This discourse is an exchange between Cadera and SJR. The questions are guided by Kant’s notions of ethics and morality. The dialogue aims to analyse the bounds of both philosophies: the framed ideal-classical and the denied pragmatic-empirical. SJR’s responses are culled from her authored journal article and guided by years of service to the university.

Kant explained that the existence of morality could be derived from the individual’s concept of responsibility and anxiety. What is the responsibility of the university as an academic institution?

SJR: The function of the University in the era of capitalist exploitation is for it to be a staunch defender of labor, a critic of society and a partisan anchor to the human condition.

For Kant, morality is a concept formed when the duty disjoints the apprehension, thus forming the sublime or the burst of a metaphysical feeling that coerces one to do what he ought to do. How can we describe the morals of the university today? Who is responsible for this apprehension? Where is the anxiety of the university coming from in its pursuit to form a community of scholars?

SJR: The University (and I don't mean just UP) has committed itself to the triumphalist claims of capitalism. Hence, it has pledged its commitment to neoliberal schemes. Its anxiety comes from the anxieties of the capitalist system, particularly its ruling class. Curriculum development and disciplinal innovations practically invite scholars to partake in the human slaughter, whether literally or as a conduit—there is no significant difference.

For Kant, the sublime is very dynamic, with its forms ranging from the violent, the greedy, the selfish, the apathetic, and one that thirsts for the fulfilment of fantasy. Whose fantasy is the university feeding today?

SJR: Clearly, it’s the fantasy of global capital. The fantasy that it (global capital) can sustain itself without the suspension of knowledge-production, free thinking and the violation of human rights, including the right to education.

In this case, violence had become the faithful wife of morals – ensuring that the home of ethics is safe and sound. However, as human beings, one is confronted with the conflicting sides of the moral law and the superego whose sole purpose is to fake-god the self by building upon the presuppositions of respect from others so he can be regarded more than what he actually is. How can we view this in character of our university’s leaders as a decision-making body?

SJR: Ethics is the capacity to go against one's nature. Nature has become a misnomer for all that is ideologically dominant and doxic. The University's commitment to neoliberal schemes is the most unethical act committed by the most brainwashed subjects of capital. No thinking is involved there as thinking involves one's capacity to recognize that meaning is a product of difference and not of correspondence.

Thinking is one's capacity to recognize binarisms and the hierarchies therein. Those hierarchies are actually material rather than imagined (for language-the prison house of thought-is a material practice). Thinking does not stop at recognizing these hierarchies but, too, it involves an uncompromising, tough and thorough demand for justice because these hierarchies have caused bigotry, war, death, hunger and the capitalist order's prohibition to think of alternatives to its chronic crisis. Therefore, thinking is always against the grain. To salvage morality from the grip of both fundamentalist and liberal thought and practice, it must be subjected to the ethics that thinking requires.

Picture-perfect

Our street near Quezon Avenue feels like EDSA every time we drive through. Apparently, Filipinos are gifted in terms of their spatial intelligence. Almost every light post, every wall, and every square inch of our town has a face to it, literally. My neighbors are probably having a hard time with their cable reception as all their wires outside are weighed down by the hanging greetings from ‘our friendly neighborhood spidey-chump’.

Personally, I’ve found traffic additionally unbearable if for whatever chance the vehicle I’m in gets stuck behind a giant grass-colored bus. I wonder if the nausea from the pollution would create a 3D effect if I stare long enough at the face painted on the bus’s rear. Then again, there’s this more epic fruit-colored poster of someone who looks like my great-great-great-great-great-great uncle. Need I say more about him?

All this ridiculing aside though, those precious moments with those priceless faces make me appreciate our blessings. Well, why not call them just what they are — blessings.

For in this cruel and seriously UGLY world, we apparently live in the few places where beautiful people are bountiful. Or, at least, that’s the impression that I get. Our city, filled with not-so-discrete media featuring the faces of our prospective public servants, stands testament to my claim. Why, where else can we find more smooth-skinned, even-teethed,straight-haired, slim and wrinkle-free politicians?

Not even our Mutya ng Pilipinas last year can trump the hair-free upper lips or toned behinds of my barangay’s candidates. Or, at least, that’s what the posters lining our sidewalks imply. I wonder if there’s a height requirement or some looks-based criterion when people file their necessary documents for candidacy. Do the secretaries in COMELEC always bring a tape measure or have a knack for counting pockmarks? If not that, then perhaps these people running for office are heaven-sent bodies of perfection.

Were they, in all their magnificence, sent to save us from the ugliness that is dark skin? Maybe if I use that placenta soap their faces are so often posted next to, my complexion would resemble my prospective mayor’s cement-like skin. How can I not call myself blessed when, in my generation, the people who run for positions in the government resemble celebrities from Hollywood and Bollywood: quite literally combined? Certainly, those plastic surgeons frequenting on free TV would cry their hearts out in envy if they knew of the perfect facial symmetry of my next barangay kagawad.

Then again, that’s just me. Or the version of me if I were living under a rock! Oh please! You and I are well aware of the miracle software whose name always reminds me of dinner. I wonder, though, do my grandparents voting this May know about that as well? Or how about my technophobe uncle, who expects to see that chinita candidate at his birthday inuman?

Oh, what I’d give to see how he reacts when he is faced with the very ugly truth.

Vanguards of Social Transformation

The end of year 2009 and the arrival of 2010 will signify the closure of a dramatic chapter in our history and the dawn of a new
one. The beginning of a another decade brings with it an opportunity through which we, as a nation, could determine our collective destiny. This opportunity that I write of is none other than the 2010 National and Local Elections.

The 2010 Elections will be very special. For one, it will mark the end of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's nine-year saga. Moreover, it
could lead to fundamental changes in our country's socio-political system. This opportunity, however, would not mean anything if no one would take advantage of it. The electoral process could certainly become a catalyst for social transformation and nation-building, only if intellectual and progressive-minded people would actively participate in it.

Arguably, intellectuality and progressive-mindedness have traditionally been two defining characteristics which distinguish UP students from students of other institutions. However, within UP, one particular group of students stands out as an extremely essential force in the twin goals of social transformation and nation-building: the students of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy.

We CSSP students, more than students of any other college within UP, should be concerned with national and social issues because they form an essential part of our academic discourse. CSSP students live in an atmosphere of the political, the social, and the philosophical. As scholars, our disciplines force us to stare at the sociopolitical system and analyze its every detail—its
normative and positive aspects, its evolution, its virtues and its demerits—so that, ultimately, we may learn ways to improve it. In short, political and social issues are our forte.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon us, the CSSP students, to practice what we are preached. During times that call for concrete actions, CSSP students could do better than merely study theories and concepts. We should be able to operationalize them and apply them to the real world. It is our duty to act on the knowledge that our scholarship has provided us. Therefore, in the coming elections, we must take it upon ourselves to ensure that the necessary changes in our government and society could be carried out by making sure that the right kind of leaders are elected. More than vote, CSSP students should empower other individuals and encourage them to exercise their democratic privileges.

The CSSP students should be at the vanguard of the efforts to get worthy candidates elected into office. We have always prided ourselves on being scholars of, and for the nation. Of being scholars filled with the spirit of volunteerism and activism. Now is the perfect time to reaffirm these claims. We should start by informing ourselves. Then, we could do our part by joining a campaign team, attending forums, posting in blogs, or simply speaking with other people and telling them our ideas regarding the elections. What is important is that we CSSP students become engaged in this crucial democratic process. Definitely, to be passive during such cataclysmic times is the worst thing we, not just as social science students but very well as citizens, could do.

Going out with a Bang

I found myself staring at a poster of Legion a few months ago, fascinated and curious as to what the movie would offer to the public this time.

When the last angel falls, the fight for mankind begins.

The catchphrase itself was enough to make anyone feel the way I did back then. Another apocalyptic movie, I remember telling myself, but the concept seemed different from most movies with the same theme I've seen. No comets making a deep impact, no disasters caused by global warming, no infected humans trying to infect others by biting them. Just God's pure, unadulterated wrath inflicted upon the human race that had sinned so much. Even I was getting tired of watching Resident Evil rip-offs, viruses and zombies and gun fights all around. Then of course, after seeing Legion, I was more than disappointed at the execution of the premise but that's another story to tell.

Apocalyptic movies are more often than not centered on what the planet would be after Doomsday and how we humans would adapt to a drastic change in lifestyle. These vivid portrayals represent that side of human beings which anticipates the coming of that day when a falling meteor, a great flood or a viral plague would wipe us out from the face of the earth. These clearly express mortality: that life is short and fragile and one terrible disaster could cut off the connection we have with the planet.

Like I said, movies like this would center on how we would adapt to that new world the disaster would create. But they always have a twin story to tell aside from that of doom and gloom: that of humans being tenacious, resourceful creatures. That whatever may be thrown at us we can rise to meet it with our own arsenal. Survival. It was always the one thing we're good at, it would seem.

But as the movie would near its climax - in Legion, it was when the baby Messiah was born on the dirty floor of a diner - there would always be this one more weapon up our sleeve that would ensure the human race's survivability rate, whether it's in the form of an incarnation of the Messiah as a child, a vaccine that would eliminate the virus completely, or a state-of-the-art Noah's Ark made of the strongest alloy in the world. It would represent salvation or hope that would give strength and will to live to the rest of the world that had withstood the wrath of God. And from here on then, life simply goes on. We rebuild our homes, figure out our new world and soon go back to our old routine of surviving just the day.

This ending somehow reminds me of that episode of Doctor Who where the main characters watched the Earth's fiery death from the safety of a space station - another Doomsday scenario, with the Sun expanding and turning into a red giant and consequently swallowing the inner solar system billions of years later. "You spend all your time thinking about dying, like you're going to get killed by eggs, or beef, or global warming, or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible: that maybe you'll survive."

Editorial: Next Station: Station of the Cross sa Sobrang Suffering Dulot ng Population Boom (pero don’t worry, kahit mega haggard, gaya na lamang sa s

Define imbyerna ang pagsakay ng tren sa Cubao station. Mapa-MRT o LRT, southbound o northbound, hay, feel na feel ng bengga ang surplus of Noypis, like, ever. At habang sumasakay nga daw sa Cubao station kinalculate ni Tomas Osias, ang Mudra Superiora ng Population Commission (PopCom), ang projected population ng mga Noypi by 2040, assuming hindi tayo sunduin ni Bro sa 2012. At ang sagot ay isang nakakalokang 184.4 million daw!

Like, gravity. Ngayon pa lang sa population of 92.2 million mahaderas y mahaderos ay windang na windang na tayo. Siguro pagdating ng 2040, ang buong Farmer’s Plaza na ang hintayan for the train, come on! Imbis siguro sabihan ang mga nakaabang na (chance) passengers ng MRT nang, “Sa mga hindi makakasakay, next train na lang po,” sasabihin na niya come 2040, “Mga bakla, bukas na lang po! Pila na lang kayo 4:30 ng umaga!” Haggard, ever!

Tapos, araw-araw na lang may mamamatay sa stampede na magaganap sa pabilihan ng stored value at single journey ticket. Ito ang magiging leading manmade cause of death ever. Ang mga escalator ay hindi na rin paaandarin dahil two minutes pa lang wiz nang may masisiksikan pa ang mga mahaderang “lumilinya” sa taas para sa inspeksyon nang dalawang guard pa rin. Good luck na lang sa mga bumababa sa Ayala station, para lang kayong mamamanata sa pag-akyat sa escalator. Woot woot!

Sa mga nakasakay naman sa tren, mega orgy lang sa loob dahil define asses to asses at bust to bust ang mga bakla. In fact, mga sampung babae kada end to end na biyahe ay lalabas na mudra! GANUN ka siksikan sa MRT at LRT—tumatagos sa obaryo! Haggard! Kaya kahit naman nag-improve nang katiting ang sex education dito sa Pilipinas, parang wala lang din dahil sasakay lang sila ng tren ay poof, jontis na ang mga bakla. Not unless magbigay ng pondo ang DOTC sa mga operator ng MRT at LRT para kasabay ng pagbigay ng ticket ay may complimentary condom. I LOVE it!

Like, if ever nga umabot tayo ng 184M Pinoys at magdodouble up sa 2040 (PBB?), magiging top ten tayo sa most populated countries ever sa worldiness. High five—CONGRATULATION! Magpapalakpakan ang mga pekpek sa siksikan at kahit siguro sa elevator ng mga mall ay magkakaroon na ng residente. Si Big Brother naman ay magtatie up with GA Suites at gagawing townhouse ang Bahay ni Kuya. Dito titira ang sampung pamilya na silang magiging tanging mga tao na may gross (like eww) annual income na 100,000 and above. Haggard lang, no?

Dalawa lang ang pwedeng gawin nating mga haliparot para di magkatotoo ang mga hula na itey. Sabi ni Mudra Osias, kailangan talaga paigtingin ang teacher-student relationships on population education. Ang mga campaign para sa angkan planning ay dapat mas palawigin at siguraduhing umabot sa grassroots level, how-kei? At imbis na magsabunutan at magsampalan ng mga sutana at birth control pills ang simbahan at ang mga secular na ahensya ay dapat mag peace talks sila, like, now na, at magtulungan sa issue na ito. Iba man ang views ng PopCom sa CBCP or, like, whatever on—gosh—*blush* sex *blush*, ang usapin ng reproductive health at population control ay LITERAL na usaping pantao, come on. At sa pagkakaalam naman namin, pareho namang involved ang gobyerno at simbahan sa tao, like, duh.

At ang isa namang solusyon diyan, DIYOS KO DAY! IPAGDASAL NIYO NA NGA LANG NA MAGUNAW ANG MUNDO SA 2012! Ka. Lo. Ka. Sorry na lang sa mga 2008 students, pag-graduar niyo, wa na kayong mundong aabutan! ▪

SINGIT OF DARKNESS - Ekis Marks the Spot

Boys, kung ini-ihian ninyo ang mga teritoryo to mark them, pwes, may mga ganung moda din kaming mga girls, FYI. Kaya listen to this, like, story.

Alas diyes ng gabi at kami ng aking barkada ay nagfefeeling on top of the world. Out of the blue, hinatak kami ni Miss Belikbeyen para magtawag ng girl talk session. Wa choice naman kami kundi sumunod at iwanan ang mga lalake sa labas para magpakalunod sa pitsel ng margarita. Afterall, once in a blue moon lang umuwi si Miss Belikbeyen, at chaka naman kung di namin kikilalanin ang mga bagong da who sa buhay niya.

“Super natutuwa ako na nagkakaintindihan kami ni ---! It’s not everyday I meet someone who shares the same interests, politics and all, at nakapag-bonding pa kami. Ang saya pala na makakilala ng taong pareho ng interes sa iyo.”

With conviction itong sinabi ni Miss Belikbeyen, todo nakapikit pa. Mukhang may lasing na. Limang minuto na siyang dumadada tungkol sa bago niyang boylet, si what’s-his-face na pangalawang beses pa lang niyang makasama ngayon. Limang minuto na rin pala kaming nakakulong sa banyo. Napatinggin ako kay Little Miss AWOL na kasalukuyang nakatayo sa harap ng lababo. Pinaglalaruan niya yung gripo, bukas-sara bukas-sara, habang mistulang nakikinig.

After 48 years ay nakumbinsi ko rin si Miss Belikbeyen lumabas. Oras na para ma-dethrone ang queen (ng) b(anyo). Masama ang tingin sa ‘min ng lalaking sunod sa pila. Dahil Malaysia ng bonggang bongga si Miss Belikbeyen, patuloy lang ang pagkuwento nito habang kami’y nakatayo sa harap ng banyo. Ngalingali kong iniuntog ang ulo ko sa pinakamalapit na pinto.

“Naniniwala ka ba na women mark their men?”

Mga ilang araw din ang nakalipas bago ulit kami nagkita ni Little Miss AWOL, at nayaya akong tumambay sa kanila. Tumigil siya sa pagkain ng spaghetti, at tumingin sa akin.

“In what way?”

“Yun bang didikit ka sa isang lalake para malaman ng iba na interesado ka sa kanya.”

Nakausap ko rin ang kanyang jowa tungkol dito nang isang beses ay nagkasabay kami pauwi.

“Yung pag nagshashare ka sa mga friends mo na trip mo si ganito?”

“Yeah. Kasi because of loyalties, hindi mo puwedeng i-flirt kung sino man yung trip ng friends
mo.”

Sinabi ko rin ‘to sa kanya.

“Girl, syempre naman! Naaalala mo si Stepipay, di ba?” Ako’y napangiwi. Tatlong taon na rin pala ang nakalipas nang mag-FO ang dalawa dahil nagkataong pareho ang kanilang nagustuhan. Wala rin namang nangyari; said byola is still single. At least that’s what I hear through the grapevine.

Mukhang territorial din pala ng mga babae. When women are touchy-feely, it’s safe to assume that the recipient and the instigator are quite close. Unless na lang kung malandi talaga siya.

I wanted to capture the whole thing from another angle. Kaya naman noong nakita ko si Ted isang araw sa tambayan, I asked for his two cents.

“Wala namang difference, eh. Ganoon din naman sa mga lalaki.” I asked him to expound.

“Pag may nililigawan yung kabarkada mo, siyempre off limits yung girl. Respeto rin kasi.”

“Paano kung, given the hypothetical situation, dalawa kayo na may gusto sa parehong girl?”

“Back off ka dapat for the sake of your friendship. Minsan kasi depende rin on how strong your feelings are for that person. Kung feel mo siya na yung The One, eh di go lang, I suppose.”

Putting my usisera skills to the test, nalaman kong may pinaghuhugutan pala itech. Muntik na pala silang mag-MU ng crush, if not for girlie stepping down dahil in like din ang friend kay Ted. As expected, wala ring nangyari.

Hay naku.

Better grab him up Miss Belikbeyen, and fast. Kung hindi, tatalunin ko talaga siya. ▪

IMPAKTOKAYO - The Third Time’s the Charmee

Naisip kez lang, kung nabigo kang gawin ang bet mez achievin sa dalawang magkasunod na chonalyn, the same thing or against the same utaw itey ha, wit ka na ba at wiz mo na achievin muli?

Pyoka ng iba, “the third time is the charm” daw. Award! Kelangan pa bang tatlong beses karirin ang isang endeavour bago mag–win? Bakit naman kasi ganitei, kung ikaw, you try naman na you know, like, maging mabait na utaw pero wiz, di talaga you pinagbibigyan. Irritaness diva!

Anyway highway, I guess ganyan lang naman talaga ang lifeness, minsan getching mo ang bet mo, minsan naman wa. Achievin mo man ng tatlong beses o higit pa, kapag hindi para sa’yo, hindi talaga magiging iyo. At kung para sayo naman, isang beses lang keri na! Wala namang nag-chika na keri–keribels lang eh. Kung bet mang–endeavour ortry lang the achievin ang isang bagay, ng try hanggang maging sexcessful! Despwet all the hardshipness and trialsness and tribulationsness and all that kemeness, fun fun fun paring mabuhay!

Well, marami pa rin naming dapat ipagpasalamat. Trulalu diva? Buti nga buhay ka pa eh.Imagine mez na lang, parang wiz ko naman yata keri maging cold and lifeless na lang lying six feet under. Parang hindi naman yata fun yon!

Join lang kung ano ang ibabato sa’yo ng buhay. Kung batuhin ka ng bato, edi masaya! Ipalaman mo sa tinapay. Maging happy na lang tayo lahat.

In fairness, di ko rin naman bet magdrama ng bengga, bilang wiz naman akez ganung klaseng utaw. Still, nagkaka–moments naman tayo lahat. Minsan lang itey, pagbigyan nyo na akez.

O cge na nga, masyado na yata itech nagiging mahaba. Yonex lang naman ang mga naglalaro sa sabaw kech na utak nitong mga nakaraang araw. Siguro dapat ko na talagang tigilan ang pagsubaybay kay Spongebob, masyado akong maraming nalalaman ng benggang bengga, like gravity!

P.S. Trulalu pala ang writer’s block. Kala ko eklavu lang ng mga ma–arts. You know, like, for the past few weeks, wa akech maisulat as in! Para bang may humuhigop ng lahat ng nasa isip kez tapos sinusuka sa kawalan. Hhhmmmm, well... ▪

EL RABO MAYOR - Breaded Chicken

Ang breaded chicken ay isang konsepto sa agham ng pagluluto kung saan dumaraan ang isang manok sa isang nakapanghihilakbot at tunay na nakalulungkot na proseso:

Ang pagdurusa ng isang manok ay nagsisimula sa kaniyang walang saysay na pakikipaglaban para sa kaniyang buhay, kung saan sa huli ay magugupo siya at gigilitan ng leeg. Sumunod rito ay lalapastanganin ang kaniyang bangkay sa pamamagitan ng pagtanggal ng balahibo nito at pagpuputol-putol ng kaniyang mga bahagi ng katawan.

Marahil ay karumaldumal na ang nangyari sa kanya ngunit tunay ngang malupit ang tadhana; kabahagi din ang kaniyang mga supling sa prosesong ito:

Isa sa kaniyang mga itlog ay babasagin ng walang habas sa isang sisidlan, lalagyan ng asin at gugutay-gutayin. Ilulubog naman ang naturang manok sa kung ano mang natira sa kaniyang anak atsaka sila pagugulungin sa pulbos ng harina at paminta. Pahihirapan sila sa pamamagitan ng paglubog sa kumukulong mantika at hahanguin lamang kapag golden brown na ang mga ito. Sa huli ay luluray-lurayin naman ng mga matatalas na ngipin ang laman ng mag-ina at ilalaman sa tiyan ng mga nagpahirap din sa mga ito.

Ngunit matapos ng lahat ng nakalulungkot na mga pangyayari, marahil ang karamihan ay sasang-ayon sa akin na masarap ang breaded chicken. Ang lutong ng balat nito, ang manok na manok na katas sa bawat kagat… Isang kongkretong halimbawa na lamang ng konsepto ng breaded chicken ay ang Chickenjoy.

Ang bawat kagat ng Chickenjoy ay nagdudulot ng hindi maunawang kaligayahan; sa tunog ng nadudurog na balat nito wari’y haplos sa iyong diwang uhaw sa pagkalinga; sa bawat nguya ay matinding pagsidhi ng damdamin.

Hindi lamang sa mga manok angkop ang breaded chicken principle. Ang mga tao ay napapasailalim din sa konseptong ito. Minsan may mga pagkakataon sa buhay natin kung saan wala tayong kalaban-laban sa mga kaapihan ng mga di nakikitang mga elemento; ginulpi, pinagkaisahan, pinagpasasaan, niyurak ang pagkatao, idinamay pati ang pamilya mo at pagkaraan nito ay iluluto sa sariling mantika at pakikinabangan ang iyong mga pinaghirapan.

Ngunit sa kabila ng lahat ng ito, dapat nating tandaan na kahit napakasakit ng proseso ng breaded chicken ay nagbubunga ito ng mabuti: ang Chickenjoy na ating inaasam. Ang masarap na tagumpay sa laban, ang ani ng mabuting saka, ang tag-araw matapos ang tag-ulan, ang bukang-liwayway na bumabasag sa dilim ng kahapon.

Crispylicious, Juicylicious, Chickenjoy.

Chickenjoy lang katapat nito. ▪

BRIEF-ITY - Folly-tika

May time bomb na sa lahat ng mga would-be presidents, VPs, VIPs and nagkukunwaring VIP sila sa nakaumang na 2010 elections. Duh, kelangan na nila isubmit ang golden ticket (aka certificate of candidacy) ng mga tatakbo, so mas mabilis pa kay Road Runner ang drama nila papunta sa opis ng Cum-Erect. Siyempre sawsaw to the max ang lahat ng echusera y echuseros na umalohokan ng print, TV, radio at online para Saksihan at Patrolin ang blow by blow account ng pagpili ng susunod na granddaddy/mommy ng lahat ng echos ng bansa.

So kahapon nasagap ko from one of the umalohokans na bonggang naghihintay pa ng pupuno sa line-up niya ang isang party dahil nagdadrama ang isang the Third na bet nila for the senatorial race. Maka Glory days kasi yung isang bagong salta sa party na ito at hindi bet ni the Third na makasama sa lahat ng miting de avance at dance-for-the-masa drama for the folly-tical campaign.

Hay buhay folly-tics. Duh, last year lang, yung isang kandidato diyan, sumasama sa sumipa kay Agent Orange from his presidency in the House of Lords Pinoy version noong nasabit siya sa isang benggang budget controversy. Tapos malalaman mo na lang partners in crime sila 2010? Haler, mga tanga ba kami? Ulyanin, yes, pero hindi estupidas y estupidos!

Hay, nakakabanas bumoto, actually. Alam mo kasing chos lang lahat ng sinasabi at pinapromise
cross-my-heart-hope-to-die drama ng lahat ng mga kandidato. At kahit somewhere out there ay mayroong promising would-be public servant, alam mo naman kakainin did siya ng never na nabubusog na sistema ng pulitika sa Felipenes. At para naman sa mga kandidatong na-prove naman na keri nila ang system na hindi nagiging corrupt to the bone, normal na Felipino ka pag sinabi mong wala pang totoong challenge na dumating sa buhay folly-tics niya na level na chumallenge sa principles niya as a homo sapiens sapiens (Yes, yun ang totoong scientific name natin.). So inaassume na natin na imposible tayong magkaroon ng good na leader. Evaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar.

Sa kabilang banda ng Milky Way Galaxy, hindi ka normal na homo sapiens sapiens kapag umaasa ka sa pagbabago. Kung nag-aala Choco Papa Bama fan girl/guy ka para sa isang Felipino candidate, kelangan ng super mega massive meteorite para ka magising. Kasi, friend, it’s in your face na never tayo nagkaroon ng elected candidate who promised change and delivered it. So why believe in it now?

Bitter ako sa Felipene politics. Pero sino ba naman kasi ang hindi magiging bitter? Yun nga ang nakaka-hurt doon, halos lahat tayo bitter sa folly-tica ng ating bansa. Ang mga naniniwalang may bagong umagang parating ay dapat i-preserve sa National Museum at i-clone kapag available ang technology na iyon sa Felipinas.

Hindi kasi siya makakasurvive. Hindi ginawa ni Bro ang folly-tical system ng Felipinas para paniwalaan ito ng mga Felipino. Eventually makakain din siyang sistema at aayon sa norm—ang magdrama tungkol sa kabalahuraan ng sangkabuwayahan na kailangang sikmurain ng mga half-zombie na Felipinos na ginupong na ng folly-tical apathy.

Palabasin na lang natin siya sa time capsule kapag may would-be granddaddy/mommy diyan na kering mag-live up sa kanyang shiny, shimmery dream. Kaso feeling ko maiinip siya ng bongga. Sana lang wag siyang mawalan ng pag-asa na makalabas pa. ▪