THE CLASSIC PHILIPPINE DRAMA

There goes the poor Pearl of the Orient Seas, left alone with nothing. Its children are way too busy working out their lives to even notice that she is stripped of her pearl, standing naked in front of them. Stripped of her dignity, sovereignty and beauty, exposed and defenseless, she tries so hard to cover her nakedness with juicy celebrity scoops, epic boxing and basketball matches and teleseryes to pass the time. What once was a glorious, lustrous and magnificent Pearl of the Orient Seas now contents itself with temporary concealers that never do any good to cover her aching soul, looking distantly at her children.

            With roughly twenty-five million poor Filipinos, more than two million unemployed individuals, twenty-one new cases of people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) every day, one out of ten young Filipinas aged 15-19 pregnant, unresolved territorial dispute, rampant corruption… how can the Filipinos still manage to smile?

            It’s no secret that the Philippines is a struggling country. It is evident enough that one needs not to even try to be observant. From the point of view of a common citizen, many people have grown weary of the daily news filled with killings, corrupt officials, rising economy with no impact to common people- just plain hopeless endless cycle of bad news. Somehow, the people have devised a way to battle the negativity that surrounds them. That is, by growing immune to the routine: the tedious abysmal plunge to darkness and uncertainty of the many facets of the Philippines as a nation.

They’re tired enough fighting every day to feed their hungry family, doing a job that never pays enough, trying hard to keep their sanity and their spirit to keep them living and working. They have learned to turn a blind eye, mastered the art of being numb because they have already endured too much pain and difficulties. In order to mask the pain, many Filipinos manage to smile despite the many problems they face. As they say, fake it till you make it. Some people are fascinated with this smile while others think it absurd to smile when they have lost everything after a great typhoon or flood. But what is there left to lose when they have lost everything? So they smile, smile the brightest smile they can, because at the end of the day, they want to see themselves fight. When they have been hurt too much and they are just too worn-out to cry, they smile and mock the face of their many obstacles.

          The Philippines may be a developing country but it is also a country of resilient, creative, hardworking and spirited individuals. It is a nation of survivors, masters of adapting to various kinds of hardships since time immemorial. It is very definitive that no matter how the Filipinos seem discorded at times, there is always a moment when they unite for a single cause. With the rate the Philippines is going, it needs more moments of unity to catch up with its Southeast Asian neighbors.  It is one thing to progress as an individual and another to progress as a nation. Why advance alone when both can be done at the same time? To accomplish this, massive reform is needed from top to bottom, inside out, both as an individual and a Filipino citizen. Even so, Filipinos believe in miracles. It wouldn’t be that hard to make one- not for the nearly one hundred million strong determined Filipinos.

THE CHIC IN PLASTIC

               I am an avid fan of all things fashion- Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Prada, Dior, Gucci, Burberry, Givenchy, Armani, Alexander McQueen- you name it. But I can only have them noted in my cell phone and newspaper clippings of various fashion weeks from Tokyo to Paris.

            I guess it all started when I was in high school, at Las Piñas East National High School- Verdant. From Northern Samar, I transferred to Las Piñas because a relative of ours promised to sponsor my studies. Unfortunately, like many such promises, it did not prove true. Luckily, I have a mother who never stopped working night and day just to provide for our family. She did not let herself become jobless because she knows her family relies on her. My mother, a maid, never failed to provide for her family. So whatever she gave us, we were just happy and content with it.

Because we could not afford a bag then, I would go to school with my books, notebooks and pens in a plastic bag. I was not embarrassed then because I had nothing else and having a plastic bag is better than nothing. Aside from that, I would also just wear rubber shoes even if the school policy strictly implements wearing black shoes. Noticing this, my advisers and the whole Science Department of LPENHS-Verdant donated a bag, a pair of black shoes, clothes, toothpaste and toothbrush, a lip balm and a perfume to me. I was just a regular student, a stranger, but they treated me like I was part of their family.

Up until this day, I have not forgotten all the people who became part of my journey to education. I may not remember all your names one by one, I most certainly haven’t forgotten to keep you in my heart.

POVERTY IS POWER

        We, Filipinos are known globally for our resilience. We thrive in challenges, whatever form they come to be. But the greatest adversary that many we are trying to conquer is poverty. With roughly two million poor Filipinos nationwide, many are struggling to feed their empty stomach. In the face of desperation, many have lost hope. With no idea on how to feed our grumbling stomachs without money, how can we manage to live well?

Since I was an elementary student, I have been notorious for being a nerd who burns her eyebrows studying. But they were very wrong. I did not burn my eyebrows, I burnt my hair. My family is from Palapag, Northern Samar. My mother is a maid while my father was a habal-habal (motorbicycle) driver. With an income that hardly feeds the family, we cannot afford to have electricity then. So I had an improvised gas lamp as my study buddy. Since the light would still be dim for my reading, I would lower my head further to be able to read better. Since I’m too busy reading, I wouldn’t notice immediately that my hair is already burning. I would only do so when I get a whiff of my burnt hair. But even then, it didn’t stop me from reading and learning and continuously striving for education.

            Many children especially in remote areas of the Philippines do not have whatever is needed to go to school or simply, they do not have access to school. These children need all the support they can get. Various stories of children moving mountains and seas just to get to school have been told through newspapers, magazines, television radio and all other media. Many of them still hope. They just won’t give up rather still fight and struggle to learn because they know that learning is beyond what is written in books and blackboards, it is more than just being the top one of the class, it is more than quizzes and exams. Learning is what they do with their lives. Learning is the everyday desire to know more, not only about lessons being taught in school, but more about what life teaches. Learning is a choice, no matter how deprived they may seem.

            Poverty keeps us motivated. It makes us yearn for a better life. It fuels us to work hard to achieve the common goal, that is, have a brighter future. We never stop seizing every opportunity that comes our way. Jean-Paul Sartre said “We are our choices.” If there is a downside to poverty, it is when it becomes an end point, when people stop hoping for a better life. And when people do, they block the possibilities that await them.

But if we turn poverty into an inspiration, it gives us power that drives us towards the goal we want to achieve because poverty teaches people how to endure countless difficulties. It provides us the courage that suffices for lack of financial resources. It makes us resourceful, self-reliant, creative, industrious, patient, content and compassionate to the plight of others. And best of all, poverty makes us proud once we look back at how they fought to have a better life.

TAKE THAT, MASLOW!

https://www.boundless.com/management/organizational-behavior/employee-needs-and-motivation/hierarchy-of-needs-maslow--2/

http://www.poorwilliam.net/al-040112.html

When psychology asked “What specific motives influence behaviour?”, a man named Abraham Maslow answered it with a hierarchy of needs. The basic needs (physiological, safety, social) lying near the bottom of the hierarchy must at least be partially satisfied before moving on to meet the higher level of growth needs (esteem, self-actualization) (Villavicencio & Crisostomo, 2006). He even studied what he called exemplary people like Albert Einstein and Eleanor Roosevelt rather than mentally ill people, writing that studying the handicapped, retards and the likes will only result to detrimental psychology and philosophy  (Maslow, 1954).

Then again, Maslow needs to see how the following people amazingly satisfied their growth needs despite not having met some of the basic needs. Because it did not matter who they were, what mattered was how great they made themselves despite what Maslow deemed necessity. After all, life is what you make it.

 http://www.teslasociety.com/pictures/pic1.jpg

Nikola Tesla is the genius behind the alternating current system of electricity which the world is using today (Tesla Memorial Society of New York, 1998). But Tesla died a virgin, saying his chastity was very helpful with his scientific abilities (Why Nikola Tesla was the greatest geek who ever lived, 2013). He spent years working day and night alone in his laboratory. He died alone, broke and in debt. But did these things hinder him from fulfilling his potentials? Definitely not! He lived doing so much for the world. He was very ambitious- and boy, did he pull off these ambitions!

 http://sheridanvoysey.com/003-the-nick-vujicic-interview-podcast/

Nick Vujicic was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, causing him to lose all his four limbs (Mail Foreign Service, 2009). You could say he has no security of his body and many people laughed at him. But this man is a Christian evangelist, a motivational speaker, a husband and a father. He goes around the world teaching about life and its miracles.

http://www.hawking.org.uk/images.html

Stephen Hawking is theoretical physicist, cosmologist, former Lucasian professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, best-selling author and a survivor of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Stephen Hawking, 2013).

 http://www.fansshare.com/news/glee-s-lauren-potter-teases-becky-plot/

Lauren Potter is best known as Becky Jackson, a cheerleader with Down Syndrome in Glee (Wang, 2011).

                                 http://www.afb.org/section.aspx?FolderID=1&SectionID=1&TopicID=129

Helen Keller is the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor’s Degree, author, political activist and lecturer (American Foundation for the Blind, 2013).
 
Therefore, each and every person, handicapped or not, whoever they may be, is capable of self-actualization. No matter who they are there is always the threat of something fearful and those things are inevitable. And it’s not only these deficiencies in physical, mental or social health that cripple a person; he may also be crippled by his experiences no matter how healthy he may be. It’s either you give up or you continue pursuing self-actualization. Humans live and die. Therefore, what matters is the meaning you give to the dash between your birth and death in your tombstone. Some want to be remembered. Some just want to leave a legacy, no remembering required, they just die anonymously. There really is something bigger than oneself that motivates him to live no matter what the circumstances may be, no matter how the odds are not ever in his favor. And that something is to make something good that will contribute to the betterment of the humanity regardless of what you are and who you may be. 

So Maslow, here's to you,

 http://www.teachthought.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/einstein.jpg

SOURCES:

Maslow's hierarchy of needs. [Online image] (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2013 from https://www.boundless.com/management/organizational-behavior/employee-needs-and-motivation/hierarchy-of-needs-maslow--2/

Maslow, A. (1954). Motivation and personality. New York, NY: Harper.

Abraham H. Maslow. [Photograph] (n.d.). Retrieved December 17, 2013 from http://www.poorwilliam.net/al-040112.html

Villavicencio, F. T., and Crisostomo, A. (2006). General Psychology. Bulacan, Philippines: El Bulakeno Printing House.

Nikola Tesla. [Photograph] (n.d.) Retrieved December 17, 2013 from http://www.teslasociety.com/pictures/pic1.jpg

Tesla Memorial Society of New York. (1998). Nikola Tesla: The genius who lit the world. Retrieved December 16, 2013 from http://www.teslasociety.com/biography.htm

Why Nikola Tesla was the greatest geek who ever lived. (2013). Retrieved November 4, 2013 from http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla

Nick Vujicic. [Photograph] (n.d.). Retrieved December 22, 2013 from http://sheridanvoysey.com/003-the-nick-vujicic-interview-podcast/

Mail Foreign Service. (2009, July 1). Life without limb-its: The astonishing story of the man born without arms or legs… who plays golf, surfs, and swims. Mail Online. Retrieved December 15, 2013 from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196755/The-astonishing-story-man-born-arms-legs--world-famous-swimmer-surfer-footballer.html

Stephen Hawking. [Photograph] (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2013 from http://www.hawking.org.uk/images.html

Stephen Hawking. (2013). Retrieved December 15, 2013 from http://www.hawking.org.uk/about-stephen.html

Lauren Potter. [Photograph] (n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2013 from http://www.fansshare.com/news/glee-s-lauren-potter-teases-becky-plot/

Wang, C. (2011, February 22). Glee’s Lauren Potter: I am still bullied for being different. People. Retrieved December 15, 2013 from http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20468121,00.html

Portrait of Helen Keller. [Photograph] (n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2013 from http://www.afb.org/section.aspx?FolderID=1&SectionID=1&TopicID=129

American Foundation for the Blind. (2013). Helen Keller Biography and Chronology. Retrieved December 15, 2013 from http://www.afb.org/section.aspx?FolderID=1&SectionID=1&TopicID=129

Albert Einstein. [Photograph] (n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2013 from http://www.teachthought.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/einstein.jpg

#coolJAPAN Series: WILDEST DREAMS (Day 1)

It never occurred to me, not even in my wildest dreams that I’d be flying to Japan this year. I just tried my luck with the call for participants for the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) 2.0 Invitation Programme for Mass Media Batch 3. I never expected all this dream-like events that’s already happening and coming to life, with me, here in Japan right now.

 Up in the air at Japan Airlines

It was all too much to take in. We were well-accommodated and attended to right from the start. It was my first time to ride an airplane but since the flight was very smooth, I did not have any problems at all rather just enjoyed watching the clouds and the scenic views below. Of course we also had a very sumptuous meal of chicken teriyaki with vegetables, three different kinds of noodles, various kinds of melon, with the famous Kameda Crisps and Häagen-Dazs ice cream.

 
COLOR-FOODS: In-flight meals at Japan Airlines

The moment I set foot at Narita Airport in Japan, I can’t help but be mesmerized with how organized, clean and fresh everything was. Breathing the fresh air, I definitely came to my senses and realized that I was really in Japan. And along the road, on our way to Harumi Grand Hotel, the bus went smoothly for the roads are unlike anything I’ve experienced before. And the places we passed by, such greenery I never expected of a place especially near Tokyo. We passed by Tokyo Disneyland and more stunning places, places I never thought I would see.

 

On the road to Tokyo

I was still in a daze when we arrived at the Harumi Grand Hotel. I didn’t expect what I saw. There weren’t a lot of people on the streets. But this is Tokyo, right? I saw buildings, and clear streets. It was peaceful, unlike the hustle and bustle in Manila. At Harumi, we people welcomed us warmly. We went up our room and were very happy with the unbelievably chic and cute apple green room. Of course we didn’t let the bathtub go unused, so did the Japanese toilet. Up until the moment before I sleep in that cozy room with two of my group mates, I felt like I was still in the clouds.

Cozy in Harumi

Everything happened so fast, and just like any daydream, it leaves you astounded. It’s as if a fairy grandmother came and granted my wish or there was a divine intervention. But that’s just how it is. Life, it’s full of surprises. Enjoy it while you can. Since this is only Day One, I know there’s still a lot for me to discover here in Japan.

ILI-ILI TULOG ANAY

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.styleapps.babysleeplullabies

ILI-ILI TULOG ANAY

Ili ili tulog anay,

Wala diri imong Nanay,

Kadto tienda. bakal papay,

Saging, gatas, kag kalagmay

(Ili ili tulog anay)

Mata ka na tabangan mo,

Ikarga ang nakumpra ko,

Kay bug-at man sing putos ko,

Tabangan mo ako anay (Dingcong & Ferraris, 2011)

Translation:

Little one, sleep now

Your mother is not here,

She went to buy some bread

Banana, milk, and sugar (Little one, sleep now.)

Wake up now and help me

Please carry the things I have bought

Because my bag is heavy

Please help me now (Dingcong & Ferraris, 2011)

DECONSTRUCTION OF ILI-ILI TULOG ANAY

          Ili-ili Tulog Anay is a popular Hiligaynon or Ilonggo lullaby whose composer is no longer known but has been adopted by many generations that is why it still survives until now. It had been featured in the horror movie White Lady. There are two versions of the first stanza’s last line. “Ili- ili tulog anay” in the parenthesis is more popularly sang than the “Saging, gatas, kag kalagmay”. Ili-ili Tulog Anay is still a surviving folk song which continues to put children to sleep.
          Feminist literary criticism evaluates the roles and relations of men and women in literature including the patriarchal language and masculine ideology; and their relative status, positioning, marginalization and the gender stereotyping within literary works (Teoryang Pampanitikan, n.d.).
          In the first stanza of Ili-ili Tulog Anay, it tells of a person putting a child to sleep. It was easily revealed that the mother is not the one doing so since it had been directly told in the second verse. Women in households usually do buying the groceries for the family. Nowadays, women do every kind of work there is just to feed their families. It does not matter whether the work is male-dominated for as long as she will earn money, she will do it. Even if it means being away from her child/children, she will do it. A woman who is truly devoted to her family will do everything for them at all costs. That is why many women today who work abroad or locally but still very far from their families endure the agony of not seeing their children grow up.
          In the second stanza, it tells of the mother’s coming home, waking someone up asking for help to carry the things she bought because they were heavy. In the first stanza, the question left was: who is putting the baby to sleep? It could be the father who would tend to the baby in some occasions. It could also be someone outside the family, like a nanny. But typically, it would have to be the nanny who would be buying the groceries especially if there is a baby whom the mother should attend to primarily. Obviously, the baby wouldn’t be the one to be awakened but rather, the one cradling him/ her. Seeing the father as the most probable cradler, there are only two possible explanations: first, it would have to be that the father is taking a day off from work, thus has to attend to the baby while the mother is busy buying groceries; second, the father has no job and the mother is the breadwinner of the family.

SOURCES:

Baby sleep lullaby. [Online image] (2013). Retrieved March 4, 2014 from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.styleapps.babysleeplullabies

Dingcong, S. L., & Ferraris, F. (2011). Hiligaynon Lullaby: A Multi-disciplinal Approach to the Preservation and Promotion of Music in the Vernacular.Retrieved March 4, 2014 from http://api.ning.com/files/WssDvvj6yc3sC9trKqazf3wAHLUXHnMaccMaJRuhhvSqBiJPZDbrCDAOpH5zqePj-tY4HEhAvarY2afHzGw15zHksYHhPsMr/HiligaynonLullabyResearchReport.pdf

Teoryang Pampanitikan. (n.d.). Teoryang Pampanitikan.Retrieved March 4, 2014 from http://rosiefilipino10.weebly.com/teorya-ng-pampanitikan.html#/

UNITED BY THE WALL

There are walls built to divide,

but Intramuros unites...

          One scorching hot, bright and sunny but partly cloudy day, seven brave girls invaded the Intramuros, or The Walled City, Manila’s original fortress. Searching for the perfect photos to illustrate Intramuros, the Mocha Girls posed almost everywhere.

          Walking the pavements, I realized Intramuros still stands for a reason: it remains a symbol of the fortress that encloses the many secrets of Philippine History. It is also a portrait of the Philippines today. Law serves as the fortress which the major criminals get past into untouched by the fangs legislation ought to have. What’s more dangerous is you don’t know the real criminals. Entering the Philippine law, breaking it  again and again and discreetly crossing the line safely and soundly. The place has changed a lot since it was first built. The Philippine politics hadn’t.

          Despite this, there are also many lessons these photos of Intramuros could teach the Mocha Girls and many other people. One is that the longer the friendship is, the more beautiful it becomes just like the hundreds of years the ruins of Intramuros endured. Friendship shelters. It opens doors. It is a fountain of joy, blessings and love.

          No matter how a place might be unremarkable for you, it wouldn’t matter if you have got friends who can turn it into a circus. With a parade of pictures and poses and laughter and smiles despite the aching pain of the feet from walking around Intramuros like a machine, the journey will still be worth your while. After all, it’s not always the destination that counts. It’s the faces you meet and the people you’re with.