Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Edsa Spirit
I was only 10 years old when the EDSA revolution happened. I still remember how proud I was to be Filipino as I watched people topple Ferninand Marcos out of power. What made a big impression on me was that it was all very possible that it could have turned violent. Filipinos armed only with flowers trying to stop tanks. The tanks really did stop. It was beautiful. Somehow, after the Spanish and American colonial rule, Japanese invasion during World War II and the Marcos' Martial Law Regime, finally we were a master of our own destiny.
I saw Imelda on BBC saying that the people did not find any skeletons in her closet but only beautiful shoes. I saw those shoes with my own eyes before they were taken out of public viewing. There was one big house full of them. Imagine, ONE BIG HOUSE of shoes. They were not from Marikina, only expensive Italian shoes for Imelda. I also saw a gold sink, ceilings full of wood carvings, perfume bottles as tall as me and other luxuries beyond the imagination of normal people. I was only 10 when I saw all of that and even then I knew that it was not right.
Unfortunately, no one expected that we have a penchant for self-destruction. Mixed that with national insecurity, crab mentality and disorganization, what will happen? So, sadly after 23 years, and another People Power Revolt nothing much have changed, if it did then it changed for the worst. Imelda still have her Picassos and Gaugains, our politicians are still corrupt and most Filipinos are still poor. We can only hope that maybe one day something will really change.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
No reservations: Philippines
Anthony Bourdain wrote in this blog that he is nervous about the Philippine episode. He said that he is afraid not to have gotten it right. I don't understand why he was so apologetic. For me, it was not necessary that he liked our food, I am just happy the the Philippines is getting some exposure. Fortunately, he seemed to really like the food (I saw it in his eyes) with sisig having made a pretty good impression. Anyway, if he loves pork as much as he claims then sisig musr have brought him to pork heaven.
Don't worry Anthony, I think you got it right. Even though you visited only 2 of our 7100 islands, you got the essense of our food. Even I will not manage or even want to try everything because for sure I would never eat a goat's head. In this episode though, I think you covered only the basics. A second (and even third) show is necessary to get a more in-depth look into our food culture.
Anthony Bourdain also tried to go deeper, during the episode, he asked several times why Filipino food is not well represented abroad despite there being 12,000,000 Filipinos overseas. Actually, an American friend asked me the same question once after tasting my pata estofado and beef adobo sa gata. In my opinion, it has the same answer as why Augusto and other Filipinos who grew up abroad doesn't speak Filipino (or Cebuano for that matter) and it is a mix of colonial mentality, non-existent national pride and extreme adaptability.
Another question Anthony repeated many times was "Who are the Filipinos?". Well, I guess no one really knows. The answer could be, people who like to eat adobo, the national dish. The problem here is you come to a big dead end as there is no "real" adobo recipe. Maybe we are ultimately like the national dish that we so love to eat, we could be almost anything.
Technorati tags: anthony+bourdain No+reservations+Philippines No+reservations lechon Filipino+food Filipino+culture
Don't worry Anthony, I think you got it right. Even though you visited only 2 of our 7100 islands, you got the essense of our food. Even I will not manage or even want to try everything because for sure I would never eat a goat's head. In this episode though, I think you covered only the basics. A second (and even third) show is necessary to get a more in-depth look into our food culture.
Anthony Bourdain also tried to go deeper, during the episode, he asked several times why Filipino food is not well represented abroad despite there being 12,000,000 Filipinos overseas. Actually, an American friend asked me the same question once after tasting my pata estofado and beef adobo sa gata. In my opinion, it has the same answer as why Augusto and other Filipinos who grew up abroad doesn't speak Filipino (or Cebuano for that matter) and it is a mix of colonial mentality, non-existent national pride and extreme adaptability.
Another question Anthony repeated many times was "Who are the Filipinos?". Well, I guess no one really knows. The answer could be, people who like to eat adobo, the national dish. The problem here is you come to a big dead end as there is no "real" adobo recipe. Maybe we are ultimately like the national dish that we so love to eat, we could be almost anything.
Technorati tags: anthony+bourdain No+reservations+Philippines No+reservations lechon Filipino+food Filipino+culture
Explore: Sex and Religion in Manila
"It's not the matter what the people want, leaders must decide what is really good for the people. " -Former Mayor Lito Atienza in response to a question about surveys indicating that majority of Filipinos support the Reproductive Health Bill.
Explore: Sex and Religion in Manila is a heartbreaking documentary about the Catholic Church's opposition to the Philippine Reproductive Health Bill (RH bill) and its impact on the poor people of the Philippines. It followed a family with 11 children living in the slums of Manila as they struggled to survive a day. Interviews with major players in the opposition to the RH bill were played as members of the family narrated their hard life.
Pills and condoms are not illegal in the Philippines. They are available in every Pharmacy for those who can afford to buy them. It is obvious for poor people that they should not produce more children to improve their lives, the problem is most poor Filipinos cannot afford birth control pills costing 30 pesos (about 65 cents). The RH bill is about educating the population about reproductive health, family planning, AIDS prevention and making pills and condoms available for free in health centers nationwide.
How the RH bills promotes immorality escapes me. In fact, in my opinion, preventing education about AIDS is genocide and is pure evil. What is immoral is the unequal opportunity between the rich and poor in planning their families. At the end, the poor just gets poorer and the rich richer. Anyway, without the RH bills we will not have a population problem in a few years because instead we will have an AIDS epidemic!
Former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza mentioned that the RH bill could lead to Filipinos embracing divorce, gay marriage, and abortion. He said that these practices are what is destroying western society and weakening the western family as an institution. I wonder, does he think that 11 hungry children without a future makes a family strong? Does he think that a woman getting beaten up by her husband because she doesn't want to have sex to practice natural family planning makes a family strong? Does he think that a mother who got an illegal abortion and bled to death makes a family strong? What will make the Filipino family strong again is the RH bill because it will allows couples to have only the number of children they can afford. These children will then be fed, educated and loved properly leading to better futures. Children with better prospects will even decrease criminality in our society. What does he think 11 hungry children without futures become when they grow up? Priests? There is no morality in poverty.
The Catholic fanatism shown here is no better than what the Taliban did in Afghanistan. Fanatism is fanatism, Christian or Muslim, it is a cancer that kills society.
I think this documentary should be seen by all Filipinos. I do hope shows like this are being shown on Philippine TV.
Afterwords:
"The real Philippines" by ronron from Flickr
Explore: Sex and Religion in Manila is a heartbreaking documentary about the Catholic Church's opposition to the Philippine Reproductive Health Bill (RH bill) and its impact on the poor people of the Philippines. It followed a family with 11 children living in the slums of Manila as they struggled to survive a day. Interviews with major players in the opposition to the RH bill were played as members of the family narrated their hard life.
Pills and condoms are not illegal in the Philippines. They are available in every Pharmacy for those who can afford to buy them. It is obvious for poor people that they should not produce more children to improve their lives, the problem is most poor Filipinos cannot afford birth control pills costing 30 pesos (about 65 cents). The RH bill is about educating the population about reproductive health, family planning, AIDS prevention and making pills and condoms available for free in health centers nationwide.
How the RH bills promotes immorality escapes me. In fact, in my opinion, preventing education about AIDS is genocide and is pure evil. What is immoral is the unequal opportunity between the rich and poor in planning their families. At the end, the poor just gets poorer and the rich richer. Anyway, without the RH bills we will not have a population problem in a few years because instead we will have an AIDS epidemic!
Former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza mentioned that the RH bill could lead to Filipinos embracing divorce, gay marriage, and abortion. He said that these practices are what is destroying western society and weakening the western family as an institution. I wonder, does he think that 11 hungry children without a future makes a family strong? Does he think that a woman getting beaten up by her husband because she doesn't want to have sex to practice natural family planning makes a family strong? Does he think that a mother who got an illegal abortion and bled to death makes a family strong? What will make the Filipino family strong again is the RH bill because it will allows couples to have only the number of children they can afford. These children will then be fed, educated and loved properly leading to better futures. Children with better prospects will even decrease criminality in our society. What does he think 11 hungry children without futures become when they grow up? Priests? There is no morality in poverty.
The Catholic fanatism shown here is no better than what the Taliban did in Afghanistan. Fanatism is fanatism, Christian or Muslim, it is a cancer that kills society.
I think this documentary should be seen by all Filipinos. I do hope shows like this are being shown on Philippine TV.
Afterwords:
- In my opinion, the Catholic Church wants Filipinos to remain poor. History proved that as the population gets richer, the less religious it becomes (and the richer it gets). The only countries that the Catholic Church still have a hold on are former Spanish colonies (which are poor) like the Philippines. Everyone else broke out of the middle age and have accepted that the earth is actually revolving around the sun.
- Don't you think it is strange that in the documentary, the father is nowhere to be seen? It is only the mother who is earning and the eldest daughter studying hard to get her family out of the slums? Welcome to Philippine matriarchal society (hence the high gender equality). This is a common story. Most probably, the father is a drunk drinking cheap gin (praying to Ginebra San Miguel, a brand of cheap gin) in the street corner, drinking his hard life away. This is the same man the Catholic church expects to practice the rhythm method of family planning!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
and the best pork is....
Anthony Bourdain declared in his blog that for him the Hierarchy of Pork as follows:
#1. Philippines
#2. Bali
#3. Puerto Rico
We won! We won (I am including myself as a self-confessed porkitarian)! All thanks toMarketman!
Technorati tags: Anthony+bourdain No+reservations+Philippines Lechon Cebu Market+Manila
#1. Philippines
#2. Bali
#3. Puerto Rico
We won! We won (I am including myself as a self-confessed porkitarian)! All thanks toMarketman!
Technorati tags: Anthony+bourdain No+reservations+Philippines Lechon Cebu Market+Manila
Manila to Mindanao
Last night, I saw on BBC what I thought to be a travel documentary about the Philippines. Instead, I was treated to a disturbing social commentary that every Filipino should see. Explore with Simon Reeve is definitely not an ordinary travel series that gets stuck with beaches and views but is an extraordinary series documenting social and political issues in various countries. I tried to search you tube for the Manila to Mindanao episode to post here but I was not able to find it. If you live in the UK you can watch it here.
Somehow in merely an hour, Simon Reeve and his co-travelers was able to pinpoint the biggest problems that are ailing Philippine society. I was also amazed how he bravely asked direct questions to various people. The Manila to Mindanao episode addressed issues like the Banaue Rice Terraces, poverty, the Reproductive Health bill, the Badjaos, our diminishing forests, and the war in Mindanao.
What I saw on the show disturbed me greatly. I am hunted by visions of extreme poverty that this episode brought to my living room and consciousness. I was angered by the continuous refusal of the Catholic church to stop meddling in affairs of the government. I was shocked after listening to a teacher in Muslim Mindanao preaching to her students in class that they should fight for independence from the Philippines.
Every Filipino should see Explore: Manila to Mindanao. Somehow it puts everything in perspective.
Have you seen the Explore: Manila to Mindanao Episode? If yes, how did it affect you? How did you feel after seeing Imelda's Picasso and Gauguin? Were you also shocked to listen to a Muslim teacher goad her young students to war? Were you also appalled at the sermon of the priest against the Reproductive Health bill?
PS
I saw that there will be another episode from the same producers about the Philippines entitled Sex and Religion in Manila. It will air February 19 at 23:20 (I guess UK time) on BBC2.
Technorati tags: Simon+Reeve Explore BBC Manila+to+Mindanao Reproductive+Health+bill Imelda Philippines
Somehow in merely an hour, Simon Reeve and his co-travelers was able to pinpoint the biggest problems that are ailing Philippine society. I was also amazed how he bravely asked direct questions to various people. The Manila to Mindanao episode addressed issues like the Banaue Rice Terraces, poverty, the Reproductive Health bill, the Badjaos, our diminishing forests, and the war in Mindanao.
What I saw on the show disturbed me greatly. I am hunted by visions of extreme poverty that this episode brought to my living room and consciousness. I was angered by the continuous refusal of the Catholic church to stop meddling in affairs of the government. I was shocked after listening to a teacher in Muslim Mindanao preaching to her students in class that they should fight for independence from the Philippines.
Every Filipino should see Explore: Manila to Mindanao. Somehow it puts everything in perspective.
Have you seen the Explore: Manila to Mindanao Episode? If yes, how did it affect you? How did you feel after seeing Imelda's Picasso and Gauguin? Were you also shocked to listen to a Muslim teacher goad her young students to war? Were you also appalled at the sermon of the priest against the Reproductive Health bill?
PS
I saw that there will be another episode from the same producers about the Philippines entitled Sex and Religion in Manila. It will air February 19 at 23:20 (I guess UK time) on BBC2.
Technorati tags: Simon+Reeve Explore BBC Manila+to+Mindanao Reproductive+Health+bill Imelda Philippines
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Reproductive Health Bill
I support the Reproductive Health (RH) bill and you should too if you are a thinking individual. I received this today so I thought I will post it:
Dear co-RH advocates.
Thank you very much for supporting the online petition calling for the immediate passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill by Congress. It is now 2009 and the advocacy for the bill has become more urgent.
There is good news and bad news.
The good news are: the RH Bill remains a priority of the House of Representatives (HOR) leadership and the bill’s principal author, Rep. Edcel Lagman; and, to date, not one of the 113 co-authors has backed out despite the very strong campaign against the bill.
The HOR resumed its plenary debate last 27 January 2009. This comes at the heels of the latest surveys separately conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS) and Pulse Asia which found that the big majority of Filipinos favor the passage of the RH Bill.
The bad news is that anti-RH legislators continue with their delaying tactics and dirty tricks. Of the listed 22 interpellators, only one has finished and the second, Rep. Golez of Parañaque City seems hell-bent on delaying the proceedings some more by resorting to insulting not only the principal author but also the advocates and misrepresenting data he claimed to have come from the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Statistics Office (NSO) which were flatly and officially denied by the two offices.
These tactics are at the expense of the people’s money (about P12.5 million representing the HOR’s daily budget) wasted on Representatives who refuse to listen to the people’s will and women’s lives as 11 Filipino women die daily due to pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. It may sound dramatic but now, more than ever, we need to band together and increase the pressure on our legislators. Enough is enough!
The following are the things we can do together:
1) Write to your Congress representative about the urgency of passing and your support for the RH Bill.
2) Write a Letter to the Editor about your stand and support of the RH Bill and send it to your favorite broadsheet daily.
3) Join us as we monitor the proceedings at the HOR.
4) Invite more people to sign our online petition. http://www.petitiononline.com/rhan2008/petition.html
5) Wear your sentiments on your sleeve or your car, as the case may be. RHAN produced spiffy pro-RH stickers and pins. You may get one from the RHAN Secretariat. Call 927-1766 from 9 am to 6 pm.
Let us not be defeated by those who refuse to hear our voices. Please pass this to as many friends, colleagues, and family members who can support our cause.
Thank you very much and looking forward to your active involvement.
Elizabeth Angsioco
Secretary-General
Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN)
Dear co-RH advocates.
Thank you very much for supporting the online petition calling for the immediate passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill by Congress. It is now 2009 and the advocacy for the bill has become more urgent.
There is good news and bad news.
The good news are: the RH Bill remains a priority of the House of Representatives (HOR) leadership and the bill’s principal author, Rep. Edcel Lagman; and, to date, not one of the 113 co-authors has backed out despite the very strong campaign against the bill.
The HOR resumed its plenary debate last 27 January 2009. This comes at the heels of the latest surveys separately conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS) and Pulse Asia which found that the big majority of Filipinos favor the passage of the RH Bill.
The bad news is that anti-RH legislators continue with their delaying tactics and dirty tricks. Of the listed 22 interpellators, only one has finished and the second, Rep. Golez of Parañaque City seems hell-bent on delaying the proceedings some more by resorting to insulting not only the principal author but also the advocates and misrepresenting data he claimed to have come from the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Statistics Office (NSO) which were flatly and officially denied by the two offices.
These tactics are at the expense of the people’s money (about P12.5 million representing the HOR’s daily budget) wasted on Representatives who refuse to listen to the people’s will and women’s lives as 11 Filipino women die daily due to pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. It may sound dramatic but now, more than ever, we need to band together and increase the pressure on our legislators. Enough is enough!
The following are the things we can do together:
1) Write to your Congress representative about the urgency of passing and your support for the RH Bill.
2) Write a Letter to the Editor about your stand and support of the RH Bill and send it to your favorite broadsheet daily.
3) Join us as we monitor the proceedings at the HOR.
4) Invite more people to sign our online petition. http://www.petitiononline.com/rhan2008/petition.html
5) Wear your sentiments on your sleeve or your car, as the case may be. RHAN produced spiffy pro-RH stickers and pins. You may get one from the RHAN Secretariat. Call 927-1766 from 9 am to 6 pm.
Let us not be defeated by those who refuse to hear our voices. Please pass this to as many friends, colleagues, and family members who can support our cause.
Thank you very much and looking forward to your active involvement.
Elizabeth Angsioco
Secretary-General
Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
No beach
I was really looking forward to this:
Unfortunately, the Philippines is apparently experiencing climate change so this dream didn't turn into reality. It rained the whole two weeks we were there. Take note, it is dry season. Imagine, no sunshine for 2 and a half weeks. It was so cold. I was wearing a jacket the whole time. I only brought summer dresses because I thought I am going home to my tropical country. My ass froze (okay, not really but it was not comfortable). We had to cancel all our travel plans! I was so frustrated. Now, I have to wait another year to fulfill this dream!
Guys, we have to do something about climate change. When I was in the Philippines, I tried to talk about it a lot with everyone. All I got were blank faces. Didn't the Philippines get the memo that climate change is important? Anyone there aware of global warming? This is particularly important for us because our country is made up of islands. We can all sink.
Caramoan Photo from ro. Orenz's photostream in Flickr
Unfortunately, the Philippines is apparently experiencing climate change so this dream didn't turn into reality. It rained the whole two weeks we were there. Take note, it is dry season. Imagine, no sunshine for 2 and a half weeks. It was so cold. I was wearing a jacket the whole time. I only brought summer dresses because I thought I am going home to my tropical country. My ass froze (okay, not really but it was not comfortable). We had to cancel all our travel plans! I was so frustrated. Now, I have to wait another year to fulfill this dream!
Guys, we have to do something about climate change. When I was in the Philippines, I tried to talk about it a lot with everyone. All I got were blank faces. Didn't the Philippines get the memo that climate change is important? Anyone there aware of global warming? This is particularly important for us because our country is made up of islands. We can all sink.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Books: A short history of nearly everything
A must read for everyone who is at least a little bit curious about how the world works. This book is definitely one of my favorite books of all time! If I read this book in high school or even when I was in the university, I am sure, I would have been a better student. Bill Bryson narrates the short history of nearly everything with lots of humor and pizazz that even something so boring or incomprehensible (depending on your point of view) as Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity become something of interest and wonder (I actually read more about it later, giving me a huge headache).
What I really like about "The Short History of Nearly Everything" is its portrayal of major science protagonists as normal humans beings who were not above failures and petty fighting. This is very much unlike what most science books lead us to believe. I've always felt that scientists are robots (even when I grew up to be almost one) who did nothing but invent and experiment. After reading this book, I learned that most major scientific discoveries are accompanied by years of hard work, endless sacrifice and oftentimes even ridicule.
I read "The Short History of Nearly Everything" twice already and I intend to read it again in a few months. Each time I pick it up, I learn something new. There are two great lessons this book taught me: 1) EVERYTHING is interesting, and 2) with a good idea plus luck and perseverance(either one or the other but better both), we can achieve our goals (but always with a good idea).
I assure you, after reading this book, you will not look at anything the same way again.
Technorati Tag: Bill+Bryson Short+history+of+nearly+everything book
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