And he is liking it

He looks down on the people

And goads them to applaud



“Makisama naman kayo,” he orders

As if he is wronged

By the people he stepped on

While mounting the beast’s back

He makes his horse dance

Step sideways and run in circles

He makes it jump and rear

Going nowhere all the while

He mistakes the people’s silent stare

As an insult on his riding skills

“Puro kayo batikos,” he thunders

Atop his high horse

Indeed the people are staring

Not at the rider but at the fat horse

Which may make for a hearty meal

For their hungry children back home

-5:49 pm

8 October 2010

Quezon City

Nalilito raw siya

Bakit daw ba gustong-gusto ng mga pobre

Ang ituring silang mahirap?

Poverty mentality raw ang tawag doon.

(Kita mo nga naman, pinasiklaban pa ako nire)

Ako namang si Simple Mind

Ay nalito na rin.

Kaya inilabas ko ang sukbit kong ingles

At inubos ko sa isang buga–

“What do you mean?” (O, ha!)

Sinagot ako ni Middle Class ng buntong-hininga

:-/ daw.

Umulit ako ng tanong:

“Ha?”

“Don’t get me wrong,” she said.

Simpatiya raw siya sa mahihirap.

Katunayan daw ay minsan na siyang bumisita

Sa mga iskwater noong siya ay kolehiyala pa.

“We even prayed for them,” she added.

Pero bakit daw ba pala-asa sa gubyerno

Sina Manang Dukha at Manong Pobresito?

Humihingi palagi ng murang pabahay

Libreng edukasyon, maayos na serbisyong kalusugan

At kundi ba naman sadyang kalabisan, malinis na pamahalaan.

“Pagpasensyahan mo na sila,” kako naman.

“Alam mo namang ang mga yagit ay bobo.

Apat na buwan nang tapos ang halalan,

Umaasa pa ba silang mapaglilingkuran?”

-7:38 n.g

28 Setyembre 2010

Lungsod Quezon

Hindi

Hindi ito galing sa kagat ng lamok

O dulot ng kakulangan ng sustansya.

Que horror!

Bawal sa mayaman ang kulang ang makain

O maruming kapaligiran.

Pero maraming sakit ang nakukuha sa rangya

Kadalasan ay sa utak ang tama.

Halimbawa

Nakakabaliw ang tumae sa porselana

At magpunas ng puwit gamit ang malambot na tisyu–

Tisyung galing sa halaga ng sobrang paggawa

Ng manggagawang iskwater

O mula sa hinoldap na buwis

Ng magsasakang alipin.

Bawat hagod para tanggalin ang mabango nilang tae

Mula sa makinis na butas ng kanilang pwet

Isip nila’y iba sila sa hampas lupa

At angat sa magbubukid na walang lupa.

Tubig o dyaryo lamang ang kanila.

Kung kaya naman,

Que se joda

Imasaker ang magsasaka

O idemolis ang maralita

Hindi naman sila taong tulad nila.

-8:41 n.g

26 Setyembre 2010

Lungsod Quezon

Dumaan ang araw na walang demolisyon

Ngunit nagsunog na naman

Ng mga barong-barong

Sa gilid ng Trinoma

Kanina.

Samantala

Walang katigil-tigil ang paninisi

Ng mga burgis sa mahihirap.

Kawawang mga yagit, walang pang-Facebook

Para maipagtanggol ang sarili.

Di ko mawari bakit

Kung paanong nauwi sa murang cellphone

Ang isyu ng demolisyon.

“Basta iskwater, tiyak isnatser.”

Nakalimutan na si politiko

At holdapan sa gubyerno.

A, basta!

May silbi pa rin naman

‘Yang mga tibag na semento

sa tabi ng kalsada.

Pag dumating uli sila

Pagsikat ng umaga

Muling lilipad

Ang mga bato sa  EDSA.

-1:21 n.u

25 Setyembre 2010

Lungsod Quezon

Earlier today I received two aborted calls on my mobile phone I failed to answer because I was driving. I returned the call and, sure enough, it was my friend’s mom. She invited me to an audition tomorrow to be held at a studio in Makati. She then passed me on to her assistant who proceeded to tell me what clothes to wear and what time should I present myself. With thoughts of a substantial talent fee (and where I might spend it) dancing in my head I also thought of what gear to take to establish my credentials.

But a thought kept tugging at me and I had to make sure. So I asked, “Who’s the client?” The assistant did not want to tell me but I said I must know. And then she did.

An awkward silence came between us. I then blurted, “I’m sorry, but I can’t go.” She asked why and I said I know the company is a notorious union buster and may be responsible for the deaths of their workers’ union members and officers.

The assistant was surprised herself. She said she did not know.

Then she asked me if I could recommend names. I again apologized and told her I can not recommend anyone to endorse the company or its products.

The assistant, Marilou, said she understands. We thanked each other and I asked her to extend my sincere apologies to my friend’s mom.

Well, that’s that. But, should they choose me as an endorser, I could finally buy Pom a DSLR of her own with the TF. I could have our little farm fenced off, start Pom’s herbal garden and built a small bamboo hut. I could buy plane tickets for Mama and Chloe to celebrate my niece’s eighth birthday abroad. I could have my teeth whitened.

It could also be that once they have a look at me that they’d let me hear that oft-repeated line: “Thanks for coming. Don’t call us; we’ll call you.” For sure, I’d be no loss to this huge international conglomerate who earns billions of dollars every year.

But my decision was a no brainer, really. In the first place, If I have a choice I try not to drink their coffee. Why would I sell what little credibility I may have? My wife’s DSLR may have to wait for heaven knows when. I am open to future casting calls anyway–but not for products with blood on them.

Kung Bangkay Na Nilang Ituring Ang Ating Unyon
Tula ni Axel Pinpin para kay Diosdado ‘Ka Fort’ Fortuna

Kung musuleyo na itong pagawaan
At makina’y dugo na ang inilalangis
At ang mga pabrikang naging tahanan
Ng obrero’y ipinapansahod na’y tangis
Aawas tayong maaga’t magpakanayunan
Upang pamunuan ang kapwa Anakpawis.

Kung putok na ng baril ang ingay ng makina
At ang tangi nang puhuna’y ating lakas
Ng nangangapital na ang tubo’y pang-upa
Sa buhong na kwartel ng berdugo at dahas
Likhain natin ang pamutol-tanikala
Upang sa pagkaalipin tayo’y kumalas.

Kung bangkay na nilang ituring ang ating unyon
At akalaing ulilang lubos na ang hanay
Ng manggagawang wala nang luhang itaghoy;
Maso sa bandila’y tuloy ang pagpupugay,
Mga bayaning obrero’y martir at inspirasyon;
Mananatiling dakila hanggang sa tagumpay!

(Ka Fort was:

President – United Filipro Employees Union
President – PAMANTIK-KMU (Pagkakaisa ng mga Manggagawa sa Timog Katagalugan)
Member – National Council of Kilusang Mayo Uno
Chairperson – Anakpawis-Southern Tagalog
Co-Chairperson – National Coalition for the Protection of Workers’ Rights-Southern Tagalog)

I had a special guest for the launching. I invited University of King’s College School of Journalism chair and Canadian Broadcasting Corp’s Kim Kierans. I wanted her to have a signed copy of the book—Ina’s first as well as Ka Bel’s first biography. Prof Kierans met Ka Bel when we interviewed the late great labor leader at the Heart Center in 2006. She liked the interview and the interviewee (who gave her a bagful of ripening mangoes after). The hospital was Ka Bel’s prison at the time but it was somehow fitting as the man was all heart to everything anyway. Prof Kierans condoled all the way from Canada when Ka Bel died two year back.

Too bad Pom was busy playing “big little sister” and was sad to be absent at the launch. She is not one to adore mass leaders easily but she loved Ka Bel as much as she adores Ka Satur and Emmie de Jesus. That’s huge.

It was raining yesterday. The program started an hour late because of some electrical issues. The venue was too small for such a momentous event. The mic stand was busted that even duct tape failed to help. The publisher and emcee, Joel Garduce, spoke too slowly. But all these conspired to make the launch even more heart-warming. The late start because of power problems allowed those who had trouble finding cabs because of the rains to catch the opening. Those who have to stand at the back did not mind as it was the least they could do to honor Ka Bel’s great memory. Those who could no longer enter the auditorium had a good time catching up with old friends who also came in late. Even Joel’s slow drawl was okay because no one wanted the launch to end quickly anyway.

Prof Kierans said we knew how to launch books. She was also happy that there were many young people present. She said that in Canada, “old fogeys” read excerpts for some minutes and that would be it. She certainly had difficulty following the speeches and the poems in Filipino but I think she enjoyed the Nato Reyes and Sarah Katrina Maramag’s rendition of the Beatles’ “All My Life.” She was wowed by Tony Palis’ guitar wizardry and I hope she caught some lines of JMS’ “The Forest is Still Enchanted” played and sung by its composer Tony and accompanied on the harmonica by Nato. I am sure she liked Axel Pinpin’s colourful aura. I only wished she could understand Axel’s second poem, a fresh one just for the occasion. (Hey, Bulatlat! Be the first to publish it!) Ka Bien Lumbera’s mere presence already guarantees an event’s success. And the rest of the speeches were short and sweet. Perfect.

I was happy for my Kodao colleague Cris Balleta. I assigned him to be in charge of the coverage as Jola and I were to come from the abovementioned meeting. Very few journalists could cover a book launch about their granddads and get to interview their grandmoms. I was sad though that Cris’ sister Jane was not there to share with the happiness. Jane is, of course, in prison as a Morong 43 political detainee.

Everyone fought bravely to keep tears in check. It wasn’t a time to grieve Ka Bel’s untimely passing anyway. It was a time to celebrate his life, struggles and legacy. Ina summoned all her strength not to cry. I remember her, very pregnant and weak with grief, crying before Ka Bel coffin two years back. This time, there was relief in her eyes for a deeply personal mission completed.

Prof Kim, Pom and I had a delightful dinner nearby afterwards. I am sure she is happy with her signed copy as Pom and I were with ours.

Ina let me read the opening chapters sometime late last year. But it was a delight rereading them again and it’s a delight reading the rest of the book. Upon reaching home I told Pom she could read it first as I am still not finished reading another. But I dumped the other book anyway and went ahead reading “Ka Bel” first.

Thanks, Prof Kim for a delightful evening. Thanks Ina and Southern Voices for this treasure. And thanks to Ka Bel for everything—including hope his life gave and now symbolizes for the working classes of the world.

Cris and I interviewing Ka Bel's widow, Ka Osang

It was an early start for us in the People’s International Observers’ Mission that had me as an imbedded journalist this election day.  Our group was divided into three teams and our team was composed of Canadians Randall Garrison and Carol Crabtree, American Joyce Ann Mercer, Fr Joey Evangelista, Ipe Soco and I, as well as several local colleagues. We first visited Camalig Elementary School in Marantao town, which is right next to Lanao del Sur’s capital Marawi City.  Polling centers were supposed to open at seven o’clock but voting has not started as of 7:30.

We then motored to Tugaya, about 30 or so kilometres farther south.  We first visited the Comelec office where they were still distributing PCOS machines and ballots to election inspectors at past eight in the morning.  Tugaya acting election officer Randawal Rasuman assured us there were no problems.    “Well, everything is smooth. Smooth…We open at eight o’clock” he said.

He was way off the mark.  In the only precinct that started voting as of 8:45 or so everyone was campaigning, vote-buying, vote-coaching and the election inspectors were not doing anything about the situation.  Money changed hands inside the precinct while the so-called assistors for voters claiming illiteracy completely took over the voting process while the voter simply sat on one side clutching the monies from dirty candidates.  Even the poll watchers were vote-buying inside the precinct.  The election inspectors even surrendered the task of putting indelible ink on fingers of voters to a woman who was brazenly campaigning with a loud bag printed with the name of the provincial governor who is again a candidate.  While all these were happening a fisticuff erupted right outside the precinct between guys who had a disagreement over a small pack of Zest-O fruit juice.

One positive note was that the PCOS machine in that precinct was working.  We observed though that there was no effort by the BEI to let the voters reinsert rejected ballots, as provided for by Comelec procedures.

I was challenged by one poll watcher when I was taking a video of him coaching a voter and passing off money.  He asked what was I doing with a camera inside the precinct.  When I showed him my Comelec-accredited media ID he told me to take videos of the persons outside the windows giving monies to voters inside instead.  Still another woman wearing a “Project Hope” ID asked me the same question.  I again flashed my ID and that ended the episode.

Stepping out of the precinct I chanced upon a group of people being directed by a bossy woman.  The woman was writing ballot numbers of candidates on the palms of the people gathered round her.  When I tried to take pictures, she asked who I was and what business did I have taking their picture.  I explained that I am a journalist which she resented.  She verbally assaulted me and menacingly said “Baka ipa-ano kita diyan.” I flashed my best disarming smile this time and pretended I was just taking pictures of the papers they were distributing around.  I even mumbled something like, “Sana ho manalo kayo.” But I felt threatened and beat a hasty retreat.  I found out later that the woman is a daughter in law of the incumbent mayor of Tugaya and that her husband was reputed to have many guns.

A short while later violence erupted in one of the precincts 20 meters away from where our team was standing.  I ran to take videos believing my assistant cameraman Ipe Soco was right behind me.  It was pandemonium.  I did not know where to point my camera as there was simultaneous fighting everywhere.  Guns were then drawn, cocked and trained on the crowd.  Several times, a semi-automatic .45 caliber pistol and an M-16 assault rifle were pointed in my direction as men were grappling for the guns.  I was a meter-and-a-half away from the muzzles.  One of the gunmen even looked at my big camera and then directly at my eyes.  At that moment, I lowered my camera and held my palm outwards to indicate to him that I was no longer filming.  He is the husband of the woman who verbally-assaulted and threatened me; the mayor’s son; the guy who owns many guns. I reached my quota of cuss words in those few seconds.  I thought, “Is this it?”

(While all these were happening, I believed all along that Ipe was right behind me.  It turned out that he entered an adjacent precinct and stuck out Kodao’s flip camera outside the window and filmed me with the gunmen.  This was the video we first released to the national PIOM media center that was picked up by the networks.  It’s interesting to note that it was Ipe’s first video coverage and what a baptism of fire it was for him.)

I followed the gunman, nicknamed Blackman.  I again turned the camera on and started filming.  Shortly after many shots were fired.  Ipe and I both captured it on two different angles. I was soon pushed back by the wave of people scampering away.  It was then I realized my assistant was nowhere near me.  My fear level shot even higher as I now worry for my partner as well.

In the succeeding lull I started looking for Ipe and the rest of the team composed of two Canadians, one American, a Catholic priest and dozens of local volunteers.  I asked people if they have seen white persons but no one was telling me anything.  I was still filming throughout.

It was then that I was spotted by the father of one of our colleagues, a Healing Democracy-PIOM volunteer.  (This colleague and other Tugaya residents who helped us won’t be named in this article for their safety.) He directed me to walk over to the stage where I could be easily spotted while he went off to look for his son and the rest of the team.  I perched myself at the center of the stage and started taking pictures.  Rapid gunfire then erupted behind me.  I jumped off the stage like a bat from hell and flattened myself against a concrete fence nearby.  People followed my example and started piling where I was.  I turned my video camera on, pointed it towards a clump of trees where it sounded they were coming from and made sure that my head is out of the firing line.  People dropped to the wet grass while women were screaming.  I noticed that my colleague’s dad materialized beside me.  He then told me to go with him so we can find a place a little bit safe.

We joined throngs of people leaving the school premises.  All the while, gunshots did not abate.  I remembered Onin Tagaro’s advice to just keep the camera rolling in such situations in the hope of at least getting a good audio recording.

Without noticing it I dropped my DSLR.  People started shouting and pointing at me.  Because I could not understand Maranao I thought they wanted something from me.  It was my colleague’s dad who again came to my rescue and told me about the camera.  I turned around and I saw my beloved camera on the ground.  My colleague’s dad then fetched and carried it for me.

I was breathing heavily at this point.  My savior kept urging me to walk faster.  He then led me to a shortcut and across a stream on a rotten coconut trunk bridge.  We emerged at someone’s backyard and then he told me to take a rest.  He ran to a nearby store and bought for me a bottle of cold water.

While resting, I tried calling Ipe.  But the phone signal was bad.  I texted him and my Kodao colleagues to inform them of the situation we were in.  Karl Ramirez back in Manila called me but had to disconnect because he could not hear me.

When I caught my breath, my savior again told me to go with him to his house where the rest of the team may be holed up.  We again took shortcuts among clumps of trees and reached his house a few minutes later.  There, I was offered cold water by my colleague’s pretty sister who appeared to be welcoming a guest under normal circumstances.  But, in fact, gunfire was heavier followed every so often by grenade explosions.

My savior went off again, despite pleas by his wife, to look for the rest of the team.  After a few minutes, local team members collected me from his house and took us to the house where some team members were holed up.  The foreign delegates were seated on the floor of  just about the safest room in the house while the local volunteers hid under the table in the dining area.  Our two police escorts placed themselves in strategic positions around the house.  I think I was safer at my savior’s house as the place we were in was in the middle of the warring camps and gunfire was very loud.  In one of the rooms a baby was sleeping, seemingly unwilling to be disturbed from her slumber by the loud gunfire.  By this time, a military helicopter was already circling above.

All the while, Ipe and Fr Joey were trapped inside one of the precincts inside the school.  Our police escorts wanted to get them but they were advised not to proceed as they were carrying assault rifles themselves and might be mistaken as enemies and shot at.

The gunfire has been going for hours already and it seemed I could already predict when the opposing camps would fire in response to the other camp’s gun bursts.  I tried to record all these with my video camera.  I was even asked not to poke it out the window as my microphone might be mistaken for a gun and we would be shot at.

It was then that we learned that two of our keeper’s cousins, a Healing Democracy Project volunteer, were injured by a grenade explosion. Nineteen-year old Aslea Panda had her brains blown out of her skull and her body was riddled with shrapnel wounds.  She died four hours later in a hospital in Marawi City just as my other colleague reached the hospital.  Her remains were immediately brought home to Tugaya and buried at seven o’clock in the evening.  Aslea’s brother Sobair Panda had a big abdomen wound.

It was already twelve noon by this time.  The big and beautiful Mosque overlooking the town and the lovely Lake Lanao started broadcasting prayers.  Gunfire immediately ceased.  We took this opportunity to slip away and dash back to Marawi City.  On the highway, we saw three police armoured personnel carriers full of troopers in full battle gear rushing towards Tugaya.

After reporting to the national PIOM secretariat it was decided that I go with the foreign observers on the trip back to Cagayan de Oro for safety considerations.  The warring political clans know of these foreign delegates and are already being blamed for whatever news that may come out of this incident.  They told me that Ipe and I should go with the foreign observers because I was already verbally threatened by a member of one of the warring clans.  There were no other journalists at Tugaya, much less a fat guy with fatter-looking video and still cameras.

The last time I was in Mindanao, to cover a mission at the neighboring Maguindanao province (where 58 persons were killed in the period for the filing of candidacies for this election) I was maligned by narrow-minded journalists from several cities.  I lost my Reuters hat on that trip.  Previous to that, my first DSLR was stolen in Surigao del Sur, also in Mindanao.  This firefight wasn’t my first as a journalist either.  I was in the Manila Peninsula in 2008 when elite PNP forces rammed an armored vehicle into the lobby of the swank hotel and smothered the rebel soldiers and covering journalists with so much gunfire until the rebels surrendered without firing back a single shot.  I lost my golfing umbrella then.  On this coverage, I lost my Dubai cap (a cousin’s gift).  I liked that cap a lot because it allows my scalp to breathe while its double layers make it waterproof.  I would be happy if I would receive word later that my savior is the one using it. #

By Raymund B. Villanueva
Bulatlat.com

Buried under all the election hoopla is a momentous event the Philippines would be figuring in starting next month—the World Expo in Shanghai, China.

The Philippine Organizing Committee (POC) to the Shanghai Expo announced last April 8 at the Coconut Palace that the country is all set in its participation to what may be the biggest international gathering this year.

Largest Expo in History

The Shanghai Expo is billed as the largest such event since the exhibition was first held in London in 1851 with 240 participating countries and 70 million expected visitors. It will have a six-month run starting May 1 until October 31.

The World Expo site covers 5.23 square kilometers consisting of 3.28 square kilometers of enclosed spaces and a further two square kilometers of outdoor utility areas—again the biggest in the history of the world exposition.

Themed “Better City, Better Life” the exposition aims “to represent the common wish of humankind for a better life in future urban environments through communications, cooperation and interaction.”

The theme is further developed in five sub-themes: 1) Blending of diverse cultures in the city; 2) Economic prosperity in the city; 3) Innovations of science and technology in the city; 4) Remodeling of communities in the city; and 5) Interaction between urban and rural areas.

Expo 2010 is actively driven by the Central Government of China, which established a specific Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau.

The Philippine pavilion will also be the largest in the history of the country’s participation in the World Expo. It will occupy 2,000 square meters within the riverside Asian Group 1 Cluster.

First Filipino Participation at a World Exposition

The Philippines’ first participation at a world exposition in 1904 was a bitter experience, however.
One thousand one hundred Filipinos were shipped to St Louis (Missouri) Exposition by the American colonial government in the Philippines to be part of the Philippine Exhibit that included the Tagalogs, Visayans, Muslims, Cordillerans, Tinguianes, Capampangans, Kalingas, Mangyans, Negritos, and Bagobos.

The “performance’ that attracted the most interest and publicity was the Cordillerans’ “head-hunting culture.” In the dead of winter, the Filipinos were forced to perform traditional dances while scantily-dressed in their cultural attires. Members of the Philippine delegation died of pneumonia as a result.

Much was also made about their “appetite” for dog meat which is an occasional part of their cuisine. There were reports that the city of St. Louis provided them a supply of dogs at the agreed amount of 20 dogs a week, despite the objections raised by the St. Louis Women’s Humane Society. Later, missing neighborhood dogs were blamed on the Cordillerans, angering and upsetting many people.

While introducing the World Exposition to Filipinos, the St Louis exhibitions perpetuated many negative stereotypes against the Filipinos, including the racist idea of the “Little Brown Brother” encapsulated in Rudyard Kipling’s “The White Man’s Burden.”

“Third consecutive gold”

In the Shanghai World Expo however, the Philippines is shooting for its third consecutive gold in the best pavilion contest, after bagging the award in ?Aichi, Japan in 2005 and again in Zaragoza, Spain in 2008.

But some members of the POC refrained from boldly predicting that the country would again bag the top prize owing to this year’s expo’s theme. Instead, the Philippine Pavilion would cleverly attempt to interpret the exhibition’s theme with a fusion of both literal and abstract elucidations.

(The POC shall present) “…a mature Philippines that knows and relishes its intellectual and aesthetic place in a sophisticated, urbanizing world,” Philippine pavilion curator Marian Roces said. In place of plainly and directly presenting better cities that afford better lives to their residents the Philippine pavilion shall focus on the “human factors” that make Philippine cities “unique”.

Designed by the firm of famous Filipino architect Ed Calma the pavilion’s façade will be dominated by the Pinoy hand as its major visual statement “to emphasize the human dimension in urbanization, and to assert the Filipino’s genius at (hand)crafting vital relationships through work, art, and play.” Hands belonging to artists, workers, peasants, women, men and boxing heroes, among others, shall be painted on all sides of the pavilion exterior and the queuing area.

“The façade is a montage of images of Filipino hands —embodying a culture of kindness and sympathy, virtuoso craftsmanship, and intelligent labor. For the Philippines, the message to be conveyed by the montage is new: that this is a country whose people understands and values the work of hands,” Roces explained.

To mirror the Philippines own theme of “Performing Cities,” its pavilion’s interior shall present a “seamless melange of exhibitions, performances and videos that showcase the assets of the Philippines’ best performing cities. These cities are Iloilo, Naga, Cebu, Manila, Malaybalay, Puerto Princesa, Davao, Calbayog, San Fernando (La Union), Makati and Taguig cities.

The POC headed by tourism secretary Joseph H Durano. (Photo by Rose-An Jessica Dioquino / bulatlat.com)

“These cities were chosen according to World Bank standards as the best cities in the Philippines in terms of history, being on the edge and as emergent cities,’ Department of Tourism secretary Joseph Durano said.

How Other Countries Interpret the Expo theme

A survey of the other participating countries would reveal that the Philippine pavilion would present one of the most liberal interpretations of the Expo theme. And it will be inevitably compared with more literal interpretations by the other countries.

Singapore says that its Pavilion “will showcase its achievements in urban planning, water technology and environmental services while promoting closer people-to-people relations between China and Singapore.” The tiny island nation’s pavilion will also highlight the progressive city’s “ability to offer a high-quality and integrated environment to live, work and play within a compact area through sustainable planning and development.”

Hong Kong’s 2,000 square meter pavilion, on the other hand, will house an indoor wetland park replicating the Hong Kong Wetland Park that explores “green living in Hong Kong” and its unique “one country, two systems” social structure.

The United States announced its pavilion’s theme is “Rising to the Challenge.” The US World Expo 2010 website says that it will “tell the story of the American spirit of perseverance, innovation, and community-building in a multi-dimensional, hi-tech presentation. The Pavilion presents the U.S. as a place of opportunity and diversity where people come together to change their communities for the better.”

The United Kingdom boasts that with its millions of gardens, thousands of public parks and garden squares, it has pioneered the integration of nature into cities as a way of making them healthier places in which to live and work. The UK Pavilion encourages visitors to look at the role of nature and wonder whether it could be used to solve the current social, economic and environmental challenges of its cities.

Undaunted

But the POC seems undaunted.

“While we can not promise that we will again bag the gold, we can promise that the Philippine will be the most fun,” Roces explained.

A Kontra Gapi member teaches a Beijing TV reporter how to play an indigenous musical instrument during the press conference at the Coconut Palace last April 8. (Photo by Rose-An Jessica Dioquino / bulatlat.com)

There will be daily live performances by world-class Filipino artists such as pianist Cecille Licad, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, sopranos Rachelle Gerodiea and Joanna Go, the neo-ethnic musical group Kontra Gapi, Ballet Philippines, and many others.

The performances will be supplemented by an exhibit of Philippine musical instruments as well as various photography and video installations interpreting how Philippine cities perform.

Other exhibit features include a travel café, a “Pinoy Hilot” service, a boutique, as well as special events such as concerts, parties, gala shows, and others.

The Philippine National Day will be celebrated in the Philippine Pavilion on June 9. It will also celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China on the same day.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to fly to Shanghai on June 9 for the event. It may be her last foreign trip before she steps down as President at the end of that month.

The POC could not confirm if a senior official from the Beijing Central Government would be able to attend, however.

The Philippine participation to the Shanghai World Expo would cost about PhP450 million, more than half of which is being sourced from corporate sponsors and the Filipino-Chinese chambers of commerce. (Bulatlat.com)

Nakakasakit ng ulo.

Ang sama pa nito, marami sa kanila na kung hindi mo dating kaibigan ay nakasama mo na dati pa.

Pero, samantalang pinipilit mong patuloy na isabuhay ang ideyalismo mong naumpisahan noong ikaw ay bata pa, sila ngayong mga ‘eksperto’ at kandidato ang walang puknat na bakbakin itong bagay na iyong inaalagan at ipinagtatanggol.

Sa pag-uumpisa nitong kampanyahang ito, at nalaman kong NP ang aampon sa aking mga kandidato, alam ko na ang magiging batuhan ng putik. Inaasahan ko ito sa mga SocDem—eksperto sila diyan. Hindi na rin ako magugulat kung sa mga kampi ng tradisyunal na pulitika ito manggaling—kaya nga dapat silang paliwanagan.

Migraine ang inaabot ko kung dating mga Kaliwa ang nang-uupat.

Una, mapapa-tiim bagang ka kung paanong sila pa ang lalabas na pinaka-tama, pinaka-malinis at pinaka-marunong sa politika. Pagsuko raw ng prinsipiyo ang pakikipag-alyansa kay Villar sa halalang ito. Hindi na raw tulad ng dati ang legal left dahil nababayaran na raw ng salapi ni Villar. Hindi raw katanggap-tanggap.

Marami silang kaparaanan. Kuwari ay nag-aalok ng payo. Kunwari ay sinsero. Kunwari ay naguguluhan lang. Kunwari ay nagtatanong. Sa Facebook, sa Twitter, sa egroups.

Pero alam naman natin ang totoo. Alam nating higit na mabuti ang talagang walang alam—sigurado kang nagtatanong. ‘Pag ang may alam ay nagtanong, sigurado kang hindi siya nanghihingi ng sagot.

Siyempre, susubukan mo munang magpaliwanag. Maraming beses. Pero ayaw nilang makinig. At lalala, dadami at dadami ang kanilang mga complaints. Kesyo, hindi raw ito ginagawa noong panahong aktibista pa rin sila, na parang mas matagal pa silang aktibista kay Ka Satur at Liza at sila lang ang nakaka-alam kung ano ang ginawa noong panahon nila. (Panahon lamang nila; hindi panahon ng mga aktibista noon na aktibista pa rin ngayon.)

Nakakapag-damdam talaga—lalupa’t ang ilan sa kanila ay itinuturing mo pa ring kaibigan kahit tumigil na sila sa pagiging aktibista. Sila pa na minsang namulat—at kumilos pa nga—ang hindi maipaghiwalay ang ND sa NP, sina Ka Satur at Liza kay Manny.

Hindi ba, sa mga pagkakataong ito, babalik at babalik sa isip mo kung sino ba ang mga taong ito habang aktibista sila? Ano ang dahilan kung bakit sila umalis? Ano na ang ginagawa nila noong hindi na sila kasama sa kilusan?

Walang palya, kung sino ang may hang-ups, sila ang matitinding bumira. Kung sino ang nagkanulo sa kilusan, sila yung mapagmalinis. Kung sino pa ang ngayo’y bayaran ng estado, sila pa ang pinaka-malakas ang sigaw na pagiging trapo ang pagiging guest candidates ng isang tradisyunal na partido.

Hanggang sa kasalukuyang mga tagumpay ng kilusan sa pakikibakang elektoral, hindi na lamang sila matuwa. Hindi naman kaya, ang hindi nila matanggap, sa kabila ng kanilang pag-alis o pagtataksil, ay lumalakas pa rin ang kilusang kanilang tinalikuran?

At bawal silang kumprontahin, ipamukha ang kanilang record. Ay, napaka-bilis ng kanilang pagsigaw ng ‘ad hominem’—kasing bilis ng kanilang pagbalabal ng kapang ‘ad miserecordiam’.

May lisensya silang mang-apusala sa kilusan dahil tumatakbo sa halalan. Lamang, wala daw tayong karapatan na bweltahan sila dahil nagsilbi naman sila sa bayan noong kapanahunan nila.

Kung hindi ka ba naman magkaka-migraine sa mga ito. Mabuti na lang, may gamot sa sakit ng ulo.

Produced a month before the 2010 national elections, the video asserts that the Hacienda Luisita Massacre of November 2004 is a legitimate election issue–as opposed to Senator Noynoy Aquino’s position is shouldn’t.

Six years after, the Hacienda Luisita massacre remains an outstanding issue of the Filipino toiling masses against the Cojuangco-Aquino clan. This brief video commentary talks about why it is very important come the 2010 elections and Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s presidential bid, to tackle the issue of the massacre and reflect on the life … and death of the Luisita farm workers.

Vimeo users can download the MPG file of the video commentary via http://www.vimeo.com/10915516

Click this to view and download

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