hiya!

the previous blog article that i’ve written was an article that i made last semester — and i actually have several of them that i want to publish in my new blog.

because im opinionated :p, and because i want to share some of my thoughts through this blog, i will post several of the articles that i’ve written before — when i was a feature writer, i was constantly in disagreement with my editor because i wanted to write about stuff which most students chose to disregard — such as this article, which was an analysis of wowowee (one of the more popular pop culture gibberish that is so pervasive right now), and how it is more exploitative than helpful to our less fortunate countrymen.

you may agree or disagree, but here is part of what i wrote back then:

Exploited women

One of Wowowee’s most noticeable features is the presence of skimpily-dressed and gyrating female dancers. In almost all segments of the program, these women strut their stuff almost shamelessly in the dance floor – from the upbeat dancing of the G girls, to the twice MTRCB-sanctioned dancing style of Mariposa and Luningning in Pasalog, we see that these women are central to the show’s appeal. Although noontime shows usually have their share of such dancers, it is disturbing to see that they have virtually become the vantage point of the show; that they have become one of the show’s strategies in luring viewers to their side of the TV dial.

Matched with Willie’s snooty remarks and sexual innuendos, these girls are significantly reduced to sex objects and commodities – a condition which is prevalent in status quo (like how women are unfairly exploited for alcoholic beverages and other ‘worldly’ products), but is something that is not acceptable to present-day upheavals/struggles which aim to shatter the paternalistic and highly-patriarchal manifestations of society.

Considering mass media’s pervasive and ubiquitous feature, this sends out the message that it is acceptable to use women as platforms to a higher viewership rating; and that men have the prerogative of subjugating the other sex because they are more superior.

Is this something that we would want at the end of the day?

Culture of dependence

Kuya Willie claims that his show is for the masa – that he would not be there if he did not enjoy their support, which is why he feels generous in handing out cash prizes to the less-fortunate contestants. But is the show really geared towards that end?

There is a portion in the show where the poverty-stricken contestants, such as street vendors, metro aide sweepers, and toothless mothers who live in squalor, ask for cash donations from balikbayans. As they would brazenly convince the donors that they are most deserving of whatever petty cash that can be handed out to them, Kuya Willie stands tall and proud on the sidelines, exhibiting the aura that it was his benevolence which should be recognized as he is the middleman between the two. And sure enough, in almost all instances, he is recognized and aptly praised for his ‘compassionate heart’ with a tight hug and an emotional “Salamat Papi” remark.

But does this really alter the societal balance which is tilted favorably to the moneyed few?

It is gut-wrenching to see these desperate people reduce themselves into beggars in exchange for cash. Although admittedly some of them practically live through the excesses of others, it is disturbing to see them brandish their poverty as an excuse to beg – because instead of trying to uplift the lot of the common tao, the social divisions in society, in essence, are all the more pronounced and furthered.

And Kuya Willie gets away with this because there is visual proof that his show has a heart – even if the corporate sponsorships which they derive from these tear-jerking episodes are not commensurate to the cash prizes which they give out.

In the end, it is a win-win situation for the corporate giant that is ABS-CBN, because while receiving enormous sums of revenues from advertisements, they are also being pictured as having the masa’s advocacies in their hearts – even if in reality, they are actually getting more than they are giving out.

Conclusion

It is for these reasons and much more that we ought to be more discerning in how our society is pictured in terms of the prevailing popular culture. Wowowee and other shows which aim to humanize poverty do not always assume their claimed advocacy – and it is imperative/contingent upon the viewer to realize that sometimes, what impresses as reality is not always real, because given mass media’s persuasive power, one can sometimes be lured into the abyss of well-orchestrated media deception.

this morning, as i skimmed through some of the documents in my computer in hopes of de-cluttering my pc, and doing away with crappy documents, i chanced upon several articles that i’ve written before which were reminiscent of certain events that i may have also forgotten.

apart from the usual class reports and reaction papers which were mainly BS-ed (hehe), i also stumbled across some of the articles that i’ve written for the school paper (i used to write for the features section of the school’s weekly student paper) last semester.

a specific article stood out — and it did so mainly because it never got published. my editor thought it inappropriate to publish THAT article because according to the editorial board then, it did not cater to the taste of the general studentry, given its very radical tone and unpleasant nature. i pleaded with them to publish the article, because i felt it needed to be out in the open — it was about enforced disappearances, and the findings of KARAPATAN, a fact-finding organization, about the military abductions that were happening in the hinterlands of negros.

but no amount of pleading could sway them to do so — so, i will just publish this article in here, and i hope it brings awareness to some of you, even if it failed to do so in my university.

it’s a little lengthy though — so, just bear with me if you can.

25 January 2008

Just like any typical working day for Mang Flaviano Arante, he woke up early dawn in order to prepare for the work that lie ahead as a peasant farmer in Sitio Lag-asan, Nagbinlod, Sta. Caralina. For just like any other day prior to that, this was what he routinely did: he tilled the land and worked hard to provide for a workable income that would provide for his family’s needs.

But unlike any other day, there was a loud knocking at the door that morning, just as he was preparing to leave for work.

According to his wife Carmen, there were six (6) military personnel in uniform and a civilian guide, identified as a certain Willie, who forcibly took her husband within their custody. Initially, they told him that he was to be their guide – to where, they did not specify. But when Mang Flaviano declined the initial imposition, they coercively took him with them – but not before rummaging through their personal belongings and ransacking their house without their consent.

Up to this day, his wife still has no information as to where her husband is currently detained.

It is no coincidence that Mang Flaviano is a member of the local peasant group Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa Sta. Catalina (NAMASCA).

This, according to the fact-finding report of military excesses in far-flung sitios of Sta. Catalina which was prepared and documented by KARAPATAN-CENTRAL VISAYAS and the Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR), might have been the reason why Mang Flaviano was abducted by military personnel in the first place: his active involvement in peasant struggle.

Bloody Battle

The arrest of Mang Flaviano came shortly after AFP Chief General Esperon announced that under his leadership, the Philippine armed forces will wage a resolute and bloody campaign against insurgents, or the so-called ‘enemies of the state’.

And true to his words, shortly after the general’s pronouncement of an all-out war against so-called state elements out to destabilize the government, he came up with a shortlist of organizations which were part of the campaign’s targets. These organizations included, among others, the College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines (CEGP), League of Filipino Students (LFS), and a good number of progressive groups which were not necessarily aligned with leftist extremism in the struggle for regime change.

Mistaken Identities?

More regrettably, those who felt the full brunt of the military’s bloody campaign were not those who were actively involved in the armed struggle against the government, or the elements of the New People’s Army (NPA), but those who were suspected of being part of the leftist armed wing, or those allegedly sympathetic to their causes.

The arrest of suspected NPA rebels, such as what had happened to Mang Flaviano, and the military’s brazen use of blunt state-fascist force, is not a viable formula towards inevitably quelling the voices of dissidence among the insurgents’ ranks.

This was what the fact-finding report indicated – for instead of eliciting the sympathy of those who are from far-flung sitios where insurgency is highly-concentrated, this hard-line ‘militarization’ strategy only compels people to join the underground armed struggle. Because instead of making them feel that the government is out to ensure that their civil rights and democratic privileges are upheld and respected, these sporadic and oftentimes traumatic assaults only paint the picture of an unfeeling and cold government; a government which only serves to fan their demise, as it has now become an instrument for institutionalized oppression.

The most viable strategy towards reaching out to these insurgents, the same report asserts, is to come up with a viable and sustainable tact which contextualizes the armed struggle in the present features of Philippine society.

Because for as long as society retains its semi-feudal characteristics and the brute military force which facilitates this skewed societal construction, the marginalized peasants who will turn to armed struggle for structural and societal changes which have proven to be evasive in the current priorities of government will continue to exponentially multiply.

Large-scale Oppression

The report goes on to reveal that because of these raids, eleven families from Barangay Bantolinao and Sitio Gintilaokan have taken it upon themselves to relocate to Sitio Avocado, Sta. Catalina.

And it is not only the family of Mang Flaviano who are calling on the military to provide information on his current whereabouts, because on December 7, 2007, 18-year old Reynold Carrillo of Barangay Talalak, Sta. Catalina, was abducted by elements of the 61^st Battalion led by 2Lt. Pututan without warrant of arrest and illegally detained.

Up to this day, his whereabouts, like Mang Flavian, is still unaccounted for.

Conclusion

For so long as the government does not pay heed to the social discrepancies of Philippine society, and for as long as it sustains this rigid and highly-militaristic strategy in silencing the legitimate concerns of those who belong to the marginalized sectors, the prospect for social integration will continue to be elusive.

As for the families of Mang Flavian and Reynald Carrillo, they can only hope that with every unfolding day, their loved ones are kept safe and unharmed – them being the symbolic sacrificial lambs to a struggle which has dragged on for decades.

on the way to school this morning, i was surprised — no, shocked — to see throngs of people lining up in the public elementary school near our house.

as i was in transit while passing them by, i could not get a clear picture of why people were lining up on such a humid day. a couple of elderly ladies however, flagged down the tricycle that i was riding in, and they blabbered about what they’ve been through.

sweat-stained middle-aged women, three of them and about 35-40 years old, exclaimed how lucky they’ve been to have been partitioned with NFA rice. yes siree! NFA rice, which GMA — thru her secretary arthur yap — has promised has been the reason for all the commotion — because it was our barangay’s turn to have a share of her supposed ‘generosity’ amid a looming rice crisis that has threatened to starve our countrymen for months on end.

if you’ve been observant of the news lately, people are highly skeptical of the supposed ‘rice crisis’ that’s been threatening the very survival of middle-class to lower-class filipino families. for one, the government has taken a very defensive stance in terms of quelling any rumors that the country is in the midst of an economic crisis — but if you check what it’s doing (distributing rice and all, and signing up thailand for rice imports), it obviously is trying to divert people’s attention from the fact that it IS INDEED a present and pressing problem.

i honestly don’t know what GMA is up to, but if there is an impending rice crisis, she should let the people know — admission, after all, would not be construed as a sign of weakness, especially if it threatens the very constituents that she has vowed to serve and protect.

but then again, a lot of people also suspect that she might just be drumming up this problem because she wants people to forget about the NBN-ZTE deal which has seriously dealt damage to her already fragile and corrupt administration.

whatever the real reason may be, let’s just hope that our ‘public servants’ will come out clean — and soon — so we will not be always left in the dark of what’s currently happening, and what will happen in the days to come.

as for us, lets just remain calm but vigilant, and clamor for what is rightfully ours.

Just as day is inextricably linked with night and yet they refuse to be together, so would a depiction of me shamelessly falter if it chooses to exclude an allusion to the dichotomy of my intoxicated and sober states. My self-conception would not stand if it fails to picture the two persons enmeshed and compacted within what can physically be perceived of me.

As an innately curious and cynical person, I am drawn to the profound mysticism of the cosmos, the supernatural, and the ethereal. I breathe enigma – which is why it enthralls me to discover that the key to my parallel universe is the presence of spirits; yes, my spirit soars when it is unrestrained by convention and unguarded by suppressions.

I write this while my head swirls at the onslaught of a nasty hangover after grappling with my sanity over two long necks of Tanduay 65 years.

Sometimes, I wonder why I am drawn to the prospect of escapism; but most times, I know that just as night religiously accedes to the break of day, so must my spirit be constantly released from the monotonous stupor of an obscure life.
Cheers.

*this is actually a repost from an article that i wrote that was published in the philippine daily inquirer youngblood section dated december 01, 2007

every morning when I was about seven or eight years old, my parents would take us all to Rizal boulevard for early morning walks.

sometimes it chokes me; at times, it just caresses me.

i refer to it as ‘it’ because each time it visits me during ungodly hours, it takes the form of an androgynous creature.

sometimes, when i’m really lucky, i get a glimpse of its face before it dissipates into fleeting wisps of air, each time bringing with it the chilling winds of the night. most times however, especially when i’m in deep slumber, i just feel the caress of its formless embrace and the smooth silk of my blanket as, like a slimy reptile, it slithers its way into my body.

this morning, as i slowly opened my eyes to greet the first few streaks of the early morning light, i felt a great amount of weight pinning me to my bed. and as my eyes adjusted to the light, i felt the nudge of what seemed like a head on my shoulder and a hand over my chest – its weight rendering me defenseless and helpless, even as i struggled to escape from its clutches.

then i heard it whisper: “kuyog ta sa ilalom, clyde“.

and for the first time since i arrived here, i prayed.

it has been over six months now that i resettled here, and although i am, by nature, a skeptic, i am slowly and silently believing that they exist

at first, i thought it would be a good idea — to be the moderator (on a short notice mind you, and when i say short, i mean a day before) for a lecture seminar to be given by an alumnus of silliman university, and who is a visiting professor in the university after having obtained postgraduate degrees in prestigious metro manila schools such as admu and upd.

anyway, the proposal was fine with me — primarily because it was organized by my department — the history and political science department, and supported by the history and political science society, of which i am a member — and also because it’s been a long time since i’ve participated in an actual intellectual forum-seminar.

but when i arrived at the venue, i was seriously considering backing out, because it turned out to be a lecture about mathematics! math, of all subjects, was the focus of the discussion — and my excitement was instantly extinguished by the event’s very nature. people who know me, and my very traumatic history with numbers will easily understand (i presume), and hopefully sympathize with me(;p).

but after i skimmed through the program, i realized it wasn’t that bad after all — it was a forum which attempted to utilize mathematical concepts in trying to uncover the bad side of the philippine party list system — that the institutional and procedural mechanisms used in determining the political participation of party list groups are highly-restrictive — and that the computation for party list representation is unfair because it disenfranchises certain legitimate sectors.

it turned out to be an interesting topic (after much thought ;p) — because it tried to situate mathematics in the realm of politics, and see if, according to mathematical concepts, proportional representation is realized in the context of party list involvement in the house of representatives.

dr. felix muga, who graduated magna cum laude in silliman in 1979 (bs math), and obtained his masters and doctoral degrees in admu and upd, respectively, contended that the 2-4-6 formula and the panganiban formula were simply too restrictive and only infantilizes sectoral representation.

(i will not elaborate on the details, lest i bore you to tears ;p)

i have to admit — the nuances that he established and the specific political contentions that he raised (which were juxtaposed with mathematical contentions also to drive home the point of the lecture) were not easily comprehensible to an average reasonable person — but certainly, it would appeal to some silliman students, particularly the college students who were in attendance.

i myself had reservations regarding the point that he was trying to establish — about how mathematical concepts can sometimes approach the subject matter — which is proportional representation — very lethargically, and how mathematics cannot sometimes grasp the specific nuances of filipino political culture (which is essential if genuine proportional representation is to be thoroughly articulated) because it has the tendency to become impersonal and mechanical in the course of its analytical framework.

during the open forum however, students, who appeared dazed and uninterested after the lecture, did not raise a single question, nor share whatever concern that they had —

then out of nowhere, a student stood up and tried to compose himself — and nonchalantly asked: “uhm sir, what is your lecture really about? and what is the party list system, uhmmm, i really don’t understand the lecture”.

then the venue erupted with howls and bursts of laughter.

dr. muga could not help but let out a confused grin, but he proceeded to answering the question anyway. and as he did, there were remnants of the hushed snickers and suppressed laughters that erupted earlier in the room.

as i was observing the events that were unfolding before me, i could not help but be disturbed — first, by the apparent lack of appreciation of students to the subject matter, or if they had no interest whatsoever, they could’ve been more subtle about it; and second, by the encouragement of raising silly questions, even to the point of spurring that person on to raise more questions of the same nature.

this is not an arrogant stance, nor does this seek to degrade the students who were involved in that shameful act — but it just bothers me how all the time we say that we are the best university outside metro manila, and yet collectively we encourage obnoxious and arrogant behavior as though these are indispensible requisites for recognition and attention.

i know that i am in no position for regulating behavior, given how very unregulated i am in my indulgences and lifestyle.

but i make it a point that when i am where i am, i try to adjust to the atmosphere and be serious when the situation calls for it, or be wasted when my cravings are insupressible –

i just hope that students will do away with this deplorable mindset soon, or the academic atmosphere will facilitate this kind of culture within the university — otherwise, we will be damned, and all claims of intellectual prestige will be just that — just CLAIMS.

it’s amazing how the accumulation of years can alter the way one thinks.

this afternoon, just when I was slowly submitting that it would be one of those lazy summer afternoons spent senselessly channel surfing and thinking about nothing really, i chanced upon a movie that i have probably seen twice or thrice before.

this time however, the movie had taken on a totally different meaning.

the movie was gattaca, which is a futuristic movie wherein people’s identities were no longer determined by their capabilities, but by a series of processes which predetermined their existence later on in life. the sophisticated technology enabled medical practitioners to predict if a child was someone potentially great, or conversely, a mediocre citizen in the future — so they stratified society according to these established standards — such that even before people established their own niche in society, they already had a future mapped out for them.

the movie takes on an interesting turn however, when vincent, who was diagnosed to be sickly (or a degenerate, as how society tagged him) and thus incapable of greatness, decided to fight the odds and disprove society’s consensual construction on the notions of greatness and obscurity.

he braved the tide, and went against society, albeit covertly, and in the end, he triumphed against the skewed societal conventions that were deeply entrenched and firmly established. he showed, by being daring and discarding the unreasonably rigid prerequisites for greatness that were in place, that the human spirit can transcend the most sophisticated of standards and do away with the predetermined notions of existence — because after all, the human spirit is much more complex than a series of DNAs (which really prevents one from self-actualization).

as i have said earlier, i’ve probably seen the movie twice or thrice before — but on very different times and circumstances in my life, such that i never fully appreciated the movie not just for its cinematic, but philosophical worth as well. if i remember it correctly, i was asleep the whole time when i first attempted to watch the movie. note that i used the word ‘attempt’

it was on second year high school, and i was expecting a visual spectacle of laser guns, light sabers, and silver-suited extra-terrestrial beings battling it out with the earth’s finest — so when i was dismayed by the seriousness of the movie’s tone right at the start, i thought it better to just doze off and look for the visual spectacle elsewhere.

but this time, it got me thinking –

gattaca challenges the way people think — because instead of submitting to societal standards which inevitably do away with a person’s potential, the movie compels us to rethink how society comes up with its standards — but it does not end there, for it encourages people to rise from the depths of apathy and rally against the tyrants which determine the fate and course of our existence. tyrants, after all, do everything to convince their unsuspecting subjects that their perversion of society is the way to go — in the hopes of normalizing oppression and perpetuating their continued dominance.

but then again, the human spirit is capable of so much more — and it cannot be held captive by these deceptive ploys — because even if the tyrant is initially successful in transforming society according to his whims, he can never completely do away with the human spirit — because all of us, no matter how insignificant we may appear to society, are endowed with wisdom and heart — and it is this intrinsic human attribute which, among all other things, determines how our lives will turn out in the long run.