Let us wear our barong

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‘Letters from hell…” an ad for Villar

“Inquirer, being the leading news paper in the country has in its employ the best journalists and editors. I can only think of one reason for the existence of the above. This news article kuno is a paid advertisement for Manny Villar!”

At the bottom right corner of the Philippine Daily Inquirer today is the story about Jennifer Calinao-Ligaya entitled “Letters from hell saved distressed OFW”. Jennifer arrived in Bahrain in August 20 to work as a domestic helper. Through her agency, she was assigned to a job which included cleaning two houses. After a month, she refused to work because she almost collapsed (most probably of fatigue). Her employer (the agency) demanded she pays $2,000 for refusing the job, or else work for two years without pay”. Because she did not have the money, her employer locked her in a “cramped warehouse” where she was fed with a piece of bread and a glass of water everyday.

To save herself, she wrote letters asking for help on carton box torn into pieces, “using a ballpoint pen she had hidden in her shoe.”

The letter changed hands until it reached Senator Manuel Villar who sponsored Jennifer’s return ticket and reimbursed her employer the $2,117.

It is a heart-breaking story most of our fellow Filipino OFW experience with mostly Arab employers. There are however details about the story that bother me: 1. The story failed to mention anything about the administrative and/or criminal charges against the agency for locking Jennifer up; 2. The employer demanded only $2,000, why the $117 mark-up Villar had to “reimburse” the employer? And finally, 3.  Jennifer arrived in the Philippines 30 September; why is this story printed only now?

Inquirer, being the leading news paper in the country has in its employ the best journalists and editors. I can only think of one reason for the existence of the above. This news article kuno is a paid advertisement for Manny Villar!

Marian Rivera’s alleged pregnancy and Jobert Sucaldito’s abuse of power

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Corruption and Despair

(This piece is based on the speech delivered by Rebecca T. Anonuevo as a reaction to the speech of Dr. Alice Guillermo on the first “National Study Conference on Corruptionary. An Innovative Tool for Good Governance” held at the University Hotel, University of the Philippines, Diliman Quezon City noong Disyembre 8-9 2008. Please click here for the Filipino version of this piece.)

Good morning every one. I am here to share my reflections to you about the worsening problem of our country; it is a problem whose name even street-children who have learned how to speak can pronounce.

I am not here to define the word. I am not also here to give examples because we are very tired of it. As a writer, I have formed the habit of reflection. I believe this is the only thing a writer has, the ability to reflect about the things that happen in the world. Otherwise, how can poets like me write something unique out of the ordinary?

Wherever I set my eyes to, I see traces of this problem. Like you, I am also getting tired. For a change, I thought about thinking the reason why human beings are able to do the things that destroy of corrupt us.

We know the meaning of hope. The newly-elected 44th  US president Barack Obama, said that hope is not blind optimism. It is the courage to face every day trials knowing that we will overcome and accomplish the things we long for and dream of.

In other words, Obama was saying a person who has faith has the ability to look at not only the things that occupies him at the moment, but also the things that are not there yet. He is able to see beyond today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, a week from now, a month, a year, ten years, one generation from now.

Corruption is so widespread in our society I believe we have lost hope in eradicating it. I compare corruption to garbage. All my life I have not littered but the streets are still full of it, so what for? A candy wrapper could no longer aggravate the piles of garbage in the streets. The shortsightedness of this view leads us to despair, and despair pushes us to commit acts not done by people who hope and continues to hope. The mind that thinks this kind of thoughts no longer believes in the saying what we sow we reap. His vision could not extend far enough to the harvest season, so he does not believe in will come, why plant? Hunger and despair are his only motivation; not hope anchored in the belief that tomorrow brings an opportunity to ease the sadness, feed the hunger, and fill the need.

What I really want to say is this: corruption is a symptom of a soul who has lost hope and direction in life. If we really want to eradicate corruption, we need to toil to bring back hope and faith in our lives. Let us believe in the power of good deeds, and let us hope that the integrity we planted will bear abundant fruit so that all may prosper.

Thank you very much, and mabuhay.

To Oration Pieces page

Korupsiyon at Kawalan ng Pag-asa

(Ang piyesang ito ay hinango sa talumpati ni Rebecca T. Anonuevo bilang reaksiyon sa talumpati ni Dr. Alice Guillermo sa kauna-unahang “National Study Conference on Corruptionary. An Innovative Tool for Good Governance” na ginanap sa University Hotel, Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman Quezon City noong Disyembre 8-9 2008. Paki-click po dito para sa English version).

Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat. Nandito po ako para ibahagi sa inyo ang aking munting kaalaman sa malalang problema ng ating bayan; problemang may pangalang kayang bigkasin ng kahit sinong paslit sa lansangan na marunong ng magsalita.

Hindi po ako nandito para magpakahulogan ng salitang iyon. Ayaw ko narin po magbigay ng mga halimbawa dahil sawang-sawa na tayo doon. Bilang isang manunulat, mahilig po akong magnilaynilay. Ito lang naman sa tingin ko ang kapital ng isang manunulat, ang kakayahang pagnilaynilayan ang mga bagay-bagay na nangyayari sa ating mundo. Kung hindi sa pagnilay-nilay, ano pa kayang lumang-bago ang maisusulat ng isang makatang tulad ko?

Saan man ako tumingin, may nakikita akong bahid ng problemang ito. Katulad ninyo, ako’y napapagod na rin. Para maiba naman, naisip kong pag-isipan ang dahilan kung bakit tayong mga tao’y nakakagawa ng mga bagay na nakakasama o di kaya’y nakakacorrupt.

Alam po natin ang ibig sabihin ng pag-asa. Ang kakapanalo lang bilang 44th na presidente ng America na si Barack Obama, ay nagsabing ang pag-asa ay hindi pagpikit ng mga mata sa suliranin sa kasalukoyan; kundi ang pagharap sa mga ito araw-araw na may paniniwalang darating at darating din ang panahon na malalampasan at makakamtan din natin ang mga bagay na ating minimithi at pinaghihirapan.

Kung baga, sinasabi ni Obama na ang taong may pag-asa ay ang taong kayang makakita hindi lang ng kung ano ang nasakasalukoyan, kundi pati iyong hindi pa dumarating; nakikita niya hindi lang ang ngayon kundi pati ang bukas at makalawa; isang linggo mula ngayon, isang buwan, isang taon, sampong taon, isang henerasyon.

Napakalaganap na ng korupsiyon sa ating lipunan na sa tingin ko’y, nawalan na tayo ng pag-asa na masugpo pa ito. Ang korupsiyon ay mahalintulad ko sa mga basura. Buong buhay ko ay hindi ako nagtatapon ng basura sa kalye subalit puno parin ito ng basura, kaya anong pagkakaiba? Hindi na makakadagdag ang isang balat ng kendi sa tambak-tambak na basura sa kalye. Ang kakitiran ng ganitong klase ng pag-iisip ang nagdadala sa atin ng pagkaaburido, at ang pagkaaburido ang nagtutulak sa atin na gumawa ng mga bagay na hindi dapat ginagawa ng isang taong may pag-asa at umaasa. Ang utak na pinanggalingan ng mga salitang iyon ay hindi na naniniwala sa kasabihang kung ano ang itinanim siya rin ang aanihin. Paano, hindi naaabot ng kanyang paningin panahon ng pagani kaya para sa kanya hindi na darating, kaya para ano pa na magtanim. Ang kanyang atensiyon ay nakadiin sa kalam ng kanyang sikmura, o di kaya’y sa kati ng kanyang noo. Hindi na siya naniniwala na ang gutom at hirap ay hindi makapipigil sa pagdating ng bukas na nagdadala ng pagkakataon na malunasan ang ano mang lungkot, gutom, at pangangailangan.

Sa kahinaba-haba ng sinabi ko, ang luyag ko lang talagang sabihin ay ganito: Ang pagiging korupsiyon ay sintomas ng isang kaluluwang nawawalan ng direksiyon at pag-asa sa buhay. Kung nais nating masugpo ang korapsiyon, kailangan muna nating paghirapang ibalik sa ating sarili ang pag-asa at pagtitiwala. Magtiwala tayo sa kapangyarihan ng mabuting gawa, at umasa tayo na mamumunga ng masagana ang katapatang ating itinamin para sa ikauunlad ng lahat.

Maraming salamat po, at mabuhay ang sambayanang Filipino.

To Oration Pieces page

The Irony of the Underdog

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The Difference between Man and Woman in Manny Pacquiao’s P2-Million International Dart Classic

Four days from now, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is slugging it out with the Oscar “Golden Boy” Dela Hoya in a bout called “The Dream Match”. At home, his Manny Pacquiao P2-Million International Darts Classic set on December 12 to 15 in General Santos City is getting much attention, not just for the prize involved but for the disparity of the prize-difference between the men and women’s Division.

The press release says the overall champion in the tournament’s highlight event will receive P320,000, second placer gets P150,000 while the third and fourth placers will take home P75,000 each. Fifth to eight placers will receive P35,000, ninth to 16th P10,000, 17th to 37th P3,000, and 33rd to 64th P1,000 each.

In the women’s side however, the Top 2 placers will receive only P40,000 and P20,000, respectively, while the third and fourth placers P10,000 each; fifth to eight P3,000, and ninth to 16th P1,000 each.

The tournament is organized by the National Dart Federation of the Philippines, the Association of General Santos Darters, and the city government of GenSan.

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The Manila Standard Today reports that the University of the Philippines and the Quezon City Police District agreed on joint patrols inside the campus and reactivated the police liaison office.

Police director, Sr. Supt. Magtanggol Gatdula, and Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Cynthia Gregorio headed the meeting which was also attended by the following: Maj. Bernie BAltazar of UP Police; Anonas Police Station-9 commander, Supt. Oscar Palisor; District Operations and Plans Division chief, Supt. Asper Cabula; Tactical Operations head, Supt. Ronnie Montejo; and Insp. Edgardo Jimenerz of Mobile Patrol Unit.

No student representative was mentioned.

‘Manny Means Business’

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