mga hirit na malupit - tatlo (drama at linyang pang #hugot moments)

Minsan may mga bagay na gustong-gusto mo pero parang ang daming hadlang para makuha mo. Ang daming negatrons; ang daming ik-ik; ang daming agaw-eksena pati sa sarili mong bahagi ng programa. Minsan itatanong mo rin kung ano bang problema nila sa buhay at pati ikaw gusto nilang idamay sa pagiging bitter. Minsan naman mapapa face-palm ka na lang o kamot ng ulo kasi yun mga ik-ik parang mga white mice sa cage na takbo nang takbo sa loob nun wire na mukhang mini ferriswheel sa pag-aakalang siya si high and mighty mouse pero ang totoo, hindi lang niya nakikita na sa bigger picture sa labas ng gulong at ng cage niya ay mukha siyang t***a. Minsan naman, gusto mo na sumigaw ng CUUUUUUT para matauhan ang mga agaw-eksena. Pero sa totoo lang, kahit sumigaw ka, hindi ka naman maririnig ng mga nilalang na walang naririnig kung hindi sarili nilang tinig. It's such a sad and cruel world out there.

'Yan yun mga pagkakataon na kailangan mong magdetach pansamantala. Kailangan mong tumingin sa sarili mo, magtanong kung bakit ka nga ba nariyan sa kinaroroonan mo. Kailangan mong alalahanin kung ano yun talagang gusto mo at pinaglalaban mo ayon sa sarili mong conviction. Kailangan mong panghawakan yun prinsipyo mo sa buhay, yun dahilan kung bakit ka gumigising araw-araw. Kailangan mo ipa-alala sa sarili mo na hindi sila ang magdedefine sa pagkatao mo, sa kung ano ang kaya mong gawin at pwede mong marating, sa kung ano ang kasaysayan mo bilang tao dahil higit sa kanila, ikaw ang nakaka-alam ng mga ito.

Lilipas rin 'yan. Tandaan, mas maraming mahalagang aral na napupulot at tumatanim sa isip mula sa failures kung bubuksan lang natin ang pang-unawa. Bakit? Aba, masakit kaya ang failure! But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger 'di ba? Ang mahalaga, makamove on ka. Hindi naman required na agad-agad -- ano ka, manhid o walang pakiramdam; hindi tao, hindi hayop, robot? Okey lang mag-emote for sometime, pwede rin mag hugot moments -- walang batas na nagsasabing crime of moral turpitude ang magwallow in pain. Pero wag din naman tagalan ang emote. Tandaan, nauubos rin ang emoticons, pati stickers sa viber. 'Wag mo akong tanungin kung anong connection --- bakit, ano ba sa palagay mo? internet connection? rainbow connection? flower connection (oops, collection pala yun clothing company..cute ng mga dress nila, hindi ko lang afford bumili ng pang daily use! Hahahaa...) Lagi ngang paalala ng aking journalism adviser nun high school yun quote na, "our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising each time we fall."

Bangon lang nang bangon, aba kapag sumuko ka eh paano na lang ang misyon mo sa buhay? Hahayaan mo ba na maging ganun na lang, sa isa't-isa ay mayroon pagdaramdaaam...bakit 'di pagbigyang muli ang ating pagmamahalan? Ooopss, teka OPM lyrics pala 'yun! Ibig kong sabihin, hahayaan mo ba na mauwi sa wala ang mga pinaghirapan mo at hindi na matupad ang misyon mo sa buhay? At 'wag mo akong hiritan na naniniwala ka sa kasabihang "ang tao ay nabubuhay para kumain" -- utang na loob, 'wag ganun!

Bakit ko ba sinusulat ito? Feeling ko lang may nangangailangan ng aking piece of mind sa mga panahong ito. Hindi ako feelingera, may feelings lang ako at sensitive ako sa ibang tao --- hindi lang halata! :-)

Choices

We all have free will, that is certain. But I believe that beyond having the right to choose, we also have the right to know and understand the pros and cons of available options. If you have the authority or moral ascendancy over someone else, you explain the situation from the macro view, but in the end you have to leave the decision to the person. The role of the duty bearer is to present available options and where needed, make more options available; the choice is still for people to make but they ought to take responsibility for those choices. 

From My Notebook Series # 2: Diplomacy, Breach of Protocols and National Interest

I do not claim to be adept in this subject matter; I am writing here as a Filipino citizen trying to make sense of what is happening around me; looking at it from different perspectives. While I myself is an employee of the Government of the Philippines, the very nature of my agency's work makes me critical of the government's action or inaction on certain matters too. In this particular case, I am disappointed with the ingratitude of some people and the not far from impossible use of the situation to rally against the government. While I cannot blame people for not understanding the macro view of this whole scenario, I am dismayed of those who almost always tend to divide us as a nation through misleading and lopsided propaganda that reveal half truths and white lies.

In our brief but insightful sub-module on International Negotiation, retired Ambassador Hector Villaroel started with a single word on the white board: DIPLOMACY. From this, a day of discussion ensued with me jotting down some key points for future reference. Recent reports on what the President did to save a Filipina from death penalty in a foreign nation and how different people, including the family of the person whose execution was postponed made me look back and reflect on these notes. 

Diplomacy is the conduct of relations among States. We negotiate with other States to promote and protect our national interest. Our national interest should shape and dictate our foreign policy. When a person goes into negotiation with delegates from other States, that person should have in mind our national interest; after all, s/he is there to represent the nation and not just one or two persons or interest groups. There are sets of protocols and proper etiquette to follow when we conduct our relations with other States; but between the two, protocols are more important. A breach of protocol is said to be an offense against the States.

But what is national interest? What goes into it? Amb. Villaroel shared that when we talk about national interest, we should always link it with the four (4) attributes of the State:

• People: yes, this means our now 100M+ population 
• Territory: land, water and airspace. The national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, with all the islands and waters embraced therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domains, including its territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas. The waters around, between, and connecting the islands of the archipelago, regardless of their breadth and dimensions, form part of the internal waters of the Philippines.(Article I, 1987 Philippine Constitution)
• Government: like it or not, the government must exist for a group of people in a particular territory to become a State. The government imposes order to the other three attributes. 
• Sovereignty: now, this one is important too, especially when we talk about independence or being free from interference from other States as well as other internal or external forces.

From these notes, let us put the puzzle together. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that the President had undertaken all avenues, including diplomatic and legal means, to do what he can for the Filipina. There were also reports which said that President Aquino broke protocols to save her from the death row (rappler, abscbn). Let us not discount the fact that there are groups (including Indonesia-based NGOs) that helped in calling on the Indonesian Government to spare her from execution on the ground that she is a victim of human trafficking. In the end, her execution was put on hold after her recruiter who allegedly duped her into using that suitcase with hidden heroin in its linings on her trip from Malaysia to Indonesia. DFA's official statement on the matter is brief and very diplomatic (as expected of them) and I am quoting it here:

"The President had undertaken all avenues, including diplomatic and legal means, to do what he can for Mary Jane.

The President believes that every human life is invaluable.

At the last minute, a stay had been granted.

And as we conveyed this morning, we are all relieved by this welcome development.

The purpose of the stay is to allow Mary Jane to give testimony in connection with the complaint filed against the recruiters.

We would like to thank all those who stood in solidarity with the Velosos.

We would like to thank the Government of Indonesia for this favorable consideration of our request.

The Philippine Government reiterates its strong commitment to pursue full investigation of those accountable for the victimization of Mary Jane."

In this particular case, the government has shown that it values its people. It used various means to save Ms. Veloso from execution, believing in good faith that she is indeed a victim of human trafficking who used her for international drug trafficking. I cannot comment on why it is only recently that the government made efforts; I am not privy to the facts of this case. I have not seen any proof of the government's inaction on her case since it started years ago. Is the government claiming the glory for Indonesia's last minute decision? I don't think so; the government is even "thankful for all those to stood in solidarity with the Velosos". The Philippine Government even thanked the Government of Indonesia for granting the stay, as it reiterated its strong commitment to pursue full investigation of the case -- I think this is essential in maintaining diplomatic relations. Let us remember that as a State, Indonesia is also protecting its government and sovereignty; that explains their hard line stance that the execution of all the drug convicts should proceed; therefore listening to pleas from NGOs and the Philippine Government deserves utmost gratitude.

The challenge now is proving Ms. Veloso's innocence by prosecuting her alleged traffickers. Let us remember that she was judged as guilty under Indonesian law by the Indonesian court. We can only foresee further negotiations with the Government of Indonesia, using International or Regional (with Philippines and Indonesia being members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN) treaties and other instruments along with our laws against human trafficking and drug smuggling.

All these necessitates a lot of human and financial resources (hello there, tax payers!), but let us remember that we are not just saving one life here because we are now finding the trail to possibly uncover an international drug syndicate. Now let me say this, I don't think these efforts are worthy of the bitter words of the family against the government; hey, you are not only insulting the government, you are insulting the Filipino tax payers by saying that the government did nothing for your kin! The death sentence on Ms. Veloso still stands, the family needs to cooperate with the government to help prosecute her alleged traffickers for unless they are able to prove that Sergio et. al indeed trafficked her, she will still be executed in the future.

May they be enlightened and choose to cooperate with the government in the prosecution of the alleged traffickers.

Because the customer is not always right

The customer is always right. 

Yes, it's just an old cliché, but before consumer rights advocates and my friends from DTI give me a long lecture on consumer welfare, read this Maundy Thursday saga, okay?

Thursday. April 2, 2015. Around 1:30-2:00PM. Arayat Street, Cubao, Quezon City

I was in queue at a drug store cum convenience store to buy some stash of potato chips and soda. I was third in queue, there was a girl with instant noodles and bread in front of me while the cashier was attending to two ladies who bought two 1.5 liters of cold soda. The cashier asked them if they want to avail of put the bottles in a plastic bag or paper wrapper, and so the story begins...

Cashier: Ma'am ipa-plastic po o paper bag?

Lady 1: I-plastic mo na lang at mabigat

Cashier: Two pesos po

Lady 1: Bakit may bayad?

Lady 2: (lumapit sa cashier at sa kasama niya) Bakit ano problema?

Lady 1: Yun plastic pinapabayaran.

Lady 2: Bakit wala ba kayong plastic? Ayan o, ang dami mong plastic dyan sa tabi mo bakit hindi mo ipagamit?

Cashier: May bayad po talaga ang plastic, kung gusto niyo po dito na lang sa brown paper bag para walang bayad.

Lady 2: E mababasa lang yan papel na yan. Bago kami makarating sa pupuntahan namin nahulog na yan laman. Bakit hindi mo na lang dyan ilagay sa plastic kesa sa papel?

Cashier: Hindi po pwede Ma'am.

Lady 1: Ano? Hindi pwede, pero pag may bayad pwede?

Cashier: Ganun po talaga Ma'am, bawal na po kasi ang plastic.

Lady 2: Bawal ang plastic pero kung may bayad pwede?

Cashier: Para po Ma'am maiwasan kaya po pinapabayaran.

Lady 2: Naku halika na nga, bitbitin na natin sa iyo yun isa! (at umalis na sila)

Girl: (grinning at the cashier) Ako po Ate, paper bag lang!

Cashier: (sighs then smiles at the girl) Hindi naman kami ang naniningil, ang tagal na yun utos ng City Hall...

In case you missed it, there is a "plastic bag reduction ordinance" being enforced in Quezon City since year 2012. Part of its implementation is the collection a plastic recovery system fee of two pesos from the customer for every plastic bag used, regardless of its size. The two pesos per plastic bag fee is collected at the point of sale and should be included in the official receipt. This is to ensure that the fee collected from the customers will be remitted to the City government which logically should be responsible of addressing whatever ill effect the plastic bag will bring to the city once it is disposed by the customer. Na-ah, please do not argue with me nor ask me where and how the City government is using the funds from fees collected; I also wonder about that but to make my life simpler and my brain less stressed, I just bring my reusable bag or place whatever small item I bought inside by bag.

I admire the cashier in this particular case because she remained composed; she didn't raise her voice at the customers who were rude at her nor did she give in to their bullying. As for the two ladies, bless them. I just told myself that maybe they were not locals of the the city so they are not aware of the ordinance (but hey, ignorance of the law excuses no one from compliance -- not even when you are a customer insisting that your demand be granted by the store personnel).

As you can see, the customers were absolutely wrong in this case. Yes, we do have rights but we should remember that rights are not absolute and we also have the responsibility to follow regulations being enforced by authorities. True, some regulations may be burdensome but there is also that principle in law that "the law may be harsh but that is the law" -- but hey, the good news is, laws are not cast in stone, these can be revised or just thrown away into oblivion (kidding! they call it "repeal"). The thing is, it is not right to bark on the wrong tree. The cashier (or business establishments for that matter) are just following the rules enforced by the city government so if one want to challenge that or ask where the two pesos per plastic bag go, visit the City Hall.

hindi ako magician

Nasa grade school pa lang ako, mahilig na akong sumulat. Hindi ko maaaring sabihin na mahusay ako dahil alam ko na maraming higit na mahusay sa akin, mga batikan at mga manunulat na kaliwa't-kanan ang natanggap na parangal sa kanilang mga akda. Sabihin na lang natin na libangan ko ang sumulat. 

Pinangarap ko dati ang maging manunulat para sa diyaryo pero dahil lumaki ako na mahiyaing bata ay hindi ko naman natupad ang pangarap kong iyon. Naisip ko kasi na hindi ako bagay maging reporter dahil mahiyain ako at marami akong kinatatakutan. Siguro dahil marami akong insecurities sa buhay noong bata ako. Hindi perfect at puno ng happy moments ang childhood ko pero dahil nakamove on naman na ako mula sa mga hinanakit ko sa tadhana at pagmamalupit ng mga batang bully sa buhay ko eh masayahin naman ako ngayon most of the time. Para sa akin, pagsubok lang lahat ang iyon at masaya ako na nalampasan ko na; hindi ako bitter sa mundo. Sa totoo lang, nakaka-awa rin minsan 'yun mga taong kahit may edad na eh parang hindi pa rin nakakamove on sa unhappy childhood at naghahasik pa rin ng bitterness sa earth sa pamamagitan ng pagiging negatron (nega-tron: a play on the words negative and megatron. Napulot ko lang ang term na ito kay Chairperson Toto Villareal ng MTRCB -- ayan may citation o acknowledgement ng source). Kapag nagdadasal ako, hinihiling ko kay Lord na tulungan silang makamove on para naman mabawasan ang mga nagpapasakit ng aking ulo at nagpapabilis ng tibok ng puso ko. Nakakabawas kasi ng energy at nakaka-istorbo sa produktibong pag-iisip ang mga negatrons. Oo, gusto ko 'yun pakiramdam na bumibilis ang pagtibok ng puso ko pero 'yun eh kung nakikita, nakaka-usap sa telepono o nagtetext/chat lang yun lalaking gusto ko; pero kung ang dahilan eh dahil sa negatrons, ibang usapan na 'yun!

Bakit nga ba ako nahilig sa pagsusulat? 

Una, dahil mahiyain akong bata, naging outlet ko ang pagsusulat para ilabas ang nilalaman ng aking puso at isipan. Hindi ako mahusay magsalita lalo na sa harap ng maraming tao kaya sa panulat ko naie-express ang saloobin ko.

Ikalawa, gusto kong ibahagi yun mga nalalaman ko sa ibang tao. Naniniwala ako na mas mapagyayaman mo ang kaalaman kung ibabahagi mo ito sa iba, lalo na sa paraan na maiintindihan nila. Ito siguro 'yun dahilan kung bakit ko ninais noon na maging reporter -- gusto ko 'yun ideya na "write to express not to impress" na natutunan ko sa guro ko sa pamamahayag nun grade six. Oo, kaya kong sakyan o sabayan 'yun mga sumusulat ng mga masalimuot na talata pero para sa akin, may mas mabigat na responsibilidad ang isang manunulat na sumusulat upang magbahagi (hindi magyabang) ng kaalaman. Hanga ako at mataas ang pagtingin ko sa mga taong kayang gawing simple at abot-alam ng karaniwang tao ang mga usapin. Dahil sa kanila, nabibigyan ng pagkakataon na makibahagi sa talakayan na may sapat na kaalaman ang mga Juana at Juan na payak man ang kaalaman o walang mataas na pinag-aralan ay may karapatan pa rin naman na makibahagi sa lipunan lalo na kung kinabukasan nila at mga anak nila ang pinag-uusapan.

Ikatlo, ayaw ko rin naman solohin ang mga kalokohan ko. Mayroon din naman akong sense of humor kaya sinusulat ko rin 'yun mga witty lines na naiisip ko na kung hindi man kapulutan ng aral eh baka sakaling maging dahilan ng pagtawa ng iba. 

Ayan, pumasa na ako sa rule of 3 dahil 3 na ang reasons ko. Bakit ko ba kasi sinusulat ito? Bigla na lang kasi nag-pop ang thought bubble ko kanina na ang sabi eh: "writer ako hindi magician!" Lalo naman hindi ako santa kahit semana santa na -- hindi ako gumagawa ng himala! Nabanggit na rin lang ang semana santa, dapat siguro itulog ko na muna ito bago pa ako magkasala...sorry po Lord at may naisip akong hindi mabuti para sa aking kapwa kanina. Work in progress naman po ako hindi ba? Help me na lang po, please...