Tinay Rallies Against Marcos Burial

Hindi naman na siguro lingid sa kaalaman niyo na hindi ako sangayon sa pagkakalibing ni Ferdinand Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani, tulad ng aking sinabi sa aking nakaraang post. Ngayon, gusto ko lang ibahagi ang ilang kaganapan na aking natunghayan sa dalawang rally na aking dinaluhan noong November 25 sa Quirinoi Grandstand at November 30 sa EDSA Shrine.

Luneta Rally

EDSA Shrine Rally

#MarcosNOTAHERO

Kadugtong ng aking naunang post, ibabahagi ko ang aking opinyon tungkol sa pagkakalibing ni Ferdinand Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani. Sana ay maraming magcomment at magreact sa aking post dahil gusto kong magsimula ng diskusyon. Wala lang sanang bastusan.

Nais ko ring ibahagi ang aking opinyon tungkol sa Batas Militar. Ginawa ko ang post na yun noong Mayo. Narito ang link.

Photo from https://hronlineph.com

Sa tingin ko, tama lang na simulan ko ang aking kwento mula nung high school pa lang ako (huwag kayong mag-alala, hindi ito nobela, novelette lang, char!). Medyo kontrobersyal na kahit noon pa ang Martial Law, pero hindi ko lubusang naintindihan ang bigat ng nangyari noon. Naalala kong tinanong ko ang nanay ko kung anong meron nung Martial Law, ang sabi niya payapa raw noon, kung wala kang ginagawang masama ligtas ka, disiplinado raw ang mga tao, maraming napatayong gusali at tulay si Marcos, magaling daw na pangulo si Marcos, etc., etc. Kaya ako, bilib ako kay Marcos, akala ko mabuti ang Martial Law. Napakamahigpit ko noon sa klase, kaya binansagan ko ang aking sarili na "Martial Queen" (pak ganern!)

Fast forward tayo sa aking mga taon sa kolehiyo. Sa aking pag-aaral ng Mass Comm, lalo na sa kasaysayan ng pamamahayag, napagtanto ko na hindi pala mabuti ang Martial Law. Muli kaming nag-usap ng aking ina, at sinabi niya na mabuti ang Martial Law sa unang bahagi. Marahil sabay kaming namulat sa kasaysayan. Ngunit hindi pa rin ako naging aktibo sa pagtuligsa sa mga Marcos.

Ngayon na muli akong nag-aaral, lalo na at sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas ako nag-aaral, tuluyan nang namulat ang aking mga mata. Ngunit hindi pa rin ako nagpapahayag ng aking opinyon. Palagi na lang sa talakayan naming mag-ina ako nagsasalita, ngunit tahimik sa diskusyon sa online media; maski-like o emoji, wala. Kahit nung mailibing na si Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani, sa opisina lang ako nagpapahayag ng galit, ngunit walang eksplanasyon.

Kahapon ng madaling araw, nang magpost si Sir, tila sinapak ako. Bakit nga ba ako nananahimik? Bakit nga ba puro pagpapacute ang ginagawa ko sa lahat ng aking social media accounts? Bakit nga ba hindi ako agad tumakbo papuntang EDSA? Kaya nagdesisyon akong magpost ng life event sa Facebook.

At simula kahapon, dahil nga nanahimik ako at hindi sumama sa rally nung Biyernes, naisip ko na ipahayag ang aking pagtuligsa sa paraang kaya ko: nag-share ako ng impormasyon ukol sa kaganapan ng Martial Law para malaman ng lahat ang kabulastugang nangyari noon, nag-comment ako sa mga walang isip na posts para malaman nila na hindi rason na hindi ko (natin) naranasan ang Martial Law para manuligsa, nag-abang at nag-aabang ako ng anunsyo kung kailan ang susunod na rally (at sasali ako), at nakipagdiskusyon ako sa mangilan-ngilang tao na sinabi nilang "past is past," "move on," "waste of time," "patay na si Marcos at kahit anong gawin niyo ay hindi na nila masisingil si Marcos," "hindi natin alam ang nangyari noon... walang say ang generation natin," at iba pa.

Nagagalit at nalulungkot ako para sa ating bansa, nilapastangan na nga tayo ng dayuhan, nilapastangan pa tayo ng ating kapwa, at muli tayong nilalapastangan sa pamamagitan ng pagtalikod sa kasaysayan. Tila hindi nila naisip ang maaaring nangyari kung hindi ipinaglaban ang kalayaan.

Minsan naiisip kong gusto kong umalis ng bansa (ng mundo) para lisanin ang mga nangyayari ngayon. Ngunit naisip ko, kung aalis ako, kung aalis ang mga ayaw nang harapin ang nangyayari ngayon, sino na lang ang makikipaglaban?

Photo from https://www.crowdynews.com

Social Media Crossroads

Photo from http://www.tasharuk.net/

After Duterte being the president of the Philippines and ruining international relations (except of China and Russia), Trump being the president of the United State, and now Marcos laid down in Libingan ng mga Bayani, I finally decided that all my social media accounts will not just be used for my love for theater and sharing mg Youtube videos and finding cute stuff over the internet.

I have reached the crossroads of social media.

My social media accounts will be my voice in expressing my opinions on things and issues I feel strongly about.

Enough with my silence on Facebook and keeping it 'clean'. Enough with ranting small things on Twitter. Enough with just selfies on Instagram. Enough with just cutesy stuff on Youtube and Snapchat. Enough with only review here on my blog.

It is never too late to speak up. I was a member of the Oratorical and Debate Council. I am a Mass Communication graduate, currently studying Journalism. And I will use all my social media accounts to spark change.

TWITTER: @TinayGavino

INSTAGRAM: TinayGavino

SNAPCHAT: TinayGavino

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/famem01 or look for Tinay Gavino

Photo from http://catseyemarcom.com/

#LakbayTinay Goes to Tanay

Welcome back to me! With classes done, I am now officially back! And hopefully, I will also be able to update my fanfiction. Although rainy season is officially here in the Philippines, my summer just began and my summer adventure (wow, maraming balak puntahan?) starts with my outing to Tanay, Rizal with my officemates. Lemme start my story with Day 0, Friday, June 3, 2016 after work…

Day 0: June 3-Friday

I was all set for the outing – overnight things (check), toiletries (check), clothes (check), money (check), and most importantly, food (CHEEECK!) I must admit that from 8:30AM to 5:30PM (office hours) I was giddy and truly cannot wait for our outing to start. But then of course, there is work to do so I had to put aside my excitement for a while and do what I must do J

Fast forward to 5:30PM when me and two of my officemates went to the company’s staff house, where we will be staying for the night (we planned on travelling to Tanay, Rizal at 4AM the following day). We first went to the market to buy some rice and eggs for our dinner; an ex-officemate already bought pancit canton, which we will also have for dinner. The ride from our office to the staff house was supposed to be short, but goodness gracious, the traffic was unbelievable that it took us more or less an hour to reach the market. That hour-long drive was almost as long as my ride home! Anyway, we reached the market and bought some supplies and went to the staff house.

Of course, we did not immediately cook our dinner upon arriving to the staff house. Since there is Wi-Fi and TV, we first lounged and busied ourselves with our own technological bubbles (and barely talking to each other). A little later, I decided that I should show off my cooking prowess (naaaks!). By prowess I meant cooking omelet and pancit canton. Goodness, those are the only food I could cook, I could have cooked the rice too, but Ma’am Rose got ahead of me. Boohoo.

Let us assume that my omelet looked like this ;)

And so, Jonalie and I started preparing the ingredients for the omelet. Ma’am Rose said that they have tomatoes and onions… and by onions, she meant a single tiny onion bulb, which I jokingly said that whoever gets a piece of the onion is lucky (that was how small it was). Jonalie began the chopping of the tomatoes and the tiny onion, while I started beating the eggs and later on mixing ‘em up. I really wanted to put more tomatoes but then they said they wanted omelet and not tomatoes with eggs (if you get the joke) so I heated up the pan and stated cooking. I think I did a pretty good job with the omelet… I am waiting for the comments of those who tasted my recipe, LOL J

Is it true that the new Lucky Me! pancit canton tastes different?

Then the pancit canton. Do I actually have to narrate how I cooked four packs of pancit canton? I mean most people are able to cook pancit canton by the age of 12 (or younger even) and if I don’t know how to cook pancit canton, I am so much of a disgrace. Hehe J

We ate, cleared the table and washed the dishes, then we watched TV while tinkering with our phones, cleaned ourselves, and went to bed. Day 0 done!

Day 1: June 4-Saturday

The following day, I completely woke up at around 3:45AM. There was a slight change of plans, but what can we do? And so we prepared and left the staff house at 4:30AM, buying pan de sal along the way for our breakfast and rode the bus to Starmall Crossing, where we will be having a looong jeepney ride to Tanay (yep, we went and will go to outings using public transpo… no cars, no licenses, hehe). We arrived at Starmall at around 5:30 and rode the jeep where I slept almost all the way. I woke up when we were at Baras, Rizal, with a ridiculous smile on my face. Perhaps it was the cold air, or the cute little town, or having slept, or just because I was excited for our trip. Perhaps one of the highlights of our trip was while still riding the jeep, a tricycle driver was tailing us and shouting “Ma’am sa Daranak po, Daraitan,” offering us a ride to our destination. Along the streets were other tricycle drivers shouting the same thing to us.

Daranak Falls

At around 7:30AM, we reached a Jollibee in Tanay, where we decided to stop over to pee (as there is still a long way to go before reaching Daranak). That was when Jonalie told us that she forgot to charge her DSLR! Noooooooooooo! Good thing, the manager of Jollibee allowed her to charge her battery there for 10 minutes (or longer if we dine in, which we did). By 8AM, we were on the go again (and I, secretly praying that the 30 minutes was enough for the camera to last the rest of the day) and we rode a tricycle going to Daranak.

I thought the ride would be short, but it was not! It took us around 20 minutes to reach Daranak Falls! Our driver was very kind and acted as a tour guide. He talked about the specialty foods, Daranak Falls and Daraitan River, Pililla Wind Farm, Mt. Nova (which has eight falls), Kalinawan Cave, the Groto of Our Lady of Rawang with 402 steps, and other fun facts. During the ride, I saw a herd of sheep and I realized that that was the first time ever saw a sheep. Hurray for me!

Batlag Falls

And then, there was Daranak Falls… it was a very beautiful place, very nature-y and peaceful. But I must say I did not truly enjoy bathing there (or at Batlag Falls, where we transferred because it was crowded at Daranak). For one thing, it just rained the previous night and the ground was a bit muddy. And another thing was because the floor of the falls was soil and pebbles combined, which made the river unclear. I was actually afraid of going into the waters because I could not see the bottom or where I was supposed to step next, although I could see that the water is only up to the waists of the tourists. Since the river floor was composed of soil and pebbles, it was awkward (for me) to walk without slippers and so I was wearing mine, meaning to say, I was not really able to swim. Personally, I think Daranak and Batlag Falls is good for bonding and not for swimming. In Batlag area, they have this pool but the water is not flowing so you wonder how many children already peed there ;)

Don’t get me wrong, I truly enjoyed our stay at Batlag Falls, I got to know my officemates better and got to relax in such a natural and beautiful place (while eating junk food, LOL).

By 1PM, more people were arriving and so we decided to pack up and leave, especially that we wanted to climb the 402 steps to the grotto. We texted the tricycle driver who drove us to Daranak and asked him to bring us to the foot of the grotto. There, he told us to leave our things inside the tricycle and bring only the valuables and water. That was really the best advice, because I thought 402 steps was a piece of cake, BUT IT WAS NOT! The steps were uneven and as we climbed higher, the air is also thinning so breathing was a bit harder.

Top of Grotto of Our Lady of Rawang

While climbing and looking around, I realized that the trail was actually for the Stations of the Cross. Obviously, I did not have my prayer book with me and I do not know what to pray for that Stations of the Cross, and so I just murmured Hail Mary’s while climbing the 402 steps. Reaching the top is another story. It was such a perfect place to put up a grotto. I realized there that climbing the stairs is like life, you have to keep pushing forward (or in the grotto’s case, upward) to reach your goal and when you do, you are most fulfilled. At the top, I saw the greens of the mountains, I saw the sky, I saw a glimpse of the world (yes, exaggeration much?) and I was with the monument of Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary. Despite the fatigue of climbing up, it was all worth it because I thought that my journey up strengthened (even by small percentage) my faith and brought me closer to the Lord. Yes, I am being preachy, but the blessed feeling and fulfillment at the grotto was truly magical. I would like to climbed up again, this time, doing the proper Stations of the Cross.

The journey down was less exhaustive, but it was scary because I got to see how high we were and given my fear of heights, climbing down was not the best thing. Good thing there was a hand raid, which I prevented myself from gripping super hard.

Going up

Going down

 If the journey up the grotto was tiring, the journey HOME was equally tiring. The only edge of the journey home was at least I was not perspiring nor climbing a very high flight of stairs. Yet still, to get out of Rizal (back to Starmall Crossing) which took more than two hours plus more or less an hour and half back home was still pretty tiring.

More adventures to come!

Batas Militar

Photo credits to newsinfo.inquirer.net

Noong nakaraang Lunes, ika-9 ng Mayo 2016, naganap ang pambansang halalan. Malinaw na, na si Rodrigo Duterte ang magiging ika-16 na pangulo ng Pilipinas, ngunit isang madikit na laban pa ang mayroon sa pagitan ni Leni Robredo at Bongbong Marcos para sa pangalawang pangulo. At dahil isang Marcos ang maaaring maging pangalawang pangulo ng Pilipinas, isang malaking usapan, lalo na sa social media, ang Martial Law o Batas Militar. Kasing linaw ng pamgat ng blog post na ito, ang Batas Militar at ang aking opiniyon ukol dito, ang aking isusulat.

Bago ang lahat, nais ko munang sabihin na sa pagka-bise presidente, si Leni Robredo ang aking sinusuportahan. Ngunit kaakibat nito ay ang aking pagsusumikap na sa blog na ito ay pananatiliin kong obhektibo ang aking mga opinyon - ako ay hindi lalayo sa mga katotohanang nangyari sa panahon ng Batas Militar.

Isa pang paalala ay ang lahat ng laman ng blog post na ito ay pawang opinyon at aking mga nalalaman ukol sa Batas Militar. Ang aking pagpopost ay isang manipestasyon ng demokrasyang aking ine-enjoy at minamahal, na hindi ako papayag na mawala pang muli (kagaya ng sabi sa kanta na isinulat ni Jim Paredes).

Una sa lahat, hindi ako "Martial Law baby", hindi pa ako nabubuo kahit sa isip pa lamang ng aking mga magulang sa panahon ng Batas Militar (ipinanganak ako sa panahon ng pamumuno ni Fidel Ramos). Ngunit sa aking paglaki, nagkaroon ako ng kaunting kamalayan tungkol sa Batas Militar. Naaalala ko na minsan napag-usapan namin ng aking ina kung ano bang mayroon sa panahon ng Batas Militar. Ang sabi niya, payapa raw ang mga kalye noon, walang krimen, may disiplina ang mga tao, may curfew, etc. Kaya akala ko, maganda ang Martial Law. Sa maliit na paraan, inidolo ko si Ferdinand Marcos dahil sa disiplinang kanyang ipinairal. Nagkaroon nga ng panahon na tinawag ko ang sarili ko na "Martial Queen" dahil sa mahigpit na disiplinang ginagawa ko lalo na sa mga kaklase ko (naging class officer kasi ako). Umabot pa sa panahon na talagang nananakot ako at nananakit para lang magbayad sila ng multa.

***
Segue: Ngayong mas lumawak ang aking pag-unawa sa mga bagay-bagay, napagtanto ko na mali pala ang ginawa ko. Sa kasamaang palad, hindi ako nagkaroon ng oportunidad para humingi ng patawad sa mga kaklase ko. Tipong hinayaan na lang nila ang mga ginawa ko. Ngunit ngayong nabanggit ko naman na ang maling ginawa ko, nais ko na ring humingi ng tawad sa kanila. SSC Batch 3, sorry sa ginawa ko. Na-realize ko na nagpower trip lang ako. Siguro yun na rin ang reason bakit hindi ako naging close sa inyo. Oo nga, matagal nang issue 'to, pero gusto kong malaman niyo na nagsisisi ako sa ginawa ko. Narealize ko rin na kung sa aking ginawa yun, baka hindi ko na kausapin yung tao, yet still, you welcome me (di ba? :D) Love you, guys!
***

Nung lumaon, napagtanto ko na tulad ng ginawa ko sa mga kamag-aral ko noon, ang disiplina na ipinairal ni Ferdinand Marcos ay hindi rin makatarungan. May mga inosenteng taong bigla na lang nawawala at makikita na lamang na bangkay, o kung suswertehin (hindi ko alam kung swerte ba ang maitatawag sa kanila) buhay man sila ngunit na-torture. Ang torture na sinasabi ko ay yung pagtanggal ng mga kuko, pagkuryente sa mga ari ng mga biktima, pagpapaupo sa kanila sa yelo nang hubo't hubad, pambubugbog, at iba pa.

Ang masama pa dito ay ang mga inosenteng biktima ng Martial Law ay napagkamalang miyembro ng media na tumuligsa sa gobyerno ni Ferdinand Marcos. Mali ba na gawin ng mga peryodista ang kanilang trabaho na bantayan ang ginawa ng gobyerno? Mali ba na isiwalat nila sa publiko ang mga kasamaan, pagmamalabis, at pandarambong na ginawa ng gobyerno at pamilya ng nakaluklok na pangulo? Mali ba gusto lang ng media na hindi mabulag ang mga mamamayan sa kapayapaang nadarama nila? Hindi ba't ang mali ay ang pagkitil ng gobyerno sa karapatang magpahayag? Hindi ba't ang mali ay ang paglabag ng gobyerno sa karapatang pantao?

Maaaring sabihin na hindi naman si Ferdinand Marcos ang gumawa ng pagpatay, pagtorture, at kung anu-ano pa. Ngunit hindi mo maitatakwil na nagnakaw ang kanyang pamilya sa kaban ng bayan. Maaaring sabihin na maski ngayong wala na si Ferdinand Marcos sa pwesto ay ginaagawa pa rin ang pandarambong ng ibang nasa gobyerno. Ngunit ang kawalan ng hustisya sa laki ng kanilang pagnanakaw at ang pagkakait nila na hindi sila nagnakaw, bagaman anglaki ng kanilang mga luho ay isang sampal sa mga Pilipino.

Hindi ko na isusulat ang tungkol sa pagkamatay ni Ninoy Aquino, dahil isa na itong palasak na issue. Kung sino man ang nagpapatay kay Ninoy Aquino ay isa pa ring misteryo. At malapit doon ang nais kong sabihin: ang kawalan ng kaalaman ng kabataan (kasama na ako doon) ukol sa totoong nangyari sa panahon ng Batas Militar ay hindi nila (o namin) kasalanan. Unang una, si Cory Aquino at ang anak niyang si Noynoy Aquino ay naging pangulo ng Pilipinas, Ngunit sa labing dalawang taong sila ang pinakamakapangyarihang tao sa Pilipinas, hindi nasiwalat kung sino nga ba ang talagang nagpapapay kay Ninoy Aquino. Puro ispekulasyon lamang ang meron. Isang dahilan kung bakit maraming galit sa pamilya Marcos ay dahil si Ferdinand Marcos (at/o si Imelda Marcos) umano ang utak sa pagpapapatay kay Ninoy. Ngunit sila nga ba? Oo, hindi ako sumasang-ayon sa pagpapatupad ng Martial Law, at oo, hindi ko sinusuportahan ang pamilya Marcos. Ngunit mali na sisihin sila sa pagkamatay ni Ninoy Aquino lalo na't walang matibay na ebidensya. At ang hindi makamit na hustisya sa kanyang pagkamatay ay siyang isa dapat sa mga agenda nina Cory at Noynoy Aquino nang sila ang mahalal bilang pangulo ng Pilipinas.

Pangalawang punto, ang sektor ng edukasyon ay isa rin sa may pagkukulang sa kawalan ng kaalaman ng mga kabataan ukol sa Batas Militar (at kaakibat ng sektor ng edukasyon ang gobyerno). Sa loob ng silid aralan, lalo na sa asignaturang Kasaysayan (Sibika, Hekasi, etc.), ang emphasis sa pagtuturo ay ang mga unang Pilipino, ang unang komunidad - ang balangay na pinamumunuan ng datu, at ang pagdating nga mga Kastila, Amerikano, at Hapon. Sa dulo ng taon, saka pa lang itinuturo ang mga pangulo ng Pilipinas at ang mga nangyari sa kanilang administrasyon. Kadalasan, sa mga panahong ito ay tamad nang makinig ang mga mag-aaral sa kanilang mga guro dahil ang nasa isip na lamang nila ay ang simula ng bakasyon; kung kaya't hindi na lubusang napag-aaralan ang mga nagawa ng mga pangulo, mas lalo na ang Batas Militar.

Sa aking muling pag-aaral, tatlong sessions ng tig-tatatlong oras ang inilaan para mapagaralan namin ang lagay ng media sa panahon ng Batas Militar. Ngunit nang ako ay nag-aaral ng kasaysayan, pinasadahan lang ang mga kabutihang nagawa ni Ferdinand Marcos - dami ng imprastraktura, pagpapalawig ng artes at kultura, at ang disiplina ng Batas Militar. Maaaring sadyang hindi ako nakinig habang nagtuturo ang aking mga guro ng kasaysayan, ngunit tila wala akong maalalang sinabi nila ukol sa torture, summary killings, pagkawala, at ang legendary coup d'etat (o ang hindi pagkakatuloy nito) na naging dahilan para magkaroon ng People Power Revolution.

Ang kailangan ng kabataan ay magkaroon sila ng mga aklat ng kasaysayan na inaprubahan ng Department of Education (DepEd) na naglalaman ng LAHAT ng nangyari sa panahon ng Batas Militar, mabuti at masama, kasama ng iba pang mga aralin ukol sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas. At dapat, kasama sa curriculum ang mga nangyari sa panahon ng Batas Militar, kagaya na lamang sa pag-aaral ng buhay at mga akda ni Jose Rizal. Ang magiging resulta nito ay mabubuksan ang mga isip ng kabataan ukol sa Batas Militar, at hindi nila nanaising mauilit ito muli.

Ang pangatlo, at huling may pagkukulang sa pagpapanatili ng kasaysayan ng Batas Militar ay ang media mismo. Napaka ironic na kung sino pang institusyon na siyang pinakabiktima ng Batas Militar ay siyang may maliit lamang na partisipasyon sa pagpapaalala sa nangyari sa panahon ng Batas Militar. Sasabihin ng media (lalo na ang TV), sa tuwing anibersaryo ng EDSA Revolution, nagpapalabas sila ng EDSA Revolution specials na idinu-dokumento ang nangyari sa panahon ng Batas Militar. Sa aking pananaw, hindi sapat iyon sa dalawang kadahilanan: ang mga specials na ipinapalabas nila ay umeere sa kanilang Sunday Specials o sa oras nang 10 o 11 nang gabi sa araw ng Linggo. Ang anibersaryo ng EDSA Revolution ay nagaganap sa buwan ng Pebrero, at sa mga panahong ito, may pasok ang mga mag-aaral kinabukasan. Hindi na tuloy kaila na hindi nila pinapapanood ang EDSA Revolution specials. Ikalawang dahilan, tila hindi sapat ang isa't kalahating oras para ipalabas at i-explain ang mga kaganapan sa panahon ng Batas Militar, at minsan pa nga, ang laman ng mga specials ay ang kaganapan ng EDSA Revolution at hindi mismo at Batas Militar.

Hindi lang naman dapat sa anibersaryo ng EDSA Revolution dapat may programa tungkol sa Batas Militar. Sa totoo lang, ang aking susunod na ideya ay hindi lamang para sa Batas Militar, ngunit para rin sa iba pang importanteng bahagi ng kasaysayan ng Pilpinas. Maaaring magkaroon ng soap opera hango sa mga naganap sa panahon ng Batas Militar. Bilang tuwang tuwa naman ang mga Pilipino sa love stories, maaaring ang kwento ay tungkol sa isang babae na napaibig sa isang lalaking tumutuligsa sa gobyerno at ang kanilang struggle na mapanatili ang kanilang pag-iibigan bagaman may panganib sa buhay ng lalaki. O di kaya ang buhay ng isang pamilya sa panahon ng Batas Militar. O hindi kaya ang pagsasalaysay ng buhay ng isang Ilocano sa panahon ng Batas Militar. Napakaraming anggulong pwedeng sundan sa panahon ng Batas Militar, gaya lang din na maaaring i-modernize ang Noli Me Tangere, kagaya ng ginawa sa Romeo + Juliet.

Siyempre, ang mga Pilipino ay hindi lang dapat umasa sa sektor ng edukasyon at sa media upang malaman ang mga nangyari sa panahon ng Batas Militar. Napakaraming mga aklat, peryodiko, at pelikulang isinasalaysay ang kaganapan sa panahon ng Batas Militar.

Bilang mga Pilipino, dapat lahat tayo ay mayoong kusa na malaman ang ating kasaysayan. Bago pa man nating alamin ang kasaysayan at kultura ng ibang lahi, dapat malaman muna natin kung saan nagsimula ang ating kasarinlan; dahil maaaring hindi natin alam ngayon ang KPop, si Taylor Swift, Adele, Madonna, at One Direction, at ang Avengers kung hindi dahil sa pagkakaalis ng Batas Militar sa Pilipinas.

Pakinggan at panoorin ang kantang isinulat ni Jim Paredes tungkol sa pagtamasa ng kalayaan at kung bakit dapat natin itong protektahan.

50 Shades the Musical Parody

"Meeting Mr. Grey can be quite an experience..."

Grabbed from www.facebook.com/50ShadesManila

So true.

MR. GREY IS IN TOWN!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!! Well, actually, I could... because I am ushering for his show, 50 Shades! The Musical Parody, YEY!

Hmmm... What can I say about the show? It is uber funny, I swear! It is something really, really worth watching if you have extra cash and incidentally, have nothing to do! And well, if you were not satisfied with reading the trilogy or watching the film.

I really cannot reveal much about the show as there are surprises that you guys must see... take for example Mr. Grey. Oh my! He is just the hottest (and definitely the most talented) guy ever to walk the stage of Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium of RCBC Plaza. There are some... juicy scenes, which is definitely the reason why the show is for 18 years old and above. There is Charlie Tango that will put to shame the helicopter scene of Miss Saigon ;) And of course... the RED ROOM of PAIN!!!

I don't know about you guys, but when I think about parodies (especially musical parodies), I think of crappy music, forced acting, and plainly a performance that seems like two people decided in a snap of a finger to make a play making fun of the original text and making money out of a worthless show. But 50 Shades! is definitely not that. It is fun and light, but not crappy AT ALL. The book was well written, and the writer definitely read the trilogy and referenced memorable lines and scenes and happenings from the book. The music was just WOAH! The songs are stuck in my head just upon watching the show once... how much more that I am always ushering during the weekends?

But what truly made me love about 50 Shades! is that it creatively referenced the iconic scenes from the biggest Broadway shows. To all theater fans out there, you will be definitely delighted once you see scenes from Les Mis, Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, and Sister Act. Personally, I do not see the parody of the said musicals as blasphemous to the original material, but actually as a beautiful reminder that there are so many magical shows that I must see (like Les Mis, which will start on March 11!)

Another good thing about 50 Shades is that despite the original text being known as highly sexual, the play is actually, well, kinda kinky, but it is not pornographic in anyway (sorry to burst the bubbles of those wishing there are actual live show) and it is not very much inappropriate. Okay, I am not explaining myself well here. What I just mean to say that conservatives will definitely be shocked at the metaphors but not to the extent that they will run screaming to the hills (Yey! A Christian Grey quote! LOL). To the fathers out there who are not willing to allow their daughters to watch 50 Shades! thinking that it might be some kind of an explicit live sex show, keep your hair on, the show is nothing like that... at least, not very much like that ;) I would just like to share that my sister told my mother (who of course, told me) that my father told me sister that he is actually apprehensive that I am ushering for 50 Shades! provided it material. Well, Mr. Punsalang, I have read the book and I have seen the movie, the play is a playful adaptation of those, keep your hair on (An Anastasia Steele quote! LOL).

Grabbed from www.facebook.com/50ShadesManila

To be honest, I am now rereading the trilogy, and I must commend the writer for reliving some lines and scenes. I mean, for the writer to come up with a unique and creative way to relive the not-so-known lines from the book is actually amazing! And another cute thing about the parody is that, despite it being, well, a parody, it did not tarnish in any way my initial imagination on who Ana and Christian are. Though, I must admit that after watching the show, I became more in love with Taylor than with Christian :D LOL

So, to 50 Shades of Grey fans out there who are unwilling to watch the show because you fear that the parody is a blasphemy of the trilogy you cherish so, believe me and watch the show, you will definitely love it. During yesterday's show, one of the audience member was giggling like a child almost throughout the show. She definitely has ready 50 Shades and was definitely enjoying the show. You guys can also share the same emotion. So, come out of your ivory tower and watch Mr. Grey up-close!

What made 50 Shades! even funnier is that the production is given a local color. All the audiences are hysterically laughing at the Filipino references put in the musical. Imagine it as how 50 Shades of Grey would be if set in the Philippines.

More than the material itself, the cast is soooo wonderful. You must already know that it is not an all-foreign cast - Bituin Escalante is amazing (especially during her solo part in a number during the second act), Karel Marquez is such an adorable Ana (very innocent and cute!), George Schulze is amazing a Jose (and frankly, much better than the film version, who I incidentally have forgotten), Julz Savard who redefines what best friends are (she plays Katherine Kavanagh), and Lorenz Martinez… nuff said (sorry but, he will always be Heneral Mascardo to me… or perhaps not after 50 Shades!)

Of course, the off-Broadway cast are spectacular as well. I am actually yearning to know them and have my photo taken with each of them. I mean, they are doing my dream from the place I dream to live my dream! And I must admit that I drool over the David-esque bods of Chris Hodgson and Isaac Saleh. But most of all, I envy Casey Rogers' Aphrodite-come-to-life physique (she plays the Inner Goddess… and with just your imagination, you must know why: D) Another thing I definitely envy are the vocal prowess of Brenna Wahl and Chloe Williamson (you guys must watch the show to know why!) Kaitlyn Frotton as Katherine Kavanagh might worry you about your roommate, LOL. And there is Greg Kata, who is funny as hell.

Oh, well, I am just a lowly usher who incidentally just want to talk about the play I am ushering for, who am I to critique? YOU guys are better critiques. So, what are you waiting for? Watch 50 Shades! The show is extended until the 20^th of March and they have a number of shows to accommodate you all. Visit 50 Shades! The Musical Parody’s website, www.50shadesmanila.com to learn more about the spectacular show and also of course, to book your tickets. Hurry! Mr. Grey’s palm is more than ready to meet you! ;)

Views on the LGBTQI

I am posting again! Yay! I am alive! Naaaah!!

Kidding aside, I what the content of this blog entry is not a criticism to anyone but rather a discussion (if not merely raising curious questions from yours truly) of the gender discrimination in the Philippines. Before I start, let me just tell you that I have friends, or at least I have acquaintances who are members of the LGBTQI community, some of them have homosexual relationships. I am also a Roman Catholic. Lastly, I will do my best to be non-discriminative and unbiased.

So, first, I have a question intended for the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and other religious sectors, but of course, those who are reading this are also welcome to answer. The Holy Bible said that the Lord created the man in His liking, and the woman from the man. Now, the question is who created members of the LGBTQI?

Personally, I believe that God created us all. Well, I believe that a Supreme Being created us all, it’s just that diverse cultures and religions call the Supreme Being differently – God, Allah, and a lot more (again, this is my opinion). Going back, I believe God created all that exist, but not including all that is negative and wrong – murder, theft, deception, laziness, and a lot more. I believe that all this negative stuff was created by Lucifer, God’s fallen angel (now, I am referencing the Holy Bible). With that said, I do not see members of the LGBTQI as ‘negative’ beings in this world, because just like men and women, members of the LGBTQI community do good things. Of course, there are members of the LGBTQI community who do wrong, just like how many men and women do wrong, and much more like how many Catholics do wrong. Hence, just like biologically male and female human beings, members of the LGBTQI community are creations of God, who have their own discretion as to what is wrong or right.

Whether the Catholic Church see members of the LGBTQI community as immoral or not, allowing same-sex marriage in the Philippines is in the discretion of the State, given that there is a supposedly separation of Church and State (of course, I am talking about civil marriage). But on the other hand, isn’t marriage just a superficial event? I mean, many marriages fail the same as many live-in relationships prosper. So with or without the approval of the State with the same-sex marriage, homosexual relationships should be just fine.

More than the same-sex marriage, I think what the LGBTQI community should be pushing is the Anti-Discrimination Law. With this, any act of discrimination towards homosexuals would be punishable by the law. And also, with this law, people will stop the discrimination and promote respect towards homosexuals. And this law covers the discrimination in the work place, education, business, etc.

Last thing, is the point many people are raising that it is not being gay or lesbian that is the issue, but the sexual act made by gay and lesbian couples. People argue that it is stated in the Holy Bible that the purpose of marriages (and sexual acts) is procreation, which is actually why most people ask newlyweds when they will have their first born. Many people say that homosexual sex is purely for pleasure, as no child would be made after they have sex. But then again, there are heterosexual couples, who are not yet married, who have sex. Isn’t that already a violation of God’s words? Perhaps that kind of issue is less significant compared to homosexuals having sex.

Another thing is, even married heterosexual couples have sex just for pleasure and not procreation. I mean, why on earth would impoverished couples have 11 children? Do they honestly want to feed 13 mouths in their family? Personally, I believe that the answer is no. impoverished couples do not intend to have 11 children, but they were keen on having sex (for pleasure, I suppose) yet they do not have or could not afford contraception and so they just multiply.

And lastly on this last point of mine, how about infertile women and sterile men? Are they violating God’s words by having sex with their husbands or wives even they are fully aware that they could have no child? People might say that infertile couples have sex because they expect a miracle. Okay, fine. But I firmly believe that many people have sex for pleasure (most of the time). If not, then how come bars and night clubs are blockbuster spots for ‘sad’ and ‘unsatisfied’ men?

Again, all these are my opinion. You may contradict me, bash me, even hate me, for thinking and having the guts to post all these, but I cannot just sit and watch the minority, who I believe are not at all bad beings, to be discriminated.

If this post appears biased, I am sorry as I have failed to keep my promise of staying unbiased. I just want to speak my mind.

Image credits to mishulkaa of DeviantArt