It's not all in the name

Memes - these are edited photos on the internet of persons or situation where the conclusion is either face palm or a poker face because it was too stupid to start with. These are concepts which are bound to be spread all over the web.

Terms such as face palm and poker face grew because of the internet's pervasiveness. They are there to insult and make people realize. At some point, yes, it is fun to like and share these photos on social media sites. Let alone the website that started this all. Now that the campaign period for local candidates is in full swing, photos of them and most especially the senator aspirants have been subject to social media scrutiny because of the family names that they are carrying.

“I am her, the daughter or son of….” is the common tagline we hear in their television commercials, radio jingles and community meetings. They are lucky enough to bring their name of fame wherever and make a big deal out of it. No kidding, it is also a potential attention-grabber for campaign purposes. But I think there is more to be concerned of than just the name.

What really is the motive of these people who are using their parents' or relatives' names for the upcoming may 2013 midterm elections?

We could conclude that they are trying to keep political power within their hands, just like a dynasty. No wonder protest groups are pushing for a bill which abolishes political dynasties to give an opportunity to other leaders with capabilities but with no name to score big. But you couldn't ask a fish to bite the hand that feeds them. A majority of our policy makers come from a long line of politicians. But still that is not our concern.

Or maybe they are using it as a good marketing strategy. It has always an advertising rule of them to clearly retain names in minds of the consumers. That is why some advertisers repeat their name in a commercial two or three in a row. Again, we don't know.

Sometimes, it's not about the name.

We are looking for clear and concrete platforms that will take the Philippines to a higher level, where we will move from a developing country to a more progressive one. We want lawmakers who have the heart to serve and the passion for service. These are not the lawmakers who are too ill to even report for office. It is time for somebody fresh, full of vigor and vision for the country.

What we should care about in the candidate is their ability to answer to the country's problems and their stand on the issues the citizenry. We should ask them about their plans for poverty, the education system and inefficient offices in the civil service. We should not care about the road that is in perfect condition and their attempt to beautify it with the taxpayer's money. Nor their names plastered on billboards with their stale greetings of Easter, a happy summer and what have you.

As informed citizens we should look after the candidates' attempt to go against any COMELEC guidelines with their campaign material. And we would know for sure if they are worth our vote. Not just that, we should guard our integrity with our life. A single shade in your ballot is not worth a couple of hundreds.

While memes deem to be effective and fun in sorting out the best line-up for the 12 senators to be placed in position this year because of the name game, we must remember that there is always more to that.

**Published in The Freeman Newspaper on April 2, 2013

Once again, for Lent

Once again, Kris Aquino says it is the end of her showbiz career. By some kind of sorcery, she swept the country by storm and no, this isn't the first time. The last time she declared the same statement, she said if her brother would win the presidency, it was the end of her celebrity life. PNoy won and we all know nothing happened to her claim.

However, this year's scene may be different, what's in it for her was quite predictable. When she said she was allegedly hurt, her supposedly tears of pain became the new late night soap opera. Her struggle and story hit the headlines.

Once again too, we are on the season of the lent. Similar to Aquino's claim, we hear the same statements people would say over and over again. The world gets crazier as the years pass by, and the concept of the Lenten season is somewhat heading there.

There are those who repent and swear not to do monkey business for the rest of their lives but we know where they are now - doing the same old monkey business.

So what really is Lent? Is it just about the traditional waving of palms on Palm Sunday? Or being faithful and obedient for one week? Or maybe it is about avoiding pork and what-not?

I'm guessing a majority would say that it is now about going to the beach, enjoying your time with family and making this weekend an opportunity to relax from the busy-ness of work.

Over the years the concept of Lent has lost its true meaning. Holy Week has been given different definitions and associations. In fact, the thought of Easter is now being linked with egg-hunting, an event children look forward too. The United States does not even anymore accept the term Easter. Egg hunting Sunday would be more appropriate for them. This skewed thinking has buried the meaning of Lent and has regarded it as an ordinary holiday.

Yet this is not the truth. So once again, I will say this like I did a year ago when this column appeared for the first time - this is Holy Week and not something else.

Lent is the time to contemplate on the life given to you by God. These are days when we remember what Jesus Christ went through in order to save ourselves from sin. It was his choice to be stoned and mocked just so he could share the good news of salvation. He was even the one who carried his own cross even if he was the King of Kings. During the last few moments, he asked God to forgive the people of the world for their wickedness. Not that we are to follow what he went through by hurting ourselves physically, but we are to sacrifice our earthly habits for a few days or so just to keep ourselves focused.

Holy Week is definitely not that the ideal time to wade in the beach, get wild and rowdy while chugging on your favorite liquor. Even the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged the same on Sunday, March 24 on the front page of the Philippine Star.

Lent is sacred and must be respected by all denominations of faith. Although spending time with family is good and rare, Holy Week is a time to reflect on the love of God which he sent through his son Jesus Christ.

**Published in The Freeman Newspaper on April 2, 2013

Took her life for an unpaid bill

It was more than a tragedy when freshman Kristel Tejada of the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila took her own life for an unpaid bill, a bill which she shouldn't be paying for.

Tejada was asked by the administration to file a Leave of Absence in lieu of her remaining balance for the semester. It was said that she tried to raise money to pay her tuition during the semester, but school demanded too much and it was hard to cope up. She also tried applying for loans, scholarships and wrote promissory notes but this did not help her financial burden. Not even her mother's plea with both knees to the ground worked.

UP's system to determine a student's tuition is supposedly based on the income of his/her parents and their status of living.Tejada was the eldest of five. Her mother was a housewife and her father a taxi driver. She was assigned to bracket D, which meant she had to pay P300 per unit plus miscellaneous fees - the irony of being in a state university.

But still, Tejada was hopeful to finish her education and help her family.

By simple logic state universities are subsidized institutions by the no less than the government. Education is supposed to be given for free or if not with the least amount possible. In the case of UP, it is a state university and also the national university as mandated in Republic Act No. 9500. But in reality, students are burdened to pay tuition and other fees. Not to mention the daily expense of going to school plus the demand of paperwork. This leaves them with no choice but to set aside a meal in exchange for photocopies of today's lesson.

The constitution mandates the government to “protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, and take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all”. It also asks the government to “provide a system of scholarship grants, student load programs subsidies which shall be available to deserving students, especially the under privileged.”

But education is not accessible to all, not even to the underprivileged who deserves it more than those who can afford to pay. Promising students are forced to abandon their dreams to graduate on time and land a job for their family and the country. She is only one of the thousands of students who cannot enjoy a good life because something's lacking - education.

One must not forget that to invest in the youth of today is a treasure to reap in the future. But since as early as now this investment has been slowly reduced, there is not much to expect in a country like ours.

Unless there will be change.

Being part of an active student body we are disappointed at the system and angry at the burden that we and our parents have to carry just to be able to get a degree. The incident is not ordinary. This is an eye-opener to future policy makers and individuals who are involved in the education sector of this country.

This May 2013, we are to elect senators and congressmen who are will be our future policy makers. Part of their duty is to allocate the budget for state universities and the other expenses of the country.

Being critical voters, we must choose candidates who are willing to invest in the country's education system, those who have a burden for the youth and understands their role in building this nation.

In a developing country like ours, education is the key to empower our citizens even those who are the poorest of the poor. There should be change and justice to a system who does not recognize the right of every individual, most especially the youth.

**Published in the Freeman Newspaper on March 19, 2013

Women on fire

he is said to be weak and useless. Any good opportunity is snatched from her because it won't do her any good because the home is where she should be.

Others are blessed to be able to work. But work is done day and night as much as her body could handle and paid with a very little amount. Some are bought with a price in exchange for a night while others are shipped off to islands unknown only to come back shattered in pieces. At the end of the day she is a mother, a sister and a friend. She is called a woman.

Overtime, the situation of women in the world has gotten worse. There is the presence of prostitution, human trafficking, gender discrimination, multiple burdens and the list goes on. Only less than 20 percent are being educated, 10 percent of who are in the corporate world and five percent in the realm of politics. In the Philippines, they are given little or no work at all because they are believed to do better in the household.

This goes to show that there has been an unequal representation of gender in an international view. But women do not want to be stepped upon any longer. The traumatic experiences of yesterday have made them fierce and fearless taking a strong step into moving the status of women all over the world higher. The women are on fire.

This is the reality that happens every day. Women, even young as I am fight for human, health and children's rights hoping for the oppression to stop. Being regarded as the weaker sex, there has been a shift of mindset that has awakened the women of today.

And we see their efforts being recognized. Slowly women are stepping on pedestals in our society. With every cry, with every dance being done in the streets is the feeling of empowerment in being a woman. In fact, we have elected two lady presidents and the senatorial seats are slowly filling up with women. Even the fire brigade, police academies and military schools are attracting women. Although not big in number, but with little they can do so much.

This is the challenge of every woman today - to go out into society and prove the stereotype wrong. Women are not weak and useless. Women can do what others can do. There are still parts of the country and of the world where women are not given their rights. In a certain area in Thailand, young girls are not given birth certificates and worse, not even sent to school. The Philippines is blessed to be democratic as we are but we still have to lift every woman up.

Women have rights and such are those that concern their health as mothers, their safety as wives, their proper wage as workers, and their dignity as humans.A peaceful society starts with equality, the cry of every feminist. No one is over the other since we are all created as humans.

As we celebrate women's month, take time to hug every mother, sister, wife and friend with a grateful heart. She is not useless or weak. She is empowered, a woman on fire.

**Published in the Freeman Newspaper on March 13, 2013

Concealed identities

As far as my favorite TV series is concerned, I know Gossip girl was a scandalous website manned by an anonymous person who focused on the lives of the wealthy and the elite teenagers of no other than the Upper East Side, Manhattan City.

As the series went into the nitty-gritty season after season, I patiently wait for the person behind the scheming website. It was shocking to know that the person himself was a trusted man of the clique who wanted to be part of them. It was a complete irony.

Serena and Blair's friendship is none of my business really while they are being talked about on the site with boldness. While they have been the talk of the town for so long on an anonymous website, I fear for my own identity on more or less the same parameters. Little did I know that some internet users are using their authority to trespass over my privacy and looking into my friends' accounts which I deem is my responsibility to protect.

The situation is normal. I am no far from them and the other students of the University of the Philippines (UP) - Cebu. Our identities have been trespassed by anonymous accounts on Facebook with names I shall withhold yet relate to the nature of being a student inside the university. Their posts contain criticisms and mild bashes on the running candidates of the two contending political parties inside the university. While it seems very exciting to have an undercover spy waiting for its cue to spread it's good news, ill effects have been made.

These accounts look into other people's statuses and photos which they make as a basis for their judgment on matters involving politics and more. They reply to comments of real individuals as if they are part of the conversation. They watch and listen, taking advantage of their animosity over the vulnerable.

Why am I sharing a university problem to the rest of the community? One word: caution

I do not know if the same scenario applies to other university elections but sooner or later, the outdoor campaigns of the candidates will migrate online. I'd like to believe that these accounts were patterned after the Anonymous Philippines which I presume still exist up to today. Given that, it creates a stir in the emotions of the innocents whose sole purpose is to express on cyberspace. There is fear, threat and anxiety. However public it may be, we can be as private as we choose to be.

Yet there remains the responsibility of being cautious on whatever we write, post, or tweet on the internet. Granted the freedom that we are enjoying for now on the internet, we have the responsibility of taking care not to trample on somebody else's. Using a fake name or hiding under an anonymous identity gives the person the liberty to say whatever he/she or it wants to say, taking into consideration that he/she or it does not have any obligation to protect rights.

If responsibility is not exercised, then we are bound to have a chaotic cyberspace where highly intellectual individuals trained to be computer literate are becoming barbaric. The more civilized we are, the more we attain the freedom that we want. And that does not include hiding under a fake name. Even Facebook rules mandate on the use only of a real identity, an angle which we can always look at.

If they are not brave enough to reveal themselves, then freedom has lost its sense. Come out of the closet before it's too late.

**Published in the Freeman Newspaper on March 5, 2013

More than love, freedom

Falling in love seems so cliché. For some it may mean the world to them, but to fall in love is just too much. Or it could be just me and my ignorance love itself.

I see love when one gets all giddy inside because flowers and chocolates are waiting on their doorstep. It's all about the sweet notes and love letters signed and sealed with kisses. Romantic love stories seem to make love so surreal and even to the point of being idealistic in nature. Yet, I'd like to believe that love is more than that. That love is more than the cooties we feel from a sweet gesture.

More than the feeling of love that we celebrate every February is the celebration of freedom.

Freedom is such an abstract word. An old adage says “My freedom ends where your nose begins,” which connotes that being free does not guarantee you automatic permission to do whatever you want. Dream on.  There are limitations. They define your boundaries and your space as a person.

Just yesterday, I felt the aura of the wind turn from Valentine's passionate red to a bright yellow. Yellow has always been associated with happiness as its brightness speak for a happy aura. But the meaning of yellow transcends all happiness. In fact, it could be the highest form of happiness. This is freedom.

It has been 27 years since the march along EDSA. I was not there when it all happened, but anecdotes have served me a great deal to celebrate freedom. Martial law was at hand and out of control. People were being robbed of their rights, and even the media was caught in a bad shape.

One thing that I have admired the most about the Filipinos during the time of the people power revolution was when they knew how to stand up for their country. It was a dramatic scene. People from all sectors alike were holding hands walking towards the goal of overthrowing a dictator who has chained the Philippines. Nuns, students, even some of the soldiers and ordinary people brought down their guards and called for a genuinely free country.

We were successful at that. In fact, we even elected our first lady president who then became the symbol of democracy. It was her who changed the rule of the land into the hands of the people. It was her who continued the legacy of her late husband and bought it with her until her own death bed.

Those who enjoy the fruit of their labor are us, the generation after Martial Law. The freedom entrusted to us has become our avenue to be ourselves so we can make the Philippines a better place. Our artists can freely paint their heart's desire on canvass. Dances are expressed out of feelings and songs are sung with the greatest emotion.

The arts that we see today go hand in hand with the freedom that we have just achieved. With the changing paradigm of the country, we have to convince ourselves that we well deserved the freedom that has been fought. It was Spiderman who said, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” The power of freedom to make or break you as person must be handled with care. It is our shared responsibility to take care of this precious gift given to us.

Like a rose given that is given out of love on an occasion such as Valentine's day, so is our democracy. Once it is tattered, it may never go back again to the way it was before.

**Published in the Freeman Newspaper on February 26, 2013

Young campaigns

Exactly a week ago, the campaign period of candidates running for national positions in this year's election came into full swing. Just as expected the streets are now colorfully posted with faces of people who promise to bring light to our country. Even our TV and radio sets are blaring with campaign jingles.

For a first time voter like me, I am excited to vote the set of people whom I think would make policies and laws that would make the Philippines progress. There is that thrill of finding my name outside the precincts and using the PCOS machine for the first time. However, there is that part of me that craves for more information as to whose name I will shade on the ballots when the month of May comes.

Given the airtime granted by the COMELEC, their ads do not give voters a clear picture of what they really want to convey. Some candidates opt for music videos but they don't really present what are their platforms and plans for the Philippines. Even jingles and posters do not help that much. It is kind of alarming how one person could be placed in position because of his fame but we do not really know what they are capable of.

Same goes with university student council elections. With the May 2013 election in fever, it seems like the universities are models of a mini Philippines also into the election fever. And because the youth of today are techie, campaigns are blasted on the internet and on social media sites.

A person's Facebook newsfeed could be so colorfully filled with battling colors of each other's respective party. Degrading statuses are made, photos of insults are up and videos of credibility are posted for the world to see. Yet at the end of the day, it is all about choice.

It is a choice when we want to look at the campaign materials placed before us. Would you rather open your Facebook account and be bombarded by such messages or read a good book instead? The problem with today's youth is they think that the world is all about how you look online and how other people think about this. There is a big real world out there that needs attention, too.

It is choice when we campaign for a person or a party. The power of whose picture you would share on your wall is yours and not somebody else's, unless you were hacked by some powerful creature. As you who own the social media account should know who are campaigning for and why you are doing so. If we are to be deep on this, friendship does not really count. I have known stories of close friends who literally separate during campaign and election times. It also does not help if we campaign based on credentials that are out of the picture, say winning a quiz bowl or a singing contest perhaps.

Lastly, it is choice when we place our votes. Where you pen lands on that sheet of paper is still your will and your power to place whoever deserves to be in position. With our capability to vote, we know who are real leaders and leaders who are just there for recognition.

With the election fever going on for both the bureaucracy and student governments, I wish all the candidates the best of luck. But above all, we must remember that no great position is needed if we want to be leaders in our own rights so we could serve our people. Titles and recognitions do not define who you are as a person.

**Published on The Freeman Newspaper on February 19, 2013

The leadership imperative

All my life I wanted to become a leader  the person who led people to achieve a specific goal, whether in school, in an organization or the community. By all means the goal was clear and good but the purpose was not. The motive was not right, the heart not in sync. Yet I still strived to be one. Since then I believed I was born to become a student leader.

But when I was placed in a group of 80 other student leaders from all over the Philippines, my ego shrank to the smallest it could possibly be. Most of my batchmates in the congress organized by the Ayalas were presidents of an organization composed of presidents and so forth. I felt like being in the wrong place.

But every little detail in life has its purpose. Attending the said congress proved what Jaime Augustus Zobel De Ayala said that, “There is no certain leader. They come in all shapes and sizes, literally.”

Then the concept of leadership changed within a week full of stories, outdoor challenges, sharing and my own reflections. It was about them, not me. It was about what they can do to help, not my glory. My role was to lead, not command. To set an example, to be excellent.

Then a flame inside of me sparked. I was burning for the heritage of our own cultural identity. I wanted more to know who we are as Filipinos and what we can do. It dawned on me that the road to knowing thyself is more than difficult to undertake, painful in a sense. Our country’s history rooted on the grounds of foreign colonization wiped out our identity as a people that reality has made it clear - our ethnic tribes are now facing extinction.

I became agitated at the fact that soldiers die day after day after four years of struggling inside the military academy. Great leaders and servants spare their lives for the country fighting for peace when there must have been some other way.

But what are we doing as a people? Nothing I presume. We move forward as a nation leaving behind our colorful yesterday. Our lives go on as if there is no problem but young people like me are reasonably disturbed. We are moved at the fact that there is so much to do to bring back the prime of the Philippines. To be head on with today’s technology and erasing our past does not pay forward to who we are today.

And maybe that is the biggest take home I can share – to pay forward, to give back. It is a single step to take to take our progress into a higher level. It means so much to give back to a country that has always been yours all your life. It is a nation that has never betrayed you since birth. The Philippines is rich in all ways, it only takes a matter of making the first ripple, the first throw of a starfish back into the sea.

But the ripple is not done alone. No man can carry the world on his shoulders.

In a pool of young leaders catching the same fire as mine, there is so much work to do. But this is the leadership imperative. When we hold hands amidst distance and seas, work together for the better while carefully adapting to the ever changing reality, we can be confident of a better country.

The Philippines needs more great leaders; those with the imperative, those who understand what it means to serve its people and not the other way around.

**Published in the Freeman Newspaper on February 12, 2013

Love and beauty

Say hello to February, the love month. Nowadays we see red decorations everywhere – hearts, cupids, kisses and a lot more all associated with love.

It is said that love makes the world go round. But experts of this occasion mistake love only for an attraction to the one you envision to marry. Single ladies fret this day simply because there is nobody to take them out on a date. Other women who have men in their lives cannot wait for the 14th to arrive.

The history of Valentine’s Day goes way back but we have to admit it has been too commercialized. Same as Christmas, there are a lot of merchandise to buy for your other half. Nobody of course is compelled to but the business industry so demands it.

I believe there is nothing wrong with the commercialization of this occasion, even if there is a downside to every Filipino’s pocket. What I am more concerned of is the woman who stresses herself on her hairdo and outfit for the dinner date.

Similarly as February is well prepared of, women also during try to be the most beautiful this month so their man can be theirs to keep.

As beauty is very abstract, so is a woman. She wears fine clothing yet demands for more. She thinks she is fat when she is already skin and bones. She thinks she’s ugly but really, she is beautiful.

A clear picture of reality distorted just because a magazine cover or a radio advertisement said so.

In fact, this sheer distortion of reality has harmed so many women all over the world. In the United States, young women are suffering from eating disorders just because of their desperation to stay thin. They puke and starve themselves so no extra fat would bulge from their bodies.

The wonder of beauty and how abstract it can be is now destroyed and mutated into some Barbie body fairy tale dream.

I pity every woman who is naturally fair skinned or have a big body build. Not that they are to be pitied at, but their femme is disregarded because the norm says so. They automatically feel unwanted and unloved, enough reason for them to go on a horrible diet and a skin regimen.

Whoever set the norm of beauty into our media must be out of his or her head.

There a lot of women who feel unaccepted and rejected because of how they look. But in reality, every woman is beautiful, every woman deserves a date. There is no need for a diet that would force you to eat what you do not normally eat or to wear skin tight clothes just for curves to come out.

I personally admire the recently crowned Miss UP Cebu Francesca Fernandez who is the irony of beauty pageants. But her irony proved to UP Cebu and to the community as well that beauty pageants are to fight for simply because it uplifts women, especially those who are voiceless.

She admits being insecure of her fellow candidates because of her big body build but she pursued her desire to still be part of the beauty contest. In her audition tape she said, “I want to bring something different to the table.” And she did.

In fact, when she was asked the final question of the role of beauty pageants to state universities like UP Cebu she answered, “It allows me to be who I am and to be free.”

Her winning is a clear manifestation that the stereotype of beauty is now out.


Beauty is about being you and being free. Not being wrapped in a thick cloud of make-up and whopping high heels.


**Published in the Freeman Newspaper on February 5, 2013

Pictures and words

“If a picture paints a thousand words, then why can’t I paint you,” says a classic love song. Truly, a single photograph is that powerful to transcend a million words.

I believe in the power of pictures and the ripple effect it creates. Its messages plucked from still moments transcends to a million translations.

I too, am a fan of photographs. I grew up holding a camera that used film, making sure the film would not be exposed to light or else my shots will all go to waste. I remember the thrill of waiting for my shots to be developed and making the best out of the 24 or 36 shots given. Don’t get me wrong. I love to capture memories, nature’s sceneries and the mere reality of life. Before, big bulky photo albums had hideous hardbound covers. Now we have digital folders and nobody cares what your album cover is.

There are over a hundred avenues for one to share the passion of photography, one of which is instagram. This photo editing application which specializes in highly contrasted and saturated photos was bought by multi-millionaire website Facebook. Since then the application rose to prominence with more than a million users. If you have an iOs or Android powered phone, instagram is within your reach.

I have nothing against the application as I have an account myself but I was irked by one gentleman who got into a motorcycle accident along the high way of Mandaue City. Despite the police hovering over him and his damaged motorcycle, he still had the guts to take out his smartphone and upload a photo of his bleeding knee to the said application.

It made me question the purpose of photo sharing sites. Is it to contribute to the ever growing number of photo artists on the internet? Or is it an avenue of vanity where every action is documented and boasted to the world?

What is a photo for then?

How I wish there is not a stain of vanity but I guess reality has answered my question. My news feed is flooded with head shots of people with the same face yet different angles. For some vanity has taken over photography. Not to condemn everybody’s freedom on the internet but bleeds and wounds must be shared on an appropriate channel, that which is of a personal basis.

In the internet era, the concept of privacy becomes very vague. This is because almost everybody waives their right to privacy by the mere action of uploading a very personal photo on the internet. But once it is out, it is very difficult for one to take it down.

If there are photos worth sharing to the world, these are those that uplift the souls. Not those that depress us even more. Everyday we are faced with images on the news about death, murder, theft and the bad list goes on and on. It wouldn’t hurt to restrain yourself from the vanity monster inside of us when we choose what and what not to upload.

Certainly, the internet tempts us in ways that we do not even notice. It takes advantage of our personal lives so that it may become an avenue for praise or bullying. The biggest challenge now for every netizen is to keep his or herself’s privacy by making the right choices when it comes to photographs.

Much more now that the temporary restraining order of the Cybercrime Law is about to expire, there is a need to be extra careful with not just photos but with words as well. Words that may hurt, may slander or badmouth another may be taken against you.

Now is the time to take precaution with every photo and word.

**Published in The Freeman Newspaper on January 29, 2013

First Hundred Days

The most mind boggling question which racked every Cebuana's mind last Wednesday was Miss Cebu's final question - If you were the third lady president of the Philippines, what would be your agenda in the first one hundred days?

It was probably the most difficult question I have ever heard in the history of beauty pageants.

 As expected, the contestants gave so-so answers such as using social and traditional media for promoting Cebu, seminars for God only knows what and preservation of nature. Somebody answered about the call for women and gender quality. This year's winner answered that she will do feeding programs.

It might have been stage jitters or the women did not really know how to address the country's problems sitting as president for a hundred days or so.

Being the president is a tough job, a duty that needs digestion and processing. Yet If I were thrown the same question, these would have been my answers to solve the problems of our country.

One of my agenda would be to free the political prisoners as soon as I sit in power. These prisoners have been assumed to conspire against the Philippine government when all they ever did was to cry for the freedom of the country and for the rights entitled to them.

Also it would be time to grant farmers the land they deserve.  Haciendas all over the Philippines have not given the farmers the proper share they have worked hard for. The farm price is outrageously far from the price that we pay in the market, much more in supermarkets.

Lastly, within my powers as president I would call for the total ban of guns. If deemed unconstitutional, a stricter gun ban would have to do. Within the realm of looking after the welfare of the Filipinos is to protect them from the possible danger which they may get themselves into.

Do we really need guns to protect ourselves? The mere intent of acquiring a gun means that there is no safety in our society. Instead, why don't we invest on the police and government security for the protection that we are entitled to as citizens?

I bet when our president sat in office he was thrown the same question. But with a lot of problems to solve and chaos to fix in the Philippines, the question of priority would probably rack his brain as well. We cannot blame the top five candidates of this year's Miss Cebu for blurting the answers they gave.

Now we see how difficult it is to be president. With the billions of resources on hand yet a double number of problems that increases day after day, the job of being one is tough. PNoy deserves an occasional pat on his back for placing the Philippines in a clearer direction now.

**Published in The Freeman newspaper on January 22, 2013

Sinulog

Once again the malls are alive as the never-ending beat of the Sinulog is played over and over again. We see foreigners left and right scouting for the best buys in the city. And most of all, we notice the annoying traffic downtown. Because it is once again, time for Sinulog.

The history of Sinulog goes way back. It started when an expedition of Spanish fleets docked in the island of Cebu and introduced their faith to us. The Sto. Niño image is believed to have survived a fire making it miraculous.

In the 1980s, groups and the local government started to organize a grand parade in honor of the Holy Child. Thus began the festival that we keep on attending now. My Sinulog childhood memories have always been fun. I used to watch the street parade atop a corporate building along Jones Avenue while feasting on Cebu’s lechon together with family and friends. There are no vehicles, only have your feet to take you around the city.

I grew up not believing in saints and images of the Catholic faith but I totally respect that yet somehow the yearly event has become a mark for me to celebrate the blessings of Cebu.

Looking at a different perspective, the festival is not all about the image. For me, Sinulog is a time when we, as Cebuanos, remember our culture and tradition.

You see, it is a time where we once again nourish the basic areas of our identity.

Music for one is a good example. The Cebu Popular Music Festival shows that we have preserved our language and our gift of music. Year after year, Cebu’s homegrown composers and arrangers surprise us with their award winning songs which we wish to place on the mainstream radio.

Then there is art. We have been detailed artists ourselves before the coming of the Spaniards, hence the label “Pintados” by the invaders. Carefully painted tattoos, handcrafted jewelry and beautifully sewn costumes of the past still exist today as you wander through the streets of the city. Artists have all genres and styles come to the heart of Cebu to display their pieces all for the world to see.

Of course, we do not miss on celebrating beauty. The Miss Cebu pageant is an avenue for Cebuanas to empower themselves and show what an ordinary woman can do for her hometown.

 And lastly, we see our forefathers’ traits radiate within us as we welcome guests. Our being hospitable and loving to our visitors from other parts of the country and the world is unparalleled. In fact, it is something that we should be proud of.

The upcoming festival makes everyone excited. Some are excited to party, others say it is a time of thanksgiving and worship. I, too, have a different meaning for all this. We may differ in standpoints and views on religion but nothing can change the fact that we are Cebuanos, a people blessed by God with such a culture.

It was Jose Rizal who said that a person who does not remember his past is worse than a stinky fish. But we are very good in keeping our history intact. Our museums downtown are well-preserved and the media is doing very best to promote our local culture. The big festival is a culmination of it all. It is a mark of who we are as Cebuanos, as Filipinos.

**Published in the Freeman Newspaper on January 15, 2012

Maybe, just maybe

The first few days of the New Year saw students going back to school as mandated by the Department of Education. Attendance was, however, dismal. Only a few showed up and most were not eager to go back to school after the holidays.

For us students in the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu, we also returned to class on the 3rd of January but the same feeling of emptiness filled the classrooms. Nobody was in the mood to set off the New Year right.

I wandered the dimly lit hallways of the university searching for somebody whom I could share my sentiment. The students were not just ready to face the reality that the holidays have ended and we had to go back to school. Two weeks with family and friends isn't just enough.

To prove that going back to normal did not sink in everybody's head, I overheard students who were still in holiday mode, giddy with stories from their hometowns. Even social media channels were flooded with pleas from both workers and students to extend the short vacation.

Well, reality is harsh that is why we do not really want to go back to it.

Among the many realities that people, even students like us, have to go back to after the holidays is the issue at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.

Since December 17 of last year, the same faces are on the news. We hear the same names mentioned and allegations that are oftentimes below the belt. The two iconic women of the province go as far as tackling the intrigue of guards, policemen, tents, unpaid accounts on food and the push for one's literal removal from office. The issue is too much to handle, too much to take in.

Since then there has been a tight watch on the doors of the Capitol. There is heightened security, suspicion on every intruder and a restless crowd. The norm is disrupted.

All these are happing at a time when Cebu will be celebrating its biggest festival in a few days. Yet somehow amid the chaos, we are hopeful. Deep in our hearts, we want peace in the province.

Maybe it is time to quit bashing on each other's principles. But maybe we should just let them be. Or maybe, just maybe, we have to be brave enough to face the harshness of reality.

**Published in the Freeman newspaper on January 12, 2013

Looking back: 2012

Me and Pearl during her 18th Birthday Party

January: Beginning

The beginning of the year, kicked off by a special debut of a special person in my life - my Best friend Pearl. It was a month of beginnings and first. I was looking forward to a great 2012... and I did.

February: Defeat

Claiming by "Most Naning" Award

The infamous defeat and most painful failure in my life - losing to the position that I have aspired the most. I look up to this day as the most blessed one of 2012. Despite pain, I saw who really cared for me and believed in me. Among them were loved professors and Fine Arts friends.

March: Direct

The Trio and Prof. Ligaya Rabago- Visaya

Never in my wildest dreams did I intend to direct a video production, but I did. Twice, to be exact. I finished the second semester winning two best director awards for two films. One from UPelikula awarded the month before and from the zoom in, zoom out film festival.

April: Write

My first weekly column in The Freeman came out during the month of April. At first it was scary while I held my apprehensions but it turned out to be a good avenue for me to speak in behalf of the youth. Exciting!

The Casipong sisters, students for 2 years

May: Recital

One of the joys of being a teacher is when you are able to see the fruit of your labor onstage. The month of may was filled with performances and practices that made me very proud as a music teacher. 

June: Win

CAMS 2012 election

The sweetest downfall also yields the sweetest success. After a year of being in the Cebu Alliance of Mass Communication Students (CAMS), I was elected this year as the President. Being the leader of the entire organization was a big challenge but a challenge so sweet that every endeavor is a joy to me.

July: Believe

Goofing around with Kara David and fellow officers

Probably the most unforgettable CAMS event in my life is the I-witness Documentary Festival. The officers were privileged enough to spend time with the four hosts - Kara David, Sandra Aguinaldo, Jay Taruc and Howie Severino.

August: Celebrate

Feeling like a true reporter inside the ABS-CBN Cebu's TV Barn

In celebration of TV Patrol Central Visayas' 24th anniversary, we kicked the mechanics of the annual campus patrol live broadcasting competition. It was a milestone for CAMS to co-organize two big events in two months. Amazing! This here is also my most liked profile picture. 

3rd Best Director award for 2012

September: Grow 

One of my favorite Cebuano plays, Ang Mini, was bought to life by my very own classmates. We won Best Director (me), Best Actress (Rejzl Awit), Best Supporting Actress (Angela Naval), Best Set Design and BEST PLAY!

Scene from "Ang Mini"

October: Performance

Teacher's recital, Chu un Temple 

Even if I haven't been teaching that much anymore, I was still invited to perform during CMLC's teacher's recital. It felt s good to still be able to sing and play the violin in front of an audience. Well actually, I kind of miss it. I miss playing the music.

November: Heights

Flying high sitting on preferred seats

Out of 800+ students who applied to be part of the country's prestigious leadership training, Ayala Young Leader's Congress (AYLC), I was called to fly to Manila for the final panel interview. Little did I know that I will be on the high heights of Makati's skyscrapers being with fellow young leaders across the nation and talking to top executives of great companies. Another great privilege, indeed.

December: Family

The most meaningful month of the year is spent well with family, bonds that are beyond blood but bound by cherished moments and friendship. December may have been the last month but each day has been filled with wonder as I wake up realizing that 2012 hasn't been that bad at all.

My cousins in Manila, 6 years after

College family: B&B Productions!

Moving on: 2013

2012 was not that bad at all! So, 2013, what have you got for me?

Miss UP, AYLC 2013, ABS-CBN Cebu and The Freeman internship and more!

Thank you Lord for this gift of Life. What is your 2012 story? =)

Hugs and love,

Feanne

**PS: Watch out for Verbal Variety's new look on 2013!

Tragedies before merriment

Just a week to go before the celebration of Christ’s birth and the spirit of the merriment is dying by the second.

Last Friday, my female classmate was assailed by two men, one if which pretended to be her husband. One of the assailants publicly declared that people should leave them alone because he has a personal business to settle with my classmate. The man’s sidekick, meanwhile pulled my classmate’s bag with mighty effort. Good thing a female vendor of Christmas lights identified her as a student, causing the assailants to flee.

The following day, a shooting occurred in Connecticut killing 20 children and six adults. Unlike the stories of gunmen tearing down a high school building, this shooting spree happened in an elementary school posing threats to nearby towns and the rest of American nation. More than a hundred children in Sandy Hook Elementary School are traumatized and scared of what will happen to them as they go to school.

Is there still a safe place in this world? That I ask myself amid the traffic and Christmas parties happening left and right. With the increasing number of crimes and innocent victims day by day, the answer to the question seems vague. There is too much darkness and evil in the hearts of men. Even the most friendly-looking face could be the next thief as soon as you turn your back.

We live by the moment. And every moment we do, there is somebody out there who is robbed of, assaulted, abducted or raped. It is a sad reality that we submit ourselves to. In the first incident I mentioned, the men have been identified by the police as notorious, committing crimes for countless times. The sad thing is the police cannot arrest the men because no one is brave enough to file a case. So their happy tripping goes on and many are becoming victims as of this writing.

The Christmas season is not only about enjoying and spending time with friends and family. It is also about caring and extending a hand to those who have been aggrieved. There were many people who witnessed my classmate being attacked but no one helped, except for that female vendor and a friend. Her plea for help fell on deaf ears despite many onlookers.

The world is, indeed no longer safe.  But I know a place where we can still be safe – our hearts. It is where we hide ourselves, our fears, struggles, and where we hold on to the belief that a baby boy born in a manger will save us from all the harm.

I pay my respects to those who were killed in the Connecticut shooting and I have to admit I am angry at those who harmed my classmate. But I rest in the truth that the miracle of the baby boy will make our hearts at peace.

An advance Merry Christmas to all the readers!

**Published in The Freeman newspaper on December 18, 2012

Of Cebu and storms

“You are in the eye of the storm,” my journalism teacher used to warn me whenever I encounter unfortunate events. I didn’t really understand what that meant every time she said it. Even so, she added that one could always get out of the storm.

Apparently, the word storm is a life metaphor for problem, conflict or a difficult undertaking. It could be very destructive but just like any phenomenon, it goes away and the challenge is to rise again.

storm clouds hovering over UP Cebu

As of this writing, super “Pablo” is somewhere between Visayas and Mindanao threatening the islands with its heavy rainfall and strong winds. Public storm signals were raised and residents were advised to evacuate coastal areas.

But despite the threat, I can say that Cebu is ready for any storm, literally or metaphorically.

Cebuanos have faced difficult challenges – killings, robberies, political rivalries, poverty, hunger. The rains kept on pouring hard but the Cebuanos showed strength, still standing up after every challenge.

What is it in a Cebuano? There is a long list of how we are as a people, of how, as part of the Philippine race, we managed to help keep the country afloat.

Cebu is a colorful place. According to marine biologist and notable host Jude Bacalso, Cebu is where the lines of business and leisure meet. It is home to the world-class guitars and sweet mangoes.

Cebuanos are incomparable. In times of storms, we stick together like a sturdy tree. We have kept our humility throughout the years being the birthplace of Catholicism in the country. The first war in the history of the Filipinos was done at the shores of Mactan, Cebu.

We have the best hotels and resorts that tourists from different parts of the globe frequent. In fact, Cebu was nominated as one of the best cities in the world. It is a place of intellect, culture and history.

The Bisaya was portrayed as “bakya” before. But it cannot be denied that the Cebuanos are world class. Just recently, we pulled of a national event, the National Thanksgiving Mass for the new Filipino saint, San Pedro Calungsod, who is Bisaya.

My professor believed in me when she said I could survive the storm and I managed to. The Cebuanos are a strong people who can survive any storm.

**First published in The Freeman Newspaper on December 5, 2012 

Minding manners in public

Long ago, cellular phones were not objects of necessity. Back when beepers were more convenient, mobile phones were bulky and a hassle to bring. Life was easier then. Everybody knew what privacy was.

The right to privacy is the inherent right on an individual to be let alone. However, with the advent of technology, this concept is constantly blurring by the moment. It is now easy for individuals to invade your privacy with a trusty gadget, which we all know by the name of cellphone. A majority of its models include a camera feature with optimized lenses bearing an adequate number of megapixels amounting to photos and videos with high resolution.

Its add-on may be music to the ears but it may be dangerous to one’s space.

We all know the story of Paula Salvosa, more popularly known as “Amalayer”. 

For days her infamous squabble with the lady guard at the Santolan LRT station flooded the news and the internet. Months back, we witnessed how a driver berated a traffic enforcer along Capitol Hills Drive in Quezon City. Both were bullied and harassed by netizens judging from the comments we read. The former testified how the humiliation destroyed her life. She chose not to go to school and is still afraid to go out alone.

photo from elysplanet.com

The public has eyes that can see very well. People watch you from a distance and talk about you in an instant. All these events fell into the hands of the public because of how fast technology runs.

But if we take a quick backtrack on the reason behind their public shame, we come to a common denominator - manners. Both did not manifest good manners in public 

places.

We all have our reasons for losing our temper especially when on the run. For all we know, the two came from a stressful turn out. Or maybe they could be running late for class or work. We do not really know what they went through before it all happened. Yet, this does not give them an excuse to echo their stress to other people.

Salvosa lost it, Carabuena did too. It was all because they were not patient. Their manners were all over the place.

People around you are just as worthy of respect as you do too. No matter how shabby, old, young, degrading or even below your status in life, they are people too so show respect.

Furthermore, English is not the basis of your wisdom and educational attainment. Language comes from the mouth but words do not. You cannot belittle someone and tell him or her off just because you went to school.

Lastly, when you are about to lose it, keep it to yourself. The eyes that could defame you do not know how to collect all the sides of the story. If you keep on invoking your rights to scream, shout and squeal in public, you have also stepped on the rights of others to stroll in public peacefully.

Remember, when you go out of any big door you share the same air and road with the other citizens of the Philippines.

**First published in The Freeman Newspaper on November 27, 2012

Indi-fferent

Film – a medium of expression recorded on film, or so it was in the old days.  It could also be termed as “movie,” which came from the shortened phrase “moving pictures” because a movie is literally a set of pictures played in fast motion.

The world of movies has come a long way. Way back, nobody knew how to integrate music into the movie, so a live orchestra was on stand-by in front. It played music whenever a scene from the movie needed emphasis. And just like any other form of medium, it evolved into what it is today.

Technology has made everyone a potential filmmaker. One could record on a handy video cam, a digital camera, a web camera or on a cellular phone.  No wonder this year’s Metro Manila Film Fest took advantage of this technology and included a segment in this year’s fest entitled “CinePhone”.  Students from universities across the country made a public service announcement about road courtesy through video footage from the cellular phone.

Because of the emergence of such technology, there has also been a stream in the film industry called “indie”, short of independent. It is not part of the mainstream made by a big production house nor is it readily shown in the theaters.

I have always thought of indie as different to the point of being weird. It was gay, revealing and weird, or so I thought. Yet, sometimes as human beings we tend to judge even before we have seen the entire picture.

Last Saturday, in an event organized by a couple of UP students, called Full Length, I sat for roughly five hours watching two indie films come to life. At the end of each film, a open forum was held for questions or insights on the movie.

They don’t do this for the mainstream. Otherwise, it would look so bland. I couldn’t imagine bringing myself to the microphone infront of a film critique and an eager audience sharing how handsome Taylor Launtner looked in the last installment of the Twilight Saga. It’s either I get kicked out for giving wrong input or a Team Edward fan steals the microphone from  me.

Through the event, the indifference of Indi showed me that its importance to our society. This made me realize the need to make indie movies.

The intent of the movie is not to sell or to regain back the money spent in production. It is to expose the truth to a wide mass through a massive portrayal that no mainstream production outfit would ever dare to do.

Indi is daring because it wants the truth out. It shows what is reality and not some distorted perception of what reality is. Indi is gay because it speaks for the minority. It gives a voice to those who are unheard of, making the silver screen their avenue in telling the world their value and what they really are.

It is weird because it is a form of expression. Those who think that what is shown in the mainstream is the norm think that whatever seen not in accordance to the norm is weird. But weird as you might call it, Indi is deep and gives the viewer a wider understanding of society.

Films are not only because of a star actor playing the role or a New York Best Seller novel coming to life. The lessons, the portrayal and the values embedded in the grooves of the film sell to the human heart and mind that this form of medium should be supported.

**Published in The Freeman newspaper on November 20, 2012

Sa akong pinakasuod nga higala

Sa dili paka mo basa sa akong suwat dunay mga pipila ka lisod nga pulong niini:

Kolehiyo - college
Dalag - yellow
silabon - instead
mapagarbohon - proud
makalisang - awful
--
Sa akong pinakasuod nga higala.....

kaming duha ni Pearl sa among pagtapos sa sekondarya (March 2010)

Dear Pearl,

Layo na gyod ang na abtan sa atong paghinigalaay. Nakahinumdom ka sa unang adlaw sa pagtungha? Nahimo kitang higala tungod kita ra ang nagsul-ob sa kutub nga uniporme sa tunghaan. Diha-diha nagkasinabot tau g nahimong sugod nga managhigala.

Wala gayod ta nag-away sa secondary bisan og daghan kog ginabuhat ug kanunay ko ginapatawag aron mo tambong sa mga kalihokan sa tunghaan. Nakahunahuna ko nga tingali og naanad nalang ka. Nakahandom ko sa atong mga buluhaton nga dunganon gayod og buhat labi na og manglaag tai nig Biyernes tungod nga wala may klase.

Karon nga anaa na kita sa kolehiyo, di nato ikalimod nag daghan na ug kausaban. Dili nata mosul-ob og dalag nga uniporme ug itom nga sapatos silabon kanang mga panul-ubon nga makapadayag kung kinsa kita.

Sa tinud-anay, mapagarbohon ko sa unsa na ka. Wala ko magdahom nga malagpot ka sa kalibutan sa management. Dili nako mahanduraw ang imong mga kalihokan iniining kursoha. Nahimo sab kang aktibo sa mga organisasyon sa tunghaan, usa sab ka butang nga di nimo gusto apan imo gihapon gi dawat.

Bisan og daghan na kita og gipanbuhat, duna’y parte nako nga gimingaw kanimo. Gimingaw ako sa mga panahon nga mangaon tag dungan inig paniudto. Dili na kita mangadto sa kasilyas aron mamulbos sa dili pa mag ala una sa hapon ug magsimasima inig human sa klase. Lisod dawaton nga nanagko na kita. Nagpangandam nako sa akong kaugmaon ug mao sab ang imo.

Usahay dili ko ka tuo nga kaniadto, mga gagmayeng babaye ra kita sa sekondarya nga ang mga buhok gi pangko og ponytail samtang ang mga nawong galubong sa mga libro nga nakapahilak kanato sa pipila ka gabii. Lisod man ang sekondarya, apan mas lisod ang kolehiyo.

Nalipay ko nga nakakita ka og mga higala nga anaa diha para kanimo niining panahona. Dili ko makabati og sala tungod kay daghan nako og buhaton kon makakita ko nga lipay ka sa imong mga bag-ong higala. May nalang nga bisan og wala ko pirme, duna’y mga tawo nga mi amoma kanimo ug naa sa imong kiliran.

Kon duna’y mga butang nga gusto nako isugyot kanimo, akong ilangkob sa tulo ka ponto:

Una: hinay-hinay lang sa imong kasing-kasing. Kahibalo ko nga dili pa kayo dugay ang inyong pagbuwag sa imong pinalangga kaniadto. Nalisang ko samtang nagtan-aw kanimo nga miagi sa kalisod. Apan, dili kini hinungdan nga kalimtan ang imong mga buluhaton ug ang mga panaghigala nga nagama sa susimang panahon sa relasyon. Sama sa gi ingon ni Ramon Bautista, “There’s more to life than love.”

Ikaduha: buhi sab usahay. Ayaw kaayo pahigot sa imong mga ginikanan. Kahibalo ko nga sila ang labing mahinungdanon nga mga tawo sa imong kinabuhi apan makaayo sab usahay kung mananghid ka kon mosugot sila nga mo laag uban imong mga higala kon dili nako ba. Ang pagkahadlok dili makatabang, makapasamot ra kini sa kahimtang.

Ikatulo: buhia ang imong kinabuhi. Mabuhi ra ka og kausa ug kon pirme raka mo sunod sa mga mando nga gihatag para nimo, samot ka nga mapakyas sa higayon nga makita ang kaanyag sa kinabuhi. Mao na, sulayi nga imong buhion imong kinabuhi nga mura og wala na’y kaugmaon nga mo abot. Dili man makadaot ang mo katawa og kusog ug higugmaon ang kaugalingon.

Ako ning gisugyot tanan tungod nga sa pito ka tuig nga na ilhan ko ikaw, mura ba og duna’y parte sa imo nga wala miusab. Ikaw gihapon ang inosenteng batang babaye nga nag apong sa iyang Papa ug Mama nga mo sugot sa mga gagmayng kalihokan nimo. Dako na ka nga babaye karon ug may kapangakohan sa tanang pabuot nga imong pagahimuon.

Hinaot unta nga sa dili madugay ang akong mga tambag imong mgadala sa imong kasingkasing ug kini mayo kanimo inig abot sa tukmang panahon.

Hibaloa nga gihugma tika sa kanunay bisan og dad-on ko sa kahanginan (ug karera) sa layong dapit.

Pag-amping!

Annie Fe                                                                                                          

Beauty of Papa Kit's

“Preservation before revenue” - This is what Papa Kit’s Marina and Fishing Lagoon’s advocacy.

Banked on the idea of preserving nature and then letting people see what nature offers, Papa Kit’s has been in the business for a good number of years. The foundation of the resort is linked on the idea of fun and environment preservation.

The place is adorned with recreational activities which give fun and adventure but at the same time benefit the environment as well. It is a vast 96 hectare area which is comprised of a lagoon teeming with mangroves, fishponds, seashore, mountains and a very picturesque view.

Papa Kit’s is the center of attraction in Liloan, Cebu. Found in the beautiful archipelago of the Philippines as it is also a tourist attraction to foreigners and locales who would love to explore the Northern part of Cebu.

Click on the video below to view the fun you could get at Papa Kit's!

(c) www.philfortune.com

There are also a lot of interesting places in the Philippines which you may view. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!