Wexistence

I haven’t seen the art installation myself but I get the picture. A penis on the crucified Christ’s forehead, bunny ears on the Holy Family, etc. I can understand why Catholics are angry. What I don’t understand is why they’re not angry about all the other forms of “blasphemy” around them.

As some friends have pointed out, with the exception of the gallery wall, all the components of the exhibit can be found within a five-block radius of Quiapo Church.

Openly displayed on sidewalks next to religious statues and prayer booklets are sex toys and (pirated) porn DVDs.

Ride any jeepney and you will find a rosary hanging from the rear view mirror, a Sto. Nino on the dashboard, a proliferation of lewd messages, and pin-ups of “bold” stars. Millions of Filipinos see this scene every day and yet not a single devout commuter has complained about the unholy juxtaposition.

Go to a mall on a Sunday and you will see priests celebrating mass at altars framed by billboards featuring sultry, half-naked men and women. The body and blood of Christ is raised during the consecration in front the enormous bulging crotch of a Bench underwear model.

I don’t know what the artist’s intentions were, but if Poleteismo has achieved anything I think it has been to show the great irony of the Filipino Catholic response to “blasphemy.”

Dear Representatives Tieng and Velarde,

A bill that criminalizes sex toys? Seriously? What’s next, a bill that bans orgasms? Please don’t deny everyone else the sexual pleasure you are incapable of enjoying because of your puritanical beliefs.

I don’t know how you could possibly enforce a law that defines sex toys as any device that “can be used to stimulate human genitals,” “could trigger sexually impure ideas” or “can give room to sex-related offenses”. Human beings are both horny and incredibly creative and will continue to find sexual functions for everything, and I mean everything. From phallus-shaped fruits and vegetables to common household items to random things for which you cannot, for the life of you, fathom an erotic application. In aid of legislation, may I submit for your consideration: isthisasextoy.tumblr.com.

Conservatives love to talk about colonial mentality and how loose sexual morality is the product of western values eroding our own traditional Filipino values. Actually, this prudishness about sex is the Western influence and what we deem immoral sexual behavior was the norm in these isles before the western powers colonized us. The Spaniards were shocked by the sexual freedom of the natives. Pre-marital sex, multiple sexual partners, sex toys were no big deal. A girl’s virginity only mattered if she was of noble birth, e.g. the daughter of a datu whose marriage was intended to forge a political alliance. Some of those sex toys they sell in Malate and Quiapo are traditionally Filipino, and a lot kinkier than many western inventions.

Wouldn’t you like to know what those are for?

Thank you for your kind attention.

Yours Sincerely,
Harlot, Heathen, Hoor of Babylon

I’m at that age where everyone is terribly interested in the contents of my uterus. It’s infuriating that no one seems to think that asking me about my reproductivity (or lack thereof) is intrusive and obnoxious.

It disturbs me that my inquisitors seem to imply that upon reaching a certain age, women should bear children whether they’re ready or not. I’ve repeatedly explained that I’m neither emotionally nor financially prepared for such a responsibility but this does not seem to be a valid reason for remaining childless. I get stupid responses like:

“But babies are so cute!” So are puppies, and they’re cheaper and lower-maintenance.

“Bahala si Lord!” This kind of thinking is responsible for the large impoverished families all over the country. Support the reproductive health bill.

“Kawawa naman parents mo, wala pa silang apo.” Bakit hindi kayo naawa sa aming mag-asawa? Hindi naman yung magulang namin ang magaalaga at magpapaaral sa aming anak. Bakit gusto mong maghirap kami para lang magkaroon sila ng laruan? Bibigyan ko sila ng tuta.

First of all, if and when I choose to have a baby is no one’s business but mine and my husband’s. I’m not the crown princess; my ability to produce an heir is not a matter of national importance. Second, while no one is ever 100% ready to become a parent, 80% is still a lot better than 20% and I’m still in the lower quintile. Third, social conformity is a stupid reason to bring a child into the world (or to do anything, really).

I’m aware that my biological clock is ticking. I understand that childbearing will become increasingly difficult and risky as I get older. I’ve been warned that by the time I finally feel ready to have a child, I may not be able to conceive one.

My husband and I aren’t overly concerned. We figure that if we get to the point where we want to have a child but cannot conceive one, we’ll adopt. When I tell people this they seem shocked, like adoption is not a desirable option. I can’t understand why. We would love an adopted child just as much as we would a biological one. We don’t see how the lack of common DNA would in any way diminish our family.

Father Fernando Cuenca, Augustinian Recollect

While I was in Bacolod over the weekend, I sought to find out more about my family’s progenitor, Fr. Fernando Cuenca (or, as I like to call him, Lolo Friar). What I’ve learned about him so far suggests he was a good priest (the obvious indiscretion notwithstanding) who contributed much to the development of the province of Negros. He was apparently well-loved, as people still leave flowers at his statue in the San Sebastian Cathedral.

Gran bienhechor de Negros; Fundador del molino “la hidraulica”; Medico; Constructor de las carreteras provinciales de Negros y Parroco de Talisay por 50 años.

The inscription on his statue reads: “Great benefactor of Negros; Founder of the hydraulics mill, Doctor, Constructor of the Negros provincial highways, Parish priest of Talisay for 50 years.”

A brief account of “The Spaniards” in the Negros Museum mentions that “Recollect Father Fernando Cuenca modernized sugar production by building the first water-powered mill in the 19th century.”

In the Negros Museum: a photo of Fr. Fernando Cuenca from a book, what looks like a page of his handwriting, and a tile with his name and some kind of coat of arms

There’s a short description in Spanish next to his picture, but I only understood the part about him being “Castillan of the city of his name” and the rest I could not translate.

A few years ago I came across a short paragraph about him in the first volume of “Documentary Sources of Philippine History” by Gregorio Zaide, which says that he introduced the use of geothermal energy in Negros. There were no details but I’m assuming that this had something to do with the water-powered sugar mill.

Somewhere in my paternal grandparents’ house there is a book about him that I intend to unearth when I have more time.

Some notes about the Spanish friar as a historical figure:

We would like to think that the Philippines had flourishing civilization before the Spaniards arrived on the scene. But “civilization” presupposes certain tools: wheel, plow, road, bridge masonry, paper, book, etc. We didn’t have any of those things before the Spaniards came, and therefore we cannot claim to have been a great civilization.

We would not have had those tools if the Spaniards – specifically the friars – hadn’t introduced them to us. We owe the friars for our civilization, and yet the friar is portrayed as the villain in our history. When we think of the friar, we think of Padre Damaso. We think of abuse and oppression and exploitation. We fail to acknowledge that the friars were our economic and cultural heroes.

The friars shaped our economy with the crops they planted: tobacco, cotton, coffee, sugar, melon, guava, and many others. We take for granted that these crops are not indigenous to the Philippines — the friars brought them here. When we broke away from Spain, we did not fear economic upheaval. We weren’t a colonial economy, tied to the factories and markets of Spain. We were economically independent.

They revolutionized our agricultural production by introducing the wheel and plow. Most Filipinos seem to think that the image of a carabao pulling a plow is intrinsically Filipino, but it is not. The pre-Hispanic carabao was meat, not a work animal. The wheel and plow lifted a mountain of labor off the farmer’s back and expanded his ability to produce.

The friars’ revolt against their superiors in Spain resulted in independent friar provinces in the Philippines.

They organized our dialects into grammars. The propagation of dialects instead of Spanish resulted in an independent Philippine Christian culture that is not merely a mirror of the Spanish or Mexican culture.

They opened up and mapped our lands.

They pulled us out of the midst of folklore and into the era of written history.

They built churches, bridges, damns, and irrigation systems that we still used today.

It’s not widely know that there were never many Spaniards in the Philippines and that lack of manpower translated to an inability to commit widespread abuses. Not that there weren’t any abuses in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but the bulk occurred in the nineteenth century as a consequence of the political strife in Spain and the decline of the empire.

It was in the nineteenth century that civil administrators and soldiers from the colonies Spain had lost came flocking to the Philippines and only then did the widespread abuse become possible. I think that it’s extremely important to make that qualification because otherwise our perception of colonization and the impact of friar influence becomes skewed.

(As an introduction to the historical role of Christianity and the Spanish colonization in constituting the Filipino and the Philippine nation, I recommend the following writings of Nick Joaquin: (1) A Question of Identity: Bringing Out the Invisible Filipino in History; and (2) Culture and History: Occasional Notes on the Process of Philippine Becoming.)

On my social networks I posted a link to the Inquirer article Aquino accused of posturing on land reform issue. The article makes reference to a New York Times interview with Fernando Cojuangco, Noynoy’s cousin and chief operating officer of the holding company that owns Hacienda Luisita*, in which he said the Cojuangco clan has no intention of distributing the land to the tenants. In response to this, Cavite Rep. Crispin Remulla was quoted saying “[Noynoy] cannot control his family and shows the weakness of a person masquerading as a leader. He cannot stand up to the family patriarch and proves he is not his own man.”

A friend of mine who is a Noynoy supporter reacted negatively.

Him:

Let’s all hope then that all our cousins and assorted relatives are all virtuous, lest their actions be attributed to us.

Me:

I don’t think that’s the point. I think the concern of many is whether or not Noynoy is strong enough to resist pressure from his assorted relatives. According to Malacanang insiders during Cory’s presidency, his mother wasn’t, and the Aquino-Conjuancos supposedly had their fingers in all sorts of pies.

Him:

The point is that conclusions about his position are drawn from statements made by other people. Aquino is posturing on land reform because his cousin says he’s not serious about it? And now you’re implying because his mom wasn’t able to resist the pressure, he won’t be able to handle it either? Come on….

Me:

It’s not that I think he will succumb to the pressure simply because his mother did. The question of whether or not he will succumb is not a question of DNA. It’s a question of strength. People who knew Cory and who were there during her administration say that although Cory was a saint, she wasn’t strong enough to fend off her relatives. Is Noynoy stronger than his mother? I don’t know. So far Noynoy does not seem to be a particularly strong, decisive personality and that does not fill me with confidence.

Him:

We need Moral Leadership at this stage. The claim on intelligence, or political will, or competence are minor considerations at this stage of our collective lives. We need someone up there who at least has not YET been tainted by corruption or greed. This intelligence-competence-will argument was the exact same thing people used in 2004 when they voted for GMA. They got what they deserved. Unfortunately, so did the rest of us.

I let the exchange end there because it’s pointless to argue with people who’ve already made up their minds. But to those who are still on the fence, I pose the following questions:

Why does Noynoy have a monopoly of morality? What good is his so-called morality if he doesn’t have the intelligence to understand the nation’s problems or the will to implement politically difficult solutions? Where does his moral ascendancy come from? From his parents? On one hand, Noynoy supporters say we shouldn’t judge Noynoy on the basis of Kamag-anak, Inc. On the other, they expect us to accept his Moral Leadership on the basis of Ninoy and Cory. Ano ba talaga? Should we judge a person by their blood relations or not? Stripped of the Cory Magic and the Aquino Legacy and the messianic narratives that people have woven around him, what are we left with to judge Noynoy? Let us consider his personal merit, or lack thereof.

*GMANews.TV special report on Hacienda Luisita:
Part 1: Hacienda Luisita’s past haunts Noynoy’s future
Part 2: Cory’s land reform legacy to test Noynoy’s political will
Part 3: How a worker’s strike became the Luisita massacre
Part 4: After Luisita massacre, more killings linked to protest

Some thoughts provoked by Winnie Monsod’s Mussings*:

1. I, too, share the same fears about Manny Villar.

2. After Cory died, when people first started buzzing about a Noynoy presidency, some government insiders I know rolled their eyes at the idea and dismissed Noynoy as “tamad” and “bobo.” Senate staffers observed that Noynoy is dull, can’t seem to keep up during senate deliberations, and is a notoriously late riser because he’s up all night playing PS3. Some community organizers we work with in Nueva Ecija said that they supported Noynoy up until they actually met him at a sortie, where he did not answer their questions satisfactorily and he was so spaced out that they wondered if he was autistic. A senior government official during Cory’s presidency said that while Cory was a “saint” she did not have the intellectual prowess and technical knowledge to be an effective president. Even people who adored Cory have come to realize that pureness of heart is not enough to run a country.
3. I understand why people so desperately want to believe in Noynoy. After Erap, followed by nine years of GMA, we just want a president whom we can trust. Even if he is painfully mediocre. Sure, Noynoy’s clean and he won’t steal, but c’mon. He has no outstanding achievements and he wouldn’t have even been considered as a presidential candidate if Cory hadn’t died. It was the outpouring of love for Cory and all that she represents (hope, democracy, goodness) that propelled Noynoy to prominence. Without his Aquino lineage, he is nothing.
4. Men Sta. Ana defends Noynoy’s lackluster legislative record, saying “The number of laws sponsored by a senator or congressman does not make one a competent legislator.” Okay, sure. Quality over quantity. I get that. But seriously, 9 bills? That’s all? Miriam authored 738 in the same time period. And technically sound as Noynoy’s bills may be, they aren’t exactly exceptional. It’s not like he has gems in there like, say, Mar Roxas’ affordable medicines act or EVAT funds for educational and healthcare law.
5. During presidential debates it’s all motherhood statements, he throws around terms he clearly does not understand, and when backed into a corner he invokes the memory of his parents as a talisman against difficult questions. During the Face-to-Face forum with LGUs, Noynoy sounded like he was just parroting sound bytes that had been previously fed to him by his handlers and could not expound further. Also during that forum, it became apparent that though Noynoy is chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government, he knows nothing about local government issues, particularly devolution. His answer to everything was “Pinag-aaralan ko pa ho.”
6. While Noynoy’s campaign slogan “Kung Walang Corrupt Walang Mahirap” is emotionally compelling, it is also largely untrue. Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand are all notoriously corrupt but they were able to significantly reduce poverty. The solution to the problem of poverty is much more complex than the slogan would have you believe. Corruption is just one of many problems. Eliminate corruption and you’d still have to: (1) stabilize the country’s fiscal position; (2) provide adequate infrastructure; (3) strengthen the investment climate; (4) equitably distribute growth among sectors; (5) address the unequal pattern of development among regions; (6) alleviate demographic pressure; (7) implement genuine agrarian reform; (8) develop human capital, invest in basic services, especially education and health… and that’s just the beginning of a whole laundry list of things the next administration will have to address. An administration that is not corrupt will not necessarily know which strategies to pursue. “I will not steal” is not a substitute for “I am technically competent.” Integrity is a necessary but not sufficient condition for one seeking public office.
7. As unimpressed as I am with Noynoy, I admit that there are valid reasons to vote for him. It just annoys me that people insist on romanticizing him. Let’s recognize him for what he is: a mediocre candidate, but the only who seems capable of beating Villar in the polls. If it’s down to a choice between Noynoy and Villar, I can understand why you’d choose Noynoy. But please be honest with yourself and cut the crap about his “competence.” He is not our messiah. He has not demonstrated that he has any capacity whatsoever of fulfilling all the hopes and dreams that the nation is so eager to pin on him.
8. A number of people I respect and admire support Noynoy for pragmatic reasons. Former Finance Secretary Bobby de Ocampo told me that this election isn’t about who’s smarter or more competent, but it’s about making a clean break from the present administration. I don’t necessarily agree but it’s certainly something to think about.
9. I like many of the people who’ve chosen to rally behind Noynoy, among them Mar Roxas (accomplished in both the private and public sector, impressive legislative and executive track record, my presidential candidate if he hadn’t stepped down to make way for Noynoy), Risa Hontiveros (beauty and brains, Nobel peace prize nominee for her work as chair the Government Panel’s Reciprocal Working Committee on Socio-Economic Reforms in the Peace Talks with the National Democratic Front), Neric Acosta (distinguished academician and political scientist, principal author of many environmental laws including groundbreaking Clean Air Act), Jesse Robredo (outstanding multi-awarded Mayor of Naga City, my dream DILG Secretary), Mike Luz (former DepEd Undersecretary, the brains behind the LP platform on education, my dream DepEd Secretary). Noynoy is not lacking in advisers, intelligent people who understand our various problems and have concrete plans on how to solve them (even if Noynoy himself doesn’t). Maybe that’s enough to get him through. Maybe it’s okay that he’s not brilliant for as long as he listens to his betters. But I’m not sure.
10. I share Ma’am Winnie’s concerns about the Liberal trapos: “My only concern with Noynoy is how deep he might be in the Liberal Party and whether he has accumulate political debts to Liberal trapos. The Liberal Party, like any party, has its own share of crooks (including those bandwagon trapos who jumped off GMA’s boat to ride on Aquino’s popularity).” In that sense, Noynoy is really no different from Gibo, whose only real flaw seems to be membership in Lakas-Kampi-CMD — GMA’s party. If the concern about both candidates is political indebtedness to the trapos in their respective parties, what then makes Noynoy a more desirable candidate than Gibo?
11. Gibo’s party affiliation does concern me, but the guy is a shrewd politician. He’s managed to distance himself from GMA and the party. It’s a tough balancing act because he needs the political machinery of the party but at the same time he doesn’t agree with their positions on a lot of issues. I’m impressed by the finesse with which he’s handling himself. But I’m still wary of the people around him. And it’s still not clear who will hold important cabinet positions if he does become president. I want to make sure that no one is pulling his strings, that he won’t be so politically indebted to the party that it will compromise the decisions he’ll make in the future. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt though. Thus far he seems to be his own man. I don’t believe that if elected he will merely be the party’s lapdog.
12. Gibo is a bar topnotcher and a Harvard magna cum laude. He is intelligent. Unlike many of the candidates out there, Gibo doesn’t fumble for answers. He knows what he’s talking about. I’m impressed by the depth of his understanding of issues. (In this interview with National Artist F Sionil Jose, he answered all the questions impressively, and I particularly liked his answers on poverty, population management, and the Philippines’ “damaged culture.” He quoted Mancur Olson and Thomas Friedman in the same breath and is apparently a neo-institutionalist. Be still my heart!) He’s not afraid to take tough stances, he will say things other candidates are afraid to say (e.g. disarm government and non-government groups in ARMM, yes to comprehensive reproductive health program). As far as I’m concerned he’s out-performed all the other candidates in the presidential debates.
13. Gibo is strong and confident, but I see no traces of ego whatsoever. I like that. He does not see himself as a messiah; he is offering himself up as a humble public servant.
14. Gibo exudes sincerity. I feel like I can trust him, and his public record suggests he is deserving of that trust. He is untainted by allegations of corruption, and is by all accounts an honest man. Noynoy isn’t the only one with a legacy to protect. Gibo is proud of his name and has carefully guarded his reputation.
15. Ma’am Winnie’s criticism of Gibo isn’t even really criticism. She’s holding his “galing at talino” against him because GMA supposedly has those qualities but she turned out to be a lousy president. She’s holding his eloquence against him because Marcos was a great public speaker. Should we not elect intelligent presidents just because they’ve screwed us over in the past? We elected a dumb president (i.e. Erap) and that didn’t turn out so well for us either. Intelligence is not enough to ensure a good president. But neither is moral uprightness (e.g. Cory).

* It would seem that someone wants to use Winnie Monsod’s influence to win votes for Noynoy. Ma’am Winnie says she did not write the “Why I Will Vote for Noynoy” statement that has been attributed to her. I’m kind of relieved. I was surprised when I first read it, having previously heard her views on Noynoy. My reactions to the piece are the same regardless of who wrote it though.

Multi-sectoral groups wave their banners in protest

I haven’t joined a rally since Edsa II. I was in college then, and I’ve since come to realize that there are more productive ways to expend time and energy if you really want to contribute to positive social change. Which is not to say that I don’t see the value in protest actions, because I do. It’s just that in the Philippines it seems like we’re marching onto the streets every other day and somehow the frequency lessens the impact.

But anyway, I was at the anti-con-ass rally on Ayala last June 10 because I felt strongly about the cause. I will not stand for a charter change that does not reflect the will of the people, for term extensions, for no elections in 2010 and for further abuses in government. I wanted to take part in an opportunity to raise awareness about the implications of con-ass.

It started out okay. I particularly liked the skit of Paq Yu (Gabe Mercado) and Juana Change (Mae Paner); I thought they summed up the issues nicely. It started going downhill for me when the politicians started talking. I would have much preferred it if the organizers had invited on stage more representatives of the various groups present, or even just ordinary citizens from different walks of life.

Political rivals sharing the stage: a show of solidarity for a common cause or just another campaign opportunity?

Chiz Escudero, Mar Roxas, Loren Legarda, Among Ed Panlilio among others addressed the crowd. Kiko Aquino Dy read a letter from his grandmother. (I’m sorry Tita Cory, but you lost credibility with me when you started hanging out with the shadier members of the opposition. I thank you for your service to and sacrifice for the country, but you are not the moral compass of the Philippines.) JV Ejercito relayed a message from Erap. (Your father was convicted of plunder and you have the gall to get up there and pontificate?) JV was the last straw for me. I left shortly after.

A banner with the faces of the representatives who supposedly voted for HR 1109

HR 1109 was approved through a viva voce vote. The ayes won simply because they were louder than the nays. There is no official record of who voted what, so we’re not sure if the lists floating around on the internet are accurate. Our best bet is the list of those who signed as co-authors of HR 1109. Obviously (with the exemption of Rep. Luis Villafuerte, who withdrew his signature), legislators will not vote against the measure they authored. I feel that propagating a list that has not been verified is unfair to the congressmen who may not have supported the resolution.

It seemed to me that people at the rally spent more time bashing PGMA and the con-ass congressmen than talking about con-ass itself. I wasn’t expecting a scholarly debate, but is it too much to ask that we focus a little more on issues and a little less on personalities? The backdrop of the stage read “Stop Gloria’s Con-Ass” as did many of the signs and banners people were carrying. I personally am against not just Gloria’s con-ass, but I’m against any attempt to violate our democratic institutions. It’s not just about the people involved in these shenanigans, it’s about what they represent. I don’t want to see just a change in political leadership, I want to see change in our entire political culture.

This will be my last rally for a while, unless something of Edsa I proportions happens.

On a lighter note, I thought this “Amazing Map of the Philippines” was really funny, though I’m not sure why someone was carrying it around at the rally:

“SHAPE LOOK LIKE ALIEN”

Earlier that day, at an MGG meeting in the Ayala Foundation conference room:

The view of Ayala at around 4:00 PM from 10th floor of the BPI building
Me, Paeng and Quintin with the crowd growing on Paseo de Roxas in the background,
Posing with Mae in her full Juana Change glory before the rally

View the full set of photos on Flickr.

On the recent events at the House of Representatives, someone on one of my social networks commented:

These representatives sure don’t seem to be representing us the way they’re voting in the congress these days. When was the last time your congressman actually too the time to ask his constituents what they needed or wanted?

I replied:

I think they do represent us, but not in the sense that they represent our best interests. They represent us in the sense that they are reflections of our values and attitudes. They are products of our political culture.

One of my mentors at my university explained it this way: “It is convenient to blame all this on the rapacity and moral turpitude of our politicians. But, is it not that politicians merely play by the unwritten rules of this sordid game? How much of this corruption is due to popular complicity? Is not the craving for pork partly driven by the electorate’s own insistence that their congressmen always bring home the bacon, so to speak? [You can't have bacon without pork, can you?] There is a seemingly benign Tagalog expression whose implications for political and public life I have only recently discerned. It goes something like this: Walang hindi nadada-an sa magandang usapan. This wonderful formula belongs to everyday life, does it not?”

He replied:

I certainly don’t disagree with you. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone say “Tatakbo na lang ako sa Kongreso para yumaman ako” implicitly agreeing to the corruption that’s been going on.

Yet on another level I can’t agree as well. I can’t quite put myself to believe that all of us would think that way… course if that’s the case, we’re pretty much doomed as a nation, cha-cha or no cha-cha.

I replied:

I’m not saying all of us think that way. I’m saying that has been our prevailing culture. But I don’t think we’re doomed. The fact that we have a growing pool of outstanding local government executives shows that Philippine political culture is changing.

There are numerous examples of well-run communities in the country. Marikina, Naga (which was recognized by the World Bank in 2003 as one of the world’s model cities), Davao and Puerto Princesa are just some of the more famous examples. Less famous examples would include Lanuza Bay municipalities in Mindanao, Pandan in Antique and Iriga in Camarines Sur. Examining these cases should give us a more nuanced view of Philippine society and the potential for genuine democratic politics.

I’m still a little bit stunned that we actually pulled it off. You’d never guess that planning for the event took place in under a month. The start of the show was incredibly stressful, with all sorts of last minute details and mini-crises to deal with. But once we got everyone settled inside the theater, I was able to relax and enjoy the show.

My favorite performances of the night were the hilarious remake of Bohemian Rhapsody by Jim Paredes, Buboy Garovillo, Isay Alvarez, Bituin Escalante and Robert Sena; Tempestuous Jones’ rendition of Nosi Balasi (which totally transported me back to the 80s); the sizzling hot dance number by hiphop champions Philippine All Stars (“Mainit! Mainit!”); and Yeng Constantino’s passionate appeal to the youth to “stand up, be counted, speak your mind.”

In between performances, 3 new Juana Change videos were premiered: “Rowbaht,” an explanation of the OMR vs. OES issue infinitely more entertaining than any of MGG’s press releases on election automation thus far; “Kulungan,” a satire about speaking the truth and social justice; and “Baligtaran,” a rejection of apathy and cynicism.

Towards the end of the program, Mae announced that she’s giving herself 365 days to lose weight. “Ano naman ang kinalaman niyan sa pagbabago ng bayan?” Jim and Buboy asked her. “Sino ba ang bayan?” Mae countered. “Di ba tayo?” Mae went on to explain in order to change the country, we need to look within ourselves and make a personal committment to change the things that need to be changed. In her case, she said that it was her lack of discipline and greed. Quoting Apolinario Mabini, she challenged the audience to undertake an internal and external revolution.

‘An internal and an external revolution are necessary at the same time.’ Mabini warned that unless citizens renounce their vices, and solidly anchor their moral education, the new nation would be plagued by civil war and internal dissent.¹

I got teary-eyed at the finale, when the entire cast performed Maniwala Ka as a huge Philippine flag unfurled from the balcony and the confetti rained down on the crowd. I was so moved by the response of the audience, who were on their feet clapping and cheering. There was a renewed sense hope and determination in the air. It was inspiring to feel part of something much larger than ourselves, and to realize that together we can change our destiny. Naniniwala ako na may pag-asa pa!

Congratulations, friends and colleagues in ArtistsRevolution and MGG. It’s a privilege to work with you. Here’s to 365 363 more days of blood, sweat and tears para sa bayan. Todo na ‘to!

365 Days to Change in the News:

Concert starts countdown towards change (Bandila)

Pinoy artists call for ‘revolution’ (ABS-CBNNews.com)

Belting out songs for change (Inquirer.net)

¹ Felice Sta. Maria, Visions of the Possibe: Legacies of Philippine Freedom, Publishing, Inc., Makati City, Philippines, 1998, p. 76

William Esposo thinks speaking English is a threat to nationhood. Also, he does not know how to respond to a valid dissenting opinion.

Okay, sure. There's something to be said about learning in your mother tongue. If you're learning a foreign language at the same time you're learning a new academic subject, you're obviously going to have problems. I had a hard enough time learning math and I probably would never have gotten through first grade if I had to learn it in Swahili. There's nothing wrong with English as a medium of instruction, for as long as your students speak English well.

But Mr. Esposo doesn't want Filipino school children to speak English well. He apparently doesn't want them to speak it at all. Mr. Esposo's issues with English as the medium of instruction appear to have less to do with pedagogy and more to do with identity. English is foreign. Foreign is bad. “What good are Filipinos who are gainfully employed in call centers but has [sic] lost altogether their sense of nationalism? …When will we finally reconcile with the reality of who we really are and stop pretending to be another national? Who will fly the Filipino flag for future generations if Filipinos today are fixated with this delusion that they are Brits or Yanks?”

I speak English. I even speak it better than many “Brits and Yanks” but I have no “delusions” that I am one of them. I have embraced many aspects of Western culture, but as I've said before, that does not make me any less Filipino. Mr. Esposo has very narrow conceptions of culture and identity.

Filipinos speak English better than other non-native English speakers, and that's partly why Filipinos are so successfully globally. (Btw, majority of our 11 million OFWs are skilled workers – doctors, engineers, scientists, teachers, nurses, architects, accountants, artists, programmers, executives – and not domestic helpers.) We’re enmeshed in a global society and whether we like it or not the language of that society is English. Even ethnocentric societies like Japan and China recognize the necessity and are now struggling to learn the language. You can't argue that speaking English is a bad thing from a practical standpoint. What we need to do is improve the teaching of the English language, not eliminate it altogether.