Kakapanood lang namin ng coverage ng holdapan sa Maynila kanina sa GMA Pinoy TV at sa TFC. HAla kumusta naman at parang nagkekwentuhang magkapitbahay lang sina Mike Enriquez at Mel tiangco sa phone. Haha. Medyo nagiging komedya tuloy yung coverage.

Nakakapanghina yung naganap. Madaming kashungaan sa panig ng media, kinauukulan, at ng mga mamamayan sa paligid pero sino ba naman ako para pumuna diba?

Kekwento ko na lang yung mga sinabi ni Itay na points gaya ng pagbabarikada sana o yung pagpeperimeter sa area at yung Di sana pagpoprovoke sa holdaper na mainis (halimbawa: yung pagpapakit ang paghuli at pananakit sa kapatid niyang pulis) at paggamit sana ng pamilya niya bilang pampalambot ng puso niya. Sana daw eh di nagtapon ng mga tear gas sa may sasakyan gayong may mag tao pa. Sana gumamit din ng chopper para sa monitoring. Angggulo eh.

Nakakapanlumo lang. Pero gaya ng iba pang mga major na pangyayari ng bansa, pagkaraan ng ilang araw pustahan limot na naman ito ng marami sa ating mga kapwa kababayan. Nga pala, Petsa ngayon sa Pinas nung Maguindanao Massacre. Sana di tayo makalimot.

Hay kakapanlambot lang bat para sa akin eh ang pangyayring ito ay sumasalamin sa malakingbahagi ng lipunan natin. Bakit ba may nanghoholdap at bakit kaya siya nangholdap? Papansin? Di rin siguro. Well, sa panghoholdap kasi, yung holdaper, nakakakuha ng control, ng kapangyarihan, ng pera, at ng exposure. So may narsisismong anggulo din ito no? Haha. Pero ayun nga, siguro yung iba humahantong sa panghoholdap nang malakihang scale dahil malaks na ang tama ng pagkauhaw nial sa material na bagay, pera, kapoangyarihan o sa pansin, mga bagay na aminin na natin, di agad naibibigay ng lipunan sa Pilipinas.

Wala pang isnag segudo ang lumiupas, nilasap ng mukha ng guro yung blackboard eraser. Hinagis itong pabalik ni itay sa mukha niya. Tumahimik ang klase.

Galit nag alit siyang nilapitan ng guro. Tumayo ang hayskul na si Itay at sinabi sa guro:

“nandito po kami para mag-aral at hindi para batuhion niyo ng pambura!”

Guro:

“bakit, may naintindihan k aba sa mga tinuturo ko? Sige, ipaliwanag mo nga ang…”

Itay:

“eh napakalayo naming sa blackboard paano naminyan maiintindihan? Sa tingin niyo nakakapag-aral kami ng mabuti dito?”

Na-challenge ang guro. Iniba ang kaayusan ng silid aralan at hinila ang de-gulong na blackboard sa gitna ng classroom sabay nagsimula muling magturo. Buong period puro si Itay lang ang tinatanong niya.

***

Napag-uapan naming ito ni itay kanina sa hapag habang napagkekwentuhan naming yung nakakalunos na lagay ng edukasyon sa Pinas lalo na sa mag prubinsiya. Yun bang kung wala daw mga corrupt na nilalang sa pamahalaan at yung mag dapat paglaanan ng pera ng bayan at mga pera para sa bayan eh napupunta talaga sa dapat paglaanan, magiging maayos talagang tiyak ang edukasyon sa Pilipinas.

Chura ng araw dito kala mo kung sino kung makapangtusta ng balat! Hmpf. Anlakas pa niya magbigay ng amoy ah.In al fairness, amoy araw na ako. Hindi amoy pawis ha, amoy araw. Magkaiba yun. Malamig naman yung hangin kanina kahit na nakakaloko ang pangungurot ng sikat ng araw sa balat. Tagabantay kasi ako ng ibang mga kargador kanina. Sabi ng bossy bosses, bantayan ko daw sila baka may nakawing kahon sa mga shipments. Owwkey. As if naman mabubuhat nila palabas ng gate yung 20++ kilos each na kahon.

Anyways, di ba kayo nagtataka kung saan nanggagaling yung amoy na dinudulot ng araw sa tao? (O, wag masyadong seryoso) Alam mo yung amoy ng mga bata na nabilad sa araw? Ganun. Again, yung di amoy pawis ha? Basta yung pure, virgin, unadulterated amoy ng araw. Mmmmamoyarawka! Kapag di ka naging batang gala o kaya sushalin kang tao at pinangingilagan mong tuna yang araw, eh malas mo, di mo siguro lam yung pure, virgin, unadulterated amoy ng araw. Panalo lang ang araw no? Di lang sunog sa balat ang ibibigay niya sa’yo, bibigyan ka din niya ng bungang araw tas kapag malas-malas ka, mga kuto at lisa. Oha, sige nga, paano nabibigyan ng araw ng mga kuto at lisa ang mga tao ng basta basta? Hehe.

—-

Tamang sidetrip sa di ko pa napupuntahang mga lugar ang moda ko kaninang umaga. Pa’no ba naman, sa ibang bus ako nakasakay at sa ibang ruta pala siya dadaan. Kaya pala habanag nakasakay ako eh parang nasa ibang lugar na ako. Nung una in denial pa ako eh. Sabi ko, naku, baka naninibago lang ako kasi madalas natutulog ako kapag nakasakay ako sa bus papunta sa istasyon ng tren. But noo! Hindi ako nakatulog kanina mula nang ma-realize kong ibang bus pala ang nasakyan ko. Lintek. Sabi pa naman sa akin agahan ko daw ang pagpasok ngayon kasi may aayusin kaming mga mahahalagang files sa trabaho.

Yan ang hirap dito sa Tate eh.nakakaloko ang busses at bus scheds. Pare-pareho pa ng itsura yung mga bus. Kapag namali ka langng sakay, deds ka na. Well, not really, basta deds ka na for a while, ganun. Paano ba naman kasi, pula yung bus na sasakyan ko, may dumating na pulang bus. Sa pagkakaalam ko, isang pulang bus lang ang dumadaan doon sa stop na yun. Aba malay ko ban a may naligaw palang bus doon na nagre-route kaya ayun, namali ako ng sakay. Buti na lang, ang huling stop niya eh malapit sa sakayan ng bus na papunta sa bodegasina. Whew.

10 minutes lang akong late.

Wag ka, di eto ang unang beses na nagkamali ako ng sakay sa Amerika. Mamya ikukwento ko.

Sabi na nga ba masamang pangitain ang paghahain ng mga kaguluhan hinggil sa hayden camera scandals na kumalat sa inarnets eh. Ayan ayan, kaninang madaling araw dito, kagabi sa Pinas, gumuho ang natitirang mga pundasyon ng paguho nang demokrasya ng PIlipinas- Inaprubahan ng walanjong Kongreso ang Con-Ass (Constitutional Assembly). Wooh. Nakakakulot to ng buhok sa kili-kili pramis.

Wala namang mali sa Charter change, sa constitutional assembly. Ang mali, yung timing. Para bang nananamantala ang mga nasa pusisyon sa pagkakataon. Walang mali sa pagpapalit, pagsasaayus at pagbabago ngilang mga naksulat sa konstitusyon kung para ito sa ikabubuti ng bayan. Pero kung para lang sa ikabubuti ngiilang nakaupo sa pusisyon, naku, maling maling mali. Ang mali dito, kasabwat ang pangalan ni GMA. Tsktsk.

Ano ba yung sinasabing House Resolution 1109?

Ito yung isa sa mga panawagan ng kongreso para makapagpulong sila at makabuo ng isang Constituent Assembly.

Ang kaibahan ng 1109 sa ibang mga panawagan ng kongreso, ay ang panawagan nito na mabigyan ang lower house (basta may sapat na bilang) ng kapangyarihan para magbigay ng mga proposals, at aprubahan ang mga pagbabago sa konstitusyon kahit na wala silang paalam sa senado.

Ang isa pang kaibahan nito sa ibang resolusyon- hindi ito nagpo-propose ng kahit anong partikular na pagbabago sa charter.

More dito.

Sana may gawin ang mga tao dito. Sana naman mabawasan yung mag nagsasabi na pagod na sila sa pulitika, sa rallies, sa pagrereklamo, sa pakikialam sa bayan kahit na wala pa naman silang nagagawang alinman sa mga nabanggit na hakbang ever. Sana di pa lamunin ng lupa ang Pinas.

Uuwi pa ako. Anakngteteng umayos ka nga Philippine Government!

Nagbubunyi ngayon ang kalakhan ng amerika at ng mundo sa panibagong kabanata ng pamumuno ni Presidente Barack Obama. Muli na namang nangingibabaw ang usok ng pag-asa at pagbabago. Isang malaking simbolo ng pagbabago si pangulong Obama. Isa siyang instrument pero sana maisip ng karamihan na hindi lang siya ang magdudulot ng pagbabago. Nasa kalooban ng bawat isa, sa kaibuturan ng kagustuhan ng bawat nilalang unang magaganap ang pagbabago. Kung walang malakas na puwersa mula sa loob at panay langhap na lang ng langhap sa usok ng pag-asa at pagbabago ang karamihan sa mga mamamayan ng mundo eh walang mangyayari. Hanggang pangarap na lang at pag-asa ang magaganap. Mauubos din yung usok, mauuwi lang muli sa lahat.

Maganda yung speech ni Pangulong Obama. Sana nakinig at tinamaan yung maraming mga pulitiko sa Pilipinas.

And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account – to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day – because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.-Pangulong Obama

Heto nga pala yung buong text ng inauguration speech ni pangulong Obama:

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and co-operation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.

At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we, the people, have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

Serious challenges

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land – a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America – they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

Nation of ‘risk-takers’

We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted – for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things – some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and ploughed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

‘Remaking America’

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions – that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act – not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Restoring trust

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions – who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them – that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply.

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works – whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account – to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day – because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control – that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart – not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

‘Ready to lead’

As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort – even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologise for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

‘Era of peace’

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West – know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

‘Duties’

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honour them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends – honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism – these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths.

What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

‘Gift of freedom’

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence – the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed – why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have travelled. In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world… that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive… that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].”

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

speech mula sa website na ito

Second Global Forum on Migration and Development is being hosted in Manila, where apparently the government believes that migration is development, that to escape poverty one must escape from his country-and worse, that its citizens agree wholeheartedly.

Sa ginagawa ng pamahalaan na pagsuporta at pagsusulong mga programa tungkol sa migration, eh parang basta na lang nilang isinasangkalan yung mga OFWs para maging sakripisyo upang maisalba ang lagay ng ekonomiya sa bansang PIlipinas.

Palagi na lang ibinabalandra sa mga manggagawa sa Pinas yung mga pinapangakong magandang buhay sa ibayong dagat, yung pagkakataong mamuhay ng maginhawa at makapagpadala ng di hamak na mas malakaing pera sa mga kapamilyang naiwan sa Pinas, nang hindi nabibigyang pansin yung kakulangan ng oportunidad na matino sa mga Pilipino. Oo, madaming trabahong pwedeng mapasukan, (sa maniwala kayo o hindi, madaming pwedeng mapasukang trabaho) pero sasapat ba naman yung sweldong kikitain ng mga manggagawa sa patuloy na pagtaas ng pamasahe, ng langis at nga mga pang araw-araw na gastusin?

Ako noon dalawang trabaho yung sabay kong tinatrabaho pero kapos pa din yung halos kinse mil na kinikita ko sa isangbuwan para pambayad ng bahay at pangtustos sa mga gastusin sa bahay. Partida rumaraket pa ako noon.

Nakakaloko na parang nakadepende ang ekonomiya ng bansa sa bilyon-bilyong remittances mula sa mga OFWs (legal man o hindi) na nagpapakahirap magtrabaho sa ibayong dagat. Oo, dahil dito ay matatawag silang mga bagong bayani. Oo, malaki ang naitutulong nila sa bansa pero yung iparating ng pamahalaan sa mga mamayan na ang migration (o paglipat at pagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa) ang mabisang paraan para maisalba sa kumunoy ng kahirapan ang bansang Pilipinas ay isang malaking kalkohan.

Totoo naman eh. Di hamak na soobrang laki ngkinikita ko dito kumpara sa Pinas. Noong nag caregiver ako dito kumikita ako ng 1,200 USD (x47Php=56,400Php) kada buwan. Anlaki ng agwat sa sweldo ko sa Pinas na pumapalo ng 10-12k kada buwan. Masuwerte na ako kung aabot ng 15k. Totoo din na kahit papaano makakakita ka ng kislap ng pag-asa sa pagtatrabaho mo dito, pero iba pa din yung nagtatrabaho ka sa bansa mo. Promise. Kundi dahil sa sweldo ko dito, eh di magtatiyaga ako sa Pinas. Andun ang saya eh. Dito puro trabaho, madalas pa may bonus na pang-aabuso.

Pero dahil mahirap kami at walang anumang ari-arian sa Pinas, nagtatyaga ako ditto nang makaipon p ara sa kinabukasan namin.

Yung mga nakakausap ko ditop na nagke-caregiver o nagja-janitor, mga doctor sa Pinas, mga bank executives, mg amay matataas na pinag-aralan, pero ano, andito sila (o sa ibang bansa) kumakayod marino para kumit ang mas malaking pera.

The heaviest burden is perhaps that of suffering even the temporary loss of some of the country’s best and brightest, who leave the country not so much in pursuit of a better future but because they find they have no future here at home. In education, for instance, some very good teachers have decided to stay behind. But others, equally good, have left the Philippine educational system to teach English in Texas or Physics in New York. The full benefit of their experience and expertise goes to their American students, not to Filipino pupils

Nakakalungkot diba? Yung iba ang nakikinabang sa galing at sa serbisyo ng paglilingkod na par asana sa kapwa na nating Pilipino mapupunta.

…each country must work to make migration less necessary. Some of the greenest pastures must be found at home.

Wala lang. Sana makaisip ang mag mamayan at ang pamahalaan ng paraan/mga paraan bukod sa migration para makaahon ang mga isla ng Pinas sa dagat ng kahirapan.

Mga karagdagang babasahin: (LOL kunwari assignment lang)

The Future of OFWs- Philippine daily Inquirer

Not to Global forum on Migration and Development

OFWs: expatriates with less rights-Philipine Daily Inquirer

Kakapanalo pa lang ni dating US Senator Barack Obama bilang Presidente nang bansang ito nang bigalang may magtanong sa akin ng: “Bakit ba ang mga Pinoy eh sobrang excited at tuwang-tuwa sa pagkapanalo ni Obama?”  Oo nga naman. Bakit ba parang mas malapit pa sa Amerika ang mga Pinoy kesa sa madaming mga kano? Muntik ko na siyang tanungin kung yun bang naobserbahan niyang pagka-excited at pagkatuwa ng mag Pinoy sa pagkapanalo ni Obama eh tulad ng pagka-updated nila sa mga TV series na gawa ng Amerika, pero hindi ko na siya tinanong.

Well, simple lang naman ang sagot diyan, ang halalan ng Amerika ay halalan ng mundo. Oo, di nga boboto ang mga hindi kano, pero bakit sila masyadong nadadala sa halalan dito? Simple, dahil ang Amerika ay isang makapangyarihan at maimpluwensiyang bansa at ang pagkapanalo ni Obama, na sumisimbolo ng pag-asa at inspirasyon para sa pagbabago ay ang pagkapanalo din ng karamihan sa mundo. May pag-asa pa, ika nga.

Dahil sa halalan dito, mas lalo kong napagtanto kung gaano kagulo ang halalan at pulitika sa Pinas. Dito ang araw ng halalan ay parang normal na araw lang. Mapayapa. Walang gulo. Tahimik pa nga eh.

Malakas ang impact ni Obama. Medyo kinilabutan nga ako at naluha sa speech niya kanina. Yung tatay ko knukulit na ako kung may balita ba sa amnesty. Kung ano daw ang say ni Obama sa mga walang papeles na gaya namin. Tinext kasi siya ng mga malayong kamag-anak at sinabing mag-ipon na daw kami ng pera pauwi kung sakalaing manalo si McCain. Masyado lang excited ang tatay. Ewan ko. Bahala na. Congrats kay Pangulong Obama ng Estados Unidos at sa kanyang bise na si Biden. Nawa’y magsilbi silang mga tunay na inspirasyon sa mundo. Goodluck ng sangkatutak!

______

Video ng Speech ni US President-elect Obama pagkapanalo niya kanina

(P.S. hindi namin yan TV at bahay. Nahanap ko lang yan sa Youtube)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t8ps15LQH0[/youtube]

__________

Here is the full text of President-Elect Barack Obama Presidential Victory Speech.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled — Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of red states and blue states; we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Sen. McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Gov. Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the vice-president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next first lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager, David Plouffe; my chief strategist, David Axelrod; and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics — you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to — it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington — it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn’t do this just to win an election, and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime — two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year, or even one term, but America — I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you: We as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for 221 years — block by block, brick by brick, callused hand by callused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek — it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers. In this country, we rise or fall as one nation — as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House — a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends… Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.” And, to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president, too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world — our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright: Tonight, we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America — that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election, except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons — because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America — the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes, we can.

At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes, we can.

When there was despair in the Dust Bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes, we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes, we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes, we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes, we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves: If our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time — to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

-kasama mula kay Gary Granada

For the last two decades, the name Crispin B. Beltran has been associated with pickets,
demonstrations, strikes, and generally everything connected to the militant labor
movement. Not surprising with him being the chairman of the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU).
Since August of 2001, however, he has become known as something else – a member of
one of the biggest, most influential bastions of conservatism in the country, the House of
Representatives. From 2001-2003, he was one of three Bayan Muna solons. From 2004 up
to present, he now stands as the chairman and representative for labor and urban poor
concerns of the Anakpawis partylist. Ka Bel breathes, lives and practices the politics of
change and nationalism with the same fervor he does as a leader of the parliament of the
streets.

But no less interesting than his politics is his personal life. His love life alone is the stuff of
movies, megged by the late Lino Brocka or Ysmael Bernal, crossed with Jose Javier Reyes.
Since 1956, Ka Bel has been married to the former Rosario Soto from Malolos, Bulacan.
There’s a joke circulating around activist circles that goes “Ka Bel is a voice who should be
heard in the Lower House, but in his own house, it’s Ka Osang whom he listens to.”

This is their love story.

Ka Osang is the product of a broken home. Her parents separated early in her childhood,
and as the youngest among the three children, she was left to an elderly relative, her
father’s aunt who lived in Gagalangin, Tondo. Ka Osang grew up wanting for nothing – she
was given new dresses and jewelry whenever she asked for them.

But in exchange, she had to be obedient to the very strict, and sometimes unreasonable
rules of her grandmother. She was entered in La Concepcion, a convent- school, and was
told never to look at members of the opposite sex. “Wala talaga akong kaalam-alam sa
mga lalaki nun. Si Papa lang at yung mga kapatid ko ang pwede kong kausapin.” (“I knew
the least thing about boys or men.The only males I was aware of were my father and my
brothers.”)

But the great aunt and the nuns combined were not able to curb the young girl’s
adventurous spirit. One morning, On November 10, 1956 she cut classes and together with
a few classmates, sneaked into a moviehouse.

“Pinanood namin si Nida Blanca at si Nestor de Villa. Pero pag-uwi ko, nalaman na ni Lola
ang ginawa ko. Matindi ang naging away,” she says. (:|”We used to watch Nestor de Villa
and Nida Blanca. When I got home, I found out that my grandmother already knew what I
had done. There was a dreadful argument.”)

In turned out that the Mother Superior herself came to the house and told her
grandmother of what happened. Livid at being lied to, the grandmother slapped Ka Osang
and told her to leave. And that’s what she did.

By 12 noonshe was wandering around Quiapo, with nothing but the clothes on her back
and the other piece which her enraged grandmother threw at Ka Osang as she left the
house.

In a daze, she entered into one of the taxis that was parked in front of Plaza Miranda. The
driver was the man who would be her husband, the then 26-year old Crispin.
“Napansin kong bata pa siya, at medyo tulala,” was his first impression. (“I immediately
noticed how young she was, and how lost she looked.”) He asked her where she was going.
Still reeling from her experience, she answered ‘Derecho ka lang.” (Just go straight
ahead.”)
They had reached Monumento, but she still hadn’t given Ka Bel specific directions. He
stopped the taxi and turned to face her. Ka Osang remembers, “Naiinis na sya. ‘Saan ba
talaga tayo?” sabi niya. Ako naman, wala sa sarili, naiyak na. Sinabi ko na yung nangyari.”
(He started getting irritated. He kept asking me where it was really that I wanted to go. I
started crying and told him the entire story.”)

Ka Bel was very sympathetic. She reminded him of his sisters back home in Bacacay,
Albay. He looked at her with compassion, and told her that he would drive her home. He
also urged her to apologize to her Lola, “Masama magtanim ng galit sa kapamilya.” (It’s not
good to harbor resentment against family.”)

Ka Osang shook her head and made a move to get out. By then, night had fallen. Ka Bel
refused to let her go – “May masama pang mangyari sa iyo – parang wala kang kaalam-alam
sa mundo.” (“Something bad might happen to you — you look like you don’t know anything
about what goes on in the world.” )

So he took her to his boarding house in San Juan where he lived with a few others, and
told her to stay the night. She stayed there, in Ka Bel’s room, for three days.
“Tulala lang ako, nakatingin sa labas ng bintana. Kain, tulog, tatanga sa bintana, iiyak,
matutulog. Sa susunod na araw, ganun na naman.”

(“I was almost catatonic. I would just stare out the window. I would eat, sleep, stare out
the window. The next ay would be the same and the day after that.”)

She was alone most of the time, as Ka Bel drove the taxi all day, and at night attended
school at the Asian Labor Education Center at the University of the Philippines. When he
got home at night, she would already be asleep, on a low, wide bench that served as a
bed, while Ka Bel had his own bed across the room.

“Ni hindi ko alam ang pangalan nya nun. Ang tawag ko sa kanya kuya,” Ka Osang recollects,
laughing.(“I didn’t even know what his name was.”)
Did she ever get a crush on him? “Wala akong pakialam talaga sa kanya nun, ang iniisip ko
lang sarili ko. Pero napaka-maalalahanin niya.”

(“I really didnt care much about him at the time. I ws just looking out for myself; but I do
remember thinking how thoughtful he was.”)

It was at that time when Ka Bel gave her what she calls his first gift.
“Dilaw na sepilyong naka-kahon. May tatak na Good Morning.” (“A yellow toothbrush in a
box, with a label ‘Good Morning” on it”)

On the third day, Ka Osang wanted to go home But not wanting to further inconvenience
Ka Bel, she left the house without telling him.
“Nang malaman ng papa ko kung saan ako napunta noong naglayas ako, galit na galit siya!
Pinuntuhan nila yung bahay ni Ka Bel, tapos binugbog siya. Wala naman akong magawa.”

(“When my father found out, he flew into a rage. He went to Ka Bel’s house and beat him
up. I could’t do anything but watch.”)

Ka Bel was taken to the municipal jail in San Juan and was accused of abusing a minor.
Though it was already the late 1950s, no woman would be caught alone in the company of
a man if they weren’t sweethearts. And it was already a scandal if they stayed in the same
room together alone. Ka Osang stayed in Ka Bel’s room for three days.

In short, they had to get married. Ka Bel could have easily refused, but he didn’t. He knew
that if he refused, Ka Osang would be disgraced. “Kaya kinasal kami. Walang pag-ibig nun.
Ayaw ko talaga, iniirapan ko siya, sinusungitan. Pero siya, bukas ang isip. Sabi niya, napag-
aaralan naman ang pag-ibig.”

(“So we got married. I didn’t love him them. I didn’t even like him much — I would sneer
and pout at him, being completely disagreeable. As for him, he had an open mind. He said
that love was something we could both learn.”)

And soon enough, she did learn to love her husband. Initially it was because he was a good

(“He would give me his entire wages for the month, complete with the receipt”), but later
on it was for himself. She learned to love him for his gentleness with the children, his
sense of humor (“Malambing yan, makwento”) (“He’s sweet, he likes to tell me stories”),
patience (“Nang magsama kami, di ako marunong maglaba o magluto – siya ang gumagawa
nun. Tinuruan lang niya ako, hati kami sa gawaing bahay”), (When we first lived together, I
didn’t know how to launder clothes or cook. We would share the housework”) and
inevitably, for his politics which he had long before embraced.

“Malaking dahilan yun. Kasabay ng pagkilala ko sa kanya bilang asawa, nakilala ko din siya
bilang lider manggagawa. Noong una, hindi ako payag – lagi na lang siya ginagabi, o minsan
di talaga umuwi, kesyo may mga seminar daw. Madalas kaming mag-away,” she says. “Nang
maintindihan ko na yung trabaho niya, nagkaroon ng mas malalim na dimensyon ang
pagmamahal at respeto ko sa kanya.”

(“I learned to love my husband as a leader of workers. At first I was very resentful that he
wouldn’t come home, or when he did, he’d come home late. We would argue and I would
yell. When I grew to understand the natue of his work, I also grew to love and respect him
more.”)

But Ka Bel was ever-patient. He continually explained to her his work, and what it meant.
Even in his early 20s, he had become a full-fledged labor leader. He became president of
the Yellow Taxi Drivers’ Union and the Amalgamated Taxi Drivers Federation from 1955-
1963. From 1963-1972, he was Vice-administrator of the Confederation of Labor Unions of
the Philippines, and then vice-president of the Philippine Alliance of Nationalist
Organizations (PANALO) which became the Alliance of Nationalist Genuine Labor
Organizations (ANGLO), affiliated under the Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) whose establishment
on May 1, 1980, signaled the labor movement’s all-out war against the Marcos dictatorship.

Throughout her husband’s growing activism, Ka Osang strove to be supportive. Her love for
Ka Bel and the life he had chosen was severely tested, however, in August 1982 when Ka
Bel along with other labor leaders was arrested by the military.
“Sampu na ang anak namin nang ikulong siya. Wala kaming pera, maliban dun sa binibigay
ng mga kasamahan sa KMU. Nagtitinda-tinda din ako nun sa palengke – isda, tsinelas.
Minsan din binibigyan kami ng bigas at gatas ng mga madre na sumusuporta kay Ka Bel at
sa ibang mga political prisoners,” she says.

(“We already had 10 children when he was arrested. We had no money, and my children
lived on my smal earnings from selling rubber slippers and fish at the market. KMU also
helped us, and nuns who were supportive of the campaign to release political prisoners.”)

By then they were living in a squatters’ community in Gao, Commonwealth, Quezon City ,
where they still live to this day. Ka Osang would walk from Commonwealth to Crame
where Ka Bel was detained.

For two years, Ka Osang not only became the mother and father to their children, but also
proxy labor leader: she delivered Ka Bel’s speeches for him in the rallies, and became a
volunteer for Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP). She studied acupressure and
acupuncture, and applied what she learned whenever she went to Crame and Muntinlupa,
where other poldets were incarcerated. Along with the wives, daughters, and relatives of
other political prisoners, Ka Osang lobbied for their release.

But the Marcos government was adamant. No way would it release one of its prized
captives. Ka Bel was then KMU secretary general, and the president, one of the original
pillars of the labor movement in the country Felixberto ‘Ka Bert’ Olalia was also under
custody.

By 1984, Ka Bert had already succumbed to the constant torture of the military, as well as
the dampness of the jail cells. He died of pneumonia.
“Dun na talaga ako natakot. May sakit na rin si Ka Bel nun – sa kidney naman. Ayaw siyang
bigyan ng maayos na tulong medikal sa kulungan, kaya lumala yung kundisyon niya habang
tumatagal. Si Ka Bert namatay na, ayaw kong masunod si Ka Bel,” Ka Osang narrated. She
took action.

(“That was when I really got scared. Ka Bel was already afflicted with kidney problems.
They didn’t give him medical treatment in jail. I didn’t want Ka Bel to go through what Ka
Bert did. Ka bert died because of untreated respiratory problems. I didn’t want Ka Bel to
die.”)

In Crame, she consulted with her husband and hatched a plan of escape. Ka Bel would
come home for a few hours’ visit for the supposed birthday of a young nephew, then from
there make his way to freedom.

Then she went to Ka Bel’s lawyers – Attys. Joker Arroyo and Rene Saguisag. “Sinabi ko sa
kanilang wag pumunta sa hearing ng kaso si Ka Bel. Sa araw na yung tatakas si Ka Bel.”

The two men were incredulous – they thought Ka Osang was joking. “Tinanong nila ako -
handa ba akong mabugbog?” Sagot ko, oo. Handa ka bang mamatay? Oo. Ang mahalaga
makalaya siya. Pero di pa rin sila naniwala. ”

(“They asked me if I was prepared to get caught or worse, beaten. I said yes. I said I was
even prepared to die. What was important was that Ka Bel escapes. They still didn’t
believe me.”)

On the day of the children’s party, neighbors and friends came and pretended to
celebrate. Ka Bel arrived with his guards. Beforehand, he and Ka Osang agreed on a sign -
after putting down his second bottle of beer, he would make his move. He downed his
second beer (“Yung beer para malabanan ang kaba – takot kasi siya para sa akin”) (“The
beer was to help calm himself down. He was very nervous and afraid for me”)

. There wasn’t a chance to say good-bye. He excused himself under the pretext of having
to urinate. When he got to the toilet, he pulled out the piece of loose board, and
squeezed himself through a rough hole made in the wall. Then his guards noticed the
inordinately long time Ka Bel was taking. They broke down the toilet door and saw the
gaping hole. They quickly turned on Ka Osang and began beating her.

“Suntok, sampal, sabunot. Di ko na malaman kung ano ang mas masakit, yung mukha ko
ba, yung dibdib,” she remembers. (“They punched and kickedme, pulled my hair.”) They
punched her in the stomach and dragged her outside, to the public basketball court which
was a few meters walk from the house.

“Tinadyakan ako. Akala nila sasaklolohan ako ni Ka Bel kung marinig niya ang mga sigaw
ko. Pero malayo na sya noon.” (“They kicked me when I fell to the floor. They thought that
by hurting me, I would scream, and Ka Bel would come to rescue me. They didn’t know
that Ka Bel and I agreed that no matter what happened, he wouldn’t turn back.”)

For a month or so after, soldiers would be stationed around the house, and the house
became a virtual garrison. But Ka Osang was unfazed. One time, a burly soldier asked her
for a glass of water. She ignored the request.

“Namura ko yung sundalo. Sabi ko, ang dami-daming kriminal na nagkalat – sa Malacanang
lang ang dami na – pero bakit kami ang binabantayan? ‘

(“I cursed at the soldiers. There were so many criminals on the loose – especially in
Malacanang. Why don’t they go after them?”)

Ka Bel went into hiding in Central Luzon. It’s something of a legend in the labor movement
that he was taken in by members of the New People’s Army who heard of his escape. For
two years, he took shelter with the rebels and took the nom de guerre “Ka Anto” after one
of the fathers of the labor movement, Crisanto Evangelista. But instead of an armalite, Ka
Anto carried a portable typewriter.

“Sa mga bahay na sinisilungan ng hukbo, may mga batang nasa high school. Ginawa nila
akong taga-makinilya. Ako yung nagta-type ng mga assignment at term paper nila,” he says
smiling.

(“I stayed in the homes where the NPA stayed. There was a youngster who went to
highschool there. They made me typist. I typed up their assignments and termpapers.” )

Every three to five months, Ka Osang would visit her husband. It was a complicated
process, and very tiring. She went on her pilgrimage to Central Luzon until the Marcos was
ousted via People Power on February 25. When Corazon Aquino became president, she
ordered the release of all political prisoners, and in particular mentioned Ka Bel.

Ka Osang herself went to take her husband home.
On hindsight, Ka Osang wonders where she got her strength. “Siguro dahil lagi akong sabik
makita sya kaya di ko na pinansin yung pagod,” she says.(“I was so eager to see him again I
took no notice of the exhaustion.” )

But more importantly, she adds, she was bouyed by the knowledge that her husband was
an inspiration to many. “Naging aktibista na rin ang ibang anak namin. Walang galit sa mga
anak namin kahit may panahong lumaki silang walang tatay – alam nila kung ano ang
pinaglalaban ng ama nila.” (“Our other children have become activists as well.They show
no anger or resentfullness for growing up without their father being there. They know
what their father is fighting for.”)

And what does Ka Bel have to say about his wife?

He recites a few lines from the song Kasama by Gary Granada: “Hindi lang siya kaibigan, di
lang siya kapatid. Di lang kasintahan, o kaisang-dibdib. Di lang siya asawa, o inang uliran.
Siya’y aking kasama, sa mapagpalayang kilusan.”

In private, they call each other ‘Ma’ and ‘Daddy.’ He says Ka Osang has a sharp tongue.
“Istrikto sya sa mga bata. Pero pag may nagka-problema ang kahit sino sa kanila, bibitawan
ang lahat. Kahit sakit ng sarili niyang katawan, nakakalimutan niya,” he says. A grandson,
17-year old Cris, agrees. “Si Lola lang ang laging nanenermon,
si Lolo, tahimik lang. Pero spoiled kaming lahat sa kanilang dalawa.”

Ka Bel says he is well-taken care of. Ka Osang insists on preparing his clothes every
morning, whether it’s the round-collar shirts he wears to rallies, or the barong tagalogs for
Congress. “Alam ko kung hindi siya ang naglalaba ng damit ko. Iba ang pakiramdam.” (I can
tell when it’s not her who has llaundered my clothes. They feel less comfortable. “)

She is also his chief confidante. He shares with her the details of his day – the rallies he
marched in, the general mass assemblies of the local unions he has attended, and lately,
about the Congress committee meetings and other legislative functions he goes to. “Siya
naman kinukwento sa akin ang kakulitan ng mga apo namin,” he shares. (“In turn, she tells
me about the antics of our grandchildren and how everything is with the various members
of our family.”)

For a couple whose meeting and marriage are unusual at the least, Ka Bel and Ka Osang’s
marriage is solid and loving. Proof of this is their 10 children, who, in turn, have given
them 27 grandchildren. Oh, Osang says cheekily, there were times when Ka Bel was
younger, he did a bit of fooling around, but he always returned to her. That was when the
first three children were very young, and Ka Bel and Ka Osang had frequent quarrels (“Pero
nagsisi naman siya – nag-kursillo sa simbahan, naging sakristan pa nga!”).

They don’t like going to movies – more often, they would just the two of them go to
Bulacan and visit relatives. Every two years or so, they would travel to Albay.
Still very much like the 15-year old he rescued 48 years ago, Ka Osang becomes petulant
when Ka Bel breaks his promises. “Minsan sobrang busy yan, di kami makapuntang
Bulacan,” she scolds.

“Pero naiintindihan ko din. Nami-miss ko lang naman siya. Marami kasi akong kahati sa
kanya, ang mga manggagawa at ang sambayanan.” (I understand his work, his chosen life. I
just misshim, that’s all. I know I have to share him with the rest of the working people and
the masses.”)

mula sa website ng kilusang mayo uno

____________

Sumalangit nawa ang kaluluwa ng namayapang si Ka Bel.

A. In the U.S. they go to jail. In the Philippines , they go to the U.S.

Ewan ko ba kung sino ang nakaisip nito, pero may punto naman siya.

Sa dami ba naman ng kamal-kamal na pera ng bayan na nakukurakot ng mga kurakot sa PInas eh di malayong magsilipad sila sa Amerika o kaya sa ibang bansa para itago ang pera nila

tanong sa akin ng amo ko habang nagkekwentuhan kami isang gabi.

Siyempre natangahan naman ako sa tanong niya. Hindi ba niya naisip na simula noong unang panahon, bumuo na ng batas ang mga tao para mabigyang ayus ang kanilang lipunan para mabigyang daan ang pagkakabuo ng kanilang sibilisasyon? Nagulat ako sa tanong niya, kaya agad akong napasagot ng “Yes, Of course!” Pinaliwanag ko sa kanya na sa katunayan, napakaraming mga magagandang batas ng Pilipinas, yun nga lang, hindi ko alam lahat ng dahilan kung bakit ito hindi mapatakbong maayos ng pamahalaan.

“…cause I’ve heard stories that people there do not follow laws and can easily bail their way out of the law’s punishments…”

Okey. May pinupunto naman pala siya. Ni hindi ko man lang agad napansin na may halong sarcasm yung tanong niya. Nanibago lang siguro ako. Iba pala kapag mga taga ibang bansa na ang pumupuna sa lupang kinalikihan mo, sa bayang kinagisnan, at sa bayang kumanlong sa’yo ng maraming taon. Mas malakas ang tama sa’yo. Yung tipong gusto mo ibangon yung dignidad ng lahi mo bilang pinoy pero sadyang madaming mga di magandang kapuna-punang mga bagay ang napapansin sa bansa mo. Mapapatigil ka na lang bigla at mapapaisip. Babalik pa kaya ako sa Pinas gayong halos karamihan ng mga Pinoy na nakakausap ko dito sa bansang ito ay nagsasabing ‘wag na’kong bumalik dun. Madami nang Pilipino ang nawalan ng tiwala sa gobyerno, pati sa kagandahan ng bansa natin.

“Putakte…wag ka na bumalik sa Pinas…tarantado gobyerno natin. Witness ako dun kay Trillanes. Napakalapit ko.”

Kamakailan lang ay natanggap ko ang mensaheng yan sa isa sa mga matalik kong kaibigan na nagtatrabaho sa Makati. Siya ang unang nagbalita sa’kin ng nangyari kamakailan lang kina Senator Trillanes.

“Nag walk-out sila Trillanes along with Brig. Gen. Lim and 30 soldoers sa hearing. Tapos nagpunta sila sa Manila Pen, eh di namn kudeta yun diba kasi dun lang sila dumiretso. Wala namang armas yung mga yun. Eh ang tarantadong gobyerno, ang daming pinadalang sundalo at tangke. Potangena, nagpaputok pa nung ayaw lumabas nila Trillanes. Tang ina. Ginawa ng gobyerno? yung mga media sa loob tineargas (inispray-an ng tear gas) at pinosasan. Tas ‘lamo? Ang potangena, sinira ng tangke yung pinto para makapasok. What a brute use of force! May curfew ngayon sa Pinas. 12-5. Sinong Paranoid ngaun?”

Matagal na namang paranoid ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas sa maraming mga bagay. Takot ang gobyerno sa pagpapalit ng pamamahal;a, takot ang gobyerno sa paglilipat ng kapangyarihan, takot ang gobyerno na mawalan ng kontrol sa mga nasasakupan nito. Yung paranoiang iyon ng pamahalaan ng Pilipinas ang isa sa mga sakit nito kaya hindi ito makakilos ng akma para sa ikabubuti ng nakararaming mga Pilipino.

Ang madalas na headline pag nagtatanong ako tungkol sa Pilipinas ay,
“Naku, walang bago! magulo pa din dito!”

Kung ang batas ng isang bansa ang isa sa mga nagbibigay ayos sa lipunan nito, baka nga joke lang yung mga batas sa Pilipinas. Baka nga wala namn talagang batas gaya ng napapansin ng mga dayuhan. Kunge meron man, tinutulugan naman ng mga kinauukulan. Babalik pa ba ako ng Pinas? Oo naman.

Lingid sa kaalaman ng maraming dayuhan dito, kahit mistulang magulo ang Pilipinas, napakaraming mga simpleng dahilan na gugustuhin mong balik-balikan doon. Isa lamang yun sa mga tatalakayin ko sa mga susunod na entries ng blog na ito.
Sa blog na ito ibabahagi ko sa inyo ang aking mga karanasan dito sa Amerika bilang isang OFW na nakikipagsapalaran sa uri ng buhay dito.