Spectacular views and images like these make one feel like nothing’s wrong in our country. Everything looks so urban and prosperous. Of course, greater empirical observations across the country prove otherwise.

These were taken the night before The Peninsula Hotel in Makati (seen at the lower left of the first picture) was taken by rebel soldiers with noble intentions and legitimate reasons. Some of my brods and I were at the penthouse of another brod that night for some function. The view was simply and irresistably spectacular.

(more…)

We have all the reasons to oust this administration. Do we even have to question them. Read the open letter of the renegade soldiers and all the premises for this rebellion are so real and blatant–from election rigging, to the national broadband scam, to brownbag payoffs, I don’t know how any sane person can stand it. Pero, tulad nga ng isang text na natanggap ko. Tao sa lansangan at hindi mga sundalo sa hotel ang mapagpasya sa isang democratic struggle. Trillanes and company had the right reasons, but the wrong methods.

However, I wouldn’t call Senator Trillanes and company, for all their noble intentions, crazy as many of our middle class netizens have said in their blogs and in comments. But you know what, I’d rather call people who refuse to admit that something’s terribly wrong in this administration crazier. I don’t even know what to call people who know how rotten this administration is but would rather go on and live their comfortable lives because they can afford it.

What with all other avenues closed, mass action is our only recourse. Ano pa bang vague na ‘other ways’ and sinasabi-sabi ng iba d’yan? No matter how you spin it, they all lead to the tolerance of all this administration’s crimes. Wait till 2010? Give me a break.

Tomorrow we commemorate Andres Bonifacio and the revolution he began.

Where do I start? Again, more than a week has passed since my latest blog entry and I’m now faced with a backlog of chronicles. Simply put, however, the past two weeks has seen a host of frat functions and activities which has left me sleepless at times, stressed at others, and oddly accomplished in some moments. Of course, there’s juggling tasks in my other organizations, and keeping up with the first academic requirements for my last undergraduate semester in the university.

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who came to our 89th anniversary month’s first event, a film screening of Tulad ng Dati by Mike Sandejas ‘91. It was the first time my seniors made me handle an event. It means a lot to me, and I can’t really adequately explain here how much pressure it meant. Nevertheless, I highly appreciate all the support I got from the brods, from Mike ‘91 himself, and from my friends. It was a success.

(more…)

Two nights ago, my mom picked me up right after my last class in UP and then we had dinner with her friend together with my dad at this fancy Chinese restaurant called Summer Palace in EDSA Shangri-la. It’s been months since I had fancy Chinese food. I’ve often said that Chinese cuisine is top of my list and the experience two nights ago simply served as an expensive affirmation.

Last night, on the other hand, I went to Abe Restaurant in Serendra. It was Ivan who invited Renz and me to the first anniversary treat of Abe Restaurant. The place was packed. A choral group from Pampanga was present to sing to the crowd. The emcee however spoke entirely in Kapampangan, which I didn’t understand.

Traffic last night was terrible, it took me two hours to drive from Congressional Avenue in Quezon City to Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. When I got to the place, I immediately headed off to the buffet table and took in everything. The adobong kimaru kamaru (crickets cooked adobo-style) was surprisingly delectable, I was eating half a plateful of it, even before I was told they were real crickets.

The famous priest-turned-Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio was one of the event’s guests. I was coaxed to have a picture with him, after having written an entry about the governor some weeks ago.

It was also, actually, my first time in Serendra and Bonifacio High Street. Ivan, Renz and I had some donuts at Krispy Kreme before heading home.

I am not offering any conclusion to the string of violence that have happened in Manila the past weeks, from the deadly explosion in Glorietta, to the bombing of Batasan. However, there is nothing wrong with looking at these recent spate of bombings and violence in a critical and doubtful light, from the various possible motives of such acts to the symbolic violence they represent. One who simply parrots what the administration and its police force are saying is being too naive–sometimes, irritatingly. The state has all the capabilities, the reasons and the resources to fabricate “truths” to suit the needs of the powers-that-be. It doesn’t take much to theorize which side benefits much from these incidents.

I was at the penthouse of some building along Annapolis in Greenhills Saturday last week. I don’t think I’ve been that drunk before (on second thought, of course I have). Next time, when I know what I’m getting myself into for the night, I shouldn’t take out and drive the family car. Whew.

A university formation that has been existing for 89 years is bound to have a lot of vintage memorabilia among its historical treasures. I’m quite amused with all the old pictures I’ve been sifting through for the past days. I’d sometimes recognize present public figures today during in their youthful college days decades ago.

Anyway, in celebration of our 89th anniversary, we’re inviting everyone to a special FREE screening of Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival 2006 Best Picture, Tulad ng Dati by Mike Sandejas ‘91. It’s going to be on Tuesday, November 13, 7:00 PM at the UP Cine Adarna (Film Center). Again, admission is free. I hope to see you there!

(more…)

The way the government is handling the issue of Mariannet Amper, the 11 year-old girl from Davao who hanged herself because of her family’s impoverished situation, is very typical of the establishment’s pattern of covering up for the consequences of its evils and its other such shortcomings. Unfortunately some people readily buy these spins. Primary of such spins is to dismiss the entire issue as an isolated case, and to trivialize the girl’s reasons for committing suicide as largely personal and psychological. And to match such issues with the harping of news that proclaim economic progress by the numbers–numbers that are largely intangible to the vast number of impoverished Filipinos. Too bad the benefits of the apparent strength of the peso, or the booming stock market didn’t “trickle down” to the Amper family, huh, Ms President? You know what’s worse, the President has used this issue as an instrument and as a reason to hasten the implementation of her highly-controversial, corruption-laden Cyber Education Project, a sister project of the highly-controversial ZTE National Broadband Network Project.

You know, these kinds of spins fuel the mentality that blames the poor for their misery because they are lazy, because they are born poor, because they have too many children, that’s the way it is, etcetera. Bullshit. Think what this kind of mentality leads you to do. Nothing. This kind of mentality only leads you to go on with your middle class life. To be purely guiltless. These spins only serve the prevailing order.

I would like to echo what Anton said regarding this issue:

In our present society, everyone and everything can be grouped into two: those who support the status quo in their actions, and those who oppose it in their actions. while some peasants certainly spend their lives praying that the afterlife is somewhat better, there are those who realize that it was not ordained by the heavens that they should be slave to some master. while some workers spend their lives in diversions to the misery of their existences, some try to smash the instruments of their misery. and while some students spend their time trying to feel good here in multiply, some are trying to use this very instrument to enlighten others.

there is no neutrality. no one put the noose around mariannet’s neck. no one told her to jump. but certain people made her short life miserable, and they can be divided into two categories: first, the ones who are in power and who make the policies of our country. second, the ones who just watch by.

Indeed it is not enough for one to feel sad or angry over the tragedy. There’s a prevailing order that sustains these conditions and tragedies. And there are collective ways of challenging this status quo.